Tech hacks, 3D printed goodies, a surprising number of rim brakes, and the absolute best bike tech on the planet
(Image credit: Will Jones)
The first time I ever watched a time trial my best friend Henry sat me down and said "This is the best bit of bike racing: All the teams using all the coolest gear". At the time I didn't really get it, but then I'd only had a road bike for about three weeks. Roll on many years and I'm at the opening of the Vuelta a España on a searingly hot day just outside Lisbon, Portugal, and I very much get it now.
The stage 1 time trial, a short 12km affair that sits somewhere between an old-fashioned prologue and a 'proper' TT, was won by Brandon McNulty. A block headwind blowing off the coast meant aerodynamics were even more of a factor, though the strength of the gusts put Wout van Aert off using his infamous double disc setup here.
More important than aero, even for such a short stage it seems, was heat management. Every team had a seemingly endless supply of ice, misters, fans, and freeze vests. Given the temperature - elevated in a very local sense by the paddock being situated on an entirely unshaded road - was over 40 degrees Celsius, it's hardly surprising.
Aside from the endless aero optimisation and cooling tents, I was really struck by the sudden, bewildering variety of forms modern aero bars now take.
My background is geological, and it put me in mind of the Cambrian explosion. For aeons, life slowly evolved from one simple blob to the next, all vaguely similar in form, until at some point it rapidly proliferated into bizarre, complex forms that so confused early palaeontologists that species were named 'Hallucigenia', as they wondered if they were hallucinating.
Back to bike tech, and the ease and availability of 3D printing now, not just in plastic but also in titanium, has resulted in myriad forms, each with anatomical tweaks, recesses for shifter blips, computer mounts, and adjustable sections.
Scroll down to see them all, as well as a more general look at all the teams using all the coolest gear. It is the best bit of bike racing, after all.
Given that the headline is something of an homage to the different aerobars on show it seems rude not to start with a set. Here we have a set of Look skis from team Cofidis. Fore/aft can be adjusted on the supports and more so in front of the forearm rests, and the handholds can be set to any angle, with shifter blips installed in the ends. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Horizontal top tubes not only look cool, but they also show the smallest frontal area to the wind. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Time trial bikes are about as modern as bike tech gets, though in classic Cofidis fashion the team is still running on 25mm Michelin tubular tyres. (Image credit: Will Jones)
At the Cofidis camp I spotted a mechanic cleaning a drivetrain that was sporting a new (to us at least) Kronos chainring. (Image credit: Will Jones)
I've seen the team using Kronos rings before during the Classics, but never with a tooth count this high. This 60T monster is likely produced in such small numbers, or at such short notice that it forewent the anodisation to black of others we've seen from the brand. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Over at Decathlon-AG2R, some riders were on more modern Deda branded aerobars, which appear to have swappable end caps for different hand-hold styles. No custom recesses for the blips, though. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The team was also using the Continental Aero 111 tyre, with specially shaped indents not for grip, but to reduce drag. It's a front tyre only, with the rear being taken care of by a more normal GP5000 TT model. (Image credit: Will Jones)
While some riders had the more modern Deda bars made for the bike, others simply used off the peg Deda Jet extensions instead. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here's another look at the newer extensions. The base bar looks to have integrated grips, too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
And again, here's the aero tyre, which was developed in collaboration with Swiss Side. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A large (likely a 60t) Drag2Zero chainring finishes off the drivetrain. (Image credit: Will Jones)
At the Arkea-B&B Hotels paddock, shimano shifter blips are taped on with electrical tape, with a couple of strips of gripper tape over the top to help. (Image credit: Will Jones)
While some wildcard teams were also using rim brakes, the Bianchi Aquila CV is the last remaining rim brake bike raced at WorldTour level. (Image credit: Will Jones)
In the UAE Team Emirates area, there were some non-standard parts on a few of the team's Colnago TT1 bikes. A distinct lack of any paint to save weight and an Aerocoach front wheel mark this machine out as different. (Image credit: Will Jones)
ENVE branded aero bars have specially constructed recesses for shimano shifter blips. The cross braced computer mount likely adds a bit of lateral rigidity too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Spot the difference - The trick is to look at the seat posts. Adam Yates' machine has an unbadged Darimo model to keep the weight to the bare minimum. (Image credit: Will Jones)
No misters here, just a fan, an ice vest, and a spare bottle jammed between the spokes of the front wheel to help keep the ferocious heat at bay. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Time trial specific tyres, and a recess to cover the tubeless valve so it can't disrupt the airflow. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It's only when looking up close at these machines that you realise how complex they are to build compared to a normal road bike. (Image credit: Will Jones)
After the riders have signed on the team mechanics wipe the tyres clear of any debris to reduce the risk of punctures. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A large Carbon-Ti carbon chainring, a brand that is becoming increasingly commonplace in the peloton. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Some riders had what looked like plastic supports for their extensions, but others in the team had metal. I suspect the riders get to choose between weight and durability. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Over at Alpecin–Deceuninck, I saw another set of bars with a recess built directly in. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Some riders had their hand holds absolutely vertical. Also, regardless of how flash a TT bike gets, there's always somewhere where electrical tape gets used - here it keeps the shifter wires neat as they exit the rear end of the extensions. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Three TT bikes, all with different aero extensions and styles. The blue material was like a stiff towel, likely to stop sweat making the skis slippy in the heat. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Some more sticky-backed cloth on another set of Alpecin bars, with shifter blips set into the ends of the extensions this time. (Image credit: Will Jones)
TT bikes don't have normal shifters, just blips, so a second set is needed to enable shifting while holding the base bar. (Image credit: Will Jones)
This setup suggests that shifting is done with the pinkie or ring fingers, rather than index or thumb (Image credit: Will Jones)
Oddly, Kaden Groves' TT bike was setup with old 11sp rings, likely for improved chain retention. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Don't worry, he had a fan, it's just out of shot! (Image credit: Will Jones)
At the Astana camp there was more 3D printed tech, though only in the shape of a computer mount. It must be said, this doesn't appear the most aero solution. (Image credit: Will Jones)
While Giro took the headlines this year for the wildest helmet, Limar also released a very large new model this year. (Image credit: Will Jones)
An O-Ring and some trusty electrical tape keep this shifter blip in place over at Israel-Premier Tech. (Image credit: Will Jones)
No fancy misters here, just a bank of large fans. (Image credit: Will Jones)
While many riders used the Factor branded aero bars, one was using a set of Aerocoach skis instead. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here are the alternative, Factor branded units. The mechanics taped the stage notes to the skis, though they would be moved before the start of the stage. (Image credit: Will Jones)
I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure this was a carbohydrate slushie! (Image credit: Will Jones)
On a day as hot as this, keeping cool isn't just something for the riders, but for the fans too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Soudal-Quickstep's large, loud, animatronic T-Rex drew a crowd and raised some hairs. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Much like on the road, the team opts for Cotton clincher tyres and latex inner tubes over a tubeless setup. (Image credit: Will Jones)
At the Ineos Grenadiers bus it's the opposite story, with TT specific tubeless tyres on the team's road bikes here, and their TT bikes too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A bank of the old Bolide (left) and new Bolide (right) TT bikes. Aside from the paint, the key point of difference is the scallops all along the seat post and seat tube. (Image credit: Will Jones)
At EF Education-EasyPost, Richard Carapaz's machine got a whole new chain after he'd ridden to sign on and back. (Image credit: Will Jones)
In the mechanic's truck, there were banks of Vision wheels and even more spare bikes. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Former world champion and current Portuguese national champion Rui Costa's custom Cannondale SuperSix Evo stood out on the roof of the team car. (Image credit: Will Jones)
At FDJ the team's new Wilier Supersonica TT bike - likely the most expensive off-the-peg model available - had some very trick ends on its extensions. 3D-printed titanium hand holds bonded to carbon forearm rests. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here are the full bars. No adjustment really compared to many others, so likely tailored to each rider individually before production. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Keeping cool is mostly just about having a gazebo, within which you can better control the climate. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Wildcard invite team Kern Pharma showed up with plenty of Cadex wheels for their Giant Trinity TT bikes. (Image credit: Will Jones)
I can never quite get over seeing absolutely top spec bike products just nonchalantly leant up against team vans. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Kern was also running rim brakes on their TT bikes, the previous model of the Trinity. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Jayco-AlUla had rim brakes too, but only on some spare bikes on the roof. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Eddie Dunbar had full titanium extensions on his bike but the saddle mounting system is what caught my eye most, with an adapter to move the setback further rearward. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It was too hot to warm up in overshoes, so many riders only had them over their calves. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The skis on the front of Lidl-Trek's Speed Concept machines were relatively simple looking, with SRAM blips in the bar ends. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Though some bikes had what appeared to be identical extensions to those seen at FDJ, with two different hand holds on show. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Tao Geoghegan-Hart grabs photos with some fans after signing on. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It's no surprise to see TT specific tyres in use here, this time from Pirelli. (Image credit: Will Jones)
An Intermarché-Wanty mechanic makes a few last minute adjustments before the start. (Image credit: Will Jones)
At Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe they had all the cooling tactics. A fan with a built-in misting tank, ice vests, shade, and even frozen carb gels! (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here are the misting fans, with a big tank of water to run from. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Yes, I know it was a TT stage, but the paint design on these S-Works Tarmac SL8 team bikes is too good not to include. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A totally blacked out Orbea Ordu is a stealthy spare bike to have behind you for this Lotto-Dstny rider. (Image credit: Will Jones)
There'll be a road tech gallery coming in the next 24 hours, but having spent two days in 40-degree heat, this giant deflated apple is about how I feel now. Off to the airport I go back to cooler climes. (Image credit: Will Jones)
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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
