Unobtainium
02-13-07, 11:43 AM
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Unobtainium
So I was thinking to myself yesterday, as I split through traffic on my way to school, that there really isn't any unobtainium for for bicycles atleast none that i could think of.
For my motorcycle there's plenty of stuff that i'll never get my hands on like 240hp engines sub 300lb. motorcycles that can do over 200mph and pull the front wheel up at any speed.
as far as I know there's nothing in bicycling that's really like that. There are some expensive wheels that's for sure but we can go out and buy the best tech that pro's race on and it's expensive yes, but not hugely so.
what am I missing? is there unobtainium for bicycles that I'm not thinking of?
For my motorcycle there's plenty of stuff that i'll never get my hands on like 240hp engines sub 300lb. motorcycles that can do over 200mph and pull the front wheel up at any speed.
as far as I know there's nothing in bicycling that's really like that. There are some expensive wheels that's for sure but we can go out and buy the best tech that pro's race on and it's expensive yes, but not hugely so.
what am I missing? is there unobtainium for bicycles that I'm not thinking of?
02-13-07, 11:44 AM
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Oakley controls the worlds supply of unobtainium, specifically for their lenses.
02-13-07, 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer
Oakley controls the worlds supply of unobtainium, specifically for their lenses.
02-13-07, 11:47 AM
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Well, the BMC Time Machine TT01 is made-to-order and costs I think in excess of 15,000 dollars.
But really the answer is.. not really.
But really the answer is.. not really.
02-13-07, 11:52 AM
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Originally Posted by jbhowat
Well, the BMC Time Machine TT01 is made-to-order and costs I think in excess of 15,000 dollars.
But really the answer is.. not really.
But really the answer is.. not really.
02-13-07, 12:02 PM
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For biking, there is very little we CAN'T get our hands on.
02-13-07, 12:15 PM
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Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer
For biking, there is very little we CAN'T get our hands on.
02-13-07, 12:24 PM
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Actually that's one of the cool thing about cycling. Most anyone, if they choose to, can afford to ride the bike's the Pro's ride. You can get carried away, but basically for $7,000 you can ride a fully outfitted Pro Tour bike.
02-13-07, 12:37 PM
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And for that $7000 you wouldn't be getting much that you don't get for half that. Maybe a few ounces and a slightly better wheel.
02-13-07, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by zacster
And for that $7000 you wouldn't be getting much that you don't get for half that. Maybe a few ounces and a slightly better wheel.
There comes a point when it just gets plain silly for most non-pro cyclists. If you've got the extra cash to blow, then why not......but, there's only a couple people I personally know that could afford a $10k+ bike without batting an eyelash.
02-13-07, 01:16 PM
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I think these are pretty close:
https://www.lewracing.com/
https://lewaerospace.everestondemand.com/Value/index.asp?CartId={D89E0EVERESTF33-EB5F-404B-8680-525C7DE52274}
880g wheelset at a reasonable $5495 (shimano, add 40g & $100 for campy). Now, obviously the pros and cons can be argued but unless you have money like Trump, I can't see that being reasonable. Although, if someone does get them, I'd love to try them. Just let me know where I can demo them... heck, maybe you can fly me out to your place to demo them, I'm sure you have a better bike too.
https://www.lewracing.com/
https://lewaerospace.everestondemand.com/Value/index.asp?CartId={D89E0EVERESTF33-EB5F-404B-8680-525C7DE52274}
880g wheelset at a reasonable $5495 (shimano, add 40g & $100 for campy). Now, obviously the pros and cons can be argued but unless you have money like Trump, I can't see that being reasonable. Although, if someone does get them, I'd love to try them. Just let me know where I can demo them... heck, maybe you can fly me out to your place to demo them, I'm sure you have a better bike too.
02-13-07, 01:34 PM
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Development products would have to fall under the unobtanium umbrella, stuff that's only a select group of elite riders are asked to test out. SRAM force, cervelo carbon soloist, powertap 2.4, would have all fallen under that catagorie over the past 2 years.
Of course this changes every year, once the product is finally launched.
The rest of unobtanium would have to falll under one of a kind or prototypes that never made it to market, like that crazy green bike that cervelo made.
Or If lance wanted to walked into trek, and handed them 1 million dollars for a custom one off bike, like something he scetched on paper, and they had to custom make all the carbon mold's etc.....
I guess where cycling is such a comsumable(crash's) and team sport, things have to be mass produced to have any market presence, unlike something like,..... mclaren F1 for example, 900,000.00$ car, and they only made like 60 of them? 60 bikes if you were sponsoring a team would probably just barely cover beta testing, a full team set, plus backups, plus spares for the coach and maseurs to ride with the athlete's when they wanted too.
Of course this changes every year, once the product is finally launched.
The rest of unobtanium would have to falll under one of a kind or prototypes that never made it to market, like that crazy green bike that cervelo made.
Or If lance wanted to walked into trek, and handed them 1 million dollars for a custom one off bike, like something he scetched on paper, and they had to custom make all the carbon mold's etc.....
I guess where cycling is such a comsumable(crash's) and team sport, things have to be mass produced to have any market presence, unlike something like,..... mclaren F1 for example, 900,000.00$ car, and they only made like 60 of them? 60 bikes if you were sponsoring a team would probably just barely cover beta testing, a full team set, plus backups, plus spares for the coach and maseurs to ride with the athlete's when they wanted too.
Last edited by krazyderek; 02-13-07 at 01:41 PM.
02-13-07, 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted by DocRay
I would how many Americans know who Bubbles is?
02-13-07, 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Sprocket Man
Michael Jackson's chimpanzee.
https://www.tpbmovie.com/
02-13-07, 02:29 PM
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surprisingly it would seem there a few Trailer Park Boys fans in the States.... I'm not even sure if it runs down there....I'm sure it must.
02-13-07, 02:32 PM
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I thought "Unobtanium" was the stuff they made that thing out in the movie "The Core" (yeah, I watched it. Was OK from an SFX perspective)
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02-13-07, 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by barba
Half the stuff on pro bikes is on pro bikes so that it can be sold more effectively to you and I.
02-13-07, 02:49 PM
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Originally Posted by jbhowat
Well, the BMC Time Machine TT01 is made-to-order and costs I think in excess of 15,000 dollars.
But really the answer is.. not really.
But really the answer is.. not really.
02-13-07, 03:27 PM
#24
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Bicycles are such simple machines that there just isn't much room for any drastic innovation or differences between bikes and components. They are all diamond frame, chain drive, thin tire machines. Theres not a whole lot you can change about bicycles because the big variable is the rider. All bikes will transmit the power of the rider to within a very small fraction each other.
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Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
02-13-07, 03:33 PM
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Originally Posted by San Rensho
Bicycles are such simple machines that there just isn't much room for any drastic innovation or differences between bikes and components. They are all diamond frame, chain drive, thin tire machines. Theres not a whole lot you can change about bicycles because the big variable is the rider. All bikes will transmit the power of the rider to within a very small fraction each other.
Yes there are, they've just been banned by the UCI.