2001 Tour: Armstrong's bike
06-05-06, 09:26 AM
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2001 Tour: Armstrong's bike
I've been looking at some archive Tour photos and saw this:
(© Graham Watson)
This is Armstrong beginning his breakaway during stage 10.
What's with the brifters? Is that Campy & Shimano? Why?
(© Graham Watson)
This is Armstrong beginning his breakaway during stage 10.
What's with the brifters? Is that Campy & Shimano? Why?
06-05-06, 09:33 AM
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He's using a downtube shifter (look just to the right of the Trek head tube badge).
He did this occassionally as a weight savings. As some have pointed out, losing the weight of one brifter could allow him to use a heavier part elsewhere on the bike and still be at the UCI whole-bike weight limit.
He did this occassionally as a weight savings. As some have pointed out, losing the weight of one brifter could allow him to use a heavier part elsewhere on the bike and still be at the UCI whole-bike weight limit.
06-05-06, 11:06 AM
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i also think you get a more exact shift with the downtube shifter, you can move your front derailler with more precision, maybe thats why
06-05-06, 09:02 PM
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Bugger I feel so bloody silly 
06-06-06, 06:07 AM
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Originally Posted by ezoons
Bugger I feel so bloody silly
Quick note, ezoons... this topic usually comes up with pics of LA's time trial up Alpe d'Huez, where he also used a downtube shifter. As in the photo above, you can tell it's a mountain stage, as Lance is not wearing a helmet (before the requirement to wear one at all times kicked in), so there's a similarity. Where are riders looking for maximum weight reduction on the bike? Yeah, going up hills.
Still, good observation on you part.
06-06-06, 02:42 PM
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The question remains, is that little corkscrew of hair on his forehead windtunnel tested? If so, why did they bother for a climbing stage where the aerodynamic benefits would be minimal, at best?
06-06-06, 03:13 PM
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And no huge *click!* announcing to everyone you're shifting.
06-06-06, 06:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Bockman
And no huge *click!* announcing to everyone you're shifting.
06-07-06, 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Bockman
And no huge *click!* announcing to everyone you're shifting.
06-07-06, 03:24 PM
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As mentioned, you use the weight elsewhere since you do not shift your front derailluer much if at all on these stages.
06-08-06, 11:47 AM
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On a related note: Do pros ever ride their TT bikes with just one chainring? It seems like they could get away with just the large ring, provided it's a flat stage. Or would it be too much of a hassle for the mechanics?
06-11-06, 09:11 PM
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Originally Posted by CyLowe97
He's using a downtube shifter (look just to the right of the Trek head tube badge).
He did this occassionally as a weight savings. As some have pointed out, losing the weight of one brifter could allow him to use a heavier part elsewhere on the bike and still be at the UCI whole-bike weight limit.
He did this occassionally as a weight savings. As some have pointed out, losing the weight of one brifter could allow him to use a heavier part elsewhere on the bike and still be at the UCI whole-bike weight limit.
06-12-06, 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by EdZ
That makes no sense. A 15.2 lb bike is a 15.2 lb bike. The reason he ran that setup is because he didnt want run the risk of bumping a brifter and dropping down a chainring during a climb. If you have it on the downtube, you run less of a risk of bumping it while in the peloton. If your climbing and you accidentaly drop out of the big chainring, your gonne get pretty screwed up. On a mostly flat stage, its not that big of a deal, just shift back up. Also, you have alot more adjustment ability on a downtube shifter, for when you need to be in the big ring and be all the way up the casette.
It makes complete sense, though I make no guarantees it is the exact answer in LA's case.
Example: A rider likes a specific set of wheels because of any given reason (stiffer, more aero, whatever). However, the weight of the favored wheels is heavier than a set of lightweight climbing wheels. Where could the rider make up that extra weight that the wheels add? Hey, one possibility is to lose the heavier Shimano brifter in favor of a straight brake hood and a downtube shifter, thus bringing the weight of the overall bike back down.
The weight savings could be elsewhere, I was just using wheels as a possible example.
Your argument of "bumping a brifter and dropping down a chainring during a climb" certainly is possible, but a rider would have to concentrate pretty hard on 'bumping' the brifter to downshift, especially since downshifting on a Shimano brifter requires the rider to push the small paddle pretty emphatically to get the shift to happen. A properly set up shifter doesn't just downshift any more than a properly set up downtube shifter doesn't just downshift.
06-12-06, 11:40 PM
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Originally Posted by thatguy
On a related note: Do pros ever ride their TT bikes with just one chainring? It seems like they could get away with just the large ring, provided it's a flat stage. Or would it be too much of a hassle for the mechanics?
Yes. It cost Dave Millar the Tour prologue in 2003
https://www.velonews.com/tour2003/new...es/4402.0.html
06-25-06, 11:29 AM
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Unlimited trim with the downtube shifter, lets him completely cross chain if he wants to, and he was probably just used to it so stuck with it on "his" stages... i highly doubt it was done for any type of weight saving's considering lance often put on the next year's prototype lightweight climbing wheels for the mountain stages every year in the tour....
