A joint venture between Christchurch company Dynamic Composites and New Zealand cycle firm Avanti has produced a revolutionary new carbon-fibre composite track bike which could give Ulmer the split-second golden advantage.
Secret wind tunnel tests at the University of Canterbury have produced promising results and, after further trials in Australia, Christchurch designer Milton Bloomfield this week got the text message he was waiting for: "It's got the thumbs up." Sender: Sarah Ulmer.
The carbon-fibre material means the prototype is 30 per cent lighter than Ulmer's present bike. Further aerodynamic adjustments, which include the handlebars going underneath the frame, are hoped to deliver new standards.
New Zealand's "pretty patriotic" queen of track cycling started looking around her own Kiwi backyard because she was "tired of having to use Australian bikes".
Ulmer and her coach, Brendon Cameron, ended up in the Christchurch workshop of Bloomfield, who, with the support of Avanti, introduced unorthodox techniques from his yacht-building days.
Avanti spokesman Tony Smith said Bloomfield's work has helped the company to "understand carbon designs and materials" which the firm is hoping to introduce in its road bikes.
Last night Ulmer emphasised that the Avanti Zen bike was still very much in the development stage and had not been tested in competition. The New Zealand team this weekend competes in Sydney at a World Cup race, but Ulmer said it was unlikely she was going to use the bike there.
"I might not even use it at the (Melbourne) world championships in two weeks and, if I am not satisfied with the trials, I might not even use it in Athens," Ulmer told The Press from Sydney last night, attempting to downplay the growing hype around her new wheels.
Rival teams, however, have already spotted the revolutionary new machine which is literally turning heads in the international arena. According to Ulmer, the Italian team was even trying to get close enough to take pictures.
In track cycling, where victory and despair are often separated by one one- thousandth of a second, innovations are worth their weight in gold, literally.
Because of prying eyes and the need for further testing, Ulmer was keen to keep her wheels out of the public eye.
Bloomfield is less concerned. He thinks Ulmer's rivals would be unable to copy the technology before the Olympics in August.