Browsing through Rapp’s Kona results archive on the front page, after all these years, will all the faster wheels, helmets and bikes, Stadler’s 2006 Kona winning bike split is yet to be out ridden. He was not even riding a deep front wheel and after the previous year’s flatting he had some really heavy duty Vittoria “puncture proof tires” . Paul Thomas had Stadler’s bike on display at the ST Kona party and was joking that Normann did not want any chance of flatting
There will always be anomalies in progression of records. Overall there is a progression in average bike times, it’s the record that was set is out of sync with the rest. Same thing with Paula Radcliffe’s marathon record. While average times are progressing, no one has been near her record. But it’ll fall, eventually.
I was wondering the same, while there might be an outlier or two is the trend faster, and it would appear that it is.
Even then that bike doesn’t seem THAT terrible. If you look at the are people killing it despite old bike tech thread people are, and the common theme is they would kill it more if they had a better bike. This bike isn’t even as bad as what some people there are describing they have.
Indeed, the Stadler perfomance was an outlier. I was not there, but I know long-time IMH vets said that it was freaky how calm the conditions were that year - perhaps even a slight tailwind on the stretch back from Waikoloa(rare).
I think the disconnect with people these days is that the whole aerodynamic thing get’s so hyped by the bike and wheel companies, that people’s expectations are that times will be way faster than they really are. Collectively they are faster( graph indicates that), but it’s not the HUGE gains that people expect.
Indeed, the Stadler perfomance was an outlier. I was not there, but I know long-time IMH vets said that it was freaky how calm the conditions were that year - perhaps even a slight tailwind on the stretch back from Waikoloa(rare).
I think the disconnect with people these days is that the whole aerodynamic thing get’s so hyped by the bike and wheel companies, that people’s expectations are that times will be way faster than they really are. Collectively they are faster( graph indicates that), but it’s not the HUGE gains that people expect.
So true about the aero hype and people thinking they can buy speed. I think people forget too that most of the drag comes from the rider. Also equipment will only get you so far after that it is all about the engine
That’s not funny… and a real possibility that he might go for the record, even at the cost of
over biking and getting run down by Gyde, Danstu or another for the amateur win.
If he swims a 59ish… a 4:20-4:25 should catch the the lead female pros before T2.
But in an era where racing is becoming more and more about tactics, people possibly over-swimming to stay with the race to make the group on the bike, then possibly over-biking in order to be in it once the run starts - it makes sense to take advantage of an opportunity where a simple choice of equipment can be a difference of 3-5 minutes on the bike over an Ironman at a given watts.
Why spend 300 watts to ride 4:25, if you can spend 250?
Well presumably it was a pretty low wind day, and half-ass aero equipment does pretty well at low yaw usually, especially his wheels, so lets assume 100grams of aero drag he was giving up to the best bikes of the time
That would be about 3 minutes
If you figure, 200grams drag compared to the best bikes of today, then another 3 minutes.
Got no idea what his durable tires were like. They may have just been EVO CX instead of track tires with no puncture layer.
Jack…how fast do you think that Stadler goes on a P5, faster helmet, dual 808 firecrest, fast clinchers, latex, a skinsuit ? 4:13 ?
The main reason that the bike times are improving is because the front swim pack is getting bigger.
That could be a reason, could be the main reason, might be a minor reason, might be half the reason.
Open up excel and see if you can prove the case =)
Some evidence against this idea is that the top bike split, which is often a solo effort away from the bike back, has a similar trend as the top 10 average.
I tried to do figure out a correlation between wind conditions and average kona times and couldn’t really get anything consistent.
It seemed pretty clear that wind direction was a big factor. So a day might be windy, but give you a lot of medium yaw crosswind (which is fast) one year and more headwind another (which is slow)
Weather station speed there may have nothing to do with speed on the course, so it is hard to figure.
But yeah, Stadler was fast that year, and top10 was an outlier too, so conditions probably good.
Maybe Colom will break it?
hahaha…ST would spontaneously combust if that happened!
regarding the OP, how were conditions that day? I think I’ve read (maybe in Macca’s book) that conditions that day were perfect…
or maybe I’m thinking of a different race and different era (Iron War)…I don’t recall.
The bike record means less if you don’t actually win. Most of the top pros can break the course record and implode on the run. Starky was pretty close last year
Maybe Colom will break it?
That’s not funny… and a real possibility that he might go for the record, even at the cost of
over biking and getting run down by Gyde, Danstu or another for the amateur win.
If he swims a 59ish… a 4:20-4:25 should catch the the lead female pros before T2.
