Mechanics hate prologues - time trial bikes which may have languished in the truck for weeks must be set-up and fine-tuned, sometimes for a very short race, like Disco’s Alan Butler says “Two days work for eight minutes of riding.” Here’s a completely biased look at some cool wind-cheaters being tuned for Thursday’s 38km Team Time Trial.
For fans like us, time trials are the business; we can see every rider individually and know exactly who will arrive next. Team time trials are even more watchable, as Manolo Saiz says; “a very aesthetic race.” Take last year’s Tour TTT, it had speed, precision and high-drama when Zabriskie crashed and lost the maillot jaune.
Ed Hood takes a purely personal look at his favourite time trial bikes in
anticipation of Thursday’s Piacenza-Cremona TTT, which marks the return of
the Giro to Italia after its sojourn to Belgium.
There are 22 squads participating in the Giro with 18 manufacturers
represented, Colnago provide bikes for three teams; Time and Wilier two each.
Some teams adopt a “necessary evil” attitude to time trials, and this reflects in the way the machines are set-up, they may be low-profile, but they will not exhibit the same attention to detail as the outfits who specialize in the “race of truth‚” or “cronometro a squadre” as the TTT is called in the Giro.
Here are my top six TT machines from this year’s Giro:
#6: Quickstep and Bouygues ride Time, a company which has pioneered carbon and “fly-thru” seat tube detailing. I’m not usually a fan of seat stays which creep down the seat tube at the junction, but it works here and the resulting “stealth” look is cool.
#5: Credit Agricole are on Look carbons which share the neat, aero steering arrangement of their velodrome cousins, so beloved of the world’s track federations. The ergostems spoil their lines for me though; can’t a neat fixed position stem be fitted once the riding position is established?
#4: Saunier Duval’s Scotts have that mean, black carbon look and are
seriously light; those yellow decals set them off perfectly.
Check the chopped saddle to fit UCI regs, and sculpted seattube around rear wheel.
#3: Discovery Channel are a squad who have the “chrono ethic‚ (and how could they not, with Lance, Eki and Savo) Their Trek TTX Equinox gets a hiddenset and carbon aero seat pillar for 2006 and I love those big, macho seat stays with vertical drop-outs.
#2: Phonak are on BMC “Time Machines” - great name. Their steering set-up is similar to that of the Looks, but neater. The fly-thru seat tube detailing is impeccable and the CAD carbon tubes are sheer Star Wars. I can’t figure the red and black colour scheme for a team which has green, white and yellow kit though.
#1: Top of the hit parade for me are CSC with their Cervelos, not surprising really, given Mr. Riis‚ attention to detail and squad top time test specialists Basso, Julich and Voigt. Jens bike was on the stand for us; tiny FSA aero brake levers - three of them so he can slow-up without coming out of the tuck position; beautiful detailing on the carbon aero seat pillar clamping; “solid‚ carbon aero chain rings; a curved seat tube which follows the line of the rear tyre perfectly and a colour scheme which matches the skinsuits - ten out of ten and thanks again to Christophe for letting me shoot the bike at a busy time for him.
We know it’s blurry… but that’s still a trick seatclamp.
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
The loss of Franco Ballerini is not one that will be forgotten anytime soon. The sport's best are at a loss and two of the greatest riders of our ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
After riding the final 17 sectors of Paris-Roubaix yesterday, and typing to you with still swollen, sore, and blistered hands, I understand to my ... More....
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
