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