Pedaleur de Charme

rick_chasey
rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
edited July 2018 in Pro race
So, given some of you outed yourselves as not giving a monkeys about the riding style of some riders, how about a thread for the rest of us who do care :P.

Who would you nominate in your top 3 most stylish pedallers in the current peloton?

For me, I can't get over how classy Valverde is. The consummate roadie style. Love it.

I actually like Nibali's style, although his bars seem very far forward given his back angle, but it kinda works.

I'll come back with a third because I can't come up with any.

But any other suggestions?
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Comments

  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    top 3 is too many so I am only going 2 as well

    as much as everyone seems to hate him on here, I love watching Contador climb ... I find it mesmerising that it seems so effortless.

    and then there is Sagan ... probably because he always looks like he is on an MTB or Singlespeed ... the guys style its not quite classic road bike style, it makes him stand out, can always tell where he is in a pack
  • Beatmaker
    Beatmaker Posts: 1,092
    Froome, obviously.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Armstrong - he looked almost supernatural on a bike...
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Beatmaker wrote:
    Froome, obviously.

    If you like the 'orang-utan trying to put up a deckchair in a gale' look obv.
  • epc06
    epc06 Posts: 216
    fat daddy wrote:
    top 3 is too many so I am only going 2 as well

    as much as everyone seems to hate him on here, I love watching Contador climb ... I find it mesmerising that it seems so effortless.

    and then there is Sagan ... probably because he always looks like he is on an MTB or Singlespeed ... the guys style its not quite classic road bike style, it makes him stand out, can always tell where he is in a pack

    I agree on Bertie although his climbing style, despite being distinctive doesnt look effortless. These days his dancing style seems counterproductive
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Kwiatkowski.

    (Long shorts aside)
    Correlation is not causation.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Valverde and Gilbert would be up there.

    Contador used to look great in his early years but these days he looks more like an old man with a walking stick rather than a mountain goat.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    EPC06 wrote:
    fat daddy wrote:
    top 3 is too many so I am only going 2 as well

    as much as everyone seems to hate him on here, I love watching Contador climb ... I find it mesmerising that it seems so effortless.

    and then there is Sagan ... probably because he always looks like he is on an MTB or Singlespeed ... the guys style its not quite classic road bike style, it makes him stand out, can always tell where he is in a pack

    I agree on Bertie although his climbing style, despite being distinctive doesnt look effortless. These days his dancing style seems counterproductive

    Looks crap in a TT so NFA.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Gilbert - really?

    Looks great when he's not pushing, but when he is. Was quite a lot of back bending and bounce during his Flanders solo.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Kwiatkowski.

    (Long shorts aside)

    Important clarification.

    Can be quite bounced heady, no?

    I like my riders with a still and flat back at all opportunities.

    Pippo gets a shout. Never seen someone so still and so flat over cobbles before.
  • craigus89
    craigus89 Posts: 887
    Nibali always looks like he has a huge gut when the cameras on his side. Not sure if this is because of his aforementioned riding position, because he has the classic skinny upper body, or something else. So that disqualifies him IMO.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Craigus89 wrote:
    Nibali always looks like he has a huge gut when the cameras on his side. Not sure if this is because of his aforementioned riding position, because he has the classic skinny upper body, or something else. So that disqualifies him IMO.

    Fair.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Gilbert - really?

    Looks great when he's not pushing, but when he is. Was quite a lot of back bending and bounce during his Flanders solo.

    Yeh subjective thing really. Gilbert does tend to muscle the bike when pushing but I've just always thought he looks so classy going uphill, downhill or on the flat.
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    Sagan is the Panache personified, Bardet, Pinot
  • ContrelaMontre
    ContrelaMontre Posts: 3,027
    Vincenzo Nibali
    Stevo Cummings
    Ben Hermans

    Outside the current generation, my fave for riding style was always Andreas Kloeden

    Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    FocusZing wrote:
    Sagan is the Panache personified. Why hasn't he already been mentioned? Because you all think you are too damn cool, so you mention some p1ss ant nobody has heard of.

    a) he has and b) he's not stylish in the way he pedals in anyway.

    He looks like a ripped amateur who's kept his MTB position on the road bike.

    Not a chance of a flat back.

    roadpositions05.jpg
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Outside the current generation, my fave for riding style was always Andreas Kloeden

    Outstanding shout.

    kloden_000_par2004072056604_670.jpg
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Vincenzo Nibali
    Stevo Cummings
    Ben Hermans

    Decent list.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,887
    You should create a socks thread too. That way all this irrelevant style discussion can be nicely contained!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    TheBigBean wrote:
    You should create a socks thread too. That way all this irrelevant style discussion can be nicely contained!

    I presume, if you were to watch football, you'd ideally watch it like this?

    l0K4kNbgeZ34Y4eXu.gif ??
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    FocusZing wrote:
    Sagan is the Panache personified. Why hasn't he already been mentioned? Because you all think you are too damn cool, so you mention some p1ss ant nobody has heard of.

    a) he has and b) he's not stylish in the way he pedals in anyway.

    He looks like a ripped amateur who's kept his MTB position on the road bike.

    Not a chance of a flat back.

    roadpositions05.jpg

    See this is what I don't get. Pro cycling is for tough guys who get back on when they have fractured their collar bone, grit their teeth and get on with it. You're all a bunch off fvcking fashion designer in the real word. Wacking of about colour style n sh1t.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Let it all out Focus.

    giphy.gif

    peter%20sagan%20specialized%20venge%202015%20riding.jpg?itok=a5VEwAVY

    ^^ just look. Looks like an amateur.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,547
    Do people understand this is about looking smooth when racing? Sagan shouldn't even enter into the conversation.

    I'm surprised we're on page two and no-one has mentioned Kiryienka yet, so fluid and graceful at all times.
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    edited May 2017
    ^^Ha!

    Anyway Christ! He's got his warmers on training.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited May 2017
    Most riders with a substantial track background meet current tastes in aesthetics.

    As for Sagan - his style was described by Inner Ring as 'like a builder pushing a wheelbarrow'
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    andyp wrote:
    Do people understand this is about looking smooth when racing? Sagan shouldn't even enter into the conversation.

    I'm surprised we're on page two and no-one has mentioned Kiryienka yet, so fluid and graceful at all times.

    Yeah I don't see that personally.

    He always looks like he's going slowly, regardless of whether he is.


    What I like about Valverde is how racey it looks. Back is always flat or there abouts, he looks far ahead like a roadie should, there's a bit of swing of the bike underneath him but not too much, and the cadence makes him look powerful rather than deceiving the eye and looking slow.

    There's a kind of alertness in his position.
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    andyp wrote:
    Do people understand this is about looking smooth when racing? Sagan shouldn't even enter into the conversation.

    I'm surprised we're on page two and no-one has mentioned Kiryienka yet, so fluid and graceful at all times.

    Kiryenka does look amazingly 'efficient', but it's almost too robotic like for me.

    GvA - a good all round mix of power and style.
    Cummings - awesome position
    Daniele Bennati - just looks great on a bike.

    David Millar was always impressive as well.
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    Like I said before why not have a dressage stage for all the people interested in the flounce.
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    Tom Dumoulin - even looks decent out the saddle climbing.
    Nils Politt - just tall and powerful. Flat footed too.
    Iljo Keisse - can't do all that track time without looking class.
    (Credits too to Valverde, Van Avermaet and Tim Wellens)

    Is there any shorter riders that look really great on a bike?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Crampeur wrote:
    Tom Dumoulin - even looks decent out the saddle climbing.
    Nils Politt - just tall and powerful. Flat footed too.
    Iljo Keisse - can't do all that track time without looking class.
    (Credits too to Valverde, Van Avermaet and Tim Wellens)

    Is there any shorter riders that look really great on a bike?

    Good question.

    I have held a suspicion that too extreme in either size is not ideal for a good style, but short is tricky to work...

    Unfortunately, that means ruling myself out as a potential candidate. :(