Yes, the motorized bike found in the pits at the 2016 Cyclocross World Championships in Zolder, Belgium is a big deal. However, it was caught during the race and it didn’t, so far as anyone has opined, affect the outcome.
But a much bigger tech story was seen everywhere. And totally ignored.
Bike racing exists, at least in part, to sell bicycles. Bike companies got involved with r
One problem with discussing road and CX bikes is the ignorance of the massive tech improvements of mountain bikes, specifically enduro bikes.
As I watched the WC's I was thinking how a dropper post could help with the muddy descents and even dismounts. Now I know for such short descents along with the luddite attitudes, there is no chance dropper posts will ever be utilized.
That's the problem with CX racing: the courses do not require improved technology.
Enduro racing combines elements of cross-country and downhill. When it comes to finest technology in frame design, suspension, brakes, gearing, and seatposts, I see it in Enduro bikes. Even wheel sizes have changed.
And racers need it. Lung-busting climbs followed by rocky descents and jumps require bikes that didn't exist 10 years ago. I remember when Mark Weir used a VP-Free, a freeride bike that was heavily modded, for races like the Downieville Classic. Today we have the 150mm travel carbon Bronson.
You made the point yourself, the best racers used older frames and brakes. They didn't need it this year to win, and my guess as long as the racing stays the same, they won't need it ever.
But then it wouldn't be cyclocross racing. Cycloss is just this… An alternative to the road season, that's why it's done on essentially road bikes with minor changes. It's pretty flat so it allows you to be riding anaerobically for the duration, perfect to prepare for a solid road season.
But a dropper seat would come in handyman many times with a short awkward downhill where you need to get weight behind the rear wheel so you don't endo. I might look into that.
Some of the courses definitely have descents where a dropper would be great….especially the course on the sand dunes with the crazy sand drop that has even the best riders in the world going ass over tea kettle. But they do also seem to be weight weenies. Even World Cup XC riders rarely use a dropper.
But the biggest performance advantage would be to drink. After an hour flat out, even in the bitter cold, you are going to be dehydrated. Most (not all) of the research would suggest that you are suffering a power loss as a result. The UCI only recently changed the rules to allow for drinking when it is below 20ºC. Note that the rule applied to racers only……spectators were encouraged to decimate the beer tents regardless of conditions. But you still can't get a bottle handup, as you do in mountain biking….you have to have the bottle in a cage on the bike, and so no pro bothers.
I always carry my bottle in CX
I always carry my bottle in CX
Professsionals athletes are notoriously superstitious. And cycling maintains the 'this is how we've done it' mentality that inhibits adopting novel technologies, particularly in old Western Europe.
Nothing throughs a competitor off like the uneasy feeling that something is different today.
Maybe if some young up and comer thrashes everybody, and does so on disc brakes, will you see them adopted.
Brakes make you slow!
http://stevetilford.com/2016/01/11/best-descender-of-nationals/
Some interesting points. And input from a few pros.
http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/trail-tech-dropper-seatposts-for-cyclocross-45399/
CX was the last discipline to switch over from toe clips to clip in pedals too. Nothing new here, in ten years I would guess 0% canti brakes at the WC and only the old futs like me will have them as I have thousands of dollars of wheel with rim brake tracks.
Having raced cx for 5 years on cantis and switched to disc for last season they are definitely an advantage for your typical amateur rider. The main reason some pros continue to use cantis(which don't work most of the time in a wet muddy race) is that they don't really brake that often and will try to carry as much speed as possible at every opportunity.