Chinese Bikes Are Coming & Why Slamming Your Stem WON'T Make You FASTER - 10 Things I Learnt In 2024

[@nkantar]

Likely the truest thing ever said in a road.cc video: “I haven’t done the math, but I reckon having a stretch once a week will make a bigger difference to your riding performance than the difference between a $4k bike and a $12k bike.”

[@ketle369]

Doing yoga 🧘 three times a week for a total of one hour a week has made me so much more comfortable on the bike. Comfortable in the drops, better balance and more comfort gives more strength and less fatigue.

[@JustBrowsing777]

Doing regular weightlifting sessions probably even more so, but both weights and mobility exercises no doubt will make a huge difference.

[@sepg5084]

Even a $4k bike is laughable for a non-pro. Cycling elitists treat bikes like how vapid women treat designer bags lol

[@johngwheeler]

@@sepg5084There is a law of diminishing returns for sure, but my personal experience is that there can be a significant improvement in mechanical quality/reliability & ride feel going from $2000-2500 to a $4000-5000 bike. The biggest improvements in my opinion are electronic groupsets (better shifting and far less maintenance), (often) better carbon frame quality and comfort, and carbon wheels. The $4000-5000 bike is just a better riding experience in most cases. I still look for value for money though, and brands like Giant or Merida seem to give more than Specialized and Trek for example. I know that some of these are made in the same factory, and there is definitely some “brand markup” going on. That said, I can’t see much justification for super light or aero components for non-pros or those who aren’t competitive racers for whom shaving off seconds is important.

[@lechprotean]

I feel a longer ride - i.e. extending your longest ride by the time you'd have spent stretching will make even more of a difference. Yes stretching is good, but on balance it doesn't last very long so if you don't strech for a period of time you will revenrt ot your unstreched form. My bikefitter insisted on setting me up for a position that I can maintain all yoear round and after some time I agree with him.

[@Hambini]

Chinese bikes are already here. Here's a small list Canyon, Specialized, Trek, Cervelo

[@dilligaf2818]

Mine say Taiwan last time i looked that isnt china yet ok.

[@mollygurb]

​@@dilligaf2818 the made in taiwan label is a loophole. frames are made in china, but assembled, painted, and QC in taiwan so by law, its "made in taiwan". same thing with carbon wheelsets. the rims itself are made in china but if the spokes + hub are assembled in say the UK, then by definition, its "made in UK"

[@Niggoification]

do you comment this under every video now?

[@Gixer750pilot]

Made in Switzerland stamped watches are full of Chinese made parts but assembled in Switzerland . Tudor for example have a factory in the far east but the final assembly of the watches are done in Europe .

[@a1white]

Chinese brands.

[@xuchenglin6256]

I like when bike media go honest. All the things well said.

[@jamble7k]

this wouldn't come from gcn of course 😂

[@joystation1]

Van Rysel - you say "Van Reesul", I say "Van R-eye-sul". It hasn't taken the likes of Ltwoo and Wheeltop long to develop road and gravel groupsets almost on a par with mid tier Shimano and Sram. It won't be long before they are equals. If the Chinese brands can establish service centres in Britain and Europe, like Elves have, that would speed up dealing with warranty issues enormously but until then it usually only takes 8 - 10 days to get parts from China. I ordered an crankset off AliExpress on 28 December, it was delivered today 3 January !

[@Sutlore007]

I would lioke to see more reasonable price bikes to be review in 2025. The price range may be 2000-3000usd, possible? In the post Covid up til now, I think major bike brands are lacking low-end bike updates to convince more people to ride a bike. Hope to see more in 2025. Small marginal gain R&D could be postponed for a little while, I think.

[@MichaelWilliams-iv6dj]

What I find interesting is that Fizik has figured out how to improve your fit with a totally custom saddle, but most bike brands can’t figure out how to sell you a bike with a stem or handlebar that fit.

[@gellertsamel9105]

exactly

[@JustBrowsing777]

I bought an Orbea and the shop offered a free Shimano bikefit before deciding on the full spec of the bike, incl stem, cranks, and handlebar width. The final fitting and adjustments to the bike will be made upon delivery of the bike soon.

[@henrychungfitness]

I've used the Wheeltop EDS TX wireless electronic groupset and while it's quirky to setup, it shines as a Chinese groupset. I also built an aero road bike from AliExpress called the Hygge Model S, and it's been a great bike. Chinese brands like Magene are investing heavily in marketing and R&D, and they're coming for the Western brands whether we like it or not. As long as their prices continue to be competitive, I'll continue buying straight from the Chinese brands as they can be anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 the price.

[@glennoc8585]

I bought an aero disc bike nearly ten years ago direct from China. I was the first in our group ride on disc and one of the first in my city on a road disc. I was given both positive and negative comments from many. To be fair the guys in my group were and are good blokes and Never were negative about my unknown branded frame. Well not to my face haha. I still have that bike as my backup and apart from a non full Integrated brake hoses it's as modern as anything today.

[@paulmurden7621]

I think the stretching comment is very valid indeed.

[@권용대-b5v]

I really appreciate your honest opinion. It feels very fresh and even touching compared to other sponsored contents.

[@mipko]

Honestly I like concept of One bike to rule them all as a consumer. I understand why for racer that is not great approach, but I love that my SL7 is aero and light so I am not tempted to buy two bikes, but I just have one.

[@YorkshireTeaDrinker]

Most of us are riding frames & wheels from the far east. “Designed in Italy / USA / France / UK / Spain” stickers are prominent, look under the BB shell ands you’ll find the one that says “Made in China”….They make nice stems you can slam but you may need to source a local chiropractor for your back if you do😂

[@peterwillson1355]

You are probably right, but all my 6 bikes were made in Europe, thank you.

[@HabaneroTi]

As for the rest, my 21 year old 3x10 road bike is essentially three 1x road bikes in one. Usually, when I'm on flat or gently rolling terrain, which is the kind of terrain I tend to ride on, I'm in the middle chain ring and shift between the cogs to suit the terrain and my preferences and how I'm feeling, rarely need to shift into the large ring and basically never to the small one. Occasionally I shift to the big ring, if I'm feeling good and want to go fast, or it's a long downhill. And if I'm tired or facing a long tough climb, I'm in the small ring. And each represents its own 1x gearing. I basically never double shift to get to the right gear, as I don't have to, the way you used to have to do before 8, 9, 10 or more speed cassettes became the norm. And, I'm all for all these tech advances at the high end, aero, frames, 3D printed parts, ever lighter and stronger components, etc., but in and of themselves they're mostly for pros, elites and rich people, who need, can afford and will most appreciate them, as opposed to the vast majority of cyclists who aren't elite or rich. So their real utility to the rest of us is when this tech gradually trickles down to us non-rich mortals. Thankfully, it does. These high-end bikes look fantastic, and I'm sure that they all ride like dreams, and I'd be lying if I said that a part of me doesn't crave them. But my 21 year old Ti road bike, with mechanical shifting and rim brakes, is still just fine for me. If I were in the market for a new bike, I'd almost certainly get an "All Road" or "Endurance" road bike, in the $2000-$3000 range. As for slamming, my stem is already fairly low, around an inch above the headset. At my age, anything much lower is going to put too much of a strain on my back and be counterproductive.

[@rodriguezlam76]

Nice summary, can we have Polygon bike reviews pls ? For non rich people

[@Milo-wl2if]

48/36 would be hideous for many of my local climbs in the South Downs. Front derailleurs work better now than they ever have.

[@FL-ym6hm]

Always enjoy your videos, looking forward too many more in 2025

[@roadcc]

Happy new year! Thanks for your support!

[@trykpaa]

48/36 as lowest gear 😂 No thanks. Gear gaps and losses of the 10t (and 11t) is no thanks as well. Visma LAB is running 1x (very occasionally) because they are payed to. I have 1x on my not-in-a-hurry bikes - great. For my road bike I don't want an inferior drivetrain even it is sometimes only slightly inferior.

[@KelvinSuddith]

I’m impressed, you spin out a 52/11 frequently? I suppose to do descents like that frequently, you’d probably need more range to go up the climbs in the first place. That being said, if it’s flat, I can’t imagine ever spinning that out. You must be able to push 7+W/kg for over 30 seconds to do that. Impressive

[@a1white]

@@KelvinSuddithhe’s talking about the other end. 48/36 as the lowest gear for hills is not great. It’s worse than my old bike setup which only goes down to 34/28

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

@@a1whitei run 1x 46-36 and it’s all good for any climb up to 15% on our typical 140km 1400m it’s been perfect. On the long descents? I use that thing called « the freewheel » and it works great

[@buster.keaton]

My next road bike will likely be a 13 speed 1x endurance bicycle with some kind of UDH compatible frame. I figure it'll be years before SRAM and Shimano support 13 speed 1x, so I'm going to continue enjoying my current 2x bike until then.

[@ChristianFabender]

There is SRAM Red XPLR, which is already 13 speed

[@drill_fiend1097]

FiftyOne Sika + Red XPLR is a bike I dream of.

[@ChristianBorrman]

the lowering your back by slamming your stem is all relative to your starting position- you may have not seen a gain as you are already fitted: but most are ok relatively sot up positions and slamming will make a huge difference

[@DDGB08]

Great video!😊

[@hill160881]

Wheeltop replaced a defective rear derailleur and it took about 2 weeks between when they agreed to replace it and the unit arrived.

[@glennoc8585]

That's the issue still with online brands at this point. If you're using cheaper groupsets you might just not bother with a defective part and replace it but if you're paying a few hundred you want a warranty replacement asap. I had q shimano dura ace shifter jam after a couple of months from new. I sent it back to the shimano head office in Melbourne Australia from interstate and they sent me back a new replace with 24 hours by express post. So about a 3 day turnaround. I can't fault that service. Now that was a few years ago now so I would hope the warranty response is the same now.

[@stompenem]

I hit "subscribe" right when you said that the difference between the top bikes is miniscule. I just bought a "top" bike (Factor Ostro Vam still almost brand new as I peer out at the Chicagoland weather) for it's performance, good reviews, and great ordering options. I didn't get caught up in abstract single digit performance differences among the other options.

[@kivriel2660]

Question: 1X. What about chain wear?

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

Wax chain, all good.

[@fiddleronthebike]

@@SamuelBlackMetalRiderwax doesn’t alter chain bend. 1x is as stupid as most hypes are

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

@ wax is proven to protect and prolong chain wear including bending. Don’t give a f if it’s a hype or not I love it, have on 4 of my bikes and it’s perfect

[@stuartdryer1352]

I own three Chinese road frames. All good. My Yoeleo R12 is my favorite of the three. My various Chinese wheels are very good. I haven't tried one of their groupsets.

[@DanRoch]

Technically 95% of us riding are "Chinese" bikes 😂

[@duncanrobjohns422]

What was the Boardman bike that you recommend 🤔 I cannot find a ADX model...

[@roadcc]

Apologies, it’s the ADV 9.2 that impressed us

[@savagepro9060]

Went from 120mm to 140 stem, and SLAMMED! I have to be bailed regularly in Traffic Court . . . for over-speeding!

[@andrewlabat9963]

Thank you for the very true and common sense summery of all those top bikes. Way to many are just big suckers for tech talk and bull shit marketing. Aero tech will be like power meters for most, despite what they say, useless, and inaccurate.

[@hcw199]

What would be the point of riding with aero tech to measure your wind-drag? Can't see it being mainstream.

[@marcelchaloupka]

Slamming the stem will make you more aero but you need time to adapt to the new position. Sure initially you may not be comfortable to get into the bed position but over the course of a few weeks you’ll adjust

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

And it looks cooler too and we all know that looking cooler is better than being more aero on country roads and suburban streets.

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

All-Road bikes are the best bikes for 90% of the riding public. True road bikes are fairweather, good condition rigs at best while All-Road bikes are more real world bikes. Honestly, a road bike designed to go fast and nothing else (not a touring bike) is just a domesticated race bike for all intents and purposes. An All-Road bike is really the one that will expand a rider's range and protect them more from getting flats and provide with more comfort to ride longer and under more weather conditions safely.

[@ANTPS32CREWCHIEF]

One thing about light carbon bikes is that they are "drifty" in that they don't go straight and tend to float in an 18" wide lane and constantly need to be steered. The geometry, fit, and rake are all stolen from decades of refinement on steel bikes then tested in a wind tunnel and ruined. If your bike does not fit like Merckx, Indurain or Lemond you'd better buy a good helmet and insurance.

[@lunam7249]

interesting, how much wind drift?how much is body weight momentum drift? percent%

[@MikeMPharmaCyclist]

Don't find this to be true at all, especially if you are running 50 to 60 mm deep wheels. I can ride for a mile with no hands easily, obviously with slight tweaks using my core.

[@solarrain1176]

6:53 But I use my 34 34 a lot...

[@lukewalker1051]

Best list ever. Well done and Happy New year!

[@roadcc]

Thanks for the support, happy new year!

[@cauldron101]

Another great video. Happy New Year!

[@florenceetalexismartel8365]

I've been riding for 8 years a 1X (sram rival mechanical) with my winter+ commuter road bike (more than 40.000 km). I really enjoy it a lot. Reliable, simple.

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

Enjoyed that...... Appreciated your opinions

[@markvonwisco7369]

While I like the simplicity of 1X drivetrains, I worry more about running out of gears on a climb, than spinning out on a descent.

[@nickbaumcycling]

says slamming stem wont make you faster - immediately shows Astana bike with slammed stem

[@roadcc]

If you’re as flexible as a world tour pro then yes it will make you faster, we’re assuming Astana riders are probably too busy stretching to watch road.cc youtube videos though

[@JimUe1]

that's not what was said in the video 🤨

[@notreally2406]

​@roadcc riding a slammed stem isn't about flexibility. You're literally bending only half way over

[@glennicol1361]

The presenter at a quick glance looks like Van de pol

[@dilligaf2818]

Shimano DI gravel groupsets ???

[@jou3708]

Wheeltop group is not cheaper than 105 di2, like you claim here. Dunno about Apex, but suspect it is the same story.

[@roadcc]

105 di2 has an RRP of £1500

[@jou3708]

@@roadcc It is 1000€ (with VAT) everywhere in Europe with crankset and disc rotors. You need to try hard to find it for RRP.

[@Fleckinger]

​@@jou3708wheeltop 480 euro on aliexpress, if you don't want to compare RRP.

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

@@jou3708yeah they always use the max RRP on time of release but the price with all the competition among websites plummets very fast. Not even talking about 2nd hand market where some as good as new groupsets go for half the price

[@dejedejsson]

@@Fleckinger It's not a road groupset for €480, it's basically just for the rear derailleur for MTB.

[@thejeffinvade]

Wanna try a xlab bike in 2025.

[@roadcc]

100%! We’ve got a video of the 10 bikes we want to get our hands on in 2025 coming soon and it’s one of them!

[@richardmiddleton7770]

Slamming your stem actually DOES make you faster, once you're used to it. You might put out slightly less watts, but the aero gains far outway that. Also the guy sucking your wheel gets far less draught, and you get more draught being on a wheel!

[@Shadowboost]

Slamming my stem makes me faster. It's still not low enough

[@kidsafe]

Over the years I’ve adapted to shorter cranks, a slammed forward and low saddle position and kept my bars low in the name of aero. My saddle-to-bar drop isn’t huge, but it means I have to use a very long slammed stem to achieve my desired stack-to-reach ratio. There is no reason for me to run a “high hands” position because there isn’t much of an air gap under my chin in my racing position.

[@blaze1148]

Slamming my stem makes my back ache for days after.

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

But you look cooler...MODIFICATION APPROVED!

[@notreally2406]

​@blaze1148 lower your saddle until it doesn't

[@NasciVids]

1x is so bad for efficiency, on the both near ends of the cassete. I have a 1x on my mtb and on the smallest cog it seems that youre pedalling backwards

[@joshuabuilds3051]

10tooth cogs are not the way forward. A 54t-12t is preferable over 48t-10t every day of the year.

[@jimmill3384]

Did you try the new Trek madone

[@roadcc]

We’ve been testing one out! Review coming soon

[@mister_ray]

UDH and SRAM XPLR Red 13 speed def makes 1X very do-able. 10-46 cassette and any chain ring you want.

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

Totally that’s the real game changer… if only more road bikes had UDH 🥲

[@lunam7249]

nope, i ride steep stuff, i need 34f34r and 52f 11r, i triple f crank 52, 42, 34, the new scam you discuss is what $250?, i buy complete 2010 older bikes for that

[@hangkook]

Once blueprints of bigger brands are in the hands of manufacturers in China to produce even the minor/major parts or worst is when they assemble, expect similar replicas and at times, they made it the same at a lower price. Warranty claim is another issue 🤦🏻

[@JibbaJabber]

@4:54 I haven't done the maths either, but having a dump should be just as effective!! However, once a week🤔

[@Ober1kenobi]

I didnt flip my stem to go faster, flipped my stem because the bike was a Boat to handle in stock configuration. 538mm stack height and a +17 degree stem. The handlebars were far too high up. I flipped that stem over and it changed the bike from handling like a boat to handling like a Go Kart

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

Amen to that. I went from steering a boat to steering a go-cart when I flipped my stem.

[@angelortiz353]

China is here CRAFT WHEELSET SIMPLY THE BEST I EVER RIDDEN but im nobody regardless best💪💪

[@drill_fiend1097]

48/36 makes no sense. Either go with 50/34 or 48/31. Why is it necessary to narrow the gearing even more on 2by?

[@lunam7249]

52 34 = 😊

[@bertusbob]

👍👍👍

[@sepg5084]

"Chinese bikes are coming" lol ya'll been living under a rock then 🤦 Been rocking my "chinese bike" for more than half a decade now, still going strong.

[@Janthonyx]

Never heard about a chinese road bike. Wont be riding one either.

[@Flynbourne]

There’s no way I’ll stretch once a week. $12k bike it is then.

[@johndef5075]

1x is only here because Sram cant make a good front derailleur. 😂 Thank God Shimano can.

[@erikk7643]

Van Rysel may be a great bike. However, Decathalon(Burnaby) is shit. I walked around for 20 mins, saw several employees, and was looked away from. Like a pariah. I actually could have sold a bike to a couple of guys, but I convinced them to go to a real bike shop.

[@mediumrick7667]

EEEEEEK! The stem slammers out there are gouging their eyes out watching this!

[@nellyx1x493]

shhhhhh, it's always been the case that road bike frames, once at an adequate level, are essentially boring and the minute differences between them are adapted to and go unnoticed after the first 5 minutes of riding anyway...

[@blaze1148]

...so you haven't ridden the Scott RC or the X-Lab.....ok.

[@roadcc]

Ok 👌

[@peterwillson1355]

No one is spinning out on a 48/10

[@HabaneroTi]

Is it a "Chinese Bike" if the frame is Chinese-made but nothing else (that I know of)? Are Kinesis carbon forks Chinese-made? Do Shimano, Campy, Ritchey or any of the other major bike parts makers produce any parts in China or with China-based companies? Plus, who cares where it's made so long as it's well-made, a good value, and not made by slave labor? Sure, it's nice and preferable to buy from someone in your own country, but that can be very expensive or impossible in many cases, and not all such companies are good ones.

[@roadcc]

Oh we’re well up for it! But the direct to consumer model is going to stir up the market for sure

[@HabaneroTi]

@@roadcc Unless our own dear soon to be once again president lives up to his campaign promises and imposes a high tariff on them or bans this outright. Which is about as likely as his winning this year's Tour de France, but that's a whole other topic...

[@billscott6819]

Ahh you can adapt to lower stack. Weird take

[@jou3708]

Lowering your position on bike / slamming stem will definitely make you faster!

[@florenzebg]

But slamming the stem doesn‘t always lead to the most aero position. It‘s more aero to have a higher bar in the aero-hoods-position and have your elbows below the bar. But of course a slammed stem on average leads to better aero

[@Shadowboost]

​@@florenzebg my stem is slammed and my elbows are below my hands. I need -17 or more now

[@roadcc]

Lower shoulders = more aero, however a lower stem does not always equal lower shoulders, that’s why TT riders are actually raising their bars now

[@jou3708]

@@florenzebg It is not only more aero, but also better position for power transfer with lower front (my experience, at least). Sure you cannot just slam stem all the way down, but need to understand what you are doing - consider crank length and bar drop etc.

[@florenzebg]

@@jou3708 sure, I actually ride a slammed and very aggressive position but I have had the case where my back was actually tilting up towards the back which by my understanding doesn‘t offer an aerodynamic advantage while limiting power. If you want your elbows to drop or not in my experience is just personal preference

[@2wheelsonline]

1x great? You obviously don't have any steep climbs where you ride (10%+)

[@roadcc]

The Mendips Hills are well known for their flatness 😜

[@fiddleronthebike]

1x… again 🙈 Have you thought even one second about what you tried to praise to us? 10-36 with 48 chainring??? That’s like 25.5/34 as a max for climbing - missing 3 to 4 gears compared to my usual configuration (11-36 with 50/34)! Of course, if you only ride a bike in a city on flat roads 1x is fine - even a 3-gear-hub is fine then; but if you ride in areas with steep hills or with big mountains (= where riding a bike is fun!), then 1x is a unnecessary restriction, absolute nonsense!

[@ashleyhouse9690]

There is no way the pros are consuming 120g of carbs per hour. That would mean they would be downing a 20g gel every 10 minutes and if you watch any of the big races live, they just obviously are not. You see them taking a bottle from the side of the road and they often discatd the attached gel.

[@roadcc]

In some cases it’s more!!! Well try and make a video at a big race this year showing what they get through in a stage

[@andrew9579]

Why would you assume gels are the only source of carbs? Most teams would be drinking 60 to 80g of sports drink per hr and then adding gels to that number to get to 100 or 120. FYI modern gels are often 40g per gel so they may only take one per hour.

[@tomigun750]

I’m no pro, but usually consume 80-100 grams per hour in drink mix

[@olishobbyscene1643]

take e.g. a 80g Carb drink from SiS per bottle/bidon plus a 40g Gel from SiS and there you go with 120g Carbs/hour

[@elektrikmaus]

Van Rysel? More like Van Rizz-el, am I right?

[@roadcc]

We’ve retired from gen-Z slang, it made us to eepy ;)

[@poxcr]

Bikes have been chinese for many many years.

[@alien-bass]

Nice £300 jacket.

[@ChrisRudall]

It’s Van Rysal. Not Van Reesal. 😂

[@roadcc]

We’ll let them know when we’re in Lille next

[@frankducett9]

If this is the best subject matter on this channel, I will unsubscribe. You need to be more practical.

[@MWTM357]

Are coming? You all are so out of touch.

[@adammcneill1862]

1x on road is NOT great, stop all that nonsense.