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