Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - aero front axle

intresting front axle on Shane Perkins front iO!

http://www.milanofixed.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/perk2.jpg

Nice pick up, I hadn't noticed this!

What I had notoced (but will be mute from October this year when shoe covers are banned) was some riders were pulling their shoe covers over the toe straps.

Great catch!

It is probably as much for rigidity than aero. Its an interesting look...

I don't know if it would be more rigid or more aerodynamic, but then again, they test everything in the wind tunnel at this level. Looks really neat tho.

It is probably as much for rigidity than aero.

?

http://www.mavic.com/sites/default/files/products/zoom/111554.jpg

Its a box section, that can give you both better rigidity and less frontal surface area.


?

Its a box section

two sides of the box are missing...

reply from Shane Perkins on "custom" aero axle.



Thanks for your email.


It isn't custom that's all i can say :-0


Yours Gratefully
Shane Perkins

reply from Shane Perkins on "custom" aero axle.



Thanks for your email.


It isn't custom that's all i can say :-0


Yours Gratefully
Shane Perkins

Ha! That's awesome!

I guess that means it's a new product being introduced for the Olympics.

Ha! That's awesome!

I guess that means it's a new product being introduced for the Olympics.

special parts for special people?

special parts for special people?

Maybe. Companies like to introduce stuff on a big state like World Championships and Olympics. They usually release them to the public soon after the big event.

Offering the teams the competitive advantage during the big event may also be the sponsors way of hooking their sponsored riders up. But, it's mutually beneficial. If the product is that good, then hopefully the athletes will do well. And every sponsor loves when their athletes win.

Seeing as virtually every World Champ/Olympic level track cyclist uses Mavic wheels, what proportion of them do you think are actually sponsored by Mavic? Surely not all?

Obviously Shane Perkins is...

JMR

Seeing as virtually every World Champ/Olympic level track cyclist uses Mavic wheels, what proportion of them do you think are actually sponsored by Mavic? Surely not all?

Obviously Shane Perkins is...

JMR

To be honest, I have no idea.

..

In the road world(and I assume the track world) the opposite happens as well. Riders(teams) are sponsored by one wheel company, but want to ride on other wheels. So they will do things like put the Reynolds stickers on Lightweight brand wheels.

And every sponsor loves when their athletes win.
Like all racing, "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday!"

Riders(teams) are sponsored by one wheel company, but want to ride on other wheels.
So they will do things like put the Reynolds stickers on Lightweight brand wheels.

Or, de-badge completely!

http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/getty/9a/fullj.cc0a3d1655170dbc1f336057be81f416/cc0a3d1655170dbc1f336057be81f416-getty-508982231.jpg

Judging by the picture, and assuming that only sponsored riders ride branded wheels, about 50%.

What are you talking about? You are dead-wrong in the example you give.

For example, the 4th guy in the photo is a French rider, the French are definitely sponsored by Mavic. Apparently you aren't familiar with the fact that Mavic has smaller logos on their new Io/Comete set. The French guy is riding the new set. The German, British, Dutch, and Japanese guys have the older Mavic stickers. Only the NZ guy is riding an un-stickered set.

http://www.labicicletta.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1293x798/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/a/mavic-comete-track-wheel.jpg
http://s.wiggle.co.uk/images/iO700-2011-zoom.jpg

In the road world(and I assume the track world) the opposite happens as well. Riders(teams) are sponsored by one wheel company, but want to ride on other wheels. So they will do things like put the Reynolds stickers on Lightweight brand wheels.

Everyone wants to ride the Mavic Io/Comete set. They really are very fast and very durable. I've heard of them surviving multiple crashes. There aren't any better wheelsets available. To my knowledge, there may be some just as good, but none that are better.

In the road world(and I assume the track world) the opposite happens as well. Riders(teams) are sponsored by one wheel company, but want to ride on other wheels. So they will do things like put the Reynolds stickers on Lightweight brand wheels.

Yeah, that happens, too. Like this Dolan DF3 that is dressed up to look like a LOOK 496. But, this is the only photo I've ever seen like this (in recent memory on the track scene). I would guess than this rider's 496 was either damaged or not available (lost by the airline) and a DF3 had to stand in for the event.

http://www.fulun.org/bbs/attachments/month_0902/20090219_507665ef1f74131e1bdfT693Ynofv8OT.jpg

Seeing as virtually every World Champ/Olympic level track cyclist uses Mavic wheels, what proportion of them do you think are actually sponsored by Mavic? Surely not all?

Obviously Shane Perkins is...

JMR

Not neccessarily. Shane rides with the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport) which has an impressive array of wheels that are used by the althletes. Plus a large support staff team who look after all the gear...

Not neccessarily. Shane rides with the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport) which has an impressive array of wheels that are used by the althletes. Plus a large support staff team who look after all the gear...

From Shane's response to the question above, I took that he was hinting at the fact that the aero axle was a Mavic prototype, which is why I am assuming he is sponsored by Mavic... I would doubt that they would just be handing out prototype equipment to the VIS.

But I could be wrong. :)

JMR

I was digging through some photos of the new Look L96 for the Olympics and I found a close-up front shot of the new aero axles

253445

Nice picture; still looks to me that is done as much for axle stiffness as anything else...

Nice picture; still looks to me that is done as much for axle stiffness as anything else...

hard for me to believe that it is stiffer than this.

http://www.mavic.com/sites/default/files/products/zoom/111554.jpg

http://www.75grad.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/look-l96-4.jpg