Forum menu
I've never watched this before but am watching the 2013 coverage on eurosport at the moment to get in the mood for sunday!
Anyway i've got a couple of questions…
the cobbles are rated 1-5, is a 1 star section really rough / bumpy and 5 stars a better condition surface, or is it the other way round?
I've also noticed on some of the cobble bits guys at the side holding wheels up in the air, is this just because the cobble bits are too narrow for the support cars to follow closely, so do they have support teams on each cobbled bit?
Do the bikes still have any form of suspension? I seem to remember reading years ago about some teams using suspension forks.
cheers
I'd guess the stars are for bumpiness/misery but dunno
They don't use suspension as in springs'n'shit but flexier frames and bigger than normal tyres tend to show up
[url= http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/interview-scott-sunderland-on-roubaix-tech-of-the-past-decade ]try here[/url]
Yes 1-5 is a worsetness rating, without googling it I can't remember which end the scale starts at but the arenbergs one of the worst .
They have loads more spare wheels (plus food and bottles) than usual cos they are likely to need them. The race actually wanders all over not in a straight line so it's a handful of guys on motorbikes or cars and as soon as the main guys go past they will leg it via a short cut to the next point further up the road.
Support cars with the directeurs still follow for most bits as well although for some bits it might be off road bikes only.
Basically it's a silly surface to run a road bike race over but a bit like tennis on grass at Wimbledon it's part of the appeal.
The teams have various folks scattered along the course with fresh wheels because the support cars can't get through. Pinch flats are a problem. I believe spesh have/had a bit of a damping system going on on their bikes but in reality the only suspension is 28mm tyres with a few psi let out.
The support cars may not be near the riders, as you say because of the narrow tracks and if you've no team mate to ive up a wheel hence the spare wheel guys, you often see this at cobbled classics. You can ride a on a punctured tubular which you wouldn't be able to to do on a tyre tube combination to get you to your wheel guy.
The pictures will give you a better idea of the cobbles than any rating.
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
Not your regular road race.
Some of the sections of pave can't handle cars so the team cars drive along s side road and meet back up hence the soigneurs with wheels and food
No suspension allowed, Gilbert duclos-lassalle won with an early version of rokshox forks but bikes are as quick without, usually with 26mm dugast tubular at 7 or 6bar
If you can find the full version of A Sunday in Hell you'll get a sense of the history and challenge in the race.
Its not uncommon for some the of support cars to get trashed during the race - quite easy to take out a sump on some of the cobbled sections.
No suspension allowed, Gilbert duclos-lassalle won with an early version of rokshox forks but bikes are as quick without, usually with 26mm dugast tubular at 7 or 6bar
I think suspension is allowed, but there isn't anything suitable for the front.
On the rear, Specialized have the Roubaix and Trek have the Domane - plus other similar systems, which could be classed as suspension.
The cars will often have modifications to them as well as the bikes. Raised suspension, different springs, rally car sumps, etc.
My mad brother is riding the sportive Paris Roubaix today. 113miles with 40 miles of Pave. The distance is relatively easy to do but I'm not sure how his back and knees are going to hold up on the pave.
It's horrendous I've had white finger on some of that route. Looking around the pits and what the team support have you'll see all sorts of bikes, Last year I saw I think three Giant models in the team truck. 28mm tyres seemed pretty norm as well.
You'll see a fair share of canti braked cross bikes tomorrow too.
Seem to be going away from the more mad bikes in recent years, I guess as manufacturers have answered the call with more versatile road bikes - the IsoCoupler on the Domane and what not, plus clearance for 28mm tyres.
Looks like a dry one too, I reckon anything other than a normal road bike (with the aforementioned wide tyres and double bar tape) will be in the minority.
I did wonder about the people holding wheels, seem too many of them randomly placed to all be team staff. But then if I was stood by the road and had a spare wheel I could offer to swap with someone from the pro peloton then it's probably a pretty good swap to make!
Suspension is allowed but riders found it just soaked up far to energy and they couldn't get the power down and the key to riding the cobbles is riding fast so you skim over them rather than bounce about. If you look at any films (say Boonen a couple of years ago) you'll see how smooth they look, while the slower guys are all over the place.
The thing with having team helpers on the course is because the cars will concentrate on the front groups and as the race gets stretched out far more than any other riders would either be behind their own cars or have to wait a long time for neutral service. The helpers often group together and hold the wheels high as its really difficult to see where they are because of the crowds and noise.
I've ridden the sportive and we don't have anything like their cobbles over here. They are like loafs of bread and further apart than our close flat ones.
Big tyres and tape for comfort but one other thing is close ratio gears are essential so that you can keep the right cadence going.
Several companies do a 'cobble classic bike'. I just won a BMC Granfondo and got to do the Tour of Flanders on it - absolutely brilliant. They're just a bit comfier to ride over the rough stuff (the proper technical spec is better put [url= http://www.bmc-racing.com/us-en/bikes/new-granfondo-gf01-2013/ ]here[/url]).
Thinking of doing Paris Roubaix next year on it, couldn't quite justify two weekends away this year.
then it's probably a pretty good swap to make!
Until you realise they've pinch flatted and you've got a Zipp with a smashed rim and a punctured tub 😉
5 star is the roughest, Arenberg and La Carrefour are the two famous ones.
Nice Inner Ring article on Roubaix:
[url= http://inrng.com/2014/04/paris-roubaix-last-act-of-madness/#more-19510 ]The Last Act of Madness[/url]
Are any tv channels showing it that don't involve paying Murdoch? ITV4 did last year buy can't see it this year.
Tuffty, I think Steephill TV usually get some coverage online to watch. Even managed to get some of it on the smart TV in the past so probably worth a look...
Eurosport player.
There's been some pretty crazy bikes in the past including these... things:
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
More here http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/paris-roubaix-bikes-how-theyve-evolved-33631/
Nice.
Thanks, will have a look.
The 'Last Act of Madness' article is a good read, cheers.
Surely Bauer's bike would put more weight on your arse, not less. Can't see that being a good idea over a load of cobbles...
Excited about tomorrow? Just a little bit.....
What's a girl to do? Coverage starts at mid day but I want to ride my bike! Last week I spent 3.5 hours watching Tour of Flanders.
Decisions decisions. 🙂
Get up early and do both! Last week I did a couple of hours in the morning and then watched Flanders...
Good point! 😀
Coverage starts after lunch, if you can't fit a ride in before lunch you're doing it wrong (or need to get up earlier)
Looks like a dry one too, I reckon anything other than a normal road bike (with the aforementioned wide tyres and double bar tape) will be in the minority.
If you call the Domane, Synapse etc normal road bikes then you're right but they'll all be on the more forgiving versions of their ranges if they have them.
would it be possible to watch it for free online anywhere,as i'd really like to watch it live of possible?
The best thing about this years build up has been the near constant frothing on Cycling News about Wiggo, the fact they don't even realise they're being constatrolled/link baited makes it even moar betterer.
If you call the Domane, Synapse etc normal road bikes then you're right
As Cancellara (among others) rides the Domane in every race he does then yes, I'll call it a normal road bike!
Rode the touristique today, both of us on carbon cx bikes with 32mm Continental Contact tires.
It was dry, but with a few puddles on a couple of sectors. They've done a lot of repairs since last year but its still brutal.
Lots of punctures (for other people), and our hotel is filling up with bandaged riders currently. Might try and ride out to Carrefour tomorrow.
Must go dinner service has started, a crisp white wine I think would be appropriate.
[img][url= https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/13802159034_5055a47b5d.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/13802159034_5055a47b5d.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/n2DF2d ]wiggo-2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/68631407@N03/ ]BeateKubitz[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Wiggo looking delighted at his Tour of Flanders experience. Hope he's happier tomorrow.
5 is the hardest. It's a mixture of length and bumpiness. Arenburg is a good example. It's really rough in the middle and as it's slightly downhill you can get some serious speed up. In the sportives you can "cheat" and ride the smooth edge but that's barriered off for the pros.
In order to ride the pave well you need to get on top of a good gear (23-25mph) and keep it smooth. Slow down and you get into a world of pain.
If you call the Domane, Synapse etc normal road bikes then you're rightAs Cancellara (among others) rides the Domane in every race he does then yes, I'll call it a normal road bike!
I think he rides the best bike for the type of terrain which is normally a Madone for smoother surfaces and the Domane for the classics that have cobbled sections .
I think he rides the best bike for the type of terrain which is normally a Madone for smoother surfaces and the Domane for the classics that have cobbled sections .
no, Cancellara is on a domane for every road race, BUT it is not the stock domane, they do a special proper length head tube version.
[img] 
[/img]
Why do "sportive" bikes have such stupid long head tubes!!!!
Best one-day race in the calendar.
BBC Sport were banging on about "Wiggo" being on top form for it and looking to challenge. My personal thought is he won't be anywhere near challenging for the win... Although hats off to him for surviving Flanders in reasonable shape, I was convinced he'd have thrown his gels out of the pram by Km 80.
Hope Geraint Thomas does well, he deserves some better luck. Like being able to stay on his bike for the whole race.
Wiggins will need a miracle IMO, Thomas probably more so. Eddie Boss win would be brilliant, with Stannard out I reckon he's the Sky man to back. I reckon OPQS have more riders capable of taking it, but every classic is a lottery.
no, Cancellara is on a domane for every road race, BUT it is not the stock domane, they do a special proper length head tube version.
Aye, Trek sell it through Project One - the Domane Classics edition IIRC.
Why do "sportive" bikes have such stupid long head tubes!!!!
Because if most sportive riders had a normal sized head tube they'd be resting their gut on the top tube!