Peter Kraaijvanger from Specialized, in a recent interview with journalist Tim Beck from the Dutch website Wielerrevue, revealed the equipment that many World Tour cyclists have at home and how they use it.
Number of bikes
“Usually, they have a training bike and a time trial bike at home. Plus two or three racing bikes and a time trial bike for competitions. Then, there are a lot of wheels. High wheels, low wheels, wheels for cobblestones.”
He also comments on the profile of the wheels and when they are used. “It depends on how comfortable someone feels, but usually, cyclists ride with high wheels and choose low wheels for a race with long stretches of 6% or more.”
Tubeless tires will be a trend
The specialist also comments on the increasing use of tubeless tires. In this type of tire, there is no inner tube, and a latex-based liquid seals any leaks.
“In terms of tires, tubeless is the trend. We want that too because it’s simply a beautiful product. There are only three downsides for the pros: it’s heavier, latex can get into the bike, and tubeless seals the tire at a maximum of five bar (72 Psi). This means that in such a situation, sprinters cannot win a sprint. So the cyclist needs to change their goal at the finish.”
That’s why it’s still not a common practice among the professional teams at Specialized. “The men from Soudal Quick-Step and BORA-hansgrohe opt for clincher tires, while the women at AG Insurance ride without a tube, with high-profile wheels and clincher with low-profile wheels.”