Six Things All New Road Bikes Should Have
Over the past year we've seen some bike makers step backwards in the technology that they're building into their bikes. However, we think that it could be taken another step further. We don't think anyone would ever complain about having a threaded bottom bracket, a 27.2 seatpost and a bar and stem which is easily adjustable and interchangeable should the desire strike them. In theory, the things listed in this video should actually be seen as upgrades as current bike tech can be slightly temperamental.
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00:00 As the next wave of road bikes gets released,
00:02 we've seen some brands step backwards
00:04 with the technology that they're offering.
00:06 We've seen this on the Cannondale Synapse,
00:08 the Specialized Aethos, and a few others.
00:11 Now this can come in the form of a 27.2 seat post
00:14 or more reliable bottom bracket fittings.
00:18 So here are six things which I've identified,
00:20 which I think should be on the majority of new bikes.
00:27 Now this one is one that I hope is a current trend
00:30 and will soon fade away, and that is the use of matte paint.
00:34 Now I can imagine this is gonna polarize quite a few people.
00:37 However, I for one would love to see
00:40 the mass return of the gloss finish.
00:43 One of the key reasons why a lot of bike makers
00:45 opt for matte paint,
00:46 especially on their performance road bikes,
00:49 is because it's actually a lot lighter than a gloss finish.
00:52 So it does provide a very easy way
00:55 for them to knock some weight off the bike.
00:57 However, frames with gloss paint are much easier to clean.
01:01 Grease marks are easier to wipe off,
01:03 and you can polish them to a high shine
01:05 over and over again.
01:07 Matte paint tends to get shiny
01:09 once you've washed it a number of times,
01:10 and you can never get it to be as crisp
01:12 and as fresh as it was when it was brand new out the box.
01:16 So let's hope the timeless gloss finish returns in force,
01:19 and we can all have bikes which gleam and glisten
01:21 in the sunshine for as long as they're on the road.
01:24 (upbeat music)
01:26 I'm a massive fan of a normal stem
01:30 with a normal face plate with a normal set of bars.
01:33 The ability to adjust handlebar angle,
01:36 switch between different handlebar widths,
01:38 change stem length with ease,
01:40 and to experiment with different handlebar shapes
01:43 is too much of a benefit to miss out on
01:45 for the aesthetic benefit of an integrated setup.
01:49 A conventional stem also allows for a more affordable
01:52 and convenient way to adjust your position
01:55 as it changes over the years.
01:57 If you're heading out for a fast chain gang ride
01:59 and you want to take advantage
02:00 of the negative drop on your stem, then you can.
02:03 However, if you've got a sportive the next day
02:06 and you want to flip the stem for a more relaxed position,
02:09 then you can also do that as well.
02:11 And that is something you would not be able to do
02:14 with an integrated setup.
02:15 On top-end bikes, I wouldn't feel shortchanged
02:18 if they'd been fitted with a lightweight carbon stem
02:20 and lightweight carbon bars.
02:22 And if I could choose the sizes of those components
02:25 at the point of purchase,
02:27 then I'd know that it'd be dialed in
02:28 for my position from the get-go.
02:30 Surely that's more valuable than offering a lump of carbon,
02:33 which only caters for the pros.
02:35 Continuing in the same vein,
02:41 integrated cables, but to an extent.
02:44 Now that Shimano have joined the wireless party,
02:46 on many new bikes, we're only left with the brake hoses
02:49 to find a home for.
02:51 Now I am happy to see hoses routed through the frame,
02:54 and I'm not even opposed to seeing them being routed
02:57 through the bars.
02:58 The place where I draw the line is at the stem.
03:01 If the cables were to pop out at the center of the bars
03:04 and then promptly slide into the top of the frame
03:06 at the head tube and at the top of the forks,
03:09 then I only see that as a benefit.
03:11 You're not gonna have to deal with that three-hour
03:13 brake bleed just to make a small adjustment to stem height.
03:16 It's understandable that on aero bikes,
03:18 they do go fully integrated.
03:20 And of course, for the pros, it also makes a lot of sense.
03:23 However, for us mere mortals,
03:25 having them exposed really isn't an issue,
03:28 and it only serves to save you both time and money
03:31 when servicing or you need to make a small adjustment.
03:34 As I've already mentioned,
03:38 I think we'd all love to see the mass return
03:41 of the 27.2 seat post.
03:43 However, I do have a caveat,
03:45 and that is that I think it should be reserved
03:47 for endurance and climbing bikes.
03:50 When we look at aero race bikes,
03:52 I think they should stick
03:53 with their annoying proprietary seat posts.
03:55 They offer a valid gain for the intended style of riding,
03:59 and you can't argue against their aesthetic credentials.
04:02 However, on climbing and endurance bikes,
04:05 those aero advantages aren't as important.
04:07 So using something that's a bit more universal
04:10 does make a lot of sense,
04:11 especially when you need a post
04:13 that actually builds in a bit more comfort
04:15 and isn't directly honed in for those aero gains.
04:19 Now, as an extra bolt onto this,
04:20 I would actually like to include seat post clamps as well.
04:24 I think the bike makers have had their opportunity
04:26 to play around with some pretty weird and wacky designs,
04:29 but actually, the standard seat post collar
04:32 is definitely the best one out there.
04:34 The worst possible failure you could encounter
04:36 with a seat post collar is the bolt snapping.
04:39 Now, this is usually down to salt corrosion
04:41 or just a lack of bike washing.
04:43 Now, this will be unlikely,
04:45 but potential failure is actually a whole lot better
04:48 than the potential with the internal seat post clamps
04:51 that we're seeing on modern bikes.
04:53 And that's because I would much rather have a bolt snap
04:56 than have a seat post that slides down,
04:58 that creaks, or risks over-tightening
05:02 and then potentially damaging not only the seat post,
05:04 but the frame itself as well.
05:06 I think the simple matter of fact
05:07 is that your standard seat clamp actually works perfectly
05:11 and usually ends up being lighter weight
05:13 than the usual bungs found in modern frames.
05:16 (upbeat music)
05:18 Yep, that's right.
05:21 I know you saw this one coming,
05:22 so I'll keep it brief.
05:24 Threaded bottom brackets, they just work.
05:27 Even though the bearing is still technically pushed
05:29 inside of the threaded cup,
05:31 you aren't interfering with the frame itself.
05:34 You won't work the frame out of tolerance.
05:37 You fit one, you ride a few thousand creak-free kilometers,
05:40 you take it out, and then you replace it with a fresh unit,
05:43 which fits in exactly the same way as the old one did.
05:46 It's simple, it's effective,
05:47 and really, they should just be standard
05:50 across all performance bikes.
05:52 (upbeat music)
05:54 I'm really tired of tiny Allen key bottle cage bolts.
05:58 I'm seeing more and more bikes coming out
06:00 with three millimeters
06:01 or even two and a half millimeter heads.
06:04 These bolts are ones that tend to end up
06:05 in a really awkward position,
06:07 meaning it's really hard to get a clean swing of them.
06:09 This tricky angle can often result
06:11 in mashing up the head and eventually stripping the bolt.
06:15 They're small and fiddly,
06:17 and I want all new bikes to have a minimum
06:19 of a four millimeter head.
06:20 When bolts have a four millimeter head,
06:22 you have a greater ability to latch onto a purchase
06:25 and more successfully turn the bolt
06:27 without stripping the head.
06:29 I'll admit, it's a very niche problem to have,
06:31 but the solution is so, so simple.
06:35 Well, there we have it.
06:37 There's six things which I think should be included
06:40 on the majority of new bikes.
06:42 Let me know what you think about them
06:43 and if you think I missed any.
06:45 If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like,
06:47 subscribe to the channel for more content,
06:49 and I'll see you again very soon.
06:51 (motor revving)
06:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]