Innehållsförteckning för Issue 18 från Cyclist Australia

Recently, our sister publication, Cyclist UK, hosted an online discussion entitled ‘Who is the second best cyclist of all-time?’ It generated a fair amount of debate among Cyclist readers, who argued for the likes of Hinault, Coppi, Anquetil and even Armstrong. No one questioned, however, why we were only looking for the number two. That’s because there is no argument about who is the greatest cyclist the world has ever seen: Eddy Merckx. Since we launched this magazine almost three years ago we’ve been keen to get time with Merckx for an interview and photo shoot, but it hasn’t been easy. Merckx is a fairly private individual who has no love of the limelight and little inclination or need to talk to journalists. We would make discreet enquiries about whether…

Start with Swiss-engineered hubs, the DT Swiss 180s with ceramic bearings, and combine it with a cast of individuals who between them founded Reynolds, delivered Felt to its first Tour outing, developed the Smart ENVE Series of aerodynamic testing and, last but not least, designed the Cervelo P3C and SLC. The resume alone is enough to prove Knight is no cookie-cutter player. Constructed using the very best aerospace-grade Toray carbon, the 35 is designed to provide greater comfort and compliance over the rough stuff compared to a traditional box section rim. The rim shape across the entire range of clinchers was also created using what Knight call Trailing Edge Aerodynamic Manipulation Technology (TEAM Tech). In short: they’re meant to be fast as a complete tyre and wheel package. The beefed-up…

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I haven’t counted each head (feel free to try and get back to me), but I reckon in this case it could be ‘A picture is worth a thousand people.’ I've been involved with the Amy Gillett Gran Fondo since its inception in 2011 and since then it has grown steadily, with around 5,750 lining up on the start line for this year’s event. I’m yet to see an image that captures the incredible level of participation quite like this one, which was snapped at the start line in Lorne, Victoria. Taking place on a fully closed Great Ocean Road, the participants included some of Australia’s fastest amateur cyclists across all age groups from 16 to 65+ vying for a place…

The Australian road racing calendar has traditionally been engineered to suit the continental migration to Europe that Australians have always assumed is necessary for proper development in cycling. We squeeze our super-pro races into a junket-friendly summer holiday of cycling, and in our semi-pro schedules we keep a wintery hole in the middle that gives riders enough time to try their hand in the ‘better’ hemisphere. It’s generally assumed Europe – or to a lesser extent, America – is where to go to progress as a rider or team in cycling. We have always drifted in that direction, expecting better racing and opportunities. The key promise of the Subaru National Road Series (NRS) era, however, has been that what is going on in our own backyard is fast catching up…

Aflash of feathers and Andrew ducks his head. We’re too busy scanning the roads for snakes and craning our necks over the horizon for whales to notice a solitary magpie. It appears in slow motion, spreading its wings in a fan of black and white, its shining beak locked on Andrew’s helmet. It breaks the silence of the dead road. I know it’s schadenfreude, but I’m glad it wasn’t me. He swoops again. Fortunately he’s easy to spot, black against the clouds. We’re beginning a descent and about to pick up speed. He changes target – karma does exist. I tuck in, get low. Hopefully I’ll outrun him. After just a few hours – barely enough After just a few hours – barely enough time for breakfast to settle –…

PROS Cheaper raw material – it takes less energy to extract, is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust and costs relatively little to process. Cost-effective to prototype – compared to making a carbon mould it’s far cheaper to make a one-off frame. Ride feel – while cheap aluminium bikes can be harsh, quality aluminium has a ride feel that is respected and loved. Crash resistance – It’s not unbreakable, but should survive better than carbon (and be cheaper to replace). Highly recyclable – probably not something we’d have got excited about a decade ago but these days it’s essential to consider. CONS Image problem – aluminium can seem outdated in this age of carbon fibre. Tube shaping – some tube shapes just aren’t effective when made in metal,…

The Savoie region is packed full of flavour, so don’t simply stick to the ubiquitous pizzerias and cafes. Wine in the area is excellent, with the locally produced Jacquere grape variety making for a distinctively light, floral white wine, and beer is rather special too, with local artisanal brewers Galibier and Leman offering a range of hoppy, effervescent post-ride treats. For a mountain valley, Maurienne restaurant menus are surprisingly well equipped with fish, which in many cases is landed fresh a few hours away on the coast. A great mid or post-ride spot for such things is Le Sun restaurant in Saint-Jean du Maurienne (le-sun.fr). Try its Poêlée de seiches à la provençale, a cuttlefish dish – think meaty squid – that’s heavy on the garlic and herbs, and big…

THE SPEC ModelCannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Black Inc GroupsetShimano Dura-Ace 9070 DeviationsCannondale Hollowgram SiSL2 Chainset, Shimano R785 disc brakes WheelsVision Metron 40 Finishing KitCannondale C1 Ultralight alloy stem and bars, SL-K carbon 25.4mm seatpost; Fabric Scoop Shallow saddle Weight 7.68kg Price $9,999 Contact cannondale.com The notion of building a do-it-all bike has always seemed to me like chasing a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. When you try to be all things to all men you run a high risk of setting yourself up to fail. Take low-fat cheese, for example. You’re messing with what is by definition a substance laden with fat and calories in an attempt to satisfy those who want to limit their fat intake – and in my experience the result is something wholly…

When Jens Voigt made history by beating the hour record, albeit temporarily, for the first time in nearly a decade, aero geeks the world over were captivated by the mysterious lump of aerodynamic polystyrene strapped to his head. The then-unknown helmet has now broken its cover, and the Bontrager Ballista is available to the masses. The Ballista promises to save between 3 and 13 watts of power depending on the angle of yaw compared to Bontrager’s conventional road helmet. ‘We see this as an everyday aero helmet,’ says product manager Jason Fryda, ‘We looked at a whole bunch of options in terms of design and settled on three main vents and two moderated vents.’ Temperature control has been as much a part of the design as the aerodynamics, and Bontrager…

In The Rider, author Tim Krabbé recounts a story about the lengths Jacques Anquetil went to in search of victory: ‘He used to take his water bottle out of its holder before every climb and stick it in the back pocket of his jersey. Ab Geldermans, his Dutch lieutenant, watched him do that for years, until finally he couldn’t stand it any more and asked him why. And Anquetil explained. ‘“A rider,” said Anquetil, “is made up of two parts, a person and a bike. The bike, of course, is the instrument the person uses to go faster, but its weight also slows him down. That really counts when the going gets tough, and in climbing the thing is to make sure the bike is as light as possible. A…

OF THE YEAR 2016 Fuelled by: Who to nominate It doesn't have to be a specialist coffee shop – it just has to serve quality coffee that brings the riders in droves. It could be the combination of bean juice and baked goods that gets you pedalling in their direction, or maybe it's a bike store that's got one of the best baristas in the business. Either way, if you think your stop should be crowned the best in the land, throw them a nomination. How to nominate Head to cyclist.com.au/competitions, click on the Cyclist Coffee Stop of the Year link and fill out the form. What you get out of it Well, in addition to giving your stop some well-deserved love and setting it on the road to glory,…

One million dollars. Even without saying it in Doctor Evil’s voice, it’s an impressive figure. And sure, it’s New Taiwanese Dollars, but that’s still nearly $43,000 Aussie. A lot of coin for a race win. Hell, it’s not even a bad annual income in a lot of western countries. However, this isn’t the payday for a World Tour race, but rather the cheque received by the winner of the Taiwan KOM Challenge. A recent addition to the upper echelon of Gran Fondos, the Taiwan KOM Challenge started in 2010 and has rapidly grown in calibre. This year’s Challenge was won by previous stage winner at the Giro d’Italia Damien Monier, while defending Vuelta a Espana KOM jersey winner Omar Fraile battled valiantly up the 87km-long peak. Start-lists this talent-packed are…

There’s something rather wonderful about France, and it’s not just the landscape or the food – it’s also the language. After all, where else would you find an official public body to protect the gender assignation of a sandwich, or to fine a company €500,000 for publishing an English-only software manual? (That public body is the Académie Française and, among other things, it seeks to safeguard the French language from Anglicisation. You say email, it says courriel.) And where else would you hear the delightful phrase Chacun voit midi à sa porte, or the charmingly named road Les Lacets des Montvernier? The former translates as ‘everyone sees noon at his doorstep’, meaning that one’s subjective opinions are often incorrectly professed as fact, while the latter literally means ‘the laces of…

THE SPEC ModelTrek Madone 9 Series Project One GroupsetShimano Dura-Ace Di2 DeviationsMadone integrated direct mount brakes WheelsBontrager Aeolus 5 D3 Tubeless Ready Finishing kitMadone XXX Integrated bar/stem, micro-adjust carbon seatmast, Bontrager Paradigm XXX saddle Weight7.01kg (size 56cm H1) Price$18,614 (approx.) Contactprojectone.trekbikes.com There are fast bikes and there are fast bikes. Some bikes achieve speed through stiffness, others through set-up, and many new bikes rely on aerodynamic profiling to reduce drag. But with its new Madone, Trek has taken a more holistic approach, exploring every aspect of the build in order to create something that is fast in all situations. The result is a machine that is packed with innovations and bears little resemblance to the old Madone, or indeed any other bike on the market. This new version is the…

Professional cycling can be a dangerous world. But having spent several stages of the 2015 Santos Tour Down Under mingling in the pre-race mixed zone, you can make a fair argument an even more treacherous part of every stage is the 30-minute period before it actually starts. This is when the official sign-on happens; a largely ceremonial affair forcing riders to show themselves to the world’s media, race organisers and selfie-obsessed fans before they line up under the starting arch. As has become tradition in Adelaide in recent years, the start of Stage 2 in Unley even sees orphaned kangaroo joeys thrust into the arms of several European riders, manna from heaven for South Australia Tourism and hordes of photographers with lenses and tripods almost as big as they are.…

Available in a host of different colours, of course intended to match the mood of your weekly rides, the latest Summit eyewear is technically sound while impressively durable thanks to its grilamid frame construction. Known for its hardness, high-tensile strength and resistance to abrasion (great for frequent travellers) the quick-snap design makes lens swap quick and easy. Better still, the special coating and multiple vent styling will ensure clean and clear vision regardless of speed and conditions. With seven colour combinations and other customisable options including ear socks and side BBB logos, there’s a look to suit nearly everyone.…

It has taken more than two years, countless hours of testing in the lab and relentless kilometres in the field under the brand’s sponsored development outfits for the Surge to come to life. Flipping traditional cycling shoe conventions on their head, the high-performance line of footwear provides one of the most comfortable platforms going around, through a unique ExoBeam and ExoWrap sole and construction. The idea behind the asymmetric carbon-fibre sole and a new fit philosophy is designed to give the rider a greater range of motion while pedalling – dubbed by Giant as Dynamic Cycling. Combining an extremely stiff platform with just enough torsional give ‘optimises the natural motion of a rider’s foot,’ says athletic footwear biomechanics expert Simon Luthi Ph.D, who was instrumental in developing the model. With…

Cyclist: How did you get started at Trek? Jim Colegrove: In 1990 Trek wanted to build composite parts in-house after a disastrous start using a separate company to build the 5000 frame. That was a made-in-one-piece back in 1988 and 1989. Terrible failure – we got virtually every one back. Key people realised carbon fibre was the future, and I was hired to help bring the manufacturing into this facility. I came from a small engineering firm in Salt Lake City that worked with aerospace clients – Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop, those kind of companies. Jackson Street was where Trek started, which was a red barn in downtown Waterloo [Wisconsin]. Trek started brazing frames there in 1976. Now it houses the CNC tool machining facility to cut all the moulds we…

New South Welshmen (and women) have been crying out for a truly challenging sportive to call their own and it may have just arrived. Situated three-and-a-half hours from Sydney or Canberra, the popular wine-making town of Orange will play host to the all-new Newcrest Orange Challenge in 2016. But unlike its epic Bicycle Network Peaks Challenge cousins, this Gran Fondo will leave you with just enough energy so you can enjoy an ale and steak from the renowned Hotel Canobolas or even a meal at local hatted restaurant Lolli Redini. A demanding yet highly achievable route and the promise of sampling some of the country’s top drops? We couldn’t resist taking a better look. We’re on a course due west from the town centre, steadily ticking along the rolling roads…

In a world of carbon and weight weenies the CAAD has remained legendary, an aluminium frame rivalling its carbon counterparts and still inspiring copies from major manufacturers today. The CAAD (Cannondale Advanced Aluminium Design) series dates back to the CAAD3 with two Giro jerseys and plenty of stage wins made famous by Mario Cipollini and the formidable Saeco squadron. Fast forward nearly 20 years and it’s still a rider’s favourite. Tim’s Black Inc. edition is the top-of-the-line offering, and apart from components the main allure is the unmistakable exclusive paint-job. Keeping up with trends, Cannondale have added disc brakes. Like or loath them they’re inevitable, so at least Tim got the best, Sram Red Hydro, coupled with Sram Red components, including the extra-long derailleur cage to run some larger sprockets…

Aluminium’s reign at the top of the cycling tree was relatively short-lived. As a material for pro race-winning bikes, it only really took over from steel in the 1990s, and by the start of the new millennium the tide was already turning in favour of carbon fibre. Marco Pantani was the last man to win the Tour de France on an aluminium bike – a Bianchi Mega Pro XL – in 1998, and after Spaniard Igor Astaloa won the 2003 Road World Championships aboard a Cannondale CAAD7, aluminium bikes soon disappeared from the pro peloton altogether. It may seem that aluminium (more specifically aluminium alloy) has been relegated to the cheap-and-cheerful end of the road bike market, yet several manufacturers have continued to make top-end, race-ready alloy road bikes, and…

Begin in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, and head north out of town along the back roads adjacent to the A43. Turn onto the D77B, Les Lacets climb, and follow the natural path of the road through Montvernier to the top of the Col du Chaussy. Continue down the back of the col and follow the D99 towards La Chambre. Take the D927 south-west towards Saint-Etienne-de-Cuines and the Col du Glandon. Follow signs to the top, on to the Col du Croix de Fer, Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves and east towards La Saussaz. Head north to La Mollard and the D110, which will deliver you back to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne after 20km. Seek out Le Sun restaurant and eat.…

With the season coming to a close, we’re relieved to have seen the last (for now) of the releases. Aero, disc, feather-weight, integrated, you name it. The industry was delivering in droves. While impossible to test them all, we’ve picked out two that piqued our interest. The classics and cobble-crushing Cannondale Synapse – now with greater stopping power – is ready to race when given the green light. The other is the rebirth of a favourite, the Trek Madone. Packed with integration, aero benefits and with a good chance of finding its way onto the steps of a Grand Tour podium in 2016, these two are undoubtedly primed for a huge year ahead.…