Rim VS Disc Tubeless VS Clinchers
Lightweight V Aero. Rim V Disc. Tubeless V Clinchers. Controversial debates, cycling is absolutely full of them, especially when it comes to the latest cycling technology!
Transcript
00:00 Controversial debates, cycling is full of them, especially when it comes to the latest cycling
00:06 technology. To honor the diverse set of opinions that exist within our sport,
00:11 we've decided to round up our top five controversial cycling debates. Let's go.
00:17 When it comes to what type of bike is fastest, the answers have been comprehensively worked out.
00:27 At the steepest gradients, a lightweight bike is always going to rule, but on descents,
00:32 on the flat, and even on moderate gradients, an aerodynamic bike will be faster.
00:37 Was that all worked out? What exactly is the debate about? You see, it's all a little bit
00:42 more philosophical than it might sound. If you go for a lightweight bike over an aerodynamic bike,
00:48 that's saying more about you as a cyclist and your whole attitude towards the sport.
00:53 It really depends on what you want to get out of it. If hitting the hills the hardest and recovering
00:59 just in time for the next steep gradient is what you love, then you're obviously going to pick a
01:04 lightweight bike. If you like taking over a steady power and churning through the miles,
01:09 then an aerodynamic bike is going to suit you the best. There's also the difference of experience on
01:15 the two bikes. A lightweight bike is always going to feel the most sprightly, and there's going to
01:20 be that instant acceleration when you start stomping on the pedals. However, on an aero bike,
01:25 that acceleration might not be as immediate, but when you get hunkered over and start churning out
01:31 the power, there's really no feeling like cutting through the air aboard a good aero bike.
01:35 Of course, there are also differing opinions to the design and the looks of the bike. A deep
01:40 section wheel paired with a deep section frame has a fast menacing presence, especially when
01:45 compared to the slimmed-down minimalism of a lightweight bike. Personally, I love a lightweight
01:52 bike. I like climbing. I feel like it complements my riding style that bit more. Then again,
01:57 I also love a classic frame design. Don't even get me started on drop seat stays.
02:02 That's a debate for another day. [music]
02:08 The fact that tubeless tires have gained near universal adoption in the mountain biking world
02:12 does show there is something behind the technology. We swear it hasn't just been
02:17 invented to make all non-compatible rims and tires obsolete, honestly. The fact it hasn't
02:23 been widely adopted on the road does show that there are some differences between tarmac and
02:28 trails. It's fair to say that tubeless can be a little bit of trouble. For starters, the stronger
02:35 bead required for tubeless tires can make them a bit more difficult to get on the rim. Whilst an
02:40 inner tube can be inflated with just a hand pump, a tubeless tire is going to require a compressor
02:45 or a CO2 valve to get it on the rim. Oh, and don't forget to check and replace your sealant as well
02:50 because if you don't turn that, it can become a sticky gloop. Plus, road tires compared to mountain
02:56 biking tires don't need such strong sidewalls, which means we can make them super supple and
03:01 comfortable without having to run them at crazy low pressures. However, we feel that most riders
03:08 could benefit from tubeless tires. Being able to run lower pressures without the risk of punctures
03:13 will make your riding more comfortable and increase your traction. Finally, tubeless tires
03:18 have shown to have the fastest rolling resistance compared to any other setup. Given the fact that
03:24 tubeless for the off-road riding had such a meteoric rise and we're still discussing tubeless
03:29 for the road almost five years after it was first introduced, tells me that this debate is going to
03:34 hang around for a little bit longer still. One-by versus two-by, it's another debate which seems to
03:44 have found an answer in the off-road world but still rages on on the road. Proponents of a one-by
03:50 system love to point to its ease of use. Being able to sweep up and down the cassette on the rear
03:55 really is a simple joy and not having to worry about shifts on the front derailleur and then
04:00 compensating on the rear really is enough to put your mind at ease when out on the road. Anyone
04:05 that's tried it can attest to its beautiful simplicity. There are also a number of marginal
04:11 gains to be had by going one-by. It's a little bit lighter, it's more aerodynamic, and there
04:17 are less mechanicals to have to contend with once you get rid of that front derailleur.
04:21 With that said, two-by still rules the roost when it comes to road riding. The tiny changes between
04:28 gears are really important when it comes to riding at such varied speed. Anything from
04:33 8km/h when going up the steepest hill through to 65 or 70km/h when descending downhill. It just
04:40 goes to show that a wide range of ratios are still really important. As more sprockets are added to
04:47 cassettes however, one-by does become a greater possibility. Take a 10-36 tooth SRAM cassette
04:53 and pair it with a 42 tooth chainring and you get a larger gear that is a little bit bigger
04:58 than a 50x12. You get a smaller gear that is a little easier than a 34x28. There is also drive
05:06 train efficiency to take into account. You see on a one-by system there's a greater degree of chain
05:11 flex when you're at the extreme ends of the cassette when compared to a two-by system when
05:16 you can compensate with the front ring. On a one-by system the chainring is also going to be
05:21 smaller which will mean the chain is going to wrap around a larger amount of the sprockets
05:26 resulting in losses due to friction. Now you might say well all of these losses are incredibly
05:31 marginal and that is true but if you're chasing every advantage they'll soon stack up.
05:36 Electronic gears bring a huge range of valuable benefits when riding on the road.
05:46 For the home mechanics out there you're only going to need to fit the electronic cables once
05:50 instead of having to take them in and out every time you get a stretched gear cable and even
05:55 the used SRAM's eTap system there's not even any cables at all. You also get crisper and more
06:01 precise shifting and you can put shifters in different places on the bars so if you're
06:06 sprinting you can put them on the drops if you're on the hoods you can put them on the tops. However
06:12 there are some downsides or well it wouldn't really be a debate. The first is that you can
06:17 run out of battery which is a pretty big downside and it happens to more riders than they care to
06:23 admit. Secondly you lose that tactile feeling of shifting with a mechanical groupset which is truly
06:28 one of the great joys of riding a bicycle but really the great debate around this setup comes
06:34 down to the cost. Upfront electronic group sets cost nearly twice the price of their mechanical
06:40 counterparts so straight away that's a huge barrier to entry. On top of that electronic
06:46 parts cost more to replace so if you happen to race or you have an accident you're looking at
06:50 future costs built up on top of that initial outlay. However as we've seen recently electronic
06:56 technology is beginning to trickle down the groupset hierarchies which could bring costs
07:01 tumbling down as well. Only time will tell.
07:03 Rim versus discs. It's the big one. It's the one that has set forums alight and ended friendships
07:15 ever since 2012 when disc brakes were first introduced on the road with the SRAM Red Hydro
07:21 R groupset. Commonly praised for better braking power, better modulation, the fact you don't wear
07:28 out your rims when you ride in the rain, the fact that the pads automatically adjust, you've got
07:32 wider tyre clearances thanks to the removal of the calipers and the fact they're easier to maintain
07:38 in integrated systems, hydraulic brakes really are a force to be reckoned with.
07:43 On the other hand rim brakes are lighter I guess?
07:46 No that's not the only benefit of course. There are greater clearances between the pads which
07:53 means it's easier to prevent brake rub and to swap wheels which is what the pro peloton love
07:59 obviously. And then of course there's no issue with the pistons not advancing equally which can
08:04 result in some brake rub. Just ask Chris Froome, he's a big fan of rim brakes apparently.
08:09 But why does this topic incite such fierce debate? More so than shifting technology and gearing or
08:15 anything to do with tyres, it's because your choice of disc or rim sets you on an irreversible
08:21 path with that type of bike for the rest of your riding life. Your frame needs to have specific
08:26 mounts, you'll need the right spares and upgrades for your type of braking system,
08:31 there's serious cost and consideration that goes into making such a decision.
08:35 We're seeing fewer and fewer of the big manufacturers making rim brake bikes which
08:39 in turn is making spares and upgrades harder to get hold of and more expensive. However,
08:46 as long as rim brakes keep winning world tours and hopefully they'll hang around for a little
08:50 bit longer still. So there you go, five of cycling's fiercest debates laid out for everyone
08:57 to see. We hope you've enjoyed this video, we've had a lot of fun making it. If you have anything
09:02 to add and feel like you will, do leave them in the comment section below. If you've enjoyed this
09:08 video, give us a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel.
09:13 I'll be back soon with some more great tech content and I'll see you then.