Professional cyclists ride what they are sponsored to ride.


Dr. Michele Ferrari made CF frames "faster".

Logic is that guy who makes sense no matter who is quoting him, whose statements are firmly grounded in fact, and can be demonstrated to be true by reference to third-party analysis.

Someone who claims to ride so perfectly in sync with his or her bike frame that any deflection due to a very powerful downstroke is perfectly time to always rebound exactly to add to the next downstroke from the other pedal is not speaking logically, because logically no one of us knows the exact period or degree of that deflection a its natural springing back, which would vary with every slight change in pressure, which means for every possible pressure, gear ratio, and cadence there would be a different requisite counterforce at a different speed ... and anyone who claims to be able to precisely measure the deflection and perfectly calculate the necessary downforce for each pedal stroke to coincide with the frames natural rebound speed is a raging lunatic or something less complimentary.

See ... if someone makes a claim which cannot possibly be true, either it is an illogical claim of a dishonest claim.

When you can both make those calculations and make the adjustments to ride every pedal stroke perfectly in harmony with the ever-changing natural harmonic period of your bike, you send me evidence. i will be grateful after I get over being amazed.

So ... that is who Logic is ... the one who points out the plainly impossible and explains clearly why that thing is impossible. I guess you and Logic have never met?

I appreciated your response, but it may also be lack of data, or inability to process that data (the math can be hard).
Logic is easy for some when there are just a few variables - or a test problem where you are given the data and variables. But for real world cycling stuff - especially racing stuff, I doubt anyone has all the data. As such, I value experience and tests over logic on incomplete data sets.

The frame rebounds when the power stroke is off / it rebounds into air and the legs of the rider which are far from springs and who knows what to do with that "physics". Most tests are about the mechanical bike, not the human knee and muscle friction based on force and cadence. I'd love to see something on the cost of 300W @ 70RPM vs 300W @ 120RPM, but it would likely be measured (VO2/watts), not calculated - because it is too hard.

I would love a simple test using a pedal based power meter (Garmin Vector) where the rider rides at a set power (200W or 400W for example) for a certain period of time. Preferably, the test will be on a cycle treadmill to eliminate aerodynamic variability. Comparing a small diameter steel frame vs the stiffest carbon frame on the market.