Weight Weenies

The main changes the pros seem to make are double taping the bars, switching out wheelsets to beefier tubular wheelsets- often 32 hole numbers. Also the actual tubular tires tend to be special tubs designed for the pave conditions and general bad weather riding- tend to be wider and a different tread design.

On a personal note- if you not have a follow car, I would imagine swapping out to a bottle cage that will not throw a bottle no matter what (meaning half of the cages currently used who certainly have to go). Also I would ride clinchers due to the higher likelyhood of flats, and the related ease of changing them.

I would put on my Reflex / DA wheels with Pavé tubulars and a 44 inner chainring. No further changes...

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Dr.Dos wrote:I'd train a bit more and gain some muscle weight...

In a race the strongest rider wins, although WW lamers might think the bike really makes a difference.

No. The most powerful wins. I would not waste one moment in the gym; rather, I would employ various on-bike techniques for building threshold power and endurance.

hey men, Tafi will use a Scott CR-1 with longer chainstays and a different angle of fork: 74.5°. He will have Ritchey WCS components and a Turbomatic under his ass... The wheels are Open Pro, Campy Record Hubs and I don't know about the spokes...

His bike will weigh 6.8kg!!!! Unbelievable for Paris Roubaix 3years before!!

i think i'd just change my wheels and tires and tape my wrists...

Greg Lemond's full suspension Ti frame as raced in the 1994 edition. Failing that a C40 would be nice, but I would have to run a Paris Roubaix Rockshox road suspension fork. Heavy but the fork would be invaluable on the cobbles.

Bikes with these forks were ridden to victory from 1991 - 1994 inclusive. Correct me if I'm wrong on 1992 though

Well I once did paris roubaix on a connondale frame with suspension fork and cycle cross bar shifters. The bike ended up weighting 10 kg and it wasn't extremely fast. Since then I tried a merlin, colnago C40 and Cr1 (last year with the tourists). So far I liked the C40 best since it gives the best combination of damping force with just enough stiffness (it flies over the "kasseien"). P.s. the best tyre by far for Paris Roubaix (loads of Pro choose for these) are hand made and come from Dugast!

I would never ride clinchers in Roubaix if I wanted to finish anywhere near the front. Especially this weekend with it going to be wet. There were some hilariously pithy interviews with the clincher sponsored team mechanics a few years ago. Apparently their sponsor contacts required them to ride the sponsor tires only and they were not a happy bunch to put it mildly.

Nemesis rims 36hole 3x crossed,
25mm tubulars,
no extra bar tabe saddle etc (SLR is in fact quite comfortable),
Al stem and bar, no superlight seatpost,
if possible slightly longer and wider frame and fork (25mm tubulars-> clearance)

mises wrote:I would never ride clinchers in Roubaix if I wanted to finish anywhere near the front. Especially this weekend with it going to be wet. There were some hilariously pithy interviews with the clincher sponsored team mechanics a few years ago. Apparently their sponsor contacts required them to ride the sponsor tires only and they were not a happy bunch to put it mildly.

Don't some tires get re-labeled to "comply" with this contractual obligation?

Who else besides Michelin doesn't make a tubie?

Using a lower cadence you can use more force on the pedals which helps keep the frontwheel stay on the ground. High cadence riders will have more trouble keeping traction and go 'bouncy bouncy'.