Table of contents for February 2016 in Cyclist

If anyone ever doubted the carbon fibre mastery demonstrated by the bicycle industry they should take a look at Look’s latest crankset, the all-new, allaerofied Zed 3. Moulded in a single piece, it’s a glorious testament to Look’s expertise. ‘Our target was to make the best aero-crank on the market. That is, the stiffest, lightest and most aerodynamic crankset out there,’ says Look product manager Frederic Caron. ‘The Zed 3 was developed with our new time-trial frame, the 796, but is also for aero-road. It’s only 40g heavier than the Zed 2 before it, which is cool because it uses a lot more carbon. It also has the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio of any crankset, specifically because the spider [where the chainrings are fixed] is so large. The spider also helps…

Age: 52 Nationality: Italy Honours: Tour de France 1991, 1992 King of the Mountains 1991, 1992 Combativity Award Three individual stages (1991, 1992, 1993) Giro d’Italia 1991 Points Classification 1990, 1992, 1993 King of the Mountains One individual stage (1993) Stage race wins 1991 Tour of the Basque Country 1992 Giro del Trentino 1994 Volta a Catalunya Cyc: You earned the nickname ‘El Diablo’. How did that come about? Claudio Chiappucci: I got the nickname when I raced in the Tour of Colombia. As usual I was attacking a lot and being very aggressive on the bike and the reporters had never seen a European rider attacking so much. They were very vocal, very loud, and they started shouting at me ‘El Diablo’ - the devil. When I got…

Type ‘San Francisco’ into Google and the first 100 images you’ll get back will be of the Golden Gate Bridge. With its distinctive orange vermillion colouring, the suspension bridge spans the mile-wide Golden Gate strait that separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. One of the best vantage points to see and photograph this impressive structure is undoubtedly up on the high point of Hawk Hill, which looms on the southern peninsula of the Marin Headlands. That’s precisely where we are now, sitting astride our top tubes and checking out the view. I’m certain I could never get bored of it, even if I rode here every day. The cars look like ants, crawling back and forth across the bridge, and in the distance is Alcatraz, the notorious island…

It’s late November near Covent Garden, London. Commuters rush past as rain starts to fall. Cars edge along at walking pace. All the signs are that this will be an instantly forgettable morning in the capital. Or it would be if I wasn’t so nervous. ‘It’s 9.28am,’ I mutter to photographer Alex. ‘He should have been here 28 minutes ago.’ Fabian Cancellara, one of the greatest timetriallists and one-day riders of a generation, a man who is the living embodiment of that most Swiss of traits – precision timing – is late. ‘Apologies,’ says Cancellara in perfect English (he can speak five languages) when he arrives at Cyclefit, bike fitter for Trek Factory Racing and the location for our interview. ‘The traffic system is…’ he searches for the exact word…

Warning: in the next few pages you may experience wobble, flop and twitch. Don’t be alarmed – they are terms that will help you to better understand the complex subject of bicycle handling. Put simply, handling is the input required to control a bike’s direction, and the biggest factor is the bicycle’s geometry. It has taken a century to get close to fully comprehending the dynamics but Assistant Professor Arend Schwab of Technical University of Delft, Netherlands, is one of a team of physicists that claims to have eventually cracked the problem in 2011. ‘In our equation there are 27 parameters,’ he tells Cyclist. These include tube angles, dimensions, fork rake, bottom bracket height and centre of gravity. Change just one element and the handling changes. Decades of cumulative experience…

TRAVEL The nearest airport to Sölden is Innsbruck, although flights are limited in summer so we flew into Innsbruck but had to fly out of Munich, a three-hour drive from Sölden. A return to Munich starts at £100, a combination of flights from £200. ACCOMMODATION For a small town Sölden is full of good hotels, but the jewel in its crown is undoubtedly the Hotel Bergland, the very same hotel in which Daniel Craig stayed while shooting Spectre . Prices start from €300 (£212) pppn, which includes a fantastic breakfast, as you’d expect for that price (berglandsoelden.at). WHERE TO EAT AND WHAT TO DO Take a trip up Sölden’s highest gondola to the Gaislachkogl Peak, which at 3,048m provides views that are worth the €15 (£11) trip…

THE SPEC Model Cannondale CAAD12 Dura-Ace Disc Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Deviations Shimano R685 shifters and BR805/785 hydraulic disc callipers, Cannondale Hollowgram SiSL cranks Wheels Mavic Ksyrium Disc WTS Finishing kit Cannondale C1 Ultralite alloy bars and stem, Cannondale carbon SAVE seatpost 25.4mm, Fizik Arione saddle Weight 8.10kg (56cm) Price £2,500 Contact cyclingsportsgroup.co. uk For those people who have come to cycling in the past few years, carbon reigns supreme for top-end bikes. But those of us who pedalled long before the successes of Hoy, Wiggins and Froome put our sport on the map in Britain will remember when aluminium frames were once the cutting edge of road bike technology, and will recall the unmistakable stiffness, power transfer and feedback that made alloy bikes such an exciting and rewarding…

More than two years have passed since Shimano launched its first hydraulic road disc brake system, yet the debates over the necessity and/or aesthetics of this technology on road bikes still rages on. However, the recent news that the UCI has given them the green light for the pro peloton next year may well be the extra bit of impetus needed for discs to finally usurp the humble calliper brake. Shimano has continued to develop and refine its disc brake offering and in quite timely fashion its 105 level disc brakes, launched earlier this year, are just reaching shops, meaning this technology is now available at almost every price point. Shimano 105 has a solid reputation for trusted, reliable performance, and quite often the 105’s functionality is barely distinguishable from…

The release of the Flak 2.0 signals a momentary respite from Oakley’s relentless reinvigoration of wraparound sunglasses. These shades take the advancements of the Flak Jacket XLJ over the original Flak Jackets a step further by increasing lens coverage even more, for ‘better peripheral vision in the sporting environment’. Longer unobtainium earsocks keep the frames securely planted on your head regardless of road surface, plus distinct new colourways mean you’ll find the right glasses for you no matter how outrageous your kit.…

Think of cycling in a suit and you may well picture a straw-haired London mayor wobbling awkwardly along a congested cycle superhighway, trousers tucked into socks and blazer billowing in the wind. But it need not be so. A few tailors have seen the opportunity to create a functional outfit for the bike that a non-cycling civilian may find acceptable in the office. An authority on the subject is João Correia, one-time pro with Cervélo Test Team and some-time writer for men’s fashion mag Esquire. ‘There are a lot of great brands starting to make tailored clothing that works well on the bike,’ he says. ‘The things I would look for are smart features like a collar with a hidden button that can be done up to keep the wind…

1 POWERBAR PROTEIN PLUS 52% BAR £2.40 each, powerbar.com Arnold Schwarzenegger once said he mixed his protein with whiskey, which unless you’re a cyclist in the 1920s we wouldn’t advise. But what we can say is that with 26g of protein per bar, an in-form Arnie would have needed eight Protein Plus bars per day. As for us, let’s just call it one plus a post-ride beer. 2 ABUS TEC TICAL PRO V2 HELMET £99.99, zyro.co.uk Quite apart from being a surefire way to make your computer chortle, a Tec-Tical is actually the new flagship helmet from Abus. As worn by ProContinental team Bora-Argon 18, it boasts plenty of vents, a low 265g weight and has a rather stylish disposition. Plus it’s excellent value too. 3 FWE MINI TORQUE WRENCH…

To download this route, go to cyclist.co.uk/44sanfran. The cycle route out of San Francisco follows the bay to the Golden Gate Bridge. After the bridge turn left and climb onto the Marin Headlands, taking Bunker Road to loop back close to the bridge. Pass under Route 101 and head to Sausalito. From here the cycle route takes you to Mill Valley. West Blithedale Avenue takes you up into the redwood forest and onto Old Railroad Grail trail to Mount Tamalpais East Peak. Follow Ridgecrest Boulevard east before descending Bolinas Fairfax Road down to Highway 1 and on to Muir Beach, from which you climb to Panoramic Highway. Go straight over and descend Sequoia Valley Road to Mill Valley. Retrace cycle paths back to Sausalito and back over the Golden Gate.…

Motivation is a complex aspect of performance, in that it’s governed by emotions rather than your physiology. Neither the highest level of fitness nor the trickest bike will automatically lead to cycling success unless you have the will to push yourself when it matters. ‘Motivation is not about the material things – it’s about your mental state,’ says coach Ian Goodhew. ‘Maybe around 5% of it is about having a nice bike, winning prize money, getting points to go up the rankings or doing a job for your team, but 95% is about self belief. That means having confidence in your training and staying in the right frame of mind, and there are a few techniques for this.’ The power of the crowd Few things in life are more motivating…

Cyclist is obviously wedded to bikes. So for this issue we’re testing something old, something new and something borrowed. Ticking the ‘old’ box is Belgian custom steel brand Jaegher, which began crafting steel frames in the 1930s, although its Interceptor is very much a modern slant on the material. New to the road market is the rear suspension system on Pinarello’s latest K8-S, though we have seen similar systems before. For something borrowed, we refer you to the disc brakes on the Cannondale CAAD12, which have been craftily spirited across from the mountain bike world. One of these bikes could be your perfect match, and we’ll be very surprised if any of them leaves you feeling… blue.…

The Swiss are good at geometrically shaped things: clocks, Toblerone, Fabian Cancellara’s jaw. Edco is continuing this tradition with its latest 50mm deep clincher, the Albis. Weighing 1,552g, these all-carbon hoops stack up favourably against rivals – even those priced £1,000 more – and come with the added faff-less bonus that the patented MultiSys freehub is compatible with Shimano/ Sram and Campagnolo cassettes. Until recently Edco’s carbon rims were rebranded Reynolds, but this year’s line-up, the Albis included, is now designed by Edco and includes the new ILT (integrated low temperature) braking surface, which promises better all-weather brake performance. Bulging to 25.5mm at their widest point, the Albis fit the current bill for rounded, snub-profiled rims, although with an internal rim width of 17mm they’re not quite waving the flag…

Pro has given its PLT range a classy makeover for 2016. The bars have ergonomic, flattened tops and the stem is stiff and light, while the post has a neat one-bolt clamp system that allows for easy repositioning of your saddle. The main difference is that Pro has ditched its lairy black and white logo-strewn graphics in favour of an understated black aesthetic, meaning the new PLT range is great value finishing kit that will make you look more, well, pro.…

Dear Frank After a colleague suggested that it was unseemly for me to turn up to the office in Lycra (too revealing, apparently) I have taken to slipping a pair of ‘modesty shorts’ over my bibs for my ride to work. I feel like I’m letting the side down. What do you suggest? Jon, by email Dear Jon First things first: I am seriously concerned that this line of thinking is going to lead you to The Worst Aesthetic Atrocity I can fathom in this world: tights with shorts over the top. This is the domain of clumsy park joggers and should under no circumstances ever be considered. So let me just stop you right there. I’m serious. Moving on. We don’t have it easy, us cyclists. We don’t look…

As I knew we’d be taking to the gravel, I decided to switch the wheels that came fitted to the Orca M-Teami. Out went the Mavic Ksyrium SLRs and in came Bontrager’s Aelous 5 tubeless-ready wheels, making the most of the opportunity to benefit from the additional comfort and flat resistance of Bontrager’s 25mm tubeless R3 tyres. The combination was a winning formula, improving the overall feel of what was already an excellent ride quality. When I needed precise handling to make a quick decision about the best line to take on the gravel, the Orca responded instantly and with a stable and balanced feel. The same was true when I was leaning it hard into the many tight curves on fast descents and I was never left unsure about…

The details Get rad with the marathon What Ötztaler Radmarathon Where Sölden, Austria Distance 238km Elevation 5,500m Next one 28th August 2016 Price €129 (£90) in advance More information oetztaler-radmarathon.com There are many reasons why cyclists shouldn’t go to war. We get hungry easily and expect to stop for food often; our flamboyant battle dress marks us out yet offers scant protection, and if we see a drone we’re more likely to wave for the camera than run for the hills. Our vehicles wince at enemy potholes; our heaviest artillery is a fold-out 8mm allen key, and deploy us in Flanders and we’ll end up cycling up the Koppenberg instead of trying to secure it. Yet, on the inhospitable slopes of the Jaufenpass, just across the Austro-Italian border,…

THE SPEC Model Pinarello K8-S Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Deviations Dura-Ace direct mount rear brake Wheels Mavic Ksyrium Pro Exalith Finishing kit Most Tiger Ultra 3k stem, Most Jaguar XA handlebar, Fizik Arione K3 Kium saddle Weight 7.19kg (57.5cm) Price £4,675 frameset, approx £7,300 as tested Contact yellow-limited.com There are no boring bikes in Cyclist, but only a few can make the claim to be truly exciting. The Pinarello Dogma K8-S is exciting. It’s championing a concept on road bikes that’s had varying degrees of success over the years, but if it proves to be a winner this time you could see many of the big brands launching their own versions. It’s a bold move that has reignited an old question: does suspension belong on a road bike?…

THE SPEC Model Jaegher Interceptor Groupset Campagnolo Chorus Deviations None Wheels Fulcrum Racing Quattro carbon clincher Finishing kit Deda Elementi Superleggera carbon bars, Jaegher 3T stem, Deda Elementi Superleggera RS seatpost, Fizik Arione 00 Braided saddle Weight 7.83kg Price €2,200 (£1,600) frameset, approx £4,400 total build Contact jaegher.com Carbon is for fishing rods,’ says Diel Vaneenooghe. It’s a contentious opinion, but just what you might expect from the grandson of the founder of Jaegher, a Belgian bike brand that specialises in steel. Belgians know a thing or two about racing. Even more so in Flanders, where local races are at a high enough level that you can find Tom Boonen lining up against amateurs to battle it out on rough roads in foul weather. That Flemish identity is apparent in…