Questions tagged [racing]

Competitive bicycle riding. Trying to go faster.

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3 votes
4 answers
3k views

If you had a power meter, would you use VO2max intervals to increase your functional threshold power?

As described in this blog post below: http://www.training4cyclists.com/threshold-power/ Example: 3 x (3+3min) at VO2max / recovery. If you use a heart rate monitor, your heart rate should be above 95%...
25 votes
4 answers
7k views

Why do racers follow the leader in a curve rather than take the shortest path?

Quite often in road racing cyclists will create a C-shape curve on the road, following the path taken by the peloton leader. source: youtu.be/61LHrIa-NnU?t=82 The peloton leader seems to create this ...
9 votes
6 answers
2k views

What are the 'easiest' ways to determine functional threshold power?

I recently picked up a powertap and have done a fair bit of riding around and a few races now with it on, so I've started to get familiar with some of the numbers. I would like to figure out what my ...
8 votes
2 answers
244 views

Do pros ride with 1X configuration on some courses?

I'm looking at the first stage of the Tour of California, which is on a flat course (around Long Beach, USA). Since there's no real dénivelé (french, "difference in height"), there is no need for a ...
10 votes
3 answers
351 views

Teams in the Age of Specificity

Specificity, periodization, power meters - training for competitive cycling has changed a lot over the last few years. I am wondering about the effects of the movement towards training alone on ...
5 votes
2 answers
547 views

How do I evaluate a Crit race (based on stats)

So I recently did a Crit race (I only do 1 a year in my home town) this year I upgraded the bike and it's fitted with a power meter so I can see the race statistics. The race was locals only. and ...
1 vote
3 answers
421 views

Road bikes with flared bars

I recently rode a road bike where the brake levers had a slight outward tilt. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask what kind of handlebar it was, but I found it very comfortable. It had a slope like the ...
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are you required to cross the finish line on a bike?

Suppose you get a flat 100m-1km (or some distance that you can sprint/run) from the finish line. Can you leave your bike and run the remaining distance to the finish line? Or are you required to carry ...
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is it allowed to push a bicycle during a race?

I have searched the Internet and found that pushing the bicycle in a race is allowed in two scenarios. If there is some mechanical fault developed in the bicycle, or if there is some technical ...
12 votes
3 answers
3k views

What are the "monument" races?

I heard recently that Simon Gerrans of the new Green Edge cycling team had won one of the monuments. What are these races?
32 votes
4 answers
46k views

Why can't Yellow Jersey change hands on last day of Tour De France?

I've often read / seen on TV that the race is won by the end of the penultimate day. For example, this article in the Guardian describes this year's (2011) eventual winner as the champion elect in an ...
7 votes
2 answers
355 views

No locked off youth gearing restriction for road racing British National Series/Championships

Can anyone correctly confirm (by providing a link to the exact rule in British Cycling rulebook), if the use of locked off gears is permitted in Youth (A, B and Junior) National level series or ...
9 votes
4 answers
2k views

Is there a reason why it was said that the distance between the seat tube and the rear wheel should be as small as possible on a road bike?

I recently saw a steel road bike in a road bike shop where the distance was well over 1cm. 99.9% of old road bikes had a very small distance (~5mm). At the time, they thought it was more aerodynamic. ...
2 votes
1 answer
675 views

Under what circumstances is a domestique a rebel (or even a traitor)?

In 2021 Julian Alaphilippe, rather than attempt to win the stage for himself, and knowing that he can very well be a contender, assisted instead Mark Cavendish (by leading him—letting him draft—to ...
3 votes
4 answers
1k views

(racer) Standard vs compact crankset: Increased leverage for same gear ratios true?

I'm a road and mtb regional racer about to have a go at my first road endurance nationals very soon. I'd like some educated scientifically validated answer on a matter that has been on my mind ever ...
11 votes
3 answers
1k views

Change-over rules for women's team sprint

I have just been watching the women's team sprint finals, and saw China lose the final race due to a rule infringement. Earlier the Great British team were disqualified for the same reason. There is a ...
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Is there a difference between truing a bike wheel and balancing it?

When pro cyclists were riding at 70-80 kph at past TdFs, I didn't wonder. Now that they are hitting 100-110 kph, I am getting curious (and also praying for them, but that's a separate issue). Car ...
7 votes
2 answers
782 views

Grand Tour rider holding two jerseys - what do they wear?

In the case when a grand tour rider is holding two or more jerseys, say the yellow (overall leader) and the polkadot (mountain leader), do they get to chose which they wear during the race and on the ...
5 votes
2 answers
604 views

What help can the domestiques provide on mountain climbs?

Why is Primož Roglič reported to have assisted Jonas Vingegaard in gaining three minutes over Tadej Pogačar during yesterday’s Tour de France 2022 Stage 11, and why would Pogačar ask for the help of ...
3 votes
1 answer
462 views

Tyre pressure aero wheel

I don’t know what to do in this situation with my road bike. My aero wheel say max 103 psi on it but my tyre range say 115-145 psi. I weigh 180 lbs. Do I inflate them to 100 psi or 115?
53 votes
9 answers
99k views

How are the categories for climbs decided?

In cycle racing, there are five grades or categories for climbs - Category 4, 3, 2, 1 & Hors (Above Category or HC). How do they decide what is category 1 and what makes it so hard it is a HC?
1 vote
0 answers
139 views

Can anyone help source a quote. Something like, “Even gears are for concrete mixers.”

I feel like I heard this quote from an old school cyclist, like a Belgian who spent a lot of years wearing a poncho or some such. I could also swear that I found the source of the quote a few years ...
3 votes
2 answers
17k views

How much does it cost to race in the Tour de France?

Assuming one makes it onto a pro team that's been selected, I was wondering how much it costs per rider to race in the Tour? I'm interested in the set cost for each rider to race, if there is one, ...
8 votes
5 answers
2k views

Hill climb Time Trial pacing strategy for short steep hills?

There are several hill climb events in my area towards the end of the year, from august onward. Most of the hills are no longer than 0.8km long and well above an average 6% gradient. The main ones I ...
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

Minimize puncture risk during race. Should I change the tyres?

I used these tyres for one year/ about 5000 km. They look fine/ok (not very worn), BUT, I got a first puncture two weeks ago. While looking at the tyre I noticed it has some cracks here and there, as ...
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

Why are endurance bikes so bulky or wide nowadays?

I have been visiting lately some shops checking for a new endurance bike and at the same trying some more "racy" models. For example by Canyon or by Rose. I really like the race models, but ...
12 votes
14 answers
63k views

What is considered the maximum safe downhill speed on a road bike?

I've heard between 30-40mph, but I am pretty sure I have hit 45 and felt safe and in solid control of my bike. If you look down and see you are above XXmph, you decide it is time to put on the brakes.....
9 votes
6 answers
4k views

Tour de Trump/Tour DuPont routes?

The Tour de Trump (later Tour DuPont) was run from 1989 to 1996 on the East Coast. Information regarding the details of these events seems to be sparse, especially the earlier editions. Does anyone ...
11 votes
2 answers
739 views

How does a mountain racing team work together?

For a road race, I can imagine riding in a pelton has an advantage against air drag. However, for MTB this does not make sense. XC races are slower than road races, and in a DH race having someone ...
12 votes
2 answers
4k views

Why the backwards fork?

While reading this Wikipedia article, I noticed some photos of racers, all from the early 20th century, riding bikes with the forks installed backwards. I count at least 3 of them, so it wasn't just a ...
15 votes
6 answers
7k views

Do I stand any chance in a race?

Unfortunately, I know I'll be at a disadvantage in racing because I haven't been able to find or create a team, as all of the other people I know who are into cycling are men. I weigh 146 lbs, and my ...
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Last no helmet ride in the Tour de France

When was the last TDF where riders were allowed to ride with no helmet? Was this mandated across all grand tours at the same time?
11 votes
4 answers
4k views

Does rocking the bike side to side when e.g. sprinting or climbing help?

Or would more power go through the pedals if the rider held the frame still/upright? Or is there little difference? How would it be measured and what are the forces acting on the bike when rocking ...
9 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are neutral service bikes actually useful?

In the races I've watched, occasionally a rider who has suffered a mechanical will be given a neutral service bike to continue racing on. I always wonder if this does any good because the rider never ...
9 votes
5 answers
132k views

50/34 vs 52/36 crankset for 11-32 cassette (shimano 105 5800FC)

Following up on this enlightening answer, I would like to know the differences between 50/34(compact), 52/36(mid-compact) and 53/39 (standard). The cassette I am choosing is 11-32 to give me a wider ...
11 votes
4 answers
3k views

How can I reach upto Olympic level competitions?

I am 20 years old. My height is 1.7 meters (5 foot 7 inches). I live in India. I have cycled since I was a kid just for enjoyment. I have no idea how I will reach to world level competition like ...
11 votes
3 answers
531 views

First Cyclocross Race - Riding a Mountain Bike

I'm participating in my first ever bike race this weekend. It's a cyclocross race, and I'm riding a full suspension mountain bike, because I started looking into races late this season and a fully is ...
0 votes
1 answer
169 views

What's this red cylinder thing below the front axle?

Criggie: What's the red cylindrical thing on the drive side of the front fork? Is it part of the timing system? Carel: They used 'simple' speed sensors in those days, no GPS! It is the sensor with a ...
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Jan Ullrich's TT bike in la Vuelta 1999: why the bigger rear wheel?

What was the thinking behind having a bigger rear wheel on a TT bike back then?
10 votes
5 answers
874 views

Standing vs. high rpm for acceleration

I've been working on my cadence for several months now, and I feel like I've gotten to the point where I'm more comfortable using high cadence instead of standing up when I want to accelerate hard. ...
11 votes
1 answer
552 views

Podium girls: when did they first appear?

This is a question related to competitive cycling. I would like to narrow it down to the historical aspect. I am interested in the political and social aspects, but I would gently ask to leave them ...
4 votes
2 answers
154 views

How to access bearings on this headset?

Since a while my racing bike seems to have delopped a little crackling noise in my headset. I thought servicing the headset bearings might be a logical first step. Unfortunately, when I opend it up I ...
12 votes
4 answers
576 views

I don't want to be the next Eddy Merckx; Is competitive cycling right for me?

I've been toying with the idea of joining competitive amateur (road) cycling for a while, but am unsure as to if the sport is right for me: I'm in very good shape and enjoy "basic" road cycling as ...
10 votes
3 answers
552 views

Which mountain bike pedal is most suitable for racing?

Which kind of mountain bike pedal is most suitable for racing? It needs to be pretty light, but also durable to be able to resist a tough race.
11 votes
3 answers
83k views

When Mark Cavendish says he's sprints at 1500 watts how long is that for?

In an interview with Cycle Sport, Cavendish said he puts out over 1500 watts of power. “You’d be surprised at my watts,” Cavendish says. “Most people who say that their maximum is 1,600 watts ...
13 votes
3 answers
9k views

Why are puncture-resistant tires not used in professional races?

Having used with great satisfaction puncture-resistant tires for more than 8 years, and having seen how it can happen than in professional races tires can be punctured, I wonder why are puncture-...
1 vote
0 answers
79 views

Formula hub - fixed cone on the axle

Does anybody have the diagram for a generic Formula hub axle assembly? It has a fixed cone on one side of the axe with no spanner flats. I'm not sure which side of the hub this is supposed to go on ...
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

What are UCI categories for cyclocross events?

Having more than 10 years of MTB experience, I want to try my first CX race. However when I google for CX events in my country, the results contain some scary codenames called UCI C1 and UCI C2. In ...
16 votes
4 answers
43k views

Why are the rear wheels of time trial bikes disc shaped rather than having spokes?

Won't having disk shaped wheels cause more wind resistance with crosswinds? What are the benefits of having these sort of wheels?
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Disc brake equipped time trial bikes in grand tour

Why did team Deceuninck–Quick-Step ride disc brake equipped time trial bikes in a relatively flat course through Brussels in stage 2 of the 2019 Tour de France?

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