British track squad pursuit bikes

cydonian74

I don't know if this has been asked and answered here before so apologies if it has, but why is it that the bikes that are being ridden by the GB track pursuit team are fitted with 'standard' track cranks and bottom brackets by, i think, Sugino?
In the times of carbon aero cranks, 30mm bb axles and the like, it seems refreshingly, well, quaint or basic even. Particularly as the bikes, bars and kit that they use in general are truly state-of-the-art.
Anyone?

aracer

You'll probably find http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... hp?t=46539 more informative than any answers you might get here.

robbarker

It seems to me that developments in bottom bracket (and headset come to that) design are more to do with marketing, and reducing manufacturing and production cost, than with improved engineering or performance.

The British cycling lot do a lot of testing and have a very healthy kit budget - if they are using Sugino cranks it's because they work as well as anything else.

k-dog

On the track stiffness is much more important than weight so carbon fiber cranks wouuld probably be a disadvantage.

There bikes are also pretty beefy around the BB to stop flex so perhaps the stiffer BB doesn't make much different - like rob says I'm sure they've looked into it and chosen the best rather than the cheapest.

Monty Dog

So, a Sugino crank with square tapers is OK for Chris Hoy's 2000 watts plus and yet the folks over on weight weenies are flexing their carbon cranks all over the place?

pete.whelan

you'll probably find the BB are Royce titanium and running on ceramic bearings