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Campagnolo electric gears on Staf Scheirlinckx's
Time (Cofidis)
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The tour de France is probably the biggest road test any new cycling equipment
can face and the 2007 edition has seen a few new bits on rider's bikes. In London
we spotted the new Shimano
Carbon cranks and now in France, the Campagnolo electric gear system made
an appearance on the Cofiidis team bike of Staf Scheirlinckx.
A number of manufactures have been associated with electric assisted gears,
most notably the Mavic 'Zap' system which was used successfully by Chris Boardman
in time trials in the late 1990's, but the production version failed to convince
the buying public. Shimano also have a system under test, but whilst that looks
rather crude with a large battery pack zip-tied to the down tube, the Campagnolo
approach looks almost ready to go.
The bug bear of 'Zap' was the twitchy switches and the battery life, and the
Campagnolo battery is combined into a carbon water bottle cage. The stystem's
use in the Alps would suggest that the power it delivers works the system well
enough, but since details are sketchy we cannot confirm this or any other aspect
of the group.
Your bike - we want to feature your bike, whatever type it is - contact
us, john@londoncyclesport.com
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The battery is combined in a carbon
water bottle cage |
The levers look very familiar |
Left lever |
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A very tidy looking front mech |
The front mech |
Staf Scheirlinckx's bike atop the
Cofidis team car |
Rebecca Hughes
