Colnago Y1Rs: the radical aerodynamic bicycle that Tadej Pogacar will ride

Meeting the needs of Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates, in a cycling world where speeds are increasing and aiming to favor the long solo rides of the world number 1, Colnago has launched its first purely aerodynamic bike (excluding time trial models) breaking with its new Y1Rs all the design schemes to which we were accustomed.

Colnago challenges the wind with its new Y1Rs

When a few days ago an image of Colnago's new aerodynamic bike was leaked on social media, many could not believe it was real. The image that most of us have of Colnago is linked to bikes with a classic look despite the incorporation over the years of some cutting-edge technology novelties both in design and in the manufacturing of their frames, something we saw, for example, a few weeks ago when the brand launched its Steelnovo model to celebrate its 70 years of history.

The launch of this Colnago Y1Rs means entering fully into modernity, perhaps at the cost of losing a bit of that romantic and classic halo but, after all, seeking what the brand has done throughout its existence, innovate and, on the other hand, meet the needs of the best professional cyclists in the world.
The reality of today's cycling, which has forced Colnago to develop a specifically aerodynamic machine, is that races are getting faster, even climbs are faced on a regular basis above 20 km/h, a speed at which aerodynamics becomes a relevant aspect. Besides, they have in their ranks a unique cyclist who is not afraid to attack from a distance and ride towards victory solo, a circumstance in which aerodynamics also becomes vital.

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Therefore, Colnago got down to work to devise and build what has ended up being this Y1Rs. A development for which they have had the help of two institutions expert in wind studies such as the Polytechnic of Milan and the Khalifa University of Abu Dhabi. Between them and the brand, they have been carrying out a development process, which is already common in major bike brands.

Analysis of different design solutions through Computational Fluid Dynamics software or CFD, rapid prototyping through 3D printing for validation in the wind tunnel. A validation in which they have gone to the most meticulous analysis, even drilling up to 70 small holes in these models to place small sensors in them to obtain the most precise air pressure data at each point of the bike with which to validate and refine the computer-generated models.

The result is the frame of this Y1Rs, with a design that breaks many molds, especially in terms of the front triangle, the triangle by using the usual nomenclature since, in reality, it is a kind of rhombus and a bunch of mixed solutions that, individually, we have also seen used on some occasions but, all together, they achieve a tremendously aerodynamic machine according to the data provided by the brand and which would represent an average saving of 20 watts compared to the versatile V4Rs, also surpassing the numbers of its best competitor in terms of aerodynamics.

Perhaps the first thing everyone will notice is the area of the seat tube called DEFY. There is not really a seat tube as such, but a small tube starts from the bottom bracket cinching as close as possible to the rear wheel until it joins the two rear stays of a minimalist rear triangle. From that point, the stays already attached to the lower mini tube of the seat continue diagonally until merging with the horizontal tube. From this, a mini seat tube comes out where a small seatpost is housed that must be cut to size and that provides only a 1.5 cm adjustment in seat height.

The goal of the DEFY design is twofold, on the one hand, to make the tube as close as possible to the wheel to minimize aerodynamic interference between both elements. Apart from that, this configuration reminds us a lot of Canyon's cyclocross bike, the Inflite, although here the goal is not to be able to carry it on the shoulder in the simplest way possible but to do the same as Trek in its Madone, suspend the seat for maximum absorption.
Following a similar design to the seat tube, the diagonal tube is also designed to accommodate the curvature of the front wheel as much as possible, while at the exit edge, the bottle cage is integrated so that both this and the bottle become an active part of the bike's aerodynamics. Again, a solution that we had already seen in bikes from Pinarello, BMC, or Trek.

From there we move on to the sleek fork, which uses a system called "bayonet", more common in time trial bikes and in which the lower and upper parts of the steering are joined by a piece that covers the head tube from the front to improve wind penetration. Here it is inevitable to think of the Cervélo S5 used by Visma-Lease a Bike and which has been appealing to this solution for years. In fact, the design of the Y-shaped handlebar also seems to be taken from this bike, although it differs from the S5 in that it does not have a horizontal upper part, however, the concept is the same.

A handlebar that, in addition to the aerodynamic advantages it has, manages to increase rigidity compared to a conventional one precisely because of the shape it adopts. A need demanded by the sprinters of the Emirati team. Needless to say, its ergonomics feature the usual flare that practically all road handlebars are designed with, widening the curve part.

Obviously, if we compare it with a pure climber like the current V4Rs, the weight gain of this aerodynamic Colnago Y1Rs is palpable. The frame is 167 g heavier, tipping the scale at 965 g while the fork marks 450 g, so the set goes up to 1,415 g. 242 g more than the V4Rs. However, as a counterbalance, the brand claims that this Y1Rs is 3.5% more rigid, so the application of force by the cyclist should be more efficient.

A bike that we can already see rolling on the roads of the Marina Alta as yesterday UAE Emirates announced the start of its first winter concentration that will take place from December 9th until the next day 20th.

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