Olympic RR/TT/TRACK Cycling.. (may contain spoilers)

spasypaddy

i'd like to see the shots that welkman is talking about

PBo

I'd love to read this thread, but I'm worried that I'll find out who will win at the weekend....

WHAT FEKIN SPOILERS???

Greg T

I'm going to go up to Richmond Park with another member of this parish, around Sawyers Hill, after that a pub / my place to watch it on TV, maybe see it coming back in if I'm not too battered...

DavidBelcher

cyclingprop wrote:

Thoughts on the best spots to go out and watch for those of us without tickets?

I'm tinkering with the idea of heading across to Leatherhead (Givons Grove) on Saturday; it's on the "Box Hill" bit of the circuit - albeit not a hilly bit - where a big chunk of the key action ought to unfold, with the obvious advantage of a free vantage point for cheapskates like me.

David

DavidBelcher

spasypaddy wrote:

surely the riders are contracted to ride their team bikes like they did in the worlds maybe with a team gb paint job but still pinarellos and a cervelo for Millar.

Pretty much what I thought. Team GB/BC does effectively have a dedicated "in house" machine for track events but fairly sure that road competitors just stick with what their sponsors are paying 'em to ride.

David

optimisticbiker

Another good article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18993100

I'm inclined to agree this is not a foregone conclusion...

I was tenpted to go out Leatherhead way, but I don't know the area well and its a fair trek on the bike from NW London... about 65mile roundtrip

il_principe

Headley Heath for me, but will prob perch at the junction of Headley Common Road and Church Road. Looks like that should provide an ok view. Will pootle up there on the bike.

rjsterry

Il Principe wrote:

Headley Heath for me, but will prob perch at the junction of Headley Common Road and Church Road. Looks like that should provide an ok view. Will pootle up there on the bike.

May see you there. Anyone know what time the riders are expected to get to the Box Hill loop? I'd guessed at around 11, but that's without really working out the distance.

rick_chasey

I would also pay attention to guys like Eisel who will inevitably be racing for Cav.

veronese68

I'm intending going over towards Sawyers to watch the road race out bound, then back towards Kingston to catch the return. Maybe at the Albert opposite Kingston Hospital, or back into the park somewhere around Ham dip.
TT I'll be at work, but I will sneak down to Bushy Park for a little while around lunchtime.

welkman

This?

spasypaddy

wow. now that is interesting!

welkman

why the massive angle on the stem?

spasypaddy

its possibly a pina which is the team sky rebrand of a pinarello. they have a straight fork.

or possibly its his own bike as his pinarellos hadnt made it back yet?

guess we'll see on saturday. but the 2008 race had riders on their own sponsored bike rather than a nation bike. bit like footballers who wear their own boots

spasypaddy

road.cc have done an article...

The favourite to give the UK their first gold medal in the games, but the question on our lips is what will he ride? His team issue Pinarello Dogma? Sources tell us that both Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins have been spotted training on the roads in Surrey this week on bikes that definitely are not from the Italian company.

So, what will he ride then? It looks like he'll ride a bike provided by UK Sport, using a frame made along similar lines to those the track team will race in the velodrome. The frames have been developed by Advanced Composites Group, a leading composite development company based in the UK.

The stealthy black carbon track frames were ridden to much success at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Each frame is hand-crafted from the ground up and have been designed to be as aerodynamic as possible. Even the handlebars have been designed to have a low drag co-efficient.

Listed on UK Sports website is the Aero Road/TT Frame, which has the ability to be built into a road going bike or time trial setup. It weighs 1kg, accepts Shimano Di2 routing, is available in six sizes and is claimed to be “the stiffest in the world today.” It wouldn't be a surprise to see Cav riding it then.

http://road.cc/content/news/62533-olymp ... d-win-gold

and the bike in question:

Aero Road/TT Frame
Weighing around, 1kg, the Aero Road Frame is one of the stiffest in the world today.
The frame is available in MK1 (standard seat post) or MK2 custom seat post versions.
D2i or Std cable option should be specified at time of order.
Available in 6 sizes ranging from XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

http://www.uksport.gov.uk/pages/cycling/

rick_chasey

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... -bike.html

pitchshifter

Anyone emailed to find out just how much these ugly bikes cost?

rjsterry

pitchshifter wrote:

Anyone emailed to find out just how much these ugly bikes cost?

No-one could accuse them of form over function - performance aside, that is a bit of a minger.

Gussio

Rode the course this morning, to and from Richmond. Police have shut the zig zags, which is no bad thing as I'm not sure that my legs would have managed 9 laps. If you have a chance, well worth getting out on the route - there are yellow arrows everywhere for directions, making it like a free sportive.

http://app.strava.com/rides/14858355

The route isn't as flat as I thought it might be - lots of undulating roads and a couple of sharp climbs. As somebody mentioned above, the descent of Coombe Hill will be tricky, especially if wet. I met the Canadian women's team at the top of the hill with their coach which was interesting. Also saw Cadel Evans at the same spot riding on his own. He didn't respond to my cheery hello...

Other notable spot was Thomas Voeckler riding, bizarely, with the Italian team at the top of Box Hill. At least they smiled at my "viva Italia!".

Going to be great to watch tomorrow. Also heading for Sawyers, with the kids in tow....

beams87

Rick Chasey wrote:

cyclingprop wrote:

Thoughts on the best spots to go out and watch for those of us without tickets?

In a pub showing the race that sits on the route....

+1 I'll be having breakfast in a pub before they get to Putney Bridge, whereupon I will spectate from a sofa, then I might cycle up to central L and try to catch a glimmer of the CAV whisteling past Canchelara and Sagan...

beams87

Rick Chasey wrote:

cyclingprop wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

cyclingprop wrote:

Thoughts on the best spots to go out and watch for those of us without tickets?

In a pub showing the race that sits on the route....

Where?!

I've been pointing everyone on pro-race to the temperance which is on the corner from Fulham high street to Putney bridge. I believe a guy from pro-race has booked a table there.

S'where I'd have gone if I hadn't got tickets, and it's near Putney bridge Tube station.

That's a good pub to spectate from... That'll be 2 nd choice to The Durrell Arms

mtb-idle

i'm heading up to Headley Heath with wife and kids. we are planning on wearing a selection of yellow tour leader and polka dot KOM jerseys obtained free from the TDF so wave if you see us.

tailwindhome

Gold..... Mc Cann
Silver.....Roche
Bronze...D Martin

What a great result..

tailwindhome

Just for one day I wish I lived in that London....

DonDaddyD

Apart from the stem, I want one!

roger_merriman

Went to Bushy Park there was a break away, but wife videoed the pelaton yes the flag is annoying! good fun and lots of folks having fun.

http://youtu.be/f9D-Xrbui1c

asprilla

jonny_trousers

Bollox! Got to head to work soon. Anyone know if you can view the race live online?

asprilla

It's on the BBC site

SimonAH

I note the closed vents again on the GB lids - is this going to be the new arms race? Making road lids as TT as possible but still staying inside the letter of the law?