Check this baby out… looks very interesting!
Dirk Friel holding the disc wheel with three Active Spokes on which he set one of the only four sub-22-minute times in the local Boulder time trial series.
Joe Friel (right) comments on the ‘proof of concept’ disc wheel that John Cobb (left) was kind enough to build for Tarryan Technologies for the SICI conference.
From Inside Triathlon:
Serotta Cycling Science Symposium Preview: Active-Spoke This report filed - January 26, 2008
By Caitlin Lowie
Active-Spoke Bicycle Wheel Add-on to Debut at SICI 2nd Annual Cycling Science Symposium and Expo
Active-Spoke, a bicycle wheel add-on designed to enhance speed and efficiency for Time Trial and triathlon racers, will debut at the Serotta International Cycling Institute’s (SICI) 2nd Annual Cycling Science Symposium and Expo being held January 28-30 in Denver. Wheels featuring Active-Spoke have shown to go up to five seconds faster per mile, depending on the course.
Developed by Tarryan Technologies LLC, Active-Spoke shifts weight sets along the spokes of a rear wheel between the hub and the rim. By sliding a weight along a spoke such that a spring holds it close to the hub during climbing and is pulled to the rim during high speed down hills, riders experience the easy responsiveness of a lighter wheel during climbing and yet feel the surge of added momentum when coming out of a downhill or entering an uphill. The result is enhanced speed during a period of deceleration and essentially sustained speed during periods of acceleration.
Classic downhill freewheel testing showed that a wheel with Active-Spoke outperformed an equivalent wheel not featuring the technology. The Active-Spoke wheel accelerated at the same rate as the equivalent wheel but carried the rider at higher speeds for longer at the bottom of a hill and maintained higher speeds as the wheel slowed and inertia decreased.
The Active-Spoke product features six weight sets and springs that can be installed and configured by the rider based on their ability level and the contours of the course. Developed for cyclists of all ability levels, Active-Spoke has received support from leaders in the cycling industry including Joe Friel, professional coach and author of *The Cyclist’s Training Bible, *and professional rider Dirk Friel, of Boulder, Colorado. Dirk recently set a personal best time that was more than 60 seconds faster than his previous best in a 10-mile Time Trial race and attributes his success to Active-Spoke. “I have been testing the Active-Spoke technology for about seven months now and have set my best time using this wheel,” Dirk says.
Active-Spoke was conceived when product inventor, and Tarryan Technologies chief executive officer, Russell Kalil wanted to help a friend qualify for Ironman Hawaii. “I was taking a spinning class when I thought it would be great to harness the momentum produced by a wheel with heavy rim weight, but with the advantages of a lightweight rim wheel during a hill climb,” says Kalil.
Tarryan is launching Active-Spoke at the SICI conference to get the new technology in front of the industry’s top racers, coaches and researchers. Attendees of the conference will be able to see Active-Spoke’s movement along the spoke as well as speak to Tarryan representatives and Active-Spoke supporters.
Active-Spoke is available for purchase at Active-Spoke.com. A standard kit is available at an introductory price of $175.
