Indholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2021 i Bicycling Australia

IT WOULD BE HARD TO FIND A MORE IMPRESSIVE cycling power couple than Tiffany Cromwell and Valtteri Bottas right now. The Australian Olympic cyclist and the Finnish Formula One driver; both are at the top of their game and seemingly helping each other to greater heights as they trip around the world together. Tiffany races road and gravel with team Canyon-SRAM and Valtteri is a Formula One driver for Mercedes (soon to be Alfa Romeo from the 2022 season). Bicycling Australia caught up with both of them from Monaco to chat about how they make it work. COCO: VALTERRI, HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN CYCLING? VALTTERI: I’ve used cycling as part of my training since I was young and I always used to do a bit of mountain biking,…

2021 HAS BEEN challenging for many of us. Lockdowns, LGA rules and interstate borders closures have all contributed to many of us riding less kilometres. Annual distance tallies are down and many of us may be feeling a little behind the eight ball, so far as bike fitness goes. Which all leads to the question: is it possible to cram for a race, fondo, crit or major event? The answer is—as with almost everything—it depends. It depends on what you are training for and what level of fitness you have currently. In this MasterClass feature we will look at two scenarios: someone who has a relatively low level of base fitness and someone who has a relatively good level of base aerobic fitness. Jumping into a block of cramming is…

ONE OF THE WORLD’S PREMIUM race bikes, the Trek Madone is a standout model that has proven itself time and again. I guess it’s personal preference, but not many designs match the stunning smooth-flowing aero lines of the benchmark Madone SL7. Similarly world-class, Trek’s Domane is a super impressive platform that blends endurance and comfort with all-round performance. Far from being ‘all dressed up with nowhere to go’, the good looks and impressive design inclusions of both bikes are solidly substantiated by advanced aerodynamic performance and dreamy all-day ride quality…the Madone and Domane really are special bikes. But why are we opening a gravel and adventure bike review with a discussion about Trek’s aero and endurance-specific road platforms? Take a look at the images on these pages and the answers…

LIKE MANY ENTHUSIASTS IN OUR sport, Trent Forbes has been riding for as long as he can remember. Starting out in Tasmania, he joined the Australian Defence force. He was posted to Sydney for around eight years, then reposted to Brisbane where he still lives and can often be spotted riding one of his beloved bikes. That's where Trent takes up the story. "With my job, and always being away from home, well that pretty much killed off any training for races. So I continued social riding for some time and was eventually discharged from the military due to medical reasons—some can probably guess why. Yes, I had multiple deployments to Afghanistan and one to East Timor. With a competitive streak from my earlier cycling days, I developed an interest…

“I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHY…I was telling myself to be calm, but I felt like there was maybe a boiling point. Normally, I feel like I like challenges, but recently, I feel very anxious when things don’t go my way—and I feel like you [the public] can feel that. I’m not really sure why it happens the way it happens now.” This came from superstar tennis player Naomi Osaka’s press conference at the US Open in September, after her third round loss to eventual runner-up Leylah Fernandez, 73rd in the world before the meet. Japanese-born Osaka was ranked third. Some three-and-a-half months prior, Osaka, who won the opening Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne and was previously a world no.1, controversially, said before the French Open that she would…

A MAJOR INDUSTRY development recently occurred—big news that surprisingly stayed under the radar. It concerns one of the greatest success stories in Australian business and a pivotal investment in cycling. It’s not every day a developing bike brand receives a major cash injection from a billionaire. So the news that Scott Farquhar, the CEO of major software company Atlassian, invested around $AU13.5M in Factor Bikes is more than fascinating. Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome is now also on board as a director of Factor Bikes—and coupled with their billionaire benefactor, this is a potent and priceless combination. Of course big business is no stranger to the cycling industry. Gerry Ryan of Jayco Caravan fame has financed Australia’s WorldTour team since its inception. And Graham Turner’s Flight Centre group…

SHIMANO’S MUCH-ANTICIPATED JUMP TO 12-SPEED arrived on the first day of Spring, the world’s leading groupset manufacturer launching its latest Dura Ace and Ultegra series on one of the milestone days of the year. The shift to a 12-tooth cassette is certainly the headline feature, but the new R9200 Dura Ace and R8100 Ultegra also has wireless shifting with the derailleur being powered via the traditional seat tube battery, and the redesigned shifters each hold a flat cell battery to power signal transmission. Shifting speed is faster than ever—light years ahead of reaching to the downtube and pulling or pushing the shifter while listening to the chain line up. Processing speeds across both models are 58% faster than 11sp Di2 in the rear derailleur and 45% faster upfront. Signal-wise, Shimano…

FIVE YEARS AGO, IN 2016, IT WAS ANOTHER harrowing statistic that prompted Black Sheep to begin the Man Ride: 1 in 5 men were taking their own lives. Anxiety. Depression. Mental illness were all on the rise. It wasn’t an exclusive club either. Fathers. Sons. Sportspeople. Tradies. And teenagers were all suffering. But no one was talking about it. Back then, Man Ride organisers rode 1000km over four days through the Australian outback—at the time ravaged by drought and its associated negative effects on the economy and the largely male population associated with that sort of work. Farmers were taking drastic actions to escape the torment. The journey across the sunburnt outback shone a light on the hidden stories that lay in the shadows. For the riders, it was a…

EZIGRIP Ezigrip is a second-generation family-owned business. They love riding bikes and their passion and knowledge are evident in all their products. The Ezigrip towbar mounted range caters to most bikes—from family models through to road and mountain bikes—and there are two-bike and four-bike options. They also offer an e-bike rack that can carry two e-bikes and has a total weight capacity of 60kgs. There is even an optional ramp to wheel your e-bike up onto the rack—no more having to lift heavy bikes! The bike rack offering is complemented by a full range of spare parts and accessories. Further information at www.bikecorp.com.au KRUSH KRUSH bike cleaning products are proudly Australian made and owned. Every product is carefully developed and brutally tested in Mansfield in the foothills of Victoria’s high-country.…

IN THE CYCLING WORLD, THERE ARE a few quick measures often used to judge the seriousness of other cyclists encountered on the road or in the cafe. Shaved/ unshaved legs, disc/rim brakes, tubes/tubeless, appropriate sock length…the list goes on. While these superficial judgments are not always helpful, in the right setting they can provide for good banter. One judgement I have historically found myself on the wrong side of is the “clean drivetrain quick inspection”. I am certainly guilty of washing my bike less than some would say is appropriate (although it gets washed 10 times more frequently than my poor car). Wet chain lubes have contributed to what can become a particularly nasty situation if not degreased and washed regularly. It has been interesting to observe the trend in…

WITH THE 42 LIMITLESS Gravel Disc, Hunt’s objective was simple and straightforward—develop one of the world’s best all-round gravel-specific wheelset. Gravel events are booming, and riders are wanting higher-quality technology, wider inner and outer widths, and ultimately faster wheels. To add another layer to the complex equation, those who enjoy a mix of smooth blacktop bitumen road riding along with medium to course gravel want wheels that can perform competently on both surfaces. And, as you can no doubt imagine, this is a tough ask. Wind tunnel-tested, the 42mm Limitless wheels have recorded the lowest aerodynamic drag among a range of leading gravel-specific wheels under 50mm depth. The gains are marginal, but they deliver up to 12W savings over competitors and 16.8W savings over non-aero gravel wheels. The rims measure…

MERIDA SULTURA V TEAM Merida have launched the 2022 Scultura, their headline road bike as ridden by Jack Haig in the Vuelta España. The company's lightweight climbing race bike for the year ahead, the Scultura inherits many of sister bike the Reacto's aero features, including sharing the same geometry. Merida say the updated model is more comfortable to ride along with being 4% lighter in top-end CF5 form. They say the latest Scultura is “perfect for riders looking for a lightweight climbing bike with outstanding comfort and impressive aero credentials.” SPECIFICATIONS CF5 frame (822g in size M) CF5 fork (389g in size M) New Shimano Dura-Ace 12s Di2 incl. power meter NEW VISION METRON 45 SL tubeless ready wheels MERIDA TEAM SL 1P cockpit Prologo SCRATCH M5 saddle with carbon…

IT’S BEEN QUITE A RISE FOR AUSTRALIA’S #1 VIRTUAL cycling club, WMZ. After only taking its first tentative steps back in April 2020, it today boasts more than 550 active members and recently won the inaugural AusCycling Club Esports NationalSeries, held over four rounds on Zwift. Peter Maniaty caught up with WMZ Co-Founder, Brett McMurtrie, to get the backstory. BICYCLING AUSTRLIA: BRETT, TODAY WMZ IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST VIRTUAL CYCLING CLUBS IN AUSTRALIA. HOW DID IT ALL COME ABOUT? BRETT MCMURTRIE: Like a lot of cycling clubs, in April last year our normal Sunday morning racing was cancelled due to COVID-19. I was pretty disappointed as I always loved this time with my cycling friends and knew it was also good for my mental health. It got me thinking…

CINETTICA ORIGINAL JERSEY Bringing back the passion and the heritage of the past with the classic original jersey from Australian company Cinettica. Made with superb fabrics, these lightweight, second-skin jerseys beautifully cut and top-class in fit and finish. They feature high-stretch fabrics that provide excellent breathability and moisture wicking, flat seams and laser-cut grippers. Sometimes less is more with cycling kit—and that’s certainly the case here. They are no-nonsense rider apparel that look great, are made to last and super comfortable to ride. FEATURES • Performance Fit—designed as a fitted jersey to sit firmly on the body without restricting movement• Lightweight 4-way high stretch fabric, breathable and quick drying• Elasticised laser-cut gripper on hips and sleeves for seamless comfort• Full length hidden nylon zipper• 3 rear pockets + one zippered…

SUDDENLY IT FELT AS IF WE HAD REACHED THE END of the world. Rugged cliffs fell away into an unforgiving sea that churned and frothed, throwing a salty mist high into the air, filling our nostrils with the fresh smell of the world below us. We lay our bikes down and stand gazing out to sea, minds full of visions of greater journeys still to come, of new frontiers to be explored, just as Henry the Navigator must have done so at this exact spot all of those years ago. In all of the years that I have been cycling and exploring the world Portugal has, for reasons unknown, never registered much interest for me, which would explain my initial skepticism when my friend Axel proposed the idea of a…

THEY ARE BEING WORN BY SOME of the biggest name riders, two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar debuting them in July this year. And that’s not where the ‘big’ theme ends—has there ever been more expansive lens real estate in cycling? I think not. To be fair to Scicon, the Lamon is not much bigger than their standard Aerowing offering—the funky shaping, nose / cheek cut out, and slotted side fins all helping give the impression of an overall bigger lens. And yes, the most notable point of difference with this latest offering from Scicon is that radical new shape and the wing-like tips on either side of the lenses. Scicon designers say these slitted trailing edges diffuse oncoming air to help it flow by more smoothly. “Diffusion of…

LIKE SEVERAL KASK ROAD models, the Valegro was developed in collaboration with UCI WorldTour heavyweights, Team Ineos. Specifically, the British team was looking for a new helmet option with minimum weight and maximum cooling to sit alongside Kask’s more aero stablemate, the Protone. Refined using wind-tunnel simulations for optimal thermo-cooling performance, the Valegro boasts a quite remarkable 37 air vents (yep, I counted them) and weighs in a touch under 200g for the ‘large’ model reviewed. Throw in easily removable frontal padding to further increase airflow around your head, and this is a lid clearly designed for riders who spend a lot of time pushing the pedals in hot conditions. In others words, pretty much anyone in Australia. However, this brings me to the first quirk. While the Valegro lining…