With the 2025 WorldTour season just around the corner, Liam and Simon are joined by Dan Bigham, Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe’s head of engineering, to discuss what the big tech trends might be.
Starting with the question of whether there’s any low-hanging aero fruit left to pick, the conversation moves onto the ongoing controversy over the relationship between speed and safety in professional bike racing.
The trio then discuss the UCI Hour Record, whether breaking the 60km mark is possible and how it could be done.
Wrapping up, Liam and Simon turn the lens on themselves and ask whether Dan thinks there’s anything cycling media could do to help audiences understand complicated topics and cut through marketing claims.
Read more on this interview
Dan Bigham: Pro cycling needs safer courses and heavier bikes, not reduced speeds
→ https://www.bikeradar.com/features/dan-bigham-pro-cycling-safety
Tour de France Pro Bikes are HEAVY! Here’s Why…
→ https://youtu.be/Wnp2q_ag6Mc
Crucial Tour De France Bikes: Pogacar Vs Vingegaard
→ https://youtu.be/qQFXArSDO5I
Why Tour de France Teams Are Divided On Chain Waxing
→ https://youtu.be/G9ejcYBTJtk
The HOTTEST Bikes Of The Tour De France 2024
→ https://youtu.be/pLY-rHPqMmk
2024 Tour De France Bike Prices – Ranked
→ https://youtu.be/m4s2_RoST34
Hands-On: Colnago Y1RS – Pogacar’s 2025 Tour de France Bike
→ https://youtu.be/mrz7m1Jx6I4
00:00 Dan’s Aero History
02:10 Low Hanging Aero Fruit
05:55 Why Don’t Pros Like Aero Bikes?
09:20 Faster Tyres?
12:15 Making Racing Safer
21:00 Weight Limits
23:04 The Olympics
26:59 60km Hour Record?
31:24 Cheap Go-Faster Gains
34:21 How Can The Media Be Better?
Credits
Sara Cavallini / Contributor / Getty
Tim de Waele / Staff / Getty
Jared C. Tilton / Staff / Getty
Naomi Baker / Staff / Getty
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15 Comments
Safer clothes
Nice chat, thanks guys.
I went from 172.5 cranks to 165 and love it for everything but climbs. Do pros use 165 on climbing races too?
Bring in more knowledge
Joss walking in during the interview with no Fs to give.😆
All this BS. Steel bikes on tubular tires were faster than today’s carbon “aero” bikes. It’s quite easy to notice that in 70’s – 80’s peloton moved faster. In 1980 Moscow Olympics average speed was 51km/h! And actually road racers back then were significantly bigger more athletic looking than today’s cyclists. Steel bike is always faster and more stable on the road than carbon bike with unstable carbon wheels that is physics approved in practice. Today UCI officially announced that their goal is to reduce speed, that’s why they show us fake higher peloton speeds, through influencers promote slower low pressure wider tires, shorter cranks, etc…
You know, I had wondered why Dan did his hour on 170 cranks even though I think he access to smaller. I remember Mike Burrows said decades that you woulnt have a real tradeoff until you hit 155mm. Why did nobody listen to him then. Even Boardman rode 170's as did Obree.
How are shorter cranks more aero when you have to move the saddle up?
Please let me know
Thank you
Cycling definitely needs moveable aero to improve corning grip on high-speed descents
Why are they sitting that way? Are they cold?
2025, bladed aero cranks 😅
I want to see someone to give a go at the Sosenka hour record.
@6:40, odd belief… Trek madone gen 7, cevelo s5, scott foil, colnago just made an aero bike, the sl8 front end is all aero, decathlon made a new aero bike, CD super6 less than 10 watts off the fastest bike, ostro vam, propel too. Aero is alive and well. They just gotten better and making aero happen with less material.
I feel every Vaughters reference should start with, "Long time doper Jonathan Vaughters says…."
There should not be a minimum weight it’s the pinnacle it’s supposed to be the best…just don’t put bollards & islands in the middle of roads stop complicating things 🤦♂️