I’ve been replacing my 172.5 and 175mm cranks with 170’s since the early 1990’s, and during the 1980’s I rode 167.5mm, but those are difficult to find except in oddball makes these days. Studies have shown there is no loss of power at all until the cranks get shorter than 150mm. Crank length changes are really about finding the optimal rider position. Pedal strikes are just a fact of life if you race crits, no matter your crank length, but it’s harmless. My old Time pedals were heavily scarred at the ends, but they never snagged or caused a mishap. #throwinsparks
Using grease in ceramic bearings is as useless as tits on a bull. If you want the benefits of ceramic bearings then commit. The difference in performance between good quality greased steel ball bearings and good quality oiled ceramics for the same application is so minute that greasing the ceramics is essentially throwing money away.
Yes, kinda. When I selected gearing. I took into consideration, of what speed I ride most of time. And tried to combine chain-rings and cassette so, that when chain is most straight, it would give my favorite speed on my favorite cadence.. My choice of chain-rings are 46/36 cyclocross chain-rings.. The chain is pretty straight on flat when no wind. On downhill, I can still pedal and make it to go faster even when speed reach over 60km/h. I'm not so much into saving watts, but more for chain lasting longer.I also changed to shorter 165mm cranks this year.. and I'm so glad I did.. The 172.5 cranks my bike came with, were really too long for me. I even got some nasty chafing with those too long cranks, when riding down hill trying to make myself low and pedaling as fast as I could.
Yes, as a pro cyclist who's won 8 World Championships and 10 Tour De Frances, I use these hacks all the time. Or maybe it's more truthful to say that I'm just an average cyclist who doesn't spend hours looking for ways to spend money to gain a .000000000000001% advantage over my friends. Yeah, let's go with that.
@@gcntech i've noticed that on the video where he tries to show how to replace your bottom bracket, break your bike stand and get some bruises in the process ...
From my personal experienced. Too long valve stem will results in an unbalance rotational when the wheel spin at high speed. I once have that on one descend and nearly lost control. From that day onward, shortest possible valve stem for me too! Also switch to the Campagnolo/Fulcrum wheelset to have a well balance wheels out of the box. To have a balance wheels also ease up the acceleration, IMHO.
@@Deminutuv Assuming you are pointing your comment at me, it took you 6 months to become "woke"? You think that was mean, you really aren't going to like this. Apparently reading comprehension is not your strong point. Read it again and try to understand what I wrote. You obviously didn't get it the first time.
Alex: Oh, no I got the wrong valves, these are too short, they look weird all the guys at GCN are gonna laugh at me. Alex 5 min later: I'll just tell them it's a PRO hack and they just wouldn't understand.
First gcn video I’ve watched in ages. Glad to see they are still harping on about aero gains and wider tyres. Wish they’d bring back some of the old presenters like Emma Pooley who could make a video about the joy of just riding your bike instead of how to make your £5k super bike go faster.
As a "freelance mechanic", I'm expecting at least 3 phone calls this week from people who saw this and want a 54t chainring, ceramic pulleys and narrower bar. You know, so they can hammer that B-group ride.
@@NomadFilmmaker305 If your fitter use fitting theory derived from classic Italian fit, 42cm is actual right size with 40cm well within the range of usability.
Must make sure I carry a marker pen on my next Sunday ride to the cafe... just in case I get a call on the way with a pro deal from Trek and I’m still riding my 2006 TCR C1 Giant 😂
Lot of negative comments but actually really liked this video, found it very succinct and clear, while not everything was something that I am going to apply myself I just found the presentation well done, clear and to the point some videos are about twice the length they need to be with a lot of rambling.
most of friction in bearing come from sealing. If you ditch sealing you save 60% of energy lose. Next one grease, it's around 30-35% and 5-10% on bearing itself. Benefit from good ceramic bearings, not even 1%., If it cheap ebay ceramic bearings, it actualy worse, than proper steel bearing.
Ceramic bearings only have an advantage over high grade steel bearing if they're spinning at over 10,000rpm. FACT. Use of ceramic bearings on bicycles is just marketing.
@@johnandrews3568 This needs to be said more often. The fact that people are still willing to back ceramic bearings in bicycles after the tremendous amount of data showing how little difference they make (if any) is surprising. High quality NTN steel bearings will net you way more watts saved at a fraction of the cost compared to ceramic each and every time.
I have been always in the quest to find a 54-42 crankset, paired with a 11-32 is the best gear ratio IMO. I'm a 53kg Rider and that 54 is pretty useful going down.
Yes, a bigger chainring will give less friction, but that is mainly because the chain will have less tension force, and not because of less curving of the links.
The ceramic bearing myth needs to die at some point. It is one of those “it costs more, so it must be better” ideas combined with fancy marketing that gets people (apparently even GCN presenters?) to buy into it. The evidence against the use of ceramic bearings in bikes has been discussed ad nauseam at this point.
My guess is that it'll die off when the pros start to switch back to standard bearings.After all,who else than the pros are more indirectly influential to the 99.9% of the other cyclists around the globe?(When it comes to making decisions to get bike components,that is). Personally,given the option I would run stainless steel bearings everywhere there's a bearing on my bike.
Ceramic bearings do roll better than steel, however they need to be kept super clean and lubed with light oil. On a TT bike, they might help give a small advantage, but for normal riding a steel bearing is more than enough as long as they are maintained
I ain't spending money on cermaic bearings but if they give pro cyclists a tiny bit of advantage then so be it. Pro cyclists can swap-out parts daily during a race if needed and if ceramic bearings give them a 0.01 second advantage over the course of the race, then it is a valid option. Winning by 0.01 second is still winning.
These long valves sticking out actually annoys me as well, especially as they are sticking out on full length on alloy wheels. An the minimum length seems to be 42mm for the typical road bike tubes. And that has been the case before the deep carbon wheels had been invented. It not only increases air drag but also weight, at least 1g :)
That's the first time I've ever heard an actually plausible explanation for using shorter cranks. The third I'd add is that in high cadence (low torque) pedaling, the shorter radius of travel can have a marginal advantage, allowing for slightly higher top end cadences, with less chance of rocking the hips in the saddle.
Watched the GCN episode with Hambini on why you shouldn’t use ceramic bearings but industry standard ones. And then this one about ceramic bearings. Guess it all comes down to what you gonna be using the bike for.
I swear the first 20 comments I read were snarky, whiny, critical. Seriously people, get a grip. If you don't like it, don't do it. That simple. No reason to be an ass about it. For the guy who lamented that Emma isn't present to extol the joys of cycling: there are plenty of GCN videos that aren't pro tips that are fun and light. Watching GNC videos makes me like cycling more. It has increased my attention to detail exponentially. For the guy who said GCN tells you not to do pro things then Alex says do them, my recollection is avoiding a super tall saddle to bar drop, not doing dangerous aero positions like superman and the praying mantis. Not more tame speed/aero related ones. I think that was obvious. I was happy to see that my thought to go with narrower bars was agreed mentioned and I'll now get them. It's also good to reiterate proper chain lube. I think Alex brings a balance to GCN--super informative, unassuming, fresh perspectives. I love this app/channel/website.
I love the suggestion for smaller valves. I've always thought there was some reason behind long valves, but to hear that you used ultra shorties while racing is all that I needed to hear. I'm going to use shorter valves moving forward.
My first drop handle bike, a 24" Falcon was fitted with 38cm bars. My latesr bike also has 38cm bars. I have used 42cm, which are supposed to be right for me, but I rather like the narrower ones
The ‘bigger rings are more efficient’ thing is, to some extent, a myth. Yes, the chain links are rotating less but there’s more of them doing it. The total degree of change of direct is very similar. In testing it’s been proven that only very extreme sized cogs like 9 and 10 tooth cogs make a measurable difference and even then, it’s very small.
a lot of tips here are what we call shaving constants in computing, are those things that makes your program run 1ms faster in a 1000 hour simulation where practicality is practically null, as a lot people say, biggest upgrade is losing weight on the rider
@@littlemilllosers ceramic bearings have zero friction gains on steel bearings, and actually wear faster so have worse friction much quicker. Save the $ and spend on aero kit, tyres, training whatever.
No. It's not only about torque. Talking about the output is the wattage which is Torque x Cadence. There's once a study that found out Wattage produce from long vs short cranks are no obviously different.
Most people have a pretty straight chainline in a 50t when solo 😁 Personally I go for narrowest bars and a narrow 23c in front, and it's really fast for my meager power and comfortable on our, admittedly pretty reasonable, roads. Going from 175 to 170 instantly felt better.
Best non-pro tip I have. When packing a bike for travel, I grab my wife's nail polish and put a dot on the back of the seatpost just above the clamp and a corresponding dot on the clamp itself. I also put a small dot on my handlebars that is visible through the gap in my stem when everything is rotated back into position. I also put my Look power pedals and my Garmin inside my Sidi's and pack them in my carry-on, because airline insurance only covers so much . . .
Airline insurance will cover virtually nothing. Carrying metal objects in your carry on luggage will more than likely lead to security delays, if not arguments about their potential to be used as a weapon, and being told you can’t bring them on. Where does that leave you? If you are worried about damage to your bike, take out a proper insurance policy, such as PedalCover that insures you against EVERYTHING - theft, accident damage, damage in transit etc etc. This includes ALL kit, including ancillaries such as Garmin type head units, lights, clothing, helmet, shoes etc. That’s my pro tip and I’m not sponsored by PedalCover, I’m just a customer. Oh, and I know a bit about airlines as I fly aeroplanes for a living. ;-)
Get your shifters facing inside in stead of straight or even facing outside. That will prevent you from getting wrist injuries, because your wrists will be in a more natural position. You and your bike will become more aero as well.
So how much further can you lean your bike around a corner or how much earlier can you start pedaling in a corner by using 170mm cranks rather than 172,5mm cranks??
28 tire not necessarily increase aero drag. It depends on your system, things have to be think of the whole, frame + wheels + tires + cockpits + rider. In Alex case, he explain that the 28 fill the gap between tire and his frame thus resulting in more aerodynamics. But it also up to the wheel too. If the tire is too wide or narrow in relative to rim width, then you can lost some aero.
When comparing to 23 or 25mm tires, 28 are areodynamically inferior. Furthermore if you install them on wider rims, the tires are going to be even wider, somwhere at 30mm. I do not care how well it fills the gap between the frame it is far less important, than the fact, that they disturb the airflow on the front more than thinner tires. On some very rough tramac 28mm are faster - but aerodynamically they cannot beat thinner tires.
Why do SwissSide say go 23mm on the front? This wider tyre thing really confuses me. Should you sacrifice rolling resistence for aerodynamics or the other way around?
Just my two cents: from how I understand it, listening to various different sources, the narrower tyre is more aero, although this also depends on the width of your wheel (it should "seal"). Then again, specially on a rougher surface, the wider tyre has a better contact ..rolls better/easier and breaking seems better too. (Thinking of narrow corners on a descent with a bad surface here.) So ... is a wider or a narrower tyre faster? I'd say that depends. Perfect road: narrow. Bad Road: wider. Is a wider tyre more aero? No. To decide what is "faster" many influences come into play, so it's never easy to say in general.
No BS, for once some good tips....marker pen, back in the days we had duck tape to cover the a SIDI logo on shoes, long story, Crystal Palace Crits _ Eddy Windgrave..1970's, jumpers for goal posts...etc....
Hey there! Question to everyone here, if you're interested: Does anybody feel like handlebars are usually too wide? I have a 44 cm shoulder width in a relaxed position, however I'm most comfortable on a 40 cm handlebar, it just feels way more natural. If I use wider handlebars my wrists tend to go closer and end up with elbow pain.
38s for me. 6'2" 5 or 6 years ago I noticed in women's cycling (especially triathlon) that their handlebars were massive. They were like cycling parachutes. I thought, can nobody see this
Hmm, I suspect if you get a cassette that has a wider range of gears (11-28T or 11-32T) or a crankset with a semi-compact setup (50/34 instead of, say, 52/36), you will find you can ride at higher cadence with an easier selection of gears. Crank arm length is really more about hip angle and personal comfort rather than cadence.
Buy a wireless dfly unit + ewire and use the etube software. Only works if you got the dura ace 9070 or ultegra r8050/r8070 or dura ace r9050/r9170 shifters.
It's really down to personal preference. You can keep your bike going pretty much indefinitely with maintenance but at some point you might see something on new bikes that you want, so you upgrade!
Shorter cranks are better to spin fast, while longer cranks give you leverage that is helpful when accelerating (on a given gear) but otherwise the leverage doesn't come into play as it's compensated by your choice of gear.
According to the test GCN did some time ago yes. During the 10 second sprint longer cranks produced 136W more than the short ones but for some reason they did not mention that in their final assessment.
Weirdly no one seems to like this video but it’s one of the very few GCN tech vids I actually found interesting. At least he’s clear on what is good for pros vs what is good for strong amateurs, which is very often blurred. Maybe there wasn’t enough crappy banter for some people...
2:22 is your chain rusted there conveniently while you are talking about larger radius efficiency ???? 😮😲 5:45 😮😲😮😲😮😲 correct brands, so you like to use shimano because it is better but company number 2 is giving you money so you continue to use shimano but paint it black is that it ?
Pedals are not in the correct position Valves are not aligned Hes not in Biggie-smalls Hes got a bottle Its a pity just a nice for me....... Ps allways align your quick release with your fork a competitor might kick it, or you yourself in a corner of a near crash or something rather. And if it is to tight, or your fingers to tired, you can use the fork as leveridge to get it loose
You should not!!! unless you are a pro that need a quick cover up for non-sponsored components. I'm always carry a marker pen during a ride. But it is a metallic color marker from a Sharpie pen. Great for a marking on most surface, even a dark black carbon where black marker can't be seen. I'm Always use this metallic marker for marking a tire/tube puncture.
Alex, I appreciate that you're still new on the job, but I have a cavil. "Far more ..., far less ..., far bigger ..." all for tiny differences. That's my only (nit-picking) criticism. I got myself some 34 cm bars, from a guy in Australia. I have no problems riding with them.
Hi, Is there a video from gcn about how to be able to slam your stem and get lower and not have back pain? (Are there any stretches I could do or something in that direction)
@@paulgoppert1972 just an FYI, I started racing in a slammed position back in the 80s and at age 55 I'm in the same slammed position because I'm so used to it. Currently using a -20 stem on my slammed stem and using the deepest drop bars I could find. :)
It really comes down to too many factors to give a general response that will be possible for everyone, because it won’t be. Age and back condition being two of them - as one of the responders said, if you have been in a low tuck since your youth, you will have more chance of being able to sustain it as you age. If you are older and have never ridden in such a tuck it is going to be much more difficult and you may never achieve comfort - just look at Brad Wiggins - his back was parallel to the road, it is highly unlikely anyone older will ever get to that sort of position, which took him years of training. Another factor is your bike geometry - a taller head tube and more relaxed geometry will see a slammed stem that still has you more upright than a more race orientated frame with a shorter head tube even with a spacer or two. A slammed stem on that bike will see you lower still. And then you’ve got stem lengths and angles which vary - some pros will use negative rise stems to get their front end even lower than the slam will get them! And handlebars vary massively in reach from tops to hoods to drops. You will be most efficient when you are comfortable - and I mean a position that is sustainable, rather than slamming your stem and then finding you can’t hold the position for very long. Set yourself in the optimum, sustainable position for you right now and ride lots. You will be able to gradually get a bit lower. Do lots of flexibility exercises, especially for your back, neck and shoulders - loads available online. You will have to be religious with them though if you really want to see improvements. Consider yoga or Pilates which will be excellent for flexibility and core strength (another key to being able to sustain a position whilst riding). Doing all that may see you able to slam your stem and sustain the position. But it depends on so many variables - you might even be able to slam it already and get used to it! Who can say?
I think the historic wisdom of longer crank arms being necessary for taller riders has been strongly challenged by modern cycling testing. Plenty of folks in the 180+ cm range ride 165-170 mm cranks without issue, but you should head to your LBS to give it a shot and see if it is comfortable for you.
Well it proves that pro riders are not very clever. Ceramic bearings, hoods are faster than drops, because i tested it, so it will work for you, trust me. Not to mention bs 50watts saved. Wider tire is faster :D (although he did not say it directly). Rusty chain. How about teflon waxed chain? front 23mm tire, aero helmet, skin suit? Quality steel Ntn, skf bearings? I thought video will be about some bar hack, like that one on clickbait picture. This was a joke. Video should be renamed pro tech tips, that slow you down.
Well.. I believe performance is not always about aerodynamic and efficiency... The Human needs good ergonomics to "squeeze" all the potential... What's worth having a narrow handlebar if it constraints you breathing ability? Or what worth having a small crank for your size to be aero and pedal more on tight conners if then your body don't put as much power on the pedals as with a bit longer ones?... Or even worse... that resulting in a injury due to a bad ergonomic position. Off course, you can play a bit around the "perfect" position but that is not "searching for the narrowest...the smallest and other 'est..."lol balance is the key
"choose the narrowest handlebar possible" if you want to have sore hands and back. The width of the handebar must correspond your shoulder width - in most of the cases 405 center to center. I liked this channel, but just like GMBN you hav started to make videos just for the sake of it
Have you ever tried any of these pro cyclist hacks? Let us know in the comments below!
Can we get the doc for the computer mount ?
I’ve been replacing my 172.5 and 175mm cranks with 170’s since the early 1990’s, and during the 1980’s I rode 167.5mm, but those are difficult to find except in oddball makes these days. Studies have shown there is no loss of power at all until the cranks get shorter than 150mm. Crank length changes are really about finding the optimal rider position. Pedal strikes are just a fact of life if you race crits, no matter your crank length, but it’s harmless. My old Time pedals were heavily scarred at the ends, but they never snagged or caused a mishap. #throwinsparks
Using grease in ceramic bearings is as useless as tits on a bull. If you want the benefits of ceramic bearings then commit. The difference in performance between good quality greased steel ball bearings and good quality oiled ceramics for the same application is so minute that greasing the ceramics is essentially throwing money away.
Yes, kinda. When I selected gearing. I took into consideration, of what speed I ride most of time. And tried to combine chain-rings and cassette so, that when chain is most straight, it would give my favorite speed on my favorite cadence.. My choice of chain-rings are 46/36 cyclocross chain-rings.. The chain is pretty straight on flat when no wind. On downhill, I can still pedal and make it to go faster even when speed reach over 60km/h.
I'm not so much into saving watts, but more for chain lasting longer.I also changed to shorter 165mm cranks this year.. and I'm so glad I did.. The 172.5 cranks my bike came with, were really too long for me. I even got some nasty chafing with those too long cranks, when riding down hill trying to make myself low and pedaling as fast as I could.
Yes, as a pro cyclist who's won 8 World Championships and 10 Tour De Frances, I use these hacks all the time. Or maybe it's more truthful to say that I'm just an average cyclist who doesn't spend hours looking for ways to spend money to gain a .000000000000001% advantage over my friends. Yeah, let's go with that.
GCN for the last 5 years:
“Why you shouldn’t do all these things pros do”
Enter Alex:
“YOU SHOULD TRY THESE!!”
He likes to live dangerously...
@@gcntech i've noticed that on the video where he tries to show how to replace your bottom bracket, break your bike stand and get some bruises in the process ...
@@gcntech I like to live dangerously too. Why dont you feature me?
@@mikes1984 well, what kind of danger?
@@mikes1984 well, you aren't noteworthy for starters
If valve stems that are "too long" are your biggest annoyance in this world, you have no problems at all.
Valance stems too short: can’t inflate tires with many pumps. Let me think about which of those I prefer..l
From my personal experienced. Too long valve stem will results in an unbalance rotational when the wheel spin at high speed. I once have that on one descend and nearly lost control. From that day onward, shortest possible valve stem for me too! Also switch to the Campagnolo/Fulcrum wheelset to have a well balance wheels out of the box.
To have a balance wheels also ease up the acceleration, IMHO.
That is mean spirited and stupid. There is always someone with larger or more important problems
@@Deminutuv Assuming you are pointing your comment at me, it took you 6 months to become "woke"?
You think that was mean, you really aren't going to like this. Apparently reading comprehension is not your strong point. Read it again and try to understand what I wrote. You obviously didn't get it the first time.
Alex: Oh, no I got the wrong valves, these are too short, they look weird all the guys at GCN are gonna laugh at me.
Alex 5 min later: I'll just tell them it's a PRO hack and they just wouldn't understand.
This made me laugh a lot 😂
First gcn video I’ve watched in ages. Glad to see they are still harping on about aero gains and wider tyres. Wish they’d bring back some of the old presenters like Emma Pooley who could make a video about the joy of just riding your bike instead of how to make your £5k super bike go faster.
I really enjoyed her.
That's a £10,000 bike, isn't it?
@@JapaneseReds at least!
Gcn is just a bike advert.....
"Far more efficient!" = 1 or 2 theoretic watts
Especially on a pulley wheels, which roll on an loose side of chain so they consume meaningless amount of power :))
I’d say 75% of the stuff discussed on this channel are that kind of far more efficient!
Over 40 km it is
Thank Team Sky for making the theory and practice of 'marginal gains' popular.
Competitive cyclists will take all the advantages that they can get, no matter how marginal it is.
Winning by 0.1 second is still winning.
As a "freelance mechanic", I'm expecting at least 3 phone calls this week from people who saw this and want a 54t chainring, ceramic pulleys and narrower bar. You know, so they can hammer that B-group ride.
Hi! My bike fitter told me that I need 44cm handlebars, what do you think can I go lower than 44 ? Maybe 40 will work too?
@@NomadFilmmaker305 If your fitter use fitting theory derived from classic Italian fit,
42cm is actual right size with 40cm well within the range of usability.
@@Hexsense you saying that I can buy 42 instead of 44 and it will work good for me?
@@NomadFilmmaker305 if possible, you should try out affordable varients of each and see which you prefer
I wouldn't use a mechanic who belittles the B group riders.
Me, who doesn't race and only cycles for fun: ah yes this is brilliant advice.
Yep, need to start carrying a black marker in order to keep all these sponsors I have happy :D
hahah me too! :D
Must make sure I carry a marker pen on my next Sunday ride to the cafe... just in case I get a call on the way with a pro deal from Trek and I’m still riding my 2006 TCR C1 Giant 😂
Lot of negative comments but actually really liked this video, found it very succinct and clear, while not everything was something that I am going to apply myself I just found the presentation well done, clear and to the point some videos are about twice the length they need to be with a lot of rambling.
This just popped up in my feed, and I actually checked to see if it was an April Fools joke
2:45 'got a 50t chainring cos let's face it, it doesn't actually matter anyway'
Title should be: How to efficiently waste your money 😂😂😂😂
Well, you don't get the context of the video at all then 😂😂😂😂
2:22 is that a rusty chain? And you did not notice that leaf before filming this or is it a hack? 😄😄😄
We're going to have to have words with Alex about that. Unacceptable. 😂
ruclips.net/video/ZOsh9W0j-5A/видео.html
most of friction in bearing come from sealing. If you ditch sealing you save 60% of energy lose. Next one grease, it's around 30-35% and 5-10% on bearing itself. Benefit from good ceramic bearings, not even 1%., If it cheap ebay ceramic bearings, it actualy worse, than proper steel bearing.
Ceramic bearings only have an advantage over high grade steel bearing if they're spinning at over 10,000rpm. FACT. Use of ceramic bearings on bicycles is just marketing.
@@johnandrews3568 This needs to be said more often. The fact that people are still willing to back ceramic bearings in bicycles after the tremendous amount of data showing how little difference they make (if any) is surprising. High quality NTN steel bearings will net you way more watts saved at a fraction of the cost compared to ceramic each and every time.
@@AlexAyoub_ Exactly.. I see people bragging about ceramic bearing in their headset and just think they're stark, raving mad.
@@johnandrews3568 Wow…I can see the (still incorrect) argument of hubs and pulleys, but headset? The leaps in logic that must have taken…
@@AlexAyoub_ faster turn in LMFAO
I have been always in the quest to find a 54-42 crankset, paired with a 11-32 is the best gear ratio IMO.
I'm a 53kg Rider and that 54 is pretty useful going down.
11-36/42 master race. Go up every hill without wasting your finite calories and oxygen level
Yes, a bigger chainring will give less friction, but that is mainly because the chain will have less tension force, and not because of less curving of the links.
ruclips.net/video/ZOsh9W0j-5A/видео.html
SUPER explanations on some SUPER bikes in a SUPER way.
Thought It was a SUPER video.
The ceramic bearing myth needs to die at some point. It is one of those “it costs more, so it must be better” ideas combined with fancy marketing that gets people (apparently even GCN presenters?) to buy into it. The evidence against the use of ceramic bearings in bikes has been discussed ad nauseam at this point.
My guess is that it'll die off when the pros start to switch back to standard bearings.After all,who else than the pros are more indirectly influential to the 99.9% of the other cyclists around the globe?(When it comes to making decisions to get bike components,that is).
Personally,given the option I would run stainless steel bearings everywhere there's a bearing on my bike.
@@reapanomin899 Probably the bike and equipment brands that pay them.
Ceramic bearings do roll better than steel, however they need to be kept super clean and lubed with light oil. On a TT bike, they might help give a small advantage, but for normal riding a steel bearing is more than enough as long as they are maintained
I ain't spending money on cermaic bearings but if they give pro cyclists a tiny bit of advantage then so be it. Pro cyclists can swap-out parts daily during a race if needed and if ceramic bearings give them a 0.01 second advantage over the course of the race, then it is a valid option.
Winning by 0.01 second is still winning.
Alex's new rule for Bike Vault: "valves not too long"
These long valves sticking out actually annoys me as well, especially as they are sticking out on full length on alloy wheels. An the minimum length seems to be 42mm for the typical road bike tubes. And that has been the case before the deep carbon wheels had been invented. It not only increases air drag but also weight, at least 1g :)
We need aero valves.
There were several of those tips I hadn't heard before, and he provided reasonable explanations as to why he used them. Alex is a revelation.
bought a $500 3D printer and learnt how to design CAD models, instead of buying a retail version for $50
Even ended up buying the retail one too..
That's the first time I've ever heard an actually plausible explanation for using shorter cranks. The third I'd add is that in high cadence (low torque) pedaling, the shorter radius of travel can have a marginal advantage, allowing for slightly higher top end cadences, with less chance of rocking the hips in the saddle.
2:21 Jon Cannings is crying right now
Watched the GCN episode with Hambini on why you shouldn’t use ceramic bearings but industry standard ones. And then this one about ceramic bearings. Guess it all comes down to what you gonna be using the bike for.
That F12 with rim brakes is absolute fire
Why would filling the gap between the tire and frame be more aero, opposed to letting the air flow through it more freely and in a straighter line??
Less wind turbulence in the gap.
I swear the first 20 comments I read were snarky, whiny, critical. Seriously people, get a grip. If you don't like it, don't do it. That simple. No reason to be an ass about it. For the guy who lamented that Emma isn't present to extol the joys of cycling: there are plenty of GCN videos that aren't pro tips that are fun and light. Watching GNC videos makes me like cycling more. It has increased my attention to detail exponentially. For the guy who said GCN tells you not to do pro things then Alex says do them, my recollection is avoiding a super tall saddle to bar drop, not doing dangerous aero positions like superman and the praying mantis. Not more tame speed/aero related ones. I think that was obvious. I was happy to see that my thought to go with narrower bars was agreed mentioned and I'll now get them. It's also good to reiterate proper chain lube. I think Alex brings a balance to GCN--super informative, unassuming, fresh perspectives. I love this app/channel/website.
would love to see some (clothing)hacks for cycling during winter time.
Me to! Not the general bla bals but a real, everyday personal setup. Thanks Alex for this dense with details video 👌👌
Legs warmers arm warmers and a base layer..? How much more complex does it need to be?
@@lljc9170 these are the obvious things. but what are the pro hacks?
@@TheHabiat you put on clothes when cold. You take off clothes when hot
I love the suggestion for smaller valves. I've always thought there was some reason behind long valves, but to hear that you used ultra shorties while racing is all that I needed to hear. I'm going to use shorter valves moving forward.
it's mostly that people just use whatever tubes are available, and they all come in different valve lengths.
My first drop handle bike, a 24" Falcon was fitted with 38cm bars. My latesr bike also has 38cm bars. I have used 42cm, which are supposed to be right for me, but I rather like the narrower ones
got it. now teach me how to afford a set of di2🤣
ruclips.net/video/ZOsh9W0j-5A/видео.html
Buy stock next time there’s a coronavirus crash lol. I bought an Allez Sprint in 105 completely from my Robinhood gains this year hahaha
Oh my I totally recognized Jan Willem van Schip and I wished you interviewed him!
Same
The ‘bigger rings are more efficient’ thing is, to some extent, a myth.
Yes, the chain links are rotating less but there’s more of them doing it. The total degree of change of direct is very similar. In testing it’s been proven that only very extreme sized cogs like 9 and 10 tooth cogs make a measurable difference and even then, it’s very small.
Bigger rings are also heavier, less aerodynamic and require a longer chain.
a lot of tips here are what we call shaving constants in computing, are those things that makes your program run 1ms faster in a 1000 hour simulation where practicality is practically null, as a lot people say, biggest upgrade is losing weight on the rider
I cant find aero permanent markers anywhere.
I think sharpies would test well in the wind tunnel.
I liked this one 😁
That was some great advice! Thank you👍👏
You had me, until you mentioned ceramic bearings.... ceramic bearings are the most pointless and dumbest bike upgrade you can make.
1000%
Watt???
@@littlemilllosers ceramic bearings have zero friction gains on steel bearings, and actually wear faster so have worse friction much quicker. Save the $ and spend on aero kit, tyres, training whatever.
@@MrBJPitt sorry it was a poor joke watt? Rather than watt, l completely agree, l can save about 10w by bending my elbows!
@@littlemilllosers ah okay, it's sad that I am so used to people not being able to spell, I didn't even notice the joke
Longer cranks get a lot more torque through than shorter ones, isnt that good when attacking or sprinting?🤔
No. It's not only about torque. Talking about the output is the wattage which is Torque x Cadence.
There's once a study that found out Wattage produce from long vs short cranks are no obviously different.
Use big chainring and cogs:
Sram: invents 10T cog and smaller chainrings
TT and Triathletes like one by setups though. Smaller cogs will help that.
Scientists who work closely with cigarette manufacturers....Smoking is good for you 🤨
Sram 'invents' 10T cogs Moulton has been using for decades. In fact their smallest is a 9T.
You don’t want short valves because when you puncture you won’t get the pump fully on the inner tube valve unless you have sufficient length.
Most people have a pretty straight chainline in a 50t when solo 😁
Personally I go for narrowest bars and a narrow 23c in front, and it's really fast for my meager power and comfortable on our, admittedly pretty reasonable, roads.
Going from 175 to 170 instantly felt better.
I like those no nonsense tips and tricks. Very good video thank you.
Best non-pro tip I have. When packing a bike for travel, I grab my wife's nail polish and put a dot on the back of the seatpost just above the clamp and a corresponding dot on the clamp itself. I also put a small dot on my handlebars that is visible through the gap in my stem when everything is rotated back into position. I also put my Look power pedals and my Garmin inside my Sidi's and pack them in my carry-on, because airline insurance only covers so much . . .
Airline insurance will cover virtually nothing. Carrying metal objects in your carry on luggage will more than likely lead to security delays, if not arguments about their potential to be used as a weapon, and being told you can’t bring them on. Where does that leave you? If you are worried about damage to your bike, take out a proper insurance policy, such as PedalCover that insures you against EVERYTHING - theft, accident damage, damage in transit etc etc. This includes ALL kit, including ancillaries such as Garmin type head units, lights, clothing, helmet, shoes etc. That’s my pro tip and I’m not sponsored by PedalCover, I’m just a customer. Oh, and I know a bit about airlines as I fly aeroplanes for a living. ;-)
Yeah, I did try to keep my chain clean once. ;-)
Get your shifters facing inside in stead of straight or even facing outside. That will prevent you from getting wrist injuries, because your wrists will be in a more natural position. You and your bike will become more aero as well.
So how much further can you lean your bike around a corner or how much earlier can you start pedaling in a corner by using 170mm cranks rather than 172,5mm cranks??
The other great use of a black marker: the anodizing pen. Get a scratch on an alloy component, and just touch it up with your magic "anodizing" pen!
I have bought some 'excellent' 'as new drivetrain components that have had this approach , it wasn't you was it?😉😂😂
@@littlemilllosers LOL, no, but clearly someone has been abusing the anodizing pen, so maybe I should have kept it a secret!
Use short valve for small aerodynamic gain, use 28mm tire to significantly increase aero drag. Pick both.
28 tire not necessarily increase aero drag. It depends on your system, things have to be think of the whole, frame + wheels + tires + cockpits + rider.
In Alex case, he explain that the 28 fill the gap between tire and his frame thus resulting in more aerodynamics.
But it also up to the wheel too. If the tire is too wide or narrow in relative to rim width, then you can lost some aero.
When comparing to 23 or 25mm tires, 28 are areodynamically inferior. Furthermore if you install them on wider rims, the tires are going to be even wider, somwhere at 30mm. I do not care how well it fills the gap between the frame it is far less important, than the fact, that they disturb the airflow on the front more than thinner tires. On some very rough tramac 28mm are faster - but aerodynamically they cannot beat thinner tires.
ceramic bearings and 28mm are aero? someone call hambini
Literally as a mountain biker this is to extreme
THE AERO
Agree on the valve stem length. But oddly enough, my are usually way too long. Perhaps there's psychological reason for that. 😅
Why do SwissSide say go 23mm on the front?
This wider tyre thing really confuses me. Should you sacrifice rolling resistence for aerodynamics or the other way around?
Just my two cents: from how I understand it, listening to various different sources, the narrower tyre is more aero, although this also depends on the width of your wheel (it should "seal").
Then again, specially on a rougher surface, the wider tyre has a better contact ..rolls better/easier and breaking seems better too. (Thinking of narrow corners on a descent with a bad surface here.)
So ... is a wider or a narrower tyre faster? I'd say that depends. Perfect road: narrow. Bad Road: wider.
Is a wider tyre more aero? No.
To decide what is "faster" many influences come into play, so it's never easy to say in general.
Tuning the engine and making the correct tactical decisions are the only things that win races. The rest is commercialism and consumerism run amok.
Hey Alex, Which part of our bikes should be protected most and what do you advise to do? paints, tapes or guards?
No BS, for once some good tips....marker pen, back in the days we had duck tape to cover the a SIDI logo on shoes, long story, Crystal Palace Crits _ Eddy Windgrave..1970's, jumpers for goal posts...etc....
The Video, I ( really!) waited for 👍
ruclips.net/video/ZOsh9W0j-5A/видео.html
Start of ride in the mountains and finish on the coast? Have two bottle cages with full bottles.
I'll remind myself to always bring a marker :)
Haha
The difference between the shortest and longest crank arms are 5mm at best. Hardly makes any difference in body-leg clearance or cornering
Anyone know what Bars are featured in the title card? The Ultra Narrow flared ones. They don't appear in the video.
OMG, how could I ride for so long without carrying a black marker?
Hey there! Question to everyone here, if you're interested:
Does anybody feel like handlebars are usually too wide? I have a 44 cm shoulder width in a relaxed position, however I'm most comfortable on a 40 cm handlebar, it just feels way more natural.
If I use wider handlebars my wrists tend to go closer and end up with elbow pain.
I have a 40 cm handlebar, I turned the levers inside,so the width is 36 cm and it's more comfortable and aerodynamic now.
38s for me. 6'2" 5 or 6 years ago I noticed in women's cycling (especially triathlon) that their handlebars were massive. They were like cycling parachutes. I thought, can nobody see this
46
@@djkhmor4538 are you the Rock
44 and will not go narrower
28mm tires won't squeeze past my brake calipers unless I deflate the tire first.
Who needs brakes?
The quiet specific position of the STI Shift levers isn't shown in the video at all? Hard case of clickbaiting here on this one.....!
Great video!
I didn't understand the black permanent Marker thing. Can somebody recap me the benefits of carrying one with you?
3D printing will get the SiBorg excited 😜✌🏼
Gotta get one
Thumbs up for Rim Brakes 👍 that bike goes really well with the kit
if ya wanna stop well ride a threewheeler, not a race bike
Advantage of rim brakes again went unmentioned...GCN conspiracy #145
Really great film 🎥 cheers
The cranks aren’t shorter. The pedal position is shorter. At least on SRAM force cranks.
I'm rather short man and I have been always using 170 mm cranks. I tend to have low cadence. Maybe shorter cranks would improve that.
Hmm, I suspect if you get a cassette that has a wider range of gears (11-28T or 11-32T) or a crankset with a semi-compact setup (50/34 instead of, say, 52/36), you will find you can ride at higher cadence with an easier selection of gears. Crank arm length is really more about hip angle and personal comfort rather than cadence.
Now please teach us how to use di2 hood button as gear shifters
Connect your di2 to bluetooth, go into the di2 app, and do your config thing
Buy a wireless dfly unit + ewire and use the etube software. Only works if you got the dura ace 9070 or ultegra r8050/r8070 or dura ace r9050/r9170 shifters.
@@actualperson1971 or just config with the di2 battery charger connect to pc with Etube application on Windows.
Thank you all, i'll try it soon!
I try all that, found the config but i cant apply the settings, i got ultegra 8070
White handlebar tape. Easier to see with sweat in the eyes.
“Using the hoods can actually save over 50 watts compared with being down on the hoods.”
👌🏻
If you had a properly designed frame, the B/B would be 15mm further from the ground.
Thank you! I wonder is it worth keep serving and replacing parts on old bike or should I get a new one?
It's really down to personal preference. You can keep your bike going pretty much indefinitely with maintenance but at some point you might see something on new bikes that you want, so you upgrade!
ruclips.net/video/ZOsh9W0j-5A/видео.html
Wouldn't a shorter crank mean you're putting more energy into cycling as there is less leverage?
No, energy is exactly the same. You need more force because you have lesse way. Force x way x time = energy you need.
Leverage isn't such a significant factor on a geared system such as a bike.
Size of crank has no difference in power
Shorter cranks are better to spin fast, while longer cranks give you leverage that is helpful when accelerating (on a given gear) but otherwise the leverage doesn't come into play as it's compensated by your choice of gear.
According to the test GCN did some time ago yes.
During the 10 second sprint longer cranks produced 136W more than the short ones but for some reason they did not mention that in their final assessment.
Now thinking of designing "aero" valve caps
Yes, a permanent marker! Will make wonders for me this weekend on my amateur race for all my sponsors
and nothing about disc brakes/ rim brakes?
1:13 did he say 50 watts or 15 watts?
He said 50w 🤷🏼♂️
15 sounds more realistic.
50w. There's a huge saving to be had from body position for everyone 😎
50%.......
Giving that figure without context is meaningless either way. 50 watts is a dramatic difference, but it was probably measured at 50 km/h.
Weirdly no one seems to like this video but it’s one of the very few GCN tech vids I actually found interesting. At least he’s clear on what is good for pros vs what is good for strong amateurs, which is very often blurred. Maybe there wasn’t enough crappy banter for some people...
2:22 is your chain rusted there conveniently while you are talking about larger radius efficiency ???? 😮😲
5:45 😮😲😮😲😮😲 correct brands, so you like to use shimano because it is better but company number 2 is giving you money so you continue to use shimano but paint it black is that it ?
Was that rust on the chain??!!!
Pedals are not in the correct position
Valves are not aligned
Hes not in Biggie-smalls
Hes got a bottle
Its a pity just a nice for me.......
Ps allways align your quick release with your fork a competitor might kick it, or you yourself in a corner of a near crash or something rather. And if it is to tight, or your fingers to tired, you can use the fork as leveridge to get it loose
permanent markers... because can't have non-sponsor logos showing at the weekly group ride. Got it.
Tall as I am
-- laughs in Irish
Roaddies...
Areo...Areo..Areo
The amount of friction is like so little? And skinnier bars are more unstable
Must remember my black permanent marker pen next time I go out for a spin!
You should not!!! unless you are a pro that need a quick cover up for non-sponsored components.
I'm always carry a marker pen during a ride. But it is a metallic color marker from a Sharpie pen. Great for a marking on most surface, even a dark black carbon where black marker can't be seen. I'm Always use this metallic marker for marking a tire/tube puncture.
Alex, I appreciate that you're still new on the job, but I have a cavil. "Far more ..., far less ..., far bigger ..." all for tiny differences. That's my only (nit-picking) criticism.
I got myself some 34 cm bars, from a guy in Australia. I have no problems riding with them.
Hi,
Is there a video from gcn about how to be able to slam your stem and get lower and not have back pain? (Are there any stretches I could do or something in that direction)
@bedsidetable123 4 thank you👍
Having a slammed stem requires good back flexibility. If you stretch a lot you can get into that low, aero position
@@johnandrews3568 ok thanks
@@paulgoppert1972 just an FYI, I started racing in a slammed position back in the 80s and at age 55 I'm in the same slammed position because I'm so used to it. Currently using a -20 stem on my slammed stem and using the deepest drop bars I could find. :)
It really comes down to too many factors to give a general response that will be possible for everyone, because it won’t be. Age and back condition being two of them - as one of the responders said, if you have been in a low tuck since your youth, you will have more chance of being able to sustain it as you age. If you are older and have never ridden in such a tuck it is going to be much more difficult and you may never achieve comfort - just look at Brad Wiggins - his back was parallel to the road, it is highly unlikely anyone older will ever get to that sort of position, which took him years of training.
Another factor is your bike geometry - a taller head tube and more relaxed geometry will see a slammed stem that still has you more upright than a more race orientated frame with a shorter head tube even with a spacer or two. A slammed stem on that bike will see you lower still. And then you’ve got stem lengths and angles which vary - some pros will use negative rise stems to get their front end even lower than the slam will get them! And handlebars vary massively in reach from tops to hoods to drops.
You will be most efficient when you are comfortable - and I mean a position that is sustainable, rather than slamming your stem and then finding you can’t hold the position for very long. Set yourself in the optimum, sustainable position for you right now and ride lots. You will be able to gradually get a bit lower. Do lots of flexibility exercises, especially for your back, neck and shoulders - loads available online. You will have to be religious with them though if you really want to see improvements. Consider yoga or Pilates which will be excellent for flexibility and core strength (another key to being able to sustain a position whilst riding).
Doing all that may see you able to slam your stem and sustain the position. But it depends on so many variables - you might even be able to slam it already and get used to it! Who can say?
How tall is the presenter? He made the comment about being tall and using a 170 crank, but how tall is he for reference?
I'm 186cm 😎
I think the historic wisdom of longer crank arms being necessary for taller riders has been strongly challenged by modern cycling testing. Plenty of folks in the 180+ cm range ride 165-170 mm cranks without issue, but you should head to your LBS to give it a shot and see if it is comfortable for you.
Well it proves that pro riders are not very clever. Ceramic bearings, hoods are faster than drops, because i tested it, so it will work for you, trust me. Not to mention bs 50watts saved. Wider tire is faster :D (although he did not say it directly). Rusty chain. How about teflon waxed chain? front 23mm tire, aero helmet, skin suit? Quality steel Ntn, skf bearings? I thought video will be about some bar hack, like that one on clickbait picture. This was a joke. Video should be renamed pro tech tips, that slow you down.
Well.. I believe performance is not always about aerodynamic and efficiency... The Human needs good ergonomics to "squeeze" all the potential... What's worth having a narrow handlebar if it constraints you breathing ability? Or what worth having a small crank for your size to be aero and pedal more on tight conners if then your body don't put as much power on the pedals as with a bit longer ones?... Or even worse... that resulting in a injury due to a bad ergonomic position. Off course, you can play a bit around the "perfect" position but that is not "searching for the narrowest...the smallest and other 'est..."lol balance is the key
2:20 rusty link and leaf in derailleur
Wife tries filling up the gaps equals destroyed fork from rocks crunching up inside
but you failed to show the 3d printed wahoo mount ..
"choose the narrowest handlebar possible" if you want to have sore hands and back. The width of the handebar must correspond your shoulder width - in most of the cases 405 center to center. I liked this channel, but just like GMBN you hav started to make videos just for the sake of it