I often wonder about Chrissy....

Her quick ascension to the top of the sport (and perfect record at the highest level)

MTA: Her win after dealing with a flat tire and trying to find a CO2 cartridge after hers failed about 4 years back.

Her mysterious withdrawal from Kona the morning of the race +/- 3 years back.

Her kick ass performance and wind 2 weeks after a major bike crash a couple years back

Her early retirement from the sport while at the top of her game.

Her ability to do so much more than her competition.

Freak for fraud??? I don't know.

Freaks are cool.

Frauds aren't.

We've been duped before.

But, I truly would agree that training effort and consistency and building your internal engine is the #1 factor for race success.
The components and aero tricks are go beyond the "needs" within the sport and are definitely within the "wants" within the sport.

 

If aero was that much of anvantage don't you think Chrissy would cut her hair and wear a sperm helment? (this is both a sarcastic remark and statement)

  

This isn't it, but... see link

 

I can not find the study that was put together of individual split times...It indicated where the first aero bike was introduced and did comparisons of pre-tri specific frames and post. It also included helmets. He used two different courses to try and remove enviromental impacts.

 

It was interesting.

 

Luc Van Lierde...I'm pretty sure I have his name correct...was the Kona course record holder. Set in 1996-ish his time stood until 2011. I'm pretty sure he rode a standard road bike frame but I'm not for certain.

 

I can tell you this with the utmost certainty...If I was racing a 40k time trial I would be on a time trial bike wearing a sperm helmet. finishing times even at the amature level come down to secounds.

So I finally got around to working on the Flip Flop wheel Set I bought for my new Surly Cross Check.

I bought this wheelset used off of a Face Book page.

Surly hubs laced to Salsa Delgado rims. The rear hub is a Flip Flop. 13 tooth fixed gear, 16 tooth free wheel. The front cones were a little tight and the rear a little loose. I also wanted to check the trueing.

I also changed out my front sprocket from a 32 tooth to a 36 tooth.

With that change my chain wasn't long enough to wrap the new 36 tooth and the larger 16 tooth on the new wheel so I used the fixed side.

Never rode a fixie before. (outside of my Schwinn spinning bike).

Old habits are hard to break and you pay for them quickly on a fixie...kinda rhymes.

Mistake number one...The Mount. I can't place my right foot on the right pedal, push of with the left and throw my left leg over the bike. It was like holding the brakes. I did get this mastered, you just start with the pedal perpindicular to the ground and pedal right thru your mount.

Mistake number two...Getting complacent after an hour or so of riding, forgetting your on a fixie bombing a downhill...don't stop pedalling, it'll throw you out of your seat.

I'm not sure I'd operate one without a brake. I've see people do it and they can stop on a dime...I didn't have the guts to try a skid.

I kinda like it but I'm not running out and buying skinny jeans and a 2 sizes to small v-collar t-shirt.

The last time I was on a fixie it had three wheels and sat really low to the ground. Not sure I want to revisit that.