Is this the fastest road bike in existence? Last year George Fox's Argon 18 was ridden to a 19.06 10-mile time trial - that's a stonking 31.4mph average, which as far as anyone can work out, is the fastest solo 10-mile road bike TT by a current racer. It's not the fastest ever, but we'll get to that.
Fox's eye-opening road bike performances, which include 49.43 for 25 miles, come as UK time trialling attempts to embrace this new-old branch of the sport. In an effort to make events more accessible, many events are now putting on separate races for road bikes alongside their standard open categories for the super-aero 'spaceships' that many with the enthusiasm (and the wallet) ultimately gravitate towards.
Mindful that ambitious riders would be just as likely to push the envelope with road bikes as they are when it comes to modifying their low-pro bikes for speed, Cycling Time Trials (CTT), time trialling's governing body, recently standardised the spec for what a 'road bike' must look like a sign that racing against the clock on drop bars is being taken seriously.
It's fairly non-interventionist and doesn't go much further than outlawing disc wheels and tri-bars (see box). Clothing isn't mentioned either.
The beauty of the road bike category is that it can be all things to all riders. As a super-accessible roll-up-and-ride event, it's hard to beat. Entrants can feasibly whip the mudguards off their workaday commuter and ride out to their local TT, race, then ride home. All without really feeling at a disadvantage or that they're not taking it as seriously as they ought to.
But as is always the case in our sport, there are those that want to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible and they are now taking this branch of time trialling into an exciting new era in the ceaseless quest for speed.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 30, 2023 من CYCLING WEEKLY.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 30, 2023 من CYCLING WEEKLY.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Claud Butler Criterium
A classic British brand ridden by beginners and Olympians alike
Dr Hutch
At what point does a bold show of strength become brazen showboating? The Doc ponders the etiquette of the long solo break
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...CBD
From reducing pain to promoting relaxation and sleep, myriad are the claims made for cannabidiol but do they stack up? Rob Kemp finds out
Van Rysel D900
Andy Turner discovers whether Decathlon's high-spec, low-price smart trainer can compete with the likes of Wahoo, Tacx and Elite
What prep does my bike need for summer?
Pro bike mechanic Glen Whittington shares his tips for the successful de-hibernation of your bike
2024 GIRO D'ITALIA
Attention turns to Italy and 21 days of Grand Tour action
Pogačar's dominance at the Giro could be dull
While I may have been a little young to understand the full romance of the Tour de France during the Armstrong era, I never understood the sentiment that it was boring just because of Lance's dominance.
Team GB's Paris Olympics track bike launched
BC reveals the bike that it hopes will power riders to medals in Paris this summer
Romandie victory marks Ineos return to stage race success
Carlos Rodríguez wins British team's first WorldTour stage race since 2022, writes Adam Becket
Is pro racing getting more dangerous?
There are many factors that contribute to the perceived greater risks. One that does not get any attention is the greater importance of UCI points and the need to constantly collect them to avoid relegation.