Will Team GB’s new Cervélo track bike be ready in time for Rio Olympics?

Last month Team GB unveiled the brand new Cervélo T5GB track bike that it’ll race at the upcoming Rio Olympics, but will the new bike be ready in time? 

The Daily Mail reports claims that there have been teething problems with the new bike and apparently “British cycling stars are sweating on whether their £10,000 state-of-the-art track bikes will be fit for purpose in time for the Rio Olympics next month.”

- Cervélo launches T5GB Olympic track bike + video

Problems apparently centre around a lack of frame stiffness to deal with the huge power the sprinters produce, resulting in flexing frames during all-out efforts. 

Bradley Wiggins has reportedly complained that the carbon extension handlebars are too flexy, while Jason Kenny has found the frame flexing during his 2,000-watt efforts during a spring.

Along with a lack of stiffness, the weight has been called into question. Track bikes adhere to the same 6.8kg weight limit as road bikes but the original paint job added an extra, and unnecessary, 400g to the overall weight. Believe it or not, some colours are heavier so the paint job is a critical part of the bike.

Cervélo is addressing the issues, as you'd imagine they would be, and working on an updated version of the T5GB bike that will be stiffer and has a lighter paint job. It’s far from ideal publicity for the Canadian bicycle brand that has been signed up as the equipment supplier to Team GB until 2020.

- Team GB to ride Cervélo bikes through Tokyo 2020

Team GB isn’t likely to leave anything to chance with its famous fastidious attention to detail which netted a huge medal haul at London 2012. The competition is closing in with the advantages previously enjoyed by Team GB narrowing during every Olympic cycle.

We wouldn’t put it past having something special up its sleeves, and apparently, it has developed a new skin suit that  is“understood to make a significant difference to the speed they can achieve on the track.”

The Daily Mail doesn’t provide its sources. British Cycling told us: 

"The original aim of the Cervelo-British Cycling partnership was to produce a bike for Tokyo and progress has been so swift that we are four years ahead of schedule. Both Cervelo and British Cycling are committed to continuous improvement so work will continue through this summer, over the next cycle and up to the start line in Tokyo. Our riders will have the best possible equipment to enable them to produce their best in Rio.”