Rim Brakes & Insane Power WIN Hill Climb Champs! | GCN Tech Show Ep.358

[@gcntech]

How do you feel about this return of rim brakes 🚴‍♂ and the insane power at the Hill Climb World Championships? 💥🤯

[@oplkfdhgk]

@@gcntech how about something like tektro mira? I know alot of people like cable actuated brakes so i think alot of people would enjoy tektro mira.

[@PrzemyslawSliwinski]

You guys just said (about 5:30) brakes were actually not necessary during the race. So it totally made sense to use the lightest dummy-whatever that just looks like them.

[@matthewlewis2072]

Rim brakes...at an event where you don't need to brake. Says it all.

[@drivemenuts3011]

Rim Brake bikes never went anywhere for climbing. They are 300-400 grams lighter than a disk brake bike. Rim Brakes are a no brainer for hill climb. Feather would have won if he went with Rim Brakes.

[@Eramsay121]

never left!

[@darrenmiller6129]

Thanks for the National Hill Climb feature, I couldn't make it up this year to race as I've had the crap news of a cancer diagnosis. However we managed to get two of our kids into the junior event, Ruby (youngest competitor 7Y) and Finn. It really is a season highlight and all the content I've seen this week has meant I didn't miss out that much at all. Would love to see a GCN film about this event and all it's bonkers watts, weirdness and the great community that come together for 2 months each year!

[@brickboy2096]

Can we just shed some appreciation on the fact that the juniors section winner was only 1 second behind feather

[@nickwaples]

Rim brakes for the win❤

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Because braking was not required 😅

[@matthewlewis2072]

...in an event where you don't need to brake

[@timotius]

I agree!! Rim brakes stopping power is good enough when you ride on the road even on the descent. Unless you're a heavy rider, riding in a dirt or wet weather.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

@@timotius so, rim brake performance is conditional and beyond the rider’s control. Got it.

[@LordVarkson]

@@timotius Wet weather is fine, you get full bite in a full wheel rotation, partial bite up until then. Not sure what you mean about dirt, but mud is a problem.

[@PWs-g1r]

The first bike going in the vault with that jaunty angle is an absolute shocker, Ollie wouldn't let that slide!

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Rim brakes are the future.

[@matthewlewis2072]

...of crashes

[@somethingsomethinggr]

@@matthewlewis2072 If you're a shit rider.

[@knorrepotje22]

@@matthewlewis2072i don't understand people like you. Yes, in the mountains disc is always the better option. Though i have been using rim brakes for a long time in hilly terrain and never had any issues with braking force. Not on solo rides and not on group rides. Ive seen more issues with people getting over confident with their disc brakes.

[@LM42]

​@@matthewlewis2072better aero and lighter bike if it has rim brakes😂

[@IlPinnacolo]

​@@knorrepotje22Rim are better in mountainous terrain. Discs have very little heat capacity.

[@cb6866]

Thanks Alex , Mark , and crew . Harry Mac is amazing , big fan ! Imagine if he took cycling seriously all the time ?

[@galenkehler]

5:42 "what a weird sport" is pretty rich coming from a triathlete 😂

[@markthrelfall3577]

😂 touché

[@dickieblench5001]

Feathers brakes were rubbing. Ting ting 😂

[@t1p1may0]

Harry Mac is an absolute monster , his power numbers are insane and I'm delighted for him - not just for winning on his rim brake Cervelo that's got some proper hill climb mods on it but that he was able to deliver on a course that suited him. He is the definition of chaotic good - his video of the 2023 champs is mad and he forgot his skinsuit which probably cost him a podium place so glad it all went right this year. Plus, his speech when he won is also well worth celebrating as he dedicated his win to his late friend Rachel.

[@Cycle.every.day.]

Headline should be "14 year old 2nd hand £1900 full build rim brake bike win nationals"....but they just ain't got the guts.

[@mpvsystems9302]

seems unlikely that Feather will repeat his big brake mistake next year! Sponsor tech be damed!

[@markairey1986]

On the basis of what his new bike weighs I don't think it will make much difference, he said himself that it wasn't a long enough course for him this year and didn't suit him 🤷‍♂

[@Mincher]

He'll be grinding down his discs to be 1 nanometer thick. :D

[@reginaldscot165]

@@markairey1986 Total BS, he lost by 1 second. On average a disc bike is 500g heavier than a rim bike with the same components. His previous rim bike was nearly 1 kg lighter! When 1 second is at stake you’d be crazy to opt for a disc bike. 🤪

[@markairey1986]

​@@reginaldscot165 really though, is it total BS? I mean my maths isn't amazing but it seems to be better than yours..... the 2018 supersix was his lightest rim brake bike at 5.08kg the SWI Aequus he is riding this year is 5.5kg...... se less than 500g difference...... not "nearly 1kg"! and he won on an even heavier disc bike last year (the LAB 71) on a longer course that favoured him more.... ( the struggle in Ambleside) but hey, you seem to know best..... 🤔🤣

[@DelPi1974]

They couldn't decide which was worst, the fact that Feather didn't win, or the fact that rim brakes won :D

[@JordyJayHomer]

It's great 😄

[@matthewlewis2072]

Rim brakes are only relevant at hill climbs, where... you don't need to brake 🤡

[@playandteach]

Congratulations to Harry. I had watched the video on Feather's bike where it revealed a small concern that the short length of the course allowed stronger but bigger riders a chance to shine. I enjoyed the event, though there was plenty of hill before the start of the event that could have been part of the course. I do hope that the Prospect Hill route becomes available again. This is the first event I've attended and there was nothing that the organisers could do to keep the fans back from the centre of the road near the top. I'd be really nervous to assume that they'd all move aside when needed. Do riders actually get affected by the tightness of the tunnel?

[@凸Bebo凸]

​@@matthewlewis2072Cope

[@DelPi1974]

@@matthewlewis2072 True that, except hill climbs, there aren’t any relevant races that are won on top of hills…

[@krisbowditch827]

Rim brakes ….cheaper lighter faster 💪💪💪💪💪💪😀👍

[@OrdinaryJoe12]

More effective for road bikes too

[@badbasic]

When someone asks me in what case should they go with the rim brakes, I always say if all you're doing is riding 3 minutes up a hill.

[@Milkywayboy]

@@OrdinaryJoe12they are not more effective 😂😂 Lighter yea Cheaper yea Not more effective

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Because braking wasn’t required in the event 😅

[@matthewlewis2072]

"More effective" riding uphill on a closed road 🤡

[@andreemurray7039]

Nothing against new tech but feel I'm being forced to change to disc brakes I have rim brake bikes do for me

[@matthewlewis2072]

Rim brakes...but no punctuation.

[@danabc322]

Bike vault was absolute carnage this week, poor Ollie will be spinning in his grave!

[@JamisDuanne]

"Rim for Road and Disc for Dirt, Harley" Waiting for the one and only durianrider

[@izi941]

If you live/ride in the mountains, discs are also good 👍 I wore out carbon rims 1 per season usually before I started using discs 10years ago

[@stuartpotter4923]

Still running rim brakes on three of my bikes... A well setup set is still great and the raked steel fork on my rim brake roadie is soooo smooooooth. I do, admittedly, live in Australia and very rarely riding in the wet and mud.

[@plepgeat]

The gold rims with the gold colorway on a Ti Litespeed are GORGEOUS, you... you TROGLODYTES!

[@MalTaylor-vm4gt]

Yeah, but... the colour of the bar tape looked 'minging' and didn't match that white saddle. Deffo questionable 😮😂

[@Shellewell]

We can't just let Mark come in and ride roughshod over every principle of the bike vault! That bike will be in the bike vault for all eternity now, as a jaunty-angled outsider which is angled in such a way that it flagrantly shows off it's biggie-middles gear choice. For the bike vault a bike can't be just nice, we know it's a nice bike, but it needs to be presented in its best quality, not just for the aesthetics of the photo but for the aesthetics of the bike itself. I don't know that what is in the bike vault can be removed, but if not then I think The Council of the Vault need to determine an appropriate punishment for Anders, who should have known better. He then continued to allow in a second jaunty angle in the one week without even being pushed by Mark! The latter bike is excellent, tell them to take a picture where we can see it properly and resubmit as usual. We need Ollie to come in and end this anarchy.

[@clubstew]

I like the Zwift Cog, but you can only use it with Zwift. That needs to change. I like the gamification of Zwift but the occasional virtual real-world ride on Rouvy would be nice when the weather turns sour.

[@danabc322]

I’m pretty sure I read that Zwift were open for other platforms to implement the spec, so hopefully we’ll see it adopted by the others at some point!

[@martindirkzimmer]

A Nacho hat would have been the way to go.

[@galenkehler]

Just munching on the hat all though the show 😂

[@smithandshortdogs]

Thanks for featuring our comment. Given your concern about the screen name... my surname is Smith, my partner's is Short and we make videos on here about bikejoring and schutzhund with our dogs.

[@J.Relford]

21:16 Alex starts to realize why theres no Bike Vault on GTN shows....

[@RocketRuss]

YOU PLONKERS! That LITESPEED was beautiful with a goofy background. BUT, BIGGIE SMALLS! VALVES ALIGNED! NO GUBBINS! Conversely, you tossed a SUPERNICE for an 18yr old LeMond leaning against a craggy wall of rocks at a dodgy angle. You wallies need to get your SUPERNICE RECALIBRATED.

[@curioMuseum]

This!!

[@tertiaryeel2066]

Week 85 of asking for a "The UCI has no jurisdiction here" t-shirt

[@oplkfdhgk]

@@tertiaryeel2066 i am supriced that people still have to ask. Even i want one. Was even considering making one by myself.

[@madyogi6164]

I feel a scam. Maybe UCI bought the factory where these were made?

[@jonm8423]

Pedal pushers apparel 👍

[@izi941]

Week 84 of you being annoying about it. No way UCI would sanction that.

[@izi941]

@@oplkfdhgkbecause a big company like GCN wouldn’t go away from UCI with selling a shirt like that

[@oplkfdhgk]

1:16 should have gotten like a chocolate hat or something like that. 😀

[@feedbackzaloop]

Proper wool hat, sous vide for 24 hours and deep fried.

[@TomSnyder--theJaz]

Please, get Ollie back to the Bike Vault - It's falling apart! Otherwise, great show. Cheers

[@eddiewards123]

As a mere mortal with only a year of consistent cycling under my belt, it took me 4:33 to do the same climb averaging 307w (5.6 w/kg) I did have a 9.2kg bike though... Being stood by the side of the road to watch the fast lot go by, it was incredible! They seemed almost effortless yet travelling at double the speed I was. To match Harry's w/kg I need to increase my 34 second power, 6 times over....

[@CycletheNation]

It was an epic day at Hexham, and great to see so many people there! As for power - 43 seconds (at 76.2kg) according to my power curve.

[@rdlperry]

#Bike Vault - Your standards are slipping guys! The key principles are being allowed to slip. Please tighten your grip!

[@robbijay]

Supernicing everything this week?! When Ollie’s away. Alex will play!

[@robbchastain3036]

Ollie would be freakin' about those jaunty angles. 😀

[@mrcha0s]

the Litespeed uellow accents aren't my favorites but you gotta supernice that one for the effort

[@Shellewell]

And the matching bottle cages. If you're going to do it, do it properly, and they have. Subtle matching of a bold colour against just plain metal so the accents aren't fighting any other bold elements.

[@TESTA-CC]

Thanks @GCN 🤙🤙

[@edmundhodgson2572]

My Grand children will be getting that Littebig. Brilliant!

[@madyogi6164]

8:15 That's Genius! 👋

[@andreirlmeier]

Kate Bush has already sung it

[@McLovin38FFs]

No more jaunty angle super nice bikes. Rupert needs to take himself out to the back of the wood shed and give himself a good talking to!

[@peterfranzjr.1190]

@GTN and @Alfred, I have multiple balance bikes, a 12 inch bike with pedals, two 14 inch bikes, and a 16 inch bike. My pro tip is to make sure all 4 of your kids are born within 18 months of each other so they can all rotate up a size each spring!

[@padmanabhaprasannasimha5385]

8.5W/kg is currently my maximum 1 minute power when I'm fresh. So Mr. Feather would hard drop me barely a third of the way up the climb. Monster.

[@alexsen4536]

Now we'll never hear the end of it from the rim brake grandpas

[@paopixel]

Ollie must be watching this week's bike vault in pain. We can't let Alfie alone with a triathlete and standards go out the window. And the litespeed is super nice, we need more colored rims

[@thecatsonholiday5932]

Good episode lads. Thumbs up

[@n22pdf]

Rim brakes are still awesome nothing wrong with them.. I have a Zwift cog and click brilliant bit of kit and I can easily switch between bikes with different group sets ❤ love it.. Pete

[@GeekonaBike]

Shouldn't the title be "$2k second hand bike beats $17k superbike"?

[@R20VT100M]

I was happy with my 600W for 1 minute until I heard that!

[@steveprice9737]

I won the Wattshop 2 day event (very old bloke category) on a steel bike with rim brakes... stick that in yer pipe. 😂

[@davidide1525]

Classic IndyFab , subtle and beautiful ! Oh yeah, RIM BRAKES.

[@mstrasser]

Just under 9w/kg for Harry. Absolute beast!

[@dougpence3862]

He would have been faster if he had a pair of heavy 160mm pizza cutter disc brake rotors, more spokes, huge levers with brake fluid pistons, large heavy 30mm tires with plenty of sealant in them 60g each, and reduce that tire pressure from 120 to 60 psi.

[@chrisfanning5842]

Rim brakes are fine on a bike you only ever cycle uphill :D

[@凸Bebo凸]

lol, Feather spent a zillion bucks to shave 170 grams of carbon off his frame with a special machine, but the 400 grams saved by rim brakes don't matter. Nice cope. Enjoy your pizza cutter bike, but lets stop pretending it's better on clean tarmac for road riding.

[@otterplay-m1k]

Hed's serrated rim brake surface stop as well as disk

[@matthewlewis2072]

...unless it's wet

[@otterplay-m1k]

@@matthewlewis2072 they work just as well when wet

[@bewster7]

Mark is brilliant. Please ask him back.

[@ronaldsmith5375]

I have some Dura Ace 7400 brake calipers that would be perfect for hill climb events, but not much else. I like disk brakes, but successfully used rim brakes for decades. If you regularly feel the need to ride in the rain, or seek messy adventures off road then there is a need for disk brakes. Otherwise disk brakes are a luxury and not a necessity. On my Strava segments my rim brake bikes have typically been faster than my disk brake bikes. Minimal braking was needed for these segments.

[@davidofoakland2363]

7:48: Hey Alex! Superdry?

[@space.youtube]

"...it's like having a wind tunnel literally on the road with you..." No it's not, it's a random number generator for people with more dollars than sense. One Kiel probe and a butt ton of algorithmic assumptions does not the wind tunnel make.

[@djrlloyd]

Ollie would not have ‘superniced, any of those bikes…….just saying😂😂

[@Evaso_CC]

Next year’s National hill climb is on an even shorter hill (Bank Road, Matlock) - Feather will be lucky to get on the podium

[@david131092]

He won in 2020 on a course shorter than bank rd national he will be a vet but wouldn’t write him off. I think we’re looking at a lifting gear 1-2 however

[@Acguy55]

Is there a petition we can sign to have a video where Alex actually is forced to consume a hat? Im sure Ollie can run the science on the most efficient method of doing so to make it easier on him, but he must keep his word!

[@LM42]

Who would of thought, heavier bike, would come second 😂

[@larrylem3582]

The balance bike could have a 4th mode where the front section gets turned upside-down switching the stem and fork for an even higher position.

[@bettyjones8363]

Bike vault was all over the place this week. Ollie will correct it when he returns.

[@MagicM66]

Needs to make an actual meal of the hat

[@ryuujinusa]

Been riding rim brakes for years! 637 watts for 3 minutes??...nah... I'm guessin 3 maybe 4 seconds.

[@GeorgeD1]

We've come to a point where rim brakes are only better when you don't actually need to brake... 😅

[@matthewlewis2072]

💯

[@凸Bebo凸]

lol, Feather spent a zillion bucks to shave 170 grams of carbon off his frame with a special machine, but the 400 grams saved by rim brakes don't matter. Nice cope.

[@GeorgeD1]

@@凸Bebo凸 Lol back at you, I never said that rim brakes weren't better for hill climbing. 😁They are, but only because they are kind of useless in this context. For what they are worth, they are only on the bike because it is a requirement in the rules.

[@IlPinnacolo]

There is no improvement in braking when either system can lock the wheel.

[@DMW2000]

Lights being required might be seen as weird for the final where roads are closed, but 99% of races throughout the season are in open roads, so there's that.

[@david131092]

This was a rule accepted and proposed by a district with no hill climbs as was the helmet rule

[@SteakandChains]

I have the ice cool tape, it’s ok. Brings the temp down about 5-6 degrees, but because in wind and heat it dries easily. It’ll be better to just use the water to directly cool your body than try to soak your bars

[@BikeLife154]

€21,000 bike and you come second? 😂

[@craigfoulkes]

Harry Mac's bike is about 10 years old and was 1900 second hand then. See cade media latest show where they discuss this.

[@JordyJayHomer]

hee hee! It's glorious. 😄

[@nluisa]

If only bikes won races... In fairness to Feather, he stated in an interview this year's course didn't suit him that much.

[@BikeLife154]

@@nluisa and yet we as cyclists continue to think bikes win races. Not hating on feather. He seems like a humble guy, I just found it humorous.

[@bonbonflippers4298]

​@BikeLife154 sucker's like myself had to learn the hard way! Now all I want is a cheaper simpler bike. Expensive bikes is just hype if performance is your goal. The rider is everything.

[@AMLay1234]

Ollie will be disappointed with the supernices.

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

Alan practicing his German language skills when he got to the zwift bike 99.9999999999999999 %

[@matt_acton-varian]

600 watts is about my 10 second threshold... I think I need to breathe in helium just to get within a minute of the Winning time.

[@feedbackzaloop]

Now move the time slot from "just before holidays - right after whole summer of riding" season to March-April and see how these watts per kilo fair.

[@MM-kt5dv]

Rim brakes to 'tick a box'? Get real. They work just fine. Not everyone wants or needs discs.

[@dperreno]

No need for disc brakes at all in this event!

[@matthewlewis2072]

No need for brakes, really, which is why rim brakes are perfect

[@arthurlivesley]

"that's not a wall, it's a collection of rocks" ... next week on Global Dry Stone Walling Network

[@jabehauber]

Wow, guys. Letting the Bike Vault standards really slide. Dr Bridgewood is probably pacing the floor at the moment, maybe even breaking stuff. Three on jaunty angles? Two not in biggie smalls. The Orbea leaning against the wall, didn't even have pedals! Ai ya!

[@jimboburgess42069]

Could you guys do a video that gets extra geeky about bike geometry? I'm learning some and would like to know more. Like why go for a different stack height when you can change that with seat and stem? It could also be a interesting challenge video, taking two extremes and facing them off vs. each other to showcase why you may want a frame a certain way. such as riding a short and then a long wheel base bike through a slalom. Why geo makes a better sprinting bike or a hill climb bike? #askgcntech

[@ukestjohn]

I don't think that any of these riders are doing drugs, but why do people believe that these performances are perfectly acceptable but anything that Pogi does is not?

[@WoolyChewbakker]

Rim Brakes? That sounds like another new fangled technology that the cycle industry is going to force on us in years to come. No one is making bikes with rim brakes. Let's stick with the well established Disk Brake that is a proven winner. After all, all the tour riders are using them.

[@lovenottheworld5723]

When hill climbs were ridden fixed there was a rule they had to have a lockring or be disqualified. They thought it was unfair because they couldn't unwind the cog going uphill.

[@matt_acton-varian]

You mention the equipment rules - the CTT only have one set of rules for all hill climb events. Most if not all other Club and Open events are run on roads still open to traffic so they don't have any written dispensation for the rule. Despite the specifics of a hill climb making it unlikely, a CTT event on closed roads could still see unwanted encroachment from pedestrians or other cyclists and therefore ensuring safety of others in this instance by making competitors more visible makes some sense.

[@robbchastain3036]

If hill-climb organizers can mandate lights and brakes, who needs the UCI? 😀

[@teckendrums]

imagine how they would fly up that hill without those lights. and they need those extra stong breaks to stop at the finish.

[@bikebrain]

The next big thing will be hybrid brakes.. disc on the front - rim on the back. Then we'll all have to buy new bikes all over again. You heard it here first. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@dennish9519]

Ah, yes, The Life of Brian!

[@kurre_kallkvist]

Who will bake a cake-hat for Alex?

[@gadget5129]

If I have a question for GCN Tech, how and where do I submit it?

[@matthewlewis2072]

Rim brakes relevant only at an event where brakes aren't needed...

[@stuartmisfeldt3068]

Isn’t Dan in his early forties?

[@johnwestwell2241]

He's 44, so ten years younger than suggested.

[@izi941]

Week 84 of being annoyed of people commenting: “ week XX of asking for The UCI has no jurisdiction here T-shirt”

[@davidhenner9367]

I bought one of the "little big bikes". I have to say I would not get it again. I like the concept but it was so heavy that it wasn't right for a kid younger than 5 and at that age it was still too heavy for my kid. Once I bought a "bigger" but less heavy bike my daughter was more comfortable and she was off to the races!

[@danwarren8010]

Carbon fiber rotors, or drilled out aluminum for us with no money

[@paljasvonpinguin]

I would love to use a Zwift Cog, but Wahoo decided to retract support for virtual shifting for my trainer that is (technically) newer than the Wahoo Kickr Core. Shame. Shame. Shame.. #sorry for the rant.

[@jcharlesbayliss]

I'm going to build a bike like Harry's

[@david131092]

The braking system makes zero difference to how fast a rider can go up a hill. What the brakes make a difference to in an event like National is the frame, wheel and tyre design. Disc frames are stronger and more technologically advanced as are the wheels which in turns make the tyres better (if you use clinchers obv which I’d imagine most competitive HCers wont) all of which = more power down. The reason you see more rim brake bikes is that these are amateurs who have just forked out £35 for an entry fee. And they probably don’t have much money. Money no object everyone would ride an Sworks aethos and as those bikes get older they will become more affordable second hand. People don’t ride rims because they’re better people ride them because it’s what they can afford - especially with a second bike for a singular usage. I’ve had discs on my summer bike for a year now and going from 30c tyres to 22mm tubs on HC bike is the worst feeling in the world so much so that I’m selling my HC bike (5.48kg size 56 if you’re interested) 😉. Its kind of embarrassing that GCN tech can’t point stuff out like that that seems so obvious. Also big up Harry Mac best thing that happened to hill climbing for him to win finally someone with some personality on the top step 🎉

[@Rob_Evs]

Borderline disrespectful to Harry earlier in that piece.

[@tomwalsh6774]

how so?

[@Rob_Evs]

​@tomwalsh6774 How they lead the story being all about Feather, they should of covered off who won it and some context then moved to the Feather angle. Personal opinion obviously, just felt it could have been done better. Also Harry just "rocked up"? Really? I ain't gonna speak on his behalf to go further into that.

[@tomwalsh6774]

@@Rob_Evs agreed. Feathers their star man - but appreciate they could have done it better. If anything they should be championing Harry Mac a bit more as he's a bit more of a 'character' than Feather

[@Rob_Evs]

​@@tomwalsh6774With you on that Tom.

[@AMLay1234]

@@Rob_Evs If you listen, Alex acknowledges that Harry did all the same hard work as Andrew.

[@randomradon]

21:06 Also, there are no pedals on it.

[@marcelschlebos3975]

Super nice a bike without pedals😢 and nice a titanium bike😮 GTN is not the bike fault masters.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Rim brakes are on the edge of extinction - and the desperation is apparent in the comments section