Now that song is stuck in my head (it’s a good thing for now). But you didn’t put the artist 
I thought it was obvious…
You are talking about the difference between secondary and primary radar, which I am fully conversant with but, I decided it would be better not to muddy the water with. The question then arises that if the cycle transponder does not have a power source of some form how does the timing system “see” one return as clearly different from another?
Not sure the actual technology used on the bikes, but passive RFID transponders (“tags”) have no internal power source. The “tag” is energized by a pulse of RF energy from the “reader” radio. It then uses this pulse of energy to communicate with the reader and send back its unique ID code. The UHF stuff will work over 20-30 feet range, with reads taking about 0.1 seconds or so. Lower frequency stuff is a bit more reliable but works over a much shorter distance.
I would guess, though, for the relative cost, the TDF transponders probably carry a lithium “watch” battery in the transponder. It wouldn’t take much juice to make sure the signal is much more reliable. And if they’re all the same, it’s not like the weight would be an unfair penalty to anyone.
Phil White from Cervélo: http://www.cervelo.com/mediacentre.aspx?imageid=87#MC
“The owner of SRM (www.srm.de) power training equipment shows up and we talk about developments of his new products. FSA has a new SRM crank that is going to be on a few bikes in the Tour (see the photo in the media centre) and Jens is going to ride an early version later this week. You’ll be able to follow the readout live on our website or link directly to www.LiveBioData.de/CSC/EN.”
Go to http://www.livebiodata.de and click ARD to watch all the SRM equipped riders biometric data live during the race. The live data includes current heart rate, power output, speed and cadence.
“SRM live biometric data” equipped riders includes Jens Voigt (CSC) and several T-Mobile riders. The saddle bag seen on their bikes are a mobile phone that transmits current heart rate, power output, speed and cadence live.
The Germ TV station also shows the data on their live TV coverage. They did the same thing during last years TdF, where Jense Voigt was also euipped with SRM and transmitter.
Last year SRM introduced a modified Dura-Ace crank with SRM integrated and it was first used during TdF 2004 by the riders with the live monitioring of thier SRM data.
Here’s Voigt’s bike from TdF 2004 with Dura-Ace SRM crank and transmitter:
Read about last years bike here: http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2004/tour04/tech/?id=voigt-bike
Compressed? You know on the flats Jens is one of the best in putting the power down. Compressed power?
Jens Voigt is one of the guys that looks better on a road bike that I know of, it’s easy to pick him when you see live broadcasts.
Of course it’s easy to pick him on live broadcasts, he’s always in a breakaway 
LOL… I remember back when he was still riding for CA, he was caught inside the last km after a lone breakaway, that was so hard to see!
And this is the time I brag about how I rode with him and Jan here in Lisbon back in 2001 
looks a little compressed to me. Is that a 56cm Soloist?
No, it’s a 58 cm, read Gerard’s posts here: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=168355;#168355
Just wondering…the sprint the other day that was decided by .0002 seconds as registered by this transponder. If one transponder is mounted closer to the front wheel then the other, even if by only 2mm…then this would have made a difference in the times registered and could account for an error in the .0002 winning margin. Yes…no…? And if they are all mounted in the same spot…how do they account for the longer wheel bases of larger bikes. I hope they are all mounted by measuring from the front wheel…and VERY accurately too!!
They don’t use the transponder to decide the times. They still use finish linie photos. The transponder is just used as a backup and to identify which riders are in which group. All placings is still decided by photos, not the transponders.
This is the finish line photo that deided the sprint between Weening and Klöden (9 mm difference according to the officials):
If they change bike during the race they wont have the transponder anyway. Two riders could switch bikes if the captain has a mechanical and no support car is near. I not sure why the transponder is placed on the bike and not the rider; maybe it’s because there’s a sensor on the finish line and the transmitting strenght is not strong enough to receive a signal if the transponder is place in the bag of the riders jersey.
Doom.
passive RFID transponders (“tags”) have no internal power source. The “tag” is energized by a pulse of RF energy from the “reader” radio. It then uses this pulse of energy to communicate with the reader and send back its unique ID code. The UHF stuff will work over 20-30 feet range, with reads taking about 0.1 seconds or so.
===============================================================================
That was my understanding too. THanks for the confirmation.
That’s really interesting. Thanks for the info. During the team time trial I wondered, wouldn’t it be cool if the team manager or coach could view each individual team member’s real time power, HR, and cadence during the team time trial. Along with asking the team member their RPE, knowing their individual capabilities, the team’s current time splits, an other factors, he could then decide how hard to push the team and/or its individuals during the race. It would be like trying to put together a dynamic puzzle. He could shuffle the paceline order of the team, or ask certain guys to take a longer or shorter pull based on their or their team mates individual data at that time. It would be like an engine management system in a car making sure each cylinder is firing at its maximum so to speak. He may also be able to better determine when or if to break off the weakest team members. They may even have other uses for such data. I’m certaintly not an expert in athletic performance or cycling team tactics.
I believe that team managers are gathering their data mostly through verbal communication if at all during the race. Now it can be displayed in front of the team manager’s lap top showing the organized data in real time. Team managers and coaches already know what to do with such data on an individual basis. This would just ask them to do it for multiple individuals simultaneausly in real time in order to get the best result out of a larger system (the team). And the more proficient or “skillfull” the manager becomes at interpreting the data in real-time the faster he/she can make any necessary adjustments that will lead to the best result. It would be another tool available to the team manager.
Is there such a system already in place? Do you guys think such a system would be useful to a cycling team or at least worth investigating?
Anyway… it was just a thought.
Does anybody have a picture of the new customized FSA crank with SRM? Like the Dura-Ace SRM crank introduced last year.
It’s in our media center at www.cervelo.com/mediacentre.aspx. It’s in the picture selection called “Pictures: July 6 text blog”
It’s in our media center at www.cervelo.com/mediacentre.aspx. It’s in the picture selection called “Pictures: July 6 text blog”
Thanks I just received the Cervélo Media Center alert a minute ago.
Here’s the pic:
Edit: Picture deleted by requst of Gerard.
I guess this is SRM’s own bike?
It’s in our media center at www.cervelo.com/mediacentre.aspx. It’s in the picture selection called “Pictures: July 6 text blog”
Any idea why CSC uses FSA Superlight cranks with internal bearings on some bikes and FSA K-Force MegaExo / SL-K MegaExo with external bearings on other bikes?
Of course I have an idea why. And once you stop violating our copyrights, I might tell you.
Of course I have an idea why. And once you stop violating our copyrights, I might tell you.
Sorry I didn’t think it mattered to post a copyrighted picture on a forum. Half of the bike and equipment pictures posted on this and other forums are copyrighted anyway, from Cyclignnews, Pez Cycling, Velonews, Dailypeloton, newspapers, Graham Watson, Tim de Waele, CSC, Discovery, Cervélo and other manufactures, etc. etc.
I have never experined anyone complain about that earlier.
Even the first picture of Jens Voigt in this very topic is also copyrighted by Cervélo, you didn’t seem to have a problem with that picture posted here or maybe you didn’t notice this piture is from Cervélo’s website too?
Newer bikes that they have built up have the MegaExo SLK, the “older” bikes (earlier in 2005) will have superlights or Carbon Pro Team Issue bikes. A frame gets built and rebuilt several times a year, so this is only a general rule, but that is roughly how it works. They simply don’t have the time, parts and need to rebuld 150 bikes once FSA comes out with a new crank.