Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Bicycling

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WHAT’S THE WORLD’S FASTEST VELODROME? Our pick: the Bicentenary Velodrome in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Six UCI world records have been set on its 250-meter wooden oval. Some of the credit goes to the track’s 1,887-meter altitude. “High elevations result in lower air density, which decreases aerodynamic drag,” says Robby Ketchell, chief data scientist for Team Sky. Another advantage of racing at Aguascalientes: It’s indoors. “Most record attempts nowadays take place on indoor velodromes with wooden or synthetic surfaces because the environment can be controlled,” Ketchell says. Bradley Wiggins set the World Hour Record last June at London’s Lee Valley VeloPark (shown on previous page)—an indoor wooden track with heating and ventilation systems designed to facilitate record-breaking performances. Why don’t roadies wear hydration packs? We’ll recuse ourselves from any debate over aesthetics…

1. Orient your echelon in the opposite direction that the wind is coming from, Carpenter says. Blowing from the right? Fan out to the left. 2. Just as in a paceline, you want the rider in front of you to block the wind. But instead of lining up directly behind him, offset yourself just outside his shoulder. split up If the road isn’t wide enough for your group to safely fan out, divide into multiple, smaller echelons. Otherwise the riders at the back will have little protection from the wind and will have to work much harder to stay with the group. 3. When it’s your turn on the front, pull for 30 to 60 seconds, maintaining the group’s pace. Never surge or push the pace in this position— you’ll…

Q/A So…I heard that Viagra can enhance performance on the bike. True? “I know plenty of guys who have prescriptions for these pills. But they don’t waste them on exercise,” says Andy Pruitt, founder of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. Jokes aside, Viagra—which relaxes blood vessels to allow for increased blood flow, and thus faster oxygen delivery—made headlines in 2006 as a potential high-altitude athletic-performance enhancer. But the news was based on a single study of 11 cyclists, and only four of them responded in a significant way at altitude, while the rest saw no improvement or even a decline. None saw improvement at sea level. In short, “the evidence is miniscule for performance enhancement,” says Pruitt. “And there are a lot of side effects,” including fatigue, flushing of…

WHEN JAMES BEARD AWARD–WINNING CHEF and restaurateur Jody Adams was asked to help guide a bike tour of Sicily in 2008, she had one goal: “I didn’t want to have to get in the van.” She didn’t—and by the end of the trip, she was smitten. Now, most mornings you can find Adams on her Seven Axiom, training for the 192-mile Pan-Mass Challenge charity ride (her team has raised nearly $500,000 over five years) or commuting through Boston’s suburbs to her restaurant, Rialto, in Harvard Square, or TRADE, in downtown Boston. “Sometimes I’ll write a menu while I’m riding,” she says. “I’ll see corn or tomatoes growing and be inspired.” To fuel her rides, Adams packs her own snacks, such as these savory lasagna rolls (pictured). “I tend to eat…

Rally car driving is like enduro racing: a series of time-trial stages on closed roads. Like mountain biking, it’s man versus nature, not man versus man. If you do better than the other guy, he’s probably happy for you. There’s less spandex, but still a lot of sweating. You have to wear a helmet and a fireproof suit. You can’t put your windows down, because your arms will fall out if the car rolls. You have to make snap decisions. It teaches you to look through corners and far ahead, since you’re going so fast. On a bike, you can hurt yourself a little. Rally car drivers don’t have scars, but hit a tree at 100 miles an hour and that’s the last thing you’ll ever do. Stage rallying is…

PEDRAM SHOJAI, a documentary filmmaker and doctor of Oriental medicine, believes in the power of meditation—even while zipping around the sweet singletrack near his home in Irvine, California. In his book The Urban Monk (Rodale, February 2016), the 40-year-old—who’s also an ordained priest of the Yellow Dragon Monastery in China— helps people harness the stress-busting benefits of Eastern practices (such as yoga) while still pursuing their passions (such as cycling). “I can’t ask people to become monks, they have stuff going on,” says Shojai. “But you can make your bike ride your spiritual practice.” Shojai suggests meditating during a ride. “It’s about getting to your flow state, where you’re laser-focused but calm,” he says. Try this: When you feel your mind wandering, touch your tongue to the roof of your…

Canon PowerShot G7 X $600 A 20.2MP 1-inch sensor sits behind a 4.2x Optical Zoom f/1.8-2.8 IS lens that captures unbelievable sharpness and depth. It also shoots HD video, has a swivel touchscreen LCD for selfies, and Wi-Fi for seamless, real-time ’gramming. Fujifilm X100T $1,300 With a 16.3MP sensor and a 23mm f/2 fixed lens, it shoots beautiful stills and switches to 1080p video recording at 60fps. Just imagine showing your coworkers the superslo-mo of that gnarly creek crossing on Monday. Ricoh GR II $700 A lightweight magnesium alloy body wraps around a 16.2MP sensor that gets every crack and crevice in the road. But its crown jewel is a fixed 18.3mm f/2.8 lens, which has a magical way of catching light; just don’t expect it to zoom in. Sony…

POC Tectal Race POC’s new trail helmet has extended coverage on the back of the head and temples. It’s goggle-friendly—an elastic band and clip holds your eyewear in place—with a large visor that tilts up. The shape, padding, and straps are comfortable. Venting is superb. And the fit system is effective, all combining for many happy hours on the trail. The helmet does drop low in front, so it covered my eyebrows, which caused some interference with eyewear. $210, 341g (M)—MATT PHILLIPS Bell Super 2R Joy Ride The new women’s version of the convertible Super 2R enduro helmet has the same fit and features, differing only in graphics, color palette, and the Joy Ride moniker—inspired by a grassroots women’s mountain bike group ride that started in Santa Cruz. But I’m…

BUMPERS Front bumper wheels and rear bumper bars gently nudge your bike back to center if you drift too far to one side. In 10 years, the closest I’ve come to tumbling off my previous Inside Ride rollers was the time I had my eyes closed while belting out a Nelly jam—I ended up pinballing back and forth between the bumpers until I finally put a foot down. TOOL-FREE SIZE ADJUSTMENT To adjust the rollers to the correct length for your bike, just loosen the two knobs on the side, then you can slide the front roller forward or backward. SLIDING FRAME The rollers float to counteract momentum when you hammer out of the saddle, preventing the bike from jumping off the front as it might on a fixed frame.…

1 Before exercising, applying heat can relax tight muscles and improve flexibility. 2 After an intense weight session, applying heat can reduce soreness and relieve aches and pains. 3 Increases blood supply and stimulates the elimination of waste products to relax soreness and stiffness. 4 Stimulates the sensory thermo receptors on nerve endings in the skin, which block your body’s pain transmitters from sending pain signals to your brain. 5 Delivers soothing warmth to relieve muscle cramps and back pain.…

Not if you value your floor. The plastic or metal edges can ding and dent hardwood, laminate, and linoleum. Shoes also tend to attract mud, grease, and tar, which stain carpets. Plus, combine slippery cleats with a hard, smooth surface, and you have ideal conditions for a wipeout. Leave your shoes at the door; if that’s not an option, pick up a pair of cleat covers. They’re inexpensive ($10 to $15), come in a variety of sizes, and will preserve your floors and your body.…

Should I give my massage therapist any special instruction? You probably don’t need us to tell you that you’ll want the most attention paid to your lower body. But also ask your therapist to follow up with the back and neck, and to spend any leftover time on arms, hands, and wrists— these areas may be tight from gripping the handlebar, says Sara Clawson, who runs a sports massage practice in Greensboro, North Carolina. She adds that while many people equate sports massage with intense deep-tissue work, extreme pressure is not necessary for recovery. Long, lengthening strokes help muscles recover by opening up blood vessels and flushing waste, which reduces postride tenderness. SEE IT IN ACTION—WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL AT BICYCLING.COM/ECHELON.…

HELPFUL ADVICE FROM ALL KINDS OF RIDERS I’ve been riding my whole life, but started taking it more seriously about 10 years ago. I even rode across the United States. My husband and I met when we both showed up to a friend’s house by bike. Now we have a three-year-old, Forest, who rips on his balance bike! Pushing myself to do things that are exciting and difficult is part of who I am, and having a kid doesn’t mean it needs to stop. I can’t take off for months at a time to ride across the country anymore, but I now know the Angeles National Forest better than most people know their own neighborhoods. We pull Forest and his balance bike behind us, in the trailer. Once we’re on…

YOUR BIKE IS MORE CAPABLE THAN YOU THINK Your road bike can handle dirt trails— put wider tires on it—and your cyclocross bike is fine for road rides. Find a gravelly country lane or some urban singletrack? Take it—even if you’re on a brand-new carbon road machine. ALWAYS SAY “YES” TO THE RIDE I once skipped a big fall road ride with friends because I didn’t think my ’cross bike was the right tool for the job. I regretted my decision as soon as I saw the photos from that day in my social media feeds. NOT EVERYONE’S UPGRADING A lot of my customers are astounded that I own only one bike. But others have been riding the same thing for more than 10 years. They used to baffle me,…

“I LIKE A BIG CRAZY RIDE EVERY YEAR. How did riding become a passion of yours? I got my first bike, a bright red Raleigh Bobcat, at about age 2. When I was a little older, Breaking Away was big, and a spinoff series ran in England. I wanted a silver bike like the lead character. Before I got my first road bike, I got shoes and a helmet for Christmas and slept in them that night. What inspired you to climb Mont Ventoux with your dad? It seemed like one of the hardest things I could do physically to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s. Dad was diagnosed in October 2012. I’ve done a lot of tough rides, like cycling from London to Edinburgh in one day, and riding…

READERS’ CHOICE GRIZ HUMAN: JARED NIETERS AT THE FIRST glimpse of a cycling kit, the Griz Man sits up, ears perked. When the Grizza hears water sloshing into bottles, he paces by the door. And once Bark Grizwald senses the car nearing the trailhead, he dances in place on the backseat, whining impatiently. The two-yearold Catahoula Leopard Dog with a catalog of nicknames is inexhaustible when it comes to pursuing a knobby tire. His human, Jared Nieters, 38, a cycling coach and owner of Haymarket Bicycles in Haymarket, Virginia, adopted Griz as a puppy a year and a half ago from a shelter. With a Catahoula’s tracking instinct, Griz is a natural at racing behind Nieters’s bike. He’s relentless off the trail too, shredding dog toys billed as indestructible within…

NO GAME PLAN “Know the basic parameters,” says Andy Applegate, a Los Angeles–based coach at Carmichael Training Systems. “Miles, feet of climbing, how long it will take. It helps with pacing and nutrition strategy.” AS SOON AS THE ROAD WENT UP, MY CONFIDENCE WENT DOWN “The more negative things you think about,” Applegate says, “the harder it will feel.” TOO MUCH STANDING “When you stand during long, slow climbs,” says Applegate, “you use upper-body muscles that don’t propel the bike forward.” Stand too long, and you fatigue from wasted energy. Sit and spin as much as you can. NOT ENOUGH FOOD 6 hours + 47 miles + half an apple + one PB&J left in the car = Duh! DEATH GRIP The road was so steep, I white-knuckled my handlebar…

AS A DRIVER, I’ve never been much of a horn honker. I don’t beep just because I’m impatient—I save it for close calls, when I’m in harm’s way. But because I use my horn so judiciously, I want it to really work when I need it— and to have more authority than the meep meep of a funland kiddie ride. While the purpose of a bicycle bell is more about giving fair warning to pedestrians and other cyclists than getting the driver of a two-ton vehicle to snap to attention, I feel the same way: A bell should elicit a reaction. And as an alert, the sound of the Spurcycle is as pleasing as it is effective. The moment I took it out of its keepsake-worthy, matte-black and silver box,…

HAVING WITNESSED THE birth of mountain bike suspension and each evolution, I suffered along as engineers dealt with weight, cost, control in various situations, and wasted energy. But with today’s best systems, efficiency, comfort, and handling exceed the drawbacks so greatly that it’s hard to imagine a high-performance mountain bike without suspension. That’s why I wanted to love the Manta Pro, with its 12mm of rear suspension provided by a small shock at the top of the seatstays. I wanted it to prove that suspension can transform the ride of a road bike, too. The bike has moments of greatness. It’s smoother than any other road bike I’ve ridden besides Pinarello’s Dogma K8-S, which also has a rear shock. The rougher it gets, the more the Manta sings. On a…

I USUALLY FORGO hardshell jackets on the bike—my heavy sweating quickly overwhelms their breathability, leaving me soaked from the inside out. The 7mesh Revelation changed that. It’s the first cycling jacket made with Gore-Tex PRO, claimed to breathe better than classic Gore-Tex in warmer conditions. Though this waterproof shell is uninsulated, it rebuffed the elements better than anything else I’ve used. On trail rides in grim conditions, the protection from wind and rain was excellent. And on sunny days, and even on extended climbs, the Revelation breathed so well that I stayed drier than I have in any other hardshell. When necessary, the huge pit zips and forearm vents dumped plenty of heat. The Revelation is tough and high-quality, as it should be for $450. I crashed in it, and…

ON MY RIDES, I use a cadence sensor and wear a heart rate monitor while watching the ever-changing data on my Garmin. That data automatically feeds to Strava where I analyze and compare my results against some super-in-shape asshole from two summers ago: myself. Every blip of information feels critical. Hell, I even know the weight, to the ounce, of the two bikes I was swapping between. But I couldn’t have told you what I weighed. With so many numbers at my disposal, I had somehow overlooked the most important (and heaviest) piece of the equation. So I started using the $150 Withings Smart Body Analyzer, which in addition to weight, displays heart rate, body mass index, body fat percentage, and even the weather forecast. This comprehensive snapshot is illuminating.…

OUR ONGOING EXAMINATION INTO THE NATURE OF EXISTENCE, THE MEANING OF LIFE, AND MUCH MORE IMPORTANT STUFF 1. I like hand-built frames—there’s more creativity there and people are thinking about angles and different colors, which I love. 2. I’ll take the rage—it’s more Italian. We get upset more than other people! 3. I never watch either, though—I only watch myself and the person in front of me while I’m riding. I think sports should be something you do, not something you watch. 4. What you learn in school is not really learning. It’s just information. 5. If I were good at climbing I’d say climbing! 6. I competed in body-building competitions earlier in my life. Google my name for before-and-after photos and laugh your guts out! 7. I love to…

I’ve so much relied on the famous exhortation of Eddy Merckx to “Ride Lots” that I have the phrase on my kitchen wall in big, pre-WWII theatre-marquee letters. But sometimes the phrase starts to feel as if it’s less of an encouragement than a condemnation of my life choices. That’s when I rally with another, lesser-known prescription Eddy gave about how much cycling is the right amount: “Ride. Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” 3 When I accepted that, due to my work schedule and the general insanity of life, I was going to need to start running to maintain any kind of fitness, I turned to Tracksmith. Cofounder Luke Scheybeler was instrumental in creating Rapha, and he’s brought…

THE BETTER YOU GET, THE MORE FUN IT IS Grams of carbohydrates you need per hour on the bike + H2O ALWAYS DRINK EIGHT TO 16 OUNCES OF PLAIN OR ELECTROLYTEENHANCED WATER WITH A GEL. THIS DILUTES THE CARB CONCENTRATION TO A LEVEL THAT YOUR BODY CAN ABSORB WITHOUT CAUSING BELLY WOES. LABEL CHECK Look for gels that contain multiple carbohydrate sources, such as fructose, maltodextrin, and organic dried cane syrup. The variety of carbs delivers energy at different rates, leading to fewer blood sugar spikes and GI issues. DIY ENERGY GEL THIS HOMEMADE GEL HAS 119 CALORIES AND 30 GRAMS OF CARBOHYDRATES PER ONE-OUNCE SERVING AND COSTS ABOUT $0.50 PER OUNCE. YIELDS 14 OUNCES. 1/2 C AGAVE NECTAR 3/4 C BROWN RICE SYRUP 1/2 C HONEY 1/2 TSP FINE-GRAINED…

No. FIFTEEN Dublin’s ranking on urban design consultancy Copenhagenize’s 2015 index of best cycling cities (three spots above Minneapolis, the only US city represented) 2 Number of Irish pubs riders hit— one at the start in Philadelphia and the other at the finish in Atlantic City—on the 65-mile Tour de Shore (July 17, 2016), which raises money for families of fallen first responders 170 CALORIES IN A PINT OF GUINNESS BEST WAY TO BURN THEM OFF: 15 MINUTES OF RIDING AT 14 MPH (FOR A 160-POUND CYCLIST) “I LOVE RACING IN THE RAIN— I GUESS IT IS IN MY BLOOD. IT HELPS IF YOU DROP YOUR TIRE PRESSURE AND BRAKE GENTLY AND IN ADVANCE OF TRICKY SITUATIONS.” Irish pro racer Olivia Dillon 19 87 YEAR IRISH RIDER STEPHEN ROCHE WON THE…

CHOSEN BY _ Online editor TAYLOR ROJEK, who knows the locations of all of the best mountain bike–accessible waterfalls in eastern Pennsylvania. 1 Keystone Rouleurs JAWNBidons I’ve ridden in tons of cool places—California, Italy, Taiwan—but there’s a special spot in my heart for the rolling hills and technical trails in my home state of Pennsylvania. With these bottles (“jawn” is Philly slang that can refer to just about anything), I can show my PA pride wherever I go. $18/pair 2 Fi’zi:k Aliante VS Saddle I scored this fuchsia demo version of the Aliante—which has been my favorite seat for years—at a bicycle swap meet in Indianapolis, and it was exactly what my black-and-white Cannondale CAAD10 needed. I paid $40 and got a like-new saddle and priceless style. 3 My 15-Year-Old…

I didn’t know anything about bikes going in—my bike had been stolen, so I hadn’t ridden in awhile.—N.H. I started with fixing flat tires and the ABC Quick Check (below). It took me three years to get my Black Apron. I was the first girl.—K.W. My favorite part to work on is the bottom bracket because it’s such a challenge. You loosen it, you take it out, you clean it, you repack it, and then you put it back in. Just know you’re never going to get it right the first time. It’ll be too tight or too loose. My biggest tip is to be patient.—K.W. Some people come in and when I start working on their bike they say, “Whoa! I didn’t know you were the one who would…

Pedal // OAK PARK, CALIFORNIA “She lives for the rides—and for the photo ops.” —SYNDY DEVERY-GRENNAN Winifred Churchill // NEW YORK CITY “A fixture in the Northeast cycling scene with a penchant for the podium.”—LISA VANDIVORT Nubis // SAN FRANCISCO “Currently the mascot for the San Francisco Composite High School mountain bike team.” —HEATHER PUGH For 315 additional dogs, plus tons of tips on how to ride with your pooch, visit BICYCLING.com/raddestdogs. Liberty // NEW YORK CITY “Hangs out in my messenger bag and makes everyone smile.” —LIZ LEE Ahnyo // EATON, NEW HAMPSHIRE “Up for adventure—anytime, anywhere.” —KAT ZALENSKI Pepino // NEW YORK CITY “What makes Pepino rad? I mean, look at him. He’s riding a bicycle!”—JULIANA DISIMONE Diesel // KETCHUM, IDAHO “Stole our hearts as a stray, and…