Canadian multisport and nutrition brand Louis Garneau came into Interbike off the back of pro triathlete Lionel Sanders posting the day’s fastest bike split at the Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Mont Tremblant. That flying endorsement was followed by a huge buzz around the launch of Louis Garneau’s flagship tri-bike, the TR1, at the Las Vegas expo.
Two years in development, the starting point of the TR1’s journey was an exhaustive interview process with pro and age-group athletes to discover what they demand in a tri-bike. Interestingly, the number one priority for triathletes was the adjustability options provided by the bike. Number two on the list was storage options for nutrition and tools, only in third place was aerodynamics before handling was the final major concern in the study (surprisingly comfort wasn’t up there).
These findings were then factored into the final bike design with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technology used to shape the aerodynamics and wind-cheating abilities. The result of this saw seatstays with reduced angles (a la the Felt IA), and a downtube designed to be aerodynamic with a conventional water bottle positioned on it (Louis Garneau say it’s more aero than the Cervelo P5 with the water bottle attached).
Customisation will be provided with the brand’s Dream Factory, where athletes can pick their own shade and design from a 20-colour palette, and the choice of internal storage options around the cockpit area.
Louis Garneau also unveiled their a new tri-suit at the show (pictured behind the TR1, above), designed in partnership with Craig Alexander, and featuring internal pockets, a fully zippable shirt and short sleeves for increased aerodynamics and sun protection.
We’ll be testing both later this year/in early 2015, head to www.louisgarneau.com for now.
