Is New Tech All That s Making Cycling Faster GCN Tech Show Ep 33

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Welcome. To the gcn, tech show coming, out this week we've got a new gravel, bike from mountain bike Legends Kona and we delve into the murky world of crowdfunding. For us our big, talking point this week our, cyclists. Getting, fitter or is it just tech making, us faster, more. On that soon. Before. We get on to our big talking point first. What's, hot in the world of tech this week, well. Not much Olli I mean it has been quite a quiet week really this week in terms of product launches, but it's no great surprise given how many massive. Product launches we have already had this year like five, disc-brake. Arrow road bikes for start not, to mention the gazillion, and gravel bikes have already launched but, that said there, is always room for one more and Kona have joined the party with their new early bidet yeah. Kona is a brand that's most established in, mountain, bikes and the, libre certainly, a bike that's unashamed, of its mountain bike routes. In terms of the official, GCN gravel, spectrum, it, certainly sits towards, the mountain, bike end of. The gravel, spectrum. And you're right it is an official, spectrum, all day I'm glad you're giving it as proper title, yeah yeah all this missing basically is a flat handle bar and says suspension, forks you know it's, got really long chain stays quite slack head angle so you'd think on paper it would corner like it's on Rails and it also has, massive, tire clearance yeah, it could be the perfect touring, bike as well it's got four sets of bottle cage bosses, it's got more on the fork it's, also got rack mounts, fender mounts and top. Cheaper hot cheap mounts as well so you know what mate well kkona a Canadian. Brand yeah this. Bike should, that's we called them Mountie, not. Really right sorry. Anyway if you if you loaded it up there's a possibility that you might even be able to move house with, this bike, how although having said that it. Must be relatively quick because Kona. Ambassador a mountain, bike 24, hour champion.

Corey Wallace as she rode spy to 14th, in the dirty Kansa so yeah, relatively, speedy as well anyway. Only a far cry from all the sort, of arrow bike Bonanza. Bikes, we've had recently, so that is very true right, stay. Tuned because we're gonna be delving into the craziness. Forward-slash. Potentially. Innovation. Heavy world of crowdfunding, but we now have our big talking point. Our. Cyclists. Getting fitter and faster, or is it just down to tech yeah. So over, the years records. Get broken we continually, see times, getting faster, in events like the team sued and the world our record, and even though there are more variables. When you compare, times up famous climbs apart. From a inexplicable. Blip in their late 90s early 2000s. Today's pros are definitely, faster, than previous generations the. Commonly held conception. Is that, improvements. Are down to us, humans. Getting fitter faster, and, stronger. But is this the case should we be so, self, congratulating. Are we actually constantly, improving. As a species, we. Are are we but evolution, I am yeah. You are an improvement evolution, takes thousands of years there doesn't it so it's, unlikely that, we'll have seen any kind of significant. Genetic improvement, in the last 50 years although actually you gotta take Lloyd II at the equation here because he is something of an outlier, on that, so the best years are ahead of him us what everyone says I mean well yeah yeah you, know when I look at loyalty ups of think. Quite positively, for the future the human race. Might. Say well. Back, to the topic, in hand let's, take a look at the world record, progression of, the, four kilometer team pursuit so, in, 1993. The. Record, stood at four minutes 3.8. Seconds, which is pretty quick no matter this is steadily, got, beaten year-on-year. Incrementally. Till now where. It stands at the present day at, three, forty, nine point, eight seconds, now, if we remove the tech then would, we still see that kind of incremental, progression, would, we've seen as much of it I wonder, if there's a way of checking. To see Ollie well. I think. The way to do it is to look at sports where you can remove the tech where, there's minimal impact, of tech so a good example would be a lot of track and field sports, an, example we can say would be the. Triple jump so the triple jump is one of the longest, standing records. In, history, and is. Currently held by, Jonathan. Edwards who you may be familiar with, some of you may be familiar with if you watch your a sport he's a presenter, on that now, back. In 1995. Jonathan, Edwards set the world trip board jump record at a whopping, 60. Feet and this has held for. 23. Years. Don't, worry Europeans that's 18 point 2 9 meters and, then also there's, another example in track if you're actually Randy Barnes, got. All round you know Randy Barnes yeah in 1988. He set, an almighty, shop, a record, of 22. Meters. Just over which is I believe about, 70, something feet, anyway. And that one has stood golly for 30 years, if you then put that in the context, of cycling. Well, what, about Moses, our record 1984. It'd be almost unthinkable for. The our record to be back at 50 kilometers wouldn't it yeah I mean. Yeah you can't think of that in cycling that it would last that long it is unthinkable yeah well. Speaking, of the era course I there's another great example there, and in, 1972. Eddy Merckx yes the. Eddy Merckx widely, regarded as, the goat smashed. The our record with a distance of forty, nine point four three one kilometers, that's, like it's, like forty, nine point four three one kilometers, per hour isn't, it yes. Really fast you work that out really, fast as well thanks man yeah complex maths someone's going to do, following. This the our record, was continually, getting broken and broken broken and athletes were going faster and faster and the UCI felt. That tech was advancing, the record too, quickly and therefore, it decreed, that only, attempts. Using equipment similar. To that of eddy merckx would. Count. Following. This Chris, Boardman gave me go widely regarded as, one of the greatest time, trial lists of all time having, won. Yellow, jerseys in the Tour de France the World Championships, and an Olympic gold medal, now. He. Took on Max's record using similar equipment and broke, it but, he broke it by, just ten, meters. And, this was in the year 2000. And, following that he, retired yeah, immediately, retard yet Ernie unsurprisingly. Perhaps now if he fast forward to the present day. The record, rules have changed once, again and so now riders are permitted to using, the same equipment that the UCI allow them to use on track, events like the Team Pursuit and since, that point the, record has been broken again and again and again and now it's currently held by Bradley, Wiggins of course with, a distance, of fifty four point five to six kilometers, however. Was, got this whole conversation started.

Really Is the danish rider martin, Toft madison, who recently. Tried and failed to break the record but. He calculated. Quite. Remarkably, I think that with an air density of, nought point nine kilograms. Per meters, cubed, he. It would actually only need to, put out a, very mind this is with a fully optimized, position, three. Hundred and ten watts to break Wiggins, his record three, hundred ten watts for an hour like. Eminently. Doable yeah, it's certainly doable especially, when you consider that a lot of professional. Cyclists, in the World Tour seem. To have functional. Threshold, powers of around four hundred and ten watts what. 410. 400. Was around that sort Robby. Gordon 11, was so specific. In. The case of the our record. The. Results clearly indicate that tech has a massive, impact in, progressing. Records, so. I guess this raises the question should. There be an, event, in cycling, where the, bikes and equipment, remains. Unchanged. Where it's purely, about. The fitness, the athletic, fitness of, the rider Japanese, Kiran racing where, they are all riding, exactly, the same bikes and equipment yeah. Well should. That should all riding, me like that I hope not, genuinely. I hope not but there are you, know there, are benefits, to having, standardized, equipment on there yeah so I think a good example is to think about, poorer. Countries. And developing nations so, in the, example. Say if you look at the Olympics, the, big teams, on the track such as Great Britain Australia. Germany, France, they're. Incredibly, well funded, and they can afford all the latest and greatest tech, skin C's wheels frames, and everything but, poorer, countries. Are going to struggle to match this and that, is where the the, gains are really being sort, of made year on you and year and you know if we look at the example of swimming, in. 2008. At the Olympics we saw a massive step. Up in World Records being broken and, this was largely in part down, to a lot of the the best swimmers wearing, the latest swimming, suits and basically. Underwater skin suits but these were incredibly expensive, prohibitively. Expensive to, swimmers. From poorer nations yeah, I totally agree with you I think we wouldn't want cycling, to, be any more elitist than already is but, I think tech is an intrinsic, part of it cycling with no tech it's. Just running the other day well. It isn't it like you know when the bike was invented, 150, or so years ago that, started, the tech arms race and so if you really want to see human, performance you got to take away our wheels well. I guess, I mean if you look at endurance sports in track and field as well you know the marathon, record has been being. Incrementally. Getting faster and tumbling, year, on your on year similar to some cycling, records and there's you know not huge amount of tacky marathon running but, I guess, maybe you could then look at improved. Training improved, diet improved, knowledge of sports science in all those you, know physiological, areas and maybe there's a lot of incremental, improvements, that are happening in. That but I guess you. Know with regards, to cycling, equipment, maybe. There's a pointer which will reach a peak in that you know how. When. We're gonna reach peak arrow presumably, there is a peak well, yeah I think we're probably getting fairly close to peak air onami anyway. Let us know what you think in the comment section down below has. Tech. Actually been responsible for cyclists getting faster or as always suggested, improved, diet improve training improved. Analysis, of performance is there actually more important. Yeah we can't wait for your comments so far away. Crowd. Funding is both a legitimate, way of launching new products but, also a, playground, for scammers and dreamers. So having scoured, IndieGoGo, and Kickstarter we. Are gonna let you, try, and decide which. Is which, scam. Or legit. What again is, a game how have we not thought of this before well let's see how it worked ready, first. Up we have this the Classen so this is supposedly. The world's most intelligent. Bike, helmet, it has motion, sensor. Software, built into it so the it will indicate and also, have a brake light for you and it. Also has blind, spot, detection oh. Yes, looking, at it looks pretty cool oh yeah but I don't think I want, one myself yet but, I'm. Gonna say legit, all he says legit, I say. The klaxon, smashed, its funding target on IndieGoGo. In. 2017. But, worryingly it, also smashed its funding target on Kickstarter, the, year before and, since, summer of 2017. There's. Not very much news. All. Right what about this then it's called that carry gun and it's the small bike rack that can safely Stowe's small parcels, clothes and packed lunches, to your bike.

Bungee. Cords travel it's simple and ingenious, there. Is simple and ingenious I'm, gonna say legit ollie well it, came out this summer yes hats impending. What mates funding target so could. Well be legit legit. Yeah, I'm, not. Particularly sighted, about his forthcoming release I'll be completely honest I think no, improvement on a rucksack but nevertheless there, you go that might be success story right. Then how about this, this. Is the 52. Speaker, which is a portable, a bluetooth, speaker shaped. Like a hip flask that attaches to your bike with, a quarter-turn mount right, scam who would want a hip flask for anything else other than to carry alcohol, let's cap scare, me says this is, legit, smashed it's funny target in May of this year and. It's. Even, got a website, okay so the. The, manufacturers. Potential. Manufacturers with this product say. That, it's mountable, on to your handlebars to, serenade, your cycling, trips the volume is perfect, for riding while, still being cognizant, of your surroundings. And be courteous to your fellow riders, yeah. Sounds, great that's ISO is, it shipping then where can i buy one. It's. Not it's not shipping just, yet, but, a pretty. Surly days I think maybe we need to just give them time you know to set up international. Distribution, and. Think. Yeah right, stay, tuned next week for more. Tech. Last. Week it was the Campagnolo. Shamal. Wheels, and, this week we. Have a new feature and, this. New feature is called screw. Riding, upgrades, by, upgrades, that's, right a new feature for the tech show upgrading. It's an intrinsic part of being a cyclist, particularly, a tech-savvy, cyclist, and so we want to see what you're doing and find, out why you're doing it could be a small upgrade, like changing, your chain over, some different kind of bolts, on your chain, set it can be bigger things like wheels or, a new paint job or. An entirely new group set do anything we might struggle with these new inner tubes probably, but you know yeah you probably just lie about, yeah. Don't, lie about stuff, by. The way if you want to get involved then, send. Us a before shot and, an after, shot your name location, and a brief description as to why you've done the upgrade, then, you can either get, the photo to us by using the hashtag, GCM. Upgrades. Or you, can send the pictures in using our loader, and a link to which is below yeah we really want to celebrate it's, pretty amazing part I've been a byte writer do. I get started only this week here's a picture of a bike which I upgraded, last week only. That's not any, bike that's my bike me yeah, yeah yeah. Is your bike but, I fitted, a brand new Shimano. Rx, or tegra, rear derailleur to it which has a clutch mechanism to. Keep the chain tension, on rough, surfaces you. Did thanks, mate I appreciate that yeah I even made a video about it and everything so we'll put a link to that below but, yeah. I did, get a big day though you, did and, you also blamed, me, for having, a dead chain when in fact it was nothing to do with me it was clean when I last saw it I did see the video that it was great and it a really, really interesting illustration of, actually how a clutch, met works if you haven't seen it I suggest, that, you can check it out I welcome. First though, I've. Taken it off again, partly. Because it, really. Really annoys me having, mix-and-match, group sets so. I've put the jitter, race really, back on but. Also because, I don't that boy needs it actually because it's very much a road bike and. It doesn't go really. Anywhere near, mega offroad. Did. You clean it, have. You cleaned it yeah no I confess, I haven't and, despite.

The Being, flexibly tank oil on the chair it's still running quite smoothly so, so, yeah but. No what, do you guys think not, about the buying but about the met oh yeah I was wicked I was like I was I wasn't sure if he would work but I was genuinely impressed, like, how how. It operated, and how it did actually stop the chain slapping around I'm not you don't before and I don't really have a mountain bike background, but yeah, I was cool, bit yeah I think so for for gravel and for cyclocross and, for anyway you're taking a drop our bike off road makes. Complete sense than that. It's. Now time for the giveaway and we, have four lucky, winners from, the rocker, glasses, unboxing, that I did last, week we do a deed right are you ready. Things. Crossed first. Up we've got Martin, bolo then, we've got Tobin burnt. We've got Robert Baumgart. And Meszaros. Salt, so, there we go for, very, very lucky, people yeah. We'll be in touch to send you either your Roker, GP, 1 XOR C P 1 X sunglasses, so stay, tuned for that. It's. Now time for bike, of the week and last week we had a clash of the disc brake Aero bike, Titans, for the Tour of Utah we, had Nicola conchis, Trek Madone vs., Joe, Dombrowski's, Cannondale. System. 6c. Fair fine now what isn't it we should you vote for I'm. Off the track I got shrekd yeah fair enough. I've. Already got track Madonn so I'm gonna go for the Dom, Bros system, 6 alright, what, did you go for that is the important question sorry, I only put it is the. Results are in and it turns out. With. 59% of the votes it's, the Train we're done, there, we go yeah you are influence obviously paid off away, the winner I think it's fair to say very nice indeed right what's up this week name well, this week we have. Jakob. Full sangs beautiful. Custom. Argon, 18 gallium. Pro versus. The. Customs. - custom bike swings a custom. Pinarello, a bully day of Dutch. National. Time Trial champion Dylan, van Bob well. There we go I'd say oh if it was based on changing sizes van ball would, have that in the bag wouldn't you yeah. What part of a chain ring right. Okay get, voting on screen, now we just say Bellator that paint job for fuel, songs done just down the road from us was it yeah 13, miles away or 20 kilometers, serious, cool we answer I'm a video on the bike as well so if you've not seen it yet check that out. Right. There next up it is, the bike vault that time where we get to see your amazing bikes. And, fundamentally. Pass judgments, as to whether it's nice or, super. Nice right. What's coming out first I well. First, up we have this. 2017. Specialized, s-works, tarmac, and it's located in New, Jersey you wear C and. It belongs to rich now he says this is his latest build, it's got did your face 9000. On it which I have to say right that, George. Or ace 9,000 I still love that chain sir yeah I think it's a classy it's brilliant yeah absolute beauty and, it's also got some rather tasty, town sidewalks, on it Victoria. Course of speeds on there yeah and cracking. Photograph as well love, the shrubbery, great, composition, young, marks for composition there now sir do you know I mean I'm, not sure I can fault that Ollie this, is easy this one this is a super nice ring the bell mate ring about. Not. Missed that. Right. Next up we've got Maximilian. Who's submitted. His, Colnago, Mexico. From 1984. 9 85 we've got a retro, bike he. Is from Germany said he rebuilt is completely, with, Shimano dura-ace. 7700. 7900. That's. Cool, isn't it, I still. Feel iconic, can't I go paint job that be Cerrone. Can. I just say mate yeah, you.

Don't Like something about this dear I did. White tires you. Know like I'm, not sure bike tires should be white did. You make do you know what though it's. All coordinated with cooler you know he's mixed it with the frame really, you know the saddle of the tape the tires it's all there but I, just. Think maybe. Get away with our Mexico, book in a, lot of places including, where we're, fortunately, better unfortunately, based unfortunately, based you they're, not gonna stay white for long given. Know that this bike is in pristine condition should, we not give it super nice because you're super nice having that change that's beautiful as well right there mr. super Maximilian, you guys have a super all, right. Then next, up next, up Oh got very, tidy, looking felt, f1r and, this is from Jim cotton he's, the Chilton's, in the UK, he, has got Mavic ask this wheels on there so it's a very light climbing, machine nice sort of carven finish, on the frame it's, also got an info, crank on there for some power measurement and a Roman Evo saddle, so, clearly. Set it up through specification. It's the blue in nice by Kali yeah but. I don't feel like I can truly see the bike I'm, blunder I'm squinting the photo I'm struggling to see it they sort. Of picked, a quite. Distracting, complicated. Backdrop, I'm. Gonna struggle to say that that's the super nice because I don't feel like I can truly gauge the. Niceness of this part yeah I think if. We if we can contrast, this with the first example with, the excellent, photo taken, by rich, that's, Ryan. Mirrors. AUSA, then, then. Yeah that the contrast, is stark yeah. Jim, it's a lovely bike but, it ain't is super nice right, then we have this one that from Connor, and he sent this in from Dublin, in Ireland. This is his, TC, i--'s giant, TCR, just. Finished an early morning spin up tick-tock hill overlooking. Dublin he says and, that is a mega. Looking bike I also appreciate. The risk that you've taken to actually lean your bike against, a rock outside. Because. That's. A precarious place to lean an expensive, carbon black yeah, I am. A big fan of his massive girthy, stem that, he's got there. But. Also I'm just a big fan of when you've got a nice lightweight frame, like. A giant TCR, but then you couple, it with big. Deep section wheels yeah, I've. Got a lot of time for that look lovely, proportions, as well I mean that is a nice, nice, like, petite, bike but. Whether it's supercool position, on there as well especially, that, definitely, takes boxes and color-coordinated, blue, cable outers I like. That only, super, nice it's a super nice for me to know, ok last, one then oh, look. At that yeah. So, we have got from Steven, here who's in Milton Keynes in the UK a, Colnago. C96. Decor now. What. He's gone for here. Is something. That we get quite often on the tech show which is the controversial, topic, of. Modern. Blended. With retro, retro. And modern modern, and retro, yeah. I mean it's be fair I am, a big fan of modern and retro bikes we've got a nice vintage, steel, frame classic, position but then we got Campagnolo. Wheels modern. Versions and an up-to-date Campagnolo, group set already. Say is chorus, and Shamal, meal a wheels i mean. I flippin love that bike I just. I just lightly object to that really, chunky four on campanula cracks and the previous, five arm crank set from Campagnolo lenses off perfectly, to a retro modern build yeah, this one jars ever so slightly yeah I mean I love the paint job on the frame I look at the ton saddles I love those wheels but. Yeah I do, find my eye just being, drawn, by. The chainset, a little bit too much it's funny isn't it cuz that frame should, dominate the bike but it's not it's the chain set isn't it in there do. You think do you think it's possible maybe, Steven to change the crank set out to a 5 ohm crank set and then you'll get an absolute. Straight-up. Super nice yeah I think. That's a nice for me it's a nice bike yeah Steven. That is a really. Nice bike but.

It's Not as super nice I'm so, sorry I feel awful because I mean clearly, put a lot of F in and that is an absolute, stunner oh man, you she was happily owned it yeah, yeah absolutely without if you ever want offload it there's, two people here that will bid for on eBay anyway. There we go that is an end to the bibot we'll bring it to a close for this week remember if you want to send in something we have our uploader, so, yet, share your bike with us and it, can be judged in a particularly, haphazard. Very unscientific, manner, but, we'll all see it and we will all love, it. Unfortunately. Sigh that, brings us to the end of the show but, it doesn't end there because you can still get involved with the comments section down below and please contribute. To the weekly talking, point that's right and once you've done that if you want to carry on having, discussions, and communicate. Amongst each other let me remind, you that we have of course a GCN community, Facebook, page many of you already know about this many, of you perhaps do not so, if you want to submit, your bike for unilateral. Approval. If you've got a text, question, then actually the community can help so ahead of its Facebook search for G cen that community. Page and you'll find it also, doesn't. In there there's, another video - what why. Not check out that one of ollie upgrading. My bike from. Jeera rice to altar grow rx that is a very interesting video on Adi suggest you watch it that one is just on screen now some, good science in that video in, fact.

2018-08-22

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