Those of you who receive Mick Rogers Twitter updates will already be aware that the Columbia High Road rider, along with team mate Mark Renshaw, have a new time trial bike ready for opening Giro Team Time Trial.
Integration is very much the name of the game with the new Scott Project Plasma TT. Every part that's feasible has been built into the chassis, in essence this allows the engineering team to work on the bike as one item as opposed to a collection of parts over which they have limited control.
There are a number of keys issues regarding the latest Plasma version:
Integrated shift cables. Thanks to Shimano's electronic Dura Ace groupset, Di2, the designers at Scott have been able to fully integrate the shift cables inside the frame. This is the neatest solution we've seen to date as the cable runs inside the bars, through the headset and along the downtube before emerging at the front or rear mech as required.
Integrate fork and cockpit. When viewed from above it becomes clear that Scott has tried to create a seemless airflow around the fork, headtube, bar and stem by designing them all on one page. The highlight of which has to be the stem which segues sleekly into the top tube.
Integrated bottom bracket and brake. Down at the bottom bracket it's a seriously large junction and again the Plasma designers have approached this as one area to create as smooth and flowing a design as possible. The rear brake is tucked up just in front of the rear wheel and the Di2 mech mounted as tidily as possible. Check out the non-driveside chainstay for a piece of minimal design.
Integrated legality. A 3:1 ratio is the UCI's specified maximum legal ratio of tube depth against width. We'll have to take Scott's word for it but the whole bike has been designed with this ratio in mind so they are expecting it to be fully compliant with the tightening regulations.
Michael Rogers and Mark Renshaw will ride the new Scott Project Plasma bike at the Giro's opening team time trial on Venice Lido
Is that head tube legal? Scott seem to think so but the UCI commissaires might want to take a closer look at it.
The sleek look of the new bike is created with the electric cables routed through the frame.
That's a great looking bike! I wonder why car designers can't make cars that look that good while still retaining functionality at the same time?
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