The Tour de France is the world’s biggest bike race, where the fastest road riders come to battle it out. Last year, the 3,498km (2,174 miles) route was completed at an incredible average speed of 41.8kph, or just under 26mph. 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 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 sort out every mechanical issue, 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 it’s best to avoid.
Of course, we can take inspiration from the pros; in fact, we’ve done a whole video and article on what you should copy from them. But now let’s crack on with our top 10 pro no-nos…
Huge chainrings
Unfortunately, it’s very, very unlikely that we mere mortals are travelling at anything like the speeds of 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… which might be the biggest they’re allowed to use in the 2026 edition of the race, but that’s a whole other story… anyway, the team mechanics actually change them between stages to suit the terrain. This is because the pros want to be in the middle of the cassette for the majority of the race, as this is the most efficient chainline.
Copying the pros’ gearing in the real world is a surefire way to blow up your knees or have a horrendously inefficient chainline. Instead, most of us amateur road riders will be better suited to a compact groupset – something like a Shimano 50/34T or SRAM 48/35 chainset.
Race tyres
On a flat road, two main things are 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, Tadej Pogacar is using Continental’s new Archetype tyre.
> Continental releases Pogačar’s ltd edition Archetype racing tyres
The problem with race tyres is that they’re not only more prone to puncturing, but they also don’t last very long. You’ll usually need to replace them twice as fast as an all-rounder.
If you’re a very rich cycling team looking for every marginal gain, lightweight tyres 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 longevity. After all, we don’t have a team car following us around if we do get caught by the puncture fairy!
Top-of-the-range groupsets
Look around the Tour de France peloton in 2025 and you’ll see three groupsets: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 SRAM Red AXS, and Campagnolo Super Record. You might see chainsets and other individual components from other brands, but Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo are at the heart of things.
Each of these groupsets is superb, but when building our own bikes, we wouldn’t buy them.
Why not? It’s simply because the lower-end 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 bananas.
White bar tape
For some reason, the pros love white bar tape, presumably for reasons of fashion and panache! I have to admit it does look really 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.
The pros have mechanics who can swap off skanky bar tape and replace it with nice new stuff… lightning quick and free of charge. Unless you have that luxury, we’d advise avoiding white.
Super aggressive frame geometry
You might think that all you need to ride as fast as the pros is the same bike. As cyclists, we’re lucky that we can (for a price) buy the exact same equipment that’s used by the world’s best (try doing that if you’re a Formula One fan).
> How much does a Tour de France bike cost?
It probably wouldn’t be the most sensible purchase, though. 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.
> Should I buy a race bike or an endurance bike?
For example, Movistar riders use the Canyon Ultimate and Aeroad in the Tour de France. However, rather than just copying the pros, Canyon’s Endurace is better suited to most amateur riders.
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, meaning that we mere mortals can ride it in more comfort for longer.
Ridiculous aero tech
We’re big fans of aero positioning and interesting components here at road.cc, but the Tour de France has seen some seriously bizarre tech all created in the pursuit of cheating the wind. These are things that are probably better left to the pros, unless you want some odd looks.
This $300 aero beak that sprinter Dilan Groenewegen was spotted using last year, for example, is probably enough to get you laughed out of your local cycling club.
Covering up your Boa dials like Mark Cavendish did last year is also probably best not copied. Okay, Cav finished his career with 35 Tour de France stage wins so he clearly knows a thing or two about riding fast, but even if it saves you milliseconds, it’s not going to be practical for most of us.
Super-lightweight components/bikes
Now I know this one is going to be controversial because many cyclists are obsessed with weight, but most of us don’t need to worry too much about superlight bikes and kit.
Most of us don’t live in mountainous terrain. I live in the Mendip Hills in the UK, which is quite hilly – the clue’s in the name – 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.
> Wilier unveils its “lightest ever bike”, the Verticale SLR
The pros take on some of the hardest climbs in Europe against the best cyclists out there, so of course they’re going to try and shave grams and ride bikes like the Wilier Verticale (above). This lightweight bike is right on the 6.8kg UCI weight limit when fitted with 25mm tubular wheels and tyres.
Personally, though, I would much rather ride something like the Wilier Filante. Yes, it’s a little heavier, but I don’t think that this will make the slightest difference to my (very non-pro) performances.
> Read our Wilier Filante SL Ultegra Di2 review
Ceramic bearings
> 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 in the bottom bracket, the hubs, 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.
For example, take Hunt’s Sub 50 wheels (above). They’ll set you back £1,849 with steel bearings, and a whopping £440 more 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 better spent elsewhere. In the long term, proper bearing maintenance will likely reap greater rewards.
Integrated cockpits
A few years ago, just a few sprinters used integrated cockpits, but now a large proportion of the Tour de France peloton have them. Integrated cockpits look absolutely great, and are probably a tiny bit faster too.
However, they’re not so good for adjustments. 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.
> The things I learnt from a professional bike fit
The rest of us don’t have access to all that, though, so we need a solution that is adjustable over time.
Comfort is key for most of us, not only for enjoying 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
Professional cycling takes a lot of fuelling, and riders in the Tour de France consume more than 6,000 calories a day. That’s a whole lot of calories. This will be made up of gels, high-carb energy drinks and the pros’ old favourite: 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.
> 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.
Let us know whether you agree or disagree with these choices in the comments section below.
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
53 thoughts on “10 cycling trends NOT to copy from the Tour de France pros — do we really need huge chainrings, ceramic bearings and integrated everything?”
Most of us are not pros and
Most of us are not pros and might be better off with steel frames with braze-ons for mudguards, lights, racks, subcompact cranks and sensible gearing from say 1.5 to 8 m, rebuildable wheels, rim brakes and thus light absorbing forks, wide supple tyres, sensibly priced classic components with interchangeable standards, and maybe even a comfortable riding position?
And our bikes could also be beautiful?
You don’t say…
Yawn
Yawn
I could go with steel, alu or
I could go with steel, alu or titanium frames, or pretty much all the rest, but I’m never going to buy a rim brake bike again.
Agreed. But… then I
Agreed. But… then I serviced and got back on my 2007 Cannondale SystemSix Ultegra with Mavic Xyrium wheels: stops perfectly in wet. But, the 23C tyres on narrow rims are no good on 2024 rutted roads. Disc brakes main benefit over top notch rim brakes of yore is easy fatter tyres with wider rims and swapping wheels and tyres for different rides. Cheaper disc brakes on cheaper bikes are far better than cheap rim-brake combinations. So… never go back but wistful about a past when I was younger
Yes, or maybe not. You ride
Yes, or maybe not. You ride what you want, and the rest of us will ride what we want.
I guess when most of us are
Literally “replacement horses for courses”.
I guess when most of us are riding we would be advised to get such a thing for practicality – but most of us in the UK aren’t riding. And by the time a chunk of the population is people will be ready to sell them alloy frames, probably built as ebikes, and maybe even ABS! Even Royal Dutch Gazelle are giving folks a strong steer to the ebikes (at least on the Dutch site there are still a wide range of unpowered bikes).
Doesn’t stop me having most variations except a fully CF frame or a folder and deploying where most appropriate, or just on whim.
My daily rider is a 40lb
My daily rider is a 40lb steel Workcycles Omafiets. I couldn’t be happier.
Now… if we hadn’t helped
Now… if we hadn’t helped children buy houses & dig their gardens and we didn’t have grandchildren to enjoy, I’d go back to having a suite of bikes including a steel Colnago with down tube shifting Super Record. But, age 69, my 7-speed urban bike carries luggage & gets me up the hills of SE London from Greenwich to Shooters Hill. The 2007 SystemSix half carbon is the retro smooth joy. The 2nd hand Roubaix Elite needs fatter tyres and wider rims to be ideal. I should swap those last two bikes for one aluminium, 105, 2 sets of wheels, eyes for mudguards in group rides and winter
Personally yes that’s what my
Personally yes that’s what my main road bike is more like but .. none of us buy bikes for entirely practical reasons, we buy them for how they feel to ride and how they make us feel. It’s all really subjective? The bike you descrbe feels dull or ‘slow’ to some so they buy race replicas, fair enough imho. Alongside my wider-tyred road bikes with guards and sensible gearng I have an old Italian race-style bike for nice summer days and I love it, it just feels different. Closer to flying than riding at times. Race replicas can be even more that way.
Anyway .. it’s 2024 and some folks still think bike spec has to be justified by fitness or ability or that ‘dropping’ someone who’s riding a technically superior bike is noteworthy. Race with a number on or don’t, ride a race replica or don’t, whatever brakes you like, etc etc. Riding bikes is cool, imo that is all : )
Yes most recreational riders
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
Hey here’s a thought, why not
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?
Speed and dick waving are
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.
Oh yes, same here – I’m
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.
Hmm seems there are quiet a
Hmm seems there are quiet a few people here who don’t know irony if it’s right in their face.
Also show me one cycling forum that is not ripe with “I’m better than you”
And to keep the fun on coming I am doubting your humor and call you someone who likes to make sure that everybody knows just how clever you are. Did someone say dick waving? Ah the irony …
Well that reply certainly
Well that reply certainly wasn’t worth waiting a year for…
You can get handlebar bags
You can get handlebar bags now?
Handlebar bags at dawn,
Handlebar bags at dawn, sounds like.
Oh yes. And top tube bags. I
Oh yes. And top tube bags. I just got a Topeak in Halfords clearance. It takes my wallet, extra battery charger, whistle, USB cables for phone, watch, bone conducting headphones, change of lens for goggles, and… heart stuff following massive ha and 3 resuscitations (genetic despite being very fit)
Sounds more like a trailer!!!
Sounds more like a trailer!!!!
(Understand your need for one though).
Theres nothing sadder than
Theres nothing sadder than someone who thinks that their ability on a bike makes them better than someone else and looks down on them for the money they choose to spend on their hobby. Perhaps your ego shouldn’t be so tied up in your cycling ability…
Just a small edit, if I may..
Just a small edit, if I may…
In the news today, topical:
In the news today, topical:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2v0qq7z12qo
I used to be this person.
I used to be this person. Poor but fing fast. Now, after a 5 year hiatus and 2 bike related injuries, I have more disposable income, a faster bike, but more weight and trying to regain my fitness. I have the bike I’ve always dreamed of though, and hope to reach the peak I once had. Nothing is as it seems. You may have your ego, but time willl give you wisdom and humility.
Age 69, I used to go past
Age 69, I used to go past folk on early carbon. When the steel frame got bent and I needed more than an irreplaceable Suntour Ultrasix, an aluminium frame was great for ten miles then battered me to death. 2nd hand carbon is lighter for the steep hills and my old legs & lungs. Now I’m the one getting overtaken and left behind… by powerful ebikes
I wish I could get a steel
I wish I could get a steel bike with 10 speed brifters but for cost performance second hand carbon is the way to go.
59.
Good to see the bullmoose is
Good to see the bullmoose is alive and well!
Kitchen spray with bleach to
Kitchen spray with bleach to keep your white bar tape brilliant white.
Obviously wear gloves and rinse *thoroughly* with water afterwards!
Lemon Pledge has been a shop
Lemon Pledge has been a shop staple for white bartape and saddles for decades.
You forgot to include riding
You forgot to include riding all day without stopping for coffee and cake.
Biker Zoolanders (they are
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).
But how do they ever get to
But how do they ever get to the cafe, given that they can’t turn left?
At 57 years old, I make more
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. ?
AnaerobicMD wrote:
Doesn’t ClimbPro let you know?
The flip side. Is I have
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.
Yes to all of this. One
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.
54T isn’t huge. TT chainrings
54T isn’t huge. TT chainrings are huge, but anyone can ride Standard chainrings
Nick T wrote:
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.
I’m the same. I’m considering
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.
The article doesn’t mention
The article doesn’t mention lower gears though, it just says 54T is too big for mere mortals
Nick T wrote:
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.
In an article of “trends not
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
Nick T wrote:
How precisely does someone opining that it’s unwise for most people to copy pro cyclists’ gearing damage cycling in the long term?
No, you’re right. Constant
No, you’re right. Constant sensationalist misinformation is a net positive for any industry
Nick T wrote:
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?
Nick T wrote:
Spot on! Wont somebody think of the children!
Yes, my old rear 10spd
Yes, my old rear 10spd Ultegra derailleur doesn’t fit anything bigger than than 28T, so I defintely do not want to go bigger than my compact 34 chainring. Even with a 12-28 I’m very rarely spinning out on a 50 chainring. I’m not racing though, but then aged 50+ and riding a steel bike with panniers and mudguards, I’m not likely to be. Each to their own.
No doubt the petrolhead anti
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)
live and let live, I say- if
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 ?
I disagree with almost
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 .
scooterx517 wrote:
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!
I agree.
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.
scooterx517 wrote:
If you’re doing Crits you’re already a minority of a minority – probably even amongst Road.CC readers, let alone the set of people with a half way decent road bike. You arent in the “many riders” category.
Re chainrings.
Re chainrings.
My TT bike has a 53 tooth large front ring. I came into cycling from athletics and tend to get more power spinning at a higher speed and lower torque.
I find the 53 tooth perfect for flatter dual carriageway type courses.
Local club courses tend to be a little bit more lumpy and I can just about get away with the 53, but feel that a 52 would be better.
Not really thought about anything larger.