Keen gear-watchers spotted something interesting on Jumbo-Visma bikes Wednesday at Dwars door Vlaanderen. What the WorldTour road team is testing could have a big impact in mountain biking, as unexpected as that might seem. Especially on the cross country side of the sport.
What happened and what is the system?
What’s the big deal? Well, Jumbo-Visma’s rider Edoardo Affini was spotted using an adjustable tire pressure system at a major road race. The idea is that riders can lower their tire pressure for rough, cobbled sections and then add pressure again for faster rolling tires on smooth sections of road.
The hub-based system is created by the Dutch brand Gravaa. It allows riders to automatically adjust tire pressure, without stopping or getting off of the bike, via a bar-mounted remote that connects wirelessly with the hubs.
The tires can be inflated or deflated at the push of a button. Gravaa’s KAPS (Kinetic Air Pressure System) requires no motors and, since inflating is powered by the bike’s motion, it is not limited in how many times it can add or remove air from the tire chamber.
Currently, Gravaa’s app will let you set custom pressure settings. You can also display current pressure on your existing cycling computer as a data field.
Why is that a big deal?
Inflatable tire pressure systems are not new. The idea has floated around in various stages of development for nearly ten years, if not longer. Start-ups like WhiteCrow and AirWinder either never went anywhere, weren’t practical for high-performance use or, simply, weren’t even trying to be.
But, if Jumbo-Visma is confident enough in the Gravaa system that it doesn’t consider running it at a race like Dwars door Vlaanderen, this is the furthest any company has advanced the idea. And the first time it’s reliable and sleek enough to be used in professional racing.
It is a big deal on road because Gravaa is claiming very impressive, double-digit power gains if its system is used on cobble roads as featured the upcoming Paris Roubaix. But the same principal could make Gravaa’s concept hugely important in mountain biking.
Could this work for mountain biking?
If this works, and can be applied to mountain biking,…
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