Innehållsförteckning för September 2013 från Bicycling

ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE about bikes is the limitless manner in which you can upgrade them. You can put white tape on your handlebar and get that fresh-from-the-showroom feeling. You can swap in wider tires, a light, and fenders to transform almost any machine into a trusty commuter. If you crave speed, new wheels can turn your bike into a better bike. And if you ride around town, you can handpick a bell that resonates with your personal style. It’s great how you make your bike more useful and beautiful with such uncomplicated changes. The same thing can be said of the magazine you’re holding. The editorial staff here is always looking for ways to make BICYCLING more beautiful and useful, and I think this issue represents a…

Hold Your Line I was on my third ride since getting my new Cannondale Synapse road bike—and my first pair of clipless pedals. I was enjoying the scenery when I felt something like fishing line across my chest and heard a man screaming. I skidded to a stop and fell over. The man apologized profusely and explained that he had been practicing his casting across the road into a field. MARTIN HALLETT SCOT T DEPOT, W V Martin, you’ll never have to fish around for the right tool with your smartly organized Park Tool Home Mechanic StarterKit. TALK WITH US bicycling@rodale.com Bicycling Magazine @BicyclingMag @bicyclingmag Survey Says IF OUR READERS MADE THEIR OWN ENERGY GEL, IT WOULD TASTE LIKE... Winner PIE OR CAKE No. 2 BEER No. 3 BACON No.…

Riding 100 miles in a single day is a rite of passage for many cyclists. As long as you have a solid game plan, you’ll be able to attain your goal—whether you’re supporting a cause, enjoying a fun day with friends, beating your best time, or all of the above. Focus on three aspects of preparation: the technical, the tactical, and the physical. With planning and attention to detail, you’ll minimize mistakes and arrive at the finish line well before the food tent (or your body) is broken down. SIGN UP FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE 8-WEEK TRAINING PLAN AT BICYCLING.COM/CENTURYRIDE. 1. PREP BIKE AND BODY About a week before your event, take your bike to a trusted mechanic for a tune-up. If you’re doing your own maintenance, be sure to address…

WHAT IT IS A bike train is an organized group made up of children and adults who ride their bikes to and from school along an established route. BIKE-TRAIN BENEFITS According to the advocacy group Safe Routes to School (SRTS), kids who bike or walk to school are more likely to maintain a healthy weight and blood pressure. Other benefits include improved mental health, better academic performance, and less car congestion near schools, which is not only safer, it’s also better for the environment. Still, some parents are reluctant to let their child ride to school on their own, says April Economides, a sustainability consultant who speaks around the country about creating bike-friendly communities. “A bike train is a good solution since chaperones are involved and it provides safety in…

READ MORE ABOUT OUR SELECTIONS AT BICYCLING.COM/PATCHES. 1 If a detail doesn’t enhance the strength, fit, or ride of a bike, Soulcraft won’t add it to its frames. As for the patch, it can go anywhere. $5 2 New Belgium Brewing’s 12-state Tour de Fat festival raises money for cycling nonprofits—and includes a costumed bicycle parade. $1.50 3 Motivated by her experiences as a deaf cyclist, DeafBikeSigns owner Carrie Brewer makes patches and other signs for hearing-impaired riders. $6 4 Custom-frame builder Independent Fabrication’s iconic logo was inspired by a war monument near its original Boston-area location. $5 5 Put in an order for a handmade cycling cap at the online Etsy store AllOneWord. Shop owner Mary Elizabeth will create a custom lid in any color you desire. $2 6…

“THIS IS [EXPLETIVE] RIDICULOUS!” OWEN shouted. He hurled his upper body toward his front wheel, managing to coax his pedals, however grudgingly, to turn. “Why the [expletive] am I doing this?” There was a moment of silence while he struggled for breath, glancing at me with mock indignation. “You know who’s to blame for this?” he called out. “You.” Owen is my oldest friend, and due to my scheming he was far out of his element, on a steep, deserted mountain road, surrounded by such annoyances as trees and birds. We were on the first day of Ride the Rockies, a six-day trek through Colorado, on what was supposed to be a warm-up ride: 79 easy miles to the agricultural hamlet of Hotchkiss. We had gotten a late start, opting…

If there’s a way to attach a whiskey barrel to a bicycle, I’m not seeing it. The barrel isn’t large—about the size of a football, with a two-liter capacity—but still, as I assess the bike, then the handsome white-oak barrel, and then back to the bike, I can’t see a way to engineer it. Not helpful are the amused reactions I’m getting to my pleas for advice: from my cycling tour guide, from the distiller, even from the nice old lady sweeping the distillery’s front porch. This would be the Copper Fox Distillery, in Sperryville, Virginia, where since 2006, in a tin-roofed, cinder-block facility tucked back on a gravel road, Rick Wasmund and his pal Sean McCaskey have been producing a range of small-batch rye and single-malt whiskeys. The whiskeys’…

R Riding onto New York City’s Queensboro Bridge is the most stressful part of my evening commute. The span across the East River has a wide bike lane, but reaching it requires negotiating a gauntlet of left-turning cabs and other vehicles gunning for the next green light. Navigating this snarl requires dodging around stopped cars, then accelerating quickly to match the speed of traffic flowing north. It’s a job for a nimble, responsive bike—a bike like the singlespeed Trek District. Unlike a lightweight road bike, the District is built to withstand the rigors of daily use. Instead of a chain, Trek used a lube-free, rustproof Gates carbon belt that will never dirty your cuff. There’s a trade-off, though: District owners need to properly tension the belt after fixing a flat,…

EXTRA PROTECTION FOR FAST DESCENTS Troy Lee Designs A1 The sharp angles, long visor, and distinctive gold-flake paint help the A1 stand out, but its beauty is more than skin deep. The comfortable plush liner feels like a motorcycle helmet’s, but low-density foam keeps it light. The paint is applied to the inside of a clear shell, so the A1 should look showroom-new even after months of abuse on the trails. Plus, all the external parts are replaceable. This is a great helmet, but its price is high compared with most other models in this category. $165, standard; $185, metal flake; 367 grams; royleedesigns.com OUR PICK Bell Super The fit, ventilation, and protection are on par with the best in the class, but the details are what give this new…

Reservoir The hidden chamber contains DOT 5.1 fluid to keep the system full as brake pads wear and move farther out of the caliper. A bleed port on top lets you remove air from the system. Communication Port An O-ring inside the port moves to either open or seal a pathway between the main piston and the reservoir. This lets extra fluid into the system when needed and seals off the reservoir to pressurize the system when you pull the lever. Banjo Bolt Named for its shape, this fitting connects the hydraulic hose to the lever assembly. It’s secured by a hollow bolt, which lets fluid pass from where it’s stored in the lever into the hose when you squeeze the brakes. Shifting Mechanism SRAM’s DoubleTap design, largely unchanged since…

Q What are some basic rules for lubing my chain? First and foremost, always start with a clean chain—don’t add a coat of fresh lube over old gunk. Give it a good scrub with a brush and degreaser, then rinse. It’s also important that you use the appropriate lube for your riding conditions: dry for arid and dusty, wet for muddy and rainy. For applying the lube, here’s a secret: Touch the tip of the bottle to the inside of the chain just in front of the lower jockey wheel on your rear derailleur—this helps drive the lube into the chain. Then lightly squeeze the bottle while turning the cranks backward five times. Remove the bottle and rotate the cranks another five times to allow the lube to penetrate the…

In “Southern Comforts” (p. 58), Jonathan Miles explores the union of great food and great rides in Virginia’s Tour d’Epicure. “You give your friend the same expression before a hill as you do facing the seventh course: ‘We can do this. We’re strong enough,’” he says. Miles has also written for Details and the New York Times. His novel Want Not comes out in November. Susi Wunsch, who helps cyclists navigate New York City on p. 36, explains how entrepreneurs inside and outside the bike industry are contributing to new trends in cycling fashion (“Take a Look,” p. 48). “This clothing combines performance with designs that we’d wear every day,” she says. Her website, velojoy.com, is a guide to urban cycling. “Fashion is becoming a lot more integrated into cycling,”…

When was the last time you saw a rider at a café sipping a cup of...Monster Energy Drink? It looks like espressos-willing cyclists are really onto something. Turns out you get more from coffee than from a supplement or a drink or gel spiked with caffeine. Why? Coffee beans contain natural polyphenols and antioxidants that, in combination with caffeine, can improve endurance, fight fatigue, and make hard efforts feel easier—even when you’re running low on fuel. Those same natural ingredients also improve brain function and reduce the risk of certain diseases. Time your buzz right: Toss back java 60 to 90 minutes before you head out, says sports nutritionist Asker Jeukend-rup, PhD.…

1 The Gears Most bikes have two or three chainrings in the front and anywhere from 7 to 11 gears, or cogs, in the back. Moving the chain from the smallest rear cog to the largest eases your pedaling effort incrementally. Moving it between the chainrings in the front results in a more noticeable change—pedaling feels easier in a smaller chainring and harder in a bigger one. 2 Shifter Savvy The left-hand shifter changes the front gears; the one on the right controls gears in back. If you get flustered on the fly, remember: RIGHT = REAR. 3 IT’S OKAY TO... • USE ONLY THE REAR COGS AND THE SMALL OR MIDDLE FRONT CHAINRING WHEN YOU’RE JUST GETTING COMFORTABLE ON A BIKE. • LOOK DOWN TO SEE WHAT GEAR YOU’RE…

People are often reluctant to ride because they worry about getting hit by a car. But the risk is much lower than you might realize. A Centers for Disease Control study found that cycling is safer than such activities as tennis, swimming, fishing, driving, even walking. What should have you quaking in your pedals: the prospect of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease from inactivity. When bike accidents do occur, only 11 percent involve an automobile. The vast majority—73 percent—involve no one but the cyclist. Embarrassing-but-true fact: Fifty-nine percent are solo falls. The other 14 percent are collisions with stationary objects such as trees. (The most common victims are children, so keep an eye on yours while they’re getting the hang of riding.) Another misconception: People think they’ll get hit from…

VIBE Since mayor Michael Bloomberg launched his ambitious plan for a more sustainable city in 2007, bicycle commuting has doubled and the city has added 300-plus miles of bike lanes—not always without controversy (this is New York, after all). With the launch of Citi Bike in May, residents and visitors now enjoy on-demand access to 6,000 bicycles at more than 300 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Whether you’re joining in an organized event, rolling over one of the East River bridges to get to work, or noodling around a neighborhood, riding in New York has never been easier, more convenient, or more fun. RIDE A mainstay for Manhattan commuters and recreational riders, the Hudson River Greenway stretches along the water from Battery Park to the Little Red Lighthouse at the…

S SUNLIGHT. THE SOUND OF OLIVIA SINGING. I am following her on a bike, floating down a slice of top-shelf Santa Cruz singletrack. “You got this, Swift!” she calls over her shoulder. “Stay right!” Then she starts singing again. We’re devouring the descent at a clip that for me is just slightly faster than comfortable. California sun pierces the towering redwoods, flinging streaks and shards of light onto the ground in front of us. Occasionally a long tube of sunshine stretches diagonally across the trail, filled with the frantic swirling motion of microscopic dust raised by riders ahead of us. Lush green ground cover and soft duff is all around us, and the air is filled with a delicate smell, wood and decay, warm, sweet, and musky. Olivia’s petite body…

TO MY RIGHT, THE NORTH UMPQUA RIVER boomed through flat-faced whitewater and mesmerizing pools. The sun-softened asphalt beneath my wheels smelled like summer. I rode along in one of those wonderful trances cycling sometimes lulls you into, not even aware I was pedaling uphill, though my bike was weighted with four heavy panniers. The hum of a truck approaching from behind shattered the moment. I focused instantly on the small orange safety flag bobbing ahead of me about 100 feet up the hill. It was attached to a double-wide Burley bike trailer pulled by my husband, Tony, who like me was also riding a fully loaded touring bike. In the trailer: our 21-month-old son, Oscar. I could picture his sweet face greased with sunblock as he peered out from under…

T The hardest move on the trail was just ahead, barely visible through a copse of elm and ash. Making it through that rubble of rocks—shaped like coffins and cannonballs with no easy way through—would require finesse, power, and a bit of luck. In all the times I had attempted this section, I probably had made it through cleanly on less than half of them. I carved hard, rolling down a slab of granite into a sweeping right-hand bend. The last time I’d ridden here I was on a 100mm-travel 29er, a good bike I knew well, but which bucked harshly in the transition between that obstacle and the soft ground just beyond it, making it difficult to set up for the critical move ahead. On this run, however, I…

WOMEN’S ROAD Mavic Giova $130 The Giova’s stiff sole, slim profile, and pearlescent finish make it stand out. The tongue was the most comfortable of the finalists, and the upper let in lots of cooling air. The shoe should please a range of cyclists: Testers with a variety of foot shapes and volumes all felt comfortable in the Giova—although one of our testers wished for a slimmer heel. The composite sole is just 6mm thick, and one tester noted some flex, but said the extra give helped prevent her feet from becoming cramped on long rides. The Giova’s ratchet buckle made cinching it tighter easy. mavic.com ALSO ON THE PODIUM | Louis Garneau W’s RevoXR3, $120, louisgarneau.com; Pearl Izumi W Race RD11, $130, pearlizumi.com MN’S ROAD Giro Apeckx $150 The…

1. Giro New Road Wind The sartorial counterpoint to race-inspired vests, this one has an understated, casual look. It’s equally comfortable on a 40-mile gravel ride or an evening spin to a patio dinner. $160, giro.com 2. Rapha Women’s Gilet This vest from the fashion-forward designers at Rapha is beautiful in form and function: It’s light, compact, and windproof, and it gives you a flattering silhouette. $190, rapha.cc 3. Giordana TriSeason Many Giordana items have serious flash, but the TriSeason is all about performance. It’s light and packable, and its zipper is easy to use with cold hands—a plus on a brisk day. $170, gitabike.com 4. Castelli Fawesome Think of this lightweight layer as insurance against a midride squall. Windstopper fabric on front panels and the tail repel rain and…

Once they get past the bike-shorts-with-suspenders look, most cyclists embrace bibs. The shoulder straps are not only more comfortable than a waistband, they also do a better job of keeping your chamois in the right spot, minimizing chafing. Some also provide core support and act like a base layer on hot days, helping you stay dry and cool. (Just remember: Your jersey goes over the straps.) Here’s what to know when shopping for bib shorts. Try them on with underpants. Every chamois is designed to be worn commando, but hygiene etiquette holds that you should test drive them with undies. Men should skip the boxers and wear tight-fitting briefs to better feel how the chamois conforms to their bodies. All chamois are soft and quick-drying, so pick one with supportive…

MARY ANDERSON BELLINGHAM, WA Finding a Way I struggle to be a present father of five and still get in saddle time. Your recent issue inspired me. As I was reading the “Guide to Riding Everywhere” I thought, It must be nice to commute to work on your bike. The roads here aren’t the most bike-friendly, but I found a trail that gets me almost there. All I can say is, wow. I get at least 50 extra miles in per week by commuting. ROB RECTOR HOUSTON Going the Distance Loved the article on the Race Across America (“Revenge of the Nerds”). My husband and I, team Beau & Babe, were at the finish line at the same time as Team ViaSat. Granted, we got a head start because of…

ALL YOUR RIDE QUANDARIES, SOLVED Q Where should I hold the handlebar on descents? IT DEPENDS. WHEN YOU SLIDE YOUR HANDS INTO THE curved part of a road-bike handlebar (also known as the drops), your center of gravity is lower, so you may be more stable. You’re also more aerodynamic, a plus if you’re going for speed. But on a descent with tight turns or in a group, you might feel more confident with your hands on the brake hoods (the rubbery brake-lever covers that extend up from each side of the bar). “In a race, I’ll descend holding the hoods because it lets me sit higher and see what’s ahead,” says Christopher Jones, of the UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team. “I’ll use the drops if I’m solo or in a…

MOTIVATION Music to Your Gears Rockin’ out while warming up can boost your performance, according to research done at the National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports in Tunisia. In the study, athletes performed a series of 30-second sprints after warming up for 10 minutes either in silence or while listening to high-tempo music. When they tuned in, they not only tuned out unwanted distractions, they also produced more power during the sprint than when they warmed up in peace and quiet—without feeling like they were working any harder. Some of my favorite beat-thumpers include AC/DC, Chemical Brothers, Neon Trees, and Flo Rida. TRAINING SPRINT LIKE A STAR Dynamic stretching, the kind that puts your muscles through their full range of motion, can improve your ability to sprint, according…

{STAGE 1, 8/19} Riders do three laps of a 22-mile circuit that has 3,080 feet of elevation gain. Catch the first King of the Mountain against a scrim of evergreens on Aspen’s Snowmass Mountain at the intersection of Owl Creek and Bushcreek Roads. {STAGE 2, 8/20} At a soaring 12,096 feet, Independence Pass is the highest in any pro race. Watch the climbers put on a show as they ascend the granite-faced mountain during the first 20 miles of this 126-mile stage from Aspen to Breckenridge. Arrive before 8 a.m. to avoid road closures. {STAGE 3, 8/21} Enjoy alpine meadow vistas while waiting for riders to contest for the King of the Mountain on Rabbit Ears Pass before they descend 20 miles to the finish in Steamboat Springs. {STAGE 4,…

IMAGINE MAKING A LIFE-SIZE SCULPTURE of yourself out of sugar, then eating the entire thing over the next 365 days. That might sound gross, but many of us do roughly the equivalent every year, according to the latest figures from the United States Department of Agriculture. The average American eats 156 pounds of added sugar annually. We’re not talking about the kind you find naturally in whole foods, but sugar that’s been poured in during processing. Not good. The American Heart Association recommends that we eat no more than six to nine teaspoons (24 to 36 grams) daily, depending on gender. But because food manufacturers dump sugar into many packaged foods—bread, crackers, soups, sauces, and salad dressings—most of us average two to three times the prescribed amount (about 22 teaspoons,…

Propelled by the advancing popularity of transit and urban riding, along with an ever-broadening definition of how bicycles fit into our daily lives, clothing makers are throwing the boundaries of cycling’s sartorial territory wide open—a tailored pencil skirt unzips to reveal a gusset for easy pedaling, a rear zip pocket finds common ground with a shirt collar and covered button placket. With so many options, everybody wins in the race for personal self-expression. MINIMALISM The most refined designs are less about what is added than about how much has been subtracted. For decades, bold graphics and bright colors defined the image of road cycling, but the new minimalist aesthetic whittles away everything but the essentials of performance and comfort. In the pursuit of design purity, fine knits, muted solids, and…

Push the levers on this limited-edition Super Record group to produce a satisfying symphony of clicks and whirrs that’s uniquely—beautifully—Campy. This version of the impressive mechanical group celebrates Campagnolo’s 80th anniversary. For the occasion, the component innovators elevated the form: Each part is both artistic and industrial, and a pearled finish reflects light with a wink instead of a flash. Known for their panache, the components’ designers could have chosen to embellish these parts with Italian flair. Instead, only red logos show that this Super Record is a little more super. $3,765 (complete group, including an 80th anniversary case and cages); anniversary.campagnolo.com…

F For a price many riders can juggle along with mortgage payments and daycare fees, the TCR offers a light, quick frame and performance-oriented components. Just add a road and you’re ready to explore. At the bike’s foundation is an ALUXX SL aluminum frame, built around the compact geometry Giant introduced in 1997 and popularized by sponsoring the ONCE team. The shaped tubes give the bike a sleek look that belies the frame’s stoutness. The bottom bracket area feels substantial when you stand to sprint, and the front end is ready to help you slice through a high-speed corner. The bike felt great when driving through turns and shooting through tightly linked switchbacks. The rear wheel is tucked behind the contoured seat tube for a minimal aerodynamic advantage. At just…

{MOUNTAIN BIKE} 1. Ritchey WCS Paradigm Ritchey makes entry and exit easier with each new version of this pedal. The updated WCS Paradigm is the company’s best iteration so far. While it may not be quite as smooth as Shimano’s SPD pedals, it weighs 86 grams less and positions your cleat 3mm closer to the crank for a narrower stance. OVERALL: 7 PRICE $160 WEIGHT 293 grams ritcheylogic.com {NEW ROAD RIDER} 2. Time XPRESSO 8 The latest iteration of Time’s iCLIC system has a wider platform, lighter body, and stronger retention mechanism. The new design feels more stable underfoot than previous versions. The iCLIC’s binding mechanism stays open when you click out, which makes stepping into the pedal easy. OVERALL: 9 PRICE $280 WEIGHT 279g time-sport.com {ROAD PERFORMANCE } 3.…

Half Amount you should turn your derailleur’s barrel adjuster if your chain skips—counterclockwise if it jumps to a larger cog, clockwise if it drops to a smaller one. Still skipping? Try another half-turn. TWO Distance in millimeters that 24 chain links, measured from rivet to rivet, can stretch beyond 12 inches before the chain needs to be replaced. Any longer and you’ll likely need a new cassette and chainring. 20 Threads per inch (tpi) on a pedal spindle. If your bike’s crankarm threads get flattened, a 9/16-inch by 20-tpi tap might be your last hope. Just remember that the left-side pedal is reverse-threaded. When in doubt, head to your local bike shop. 100 HOURS OF USE AFTER WHICH THE AVERAGE SUSPENSION FORK WILL NEED TO BE OVERHAULED—DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU…