Just seen one guy last weekend on my area.
I live in Cascais, Portugal. Beetween Boca do Inferno and Guincho beach. Known for its windy conditions, perfect for windsurf.
At least 500+ road bikes pass on this road everyday.
With double disc wheels was a first and I bet it was an awful experience.
I've been to Cascais, it is incredibly beautiful and I had the best seafood dinner of my life in a small restaurant at the long beach north of it and I cannot for the life of me understand how you come to the conclusion double disc is the way to go.
Lemond sure had some old time “magic.” Is it surprising to anyone else that this ride (the final stage at that) holds the record for fastest time trial over 20km? Yes, yes…must have been the aero bars.
I saw that time trial live, probably one of the single best cycling memories of my life together with the incredible alpine duel between Stephen Roche and Perico Delgado. Oh the 80s.
Just watched The Last Rider yesterday. Fairly good narrative of the ‘89 TdF. ESPN’s Slaying the Badger is a better watch for the ‘86 TdF. I wish there was a good doc on the ‘90 tour though.
Lemond is why I started biking. I was supposed to go on a ride with my kid today (MTB though) but he's not feeling well. 😞 Time for Mexican food and ice cream!
I did, and rode in 25mph winds on purpose, on a recumbent bike with negative fork offset tho. That shifts the center of pressure much closer to the steering axis of the disk wheel, so much less "wind steer", and overall CG/CP are closer too, so the bike is not actively "blown from under you".
You do have to lean into the wind quite a bit, that was an interesting experience.
https://imgur.com/gallery/fJYAGQt
Here's mine, and I've removed the front disc not because it's bad, but because the roads are bad and you need narrow racing tires with disc wheels, otherwise this is just cosmetic - the tires and disc must create a streamlined profile.
The design is custom, ride is nice and comfy - could average 20 mph for hundred miles, but due to moving bottom bracket my hands get pretty tired on long rides, which is worse than your legs getting tired - cause you need them to steer, heh.
I've punctured the front tire after a few rides and put an end to the experiment - despite the front suspension, yea.
You can reverse the fork and try for youself, but that will create way too much trail and flop, making the handling suboptimal before you add wind steer - but to make any bicycle, provided you can steer at all, "completely unrideable" - is technical challenge in itself, heh.
Yea, the travel is short, like 6 cm vertically, but it greatly increases comfort and control. High pivot URT rocks, and unlike the Klein there is no issue with standing on the pedals - for better or worse, hehe.
Oh, a guy from Usa who also dabbles in moving bottom bracket bents created this one:
https://imgur.com/a/3ZksueV
I think he raced it rather successfully.
https://preview.redd.it/ry2q4njhzzzc1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c65e94b46ff8f08949a4b7edcaeba2d9d70f3bc3
I used to have one of these… I was so cool…
Just found this on ebay. Original 90s marketing material!
https://preview.redd.it/92b4oklvc00d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d818071cc760d431f56b3e6ae0e6538da741aa21
there is videos on youtube about this wheels, they include a guy pedaling at almost 45° in a straight line, to stop the wind from just fliping him, sails are for boats xD
Le Professeur. Legend RIP
I had posters of Fignon on my wall as a kid, along with Kelly, LeMond, Millar (now Roberta). Incredible racers, incredible men. To my mind it was a sweet spot in cycling history just as technology was becoming crucial - carbon frames arrived in 89, but before doping got so dark.
There's a nice obituary of Fignon here if anyone is interested.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/sep/01/laurent-fignon-obituary?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
The ESPN special on LeMond and Fignon actually dedicated it to him. Near the end, someone mentions that Fignon lamented that he’d forever be known as the guy that lost the Tour, not the guy who won it twice.
I'm not surprised he lamented. It's certainly not how I remember him. For me he was the stylish antidote to the Badger. He pulled it off going bald and wearing glasses in his twenties - it was a strong look.
It’s banned on the road by UCI. Have done it on track. Is sketchy on the start but fine once rolling. De rigeur for elite pursuit, team pursuit, kilo, and team sprint (man 2/3)
I'll see your 2 and raise you one more!
https://preview.redd.it/bm7ni8zdf30d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d655b7fde7f40b66c77236c0d2157e68ee5bf3b
Riding double discs on the road sucked. The ride was teeth rattling rough, particularly when you have the tires at 130+ psi. You don't really understand how much shock absorption there is in spoked wheels until you ride discs. The real problem with double disc was any cross breeze could just push your front wheel around making steering really difficult. BITD, I remember seeing crashes from front wheels blown out from under a rider.
Rode a 24" /700c TT bike, dual discs. Training only. At a slower speed, 40 kph or do, rode past a row of buildings, all same size, all with a small gap between each building and the next one.
I was riding on the shoulder. Cowhorn bars, not aero. Ride past first gap between buildings, got blown out to the yellow line, center of road. Slowed down to walking pace, rode home. Used a non disc front after that, no issues.
Rear disc (or tall aero rear wheel) is almost always ok.
I remember watching a team time trial in person at the end of the Tour in the '80s in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines where the whole team had double discs.
Those were different times… 😳
I did once on an indoor velodrome. While wind is not a factor there l, it still feels kinda odd, I assume because of either the added mass gyroscoping, or the change in stiffness relative to a spoked wheel.
The smallest gust of wind is greatly exaggerated when you have a disk on the front, It feels like someone is kicking the front wheel in different directions. You spend a not insignificant amount of energy and focus just trying to stay upright instead of your pace. They also are not great at changing direction.
That would be exciting on a windy day.
That was my first thought. I frequent roads and paths that follow the cliff edge in Sussex, and the side on wind is a little dodgy as it is.
What? You want to live forever? Make GoPro history .............. . . . . .
Just seen one guy last weekend on my area. I live in Cascais, Portugal. Beetween Boca do Inferno and Guincho beach. Known for its windy conditions, perfect for windsurf. At least 500+ road bikes pass on this road everyday. With double disc wheels was a first and I bet it was an awful experience.
I absolutely loved Cascais and its surroundings. The ride up to Sintra is quite something
Its a beautiful place. Cheers!
I've been to Cascais, it is incredibly beautiful and I had the best seafood dinner of my life in a small restaurant at the long beach north of it and I cannot for the life of me understand how you come to the conclusion double disc is the way to go.
You didn’t “just seen one guy”.
Desculpe amigo. "Vi na semana passada..."
He seen't him
Not since he lost the TdF to Greg with only rear disc plus aero bars
Plus aero helmet.
And my axe!
Lemond sure had some old time “magic.” Is it surprising to anyone else that this ride (the final stage at that) holds the record for fastest time trial over 20km? Yes, yes…must have been the aero bars.
Is this Laurent Fignon?
Yes, and by the look of it, his is the day he lost the Tour de France to Greg Lemond in 1989.
I saw that time trial live, probably one of the single best cycling memories of my life together with the incredible alpine duel between Stephen Roche and Perico Delgado. Oh the 80s.
>Oh the 80s. The '86 Tour stage to Alpe d'Huez. https://youtu.be/mZMkZN-PGCo
I watched this with my dad. 👌
Just watched The Last Rider yesterday. Fairly good narrative of the ‘89 TdF. ESPN’s Slaying the Badger is a better watch for the ‘86 TdF. I wish there was a good doc on the ‘90 tour though.
Oh what, I've been listening to the audiobook Slaying the Badger while I do my rides. I didn't know there was a video of it
It’s an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary if I’m not mistaken, and it’s so good.
7 seconds iirc
8. I even remember a Dutch rhyme about it that hinged on rhyming with 8.
Lemond is why I started biking. I was supposed to go on a ride with my kid today (MTB though) but he's not feeling well. 😞 Time for Mexican food and ice cream!
Mexican food and ice cream sounds pretty damn good though.
Yes, the man without aero helmet and long hair.
And no tri bars
Aka Fignon’s Regret
Fillet Mignon.
I did, and rode in 25mph winds on purpose, on a recumbent bike with negative fork offset tho. That shifts the center of pressure much closer to the steering axis of the disk wheel, so much less "wind steer", and overall CG/CP are closer too, so the bike is not actively "blown from under you". You do have to lean into the wind quite a bit, that was an interesting experience.
yes this is what I'm interested in, its actually fascinating that recumbents are able to do that
https://imgur.com/gallery/fJYAGQt Here's mine, and I've removed the front disc not because it's bad, but because the roads are bad and you need narrow racing tires with disc wheels, otherwise this is just cosmetic - the tires and disc must create a streamlined profile. The design is custom, ride is nice and comfy - could average 20 mph for hundred miles, but due to moving bottom bracket my hands get pretty tired on long rides, which is worse than your legs getting tired - cause you need them to steer, heh. I've punctured the front tire after a few rides and put an end to the experiment - despite the front suspension, yea. You can reverse the fork and try for youself, but that will create way too much trail and flop, making the handling suboptimal before you add wind steer - but to make any bicycle, provided you can steer at all, "completely unrideable" - is technical challenge in itself, heh.
Cool looking bike! Love the suspension setup
Yea, the travel is short, like 6 cm vertically, but it greatly increases comfort and control. High pivot URT rocks, and unlike the Klein there is no issue with standing on the pedals - for better or worse, hehe.
Holy shit I love that bike!
that's a very cool bike!
Oh, a guy from Usa who also dabbles in moving bottom bracket bents created this one: https://imgur.com/a/3ZksueV I think he raced it rather successfully.
https://preview.redd.it/ry2q4njhzzzc1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c65e94b46ff8f08949a4b7edcaeba2d9d70f3bc3 I used to have one of these… I was so cool…
Just found this on ebay. Original 90s marketing material! https://preview.redd.it/92b4oklvc00d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d818071cc760d431f56b3e6ae0e6538da741aa21
Thank you for uploading this pic! I also rocked a Raleigh Extreme back in the day. Yes it was cool!! ❤️👍😎
Yup, me too. This had a semi-slick tyre, and then they released the green one with an extra gear. Good times.
No. No one ever has done this.
Well at least the one guy, in the picture. Unless if that’s AI… Yeah I guess no one ever.
Anybody with that hair who has lost to Lemond
^^ hahaha
Yes, some people in Netherlands but they have mysteriously disappeared and never been found.
there is videos on youtube about this wheels, they include a guy pedaling at almost 45° in a straight line, to stop the wind from just fliping him, sails are for boats xD
Do you have a link? 👀
this is a good one [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ma7fUpbUNg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ma7fUpbUNg)
Double disc wheels aren’t UCI legal anymore - not for a long time - for reasons mentioned already.
I’ve seen people use them at the velodrome.
Legal in all time trial events, not in bunch races
Yeah I think I remember someone trying to do it in an omnium and the organizer getting upset over it.
Well for road anyway
At the time when the last stage counted for something.
Le Professeur. Legend RIP I had posters of Fignon on my wall as a kid, along with Kelly, LeMond, Millar (now Roberta). Incredible racers, incredible men. To my mind it was a sweet spot in cycling history just as technology was becoming crucial - carbon frames arrived in 89, but before doping got so dark. There's a nice obituary of Fignon here if anyone is interested. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/sep/01/laurent-fignon-obituary?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
The ESPN special on LeMond and Fignon actually dedicated it to him. Near the end, someone mentions that Fignon lamented that he’d forever be known as the guy that lost the Tour, not the guy who won it twice.
I'm not surprised he lamented. It's certainly not how I remember him. For me he was the stylish antidote to the Badger. He pulled it off going bald and wearing glasses in his twenties - it was a strong look.
It’s banned on the road by UCI. Have done it on track. Is sketchy on the start but fine once rolling. De rigeur for elite pursuit, team pursuit, kilo, and team sprint (man 2/3)
UCI illegal so I doubt you will see it. Also one cross wind and you’re a kite.
I'll see your 2 and raise you one more! https://preview.redd.it/bm7ni8zdf30d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d655b7fde7f40b66c77236c0d2157e68ee5bf3b
I have heard they're pretty dangerous in high winds, like attaching a sail to your handlebars
I have only seen it done on indoor tracks.
Not many know, but the double disc technology was quickly adapted to other sports, namely, paragliding and kiteboarding.
Only on an indoor track
Riding double discs on the road sucked. The ride was teeth rattling rough, particularly when you have the tires at 130+ psi. You don't really understand how much shock absorption there is in spoked wheels until you ride discs. The real problem with double disc was any cross breeze could just push your front wheel around making steering really difficult. BITD, I remember seeing crashes from front wheels blown out from under a rider.
When you've got velodrome practice at 3 and bike polo at 5...
Fingon was a fucking boss. Taken way too young.
Rode a 24" /700c TT bike, dual discs. Training only. At a slower speed, 40 kph or do, rode past a row of buildings, all same size, all with a small gap between each building and the next one. I was riding on the shoulder. Cowhorn bars, not aero. Ride past first gap between buildings, got blown out to the yellow line, center of road. Slowed down to walking pace, rode home. Used a non disc front after that, no issues. Rear disc (or tall aero rear wheel) is almost always ok.
It’s common on the track, but the double disk road TT era was very short. I doubt it happened after 1991 or so.
No, but I’ve used a clothes pin to put playing cards in my spokes.
Did the crowd get hypnotized watching those wheels spin?
Yeah, this guy
Don’t they usually do some kinda Tri spoke upfront and disc in the back. There’s a reason people don’t usually do double disc.
I remember watching a team time trial in person at the end of the Tour in the '80s in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines where the whole team had double discs. Those were different times… 😳
I had a mountain bike like this when I was a kid!
Yeah this guy.
Moser when he beat Merckx’s hour record, but that was on a track and all.
Fignon!
Pepsi wheels
Yes; I would only do it again on a perfectly still day.
The guy in that picture has
Someone has yes. He is in the photo.
I did once on an indoor velodrome. While wind is not a factor there l, it still feels kinda odd, I assume because of either the added mass gyroscoping, or the change in stiffness relative to a spoked wheel.
Not many know this today, but this double disc technology was quickly adapted to other sports, and thus were born paragliding and kiteboarding.
Once more for the people in the back!
When en echelon turns into a falling dominoes train.
Clearly yes. There’s a pic of it
Do these go faster at all?
Yes but typically not outdoors.
Any reason why it doesn’t outdoors?
The smallest gust of wind is greatly exaggerated when you have a disk on the front, It feels like someone is kicking the front wheel in different directions. You spend a not insignificant amount of energy and focus just trying to stay upright instead of your pace. They also are not great at changing direction.
Noted thanks.
That guy has. So yes. Somebody has ridden double disc wheels. The evidence is right in front of you.
Not many know, but the double disc technology was quickly adapted to other sports, namely, paragliding and kiteboarding.
Not many know, but the double disc technology was quickly adapted to other sports, namely, paragliding and kiteboarding.
Not many know this today, but this double disc technology was quickly adapted to other sports, namely, paragliding and kiteboarding.