Pros Rides

This time of year is always exciting for the professional road racing fan because racing has finally started with the Tour Down Under. It is also exciting for the bike nerd because all the pro teams are showing off their new rides!

Cycling Tips has done a great job showing all the World Tour Team's new bikes.

Couple of my thoughts on these bikes...
-Lots of Shimano.
-Sad to see so much electronic these days. Still love my cables.
-Too many carbon FSA stems! 
-Its amazing how many pro teams are riding power meters on their race bikes now. With the weight of bikes coming down so much, there is no reason not to.
-Lots of aero frames. Marketing? Or is the weight thing again? Why not ride an aero frame if your bike is at the weight limit (6.8kg/14.99lbs) already?  
-Still lots of saddle to bar drop for most riders. Kind of thought that was going away now that more teams are working with bike fitters. Seems pro riders still do what they want! 
-Every single bike has tubulars. Seems like a lot of talk about all these new "high performance clinchers". Pros don't seem to be listening... If you are racing, tubulars are still king, period.
-These bikes were shot (I assume) after or before stage 1 at the Tour Down Under, a flat, fast day on the bike. The winner averaged just over 27.5mph. All but Kittel's bike feature each wheels sponsors medium or semi-low profile wheels. Almost all of these companies make a deep, more aero, wheel. I think this goes to show, first how aero many med profile wheels are in real world conditions, and how more often than not a medium depth, lighter wheel, is the right choice for a fast day in the saddle. Better acceleration and predictability in a nervous peloton. 

I don't often get excited about specific teams, but this year I am excited to have Garmin on Cannondale's. Very cool to see these two partner.
I just wish they would stop taking pictures of Ryder Hesjedal's bikes, they always look so goofy...

 

Ryder is a lanky guy who runs a lot of drop.

Maybe they could have shot Ted King's bike instead? A little more "proper" of a set-up I think. This is King's 2014 bike.

 

 It seems like if your marketing a bike company you should at least try to set-up your bikes so they look good!

Whats your favorite bike from this list?