Innehållsförteckning för May 14, 2020 från Cycling Weekly

This week’s issue is all about optimisation – how to make small improvements to you and your kit to eke out a bit of free speed. In the build-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics this was dubbed ‘marginal gains’ by Dave Brailsford and his team. It’s a great slogan, and as an approach it was taken to the limit by the GB squad with a multi-million pound budget, but in fact it was nothing new. And for some gains you don’t need a massive budget. As our feature on drivetrain efficiency reveals you can gain a few watts back with a can of WD40, an old rag and some chain lube. That’s right, cleaning your chain improves its efficiency. But we all knew this, right? I can’t be the only…

Ian White was a national time trial champion and competition record holder, who would go on to be a motorcycle pilot in some of the biggest races in the world. Born in London, White lived much of his life in Yorkshire, before moving recently to North Wales. He broke the national 50-mile competition record in 1970 while riding for the Clifton CC, clocking 1.47.34 in his club’s 75th anniversary event at Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. However, his record only stood for a matter of minutes, with team-mate John Watson bettering his time by almost four minutes on his way to winning the same event. Three years later, he won the National 50 and 100-mile Championships, as well as the British Cycling Individual Time Trial Championship staged at Catterick, again in North…

Portuguese stages of the 2020 Vuelta a España have been cancelled The Portuguese stages of the 2020 Vuelta a España have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities in the start and finish towns, as well as the Vuelta race organisers, have made the decision to alter stages 15 and 16 “due to the impossibility of guaranteeing optimal conditions” for the race to pass safely. Vuelta organisers have already said replacement stages have been confirmed but won’t announce them for a few weeks as they iron out the details. £2bn …is to be invested in cycling by the government. It said the cash will be used to create pop-up bike lanes, wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only corridors within weeks as part of new funding to support…

THE RACE 3R THREE SISTERS HILL RACE A tough 47km loop with 879m of climbing awaits competitors on this race, hosted by 3R, formerly known as World Bicycle Relief (WBR). Sat 16 May, 19:05 THE WORKOUT UPHILL BATTLE A testing series of threshold-level efforts set by American coach Shayne Gaffney finished off with a series of even tougher 30:30s. Fri 15 May, 06:30 THE CAFE RIDE TREK-SEGAFREDO WOMEN’S RIDE Can you keep up with Elisa Longo Borghini and Lucinda Brand? Well there’s only one way to find out – sign up to this. Fri 15 May, 16:00…

We are a small family-owned shop in Tunbridge Wells. After a slow winter we were worried the pandemic would hit us badly, so braced for the worst. Around mid-March the workshop started to become busier, but when Boris announced the lockdown the workshop started to get really busy. We thought it would be a brief flurry of interest, but instead things exploded. For the first time in over 35 years there was a queue outside the door! Some were long-standing customers but many were people we had never seen before. Every new customer had a unique reason for taking to two wheels. Maybe they had planned a holiday or a birthday party but the uncertainty over how long the lockdown would last meant they had decided to use that budget…

Dan Bigham and his team at Wattshop work with amateur athletes right through to pros – including most recently the Danish team, who they assisted ahead of their world record-beating team pursuit performance. Here, Bigham explains what you can expect at an aero testing session. “The first step of the optimisation process is capturing as much information about the athlete as possible. We ask them to complete a thorough questionnaire that digs into their performance,” he says. “The aero test sessions themselves are primarily held at Derby Arena (The Derbados Superdrome), but we do test worldwide. Our software and hardware are fully portable, which makes life a lot easier by not having to be tied to a specific test facility. “For the vast majority of clients, we spend most time…

Dov Tate designed the Parcours Strade aero wheelset around the 700x28c tubeless Continental GP5000, which, he says was the “fastest go-to tyre in terms of rolling resistance versus puncture resistance”. It’s accepted that wider tyres can supply improved rolling resistance, better comfort and stability and improved aerodynamics with the correct rim profile. But what is the effect of the higher weight of a 28c compared to a 25c and even a 23c? The 28c GP5000 at 340g weighs 40g per tyre more than the 25c version. “Comparatively little,” says Tate. “By the time you start adding in sealant, the differences in weight become comparatively small. “In terms of the overall wheel system, it’s not going to be a massive number. The Strade is by no means the lightest rim of…

ANDREW FEATHER 2018 hill climb national champion Andrew Feather updated his Cannondale SuperSix Evo – a popular frame among hill-climbers – with lightweight finishing kit from German companies Schmolke and Mcfk in his bid to shed grams for 2019. CALUM BROWN’S BIRLEY SHASSEY Brown’s 5.1kg bike features string spokes in the front wheel, a 42 X 11/25 SRAM one-by drivetrain and a carbon saddle that’s seen better days. He’s actually added some weight after the 5kg 2016 bike had a few breakages under the 1,000 watts that he can sustain for almost a minute. That 100g clearly makes all the difference. JOS LOWDEN’S BORROWED BIKE Lowden took her first senior title at the 2017 Hill-Climb Championships on her brother’s Planet X. No slouch himself, James Lowden cut down the bars,…

Chain wax v lube According to Dan Leather, of lube specialists Weldtite, the gains to be had from wax and more recently wax-based lubricants are clear: “Improved performance, reduced cleaning and potentially longer lasting components,” he claimed. Josh Poertner of Silca, who has waxed the chains of Cancellara, Tony Martin and Peter Sagan to name just a few explains the process involved. “Initially wax had to be melted and then the chain dipped in it, additives such as molybdenum disulfide and later PTFE made it even faster. But you have to push out the chain pin, dip the chain, rivet it back together or more recently use a quick link; and then you get around 200-300 miles before you had to do it again. So while it was super-fast, it…

Notio works with a host of WorldTour athletes. Notio’s Ed Collins tells us: “Some of the riders we work with are doing what we call position adaption/compliance training, where they give themselves time to adapt to a new more aero efficient position on the bike by allowing their bodies to adapt. The end goal is that the rider can sustain an improved position but still manage to produce power. By using the Notio aerosensor during training, riders can monitor the progress and coaches/performance staff can look at that data over time and be sure they are fully adapted.”…

Though we’ve lost group ride sociability, indoor training has become more companionable than ever. Ben Dowman, ride co-ordinator from Kendal CC, says: “If I want to ride with other people, my garage is the place to do it.” Dowman’s club in Cumbria has grasped with both hands the challenges of lockdown, inventing a multitude of ways to keep the club spirit alive, allowing members to ride ‘together apart’. He says Zwift has had some surprising benefits: “The first thing that got off the ground was group rides on Zwift – Saturday morning when the normal club ride would have been and also some weekday group rides.” When using ‘Meet Up’ on Zwift, the app keeps people together regardless of their power. “A wider range of age and fitness levels can…

The Sufferfest app, which offers a selection of online structured workouts, training plans and cross training, was fast to respond to the challenges of lockdown – offering an extended free trial period and four-week ‘All In’ workout plans. Neal Henderson is the leader of The Sufferfest’s sports science division and coach to world-class cyclists including Rohan Dennis, Kasia Niewiadoma and Adam Hansen. He is an advocate not only of solo training, but also focused indoor solo training: “There is clearly an opportunity here for people to reassess their training. They may realise that their old training sessions weren’t working for them.” The Sufferfest’s physiologist Mac Cassin similarly feels there may be benefits from being forced to stay in at this time: “With indoor training, if you have a set of…

A mid all that is going on, it has been a pleasure to see families out on their bikes, enjoying quiet roads and sunshine. Seeing kids who would normally be restricted to riding laps of a garden, out in the wild, riding properly is something I’ll always remember from these times. One of my older cycling friends has been in full misty-eye mode for weeks now, comparing present-day Cambridgeshire to the empty roads, rationing and sepia-toned pandemics of the 1950s. I also like that the children are almost always young enough that even if they fall in love with cycling, it will be many years before they’re old enough to start being a threat to my ego. Also, their parents have to go very slowly indeed to keep them company,…

A local rider got in touch to tell me about a lockdown ride a couple of weeks ago. Being a handy sort of chap, he was trundling along at a nice steady 300 watts, when slightly to his surprise another rider came huffing and puffing past him. He let him go on up the road, obviously. Then the other rider sat up. My friend did the same, until eventually it was clear he was going to have to either re-pass or do the rest of his ride at 90 watts. A mile further on, and the other guy came past again, gasping for breath, then sat up. “What are you playing at, mate?” my friend asked. “I’m using you to pace my intervals,” said the other rider.…

Doing a sprint effort might seem simple, you just go as hard as you can. And as your anaerobic energy systems only last a few seconds it’s not going to take long. So there’s not much to it, right? Wrong. Going flat out for a few seconds is simple, hitting your peak power is more complex. Power isn’t just about putting force through the pedals, it’s a combination of force and speed, meaning revolutions per minute (rpm) come in to play. If you sprint at 90rpm you won’t get anywhere near your max power. You’ll be putting out force instead. Getting your revs right means entering the sprint at the correct speed and in the correct gear as it’s best not to change gear during the sprint. We’ll come back…

How are you doing? I am doing well, very busy still working as an HGV driver Monday to Friday, frustrated about not being able to get out with the club on club rides and coaching sessions down the track but making the most of my time. What has the club done to keep people connected? We have WhatsApp groups running to keep in touch. The latest fun on one group is posting pictures of solo cycling rides and asking ‘where am I?’ which helps build rapport and knowledge of local areas. Our coaches, Mark Lewis and Mick Perry, often give tutorials on how to start a roller session, how to set up time trials on rollers and how to ride the rollers. Following on from Peter Sagan’s video on squats…

The 1986 Milk Race finished with a circuit of London on closed roads. There hadn’t been a British winner since Bill Nickson in 1976, and it was only the second year that the race had been opened up to amateur and professional riders. So Joey McLoughlin taking the overall ensured a good crowd. McLoughlin had taken the lead on the seventh stage with a solo victory into Cardiff. I managed to miss him crossing the line after a desperate drive into Cardiff from the Brecon Beacons where he launched his attack, so I was pleased to at least have this photo. The 80s was a time when there was a strong homegrown professional scene with a good calendar of races, so to now be able to ride the two-week long…

The Argon 18 Electron Pro has quickly developed a very good reputation. It’s the bike of choice for Huub-Wattbike, plus the Danish team which has taken consultancy from Dan Bigham’s Wattshop outfit. At the last Track Worlds, the Danes rode the bike to a new team pursuit world record of 3:44.672. The bike boasts what it calls the ‘Argon Oneness System’. This is all about integration, with a streamlined handlebar and fully integrated stem, featuring a high level of adjustability to ensure that riders can find the correct position. A major focus has been placed on fit, too, with a promised consistent performance across the sizes from XXS to XL. RRP: £4,999 NOTIO AEROSENSOR These real-time CdA measuring tools represent a rapidly growing market. The tool works alongside a power…

As team mechanic for UCI Continental team Joker Fuel, of Norway, Glen Whittingham has a few tricks to increase efficiency: “Firstly, dirt is the absolute enemy and this is the reason that pros have their bikes cleaned after every usage, even on a dry day dust and exhaust gases will create sticky gunk that will slow you down. Next up is using the correct chain lube for the conditions – a dry lube in the rain will be fine initially but will wash off quickly and this will create friction for the rest of the stage. Likewise a wet lube in the dry will attract dirt and dust and this will create a noticeable amount of drag.” For Andy Verral an ex-Team Sky/Ineos mechanic his top tip is to never…

RIDER 1 An Olympic-level road rider once came to me with a problematic TT position. She had had a fit with her pro team while on camp and found the position super-efficient and comfy. Try as she might, though, she couldn’t replicate it on her lo-pro track bike. The positions were identical yet they didn’t feel the same and her frontal CdA in the lab was three to five per cent different. After much head scratching, we noticed the saddles on the two bikes, while identical in make and model, were different in width. Switching the narrow saddle to the track bike made for a drop in CdA and an increase in comfort. RIDER 2 I often see positions which have been worked out to accommodate one wrong size of…

Jamie Pringle is head of science and tech development at Boardman Bikes. He employs his specialist knowledge at the Boardman Performance Centre, alongside a team of biomechanical experts. “It helps if the rider can present less frontal area to the wind by adopting a lower torso and narrower arm position, but it’s not simply a question of lower is faster. It’s the coefficient of drag aspect part of the equation – the air flow – that requires more thinking but also offers most potential. “There’s only a certain amount you can do to fold a rider into an ever-smaller frontal area before it negatively impacts on their physical capabilities. For a rider with a good starting position, altering their torso angle to change their frontal area may have only a…

1 Connect with others who are ‘in the same boat’. Ride together on Zoom, using headphones to chat and feel part of the cycling community. Neal Henderson 2 Turn your competitive drive into something new – for example, seeing how physically flexible you can become in a month. Find something else to focus on. Mac Cassin 3 Set yourself new challenges that aren’t physical so you can’t go overboard on training, like how many books can you read. Use this time to learn more and stretch yourself in different ways. Neal Henderson 4 Preventing a dry mouth is a first line of defence for our airways. Saliva contains IgA, an immunoglobin that helps guard against infections. Try adding lemon juice to your water bottle to increase the amount of saliva…

CALLUM McQUEEN, 20 ‘LEARNING HOW TO FUEL LIKE A PRO’ Since my first bulletin in early April, what to say? – we’re still in lockdown, still waiting. Is that about to change? Although a cloud of uncertainty still hangs over the 2020 race season, the possibility of a restart to racing is gradually being revived. Will there be enough time left to run a meaningful season? If so, how will it work? These are all questions that only time will answer. For now, we carry on waiting. My training has eased back slightly – I’ve been doing 16-18 hours per week but still keeping in the quality. OK, I admit it, I have cracked and given in to the temptations of Strava – searching out local segments and carrying out…

We’re all familiar with, and I fear perhaps a little patronising in our attitude towards, the sort of rider who you see out on a summer day wearing a slightly too big waterproof jacket. But consider this – he’s wearing it because it’s the only cycling jacket he or she has. It’s what they wear to go cycling. It took them exactly no time at all to decide what to wear, because they wore their cycling jacket. Those of us who have more than one possible cycling jacket or jersey have a very considerable problem in comparison. Add in a couple of pairs of shorts, tights, leg warmers, knee-warmers, arm-warmers, base layers and hat and glove options, and even a conservative piece of maths produces several hundred potential combinations. Under…

CW news editor With coronavirus disrupting life as we know it on the planet I thought my ability to be surprised had been maxed out. Then the UCI last week put out a revised calendar that includes an inaugural women’s edition of Paris-Roubaix, a move which is comfortably the most pleasant surprise of the year so far. It’s surprising because until now Paris-Roubaix organiser ASO has a, shall we say, ‘patchy’ record of support for the women’s side of the sport, most notably with its somewhat perfunctory approach to building La Course into a major event. Indeed rumour has it that Specialized was several years ago happy to invest in running a women’s edition but ASO didn’t bite. Well now the US company, and scores of others, have got just…

Residents of Islington have been raising money for Qhubeka thanks to a makeshift workshop set up by one of the trustees of the charity’s UK arm. Jeremy Ford used the Nextdoor app to let local residents know that he’d fix their bikes, for free, in return for a donation to the charity. “It’s been a tough few weeks for the charity; donations usually increase when racing starts and when the team [NTT] do well,” Ford explained. With that and other sports-related activities lost, he instead decided to put his mechanic skills to the test. “I put up a message and it went a bit crazy. After 10 days I’d had 90 enquiries and I’ve just finished working on bike number 54,” he said. News of the service spread locally via…

Freddy Ovett, specialist climber neo-pro for Israel Cycling Academy, shares his climbing wisdom and top tips for lightweight riding. “Climbing is all power-to-weight ratios, and although our team Factor 02 bikes can go under the 6.8kg restriction, equipping ours with factory standard kit means we hit the target, while allowing us to select the lightweight Black Inc 30 wheels, unique Maxxis Yalla Academy tubeless tyres and Orange-Seal sealant, which is also fast rolling. [It’s worth noting here that the team reported an almost no flat 2019 season, with no punctures for the entire 2019 Giro with this set-up]. An easy way to reduce weight is by taking less out on the bike. If you really want to go low weight, start with the basics like doing away with power meters,…

Since sprocket size is seen to have a big impact on your efficiency it goes without saying that any increase in size will have a positive impact. For most of us, though, riding in a large gear isn’t always possible – but there is a way of decreasing friction without considering your gear choice. An oversize pulley wheel system is an upgrade that many pros swear by and is becoming a popular choice amongst amateurs. Take this CeramicSpeed version for Shimano derailleurs. It replaces the lower cages and pulley (jockey) wheels of the rear derailleur and boosts pulley wheel sizes from the existing 11 tooth versions to a 13 tooth upper guide wheel and a massive 19 tooth lower tension pulley with the aim to reduce friction owing to decreased…

Tech editor Michelle Arthurs-Brennan checked in with Burt for a fit, and discovered a simple saddle-width alteration made all the difference. “I had been struggling to find a saddle that I found comfortable, and was also having issues with lower back pain and sciatica as a result of a tilt in my pelvis. “I’d never had any particular problem with ‘sit bone discomfort’ so tended to ignore the width measurements on saddles, instead looking for a cut-out which would relieve soft-tissue pressure. “An initial saddle map showed that I was tilting my pelvis in the saddle quite dramatically, and the Retül sensors Burt used in tandem showed that this had an effect on knee extension, with mine sitting at 38/44° – the right leg quite outside the 35-40° guideline. “Burt…

Some riders are choosing not to ride outside at all at the moment, while others are carrying on – albeit without training buddies. It’s a completely personal judgement, but if you are riding alone outdoors, you clearly need to be self-sufficient. Lockdown conditions are unique. Of course, as ever you should ride safely and do everything in your power to avoid having an accident. But there are more mundane considerations, too. With shops and cafes shut, you need to make sure you have enough food and water for your ride – pack plenty. Make doubly sure you have the spares and tools you need for basic roadside repairs. Remember, if you get three punctures, you can’t simply phone your mate for a lift or jump on public transport, so carry…

Nutritionist Charlie Mitten has identified a problem in Callum’s fuelling – and is helping him to match intake to energy demands “My main concern, having spoken to Callum, was that he has not been fuelling appropriately to meet the demands of his training. Over time, under-fuelling will run a cyclist into the ground – physically and psychologically. To ensure Callum is optimally fuelled, I calculated a new daily caloric and macronutrient base intake for him, to which he will add his energy expenditure. This gives us an energy benchmark, from which we can make further adjustments. I’ve also asked Callum to reflect on how he feels during each ride – level of energy, performance, and any GI distress. Gradually we will build a database of energy requirements applicable across his…