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EXPERIENCE TAIWAN ON TWO WHEELS

Beguiling vistas around the island are best appreciated at bicycle speed rom café hopping in hipster urban neighborhoods to lung-busting mountain climbs through spectacular tea plantations, Taiwan is one of the most bicycle-friendly destinations in the world. Whether you want to tackle the dramatic peaks and gorges of the East Rift Valley, freewheel gently beside neatly lined rows of lush green paddy fields, or get familiar with a city’s secret lanes and hidden gems on two wheels, a unique and memorable adventure is guaranteed.

F

Main photo: picturesque views in Chishang, Taitung.

Below, from left: Taroko Gorge; Sun Moon Lake

The perfect biking destination

Between October and March, much of Taiwan is reliably dry and sunny without being sweltering. Locals and

foreigners alike take advantage of the well-established cycling networks and infrastructure that make doing a round-island tour of the country by bicycle a breeze. Throughout Taiwan, eateries and convenience stores are a dime a dozen, so sustenance is never far away. Need drinking water or a bike pump? Look no further than the nearest police station where the local law enforcement will gladly help you out. Behind schedule or simply worn out? Put yourself and your bike on an express train and watch the scenery rush past.

Several companies now offer guided bike tours and will also help to organise the hiring of bikes, saddlebags and helmets. Models available for hire range from high-

end mountain bikes to tandems to electric bicycles.

Taiwan is also home to some of the world’s leading bike manufacturers, among them Giant and Merida.

Prices are attractive, so some foreign visitors will purchase a quality bike here, use it to ride around the island, then have it shipped home – a practical souvenir from their travels.

Take a leisurely ride

Few countries can guarantee cyclists a wider range of experiences than Taiwan. It is barely half the size of Tasmania, yet in the space of a single day, it is possible to go from rocky shore to bamboo forest. The island’s beautifully varied countryside is also

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So different.

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AN EPIC CLIMB dotted with scenic routes designed for all levels of ability – from the laid-back leisure cyclist to the hard-core pro.

If you prefer to take it at your own pace, there are many unspoilt areas to explore via bicycle.

Circumnavigating Sun Moon Lake on a rental bike is a favourite way to enjoy central Taiwan’s number one attraction. Another popular scenic route is Mr Brown Avenue, going through rice fields in Taitung County, or the trails in Hualien County’s splendid Taroko Gorge.

Bicycles are embraced by the urban population too. Bike trails are found everywhere in the cities, and

local drivers are used to sharing city streets and highways with twowheelers as many Taiwanese ride motorcycles to work and take their bikes out in their free time.

In the bustling metropolises of Taipei and Kaohsiung, bikes can be taken onto metro trains. Both cities also have well-established public bike rental systems – YouBike in Taipei and C-Bike in Kaohsiung. These rent-bythe-hour shared bicycles can be collected outside transport hubs such as metro stations, or at tourist attractions like Taipei 101, then dropped off at any of the hundreds of fully automated

Taiwan Tourism Australia and New Zealand

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The annual Taiwan King of Mountain (KOM) Challenge is held in late October or early November and has a reputation for being one of the world’s most gruelling bike races. It takes competitors through the beautiful Taroko Gorge, with inclines the entire way up to the finish line over 3,000m above sea level.

“Taiwan is also home to some of the world’s leading bike manufacturers, among them Giant and Merida” hiring points that operate 24/7.

Taiwan is a country with so much to see and your time here can only get better when you explore the island on two wheels. You are in for an experience unlike any other.

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Contents

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017

32

54 TESTING THE BOUNDARIES While the fragmentation of the carbon road bike market appears to be slowly settling to a point where you might think you need a stable of steeds to fulfil your riding dreams, we look at the question of versatility.

Can a single bike can possibly be a Jack of All Trades, excelling on tarmac, gravel and beyond. John Hardwick chose the Norco Search as a possible contender.

60 CHRIS CARMICHAEL: PREPARE FOR A MULTIDAY SPORTIVE World renowned cycling coach Chris Carmichael took some time out with us to discuss how a full time desk jockey might prepare for a weeklong sportive.

66 GRAVEL MASTER

46 ISSUE NO. 203 JANUARY • FEBRUARY | 2017

32 SAGAN’S TOUR DOWN UNDER Peter Maniaty looks at the contenders, stages and profiles of this year’s big event and whether there is anyone who’ll be able to stand against the one-man Slovakian onslaught.

46 GREEN TRIANGLE GRIND

54

When contemplating a cycling escape there is a multitude of options both within our own borders and just a quick trip from our doorstep. If an international jaunt wins your heart, a two wheeled getaway to the lush green lands of Laos could be just the ticket. Let Asia aficionado Steve Thomas show you around.

10 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Not one to be constrained by the end of the bitumen, long time roadie Steve Thomas has seen his share of gravel and MTB action. Here he gives us his tips on getting off road with your drop bar bike, and how to handle yourself when you do.

72 BOWRAL CLASSIC WRAP UP It took so long to get here and now it’s a fond but fading memory. But what a day! Universally acclaimed as a fun and challenging ride, the Bowral Classic looks to be bolted down as a permanent fixture on the nation’s Gran Fondo calendar. Nat Bromhead recaps on the Bowral Classic, and we caught up with the category winners for their comments.

86 VAMOS! CYCLING IN CHILE South America has produced many a legendary climber, and there’s little wonder when you catch a glimpse of the Andes and the cycling opportunities on hand. Perry Brown has spent some time in Chile and scoped out some classic rides around Santiago and beyond for your vicarious, or firsthand pleasure.

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Contents

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017

86 29

THE EDGE

WORKSHOP

MASTERCLASS

106 WHEEL UPGRADE 4.0 SPOKES

96 IMPROVE YOUR PELVIC STABILITY AND CONTROL Sophia Auld discusses how key muscles and ligaments combine to form ‘myofascial slings’— powerful bands of connective tissue which control and stabilise your pelvis.

Strengthening these slings will result, for the cyclist, in increased speed and power. Here’s how.

FUEL 102 CHOCOLATE MILK RECOVERY Protein for muscle repair, sugars for energy, chocolate for taste… it may just be the recovery drink you have been looking for! David O’Reilly explains.

60

Michael Hanslip continues his series discussing the features and benefits of wheel components and design; this time looking at spokes.

TEST LAB 112 114 116 118 122 126

Lezyne Super GPS FLR F-XX II shoes Redshift Shockstop Stem Giant Contend SL1 disc Argon18 Krypton BMC Roadmachine 02

OPINION 136 SPIN CYCLE with Anthony Tan

REGULARS

▲

14 THE BIG PICTURE 16 EDITORIAL 18 LOCAL HERO – ROBERT SPEARS 22 COACH’S CORNER – TRUTH ABOUT TRAINING

WITH POWER 2 26 TOP GEAR 130 A BUNCH OF FIVES –

PELOTON SPORTS

106 12 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

COVER: Peter Sagan, now riding for new team Bora-Hansgrohe, will be racing at the Santos Tour Down Under.

Image by Tim de Waele.

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The Big Picture l Gran Fondo Erciyes, Turkey IMAGE BY STEVE THOMAS

14 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

[[ Excuse me while I kiss the sky. ]] – Jimi Hendrix

15

Get Rolling

BY GARY HUNT

Rolling On

Group Publisher Gary Hunt – gary@bicyclingaustralia.com.au

Our Digital Content Producer, Nat Bromhead (right) joined me at the Bowral Classic.

Production Coordinator Joanne Anstee joanne@bicyclingaustralia.com.au Art Director Ana Heraud – aheraud@yaffa.com.au Graphic Designer Amber Hardwick – amber@bicyclingaustralia.com.au

© PHIL LATZ

Photography Steve Thomas, Nat Bromhead, Sirotti, Peter Maniaty, David Heatley, Beardy McBeard. John Hardwick, Perry Brown, Tim de Waele

W

ELCOME TO 2017! YES

2016 is done and dusted. It was a significant year for us here at BA with the running of the inaugural Bowral Classic our first gran fondo event. The first massive achievement was actually securing approval to run the event on NSW roads, something that is notoriously difficult and has led to the demise of many iconic events, so thank you to the RMS, the NSW Police, Destination Southern Highlands and the local council in Bowral for their support.

Despite a chilly start the day was, according to reports from riders and volunteers, an overwhelming success. A massive thank you to the 3,000+ riders on the day -without you there is no event.

The event all happens on one day but that is the culmination of a lot of hard work; so I’d like to acknowledge the efforts of our organising team, as well as our Supporting Partners: Bluestar Web, Bont, Endura, Giant Sydney, Irwin, Kask, Schwalbe, Mallee Bull, Selle

SMP, Solar D, and Travelplan Ski. Without their support an event like this doesn’t happen; they form a critical part of the business case for events like the Bowral Classic, so please support the businesses that support the events you enjoy.

There’s an event wrap up in this issue, with images from Beardy McBeard, as well as some interesting Q&A with the riders who took out their category on the day.

See page 72.

More good news! We have secured the date for the second edition — Oct 22nd 2017, so lock it in folks!

You may have noticed the indomitable Peter Sagan charging off the front cover...for this issue, our Tour Down Under preview issue, we thought it a fitting tribute to the World Champion, that given he will be racing he grace our first page. If you've not seen the TDU first hand, let me recommend it to you. It's a real buzz; great racing, good food and lots of fun, so if you can get to Adelaide I think you'll not be disappointed. Here's to another superb Tour Down Under!

Many thanks for reading Bicycling Australia this year; we hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have enjoyed creating it. As always we love to hear what you think about the magazine, so feel free to contact me via gary@ bicyclingaustralia.com.au Wishing you a joyful Christmas and New Year See you on the road

16 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Contributors Steve Thomas, Pat Howard, David O'Reilly, Peter Maniaty, Michael Hanslip, David Heatley, Sophia Auld, Anthony Tan, Peter Rox, Nat Bromhead, David Heatley, Perry Brown, John Hardwick Proof Readers Jody David Group Sales Manager Ben Chand ben@bicyclingaustralia.com.au Executive Publisher James Yaffa Publisher Yaffa Media Pty Ltd PO Box 218, Port Kembla NSW 2505 Australia

Editorial Phone (02) 4274 4884 Editorial Email editorial@bicyclingaustralia.com.au Editorial Fax (02) 4274 0988 Subscriptions subs@bicyclingaustralia.com.au Online subscriptions www.bicyclingaustralia.com.au Freecall 1800 061 577 Phone (02) 4274 4884 Fax (02) 4274 0988

Distribution Australia: Gordon and Gotch New Zealand: Gordon and Gotch Publication Dates Bicycling Australia is published six times a year in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December.

Copyright © 2017 ISSN No 1034-8085 Editorial contributions are welcome.

Please send to: editorial@bicyclingaustralia.com.au

www.acfonline.org.au

Bicycling Australia/Mountain Biking Australia is proud to be a member of the Australian Conservation Foundation

Material in this publication may not be reproduced without permission.

While the publishers have taken all reasonable precautions and made all reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of material contained in this publication, it is a condition of purchase of this magazine that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in this publication, or from the use of the information contained herein and the publishers make no warranties, express or implied, with respect to any of the material contained herein.

Bicycling Australia is a Supporter of the Cycling Promotion Fund.

GARY HUNT – EDITOR

*Bicycling Australia and the Cycling Kangaroo logo are Trade marks of Yaffa Publishing Group.

THE BEST NEVER REST. THE CHASE FOR A 5TH TOUR DE FRANCE TITLE BEGAN THE MOMENT TEAM SKY CROSSED THE FINISH LINE. THANKS TEAM SKY FOR PUSHING EVERYONE AT WAHOO TO DRIVE THE PACE AND RAISE THE BAR ONCE AGAIN.

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Local Hero

BY PETER MANIATY

Spears, after winning the Amsterdam GP in 1923.

Robert ‘Bob’ Spears CHANCES ARE YOU KNOW SIR EDMUND BARTON WAS AUSTRALIA’S FIRST PRIME MINISTER. BUT HOW ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S FIRST CYCLING WORLD CHAMPION, ROBERT ADAM SPEARS?

H

E MAY NOT HAVE A

velodrome named in his honour or be a household name like many who’ve followed in his rainbow slipstream, but history shows Robert ‘Bob’ Spears was indeed the first Australian cyclist – amateur or professional – to be crowned World Champion after claiming the men’s professional sprint title in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. To put this into perspective Australia had to wait another 29 years for the legendary Sid Patterson to become our second in 1949 (men’s amateur sprint), while it wasn’t until 1932 that Dunc Gray became our first Olympic cycling champion.

The son of an Irish bricklayer, Bob Spears was born on 8 August 1893 in the central-western NSW town of Coonamble. However he spent the bulk of his childhood

160km to the south in Dubbo, something that saw him affectionately known as ‘Dubbo Boy’ for much of his career.

“Fate decreed that I should get mixed up in cycling at an early age,” Spears told the Adelaide News in the mid1920s. “I remember my first bicycle. My mother gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday. It was a second hand machine, and gave so much trouble that a few months later, when my mother found that I could handle one all right, she bought me a brand new bicycle for £18/10, a very big sum in those days.”

Spears rode his first race at the age of 14. Yet despite his young years he never rode as an amateur for the very simple reason there was no amateur club in his home town. Rather than aspire to Olympic glory this meant he was thrust into the “cash ranks” from an early

18 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

age, a situation that provided ample opportunity to turn his increasingly explosive finish into a handy income stream.

In 1910 Alf Garrett – one of Dubbo’s top riders at the time – sought permission from Spears’ mother to take the teenager to Rockhampton with the aim of winning the Wheel Race which carried a £30 prize, plus the added prospect of cashing in through the local bookmakers.

“I had an excellent mark, but there was a ring-in from Tasmania who had many victories to his credit,” Spears recalled of his great Queensland adventure. “Acting under instructions I sat in for the whole of the race. At the bell the ring-in was well in front. Just as he was being acclaimed the winner, I came with a rush over the last furlong and, heading him 50 yards from home, won with plenty in hand.”

Following his victory in Rockhampton, Spears went on to claim the NSW half-mile and mile titles in the same season.

Within twelve months he added the five-mile Australian Championship of 1911, his first national title. By 1913 Spears had become a regular fixture on the domestic Six-Day scene, recording noteworthy results in Sydney and Melbourne partnering with Donald Kirkham, a seasoned road professional who won the Goulburn to Sydney Classic of 1910 and finished 17th overall in the 1914 Tour de France.

A quick scan of newspaper archives from the era shows Spears’ name regularly appearing alongside rivals the calibre of Alf Goullet, Alf Grenda (World Championship silver medalist in 1912) and fellow Dubbo rider, Reggie ‘Iron Mac’ McNamara. One curious anecdote comes from 1913 when, after winning the final leg of the Melbourne SixDay, he conducted post-race interviews while relaxing in a vinegar bath.

Greater challenges were beckoning and perhaps one reason for Spears’ relative obscurity – he was a noticeable absentee from the inaugural list of Cycling Australia Hall of Fame inductees in 2015 and once again in 2016, for example – stems from his decision to leave Australia when barely 20 years old. After declining a similar invitation from the American promoter John M. Chapman in 1912, Spears agreed to race in the United States in 1913 and ended up remaining there throughout World War One, marrying a figure-skating champion from New Jersey, Marguerite Laggy, along the way in 1916.

On both sides of the Pacific there was a growing belief Spears might be the man to break Australian cycling’s World Championship duck, a view bolstered by a burgeoning professional palmares including his win in the American Three-Mile

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Local Hero

PALMARES ROBERT SPEARS (Selected results)

1910 Rockhampton Wheel Race Champion 1910 NSW Half-Mile Champion 1910 NSW Mile Champion 1911 Australian Five-Mile Champion 1913 Melbourne Six-Day Champion 1914 American Three-Mile Champion 1915 Newark Six-Day Champion 1916 Chicago Six-Day Champion 1918 American All-Round Champion 1920 Grand Prix of Paris Champion 1920 Professional World Championships (Men’s Sprint) – Gold 1921 Grand Prix of Paris Champion 1921 Professional World Championships (Men’s Sprint) – Silver 1922 Grand Prix of Paris Champion 1922 Grand Prix of Copenhagen Champion 1922 Professional World Championships (Men’s Sprint) – Silver 1925 Grand Prix of Copenhagen Champion

Championship of 1914. The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate enthused with the headline: “A LIKELY WINNER OF WORLD’S CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP.” They were right, of course. Although due to the Great War it would be another six years for the hometown prophecy to finally come to fruition.

1918 was to prove a pivotal season. Spears won no less than 27 races en route to being crowned American All-Round Champion, including several defeats of the legendary American sprinter and 1912 World Champion, Frank Kramer. Spears was firmly established as one of the world’s top sprinters and with the Great War mercifully over he switched his sights to Europe, travelling across the Atlantic in 1919. As the Sports Australia Hall of Fame explained, “he caused a sensation by decisively defeating all the European champions.” By the end of his first European season Spears had won 19 races. For good measure he then returned to Australia and blitzed the domestic scene, claiming numerous handicaps and scratch races in Sydney.

Spears headed back to Europe in 1920 where it seemed only bad luck could stop him. At the peak of his powers he won the prestigious Grand Prix of Paris for the first of three consecutive years, before securing his place in Australian cycling history with victory in the professional men’s sprint at the World Championships in Antwerp, defeating Swiss rider Ernest Kauffmann for the gold medal. Showing it was no fluke Spears returned to claim silver in the same event in 1921 (Copenhagen) and again in 1922 (Paris), finishing behind the flying Dutchman Piet Moeskops on both occasions, who was on his way to securing five professional sprint titles between 1921 and 1926.

Given Spears’ glittering success, not to mention his American wife, it was perhaps

20 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Spears in an advertisement of the era.

Many thnaks to Cycling Victoria History Archive for these images.

[[ 1918 was to prove a pivotal season. Spears won no less than 27 races en route to being crowned American All-Round Champion ]] no great surprise his adopted home was growing increasingly keen to claim him as their own. Indeed doubts over his nationality almost led to his omission from the 1923 World Championships in Zurich, before he was eventually allowed to compete as an Australian. Spears finished fourth in the sprint after being beaten by two familiar foes, Moeskops in the semi-finals and then Kauffmann for the bronze medal.

Spears continued to compete in Europe and Australia for the remainder of the decade. While enjoying some success, he never quite reproduced the blistering form that saw him crowned Champion du Monde. He even made a brief comeback in 1932 before finally retiring

to become track manager at the old Sydney Sports Arena on Cleveland Street where he worked for many years. In 1950, seriously ill from cancer, Spears embarked on a final trip to Europe to reunite with some of his former racing cohorts. He died in Paris on 5 July, aged just 56.

Spears was inducted to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. However as recently as 2012 he was back in the news when a controversial government program threatened to see his memory erased from the Dubbo street and park that carried his name. On the back of a passionate campaign led by local cyclists, the Dubbo City Council ultimately reversed the decision, and the Spears name lives on today.

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Get in The Zone TRAINING WITH POWER IS TECHNICAL, BUT DOES BRING RESULTS. DAVID HEATLEY DIVES IN THE DEEP END, EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEART RATE AND POWER TRAINING, AND HOW TO SET UP YOUR POWER ZONES.

I

N MY LAST ARTICLE, I

went into some detail around using Training Stress Scores (TSS) to make sure that you are training hard enough, but not so hard that you get sick or overtrain. I also discussed some of the issues with TSS and what I look for to help manage my athletes.

SO WHY DO YOU NEED TO SET UP YOU POWER ZONES? Just like with heart rate, power zones help my athletes train at the right level of intensity during each workout. The more accurate they are at doing this

the faster they can reach their cycling goals.

The goal of a structured training program is to specifically develop the athlete's fitness so that they achieve their training goals in the most efficient and time saving way. How I do this is that each of my training programs details the duration, cadence, vertical meters and intensity of each of the workouts. This helps communicate to the athlete what is required of them as they progress though each of the workouts in the program.

The level of intensity of each

22 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

workout is critical as it targets the development of specific areas of their fitness. Plus, each of the weeks is planned around an overall weekly training load that's designed to build the athlete's fitness, but not have them become overtrained.

In the next article, I'll be talking about how to use these zones to develop different aspects of your fitness but before we get into that we need to set up your power zones.

COMPARING HEART RATE AND POWER DATA Power zones are like the heart rate zones but with two

additional zones Anaerobic Capacity (ANC) and Neuromuscular Power (NUE).

The simple reason that there are two additional power zones is that now we can measure them with power meters.

Here is a table measuring the mean maximal heart rate and power values for various intervals of time from data taken from a typical masters’ road race.

As you can see from this chart the heart rate values from five seconds duration right down to the two minute mark, change by just two heartbeats per minute. However, the

Coach’s Corner

BY DAVID HEATLEY

power data provides much more variation with power values starting at 805 watts and then progressing down to 384 watts.

While heart rate zones are based on a percentage of maximum heart rate (MHR), power zones are based on a percentage of your Functional Threshold Power or FTP. Your FTP is your personal best 60 minute mean maximal power value, or if that is not available, 1.05 times your 30 minute mean maximal power value.

HEART RATE AND POWER ZONES COMPARED To keep it simple I've tried to line up heart rate and power zones as much as possible.

I've taken some poetic licence to do this, so these may not reflect what are considered the standard classical descriptions for these zones. While HRM and power are a similar system, they are incompatible with each other. I therefore highly recommend that you train with either your heart rate zones or your power zones, but not both, to avoid confusion.

HOW TO WORK OUT YOUR FTP So now that you have a handle on both heart rate and power zones let's talk about how you work out your FTP.

If you decide to do your FTP testing on your home trainer, you'll get a lower number than you'll get out on the road. I don't know the reason why this happens, and I'm sure that there is a biomechanical scientist or sports physiologist that can explain this.

Rather than getting my clients to do a one off FTP test I prefer to use their last 60 - 90 days of data to calculate FTP as it's much more accurate.

When power meters were first available, they were expensive, and athletes only got occasional access to them in labs. So initially FTP tests were done on a monthly or quarterly basis to measure progress.

The issue with doing one-off test this way is that the athlete might get tested on one of their bad days and consequently their resulting FTP number may not be reflective of their actual FTP. The good thing is now that instead of going to a lab to be tested, the athlete has a power meter installed on their bike and we measure power data every time they ride. This greatly reduces the chance of error from testing on a bad day.

If you are using Strava with a power meter it will automatically calculate an FTP value for you based on a similar method, so will many

DURATION

MEAN MAXIMAL MEAN HEART RATE MAXIMAL VALUE POWER VALUE

MEAN MAXIMAL 5 SECONDS

169 bpm

805 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 10 SECONDS

169 bpm

631 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 20 SECONDS

169 bpm

546 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 30 SECONDS

169 bpm

487 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 1 MINUTE

168 bpm

406 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 2 MINUTES

167 bpm

384 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 5 MINUTES

161 bpm

306 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 10 MINUTES

158 bpm

273 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 20 MINUTES

155 bpm

248 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 30 MINUTES

154 bpm

237 watts

MEAN MAXIMAL 60 MINUTES

148 bpm

220 watts

TABLE 1. Mean Maximal Heart Rate and Power values.

other power analysing software applications. This is the most accurate way of getting your FTP rather than a one-off test.

If your software doesn’t calculate your FTP for you, then you can do what I did for years and slowly raise the FTP figure in the software until my athletes IF numbers started falling below 1. IF stands for intensity factor, and I discussed this in my previous article.

If you want to manually calculate your FTP you can take your normalised power for an all-out effort for 60 minutes or you can get a fairly accurate estimate by doing an all-out effort for 20 minutes, then subtracting 5% from the average power value for that interval.

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23

Coach’s Corner DAVID HEATLEY

David Heatley is the director of CyclingInform, a cycle coaching company founded in 2007.

He helps time-poor cyclists training for cycling events get awesome results.

Cycling-Inform delivers online cycle coaching to hundreds of cyclists around the world every year and runs training camps in February and November.

THE BIG PROBLEM WITH POWER ZONES Now that you have your FTP you can work out your power zones. Unlike heart rate zones where there is no stipulation as to the duration of the effort, power zones do have durations.

They are as follows: • NEU - less than 30 seconds • ANC - 30 seconds to three minutes • VO2MAX - three to eight minutes • E3 (Lactate Threshold) 10 to 30 minutes.

Let’s take another client’s data. His FTP is 270 watts and I'm going to punch this number into my power zone calculator and determine his theoretical power zones: NEU

406+ watts

ANC

327 - 405 watts

VO2

286 - 324 watts

E3

246 -284 watts

E2

205 - 243 watts

E1

151 - 203 watts

REC

3 - 149 watts

Now let's look at the athletes ‘real life’ mean maximal data for the last five months and compare this with the theoretical zones: • Mean Maximal 1 minute 488 watts • Mean Maximal 5 minutes 346 watts • Mean Maximal 20 minutes 284 watts In our training programs, we have quite a few indoor training sessions that we work our athletes through. Let's take

our ‘082 - Hill Climber Seated and Standing with Arm Swaps’ session. It has six 5-minute efforts done at E3 (246-284w) at various cadences that are designed to build hill climbing strength at low cadence, as well as aerobic capacity and core strength. You can download a copy of the timing sheet from this link: http://bit. ly/2ejSP5M. We’d normally do these at E3, but for this example, we’d ask our athlete to do them at VO2MAX (286-324w) because his ‘real life’ five minute mean maximal data is closer to VO2MAX than E3. If he was to do these efforts based on the theoretical power zones, his efforts would have been done at a lower intensity than he was capable of.

It gets worse. If we were to have him do one-minute efforts as we do in our ‘087 – E3 or VO2Max Break Jumpers and Mini Break Jumpers’ indoor training session, his theoretical ANC Zone as calculated by my power software would have prescribed an effort between 327w and 405w which is low based on his real life mean maximal 1-minute effort of 488w.

When we look at training to improve his 20-minute power level, he’d do these sessions in E3 because VO2MAX power zones are only between three and eight-minute efforts. His theoretical FTP E3 zone is worked out at between 246w and 284w.

However his best ever 20-minute effort is 284w, so, finally his zones are starting to

fall into place. This assessment needs to be made for each individual…each of you will have a different mean maximal power curve, and some of you will fall into the E3 power band for twenty minutes while others won't. More on mean maximal power curves later in this article.

As you can see, the longer the intervals the more accurately the theoretical zones determine the intensity of you efforts….while the shorter intervals may require closer attention, and comparison to, the real life data you collect over time to ensure you optimise your training efforts.

Bear in mind you may need to change the zone you train in based on the duration of the effort you require during your race or event.

VARIABLE POWER ZONES Years ago, when I started to work with power I came across these problems, so I developed my variable power zone system.

I work out a customised target band of power, based on a percentage of my athlete's actual mean maximal power figures for various interval periods.

For example, I worked out the following figures for the above athlete: For a VO2MAX Effort: • 1 min 464 - 488 • 5 min 329 - 346 • 20 min 270 - 284 These will become more accurate as the rider tracks their performance, collecting

DESCRIPTION

INTENSITY

HEART RATE CODE

PERCENTAGE POWER PERCENTAGE OF MAX HEART CODE OF FTP RATE

NEUROMUSCULAR POWER

Maximal - Can’t speak

N/a

N/a

NEU

> 151 %

ANAEROBIC CAPACITY

Maximal - Can’t speak

N/a

N/a

ANC

121 - 150 %

VO2 MAX BOOSTING

Very Hard - Can’t speak

VO2MAX

92-100%

VO2MAX

106 - 120 %

ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD ENDURANCE

Hard - Difficult to speak at all

E3

85-91%

E3

91 - 105 %

GENERAL AEROBIC ENDURANCE

Moderate - Talk in short sentences

E2

75-84%

E2

76 - 90 %

BASE AEROBIC ENDURANCE

Easy - Able to carry out conversation

E1

65-74%

E1

56 - 75 %

RECOVERY

Easy - Able to carry out conversation

REC

50-64%

REC

< 55%

TABLE 2. Cycling Australia Heart Rate Zones Vs Power Zones from “Training and racing with a power meter” by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan (with a little poetic licence) 24 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

[[ Rather than getting my clients to do a one off FTP test I prefer to use their last 60 - 90 days of data ]] more data and refining their personal power curve.

THE MEAN MAXIMAL POWER CURVE If you use Strava and power, then you'll probably have seen this chart.

It’s a graph that plots your best mean maximal power figures over time. It's a fairly simple graph and provides insight into the type of rider you are; whether you are an all-rounder, sprinter, time trialist, hill climber or steady state rider or a pursuiter. I often go to this chart to get my client’s mean maximal power figures so that I can work out their variable power zones for various intervals. This is useful if they have a hill repeat in their local area. Say it took them 12 minutes and 37 seconds to climb. I'd get their 12 minute mean maximal power figures from this chart and use it to create a power zone specifically for this climb that they can track on their power display while they are climbing it. If your power analysing software allows it, you can plot two lines on this graph. One set at the last 30 days and the other as a benchmark from your previous year or season. That

way you can see where you are with your current training against your benchmarked power curve.

NORMALISED POWER When you come back from a ride, your power meter will give you an average power figure; the average power that you put out for the entire ride. When you go out for a ride or do a training session, you'll be riding over a wide range of power levels.

This is influenced by changes in elevation, gusts of wind and other external factors like the road surface you are riding on.

You only have to look down at your power meter at any given time and see the power number fluctuate in response to these changes in resistance. Also, if you were to do a training session that involved quite a few high-intensity intervals along with lots of recovery time, your average power won't reflect the true nature of the session. The same goes for your ride if you had large variations in your power levels. This becomes even more important when you are racing as you may spend quite a bit of time well above your average power level for the ride. In all cases, the average power figure will

average out your power for the ride. To compensate for this, there is a measurement called Normalised Power. It considers the time spent above your average power during the ride and provides a better indication of how hard the ride was. Comparing the variation between your average power and your normalised power gives a more accurate gauge of the intensity of a ride, than simply checking the average power figure.

FINALLY, REPEATABILITY While Normalised Power does provide some indication of how hard a ride was, it's still a number that I consider absolute and isolated. FTP, Mean Maximal, Average and Normalised power figures are all affected by immediate fatigue…and the riders resistance to it; their ability to go, and go again. I work with a few awesome time trial athletes who have very good FTP figures; above and beyond the average rider. Because of this, you might expect them to be very good riders in all races. But it’s not the case. Many times, these riders are poor sprinters and would be lucky to peak

out at just over 1,000 watts.

So you won't see them at the front of a bunch sprint where they need to be producing over 1,400 just to be in contention.

Also, during a criterium race it's not your FTP or Normalised Power figure that's important, although it does help. It’s more about how many times you can punch up into a 750-watt effort for the hour and how quickly you recover from it. Your ability to manage this will determine how well you manage the decisive moments. The same goes for riding handicap races.

You still need to be able to momentarily punch up over it when you are on the front doing your turn, then recover quickly to do it again and again during the race.

So, I hope that helps throw some light over the calculation of power zones for your training. In the next article, I'll be talking about how to measure your performance, get feedback from your data and use it to tune your training.

ABOVE: Capable of measuring left and right leg power at 12 points per rotation consistently at +/- 2% accuracy, the Pioneer unit can assess power balance and outline room for improvement.

25

Top Gear

ESSENTIAL STUFF

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Top Gear PRECISION INFLATION

The Superpista pump is a reimagined version of the classic original, some 27 years on. With all aluminium construction inside and out, and a brass check valve the Superpista is made to last, and backed up by Silca’s lifetime warranty against manufacturing and material defects. Silca guarantees the function of all metal parts in the pump for seven years and seals for two years.

There’s a larger Beech wood handle, a large base with non-slip feet for stability, plus 75mm gauge with 2% accuracy (compared to the industry’s 5% standard) for more accurate pressures. The pump’s main gasket is 3.5mm thick leather, and still made by the same supplier since 1946! It’ll inflate via both schrader and presta stems with a heavy brass push-on, pull off valve.

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A SELECTION OF INTERESTING ITEMS THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE ...

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BEYOND THE BIKE

Apres Velo is back feeding your addiction for both cycling and caffeine with their range of coffee related after cycling Ts. The ‘Fuel’ is made from cotton jersey fabric that is enzyme washed for that soft and comfy feel, while ‘Brew Crew’, ‘Drug of Choice’ and ‘Tour de Café Latte’ combine the obsession of bikes and beans on a cotton elastane jersey T for added stretch and comfort.

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26 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

ROBUST AND COMPACT TOOLKIT The Studio Tool Box is a compact kit with 37 tools all neatly stowed making it so easy to lay your hand on the right tool for the job. With cable cutters, and cassette lock ring socket, crank puller, a full set of Torx keys and 25 other quality tools, Birzman has provided the hardware to get the job done. Knowhow is up to you.

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HIGH DEFINITION STYLE

Available in left side, right side, or both, the Gen 2 Power Meter from Pioneer measures output 12 times per revolution on both left and right sides, enabling comprehensive data collection for analysis. The system integrates with Shimano Ultegra and Dura Ace components at present. It’s rated IPX6/IPX7 water resistant to cope with any wet weather conditions and even immersion.

The cranks are Ant+ enabled so they’ll pair with most GPS head units that integrate power readings, or you can opt for a full Pioneer suite with their touch screen SGX-CA500 Computer which has the added benefit of providing real time graphical display of pedalling force and direction. The cranks also support Wifi connectivity for easy downloading of data after a ride, and magnet and zero calibration are very easily done with just the push of a button.

WITHOUT CRANKS: Right power meter system: $799.95 Left power meter system: $799.95 Dual-sided power meter system: $1,499.00 WITH COMPLETE CRANKSETS: Dual-sided with Ultegra 6800 crankset: $1759.00 Dual-sided with Dura ace 9000 crankset: $2,099.00 WITH LEFT CRANKS: Left power meter system with Ultegra 6800 crank: $899.95 Left power meter system with Dura Ace 9000 crank: $999.95

Sublimely understated shades for off the bike, Maui Jim’s Stillwater lenses provide an exceptional visual experience. Upon first wearing the Stillwaters, the depth of colour you’ll perceive is quite amazing. Seriously; a bluer sky, greener grass, not to mention purpler Jacaranda revelation. It’s like they have turned the saturation up to 11. Clarity is impressive, and the glass is polarised to eliminate 99.9% of glare, so they take the strain off your eyes. Maui Jim recommends the bronze lens for conditions spanning overcast to full sun. The slender, multi-folding frame is surprisingly robust and makes your pair of sunglasses even more compact. These lenses are not available in prescription form, but they are 20% thinner and lighter than regular lenses for a more comfortable experience.

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NEXT GEN POWER

STRIKING SOCKS

Funky Italian style comes to footwear in these mismatched socks from Maglianera. They have a high cuff at 21cm as well as reinforced heel and toe for longevity. The seamless toe closure eliminates that niggling uncomfortable ridge and they’ll use elasticised fabric along the length of your foot and at the cuff for comfortable support and a perfect fit.

A neat bonus is the resealable waterproof pouch packaging, that’ll protect your mobile from any moisture. It fits all smartphones and conveys touch through the plastic to the screen.

RRP: $33 www.fullbeam.com.au

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Pioneer SGX-CA500 Computer $389 www.bikebug.com

50+ SLEEVES

Super light, these sleeves are a great idea for the Australian summer, especially for those who burn easily. They provide 50+ UV protection so you don’t need to use greasy sunscreen on your arms. They also provide an increased level of cooling while riding, by enabling faster evaporation of any perspiration. They’re available in seven colours so you’ll be able to find a decent match for most kits.

RRP: $29.95 www.icerays.com.au 27

Top Gear

ESSENTIAL STUFF

▲ ▲

PAINT PROTECTION

THE ART OF CYCLING

These frame protection spirals worm around your cables to prevent scuffing and scrapes that inevitably happen over time.

The soft silicon wraps are a neat and tidy solution, they stay securely in place and will keep your bike looking sharp. They’ll also quiet any clacking of cables that might knock against your frame. Red, white or black.

RRP: $16 pack of six www.fullbeam.com.au

One of only four cyclists in the world to have finished on the podium of all three Grand Tours (the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana) as well as winning the UCI Road World Championship, Cadel is arguably the greatest Australian cyclist of all time.

He is Australia’s first, and only, Tour de France champion and first and only Road World Champion. He won the Tour of Austria (twice); the Tour de Romandie (twice), the Settimana Coppi e Bartali; Tirreno-Adriatico; Flèche Wallone, the Criterium International; and the Giro del Trentino; all discussed in this weighty 448 page tome.

Evans has written a fascinating account of the triumphs, the frustrations, the preparation, the psychology of the sport, his contemporaries, and his enduring love of cycling.

RRP: $49.99 shop.abc.net.au

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TREAD LIGHTLY ▲

FAST, GRIPPY AND LIGHT

With a new compound the Michelin Power Competition tyre is the fastest in the Michelin Power range.

Replacing the Michelin Pro4 Service Course tyre, Michelin claims the Power Competition will provide a 10-Watt advantage, equating to an 85 second advantage over 40km at 35 km/h, with a 25% reduction in rolling resistance. The tyres feature Michelin’s Aramid ‘Protek’ puncture protection with a claimed 20% improvement in puncture protection, as well as 15% more grip! Michelin claims the tyres weigh in at a skinny 195g for the 23C, and 215g for the 25C. RRP: $54.95 www.bikebug.com

28 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Lake has released their new CX 332 shoes, a race specific design and one that Lake says is aimed at those who ride with a very high cadence. The shoes have a carbon fibre sole, and are available in three hole cleat pattern or Speedplay configurations. The uppers use kangaroo leather and mesh, and feature some fancy ‘Outlast’ technology that is claimed to regulate skin temperature, as well as an antimicrobial treatment to eliminate bacteria and germs. They feature dual side mounted L6 Boa dials for easy on the fly tension adjustment.

Available in white or black.

RRP: $399.95 www.bikebug.com

SANTINI’S TDU COLLECTION ▲

GLENELG JERSEY In Glenelg the ocean is the real protagonist and this jersey represents the movement of the water and the waves. The ‘G’ on the back of the neck is inspired by the ‘Old Gum Tree’ of Glenelg, the site where the proclamation declaring Southern Australia a province was enacted in 1846.

RRP $99.00 MATCHING BIBSHORTS RRP $149.00 CAP RRP $25 WWW.BIKESPORTZ.COM.AU

ADELAIDE JERSEY A jersey dedicated to the city of Adelaide. A true homage to all the climbs in the area, which are listed on the back of the jersey. The rolling hills in the background pattern make this jersey a true momento for all the riders that come to adelaide seeking higher ground!

RRP $99.00 MATCHING BIBSHORTS RRP $149.00 CAP RRP $25

LEADER JERSEYS All the Jerseys in the Tour Down Under collection are constructed from Santini’s all new ‘Blend’ Fabric, a unique body fit material combined with our ‘Energy’ fabric and breathable mesh, these jerseys are perfect for summer and the fit is Classic.

RED - SPRINTER CLASSIFICATION The Sprint jersey is as red as the fire that ignites the race, that lights up and then burns in a fiery sprint to the end. It is red like speed, like shivers, like thrill. The red jersey is awarded to the best sprinter of the TDU. RRP $99.00

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MCLARENVALE JERSEY A jersey paying tribute to the entire McLarenvale area which includes the infamous Willunga Hill. With its rich history of wine production, the design is a repeating wine bottle motif. A jersey for the lover some of life’s greatest indulgences – cycling and wine.

RRP $99.00 MATCHING BIBSHORTS RRP $149.00

POLKA DOT - KING OF THE MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION Polka dots are the everlasting symbol of the King of the Mountain. For the TDU we made them blue as the sky that waits for you at the end of the climb.

SOCKS RRP $25 29

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Tour Down Under Preview

BY PETER MANIATY IMAGES BY SIROTTI

32 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

SANTOS

SAGANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOUR DOWN UNDER

Sagan powers to victory in the heat of the Doha World Championships adding to his impressive haul of wins for 2016.

33

Tour Down Under Preview

TWELVE MONTHS AGO RECORD-BREAKING CROWDS LINED THE ROADS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA AS SIMON GERRANS WON AN UNPRECEDENTED FOURTH OCHRE JERSEY. AT THE TIME IT APPEARED A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW. BUT HATS OFF TO MIKE TURTUR AND CO, FOR THERE NOW SEEMS LITTLE DOUBT 2017 WILL SEE THOSE LOFTY CROWD FIGURES SHATTERED AS AN EVEN GREATER PELOTON OF FANS DESCENDS ON ADELAIDE TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF ONE OF MODERN CYCLING’S MOST CHARISMATIC AND TALENTED FIGURES, DUAL UCI WORLD CHAMPION PETER SAGAN.

N

OT SINCE THE MEDIA

circus that followed a certain Texan’s comeback visit to the Tour Down Under in 2009 will Adelaide have seen anything quite like it, as the Slovakian makes his maiden appearance for new team Bora-Hansgrohe, sporting the rainbow jersey for a second consecutive season.

Sub-plots will abound as they always do in the first big race of the season as new teams, new riders and new sponsors ensure the pressure is ratcheted up several notches from the winter training camps and summer crits that have occupied the preceding three months. In 2016 Jay McCarthy thrilled home fans with a breakthrough stage win on Stage 2 into

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP : Racing past the Stag Hotel on East Terrace in the People's Choice Classic.

Richie Porte has come so close to victory in the past; will 2017 be his year?

Gerrans will be looking to make it Number 5!

Caleb Ewan will be looking to emulate or better his 2016 performance of two stage wins.

34 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Stirling. Canada’s Michael Woods delivered an impressive week that elevated the World Tour debutant to fifth overall. While the pocket rocket from the Southern Highlands of NSW, Caleb Ewan, announced his arrival on the sport’s biggest stage with bookend wins on Stages 1 and 6, as well as the People’s Choice Classic.

As it always does the 2017 Santos Tour Down Under will reach its crescendo amongst the heaving crowds and paddocks of Willunga Hill. But as recent history has shown, the GC damage may have already been done by then. Who will step up? Who will spring a surprise? Who will crash and burn? Get yourself to Adelaide and see it unfold for yourself. It all kicks off with the Team Presentation in Victoria Square on Saturday January 14.

SANTOS WOMEN’S TOUR SATURDAY 14 JANUARY – TUESDAY 17 JANUARY 2017 The Santos Women’s Tour keeps getting bigger and better. 2017 marks the third staging of the race, which again forms part of the UCI Oceania Tour. It also provides an excellent hit out before the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on January 28.

Bringing together an intriguing mix of elite international riders and Australasia’s top domestic teams, racing takes place over four days and features a combination of road stages and criteriums. In the Tour’s short history Orica-AIS has dominated the honour roll, winning the first edition with Valentina Scandolara and then Katrin Garfoot in 2016. The final stage twilight criterium around Victoria Park, in particular, is fast becoming a must-see part of any visit to the Santos Tour Down Under. Pack your picnic basket, grab a shady spot and enjoy the action.

35

Tour Down Under Preview

THE RECORDS MOST OCHRE JERSEYS:

Simon Gerrans (4), Stuart O’Grady (2), Andre Greipel (2)

MOST SPRINT JERSEYS: Robbie McEwen (3), Allan Davis (2), Andre Greipel (2) MOST KOM JERSEYS:

Cadel Evans (3)

MOST STAGE WINS:

Andre Greipel (16)

MOST SPECTATORS:

795,000 (2016)

THE WINNERS ONE YEAR AGO:

Simon Gerrans, Orica-GreenEDGE (2016)

FIVE YEARS AGO:

Simon Gerrans, GreenEDGE (2012)

TEN YEARS AGO:

Martin Elmiger, AG2R-Prevoyance (2007)

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO:

Michael Rogers, AIS (2002)

THE GC CONTENDERS RICHIE PORTE. Invigorated by a team change leading into last year’s

race, 2016 saw Porte put in a powerful World Tour debut in the red and black of BMC before, ultimately, suffering the same fate as his days at Team Sky. Finishing just nine seconds from the top step, it was the third consecutive year the Tasmanian has been within 10 seconds of seizing the overall GC. Somewhat tellingly Porte has won atop Willunga Hill in all three of those years, but has never put enough time into his rivals to claim the overall – as he’s lamented himself, it’s simply not high or long enough. He’ll no doubt be on high alert for the punchy Stage 2 finale into Paracombe where a similar finish in 2015 cost him overall victory by just two seconds.

PETER SAGAN. He’s sure to be a fan favourite. But Sagan is also

likely to be the bookie’s favourite in Adelaide. If he arrives ready to race after an outrageously successful 2016 season that saw him top the UCI rankings and destroy any thoughts of a ‘rainbow curse’ by going back-to-back in Doha, the Slovakian has an excellent chance of winning the whole thing – and by that we do mean everything, ochre, red and even polka dots. Of course given his late finish to 2016 he may arrive in Australia quite content to use the race as an early-season training camp for the Spring Classics, in which case get the cameras ready because we’re likely to see plenty of one-wheeled action, especially on the final ascent of Willunga Hill. The crowd will go nuts.

ESTEBAN CHAVES. The ever smiling, ever popular Chavez was one of the breakout riders of 2016. In a PR masterstroke the ‘Columbian kangaroo’ will line up for Orica-BikeExchange in Adelaide, a decision no doubt made

▲

PAGE 38 36 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

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Tour Down Under Preview SERGIO HENAO. Unlike his younger countryman, Sergio Henao had a rollercoaster season in 2016. The talented Columbian had a rollercoaster season in 2016. After finishing third overall in Adelaide and sixth at ParisNice, he was stood down ahead of the Giro d’Italia following biological passport variations, only to have his case dropped by authorities. Henao returned to competition mid-year, performing admirably in the service of Chris Froome at the Tour de France (finishing 12th overall himself) before crashing out of the Olympic road race in Rio and breaking his collarbone. At 29, he continues to evolve as a GC contender and could give things a real shake in 2017. With last year’s Tour Down Under experience under his belt Henao is undoubtedly one for the top five.

ROHAN DENNIS. A previous winner, Dennis was right in the mix again last year until losing over a minute to Porte and Gerrans on the final climb of Willunga Hill. He’ll have fond memories of the Stage 2 finish at Paracombe as this is where he, ultimately, seized the overall GC from Porte and Cadel Evans in 2015. The South Australian is likely to be thereabouts once more, although having showed signs of late-season fatigue at the World Championships he could line up in Adelaide largely in a supporting role for Porte, preferring to keep his powder dry for later in the season. easier following the cancellation of the 2017 Tour de San Luis in Argentina.

It will be interesting to see his role, given defending champion Gerrans will almost certainly be team leader. Generally speaking the course may be too gentle for Chavez to stamp himself on the race as he did in the 2016 Giro, Vuelta and Il Lombardia. But he’s sure to have his moments and Willunga Hill will erupt if he and Porte go toe to toe on the second ascent. In a nice sidestory, he’ll also celebrate his 27th birthday on Stage 1.

THE SPRINTERS Caleb Ewan was undoubtedly the pre-eminent sprinter of the 2016 race, ending the week with two stage wins together with his victory in the People’s Choice Classic. Peter Sagan should provide ample competition for the fastmaturing Aussie in 2017, as well as a strong selection of the world’s premier fast men, many of whom will be seeking early season redemption after missing out behind Sagan in the heat and crosswinds of Doha, especially the French and Germans. The unfortunate cancellation of the Tour de San Luis could also bolster the caliber of sprinters heading to Adelaide. After leaving Team Sky, Ben Swift looks a likely starter for his new Chinese-owned team (known only as ‘TJ Sport’ at the time of writing). There’s also a chance we could see Michael Matthews for the first time since transferring to German outfit Sunweb-Giant (formerly Giant-Alpecin).

38 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

SIMON GERRANS. The man from Mansfield just loves Adelaide and, injury absences aside, has been the most consistent GC rider in the race’s 18-year history. An early end to the 2016 season saw Gerrans bypass Il Lombardia and the UCI World Championships in Qatar, so the Victorian should arrive in Adelaide fresh, fit and motivated. Counting against Gerrans is the weight of history as no rider has ever gone back to back at the Tour Down Under. Then again, no-one had won it four times until last year either.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE CLASSIC PEOPLE’S CHOICE CLASSIC

SUNDAY SUNDAY 15 JANUARY

DISTANCE

START

FINISH

DISTANCE ADELAIDE START 50.6KM 15 JANUARY 50.6KM 7:15PM* ADELAIDE 7:15PM*

2017

FINISH ADELAIDE

ADELAIDE 8:15PM* 8:15PM*

2017

THE COURSE

RUNDLE PARK

RUNDLE PARK

RUNDLE ROAD

EAST TERRACE

EAST TERRACE

‘Same but different’ is once again the theme for 2017. On announcement of the course last July, Race Director Mike Turtur explained year on year there’s a real challenge to keep developing stages that create an ideal balance of opportunities for sprinters, climbers and all-rounders. “I am really pleased with the course we have set,” he said pointing to several innovations for 2017. “For the first time the peloton will depart Unley and travel north directly through the city, past the Tour Village and along King William Road and onto O’Connell Street in race neutral. We expect Stage 3 to be a day for the sprinters with the new 13km finishing circuit in Victor Harbor.”

0

UE

P

TT

DE

EV

IL

Q

LE

UE

TE

LE

E

TE

AC

EAST TERRACE

EAST TERRACE

E

BARTELS ROAD

22 laps x 2.3km CIRCUIT: 50.6km

WAKEFIELD ROAD

HUTT STREET

EAST TERRACE

PARK 15

P Prime #1 Lap 5 Prime #2 Lap 10 Prime #3 Lap 15 Prime #4 Lap 20

WAKEFIELD ROAD

Cockatoo Valley

Hydration Station Barossa Valley Way, Lyndoch 92.0km

F

Race Finish

F

Subaru King of the Mountain

P

EAST TERRACE

Adelaide Darwin

Perth

Cairns Hobart

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

1.4

Williamstown

Melbourne

1.8

1.6

2.0

Hobart 2.3

2.2

Hutt Street

10

Bartels Road

30 20

Dequetteville Terrace

40

P Wakefield Road

Altitude (metres)

50

Wakefield Road

PEOPLE’S CHOICE CLASSIC – PROFILE (1 LAP)

60

0 0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.8

1.6

2.0

2.2

2.3

Distance (kilometres)

DISTANCE START TUESDAY DISTANCE UNLEY START TUESDAY 145KM 17 JANUARY 17 JANUARY 145KM 10:30AM UNLEY 10:30AM

Hydration Station

FINISH

FINISH LYNDOCH

LYNDOCH 2:27PM APPROX 2:27PM APPROX

2017

x3

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

2 Subaru King of the Mountain Kersbrook Road, Humbug Scrub 38.6km

0

0

S

M

Subaru King of the Mountain

F

Hydration Station

S

iiNet Sprint

S

Race Neutral

F

Hydration Station

S

iiNet Sprint

Station Barossa Valley Way, Lyndoch 92.0km

F

x3

Race Finish Race Neutral

Subaru King of the Mountain

145km

Hydration Station Barossa Valley Way, Lyndoch 92.0km Hydration

F

Valley

HOST COUNCILS

HOST COUNCILS

M

LYNDOCH 145km LYNDOCH

Sandy Creek Cockatoo Valley Cockatoo

5km Race Finish

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

x3

Sandy Creek

5km

x4

iiNet Sprint x3 Williamstown Road, Cockatoo Valley Sprint #1 74.3km iiNet Sprint Sprint #2 100.8km

Williamstown x4

Williamstown Road, Cockatoo Valley Sprint #1 74.3km 100.8km

Williamstown

One Tree Sprint Hill #2

One Tree Hill M2

Adelaide

Mawson Lakes

M2

Subaru King of the Mountain Kersbrook Road, Humbug Scrub 38.6km

Kersbrook

Subaru King of the Mountain Kersbrook Road, Humbug Scrub 38.6km

UNLEY

Kersbrook Regency Park Mawson Lakes

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1 – PROFILE

500

Regency ParkAdelaide

140

UNLEY

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

0

60

Distance (kilometres)

80

100

Lyndoch

Williamstown

Cockatoo Valley

Sandy Creek

Lyndoch

Williamstown

Cockatoo Valley

Sandy Creek

Lyndoch

Williamstown

Cockatoo Valley

Sandy Creek

Lyndoch

Kersbrook

Humbug Scrub

Mawson Lakes

One Tree Hill

40

120

140

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1 – PROFILE

200 195

500

190

185

300

180 175

200

3.0

2.8

2.6

2.4

2.2

2.0

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0

39 yndoch

400

100

UNLEY 20

illiamstown

0.2

ockatoo Valley

0.4

andy Creek

0.6

yndoch

0.8

illiamstown

1.0

ockatoo Valley

1.2

andy Creek

1.4

yndoch

1.6

Distance (kilometres)

illiamstown

1.8

ersbrook

2.0

umbug Scrub

2.2

Adelaide

ne Tree Hill

2.4

Altitude (metres) egency Park

2.6

nley

2.8

100

0

Altitude (metres)

3.0

200

Regency Park

Altitude (metres)

185

180 175

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1 – PROFILE

500 400 300 Unley

190

awson Lakes

200 195

ockatoo Valley

120

Lyndoch

Williamstown

Cockatoo Valley

Sandy Creek

Lyndoch

Williamstown

Cockatoo Valley

Sandy Creek

100

andy Creek

80

yndoch

Distance (kilometres)

Williamstown

60

Lyndoch

Williamstown

Cockatoo Valley

Sandy Creek

Lyndoch

Williamstown

Kersbrook

40

20

illiamstown

0

Humbug Scrub

100

One Tree Hill

200

Mawson Lakes

300

Regency Park

400

Unley

Altitude (metres)

Sydney Canberra

Distance (kilometres)

2017

Sprint One Treetown Hill as the corresponding S iiNet There’s a different start but the same finishing stage in 2016. While Unley has hosted plenty of stage starts over the years, the riders have invariably headed south. This year they’ll head north along King William Road, passing theMTour Village in Victoria Square under race neutral before opening Kersbrook the throttle at Regency Park. It’s then full gas to Mawson Lakes the Barossa Valley for a finish likely to see a sprinter pulling on the first Regency Park Ochre Jersey for 2017.

Altitude (metres)

Adelaide

Wakefield Road

Hutt Street

Perth

1.0

Brisbane

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA PARK RACECOURSE

EAST TERRACE

Bartels Road

Dequetteville Terrace

Altitude (metres)

Wakefield Road

0

Sydney Canberra Melbourne

PEOPLE’S CHOICE CLASSIC – PROFILE (1 LAP)

1km30to the Adelaide 20 City Council Tour10Village

Brisbane

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA PARK Prime #1 RACECOURSE Lap 5 Prime #2 Lap 10 Prime #3 Lap 15 Prime #4 Lap 20

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1

x4

iiNet Sprint Williamstown Road, Cockatoo Valley Sprint #1 74.3km Sprint #2 100.8km

TUESDAY 17 JANUARY, 11AM, 145KM M

Cairns

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1

x3

STAGE 1 – UNLEY TO LYNDOCH S

Darwin

LYNDOCH 145km

HOST COUNCILS

Race Neutral

EAST TERRACE

HUTT STREET

x3

Sandy Creek

5km

1km to the Adelaide City Council Tour Village

60

2017

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

ADELAIDE CBD

50 P CBD ADELAIDE 40

HOSTWORKS STAGE 1

HOST COUNCIL

22 laps x 2.3km CIRCUIT: 50.6km WAKEFIELD STREET

WAKEFIELD STREET

Opening night had become something of a German sprinting exhibition in recent times, until Caleb Ewan popped up in 2016 to salute in his all-white Australian crit champion skinsuit. 2017 sees a new circuit on the eastern edge DISTANCE START FINISH TUESDAY the Adelaide CBD, taking in Wakefield Street, Dequetteville Terrace, Bartels 17of JANUARY 145KM UNLEY LYNDOCH Road and Hutt Street. Expect10:30AM big crowds, fast racing and nervous riders.

APPROX 2:27PM TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU Word is one of the best spots to watch will be the Bartels Road overpass, which will already be in place ahead of the Clipsal 500.

HOST COUNCIL

PARK 15

FLINDERS STREET

SUNDAY 15 JANUARY, 7:15PM, 50.6 KM

Race Finish Primes

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

RR

BARTELS ROAD

FLINDERS STREET

Primes

P

AC

IL

RYMILL PARK

PIRIE STREET

100m

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

RR

EV

PIRIE STREET

50

Race Finish

Q

RYMILL PARK

ANGAS STREET

100m

0 DE

TT

PEOPLE’S CHOICE CLASSIC – EAST END, ADELAIDE

50

RUNDLE ROAD

ANGAS STREET

0

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU *Time subject to change due to television broadcast

*Time subject to change due to television broadcast

WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY

DISTANCE

START

148.5KM

2017

FINISH

STIRLING 10:45AM

PARACOMBE 2:29PM APPROX

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

Tour Down Under Preview

PARACOMBE 148.5km

Subaru King of the Mountain Torrens Hill Road, Paracombe 148.1km

Athelstone

STAGING CONNECTIONS STAGE 2

STAGE 2 – STIRLING TO PARACOMBE

STAGING CONNECTIONS STAGE 2

WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY, 148.5KM Magill

This is the second time in three Norton Summit years Paracombe has featured Ashton in a stage finish. However unlike 2015 the bulk of the day’s racing will take place to the south-west.

Uraidla While Stirling is no stranger to stage Summertown finishes this will be the town’s first start for almost a decade. HostilitiesPiccadilly Crafers will begin with five laps of a starting STIRLING F circuit featuring Aldgate, Mylor, 0 3km Aldgate Bradbury and Heathfield before riders head north for theHeathfield descent Race Finish of Norton Summit Road en route to Paracombe where the punchy Race Neutral KOM on S Mylor Torrens Hill Road comes just 400 metres from the finishing This Subaru King of theclimb Mountain M line. caught many riders out in 2015, so expect plenty of tension theStation peloton as Hydration F in the final climbs looms.

S iiNet Sprint Bradbury

DISTANCE START WEDNESDAY DISTANCE START WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY 148.5KM STIRLING 18 JANUARY 148.5KM 10:45AM STIRLING 10:45AM

FINISH

PARACOMBE

FINISH

PARACOMBE APPROX 2:29PM APPROX 2:29PM

2017

2017

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

PARACOMBE

Subaru King of the Mountain Torrens Hill Road, King of the Subaru Paracombe 148.1km Torrens Hill Road,

PARACOMBE 148.5km 148.5km

Athelstone

Athelstone Magill

Hydration Station Mt Barker Road, Stirling 62.9km

Magill

Norton Summit

Norton Summit

x5

Race Finish

THURSDAY 19 JANUARY, 144KM Race Neutral

F

Subaru King of the Mountain

Today’s start and finish locations Old Noarlunga S iiNet Sprint are well-known to riders and fans alike, both having featured regularly in recent editions of the race.

However in a significant change Aldinga organisers have introduced a new M 13km finishing circuit which riders Sellicks Hill will negotiate four times before the finale plays out on the Esplanade Myponga at Victor Harbor. Winds could be S factor today as much of the stage is spent on or near the western coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula Yankalilla before the riders head eastwards at Yankalilla towards Victor Harbor itself. While theValley route was completely different twelve Inman months ago, it’s worth noting Simon Gerrans won here in 2016 in what turned out to be the pivotal moment of the entire tour.

S Hydration Station

420

380

70

80

90

Distance (kilometres)

Race Finish Race Neutral

100

Hydration Station Athelstone

Magill

S 120

110

Paracombe

Subaru King of the Mountain

F

Uraidla Summerton Ashton

M

iiNet Sprint 130

140

150

STAGING CONNECTIONS STAGE 2 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

380

20

40

STAGE 3

2017

3.0

60

70

80

100

120

Paracombe

0.5

110

Athelstone

1.0

90

Distance (kilometres)

Magill

1.5

Distance (kilometres)

50

Uraidla Summerton Ashton

2.0

Stirling Heathfield

2.5

30

Mylor

3.0

10

Bradbury

260

Norton Summit

340 300

0

130

140

150

STAGING CONNECTIONS STAGE 2 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

DISTANCE START THURSDAY 340 DISTANCE GLENELG START 19 JANUARY 300 THURSDAY 144KM 19 JANUARY 144KM GLENELG 11:00AM 260 11:00AM 2017

Stirling Heathfield

x5

Mylor

Bradbury

Heathfield

Stirling

Bradbury

Mylor

Stirling Heathfield

Stirling Heathfield

Mylor

Bradbury

Mylor

60

3km

STAGING CONNECTIONS STAGE 2 – PROFILE

420

STAGE 3

STAGE 3 – GLENELG TO VICTOR HARBOR M

100

0

9km

50 Bradbury

40

Heathfield

Marion

600 500 400 300 200

30

Stirling

GLENELG

0

Altitude (metres)

0

20

Mylor

0.5

10

Bradbury

1.0

0

x5

0

Mylor

Mylor

1.5

Distance (kilometres)

100

Bradbury

2.0

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

600 500 400 300 200

Stirling Heathfield

2.5

VICTOR HARBOR 2:51PM APPROX

Altitude (metres)

3.0

FINISH

GLENELG 11:00AM

iiNet Sprint

iiNet Sprint CONNECTIONS STAGE 2 – PROFILE LongwoodSTAGING Road, Heathfield Sprint #1 23.7km Sprint #2 65.9km

S

Mylor

144KM

260

Hydration Station

S

Norton Summit

HeathfieldBradbury

Bradbury

START

Subaru King of the Mountain

F

x5

Altitude (metres)

DISTANCE

Aldgate

150

Stirling Crafers Piccadilly

140

M

Stirling Crafers Piccadilly

130

Mylor

120

Paracombe

Athelstone

Magill

Norton Summit

Uraidla Summerton Ashton

110

Bradbury

100

Race Neutral

Mylor

Distance (kilometres)

Stirling Crafers Piccadilly

Mylor

90

Hydration Station Mt Barker Road, Mylor Stirling 62.9km

F

iiNet Sprint Longwood Road, Heathfield Sprint #1 23.7km Sprint #2 65.9km

3km

Race Finish

Bradbury

80

Bradbury

Stirling Heathfield

Mylor

Bradbury

Heathfield

Mylor

Bradbury

Stirling

70

Altitude (metres)

Altitude (metres)

2017

60

STAGING CONNECTIONS STAGE 2 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

420

THURSDAY 340 19 JANUARY 300

50

0 x5

x5

Bradbury

40

STAGE 3 380

Stirling Heathfield

Mylor

30

F

Piccadilly

Crafers Heathfield STIRLING S

HOST COUNCIL

Hydration Station Mt Barker Road, Stirling 62.9km

Aldgate

x5

Stirling Heathfield

20

Bradbury

Stirling Heathfield

Mylor

Altitude (metres)

Bradbury

10

Uraidla Piccadilly

Crafers

Summertown STIRLING

STAGING CONNECTIONS STAGE 2 – PROFILE

0

HOST COUNCIL

Summertown

x5

100

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

Ashton Uraidla

iiNet Sprint Longwood Road, Heathfield Sprint #1 23.7km Sprint #2 65.9km

500 400 300 200

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

Ashton

x5

600

Mountain

Paracombe 148.1km

HOST COUNCIL

2.5

2.0

FINISH

FINISH VICTOR 1.5

HARBOR

VICTOR APPROX 2:51PMHARBOR 2:51PM APPROX1.0

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU 0.5

Distance (kilometres)

0

HOST COUNCILS

GLENELG

GLENELG

Marion 0

2 Subaru King of the Mountain Main South Road, Sellicks Hill 43.3km

Race Finish

Hydration Station

S

iiNet Sprint

M

F

Hydration Station

S

iiNet Sprint

Old Noarlunga

HOST COUNCILS

Old Noarlunga Aldinga

HOST COUNCILS

Hydration Station The Esplanade, Victor Harbor 92.3km

Sellicks Hill

Victor Harbor

S

140

Yankalilla

STAGE 3 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

0

F

Hydration Station The Esplanade, Victor Harbor 92.3km

10

30

40

50

100

x4 110

F

120

Victor Harbor

x4

VICTOR HARBOR 70 80 90 Distance (kilometres) 144km

60

Victor Harbor

iiNet Sprint #2 Inman Valley Road, Inman Valley 73.1km

Victor Harbor

S

20

Hydration Station The130 Esplanade, 140 Victor Harbor 92.3km

STAGE 3 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

STAGE 3 – PROFILE

10 8 6

4 2

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0

tor Harbor

40 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

240 200 160 120 80

x4

VICTOR HARBOR 144km

tor Harbor

0.5

iiNet Sprint #1 Main South Road, x4 Myponga 46.6km

tor Harbor

1.0

Altitude (metres)

1.5

Distance (kilometres)

rion

2.0

ltitude (metres)

2.5

0

nelg

3.0

S

Inman STAGE Valley 3 – PROFILE Old Noarlunga

4 2

240 200 160 120 80 40

Marion

6

Noarlunga

Altitude (metres)

8

Glenelg

10

iiNet Sprint #2 Inman Valley Road, Inman Valley 73.1km

Victor Harbor

130

tor Harbor

120

Victor Harbor

Victor Harbor

110

Victor Harbor

100

Main South Road, Sellicks Hill 43.3km

iiNet Sprint #1 Main South Road, Myponga 46.6km

tor Harbor

90

M

S

Inman Valley

80

Myponga

70

Distance (kilometres)

Sellicks Hill

60

Myponga 2 Subaru King of the Mountain

Myponga Inman Valley

ponga

50

Victor Harbor

Victor Harbor

Inman Valley

Myponga

Sellicks Hill

40

Aldinga

30

Subaru King of the Mountain Main South Road, Sellicks Hill 43.3km

Aldinga

an Valley

F

VICTOR HARBOR 144km

licks Hill

20

M2

Sellicks Hill

x4

inga

10

Aldinga

Old Noarlunga

Marion

Altitude (metres)

Subaru King of the Mountain

F

Subaru King of the Mountain

Yankalilla

0

Altitude (metres)

M

Race Neutral

STAGE 3 – PROFILE

Glenelg

240 200 160 120 80 40

x4

9km Race Finish Race Neutral

iiNet Sprint #1 Main South Road, Myponga 46.6km

iiNet Sprint #2 Inman Valley Road, Inman Valley 73.1km

Marion

9km

0

BUPA STAGE 4 FRIDAY 20 JANUARY 2017

DISTANCE

START

149.5KM

FINISH

NORWOOD 11:30AM

CAMPBELLTOWN 3:30PM APPROX

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

Williamstown 10km

STAGE 4 – NORWOOD TO CAMPBELLTOWN (BUPA CHALLENGE) F Race Finish

Race Neutral

Hydration Station Mt Pleasant to Keyneton Road, Springton 82.6km

FRIDAY 20 JANUARY, 149.5KM

2017

iiNet Sprint #2 Main Street, Mount Pleasant 90.6km

S Stage 4 is always a big day at the Kersbrook Mount Santos Tour Down Under. 2017 Pleasant Forreston looms to be bigger than ever with Gumeracha Houghton both the start and finish held in Birdwood Tungkillo Inglewood Chain of Ponds the Adelaide metro area for the Cudlee Creek S first time, a decision sure to make Paradise logistics considerably easier for Mount Torrens participants in the annual BUPA CAMPBELLTOWN 149.5km Challenge. As was the case with Lobethal Charleston Stage 3, today sees the return NORWOOD of two familiar start and finish locations. However rather than heading up Corkscrew Road before plunging down towards Campbelltown via the recently flood-damaged-but-now-repaired Montacute Road, riders will instead travel the full length of Gorge Road – thus saving everyone’s legs from the burn of one of Australian cycling’s most searching climbs.

10km Race Neutral

M

Subaru King of the Mountain

F

Hydration Station

S

iiNet Sprint

M

Subaru King of the Mountain

F

Hydration Station

S

iiNet Sprint

M2

110

Campbelltown

Cudlee Creek

Lobethal

Charleston

Mount Torrens

Tungkillo

100

120

130

140

150

Lobethal

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

BUPA STAGE 4 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

0

50

60

70

80

90

Distance (kilometres)

100

110

Campbelltown

Mount Crawford

Mount Pleasant

Forreston Gumeracha

Kersbrook

Chain of Ponds

Haughton Inglewood

Birdwood

40

120

130

140

150

BUPA STAGE 4 – FINAL 3KM PROFILE

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

Distance (kilometres)

1.0

0.5

0

mpbelltown

BUPA STAGE 4 – PROFILE

dlee Creek

200

30

unt Crawford

300

20

unt Pleasant

400

130 125 120 115 110 105 100

10

dwood

500

Paradise

100

0

ain of Ponds

200

rsbrook

0.5

300

rreston meracha

1.0

HOST COUNCILS

400

ughton lewood

1.5

Distance (kilometres)

radise Altitude (metres)

2.0

ltitude (metres)

2.5

500

Norwood

Altitude (metres)

BUPA STAGE 4 – PROFILE

rwood

3.0

Charleston HOST COUNCILS

NORWOOD

Cudlee Creek

Distance (kilometres)

90

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

Mount Torrens

CAMPBELLTOWN 149.5km

Lobethal

80

Tungkillo

Charleston

bethal

70

Birdwood

Mount iiNet Sprint Torrens #1 Shannon Street, Birdwood 37.5km

Charleston

60

Lobethal

S

NORWOOD

Mount Pleasant

Springton

Mount Crawford

Mount Pleasant

50

Chain of Ponds Cudlee Creek

CAMPBELLTOWN 149.5km

Tungkillo

Birdwood 37.5km

Gumeracha

Houghton

Mount Pleasant

Birdwood

iiNet Sprint #1 Forreston S Shannon Street,

arleston

40

Kersbrook

Chain of Ponds Cudlee Creek

Mount Torrens

30

Birdwood

Forreston Gumeracha

Kersbrook

Chain of Ponds

Haughton Inglewood

Paradise

Norwood

Altitude (metres) Altitude (metres)

130 125 120 115 110 105 100

20

Mount Pleasant

S

Inglewood

500

10

iiNet Sprint #2 Main Street, Mount Pleasant 90.6km

S

Hydration Station Mt Pleasant to Keyneton Road, Springton 82.6km

Subaru King of the Mountain Kersbrook Checker Hill Road, iiNet Sprint #2 near Kersbrook 25.1km Forreston Main Street, Mount Pleasant 90.6km Gumeracha

Inglewood Paradise

F

Subaru King of the Mountain Checker Hill Road, near Kersbrook 25.1km

Houghton

Paradise

0

M2

Springton

Hydration Station Mt Pleasant to Keyneton Road, Springton 82.6km

F

Race Neutral

BUPA STAGE 4 – PROFILE

100

Springton

Race Finish

Race Finish

HOST COUNCILS

200

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU

Williamstown

10km

0

STAGE NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR

300

CAMPBELLTOWN

CAMPBELLTOWN APPROX 3:30PM APPROX 3:30PM

Williamstown 0

iiNet Sprint #1 Shannon Street, Birdwood 37.5km

400

FINISH

FINISH

unt Torrens

iiNet Sprint

Subaru King of the Mountain Checker Hill Road, near Kersbrook 25.1km

START

DISTANCE START 149.5KM NORWOOD 149.5KM 11:30AM NORWOOD 11:30AM

Tungkillo

S

M2

DISTANCE

20 JANUARY

2017

Mount Pleasant

Hydration Station

unt Pleasant

F

BUPA STAGE 4

FRIDAY FRIDAY 20 JANUARY

ngkillo

Subaru King of the Mountain

BUPA STAGE 4

Springton

M

Springton

rington

0

41

SATURDAY 21 JANUARY

DISTANCE

START

151.5KM

2017

FINISH

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McMurtrie Rd F Hydration Station 21 JANUARY 151.5KM WILLUNGA HILL 21 JANUARY 151.5KM McLAREN McLARENVALE VALE WILLUNGA HILL You know the drill. Saturday at the 11:10AM 3:02PM 11:10AM 3:02PM APPROX TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU TOURDOWNUNDER.COM.AU S iiNet Sprint x1 P en Santos Tour Down Under means nys x5 Hil lR hordes of roadside fans, heaving d x3 hospitality tents, epic racing and, of x1 Port Willunga course, the iconic hilltop finish on M 0 1 2km F Willunga Hill. x3 The Queen Stage begins Aldinga 0 1 2km McLAREN VALE Snapper Point on the buzzing main street of McLaren Willunga Rd a Alding x3 McLAREN VALE x3 Aldinga x2 Race Finish Vale and initially sees riders completex3 Beach M Tatachilla Rd Race Neutral S three clockwise circuits taking in local McMurtrie Rd F x3 S of the Mountain x1 M Subaru King wineries and the picturesque beachfront at Aldinga and Snapper Point. On Pe Tatachilla Rd nn Adelaide ys WILLUNGA HILL x5 Hil McMurtrie Rd F Hydration Station lR their fourth visit to Willunga township the riders will then be sent 151.5km 151.5 through the d x3 x3 S iiNet Sprint x1 inflatable KOM kite for the first time, as the race reaches its annual zenith x1 P e n Norman Rd nys Port Willunga x5 M Hil with two ascents of Willunga Hill (3km @ 7.6%). Richie Porte will be aiming lR d F x3 x3 Aldinga for his fourth consecutive victory here. While he has every chance of winning Snapper Point x1 Willunga Aldinga Rd this battle once again, a far bigger question remains: can he finally win the Aldinga x3 x2 Port Willunga x3 M Beach S overall GC war?

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0 50 100m Adelaide For a third successive Zoo of Adelaide year,CityGolf final stage hostilities Race Finish Links M will take place on Sunday M afternoon around the scenic F S 4.5km street circuit just to the north of the Adelaide CBD. The start/finish line Elder Park is on King William Road, S not far from the Adelaide Oval, and20the laps xsurrounding 4.5km CIRCUIT: 90km F parklands will provide ample opportunities for fans to catch multiple glimpses of the peloton. As always it’s sure to deliver a wonderful spectacle. But as has also become tradition it’s unlikely to have any meaningful influence on the overall result. Barring a major script change, Light an early breakSq.will be allowed to scoop up the final time bonuses, while the catch will come in theADELAIDE closing laps culminating in an inevitable bunch sprint.

CBD Still, a World Tour stage win is a World Tour stage win, and after the pain and suffering of Willunga Hill, plenty of fast men will be keen to have their Adelaide moment in the South Australian sun.

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44 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

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Destination l Laos!

BY STEVE THOMAS IMAGES BY STEVE THOMAS

SUNDOWN ride around the dirt roads and villages near Luang Namtha.

46 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

GREEN TRIANGLE GRIND

HEAD TO THE FAR NORTHERN TIP OF LAOS AND YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF IN ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING TRULY WILD AND WONDERFUL FRONTIERS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, AND SOME EPIC RIDING TOO.

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OLLED OUT IN DEEP

green and so warmly glazed by the fading evening sun, the rice fields and distant rippled mountains of the northernmost corner of Laos unfold in all their glory. There was little more than the odd farmer’s tractor to diminish the solace of the wide and open road that stretched out sweetly before me.

The annual rainy season was in mid-flow, and so I had been a little cautious when choosing to make a road trip to the area at this time of year, as you can on occasion find it hard to string together enough dry hours in a day to make riding fun.

This time around I was lucky again. This was my sixth visit to the area, and half of those trips had been made in rainy season, but I’d rarely suffered anything more than a short 20 minute drenching.

My choice of season had partly been made out of practicality, but more so because this is by far the best time to see the true colours and beauty of this place, which is often termed the ‘Green Triangle’, due to its borders with the deep eastern fringes of Myanmar and China’s south eastern Yunnan province, plus its close proximity to the Infamous Golden Triangle,

which is less than 200km away.

Luang Namtha is the major town in the region, a small, charming and sleepy place which sits just a few hours off the main Mekong slow boat tourist trail to Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos, and one of the most fascinating places in all of Indochina.

This relatively remote, yet easily accessible location means that the area receives just a handful of more adventurous tourists, and so has not reaped the financial rewards of Luang Prabang, and has not been soiled in the process. It is a wild and down to earth place, more like the Laos of past myth than that of modern legend.

That said, the region is changing rapidly.

Chinese agribusiness has leased huge areas of native lands from local farmers, with bananas being their prime crop.

Sadly they have also cut the locals from the economic chain too, and send produce directly back to processing plants in Yunnan, on recently upgraded, Chinese funded roads.

On the upside, the roads are now in better shape, making long haul riding much easier than it was just a few years back, and the core and numerous tribal

47

communities that inhabit the highland border regions are still carrying on life much as they have done for decades; although that will undoubtedly change. So don’t leave it too long to visit northern Laos.

I was running on relatively limited time, just a week in all, and had decided to concentrate my riding and exploration to the far north of the area rather than riding the whole hog from the Thai border and then on to Luang Prabang; that ground I have covered in the recent past.

This focussed approach also allowed me to move fast and light, and ride off-road a whole lot more, which is the best thing about this area, as you can hit the maze of dirt roads that link together ethnic tribal communities that characterise the area, and there are more such diverse groups in this area than almost anywhere else in Asia (an estimated 20 groups) – most having made their homes after fleeing wars and persecution in the immediate area.

The region has a torrid history, and suffered deeply during the ‘secret war’ that the US waged in the area, which was truly astonishing, and also not so

long ago.

After hopping a local bus ride to Luang Namtha I’d taken a couple of days to wind my way around the local villages, mostly on these dirt roads and rough trails, although since visiting a year and a half earlier many of them had evolved into surfaced routes, but still there was virtually zero traffic to contend with.

Within minutes of pedalling you’ll find yourself rumbling along ragged dirt trails and kicking up dust as you pass through tiny bamboo and wooden stilted settlements; it really is like riding through the pages of an old Nat Geo magazine.

Barefoot children with catapults and makeshift fishing poles head out to learn old-time hunting methods, while deeply blue clothed ladies with banded ankles and babies strapped to their backs can be seen weaving cloth and carrying man sized bundles of firewood on their heads.

In one village I stopped for a while to watch the village writer at work – and there can’t be that many places left in the world where you can find such things in real life situation and yet so close to the comforts of a bed and Wi-Fi.

48 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

FRINGE FORAY Not being at the peak of my condition, I had bounced a psychological tennis ball around in my head for a few days before finally deciding to brave the 60-km ride from Luang Namtha northwards to the small and extremely tribal rich village of Muang Sing. Now, 60-km, doesn’t sound like much, but having ridden this rough and twisted road before I can tell you that it feels more like double that, and with your brakes on – and in both directions.

On my previous visit I’d tackled it in the opposite direction – the slightly easier north-south option – although that still includes around 30km of continual climbing. There had been a freak cold spell, and temperatures were just above freezing, an extreme rarity in the area. I’d set off into the morning mist wearing all of the clothes I had, plus hat and gloves purchased from the morning market. It was one tough ride, and really did give me cause to tremble some at the thought of riding it from the even tougher south side.

There’s no doubting that the scenery is amazing, and when you’re grovelling uphill for 30km you definitely get plenty of chance

Destination l Laos!

[[ Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubting that the scenery is amazing, and when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re grovelling uphill for 30km you definitely get plenty of chance to take it all in. ]]

TOP LEFT: Smashing through a ford between villages, where I was joined by local kids a few minutes later.

ABOVE: Magical sunset over the ride fields and mountains.

LEFT: Deserted roads south of Luang Namtha.

49

Destination l Laos!

to take it all in. There’s a distinct epic feel to this road, and your mind does tend to wander as you struggle through remote villages where old ladies and small children smoke pipes, and where young children jump from the bushes to try and sell you their freshly trapped squirrels and other rodents. Sure enough the ride is great, but throw in such diverse experiences and no matter how you view it at the time; it is one that you will never forget.

Nearing the last quarter of the climb the road twists through the jungle. By this point I’d been grinding my bottom gear for what seemed like an eternity, and taking five every now and then to make sense of it. The ride was every bit as tough as I’d feared, and at times I did debate turning around and rolling back to town, but I couldn’t face the inevitable selfdisappointment I’d feel as soon as I did.

The rain set in around 10 minutes before the summit, and by the time I hit the descent it was torrential, but with blue skies on the horizon I hit the drop flat out, racing the storm out of sight after about 20-minutes or so.

Apart from the profusion of blue Chinese license plates, a huge Chinese hotel and a couple of makeshift dens of iniquity, little had changed in Muang Sing since I first visited eight years ago. It’s still a place that has almost nothing, and yet is filthy rich with reality and culture.

One main street, plus a cluster of grid based broken roads makes up the town. It sits on a high plateau and is surrounded by green mountains in every direction.

There are many dirt roads winding their way around this isolated high ground, and they all link together the profusion of tribal communities that found refuge here.

Facilities are light on the ground, and there’s little or nothing to do after dark

in Muang Sing, but the daylight hours burst at the seams with adventure of the cultural kind.

Hit the dirt, with the mountains on either side it’s easy to keep a sense of direction.

With just half a day or so of winding your way around the plateau you’ll encounter a dozen or so ethnic villages and different tribal communities, but you’ll never be more than 40 minute’s ride from town.

It really is a tribal kaleidoscope. If you want to toughen things up then keep on riding; there are climbs right up to the Burmese and Chinese borders – but; of course you cannot cross them, so be sure not to stray too far.

For me, I’d had my fill, for the time being.

After a couple of days I turned tail and rode back down to Luang Namtha, squeezed out another day of rumbling around the local dirt trails, and then reluctantly headed back to the Thai border, vowing to return very soon for an extended tour of this glorious and wild corner of our planet.

WHEN TO RIDE The prime season for riding in northern Laos is from late September-early February; the dry winter season. At times it can get cold at nights during January, but it rarely rains.

Mid February to mid May is best avoided. This is the annual burning season, and the air quality is abysmal.

Rainy season is between June-September.

At this time the colours are at their most vibrant, but it can be hit and miss – so budget on a couple of rained out days, but if travelling at this time it will be worth it.

ROUTES AND RIDES

TOP: Novice monks on a bike in Muang Sing, in many buddhist country they are not permitted to ride bikes.

50 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

▲

RIGHT: Strange produce on offer at Muang Sing morning market.

This region is just made for lightweight bike packing adventures. Most overland travellers, and cyclists, tend to hop the slow boat down the Mekong from Houei Xai-Luang Prabang, and then continue on to Vientiane.

As pleasant as this may be, they really do miss out on the best of Laos. Recently there has been something of a hushed up resurgence in serious bandit related incidents on the road between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, so that really is best done by bus, or even avoided PAGE 52 all together.

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Destination l Laos!

There's superb dirt trails all through the hills here, although they often come to dead ends, and are not mapped.

[[ ...just half a day or so of winding your way around the plateau you’ll encounter a dozen or so different tribal communities... ]] The road from Houei Xai/Chiang Khong is one tough and amazing 200km ride. The best way to break it up is with an overnight or two in Vieng Phouka (120km from Houei Xai). There are a couple of basic resorts here, and some nice dirt roads to explore too.

From Luang Namtha and Muang Sing there are some interesting road and dirt options, for circular and place-to-place rides.

Route 13 from Luang Namtha-Udom Xai is a logical step on-road tour, followed by a very mountainous and rough ride over to Pak Mong (basic accommodation here) and a diversion up to Nong Kiew (good accommodation and great scenery). From there it’s a long day ride to Luang Prabang.

LOGISTICS There are several direct flights to Vientiane, and also Laos Aviation connections to Luang Namtha; but this is not the best option when travelling with a bike (it’s expensive and baggage is limited).

A wise option is to fly to Chiang Rai in Thailand (via Bangkok) and then take a local bus to Chiang Khong/Friendship Bridge and border.

Cross the border here (bikes and passengers must use the shuttle bus across the bridge). If you are travelling fully by bike simply start riding here (as long as you’re early), otherwise take a tuk-tuk to the local bus station and then on to Luang Namtha (easy, not so comfortable, bikes on the roof; busses stop running at around 1pm).

If you do not want to carry luggage it can be sent on mini vans or local busses between bus stations (In Laos bus stations are usually about five kilometres out of town).

The same transport system can be applied right through to Luang Prabang.

From Luang Prabang there are reasonable air connections to Bangkok and elsewhere (including Air Asia). Alternatively take the two day slow boat trip back up river to Houei Xai to complete the loop.

PRACTICALITIES Most nationalities can obtain visas on arrival in Laos (and in Thailand). In Laos these cost around US$30-$35, and you will need a passport photo. It is wise to carry US$ to avoid extortionate exchange charges.

52 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

ATM’s are found all over Laos, but not all work with foreign cards, and withdrawals are limited to small amounts, so have some cash to hand.

There are plenty of rooming options in major towns – you can often book online in advance, but I strongly recommend booking on arrival, as I have been charged double the rack rate through booking agencies for Laos.

Costs are comparatively low, but around 20% more than in Thailand. A reasonable but basic en-suite room will cost between AU$12-$30.

Hospitals and medical facilities are very basic in Laos; be sure to have travel insurance and carry any prescription medication you may need.

Many passing foreigners like to eat at the local markets in Laos, and many then also get food poisoning – you do need to watch what you eat here.

In Muang Sing be sure to get up before dawn and visit the local market; you will see some very colourful sights and people too.

BIKES Roads and surfaces can vary a lot with the seasons, and potholes are regular fare.

Regular road bikes with 25-28mm tyres are fine, but if you have a cross or gravel bike then it would be better for the rough stuff.

Be sure to carry spare tubes, a tyre and tools – there are no decent bike shops in the area.

Bolle_Eyewear

Gravel Bike Versatility

BY JOHN HARDWICK

TESTING THE BOUNDARIES

© JOHN HARDWICK

IS THE GRAVEL BIKE JUST ANOTHER FAD, OR ARE THEY POTENTIALLY THE MOST VERSATILE BREED OF BIKE OUT THERE? WE TOOK A NORCO SEARCH AND SET ABOUT MODIFYING IT TO SEE HOW FAR WE COULD TAKE IT—BOTH ON-ROAD AND OFF…

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IFE USED TO BE SIMPLE.

We had road bikes, CX, track and touring bikes, oh and mountain bikes too—easy!

Fast forward a decade or two and bikes have come a long way. They’re now lighter, faster, stiffer, more aero too. But aside from the technical advancements, bikes have also been splintered into all manner of niches and sub-categories. Road bikes are no longer just road bikes; there’s race, aero road, climbing, endurance, UCI time trial, triathlon, gravel, monster-cross and more!

Of course much of this is marketing driven, as brands grapple to differentiate their product. It also leads consumers to believe that you need to buy more bikes; I mean how could you possibly ride an endurance bike on a criterium—sacré bleu!

While it’s true that certain bikes have become extremely specialised tools (the time trial bike for example), most can be used across a range of disciplines with little compromise. In the case of gravel and adventure bikes, they hold the potential to be more versatile than anything else— well that’s my theory anyway. To put this to the test, we snaffled the Norco Search (reviewed in May/June 2016) and began our Jekyll and Hyde experiment.

Norco calls the Search an ‘adventure bike’. The carbon variant features a lightweight 1kg disc brake compatible frame. It has a tallish head tube like an endurance road bike, a moderately slack 72-degree head angle and Norco claims there’s clearance for 40c tyres.

In stock form the Search comes with 35mm wide tyres and a good setup for all-round riding; while it’s not going to set the road alight, it is quick enough to hang with the Sunday morning bunch and it will also take you down any 2WD dirt road with ease. But how fast could it be on the tarmac with a simple wheel and tyre change? On the flip-side, how far can the Search go offroad if you made a few select modifications?

Here we set to find out and fully test the versatility of the modern gravel bike…

ON THE BLACKTOP The geometry is relaxed and the tyres are similar width to what you’d find on a cyclocross bike, but it really doesn’t take much to pick up the pace with the Search.

Our main focal point was the wheels; as with any bike the wheelset plays a major part in determining your rolling speed, acceleration and the ride feel.

1. With deep carbon rims and road-going tyres the Search can easily pass as a performance oriented road bike.

2. Slam that stem on the road but keep a bit of extra steerer length if you want to convert the bike for rugged dirt road riding.

3. Fitting a close range cassette will help when rolling along in the bunch

3 To make for an easy swap to a roadgoing setup, we decided to assemble a whole new wheelset. While their 1,625g weight is similar to the stock DT Swiss wheels, the 60mm deep profile of the 3T Discus wheelset is a key feature once you’re up to speed or fighting to hold a wheel in the bunch.

In the rubber department we opted for 26mm wide Panaracer’s, which mated nicely with the 25mm (18mm internal) wide 3T rims. Aside from being more aero, the narrower tyres also lopped off a decent chunk of rotating mass. The stock tyres weighed 430g a piece with a 150g inner tube while the 26c road tyres came in at 227g each with a 90g tube; a total weight saving of over half a kilo where it matters the most—right out near the rim.

Aside from all the measurable stuff, the wheel swap also made the Search look like a serious road warrior. Look closely and you’ll notice the cavernous frame clearance (especially around the fork) but it really doesn’t affect the performance in any tangible way. Overall the aero equipped Search looks like a fast endurance road bike and the 1kg carbon frame certainly doesn’t weigh it down.

The other modification was swapping

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4. Look closely and you’ll notice the cavernous tyre clearance but this swap delivers true road-going speed on the tarmac.

the wide range 11-32 cassette for a more road friendly 11-25 option. We wanted a cassette to keep with the aero wheels to make the conversion between road and off-road setups faster and the closer spacing between gear ratios makes for a more efficient drivetrain, especially when riding flat or rolling terrain. If we wanted to get extra serious, the compact 34/50 chainrings could be swapped for a 36/52 or 39/53 combo. This would be an option to gain higher top-end gearing but we were happy for the easier ratios in the local hills.

SEARCH FOR SPEED With its lightweight rubber and compact cassette, our road optimised Search was 600g lighter than stock (7.7kg all up compared to 8.3kg) and most of this was lost from the wheels. This had a serious impact on the feel of the bike. Sure the geometry may be relaxed but the high performance wheels make the bike faster to steer and accelerate—it just feels more nimble on the road.

That’s not to say that it was magically transformed into a pro peloton racer. The head angle is a degree slacker than a pure race bike, the 425mm chainstays are around 15-20mm longer than a competition 55

5 6 oriented machine and the head tube is around 15mm taller in most cases. These differences mean it’ll never handle exactly like a true road race bike but does that make it slower?

There’s certainly no lack of bottom bracket stiffness on the Search, so the watts you put in are served undiluted at the back wheel. If anything the added stability from the longer wheelbase helps with making it easier to control at speed; this

camper on basic gravel roads but this got us thinking; what if we wanted to take it further off the beaten track? What if our adventures lead us down steeper trails or even some MTB singletrack—how much dirt can the Search handle? Obviously it wouldn’t be going far off the black-top with our skinny tyres, so we put on our thinking caps and got to work.

As with the on-road optimisation, the first point of call is the wheels. We

[[ The higher/shorter stem, wide bars, dropper post and grippy tyres run at 30psi allowed us to ride with a decent level of control on some pretty rugged terrain ... ]] combined with the smooth stopping disc brakes means the Search is a blast when it comes to descending. It mightn’t feature optimised aerodynamics and purists may find the handlebars too high (even with the stem slammed) but for me the bike was more than quick and efficient enough for bunch rides and sporty grand fondo events.

In this guise you’re really not giving up much when compared to the current flock of endurance geometry road bikes.

GRAVEL & BEYOND In stock form the Search is a happy

returned to the stock DT Swiss wheels and fitted the widest tyres recommended by Norco. On went a set of 700x40c Maxxis Rambler tyres and as the DT Swiss R23 rims are tubeless compatible, we ditched the inner tubes all together. At 365g each, these tyres were actually lighter than the original 35c treads and replacing the 150g tubes with 60ml of sealant didn’t hurt either. Of course the move to tubeless isn’t really about weight loss. When riding in rocky terrain, pinch flats are the main type of puncture and removing the tubes greatly reduces the risk. With less chance of

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pinch flatting, you can also lower the tyre pressure which helps with both traction and comfort.

When mounted to the 18mm (internal) rims, the Maxxis tyres measured 38mm wide at the casing and 39mm across if you include the side knobs. In mountain bike terms this is like a 1.5-inch wide tyre; clearly narrower than your typical XC tread but it’s not too far behind. These days most MTB tyres are 50-55mm wide but 40-50mm tyres were the norm back in the ’90s.

The Search still had 5-6mm or so clearance with the fat rubber in place, which is better than most modern gravel bikes (35mm is usually the upper limit).

Look around and you will find a handful of adventure/gravel bikes that accept even wider tyres—some even take 27.5 MTB treads for the dirt and 700c for on-road (the Open UP for example).

Eliminating the tubes and swapping to fatter tyres allowed us to lower the tyre pressures substantially. The Search now rolled along nicely at 25-35psi, which is dipping down into MTB territory. At this pressure the tyres didn’t feel overly soft and they still rolled well enough on the road—it made dead and pothole pocked roads feel almost smooth! Hit the dirt and you noticed the biggest improvements; it certainly took the edge off bumpy trails and there was a noticeable increase in traction too.

Gravel Bike Versatility 5. A few choice modifications can greatly extend the capacity of a gravel bike once you leave the road behind.

7. As odd as they look, the added width of flared drop bars can provide better bike control in more challenging terrain.

6. While many would consider a dropper post an extreme modification on a gravel bike, it provides better control and safety, especially if you plan on tackling rougher and more challenging terrain.

8. The Tanpan (by Wolf Tooth) allows you to run a MTB derailleur with Shimano’s STI road gear levers.

7 COCKPIT MODS Not wanting to do things by halves, we decided to push things further. With our research on gravel bikes, we’d noticed a few dedicated dirt road machines running oddly shaped handlebars; ones that flared outwards at the drops. Apparently this breed of handlebar is designed with off-road use in mind, so we had to give them a try.

Soma Fabrications has a range of off-road drop bars and they’re available in Australia, so we fitted their Junebug bar to the Search.

With a typical road handlebar, the drops offer easy access to the brakes and the most secure grip. The problem here is that the drops also place you in the longest, lowest and most stretched out position— it’s not ideal for manoeuvring the bike on bumpy terrain. A good set of disc brakes may provide sufficient stopping power from the hoods, but it’s easier for your hands to bounce off—I learnt this the hard way!

The idea with flared bars is to make the drops your primary off-road position in situations where you need added control.

To achieve this they typically have a very shallow drop (so you’re not as hunched over) and flaring them outwards stops your arms clashing with the top section of the bar. Flaring them out also makes them wider; a typical road bar is 42cm wide (measured centre to centre) but the Junebug was 57cm at the ends and around 53cm where your hands rest on the drops.

8 This added width provides extra leverage which helps with control over challenging terrain. Mountain bikers are moving to wider and wider handlebars for the same reason (720-800mm wide bars are now common in MTB circles). The wider Junebug bar makes a noticeable difference when it comes to out of the saddle pedal cranking and turning the bike aggressively. While the angled lever position looks strange, the hoods still offer a useful resting position and you can still brake and shift from this spot.

While the drops aren’t as low, the wider hand placement does pull your body forward on the bike. To counter this I fitted a shorter stem and also swapped the spare headset spacers to go underneath, raising the handlebar position by 20mm.

Both of these modifications helped with off-road control but came at a cost once you returned to the blacktop. The wide bars alone were okay but the short stem made the cockpit feel cramped compared to the original setup. Thankfully stem swaps are comparatively easy, so you could always tweak the cockpit to suit; go long and low if you’re predominantly on-road or fit a stubby stem for the dirt and trails.

DRIVETRAIN – GOING 1X Another area where we chose to borrow an idea from the MTB world; we converted from a compact road double

to a single front chainring. Even with a wide-range cassette, the total gear range is reduced but there are other reasons for this modification.

Multi-ring cranksets typically have shaped chainring teeth that are designed to improve shifting—they actually assist the chain in derailing. In contrast, oneby specific single chainrings employ unique tooth profiles that improves chain retention, so the chain is less likely to bounce off over bumpy ground. We used a Wolf Tooth chainring that features alternating wide and narrow teeth to keep the chain where it belongs.

With only one chainring, you really need a wide range cassette on the back to deliver a decent spread of gears.

While there’s no shortage of options that can be borrowed from MTB circles, the tricky bit is getting them to work with your existing road derailleur and/ or shifters. The Search comes with a GS model Ultegra derailleur, which handles up to a 32 tooth cog on the rear. Using a larger cassette requires modification.

Again Wolf Tooth comes to the rescue, offering a number of products that will help you to pull a 1X bitsa drivetrain together.

To run an 11-36 or 11-40 cassette, the ‘Road Link’ can be added to your existing long cage road derailleur. This mounts to the hanger and repositions the derailleur to clear the bigger cassette.

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9. Fitting a MTB derailleur allowed us to run an 11-42 cassette.

10. Wolf Tooth has 1X specific chainrings that bolt straight to an Ultegra crank. It’s worth swapping to MTB shoes and pedals for off-road use too.

11. Once setup tubeless, we were able to run the 40c tyres as low as 25psi for loads of traction and comfort.

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11 58 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

We took a different route however and fitted a Shimano XT mountain bike derailleur. Good MTB derailleurs feature a clutch mechanism that reduces the chain’s tendency to slap around. This in turn helps to keep the chain on over rough ground. As an added bonus, the MTB derailleur has an even broader gear capacity; with a single front chainring you can run up to a 46 cog on the rear cassette—that’s huge! We opted for an 11-42 cassette which provides a good gear range without introducing too many sizable jumps between ratios.

The hurdle with fitting a MTB derailleur comes with getting it to work with the STI road gear levers. While both are 11-speed setups, the MTB derailleur employs a different cable pull ratio. To solve this, we fitted a Wolf Tooth Tanpan. This $60 machined alloy roller sits in the cable and converts the pull ratio. The Tanpan is generally placed near the derailleur but we ran ours up near the handlebars due to a lack of space—it still worked as intended and delivered accurate shifting with the mismatched components. With all of this in place, the wide range single chainring setup was much quieter than the original road drivetrain—no chain drops and no rattling against the front derailleur.

Compared with the stock compact double drivetrain (34/50 and 11-32), the wide range 1X setup loses the equivalent of two gears in its total range (see the Drivetrain Comparison table). It really isn’t much when you consider the relative simplicity of the new setup. With any 1X system, the key is choosing the appropriate chainring size; drop down a few teeth if you’re more concerned about having low climbing gears; opt for a bigger chainring to gain top-end gears. We chose a 42 tooth chainring. When combined with the 11-42 cassette this gave us a slightly lower first gear and the equivalent of a 50x13 at the upper end of the range—it was plenty given the off-road intent of our modified Search.

Gaining such a wide gear range from a single chainring comes with one obvious pitfall; the steps between each gear are bigger. As a result you’re more likely to find yourself in the situation where one gear is too high and the next option is too low.

While this was certainly the case on flatter road rides, it didn’t prove to be an issue in hilly terrain or on winding trails where your speed was rarely constant.

Despite what you may think, the move to one chainring actually made our Search heavier. The front derailleur removes 87g and the single chainring is 65g lighter (86g versus 151g) but the 480g wide range cassette adds 200g when compared to the 1132 version and the MTB derailleur is slightly heavier too. All-up it added 100g to the build.

Gravel Bike Versatility DROP ZONE The move to a 1X drivetrain left us with one niggling anomaly; the gear mechanism in the left hand STI lever was sitting there with nothing to do. Not a big deal but it kinda bugged me.

On any regular road bike it could be swapped for a standard non-STI brake lever, but with the Search running Shimano hydraulic discs, this wasn’t an option. SRAM offers a non-geared leftside hydraulic lever but they run DOT brake fluid which wouldn’t work with the Shimano system (Shimano uses mineral oil). TRP makes hydraulic road levers that claim to work with Shimano’s M525 and M515 callipers but we thought of an alternative and more interesting use for the idle left-side gear mechanism—why not hook it up to a dropper post!

Height adjustable seat posts are all the rage in mountain biking at the moment.

They allow you to vary the seat post height while riding and drop the saddle right out of the way when required.

Most people think droppers are for downhill use but with experience you learn that they can help your riding in many ways.

Lowering the seat gives you more freedom to move around on the bike. You can drop your centre of gravity which helps with cornering and you’re better able to absorb bumps when there isn’t a saddle stuck up high between your legs. Both of these attributes help a lot if you’re trying to pilot a fully rigid drop bar equipped road bike over rough terrain.

On the Search we used the front derailleur cable routing and ran a full length of outer housing down inside the down tube (the frame already features internal cable routing). From there we directed the cable into the seat tube and straight up to the actuator at the base of the dropper. This operation was easy thanks to the big removable window under the down tube and the large void around the oversized bottom bracket—other bikes may present a greater challenge.

We selected a KS Lev Integra post. KS holds a great reputation for their MTB droppers and they offer ‘stealth style’ (that means internally actuated) posts in 27.2mm for bikes like the Search. Where most MTB droppers have between 100 and 150mm of height adjustment, our CX/XC/road going version offered 65mm of drop—a perfect match for this application.

Using it with the Shimano STI lever involved the following steps; push the main lever (as if you were going to the big ring) and sit on the saddle; while seated click the smaller gear lever and the post stays put in the new location. With practice it became an easy process and your hands stay on the bars—you can even brake while dropping

catch comes if you collect a rock at speed; 40mm wide tyres may be wide in a road or gravel setting but they don’t offer much rim protection when things get properly rough.

Our exuberance in riding the Search on the local MTB trails soon lead to damaged tyre casing and rim dents.

With the right modifications the bike definitely has the capacity to be ridden on MTB trails but there comes a time where it all gets a bit silly and you really would be better off on a MTB! Despite these limitations, the range of versatility is broad and impressive. In a road setting there’s very little compromise. Sure, carbon aero wheels are nice but even a simple swap to 25-28c road going rubber will have you keeping up with the Joneses; just slam that stem and away you go!

For most dirt road expeditions, I’d recommend a tubeless setup with 38-40c tyres and fit some thickly padded bar tape while you’re at it. If off-road is really your thing, feel free to consider some of the other modifications. Wider bars are great for control and the simplicity of a 1X drivetrain is appealing too, but the dropper post definitely delivered the biggest improvements in bike control off-road.

However you look at it, there’s no refuting the flexibility of these new gravel road machines.

the saddle. Many mountain bikers now rate dropper posts as being more important to off-road performance than suspension. Not what you’d think but once you learn to fully utilise the dropper and move your body around, it really can make a big difference in an off road setting. Drop it for corners and you’ll be safer and more stable. Drop for any descent or obstacle and you’ll be better able to use the ‘travel’ in your arms and legs—use this well and it’s more effective than any complex suspension component. Weight-wise it added 230g over the stock carbon post.

This along with wide tyres and other off-road modifications took the total package weight up to 8.3kg (without pedals).

RIDING OUR FRANKENSTEIN Individually, each modification has its place but the total cumulative effect made the Search quite capable in an off-road setting.

Smooth dirt roads and twisting singletracks could be tackled with relative ease—in this setting it proved a close match for a hardtail MTB. It could even tackle rougher ‘true MTB’ trails too but a word of caution here…

The higher/shorter stem, wide bars, dropper post and grippy tyres run at 30psi all allowed us to ride with a decent level of control on some pretty rugged terrain.

If you’re a competent bike handler you’ll be able to ride at near-MTB speed. The

DRIVETRAIN COMPARISON COMPACT ROAD 11

WIDE RANGE 1X11

34

50

84.4

124.2

42 11

9.10% 12

77.4

18.20% 113.8

13

8.30% 13

71.5 66.3

105.1

15

58.1

97.6

17

51.6

85.4

19

75.9

21

46.4

68.3

24

42.2

62.1

28

37.2 33.2

54.6

32

29

35.9 12.50%

48.8

36

14.30% 32

41 14.30%

12.00% 28

47.8 16.70%

13.60% 25

54.6 14.30%

10.00% 22

60.4 10.50%

11.10% 20

67.5 11.80%

12.50% 18

76.5 13.30%

14.30% 16

88.3 15.40%

7.70% 14

104.3

31.9 16.70%

42.7

42

27.3

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WEEKLONG SPORTIVE CHALLENGES SUCH AS THE HAUTE ROUTE ARE FAST BECOMING DE RIGEUR FOR SERIOUS AMATEUR RIDERS; BUT HOW CAN A RIDER WITH A REGULAR 9-5 JOB GET IN SHAPE FOR WHAT IS VIRTUALLY A PROLEVEL CHALLENGE?

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Exclusive l Chris Carmichael

BY STEVE THOMAS

STAGES OF SURVIVAL WITH CHRIS CARMICHAEL long since sportive and gran fondo events hit the jackpot of popularity and progressed from village hall and cup-cake fuelled local affairs to big time multi-thousand rider ventures.

Largely this was thanks to the Etape du Tour; that mammoth single day ‘ride like a Tour de France star’, queen stage challenge that has set the benchmark for ‘noncompetitive’ (ahem) cycling challenges.

Yet, as much as the single day classics are a huge part of pro bike racing, it’s always the grand tours and stage races that hog the prime time limelight. These inhumane multi-week tours through the great mountain ranges of Europe and beyond captivate us as cycling fans, and astound the greater public. After all, such things are for super freaks of nature, and are closer to fantasy than reality for most of us.

A few years back a small number of 3-4 day long sportive events sprung up – something that was perhaps within the outer bounds of perception for serious amateur riders. And then along came the Haute Route events – effectively seven day mini grand tours, only without the flat stages and rest days.

The whole sportive and gran fondo game changed. Eight hundred or so kilometres and an Everest height’s worth of altitude gain in a single week; a week packed full of virtual grand tour mountain stages racked up, back to back.

Since then these weeklong events have become the ultimate goal for serious, and even not quite so serious amateur (and semi-pro) riders, yet how can a ‘normal’

© STEVE THOMAS

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cyclist with the regular distractions of real life consider taking on such a venture?

During a test run for the Haute Route Rockies - in Colorado, we took time out to chat with a rider who joined us for a few stages – Chris Carmichael.

Colorado based Chris is founder of Carmichael Training Systems (CTS/www. trainright.com), and is one of the most accomplished coaches on the planet – not to mention a former Olympian and Tour de France rider.

Here’s what Chris had to say about preparing and surviving a multi-day sportive event.

ABOVE: Chris Carmichael sitting pretty on the approach to Independence Pass in the Haute Route Rockies.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Pace yourself, it's supposed to be fun!

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© STEVE THOMAS

Exclusive l Chris Carmichael

ST - How long ahead of a stage event do you need to start to prepare specifically?

CC - It really depends on your starting point and your goals for the event. A cyclist who stays generally fit year-round and is looking to participate, rather than compete, would probably only need to focus specifically for a few months to be ready.

If you’re more of a seasonal rider, or haven’t done many back-to-back riding days, you’re going to want to get on a structured program for up to six months.

If you’re a novice you will want to give yourself 9-12 months to prepare.

If you’re looking to be competitive then you need to follow a normal competitive cycling training program, but focus on blocks with back-to-back training days so you can improve your ability to ride well day after day.

ST - How important is it to analyse the terrain and route profile in advance?

CC - The most important thing is to build the biggest aerobic engine you can, so you’re better prepared for any terrain.

Fitness is something you can control, but you can’t control the course, the conditions, or what other riders do.

So, it is good to understand what the terrain and profile will be, but when it’s time to ride those routes your performance will depend on a lot of factors, not just the terrain.

Prepare for the factors you can control, like your fitness, your hydration and nutrition strategies, and your group riding skills.

ST - For something like the Haute Route how would you start to plan a build up?

CC – Really, it comes down to the individual.

You have to start with a person’s baseline of fitness, their strengths and weaknesses, their goals for the event, and the time they have to devote to training.

If a person is building their own plan, my recommendations would be to start with the least event-specific aspects of training first, and gradually get more event-specific as the event draws nearer.

You should also be very realistic about

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your available training time. If you can only squeeze in 8-hours a week right now (with your busy lifestyle), trying to significantly increase that training time is likely to be very disruptive to you and your family.

ST - Most riders have to also hold down a full time job, what tips and tricks could they use to maximise their training times?

CC - Get a coach and a power meter.

Obviously, I’m biased because I am a coach, but I think it really makes sense.

You’re investing a ton of your time and a lot of serious effort to prepare for an event that incorporates travel, expense, and time away from work and family. That’s

LEFT: Hold your horses, stage sportive are marathons!

RIGHT: Chris Carmichael's ride food; a mix of treats, sic-fi and natural.

© STEVE THOMAS

[[ The opposite is not true, however. If you ride too conservatively in the beginning you will be back with riders who are not strong enough to help you. ]]

a big investment. When you make big investments in other areas of your life, you work with professionals so you’re prepared, and so that you achieve the results you expect, and you have the experience you want.

Working with a coach increases the efficiency and effectiveness of your training, keeps you accountable, and ensures you stay on track when life throws you a curveball.

ST - For riders who live far from such big climbs what can they do to build up?

CC - Build a bigger aerobic engine. Work on increasing power at lactate threshold, which is going to determine the greatest power you can sustain during a prolonged effort, whether that’s a long flat stretch into a headwind, a big climb, or a time trial.

ST - Endurance versus intervals, where is the balance for average sportive riders?

CC - Both play a role for sportive riders.

Since most have full-time jobs and

families or other priorities, intervals are essential for creating the workload and training stimulus necessary to achieve positive adaptations.

Most riders who are considering doing a multi-day sportive have a pretty good background in cycling; endurance is not typically their limiting factor. Their limiting factor is the power they need to put out in order to stay in the group, tackle the climbs, or push through the headwinds.

When those aspects of the ride take too much out of them they fatigue early.

You still need longer endurance rides in training, but endurance alone won’t lead to an enjoyable experience.

Interval training gives you the ability to go harder, when necessary, without those efforts taking so much out of you.

ST - These events can be really intense for many people; how do you handle things mentally?

CC - Incorporating blocks of back-to-back training days is important for building mental toughness for multi-day events. You

have to develop good nutrition/hydration/ recovery habits between stages, get more sleep, improve sleep quality, and learn to ride well when you’re tired.

Everyone will go through a rough patch or a rough day during a multi-day event - everyone. When it happens to you, the key is to stay engaged and keep working the problem.

Is it food related? Hydration? Heat?

Altitude? What can you do about it? And then take action. The great thing about longer endurance events is that you have time to ride yourself out of a rough patch, but you have to stay positive and keep working the problem.

ST - Pacing - most riders go out and blow themselves on day one. How would you budget effort for a week of output?

CC - Start slower than you think you should. It can be hard on the ego, but it’s better for your long-term performance. For riders who are more participating than competing, I think it is smart to look at the route and determine what day or days you really want to perform best.

Maybe there’s a certain climb on Day 3, or you want to ride really well on the Queen Stage. You can plan your other days around that, sitting-in more during the preceding day, or riding with a slower group that day, so you are fresher for the day you really value most.

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ST - Climbing, these events are often all about this. How would you calculate on gearing and energy output?

CC - The biggest thing to remember is that any energy you use early on is energy you won’t have later in the day or later in the week. So consider whether the effort you’re about to commit to is worth the energy you’re going to put into it.

ST - Hydration and nutrition; what are your essential thoughts?

CC - In longer and multi-day events it’s important to continue eating during the final hour of the day.

When athletes get close to the stage finish they stop eating. They’re tired and the finish isn’t that far away - they can eat later… That might be OK for oneday events, but not multi-day events.

You’re not just eating and drinking for

Find a balance between conserving energy and taking heroic turns.

Chris Carmichael himself.

© STEVE THOMAS

ST – How about pacing with different speed groups etc - what would be your approach?

CC - Moving up is hard, but dropping back is easy. In other words, it’s OK to start out with a group or groups that are going faster than you’re normally comfortable with.

However, you don’t want to dig too deep to stay with them, but if you have a good day and favourable conditions you could stay in that group no problem. If it’s too fast, you can drop back to a group that’s slightly slower.

The opposite is not true, however. If you ride too conservatively in the beginning you will be back with riders who are not strong enough to help you.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Early starts and bad weather are a feature of stage sportive events, so make sure you get your sleep and if a climb looms go easy on breakfast.

today’s performance; you have to consider tomorrow’s performance in what you’re eating and drinking today.

ST - Altitude - how would a rider coming from sea level adapt to high mountains, particularly in events such as the Haute Route Rockies – which is all above a mile high?

CC - Get as fit as possible before you come to altitude. The altitude will take about 10% of your power at lactate threshold at elevations around 6-9,000 feet, and the detriment gets bigger as you go higher.

That is true for everyone though, not just people from sea level. So, if you’re going to lose 10%, it’s better to lose 10% of a bigger starting power output. Once you’re at altitude, it’s also important to remain hydrated. You will dehydrate more quickly at higher elevations.

64 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

It’s also important to get as much sleep as you possibly can to recover.

ST - Some of these events have gravel sectors, and many riders are not used to rough stuff; apart from technique, what else should they take into consideration when dealing with this terrain?

CC - Realise that your speed is going to be slower, maybe 6-8kph. That doesn’t matter that much unless the gravel section is long enough that the slower speed could affect your food and water supplies.

For long gravel sections, just factor the slightly slower speed into how much food and water you need to carry. Other than that, I would tell riders not to over think it. You don’t need a different bike, wheels or tyres or an elaborate setup to handle a few gravel sections in an otherwise paved road event.

It’s a dirt road, not a downhill course.

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66 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Drop Bars and Dirt Roads

BY STEVE THOMAS

THERE’S A LOT OF DUST SWIRLING AROUND GRAVEL RIDING AT THE MOMENT, SO STEVE THOMAS DISHES THE DIRT TO HELP YOU FIND CLARITY AND THE TRUE GRAVELLY PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT.

F

OR THE PAST FEW YEARS

in mainstream road cycling there’s been muted talk about an offshoot style of riding. Road bikes and dirt roads – gravel. But what’s it all about, and how do you get into gravel grinding?

Like so many things in cycling, there isn’t actually much that’s new about riding a road bike off-road.

Re-brand and re-define things and call it gravel grinding, a great idea, after all we need another bike, don’t we?

There is no doubt that opening your mind to a little dirty riding can revitalise and expand your cycling horizons. Sure enough you may well have taken the odd timid short cut along a footpath, or even headed outback on dirt roads for a while – although that really isn’t even close to what’s actually possible to ride.

Mountain bikes; they’re great, but when you ice a serpentine section of singletrack on skinny suspension free wheels, lit only by the whites of your eyes and knuckles, wow – that really is something else! It adds that elusive third dimension to a ride.

Keep it lean, mean, and with dropped bars and the possibilities for seasoning and dressing up those regular old rides becomes close to limitless. No, gravel riding does not have to mean exactly what it says on the box; you can take it as far as you want, and that’s where the moonshine pot of adrenaline simmers.

THE BIKE

© STEVE THOMAS

GRAVEL MASTER

Basically, most gravel bikes sit somewhere between a cyclo cross bike and a race bike.

Compared to road (race) bikes they are designed to be more comfortable and stable on rough ground, as well as more robust, while also retaining that responsiveness and fast reaction feel of a thoroughbred asphalt Adonis. This is largely achieved through slackening the steering geometry.

Compared to a regular cyclo cross bike they are supposed to be slightly slicker and faster on the hard stuff and more comfortable over longer distances.

In reality, the designs are a hybrid, and are not a million miles away from some 67

of the faster touring or audax bikes that have been around for decades, only with a modern slant.

So how do they differ in ride terms?

A regular race bike can handle regular dirt and gravel, although tyre clearance for adhering mud is an issue in the wet, but for dry smooth dirt it’s good to go. A cyclo cross/touring bike hits a six on the dirt and frees you up to ride all but the most seriously demanding MTB routes. They are a little sluggish on the road, but also more comfortable with it. As for the gravel bike?

Sweet - but not as capable when taken offroad as a cross bike, and not at all as responsive on road as a road bike.

Overall, a gravel bike is capable of opening up the great and dirty unknown, or great for simply spicing up road rides and well worth adding to your collection, or perhaps even tagging as your go to road bike. If you don’t want to race on the road, a gravel bike could well be the best single ride option. If you want to race on or off road, then a cyclo cross bike and a road bike could be a smarter investment.

ROLLING STOCK Your choice of wheels, and even more relevantly; tyres, is almost as important as the actual bike, although these can be changed as and when needed at a reasonable price.

Slightly wider rims will give a slightly fatter tyre and the chance to run lower

[[ Depending on the terrain, 28-36mm tyres are best. If it’s dry and not so rough 28s are great for every day road and gravel. ]]

and frame, which may well restrict you to 25mm rubber, which is a real puncture risk on even smooth gravel.

Depending on the terrain, 28-36mm tyres are best. If it’s dry and not so rough 28s are great for every day road and gravel. Chunkier touring tyres at 3638mm are super grippy offroad, rarely puncture, and surprisingly also roll pretty smoothly on the road too.

Many of the dedicated gravel tyres out there are actually fast cyclo cross tyres with side knobs that give a rail like feel to a ride – but they are overkill for all but the dirtiest and loosest of conditions.

STOP, IN THE NAME OF MUD Road rim brakes are fine on smooth and dry roads – but as soon as you get grit and crud in there, they’ll scour your rims and become ineffective. If you do ride them offroad, consider flipping them open at times to increase clearance and be sure to clean up after a ride.

Cantilevers are great, as they offer more pulling power and clearance than rim brakes, and are much easier to clear. I’m showing my age here but sadly they are slowly becoming extinct.

Disc brakes are without any doubt the way ahead, especially for gravel and offroad riding. Even cable actuated discs are more effective than regular rim and canti’ brakes, but they are a few stops short when compared to hydraulics. Once you’ve had discs you will never go back. Keep a spare set of decent pads handy as certain compounds wear out fast in the wet.

THE RIGHT GEAR Even smooth gravel will slow you down by around 10-20%. The rougher it gets the

68 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

slower you will go – and consequently the lower the gears you will need. Although many of us still feel confined by the bravado of bigger gears, the concept really has been proven to be an outdated egodriven mistake. Keep your gears down, and always have at least one lower gear than you think you will need. Pushing a bike up a loose and steep gravel climb is not much fun.

Compact 34/50 with 28 or 32 tooth bottom rear sprockets is the regular offering on gravel bikes, but even this can be very limiting if you want to hit some serious offroad trails. The triple crankset seems to have been confined to room 101, which is a real shame, and with the limited cage capability of most road rear mech’s a 32 tooth bottom is baseline – however, slap on an MTB rear mech and you can make that a 34 without any issues … and it will make a difference.

The latest trend is 1x11, which I’ve used on mountain bikes numerous times. Sure it’s simple, but it does seem somewhat restricting – especially if you want to amp it up in a chain gang or scramble up a dirt ramp.

REVVING DOWN It’s important to keep your gearing and cadence smooth; on a flat section 80 rpm is a healthy rev speed. This helps to keep your ride smooth and also keeps some tension of the chain which stops rattle and potential drops when it gets lumpy.

Gear changes for short climbs and rough ground can be more exaggerated and dropping to that small chainring may be the only thing keeping you going. That said, always try and keep your chain stretched some on rough descents, big ring and bigger rear sprocket – to stop PAGE 70 it bouncing off.

▲

pressures for a slightly softer ride as well as more vertical sidewalls for less chance of snakebite punctures. Gains here are a bit theoretical though, and as the revheads would say, there’s no substitute for cubic inches. Deep rims may look nice, but they also make for a more rigid ride, which can leave you prone to impact punctures, especially if you’re a bigger rider– and they tend to induce greater rider fatigue.

Tyre choice can change your whole ride; and not all tyres or manufacturers produce the same results. Many road bikes have very tight clearance between tyre

© STEVE THOMAS

Drop Bars and Dirt Roads

AN EVENT BY

© STEVE THOMAS

Drop Bars and Dirt Roads

Dirt roads will not respect you, they'll sap your pace and your reserves, so factor that into any route planning.

DIRTY TRICKS If you’ve not ridden MTB or on gravel before there are a few techniques you’ll need to become familiar with.

You will probably not want to shift too far away from your regular road position, but if you are taking on regular rough rides (especially if they are technically demanding) you should try riding around 1-2cm shorter and higher at the front end. This will ease back, arm, and neck fatigue and also slightly shift your centre of gravity back to stabilise the ride and allow you a looser front end grip, which helps control and visibility.

[[ Even smooth gravel will slow you down by around 10-20%. ]] Using a gel bar tape will make for a much more comfortable ride, as will a more padded saddle and shorts. Gloves are also wise, as hitting grit at speed is not good for soft hands, and of course always wear decent eyewear, and consider carrying eye drops too.

CLIMBING Climbing on dirt is much heavier and slower than on the road, and grades can suddenly ramp up, so keeping things in a low gear is essential. Always look ahead, especially at switchbacks. The lines you take will not be as ideal as they might on the road, as you should look for a smooth and grit free ride, which is usually in vehicle tracks or worn sections.

Stay in saddle and keep it light on the bars

as much as you can. When you do stand up do it gently – avoid rapid acceleration, keep gears smooth, and your weight over the saddle and back of the bike until you sense the limit of traction. Remember that grip can vary a lot with gradient and surfaces – silky smooth and light is the way to go.

DESCENDING Get to know how your tyres, bike and brakes react and how far you can push them. Look well ahead, and also constantly scan the ground 20-50 metres in front.

Scrub your speed off gently and evenly before corners, and allow at least double the braking distance that you would on the road.

Unless the road is very smooth then stand on the pedals and keep your weight back slightly, with arms and legs slight bent to absorb the bumps and to allow the bike to bounce around some.

Keep your distance from other riders, and don’t automatically follow their lines.

If it’s dusty ahead ease off and allow it to clear some. Try and stay relaxed physically yet very alert mentally.

CORNERING Racing lines are rarely an option on dirt and gravel, as vehicles, weather and erosion limit your options, but you should always look for the safest and smoothest line.

Look well ahead, especially at what lies on the other side of the corner, and then reduce your speed very evenly with both brakes.

The edge and centre of any offroad bend is rarely a safe option. Avoid cutting centre ridges in an approach to a corner, and unless you know the line well, stick to the well-worn rails and play it safe.

70 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

POSITIONING On gravel, safety beats drafting benefit by a fair few lengths. Being on the front gives you prime position when the going is slow and technical, but naturally when it’s open you will want to take shelter and share the load, but stay alert and leave an extra half wheel's distance. Increase that buffer zone when things get rough, or better still get pole position for the really tricky bits.

Stay aware of the dust and mud too; this can mean riding “side saddle” on the windy side when it’s downhill and fast, or hanging back a length when it’s super wet (or even overlapping half a wheel).

CLEAN LINES OF SIGHT Always use good eyewear when riding in the dirt, as grit or mud in your eye is evil, especially on a descent. It’s worth carrying a Buff or something similar to clean your shades too, and eye drops will not go amiss on a dusty day out.

As we all know speckled tree cover is the great flaw of all eyewear – your eyes simply cannot react fast enough to deal with this, whipping your shades up or down before you hit a shaded section is wise, as when it’s rough you don’t want to risk taking your hands off the bars.

Bottles and cages also rattle loose surprisingly easily – use some thread sealent on the bolts and check regularly, plus bend in your cage a little for extra grip. Bottles also get dirty very easily on dirt, so give preference to the seat tube mounted bottle for drinking, and always clean the top and avoid putting it directly into your mouth unless it’s 100% pure, there’s all sorts of gut wrenching badness on dirty trails.

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BOWRAL’S WINNING GRAN FONDO

BY WAY OF DEFINITION, ANY CYCLING EVENT DESCRIBED AS A ‘CLASSIC’ HAS GENERALLY EARNED THAT TITLE OVER A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME. NOT THIS ONE. A FIRST-YEAR GRAN FONDO PROVED ITSELF AN INSTANT CLASSIC ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 23 WHEN MORE THAN 3,000 RIDERS FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA AND AROUND THE WORLD TOOK PART IN THE INAUGURAL BOWRAL CLASSIC.

72 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Southern Highlands Sportive

BY NAT BROMHEAD

While the entire course wound through spectacular rural scenes, riders in the 160km Maxi were rewarded with tranquil farm surrounds and the acclaimed Kangaloon Hill KOM.

© BEARDY MCBEARD

R

IDING FOR A REASON,

participants of all ages and abilities covered 25km, 90km or 160km to collectively raise a staggering $110,000 for various organisations under the novel ‘choose your charity’ option.

As participants braved a brisk 4-degree dawn, Bowral came alive as wave upon wave of eager participants transformed the main street of town into a sea of cyclists.

From nervous newbies about to embark on a personal ‘round town challenge of 25 km, right through to virtual pros completing the 160km course well before noon, it was an event for everyone.

Ahead of all riders lay a cyclists wonderland. Closed roads, friendly and encouraging marshals on the corners, rest and drink stations strategically placed along the way - and all set amidst some of the most stunningly beautiful countryside you could ever imagine.

A ride, not a race, the Bowral Classic brought the best out of many riders - the closed roads and safe surrounds aiding confidence and allowing competitors to push personal limits. The course included a variety of climbs and descents - from gentle ‘sprint climbs’ through to the long and painful leg burners such as the hellish Range Road ascent. With a final, fast descent and blacktop bitumen run toward the velodrome finish - it was a parcours that had it all.

Regardless of whether they’d ridden the 25km, 90km, or gruelling 160km courses, the feelings of exhaustion, accomplishment and camaraderie were palpable at the finish. From tears of joy to cheers amongst mates and good old “What took you so long?” quips from mates - a carnival atmosphere enveloped all as they relaxed at the specially set up cyclist village.

Angus Taylor MP is the Federal Member for Hume and Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation. Trading high office for carbon and Lycra for the day, Mr Taylor rode the 160km Maxi Classic. He said the event was about staying healthy, making new friends or catching up with old ones, and enjoying the great outdoors.

73

© BEARDY MCBEARD

Southern Highlands Sportive

the potential to become a million dollar plus charity event within a three to five year timeframe.

“To have this much support in the first year is a reflection of the Southern Highlands and how much people want to come and visit the area,” he said. “The Bowral Classic is here to stay and it can only get bigger and better from here.”

Frank Merritt knows a lot about the the degree of planning and preparation behind a professionally organised cycling event.

An accredited cycling Commissaire, Coach and Junior Development Officer, Frank has worked at or attended some of the biggest cycling events in the nation.

With a Masters Degree in Management and Diploma in Events among the various strings to his bow, Frank said he’d not seen such a high level of documentation before at a cycling event in New South Wales.

74 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

“The Bowral Classic was the most professionally run cycling event I have attended,” he said.

“The documentation I received prior to the event (about 30 pages) and the course documentation for the day (about 25 pages) was well put together and a lot of time and effort was spent in the preparation.”

Closely following the action from a lead vehicle, Frank’s job as Commissaire was to ensure the riders rode safely and to check all were following course directions which was different to applying the rules of cycling, he pointed out.

“I went out with the first group and during the day I was following and watching the riders from the car,” he said “The weather was great and I did not mind the chill in the morning - I lived in Melbourne for six years,” he PAGE 76 added with a laugh.

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“And after spending about five hours on the bike over the 160km maxi course, I sure had plenty of time to do just that!” he said.

A boon for Bowral and the Southern Highlands in general, the region was teaming with high-spending cyclists throughout the weekend with the local bars and cafes doing a roaring trade and accommodation houses booked out weeks in advance.

“This event has set the new benchmark for eco-tourism,” said Mr Taylor.

“An incredible debut effort by the Bowral Classic …. thousands raised for charity and a massive boost for Southern Highlands tourism, and indeed much of my electorate.”

“But as I keep saying,” he added, “Cycling is so much more than lycra and lattes.”

Organiser James Yaffa of Yaffa Media, the parent company of Bicycling Australia Magazine, said more than two-years of planning had gone into the Bowral Classic. Careful consideration was given to all aspects of the event - especially to catering for the whole cycling community - individuals and families right through to the clubs, teams and corporate groups.

Mr Yaffa said the inaugural Bowral Classic offered a lot more than just a ride.

"I think the charity aspect was a standout quality for some people. They could raise money for something they were passionate about. We’ve now raised close to $110,000 for various charities,” he said.

Thrilled with the success of the first year, Mr Yaffa said he believed the Classic has

TOP: Food, drinks, and fun at the afterparty on the local rugby fields.

LEFT: Post ride massage bliss.

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Southern Highlands Sportive

BELOW: Cold beers, assorted street food vans, live music and bean bags in the sunshine; a brilliant festival atmosphere to finish off a satisfying day on the bike.

Saturday morning to ride the 190 odd kilometres to Bowral as a warm up for the 160km Maxi Classic.

“Blue Mountains to Bowral on the back roads Saturday before the main event Sunday,” he wrote to many agog Instagram followers.

As Harry was pedaling his Lapierre south, some were in the skies above including Justin Bennett who flew from Brisbane for the event.

“Early Saturday morning I lugged my bike, suitcase and back pack out of my driveway, onto the train and a few hours later ended up at Brisbane airport,” Justin wrote.

“That afternoon I was at Mittagong assembling my bike and getting ready

for temperatures 10° or so cooler than home. It's a pain in the you know what travelling with a boxed up bike. I spent the whole flight wondering if it will reach the other end in one piece. Logistically it took a bit of thinking with plane and train connections and also cost a bit to come down for the event.”

“Would I do it again?,” he continued?

“Sure would. Brilliant event, great route, even better scenery, friendly folk and the weather was even kind to us. I'm hoping after this years effort and success the event will be on next year. “Many thanks for a great day.”

Register your interest for the 2017 Bowral Classic at www.bowralclassic.com.au PAGE 78

THE WINNERS CATEGORY

PLACE

NAME

TIME

MALE - OVERALL, MALE 30-49 YEARS

1

Adrain Jackson

4:22:05

FEMALE - OVERALL, FEMALE QOM, FEMALE 30-49 YEARS

1

Megan Scott

4:43:41

ECHAPE SPRINT

1

William Porter

4:09

KOM

1

David Evans

12:44

QOM

1

Megan Scott

15:26

TEAM - OVERALL, TEAM ECHAPEE, TEAM KOM

1

Team BMC

TEAM - ECHAPE SPRINT

1

Team BMC

TEAM - KOM

1

Team BMC

UNDER 19 MALE

1

Declan Prosser

4:06:16

19-29 YRS MALE

1

Nicholas Wilson

4:06:35

19-29 YRS FEMALE

1

Loren Lane

5:02:52

30 - 49 YRS MALE

1

Adrain Jackson

4:06:06

30 - 49 YRS FEMALE

1

Megan Scott

4:43:41

50+ YRS MALE

1

Gary Rubie

4:06:18

50+ YRS FEMALE

1

Karen Dutton

5:24:52

76 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

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“I was surprised and saw no traffic infringements, major incidents or crashes.

All the groups I saw had good fitness levels, and I only encountered one person who was ill and required to be picked up. All other problems were mechanical or flat tyres.”

Mr Merritt said the level of traffic control, police, volunteers and community involvement was outstanding.

“A lot time must have been put into engaging with the community and the various levels of government (local and state) to bring them on board,” he said.

“This can only be done by meeting and knowing the right contacts and having stakeholder involvement.”

A mass participation event like the Bowral Classic wouldn't be complete without the war stories. Strava, Facebook feeds and Instagram accounts were filled with fantastic images, memories and battle scars of the event.

Luke Meers is one rider who’s Bowral Classic weekend resembled more an SAS commando course than time of rest and recreation.

Leaving home in Wollongong, he rode 165km, in the rain, to Glenworth Valley where he competed in the Tough Mudder - a grueling challenge of 20 different obstacles around an 18km mud-filled course.

“I rode up there, 165km in miserable rain, did the Tough Mudder, then drove home to ride the 160km Bowral Classic on Sunday,” he said as if it was a walk in the park.

“I didn’t get much sleep but surprisingly didn’t feel too bad on Monday,” he said.

“I did wear through a set of rear wheel bearings on the bike over the weekend … but it was well worth it,” he added.

Then there was mad-keen Harry Mackay who left the Blue Mountains early on

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Southern Highlands Sportive MALE – OVERALL WINNER MALE 30-49 YEARS WINNER ADRIAN JACKSON

FEMALE – OVERALL WINNER, FEMALE QOM, FEMALE 30-49 YEARS WINNER MEGAN SCOTT AGE: 35 HOMETOWN: Alexandria, Sydney OCCUPATION: Solicitor CLUB / BUNCH: Giant Cycling Club Sydney and Cani Pazzi BIKE: Giant Advanced Avail 2 USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: I try to aim for about 200 to 250km a week depending on time and other

AGE: 33 HOMETOWN: Ivanhoe, VIC OCCUPATION: Aerospace Engineer CLUB / BUNCH: Dirt Riders MTB club and The King’s Men (TKM) on the road.

BIKE: Orbea Orca M10 USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: Probably around 300km on average. Because I ride on the MTB a lot I don’t usually think too much about kms!

WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? I started racing competitively around 2004.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? MTB: around my local trails in Plenty Gorge. Road: TKM Full Noize.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC…HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? It was great, a good mix of flatter sections, undulating and some good solid climbs in the back half. There were some good views along the way too if you had the time

to look!

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but in the end there was a small but nice group of guys which rolled to the finish together.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? I’ve done the off-road “Dirty Gran Fondo” run

by Big Hill Events - both the Wandong and Gembrook events a number of times each.

WHERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? The Gembrook Dirty Gran Fondo is a great ride - 75km through lush green forest!

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? I worked my way into the ride, but it’s fair to say by the end I was pretty tired.

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? During the ride itself it was really friendly and then the post-event village had a great atmosphere especially around the beer tent!

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? It’s a long drive up from Melbourne but hopefully yes!

commitments. If I am training for a longer event I could do anywhere between 250km to 400km per week.

WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? I bought my first road bike in September 2013. I rode in between running injuries mostly around Centennial Park just to keep fit. I started doing longer rides and getting more serious in about January 2015.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? Mosman Hills is always beautiful with some great hills. A ride out to Palm Beach with a park up at the Boat House for some coffee and banana bread also has to be up there.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC…HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE?

The course was fairly flat and rolling for the first part so it was fast. The last part of the course had a few more hilly sections which were challenging after trying to keep up such a fast pace for the first section of the course. The scenery was really beautiful and the roads were great. There were lots of locals out cheering us all on which gave the race a great atmosphere.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? I was in the second group that left from the first wave and the pace of the front guys was pretty fast!

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? I have completed the Peaks Challenges in the Gold Coast and Falls Creek, B2B, Fitz’s Challenge and the Haute Route Dolomites.

WHERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? The Haute Route Dolomites by far! It was an absolutely incredible experience. It was challenging but the scenery was amazing. There were some really great iconic climbs and I met some awesome people along the journey.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? I did not have any real plan; just to ride as fast as I could on the day.

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? It was a really great day out with a great bunch of people. It was nice to have an event a little closer to Sydney and the village at the end was nice to hang out in. I definitely appreciated the free beer and bean bag at the end.

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Of course!

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Southern Highlands Sportive

19-29 YEARS FEMALE WINNER LOREN LANE AGE: 25 HOMETOWN: Maroubra, NSW OCCUPATION: Account Manager CLUB / BUNCH: Cheeky Velosport and Coogee Triathlon Club BIKE: Cervelo S3 USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: 300 WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? 2014 FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? Wednesday Cheeky Express-o rides! Not to

ECHAPEE SPRINT WINNER WILL PORTER AGE: 30 HOMETOWN: Adelaide OCCUPATION: Pilot CLUB / BUNCH: ROH Balmain.

A local bunch of misfits

19-29 YEARS MALE WINNER NICHOLAS WILSON AGE: 25 HOMETOWN: Canberra

be confused with a normal coffee ride.

These rides are 30k of hanging on for dear life and pushing the bunch past their limits, but the best part is the home baked treats at the end made by our resident baker and the good chats.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC…HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? The course was great, it had such a variety of scenery and hills which kept it interesting. The first 85km was relatively easy as it was predominantly down hill and it allowed me to rest my legs for the back half which I knew was going to be brutal...

It didn’t disappoint.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? I went off in the first wave and they absolutely flew, so I found the first 10-15k a bit quick but once everyone settled down

and formed groups it was a much more reasonable pace. I found myself a few bunches along the way but mainly was cycling with one or two others.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? No. HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? I am training for Ironman and therefore wanted to give the 160k a good hit out. The plan was to remain relatively conservative for the first 80k then work into. I approached it to go at race pace although the wind made it much slower than I anticipated.

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? Was a great event and a well organised day with a course that was challenging yet enjoyable.

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Wouldn’t miss it!!

BIKE: Focus Cayo 1.0 USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: 300kms WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? I started riding as a kid to and from school in the Adelaide Hills. I, however, started road biking in about 2006. My father in-law rode every weekend through the Adelaide Hills and his enthusiasm about the sport grew my interest.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? Palm Beach. 100kms and 1700m vert. A good ride in all weather that can be added to depending on how I feel.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC…HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? It was great. Beautiful and a lot more challenging that I thought it would be. The road surface, wind and occasional good pinch made it a great challenge. The timed sections also added an extra fun element.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? It was a great mix of abilities. With people happy to take it easy and enjoy the views right

through to a friend of mine who finished with an average speed of over 33 kph.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? Yes. Peaks Challenges (Gold Coast x 2, Falls Creek) and Whistler Gran Fondo.

WHERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? From the point of a classic challenge, The Falls Creek Peaks Challenge was amazing. Perfectly set up with lots of support and nothing beats the combination of 38 degrees Celsius and the climb up the back of Falls. But the Whistler Gran Fondo was a ripper. Flat out, beautiful and a 14 km climb only 10 Kms into the ride.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? Fun. WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? Awesome. All the locals seemed to be very supportive of the event.

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Yes

OCCUPATION: Ecologist CLUB / BUNCH: Canberra Cycling Club BIKE: 2013 Trek Madone USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: 200km, 300km if I am lucky.

WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? Around 2005.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? Not so regular, but any ride up to Gunning and beyond is a pleasure.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC… HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? Pretty tough, there weren’t any really big hills, but it was up and down for the whole 160km.

The scenery made it worthwhile though.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? After playing about for the first 100km, a

few guys really got going and it was pretty solid from there on.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? I have done a bit of state level racing, but this is the first Gran Fondo I have done.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? (fun / challenge / race pace) I figured a few of us would push each other for the fastest time without the tension of a real race, sort of like a really big bunch ride.

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? It was a fun day, and a bit of an adventure exploring the country around Bowral.

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Hopefully I can make it along next year.

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Southern Highlands Sportive

UNDER 19 MALE WINNER DECLAN PROSSER AGE: I am 18 and will be turning 19 next February so this is my last year in U19.

HOMETOWN: Born in Canberra and lived here almost all my life OCCUPATION: I work part time at a local bike shop in Canberra CLUB / BUNCH: I am in Canberra Cycling Club but I also race for the NRS team GPM stulz BIKE: Since the start of the year I have been riding a 2016 Focus Izalco Max with Sram Red which I got through my team GPM Stulz.

USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: It varies a bit each week depending on what I am trying to work on. Usually it is between 320 and 400km’s.

WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? I started properly riding and racing when I was about 12 or 13 and I enjoyed it so much I have just kept on going.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? Canberra is great for cycling because there

is almost always a bunch ride on each day of the week. My favourite would have to be The Hour of Power which is exactly what it sounds like, 1 hour of chopping off with other top level riders in the ACT. YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC... HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? It was very intense! It was a very windy day so for the first 100km we were just rolling through in the crosswind and trying to get a rest whenever we possibly could.

The last 60km or so was very hilly and there were only six of us left in the leading group. I was starting to get really tired since this was the longest ride I have done and eventually I got dropped by the other five with about 20km to go so I just rode the last 20km’s on my own.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? There were a number of elite level riders in the bunch which made for some fun riding and like I said I eventually got dropped by some of the riders near the end so the pace was most definitely on the whole way.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? I have ridden the Blayney to Bathurst two years in a row now and it I love it. A lot of NRS level riders come to the Blayney to Bathurst so it makes the ride a really tough one which I love. Other than that I just stick to Club racing and other races around the country.

WHERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? My favourite would have to be the MS Wollongong Criterium which was on the 6th of November. It’s a short 600m circuit race that brings elite level riders to the course. This was a really exciting race for me because the year before one of my teammates in GPM Stulz won the race so we were really looking to win again.

50+ YEARS MALE WINNER GARY RUBIE AGE: 51 HOMETOWN: Sydney OCCUPATION: IT Project Manager CLUB / BUNCH: St George Cycling Club BIKE: Cervelo S3 USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: 450k.

WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? Raced when I was teenager in the 80’s and started again when my son started racing.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? Royal National Park and Macquarie Pass.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC…HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? Great course with something for all types of riders.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? Front group was going quick and not a bad

I also did this race the year before but I wasn’t in with the elites as I was not quite good enough yet so this year was my first time going up against the top riders. My teammate Cameron Ivory won the race so it was really fun to be able to celebrate with them.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? I hadn’t done a ride this long before so I wasn’t too sure how to ride it. The longest ride before this was 130km in an NRS Race this year so it wasn’t much longer but after 130km of fast pace riding that last 30km felt extremely long. I went into it with the mindset of just trying to stick with the front group for as long as I could and see where that takes me. I planned before the ride when I was going to have a gel or eat a bar so I wouldn’t have a hunger flat. Once I realised I was one of the stronger riders I felt more confident so I was doing more turns and staying on the front more. I think the way I approached it was really smart and I am really happy with my result.

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? Well the day started off very cold but I had to dress smart as I knew it was going to warm up but luckily my bunch started riding hard early on so I warmed up quickly. The weather ended up being awesome and it made for a really nice ride that I was able to enjoy even while suffering on the bike.

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Definitely! I will be keeping the Bowral Classic weekend clear so I can come back and defend my title and hopefully improve my time. This was one of my favourite rides ever so I will definitely be back for some more fun.

average for the ride.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? Have done Falls Creek 3 Peaks 5 times in a row, 2016 NZ Grape Ride and World Champ Grand Fondo in Perth.

WHERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? 3 Peaks is such amazing scenery and is a real challenge, especially the Back of Falls climb.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? Train for both intensity and endurance and of course lots of climbing.

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? Great day, really well organised for first attempt, police and volunteers were great. Facilities and entertainment at the end was great too.

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Yes, plan to return and see if I can still mix it with the young guys.

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PAGE 84 82 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

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Southern Highlands Sportive

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN DAVID EVANS AGE: 46 HOMETOWN: Sydney OCCUPATION: OE Manager for SRAM CLUB / BUNCH: Manly but only for racing, a

TEAM OVERALL WINNER, TEAM ECHAPEE WINNER, TEAM KOM WINNER GED FINEGAN, TONY HOLLAND, CHRIS OAKS, JEREMY BETTS, BRIAN WHELAN, VAUGHAN PEARCE, DEB MAKIN, DYLAN ROBERTSON, TOM SLOAN, JAMES FRAPPE, TOM WINDYER, ADRIAN MITCHELL, MICHAEL HUDSON, ANDREW HASSALL CLUB / BUNCH: Team BMC USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: Anywhere from 150km to 300km’s per week ...but I would say that through the course of the year the average would be closer to 200km per week across the team. We have a few fanatics though.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? We

select group of mates for training!

BIKE: Focus Izalco Max with eTap and Zipp 303 NSW. USUAL K’S RIDDEN PER WEEK: 400ish.

WHEN DID YOU START CYCLING? Started in the early 90’s as a training substitute to running when I was injured and then took up cycling only in 2002.

FAVOURITE REGULAR OR TRAINING RIDE? Coluzzi through the RNP on Saturday morning.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC…HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? Nice and rolling. Nothing on its own that was too tough but towards the end of a solid 160, even small climbs are tough.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? I finished with my normal two training partners Anthony Shippard and Dan Bonello and another guy who I didn’t know. We just maintained a nice even solid

pace though out.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? Yes, lots!

WHERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? Peaks Gold Coast is my fave, although Peaks Falls Creek and Peaks Cradle are both great rides that are extremely challenging!

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? Like all Fondos, start out easy with a largish bunch and just gradually build (read hold) the pace. Hit a few climbs to get rid of those not contributing!

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? It was a great day out, close enough to Sydney to make it a day trip and a nice challenging course that everyone can get through (if you’ve trained a bit!)

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Yes.

have a number of routes based around the North Shore of Sydney that include Bobbin Head national park, Akuna Bay and West Head, Duffy’s (Terry Hills) and the Gorges (Galston, Berowra, Brooklyn). On occasion we will also ride west out to Maraylya and Windsor or North to Peats Ridge.

YOU RODE THE 160KM AT THE BOWRAL CLASSIC…HOW DID YOU FIND THE COURSE? The course was fantastic. I thought it had a good mix of terrain from some nice flat fast sections to the hills in the last 50km. You certainly had to save some energy for the finish – range road in particular created some leg burning.

HOW ABOUT THE PACE OF THE OTHER RIDERS? Overall everyone in the event seemed to be ready for the challenge. Being a timed ride there was a good number of riders who took the challenge on while many enjoyed the scenery and the personal goal to finish.

I thought everyone rode with a great sense

of community and supported each other during the ride as needed. I felt really comfortable all ride amongst the many different pelotons I ended up in.

HAVE YOU DONE OTHER GRAN FONDOS? Most of us in the team have ridden at least 1 other Gran Fondo – for some it was the first.

There are a couple of team members that have ridden in quite a few.

WHERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? Within the team, we have ridden Amy’s, B2B, Bright etc... and the consensus is that this ride is our favourite.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A 160KM RIDE LIKE THIS? Good question – with the Bowral classic the main focus was the challenge but we are a competitive bunch so this turned into being let’s ride hard and then see how feel ... some of us felt better than others and so kicked on to the finish. That’s what I like about this type of event, there is no pressure – you can enjoy it and ride to finish or if you feel good can you push hard to the finish – there is always someone in our team that will decide to push hard so it’s just a matter of “see how you feel on the day”.

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE DAY IN BOWRAL? It was a fabulous day – from the weekend getaway with the family, the ride, the acceptance of the many many cyclists provided by the Bowral community, the family being able to ride as well on the shorter routes, to the atmosphere experienced in the showground at the finish. Really enjoyable.

WILL YOU BE BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE IN 2017? Most definitely! But it won’t be so much coming back to defend our title as coming back to enjoy the ride and spend a few days in the Highlands!

84 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

VAMOS...CYCLING IN CHILE!

FROM THE ALTI-PLANO AND ATACAMA DESERT IN THE NORTH, WHERE RAINFALL AVERAGES 3.5MM PER YEAR, TO THE WILDS OF PATAGONIA IN THE SOUTH, WHERE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 100KPH ARE NOT UNCOMMON, CHILE HAS A DIVERSITY OF CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY TO MATCH AUSTRALIA. THESE EXTREMES MAY NOT BE APPEALING TO MANY CYCLISTS BUT IN BETWEEN THERE ARE SOARING MOUNTAINS, BEAUTIFUL VALLEYS AND VINEYARDS APLENTY.

86 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Bucket List l Cycling in Chile

BY PERRY BROWN IMAGES BY PERRY BROWN

The descent from Farellones includes 40 switchbacks.

87

Bucket List l Cycling in Chile

S

ANTIAGO IS A CITY OF

around six million people and lies approximately 100 km from the coast on a similar latitude to Sydney at an elevation of about 600m. The climate is generally dry – only 350 mm of rain per year and average maximum temperatures vary from 15 degrees in winter to 30 degrees in summer. Wind is usually non-existent or very light so generally the climate is ideal for cycling. The San Ramon range to the south-east provides a spectacular back-drop to the city; particularly in winter when it is covered in snow. Further to the east lie the Andes with Cerro Plomo (5,600m) watching guard over the city.

However, cycling in Santiago is not for the faint hearted. With all the traffic, smog, busses, dogs and other assorted hazards there are lots of excuses not to ride. But head out of town a little and there are some of the biggest and best climbs around with roads and scenery like nothing in Australia. And in Santiago there is always Cerro San Cristobal – by far the most popular place to ride in the city.

CERRO SAN CRISTOBAL The people of Santiago love to ride their bikes but mostly for commuting. Since the traffic is generally bad and there are

TOP TO BOTTOM The climb to Valle Nevado is a lung buster but yields spectacular views of the Andes.

Café’s in Santiago may be a little different, but the helados (ice-creams) are great!

The Noi Hotel Vitacura, is one of the best places in Santiago to watch the sun set on the Andes.

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PAGE 90

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Bucket List l Cycling in Chile

only a few cycle paths they tend to ride on the footpath, much to the annoyance of most pedestrians. The exception is Cerro San Cristobal where thousands of Chilenos flock to exercise on weekends; on foot, with dogs and on all sorts of bikes but mostly mountain or hybrid bikes. San Cristobal lies inside the Parque Metropolitano which is one of the largest metropolitan parks in the world.

It is almost in the center of Santiago and on a clear day the views over Santiago to the San Ramon range and Andes are spectacular. A 30m statue of the Virgin Mary stands atop Cerro San Cristobal and can be seen from many places in

the city. Fortunately vehicle traffic is rarely a problem as there are no through routes and cars are discouraged by a 4000 peso ( $8) entry fee to the park (no fee for cyclists). Peak times are mid to late morning on the weekends and are best avoided.

Cerro San Cristobal is the best place to watch the sun rise over Santiago and the best way to get to the top of San Cristobal is by bike! There’s a choice of four routes and all join together for the last kilometre to the top which ascends to the base of the Virgin Mary statue. The most popular route is from the entrance at the end of Pedro Valdivia and climbs steadily for 4.4

TOP LEFT: Climbing Cerro San Cristobal with Santiago business district in the background.

TOP RIGHT: The streets of Barrio Londres are reminiscent of the Latin Quarter of Paris and include a former detention centre of the Pinochet regime.

LEFT: The San Ramon range provides a spectacular back-drop to Santiago in winter.

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km with an average gradient of 4.6%. The next most popular route from Pio Nono is slightly longer at 5.0 km with a similar gradient. The route with the least traffic and the most variety (and my favorite) is Zapadores which starts on the north side of the park. It is 5.7 km at 5.3% and has a couple of switch-backs and pinches of 10%.

It’s also the best descent from the summit!

The other popular climb on the outskirts of Santiago is Paseo Andino. You might see the occasional mountain bike but mostly it’s roadies you will find here. On the south side the climb starts in the outer suburb of Lo Barnechea at an elevation of 880 m.

The first two kilometres are at an average gradient of 8% and then it is quite lumpy for the remaining four kilometres to the top at 1,150m. Throughout the climb there are views of the snow-capped Andes and from the top of the pass can be seen the town of Piedra Roja, a relatively new suburb of Santiago. The descent on the other side is one of the best. The surface is good, the corners not too tight and experienced riders can average 60+kph on the 7km descent.

PAGE 92 You can get a coffee in Piedra

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Bucket List l Cycling in Chile

TRAVEL INFORMATION HOW TO GET THERE Nearly all international flights to and from Chile use Santiago airport (SCL). Qantas flies direct from Sydney to Santiago and LATAM (previously LAN Chile) fly to Melbourne or Sydney via Auckland. The time difference to Australia’s east coast is 13 or 14 hours; depending on timing of daylight savings.

WHERE TO STAY Santiago has a huge range of accommodation from 5-star hotels down to 1-star hostels with prices to match. The better parts of town are the north-eastern suburbs of Las Condes, Vitacura and Lo Barnechea which are also the closest to the rides described. Las Condes includes the main business district and plenty of good hotels and restaurants. In the Colchagua Valley Santa Cruz is a good place to stay while exploring the wineries and smaller surrounding towns. It has a good range of hotels, restaurants and an excellent museum.

WHEN TO GO Santiago in winter is cold and frequently blanketed in cloud or smog and not recommended unless you want to go skiing. The remaining months are generally fine for cycling although it will be cold in the mountains in September and May. Apart from being freezing cold, Camino Farellones is not recommended in the ski season due to heavy traffic which may extend into October.

MONEY MATTERS

LOS ANDES! For the really big climbs, head east out through Las Condes and Lo Barnechea and take the right fork at the Shell garage on Avenida Las Condes. This is the start of Camino Farellones at 850 m elevation.

From here the road twists and turns and gradually climbs up the floor of the Mapocho Valley until another fork is reached after 16 km at Corral Quemado (1300m). The road now starts to climb up the side of the mountains and the next 14.2 km is a big test of lungs and legs.

There are 40 switch-backs, all individually numbered to count off as the road climbs skywards to a junction just before the ski town of Farellones. To reach here from the intersection near Corral Quemado the climb is almost exactly 1000m at

BIKE SHOPS Local bike shops are plentiful in Santiago but not so common in other areas. Parts are expensive due to the 19% tax applied to all imported goods but labour is cheaper than in Australia. High end spares for road bikes (Dura-Ace, Ultegra, etc) are hard to find due to the high cost and limited demand.

92 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

an average of 7.1%. There is one flat section about halfway which provides an opportunity to recover but there are also several pinches of 10+%. Farellones is a good place to have coffee (if you can find somewhere open) before heading back down the same way.

Alternatively you can continue another 5km up the same road to the ski resort of La Pava at 2800m, or the real masochists can take the right fork before Farellones and head up to Valle Nevado. There is a welcome descent for a few km before the switch-backs start again; another 20 on the final climb to Valle Nevado at 3000m.

On this final section the gradient may be only 6.5 % but up here there’s 30% less air than at sea level so this climb is going to hurt no matter how fit you are! As you climb out of the valley the views of the Andes just get better and better. The hotel at Valle Nevado seems to be always open and has excellent coffee and croissants.

Depending where you start from in Santiago the total climb to Valle Nevado is around 2400m!

PAGE 94

TOP: Yerba Loca creek, just off Camino Farellones.

LEFT: It's plain to see why hiking is popular in Sanctuary Yerba Loca.

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The currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP) and one Aussie dollar buys around 500 CLP. The exchange rate to the Aussie dollar has been relatively stable for the past few years. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Debit cards can be used to withdraw cash in most ATM’s in Santiago and other popular areas but suitable ATM’s can be hard to find in more remote areas.

American dollars may be useful if travelling to other parts of South America but are generally not used in Chile.

Roja or do a loop around the town but then there is a brutal climb back up that awesome descent! It starts at 9% gradient and, apart from a couple of flattish spots doesn’t get much easier. The total climb is 520m over 7km for an average gradient of over 7%.

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Bucket List l Cycling in Chile

THE SOUTH

STRAVA SEGMENTS Paseo Andino north side https://www.strava.com/segments/664188 Paseo Andino south side https://www.strava.com/segments/632958

The Maipo and Colchagua valleys just a couple of hours south of Santiago are two of the prime wine making areas of Chile and provide good opportunities for more relaxed cycling without the big climbs. The road through the upper Maipo, or Cajon de Maipo, follows the Maipo river and climbs at a more manageable gradient of around 2%. The river valley is quite scenic and also provides views of the Andes. The ride can be started in La Florida on the outskirts of Santiago but to avoid some of the traffic it’s better to drive to San Jose de Maipo. From San Jose to the end of the bitumen near Banos Morales is 40 km with a total climb of 700m.

For wine lovers the lower Maipo and Colchagua valleys are a must. The Chilean wine industry is booming with several of the top wines having received international awards and selling for hundreds of dollars a bottle. Most of the wineries offer tastings and/or restaurants and it is easy to spend a weekend or longer cycling and sampling.

The roads are generally flat and there are numerous routes to choose from which wind around through the vineyards and small towns. Again, it’s best to ride in the mornings when the weather is cool and clear and most Chileans are still sleeping.

Away from Santiago and the Farellones climbs, road bikes and lycra are not common in Chile so you may receive some looks and/or shouts of encouragement.

Chileans are generally peaceful and friendly people but they can be aggressive drivers, particularly when the traffic gets heavy. However, in two years I have never suffered any road-rage or abuse like I occasionally received in Australia.

San Cristobal top section (where all access routes join) https://www.strava.com/segments/1589982 San Cristobal via Pio Nono https://www.strava.com/segments/3319116 San Cristobal via Zapadores https://www.strava.com/segments/9102608 Camino Farellones (to Farellones) https://www.strava.com/segments/943840 Farellones – La Parva https://www.strava.com/segments/4846399 Farellones – Valle Nevado https://www.strava.com/segments/2951195 Santiago (Mall Sport) – Valle Nevado https://www.strava.com/segments/6955660

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Santa Lucia is the site where Pedro Valdivia proclaimed the city of Santiago in 1541.

Street art is vibrant and abundant in Bella Vista, Santiago.

Volcan Osorno is about 10 hours drive south of Santiago, but spectacular enough to warrant the visit.

Enjoy a recreational ride along the Great Ocean Road with family and friends

Saturday 18 March, Torquay One month earlier than last year!

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30km Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ride Victoria

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Included in your entry is a 2XU Event Jersey (RRP $139). Female and male sizes available:

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THE EDGE

Masterclass l Improve Pelvic Stability

BY SOPHIA AULD

MASTERCLASS Power Through Pelvic Stability ................................................... 96

FUEL The Ultimate Recovery Food..... ................................................. 102

WORKSHOP The Spoken Word.................. 106

Power through Pelvic Stability THE MUSCLES YOUR POWERFUL PELVIS OF YOUR PELVIS pelvis is a ring of bones, ARE CRUCIAL FOR Your held together by strong GOOD POSTURE ligaments, muscles and fascia. It protects vital organs, AND POWER including the urinary and GENERATION reproductive systems. The WHILE CYCLING. pelvic floor muscles form the base of the pelvis, acting SOPHIA AULD like a sling to support these INVESTIGATES organs. Numerous muscles attach to the pelvic bones on THE ROLE OF all sides, providing stability THE PELVIC for standing and enabling MYOFASCIAL the strong leg movements required for cycling.

SLINGS FOR The pelvis transfers forces OPTIMISING from the lower limbs to the RIDING SPEED spine, and vice versa, via AND ENDURANCE. the hip and sacroiliac joints.

In cycling, where the body weight is supported on the base of the pelvis; the sit bones (or ischial tuberosities), it becomes a platform of stability, enabling the legs to generate force for driving the pedals.

Good pelvic posture and muscle control allow the leg muscles to generate maximal power. Endurance improves too when your pelvis is stable and strength is high, by reducing energy wastage from unnecessary movement.

PELVIC MOVEMENT Your pelvis moves in three planes.

1. Tilt—your pelvis tilts forward and backward, in

THE LATERAL SLING SOPHIA AULD

SOPHIA AULD is a physiotherapist, Pilates instructor and freelance writer, with 26 years’ experience in the health sector.

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The Lateral Sling is located down the sides of each leg, the LS’s include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, tensor fascia lata and iliotibial band, inserting just below the outside of the knee. This sling provides control of the hip and knee joints, and lateral stability of the pelvis i.e. side to side movement. Imbalance in this sling can cause knee turn-out when riding, and problems with hip and knee pain.

You can assess this sling yourself by facing a mirror, and standing on one leg. If your pelvis drops on the opposite side (Trendelenburg sign), this indicates weakness of the LS in the leg you are standing on.

See your health professional for further assessment and corrective exercises.

When riding, keeping a neutral pelvis assists with correct alignment of the lower limb during the pedal stroke, ensuring your hip lines up with your knee and foot. Have a training partner assess your riding posture, or consult a professional for a thorough evaluation.

HUMAN MUSCULATURE SHOWING MYOFASCIAL SLINGS Trapezius

ANTERIOR OBLIQUE SLINGS

Deltoid Pectoralis major Rectus abdominis External oblique Latissimus dorsi Multifidis Erector spinate Gluteus medialis Gluteus maximus

POSTERIOR OBLIQUE SLING

DLS LS

Iliotibial band Vastus lateralis Semitendinosus Sartorius Adductor longus Rectus femoris Semimembranosus Biceps femoris Vastus medialis Gastrocnemius Soleus

LATERAL SLING

DEEP LATERAL SLING

THE DEEP LONGITUDINAL SLING The DLS connects the biceps femoris (one of the hamstring muscles) to the sacrotuberous ligament, thoracolumbar fascia, multifidus and erector spinae (back) muscles on the same side of the body. This sling helps to stabilise the sacroiliac joint and the spine, assists with control into lumbar flexion (forward bending) and moving the spine back into extension. The multifidus and erector spinae work to maintain upright posture, so function consistently at low loads, but can be ramped up as required to provide bursts of strength. The biceps femoris is involved in flexing the heel towards the buttock in cycling. Tightness or weakness on one side can lead to loss of power and efficiency.

The slump test will help assess this sling. Perform it slowly, as it stretches the whole nervous system, and can potentially aggravate some lower back conditions. Sit on the edge of a high chair or table, with your legs hanging freely and hands behind your back. Bring your chin down onto your chest, then slouch through your back. Maintaining this position, slowly extend one knee until you feel increased tension in the back or leg.

Lower that leg, then extend the other knee for a comparison. If one side feels tighter, you probably need to stretch the hamstrings on that side.

Also look at pelvic tilt. If your pelvis is tilted backwards (posteriorly), you likely need to stretch hamstrings on both sides.

97

Masterclass l Improve Pelvic Stability [[When the force vectors between different slings are balanced, they provide optimal alignment... efficient movement, increased force production, and greater speed. ]] required for optimal control.

STABILITY VS CONTROL There has been considerable focus in recent years on so-called ‘core stability’, leading to a lot of training that supposedly strengthens the deep abdominal muscles with static exercises like the plank.

While research has proven beyond doubt the importance of the deep muscular layers for a robust spine, this approach

THE ANTERIOR OBLIQUE SLING The AOS consists of the internal and external abdominal obliques, connected to the adductors of the opposite thigh via the abdominal-adductor fascia. When this sling is working correctly on both sides of the body, it causes even loading across the pubic symphysis (where the pubic bones meet), and stabilises the abdominal wall. Imbalance has the potential to cause shearing forces across the front of the pelvis, resulting in groin pain. Imbalance in the obliques may also cause excessive trunk rotation, triggering back pain and reduced cycling efficiency.

To assess for imbalance in the obliques, perform a set of oblique crunches to each side.

If one side is significantly weaker than the other, you are at risk of problems. Build up the weaker side with the same exercise.

Check adductor length by standing with your feet spaced well apart. Ensuring your pelvis stays level, lunge sideways until you feel a stretch in the inner thigh.

Compare this to the other side. If one side is significantly stiffer, work on stretches to that side.

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▲

conjunction with the lumbar spine. As the pelvis tilts forward (anteriorly), the lower back arches. As it tilts backward (posteriorly), the lower back flattens. Ideal cycling position is midway between these two extremes.

2. Lateral tilt—the pelvis can ‘hitch up’ or ‘drop’ sideways.

3. Rotation—the pelvis rotates to the left and right e.g. the left side rotates forward as you swing that leg forward to step.

Strength in all three planes is

has led to a reduced emphasis on the superficial layers, which are also crucial for a strong back and hips. It has also produced a focus on static exercises for isolated muscle groups, rather than considering systems as a whole, operating synergistically under numerous conditions.

Recent research is increasingly using the term ‘control’ rather than ‘stability’, to acknowledge the dynamic nature of strategies humans use to move safely and effectively in a variety of environments. Control requires us to continually anticipate and adapt to intrinsic and extrinsic forces.

Intrinsic forces include breathing and PAGE 100 postural changes.

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Masterclass l Improve Pelvic Stability

On your bike, extrinsic forces involve things like turning or hitting a pothole. Some of these will be anticipated, allowing the motor control system to prepare, while others will not, meaning the body has to react rapidly to maintain safety and prevent injury.

THE MYOFASCIAL SLINGS Anatomy slings were first described by researcher Andry Vleeming, who proposed that these superficial structures were important for generating efficient dynamic movement in harmony with the deep muscle groups. Named ‘myofascial’ slings after the tissues comprising them, they contain muscles, fascia and ligaments, working together to create stability and control mobility.

Muscles within a sling are connected via fascia. Because of these interconnections, a muscle contraction causes forces to be transmitted throughout the sling. These are called force vectors, and they assist in the transfer of load within the pelvis and lumbar spine. When the force vectors between different slings are balanced, they provide optimal alignment.

This enables efficient movement, increased force production, and greater speed.

Imbalanced force vectors may result in malalignment and the potential for instability and injury.

Four major sling systems around the pelvis have been identified in this region. A qualified health professional can perform a detailed assessment of each of these slings.

Here are some suggestions for self-assessment and treatment:

STRENGTHEN THE SLINGS Any activity that demands dynamic control of the pelvis will help to strengthen the myofascial slings. To complement your cycling, try walking or running in sand for a sensational sling workout—the softer the sand, the more stability required, increasing demand on the slings. If you really want to smash it, try sand hill running.

Alternatively, deep water running challenges pelvic control without the impact. Swimming a variety of strokes is another option. And, as always, consult your health care professional for specific advice.

THE POSTERIOR OBLIQUE SLING The POS comprises the latissimus dorsi, and the opposite gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the body, connected across the lumbosacral region through the thoracolumbar fascia. The lower portion of the gluteus maximus connects to the femur (thigh bone) underneath the iliotibial band on the outer side of the thigh. The POS is critical for stability of the sacroiliac joint, reducing potential for shearing and pain.

As the most powerful hip extensor, a strong gluteus maximus is essential for cyclists, and good balance between both sides

enables maximum efficiency and reduces risk of inappropriate activation of other muscle groups. The latissimus dorsi helps to maintain the shoulder stability necessary for good arm position when riding.

Assess flexibility in the gluteus maximus by lying on your back with both knees bent. Place the outer side of one ankle onto the opposite knee, allowing the top knee to drop out sideways. Reach between your legs and pull the bottom leg towards your chest until you feel the glute stretching.

Compare this with the other leg. Use this stretch to improve flexibility of the stiff side.

For the latissimus dorsi, raise one arm beside your head with the palm facing inwards. Bend sideways away from that arm and slightly forward until you feel the stretch.

Again, compare one side to the other, and work on stretching the stiffer side.

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Fuel l Recovery BYDAVID O’REILLY

Chocolate Milk

The Ultimate Recovery Food YOU MAY NOT WANT TO DRINK CHOCOLATE MILK EVERY DAY, BUT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO RETAIL OUTLET RECOVERY POTIONS, IT MIGHT BE THE MIRACLE ELIXIR! DAVID O'REILLY EXPLAINS.

W

HEN I STOP AND

think about being Aussie, a few things come to mind. Sun, surf, thongs and Big-M. So what could be more Aussie than slamming a chocolate milk after a hard day in the mountains? You’re probably already thinking that can’t possibly be smart. Well, if there are two things I love, it’s living in the land down under and teaching others how seemingly unhealthy underdog foods can be put to good use. Seriously, it would be un-Australian of me not to stick it to the million dollar nutrition industry and maybe some of your high and mighty cycling friends.

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THE SCIENCE Results of research performed on endurance cyclists, comparing chocolate milk with ‘scientific’ recovery drink, were very favourable towards chocolate milk, even though the cyclists didn’t know what they were drinking. After repeated rides, the cyclist’s perceived effort was found to be equivalent, regardless of whether they consumed chocolate milk or the recovery drink. Therefore, chocolate milk is as good a recovery drink as the expensive alternatives. Such evidence has been shown time and again across many different sports. Chocolate milk and the recovery drink were then

compared with a control drink which contained no recovery nutrition, and in both cases, cyclists rode 50% longer after consuming any type of recovery drink. So, regardless of how you look at it, good recovery nutrition is clearly important. New 2016 evidence has found skimmed and full-fat milk, along with dedicated recovery drinks, were significantly better recovery fluids than water or even sports drink. Surprisingly, beer fared almost equivalent to sports drinks, but still poorly compared to milk.

THE NUTRITION FACTS The reason chocolate milk proves equivalent for

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Fuel l Recovery DAVID O’REILLY

David O'Reilly is a performance nutritionist and strength coach who holds a Master of Human Nutrition from Deakin University. He owns Mountain Foundry, bespoke expert nutrition and writes for Mountain Biking Australia and Bicycling Australia. www. mountainfoundry.com.au

recovery is its high protein and carbohydrate content, almost identical to the 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio used in most recovery drinks, but without the hype. Protein is vital for muscle repair and carbohydrates for energy replacement. Chocolate milk is considered a complete protein as it contains good quantities of all nine essential amino acids, which the body requires but cannot produce. Chocolate milk actually contains 18 out of the 22 amino acids found in the human body. Every time you exercise you are placing your body under healthy stress, resulting in muscle fatigue and damage. The additional protein in chocolate milk helps muscles repair themselves quicker and potentially stronger than before.

Maintained inside muscle is a

large amount of carbohydrate as a quick fire energy source, stored at ground zero. As you ride you burn this up, so following a ride the muscles are low in carbohydrate. The carbohydrate in chocolate milk helps quickly refuel tired muscles, minimising turnaround time. Interestingly, having protein and carbohydrate simultaneously following exercise actually heightens the benefits.

Additionally, chocolate milk is high in calcium for strong bones, which becomes increasingly important as we age, helping prevent osteoporosis. However, did you know you actually require vitamin D to absorb calcium?

Bingo, chocolate milk has both, handy when hitting a car door.

Chocolate milk also contains magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin

B12, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium. All critical for good body function. Sure, you don’t need the chocolate flavour, but seriously who doesn’t love chocolate? I would also argue that cow’s milk and cane sugar are quite natural unrefined foods. Compare this to the weird concoctions of powders and sweeteners you find in ‘scientific’ recovery drinks, the long term consequences and interactions in the body of some of which we don’t even understand. But hey, that’s just my two cents and I’ll pop my soapbox away now.

COST Listen up! Here’s the clincher.

Chocolate milk is cheap and easy to access. Many elite athletes have actually started drinking chocolate milk for

[[ Sure, you don’t need the chocolate flavour, but seriously who doesn’t love chocolate? ]] this very reason. Essentially, you could be riding anywhere in the developed world, find and afford a carton of chocolate milk. So there is no need to lug around your two kilo tub of post-ride recovery powder and shaker cup. Chances are you can buy flavoured milk wherever you stop. Not to mention the many options to choose from!

HANDS DOWN IT WINS

The brand is not important; but flavoured milk provides many of the bodies requirements for a strong recovery.

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Seriously, I could bang on all day about why chocolate milk is a great recovery drink but the facts speak loudly.

Chocolate milk sure ain’t rocket science, but it works like it. Give it a go! If you already have a recovery nutrition plan, try swapping chocolate milk in and see what happens.

Maybe chocolate milk will just become a good option when you have no options.

Regardless, it’s comforting to know it works and it’s a great talking point!

Workshop l Wheel Upgrade 1.4

BY MICHAEL HANSLIP

The Spoke(n) Truth SPOKES ARE HARD TO GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE THEY ALL LOOK MUCH THE SAME AND THEY DON’T APPEAR TO DO MUCH EITHER. BUT TO BUILD A GREAT SET OF WHEELS YOU NEED TO GET A BIT EXCITED ABOUT SPOKE CHOICE BECAUSE IT WILL DRAMATICALLY INFLUENCE THE END RESULT.

I

TOP: Single gauge, straight pull spokes, to suit hubs without flanges like the one shown below.

BELOW: Straight pull hubs tend to be lighter than flanged, and some people prefer the cleaner look.

N PART ONE OF THIS FIVE-

part series on bicycle wheels I discussed bike wheels as a ‘whole’ including how they evolved from separate components from different companies to individual structures. Having run through that, I broke them apart again and devoted one article each to the hubs, rims and spokes. This is part four, all about spokes.

IT’S ALL IN THE WIRE Cheap spokes are steel with a zinc plating to keep them from rusting too much (though they’ll still rust if left in the rain). Good spokes are stainless steel. The best spokes are made from the best wire, and most companies seem to agree

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that the best wire comes from Sweden (Sapim, DT Swiss and Pillar all use wire from the same mill).

Traditional spokes have a J-bend in one end and a thread on the other end (rolled into the wire rather than cut).

Modern variations abound: straight pull spokes, double threaded spokes (a thread at each end) and spokes designed so the head sits in the rim and the threaded end fits into the hub to name only three.

All steel spokes begin life as silver wire. Most bikes now come with black spokes, the wire is electrostatically coated after production – scrape the spoke with a sharp implement

and you’ll remove the black.

Coloured spokes are also available but don’t seem as durable as the black option.

Basic spokes are the same diameter from one end to the other – usually 2mm and the same diameter as the wire they started out as. To build a stronger wheel we would turn to “butted” spokes (technically they are swaged rather than butted ) which have a skinny section in the middle. The narrow bit lends some elasticity to the spoke, making it more robust in the wheel, but also removes some weight. The butted version of our basic spoke is still 2mm at each end, but is reduced to 1.8mm in the middle. Extreme versions reduce the central diameter even more – two options that come to mind are 2.0-1.6-2.0 or the even lighter 2.0-1.6-1.8 option. On the summit of spoke options sits the mini-bladed version; the extensive cold working of the wire to make the elliptical cross section increases the durability of the spoke markedly. Mini-blades are distinguished from blades by the fact that the spoke fits through a standard hub flange

HANG HIM FROM THE YARD-ARM! LEFT: A lightweight anodised alloy hub with flanges to suit J-bend spokes.

spoke hole – to fit regular blades requires slotting the hub holes with a saw.

Over the past 20 years I have seen titanium spokes, carbon fibre spokes and aluminium spokes. Any non-steel spoke that is designed to fit into existing hubs and rims is doomed to failure because the alternative materials are not up to the task in the same space as steel. Titanium is strong and light, but a Ti spoke in the same dimensions as steel is fragile and prone to breaking.

I have seen oversized carbon spokes that work OK (just no sticks in the wheel, please) requiring matching hubs and rims. I have also seen carbon spokes that use steel ends to fit into existing hubs and rims, but they had the same fatigue

issues as other steel spokes with a very expensive carbon portion in the middle. The most successful option I have seen is oversized aluminium spokes that by their design require a specific hub but can work with any rim (although they usually require special drilling). They are much more expensive than steel spokes, but very light and available in pretty anodized colours. They also seem to last really well. Their girth doesn’t lend themselves to being especially aerodynamic however.

THE PARTNERSHIP OF SPOKE AND NIPPLE The anchor of the spoke is the nipple. There are two main variations in the nipple; brass and aluminium and the threads can incorporate a thread-lock or not (yielding four options before we consider colours and esoteric nipples). The standard nipple provides the interface between the spoke and the rim, it protrudes through the spoke hole in the rim and has spanner flats on it for adjustment. Over

BELOW: Nickel plated brass nipples are heavier than alloy, though less prone to breaking, rounding (while tensioning), and corrosion.

I assert in the main article that the weight of the bike “stands” on the bottom spokes of the wheel. I didn’t consider when I wrote this that it might be a contentious statement. As someone who did a degree in chemistry and physics (and someone who read the book The Bicycle Wheel where there is an entire section devoted to the structure of the wheel) it is simply ‘the right answer’.

Perhaps I can convince you (before you read the book)?

Take a bicycle, any bicycle, that has good wheels with tight spokes. If they are really good wheels the tone of a plucked spoke will be the same for all spokes in the wheel (doesn’t matter if there are only 16 or if there are many more). Most mass produced wheels are not perfect, but pretty good. So the tones will be close. It helps if you are musical!

Get someone to sit on the bike. Pluck the spokes again. The tone of all but the bottom few spokes will be unchanged (indicating no increase in tension) while the bottom three or four will have dropped in pitch (indicating a lower tension). That is how stringed instruments are tuned – by changing the tension on the strings (violin, piano, guitar to name three).

But aren’t spokes ‘floppy’?

Take a spoke by itself and push on both ends. It bends without much force.

Of course it does. It is only 2mm of steel wire. However, once built into a wheel, that spoke has up to 3000N of tension in it (around 300kg if you prefer, though most wheels have only half that tension on each spoke). Now if you could stand a weight on the vertical spoke, as long as that weight was less than the tension in the spoke, it would decrease the tension rather than bend the spoke.

The road pushes up on the tyre, which pushes up on the rim, which flattens slightly, which decreases the loading on the bottom few spokes. Cruising along on your bike the wheels go around about three times per second. In an hour that is about 10,000 revolutions. It is this cyclic unloading of the spokes that leads to fatigue failures (broken spokes). It is the proportional unloading that is important – so tighter spokes, and more spokes, build more durable wheels (because they both contribute to smaller unloading per cycle).

(Hang or stand? Go to this article on our web page to leave a comment. www.bicyclingaustralia.com Ed.)

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Workshop l Wheel Upgrade 1.4

[[ extensive cold working of the wire to make the elliptical cross section increases the durability of the spoke markedly ]] time nipples become more difficult to turn on the spoke threads (corrosion and dirt are both culprits) and aluminium nipples can break in half if forced; brass nipples are stronger and much less likely to break.

Special nipples include ones with proprietary shapes for a specific tool to reduce the chances of nipple damage.

Many aero and carbon rims keep the nipple completely inside the rim, requiring a nipple driver inserted through the tyre side of the rim in order to adjust the nipples.

Spokes are put under tension as the nipples are tightened. It is this pre-tensioned nature of the wheel that makes them so strong and light. It also means that the weight of bike and rider stand on the bottom three or four spokes – they do not hang from the top spokes as I have seen some authors assert.

As long as the weight placed on the wheel doesn’t make the spokes go completely slack, the wheel is doing its job and the principal of standing on the bottom spokes applies.

WHEEL STABILITY AND BUCKLES The way a wheel can go out of true usually involves the wheel momentarily exceeding the tension of one spoke.

When slack the nipple is free to rotate and they never get tighter – always looser. Now that spoke is slightly less tight

than the others in the wheel and in future it will take a slightly smaller load to return that spoke back to slack (which permits the nipple to loosen yet again). Eventually one spoke can come fully loose (to the point of the nipple falling off the spoke); just over the course of a few days of riding if the conditions permit. All things being equal, tighter spokes provide more initial tension, are harder to make completely slack, and therefore make wheels more resistant to going out of true.

Of course, all bets are off if the wheel hits something hard enough to dent the rim.

Permanent deformation of the rim is obvious when the solution to true the wheel is that the tight spokes need to go tighter while the loose spokes need to go looser.

With one revolution of the wheel each spoke runs under the hub and has a decrease in tension for a brief moment before it takes up the full load again. This cyclic unloading is a strain on the metal in the spokes. If there are weak points in the spokes, this cycling will work on them first. For this reason, stress relief is a vital final step in wheel building.

Most readers of this magazine who’ve been riding for a while will know someone who got a new wheel and started to break spokes – usually at the J-bend but

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sometimes the threaded end – after only 800km of riding!

That is cyclic fatigue. The twofold solution to that is for the wheel builder to stress relieve the spokes before the final true and also for them to ensure the spokes are appropriately tight in the wheel. If you want to know about what makes a bike wheel work, and also how to assemble one, I highly recommend The Bicycle Wheel (Brandt 1993) as a guide.

If asked 15 years ago I would have stated that matching the spokes to the chosen rim was

the best option for building a durable wheel. Now that the mini-blade spoke is always the answer to the question “what is the best spoke for my wheel?” the question is really only how many? A really stiff carbon rim can be softened up ever-soslightly with fewer spokes (less than 24) or kept really stiff and responsive with more spokes (more than 28). We seldom get that choice anyway; perhaps across brands.

A good spoke should easily outlast the hub and rim it comes with (in fact, it should outlast the entire bicycle with a 250,000km lifespan not unrealistic). If you’re having spoke breakage problems with good quality spokes it is not the spokes’ fault. Something else is causing it.

In the final instalment I will discuss using the knowledge of wheel parts in shopping for a new pair for your bike.

In future when you do look at wheels, spare a moment for the spokes as they really do make the wheel.

Thanks to Bicycle Parts Wholesalers for images in this article. Check out their wheel building service at BPW.com.au

TOP: Double butted spokes, thicker for a short length at either end to cope with the forces of attachment, and thinner and lighter in the centre to reduce weight.

THIS IMAGE: You can see the single eyelets in this rim, fixed to only the inner wall. These reinforce the spoke hole to prevent cracking around the nipple, help to prevent the nipple pulling through and also allow the nipple to turn more easily while building.

First Look l Zipp 454 NSW

BY GARY HUNT

Zipp’s New 454 Rims LEONARDO DA VINCI USED THE PRINCIPLE OF BIOMIMICRY IN THE 15TH CENTURY STUDYING BIRDS TO DESIGN A FLYING MACHINE. NOW ZIPP IS USING THE CONCEPT TO REINVENT THE BICYCLE WHEEL. ZIPP HAVE TAKEN DESIGN cues from nature to come up with their latest wheelset - the striking 454 NSW, an innovative new design they say is their highest performance wheelset ever.

After four years in development, 36 prototype models and 252 wind tunnel hours, the Zipp 454 NSW carbon clincher was under embargo until its global release in November. Bicycling Australia was at the Australian launch at Rapha HQ in Sydney where the striking new wheels were presented to the cycling media, bike shop staff and local fast men of the sport.

At the launch Dave Evans of SRAM Australia said the Zipp 454 NSW will sit at the top of the company’s wheel hierarchy, above the NSW 404, 303 and 202.

“It’s a premium, high-end wheel set with properties that

make it the most advanced wheel set on the market. It’s more stable in crosswinds and faster - so that the power you put into your bike and wheels is converted to speed,” he said.

“They have been absolutely top secret - there were four other global launches around the world. They have been the company’s best-kept secret.

From a technological point of view, the work Zipp are doing is truly ground-breaking - this release is definitely at the forefront of any wheelset.”

Zipp used a concept called ‘bio-mimcry’ to take note of advantages of millions of years of evolution in the animal world and employ those advantages in their rim designs.

Wind turbines are notoriously noisy so researchers replicating the microscopic hairy structure found on the wings of the owl, a bird known for its silent

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flight, have been able to significantly reduce the decibel rating of their fans. In this case Zipp developers were inspired by the ‘noduled’ leading edge of the humpback whales’ pectoral fin.

Granted it’s not the fastest animal on the planet, but researchers have found 32% lower drag on the humpback’s fin compared to a smooth flipper, and that a bump lined flipper can use a 40% steeper angle of attack before reaching stall. The implications here for stability and yaw of a noduled rim, not to mention reduced drag, are significant.

Outside of the relatively small ‘research into aero bike rim’ space, F1 cars have been using these sorts of nodules in the aerodynamics of their wing design for some time, and wind turbine engineers have also been paying very close attention.

According to Zipp the new rim shape achieves something conventional aero wheels cannot - simultaneously reducing aerodynamic drag and side force resulting in the ultimate in ‘AeroBalance’.

One imagines the distinctive design will also be a very strong feature in the fight against copyright infringements.

“The 454 NSW’s undulating SawTooth rim architecture with HyperFoils represents the next evolution of the SawTooth dimple technology found on all of Zipp’s NSW wheels,” Zipp stated in the product release.

According to Zipp researchers and designers, the HyperFoils and HexFin dimples help to stabilise handling in gusting wind by increasing wind vortex shedding frequency.

“Lower frequency shedding produces larger, more powerful vortices,” say Zipp.

“In cycling terms, this unstable situation is often referred to as buffeting. The higher frequency vortex shedding produced by SawTooth creates a greater number of smaller, less powerful, yet more predictable vortices leading to greater wheel stability.

“With less aero drag and reduced side force at all wind angles, riders can expect increased efficiency and better rider control and efficiency under a range of conditions.”

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Test Lab l Lezyne GPS

BY NAT BROMHEAD

Lezyne Super GPS PREVALENCE OF CYCLING ELECTRONICS IS ON THE RISE AND NOW LEZYNE HAS ENTERED THE FRAY WITH FIVE GPS DEVICES FOR YOUR BIKE. NAT BROMHEAD HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THEIR SUPER GPS.

I

SPECIFICATIONS T'S A FAVOURITE SECTION

of road, a gentle descent prior to a short but personally challenging climb.

With a comfortable 4 or so percent start, time and again I’ve attempted to pip a longstanding personal record only to be beaten and broken by the final, cresting 200 or so meter climb of the starred Strava segment.

That changed during a recent ride - an outing that was more an overdue slow spin than all-out segment hunting mission.

Riding along that favourite section of Sydney’s West Head Road, a beep from the GPS alerted me to the fact the starred segment was a hundred metres ahead. 90, 85, 70 … the screen counted down, as I debated whether to give my nemesis a nudge.

“Why not,” I thought as the screen showed 20 meters to go.

Road testing the new Lezyne Super GPS, getting to know the unit in the best way possible, the next screen really caught my attention. With the countdown timer boldly appearing across the top half of the screen, the personal record emblazoned across the middle, and distance to go at the base of the screen, there was real and visual motivation to dig deeper for that ever-elusive personal record.

As always the case, that final closing quarter of the segment was where the trouble began. With the real-

time counter appearing to be ticking a whole lot faster than ‘metres to go’ were dropping, it wasn’t looking good. But pushing harder, having a precise distance to go reference, and using the available information to time the climb, it all came together.

Cresting the top the next screen was joy to my eyes ‘Segment Complete - Willunga Climb PR Time 01:28’. It was only a matter of seconds but the data on display made all the difference.

Live and real time segment support is just one of the stand-out highlights of Lezyne’s recently overhauled Super GPS. Packed with an enormous number of features but priced at around $200, it’s not surprising the latest from Lezyne has generated significant interest from the cycling public.

With a decent 24-hour battery life, aforementioned live Strava segment support, live tracking ability and smartphone notifications, you’d think that might be enough major selling points.

But scroll through the intuitive menus, selecting screens, modes and functions via the simple four-button layout, and you’ll soon discover virtually hundreds of other features hidden inside the tiny device. There’s a barometric altimeter, temperature data, GLONASS for pin-point GPS accuracy and full ANT+ connectivity. Should you want it

112 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

there’s the ability for the screen to display smart phone alerts such as texts, incoming call and email information. This may be a bit much for some riders who’d prefer to focus solely on the road ahead however incoming phone calls, email subjects or text messages can be displayed on the screen for 2-minutes. Don’t want to see them? Simply switch the option off in settings.

Connecting to either an Android or Apple smart phone is as simple as downloading the relevant ‘Lezyne GPS Ally’ app and pairing both devices via Bluetooth. The clearly laid out app allows you to view Strava live segments, enable the ‘Lezyne Track’ live tracking feature (along with adding the email contacts of anyone you chose to track you), change app settings, switch on notifications along with a host of other features. Via the app you can view recent rides, saving them to your phone or the cloud or share them via Strava or social media. To the device itself, up to five data pages can be added - all are customisable with up to four lines of data metrics on each.

The home screen shows GPS signal, time, battery life of both the device and your Bluetooth connected mobile phone, and any connected sensors or accessories such as a heart rate monitor, power meter or electronic shifting. It will even show the percentage of battery power in your electronic groupset!

RPP

$ 200 circa

WEIGHT

85g

BATTERY LIFE

24 hours

DISTRIBUTOR

www.lezyne.com

There’s no mapping but who needs it when you’ve got turn by turn navigation with clear instructions on the display.

There’s more detailed data (including maps) on the Lezyne Ally app in your pocket. To use this navigation function simply open the phone app, enter your destination (address, area or town), and follow the turn by turn instructions on the display.

As you can see the Lezyne really is a Super GPS - it packs literally hundreds of cutting-edge features in to a small, 85 gram unit that, at 44mm wide x 68mm long x 27.5mm high, is not much bigger than a match box.

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Test Lab l FLR Shoes

BY GARY HUNT

FLR F-XX II Race Shoes A NEW BRAND HAS JOINED THE USUAL SUSEPCTS IN THE CYCLING SHOE RANKS HERE IN AUSTRALIA. FLR HAS A RANGE OF ROAD AND MTB SHOES THAT CERTAINLY LOOK THE GOODS; LET'S SEE HOW THEIR F-XX II SHOES PERFORM ON THE ROAD.

M

ANUFACTURERS OF

the FLR brand founded the brand in 2011, but have been making cycling and soccer shoes for 20 years.

They’ve been working with pro cyclists to refine their product, and have developed in-house production of uppers, outsoles and lasts.

Their new F-XX IIs are a race oriented shoe and at just 265g each for a size 46 they are certainly competitive in the weight stakes, and they integrate many other features that serious racers will be looking for in a new pair of shoes.

1. Large mesh panels provide great ventilation.

1

The F-XXs have a snug and cushioned fit over the arch and around my ankle and heel, while the toebox is quite wide, which suits my broad foot.

Over the toes the uppers are almost roomy, perhaps due to the dearth of cushy padding.

It doesn’t seem to detract from delivering a smooth spin or really putting power down, as the rest of the microfibre upper snugs down firmly over the bridge and around the ankle, and the absence of pressure across the broadest part of my foot is welcome. FLR has added some raised silicon dots inside

2

2. Inside the heel cup there are raised silicone dots to aid retention.

114 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

the heel cup for effective grip and retention.

A single toe vent in the carbon last, plus six vents in the upper, and two more in the tongue ensure ventilation is a high point with these shoes. The uppers allow ample airflow through the large nylon mesh panels and it reaches well around your foot given the light padding. The shoes have a moulded insole, but there is room for orthotics should you need extra arch support.

The carbon last is very stiff; according to the printing on the sole they have a ‘14 Stiffness Index’. I’m not sure where '14' stands in Young’s Modulus of Elasticity, but these are rock solid; none of my attempts to bend the sole either while riding, or indeed trying to fold the shoe in half on the edge of my desk, made any impression at all, so power delivery is not compromised at all. FLR has opted for a three bolt cleat system in their last, and also some effective heel and toe grippers, so you’ll be able to navigate the polished wooden

floors of the post ride café without trepidation.

There are two Atop lacing dials per shoe; similar to the popular BOA dial system. The Atops have micro adjust clicks to tighten, and they tighten easily and hold securely.

When you twist the dial the other way the ratchet loosens entirely, which is great for a quick exit after the ride, but this also means that on the fly tension tweaks are a little more difficult to execute. I rarely found this an issue though; once you become comfortable dialling in a tension that suits, there’s little reason to change mid-ride.

At $399 they are set firmly in the upper echelons of pricing, but there’s a lot to like about these shoes. They are respectably light and quite a good looking shoe, with very good ventilation. I found the uppers were able to be well and comfortably secured around my broad foot, and this combined with the stiff carbon chassis enabled very good power delivery. As always with shoes, it’s important to find a brand and model that works for your foot shape.

EXTRA INFO RPP

$399

WEIGHT

265g each

SIZE

46

DISTRIBUTOR

www.flr.shoes

RELIX

DETONATOR 700C

REFUSE

PADRONE TR

COLUMBIERE

ROULER

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maxxis.com // Ask for them at your local bike shop

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Test Lab l Redshift Shockstop

BY GARY HUNT

Redshift Shockstop Stem WHILE SEVERAL MAINSTREAM BIKE BRANDS ARE RELEASING BIKES WITH SUSPENSION FEATURES IN THE HEADTUBE AND SEATUBE THERE ARE AFTERMARKET OPTIONS THAT MIGHT PROVIDE SIMILAR RESULTS AND HELP YOU KEEP SOME CASH IN POCKET. WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE REDSHIFT SHOCKSTOP STEM.

S

O YOU HAVE AN OLD-

school, rigid frame that takes its toll on your body over long or bumpy rides.

You’d like to stop the sore hands, wrists, shoulders, and neck before they stop you from riding, but what options do you have…thicker bar tape, fatter tyres, new gloves? You may have tried any or all of these or find none of them a palatable solution either due to the lack of result or the accompanying aesthetic. That leaves buying a new bike. Or perhaps, just trying a new stem.

The Shockstop from Redshift is a ‘suspension’ stem that

promises to provide some relief.

It does away with the hokey looks of the unfortunately named Girvin Flexstem, or the boxy coil sprung parallelogram style of the old Softride unit.

There’s very little to give away the fact that this is any different to a regular stem.

The pivot is the only real hint that something may be going on, but it’s so tidy you scarcely give it a second glance. Inside the hollowed out body it’s a different story, but then again the mechanism is still quite simple. Initial installation of the stem itself is no different to a normal stem, and switching

Choose a pair of elastomers that suits your bodyweight and riding style, and dial in some preload for a tailored level of suspension.

116 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

damping blocks is easy but will take 15 minutes or so.

The Shockstop houses its tuneable elastomer damped pivot discretely inside the body of the stem. Damping is tuneable by switching between the five elastomers that come with the stem. Each different coloured block has a different weight rating and you can pair up any to suit your body weight and achieve your own desired level of damping.

When it comes to road buzz and bump forces being transmitted up the fork, these would normally be met with an equal and opposite force transmitted down through your arms. This is where the suspension steps in.

Depending on your selection of block colour, and the preload that you can dial in by loosening or tightening the wedge, road buzz is very much absorbed and bumps are significantly ameliorated.

The pivot bearings are heavy duty; similar to those used in MTB rear suspension linkages, and enable the bars to move smoothly through an arc of up to 20mm. Once installed it’s possible to engage the suspension while stationary and see the pivot in action; simply leaning heavily on the bars will show some decent movement.

Out on the road, the effects

EXTRA INFO RPP

$200 approx.

WEIGHT:

292g

DISTRIBUTOR

Redshiftsports.com

of the stem are immediately noticeable. While riding you can still provoke some movement in the bars by pushing down heavily, but this isn’t really a normal motion during riding. The stem is fabricated from forged and CNC machined 6061 aluminium billet, stout enough to ensure there is zero twisting or flex even when pushing the pace. However, stomping up a climb you might notice some vertical movement of the suspension but it’s not a concern. The stem works silently, continually, allowing the fork and frame to rise over smaller bumps and smoothing the buzz of blue metal. Larger hits don’t disappear by any stretch, but they are definitely softer, and over the course of a long ride the cumulative effect of less bumps and vibration is very welcome.

The stem can be flipped to run at +/- 6 degrees or you can opt for a different unit that provides 30 degrees rise.

The Shockstop may not be for everyone, but it does effectively take the sting out of rough roads.

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facebook.com/EliteBikeTraining DE SI G N & P E RF O RMAN C E

SPECIFICATIONS FRAME

ALUXX SL Aluminium

FORK

Composite with alloy OverDrive steerer

SHIFTERS

Shimano 105

FRONT DERAILLEUR

Shimano 105

REAR DERAILLEUR

Shimano 105

CRANK

Shimano RS500, 34-50

CASSETTE

Shimano 105 11-32

BOTTOM BRACKET

Shimano Press Fit

WHEELS

Giant PR-2 Disc

TYRES

Giant P-SL 1

BRAKES

Giant Conduct semi-hydraullic

HANDLEBAR

Giant Connect

STEM

Ciant Connect

HEADSET

Sealed bearing

SADDLE

Giant Contact Forward

SEATPOST

Giant D-Fuse composite

CHAIN

KMC X11

WEIGHT

9.25kg

PRICE

$1,899

DISTRIBUTOR

www.giantbikes.com.au xxxx

9.25kg, 56cm, $1,899

Giant has a strong reputation creating alloy frames that perform well.

Shimano's RS500 cranks also spell good value.

118 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Test Lab l Giant Contend SL

BY PAT HOWARD

Giant Contend SL 1 Disc GIANT HAS A LONG HISTORY IN ALLOY FRAMED BIKES, AND THEIR LATEST CREATION, THE ENTRY LEVEL CONTEND, PACKS IN MUCH OF WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED. PAT HOWARD HAS BEEN RIDING THE SL 1 DISC TO REVIEW.

In-house wheels keep the value per dollar very high.

L

AST ISSUE I SWUNG A

leg over Giant’s brand new TCR Disc. The bright yellow carbon race bike left a lasting impression: it was a hoot to ride. Dialed geometry and a rigid frame helped the TCR to slice and dice the road in a truly addictive fashion.

The disc brakes were pretty good too! Now that was a pedigree Giant bike with a matching price tag, and a racy riding position, but what about the newer or budget-conscious rider? Giant didn’t forget!

Giant’s new road cycling gateway bike, the Contend, slips in below both the racy TCR and endurance focused Defy lines. Two disc and two rim brake models offer riders reasonable variance between braking and budget considerations. Our Contend SL is the top of the line offering and clips the ticket at a tidy $1,899. Not loose change by any stretch, but far more affordable than its carbon TCR and Defy brothers. Giant has a long-standing reputation as a master of alloy frame construction: the Contend SL uses Giant's ALUXX-SL grade of aluminum tubes.

This is Giant’s second best metal, and is smelted by Giant themselves to ensure total control over the material.

In fact, Giant supplies the bulk of the Contend SL spec from wheels and frame through to bar tape and tires 119

Test Lab

GIANT CONTEND SL 1

1

1. The 32 tooth low gear is almost as large a diameter as the disc rotor. The Contend SL comes stock with a huge gear range, ready to take on just about any challenge.

2

4

2. The mechanical 105 levers share the same shape as Ultegra and Dura Ace and bang out shifts with the best of them.

3. The modest headtube hides the tapered steerer fork well. Riders after a smooth experience will appreciate the ability to fit 28mm rubber too.

4. hydraulicunusual master cylinder is andThe somewhat brakes. housed in a unique stem facePlenty of features common on plate.

higher model bikes have been

integrated 5.

The PR-2into rimsthe areContend equal parts aero and They Press hum along SL such as aheavy.

Shimano Fit happily at speed and should bottom bracket and internal stand up to aTrademark fair bit of abuse cable routing. along the way.

Giant designs such as their

5

OverDrive fork steerer 6.

The tall leverage arm ofand the D-Fuse D shaped seatpost from Shimano 105 derailleur mimics design thatalso was make first an the the Defy lineup implemented onmessage Dura Ace of 9000. appearance.

The shifting is light precise. the Front Contend is that ofand a value packed entryout level bikeofthat 7.

The drop is made one aspires Giants higher piecetoward of aluminum which also incorporates flat mount models, not an the afterthought brake holes. entry level bike that has been put together to make sure that the brand has a bike on the shop floor.

Given that the Contend 120 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

3

is an all new bike feeding into both the TCR and Defy lineups, it’s no surprise that the Contend draws a little from both bigger siblings. For an intentionally entry level bike the Contend has an unusually short wheelbase and chainstay length that is far more closely aligned with the fast handling of the TCR than the stable allday rider that is the Defy. This is in contrast to a stack and reach more closely resembling a Defy accompanied by clearance for 28mm tires, and Giant’s d-shaped seatpost with is designed to flex and provide greater in-saddle comfort. Giant has specc’d their ‘Forward’ position saddle (which I personally love) which is narrow and firmly padded.

It looks fast and is light, but doesn’t correlate with Giant’s message of matching saddles (forward, neutral, upright) with rider position. Still, no complaints on this occasion.

I’d not checked the Contend sizing chart or brochure prior to riding it. Saddle height set and stem slammed down, we rolled out. First impressions are very rigid, heavy, but not slow. The Contend SL tipped the scales at well over 9kg, several burgers

7 SUMMING UP QUALITY

6 [[ the Contend is ... a value packed entry level bike that aspires toward Giants higher models. ]] north of most of the bikes we test. The Giant PR-2 wheels are burly and stiff too. This feels like a strong bike, the kind of machine that you could recommend to your mate that used to play footy and wants to get their fitness back up. The sub metre wheelbase keeps things lively at the same time; this is where the perception of speed comes into the ride of the Contend. Although it might be a little weighty, it still has fleet feet. It won’t be fast off the mark, but once it’s moving it’s a fun bike to get out of the saddle and push around. Riders looking for a slow handling Titanic are best served elsewhere, dodging icebergs is no sweat aboard the Contend.

Everyone want’s to ask about the funny looking box on the stem of the Contend.

The special stem face-plate houses the master cylinder (fluid reservoir) for the Conduct disc brakes. It looks quite odd.

Because it is! Rather than use a combined shift/hydraulic brake lever, Giant has spared some coins and moved the hydraulics completely out of the lever. This enables the inclusion of the beautifully shaped Shimano 105 mechanical levers (which happen to feel much nicer than Shimano’s equivalent level hydraulic lever), which use a regular brake cable to then pull on the hydraulic piston located inside the master cylinder.

Simple enough, and thankfully the system works well. The bite of the brakes is a little wooden feeling but once engaged the modulation was smooth and consistent, and total power was just right. Forceful and confidence inspiring without throwing you over the bars if you grab a fist full of brake in a panic. Giant includes both a GoPro and Garmin mount for the top of the master cylinder too. Pretty nifty!

It was difficult to say if

the carbon D-Fuse seatpost enhanced the ride of the Contend. The rigid feel of the bike fluidly translates the road conditions to the rider. Almost every alloy frame maker will espouse how smoothly their frame rides, including Giant, but the Contend is no buttercup. Dead roads and surface depressions are only minimally concealed by the frame and fork, making the Contented best suited to reasonably well maintained roads or shorter country rides. Supple casing 28mm tires would be a wise investment for riders looking for the smoothest ride possible or longer adventures out of the city. The 50/34 low gear is made for some exploring, and the inclusion of mud-guard mounts makes the Contend an allweather proposition for the adventurous (or commuter).

The Contend is a classy looking machine. The frame is welded tidily and has nice features like internal routing and oversized head tube and bottom bracket.

All of Giant’s in-house kit performs reliably and provides good ergonomics.

PERFORMANCE The Contend SL is the epitome of no-fuss. The heavy parts feel solid in function too, and the short wheelbase helps the bike to ride lighter than the scales suggest it may. It won’t win races, but it can definitely contend for commuting and Strava-feed bragging podiums.

VALUE Do you choose a lighter bike with rim brakes, and maybe even a carbon frame, or do you go for discs and bank on Giants pedigree with metal? If discs are a deal-maker then Giant has a strong offer in the Contend SL, and their Conduct semihydraulic brakes.

OVERALL The modest appearance cloaks a really likeable bike. So solid. The Contend provides confidence due to smooth shifting, great braking, and a predictable and slightly sporty personality. It can be ridden quite hard without any objections, and has enough range to accommodate riders still developing their fitness. This is a great place to start road riding.

121

SPECIFICATIONS FRAME

Argon 18 Carbon Fibre

FORK

Argon 18 Carbon Fibre

SHIFTERS

Shimano Ultegra

FRONT DERAILLEUR

Shimano Ultegra

REAR DERAILLEUR

Shimano Ultegra

CRANK

Shimano Ultegra 52/36 172.5mm

CASSETTE

Shimano Ultegra

BOTTOM BRACKET

BB86

WHEELS

Vision Team 25

TYRES

Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 25mm

BRAKES

Shimano Ultegra

HANDLEBAR

FSA Omega

STEM

FSA Omega Alloy

HEADSET

Argon 18 Carbon Fibre

SADDLE

Prologo Kappa EVO

SEATPOST

Argon 18 Carbon Fibre

CHAIN

Shimano Ultegra

WEIGHT

8.1 kg

PRICE

$2999.00

DISTRIBUTOR

www.bikebug.com.au

8.1kg, 56cm, $2,999

Sturdy low set stays keep the back end flex free and look very much on trend.

Fully decked out in Ultegra the Krypton provides great spec for the price.

122 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Test Lab l Argon 18 Krypton

BY PETER ROX

Argon 18 Krypton CANADIAN BASED ARGON 18 HAS SIGNED WITH THE ASTANA PRO TEAM FOR 2017, WHEREIN THE KAZAKH SQUAD WILL RIDE ARGON'S TOP END GALLIUM. MEANWHILE, PETER ROX HAS BEEN GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE SLEEK, ATTRACTIVE KRYPTON, AND HE'S PREPARED TO KISS AND TELL.

The stock wheels are fine, but the Krypton has the poise to house some deep section carbon bling.

O

NE OF THE GREAT

things about where I live is that it’s a pretty busy area for cyclists and that means I can, even when out walking the dog, see a large cross section of cycling’s passing parade. One thing I have noticed lately is the variance in the demographics pedalling our roads. These days cycling is no longer a sport reserved for white men of a certain age and stepping into the cycling lifestyle is also nowhere near as daunting as it was in days gone by. As a devout and unashamed bike fancier I take as much note of the bikes being ridden as those atop them and am constantly astounded by the quality of the bikes being ridden by those new to the sport. If I was to be asked by a friend, keen to get serious about cycling, what sort of bike should they be looking at then something like the Argon18 Krypton would be at the pointy end of that list. Let me elaborate.

Over the years many friends and acquaintances have taken up cycling and started with a low end bike that wasn’t necessarily cheap. However as soon as the cycling bug bit them hard they needed to offload and upgrade often at great expense and spousal 123

Test Lab

ARGON 18 KRYPTON

2

1

3 grief. If I know the person well enough, and am pretty sure they will continue on their cycling journey I often encourage them to step up a little and buy a bike that will make their early cycling experience more fun but also be able to carry them as far as they dare to go with their cycling, and that, I think, is where the Argon 18 Krypton fits in.

At just on $3k it may not be what your average Joe would call a 'cheap bike', but in cycling terms with the amount of bang for buck the Krypton carries it certainly punches well above its weight.

So what makes it a good bike for those newer to cycling? Well for starters nothing hinders the enjoyment of cycling like the discomfort of a poor fit. Unlike

many brands who go down the small / medium / large route providing a less than ideal fit scenario for many, the Krypton comes in six frame sizes ranging from xxsmall to x-large which under the guidance of a friendly local bike shop should get most folks in an optimal position to maximise their riding enjoyment.

To further enhance the fit dynamics, Argon uses its pressfit 3D head tube arrangement which allows for the stack height to be raised up to 25mm without the use of traditional spacers to maintain more of the frames inherent head tube stiffness. Moreover it also allows those less flexible to run a greater stack height, equivalent to an 'endurance geometry' bike and then if and

124 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

when flexibility increases, the stack height can be dropped to a racier head tube height.

The ride of the Krypton is also well suited to a variety of riders and riding styles.

The handling is extremely well balanced with no quirky surprises in the handling or steering. Argon utilises what it calls its 'Horizontal Dual System' whereby the bike is divided into upper and lower sections along a diagonal axis from head tube to rear axle. The material and characteristics of the tubes either side of this line are tailored to suit their individual needs, with the lower tubes stiffened for maximum power transfer and the upper tubes carrying less material for greater vibration absorption and comfort.

As your cycling progresses and you get fitter, faster and stronger the Krypton is more than capable of going along for the journey. The predictable handling is confidence inspiring and allows even the most inexperienced of sprinters to pin the ears back and have a lash knowing there are no surprises lurking up ahead.

A full Shimano Ultegra groupset from top to toe adds to the feeling of security knowing that every push of the shift paddle or squeeze of the brake lever will be met with the reliable outcome that we have come to expect from Shimano’s workhorse groupset.

Often bikes at this spec level and at this price point can scrimp on the finishing kit to save a few dollars. The Krypton however does no

1. Full Ultegra ensures everything works like clockwork.

2. The Krypton's reliable steering make this bike a ‘point and shoot’ machine, free of surprises.

4

3. The Krypton’s huge bottom bracket ensures no energy is wasted.

4. Dropped seat stays keep the rear triangle tight and stiff.

5. With the head tube, 3D system and a few spacers the Krypton can be made to ride tall without looking awkward.

SUMMING UP QUALITY

5 [[ ...you would be hard pressed to find a better specification, price, weight combo. ]] such thing. The bars and stem are from FSA, the wheels are Vision’s Team 25 model rolling on Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres and the saddle is a Prologo Kappa. Some of these items are the ones that with experience and personal preference you may choose to change out eventually, but are perfectly fine examples of their category.

On a purely superficial level, for those that know that cycling is as much about style as it is about speed, the Krypton is available in the staples of matte black (as tested) and white and you don’t have to have sat through too many renovation shows to know the neutral colours never go out of style and can be accessorised with pretty much anything.

For the lazy cyclist who is prone to overlook fastidious maintenance of their rig but still likes to look the goods at the coffee shop, then matt black is a real saviour.

Visually the Krypton doesn’t carry any quirky design queues, the dropped seat stays are the only departures from what is a fairly standard look. Closer inspection though reveals an enormous bottom bracket. Equally the members radiating from it are also equally oversized to give maximum power transfer. The seat stays, especially have been given an upsizing any fast food chain would be proud of.

At just on 8.1 kgs the Krypton is also pretty good ‘bang for bulk’. Given the Krypton’s slender price and Ultegra spec, you would be hard pressed to find a better specification, price, weight combo. Whilst not fitting into the 'exotic light' category, 8.1 kgs is not a weight that can be used as an excuse for a lack of performance and with that weight comes a bike that has a sturdy and dependable feel.

Now, I’m not one to talk up

my own abilities, ‘long time C grade hack’ would be an apt summary of my current cycling ability. However, I do like to treat myself to a nice bike occasionally, regardless of whether my abilities deserve it or not. And while I have been fortunate enough to ride bikes more than three times the price of the Krypton, I would have no problems parking the Krypton in my garage as my one and only bike for training, racing and social riding. I picked this bike up at the crit circuit I race at, literally an hour before race start. A few setup tweaks and a safety check and I was good to go. While the legs were not good enough for me to get the chocolates, being able to get on a brand new bike and pilot your way around at max effort without any issues, (besides the foreign saddle), speaks volumes for the effort put into making the Krypton feel like an old friend, even on a first date.

The Krypton is a bike that would suit a multitude of riders. Novices looking for a quality bike to take them through the progressive stages of their riding or racers looking for a performance bike on a budget and neither would be disappointed.

PERFORMANCE The Krypton is a solid performer.

It feels reliable and dependable and stiff enough to reward whatever amount of effort you are prepared to put in. The frame is good enough that a set of flashy race wheels would not look at all out of place on it, and given the price there should be some money left in the kitty for this kind of bling.

VALUE A big thumbs up for the Krypton.

A great carbon frame, quality parts from top to toe and looks that belie its price. At $3k it is great bang for buck and in all seriousness, it would still be if it was a thousand dollars dearer .

OVERALL The Krypton is a great bike out of the box and has performance beyond its price tag. With size choice, colour choice and a price that’s hard to beat the Argon 18 Krypton should at least figure on everyone’s shopping list as an option.

125

SPECIFICATIONS FRAME

Roadmachine 02 - Tuned Compliance Concept

FORK

Roadmachine 02 Carbon, Disc-specific

SHIFTERS

Shimano ST-R785 Di2, Hydraulic

FRONT DERAILLEUR

Shimano Ultegra Di2

REAR DERAILLEUR

Shimano Ultegra Di2

CRANK

Shimano Ultegra, 50-34T

CASSETTE

Shimano Ultegra, 11-32T

BOTTOM BRACKET

Shimano Pressfit

WHEELS

3T Discus C35 Pro, Thru Axle (12mm)

TYRES

Continental Grand Sport Race SL, 25mm

BRAKES

Shimano Rotors 160 F / 140 R

HANDLEBAR

BMC RAB 02

STEM

BMC RSM 02

HEADSET

Roadmachine 02 Carbon,

SADDLE

Fizik Aliante Delta, manganese

SEATPOST

Roadmachine 01 "D" Premium Carbon, 15mm offset

WEIGHT

8.1kg

PRICE

$6,999

DISTRIBUTOR

www.advancetraders.com.au

8.1kg, 58cm, $6,999

The lowset aero stays also moderate the impact of bumps and road buzz.

Ultegra level spec is used throughout and performs flawlessly.

126 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Test Lab l BMC Roadmachine 02

BY GARY HUNT

BMC Roadmachine 02 BMC'S ROADMACHINE IS THEIR ASSERTIVE ANSWER TO THE 'ENDURANCE' BIKE, POSSIBLY CREATING SOMETHING THAT SURPASSES THE CATEGORY ALTOGETHER.

N

+0? FOR THOSE OF

3T's Discus Pro C35 wheelset strikes a good balance between low drag and stability.

you who are not familiar with the term 'n+1', there has been an equation doing the rounds for some time that the appropriate number of bikes to own is ‘n+1’ where 'n' is equal to the number of bikes you already own…the result being you always need another. The idea of n+0 does away with this multiplicitous notion and instead proposes the idea that there is perhaps a single, mythical, bike that will exceed your expectations in any possible riding scenario. Is the Roadmachine such a bike?

Leaving that question aside for now, at last the days of the dreary dull bikes has passed!

There was a time when the matte black bike seemed so stealthy, so covert ops, so cool.

But I have tired of the black... the gloss black, the satin black, the matte black, and the battleship grey. Life is meant to be lived; punctuated with fun and colour, not stoicly endured like a British winter. Say hello to the BMC Roadmachine 02! Like a shaft of gold when all around is dark, this citrus stallion stands out in a sea of monochrome. BMC has brought other colours to the party with their deluxe top end green rig, as well as red and a silver, but it’s not just the colours that impress; the design team has been doing some of their best work in creating this bike.

127

Test Lab

BMC ROADMACHINE 02

1

3

2 [[ The Roadmachine has the looks that will garner envious glances from the bunch, but better than this, even when you ride alone it performs so well it’ll put a smile on your face every time. ]] While the Roadmachine’s frame bears many of the hallmarks of being aerodynamically blessed; see the virtual kamm-tail D-shaped seat tube, the internally hidden seatpost clamp, internal front and rear brake hoses, internal gear battery cabling, the dropped rear stays, a cowled and integrated fork junction, and cutaway seatube, BMC don't make any claims about its prowess in this regard, rather pitching the Roadmachine more simply as a high quality bike, endowed with features drawn from their other more task specific models, to create a jack of all trades that will, hopefully, master all your needs.

The sum of all these aero features though, regardless of their actual aero performance, does aesthetically make for a very sleek and modern looking machine. However there are

some aspects of the design that are clearly not all that aero, stemming partly from the trend towards wider rubber. Enabling the 3T wheelset to be shod with tyres as wide as 30mm or more, means there’s a fairly wide pair of shoulders on the fork which would be a detractor in aero terms. But the benefits of wider tyres in terms rough road comfort, cornering and braking traction, puncture resistance— should you venture onto any gravel, less any negligible tyrerelated speed or power loss, in my book outweigh the few watts I might concede in drag.

While BMC's public line on aerodynamic aspirations of the Roadmachine is "no comment", performance is still very much part of its agenda and it's clear BMC rate a stiff and efficient frame quite highly.

The Roadmachine was developed to succeed

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4

BMC’s Granfondo range, their previous 'endurance' model and as you would expect includes feature and performance enhancements.

BMC claim the Roadmachine is lighter, (just 1,100g for a 54cm frame in this 02 series bike and just 920g in the 01 series), stiffer in the bottom bracket area and also torsionally stiffer than the superseded Granfondo frame; all claims that ring true having ridden the bike for several weeks now.

The low set seat stays make for a stiff and flex free rear triangle, and combined with the massive downtube and oversized headtube, the frame is exceptionally rigid.

I’m a fairly big guy and when sprinting or climbing, I often find frames will flex enough to aggravate some level of chain rub at the front derailleur regardless of how well tuned

the drivetrain may be. It does make me wonder how much power I am giving away.

But there's no such concern here. The Roadmachine is exceptionally stiff in this lateral plane, and you can feel that stiffness converting effort directly into acceleration and forward movement. Punching up over small rises or powering across plains it feels responsive, smooth and satisfying.

Indeed despite all the oversized tubing, the ride is relatively comfortable, with the back end and seattube capable of absorbing most of the road buzz and chatter you may manage to find. The resulting ride is sufficiently finessed, without excluding good feedback from the road's surface, to keep a smile on your face and your teeth from chattering.

There are many smaller design features in the

6

1. A broad spread of cogs in this cluster offers the right ratio for whatever road you might find.

2. Cabling is very neatly routed throughout.

3. Attention to detail is evident through items like this grommet for the seatpost clamp.

4. 'When you've got it, flaunt it' right?

Swiss precision is a valuable asset.

5. Top and bottom of the headtube is shaped for a neat aerodynamic transition.

6. With no seatpost collar the frame looks very slender. Note the fender mounts inside the seatstay.

SUMMING UP QUALITY

5 Roadmachine that elevate it beyond the run of the mill endurance bike. For starters, it is a damn fine looking bike.

The frame runs 12mm thruaxles which contribute both to safety of wheel retention, and also increased frame stiffness.

In another feature to cut some drag at the front wheel, no thruaxle lever has been installed.

Removing the wheel requires a 6mm allen key, so you’ll either need to take one with you, or install a regular, lever type thru-axle to deal with a puncture. The flatmount brakes also reflect current design, though up front BMC have installed their own adaptor for the 160mm brake rotor.

The higher spec models, the 01 series, feature an integrated and more aero cockpit with a slick bar and stem setup to house hydraulics and battery cables as well as the di2 junction box. The 02 models however run a regular stem and bar, with cables and hoses ported into the frame in a more conventional fashion. There’s a proprietary chain catcher at the bottom bracket as well; a small cam positioned next to the big ring, on a short, stout vertical

post which can be adjusted to keep the chain from falling inboard. This 58cm frame has 44cm wide bars which seem a good match, though the standard spec crank length is just 172.5 which seems an anomaly for a bike designed for larger riders. Regardless, the electronic gearing never missed a beat, once more contributing to the impeccable reputation of Di2 Ultegra.

Steering precision is a high point resulting from all this frame stiffness. Descending at speed is great fun; BMC has the geometry dialled for very direct steering and confident cornering, and their choice of 160mm front and 140mm rear disc brakes provide ample stopping power. Interestingly I found the brakes initially had a level of squawk in the front end, but on discussing with our mechanical guru John Hardwick he suggested it would probably just need a small tweak of the rotor / caliper setup to resolve. He was right; what was an annoying concern was silenced when I switched out the stock wheelset, along with the rotors, for a deeper set and then back again.

For those with an affinity for dirt roads and a bit of adventuring, the lower specced Roadmachine 03 pushes the envelope on the tyre front allowing up to 32mm, as compared to the 01 and 02 level frames' 30mm clearance, (though both frames will actually allow more), and as an extra bonus includes rack mounts that will be valuable if you plan on bikepacking.

So is BMC's Roadmachine the n+0 grail? If you’re looking for a fast, balanced and well mannered and bike to ride in fondos and bunch rides, something that will handle coarse pavement, perhaps even some gravel, one that will climb and descend well, contend with your mates in the city limits sprint, the Roadmachine will not disappoint. If you are also looking to race the Roadmachine I'd suggest you would be equally pleased, however given the continuing UCI disc brake trial this is a moot point at least for now.

The Roadmachine has been a pleasure to ride, and a bike I'll be sad to give back.

The finesse of design, the thoughtful features built into this frame along with the build finish and the resulting ride quality set the BMC apart. The raft of top notch components including Di2 Ultegra and Shimano’s hydraulic disc brakes, plus 3T’s C35 Pro carbon wheelset contribute strongly to make for a very impressive machine.

PERFORMANCE The Roadmachine delivers a well balanced blend of speed, handling, ride quality and comfort. The frame is stiff enough to respond in a sprint, climbs adeptly, and provide very positive steering response. Mated with quality gearing and braking components the Roadmachine is a high class performer.

VALUE This bike does nothing to detract from BMC’s reputation for producing fine bikes. Quality comes at a price, and perhaps the the old adage that “bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” applies here.

OVERALL This bike is fast fun from the get go, a bike that makes you want to get out and ride. The Roadmachine has the looks that will garner envious glances from the bunch, but better than this, even when you ride alone it performs so well it’ll put a smile on your face every time.

129

A Bunch of Fives

BY PETER MANIATY

A BUNCH OF FIVES

FIVE RIDERS. FIVE QUESTIONS. ONE BUNCH.

BUNCH: PELOTON SPORTS POST-RIDE: WAHROONGA PARK, THEN COFFEE AT TURRAMURRA CYCLERY

I

T’S FRIDAY MORNING ON SYDNEY’S

leafy upper north shore. Summer may only be a few weeks away but you wouldn’t know it. As seems to have become customary with every bunch we meet, it’s unseasonably cold and decidedly gloomy. Unperturbed by the gently falling drizzle the local birds chirp away merrily in nearby Wahroonga Park, but not nearly as much as the eclectic gathering of riders from Peloton Sports, one of the largest cycling clubs in NSW with around 300 members. As we begin to chat it turns out I’m surrounded by a highly accomplished

quintet including State, National and even UCI World Champions. Unsurprisingly they have some great stories to share.

RIDER #1: Haydn Lewis RIDES: Pinarello F8 LIVES: Kurraba Point OCCUPATION: Consulting Engineer HOW DID YOU GET INTO CYCLING? “I started off as a mountain biker, I’d just go off into the bush with a bunch of mates until we learned the whole network of trails.

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That went on for about 10 years, riding and racing mountain bikes. I was okay, but I never treated it as a serious sport as such.

Eventually I decided to get a road bike as a training tool and then over the next few years I completely transitioned. I still have my mountain bike, I maybe go for a ride every four months. These days I don’t like to admit it, but I am (a roadie)!”

TOUGHEST RIDE YOU’VE EVER DONE? “We went to the Snowy Mountains for a training camp at the start of 2016. It was the ride from Khancoban to Thredbo up Dead Horse Gap and my seat post slipped with about 45km still to go. There was nothing I could do. I went past three different support cars and no-one had the right Allen key because it was a funny size apparently. [Haydn never leaves home

without it now!] But getting up Dead Horse Gap basically meant an hour of climbing completely out of the saddle. For someone of my size and weight, I was at 300-350 watts the whole way up with no chance to get a rest. I was broken.”

YOUR FAVOURITE PRO PERFORMANCE OF 2016?

“Matty Hayman’s win at Roubaix was pretty special. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so excited watching a race. It was one of the few races I actually stayed up to watch this year.”

EVER BEEN TO THE TOUR DOWN UNDER? “No, I’ve never gotten around to it.

I was considering next year but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get leave sorted. It’s always on the cards and when I saw Peter Sagan’s name come up – I actually saw him as a junior at the Canberra MTB World Championships. He stood out then, so to be able to see him on the road would be pretty special. I’m 50-50 at the moment.”

IF YOU HAD $500 TO SPEND IN A BIKE SHOP RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU GET? “I need some race wheels but $500 won’t cover that, so probably new kit, I always need new kit. I train indoors and I’m a big sweater so my kit just gets trashed.”

RIDER #2: John Horsburgh RIDES: Pinarello F8 LIVES: Warrawee OCCUPATION: Geologist HOW DID YOU GET INTO cycling?

“I grew up in England. I lived in a village and getting to school meant riding a bike every day, while holidays meant long rides with mates. My first road bike was an eight-speed Elswick Lincoln Imp. As for competitive cycling, that started about 12 years ago after a life of running, football and mountaineering. The knees packed up so cycling seemed the best option – maybe there was still a bit of muscle memory there from my school days!”

TOUGHEST RIDE YOU’VE EVER DONE? “It was this year in northern Spain near a town called Berga in the Pyrenees foothills.

A mate of mine from Perth had done it a couple of years ago and said ‘if you want to try something really hard, do it.’ It was a sportif called La Ruta Minera – 166km through an old mining district with 4,000m+ of climbing and six categorised climbs.

It was part of my training for Perth [John competed at the 2016 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in September, winning Gold in the Time Trial and Bronze in the Road Race in his age category]. There was this dreaded Col du Pradel with about 3km of 16% and 800m of 24% - funnily enough, that’s where the crowd was! We’d been racing for about 50km and then we hit this place, everyone was zig-zagging. There was an open coffin on the side of the road filled with cold beers and I remember thinking, ‘that looks good!’ A bit further along I actually had to get off the bike, I just couldn’t ride any more. There were guys pushing people up the hill, but I thought I’d better not do that. So I walked about half a kilometre, hopped back on, then had to stop a couple more times with cramp. Eventually I got going again and had the ride of my life.”

YOUR FAVOURITE PRO PERFORMANCE OF 2016?

“For me it’s Matthew Hayman winning Paris-Roubaix. That was real guts, just amazing. He nearly got bumped off at one point and then he came back. The way he got to the front going around the velodrome, it was just incredible.”

EVER BEEN TO THE TOUR DOWN UNDER? “Yes, we’ve been a couple of times, although not so much in recent years.

It’s a great event and great fun. I go down with my wife and we meet up with friends. Generally it’s more social but I have done a bit of racing down there – time trials and crits. You get to meet some of the riders and see things close up. We went to the dinner once (pauses and laughs), Lance Armstrong was the big guest that year!”

IF YOU HAD $500 TO SPEND IN A BIKE SHOP RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU GET? “Maybe a flash pair of sunglasses that I’d never lose [John has some history with doing this, apparently]. Otherwise maybe some pedals with power gauges that I could move from bike to bike.”

HAYDN LEWIS

JOHN HORSBURGH

PENELOPE ROWBOTHAM

CATHIE DRYSDALE

MARK ROWLING 131

A Bunch of Fives

LEFT: Both Mark and John secured Masters championships in 2016.

BELOW: The club boasts a strong and growing contingent of female riders.

RIDER #3: Penelope Rowbotham RIDES: Pinarello Dogma Dura-Ace Di2 LIVES: Marsfield OCCUPATION: Automotive Industry

YOUR FAVOURITE PRO PERFORMANCE OF 2016?

“I really admired Mark Cavendish coming back and getting all the wins he did at the Tour de France and of course Peter Sagan, I was so impressed with his World Championship win in Doha, that was awesome. In the women’s I met Amanda Spratt just before the Nationals – I’m not

TOP CAPTION: Caption xxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx.

CAPTION: Caption xxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx.

132 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

really tall but she barely comes up to my shoulder, she’s like a human dynamo – and her win in Ballarat was just fabulous.”

EVER BEEN TO THE TOUR DOWN UNDER? “When we arrived in Adelaide this year (after the ride from Ballarat), I’d already taken a week off work and didn’t have much more time. We had a walk around the village, then reluctantly packed our bikes and went home. But I have been there previously with a group and ridden in the Adelaide Hills, just a fabulous place for an event. I’ll definitely be going back, it’s so well organised. If anyone is a cyclist and hasn’t been, they need to go.”

IF YOU HAD $500 TO SPEND IN A BIKE SHOP RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU GET? “I’m afraid I’m a bit of gear freak. My brother went into the bike shop for my birthday and said he wanted to PAGE 134

▲

HOW DID YOU GET INTO CYCLING? “As a child my younger brother and I both had bikes. I had a brain injured older brother so there wasn’t much time for my parents (to spend with us), so on Saturdays we’d take off in the morning with an apple or banana in our pockets and we just rode.

We knew we had to be home either before dark or for dinner. Getting into serious cycling happened about 16 years ago in my late 40s. I’d bought a bike a few years earlier to ride with my son. It was the worst, most dangerous bike but I thought it was wonderful – until I went to the bike shop!

Anyway I started riding that and the whole thing from when I was a kid came flooding back. I just loved it.”

TOUGHEST RIDE YOU’VE EVER DONE? “Earlier this year I did a fabulous women’s ride with Loes Gunnewijk who’s now a directeur sportif for the Orica-Bike Exchange women’s team, an ex-Dutch national champion. We rode with Loes from the Nationals in Ballarat to Adelaide before the Tour Down Under. It was about 39 degrees when we left Ballarat and by the time we got to the next township we were reading 48 degrees – we couldn’t get the water cold enough. I did get off the bike and jump in the van, I just couldn’t cool down.”

A Bunch of Fives

RIDER #5: Mark Rowling RIDES: Pinarello Dogma F8 XLight LIVES: Wahroonga OCCUPATION: Bike Shop Proprietor

Like all great bunches, they enjoy talking about bikes as much as riding them.

[[ You can never have too many pairs of bike shoes... I have four pairs at the moment, let’s make it five! ]] buy a present for his sister, when they found out it was Penny Rowbotham they all said ‘Oh shit, this is going to be hard!’ But back to the question, probably a good pair of cycling shoes because my white ones are getting a bit grotty. Or maybe if they had some newfangled bicycle tool, I’d get one of those!”

RIDER #4: Cathie Drysdale RIDES: S-Works Amira Ultegra Di2 LIVES: Cammeray OCCUPATION: High School Teacher HOW DID YOU GET INTO CYCLING? “I got into cycling right after I finished high school, my sister took me out for ride.

When I first started I could only get around the block. Then I went a bit further. Then a bit further. Then I went down Bobbin Head, just the first 500m and came back up (laughs). Every time I went that little bit further and now I’m completely hooked. All up I’ve been cycling for about eight years, the first three or four months were really just me riding by myself on my dad’s old bike, a Trek 1200, then I joined the guys at Turramurra. These days my riding really varies depending on work, sometimes it’s just 45 minutes on the trainer, sometimes it’s 180km or a gran fondo, it varies a lot – but I like that about it.”

TOUGHEST RIDE YOU’VE EVER DONE? “Probably in France with the guys at Turramurra, we went from Gordes to Mont Ventoux and back to Gordes, about 120km with a massive lump in the middle. The

weather started to get pretty bad on the descent which was a bit scary. It was one of those days where you get to the top of the climb and there’s no waiting around. Quick photo, look like you’ve enjoyed it, throw all your clothes on and get back down as fast as you can. We got down to Bédoin and thought the way home was going to be nice and cruisy from there. But not at all! It was uphill again and a rubbish road surface. But sitting down afterwards in our hotel we had a great time, we were all just so satisfied with ourselves –that’s true of every tough ride, I think.”

YOUR FAVOURITE PRO PERFORMANCE OF 2016?

“I don’t watch a lot of cycling, but speaking from a female perspective Anna Meares is just one of those amazing women.

Her performance in Rio (where she was Australia’s flag bearer and the only cycling medallist) was so fantastic.”

EVER BEEN TO THE TOUR DOWN UNDER? “No, but I would love to go. This coming year maybe I’ll get there, but usually I’m getting ready for the school year in January. Some years the timing works out, some years it doesn’t – but it’s definitely a goal.”

IF YOU HAD $500 TO SPEND IN A BIKE SHOP RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU GET? “Can I spend it on my CA race licence? (cue much laughter, we’d just been talking about the cost of these.) Otherwise I’d really like a power meter. SRM is the ultimate goal but right now any type would be good. Cycling is all about numbers, right?”

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HOW DID YOU GET INTO CYCLING? “As a kid I used to ride to school and around the streets. Someone at school raced a bike and I thought it sounded like a pretty good idea. My father raced as well, he was an old Bathurst boy, and one day he said ‘let’s go to a bike race and see.’ I was 12 and we went out to Terrey Hills, it was a 15km race and I took the win. I’ve been racing ever since. I also raced Moto GP bikes for nine years.”

TOUGHEST RIDE YOU’VE EVER DONE? “There have been a lot of memorable days in the saddle. I take tours to Italy every year, sometimes France and Switzerland, and we do a lot of big climbing days. But I think this year, the State (NSW) Masters titles out at Molong just past Orange was one of the most epic rides I’ve done for a while.

We put a hit on the bunch after the first lap and on the second lap we just knuckled down, there were three of us away chasing with two more up the road who we caught with about 20km to go. By the end it was down to three of us with the final 8km into a block headwind, it was literally a gutterfest – it came down to me and one other guy on the final climb. I was the skinny one and I won it, my first State title. It was a hard ride because we made it hard, but very satisfying. I had my son there too as I crossed the line, he’d ridden out to watch.”

YOUR FAVOURITE PRO PERFORMANCE OF 2016?

“I think Chris Froome at the Tour de France was amazing. It showed he can do a whole range of things, rather than just go up a hill. It was a very sweet victory for him, really good to see.”

EVER BEEN TO THE TOUR DOWN UNDER? “I’ve been once, but it’s a really hard time of year with work, we’re super busy in January – it’s a perfect storm of school holidays, good weather, plus the club (Peloton Sports) has lots of rides on then.

Quite a few of the other guys and girls from the shop tend to go to Adelaide so I’m usually left holding the fort. But if I had the time I’d definitely go down.”

IF YOU HAD $500 TO SPEND IN A BIKE SHOP RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU GET? “I’d probably get myself more shoes. You can never have too many pairs of bike shoes, they’re always getting wet and dirty.

I have four pairs at the moment, let’s make it five!”

�e beauty of Italian design

GIOS BIKES AUSTRALIA Distributed by S&K Imports

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The Spin Cycle

BY ANTHONY TAN

Walking The Line THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDICATION AND DOPING JUST GOT THAT LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO DECIPHER, WRITES ANTHONY TAN.

U

NLIKE OPERACIÓN

TUEs too!) were some of the 127 also targeted to date.

A breach of privacy and confidentiality has occurred but this is less about that and more about whether athletes and their support networks are using the veil of therapeutic use exemptions, otherwise known as TUEs, to (legally) take otherwise banned substances. "The TUE process exists because we want people to be able to compete and to have medical treatment if there is a valid health reason and they need the treatment," the Australian swimming team's chief medical officer, Peter Fricker, told The Australian newspaper in an October 5 report last year.

Validity and need are the two keywords in question

136 BICYCLING AUSTRALIA JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.BICYCLINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

here: Does the athlete have a pre-existing medical condition, and if so, is taking an otherwise banned substance (banned because it is performanceenhancing, it's worth noting, albeit obvious) the only means of mitigating or eliminating said condition? That is, have other avenues been sought and failed before application for a TUE? As in the cases of Wiggins and Froome, asthma was cited as the reason for seeking a TUE. (Wiggins also sought, and was later granted, a TUE for pollen allergies.)

Fricker said there was a simple explanation for the high proportion of asthmatics among elite swimmers; about 45 per cent of the Australian national team are diagnosed as such and take preventative

medication. For generations, he says, doctors have advised the parents of asthmatic children to put them into swimming to help strengthen their lungs. So, cyclists too?

It could be argued that all aerobic activity has an ability to strengthen lung capacity, be it swimming, cycling, rowing, running ... the list goes on.

On face value, near-one in two elite swimmers being asthmatics seems rather high.

Nevertheless, if legitimacy of a pre-existing medical condition can be proved, did the authorities approving the right to take otherwise banned substances - in the case of cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale, its medical team headed PAGE 138

by Dr Mario Zorzoli

▲

Puerto, athletes other than cyclists were named. Unlike Operación Puerto, there is no nefarious doctor like Eufemiano Fuentes cajoling students into the dark art of blood transfusions.

At the time of writing this column, only the Fancy Bears, the hacking group believed to be from Russia, has outright accused those they've exposed of doping.

Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome were not the only ones, of course. Olympic gold medallists Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal (tennis), Simone Biles (gymnastics), Mo Farah (athletics), Alistair Brownlee (triathlon), Mahe Drysdale (rowing) and Justin Rose (golf - yes, apparently golfers need

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27/10/2016 9:22 am

The Spin Cycle ANTHONY TAN

Buoyed by the Olympic Games in his hometown of Sydney, Anthony Tan turned his back on a lucrative advertising career, choosing instead to meld journalism with his experiences as a handy road racer that took him to Europe – albeit briefly, and unsuccessfully.

He has covered the Tour de France since 2001, and is a cycling analyst for SBS Television Australia.

- find that in each case, that athlete and/or their doctor went to sufficient lengths to attempt to treat the condition without the use of, say, a heavy-grade, injection-only corticosteroid like Kenacort with a long history of use and, notably, abuse, as was the situation with Wiggins?

(From the umpteen articles I've read since the leak, out of all the experts cited, not one has condoned the use of Kenacort to treat pollen allergies; Richard Freeman, the Team Sky doctor who lodged the TUE, is yet to provide an explanation to the public.) And when assessing each TUE claim, did the UCI and other sport's governing bodies consider the timing of the application, in the context of an upcoming major sporting event - and if so, did a pattern emerge among certain athletes or certain teams or certain sports?

New Zealander David Gerrard, who chairs the WADA TUE Expert Group, said in an October statement "the integrity of (the TUE) process remains fundamental to the spirit of clean sport and has not been represented accurately by recent media reports following the hacking of the WADA files”. Neither Froome or Wiggins has challenged the veracity of the reported leaks; the former confirmed it to be true, in fact. So in the case of cycling, no misrepresentation of facts

[[ The overwhelming majority of applications for therapeutic use exemption are in full accordance with WADA clinical standards. ]] surrounding athletes' TUE applications has been reported.

"A reported 'upsurge' of applications to use medications that are prohibited, through the TUE process, is a reflection of growing stakeholder compliance ... rather than exploitation of any loophole to circumvent a legitimate process," said Gerrard. "The overwhelming majority of applications for therapeutic use exemption are in full accordance with WADA clinical standards."

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What about the minority, then? Who are they, and what is WADA going to do about it? Will they simply get a slap on the wrist? It certainly goes against the grain of Fricker, who unequivocally said "there's no fudging the system". Do we wait till the system resembles a block of Swiss cheese?

Elite sport has become a game of margins. Outfits like Team Sky, with their marginal gains philosophy, only know this too well. Their schtick is to find margins, then exploit them - and it comes from the very top. In the wake of the Fancy Bears scandal, their principal Dave Brailsford said they will go "as close as they can to the line (of what is legal), but never over it". While they may be before the line of legality, after what has been revealed about at least one of their former Tour de France champions, can we also say they're before the line of morality? Legal? Okay, maybe. Ethical?

I, for one, will have a hard time looking at them the same way again. @anthony_tanTwitter:

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