Trakhak

Alex Dowsett posted a video yesterday where he talks about what he and some of his friends in the pro peloton rank highly among current races bikes, glasses, component groups, etc.

I watched only the first part so far, where he talks about the bikes. Very interesting. He ranks Specialized and Trek as the top two race bike brands, with the edge to Specialized, and Pinarello and Cervelo just below those two. The rest are obviously very good, too, he says, just maybe not quite up there with those four.

georges1

Interesting video thanks for sharing, about wheels since besides Mavic, I might consider Bontrager, Hed, Zipp and Roval as an alternative if I don't find Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels of the first or second generation , what also was very encouraging is to hear that Shimano was a solid leader regrading groupsets.

bruce19

I saw that video yesterday. I'd ask what "best" means and why/how the bikes in the pro peleton relate to my recreational rider skills.

tomato coupe

Given Shimano's overwhelming dominance in pro racing, why would you expect otherwise?

georges1

No I didn't expect otherwise , just to compare that in the late 1990's early 2000's campagnolo was at least representing 45% of the peloton,in the 2010s shimano became the dominant force in pro racing , Campagnolo and Sram equipped teams are a minority nowadays.

Eric F 

Of the World tour teams, only AG2R is on Campagnolo. Yep. Just one team.

georges1

Thanks for the precision Shimano is also the most important bike transmission manufacturer on the planet also sponsorships play a role. But Dura Ace is Dura Ace.with DI2 andseveral other things. AG2R La Mondiale have also ridden Focus, Kuota , BH bikes,Factor and Eddy Merckx Bikes in 2019 which were all Dura Ace equipped previously and now since 2022 AG2R relies on BMC with Campy. Maybe a question of strategy.

terrymorse 

Shimano is also the dominant force in the market. Their revenues are almost 7 times greater than SRAM.

PeteHski

I simply prefer SRAM's implementation of wireless shifting. If SRAM is good enough for Wout van Aert then it's good enough for me.

PeteHski

No real surprises for me in that video i.e. all the major bike brands are more or less equal. Same as what Phil Gaimon said in his book after retiring and reviewing a lot of bikes. They all ride very well, so choose based on your personal preference and budget. Canyon and Giant win for me on value. My Canyon road bike was £4500 vs £7000 for the equivalent Specialized, so no way I was paying that difference for what would be at most an extremely marginal gain. Same with my Canyon mtb. Just way better value than Specialized or Trek equivalents. I did own a Specialized Enduro for several years and it was a great bike, but with lower spec components for the same price as my Canyon.

ctak

I didn't find any of his comments to be particularly enlightening. Not to be the grinch here...

PeteHski

I kind of agree. It was interesting what he said about the vibe in the peloton of Specialized and Trek having a marginal edge, but how would they even know? It seemed more like an assumption based on their market position and development budget. But then what about the likes of Giant?

For me though the take-home is really that there isn’t much at all between all the different bikes in the peloton, except maybe TT bikes. Same goes for group sets and high-end wheels.

Unless I missed it he didn’t cover tyres, which is probably the biggest differentiator of all components on the bike.

George

What video?

Steve B.

I was wondering the same thing. The Pro's are riding a very limited and specific collection of bikes and using assorted gear, shoes, computers, shorts, etc..., they have zero opportunity to sample other stuff than what the team uses. They likely have conversations with other riders as to what gear works well, who is using what, etc.... but its still a very limited collection of whats available to consumers. Thus I'm puzzled at how that would make them "experts" worthy of an opinion.

bruce19

Agreed. And, I'm still stuck on how it relates to me.

waters60

Agree also. If they ride only a couple of bikes during their careers how can they comment on other bikes?! I’m quite happy with my Super Six Evo and EF Education has been on them for a while.

bruce19

That's a great bike. I'm enjoying the hell out of my CAAD 12.

seypat

"I spent most of my career riding for Team X. A couple of years I was with Team Y. They had mostly the same sponsorships as Team X. I've heard/rode with other pros and asked them about their gear. They've had the same experiences as me. That's why I'm an expert on which brands are the best. I'm an investor in a clothing company, so I'm not even going to talk about any other clothing companies. The one I invested in is the best, period."

bblair

And a pro does not have to worry about service or warranty or wear.

msu2001la

Alex Dowsett seems like a good dude - I'm not trying to hate on him here, but this video seems like clickbait. A provocative headline that suggests some kind of "tell-all" reveal, but there's very little substance here. It's mostly just him listing off every brand/team he can think of, followed up by statements like "that's an interesting one... they're a good brand... riders on those teams are happy..."

Even when he tries to be critical, there's zero specifics. He suggests that there are "massive differences in wheels" but then the following few minutes are just an explanation that Specialized and Trek make wheels under the Roval and Bontrager brands, and that teams ride sponsor correct wheels, but they generally like them. Also he mentions HED and a few other brands, but never says what the "massive differences" are that he alluded to.

Glasses? Seriously? The dude is sponsored by Oakley so he tells us that Oakley makes good glasses. How insightful.

PeteHski

I think he's trying to be honest. It's just that there isn't much to say other than that all the major brands are making decent cycling gear. So just pick your favourites and enjoy the ride. I would be happy riding any of the modern bikes on the market in like-for-like spec.

vespasianus

I wonder if their fishing business is larger than SRAM.

ussprinceton

georges1

Interesting,the lack of DuraAce, Ultegra and105 in Mechnical groupsets in 12 speeds is what will pose problem to shimano

mackgoo

Never heard of the guy.