How To Adapt Your Bike For Pavé - Riding The Cobbles

To cope with the cobbles of the spring classics, teams adapt their bikes in a variety of ways.
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From Paris - Roubaix's legendary "Hell of the North" to the Koppenberg of the Tour of Flanders, the early season is all about pavé - the cobbled roads of northern France and Belguim. Pro teams make changes to their bikes to make sure the riders are able to deal with some of the toughest races in the sport.

These adaptations are either new bikes, like the Specialized Roubaix or cyclocross bikes. Most teams though modify their stock frames with different forks and rear triangles to allow for larger tyres and mud clearance. Most pros now use their stock carbon wheels, double wrap bar tape or add in gel pads under their tape. The most common change however is tyres. Bigger tyres, up to 30mm wide and lower pressures are common, with some riders running tyres as low as 60psi.

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Photos: © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/ & ©Tim De Waele / http://www.tdwsport.com

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Music licensed by Cue Songs
Music - licensed by Cue Songs