2025: Tech
2025 is starting off as a big year from a tech advancement POV. I’ll highlight some aspects of the tech that have really intrigued me below:
Every gram counts
The forever held standard of a minimum bike weight of 6.8kg by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) seems to be something of the past when it comes to companies catering their bikes to the every day rider. Of course, this standard is still being upheld for UCI sanctioned races but as companies have safely and comfortably created bikes that are (well) below the weight limit, they’ve also started marketing them accordingly.
The 5.9kg Scott Addict RC is the perfect example of a bike that is practical on the road and also boosts the performance bike enthusiasts look for. From their test facility, it is apparently 12 watts faster than it’s precursor AND just 9 watts slower than Scott’s aero specific bike. Throw on a SRAM Red AXS groupset and light + light = light.
If you really want to get into it, have a look into their PMC manufacturing technique that was used for this bike!
Aero for everyone
Designers really are pushing the limits of aerodynamic efficiency when playing with frame shapes and integrating components. From a race perspective, every bit of efficiency you can get plays out with how your athlete performs. This can be seen from Trek where they have specific water bottles that fit their frames to optimize airflow. Most companies are venturing towards an aero focused front end and a weight focused rear end in general.
As mentioned in my previous article, integrating components on the front end shaves many grams off of bikes due to less parts needed and better shaping for wind resistance. As much as the bike fitter in me doesn’t love a mono bar from a fit perspective, if it’s been fit well, it’s as aero as can be!
Narrow cockpits have also made this possible (not just by integrating components). The placement and angulation of brake hoods is something I venture deeply into during my fits, ensuring they are placed as optimally as possible, while also ensure client comfort. As long as my client isn’t competing in a UCI-sanctioned race, we can go for aero and comfort til the cows come home!
From a UCI perspective though, they’ve actually limited how much angulation brake hoods can have. I don’t know exactly how this is measured, but it’s a thing. The workaround that brands have found is that they can pre-emptively angulate the cockpit where the hoods would sit, and thus when they put the brake hoods on, the hoods themselves are not angled. LOL.
Maybe just maybe, tool practicality
As a bike fitter, every so often, I think of how many tools I’d have to carry with me had I ventured into proprietary tools. For now, it’s something I continue to not want to explore but it also leads me to the last development going into 2025 that may be great for future me.
Torx 25 bolts were used on the 2024 new Canyon Aeroad. This bike uses Torx 25 for all adjustments to the saddle, cockpit, and thru-axle. Based on the shape, Torx 25 bolts have a reduced risk of rounding the screw when compared to Allen bolts. The Scott Addict RC (mentioned above) also does the same. What is super cool is both bikes actually included the TX25 key in a mini-multitool stashed into the actual bike frame.