Innovation in Timetrial and Triathlon Gear

Here is an interesting article on our Founder and Designer, Craig Turner. "No limits. Triathlon's minister of speed" by Jay Prasuhn - Triathlete Magazine

Xlab started as a brand due to the need for professional cyclists and triathletes for high performance racing wheels, accessories and bicycles.

One of the first products we developed was a rear mounted device for holding water bottle cages behind the saddle.  The idea was prompted due to the designers of the worlds’ fastest frameset, the LotusSport TT (0.89 lbs of drag) commenting that filling in the huge turbulent area behind a cyclist’s posterior would reduce drag.  In addition, there was a need to add more bottles to a bicycle due to athletes entering longer races, wanting to carry their own hydration products and not wishing to carry the weight on their backs with backpack type hydration systems.

In 1993, the Xlab Saddlewing saddle mounted hydration system emerged and was specifically designed to allow the air to flow through the cyclist’s legs and under the saddle without restriction.  This was a world’s first.

In 1994 came the World’s First One-Piece Aerobar!  The design was so successful it was licensed to a major aerobar manufacturer and had a long market life.

After much research and using our extensive aerospace design experience, Race Wheels were launched on the market and were so successful that in the past few years many of the Pro Cycling Teams in Europe used the wheels.  (But under a different brand for Europe.)

In the late 1990s we turned our focus to Tri-Bikes and recognized the need for a compact frame.  We launched the Xlab Hawi, the World’s First compact tri-bike with a resounding success.

We then switched back to rear hydration carriers and developed the ground breaking Xlab Flatwing.  The World’s First combination hydration carrier with facilities for carrying CO2 cylinders, CO2 adapter, and tires or tubes in special straps and bags.

2007 was a groundbreaking year for Xlab.  Xlab-USA.com became its own division of Airo International. We launched the feature filled Xlab Avenger TT carbon bicycle, Xlab Carbon Wing hydration and repair system, and the simple Xlab Mini Wing System.

In 2008 we launched the Xlab Super Wing. Followed by the Cervelo specific Sonic Wing.

In 2009, we launched the Xlab Carbon Sonic Wing for Cervelos, Xlab Gorilla cage in white, Xlab Chimp Tri-Frame carbon cage Natural and White, Xlab Ti-Lite Kits for lightening Wings. We also just launched the new XLAB Turbo Wing Carrier

Our passion to help athletes go faster is based on our obsession with speed, designing aircraft and rockets, designing and building racing yachts, working on race cars and learning from Lotus, producer of the worlds proven fastest bicycle.

TESTING

Xlab has always believed in extensive testing.  From the early days when supplying rear hydration carriers for Ironman Distance winners
back in 1993 to today using sophisticated laminar flow testing in the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel.  Examples of our

Testing include:

a.         Cages  When we develop rear bottle cages we use a calibrated bottle ejection test to determine the cage’s grip force.  Our latest cages continue to offer increased grip, hence the name ‘Gorilla’ cage for our latest cage.

b.         Rear Hydration Carriers          We have spent literally several hundred hours developing the clips on the saddle so they never slip, and testing them for shock and vibration.  This requires close tolerances and testing on hundreds of different saddles.

The torsional rigidity (Anti-Sway) of all our carriers is an important feature of our products.  Without torsional rigidity, the bottles sway from side to side making climbing more difficult and the bike less stable.  Our torsional test fixture has been instrumental in making Xlab carriers the most sturdy on the market today and up to 3 times torsional more rigid than our competitors due to the ‘Xlab Anti-Sway’ design.

The precise placement of rear carriers has always been of paramount importance to Xlab.  We have proven time and again that placing the carrier to ‘draft’ behind the rider in the turbulent air behind the rider’s rear, is key.

Placing the carrier too high, gets in the way of the air flowing off the rider’s back.

Placing the carrier too low, blocks the air passing around aero seatposts and causes increases in drag.

The ‘X-SPOT’ as we call it, where we place our carriers was proven the best again in 2007 in Wind Tunnel Testing using the revolutionary laminar flow Slipstream Jersey.

All of our products from bags to cages go through similar rigorous testing.  We never want a failure whether for a novice or a Pro chasing a World Championship.

As an engineering company, we continue to innovate and test at the highest levels in the industry today.