We’re all about new bike tech and innovation—that’s why we’re talking to Josh Poertner from @SILCAVelo about what bike tech could look like if the Tour de France had no equipment regulations! We dive into concept bikes and what riding them would actually be like. From aerodynamics to bike weight and materials, we explore all kinds of hypotheticals as well as pick Josh’s brain on tech, innovation, and the sport’s traditions. 🚴♂️🏁
⏱️ Timestamps: ⏱️
00:00 What if there were no UCI equipment rules?
00:25 Why we’re looking at concept bikes & designs
01:21 Specialized fUCI
05:24 Canyon’s 2014 Eco Speed
08:11 Chris Boardman’s 2009 intelligent-concept bike
10:58 Cannondale’s aero concept bike
13:11 The Quadvelo, Fairings & Recumbents
20:33 What would happen to weight?
21:40 What changes do you think we’ll see in regulation?
23:26 What do you think about moving away from tradition?
24:18 Are you all-out on innovation, or balancing it with tradition?
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Which concept is your favourite? 🤓 What tech and innovations would you love for the sport to lean into–even hypothetically?
Watch more on GCN Tech…
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📸 Photos – © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency
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41 Comments
Which concept is your favourite? 🤓 What tech and innovations would you love for the sport to lean into–even hypothetically?
Since they overlook obvious doping with some of the winners in the last years, why not?
GCN should meet up with the Canadian engineering company that set the top speed record for recumbent bikes at 85 mph?
As a wedge into the sport of bike racing I would relax the rules for track bikes, let the designers go nuts there where weight doesn't matter.
Same as F1. Just use generative evolutionary algos to recursively improve designs lol
I reckon they'd have socks up to their bollocks….😂
If there were no rules, there would be even more disparity between the richer teams and less well-supported teams. There has to be a happy medium.
But then its not about human performance anymore, its just who puts more money into development…
If it had no rules it wouldn't be a sport.
Is it just me or is the sound not working for anyone else?
12:18 This sounds like a new Paris – Roubaix task for our brave Hank.
It would make sense to do as is done is some sports an Limited and an Unlimited class.
What's the Tour de France? Is that a European bike race? Not heard of it in the UK.
Sticker restart with a Chihuahua on the mobile computer . Thats pro and uci legal !!!
What if the Tour de France was free to watch on the telebox.
Unrestrained innovation will destroy cycling as a sport. Firstly, we'll all end up riding weird contraptions of the likes featured on South Park and secondly, it will push prices up and cycling out of reach for a lot of people. Imagine servicing those bikes. It's bad enough today with integrated headsets and seat posts which might mean a new bike if it breaks or you want to change. More proprietary = less interchangeable parts which isn't a good thing in my book.
You want to make Junior racing have an even playing field: give them all a standardized fairing. TT bike and cheap steel bike will have similar aero.
Triathlon has "no rules", so maybe if some of these concept bikes were so quick, they might want to just make a few?
Great episode! Josh is a terrific. He's very articulate, and his encyclopedic knowledge and passion syncs perfectly with Oli and Alex. I'll pay more attention to Silca from now on.
33.3" wheel one is interesting, but I'd rather get 2 equal wheels 750d size if i could get. Or a recumbent. Otherwise I'm not planning to change my own bike.
The first pro cyclist to introduce a saddle with an aero fairing/backrest was Charly Mottet in the 80's , not Laurent Fignon
Berm Peak did a video on a very similar bike to the Chris Boardman 2009 concept, that was actually made (and failed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB7pBrudFbg
Could o-ring in the chain be a thing like motorcycle chains?
@10:15… bigger the balls smaller the shaft
If there truly were no rules, only a fool would use a bike, even a mediocre motorbike would leave them all for dead, except some of the twisty down hills.
I envision a future where the "rider" is safely using a stationary base to generate the power and "steer" while a holographic bike (flying drone perhaps) is on the actual road. Riders won't be at risk of death or injury from crashes and speeds will be determined by the rider's power and handling skills.
We don't want it to be the same thing in 80 years time. We should innovate as much as we can while keeping things safe for the rider.
If there no rules, everyone would be riding a high-powered Motorcycle.
How much will it cost?
I could see a “Cheap bike + fairing vs super aero bike” video coming up?
Rider cooling is underestimated in these concepts. Just try closing the vents on your helmet in a long summer bike race and see how many watts you’ll lose from overheating 🥵 .
That saddle is pretty cool. A behind the saddle bottle is meant to be more aero than not having one. You can actually get a nice saddle bag and bottle combo. Be ideal to pair that with triathlon aero drinks bottles for that extra couple of watts.
I remember Thierry Marie using saddle fairings back in the 80s or early 90s. To be fair, they looked gash so I'm glad the UCI banned them, purely on aesthetic grounds 😉
Ibwpuld say massive amountbof improvement and innovation possible, though you have to have budget brackets, lol. As the teams can have millions for development or barely pay their athletrs. Massive budgetary differences possible
No rules means motors
Recumbents are shiz at climbs
15:54 "like NASCAR"… Have you guys seen the trike racing they do in Australia? A bunch of fully faired trikes racing around a circuit literarly bumping into each other in tight spaces. This already exists. But not even all recumbent riders know about it, let alone everyone else.
I know that the cost factor would probably limit the possibility of it happening, but I think it would be AWESOME to have an experimental open class, with only 2 rules, 100% human powered, and one style bike for the whole thing(a new same-style bike could be swapped for flats, break-downs, etc..). It would test the engineers ability to build the "ultimate, all-around" tour bike, and would be fascinating to see what they come up with.
Alex. You said “I’m not a bike expert”. You work full-time at GCN and you cohost the tech show. If that doesn’t make you a “bike expert” then there isn’t such a thing.
Hoorah for sensible regulations! You don't realise the benefits until they're gone.
Seeing these ridiculous designs, I can safely say thank God for UCI rules.