Really interesting IMO: Mechanical Doping, Competitive Cyclists Cheating with Hidden Motors. The Second Half of the Video Describes How They Work.
Posted by John-AtWork@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 28 comments
newphew92@reddit
The tech is really cool though, and def could be useful for regular consumers looking to get a boost for "that hill" during their commute without having a heavy motor+battery.
John-AtWork@reddit (OP)
Yeah, the video said that one of the setups was only 800g including battery. Pretty amazing.
nahkamanaatti@reddit
That system didn’t have a battery.
John-AtWork@reddit (OP)
You sure there weren't a few 18650s in the seat post? How did it work then?
nahkamanaatti@reddit
No, you’re right. It was a brain fart on my behalf. Partially because there was no mention or illustration of a battery on the video and it was described being like a magnetic turbine. If it didn’t have a battery it would basically be a perpetual motion machine which is impossible.
Raythatstabbedsteve@reddit
Not sure if you're still interested 6 months later, but I know the answer to this. The batteries were in drink bottles with discretely placed contacts on the bottle holder. Use battery up, discard bottle to a roadside staff member, collect fresh "water" bottle from the team car. It's ingenious.
nahkamanaatti@reddit
Yeah, I watched the video again now and it’s mentioned there. Don’t know how I missed it the first time, hah. But a really smart system indeed! Crazy that these things were out there possibly as early as the late 90’s.
Raythatstabbedsteve@reddit
I think it was the rapid development of compact and powerful motors with Neodymium batteries and Lithium batteries which prompted the development of these things. The engineering is clever but could probably have been built in the 60s. Wouldn't have paid for its own weight with power output though.
Past-Track-9976@reddit
Lololol. I've been looking for them.
I would be my wife's hero if I could swap out her clunky bike for something lighter
BalorNG@reddit
The way motors work (easy to get high power at low torque, high rpm, not so much otherwise), it is likely works best for something like breakaways, not climbs.
Yeti_of_the_Flow@reddit
I don't give a shit about professional cycling. What's really funny, though, are the hobbyists that think anybody gives a shit about their Strava nonsense, and are mad at e-bikes for existing because of their stupid leaderboards. You see it on the cycling subreddit fairly often. They are completely blinded by their egos.
John-AtWork@reddit (OP)
I just mostly thought the stealth technology was interesting, especially the tiny motors hidden in the seat posts. Someone put a lot of thought into that.
Melodic-Matter4685@reddit
And you one swears he sold one to lance armstrong as a trainer. Swears he saw him riding it on tv in the Pyrenees too!
yoortyyo@reddit
Greg Lemond has some great interviews about this.
Melodic-Matter4685@reddit
I haven’t seen them, but I assume it’s his normal mo of “deny till u die, even in face of incontrovertible evidence to the contrary
Spara-Extreme@reddit
It is interesting though this is a pretty elaborate implementation that would be evident in the weight of the bike. The one case I know of where 'motor doping' happened was a hidden, small crank motor that put out enough power to give the rider an edge.
Something like this is elaborate enough to be detected by the UCI.
avo_cado@reddit
You can just use a thermal camera
75209e428765@reddit
They use infrared or thermal cameras to detect these sorts of things.
NewKitchenFixtures@reddit
I don’t like the e-bikes because of how they are always recklessly used. And knowing that half of them are only in a bike because they lost their license to DUIs.
No strava, no leaderboards and cycling probably shouldn’t be considered a sport. But it’s not something you do on an e-waste motorcycle.
Yeti_of_the_Flow@reddit
"Always recklessly used" Meaningless
"Because they lost their licenses to DUIs" Nonsense (Also not everywhere has public transit, in fact most places don't)
There are no relevant licenses for operating an e-bike. You're just trying to "other" people because you think you're more important, it has nothing to do with reality or safety.
Spara-Extreme@reddit
People treat strava like a game, and like all games, cheaters ruin it for everyone. Are BSG players 'blinded by their egos' because they rage against cheaters? How about CSGO players?
Do you just completely lack any rational thought as to see why people that are interested in gamification might be bothered by cheaters?
Also Strava doesn't count e-bikes for KOM or QOM scores so you have to purposefully record your ride as a normal bike.
Yeti_of_the_Flow@reddit
People who care about leaderboards in video games are losers, full stop. You're right that in this sense it's no different than Strava.
Rankings are for the world's most fragile egos. You should inform yourself about what toxic competition is. Leaderboards are a prime example of toxic competition.
Spara-Extreme@reddit
Oh I see, you're one of those people. Further discussion not needed.
Yeti_of_the_Flow@reddit
Someone that can understand the difference between self-improvement and wannabe status? Yea I guess I'm one of those people. Leaderboards are toxic. There is no example of a general leaderboard that isn't.
id8@reddit
Cheating and scumduggery are literally as old as this sport. First Tour de France was created to sell newspapers, like a lot of Auto racing, around the world shtick, etc. .Cheating in the inaugural race was widespread, riders beat up along the route by fans and bettors. Winner disqualified for cheating.
Compleat Clusterfucke.
Some things never change.
comparmentaliser@reddit
There was also chemical enhancement was happening in the early TDF with strychnine and ether
BalorNG@reddit
the setup on the picture will not work tho - the flux gap is way too large.
However, with magnets built into the brake track and the coils somehow masquerated as rim brakes... that might actually work, yea.
LexLex07@reddit
TL;DR
"pro" riders speak "fake" numbers, AS USUAL, no real effort here