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news
bc reduced drag clothing"Secret skinsuit" to bring GB track riders Rio world records?
According to a report in The Times, Team GB track cyclists are hopeful that a revolutionary new skinsuit will help them break world records during the Olympics. It is being reported that the suits have helped shave as much as three seconds off men’s team pursuit times.
The new design is said to feature raised, ribbed strips that redirect air flow, improving efficiency.
In 2013, British Cycling’s ‘Secret Squirrel Club’ filed a patent for drag-reducing clothing. The designs featured 3mm raised chevrons made from moulded plastic placed 50mm apart on the rear of the arms and legs, pointing upwards.
Video: Sir Bradley Wiggins on his fifth - and final - Olympics
The patent claimed that air flows up the arms and legs, contributing to a large proportion of the overall drag on the rider. By disrupting this airflow with raised dams, the aerodynamic performance is supposed to be improved.
The men’s team pursuit quartet is reported have broken the world record three times during training while wearing the new suits. The record in the women’s team pursuit is also said to have been broken.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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10 comments
Whatever next - extra round wheels?
Say "Squirrel."
If you said Skwerl or Skvivel, then you are not eligible for the Secret Squirrel club.
UCI approved or not. bet they are still freaking fast
would the world record stand if it breaks UCI regs?
Would not be the first time british cyclists cheat at olympics...
@CarlosFerreiro et al.
You'd would have thought that BC would get prior approval for these new skinsuits from the UCI before turning up with them. I think the devil is in the wording of the rule, the "non-essential elements have been added" bit, I'm sure there are lawyers out there who could argue that this refers to items added additionally to outside surface of the skinsuit rather than something sewn into or sandwiched between layers of fabric so effectively on the inside which I suspect is the case here. Of course this is all speculation
@CarlosFerreiro beat me to it!
UCI reg guidance says:
ARTICLE 1.3.033 “It is forbidden to wear non-essential items of clothing or items designed to influence the performances of a rider such as reducing air resistance or modifying the body of the rider (compression, stretching, support)"...... "It is also prohibited to wear clothing or skinsuits to which non-essential elements have been added with a view to improving their aerodynamic properties..."
I'd taken it to mean that you could have a skinsuit with seams and matterial choices that "just happened" to have aero benefits, but that you could not go towards extra add-ons or profile shaping/extending bits.
UCI approved?
Better break some records. Folk in Rio are living in a desperate state. Least you can do is show up and do something a bit special.
To turn up and go slower than people have in past years. I mean, what's the point of spending multi billions of food tokens for the desolate if you can't even be arsed.
No pressure then