"Smart" Fans, a Titanium Hardtail, & Carbon Fiber Brake Rotors - Eurobike 2018
Like a lot of riders, I can get my geek on all day over the latest full-suspension rigs and other bike tech, but I'll always have a soft spot for titanium hardtails. I mean, just look at it - it's beautiful. Pipedream is a British brand that does the slack, fun hardtail thing, and usually in steel, but this version of the Moxie is made using 3AL/2.5V titanium.
Manufactured in limited numbers, this particular bike's brushed finish and shiny Moxie logo are even rarer - just two were made so far, and I think I want both of them.
With a 65.5-degree head angle, a short 420mm seat tube length, and ready for a long-travel single crown fork, the titanium Moxie ain't no warmed-over cross-country rig, either. Other numbers include a properly steep 76.5-degree seat angle, and a 64mm bottom bracket drop that should see it absolutely fly around the corners. Reach is forward-thinking, too, with either 470mm or even roomier 510mm of space up front.
I know this isn't the usual place to read about indoor trainers, but Wahoo's new Kickr Headwind is a pretty neat piece of interactive technology that some of us (and me) might find interesting. How is it any better than a $30 USD fan that you can find from any store? Well, it talks to your Kickr trainer for starters, with it able to change fan speed depending on either how fast you're going, your heart rate, or your wattage output - it's your call as to what metric it reads. Basically, the more effort you put out, the more cooling you'll have, up to 34 mph. You can also adjust it manually, of course. The wind direction is also much more focused on the rider than a big round or square fan is able to put out, and it can be easily angled upwards as required thanks to adjustable rear feet.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that it could conceivably be able to be interactive with training programs like Zwift. Just imagine that you're in a big group and make a break for it - the Headwind might be able to instantly increase fan speed to simulate a, er, headwind, or speed up when you're coasting down a hill without pedaling. It doesn't do either of those things right now, but you never know given that its API is open.
Carbon fiber rotors aren't new - a few brands have tried over the years, all unsuccessfully - but I still want them to work one day. How cool would that be? Some of the challenges include heat issues and brake pad material, but Alligator looks like they're going to have a go at it again after showing a few different versions over the past years. This one employs an aluminum carrier and looks like it weighs less than a gnat's fart, although they didn't have an exact weight for me to quote. It requires carbon-specific brake pads, which makes sense as you don't want your sintered pads eating through what is probably quite an expensive rotor.
Alligator didn't have much more for me in the way of information, but here's hoping that they figure it out. We've seen a bunch of smaller companies trying the carbon rotor thing over the years, but none of them have come anywhere close to being properly useful for real mountain biking.
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Don't flame it just because we cant have one for our sport
^^^
This!
if you want lightweight rotors that actually work, try the hope race x2 floating rotor (within its limits, I still wouldnt ride even those down super morzine, or whole enchilada)
Carbon carrier brake disc does exist. BTW these guys supply the likes of uberbike & superstar components.
On a mtb it takes a while to heat up metal pads, can’t imagine how long it would take a carbon rotor.
a suzuki gsxr that I use on race tracks ie silverstone ect. Hence track bike. What you call them in USA?
Hahaha!
Bicycle wankers have a totally different idea of what a "track bike" is. Here you need to refer to your motorcycle track bike.
Amount of heat generated by stopping a car is a heck of alot more than a pedal bike, so hitting that sweet spot is much quicker and easier. Dunno what a fsae car is but I'm guessing the brakes are somewhat shielded from air flow more than a pedal bikes.
Carbon pads on carbon disc are even more temp critical/sensative than carbon on steel. So consistency and power will be even harder to manage or predict.
EG Most moto GP riders still use steel discs with carbon pads in the wet. More Mtb like condition I'd say. Carbon discs don't always /can't/won't maintain the optimal temp for consistency, feel and power in the wet. The riders that do (marquez) run carbon disc and pads in the wet have covers on them and have god like talent to ride around it.
Not saying it's a no go things improve. But can't seeing them working well or being worth it outside a bike park on a hot dry day doing high speed runs.
Muddy cold wet windy day hmmmm who wants to swoping brakes every time the weather changes.
Wouldn't wanna breath any of what goes in any brake pads tbh.
They can still use asbestos in the US for motor vehicle brake pads!
Looks like they are missing the ceramic part
www.carbonceramicbrakes.com/en/technology/Pages/Technology.aspx
Other than that, why work with a floating rotor? Especially due to anisotropy, if you manage to expand due to heat it is really going to deform instead of staying round like an amorphous steel rotor would. Yes I know the steel there has a grain orientation too due to the rolling direction of the plate it is cut out of, but it is not going to behave anywhere as anisotropic as this carbon product.
This was the kind of product you'd expect in the 90's or 00's. I'd have expected the industry to have grown past this kind of black metal design.
How many top Enduro Mx or Mx racers use carbon rotors?
Use what is fit for purpose.
Just a thought.
Totally applicable to mountain biking, as you can see.
I love integrating space technology in top level mountain bicycle riding.
"A Formula 1 brake disc typically costs between $2,000 and $3,000 depending on the supplier and the complexity of the cooling holes machined into it. Pads are cheaper at around $800 a pair, "
jobinf1.com/2013/03/10/how-much-does-an-f1-car-cost-part-2
that's actually a lot cheaper than i thought
Whether you can get effective stopping power simply comes down to materials in the pad and rotor.
@Asmodai how much an F1 rotor costs is irrelevant for two reasons. 1- a bike is not an F1 car so it doesn't need an F1 rotor and 2- people buying rotors because they are 20 grams lighter generally don't care much about cost.