Yep,the cost of the sport is just getting stupid. How about Wurf’s 3D Printed Pinarello frameset for $65K that he rode on Saturday? Insane!!
There is hope for the average Joes though if they just stop following the trends and do some sensible shopping. I just got a new Cross Bike delivered yesterday from Reid Cycles here in Oz that I am going to use as my Bikepacking bike. Nice,functional bike that will take me to all kinds of cool places here in Oz and around the world.all for the grand sum of $460USD.
I will give you another example of why custom cockpits are not optimal
Let’s take our winner PL
3 weeks before the TDF he probably saw the first incarnation of that helmet for the first time. Based on what he was previously riding, position changes were required to optimize with that helmet. What do you do, throw out your custom cockpit ?
Then a new version of the helmet, with the vents, came out between the TDF and Kona. Again, maybe changes would be required.
At the pointy end, one equipment change can trigger a position change. When something is locked in place with a custom cockpit, you can’t do that.
There is a version introduced at the TDF. It has no vents. I think that one should be available in the new year. By the rules I think they have to. The one SL wore is very close to this one. I tested this one and it is fast.
Then there is a version with vents that PL wore. This definitely came afterwards. I have no idea when/if they release this.
Hey folks, just a quick request. Can you just type out people’s names like Patrick Lange, Sam Long, Sam Laidlaw. I did figure out who all you are talking about (not that hard), but it takes additiional time to figure out if you don’t start from further up the thread. So in summary one of Patrick Lange’s or Sam Laidlaw’s helmet goes on sale by Ekoi in Jan 2025 from the sound of it.
I assume the vents don’t make the helmet faster (example of vents making helmet faster was the old Specialized Evade which had a smaller virtual frontal with air passing thru vs around). So in this case, I would by the vented version and tape the vents shut for anything below 24C (or thereabouts if the course gets hot and has a lot of slow airflow climbing ex Nice)
I do this with my Aerohead but could be a DSQ to the letter of the rules in the helmet part:
“(iii) An alteration to any part of the helmet, including the chin strap, or the omission of any part of the helmet, is prohibited; (DSQ)”
from the bike section
“Protective screens, fuselages, fairings, or any other devices or materials (including duct tape) added or blended into the structure with the intent to reduce (or having the effect of reducing) resistance to air penetration are prohibited”
For rain races I always tape vents shut anyway for warmth and keeping cold rain out (I also take vents shut on bottom and top of shoes for the same reason). So I guess this is illegal, but I’ll argue with the race refs on that. It saves me wearing a swim cap inside my helmet to stay warm (done that too, it works well).
Don’t some helmets have inserts for the exact purpose of more venting/less venting depending on temps?
interesting. You’d think there is a bigger market for the “Pure Aero PL” model vs the “Pure Aero SL” model. I would think demand for perceived Tri helmets vs TT helmets would be greater. I have ridden the “Pure Aero SL”. I would love the ride the other
I would indeed think the same. I’m really curious to test this helmet (eyeball aero makes it look fast), unfortunately it’s only available after 70.3 worlds
In the south of the The Netherlands. Unfortunately I have to test outside (with the Aerosensor), good days are currently few and far in between this time of year.