| OCTOBER 29, 1996 | CONTACT: Marketing Manager |
516-944-1146 |
Polymer Bearing Improves Racing Bicycle Performance for U.S. Cycling Team |
| Port Washington, NY -- When the U.S. Cycling Team won two Olympic silver
medals, Thomson Nyliner* polymer bearings crossed the finish line with them. Every
reduction in weight, friction and drag improves a track racing bicycleís performance.
This includes the use of narrower, lighter steering tube head-set bearings on the
carbon-fiber SuperBike II (SB-II) used by the U.S. team in Atlanta this summer. Built by GT Bicycles, Inc., Longmont, CO, the 16-pound SB-II's have a frame cross section of only one inch to minimize drag. And drag is extremely important: A reduction of only 10 grams in aerodynamic drag will put a cyclist one meter ahead at the end of a 400-meter pursuit race, according to Forrest Yelverton, senior research and development engineer at GT Bicycles. In order to maintain SB-IIís slim line, GT Bicycles eliminated metal ball bearings in the steering tube head set. They are now using two thin low friction Nyliner* engineering polymer bearings designed and manufactured by Thomson Industries. The Nyliner bearings eliminated the need for a higher drag steel head tube 1.4 inches in diameter required for ball bearings and permitted GT Bicycles to maintain the crucial one-inch frame cross section. For smooth steering, the Thomson TEP 173 bearing material has a static coefficient of friction of only 0.10, very low for a plain bearing. In addition, the Nyliner bearing can take the maximum load of 900 pounds exerted on the lower head set when riders reach a g force as high as 1.8 on oval track curves. For more information on Nyliner bearings, call 1-800-554-8466 or e-mail us at nyliner@thomsonmail.com. |
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| Thomson manufactures Super Smart Ball Bushing* bearings, Genuine 60 Case* LinearRace* (shafts), Saginaw* and IBL* ball screws, Smart Rail* and ProfileRail* linear guides, linear motion systems and controls, Micron True Planetary* gearheads, Nyliner* engin eered polymer bearings and precision bearing balls. Thomson manufacturing facilities are ISO 9000-registered. Thomson is a General Motors Supplier of the Year. Visit our Web Site at http://www.thomsonind.com. |
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