[Dave Hickey]

Are we going to see any special bikes for this years Alp D'Heuz TT?

Does the TT start at the bottom or does it start somewhere else and then head up the mountain? If it starts at the bottom, I was wondering what kind of special bikes we might see. Do you need a front derailleur? How about a rear brake? Any other weight saving ideas?

 

[AIE]

Moot point

They can bump right up against the weight minimum with a "conventional" build. It would be a fetish-fest if that minimum were waived for non-mass-start events like TT's. Somebody would probably touch the single digits in bicycle poundage.

Alex

 

[Mike Prince]

One Brake?

I thought that UCI regulations were that front and rear brakes were required, maybe I'm wrong.

Anyway, I figure we'll see lots of trick carbon wheels and different handlebar configurations - clip ons, etc., probably not traditional aero bars. I think the stage starts at the bottom of the mountain. If not and the lead-up is substantial, you could see someone riding a tt bike to the base and then switching to a superlight climbing bike for the ascent. Could be interesting. I think it's a 13 km climb to the top, so if the stage is much longer than that....

If memory serves right when Lance last rode in the Tour of Switzerland there was a mountain tt and he rode a fairly conventional bike with Lightweight wheels and perhaps clip-ons. Also, if the final tt in the Vuelta this year is any indicator, most of the riders will probably be on fairly standard bikes.

Should be entertaining in any case.

 

[10kman]

It'd be awesome if they...

I think it'd be awesome if they just totally let the riders do whatever they wanted to their bikes (not MOTOR bikes mind you) for an uphill TT.

I'd carbon everything, single gear in the front, no front der, no rear brake, shorten my chain, maybe even custom a cassette up with like whatever few gears you may need, then space the rest of it on the hub.

tires would of course be duct tape to save rotating mass......

 

[Dave Hickey]

I thought that UCI regulations were that front and rear brakes were required, maybe I'm wrong.

Anyway, I figure we'll see lots of trick carbon wheels and different handlebar configurations - clip ons, etc., probably not traditional aero bars. I think the stage starts at the bottom of the mountain. If not and the lead-up is substantial, you could see someone riding a tt bike to the base and then switching to a superlight climbing bike for the ascent. Could be interesting. I think it's a 13 mile climb to the top, so if the stage is much longer than that....

If memory serves right when Lance last rode in the Tour of Switzerland there was a mountain tt and he rode a fairly conventional bike with Lightweight wheels and perhaps clip-ons. Also, if the final tt in the Vuelta this year is any indicator, most of the riders will probably be on fairly standard bikes.

Should be entertaining in any case.

I wondered if the UCI required two brakes. I think we'll see some fun setups. If they start at the base, it will be interesting to see how far someone like Lance goes with his bike

 

[divve]

How about a 650c wheel in the front and 700c in the rear? Is it legal and would it make climbing easier? There are some MTB forks out there with "climb it" control which sags the front when engaged.

 

[Dave Hickey]

How about a 650c wheel in the front and 700c in the rear? Is it legal and would it make climbing easier? There are some MTB forks out there with "climb it" control which sags the front when engaged.

Maybe I'll lend Lance this....

I started building it this weekend. I have a 650c front wheel due to arrive this week

 

[Max-Q]

Two brakes are required, there is a 15 lbs minimum weight limit and the TT starts at the base of the Alp so no, there is no lead into the climb. As we saw last year in the Prologue it isn't wise to run without a front derailleur no matter how short the course.

My guess is that you will see Lance riding his trusty Trek 5900 "superlight" with a down tube front derailleur. Then probably some Bontranger carbon wheels but I really doubt that anyone would gain any advantage with aero bars. The added weight and position of the TT bars would hinder a climber and it would provide almost no aero advantage at the speed they will be climbing.

You can bet that you will see Ullrich using his Lightweight deep section carbon rims. He uses these for all mountain stages and he used the front wheel on his TT bike last year.

 

[Dave Hickey]

Two brakes are required, there is a 15 lbs minimum weight limit and the TT starts at the base of the Alp so no, there is no lead into the climb. As we saw last year in the Prologue it isn't wise to run without a front derailleur no matter how short the course.

My guess is that you will see Lance riding his trusty Trek 5900 "superlight" with a down tube front derailleur. Then probably some Bontranger carbon wheels but I really doubt that anyone would gain any advantage with aero bars. The added weight and position of the TT bars would hinder a climber and it would provide almost no aero advantage at the speed they will be climbing.

.

I realize there is a weight limit but how close is his 5900 superlight to the 15lb limit? I thought his bike was around 15.75.

 

[Kram]

Another French mistress? Won't your Looks be jealous? That is a Gitane, isn't it? Oh, the horror!

 

[Dave Hickey]

Another French mistress? Won't your Looks be jealous? That is a Gitane, isn't it? Oh, the horror!

My current fleet of French frames include.

3 LOOK's
2 Gitane
1 Peugeot
1 Vitus
1 Motobecane


Don't ask my why, I really don't know

 

[teoteoteo]

The Facts

I doubt we will see anything but flyweight bikes. Lance could go for a custom alloy cogset a'la 2001 MTT from Grenoble to Chamrousse. On his multiple course recons in that race (2001) he discovered that a 22 tooth cog was perfect on some sections. If I remember right the cogs were blue anodized alum.

I am highly doubtful any bike switches will occur because the MTT course this year is only 15k and the climb is 13.8k so there would be no time gains by trying to go aero for 1200 meters and then trying to dismount/remount.

 

[Kram]

Me too. (Don't know why this fascination for French bikes.) I have only 2 I'd get rid of that Italian fixie of mine and get another Gitane, Peugeot, or a Vitus if I didn't like the 'friggin thing so much

 

[orange_julius]

Switch bikes?

Dave, I remember that Jean-Francois Bernard switched bikes during the previous
Alpe d'Huez ITT. Think some riders might do that again this year, if there is enough
flats in the early parts of the stage?

 

[bdx1366]

Blue Casette

[The casette was a Specialties TA
I believe they are made in France from Ergal aluminium

 

[teoteoteo]

Dave, I remember that Jean-Francois Bernard switched bikes during the previous
Alpe d'Huez ITT. Think some riders might do that again this year, if there is enough
flats in the early parts of the stage?

Like I mentioned above there will only be around 1200 meters of flat....

 

[spookyload]

I doubt he will ride the Bontrager tubular wheels. He will likely use some form of carbon wheel with a sub 200 gram tire. Lighteweight wheels accelerate faster and that will be critical. The rest of the bike should be what he is used to. I agree he won't take the chance like David Millar did in last years prolouge. Without the water bottles he usually carries up, he will already be 2 pounds lighter on the bike anyways.

 

[chbarr]

Won't Cipo have a Specialized bike for the time trial?

 

[CycloPathic]

How about a 650c wheel in the front and 700c in the rear? Is it legal and would it make climbing easier?

It's illegal, UCI mandates use of same size wheels.

 

[CycloPathic]

Won't Cipo have a Specialized bike for the time trial?

yeap and the rest of his team tooo, no doubt