The cost of a cycling Gold medal and why only a few can win

[AreaDaddy]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/ ... ne-finger/

HELMET

THE new super-aerodynamic helmets have a taper at the back to help air flow.

But the advance is in the material used for padding — the honeycombed
aluminium absorbs the impact of a crash better than traditional polystyrene
foam and takes up less space.

They are only good for one crash and cost £3,000 each.

GLOVES

LEATHER to give the hands some protection in case of a crash.

HANDLEBARS

A LOT of attention has to go into the handlebars because a rider uses all his
— or her — upper-body strength to generate power.

Each set is individually made for a rider and costs around £5,000. They are
full of carbon fibre for strength and, of course, there are no brakes.

CHAIN

DOUBLE thickness steel to take the strain and coated in titanium nitride for
smoother running.

SHOES

THEY are available in your local bike shop for around £300. Riders wear
overshoes for better aerodynamics.

SKIN SUIT

COST more than £5,000 and can be used only ONCE.

Wash them and they lose their ‘Secret Squirrel’ quality.

See the strips down the arms? They are triangles that help the air stick to
the body and reduce drag.

All clothing is tailor-made and seamless.

SADDLE

SAVING weight is not a huge advantage on a track bike so it’s down to a
rider’s preference. The saddle will be one you could buy in a shop for
around £250.

But the hi-tech bit comes in the stem to which it is attached — super thin,
aerodynamic carbon fibre.

LEGS

WHY do cyclists still insist on shaving their legs?

“It’s not a silly question,” said former Olympic champ Chris Boardman.

“There is an aerodynamic element to it but its more about tradition.

“Riders will tell you it’s about getting an easier massage or being able to
clean up after you get road rash but it’s mainly tradition.”

FRAME

EVERYONE uses carbon fibre, the trick is how you put the carbon fibre
together, how it is layered and the type and amount of resin that bonds it
together.

Sprint bikes are all about being stiff enough to cope with the enormous force
put through them — Hoy will generate about 2,000 watts of power off the
start.

That means British Cycling bikes will have more carbon around the bottom
bracket (where the pedals enter the frame) to stop Hoy snapping off his
pedals! The frame alone would cost around £9,000.

GEARS

THERE’S only one! The rear sprocket is steel, coated in titanium nitride while
the front chain ring is made of carbon fibre.

PEDALS

IT’S down to rider preference and there is no great advantage here apart from
one very clever British Cycling trick.

Sprinters produce so much raw power, they also use toe straps in case they
pull their feet out of the clipless pedals.

British Cycling get their riders to put the overshoes on OVER the straps for
better aerodynamics — other countries do not.

WHEELS

THESE are commercially available and cost about £2,000 each. The rear wheel is
a disc with a carbon fibre cover and a honeycombed structure inside.

The front is also carbon fibre with a five-spoke design for better handling
qualities.

The tyres are silk and are sewn onto the wheel without an inner-tube. They
take 14 bar of pressure — a car’s tyres just two.

On top of this there is still training, coaching etc.

[Prince]

Cost of beach volley ? Boxing? Wrestling? Athletics? Loads we can concentrate on

[tfco]

femibyte, oya do ya thing guy