Índice para September 2015 em Cyclist

Cycling is taking over the world. It’s spreading from nation to nation, a bit like bird flu but in a good way. Countries that used to have people who rode bicycles are now discovering that they have cyclists – people for whom a bike is more than a mode of transport, and for whom riding is about more than simply getting somewhere. It all started in France and Italy, where it incubated for decades until a few years ago, when it swept across Britain, turning us into a nation of Lycra-clad roadies. Now it’s heading outside Europe to Africa and Asia. We’ve just seen the first African pro team compete in the Tour de France, and a stage win for MTN-Qhubeka (by a British rider, see p31) is sure to…

Dear Frank I have been tasked with designing new kit for my cycling club. What are your suggestions for ensuring that it is Rules-compatible? Tim, by email Dear Tim In its most elemental form, designing a kit is a simple thing. The low bar is designing a kit that doesn’t Look Crap. The high bar is designing a kit that Looks Fantastic. The magic happens while navigating the currents between the two. If your goal was only to design a Rules-compliant kit, my answer would be simple: study The Rules and don’t violate any of them. Done. Thanks for asking. Next question. But that’s not your question. You want to know how to design a kit that Looks Fantastic. Therein lies the rub. Kit design, like any other kind of…

TRAVEL The nearest airport to Tresnuraghes on Sardinia is Cagliari, which is served from the UK by several airlines. The transfer time to the village is about two and a half hours. Alternatively, you could fly to Olbia, which is in the north east of the island, but this would add about an hour to your transfer time. ACCOMMODATION We stayed at the charming, family-run Villa Asfodeli Hotel ( asfodelihotel.com , doubles from £60 B&B per night including bike rental) in the centre of Tresnuraghes. As well as providing for cyclists’ ‘special needs’ with a generous buffet breakfast, the hotel offers a fully equipped bike station where you can hire a road bike or service your own. The hotel boasts beautiful gardens and a swimming pool overlooking the…

DOWNWARD DOG While it primarily works the calves, this move also works the upper back, shoulders and arms. Begin on all fours with your toes turned under and your fingers spread wide. Lift your hips to the ceiling so your body forms a V, and draw both heels down to the floor. If it feels like you have too much weight on your shoulders, bend your knees to shift your weight. LOW SQUAT The low squat provides a deep stretch for the hips and adductors (inner thighs), which can become surprisingly tight after hours on the bike. Stand with your feet wider than hip distance, toes turned out, and bend your knees to sink slowly into position. Rest your fingers on the floor for balance. Just one note: this move…

…THE HOUR RECORD ‘Wiggins has made it difficult for the others. He has put it at a high level and muscle strength has its limits. Maybe a great rider like Fabian Cancellara or Tony Martin – riders with great physical strength – could break it, but they might need aerodynamic improvements to get the margin.’ …HIS BIGGEST RIVALS ‘I had many great rivals during my career. I had Claudio Chiappucci, Gianni Bugno, Tony Rominger, Alex Zulle. Those four, each in their own time, were my biggest rivals and I respected them greatly.’ …TEAM SKY ‘Team Sky have changed the professional scene. They have changed the way of making a team by giving it a new spin, with more technology and more resources, so the others have had to adapt. It…

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/39pennines . From Hexham follow the B6306 and B6278 south to Stanhope. Turn right on the A689 to St John’s Chapel, then left onto Harthope Road to the B6277. Turn right to Garrigill, then right at the crossroads to Nenthead. Turn right then left to Carrshield and on to Allendale. Now make your choice: the Cyclist route or the planned route. Our route took us west to Bearsbridge, Whitfield and down Fellhouse Fell to Haltwhistle before turning right onto the B6318. Hadrian’s Wall is on your left. After Housesteads Roman Fort turn right to Hexham. The planned route leaves Allendale on the B6303 to Hexham.…

Experts in the industry concede that bike frames are about as aero-efficient as they are going to get. Stifled by constraints imposed by cycling’s governing body, the UCI, which says the depth of a tube can be no more than three times its width (the 3:1 rule) bike manufacturers are investigating other avenues in pursuit of aero gains. ‘If you can integrate the other parts of the bike to make it work as a system – handlebars, stem, fork, dropouts, front derailleur, rear derailleur – that’s where design can go next,’ says John Pitman, Jaguar Land Rover’s principal CFD aerodynamics engineer. ‘But that requires collaboration with other manufacturers.’ Specialized has started down this road. Engineer Chris Yu says, ‘Cycling traditionally has been a hotch-potch solution where the frame builder provides…

Last year’s Vuelta a Espana was terrific. Hands down and on the drops, it was the best Grand Tour of the year by a bike length. Even after Nairo Quintana crashed out in the red jersey we were treated to an espectáculo masivo as Chris Froome went head-to-head with Alberto Contador – the matador and bull match-up we’d hoped to see one month earlier in France. Chop off the Vuelta’s final week – as many want to do – and we’d have been deprived of Froome’s defiance of the Spanish Armada, plus stage wins from señors Niemiec, Contador (dos veces!), Degenkolb, Aru, Hansen and Malori. Before the race, Vuelta director Javier Guillén said he’d only ever consider shortening the race if he could bank on cycling’s galacticos making it a…

french bike brand Lapierre has been in a 14-year relationship with French pro team Francaise des Jeux, and the two renewed their vows this year with a win on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France. Lapierre provided the team with its latest climbing bike, and FDJ returned the favour when Thibaut Pinot rode to a memorable victory on Alpe d’Huez. The new Xelius SL is, as you might expect, lighter than its predecessor, at a claimed 850g for the frame, but what’s more interesting is where the weight has been lost from. Lapierre worked directly with riders from FDJ, and the feedback was that they wanted not just a lighter bike but a bike that was more specifically lighter in its upper portion. Lapierre’s R&D project manager, Remi…

£169.99, ison-distribution.com isondistribution.com It might not be a name you’ve heard of, but HT has been making bike components since 1954. The PK01Ts are top of its road pedal tree, using the Look Keo cleat design and weighing just 169g a pair thanks to carbon injection-moulded bodies and titanium axles. Construction seems excellent, with bearings running smoothly after several hundred kilometres. For those struggling to justify the price, the PK01G pedals at 218g, and PK01 pedals at 199g, cost £59.99 and £89.99 respectively.…

£109.99, cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk When it comes to helmets, there are two options – one that ventilates well or one that performs well aerodynamically. With the new Cypher Aero, Cannondale has tried to nail both. With 30 ‘flow-through’ vents, the helmet should be cool while also achieving a light weight of 230g, making it a natural choice for climbers. Clip on the aerodynamic shell and it’s ideal for a crit race (or a cold day) as it covers those wind-tripping front vents. The Cypher comes with a set of double-sided sticky tabs to give you the option of attaching your shell permanently.…

Scientists have been puzzling over what makes a bicycle balance since the days of ye olde penny farthing. Many experts suggested those spinning hoops make the bicycle behave like a gyroscope, but it’s not that simple. A group of engineers from Nottingham University identified 25 separate variables that affect a bicycle’s motion, citing that, ‘A simple explanation does not seem possible because the lean and steer are coupled by a combination of effects, including gyroscopic precession, lateral ground-reaction forces at the front wheel, ground contact point trailing behind the steering axis, gravity and inertial reactions…’ What is known is that as long as a bike is moving at a speed of around 14kmh (9mph), it can remain upright without the presence of a rider. But again, scientists can’t explain why.…

As any sage will tell you, the key to building something of quality and strength is to get the foundations right. And any bike fitter will tell you that correct bike position and power transfer through your pedals has to begin with the feet. ‘Get this wrong and it’s like the man that built his house on the sand,’ says Mick Habgood, sports podiatrist at Cyclefit, as he talks me through some simple exercises and specific movements while staring intently at my feet. ‘Building on a concrete base is the best situation, and by using customised orthotics we can provide that for your body – a stable, optimally positioned, well-supported platform from which to drive with. The most important aspect of the testing is identifying what type of forefoot the…

Miguel Indurain slides his rangy legs beneath a table at a hotel in the Italian Dolomites, smiles bashfully and exchanges a softly spoken ‘hola’. The legendary Spanish cyclist is an elusive but endearing enigma, a man about whom cycling fans know everything yet nothing at all. He’s the humble farmer’s son who became cycling royalty, the attention-fleeing introvert who won the global extravaganza of the Tour de France a record five consecutive times between 1991 and 1995 to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault in the pantheon of five-time winners. A double Giro d’Italia winner, former World and Olympic Time-Trial Champion, and World Hour Record holder, he still enjoys fixing broken tractors and hunting. By nature modest and reserved, his arrival at our interview is so discreet I’m…

1991 FIRST TOUR DE FRANCE WIN Indurain won his first Tour at the age of 27, beating favourite Greg LeMond and defying those who thought he was too big for the mountains. His victory was sealed with his wins in the 73km time-trial on Stage 8 and the 57km time-trial of the penultimate stage. 1993 GIROT OUR DOUBLEDOUBLE Indurain had won his first Giro-Tour double in 1992 but in 1993 he repeated the feat despite suffering from a cold on the way to Paris. It is one of the proudest achievements of his career, and he is the only rider to have won the Giro-Tour double in successive years. 1996 OLYMPIC TIMET RIAL Despite missing out on a sixth Tour victory in 1996, Indurain bounced back to take the gold…

Years ago Victor Kiam, the owner of Remington, became famous for his catchphrase, ‘I liked the shaver so much, I bought the company.’ I didn’t quite go that far with the Ridley Helium, but I did put my cherished Cervélo R3 up for sale on Ebay to raise the funds to buy it. Why? Because I’ve yet to find a more comfortable bike for a long day in the saddle in a landscape that constantly pitches up and down. The C10’s seatstays, as thin as pipe cleaners, absorb vibrations for a smooth ride, while the chunky down tube and chainstays transfer power to the road with welcome efficiency when the gradient rises. With gravity in my favour, the fat front forks provide confidence-inspiring control on sharp downhill bends. Top-to-toe Ultegra…

1974 The company begins making motocross handlebar grips – the first use of its hydrophilic ‘Unobtanium’ material, which becomes more grippy when it gets wet. 1984 The now-iconic Eyeshades are launched, Oakley’s first example of performance eyewear. Greg LeMond’s use of them in the late-80s cements their place in cycling history. 1989 Oakley patents High-Definition Optics, allowing the tapering of lens material on vertical and horizontal axes, to eliminate distortion. 1990 M Frame sunglasses hit the world of road cycling. 1993 The now-famous Oakley ‘O’ logo is introduced. 1997 The company moves to its military-style hilltop headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California. 2000 Oakley’s memorably bizarre, mad-scientist-style OverTheTop eyewear debuts at the Sydney Olympics. 2009 The Jawbone is launched, showcasing the firm’s Switchlock lens-changing technology. 2015 After more than 9,600 hours…

Tour of the Dragon To enter the Tour of the Dragon race from Bumthang to Thiumphu, visit livetheadventure.co or call 01746 718436. The company also offers a cycling trip from 27th January to 4th February covering our route in reverse for £2,663 per person, excluding flights but including all visa costs and support for the trip. Travel Only Druk Air flies in or out of Bhutan, operating out of Delhi, Singapore and Bangkok. We flew to Delhi, which cost around £650 each, then to Bhutan, which cost around £250. From Bhutan you can take an internal flight to Bumthang, or it’s an 11-hour drive by car. Travelling to Bhutan must be coordinated by an official licensed tour operator. A visa costs $250 (approx £160) per day, but this includes the…

Rocka jersey £260, bibshorts £190, socks, £15, saddleback.co.uk, chpt3.com Ex-pro David Millar has produced his own range of cycling clothing in partnership with Castelli. The concept of the range is high quality, functional ride wear, but with the emphasis on style and subtlety. As Millar tells us, ‘I wanted something that was beautiful and cool. I’ve been branded my whole life – now I’m not paid to race, I just want to ride my bike and I want to do it in clothes that I have control of. We can do all that hi-tech stuff and adapt it to the everyday.’ The range includes a jersey and bibs in muted blue or green, with matching arm and legwarmers, and there is an understated Gabba-style ‘Rocka’ weather-proof jersey. Colourful patterns on…

£99.95, silverfish-uk.com Some items need to be cycling specific, and some don’t. We definitely need our own shorts, our own shoes and our own jerseys, but do we need our own duffel bags? The Evoc Transition bag suggests that, in fact, we do. The straps allow it to be carried like a kit bag or worn over the shoulders on a bike. It has separate compartments for wet gear, as well as a helmet, sunglasses and shoes. There is even a changing mat in the end pocket, which you can stand on while switching kit if the ground is wet or muddy.…

£300, saddleback.co.uk fans of Italian shoemaker Sidi can now doubly rejoice as the historic brand has not only dropped the price of its top-end road shoes by £50, but also bagged a new UK distributor, which should improve availability. Sidi has remained staunchly in the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ camp for the past decade, making very few major changes to its top-of-the-line shoes. If they’re good enough for Chris Froome to wear to victory in the Tour De France, though, they should be good enough for the rest of us. Froomey’s footwear of choice was actually this shoe’s sibling – the Wire – with the only difference being the ‘Air’ part, which equates to hundreds of tiny holes in the upper to increase ventilation. Fit is taken…

Customised orthotics such as the ones produced by Cyclefit (cyclefit.co.uk) can be pricey. The £395 cost includes two hour-long sessions for assessment, plaster casting, final fitting, re-checking, plus any fine-tuning of the orthotic. If that’s too steep, the alternatives are insoles or footbeds, which are generally bought ‘off the shelf’ but which can still have a degree of customisation to suit the user. Here are a few of the options: Sidas Conformable Insoles, from £50, sidas.co.uk A heat-moulded, custom fitted insole (expect to pay from around £25 extra for the moulding/ fitting service). E-Sole eFit footbeds , from £35, esoles.com A pre-formed modular footbed system that allows customisation using interchangeable arch supports and metatarsal pads. Specialized BG Fit , from £20, specialized.com A pre-formed footbed that…

What is it? The Sufferlandrian National Team Camp is held over seven days at the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland. Sessions include track riding, cyclocross, BMX and road-based activities. Details of next year’s camp are yet to be confirmed, and there are plans afoot for a second camp in Boulder, Colorado. For more info contact theminions@ thesufferfest.com . Travel and accommodation Swiss International Air Lines offers more than 200 flights per week to Geneva from £63 one-way ( swiss. com ). Aigle is at the eastern end of Lake Geneva, and Cyclist stayed with the Sufferlandrian National Team at the Hotel du Nord in Aigle’s town centre ( hoteldunord.  ch). For more info about travel in Switzerland go…

To download this ride, go to cyclist.co.uk/39sardinia . The loop starts in Tresnuraghes and heads north via Modolo and Bosa, after which it climbs up the SP19 all the way to Montresta. On the descent out of this village, turn left to Villanova Monteleone. When you get there, look out for signs for the SS292 to Alghero and take this road out of the village. After 6km there is an unmarked turning on your left. This is the ‘shortcut’ to the coast. Follow this road up a short hill and then down a spectacular succession of hairpins to the coast road back towards of Bosa. Instead of turning left into the centre of Bosa, go straight on to Bosa Marina and follow the coast road to Sa…

BRADLEY WIGGINS ‘Unlike sprinters like Chris Hoy, I need endurance over power, so I focus on avoiding bulking up. Even 1kg of extra muscle can add seconds to your time. In the gym I focus on strengthening core for 30 minutes each day, mixing up pilates, yoga moves and using exercise balls.’ So Sir Brad told The Sun in 2012, days after adding the Olympic Time-Trial title to his Tour de France victory. CHRIS FROOME There’s a theme emerging here. Dave Brailsford’s pursuit of perfection led Team Sky down many avenues – they introduced the static bike warm down to the Tour de France in 2010, for example – and yoga is actively encouraged as part of the riders’ core and flexibility work. ‘Chris Froome does a mean downward dog,’…

1983 Indurain wins the Spanish Amateur Road Championship age 19 1984 Signs pro contract with Reynolds and wins first race a week later, a time-trial in the Tour de l’Avenir 1986 Starts to turn heads by winning the Tour of Murcia and Tour de l’Avenir 1988 Assists winner Pedro Delgado at the Tour de France and wins the Tour of Catalonia for the first of three times in his career 1989 Wins Paris-Nice before taking the 9th stage of the Tour de France, earning his one and only day in the polka dot jersey 1990 Signs for Spanish team Banesto and wins San Sebastain Classic plus Paris-Nice for the second time 1991 Wins his first Tour de France, putting seven minutes into favourite Greg LeMond over the Tourmalet on Stage…

TRAVEL Hexham is about 30km west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the A69. It’s also on the Sunderland-Newcastle-Carlisle train line. ACCOMMODATION We stayed in the lap of luxury at Slaley Hall, a hotel that stands proud in 1,000 acres of Northumberland moorland and forest, about 15km from Hexham (and near this route). Large, comfortable rooms, a fabulous breakfast, and a pool, sauna and steam room in which to recover make it a wonderful place to stay. And if your other half isn’t into cycling, they’ll love their time here while you’re out on the bike. B&B from £85 for a double room, Qhotels.co.uk/SlaleyHall . FOOD AND DRINK Both the Chatterbox Cafe in St John’s Chapel ( stjohnschapel. co.uk ) and Allendale Forge Studios (…

HIGHV ELOCITY IMPACT To ensure protection from projectiles such as gravel on high-speed descents, Oakley’s lenses are shot with a 0.25-inch (6mm) steel ball from a range of 20cm, with an impact speed of 102mph. To pass the test, no part of the lens should make contact with the eye of the dummy, and no parts or fragments can be ejected from the pair of sunglasses that could come into contact with the eye. HIGHMASS IMPACT Designed to protect against impacts from heavy objects at slower speeds (such as hitting a tree branch), a pointed, one-inch wide, five-inch long, 500g steel weight is dropped from 127cm onto the glasses. Again, they pass if no parts or fragments touch the eyes of the dummy, fondly referred to as Tommy.…

CHELE LA PASS, 3,822m Located to the south of the airport town of Paro, the Chele La Pass climbs 1,600 metres over 35km, although it lacks the steep ramps of the Dochu La and Yotung La passes that we climbed. COL D’ISERAN, 2,764m Europe’s highest paved pass, located in southern France, climbs nearly 1,000m over 17km. CAIRNWELL PASS, 670m Britain’s highest paved pass, in the Scottish Highlands, rises only 330m over 8km, half the length of the climb up the nearby (but less high) Bealach na ba.…