I think we can all say we've looked up to a pro rider at one time or another
Whether it was your favorite rider growing up or your favorite World Tour a rider you dreamed you could emulate
Some of us even go as far as buying a team kicked or the team bikes
But where should we stop before you go slamming your stem and swapping chain sense?
This is why you shouldn't set your bike up like a pro
Pro riders spend almost every day on their bikes and when they're not on their bikes are there training to be
You guessed it on their bikes
They put hours and hours of work into becoming as flexible as possible so they can hold the most aerodynamic position
For the length of their race
This means they can run longer stems and slam them as low as possible
putting themselves in a super aggressive position
Yoga, stretching strength and conditioning massage and a whole load of time spent on the bike all adds up to a rider
Who's conditioned to spend a long amount of time in that?
Aggressive position a regular rider like me or you wouldn't last five miles in that position
Without becoming extremely uncomfortable and possibly picking up an injury
Most of us are used to sitting at a desk working or walking and being very upright not hunched over the handlebars
So I think we should leave those super aggressive positions. Tella pros
Pro riders will have a whole team of mechanics looking after their bikes with all the latest equipment in every size
imaginable
They'll often swap components depending on the stage of their racing and have a lot of thought put into the gear ratio and wheels
Just because you see your favorite rider
pushing a really hard year with a really close gear ratio and a big dinner plate on the front does not mean you should
these riders a trained day-in day-out
with these extreme gear ratios often training to the limit to become as fast as possible a
setup like this would not be suitable for
99% of us regular riders and would definitely not be doing you any favors at all
Find what works best for you. If you live in a flat area, then sure use of those big gears
But if you live in the hills like me, you're gonna need that compact chain set
The UCI stays for any components pro riders use and must be available to the general public
But that doesn't mean we should rush out and buy it
Pro bikes are designed to gain any slight advantage over a course of a race or a single stage
They are not designed to be ridden for years in rain or shine and kept in the garage next year lawn mower. Oh no. Oh
No, not to say they wouldn't last if you looked after them modern material science has worked wonders for like a carbon
Fiber but if you're just gonna do local rise or lock it off outside the perp or leave it in the shed
Think about how upset you'd be if the lawn mower took a chunk out of the top tube
Even with all our training the pros still need looking after post race
And I highly doubt you have a full-time masseur to go through all those tight spots after you're right
You want a bike? You can just jump on and ride without giving you any grief
Comfort is a priority for the pros their job is to ride their bikes and then recover from riding their bikes
40 for them. They don't have a nine-to-five job whilst their training and recovering and getting ready for the next day training
We're sat at our desks with a sore back
Cursing the fact that we went for that extreme position
The majority of the pro peloton will be using a lightweight tubular tires
which are great for
decreasing that pesky rolling resistance and they're great because you can run a low tire pressure for that extra grip and they're great for
reducing puncture resistance
If a pro did puncture their team car is never far behind with a spare wheel a quick swap on their back on the road
tubular tyres are clued on after the rim and well if you need to change one of these out on the road it is
It's pretty much impossible
You think changing a tube in the freezing cold is bad?
Well, if you get a tubular puncture out on the road quite far from home
This will pretty much be at the end of your ride
Unless you're lucky enough to have your other half acting as your team car behind you
I would definitely stick to after on the road the majority of the time
Yes, you heard right
Mudguards you won't catch any pro riding with full-on mudguards in a wet stage of the Tour de France
Getting wet is a small price to pay for arrow and weight
Disadvantages of the mud guards. However, if you want to be invited back on your local club run, I would definitely suggest
Fitting summit to your bike. You're not going to be in anybody's good books
If you're constantly soaking them with spray it from your tires, and not only that once you're wet
You're gonna stay wet for the rest of your ride
Mud guards can save you and your fellow riders from a miserable ride. And yes, I know if it's tipping down
There's not much you can do to stay dry
But if you've ridden on wet roads, you know how quickly a wet bum and wet feet can ruin your ride
Yes, the pros looks super cool and who doesn't want to impress their mates with just how flexible they are
But let's think of the effects of this we ride our bikes to enjoy ourselves not to be sawed days after a right
Let's leave the pro setup to the pros and just enjoy riding our bikes
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