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  As with anything in my life, patience is not my strong suit. I want my new frame and I want it now! While the process has not been terribly long, I am sure that David Tiemeyer is probably tired of giving me status updates. In an effort to help the time go by, I threw together some questions for Dave and fired them off.
From frame material, aerodynamics, bike fit and stuff about Mr. Tiemeyer himself, it's all touched on. Take a minute and check it out!
Oh... the FGF Project Tiemeyer is in Colorado Springs at Spectrum Powder Works! It won't be long now!
What material are you using for my frame?
The Signature model track frame is built from 6061 aluminum, a weldable
alloy developed by the aircraft industry. It does require a full
solution heat treatment to grow the crystalline structure back, but I
feel it is well worth the expense. The 7005 aluminum alloy used by
most manufactures is typically just artifically aged and has given
aluminum a bad reputation for fatique quality.
Do you change up the material based on size? power?
Oh sure, I will use different sized material for different applications.
With all the exotic materials out there, why do stick with aluminum?
Special shapes, like airfoils, can be fabricated more easily from
aluminum than from other materials. Aluminum lends itself better to
custom construction and is fairly inexpensive.
Is the seat tube the same size/shape as the downtube?
The Signature seat and down tubes have the same NACA airfoil section
even though the cross sections are distinct to handle the different
loadings.
Much has been made about the "feel" of various frame materials.
Steel is "real", Carbon is "smooth", Aluminum is "harsh". Others
contend you can't possibly feel the difference. Care to comment?
The intrinsic stiffness of all the metals used in bicycle frame
construction are within 4% of each other, so it is the cross section
and profile geometry of a model that give it's particular ride quality.
Many people are quite concerned about aerodynamics. Have do your frames stack up against the latest generation of frames?
I have had the opportunity to work with the folks at the Ambient Air
wind tunnel in Fort Collins, Colorado. We gathered drag data from as
many bikes as possible, including Cervelo, Planet X and Teschner.
Results showed the Tiemeyer Signature track and time trial bikes are as
aerodynamic as the fastest bikes available up to the 20 degree yaw
angle we tested. I hope to post those results on my website in the
near future.
On your website, it indicates you used to be involved in building helicopter wings? How do you go from helicopters to bicycles?
Interests often overlap. I have naturally gravitated to building aero
frames because of my aeronautical engineering background. But I have
found that riding a bicycle comes as close to the freedom of flight as
anything.
You are well known for your work on the GT "Super Bikes". How did you get involved in that project?
I had been the production manager at the GT Bicycles Longmont facility
for several years. Then when GT decided to sponsor the US Cycling Team
in an attempt to break into the road market, I seized upon the
opportunity to work with all the national caliber athletes and shifted
to building the custom frames for USA Cycling and later USA Triathlon.
If I am not mistaken, the SB1 was the original super bike, the SB2
were the carbon bike used in Atlanta, the SB3 was the UCI legal version
of SB1? How much does the Tiemeyer of today differ from a "Super bike".
Tiemeyer Cycles acquired the license to continue making the aero
seatstays, seat and down tubes that were used so successfully on the
SB3's built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The Tiemeyer Signature
improved upon the SB3 to use CP titanium dropouts with 2" of chain
take-up, conventional bottom bracket and crankset, and standard sized
seatpost and fork steerer.
Were you involved in the fabrication of the carbon bikes?
All the SB2 carbon superbikes were built in California and came from
one mold. It was my responsibility to document all the athlete's
riding positions and then to fabricate custom aerobars that bridged the
gap from bike to those hand and arm positions. I also built the steel
forks for those bikes.
You have developed your PositionCycle, your knowledge of bicycle fit
seems to be remarkable, how did you acquire all of this knowledge?
We are fortunate to have had a lot of creative energy go into bike
fitting in recent years which has filtered down to the local bike shop
level. It has not always been this way. My first attempt at
developing a fit system for my own use was doing mathematical
regression analysis on the early Fit Kit tables. We subsequently built
a fully adjustable bike at GT for use with the National Team athletes
in the GM windtunnel. I have built a database over the years that has
allowed me to see trends in cycling positions for various riding
styles, but there has always been a need to refine a position based on
a cyclist's unique requirements. So I developed the PositionCycle
apparatus in an attempt to uncover watts that were previously hidden.
If I am successful at this, it is because of the collaboration I have
with the athlete.
When a rider comes to you with what you consider to be a poor fit
and wants to buy a frame, do you try to change their position or build
a frame you do not approve of the fit?
When I have the opportunity to refine a cyclist's position, we can
scientifically document their current performance and then move the
position around to see if power output, wind drag and comfort improve.
The customer can feel the differences that subtle positional changes
can make, so when they leave the shop they know that the new bike will
support a position that optimizes their performance.
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| Posted on 08/22/08 @ 09:13:01 AM by Scott |
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Average Score: 5
Votes: 4
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| "Project Tiemeyer - Part 3 - The Informative Wait" | Login/Create an Account | 0 comments |
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