If you are gaoing max speed to minimize your elapsed time over a given course, there is no such thing as comfort. Racing is a war of attrition. Riders watch as their competitor tides away while his competitors watch unable to follow.
Any cyclists here?
- Thread starter Keith_W
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Depending on snow conditions they can be.
He does all this testing to ride around in the mountains wearing a thick wool jumper doesn't he? Typically conversations of his journal point out the aero coefficient of a 6" wide leather fender flap dragging the ground (forgo even measuring your always present fender?) delimits his purely scientific methodology. Of course there is also to be considered the impact of an electricity generating dyno hub.
I'm going to stop here while the old yarns are still funny. Interior to all of this is appreciation for countering a decline in tire construction and materials personally tackled by JH. Who is one of the more personable and reliable cycling nuts.
That depends on the length of the course. Let's imagine the Grand du Nord, which is starting from Grand Marais, MN this May. The longer of the three lengths on offer is slightly over 100 miles. There are hills. The road quality is variable. Mud is likely. You're going to be on the bike for a while- maybe 7 to 9 hours. That's long enough that the comfort will make a difference as to how much power you can put out later in the day. That is ignoring the fact that the wider tires (depending on how wide) can be faster. The race organizer recommends 48s FWIW- or the widest tire your bike will accept. You would not be able to compete on 28s, let alone 25s...
On a race like the Colorado Trail you would not make it a mile on 28s. On the Tour Divide, if running 32s you'd be left behind in minutes by people running tires 2.3" wide- entirely because of the width of the tire. Gravel bikes with their wider tires are not recommended for the Tour Divide as the ride would be too rough and that will slow you down.
Obviously these are extreme examples but they apply directly to the physics of being lifted by bumps in the road.
I have half-dozen 25mm Vittoria Open Corsa CX (new in-box, from several years back) if you want to try a fast, supple tire. Hardly a jump up from a 23 but would allow a few less psi and smoother ride. Ping me if interested.
...interesting pressure calc page from Silca, if interested. With Paris-Roubaix this Sunday, tire size/pressure is on a lot of minds.
SILCA Professional Tire Pressure Calculator
Dial in your bikes' tire pressure to get the most comfort, speed, and efficiency on your ride. If you are looking for the best free marginal gain, click here
silca.cc
Sorry you might be faster. Tire speed is a constant. There is a reason shock absorption has little effect in Paris- Rubai. Pro riders would gladly trade comfort for a little extra speed.
Those guys are paid to suffer. Since nobody’s paying me, and I’m not at a ‘competitive’ age, I’m happy to trade some speed for comfort (and body position.) Getting into a “tuck” isn’t feasable — I might end up with bones sticking out where they were nicely attached before.
(oK, I can make a tuck but it hurts!)
...in cases where shock absorption has been found to be neutral or detrimental in PR, it has usually been due to outright failure or lack of durability in that punishing environment, is my take. They have tried anything that would yield performance/comfort to get them to the Velodrome. Even double-wrap bar tape: is it comfort or performance? I think speed is a funny thing to define, and more complicated than who gets to the line first. IMO.
I think you'll find they are on wider tires this year as opposed to 20 years ago when 23s and 25s were common. 28s are very common in road racing these days.
I AM INTERESTED IN A PAIR
Correct. The primary concern is traction and puncture resistance. Flats and slipping on the pave' are where races are lost. Numbness in the crotch and extremities is inevitable.
That sure sounds like a bike fit problem to me! I don't experience any of that (although I have in the past when my bike wasn't set up right).
A lot of people in the Tour Divide race experience that; I've found that it starts with your contact on the pedals. If that isn't right you can't get the seat right or the handlebars right. Most clipless shoes place the cleats too far forward; most of the racers that use them and know what they are doing put them as far back as they will go. Numbness in the toes or fingers can last for months after the race and there can be weakness too so its worth it to sort out why things like that happen.
I usually start with the seat level or the nose tilted up slightly, but I also usually have the bars set at about the same height. Bike setup has been the most vexxing problem I've encountered doing the ultras since if you get one thing just a little off, over days it turns into an injury, not just discomfort. Since I might be 14 hours/day in the saddle, little things make a big difference.
Thanks! - I'd not seen that one.
They don't mention the weight of the rider and bike, which makes a difference but the Silva calculator takes that into account. Heavier riders are going to be faster on the wider tires if the inflation is correct. On a rougher course the wider tire will also be faster even with a lighter rider. It takes a bit to get used to the feel, which they comment on, about how it feels slow while actually being faster. That's been my experience too.
In gravel races it common for racers train on a tire typical to the race but might use a different tire the day of the race, depending on the road conditions at the time.
I highly recommend getting a professional bike fit - I put it off for years because I didn't think it would be worth the cost, and that I could make my own adjustments. I was wrong.
I had a bike fit with Chris Soden at IOG Bike Fit and Consulting and I was amazed at how many problems he found in my bike and the huge improvement after the fit. I think he works both in Boulder and San Francisco, and he is worth seeking out. Expensive but worth every penny.
this is a fat vs. fatter test.
they are both familiar to me. Definitely around 150lbs.thry are both pro I criterium racers. Full carbon racing bikes,
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