Weird sh!t, dude...

greg66_tri_v2.0

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/ ... kes_119452

I don't know what to regard as nuttiest: the grassy knoll/Roswell-type theory in this video; the idea that a pro would use a piece of kit like this; or the idea that this stuff exists at all.

<shakes head in amazement>

rjsterry

Extremely sceptical that a motor capable of doing anything useful would be able to fit in a seat tube, never mind the additional weight - we've all seen the Go-cycle. Obviously, if such a thing were true, a pro team would be using something a bit higher end than this, but it gives an idea of the sort of motor you'd need to make any difference (and for it not to have a detrimental effect when not engaged.

Definite Silly Season stuff

greg66_tri_v2.0

rjsterry wrote:

Extremely sceptical that a motor capable of doing anything useful would be able to fit in a seat tube, never mind the additional weight - we've all seen the Go-cycle. Obviously, if such a thing were true, a pro team would be using something a bit higher end than this, but it gives an idea of the sort of motor you'd need to make any difference (and for it not to have a detrimental effect when not engaged.

Definite Silly Season stuff

Watch the video though.

Another nutty aspect: you can hear the motor whine very easily.

tailwindhome

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... cancellara

Have a read of this 11 page thread from the Pro Race section

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder how these people have access to a PC

turnerjohn

its a load of sh*te ! No way could you fit all that into a seat tube...let alown make it totally un-noticable....and thats not to mention the actual weight of the thing...batteries (even the best) weight a ton.
Whoever made the video obviously doesn't like Canc....personally I think his the most powerful rider in the world.

rjsterry

Still unconvinced. As you say, I think someone might notice the noise. I'm still sceptical that a motor capable of adding some useful power (let's say 250W, based on the Go-cycle wouldn't drain the battery small enough to fit in a frame tube in minutes. It just seems like one of the most complicated ways of increasing performance.

stuaff

Barking mad. The YouTube clip that started this looks to me like a viral ad created to promote an established motor-assist system for tourers etc (Gruber Assist) which isn't actually available in a road bike version anyway. It would be virtually impossible to build the system into a carbon frame not specifically designed for it. The power output would almost certainly not compensate for the weight, frictional losses, etc. Yet people are taking it seriously.....

rf6

"suspicious hand movements"??? Looked to me like a gear change followed by a change of pace. Now I'm no racer, but that seems to make sense.

A noisy electric motor not being noticed by other riders? Now that does not make sense.

Also, I presume that there is scrutineering for these major tours that would surely pick this up. Sounds like a load of carp to me!

rjsterry

My other argument against this is the same as with most conspiracy theories - far too many people to keep quiet; if it were true, someone would have come forward to sell their story by now.

Kieran_Burns

Oh for crying out loud. You NEVER see the whole bike with the wheel spinning on its own - there is ALWAYS a cut shot when the wheel is spinning / accelerating. It would be the easiest thing in the World to fake that.

That's just pathetic.

snailracer

rjsterry wrote:

My other argument against this is the same as with most conspiracy theories - far too many people to keep quiet; if it were true, someone would have come forward to sell their story by now.

For a moment I thought you were talking about drugs/doping.

snailracer

rjsterry wrote:

Still unconvinced. As you say, I think someone might notice the noise. I'm still sceptical that a motor capable of adding some useful power (let's say 250W, based on the Go-cycle wouldn't drain the battery small enough to fit in a frame tube in minutes. It just seems like one of the most complicated ways of increasing performance.

Races are won by the slimmest of margins, so even a small battery would be enough to make a difference.

snailracer

StuAff wrote:

Barking mad. The YouTube clip that started this looks to me like a viral ad created to promote an established motor-assist system for tourers etc (Gruber Assist) which isn't actually available in a road bike version anyway. It would be virtually impossible to build the system into a carbon frame not specifically designed for it. The power output would almost certainly not compensate for the weight, frictional losses, etc. Yet people are taking it seriously.....

A freewheeling clutch motor (quite common) would not have frictional losses, and there would not be any weight penalty because manufacturers are quite capable of making a frame lighter than UCI rules permit.

IMO these claims are not substantiated, however.

Bassjunkieuk

rf6 wrote:

"suspicious hand movements"??? Looked to me like a gear change followed by a change of pace. Now I'm no racer, but that seems to make sense.

A noisy electric motor not being noticed by other riders? Now that does not make sense.

Also, I presume that there is scrutineering for these major tours that would surely pick this up. Sounds like a load of carp to me!

But he uses a different finger ;-) As you said tho the sweeping action he is making does look very like a gear change which would explain why he can suddenly ride off with such speed :-)

As others have said tho the weight of this whole "system" with the motor and battery etc surely can't provide that much of an advantage that you'd carry around that extra weight for 6 1/2 hours just for a 30 second boost of speed?

whyamihere

snailracer wrote:

there would not be any weight penalty because manufacturers are quite capable of making a frame lighter than UCI rules permit.

IMO these claims are not substantiated, however.

Bikes for Paris-Roubaix tend not to be nowhere near the weight limit anyway. The standard 6.8kg bike a pro normally uses would break into little bits in the spring classics (Cancellara broke a wheel anyway at P-R I think). So adding this to a bike that's already over the limit would be a fairly significant weight penalty.

It's a stupid story. Ignore it.

Jay dubbleU

Lone Gunman stuff if you ask me

jimmypippa

TailWindHome wrote:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12705314&highlight=cancellara

Have a read of this 11 page thread from the Pro Race section

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder how these people have access to a PC

Not all of them - this seems to be a fair solution to the problem of a pointlessly small battery:

rdt wrote:

italiafirenze wrote:

I must have missed the enormous saddlebag Spartacus was using at Paris-Roubaix and Flanders.

In the racing version I understand that the batteries are moved to a butt-plug housing, so doing away with the need for the saddlebag.

If you look carefully at the race footage, you can see the metallic contact patches on the base of his shorts on those occasions when he's out of the saddle. These contacts marry up with corresponding ones on the saddle top.

That's also why in the instances where he powers away, it's all done fully seated, as there'd be no power assist otherwise.

fossyant

Hmmmm everyone forgets he's the multiple World TT Champion - he's quite good riding fast on his own.... :?

downfader

LOL! This is the funniest story I've read in years regarding cycling. What a load of tripe, the only thing is that it could damage Cancellara's rep and have the UCI hammer him in the same way they hammer Armstrong.

He's changing gear, LMAO! Loved this comment on the youtube page:

Fake.. Everybody knows that cancellara is a robot; he doesn't need a motor

PS This is how he'd do it if it were real: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TclGbFPjBWI