The partnership between BMW's DesignworksUSA and NeilPryde that began in 2010 with the Alize and Diablo high performance road bikes has yielded its latest design. The third line of frames resulting from the partnership are the new Bayamo and Bayamo+, which take on board concepts developed and tested on the earlier models. Aimed at time trial athletes and triathletes, their creators say the bikes are lightweight and high strength, with “wind-cheating aerodynamics.”
Named after a Caribbean coastal wind, the Bayamo’s unidirectional C6.7 carbon fiber frame is the result of computational fluid dynamic analysis and wind tunnel testing. Side on, the frame appears quite substantial, but it is revealed to be exceptionally thin when viewed front on. This is to minimize wind resistance and increase aerodynamic performance for time-trial cyclists for whom every split second counts. The “Kamm” tail aerofoil found on previous models has been truncated to deal with the wider yaw angles of up to 30-degrees experienced during time trials and triathlons.
Further enhancing the bike’s clean lines are the routing of all the drivetrain and shifting cables inside the Bayamo’s frame. The bikes also get an exclusive dropout mechanism that it is claimed enables precise positioning of the rear wheel, while the Bayamo+ gets a new proprietary QFit stem design that is adjustable for both height and ride angle. The maker’s say the bottom bracket where the cranks and pedals meet the frame has also been made exceptionally stiff to ensure the rider’s energy is more efficiently transferred.
The Bayamo frameset, including frame, forks, seat post, and headset, is available now for US$2,750, while the Bayamo+ frameset, which adds the QFit stem and fully integrated brakes, will be available in 2013 for $5,000. Adding a Shimano groupset, Mavic wheel, and other premium components sees the prices rise to the $3,095 to $10,000 range.
Source: DesignworksUSA, NeilPryde Bikes
