- Every March and April we watch in awe
as the classics hard men and women sail
over these brutal bone rattling cobblestones.
The TV doesn't do it justice
and they make it look easy.
But in fact, it's far from it.
- Yeah, and what can make it even more difficult
is the wrong equipment and the wrong technique.
So, comin' up is GCN's guide to conquering the cobbles.
(upbeat music)
- Let's start with the most simple aspect,
which is a straight, flat cobbled sector of road.
We have chosen to come to the Paddestraat
in the Flanders region of Belgium
because it's perfect to get yourself acquainted
with this type of riding.
- Yeah, now you might not actually think there's much to it
apart from riding your bike as normal
and pretty much accepting that it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
But it's a little bit more complex than that.
Yeah, the first thing is line choice.
I know I'm talking like a mountain biker here
but you have three options.
You can ride in the centre, on the crown
where the road is slightly raised,
or you can ride to the the side
where the cart horse would go,
or you can ride in the gutter.
- [Dan] Now you might be thinking that
riding over on the dirt
or in the gutter is kind of evading the point
of riding on the cobbles.
And to a degree you are right,
but if your aim is to make your ride as fast and efficient
as possible then it's a valid option for you
just as it is for the pro's.
- [Matt] Just be careful though,
there can often be a lip between the dirt and the road
and you can get into all sorts of trouble
if you can't jump back onto the cobbles.
The safer option, even if it's far bumpier,
is to stick to the part of the road
where the cart horse would normally be.
- Oh, you all right?
- Yeah, I'd definitely stick to the cobbles then.
Oh, God.
- There's not that much of a crown here
in the centre of the Paddestraat.
But particularly over in the cold stretches of Paris-Roubaix
it really can be quite pronounced.
And it means there's quite a camber on either side
and that can be particularly slippery,
especially when it's wet, like today.
What you should always do though at cobbled sectors
is really scan what's coming up ahead.
So look out for things like big holes in the road,
or missing cobbles, and try to avoid them well in advance.
- Okay, let's have a look at technique.
Now the first thing you wanna do
is try and relax your upper body.
Which is easier said than done.
Especially when you're rattling over the cobblestones.
Now the tendency is to tense your upper body,
your hands, and your arms.
And you definitely wanna avoid doing that.
- Yeah, you rest on your elbows
it'll provide an enormous amount of suspension
over the cobblestones but only if you let them.
And that means not tensing them up.
And also you'd be very surprised
at just how good your bike is at guiding itself
over the cobblestones without really any input from you.
- [Dan] Keeping a little further back in the saddle
is also going to take a bit of pressure off your front end.
Now onto a biggie, hand position.
If we take a look at two of the best
cobble classics riders of the last generation,
Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara,
they both tended to ride on the tops.
And if it's good enough for them.
- [Matt] Yeah, it's probably good enough for us as well,
isn't it.
It's a position that gives you a lot of control
and you can also keep your wrists a little bit relaxed
to give more in the way of cushioning.
That said, there are also plenty of very successful
pro's who prefer to ride on the drops,
and a few who stay on the hoods.
Although that's probably the least stable.
It's one of those things you'll simply
have to choose for yourself,
there's no real wrong or right from that point of view.
Although I would recommend not riding on the hoods
'cause it's quite a strong likelihood you might slip off.
So use the drops or the tops.
- Whilst we're on the subject of where to sit on the saddle
we should also probably mention that sitting in the saddle
is a pretty good idea on cobbles.
Although something that I particularly struggle with
'cause my natural tendency whenever things get short
and steep like this is to get out of the saddle
if I want a bit more power.
- Yeah, which is particularly important when it's wet
like today, you need to keep your weight as far back
as possible over the back wheel to avoid wheel spin.
'Cause if you get it wrong
you might end up grinding to a halt, putting your foot down.
Or, worse still, falling off.
- Yeah, it is possible to get out of the saddle
even on wet cobble climbs but you just have to be
a bit more careful with your weight distribution.
And also a fairly even power distribution.
You don't wanna be to choppy,
otherwise your back wheel will skip around.
Which brings us nicely onto our next point,
which is grip.
Cobbled roads don't offer as much grip
as normal tarmac or concrete.
And when they're wet they are particularly treacherous.
So you need to allow greater breaking distances
and approach corners with caution, even if it's dry.
Look for any adverse canvers and avoid them.
Although there are some canvers that'll fall in your favour,
a bit like a berm, like this really.
- You're loving your mountain bike terms.
- I am, yeah.
- I know what you mean though,
this could be also compared to the banking on a track
though 'cause it can help you.
If you get it right coming around a corner like this
and your wheel is planted here,
you'll have a bit more grip
and therefore you'll be a bit safer.
You might be able to go a bit quicker
if that's of concern, too.
One thing you should never do though
when you're going around a corner on cobbles is break.
That is a recipe for one of your wheels slipping out.
Another consideration when you're riding on cobbles
is your speed because the faster you go the easier it is.
Ride along at 15 k's now and you're going to feel
every single lump and bump.
However, if you start getting up to 45 k's
now like the pro's, you're gonna glide over them.
- Now you're probably not going to be able to ride
as fast as the pro's, admittedly.
But if you can press on as hard as you can
it's actually gonna make it easier for you.
Plus, it's fun riding fast on cobbles.
- It is.
- Come on, let's give it a nudge.
- [Dan] And yet another consideration is your cadence.
Now a recommendation is to keep it on the high side
if you can because if for whatever reason
you have to slow down it's really hard to get going again
if you're in a really big gear.
Now personally, I'm probably not the best example of this
but if you are able to keep a higher cadence
it will allow you to keep on top of things.
And also to react to any changes of gradients or pace.
Aside from the technique that you employ when you're riding
over cobbles, the equipment that you use
can also have a massive bearing on how it feels
when you're riding over them.
And luckily, it's not particularly complicated.
The easiest thing to do is just to get
a bigger set of tyres and run them at lower pressure.
Now the pro riders will tend to stick to a face down to
25 or 26 mil. tyre for the Tour of Flanders here.
However they will go bigger, up to 30c or above,
for Paris-Roubaix.
- Yeah, but we're not pro's so we'd recommend
trying to run 30 mil. tyres
if your frame will accept them, or 28.
And the benefits are manifold.
Firstly, a bit of punch protection.
Secondly, a bit of grip.
And thirdly, and arguably most importantly,
better comfort.
- Yes, and that better comfort comes from the fact that
you run larger tyres at a lower pressure
without any increased risk of puncture.
And that extra suspension that they provide
will take out a lot of the vibration
normally associated with riding over cobbles.
We can't even begin to tell you how much nicer it feels
to run a 30c tyre at 40 psi versus
a 23c tyre at just 80.
- Hm, now you will go a little bit slower, of course,
on the tarmac but it'll be worth it on the cobbles.
It'll feel like you're flying over it.
- On top of the tyres you could also try
to double wrap your bar tape,
or maybe get some mitts or gloves with extra padding.
But to be perfectly honest, the differences they make
are pretty insignificant when compared
to the rubber on your hoops.
- Rubber on your hoops.
So, as you can see there's a fair bit more
to riding the cobbles than initially meets the eye.
- I still can't believe you came off.
- I was conquered by the cobbles.
A bit sore actually, mate.
- Anyway, they are thoroughly enjoyable to ride
if you do get them right.
- Yeah, they are.
- Right, if you've enjoyed this video
please click on the thumbs up sign down below.
And if you'd like to see the Koppenberg
pretty much the most fearsome climbs
in the Flanders region in closer detail,
just click down here.
- Should we ride the Molenberg one more time?
- No, I'm done.
I'm gonna go on the smooth tarmac again now.
- Alright then.
I'll do it on me own then.
- [Dan] Look at the state of that ass.
- [Matt] He's in (laughing).