Inhaltsverzeichnis für August 2017 in Cyclist

This is the big one. After five years spent scouring the planet for the most exciting and challenging routes, Cyclist has finally found – and ridden - the mother of all climbs. Forget the rest, this is the big kahuna, the grand fromage, the numero uno. I’m talking about Mauna Kea on the American island of Hawaii. You may not have heard of it, and you may initially think that a paradise island in the Pacific doesn’t sound like the kind of place that would be home to the toughest climb on Earth (after all, it’s best known for beaches and Magnum, P.I. – it’s hardly the Alps or the Rockies), but its stats alone are enough to give the average road cyclist sleepless nights. Taking Cyclist ’s route to…

The mid-priced GPS market is more competitive than ever before, but at a few quid over £150 and with a host of on-trend features, there’s no reason why Polar’s M460 shouldn’t gather up a fair share of the popular vote. Provided you can overlook one thing. Polar is sticking resolutely to sensor pairing via the Bluetooth protocol, which means any ANT+ device you have will not be compatible. That said, most peripherals these days will transmit in Bluetooth, plus Polar has brought the M460 right up to date regarding power meter compatibility, meaning it happily accommodates everything from PowerTap P1 pedals to Stages crank arms. The M460 is a standalone GPS unit, but it won’t do turn-by-turn directions so isn’t a navigational aid. For Strava lovers, Polar has added Live…

Protecting your head is only part of a cycling helmet’s duties these days. There’s also the toss-up between ventilation and aero performance: do you want to go fast or feel cool? Bontrager claims to have both covered with its latest Velocis MIPS, a race-level helmet currently being used by Trek-Segafredo at the Tour de France. Bontrager has borrowed some of the proven aero qualities of its highly regarded Ballista helmet, but has substantially increased the ventilation, claiming the Velocis MIPS moves 18% more air through the helmet (thanks to internal recessed channelling) than Giro’s rival Synth MIPS. Bontrager’s data also suggests the Velocis MIPS outperforms the Synth for aerodynamics, reducing drag across a yaw range of 0°-20°. Of course, we only have Bontrager’s word for this, and Giro’s test data…

 I’ve talked enough by this point about accessories, about finishing touches, about peripheries. Your accents and appendages should have been en flique for a while now. Now it’s time to get down to business, time for some definitive guidance on the most important part of every outfit – your jersey. Relentless innovation got us where we are now: jerseys weigh less than a rice cake, wick sweat and are so tight spray paint would seem baggy in comparison As the most storied of any item of cycle clothing it seems right to start by talking a bit about the history of jerseys and how they have evolved under the eye of Old Father Time. Wool was the initial fabric of choice, which was itchy, loose and very heavy when wet…

Varese, Italy, 13-16 October 2017 •Expert planning and guiding with vehicle support •Beautiful scenery and classic cols from the Giro di Lombardia •Top quality hotel with great food and wine included •Ride with Cyclist and be part of a magazine feature •Everything is taken care of – just arrive, ride and relax Find out more at rapha.cc/travel/cyclist…

1 ABBEY TOOLS HANGER ALIGNMENT GAUGE Approx £145, abbeybiketools.com There are four things in life you can be sure of: death, taxes and that the average rider will sweat enough during a Grand Tour to flush a toilet 39 times – great news for Tom Dumoulin. The fourth is that your mech hanger will at some point get bent, which is why Abbey Tools has invented a straightener with an ingenious extendable handle and spangly anodised finish. It costs a fair whack, but you can’t put a price on crisp shifting. 2 CLIF SHOT BLOKS £2.19, clifbar.co.uk Cliffs are great, but they do have a downside. Clif Shot Bloks, on the other hand, are like supercharged Jelly Babies. Each bar contains six 33kcal blocks of deliciousness, packing in precious electrolytes…

This latest version of Trek’s Domane has taken its proven IsoSpeed concept to the next level, increasing the available flex at the rear of the bike and for the first time deploying the comfort-enhancing technology up front too. The result is one of the smoothest rides I’ve ever experienced, and one that took everything I threw at it in its stride. Most notable was its stability and poise on some hair-raising gravel descents, where it soaked up the rough terrain admirably. It also climbed extremely well, and at only a smidge over 7kg it didn’t hold me back on the hills. Without doubt it’s one of the most versatile bikes I’ve ridden.…

I proudly keep pace with the pros at the front of the race. That said, it’s a neutralised start Standing in a start pen at the 2016 Multisegur Volta als Ports d’Andorra, deafened by the cries of today’s announcer against a Eurotechno-disco soundtrack (a hallmark of any good sportive), I begin to worry I may be in the wrong place. I’m standing next to nearly a dozen professional riders from a selection of WorldTour teams. By comparison I look pale and positively flabby, and I begin to think I’ve either accidentally stumbled into a pro race, or infringed on a hunt for some grand first prize for today’s sportive. Beside me is Omega Pharma-Quick-Step’s Carlos Verona; beside him Orica-GreenEdge’s Jack Haig and Mitch Docker; and not two feet from them…

The carbon has barely had time to fully cure on Trek’s brand new Émonda SLR Disc Project One and we’ve already been putting it through its paces. Joining it this month are a Cipollini as flamboyant and speed-hungry as the man himself, and a carbon machine whose maker, Craig Calfee, can lay claim to having created the first ever full-carbon bike to be ridden by the yellow jersey wearer in the Tour de France. A truly eclectic mix if ever there was.…

THE SPEC Model Cipollini NK1K Groupset Shimano Ultegra Di2 6870 Deviations Shimano Dura-Ace 9110 direct mount brakes Wheels FFWD F6R full carbon clincher 240s Finishing kit Ritchey WCS NeoClassic bar, Ritchey WCS C260 stem, Cipollini Aero Carbon seatpost, Ritchey WCS Streem carbon saddle Weight 7.50kg Price £8,500 Contact  paligap.cc During the 1990s, Mario Cipollini was famed as much for his flamboyant character as he was for his blistering sprints. The Italian lit up races with his outrageous behaviour and bagged 12 stage wins at the Tour de France and an incredible 42 at the Giro d’Italia. For many, these credentials alone are enough to give the Cipollini brand credibility, however it doesn’t take long aboard the flagship NK1K to realise that Cipollini bikes are about more than just the name…

It seems that in the field of cycling aerodynamics nowadays you’re no one if you can’t bring to bear some pioneering technology borrowed from F1. With that in mind, DT Swiss has furthered its partnership with F1-affiliated aerodynamicist Swiss Side to produce what it says is its most aero wheels yet – the ARC family. The range comprises six wheelsets, covering rim and disc brake options in three rim depths (48mm, 62mm and 80mm), all of which are tubeless-ready. As well as all the usual go-faster attributes – aerodynamic rim profile, light weight, ceramic bearings – DT Swiss claims that its ARC wheels have an extra benefit that makes them the fastest on the market. ‘While the rider and the other parts of the bike face traditional – or translational…

If you, like us, are worried about the lack of aggression in your tyres, then look no further than Hutchinson’s all-new 11Storm range. According to the French company, these new tyres ‘come with energy and violence’. There may have been something lost in translation, but what’s clear is the new 11Storm rubber compound has produced Hutchinson’s fastest, grippiest, most durable tyres to date, as proven by independent testing carried out by Finland’s Wheel Energy lab. They’re light too – a 23mm clincher 11Storm Galatik weighs a claimed 180g, while this 25mm 11Storm Performance comes in at 196g. An 11Storm All Season tyre completes the new range, all of which are also available in tubeless format.…

I stare at the sea of red numbers in front of me like a banker trying to make sense of the carnage during a stock market crash. Except these aren’t tumbling share prices – they’re the angles of my ankles, knees and hips as I pedal on a turbo trainer. I’m wired shoulder to toe in laser-read sensors and the Retül bike fit software says ‘no’. If this were day one with a new bike I wouldn’t be concerned, but I’ve ridden this bike in this position for four years and about 20,000km. I’m only here because a niggle in my left knee has prompted a re-evaluation of my riding position. Casting my mind back to the day I collected the bike from the shop, I was so giddy with…

Dear Frank For me, the Tour de France is the greatest of all bike races, but a friend derides it as a circus for tourists, not real cycling fans. What are your thoughts on the Tour? Josh, Bristol Dear Josh When I think back on the best bike races I’ve watched, every one of them has been close-fought, be it a three-week Grand Tour, a week-long stage race or a one-day Classic. Take the Richmond World Championships held in my home of the Good Old US of A (I’m going to gloat about it for however many fleeting moments it stays as such). All the breakaways that went away were looking like they’d stay away but were suddenly shut down. Finally, Peter Sagan took a win that was only just…

A huge monument to Tour founder Henri Desgrange stands near the summit While race leader Jan Ullrich cracked in the cold, wet weather, Marco Pantani appeared galvanised. This was Stage 15 of the troubled 1998 Tour de France, between Grenoble and Les Deux Alpes, which Pantani had started with a three-minute deficit to the German. It would require an explosive effort on his part to get back on terms. And so when he attacked on the Col du Galibier, Pantani gave it everything. The Italian’s on-the-drops climbing style mimicked the way the sprinters grip their handlebars, and he wouldn’t have been far off them speed-wise, either. On such a damp and grey day, Ullrich’s equally grey pallor contrasted with Pantani’s glowing, glistening tan, and the pops of blue and yellow…

We hope the adventure will demonstrate just how versatile the road bike really is Everything is as it should be. The sun is shining on the courtyard of our cafe in the town of Feltre, northern Italy. We’re fuelling up on pastries and cappuccinos, and propped against the wall is a pair of road bikes – a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX and a Trek Domane – in readiness for a day’s riding in the beautiful Italian Dolomites. The only blemish in this perfect scenario is the route map on the table in front of us. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s all rideable,’ says Paul, my partner for today, somewhat unconvincingly as he runs his finger over the map. Then he utters the words that should never be said right before embarking…

TRAVEL Cyclist flew with BA from London Gatwick to Venice. Flights are frequent and start from around £70 each way. From there it’s a 1h 30min drive to the start town of Feltre. WHERE WE STAYED We spent our first night at the Hotel Doriguzzi in Feltre ( hoteldoriguzzi.it ). The hotel plays host to hordes of cyclists throughout the year – especially during the Granfondo Sportful and Castelli 24-hour races that are both based in the town – so if you walk through the front door with a bike bag you can expect a very warm welcome. Our final destination was the Rifugio Averau ( rifugioaverau.wixsite.com / averau ), an incredible mountain refuge above the Passo Giau and Cerro Torre.…

THE SPEC Model  Trek Émonda SLR Disc Project One Groupset  Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9170 Deviations  None Wheels  Bontrager Aeolus 3 TLR D3 Finishing kit  Bontrager XXX OCLV VR-C handlebar, Bontrager Pro stem, Trek Seat Mast Cap, Bontrager Affinity Pro Carbon saddle Weight  6.65kg (56cm) Price  £7,100 as built Contact  trekbikes.com When Trek launched its first Émonda SLR, just prior to the start of the 2014 Tour de France in Yorkshire, it was at the time the lightest production road bike in the world. Since then much has changed in the bike industry, starting with the introduction of disc brakes, and so too has the Trek Émonda. The first thing to mention is the weight. It was a pretty big deal for the manufacturer to go sub-700g (690g) for a production…

Everything from the integrated stem and cockpit to the rear wheel recess is designed with speed as the goal Chris Boardman needs little introduction. Before Sir Brad, Cav and Froomey came along, he was probably the only UK cyclist most people could name. Over a highly successful career, Boardman forged a reputation for finding new ways to cheat the wind, and that’s still at the heart of the range of TT bikes he puts his name and knowhow behind. In the case of the TTE 9.2, an intriguing innovation is the application of strips of so-called ‘trip-tape’, a 1.25mm thick sharp-edged clear plastic tape applied to the leading edge of specific tubes. ‘This is one area where I know we are genuinely faster than the competition,’ says Andy Smallwood, managing…

Shimano’s product releases tend to follow strict tradition. The top-end Dura-Ace groupsets are revised every four years, with a next-level-down Ultegra update following one year later. Dura-Ace 9100 was officially unveiled in 2016, so 2017 was destined to witness the newest Ultegra iteration. And right on cue, here it is: the 8000 series. Rather than simply repurposing the outdated Dura-Ace 9000 series, Ultegra 8000 keeps the same mixed matt/gloss grey aesthetic as its forebear, the 6800, while adopting many design cues from the newest 9100. The crankset features the same shaped asymmetric crank arm, Di2 shifting capabilities are similarly improved and, just like at 9100 level, a tier-specific hydraulic disc system is finally available, meaning customers no longer need to spec non-series hydraulic components on an Ultegra-equipped disc brake bike.…

Cyclist: The Boardman Bikes Performance Centre is due to open in Evesham later this year, offering wind-tunnel testing for amateur riders. How will it make riders better? Chris Boardman: Cyclists love numbers. You can measure power to the watt and a pulse to the beat but for aerodynamics we just use guesswork even though this is where 90% of your energy is going. The Performance Centre is the big, fun, scary, exciting thing for me this year. We are building a bespoke wind-tunnel from scratch. We’re talking world-class here – not just blowing air on people but offering proper scientific testing and repeatability. I personally invested in it, just to show faith really, and all the evidence says it will be a success, but it will be exciting to…

It might not be possible to find a finer steel bike than a Cherubim. Ask around the handbuilt crowd, study the history and, most importantly, look at the bikes – you just can’t fault the craftsmanship. In recent times Cherubim has won seven awards in nine years at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show and seven consecutive awards at the Tokyo Handmade Bicycle Fair. It supplied a pioneering Japanese race team with bikes for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, and for decades has produced the very best JKA keirin bikes raced by, among others, the legendary Yuichiro Kamiyama – 1990s keirin’s answer to Mark Cavendish. The JKA is Japanese keirin’s governing body and it outlaws sponsorship, so if your bike is being raced it means the rider bought it.…

The summit is 4,192m above me. I’ve no real idea of what lies ahead, but I’ve seen the stats and they are truly terrifying On most mornings, for just a few minutes after sunrise, you can make out the top of Mauna Kea from the western shores of Hawaii, the grand volcanic peak hanging over the island like some prehistoric monster, blotting out the sun. Then it’s gone – concealed by a mist that turns the sky into an orange haze. That briefly glimpsed summit is where I am heading today. It’s the crack of dawn and I’m ankle deep in sea water on the beach of Waikoloa. Ahead of me Mauna Kea, technically the tallest mountain on earth, stands over 10,000m tall when measured from its true base in…

‘They are a very particular customer. I promised not to say we work for them,’ says Enrico Sarto, casting an appraising eye over a frame with a curious cut-out in the top tube. Dressed in creased cargo shorts and well-worn polo shirt, Enrico is not what you might expect the CEO of Italy’s largest custom framebuilders to look like. Wiry, with unkempt hair, an easy smile and grubby, calloused hands, his appearance is more builder than businessman; his manner as he bounces about the Sarto workshop more excited child than managerial suit. ‘I love production, to make, to check, to find solutions. For me the room with tools is my office. I want to finish each day and be able to say I have made something, not just sat answering…

It’s Stage 12 of the 2017 Giro d’Italia, a long, flat stage in the north of the country. Cyclist is squeezed into the passenger seat of a Mini Clubman alongside Aike Visbeek, directeur sportif of Team Sunweb. Just two days ago, Sunweb team leader Tom Dumoulin won the 39.8km individual time-trial to ride himself into the pink jersey for the first time, and into the frame as a potential winner of the entire race. ‘People are becoming a little too excited and we need to stay realistic,’ Visbeek says. ‘The two biggest favourites – Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali – are still in contention and two minutes is nothing in the high mountains. It will be very difficult for Tom to win. Very difficult.’ Visbeek hurls the Mini around a…

THE SPEC Model Calfee Luna Pro Groupset Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2 Deviations None Wheels Rolf Prima Ares4 ES Finishing kit Calfee Design carbon bars, stem and seatpost; SQLab 612 Ergowave saddle Weight 7.36kg Price £4,675 approx as tested, £2,300 frameset Contact  calfeedesign.com There are few bigger milestones in bicycle manufacture than the discovery of Creslan 61. The name may sound like that of a galaxy far, far away, but in fact it’s a semi-crystalline organic polymer resin synthesised in 1930 by doctors Hans Fikentscher and Claus Heuck, and has become the building block for bikes as we know them. Comprising processed fibres bundled into tows then woven into sheets and impregnated with epoxy resin, Creslan 61, or polyacrylonitrile, or PAN, is the very fabric our carbon fibre racing machines are…

With the TTiR, Parlee set out to prove that a disc bike could be as fast as, or faster than, a rim brake machine While the rest of the industry was making its mind up whether disc brakes were the way of the future or just a flash in a pan, Parlee was working on ways to embrace their obvious benefits in a time-trial set-up. After all, being able to brake later for corners and more confidently in the wet are gains that can’t be ignored when it comes to the pursuit of speed against the clock. ‘We decided early on that we were only going to focus on a disc [time-trial] bike, as we felt the overall gains outweighed any drawbacks,’ says Parlee’s Tom Rodi. ‘Ride quality is still…