TECH PRODUCT NEWS: CUSTOM MECH PULLEY CAGE AT THE TOUR
Team Columbia's Thomas Lovkvist's latest Giant time trial bike was a revelation in itself but to go one better he was using a custom pulley cage.
The aluminium cage shrouds the jockey wheels with access only for the chain to enter and exit. With a blunted frontal edge tapering to a point at the rear, not unlike a plane's wing, it would appear this latest piece of technology has used the NACA profiling that the larger manufacturers have used as a starting point for aerodynamics.
Before the start of the Tour, there was the name of Berner written across the bottom of the cage - indicating that the cage was manufactured by German engineer Wolfgang Berner. We're not sure that the cage would pass the UCI aerodynamic guidelines but since Lovkvist managed to use it for the two time trials in the race we'd say it was a moot point.
Lovkvist's bike wasn't the only machine sporting a Berner product, Cancellara was riding a new pulley cage as well. This custom carbon cage allowed for a 15 tooth bottom and 13 tooth top pulley to be run, this minimises any loss in the drivetrain's efficiency.
