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 or,
06:14 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 group sets 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 to trickle down
06:58 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)
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