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Strada Bianche - Do they prep the roads at all?

heavymentalheavymental Posts: 2,067
in Pro race
I know it's a softies question! Rode some sections of the race route a couple of weeks back and some of the sections made me wonder if they run something over the surface before the race comes through to smooth them out a bit!? The sections where the surface is like a washboard were a nightmare to ride. I know that's the point but just wondering if my experience was the same as the pros. I'm <10 stone and so not the ideal build but it wasn't much fun for sure. We changed our route to stick to tarmac a bit more! Rode 28mm tyres but still awful.

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  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 16,460
    No idea . They may roll it. It is sketchy stuff .
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 24,653
    edited 30 September
    Even if they roll it by the time the breakaway and all the motos have been through it will be ruined. I'd assume your experience is up there.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 16,460
    I rode loads of strade in italy ...before it was a hipster thing . On 25 mm tyres you just muscle your way through it .
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 11,178
    edited 2 October
    Yeah I took my road bike with 25c down loads of stuff before gravel bikes were cool, I have 28s on there now and it is better - 32s would be better still but obviously you probably won't leave those on all the time. I think if you were going on a trip specifically to ride those roads then a gravel bike with tyres that are OK on road would make the whole thing more enjoyable...

    They will roll and prep the race sections in the same way they clean up and prep the cobbles at P-R and Flanders - outside of race season they are farm tracks so they will be pretty beaten up.
  • davidofdavidof Posts: 3,021
    Did the Eroica a couple of times on 25mm tires which measured as 24mm on the rim. No problems. I would have thought the pros would be comfortable on a modern bike with 28mm tires. The Strade Bianchi are generally pretty smooth.
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  • heavymentalheavymental Posts: 2,067
    I guess I'm not sure which sections that we did were race sections and without being there around the time of the race it's a bit hard to tell what it's really like on race day. It was those washboard sections that really did it, you're just hanging onto the bike really with not much control at all!
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 16,460
    heavymental said:

    I guess I'm not sure which sections that we did were race sections and without being there around the time of the race it's a bit hard to tell what it's really like on race day. It was those washboard sections that really did it, you're just hanging onto the bike really with not much control at all!

    Go faster .. easier said than done I guess ...
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • heavymentalheavymental Posts: 2,067
    mididoctors said:

    heavymental said:

    I guess I'm not sure which sections that we did were race sections and without being there around the time of the race it's a bit hard to tell what it's really like on race day. It was those washboard sections that really did it, you're just hanging onto the bike really with not much control at all!

    Go faster .. easier said than done I guess ...
    I did try that but quickly decided it really wasn't worth the risk to my immediate and future wellbeing!
  • davidofdavidof Posts: 3,021
    this is what the Eroica roads were like when I went there, pretty good really, even on a 60 year old wheels

    https://youtu.be/Z7nZhXNoTks?feature=shared
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