What do the red bits do?

[Phil H]

That was in the comic last week. They reckon £5K for the frameset. Same bike that Matt Goss (not that one) rode on the Milan-San Remo.

We should award a prize for the first person to spot an overwight middle-aged man (not me - someone else) in Sky kit on one of these.

[Jon H]

The red bits are a different type of paint to the rest of the bike, specially formulated by McLaren to optimise the skin friction in certain areas. This creates differential pressure creating forward "lift" to help propel the bike forwards.

[size=50]Or they might just make it look pretty.[/size]

[Dombo]

I'm no expert in aeronautical physics but aren't the aerodynamic qualities of bladed forks, internally routed cables etc rather nullified by having a bloody great bloke sat on the thing shoving a great wodge of air in front of him?
Just wondering

[Andrew G]

You've been reading a Zipp catalogue haven't you Jon .

[Mike I]

The red bits ensure lateral stiffness and vertical compliance.

[higg]

The red bits just mean you have to clean the bike after every ride.

[the other Steve Dennis]

I think I read somewhere that McLaren actually didn't get involved in the bike until after Specialized had designed the frame and it's aerodynamics, but it does use F1 carbon technology.
They are planning more collaboration with McLaren having more input in the design.

I hear that Team Sky will be finishing ahead of the Specialized McLaren teams throughout the season whilst riding their re-badged Red Bull frames.

[Keith]

[quote="higg"]The red bits just mean you have to clean the bike after every ride.

[Snoop Doug]

I thought Venge was some rare jungle or swamp type fever resulting in terminal boredom?