10 Things To Copy Off Tour de France Pros To Make You FASTER & More Comfortable on The Bike

[@buster.keaton]

I love the shift in road cycling over the past few years towards a focus on comfort equating to speed. I spent decades riding 23C tires at well over 100 PSI thinking that was fast because it "felt fast". I now ride 32C tires at 60 PSI with no discernible loss in speed, but I feel radically less beat-up when my ride is done... not to mention I get far fewer flat tires.

[@madyogi6164]

But were you squeezing and holding 50 km/h on 23 mm and are you able to sustain say 48 km/h on your 32-s today?? Or were you riding 30 km/h and now doing 29? Slight a difference, Isn't so? What wonders me is that somehow nobody mentions that nowadays bicycle carbon rims are way wider than those aluminium ones, produced 15 years ago, that were dedicated for 23 mm tires. Isn't it that wider rims are forcing use of wider tires? (And that being cleverly covered under "performance" gains") 😵‍💫 Just asking... P.S. I do have 13yo, 23 mm dedicated Ultegra wheels and lately built DT Swiss components based ones on my own. DT recommends 25 mm tires. Difference? The new ones are 200 g heavier (without tubes or tires). Performance gain? Haven't noticed any. Or maybe $1000-1200 range wheels aren't there to show any significant differences? Just use and enjoy...

[@rolandmg1]

Don’t believe the marketing rubbish, there is no way 32mm tyres are as fast, they are heavy and less aero.

[@davidepetroni3137]

Nothing in a setup of a professional is "comfortable". From tyres to shoes. They're just used to suffer in silence

[@the.communist]

On a smooth road, 23c is faster, as comfy n as punture resistance

[@madyogi6164]

@@the.communist I only go on 23s. Punctures, pfff, 3 over 15 years or so...

[@amhtxc2960]

Tubeless fatter tires, disc brakes, taller stems...some have already tried dropper posts and single chainrings with no front derailleur...Mountain biking is driving innovation in pro raod cycling!! Amazing!!

[@namefamily2748]

Look into gravel bikes, roadies are getting closer to mtb's too!

[@snorttroll4379]

better tyres are important

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Only that dropper posts and single chainrings serve absolutely no purpose on road bikes. Just because somebody tried it does not mean it makes any sense.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

@@namefamily2748 And Gravel is what got many mountain bikers to try double chainrings and liking them for going fast on flats or downhill.

[@christ6874]

The chain-catcher, for years it remained unnoticed on my bike until last week. I was descending down a bumpy road and could hear my chain dislodge from my chainrings from all that bouncing about. The chain-catcher kept the chain against my chainrings and all I had to do was to upshift the FD and start pedaling again, the chain hooked back up nicely. No dismount needed. I’m going to make sure this nifty gadget is on all my bikes from now on. 👍👍👍

[@ACEsevaeron]

Which one do you use? I've been looking around but the K-edge one seems to have really poorly made bolts that break before reaching the nm required

[@christ6874]

@@ACEsevaeron mine came with the frame. So it’s Colnago branded

[@sbccbc7471]

​@@ACEsevaeronCheck out Rotor or absoluteBLACK. I think these are the only chain catchers that don't require a longer bolt to install.

[@ugghhhyoutubeisawful646]

that was awesome! i will never understand why the cycling broadcasts who have 4-5-6 hrs of coverage time refuse to give any (or next to nothing) details about gears, tires, wheel depths, heck, silly things like bearings and bb 's could even be worked in and i dont think anyone would be disappointed (again...5-insert capitals here 'five'- hours of coverage a day). no wonder cycling has no money. make the sponsors happy (and get mo money from sponsors) broadcasters and tell us about stuff. the sponsors will love it and we will love it.

[@roadcc]

But then there would be less time to look at castles! 😉

[@ugghhhyoutubeisawful646]

@@roadcc 🤣

[@jimmyrogers918]

@@roadcc Castles are where it's at.

[@kostaspapazoglou2851]

@@roadcc Not to mention the futile details about the churches!

[@andrewcockburn7484]

Slammed stems all the way. They look better at the café and keep physios in a job.😊

[@the.communist]

It look badass

[@yoyo510]

They'd slam their stems again if they can change their stem angles, which most of them can't this year bc of the one-piece cockpit set ups

[@krisbowditch827]

Absolutely ❤ slam bam thank you mam 😉✌️

[@1afterthep]

the pros also ride the smallest possible frame

[@seanmccuen6970]

I'm on 30mm tires (on wide rims) and fkn' love 'em. 7:22, nice ride.

[@bikesavvy3654]

As a mechanic hate to let you know the truth about the spaces under the stem is to reduce the sharp bends the brake hoses on round steerers. Less are needed with D shape

[@bobnelson2828]

Went from 23's at 120 PSI to 25's at 75 PSI. No loss in performance and a ride improvement. Now I'm on 28's at 65 PSI. Wow! What a difference in ride! Did a coasting test with some of my friends (we've done this every year) and I've lost nothing in performance (although the 28's were at 75 PSI at the time). I'll never go smaller than 28's again.

[@DurianriderCyclingTips]

Ganna used 25mm clinchers at 140psi for his hour record. I dont ride on velodromes all my rides but my roads are smooth enough for 120psi. I drop dudes who think 70psi is faster on road hehe.

[@stiffjalopy4189]

@@DurianriderCyclingTips but the question is not whether you can drop “some dude.” The question is whether YOU are faster that you would be with a comfier setup. Ride whatever you want, but the science is saying wider and lower pressure is faster on everything rougher than roller-rink smooth pavement. No loss in speed, way more energy at the end of rides.

[@richhoward7050]

@@DurianriderCyclingTipsa smooth velodrome is not the road

[@ryancuda45]

28s at 70 psi to 80 psi

[@death2pc]

Wait till next year when they come out with your wunderkind 28's treated with niobium that makes them 31.72% faster. It's all top secret right now, but it's coming..... In the meantime, try the new "aero" chain lube that makes your bike 4.229% faster.

[@xuchenglin6256]

This is the most honest video of cycling gears you guys ever made for a while, probably even true if you count other similar content creators. TDF is where hype has to meet the reality. Tyre is still one of the most important factor that has a 100% clear impact on speed, especially consider how fast the pros goes, and how they even race with each other on the downhills. Rolling resistance don't have a draft effect so the faster you go the more rolling resistance. Consider most of the times pros don't travel solo, and they travel fast, that means they experience a greater proportion of drag from tyres than us. Then the huge stack of spacers, what a relief! After all it's a human race, gears not imapct as much as the marketing bs wanting you to believe. Cycling is a simple sport and let's just keep it simple.

[@tyrionlannister9376]

I ve been riding quite a lot on the road and MTB 25 mm Continental GP 5000 tyres . Comfortable ride, quick acceleration and not a single puncture for about 6 years, really. This is my 3rd set. I change every 2 seasons after about 10 thousand km. One of the most important adjustments was moving the saddle on my Madone about 5-6 mm back. Thet helped combat the hands numbness substantially. Keep riding 🚴

[@Rambleon444]

Tubeless today caused Pogačar to crash (2nd stage in the 2024 Giro,) luckily he didn't get injured like so many this year.

[@ElRealista.]

Tubular and clincher>>>>Tubeless

[@thomashines1546]

Thank You for the insight, I’ve been away from cycling for about 8 years, I’m now 58 years old and getting ready to climb back into the saddle and return to my first passionate sport, it may look a little off at first, but, it’s the passion that will make me feel younger once again, all the memories of smoking the field, and riding the Luge in Southern California will be replicated but in a more logical incantation, for I’m no longer 209 and 6% body fat or 23 so…… thanks for a bit of good information. Nice Video, I Ride Specialized, FSR Enduro and Allez Comp Pro.

[@onederment]

That was a great report. I enjoyed it. Thanks

[@echtogammut]

The short nose saddle has to do with a UCI rule that the nose of the saddle has to be behind the bottom bracket. Initially teams were cutting saddles to make this work and the UCI said "no, no", so manufactures stepped in with short nose saddles. You don't need a short nose saddle, unless you need your saddle pushed forward and are subject to UCI inspections. The reason most pros did this, was to get into a more "TT" position on their bike. Amusingly, Specialized sold this saddle as being more "ergonomic" and people bought into it, not knowing this was UCI "stupid rule" and everyone jumped on board seeing a new category to sell to a market of people who want to copy the pros.

[@mikebrewer1346]

This comment ignores the fact that if you are not subject to UCI rules and move your saddle forward then you don't benefit from/need the longer nose on a traditional saddle. There is a reason that they've become so popular, even with those that don't follow what pros are doing.

[@stephenb_dev]

Actually, I can feel the nose of the saddle pushing on my pelvis when I get down really low in a headwind. So marketing or not, this product definitely has a place.

[@JogBird]

i have a normal specialised saddle, and the 'short nose' equiv is a whopping 10mm shorter

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

SMP saddles give you the best of both with their dropped nose or "beak" A nose still there to help you steer (you don't think about this until it's not there) but nothing to squish the "tender vittles" when you're down-in-the-drops. I can't ride on anything else now!

[@oscarbarquincaloca5762]

Amen. Same to deep rims, marginal gain in flats and big loss uphill but they look cool

[@adamc8887]

Thanks for this video, very informative. Lessons learnt thanks.

[@paulmcc2006]

Nice content and nicely presented man. You convinced me to subscribe. Looking forward to more good content.

[@roadcc]

Cheers! Enjoy the ride!

[@dogukantosun5547]

I use a -17 degree stem with a 10mm spacer. It looks cooler than a -6 degree stem without spacer.

[@roadcc]

Agreed!

[@JohnnyRabbitQC]

Also less steerer to be cut with a 17 deg stem in case you ever want to sell the bike!

[@randallsmith7885]

One unintended function of a chain catcher is to make sure it is almost impossible to get out from behind the chain catcher when the chain inevitably finds its way behind the catcher. Based on personal experience…

[@paragsatyal6891]

Agree. I used to have a bike with SRAM Force 22 with a chain catcher and this would happen constantly, what should've been an easy job to put the chain back on would be a total nightmare, esp when out on the road. I'm a GRX 10-speed groupset now, 1 year never had any chain drop at all. Maybe Sram makes terrible front derailleurs, maybe that's why they're pushing 1x systems because of that who knows. No matter how tight I'd get the chain catcher it would flex so the chain would also fall through.

[@kalenderquantentunnel9411]

Just ease up just a little on the screws holding the chain catcher. That way you can push it out of the way by hand if needed and back into position when you are done. But honestly I think with on a well adjusted front derailleur together with a chaincatcher the chain should *never* end up left from the chainring or things aren't properly adjusted.

[@randallsmith7885]

@@kalenderquantentunnel9411 I agree completely. It shouldn’t happen. But for some reason, when I lift the rear wheel up to move my bike around, the crank will roll backwards and the chain will jump off the inboard side and go behind the catcher. This is first gen SRAM Red eTap. Maybe this is why SRAM is promoting its road 1x solution. 😂

[@chaosengine3772]

I have a Dog Fang and by design, never happens.

[@mbee6606]

Had this problem too 😢

[@gregtaylor6146]

Best cycling-content vid I've seen in a long while, reminded me very much of early GCN stuff ..... a channel I NEVER watch now. Thank you!

[@meibing4912]

Great - but you "forgot" to look at bar width which is seeing quite a lot of action with 38cm becoming much more common.

[@victorrodriguez2806]

Wide tyres aren't slow. But skinny tires are faster. I do use a small device on all of my bikes that keeps the chain from getting stuck between the frame and the crank arm. Those "Specialized " tubulars are made by Vittoria.

[@sonygoup]

I bought 53/39 a year ago and it was help for the first few months but after that I love it lol. Change to 53/36 oval because my knee got damaged

[@Garbage_Pail_Kid]

Nice - had never heard of chain catchers before. Will defi be picking up a few now. 👍

[@richards.4116]

Still don't know what a chain catcher is ??

[@trimule]

@@richards.4116 Simple little aluminum arm that mounts to the front derailleur and prevents a dropped chain from falling into the "Hell Pit" where it is so hard to get out and remount.

[@the.communist]

I dont have one. I never drop a chain so whats the point?

[@iann23]

YES! Buy one, buy three as soon as possible! You need them because the pros might possibly need one and you probably won't. But buy them anyway!

[@ewong7701]

@@the.communistIt’s one of those things that you don’t need until you do lol

[@QiuyuanChenRyan916]

I am 23c started in 130psi, 25 c in 110 and now 28c is 105, this is just rear tire. still cincher tire, heavier than the newer tubeless but my frame can't accept beyond 30c so little point to upgrade unless I build a new bike.

[@frankforty9]

no chain catcher for regular joe, i have had it get it stuck in between frame and catcher and had to remove, better to just go 1x is your terrain allows

[@richardmiddleton7770]

Wider tyres might be faster on rough FLAT roads (although you still have to run the right pressure), but I bet none of the climbers are using 30mm tyres! The difference in weight between a 25 and 30 will be at least 50g per tyre and it's rotational weight on the very peripheral of the wheel! Then there's accelerating out of corners, closing gaps etc. where a heavier tyre is going to take more energy to accelerate.

[@DurianriderCyclingTips]

Jonas in YELLOW is using 25 tubs at 120psi lol. He is there to WIN.

[@jonathanlord5254]

A relevant observation and you have just now made the case for TPU inner tubes !@@DurianriderCyclingTips

[@KickTurner]

i believe my venge frame&fork max out at 28m ...i think! and rolling on tubular rims limits the selection of tire choices i've got.

[@Dad-Gad]

I put 38c Panaracer Gravelkings on my Trek AL3 at 65psi , floats over everything and is definitely just as fast as my Grand Prix imo 👍

[@mathewrose2951]

Riding 31 CX tyres right now and I am certainly debating whether to get 28 or 30 mm GP5000 as a slick road option to make my CX bike into a road bike

[@clarks888]

You could go a lot lower than 65 even!

[@JohnnyRabbitQC]

Around 45-50 psi should be enough for these tires, 65 is way too much pressure at 38mm

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

38 mm Panaracer Gravel King slicks work fine for me at 40 psi front and rear. ...on or off paved roads. With butyl tubes in 'em I check the pressure once a week or so. @@JohnnyRabbitQC

[@billyblanco8106]

I will never forget a guy in the club who pumped his Conti GP 700x23 tires to 140 psig...when i asked him why...his reply..."that what it sez on the sidewall"🤣...LOL...

[@krissk77]

I pump upto whats good for my butt... not what the professional say... 😅

[@DavidFritzIII]

As far as wider tyres go, not everyone can simply slap on 28 or 30mm on their wheels for a faster ride, most of us don't have wheels with inner widths wide enough to be faster with the wider rubber

[@FacundoDaSilva161986]

Will defi be picking up a chain catcher now.

[@the.communist]

Only if you drop chains, otherwise whats the point?

[@TheMachoGabacho]

I like to ride fast at a slow cadence, around 60 to 70 rpm. I’m always looking for bigger chainrings. I’ll have to check out Rotor.

[@daLoerdchen]

How about going for rim brakes, saving those 500g and put it to a perfect aero shape at 6,8kg. It doesn't get more aero as the integrated rim brakes of the Madone 9 from a few years back (2018ish).

[@pavlosslavinskyi4871]

Just googled that, it's a thing of beauty you'r right

[@LukasGrounds]

My new ultegra 12 speed di2 drops a chain a lot going from small to big ring. Worse when it's freshly waxed. Going to add a chain catcher

[@billkallas1762]

Call me "old school", but I still ride with a 9cm saddle to bar drop, rim brakes, and 25mm tires. (with standard 53x39 gearing, and a 12-25)

[@nubee.pkunite]

i dont think 25c is considered to be old just because pro are using 25-32c nowadays. i think 25c is considered to be on the neutral side in terms of comfort and speed

[@jimmyrogers918]

As long as you're on rim brakes 25mm is about as wide are you're getting on a road bike. I'm faster with much less drop in handlebars, but my back can't handle a 9cm drop. I ended up dropping my handlebars a bit recently, but not that much.

[@dermotbarry-murphy9451]

Yep, you're old school.

[@dermotbarry-murphy9451]

​@@jimmyrogers918I ride a rim brake Canyon Aeroad with GP5000 30s: no issues. Just an fyi

[@JoshuaTootell]

Dura Ace R9000 (on my old SuperSix) can fit 28mm. I just prefer not to since the rims are too narrow.

[@markmark2469]

My specs are still 25mm tires at about 95psi with latex tubes and Continental GP 5000 tires. The latex tubes lose air a little faster than regular tubes so topping them off to the desired psi is needed for every ride for sure. I sometimes go with a slightly higher psi around 100 to 105 just in case I lose a little air on the ride itself. Crank is 52/36. Cassette is 12 speed with 11/I believe 34. If I were to make a change, I would go with an 11/28 or an 11/30. 34 is sort of worthless. Currently have the Shimano Di2 setup and I haven't had any problems.

[@rg807]

Try TPU tubes. Lighter then latex, hold air way, way better, and are more reliable. I'm 190lbs, and I run them at 65 front/75 rear on 26mm Continental GP5000s.

[@secretagent86]

I use gp5000 with vittoria laytex tubes. The tires are fast and grip well. I use silca tire pressure calculator.. but i was flatting too often in the high 90 psi, so roughly 90 psi now.

[@markmark2469]

@@rg807 Thanks for the tip. I might do as you suggested.

[@johndef5075]

Try lower pressures. I found even going from 100 down to 80 was a big improvement in comfort and less vibration through bars

[@robertragon8904]

I do ride mostly on wider tires with 28 mm on my Colnago CLX and 32 mm on my old Schwinn LeTour (Technically 1-1/4 x 27) But, on my Triathlon bike, a Specialized Transition, I believe 23 mm GP5000 to be significantly faster, at least based on my Strava data. The bike was originally equipped with super skinny 21 mm Specialized Mondo, which I changed out to 25 mm GP5000. The wider tires were much more comfortable and definitely faster, or was it just the brand? I tried 26 mm P-Zero Race next, but saw no difference compared to the 25 mm GP5000. I also tried latex tubes vs Conti Race Lite Butyl and saw no difference(except that I had to top up with air every day with the latex). I saw a sale on 23mm GP5000 and bought a pair at $30 ea. When I cut one of the P-Zeros the week before a Triathlon, I had to put the 23s on the Transition. Wow! On my first run on the triple TT loops near my house (21 miles) I set a PR that was over 1 MPH faster! I was able to average 22.8 on the 3TT versus 21.2 on the fastest earlier runs. Yes, roads are nice and smooth, so the narrow tires don’t bounce much. I wonder how many pros use 28’s on the TT stages?

[@NateDogg-h8b]

One thing should be mentioned about the spacers: they all ride smaller frames for the stiffness making them now ride longer stems and more spacers, they still sit very deep.

[@Loekie-de-leeuw]

Indeed, and there are a lot of custom made stems out there that ‘we’ cannot buy (and probably do not want without a full time masseuse and yoga teacher by your side).

[@oscarbarquincaloca5762]

True. If you see them live the first things that catch your attention is the fact that they ride very small bikes

[@victorrodriguez2806]

Don't be confused by what you see. Sponsors are supplying what they want to sell. ( products with higher profit margins) If the riders were able to choose the bike build best suited to a particular race. We'd see a peleton full of rim brakes and tubular tyres. Facts!!!

[@Bjorntveitan]

can you advice what tape we should/ they should put inside so the interior not become so damage like on my bike topstone

[@Ssshortman]

I currently ride tubeless 28 up front, 30 back. 52/36 x 11-34, short nose saddle. After watching this I'm leaning towards a spacer or two and a chain catcher. Haven't got a bike fit yet, but I'm sure i should.

[@jimmyrogers918]

I've been running 28 and 32mm tires with tubes for about 2 years and love them. I have always valued comfort over aero on position, so my stem has more spacers that most think is alright. This is making me want to get a chain catcher. It's also made me consider going 46/30 instead of 50/34 since I spend most of my time riding up and down hills with my wife in a mountainous area and my wife's 46/30 just looks so much easier to deal with on 10%+ gradients. (I already run 11/34 11s rear)

[@AG-el6vt]

@@jimmyrogers918 I have 46/30_11/34 and live in a hilly area (short but punchy climbs, anywhere between 5 and 15% for reference). Get the 46/30 chainset.

[@MLM247]

Good topic

[@AndrewTSq]

I will try a short nose sadle!. I always need to put my back, back on the back part of the sadle. Would love to test 28mm tires, but i have rimbrakes, and I have problems with my 25mm to get them in :D

[@the.communist]

I dont see much difference between 25c n 28c other than with 28 you can go lower on inflation (n therefore lower in speed🤣)

[@pamo7261]

@@the.communist 🤣

[@superstrada6847]

I like 26mm tires, I am a light weight rider @ 63kg. I have some 28mm but they are heavy. The light weight 28mm pro version tires are $$$!

[@andrewjones2042]

In most parts of Florida the roads are glass smooth. So a narrow tire (23mm) is faster. Look at the roads you ride (not the pros) to determine you tire with.

[@realekm]

Yep, smooth roads and we ride fast in Florida.

[@WarHammerWH]

⁠Once did a group ride in Florida. Yes good roads but grainy pavement. And totally flat. The biggest incline was when we crossed bridges over the ICW canals… but great weather and people to ride with!

[@ArdGeal-h6c]

Must be boring as F.... only benefit would be running a close ratio cassette.... Undulating and mountainous here in the Scottish Highlands and I'm at low level 1000ft above sea level.... when I visit my folks on the coast at sea level where it's flat my average speed increases I kid you not....

[@martinkroutil]

That is why i ride 32mm 😂

[@veganpotterthevegan]

23s are never faster, not even on a velodrome or even a trainer. They're aerodynamically faster with narrow wheels but they don't roll faster anywhere. *Filippo Ganna

[@petergiourelas3753]

I ride 23mm just love them, fast enough for me

[@andrewlabat9963]

Pros ride and use what they're told to. They have very few options, but it's something to see that easily, the two top rdiers, are on what we'd consider not an "aero" bike..

[@mikekelly1771]

24c Specialized Turbo Cottons also being used at le Tour.

[@roadcc]

Oooh who’s bike!? We only managed to spot 26’s and 28’s on stage 1

[@awakenedbahamut2574]

The problem with chain catchers is that if they don't work, you're not getting the chain back on without getting off the bike.

[@mickey14660]

Chain catcher has other benefit than just catch the chain when it fall off. If you look closely to chain catcher, you will see magnet at the end of it. Shimano powermeter needs magnet to operate. This little thing can guarantee that 1. No chain fall inside. 2. Magnet always stay in place that make power reading as it should.

[@Asperibra.]

The continentals in the thumbnail are backwards, at least I'm pretty sure but good video.

[@barneyklingenberg4078]

Let’s be honest. Most Amateurs myself included are better off with an gravel 46-30 front chainring. Especially in hilly or mountain terrain.

[@ENRIQUEGOITIA]

I think you should organize the way you present these in terms of importance. Nutrition and fit and stem spacers are the cheapest but most effective thing for us amateurs

[@davidmartin2957]

Subscribed

[@JFomo]

Can you make a video on how to install a chain catcher and what brand to buy?

[@20yearsagotoday1]

Er….KZbin is your friend 😊

[@JFomo]

@@20yearsagotoday1 the videos are all of old rim brake bikes or mountain bikes. No videos showing a modern bike with a modern groupset.

[@leezaichick29]

I used race in 700x23. The larger tires. Still makes me crazy

[@FasterBikeBlog]

Actually, more spacers can be more aero. The closer hand and head are together the smaller the frontal area. So it can just be the wind tunnel guided the latest developments...

[@jbratt]

I find a slammed stem comfortable. It distributes my weight to my hands and off my butt. I also like a long stem because a shorter stem compresses my back. I started racing in the 80s…I have also enjoyed the wider tires long before they were popular. It’s what works for me everyone is different.

[@DurianriderCyclingTips]

My 2013 Tarmac is UNDER 6.8kg and way more aero than my sl7 sworks because road disc = more spokes + rotors. The extra drag road disc gives aint worth it! IYKYK!

[@jamesmchugo9422]

28mm tires! Who knew. As I’ve gotten older I’ve found my old touring frame with 28mm even 32mn tires made the ride more forgiving. Little did I know I was riding on racing tires. 😂😂 I still have a 5200 with 19mm rims, hate riding it anymore, my old bones and joints can’t take the shake down anymore.

[@barneyklingenberg4078]

They were not racing tyres. Racing tyres are extremely supple. As this makes them lose energy when flexing in and out. But the thinner tyre walls needed to create this effect makes then makes them more vulnereable. Fatter tyres can be thinner due to lower pressures even further enhancing rolling resistance. In the passes we thought if we make them so hard that they don’t bend at all they would be faster. Luckily we found better more comfortable ways to get the speed.

[@jamesmchugo9422]

@@barneyklingenberg4078 you’re talking to an old road rat. Way back in the 70s and 80s when I was young and bullet proof I was road racer. Trust me, I know the evolution of tires well. We experimented with all kinds of crazy ideas. Never gave much thought at the time, but it was a psychological thing, when we road on wider softer tires we, we being me and about half the team had less fatigue issues, but we knew we were going slower, because soft tires have more resistance. So we raced on harder tires. No cycle computers in these days. So didn’t have good data. But the rule was lighter bikes, harder tires meant faster times. Now we know harder tires doesn’t necessarily mean a faster ride.

[@scotts6067]

Triathletes have been riding short nose saddles for years. Makes sense road racers have taken notice.

[@Tripl3blue]

serious triathletes tend to ride time trial-type bikes and the short nose saddle in the peloton are to do with getting around uci regulations more than for performance or ergonomics

[@scotts6067]

@@Tripl3blue triathletes use short nose saddles for comfort. They are in a aero position for up to 6 hours training or racing. Road cyclist are just now discovering that regardless of the crazy uci rules.

[@chaosengine3772]

@@scotts6067 What's old is new again. Rinse and repeat, ad infinitum... Short nose saddles have been around since the beginning.

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

But despite all those chain-catchers, how many dropped chains did we see at both TdF's in 2023? Modern 12-speed electronic groupsets are hyped to death but they seem no more foolproof (less?) than the previous versions.

[@likemarksee]

Wide tyres are for wide wheels. The tyres shown might be wide, but the rim-tyre profile also looks very aero. If you don’t have very wide rims, wider tyres could ruin aero.

[@iann23]

The pros do what they're told by the industry. The journos tell you what the pros are doing because they're sponsored by the industry. Do as you're told. Buy more new stuff all the time. Do it now!

[@RookYZRM1]

Ahh the delusional old curmudgeon, there’s one in every comment section, lol 😂

[@roadcc]

Please let us know where we can get some of this sponsorship money 😢

[@pennyblue6372]

how to find a durianrider fan. just wait for a comment saying that cycling is the only sport that goes backwards….🤣

[@RookYZRM1]

@@roadcc I would also like to know where this industry "do what I say" button is for athletes...asking for a friend😉

[@LRF49]

😂😂😂

[@tommyrq180]

To effectively ride “wide rubber” you also need wide rims. Rim makers have been slow to adopt this principle. You can’t just slap a wide tire on a narrow rim and hope to be optimal. Especially with tubeless. Companies like ENVE are keeping up, but riders are not. So get wider rims and wider tires and DON’T RIDE WITH HIGH PRESSURE (see for example the Silca tire pressure calculator) and you’ll be in much better shape…

[@jimmyrogers918]

Even just lowering your pressure on 23mm ones to what the Silca calculator says will make you more comfortable and faster. Most people don't need 100psi on 23mm.

[@seanmccuen6970]

BINGO!

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

Yep, I'm down to 80 psi rear 70 front with 25 mm Vittoria CX tires. With butyl tubes I check the pressures once a week or so, which means I'm riding often with less pressure.@@jimmyrogers918

[@johndef5075]

True. I put the same tire on a wider rim on my road bike and it rides very well.

[@future62]

Im considering a disc build just to get wider tires. I also scratched my weight weenie itch so I've moved to becoming a "watt weenie" (though not as extreme).

[@roadcc]

Happens to the best of us!

[@the.communist]

Wider tires arent faster.

[@iann23]

Why? Don't fall for it.

[@dainiusvysniauskas2049]

@@the.communist Wider tyres aren't slower either

[@dainiusvysniauskas2049]

@@iann23 Because narrow tyres are flat out worse than 28-30c tyres.

[@FringeWizard2]

The "link up there" is missing.

[@DurianriderCyclingTips]

Jonas is using 25mm tubulars at 120psi. IYKYK.

[@bkbinj6320]

I really did not want to hear that >70% of aerodynamic drag is due to my inefficient body shape. I was ready to spend way too much money on making my bike more aero. Still might.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

The bulk of the pros with a higher setup are also reaching very far out. Their back angles are similar to the people slamming their stems.

[@the.communist]

Yes Same result but less comfy in fact( n not so cool looking)

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@the.communist different for everyone. I'm most definitely more comfortable very stretched out. I had huge drop on my TT bike before the UCI rules allowed tall people more reach. I have the same hip angle but the extra 8cm of reach I've been alloted from the rules over a decade ago have let me lift my bars significantly. My wattage is much higher and I have the same back angle. My road bike drop is big and I have a lot of reach because I even like being stretched out when I'm climbing on the tops of my bars

[@RookYZRM1]

Also, just because they’re running some stack under the stem doesn’t mean they don’t still have a monster saddle->bar drop, pro’s are notorious for choosing 1-2 sizes down from the proper frame size for their desired stack.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@RookYZRM1 they're undeniably going to less drop as a whole. There are plenty of exceptions but pro bikes overall are going to look a lot different in the next 10yrs. Some of it is frame geometry allowing more stable handling while being stretched out.

[@pointbreak2811]

Those chain catchers started getting popular after what happened to Andy Schleck in 2010

[@mochno1]

crank lenghts?

[@roadcc]

Pretty even split between 170 and 172.5, very few 175s

[@mohamadjamil3164]

I will have wider tires and ditch the short nose Power saddle. I will replace with the slr boost. Short but a bit more neutral

[@the.communist]

I have wider tyres but no for speed necessarily( i have my doubts) but for traction on corners

[@Sandro2487]

I changed my cogs to numbers little used: 26,24,22,20...and use oval chairing. My speed in climb is better.

[@maritanonneman3333]

Pros do never ride tubeless at home on training rides because of the hassle

[@BanjoLuke1]

Ha ha ha.... There are a lot of Richmond Park dreamers out there. And the market is a thirsty beast. It needs your money. It will always find the next thing to sell you. I still ride 23s.... I never rode tubbies although many friends did.

[@brunospasta]

Of course they use spacers. Cause they often go two sizes lower than your average bike shop would recommend.

[@scottosborne4306]

Isn't the stem space thing because they put them on smaller sized bikes?

[@death2pc]

Buy this, to go "faster"...... And buy this, to go "faster".......... You must get this, to go "faster"......... Have you seen the latest..?? Wow, this is so cool, I'll buy it......... Have you heard about the new "aero" chain lube.......? Did ya know that the "pros" use helium in their tires, cause, like, like, it's like lighter, dude.........

[@pervertt]

Keeps the gearheads and wannabes happy.

[@razorree]

one stupid chainsuck and my frame was damaged and I could see frayed s-works carbon :/

[@timtaylor9590]

i wish they made 26 or 27 gp5000's. the 25's still measure 28mm mounted. im afraid the 28's are too large for me im sure they measure closer to 32mm wide when mounted

[@UncleMike6653]

My 28’s on tcr rim brake measured 27mm after mounting them. Internal width on wheels I think are 23mm.

[@timtaylor9590]

@@UncleMike6653 wow that's strange my 25s measure larger on my 21mm internal rims.

[@Aragorn.Strider]

And I thought I was weird, but now that even pros do what I do, I feel proud

[@roadcc]

Who copied who!?

[@Aragorn.Strider]

@@roadcc I came independently to the same ideas

[@michaelcullen4990]

​@@roadccgreat video👌liked❤️🙏

[@noelpili4055]

You forgot to mention the use of a short drop bar by the pros. Most of them use 38mm.

[@savagepro9060]

5:46 "come out of nowhere", that's all the respect you have for the triathlon community? 🤨🤔Evil!👿

[@szaka9395]

Im suprised they use 11-34 on the back. Big front one tho. I use 50-34(?) and 11-28. Never had troubles uphill. Must calculate gear ratios :D

[@mathis7384]

Yes but they need highter gear for the downhill

[@LazyGrayF0x]

Ride 10% grade for an hour and you will appreciate 34

[@szaka9395]

ye its down to personal preferences, i prefer to have smoothest gear changes possible, so i use hard cassette. Im a little suprised they use the one with harder steps.

[@MattRose30000]

With an FTP somewhere in the 200s it doesn't really make sense to copy the pro's gear ratios when they are going at 400+ watts... I'm currently at 280 watts and can't even keep a reasonable cadence on the highest gear (50-11). During a time trial I'm usually staying in the 8th or 9th sprocket.

[@roadcc]

Agreed - "Insane" I think you'll recall us saying in the video

[@ugghhhyoutubeisawful646]

i use 25 conti 5k but im sold...going to go to 28s

[@pennyblue6372]

you just should ride the perfect tire size for your rim.

[@pmcmpc]

Chain catchers are a necessity with Di2 12s, given that it loves to violently throw the chain. It's absolutely ****.

[@ninjamaster7724]

Don't forget all the P.E.D's they're using too. We could all improve on the right P.E.D's.

[@maxwellspeedwell2585]

One thing I have proven over, and again many times is the fastest tires, the best handling tires, the easiest to repair tires, the best feedback to the rider tires are not tubeless, not tubed clinchers, But silk sew-ups. 51 years ago, I proved that I could repair a tubular tire faster than you can repair a clincher with a tube. That is still true today. I have repeatedly shown that road silks are dramatically faster than the best clinchers. There is no other improvement we can make to our bikes that offer so many advantages.

[@living4adrenaline]

I don't think the tubeless debate is debatable.. I''ve gotten ten rear tire flats in one month commuting and not riding particularly aggressively with tubed tires, almost never flat with tubeless, tubeless is far more reliable and cheaper in the long run with tubes costing ten dollars a pop these days!

[@lucmeeussen9714]

And it's so much fun when you do have a flat tubeless.

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

"They know a thing or two about riding $15,000 road bikes" The chain rings are also dependent on your frame chain stay bar with spread, so some bikes can not use 53/39 since the inner ring will rub on the frame. Make sure you understand that not all frames allow 39 or even bigger on the inner chain ring. So some bikes are only 52/36 max due to the inner Chain ring being too close to the chain stay.

[@tomkunich9401]

I tried super lightweight (Look KG585) and didn't really like the way it bounced about under me. It was nice for climbing, but it was quite a handful on bad surfaces. I returned to a nice modern, light steel bike. Campagnolo 12 speed works better than the 11. I tried Dura Ace Di2, and it is the best shifting around, but I didn't care much for plugging my bike in after a ride.

[@l.d.t.6327]

you simply can't state pros are riding with a lot of spacers without taking into account many pros want a longer stem, and with the 1-piece bar-stem combos these days, they have e.g. the choice between a combo with a long and short stem, but they can only ride the long stem with a smaller frame size and thus more spacers!

[@shibaburn7725]

I'm surprised that Shimano doesn't offer a larger chainrings than 54/40, given the very high average speeds of the pro peleton. I do a lot of riding in a 53 big ring, and I'm just a weekend warrior.

[@JOutterbridge]

Even a weekend warrior can utilize the fifty well. If you average over 200 watts you are an above average cyclist. Finding that perfect cadence is the key in the pro peleton too for comfort

[@kconnnnn]

Probably air drag at those speeds where they spin out means no real difference from freewheeling in an aero position

[@timtaylor9590]

short nose saddles are used to get around the uci rules. do you race within the uci rule set??

[@veganpotterthevegan]

They're used now(on the road) because riders are just riding near the front of their saddles more than ever. They can use a long saddle if they want while it's often impossible to get a good fit for a TT bike with a long saddle.

[@timtaylor9590]

@@veganpotterthevegan in accordance with the uci rules or they cant sit as foward

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@timtaylor9590 UCI rules. The snub nose saddles let road cyclists have a seat very far forward for comfy nose ride, but also a short shift to push on the back of the saddle for people that do that on very long climbs or just when they're not riding hard.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@timtaylor9590 for a TT, you're not using much of the saddle. Having a short saddle let's you use all of it while still having good power and not changing your hip angle very much. When I'm on my TT bike, I'm on the front inch a good 90% of my miles.

[@timtaylor9590]

@@veganpotterthevegan yes we know what tt saddles are, im just saying the reason why they use road saddles with short noses which are completely different to tt saddles is because of the uci rules. it enables them to sit farther forward.

[@Bikingmad]

70-80% of drag comes from your body..... I feel attacked 😂😂😂

[@roadcc]

It’s not personal 💕

[@reddawn87]

On the flip side, the best way to become much more aero is free! (Kinda)

[@TboneTenEighties]

Comfort is speed!

[@chaosengine3772]

At race pace, there is no such thing as comfort.

[@marccarter1350]

More stuff to love for the wanna be pro's out there. Use all this, and do not forget to not wave back!

[@williamscalzitti217]

Hmmm. tire width.. at least one Jumbo bike was spotted with tubular tires that measured 24.4mm, so not everyone on every stage is using wider than 25/26 mil.

[@roadcc]

Oooh we’ll keep our eyes peeled because with the internal width of those reserve wheels that jumbo are using that seems crazy dangerous!

[@the.communist]

Roadcc probably checked the tyres on a cobble-road stage 🤣🤣🤣🤣