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From: zen cycle <funkmasterxx@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Most significant advance in bike technology for speed?
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2025 06:56:29 -0500
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On 1/25/2025 11:28 AM, AMuzi wrote:
> On 1/25/2025 10:04 AM, cyclintom wrote:
>> On Fri Jan 24 14:33:53 2025 Frank Krygowski  wrote:
>>> In another forum, someone postulated that integrated brake & shift
>>> levers (like STI) were the most significant bit of racing technology
>>> ever designed for increasing speed. But that claim met with little
>>> respect. One skeptic noted that there was no great increase in average
>>> race speeds in Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders,
>>> Leige-Bastogne-Leige or Giro de Lobardia since about 1960, including
>>> during the era of STI adoption. By contrast, in the  years 1930 - 1960
>>> average speeds increased around 30%. (Note: That does not mean that STI
>>> is not tactically beneficial. That's a separate issue.)
>>>
>>> But if not STI, what were the most significant tech developments
>>> regarding bicycle race speeds?
>>>
>>> Here?s my list:
>>>
>>> Pedals & cranks, as opposed to scooting a ?hobby horse? via feet on the
>>> ground.
>>>
>>> Tubular metal frames and wire tension (spoke) wheels.
>>>
>>> Large driven wheels, to give a much higher effective ?gear.? (The
>>> Ordinary or Penny Farthing)
>>>
>>> The ?Safety Bicycle? with a diamond frame and chain drive, getting the
>>> rider down lower, to greatly reduce aero drag as well as pitchover on
>>> braking.
>>>
>>> Pneumatic tires. Hard tired ?safeties? had terrible rolling resistance.
>>>
>>> The handlebar stem, invented by the heroic Major Taylor, to allow a much
>>> more aero riding position.
>>>
>>> Rim brakes, by whatever mechanism, as opposed to spoon brakes acting on
>>> a tire.
>>>
>>> Multiple gears, by whatever mechanism.
>>>
>>> The derailleur, making multiple gears easy to shift, customizable and
>>> light weight.
>>>
>>> Recumbent geometry in some situations. Recumbents seem to be slower
>>> uphill, but tend to be faster on level or downhills
>>>
>>> Fully enclosed streamlined aero shells tremendously increased speed, but
>>> at a great reduction in versatility and practicality.
>>>
>>> Beyond those, ISTM that most developments have been chasing ever
>>> diminishing returns.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Frank, using average speeds of flat races where the riders are in high 
>> gear all of the time, the roads have been vastely degrading year to 
>> year and the distances have been being reduced is hardly a way to 
>> measure the effect of shifting components.
> 
> Are there degraded roads? Yes of course. But generally the typical 
> paving of the classic era with Bartali and Coppi
> 
> https://www.todaysport.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bartali-giusto.jpg
> 
> Is now different:
> 
> https://pezcyclingnews.com/travel/giro-2016-dolomites-preview/
> 
> 
> 

That's a point I was going to bring up about race speeds increasing 
faster before the 60's as well - paved roads play a big factor.

There's also the difference in race structure where in the early years, 
rides were completely unsupported to the point that all riders were 
responsible for their own repairs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Christophe#1913_and_the_Tourmalet_incident

Paved roads and team support lead to the increases in overall speed in 
the early years of racing.