A new Pinarello Bolide for the Paris 2024 Olympics

Pinarello has unveiled two new versions of its Bolide F HR, the bike that broke the hour record. A bike designed to propel the Italian men’s and women’s track cycling teams to victory in the team pursuit at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Source: Press Release

The reigning Olympic champion men’s endurance team has received 3D-printed versions of this revolutionary track bike – the Bolide F HR 3D – while the women’s endurance athletes will compete on a custom carbon model – the Bolide HR C.

The Bolide F HR 3D was initially developed for Filippo Ganna’s successful hour record attempt on Saturday, October 8, 2022, where he set a new, still unsurpassed, benchmark of 56.792 km in Grenchen, Switzerland.

The following week, Ganna also set a new 4km individual pursuit world record at sea level during the UCI Track World Championships, breaking the four-minute barrier with a time of 3min 59.636sec.

Dan Bigham, INEOS performance engineer, also rode a prototype of the bike when he set the hour record two months before Ganna.

Revolutionary

The Bolide F HR 3D was the first and fastest 3D-printed high-performance bike ever produced, and these latest incarnations retain its key features, including:

• AirStream Technology: developed in collaboration with the University of Adelaide and aerodynamic R&D partner NablaFlow, and inspired by the tubercles found on the fins of humpback whales, a unique pattern of AeroNodes has been integrated into the down tube and seatpost to reduce the complex vortices generated by the rider’s leg movements to improve airflow. The AirFoil sections on the bottom bracket and wheel hubs are longer and thinner to reduce frontal area. These innovations take advantage of the UCI’s decision to remove the 3:1 rule, and research has shown that aspect ratios of 6:1, and even 8:1, performed significantly better than the initial 3:1 benchmark.
• Narrow forks and seatstays: recent trends in aerodynamic frame design have seen a move towards wide forks and seatstays in an attempt to reduce the overall drag of the bike and rider. However, research in this area has been inconclusive. Pinarello has therefore decided to adopt a more reliable combination of narrow forks and seatstays to minimize frame weight and achieve faster results.
• Optimized handlebar geometry was achieved through multiple rounds of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) testing to minimize the total drag of the rider and bike. Again, Pinarello collaborated with NablaFlow to perform countless simulations using their AeroCloud software – which runs on AWS, the preferred cloud solution for the FIA and many F1 teams – to determine the most effective design.

Cutting-edge 3D printing technology

Pinarello has been at the forefront of 3D printing technology for bikes since 2015 and has spent countless hours developing the innovative design of the Bolide F HR 3D. Each frame comprises only five parts, with the front triangle made up of three parts in addition to the saddle and seatstays.

Scalmalloy was chosen for the men’s model because its properties allow it to excel under the increased forces and speed of male athletes, while the lighter carbon Bolide F HR C model will allow female athletes to gain speed as quickly as possible.

Both new models share the same geometries and dimensions as the original Bolide F HR 3D and are available in three standard frame sizes. Each has been checked and approved by the UCI and is available for purchase by the general public and other teams.

The new handlebar and extensions allow for precise positioning and optimal aerodynamic benefits.

Tested and proven

The frames and cockpit were first used in competition by the Italian team at the 2023 UCI Track World Championships and were further tested at their training base in Montichiari. The team received 12 bikes in total and will race on custom blue models. The bikes will be commercially available in titanium black and carbon black respectively.

Fausto Pinarello said: “As an iconic Italian brand, we couldn’t be prouder to work with the Italian team who, like us, continue to push the boundaries of athletic performance. We have invested heavily to produce six 3D-printed Scalmalloy bikes for the men and six carbon fiber versions for the women (including three different size molds). We hope the men will defend their Olympic title on the track this summer and that our very strong women’s team will also succeed in their quest for gold. We have done everything in our power to give them the best possible chance.”

Marco Villa, Performance Director of the Italian team, said: “We have enjoyed an extremely successful partnership with Pinarello over the past 30 years and, once again, they have provided us with two world-class, state-of-the-art bikes that will give our team pursuit athletes a great opportunity to win gold in Paris.”

The Bolide F HR 3D and Bolide HR C frames are priced at €28,750 and €12,500 respectively and are available now.

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