Mechanical Assistance In Cycling

[Zif]

What do people think about the accusations that people are hiding motors in bikes? I know it's technically possible but to me it seems like the risk/reward would be too high to have this actually be something going on yet. Besides how much assistance could a hidden electric assist really give compared to it's added weight over the course of a race, all without being detected?

 

[thetdog666]

I wouldnt put anything past the pros. Where theres big money to be earned there will always be cheating. And if you think the top pros arent doping your crazy!

 

[kylerlittle]

I know people who have built their own system of a motor on a previous bike. It was very fast and runs on patrol, it's weird. I never thought about the risks really until I read what you talked about.

 

[kana_marie]

I think it's ridiculous. That's taking cheating to a whole new level. Smh...

 

[KNH55]

I wouldnt put anything past the pros. Where theres big money to be earned there will always be cheating. And if you think the top pros arent doping your crazy!

Sadly I have to agree here. I think that if pros find a way to cheat that has a low chance of being caught, they'll do it. As long as they'll get a bigger paycheck without getting caught, they don't really care.

 

[9lines]

Nowadays motors are made to very small and powerful. They might be hidden in an undisclosed position. Frames can carry battery cells to power the motor. But that is prohibited in sporting competition. There should be different category where all bikes for the competition have motors.

 

[Bonzer]

It's all too easy to hide miniature motors powered by batteries and ones that charge with mechanical power by the pedalling bike rider. All bikes must be thoroughly inspected by professionals ahead of racing and organizers should come down heavily on dopies.

 

[ABNPFDR]

Ridiculous - the problem with this scenario is that there are too many people in the loop. To dope, it just takes a supplier and a user. As the suppliers are "doctors" it is easy to maintain secrecy.

To hide motors, you would need frame manufacturers and fabricators and electrical people in on the plan too. Good luck keeping that a secret. plus you'd already see in-frame systems hitting the market . Sorry, it's just not happening. Motors have come a long way buy you're not winning the Tour de France on a Stromer much less a teeny motor hidden in a wheel hub and a battery hidden in an aero road frame.

 

[CoolCat]

I think it's pretty unlikely. It would need to be small enough not to be visible, quiet enough not to be noticed over the regular bike noise, and light enough that if someone picked up your bike it wouldn't seem abnormally heavy. Sorry, but no. I'd be more likely to believe that some turned their bike into a wind-up toy. Crank up before the race, and when you get to the worst hill release the tension and get a little boost of power. One use, no motor, still absolutely ridiculous.

 

[swampy1970]

Ridiculous - the problem with this scenario is that there are too many people in the loop. To dope, it just takes a supplier and a user. As the suppliers are "doctors" it is easy to maintain secrecy.

To hide motors, you would need frame manufacturers and fabricators and electrical people in on the plan too. Good luck keeping that a secret. plus you'd already see in-frame systems hitting the market . Sorry, it's just not happening. Motors have come a long way buy you're not winning the Tour de France on a Stromer much less a teeny motor hidden in a wheel hub and a battery hidden in an aero road frame.

It's not like Team Sky, for example, don't partner with Jaguar and their race department for engineering work that ends up in Pinarello's bikes. These are the same engineers that work on F1 car technology and are hardly "hacks."

I'm not suggesting that Team Sky are doing this, just pointing out such partnerships exist in bike racing.

 

[Swamp_Monkey]

It sounds crazy, but it's actually a thing now.

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...lings-mechanical-doping-problem-hits-new-low/

On Sunday, journalists at Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera and French TV network Stade 2 published evidence alleging seven cyclists were using hidden bike enhancements at two races in Italy last month. The International Cycling Union (UCI) has been using iPads to check bikes for electromagnetic irregularities, but the journalists used thermal cameras to collect additional data.

Speculation about tiny, battery-powered motors in the sport started around 2010. At the time, a spokesperson for the ICU told The New York Times: “Maybe we are facing a general problem. You never know with technology.”

In January, these concerns finally bore out when the UCI began investigating “technological fraud”. It discovered that 19-year-old Belgian competitor Femke Van den Driessche had a hidden electric motor on the bike she used in an off-road cyclo-cross competition. “We believe that it was indeed technological doping,” said UCI president Brian Cookson.

The Corriere della Sera and Stade 2 journalists allege that five riders were using electric motors similar to Van den Driessche’s, and two others had magnetic propulsion systems on their rear wheels. These electromagnetic wheels can add 20 to 60 watts of power on top of someone’s pedalling.

 

[erook7878]

I'm not sure how widespread it is, but Belgian cyclo-cross cyclist Femke Van den Driessche was caught with a motor in her bike. She has denied any wrong doing. A friend of hers has claimed it was her bike. It sound pretty fishy.

 

[NDI2]

It's actually happening and may have been happening for a few years already. Cancellara was the first who was accused, after which it got quiet for a while and then some young lady actually got caught with one in a UCI event. The support isn't huge, so it doesn't suddenly turn amateurs into professionals. It does however give you an extra edge over your opponents which is quite significant on a professional level.

 

[9lines]

Nowadays motors are made to very small and powerful. They might be hidden in an undisclosed position. Frames can carry battery cells to power the motor. But that is prohibited in sporting competition. There should be different category where all bikes for the competition have motors.

A rider was banned when it was realised that the rear hub had a hidden motor. He used to activate it from the handle via Bluetooth. That affected his reputation as he was completely banned. I think that bikes meant for competition should be bought from a single approved manufacturer to avoid any doubt.

 

[Kakashi]

We have converted motorized bikes here also, and I just can't understand the use of it. Why would someone install a motor to a bike? It defeats the purpose of riding a bike right?

 

[treecko142]

I don't really see how this can be effectively used in races. I mean, it would be so obvious when you use motors as your speeds would just be off the regular charts. not to mention the dangers of using these in the competitive setting.

 

[reighn]

It's funny to think that some professional cyclist doing that kind of cheating. Well I don't know exactly about that motors, but I think it's ridiculous to find out if it's true, But I think it's gonna be fair now, because they also said that some of they cyclist using illegal drugs right? So motor users hate drugs.