Cool footage from this year's Paris-Roubaix
04-21-19, 01:47 PM
#26
Advocatus Diaboli
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Probably nothing dramatically different than what they’re riding now.
You think that everyone is counting on having a mechanical during the race? They’re setting up the bikes to be as fast as possible, but still go the distance.
They’re not going to ride 25lb steel frames and 36h wheels with airless tires to be ‘bomb proof;’ If carbon and 28’s made it to the finish without breaking, then it was enough, not that they got lucky.
Even with support cars, it’s a pretty significant penalty to have to stop and change wheels, and then go ‘full hero mode’ to pull yourself back up to the end of the line, especially if it’s late in the race.
You think that everyone is counting on having a mechanical during the race? They’re setting up the bikes to be as fast as possible, but still go the distance.
They’re not going to ride 25lb steel frames and 36h wheels with airless tires to be ‘bomb proof;’ If carbon and 28’s made it to the finish without breaking, then it was enough, not that they got lucky.
Even with support cars, it’s a pretty significant penalty to have to stop and change wheels, and then go ‘full hero mode’ to pull yourself back up to the end of the line, especially if it’s late in the race.
04-21-19, 11:18 PM
#27
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I guess.. but if you go by BF wisdom, and if you were to describe a hypothetical type of riding you do, using the terrain of P-R for this description, you'd be getting all sorts of recommendations for a bike out of the Adventure/Gravel lineups, with probably 32-40mm tires. Would the advice be different from the LBS, or a manufacturer at a bike show? If P-R isn't the kind of course suited to a Gravel Bike setup, are gravel bikes just snake oil?
If I’m racing PR, against the top pro cyclists in the world, I want the fastest thing that’ll make it to the finish line in one piece. Keep in mind, PR is only 20% pave’ and the other 80% or so is a regular road race.
Paris-Roubaix is a road race with some ‘bumpy parts’ so a slightly beefed-up road racer is the mount of choice. If the course was all pave’ then we’d probably see a much different line-up.
04-21-19, 11:41 PM
#28
staring at the mountains
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I mean, all 3 bikes on the podium were discs, and Gilbert's and Lampaert's new (kinda suspended) Spesh Roubaix were on 30mm tires. So what's the thread about again?
(reference: Paris-Roubaix tech: Podium bikes from the Hell of the North | Cyclingnews.com)
(reference: Paris-Roubaix tech: Podium bikes from the Hell of the North | Cyclingnews.com)
04-22-19, 11:57 AM
#29
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Started off great, and then it turned into another lame "pro cycling is all wrong, but I know how to fix it" thread.
04-22-19, 12:39 PM
#30
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Just watch van der Poel. Everything else melts away. He's making this year's Spring Classics a sheer joy to watch....
Likes For superdex:
04-23-19, 08:53 AM
#32
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Corendon-Circus deserves a wildcard, the entire team has been working hard and punching above their weight. Too bad they're not in the grands this year 
(I mean, it would be an easy swap with Wanty-Group Gobert)
(I mean, it would be an easy swap with Wanty-Group Gobert)
04-23-19, 09:10 AM
#33
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