An ode to the golden era of Paris-Roubaix tech \u2013 and the oddities that made the race so special <\/p>
Paris-Roubaix is the pinnacle of the season for Classics riders.<\/p>
It\u2019s the pinnacle of the season for tech fans, too, with the Queen of the Classics putting an intense focus on a rider\u2019s equipment \u2013 and its ability to withstand the pav\u00e9 of northern France.<\/p>
However, where Paris-Roubaix once saw a complete equipment overhaul for riders, the latest aero road bikes<\/a>, with a switch to wider rubber, have become commonplace on the cobbles.<\/p> The race still throws up its fair share of tech quirks, be it Israel-Premier Tech\u2019s switch to a gravel bike<\/a> for this year\u2019s edition, or the nuances of individual setup from one rider to the next, but it\u2019s no longer the treasure trove of tech it once was.<\/p> Over the past decade, we\u2019ve waved goodbye to box-section alloy rims, cyclocross bikes, boutique tyres and now even endurance bikes at Paris-Roubaix.<\/p> Here, then, is an ode to the Paris-Roubaix tech oddities of old.<\/p>