Pinarello Launches New Bolide Track Frames Ahead of Paris Olympics

It’s an Olympic year, so that means we’ll be seeing some new track bikes ahead of the upcoming summer games. Pinarello, well, they have two, the new Bolide F HR 3D and the Bolide HR C. Both models build off of the brand’s, Hour Record-winning Bolide F HR to bring hold the gold in Paris this summer.

The Italian Olympic team will ride the new bikes. The men’s endurance team will ride on the 3D printed scalmolloy metal Bolide F HR 3D versions, while the women’s endurance squad will ride on full carbon Bolide HR C.

“As an iconic Italian brand, we could not be prouder to work with the Italian track team, who like us, are continuing to push the boundaries of athletic performance,” explained Fausto Pinarello. “We have invested a lot to produce six 3D-printed scalmalloy bikes for the male riders and six carbon fibre versions for the women (including three separate sized moulds). Our hope is that the men will defend their Olympic title on the track this summer and our super-strong women’s team also succeed in their quest for gold. We’ve done everything we can to give them the best-possible chance.”

The original bike was INEOS Grenadiers team’s Performance Engineer, Dan Bigham’s prototype that he road to a new Hour Record. Filippo Ganna then set a new Hour Record on a production bike from 2022, which went on to set an additional record for the 4km Individual Pursuit.

“We have enjoyed a hugely successful partnership with Pinarello over the last 30 years and once again, they have provided us with two truly world-class, cutting-edge bikes which will give our team pursuit athletes a great opportunity to go for gold in Paris,” adds Marco Villa, Performance Director of Italian track team.

The Technology

The new bikes bring some of the same technology from the originals:

AirStream technology – Developed in collaboration with the University of Adelaide and aerodynamics R&D partner NablaFlow, and inspired by the tubercules found on the flippers of humpback whales, a unique pattern of AeroNodes have been integrated onto the seat tube and seat post to reduce the complex vortexes generated by riders’ leg movements in order to improve airflow.

AirFoil sections on the bottom bracket and wheel hubs are longer and slimmer to reduce the frontal area. These innovations take advantage of the UCI’s decision to remove its 3:1 rule and research found aspect ratios of 6:1, and even 8:1, performed significantly better than that original 3:1 benchmark.

Narrow forks and seat stays – Recent trends in aero frame design have seen a shift towards wide forks and seat stays to try and reduce the overall drag of bike and rider. Our research in this area, however, was not conclusive. We made the decision therefore, to adopt a more reliable combination of narrow forks and seat stays to minimise the weight of the frame in order to yield faster results.

Optimised handlebar geometry was achieved as a result of multiple rounds of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) testing to minimise the total drag of rider and bike. Again, we collaborated with NablaFlow to conduct countless simulations using their AeroCloud software – which runs on AWS, the preferred cloud solution of the FIA and many F1 teams – to determine the most efficient design.

3D Printing

3D printing isn’t new to cycling. We’ve seen things like computer mounts, handlebars and aero extensions, saddles, and other small items, but 3D printed frames are more of a novelty at this point. The new Bolide F HR 3D is the worlds highest performance 3D printed bike to date. Pinarello has been using 3D printing technology since 2015, giving it a bit of a leg up on the competition. The frame is made up of five parts, three pieces in the front triangle, the seat stays, and the chain stays.

And while we are all used to the top bikes in the world being carbon fiber, Pinarello went with Scalmalloy for the men’s frames. It is an alloy comprised of Scandium, Aluminum, and Magnesium, and has properties similar to 7000-series Aluminum. It’s high strength allows for less material to be used during printing, yet still holds extreme strength. While it might not be as light as the Bolide F HR C, it meets the demands of the power and speed the men’s team will put through the frame.

The Bolide HR C is made from more traditional building methods, using carbon fiber. Both models share the same geometry and come in three sizes, all of which has been approved by the UCI. Newly developed handlebars and extensions will integrate seamlessly into the new frames, allowing for riders to find the perfect position and improve aerodynamics even further. The Italian team will be riding bespoke Azure blue frames, they will be available to the general public in black titan and carbon black.

In the Wild

If you have been keeping up with the UCI track season, you would have seen the new frames first being used in 2023 UCI Track World Championships. If you want to get your hands on one for the upcoming track season, be ready to open up your wallet. The Bolide F HR 3D frame is set at €28,750 and the Bolide HR C runs €12,500.

We’ll have to wait to see how successful the new frames are under the Italian team, and any others willing to shell out the cash. Stay tuned for this summers games to see them in action.

“We have invested a lot to produce six 3D-printed scalmalloy bikes for the male riders and six carbon fibre versions for the women (including three separate sized moulds). Our hope is that the men will defend their Olympic title on the track this summer and our super-strong women’s team also succeed in their quest for gold. We’ve done everything we can to give them the best-possible chance.”

www.pinarello.com