Pedaleur de Charme

FocusZing

Laura Trott is about as aero as you can get. She can handle a bike too.

yorkshireraw

Rick Chasey wrote:

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.

I think the issue with regards to smaller riders such as Quintana, Sammy Dumoulin etc., is when you seem them on a bike, the bike itself always looks a bit wrong - due to the wheels being a standard size along with everyone else, but the frame & rider being so much smaller than those around them.

ridgerider

Always admired David Millar's riding style.

Nice narrow knees rather than S*g*n's knees out position...

FocusZing

^Millar off the bike questionable?

RichN95.

Millar is too conscious of his own style to be included. He's a try hard.

Crozza

always thought Wiggins in a TT was poetry in motion - so obviously comfortable in that context, and more graceful than Cancellara / Martin

Sagan pretty graceful over last 10km of Flanders last year but agree that otherwise looks like he is riding a kids bike.

struggling to think of a stylemaster from the current crop now that Tommeke has retired

rick_chasey

My opinion of the Wiggins style is well known: a little too constipated for me....

bobmcstuff

Milton50 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

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.

Gilbert in the Belgian Champs jersey tearing up races was the best sight of the spring.

No_Ta_Doctor

Bardet (who was mentioned above) just for his descending. There are plenty that are quick going downhill, but he's quick and graceful, painting perfect lines on the tarmac.

Going old school, Francesco Moser. Souplesse. Riding cobbles like they were smooth tarmac.

above_the_cows

Rick Chasey wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

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.

I like the eager puppy thing. Not a massive fan of the total still upper body thing. I get that it is actually more efficient, maar I just find the joy a bit of a bounce exudes charmant.

above_the_cows

Ooo I also second the Steve Cummings suggestions.


And yeah I think small people are at a disadvantage. Says a small person who does not look classy when riding what looks like a clown bike.

FocusZing

Julian Alaphilippe, Voeckler for me. Aggressive, full beans no p1ssing about. Animated characters on the bike. That's style!

andyp

Voeckler? FFS. Someone will propose Virenque next. His 'style' was best summarised by Robert Millar, "he looks like a frog on a matchbox".

FocusZing

I don't want to see some dead face flat backed personality bypass drone. What's the entertainment in that! Get me back to the day of no helmets when there was a face to the sport!

bobmcstuff

I like a bit of passion but with Voeckler he's just giving it the gurn for the camera. He looks ridiculous.

FocusZing

There's a personality there ffs! all over the bike giving the bland generic carbon purpose. If he has his tongue out rocking like Jimi Hendix, great!

rick_chasey

Not sure you're getting the point Focus, I have to say.

FocusZing

So I guess your talking aerodynamics and bike handling. Contador dancing up Mountains.

I still find someone looking like they give a sh1t more stylish.

Its like Pete Sampras. Brilliant tennis player technical perfection, boring as fvck. Becker chucking himself across the court. Style!

Mccrear

its supposed to be effortless looking IMO, it is not about effort or looking like youre grafting. we all KNOW how hard it is, what we want to see is someone on their game who makes it looks easy. like messi at football, mickelson at golf and carter at rugby.

for me;

cummings, as much for his laid back attitude and approach as his pure style.
eisel can turn it on and be really stylish on the bike and he is just understated cool
Alaphillippe also has a nice style and definitely someone who could have valverdes pure racing style.

m.r.m.

It's a group of one. Valverde.

Definitely not Gilbert. He has a distinct lack of souplesse. Mainly because his feet don't do the scraping off motion, but rather only the up and down like he is riding regular non clip-in pedals.

If you must have someone else, I'd say Bob Jungels.

FocusZing

Names keep cropping up but no definition of this "style"?

RichN95.

FocusZing wrote:

Names keep cropping up but no definition of this "style"?

It's a rider who looks as though he is at one with his bike, as though they are extensions of one another. It is not a rider who looks like he is fighting his bike.

joelsim

1. Aru
2. Zakarin
3. Latour

andyp

FocusZing wrote:

Names keep cropping up but no definition of this "style"?

It's about a rider who has a fluid pedal stroke where they spin the pedal through it's full circumference rather than mashing them, who looks in control even when they are pushing hard and, as Rich says, looks like they and the bike are one entity, man and machine in harmony.

A lot of track riders have it because they develop that fluid pedal stroke from riding at a range of cadences on one gear, but non-trackies can have it too.

Sagan doesn't have it because he doesn't have that fluid pedal stroke, and you can see when he's putting the power down as he stamps on the pedals and fights the bike. He also has the worst arm position a cyclist can have, with no elbow bend and both arms straight like ramrods.

dish_dash

andyp wrote:

He also has the worst arm position a cyclist can have, with no elbow bend and both arms straight like ramrods.

Given the riders I see out and about on our roads it is little wonder so many love him... he is their inspiration.

shinyhelmut

Joelsim wrote:

1. Aru
2. Zakarin
3. Latour

You must have been gutted when Cuddles retired

FocusZing

^^That sh1t be true. Bunny hops over curbs, accent wheelies...dressing as willy wonka in the evening...

rick_chasey

dish_dash wrote:

andyp wrote:

He also has the worst arm position a cyclist can have, with no elbow bend and both arms straight like ramrods.

Given the riders I see out and about on our roads it is little wonder so many love him... he is their inspiration.

You joke but there is an element of truth in this.

#roadiesnob.

milton50

M.R.M. wrote:

Definitely not Gilbert. He has a distinct lack of souplesse. Mainly because his feet don't do the scraping off motion, but rather only the up and down like he is riding regular non clip-in pedals.

Rick Chasey commenting on Gilbert during Flanders wrote:

Look at that souplesse!

:P

Although to be fair I think Rick was very excitable when he wrote that.

rick_chasey

Say what?

I was excitable during ToF?

Not a chance.