Diamondback Bicycles has debuted what the company is billing as ‘a bold, new super bike’, dubbed the Andean, which will be on show at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, with Olympian and multiple-time IRONMAN winner Michael Weiss.
“The Andean is the product of a two-year project, whereby we set out with Kevin Quan Studios to build the fastest triathlon bike on the market, with no concern for the arbitrary limitations placed on bicycle design by the UCI,” said Michael Brown, Diamondback’s Vice President of Product Development.
“Our CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis and unique, best-in-class wind tunnel testing at the University of Toronto show that we’ve succeeded in that endeavour.”
Diamondback introduced its first triathlon/time trial bike, the Serios, in 2014. That model, regarded for its performance and value, helped Michael Weiss set three course records at IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder, 70.3 Timberman and most recently 70.3 Santa Cruz . It also has carried continental road racing team Rally Cycling to a slew of high-profile victories and podium finishes, including a national title in the US men’s team time trial championships in 2016.
In designing the Andean, Kevin Quan and Diamondback took a systems approach, fully integrating HED’s Jet 6 Plus wheels into the frame design, planning for a 24mm tyre in the front and 26mm in the rear. The frame, featuring an ‘Aero Core’ design to minimize drag, has integrated storage to allow riders to neatly carry three water bottles, three bars, 10 gel packets, tools, and a spare tube.
Tested in a custom-built, scaled wind tunnel – similar to those used by top Formula One and Moto GP motorsports teams – at the Flow Control and Experimental Laboratory in Toronto, the Andean is reported to have ‘outperformed competitive in-market models across a range of yaw angles’.
“We’re confident that the Andean will out-compete anything in the market today, both in the tunnel and on the road,” said Michael Brown. “But this isn’t just a skunkworks project. Everything we do at Diamondback from an R&D standpoint aims to make high-performance product attainable to US riders.”
The Andean is now available for pre-order at diamondback.com with many drivetrain, wheel, cockpit and component options to choose from. The top-shelf Andean is available with the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain complete with Dura-Ace hudraulic disc brakes and HED Jet Black 9 wheels for US$8,069.99. The base model, available for $4779.99, features the SRAM Force X1 drivetrain and HED Ardennes Plus wheels.
Each Andean model is assembled in Diamondback’s exclusive in-house build studio by professional mechanics and is scheduled to start delivery at the end of January 2017.
Born in Camarillo, California, in 1978 and today based in Kent, Washington, Diamondback designs and builds performance bicycles for every rider at every level. With roots in the BMX world, and ongoing innovations in road, triathlon and full-suspension mountain technologies, Diamondback ‘continues to build a legacy of quality, service, and community’.
