Modify bike en-route (Ventoux TT bar removal)?

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the
bottom of the Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But
obviously the TT bars were of no use once things got steep,
so I was just wondering what the rules would say about
removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no longer
needed? Even on superlight clip-ons, I still can't see them
weighing less than half a pound. Of course, the issue's moot
if his bike is already down to the legal weight limit *with*
the bars intact.

--Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

[Trg]

Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles wrote:
> OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the
> bottom of the Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But
> obviously the TT bars were of no use once things got
> steep, so I was just wondering what the rules would say
> about removing and discarding the TT bars once they're no
> longer needed? Even on superlight clip-ons, I still can't
> see them weighing less than half a pound. Of course, the
> issue's moot if his bike is already down to the legal
> weight limit *with* the bars intact.
>
> --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReaction.com IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

Wasn't there some talk about whether he would actually
switch bikes when he did the TT to Chamrousse in the Tour
2001? There was a "rolling start" for 13K or so before the
percentages become serious.

[Steve Blankensh]

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles" <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote
in message news:Damzc.71583$%h5.43182@newssvr29.news.prodigy.com...
> OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the
> bottom of the Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But
> obviously the TT bars were of no
use
> once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the
> rules would say about removing and discarding the TT bars
> once they're no longer needed? Even on superlight clip-
> ons, I still can't see them weighing less than
half
> a pound. Of course, the issue's moot if his bike is
> already down to the legal weight limit *with* the
> bars intact.
>

Take a look at Tyler's bike:

tp://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
012000

Looks like he has your answer...

[Carl Sundquist]

"Steve Blankenship" <steveNOSPAMblankenship@comcast.net>
wrote in message
> > OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at
> > the bottom of the Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But
> > obviously the TT bars were of no
> use
> > once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the
> > rules would say about removing and discarding the TT
> > bars once they're no longer needed? Even on superlight
> > clip-ons, I still can't see them weighing less than
> half
> > a pound. Of course, the issue's moot if his bike is
> > already down to the legal weight limit *with* the bars
> > intact.
> >
>
> Take a look at Tyler's bike:
>
> ://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> 012000
>
> Looks like he has your answer...
>
>

How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike, albeit a
single tube pointing forward, not a U shaped one.

[Benjamin Weiner]

Carl Sundquist <carlsun@cox-internet.com> wrote:
> "Steve Blankenship" <steveNOSPAMblankenship@comcast.net>
> wrote in message

> > > once things got steep, so I was just wondering what
> > > the rules would say about removing and discarding the
> > > TT bars once they're no longer needed?

> > Take a look at Tyler's bike:/grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> > 012000 Looks like he has your answer...

> How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike, albeit
> a single tube pointing forward, not a U shaped one.

I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:

tp://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
009000tp://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
018000

especially the second, it's clear he has an empty aerobar
clamp. I couldn't find any pictures of his bike with the
aerobar on, though. Not sure if that clamp is something the
rider could easily loosen while riding a TT.

Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against discarding
parts of you bike, suprisingly, but there are rules against
littering and throwing stuff in the middle of the road.

[1]

>Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against discarding
>parts of you bike, suprisingly, but there are rules against
>littering and throwing stuff in the middle of the road.

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/edae669c6e575eda86-
256caa0062fd89/5724901c6aa7331386256eaf0070d3fa?OpenDocument

LA still had the aerobar on 6km from the finish.

[Steve Blankensh]

"Benjamin Weiner" <bjw@mambo.ucolick.org> wrote in message
news:40ce2a22$1@darkstar...
> Carl Sundquist <carlsun@cox-internet.com> wrote:
> > "Steve Blankenship" <steveNOSPAMblankenship@comcast.net>
> > wrote in
message
>
>
> > > > once things got steep, so I was just wondering what
> > > > the rules would
say
> > > > about removing and discarding the TT bars once
> > > > they're no longer
needed?
>
> > > Take a look at Tyler's bike:rahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> > > 012000 Looks like he has your answer...
>
> > How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike,
> > albeit a single tube pointing forward, not a U
> > shaped one.
>
> I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:
>
> ://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> 009000://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> 018000
>
> especially the second, it's clear he has an empty aerobar
> clamp. I couldn't find any pictures of his bike with the
> aerobar on, though. Not sure if that clamp is something
> the rider could easily loosen while riding a TT.
>
> Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against
> discarding parts of you bike, suprisingly, but there are
> rules against littering and throwing stuff in the middle
> of the road.

Yup - could've found a better pic I guess, but that's a
Deda ClipOne with the extension tossed. No way did they
leave the clamp on for Mt. Ventoux if he didn't use the
extension earlier. I saw that earlier and wondered how
loose he'd have to leave it to get it off en route - seems
like a QR wouldn't have been all that hard to improvise if
they'd wanted to. But those things aren't that light,
whereas the tiny little carbon extension Armstrong was
using probably weren't heavy enough to bother with dumping.
Plus, I expect that bike was on the weight limit with the
aero bars on it anyway.

[Chris]

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles" <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote
in message news:Damzc.71583$%h5.43182@newssvr29.news.prodigy.com...
> OK, so Lance had the best time on the rolling part at the
> bottom of the Ventoux TT, helped by his TT bars. But
> obviously the TT bars were of no
use
> once things got steep, so I was just wondering what the
> rules would say about removing and discarding the TT bars
> once they're no longer needed? Even on superlight clip-
> ons, I still can't see them weighing less than
half
> a pound.

>Of course, the issue's moot if his bike is already down to
>the legal weight limit *with* the bars intact.
>

Mike, I had thought that the new rules regarding weight
limits would have caused teams to come up with super light
bike that come in under a kilo below the minimums so that
they could then add any type of equipment that would help
for each event. I am really surprised this has not
happened yet.

BTW, the comment on the bars gets filed in the same place as
last year's comment about the rubbing brakes, etc.

[Chris]

"Benjamin Weiner" <bjw@mambo.ucolick.org> wrote in message
news:40ce2a22$1@darkstar...
> Carl Sundquist <carlsun@cox-internet.com> wrote:
> > "Steve Blankenship" <steveNOSPAMblankenship@comcast.net>
> > wrote in
message
>
>
> > > > once things got steep, so I was just wondering what
> > > > the rules would
say
> > > > about removing and discarding the TT bars once
> > > > they're no longer
needed?
>
> > > Take a look at Tyler's bike:rahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> > > 012000 Looks like he has your answer...
>
> > How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike,
> > albeit a single tube pointing forward, not a U
> > shaped one.
>
> I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:
>
> ://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> 009000://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> 018000
>
> especially the second, it's clear he has an empty aerobar
> clamp. I couldn't find any pictures of his bike with the
> aerobar on, though. Not sure if that clamp is something
> the rider could easily loosen while riding a TT.

I think that is how he removed it. There is no way to remove
a clamp without like that tools, but maybe they set the bar
so that he could pull it out when he wanted to discard it?
That is how it looks to me. There is no other reason to have
that clamp there. Are you going to tell me a top mechanic
would leave a clamp on a handle bar that has no fuction, and
in an uphill ITT? No way.

>
> Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against
> discarding parts of you bike, suprisingly, but there are
> rules against littering and throwing stuff in the middle
> of the road.

[Chris]

Its all moot, because the bars didn't cost him 2 min. He
went slower than the others, period. I think making bike
changes is stupid. I can't see how you would save enough
time over 10-20 k to warrant the time loss for switching.
Sometimes these pro guys are so anal it makes me look
normal, and I'm pretty obsessive compulsive. Like Lance
removing a bike computer.

CH

"Steve Blankenship" <steveNOSPAMblankenship@comcast.net>
wrote in message news:<1KOdnckrOtKM6lPdRVn-
hQ@comcast.com>...
> "Benjamin Weiner" <bjw@mambo.ucolick.org> wrote in message
> news:40ce2a22$1@darkstar...
> > Carl Sundquist <carlsun@cox-internet.com> wrote:
> > > "Steve Blankenship"
> > > <steveNOSPAMblankenship@comcast.net> wrote in
> message
> >
> >
> > > > > once things got steep, so I was just wondering
> > > > > what the rules would
> say
> > > > > about removing and discarding the TT bars once
> > > > > they're no longer
> needed?
>
> > > > Take a look at Tyler's bike:hamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> > > > 012000 Looks like he has your answer...
>
> > > How so? Hamilton still has an aerobar on his bike,
> > > albeit a single tube pointing forward, not a U shaped
> > > one.
> >
> > I think you're seeing the frame top tube. In these pics:
> >
> > /grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> > 009000/grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/photos/04dauphineSt4-
> > 018000
> >
> > especially the second, it's clear he has an empty
> > aerobar clamp. I couldn't find any pictures of his
> > bike with the aerobar on, though. Not sure if that
> > clamp is something the rider could easily loosen while
> > riding a TT.
> >
> > Couldn't find anything in the UCI rules against
> > discarding parts of you bike, suprisingly, but there are
> > rules against littering and throwing stuff in the middle
> > of the road.
>
> Yup - could've found a better pic I guess, but that's a
> Deda ClipOne with the extension tossed. No way did they
> leave the clamp on for Mt. Ventoux if he didn't use the
> extension earlier. I saw that earlier and wondered how
> loose he'd have to leave it to get it off en route - seems
> like a QR wouldn't have been all that hard to improvise if
> they'd wanted to. But those things aren't that light,
> whereas the tiny little carbon extension Armstrong was
> using probably weren't heavy enough to bother with
> dumping. Plus, I expect that bike was on the weight limit
> with the aero bars on it anyway.

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

> BTW, the comment on the bars gets filed in the same place
> as last year's comment about the rubbing brakes, etc.

You believe that, with a team that rides all around him,
protecting him from the riff-raff, that nobody on his
team would notice the sound a rubbing brake makes? Call
me a disbeliever... I'm sure that his brake might have
been rubbing at some point, but for the entire race and
nobody notices?

But how does this get tied into comments on the bars?

--Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member