Six Things All New Road Bikes Should Have
Over the past few years we've seen some bike makers step backwards in the technology that they're building into their bikes. However, we think that it could be taken another step further. We don't think anyone would ever complain about having a threaded bottom bracket, a 27.2 seatpost and a bar and stem which is easily adjustable and interchangeable should the desire strike them. In theory, the things listed in this video should actually be seen as upgrades as current bike tech can be slightly temperamental.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 As the next wave of road bikes gets released, we've seen some brands step backwards with the
00:04 technology that they're offering. We've seen this on the Cannondale Synapse, the Specialized Aethos
00:09 and a few others. Now this can come in the form of a 27.2 seat post or more reliable bottom bracket
00:17 fittings. So here are six things which I've identified which I think should be on the
00:22 majority of new bikes. Now this one is one that I hope is a current trend and will soon fade away
00:31 and that is the use of matte paint. Now I can imagine this is going to polarize quite a few
00:37 people, however I for one would love to see the mass return of the gloss finish. One of the key
00:43 reasons why a lot of bike makers opt for matte paint, especially on their performance road bikes,
00:49 is because it's actually a lot lighter than a gloss finish. So it does provide a very easy way
00:55 for them to knock some weight off the bike. However, frames with gloss paint are much easier
01:00 to clean, grease marks are easier to wipe off and you can polish them to a high shine
01:06 over and over again. Matte paint tends to get shiny once you've washed it a number of times
01:10 and you can never get it to be as crisp and as fresh as it was when it was brand new out the box.
01:16 So let's hope the timeless gloss finish returns in force and we can all have bikes which gleam
01:21 and glisten in the sunshine for as long as they're on the road. I'm a massive fan of a normal stem
01:30 with a normal face plate with a normal set of bars. The ability to adjust handlebar angle,
01:36 switch between different handlebar widths, change stem length with ease and to experiment with
01:41 different handlebar shapes is too much of a benefit to miss out on for the aesthetic benefit
01:47 of an integrated setup. A conventional stem also allows for a more affordable and convenient way
01:53 to adjust your position as it changes over the years. If you're heading out for a fast chain
01:58 gang ride and you want to take advantage of the negative drop on your stem, then you can. However,
02:04 if you've got a sportive the next day and you want to flip the stem for a more relaxed position,
02:09 then you can also do that as well. And that is something you would not be able to do
02:14 with an integrated setup. On top-end bikes, I wouldn't feel shortchanged if they'd been fitted
02:19 with a lightweight carbon stem and lightweight carbon bars. And if I could choose the sizes of
02:24 those components at the point of purchase, then I'd know that it'd be dialed in for my position
02:29 from the get-go. Surely that's more valuable than offering a lump of carbon which only caters for
02:35 the pros. Continuing in the same vein, integrated cables, but to an extent. Now that Shimano have
02:45 joined the wireless party, on many new bikes we're only left with the brake hoses to find a home for.
02:51 Now I am happy to see hoses routed through the frame and I'm not even opposed to seeing them
02:56 being routed through the bars. The place where I draw the line is at the stem. If the cables were
03:02 to pop out at the centre of the bars and then promptly slide into the top of the frame at the
03:06 head tube and at the top of the forks, then I only see that as a benefit. You're not going to have
03:12 to deal with that three-hour brake bleed just to make a small adjustment to stem height.
03:16 It's understandable that on aero bikes they do go fully integrated and of course for the pros,
03:21 it also makes a lot of sense. However, for us mere mortals, having them exposed really isn't
03:27 an issue and it only serves to save you both time and money when servicing or you need to
03:33 make a small adjustment. As I've already mentioned, I think we'd all love to see the mass return
03:41 of the 27.2 seat post. However, I do have a caveat and that is that I think it should be
03:46 reserved for endurance and climbing bikes. When we look at aero race bikes, I think they should
03:53 stick with their annoying proprietary seat posts. They offer a valid gain for the intended style of
03:58 riding and you can't argue against their aesthetic credentials. However, on climbing and endurance
04:04 bikes, those aero advantages aren't as important. Using something that's a bit more universal
04:10 does make a lot of sense, especially when you need a post that actually builds in a bit more comfort
04:15 and isn't directly honed in for those aero gains. As an extra bolt onto this, I would actually like
04:21 to include seat post clamps as well. I think the bike makers have had their opportunity to play
04:26 around with some pretty weird and wacky designs, but actually, the standard seat post collar is
04:32 definitely the best one out there. The worst possible failure you could encounter with a seat
04:37 post collar is the bolt snapping. Now, this is usually down to salt corrosion or just a lack of
04:42 bike washing. Now, this will be unlikely, but potential failure is actually a whole lot better
04:48 than the potential with the internal seat post clamps that we're seeing on modern bikes. That's
04:53 because I would much rather have a bolt snap than have a seat post that slides down, that creaks,
04:59 or risks over-tightening and then potentially damaging not only the seat post, but the frame
05:05 itself as well. I think the simple matter of fact is that your standard seat clamp actually
05:10 works perfectly and usually ends up being lighter weight than the usual bungs found in modern frames.
05:15 [Music]
05:20 Yep, that's right, I know you saw this one coming, so I'll keep it brief.
05:23 Threaded bottom brackets. They just work. Even though the bearing is still technically pushed
05:29 inside of the threaded cup, you aren't interfering with the frame itself. You won't work the frame
05:35 out of tolerance. You fit one, you ride a few thousand creak-free kilometers, you take it out,
05:41 and then you replace it with a fresh unit which fits in exactly the same way as the old one did.
05:46 It's simple, it's effective, and really, they should just be standard across all performance bikes.
05:51 [Music]
05:55 I'm really tired of tiny Allen key bottle cage bolts. I'm seeing more and more bikes coming out
06:00 with three millimeters or even two and a half millimeter heads. These bolts are ones that tend
06:05 to end up in a really awkward position, meaning it's really hard to get a clean swing of them.
06:09 This tricky angle can often result in mashing up the head and eventually stripping the bolt.
06:15 They're small and fiddly and I want all new bikes to have a minimum of a four millimeter head.
06:20 When bolts have a four millimeter head, you have a greater ability to latch onto a purchase
06:26 and more successfully turn the bolt without stripping the head.
06:29 I'll admit, it's a very niche problem to have, but the solution is so, so simple.
06:36 Well, there we have it. There's six things which I think should be included on the majority of new
06:41 bikes. Let me know what you think about them and if you think I missed any. If you enjoyed the video,
06:46 drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon.
06:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]