Mechanical doping
- Thread starter themosquitoking
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cisamcgu
Legendary Member
- Location
- Merseyside-ish
Is mechanical doping worse than drug-based doping ? In my rather naive way of thinking I believe it is. With a drug you still at leat have to use your muscles, your stamina, your brain; even if enhanced to a greater or lesser extent by whatever you have taken. But with mechanical "doping" you could be as fat and unfit, as old and weak as .. well me for instance 
.. and still compete and beat top class riders.
It is insidious and needs to be stopped ..
.. and still compete and beat top class riders.It is insidious and needs to be stopped ..
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Not with the current technology, you wouldn't!With a drug you still at leat have to use your muscles, your stamina, your brain; even if enhanced to a greater or lesser extent by whatever you have taken. But with mechanical "doping" you could be as fat and unfit, as old and weak as .. well me for instance
Mechanical doping cheats generating 400 W and using (say) 100 W of 'assistance would beat top class riders with a natural 450 W output, but your pitiful 150 W (say) would only be boosted to 250 W so you would still be trailing in their dust!
Seriously though ... It is pretty sad that people would consider cheating like this in pro sport. Even putting aside the ethics of it, it would be so easy to catch them at it!
cisamcgu
Legendary Member
- Location
- Merseyside-ish
Ahemmm.. you have no idea how much raw, unadulterated power I put out - it might be 800W for all you know 
(Even if in reality, 150W would be a huge exageration !)
(Even if in reality, 150W would be a huge exageration !)Nikki Harris's (UK cyclocross champion) Fiancee, Mark Brammeier gives us a more involved perspective
http://cyclingtips.com/2016/02/bram...ething-seemed-a-bit-weird-at-koppenbergcross/
http://cyclingtips.com/2016/02/bram...ething-seemed-a-bit-weird-at-koppenbergcross/
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
While there's a strong reason for suspecting her at Koppenbergcross, the only way she could get done for it is if someone whistleblows. It would be interesting to know whether Muylder was around that day. I think, though, that we can only hope that the UCI can make a ban stick.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Has this been mentioned yet ?, cycling weekly has an article about electromagnets in deep section wheels.Im geussing it would run on an elctromagnetic field drawing the wheel around so no obvious motor sound and wight penalty .
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...-the-leading-form-of-mechanical-doping-209760
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...-the-leading-form-of-mechanical-doping-209760
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Yes.
It looks a bit like a perpetual motion machine to me, but I'd have to see it in English, with a bit more info. To make a motor work (and that's what it is) you'll end up with weight in the form of either heavy magnets or heavy batteries or both.
Edit. I see cycling weekly share my scepticism: "There is not attempt to explain the location of the magnets either, just that wire is in the wheel rim. If GCSE physics taught us anything, it is that electromagnetic induction requires magnets (the clue is in the name).
Perhaps this system requires an accomplice (Wile E Cayote) to sit at the top of Alpe D’Huez with a huge horseshoe shaped magnet pulling you up from the bottom."
btw the spelling in the above is CW's, not mine.
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deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
And I'd guess the technology used to detect Driesshe's motor would also detect that one too.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
No way. If I'm paying E200,000 for a perpetual motion machine, I want a invisible perpetual motion machine.
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
That video is very reminiscent of the Cancellara vs. Boonen video. The difference is that Van den Driessche was nowhere near being one of the world's most powerful riders before that race. It's ridiculous seeing how she smoothly accelerates away from far more powerful riders who are clearly struggling.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
My guesstimate was based on "you could be as fat and unfit, as old and weak as .. well me for instance" which I reckoned was a strong hint!Ahemmm.. you have no idea how much raw, unadulterated power I put out - it might be 800W for all you know
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I thought Greg Lemond's suggestion of using a thermal imaging camera to look at the bikes was an interesting one (LINK). If a motor is outputting 100 W or so, a lot of heat is going to be produced.
His statements last year annoyed a lot of people (e.g. HERE), but perhaps they would like to reconsider now?
His statements last year annoyed a lot of people (e.g. HERE), but perhaps they would like to reconsider now?
I thought Greg Lemond's suggestion of using a thermal imaging camera to look at the bikes was an interesting one (LINK). If a motor is outputting 100 W or so, a lot of heat is going to be produced.
His statements last year annoyed a lot of people (e.g. HERE), but perhaps they would like to reconsider now?
That would only work whilst the motor is on or for a short time afterwards. I thought have thought a simple tap on the tube, a magnet or looking down the seat post would do it. Even better remove the minimum weight limit and see if anyone wants the weight penalty of a motor and battery.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I think the idea was that officials could easily examine all bikes while they were being ridden using cameras at the roadside and/or mounted on official motorbikes. It could make 'mechanical doping' almost impossible to get away with.