Three team bikes for 2012. First is Vacansoleil-DCM with a Bianchi Oltre frame. There’s a mix of FSA and Shimano components along with Fast Forward wheels. The team had been using Ridley with SRAM.
Tech
Carbon recycling… or repair?
Specialized have been trumpeting their new carbon recycling scheme and I like it. Other bike manufacturers offer similar plans and it makes sense on many fronts, indeed it is not just the cycle sector offering this, it is becoming widespread for many carbon products. Although if it sounds green, the energy processes involved in recycling don’t make this a giant leap in sustainability.
I’ve covered the manufacturing process of carbon before to show carbon is really plastic reinforced by carbon fibres. This can be undone with heat, you can melt the epoxy back out and it can be recycled.
At the same time I can’t help wonder if companies have an incentive to offer recycling plans as a means to encourage consumers to dispose of old frames and then buy new ones. It’s cynical, yes.
The bike of the future
Visit a motorshow and you’ll soon see the concept cars, with their futuristic designs and science fiction comic book looks. Designers have done the same with bikes but I think we’re at a point were imagination and extrapolation aren’t necessary, in that the technology of tomorrow’s road bike is appearing now.
UCI could relax minimum bicycle weight
The UCI could amend its rule on the minimum weight for bikes. Rule 1.3.019 has stated “the weight of the bicycle cannot be less than 6.8 kilograms“. Now this might be changed.
The news comes from trade website BikeBiz.com after editor Carlton Reid had been invited to Switzerland to discuss changes to the technical rules set by the governing body.