Video: The Hottest Tech Trends of Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Outside Magazine
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Shoddy Dave takes us through the latest tech, trends, and insights to handle the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.
Running around the pits in Compiegne, the start town for Paris-Roubaix this year, threw up a lot of surprises. After a few years where things were a little dull in the tech space, it seems that we’re back on to some sort of track where the pros and their mechanics are playing about with components and equipment to get the added advantage over the pave of northern France.
There’s finally some weirdo choices at Paris-Roubaix. We have the video here, or our full tech gallery if you prefer that.
When I first started out covering this race 12 years ago, the start pits of Paris-Roubaix were a tech nerds’ paradise. Teams and riders’ bikes were unique to the race and tubeless wasn’t even a twinkle in Mr Continental’s eyes.
Back then, handmade FMB and Dugast tubulars, usually reserved for the cross season were on the team leaders bikes. We’d see cross brake levers, anti brakes and still some tied and soldered box section alloy wheels. There was more double wrapped tape than a large bike shop would sell in a year.
Then there were the oddity years, “marginal gains” like Team Sky’s full suspension bikes from Pinarello that were used for an edition or two and then quickly shoved into the corner of Team Sky’s service Course (probably). It wasn’t quite the 90s with the off-the-wall bike builds, but there was variety.
Around five years back, tech at Paris-Roubaix started to get a bit normal, expensive, and boring. Now we’re seeing some interesting bits and bobs again. Tubeless has 100% replaced tubular, even on teams’ spare wheels, which I think is a first. Even the French teams have seen the light (and that’s saying something). 35mm is the new 32. And precise tyre pressure is where it’s at.
But it’s gearing that has made a major move in the world of what pros are looking at for the added advantage. You’ll see no smaller than a 54 outer chainring, and a 39 inner is now reserved for those on Campagnolo by the seems of things. Aero dinner plates as big as 62 teeth are common, and it’s all from brands that were once seen as niche. Pogacar definitely needs a thank you card from Carbon-Ti as their chainrings have invaded the peloton at multiple teams.
I won’t ramble on here. If you want to read about all the tech, then I advise you to take a look at the first part of our Roubaix tech article. For this one, I’ll just ask you nicely to hit that play button and enjoy.
In this episode, we’ve not just got a gaggle of tech treats but a few insights from Ian Stannard, once third at Roubiax in 2016, on how tech has changed in the two years he’s not been racing. Now a man behind the wheel at Ineos, he gets to guide the team over the cobbles and knows it well.
We also chat with the people behind Veloviewer, an app that every team and the ASO now use to delve deep into the race route. We know it’s useful for those mountain stages, but how do they tweak it for Roubaix?
Dust yourself off from the weekend’s action and see what tech was used. Merci, and enjoy.
Cheers,
Dave
source
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
Be one of the first to try our new activity feed! Tap “Home” to explore.
Shoddy Dave takes us through the latest tech, trends, and insights to handle the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.
Running around the pits in Compiegne, the start town for Paris-Roubaix this year, threw up a lot of surprises. After a few years where things were a little dull in the tech space, it seems that we’re back on to some sort of track where the pros and their mechanics are playing about with components and equipment to get the added advantage over the pave of northern France.
There’s finally some weirdo choices at Paris-Roubaix. We have the video here, or our full tech gallery if you prefer that.
When I first started out covering this race 12 years ago, the start pits of Paris-Roubaix were a tech nerds’ paradise. Teams and riders’ bikes were unique to the race and tubeless wasn’t even a twinkle in Mr Continental’s eyes.
Back then, handmade FMB and Dugast tubulars, usually reserved for the cross season were on the team leaders bikes. We’d see cross brake levers, anti brakes and still some tied and soldered box section alloy wheels. There was more double wrapped tape than a large bike shop would sell in a year.
Then there were the oddity years, “marginal gains” like Team Sky’s full suspension bikes from Pinarello that were used for an edition or two and then quickly shoved into the corner of Team Sky’s service Course (probably). It wasn’t quite the 90s with the off-the-wall bike builds, but there was variety.
Around five years back, tech at Paris-Roubaix started to get a bit normal, expensive, and boring. Now we’re seeing some interesting bits and bobs again. Tubeless has 100% replaced tubular, even on teams’ spare wheels, which I think is a first. Even the French teams have seen the light (and that’s saying something). 35mm is the new 32. And precise tyre pressure is where it’s at.
But it’s gearing that has made a major move in the world of what pros are looking at for the added advantage. You’ll see no smaller than a 54 outer chainring, and a 39 inner is now reserved for those on Campagnolo by the seems of things. Aero dinner plates as big as 62 teeth are common, and it’s all from brands that were once seen as niche. Pogacar definitely needs a thank you card from Carbon-Ti as their chainrings have invaded the peloton at multiple teams.
I won’t ramble on here. If you want to read about all the tech, then I advise you to take a look at the first part of our Roubaix tech article. For this one, I’ll just ask you nicely to hit that play button and enjoy.
In this episode, we’ve not just got a gaggle of tech treats but a few insights from Ian Stannard, once third at Roubiax in 2016, on how tech has changed in the two years he’s not been racing. Now a man behind the wheel at Ineos, he gets to guide the team over the cobbles and knows it well.
We also chat with the people behind Veloviewer, an app that every team and the ASO now use to delve deep into the race route. We know it’s useful for those mountain stages, but how do they tweak it for Roubaix?
Dust yourself off from the weekend’s action and see what tech was used. Merci, and enjoy.
Cheers,
Dave
source
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
