Pinarello will unveil a new time trial bike at the Giro d’Italia: the Bolide which, the Italian manufacturer claims, has a 15 percent drag reduction compared to its forebear, the Graal.
Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins will showcase the new machine – also said to be five percent lighter than the Graal – when the Giro visits the island Ischia for the team time trial on Sunday.
The Bolide has been in development with Pinarello Lab technicians and Team Sky for more than a year, although a number of the features highlighted in the launch release suggest the frame is playing catch up with other manufacturers.
The Bolide’s uses aeroplane wing-shaped tube sections and a so-called ‘concave back’ on the seat tube to get a closer position of the rear wheel to the frame, a development further assisted by horizontal rear dropouts. Pinarello say the frame design has been aerodynamically optimised for all wind conditions.
Looking at the photo below, it seems the engineers have opted to keep the air flowing around the frame structure as a whole rather than widening the gap to the wheel to avoid an air dam from the spinning wheel, as a number of other manufacturers do.
The seat stay mounted rear brake is protected by this fairing with a tiny clearance for the rear wheel. Brake fairings are allowed under UCI rules as long as they fit within an 8cm box
Integration is a key feature of the design. Brakes are sheltered behind leading edges - similar to systems on other bikes such as the BMC Time Machine’s bayonet fork; the Shimano Dura Ace electronics are hidden inside the frame and cables are internally routed. The Bolide carries an integrated cockpit set-up which sounds similar to the design used on the Trek Speed Concept. However, being completely clear of cables should yield more aerodynamic advantages.
Like the Dogma and other Pinarello models, the Bolide carries asymmetrical chainstays which the company says counters asymmetric forces on the chain while pedalling.
The frameset is both electronic and mechanical gear compatible. Pricing and availability are yet to be announced.
BikeRadar will bring a full run down of the Bolide on Sunday from the Giro d’Italia.