Blackwell Research News - Archives
November 10, 2007 Ironman
70.3 World Championships Clearwater, FL
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Aussie
hottie Kate Major wins the half ironman distance triathlon by over 5
minutes. Kate attributes her win to getting “mean” on the bike. A
tip offered to her by John Cobb. Kate also earned the fastest bike
and run split of the day. Let also not forget our other super
performances of the day. Alisha Lion finished 4th, Amy Marsh 6th,
and veteran Alexis Waddel 9th. Also in the men’s Pro field, Jens
Koefoed finished 2nd and Brandon Marsh rounded out the top 10.
Congrats to all. 
Alisha
Lion made her professional multisport debut at the Desert Classic
Duathlon in Phoenix, Arizona with a victory. The short course
Duathlon, a 3.5mi run/21 mile bike/2.7 mile run, drew stiff
competition as many seasoned professional athletes toed the line.
Several top ITU racers and the Canadian National Team were present.
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Pro Tour rider Damiano Cunego on his 2006 TT set-up |
John Cobb running the smoke tests on Team Lampre’s Damiano Cunego |
Fine tuning the saddle position |
October 28, 2006 College Station, TX - Wind Tunnel Testing with Damiano Cunego
Blackwell Research was recently contacted by Professional Cycling’s Team Lampre to work with up and comer Damiano Cunego. Cunego won the Giro de Italia at age 22 and was honored with the Best Young Rider award in the 2006 Tour de France. He has his sights set on cycling’s grand prize, the Tour. Cunego and his entourage of directors, mechanics, and sponsors flew in from Italy for a day of tunnel testing with Aero Guru and Blackwell designer John Cobb. It was a full day of testing, but in the end Cunego was confident he was in the most aero position that still allowed for power output. He mentioned he has never been so comfortable on a bicycle. Ride like the wind, Damiano!! Read more about the Blackwell Research Wind Tunnel test on Cyclingnews.com.
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Cunego testing Blackwell’s |
Aero Guru, John Cobb, working with Tour De
France Best Young |
The new 200mm making the grade! |
Lausanne, Switzerland ITU Triathlon World Championships - September 2
World ranked #3 athlete, Lauren Groves, finished 4th at the World Champs. Lauren proudly races the Blackwell 50’s. In her own words, “My Fifties were INCREDIBLE in Lausanne on those hills!!” Congratulations, Lauren, on your stellar performance. Hope that toe heals!
Australian Road Cycling Championships, September 2-10
While racing in beautiful Sunshine Coast, Australia, the Drapac/Porsche Professional Cycling squad won the Team division of this year's event with 2 wins and a second place finish. Drapac/Porsche proudly race with Blackwell's 50mm wheels on the road. Way to go guys!!
Marcel
Vifian Places 8th at the Accenture Chicago Triathlon 8-27-06
There were over 8000 competitors in the event and Marcel hit a
top ten in a stacked field. Marcel competed using his 100mm
wheels, Flow saddle, and Concord aerobars.
Blackwell Athlete, Jens Koefoed, Wins European Long Course Triathlon Championships in Holland
8.27.06
- Not only did Jens win the overall, but he did it setting the
fastest bike split of the day using his 100mm wheels.
Congrats, Jens. You trained hard and deserve the win.
Bridgeport, Connecticut (August 5, 2006)
Sarah Groff had a solid performance at the 2006 ITU
Bridgeport Pan American Cup Triathlon, placing eighth only two weeks
after competing at the 2006 Spirit of Racine Triathlon, which served
as the U.S. Elite Long Distance National Championships. Groff placed
third overall in the Half-Ironman distance event, behind Canadian
winner Lisa Bentley and Kim Loeffler, who took the U.S. National
Title with a time of 4:26:40. Groff finished less than four minutes
behind, stopping the clock in 4:30:03 to become the National
Runner-Up. The event was the only U.S. elite qualifier for the ITU
Long Distance World Championship, to be held November 19, 2006 in
Canberra, Australia.
Teammates Lauren Groves and Suzanne Weckend will
compete for Canada and Sarah Groff will represent the United
States at the ITU World Triathlon Championships held in Lausanne,
Switzerland on September 2, 2006. Michelle Lindsay is
also a member of the U.S. Team competing in the U-23 category.
Groves is currently ranked fifth in the world as she heads into the
ITU World Championships.
July
31, 2006 Blackwell Research Heads to Tunnel for More Testing
Blackwell journeyed to the Texas A&M Wind Tunnel for more product and athlete testing. “We got some definitive answers to our products”, explained Dave Bunce. “You can’t hide from tunnel data….it never lies!” Blackwell continued it’s research on their existing product line and tested potential products for the coming year. “We are committed to bringing the fastest products to this industry”, Bunce remarked. “Our technology and innovation will help athletes throughout achieve their personal bests!”
July 30, 2006 Parry Sound Half-Ironman
Ontario,
Canada - Wolfgang “Kyle” Guembel wins the Ontario Provincial Long
Course Championships with flying colors. Kyle was first off the bike
by 9 minutes and held his lead on the run for the win. Kyle
proudly uses Blackwell 100mm wheels front and rear. Good job,
Kyle. Take it easy on them next time!!
Corner Brook, Canada (July 23,
2006)
Lauren Groves finished her fifth consecutive week of competition as she raced to her fifth consecutive Top 10 World Cup finish at the 2006 Corner Brook BG Triathlon World Cup. She stayed with the main pack throughout the bike and then ran her way into seventh on a very hilly run course. Groves placed eighth at the 2006 Life Time Fitness Triathlon a week earlier and placed seventh at the 2006 Edmonton BG Triathlon World Cup one week before the Life Time Fitness race. While Groves missed the pack in Edmonton, she quickly covered the flat and fast run course, deftly moving her way through the field. In addition to strong performances earlier this season in Japan and Mexico, Groves earned the highest World Cup finish of her career, finishing in fourth place at the 2006 Richards Bay BG Triathlon in South Africa on June 11, 2006 and has firmly established herself as a reputable competitor on the ITU circuit.
Marcel Vifian Gets 2nd place at U.S. Pro Nationals - July 23, 2006.
Blackwell Athlete, Marcel Vifian, had a wonderful race at this
year's race. Racing the Concord Aerobar and 100mm carbon race
wheels, Marcel was able to beat the previous year's course record!
Way to go, Marcel!!
Brampton, Canada (July 2, 2006)
Lauren Groves put her talents on display and captured the win at the 2006 ITU Brampton Pan American Cup Triathlon; and as the Canadian Elite National Championships, Groves also earned the National Title with her victory. She and teammate Suzanne Weckend worked together in a small lead pack that broke away from the main group, putting her in excellent position heading into transition. Groves then produced an incredible run and pulled away from the rest of the competitors to take the top spot on the podium. U.S. teammate Michelle Lindsay also had a solid performance and ran her way from the chase pack into ninth, earning a spot on the U.S. team competing at the ITU World Triathlon Championships in the U-23 category. Canadian teammate Suzanne Weckend finished close behind, crossing the line in eleventh place.
Long Beach, California (June 25, 2006)
Canadian Lauren Groves lead the team with her third-place finish at the 2006 ITU Long Beach Pan American Cup Triathlon, which served as the U.S. Elite National Championships. Groves joined teammates Sarah Groff and Suzanne Weckend in a group of athletes that broke away from the main field on the flat and fast bike course, placing Groves in a position to capture a spot on the podium and allowing all three of the women to break into the top ten with Groff taking eighth and Weckend placing tenth.
Blackwell Athletes Bringing Home Some Glory June 25, 2006
At the Prospect Lake Triathlon in Colorado Springs, CO
yesterday, Matthew Clark finished a strong second! Matty and
fellow countryman Luke McKenzie would hold off some tough
competition in yesterday’s race. “Despite my two big weeks of
Ironman prep, I decided to enter the event”. Clark is preparing
for Ironman Canada. “Even though my legs had been heavy from the
last two weeks, I found surprising speed and built a lead into the
swim and bike”, Clark said. The U.S. Olympic National Squad was
there and certainly gave Clark a run for his money. Clark would
settle for the silver in yesterday’s event, losing only to his
training partner, McKenzie. Great job, Matty!! Matt used his 100mm
wheels and Concord Aerobar to pedal his way to the podium.
ITU Pan American Cup Triathlon, Long Beach, CA. Lauren
Groves claims 3rd. Way to go Lauren! “The race wheels were
incredible…what a difference”, Groves stated. Lauren used her
50mm tubulars for the event.
Marcel Vifian Places 2nd Overall in World´s Toughest Half, and Comes in 5th Overall at Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake
The Auburn Triathlon is dubbed The World´s Toughest Half for good reason.
The
Sierra foothills in Northern California make for a beautiful but
brutal bike and run course. Add in the heat and you´ve got one
grueling race.
Vifian came out of the water with over a two-minute lead on the
chase pack of swimmers. At mile 45 of the hilly 56-mile bike course,
he had increased his lead to 4 minutes. But, over the last 10 miles
of the bike he struggled to maintain it. Misjudging the caloric
needs of such a demanding course (5000 feet of climbing in the first
35 miles), he ran out of energy and entered transition dizzy and
weak just seconds before the chase.
After a rough start on the extreme run course, Vifian was able to
take on enough fluid and calories to ease into a steady running
pace, taking a hard-earned second place overall.
Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake draws an unprecedented men´s
pro field.
Always a popular race because of the challenging, windy course,
this year saw a pro field tripled in numbers and including some of
the top long-course competitors like Luke Bell, Simon Lessing and
last year's champion, Marcel Vifian.
The combined male/female pro start made for crowded conditions in
the swim. Although Marcel exited the water just 3 seconds behind
Luke Bell, his decision not to stay with the lead swimmers cost him
precious minutes.
The windy, out and back bike course with its 8 significant climbs
became a battle for second place between Lessing and Vifian with
Luke Bell out in front by almost 3 minutes. Marcel opted to use the
Blackwell 50 front and Blackwell 100 rear which is the perfect wheel
combo for a windy race. In a effort to reel Bell in, both Vifian and
Lessing increased the pace on the last 15 miles, coming into T2
within seconds of each other.
Suffering with leg cramps from the effort on the bike, Marcel had to
back off his pace on the run finishing in 5th place at 4:04:33.
Guy Petruzzelli Qualifies for Worlds Duathlon at Powerman OH - May 2006
Seems like "racing in less than perfect conditions" has been the
theme for my spring racing. The day before Powerman OH,
it was
sunny, and windy but clear skies and 60 degrees, great race weather.
But, race morning brought wind, rain, and 40 degrees. So, as the
rain came down, I just put my head down and stayed with the lead
group of guys, through a very hilly, and tough 8K, only to
experience the exact same conditions on the bike. The cold made
shifting gears a challenge, with numb fingers, I had to use my palms
to shift. For the second 8K, I couldn't feel my feet until the last
half mile, but I just kept surging, knowing I was close to the
front. With a half mile to go, I put on my last surge, passed the
female pro leader, and 2 other guys and was never so happy to see
the finishing gate. I finished 10th overall, and won the Men's 30-34
AG, and the pain suddenly was lessened when I found out where I
finished. I encourage anyone who wants to try a duathlon to give
this course a shot. It was by far, the most challenging race course
in the Mideast, and was extremely well orgainized. Thanks to Dave
from Blackwell, having my rims on definitely made a difference.
May 2006--Southern California/Nevada State Time Trial
Scott Martin posts fastest time of the day including Elite division using the Blackwell Time Bandit Fork. Scott completed the 40k course in an astounding 47 minutes, 21 seconds! Scott was sweating the days prior to the event as his new fork hadn’t arrived. Glad we got it to him on time. Must have been the fork, right Scott? Also making news is Rotor Crank’s Exec, Gary Tingley. Gary, always a consistent podium finisher, got 2nd in the 30-34 Division using a Blackwell Research 100mm front. Way to go guys!!
Athletes Continue Successful Start To 2006 Season
Ishigaki, Japan (April 16, 2006) - Canadian Lauren Groves
continued the impressive start to her season with a fifth-place
performance at the 2006 ITU Triathlon World Cup Triathlon with a
time of 1:59:09.
Reno, NV. (April 22, 2006) - Racing for Virginia Tech, Michelle
Lindsay showed her running strength and finished second at the 2006
USA Triathlon National Collegiate Championships. The race was turned
into a duathlon when officials decided the water temperature was too
cold for the athletes to swim.
Lake San Antonio, Calif. (May 6, 2006) - With perfect race
conditions providing course records in both the men's and women's
events, Alexis Waddel had a solid swim and a strong run to cross the
line in 10th place at the 2006 Jamba Juice Wildflower Triathlon with
a time of 4:57:53.
Mazatlan, Mexico (May 7, 2006) - Racing against a world-class field
of athletes, Canadian Lauren Groves ran her way into a sixth-place
finish (2:03:54) at the 2006 ITU Mazatlan Triathlon World Cup
Triathlon with teammates Sarah Groff taking 15th (2:05:49) and
Michelle Lindsay crossing the line in 22nd (2:07:28).
Groves came off the bike with the chase pack more than a minute
behind Groff and the other lead athletes and charged through the
field with one of the fastest runs of the competition to earn her
second top-ten World Cup finish of the season.
Honolulu, Hawaii (May 14, 2006) - With a strong effort throughout
the race, Sarah Groff earned a podium spot at the 2006 ITU Honolulu
Pan American Cup Triathlon in 1:57:18. Teammate Alexis Waddel
crossed the line in 13th place as she began her short course season
after a great start at earlier long-course events.
Blackwell Research attends the 23rd
annual St. Anthony’s on April 30, 2006
The
boys at Blackwell made the trip to St. Petersburg, FL to attend the
ever popular St. Anthony’s Triathlon. “It’s always great to attend
race expos and meet and greet potential customers”, commented
Blackwell’s Dave Bunce. “We like going to races. It affords
us the opportunity to visit with our customers and athletes and help
improve our product line.” Blackwell Research donated (2) pr of 50mm
wheelsets for a raffle among the top 3 male and female competitors
in each age group. Sales manager, Bunce and owner, Stephen
Greer also competed in the grueling event. At left:
Dave Bunce atop the new 100mm front wheel and Blackwell Disc.
At right: Blackwell Pro Athlete, Matthew Clark stylin’ after
the event.
Blackwell Research Athletes Kick Off 2006 Season In Style
While still early in the year, teammates Lauren Groves, Sarah
Groff, Alexis Waddel and Suzanne Weckend all have promising starts
in 2006 and look to form a strong squad for team races later in the
season.
Canadian Lauren Groves proved to be a valuable addition to the team
by winning the 2006 ITU Roatan Bay Islands Pan American Cup
Triathlon in Honduras on March 25. After breaking away on the bike
with Susan Williams, Groves outran the 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist
to capture the top spot on the podium. Alexis Waddel joined Lauren
on the podium with a strong effort on the bike and run.
On March 3, Sarah Groff earned a career-high 7th place finish at a
World Cup event by finishing the 2006 ITU Doha Triathlon World Cup
with a time of 2:03:09 and collected more World Cup points a week
later by placing 15th at the 2006 ITU Aqaba Triathlon World Cup held
in Jordan. The early success on the ITU World Cup circuit gave Sarah
a top-15 World ranking.
Working her way through the competition, Alexis Waddel had an
excellent half-marathon split of 1:27:14 to secure a 4th place
finish for the second consecutive year at the 2006 Ford Ironman 70.3
California Triathlon held in Oceanside, Calif. on March 18.
Suzanne Weckend lead an incredibly strong field out of the water at
the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia and went on
to finish in 11th place in the competition.
Blackwell Research Turning Heads at the 2006 Taipei Bike Show
(Reprinted from http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9588.0.html)
Aerodynamics guru John Cobb is well known for his new designs and
his work at the Texas A&M wind tunnel where he served as an
aerodynamics advisor to some of the best athletes in cycling,
including that other guy from Texas.
His company, Blackwell Research, features Cobb-designed products that are now manufactured in Taiwan, resulting in impressive high-end components that, in at least some case, are very competitively priced.
Cobb says his new Concord carbon aero' bars took more than 1000 hours to design. They prominently feature a wrist relief bend, which gives a flat aero orientation of the wrist while supporting it comfortably. The bar has a target weight of 750 grams, comes in a 42cm width, with a 31.8mm clamp. The extensions offer almost six inches of adjustment and the pads offer 12 different positions. This one's not cheap at $1195.
The Time Bandit is not even close to being UCI legal, but it's faster than the old lotus time trial forks and much stiffer. The fork's legs are over 70mm wide and feature pressure relief vents on each leg. The vents are said to cut the fork's air resistance by one-third. Surprisingly, the full monocoque fork only weighs 390 grams. This could be the hot fork for triathlons or for unleashing it at your local TT.
Cobb's 100mm carbon tubular wheel has four waves throughout the width to manage airflow, while the basalt impregnated braking surface helps dissipate heat an provide consistent braking. The 100mm wheels retail at $1500.
Cobb paired with Steve Toll to create a new Adamo saddle, which
incorporates the pro trick of cutting off the nose of a
saddle, so
that the rider can then push it all the way forward and still comply
with the UCI's geometry requirements for TT bikes.
Pair that with a focus on nerve pressure-relief and you have a
saddle that offers both performance and comfort. Cobb sent the seat
to be tested by Dr. Frank Sommer, a men's health professor at the
University of Hamburg. Sommer is the same doctor who works with
Specialized on the Body Geometry seats. Cobb claims his seat scored
an 80 in Sommer's infamous one minute penile blood flow test, while
Specialized's scored a 78. A traditional saddle is rated at around
six.
Wind Tunnel Session - January 2006
Blackwell Research headed back down to the wind tunnel in late
January to finalize testing of it’s 2006 product line. We also had a
few sponsored athletes fly in for the session. Marcel Vifian came
down from UT to tweak his position and get a little more aero on his
new ride. Marcel will be riding a disc and 100 front. He will also
don the Concord one-piece aero bar and Time Bandit fork. Michelle
Lindsay, Alexis Waddel, and Patrice Wolfensberger all of Exit 3
Professional Triathlon Team blew in for some testing as well. These
three lovelies will be riding our 50mm front wheel and 100mm rear
wheel. All four athletes are faster than ever. Lookout competition,
these are your race leaders! The Blackwell 100 literally blew away
the competition. The fastest non-disc wheel available on the
planet - wind tunnel proven and available in mid February.
Blackwell Research moves to Austin, TX - December 2005
Blackwell is pleased to announce our recent move to Austin, TX.
It’s a natural fit for our company. Austin is a hip, fit, and
energetic city with much to offer. At any given time of the day, you
see athletes training hard on the streets preparing for their next
event. Like Austin’s athletes, Blackwell employees are working hard
to bring you the most competitive product available to help you
achieve all your athletic goals.
Concord Bar
Not since the first appearance of the aero bars in the early Eighties has there been such an advancement in bar design. Blackwell Research has opened a new book on aero bar design, we told our designers to start with a “clean sheet” and move cycling forward another step. The designers at Blackwell have more than a thousand hours of wind tunnel time studying every aspect of the bike and the rider. We put all that information to the test and have developed the most aero, ergonomically friendly, advanced aero bar on the market. Every aspect, from the patented “Wrist Relief” extensions to the patented “Multi Fit Tendon Relief” elbow pads has been studied for the ultimate in speed and comfort. We learned a long time ago that to make a bike fast you have to make the bike work for you, not against you. Our wing design stabilizes the frontal air, knocking out the power robbing turbulence from the front of the bike. The large surface area continues to stabilize the air flow while hiding the riders arms from the wind. The carbon brake levers are aligned horizontally to let the air slip past them, more things learned in the wind tunnel testing. Stiffness for hill climbing is a big concern for most “wing” bars, our “lower supports” solve this while still allowing the bar to be wispy thin to glide thru the air. There’s a molded in area for a front water bottle, computer mounting and power meter mounting is well thought out and easy. The Concord bar is full Carbon Fiber for light weight and great road shock absorption. If you're ready to move to the next level in cycling, the Blackwell Research Concord bar is the only option.