Is comfier really faster?

At last, real-world testing has discovered that yes, it can be

While a more aero bike will save you a set number of watts, not being rattled by your bike also offers a performance benefit. It’s just harder to put a number on. To define it, Specialized compared the performance of various bikes on the cobbled sections that play a decisive role at races such as Paris-roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.

‘We’ve proven that bikes with mechanical compliance, such as Futureshock, let you ride through problem sections faster,’ says Specialized’s Stewart Thompson.

The benefit of not being subjected to constant shaking over a long stage remains harder to quantify, but designers and riders are increasingly convinced. At this year’s Tour, for example, Kasper Asgreen chose Specialized’s consumer-focussed Aethos for some of the harder mountain stages.

It might still be rare for pros to demand more comfortable bikes, but that doesn’t mean their performance wouldn’t benefit. ‘Look at the change in attitude towards larger tyres and lower pressures over the past ten years,’ Thompson says. ‘It’s a learning curve for us all.’