First, secure communication between directors and racers. Currently, every director has a scanner so he can listen to what everyone else is telling the riders. It is possible to have secure communication (think nextel direct connect). It would seem to me an advantage to have secure communication. Would it be legal? The only other question is whether the teams would want to start a situation where they couldn't hear each other.
Second, is it legal to use an aero helmet in a road race stage. Certainly, the aerodynamic advantage would not be overwhelmingly useful in the mountains, but some riders always seem to go on long breakaways. For a rider who wanted to go on a long break on a flat stage he might gain a good advantage by wearing an aero helmet. Is it legal and would there even be an advantage to this.
in article [email hidden], lazysegall at [email hidden] wrote on 7/26/04 7:52 PM:
Quoted message said:
Second, is it legal to use an aero helmet in a road race stage. Certainly, the aerodynamic advantage would not be overwhelmingly useful in the mountains, but some riders always seem to go on long breakaways. For a rider who wanted to go on a long break on a flat stage he might gain a good advantage by wearing an aero helmet. Is it legal and would there even be an advantage to this.
Even if it were legal (which I think it probably is), the drawback is comfort. Time-trials only take around an hour, and road stages can drag on for 6 hours. It would be absolutely agonizing to wear a big, bulky aero helmet for that long.
in article [email hidden], lazysegall at [email hidden] wrote on 7/26/04 7:52 PM:
Quoted message said:
Second, is it legal to use an aero helmet in a road race stage. Certainly, the aerodynamic advantage would not be overwhelmingly useful in the mountains, but some riders always seem to go on long breakaways. For a rider who wanted to go on a long break on a flat stage he might gain a good advantage by wearing an aero helmet. Is it legal and would there even be an advantage to this.
Even if it were legal (which I think it probably is), the drawback is comfort. Time-trials only take around an hour, and road stages can drag on for 6 hours. It would be absolutely agonizing to wear a big, bulky aero helmet for that long.
-Sonarrat.
Bike racing is a pretty agonizing sport in general though, and although it would not make sense to do it everyday, a rider could do it when he expected to be in a long break. If the rider missed the break then he might be able to drop it off at the team car...On the other hand is the improvement so minor that the pain would eventually offset any gains.
in article [email hidden], lazysegall at [email hidden] wrote on 7/26/04 7:52 PM:
Quoted message said:
Second, is it legal to use an aero helmet in a road race stage. Certainly, the aerodynamic advantage would not be overwhelmingly
useful
Quoted message said:
in the mountains, but some riders always seem to go on long
breakaways.
Quoted message said:
For a rider who wanted to go on a long break on a flat stage he might gain a good advantage by wearing an aero helmet. Is it legal and
would
Quoted message said:
there even be an advantage to this.
Even if it were legal (which I think it probably is), the drawback is comfort. Time-trials only take around an hour, and road stages can drag on for 6 hours. It would be absolutely agonizing to wear a big, bulky aero helmet for that long.
-Sonarrat.
Bike racing is a pretty agonizing sport in general though, and although it would not make sense to do it everyday, a rider could do it when he expected to be in a long break. If the rider missed the break then he might be able to drop it off at the team car...On the other hand is the improvement so minor that the pain would eventually offset any gains.
The painful part would be having the peloton make fun of you. Don't think you'll surprise anyone when you take off, either.
First, secure communication between directors and racers. Currently, every director has a scanner so he can listen to what everyone else is telling the riders. It is possible to have secure communication (think nextel direct connect).
Yes, but how secure is secure? I don't know what specific products are available.
Quoted message said:
It would seem to me an advantage to have secure communication. Would it be legal?
Second, is it legal to use an aero helmet in a road race stage. Certainly, the aerodynamic advantage would not be overwhelmingly useful in the mountains, but some riders always seem to go on long breakaways. For a rider who wanted to go on a long break on a flat stage he might gain a good advantage by wearing an aero helmet. Is it legal and would there even be an advantage to this.
The presence of the helmet would telegraph the riders intentions and part of the effectiveness of the breakaway is the element of surprise.
"Jim Flom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<TZ7Oc.117866$Rf.70990@edtnps84>...
Quoted message said:
"lazysegall" wrote...
Quoted message said:
Second, is it legal to use an aero helmet in a road race stage. Certainly, the aerodynamic advantage would not be overwhelmingly useful in the mountains, but some riders always seem to go on long breakaways. For a rider who wanted to go on a long break on a flat stage he might gain a good advantage by wearing an aero helmet. Is it legal and would there even be an advantage to this.
The presence of the helmet would telegraph the riders intentions and part of the effectiveness of the breakaway is the element of surprise.
Kinda like showing up for your group ride with a disk, skinsuit and aerobars.
RonSonic <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
lazysegall said:
Sonarrat said:
in article [email hidden], lazysegall at [email hidden] wrote on 7/26/04 7:52 PM:
> Second, is it legal to use an aero helmet in a road race stage. > Certainly, the aerodynamic advantage would not be overwhelmingly
useful
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
> in the mountains, but some riders always seem to go on long
breakaways.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
> For a rider who wanted to go on a long break on a flat stage he might > gain a good advantage by wearing an aero helmet. Is it legal and
would
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
> there even be an advantage to this.
Even if it were legal (which I think it probably is), the drawback is comfort. Time-trials only take around an hour, and road stages can drag on for 6 hours. It would be absolutely agonizing to wear a big, bulky aero helmet for that long.
-Sonarrat.
Bike racing is a pretty agonizing sport in general though, and although it would not make sense to do it everyday, a rider could do it when he expected to be in a long break. If the rider missed the break then he might be able to drop it off at the team car...On the other hand is the improvement so minor that the pain would eventually offset any gains.
The painful part would be having the peloton make fun of you. Don't think you'll surprise anyone when you take off, either.
The advantage is very minor.
Unless you road the TT of your life over the last 40 km of a flat stage while the sprinters teams cooked themselves chasing. Don't exepect them the peloton to be very happy with you next race.
Reality is you'd be so marked, any jump would immediately result in a few guys sitting on your wheel.
