If I ran the bike industry for a day, here's everything I'd change

As I write this I am stationary on a Eurostar, about to head under the English Channel and onto Belgium to cover the Tour of Flanders and then Paris-Roubaix. Transit time for me is when I tend to indulge myself in pieces of writing that I wouldn't ordinarily get to write. I think of it a bit like an extended shower, where the best thinking gets done, only with more passport control checkpoints and a greater risk of catching seasonal flu.

One thing that's been rattling around in my head, as if I am an impotent Napoleon of the industry, is what I would do if I had the power to decree all standards for the bike industry. How could I improve things, primarily for consumers, not just of bikes but of soft goods too?

I'm in an enviable position in that I get to use an embarrassment of riches when it comes to bikes and clothing, and this also means I have some consistent annoyances that you may not have picked up from using one or two pieces of gear from a particular category.

So, here goes, with a little help from my colleagues. These are my non-negotiables that I think the industry should adopt. Some are hardly new (threaded bottom brackets, right friends?) but there are some you probably haven't thought of. 

If I've missed any please feel free to let me know.

All bib shorts should have pockets

I will maybe make an exception that each brand can be allowed one set of shorts “for racing”, which can dispense with the incredibly useful twin thigh pockets. Why should they be reserved for gravel or all-road riding? I have umpteen pairs of shorts, and the ones I reach for, whatever the surface, are always from my list of the best cargo bib shorts.

There really is no real drawback to adding them anyway, unless you're absolutely hell-bent on being as aero as possible, in which case pick the one pair that don't have them, and then fill your back pockets up so you look like a tortoise.

Road bikes should clear a 35c tyre, gravel bikes should clear a 50c

We've proven comprehensively that wider tyres are faster, especially on rougher surfaces. Unless you're riding on buttery smooth tarmac then you're probably better off using a bigger tyre. Road bikes, even hyper-aero beasts, should be able to take a 35c. They can then be made as stiff as you like and comfort can be made up in the added air volume.

Likewise, gravel bikes should clear a 50c. More grip, faster, more comfortable, and just about easy enough to achieve without having to go silly with boost spacing.

All bikes should have gloss paint

Yeah, I get that you probably like matte paint, but it's so much harder to clean. Stuff just doesn't stick to a shiny finish in the same way, and I'm not just saying mud, but oil, fingerprints, even watermarks. I don't want to have to towel a bike dry to make sure it looks its best.

Helmet straps should be black

This really pertains to older style POC helmets which insisted on using white straps. While this looked great out the box, a combination of sweat, suncream, and an incredibly lax skincare routine means they always ended up a sort of grey-brown. Non-black straps are a rarity now, and POC has seen the error of its ways in this regard, but any instances shouldn't be tolerated.

Gilets should have pockets

Each time a new gilet gets released that makes grand claims of packability it always has zero pockets. Pockets are useful, and wearing a gilet removes access to your pockets. Even thicker gilets like my Perfetto RoS can still be stuffed in a jersey, so there's no excuse for thinner ones made of gossamer nylon. Also, even if it makes them less packable, everyone should have cargo bibs anyway, so it doesn't matter.

You should be able to spec your bars and saddle at point of sale

I like to ride with 38cm wide handlebars, so if I were to buy a new bike today, the chances are I'd have to factor what could be a costly swap into the equation. Smaller riders are often just expected to rumble on with bars far too wide just because that's what comes with the bike.

The same goes for saddles. I'm not expecting brands to have a huge library of options, but literally any choice would help. Plenty of test bikes arrive at my door with saddles that are specced to reduce the overall cost, presumably on the expectation they'll be swapped anyway, so why not give customers the option at point of sale, even if it involves an upcharge?

Stem spacers should fit above and below the stem

The proliferation of one piece cockpits has also seen the use of unusually shaped, aerodynamic spacers beneath the stem. A key part of getting your fit right is trying a position out without having to chop your steerer, and so every spacer beneath the stem should also be able to fit above it to allow a trial period with a new position. I don't want to have to get a saw guide and carbide blade out of the toolbox to see if I'd prefer things 10mm lower.

Alternatively I'd accept that standard 1 ⅛” spacers should fit above the stem instead, but if this is the case, then the bike should ship with a series of spacers in various increments.

Bikes should ship with bottles and cages

This is another consumer thing that is an annoyance as a tester. I have a stockpile of bottles and cages, but if someone is dropping £1,000 on a bike they shouldn't then have to buy a pair of cages and a pair of bottles just to get the ball rolling. 

Pedals I can see the logic in being an aftermarket purchase, due to differing systems, but if SRAM can include a Hammerhead computer with a new groupset, then bikes can come with some basic hydration solutions.

All bolts should be T25

This one caused a bit of consternation on the work group chat, but only thanks to a difference in what we think the bolt type should be; we all agreed that bikes should use one kind of bolt.

I don't want to have to use a different tool for my stem bolts, seat clamp, bottle bosses, top cap. Yes, there can be some exceptions like pedals, but all the general fittings should be a T25. It means you need to take fewer tools with you. Why T25? I've yet to round off one, while I seem to go through M4 bolts like nobody's business.

Tyre and wheel logos go at the top

This is purely aesthetic but it makes my brain all fizzy when I get a bike in, or a set of wheels or tyres for that matter, and one logo is upside down relative to the other. You can put the valve at the bottom if you like, but the logos go at the top.

Rims should be hooked

I'm yet to hear a compelling argument for hookless rims. They save a few grams, sure, and they may be cheaper to manufacture, but is anyone seeing hookless rims that are substantially cheaper than their hooked counterparts? 

The flip side is limited tyre compatibility, which is annoying at best and unsafe at worst if you get it wrong. Give me hooks, and let me fit whatever tyres I want!

No more integrated seat clamps, no integrated seat posts

Just give me an external clamp. Given that bike designers have managed to come up with wheels that feature integrated pressure sensors it's not beyond the imagination to suggest that relatively aero solutions should be possible that don't feature a series of wedges and tiny parts that can fall inside a frame.

However good an integrated clamp is, they're almost always more prone to slipping than a good old-fashioned external clamp. Moreover, the latter is easier to replace should you somehow manage to strip the threads, and there are fewer small parts to seize up during mucky riding.

The same goes for integrated seat posts. Yes, they're lighter, but if you ever want to resell the bike, you'd better hope you can find someone with a similar inside leg. 

Integrated cockpits should ship with a computer mount with a GoPro-style mount underneath

A personal frustration of mine is a new bike arriving only to find the fancy new watt-saving cockpit doesn't come with a computer mount. My colleague Tom’s review of the Canyon Grail highlighted this, too. Either use a standard two-bolt system or ship the bike with something metal that can hold a computer up top and a light underneath via a GoPro mount. I shouldn't have to use O-rings or elastic mounting hardware ever on an integrated bar and stem.

All bottom brackets should be threaded

This is old news so I shan't rehash what's been said a thousand times. Threaded bottom brackets are easier to live with, and harder to screw up. You can have T47 or BSA but that’s it. No press fit, no Italian threading, no asymmetry. 

All bikes should be set up tubeless at point of sale 

Tubeless is better. I'm going to get into an argument with my colleague Tom on this one as he still doesn't use tubeless on his road bikes, but I think all bikes should be tubeless at this point. Request tubes if you like, but I think part of the issue is that people aren't used to setting tubeless up at home and so just never do, so they never experience the benefits. Start the journey off for them, and do it properly.

Every bike should have fender mounts

No, I don't care if it's being raced at WorldTour level, I cannot think of a valid reason to not add five small, easy to blank bosses to a frame and fork. If Enve can do it, then so can everyone else. 

There are so many bikes now that'd make brilliant year-round steeds were it not for the glaring omission of a set of fender bosses. Clip on mudguards suck in comparison, and it'd make winter group riding far better.

Sunglasses should always ship with a clear lens

I've tested so many pairs of cycling glasses now, and more and more, the really expensive ones are coming without a clear lens (I'm looking at you, Oakley). Yes, Prizm lenses are great even into twilight, but in winter, the sun sets at 4pm and I shouldn't have to buy a second pair of glasses just for half the year.

Bib shorts should have raw cut ends 

The days of a thick bit of elastic sewn onto the end of your bib shorts (with pockets) should be over by now. They're prone to causing sausage legs, and it's another stitch into the equation that has the potential to irritate. From now on, please use raw ends with silicone backing on the inside to stop ‘em riding up.

Every layer above a jersey should have a double ended zip

Once you've experienced the joy of unzipping a jacket or gilet from the bottom, you'll never want to go back. It flaps less, and means you can access your pockets without having to undo everything. It's becoming near-universal, but there are still some single-ended offenders out there.

Torque specs should be printed next to the bolt

When I'm trying to swap something or adjust something I don't want to have to Google what the appropriate torque is, normally to be met with a message board full of men saying “ah it doesn't matter don't worry” and “it has to be exactly 4.8nm or you'll literally die”. Print it on the part next to the bolt in question so nobody can get it wrong.

Mineral oil in brakes

Sorry, SRAM, but DOT (Department of Transport) fluid is nasty stuff that can strip paint if you mess up a brake bleed. In contrast, while you shouldn't necessarily drink four or five glasses of mineral oil with dinner, it's a much nicer chemical to work with. All brakes should use it.

Any riding jacket with a hood should have a means of stowing it

I don't want to impersonate a wind sock.

Have I missed anything or proposed something you fundamentally disagree with? I'm sure you'll let me know.