Now the bikes are being doped in pro cycling...

dd74 · 06-07-2010, 11:17 PM

Batteries and Rumors Fuel New Talk of Cheating in Cycling - NYTimes.com

Sheesh!

pwd72s · 06-07-2010, 11:26 PM

SCCA racer..."He's cheating!"

Race official: "Why do you think so?"

SCCA racer: "Because I'm cheating and he's faster on the straights!"

Geronimo '74 · 06-07-2010, 11:48 PM

deductive reasoning 101....

Still, he could be right....

dd74 · 06-08-2010, 01:05 AM

I briefly stood next to Cancellara up in Thousand Oaks after Stage 8 of the Amgen Tour of California. For a pro cyclist, he's big. IMO, he's comparable in the sport to a linebacker in (American) football. It would be others who might need motorized assistance when racing against him.

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

Maybe like SCCA they should have a "Modified" class where there are no rules -- call it the Doping class. Want to use steriods? No problem - just run in the Dope class. Want to run with a battery on your bike? Dope class it is.

Caught running in the stock classes while you're doping? Then you get dumped up to the Dope class.

I think it would work.
-Z-man.

KNS · 06-08-2010, 07:46 AM

I can't imagine any pro cyclist willing to drag four pounds of battery weight up the mountains on a six hour ride just for a short boost near the end of a stage. These guys are fanatical over saving a few grams of weight...

Jagshund · 06-08-2010, 08:02 AM

Hey! Porsche's doing it now, why not cyclists?

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by KNS

I can't imagine any pro cyclist willing to drag four pounds of battery weight up the mountains on a six hour ride just for a short boost near the end of a stage. These guys are fanatical over saving a few grams of weight...

Yeah, but them lithuanian batteries are quite light....

-Z

gtc · gtc's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by KNS

I can't imagine any pro cyclist willing to drag four pounds of battery weight up the mountains on a six hour ride just for a short boost near the end of a stage. These guys are fanatical over saving a few grams of weight...

It isn't hard to build a bike that weighs less than the UCI weight limit (15lbs, IIRC), so you could conceivably have a motor and still keep your weight down.

dd74 · 06-08-2010, 09:26 AM

That's true. The frames are so light now, that the teams use stock hubs, cranks, pedals, etc. No exotic metals or plastics...to keep weight up.

greglepore · 06-08-2010, 09:30 AM

Big mass of metal in a carbon frame should be really easy to detect, no?

dd74 · 06-08-2010, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greglepore

Big mass of metal in a carbon frame should be really easy to detect, no?

If one wanted to detect it. Makes me wonder if some officials are paid to look the other way when certain bikes or riders are put before them.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Actually, it might be fun to have, to shave the tops off some hills, as long as the thing could recharge going down.

But for $2500 Euros? Are you kidding me?

dd74 · 06-08-2010, 01:06 PM

Seriously. IMO it's the same with compact cranks. Whatever happened to the notion of strengthening one's self to get up a hill instead of losing chainwheel teeth and now, the idea to put a tiny motor inside the bottom bracket?

This is why I respect fixie riders, especially when going uphill. It's all about personal strength with them.

pwd72s · 06-08-2010, 01:10 PM

So that's why Scott converted my old Raleigh 10 speed into a single speed? A pride thing?

greglepore · 06-08-2010, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd74

Seriously. IMO it's the same with compact cranks. Whatever happened to the notion of strengthening one's self to get up a hill instead of losing chainwheel teeth and now, the idea to put a tiny motor inside the bottom bracket?

This is why I respect fixie riders, especially when going uphill. It's all about personal strength with them.

Not anywhere close. I have a fixie, and ride it in the hilly Lehigh Valley. Also, have a compact on one of my bikes. Watts is watts, its just easier on the knees and legs to increase cadence, not necessarily any less "strong". Just shifts a bit of the load from the legs to the cardio system. The compact doesn't make a given hiller any "easier" at a given speed but can leave you with legs to ride longer. Not cheating by a longshot, unless you're going to standardize bike weight, aero and gearing across the board.

The Gruber assist thing has been debunked at least as far as Cancillera goes

Fabian Cancellara's 'so called' motorized doping debunked | VeloNation Cycling News and Reference

Pretty definitive that it wouldn't fit in the seatube. Interesting article by Chris Boardman, however, on cyclingnews wherein he argues that its more useful in tt's, and mentions KERS technology as well.

dd74 · 06-08-2010, 04:24 PM

Maybe it is a pride thing. I once road 53/42 cranks. 50/34 feels like I'm admitting defeat to Father Time.

Still, I'm trying to get strong enough to spin 25,26,27 w/39. If it doesn't happen by winter, I'll ask Santa for a compact.

Actually, I once did have a compact now that I think of it. Can't remember now why I got rid of it, though. It wasn't that much easier as I recall. Maybe that was why. I must have thought, "this isn't even worth it; just go with standard cranks." Or something...

greglepore · 06-08-2010, 04:49 PM

You hit it, its not much easier-but if you're going to ride a 27, you get much smaller gaps with a 34-23 and the same effective low gear...which is the real reason.

10 and now 11 speed has reduced the need somewhat, and I've yet to find a non-cat 2 who "needs" a 53-11 or 12. 39-27 should be good for most West coast style stuff, the problem out here is that we have climbs that are short but go from 15% to up to 20-22, and those'll kill ya.

sc_rufctr · 06-08-2010, 04:52 PM

It's possible... the whole mechanism is small and very clever.

Pro Cycling is all about money. Why wouldn't they use it if they could get away with it.

dd74 · 06-08-2010, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greglepore

You hit it, its not much easier-but if you're going to ride a 27, you get much smaller gaps with a 34-23 and the same effective low gear...which is the real reason.

10 and now 11 speed has reduced the need somewhat, and I've yet to find a non-cat 2 who "needs" a 53-11 or 12. 39-27 should be good for most West coast style stuff, the problem out here is that we have climbs that are short but go from 15% to up to 20-22, and those'll kill ya.

If I were to go compact, I'd probably stick with a 34-25. The hills here, particularly on the coast, are really long. Plus grandpa sometimes likes to have granny (gear) around.