Click here to learn more about the Argon 18 E-118.

Click here to see a photo gallery of the E-118.

The fork extends up to the aerobar attachment piece in front of the headtube to lengthen the bike and bolster front-end stiffness. The stem piece is completely integrated with the fork and cannot be swapped to adjust fit. The stem can adjust the horizontal position of the aerobars substantiall and the ability to adjust the vertical position comes from the aerobar. The pads can be lifted substantially with spacers and can also be drawn backward toward the rider slightly. The fork itself has a large opening above the tire to allow spinning air to pass through. The strut in front of the headtube is the same width as the headtube and much narrower than the top of the fork blades.

The rear brake and shift housing routes into the top tube behind the stem. The front brake is a V-style stopper that hides effectively behind the fork blades, but the housing swings out into the air. The rear brake is the same style as the front and tucks under the chainstays and bottom bracket. The rear brake housing takes a sharp turn from the frame before meeting the brake and is entirely contained in the frame.

The E-114 had diamond tubeshapes with sharp edges at the widest point of the tube, but the E-118 has rounded tubes. No sharp angles at all. Another substantial change from the E-114 to the E-118 is seatstay shape. The stays on the E-118 are much more slender and are not as deep. The chainstays are quite tall and broad. The top tube is rectangular and the headtube is very deep. The narrow oval-shaped downtube drops below the headtube to fill the gap behind the fork. The seatpost clamp is sunken into a cavity at the rear of the seatpost.

Argon-18 trickled the E-118’s frame shape down to the next level, the E-116, but gave it a more traditional front-end with a standard steerer tube and fork instead of the integrated system. The E-116 has very broad spacers that lift the upper headset bearing above the frame rather than stacking narrower spacers above the bearing along the steerer tube. The fork shape also appears very similar to the E-118’s fork without the extension in front of the headtube.

Follow Triathlete.com tech editor Aaron Hersh @triathletetech for updates throughout the Eurobike trade show.

Click here to view a photo gallery of O’Donnell in the wind tunnel.

O’Donnell went to the A2 Wind Tunnel in North Carolina with his Cycling Performance Adviser Mat Steinmetz to optimize his position on the new E-118. Steinmetz, who is also Retül’s fitter specializing in triathlon and time trial, brought a Retül system to ensure O’Donnell’s critical fit dimensions weren’t altered as they experimented with minor position changes. Steinmetz has been working with O’Donnell to refine his position for two years and they wanted to make sure the changes they tried in the wind tunnel conform to O’Donnell’s well-established fit parameters. “There is no point chasing drag numbers in the tunnel is the rider is unable to pedal the bike,” says Steinmetz.

First, they tested O’Donnell on his current bike, the E-114, then replicated the test on the next-gen E-118 that he will race in Kona. According to Steinmetz, “at first we didn’t see the big reductions in drag that the Argon-18 engineers had expected based off CFD development and bike-only wind tunnel testing compared to the E-114. Then I lifted the [Profile Design Aerodrink] bottle on the new bike and boom, there it was.”

Aboard the new machine, Steinmetz played with dimensions without dramatically altering O’Donnell’s leg or torso positioning. “We found in the tunnel for T.O. that getting narrow with higher arms was faster. We changed hand height and arm width but we didn’t change the position. Just ergonomics,” says Steinmetz.

PHOTOS: Tim O’Donnell In The Wind Tunnel

O’Donnell raced the E-118 to a win at Ironman Calgary 70.3 this past weekend and says he could immediately feel the improvements. “The bb is 4-5mm lower than the old one and it’s definitely more stable,” says O’Donnell. “Cornering it’s a little steadier and, in my opinion, the biggest improvement is in the front end.” The E-118 uses a substantially different aerobar attachment system than the current model.

The E-114 is only compatible with Argon-18’s proprietary bar, but the new model that O’Donnell is riding has an entirely new system that can clamp any 31.8mm aerobar. This system allows from a few centimeters of reach adjustment but no stack adjustment other than what is offered by the aerobar. The aerobar is clamped to the stem piece in a metal bracket that can be flipped to create two distinctly different reach dimensions separated by a few centimeters. The attachment system cannot lift the bars, but Argon-18’s aerobar and the Profile-Design Prosvet / T1+ Viper aerobar that O’Donnell rides both allow for rise adjustment, which Tim requires to match his ideal fit coordinates.

Argon-18’s aerobar raises the stack dimension by lifting the elbow pads above the basebar with spacers. The basebar position cannot be lifted, but Argon’s bar can be flipped upside down to raise the brake grip position substantially.

“The new front end is way lighter,” adds O’Donnell. “It’s almost like a clamp on the frame. It eliminates the steerer tube. It’s a pretty ingenious setup. It’s just a clamp, normally where the steerer tube comes up through the frame there’s nothing there.”

The fork has a wide opening around the tire just beneath the fork crown and it mounts a side-pull V-brake behind the fork arms. O’Donnell reports, “both [brakes] perform better than the ones on the E-114.”

PHOTOS: Tim O’Donnell Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot

The seatpost clamp hardware is cleanly tucked behind the top tube and doesn’t protrude above the top tube.

O’Donnell’s E-118 is finished with SRAM Red components, Mavic wheels and pedals, an ISM Adamo Racing saddle, Profile Design hydration and a Cyclops PowerTap power meter.

T.O. obviously loves the bike. “It is lighter, stiffer faster and I think they’ve hit a homerun with this bike.”

Aaron Hersh is senior tech editor of Triathlete magazine. Follow him on Twitter @triathletetech.

Other related content:

- Video: Tim O’Donnell From Vineman 70.3
- Tim O’Donnell Will Pass On Olympics, Aims For Kona

The signing of Tim O’Donnell with Argon 18 confirms the high level of interests the Canadian company has for the most prestigious events of the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 series. A few weeks ago Argon 18 announced the signature of a similar collaboration with Estonian power house Ain-Alar Juhanson and another one with Australian triathlete Luke Bell whose level of performance in the past years allows him to hope for a top spot in Kona this season.

Press release provided by Argon 18.

Argon 18 is glad to announce a new collaborative agreement with another world class triathlete. Estonia’s Ain-Alar Juhanson has chosen the E-114 to meet his objectives on the road.

With the best bike split in Kona in 2008 and two victories at the Ironman Lazarote –which features the toughest bike course of any Ironman- Ain-Alar Juhanson is seen as one of the most powerful man in triathlon. This new collaboration will cover the next three seasons and his weapon of choice will be the spectacular E-114, a frameset renown for its stiffness and for its high level of integration thanks to the ONEness concept, an Argon 18 exclusive.

About Argon 18

Established in Montreal, Quebec since its inception in 1989, Argon18 has built itself a strong reputation in the cycling world. All Argon 18 bicycles are designed by former Olympian Gervais Rioux and stand out for their unique designs that combine proven traditional knowledge and cutting-edge technological developments. Available in 35 countries, these bikes embody the optimal balance between comfort, light weight and rigidity. Argon 18′s original and innovative design work was rewarded in 2008 with a Eurobike Design Award for its E-114 model.

Argon 18 bikes have been ridden to three triathlon World Champion titles. The company’s roster of sponsored athletes now includes respected names such as Luke Bell, Samatha McGlone, Bree Wee, Mikel Elguezabal and Bart Aernouts. Argon18 is also the official bike of the pro Team Planet Energy (UCI America Tour), managed by Steve Bauer and featuring riders Martin Gilbert, Keven Lacombe, Andrew Randell and François Parisien in its roster.

Press Release provided by Argon 18.

McGlone placed fifth in Kona and won Ironman Arizona six weeks later. Photo: Jay Prasuhn

After a difficult season during which she had to deal with a near career ending injury, McGlone gradually regained the racing shape that made her the 2006 Ironman 70.3 World Champion and the runner-up in Kona and Clearwater in 2007. Marc-André Perron, sponsorship manager at Argon 18, said that the “determination Sam displayed since the beginning of her career makes her an excellent role model for anyone. When we started working with Sam she was a national level Olympic distance specialist –she even represent Canada at the Olympics of Athens. With hard work she became a star of the Ironman 70.3 events and now we believe her progression will lead her to win in Kona one day. She’s almost there and it will be a enormous honor for Argon 18 to see her win with the E-114”.

Director of sponsorship programs at Argon 18, Marc-André Perron pinpointed that having Bell under contract for the next three years is a great asset for a growing company.  “Luke is a contender in every races he gets in.  He is a talented and tenacious athlete that will assure a great representation for Argon 18.  His past podiums results says a lot on his capability and his even higher ambitions for the future reflects ours.”

This triathlete specialized in endurance Ironman triathlon and half Ironman competitions will ride the E-114, a remarkably fast machine, in his pursue to victory.  For the upcoming seasons, Luke’s main objective remains the World Championships Hawaii where he already finished 5th.

About Luke Bell
Luke is an tremendous athlete with an impressive resume.  He has been competing in triathlons since the age of seventeen.  At 29, he already has multiple victories and podium results in both World championship 70.3 and Ironman distance.  His has a true love for endurance distance, testing the body and pushing it to its limits.  His best results in full-distance Ironman Triathlon include a 5th place in Hawaii in 2003.  He also has runner up finishes at Ironman Brazil, Ironman Lake Placid, Ironman Australia and Ironman New Zealand.  He has won multiple half-ironman races including California, Shepparton and Tasmania.

About Argon 18
Established in Montreal, Quebec since its inception in 1989, Argon18 has built itself a strong reputation in the cycling world.  All Argon 18 bicycles are designed by former Olympian Gervais Rioux and stand out for their unique designs that combine proven traditional knowledge and cutting-edge technological developments.  Available in 38 countries, these bikes embody the optimal balance between comfort, light weight and rigidity.  Argon 18′s original and innovative design work was rewarded in 2008 with a Eurobike Design Award for its E-114 model.

Argon 18 bikes have been ridden to three triathlon World Champion titles.  The company’s roster of sponsored athletes now includes respected names such as Luke Bell, Samatha McGlone, Bree Wee, Mikel Elguezabal and Bart Aernouts.  Argon18 is also the official bike of the pro Team Planet Energy (UCI America Tour), managed by Steve Bauer and featuring riders Martin Gilbert, Keven Lacombe, Andrew Randell and François Parisien in its roster.