The cycling tech wizard talks to Cyclist about his new wind-tunnel, the future of the ‘Superman’ Hour record and his battles with the Government.
Cyclist: The Boardman Bikes Performance Centre is due to open in Evesham later this year, offering wind tunnel testing for amateur riders. How will it make riders better?
Chris Boardman: Cyclists love numbers. You can measure power to the watt and a pulse to the beat but for aerodynamics we just use guesswork even though this is where 90% of your energy is going. The Performance Centre is the big, fun, scary, exciting thing for me this year. We are building a bespoke wind-tunnel from scratch. We’re talking world-class here – not just blowing air on people but offering proper scientific testing and repeatability. I personally invested in it, just to show faith really, and all the evidence says it will be a success, but it will be exciting to see what happens.
Cyc: Will the Performance Centre be open to all levels of rider?
CB: We wanted to make it available at a cost that would be accessible to all people, not just elite athletes. So you have a basic price and you can then bolt things on or strip them out. People might come down with their club for a whole day or just go for an hour as an individual.
Cyc: What was the inspiration?
Bu hikaye Cyclist Middle East dergisinin September 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Cyclist Middle East dergisinin September 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Dear UCI
With Brian Cookson out and David Lappartient in, Felix Lowe writes an open letter to the new president of the UCI
Canyon Ultimate WMN CF SLX
Canyon has finally decided that, yes, women do need their own race bike
Craig Calfee
From bamboo e-bikes to full suspension racers, frame building pioneer Craig Calfee talks carbon fibre, Greg LeMond and the future of bikes as we know it
Track In The USSR
Not only did Don Walker found the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, he also shows some pretty mean bicycles himself
Rotor Uno Hydraulic Road Groupset
£2,400, saddleback.co.uk
Frank Schleck
The ex-pro and former yellow jersey wearer tells Cyclist about the unique pleasures and pains of riding at the Tour de France
The Worlds Are Your Oyster
Designing a course so a local rider wins the rainbow jersey? Felix Lowe asks just what are the Worlds coming to…
Pick 'N' Mix
If we had to pick five…
Q&A : Thomas Voeckler
The French fans’ favourite on his last ever appearance in the Tour de France, his old Miguel Indurain poster and the glorious art of the attack.
In Praise Of... Memorials
Plaques, statues and shrines to cycling’s fallen heroes are scattered all over the mountain roads of Europe, turning any ride into a pilgrimage.