Cycling Watercolours

@Roadman_Podcast Roger De Vlaeminck never punctured in Paris Roubaix..

Can anyone explain why riders aren’t running tubulars in Roubaix ? So so many punctures

@Roadman_Podcast SSC Greys with FMB Tubs next season...

@vismaleaseabike @ClassVeloxVitre Chapeau Wout...more to come

🇫🇷 #ParisRoubaix You deserved this so much, Wout. 🥺

@laflammerouge16 Even Eddy Merckx didn't win all the time...

#ParisRoubaix - Pogacar raced the whole race as he if he was better than Van Aert on cobbles and the sprint. He simply isn't.

@laflammerouge16 Champions don't sit in...

Van der Poel back on #RVV26 tactics: "Not riding with Tadej wouldn’t have made a difference to the result. There is a difference between going all-out and just taking your turns. I was just sitting on his wheel, and if I stop riding along there, that’s also anti-racing "

@laflammerouge16 He will be the best, when his palmarēs are longer than Eddy's. He will also need the Hour Record. I am enjoying his racing, he will be close...

Lance Armstrong: "The only thing that could have prevented Pogacar's victory was a crash or bad luck. We've talked about a lot during today's race between Eddy Merckx and Tadej Pogacar, I think we have to stop it. The debate is over. This guy is very good, he's the best ever."

@Roadman_Podcast To be the Best...you have to Beat the Best...

Is Pogacar good for cycling? A harsh question, I know... But is Pogacar good for cycling? I came home from riding yesterday morning, excited to watch the finale of Strade, but when I turned it on with 50km to go, the outcome was already decided. I understand we're maybe watching the making of the GOAT, but i can't help but feel like it's spoiling the spectacle.

@Roadman_Podcast What would you rather see ?

@Roadman_Podcast Yes..

@tormcycling Just missing "A Dog in a Hat"...

Now that's what I call a donation ! Where should I start ?

@Roadman_Podcast Brancale...

Name one cycling brand which is underrated and nobody talks about.

@Roadman_Podcast 22mm Tubs...

What is the best bike tire size?

@Roadman_Podcast Using Colnago Master Olympic, Dura Ace 7700, GP4s & 22mm Tubs...

Would you ride a steel frame? Somewhere along the way, carbon quietly became “normal” and steel got pushed into the nostalgia corner – café chat, old photos, and that one lad on the club spin who refuses to give up his lugged frame from the 90s. But i'm not sure steel will ever really go away. A good steel frame rides differently. There’s a feel to it – that little bit of flex and give – that you just don’t get from most carbon race bikes. It’s not about being faster on a 20‑minute climb, it’s about that smooth, planted sensation when you’re rolling along rough roads or leaning it into a corner. It looks different too. Skinny tubes, clean lines, maybe even a custom paint job. It has a bit of soul. On the flip side, modern carbon is lighter, stiffer, more aero, and easier to find off the shelf. If you’re chasing racing performance, shopping mainstream brands, or obsessing over watts per kilo, it’s very hard to argue against what carbon gives you. Steel starts to look like a luxury, not a necessity. So I’m curious where you land on this. Would you ride a steel frame in 2026?

@mission753 Was on that hill...

Early action at the World Amateur Road Race Championship, Villach, 1987. 📸 Phil O'Connor

@Roadman_Podcast Make it shiny please...

The death of Campag (what went wrong?) Campagnolo didn’t die overnight. It just slowly stopped being normal. For years, Campag was the dream groupset – the godfather of racing kit, the Italian jewellery you lusted after in the shop window. But while Shimano and SRAM were quietly hoovering up OEM spec on “normal” bikes and flooding the mid‑range, Campagnolo doubled down on being premium, niche, and mostly road‑only. That meant fewer complete bikes came with Campag out of the box, fewer shops pushed it, and over time most new riders simply never got exposed to it. At the top end, they also missed a few big waves – slower to embrace disc, no MTB or gravel presence to speak of, and pricing that made it hard to justify over Ultegra/Force for a lot of riders. Add in long lead times, limited mid‑tier options, and Shimano/SRAM aggressively sponsoring teams and brands, and Campag’s market share just kept shrinking until, for the first time, they disappeared from the WorldTour completely in 2024. So who’s still on Campagnolo? A small but very loyal group of enthusiasts who love the mechanical feel, durability, and the “if you know, you know” factor. Boutique builds and custom bikes where the owner is choosing with their heart, not a spreadsheet. And from 2025, Cofidis – who’ve signed a four‑year deal to bring Campag back into the WorldTour on Look bikes, which is about as core‑cycling and romantic as it gets. So is Campagnolo dead? In the mainstream, yeah – most group‑sets you see on club spins now are Shimano or SRAM. But in the corners of the sport where people still care about history, feel and aesthetics, Campag never really left. And with that Cofidis deal, they’re at least refusing to go quietly.

@Roadman_Podcast GP4s...Veloflex Tubs...

Clincher or tubeless… what are you actually riding right now? I feel like the tyre debate has turned into a bit of a religion. On one side you’ve got the tubeless evangelists: lower pressures, fewer punctures, more comfort, “once you go tubeless you never go back.” On the other side you’ve the clincher lifers: simple, cheap, easy to fix on the side of a wet Irish road without needing to cover yourself in sealant Here’s how I see it: Clinchers are the “old reliable”. Tubes, pump, maybe a CO₂, and you’re sorted. Every bike shop in the world can get you rolling again. Tubeless is the performance nerd’s dream. Smoother ride, better grip, fewer pinch flats… until it isn’t, and you’re covered head‑to‑toe in sealant at the worst possible moment. For a lot of riders, tyres aren’t just about speed – they’re about how much hassle you’re willing to tolerate to (maybe) go a bit faster and puncture a bit less. Personally, I’m seeing more and more people quietly drifting into the “best of both worlds” camp: tubeless or fancy tyres on the gravel bike, boring clinchers with tubes on the road. What do you ride? “Clincher” or “Tubeless”

@Roadman_Podcast GP4s, Tubs, Rim Brakes...

Disc brakes or rim brakes… which camp are you in? The industry has made its choice. Every new superbike is disc. Every pro bike on the WorldTour is disc. The brochure chat is all the same: more power, more control, better in all conditions. And to be fair, in the wet or on rough roads with big tyres, discs are ridiculously good. You can brake later, with less hand fatigue, and stop worrying about cooking a rim on long descents. But guess what...people still love rim brakes. And I get it. Rim brakes are lighter. They're insanely cheap now. They’re simple. No rotors to bend, no bleeding, no mystery noises from a caliper you have to YouTube your way out of. Just cables, pads and a 4mm Allen key. They’re cheaper to look after and there’s something about a clean, classic rim‑brake bike that still looks “right” to a lot of us. So we’ve ended up with this split: Discs are the choice if you: Ride in all weather Want big volume tyres Like that powerful, one‑finger braking feel Rims still make sense if you: Obsess over bike weight Love simple, mechanical setups you can fix yourself Mostly ride in decent conditions and aren’t bombing down alpine descents every weekend I’m not interested in the marketing answer, I’m interested in the real‑world one. What do you ride right now? And the one big reason you wouldn’t switch I’ll tally the responses and share them in a follow‑up post – let’s see if rim brakes really are on life support, or if they’re going to live on as a cult classic.

@casquetteurs 82 Worlds...

@1968Tv Bring Superstars back...

BBC Superstars The day Kevin Keegan fell off his bike in 1976.

@CyclingLegends1 He can win on any terrain...

In 2026 Tadej Pogačar will try something only 4 other men have ever achieved, and 2 of them feature in today’s photo. Felice Gimondi (centre) and Eddy Merckx (right) won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Paris-Roubaix, so did Fausto Coppi and Bernard Hinault. They are the 4. It’s a rare achievement because Paris-Roubaix is a total outlier compared to the others 2. It’s not just they are stage races, or even grand tours and Paris-Roubaix a single-day, they are different down to their DNA, with Roubaix demanding a very particular talent. Only the very best have enough to win them all. Gimondi did it all. He was 2 years and 9 months older than Merckx, and achieved the grand tour triple crown of Tour, Giro and La Vuelta a Espana in his career, as well as taking the 1966 Paris-Roubaix before Merckx began dominating in 1969. Without the Belgian Gimondi was shaping up to have a similar Palmares, but he took his eclipse with good grace. The same could be said for Merckx and his regard for Gimondi, their relationship was built on mutual respect and rivalry. Reflecting on it, this is what they told Chris during separate interviews. Gimondi first: “I respected Eddy, I respected his ability, but I was never intimidated by it. Instead, I trained hard, I lived the disciplined life of a good professional and I did those things every day. That way I knew I was ready to take my chances when they came, and they did come.” This is what Merckx told Chris about Gimondi. “He was the rival I most respected. He was also the one who beat me when I was at my very best. He always raced with dignity, and he was always 100 percent committed. Above all, though, he was never deceitful.” Of course, if Tadej does achieve the triple that Coppi, Gimondi, Merckx and Hinault did, the first 3 also won Milan-San Remo, which is another level of exclusivity. So Tadej Pogačar, your mission, should you accept it, is to add La Primavera to your Palmares before time places its limit on your talent. Maybe both this year? What do you think? 📸 L’Equipe