Brilliant! If Rick Zabel trusts Alex, so do I. Just listened to Rick‘s latest Podcast where he talks about Israel mechanics asking him what bike setup he wanted for the upcoming race, and up until recently his answer always used to be „same as Alex“.
@@l.d.t.6327 I mean that in TT’s for example some teams who are not sponsored by Vittoria would use Vittoria tyres because they thought those tyres were an advantage
Would love to hear more pro insights like your comments on "No Shimano team will run an OSPW because Shimano wouldn't know what caused any issues". Less brand focused and more focused on why certain riders choose certain TT wheels, why someone would choose non-sponsor equipment, basically why pros make decisions that go against conventions. That's the kind of thing only pros get insights into, which is rare for spectators to see
I also noticed he didn't bring up tires. I know on the MTB racing side it's pretty common to see sharpied out logos on Maxxis tires with DH and Enduro pros and sharpied out Schwalbes on the XC side. Though for the last couple season the Specialized factory riders seem happy enough to run Specialized tires, but you NEVER see Trek factory riders on Bontrager tires in MTB racing, and Giant specs Maxxis on all their MTBs.
I feel like Cervelo’s marketing team have put in a lot of work to make them the in brand - the dream bike for most. It used to be Pinarello, then Specialized took over with the tarmac, but I think the S5 is taking the reins as the ultimate race bike now.
Canyon and Cervelo hit the jackpot with Van Der Poel and Van Aert. Couldn't have asked for better advertisement. Those two are doing for those brands whats Cipollini did for Cannondale back in the day.
The best thing about new good stuff (and disc brake takeover) is that old good stuff (a lot of it barely used) starts getting sold for stupidly low prices. You can pick up top end bikes with DI2 starting at a grand. I saw a Trek Madone 9.9 Project 1 for "buy it now" at 3k the other day. An SL3 for 1175. A Focus Izalco Max for about the same. It's nuts! So an interesting video would be a sub 2k "bargain" bike ebay challenge. What would you recommend etc. And also a fair, old vs new bike challenge - i.e put the same aero wheels on the old bike as the new bike and then do a circuit. Cheers!
So everyone in the peloton is happy about their gear ? It just confirms what I've been observing after joining a club and started racing : the faster they are, the less they care about gear. Give them a bike, they ride it, they don't ask questions.
I gotta agree, the Nopinz stuff that I have are the best. Currently I only have the socks but they are my favorite... they don't fall down and they don't rip when you put them on. Hello Castelli.
Interesting insights especially in the wheelset department. One company that has successfully "divorced" itself from a de facto companion wheelset mindset is, funny enough, Campagnolo. They spun off the Fulcrum brand for wheelsets that can be used by folks who aren't on Campagnolo drivetrains, and they seem pretty well regarded.
Thank you Alex, this was an excellent overview which was easy to follow and interesting to say the least. As an professional elite cyclist for many years, your advice is greatly appreciated and it is this kind of perspective that all of us keen cycling enthusiasts need to hear.
"Specialized has an advantage", really? Milan - San Remo: Canyon Flanders: Colnago (2nd: Canyon) Paris-Roubaix: 1st and 2nd Canyon You are too biased for your own good. Canyon (with its direct sales model) is eating up Specialized and Trek's share every single day and twice on Sunday. Also, the most popular wheel brand on modern geometry bikes where I live is DT Swiss, which you didn't even mention...
Lol, we just going to ignore it was MvDP and Pog astride them? The riders won those races, he basically said the bikes are all similar enough the riders are the difference.
Great vid from Alex. As an average cyclist, who doesn't race but rides around 10k a year, I look for endurance bikes where Cervelo and Look have excellent options with Caledonia and 765 Optimum bikes. Specialized or Trek don't have specific endurance bikes that have a good stack/reach/trail ratio and weird combinations that are more focused on gravel.
If you are an average cyclist, you probably can't really go wrong between big brands. Alex is talking from a pro's perspective. But you and I probably can't even really tell the difference between a frame from most big brands, with the same groupset and wheels.
@Vladimir Jacob there's an enormous difference in ride quality between bikes in the same price range. Also, the number of average cyclists with power meters is enormous now and it's easily seen when 1 bike is faster than another. Not saying any of the big brand bikes are bad. But you can easily buy a good bike with it being the wrong bike for your desired characteristics, even if fit isn't an issue
I didn’t have a dog in this fight and I appreciate his candor. I especially like his closing, where he parrots Nobel prize winner Milton Friedman: “if you want better products at a lower price, competition works every time.”
Kristoff won the Tour stage on the Champs Elysees and Gent Wevelgem with that Colnago aero rim brake bike, so it couldn't be that bad. In 2020, he got a disc brake bike and raced that one for 2 years, in 2020 he won the first stage in the Tour on that bike and was 3rd in Tour of Flanders. In 2021, he wasn't getting too many good results (partly because he didn't fit in the UAE GC team), and he left because he felt UAE didn't want to renew his contract for a good salary, so he felt underappreciated (UAE probably thought he was old and done). So it didn't have that much to do with the bike.
One area that remains untouched, but is of great importance to the general cycling population, is nutrition, be that energy gels, bars and drinks or post ride recovery protein. Things have changed in the SIS range, and I can't seem to work out how things are meant to piece together any more. I don't know how it is with other suppliers.
As a matter of fact I have a pair of Bantrager Aeolus pro5 disc wheels on my Colnago CLX disc and a pair of Bontrager pro 3V on my Colnago G3-X. Their warranty and no rider weight limit was dealbreakers for me. Being a heavy rider at 95-100 kg. some of the carbonwheels on the market have ridicoulus system weight limits...
I had a Advanced Pro, Advanced SL, Cannondale Supersix Evo, and now Wilier Cento10SL, Best bike of my life was the advanced SL (with integrated saddle) with ultegra and DT Swiss 48mm dicut wheels
Alex, really good take on the separation of manufacture sub lines such as Trek/Bontrager. Most of them do it for cost savings instead of outsourcing wheels/parts. Plus creating that eco system you can create product add ons to consumers when they buy a bike. When I shop wheels, I immediately cross off certain brands because I don't ride their frame. Will be very interesting if this becomes more normal over the years to see cross branding. BMC/DT Swiss another example
Alex, many helmets and shoes have very different fits. So how do riders how have a round head but are sponsored by Specialized make the helmet fit? Similarly how does an oval head shaped rider make an Oakley or Giro helmet fit them? I have to question the efficiency/safety of a helmet whose head shape differs from the helmet shape.
Hmm, did you forget Willier. I was very keen to buy a Colnago but ended up on. Willier Zero SLR as it feels so alive on climbs but stable on windy open sections and if set up ok is comfy even for a weekend warrior like me
Does your Ostro review still stand then? I recall you were very positive about it at the time, and your thoughts seemed quite genuine, so curious if you still feel it's a leading bike?
Before the great Shimano crankset recall. Wonder how that will pan out, especially if they end up having to do it in Europe like USA. Took my Roubaix in for its check on Monday. If replacement required, I get an 'equivalent'. Didn't ask what that meant. I had a right crank snap in 1976 - new bike, short slope, hammered on pedal, snap, car coming past... I held my line! Sid Standard, Beeston, very apologetic. Hence I prefer robust to ultra light and worried about the current recall. Time to pump up the 23c tyres on the 2007 SystemSix Ultegra. SE London & Kent potholes bigger than when it last had a run out.
Quality content. Everything is open for discussion, but it's hard to argue against a man with that much experience at such a high level. Doesn't necessarily translate 1on1 to consumer market, but I think you've addressed that as well. Happy to see an unbiased opinion from someone who is actually in a position to give one. That said, I might be slightly biased. Run a Specialized frameset on Hed wheels with a Shimano drivetrain, wearing Bont shoes. I've sadly come to the conclusion that while apparently the suit maketh the man, the kit certainly does not maketh the rider. Ah well, at least Alex is with me on most of my kit choice. Good enough for me.
Specialized sponsored teams clearly have plenty of money, but I’m not sure the frame is gonna make any significant difference in 2023, of it ever did. Almost all the bikes look indistinguishable, and a couple of manufacturers have made big strides this year (Giant, Cannondale) so are probably ahead of anything else in aero.
So yea the video goes like this: "Yea that's an interesting one, brand X is the best, but brand A B C X Y Z are also great, and have upgraded, bla bla bla bla. And then this brand is also decent bla bla bla bla and no one complains about that brand because that's also nice." So in the end, 0.0% factual content on "best kit right now" except for the obvious sponsor-to-come Specialized that used to be the brand everyone wants, but now no one races except for Quickstep that isn't winning anything what so ever in the past long time.
This was an interesting video. Not because of the content, which was relatively shallow, like WHY are some bike brands faster than others. But because it shows the viewpoints of a pro rider which is far different from a regular consumer. There is consideration of sponsors, feeling and perception eg. pros viewing Specialised bikes as faster because their riders win more. Personally, I want to be as close to fast as pros (apart from fitness) for a fraction of the price and without forced brand loyalty. I would challenge Alex to take a different learning approach: what makes a bike fast? System aerodynamics (wheels, cockpit, frame), friction losses (drivetrain, hub bearings), rolling resistance (tyres, frame compliance). I would argue that if you put 5 most winning bikes to a test and you test them with 5 different riders, you will see different riders doing better on different bikes. Anyway, lunch time now! 😊
Keen to hear from you about seats and pedals. Seems like these contact points may be important enough to make pros want to choose their own, or be unhappy with what the sponsor provides.
Seems to me like they usually just bundle pedals in with groupsets, so mostly Shimano and Time (Time pedals are owned by Sram) and odd Look here and there. I think Speedplay used to be quite popular prior to Wahoo acquisition, but I haven't noticed them much since then.
A lot of the so called invitations in road are to absorb the cost of mountain bike tooling and manufacture. SRAM 10T works great on MTB when running a 26 or 28T on an Enduro bike, but on the road no so much. It's similar to what happened with the arch from square taper to Octalink to outboard bearing on the BB's with Shimano. Shimano in the past would always lead with XTR vs Dura-Ace. Increasing axles widths wasn’t all that much about stiffness is more stop from sheering square taper axles when jumping on MTB's (e.g. Discorder MTB video era). The real problem is Octalink and ISIS bearings are so tiny (I wore out Dura Ace octalink BB in no time, Ultegra did much better) and outboard the bearings aren't under compression. With T47 we’ve come almost full circle from Truvativ’s (pre-SRAM) failed standard of the 48 mm Overdrive, and T47 is still inferior.
On non-sponsored riders is not uncommon to see a Roval or Cadex wheelset. BMC does have wheelsets (at least they get some stamped with their branding). Fun! Thanks. Oh, would like to hear your comments on 1x groupsets. I know, not very roadie but ...
Could you make an in-depth review of both Factor and Pinarello? You cover it quickly but I’d love to hear the actual details (each frame, wheels etc), and you must have a very detailed opinion having ridden both for years.
I didn’t want to pluck an opinion out of thin air, that wouldn’t be fair. I honestly can’t recall a Cannondale rider being especially happy or unhappy.
Great vid Alex. Very interesting. Disagree on the helmets. No mention of Rudy Project. They are really great quality helmets if a little heavy. Kask are the best quality in my opinion but the cage clashes with glasses I often find. I ride a Met. Think they are good re weight and sit well on the head not creating the mushroom head. Only complaint is the strapping and cage is a bit basic and could feel more premium given the price. Northwave shoes for me.
Hi Alex, I was hoping for when you were talking about kit, it was what everyone uses on a rainy training ride or a cold winter training day or who has the best chamois. Maybe a Part 2?
Thanks for all your openness and disclaimers: I trust your content. Great video, left me feeling i had somewhere to stand when making decisions about my bicycle universe! Subscribed!
For non-pros, our budget, body shape flexibility, and fitness should determine choice of bike, not what won last TdF. Except... MAINTAINABILITY... get away from specialist tools. Cost for home maintenance and bike shops gets silly. If I had a windfall and could buy a new bike, maintenance would be first factor, then what fits me best before micro-adjustments
Appreciate your reservation regarding sunglasses brands and only making comparisons where you can’t by any stretch be seen to be speaking based on personal gain motivated bias, however… (Particularly given there overwhelming prevalence as the preferred brand)…. I suspect a lot of viewers would be interested in your views regarding their respective models and respective lenses e.g. photochromic vs prizm, prizm road vs prizm trail / trail torch. I note they currently have a prizm road black (over and above prizm black), whereby both look outwardly black, but the view out is a different colour base. Anyway, that’s my 2cents
I'm 6:30 minutes into this video, and so far it's a bit of a bummer. I was excited to hear you talk shit with the audience in the way you did within the peloton, but this is kinda lame. Why does it matter that Specialized make a range of bikes? Missing here are explanations of why certain bikes suck and why Specialized is a better road bike. So far, this sounds like an advertisement. Surely you've heard of Hambini. What say you about his opinion that Time and Look make the best road bikes in the world? Do you believe your experience as a professional rider outweighs the opinion of an engineer? I don't mean that in a "gotcha" way, I'm just genuinely curious. I see why you're playing this safe, but the bike brands critique reveals very little. P.S. Edited to add that I would watch an honest version of your thoughts without the little teasers. Do something different and unique! You have a perspective and experience that very few people in the world will ever achieve. I feel like a manager at this point, but tap into your creative side. That is all.
I’m sorry you’re upset at the video. In the description I explain where my opinion comes from. I’m not an engineer, I go off what wins, what riders seems happy with.
No mention of Shimano shoes, no mention of Enve or Zipp wheels. Also, I always heard people tried to avoid Giant and Lapierre frames as they just haven't been competitive from an aero standpoint. And Sidi shoes...those things are heavy, I'd guess riders would love them only as long as they were being paid.
How much does the frameset really matter though? If it fits, is adequately stiff and aero, and brings the bike into the region of the UCI weight minimum, is the frame not just something to hang the drivetrain on? Has any rider, on frame X, seriously complained that they would have done better on frame Y?
I enjoyed this Alex! If you would do more of these, maybe go into a little more in-depth analysis and opinion, both your own and from what you heard from teams and riders, that would be amazing, and I would watch all that for sure. I raced on an amateur level, and worked in sales in a shop some years. An interesting crowd to get opinions from are the mechanics. We carried Trek and Specialized, among some others - Cervelo and Pinarello at one time. The consensus was that Specialized was much better built from a day in, day out mechanical use perspective. If you're a pro rider, and team sponsored, and have mechanics for the team, that isn't so much an issue. Things that came up was cable routing, frame voids, various fitment parts on build, bottom bracket ovality. I'd choose a Specialized over a Trek. I raced on Cervelo and had endless problems with the bottom bracket area. Had to warranty a couple of them. Not a problem for a team or a sponsored rider. Their bikes were really fast. I liked them when I had no problems. I ride a LOOK now. Quality of the frame and the bottom bracket tolerance was the overriding factor. If I didn't choose that, it may well have been Specialized. Personal bias to some degree - I just wanted something different than Specialized or Trek - but my experience with LOOK bikes and the reputation for fine tolerances was a selling factor. Anyway, awesome video. Quite enjoyed this!
One segment you should cover is the saddle market kind of the same issue with Bontrager saddles specialize saddles and then segment. Focus companies like selle Italia
Tubes are the most cost efficient way for people to upgrade their ride - even better value than wheels. Any thoughts on pro preferences would be interesting.
What about factor road bikes? You didn't mention it, as you have raced pinarellos and factor (i'm interested mainly in ostro aero bike) what is your opinion? Are they the same tier as trek, specialized, cervelo or pinarello in terms of performance?
what are your thoughts on chinese direct equipment, such as SEKA bikes or Lun wheels (especially the Lun MEGA) or wheels like Lightbicycle? A lot of tech nerd review/commentary racer cyclist channels have been obsessed with such gear, does it have the caliber to compete with the equipment in the big GT races?
I see local riders run all sorts of wheel/bike combos that aren't "brand correct" and nobody cares or says anything. There are probably some non sponsored riders that really care about everything matching, but seems to me that's something mostly sponsored/pro riders really would notice or care about.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Brilliant! If Rick Zabel trusts Alex, so do I. Just listened to Rick‘s latest Podcast where he talks about Israel mechanics asking him what bike setup he wanted for the upcoming race, and up until recently his answer always used to be „same as Alex“.
No wheel I’d rather sit on than Rick or Braendle ☺️
Whats about nutrition? What worked for you? Maybe a topic for a Video
Alex's new Bike sponsors is definitely Specialized!!!!
100%. Chanel is already riding specialized I think.
He just ruined his credibility what’s next SRAM is good 😂
@@LOOK860tbf as a hill climber, sram mechanical rim brake is proper light, but yes agree specialised is more overpriced than colnago these days
@@jamesnichols5163 its definitely not more overpriced than Colnago😂
i was hoping for more there to be honest.. there wasnt much critisism, just a lot of everyone is happy
An interesting one would have been tyres. A lot of teams (sponsored or not) were on Vittoria’s a few years ago
there are still plenty of teams on Vittoria, or do you mean there were more a few years ago?
@@l.d.t.6327 I mean that in TT’s for example some teams who are not sponsored by Vittoria would use Vittoria tyres because they thought those tyres were an advantage
@kingofcrunk4237 it makes little difference with the fastest tires. A company like Maxxis and Hutchison only have slow tubed tires though
Would love to hear more pro insights like your comments on "No Shimano team will run an OSPW because Shimano wouldn't know what caused any issues". Less brand focused and more focused on why certain riders choose certain TT wheels, why someone would choose non-sponsor equipment, basically why pros make decisions that go against conventions. That's the kind of thing only pros get insights into, which is rare for spectators to see
Yes please. Need also the subjective ones
I also noticed he didn't bring up tires. I know on the MTB racing side it's pretty common to see sharpied out logos on Maxxis tires with DH and Enduro pros and sharpied out Schwalbes on the XC side. Though for the last couple season the Specialized factory riders seem happy enough to run Specialized tires, but you NEVER see Trek factory riders on Bontrager tires in MTB racing, and Giant specs Maxxis on all their MTBs.
Unbiased unsponsored 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
Not a pro but very surprised Shimano wasn’t mentioned for shoes. I’ve tried Specialized, Mavic, Spiuk and Shimano. My RC-9’s are my favorite so far.
Im on exactly the same +1 for the RC-9's
I'm just an old person one step from a hybrid who doesn't understand half of what you're talking about, but I thoroughly enjoyed this video.
I feel like Cervelo’s marketing team have put in a lot of work to make them the in brand - the dream bike for most.
It used to be Pinarello, then Specialized took over with the tarmac, but I think the S5 is taking the reins as the ultimate race bike now.
Tdf win helps. Is a sexy bike though
Its nice….but here comes the cheap Canyon aeroad CFR winning two monuments 😂
Exactly, when fans see these bikes winning races...that's sponsorship
@Christian Zimmermann Witt Canyon most underrated frame, great company R & D, customer service is #1& truly a fast bike
Canyon and Cervelo hit the jackpot with Van Der Poel and Van Aert. Couldn't have asked for better advertisement. Those two are doing for those brands whats Cipollini did for Cannondale back in the day.
The best thing about new good stuff (and disc brake takeover) is that old good stuff (a lot of it barely used) starts getting sold for stupidly low prices. You can pick up top end bikes with DI2 starting at a grand. I saw a Trek Madone 9.9 Project 1 for "buy it now" at 3k the other day. An SL3 for 1175. A Focus Izalco Max for about the same. It's nuts!
So an interesting video would be a sub 2k "bargain" bike ebay challenge. What would you recommend etc. And also a fair, old vs new bike challenge - i.e put the same aero wheels on the old bike as the new bike and then do a circuit.
Cheers!
So everyone in the peloton is happy about their gear ?
It just confirms what I've been observing after joining a club and started racing : the faster they are, the less they care about gear. Give them a bike, they ride it, they don't ask questions.
Definitely one of the best honest videos I've seen in a long time. Well done! Keep it coming.
I gotta agree, the Nopinz stuff that I have are the best. Currently I only have the socks but they are my favorite... they don't fall down and they don't rip when you put them on. Hello Castelli.
Love the long form sharing of ideas and perception. Cheers Alex
Would be interesting to hear what are the best bikes/components that you have ridden over the years?
Interesting insights especially in the wheelset department. One company that has successfully "divorced" itself from a de facto companion wheelset mindset is, funny enough, Campagnolo. They spun off the Fulcrum brand for wheelsets that can be used by folks who aren't on Campagnolo drivetrains, and they seem pretty well regarded.
Thank you Alex, this was an excellent overview which was easy to follow and interesting to say the least. As an professional elite cyclist for many years, your advice is greatly appreciated and it is this kind of perspective that all of us keen cycling enthusiasts need to hear.
"Specialized has an advantage", really?
Milan - San Remo: Canyon
Flanders: Colnago (2nd: Canyon)
Paris-Roubaix: 1st and 2nd Canyon
You are too biased for your own good. Canyon (with its direct sales model) is eating up Specialized and Trek's share every single day and twice on Sunday. Also, the most popular wheel brand on modern geometry bikes where I live is DT Swiss, which you didn't even mention...
Lol, we just going to ignore it was MvDP and Pog astride them? The riders won those races, he basically said the bikes are all similar enough the riders are the difference.
Didn’t age well with Remco winning LBL either 🤣
Great vid from Alex.
As an average cyclist, who doesn't race but rides around 10k a year, I look for endurance bikes where Cervelo and Look have excellent options with Caledonia and 765 Optimum bikes.
Specialized or Trek don't have specific endurance bikes that have a good stack/reach/trail ratio and weird combinations that are more focused on gravel.
The Domane is an outstanding bike and always has been outside of the bb90 stuffs but that's not a problem anymore
If you are an average cyclist, you probably can't really go wrong between big brands. Alex is talking from a pro's perspective. But you and I probably can't even really tell the difference between a frame from most big brands, with the same groupset and wheels.
@Vladimir Jacob there's an enormous difference in ride quality between bikes in the same price range. Also, the number of average cyclists with power meters is enormous now and it's easily seen when 1 bike is faster than another. Not saying any of the big brand bikes are bad. But you can easily buy a good bike with it being the wrong bike for your desired characteristics, even if fit isn't an issue
Amazing video! thank you. Greetings from Bauru-São Paulo-Brazil
I didn’t have a dog in this fight and I appreciate his candor. I especially like his closing, where he parrots Nobel prize winner Milton Friedman: “if you want better products at a lower price, competition works every time.”
Colnago had a rim brake aero bike a few years ago. Kristoff said it wasn’t good enough and that it was part of the reasons why he switched teams.
Kristoff har trasha colnago å campa så hardt
Kristoff won the Tour stage on the Champs Elysees and Gent Wevelgem with that Colnago aero rim brake bike, so it couldn't be that bad. In 2020, he got a disc brake bike and raced that one for 2 years, in 2020 he won the first stage in the Tour on that bike and was 3rd in Tour of Flanders. In 2021, he wasn't getting too many good results (partly because he didn't fit in the UAE GC team), and he left because he felt UAE didn't want to renew his contract for a good salary, so he felt underappreciated (UAE probably thought he was old and done). So it didn't have that much to do with the bike.
The BMC with the cadmium orange cockpit looks really great.
I've been waiting to here your opinions on these for a long time. Can't wait to see what you choose for a bike partner.
Specialized
How about Cannondale?
Not at the level as others but are trying to change
One area that remains untouched, but is of great importance to the general cycling population, is nutrition, be that energy gels, bars and drinks or post ride recovery protein. Things have changed in the SIS range, and I can't seem to work out how things are meant to piece together any more. I don't know how it is with other suppliers.
Alex, you didn't touch on tyres (tires)...
As a matter of fact I have a pair of Bantrager Aeolus pro5 disc wheels on my Colnago CLX disc and a pair of Bontrager pro 3V on my Colnago G3-X. Their warranty and no rider weight limit was dealbreakers for me. Being a heavy rider at 95-100 kg. some of the carbonwheels on the market have ridicoulus system weight limits...
‘You never see Roval wheels in a trek’ Alex Richardson ‘hold my beer’
I am happy with my Giant Pro SL in that Team Sunweb design back from 2018 that you picked as photo for a Giant bike. Rim brakes rule!
I prefer rim brakes - sorry!
I had a Advanced Pro, Advanced SL, Cannondale Supersix Evo, and now Wilier Cento10SL,
Best bike of my life was the advanced SL (with integrated saddle) with ultegra and DT Swiss 48mm dicut wheels
Alex, really good take on the separation of manufacture sub lines such as Trek/Bontrager. Most of them do it for cost savings instead of outsourcing wheels/parts. Plus creating that eco system you can create product add ons to consumers when they buy a bike. When I shop wheels, I immediately cross off certain brands because I don't ride their frame. Will be very interesting if this becomes more normal over the years to see cross branding. BMC/DT Swiss another example
Alex, many helmets and shoes have very different fits. So how do riders how have a round head but are sponsored by Specialized make the helmet fit? Similarly how does an oval head shaped rider make an Oakley or Giro helmet fit them? I have to question the efficiency/safety of a helmet whose head shape differs from the helmet shape.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the adjustable tire pressure systems that jumbo and dsm have been testing and will be using at Roubaix
What a superb and honest video. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.👍
Hmm, did you forget Willier. I was very keen to buy a Colnago but ended up on. Willier Zero SLR as it feels so alive on climbs but stable on windy open sections and if set up ok is comfy even for a weekend warrior like me
Does your Ostro review still stand then? I recall you were very positive about it at the time, and your thoughts seemed quite genuine, so curious if you still feel it's a leading bike?
It does, I think the wheels let the Osteo down somewhat. Bike is superb though
Before the great Shimano crankset recall. Wonder how that will pan out, especially if they end up having to do it in Europe like USA.
Took my Roubaix in for its check on Monday. If replacement required, I get an 'equivalent'. Didn't ask what that meant. I had a right crank snap in 1976 - new bike, short slope, hammered on pedal, snap, car coming past... I held my line! Sid Standard, Beeston, very apologetic. Hence I prefer robust to ultra light and worried about the current recall.
Time to pump up the 23c tyres on the 2007 SystemSix Ultegra. SE London & Kent potholes bigger than when it last had a run out.
Fun and shallow "all is good, heard it around" with a sprinkle of data for nopinz. If that was the point, nailed it.
Quality content. Everything is open for discussion, but it's hard to argue against a man with that much experience at such a high level. Doesn't necessarily translate 1on1 to consumer market, but I think you've addressed that as well. Happy to see an unbiased opinion from someone who is actually in a position to give one. That said, I might be slightly biased. Run a Specialized frameset on Hed wheels with a Shimano drivetrain, wearing Bont shoes. I've sadly come to the conclusion that while apparently the suit maketh the man, the kit certainly does not maketh the rider. Ah well, at least Alex is with me on most of my kit choice. Good enough for me.
Specialized sponsored teams clearly have plenty of money, but I’m not sure the frame is gonna make any significant difference in 2023, of it ever did.
Almost all the bikes look indistinguishable, and a couple of manufacturers have made big strides this year (Giant, Cannondale) so are probably ahead of anything else in aero.
Bloody interesting video covering the whole spectrum of bike equipment, thanks Alex.
So yea the video goes like this: "Yea that's an interesting one, brand X is the best, but brand A B C X Y Z are also great, and have upgraded, bla bla bla bla. And then this brand is also decent bla bla bla bla and no one complains about that brand because that's also nice." So in the end, 0.0% factual content on "best kit right now" except for the obvious sponsor-to-come Specialized that used to be the brand everyone wants, but now no one races except for Quickstep that isn't winning anything what so ever in the past long time.
This was an interesting video. Not because of the content, which was relatively shallow, like WHY are some bike brands faster than others. But because it shows the viewpoints of a pro rider which is far different from a regular consumer. There is consideration of sponsors, feeling and perception eg. pros viewing Specialised bikes as faster because their riders win more. Personally, I want to be as close to fast as pros (apart from fitness) for a fraction of the price and without forced brand loyalty.
I would challenge Alex to take a different learning approach: what makes a bike fast? System aerodynamics (wheels, cockpit, frame), friction losses (drivetrain, hub bearings), rolling resistance (tyres, frame compliance). I would argue that if you put 5 most winning bikes to a test and you test them with 5 different riders, you will see different riders doing better on different bikes. Anyway, lunch time now! 😊
Loved those one Allex, and loving your Channel. 💯 Honest 🙏💪💪👍👍
one of your best videos yet
Keen to hear from you about seats and pedals. Seems like these contact points may be important enough to make pros want to choose their own, or be unhappy with what the sponsor provides.
It’s more that it’s so personal to each rider. Same with shoes.
That's true. There's always going to be someone who loves it, and someone who hates it when it comes to seats and pedals.
Seems to me like they usually just bundle pedals in with groupsets, so mostly Shimano and Time (Time pedals are owned by Sram) and odd Look here and there. I think Speedplay used to be quite popular prior to Wahoo acquisition, but I haven't noticed them much since then.
A little birdy told me Nimbl are very good aerodynamically at the top end. Not sure if by luck or design, but there something there.
Thank you for being honest.
Seems like Cervelo and Colnago are killing it right now. Does UAE wish they were riding Specialized?
Just brought a pair of Roval Rapid CL II to put on my Cervelo Calendonia 🙂. Got to say I love them so far.
You're a nice bloke and fantastic rider....your videos, I'm sure you'll keep working at it👍
Thank you Alex.
12:42 - “treks are….” Heavy I think is the word you’re looking for 🤣🤣
A lot of the so called invitations in road are to absorb the cost of mountain bike tooling and manufacture. SRAM 10T works great on MTB when running a 26 or 28T on an Enduro bike, but on the road no so much. It's similar to what happened with the arch from square taper to Octalink to outboard bearing on the BB's with Shimano. Shimano in the past would always lead with XTR vs Dura-Ace. Increasing axles widths wasn’t all that much about stiffness is more stop from sheering square taper axles when jumping on MTB's (e.g. Discorder MTB video era). The real problem is Octalink and ISIS bearings are so tiny (I wore out Dura Ace octalink BB in no time, Ultegra did much better) and outboard the bearings aren't under compression. With T47 we’ve come almost full circle from Truvativ’s (pre-SRAM) failed standard of the 48 mm Overdrive, and T47 is still inferior.
I actually run Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLRs on my SL6 Tarmac. Specialized cardinal sin! However I believe the Rovals are way over priced.
On non-sponsored riders is not uncommon to see a Roval or Cadex wheelset. BMC does have wheelsets (at least they get some stamped with their branding). Fun! Thanks.
Oh, would like to hear your comments on 1x groupsets. I know, not very roadie but ...
Thanks for the insight Alex!
Could you make an in-depth review of both Factor and Pinarello? You cover it quickly but I’d love to hear the actual details (each frame, wheels etc), and you must have a very detailed opinion having ridden both for years.
He did a review on the Factor Ostro. If I remember correctly, he said it was the best bike he's been on.
Great video really enjoyed it. Think my next bike will be a Specialized aethos
Surprised you didn't mention Cannondale - my understanding was the systemsix was very well regarded as an aero bike
Best aero bike aside from Simplon
I didn’t want to pluck an opinion out of thin air, that wouldn’t be fair. I honestly can’t recall a Cannondale rider being especially happy or unhappy.
I guess they’re happy and riders are good at complaining 😅
What about Cannondale? worth a mention the new Super Six Evo looks like a weapon.
Great vid Alex. Very interesting.
Disagree on the helmets. No mention of Rudy Project. They are really great quality helmets if a little heavy. Kask are the best quality in my opinion but the cage clashes with glasses I often find. I ride a Met. Think they are good re weight and sit well on the head not creating the mushroom head. Only complaint is the strapping and cage is a bit basic and could feel more premium given the price.
Northwave shoes for me.
What do you think about Cannondale, they don't sell the gear but the bikes are rally good, coming from a bike mechanic.
Hi Alex, I was hoping for when you were talking about kit, it was what everyone uses on a rainy training ride or a cold winter training day or who has the best chamois. Maybe a Part 2?
Thanks for all your openness and disclaimers: I trust your content. Great video, left me feeling i had somewhere to stand when making decisions about my bicycle universe! Subscribed!
For non-pros, our budget, body shape flexibility, and fitness should determine choice of bike, not what won last TdF. Except... MAINTAINABILITY... get away from specialist tools. Cost for home maintenance and bike shops gets silly. If I had a windfall and could buy a new bike, maintenance would be first factor, then what fits me best before micro-adjustments
TO me its all about the Chamois and Elastic Interface is the clear leader.
Nice to hear an Honest opinion Alex.
Nowhere near controversial enough 😂
I have bontanger wheel and i use it on the cannondale... without the stickers anyway :-)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts across the categories. I found the perspective on a brands product bound to their other offerings interesting.
Appreciate your reservation regarding sunglasses brands and only making comparisons where you can’t by any stretch be seen to be speaking based on personal gain motivated bias, however…
(Particularly given there overwhelming prevalence as the preferred brand)….
I suspect a lot of viewers would be interested in your views regarding their respective models and respective lenses e.g. photochromic vs prizm, prizm road vs prizm trail / trail torch.
I note they currently have a prizm road black (over and above prizm black), whereby both look outwardly black, but the view out is a different colour base.
Anyway, that’s my 2cents
I'm 6:30 minutes into this video, and so far it's a bit of a bummer. I was excited to hear you talk shit with the audience in the way you did within the peloton, but this is kinda lame. Why does it matter that Specialized make a range of bikes? Missing here are explanations of why certain bikes suck and why Specialized is a better road bike. So far, this sounds like an advertisement. Surely you've heard of Hambini. What say you about his opinion that Time and Look make the best road bikes in the world? Do you believe your experience as a professional rider outweighs the opinion of an engineer? I don't mean that in a "gotcha" way, I'm just genuinely curious. I see why you're playing this safe, but the bike brands critique reveals very little. P.S. Edited to add that I would watch an honest version of your thoughts without the little teasers. Do something different and unique! You have a perspective and experience that very few people in the world will ever achieve. I feel like a manager at this point, but tap into your creative side. That is all.
I’m sorry you’re upset at the video. In the description I explain where my opinion comes from. I’m not an engineer, I go off what wins, what riders seems happy with.
@@AlexDowsettOfficial I'm not upset at all; I don't have enough emotional investment to be upset. I'm just voicing some thoughts is all.
Excellent news given
maby not on roadbikes but I see many reverse (sanatcruz/cervélo) carbon rims on different random bikebrands.
Do you have toughts on CORIMA Wheels?
So, Roval and HED are top tier wheel brands? What about ENVE?
Yep, and lightweight and number of others I’m sure.
No mention of Shimano shoes, no mention of Enve or Zipp wheels. Also, I always heard people tried to avoid Giant and Lapierre frames as they just haven't been competitive from an aero standpoint. And Sidi shoes...those things are heavy, I'd guess riders would love them only as long as they were being paid.
new subscriber here! One of my Idol!
How much does the frameset really matter though? If it fits, is adequately stiff and aero, and brings the bike into the region of the UCI weight minimum, is the frame not just something to hang the drivetrain on? Has any rider, on frame X, seriously complained that they would have done better on frame Y?
I prefer the Campagnolo Bora Ultra over the Roval because they are really stiff🫠
Boras are the best wheels you can buy in my humble opinion. Perfect balance of weight, stiffness and unmatched build quality. Easy to maintain too.
Cheers Alex, good vid, always interesting to hear your thoughts on cycling kit.
Pinarello have Most wheels as an in house brand. But I think it’s a pure Vision rebrand as opposed to a standalone high end wheel brand
Thanks for the highly experienced insights.
Would have been great to hear about bibs. What bibs with what pads work best. That's the most important part of kit outside TT
Genuinely enjoyed this review. Simply’ done well.
They make some trash though, the new Specialized Sirrus 😂😂😂
That thing is fugly too.
And everything is way over priced.
I enjoyed this Alex! If you would do more of these, maybe go into a little more in-depth analysis and opinion, both your own and from what you heard from teams and riders, that would be amazing, and I would watch all that for sure.
I raced on an amateur level, and worked in sales in a shop some years. An interesting crowd to get opinions from are the mechanics. We carried Trek and Specialized, among some others - Cervelo and Pinarello at one time. The consensus was that Specialized was much better built from a day in, day out mechanical use perspective. If you're a pro rider, and team sponsored, and have mechanics for the team, that isn't so much an issue. Things that came up was cable routing, frame voids, various fitment parts on build, bottom bracket ovality. I'd choose a Specialized over a Trek. I raced on Cervelo and had endless problems with the bottom bracket area. Had to warranty a couple of them. Not a problem for a team or a sponsored rider. Their bikes were really fast. I liked them when I had no problems. I ride a LOOK now. Quality of the frame and the bottom bracket tolerance was the overriding factor. If I didn't choose that, it may well have been Specialized. Personal bias to some degree - I just wanted something different than Specialized or Trek - but my experience with LOOK bikes and the reputation for fine tolerances was a selling factor.
Anyway, awesome video. Quite enjoyed this!
Brilliant video. What always wanted to hear. Thank you Alex for your honesty.
One segment you should cover is the saddle market kind of the same issue with Bontrager saddles specialize saddles and then segment. Focus companies like selle Italia
Tubes are the most cost efficient way for people to upgrade their ride - even better value than wheels. Any thoughts on pro preferences would be interesting.
Tubeless conti 5k
Would like to hear your opinion on different tyre manufacturers
Saddles, pedals and tyres next please!
What about factor road bikes? You didn't mention it, as you have raced pinarellos and factor (i'm interested mainly in ostro aero bike) what is your opinion? Are they the same tier as trek, specialized, cervelo or pinarello in terms of performance?
5.44 in the video
@@daningram7804 yeah i know thx, was hoping actually for more in depth analysis. But yeah actually the answer for my question
no mention of dmt shoes?
what are your thoughts on chinese direct equipment, such as SEKA bikes or Lun wheels (especially the Lun MEGA) or wheels like Lightbicycle? A lot of tech nerd review/commentary racer cyclist channels have been obsessed with such gear, does it have the caliber to compete with the equipment in the big GT races?
And for a man of aero, it has an aethos in the background. The opposite of an aero bike. Care to explain?
Is it surprising Colnago doesn't do an aero bike? Or maybe they know what Specialized seem to know. (Specialized no longer has aero)
What about tyres? I’ve herd some brands are Feared in the wet, as it’s basically an ice skating rink
Agreed! Too bad Vredestein are practically unheard of. I think they are pretty good!
I see local riders run all sorts of wheel/bike combos that aren't "brand correct" and nobody cares or says anything. There are probably some non sponsored riders that really care about everything matching, but seems to me that's something mostly sponsored/pro riders really would notice or care about.
Thanks for a very informative video, what's the general opinion on Cannondale and Lapierre road bikes?