Paris-Roubaix is a race like no different, from a parcours perspective but additionally the way in which it captures the general public creativeness. Exterior of the Tour de France, no different race cuts by way of fairly prefer it, and whereas to ‘correct’ biking followers the Tour of Flanders could also be an even bigger race, Roubaix is usually the gateway drug that will get folks into one-day race viewership.
Due to the distinctive, and horrible, course, Paris-Roubaix has change into the epicentre of springtime tech nerdery. It sits within the centre of a Venn diagram on the intersection of tyre chat, aero concerns, event-specific bikes, and miscellaneous ‘hacks’.
Just lately although, the bikes of Paris-Roubaix have change into way more regular. Certain, there’ll undoubtedly be tales to be uncovered and tendencies to be teased out from the maelstrom, however the tools is increasingly more converging on simply… a traditional bike.
With that in thoughts, I’ve determined to make a rod for my very own again by itemizing my tech expectations so I can both be proved proper, or I could be torn to shreds within the feedback afterwards.
Disc brakes have killed the classics bike
Disc brakes have been as soon as hailed as the final word classics improve. Higher braking within the moist and dust, and the flexibility to journey a warped rim with out it rubbing towards your brake pads each rotation have been glorious plus factors, however with the proliferation of disc brakes and the next evolution of high-end race bikes round them, the classics bike as we all know it has all however gone extinct.
Within the days of rim brakes, riders have been successfully confined to 28c tyres, such was the clearance of the brake calipers. Direct mount choices upped this a bit, however not a lot, and never each staff may use them. Specialised-sponsored groups would rock up with the Roubaix, replete with Zertz inserts, and latterly the Future Shock suspension unit beneath the stem. Trek, too, had the Domane, which sprouted Isospeed decouplers on the entrance and the again so as to add further compliance.
Now although, tyre clearances have grown to the purpose the place it’s easy sufficient for execs to make use of their commonplace race bikes, simply fitted with wider rubber. The Tarmac SL8 can match 32c tyres, likewise the Trek Madone. The Cervelo S5 can match 34c rubber, which mockingly can be unlawful if racing cyclocross.
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As in recent times, I believe we’ll see subsequent to no one on ‘Classics-specific’ bikes exterior of the Specialised-sponsored groups, and even that will change this 12 months too.
Extra riders utilizing the Specialised Tarmac than ever earlier than
Although unofficial, it did appear in years passed by that Specialised sponsored groups have been duty-bound to make use of the Specialised Roubaix on the bike’s namesake race. The Roubaix has gotten sooner and has extra aero credentials than ever, however I believe you’d be mad to counsel that it’s a sooner bike. Some riders merely don’t just like the suspended entrance finish, whatever the added consolation, with Niki Terpstra famously swapping out the elastomer for an untested inflexible unit that ended up with him in a heap by the roadside after his handlebars indifferent, though issues have moved on since 2017.
Final 12 months we noticed Nils Pollit utilizing a Tarmac SL7, however he was nonetheless very a lot an outlier. It was the final 12 months of the outgoing Roubaix, so possibly there’ll be a tougher whipping operation from Specialised this 12 months, however with such a flat parcours, nearly all of which keep in mind isn’t raced on cobbles, I believe we’ll see extra riders than ever go for the Tarmac. The riders will get all of the aero and weight advantages, not have to alter place, and run 32c tyres to take the sting out of the cobbles now that they’ve entry to the S-Works Mondo tyre launched final 12 months.
It is a prediction primarily confined to the boys’s race – SD-Worx final 12 months solely rode the Tarmac and I see no motive why that will not be the case this 12 months. The problem with smaller bikes that the ladies’s peloton is extra prone to be utilizing is that the saddle-to-bar drop essential to create a really aero place isn’t almost as doable – the entrance wheel will get in the way in which. The Roubaix has the next stack, coupled with successfully a squishy stack of spacers below the stem, which compounds this concern, therefore the riders utilizing the Tarmac already.
No mad meme components this 12 months
In the identical means no one likes to make use of a model new bike on the Tour de France and as an alternative exams them at races just like the Criterium du Dauphine first, any cobble-specific tech tends to get rolled out at smaller races first. In earlier years we’ve seen the Scope Atmoz variable tyre strain system trialled, the Gravaa KAPS system raced, and the Categorised powershift hub in use earlier than the rollout in Compiègne, however this 12 months I do not anticipate to see any meme components – I do hope I’m proved improper right here I need to say.
We’ve heard not a whisper of something actually groundbreaking, past the standard click-harvesting April fools memes churned out by advertising departments all through the biking business. Sorry.
If ever there’s a race for 1x, that is it…
Paris-Roubaix is successfully pancake flat, which means it’s fast and riders don’t want as nice a variety of gears. I believe SRAM-sponsored groups will, on the entire, go for a single chainring setup, with a sequence guard for further safety.
In addition to single chainrings being commonplace, I believe the typical measurement of those will creep upwards. Aero advantages and weight penalties apart, it permits for a extra environment friendly drivetrain because the chain has to deflect much less across the rings themselves (in the identical means outsized pulley wheels additionally assist).
Whereas we see some Shimano-sponsored groups dabbling with 1x in a time trial I don’t anticipate to see any 1x setups on Shimano drivetrains.
Aero aero aero and extra aero
Once more, it’s a flat race and it’s going to be raced quick. The typical velocity for final 12 months’s winner, Mathieu van der Poel, was 46.84km/h.
The contenders will all be on quick bikes and squeezed into skinsuits as per traditional. The latest technology of aero helmets from POC and Kask with ears partially obscured will possible be on present, and I wouldn’t be stunned to see some visors too; Alberto Bettiol has been trialling it in some races just lately and Nina Kessler used one at Flanders so hold eyes on them. The Uno-X staff may also possible be utilizing the outdated Candy Safety time trial helmet that’s road-legal slightly than something vented.
I’ve additionally seen extra riders choosing cut-down variations of aero overshoes from the likes of Velotoze. I wager we’ll see extra of this; the intention is to cowl the shoe with a easy cowl to assist with the troublesome dials, however above the ankle a devoted aero sock works greatest, with textured materials designed to assist the airflow. Mathieu van der Poel successfully makes use of a pre-made model of this from Spatz, the model’s ‘Windsock 2’.
We’ve not seen a lot from the UCI when it comes to enforcement of the banned turned-in lever place, so riders who’ve had the propensity to show their levers in (I’m taking a look at you, Tim Wellens) may spot a chance to return to their outdated methods. We’ll definitely be conserving our eyes out for this.
Regular tyres, simply greater
I used to get all misty-eyed about Roubaix as a result of groups would swap from the standard Continental Professional Ltd tubulars to handmade, Roubaix-specific FMB tubs. Groups would typically have a sponsorship exemption so they may run these over the cobbles. In the identical means as cyclocross tyres, the cotton (or silk when you’re professional) casing deforms extra simply over tough floor, main to higher grip.
The issue is, these FMB tyres are solely obtainable in a 27c max width. For Vittoria sponsored groups particularly they’ll use a big quantity, 320tpi cased tyre at a decrease strain and get higher efficiency.
The Vittoria-sponsored groups, very similar to at Opening Weekend, will possible run 30c or 32c Corsa Execs. Only a few groups opted for the Professional Management, which affords barely higher puncture resistance – EF have been the one staff to take action in nice numbers they usually appeared to modify this again to the conventional Professional for Flanders.
Continental groups will likely be on massive GP5000 S TR, however the fascinating groups will possible be Cofidis – nonetheless on tubs – and Soudal-Fast Step/Bora-Hansgrohe, who’ve nonetheless been utilizing interior tubes. At Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne I noticed Bob Jungels utilizing the cobble-oriented Turbo Cotton Hell of The North tyres. These are non-tubeless, so it’ll be latex tube time, and solely obtainable in a 28c width, and no area for any tyre inserts. Although these have been a function of the race for a great few years, final 12 months we noticed riders utilizing a brand new S-Works Mondo tyre, which is available in 28c, 32c, and 35c. I believe no one will go for the 35c, however the 32c will virtually definitely be in use, arrange tubeless.
Cofidis will likely be an fascinating one as a result of the staff nonetheless makes use of tubular tyres. Its deeply French Corima wheels at Omloop have been shod with extraordinarily French, no-longer-produced Michelin Energy Competitors tubs. Given the staff’s dedication to French branding (Look, Corima, Michelin) I had a forlorn hope that they’d be the final outpost for the silk tub, however wanting again to final 12 months the staff appeared to modify from tubs to clinchers, and have been operating Michelin Energy Cup tyres, which could be run tubeless, although max out at a 28c width.
Hookless received’t be an enormous concern
That is one thing I do hope I’m proper about as, a lot because it makes headlines, seeing riders scattered throughout the Troueé d’Arenberg like skittles with snapped rims isn’t a great factor. The Zipp-sponsored groups (the wheel model on the centre of the hookless rim debate) will all, from what I’ve seen to this point, be operating extensive sufficient tyres to fall inside the accepted security commonplace. This doesn’t say hookless itself is secure sufficient to be used, or that it isn’t, simply that the setups will a minimum of be compliant with producer suggestions for measurement and strain.
The actual fact is that we’ve seen cracked rims for years, lengthy earlier than hookless. Tubeless was additionally frowned upon for a number of seasons after some high-profile tyre losses on the cobbles, however liners or not, when you slam a rim right into a right-angled stone at over 60km/h, there’s a great likelihood of a catastrophic failure. If it occurs to a tubeless rim then questions will likely be requested, but when and when that does occur, it is value recalling that in 2022 each Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte suffered catastrophic rim failures whereas utilizing tubular Shimano Dura-Ace wheels.
Everybody will likely be operating liners
Chatting with the Lotto-Dstny mechanics at Opening Weekend, they informed me that including a tyre liner to their tubeless setups ends in a penalty of a few watt. Given the massively elevated threat of smashing a rim up at Roubaix, you’d be mad to not take that penalty.
Some groups will likely be cagey and never say, and whereas we could not be capable of communicate to all of the groups, it’s my suspicion that each staff that’s operating tubeless may also be operating tyre inserts on the weekend.
