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FEATURES: PRELUDE TO KONA IRONMAN
Road Bike Action
October 7, 2011
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In the days before the Kona Ironman World Championships, Specialized unveiled a brand new triathlete specific version of the world championship winning Shiv TT bike. The bike is a radical departure from most other tri bikes for a few reasons, chief among them was the their bike was designed and built to specifically NOT conform to the UCI aero rules that have so diminished the evolution of TT technology as it corresponds to UCI racing applications.
In fact, on more than one occasion this year we have heard numerous bike designers share a similar lament - why be inhibited by the UCI frame regulations if they really only apply to anyone who competes in either the UCI ProTour or in any UCI affiliated event? Yeah, what about everyone else - the 99% of us - who are just looking for a radical bike that can be enjoyed on the lunch ride?!
Specialized claims that by casting off the UCI's 3:1 ratio frame design guidelines, that they can design and build a bike that far better serves the specific interests of triathletes. No more trying to get the best Tri-specific aero tech out of a frame that was intentionally dumbed down to make a bunch of Swiss bureaucrats happy! Kudos Specialized.
Prior to the the arrival of the new tri specific Shiv, the TT oriented version was put to use.
Here's the standard TT version Shiv in the Tour de France.
It doesn't take long to look at the two different (TT and Tri) Shiv
frames to see how radically different they are. Beside just the frame
shapes, the Tri Shiv features a pretty unique Fuelselage integrated hydration system that is actually built into the frame.
For 2012 Specialized plans to sell four versions of the new Tri Shiv plus a S-Works "module" (a built up frame, but not complete bike) and a Pro frameset. The top of the line bike the S-Works version with Shimano Di2, followed by a Pro SRAM Red bike, a Shiv Expert and the entry level Comp Rival.
HERE'S WHAT WE GLEANED FROM THE SHIV TRI'S PLAYBOOK
1. AERO
BY IGNORING UCI RULES FOR FRAME DIMENSIONS, AND HIDING A HYDRATION
RESERVOIR INSIDE THE TUBING, WE’VE ENGINEERED OUR MOST AERODYNAMIC FRAME
EVER, OPTIMIZED FOR CROSSWINDS. IT ALSO ALLOWED US TO DRAMATICALLY
IMPROVE FIT OPTIONS, BECAUSE WITH PROPER FIT, TRIATHLETES CAN MAINTAIN
THEIR MOST AERO POSITION THROUGHOUT A RACE.
FACT IS CARBON FRAME: WE STUDIED AIRFLOW IN EACH AREA OF THE
FRAME AND OPTIMIZED TUBING AND FRAME DESIGN FOR THAT SPECIFIC AIRFLOW PATTERN—WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON CROSSWINDS—RATHER THAN RELYING ON
UNIFORM AIRFOIL TUBES. PLUS, THE FACT IS CARBON TUBING AND THE FORK
BLADES FEATURE ASPECT RATIOS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THE STANDARD
UCI-LEGAL 3:1, CREATING BETTER AIRFLOW ATTACHMENT FOR A SMALLER WAKE AND
LOWER DRAG.
FUELSELAGE INTEGRATED HYDRATION SYSTEM: WE DESIGNED THE RESERVOIR
FOR THE FUELSELAGE INTEGRATED HYDRATION SYSTEM TO BE HOUSED ENTIRELY
INSIDE THE FRAME, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE SIGNIFICANT DRAG ASSOCIATED
WITH TRADITIONAL WATER BOTTLE SYSTEMS.
4:1 AIRFOIL FORK: THE FACT CARBON FORK IS EXTREMELY NARROW AT THE
LEADING EDGE AND FEATURES A 4:1 ASPECT RATIO, KEEPING AIRFLOW SMOOTH AND
ATTACHED OVER THIS AERODYNAMICALLY CRITICAL AREA.
2. FUEL
FUELSELAGE INTEGRATED HYDRATION SYSTEM: TRADITIONAL TUBE-MOUNTED WATER
BOTTLE SETUPS ARE A MAJOR DRAG ON AERODYNAMICS. TO AVOID THIS, AND TO
PROVIDE THE SAFEST, MOST ERGONOMIC HYDRATION SYSTEM POSSIBLE, WE
DESIGNED THE FUELSELAGE INTEGRATED HYDRATION SYSTEM TO FIT NEATLY INSIDE
SHIV’S MASSIVE DOWN TUBE. TESTING PROVES THE SYSTEM HAS ABSOLUTELY NO
EFFECT ON THE FRAME’S OUTSTANDING AERODYNAMICS.
A REMOVABLE HYDRATION RESERVOIR (APPROXIMATE CAPACITY OF ONE WATER
BOTTLE—EXACT SIZE IS FRAME-SPECIFIC) FITS EASILY THROUGH A PORT ON THE
TOP TUBE, AND STOWS INSIDE THE DOWN TUBE. RIDERS CAN REFILL THE
RESERVOIR DIRECTLY THROUGH THE PORT WITHOUT NEED FOR REMOVAL, EVEN ON
THE FLY; AND THE BITE VALVE CAN BE MOUNTED ANYWHERE ON THE BARS, WITH A
MOVABLE MAGNETIC MOUNT.
PLUS, THE WHOLE SYSTEM CAN BE REMOVED FOR EASY CLEANING.
3. FIT
A PROPER FIT IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL IN TRIATHLON, WITH RIDERS OFTEN
MAINTAINING ONE POSITION FOR HOURS. SHIV IS OFFERED IN FIVE FRAME SIZES,
EACH WITH MULTI-ADJUSTABLE SEATPOSTS, CONTROL TOWER FIT SYSTEM, AND
SPECIALIZED AERO BARS: OUT OF THE BOX, IT OFFERS THE BEST AND WIDEST
RANGE OF FIT ON THE MARKET.
CONTROL TOWER FIT SYSTEM WITH ADJUSTABLE STEM: THE CONTROL TOWER
IS AN INTERCHANGEABLE FAIRING SYSTEM, AVAILABLE IN THREE DIFFERENT
SIZES, THAT ATTACHES BEHIND THE STEERER TUBE. THIS ALLOWS RIDERS TO DIAL
THE PERFECT STACK HEIGHT WHILE MAINTAINING OPTIMAL AERODYNAMICS AT THE
STEM/STEERER INTERFACE.
SPECIALIZED AEROBAR: OUR PROPRIETARY AEROBAR SYSTEM, AVAILABLE IN
CARBON OR ALLOY, IS UNMATCHED IN ITS FIT RANGE FOR OPTIMAL COMFORT AND
EFFICIENCY. THE PADS OFFER VARIOUS REACH AND STACK HEIGHT SETTINGS,
WHILE THE EXTENSIONS OFFER ADJUSTABLE STACK HEIGHT, LENGTH, TILT, AND
HAND WIDTH (PLUS ALL AFTERMARKET EXTENSIONS WILL FIT IN THE MOUNTS).
FLIPPABLE SEATPOST: S-WORKS AND PRO BIKES COME WITH 12.5MM AND
37.5MM SETBACK SEATPOSTS, (EXPERT AND BELOW: 12.5MM ONLY): THESE CAN BE
FLIPPED TO FACE EITHER DIRECTION, RESULTING IN FOUR POSITIONS, SPACED
EVENLY IN 25MM INCREMENTS. AND THE SEAT TUBE HAS UP TO 200MM OF SEAT
TUBE INSERTION, SO THERE’S NO NEED TO CUT THE POST.
5 FRAME SIZES: OFFERED IN FIVE FRAME SIZES, FROM XS TO XL,
AND COMBINED WITH ITS VARIOUS MULTI-ADJUSTABLE FEATURES, THERE’S
A PERFECTLY FITTING SHIV FOR ALMOST ANY RIDER. ALL FRAME SIZES USE 700C
WHEELS, AND INCREASE INCREMENTALLY IN BOTH STACK AND REACH, WITH A SET
SEAT TUBE ANGLE. AS A RESULT, SHIV WILL FIT A HUGE RANGE OF RIDERS RIGHT
OUT OF THE BOX: THERE ARE NO GAPS IN BETWEEN SIZES. IN FACT THERE'S
FIT-RANGE OVERLAP BETWEEN EACH FRAME SIZE. RIDERS DON'T NEED TO BUY
AFTERMARKET BARS OR STEM TO MAKE THEIR FRAME FIT PROPERLY. AND THE
OVERLAP MEANS RIDERS IN BETWEEN SIZES WHO, FOR INSTANCE, PREFER A
SLAMMED STEM AND BARS HAVE THE OPTION
TO CHOOSE A LARGER FRAME, OR VICE VERSA DEPENDING ON PREFERENCE. |
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