DarkSpeedWorks wrote:
Rappstar wrote:
When you think about "shit happens" during a race, this was not something that ever entered into my consciousness... Kona definitely has some Bermuda-Triangle-esque qualities when it comes to bikes.Too bad about the saddle, thats gotta be a crazy way to go.
About the weird Kona failures, I wonder if part of it is all the abuse the racers' bikes get via the airlines (for those that send bikes that way) in transit and in ground handling. I imagine that some of the abuse the bikes get even clever engineers can't think up (and design for). Trust me, I have seen it all.
I agree with this idea. Perhaps two related reasons: 1. Many bags require a lot of disassembly and reassembly of the bikes. (hard cases) So while you get better protection from the baggage handling gangsters, you can also be your own worse enemy in terms of causing fatigue related failures.
2. Just the baggage handlers. I carried my P5 in a Scicon aerocomfort triathlon bag from Taipei-Seoul-Honolulu-Kona. Initially I was relieved to find all was perfect, but when I put the wheels on, my bars had been knocked off center by at least 20 degrees. I don't know how much force that would take to move them that far...but I bet I would not want to see what that force looked like when it was applied to my bike.
I feel bad for everyone who had technical problems on the biggest race of the year, and even more so for the Pros who put everything into their preparation and their livelihoods depending on the results.