A Cyclingnews special sponsorship featureInside S-Works
The creation of pro-quality bikes used to be the domain of a single artisan labouring away in a workshop, joining steel tubes with hot brass. As the guys from Specialized's S-Works division showed us, modern frame development is a team effort involving design, testing and manufacturing in a seamless whole. The team behind the Specialized E5 bikes, as ridden by Mario Cipollini and the Acqua&Sapone team, answered a few of our questions about the creation of the frames that Mario and the boys will be rolling out on May 11. Cyclingnews: There seems to be a three-way development process at work here between Specialized; teams like Festina and A&S; and Columbus. How does the development process work exactly - who does what? Who comes up with ideas? Do the teams say 'we need a stiff bike for this' 'we need a light bike for that'? The S-Workers: Specialized does all of the R&D work at our headquarters in Morgan Hill, California. We have a dedicated team of people -- including industrial designers, engineers, framebuilders and product managers -- that work as a "pod" on the Acuqa & Sapone bikes.
The engineers figure out the most effective design using computer modeling (Pro E to be exact) and finite element analysis. Prototypes are built and tested, both in the field and in our test lab. Product managers figure out the best way to complete the bike, components and all. Ideas come from a variety of sources, and input is encouraged. We're a tightly knit group constantly challenging one another to improve the products, and we ride the very bikes that we build. Feedback from the A&S riders is essentially mandatory (Cipo provides a lot and is quite exacting) and is taken very seriously. CN: At the very basis of this sort of development is the raw material. How do you go about identifying promising aluminium alloys, or is this the role of Columbus? SW: Typically, the frame material for Specialized bikes will evolve from the design and engineering process. Years ago, we built bikes out of M2 metal matrix composite. Good stuff, but very limited in its ability to be shaped and formed, so we had "stick bikes", i.e. bikes with traditional round tubes. We had some great ideas to make elegant machines that would be lighter and more aerodynamic, so the R&D guys went shopping for a material that was more malleable. M4 manipulated alloy was the result. These were the bikes initially raced by Festina. M4 worked (and continues to work) very well. But, to make the frames even lighter, we needed a material with higher tensile strength and one that would retain more of its integrity after welding. Working with Columbus, E5 was developed. E5 made its first appearance under Moreau and Casero last year in the form of the S-Works SL. The frame design conintued to evolve, ultimately into the E5 AEROTEC frames currently being raced by Acqua & Sapone.
In the bike business, a great deal of emphasis is placed on frame material, particularly from a marketing standpoint. The truth is, though, that material is only about one-third of the story. Design and manufacturing are equally important. The "best" material in the world will not yield a great bike if the design is poor. The "best" material applied to the most intelligent design will not make for a great bike if the manufacturing quality isn't up to par. And so on... Specialized truly sweats every detail in each of these three areas (material, design & manufacturing) to deliver what we feel to be the best products to the athletes. CN: Aluminium alloy frames have been getting lighter and lighter for the last several years - are the limits being approached? How light is too light? SW: Who knows? Asked this question two years ago, we might have thought that 2.5 pounds was out of reach for a high performance, durable frame. Today, a stock 56cm E5 AEROTEC frame weighs less than that (consistently 1.1 kilos), and they're holding up under extraordinary conditions.
By our definition, though, "too light" would mean that either the ride characteristics of the frames don't meet the riders' needs (e.g. too flexible) or the frames wouldn't withstand real world riding. We've proven that producing an excellent frame in the 2.5 pound range can be done. I'd bet that at some point we'll see them under a kilo (2.2 pounds). CN: An alloy that contains silicon, copper, manganese, magnesium and zinc sounds a lot like 7075, but 7075 can't be welded. Is E5 'related' to 7075 but with the composition tweaked to balance strength and weldability? SW: The short answer is "yes". The long answer is confidential (wink, wink!). But seriously, there are many variables; two of them are of great importance. First is the ratio of the alloying materials. To get the right balance of strength, elongation, "weldability", etc., the five alloying elements (hence the name "E5") must be blended with the base aluminum material in precisely controlled amounts. Second is the heat treating process that the frames undergo after welding. The frames must be cured at very tightly controlled temperatures for precise durations.
The details of both of these critical factors are, in fact, proprietary to Specialized. CN: I understand that most A&S riders are on standard frames. How would you describe the S-Works E5's geometry and handling? What was the design goal? SW: Specifying frame geometry is something of a balancing act. A road racing machine must be both comfortable and efficient. It needs to be quick & nimble in handling, yet remain stable at speed. Specialized approaches this with compact geometry, quite visible in the frames' sloping top tubes. This design helps place the fit emphasis on rider postioning rather than standover clearance. The vast majority of riders can select the frame size that allows for ideal cockpit length (distance from saddle to handlebars) yet ensure that there's more than adequate room between him or her and the top tube of the bike. The smaller triangles seen on compact geometry frames lend themselves to making a stiffer frame for better handling and improved power transmission. Also, the design helps lower the center of gravity a bit.
In terms of head angles, seat angles, and effectitve top tube lengths, the frames are pretty "normal" by modern standards. For example, a 56cm frame has an effective top tube length of 563mm, 73.5 degree head and seat angles and a 983mm wheelbase. We produce the S-Works E5 AEROTEC frames in eleven sizes. Such a broad range of sizes in combination with the versatility of compact geometry allows for the majority of riders to find their perfect fit in a "stock" frame. |
