Slightly more affordable race bikes will rise, new SRAM Red AXS won’t feature rim brakes and Campagnolo will drop out of ‘The Big Three’.
These are just some of the tasty road tech predictions that the BikeRadar team has come up with for 2024.
But which ones do you think we’ll be right with and which ones are pure fantasy? Let us know in the comments.
#cycling #bike #tech
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:33 No SRAM Red AXS Rim Brakes
02:12 More Affordable Race Bikes
04:39 Wider Tyres
06:09 The Britney Bike
07:25 Big Year For Schwalbe
09:38 No More The Big Three
11:22 Outro
Cheaper Electronic Groupsets?! Our 2023 Tech Predictions
→ https://youtu.be/BH4u0EGHMg8
2023 Tour de France Tech Trends | What Are Pros Riding?
→ https://youtu.be/JgqdFR97aMw
Top 5 | 2024 Road Bikes
→ https://youtu.be/8NZPRnYdHlI
The Best LIGHTWEIGHT Road Bike Upgrades
→ https://youtu.be/rzTxc1fmbpg
A ‘Value’ Tour de France Bike? AG2R’s Van Rysel RCR
→ https://youtu.be/zGuZF9mjyMk
Specialized Tarmac SL8 vs Canyon Ultimate | Which Is Best?
→ https://youtu.be/D1_tPOLLusw
Listen to the BikeRadar Podcast
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While Road Tech can often feel like it moves quite slowly we think there are going to be some brilliant Tech trends for 2024 for us regular Riders just think this year we saw new endurance bikes push into gravel territory for wildly versatile machines even better road tubless tires appeared from the big
Brands and fresh group sets appeared from The Big Three as ever though this leaves us questioning what next year has in store here are our six Tech trend predictions for 2024 in new Ram red access group set will almost certainly arrive in 2024 the Brand’s Flagship roadbike group set is well overdue an update and recently is filed patents hint a new launch is imminent beyond that though we have no details on what new features a
New group set will include but I’d put money on on one thing there will be no Rim break option high-end Rim break road bike availability is in terminal declined and there is simply not a big enough market for samam to bother making new Rim break components that’s not to
Say there are no Riders who would appreciate a rim break option a niche audience myself included are DieHard Rim squidgers but we are in a minority however there should still be hope for wheel squidgers who want the latest shifting Tech access family Wireless shifting components are all interoperable meaning
You can mix and match different tier group sets and even Road and mountain bike components I would be astonished if samam moved to an incompatible protocol for its new red access components so it should still be possible to pair old Rim brake shifters with new drivetrain components still with campago dropping a
Rim break option from its super record Wireless group set and and Shimano carrying over previous generation components for its Durr 9,200 components the days of the high-end Rim break road bike group set are clearly Numbered bike prices are silly yes I’m glad we all agree top spec models cost what 12 13 maybe even £4,000 and second tier bills what many of us aspire to call our own are now out of reach to all but the very affluent if I was to buy my
Own specialized s Works Athos today the frame would cost $4,750 or $55,000 an altegra di2 build similar to my own would be £ 8,200 or £8,000 Tre 2 has some sizable prices an amonda SLR 7 costs £ 8,300 or 8999999048266 00 or 9,699 199 for the samam force ax build
But look away from the big Brands and there is hope on the horizon like a shining Beacon nice light the bike of decathlon ag2r van reel’s RCR Pro is one that we have our eyes on the stram force EAP access build with zip 404 firest wheels cost
$6,999 in the US and 4,700 in Europe in the UK it will cost a penny under five grand Giants Propel Advanced pro0 AXS was our aerro bike of the year in 2023 winning significant praise for a race ready build at the 6,399 or $8,000 price point marid
Scultura £8000 is a cracking deal for algra di2 at £4,800 or $6,499 and and then you have bikes such as the El’s vanar Pro disc which I’m currently testing that bike in its altegra di2 guys comes in at £3 3,999 or $1,300 for the Fram set only option in
The US you do have an option for custom paint as standard which is really impressive so there are bikes on the market that will Gallop to your Aid something of a night in shining armor for the cyclist that thinks all 2024 bikes are just too expensive or you
Might think that 4 grand is still silly money for an altegra di2 bike in that case I’ll just go back to the drawing Board there’s a lot to be said for going for wider tires and I think it’s likely I’ll see more and more people going bigger in 2024 I’m not talking about a step change here but rather a slow adoption as mass ranks of riders succumb to the charms of smoother easier and
More confident ride experience check change never happens overnight understandably there are those who are happy with their current setup and see no reason to change While others remain unconvinced of the benefits associated with going wider however I believe we’re approaching a Tipping Point with mass adoption as Riders wear down their old
Narrower Rubber and find a need to replace it a Snowball Effect will take place whereby one might have given it a go with a positive experience prompting others to try who in turn report their experiences to with the Willing ears of interested Riders and then they make the
Switch and so on before long I think we’ll hear the death nail of the 700x 25c tire with 700x 28c perhaps even considered narrow as more choose to go even wider that said I think tire brands aren’t going to keep pushing the width end for L much further generally
Speaking road bike tire clearances now top up at around 35 to 36 mm with some exceptions however while Ries have taken their time to Edge towards wider rubber to this point I think it could be optimistic to think that they’ll simply keep on inexorably moving up so while I
Foresee recreational riders opting for wider tires I don’t see bike brands going much wider in 2024 for Road Tech Trends there is an obvious Unstoppable March towards complete integration and Electronic Drive Trains being cemented as the only choice for serious Performance Bikes I’m also seeing signs of a reemergence of
The weight Wars of the early ughs when weight weenies Were King before being supplanted by the Aero fardos but I think the major trend is within endurance bikes and the arrival of what I’m terming the Britney bike just as the trouble chantes lament I’m not a girl not yet a woman for the
Urance bike it’s I’m not a race bike not yet a gravel bike it started in 2023 with the vus venon Evo and the Ridley Griffin and it spiraled with bikes like the specialized ruet SLA marid scur urance gr and more from the major players I think we’ll see plenty of
Protour riders moonlighted in gravel races adopting and adapting bikes like the rubet and the sculpturer helping us to cuton onto the fact that you can have one bike to do most things of course there’s always the exception that proves the rule Giants new and rather brilliant defy now this absolutely isn’t a Britney
Bike it just does the job of being a brilliant endurance bike but will Britney bikes be as popular as the 2000’s princess of pop time will Tell Tire Tech for road bikes has developed rapidly in recent years with manufacturers making faster and more durable tires than ever before now shy one of the major players in this segment has been relatively quiet since it last overhauled its range in 2019 while our fast tires group test
Proved that the pro1 tle remains competitive with some of the best tubeless tires now available the German brand looks set to release a number of new models in 2024 and there’s reason to believe that TI nerds such as myself should should be very excited shulby announced earlier this year the pro one
Arrow featuring updated casings and compound but it had a few more new tires hidden in plain sight throughout the season there was a set of blue accented Pro one tle tires on Alexander Kristoff’s D VSU at the tour to France for example and a number of shy sponsored athletes used gray and blue
Versions of the pro one TT at the cona Iron Man World Championships this year a tire which as things stand is only available in a classic gum wall color most excitingly these blue accented tires share a distinct visual similarity with the pro one aoan prototype tubeless tire teased by schie earlier this year
At eurobike this tire is claimed to use a new construction influenced by the ultralite tech used in sh’s aeran thermoplastic TPU inner tubes and as a result sh be claims that this tire weighs just 165 G in a size 700 * 28 and it has very low rolling resistance
Now for context that’s almost 100 G less per tire than the current pro1 tle which is already one of the lightest all round road tubis tires now I believe that shy may have Incorporated a TPU lining into the casing of the pro one aaan enabling it to make a lighter and thinner Tire
This plus 5 years of compound development may have enabled it to make a substantially faster and lighter tire without overly impacting air retention or durability whatever the case could shuby be about to upend the established pecking order for racy Road Bike Tires in 2024 I think
So by the end of 2024 the road groups at Big Three will lose a member in 2023 the prestigious Italian brand campanola slipped down to one sponsored team in the men’s World Tour and IT Supplies none in the Women’s World Tour next year it may disappear from the top level of
The sport entirely the consumer Market doesn’t look much better only Italian bike brands such as pinell reliably SPC campag and usually the top-of the range super record Wireless it’s too early to conclude that the Brand’s new 12-speed electronic group has flopped but the Canon inur CFR was one of the only non
Italian bikes to offer a super record Wireless option in 2023 to survive will the Italian brand cease production of its entry level and mid-tier group sets which are falling from favor and mainly sell super record Wireless to Consumers it’s more certain that Shram Shimano despite the latter’s crank set recoil
Fallout will consolidate their dominance amongst the pros and amateurs in the long term microshift could challenge the big two by undercutting them on price if it releases a road group set alongside its gravel and mountain bike options I also predict that more Riders will spec aftermarket drivve train components from
The likes of Garber absolute black and wolftooth on their road bikes the atypical size of chain rings and cassettes these Brands offer are more useful on gravel and mountain bikes than on the road except in in Niche racing disciplines such as hill climbing and road bike time trialing but premium Road
Group sets have converged visually the latest shiman J race di2 r9200 and altegra di2 R 8170 look more similar than ever some more Road cyclists will customize their bikes with colorful lightweight aftermarket drivetrain components to stand out on the group ride rather than for performance benefit that’s quite the collection of
Tech Trend predictions which ones will we get right and which ones are wildly off uh let us know what you think in the comments below now before you go remember to like And subscribe why not check out this video
39 Comments
What are your road cycling predictions for next year?
#savetherimbrake
Um, the rise of Chinese components? Not one of you called this? Huge miss.
Living in Denmark i have to say that i only know van ryssel , through this channel !! so price might be fine but what is that brand ? Rim Brakes i have to say NO . Electronic wireless shifting YES and Shimano who still insist to have a partly wired wireless NO THANKS.
I'm thinking my beloved Campagnolo is going to go the way of the dinosaur😮💨
It'd be a real shame if campagnolo start to disappear.
Roady politics aside, I own one bike with campy athena which I've had since 2011, and it's still going strong now after thousands of miles.
Also a bike with chorus group since 2016, could be easily mistaken as new.
NEW SRAM RED is pretty cool, will be ridden at the tour.
I think anyone that will spend thousands of EU or US dollars for a bicycle needs to get a shut down and reboot for their brain. No bicycle ever made should sell for more than $400. There is absolutely so little material to them that it is insanity to spend what the sellers are asking. These grossly overpriced bikes are nothing more than foolish status symbols for people in desperate need of attention. Hey Everybody, Look At Me!!!!!
Lots of industry led scare mongering here. "No more rim brakes!" "The death of the 25mm tyre!" "The march towards complete integration and electronic shifters the only choice for serious performance bikes". People are constantly being made to believe they need new stuff as their current stuff is out of date or off trend. It certainly isn't a consumer led market.
3 things I'll never do:
1. Buy a disc brake bike
2. Pay over the odds for a road bike
3. Have an integrated bar and stem
Campagnolo wanted to be boutique, exclusive in a niche market. Total misunderstanding of the market. Now they are about to disappear in the process peloton… and what was that new launch? It’s a shame to see them slowly lose relevance
“If something isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
This is my mantra for everything including cycles. Hence, I’ll keep using rimbrakes, mechanical groupsets and tubular wheels as long as they stand the time and market provides. They work fine for me.
One way of forcing an upgrade!
Theres a reason theres no demand for rim breaks, because its not supported.
A bit like the covid jab, we had no choice!
The jab and myocarditus, or persecution!
I took the jab, and now i have to buy disc brakes!
Here is how see bike prices: Kid bike 250-400. College Bike 400-600. Basic adult bike 500-1000. Basic athletic bike 1000-2000. Fancy athletic bikes 2000-3000. Custom or really nice top of the line bike 3000-6000. Professional race bikes more but who cares.
Caad 14 , Mechanical hi-end groupset.(Shimano 🤔)
After watching many videos that said rim brake are rubbished, scratching and ruin the wheel's rim. I am now wondering how many rim brake pads I have to use before the pads will eat up all my wheel's rim without abusing it
I am going to stockpile Shimano rim brakes to make sure I have an infinite personal supply.
I've just got myself a set of the GP5000 AS at 35-622. The endurance bike is making a comeback as more people realise they use their gravel bike more on road vs actual gravel. We already see the Giant Defy and Fairlight Strael 3.0 sporting 35c clearance.
Still on rim brakes however I've owned 2 of the same bikes 2 tcrs 1 disc the other rim both new both 2019 bikes.
From my experience 99% of people compare a much older rim brake bike to a brand new disc bike or 2 totally different bikes making it floored as you're not comparing apples to apples….
My rim brake tcr is over a kg lighter, but also feels far nicer to ride over the disc model. In winter I just use shimano R5 wheels (cost me £50 new) with Swiss stop bxp pads I can easily get a 28mm tyre in and I've had no issues. I will add I ride in north Wales 80% of the time so rain and crap conditions is pretty standard almost all year round.
The disc model imo doesn't offer better braking when using alloy rims on a rim brake bike. While I agree carbon rim brake wheels in the wet aren't the best neither would a carbon disc be great. If u use an alloy rim like you'd use a metal disc… The difference is so small…
People comparing a carbon wheel rim brake to a disc brake rotor are basically comparing 2 totally different materials….
The electronic shifting and disc brakes seem to be just ramping up the price..5 grand is now a cheap bike??!!
Had disc,went back to rim. Easier to maintain, makes for a lighter bike and they still stop me when needed despite cycling down wet irish mountains.
Like I've said many years ago, when rim brake technology is pushed aside for more shiny new thingies, the CHINESE will step in and grab the rim brakes mantle! There IS hope!
Rim Brakes die-hards . . . keep riding. We've existed for more than a century, and will continue, forever!
I would be very interested to see what shimano is going to do with the CUES road bike groupsets. I got DA and GRX di 2 on main bikes but Sora on my commuter. The gearing is bang on with CUES offering 46/32 +11-45 but need to see if rim brake shifter/ calipers will be offered.
Harry Potter fair play rimbrake bad a$$
Rim brakes on aluminum rims = good
Rim brakes on carbon rims = bad
I luv Disc brakes . Had mech ones on a mountain bike years ago they were shite ,then got a better bike with hydro. first roadie was rim upgraded bike with disc wouldnt go back at all. wider tyres yepbut not into tubeless cause i dont need it. .not happy losing Ult mech but will move on. I go with the flow. My biggest bitch is the costs of of bikes and components . The middle ground bike is where companies should target . Who needs a high end bike unless you compete or you try impress at the coffee shopbut weigh 85-100kgs.
Please buy established brands and dont support chinese ones that some on u tube promote…remember where covid come from…jus' sayin'
I still love rimbrake because cheaper, lighter and easy maintenance. If big brand stop making rimbrake groupset, there are china brand still produce
Bring back rim breaks and mechanical shifter.
Seems like the big brands are going to shoot themselves in the foot as more and more people are looking to China for framesets etc.
Ring brakes never die! Just fading out in the market ! Tour France Racing, 2023…Ring brakes is gone with the wind 🙃🥹😅
As you were schooled by Graeme from Velotech in the comments under this article on the BR website – Campagnolo don't need to 'survive'. They are financially secure and not interested in the World Tour anymore. They're doing their own thing.
I run rim when in TX, and disc in mountains of CO. If you live in rainy or mountainous geography, rim brake on carbon wheels is no bueno, but rim on alloy track is no problem. Getting harder to find those alloy track wheels though…
No rim brakes = no purchase from me. I'll just keep riding my "old" tech that still drops electronic and discs anytime.
i think we will see more from ltwoo and sensah. (i hope very much that domestic retailers start stocking more asian brands)
I have a Rawland Ravn with Derby carbon 26” wheels and 58mm Renė Herse road tires (no tread) and it’s a joy to ride with high traction, no road vibration, and wonderful suspension at 20PSI. It is very fast on the flats—yes not as fast as a pure racing bike, but I use it for randonneuring since it has a dynamo and fenders. I have other bikes with tire sizes between 700Cx32-40 and 650Bx42-48 and all of them function roughly the same. Weight does matter when you’re climbing of course, but aerodynamics don’t seem to come into play until you go over 40mm. Renė Herse Cycles have published a lot of research on the trade offs of pressure, tire size, and aerodynamics. It’s very interesting (although they are trying to sell you bigger tires 😁.)
For road bikes, I prefer steel curved fork blades with flexible tips, and that doesn’t work with disc brakes. So maybe it’s NOS for me.
And I'm about to build yet another rim-brake aero road-bike.
There is a lack of options to convert old high-quality frames with rim brakes to 12-speed. A hydraulic rim brake would make sense in order to be able to combine hydraulic brake levers with old frames.