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Pro Bike: Stuart O'Grady's Cervélo RS

27mm Vittoria tubulars offer more security and comfort than more standard 22mm- or 23mm-wide options

  • Stuart O'Grady's Paris-Roubaix bike was a specially built Cervélo R3, very similar to last year's
  • The rear end was approximately 1cm longer to yield a slightly softer ride and more stable handling.
  • Increased fork rake offsets the longer chain stays to maintain overall fore-aft weight distribution.
  • Cervélo's 'squoval'-shaped downtube is claimed to maximize structural efficiency with minimal weight
  • The seat tube starts out at the bottom bracket with a similar profile but ends up round up top.
  • The bottom end of the Cervélo R3 is impressively beefy to deliver good drivetrain response.
  • Not surprisingly, the bottom bracket area is plenty stout.
  • Massively oversized chain stays…
  • …are matched to slim seat stays for a solid feel under power but a comfortable ride over the bumps
  • Not many riders get to wear this decal on their top tube. This one had to be earned the hard way.
  • Full-length brake housing is sealed from contaminants, although O'Grady didn't need it in the dry
  • The team skipped over its usual Zipp carbon tubulars in favour of more traditional handbuilt wheels.
  • The Shimano Dura-Ace rear hub may not be sexy but it works
  • Heads out or heads in? The debate rages on but Team CSC mechanics have clearly made their choice.
  • O'Grady tackled the Paris-Roubaix cobbles on a pair of Ambrosio aluminium box-section tubular rims.
  • 27mm Vittoria tubulars offer more security and comfort than more standard 22mm- or 23mm-wide options
  • O'Grady switched to a Prologo Scratch TR saddle this year.
  • The saddle shell isn't just reinforced with bits of carbon; it really is carbon fibre composite.
  • The team swapped over to 3T for some of its componentry sponsorship this year.
  • The bars are labelled as a 3T Ergosum Pro…
  • …but the bend suggests they might be e a rebadged sample of the FSA bar that O'Grady used last year.
  • Standard Dura-Ace brake callipers front…
  • …and rear show relatively tight clearances but mud was a non-issue at this year's Paris-Roubaix.
  • Standard Dura-Ace STI Dual Control levers control the action up front.
  • FSA still supplies the team with cranksets.
  • O'Grady's uniquely built Speedplay pedals omit the usual plastic bodies for better action in mud.
  • Tacx Tao cages offered a secure hold on bottles as O'Grady passed over the cobbles.
  • O'Grady's usual Sigma computer kept track as the kilometres ticked by.
  • Team CSC mechanics definitely had a system for making sure every bike was properly prepped.
  • Team CSC mechanic Roger Theel preps O'Grady's bike the day before the big event.

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27mm Vittoria tubulars offer more security and comfort than more standard 22mm- or 23mm-wide options

© James Huang