longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 03/08/2017 07:06 PM |
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There's lightweight, then there's stupid light weight. Carbon wheels simply self destructing due to road imperfections. They might rebrand them "snowflake wheels".
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wheel-failures-decimate-team-skys-tirreno-adriatico-ambitions/ |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 03/08/2017 08:51 PM |
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Hard to say it was because the wheels were too light...would like to see the hole they hit. Depending on the hole, it could have wrecked almost any wheel.
But it could have been a manufacturing error, as well. Shimano doesn't really have a rep for making stuff too light at the risk of durability overall. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 03/09/2017 03:18 AM |
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I heard that maybe the guy who crashed flatted before the pothole. If that was the case, an in effect bare rim hitting a pothole edge is a little beyond design criteria. Now, if he hit the pothole, well, this was a 14 mile TTT, 1st stage of a short tour. Not a lot of excuse for hitting it. If that was the case, whoever was leading at the time cost them any shot at GC.
Now Sky hitting a pothole 20 other teams managed to miss? Isn't this an old story?
Edit: Until I hear further, I am not putting this one on Shimano even though they are not on my favorites list.
2nd edit: I just saw the gif on CyclingNews. it looked like the wheel might have been disintegrating before he got to it, but it is tough to tell because of the shadow. And yes, the shadow makes the pothole harder to see, but!! ... it is the only thing on the road and it about 30" diameter. Hitting it is kinda like losing your kite in the only tree for miles. (Or was Froome really getting into his power meter? Does Sky need that drone up ahead to feed the video to their computers?
Ben |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 03/09/2017 06:48 AM |
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The wheel was in full failure mode before the manhole cover.
I never saw a pothole and the road looked in a lot better shape that what I see in my part of the world.
And did I read that three wheels failed? Yowzer! Wonder when the others wheel issues occurred? If it was all within the same area then it was likely everyone drilling the same road imperfection, if they incidents were separate occurrences then someone in quality control is going to get a lecture. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 03/09/2017 07:17 AM |
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| If I read right it was more than one wheel that failed. |
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Gonzo Cyclist
Posts:568
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| 03/09/2017 09:54 AM |
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| Just read that BMC, Orica-Scott, FDJ, Sunweb and LottoNL-Jumbo used the same wheels with no problems, very interesting.............. |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 03/09/2017 10:29 AM |
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I thought you were complaining about the sun coming up earlier...
I like the sun.
Ultra-light weight wheels and Sky, not so much. |
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zootracer
Posts:835
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| 03/09/2017 10:52 AM |
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| Ultra Light anything is not good....... |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 03/09/2017 12:33 PM |
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So 6 teams on those wheels, 54 riders. 3 failures. 5.6% failure rate. But failure rate of riders on those wheels not riding for Sky - 0%. Failure rate of those on the wheels and riding for Sky - 33%. Hmmm.
My latest surmise as to what happened. (Assuming Sky didn't do something really dumb like machine the wheels down to save a few more grams): The Sky train ran over the other pothole on the course first. Damage to several wheels and a flat. Crash happens as the flatting rider tries to avoid that pothole and his dying wheel fails as he does so. Not a great example of nursing sick equipment to minimize time loss in a stage race by either that rider or the team as a whole.
Ben |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 03/09/2017 07:41 PM |
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| I'm in China and can't find a copy of the video that is not hosted by a banned site.....damn. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 03/09/2017 08:16 PM |
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CK - You mean VeloNATION is not a banned site...
Don't they know who is behind this nation? |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 03/09/2017 09:48 PM |
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LOL...not yet, huck. But with all the increased traffic from China to it since I arrived, I am sure it is on "watch list" or something. 
I actually finally found the video and was able to watch it....looks to me like a manufacturing defect. The wheel just disintegrates. Carbon doesn't normally fail like that from an impact....although given it was a trispoke design, I suppose that could have contributed to the catastrophic failure. IOW, once one area of the wheel failed, it could have caused a chain reaction failure, I guess. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Nick A
Posts:625
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| 03/10/2017 10:15 AM |
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| Ha. Banned sites. I worked at the VA for five years. Had a co-worker who was trying to help a veteran get benefits from being exposed to radiation in the bikini islands, but kept running into trouble searching "bikini". |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 03/11/2017 09:05 AM |
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| "We are a small, but proud nation - as exampled by our lycra..." |
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