How to ride Belgian cobbles - video tips from Rapha Condor

Advice from the pros on technique and pre-ride prep for you and your bike

tony_farrelly, March 19, 2009

Rapha Condor vid thumb

Every Spring the pros get to pound the cobbles of France and Belgium and so do thousands of sportive riders. If you're off to the Tour of Flanders Sportive on the 4th of April or you've have ever simply wondered how the pros prepare for such punishing conditions the video below from the Rapha Condor team is for you.

There are some excellent tips on prepping your bike for the cobbles from Andy, Rapha's team mechanic who lives on the Tour of Flanders' route and was team mechanic for the Belgian Mitsubish Jartazi team before moving to Rapha. Riding advice is courtesy of Darren Lapthorne, who spent last season racing and training in Belgium, Holland and Germany, and Tom Southam talks through pre-race perparation.

Well worth a look… The first few seconds of footage over the cobbles of the Ronde Van Vlaanderen are silent that's because on the pavé no-one can hear you scream. Probably.

Video by Paul Rowlands at Leadout

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Think I may fit my 25's rather than usual 23's. Looking forward to it more than Christmas - but I know I'll suffer.....

posted by Blackhound [399 posts] 19th March 2009 - 23:40

I'm jealous of those of you doing this - my fitness is a good year at least away from this being even a remote possibility - best of luck, and enjoy yourselves!

(And yes, 25s would seem a good idea... )