Indholdsfortegnelse for July-August 2024 i Bicycling Australia

When women take up road cycling as a new pursuit, they approach it quite differently than the average man. I know this is blatant stereotyping but in my experience of 16 years on a road bike, it is mostly true. New female riders are generally more cautious, less confident, but are keen to learn. The good news is that thanks to many female trailblazers, there are loads of things available to counteract the new rider’s nerves. There are groups of women who ride together, training options, female-specific gear, and there are events that welcome women. My cycling club, Lidcombe-Auburn Cycle Club (LACC) has about 30 active female members who ride together regularly on our club rides. That’s not to say that they also don’t ride in groups with men, but…

As the national economy flutters all over the place and governments are busy managing the inflation game worldwide, what does this mean for the cycling consumer in the current climate? At our recent Mudgee Classic held in the stunning Mid-Western region of NSW, I noticed just how resilient our sector is. Not only did we have growth in overall riders in our 4th year of running the event, we sure did notice the increasing variety of gleaming road & gravel bikes … bling bling it was! Looking at the wide range of impressive bikes on show at the start line, I couldn’t help but think how significant major events are to the bike industry. With 2300 road & gravel riders there, even at a conservative value of $5000 a piece,…

Much has changed for Australia’s elite cycling program since the disappointments of Tokyo. Following a wide-ranging review by AusCycling, one of the most significant moves was the appointment in February 2022 of Jesse Korf as Executive General Manager–Performance, filling the role that had been held since 2017 by Simon Jones. As Korf continued to fine-tune Australia’s preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, we spoke exclusively during the Track National Championships in Brisbane. Jesse, you’re a busy man with Paris fast approaching. It’s Track Nationals this week, then what? Jesse Korf: I’m actually heading to the USA to finalise our innovation strategy for 2028 (Los Angeles) and 2032(Brisbane). We’ll be visiting MIT, then spending some time with the Navy Seals in San Diego. Just months out from your first Olympic…

After previous criticisms of the women’s tour being ‘too soft’ and ‘condescending’, Race Director Marion Rousse had foretold in 2023 that this year’s Tour de France Femme will be the ‘Confirmation Year’ of women’s racing. Not only will it be the first foreign depart for the Femme’s Tour, this year’s route will include major climbs and race routes frequented by the men’s editions. The third edition of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will hit a milestone of following the modern tradition of the men’s race by having its Grand Depart on foreign soil. On 12 August, Rotterdam in the Netherlands will be rolling out the yellow carpet as the world’s biggest women’s cycling race, which finishes on the18th August at the top of the iconic Alpe d’Huez. Rotterdam is…

It’s not often that new gear surprises us, how many times have you heard the ‘there’s nothing new in cycling’ line? But these magnetic pedals, spotted by our good friend Harry Kooros who was at the Taipei International Bike Show, do seem quite interesting. MagPed ROAD2 pedals, could be described as a revolutionary addition to the world of road cycling. That said, they’re not a new company, having released their first pedals in 2019. As the MagPed name suggests, rather than using a variant of the traditional and time-tested clip in system, the pedals across the range – road, gravel, sport, enduro and gravel – use strong magnets to hold the shoe to the pedal. ‘How strong?’ You might ask. Well the pedals are shipped with a white plastic spacer…

Thanks for speaking with us Matt, what is the ProVelo Super League? Matt Wilson: Hi Lee … the PVSL is a seven-event series that will be taking place from January 2024 through to the end of March. It will take over from the existing National Road Series model. It will include some of the most classic events in Australia such as the Melbourne to Warrnambool, Grafton to Inverell, Tour of Tassie and also include some new events in capital cities such as Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. So we are looking at a January 2025 start? Yes, it starts in January and will kick off in Adelaide. It will then head around the east coast of Australia in an anti-clockwise direction finishing in Brisbane. Will there be any races in…

New fizik Saddle Fizik has expanded its 3D-printed saddle offering with the introduction of the new Antares Adaptive, now available in R1 and R3 models. Designed for riders seeking a performance saddle that doesn’t sacrifice comfort, the iconic Antares has appeared in nearly every Grand Tour of the last two decades. It is a proven winner and saddle of choice for the likes of Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Movistar Team. fizik’s Adaptive 3D-printed padding has now expanded to the Antares family, creating a platform for riders who want exceptional, long-lasting comfort on a low-profile performance saddle designed to allow a more connected feeling for optimal pedaling efficiency and power transfer. Born from the idea that comfort is paramount, these saddles leverage unique 3D-printing technology through a process…

I do not shy away from the fact that I love Italy. More specifically, I love cycling in Italy. The ever changing landscape from region to region, the rise and fall of its mountains and plains, the ancient and the modern of its towns and villages, Italy is a destination that will forever surprise even frequent visitors like me. From the first time when someone whispered the words “Ti devo portare”, I have to take you there, to me as I clipped in for my first bike ride in Tuscany all those years ago, I fell in love. With this year’s Tour de France historic depart from Italy, the country is heart-deep in cycling madness. In a good way. Italians have always had a special affinity, an undenied passion with…

It all comes out in the (sports) wash. Oil money. For many, it’s the filthiest of lucre and it’s been reshaping the world of elite sports since the turn of the millennium. Professional football, Formula 1 and, more recently, golf, are amongst the most visible examples. However, if the current rumours are true –and there’s little reason to think they aren’t – road cycling may soon be joining them, thanks to the arrival of Saudi Arabia’s cashed up Public Investment Fund, or PIF. Which, of course, brings us to the ever-so-complicated topic of sports washing. A close cousin of ‘green washing’ (first coined in the 1980s by American environmentalist, Jay Westerveld), sports washing refers to the forging of commercial partnerships that, in return for much-needed funding, help to shift public…

What surprised me first, when Bollé sent me the newly released C-ICARUS sunglasses, is how clear the lenses are. I don’t mean the clarity, I mean clear in shade. I turn them over and over at home, and other than the slight hint of red at an angle, the frameless design made the glasses look transparent. Not letting my judgement be biased by appearances, I decide to give them a good test on a day that was looking to be mostly cloudy, occasionally sunny. I had always wanted a good pair of glasses I could wear in darker conditions and the ‘clear’ C-ICARUS was perfect for most of my ride when the dark clouds just wouldn’t part. I could see everything without having to squint like I do with my…

3T EXPLORO If you’ve explored Australia off-road, you’ll understand the terrain is exhilarating, sometimes terrifying, often beautiful, and always unpredictable. It also captures the imagination of Australian cyclists. The response in the gravel movement is that riders now crave a machine that maintains all the positive aspects of a road bike with the ability to navigate rugged terrain with equal aplomb. This is the dream bike, a true testament to the spirit of exploration defining the adventurous Australian experience. And we are about to discover if the 3T Racemax Italia can deliver. Transcending Boundaries: The Racemax Italia Envisioning a bicycle that excels across disciplines is exactly what led me back to Italy to test the 3T Racemax Italia, a gravel bike with a difference. I’m pleased to say this trip…

One day over the next week or so, go out for a ride on the road. Make sure the route includes a climb you know well, followed by a descent of at least 2-3km long so you can get up to 50-60kph – the likely speed at which the peloton was travelling on the fourth stage of the Itzulia Basque Country in Spain, held on April 4 this year, while descending the Olaeta with 36km remaining. A six-man break was up the road, so the remaining 158 riders including race leader Primož Roglicˇ, defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard and 2022 road world champ Remco Evenepoel – all planning to race this year’s Tour – were in the main group. The descent of the Olaeta, a 3.2km climb that…

EDITORIAL “Do people still read magazines?” he asked. “My word, they do,” I replied. “In fact, we’ve just completed a redesign of Australia’s 35+ year old road cycling publication, and based on recent emails to the editor and other feedback, there’s still an appeal and appetite for print.” So went a recent conversation with a random stranger. Firstly, if you’ve picked up this edition of Bicycling Australia at the local newsagent, thank you for purchasing the magazine. I truly hope you’ll learn a little and enjoy it. If you’re one of our loyal subscribers, thank you too! We are forever grateful to those who enjoy the title so much that they invest in an annual subscription. It means a lot. Now back to the conversation about print. With a background…

2024 SUMMER OLYMPICS This year is a two-wheeled anomaly. For unlike almost every year since 1903, it can be reasonably argued the most important cycling event on French shores is not the Tour de France. Indeed, such is the significance of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the all-powerful ASO long ago acquiesced to transfer the final stage of le Grand Boucle to Nice – 940km south of the Champs-Élysées – for logistical and security reasons. This means 2024 is the first time in the Tour’s illustrious 121-year history that it will not conclude somewhere within the arrondissements of Paris. The Olympic cycling program begins the day after the Opening Ceremony, with both the Men’s and Women’s individual time trials taking place on Saturday 27 July, just six days after the…

2024 is full of historical firsts, with the Tour de France’s Grand Depart making a debut from Florence in Italy, winding its way through Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, the Republic of San Marino (another first) and Piedmont during the first three stages before climbing over the Alps back into France in stage four. Then, there is the finish. Yet another first. The traditional parade through Champs-Élysées in Paris is being swapped for the sun-drenched seaside of Nice due to the clash with organising the Olympics in the French capital. The crash in April at Itzulia Basque Country, involving last year’s Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, Jay Vine, Primož Roglicˇ, and Remco Evenepoel, who is expecting to make his Tour de France debut, has shifted the power game somewhat. And following Pogacar’s stunning Giro…

“The world is a book and those who don’t travel only know one page.” So apparently said Saint Augustine, and so I was reminded each time I looked down at the bars of the stunning new metallic green 3T Racemax Italia. Handmade in Italia, the bike was designed and built for pure, unadulterated gravel. With tractor-like 45mm Pirelli Cinturato tyres, the bike rolled effortlessly. It certainly was a dream bike and tyre combo, one completely worthy of not only seeking out the world’s best gravel roads, but standing resolute to Sant’Agostino’s wise and timeless words. I was riding countless gravel roads of New South Wales Central West, just a few pages from home in Sydney, but a complete world away. Trip planning included working out a roughly 900km loop that…

SAFER CYCLING Trek recently unveiled its latest innovation, the CarBack, a dual-function radar and rear light combo unit designed to enhance rider safety on the road. This cutting-edge device alerts riders to approaching vehicles from the rear while also providing a powerful daytime running light to assist with visibility and awareness. Equipped with advanced radar technology, the CarBack can detect vehicles (or other riders) from a distance of up to 240 metres. Additionally, its rear light boasts an impressive maximum brightness of 90 lumens, visible from up to two kilometres away. This combination of long-range detection and high visibility makes the CarBack a crucial safety tool for cyclists out on our increasingly busier roads. Think bike radar and the popular Garmin Varia springs to mind. So what are the key…

Watching Pogi win Strade Bianche this year (on his Colnago V4Rs road bike), you have to wonder about how far you can push a road bike into the dirt and how far you can push a gravel bike onto the tar. While the pro’s might push a road bike as far as the cobbles of Paris Roubaix, they have that luxury of a team car with spare bikes on the roof. “THERE’S NOTHING ON THE CRUX YOU WOULD WANT TO CHANGE AS EVERYTHING IS ALREADY TOP OF THE TOP END” While real heroes might just carry on with a bone shaker velocipede everywhere and anywhere, I for one prefer to ride a gravel bike on the gravel and a road bike on the tar, or a gravel bike when I…