SCOTT PLASMA

To make an impact on the 70.3 circuit, Ali Brownlee needed a world-beating bike. Cue the Scott Plasma

I ride a Scott Plasma because it’s the fastest TT bike out there. Compared to others I’ve ridden, it’s very stiff. No power’s lost – every bit of effort on the pedals propels you forward. I have shifting options on both the aero and down bars, so changing gear is fast, and the storage and nutrition integration is the best.

Aerodynamics, comfort and the ability to pedal can be a trade-off, but the Scott Plasma is easy to adjust and the position has lots of customisation options which help me find the perfect set-up. I’ve been lucky enough to get expert fitting and aero advice. I’ve worked with the former lead physio at British Cycling, Phil Burt [head online bit.ly/2nDRSrm for an exclusive insight into Ali’s bike-fitting process], plus wind-tunnel testing with Drag2Zero and track testing with Dan Bigham; and I’ve adapted all this into what suits me best. I like that the Plasma is the fastest, best-looking, bike out there… and wait until you see the personalised design on the frame [inc. white Yorkshire roses and ‘He who dares wins’ on the forks]!

SCOTT SPORTS 4 5 2 1 3 1 Usually I use a Zipp 858 wheel on the front and a Zipp Super9 Disc on the rear, equipped with 25mm Continental Grand Prix TT tyres to give me optimum handling and weight set-up.2 The Plasma’s nutrition and hydration are cleverly integrated; I use storage behind the stem box, with a front-mounted aero bottle, a bottom bracket drag2zero box, an aero drinks bottle and, sometimes, a bottle behind the seat too.3The lack of cables with SRAM Red eTap is brilliant on the TT bike and having shifters on the aero and down bars means that the speed of gear change is very quick.4The geometry set-up is fairly aggressive for a TT position – the saddle is in a neutral position and the bars are set low.5The frame is the Scott Plasma. It’s superaerodynamic with a wide-range of adjustability and clever fuel storage that’s easy to use.