Modify bike en-route (Ventoux TT bar removal)?

Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles said:

OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the bottom of
the Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But obviously the TT bars
were of no use once things got steep, so I was just wondering what
the rules would say about removing and discarding the TT bars once
they're no longer needed? Even on superlight clip-ons, I still can't
see them weighing less than half a pound. Of course, the issue's
moot if his bike is already down to the legal weight limit *with* the
bars intact.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

Wasn't there some talk about whether he would actually switch bikes when he
did the TT to Chamrousse in the Tour 2001? There was a "rolling start" for
13K or so before the percentages become serious.

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the bottom of the
Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But obviously the TT bars were of no

use

Quoted message said:

once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would say
about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer needed?
Even on superlight clip-ons, I still can't see them weighing less than

half

Quoted message said:

a pound. Of course, the issue's moot if his bike is already down to the
legal weight limit *with* the bars intact.

Take a look at Tyler's bike:

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-012000

Looks like he has your answer...

"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the bottom of the
Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But obviously the TT bars were of no

use

Quoted message said:

once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would say
about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer needed?
Even on superlight clip-ons, I still can't see them weighing less than

half

Quoted message said:

a pound. Of course, the issue's moot if his bike is already down to the
legal weight limit *with* the bars intact.

Take a look at Tyler's bike:

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-012000

Looks like he has your answer...

How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike, albeit a single tube
pointing forward, not a U shaped one.

Quoted message said:

Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against discarding parts
of you bike, suprisingly, but there are rules against littering
and throwing stuff in the middle of the road.

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/edae669c6e575eda86256caa0062fd89/5724901c6aa7331386256eaf0070d3fa?OpenDocument

LA still had the aerobar on 6km from the finish.

Carl Sundquist said:

"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would say
about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer needed?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Take a look at Tyler's bike:
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-012000
Looks like he has your answer...

Quoted message said:

How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike, albeit a single tube
pointing forward, not a U shaped one.

I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-009000
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-018000

especially the second, it's clear he has an empty aerobar clamp.
I couldn't find any pictures of his bike with the aerobar on,
though. Not sure if that clamp is something the rider could
easily loosen while riding a TT.

Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against discarding parts
of you bike, suprisingly, but there are rules against littering
and throwing stuff in the middle of the road.

"Benjamin Weiner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:40ce2a22$1@darkstar...

Quoted message said:

Carl Sundquist said:

"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in

message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would

say

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer

needed?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Take a look at Tyler's bike:
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-012000
Looks like he has your answer...

Quoted message said:

How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike, albeit a single tube
pointing forward, not a U shaped one.

I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-009000
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-018000

especially the second, it's clear he has an empty aerobar clamp.
I couldn't find any pictures of his bike with the aerobar on,
though. Not sure if that clamp is something the rider could
easily loosen while riding a TT.

Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against discarding parts
of you bike, suprisingly, but there are rules against littering
and throwing stuff in the middle of the road.

Yup - could've found a better pic I guess, but that's a Deda ClipOne with
the extension tossed. No way did they leave the clamp on for Mt. Ventoux if
he didn't use the extension earlier. I saw that earlier and wondered how
loose he'd have to leave it to get it off en route - seems like a QR
wouldn't have been all that hard to improvise if they'd wanted to. But
those things aren't that light, whereas the tiny little carbon extension
Armstrong was using probably weren't heavy enough to bother with dumping.
Plus, I expect that bike was on the weight limit with the aero bars on it
anyway.

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the bottom of the
Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But obviously the TT bars were of no

use

Quoted message said:

once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would say
about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer needed?
Even on superlight clip-ons, I still can't see them weighing less than

half

Quoted message said:

a pound.

Quoted message said:

Of course, the issue's moot if his bike is already down to the
legal weight limit *with* the bars intact.

Mike, I had thought that the new rules regarding weight limits would have
caused teams to come up with super light bike that come in under a kilo
below the minimums so that they could then add any type of equipment that
would help for each event. I am really surprised this has not happened yet.

BTW, the comment on the bars gets filed in the same place as last year's
comment about the rubbing brakes, etc.

"Benjamin Weiner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:40ce2a22$1@darkstar...

Quoted message said:

Carl Sundquist said:

"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in

message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would

say

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer

needed?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Take a look at Tyler's bike:
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-012000
Looks like he has your answer...

Quoted message said:

How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike, albeit a single tube
pointing forward, not a U shaped one.

I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-009000
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-018000

especially the second, it's clear he has an empty aerobar clamp.
I couldn't find any pictures of his bike with the aerobar on,
though. Not sure if that clamp is something the rider could
easily loosen while riding a TT.

I think that is how he removed it. There is no way to remove a clamp without
like that tools, but maybe they set the bar so that he could pull it out
when he wanted to discard it? That is how it looks to me. There is no other
reason to have that clamp there. Are you going to tell me a top mechanic
would leave a clamp on a handle bar that has no fuction, and in an uphill
ITT? No way.

Quoted message said:

Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against discarding parts
of you bike, suprisingly, but there are rules against littering
and throwing stuff in the middle of the road.

Its all moot, because the bars didn't cost him 2 min. He went slower
than the others, period. I think making bike changes is stupid. I
can't see how you would save enough time over 10-20 k to warrant the
time loss for switching. Sometimes these pro guys are so anal it
makes me look normal, and I'm pretty obsessive compulsive. Like Lance
removing a bike computer.

CH

"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Benjamin Weiner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:40ce2a22$1@darkstar...

Quoted message said:

Carl Sundquist said:

"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in

message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> > once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would

say

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> > about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer

needed?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Take a look at Tyler's bike:
> http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-012000
> Looks like he has your answer...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike, albeit a single tube
pointing forward, not a U shaped one.

I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-009000
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-018000

especially the second, it's clear he has an empty aerobar clamp.
I couldn't find any pictures of his bike with the aerobar on,
though. Not sure if that clamp is something the rider could
easily loosen while riding a TT.

Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against discarding parts
of you bike, suprisingly, but there are rules against littering
and throwing stuff in the middle of the road.

Yup - could've found a better pic I guess, but that's a Deda ClipOne with
the extension tossed. No way did they leave the clamp on for Mt. Ventoux if
he didn't use the extension earlier. I saw that earlier and wondered how
loose he'd have to leave it to get it off en route - seems like a QR
wouldn't have been all that hard to improvise if they'd wanted to. But
those things aren't that light, whereas the tiny little carbon extension
Armstrong was using probably weren't heavy enough to bother with dumping.
Plus, I expect that bike was on the weight limit with the aero bars on it
anyway.