How Olympic Track is Leading The Pack

The Tokyo Olympics was a carnival of exotic carbon, cutting-edge fabrics and rarefied parts. Some of that tech will be finding its way to you, the regular consumer, in some way in the future. We run down the most exciting developments we spotted and ask how they’ll apply to us

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KINESIOLOGY TAPE

PRICE: £3.50

When the Danish team pursuit team got a sudden case of simultaneously injured shins, onlookers wondered what was up. They were using the tape to create a trip on the front of the leg to smooth the airflow around it. The UCI swiftly banned it before the Danes’ next ride.

At one point British company Aerocoach sold strips for precisely this purpose in the UK TT scene, where UCI rules don’t apply. However, with the advent of higher aero socks they haven’t stuck around.

One of the problems experts we spoke to identified with trying this yourself may be getting them in the right position; everyone’s legs are slightly different in shape and may present to the wind at subtly different angles too. Will you see them on a Wednesday night 10 near you?

CW tech editor Michelle ArthursBrennan says: This reminds me of images of amateur riders covering themselves in k-tape, trying to achieve the same benefits obtained from application by a qualified physiotherapist. Research into different materials for skinsuits has shown that the optimum positioning of texture varies per the rider as well as according to wind conditions. Unless you know the conditions you’re facing and have a detailed mapping of your own shins and their profile, I’d stick with generic aero socks.