Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2012 i Bicycling

UNDER A FOREBODING AFTERNOON SKY, I rode up Sauerkraut Lane with Christine and Leah, out of the saddle but at a social pace. A crew had finished resurfacing the road earlier in the day—the pavers and rollers were parked on the shoulder and the asphalt remained tacky and unpainted. At the top, I flicked a few globs of tar off the front wheel of the Pinarello I was riding. We discussed a Norwegian study correlating housework and divorce, critiqued the lunch options in the cafeteria, and analyzed the dark clouds. We were en route to the cover shoot for this issue, which already had been postponed twice due to stormy weather. My gut said it wouldn’t rain. In any case, I hadn’t felt like driving. I’ve been doing that kind…

YOU ARE HERE PHOTOGRAPHED BY JAMES LAURITZ This pristine strip of paradise on Australia’s eastern coastline stretches along a narrow peninsula partially bordered by the 88,000-acre Yuraygir National Park. Bike riding isn’t permitted on park trails, but you can spin along the quiet, unpaved road from the modest resort village of Wooli and wind up on 4 miles of smooth sand that are wide open for cruising. Keep an eye out for pods of migrating dolphins or even a humpback breaching in the turquoise waters. —Jayme Moye CRUISE CONTROL When you’re riding in loose sand, stay seated and keep your weight slightly back. Rest your hands lightly on the handlebar and allow the front tire some play. Pedal continuously and brake lightly, only as needed. —J.M. WHEELS UP DOWN UNDER…

Chocoholics, rejoice. You now have permission not only to indulge, but also to be only half joking when you claim the plant-based food is your favorite vegetable. Plenty of research shows that chocolate is laced with antioxidants that lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and boost endurance. And—not that you need more arm-twisting—it can actually be good for your waistline: Researchers at the University of California in San Diego found that people who regularly indulge in chocolate (as many as five servings a week) had a lower body-mass index than those who mostly go without. That doesn’t mean you should plow through an entire Whitman’s Sampler in one sitting. This assorted mix lets you reap the benefits without feeling the guilt. FIBER WITHOUT SUGAR GET IT FROM Cacao nibs…

Get Fired Up The built-in benchmarks and sharing options on apps like Ride with GPS, Map My Ride, and Strava create incentive to improve your riding. Like many cyclists, Chad Haga, of Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies, dreads doing interval workouts. For motivation, he strings together a series of King of the Mountain segments he wants to claim that resemble the time-trial repeats his coach prescribes. Recon Routes Access intel for an event you’ve never done by downloading user-created maps and course profiles. You can even see the power required to match the best times on the toughest sections. “I send athletes a link to a course,” along with workouts on similar segments, says California-based coach Peter Nicholson. ID Weak Spots Go to Raceshape.com and plug in…

1 RandiJoFab waxed-canvas shop apron (the cross-back strap takes pressure off the neck), $60 2 Rapha shaving cream (ingredients include cypress and pine needle), $20 3 Merckx 525, $60; and The Greatest Race, $32 4 Giro Amare women’s helmet, $180 5 Electra commuter backpack, $90 6 Portland Design Works Bar-ista cup holder, $20 7 Omega Mega Mouth 330 juicer (the extra-large feed chute accommodates whole fruits), $200 8 Park Tool Blue Box tool case, $200 9 Basil Katharina shoulder bag (clips to a rear rack), $75 FOR MORE ON OUR CHOICES, GO TO BICYCLING.COM/2012GIFTGUIDE.…

Basque Country Singletrack Along Spain’s sun-drenched northern coast you can sample trails as varied as the region’s cuisine, with desert roller coasters, sea-swept paths, and Pyrenean rock gardens. Rugged descents through coastal forests deliver cyclists to plates of pintxos (traditional Basque tapas) in San Sebastian and Hondarribia, a fishing village the New York Times called one of the world’s best places to eat. Outfitter Basque MTB will customize trips. 6 days//from $1,288 TOUR DOWN UNDER VIP As your race-viewing domestiques for Australia’s Santos Tour Down Under, which runs January 20 to 28, Trek Travel will whisk you to prime viewing spots plus a private meet-and-greet session with Team RadioShack Nissan Trek. Rides average 35 miles with 2,200 feet of climbing, and range from a wine-country ramble to an attack on…

As cycling has become more and more professional throughout my career, and a bigger sport around the world, the off-season has changed. These days, professional racers see the time between the end of the season and the beginning of the next one not only as a period of rest but also as a chance to get stronger. In general, riders stay in much better shape through the off-season now. But that doesn’t mean we don’t relax—it’s important to recharge. Relaxing doesn’t mean lying around the house all the time. It also means catching up on things I missed during the racing season, or participating in some of our family traditions. Here is a list of my favorite off-season activities. Eating spareribs and drinking milk shakes. These are two things I…

1 Why derailleurs? I have an appreciation for the style and artistry of derailleurs. It’s a bit like motorcar design: Companies put emotion into derailleurs, try to make them look beautiful. In 2007, the bike shop where I work in Scotland, the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op, opened a branch in Manchester. We wanted to indicate that, although the branch was new, the business behind it had heritage. I suggested, as a decorative element, a collection of derailleurs from the charmingly ancient to the ferociously modern—and was surprised to find an audience who thought this was exceptionally cool. Men of a certain age—and a few women—still come into the shop and gaze at the display in a zen kind of way. That was when I switched from “not throwing things away” to…

It won’t be long before 27.5-inch wheels will be available on everything from cross-country bikes to downhill race rigs. Scott-Swisspower rider Nino Schurter won the 2012 XC World Championships on the wheels, proving their viability for XC racing, and several bike makers are already working on downhill bikes with 27.5 wheels—a category full of riders who are staunch 26-inch fans. Intense and KHS have prototypes and DVO Suspension is developing a fork. In fact, as many as three World Cup DH teams will race 27.5 bikes in 2013. None of the major North American brands—Giant, Specialized, and Trek—will offer 27.5 bikes this year, but at least one is rumored to be working on several for 2014, including some lower-cost options. Scott and Rocky Mountain have carbon 27.5 models; given the…

Unlike the first generation of 29ers, our 27.5-inch test bikes were surprisingly refined. Each had a stiff frame, good wheels and tires, and finely tuned geometry. We’d recommend any one of them to the right rider. But how do they stack up against existing wheel sizes? Compared with 29ers with more than 100mm of travel, the advantages of 27.5-inch wheels were immediately evident. The bikes were stiffer and more agile. They didn’t roll over obstacles as easily, but they were more capable across a wider range of terrains and were more fun to ride. We tested only longer-travel 27.5 bikes, so it’s hard to say how the wheels compare with hardtail and short-travel 29ers or 26-inch downhill bikes. But it doesn’t seem like 27.5 will convince many current 29er fans…

ECO-FRIENDLY Help keep polar bears chilly by signing up for Cycle for Change (June 29), a zoo-to-zoo century ride in the Midwest that aims to combat global warming. Made from recycled inner tubes and Mylar, Green Guru’s insulated Cruiser Cooler handlebar bag keeps your beverages frosty and lets you access your phone or wallet on the fly. WEATHERPROOF The water-repellent Castelli Gabba jersey stands up to rain, even when temperatures drop into the 40s. If you have the proper gear, there’s no such thing as bad weather. Dress right for any ride with the help of our What to Wear tool (BICYCLING.com/whattowear). The new $2,999 Salsa Beargrease fat bike tackles snowy rides with hydraulic disc brakes, a custom tapered fork, and 4-inch-wide tires. AVANT-GARDE At Peddler’s Creamery in Los Angeles,…

Nudged along not only by her love of riding but also by the fear of getting stranded by equipment failures, Portland, Oregon-based writer and mechanic TORI BORTMAN decided her mission in life was “to make repairing and riding bicycles accessible to anyone.” That’s why she opened her shop, Gracie’s Wrench, and why she was ideally suited to write “Rapid Returns” (p. 66), about easy steps to better riding. The photographer in NIGEL COX loved shooting titanium custom bicycles for “Nothing Like It” (p. 48) because of the frames’ stunning aesthetics. “The attention to detail and finishes on the frames were inspired,” he says. But the rider in him was drooling: “The hard part,” he says, “was not taking one out for a ride.” Cox, who lives in Brooklyn, has also…

Short days and cool temps make this time of year natural for taking a break from regular riding. But before you hang up your bike and pack on enough pounds to fill out a Santa suit, follow this off-season advice from Stephen Cheung, PhD, coauthor of Cutting-Edge Cycling. First, ditch the term off-season, says Cheung. Think of it more as downtime. To build on what you accomplished this year and come back even better next year, don’t forget you’re a cyclist. “Eat healthy and stay active most days of the week,” Cheung says. Hike with your family. Go for a run. Hit the slopes. It’s also okay to chill out and enjoy the final season of 30 Rock—as long as you don’t park on the couch every night with a…

OPEN WIDE You may be accustomed to tucking into a narrow, aerodynamic body position when you ride on the road, says Holden. But on a mountain bike that kind of stance will compromise your strength and balance. “Instead, keep your chest up and knees and elbows out,” she says. STAY LOOSE Top mountain bikers use their full range of motion to stay centered over the bike: up and down, side to side, and front to back. Go to an empty parking lot to practice moving your center of gravity in every direction. “Your riding will be more dynamic and in control,” Holden says. MIX IT UP Seek out new trails—and try different ride companions. “A trail I’ve taken hundreds of times becomes a new ride when I follow new training…

BREATHE EASIER Here’s some good news if you have asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm—coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath that occur during or after exercise. A recent study indicates that a preride warm-up may help, especially in winter, when cold, dry air is more likely to trigger an attack. Before your next chilly ride, try this: Spin for 10 minutes, then do five or six 30-second bursts at maximum effort with a minute of easy pedaling in between. You may feel symptoms right afterward, says study author Michael Stickland, PhD, of the University of Alberta, but they should disappear after a few minutes. Still, if you rely on an inhaler, always have it handy. (SERIOUSLY?) THE CLAIM Researchers from Western University in Canada recently reported that egg yolks are as bad…

Unless the yawning is excessive and doesn’t show signs of stopping, it’s totally normal. Yawning helps us make transitions in our physiological and behavioral states, such as from sleep to wakefulness or from sedentary to active, says Robert R. Provine, PhD, a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond. When you yawn during activity, he says, it stirs up certain body functions, which affect your blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. It’s also associated with anxiety (like at the start of an event), but it typically fades away. If it doesn’t, there may be more to your yawning than simply waking up or being nervous. Certain medications, particularly antidepressants, can trigger excessive yawning. Another…

I climb and descend and do it all again for a while, eating my breakfast as I ride, once on a hill holding an apple in my mouth for a few seconds as I rise out of the saddle and with both hands on the hoods rock the bike from side to side. In the morning air, the juice runs chill down my chin and sparks a tactile memory of feeling the same thing on this same hill on a spring dawning. In such mood, when I ride onto the gravel of Mill Hill, I think of the hot summer afternoon I was showing off some of my roads to my nephew and his friend and flatted here. When we stopped and looked at the wheel we saw that besides…

Long ago, back in the days of single-digit sprocket counts, there was a concept known as the off-season. The idea was that, as the racing season wound down and the weather changed, you forsook goal-oriented cycling for more recreational pursuits. You affixed fenders to your bike. You took chatty, meandering rides with friends. You straddled a bicycle with fat tires and enjoyed the sound of crisp autumn leaves crackling beneath your knobbies. Maybe you even put on a little weight and let your leg hair grow wild and free. Then, by the time spring rolled around, you’d emerge from your hairy cocoon rejuvenated and ready to embark upon the futility of amateur racing once again. Well, those days are gone. This is a shame, because we need an off-season—not because…

MAKE FAST FRIENDS There’s no better way to build speed than riding with people who are faster than you. Add one ride a week with a group that pedals at a more spirited pace. (Ask local bike shops about no-drop group outings.) You may get dropped at first, but each time you’ll hold on longer, and eventually you’ll be able to keep up. Or ask a speedy friend or two to join you and push your fastest pace. EAT REAL FOOD Energy bars are useful, but you can dial in your unique caloric needs (and save money) by making them yourself. “Making your own power bar is a simple and tasty way to get the exact ingredients and nutrients you’re looking for,” says Julie Hunter, founder of Flourish, an exercise…

Fox and RockShox have long battled for supremacy in the fork market, and now their fight has spread into the realm of 27.5 bikes. We tested two new models, the Fox Factory 34 Float FIT and RockShox Revelation RCT3, to see which one might be right for you. • Both forks excelled over a wide range of trails, but we found that the 160mm Factory 34 has a slight edge on descents and during aggressive riding, thanks to its larger and stiffer 34mm upper legs (and extra 10mm of travel). The fork’s three-position platform adjustment offers enough low-speed damping to eliminate excessive brake dive and unwanted climbing bob. • The 34’s thicker stanchions carry a small weight penalty, however, and it tips the scale at about half a pound more…

photographed by TONY PEARCE IT’S NO LONGER ENOUGH FOR A RACE BIKE TO BE LIGHT and stiff—now it also needs to slice through the wind. Because cyclists use the majority of their power to overcome wind resistance, aero frames are faster in nearly every situation, leading to a new category for performance bikes. A marriage between time-trial bikes and standard road racers, these models are light, efficient, and wind-tunnel certified. • The execution of the aero road bicycle has taken time. Many early models were heavy, not stiff enough, or transmitted too much road noise. But now, several generations later, the bikes are more refined, riding with characteristics similar to traditional frames. • For our first-ever Editors’ Choice award in this category, we gathered some of 2012’s best examples. In…

Our October feature about the Lance Armstrong doping investigation, “Injustice for All,” continues to generate an unprecedented amount of reader feedback. As usual, Bill Strickland gets the yellow jersey for journalism. Those expecting a black or white outcome in the Armstrong case suffer from naïveté. How far back should we strip riders of their wins? Shall we take down Tom Simpson’s memorial on Mont Ventoux? —Khalil Spencer, Los Alamos, NM I just read the Editor’s Letter and Bill Strickland’s article on Lance—great reading. I have always been a Lance supporter, and always will be. Did he dope? Who really knows? But possessed with world-class talent, desire, and unrelenting drive, Lance inspired, pure and simple. Kent Callahan, via e-mail Thank you for speaking for all of us caught between those who…

It was a classic sting operation—and when it was posted on YouTube, Jake Gillum’s bike-recovery video went viral. The cyclist from Portland, Oregon, had spotted his stolen bike in a Craigslist ad. He arranged a meeting with the seller, then drove to the agreed-upon location with some friends and a video camera. After calling the police, he met the seller and started to talk bikes. But the officers didn’t show, and after stalling as long as he could, Gillum accused the seller of stealing his bike. The man fled, and Gillum followed, recording the chase. When police finally got there, they arrested the suspected felon. For any cyclist who has ever had a bike stolen, it doesn’t get much better than that moment of triumph. But consider this advice before…

When it comes to having fun on a bike, most cyclists would rank riding inside on the trainer somewhere between bonking 20 miles from home and getting hit by a semi. But riding inside doesn’t have to be torture: The key is to adopt a get-on, get-off attitude and build more intensity into your workouts so you can spend less time pedaling to nowhere. Here are some simple guidelines for making the most of your rec-room sweat sessions. BE CONSISTENT If an athlete wants to maintain fitness over the winter, I recommend he or she ride four times a week and build intervals into three of those sessions. That might work out to two midweek rides on a trainer and two weekend rides. If two won’t fit into your schedule,…

1 Stop a squeaky pedal stroke by… A Checking your cleats for wear B Checking and tightening your chainring bolts C Making sure your bottom bracket is snug D All of the above 2 Fix a ding in your rim with… A A spoke wrench B An adjustable wrench C A chisel D Another rim 3 The most common cause of chainsuck is… A A worn chain B Worn chainrings C A dirty drivetrain D An out-of-adjustment front derailleur 4 To fix a loose headset... A Loosen stem, tighten top cap, tighten stem B Loosen top cap, tighten stem, tighten top cap C Tighten top cap only 5 If your brake or shift cables need to be replaced, the housing does, too. True False 6 The most used hex wrenches…

RIDE Elderflower liqueur maker St-Germain pays tribute to harvesters who deliver their blossoms by bike with this limited-edition steel singlespeed model. Elegant details include a custom leather bottle holder, a Brooks leather saddle, and a brass bell. $1,000 TRAIN In the The Power Meter Handbook, renowned coach Joe Friel (author of The Cyclist’s Training Bible) demystifies this training tool and offers 12 power-based workouts, as well as weekly training schedules for road races, time trials, triathlons, and century rides. $17 EAT Satisfy a chocolate craving and get a midride jolt with Clif’s new Chocolate Cherry Shot Bloks. Each three-piece serving delivers an energy boost of 100 calories, 24g of carbohydrate, and 50mg of caffeine. $2 for six pieces PLAY SANTA Chicago bike shop Amling’s Cycle hosts its Holiday Toy Ride…

A few months ago I went on a group ride that was extensively photographed by cyclists who then uploaded their shots to Facebook. I enjoyed seeing the pictures, but I was bothered by the presence, in this large group, of a fat guy in a red jersey who looked a lot like me. I was concerned that people would think that was me, and that I had put on some weight. Then I looked a little closer. That really was me. I was reminded once again that in the 18 months since I started trying to become a cyclist, I’ve learned not only what the sport is, but also what it is not. When I started out, I envisioned a bicycle as a magic machine into which you feed ice…

IN 1991, A YEAR AFTER WINNING HIS THIRD TOUR DE FRANCE, GREG LEMOND’S Z TEAM came back to the race on prototypes of the Merlin Extra Light. The first titanium bike to fully achieve the metal’s promise, it was as strong as steel but lighter, and possessed a unique and pleasing road feel—slightly more forgiving, with a little extra spring and, somewhat counterintuitively, also more stiffness. Though LeMond failed to win a fourth title, his bike sparked a fervor for titanium that lasted through the mid ’90s. Today, the competition to build frames that are ever lighter, stiffer, and more aerodynamic has made carbon composites the most desired material for performance road bikes. But to some of the grand masters of bike building, and to a select number of revered…

Five years ago, frame-builder Kirk Pacenti dusted off the decades-old 650b wheel size that had once been popular for touring bicycles (and was, at the time, mostly used on tri bikes), and built an elegant hardtail mountain bike to match it. He displayed his creation at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show with the confidence of someone who had discovered the Holy Grail. The wheels, which measured 27.5 inches, maneuvered with the agility of 26-inch hoops but rolled over obstacles as easily as 29ers. They offered the best of both worlds, he said. But Pacenti’s timing was off—29ers were reaching critical mass, and few manufacturers wished to abandon what was already selling. The 650b wheel seemed destined to remain a curiosity. But as more riders adopted 29ers, especially full-suspension frames,…

[Fig. 1] Without tires, 27.5-inch rims are closer in size to 26-inch wheels than 29ers. In fact, the difference between 26 and 27.5 is just 25mm, significantly smaller than the 38mm gap between 27.5 and 29er rims. That’s why some bike designers believe the performance boost is too small to warrant a new standard. [Fig. 2] We measured each rim size with multiple tires. Our 26-inch wheels averaged 26.5 inches, the 27.5s averaged 27.6 inches and the 29ers averaged 28.9 inches. Even with tires, 27.5 is still slightly closer to 26 than 29, but not by as much as some micrometer-wielding detractors like to claim.…

1 Castelli Nanoflex Much toastier than they look or feel, these warmers seal out the elements, keeping you dry in all but the heaviest rain. $60; castellicycling.com 2 Endura Baa Baa Merino Instead of high-tech textiles or coatings, Endura uses time-tested, itch-free merino wool to keep cold out and repel drizzle. $35; endurasport.com 3 Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Barrier Windproof, water resistant, and lined with warm fleece, this tough layer is ideal for days that start cool and never get warmer. $50; pearlizumi.com 4 Wildskins These fashion statements ensure that you’ll stand out on group rides. A thumbhole gives you extra coverage and a small pocket holds a key or cash. $20; wildskinsco.com 5 Sugoi Wolf With graphics meant to convey a West Coast aesthetic, this midweight piece is intended for…