Like father, like son? We compare Thibau Nys’ cyclocross bike to his dad’s from ten years ago ahead of the cyclocross World Championships

Biking has typically thrown up very profitable familial dynasties. Former world champion on the highway and a number of world champion in cyclocross, Mathieu van der Poel, is the son of former cyclocross world champion Adri van der Poel, in addition to the grandson of Milan-San Remo winner Raymond Poulidor and Paris-Roubaix winner, Magnus Bäckstedt’s daughters, Zoe and Elynor, journey for Canyon-Sram zondacypto and UAE Staff ADQ respectively. 

It’s, nevertheless, uncommon to discover a father-son duo who not solely competed in the identical self-discipline but in addition on the identical bikes. Sven Nys, extensively thought to be the best cyclocross rider in historical past, rode a lot of his profession aboard Colnago machines however switched to using Treks within the latter years. His son, Thibau Nys, now rides for Lidl-Trek on the highway and the Baloise Glowi Lions on the ‘cross area, in each instances using Trek bikes. 

Prematurely of the 2025 UCI Cyclocross World Championship this weekend in Liévin, France, we check out podium contender and present European and Belgian champion Nys Jr’s machine and examine it to his father’s bikes from ten years in the past to see what, if something, has modified on the earth of cyclocross tech.

Thibau Nys’ Trek Boones

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Thibau Nys rides considered one of a pair of Trek Boones in a measurement 56. The devoted cyclocross bike stays in Trek’s lineup regardless of the development for opponents like Specialised to morph their cyclocross bikes into gravel machines in recent times, as has occurred with the Specialised Crux. 

Nys Jr’s machine is fitted with a Sram Pink AXS groupset, arrange with a single entrance chainring and a really low profile chain catcher mounted to the very base of the seat tube. We can’t make out the dimensions of the chainring, nevertheless it does embrace an built-in SRAM Pink energy meter. His cranks are 172.5mm and look to have Shimano XTR pedals mounted to them. 

His cassette is a 10-33 in these photographs, however the workforce has knowledgeable me that he’ll change out for a 10-36 choice relying on the course. 

Tyres are additionally course dependant, however right here we see a set of Staff Version Problem Limus, a mud tread designed to be used within the heaviest situations of the season the place traction is prioritised over pace. 

Cyclocross remains to be the final stronghold for tubular wheels exterior of observe racing, with the tyres bodily glued to the rim. Tubulars are simpler to journey on when flat and do not include a danger of ‘burping,’ whereby air escapes underneath laborious cornering with low pressures, as might be the case with tubeless programs. 

One other space the place cyclocross bikes nonetheless look like flying the flag for older tech is within the cockpit. Thibau’s Boone nonetheless includes a separate bar and stem, with no inner hose routing till the headset. Given the larger prevalence of crashes in cyclocross I think that is as a lot a crash insurance coverage alternative, the place bars can rotate as an alternative of snap throughout massive impacts, as it’s an ergonomic one. 

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Sven Nys’ Trek Boones

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Thibau’s father, Sven, additionally rode a measurement 56 Trek Boone again in 2014. That was a season the place the usage of disc brakes was in a transitional part, with some riders adopting them and others resolutely sticking to cantilever brakes. Sven, for his half, races the season on a pair of Trek Boones, one disc-equipped, and one with cantis. 

The geometry of the body has shifted barely within the final decade, with a extra horizontal high tube on the 2014 version. This could make shouldering the bike simpler however might make it more durable to maneuver round on technical descents. the lowered seatpost stickup can even have much less flex, however the 2015 Boone had a built-in ‘Isospeed Decoupler,’ which added compliance to the rear finish. 

Sven raced his latter years on Dugast tyres, now a subsidiary of Vittoria, however then as now, they’re 33mm extensive tubulars glued to Bontrager rims. Additionally, spherical bars function within the cockpit, as they do on his son’s machine. 

The place issues differ primarily is within the brakes and the drivetrain. Working cantilevers is an enormous distinction, however even the disc-equipped machine has quick-release wheels slightly than thru-axles, rising the probabilities of disc rub. Sven additionally rode with Shimano Dura-Ace gearing with a 2x setup, however in distinction to the cable actuated brakes each of his bikes used digital gearing. 

Dura-Ace derailleurs of that period did not function a clutch for elevated chain retention, and so in addition to offering larger gear vary the entrance derailleur acted as a sequence catcher, although did improve the chance of mud clogging the drivetrain. regardless of this, Sven’s bike might be seen with an extra chain catcher contained in the little ring. 

Working a 2x system additionally allowed Sven to utilize a tighter 11-28 cassette, that means smaller jumps between gears, permitting the Belgian to keep up the optimum cadence. 

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