The key to choosing the right road bike, and getting it set up properly, is understanding your specific needs. Type of road bike, riding style, and your body geometry all come into play. Read on for more information on road bike choice and set-up for competitive cycling.
Colin Barrett | Heber Valley, UT | Photo: Ross DownardFor most people, one road bike will do the trick. But, those who ride in stage races can benefit greatly from having a time trial bike in addition to their standard road bike. A TT bike is faster and more aerodynamic, something crucial if you’re trying to channel your inner Fabian Cancellara.
The geometry of a time trial bike makes the overall fit more aerodynamic, and that is coupled with the fact that it is designed to be ridden in a much lower position, further enhancing the aerodynamic qualities of the bike and rider combination. Since these machines are tested in a wind tunnel, the integration of all of their parts (brakes, cables, etc.) provide the best aerodynamics possible. While TT bicycles can shave as much as three to four minutes off your time in a 40K time trial, this is precisely why they aren’t designed for general road riding. Especially climbing.
Serious participants in most triathlons will also benefit from a time trial bike. By the time the swimming portion of the triathlon is complete, the racers have spread out, and there’s no such thing as a peloton. For the bike portion of a triathlon, aerodynamics become more important than bike handling so having a TT bike for triathlons is critical for serious participants.
For those of us who don’t play in the TT sandbox, bike choice then becomes a question of frame material and componentry. The two go hand-in-hand. While carbon frames are all the rage, riders pay a premium for the ultra-lightweight material. If you’re price conscious, consider an aluminum frame instead of carbon. While the ride is a bit more harsh, the less expensive frame material allows manufacturers to load aluminum bikes with high end components. The result - slightly better componentry than on a carbon bike.
Another huge consideration in bike selection is the fit and geometry. Manufacturers have started offering two different options, a performance fit and a pro fit, on each model they sell. For example, Trek bikes come in either an H2 performance fit or an H1 pro fit which is more aggressive with a lower hand position to improve the aerodynamics of the combined rider and road bike. The only difference is that the head tube on the H1 is shorter for riders looking for as much drop as they can get. Most racers prefer the fit and comfort of the H2, but if you’re hard core and want to go for the pro fit, the experts at Jans are more than happy to hook you up.
For road riding, you generally want to run tires with at least 100psi. Some riders like to race with as much as 140-150psi, but ideally you don’t want to go above 120. Women, because they are lighter, should run 90psi as their maximum.
Many racers believe that tires with higher pressure will roll faster because of less road resistance. The benefit of lower (to a point) pressure is better road contact and handling. However, studies have shown that a super high psi doesn’t make a difference. Maybe it’s a mental thing – if you think a tire is harder, you will ride faster. That said, a slightly higher pressure can be an extra security blanket for pinch flats. The racers at Jans like to train at 100psi and race at 120psi. The higher race day tire pressure is a little extra insurance when a flat can put you out of the race.
In an age where tubeless tires are the bomb in mountain biking, you may wonder why professional roadies have been slow to adopt these tires in their discipline. Blame it on the influx of carbon wheels which are easier to make in a form that is right for tubular tires, and the fact that the pros don’t have to worry about fixing a flat. They just swap out the wheel. Since the rims on a sew-up (for tubular tires) are so much lighter than clinchers (for tubeless tires,) and the tire is glued on, tubular tires ride like nothing else. With more flex and a supple ride that still allows racers to travel at warp speed, it’s easy to see why the pros are still attached to tubular.
That said, at Jans we’re fans of tubeless tires on our road bikes, and we recommend them for most of our clients. The neat thing about tubeless is technology has advanced so it has some of the same ride characteristics of tubular tires. Since we don’t have support cars following us in every race, we appreciate the fact that these tires are less prone to pinch flats. By adding a liquid sealant, it’s almost a sure bet that you won’t have to mess around with flats at all. But please note, we’re not saying that the sealant will fix a huge gash. Even technology has its limits.
Since road tires have less surface area and weather is variable, no matter where you race, Jans carries a wide selection of all-weather tires. For racers who ride on wet roads, like in Seattle or Vancouver, specific rain tires that channel water use a softer rubber compound on the sidewalls to provide better grip on cornering and wet roads. For the rest of us, Continental Tires makes an all-season tire that won’t hydroplane as easily. Their GP4000s not only works on dry roads but the sidewall has channeling to clear water when you’re cornering on wet roads. Remember all the wet road crashes in the 2011 Tour de France? Don’t be that guy.