{"id":1876777,"date":"2026-04-10T08:29:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T05:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876777"},"modified":"2026-04-10T08:29:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T05:29:58","slug":"lab-tested-how-does-your-pedalling-technique-change-as-you-ride-on-cobbles-and-how-can-that-affect-a-pro-riders-equipment-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876777","title":{"rendered":"Lab tested: How does your pedalling technique change as you ride on cobbles, and how can that affect a pro rider&#8217;s equipment choice?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-2560-80.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nBikes\n<\/li>\n<li>\nPro Bikes\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Lab tested: How does your pedalling technique change as you ride on cobbles, and how can that affect a pro rider&#8217;s equipment choice?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nJosh Croxton <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-10T08:29:58Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n10 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">An attempt at understanding the equipment selection headaches that face teams ahead of Paris-Roubaix<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 600px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo\" class=\"contents\" data-only-inline=\"1\">\n<div class=\"visible flex flex-row flex-nowrap sticky max-lg:-ml-5 top-[60px] sm:top-0 z-[9994] w-screen lg:w-full h-[50px] bg-white p-0 mb-5 border-neutral-200 border border-solid\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Variants:Inline\" data-analytics-id=\"sticky-nav\" id=\"sticky-nav--inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"sticky-nav\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-row w-full h-full overflow-x-scroll overflow-y-hidden tracking-normal overscroll-x-contain\" id=\"sticky-nav__scroll-container\"><span class=\"pl-4 my-auto text-base font-semibold font-article-heading lg:pl-3 lg:text-sm whitespace-nowrap uppercase\">Jump to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-row w-auto border-y-0\">\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\nborder-b-[3px] border-b-[var(--jumpto-underline-color)] border-solid font-semibold \" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>The tests<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>What did we measure?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>What did we find?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>What does all this mean?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>Other conclusions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none 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data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-6e8d4dbd-1f73-4686-80db-a9a8fe5b86ba\">If ever you&#8217;ve ridden on cobbles, you probably know a few basic truths.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, it&#8217;s quite unpleasant, bone-rattlingly so. They&#8217;re often slippery, and with a ridge at the centre that relentlessly urges you into the ditch at either side. Your momentum is sapped with every stone, and picking a good line is akin to finding a quiet corner at Glastonbury Festival.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-6e8d4dbd-1f73-4686-80db-a9a8fe5b86ba-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Secondly, and paradoxically, the faster you go, the easier it is. This may seem at odds with sense, but your momentum allows you to skip more freely across the top of each stone, whereas at slower speeds, there&#8217;s more time for gravity to do its thing and pull you down into the gaps between each one, in turn requiring extra energy to climb back up and over the next one when you hit it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Conquering the cobbles \u2013 A brief history of Paris-Roubaix bike evolution<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Paris-Roubaix tech predictions 2026: What we expect to see in the pits at the Queen of the Classics<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Tadej Poga\u010dar has overhauled his cobbles setup in bid for Paris-Roubaix glory<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Thirdly, the more you can unweight your bike and allow your legs and arms to act as suspension, the more easily you can absorb those bumps. It takes much less energy for a lightweight bike to rise and fall than it does for a 70kg rider to do the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">All of that combines to mean that when you ride on cobbles, your pedalling technique tends to change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">You sit differently on the saddle, your position changes, your weight distribution changes, and a lot of riders choose to hold the tops rather than the hoods. At the highest level of the sport, this will almost certainly affect the best tyre choice, ideal pressure, bar tape choices, and perhaps even how you dress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">To try and quantify exactly <em>how<\/em> your technique changes when you&#8217;re on the bike, <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> headed to the lab to run some tests.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-fd49ec2b-d776-4801-af59-57969d0beb84\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Our testing was performed with help from the clever folks &#8211; and the tech &#8211; from Body Rocket. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Eric DeGolier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-the-tests\"><span>The tests<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-275a098f-f68d-4597-bc3f-cd4a9704a361\">We used the Pedalling Efficiency Rig at Silverstone Sports Engineering hub, which allows users to test the difference between setups in a controlled, close-to-real-world recreation, or the same setup across multiple different surfaces.<\/p>\n<p><em>Cyclingnews<\/em>&#8216; tech writer Tom Wieckowski was our test rider, and he covered over 70km of riding on our day of testing, with over half of that coming on cobbles at close to his threshold. Naturally, we ensured he was fed and watered, and weighed him after each run to ensure he was hydrated accordingly to keep his weight constant throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, the tests we ran were:<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Where have all the slammed pro bike handlebars gone?! &#8211; Five tech trends from Opening Weekend<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">We thought wider gravel tyres were always faster, but it&#8217;s not as simple as that: New aero and rolling resistance lab tests combined<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;A very uncomfortable ride&#8217; &#8211; Belgian rider&#8217;s saddle snaps off during &#8216;mini Paris-Roubaix&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>Three tests: Road &#8216;natural&#8217;, cobbles &#8216;natural&#8217;, and cobbles &#8216;loaded&#8217;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-b2966ff8-6fbf-4d55-be11-53af36db55a0\">\n<li>Road natural: Simply riding on the road surface in the position that felt most natural for Tom.<\/li>\n<li>Cobbles natural: Riding on the cobbled surface in the position that felt most natural for Tom.<\/li>\n<li>Cobbles loaded: We asked Tom to ride with his hands on the tops, pushing a big gear, and loading the saddle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"elk-568ba5bd-ac49-4050-be4d-3d5f1a7a561f\"><strong>Three tyre pressures: 25psi, 30psi and 35psi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Two speeds: 30km\/h and 35km\/h<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-did-we-measure\"><span>What did we measure?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-856c0221-f4b1-4288-8213-fb05cec5b976\">Using data from the Pedalling Efficiency Rig, Body Rocket power pedals, and the accompanying Body Rocket Saddle Sensor, we were able to quantify exactly how Tom sat on and pedalled the bike on each surface.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, we measured:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-30cc769a-285f-4cf0-a7c7-7283c93cf0a5\">\n<li>The input power required to hold an equivalent speed<\/li>\n<li>His exact position (via the centre of maximum pressure) on the saddle, both left\/right and fore\/aft, including how well balanced he is, and how far this position moves from centre during a 60-second capture.<\/li>\n<li>His weight distribution across the bike, breaking down how much is placed on the left pedal, the right pedal, the saddle and the handlebars respectively.<\/li>\n<li>His pedalling power phases for both pedals, showing torque effectiveness, smoothness, peak phase and absolute power<\/li>\n<li>His pedal offset, showing how centrally onto the pedals the power is placed<\/li>\n<li>His max heart rate during each capture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f845424e-d609-4f53-b850-5b29e5ff3d12\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The live capture from Body Rocket&#8217;s saddle sensor is incredibly noisy. These dots bounce around on screen showing Tom&#8217;s position on the saddle hundreds of times per second <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-did-we-find\"><span>What did we find?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-fd479739-de75-4566-b6b8-6dfac557d05c\">The biggest changes we noticed were Tom&#8217;s position on the saddle and his weight distribution, but not necessarily in the way we expected.<\/p>\n<p>When riding on tarmac at the slower speed, Tom&#8217;s position was fairly central on the saddle in relation to the sensor, measuring an average of 7.4mm in front of the sensor&#8217;s centre line across the three different tyre pressures, as shown below.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-9a2e6aa2-032b-4ddf-91ba-ba5f8d876578\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">30km\/h on Tarmac. The graphic above shows Tom&#8217;s average position across the three tyre pressures. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-9c9a64a6-52cb-43f4-a8c8-c0a86d23980c\">But when we moved him to a higher speed, and thus a higher power output, he shuffled forwards by 15.7mm, to an average of 23.1mm, as you can see here:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-bec3c9fc-6436-4dcc-928a-e61a25039a1a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">35km\/h on Tarmac <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-744cac10-6fcc-4740-8905-7a4285989997\">Next up, things got really interesting when we moved him onto cobbles. The immediately noticeable difference is how his position on the saddle shifts from a constant hotspot to a blur from all the impacts.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, we can still tease out some averages. He was still in a more forward position, essentially reflecting the effort Tom was having to put into the bike.<\/p>\n<p>At 30km\/h, shown below, his average position was more forward than earlier, at 14.6mm, but not as far forward as the 35km\/h test.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-c697b422-b68c-4124-ae5d-7696a06cc0b7\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">30km\/h on cobbles <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-2a376639-a43b-48bd-ab47-77e14a9d3fab\">And then at the higher speed of 35km\/h, he was 23.8mm in front of the centre, 16.5mm further forward than the slower, smoother test at the beginning.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-05578101-95aa-4bc6-8c2f-ddab9fb5c038\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">35km\/h on cobbles <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-b0f7381f-2000-45ef-8c89-d468ba18ee97\">One of the more unexpected shifts we saw was in Tom&#8217;s weight distribution when changing from road to cobbles.<\/p>\n<p>The expected shift is that as you transition onto rougher surfaces, you&#8217;ll unweight your saddle and handlebars and use your legs to absorb the rough surfaces, but in this case, Tom&#8217;s weight distribution actually moved more onto his hands.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"elk-c7516e7f-63c7-4af3-a867-86921a37536b\">On the six road tests (two speeds, three tyre pressures each), he only put an average of 11.5% of his weight through his hands, but when we moved him onto cobbles, that grew to an average of 18.8%, and then when he switched up his position to the &#8216;loaded&#8217; test, it grew further to 20.2%.<\/p>\n<p>Curiously, despite intentionally trying to alter his technique, the &#8216;loaded&#8217; test actually made very little difference to his weight distribution.<\/p>\n<p>His weight on the saddle grew by just 0.2%, while he put 1.4% more weight through his hands, and correspondingly less through the pedals.<\/p>\n<p>There are two potential reasons for this.<\/p>\n<p>The first is that since Tom moves forward on the saddle when the effort level increases, it&#8217;s natural for his weight distribution to shift to the front of the bike onto the bars, even when moving from the hoods to the tops. This theory is somewhat debunked by the fact that he put more weight on the bars during the slower-speed road tests than for the higher-speed road tests, but with such a small sample of data, it&#8217;s still possibly a factor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-5891026c-8026-479a-adbe-e00ff8e2b91d\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Only the rear of the bike is subjected to the cobbles. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-69ad7e97-5a12-4c84-8654-1837d6bf0579\">The second is that the Pedalling Efficiency Rig only subjects the rear wheel to the cobbles, while the first is fixed into a sprung load cell. In the real world, where cobbles hit both front and rear wheels, we might have seen Tom subconsciously adapt to overcome these extra impacts up front, too.<\/p>\n<p>As Tom himself puts it: &#8220;The rig is pretty different to riding Roubaix cobbles.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>With all that said, despite not making much difference to his weight distribution, it consistently raised his max heart rate by approximately five beats per minute when compared to the &#8216;natural&#8217; cobble tests, meaning Tom was working a good deal harder to maintain the same power input (at the pedals), essentially fighting the bike more in the bigger gear and different muscle usage.<\/p>\n<p>This tells us that, although Tom&#8217;s only ridden on cobbles a handful of times and is by no means a Pro Classics Specialist, his intuition and subconscious feeling are a good gauge of what gets him over the cobbles with the least amount of effort.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-does-all-this-mean\"><span>What does all this mean?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-ff3fc6f0-8312-443b-90c7-a90a9aa6e936\">While we didn&#8217;t come away with groundbreaking conclusions, nor even things we expected to see, we can still take away some interesting tidbits.<\/p>\n<p>In Tom&#8217;s case, we can see that his weight distribution on the bike shifts more forward when riding hard, and when on cobbles. The exact front-wheel to rear-wheel balance wasn&#8217;t something we measured, but we can infer that as more weight is placed on his handlebars, more weight is on the front wheel too.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-4e7874f0-97d3-43d1-8e21-c120f5dd488a\">Thinking in extremes, this might suggest that Tom would benefit from fitting a wider tyre at the front than at the rear, to try and offset the increased load on his hands when the going gets rough.<\/p>\n<p>More simply, it might affect his optimal tyre pressure. Most online tyre pressure calculators assume a weight distribution of 55% rear and 45% front. If we know that this shifts slightly when he rides hard, and he&#8217;ll be hitting cobbles at 40km\/h, he might want to avoid the lower limit of the calculators&#8217; recommendations, since his weight distribution is likely closer to 50\/50.<\/p>\n<p>It might also mean he can remove a few PSI at the rear for extra comfort.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, it might be that Tom warrants a second layer of bar tape when riding on cobbles, since he knows his weight shifts onto his hands more.<\/p>\n<p>And separate from cobbles at all, we know that Tom slides forward on the saddle when the effort level increases. If Tom were a pro athlete, he might have spent time in the wind tunnel, where generally the resistance is set at 100-200 watts, so you don&#8217;t fatigue during a full day of testing. But when the going gets spicy, he slides forward on the saddle, and that could mean his CdA changes, meaning his optimal setup could also change.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing this, he could test in the wind tunnel at 300 watts instead, and he might find that a different helmet or skinsuit tests better as his back becomes more rounded.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-808ae5da-568d-404e-bcbb-ead637554464\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The mad scribblings of a team doing science <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-other-conclusions\"><span>Other conclusions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-ff1bdaf6-ddf4-4f1e-8302-bebb2ba8c038\">This isn&#8217;t necessarily a conclusion from our day of testing, but in unpacking the data, the folks at Body Rocket explained that when they performed a similar protocol with a different rider, his adjustment to riding on cobbles was different to Tom&#8217;s, with the more expected change toward loading the pedals more and unloading the saddle and bars.<\/p>\n<p>At face value, this suggests the technique of riding on cobbles is unique to each rider, and that the optimal setup for one rider might differ completely from the next.<\/p>\n<p>But it could also be equipment-dependent. Tom was aboard a Canyon Grizl with 45mm tyres fitted, whereas we&#8217;re told the other rider was on a road bike with 28mm tyres.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-82cdc73f-9111-4623-98e4-fb3a029cbec9\">Given that we know wide tyres can save as many as 80 watts on cobbled surfaces compared to their narrower counterparts, it&#8217;s possible that we were simply watering down the brutality of the cobbles a little too much, and Tom didn&#8217;t need to adjust as much.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, with half an eye on Paris-Roubaix this weekend, it&#8217;s impressive to see how much data can be captured with just four sensors.<\/p>\n<p>Given WorldTour team engineers &#8211; the likes of Dan Bigham (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jamie Lowden (Visma-Lease a Bike) &#8211; have each spent countless hours standing at the side of the Carrefour de l&#8217;Arbre in winters past, with dozens of bikes peppered with accelerometers, you can be sure they have even more data at their fingertips.<\/p>\n<p>I expect they already understand how each of their respective riders responds to riding on the cobbles, and how to choose the perfect setup each time. And I expect they&#8217;re feeding that information back to Specialized, Cerv\u00e9lo et al to engineer the next bit of new bike tech for you and me to get excited about.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block mb-5\" id=\"articleTag\" data-component-name=\"PostArticleLinks\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"post-article-links\">\n<div class=\"border-b border-b-black border-solid py-2.5 text-black font-bold uppercase\">TOPICS<\/div>\n<nav class=\"py-2.5 flex gap-2.5 flex-wrap\" data-analytics-id=\"article-tag\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-tag\">\n<p>Tech<\/p>\n<p>Performance<\/p>\n<p>Road<\/p>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Josh Croxton<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__social\">\n<nav class=\"button-social-group author__social-buttons\" aria-labelledby=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">\n<div id=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">Social Links Navigation<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Associate Editor (Tech)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews \u2013 leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he&#8217;s covered everything from buyer&#8217;s guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews. <\/p>\n<p>On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, &#8216;cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Conquering the cobbles \u2013 A brief history of Paris-Roubaix bike evolution<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Paris-Roubaix tech predictions 2026: What we expect to see in the pits at the Queen of the Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tadej Poga\u010dar has overhauled his cobbles setup in bid for Paris-Roubaix glory<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Where have all the slammed pro bike handlebars gone?! &#8211; Five tech trends from Opening Weekend<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Wheels &amp; Tyres<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">We thought wider gravel tyres were always faster, but it&#8217;s not as simple as that: New aero and rolling resistance lab tests combined<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A very uncomfortable ride&#8217; &#8211; Belgian rider&#8217;s saddle snaps off during &#8216;mini Paris-Roubaix&#8217;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Pro Bikes<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Don&#8217;t call it an inner tube: Lidl-Trek to debut innovative &#8216;double-bubble&#8217; safety system at Paris-Roubaix<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Visma-Lease a Bike &#8216;utterly astonished&#8217; as UCI issues wheel tech ban just two weeks before Paris-Roubaix<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A mishap leading to a broken frame 100% will put them out of contention\u2019 &#8211; Modern Adventure to ride Paris-Roubaix on Factor&#8217;s amateur-focused race bike<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The new Canyon Endurace CFR has been designed with a single purpose in mind: &#8216;Get to Roubaix fastest&#8217; <\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Pinarello responds after Filippo Ganna&#8217;s handlebar snaps mid-race en route to victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A broken wheel and a broken handlebar: Filippo Ganna fights back hard from double trouble at Dwars door Vlaanderen<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s Paris-Roubaix are both on the same day this year \u2013 great plan for more spectators, or disadvantaging the women&#8217;s race?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Kit &amp; Accesories<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The Rapha Archive Sale ends this weekend, and it&#8217;s your last chance to save up to 50% on some of our favourite Rapha apparel \u2013 Gear up for summer now at a fraction of the cost<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Paris-Roubaix tech predictions 2026: What we expect to see in the pits at the Queen of the Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Record-breakers, comebacks, and underdogs at Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The most memorable editions of the past 25 years<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cat Ferguson&#8217;s Spring Classics column: Tour of Flanders is the toughest, most powerful race on the calendar, and that is felt in every pedal stroke<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Replacement stones and holes filled with gravel and coal spoil \u2013 The state of the Arenberg Forest amid cobblestone thievery ahead of Paris-Roubaix<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">The Rapha Archive Sale ends this weekend, and it&#8217;s your last chance to save up to 50% on some of our favourite Rapha apparel \u2013 Gear up for summer now at a fraction of the cost<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Australians Carter Bettles and 18-year-old Tully Schweitzer win Oceania Road Championships titles in Brisbane<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Age doesn&#8217;t matter&#8217; &#8211; Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt carries momentum from Flanders to &#8216;unpredictable&#8217; Paris-Roubaix with Consonni and Dygert among reinforcements<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Itzulia Basque Country: Paul Seixas extends lead with third victory on stage 5 after thrilling duel with Florian Lipowitz <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nBikes\n<\/li>\n<li>\nPro Bikes\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Lab tested: How does your pedalling technique change as you ride on cobbles, and how can that affect a pro rider&#8217;s equipment choice?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nJosh Croxton <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-10T08:29:58Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n10 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">An attempt at understanding the equipment selection headaches that face teams ahead of Paris-Roubaix<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 600px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo\" class=\"contents\" data-only-inline=\"1\">\n<div class=\"visible flex flex-row flex-nowrap sticky max-lg:-ml-5 top-[60px] sm:top-0 z-[9994] w-screen lg:w-full h-[50px] bg-white p-0 mb-5 border-neutral-200 border border-solid\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Variants:Inline\" data-analytics-id=\"sticky-nav\" id=\"sticky-nav--inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"sticky-nav\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-row w-full h-full overflow-x-scroll overflow-y-hidden tracking-normal overscroll-x-contain\" id=\"sticky-nav__scroll-container\"><span class=\"pl-4 my-auto text-base font-semibold font-article-heading lg:pl-3 lg:text-sm whitespace-nowrap uppercase\">Jump to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-row w-auto border-y-0\">\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\nborder-b-[3px] border-b-[var(--jumpto-underline-color)] border-solid font-semibold \" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>The tests<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>What did we measure?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>What did we find?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>What does all this mean?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"inline-flex after:content-[''] after:inline-block after:relative after:h-3\/6 after:w-px after:bg-neutral-200 after:top-1\/4\n\" data-component-name=\"Article:JumpTo:Inline:Link\">\n<p>Other conclusions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none 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data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-6e8d4dbd-1f73-4686-80db-a9a8fe5b86ba\">If ever you&#8217;ve ridden on cobbles, you probably know a few basic truths.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, it&#8217;s quite unpleasant, bone-rattlingly so. They&#8217;re often slippery, and with a ridge at the centre that relentlessly urges you into the ditch at either side. Your momentum is sapped with every stone, and picking a good line is akin to finding a quiet corner at Glastonbury Festival.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-6e8d4dbd-1f73-4686-80db-a9a8fe5b86ba-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Secondly, and paradoxically, the faster you go, the easier it is. This may seem at odds with sense, but your momentum allows you to skip more freely across the top of each stone, whereas at slower speeds, there&#8217;s more time for gravity to do its thing and pull you down into the gaps between each one, in turn requiring extra energy to climb back up and over the next one when you hit it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Conquering the cobbles \u2013 A brief history of Paris-Roubaix bike evolution<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Paris-Roubaix tech predictions 2026: What we expect to see in the pits at the Queen of the Classics<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Tadej Poga\u010dar has overhauled his cobbles setup in bid for Paris-Roubaix glory<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Thirdly, the more you can unweight your bike and allow your legs and arms to act as suspension, the more easily you can absorb those bumps. It takes much less energy for a lightweight bike to rise and fall than it does for a 70kg rider to do the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">All of that combines to mean that when you ride on cobbles, your pedalling technique tends to change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">You sit differently on the saddle, your position changes, your weight distribution changes, and a lot of riders choose to hold the tops rather than the hoods. At the highest level of the sport, this will almost certainly affect the best tyre choice, ideal pressure, bar tape choices, and perhaps even how you dress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">To try and quantify exactly <em>how<\/em> your technique changes when you&#8217;re on the bike, <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> headed to the lab to run some tests.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-fd49ec2b-d776-4801-af59-57969d0beb84\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Our testing was performed with help from the clever folks &#8211; and the tech &#8211; from Body Rocket. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Eric DeGolier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-the-tests\"><span>The tests<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-275a098f-f68d-4597-bc3f-cd4a9704a361\">We used the Pedalling Efficiency Rig at Silverstone Sports Engineering hub, which allows users to test the difference between setups in a controlled, close-to-real-world recreation, or the same setup across multiple different surfaces.<\/p>\n<p><em>Cyclingnews<\/em>&#8216; tech writer Tom Wieckowski was our test rider, and he covered over 70km of riding on our day of testing, with over half of that coming on cobbles at close to his threshold. Naturally, we ensured he was fed and watered, and weighed him after each run to ensure he was hydrated accordingly to keep his weight constant throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, the tests we ran were:<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Where have all the slammed pro bike handlebars gone?! &#8211; Five tech trends from Opening Weekend<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">We thought wider gravel tyres were always faster, but it&#8217;s not as simple as that: New aero and rolling resistance lab tests combined<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;A very uncomfortable ride&#8217; &#8211; Belgian rider&#8217;s saddle snaps off during &#8216;mini Paris-Roubaix&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>Three tests: Road &#8216;natural&#8217;, cobbles &#8216;natural&#8217;, and cobbles &#8216;loaded&#8217;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-b2966ff8-6fbf-4d55-be11-53af36db55a0\">\n<li>Road natural: Simply riding on the road surface in the position that felt most natural for Tom.<\/li>\n<li>Cobbles natural: Riding on the cobbled surface in the position that felt most natural for Tom.<\/li>\n<li>Cobbles loaded: We asked Tom to ride with his hands on the tops, pushing a big gear, and loading the saddle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"elk-568ba5bd-ac49-4050-be4d-3d5f1a7a561f\"><strong>Three tyre pressures: 25psi, 30psi and 35psi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Two speeds: 30km\/h and 35km\/h<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-did-we-measure\"><span>What did we measure?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-856c0221-f4b1-4288-8213-fb05cec5b976\">Using data from the Pedalling Efficiency Rig, Body Rocket power pedals, and the accompanying Body Rocket Saddle Sensor, we were able to quantify exactly how Tom sat on and pedalled the bike on each surface.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, we measured:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-30cc769a-285f-4cf0-a7c7-7283c93cf0a5\">\n<li>The input power required to hold an equivalent speed<\/li>\n<li>His exact position (via the centre of maximum pressure) on the saddle, both left\/right and fore\/aft, including how well balanced he is, and how far this position moves from centre during a 60-second capture.<\/li>\n<li>His weight distribution across the bike, breaking down how much is placed on the left pedal, the right pedal, the saddle and the handlebars respectively.<\/li>\n<li>His pedalling power phases for both pedals, showing torque effectiveness, smoothness, peak phase and absolute power<\/li>\n<li>His pedal offset, showing how centrally onto the pedals the power is placed<\/li>\n<li>His max heart rate during each capture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f845424e-d609-4f53-b850-5b29e5ff3d12\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The live capture from Body Rocket&#8217;s saddle sensor is incredibly noisy. These dots bounce around on screen showing Tom&#8217;s position on the saddle hundreds of times per second <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-did-we-find\"><span>What did we find?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-fd479739-de75-4566-b6b8-6dfac557d05c\">The biggest changes we noticed were Tom&#8217;s position on the saddle and his weight distribution, but not necessarily in the way we expected.<\/p>\n<p>When riding on tarmac at the slower speed, Tom&#8217;s position was fairly central on the saddle in relation to the sensor, measuring an average of 7.4mm in front of the sensor&#8217;s centre line across the three different tyre pressures, as shown below.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-9a2e6aa2-032b-4ddf-91ba-ba5f8d876578\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">30km\/h on Tarmac. The graphic above shows Tom&#8217;s average position across the three tyre pressures. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-9c9a64a6-52cb-43f4-a8c8-c0a86d23980c\">But when we moved him to a higher speed, and thus a higher power output, he shuffled forwards by 15.7mm, to an average of 23.1mm, as you can see here:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-bec3c9fc-6436-4dcc-928a-e61a25039a1a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">35km\/h on Tarmac <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-744cac10-6fcc-4740-8905-7a4285989997\">Next up, things got really interesting when we moved him onto cobbles. The immediately noticeable difference is how his position on the saddle shifts from a constant hotspot to a blur from all the impacts.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, we can still tease out some averages. He was still in a more forward position, essentially reflecting the effort Tom was having to put into the bike.<\/p>\n<p>At 30km\/h, shown below, his average position was more forward than earlier, at 14.6mm, but not as far forward as the 35km\/h test.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-c697b422-b68c-4124-ae5d-7696a06cc0b7\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">30km\/h on cobbles <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-2a376639-a43b-48bd-ab47-77e14a9d3fab\">And then at the higher speed of 35km\/h, he was 23.8mm in front of the centre, 16.5mm further forward than the slower, smoother test at the beginning.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-05578101-95aa-4bc6-8c2f-ddab9fb5c038\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">35km\/h on cobbles <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-b0f7381f-2000-45ef-8c89-d468ba18ee97\">One of the more unexpected shifts we saw was in Tom&#8217;s weight distribution when changing from road to cobbles.<\/p>\n<p>The expected shift is that as you transition onto rougher surfaces, you&#8217;ll unweight your saddle and handlebars and use your legs to absorb the rough surfaces, but in this case, Tom&#8217;s weight distribution actually moved more onto his hands.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"elk-c7516e7f-63c7-4af3-a867-86921a37536b\">On the six road tests (two speeds, three tyre pressures each), he only put an average of 11.5% of his weight through his hands, but when we moved him onto cobbles, that grew to an average of 18.8%, and then when he switched up his position to the &#8216;loaded&#8217; test, it grew further to 20.2%.<\/p>\n<p>Curiously, despite intentionally trying to alter his technique, the &#8216;loaded&#8217; test actually made very little difference to his weight distribution.<\/p>\n<p>His weight on the saddle grew by just 0.2%, while he put 1.4% more weight through his hands, and correspondingly less through the pedals.<\/p>\n<p>There are two potential reasons for this.<\/p>\n<p>The first is that since Tom moves forward on the saddle when the effort level increases, it&#8217;s natural for his weight distribution to shift to the front of the bike onto the bars, even when moving from the hoods to the tops. This theory is somewhat debunked by the fact that he put more weight on the bars during the slower-speed road tests than for the higher-speed road tests, but with such a small sample of data, it&#8217;s still possibly a factor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-5891026c-8026-479a-adbe-e00ff8e2b91d\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Only the rear of the bike is subjected to the cobbles. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-69ad7e97-5a12-4c84-8654-1837d6bf0579\">The second is that the Pedalling Efficiency Rig only subjects the rear wheel to the cobbles, while the first is fixed into a sprung load cell. In the real world, where cobbles hit both front and rear wheels, we might have seen Tom subconsciously adapt to overcome these extra impacts up front, too.<\/p>\n<p>As Tom himself puts it: &#8220;The rig is pretty different to riding Roubaix cobbles.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>With all that said, despite not making much difference to his weight distribution, it consistently raised his max heart rate by approximately five beats per minute when compared to the &#8216;natural&#8217; cobble tests, meaning Tom was working a good deal harder to maintain the same power input (at the pedals), essentially fighting the bike more in the bigger gear and different muscle usage.<\/p>\n<p>This tells us that, although Tom&#8217;s only ridden on cobbles a handful of times and is by no means a Pro Classics Specialist, his intuition and subconscious feeling are a good gauge of what gets him over the cobbles with the least amount of effort.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-does-all-this-mean\"><span>What does all this mean?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-ff3fc6f0-8312-443b-90c7-a90a9aa6e936\">While we didn&#8217;t come away with groundbreaking conclusions, nor even things we expected to see, we can still take away some interesting tidbits.<\/p>\n<p>In Tom&#8217;s case, we can see that his weight distribution on the bike shifts more forward when riding hard, and when on cobbles. The exact front-wheel to rear-wheel balance wasn&#8217;t something we measured, but we can infer that as more weight is placed on his handlebars, more weight is on the front wheel too.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-4e7874f0-97d3-43d1-8e21-c120f5dd488a\">Thinking in extremes, this might suggest that Tom would benefit from fitting a wider tyre at the front than at the rear, to try and offset the increased load on his hands when the going gets rough.<\/p>\n<p>More simply, it might affect his optimal tyre pressure. Most online tyre pressure calculators assume a weight distribution of 55% rear and 45% front. If we know that this shifts slightly when he rides hard, and he&#8217;ll be hitting cobbles at 40km\/h, he might want to avoid the lower limit of the calculators&#8217; recommendations, since his weight distribution is likely closer to 50\/50.<\/p>\n<p>It might also mean he can remove a few PSI at the rear for extra comfort.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, it might be that Tom warrants a second layer of bar tape when riding on cobbles, since he knows his weight shifts onto his hands more.<\/p>\n<p>And separate from cobbles at all, we know that Tom slides forward on the saddle when the effort level increases. If Tom were a pro athlete, he might have spent time in the wind tunnel, where generally the resistance is set at 100-200 watts, so you don&#8217;t fatigue during a full day of testing. But when the going gets spicy, he slides forward on the saddle, and that could mean his CdA changes, meaning his optimal setup could also change.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing this, he could test in the wind tunnel at 300 watts instead, and he might find that a different helmet or skinsuit tests better as his back becomes more rounded.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-808ae5da-568d-404e-bcbb-ead637554464\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The mad scribblings of a team doing science <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-other-conclusions\"><span>Other conclusions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-ff1bdaf6-ddf4-4f1e-8302-bebb2ba8c038\">This isn&#8217;t necessarily a conclusion from our day of testing, but in unpacking the data, the folks at Body Rocket explained that when they performed a similar protocol with a different rider, his adjustment to riding on cobbles was different to Tom&#8217;s, with the more expected change toward loading the pedals more and unloading the saddle and bars.<\/p>\n<p>At face value, this suggests the technique of riding on cobbles is unique to each rider, and that the optimal setup for one rider might differ completely from the next.<\/p>\n<p>But it could also be equipment-dependent. Tom was aboard a Canyon Grizl with 45mm tyres fitted, whereas we&#8217;re told the other rider was on a road bike with 28mm tyres.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-82cdc73f-9111-4623-98e4-fb3a029cbec9\">Given that we know wide tyres can save as many as 80 watts on cobbled surfaces compared to their narrower counterparts, it&#8217;s possible that we were simply watering down the brutality of the cobbles a little too much, and Tom didn&#8217;t need to adjust as much.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, with half an eye on Paris-Roubaix this weekend, it&#8217;s impressive to see how much data can be captured with just four sensors.<\/p>\n<p>Given WorldTour team engineers &#8211; the likes of Dan Bigham (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jamie Lowden (Visma-Lease a Bike) &#8211; have each spent countless hours standing at the side of the Carrefour de l&#8217;Arbre in winters past, with dozens of bikes peppered with accelerometers, you can be sure they have even more data at their fingertips.<\/p>\n<p>I expect they already understand how each of their respective riders responds to riding on the cobbles, and how to choose the perfect setup each time. And I expect they&#8217;re feeding that information back to Specialized, Cerv\u00e9lo et al to engineer the next bit of new bike tech for you and me to get excited about.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block mb-5\" id=\"articleTag\" data-component-name=\"PostArticleLinks\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"post-article-links\">\n<div class=\"border-b border-b-black border-solid py-2.5 text-black font-bold uppercase\">TOPICS<\/div>\n<nav class=\"py-2.5 flex gap-2.5 flex-wrap\" data-analytics-id=\"article-tag\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-tag\">\n<p>Tech<\/p>\n<p>Performance<\/p>\n<p>Road<\/p>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/V3GXEP85KSp9eSMY5JsYqd.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Josh Croxton<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__social\">\n<nav class=\"button-social-group author__social-buttons\" aria-labelledby=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">\n<div id=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">Social Links Navigation<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Associate Editor (Tech)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews \u2013 leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he&#8217;s covered everything from buyer&#8217;s guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews. <\/p>\n<p>On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, &#8216;cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Conquering the cobbles \u2013 A brief history of Paris-Roubaix bike evolution<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Paris-Roubaix tech predictions 2026: What we expect to see in the pits at the Queen of the Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tadej Poga\u010dar has overhauled his cobbles setup in bid for Paris-Roubaix glory<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Where have all the slammed pro bike handlebars gone?! &#8211; Five tech trends from Opening Weekend<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Wheels &amp; Tyres<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">We thought wider gravel tyres were always faster, but it&#8217;s not as simple as that: New aero and rolling resistance lab tests combined<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A very uncomfortable ride&#8217; &#8211; Belgian rider&#8217;s saddle snaps off during &#8216;mini Paris-Roubaix&#8217;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Pro Bikes<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NG3JcVZsvUZ6TPGXLsrzCF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Don&#8217;t call it an inner tube: Lidl-Trek to debut innovative &#8216;double-bubble&#8217; safety system at Paris-Roubaix<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zSYLtbVHWBDMSa4ZcZhbEn-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Visma-Lease a Bike &#8216;utterly astonished&#8217; as UCI issues wheel tech ban just two weeks before Paris-Roubaix<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/39FojseRRDnrh7DMBHxJm8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A mishap leading to a broken frame 100% will put them out of contention\u2019 &#8211; Modern Adventure to ride Paris-Roubaix on Factor&#8217;s amateur-focused race bike<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cwLsBWYVEHH8RvYAEjnEie-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The new Canyon Endurace CFR has been designed with a single purpose in mind: &#8216;Get to Roubaix fastest&#8217; <\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/YHBXeUUPGxUE5KqXbaodnQ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Pinarello responds after Filippo Ganna&#8217;s handlebar snaps mid-race en route to victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/XaifbGZJFi7HbP727iVBBT-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A broken wheel and a broken handlebar: Filippo Ganna fights back hard from double trouble at Dwars door Vlaanderen<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/soSfqPEiQo4KQLbDoXVbGL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s Paris-Roubaix are both on the same day this year \u2013 great plan for more spectators, or disadvantaging the women&#8217;s race?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Artg48p9S739SfACBmSFAE-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Kit &amp; Accesories<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The Rapha Archive Sale ends this weekend, and it&#8217;s your last chance to save up to 50% on some of our favourite Rapha apparel \u2013 Gear up for summer now at a fraction of the cost<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Paris-Roubaix tech predictions 2026: What we expect to see in the pits at the Queen of the Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWB8Yhvx5PcTwru9BtaPxY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Record-breakers, comebacks, and underdogs at Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The most memorable editions of the past 25 years<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cat Ferguson&#8217;s Spring Classics column: Tour of Flanders is the toughest, most powerful race on the calendar, and that is felt in every pedal stroke<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9Jfxcus9iKTz66YZc4SA6K.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Replacement stones and holes filled with gravel and coal spoil \u2013 The state of the Arenberg Forest amid cobblestone thievery ahead of Paris-Roubaix<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">The Rapha Archive Sale ends this weekend, and it&#8217;s your last chance to save up to 50% on some of our favourite Rapha apparel \u2013 Gear up for summer now at a fraction of the cost<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Australians Carter Bettles and 18-year-old Tully Schweitzer win Oceania Road Championships titles in Brisbane<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Age doesn&#8217;t matter&#8217; &#8211; Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt carries momentum from Flanders to &#8216;unpredictable&#8217; Paris-Roubaix with Consonni and Dygert among reinforcements<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Itzulia Basque Country: Paul Seixas extends lead with third victory on stage 5 after thrilling duel with Florian Lipowitz <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nBikes\n<\/li>\n<li>\nPro Bikes\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Lab tested: How does your pedalling technique change as you ride on cobbles, and how can that affect a pro rider&#8217;s equipment choice?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nJosh Croxton <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-10T08:29:58Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n10 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">An attempt at understanding the equipment selection headaches that face teams ahead of Paris-Roubaix<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"!m-0\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 sm:ml-1.5 font-base text-xs\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-6e8d4dbd-1f73-4686-80db-a9a8fe5b86ba\">If ever you&#8217;ve ridden on cobbles, you probably know a few basic truths.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, it&#8217;s quite unpleasant, bone-rattlingly so. They&#8217;re often slippery, and with a ridge at the centre that relentlessly urges you into the ditch at either side. Your momentum is sapped with every stone, and picking a good line is akin to finding a quiet corner at Glastonbury Festival.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-6e8d4dbd-1f73-4686-80db-a9a8fe5b86ba-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Secondly, and paradoxically, the faster you go, the easier it is. This may seem at odds with sense, but your momentum allows you to skip more freely across the top of each stone, whereas at slower speeds, there&#8217;s more time for gravity to do its thing and pull you down into the gaps between each one, in turn requiring extra energy to climb back up and over the next one when you hit it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AhitWYzxYLQUpDw3GhKfME-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Conquering the cobbles \u2013 A brief history of Paris-Roubaix bike evolution<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndf7K7MFJsnbr736yhQ64N-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Paris-Roubaix tech predictions 2026: What we expect to see in the pits at the Queen of the Classics<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PYgRf6jWL6dK9yDrtbRork-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Tadej Poga\u010dar has overhauled his cobbles setup in bid for Paris-Roubaix glory<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Thirdly, the more you can unweight your bike and allow your legs and arms to act as suspension, the more easily you can absorb those bumps. It takes much less energy for a lightweight bike to rise and fall than it does for a 70kg rider to do the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">All of that combines to mean that when you ride on cobbles, your pedalling technique tends to change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">You sit differently on the saddle, your position changes, your weight distribution changes, and a lot of riders choose to hold the tops rather than the hoods. At the highest level of the sport, this will almost certainly affect the best tyre choice, ideal pressure, bar tape choices, and perhaps even how you dress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">To try and quantify exactly <em>how<\/em> your technique changes when you&#8217;re on the bike, <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> headed to the lab to run some tests.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-AcU34XMhTALfbwxpwgU8jM slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-fd49ec2b-d776-4801-af59-57969d0beb84\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/giv4EGx9vzd8XbNY8hXUsF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Our testing was performed with help from the clever folks &#8211; and the tech &#8211; from Body Rocket. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Eric DeGolier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-the-tests\"><span>The tests<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-275a098f-f68d-4597-bc3f-cd4a9704a361\">We used the Pedalling Efficiency Rig at Silverstone Sports Engineering hub, which allows users to test the difference between setups in a controlled, close-to-real-world recreation, or the same setup across multiple different surfaces.<\/p>\n<p><em>Cyclingnews<\/em>&#8216; tech writer Tom Wieckowski was our test rider, and he covered over 70km of riding on our day of testing, with over half of that coming on cobbles at close to his threshold. Naturally, we ensured he was fed and watered, and weighed him after each run to ensure he was hydrated accordingly to keep his weight constant throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, the tests we ran were:<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qAGbEUbnEgxn5SqFtp9gPT-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Where have all the slammed pro bike handlebars gone?! &#8211; Five tech trends from Opening Weekend<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JesKwjETMcECAuRQNmLZC4-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">We thought wider gravel tyres were always faster, but it&#8217;s not as simple as that: New aero and rolling resistance lab tests combined<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/z5jDvDMmtkXYDLHBEeX8QH-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;A very uncomfortable ride&#8217; &#8211; Belgian rider&#8217;s saddle snaps off during &#8216;mini Paris-Roubaix&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>Three tests: Road &#8216;natural&#8217;, cobbles &#8216;natural&#8217;, and cobbles &#8216;loaded&#8217;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-b2966ff8-6fbf-4d55-be11-53af36db55a0\">\n<li>Road natural: Simply riding on the road surface in the position that felt most natural for Tom.<\/li>\n<li>Cobbles natural: Riding on the cobbled surface in the position that felt most natural for Tom.<\/li>\n<li>Cobbles loaded: We asked Tom to ride with his hands on the tops, pushing a big gear, and loading the saddle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"elk-568ba5bd-ac49-4050-be4d-3d5f1a7a561f\"><strong>Three tyre pressures: 25psi, 30psi and 35psi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Two speeds: 30km\/h and 35km\/h<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-did-we-measure\"><span>What did we measure?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-856c0221-f4b1-4288-8213-fb05cec5b976\">Using data from the Pedalling Efficiency Rig, Body Rocket power pedals, and the accompanying Body Rocket Saddle Sensor, we were able to quantify exactly how Tom sat on and pedalled the bike on each surface.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, we measured:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-30cc769a-285f-4cf0-a7c7-7283c93cf0a5\">\n<li>The input power required to hold an equivalent speed<\/li>\n<li>His exact position (via the centre of maximum pressure) on the saddle, both left\/right and fore\/aft, including how well balanced he is, and how far this position moves from centre during a 60-second capture.<\/li>\n<li>His weight distribution across the bike, breaking down how much is placed on the left pedal, the right pedal, the saddle and the handlebars respectively.<\/li>\n<li>His pedalling power phases for both pedals, showing torque effectiveness, smoothness, peak phase and absolute power<\/li>\n<li>His pedal offset, showing how centrally onto the pedals the power is placed<\/li>\n<li>His max heart rate during each capture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f845424e-d609-4f53-b850-5b29e5ff3d12\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/M3qug32qprkfotjXaquEk5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The live capture from Body Rocket&#8217;s saddle sensor is incredibly noisy. These dots bounce around on screen showing Tom&#8217;s position on the saddle hundreds of times per second <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-did-we-find\"><span>What did we find?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-fd479739-de75-4566-b6b8-6dfac557d05c\">The biggest changes we noticed were Tom&#8217;s position on the saddle and his weight distribution, but not necessarily in the way we expected.<\/p>\n<p>When riding on tarmac at the slower speed, Tom&#8217;s position was fairly central on the saddle in relation to the sensor, measuring an average of 7.4mm in front of the sensor&#8217;s centre line across the three different tyre pressures, as shown below.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-9a2e6aa2-032b-4ddf-91ba-ba5f8d876578\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/AW2PbDtfZFXEYReg9jSSX3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">30km\/h on Tarmac. The graphic above shows Tom&#8217;s average position across the three tyre pressures. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-9c9a64a6-52cb-43f4-a8c8-c0a86d23980c\">But when we moved him to a higher speed, and thus a higher power output, he shuffled forwards by 15.7mm, to an average of 23.1mm, as you can see here:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-bec3c9fc-6436-4dcc-928a-e61a25039a1a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/47uG4ZMvwRYYjUJ455zCE3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">35km\/h on Tarmac <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-744cac10-6fcc-4740-8905-7a4285989997\">Next up, things got really interesting when we moved him onto cobbles. The immediately noticeable difference is how his position on the saddle shifts from a constant hotspot to a blur from all the impacts.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, we can still tease out some averages. He was still in a more forward position, essentially reflecting the effort Tom was having to put into the bike.<\/p>\n<p>At 30km\/h, shown below, his average position was more forward than earlier, at 14.6mm, but not as far forward as the 35km\/h test.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-c697b422-b68c-4124-ae5d-7696a06cc0b7\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kyrJ9kPzLBDr3NbMEay4g3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">30km\/h on cobbles <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-2a376639-a43b-48bd-ab47-77e14a9d3fab\">And then at the higher speed of 35km\/h, he was 23.8mm in front of the centre, 16.5mm further forward than the slower, smoother test at the beginning.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-05578101-95aa-4bc6-8c2f-ddab9fb5c038\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-926-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4bkhkiX35CFHuj5QjuyTS3-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">35km\/h on cobbles <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Body Rocket)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-b0f7381f-2000-45ef-8c89-d468ba18ee97\">One of the more unexpected shifts we saw was in Tom&#8217;s weight distribution when changing from road to cobbles.<\/p>\n<p>The expected shift is that as you transition onto rougher surfaces, you&#8217;ll unweight your saddle and handlebars and use your legs to absorb the rough surfaces, but in this case, Tom&#8217;s weight distribution actually moved more onto his hands.<\/p>\n\n<p id=\"elk-c7516e7f-63c7-4af3-a867-86921a37536b\">On the six road tests (two speeds, three tyre pressures each), he only put an average of 11.5% of his weight through his hands, but when we moved him onto cobbles, that grew to an average of 18.8%, and then when he switched up his position to the &#8216;loaded&#8217; test, it grew further to 20.2%.<\/p>\n<p>Curiously, despite intentionally trying to alter his technique, the &#8216;loaded&#8217; test actually made very little difference to his weight distribution.<\/p>\n<p>His weight on the saddle grew by just 0.2%, while he put 1.4% more weight through his hands, and correspondingly less through the pedals.<\/p>\n<p>There are two potential reasons for this.<\/p>\n<p>The first is that since Tom moves forward on the saddle when the effort level increases, it&#8217;s natural for his weight distribution to shift to the front of the bike onto the bars, even when moving from the hoods to the tops. This theory is somewhat debunked by the fact that he put more weight on the bars during the slower-speed road tests than for the higher-speed road tests, but with such a small sample of data, it&#8217;s still possibly a factor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-5891026c-8026-479a-adbe-e00ff8e2b91d\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLTeJk6ELt9umGpUxndKD5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Only the rear of the bike is subjected to the cobbles. <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-69ad7e97-5a12-4c84-8654-1837d6bf0579\">The second is that the Pedalling Efficiency Rig only subjects the rear wheel to the cobbles, while the first is fixed into a sprung load cell. In the real world, where cobbles hit both front and rear wheels, we might have seen Tom subconsciously adapt to overcome these extra impacts up front, too.<\/p>\n<p>As Tom himself puts it: &#8220;The rig is pretty different to riding Roubaix cobbles.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>With all that said, despite not making much difference to his weight distribution, it consistently raised his max heart rate by approximately five beats per minute when compared to the &#8216;natural&#8217; cobble tests, meaning Tom was working a good deal harder to maintain the same power input (at the pedals), essentially fighting the bike more in the bigger gear and different muscle usage.<\/p>\n<p>This tells us that, although Tom&#8217;s only ridden on cobbles a handful of times and is by no means a Pro Classics Specialist, his intuition and subconscious feeling are a good gauge of what gets him over the cobbles with the least amount of effort.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-what-does-all-this-mean\"><span>What does all this mean?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-ff3fc6f0-8312-443b-90c7-a90a9aa6e936\">While we didn&#8217;t come away with groundbreaking conclusions, nor even things we expected to see, we can still take away some interesting tidbits.<\/p>\n<p>In Tom&#8217;s case, we can see that his weight distribution on the bike shifts more forward when riding hard, and when on cobbles. The exact front-wheel to rear-wheel balance wasn&#8217;t something we measured, but we can infer that as more weight is placed on his handlebars, more weight is on the front wheel too.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-4e7874f0-97d3-43d1-8e21-c120f5dd488a\">Thinking in extremes, this might suggest that Tom would benefit from fitting a wider tyre at the front than at the rear, to try and offset the increased load on his hands when the going gets rough.<\/p>\n<p>More simply, it might affect his optimal tyre pressure. Most online tyre pressure calculators assume a weight distribution of 55% rear and 45% front. If we know that this shifts slightly when he rides hard, and he&#8217;ll be hitting cobbles at 40km\/h, he might want to avoid the lower limit of the calculators&#8217; recommendations, since his weight distribution is likely closer to 50\/50.<\/p>\n<p>It might also mean he can remove a few PSI at the rear for extra comfort.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, it might be that Tom warrants a second layer of bar tape when riding on cobbles, since he knows his weight shifts onto his hands more.<\/p>\n<p>And separate from cobbles at all, we know that Tom slides forward on the saddle when the effort level increases. If Tom were a pro athlete, he might have spent time in the wind tunnel, where generally the resistance is set at 100-200 watts, so you don&#8217;t fatigue during a full day of testing. But when the going gets spicy, he slides forward on the saddle, and that could mean his CdA changes, meaning his optimal setup could also change.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing this, he could test in the wind tunnel at 300 watts instead, and he might find that a different helmet or skinsuit tests better as his back becomes more rounded.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-808ae5da-568d-404e-bcbb-ead637554464\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KRS6LB3hnLSHGFZE9XMqg4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The mad scribblings of a team doing science <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Josh Croxton)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-other-conclusions\"><span>Other conclusions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"elk-ff1bdaf6-ddf4-4f1e-8302-bebb2ba8c038\">This isn&#8217;t necessarily a conclusion from our day of testing, but in unpacking the data, the folks at Body Rocket explained that when they performed a similar protocol with a different rider, his adjustment to riding on cobbles was different to Tom&#8217;s, with the more expected change toward loading the pedals more and unloading the saddle and bars.<\/p>\n<p>At face value, this suggests the technique of riding on cobbles is unique to each rider, and that the optimal setup for one rider might differ completely from the next.<\/p>\n<p>But it could also be equipment-dependent. Tom was aboard a Canyon Grizl with 45mm tyres fitted, whereas we&#8217;re told the other rider was on a road bike with 28mm tyres.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-82cdc73f-9111-4623-98e4-fb3a029cbec9\">Given that we know wide tyres can save as many as 80 watts on cobbled surfaces compared to their narrower counterparts, it&#8217;s possible that we were simply watering down the brutality of the cobbles a little too much, and Tom didn&#8217;t need to adjust as much.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, with half an eye on Paris-Roubaix this weekend, it&#8217;s impressive to see how much data can be captured with just four sensors.<\/p>\n<p>Given WorldTour team engineers &#8211; the likes of Dan Bigham (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jamie Lowden (Visma-Lease a Bike) &#8211; have each spent countless hours standing at the side of the Carrefour de l&#8217;Arbre in winters past, with dozens of bikes peppered with accelerometers, you can be sure they have even more data at their fingertips.<\/p>\n<p>I expect they already understand how each of their respective riders responds to riding on the cobbles, and how to choose the perfect setup each time. And I expect they&#8217;re feeding that information back to Specialized, Cerv\u00e9lo et al to engineer the next bit of new bike tech for you and me to get excited about.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/bikes\/pro-bikes\/lab-tested-how-does-your-pedalling-technique-change-as-you-ride-on-cobbles-and-how-can-that-affect-a-pro-riders-equipment-choice\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2MvFTTab4bEReW8Heb7nj4-2560-80.jpg&#8221;] Bikes Pro Bikes Lab tested: How does your pedalling technique change as you ride on cobbles, and how can that affect a pro rider&#8217;s equipment choice? Features By Josh Croxton published 10 April 2026 An attempt at understanding the equipment selection headaches that face teams ahead of Paris-Roubaix When you purchase through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-1876777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1876777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876777\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1876777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1876777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1876777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}