Table of contents for November 2015 in Cyclist

I received an intriguing letter recently. It was from the producers of the new James Bond movie, Spectre, requesting permission to use Cyclist magazine as a prop in one scene. This is absolutely true by the way – and of course I consented with enthusiasm. No sooner had I responded than I immediately started imagining how our humble journal might be inserted into the plotline… It’s late at night, and Bond is entwined with a beautiful Russian spy in his luxury hotel room. Suddenly a Spectre assassin crashes through the window and lunges at our hero. With his trusty Walther PPK out of reach, Bond grabs the nearest thing to hand – a copy of Cyclist magazine that he always keeps by the bedside. Rolling it into a neat tube,…

£110/£160, upgradebikes.co.uk With the world of GPS computers dictated by monolith-like conformity, accessory brand Lezyne saw an opportunity to make use of its fetching aesthetics. Behold the very tiny Mini GPS and the slightly bigger Super GPS. The Mini GPS may be small (33.4mm x 50.8mm, about the size of a matchbox) but it is an entirely self-contained unit, albeit without wireless connectivity. The Super GPS version (46.5mm x 73.2mm) has Bluetooth and ANT+ allowing it to read heart rate, cadence and power meters as well as highlight incoming phone calls and texts on screen. Lezyne is particularly proud of the closure system with the new X-Lock, which requires a push and twist to mount the unit and is virtually immoveable once locked in.…

Periodise your diet Eat less carbohydrate on rest days and more on training days. Carbs are used to fuel high-intensity exercise – on rest days you don’t need as many carbs because you don’t expend as much energy. This decreases your body’s reliance on them. Chill out Being stressed raises adrenaline levels, forcing your body to burn more carbohydrates at rest. Get a massage, take a nap… do something that relaxes you. This will decrease your adrenaline and allow your body to burn fat more easily. Train fasted occasionally Before breakfast your muscles have less glycogen in them. A couple of hour-long spins a week, early in the morning, will force your body to use its fat stores for energy. Take it easy though – you want to burn fat,…

TRAVEL Innsbruck is the best-located airport to fly into, though there are no direct flights from the UK. Plenty of UK airports fly to Salzburg direct, from where it’s a four-hour drive. Another option is to fly to Munich (or Zurich), hire a car and drive the two-and-a-half hours to the Silvretta. You could stop at the Hahntennjoch on the way, then carry on and do our planned loop via the Arlberg. ACCOMMODATION Cyclist stayed in the town of Sölden, a couple of hours from the start point in Partenen, however closer accommodation can be found by going to the website at montafon.at/en. THANKS Many thanks to Ernst Lorenzi, who helped with logisitics and accommodation. Ernst is organiser of the Ötztaler Radmarathon sportive, which takes place in the…

INCREASE CADENCE Consensus among coaches and numerous studies suggests a cadence of 90rpm is optimal to avoid fatigue and maximise speed. This increases the power derived from the cardiovascular system, rather than relying on the more rapidly fatigued muscular system. A simple method to increase cadence is to lower the gear and aim to keep the same road speed. Interval training also helps. RAISE YOUR VO2 MAX Improving your aerobic system will make everything more efficient: your fat and carb metabolism, the transfer of oxygen from blood to the muscles and your climbing ability. Key to raising your VO2 max is long, slow to medium-intensity rides. Two hours plus at conversational pace will burn fat, which increases the number of mitochondria in your muscle cells. Increase these and you’ll extract…

… THE UCI ‘In 1999 there was not a test for EPO but we knew from health checks that a lot of the cyclists were using EPO. Why not freeze the samples and say we are going to have a test in 14 months? Imagine what it would have done for the sport if they had redone Lance’s samples and all of them were positive. Imagine if they had suspended 70 riders for two years? It could all have ended there and then. But they didn’t have the stomach for that.’ …LIVESTRONG ‘There is no doubt in my mind that when Armstrong set up Livestrong he did it with the right intentions. It did become a shield, but I feel a lot of work he did was genuine. But it…

The Ride range is aimed at sportive riders, resulting in a bike that’s slightly heavier than those in Merida’s Scultura range. The 5000 still managed to feel ‘racy’ during a long day in the saddle, however. While the geometry may be designed for comfort on long rides, its abilities as a racer haven’t been compromised. This was especially noticeable on the climbs. Sure, it was heavier than a bike costing twice the price, but it never felt as if any of my efforts out of the saddle were being wasted. There was a direct response from a frame that's stiff and yet, thanks to its Flex Stay seat and chainstays, still manages to smooth out unexpected bumps and lumps. The boxy-looking chainstays do a brilliant job of reducing vibration. The…

What’s your best piece of advice for anyone who’s about to ride a big event? Being a mechanic, this is an easy one – check your bike into your local bike shop for a once-over in the two weeks before your race. They’ll iron out any mechanical problems that could crop up out of the blue and spoil your big day. What’s your best piece of advice for anyone visiting the Tour de France? I’d implore everyone to see a mountain stage. The drama and beauty you’ll experience is on a different scale. What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you while working at the Tour? Strange things happen to the riders and support staff every single day. Having Herman the sheep, [Trek’s Tour mascot, see p122 ]…

FE or FEA: Finite element analysis software. Mandrel: A shaped form to support the draped carbon before curing. Modulus: Stiffness rating (from Young’s modulus). Plain weave: Fabric woven with each bundle of fibres alternately going over or under each crossing fibre, giving a predominantly grid-like pattern. Ply: A single layer of prepreg, cut to a shape for a specific part of the frame. Pre-forming: Placing the prepreg onto your mandrel or into a mould. Prepreg: A sheet of carbon fibres impregnated with epoxy resin. Usually supplied as a roll, about one metre wide. Twill: Fabric woven with pairs of fibre alternately going over or under each pair it crosses, giving a predominantly diagonal pattern.…

La Campionissimo follows the most traditional route up the Mortirolo, climbing from the Mazzo di Valtellina to the summit for a gruelling 12.4km at a 10.5% average gradient. As with any pass, you can climb from the opposite side, from Edolo, which offers a slightly more forgiving 17.2km at 6.7%. There are two other options: from Grosio at 8.3% over 14.8km, and from Tovo di Sant’Agata. This route was repaved for the 2012 Giro, and some say it’s every bit as hard as the standard route. Averaging 10.5%, but over only 11.4km, it skirts the mountainside through thick forest with repeated 20% ramps.…

The competition to hold the title of ‘world’s lightest production bike’ is nearly as intense as when America and the Soviet Union raced to put a man on the moon – and it has produced similar feats of weightlessness. The new Merida Scultura 9000 has crept under the mythical 1,000g barrier for a frameset and beats Trek’s 690g Émonda frame by 10g to become the lightest bike among mainstream manufacturers. Built up with Sram Red, FSA K-Force carbon finishing kit and DT Swiss Mon Chasseral carbon clinchers, the Scultura 9000 tips the scales at a mere 5.8kg, meaning the bike that pro team Lampre-Merida rides requires a kilogram of ballast for it to be UCI legal. So how has this level of weight loss been achieved? ‘In addition to a…

£132, zipp.com If organisation before an event isn’t your strong point, Zipp has designed the Transition 1 bag with a place for everything. You can customise how you divide up the main compartment to separate your kit, removing the need to tip everything out to find what you want. It’s water resistant to make sure your gear at least arrives warm and dry, and the bag is topped with an EVA hard case to protect delicate items. At the sides are bidon pockets, while on the front is a nifty helmet carrier. Underneath is a well-ventilated soft divide for wet shoes or sweaty clothing.…

£159.99 (tail light), £239.99 (with radar display unit), madison.co.uk According to Garmin, over 40% of cycling deaths result from being hit from behind, which is why it has produced the Varia Rearview Radar tail light. The unit detects an approaching vehicle from as far away as 140m and automatically increases its brightness and flashing intensity as the vehicle gets closer. Plus, used in conjunction with the optional radar display unit (or a Garmin Edge 1000), a visual warning turns from green to amber and finally to red as the vehicle closes in.…

The Etape du Tour, the annual amateur event that follows one of the key mountain stages of the Tour de France, lends us mortals a rare opportunity to make direct comparisons between the pros and ourselves. This year’s Etape route was the 138km alpine stage 19, from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to La Toussuire-Les Sybelles, which included an ascent of the fearsome Croix de Fer. The first rider across the line in the amateur sportive was France’s Jeremy Bescond in 4h52m44s. Five days later Vincenzo Nibali took the spoils as the Tour passed through, covering the stage in 4h22m53s at an average speed of 31.5kmh – that’s 11% quicker. Of course Nibali had the assistance of his team and other riders around him (although on this occasion no obvious use of the team…

The dictionary defines etiquette as ‘the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group’. In the UK this usually involves standing around in queues, making cups of tea and holding doors open. The dynamics of riding in a bunch are slightly more unpredictable but, in order to avoid scenes of ripped Lycra and cracked carbon up and down Britain’s roads every weekend, the rules of good behaviour still apply. Etiquette on the bike isn’t just about the health and safety of the riders (and other road users), it’s also about the aesthetics of cycling. The etiquette of group riding not only preserves dignity and limbs, it can turn a group of disparate riders into a fluidly functioning and seamlessly shifting organism. If…

The climb to the Lecht Ski Centre is not for the fainthearted. In 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs , Simon Warren describes it as ‘a true monster’ and awards it 10/10. Just over 4km long, it can be divided into three sections. The first is the worst, with the road rearing up to a gradient of 20% that doesn’t relent until you reach a layby on your left and the start of the second section. This is where the gradient eases temporarily and you get your first view of the road to the top. ‘It looks like a giant flight of stairs painted on the side of the mountain,’ says Warren. A long, steep ramp starts the final section, where the gradient eases, even going downhill, before a…

• Don’t attack the race leader or other main contenders if they have a mechanical, crash or puncture. • Don’t attack in the feed zone or during a comfort break. • Don’t attack the yellow jersey on the Tour’s final stage. • Riders in a break must take turns setting the pace rather than sitting in the draft. • Teams must buy the right to fight by pulling on the front of the peloton if they want to contest the final sprint. • Race commissaires and rivals will turn a blind eye to a rider getting a limited amount of help from drafting the team car or taking a ‘sticky bottle’ if it is used to get the rider back to the pack after a crash or a mechanical. •…

‘Apart from the bike industry no one really needs to weld tubes as thin as we do, down to 0.5mm wall-thicknesses,’ says Mark Lynskey. ‘One of the main tubes we use, 3/2.5 [a titanium alloy with 3% aluminium and 2.5% vanadium], was created to be the hydraulic tubing on aircraft, so all they’re doing there is bending it and putting on a hydraulic fitting – there’s no welding. As a result there’s very little collective wisdom about how to weld titanium. ‘As a material it’s weird in that it’s very impervious to corrosion up to about 950°F (510°C), but above that it switches. You can’t generally see contamination in a weld, but you’ll know about it when it cracks in five years’ time. Even if your fingerprints are too oily…

TRAVEL Cyclist flew Ryanair to Bergamo, which is well furnished by a variety of carriers from most major UK airports, with fares starting at £70 return. From Bergamo it’s an hour and 40 minutes to Aprica by rental car or taxi. ACCOMMODATION We stayed at Hotel La Serenella in Aprica (serenella. eu), which was about 200m from the start line. Food was plentiful and bikes were welcome in hotel rooms. If you want to stay here, book very early, as the hotel is small and there are more than 2,000 participants in the event. If accommodation is not available in Aprica, Edolo is a popular and nearby alternative, roughly a 20-minute drive from the start. THANKS Many thanks to Assos for hosting our trip to La Campionissimo. Phil…

Knock Your Socks Off p26 Attaquer Performance, $24.95 (approx £16) Attaquer Waves $24.95 (approx £16) attaquercycling.com Castelli Diverso, £17 saddleback.co.uk Defeet Levitator Lite, from £11.99 Defeet Levitator Trail, from £11.99 Defeet Aireator, from £9.99 i-ride.co.uk Happy Socks Stripe, £8 Happy Socks Sprinkles, £8 Happy Socks Triangle, £8 Happy Socks Paisley, £8 Happy Socks Big Dot, £8 happysocks.com MAAP Block Stripe, $25 (approx £16) MAAP Dot, $25 (approx £16) maap.cc Rapha Cross Pro Team, £20 Rapha Pro Team, £15 rapha.cc SockGuy Classic 3”, £9.95 SockGuy Crew 6”, £9.95 SockGuy Crew 8”, £10.95 silverfish-uk.com TICCC Jaques, £13.50 TICCC Fausto, £13.50 TICCC Tom, £13.50 this-is-cambridge.com Vulpine Dogtooth Merino Silk, £25 Vulpine Merino Polka Long, £20 vulpine.cc Fuel Economy p41 Velobici Van Abel jersey, £145…

Fiandre is Italian for Flanders, a nod towards the tough conditions this kit is designed to thrive in. The entire outfit is new and, whereas previously the Fiandre line was made for autumn and spring conditions, this latest gear is designed purely for winter. Tinkoff-Saxo team members have had input to the design, as has Polartec, Sportful’s fabric partner for its sister ski-wear brand, Karpos. The Fiandre uses Polartec’s Neoshell fabric, which is waterproof, windproof and highly elastic to provide a form-fitting, non-restrictive garment. Extra waterproofing is provided by No-Sew finishing on pockets, hem and cuffs, plus fully taped seams. The fabric’s claimed high breathability should help prevent a boil-in-the-bag scenario, too. The bibtights feature a brushed thermal lining and use a double layer, created with a lighter version of…

In the land of cycling nutrition, carbohydrate is king. It provides the quick hit of energy required to get riders through the interval sessions that we’re told we need to build power and speed. The result is that we have become loyal subjects to the mighty carbs, and our bodies have become reliant on them for fuelling our rides. But it could be that we are serving the wrong master. Broadly speaking, the average cyclist carries enough glycogen (carbohydrate stored in the muscles) to fuel about 90 minutes of activity – barely enough to get most riders to their first cafe stop. Further, carbohydrate oxidation (ie burning energy) has a strong correlation with lactate production, which limits performance. So to improve, we need to become more metabolically efficient, which is…

Dear Frank I didn’t feel like riding my bike this weekend. Is there something wrong with me? Steve, by email Dear Steve Yes. But I’m going to need a lot more context to tell you precisely what’s wrong with you. You might not be Dutch, so that’s a start. You could try being more Dutch. Also, are you getting enough vitamin D? If you live in a rainy place like England or Seattle, where I live, you might need to take supplements or travel to Hawaii to get your mind right. I would concede that as much as I love Cycling, I find myself not wanting to ride a bike quite frequently. Our lives are busy, and the pull from familial and social life weighs constantly on our priorities to…

FAUSTO COPPI The Italian won two Tours and five Giros d’Italia between 1940 and 1953, and he did so with an effortless style that drew praise from twice-winner André Leducq: ‘He seems to caress rather than grip the handlebars, while his torso appears fixed to the saddle. His long legs extend to the pedals with the joints of a gazelle. At the end of each pedal stroke, his ankle flexes gracefully. It’s as if all the moving parts turn in oil. He rides like a great artist painting a watercolour.’ DAVID MILLAR ‘We have brought an element of bespoke tailoring and sartorial elegance to the world of high-performance technical wear,’ the Scot said at the recent launch of his new clothing range, Chpt.III. But it was Millar’s pedalling style that…

1993 Walsh first interviews Armstrong, then a 21-year-old Tour de France rookie. Armstrong talks openly about the ‘desire’ and ‘rage’ that fuels him. 1999 In The Sunday Times Walsh voices his suspicions about Armstrong’s first Tour win, three years after the American’s diagnosis for cancer in 1996. 2001 Walsh reveals that Armstrong has been working with controversial Italian doctor Michele Ferrari. 2003 Walsh’s explosive book LA Confidentiel, coauthored with French journalist Pierre Ballester, is released in France, with witness reports of Armstrong’s doping. Libel laws prevent its publication in the UK. 2004 Armstrong launches a libel action against The Sunday Times for an article, based on the book, which made allegations of his doping. The newspaper pays £300,000 to settle. 2005 Armstrong wins his seventh Tour title, announcing, ‘I’m sorry…

To download the route, go to cyclist.co.uk/41cairngorms . From the centre of Ballater, take the B976 towards Crathie. At Crathie, turn left on the A93 and then right on to the B976. A kilometre before Tomintoul, turn right at the T-junction on to the B9008 towards Dufftown. In Dufftown, follow the road to a T-junction at the bottom of the hill and turn right in the direction of Huntley. Turn right again on to the A941, signposted Cabrach. Keep on this road until there’s a junction on your right, signposted B9002 to Lumsden. Turn right. At the T-junction with the A97, turn right towards Lumsden and Alford. Keep on the A97 towards Lecht Ski Centre. Follow the road to Towie. Turn left at the A97 crossroads towards…

TRAVEL The nearest railway station and airport to Ballater are both in Aberdeen, from where it’s a straightforward 90-minute drive. ACCOMMODATION We stayed at the beautiful Glen Lui Hotel in Ballater where a pine wood chalet – ‘recommended for cyclists because they have baths as well as showers,’ says owner Susan Bell – costs from £80 single B&B. Or you can pay £160 for a night in their luxury four-poster suite. The hotel also has an award-winning restaurant, where we feasted on a dinner of herb-crusted rack of Deeside lamb followed by dessert of chocolate ganache torte for £30. Full details at glen-lui-hotel.co.uk . THANKS Thanks to Richard Lawes of Firetrail Events ( firetrailevents.co.uk  ) and Jon Entwistle (enthdegree.co.uk) for helping us with all the logistical…

Tour de France 2003, Stage 15: Jan Ullrich and Tyler Hamilton slow down after Lance Armstrong hits the deck when his handlebar hooks a young fan’s bag on the climb to Luz Ardiden 10km from the finish. Armstrong recovers to win the stage – and the Tour – while Ullrich later receives a World Peace Prize from Mikhail Gorbachev. Tour de France 2010, Stage 2: After both Schleck brothers crash on a wet, oily descent in Belgium, Saxo Bank teammate Fabian Cancellara uses his sway as both the yellow jersey and patron of the peloton to enforce a go-slow. Lone escapee Sylvain Chavanel takes the win – and the maillot jaune – while the rest of the peloton trickles into Spa. Tour de France 2010, Stage 15: Alberto Contador attacks…

On Tuesday 30th June 2015, Trek launched the Madone 9, a bike so aerodynamically advanced that the American bike giants proclaim it saves around two minutes per hour. To Trek’s marketing team, the Madone ‘is the ultimate fusion of power, aerodynamics, ride quality and integration’. To Mauro Abobati, Italian mechanic at Trek Factory Racing, it’s a pain in the neck. ‘Someone from Trek came over to show us how to maintain the Madone 9,’ Abobati tells us as we make our way to the start of Stage 17 of this year’s Tour de France, a 161km slog from Digne-les-Bains to Pra Loup. ‘It’s almost like a time-trial frame and currently takes about twice as long to assemble as normal because all the cable routing is inside. It’s technically more challenging…

• Carbon fibre used in bicycle manufacture is a composite of two materials – the fibres themselves and an epoxy resin matrix that encapsulates them. • Fibres are bundles of carbon filaments each with a diameter of only 10 microns (a human hair is nearer 100). • Carbon fibres are strongest in tension or compression. • Carbon fibre is resistant to corrosion and fatigue. • Generally the higher the modulus, the stiffer the fibre. Unfortunately, it also becomes more brittle. Marketing material claiming frames are constructed of ‘high’ and ‘ultra-high’ modulus carbon fibre is misleading, as this quality of carbon fibre is too brittle to use throughout the frame. Hence this type of fibre is used very sparingly and only in certain areas, not to create entire frames. • A…

Sarto is a small framebuilder in Venice but has become well known as a high-end contract builder, often creating top-tier carbon frames for other brands. This Sarto is part of Campagnolo’s test fleet, showcasing the brand’s new mechanical groupset and carbon clincher wheelset. It’s at events like these that you realise why Italians make such good bikes. The Asola combines a lightweight feel with stiffness ready to counter any climbing burst or downhill sprint. The bike was a dream to descend on, which was a surprise given its relatively relaxed geometry and tall head tube. The Bora wheelset was also exemplary – light, comfortable, smooth and excellent when braking. Campagnolo Super Record is also excellent for quickly changing inclines and I was extremely glad to be riding a compact chainset.…

The leaves of Lombardia have fallen, the winners of the Richmond rainbow stripes decided. We’ve even had a new Asian rival to Paris-Tours as the end-of-season climax, with the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour filling the spectator-less void of the defunct Tour of Beijing. Now’s the time the pros head home to reunite with their families, gorge on Nutella and fill in those tan lines by hitting the UV beds in armwarmers and thigh-length compression socks. For us fans, however, we’re staring at a three-month cycling desert until the Tour Down Under in late January. But does it have to end here? Surely the show can go on and on, all year round. There are plenty of places around the world that would be perfect for hosting a tour when it…