00:00The 121st edition of the men's Paris-Roubaix was a display of sheer power as, spoiler alert,
00:07Mathieu van der Poel broke away from the leading group with 60km to go, and by 50km to go,
00:13the chase had all but given up trying to bring him back. But, as we know,
00:18Paris-Roubaix is a race where bike tech plays a massive role. Every year there's new developments,
00:24new tech being tested, and ever more ways the teams try and tame the cobbles.
00:28So, in 2024, what were the biggest tech trends? Well, for starters, across both men's and women's
00:35pelotons, the move to one by was vast. Mainly seen on SRAM-sponsored teams, the benefit of not
00:42dropping a chain and simplified gear shifting with the use of satellite shifters was widely adopted.
00:48Since the race holds its difficulty in the cobbles rather than any harsh gradients,
00:53it was easy for riders to simply adopt a wider range cassette to give them the gears that
00:58they needed. Also, some may have been looking to optimise drivetrain efficiency by kipping a super
01:04straight chainline, as Ineos rider Josh Tarling had a massive 62-tooth chainring fitted to his
01:12Shimano-spec Pinarello Dogma. Sadly, though, thanks to a bottle which was slightly too sticky,
01:18he was then later disqualified from the race. I am really hoping that next year he will have a
01:23better shot because he is certainly a rising star. While Josh's 62-tooth chainring was the biggest
01:30eyesore in use, there were plenty of other riders using single chainring setups in the mid-50 range.
01:36Thanks to the widespread adoption of one by setups, there was also a myriad of chain catches being used.
01:43These range from OEM parts from brands like Wolftooth and K-Edge through to some slightly more
01:48imaginative 3D-printed solutions. Israel Premier Tech decided to opt for one of the most bizarre
01:55bike choices. They jumped aboard the Factor Ostro Gravel. That's right, they used the gravel bike
02:01for Paris-Roubaix. It's reported that the team were running some relatively wide 34C Continental GP5000
02:09STR tyres. Arguably, it's not the most ridiculous idea. The Factor Ostro Gravel is a very aero gravel bike,
02:17and the position and clearance would stand them in good stead over the technical terrain. However,
02:23their top-placed rider finished seven minutes down on the winner in 31st. Perhaps had the course been
02:29muddier or the weather been a little more dreary, then they may have had an advantage, but this time
02:35round, it might not have been the right move. The style of bike, which did seem to be on the
02:41rage,
02:41was out-and-out aero bikes. In fact, Uno X rider Alexander Kristoff decided to use a prototype
02:48aero bike from the team sponsor, Dare. Predicted to be named the Velocity Ace, it looks to be as
02:54aggressive as they come, with a super deep head tube making use of the new UCI rules.
03:01It was a similar story for the rest of the men's peloton, as aero bikes looked to be the go
03:07-to choice
03:07where the riders had the option. It was a slightly different story for the women,
03:12as they had a slightly wider variation of bike choices, with some opting for the Trek de Mane
03:17over the Madone, or some opting for the Canyon Ultimate over the Aeroad. But even that could be
03:24set to change over the coming years. Clearly, the current sweep of endurance bikes, including
03:30the specialised Roubaix, are no longer suitable for the cobbled classic. Perhaps they've become
03:36too soft, or perhaps aero bikes have just become versatile enough to the point where they can be
03:42used very successfully on the hardest of parkours. Personally, I think it's a mix of the two.
03:49I think it is fair to assume that the bikes which made the podium did so because of one simple
03:55fact.
03:55They can all accept much wider tyres. Maybe, just maybe, this is the most influential factor
04:03on the versatility of modern road bikes. As such, the peloton's favourite tyre size was 32C,
04:10with only a handful of teams providing an exception to the rule. The biggest tyres we saw sat on British
04:16national champion Fred Wright's bike as he was using some 35C Continental GP5000 ASTRs,
04:24which pushed his Merida's tyre clearance to the very limit.
04:28Lidl Trek were actually running some prototype Pirelli tyres that, despite saying they were 32mm wide,
04:35when paired with the new Bontrager Aeolus Pro 49V gravel wheels, they measured up at 34.5mm.
04:43This big volume tyre will have helped Mads Pedersen run a low pressure and enjoy a nice big contact patch
04:49with the cobbles. It's worth remembering that the maximum size of tyre that can be used in a
04:55cyclocross race is 33C. So not only is the peloton's choice of 32C, one we know that can be ridden
05:02on
05:02technical terrain, but it might also be why the current cyclocross world champion won the race.
05:08This is kind of why I love Mathieu van der Poel's setup so much. Other than some wide tyres,
05:14some double-wrapped bar tape and some tyre inserts, it's just a normal Canyon Aeroad.
05:19No gimmicks or tricks up its sleeves. Just big rubber and a rider who has buckets of technical ability.
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