Colnago has launched the Y1Rs, a devoted aero race bike.
Designed for professionals and high amateurs will probably be raced by Group UAE in the course of the 2025 season and is, Colnago says, the fruits of years of effort. The result’s a motorcycle that options modern tube shapes, aggressive geometry, its personal built-in aero cockpit and, most strikingly, no predominant triangle. That is proper, Colnago has ditched the principle triangle, changing it with an irregular pentagon.
The distinctive head tube and seatpost/seat tube areas are radical departures
(Picture credit score: Colnago)
With out an aero bike in its lineup, the Italian model started work on the Y1Rs partly on the behest of the UAE Group who requested a substitute for the VR4s for flatter levels, but in addition due to the modifications to UCI laws relating to body design.
“We began engaged on this bike in late 2021, which makes it the longest bike growth in Colnago’s historical past,” says Davide Fumagalli, Head of R&D at Colnago. “We haven’t had an aero bike in our vary since 2016 as a result of, up till now, we haven’t discovered a major profit in efficiency over a motorcycle just like the V4Rs.
“So, why did we alter our minds? As a result of with the change in two UCI guidelines, we recognised the chance to create a motorcycle that’s considerably higher. The three-to-one facet ratio rule [that stipulated that bar and stem tube depths cannot be more than three times their width] was dropped in favour of imposing an 80mm most and 10mm cross-section, which has enabled us to cut back the frontal space of the bike.
“The opposite rule allows us to put the seat submit anyplace alongside the highest tube; it now not must be related to the seat tube.”
If Tadej Pogačar – UAE’s high rider and 2024’s seemingly unbeatable Tour de France winner – comes calling it’s comprehensible that you simply’d wish to oblige. Colnago selected to reply the calls for for a targeted aero bike by difficult the norms of contemporary race bike design. Partnering with two universities on the challenge, the Politecnico di Milano in Italy and Khalifa College in Abu Dhabi, it adopted a scientific strategy that expanded on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) testing in pursuit of higher accuracy.
“We simply did not do the computational fluid dynamics testing that different manufacturers are doing as a result of we discovered that the mathematical modelling behind these assessments was not correct sufficient,” says Fumagalli. “We would have liked to enhance the mannequin and we did that by growing the variety of strain sensors to 75, which gave us way more knowledge. This helped us to vary course on various concepts, together with the place of the downtube in relation to the wheels.”
Colnago believes that in depth wind tunnel testing has revealed a mannequin that’s “twice as correct” as some other inside the business
(Picture credit score: Colnago)
A short rationalization. A CFD prototype was created however Colnago needed to create a “extra descriptive and correct mannequin”. To take action it turned to 3D printing, permitting it to create a number of prototypes that replicated the form and surfaces of the carbon prototype. Utilizing the 3D printed prototypes it drilled various small holes at common distances throughout the floor of the body, with every gap related by a skinny tube. From right here Colnago might measure the strain of the air on the floor of the bike with nice precision and throughout your complete bike. It then in contrast this knowledge with numbers collected from the CFD fashions to allow them to refine the body design but additional.
Colnago says it is a mannequin that’s “twice as correct” because the business customary, leading to an aero bike that’s “essentially the most aerodynamic UCI-compliant street bike within the World Tour.”
So what improvements did this correct knowledge produce?
The Y1Rs is actually a distinctive-looking bike, with a couple of areas that catch the attention. From entrance to again, the bike seems to make aerodynamic enhancements over the V4Rs. The headset design takes benefit of the brand new UCI ruling that permits for bigger lateral surfaces. Colnago has elevated the headset space however made the bearings smaller, with the fork containing each an inside part and a frontal part designed to enhance how lateral air flows impression the entrance of the bike.
“The headset is the smallest I’ve ever seen on a street bike, and a part of a really complicated puzzle on the geometry aspect,” says Fumagalli.
The headset is tiny, and a ‘very complicated puzzle’
(Picture credit score: Colnago)
The brand new CC.Y1 handlebars proceed the theme. That includes a ‘gull wing’ construction, the tops are raised and indifferent from the centre of the bars and the headset to create a Y-shape. This enables the frontal space to be lowered, which interprets to “quicker and cleaner” airflow across the bike. Colnago says it equates to a 19% discount in comparison with the V4Rs.
The horizontal portion of the bars is immediately related to the highest of the headtube, made doable, Colnago says, by its alternative of carbon layup. It additionally claims the bars are 16% stiffer than “chosen reference handlebars” each vertically and laterally – ultimate for sprinting. Each the bars and the headtube are ‘paired’ with a bayonet fork.
The Y-shaped bars have been optimised for aero and sprinting
(Picture credit score: Colnago)
This funky-looking downtube can be dwelling to an built-in bottle cage, with one other on the seat tube. Colnago has designed the cages to match the form of the body, which reduces the drag attributable to the bottles. The cage additionally helps a Di2 battery. Apparently although it doesn’t use devoted ‘aero’ bottles.
“We began designing and testing the body with an built-in bottle however once we mentioned it with the workforce they mentioned no, we don’t wish to combine the bottle as a result of we’ve got two totally different bikes to consider and riders grabbing bottles from the [team] automobile,” says Fumagalli. “So we needed to revert again to regular bottles and that influenced fully the form of the downtube.
“However, we had been in a position to transform the entire body realizing that the assessments we had been performing with CFD had been already validated, so we had been in a position to belief them. We had been in a position to make seven totally different bottle cage sorts and perceive which was the very best.”
Area between the wheel and down tube varies for optimum aerodynamics
(Picture credit score: Colnago)
Shifting upwards takes you to maybe essentially the most eye-catching space of the Y1Rs – the seatpost junction. Colnago describes it as having the form of “two linked Ys, one among which is the other way up.” It’s maybe simpler simply to take a look at it. In some methods, it’s not too dissimilar in look to the IsoFlow space on Trek’s aero race bike, the Madone.
Right here there’s no gap, however the design, like that used on the Madone, is there partly to make the bike extra compliant. Whereas consolation isn’t usually a precedence for skilled riders, the knock on conventional aero bikes was that in an effort to make them as stiff as doable in addition they turned a chore to experience, particularly throughout longer levels or day races. To fight this, Colnago has created the Defy seatpost joint that it says will increase vertical compliance.
Working along side the Defy seatpost, higher compliance is achieved by growing the angle of the seat submit to get greater radial deflection; in essence, it’s the angle that creates extra consolation. The seat tube additionally follows the form of the rear wheel, which Colanago says allows it to be extra aerodynamically efficient.
“The Y1Rs supplies a way more forgiving experience. A few of our opponents are approaching this in a really totally different manner, utilizing very complicated designs or a suspension system of some sort. Our answer doesn’t compromise the lateral or torsional stiffness of the body,” says Fumagalli.
“In fact, should you transfer the seat submit it could complicate different areas of the geometry, which will be difficult as a result of riders favor to remain in roughly the identical using place they’re used to (on a standard bike). So, we experimented with many positions for the seat submit earlier than selecting this one. Putting the seatpost the place we did provides extra space for airflow to reattach to the bike.”
Colnago’s Davide Fumagalli on UCI guidelines modifications
(Picture credit score: Colnago)
“I feel that the brand new UCI guidelines that enable the seat submit to be anyplace on the highest tube is a dramatic change as a result of it opens up a totally new form for the design of the body. To be trustworthy, I am shocked that nobody else has jumped on board as a result of, on among the different preliminary sketches, the body form was far more radical. So, I feel you will note one thing very, very good within the subsequent few years as a result of, talking like an engineer, we lastly have some freedom.
“If I might change one additional UCI rule it might be the sloping field regulation that dictates that ‘the highest tube could slope, offered that this ingredient suits inside a horizontal template outlined by a most peak of 16 cm’. It could not essentially make the bike quicker however it might allow us to make bikes with totally different body shapes. We would like the brand new generations to take a look at a motorcycle and see one thing futuristic. One thing with which we’re opening their hearts as a design factor, and never a motorcycle factor. We have to present them with one thing cool, not a conventional bike with a double triangle. We have to showcase to the subsequent technology that we’re shifting ahead with a quicker and higher product.”
The discharge of a contemporary aero bike wouldn’t be full with out some numbers derived from all that testing. In relation to the Y1Rs essentially the most fascinating of those are made compared to the V4Rs. In any case, the bike owes its very existence to its means to outperform the V4Rs in sure areas.
Colnago says the brand new bike is a few 20 watts quicker than the all-rounder. Digging into the numbers in a bit extra element, at 50km/h with a zero-degree yaw angle, the Y1Rs required 395 watts of output in comparison with the V4Rs. With various yaw angles accounted for, these numbers had been 474 and 499 respectively. Testing was undertaken utilizing a model wearing WorldTour clothes, with the bikes fitted with two bottle cages and one bottle. Colango says the Y1Rs outperforms its nearest rival too, by a single watt at 0 levels and eight watts utilizing weighted common drag numbers. It doesn’t identify the competitor although, after all.
One other comparability that can curiosity each the professionals and amateurs alike is the comparable weight of the 2 race bikes. Whereas it’s no shock the V4Rs is lighter, it’s not by maybe as nice a margin as you may suppose. Colango says the claimed weight of the Y1Rs for the body and forks is 1415g, making it simply 242 grams heavier than the VR4s.
Provided in 5 sizes, the Y1Rs adopts totally different geometry to the VR4s.. Each the headtube and seat tube angles are steeper, which Colnago says helps promote a extra forward-orientated ‘tucked’ rider place. Equally, the attain and stack ratio has additionally been elevated to accommodate a decrease, extra aggressive place. So will Pogi really feel at dwelling aboard the Y1Rs?
“The seat place and the bar place are much like Tadej’s current bike, so he’ll match very properly,” says Fumaggli. “ However the wheelbase is shorter, the headtube angle is totally different, the fork rake is totally different. The workforce needed one thing quick for sprints, so we’ve got moved away from our conventional geometry, which is barely extra relaxed and a bit longer.”
However given the success that the UAE workforce has had aboard the VR4s, how will the Y1Rs match into their racing lineup?
“Group UAE are nonetheless testing each frames with lots of totally different elements, particularly wheels and tyres. There is no such thing as a clear switching level between the VR4s and the Y1Rs, quite a bit comes all the way down to wheel alternative. On some terrain, the VR4s with deeper wheels can be quicker than Y1Rs with shallower wheels and vice versa,” says Fumagalli.
“Extra usually, the Y1Rs is especially for fast-rolling levels and flat levels. I don’t see this bike getting used with very shallow wheels, similar to I don’t see the V4Rs getting used with very deep wheels anymore.”
The Y1Rs is obtainable in various full-build configurations, beginning at €12,300. It’s additionally out there as a body equipment solely, priced at €6,710.
For extra info, go to colnago.com
