pro bikes or pro riders makes it look easy??

[photography27]

been into cycling for 18 months now, and after watching the tour of britain, come through swansea yesterday, i was left wondering....is it the bikes that makes it look so easy or is it the fitness of the riders?
as i looked at the bikes yesterday they didnt seem any diff than normal shop bought race bikes(wheels where diff)(high end price bikes), just got me thinking?

 

[iAmiAdam]

Gears are usually a lot higher than what we buy in shops.

But yeah, it's a combination. These cyclists are incredibly fit, they're on the bike nearly every day of the year, and in comps for over 100 days of the year usually. and then the full carbon bikes teamed with the riders, makes things look easy.

Apart from when riders bonk and get dropped off the back of the peloton, then they make it look like hell on earth.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Pro riders would blow most of us into the weeds if they were riding butchers bikes. The high-tech lightweight kit they ride makes the tiny difference that sometimes decides a race, but they are earning their living from the sport because they riding at a level the rest of us can only dream about.

 

[zacklaws]

Gears are usually a lot higher than what we buy in shops.

I think you'll find that what the pro's ride, has to be up for general sale so all the gearing etc is available to all to buy so gearing of 53 x11, for example is readily available on ready built shop bought road bikes. All you need is the fitness to constantly keep turning the pedals to keep up a fast speed for long periods of time

 

[HLaB]

If you examined all the benefits of their kit weight/aeordynamics you'd probably find there's 2 or 3mph advantage but compared to me reasonably fit their average speed is near double mine and close to 10mph faster than very fit amateurs, so there's a lot more to it than kit; their supreme physical state/ training has a lot more to do with it.

 

[CounterfeitKelly]

Don't forget that riding in the middle of the peloton allows you to use significantly less effort than riding on your own, which isn't to say that you or I would be able to do even that. Without realising it we'd be drifting to the back of the bunch, then we're at the back with a 6" gap to the wheel in front. Then a 1 foot gap. Then we're on our own and it's time to say goodbye...

 

[lukesdad]

As with all pro sports really. They are the top of their game, and don t forget it s their living. Quite an incentive !

 

[philipbh]

Gadget Show clip of Otis on a Cytronex assisted road bike vs Russell Downing for fitness comparison

http://tiny.cc/797k3

 

[Banjo]

Its not entirely down to fitness .The skill and pure courage of coming down a twisty mountain road at 65 mph on times is something I cant even imagine being up for.

One problem for the organizers is that the camera motorcyclists struggle to keep up on downhill bends.

 

[summerdays]

They will be doing big mileage most days of the year, and having training on the best way to take those bends ... and all the benefits of physio's etc, and I gather using oxygen to speed up recover after injury.

 

[Peter10]

Gadget Show clip of Otis on a Cytronex assisted road bike vs Russell Downing for fitness comparison

http://tiny.cc/797k3

I remember this and it really does show the difference. I would guess Ortis is in pretty good shape also.