出处 : bikeradar 作者 : Luke Marshall
Fox sparked some controversy with the launch of the SpeedSuit RS in the opening round of the 2024 UCI DH World Cup over the weekend: a new skinny jersey for downhill racing.
In a race where every second counts, oh no, milliseconds count, the likes of Tahnée Seagrave, Nina Hoffmann and Lauri eGreenland all take to the occasion in Speedsuits, looking to find an edge wherever they can think of it.
So, is mountain biking, or downhill, really about to enter a new aerodynamic era?
Relevant History
Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, when downhill gradually separated from the mountain realm into a separate sport, riders began to dress differently, starting with loose-fitting motocross gear. Subsequently, mountain bike apparel brands joined in, giving downhill sports a rugged character.
While Lycra tights had a clear speed advantage, the early riders were far more fashionable than functional. Tracy Moseley (centre) is controversial for winning the 2008 World Cup in Canberra in tights. Rachel Atherton (second from left) finished second, and she even wrote a sign on her arm during the award ceremony that "tights suck" to make it clear how she felt.
However, things began to change when Mojo Suspension riders Chris Hutchens and Ben Cathro made their mark in Lycra tights during the 2008 World Cup in Fort William. Subsequently, in October 2008, the UCI issued its opinion and established a rule prohibiting the wearing of "tight clothing".
UCI spoke again
Since then, as downhill racing has matured, riders, bike brands, suspension manufacturers, and component companies have continued to look for and develop new products to take their performance to the next level, as have apparel companies. So in pursuit of faster speed, riders' clothing has become tighter and tighter, especially in the last five years. So much so that in 2023, the UCI overturned the rules for downhill athletes' clothing.
However, the rules still state that clothing cannot be a one-piece suit, and separate tops and pants are required. UCI Rule 4.3.011 clearly states that it should also be "a type designed and marketed specifically for BMX racing or downhill mountain bike events." Cycling jerseys, tights, or coveralls consisting of jerseys and pants/shorts designed for road bikes are not permitted in downhill races."
进入Fox SpeedSuit RS
Fast forward to 2024 and the new FOX SpeedSuit RS has appeared. The two-piece outfit was in line with the latest UCI rules, but it was undoubtedly a hot topic in Fort William.
It's fair to say that FOX is thinking outside the box on this issue and innovating something interesting. It's essentially a compression top plus cargo pants with pre-installed protection and a fit. UCI regulations require tops to be tucked into trousers, and while downhill clothing has become more form-fitting over the past few years, Fox has also received the highest rating in this regard.
In January, FOX launched a one-piece motocross version of the SpeedSuit for sponsored rider Christian Craig. But it wasn't well received by FOX's other motocross star riders.
Are we entering a new era of pneumatics?
Does the appearance of this mountain version mark a new aerodynamic era for downhill? Or will we look back at the 2024 World Cup at Fort Willem in the future as the beginning of a search for a pneumatic cheating driver? Does it comply with all UCI regulations? Is this just a publicity stunt? Will we see it on the podium?
Perhaps we'll see a lot of companies and teams developing similar products for the next race in Poland, just as many drivers started choosing 29-inch wheels after Santa Cruz Syndicate introduced the 29er V10 in the first round of the World Cup in Lourdes in 2017.
If it really works, why not use it? It's a race against time, every bit of advantage counts, everything is designed to improve yourself against the competition, and the same rule applies to downhill. There will always be people who will be pressured to be the first to use a new product until it becomes the norm.
What's next?
This may be similar to ski competitions, although you can buy them freely, but the general public will not ski in speed skating suits. Downhill riders choose it to fight for a bit of an edge in the race, and I'm unlikely to hesitate to buy it to tuck into my middle-aged belly, but if it helps me get down the hill faster, I'll consider it.
But where will this trend end? Following in the footsteps of mountain bikes, disc brakes were adopted and became the norm. Will we soon see Specialized Gravity Racing riders wearing modified Specialized time trial helmets, or moto GP helmets without goggles?
I guess not, but if it's all in the name of speed, who knows?