From clipless pedals to Mohoric's seatpost, Fondriest tells

The bicycle is over 200 years old. It's changed, It is evolved, modified e it never stops changing. Yet some historical passages have marked its growth more than others. Disc brakes are just the latest of the many cobblestones that punctuate the path your bike travels. La riding position, theaerodynamics and all the components dedicated to maximizing those “marginal gains” (to use a very fashionable adjective) which, when put together, make the difference. Clipless pedals, carbon and the rhigh profile wheels. The electronic gearbox andclothing, but also that call for comfort that is functional to performance and it's not just the dropper seatpost. We tackle the topic head on with a World Champion and enthusiast of mechanical technique, Maurizio Fondriest.

If Fondriest had to put things in order, what are the innovations that have made the difference in the evolution of the bicycle?

The evolutionary path of the bike is made up of many pieces, Each has and has had an important role, some of them much more than others. Making a list the first step is occupied by the quick release pedals of the look, those used by Hinault. The second from the Shimano STI levers, the first to integrate the gearbox, used for the first time since Phil Anderson at the Giro del Lazio in 90. Then there is the time trial handlebar used by Lemond, when he won the Tour and in parallel the first Lycra clothing used by DDR athletes and from the Russians, more or less the years were those, just before. In this ranking Mavic's first electronic gear change is also to be included, high profile wheels and carbon. And then the helmet, even though it could be at the top of the rankings.

What have clipless pedals improved?

The first advantage was improving safety, especially if you think about the old laces that tied the foot to the pedal and which, in the event of a fall, were really dangerous. And then the improvement of components, including footwear, has also led to an increase in performance. Hinault told me, that A friend of mine, who was passionate about skiing, had started using this automatic release on his skis. Hinault asked if the solution was transferable to the bike and today it is difficult to imagine a bike without clipless pedals.

Instead, the gear change integrated into the shifters and on the handlebars?

It officially entered the market in 1991. I started using it that very year at Panasonic. It weighed almost 500 grams more than the traditional one with the levers on the down tube, but it was efficient and fast. It allowed you to keep the always keep your hands firmly on the handlebars and then it joined Gear shift speed and safety. These are two hotly debated topics even today, 30 years later.

How did Lemond's time trial handlebars influence today's bikes?

Actually there are two episodes very close to each other, Lemond's Tour and also the GDR athletes who showed up at the time trials with handlebars that we called ox horns. They were the first appendages we saw and they had a very advantageous position. Returning to The world and the large showcase of the Grand Boucle, his time trial bike with its specific handlebars gave rise to aerodynamic studies related to the bicycle. He also used two different handlebars between the prologue and the final stage in Paris. All At the opening stage the handlebars were a re-adapted Scott triathlon one, while in Paris he used a different product, but still specific for time trial bikes. Today The search for aerodynamics is not only linked to time trials, but to the entire cycling segment.

And what about clothing?

Modern clothing and its extreme use of fabrics, fitting and ergonomics have revolutionised the concept of comfort, di athlete's aerodynamics and contributed to to explain some of the positive aspects of weight loss. First we ran with the wool sweaters, heavy and bulky. The first to use tight-fitting products that almost looked like leotards were the DDR riders.

What benefits have electronic gear shifting, high-profile wheels, and carbon brought?

Electronics has officially given the green light to the integration and entry of new technologies in a sector that had been somewhat static for many years. At the time The Mavic drivetrain didn’t work optimally, but the category has grown and today riders demand electronic shifting. It is said that Zulle lost the Tour because his gear shift jammed during the time trial. Le high profile wheels they allowed to increase speeds and exploit moving masses. The first were the Campagnolo Shamal. The moving group of bikes and riders is a moving mass. Carbon has lowered weights, but it took a few years before reaching an optimal balance between lightness and rigidity. Composite materials have changed the shapes of bikes and tubes, but I also include aluminum in this transition. And then there are also disc brakes, which changed the racing bike after 200 years.

Is the modern bicycle the result of many things put together?

Yes, because in addition to those mentioned, there are a series of innovations that have contributed to the evolution of the sector. There are tubeless tires, but I find them a solution that hasn't revolutionized the category. There are thethe power meter, but more than the instrument I prefer to identify the ability to read the numbers, the data and how they have changed the way we train. Me for example I used the first meter in 93, but At the time there was no awareness and knowledge to exploit the potential of the product.

And then you mentioned the full-face helmet.

I was the first to use a full-face, hard-shell helmet, it was 1993. From then on I never took off my helmet and sometimes in the group I was the only one wearing it. From then on the of your digital ecosystem. it has changed significantly, Fortunately.

It's still being talked about these days, what does Fondriest think of the telescopic rod used by Mohoric?

He tried it before and we need to put it into context at the Sanremo event which we experienced last weekend. I don't see it as an innovation, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were banned by the UCI.

What can we expect from the future of cycling?

I believe that research will focus a lot on friction reduction, on transmission in many areas of the bicycle. In this field too, technologies have made great strides. And then I imagine the transmission without a chain, because everything has changed, but we are still talking about the bicycle that moves thanks to a component like the chain.