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Bikes of the Spring Classics
By Paul Mirtschin with Jeff Jones and Chris Henry
In some races, lightweight is the order of the day. Teams are willing to forgo reliability in order to gain those extra seconds by the finish line. However, at this time of year in Europe, teams put reliability at the top of the list; it is time for the Spring Classics.
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These races each year put rider and machine to the ultimate test of reliability, racing along bone (and bike) jarring pavé. These races take in country roads and cobblestone lanes, and if their bikes are not up to it, it can cost them the race.
Teams with a big enough budget tend to have specially built bikes made up for the needs that these two races demand, with cantilever brakes, added mud clearance and even suspension; the bikes seen here are not your average road bikes. And wheel and tire requirements are paramount; you will see very few paired spoke wheels here, and specialist tires are the order of the day.
So sit back and relax as we take you through what makes up a Spring Classics bike.
Frames
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Due to the roughness of the parcours, teams are willing to run a slightly heavier frame if it means that it will still be in one piece at the end of the race. And bike companies use the race to test new frame designs, with everything from carbon stays to reduce vibration, to elastomer inserts to provide a small amount of suspension.
One of the stars of both of these races is the Specialized Roubaix. In a big leap of design, Specialized have included not only a carbon rear, but have added elastomers in selected locations to provide a small amount of suspension, something that is much needed on the pavé.
Photos
Images by Jeff Jones & Chris Henry
- The Alessio DeRosa King
- Andrea Tafi's bike, a steel SuperProdigy Cervelo
- Johan Museeuw's Time
- Tom Boonen's Time bike, with longer top tube and more fork rake
- Daniele Bennati sits with his Specialized Roubaix
- Dumoulin's carbon framed Scott
- The aluminium Scott frames used by Jean Delatour also ran Rock Shox Ruby forks
- Specialized put in some hard kms on the new Roubaix frame
- An almost standard Lapierre for the FDJeux.com team
- Kjaergaard's Trek was one of many bikes to run beefier wheels
- Another look at the USPS Treks
- Team Telekom's vibration reducing Pinarellos were right at home
- The back-up Pinarellos used the standard design however
- Mario Cipollini's spare chrome rig
- Filip Meirhaeghe's Specialized Roubaix
- The Cofidis Decathlon of Robert Sassone
- James Vanlandschoot's Vlaanderen-T Interim Eddy Merckx
- Marc Wauters Rabobank Colnago is ready for action
- Chris Wherry's Colnago in the Navigators colours
- Lampre's Zbigniew Spruch's Wilier Triestina
- Stephane Auge's Credit Agricole bike
- The Phonak BMC bike belonging to Roger Beuchat
- A very compact Scott for Samuel Dumoulin (Jean Delatour)
- Filip Meirhaeghe's Specialized Roubaix sits ready and waiting at the start
- The top tube on Cipo's chrome back-up bike
- And the same name, different bike
- Throwing hurts everyone
- As if the paintjob didn't give you enough hints
- At least it doean't have the rainbow stripes on it
- Cipo's carbon seat post
- A motorbike's view of Cipo's bike
Bikes at the Spring Classics - Part 2
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