10 PRO Tech Upgrades to COPY (and ones to AVOID!)

Us amateur cyclists have long copied the pros in search of more performance and speed, but what are the tech trends and things to actually copy from the pros and which should you avoid?
CONTENT
00:00 Intro
1:20 Aero wheels
2:28 Wide tyres
3:59 Tubeless
5:31 Narrow handlebars
7:00 Short nose saddles
8:10 Aero trumps weight
10:04 Slammed stems
11:15 Massive gears
12:25 Skinsuits
13:35 Aero socks
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[@bnderson1130]

Never tried aero socks myself but I think thats the one thing everyone should give a try since it‘s one of the best bang for the buck aero upgrades.

[@LS1conehead]

Yes, no real penalties/discomfort/negatives for using them at all, save for maybe some funkier tan lines than older, lower style road socks.

[@user-jp3re5yb2b]

Why recommend deep section wheels and not aero socks. The style applies to both, and it's subjective.

[@RonBalone]

agreed - david's haterade here was especially off.

[@djibey]

I had a TT last week, hesitated to put my aero socks and shave my legs (and didn't). I arrived second, for 2 seconds😅Pretty sure i could have won with these marginal gains

[@RyonBeachner]

A friend of mine has tried a bunch of aero socks from big brands as well as Aliexpress, and found that most of them on the market don’t stay up/in position and require either pull up routinely, or you need to spray your leg with hairspray to give the fabric enough grip not to slide. I’m waiting for him to settle on which is best and I’ll order some. Having to pull up my socks or spray myself with hairspray sounds like a pain in the ass I don’t need.

[@abhimawa1]

Copy their discipline, food intake / nutrition, training routines (if one can), and pain tolerance. All pros must have set up their bikes to fit them comfortably, right? An untrained amateur with low discipline riding Pogi’s bike is like a grandma driving Verstappen’s RB20 F1 car: he might assume that he is ‘looking cool’, but miserable to the body, and laughable to others who watch (especially when passed by on the climbs by shitty aluminum bike)

[@aboomination897]

Shitty aluminium bike, hu

[@MrSamuelHorton]

My old commute included a notoriously steep climb. I would regularly glide past riders on £10k carbon bikes while riding my 'shitty aluminium bike', complete with panniers full of shopping including milk and potatoes. I believe "you're just taking the piss" was shouted at me at least monthly. 10/10 would recommend.

[@abhimawa1]

@@MrSamuelHorton spot on, dude. You’re da man 👍

[@bennickerson5477]

I would disagree about the aero socks and skin-suit. I find both offer way more comfort than standard kit/socks, and give a slight aero boost.

[@michaelmechex]

A good skinsuit is incredibly comfortable and feels awesome to ride in when the jersey isn't creeping up and bunching on my back. Although my brother mentioned it'd be a nightmare needing to take a dump on the side of the road in a skinsuit, which keeps me from wearing it casually 😂

[@BoyMeetsMountain]

I've been slowly moving away from bibs and jerseys and towards road suits for the last 2 years for this reason. Very much more comfortable.

[@vtm89]

But new question arises - do you or your brother casually take a dump on the side of the road? 🤔

[@paddymurphy-oconnor8255]

I called to a friend's house after a spin in my skinsuit and he said, ''Don't ever call here again in that outfit!'' 😄

[@markusseppala6547]

I always attach a piece of velcro on my bibs and jersey so it doesn't creep up.

[@paddymurphy-oconnor8255]

@@markusseppala6547 I can’t see that lasting very long and will do harm to delicate cycling kit.

[@CycoWarriorx]

Those white overshoes may not have made you go faster, but they look hella 🔥🔥🔥🔥 and if you feel you look good, you ride better… 😂🙌🏽

[@davidarthur]

😎🤩

[@Gregory_tottie]

I can’t believe you said to avoid aero socks. I can’t live without them. I wear them to the office to get work done faster.

[@davidarthur]

Legend - faster to the water cooler haha

[@co7013]

Cable integration is definitely something that makes very little sense for recreational riders. The aero gain is negligible and the cost and hassle is crazy.

[@vtm89]

I had the "pleasure" to deal with fully integrated cables while swapping the stem recently. But given how the bike looks beautiful and clean without exposed cables and hoses, I'd say it's pretty much worth it.

[@co7013]

@@vtm89 Exactly. It's more about the aesthetics. And yes, if that's a look you like it looks great.

[@clas683]

A well fitting jersey save more watts than 60 mm carbon wheels. A narrower handlebar will also probably save more than an aero carbon bar/stem combo. When adressing weight - always count your prefered currency per grams saved. You’ll be surpriced to know that light weight wheels are probably the worst investment. TPU tubes, a lighter saddle and a lighter stem are more cost effective.

[@RylHango]

carbon wheels sure make a lot more difference than lighter components, that's why it's worth the greater cost because the benefits of rim weight savings are critical

[@adamlucina]

Yep, sorry to burst the bubble of the weight weenies, unless you are literally a mountain goat that never seen a flat road, pair of 1500g 40-50mm rims will always outperform pair of 1250g "climbing" wheels. Biggest upgrade I've made on my bike were tpu tubes, good tire and narrow handlebars (to 38cm from 42)

[@RylHango]

@@adamlucina I personally run 38 cm bars with ridenow 19g tpu tubes and 1300g 60 mm carbon wheels, modern wheels have shifted the weight of rims down so dramatically I even consider my wheels on the heavier end. But most people dont even have 1500g 40mm wheels to begin with.

[@adamlucina]

@@RylHango what rims you run for them to be 1300g 60mm? I run reserve 53/62 they are about 1500g but I picked them because of 35mm external width (I usually run 32/35mm tires so I can do fast on shite roads comfortably)

[@RylHango]

@@adamlucina I have elitewheels helix 52/57 and crw cs 50/60 wheels which are 1420g and 1290g respectively

[@batbawls]

6:13 there comes a point where we're just looking like clowns doing this lever tilting

[@LS1conehead]

It would not be as horrid/asinine as that 1970s pure touring bike look IF the manufacturers would supply straight, perpendicular to the road/inline with the bar hooks levers with radically tilted in hoods. What is the current flip-flopping/they will change it again tomorrow, UCI 'ruling' on these now?? (NOT that it matters for us not racing under their auspices!)

[@edwarddonghi1471]

With aero don’t forget apparent wind, at 25k into a 20k headwind = 45k wind speed for the rider

[@Irnbruist]

bought a 28cm carbon handlebar from aliexpress - best 50.- upgrade, so much more conftable for my narrow shoulders and noticable aero gain. So far it really held up well!

[@saxon1376]

Aero socks rule 🤷🤷🤷

[@jmac74]

Disagree with aero socks. I sometimes use them, but not for aero gains. I actually find them confortable and mine are not too long, so they look nice.

[@muratmustafa4532]

Great video! I have aero socks but got them for their looks actually not for the gains. I think the beauty is in the eye of beholder.

[@Caffeinatedtechnerd]

Correct me if I’m wrong but the Aero vs Weight conversation is easier for the pros since there’s a weight limit of 6.8kg. Take Pogis wheels for example. He can still get the bike weight down to 6.8 kgs with those wheels, and could not legally make his bike lighter. In contrast my bike is at 6.4kgs with 45mm rims on a disc bike. Should I go deeper? Not necessarily.

[@d0neall_]

Plenty of aero socks are stylish

[@stefanwagener]

How about copying shaving legs? I recently saw that the aero gains are quite substantial.

[@cmarnold78]

Yes, unfortunately it is a 5 - 15 watt gain.... none of your friends will appreciate that fact though.

[@LS1conehead]

IF you are racing, even at a lower, purely amateur category level, you are doing that anyway. But yes, few to no recreational riders are doing this.

[@valmorell]

I often hear that aerodynamics don't matter much at lower speeds. Well let me enlightening you: punching home to the pub at 10mph into a 20mph headwind, it matters😊

[@BadTanLines]

Dunno what skin suits you've been wearing but they are absolutely more comfortable than jersey and bibs. And more aero.

[@thenerdymamil8557]

Thanks, very interesting to learn about your opinions. I basically agree- except for the skinsuit. I got some suits from Decathlon and not only are they good value-for-money (compared to decent bibs + jersey), but to me they are also very comfortable; so the slight "aero gain" is just an added benefit for me.

[@RyonBeachner]

Skinsuits are more comfortable in my experience as they get rid of the bib straps, the jersey no longer moves, and they cool better as you have less layers of fabric but the two pockets vs three kind of sucks if you’re going on a longer ride and need to carry a realistic amount of food.

[@andreasolsson2336]

know any brands that offer different heights for the same size?

[@RyonBeachner]

@@andreasolsson2336 I know Assos offers different leg lengths in bib shorts, However I’m not aware of anyone who offers varying torso length options. (Which, is kind of a shame for me because I have a long torso and short legs)

[@harrylook7810]

just ordered aero socks yesterday

[@asteele911]

Love my slammed stems. If it feels good ride it

[@fabianmolyneux2308]

Fantastic run-down. Aside from enjoying it I found it really informative. Importantly, your experienced advice was welcome. I'm always on the hunt for marginal gains, but not at the cost of sacrificing comfort and practicality. Thanks for the great presentation

[@larsm.4255]

I now ride the Schwalbe Pro One 34mm wide tubeless tires and the speed and comfort is incredible

[@sirjockiii]

Pros are sponsored

[@Tbo1235]

Really

[@tk4280]

I recommend getting sponsored like a pro. It makes this hobby way cheaper 😂

[@tonyjames5444]

What's the opinion on shorter cranks? Currently have the standard 172.5 but been told 170 or shorter would improve my riding and therefore speed.

[@ForeverDownByLaw]

Shorter cranks can improve your bike fit and provide smoother pedaling circles. I'm not sure 172.5 to 170 would be enough of a difference. In my case, I went from 172.5 to 165 and my comfort level went up substantially. Depending on your geography, a change in gearing may be in order when you switch to account for the loss of torque due to the shorter cranks.

[@LS1conehead]

@@ForeverDownByLaw Yeah, you kind of need the leverage of the longer cranks to ride bigger gears, unless you have the sustained high power output of the pros/elites and can spin a 54x12 at 100+ RPM on 165s.

[@kpsig]

On my MTB I went from 170 to 175 (yes, longer) and it now feels so much more natural to me… 184cm height.

[@guidospanoghe8896]

@@ForeverDownByLaw I did the same thing and I like it a lot. Even when sprinting ( in a smaller gear )

[@williamforbes7156]

I like the race scene and for less than the price of an entry socks are an easy pick and I agree if everyone wore white socks and then bob shows up with floral Mickey mouse... The big pro I copy is training for data, or tyres they both get really expensive!

[@Eirikkinserdal]

The silca and gripgrab aero socks looks pretty good and are comfortable. Winwin 🤔

[@paddymurphy-oconnor8255]

Aero socks fall down. I saw pros using a spray on the skin to help them stay up.

[@jamiehohenshelt5260]

Silca arrow socks give you 4 to 8 W advantage and only cost $30. The fabric is Italian and they are perhaps the most comfortable socks I’ve ever felt in my life so I would suggest everybody have a pair of them.

[@HeyWattsUpCycling]

narrow bars are a step WAY to far, its not even about a match to your body or shoulder size, technically 36cm is just too narrow for good control of the bike in demanding conditions. 38cm should be the UCI minimum. I willl start rocking a skinsuit every day once I get back down to race weight and lose these 20lbs.

[@LS1conehead]

Yeah, I might drop to a 40cm (from my current 42cm), but 38 might be a bit too radical for me.

[@M3GRSD]

I've ridden wider 28mm and 32mm tires, and I just don't get it. I don't find them more comfortable, the tires are heavier, they feel sluggish, and with the advent of tubeless, I can just run lower pressures on my 25mm tires, making them just as compliment as a wider tire. Call me old fashioned, but then trend towards wider rims to fit wider tires is one I can't get behind.

[@jamesetheridge6224]

That Mapei Colnago at 10:55 is 🔥

[@dantolo817]

Agree with most except the socks 1 I love a nice pair of socks pulled up high Ps lov the videos

[@samgiamarelos4524]

Not all pro's are quick, im a pro and got dropped by a commuter yesterday 😢

[@gordonconrod7628]

Do you mean 50 kilometres per hour? Pretty sure the aero benefits kick in around 40-50 + kilometres not 50 miles per hour (80 km/hr)…?

[@fiddleronthebike]

again this wide tyre thing is not explained carefully! Lower rolling resistance? Yes - at the same tyre pressure. More comfort? Yes - when exploiting the possibility to use lower tyre pressure. But you cannot have both! Either you have more comfort - then you don't have lower rolling resistance; or you have lower rolling resistance - then you don't have more comfort. And it comes at a price: wider tyres have a higher aero resistance due to their greater frontal area. It very much depends on the road tarmac wether they are better or worse - and that is why the pros at the TdF are using them; tarmac in France is horrible rough, it makes sense there. In Germany, Switzerland or Austria, where tarmac is way smoother, 25 mm or at most 28 mm tyres still are the better choice. So we should look at where we are riding most times before making our choice!

[@vandal_ross]

28mm Corsa N.Ext Tubeless on Campag Shamal Carbon C21 is what I'm running and the best I can afford!

[@nickbanham8750]

Quite frankly if you are replacing your bike with a new one because you can mount 30mm tyres on it, or even comes as standard and you are also using handlebars which are perhaps uncomfortable because they are 2-4 cm shorter in width, then if you personally do not resemble the Michelin Man, Aero Socks must be a must or not! Otherwise you are virtually cancelling out the effects of the bars for example. Pros were reluctant to change to disc brakes and now they are reluctant about wide tyres.. THEY did not get converted by the amateur rider.. THEY were forced to by bike manufacturers who will convince the generally stupid in order to sell yet another totally overpriced bike. Otherwise many pros would stick to rim brakes and tyres of their choice. Someone once told me from the bike industry I should run my tyres at a lower pressure, now my tyres are 26mm wide so obviously I did not lower the pressure much (normally 8 bar) anyhow after trying it out once the end result was 1 minute slower on my normal route and as for comfort I just noticed a slightly wishy washy bike handling. The bike press and the content makers of You Tube channels which influence so many nowadays is purely driven by the constant need to say either something new for more subscribers or selling the many idiots who think what they read or see on their monitors is gospel.. yet another new bike. Believe in yourselves and ride what you have got.. aero wheels and good legs are the most import items with legs being at the top of the list.. pro’s will beat everyone of us on even if you have the chance to borrow one of their team bikes, they will trash you even on a bike from the mid 80’s. As for comfort buy a Holland Bike, nice and comfy.. coming with the trend setting 46mm tyres, also with a basket for lots of drink bottles and space to spare for the latest edition of Bike BS.

[@aboomination897]

Next up: Aero Surgery, for when your face is just not aerodynamically advantageous enough.

[@paulgrimshaw8334]

Yeah, surgery. Everyone will notice the beak grafted to my face way more than having to rely on cargo straps to reign in my bike shorts. Am I right?

[@timoe2469]

Oh dear my beard 😂

[@daydreaming_aristocrat]

TPU tubes for the win!

[@pathurley86]

Narrow handlebars are poor advice (unless you've narrow shoulders), they're harder to control as we see with a lot more crashes. The gains for the average cyclist are negligible

[@truthseeker8483]

Fun fact...vintage race bikes had super narrow bars......

[@twowheels222]

@@truthseeker8483 I noticed that too. Its funny how things go around like this. I do wonder though if "back in the day", bikes had rake or trail numbers that offset the reduced leverage of narrow 'bars.

[@guidospanoghe8896]

Since I'm using 40 cm wide handlebars my bike is more agile and I'm able to move through the peloton more easily. Considering the Watts you're saving at 40 km/h it's a no brainer for me.

[@ABD5667]

I prefer wearing long pants/tights and long sleeves. As for me at least it always feels so cold the mornings when I ride and with the wind makes it even worse

[@Cycle.every.day.]

But don't copy that guy that's in every club or group either , the one who spews 'guy at the end of the bar speak'

[@triggamusician]

Don't slam your stem. That way you can install a top tube bag and get some aero back

[@laurensedenburg8144]

TPU tubes all the way!!!!!!

[@btnacek35]

Bellissimo ❤

[@samgiamarelos4524]

Love the channel, even if you sound like you're eating a peanut butter sandwich

[@fredrikbengtsson8458]

Please don't recommend deep section wheels for amateurs going down descents! People seem to forget that mountains have a lot of strange winds (not just head, tail and cross, but also up and down) and it can (and does) go really wrong if your wheels get caught by those. Add to that that us amateurs ride these descent in traffic...

[@yonglingng5640]

What about 40 mm front 50 mm rear? I plan to run this for my disc brake road bike.

[@fredrikbengtsson8458]

@@yonglingng5640 That sounds great for general riding! For Alpine like descents (like the Galibier that Dave mentions in the video) I would recommend a shallower front though.

[@hudsoneful]

Second this from personal experience 😂

[@StayZero556]

Wider tires, you say? •laughs in 700x55 Continentals•

[@agamemnonhatred]

If you want to save watts and go faster, do it. If you don't want to save watts and go faster, don't do it.

[@Travis_On_Trauma]

DO.NOT.SLAM.YOUR.STEM! Unless you are a cyclist that does it for a living. 😂

[@KidFury27]

On that thought, also never ride a smaller frame and then use a super long stem to compensate. Only pros can get away with this kind of body folding.

[@laurencedanziger7098]

Wrongggggg

[@DDai-qd8uk]

As a cyclist who slams stems for a living, can confirm you should slam your stem.

[@godatitsbest]

I dont think people shouldn’t slam their stem but to do it with the advice of a bike fitter. I did it because it turned out i was to high up and because of my body shape it actually helped my fit.

[@adamlucina]

This is just flat out terrible advice. Get a bike fit then decide if you want to slam it. I'm 185cm rocking canyon endurace, and got a bike fit where I got advised to slam it because apparently my arms are 2cm longer than average for my size. Slammed it and felt hella difference when it came to comfort. TLDR, adjust bike based on your own needs don't slam or not slam based on some random internet comment

[@crack0n]

aero socks are stupid cheap at aliexpress

[@janhofmann7414]

Best Watt-saving for your buck are shaved legs!

[@Alex-gl2dw]

I've had narrow handlebars before. They were a big source of discomfort on longer rides, not to mention twitchy handling. Can't recommend those for anybody other than a pro doing short races. I've since switched to flared handlebar with bike fitter recommended hoods width - the one that corresponded to my shoulders. Flared drops make for a more stable sprinting. And another shoutout for aero socks - they're good bang for your buck and there are plenty good looking ones.

[@oliverjacobs8594]

Switched from 40cm to 26cm bars, vastly more comfortable and noticeably faster.

[@ForeverDownByLaw]

@@oliverjacobs8594 26? Are they from a child's bike?

[@truthseeker8483]

I'm using 38cm bars and they feel good...certainly go into headwinds better.....vintage race bikes had very narrow bars

[@Bravoleader80]

When going to narrower bars, are you also shortening the stem? I'm looking at a vision metron 5d but. 38mm comes only with 90stem

[@oliverjacobs8594]

@@ForeverDownByLaw can confirm there made for adults! 33 at brake mount point but there 26 hood to hood because of 20 degrees of flare.

[@tolitsdterrible4785]

Don't do this, don't do that. Don't copy the pros....well, that's exactly the reason why you didnt become a pro. 😊

[@JustBrowsing777]

You could argue that for gravelbiking that weight might be of greater or equally great importance to aero (depending on terraina nd speed).

[@risesir]

You could argue it. You’d be wrong. But, you could argue it. 😂

[@JustBrowsing777]

@risesir I wouldn't be wrong, you have little use of aero unless you're riding at speed but have a definite use of less weight in technical terrain and especially uphill. But it depends on the specific conditions you ride in.

[@Muppetkeeper]

In the UK, most of the people who can afford pro-level kit are fat 55 year old men, speaking as one, it's better just to admit that pro kit isn't going to make any difference and spend your money on a nutritionist, personal trainer and coach instead.

[@WerdnaLiten]

Trying to be aero, with a slammed stem isn't a great idea on the open road with other vehicles around.......Can't help with vision. More upright is the way to go......

[@nolfansbagadcapcavallc9378]

😮😮😮😮

[@williamkinn5959]

I disagree with your comments regarding tubeless. The tubeless does provide additional flat protection and the pro's change tires when they have flats via a sag wagon. Recreation riders don't have sag wagon's and a flat with tubeless is a huge mess that makes adding an emergency tube a huge mess. You also have the maintenance issue with sealant. You also mentioned the benefit of deep carbon wheels which is true but again changing tubes due is very difficult due to tight fit. (You have countless videos on make space and achieving the tube change). What recreational riders need are tire that are easier to change. The Pro's don't care because they change wheels but it is a real problem for non pro's. In summary the recreational rider is benefiting from current tubeless and tube tire design and the tire manufactures should recognize the non sag wagon need.

[@steveindorset]

Another good video David. Lots of great info. Really enjoyed it.😎👍🏻 great info on the slimmer bars, tubeless/TPU all very interesting. So surprising about the weights of the pro’s bikes though! The canyon being 7.9kg? 😮 I hear so many people saying “If it’s not sub 7kg I wouldn’t ride it!”😳 Just shows, some people just talk complete ballderdash!🙄 PS. Any closer to a review of your Wahoo Roam V2 mate??😉

[@whynotride327]

"Aero socks"??? LOL Apparently PT Barnum was correct.

[@jaredfontaine2002]

Disagree... aero suits are the best. Rim brake alloy wheels for the win! Don't be an NPC and follow the herd

[@ringzero9757]

Tubeless is comfortable and fast but in my experience it is not great except for racing. Flats don’t seal up well at high pressure, even 60psi. Learning to set them up is exasperating and you will be sorely disappointed the first time you flat. Stick to tubes and clinchers

[@Chris._P._Bacon]

Pirelli tires.......I have to say, they are not good at all. Got a set that came with a used wheel set I bought, brand new tires and they are so thin that every bump on the road, I felt as if I was being smack on butt cheeks and felt it everywhere.........I put the Continental GP 5000 back on, and a much better comfortable ride. So, no, Pirelli tires are too thin.

[@truthseeker8483]

Tubeless = YUCK.......TPU tubes so much better for the normal rider...no mess no fuss

[@LS1conehead]

I like my Vittoria or Challenge latex tubes more, despite being heavier. MUCH better road feel, response, and yes, even self-motivating tire whooshing/scrubbing sounds against the road with a high TPI count great clincher tire (like a Corsa series). I wore out my last back tire with this setup before I flatted even ONCE! (But I did use A LOT of powder inside the tire casing before installation.)

[@WordupG]

Yeah, I went away from tubeless for all but my off-road bikes. Not worth the hassle. Modern tires like the GP5000 are very good at puncture protection.

[@Kdash66]

Sealant being sprayed all over the group ride is one reason i stay away from tubeless.

[@vongdong10]

Lol aero socks? What chump buys into that BS.

[@davidarthur]

MDVP, Pogacar, most of the world tour ;)

[@guidospanoghe8896]

@@davidarthur MVDP

[@andrew300169]

Given the weather in Yorkshire recently we might be better using waders

[@andreasolsson2336]

science beats bro-science any day of the week

[@eightballsidepocket]

Still 90% happy with my slammed stem with drop corresponding to head tube angle. 🤌 My back always hurts anyway. 😂