The argument for wider tires

Those of you who have been riding road bikes for a while "know" that the fastest tires are 23c tires, filled to 110psi, right?  In fact, for time trials, you may even have used 20c tires filled to even higher pressures.     That was the way.

In theory, it is correct - but recent studies are increasingly showing that this is generally true only in ideal cases.   Tires filled to higher pressures are faster but only on really smooth surfaces, like indoor tracks.     Narrower tires are also more aero, but again, only in zero yaw (when the wind is coming head-on).   In the real world of imperfect roads and wind coming from various angles, this is no longer true.

Some of these conclusions fly against what many of us have "known" to be true for all these years.  In addition, there is a lot of misinterpreted versions of this info online as well.   This article is meant to be a primer to help you cut through the noise.    Resources for additional information are provided at the end of the article.


WIDER TIRES HAVE LOWER ROLLING RESISTANCE

When you sit on your bicycle, your tires deform, creating a contact patch that touches the road.     The area of this contact patch is such that it offsets the weight of the rider+bike.   When two tires are filled to the same pressure, the area of this contact patch is the same - after all, the contact patch is supporting the same force (weight of rider+bike) with the same pressure.

Tire Contact Surface (Source:  DT Swiss)

So what does this mean?  We know that Area = Length x Width - so for a wider tire, the length is going to be lower.

This, in turn, leads to lower tire sag and results in lower rolling resistance.     Obviously, this holds true to equal air pressures - ie, a 28mm tire will have lower RR than a 23mm tire at the same pressure.     Drop the pressure too much, and rolling resistance increases.

Here is an example of tire size, pressure and RR, as measured on a drum:

Source:   BicycleRollingResistance.com (Link at the end of the article)

As you can see - wider tires have lower rolling resistance.   But dropping the pressure does result in an increase in rolling resistance.   

However, keep in mind that this is based on a test done on drums.   When this experiment was replicated on various road conditions, it gave rise to the next point, namely...


LOWER PRESSURE IS FASTER ON IMPERFECT ROADS

I don't know where you live, but in most parts of India, you are not likely to have perfect tarmac.    And when the tarmac is imperfect, tires filled to high pressure will cause the bike and rider to bounce up and down - this doesn't have to be extreme:  even the force that causes small vibrations transmitted up your frame and body is energy that is coming from your pedaling.       Compounded over the course of a long ride, that's a fairly significant loss of energy.   

This loss of energy is referred to as impedance - you can think of this as the extra force when you get off smooth tarmac onto bumpy asphalt.    Then there is also casing losses - the loss of energy caused by your tire rubber compressing and expanding when your tires or wheel bounce - or even micro-bounce - over rough surfaces (which is not perfect in energy retention - some energy is transferred as heat)

Here is what the graph of total resistance (CRR + impedance + casing loss) looks like for different surfaces:

Source:  Silca (link at the bottom)

As you can see, as tire pressure increases, total resistance does reduce - up to a point, but after that, it rises up very significantly as well.    So in each case, there is a "sweet spot" which represents the ideal tire pressure - and in this case, for, say, rough asphalt, that is a fair bit lower than the 110-120psi that many people are used to.

Keep in mind that the efficiency losses are not symetrical - take a look at this chart, which shows a change in resistance when you change the tire pressure by 10psi over optimal:

Source:  Silca

As you can see, if you err on the side of too low pressure, there isnt a very significant change in wattage - 1-2W loss only with a 10psi reduction.   On the other hand, increasing the pressure beyond optimal results in a pretty significant increase in watts required. 

So if you aren't sure about what kind of roads you are going to encounter, it is better to be err on the side of lower pressure than higher.

The one downside to lower pressure used to be (and still is) the risk of pinch flats - go over a pothole at too high a speed and you flat your tire.       However, with the advent of tubeless technology, you are now able to get the benefits of riding at lower pressure without the risk of pinch flats.


WIDER IS AERO - KINDA

The early days of aero involved V-shaped airfoil shapes (NACA profiles), based on lessons in aerodynamics learned from planes.    But the thing is -  bicycles don't move at aeroplane speeds and without getting into the details of aerodynamics, they are more prone to facing apparent sidewinds (aka, wind coming from an angle or yaw).     This results in differential air pressures on either side of the airfoil shape - which is great on a plane (it lets it fly!), but is not so good on a wheel, as it results in sidewards force. 

Anyone who has ridden deep sections wheels on a windy day knows what that feels like - the wheel may be fast in no wind, but the moment there is a wind, it becomes a struggle to hold it steady, which defeats all the aero gains.

So the focus shifted from aerodynamics at 0 yaw to aerodynamics across a range of wind angles (0-15 or 0-20 degrees, typically).   This resulted in rim shape evolving from V-shaped to the more commonly-used U-shaped or toroidal shapes in vogue today.     The purpose of this was to improve the range of wind angles at which a wheel would provide an aerodynamic benefit.

(Note my use of the word "apparent wind angle" - that refers to the angle of wind as seen from the rider's perspective.   It depends on two things-  the actual speed and direction of the wind, and also the speed of the rider.   Faster riders generally see wind at a lower range of angles, whereas slower riders see wind at a larger of angles)

The advent of disc brakes - and the fact that it allowed manufacturers more freedom in rim shape - has changed the goals of wheel design these days.   Manufacturers are now increasingly thinking of overall speed - not just aerodynamic speed - and factoring in tire width and lower pressures into their wheel design.     After all, what is the point of building a wheel that is 2W faster with 23c tires, if you lose 10W in impedance losses in real world use? 

So yes, looking purely at aero, a narrow wheel with thin tires would indeed end up being faster in a wind tunnel.     But they would be very twitchy in crosswinds (poorer drag characteristics and also greater side force) and in addition, suffer from the increase in resistance described in the earlier sections. 

So optimizing speed basically involves balancing aerodynamic benefits (which depends on a rider's speed) vs impedancy/RR losses.   And this, in turn, depends on how a given wheel is designed.   For example, DT Swiss has the following recommendation for their wheels:

Roval also recommends using 26mm tires with their CLX64 wheels, even though the 24mm tires test a little faster in the wind tunnel.

So in practical terms - wider = better, although the exact point of "how wide is wide enough" depends on your speed and road conditions.

Do note, however -  in order to get the maximum aero efficiency out of your wheelset, the tire width should be no more than 95% of the width of the rim at the brake track.     This creates the most aerodynamic profile and results in improved aero gains across a range of yaw angles.   A tire that has a bulbous profile (much thicker than the rim) has a very heavy aero penalty.    Thanks to disc brakes, bikes can now take wider rims, which in turn allow wider tires.

And while on the subject of tire width:  even regular 23mm tires, when mounted on wider rims, will measure out wider as they get spread out more.      Eg, on my 21mm internal width rims, a pair of tires with a stated size of 24mm actually measures out to 28mm.     So don't go by the nominal size measured on the case - actually measure the tyres to see where you are ending up.


SUMMARY & PARTING THOUGHTS

So in summary, all this means that you need to find the right balance of tire width and pressure - and for a lot of people riding on less than perfect roads, that means wider tires/lower pressures.

A few guidelines to  consider:

• The ideal tire pressure depends on your weight and surface conditions
• The rougher the surface, the lower your ideal tire pressure
• It is better to err on the side of slightly lower pressure than slightly higher pressure
• If you are about maximizing aero, make sure that the outer width of your wheel, at around the brake track, is 105% of the measured width of the tire

At the time of writing this article, 28mm (measured width) is around the optimal width for  uncompromised speed on smooth tarmac, whereas 30-32mm would be the real-world "optimal" width that balances speed, comfort and efficiency.     Keep in mind these are just ballpark estimates, not hard-and-fast rules. 

There are tradeoffs, of course.    To get the benefit of these tire widths, you may need a disc frame - and the extra weight/maintenance issues that entails.     If you are running lower pressure, you may also need to run tubeless to minimize pinch flats - and that is a whole different can of worms.    And of course, if you live in a place with really smooth asphalt, you are good with thin tires pumped to high pressures.   Or if you don't deal with a lot of wind, you can go with narrower-profile aero wheels.

What is missing from all the analysis so far is the qualitative effect of being less fatigued on a  rider's ability to maintain power.      Does the fact that you havent gotten beaten up by the roads for the last 2-3 hours make you fresher and more able to maintain power?

Brands like HED, Zipp, Enve, Roval and more are all releasing wheels that measure 30mm or wider (outer diameter) with an inner diameter of 21-25mm makes it very clear that wide is here to stay.       While we can always debate the magnitude of the benefits, no company would deliberately release a product that was worse - there are too many independent tests being conducted these days to risk that.      So that fact that almost all the big brands have moved in this direction (HED has been banging the drum of wider rims for nearly a decade now!) supports this as well.

Personally, having ridden wider tires, I find the benefits to be very much worth it.     I do not notice any increase in required wattage in going from 23/25mm tires to 28mm, but i definitely find an increase in comfort.      

Hell, I have even started doing some group rides using Panaracer Gravelking 35mms, which measure a whopping 37mm on my wheels - I am sure it is a little slower than my normal race-oriented tires, but that difference is not as much as one might imagine.      For sure, on tarmac, they dont feel as fast - but  "feeling fast" and "being fast" are 2 different things:   the softer tires dont feel as fast because they deform around road imperfections, as opposed to bouncing on them - and that is the very same reason they actually are fast.     Certainly, the difference in power required to hold the same speed is lower than my ability to notice.    And if the road gets even slightly rough, there is a huge advantage. 

I am convinced enough to make 32mm my "normal" riding tire width, with 25-28mms reserved for races or fast group rides where I am barely hanging on for life.      In fact, I have just sold off my Cervelo R5 (one of the nicest bikes I have ridden) to get a Factor LS because I want to make 32-35mm tires my daily riding tires.

Note, of course - all this depends on the wider tire also being equally (or almost equally) fast-rolling.   That is not always the case.      In my experience, Panaracer Gravelking Slicks are very nice, fast wider slicks, as are Continental GP5000s.   Rene Herse also makes very fast wide tires (no personal experience, however).    So don't expect to put on touring/commuting tires with a lot of puncture protection and expect the same kind of speeds as a race-oriented thinner tire.

Questions?   Feel free to ask on our Facebook group, BikesZone Reborn.


FURTHER READING

Here are some links that do a very good job explaining the rationale.   Note that they are all manufacturer sites, but I have chosen them because they have made the science more accessible to laypeople.    You can dispute the magnitude of those numbers, but the science is solid.

BicycleRollingResistance - a review of CRR, tire width and pressure
Zipp and Total System Efficiency
DT Swiss on Endurance and balancing Aero vs Efficiency
Silca Blog on Rim and Tire Width - Effect on Aerodynamics
November Bicycles:  Wider is Better - Until It Isnt
Roval - Designing Aero Wheels Around Wider Tires
Slowtwitch article on Tire Pressure and Rolling Resistance
Silca Blog on Tire Rolling Resistance and Impedance
Active - Are Wide Wheels Faster
Enve - Real World Fast

Your first road bike should be a gravel bike with disc brakes

The typical progression for a new cyclist is as follows:

Stage 1 - he starts out thinking that he needs a mountain bike, because, you know, suspension, disc brakes, they look bad ass.    So he buys one, and rides it for a bit before realizing that it is utter rubbish, that the suspension does nothing more than absorb energy, the cheap disc brakes dont have a lot of stopping power and the entire bike is a pig and rides like one, too.

And thus enlightened, he moves on to to the next phase.   Or maybe he was warned off by a friend who knows bikes and avoided the entire mess that is Stage 1.    Or maybe he looks at road bikes, get scared off by the prices and decides to compromise.    Regardless, he is now in Stage 2 of his cycling journey:  he increases his budget and buys a hybrid.    This one is a bit better.    A higher budget means quality parts, the brakes actually work and while the bike may have suspension, it also works (hallelujah!).    The cyclist finally starts to understand the meaning of the phrase "you get what you pay for".   

For many cyclists, Phase 2 is sufficient.   If they just want to ride 15-20 min a day for exercise, or use the bike to run errands, or whatever, a hybrid is all the bike they need - and also the ideal bike for their requirements.    But other cyclists get hooked to the sport.    They actually enjoy the act of riding (as opposed to merely posting cycling memes online), and want to ride more - longer distances and faster.    And now they are ready to move on to Stage 3 - getting a road bike.

But stage 3 comes with some problems.   One is price.   Not much that can be done about that (see:  "you get what you pay for").   I suggest selling drugs or perhaps a kidney.     

The other is concern about  usability.  Maybe you have really broken roads where you are and are concerned about comfort.   Or maybe you want a bike you can ride on tarmac, and perhaps also take onto some light trails, or go exploring some country roads where you don't know what you might encounter.   And that has held you back.

Well, gravel bikes are the answer to all of that - read on to learn why.

DISC BRAKES SHALL SET YOU FREE

In the old days (read:  as late as 5 years ago), road bikes came with rim brakes.    They were fine as far as stopping power went, but they did limit the maximum rim and tire width that could fit in them.  Then carbon wheels started becoming popular - and it only took one ride in the rain on carbon wheels and rim brakes to realize that this was a really, really crappy idea:  braking was only notional at best.    And on long descents, the carbon rims would overhead, causing tubes to blow out.       Not fun.    But carbon was cool and carbon wheels were not going anywhere....  and thus were born disc brake road bikes.   

While rim brakes offer more than enough stopping power (under most circumstances - see exceptions above), disc brakes do a better job with modulating the power, allowing for precise braking.   And they work better in the rain and on long descents, especially with carbon rims.   This alone makes them a significant upgrade over rim brakes.

But perhaps even more importantly, by getting rid of a brake caliper, disc brakes allow a lot more flexibility in terms of rim widths and shapes.   And this is where things start to get interesting (more on this in a bit).

Most top-end bikes these days - be it from Specialized, Trek, Cervelo or Cannondale - are disc-only.   In the rare cases a rim-brake version is available, it is typically sold as "frameset only"

Yes, disc brakes are a little heavier (on average, about 200-300gm more) and a little more finicky to set up and maintain - especially hydraulics - but it is indicative of their benefits that the market has moved over almost overwhelmingly to disc brakes now.   Virtually all bikes being sold these days are disc brake models - and that is not just because the manufacturers are trying to shove them down our throats (contrary to popular opinion, marketing doesn't work that way).   Disc brake bikes are becoming more popular because most people who ride them realize how much nicer they are.

Now, to head off the inevitable - for those of you who already have rim brake bikes, this doesnt mean that your rim brake bike is going to assplode or that you have to go out and upgrade.   Of course not.   Or maybe you are a climber and prefer the lightest bike possible - in which case you still might want to look for rim brake bikes.   But for the vast majority of people looking for a new road bike, especially first-time buyers, disc brakes should definitely be on your radar. 

Note:  this holds true for any bike model from one of the reputed international brands, which will typically be fitted with Tiagra or higher and cost Rs 70,000 or more.   If you are getting an absolute budget model, with parts that are below Sora-level, then you might be better off with rim brakes because at that price range, you are not going to get decent disc brakes.

WIDE TIRES ARE BETTER EVERYWHERE (EXCEPT AROUND YOUR WAIST)

Not having the brake calipers limit the rim/tire size has freed up manufacturers to make the wheel rims wider, which in turn means that tires have a wider profile on the wheels,     Without getting into the physics of this too much, this results in a tire shape that allows for lower rolling resistance, greater comfort and also improved aerodynamics at yaw.     In other words, an improvement in every single area.

In those same "old days" of yore, roadies rode 23mm tires - or 25mm, if they felt like a comfort ride - filled to 90-110psi of pressure.    This was the generally accepted formula for speed.   But these tires were absolute nightmares on broken roads.   I remember doing the Tour of Nilgiris in 2010 and 2011, and each year, there would be one stage with a lot of broken, potholed roads and all of us on road bikes with 23mm or 25mm tires would be cursing the entire ride.

These days, that has changed.   28-30mm tire widths are the new standard for going fast - most modern wheels are optimized with such tires in mind.    Add in tubeless technology and these tires can be run at lower pressures - 65-75psi is common - without the risk of pinch flats.    That results in greater comfort (the tire acts as a shock absorber), lower rolling resistance and indeed, greater speed (the tire deforms around imperfections in the road, as opposed to bouncing up and down over it, reducing vibration loss).    

So there is no longer a compromise between speed and comfort - you get more speed AND more comfort when you go to wider tires.

And it does not stop at 28-30mm widths.   While this is the current sweet spot for maximum aerodynamic efficiency and speed on smooth roads, studies and empirical ride reports have shown that  going even wider with tires - 32mm width or larger - and running them tubeless at low pressures of 50-60 psi can have a massive improvement in comfort.       

And the interesting thing is:  while this increase in comfort comes with a tradeoff of reduced speed, that reduction is very, very minor.     You are looking at a few minutes over the course of a 2-3 hour ride only - insignificant unless you are racing.   In fact, on rough roads, the wider tires may be even faster.   Not only that, the increased comfort reduces fatigue, which can make you even faster.  

Yes, you read that correctly - 32mm wide tires at low pressures may actually be faster on rough surfaces like chipseal or rough concrete,     The bike ends up floating over road imperfections, road buzz is muted and your ride becomes super plush and comfortable.   

In fact, the most recent wheels released by  Zipp and Enve, at the time of writing this article, are optimized for use with 32mm tires!

  

So I will repeat it again - wider slick tires (30-32mm) give you much greater comfort and have a minimal effect on your speed.   If you are not racing, there is no reason for you to be riding anything narrower than a 30-32mm tire these days.     And if you are racing and are on smooth tarmac, you still shouldn't be on anything lower than 28mm.   

ENTER THE GRAVEL BIKE

By moving to wider tires at lower pressures - 30-32mm at 60-70psi, let's say - you have pretty much solved the question of comfort on tarmac and have gotten a plush, comfortable magic carpet ride.  Virtually all modern road bikes these days (ie, disc brake bikes) allow you to fit a 30mm tire.   A lot of endurance bikes and even some race bikes, like the above-mentioned Venge and R5, will actually fit up to 32mm tires.

So far so good.    But let's go back to my original question - what if you wanted to ride your bike on more than just tarmac, but also on trails, dirt roads and gravel paths?    Until recently, you had to pick one - the nature of the bicycle mean that you could either get a bike that was good on tarmac (rigid, fast, skinny tires) or you could get a bike that was good on trail (fat tires, suspension).   But now, that is no longer the case.

Imagine, if you will, a road bike that has the clearance to let you put on tires that go all the way to a massive 40-42mm (or even 2.1" MTB tires, in some cases) with a choice of treads - slick, semi-slick, light treads or heavy treads.       This could be that mythical single bike that lets you do EVERYTHING.

And the good news, freed from the restraints of rim brakes on road bikes, manufacturers have created such a bike - it is called a gravel bike.   

Gravel bikes are basically endurance bikes (as described in my Race vs Endurance bikes article) with clearance for very large tires and the geometry tweaked some more for off-road riding.     Some versions are tweaked very heavily, to be more off-road oriented.   Others are tweaked a little less, and are designed to mostly road bikes with some off-road capabilities.   It's a pretty wide spectrum and no matter how you prefer to split your priorities, there is a bike for you.

But regardless of which flavor you get, you get an immensely versatile machine.    Put on a pair of wheels with 30mm slicks and go out for a fast group ride with some friends.   Swap in wheels with 35-38mm light treads and go ride a mix of tarmac and forest trails.     Or put on 42mm knobbies and go entirely off-road.   The choice is yours.   And the bikes often come with more storage capabilities to support those epic rides.   And you get all of this without the weight, speed or riding position compromises of a hybrid or MTB.

Are there compromises over a pure road bike?   Of course there are.   Gravel bikes are designed to be a bit more robust - and so are a little heavier.    The greater stability for off-road use results in a bike that is not as agile as preferred by road racers.   Similarly, if your goal is to ride really technical off-road stuff, you would still be better off with a MTB with a good amount of suspension.    Special interests require specialized bikes.

But for the vast majority of people who just want to ride for fun, still care about going fast on tarmac without necessarily becoming hard-core racers, and who also want to go off the road a little without getting into super-technical stuff, the gravel bike is the perfect solution with very little in the way of compromises.

It truly is the "One Bike To Rule Them All".    

Questions?   Feel free to ask on BikesZone Reborn.  

Endurance vs race bikes - what road bike should you get?

Too often, I have seen people come on to a bike forum, looking for a road bike and just looking into size.    But what they don't realize is that not only does size depend on your particular body type, but the same size in 2 different bikes can result in 2 very different fits.

Most manufacturers generally have 2 separate line of road bikes - one is what they call their racing line, and the other is their endurance or sportive line.     In the Specialized world, the Venge and Tarmac are their race models, and the Roubaix their endurance model.   Trek has the Madone and Emonda as their race models, and the Domane as their endurance model.    Giant has the TCR and Defy.    And so on.

The differences between these models can be huge and it is worth learning a little bit about them before making a purchase decision.

Before you , continue with this article, I strongly recommend reading my article on Stack and Reach - Road Bike Sizing For Beginners Part 2

ENDURANCE vs RACE GEOMETRY FIT

Race bikes are the classic road bikes - designed to put the rider in a low, aero position for going fast, and with a geometry that favors quick handling and responsiveness.   Endurance bikes try to find a balance between comfort and speed - so they adopt a more upright riding position that more amateurs will find comfortable, especially for longer rides.   They typically also allow the use of thicker tires, for more comfort.

These were just generalizations, of course.    Depending on one's body type, a particular rider might be comfortable on a race geometry for long rides, and another rider might need an endurance geometry to get an aggressive fit.       So while many exceptions existed, broadly speaking, the bikes were designed accordingly.   

The endurance bikes would have the carbon tubes laid up with a greater emphasis on comfort, perhaps at the cost of a little weight, whereas race bikes would be designed to be as stiff and light as possible, with comfort a distant third in the priority list. 

Let's take a look at the geometries of 2 bikes that are the same size - the Tarmac 54 and the Roubaix 54:

If you were to go from a Tarmac to a Roubaix, the handlebars of the same sized bike would be a whopping 40mm taller (that's equivalent to 4 spacers under the bar) and 10mm closer to you (one stem size smaller).    That is an enormous difference!    In fact, this is a bigger difference compared to when you go from a size 54 Tarmac to a size 56 (comparable change in reach, but a smaller difference in stack).    

So if you get the two bikes to agree on the reach, the stack will be massively different.   If you get them to a comparable stack, the reach will be massively different.     In other words, these two bikes fit VERY differently - even for the same size.

And that is just the fit.

HANDLING

Look at the rest of the geometry - a slacker head tube angle on the Roubaix means that it is going to be slightly less responsive to steering input compared to the Tarmac.     For someone looking to get an agile bike for racing, this may not be optimal.   But for a beginner or someone looking for a more leisurely riding experience, the slightly greater stability of the Roubaix may indeed be preferable.    Or they may prefer a head tube angle that is as slack as 72 degrees, for even more stability.

Along with the stability, the Roubaix has a greater BB drop - this increases the feeling of sitting "between the wheels" as opposed to "on top of the bike", which also increases overall stability.     Lastly, the longer wheelbase and chainstay on the Roubaix also make the bike more planted on cornering.   Whether you prefer that or not is up to you.

To be honest, for a beginner, these geometry differences are not going to make a huge difference.  A Pro Tour cyclist rides the bike at the extreme edge of its capabilities, when it comes to cornering, sprinting or descending.    For someone like that, a few mm of BB drop, a small difference in head tube angle or chainstay/wheelbase length can make a huge difference.

For amateurs like you and me?   Very unlikely.    You are going to be riding well within the capabilities of these bikes, so to a large extent, these differences are mainly academic when it comes to performance.   But they do affect how the bike "feels" and that could be a difference maker.    

COMFORT

This is the part that is hard to quantify, but which is certainly very noticeable when you get on the bike.      Comfort comes from 2 things - riding position (which is dependent on fit) and bike characteristics.  

Race bikes are designed to go as fast as possible - so they emphasize stiffness and light weight.    Comfort is what it is.    Endurance bikes, on the other hand, make small tradeoffs in stiffness and weight in order to improve comfort drastically.     

This is especially true in the carbon shaping - by building in compliance in areas like seatstays and seatpost, endurance bikes are better able to absorb the impact of potholes and road imperfections, without transmitting them up your arms or spine.    The result - you are fresher after longer rides.

Admittedly, this is a bit of a generalization - of late, comfort is becoming a factor for race bikes as well, as manufacturers realize that a rider who is not battered by the roads at the end of the race is going to be able to pedal faster.   You can also mitigate comfort to a fair bit by using wider tires at lower pressures - and also by using carbon seatposts and carbon handlebars, which also soak up road buzz.    But obviously, having a bike whose characteristics suit your requirements to begin with is better than trying to fix things by changing other components.

SUMMARY

Dont focus on just a single number - size - when buying a road bike.   There is a lot more to road bike purchases, especially once you get to mid-end models or higher.   There is no single "correct" answer, either - it all depends on your fit, your preferred ride quality and also how sensitive you are to small differences.

Do your research first, try to do a test ride if you can and buy from a reputable seller who will give you honest advice.

PS - I havent even touched on gravel bikes yet - in fact, unless you are going to be racing, you should probably be looking at a gravel bike as your first (or only) road bike.

Questions?   Feel free to ask on BikesZone Reborn.  

Road bike sizing & fit for beginners - Part 2

This is a continuation of my previous article on bike fit - Road bike sizing & fit for beginners - Part 1.  We are going to go deeper into the rabbit hole here.


BIKE GEOMETRY AND TYPES - UNDERSTANDING STACK AND REACH

Krish from The Bike Affair (Hyderabad) provided some useful feedback on this article.    He pointed out that many beginner riders are not very flexible.   In such cases, when a rider is between 2 sizes, he may find one size to be more comfortable than another, even allowing for the fact that both sizes can be set up for the same fit coordinate.    They do enough bike fits and sales that this is a useful data point.

To understand why this is so, we need to understand bike geometry.    Take this:

 This is a list of all the dimension and angles that make up a bicycle.      The bike sizing is typically and traditionally based on the seat tube length, but because of differences in all the various other dimensions, the size itself is only a very approximate guide to the bike's fit range.   Luckily, for the purposes of figuring out fit, you can safely ignore most of these other measurements and just focus on 2 elements, stack and reach.

If you remember, we talked about the 2 aspects of fit:  where to put your saddle and where to put your bars.    The position of your saddle relative to the crank is what it is, and can be set up identically across bicycles of the same genre (eg road bikes).      If your bike's seat tube tube is steeper, you will slide the saddle a little further back.   If your bike's seat tube is shallower, you can slide the saddle forwards.   So you can achieve the same saddle position regardless of bike size or geometry (within reason), in terms of how high above and how far behind the cranks it sits.    So for the purposes of this article, that setting can be ignored when comparing across bikes.

That leaves us with where to position the handlebars - how far forwards and how high.   That, in turn, will depend upon the geometry of the bike, more specifically, the stack and reach, as shown in the photo below.
  .

Pic credit:   Slowtwich (see link at the bottom)

Different bikes, even of the same size, can also vary in geometry and size.    Some bikes, designed for racing, tend to be "long and low", and put the rider in an aggressive position - these have a low stack and high reach.      Other bikes, designed for more endurance riding, tend to "short and tall", and put the rider in a more upright position - these have a high stack and shorter reach.

People who ride in a more upright position typically need a higher stack for a given reach.    However, if you try to fit them on a race oriented bike, getting both dimensions to match may be a challenge.   Eg, if you get the reach correct, you might find the handlebars to be too low and need a lot of spacers to get them in the correct position.    On the other hand, if you get a bike size which puts the handlebars at the correct height, they end up being very far away.

 As an example:
- A size 56 race-oriented Specialized Venge has a stack of 555mm and a reach of 398mm
- A size 56 endurance-oriented Trek Domane has a stack of 591 and a reach of 377.

So even though the 2 bikes are the same, when you go from a size 56 Domane to a size 56 Venge, the starting point of the handlebars is going to be massive 36mm lower and 22mm further.    That's an enormous difference, considering that most fit changes typically tend to be in the range of 10-20mm in each axis.    So can you get these 2 bikes to have the same fit coordinates?

In order to get a Venge that has the same reach as size 56 Domane, you will need to go down 3 sizes to a size 49!!   And in that case, the stack drops all the way down to 504mm - which is much, much lower than a Domane and there is no way you can make that up with spacers. 

Alternatively, if you want to get the Venge to have the same stack as the Domane, you will need to go 2 sizes bigger, to a size 61.   And in this case, your reach extends to a massive 411mm - almost 34mm longer than that of the Domane.  Correcting this will require a very short stem, which will adversely affect the handling of your bike and make it very twitchy.

So even though the 2 bikes are the same size, it can be very difficult to get the same fit coordinates on both of them - if one fits very well, you are going to be at the extreme range of fit on the other.   


IMPLICATION FOR BIKE BUYERS

As we saw above, not all bikes will provide the ideal range along both stack and reach.     In some cases, if you get the stack correct, the reach may be too short or (more likely for beginners), too long.    Alternatively, if you get the reach to the correct length, the stack will end up being too high.    You may be able to fudge together something for a particular size, but you definitely will be on the extreme end of a bike's fit range and will have limited possibilities for adjusting fit later.

So it is useful to take a step back and consider what TYPE of bike you are looking at.   A beginner rider who is not very flexible and who is struggling with bikes that are putting him in an aggressive position should consider an endurance geometry, as opposed to a race geometry.   These bikes are designed for a slightly more upright, comfortable position that normal people - as opposed to racing snakes - can hold for several hours with ease.

And don't think that endurance bikes don't go fast - for an identical body positioning and with identical components, the endurance bike will give you pretty much the same sort of speeds as a race bike.    The term just refers to the bike's geometry and design, and not to its performance.

So when going to try out bikes, try out both a race-specific geometry and an endurance-specific geometry (sometimes called sportive geometry).      You might find the latter works better for you.   And if so, instead of a Specialized Venge, consider a Roubaix.   Instead of a Cannondale SuperSix, consider a Synapse.    Instead of a Giant TCR, consider a Defy.   Instead of a Trek Madone, consider a Domane.    And so on.   Virtually every bike brand has a racer-style geometry and an endurance-style geometry. 

Getting the more aggressive bike because it looks cool or because your favorite pro rider rides in the Tour is a recipe for a miserable cycling experience.   Remember - if you are uncomfortable on the bike, you will not be able to go fast, nor will you want to ride the bike.    A good fitting bike is the first step towards having a great cycling experience.


ADDITIONAL READING

Here is the first of a very comprehensive set of articles on understanding stack and reach, as it pertains to bike sizing and as a way of comparing different bikes:
Stack and Reach Primer 

It pertains to triathlon bikes, but the same principles apply to road bikes as well (instead of pad height and reach, just think handlebar height and stem length)

Questions?   Feel free to ask on BikesZone Reborn.  

   

Road bike sizing & fit for beginners Part 1

Unlike other types of bicycles, road bikes are a fair bit more sensitive to proper size and fit - get it right and the machine is something you can ride comfortably for hours at a stretch.    Get it wrong, and you end up with aching back, taint, hands, shoulders, neck and/or knees.

The bad news is that getting a decent fit or the correct size, atleast in India, is still not a given.   The Good Guys, like Wheelsport, Crankmeister, Pro Bikers, The Bike Affair and others, will make sure they fit you properly.   But too many bikes shops just have you straddle the bike and if there is enough gap between your boys (or your lady parts) and the top tube, they call it good to go.

To be fair, that's not an India-specific issue.    I know several people in the US who have had this issue.   When I bought my first road bike from Trek in Bangkok, they sold me a size 60 (I have very long legs for my height) - since then, I have discovered that I ride a size 56!      But be that as it may, getting a poorly fitting bike results in a very poor cycling experience.     Another way to think of it is that quite a few comfort issues, including saddle discomfort, back and neck issues and hand/arm aches, all directly originate from an improperly fitted bike.

So how do you make sure your bike fits properly?   Get a proper fit done by a qualified fitter.   Depending on how often you ride and how detailed a fit you want, this can work out to be fairly expensive - but it is the single biggest improvement you can make in your riding, worth far more than groupset upgrades, frame upgrades or wheel upgrades.  

That said, getting fitted prior to purchase is not often a realistic possibility for most people.     The purpose of this article is to help beginners get a bike whose fit is approximately correct - good enough to get by and with enough freedom to make small corrections to really nail it down in future.

Do note - this fit guide is for road bikes only, not for hybrids or MTBs.


BIKE FIT VS BIKE SIZE

When you sit on the bike, there are 3 contact points - your feet on the pedals, your butt on the saddle and your hands on the handlebars.     Bike fit refers to the positioning of these 3 elements.      At present, if you are starting out, let's assume you are going to be riding with sneakers and not clipless pedals - so your feet have some flexibility and the pedals are where the pedals are:  not much you can do about it.   That removes 1 of the 3 elements and leaves you with 2 elements that you can adjust:
- How high is your saddle and what is its position on a forwards-backwards axis
- How high and how far forwards is your handlebar.

A properly fit road bike is one where these 2 contact points are set correctly, to provide you a comfortable and bio-mechanically sound position from which you can exert power on the pedals.

How do you achieve this?   You achieve this by sliding the seatpost up and down, by moving the saddle forwards and backwards on the rails, by moving the handlebars up and down on the steerer and by using a stem of a different length and angle.

Now, the range of variation offered in each of these dimensions is typically far more than the different in dimensions of adjacently-sized bikes.    In other words, the difference in going up or down one size on a bike is much smaller than the range of adjustment offered by changing the length of the stem, or by moving the seatpost up/down or whatever.

So what this means is that any given rider is quite likely going to be able to get the correct fit out of more than 1 bike size.    Eg, i ride a size 56 bike with a 120mm stem and 20mm spacers - I can get the same fit on a size 58 bike with a 90-100mm stem and maybe 5mm spacers.   I even made that size 60 bike fit by using a 70mm stem.

Another way to think of it is that a given bike size can accommodate a pretty large range of fit coordinates - and what you need to do is set up the bike to accommodate your fit coordinates.

However, just because you can make many differently-sized bikes fit doesn't mean you should buy whatever size you get.      Ideally, when you are starting out, you want a bike size where your fit coordinates are NOT at the extreme ranges of what is possible with that bike, because that limits the amount of adjustability you will have in the future.



THE BASICS OF GOOD FIT
 
A good fit is pretty simple-  it is a position where you are sitting comfortably balanced while leaning forwards on the bike, and the handlebars are where your hands would naturally fall.

The key starts with being "comfortably balanced".

If you look at a photo of a Pro Tour cyclist, he is likely in a very aggressively low and stretched out position, with his upper back almost horizontal.   Most likely, you are not going to be able to achieve not - not to start out with, anyway.    For one, most amateur riders - especially beginners - lack the core strength and years of acclimatization to that position that pro riders have achieved.   For another, they likely have a larger layer around the belly than a pro rider, which also affects their ability to get very low.

So you will likely want to be in a more upright position - however, you dont want to be sitting bolt upright either.   Road bikes aren't designed to be ridden with the rider's torso is entirely vertical.     They are designed to be ridden with the rider's torso leaning forwards.   And this position is only comfortable if your torso lean is suitable for your flexibility, core strength and size.

So in essence, a good fit is all about finding a comfortably balanced riding position which lets you pedal efficiently.

If you recall the previous section, this consists of 2 parts:
- Setting saddle height and fore/aft
- Setting the correct handlebar height (stack) and distance (reach)

Let's get into the specifics of how to do so.


SETTING SADDLE POSITION

This is easy.     Put the pedal at 6 o'clock and put your heel on the pedal.    Raise the saddle to such a height that your leg is completely extended when seated in this position (but make sure you dont drop your hip on that side).      Now, when you put your forefoot on the pedal, there should be a small bend of about 20-30 degrees in your leg.    That is the correct saddle height.

As for saddle fore-aft, for now,  adjust the saddle such that when the pedal is at 3 o'clock (pointed forwards), the front of your knee is more or less above the pedal spindle.   This is called "Knee on Pedal" neutral or KOP Neutral.

This used to be a parameter for setting fit in the earlier days but is no longer a valid fit target - in other words, there is nothing inherently good about being KOP neutral or not.    I am just using this as a starting point, not as an end goal.

Also, set the saddle to be perfectly level for now.   You can use an app like Clinometer to do so.     You dont want your saddle to be sloping downwards, as it will push your weight forwards and you will have to support it with your hands.   You don't want your saddle to be sloping too far upwards either, as that will push into your perineum or taint, and cause numbness in an area where no one wants numbness.

With that done for now, let's go to step 2


FINDING THE HANDLEBAR POSITION
,
Now comes the tricky part - setting the handlebar position.       Handlebars have 2 axes of positioning - up and down, which determines how high they are (stack) and forwards/backwards, which determines how much forwards they are (reach).   

Let's talk about what we are trying to achieve here:   when you are in your correct riding position, your upper body, though leaning forwards, is balanced and do not have a lot of your weight supported by your hands.  

In order to achieve this, you need something to counter-balance the forward lean of your torso - and this is your hips.     So when you are in a comfortable riding position, your torso is leaning forwards and your hip is counter-balancing, and when the two are in equilibrium, so are you.

So try leaning forwards right now and find an angle where you are feeling comfortable.  Bend at the hips, dont arch your lower back.   Also, make sure that as you lean forwards, you counter-balance a little with your hips being pushed backwards.

Once you have this position of balance, reach forwards and grab the handlebars.   If the fit is correct, the bars should be where your hands naturally fall .    Your arms should be a little in front of you, and you should feel in control and really balanced on the bike, with minimal weight on the arms:  a little weight is ok - enough to make things comfortable for you, but not enough that you need it to keep your torso in position.  Your arms and shoulders should be relaxed at all times.      

If you feel too stretched out, the handlebars are too far away.   You can try a shorter stem or a different size.     If you feel that you have to bend a bit more in order to comfortably grab the handlebars, and that throws off your balance, the bars are too low - you need to raise them or go with a bigger size bike.   Regardless, you need to fit a setup where the bars are where your hands would naturally fall in that balanced position I talked about.

If possible, ride the bike on a trainer for a short while to make sure that you truly are comfortable even when pedaling.   If not, adjust as described above.  

Once this is done, it is time to do a feedback loop to make minor corrections.

A word:  sometimes, you might find that even across a few sizes, you are struggling to get a good fit on a particular bike.    That is normal.    Some bikes are designed to fit people looking for a low, aggressive fit.   Others are designed to fit people looking for a more upright, relaxed fit.      So make sure that the bike model you are trying is designed for your riding position.   More info on this in Part 2 of the article as well.  


FEEDBACK LOOP

You may find that when you adjust your hips to balance, they move a little further back - if so, you can slide the saddle a little further backwards to accommodate this.    You may also find that while you can bend your torso fairly low and are fairly comfortable in that position, your upper leg is hitting your stomach or you are finding it a little harder to breathe when you are pedaling in that position.   If that is the case, try moving your saddle forwards half a centimeter or so.    This opens up your hip angle and makes it easier to get lower (there is a lot more detail to this stuff, but that is beyond the scope of this article).

When you move your saddle forwards and backwards, you may also need to check the vertical height again (same way as we did earlier).     And you should re-confirm the handlebar position is where you need it to be after doing so.


ENSURING  FLEXIBILITY FOR FURTHER UPGRADES

In a proper fitting bike, the handlebars should be in a position where you could be comfortable if they were just a little bit higher, lower, further or closer - in other words, they should be more or less in the middle of your ideal fit coordinates.     This gives you flexibility to adjust things later, if need be.

So this means ideally a stem which is 100mm in size (or 90-110mm, atleast).    This gives you the option of reducing it down to 70-80mm if you find the reach is too long, or increasing it to 120-130mm if you want a more aggressive position.

Also, if possible, get a fit where you have one or two spacers (10-20mm) under the bar to achieve your ideal fit.   Fit is not static but will change as you ride more, gain core strength, perhaps lose some belly flab, etc.     While experienced riders like having a bike with no spacers below the stem, that is not a good thing for you, as a beginner.   You want the ability to get your bars lower later, if need be - and the easiest way to do this is to remove a spacer or two from underneath.


SUMMARY AND ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

Keep in mind that this fit guide just lays down some general principles for figuring out bike fit.   Fit is a very personal thing and general principles are no substitute for getting an expert to help you with the fit in person - they will get into a lot more details and nuances than I can explain in a general article.   The bike shops i recommended at the start of the article are shops which I know for a fact will do so correctly (that is not to say these are the only ones who do so... these are just the ones I know and can vouch for).  

The biggest challenge for a beginner getting fitted without an expert providing in-person advice is deciding how to balance a low position (good for going fast) with comfort.   If you set up a bike that is very comfortable when you start out, you may be more upright than needed.     If you set up a bike that is a little uncomfortable, is that something you will adjust to or is that a bad fit?    An expert can answer these questions.

And here are a few additional tips, in no particular order:

- When in doubt, go with a smaller size.   You can make a smaller bike fit longer, but it is much harder to make a too-large bike fit smaller without affecting handling.   Of course, this assumes both the smaller and the larger size can both be made to fit equally well.

-  A good bike shop will spend time with you in setting up the bike so that it fits.    While raising or lowering the handlebars is relatively easy to do by adding or removing spacers under the stem, bringing them closer in or further out may involve changing the stem.   Speak to the bike shop about your options for this - many shops will let you swap a stem, although the cost for this will vary (for an entry level bike, you may have to pay a fee - for a superbike, this is typically done for free).

-  Don't abuse a bike shop's service - go through this fit exercise only when you are serious about buying the bike.       If you just waste their time, you make it harder for the next person to get good service

-  Good fit is a far bigger parameter than obsessing about whether one bike at a specific price point is better than another (see my article on What Bike to Buy).     Buy your bike from the shop that goes through the effort of doing all these things for you, rather than trying to save a few thousand rupees.   An entry-level bike that fits well will be a lot better and faster to ride than a high-end bike that doesn't fit properly.

- A word on how much weight you should have on your hands:   a little weight is ok.    It helps balance you and spreads the load.    However, if your arms were to magically disappear, you should be able to hold yourself upright by engaging your core - if you rely on your hands to prevent your torso from slamming into the handlebars, you have too much weight on the hands.

- Make sure you also try one size up and one size down, to confirm that the size you are trying is indeed optimal.   Sometimes, you may find changing a size can feel different.

- If you are new to road biking, your body will acclimatize to the riding position and you will be able to get lower with time.   So make sure you leave yourself room to get more aggressive - as described above.

- Similarly, if you are feeling a little uncomfortable, that's is ok as well.     Do a few rides and you might find yourself getting used to things.      Of course, if not, you can bring yourself a little more upright - again, this fit guide is designed so that you have the ability to do so.


Remember, fit evolves.     As does a rider's body, as it adapts to cycling.     Your bike setup will evolve as you gain experience.    So to start out with, don't worry about getting it perfect - get it close enough, and then you can always tweak it.     And while this guide will not replace an expert fitter, it should (hopefully) be able to get most people to find a fit that is good enough.

Good luck.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask on the BikesZone Facebook Group.

There is a Part 2 to this guide, getting into a little more technical details and also talking at greater length about bike geometry and how it affects fit. 

Guidelines for buying/selling stuff

So presumably, you are an adult.   You are able to ride your bike outdoors without needing a training wheel.    So really, what I am about to write in the rest of this post should be bleeding obvious, but here we are anyway.

1.  You are responsible for what you buy
Unless you are entirely new to this whole online thing, you should be aware that BikesZone is merely a platform for people to sell their biking stuff - be it dealers or individual sellers.    So this means that any transaction you do is between you and the seller - BikesZone is not involved and BikesZone is not responsible for any screw-ups that happen in the transaction.  Buyer beware & do your due diligence.

2.  Sellers - post full detail
This includes size (if relevant), condition and asking price.  Oh, and obviously a photo  No "contact me for best price" nonsense.   And no auction sales.

3.  Buyers - be efficient and take the discussion directly with the seller
If  you are interested, message the buyer directly.    Don't write "interested" in reply - that is  the most ridiculous response ever.     What, you want a medal for being interested?   If you have questions about the product, its condition, why the buyer is selling, etc, take it up off-line on Messenger, Whatsapp, email or phone.   You do not need to regale the rest of the group with your questions or comments   The only public comment you should be making, at most, is "message sent".    Nothing else.       

4.  Peanut gallery - STFU
If you want to buy the product in question, see point #3.   If you are not planning to buy, STFU.   Don't make daft comments or ask idiotic questions - or if you must, message the seller directly.   And above all, do not price police.     You are not the arbiter of what the "correct price" should be.    If you have that much free time, take a class on economics instead.     'Ware the Ban Hammer.    Tagging a friend who might be interested is fine.

5.  Handling potential fakes or scams
The only exception to points #3 and #4 above is if there is a post that could be a scam or a fake.  In this case, use the "report" function to flag the post and message one of the mods.    Also, in this case, please write "flagged" in reply.   Just that, and nothing else.   Do not post why you think it is a fake, why you think it is a scam or whatever.    Mods will help resolve this - they will either delete the post, add a warning or delete the "flagged" comment.   This is the only time it is ok for someone to post something other than "PM sent" to a post.

Clear enough?     Follow these rules, don't be annoying and don't worsen the S/N ratio of the group.    A paceline works best when everyone is doing their part and being disciplined.     Internet groups work the same way.

Posting guidelines for commercial dealers

The rules of the group don't have enough space to explain the guidelines for commercial dealers, so here is an expanded post on the subject.

To start with, realize that this is a non commercial group.   I have zero interest in making money off it or even gaining any kind of fame.     I made some great cycling friends in BZ, and i am hoping that the spirit of that community will continue here - that is the sole purpose of creating this group. 

That said, we are all cyclists and we all tend to have a fascination with things that are laterally stiff, vertically compliant and cost absurd amounts of money for minimal tangible benefits.  

So some commercial posts are welcome here but conditions apply. 


So start with, it is ok to post special deals and sales on an occasional basis.   So for example, if you are having a special sale or clearance on something, feel free to post it here.    However, this group is not a captive audience that exists for you to market your products.    So don't spam the group with whatever you have for sale.   If your only contribution is going to be posting frequent ads, you are not going to be in this group for long.

So how much is too much?    The mods and admins decide.     Dealers that contribute to the forum with more than just for-sale posts will get more of a leeway.       Dealers that have a documented history of being pillars of the cycling community will get more of a leeway.     How much more?    The mods and admins decide, and you don't have to like it (and quite likely, if you are in a position where this question is relevant, odds are good that you won't like it).    So if in doubt, ask one of the admins or mods.

Second, disclose your commercial interest on any items related to sales/gear.   This is especially true if you are going to reply to a question involving gear with a sales pitch.      So:
- No sneaky marketing where you pretend to help but are in effect trying to make a sale.
- If you ask the poster to contact you for details, make it clear that you are a commercial dealer in the post.   
- If you ask the poster to contact someone else for details, clarify if that other person is a dealer and what business arrangement you have with him.     
- If you say Brand X is better than Brand Y, you better indicate if you are a dealer of Brand X

In short, on any discussion involving gear, where you may have a commercial interest, please disclose this.    If you violate this, the Ban Hammer shall descend upon you swiftly and mercilessly.

If you privately write to people trying to drum up sales, that will be weighed against your other contributions to the group.   If you are contributing to the community in other ways, you get some slack.   If all you do is try to make sales, the Ban Hammer shall descend upon you as well.
 
As always, if you have special deals for BikesZone members, and a proven history of record of integrity and service, you get more leeway.   The admins and mods get to decide how much.   

If you aren't sure about whether you should or shouldn't do anything - please ask first.
 
Basically - be open/honest in your dealings and try to give back to the community as well.