On June 22nd 2013, Wilson Benesch Marketing Director Luke Milnes, will begin Stage 1 of the Centenary Edition of Le Tour de France. His journey across France, will see him complete all 21-stages and 2,100-miles, 1-week ahead of the pro-tour, finishing on the Champs Elysees on July 14th! Bastille Day!!
Luke will be fundraising for the William Wates Memorial Trust (WWMT), with the aim of raising £2,000 or more to assist the work of charities across the UK who are supported by the WWMT. These charities work with disadvantaged and underprivileged young people, supporting and empowering them through education and the arts.
Wilson Benesch – Supporting The William Wates Memorial Trust & Le Tour DeFiance
As a celebration of all things ‘Le Tour 100′ and in support of the efforts of Luke and the William Wates Memorial Trust, Wilson Benesch will be auctioning a single pair of Limited Edition Vertex Loudspeakers finished in High Gloss ‘Maillot Jaune’ Yellow. The Yellow has been chosen to match the Jersey color traditionally worn by the leader of the Tour de France each day and ultimately by the winning rider a top of the podium on the Champs Elysees.
The Vertex will feature low profile black stands, a beautifully curved carbon fiber monocoque cabinet and will be finished with a lazer etched Limited Edition Serial badge to include the serial ‘TDF-100-2013′. This is a true collectors piece not to be missed.
The auction will commence July 14th and close July 21st 2013, coinciding with the arrival of the pro-tour riders on the Champs Elysees at the close of the Centenary Tour de France 2013. More details of how to bid the auction closing time will be announced on our twitter feed at a later date.
Performance gains through Carbon Fiber
As an employee of Wilson Benesch, Luke is acutely aware of the benefits that advanced materials technology can bring to high performance applications. An average day on the tour, involves over 100-miles, up to 5,500-meters of vertical ascent over France’s highest mountain passes and the output of over 5,000-calories. To succeed in his challenge Luke will employ the unique properties of carbon fiber to maximize the efficiency of his energy output.
Local bike builders Planet X have supplied their top of the range Planet X ‘Mondo’ Carbon composite frame. Weighing under 900g, the Planet X Mondo has an incredibly low mass, significantly reducing the energy input required by the cyclist to overcome gravity on route to the top of the 2,000m+ peaks in the French Alps.
But the advantages attained from carbon composites do not stop there. Further to the weight advantages that carbon composites impart, these materials are also incredibly stiff. With the exception of carbon nanotubes, carbon fiber composites have the highest stiffness : weight ratio of all the materials known to man. The carbon fiber composite most used by bicycle manufacturers is less than one-quarter the weight of steel, but it is about as stiff (which makes it almost four times as stiff on a weight-to-weight basis), and it is roughly four times as strong in tension.
Because the Planet X Mondo frame is so stiff, the energy transfer from Luke’s muscles, through the cranks, across the frame into the wheels and then into the road to create forward motion, is incredibly efficient with little loss, relatively, of this energy to flex within the bike frame. The result is a quick, responsive, agile and fast bike. Much the same as an F1 car.
One other useful characteristic of carbon fiber that is common to loudspeaker design and road bike design is damping. Despite the incredible stiffness of carbon fiber, the material is able to absorb a huge amount of energy, allowing it to damp unwanted resonances and vibrations. To an audiophile, the benefits are a lower signal to noise ratio, to a cyclist the benefits are more comfort and reduced fatigue. Composite’s vibration damping is far superior to any metal. The smooth ride quality is one of the first things people notice about carbon fiber bicycle frames.
Supporting the William Wates Memorial Trust & Luke
You can follow Luke on his journey through France via his blog and Strava feed which will remain regularly updated throughout the tour. The pursuit of a dream is one thing, but Luke is also working very hard to raise money for the fantastic work of the William Wates Memorial Trust. Further to his exertions at the Tour de France, Luke will also be completing a 24-hour bike ride in Sheffield City Centre on his return from France.
Please help us support Luke and the WWMT by donating generously via the fundraising page.
You can follow Luke on his Tour de France Journey via his blog: www.tourdefiance.com
Learn more about the William Wates Memorial Trust: www.wwmt.org
Early this month it was the 23rd TAA Taiwan International Audio Show. One of Wilson Benesch’s longest serving partners Currant’s Audio, who also ordered one of the first pairs of Cardinals in production finally shared the new Wilson Benesch flagship with Taiwan. The presentation was made with the WB Full Circle Turntable and the impressive Audionet AMP MAX Monoblocks for power.
Also presented in a static demonstration were other Geometry Series products in the shape of the Vertex, finished in ‘Titanium’ and the Vector, finished in striking ‘White Gloss’.
Wilson Benesch Directors, Christina and Craig Milnes also took the opportunity following the Hong Kong AV to tour the impressive Forthwise demonstration facilities in the Central district of Hong Kong. It granted an opportunity to meet with key staff and provide essential product training on the highly successful new Geometry Series and the Wide Bandwidth Collection now being stocked by Forthwise across China, Hong Kong and Macau.
