What Andy Wilkinson can teach us.

[Exit Stage Left]

Andy is now confirmed as having riddden 541 miles in 24 hours. it's unlikely that any of us will ever have his talent or level of support, but what does his bike tell us?



It's a steel MTB type frame, with a triple and a long cage mech. He rides it for everything, as it has rack fittings, so there is never any riding he does that isn't preparing him for events.
He rides with his knees almost touching, so he needs that low top tube.
The bike is long, so he gets thrown about less.

[dasmoth]

So, we should be using disk/trispoke wheels for the Summer Pootlers' 100?

[Exit Stage Left]

The previous two frames were titanium, they broke. So he's now back to steel.
Here's a shot of the bike in touring mode, after Andy had marshalled at the Mersey Roads.


The length is obvious when compared with the other bike in the shot. it gives him a superman position within the rules.

[mattc]

The length is obvious when compared with the other bike in the shot. it gives him a superman position within the rules.

That's a side-effect; I reckon he just wanted proper mudguard clearance.

[Alouicious]

What Andy Wilkinson can teach us is... set up your bike to be ergonomically correct.



Straight through his stem/handlebar clamp.

[mrcharly-YHT]

It's a steel MTB type frame, with a triple and a long cage mech.

a 29" MTB?  Or is it a compact touring frame?

the components are interesting - his vbrakes line up with the forks perfectly, very little disrupted airflow there. He gets low using bent arms all the time. Very flexible back

[hubner]

So, we should be using disk/trispoke wheels for the Summer Pootlers' 100?

Don't forget the pointy hat 

[hubner]

Andy is now confirmed as having riddden 541 miles in 24 hours. it's unlikely that any of us will ever have his talent or level of support, but what does his bike tell us?



It's a steel MTB type frame, with a triple and a long cage mech. He rides it for everything, as it has rack fittings, so there is never any riding he does that isn't preparing him for events.
He rides with his knees almost touching, so he needs that low top tube.
The bike is long, so he gets thrown about less.

That bike is probably as aerodynamic as the typical TT bike with all the aero tricks; disc and trispoke wheels, and aerobars. Plus he's most likely riding on  lightweight racing tubs.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Cervelo and lots of wind tunnel fans will swear black and blue that Wilko's bike is slower than their machines.

[Exit Stage Left]

It's a steel MTB type frame, with a triple and a long cage mech.

a 29" MTB?  Or is it a compact touring frame?

the components are interesting - his vbrakes line up with the forks perfectly, very little disrupted airflow there. He gets low using bent arms all the time. Very flexible back

It's difficult to know, there's nothing on the Dolan site that's anything like it. It certainly looks a lot like a compact tourer, the sort of thing that Taiwanese factories churn out. It could be custom 853.

[dasmoth]

I'm assuming the forks are carbon?

[Exit Stage Left]

I'm assuming the forks are carbon?

They seem to be carried over from the previous frame, as are all the other components. A cyclo cross fork would be the likeliest guess.

[YahudaMoon]

Sunlight Wheelers on the Wirral. Seen these guys in the Eureka cyclist cafe on Sunday.

[Alouicious]

Its a Raleigh Firefly with Dolan stickers.

[YahudaMoon]

Could be a chopper ? Not a Raleigh Chopper, I mean a DIY Graeme Obree chop kind a job

[YahudaMoon]

Cervelo and lots of wind tunnel fans will swear black and blue that Wilko's bike is slower than their machines.

It's not about the bike. Its the engine.

[hubner]

Cervelo and lots of wind tunnel fans will swear black and blue that Wilko's bike is slower than their machines.

They might, and even if it was it would be a tiny difference. This bike's got the major bits make really make the difference: disc and trispoke wheels, and aerobars, plus he's got the pointy hat and shoe covers as well. Bigger clearances and a longer wheelbase don't make a bike slower.

Also he's only riding at 22mph average and the pros go at over 30mph (edit:the pros on their wind tunnel tested bikes); that's a huge difference. At slower speeds overcoming air resistance makes up a smaller part of the effort than at faster speeds.

And in any case are there any riders with his speed riding 24s with a wind tunnel tested bike?

[Alouicious]

Maybe he's got the right physiology for doing this kind of thing and he's been riding a bike for several decades.

[Fab Foodie]

Looks like he has a touch of aero-belly as well, (which is heartening  )

[Exit Stage Left]

I took a picture of it when he finished.



He did the first 100 miles in 3hrs. 57min.
Wilko last held the 100 record in 1996 at 3.27.39, it now stands at 3.22.45
Back then Wilko was riding a Giant MCR.

[Paul D]

Are the wheels 700c? The first picture makes them look a bot 650-ish, but may be a trick of the odd frame length?

I know it's a triathlete favourite to use a 650-wheel-specific to shorten the wheelbase, which obviously isn't the case here.


To be honest, I think what I'm learning from Andy Wilkinson is the principles of aerodynamics apply differently at his pace than at my usual speed.

[mattc]

Also he's only riding at 22mph average and the pros go at over 30mph; that's a huge difference. At slower speeds overcoming air resistance makes up a smaller part of the effect than at faster speeds.

Yup. Although I'd alter that to say " ... whereas Andy rides a 10miler at over 30mph" !

At some point the comfort/speed compromise has to come into play, and that is probably Andy's specialist subject.

[teethgrinder]

The previous two frames were titanium, they broke. So he's now back to steel.
Here's a shot of the bike in touring mode, after Andy had marshalled at the Mersey Roads.


The length is obvious when compared with the other bike in the shot. it gives him a superman position within the rules.

I expect that only Andy really knows. But I see that he has plenty of clearance between pannier and foot in that photo and I expect that his bike handles better with panniers the way Wilko has it set up. So he could do all of his riding in the same position. He seemed to be implying in his speech at the end that he'd been planning this ride for about 5 years.
I also wonder whther it was for shock absorbing? I noticed that he never seemed to get out of the saddle. just stayed in the tri bars almost all the time and not honking up hills. Just kept in the saddle and a good, smooth pedalling style. I remember thinking that he looked like he was touring from behind.
I'm surprised that his ti frames broke though.

[Paul D]

I'm surprised that his ti frames broke though.

Maybe at the seatclamp area? I've seen numerous pictures on MTB forums of cracks across the weld around the seat tube/top tube welds - MTBers using very compact frames and long seat posts like Andy Wilkinson has in those pictures.

[Wobbly]

What sort of valve caps does he use?