Cycling WC on 650c
Written by: Dan Empfield
Date: Tue Oct 05 2010
It took more than 20 years, but, the cycling world has finally embraced the 650c wheel. Or, at least, one among the world's professional cyclists. Still, if you're a fan of the right wheel for each rider, that rider you wanted selecting 650c was the rider you wanted aboard them last week.
That one person is the new UCI Time Trial World Champion. It's diminutive Emma Pooley—she of the Cervelo Test Team. All 5'2" of her.
Pooley rode a 48cm Cervelo P3 for her Worlds victory, her race covered by Cyclingnews.com. In the Cyclingnews article, Pooley is quoted as saying, "I had to move the saddle back a bit and move the bars up a bit because it wasn't within the regulations. I get a small exception because I am very short but it still wasn't quite right."
Cervelo's Gerard Vroomen confirmed Pooley rode a 650c-wheeled P3, and Pooley strained even on that bike to position herself sufficiently low, resorting to a 3T hinged stem that pointed aggressively downward (this is clear from the photo gallery on the Cyclingnews site).
Vroomen surmised that Pooley's saddle was positioned slightly too far forward of even the amount of morphological exception the UCI rules, and the commissaires, were prepared to give. Hence, her need to move the saddle back a smidge. There seems no rule that would require her to move her aerobars up—it's likely her reference to moving "the bars up a bit" is a response to the rule-required move of her saddle rearward.
Pooley's victory in Melbourne last week might be the permission slip short-of-statured professional cyclists need to give the smaller-wheeled bikes a second (or even a first) look.
That one person is the new UCI Time Trial World Champion. It's diminutive Emma Pooley—she of the Cervelo Test Team. All 5'2" of her.
Pooley rode a 48cm Cervelo P3 for her Worlds victory, her race covered by Cyclingnews.com. In the Cyclingnews article, Pooley is quoted as saying, "I had to move the saddle back a bit and move the bars up a bit because it wasn't within the regulations. I get a small exception because I am very short but it still wasn't quite right."
Cervelo's Gerard Vroomen confirmed Pooley rode a 650c-wheeled P3, and Pooley strained even on that bike to position herself sufficiently low, resorting to a 3T hinged stem that pointed aggressively downward (this is clear from the photo gallery on the Cyclingnews site).
Vroomen surmised that Pooley's saddle was positioned slightly too far forward of even the amount of morphological exception the UCI rules, and the commissaires, were prepared to give. Hence, her need to move the saddle back a smidge. There seems no rule that would require her to move her aerobars up—it's likely her reference to moving "the bars up a bit" is a response to the rule-required move of her saddle rearward.
Pooley's victory in Melbourne last week might be the permission slip short-of-statured professional cyclists need to give the smaller-wheeled bikes a second (or even a first) look.
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Comments
What??
Reviewed by: Javier, Oct 9 2010 12:40AM
Sorry to point out that the ONCE cycling team used 650cc most often, practically in all TTT and many ITT a long time ago (1989 for instance). I recall even some years before to see Francesco Moser with 650cc. Miguel Indurain was often using 650 cc as you can see here: http://bp1.blogger.com/_J0Zm_uVcZjk/SD_ZumLmrEI/AAAAAAAAAlE/PW_CaZfmkow/s400/GBM14207.jpg
650
Reviewed by: Mário, Oct 7 2010 1:20AM
virenque use 650 bike on some mountain stages of tour the france, because it is faster in accelarations.
In vuelta some one who was fitting for the leadership of the montain, some years ago (I dont remember who, may be Sastre in once team) was riding a 650 bike. I think was Andoora stage he pinch the neutralized car dont have 650 wheels and he lost 35 minuts to wait for his team car (he was furios).
In vuelta some one who was fitting for the leadership of the montain, some years ago (I dont remember who, may be Sastre in once team) was riding a 650 bike. I think was Andoora stage he pinch the neutralized car dont have 650 wheels and he lost 35 minuts to wait for his team car (he was furios).
650s
Reviewed by: Fiona, Oct 6 2010 9:38AM
Good to see s focus on 650s. I hope this encourages Zipp to update their 650 wheel selection (850s or dimples) as we 650 riders have little choice of wheel at present.
Thanks for posting this Dan
@bicyclelab
Reviewed by: Victor Jimenez, Oct 6 2010 5:13AM
Dan, Thanks for the heads up on this. As a huge proponent for 650c wheels for many years I have heard all kinds of talks about 650c's being slower. Clearly winning a major event like this just furthers the validity of using smaller wheels. You may recall that Tony Rominger used 650c wheels in the TDF many years ago but I think that logistics of wheel changes made 650c a poor choice. He is the only major pro that I am aware of that used 650c in a major stage race. Keep up the excellent work
