What’s the ideally suited bike for the Olympic gold medal street race?

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Are you able to consider it? The 2024 Paris Olympics are right here, which implies the Olympic Highway Race is right here.

Each the boys’s street race and the ladies’s street race begin and finish in Paris.

Outdoors of Tadej Pogačar opting out of the Olympics, the parents you’ll see racing within the Olympics are the usual listing of riders you’ll discover on the professional ranges. In North America, Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Group Emirates), Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Group Visma -Lease a Bike), and Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF-Oatly-Cannondale). Nonetheless, the boys’s crew is noticeably one rider below the utmost of 4 riders per nation.

That acquired us daydreaming a bit.

What if we had been referred to as into the Olympic street race? And whereas most of those riders might be aboard their crew bikes, what about if we may select our personal bike? We’re positively getting dropped within the first 30 seconds of the race, however maybe the correct setup may forestall that, if just for a second.

Right here’s how we’d arrange our bikes for the 2024 Paris Olympics, fueled by delusion, grandeur, and hope that the correct package selections would give us each likelihood we will.

Let’s discuss in regards to the programs

Two programs are getting used for the Paris Olympics street race: one 237 km (147.3 miles) course with 2,800 m (9186.4 toes) climbing for the boys’s race, and a 158 km (98.2 miles) with 1700 m (5577.4 toes) of climbing for the ladies’s race. The 2 programs are pretty related in profile, however the ladies’s route primarily removes one of many loops within the course.

What are these programs like? They’re designed to stage the enjoying discipline: not flat, however not an enormous climbing day, both. Name the course punchy, with only some climbs that go previous 1.5 km in size. Each males’s and girls’s street races begin by passing the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and Les Invalides. After about 5 km, the racing begins.

Riders should climb 13 completely different climbs alongside the boys’s course, with the ultimate 50 km (31 miles) that includes three loops of the Butte Montemarte, some cobblestone, and the end line at Trocadéro. Riders within the ladies’s street race could have 9 completely different climbs, with a forty five km end much like the boys’s course. Each races have a flat end on the finish.

Each males’s and girls’s street races will function a 90-rider peloton every. Every nation could have a most of 4 riders out there, although some might need only one rider. Consequently, rider ways must be completely different too. Groups could have a way more troublesome time controlling the tempo as a consequence of being in smaller teams in addition to a scarcity of radios.

Opportunistic riders can get away from the sprinters, however no person else needs to overlook the successful transfer. It’s not in contrast to what you’d see from a World Championship street race all issues thought-about.

What kinds of bikes are allowed within the Olympic street race?

All sports activities within the Olympics must observe the principles set by the governing our bodies of these sports activities. Due to this fact all bike racing within the Olympics follows the UCI guidelines. All monitor and discipline occasions observe the principles of World Athletics and so forth.

Briefly, the entire street bikes you’ve seen within the Tour de France this yr will seemingly be within the Olympics this yr.

So, how would we arrange our bikes would we select to race within the Olympic street race?

Alvin’s bike

In my eyes, the bike you need in the event you’re attempting to win the Paris Olympics must have some type of aero chops. It’s seemingly that you simply’re going to must observe each assault to the perfect of your skill, so one thing that feels gentle on its toes however is fairly aero is the ticket.

On the similar time, although, that little bit of cobblestone worries me a bit. I do know I’ll have some fillings fall out if I don’t set my bike up correctly, and what a waste of time it’ll be to must backtrack and discover these issues mid-race!

Alright, right here’s how I’d do it.

The body goes to be the Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4 in its Hello-Mod variation. There are lighter frames on the market, and there are extra aerodynamic frames too. However there are few that handle each and have the sort of dealing with I feel will matter on the finish of the journey right here. The three different frames I thought-about right here embrace the BMC Teammachine R, Specialised Tarmac SL8, and Issue Ostro VAM.

The large cause I’d need the Evo right here although is for a way composed it feels over cobbled roads. It’s not fairly as snappy as another bikes, however it does pretty much as good a job of protecting that entrance wheel in place as any race-ready street bike I’ve ridden. And maybe surprisingly, the again of the bike manages to do an amazing job of placing the ability down over these rougher roads too. None of those are qualities you’d count on from a street bike with the go-fast ambitions of the Supersix Evo, however it does an amazing job right here.

I wouldn’t go along with a inventory SuperSix Evo, nevertheless, as a lot as I loved the Hello-Mod 2 I reviewed final yr. Quite, I’d swap the wheels for the Black Inc 48|58 wheels. These can be found as standalone wheels, however most of my expertise with them comes from using the Issue Ostro VAM. There, I discovered these to really feel precisely how I’d need my wheels to be: snappy below acceleration, splendidly direct when cornering down a descent, and unbothered in crosswinds.

Maybe essentially the most spectacular little bit of the Black Inc 48|58 wheels is that they handle to do all of this whereas weighing in at simply 1,250 grams. You pay for the privilege, however I’m actually prepared to take action for the Olympics.

Matching that wheelset can be a set of Vittoria Corsa Professional tires in a 28 mm width. I finally selected these over the Pirelli P-Zero TLR RS tire I fairly appreciated, however it’s only a contact heavier. Additionally in consideration was the brand new Continental Aero 111 tire we noticed on the Tour de France, however regardless of the aero claims, I would favor to race on one thing I’ve ridden earlier than. Nonetheless, I haven’t ridden the brand new Aero 111 simply but, and I’m fairly pleased with the Corsa Professional tires each for velocity, grip within the moist and dry, and puncture resistance for a single journey like this.

There isn’t any scarcity of nice street bike tires on the market, however for a single-day race just like the Olympic Highway Race, my intestine says to go along with the Vittoria tires.

As for the groupset? It’s a toss-up, frankly. However as of now, I feel I’d go along with the brand new SRAM Crimson AXS groupset, however solely by a hair. I element every thing I like in regards to the new group in our evaluate, however my key thought right here is that I like that braking efficiency. Shimano’s shifting alongside the cassette remains to be somewhat smoother, however SRAM’s efficiency right here is as shut as makes no distinction.

Josh’s bike

There’s nothing I like greater than a very good thought experiment to determine what’s the proper bike for the day. We even have way more latitude than even skilled athletes since we have now no obligation to select sponsor merchandise. Meaning the very first thing I did was open up the course in RidewithGPS.

I began my seek for the proper bike by taking a look at three issues. I wished to understand how a lot climbing vs flat there’s, how steep the climbs are, and the way a lot wind there’s. The wind is clearly an estimate since I’m wanting as I write this and who is aware of what the day will convey. Regardless of that, there’s mainly no wind velocity anyplace close to Paris. That’s a very good signal that wind isn’t going to be a significant factor and I’m free to get as aero as potential with out fear.

On the similar time, I can even see there’s virtually no flat. That might push the choice in direction of a climber’s bike besides the climbs aren’t that steep or lengthy. An Olympic peloton goes to be flying on these so aero is king. Plus, the UCI minimal weight remains to be in impact and it’s potential to hit the UCI minimal with an aero bike in in the present day’s world.

Intel gathered, and my first thought was the Scott Foil RC. That looks like essentially the most aero setup out there for the least weight. I used to be deep into determining wheels however then Alvin jogged my memory of the cobbles. That throws a wrench into issues as a result of now I need consolation.

That final requirement instantly made me consider the Trek Madone Gen 8 I just lately reviewed. That bike is extremely comfy over tough pavement, hits UCI minimal, and is aero-optimized. The one factor I nonetheless wish to change is the wheels. The included wheels are Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51 and at solely 51mm deep they’re additionally 1410 grams. There’s room to go each deeper and barely lighter.

The primary wheel I considered to match that description is from Scope. I’m at the moment testing the Scope Artech 4 however even the deeper 65mm Scope Artech 6 solely weighs 1244 grams. That’s spectacular aero credentials for a wheel that gentle. It truly appears so good that the combo of Trek Madone and Scope wheels strikes me as excellent for absolutely anything. The one drawback now could be that any UCI race would require extra weight due to the 6.8kg minimal. I say seize a metal rail model of no matter saddle you want.

Now for the remainder of the construct. SRAM Crimson is my choice usually however most of my causes have extra to do with useability, not final efficiency. Alvin is true although, the brakes are unbelievable.

For tires, my choice is at all times going to be the Schwalbe Professional One. Solely Schwalbe is open in regards to the testing that goes into extensive hookless efficiency and although the Scope wheels are hooked, I’m nonetheless sticking with the corporate that shares testing data.