Re: Most significant advance in bike technology for speed?

Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:

On 24 Jan 2025 23:51:10 GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
 

Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com> wrote:

On 1/24/2025 2:33 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

In another forum, someone postulated that integrated brake & shift
levers (like STI) were the most significant bit of racing technology
ever designed for increasing speed. But that claim met with little
respect. One skeptic noted that there was no great increase in average
race speeds in Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Leige-
Bastogne-Leige or Giro de Lobardia since about 1960, including during
the era of STI adoption. By contrast, in the  years 1930 - 1960 average
speeds increased around 30%. (Note: That does not mean that STI is not
tactically beneficial. That's a separate issue.)

 
I'm going to take issue with this claim. The speeds have been showing a
steady increase. "Great" increase is somewhat subjective, and taking
into account the general "square-law effect" with going faster on a
bicycle, a increase of 1MPH from 28 to 29 MPH could indeed be considered
a "great" increase over going from 25 to 26 MPH.
 
Granted, this has little to do with integrated shifting, my nit is over
the claim "there was no great increase in average race speeds....since
about 1960"
 
 
from wikipedia, the top ten fastest editions of PAris-Roubaix were:
 
Mathieu van der Poel (NED) 47.80 km/h (29.70 mph) 2024
Mathieu van der Poel (NED) 46.84 km/h (29.11 mph) 2023
Dylan van Baarle (NED) 45.79 km/h (28.45 mph) 2022
Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) 45.20 km/h (28.09 mph) 2017
Peter Post (NED) 45.13 km/h (28.04 mph) 1964
Fabian Cancellara (SUI) 44.19 km/h (27.46 mph) 2013
Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) 43.99 km/h (27.33 mph) 1948
Mathew Hayman (AUS) 43.91 km/h (27.28 mph) 2016
Peter Sagan (SVK) 43.55 km/h (27.06 mph) 2018
Pino Cerami (BEL) 43.54 km/h (27.05 mph) 1960
 
Out of the top ten in the 100+ year history of the race, 6 are within
the past ten years. I challenge anyone to argue against a 10% increase
since Sagan in 2018 to VDP in 2024 as anything but a "great" increase.
 
Milan/San Remo shows a similar trend. From
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/milano-sanremo/results/fastest-editions
:
 
Edition Year Avg. speed
115 2024 46.11
114 2023 45.773
113 2022 45.331
97 2006 45.268
112 2021 45.06
100 2009 44.421
98 2007 43.665
110 2019 43.625
104 2013 43.577
102 2011 43.486
 
It certainly isn't due to drivetrain technology, I'll suggest the trend
towards wider tires has a great deal to do with it, but more so training
and diet technological advances.
 
 

Though it has ment that groupsets manufacturers do produce/provide for the
Pros some truly massive chain rings I don’t spin out 46/11 on the flat, and
gravity is my friend on the downs being on the heavy side!

 
But if not STI, what were the most significant tech developments
regarding bicycle race speeds?
 
Here’s my list:
 
Pedals & cranks, as opposed to scooting a “hobby horse” via feet on the
ground.
 
Tubular metal frames and wire tension (spoke) wheels.
 
Large driven wheels, to give a much higher effective “gear.” (The
Ordinary or Penny Farthing)
 
The “Safety Bicycle” with a diamond frame and chain drive, getting the
rider down lower, to greatly reduce aero drag as well as pitchover on
braking.
 
Pneumatic tires. Hard tired “safeties” had terrible rolling resistance.
 
The handlebar stem, invented by the heroic Major Taylor, to allow a much
more aero riding position.
 
Rim brakes, by whatever mechanism, as opposed to spoon brakes acting on
a tire.
 
Multiple gears, by whatever mechanism.
 
The derailleur, making multiple gears easy to shift, customizable and
light weight.
 
Recumbent geometry in some situations. Recumbents seem to be slower
uphill, but tend to be faster on level or downhills
 
Fully enclosed streamlined aero shells tremendously increased speed, but
at a great reduction in versatility and practicality.
 
Beyond those, ISTM that most developments have been chasing ever
diminishing returns.
 

 
 

Roger Merriman
 
 

 
 
 
46 is massive?  I have a 53, also with an 11..  Although I don't use
that anymore except in a downhill. Granted that I have a 26 inch
wheel.
 

No my gravel bikes chainrings are not massive by any means dropped from
32-48 to 30-46 recently which has made no difference to the top end in that
at that point I’m generally freewheeling.

But pros are running 53 and above and into the 60’s apparently
<https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/why-are-pros-using-such-big-chainrings>

As the speed of road racing has year by year increased.

--
C'est bon
Soloman
 

Roger Merriman