Innehållsförteckning för May 2016 från Cyclist

Ever wondered what the correct term is for the current slew of aero road helmets? ‘Second generation,’ says Rh+’s Samuele Bressan. ‘But there’s always a trade-off with cooling. The Z Alpha is a third generation aero helmet, offering optimum aerodynamics and ventilation.’ It’s a heady claim, but there might be some truth in it. Up front on the Z Alpha is a removable, semi-vented plastic cover on the part of the helmet that meets the wind first. Removed, it exposes three large vents; clipped in place ‘it provides significant advantages over 40kmh’, Bressan claims. How significant Rh+ doesn’t say (despite wind-tunnel testing), but it certainly looks the aero part. However, speed gains, venting and styling should all be secondary thoughts to safety where helmets are concerned, so it’s good news…

Pearl Izumi has been busy in its shoe lab, and the result is the new PRO Leader III. ‘We wanted a road shoe that featured all of our latest technologies to deliver a product worthy of ProTour level performance,’ says Michael Thompson, product manager in Pearl Izumi’s shoe division. ‘We’ve been fortunate enough to work with BMC rider Tejay van Garderen and he provided valuable feedback along the way.’ Bucking conventional shoe design, where the upper is bonded to the top of the carbon plate, then tidied up with a lasting board, Pearl Izumi has 3D-printed the upper to wrap around and hug the underside of the carbon, onto which a polyurethane base is then fixed to lock the construction. This ‘Unibody’ structure delivers a lower stack height, which Pearl…

‘I was getting through 12-15 packets of biscuits a day. Coming back to civilised company and having a single biscuit at someone’s house was really hard as I was used to ploughing through a couple of packets’ Cyclist: How did your Africa speed record compare to your record-breaking round-the-world journey in 2007-08? Mark Beaumont: I’m known for world records and almost everything I’ve done in the last decade was not just about pipping records but trying to take them to a whole new level. When I finished my round-the-world trip in 2008, I’d covered 18,296 miles [29,444km] in 194 days and 17 hours, and I broke the world record by 81 days. But as I was making a documentary, there was always that niggle of compromise. Africa was the…

It’s a fitting start to the day. Craning our necks and looking upwards we’re presented with a sheer wall of limestone rising to a clear blue sky. On top, right on the edge, there is a solitary church, the Chapelle Notre Dame, which presumably over the years has cultivated a dedicated congregation of expert local mountaineers, with the vicar kept busy attending to those who don’t survive the climb. The impressive monolith is called, fittingly, The Roc, and it’s truly humbling in its scale and beauty. Today we will spend a lot of time testing the articulation of our necks, looking upwards, downwards and all around us to take in the views of the Verdon Gorge in the heart of Provence. If this phenomenon of geological splendour was in the…

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/47wales . Head west from Machnylleth on the A493 and turn right in Cwrt. When you reach the A493 again, turn right. After Tywyn turn right onto the B4405. In Abergynolwyn, turn left at the Railway Inn, then cross the A493 and continue toward the coast. You’ll meet the A493 again – turn left. Past Arthog turn right towards Creggan Lakes. Head east to Dolgellau and Tabor and take the A487 to Corris Uchaf. From here stay on the A487 heading south back into Machynlleth.…

‘We told the designers it was just for the pros and we’d never sell any of them, so don’t waste too much time…’ In March 2013, conditions for the 104th Milan-San Remo, the longest single-day race on the UCI calendar, were atrocious. As if its arduous 298km route was not a sufficient test, Mother Nature decided to pummel the riders with howling winds, sleet and even snow along the way. The brutality of the weather caused the race to be cut to a mere 246km, yet it was still a decimated peloton that finally made it to the famous seafront finale. It was an event those riders will never forget. For clothing brand Castelli, and the cycling clothing industry as a whole, it would be a landmark day for a…

It’s a lot of money for a bike but, as it turns out, the Orca is a lot of bike for the money. Having slimmed things down from the previous generation, the frame now weighs under 900g, meaning this build happily punched in the sub-7.2kg category (size 55). That low weight was a big help up the long, draggy climbs and, while I might have liked full-carbon wheels just to justify the pricetag, the alloy/carbon Vision Trimaxes coped admirably with the wind and rain. Tougher tyres would have been preferable to the lightweight Kenda Kountachs, which gashed terminally on one gravelly descent, but it’s testament to the overall build quality that the Orca frameset took several poundings and didn’t flinch once.…

Moots recently showcased its Vamoots RSL Disc at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, and quite apart from being a stunning bike, it utilised a set of 3D printed dropouts (similar to the ones pictured, made by Reynolds) made from 6/4 powder mated to 3/2.5 tubes. ‘The 3D printed dropouts are really exciting as you can make different shapes with perfect alignments,’ says Moots’ Jon Cariveau. Martyn Harris from British 3D print specialist RaceWare says this ability could lend itself to a whole new strain of titanium components: ‘The clever part is you can print hollow shapes, so a dropout could be lighter than a solid, machined one, or you could make a twin-wall tube with a cavity inside, and inside that cavity a supporting structure, making for an incredibly…

There are more trees on Earth than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy, an incredible 422 of the wooded oxygen-givers per person. While there’s not quite that many bikes to go around, there are certainly more two-wheeled joy-givers available now than at any other point in humanity (parallel universes excepted), and that tally just keeps on growing. Old hands such as Time are continually developing new models; established race winners such as BMC are perpetually updating existing bikes, and recent start-ups such as Vaaru are popping up left, right and centre. Could us mere humans do with more trees? Almost certainly. But do we need more bicycles? Yes, definitely. It’s not scientifically proven, but it is a fact.…

THE SPEC Model Time Skylon Groupset Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2 Deviations Rotor 3D30 cranks Wheels Novatec R5 clincher Finishing kit Fizik Cyrano 00 bars, Fizik Cyrano R1 stem, Fizik Arione 00 saddle Weight 7.12kg Price Circa £5,500 as shown Contact  extrauk.co.uk Time is a relatively young brand, but with an interesting story to tell. Founded in 1987, it was clipless pedals that originally put it on the map before, six years later, turning its hands (literally) to building bikes. While its pedals continue to be its main business, Time has developed a unique method for creating carbon bike frames, which it still does entirely in house, in France – something that stands it apart from its competitors. Quality not quantity Time makes fewer than 100 frames per week, each one…

Three years ago when Assos unveiled the Campionissimo S7 bibshorts, a national holiday was declared in Switzerland, and the Swiss President himself visited Assos’s San Pietro headquarters to have his Kuku Penthouse measured and fitted. Some or all of that may not be true, but the Campionissimo shorts were a big deal, and now there’s a jersey to match. The Campionissimo jersey features ‘skinFoil’, a kind of integrated base layer. The mesh layer is intended to wick away sweat and make the jersey cooler on hot summer days, despite adding an extra layer. The back of the jersey uses only mesh-like ‘Type.220’ material to improve cooling. Assos has reduced seams to a minimum, and the Campionissimo uses as few panels of material as possible. The sleeve and collar are seamless…

1 ZIPP ROTOR PROTECTOR £16, zipp.com Disc brake rotors might not give the impression that they need protecting, but they do need to be protected from. Those machined edges are sure-fire frame chippers in car boots and bike bags, so Zipp has come up with these cossetting neoprene covers to keep damage in transit at bay. And for those without disc brake bikes, but with a fond regard for either ageing audio technology or Chinese cuisine, the Protectors make excellent holders for antique CDs and duck pancakes. 2 MERIDIAN COCONUT BUTTERS from £2.49, meridianfoods.co.uk Meridian’s got a lovely bunch of coconuts, so it put them all inside these jars. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head. And the contents are delicious on toast or in smoothies as…

Protein’s main role is the repair and creation of body tissue – our cells – and you can’t build cells with carbohydrate and fat Pasta, porridge, bananas, Jelly Babies – these are the foods that cyclists are known for. Packed with carbohydrates, they would seem to provide everything a rider needs to fuel long days in the saddle, and the nutrition industry has helped out by providing easy-to-consume carb supplements in the form of gels, bars and drinks. But something is happening. In recent months, those same nutrition companies have started to promote protein-based products to cyclists as the latest must-have nutritional supplement. So is this just a ploy to get us to buy more stuff, or is the accepted wisdom about what cyclists should eat undergoing a rethink? Emma…

‘Maybe I’m too heavy for the bigger mountains, but in Belgium it’s more about power. And I have enough power’ Tony Martin is not just a time-trial World Champion – he’s a German time-trial World Champion. If stereotypes are to be believed, that should make him the most focused, ruthlessly driven and coldly calculating rider in the peloton – a cycling machine. But Cyclist isn’t interested in presenting the stereotype, which is why we have come to Calpe, Spain, to meet the real Tony Martin. It’s Etixx-Quick-Step’s pre-season training camp, a chance for the team to bond, set goals and tinker with kit, and as the riders prepare for a morning training ride I spot Martin easing into his armwarmers. ‘Good morning, Tony, I’m here to interview you after the…

This bike, ridden on this trip by Therese, has been with the Cyclist team for a few months, and has proven to juggle disc brake compatibility with an aggressive racy feel and light weight in a way we’ve rarely seen. Coming in at 6.81kg it’s perfect for the supremely steep inclines of Snowdonia. At the same time, the disc brakes provide enormous confidence on the descents. The Zipp 202 wheels also do a great deal for climbing prowess given their low weight, and it’s nice to know that with the discs they can still stop hard even in the wet. The wide rim bed, 25mm tyres and proprietary Focus CPX seatpost do a lot for the ride quality, and the Izalco Max manages to tread an…

The Col du Tourmalet is the Tour de France’s most-used climb, appearing for the 81st time when it features on the route of this year’s Tour, on Stage 8 between Pau and Bagnères-de-Luchon. It was back in 1910 that the Tourmalet made its debut in the race, alongside its fellow Pyrenean climbs the Col d’Aubisque, the Col du Peyresourde, the Col d’Aspin and the Col du Portet d’Aspet. The Alps wouldn’t feature in the Tour de France until the following year. In 2010 the Tourmalet was scaled twice, from each side, on consecutive stages – both the 16th and 17th stages, albeit separated by a rest day – to celebrate the centenary of its appearance. Tales about the Tourmalet are manifold, with arguably the best of them coming from early…

Hanoi hits my senses like a tsunami. Stepping from the air-conditioned coach into the street is a bewildering experience. The air is stifling, as is the cacophony of shrill toots from the sea of mopeds that somehow manage to avoid either total gridlock or a mass pile-up. Luckily my host in Vietnam, Mr Thang, is on hand to demonstrate the ways of the pedestrian. Picking his moment he steps purposely into the road, and as if by magic the mopeds part like the Red Sea to grant us passage to our hotel. It seems as much a blind act of faith as anything else, but Thang cheerfully explains how it’s done: ‘You don’t just walk into traffic, but once you’re on the road they move out of the way. Why…

The split for the shorter 156km route comes too early to consider ducking out from the original plan The voice on the other end of the phone is friendly and helpful: ‘Which course would you like to do? The short, the middle or the long?’ I consider for a moment: ‘Oh, better do the long one. Won’t really be Liège-Bastogne-Liège otherwise, will it? More sort of Liège-somewhere else-Liège.’ ‘Jolly good,’ says the voice, ‘I’ll put you down for the full 273km. See you in April.’ As the line goes silent I can’t help but think he just said ‘273km’. I get out my calculator. Multiply by 0.621 equals… a very long way in imperial too. It’s 170 miles when all is said and done. I have a quick Google on…

Imagine you and a close friend, kitted up in the latest gear, riding top-end road bikes up one of the world’s most famous climbs during a celebrated annual event. That’s what this prize is all about. First the bikes. LOOK is one of the most innovative companies in the cycling market, being the first to introduce clipless pedals to the peloton, and leading the way with carbon fibre frame design back in the ’80s. The LOOK 765 is the latest model in LOOK’s stable, with the emphasis on comfort over long distances while still retaining a sporty edge. The carbon frame includes linen fibres to help dampen vibrations, and the geometry ensures you are still going strong after many miles. Asymmetric chainstays balance out your pedalling forces, while a Shimano…

THE SPEC Model BMC GF01 Ultegra Disc Groupset Shimano Ultegra Deviations Shimano RS685 levers, R785 callipers, 140mm rotors Wheels DT Swiss X-1900 Spline Finishing kit BMC RDB 3 bars, RST 3 stem, BMC Compliance carbon seatpost, Fizik Aliante R7 manganese saddle Weight 8.24kg (56cm) Price £3,200 Contact  evanscycles.com Ever wondered why Fabian Cancellara and Roger Federer are just so darn nice? Well, according to a study by the University of Buffalo entitled The Neurogenics Of Niceness, it’s likely Fabs and Rodge’s genes are more receptive to the ‘cuddle chemicals’ oxytocin and vasopressin, hormones produced in the human body that are associated with being bloody lovely. However, I’d wager that it’s also because they’re Swiss. Think about it for one stereotypical second: tax rates are extremely low, the trains are more…

One wheel to rule them all’ is DT Swiss’s rather theatrical way of explaining that its new RRC 65 DiCut is a pro-standard wheelset that has been designed to be competitive across a range of race environments. ‘The tubs weigh 1,405g, so they are deep sections that are light enough to ride up mountains,’ says Chris Brattle, DT Swiss brand manager for UK distributor Madison. ‘Their aerodynamic profiling was developed with IAM pro riders to not be super-fast at a certain yaw angle at a certain speed, but to be versatile enough to stay efficient whatever the conditions.’ DT Swiss manufactures its DiCut wheels in-house at its Swiss headquarters, which allows each component to be designed in the context of the whole wheel system. ‘The custom Nailhead spokes and DiCut…

Everyone loves an underdog. Except coaches, athletes and technical directors. They like numbers, precision and certainty, so for every ounce of delight that must come from British Cycling with each Olympic gold medal, there must also be an equal amount of frustration as to why the riders just don’t perform at their best in the preceding World Championships. The 2012 Worlds was a tight competition but Australia were the ultimate victors with 15 medals in total, including eight golds. The Olympics was a completely different story – Team GB took eight gold medals to Australia’s one. The event that Britain really excelled at during the 2012 Worlds was the team pursuit, setting a new world record along the way. This year, however, it was a very different story. Ed Clancy…

The Gan is effectively the entry level Dogma F8, with a similar asymmetric frame construction that provides the stiffness to deliver power and weight savings where the frame can be pared down. It was an ideal and comfortable companion for a ride focussing more on the surroundings than out-and-out performance, but that’s not to say it couldn’t hold its own in all but the most intense of racing environments. The Di2 groupset was as slick as to be expected, but no matter how many times I pressed the shift button it still wouldn’t provide the extra sprocket I wanted at the back, which says more about me than it does about the bike.…

We’ve made a pact – there will be no showboating, no signpost sprints and no Pantani-inspired mountain breakaways. We’re at the southern tip of Snowdonia National Park and it’s a day of blistering sunshine. The roads are quiet, the hills are steep, and the views are magnificent. With that in mind, I’m determined not to spend a day chewing my handlebars. This is one ride we are going to take gently so we can enjoy the splendours of this beautiful corner of Britain. Before we can fully appreciate nature, however, we have to get to grips with all our technology. Josh and Chris, who ride regularly in these hills, have a road race in Aberystwyth tomorrow so will be sticking religiously to a pre-set power output and heart rate. They’re…

We’re led to the factory floor. Except it’s not quite the floor itself, but a walkway 10 metres above the ground I’m standing on platform 22 at Osaka’s City Station and something is clearly not right. The railway guards pace the platform trying to retain an air of cool but the simple fact is the bullet train to take us to Shimano’s factory in Shimonoseki, Japan, is running 45 minutes late. Surely heads will roll. Large snowflakes are falling onto the tracks and the indicators are blaming the weather for the delays to a rail system renowned for its to-the-second timing. The wrong kind of snow, it seems, affects more than the beleaguered UK commuter. Once on board, the bullet train is fast – Strava clocks it at a max…

Titanium has managed to attain almost mythical status as a ‘bike for life’ The last time a steel bike won the Tour de France was in 1994, when Miguel Indurain pedalled out of Disneyland Paris towards the Champs-Élysées on his Dario Pegoretti-built, rebadged Pinarello. The last time an aluminium bike took a star turn on the Parisian boulevard was in 1998, a Bianchi Mega Pro XL ridden by Marco Pantani. Ever since 1999 every overall Tour victory has come aboard a carbon fibre machine (although in light of historical misdemeanours, retrospective 2006 winner Oscar Pereiro rode a magnesium Pinarello Dogma FPX with carbon stays). In the story of race-winning frame materials, one name is rarely mentioned – titanium. While Greg LeMond’s Z Team rode titanium Merlin Extra Lights in 1991…

THE SPEC Model Vaaru V:8 Di2 Groupset Shimano Ultegra Di2 Deviations Shimano R785 shifters, Shimano R785 hydraulic disc brakes, Shimano RT99 Ice-Tech Freeza CL Rotors Wheels Edco Pillion 35mm DB carbon clinchers Finishing kit Pro LT bars, USE stem, Vaaru seatpost, Fizik Antares VS saddle Weight 8.53kg (size 56) Price £1,699 frame and fork, £5,599 as built Contact  vaarucycles.com Titanium is a tough metal. It’s tough to break, but it’s also tough to work with, and it’s tough to make a mark on the competition. The titanium brands at the top of the market tend to blend decades of heritage with skilled artisan welders and cutting edge knowhow. So Vaaru, as a newcomer, has a lot to prove to be considered on par with the old guard. Launched in 2015…

THE DETAILS Weight 1,562g Rim depth 50mm front & rear Rim width External: 25.5mm Spoke count 24 rear, 20 front Price £1,400 (including Continental GP4000S II tyres) Contact edco-wheels.co.uk The Swiss are well known for their exacting standards, especially in Jura where there is a long tradition of precision watchmaking, toolmaking and machine building. Carbon wheel brand Edco has its factory in Couvet, in the heart of the region, and my initial impression of its mid-range ProSport Albis wheels was that they exude quality. But craftsmanship is not the only story here. Edco has also brought some fresh ideas to its wheels. One potentially useful feature is a freehub body that is compatible with all brand’s cassettes. It makes a lot of sense for shops, who don’t have to choose…