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]
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