The London 2012 Olympic time trials have been run and won, with Bradley Wiggins (GB) bringing home the gold in the men's 44km event and Kristin Armstrong (USA) successfully defending her 2008 title in the women's 29km test.
Now, while the time trial is considered the purest test of a rider - it's just them against the clock - in addition to a good set of legs and lungs it actually requires a huge amount of time, money and expertise to get it right. By that we mean positioning on the bike, equipment choice and pacing to produce the fastest possible ride for the available power. It takes years of refinement to do it, and clearly some riders have a way to go if they want to finish closer to Wiggins and Armstrong. It's not just the engine.
In this gallery feature, BikeRadar's resident time trial nut Jeff Jones gives his armchair commentary on the setups used by the Olympic stars via the keen lens of Rob Wilmott.
Emilia fahlin of sweden. in general a slippery setup with her specialized shiv, hed wheels and smart shoe covers. she's very low though, which can reduce power, and we're definitely not sure about that poc tempor helmet.: emilia fahlin of sweden. in general a slippery setup with her specialized shiv, hed wheels and smart shoe covers. she's very low though, which can reduce power, and we're definitely not sure about that poc tempor helmet. - Robin Wilmott/BikeRadar.com
Robin Wilmott is a freelance writer and bike tester. He began road cycling in 1988 and, with mountain bikes in their infancy, mixed experimental off-road adventures with club time trials and road races. Cyclocross soon became a winter staple and has remained Robin's favourite form of competition. Robin has always loved the technical aspect of building and maintaining bikes, and several years working in a bike shop only amplified that. Robin was a technical writer for BikeRadar for nearly a decade, and has tested hundreds of bikes and products for the site. He has also written extensively for Cycling Plus, Velonews and Cyclingnews.
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
