Tech News – June 17, 2008 Edited by James Huang Got tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech desk. Felt supplies Slipstream with new aero road racer in time for Tour By James Huang Felt Bicycles has supplies the Slipstream-Chipotle team Photo ©: Felt Bicycles Slipstream-Chipotle riders will have a new weapon in their quiver for next month's Tour de France courtesy of team sponsor Felt Bicycles. Riders will depart from Brest on new AR road frames that add credence to the idea that the war of bicycle aerodynamics is no longer limited just to time trials. Felt learned a lot of aero lessons in developing its DA time trial/triathlon and TK frames so it should come as no surprise that the new AR includes attributes of both. The down tube, head tube and seat stays are all aero-profiled and the deep-section seat tube shields the rear wheel all the way from the bottom bracket shell to the seat stays. The down tube is also slightly dropped and the lower edge is slightly profiled to smooth the airflow coming off the front wheel. As on the DA, derailleur cable housings are internally routed and enter the top of the frame directly behind the stem; the rear brake line is also internally routed but is set in a more conventional location. Naturally, the new fork is also aero-shaped and well integrated with the frame. Felt will build the new AR frame and fork with its top-end Ultra Hybrid Carbon blend of Toray SB60, M30S and T700 carbon fibers, all held together with new nano-enhanced resins. According to Felt, the new resins will provide a stronger and more robust exterior surface as well as improved compression and sheer strength. Felt contends that the new AR shape will retain the ride and handling traits of its existing F-series road frames but will offer a two percent energy savings "over a standard road bike when in identical conditions." If you believe the company's numbers, this will yield up to a 75-second advantage over a one-hour ride and places the AR within the realm of some full-blown dedicated time trial frames. The aggressively profiled seat tube Photo ©: Felt Bicycles "We consider the AR another step in the continued and ongoing development of our road bikes," said Felt US President Bill Duehring in a recent press release. "With all we have learned from our various time trial related projects, it seemed like a natural progression for us. Knowing the AR will now be a big part of the team's equipment arsenal is really very exciting, especially going into the Tour de France." Photography For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by Felt Bicycles Felt Bicycles has supplies the Slipstream-Chipotle team with new aero-shaped AR road bikes in time for next month's Tour de France. The new AR was shaped in the wind tunnel much like the DA time trial/triathlon and TK track frames that came before it. The aggressively profiled seat tube shields the rear wheel all the way from the bottom bracket shell to the seat stays. The aero-profile down tube is also slightly dropped to ease airflow transition from the front wheel. Derailleur cables are inserted into the top of the frame just aft of the stem where they're sheltered from clean air. Felt Bicycles' Jim Felt and Jeff Soucek test the AR in San Diego's Low Speed Wind Tunnel. Slipstream-Chipotle riders debuted the AR at the Dutch Food Valley Classic earlier this month.