On June 5, 2022, Olympian and IRONMAN World Champion Christian Blummenfelt became the first triathlete in history to complete a full distance (3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run) in less than seven hours. This happened as part of a specially organized Pho3nix Project event in Germany.
Triathlon fans saw not only new records, but also an exclusive road bike prototype, which was created by CADEX especially for Christian. We will tell you more about the new product in this article, and if you like to follow sports news, you can try to make money on it. Visit the best in-play betting site – where you can not only bet on sports, but also earn good money.
New bike
For the first time, the audience saw the new bike at the IRONMAN World Championship, which took place in May in St. George, USA. There, Christian won his first championship title. During the preparation and running of the record-breaking Pho3nix Sub7 triathlon, CADEX provided new bikes to the pacemaker team that helped Blummenfelt through the bike phase of the project.
The idea for the frame was taken from the 90s
The MCR carbon frame of the parent company Giant was taken as the basis, which back in the late 90s had an unusual shape: it had no top tube, and the bottom one had a significant thickness. Interestingly, in the new bike model, the shape of the chainstays has been changed to increase the rigidity of the frame. Such a design is prohibited by the rules of the International Cycling Union, therefore it can only be used in triathlon, where the requirements for bicycles are more democratic.
The top tube has been removed to make the bottom tube wider and easier to access. In the down tube there are compartments for food, where up to 12 carbohydrate gels, water and tools are placed. The water tank in the prototype holds 900 ml of liquid, which is important when overcoming a 180-kilometer cycling stage at a full triathlon distance. An additional mount for two bottles was placed behind the seat.
This design made it possible to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the frame: in tests in the wind tunnel, it gave an additional 6-7 watts of power compared to the Giant Trinity triathlon bike.
The steering wheel has become an aerodynamic element
The steering of the bicycle has an unusual design: the steering wheel here is not attached to the steering tube (as is customary in standard bicycles), but directly to the fork struts. The handles are flat to reduce air resistance.
The wide design of the fork is also not chosen by chance: the gaps allow air to pass through the bike, which also partially reduces resistance. A similar move was suggested by one of the aerodynamic consultants, who previously worked in Formula 1.
In the future, the company plans to improve aerodynamics through wheels
CADEX is currently working on new wheels and tires. The company is continuing its research into the four-spoke and disc wheels that are already being used on the prototype, and is also developing a new unusual tire shape that should improve the aerodynamics of the bike.
The development of wheels and tires is one of the core activities of CADEX. The racing bikes used by Blummenfelt in triathlon competitions use both CADEX specialty tubeless tires and Giant P-SL1 road tires.
The company does not plan to launch a prototype bike into mass production and will limit itself to a limited edition. The price of the model has not yet been called.
