What is up with the Cervelo Test Team?
02-22-09, 01:20 PM
#101
Peloton Shelter Dog
02-22-09, 01:40 PM
#103
BE the Ferrari.
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Originally Posted by bdcheung:
I can't help but recall Rock Racing's joke of a show during the Solvang time trial. No support for Rodriguez when he flatted, and a mechanic who seemed completely indifferent to Tyler's mechanical. Tyler fixed his own bike (which, btw, had an improperly adjusted set screw) before the mechanic even got the spare down from the roof rack.
Rock Racing is a joke.
I can't help but recall Rock Racing's joke of a show during the Solvang time trial. No support for Rodriguez when he flatted, and a mechanic who seemed completely indifferent to Tyler's mechanical. Tyler fixed his own bike (which, btw, had an improperly adjusted set screw) before the mechanic even got the spare down from the roof rack.
Rock Racing is a joke.
The quality of the teams is probably separated more by the capabilities of the mechanics than by the design of the bikes. Just a thought.
02-22-09, 02:29 PM
#104
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^ that's messed up
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02-22-09, 02:36 PM
#106
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Here's the bottom line: if one particular bicycle really offered a substantive advantage over the other brands, many of top teams would clamor to buy that model. Given the $10 million+ cost of fielding a top UCI effort, the $500K or so (or whatever the cost might be) to equip your athletes with gear that affords a real demonstrable advantage would be money well spent to improve the results the sponsor wants.
But it's 90% marketing hooey, they're all good racing bikes. Like I said, once you get over $3K none of it sucks. Considering the fact that your typical pro peloton bicycle is more like a $7K-$10K ride, that's even more true here.
But it's 90% marketing hooey, they're all good racing bikes. Like I said, once you get over $3K none of it sucks. Considering the fact that your typical pro peloton bicycle is more like a $7K-$10K ride, that's even more true here.
02-22-09, 02:44 PM
#107
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Under the OP thinking the top bike in the world would be Colnago. They have won more than anybody.
HOWEVER, they are no longer in the pro peleton. In the modern times Trek has more victories than any other bike manufacturer in Grand Tours. The number as of last year is 12.
Dont get me wrong here, I love Trek's (I ride one too), but when you have the best riders in the world riding your bikes, names like Levi L., Alberto C., and that one guy Lance A. you seem to look better.
Frame technologies are always advancing. Many companys claim they are better than everyone else, but dont have good data to prove it. Some companies do post it and yet they are still ripped apart on these forums. I always giggle at that.
Examples:
Cervelo claims they spend more time in the wind tunnel than anyone else. Yes that is true, but other companys use virtual wind tunnels to figure it out first, then they go to the wind tunnel to confirm the comupters computations.
Trek says that TTX is the fastest bike in the world, and they publish wind tunnel data to prove it. Yet they dont sell as many TT/TRI bikes. Figure that one out.
HOWEVER, they are no longer in the pro peleton. In the modern times Trek has more victories than any other bike manufacturer in Grand Tours. The number as of last year is 12.
Dont get me wrong here, I love Trek's (I ride one too), but when you have the best riders in the world riding your bikes, names like Levi L., Alberto C., and that one guy Lance A. you seem to look better.
Frame technologies are always advancing. Many companys claim they are better than everyone else, but dont have good data to prove it. Some companies do post it and yet they are still ripped apart on these forums. I always giggle at that.
Examples:
Cervelo claims they spend more time in the wind tunnel than anyone else. Yes that is true, but other companys use virtual wind tunnels to figure it out first, then they go to the wind tunnel to confirm the comupters computations.
Trek says that TTX is the fastest bike in the world, and they publish wind tunnel data to prove it. Yet they dont sell as many TT/TRI bikes. Figure that one out.
02-22-09, 02:45 PM
#108
Peloton Shelter Dog
60 road racing bikes with clincher training wheels (30 riders, 2 bikes each) @ $6K, $360K.
30 ITT bikes @ 5K each, $150K
40 pairs of Zipp 404 racing wheels, $90K.
30 disc rear wheels for TT bikes, $45K.
Tires, parts, this that and the other thing, $200K.
That's $750K @ retail, figure manufacturer's cost is $350K or so.
So you're saying that Trek, in addition to providing several hundred thousand dollars worth of gear and tech advisement, also pays Astana a fee for the right to do so? Do you have any idea how much it might cost to Trek to provide the sponsorship to a UCI pro team? Very curious. But it doesn't appear to be cheap, does it?
02-22-09, 02:47 PM
#109
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^^ those figures are all really low. i'll see if I can dig up the article I have on how much gear Garmin/Slipstream has. It's ridiculous.
edit: found it
edit: found it
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02-22-09, 02:52 PM
#110
Peloton Shelter Dog
Holy Scwhag Batman. Wow. How much does that crap cost? The Ptaps alone are worth $300K @ retail. What are 162 felt frames worth? $500K? Even at manufacturer cost which is half of that, that's a ton o dough right there. Amazing.
02-22-09, 02:58 PM
#111
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Those numbers are also from 2008 - last season. They've undoubtedly expanded for 2009.
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02-22-09, 03:03 PM
#113
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Here is some discussion.
https://forums.cervelo.com/forums/t/1707.aspx
A friend of mine was a brand manager that got an American brand into a Euro team in the 90's and it was 30-40 bikes and $?00,000 for a middle of the road yet popular team.
I also read an article from a Pearl Izumi brand manager about the requirements from a particular team and the quantities were staggering!
Here in Vancouver in the 80's/90's some of the local 7-11 boys, Steida, Hayman and Walton were famous for their end of the season "garage sales" so I am sure the sponsors would be happy that they are supporting a sub-economy...
https://forums.cervelo.com/forums/t/1707.aspx
A friend of mine was a brand manager that got an American brand into a Euro team in the 90's and it was 30-40 bikes and $?00,000 for a middle of the road yet popular team.
I also read an article from a Pearl Izumi brand manager about the requirements from a particular team and the quantities were staggering!
Here in Vancouver in the 80's/90's some of the local 7-11 boys, Steida, Hayman and Walton were famous for their end of the season "garage sales" so I am sure the sponsors would be happy that they are supporting a sub-economy...
02-22-09, 03:38 PM
#114
How much does it weigh?
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02-22-09, 06:44 PM
#115
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I was more surprised the the 44,000 water bottles, that's a really big pile of water bottles to hide stuff in. That could be the plan.
02-22-09, 06:52 PM
#116
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No it is because when they are done using them they just toss em to the side of the road. I guess makes a nice souvenir for a roadside fan.
02-22-09, 08:31 PM
#118
Peloton Shelter Dog
That's an epic load of bike crap. It's an expensive sport, isn't it?
02-22-09, 08:46 PM
#119
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A rider winning on a Brand X bike just proves that Brand X doesn't suck so badly as to prevent him from winning. Perhaps if he was riding Brand Y, he would have finished in exactly the same position, maybe slightly slower. Maybe if he was riding Brand Z, he would have won by an even bigger margin. However, all we know for certain is that Brand X didn't hold him back so much as to keep him from winning.
Sean Kelly won lots of races in the 80's on an aluminum Vitus, which was widely regarded as one of the most flexible bikes around. Would he have won by greater margins on a stiffer frame? Who knows - maybe it would have been less comfortable over 6 hours of racing, and he would have felt worse at the end. The victories simply proved that the Vitus wasn't so bad as to keep Kelly from winning again and again. They did not prove that Vitus was "the best" bike (however you choose to define "best").
Assuming that the bike is decent quality, fits the rider, and is mechanically sound, it really is the rider, not the bike.
Sean Kelly won lots of races in the 80's on an aluminum Vitus, which was widely regarded as one of the most flexible bikes around. Would he have won by greater margins on a stiffer frame? Who knows - maybe it would have been less comfortable over 6 hours of racing, and he would have felt worse at the end. The victories simply proved that the Vitus wasn't so bad as to keep Kelly from winning again and again. They did not prove that Vitus was "the best" bike (however you choose to define "best").
Assuming that the bike is decent quality, fits the rider, and is mechanically sound, it really is the rider, not the bike.
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Last edited by HigherGround; 02-22-09 at 08:53 PM.
02-22-09, 08:48 PM
#120
Peloton Shelter Dog
There is no more compelling evidence that the bike doesn't mean a thing than S. Kelly winning bicycle races on Vitus bikes, the most noodly pieces of crap EVER. I'm sure they were comfy however.
02-22-09, 08:55 PM
#121
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I'm thinking any bike would have flexed under the strain from these. 
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02-22-09, 08:58 PM
#122
Peloton Shelter Dog
That's an amazing photo. S. Kelly is certainly in that top ten racing cyclists of all time list, no?
02-22-09, 09:05 PM
#124
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02-23-09, 06:29 AM
#125
CERVEL-LIZED!
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Wow...lay off pharding...i like to see what other observations he will post here at BF.
By the way.....are you still thinking of getting an S3 or you changed your mind already?
By the way.....are you still thinking of getting an S3 or you changed your mind already?