Masters competitor busted for hidden electric motor

[gaijintendo]

It's unlikely that there would have been news coverage of the event at the time, so they report the story, and throw in a couple of stock images to attract attention. Basic facts in the story are correct though as far as I can tell.

I suspect every news story needs an image in this day in age for linking internally/Google news etc. Stock photos are easier than permission from Flickr photographer's permissions for under reported events.

 

[Cronorider]

THE PLOT THICKENS!!! 'Allegedly' busted amateur now denies having motor and gives the predictable sorts of excuses

http://www.velonews.com/2017/07/news/italian-amateur-53-denies-motor-cheating-accusation_444978

 

[classic33]

How'd they explain the motor?

 

[Drago]

He forgot the name of the acquaintance he bought the bike off?

Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty!!!!!!

 

[ColinJ]

He forgot the name of the acquaintance he bought the bike off?

It is possible - I forgot my own name once!

 

[Tin Pot]

The very early days of WAP mobile phones, about 1998, I was on a team who cheated in pub quizes. The team was called "Volvo - Boxy But Good" (by pure fluke we all had Volvos), and my wealthy mate would use his Nokia 7110 to sneakily find the answers to gnarly questions.

I recall we drank a lot of free Guinness. Nice to think were were pioneers of early e-crime.

I'm taking a wild guess that the prize money didn't go on coke and hookers.

 

[classic33]

The very early days of WAP mobile phones, about 1998, I was on a team who cheated in pub quizes. The team was called "Volvo - Boxy But Good" (by pure fluke we all had Volvos), and my wealthy mate would use his Nokia 7110 to sneakily find the answers to gnarly questions.

I recall we drank a lot of free Guinness. Nice to think were were pioneers of early e-crime.

Launched in October 1999!

 

[Erudin]

 

[Pale Rider]

View attachment 365454

Is that a carbon bicycle?

If so, it makes it having a motorino less likely.

The motor must be located by a bolt through the seat tube, otherwise the motor would spin in the tube rather than use its power to turn the bottom bracket.

The locating bolt/rivet is also another way to tell if the the bike has a motor.

It's possible to disguise the bolt/rivet head by paint or by putting it under a decal, but someone running their fingertips around the tube would feel it.

 

[gaijintendo]

THE PLOT THICKENS!!! 'Allegedly' busted amateur now denies having motor and gives the predictable sorts of excuses

http://www.velonews.com/2017/07/news/italian-amateur-53-denies-motor-cheating-accusation_444978

If there turns out to be a crime, then he has no choice but to backpedal as hard and fast along that route as possible.

 

[Drago]

Launched in October 1999!

I did say 'about'.

One could always design a keyway into the motor and a small ridge into the wall of the tube, or make the tube any shape in cross section other than exactly circular and manufacturer the external motor casing to suit, thus emilinating the need for an externally visible bolt.

 

[gaijintendo]

I did say 'about'.

One could always design a keyway into the motor and a small ridge into the wall of the tube, or make the tube any shape in cross section other than exactly circular and manufacturer the external motor casing to suit, thus emilinating the need for an externally visible bolt.

Does it have to be the seat tube? Stick it on the down tube, and anchor it with a bottle cage.

 

[Drago]

That's a cracking idea.

 

[winjim]

If it's in the downtube how do you access it for setup and maintenance?

 

[Pale Rider]

If it's in the downtube how do you access it for setup and maintenance?

It's in the seat tube.

There's not much about fitting on the website, but you need a custom bottom bracket, and I don't see how you can do a lot more than drop the motor into the tube, which then meshes with the gear on the bottom bracket.

The motor shouldn't require a lot of maintenance, but presumably it would drop out if you up ended the bike - having first removed the saddle post.

The motor must also have wires to it for electric power, so you could possibly yank it out using those, although it's not clear to me how the wires are routed.

I suspect you need a saddle post which is open at the top, which would rule out some types of saddle mounts.

Incidentally, the site says 'carbon - on request', so it looks like there may be a way to fit a Vivax to a carbon bike.

http://www.vivax-assist.com/en/product/technology/retrofitting.html