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The same thing happened in F1 in the 80s going into the 90s. Back in the 80s a team of 10 to 20 people designed a car and they did basic testing. These days a team of 200+ people designs a car including a metric shitton of simulations of CFD, structures, performance, they simulate races on the fly, etc. etc.
It's a realistic scenario that some teams/brands will be left behind if they will not be prepared to go forward with the new paradigm.
What's it like with MX in this regard, does anyone know this?
https://youtu.be/PCvrdZOk_kk
At the end of the day he crashed his bike. Aaron isn’t the type to make excuses so I’m sure he’ll be fired up to be ready to take on the rest of the season.
Regarding the commencal team running crank bros synthesis wheels, it is interesting, not surprising they're not running Enve anymore tho! Anyone know if it was the synthesis alloy or carbon?
As I said in the tech thread, it's really disappointing that the IFR guys got their bike ridiculously late. This has been a project in the works since last summer (really before that) and they don't get bikes until a couple weeks before the season?? Sorry to be harsh, but that's pathetic for a company who has inhouse frame-building capabilities. You can't be competitive at this level with a couple weeks on a bike. Look at Luca, Laurie, etc. Everyone giving them props for doing so well on a 'new bike' and they've had those bikes for 3-4 months.
Also, the interview with Jeff, on the other site... Jeff talking about how it's a work in progress and they'll be racing prototypes throughout the season because that's core "Intense" as a brand. Ummm, this is 2022, no other top riders are trying out prototype bikes all season long and tinkering. Gwin is in the last couple years of his career and he's forced to be testing out prototype bikes all year after a couple years of injuries and bikes/tires that held him back. Pretty bummer way to close out his career. Here's to hoping they can get the bike dialed in the next 6 weeks and this was just a bump in the road. I give DAK a lot of credit for jumping on this bike and posting a very solid result. And congrats to top American Luca!
Regarding the link itself... As soon as pics of the Intense HP bike showed up, all the online engineers pointed out that the rocker would be super flexy. The guys probably noticed the flex immediately in Windrock during testing and had Jeff machine solid/beefy ones that got anodized and express shipped to Lourdes.
The Commencal bikes you're referring to were way farther along in the process and the team riders had time to get used to them and do testing.
Also, Intense has a 6-bar bike they're going to be getting the riders soon (wasn't ready in time). So two development bikes (different designs) during the season. And nothing refined. Cool idea for a younger/development team but a mess for a rider of Gwin's caliber in the end of his productive years. Like I said, hopefully they get it back on track and crush it during the next 6 weeks.
Also, Dak got 11th.
The Commencal prototype was way different to the final frame and they were tweaking the linkages between the races. Watch 'This Is Us' where you can see that the development process wasn't fast and easy and far from done when the team riders started riding the protos. Pompom even had a floating brake arm on one of the bikes.
I hear the midges buzzing already, Fort William is near!
For a season recap just link this thread 😂
The guys in SX/MX are so burned out by their late 20's if they are successful, they will just call it quits (Dungey, Villapoto and now probably Roczen) the risk of racing at that level, the training and multi million dollar contracts for the top guys means retirement by 30 common.
But with MX, the sacrifices the kids/parents make are insane. They will be homes chooled or pulled out of school by about 12 and start getting serious about training, basically losing their childhood in a way.
Of 100 kids that forego their education, maybe 1 or 2 of those kids will make it on the pro circuit give or take!
For every Chad Reed or Lawrence brothers there is, there are countless other families risking it all for little to no outcome, it's a cut throat sport in that regard. You don't seem to see that in MTB.
thanks for kicking it off, too!
but yeah, I don't think anybody can match the batshit crazy riding that Amaury and Thibault want to push.
Lots of top guys and teams were a bit off the pace at Lourdes and there's a big break now to sort out the details.
Gwin looked happy and confident in the pre race interviews, but he didn't get a lot of time on the hill and his practice crash looked like a stinger.
Dak did pretty well on the new bike, so it doesn't suck.
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