USA Track bikes ,

[Yellow Saddle]

Large Diameter Solid chainrings are draggy when at an angle to a flow of air. Putting them in the inside of the frame, in the shadow of the front wheel will affect their draggyness. In a world of marginal improvements some marginal improvements are more marginal than others for sure but if a bike manufacturer, who probably employs the odd engineer, has access to a wind tunnel, computer modelling and the occasional slide rule, wants to try it I'd probably take more notice of them than a bunch of internet experts.

Too marginal to be worthwhile is an economic equation. If all other factors are equal an improvement that is too marginal to be worthwhile will suddenly become the marginal improvement everyone wants.

I call appeal to authority.

I think you are too gullible. I would take notice if anyone can produce verifiable facts and figures. I don't take notice just because they have an engineer on the payroll and a slide rule in the drawer.

 

[jonny jeez]

Chris Boardman said the other day it's allegedly marginal gains due to air speed travelling slightly slower on the left hand side on an anti-clockwise track. He didnt sound convinced though lol.

And I heard either stand or barker suggesting that the bikes were released too late for them to have a go and that in the next championships, she may well adopt it.

That's when we shall have some form of comparison

 

[oldroadman]

And I heard either stand or barker suggesting that the bikes were released too late for them to have a go and that in the next championships, she may well adopt it.

That's when we shall have some form of comparison

No better control group than the world champions. Wind tunnel testing should resolve the matter. An advantage may turn out to be entirely within rider minds. But, if it works, why not? On the road, no difference, although someone will find a reason to push it, because it's new freehubs and shift mechs which mirror existing. And some twit or another will buy it.
Imagine neutral service problems. Perm and combination from SRAM, Campag (please note it's not CAMPY!), Shimano, rim or disc brake, thru axle or proper QR, drive left or right. Complex enough? Which is why it will (I hope) all stay "right hand drive".

 

[Tim Hall]

Years ago, when I was still a grubby school boy, one of my buddies suggested, cos he'd seen it on the telly, that tornadoes in the USA were caused by cars getting vortices going as they went past each other. This could all be solved by getting the Americans to drive on the other side of the road, or so he said.

I bet that's what's behind this @rse about face design. Do any of the US team designers come from Kansas? Is any of them a friend of Dorothy?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Aren't they putting the chainring on the side from which any lateral component of the flow is coming?

Yes they are. But you can post-rationalize this any way you want it to go.
You could say that by having the (presumably draggy) chainring on the right, you are subjecting it to more airflow because on that side of the bike the circle's radius is bigger than on the other side. Therefore left is better.

You could say that by having the chainring on the left, you are improving the airflow over the naked left crank which is subject to more airflow because the bike is exposed to more lateral-flowing air on that side whilst turning left.

You could say that by bullshitting the already-rattled athletes that they now have an advantage, you pump their brains full of placebo effect and they perform better.

You could say that this random post-rationalized anomaly will rattle the opposition into losing.

You could say that putting the chainring on the left side is a gimmick that will make us all talk about the US track team instead of the UK track team.

You could of course just yawn and go for a ride and drink a beer.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

How do you know it was ineffective? What dataset are you using?

How do we know it was effective?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

How about a felt bike without a drivetrain?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

How do we know it was effective?

I'm not claiming it was.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I call appeal to authority.

I think you are too gullible. I would take notice if anyone can produce verifiable facts and figures. I don't take notice just because they have an engineer on the payroll and a slide rule in the drawer.

Call what you like. Where are the verifiable facts and figures to back the assertion(s) made by the CC interwebs experts that the change hasn't been thought through and is ineffective?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Aren't they putting the chainring on the side from which any lateral component of the flow is coming?

They may well be. It is possible they built the bikes that way for a larf. It is also possible they built the bikes that way because they can demonstrate a marginal improvement in performance. None of us know.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Call what you like. Where are the verifiable facts and figures to back the assertion(s) made by the CC interwebs experts that the change hasn't been thought through and is ineffective?

I would have thought it is up to anyone who makes such a claim to prove it, not those not making the claim to disprove it.

Prove that there is no god, comes to mind.

 

[Poacher]

Chainrings on the left might not be such a revolutionary idea as the yanks try to make out. Check out some of the bikes in this picture from October 1902.

Of course, there may be a slight element of artistic licence involved. (This supplement from Le Petit Parisien now occupies pride of place at the top of our stairs, as encouragement to try to be ineligible for the Cent Kilos challenge race!)

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Chainrings on the left might not be such a revolutionary idea as the yanks try to make out. Check out some of the bikes in this picture from October 1902.
View attachment 139727

Of course, there may be a slight element of artistic licence involved. (This supplement from Le Petit Parisien now occupies pride of place at the top of our stairs, as encouragement to try to be ineligible for the Cent Kilos challenge race!)

Yup, drivetrains were all over the place in those days. I can spot at least two US team riders in that peloton.

What worries me more is that the illustrator used the same face and physique for every single rider and another face for every single spectator.

Nice mag though. Did they also write lots of nonsense in bike magazines in those days?

 

[Poacher]

Yup, drivetrains were all over the place in those days. I can spot at least two US team riders in that peloton.

What worries me more is that the illustrator used the same face and physique for every single rider and another face for every single spectator.

Nice mag though. Did they also write lots of nonsense in bike magazines in those days?

The physiques were all similar to some degree, as all the riders weighed over 100 Kg - two were disqualified for being "only" 99Kg. At a guess, cycling mags may have been more sensible - this was a Sunday supplement in a popular newspaper, and they covered all sorts of subjects. It's an interesting history lesson to see the various issues covering the Dreyfuss affair as it unfolded over the years.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

What worries me more is that the illustrator used the same face and physique for every single rider and another face for every single spectator.

Haven't you been to France? They all look alike and talk fernee.