So Matej Mohoric has just won Milan San Remo.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/milan-san-remo-2022/elite-men/results/
Interestingly in the post race interview he said he was using a dropper post. He said he was amazed how much difference it made. He's been training with one specifically for the event
Give it time UCI will ban them from road racing.
Give it time UCI will ban them from road racing
Joke?
Firstly they have them on the neutral service bikes
Secondly the banning of the sitting on the cross bar ban sort of made them more likely
Holy shit. And back on the pedals instantly too.
Cracking race, his off the road, bunny hop back on was awesome too. Heck of a job to drop that much talent on a descent. Balls of steel!
I'm not sure I understand the advantage of the dropper in road racing though?
I’m not sure I understand the advantage of the dropper in road racing though?
I'd guess opportunities are limited but potentially very useful if you can drop the peloton on a tricky descent at a strategic point...
I’m not sure I understand the advantage of the dropper in road racing though?
Same reason they're great for off road descents. Saddle out of the way & gives you much more confidence at road speeds around tight hairpins etc
👆this
Also it's quite easy to get a modern race road bike sub the UCI weight limits now so putting a dropper on doesn't really have any disadvantages (as long as your aero frame is compatible). It was only a matter of time imo before lots of pro roadies start using them especially in the mountains.
Having ridden a couple of steep alpine descents last summer, I definitely found it an advantage to drop my saddle by about 3/4”.
Not much granted, but being just that much lower than my preferred climbing height made a big difference to me - centre of gravity, more ability to move around on the bike, or just confidence, I don’t know but it helped.
About 5 years ago I put a dropper on my cross bike for the 3 Peaks CX and I smashed all my road descent times with hardly any effort, it's just so much easier to get into an aero position, I gained a few mph on my top speed. I've said many times since I wonder why the pro peleton haven't adopted them, especially on hilly stages, results speak volumes so perhaps that'll change now.
If you’re not pedalling presumably it more aerodynamic with the saddle lower
“ I’m not sure I understand the advantage of the dropper in road racing though?”
When is a lower centre of gravity not advantageous for cornering and a smaller frontal area not advantageous for aerodynamic drag?
Cracking race, his off the road, bunny hop back on was awesome too. Heck of a job to drop that much talent on a descent. Balls of steel!
So impressive. He was really motoring. Just relieved he never crashed and ended up crossing the line first.
I’m not sure I understand the advantage of the dropper in road racing though?
Well, getting lower is more aero, but also helps cornering. I drop mine on the MTB whilst descending and cornering on road because it feels much more secure being lower, especially whilst braking - less weight over the front wheel because I can get low and rearwards. Once you get used to cornering with the seat down it feels pretty unstable cornering with it up.
About 5 years ago I put a dropper on my cross bike for the 3 Peaks CX and I smashed all my road descent times with hardly any effort, it’s just so much easier to get into an aero position, I gained a few mph on my top speed.
Quite a few of the front runners are now using them. I mean, if ever a bike that was wildly unsuitable for 50% of the course could be made marginally more suitable, dropper posts on the Three Peaks CX is the perfect scenario for them.
Only a matter of time before the pro roadies got in on the act. I bet there's a lot of internet searching going on right now from team DS's and email enquiries to RockShox about sponsorship opportunities!
Also, that descent. That was properly on the edge and it made it one of the best and tensest race finishes in a long time. That'll go down as one of the best and ballsiest attacks of the year and it's only mid-March!
I also wonder how much he predicted that everyone behind him would start bickering about who was going to chase!
Edit: made for an unfortunate finish line celebration though, hope we don't start seeing lots of riders crossing the line pointing at their crotches! 😂
That guy was hauling arse!
Proof that all bikes are better with a dropper. LOL.
Yet there are XC racers that don my think they’d benefit from using droppers due to weight and reliability
Niballi used a dropper post years ago in the Tour for the same purpose.
Apparently he used a Fox Transfer SL Performance Elite.
How many pro peloton bikes can take a dropper post? I’d say the number is surely very small?
How many pro peloton bikes can take a dropper post? I’d say the number is surely very small?
To quote Cycling Weekly...
"He also appears to have used the team's non-aero bike, the Merida Scultura, for this reason as the Merida Reacto features an aerodynamic shaped seat post that wouldn't serve a dropper post."
Dropper post makes it harder to conceal a motor/battery in a frame 😉
Think Matej was one of the first dudes to do the whole super tuck and pedal thing so not surprised he wacked a dropper on his bike to get as aero as possible while still being able to pedal - and all UCI compliant.
Give it time UCI will ban them from road racing.
The UCI approved them for racing in 2014. I think some of the Neutral Service bikes were set up with them as a quick and easy way of adjusting saddle height.
Yea, but they also just banned TOGS in XC for seemingly no justifiable reason other than if you squint they look like 7mm long TT extensions.
I'm surprised we've not seen gear indicator windows or something similar make a reappearance this year in a suspiciously TOGS shaped package. Even the brake reservoir could fudge it.
are togs the thumb grips things?
I wonder if it's on"safety" grounds, since they seem to stand up above the line of the bars by quite a way
(a big rubber mushroom on the grip might do much the same, though - if it was stiff enough)
I guess it also shows what negligible advantage there is to riding an aero bike then as well.
I guess it also shows what negligible advantage there is to riding an aero bike then as well.
Yeah good point, or at least that an aero frame is worth less than being able to get your butt 3" lower (although I'd argue his advantage was being able to descend more confidently rather than being more aero, especially on that descent!)
They make it so much easier to get on and off the bike too.
Does it make anyone else think of Lemond's use of clip on tribars in 1989. I can't imagine it will be long before it's the norm on races or stages with significant descending
I guess it also shows what negligible advantage there is to riding an aero bike then as well.
Or that there's more than one way to make a bike "aero"? Hiding the seatpost inside the frame might be pretty aerodynamic, as might tucking the saddle lower and closer to the frame and wheel... and of course the rider might be able to assume a more aerodynamic position... that's three things to investigate in the tunnels...
I mentioned this last week on the thread about Roglic and Pogs' wonderboy performances - it's not just two Slovenians performing at an impressively high level. I wonder what they feed them? 😀
Does it make anyone else think of Lemond’s use of clip on tribars in 1989. I can’t imagine it will be long before it’s the norm on races or stages with significant descending
I'm still not sure.
On one hand, if they can offset the weight elsewhere and still maintain 6.8kg, then why not? But then, Pogacar still chooses to use rim brakes at times to save weight (see - Tirreno Adriatico) so I'm guessing there's still compromises with putting extra weight on the bike?
Also - how many races can actually be decided on a descent? Strade Bianche seems an obvious one, much was made of how much gap Pogacar created on the last 'gravel' descent, but on the bigger races don't they typically regroup after descents?
I'm going to guess it will be the next big thing in order to sell us all yet another new bike. I'm still not convinced all the pro's have fitted disc brakes by choice, I suspect much persuasion from manufacturers with new bikes to sell, which will apply equally to droppers, especially if we've all recently bought in to proprietary seatposts (a pet hate of mine, thankfully mine are all still round 🙄 )
Tour of Lombardy has some epic descents near the finish - Gilbert beat Vino due to some fearless descending in the wet in 2009. Also Bettini’s and Cunego’s wins were due in no part to their descending skills - wall-to-wall on the bends with zero margin for error.
I did predict this for last years TDF, I was wrong.
The only reason I thought someone would was that they'd just banned the 'crouch' and I'd just put an old underseat leaver dropper onto my gravel bike, and promptly started PR'ing road descents.
I'm tall with long legs so a dropper makes a serious difference to my CoG and aero.