EMULATING THE PROS

Cycling’s traditions often start with the pros, and then find their way into the amateur ranks. Average Joes see what the pros do and emulate them – we drink coffee like a pro, wear their team kit, and shave our legs. But sometimes, imitating pros is not such a good idea. You see, pros are pros for a reason.

Hydration packs, for example, used to be very popular. Five years ago, most mountain- bike riders had them on their backs on long rides – sensible, because they carry enough fluid, and there’s enough space for all your spares and tools. In addition, you don’t have to fiddle about getting a bottle out of its cage.

But pros (with the exception of Manuel Fumic) never wear hydration packs – because they’re so fast, they aren’t out on the course long enough to need as much fluid as us ordinary cycling mortals. Not to mention that their bodies are conditioned to long rides.

So these days, because pros don’t wear hydration packs, an amateur wearing one is as rare as a nun in a bikini. But pros look for marginal gains – in their world, every gram matters. So emulating them doesn’t really make sense. For us, being comfortable on our bikes is more important than having the lightest gear.

In the same vein, it doesn’t make sense to buy top- ofthe- range components. Yes, pros use more expensive and lighter XTR components. But they replace them often – in their world, these are disposable items. In our world, they’re an extravagance. Cheaper components may not be as light, but they’re hardier, and more than good enough.

Perhaps there are some traditions – like emulating the pros, when it doesn’t make sense – that are worth breaking.