Biking’s WorldTour is the top of highway racing globally. Sponsors spend unimaginable quantities of cash chasing outcomes. Slim margins win highway races, and air resistance is the biggest impediment to hurry. Colnago launched an all-out assault on aerodynamics to supply the Y1Rs.
Introduced in the present day, the Colnogo Y1Rs is a wild departure from conventional bicycle design. This highway bike removes the seat tube, which is current on virtually all different highway bicycles. By doing this, the premium race machine goals to cut back air drag, one of many greatest forces slowing cyclists on the transfer. It hits the market in the present day and can price an astounding $6,750 for the frameset alone.
The facet profile of the Y1Rs reveals the apparent empty house vacated by the seat tube, which usually runs from the rearward termination of the highest tube right 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,” in case you can name it that, hugs the rear tire from the underside bracket to hitch the center of the seat keep, the place it splits into two.
This gorgeous departure from virtually all different highway frames isn’t the one factor Colnago did within the seek for pace. From the entrance of the bike, an analogous “Y” form disrupts the handlebar’s prime. Once more, visually gorgeous, the intense 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 considered gorgeous in kind. The skeptic in me needed proof that these hanging shapes had been greater than “wow issue” advertising makes an attempt. The model delivered with a barrage of white papers and information. Learn on for my distillation of the essential bits.
Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Buzzword for Aero All the things
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is touted because the holy grail of designing something that slips by means of the air or water with the least quantity of drag. From Components 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 investigate fluid flows numerically. However all of the spectacular pc graphics representing airflow round body tube shapes and accompanying reams of information are simply that: theoretical conduct that lives in a pc and never the true world.
Some bicycle manufacturers cease there. Colnago’s CFD evaluation, performed 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 by means of a battery of wind tunnel testing.
Wind Tunnel Validation
The wind tunnel information was then fed again by means of CFD evaluation to supply a refined, real-world evaluation. And the cycle was repeated.
Colnago didn’t simply take a look at the bicycle. It additionally produced 3D-printed adjustable mannequins to “experience” the Y1Rs prototypes within the wind tunnel. These human varieties replicated the dimensions and place of typical WorldTour opponents. The rider is essentially 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 pace 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 consequences 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 large quantity of information collected and analyzed might be distilled to the next.
Colnago claims the mixture of the Y1Rs body and the matching handlebar/stem mixture (dubbed the CC.Y1) ends in a 19% discount in frontal space in contrast with its present “regular” highway race bike, the V4RS. The V4RS has gained the Tour de France 3 times beneath 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% acquire in aerodynamic efficiency.
Colnago claims the Y1Rs solely saves 3 W over the perfect competitor at 0 levels wind yaw. But it surely claims an enormous 19W benefit for a median drag, weighted for yaw angles which can be most typical in racing. And 19 W all through a 3-week highway stage race masking 1000’s of miles is extra than simply “marginal beneficial properties.” Equally spectacular is the 20W+ acquire 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 dearth of a steady seat tube means extra vertical compliance on the saddle. The Y1Rs’ seat put up additionally has a extra laid-back angle to enhance compliance.
Racers don’t care concerning the consolation of enhanced vertical compliance if it means diminished 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 airplane 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 burden. Gentle is true in racing, however the Y1Rs weigh 242 g greater than the V1Rs for the body, handlebars, and headset mixture. Nonetheless, racing professionals and research assert that aerodynamic beneficial properties trump weight, even at slower, non-racing speeds.
Remaining Particulars on the New Colnago Y1Rs
The Y1Rs is available in 5 sizes and might settle for as much as 32mm-wide tires.
Three paint schemes can be found: a black-and-white reproduction of UAE Workforce Emirate, a glittery white reproduction of ladies’s crew ADQ, and a Pogačar World Champ Rainbow version.
And, sure, pricing. Maintain on to your wallets. $6,750 for the frameset! You can too choose between 5 premium builds, all with top-tier group units from Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo. You’ll need to 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 top {of professional} bicycle racing globally. And, like Components 1, saving cash isn’t on the radar within the pursuit of pace.
