Equipment and Parts
 

If you run across interesting parts or equipment that are (loosely) related to track training or racing, maybe post it here.

We have threads for bikes/frames and tires. I guess anything else (bars, rollers, skinsuits, helmets) can go here if they don't warrant their own thread.

With the Olympics coming up, I'm sure that we'll see some new stuff. I *believe* that there is a UCI rule that no team can use equipment that isn't commercially available before the Olympics. Not sure, though.

yeah - because everyone respects those "commercially available gear" rules soooooo well.

Yup. I've never seen a German FES bike anywhere except under a German national team rider.

That's all legitimate pre-production prototype stuff that will be available as soon as they get the production bugs worked out...

The secret-squirrel brit lab alleges that they'll sell their stuff off - I've never seen a single proof that any of it has ever actually happened- beyond the cost they say that timeline is unknown.
BT in AUS simply won't sell you whatever they cooked up most recently, and they are straightforward about it too.
FES - ayup, simply doesn't exist.

If the rules aren't respected, why bother?
Similarly, when the Brit pursuit men showing up with frontal "trip-wire" style skinsuits and very long booties a couple years ago- it was explicitly banned, the commisaires were standing right next to them- it isn't like they were hiding it, they went fast, broke records, and what do you know?! No one ever said anything to them about it.

I think the rule concerning prototypes that must be marketed applies to Olympic equipment. Couldn't buy the UKSI short aero helmets before the last Olympics and they have only recently become available as the new Kask models. I believe the rule is that the item has to be available within one calendar year of it being used in competition, not sure though.

http://www.uci.ch/mm/Document/News/R...NG_English.PDF

looks like 9 months.

ARTICLE 1.3.007
“Bicycles and their accessories shall be of a type that is sold for use by anyone practising cycling as a sport. As a result of production imperatives (time constraints), an exception may be requested from the UCI for equipment that is a final product and that will be marketed in the nine months after its first use in competition. The manufacturer must however publish information on the equipment in question in advance and announce the date of its market launch. The use of equipment designed especially for the attainment of a particular performance (record or other) shall be not authorised.”
The bicycle must be accessible to all participants. All the components of the bicycle must be available commercially (i.e. available on the market or sold directly by the manufacturer) at the latest nine months after their first use in competition. To implement this nine-month period, the manufacturer must publicly announce that the product in question is being used in competition and when it will be available for sale. In all cases the product must be a finished product in the condition that it will be marketed. The testing of a prototype in competition is prohibited.
Thus, it is not allowed to use equipment in competition that is not either available on the market or previously communicated by the manufacturer (with a nine months period for the marketing).
Prototypes and the use of equipment specially designed for a particular athlete, event or performance are prohibited. "Specially designed" means a bicycle with a technical added value when compared with other equipment.
No minimum production quantity or minimum price is defined for either bicycles or any component parts.

Whether those UK/German bikes even were for sale, anyone who is riding at the level to benefit them is probably already on a national provided bike (or couldnt afford one anyway!)


On the topic, I recently picked up this which I think someone pointed out at some point
Chicago Velo Campus Race Track Bag | chicagovelocampus.com
actually pretty nifty, holds shoes, helmet, couple water bottles, comes with a gear bag, has a change mat in the bottom (which is seriously nice in the winter on concrete). Much better than the usual duffel bag that everything is piled into. Very happy with it.

Since this thread is useless without pictures:p

Here's the set of handlebars I've picked for my Torelli build.

Made by Soma and named after my track hero, Major Taylor. The quality is just gorgeous and I'm in love with the shape -

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzUxWDc1MQ...T9L5y/$_57.JPG

I generally confident that there are racers from countries other than UK/Germany that could use a high-end bike.

Thanks for finding this!

With that bend, these are essentially steel Scattos for a fraction of the price.

http://www.somafab.com/wp-content/up...ajortaylor.jpg
http://www.wigglestatic.com/images/3...o-bar-zoom.jpg

But, I hope you didn't get the 48cm wide ones :D That's for touring bikes!

i hope you accounted for the reach! at 65mm reach these are by far the shortest reach bars I've ever seen. They are easily 4cm less reach than a "classic track drop", they are 1cm shorter than Scattos- which are fit wreckers for most bikes that were not set up for them originally..

Yeah, I got a good price on these from BikeWagon, only $39.00, free shipping and the craftsmanship on them is very good!

http://www.somafab.com/wp-content/up...ajortaylor.jpg


No, only 42CM's. I didn't even know they make them that wide!:eek:

Yeah, besides the nice shape of these bars, it was the shorter reach that I liked about them.

Figuring in the size of the frame, the TT length and stem lengths, I think these bars should work out well. Hopefully I did my homework properly! We'll see...:)

Most of us feel the same way about 42's!!!

42cm is wide as hell these days. People are putting 40cm on their road bikes...even the big guys. Consider 38cm or less.

+1

Also, your TT length should not figure into your bar/stem combo. Ideally, they are independent.

The heat tube length, head tube angle, fork offset, stem length, stem angle, bar drop, and bar reach ALL work together to put the hands where they need to be in relation to the front axle for optimal handling. The top tube is not one of these.

The top tube length is there to set your back angle. Longer top tube, the more you lay down (and less comfortable you are).

Since you have these very short/shallow bars, you should probably use a very long stem (relative to what you'd use with normal bars). Scattos generally require a stem that is 2cm longer than what one would use with EC90s or B123s. You may have to go even longer.

I'm using a 140mm -6deg stem with my 37cm Scattos on my 58cm bike with 15cm head tube. With EC90s, I use a 120mm 0deg stem to put my hands in the same position.

Thanks Carleton, I'll take that into consideration.

I have a bike with 38cm bars, and they feel tight to me. I leave them on my vintage classic because it is original to the bike, not necessarily because I like them. 40cm seems right and even 42cm's hasn't presented a problem for me...

Man I wish someone would make a legit Road Bar that was 36cm!

i have 36cm Nitto 125's on the Single Speed I use for Crits, but can't bring myself to go that route on my road bike..
The 40's I ride are OK- but feel crazy wide if I haven't ridden that bike in a while..

with the major taylors, the bottom flats are long. You have to be carefull that they do not extend rearwards past the central steering axis of the headtube.

My goodness, so much to watch out for!:twitchy:

How the heck did Major Taylor ride with these darned things anyway?:lol:

Seriously though, thanks for the heads up!

some people are fast despite poor equipment

It's not that it prevents you from riding in any way, just another stupid rule brought about because of Greame Obree's Egg position handlebars.

Here you go Quinn:
| Parts & Accessories | Salsa Cycles

Good find Babypuke!

I'm not sure if Salsa had a previous model that was way more compact- or if I had written these off because they say they are Compact... I remember the drop/reach being too small, but these are actually deeper than my Pro Sprint Bars- unfortunately they are shorter reach.. I'm already on a 135mm stem and my cockpit is tight. :(

Zipp has 36cm bars in a couple of formats, but in general it seems like narrow implies short reach/drop with some pink flowers for the marketing groups.