# Paris-Roubaix bikes: full suspension road bikes?



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

I guess this was before my time, so I am discovering this for the first time. Never knew Musseuw, Lemond and others experimented with suspension on road bikes for PR:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/paris-roubaix-bikes-how-theyve-evolved/216049

http://pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=836

So - what happened? Was this a good idea abandoned because of bad luck (having nothing to do with the bike)? Or was it a bad idea altogether?

When I watch the slow-motion video of the Paris-Roubaix, and with all the vibrations, I kept thinking that some small amount of suspension may be helpful. Would it?


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## twinkles (Apr 23, 2007)

I took the bike that lemond rode out for spin back in the mid 1990s from Premier Cycles of Lakewood CO. It weighed a ton (close to 25 lbs) and accelerated like s sloth. If all of PR were cobbles, it might have been a reasonable bike, but there are just not enough cobbles for a pig of a bike like that to be a contender.

I think with modern technology, a suspension bike could be made that wiehged well under 20 lbs, which would be a nice bike for the cobbleed classics, but that Lemond wasn't that bike..


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## cyclusaddictus (Dec 8, 2011)

The 1993 and 1994 winners (Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle and Andrei Tchmil) both had Road Shox forks, but not full suspension. The product ended up not being marketable and production stopped. Many peope said that you'd be better off with fatter tires and double wrapped cork tape.


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## Hand/of/Midas (Apr 15, 2008)

I think if someone put a pivot at the seat tube and top tube junction it would help a ton.................


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## zoikz (Sep 5, 2003)

Uh... you mean what Trek just made and Cancellera was supposed to be riding?
You're smart but too late.

Domane 6 Series - Feature tour - Trek Bicycle


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*it was subtle*



zoikz said:


> Uh... you mean what Trek just made and Cancellera was supposed to be riding?
> You're smart but too late.
> 
> Domane 6 Series - Feature tour - Trek Bicycle


but you need to dial up your sarcasm meter


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## t-dub (Jun 3, 2003)

Dario Pieri also road a Cannondale Silk Road frame with a head shock to 2nd place in 2003.

Dario Pieri 2003 Paris Roubaix | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

USPostal rode treks with a modified monostay with some kind of elastomer rear shock in 2006. But it was the steerer tube that did Hincapie in that year.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

eh, those RS forks are funny, now in retrospect.

All that technology for 1.5" of suspension? Hah! Oi, talk about over-kill and under-kill all wrapped up in one hideous package! Lower pressure tires are much better for the low amplitude, high frequency bumps at PR than an oil/coil fork.


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## erj549 (Jul 26, 2008)

I'm surprised more people don't ride cyclocross bikes with big ass tires. I know I would, but then again, I'd probably be looking for the broom wagon about five miles in.


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## zoikz (Sep 5, 2003)

atpjunkie said:


> but you need to dial up your sarcasm meter


Actually I wasn't being sarcastic. Pretty cool he thought of the same idea as Trek did. Well not exactly the same, but pretty novel none the less.


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## Trower (Apr 28, 2009)

Oh the dark time of suspension coming to the market.......sorry prejudice and ride a rigid 29er with fatties for a MTB. 

Something like these Jones bikes would be more practical, where a substantial amount of flex is engineered into the frame. I've ridden one and man are they nice! So much stinking fun, and very sexy:drool:


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

trek stole the elastomer design from khs. 

man, i remember that pari-roubaix when hincapie went over the bars. if there was ever a year he could win, it was that. he was well placed and had some help around him. ironic it was the steerer tube that sheered off.


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

erj549 said:


> I'm surprised more people don't ride cyclocross bikes with big ass tires. I know I would, but then again, I'd probably be looking for the broom wagon about five miles in.


Boom was riding is usual CX bike last year. Guesdon was also riding an old aluminum lapierre CX bike from 2004.


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## axlenut (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi all, I had the opportunity back on 3-24-12 to test ride one of the Roundtail bikes on some rough brick roads and found it had a very nice ride - took all the harshness out.

Just thought some might like to see this unique bike.

Later, Axlenut


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

I aint' buying it, sorry.


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

zoikz said:


> Actually I wasn't being sarcastic. Pretty cool he thought of the same idea as Trek did. Well not exactly the same, but pretty novel none the less.


Trek thought of it? Sure it wasn't Moots? I'm just sayin ...


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## 88 rex (Mar 18, 2008)

zoikz said:


> Actually I wasn't being sarcastic. Pretty cool he thought of the same idea as Trek did. Well not exactly the same, but pretty novel none the less.


LOL......He meant Hand/of/Midas was being sarcastic.




Rokh On said:


> Trek thought of it? Sure it wasn't Moots? I'm just sayin ...


Moots isn't anything like the Trek set-up. Unless you're talking about some Moots prototype that isn't in production.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

Rokh On said:


> Trek thought of it? Sure it wasn't Moots? I'm just sayin ...


was moots (and KHS) doing elastometer insert, or was it the hinge on a bearing?
I am sure TREK didn't invent it or was first, but the hinge on Domane's Isospeed is different from elastometer, and provides 23mm of vertical compliance, which is a huge distance!


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## B.Garcia (Nov 21, 2011)

Not UCI Legal!! lol


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

weltyed said:


> trek stole the elastomer design from khs.
> 
> man, i remember that pari-roubaix when hincapie went over the bars. if there was ever a year he could win, it was that. he was well placed and had some help around him. ironic it was the steerer tube that sheered off.


trek does not have elastomer, despite early reports. The rubber piece is to protect bearings from dust/dirt.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

55x11 said:


> trek does not have elastomer, despite early reports. The rubber piece is to protect bearings from dust/dirt.


I think he is talking about hincapie's old bike the SPA or whatever.


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## Dynastar (Jun 8, 2007)

axlenut said:


> Hi all, I had the opportunity back on 3-24-12 to test ride one of the Roundtail bikes on some rough brick roads and found it had a very nice ride - took all the harshness out.
> 
> Just thought some might like to see this unique bike.
> 
> Later, Axlenut


Aaaaahhhhhh, my eyes are burning!!!! Wash them out quick!

Besides the owner and his friends, no one will buy this bike* I don't care how good it rides.

*This will exclude any hipster who will ride it ironically


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*not you*



zoikz said:


> Actually I wasn't being sarcastic. Pretty cool he thought of the same idea as Trek did. Well not exactly the same, but pretty novel none the less.


Midas was being sarcastic

Midas was well aware of Trek's bike


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*all wrong*



55x11 said:


> was moots (and KHS) doing elastometer insert, or was it the hinge on a bearing?
> I am sure TREK didn't invent it or was first, but the hinge on Domane's Isospeed is different from elastometer, and provides 23mm of vertical compliance, which is a huge distance!


it was DeKerf who did the elastomer seat stay, flexing chain stay first. Moots adopted it for the YBB, Ibis perfected it with the Silk Ti and KHS made a cheap knock off


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*see above*



weltyed said:


> trek stole the elastomer design from khs.
> 
> man, i remember that pari-roubaix when hincapie went over the bars. if there was ever a year he could win, it was that. he was well placed and had some help around him. ironic it was the steerer tube that sheered off.


khs was the last in a long line starting with Dekerf and the Softtail


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