Interesting finds around the web
#1376
Elitist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 15,965
Mentioned: 88 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1386 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times
in
77 Posts
Good call. I think Hoogland was a BMXer, too.
You know, outside of the women's TP team (which seems to be it's own entity), the US has some of the best speed skating, BMX, and track and field feeder programs in the world...yet we can't tap into those and pull out great athletes to put on track bike.
It's a failure of our National Team system, not the pool of available talent.
You know, outside of the women's TP team (which seems to be it's own entity), the US has some of the best speed skating, BMX, and track and field feeder programs in the world...yet we can't tap into those and pull out great athletes to put on track bike.
It's a failure of our National Team system, not the pool of available talent.
#1377
Elitist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 15,965
Mentioned: 88 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1386 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times
in
77 Posts
I also think these are 33cm Alpinas:
So, 33cm Alpinas were used by the men's (DEN) and women's (GBR) winning Madison teams at the World Cup this weekend.
Does this change the "meta" regarding handlebars for the Madison?
So, 33cm Alpinas were used by the men's (DEN) and women's (GBR) winning Madison teams at the World Cup this weekend.
Does this change the "meta" regarding handlebars for the Madison?
#1378
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Qc,Canada
Posts: 159
Bikes: Felt TK FRD
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 59 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I think the narrower handlebar meta was already there in endurance racing (considering the number of riders on 35cm scatto or 33cm alpina in omnium events). Mostly a case of old habits die hard and the reluctance of pro rider trying new stuff when they are still winning with the old stuff. More riders winning on narrow handlebars will push the rest of the peleton to atleast try narrow handlebar. I think the same will happen for skinsuit with number pockets in the near future. A good example of this would be the usage of short TT helmets in mass-start events, during less important events it is less seen but come the World Championship or the Olympics and the use of short TT helmets goes up.
#1380
Elitist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 15,965
Mentioned: 88 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1386 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times
in
77 Posts
The "meta" is the current "Best Practices" for the sport. For example, for track racing, some of the "new meta" for sprinting would include things like:
- Big gears for F200
- Double-disc for all time trials indoors.
- Longer cranks (for some)
- 33-37cm bars
"Old meta" would be:
- Spin to Win
- 38-40cm bars
So, when a new weapon or character is introduced to an esports game, there is a lot of chatter in the competitive community about whether the meta will change. "Will the new thing change how we've been doing things in the past. Is it better or worse?"
Another example: Felt introduced a high-end left-side drive bike for the Olympics, going against the meta of right-side drive. This did not seem to change the meta as there haven't been a big shift to LSD with cranks or hubs...but people wondered about it.
Last edited by carleton; 11-12-17 at 09:41 PM. Reason: Clarification
#1381
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Qc,Canada
Posts: 159
Bikes: Felt TK FRD
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 59 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
meta is the Most Effective Tactic Available, mainly used in video games context or strategy games. Also the proper spelling of esports has no capital letter in it and it's definitely not E-Sports
Last edited by Godsight; 11-12-17 at 09:23 PM.
#1383
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 152
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
4 Posts
I'd imagine it wasn't necessarily the width that was the limiting factor, more the available hand position for the sling. Most of the narrower bars tend to be sprint oriented and obviously slope away from the clamp area, the alpina have more of this than most other narrow bars.
Also without any negative connotations, the bars are comparitively bigger for the women using them than they would be for their male counterparts.
Also without any negative connotations, the bars are comparitively bigger for the women using them than they would be for their male counterparts.
#1384
Elitist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 15,965
Mentioned: 88 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1386 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times
in
77 Posts
But those are both women's (blue/white) and men's (red/white) winning teams in the photos above.
#1386
Full Member
I'd imagine it wasn't necessarily the width that was the limiting factor, more the available hand position for the sling. Most of the narrower bars tend to be sprint oriented and obviously slope away from the clamp area, the alpina have more of this than most other narrow bars.
Also without any negative connotations, the bars are comparitively bigger for the women using them than they would be for their male counterparts.
Also without any negative connotations, the bars are comparitively bigger for the women using them than they would be for their male counterparts.
#1387
Elitist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 15,965
Mentioned: 88 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1386 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times
in
77 Posts
No doubt.
But, Alpinas have no flat top. They are designed from the ground up as sprint bars without a nod to The Madison. The original Alpina sprint bars came in 38 and 40cm and were very similar to in shape, reach, and depth to Nitto B123 and Easton EC90. The 33cm bars showed up around the time Team GB was experimenting with gear AND they were still riding Dolan bikes. I think Hoy and/or Pendleton were the first to have some unbranded 33cm Alpinas. Methinks that Team GB asked Alpina to make them. Before that, Hoy was seen riding 34cm Nitto B123.
The reason I was told that road bars were preferred for the Madison is because riders wanted the wid flat/horizontal grip area for the left hand to hold on to for the exchange.
Apparently the amount of area needed for the left hand to grip isn't as much as people thought
EDIT:
Also, there's nothing like seeing people win with a novel idea that inspires others to try it as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing more "super narrow" (not just narrow) bars in all levels in all events.
But, Alpinas have no flat top. They are designed from the ground up as sprint bars without a nod to The Madison. The original Alpina sprint bars came in 38 and 40cm and were very similar to in shape, reach, and depth to Nitto B123 and Easton EC90. The 33cm bars showed up around the time Team GB was experimenting with gear AND they were still riding Dolan bikes. I think Hoy and/or Pendleton were the first to have some unbranded 33cm Alpinas. Methinks that Team GB asked Alpina to make them. Before that, Hoy was seen riding 34cm Nitto B123.
The reason I was told that road bars were preferred for the Madison is because riders wanted the wid flat/horizontal grip area for the left hand to hold on to for the exchange.
Apparently the amount of area needed for the left hand to grip isn't as much as people thought
EDIT:
Also, there's nothing like seeing people win with a novel idea that inspires others to try it as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing more "super narrow" (not just narrow) bars in all levels in all events.
#1388
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 88
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 40 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Sorry. I learned this term from video gaming. I used to play video games competitively (as in esports). So, there is a lot of talk about techniques, strategies, loadouts (character weapon choices), etc...
The "meta" is the current "Best Practices" for the sport. For example, for track racing, some of the "new meta" for sprinting would include things like:
...
So, when a new weapon or character is introduced to an esports game, there is a lot of chatter in the competitive community about whether the meta will change. "Will the new thing change how we've been doing things in the past. Is it better or worse?"
Another example: Felt introduced a high-end left-side drive bike for the Olympics, going against the meta of right-side drive. This did not seem to change the meta as there haven't been a big shift to LSD with cranks or hubs...but people wondered about it.
The "meta" is the current "Best Practices" for the sport. For example, for track racing, some of the "new meta" for sprinting would include things like:
...
So, when a new weapon or character is introduced to an esports game, there is a lot of chatter in the competitive community about whether the meta will change. "Will the new thing change how we've been doing things in the past. Is it better or worse?"
Another example: Felt introduced a high-end left-side drive bike for the Olympics, going against the meta of right-side drive. This did not seem to change the meta as there haven't been a big shift to LSD with cranks or hubs...but people wondered about it.
#1389
Full Member
No doubt.
But, Alpinas have no flat top. They are designed from the ground up as sprint bars without a nod to The Madison. The original Alpina sprint bars came in 38 and 40cm and were very similar to in shape, reach, and depth to Nitto B123 and Easton EC90. The 33cm bars showed up around the time Team GB was experimenting with gear AND they were still riding Dolan bikes. I think Hoy and/or Pendleton were the first to have some unbranded 33cm Alpinas. Methinks that Team GB asked Alpina to make them. Before that, Hoy was seen riding 34cm Nitto B123.
The reason I was told that road bars were preferred for the Madison is because riders wanted the wid flat/horizontal grip area for the left hand to hold on to for the exchange.
Apparently the amount of area needed for the left hand to grip isn't as much as people thought
EDIT:
Also, there's nothing like seeing people win with a novel idea that inspires others to try it as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing more "super narrow" (not just narrow) bars in all levels in all events.
But, Alpinas have no flat top. They are designed from the ground up as sprint bars without a nod to The Madison. The original Alpina sprint bars came in 38 and 40cm and were very similar to in shape, reach, and depth to Nitto B123 and Easton EC90. The 33cm bars showed up around the time Team GB was experimenting with gear AND they were still riding Dolan bikes. I think Hoy and/or Pendleton were the first to have some unbranded 33cm Alpinas. Methinks that Team GB asked Alpina to make them. Before that, Hoy was seen riding 34cm Nitto B123.
The reason I was told that road bars were preferred for the Madison is because riders wanted the wid flat/horizontal grip area for the left hand to hold on to for the exchange.
Apparently the amount of area needed for the left hand to grip isn't as much as people thought
EDIT:
Also, there's nothing like seeing people win with a novel idea that inspires others to try it as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing more "super narrow" (not just narrow) bars in all levels in all events.
#1390
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 9,948
Bikes: Litespeed Catalyst, IRO Rob Roy, All City Big Block
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1332 Post(s)
Liked 398 Times
in
194 Posts
I remember reading that they were using a more narrow hub spacing on those bikes too, but haven't heard anything about that since.
#1391
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,571
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1853 Post(s)
Liked 680 Times
in
431 Posts
I think most Madison riders still prefer a flat horizontal grip. But it's a question of being able to adapt to inconveniences for a perceived advantage. A narrower bar is often preferable in a Madison in order to do a proper throw where you want the two riders as close as possible. That 2nd photo is pretty text book. It's not so good if it cuts down on stability by decreasing reach or makes the grip on the tops questionable. I've adapted to doing madison's on my scattos despite the questionable top section, but I would definitely prefer a different shape near the stem. It's an interesting idea.
Did you see there is a Madison clinic at Rock Hill on Nov. 30. If the weather is good, I'm going to go down for it.
#1392
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 152
Bikes: Planet X Pro Carbon, Dolan FXE, Fuji Transonic
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Looks like Planet X/Selcof are doing scatto knockoff's now.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBSELV...rack-handlebar
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBSELV...rack-handlebar
#1393
Senior Member
Looks like Planet X/Selcof are doing scatto knockoff's now.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBSELV...rack-handlebar
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBSELV...rack-handlebar
#1394
Senior Member
Looks like Planet X/Selcof are doing scatto knockoff's now.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBSELV...rack-handlebar
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBSELV...rack-handlebar
#1395
Lapped 3x
I thought LOOK copy when I first saw them, the first gen LOOK sprint bars at least.
#1396
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 152
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
4 Posts
I think most Madison riders still prefer a flat horizontal grip. But it's a question of being able to adapt to inconveniences for a perceived advantage. A narrower bar is often preferable in a Madison in order to do a proper throw where you want the two riders as close as possible. That 2nd photo is pretty text book. It's not so good if it cuts down on stability by decreasing reach or makes the grip on the tops questionable. I've adapted to doing madison's on my scattos despite the questionable top section, but I would definitely prefer a different shape near the stem. It's an interesting idea.
Even with the narrow top on my nitto's I could probably make do, though I'd prefer the oversized alpina top or a lot of tape for my big mits
#1397
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 114
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
They do have goofy spacing. If you actually want/can pony up the money for the FRD version, it's sold with two wheelsets (training/racing) because of said proprietary hubs. They bike is pursuit only, according to everything I've heard with regards to riding it. They're apparently too soft for bunch races.
#1398
aka mattio
They do have goofy spacing. If you actually want/can pony up the money for the FRD version, it's sold with two wheelsets (training/racing) because of said proprietary hubs. They bike is pursuit only, according to everything I've heard with regards to riding it. They're apparently too soft for bunch races.
All speculation though. Haven't heard feedback from any of its users.
Last edited by queerpunk; 11-14-17 at 07:13 AM.
#1400
Elitist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 15,965
Mentioned: 88 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1386 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times
in
77 Posts
Team GB even had a Sports Psychologist on staff to help the team deal with the mental stress of training, racing, and personal life. It worked. I believe his name was Dr. Steve Peters.