Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2015 i Cycling Plus

LOOK WHO’S BACK! Lance Armstrong is returning to the Tour de France… Sort of. He’s joining former footballer Geoff Thomas on his One Day Ahead charity ride that is raising money for Cure Leukaemia. They’re riding, you guessed it, one day ahead of the Tour peloton. STEP FATHER Polish teacher Krystian Herba broke his own world record for cycling up steps. The 33-year-old conquered 3139 steps of the Taipei 101 tower, adding over 200 to the record he set in Melbourne last year. A KNIGHT’S TALE Sports stars are often at a loss about what to do in retirement, but not Sir Chris Hoy. His latest venture will see him write a series of children’s books called Flying Fergus. RECORD BREAK Steve Abraham suffered a severe setback in his pursuit…

TROUGH OF BOWLAND LANCASHIRE The hill that senior writer John Whitney discovered his love for climbing on as a younger man, the Trough of Bowl-and is the highlight of many a Ribble Valley club ride. It’s not the only well known climb in the area - Waddington Fell, Longridge Fell and Pendle Hill have tougher sides to climb - but the Trough has more cachet. It’s at its best from the Dunsop Bridge side; given the long drag up to the steep section (16 per cent max), it’s difficult to know when the climb actually starts, but think about shifting down when you see the one mile cattle grid sign by the river. The beauty of this side is how exposed it is and how long it takes to creep…

Agree isn’t the most aspirational, thrusting and macho name for a bike model, but it’s been a staple of Cube’s lineup since the beginning, indeed one of our testers owns a six-year-old GTC Race. The frame looks smooth and flows from tube to tube, with subtle ridges adding stiffness Things have definitely moved on in that time, as, seemingly, has the ethos of this model. Over the years it has progressed from being a purebred race machine to something a little more diluted as styles have changed. The graphics tell us that we’re riding Ready For Race Geometry, which is borne out by our 56cm model’s short 145mm head- tube, giving plenty of room for the rider who wants to get down. Overall sizing is on the small side, and…

The chainset is a pretty Italian Miche Primato, with cutout spider arms and chainrings Named after the angelfish (Google it), the Scalare’s compact carbon frame looks small at first glance but is surprisingly spacious. The 145mm head-tube offers the chance to get racy, but the whole package doesn’t quite fit the mould of race weapon. It might have less frame tubing length-wise, but they’re big ones. The head-tube area is huge, there’s a giant down-tube, Press-Fit 30 bottom bracket, deep chainstays and bridgeless seatstays. All cabling is internally routed via some very neat ports in the head-tube area, exiting around the bottom bracket or above the rear dropout, and altogether they give the frame a very clean look. Those bridgeless seatstays are also brakeless, as the rear brake is mounted…

These days there are very few terrible shorts on the market, so you are unlikely to get a duff pair whatever you buy, but we did find big differences in what each company focuses on. Stretch foam inserts are almost omnipresent, but the best are still a cut above when it comes to minimising bulk while maintaining comfort. The days when shorts need to dig into the thigh to stay in place are also thankfully behind us. Bontrager’s RLs simply offer great value performance with a choice of designs to match or clash. At the other end of the price range, the Gore Oxygens are seriously comfortable, and if you can live with the looks, the Ale Bermudas are an awesome pair of bibshorts, though the lack of tone down…

£240 Happy threesome Weight 742g Crank length 172.5mm Chainrings 52/36 Axle 30mm alloy Praxis Works has developed an excellent reputation for its converter bottom brackets and durable, slick-shifting cold forged rings. These cranks ‘Turn’ them into a complete package. While the hollow forged arms are relatively heavy they combine with the fixed 30mm axle to feel impressively stiff however hard you’re muscling them round, and converter BBs mean they fit threaded or BB86/BB92 bottom brackets which are normally limited to 24mm axles. Shifting is excellent and bearing and chainring longevity are already the benchmark even in grim UK weather. Both BCD sizes are available, giving 46/36, 50/34, 52/36 or 53/39 options. WE SAY Zayante ‘Turns’ Praxis’s excellent reputation into an outstanding chainset HIGHS Durability, stiffness and compatibility LOWS Durability and…

1 QUICK FIX With your ride buddies waiting impatiently by the side of the road, a quick link is the fastest, easiest solution to a broken chain, so long as you make sure you carry one that’s compatible with your drivetrain (it will need to be the same size or ‘speed’ and compatible with the make of chain you use). Here’s how to use one… 2 ON THE RIVET Wrap the chain around the smallest sprocket and chainring to give plenty of slack. Pull the chain through so the break is at the bottom (this way the chain won’t fall off while you mend it). Fit the chain on your chain tool, and screw in the handle to push out the pin and remove the broken link. You should now…

TAPER AND RECOVER The transition from spring into summer is sometimes difficult as it assumes that a full winter baseline training plan has been followed. So often I find that spring has been the start of baseline training where volume is increasing when it should be reducing. Certainly spring to summer tends to be the start of the racing season where taper and recovery sessions become the key priority. With the popularity of sportives the transition should be from baseline winter training into getting the volume and terrain riding needed for the sportive distance. Try to settle on a 12- or 16-week structured plan leading up to the sportive. If you’re doing more than one sportive in the season remember to go into the taper, sportive, recovery, taper cycle. The…

It was over. After days of supporting and patching up James Golding as he ground his way through pain and hallucinations, racking up hundreds of miles in his latest challenge to raise awareness for Macmillan Cancer and hopefully break a record along the way, his team chose to call it a day. It was a decision James would have never made himself. He’s not a quitter, as he has proved time and time again. His goal had been to ride the length of France and back in pursuit of the most miles ridden in seven days. This long-standing world record was set back in 1940 by 18-year-old female rider Australian Pat Hawkins, who notched up an incredible 1546.8 miles. However, after five days of intense riding, James was pulled from…

NEAREST STATION Leeds (3 miles) FOOD AND DRINK The Roundhay Fox (www.vintageinn.co.uk/theroundhay foxleeds) and White House (www.chefandbrewer.com) pubs offer food, drink and history. WHERE TO STAY The Beechwood Hotel (beechwood hotelleeds.com) is in a 100-year-old building on the edge of Roundhay Park, while Leeds city centre offers plenty of options. BIKE SHOPS Options in Leeds include Evans (www.evanscycles.com) and Cycle Surgery (www.cyclesurgery.com). TOURIST INFORMATION www.yorkshire.com…

GIANT’S STRIDES BikeRadar’s teched James Huang got up close and personal with Giant’s new aero helmet at the Taipei Cycle Show. It has a rounded tail to stop it acting like a brake in the wind and deep internal channelling. SINGLE FILE SRAM looks set to bring its single ring 1x11 drivetrain, seen on ’cross groupsets, to the road. For a wider gear range in a single ring setup, the new group could use a 10t sprocket (as in SRAM’s mountain bike groupsets). EDGE OF TOMORROW BikeRadar’s hopes and predictions for Garmin’s Edge 1000 successor include: third party apps, better battery life, greater screen-to-total-size ratio and the ability to upload to non-Garmin sites. FOR ALL THE LATEST BIKE & GEAR NEWS VISIT…

The frame is more angular than a stealth fighter, but rides like a high class endurance bike Budget priced doesn’t have to mean corners have been cut, and the Mach 740 is testament to the positive aspects of economies of scale. That full-carbon frame is more angular than a stealth fighter, but rides like a high class endurance bike. Even with 23mm tyres, the level of comfort and complete lack of road vibration through the bar or saddle make the BTwin a joy to ride. We must admit that when setting the bike up, all those unconventionally angled and shaped tubes, with sharply defined edges and corners, really didn’t fill us with confidence. It looks like a designer has been let loose after a couple of drinks at lunchtime, and…

Shimano Ultegra shifters and mechs offer their trademark slick changes and high quality feel The top spec Altamira was ridden in last year’s Tour de France, and although our 2.5 model is made of more cost-effective stuff, that racy DNA is very apparent. The carbon frameset has an attractive marbled finish that shimmers in the sun and tries to mask its businesslike persona. A stiff fork plugged into the beefy head-tube, giant rounded down-tube and deep rectangular chainstays with wide bottom bracket shell ensure rigidity in all the right places, with flattened seatstays and a heavily tapered and flattened top-tube enhancing rider comfort. All of the cabling is external, saving expense, but it simplifies maintenance too. Equipment starts with Shimano Ultegra shifters and mechs, offering their trademark slick changes and…

£249.99 Features Shimano’s svelte offering weighs just 87g. It doesn’t need extra housing for protection, but has a higher waterproofing rating than almost any similar camera. External control is possible via Wi-Fi and ANT/ANT+ devices, and video can be captured in three modes from 1080HD at 30 frames per second, to 640 pixel slo-mo at 240 fps. Still or time-lapse images are shot at 6MP. Set up The unit has just two small buttons and a pair of LEDs, which display three different colours to indicate modes. With no LCD screen, you need to memorise the lights to be sure which mode you’re in. It’ll accept Micro SD cards up to 32GB, and comes with a helmet mount but will fit GoPro mounts. The useful Angle Free mode allows the…

OUT OF THE BOX WEIGHT 7.02kg (M) FRAME Carbon FORK Carbon GEARS SRAM Force 22, 175mm cranks, 53/39 & 11-28 cassette BRAKES SRAM Force WHEELS ENVE Smart System 3.4 clinchers with Chris King R45 hubs FINISHING KIT Time Quickset headset, Time Monolink Ulteam 110mm carbon stem, Syntace Racelite CDR carbon bars, Lizard Skins DSP 3.2mm bar tape, Prologo Scratch Pro Tirox CPC saddle, Vittoria Open Corsa CX 23mm tyres, Time Xpresso 10 pedals, Time carbon bottle cage, K-Edge red anodised Garmin mount The ZXRS hasn’t had as many outings as it should over winter. It’s not due to any lack of quality or enjoyment, but racing over 20 cyclo-cross events, and riding other bikes in the gnarliest winter weather’s restricted my ZXRS miles. Spring has led to a refresh. My…

£79.99 Six-panel performers WE SAY Proof that mountain bike hero Keith Bontrager’s attention to detail transfers to the road HIGHS Superb leg grippers, eleagant reflectives LOWS No real issues DHB PROFESSIONAL ASV £64.99 With fit and form garnered from working with its own Wiggle Honda women’s team and other pro-level athletes, DHB’s ASV range is a leaner cut than its standard garments and you might need to size up from your usual. Get the sizing sorted, though, and you’re rewarded with very good fit and plenty of features. The pad insert provides a decent level of comfort, holding its own against the very best for the first three or four hours in the saddle, and none beats the grippers for security. Only the lightweight Lycra gave us any issues: it…

Aerodynamics and disc brakes are the two biggest trends to have hit road cycling in recent years, but does one have an advantage over the other? To find out, we decided to take two very similarly specced bikes from one of the world’s biggest bike manufacturers on a challenging and varied 90-odd-mile loop and see which came out on top. Merida is Taiwan’s second largest bicycle manufacturer after Giant, it makes bikes for other companies and, for good measure, owns a large share of Specialized. It also supplies professionallevel bikes to the Italian Lampre-Merida team. Its 2015 range includes a huge number of road bikes at all price points and for all disciplines, and the two we’re testing share a host of components, including those that relate to comfort. The…

It’s easy to build up preconceptions when testing chainsets as part of a complete bike, but testing them head to head in isolation has thrown up some interesting results. There’s certainly a big drop off in genuine gain for increased spend once you go much past £300. This makes the light, tight but still relatively affordable SRAM Red 22 chainset our real world race winner. The solid, slick-shifting Shimano 105 also shames a lot of chainsets double or even quadruple the price, to crank out a decisive victory for value. Our overall winner is a chainset many won’t even have heard of. Turn’s Zayante takes the proven performance of Praxis’s existing components and adds dramatically stiff hollow-armed torque transfer. The result is an extremely tough, durable, all-weather, all-purpose chainset that…

WHAT DO YOU NEED? A hard session on the bike can leave your body depleted of crucial vitamins, electrolytes that aid hydration and carbohydrates. These are what you want your post-race drink to help you replace, as well as supplying protein to help your muscles recover. AND CAN I GET THAT FROM BEER? Well, up to a point you can. It’s not as bad a post-workout drink as you might naturally assume. Carbs are there in the form of sugar, there will be a dash of electrolytes and the plant-based nutrients used to make beer – hops, yeast, barley – will supply some of the vitamins and protein you need. But the proteins are incomplete, which makes them less than ideal, and the real killer is the alcohol content, of…

ROAD TEST I’ve been comparing two bikes from Merida that represent the two major trends in road bike design, aerodynamics and disc brakes, over the same distance and course. Warren Rossiter, senior technical editor ROAD TEST & KIT I’ve been addressing the question of whether good components can trump ride quality, as well as unleashing my inner George Lucas while testing bike-mounted cameras. Robin Wilmott, technical writer NEW KIT TomTom’s Multi-Sport Cardio has a neat trick – it takes your pulse from your wrist rather than using a chest strap. I was keen to see if this new watch was as smart as it sounds. Rob Spedding, editor-in-chief RATINGS EXPLAINED EXCEPTIONAL A genuine class leader VERY GOOD One of the best you can buy GOOD It’ll do the job very…

At the heart of the Classico is a well-finished chromoly steel frame with tidy TIG welds and a full complement of bosses for mudguards and front and rear racks. The bike is equipped with entry-level kit, including a 9-speed Shimano Sora drivetrain matched to an FSA compact chainset fixed to the frame with an old-school tapered bottom bracket, but it all does its job well. It’s good to see a £699 bike come with a rack too, though we think a rear would add versatility and have a wider appeal. Once you get on board, the Classico has excellent road manners. Its laid-back and lazy handling is totally stable and the bike’s as happy cruising along city streets as it is traversing country lanes. The basic steel frame has plenty…

SRAM’s Force 22 isn’t normally offered on a bike at this price, let alone a hydraulic version Making the most of lower online-only overheads, Rose maximises value for money with the GF-4400. SRAM’s Force 22 groupset isn’t normally offered on a bike at this price point, let alone a hydraulic version. The Rose’s drivetrain is arguably a notch above Shimano’s Ultegra, and it comes with SRAM’s HRR – hydraulic road rim – brakes. With the front brake sited in the usual spot, and the rear beneath the chainstays, the GF-4400 has a very clean look, the gear cables and rear brake hose all entering the headtube to be internally routed. The rear hose exits again in front of the bottom bracket, permitting easy maintenance, but such fine detail on an…

If your idea of added value is more of the black stuff, then Chorus should make you very happy There are no two ways about it, this bike is bright. Planet X has taken the current trend for bold colours and channelled the early ’90s to create this fluoro yellow machine that takes no prisoners in looks or specification. This frameset is made by Viner, a Planet X brand; as the Mitus it’s Viner’s entry-level frameset, but as the RT-90 it’s Planet X’s range topper. The shouty frame is in almost total contrast to the sublime Campagnolo Chorus groupset. The original 11 speed manufacturer has refined and honed its shifting, and Chorus just exudes class, with deeply polished aluminium and a generous quantity of carbon fibre used in its components;…

OUT OF THE BOX WEIGHT 8.75kg (53cm) FRAME Avant OMP carbon FORK Avant OMP carbon GEARS Shimano 105, FSA Gossamer 34/50 chainset BRAKES Shimano R785 hydraulic disc WHEELS Vision Team 30 Disc FINISHING KIT FSA Gossamer alloy bar and stem, FSA SL-K carbon seatpost, Prologo Kappa Evo saddle, 25mm Challenge Forte Race tyres My 2015 longtermer arrived at the start of December, and it felt like Christmas had come early. Unlike a lot of Christmas gifts, the Avant is one I haven’t gradually discarded; by the time you read this I will have clocked up well over 1400 miles on it. I chose the Avant because I was keen to try a road bike with disc brakes [1], and after riding one in the Pyrenees last year, it wasn’t a…

ENTERING THE SPACEAGE environs of the University of Southampton’s RJ Mitchell Wind Tunnel feels a lot like walking through the doors of an exclusive club (we imagine, Cycling Plus doesn’t really get to do that). The wind tunnel is a place we’ve heard many pros and pro teams talk about, where Tours de France are won and lost and minutes shaved from time trial times. It’s a place that feels beyond the reach of mortal cyclists, a rarefied atmosphere reserved purely for the elite. And yet here we are, with Stephen Roche of Hove’s Prestige Cycles, getting underway on a 90-minute session that could cost you less than a cheap pair of aero wheels and save you a lot more time. As Stephen hooks our bike up to his rig…

OVER REQUIREMENTS In a sense, overtraining isn’t something to be fearful of; you need an element of ‘over-reach’ as you build up your fitness to the point of peak condition. By definition, training is about getting your body to a point where it can perform to its best and you’ll need to train at more than 100 per cent at times and push yourself to extremes to adapt the body – but it’s striking that balance that’s crucial. GAIN POWER Overtraining was especially an issue in the days before power meters. Now that we’re more attuned to data and cumulative fatigue levels highlighted by the likes of TrainingPeaks.com, with its Training Stress Score charts, it’s easier to spot when you’re ‘over over-reaching’. One of the first things to do with…

WHAT IS THE ILIOTIBIAL BAND? The ITB is a fibrous band that runs down the outside of your thigh from the iliac crest (the prominent part at the top of the pelvis) to the upper part of the shinbone. Along with muscles around the hip joint and buttock, it acts as a ligament and stabilises the knee. If you stand and slightly bend your knee, you can feel the band as a hard area of tissue, particularly in the lower part of the thigh. ILIOTIBIAL BAND SYNDROME ITBS is an overuse injury caused by irritation of the band as it rubs over the outer part of the thighbone. This causes outer knee pain that is worsened by activity. Walking up and down stairs can be very painful. Knee swelling can…

Aftershokz Bluez 2 £89.95 If you can get round the excitable use of Zs instead of Ss and that you might look a bit like an extra from Star Trek: Deep Space 9, then these give you stereo sound but leave you able to hear ‘ambient noise’. Using ‘bone conduction’ technology, they make your cheekbones vibrate, sending the sound to your inner ear while bypassing your eardrums. It’s a strange way to experience music (and you experience it more than hear it. I’ve seen it described as ‘imagining the music’, which seems about right) but it all sounds clear while still being able to hear abuse coming at you from Vectra drivers as they power off into the distance. O-tus Safe Sounds $75 If the idea of your brain vibrating…

Chris Boardman’s quite a complicated bloke, you know. Not necessarily in an “Oooh, that sounds terribly clever and scientific” way. More in a “Gosh! Wasn’t expecting you to say that” kind of a way. It’s not often possible to second-guess him. Sometimes he has surprisingly strong opinions about photography, architecture or even, as I discovered last year over dinner, pork scratchings (he likes them. A lot.). But it was his attitude towards bike helmets that was the most puzzling issue for me. I wrestled with it for years. When he first started to enter his fifth career as a cycling campaigner (after carpenter, cyclist, pundit and businessman), he and I used to go running together. I’d ask him about his work, which he approached with considerable passion. He’s a brilliant…