Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 28 i Cyclist Australia

Good things come to those who wait, and there’s no doubt all of us at home were waiting for a Australian stage win at this year’s Tour de France. And two weeks following the Grand Depart in Dusseldorf, it arrived. Michael Matthews wanted it so badly; you could sense it by the way he rode, nearly every day, for two straight weeks. His disappointment was visible, and he made no secret of the fact he wanted more – from his team and himself. Then, finally, on the demanding uphill finish to Rodez, he got it right. He showed his intention by putting riders on the front soon after the gun, and when Philippe Gilbert launched his effort early, the versatile fast man sprinted effortlessy over the top of the former…

What’s an Argentinian meteorologist’s favourite wheel? That’ll be the Zonda, named after the dry wind that whistles down the eastern slopes of the Andes. Up until now, if that meteorologist rode a disc bike they’d have been unable to fit it with Campagnolo’s redoubtably stiff, mid-priced alloy wheelset. All things shall come to pass, though, even where the notoriously traditional Italians are concerned, so here is Campagnolo’s first ever disc brake wheel. Most notable is the rim shape, which bears not even the merest hint of a redundant rim-track, a facet of early disc rims as makers rushed to make disc-only wheels. The G3 spoke pattern (where spokes are grouped in threes) that features on most of Campagnolo’s rear wheels now features on the front too, to cope with the…

All the rage these days during the colder months, the neck warmer, scarf, buff, snood, gaiter, cowl, tube scarf is more than just a great-looking accessory item. There are few extremities left to the elements during winter but the neck is almost always left to fend for itself, much to the annoyance of coaches around the world. Seamless, lightweight and luxurious to wear, the stretchy and 100% polyester Comfort Neck from BBB will soon become the favourite item you never knew you needed. Available in black and white.…

Cyclist: You first had the idea for Strava in the 1990s but only launched it in 2009. Did you have to wait for the technology to catch up? Mark Gainey: Yeah, Michael [Horvath, the other Strava co-founder] and I had families, we were on opposite coasts of America – he was on the east coast and I was in California – and we were these two guys in our early forties who were still passionate about sport and camaraderie but life, obligations, kids and work got in the way. We had this old idea about a ‘virtual locker room’ after we rowed together at Harvard, but by 2009 two things had changed. One was technology with the wearable marketplace and GPS devices. The other was the concept of sharing information…

Cyclists come here in their droves to enjoy the delights of this wonderful part of mainland Spain J’m flagging after a long day and a delayed flight, but as I wait for my luggage to appear, my sense of humour is being sustained by a group of men in orange polo shirts. Printed on the back of each is ‘Pete’s Stag – Benidorm 2016’, and I can’t help pondering what kind of fate awaits the poor groom-to-be, who is currently sporting a pink tutu, fishnet stockings, some badly applied make-up and something written on his forehead in marker pen. The arrival of my bike bag cuts short this impromptu cabaret and I leave Pete and his ‘mates’ behind. Alicante airport is probably used to seeing cyclists, stags and hens in…

THE SPEC Model 3T Exploro LTD Groupset Sram Red 22 HRD Deviations THM Clavicula SE cranks with Praxis Works rings Wheels 3T Discus C35 LTD Finishing kit 3T Ergonova Pro bars, 3T ARX II Team stem, Fizik Arione saddle Weight 7.70kg (large) Price Frame, fork, aero seatpost, 3T Team bar, 3T Team stem, $5,799, approx $12,000 as tested Contact echelonsports.com.au Tecnologia del Tubo Torinese (Turin Tube Technology) was founded in 1961. The name was soon shortened to 3ttt and the company quickly became known for its top-quality handlebars and stems, ridden to countless wins by the likes of Merckx, Moser and Gimondi. ‘We were the first to produce an aerospace-grade alloy bar and stem in the 1970s,’ says René Wiertz, CEO of what is now 3T, after another rebranding in…

The idea behind the Revo Via is simple: a chain that’s well lubricated will generate less friction and so is more efficient. The trouble is that the slickest lubricants tend to be the least viscous so will quickly dry up, leaving your chain squeakier than Dracula’s coffin lid. What the Revo Via does is to automatically drip-feed a very thin, very low-friction lubricant onto a chain during riding. To do this, a reservoir and pump sit just behind the bottle cage and connect via a hose to a jockey wheel-mounted dripper (pictured, mech not included). The system is electronically controlled and doses the chain with 0.03ml of lube from the reservoir every 30, 90 or 150 seconds, depending on weather and ride length. That might sound like overkill, especially given…

All cameras should be placed inside these lockers,’ says an insistent press officer. ‘No photos, please.’ The herd of journos hesitantly oblige as they enter Pirelli’s R&D Innovation centre. It’s here, next door to HQ in Milan, where the newly developed bicycle division was born. Pirelli has made no secret of their bullish and confident approach to the cycling market. They’re here to capitalise on what they believe is an opening in the space. They also see it as a way to strengthen the relationship with existing customers – owners of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati et al – and to attract new ones who perhaps haven’t considered an upgrade to their motorised rubber. Furthermore, it completes the suite of offerings, from man-powered through to the very pinnacle of motorsport. The newly…

Fans of 1990s pro bike racing will remember Hautacam as the Pyrenean climb on which Bjarne Riis sealed his domination of the 1996 Tour de France – a day when the Dane theatrically dropped back alongside each of his rivals to assess how they were feeling before accelerating past them all and disappearing into the distance, as though he had a motor hidden in his bike. Of course, we know now that the stage was indeed fraudulently won, but not through so-called mechanical doping: Riis admitted in 2007 that he’d taken performance-enhancing drugs for much of his pro career. But let’s blame the rider, not the mountain. Climbs like Hautacam – innocent, unmoving, stoic, beautiful – provide only the canvas. They are not the artist, flawed or otherwise. In the…

It’s 7.55pm on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 in the anodyne environs of the Hotel Novotel Macon Nord. An hour north of Lyon airport by train, this could be anywhere. Anywhere that is drab, tired and bristling with corporate types seeking midweek solace in the bottom of a half-pint glass. But for one night only, a dash of colour eclipses the grey. In the car park are the flashy team buses of Sky, BMC Racing and Cannondale-Drapac. In the lobby roam the world’s finest cyclists. Nico Roche (BMC) wanders past Luke Rowe (Sky), while Cannondale’s Pierre Rolland and Davide Villella disappear into one of the rooms that branch off a seemingly never-ending corridor. The two Cannondale riders are focused on dinner and prepping for Stage 5 of the week-long Paris-Nice. Cyclist…

One of the most wonderful things about cycling – beyond the activity itself – is its ability to unite total strangers in conversation and debate, and of the topics that crop up, few have generated as much interest as disc brakes. The manufacturers say yes, the pros say no and the consumers say, er, maybe? How you feel about this month’s bike line-up is therefore up to you, but the fact that by chance we’ve once again ended up with two disc-equipped bikes on test should tell you where the industry’s heading – or at least, where it wants to go. So if you like calliper brakes, better get buying up some old stock fast, because disc brake bikes show no signs of stopping.…

It was a simple accident, the kind we narrowly avoid each time we ride. Three weeks before we were due to fly, while elbow to elbow, Ian’s tyres slipped off the tarmac. Over the bars and onto his back he went. His scapula was shattered. No riding for 12 weeks. Sometimes you look forward to something for so long it becomes fictitious – a thing of fantasy. In that moment, it had. Bolton Le Sands is a small village on Morecambe Bay near the Cumbrian Lancashire border in the north-west of England. The area is a maze of silver rural laneways, blue and white coastal vistas, lime countryside farmlands and one-street villages. Within moments you can be off the main roads and into this environment. Ian and I had planned…

Stages is only five years old, but in that short time it has established itself as one of the big names in power meters, even becoming official supplier to Team Sky. Having produced various versions of its crank-based power meter, the Colorado-based company now has its own head unit, the Stages Dash. Stages says the focus has been on keeping things simple, and it believes the Dash will be as appealing for beginners as it is for elite-level athletes. The screen is adaptable, and can display up to 16 fields of data in either landscape or portrait orientation. The unit itself is designed to be light and neat to reduce its impact on aerodynamics, while Stages claims the aluminium out-front mount is sturdy enough for MTB downhill use. Battery life…

Jump across to the Specialized site and you’d be forgiven for thinking the all-new Tarmac, an SL6 in the Old Testament, offers a specific men’s and women’s range. There’s a drop-down menu along with titled model names to further confuse the situation but dig a little deeper and one soon discovers the Rider-First Engineered technology has been streamlined across the board. The concept revolves around a baseline ride, an experience that can be repeated across all frame sizes with full disregard for sex. Specialized claim to have created 'an optimal balance of rigidity, weight, and responsiveness across every frame size… putting the way people ride ahead of their gender.' It makes a lot of sense, even for the most sceptical of bike testers, to have a consistent ride quality. Of…

Mick Patton has just arrived home from one of his last training rides before the 57th Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic. He’s gasping when he answers the phone for our interview. ‘Just give me a minute mate,’ he says between breaths. From the sounds down the line, I can tell he’s wheeling his bike inside somewhere. He drops his riding shoes and helmet on the wooden floor before grabbing the phone again. ‘Right, Craig – I’m ready.’ Many regard “the Grafton” as Australia’s hardest one-day road race. At 228km long with 3,382m of climbing around the Gibraltar range in northern NSW, it’s also known as the Mountain Classic. But it’s just another challenge for Mick, the tough little prawn-trawler owner from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Mick turned 71 this year, and…

Watch out,’ Jo cries as I come to a stop part way down a long, fast gravel descent. With around 15%pitch, our gravel bikes pick up speed quickly, and the recent rains make for optimal grip on slightly damp gravel roads. I swing back into the middle of the road and let Jo whiz past me on the outside, feathering the brakes and nearly careering into a scrub beside the road before she comes to a halt. ‘Wow, that was hairy!’ she says. ‘What were you stopping fo–’ Jo stops mid-sentence as she sees what I’m staring at: rolling hills benched with manicured, lush steps cut into the mountainside, dotted perfectly with an assortment of cows and horses. The region is a rural utopia. The landscape is divided by the…

Where once aero rims were deep and thin, like blades, they have become wider and blunter When it comes to adding speed, stability and sexiness to your bike, the best place to spend your money is on a new pair of wheels. But buying wheels has become a complicated business recently. If you walk into a bike shop and enquire after a set of high-end road wheels, you’re likely to be met with something akin to an interrogation Would sir or madam like disc or rim brake? Carbon or alloy? Thru-axle or quick release? What rim depth? 30mm, 50mm, 80mm? What sort of riding are you mainly doing? Racing, sportives, gravel, time-trial? What about internal rim width? Tyre preferences? And, of course, how much would you like to spend? The…

THE SPEC Model Focus Paralane Factory Groupset SRAM Apex 1x 11-speed Deviations None Wheels Zipp 30 Course Finishing kit Focus Concept EX handlebars, Concept stem, Concept CPX, 25.4x 340mm seatpost and Fi’zi:k Antares R5 saddle. Weight 7,900g (Large) Price $4,999 Contact focus-bikes.com/au_en Long-time Focus rider Jeremy Irons features on a video for the Paralane Factory. Shot in Iceland – all the rage now, ever since their football Euros-dominating clap – it’s also home to some varied (and stunning) terrain. The aim of the video – you can see it for yourself at y2u.be/hgnBMr-WyQo – is for Focus to give you a real-world appreciation for the versatility of their new road bike. Of course, cycling isn’t short of products that claim to ‘do it all’, so when there was a chance…