(Lance) Armstrong’s time-trial bike stolen in California

[Tab]

Source: Associated Press

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP)—Lance Armstrong’s time-trial bike was stolen from the Team Astana truck during the night before Stage 1 of the Tour of California.
...
A few hours after the time trial, someone removed four bikes from the Astana truck outside the team hotel in Sacramento. Armstrong’s time-trial bike, which was closest to the door because he was delayed by a post-race trip to doping control, was taken along with race bikes belonging to Astana teammates Steve Morabito, Yaroslav Popovych and Janez Brajkovic.

Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens confirmed the theft to The Associated Press after it was reported by Armstrong himself on his Twitter feed. Armstrong later posted a picture of the bike, which has distinctive yellow-and-black wheels and the logo of his Livestrong foundation.

“There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off. Reward being offered,” Armstrong wrote before jumping on his race bike for the 107-mile ride from Davis to Santa Rosa through a steady rainstorm.

Team Astana manager Johan Bruyneel also mentioned the thefts on his Twitter feed before he began following his riders. The racers all have backup bikes, and two-time defending Tour champion Levi Leipheimer’s bike wasn’t stolen.

Armstrong won’t need his time-trial bike again until Friday in Solvang, where the race holds its second time trial. That segment is crucial to Astana’s hopes of winning the overall team title.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-armstrong-bikestolen&prov=ap&type=lgns

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I hope he gets it back, but just curious - if there are any racers out there - why would the time trial bike be different than the regular racing bike?

[kojak]

1. Differences allow for more aerodynamic rider/bike profile

TT bikes use aerobars and the bike geometry and shape may be different to allow the rider to tuck into a more aero position to reduce drag. Different wheels such as disc wheels are also generally used.

[Tab]

7. Okay, and not to be dense....

but if it's an aerodynamically positive bike, why not use it all the time?

Are there rules distinguishing (which would seem weird) or would the time trial not be general enough for the whole ride?

[Ammonium]

13. TT bikes

TT bikes are used in individual and sometimes team time trials. There are separate rules for these particular bikes. They're allowed to used aerobars, disc wheels or wheels with low spoke count, the angles in the headtube and seat tube are different, and the rider position is different. They're basically built to be as aerodynamic as possible and to make the rider as aerodynamic as possible. 80-90% of the drag when riding a bicycle is from rider position. Most time trials are short, less than 15 miles, so the riders can be done with them in 30 minutes or less so if the position is not the most comfortable the rider only has to tolerate it for a short period of time

For regular bikes, called "mass start" bikes, there are different rules. You're not allowed to use aerobars, disc wheels and other wheels of extremely low spoke count are not allowed, ect, ect. These bikes are used everywhere else where some races maybe 100 miles or more and may take 4-5 hours. That position used on the time trial bike would be torture to maintain for 4-5 hours.

[lakercub]

15. beat me to it

[lakercub]

14. Time trial bikes

are stiffer and tend to be heavier (in fact there are minimum weight requirements for races). Because time trial courses tend to be shorter, flatter (not always), and straighter, the weight and comfort of the bike is not considered as much as the aerodynamics. Most time trials go a half hour to a little over an hour, so the lack of comfort can be handled for that amount of time.

Road races, however, tend to go on undulating courses where weight is more keenly felt (or on mountains where TT bikes would be death). Also, time trials are run individually or within a small team group, whereas a regular road race can have 180 people on the road at the same time. Therefore the ability to handle the bike becomes infinitely more important. Time trial bikes don't handle as well as regular road bikes. When 180 people have wheels that are mere inches apart...a bad handling bike can be disastrous.

Road races tend to be four and five hour affairs where a lack of comfort will be more readily felt. Also, much of a regular road race is run within the peloton. Riders conserve energy by riding in this large group as the riders themselves act as a wind block for those behind them (this is why teams get irritated when certain teams never go to the front to help pull the group...they are getting all the benefit without doing any of the work).

Regular road bikes need to be aerodynamic as well, but trade offs are made so the bike can handle other chores as well...time trial bikes are all about shaving a few precious seconds off your time.

[HereSince1628]

2. Do, I hear an order coming to a bike factory in rural Wisconsin?

Was that bike made Wisconsin like his carbon fiber tour de France bikes?

[LeftyMom]

3. The truck was just sitting in the parking lot unattended.

It was obvious what would be in it, since there were Tour of California official vehicles everywhere and the truck had a giant logo on the side, and was the only vehicle in the lot big enough to store people's bikes. The hotel's parking lot is also situated on a side street where it would be really easy to get into a vehicle without being seen, as the road on that side gets almost no traffic after business hours. Had the truck been parked on the other side of the hotel this would not have been the case as the truck would have been visible from a very busy street and the parking lot of a mall.

I drove by on the way to my bank, and this struck me as a very bad idea when I saw it. I would suggest hiring a guard to watch the bikes overnight, and maybe parking the bike truck somewhere less obvious.

[endarkenment]

4. That's too bad, but hold on a second...

"There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off"

"The racers all have backup bikes"


umm, so he really meant: "There are only two like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off"

[4lbs]

17. The backup bikes are rarely as good as the primary.

Armstrong's main TT bike is $25K+ and custom made just for him. Anyone smaller, larger, or weighing significantly different will have a tough time riding it.

His backup TT bike is more mainstream. It's not as good, but it will do. However, he'll probably lose 30 seconds in a medium to long TT versus the main one. That's quite a bit of time.

I don't think whoever took the bikes will be selling them. It's more competitive espionage, where the competing teams want to examine the bikes and try to duplicate the components and measurements as much as applicable to their own athletes. Or even understand the components used.

[petronius]

21. Either that, or someone thought it would be really funny to grab a bunch of

bike racers' bikes and throw them in the river.

[Gregorian]

5. That frame, and those wheels would be very difficult to sell.

They're going to get caught.



In other news, the race is riding my old cycling road right now! Tunitas Creek road. I've got friends who road out there to cheer them on.

[9119495]

6. Crap...I have "The Bicycle Thief" in my Netflix queue...

Now I am a suspect. Wait, Bush is gone, right?

[pattmarty]

8. Soooooooo, who REALLY gives a fuck??????

[Abacus]

9. Probably anyone motivated enough to read the thread title, click the link, then post in the thread.

:shrug:

[pattmarty]

12. I am not a big fan of Armstrongs because of a number of issues.............

...........that's why I posted what I did.

[4lbs]

16. Care to name them, or do you just want to look like a bitter person?

n/t

[pattmarty]

22. Oner huge one; whoring for the drug companies. I especially don't care.....

.......for "drug pimps".

[Dr.Phool]

10. I've got it. I'm holding it for ransom.

Leave Michael Phelps bong behind the pavilion in the park, or you'll never see it again.

And no, I won't accept Fred Phelps PCP.

[Phoenix-Risen]

11. Anyone seen Abdul S. Rao?

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=3618

[olddad56]

18. If it was stolen in Sacramento, Arnold would be my first suspect.

[unkachuck]

19. this also happened....

....to Spear Legweak several years ago....

[Mika]

20. Love the comeback of an American hero - on a Kazakhstan team.

The US's top two riders ride with the Kazak team.

The Tour of California is sponsored by Amgen - the maker of the EPO that 99% of the cyclists who've been caught using EPO.

Booshworld. :crazy: