There’s still tech innovation happening at Roubaix. Here’s what we found at the pits pre-race.
(Photo: Chris Auld)
Published April 13, 2026 04:09PM
Paris-Roubaix is one of the most anticipated races each year for its hectic, unpredictable racing — but it’s also a treat for fans of bike tech. The race’s punishing cobblestone roads test equipment unlike any other race, and although the bikes have become more standard in recent years, there’s still innovation to be found.
This year, the adoption of 1x drivetrains at Roubaix took a leap forward, with SRAM and Shimano sponsored teams both taking advantage of a lighter, simpler system that in theory should prevent chain drops thanks to the use of chain guides.
We also saw mountain bike derailleurs, a notable rider pioneering tire widths beyond 32mm, and other interesting details pulled out for cycling’s most demanding day of racing. Let’s dive in.
Gallery: Paris-Roubaix tech 2026
Pogačar had not one, not two, but three spare bikes at the race — and still briefly ended up on a blue Shimano neutral service bike. (Photo: Chris Auld)Modern race bikes have beyond 32mm of tire clearance, but even at Roubaix most riders don’t take full advantage of it. Pogačar, however, made use of every bit of clearance on his Colnago Y1Rs, running 35mm Continental Grand Prix 5000 S tires. (Photo: Andrew Hood)Ineos Grenadiers opted for a Shimano XTR rear derailleur, presumably for its robust build meant to handle smacking into trail obstacles and keep running — perfect for Roubaix. (Photo: Chris Auld)The team paired that MTB derailleur with a 1x chainring setup. At least at Roubaix, road drivetrains are converging quite a bit with mountain biking. (Photo: Chris Auld)Shimano’s GRX Di2 gravel rear derailleur was also run by many teams. This model offers a clutch that helps keep the chain on the drivetrain and a wider cage to accommodate a bigger cassette. (Photo: Chris Auld)This tape job doesn’t rank high among the neatest cable management we’ve seen. (Photo: Chris Auld)More GRX derailleurs — and 1x Shimano setups, which have become more prevalent at Roubaix. (Photo: Andrew Hood/Velo)SRAM sponsored teams were earlier adopters of 1x at Roubaix, and occasionally other races. (Photo: Chris Auld)Larger 56-tooth chainrings were pulled out for the flat parcours. (Photo: Chris Auld)SRAM sponsored teams got in on swapping in off-road derailleurs. This Red XPLR derailleur has a wider cage to accommodate a bigger cassette. (Photo: Chris Auld)Mountain bike tech strikes again with this peculiar double valve setup on Lidl-Trek’s bikes. This is the Odyssey Optis Tubeless Tire Insert, which is a tunable tire insert somewhat akin to a small tube. That tube is inflated by the gold valve, and the tubeless tire itself by the black valve, providing independent control over the tire insert pressure for better protection against damaging the wheel while riding on the cobbles. Confused by how that workds? Pinkbike has a rundown of the system. (Photo: Chris Auld)Lidl-Trek continues its cutting edge innovations with this highly sophisticated elastic water bottle stabilizer™(Photo: Chris Auld)Disc brakes have cleared the way for big tires, but also have made wheel swaps more cumbersome. Lotto Intermarché came prepared with hex wrenches taped to their saddle rails to aid with with swaps. (Photo: Chris Auld)Pogačar went with a 1x 56t chainring. (Photo: Andrew Hood/Velo)Mathieu van der Poel kept things straightforward with a 2x drivetrain. (Photo: Andrew Hood/Velo)
Mathias Norsgaard had an unusual looking cockpit with a super long stem atop a stack of spacers. (Photo: Andrew Hood/Velo)
Some riders opted for wide cassettes, 10-46t in this case. (Photo: Chris Auld)Who doesn’t love an iridescent chain? (Photo: Chris Auld)While we saw Pogačar push to 35mm, the most common tire size we noticed was 32mm. (Photo: Chris Auld)Zipp’s integrated Tyrewiz pressure sensor provides a nice reassurance that you are not flatting while battling the cobbles — or that you are in fact seeping air and need to find a new wheel ASAP. (Photo: Chris Auld)Paris-Roubaix is one of the only races where you will see these extra shift points added to the tops — beneficial for shifting while riding the cobbles. (Photo: Chris Auld)Another view of the extra shift points, and a stem sticker with all the cobble sectors on it. (Photo: Chris Auld)A 3D printed derailleur hanger for this Campagnolo derailleur hanger. (Photo: Chris Auld)This red derailleur hanger is a nice pop of color on UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s bikes. (Photo: Chris Auld)Modern Adventure’s Robin Carpenter raced aboard this custom painted Factor. (Photo: Chris Auld)(Photo: Chris Auld)(Photo: Chris Auld)(Photo: Chris Auld)Aimé De Gendt raced on this purple accented Pinarello Dogma. (Photo: Chris Auld)Pogačar’s brake levers had a piece of foam glued to the backside. (Photo: Chris Auld)Another world champ detail on Pogi’s bike. (Photo: Chris Auld)Lidl-Trek put a piece of foam above the water bottle cages, in addition to rubber bands. (Photo: Chris Auld)Chain guides were plentiful with the mass adoption of 1x at the race. (Photo: Chris Auld)Prologo Onetouch 3D tape is designed to provide extra grip and comfort, making it a good option for Roubaix. (Photo: Chris Auld)
