An incredibly simple but revolutionary change at the Tour de France is being embraced by the world's fastest cyclists
Daniel McMahon/Business Insider
DREUX, France — There's no shortage of tech talk when the Tour de France rolls around, and it invariably has something to do with hyper-aero frames, ultralight wheels, nonround chainrings, slippery apparel, and even powdered chains. Teams will try just about anything to go faster. So it's refreshing to see a more analog innovation taking hold in the world's preeminent bicycle race: wider tires and lower tire pressure.
As we wrote in a recent review of one Tour-worthy bike, there's been a trend toward riding wider tires with lower pressure, and for good reason: It's essentially faster and more comfortable in non-lab, real-world conditions. That's been backed by an increasing number of research studies, including a report by VeloNews. That flies in the face of conventional wisdom that said to go faster you needed narrower tires with higher pressure. Think rock-hard, 22mm tubulars.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
NOW WATCH: This controversial Supercross star has 20 minutes to make $1 million
See Also:
- Here's what it's like to visit Whittier, Alaska — the 'town under one roof'
- The CEO of an 'experiential education' company explains why he bought one of America's top Tour de France teams and why a YouTube video will never replace real travel
- What really goes on inside a Tour de France bus during those closed-door meetings
SEE ALSO: The Tour de France bikes, ranked