Biking’s WorldTour is the head of street racing globally. Sponsors spend unimaginable quantities of cash chasing outcomes. Slim margins win street races, and air resistance is the most important impediment to hurry. Colnago launched an all-out assault on aerodynamics to provide the Y1Rs.
Introduced as we speak, the Colnogo Y1Rs is a wild departure from conventional bicycle design. This street bike removes the seat tube, which is current on virtually all different street bicycles. By doing this, the premium race machine goals to scale back air drag, one of many greatest forces slowing cyclists on the transfer. It hits the market as we speak and can value an astounding $6,750 for the frameset alone.
The aspect profile of the Y1Rs reveals the plain empty area vacated by the seat tube, which usually runs from the rearward termination of the highest tube all the way down to the underside bracket. Colnago eradicated this, making a “Y” formed juncture of a really quick seat mast with the seat keep(s). The “seat tube,” should you can name it that, hugs the rear tire from the underside bracket to affix the center of the seat keep, the place it splits into two.
This gorgeous departure from virtually all different street frames isn’t the one factor Colnago did within the seek for velocity. From the entrance of the bike, an identical “Y” form disrupts the handlebar’s high. Once more, visually gorgeous, the acute departure from conventional drop bar design lessens aerodynamic drag. However Colnago additionally claims it’s stiffer and, thus, extra environment friendly throughout sprints.
For many years, Colnago bikes have been thought to be gorgeous in kind. The skeptic in me wished proof that these placing shapes have been greater than “wow issue” advertising makes an attempt. The model delivered with a barrage of white papers and knowledge. Learn on for my distillation of the necessary bits.
Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Buzzword for Aero All the pieces
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is touted because the holy grail of designing something that slips via the air or water with the least quantity of drag. From Method 1 race automobiles to America’s Cup sailboats, the CFD acronym is closely used to painting the epitome of aero engineering.
What CFD Does
CFD is extremely highly effective, and engineers use software program to research fluid flows numerically. However all of the spectacular laptop graphics representing airflow round body tube shapes and accompanying reams of knowledge are simply that: theoretical conduct that lives in a pc and never the true world.
Some bicycle manufacturers cease there. Colnago’s CFD evaluation, carried out in partnership with Khalifa College in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Politecnico in Milano, Italy, was verified by rapidly prototyping 3D-printed fashions and wind tunnel testing. Colnago drilled 70 holes into prototype frames within the areas most impactful to airflow and mounted strain sensors. It then ran every prototype via a battery of wind tunnel testing.
Wind Tunnel Validation
The wind tunnel knowledge was then fed again via CFD evaluation to provide a refined, real-world evaluation. And the cycle was repeated.
Colnago didn’t simply check the bicycle. It additionally produced 3D-printed adjustable mannequins to “experience” the Y1Rs prototypes within the wind tunnel. These human kinds replicated the scale and place of typical WorldTour opponents. The rider is probably the most vital contributor to tug, which additionally impacts the conduct of the air across the body tubes and wheels.
Engineers examined the bike and bike+rider mixture in a variety of yaw angles to the wind. Conlago used ranges from 0 levels to 12.5 levels to the wind, claiming analysis has discovered that these are the commonest in bicycle driving. It additionally used a wind velocity typical for racing, 31 mph, with two bottles aboard the body.
Colnago didn’t cease on the distinctive “Y”-shaped body, handlebars, and body tube profiles. It additionally analyzed the results of the usual, spherical water bottle. Different manufacturers have gained aero effectivity with proprietary aero-optimized bottles and bottle cages, however Colnago caught with the usual bottle as a result of it’s the lightest and unavoidable in racing.
So, What Does This All Imply?
The quick and candy of the extremely huge quantity of knowledge collected and analyzed may be distilled to the next.
Colnago claims the mixture of the Y1Rs body and the matching handlebar/stem mixture (dubbed the CC.Y1) leads to a 19% discount in frontal space in contrast with its present “regular” street race bike, the V4RS. The V4RS has received the Tour de France thrice below Tadej Pogačar. And final 12 months, it rocketed the Slovenian phenom to an unimaginable triple of the Tour d’Italia, Tour de France, and the World Skilled Championship.
The CC.Y1 handlebar alone produced a claimed 16% achieve in aerodynamic efficiency.
Colnago claims the Y1Rs solely saves 3 W over one of the best competitor at 0 levels wind yaw. However it claims an enormous 19W benefit for a median drag, weighted for yaw angles which might be most typical in racing. And 19 W all through a 3-week street stage race overlaying hundreds of miles is extra than simply “marginal positive aspects.” Equally spectacular is the 20W+ achieve for each yaw angles in comparison with the Colnago V4Rs.
OK, What Else?
Though improved aerodynamics was the first imaginative and prescient for the Y1Rs, Colnago claims different vital benefits of its distinctive shapes and design.
It doesn’t take a genius to grasp that the shortage of a steady seat tube means extra vertical compliance on the saddle. The Y1Rs’ seat submit additionally has a extra laid-back angle to enhance compliance.
Racers don’t care in regards to the consolation of enhanced vertical compliance if it means decreased energy switch. However Colnago claims benefits right here as nicely. In comparison with its V4Rs, the model states that the Y1Rs is 3.5% stiffer out of the vertical aircraft within the standing dash place and are simply as stiff within the seated place.
For the sprinters, Colnago claims the CC.Y1 handlebar/stem mixture is 16% stiffer laterally and vertically than opponents. This theoretically squeezes out wattage for sprinting and climbing.
Lastly, the load. Gentle is correct in racing, however the Y1Rs weigh 242 g greater than the V1Rs for the body, handlebars, and headset mixture. Nevertheless, racing professionals and research assert that aerodynamic positive aspects trump weight, even at slower, non-racing speeds.
Last Particulars on the New Colnago Y1Rs
The Y1Rs is available in 5 sizes and may settle for as much as 32mm-wide tires.
Three paint schemes can be found: a black-and-white duplicate of UAE Group Emirate, a glittery white duplicate of girls’s workforce ADQ, and a Pogačar World Champ Rainbow version.
And, sure, pricing. Maintain on to your wallets. $6,750 for the frameset! You too can choose between 5 premium builds, all with top-tier group units from Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo. You’ll must cough up between roughly $13,000 and $17,500. Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the wind sucking the money out of your checking account.
However it is a racing-only bike for the head {of professional} bicycle racing globally. And, like Method 1, saving cash isn’t on the radar within the pursuit of velocity.