Radical Rethinks

With each new advance in technology, it seems road bikes are slowly morphing into mountain bikes. Is this something we should be worried about?

- Stu Bowers

It started with disc brakes. A few years ago, one or two mainstream brands unveiled road bikes fitted with discs instead of calliper brakes, and the whole industry drew a sharp intake of breath.

For some, it was a form of sacrilege. The clean, traditional lines of the road bike had been sullied by something that was a common feature of – whisper it – the mountain bike. But it didn’t stop there.

Next we were told that 23mm tyres were too skinny, and we should be riding 25mm. No wait, make that 28mm. Now road bike manufacturers are proudly declaring their frames have clearance for tyres up to 32mm and beyond. Thanks to the addition of disc brakes, some road bikes such as the Open UP are even able to take 650b wheels, the size traditionally associated with – you guessed it – mountain bikes.

Suspension systems have crept in too. Trek broke new ground by placing a pivot in its Domane road frame to enable more vertical flex in the seat tube for enhanced comfort. Pinarello took things a step further by fitting an actual rear shock at the top of the seatstays on its Dogma K8s, and the principal feature of Specialized’s new Roubaix is a coil sprung shock absorber beneath the stem.

One-by (single chainring) groupsets are now entirely feasible on road bikes thanks to the availability of much wider cassette ratios. Add in thru-axles, tubeless tyres, even dropper seatposts, and it seems the only thing separating some modern road bikes from their mountain bike cousins is a set of flat handlebars.

What’s going on? Is the industry engaged in a secret mission to turn road riders into mountain bikers? It’s time for a talk with those in the know.

It’s called progress