Lightweight vs Aero Bikes, Rim vs Disc Brakes, or Tubeless vs Clinchers vs Tubular tyres.
Controversial debates, cycling is absolutely full of them, especially when it comes to the latest cycling technology!
Controversial debates, cycling is absolutely full of them, especially when it comes to the latest cycling technology!
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00:00 Controversial debates, cycling is full of them,
00:03 especially when it comes to the latest cycling technology.
00:07 But to honor the diverse set of opinions
00:10 that exist within our sport,
00:11 we've decided to round up our top five
00:14 controversial cycling debates.
00:16 Let's go.
00:17 (upbeat music)
00:20 When it comes to what type of bike is fastest,
00:24 the answers have been comprehensively worked out.
00:27 At the steepest gradients, a lightweight bike
00:29 is always going to rule.
00:31 But on descents, on the flat,
00:33 and even on moderate gradients,
00:35 an aerodynamic bike will be faster.
00:37 So, was that all worked out?
00:39 What exactly is the debate about?
00:42 You see, it's all a little bit more philosophical
00:44 than it might sound.
00:45 If you go for a lightweight bike over an aerodynamic bike,
00:48 that's saying more about you as a cyclist
00:50 and your whole attitude towards the sport.
00:54 It really depends on what you want to get out of it.
00:56 If hitting the hills the hardest
00:59 and recovering just in time for the next steep gradient
01:02 is what you love,
01:03 then you're obviously going to pick a lightweight bike.
01:05 But if you like taking over a steady power
01:07 and churning through the miles,
01:09 then an aerodynamic bike is going to suit you the best.
01:13 There's also the difference of experience on the two bikes.
01:17 A lightweight bike is always going to feel
01:19 the most sprightly,
01:20 and there's going to be that instant acceleration
01:22 when you start stomping on the pedals.
01:24 However, on an aero bike,
01:26 that acceleration might not be as immediate,
01:28 but when you get hunkered over
01:30 and start churning out the power,
01:31 there's really no feeling like cutting through the air
01:34 aboard a good aero bike.
01:36 Of course, there are also differing opinions
01:38 to the design and the looks of the bike.
01:40 A deep section wheel paired with a deep section frame
01:42 has a sort of fast, menacing presence,
01:45 especially when compared to the slimmed down minimalism
01:48 of a lightweight bike.
01:50 Personally, I love a lightweight bike.
01:53 I like climbing.
01:54 I feel like it complements my riding style that bit more.
01:57 But then again, I also love a classic frame design,
02:00 so don't even get me started on drop seat stays.
02:02 That's a debate for another day.
02:04 The fact that tubeless tires have gained
02:10 near universal adoption in the mountain biking world
02:13 does show there is something behind the technology.
02:16 We swear it hasn't just been invented
02:18 to make all non-compatible rims and tires obsolete,
02:22 honestly.
02:23 But the fact it hasn't been widely adopted on the road
02:25 does show that there are some differences
02:27 between tarmac and trails.
02:29 It's fair to say that tubeless can be a little bit of trouble.
02:33 For starters, the stronger bead required for tubeless tires
02:37 can make them a bit more difficult to get on the rim.
02:40 And whilst an inner tube can be inflated
02:41 with just a hand pump, a tubeless tire
02:43 is going to require a compressor or a CO2 valve
02:46 to get it on the rim.
02:48 Oh, and don't forget to check and replace your sealant
02:50 as well, because if you don't turn that,
02:52 it can become a sticky gloop.
02:55 Plus, road tires compared to mountain biking tires
02:57 don't need such strong sidewalls,
02:59 which means we can make them super supple and comfortable
03:02 without having to run them at crazy low pressures.
03:06 However, we feel that most riders could
03:08 benefit from tubeless tires.
03:11 Being able to run lower pressures
03:12 without the risk of punctures will
03:14 make your riding more comfortable
03:15 and increase your traction.
03:17 And finally, tubeless tires have shown
03:19 to have the fastest rolling resistance compared
03:21 to any other setup.
03:23 But given the fact that tubeless for the off-road riding
03:26 had such a meteoric rise, and we're still
03:29 discussing tubeless for the road almost five years
03:31 after it was first introduced, tells me
03:34 that this debate is going to hang around
03:35 for a little bit longer still.
03:37 1X versus 2X, another debate which
03:43 seems to have found an answer in the off-road world,
03:46 but still rages on on the road.
03:49 Proponents of a 1X system love to point to its ease of use.
03:53 Being able to sweep up and down the cassette on the rear
03:55 really is a simple joy.
03:57 And not having to worry about shifts on the front derailleur
04:00 and then compensating on the rear
04:02 really is enough to put your mind at ease
04:04 when out on the road.
04:05 And anyone that's tried it can attest
04:07 to its beautiful simplicity.
04:10 There are also a number of marginal gains
04:12 to be had by going 1X.
04:14 It's a little bit lighter, it's more aerodynamic,
04:17 and there are less mechanicals to have to contend with once
04:20 you get rid of that front derailleur.
04:22 But with that said, 2X still rules the roost
04:25 when it comes to road riding.
04:27 The tiny changes between gears are really important
04:30 when it comes to riding at such varied speed.
04:32 Anything from 8 kilometers an hour
04:34 when going up the steepest hill through to 65 or 70 kilometers
04:38 an hour when descending downhill.
04:40 It just goes to show that a wide range of ratios
04:43 are still really important.
04:45 As more sprockets are added to cassettes,
04:47 however, 1X does become a greater possibility.
04:51 Take a 10 to 36 tooth SRAM cassette
04:54 and pair it with a 42 tooth chain ring
04:56 and you get a largest gear that is a little bit bigger
04:59 than a 50 by 12.
05:00 And you get a smallest gear that is a little easier
05:03 than a 34 by 28.
05:05 There is also drive train efficiency to take into account.
05:09 You see on a 1X system,
05:10 there's a greater degree of chain flex
05:12 when you're at the extreme ends of the cassette
05:15 when compared to a 2X system
05:16 when you can compensate with the front ring.
05:19 On a 1X system, the chain ring is also going to be smaller,
05:22 which will mean the chain is going to wrap around
05:24 a larger amount of the sprockets,
05:26 resulting in losses due to friction.
05:29 Now you might say, well, all of these losses
05:31 are incredibly marginal, and that is true.
05:33 But if you're chasing every advantage,
05:35 they'll soon stack up.
05:41 Electronic gears bring a huge range of valuable benefits
05:45 when riding on the road.
05:47 For the home mechanics out there,
05:48 you're only going to need to fit the electronic cables once
05:51 instead of having to take them in and out
05:52 every time you get a stretched gear cable.
05:54 And even for you SRAM's eTap system,
05:57 there's not even any cables at all.
06:00 You also get crisper and more precise shifting,
06:03 and you can put shifters in different places on the bars.
06:06 So if you're sprinting, you can put them on the drops.
06:09 If you're on the hoods, you can put them on the tops.
06:12 However, there are some downsides,
06:13 or, well, it wouldn't really be a debate.
06:16 The first is that you can run out of battery,
06:19 which is a pretty big downside,
06:21 and it happens to more riders than they care to admit.
06:24 Secondly, you lose that tactile feeling of shifting
06:27 with a mechanical groupset,
06:28 which is truly one of the great joys of riding a bicycle.
06:32 But really, the great debate around this setup
06:34 comes down to the cost.
06:36 Upfront electronic groupsets cost nearly twice
06:39 the price of their mechanical counterparts.
06:41 So straight away, that's a huge barrier to entry.
06:44 On top of that, electronic parts cost more to replace.
06:47 So if you happen to race or you have an accident,
06:50 you're looking at future costs built up
06:52 on top of that initial outlay.
06:54 However, as we've seen recently,
06:55 electronic technology is beginning
06:58 to trickle down the groupset hierarchies,
07:00 which could bring costs tumbling down as well.
07:03 Only time will tell.
07:08 Rim versus discs.
07:10 It's the big one.
07:11 It's the one that has set forums alight
07:14 and ended friendships ever since 2012,
07:17 when disc brakes were first introduced on the road
07:19 was the SRAM Red Hydro R groupset.
07:23 Commonly praised for better braking power,
07:26 better modulation,
07:27 the fact that you don't wear out your rims
07:29 when you ride in the rain,
07:30 the fact that the pads automatically adjust,
07:32 you've got wider tire clearances
07:34 thanks to the removal of the calipers,
07:36 and the fact they're easier to maintain
07:38 in integrated systems,
07:40 hydraulic brakes really are a force to be reckoned with.
07:44 On the other hand, rim brakes are lighter, I guess.
07:47 No, that's not the only benefit, of course.
07:51 There are greater clearances between the pads,
07:54 which means it's easier to prevent brake rub
07:55 and to swap wheels,
07:57 which is what the pro peloton love, obviously.
08:00 And then of course, there's no issue
08:02 with the pistons not advancing equally,
08:04 which can result in some brake rub.
08:06 Just ask Chris Froome,
08:07 he's a big fan of rim brakes, apparently.
08:10 But why does this topic incite such fierce debate?
08:13 More so than shifting technology and gearing
08:15 or anything to do with tires,
08:17 it's because your choice of disc or rim
08:20 sets you on an irreversible path
08:21 with that type of bike for the rest of your riding life.
08:24 Your frame needs to have specific mounts,
08:27 you'll need the right spares and upgrades
08:29 for your type of braking system.
08:31 There's serious cost and consideration
08:33 that goes into making such a decision.
08:36 We're seeing fewer and fewer of the big manufacturers
08:38 making rim brake bikes,
08:39 which in turn is making spares and upgrades
08:42 harder to get hold of and more expensive.
08:45 However, as long as rim brakes keep winning world tours
08:48 and hopefully they'll hang around
08:50 for a little bit longer still.
08:52 So there you go, five of cycling's fiercest debates
08:56 laid out for everyone to see.
08:59 We hope you've enjoyed this video.
09:00 We've had a lot of fun making it.
09:02 If you have anything to add and feel like you will,
09:05 do leave them in the comment section below.
09:07 If you've enjoyed this video, give us a thumbs up
09:10 and don't forget to subscribe
09:11 to the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel.
09:14 I'll be back soon with some more great tech content
09:17 and I'll see you then.
09:18 (whooshing)
09:20 (whooshing)