Pinarello has unveiled two new incarnations of its Hour Record-winning Bolide F HR which it hopes will propel the men’s and women’s Italian track cycling teams to victory in the team pursuit at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The men’s French track endurance squad, who are the reigning Olympic champions, have received 3D-printed scalmalloy versions of the track bike – the Bolide F HR 3D – while the women’s endurance athletes will compete on a custom carbon model – the Bolide HR C.
The Bolide F HR 3D was initially developed for Filippo Ganna’s successful Hour Record attempt on October 8, 2022 where he set a new, still unsurpassed benchmark of 56.792km in Grenchen, Switzerland.
The following week Ganna also set a new 4km individual pursuit world record at sea level on the bike at the UCI Track World Championships, breaking the four-minute barrier with his time of 3 mins 59.636 secconds.
Fellow INEOS Grenadiers athlete, and the team’s Performance Engineer, Dan Bigham also rode a prototype of the bike when he set the previous-best Hour Record two months prior to Ganna.
Pinarello claims that the Bolide F HR 3D was the first and fastest high-performance 3D-printed bike ever produced, and these latest incarnations retain its key features, including:
- AirStream technology – Developed in collaboration with the University of Adelaide and aerodynamics R&D partner NablaFlow, and inspired by the tubercules found on the flippers of humpback whales, a unique pattern of AeroNodes have been integrated onto the seat tube and seat post to reduce the complex vortexes generated by riders’ leg movements in order to improve airflow.
- AirFoil sections on the bottom bracket and wheel hubs are longer and slimmer to reduce the frontal area. These innovations take advantage of the UCI’s decision to remove its 3:1 rule. Research has found aspect ratios of 6:1, and even 8:1, performed significantly better than that original 3:1 benchmark.
- Narrow forks and seat stays – Recent trends in aero frame design have seen a shift towards wide forks and seat stays to try and reduce the overall drag of bike and rider. Pinarello’s research in this area, however, was not conclusive. The company made the decision therefore, to adopt a more reliable combination of narrow forks and seat stays to minimise the weight of the frame in order to yield faster results.
- Optimised handlebar geometry was achieved as a result of multiple rounds of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) testing to minimise the total drag of rider and bike. Again, Pinarello collaborated with NablaFlow to conduct simulations using its AeroCloud software – which runs on AWS, the preferred cloud solution of the FIA and many F1 teams – to determine the most efficient design.
Using 3D printing technology, each frame of the Bolide F HR 3D incorporates just five parts; with the front triangle comprising three pieces in addition to seat and chain stays.
Scalmalloy was selected for the men’s model as its properties allow it to perform under the increased forces and speed that male athletes produce, while the lighter carbon Bolide F HR C model will allow female athletes to get up to speed in the fastest-possible time.
Both new models share the same geometries and dimensions as the original Bolide F HR 3D and are available in three standard frame sizes. Each one has been checked and approved by the UCI and are available for the general public and other teams to purchase.
The newly developed handlebar and extensions allow for precise positioning and optimal aero advantages.
Fausto Pinarello said “As an iconic Italian brand, we could not be prouder to work with the Italian track team, who like us, are continuing to push the boundaries of athletic performance.
“We have invested a lot to produce six 3D-printed scalmalloy bikes for the male riders and six carbon fibre versions for the women (including three separate sized moulds). Our hope is that the men will defend their Olympic title on the track this summer and our super-strong women’s team also succeed in their quest for gold. We’ve done everything we can to give them the best-possible chance.”
Marco Villa Performance Director of Italian Track Team, said “We have enjoyed a hugely successful partnership with Pinarello over the last 30 years; and once again, they have provided us with two truly world-class, cutting-edge bikes which will give our team pursuit athletes a great opportunity to go for gold in Paris.”
The Bolide F HR 3D and Bolide HR C frames are priced at €28,750 and €12,500 respectively, and are available for purchase by consumers.
