00:00Controversial debates, cycling is full of them,
00:03especially when it comes to the latest cycling technology.
00:07But to honor the diverse set of opinions
00:10that exist within our sport,
00:11we've decided to round up our top five
00:14controversial cycling debates.
00:16Let's go.
00:17When it comes to what type of bike is fastest,
00:24the answers have been comprehensively worked out.
00:27At the steepest gradients,
00:28a lightweight bike is always going to rule.
00:31But on descents, on the flat,
00:33and even on moderate gradients,
00:35an aerodynamic bike will be faster.
00:37So was that all worked out?
00:39What exactly is the debate about?
00:42You see, it's all a little bit more philosophical
00:44than it might sound.
00:45If you go for a lightweight bike over an aerodynamic bike,
00:48that's saying more about you as a cyclist
00:50and your whole attitude towards the sport.
00:54It really depends on what you want to get out of it.
00:56If hitting the hills the hardest
00:59and recovering just in time for the next steep gradient
01:02is what you love,
01:03then you're obviously going to pick a lightweight bike.
01:05But if you like ticking over at a steady power
01:07and churning through the miles,
01:09then an aerodynamic bike is going to suit you the best.
01:13There's also the difference of experience on the two bikes.
01:17A lightweight bike is always going to feel
01:19the most sprightly,
01:20and there's going to be that instant acceleration
01:22when you start stomping on the pedals.
01:24However, on an aero bike,
01:26that acceleration might not be as immediate,
01:28but when you get hunkered over
01:30and start churning out the power,
01:32there's really no feeling like cutting through the air
01:34aboard a good aero bike.
01:36Of course, there are also differing opinions
01:38to the design and the looks of the bike.
01:40A deep section wheel paired with a deep section frame
01:42has a sort of fast, menacing presence,
01:45especially when compared to the slimmed down minimalism
01:48of a lightweight bike.
01:50Personally, I love a lightweight bike.
01:53I like climbing.
01:54I feel like it complements my riding style that bit more.
01:57But then again, I also love a classic frame design,
02:00so don't even get me started on drop seat stays.
02:02That's a debate for another day.
02:08The fact that tubeless tyres
02:09have gained near universal adoption
02:12in the mountain biking world
02:13does show there is something behind the technology.
02:16We swear it hasn't just been invented
02:18to make all non-compatible rims and tyres obsolete,
02:22honestly.
02:23But the fact it hasn't been widely adopted on the road
02:25does show that there are some differences
02:27between tarmac and trails.
02:29It's fair to say that tubeless can be
02:32a little bit of trouble.
02:33For starters, the stronger bead required for tubeless tyres
02:37can make them a bit more difficult to get on the rim.
02:40And whilst an inner tube can be inflated
02:41with just a hand pump,
02:43a tubeless tyre is going to require a compressor
02:45or a CO2 valve to get it on the rim.
02:48Oh, and don't forget to check
02:49and replace your sealant as well,
02:50because if you don't turn that,
02:52it can become a sticky gloop.
02:55Plus, road tyres compared to mountain biking tyres
02:57don't need such strong sidewalls,
02:59which means we can make them super supple and comfortable
03:02without having to run them at crazy low pressures.
03:06However, we feel that most riders
03:08could benefit from tubeless tyres.
03:11Being able to run lower pressures
03:12without the risk of punctures
03:13will make your riding more comfortable
03:15and increase your traction.
03:17And finally, tubeless tyres have shown
03:19to have the fastest rolling resistance
03:21compared to any other setup.
03:23But given the fact that tubeless for the off-road riding
03:26had such a meteoric rise
03:28and we're still discussing tubeless for the road
03:30almost five years after it was first introduced,
03:33tells me that this debate is going to hang around
03:35for a little bit longer still.
03:411X versus 2X, another debate
03:43which seems to have found an answer in the off-road world,
03:46but still rages on on the road.
03:49Proponents of a 1X system love to point to its ease of use.
03:53Being able to sweep up and down the cassette on the rear
03:55really is a simple joy.
03:57And not having to worry about shifts on the front derailleur
04:00and then compensating on the rear
04:02really is enough to put your mind at ease
04:04when out on the road.
04:05And anyone that's tried it
04:06can attest to its beautiful simplicity.
04:10There are also a number of marginal gains
04:12to be had by going 1X.
04:14It's a little bit lighter, it's more aerodynamic,
04:17and there are less mechanicals to have to contend with
04:19once you get rid of that front derailleur.
04:22But with that said, 2X still rules the roost
04:25when it comes to road riding.
04:27The tiny changes between gears are really important
04:30when it comes to riding at such varied speed.
04:32Anything from eight kilometers an hour
04:34when going up the steepest hill
04:36through to 65 or 70 kilometers an hour
04:39when descending downhill.
04:40It just goes to show that a wide range of ratios
04:43are still really important.
04:45As more sprockets are added to cassettes,
04:48however, 1X does become a greater possibility.
04:51Take a 10 to 36 tooth SRAM cassette
04:54and pair it with a 42 tooth chain ring
04:56and you get a largest gear
04:57that is a little bit bigger than a 50 by 12.
05:00And you get a smallest gear
05:02that is a little easier than a 34 by 28.
05:05There is also drivetrain efficiency to take into account.
05:09You see on a 1X system,
05:10there's a greater degree of chain flex
05:12when you're at the extreme ends of the cassette
05:15when compared to a 2X system
05:16when you can compensate with the front ring.
05:19On a 1X system, the chain ring is also going to be smaller
05:22which will mean the chain is going to wrap around
05:24a larger amount of the sprockets,
05:26resulting in losses due to friction.
05:29Now you might say,
05:29well, all of these losses are incredibly marginal
05:32and that is true.
05:33But if you're chasing every advantage,
05:35they'll soon stack up.
05:38Electronic gears bring a huge range of valuable benefits
05:41when riding on the road.
05:43For the home mechanics out there,
05:45you're only going to need to fit the electronic cables once
05:47instead of having to take them in and out
05:49every time you get a stretched gear cable.
05:51And even for you SRAM's eTap system,
05:54there's not even any cables at all.
05:56You also get crisper and more precise shifting
05:59and you can put shifters in different places on the bars.
06:03So if you're sprinting,
06:04you can put shifters in different places on the bars.
06:06If you're sprinting, you can put them on the drops.
06:09If you're on the hoods, you can put them on the tops.
06:12However, there are some downsides
06:13or well, it wouldn't really be a debate.
06:16The first is that you can run out of battery
06:19which is a pretty big downside
06:21and it happens to more riders than they care to admit.
06:24Secondly, you lose that tactile feeling
06:26of shifting with a mechanical groupset
06:28which is truly one of the great joys of riding a bicycle.
06:32But really the great debate around this setup
06:34comes down to the cost.
06:36Upfront, electronic groupsets cost nearly twice the price
06:39of their mechanical counterparts.
06:41So straight away, that's a huge barrier to entry.
06:44On top of that, electronic parts cost more to replace.
06:47So if you happen to race or you have an accident,
06:50you're looking at future costs built up
06:52on top of that initial outlay.
06:54However, as we've seen recently,
06:55electronic technology is beginning
06:58to trickle down the groupset hierarchies
07:00which could bring costs tumbling down as well.
07:03Only time will tell.
07:05Rim versus discs.
07:10It's the big one.
07:11It's the one that has set forums alight
07:14and ended friendships ever since 2012
07:17when disc brakes were first introduced on the road
07:19was the SRAM Red Hydro R groupset.
07:23Commonly praised for better braking power,
07:26better modulation,
07:27the fact that you don't wear out your rims
07:29when you ride in the rain,
07:30the fact that the pads automatically adjust,
07:32you've got wider tire clearances
07:34thanks to the removal of the calipers and the fact they're easier to maintain in integrated systems,
07:40hydraulic brakes really are a force to be reckoned with.
07:43On the other hand, rim brakes are lighter, I guess?
07:49No, that's not the only benefit, of course. There are greater clearances between the pads,
07:53which means it's easier to prevent brake rub and to swap wheels, which is what the Pro Peloton love,
07:59obviously. Then, of course, there's no issue with the pistons not advancing equally,
08:04which can result in some brake rub. Just ask Chris Froome. He's a big fan of rim brakes,
08:08apparently. Why does this topic incite such fierce debate? More so than shifting technology
08:14and gearing or anything to do with tires, it's because your choice of disc or rim
08:20sets you on an irreversible path with that type of bike for the rest of your riding life.
08:24Your frame needs to have specific mounts. You'll need the right spares and upgrades for your type
08:30of braking system. There's serious cost and consideration that goes into making such a
08:34decision. We're seeing fewer and fewer of the big manufacturers making rim brake bikes, which in
08:40turn is making spares and upgrades harder to get hold of and more expensive. However, as long as
08:46rim brakes keep winning world tours, and hopefully, they'll hang around for a little bit longer still.
08:53There you go. Five of cycling's fiercest debates laid out for everyone to see. We hope you've
08:59enjoyed this video. We've had a lot of fun making it. If you have anything to add and feel like you
09:04will, do leave them in the comment section below. If you've enjoyed this video, give us a thumbs up
09:10and don't forget to subscribe to the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel. I'll be back soon with
09:14some more great tech content, and I'll see you then.
Comments