Ride faster by optimizing your gear

“It’s the legs that make the difference, not the bike!” True. Behind this statement, often heard in the peloton, lie as many truths as frustrations regarding the evolution of equipment. Physical condition is, of course, paramount to performance, but a poor choice of equipment can also be a handicap in achieving your goals. Let’s see how to optimize your bike to ride faster.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: depositphotos.com

To dismiss the importance of equipment in performance would be to deny the time differences between different eras. In October 1972, Eddy Merckx set the hour record at 49.431 km, a mark that stood for 28 years, if we exclude what the UCI later called “best performances in the hour” with positions that were unconventional for the time. It wasn’t until 2000 that the hyper-specialist Chris Boardman surpassed Merckx by 10 meters with an almost identical bike. Since then, the record has been pushed to 55.089 km by Victor Campenaerts in 2019 with a bike and position studied in a wind tunnel. More than 5 km/h separate Campenaerts from Merckx, a chasm that does not question the immense talent (and dominance) of the great Eddy. This demonstration should convince even the most skeptical. Yes, equipment can play a decisive role, not necessarily in the same range, but certainly in the case of a bad choice. So you probably won’t be able to change bikes at will, but there are always “tricks” to improve efficiency, and consequently a little comfort and above all a lot of pleasure.

The fundamental position

It cannot be repeated enough: a good position on the bike is fundamental for biomechanical efficiency, comfort, and aerodynamics, or at least finding a compromise of the three depending on your age and practice. We still encounter far too many cyclists with poor positioning, who not only lack efficiency but also risk injury. Many settle for approximate adjustments, but a position finely tuned by a professional can change your life. A good position also saves energy at usual riding speeds. And that means more in reserve at the end of the ride. Think about it.

Shoes and pedals

Here again are two areas (which are one and the same) largely neglected by many riders, who consider that “shoes” are sufficient for pressing pedals, regardless of their degree of wear, their quality level, their adjustments, or even their size. However, shoes and pedals are the only fixed (or almost fixed: if the cleats have a little angular freedom) points of contact between the cyclist and their bike. You will therefore understand the importance of choosing them in the right size so as not to slip inside or experience pain after several hours, rigid enough to offer a good interface with the pedals, and sufficiently maintained so as not to lose their qualities over time. As for the choice of pedals, it primarily responds to an ergonomic need, depending on your requirements. This can also be linked to the previous paragraph. If you are looking to gain watts, change your shoes, and at least put on new cleats.

Weight and aero

Much has been said about these two characteristics, and for good reason, since they seem most obvious when comparing one bike to another. You just have to weigh it to imagine its responsiveness, or observe the shape of the tubes or the integration of the components to see it cut through the air. But let’s put all this into perspective a bit. We know that air resistance is the main force to contend with to move beyond 20 km/h when riding at a steady pace. But 75% of this resistance comes from the cyclist on their machine, and therefore from their position and their clothing. So a beautiful aero frame and beautiful wheels with deep rims are nice and effective… provided the rest is also optimized. And we come back to our first paragraph on position! As for weight, here too we need to put the overall weight of the rider-machine combination into perspective. The fact remains that a kilo more or less is felt very clearly on steep climbs or during multiple successive accelerations. And on the road, it’s rare that you ride consistently, due to traffic, surges in the peloton, and the topography of the course. So between a hyper-light, overpriced bike with all titanium and carbon parts (which would probably lack stiffness anyway) and some disc bikes weighing over 8 kg, there is again a compromise to be found. But note that stiff wheels with deep rims around 1400 g per pair really transform the behavior of a bike.

Frame and component stiffness

For a bike to perform well on the road, to be able to convert the energy you exert while pedaling into speed, it must be laterally stiff. But not too stiff. It’s all about balance. An inflexible frame, all manufacturers know how to make. However, no cyclist pedals perfectly, and depending on changes in posture (seated, out of the saddle, for accelerating, etc.), the forces exerted on the pedals do not all go in the same axis. And it’s even worse when fatigue sets in. A bike is described as “forgiving” or “easy” when it deforms laterally just enough so that the cyclist does not feel muscularly blocked when exerting effort.

The highest-end frames, often made from light and stiff carbon fibers strategically arranged, offer a hint of lateral elasticity but quickly return to their original shape, which provides efficiency. And it’s the entire frame that’s concerned, from the bottom bracket shell to the head tube, including the rear triangle and the fork. This subtle recipe partly explains the very high price of certain frames, designed with more than 500 carbon pieces. Some manufacturers even offer a different recipe per frame size, so that a size 49 bike and a size 61 bike have the same behavior. For components, what matters is homogeneity with the rest of the bike. If you choose very stiff wheels with a flexible frame, or a flexible cockpit with a very stiff frame, the weaknesses of the whole will be concentrated in one place. And the bike will not be good.

Tire width

With the gradual introduction of disc brakes, manufacturers are trying to make us believe that bigger is better. In reality, 28mm and wider tires offer three advantages: more comfort and better grip because their section allows for lower inflation, and better tire seating during powerful disc braking. But don’t let them talk to you about efficiency! First, they are heavier, and since it’s peripheral weight, it counts in terms of perceived responsiveness. Second, they are less aerodynamic than thinner tires, and at that level, it counts double. Third, they are less responsive, less precise, during changes of trajectory or when riding out of the saddle. The bike compresses and becomes less precise to steer. The right width to promote efficiency is at most when the tire sidewalls do not extend beyond the rim sidewalls. Otherwise, it’s like a wheelbarrow. And don’t forget to match the correct inflation pressure to the correct tire width. Not too high to avoid bouncing, agreed, but not too “soft” either if you want your bike to continue to track straight and respond to your slightest command.

Drivetrain maintenance

Since sensations are made up of a sum of small details, proper drivetrain maintenance aims to limit friction, ensure smoother chain movement when pedaling and shifting gears, and offer greater durability to the entire system. Degreasing, washing, oiling (but not too much) are the basics. This is what racers learn and feel from a young age, when they understand that in competition, victory is sometimes decided by a few centimeters. And what can influence pleasure much later, when they want to participate in nice rides with friends. Think about it, just as you can think about the advice given above. Bike efficiency is also a matter of common sense. 

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