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With Bikes and Kit Now in Play, Czechs Ondřej Sosenka Will Have Another Go At the Hour with Festka Cycles

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Festka_ONE_Ondrej_Sosenka_hour_record_attempt

Now that Jens Voigt has set a new benchmark in the hour record, interest has been stirred up in the pro ranks for the UCI-revamped race against the clock. Having been out of professional cycling for almost a decade, previous record holder Czech Ondřej Sosenka made official on Thursday that in 2015 he plans to try to reclaim the record he held for more than nine years. Interestingly enough he has been planning the new attempt even before the UCI announced the changes early this summer, with his recent successful partnership with Czech bike builder Festka giving him newfound motivation. Date and place haven’t been settled yet, but when Voigt set the new record Sosenka got a call from Czech Velodrome designer Peter Junek about trying on one of his tracks, like Sangalhos, Portugal, or in Boulder, CO.

Join us after the break for a bit more on his attempt and that new bike…

Festka_ONE_custom_carbon_tube-to-tube_road_frame

Sosenka will ride a slightly more aero track version of Festka’s newly announced custom tube-to-tube carbon ONE. The One developed around the idea of a single set of light carbon tubing designed to be tuned as one, and was developed exclusively for Festka with the cooperation of their composites partner CompoTech, world-renown for their work in racing yachts and motorsports. Each tube is robot-woven in the Czech Republic and then hand mitered and built-up in their shop on Prague. The bike uses round profile stays, head tube and seatpost with the top and down tubes woven over shaped mandrels. The resulting tubes are 60% stiffer than their previous Zero frame tubing allowing for a lighter overall weight. The only metal part used on the bike is then an in-house machined set of titanium drop outs. Because of the method of construction the One is able to be totally customized for geometry, stiffness, ride quality, or even an integrated seat mast for no additional cost. The completely custom frame will set you back $4000. We’ll tell you more as soon as we know.

Festka_ONE_Tazzy_Carbon_layup_custom_carbon_tube-to-tube_road_frame Festka_ONE_Carbon_layup_custom_carbon_tube-to-tube_road_frame

For Sosenka’s record attempt, a new set of 205mm titanium cranks are also being custom developed by Festka with their ti partner and the brains behind the old Morati brand who we interviewed in the spring. With those big cranks 2m/6’-7” Sosenka will benefit from the added stiffness of modern wider bottom brackets, a point seriously lacking on the conventional carbon tubed frame he rode a decade ago. Wheels will be the lightweight full carbon disc wheels that Festka has been developing over the past year under their Rocket Wheels brand. Sosenka will also wear clothing from High Voltage, another Festka offshoot that we’ll get more into later this year.

I had a chance to ride with Ondřej Sosenka in a Rapha Gentlemen’s Race earlier this year in Munich, and he said then that he was anxious to see the opening up of the UCI regulations. With Festka’s lugged carbon Zero, he was finally happy to be riding a light bike truly developed for his size and power output, with tubes specifically made to suit him by Compo Tech.

Festka_ONE_custom_carbon_tube-to-tube_road_bike_studio_complete
Sosenka says he is happy to see the recent interest in the hour record, even if it meant the fall of his previous record. He thinks his previous record will be still remembered as the best performance on a traditional non-aero Merckx-style bike. He welcomes the interest of a new generation and the chance to compare his efforts to a new pool of elite riders.

Festka.com

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NASH
NASH
9 years ago

Yes and its on, this is really exciting news. Brilliant tech and brilliant riders in battle

P
P
9 years ago

Pretty sad absolutely no mention is made of this guy’s past, and the events surrounding his first ‘record’.

Tomi
Tomi
9 years ago

Being an happy Festka zero owner, I’m quite excited about the Festka one. I have no real complain about my current bike but may very well order the One. #justbecause

Waldo
Waldo
9 years ago

@P – So he was a doper. Seems to me that will not likely be the case on his next attempt, let’s move past this and see if he can bring it. I highly doubt that even if he can get the hour record that it will last long with Wiggens and Phinney both interested in attempting the same.

Durianrider
Durianrider
9 years ago

@Waldo you honestly think people doing laps in a velodrome for an hour FULL GAS are going to be doing it full natty brah? On gluten free pasta and organic bananas? Reverse osmosis water only?

What next, carbon bikes get attacked by termites so carbon is a bad choice?

srsly mate, when it comes to world records, its juice up or GTFO.

luddite cyclist
luddite cyclist
9 years ago

ohhh good. the doper will attempt the ever changing record on the most expensive steel bike ever.

Waldo
Waldo
9 years ago

What, termites won’t eat my carbon bike? This is all I got from your message.

1Pro
1Pro
9 years ago

“60% stiffer…” no one is calling them out on that? even the big brands only claim 2 or 3% over last years aero/stuff/comfort….

either this new bike it too stupid stiff or last years is a wet noodle. or both but a claim of 60% stiffer is unrealistic if either bike is worth riding. ymmv

Joshua
9 years ago

They say they have about 60% stiffer tubes not the frame! That is a difference.
For carbon such a difference can be achieved just by changing the quality of the fiber.
The big brands will never use such a quality fiber for its high price….

Grill
Grill
9 years ago

Unless I missed something, there’s no mention of him having a biological passport which means he won’t be allowed to compete. Matt Bottrill had an attempt lined up, but as he also didn’t have a biological passport the UCI said no…

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
9 years ago

1Pro: Want to increase tube stiffness by 60%? Well, all you have to do is increase it’s diameter by 12%. It’s easy to increase the stiffness of an already stiff tube. The idea that something wasn’t stiff before its stiffness was increased 60% holds no water at all.

Science: it works.

matt
matt
9 years ago

Note to Sosenka:

It’s only him that thinks his previous record will be remembered.

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