Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2014 i Bicycling

Going Good I FOUND MYSELF IN FLANDERS. ALONG with editor at large Bill Strickland, I recently wrapped up a week in Belgium that was jampacked with beautiful experiences. Riding there can change you, though it’s hard to pinpoint how or why. I doubt the transformation happened while riding the last 70 kilometers of the famed Tour of Flanders route. I rattled my way up cobbled climbs like the Paterberg and the Kwaremont, down serpentine pathways I’ve seen pro legends descend on TV. I suffered and panted and struggled to keep up with Bill and the others. The riding was as unforgiving as anything I’ve ever done—on certain segments my full focus was on survival. The Flandrian landscape that we rode through seemed at once lush and bleak, like something out…

ADVOCACY Imagine if women across the globe made a commitment to ride a bicycle this Mother’s Day. Now imagine each of these women inviting a friend, a spouse, even a group—male or female, young or old. The results would be inspiring and contagious. That’s the idea behind CycloFemme. Now in its third year, the grassroots initiative is a reminder that riding a bike is a powerful way to gain independence and personal strength. Getting involved is easy. Go to cyclofemme.com and take the pledge to participate, then register your own ride or sign up for an existing one. Show your support through social media and by wearing the temporary winged-cyclist tattoo (shown at right).—JENNIFER SHERR…

OBSERVE Every ride has different customs. Watch how the regulars conduct themselves in the pack and follow suit. If everyone signals turns by sticking out an arm and pointing, for instance, do the same. PASS ON THE LEFT No one will expect you on the right. Besides, the shoulder may be covered in broken glass, gravel, or other debris that can give you a flat, and riding on it is unpredictable and potentially dangerous. HOLD YOUR LINE The group’s safety depends on predictable behavior, so maintain as straight a path as you can, no swerving. You obviously don’t want to be hit by a car—but running into your new friends isn’t any fun either. RESIST THE URGE TO SURGE You’re here to be social, gain the benefits of group training,…

OF ALL THE TRAINING PROGRAMS I’VE written for hundreds of athletes over the past 25 years, one of my favorite (and simplest) for cyclists of any level is the three-day magic bullet. Whether you’re a beginner, a commuter who’d like to get to work a little quicker, or a seasoned racer looking to take your performance to the next level, these three rides will improve your fitness over eight weeks. Do each once a week, using the chart on the right to determine the best workout length for you. (Only have two days a week to exercise? Skip the aerobic ride and do just the interval workouts.) 1 RIDE EASY You’ll build fitness and boost the efficiency of your muscles by riding at a comfortable, consistent pace on flat to…

1 / Every set of Woody’s Custom Wood bicycle fenders is unique. This 700c pair is made of walnut with inlays of cherry, mahogany, and purpleheart (a water-resistant tropical wood)—and finished with stainless-steel hardware and brass screws. $99–$250 2 / Add sophistication to your toolboard with the Lezyne Classic chain rod (there’s also a woodhandled pedal rod). Features include an eight-, nine-, and 10-speed chain and an integrated lockring tool. $28 3 / At 16 inches long and almost a foot wide, the Gamoh KCL-1R rear basket can carry large loads, no sweat. The steel frame and wooden slats ensure your cargo will stay put. Just don’t mindlessly toss in smaller items, which can slip through and get left behind. $200 4 / Here’s one view of the three-in-one Bloondesign…

For a boost of on-bike energy, substitute these recipes for packaged fuel Recipes created by Esther Blum, MS, RD, author of Cavewomen Don’t Get Fat POWER GEL 2 Tbsp raw organic honey 2 Tbsp raw almond butter, apple butter OR ½ banana 1 tsp lemon juice Combine in blender until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a fuel belt bottle or EZ Squeezees pouch ($10/three-pack) and carry. SPORTS DRINK 1 cup coconut water ½ cup pomegranate juice ½ cup water 1/8 teaspoon organic sea salt 1,000 mg carnitine tartrate (found in vitamin and health food stores) Combine ingredients and shake well.…

I GUESS IT’S NO SURPRISE TO YOU THAT Jensie is a bit old school. When it came to the whole social-media thing, I just didn’t see any need for it, or any advantages. I saw it as one more time-consuming distraction from all the things that really matter—and considering that I am a professional bike racer as well as the father of six kids, well, my time is already pretty much consumed. I also knew that, as a talkative and open person, there was a good chance that once I started engaging with social media I just might get sucked into spending most of the day online. To tell you the truth, I was also intimidated by the challenge of creating the various accounts, figuring out how to use the…

George Hincapie chose “17” as the name for the restaurant at his cycling-oriented, high-end Hotel Domestique, in homage to his record number of Tour de France starts. If the name leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you probably won’t be stopping in for a juicy burger and crisp fries after a ride, let alone booking the Tourmalet or any of the other 12 rooms named for legendary European climbs. We enjoyed our stay at Hincapie’s 29-acre spread, which sits about 20 miles north of Greenville, South Carolina, in the small town of Traveler’s Rest. The rooms are tastefully appointed and comfortable, and their small number means one cycling group can (like ours did) basically take over the hotel. (One of our editors may have routinely come to breakfast in…

The plan had been to bear right on Callahan Mountain Road and do a 16-mile loop. But Emily wants to see the reservoir, so we go left instead. We fan across the pavement and, inspired by the boats parked in so many yards in this part of rural South Carolina, yuck it up over a delightfully lowbrow repurposing of the word “pontoon.” Our guffaws distract us enough that we don’t realize we’re on our way up a legendary local climb called Watershed until we get to a switchback and gaze up at a towering treeline. I’m on the Scott Contessa Solace, a bike so swift and balanced and responsive I want to ride it forever. At the turn to Saluda, North Carolina, the sun glows low through the forest; we’ll…

UPGRADE At less than 200 grams per set, the eebrake could be dismissed as little more than a lighter alternative to similar calipers from Campagnolo, Shimano, and SRAM. But inventor Craig Edwards of eecycleworks had more ambitious goals for the design: He developed the eebrake to cure problems he saw on conventional models, like flexing under hard braking and a lack of adjustability. His model works with all major brands of levers and accommodates different pad positions to fit wide rims, fatter tires, and unique frame shapes. The stiff, forged arms rotate on deep pivots, providing excellent modulation and control—power came on soft and ramped up predictably. The eebrakes are not cheap, but if you want to significantly improve your stopping power (and your bike doesn’t accept disc calipers), this…

Q My tubeless road wheels aren’t holding air. I’d like to pull them off to check the sealant level, but I don’t own a compressor to reinflate them. Can I use a floor pump? USUALLY, BUT IF AFTER A COUPLE TRIES IT DOESN’T WORK, YOU MAY HAVE TO FIND A compressor. But before you pull everything apart, do a few tests to see if the problem really is the sealant. Run a soapy sponge along both sides of your inflated tire and look for bubbles (a sign that air is escaping). If you see any at the tire/rim interface, the sealant needs replenishing. (If your valves have removable cores, you can inject the sealant through them without having to remove your tires.) If you see bubbles on or around the…

SIZE IT UP Tape changes the effective diameter of your handlebar and adds a degree of cushioning. Thicker tapes, like those made of natural cork or synthetic foam, create a fatter, more forgiving platform to rest on, although thinner ones (plastic, leather, and some rubber options) might better fit small hands. Thicker padding helps absorb some vibrations and chatter but can make you feel less connected to the road. GET CONTROL The tape’s outermost layer affects your grip, so choose your material mindfully. Though foam and cork offer more purchase than plastic and leather, they can become slippery when wet. Versions with microfiber (see “Three Key Features,” right) can feel more secure in humid and rainy conditions. Sticky rubber tape works best in wet weather, but it can hinder your…

Before Jim Fryer and Iri Greco, cofounders of video production and photography company BrakeThrough Media, headed to Europe to shoot the 2014 spring Classics, we brought them to Greenville, South Carolina, to document our Editors’ Choice test trip (p. 69). “This shoot was all about showing off the bikes,” Greco says, “and capturing all of their intricate details—like an asymmetric frameset.” As a cofounder of FIT To Be Determined, a program that allows members to take classes at multiple gyms, Allison Young is often asked for weight-loss tips and secrets. In “Diets Demystified” (p. 52), she evaluates five food trends, from vegan to raw. “Reexamining what you eat is always a good thing,” Young says. “Bad habits can sneak up on you.” Young blogs for Arizona Foothills Magazine and has…

ALL YOUR RIDE QUANDARIES, SOLVED Q What’s the difference between a singlespeed and a fixie? Why would you want only one gear? A SINGLESPEED IS EXACTLY what it sounds like—a bike with one gear. A fixie (or fixed gear) is a singlespeed without brakes and without the mechanism that allows the bike to coast when you’re not pedaling. In other words, if the wheels on a fixie are moving, so are the cranks—and your legs. Why would you want a single gear? It can make you stronger, especially on hills, which require more power to climb when you don’t have the ability to downshift. And because there’s no need for components such as a cassette, shifters, and derailleurs, bikes with one gear are lighter and require less maintenance. For one…

TO GET MORE PEOPLE RIDING TO work in car-centric Los Angeles, clothing designer and bicycle activist Varnado founded a series of free citywide bike trains. A bike train is a scheduled ride to predetermined destinations led by a “conductor” who organizes the group and helps newcomers. Here, Varnado explains how she started hers—and lays out her plans for helping to transform American cities. Find more info on Varnado’s initiative at labiketrains.com. Q Why bike trains? I’d never been scared of bike commuting before, but when I moved to Los Angeles it felt like Frogger. I thought Google Maps was going to send me to certain doom. When I realized I needed one-to-one help, it occurred to me that everyone else does, too. How are they different from regular group commutes?…

WEARABLE ACTIVITY MONITORS ARE ALL over the headlines these days as more people turn to technology to help them get fitter, faster, and healthier. Most of these gadgets are best at tracking “step” activities like walking and running—they won’t replace your Garmin. So what do they offer a cyclist? It depends on your goals. If you want to stay off the couch when you’re not in the saddle, they can give you that extra nudge. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity reports that people sit an average of more than nine hours a day even if they exercise. And research shows that the more you sit, the greater your risk for disease and early death, no matter how much you ride. As our testers found, these trackers…

WHEN ANDERS SWANSON SET OUT FOR A RIDE on Tennessee’s Raccoon Mountain last winter, he had no idea that his peaceful spin would turn into an assault and battery case that would outrage cyclists nationwide. First, he was buzzed (passed way too closely) twice by a pickup truck carrying two teens who, according to the police report, “thought it would be funny to blow an air horn.” When Swanson returned to his car, he was greeted by his tormentors, one of whom blasted him with pepper spray. The case took an even stranger twist when the assailants confessed to their crime, only to reverse their stories within a day and claim that Swanson had assaulted them. Although in this case the youths eventually were charged, law-enforcement officials don’t always take…

A VACANT STRETCH OF ROAD 25 MILES FROM home, a place where the only landmark was a World War II-era pickup truck sunk in a muddy field without wheels or doors: It was the first mild spring Sunday, my first longish ride of the season, and the deep, familiar pleasure of turning my legs and sucking the sweetly rank fertilizer-tinged air after months of enforced immobility had overwhelmed caution and brought me here. A few miles back, at the junction where I should have turned left and looped home for a 45-mile outing, I had hesitated, followed my curiosity, and veered right instead, past a knocked-down gate onto an unsigned road whose narrow path was shaded with shaggy willows and prairie grasses. I expected the pavement to end before long,…

Whenever we rode by the dogs of the roads of Chinquapin and Glassy Mountain and Sweet Gum Valley and Old Old Highway 1, they scrabbled onto the tops of their houses and yowled to us, or, if unchained and unfenced, stood and stretched the nap out of their legs then came loping toward us off the shaded porches of their owners’ homes. Perhaps they wondered just what $93,000 or so worth of bicycles might taste like. Maybe to a canine nose the diversity and potency of our embrocation was irresistible (or alarming). It might even be that some base instinct implored them to join upon sight any pack of creatures so outwardly happy. We were hard at work, it’s true—testing the finalists of our 2014 Editors’ Choice awards program—but we…

We’ve ridden and reviewed more than 500 bikes over the course of 10 years of Editors’ Choice testing, and that’s just a small portion of the number we’ve thrown our legs over. Some of our editors, who have been testing bikes for more than two decades, have themselves sampled thousands. Along the way, we’ve settled onto a simple but important principle: We care less about rating a bicycle than understanding it. Here are three ways we start to get to know a test bike—which can help you evaluate a potential purchase or quickly become familiar with a rental or loaner.—B.S. 1 Try to discern how the bicycle responds to steering input from the rear and from the front. With your hands on the hoods, then in the drops, maneuver the…

The vast majority of you (91 percent) told us that you care most about fit when considering a new bike. And just a quarter of you feel it’s crucial that a bike be marketed to women. That said, a 40/40 split of you ride a women’s bike versus a unisex bike (most of the rest of you own both). SO, ABOUT THAT FIT When it comes to women’s specific bike models, 40 percent of you value component choices that take into account the female body—narrower handlebar, different saddle, shifters for smaller hands. A third of you appreciate frame geometry and/or construction intended to improve a woman’s ride experience. But regardless of who the bike is made for, you just want it to feel good when you ride it. You said:…

{ WEATHERPROOF } 1 Ortlieb Messenger Bag Pro Designed for bike messengers, this large, waterproof pack also works great for daily commuters. Its roll-top closure accommodates extralarge items and reflective accents boost your visibility from all directions. A clear front pocket makes it easy to find and dig out small items. PRICE $195 ortliebusa.com { SOPHISTICATED STYLE } 2 Brooks Islington The Islington boasts vintage appeal and a refined fit. A thin layer of soft padding on its back cushions the load, and wide shoulder straps keep the bag snug against your frame. Two aluminum buckles on the straps help to stabilize the large pack—a particularly helpful feature when you’re swerving to dodge cars. PRICE $380 brooksengland.com { QUICK COMMUTE } 3 Rickshaw Halo Zero Customize this pack to fit…

BONTRAGER RHYTHM This rugged model is made for enduro racing, but it feels nearly as light and stiff as a cross-country shoe. Its narrow last fit me snugly without being uncomfortable. The Rhythm comes with extra armor around the toe and heel to protect against rock strikes, and its grippy sole offers traction for scrambling over rocks. Despite the extra material, the shoe vents well. Because the sole resists flexing, Bontrager gave it a curved profile so that it rocks slightly to make walking more comfortable, though on steeper terrain my heel sometimes rose off the footbed. The Rhythm’s low-profile buckle is a significant improvement over previous iterations—it operates smoothly and the stepped-release system makes it easy to fine-tune the fit. $160; 402g/each (size 41); bontrager.com GIRO TERRADURO The Terraduro…

FRAME AND ALL Before getting into the nittygritty, give your entire bike a postride rinse. “It seems like a no-brainer,” says Jeremy Porter, a mechanic at Rose Bike in Orono, Maine, where spring is known as mud season. “But you’d be surprised how many people don’t do it.” Mud Buster Keep the hose on a gentle setting, Porter advises, as high pressure can force grit or soap into the bearings. DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS Spinning wheels constantly fling muck onto these lowhanging parts. Combine grit with hard-to-reach spots and pivoting areas and you have a recipe for fast wear. Mud Buster Hose the drivetrain to flush out the dirt. Then, wipe it down with a soapy sponge (Dawn dish soap works well), paying special attention to derailleur pulleys, the chain, the space…

I was sitting in the US Bicycling Hall of Fame while reading the Buyer’s Guide (April). I thought the issue was excellent, starting with Peter Flax’s “Shop Talk” and peaking with the review of the Pashley Guv’nor. The Tribe Grows I am shopping for my first road bike. I opened my Buyer’s Guide and—bam!—there were two articles that answered many of my questions. “Peeling Back the Layers” shed some light on the subject of carbon fiber without overcomplicating it. “Shop Savvy” gave me ideas I’ll use when I make the big trip to the bike shop this summer. WILLIAM HALL ORLANDO, FL Bargain Shopper I’ve been riding for 60-plus years. My first century was in 1960 when I was 15, on a three-speed Raleigh fitted with drops. My scariest solo…

ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH 1 EXPLORE This August, Tour d’Afrique debuts its Trans-Oceania Tour: Four months of tropical island-hopping through Indonesia and pedaling across the Australian outback. Sign up for anything from a single two-week segment to the entire 6,700-mile adventure. $2,000–$17,900 2 CELEBRATE Each year since 2002, cancer survivor Jeff Warren has ridden 667 miles from Reno, Nevada, to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. Raise money for the hospital by joining him on the last leg of his journey (1, 25, 50, 75, or 140 miles) at the Huntsman 140 ride on June 21. 3 DRINK Add some buzz to your fizz: the brand-new Nuun Energy electrolyte tablets contain 40mg of energy-boosting caffeine. The sorbitol-sweetened lemon-lime, wild berry, and cherry limeade flavors each have fewer…

RAINING IN THE GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS department: A recent study reports that cyclists aged 53 to 71 who put in big miles (about 200 a week) had levels of lean muscle in their thighs similar to that of nonpedaling active folks half their age. But the cyclists also had weaker bones, particularly the femoral neck (the vulnerable uppermost part of the thigh bone). Jumping exercises stress the skeletal tissue, triggering a rebuilding process that helps form new bone and preserve density in the lower spine, hips, and femurs. Bonus: It can add more power to your pedal stroke. Do three sets of five jumps three days a week. JUMP LOAD Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent (A). Raise your arms in front of you and lower into…

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California Built into the windswept hills overlooking the Pacific, this 11-turn, 2.2-mile track is notorious for a corkscrew descent that drops five and a half stories in roughly 450 feet. Show up for one of the monthly Twilight Cycling rides or attend the Sea Otter Classic (April 16 to 19, 2015), where elites and amateurs face off in road, mountain, and cyclocross races. Circuit of the Americas Austin, Texas The only purpose-built Grand Prix track in the United States features a 15 percent climb, glass-smooth tarmac, and 20 turns over the course of the 3.4-mile circuit. Both recreational riders and racers can get a taste of the track each year on Labor Day weekend during the Ride Americas Challenge and the Tour of Austin stage…

NUTRITION IF YOU’VE BEEN KICKING AROUND the idea of radically changing the way you eat but are wondering how it will affect your energy when you ride, here’s some food for thought. David Zabriskie rode the 2011 Tour de France on a vegan diet. And the entire Garmin-Transitions team went gluten-free while training for the 2010 Tour de France. The key is to find a fueling plan that includes a healthy balance of nutrients, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fluids—even if it doesn’t feature piles of preride pasta. With any diet, “the right foods can mean the difference between finishing first and bonking,” says Esther Blum, MS, RD, author of Cavewomen Don’t Get Fat. All five of the following popular eating approaches can provide the health and performance benefits you need…

WE ARE PEDALING WEST ON THE PATH NEXT to Marine Drive. To our left: the airport with its lonely expanses of concrete and painted stripes. To the right: the Columbia River, miles wide and stretching up toward the Washington border. The water here is expansive and hulking—more like a lake than a river—and today it is tipped with frothy white points, a silent dancing riot on the surface that reveals that invisible thing that defines this ride: wind. We’re exposed, in a wide-open landscape near the beginning of the Columbia River Gorge, which amplifies whatever weather patterns are already incoming as the vast lungs of the canyon suck air in whorls and walls that rip at everything. It’s a slow agony if you find yourself on the wrong side of…

PRO RACE PRICE $10,500 WEIGHT 13.9 LB. (54CM) INFO SPECIALIZED.COM Three times Specialized has updated the Tarmac, dialing the bike in further with each revision until, with this SL4, it attained near perfection. Late in our testing, one reviewer concluded that this repeat Editors’ Choice winner is “one of the best-balanced bicycles ever made—a historically great bike for its combination of reactivity, stability, weight, durability, and style.” Designed for pro racers, the Tarmac has the lightness, stiffness, and agility to deliver elite riders to victory. But testers detected something more: a personality that enhanced the riding style of whoever is on it. In hard cornering it felt relaxed and confident, but under the skilled guidance of veteran riders it was also capable of responding ferociously. Testers dove fearlessly into turns…

I love taking a new bicycle fresh from its cardboard wrapper, greasing the seat tube, installing the post, popping the bike into the stand for assembly. From that point, a zip-tied, foam-wrapped collection of parts becomes a bicycle for the first time. But good mechanics don’t just assemble a bike. They tune it—checking brakes, wheels, shifting, and adjusting the touch points to ensure that the rider’s first impressions aren’t marred by an issue with the equipment. During the first few rides on even the best-tuned bike, however, as it settles in, cables stretch, components fall out of adjustment, and bolts loosen. These routine problems are remedied at the 30-day tune-up almost all shops include with the purchase of a new model. At Editors’ Choice, I’m the bike shop—I have to…

Over the life of Editors’ Choice, we’ve evaluated 540 bicycles priced from less than $300 to more than $15,000. We never considered any of them losers—the three to five finalists in each category were always among the top choices anyone looking for such a bike could make—but the winners were the best of the best. These six bikes are something beyond even that: They are the ones that have become benchmarks for how we review and ride, or that live in our Editors’ Choice lore as legends for reasons that mix memory, history, perspective, performance, and sheer outright fun on two wheels. EDITORS’ CHOICE SPECIALIZED TARMAC A 12-time finalist (with different models in multiple categories some years) and six-time winner, the Tarmac is arguably the greatest Editors’ Choice bike ever.…

1 Yeti Padroni This lightweight yet tough short is ideal for riding at lift-served bike parks. It fits easily over knee pads and includes comfortable touches like articulated knees and zippered thigh vents. It comes in black or turquoise, to match your Yeti bike. $105, yeticycles.com 2 Kitsbow Women’s Soft Shell A/M You can wear these made-in-Canada beauties off the bike, but Kitsbow designed them to perform on the trail. They are constructed of stretchy yet durable Schoeller fabric, won’t snag on your saddle, and feature a locking waist snap. $270, kitsbow.com 3 Race Face Ambush Designed for aggressive riding, the Ambush is made of abrasion-resistant fabric with reinforced seams to withstand high-speed crashes. Mesh panels and vents keep you cool, and the flannel-lined waistband is pure cozy. $100, raceface.com…

Torque Tube When you pedal, energy moves from the chain through the cassette to the freehub body (an extension of the hub that holds the cassette). To measure that force, the 320-gram GS includes an aluminum sleeve called a torque tube, which rests inside the hub. Turning the cranks causes the tube to flex slightly. By calculating how much it deforms, the GS can determine the amount of power you’re generating. Star Ratchet Made by DT Swiss, the Star Ratchet doesn’t measure power—it’s what transfers force from the drivetrain to the hub, which turns the wheels. The system features two parallel rings with interlocking teeth—one sits inside the freehub and the other rests in the hub shell. Pedaling engages the teeth, which drives the hub around. Ease up and the…