Interview with Christoph Allwang: "Many developments make the road bike better"

Interview: Thomas Musch

TOUR: Looking ahead to the 2022 racing bike vintage: What are the trends that are shaping racing bike development from the perspective of the lab and workshop manager?

Christoph Allwang: Clearly system integration and aerodynamics on road bikes. Especially for handlebars, stems and headsets. This is accompanied by the increasing spread of electronic shifting systems. Many integrated solutions would not be possible with mechanical shifting systems because the tight cable routing through the handlebars, stem and headset would not allow the shifting system to function properly. More and more manufacturers are also deviating from the classic and standardised components and developing their own headset and steerer tube systems, which in some cases drastically increase the assembly and testing effort for us.

TOUR: What role does the gravel bike play in your daily work?

Allwang: Until a year or two ago, it was still a niche market, but it is becoming increasingly important and is almost the dominant component of the racing handlebar faction. However, the typical gravel bike almost no longer exists; it is divided into different segments and the transition is often fluid. A marathon racer with 32 millimetre wide, profiled tyres is often indistinguishable from a light gravel bike or crosser. A race or aero gravel bike has all the characteristics of a fast aero racer. And gravel bikes with suspension forks, shocks, dropper seat posts and the like are also becoming increasingly common. The task for us is to integrate these bikes into our test procedures and define criteria in order to achieve transparent, comparable and reproducible test results, as with all other bikes.

TOUR: You are an enthusiastic and long-standing racing cyclist yourself; which bikes have particularly impressed you from a user perspective this year?

Allwang: My highlights of the 2022 model year were the new Scott Foil and the BMC Kaius. The Foil's tangibly superior aerodynamics really got me hooked, which is simply fascinating, even if it's perhaps not the everyday racing bike that you'd like to take for a leisurely spin. I rode an individual time trial on it and won the family duel against my rather fit son - so the bike must be fast ... The BMC Kaius is the kind of gravel bike I want: a sporty riding position but still plenty of comfort. The speed that is easy to achieve on it is simply fun. The bike achieves very good, but not outstanding test results. The overall concept and the design language are what really make you look forward to the next ride.

TOUR: The technical development of road bikes is constantly progressing. How do you rate the latest innovations such as disc brakes, wider tyres, tubeless and electronic shifting from the user's point of view and from your professional perspective as a laboratory and workshop manager?

Allwang: The developments are generally going in a good direction and making racing bikes better. Better in this sense means: faster, more comfortable, easier to use and customised to the needs of the rider. However, this does not mean that the path to the ideal bike has become easier, quite the opposite. The market is becoming increasingly confusing and the supply situation for many bikes is still dramatically poor. What's more, without specialist knowledge and specialised tools, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a modern bike yourself; even fine-tuning the seating position on many current road bikes is much more difficult than it was a few years ago. Even if it's not rocket science, more amateur mechanics still have the confidence to correctly pull and clamp the cable of a rim brake than to bleed the hydraulic disc brake system with toxic DOT brake fluid without bubbles. The parts of modern systems are usually less self-explanatory, require more precision and expertise for adjustment and can only be repaired to a limited extent. Electronic circuits either work perfectly or not at all. In the event of faults, the app is usually a better tool than pliers. And once the fault has been found, the entire component still often has to be replaced.

Tubeless tyres are fast and less prone to punctures, but compared to classic tyres with inner tubes, they are much more complex and difficult to install and repair. A puncture on a tubeless tyre on the road, which I have to convert to an inner tube at the roadside, is a nightmare even for me. That can quickly spoil the fun.

In addition, you always have to keep an eye on the charge level of the various batteries of the electronic equipment; the quick wheel change from one bike to another is also no longer so easy with disc brake wheels. At the same time, electronic and hydraulic components cost more money and entail higher follow-up costs for servicing and spare parts. Cycling with modern equipment has become noticeably more expensive compared to analogue times.

>> Professional workshop tips from Christoph and his team

TOUR: Are there any technical innovations that you would describe as a misguided development? Or which at least urgently need to be revised or further developed and improved?

Allwang: Difficult question. Racing bike technology that gives the Tour de France pro a decisive lead of a few seconds, or the high-tech tubeless tyre that saves a few more watts, cannot be described as a misguided development. However, these systems only work well if a professional mechanic deals with them intensively and regularly. In this respect, the question arises as to whether this is the right development for the mass market. If the amateur cyclist accepts that he has to take his racing bike to a highly specialised mechanic and is prepared to bear the costs; if it becomes normal to be picked up on the road if he has a flat tyre instead of repairing it himself; if it is accepted that the adjustment or replacement of the stem and handlebars on a complex racing bike can take several hours, then I would not like to speak of an undesirable development. On the other hand, in my circle of friends I see "unmountable" tyres being cut off the rim with side cutters and hear of dealers who only discuss the horrendous increase in service costs with their customers. This gives the impression that technical development is not orientated towards the expectations and needs of the vast majority of cyclists in terms of user-friendliness. The industry would have a great opportunity here to offer the end consumer options where they can choose between what is technically feasible and a more service-friendly variant.

Profile Christoph Allwang

Christoph Allwang has been head of the test lab and workshop for Delius Klasing Verlag's bike magazines since 2015. The 52-year-old passionate cyclist previously worked for component manufacturer SRAM and before that ran a cycling shop. The married family man with two children rides around 10,000 kilometres a year on racers, crossers and mountain bikes.

TOUR: If you could influence the development of road bikes with your experience as a user and from the TOUR lab and workshop, which direction, which details would you prioritise?

Allwang: I would push for options that allow simple and fine adjustment of saddle height, saddle position and handlebar and stem position. In my opinion, the perfect riding position is still the guarantor of well-being on the bike. Saddles and handlebars that are difficult or difficult to adjust prevent many people from optimising their riding position in small steps.

TOUR: What kind of road bike do you currently ride?

Allwang: I often ride bikes from the TOUR test pool. Privately, I still own a Cannondale SuperSix, model year 2013, but I can no longer test any current parts on this bike. It still has a mechanical eleven-speed drivetrain and rim brakes. However, I am urgently looking for a successor. The hottest candidates are the Rose X-Lite 6 and the Simplon Pride II.

TOUR: What criteria characterise the road bike for which you would retire your current bike?

Allwang: Significantly better aerodynamics, aerodynamic wheels. Disc brakes. Elegant design.

TOUR: Do you have a "No-Go" on a racing bike?

Allwang: Handlebar bags, top tube bags or frame bags only belong on a road bike if you are travelling alone for at least three days. And stems pointing steeply upwards are not an option if you want to save the wrong or botched riding position. Platform pedals and brightly coloured tyres have no place on a road bike. But that's very much a matter of personal taste, so I don't want to speak for others. I also think that a mountain bike helmet with a visor or a skater helmet looks strange on a road bike. The same goes for long compression socks. Or no socks at all ...

TOUR: What tips would you give TOUR readers who are interested in a new road bike? What should they pay particular attention to when buying?

Allwang: Go to a renowned bike fitter with your experience and expectations and a lot of time, work out your optimum riding position together with them and then buy a bike on which this position is possible and which also fulfils at least 90 percent of your other wishes. Go a little further than you originally planned; the pleasure of having a well-used, suitable and beautiful road bike is worth it.

TOUR: As a passionate cyclist, how do you spend the winter?

Allwang: Cross-country skiing whenever the conditions allow. On the bike when the roads and paths aren't salty or icy. On Zwift when time is short or the weather is really scary. And jogging when all other options are not possible.