Allright tech experts, here is a good one for you. Look at Julich riding his CSC P3 (early season race?) on page 40 of the VeloNews “Official Tour De France Guide”.
What in the heck kind of chainrings has he got on those FSA cranks? And, is that photo massively distorted or (as I suspect) are those rings visibly elliptical?
What kind are they? What is the story behind them? What riders and teams are using them? Are they faster? How did they convince riders to try them?
Don’t have that picture but if it is Julich’s bike is very posible elliptical. Julich did ride a “Bio pace” style chainring in the ITT at worlds last year. Although he wasn’t on a Cervelo at that time. I don’t know if it helped him? I haven’t seen any of the other CSCers on them and infact I recall that Julich’s P3 now has “normal” chain rings. I would imagine he was just experimenting but has now come to he senses.
So who in the heck is still making elliptical or semi-elliptical chainrings? Or are they custom made one at a time?
Bobby Jullich has used these for years. I wonder if he owns them, or if there is a source for them. I know that there are a handful of pros that have used them for much of their career. I think Melchor Mauri used them as well.
-SD
Don’t know who made them? Here’s a pic from worlds:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/worldsphotos03.php?id=photos/2003/worlds03/emtt/JDjulich_usa2
I have an old set in my basement - for some reason I can’t seem to bring myself to toss them out? Perhaps as a reminder to avoid stupid “new” products.
mg
I saw that in Velonews too and thought I had had too many Bass ale’s… had flashbacks of the Shimano STX rings on my first mountain bike…