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10 cycling trends NOT to copy off the Tour de France pros — do we really need huge chainrings, ceramic bearings and integrated everything?

Some things are best left to the professionals... there are plenty of things pro cyclists do that are worth taking inspiration from, but in this article we're focusing on what NOT to copy off the pros

The Tour de France is the world’s biggest bike race, where the fastest road riders come to battle it out. Last year the 3,405km route was completed at an incredible average speed of 41.4kph, or 25.7mph. So, if you’re looking to go faster or further on your bike, you might think that you should be copying everything the pro riders of the Tour de France peloton do… we'd argue that's not quite true!  

Yep, it turns out that what might be ideal for a professional cyclist at the peak of his/her physical powers, riding on closed, smoothly-surfaced roads with support cars to tender to their every mechanical need might not be so ideal for the rest of us. Without six hours or more per day to train, a team of mechanics on hand and an almost unlimited supply of bikes and equipment (unless you're very very rich) there are some things the pros do that could most likely impair your cycling performance if you try to emulate them. 

All this isn't to say that we shouldn't draw any inspiration from the pros; in fact, we did a whole feature and article on what you should copy off them just last year! Let's crack on with our top 10 pro no-nos... 

Huge chainrings

2024 tdf tech trends - 54T Dura Ace chainring

> 1x vs 2x: Are single chainring set-ups the future of road cycling?

Unfortunately, it’s very, very unlikely that we mere mortals are travelling at anything like the same speeds as the pros. We’ll blame that on not having a nice peloton to sit in, shall we?

This year most of the pros are running massive 54T chainrings, but the team mechanics actually change them in between stages to best suit the terrain. This is because the pros want to be in the middle of the cassette block for the majority of the race, as this is the most efficient chain line that will save some watts. 

2024 tdf tech trends - mechanic UAE colnago v4rs

> All the gear? Check out the gearing choices of the pros at the Tour de France

Copying the pros gearing In the real world is a sure-fire way to blow up your knees, or have a horrendously inefficient chain line. Instead, most of us amateur road riders will be better suited with a compact groupset, something like a 48/35 or 50/34T chainset.

Race tyres

2024 tdf tech trends - Continental GP5000 TT Tyres

On a flat road, there’s two main things slowing you down: aerodynamics and rolling resistance. The easiest way to reduce your rolling resistance is by switching to a set of faster tyres; for example, you can see above that Pogacar and his UAE Team Emirates team are using Continental’s GP5000 TT tyre.

> Best road bike tyres

The problem with tyres like this is that they’re not only more prone to puncturing, but they also don’t last very long. Usually you'll need to replace them twice as fast as an all-rounder tyre. 

Tour de France tyres Stage 9 @PaceUp Media

Now, if you’re a very rich cycling team looking for every marginal gain then that might be worth it, but with the current eye-watering price of tyres we’d recommend giving up a few watts in the name of durability. After all, we don’t have a team car following around after us if we do get caught by the puncture fairy!

Top-of-the-range groupsets

2024 tdf tech trends - Remco drivetrain

Look around the Tour de France peloton in 2024 and you’ll see two groupsets, Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets and Sram Red AXS. Both are very good, and you can find our comparison between them using the link below; however, when building our own bikes, we wouldn’t actually spend our own money on either of them…

> Sram Red AXS vs Shimano Dura-Ace: which groupset is best?

2024 tdf tech trends - Movistar Sram Red AXS drivetrain

No, it’s not because we’re diehard Campagnolo fans, but rather because the lower-spec groupsets are just so much better value. Take the 12-speed Ultegra groupset, for example. You won’t find it being used in this year's Tour, but it’s only about 200g heavier than Dura-Ace, has exactly the same motors and tech and yet costs over £1,000 less.

Just to put that weight difference into perspective, it’s less than two medium bananas.

White bar tape

2024 tdf tech trends - Cofidis white bar tape

For some reason, this year's Tour de France is absolutely inundated with white bar tape, presumably for reasons of fashion and panache! I have to admit it does look really rather good, but from personal experience, I’d recommend not trying this one at home.

When I tried it I got some lovely comments on the first few rides, and then of course it got quickly ruined by road spray at the first hint of bad weather. No amount of cleaning could bring it back, and after a few months I gave in and went back to black.

Super aggressive frame geometry

Tour de france 2024 -A.S.O. Charly Lopez

You might think that all you need to ride as fast as the pros is the same bike. As cyclists we're quite lucky that unlike in other sports, you can (for a price) buy the exact same equipment being used by the world's best.

Chances are though this probably isn’t the most sensible purchase. In fact, there’s a whole host of bikes that are more suitable for the majority of us than the race machines that the uber-flexible pros use.

2024 Movistar riding shot TdF stage 9

> Should I buy a race bike or an endurance bike?

For example, team Movistar and Deceuninck Quickstep riders have been using the unreleased Canyon Aeroad CFR in this Tour de France; however, rather than just copying the pros, another bike in Canyon's range such as the Endurace is likely better suited to most amateur riders.

2023 Canyon Endurace CFR Di2 - riding 3.jpg

> Giant Defy vs Canyon Endurace vs Lauf Uthald

An endurance bike like this is still performance-focused, lightweight and has top-end components. The main difference is that it's taller at the front, which will probably mean that we mere mortals can ride it in more comfort for longer.

Ridiculous aero tech

Dylan Groenewegen Scicon nose cover available to buy

I am a big fan of aero… but the 2024 Tour de France has seen some seriously bizarre tech all created in the pursuit of cheating the wind. These are things that unless you want some odd looks, are probably better left to the pros…

This $300 aero beak that sprinter Dilan Groenewegen was spotted using, for example, is probably enough to get you laughed out of your local cycling club. I know my riding buddies wouldn’t let me live that one down!

2024 tdf tech trends - Cav aero shoe tape

> Has aero gone too far? 

Taping up your boas like Cav is also probably best not copying. Or, how about the TT-style POC helmet complete with visor that the EF team have been wearing? Even if it might save you some milliseconds, it's not going to be a very practical or affordable choice. 

Super lightweight components/bikes

WilierVerticaleAction-1395

Now I know this one is going to be controversial, and to be fair there is a few exceptions to the rule. If you live somewhere really mountainous, for example. 

Most of us don’t live in mountainous terrain though. I live in the Mendip Hills in the UK, which is quite hilly, but I know that sacrificing a few extra grams to get something more aerodynamic is well worth it if I want to go as fast as possible.

2024 tdf tech trends - Wilier Verticale

> Wilier unveils its "lightest ever bike", the Verticale SLR

The pros take on some of the hardest climbs in Europe, so of course they’re going to try and shave grams and ride bikes like the Wilier Verticale (above). This new lightweight bike is right on the 6.8kg UCI weight limit when fitted with 25mm tubular wheels and tyres.

2024 Wilier Filante SLR Groupama FDJ riding shot

Personally, though, I would much rather ride something like the Wilier Filante. Yes it’s a few hundred grams heavier, but I don’t think that this will make the foggiest bit of difference to my (very non-pro) performances. 

Ceramic bearings

ceramicspeed slt headset (CeramicSpeed)

> 6 of the best value bike upgrades

If you were to pull apart the bikes of the pros, then on nearly all of them you’d find ceramic bearings residing in the bottom bracket, the wheels, the pedals, and even in the headsets. Manufacturers of ceramic bearings claim they are the best of the best, but quite often this performance comes at a premium.

2024 Hunt SUB50 Limitless bike action - 1

For example, take Hunt’s latest Sub 50 wheels (above). They will set you back £1,849 with steel bearings, and a whopping £440 more for the same wheels with ceramic bearings.

Ceramic bearings might save you a few watts out of the box, but it isn't a very cost-effective upgrade and your money is likely much better spent elsewhere. In the long- term, proper bearing maintenance will most likely reap larger rewards for you.

Integrated cockpits

2024 tdf tech trends - Cervelo S5 front end

Over the past few years, there’s been a shift from just a few sprinters using integrated cockpits to a very large proportion of the Tour de France peloton. Integrated cockpits look absolutely great, and are probably a tiny bit faster too!

However, for adjustments they’re not so good. If you're a Tour de France pro then you’ll have a whole team of people analysing your position, bike fits multiple times a year and access to an unlimited supply of very expensive cockpits.

2024 tdf tech trends - remco integrated sl8 cockpit roval rapide

> The things I learnt from a professional bike fit

Most of us don't have access to all that though, so we need a solution that is adjustable over time; not to mention that some brands don’t even offer the same widths and lengths of cockpits to consumers as they do to the pros.

Comfort is key for most of us, not only to enjoy cycling to the full, but also to ride faster for longer. In my opinion, this is far easier to achieve with a conventional bar and stem.

Gels and high-carb drinks

Astana Qazaqstan 35 water bottles (Twitter/Astana)

Professional cycling takes quite some fuelling, and riders in the Tour de France will be consuming upwards of 6,000 calories a day. This will be made up of gels, high-carb energy drinks and the pros' old favourite of rice cakes.

Fuelling is just as important for us amateurs, although we’d recommend not ingesting quite the same quantity of gels and energy powder in drinks. The pros have spent years optimising their fuelling strategies, building up their carb intake and ensuring that they can get enough calories down in as short a time as possible.

2023 dauphine nutrition ride food rice cakes

> How to eat right for sportives and long rides

If we tried to eat the same as a pro, then all that would happen is we’d feel very sick and potentially regret it even more the day after. If you really want to copy the pros, build up your carb intake over time and never try something new on event day.

Tour de France 2024 Stage 9, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard (ASO/Billy Ceusters)

Let us know whether you agree or disagree with these choices in the comments section below.

Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...

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47 comments

Avatar
scooterx517 | 4 months ago
2 likes

I disagree with almost everything stated here. I feel like chainrings have become much too small for many riders, newer lower gearing is amazing for many but not for all. I have a 38t chainring on my MTB I've never even touched the 52t out back. My road bike has an 52/11 I find myself spinning on a local crit finish, I'm just not efficient at 120rpm. Also sprinting in the lowest gear on the block has a horrible chain line and I've ripped chains off before. Like the pros I much rather have a 55t and use the next gear up.

High end equipment and funny aero gear can also be a joy for the tech nerds of cycling. I love trying new things to see how I can optimize my performance. No one NEEDS this stuff but it's enjoyable to use and explore things that work for you.

Race tires for all rides within reason (don't use TT tires for normal rides) , I'm sorry but I like going fast and I rarely flat. I normally want to try a new tire before I even wear out the current ones.

The aggressive geo, I can't even find bikes anymore that fit me, I'm really short and flexible. I need a long low bike every head tube is way too long it it's makes me sad 😢. I understand I'm probably the rare case here.

I agree on ceramic bearings they are a complete waste of money, the performance per dollar or pound is not worth it. Even if you want the best highest end lightest stuff you still shouldnt waste your money on overpriced ceramic bearings. Wax your chain and shave your legs instead .

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Rendel Harris replied to scooterx517 | 4 months ago
4 likes

scooterx517 wrote:

My road bike has an 52/11 I find myself spinning on a local crit finish, I'm just not efficient at 120rpm.

At 120 rpm in a 52/11 you would be sprinting at 72.5 km/h, assuming you are 70kg with a 7kg bike you would be putting out 1650 W, 70 W more than Mark Cavendish's one second peak when sprinting. You're obviously wasted on your local crits!

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timtak replied to scooterx517 | 4 months ago
0 likes

I agree.

I use 54 and 53 with 11 at the back, usually only downhill or with a tailwind but I am usually in the middle or towards that end of my gears.

The pros pictured below the "Super aggressive frame geometry" heading have a pretty normal frame geometry, are riding on their hoods mainly, and have a lot of torso to the wind. Pros ride in pelotons which provide as much drafting as your average large truck, so amateur riders, who usually ride solo should be lower than the pros and flexibility does not have a lot to do with it. Being fat does. But if you are not fat a shord head tube and even a quill stem don't go amiss. I usually ride Sphinx on my bars, and in the drops only on the downhill or to sprint. It is difficult to find modern bikes with a shortish (14cm at medium size) head tube without paying a lot for the "pro" model, so I buy old bikes.

At least one aero frame maker (Ribble) has wake makers on the bars to break up the air a bit before it hits the rider to reduce drag of rider plust bike. I.e. A super aero "cockpit" may even be less than aero in toto and a wake-maker in the form of external cabling allows for easier shifting (assuming mechanical), easier maintenance, and is cheaper. To get the head tube size I want, at the price I want, I have to aim for early 2000s bikes that tend to have external cabling.

I am a skinflint so use puncture resistant tires, black bar tape, and ancient 7800 mech, which shifts as smooth as butter.
 

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Laz | 4 months ago
3 likes

live and let live, I say- if it works for you then it's fine by me. if it drives you/ motivates you/ inspires you to turn those wheels - then what's the problem ?

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Disgusted of Tu... | 4 months ago
7 likes

No doubt the petrolhead anti-cycling brigade will be loving seeing cyclists rip each other to bits on who is the biggest masochist/narcissist.

Anyone I see on a bike I applaud for getting off their arse and enjoying life.

Who gives anyone the right to criticise another's choice on how they spend their hard-earned money, especially when it's having a positive impact on their health & wellbeing?

The more people out cycling - the better (imho), and ultimately all cyclists will benefit, yes that includes ebikes (shock/horror) but not hoody rats on e-motobikes pulling wheelies down the footpath on the way to their next drug deal!
(Just in case I have to state the obvious)

Avatar
Nick T | 4 months ago
1 like

54T isn't huge. TT chainrings are huge, but anyone can ride Standard chainrings

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Rendel Harris replied to Nick T | 4 months ago
2 likes

Nick T wrote:

54T isn't huge. TT chainrings are huge, but anyone can ride Standard chainrings

No it isn't huge, and sometimes I would welcome one on a long straight descent when my 50/11 starts spinning out, but it does limit you to a minimum 38 small ring, whereas most mere mortals will get more benefit from a 34 with easier climbing. Personally I would far sooner have lighter climbing gears in reserve and enjoy a bit of freewheeling on the descent, even if it means sacrificing some of the top end gears. After all, 50/11 will only start to spin out over 60 km/h on the flat, which is not a speed most of us have to worry about.

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momove replied to Rendel Harris | 4 months ago
1 like

I'm the same. I'm considering modifying my next (or current) cassette from 11-34 to a 12-34 or similar for a/some smaller jumps. I really can't see the need for such a big top end. (I've got a 50/34 chainrings, of course).

If someone having a 50-11, 53-11 or 54-11 is important then I guess they're doing better than me but I don't really use that gear much.

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Nick T replied to Rendel Harris | 4 months ago
2 likes

The article doesn't mention lower gears though, it just says 54T is too big for mere mortals

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Rendel Harris replied to Nick T | 4 months ago
1 like

Nick T wrote:

The article doesn't mention lower gears though, it just says 54T is too big for mere mortals

Well it says "Copying the pros gearing In the real world is a sure-fire way to blow up your knees, or have a horrendously inefficient chain line. Instead, most of us amateur road riders will be better suited with a compact groupset, something like a 48/35 or 50/34T chainset." I thought that was fairly implicit that a big outer chainring meant a bigger inner. In any case I'd still say 54 is too big for the average rider, I'd say I was fairly fit (for an old crock) and look to ride about 35 km/h on the flat if the wind's neutral and I generally do that in 50/14 with roughly an 80 cadence, anything bigger than that is just for sprinting (something as a non-racer I maybe do once a month) or downhills.

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Nick T replied to Rendel Harris | 4 months ago
1 like

In an article of "trends not to copy of the pros" number one is "huge chainrings".

It's the sort of lazy journalism that is damaging to cycling in the long term. In gear inches, the difference between a 53T standard and a 50T compact is roughly one cog on the cassette apart. There's nothing to fear for us mere mortal cyclists, despite whatever shite gets published on here

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Rendel Harris replied to Nick T | 4 months ago
1 like

Nick T wrote:

In an article of "trends not to copy of the pros" number one is "huge chainrings".

It's the sort of lazy journalism that is damaging to cycling in the long term.

How precisely does someone opining that it's unwise for most people to copy pro cyclists' gearing damage cycling in the long term?

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Nick T replied to Rendel Harris | 4 months ago
0 likes

No, you're right. Constant sensationalist misinformation is a net positive for any industry

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Rendel Harris replied to Nick T | 4 months ago
0 likes

Nick T wrote:

No, you're right. Constant sensationalist misinformation is a net positive for any industry

You seriously regard the suggestion that riding a 50/34 chainset might be better for amateur riders rather than a 54/39 represents "sensationalist misinformation" that will damage cycling? Really?

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richliv | 4 months ago
2 likes

Yes to all of this. One thing we can do like the pros though - 28mm+ tyres, on our roads, much more comfortable and no discernable loss of speed.

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AnaerobicMD | 4 months ago
3 likes

At 57 years old, I make more money than most pro cyclists and I enjoy a fast bike. So I've got most of the things advised against in this article on my carbon fiber racing bike, i e. 54T chainring, aggressive geometry, Dura Ace components, integrated cockpit and racing tires. I can still generate pretty good peak power but I've found the fancy stuff helps me keep up with the whipper snappers during our Tuesday night crit racing series. The point is, please don't begrudge some of us who don't yet know that we are over the hill. 😁

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mdavidford replied to AnaerobicMD | 4 months ago
2 likes

AnaerobicMD wrote:

please don't begrudge some of us who don't yet know that we are over the hill.

Doesn't ClimbPro let you know?

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Surreyrider replied to AnaerobicMD | 4 months ago
3 likes

The flip side. Is I have ceramic bearings - headset and bottom bracket. It wasn't a choice. They came with the new bike. I have noticed zero difference. Given a choice, I wouldn't bother with them.

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Cugel | 4 months ago
0 likes

Biker Zoolanders (they are bikers, not cyclists) will always prefer to wear the latest bikefrock, as what would the other poseurs think if they didnae!?

Image is much more important than substance, as any fashion victim know. A best bikefrock makes you look fast, see? Especially at the cafe where the latest £380 ganzi and £320 bibshorts can also be displayed. Don't ferget to keep yer beaky sunglasses on an' all. And yer high heels (oops, wrong fashion fetish).

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mdavidford replied to Cugel | 4 months ago
2 likes

But how do they ever get to the cafe, given that they can't turn left?

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mdavidford | 5 months ago
11 likes

You forgot to include riding all day without stopping for coffee and cake.

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DNAse | 5 months ago
2 likes

Kitchen spray with bleach to keep your white bar tape brilliant white.
Obviously wear gloves and rinse *thoroughly* with water afterwards!

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bluezurich replied to DNAse | 5 months ago
3 likes

Lemon Pledge has been a shop staple for white bartape and saddles for decades.

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levestane | 5 months ago
1 like

Good to see the bullmoose is alive and well!

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Dunnoeither | 5 months ago
2 likes

Yes most recreational riders tend to be ridicilously overbiked these days but I am happy with that because a) they blow a lot of cash in my favourite industry and b) it sure is fun to drop them on my steel frame. So go on guys and ride your super expensive aero bikes with handlebar bags and make sure your powermeter is sensitive enough to measure your so called performance. I'll be there to pick up your used bike at half the price because honestly I desperately want one of those integrated cockpits because they look sooo much cooler than my stupid old steelframe. Ouch

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to Dunnoeither | 5 months ago
15 likes

Hey here's a thought, why not just enjoy whatever bike makes you happy and let other people enjoy whatever bikes make them happy and stop the pathetic "I'm so much faster/cooler/more authentic than you" dick waving?

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timtak replied to Rendel Harris | 4 months ago
0 likes

Speed and dick waving are motivating, for me at least. I don't like to be overtaken, and when I am, rarely, I put pedal to metal and get a good work out. Even when he does not overtake me, Dr. Hamada, a brain surgeon at a local hospital, who rides the same morning route as me, is always in my mind and on my tail, and makes me ride faster.

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perce replied to timtak | 4 months ago
2 likes

Oh yes, same here - I'm rarely overtaken cos I'm so great. Only two rocket scientists at the local space agency are faster than me - Mr von Braun and Hans ''Datdo'' Dischers. Oh, and Elsie, a retired bus conductress, or ''clippie'' as they used to be known.

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perce replied to Dunnoeither | 5 months ago
2 likes

You can get handlebar bags now?

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chrisonabike replied to perce | 5 months ago
7 likes

Handlebar bags at dawn, sounds like.

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