Why have Mavic track wheels stayed the same for twenty years?
09-12-19, 08:38 PM
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Why have Mavic track wheels stayed the same for twenty years?
Maybe not twenty years but I can definitely find videos of riders using those Mavic wheels everyone is using today (the five spoke and the disc wheel, you guys know the ones!) from 2002 and they seem to be the exact same model. You can basically search "track sprint final 2002" and "track sprint final 2019" and see what seems to be the exact same pair of wheels on the bikes. What is up with this? Are they simply as aerodynamic as wheels in a velodrome can possibly get? Do they just make the most sense? Are there really subtle updates to the models each year that I just don't notice? This is specific to track riders I think, especially in the sprint and keirin. There are sometimes other wheels don't get me wrong but it seems like these Mavic wheels have been the most popular for years and years with no development. Thanks to all for any answers!
09-13-19, 12:23 AM
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https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/j...he-comete-disc
Damn shame they don't do groupsets any more, though. Those Mavic groups in the 80s and early 90s really looked amazing.
Damn shame they don't do groupsets any more, though. Those Mavic groups in the 80s and early 90s really looked amazing.
09-13-19, 04:14 PM
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How can perfection be improved upon?
Seriously, there are few track riders when compared to road riders, so the market is very limited. R and D is costly, and tough to recoup in a small market.
Seriously, there are few track riders when compared to road riders, so the market is very limited. R and D is costly, and tough to recoup in a small market.
09-13-19, 07:22 PM
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Velodrome, track, road racing, cycle cross should be about the athletes testing themselves against their contemporaries but also the legends of the past. It should not be about carbon fiber, nano supported ceramic string theory with anti-gravity pulsars formed into the frames. The technology should be frozen or at least carefully considered when changed as to the real purpose of the change.
09-13-19, 11:55 PM
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There are fewer riders, but there are Olympic medals to be won, there are rainbow jerseys to be won, and plastered onto advertising boards that get stuck up on the wall in your LBS, because when someone sees a picture of Chris Hoy on some Comete wheels, they might splash $200 on a pair of Aksiums.
09-14-19, 12:47 AM
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Velodrome, track, road racing, cycle cross should be about the athletes testing themselves against their contemporaries but also the legends of the past. It should not be about carbon fiber, nano supported ceramic string theory with anti-gravity pulsars formed into the frames. The technology should be frozen or at least carefully considered when changed as to the real purpose of the change.
"As a result of the parimutuel gambling that surrounds keirin racing in Japan, a strict system of standards was developed for bicycles and repair tools. The Nihon Jitensha Shinkōkai (Japanese Bicycle Association or NJS) - now under the JKA Foundation - requires that all keirin racers in Japan ride and use equipment that meets their standards. All riders use very similar bicycles, so that no rider will have any advantage or disadvantage based on equipment. In addition, all riders must pass strict licensing requirements."
Cheers
09-14-19, 12:49 AM
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09-14-19, 12:52 AM
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What happened?
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If it ain't changed, don't break it.
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09-14-19, 07:53 AM
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Because...well...Mavic? You're talking about the wheel company that until last year was making wheel rims like it was still the 1990s. If you're wanting innovative bike wheel-goods....Mavic should be last on your list.
Also velodromes and what/how people ride have not changed at all in forever.
Also velodromes and what/how people ride have not changed at all in forever.
09-14-19, 07:54 AM
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Because bicycles are simple things and then somebody had to come along and make it complicated.
09-14-19, 06:00 PM
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I get a lot of people are saying that there should be an even playing field anyways, but I refuse the notion that there's not enough of a market. I don't think the size of the market has ever been the driver of track tech, not many people were going to buy the Lotus bike
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