When done correctly, Cycling can be both the hardest and dirtiest of sports. We relish in the glory of returning from a ride, battered by the four winds and soaked by the seven rains; our bodies, faces, and machines covered in the reasons why most people might stay indoors. Given that, there is something almost cavalier about submitting to the deluge in the color white, particularly when it comes to shoes, socks, jerseys, and bar tape.
Modern cycling teams, with budgets outsized only by the egos inhabiting the roster, are tending strongly towards a Three Musketeers, unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno mentality. Yet, in years gone by, when Rule #5 was a way of life more so than a badge of honor as it is for us, teams were dominated by a single leader who shouldered responsibility in all manner of races throughout the season. In those days, team bikes were generally built, as they are now, in accordance with Rule #8, with bars wrapped in blue, black, red, or green tape. One bike, however, always stood out as the exception: the team leader’s bars were always wrapped in white.
White is a glorious color to grace a set of handlebars. It emphasizes the sensual sweep of the drops and the beautiful curve from the hoods to the tops. It brings out the crisp shadows of the cables running beneath the tape to highlight a perfect wrap. It stands as a testament to the care that is undertaken in maintaining the machine, for without meticulous attention white does not stay white for long. It states that these bars are graced not by the sullied hands of a domestique, but by the clean grip of a leader.
When it comes to wrapping bars, there are many classy possibilities – black is always stylish and versatile (you can dress it up or you can dress it down), red is fast, celeste is classic – but for Bike #1, I always choose white not because it’s Pro, but because when I go out, I ride like a leader.
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Slam the stem is so inelegant. As many commentators have suggested in the past year or so, the pro's obsession with a very low front end is probably a contributing factor is the number of big crashes that have happened in the pelotons. The lower the bars, the straighter the arms are, or the arms are locked, and so there is much less control than if the arms are bent.
Besides, salmming your stem can make you look shit
@Jarvis
I don't know anything about accidents being more likely to occur with a lower body position. Is there any actual evidence, or is it all just anecdotal commentary? Haven't there always been crashes in bike races?
Regardless, I don't agree as to the aesthetics; a lower front end looks the business. I know this guy agrees.
It's also more comfortable for me (with longer arms and torso), although I recognize that's not the case for everyone. In the interest of full disclosure, however, I do use a thin (2 mm, I think?) spacer.
It's not how low the position is, but how straight the arms are. Straight/locked arms have no or little control compared to bent arms - consider the Downhill MTBer, you don't see them riding with straight/locked arms. The same goes for surfers/skaters, the legs are bent to allow control. It's one of many varable being suggested for the seemingly higher incidences of large pile-ups in races and I consider it quite plausible.
"That guy" doesn't know anything about position, eh @frank ?
@Jarvis
I'd agree with most of what you're saying but the comparison with the DH mountain biker is only partially correct - bent arms are important for control but are also equally important for the role they play as part of the suspension. They're legs are bent as well and through the properly rough bits the bike might be all over the place but the a good rider will isolate all of that and appear to glide. You don't need to do that on a road bike.
It seems that a lot of the pro's are on significantly smaller bikes than mere mortals like us would ride and that allows them to get the stem lower but I've no idea whether they're riding smaller frames to get lower stems or they're looking for some other benefit.
Ehh, slammed stems are nice & all, but I'm going to ride whatever allows me to ride lots and lots of kms. I don't like yoga, can't sit still for that long. My flexibility is bad from years and years of other sports without proper warm-up/cool down. I also really messed up my neck playing college sports. I'm working on my flexibility, but until then, I'm going with function over form.
That's one thing I love about these parts - we'll chatter all day over form but for most of us, when it comes down to it, we are going to do what allows us to ride all the time. Hi viz vests are lame & I wouldn't show up at a Cogal with one, but hey, if I'm riding in the country in total darkness, I'm pulling one on.
@Jarvis
Nice to have you back.
@Jarvis
I agree completely regarding bent arms being better than straight - more shock absorption, more control - but as you say the height of the bars has little do with it; a good position should always allow for some bend in the arms and being low doesn't by any means suggest you need straight arms. Our beloved Graeme Obree demonstrates an extreme of high bars still giving straight arms!
Obviously Obree is after something else, and I'm just showing an outrageous example that high bars can still yield straight arms.
I see lots of riders with straight arms regardless of their bar height, usually not due to too much stretch but because of laziness. Riding like that is more an indicator fo how casually they're riding and how alert they are. I think this is much more likely the cause of crashes than is bar height.
As a side note, I recently read a study that there really aren't any more crashes in recent years than previously; we're just getting more injuries per crash which might have more to do with lack of bone density due to riders being unrealistically thin.
@frank
Let's face it, 99% of us would crash spectacularly if we tried to ride in that position. The slightest wibble with the hands and wrists would see us careen wildly and dump us on our asses.
Stiffer wheels, straighter arms, skinnier riders, desperation... all add to the mix. I think the originator, or at least a supporter of the low bar position theory is De Vlaeminck*
*I'm probably wrong on this
@wiscot
And none of us would ever ride in a group like that, as we would most likely take out the entire group!