08/07/2026
Colnago TT1
About a year and a half ago, I had the opportunity to help with a time trial bike project – the Colnago TT1 – for an international-level rider from Poland. His father reached out to me, asking for support with this topic.
From the information I received, one of the very well-known, top-tier, and renowned companies in Poland had already taken on the job before me. I asked them to send over the files and the UCI specification guidelines, such as angle, height, and reach.
When I took a look at the initial design, the weight immediately caught my attention. The complete spacers were going to weigh nearly 800 grams, and that was without any reinforcing bridge/connector. For time trial bike standards, that was definitely way too much at first glance.
I decided to redesign these spacers completely from scratch. The parts themselves were machined from 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum. I started with an FEM analysis to precisely check the stresses, which allowed me to remove material from areas where it simply wasn't needed. I didn’t have much time for ex*****on back then, but I am fully aware that with more time, I could have run additional simulations for even further weight and shape optimization.
The final result turned out to be quite a success – the set weighed 360 grams without the reinforcement, and 460 grams with the polymer reinforcement, which was still a massive weight reduction compared to the original design. Most importantly, a very safe structural safety factor was maintained. The pockets where I removed the aluminum were filled with an advanced polymer that became an integral part of the bridge stiffening the whole structure.
I’m also really happy that the post-test and riding feedback was very positive – the rider confirmed that the entire setup maintained excellent stiffness.
If I remember correctly, this was the tallest spacer stack I’ve ever had the chance to make – the STACK was a whopping 170 mm at an angle of about 15 degrees.
In today’s world of social media and constant media noise, it’s worth noting that truly interesting, technical projects often come to life in complete silence, without cameras or unnecessary hype. In the daily rush, I forgot about it myself, and only today, completely by accident, I remembered that I actually did something like this.
Thanks for the trust and the opportunity to work on such an interesting project. However, it's worth remembering that with such high and custom setups, the handlebar itself usually remains the weakest link.
Time flies...
