Two adjacent chain connectors? Perhaps it is to accommodate different gear ratios. I have that problem but use different chains.

I believe this is the company that made the cranks for the Team GB bikes. I posted about them a few months ago.

Yes. It's a common way to make a "short chain" and "long chain" out of a single chain.

mmm, Charlie did a 4’12” to win the gold in Minsk, 4th fastest time ever!

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/tr...for-Team-KGF-0

Had not seen that either, a neat trick & with a waxed chain would be a nice clean/quick change.

Xiaofei Wang (CHN) uses double straps in bunch races.

This photo is from the World Cup Santiago stage Omnium Scratch:

https://i.imgur.com/N7BxahN.jpg

I found a blurry photo of her wearing them in the Omnium Scratch race this weekend as well: EDIT: Apparently BF doesn't like twitter links. Try this: twitter: /uci_track/status/954669678118436864

I'm still waiting for more enduros to catch on to this idea :D

Wang finished 7th in the Omnium for this event and 5th in standings across all World Cup events.

I wonder if this is because she is from China. Their first successes in track cycling (or even cycling in general) came from their female sprint squad. In other words, this worked for the lady sprinters so it must be good, therefore trickled down/across to an enduro. Track cycling being a relatively young sport amongst the Chinese, there would be very few ties to traditional methods, especially the way the government was throwing money at the federation with the mandate of "whatever works".

Yeah, maybe so. Maybe simply a fresh and empirical approach? A woman of her stature should have no problem staying in a set of pedals with the tension properly adjusted. My guess is that it's for another reason.

Straps aren't just about preventing unclipping.

I don't think that every enduro should use straps. But, I'm fairly certain that some will benefit from it.

It's interresting that the 2 world class enduros that I've noticed doing this were both women. I would think that the stronger men would do this first.

Speaking of straps, I notice Theo Bos is one of the last top pros to still use the Japanese-type straps. Curious what pedals he's using with it, anybody got a good photo? I've been unable to find anything.

So is his teammate Buschli, who was using the orange nylon straps that the Dutch team uses then seems to have switched back to NJS in the past 6 months or so. Van Den Berg uses nylon BLS straps. I think he's sponsored by BLS.

https://i.imgur.com/Syr2PfS.jpg

2 of 3 are on NJS straps and all 3 seem to be on Shimano pedals. Looks like Dura Ace. I think they all run red zero float cleats.

https://i.imgur.com/IoqqGAQ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/V6hetmW.jpg

Do you have some evidence suggesting this is an empirical decision? Because that is a BIG assumption. The more I hear about elite athletes, and professional riders, the less inclined I am to think they have ANY reason or logic to the things they do, or equipment they use. Remember the link to the Zipp testing?

I don't mean the tone of that to be super confrontational, but I am skeptical at best.

I remember someone had some data suggesting massive increases in watts "just from using straps" but as I recall, wasn't that for standing starts? Do we have any pursuit data with straps vs not straps? Or any data from flying efforts (which would, hypothetically, negate the increased watts in a start) with straps vs not?

Personally, I would never be able to get the strap tension right. If they were loose enough to be comfortable for 20+ minutes, they wouldn't do any good, and conversely if they were tight enough to do anything, they wouldn't be comfortable to ride!

Denis Dmitriev (RUS) seems to go back and forth between NJS and nylon:
https://i.imgur.com/TMKyb7H.jpg

Sandie Clair (FRA) uses doubles:
https://i.imgur.com/T8VLFQy.jpg

Förstemann (GER) uses doubles:
https://i.imgur.com/XbkJajt.jpg

There seems to be a 60/40 or 70/30 nylon/NJS split among sprinters. The NJS straps are a really, really mature product. The clasp is an engineering marvel.

Also, I have weighed them all:

1 BLS strap: 32g
1 single Toshi NJS strap: 31g
1 double Toshi NJS strap: 67g

From the looks of Bos' pedals, currently it seems like 3 hole Dura-Ace. He was running SPD-R on his track bikes up until December '15.

Sorry, no I don't. I shouldn't have stated it that way. I should have written, "maybe" with a question mark. You are right, it could be superstition.

This would be very easy to test.

My only evidence is anecdotal and what I see in photos. And the few people I can convince to try it.

I convinced Oscar Clark to try using double my double straps (attached to Speedplays at the time) at 2009 collegiate track nationals for his IP. I included his kilo times as well to offer more data as to how he was riding.

Oscar Clark (of BMC/Hincapie)
https://legacy.usacycling.org/results/?compid=221975

2009 (Trexertown): 4:51.7 pursuit (using straps) / 1:13 kilo
2010 (Major Taylor): 4:52.7 pursuit / 1:12 kilo
2011 (Major Taylor): 5:01.4 pursuit / 1:13 kilo

In 2009 He placed 3rd to two other future pros, David Williams (now of Astellas) and Joey Roskoff (now of BMC). He said he really liked them :D ...but I don't think he ever bought a pair of his own :(

I know I'm grasping at straws here. But, I truly think something is there.

Straps can be frustrating at times. One reason many people prefer laceup shoes with straps is because normal cycling shoes with 2 velcro straps (or a BOA disc) on the lower part of the foot can guide the strap into an uncomfortable spot between the two velcro straps causing pinching. This is worse with double straps.

Do you mean Förstemann? I'm pretty sure that Förstemann is running SPD-R.

I think that Bos is running SPD-SL.

Bos may have switched over to SPD-SL.

His BT and road bike:
https://i.imgur.com/g01cEuq.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/N2CiuLZ.jpg

His Avanti. SPD-R didn't come in black carbon, right?
https://i.imgur.com/QLqvI2R.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Occd71I.jpg

Forsty IS on the SPD-Rs. Bos was running the Rs until he joined/started BEAT. When he first came back on the track a couple of years ago, his Cervelo sported SPD-R. There are a few photos of him racing Roy Van Den Berg and you can clearly see the low profile of the older SPD-R underneath his shoes.

https://i.imgur.com/gwNABEe.jpg

Who, you guys have amazing photo search skills, thanks!

Also, if you're into shoe porn, then you can look up Liguino Verducci. He/They make Theo Bos' shoes. Not as low volume as the Sierra custom Jobs that Francois Pervis wears. More like the old Rocket7 model of offering 3 levels of customization.

British champs IP qualifying

Only 1 of the top 5 qualification times coming from a funded athlete on the Olympic development programme...will be a bit of a scandal if none of them get selected for a ride at the world champs!

Very true.

But, it could be argued that the funded athletes are "training-through" the National Championships planning an annual peak at the World Championships one month from now.

If they are on a periodic training schedule, then the block they are in now would be really full and their fatigue levels pretty high and the tapers would start in a couple of weeks.

In Olympic years, Team GB was known (or rumored) to train-through even the World Championships with eyes on the Olympic games.

Dan’s trying out some custom made bars by Carbon Wasp - Custom Made Carbon Fibre Bikes

I’ll try and get a photo of them this weekend

Charlie’s position

looks slippery

an aside... do they at all measure the saddle / bar height relation? I've seen a lot of guys lately that can't possibly have the tip of their extensions below the saddle.
(although this specific picture is a little misleading as it's not quite flat ground, just in general)

Good point...although I think Tanfield and Bighams times are such that they would stand up to what the rest are capable of on their best day.

Special mention to Katie Archibald - she is doing the pursuit and bunch races as you would expect but also doing the match sprint and keirin for fun. Competitive in them too - the woman just loves to race, great to see!