Time trial bikes were on the rise at Eurobike 2014, with nearly all the major road bike brands bringing along an aero option.
In our mega gallery, we’ve snapped over 20 bikes on show this year to give you the heads up on what will be hitting retailers in 2015. Here’s our roundup of the most exciting TT bikes at Eurobike 2014.
Cannondale Slice
Cannondale's new Slice is surprisingly light for a TT bike
The best TT bikes are aero, stiff and light – that’s an almost impossible balancing act to pull off, but Cannondale reckons it's cracked it with the new Slice.
“Why do a heavy, complicated flat-road only tri bike? We turned it on its head, and went with the original clean Slice design with an ego treatment,” said Cannondale’s Murray Washburn.
The top-end frame specced on the Slice Black Inc and Dura-Ace Di2 models has a claimed weight of 1,000g, while the entry-level Shimano 105 version only weighs 1,200g. This is thanks in part to Cannondale’s Truncated Aero Profile (TAP) tubes, which use kammtail-style aerofoils, retaining aerodynamics and stiffness with less material.
Cannondale says the solid seatstays, which make the bike UCI-illegal, offer four times the deflection of most endurance road bikes while the seat tube retains its stiffness, so the total deflection at the saddle isn’t out of the ordinary.
Based on data from thousands of bike fits, courtesy of Cannondale’s partners at Guru, the geometry has moved from a 76-degree seat angle to 79-degrees with scope for an 83-degree effective seat angle via saddle movement. This, combined with shorter than usual cranks for each size, allows open hip angles in aggressive aero positions.
Raphael R-023 Ueberbike
Rafael's concept bike does away with the non-driveside stays and fork leg
Every year, a panel of judges at Eurobike hands out awards for some of the most innovative gear at the show. The new Rafael R-023 Ueberbike is certainly that, doing away with one fork leg and the seat and chainstays from the non-driveside. It’s an out-there design that drew a crowd throughout the show.
Rafael has included a drum brake on the front for an aero saving while cables are almost entirely hidden. The cockpit also has a built-in aero drinks system.
The panel said: “This triathlon vehicle fully lives up to its name of Ueberbike… this really is innovation. For us judges, it was love at first sight.”
We doubt we’ll see the German-designed Ueberbike in production any time soon, but it’s an interesting look at what the future could hold for aero bikes.
Scott Plasma 5
Scott's Plasma 5 TT bike has already has success at the Ironman European Championships
The here-and-now of triathlon bike tech was shown through the Scott Plasma 5. Featuring a front-mounted drinks system very similar to that of the Ueberbike, space for food and completely hidden brakes, it’s got everything the long-distance time trialist or triathlete needs. Subtract these additions, and it’s a UCI-legal speed machine.
The frame has lost 130g since the Plasma 3, while Scott claims an improvement of 47 per cent in the stiffness department. The use of Scott Foil-esque truncated airfoils on the down tube also mean a penalty of just one watt at 40km per hour when using a standard round bottle.
Argon 18 E-118 Next
The Argon 18's new E-118 Next has plenty of adjustability in its integrated front end
Another impressive new launch to flag up was that of the Argon 18 E-118 Next, the Canadian brand’s new top-end TT machine, which will be used by the Bora-Argon 18 pro team (formerly NetApp-Endura) in 2015.
The new, lighter front end allows adjustment of the extension angle as well as stack height customisation via the integrated stem’s ONEness 3.0 system. The front brake is nestled behind the fork legs, with the option of completely internal cabling up through inside of the bayonet-style fork, or on the outside for easier adjustment. Either way, there’s also a handy quick-release catch.
The rest of the UCI-legal bike remains virtually the same for 2015, though the Bora-Argon 18 team will be using a full Vision Metron groupset including TT shifters, brake levers, aero chainset and the carbon-caged rear derailleur, which is hidden from the wind thanks to a shrouded cage.
Bianchi Aquila CV
Bianchi's Aquila CV is a standout bike in the Italian company's 130-year history
Italian cycling stalwart Bianchi was showing off its new Aquila CV TT bike, which was ridden by members of the Belkin team at the Tour this year. Thanks to the Countervail layer in the carbon layup, which was borrowed from the cobbles-munching Infinito CV endurance bike, the Aquila is designed to be comfortable as well as aero.
The smooth front end features a faring running from the brake to the integrated stem, hiding all cabling and sitting below the Bianchi / Vision co-designed bars.
The Aquila’s sleek, curved lines were brought to fruition via CFD development and give a clean, stylish look that’s sure to draw covetous glances at time trials.
There are loads more TT bikes to ogle in the gallery above and don't forget to check out some of our other galleries – Weird and Wonderful and Best of Germany.