Chuck is right on here. Consider that in 1914 a Six Day record was set at 2,759 miles that stood at least until Peter Nye wrote the book "Hearts Of Lions" in 1988. Not sure if the record still stands. Road racing is a bit different and many other factors come into play, but the gains have been small but have allowed for the fastest rides and Tours ever, but by how much ummmmmmmmm!? Not sure. Now drugs have always played a part in the cycling world. Would you believe cocaine was the secret ingredient in the salve for the riders of the Sixes. Numb it and ya can pedal faster and longer.
Mark Poore just sticks it in the snow for 5 minutes and can't feel a thing in Slatyfork, WV
Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net> wrote:
Bianca Pratorius wrote:
>
> (cut) My instinct is that all this modern technology is faster
> on some measurable level, but when push comes to shove, short of an
> aero helmet, a skin suit, tri-bars, and disk wheels the pay off is tiny
> for mild aero section wheels, sleek brake levers. aero brake levers and
> blade like seat posts. Also, those clunky aero wheels end up looking
> slower visually.
The bicycle had reached its idealized form in the 1890s so any improvements over the last 100+ years have been thousands of very small improvements. Check the times for the hour record over the same period and you'll see what I mean. But these seemingly insignificant improvements _always_ add up and there is no point in giving away an advantage when the amount of power you are dealing with for propulsion is so absurdly low.
But all this drifts towards subjects that are off topic in the end...
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
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