Join us as we explore seven decades of cycling history by riding seven iconic Tour de France bikes, from a 1957 steel Fiorelli to the cutting-edge 2026 Pinarello Dogma F. We dive into how innovations like indexed shifting, carbon fiber, and aerodynamics transformed the race, taking average speeds from 25km/h to over 40km/h. See how these legendary machines compare on the road and find out why the “J-curve” of bike technology is more dramatic than ever before.
Chapters: ⏱️
00:00 – The Evolution of the Tour de France Bike
00:51 – How Speeds Have Changed
01:03 – The 1950s: Steel Frames & Friction Shifting
06:11 – The 1960s: Eddy Merckx & the Quest for Weight
10:53 – The 1980s: The Dawn of Modern Tech
13:18 – The 1990s: Indexed Shifting & Steel
16:01 – The 2000s: The Aluminum Revolution & Compact Geometry
21:00 – The 2010s: The Aero Revolution (Cervelo S3)
23:24 – 2026: The “F1 Car” of Modern Bikes
27:32 – Final Thoughts: The J-Curve of Tech
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It’s amazing to see how much and how little changed over 70 years of racing history. If you could take any of these seven bikes out for a legendary weekend ride, which one would you choose and why? Let us know in the comments! 👇
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34 Comments
How quickly did technology at the Tour de France improve over the years? That's the question we had as we rode 7 bikes from 7 decades, all of which had previously been ridden at Grand Tours.
It was really interesting and eye opening to look at them and ride them.
Which is your favourite? Is there anything that particularly surprised you? Dan
I feel the same on the (rare) occasions I dig out my bike from my teens, a Raleigh Criterium 12. It feels relatively fast on the flats once up to speed, but getting up to speed or up hills with an old 2×12 Sachs-Huret derailleur and downtube shifters is no fun, and as soon as you even perceive a corner you need to start braking to slow down enough to make it safely with late 80s rim brakes.
What a beautiful bikes, we need more silver groupsets in our life’s ! Please
I'm surprised 'hootch' was mentioned (15:36) 😄
The 36-spoke wheels on Sean Yates' bike, because he had 180mm cranks and he was an absolute animal 😂
So… which bikes had freewheels, and when did freehubs enter the Tour de France?
36 spokes!! Cool 😃
I have and daily the Giant TCR carbon composite 2 from 2007 I think. I love it despite knowing that it's only half way up that J curve.
Ha!for us 60+ year olds, there is nothing alien on that 1950’s bike. Maybe save for the corked bottle.
25kph average on a steel single-speed with tubular tyres and swapping a flip-flop hub is real impressive
I can barely reach that pace on my modern steel single-speed
I've still got a red 2004 carbon Cervelo Soloist. I love it.
No onet squeek of tack on cleats
I have a lovely Ideale saddle that would be great for that Mercks hommage bike. Maybe we can swap for some merch – that carbon one is breaking my heart 🙁
Re: the "hazardous disc brakes" thing. It is true to say that early rotors had sharp, square edges which might easily cut upon contact in a crash. Pretty quickly though, manufacturers started producing rotors with rounded edges. It did surprise me at the time that manufacturers hadn't considered this.
4:06 Not alien to me and many other veteran cyclists, Dan. I used friction down tube levers throughout most of the 80s. It became second nature to shift and then adjust back slightly for precise alignment. Do I miss my beautiful hand-made Woodrup from the early 80s (Campag Record, steel Reynolds 531c frame, external cables and toe straps)? Absolutely. If I had it now would I ride it? Rarely, compared to my Carbon Giant. My 65 year old legs prefer my current cassette compared to the six speed corncob I used to ride. I've still got a lovely Italian Casati from 1999 though!
I would love for someone to explain how the modern bike is twitchier, more nimble than the Yates bike when the later has very similar wheelbase and almost certainly steeper head angle. Looks like the modern bike has 71.5 head angle Vs 73 being common in the 90s. I get that the 50s and 60s bikes have a 100cm + wheelbase but the 90s bikes had steep seattubes and tight rear wheels to reduce wheelbase.
Dan, for as long as I remember bars are measured from centre to centre!
I hate silver bikes way more than yellow, especially silver steel frames, because they look drab and like they haven't been painted
Great video analysis. Started in the 70s' 5-speed campag, and in the 80s and 90s, as stated, not much changed, mainly due to marginal gains in steel frames and slightly lighter wheelsets. When I first rode a Colnago C40, that was a game-changer (in 2004). I think you should do something on this bike.
Later, I bought a 2006 C50 (Campagnolo Record, etc) and never moved beyond that era. I would love to buy an aero/disc/concealed-cables/wireless-geared bike, but I need a good reason for a 62+ (i.e., training for, thus potential egg on face if I don't go well up the hills) who does 40 miles a week. But when groups fly past me (when I'm on my steel fixed), I do wonder how much difference is down to the bike. 🤔
The '90s Eddy Merckx
Id still get dropped in 1903 😂
Good video – I remember bikes around 2000 – aluminum – very uncomfortable to me. Steel and titanium far superior.
Friction shifters on the stem are still the best. Why wasn't this more popular?
Fantastic video guys 👍👍👍
Notice how the position on the bike was very different and how far behind bottom bracket they sat. They must have engaged much more different muscle groups than nowadays riders.
whimpy milksop you! – you're spoilt by plastikk – I will never ever ride any plastikk nor aluminium – steel and titanium, these are my cups
"Probably was the gear, just the different type" i see what you did there lol.
Totally misrepresented the 90’s here with the Merckx (as beautiful & iconic as it is), it’s basically peak 80’s.
To really represent the 90’s, it should be a tig/fillet brazed frame in steel or titanium, with Sti’s or Ergos, aluminium or carbon aero wheels (shamal, bora, cosmic) and lots of titanium parts like seat posts, stems and saddle rails.
The Giant is mid 90’s too.
Dan being a Canadian Cervelo fan, he would appreciate my Cervelo Eyre. Aluminum frame, carbon forks, Durace / Ultegra mix, and 650 wheels. Was set up as a time trail bike with Scott aero front bars with thumb shifters.
I still have my 1979 Schwinn Le tour , & a 1984 Schwinn Le tour luxe I will never change them for a new one
I think the Cervelo belongs to the 2000s and the ONCE bike belongs to the 90s. The Cervelo Soloist as you mentioned came in 2002 and the Soloist Carbon or SLC-SL came in 2005, which was already the shape of the Cervelo S3.
I'm now 67 and was big into cycling back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I still have my bike, tho I no longer ride. I still think its incredibly gorgeous. Its still in like new condition as I was a fanatic about it. Mostly Campy as they ruled the world back then. Brooks leather saddle. Mavic rims. DownTube shifters. It just LOOKS fast.
You will NEVER see me on a disc brake road bike…. absurd.
Man those old racing bikes are truly beautiful