BIKE Magazine – July 2020

Coventry • Pamir Highway • Wild Atlantic Way • #Health • Cycling Advice

UK’S LEISURE CYCLING AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE

JULY 2020

CYCLING ADVICE

Giant TCR Review TOURING

CYCLING THE PAMIR HIGHWAY

THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY JULY 2020

£5.99/€6.99 MADE IN THE UK

2 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

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JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 3

CONTENTS

INSIDE JULY 2020

06

50

The Bicycle Colouring Book Colouring books are for kids, right? Not any more!

08 CYCLING THE PAMIR HIGHWAY

Wild Atlantic Way New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is always an anti-climax, all the partying of the festive period (which invariably lasts at least a week) is over and even the normally frenetic dog is overwhelmed with a lethargic malaise

18 #health This column introduces health tips, knowledge and gives you advice on how to improve your health and how to live a healthier life.

CYCLING ADVICE

32 2019 Giant TCR Advanced Pro Disc Custom Build Review

26

Coventry Any ride is a good ride in our book, We love the simplicity of exploration on two wheels, regardless of the weather. With this in mind we had a plan for a journey of contrasts, to pedal from my home town of Royal Leamington Spa (the prefix only used cynically when trying to impress and its suffix added due to the once medicinal qualities of the water) to the misunderstood and unquestionably less genteel city of Coventry.

4 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

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JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 5

WELCOME

Welcome

to the July issue

Sitting in the park it feels rather insensitive to paint an ongoing global pandemic in a positive way. Every day our doctors and nurses at the NHS continue to risk their lives to save countless others, while the majority of office-based labour among us relax at home complaining that they are sick of Netflix and miss the pub.

It’s taken a global pandemic to deliver the biggest bike boom since the London 2012 Olympics is a rather unfortunate twist of fate and while it’s regrettable it required such a dramatic shift in circumstances, we have been handed a once-in-alifetime opportunity to press the reset button on both carbon footprint and global health.

The connotations of such dramatic change does not have to be negative.

For the cycling industry it has at least acted as the most tremendous advertisement for cycling imaginable.

Unlike previous cycling booms, this opportunity isn’t limited to just a year or two... Played right this could indeed be the “golden age of cycling” the Prime Minister keeps talking about.

Yet the pieces will not fall into place without collaboration, diligence and assiduity. Today we are more united than ever. Let’s not wait for tomorrow.

Nick Branxton editor@bike-mag.com facebook.com/thebikemag instagram.com/bikemaguk twitter.com/TheBikeMag

> Nick Branxton - Editor

One thing I keep hearing, be it from cycling peers, friends or family is that neither our economy nor our society will ever be the same again.

Magazine Team Editor: Nick Branxton T. +44 (0)207 097 5177 E. editor@bike-mag.com Production Manager: Jack Adams T. +44 (0)207 097 5177 E. jack.adams@bike-mag.com Account Manager: Kate Chesterman T. +44 (0)207 097 5177 E. accounts@bike-mag.com

Sales Manager: Ana Santos E. ana.santos@bike-mag.com Sales Executive: Alexander Jameson E. alexander.jameson@bike-mag.com

Coventry • Pamir • Wild Atlantic Way • #Health • Cycling Advice

UK’S LEISURE CYCLING AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE

JULY 2020

CYCLING ADVICE

Giant TCR Review TOURING

CYCLING THE PAMIR HIGHWAY

Sales Executive: Carlos Adams E. carlos.adams@bike-mag.com Sales Executive: Jack Williams E. jack.williams@bike-mag.com

THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY JULY 2020

£5.99/€6.99 MADE IN THE UK

Publisher Webify Media Ltd 59 Jodane Street, London

To advertising please visit https://bike-mag.com/advertise

6 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 7

COLOURING BOOK

THE BICYCLE COLOURING BOOK Colouring books are for kids, right?

Not any more: you will see colouring books aimed at adults populating the best-seller charts, often requiring a high amount of patience and skill to do justice to the intricate drawings. And cyclists are never one to miss out.

I am sure that I am not alone in being surprised at the success of such an ‘old school’ past-time, but at the same time is reassuring that not every activity has to revolve around the latest technology.

There have been many different themes to these books (even Mills & Boon got in on the act recently), and this is the latest one dedicated entirely to cycling. Well, I say cycling because there is a bicycle on every page – but apparently there is also a cat on every page as well (although I did miss a few), so maybe Cat World magazine will be interested in it as well?

The drawings on offer here are always surreal, and sometimes even disturbing; if you are a fan of adult comic books or urban art you will be familiar with the style. The book “follows the amazing journey of a riderless bicycle exploring the dystopian, fantastical landscape.

The other-worldly scenes offer something weird and wonderful for colouring enthusiasts.” We are invited to “tighten your pedal straps and follow me on a journey across the sky and under the sea”, and that

sets the scene perfectly for what to expect.

If you experienced The Ride Journal (2008-16) you will be even more familiar with the style, as the artist Shan Jiang provided the cover image for all ten issues of the critically acclaimed publication – and the same cues are very evident in The Bicycle Colouring Book.

Jiang’s normal method is to first produce the picture at A3 size, which leads to some incredible detail on the finished size (which is a little under A4).

This is the first time that the artist has published any ‘un-coloured’ work, although if you open up the centre gatefold you will see that Jiang has completed the colouring of a whole spread (with the un-coloured version alongside).

Actually, perhaps you should not look at it, because your own efforts might never match the beauty and perfection of the version completed using digital technology.

As is usually the case, only one side of the page has a drawing to be coloured in (because of colour ‘show through’), but the other side has not been wasted: each page has a small illustration on the reverse that together form a flip book, featuring that cat again.

This is a beautifully presented bicycle-themed colouring book, with a very distinctive style.

Review by: Richard Peploe Publisher: Laurence King Author: Shan Jiang ISBN: 9781780677774 Published: 1/4/16 Cover: Paperback Retail price: £14

Scan to order from Amazon

8 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

WILD ATLANTIC WAY

Destination

Wild Atlantic Way

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 9

WILD ATLANTIC WAY

New Year’s Day is always an anticlimax, all the partying of the festive period (which invariably lasts at least a week) is over and even the normally frenetic dog is overwhelmed with a lethargic malaise. As I sat watching some naff movie, I pondered my first trip of the year.

My invite to the West side of Ireland was two-fold; to experience the Wild Atlantic Way and pedal along a section of the Tour of Connemara.

My knowledge was limited (it was in fact non-existent) so I did what most would do and scanned the ubiquitous internet. What I found was more than promising with glowing reviews, stunning images and amazing descriptions of wild untouched coastlines, epitomised by the following passage. “Where land and sea collide, where untamed beauty abounds, welcome to the unforgettable experience of the Wild Atlantic Way” I was sold, who wouldn’t be after those evocative words?

from County Donegal’s Inishowen Peninsula to Kinsale, County Cork, on the Celtic Sea coast. Along the route there are places and attractions which have been designated as points of interest for travellers. Our destination was Connemara, a wild and barren district in the west, just north-west of Galway.

Our transportation was expertly provided by Aer Lingus, the flight from Heathrow to Shannon was short, fuss-free and comfortable and we arrived at midday. The weather was cold but the sun had decided to provide a wonderful bright Irish welcome.

Our destination was Clifden, and after a 2 hour drive through Galway and dissecting some awesome panoramic views we arrived midafternoon. The town is the largest in Connemara with a population of 1200 – 1300 but in the summer months this increases ten-fold. There are plenty of pubs and traditional shops, Clifden is a small charming town renowned for its traditional nightlife, it’s a party town and unofficially classed as the Capital of Connemara.

The Wild Atlantic Way is a tourism trail on the west coast of Ireland.

The 2,500 km (1553 miles) driving route passes through nine counties and three provinces, stretching

The plan was loose, but would obviously involve some interactions with two wheels, I was accompanied by my wife whose role was to capture a mix of bikes and the unspoilt rugged surroundings, simple!

Unfortunately we were travelling in the middle of January so the weather would provide some obvious problems with the possibility of being exposed to some extremely harsh conditions a definite reality. As well as interacting with the Wild Atlantic Way, we were here to also experience the route (or part of the route) of the Tour of Connemara before the 2015 event on the 23rd May.

Scot Whitlock Twitter: cadencemag Website: cadencemag.co.uk Author, ‘Simple Words from the Saddle, Simply More Words from the Saddle & The Way of St James’ Twitter: @saddlescot

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WILD ATLANTIC WAY

Our base was the unusual Clifden Station House Hotel which is a wonderful friendly place, the location is prime and the staff possess a wonderful mix of typical Irish hospitality and amazing professionalism.

The railway line from Galway to Clifden was opened on 1st July 1895 and there were some 30 bridges, including an imposing steel viaduct.

Today the station building and platform have been thoughtfully restored to their original glory and now are home to the lovely hotel. There is a project to develop the old railway line into a cycling and walking trail between Clifden and Galway. The Greenway has two recognised phases, one is to focus on the route between Oughterard and Clifden and phase two will concentrate on Galway to Oughterard. When complete, it will provide a 78km traffic free cycle route through this beautiful landscape. It proved the ideal base to explore.

The Tour de Connemara starts and finishes outside the hotel, the finish is all taped off and there is an elaborate finish line where participants receive their medal on a makeshift podium. I had an early morning appointment with the one of the organisers of this popular event. Mark O’Connell arrived and over coffee we discussed the Tour of Connemara and the general cycling scene in this part of West Ireland. His passion was immediately evident and his company W2 have for several years efficiently organised the sportive. They provide strategic research, planning, evaluation and project implementation specialising in the tourism and sports sectors.

As Mark explained, the event attracts cyclists from all over the world, as well as Ireland. He was chuffed with

the amount of riders already registered for the 2015 sportive. Riders can choose to ride either 80km or 140km with majority of participants opting for the 140km with the 80km popular with women.

The entry fee is €40 if you are a member of Cycling Ireland and €45 if you are not. This registration gets you a 2015 Skoda Tour de Conamara Gilet, Powerbar products, access to feed stations, bike and medical back up supports, 2015 finishers medal and entry into 5 draws for great cycling prizes.

It was time to be introduced to my bike, Mark had brought along a Greg Le Mond classic road bike. He enthusiastically explained the heritage but I sort of wish he hadn’t. Basically it was Greg Le Mond’s very own bike which was given to Mark a few years earlier, what a treat but also a HUGE responsibility. Why was Mark not worried about his pride and joy, especially after my detailed description of the accident on my previous trip to the Midi-Pyrenees? His confidence was re-assuring but hopefully not misplaced as we negotiated the hotel carpark. Mark later told me over lunch that he was following rather close by just in case I did fall, when he planned to throw himself in-front of the bike and not me, and rightly so, it’s Greg Le Mond’s bike after-all. (I do hope he was having the craic) Thankfully the weather had reached a reassuring calm as we headed out of town south over the sea inlet following the evocative R341 (also signed ‘The Wild Atlantic Way’). Over our left shoulders was a cinematic view of Salt Lake. Serenity immediately descended as we left the hustle and bustle of Clifden behind. The road surface was excellent and as we approached

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 11

WILD ATLANTIC WAY

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WILD ATLANTIC WAY

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 13

WILD ATLANTIC WAY

Derrygimia I remembered that the site of the Marconi Station was close by as well as the location of the first transatlantic flight made by Alcock and Brown who crash landed unceremoniously in a nearby bog.

Next we encountered Ballyconneely which afforded beautiful panoramas across the bay with its maze of mesmerizing islands. The whole area is a stunning intricate patchwork of bogs and an unparalleled collection of small lakes that resembled sheet glass as the effects of the sun shimmered off their surface. This section is renowned for its magnificent white beaches and plenty of space to enjoy the waters. We breezed through Errisbeg which has the only significant climb along this stretch of coastline before entering Roundstone.

This small fishing village was deserted apart from the odd ageing cyclist; it basically consists of a single main street of tall houses, shops and several pubs. As we pushed on the rain started and the wind become more of a hindrance, but not an annoyance.

The previous night I had spoken in detail with the manager of the welcoming accommodation, Ronan, a native of Cork but his passion for Connemara was astonishing. I could listen to him all day, animatedly enthusing about the area and all the key historic sights and great locations to explore.

His plans for the hotel were encouraging, especially for us explorer types. His focus is on cycling, adventure racing, trekking and walking, but basically anything that gets you out and gets the air into your lungs. All his plans are viable and will enhance the business internationally and I wish him all the success in the world, he definitely deserves it. Out of season, the hotel

offers some attractive deals to keep things ticking over but the summer months are extremely busy, with August always full to capacity.

Later in the evening as we relaxed in the bar, Ronan went off to get me a map and returned with a rather large cumbersome framed map of Connemara, it was slightly comedic as he struggled through the door with arms at full stretch, coining it an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Irish GPSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Not sure how I was going to fit it on the bike I told him as we both giggled like naughty children, but I gave him my word I would try!

The lunar landscape was deserted apart from grazing sheep and the odd motor vehicle. The coastline was literally in touching distance, the evocative aromas of fresh seaweed mixed with a fresh crisp air invigorated my senses.

Interaction through simple smell was a highlight and stimulated my affection and adoration for this beautiful technology-free oasis. A place of utter tranquillity. I was amazed by the space, everywhere dominated by a simple expanse of greenery tentatively holding off the ferocious and unpredictable power of the Atlantic. The volatile interaction of the two was completely mesmerising and makes the cavalcade of dramatic vistas as alluring and as remarkable as any views I have encountered throughout the world.

The route contoured the coastline on extremely well surfaced roads, the majority tarmaced and amazingly I spotted no potholes. We were exposed to a stunning journey of discovery, the isolation was captivating dominated by open spaces and the odd wild enchanting building hiding a secret simple indulgence. I was hoping to hear the locals speaking in the native tongue (Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gaeltacht

14 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

WILD ATLANTIC WAY

– Irish speaking regions) but our only real interaction was the mass of free roaming sheep. It was close to perfect.

I had read a passage on the Wild Atlantic way which completely optimised the experience ‘Wherever you go along the Wild Atlantic Way, you will encounter moments of magic, moments to treasure and experiences that you will want to return to again and again’ – I rest my case!

As we neared the Inagh Valley, the horizon was dominated by ominous cloud cover and unfortunately we had to accept the weather was going to cut our ride short. We paused briefly to survey the views, the outline of ‘The Twelve Pins’ and the ‘Maumturk Mountains’ framed the landscape so dramatically.

We begrudgingly detoured onto another surprisingly well surfaced road and pedalled back towards Clifden hoping the weather would hold off until we returned to a semblance of civilisation.

This stretch of roadway is locally

referred to as the Greenway and as I mentioned earlier, work is underway to convert the route into a well maintained route accommodating cyclists and walkers.

Thankfully the flat landscape enabled us to make good speed in our quest westwards. The surroundings reminiscent of a beautiful Snowdonia and Exmoor concoction, rugged and barren with the odd sheep or cow grazing happily, it was a place of total unequivocal solitude. We easily negotiated Arkeen Beg and Arkeen More before reaching the outskirts of Clifden and tedious unwanted reality. I longed for the mystery and peacefulness that I had been exposed to over the previous few hours.

We couldn’t leave without experiencing the Sky Road and the Inagh Valley so the next morning as the sun was shining we followed the signage towards the viewing point on the Sky Road. The encounter was overwhelming,

the views from this natural hillside balcony over the Atlantic and the mass of rocky desolate islands and secluded bays has to be one of the most scenic in Ireland. It was a similar experience as we travelled slowly along the Inagh Valley, the Twelve Pins glowing in the bright sunlight. We couldn’t prevent ourselves from stopping like annoying tourists to capture the unbelievable array of photo opportunities. We followed the route through to Kylemore Abbey. The building was built for a wealthy English businessman in the 19th Century, nowadays it is run by nuns as an exclusive convent boarding school with some sections open to the public. It was unfortunately time to leave this beautiful place and rather emotionally we pointed our vehicle in the direction of Galway and Shannon Airport and our plane home. But we will be back, Connemara has left an imprint on both mine and Sarah’s hearts and will always be somewhere we remember fondly.

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 15

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16 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

2

Cycling World August 2015

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 17

August 2015 Cycling World

1

18 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

#HEALTH

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 19

#HEALTH

I have created this column for you to introduce health tips, share knowledge and give you advices how to improve your health or how to live a healthier life. The main focus on nutrition for people who are interested in sports, especially cycling. This column will be in every edition and i will write about two topic. Last edition was about #salmon and #banana. I am giving you informations and advices about two superfoods in this second article. The two superfoods are #honey and #watermelon.

#honey

valued natural products in the world.

Oh, honey! Yes, I am writing about the sweet golden liquid produced by bees.

Honey is made using the nectar of flowering plants and is saved inside the beehive. Honey is a sweet product made from flower nectar. Nectar was called the divine drink that the greek gods had. Bees make honey to store in their hives so they can use it as food in the winter months.

Flavour and colour are determined by the flowers from which the nectar is gathered. Honey was almost the only source of sugar available to the ancients. It takes about nine bees their entire lifetime to make one single teaspoonful. You can find raw honey, liquid honey, comb honey, crystallised honey, powdered and granulated honey too. This liquid gold is one of the most appreciated and

Fun fact: The bees’ buzz is the sound made by their wings which beat 11,000 times per minute.

100g honey contains: •

304 calories

•

0 g of protein

•

0 g of fat

•

0 mg of cholesterol

•

4 mg of sodium

•

82 g of carbs: 82 g of sugar

•

52 mg of potassium

Karoly Nagy He is very passionate about traveling and cultural impacts. His studies connect to HR and community organization. Karoly has been working on lot of projects in different fields.

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Email: karolynagyofficial@gmail.com

20 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

#HEALTH

Did you know? If you want burn 304 calories just cycle for 45 minutes.

Vitamins and antioxidants This natural energy booster contains lot of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and niacin, calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and potassium.

Healing The nectar helps promote healing time connected with wounds and reduces infection. Natural first aid for cuts, burns and

wounds. It treats cough, also sore throat.

Immune system This ancient gold is a good help to boost and maintain the work of immune system. The antibacterial effect gives a quality support for your body and your digestive system too.

Weight loss It is an excellent support in control your appetite, burn more fat and also, has lot of incredible effects for your hair and skin.

Natural sugars make it the honey a perfect weight-loss food.

#recipe

Ingredients:

Directions:

Honey-lemon chicken

-

8 piece of chicken breast

Step 1

Prep: 15 mins

-

1 purple onion

Cook: 20 mins

-

2 tablespoons olive oil

Wash the chicken breasts, peel the onion and prepare the ingredients.

Total: 35 mins

-

1 teaspoon black pepper

Servings: 4

-

1 teaspoon salt

-

2 tablespoon water

-

2 tablespoon honey

-

2 tablespoon lemon juice

Step 2 Heat the pan and add the olive oil. Mix the chicken breasts in a small bowl with the salt and the black pepper.

Step 3 Add the chicken breasts to pan and cook for 5 minutes each side. If you done put them on a plate..

Step 4 Add the sliced purple onion to pan and stir it for 2 minutes and after put the water, lemon juice and the honey to the pan. Cook it for another 2 minutes.

Step 5 Put back the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 3- 5 minutes. Be careful, do not cook for too long the chicken breasts.

Step 6 Serve it with salad or brown rice.

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 21

#HEALTH

#watermelon The watermelon is a large fruit and vegetable that grows on the ground from a vine.Yes, it is both fruit and vegetable.

Over 1,200 varieties grown in 96 countries worldwide.Wild watermelons are native to South Africa and cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.

It is usually eaten raw as a dessert. It has a sweet, refreshing flavour. We can find different variations with reddish or yellowish flesh. Colour can vary from light green to white to light yellow, intense yellow, orange, pink, red, or intense red, containing multiple black, white or brown pips. Watermelon is available in a variety of forms mini, fresh cuts, whole and juice.

How to choose the best watermelon?

Look for a creamy yellow, white spot on the bottom of the watermelon. This is where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun. It is very rich in water. Honestly watermelon is my favourite fruit.There is not summer without watermelon for me.

Fun fact: Watermelon rinds are also edible and has lot of health benefits. Rids are rich in fibre and can help boost your workout also support to reduce high blood pressure.

100g watermelon contains: •

30 calories

•

0g of protein

•

0g of fat

•

0mg of cholesterol

•

1mg of sodium

•

8g of carbs

•

112mg of potassium

•

6g of sugar

Did you know? If you want burn 30 calories just cycle for 5 minutes.

Benefits

Total: 250 mins Servings: 3-4 Ingredients:

Watermelon provides several impressive health benefits.

•

half middle size watermelon

Heart health

•

1 litre milk

Watermelon is a pleasant source of major vitamins what can help to improve and reduce lower blood pressure, inflammation and decrease risk factors for heart disease.

•

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•

2 tablespoon sugar

Muscle soreness Watermelon can minimising the soreness and muscle recovery especially after leg exercises such as cycling or sprinting. It reduces next-day muscle soreness.

Skin and hair Prevents hair loss and useful for promoting hair growth.Watermelon seed oil works very well in watermelon shampoo. Keep the skin hydrated, moisturised and stay young and supple.

Can be use for a toner. It is a natural toner that can help to refresh the skin.

Watermelon is believed to help with acne too.

Vitamins, minerals and digestion This summer fruit is a great source of potassium, magnesium, beta-carotene and high in vitamin A, vitamin C, B1, B5, B6 vitamins. Watermelon is a real supporter to digestive and maintain the work of digestive system. #recipe Watermelon ice cream Prep: 10 mins Refrigerate: 240 mins

Directions Step 1 Crave from the watermelon the red parts and place all ingredients in a blender.

Blend it until smooth and pour it in a bowl what is fit in your fridge.

Step 2 After 1 hour blend it again and repeat this after another half hour to get a more creamy texture.

Step 3 After 240 minutes you can serve your homemade watermelon ice cream and enjoy.

22 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

#HEALTH

#recipe+ Watermelon sangría (white sangría) Prep: 10 mins Refrigerate: 240 mins Total: 250 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients: •

1 cup watermelon

•

1 cup mango

•

1 lime

•

1 lemon

•

1 peach

•

couple of fresh mints

•

1 tablespoon honey

•

1 bottle white wine

•

half cup agave tequila

•

carbonated water

Directions: Step 1 Add the tequila and the mints in a big pitcher and muddle with a wood spoon.

Step 2 Add all fruits in the pitcher and stir it with the honey.

Step 3 Fill the pitcher with the white wine and let it to rest in the fridge for 4-5 hours.

Step 4 After 4-5 hours serve it with carbonated water and enjoy.

#plus Include honey and watermelon to your diet and you will see the good benefits.

Be healthy, be happy. Have a nice summer.

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 23

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24 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

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JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 25

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26 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

CYCLING ADVICE

CYCLING ADVICE

Is the Giant TCR the best bike in the world?

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 27

CYCLING ADVICE

2019 Giant TCR Advanced Pro Disc Custom Build Review 4.5/5

Pros •

Fast

•

Comfortable

•

All day sportive bike or full on race machine

•

Best value for money

Cons •

Is it time for the TCR to adopt a dropped seat stay design?

It’s a bold statement to make, labelling a bike as one of the best bikes in the world, but hear me out.

Giant has been in the business since 1972 and is one of the biggest cycling brands in the world. Giant offers a superb mix of high performing bikes to suit every style of rider, backed up with a lifetime warranty, emphasising the confidence Giant has in the quality of their frames.

If you are not familiar with some of the key models and their purpose, below is a quick rundown: The Defy offers a very comfortable ride but is a highly capable climbing machine. With its relaxed geometry, making it easy to pound out the miles, but don’t be mistaken, while it can take a little more effort to maintain speed due to a more compliant frame, the Defy is certainly no slouch.

The TCR is slightly more geared towards a race geometry setup with its market leading stiffness to weight ratio, and can be whatever you want it to be, an all-day sportive bike or full on race attack machine.

Don’t be mistaken though, while the frame is stiff, it does a miracle job of balancing performance with comfort and takes on some of the roughest roads with ease.

The Propel makes no lie in hiding its purpose with its aggressive geometry and a very firm ride to maximise your wattage output.

Its aero frame and wheels further enhancing your performance, ready to race or to smash out a club ride in the fastest time possible. If you want pure speed, this is it.

For those with a keen eye for detail, you will have noticed I have not provided a number at the end of the bike model.

All Giant models come with a number at the end which depicts the varying (sometimes confusing) specifications.

If you wanted to define what specification this build is then it would be closest to the Giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 (based on 2021 spec).

Anthony Walstow  @CyclingCentre : Admin on Cycling Advice Author: “A passionate cyclist, obsessed about anything aero or tech with an addiction to buying bikes”

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To delve into the detail further, the full spec and weight is below:

The Spec •

Giant TCR Advanced Pro frame

•

Full Shimano 105 groupset

•

Shimano Ice Tech Rotors

•

Giant Contact SL Stem (110mm)

•

Giant Contact SL Bars (440mm)

•

Specialized S-Works Saddle

•

Roval CL50 Clinchers Wheels

Featured Components JRC Components Hokan Saddle Roll Bag JRC Components Garmin Handlebar Mount

Weight (cages, Garmin mount, no pedals) 8.10kg (soon to be lower as it’s going on a diet)

When purchasing this bike, I went through a slightly different route, buying the frame as new and carrying out a custom build.

Building from a frame up can be a more costly route, but it can work out the same in the long run. “Off the peg” bikes are cheaper, but always come with a drawback, such as savings being made on fitting cheaper components, wheels being the most popular cost saving method.

After time any cost savings made on its initial purchase are eroded because most cyclists will upgrade the wheels at some point. The beauty of a frame build is every component can be handpicked

and there isn’t a need for further upgrades.

The reason for the TCR frame build was a winter bike was needed. As cyclists we of course need a bike for almost every season!

While winter carries some heightened risks, such as colder roads with less grip (a potential for a cycling accident) and increased levels of rain and salt clogging up parts, I still wasn’t prepared to accept a lesser performance orientated bike, making my weekend rides less enjoyable. Just because its winter, you don’t have to slog it out on some heavy, uninspiring contraption.

There appeared to be a level of shock and horror amongst the cycling community with running a full carbon bike and carbon clinchers through the harder winter months, but to dispel any myths, regular maintenance will prevent or reduce any mechanical issues.

If anything, the winter bike needs to

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CYCLING ADVICE

and if you like to put in the odd sprint or hunting KOM/QOM’s then you won’t be disappointed, the bike will do your best sprint efforts every bit of justice, propelling you forward with a startling level of pace.

Don’t be confused though with frame stiffness and it being an uncomfortable ride, quite the opposite. Some bikes just opt for all out stiffness and market them as fast, yet the compromise can be comfort, and in some cases frame setups like this are slower by causing you fatigue through constant jarring from the road. The TCR achieves a sublime ride through its complex carbon layup and years of incremental improvements. It’s a machine which has evolved, and it demonstrates this through each turn of the pedals.

be almost as attractive to ride as the summer bike to motivate you in getting out in the cold. A task easier said than done.

I have loved TCR’s for as long as I can remember, so browsing bikes one weekend, something that may happen a bit too often, a deal on Rutland cycling popped up for a new Giant TCR Advanced Pro frame. The decision was made, and the build begun. At the time I had just broken a Cannondale CAAD12 for parts so a full Shimano 7020 105 groupset and a set of Roval CL50’s needed to be put to good use.

Many people when in the market for a new bike ask for help on what to get, and unless the person really wants a bike geared towards endurance or a full on race machine (a Defy or Propel would suit in this instance) then I always recommend the TCR as it brings the best of both worlds together, performance and comfort.

If you are considering the TCR, try to stretch the budget a little further and opt for the Pro version. The Pro version comes with the carbon oversized fork and carbon seat post which reduces weight while adding compliance, but most importantly the Pro version comes with the SLR wheels. These as a factory standard set of wheels are very good and won’t require an immediate upgrade.

The Ride It’s now summertime, dry roads and warm sunny rides, what more could a cyclist want. The TCR hadn’t been ridden since around March as the aero summer bike was in use.

Switching back to the TCR and several miles in I had forgotten just how good this bike really is. I was glad to be aboard the TCR as I was navigating some unfamiliar country lanes from following a Strava route that hadn’t been explored before.

Surrounded by high hedges and trees, their roots causing the road to break in several places, the TCR took the poor road surface in its stride, the frame doing an excellent job of absorbing the broken tarmac, while allowing you to maintain your speed, something the my less forgiving aero machine may have struggled with. Coupled with Giants new SL stem and SL bars, a full aluminium cockpit, they go some way in further ironing out feedback.

Remember a good set of aluminium bars will be far more effective in comfort for riding poorly surfaced roads or being super stiff to cope with any out of the saddle climbs and sprints than a cheaper carbon bar/stem combination.

This brings me onto the star of the show, the TCR frame. The frame is stiff,

This is a bike suited for all rider capabilities, for those enjoying gentler solo or club rides, Sportive events, or full on race attack mode. The TCR is the complete chameleon of the bike world.

Did I mention how good it is at climbing? Some could argue it is not the lightest bike, but it’s certainly not the heaviest either. Remember this is a mid-range Shimano disc equipped bike, which will always be heavier than a rim brake equivalent along with its 50mm Roval Clinchers. Fitted with shallower or lighter wheels (the Rovals are still light for a 50mm aero wheelset at 1515g) an Ultegra groupset, and some other lighter handpicked components the bike could easily dip into the 7kg range.

Impressive.

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The bike runs an 11-32 cassette, perfect in enabling you to spin up hills with ease or as well as your legs can carry you. The TCR frame again comes to the forefront, giving you the advantage with transferring your best efforts efficiently.

I can’t say I’m a huge fan of hills, well who is, but astride the TCR it presents a masterclass at climbing.

On the descents you notice the bike is controlled, smooth and predictable, helping you hit those long sweeping corners at speed, without any panic creeping in and causing you to reach for the brakes. Should you need to scrub off some speed the hydraulic brakes offer the normal levels of efficiency. Steering with the oversized steerer is well balanced, precise and isn’t twitchy, building on your confidence levels in all riding conditions.

You could ask why a 2019 bike is being reviewed when it is 2020, a little out of

date you might think, but the TCR has barely changed over recent years and 2019’s model is just as relevant to the 2020 model or previous disc models.

More drastic changes have been made to the 2021 model which has just been released, more of a complete redesign up which now leans towards more aero frame tubes and shedding a healthy portion of weight.

Is it time for dropped seat stays?

I would have to be incredibly picky to criticise the TCR, and covering a steady 45-mile ride over the weekend I didn’t once feel the need for dropped seat stays, BUT could the TCR make further marginal gains in this area? The TCR with its sloping top tube design has stood the test of time, but since the introduction of dropped seat stays, is the classic frame design due an update?

Many large manufacturers such as

Specialized and Cannondale have adopted a dropped seat stay design as it offers better compliance, control and contact with the road.

From an aesthetics point of view, the TCR is still one of the best-looking frames in the market and have so far not crumbled to the pressures of adopting this design. This still leaves Giant with a conundrum, adopt dropped seat stays and build on the high performance of their TCR frame, but endanger alienating TCR fans with making the bike look like every other new model on the market. When Cannondale made a significant change to their SuperSix Evo frame, there was a lot of negative feedback, perhaps more nostalgia taking preference over progression. Fast forward several months and it is now winning bike of the year awards, countless high scoring reviews and is one of the bestselling models on the market. Imagine the potential Giant could tap into further with considering this design. It’s certainly food for thought.

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32 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

COVENTRY

Destination

Coventry

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Any ride is a good ride in our book, We love the simplicity of exploration on two wheels, regardless of the weather. With this in mind we had a plan for a journey of contrasts, to pedal from my home town of Royal Leamington Spa (the prefix only used cynically when trying to impress and its suffix added due to the once medicinal qualities of the water) to the misunderstood and unquestionably less genteel city of Coventry.

We set off from Leamington’s War Memorial, a mesmeric bronze figure with head bowed in mournful pose but juxtaposed dissonantly amongst a glut of estate agents. It stands proudly, its presence so impressive, freely provoking thought and remembrance. Today the clarity of the light emphasised the handsome bronze life sized figure.

Our route took us out onto the busy Kenilworth Road (A452) before reverting to the blissfully tranquil roads around the Royal Agricultural Centre at Stoneleigh. The weather was behaving, the sky was overcast but thankfully the expected wind and rain had failed to arrive. Considering we had only just left the urban sprawl, the calm that descended was so contrasting.

The descent into the quaint village of Stoneleigh was exhilarating, the hill is completely enveloped in glorious greenery which only heightened our senses and focus. The speedy

downhill had obviously tested my concentration levels because I could feel my tongue protruding from my mouth, a common sign of deep thought in the Whitlock family (I admit it doesn’t happen that often).

We breezed over the river before exposing my nostrils to the pungent aroma of the nearby sewage works.

Why Coventry, the simple answer is why not!. We do have a modicum of sympathy towards the City and its people, it has many harsh critics and it to many conjures thoughts of an unprepossessing place that has suffered years of post-industrial decline. Unfortunately its best known for its inclusion in the British idiom ‘to send someone to Coventry’, the process of ostracising by noncommunication or simple alienation.

It’s the favourite weapon of childish bullies across the globe, and its actual origins are unknown but it is believed that events in and around Coventry during the English Civil War may have a bearing. On the positive it is also home to Jaguar, Land-Rover and where the 2 tone pop phenomenon started in the late 70s.

But, as the specials sang on 2 tone all those years ago, it is a concrete jungle. The first real indication we had hit the city was the emergence of bland underpasses and subways, the ever present of any urbanised metropolis. Thankfully the city is easy to navigate by bike, offering plenty of designated cycle paths and the ubiquitous on road cycle lanes, you

Scot Whitlock Twitter: cadencemag Website: cadencemag.co.uk Author, ‘Simple Words from the Saddle, Simply More Words from the Saddle & The Way of St James’ Twitter: @saddlescot

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will undoubtedly encounter a multitude of one way systems and vigilance and common sense (a under-rated facet nowadays) is essential at all times.

If we are being truthful the City has suffered a decline in recent times (mirrored by the football team), stark evidence of this is in its buildings which are comparatively young, especially in and around the heart of the city but already could benefit from a productive makeover. The grey drab facades create a rather melancholy air (it would never be described as being crammed with disturbingly expensive designer shops, more working class, than pretentious indulgence) but it does offer several teasing hidden gems. The city is being reborn, its resolute and strong character has created a resurgence in fortunes and this is what we hoped to find from the saddle. Our initial destination was the city’s historic flagship attraction, the Cathedral.

As we approached the building we were taken aback by the imposing figure of Sir Jacob Epstein’s bronze sculpture of St Michael standing over the devil, the figure possesses an overwhelming power, a simple

statement of divine presence with arms flung wide to welcome all. On the night of 14 November 1940 the city changed forever following some expertly executed bombing raids by the Luftwaffe. The 14th Century Cathedral was hit several times and it burned with a large part of the city, the old quarter with its collection of black and white timber buildings was one of the most notably devastated areas. The ruined shell that remains is a fetching example of fortitude through devastation at the hands of humanity. A truly magical interplay of vibrant art, religion and kinship. The new building, designed by Sir Basil Spence is magnificently simple, the modern wide open expanse of the nave is surprisingly comforting. We sat and immersed in the sobering silence.

Only the tower, spire, outer wall and the bronze effigy and tomb of its first bishop survived. Shortly after the bombing two of the charred medieval roof timbers were discovered fallen in the shape of a cross. They were set dramatically in the ruins, more recently another cross was fashioned from three medieval nails by a local priest, this is referred to somewhat appropriately as the Cross of Nails and is recognised as the sign of defiance, faith and simple hope..

As we departed, we caught a whimsical image of the Holy Trinity Church, we were intrigued. Its location awkwardly sandwiched between Wetherspoons and string of high street stores. The church’s simple and subdued exterior doesn’t prepare you for the absolutely enthralling interior, the stained glass windows are breathtaking. The mystical stillness provides a pleasant setting to visually explore the infamous ‘Doom painting’, known by many as the ‘Apocalypse painting’. It’s extraordinary to believe the simple but lifelike figures are nearly 600 years old, their power is astonishing and demonstrate the battle of good over evil and the eternal consequences faced by many. The images so vivid, so dark, so expressive representing so aptly the ultimate choice, Salvation or damnation! I was finding it hard to contain my emotions, so we left.

After contemplating our considerably meagre existence we pedalled away from the stillness along Trinity Street.

In keeping with the adage that life is a journey, our next port of call was the Transport Museum. For over 100 years Coventry has been the centre of the UK motor industry, both four

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and two-wheeled, associated with such illustrious names as the aforementioned Jaguar, Land-Rover, Daimler, Triumph, Massey Ferguson and Peugeot, so its only appropriate that it has a museum to honour the endeavours of its skilled workers over the years. Even Black cabs have been sent to Coventry and are manufactured in the city by Geely.

We were immediately faced by the impressive contemporary Whittle Arch which is supposed to replicate a large double wing, it’s a refreshing accompaniment to a statue of Sir Frank Whittle who’s contribution to history is legendary, he is credited with inventing the turbojet engine which revolutionised air travel and was a son of the city, being born in Earlsdon in 1907. As we traipsed across the courtyard under the arch we discovered a spectacularly surreal world map beneath our feet; in one simple step for mankind we managed to travel between Pyonyang and Beijing, if only it was that simple, especially the North Koreans.

The museum is a joy, we absolutely

love the place, a jumble of cars, buses, motorbikes and a whole section dedicated to the humble bicycle, lie within. Its extensive collection of vehicles is acknowledged as being one of the finest in the world and its offers a fantastic day out for all the family, as well as providing a perfect snapshot of the city’s motoring past. Parts of the museum have been recreated to allow the visitor to face the atmosphere of the Blitz. The dark, dank surroundings provide a brief insight into what the people of the city had to endure and is testament to the strength and determination of the populace.

The majority of our many visits always involve us speeding through the motor vehicles section before spending a unhealthy length of time exploring the cycling section and its dizzying array of bikes. (we feel no need to detail in words our nerdy excitement). Before departing we paused in the foyer for a reasonably priced coffee, and watched the frenetic movements from the bus station.Nothing stays still in Coventry for long.

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TOURING

The Bicycle Diaries

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One woman’s solo cycle from London to Tehran: Stage 6

‘Politics, problem!’ says the man, handing me a spoon of home-made honey. ‘Corrupt-zion, problem!

Arsenal, problem! Arsene Wenger, catastroph!’

P and I are at Lake Skadar, Montenegro, sampling a few of the local grapes during a week-long, bike-free holiday that my buttocks are already embracing wholeheartedly.

Our host invited us in on our way past his winery and is now plying us generously with his wares. He doesn’t seem entirely happy, however, either with his country or with the plight of Premiership football.

‘Mourinho, problem!’ he cries, throwing up his hands. ‘Money, big problem!’

To avoid adding thankless tourists to his problems, we buy a bottle of strong, creamy Vranac – a dry red unique to Montenegro – and extricate ourselves before the third round of rakija. We are on our way back to Virpazar from a lakeside beach in Murici, 25 km to the south. The road there was breathtaking, snaking high through the lush, luminescent hills.

When we arrived we found the place almost deserted, save for a Russian in a provocative pair of speedos, some frisky goats and a tortoise.

We could have stayed longer, but sunshine and Slavic tackle is no match for our baser British instincts and we return to watch the England vs Wales rugby World Cup match. After

setting up my laptop in a bar, we are joined by a couple from Leeds – and, later, by some locals intrigued by P’s unpatriotic roars of support for Wales.

‘If it was Serbia vs Montenegro, you’d never get two men at the same table supporting different teams,’ one of them says. ‘They’d kill each other!’

One of the men tells me he’s an investigative journalist. He used to work for one of the private TV channels, he says, but lost his job after producing a series exposing corruption in government. ‘This place is a disaster zone,’ he slurs tipsily.

‘Everyone leaves if they can.’

What a shame to be forced out of such a place, I think to myself. The country is tiny, with a population similar to Glasgow (620,000). Yet packed inside is a greedy abundance of natural treasures, including lakes, mountains, gorges, forests and a coastline described by Lord Byron (with just a hint of hyperbole) as the earth’s ‘most beautiful encounter between the land and the sea’.

P is equally enraptured, it seems.

‘Bloody hell,’ he says as we work our way through the plush greenery between lake and sea. ‘Blood-dee hell.’

The problem with having such riches at your disposal, however, is the temptation to dispose of them. And the government’s intentions are clear: turn the country into a luxury mecca for the super-rich. Porto Montenegro,

Rebecca Lowe Rebecca Lowe, a human rights journalist, started a 10,000km, 20-country ‘bummel’ through Europe and the Middle East in July.

Her aims are threefold: cultivate a pair of toned, shapely calves that will be the envy of all she meets; survive; and shed light on a region long misunderstood in the West.

Find out more about Rebecca’s Journey Twitter: reo_lowe (https://twitter.com/reo_lowe) Facebook group: The Bicycle Diaries (https://www.facebook.com/ bexbicyclediaries/)

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an extravagant marina development part-owned

by Oleg Deripaska and the Rothschilds, benefits from generous tax breaks, while the country’s show-piece hunk of real estate, Sveti Stefan, is now a five-star resort boasting rooms that would set the average Montenegrin back several months’ salary.

P and I consider staying at Sveti Stefan, but empty our pockets and realise we only have £15, some Halls spearmint gum and a puncture repair kit between us. So we go instead to Perast in the Bay of Kotor – an achingly charming town deeply influenced by its 380 years under Venetian rule – and from there move onto Tara Canyon, in Durmitor National Park.

On our way to the canyon, we are flagged down by police for speeding and hit with a €50 fine. They clocked us doing 78km/h in a 60-zone, the officer says. No arguments.

To pay we have to go to the nearest big town, 20km back the way we came.

It’s clear the guy’s a maverick.

There’s no way we were doing 78km/h, for a start; we were doing at least 100. But what to do? Before starting my trip, I’d made a pact with myself that I wouldn’t contribute to the crooked dealings of any country I passed through. I’m a moral person, after all, and I’ve written about corruption all across the world. I know the terrible impact it can have.

‘Can we just pay here?’ I say, handing over two €10 notes.

‘We’re in a bit of a rush.’

Minutes later we’re zooming along the road again, back on track. I watch the policemen recede in the rear-view mirror, along with the tattered remains of my integrity. Hypothetical ethics are so much easier than real ones, I mull to myself. What

great strength it must require to avoid complicity in the system. Or at least a degree of tolerance for moderate inconvenience.

At Tara Canyon – the deepest gorge in Europe (1,300m), running for 82km along the Tara River – P and I hit the canyoning trail, and spend a fantastic day scrabbling our way through a magical, craggy underworld of cerulean pools, rivulets and rocks. Our guide is a PE teacher, but tells us he’s trying to get a visa for Australia. He’s desperate to leave, he says. ‘Everyone hates the government, but there’s nothing you can do. They control the jobs.

You speak out, you lose everything.’

After P returns to the UK, I rekindle my relationship with Maud and hit the road again towards Albania. As I leave Podgorica, I pass protestors calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic – curiously one of the richest leaders in the world, despite his £1,000 monthly salary. I then follow the Civjevna River through the mountains, beside moss, spruce and fir, while the sky burns electric blue overhead.

It’s a beautiful ride and I feel my mojo slowly returning.

Then, after about 30km, the road suddenly stops. I look around in panic. Where the hell has it gone? ‘Ah, sorry,’ a woman in a nearby house says. ‘It hasn’t been built yet.

The only crossing is down south, by Lake Skadar.’

Oh crap, I think. Lake Skadar?

That involves going almost all the way back the way I came.

Surely there’s another way?

Surely there’s someone I can bribe or cajole to take me through? But no – the route is completely, irredeemably blocked, and on this occasion it seems no amount of amoral wheeler-dealing will assist me.

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So, with a heavy heart, I turn around and go back. I should probably have checked first, I think to myself. That probably would have been the sensible thing to do. Hoping I’ve learnt my lesson but knowing I almost certainly haven’t, I finally make it to Tuzi, near Lake Skadar, where I get chatting to a man in a cafe. I shouldn’t attempt to cross today, he tells me, because there’s nowhere to stay on the other side and it’s inadvisable to camp. ‘The place is full of thieves,’ he says. ‘Even locals don’t go out after 10pm.’

I’m sceptical – few prejudices are more acute and unfounded than those between neighbouring countries – but he offers to buy me lunch and I’m starving. It’s clear his motives are not entirely pure, but that’s one of the great advantages of being a woman: the exploitation of randy men. If they want to throw in their chips on the faint off-chance there’ll be a payout, that’s their gamble.

They should really examine the odds more carefully.

‘The protests in Podgorica won’t come to anything,’ the man, L, says over lunch. ‘It’s just a few thousand people with nothing to lose. But most people have everything to lose. If you don’t vote for the government, you’re spent.’

It’s a strategy that seems to be working; the Democratic Party of Socialists has won every vote since the first multi-party elections of 1990.

They control the politics and the courts. They control the money. ‘It’s better not to have kids at all then bring them up here,’ L says, a little fiercely.

After declining L’s sweet offer to find me a motel, I book a cheap room in town and bed down early. The next day, I leave at 8am and finally make it across the border without a hitch. In Albania, everything

suddenly seems poorer; the goats scrawnier, the grass scrubbier. I meet an eightyear-old boy with bare feet who is clutching a packet of Marlboro, and a wrinkly old crone on a bicycle who gives me a toothless grin and a carrot.

And then I see it: my biggest adversary to date. A gruelling humdinger of a hill that marks the beginning of the Prokletije Mountains. The road zigzags steeply up the side of the valley for about 5km, before disappearing ominously over the top. I feel apprehensive, and stall for twenty minutes to eat my carrot and listen to a man talk unintelligibly about his chickens. Then, finally, I succumb.

For the next two hours, the hill and I do battle. It’s a true bun-burning thigh-cruncher of a climb and my body is on fire from the start. Every half-mile I stop for a short(ish) rest, but I am determined not to dismount and push. It feels somehow significant, this hill; if I can manage it, I think to myself, I can finally call myself a bummler. I can finally grow some balls and a dram of self-respect. So on I go, slogging, sweating, steaming, swearing, up and up for about 18km. And slowly, very slowly, sometimes almost moving backwards, I manage it.

At the top it feels good.

Very good. And the reward is magnificent. Opening out before me is a broad, verdant gorge, and – leading down to it – the most fiendish set of hairpins I’ve ever seen.

After a well-earned rest, Maud and I rocket down with joyful abandon, only narrowly avoiding coming to a calamitous end among a flock of errant goats. We did it, I crow jubilantly to myself!

We bloody well did it!

About an hour later, however, I’m struggling again. The tarmac has run out, along with my food and water, and

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my wheels keep spinning hopelessly on the gravelly track. Suddenly I decide I’ve had enough, and storm into a nearby fish farm to demand a lift in the direction of Vermosh, 25km up the road on the northern Albanian/Montenegrin border.

They don’t understand me at first, but a round of Pictionary seems to help, and eventually the man agrees.

At the next village, after refusing payment, he hands me over to another truck driver who is going all the way to Vermosh. He already has three hitchhikers in the back, an Albanian man and Israeli couple, but happily adds me to the clan. And thank god he does. It’s raining hard now and the road is just rubble, hemmed in tightly by cliffs and plunging ravines. Progress is slow, and we stop regularly to wait for bulldozers to clear the way.

After a nail-biting, two-hour drive, we finally arrive at a remote limestone farmhouse in Vermosh, where our kindly driver bids us goodbye. It’s now pitch-black and pouring, and the owners greet us warmly with a wonderful meal of homemade beef stew, goats cheese, bread and shopska salad. Then they bring out the obligatory bootleg rakija,

which briefly seems to give me the ability to speak fluent Albanian before knocking me out completely for the best part of eight hours.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast and a tour of the century-old farmhouse’s charming ‘ethnography museum’, I hit the road again. Or would if I could find one. The ground seems to comprise of one vast, lumpy, crevasseladen mud-pit and I find myself halfpushing, half-carrying Maud for most of the way. Eventually we reach a small stream with no way across and my heart sinks. Sighing deeply, I bend down and remove my socks and sandals (stop that sniggering, please; fashion is a social construct) and wade miserably across.

I’ve just dried myself off on the other side when it starts to rain, first lightly, then like a sheet. It soaks me so thoroughly that my padded underwear (I said stop that) takes two whole days to dry. For over an hour, I take refuge by a woodburning stove in a small, grotty cafe in Murino, before venturing back out into the torrent for the final 25km leg. ‘Rain three days continue,’ one of the men says as I leave, speaking via Google Translate on his phone. ‘I take you home,

protect you?’

I stay just one night in Berane, which seems to have nothing at all to recommend it, and set off the next morning for a very hilly ride to Rozaje, which seems slightly worse than Berane.

In Rozaje, I check into Motel Milenium (sic) for a very reasonable £10, for which I get a dynamic fuchsia pink colour scheme, dirty carpet, no curtains and a broken toilet, plus a smattering of blood and hair on the wall for no extra cost.

The next day, I tear myself away from this idyll for the final schlepp to Kosovo.

It’s a lovely, soul-rejuvenating cycle, punctuated by the occasional pitchblack tunnel of doom, and I reach the Serbian border quickly – followed, just an hour later, by the Kosovan. Here, I encounter the cheeriest border guard I’ve met so far. ‘Very good!’ he says approvingly, looking at my bike. ‘You will love our beautiful country!’ And seeing his beaming grin, I suddenly have the feeling I will.

Follow Rebecca’s journey on her website at thebicyclediaries.co.uk, Twitterfeed at reo_lowe or Facebook at facebook.com/ bexbicyclediaries.

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Eat, Sleep, Ride, Repeat.

It’s good to get away and see somewhere new. And when you’ve finished a long ride, exploring new places, it’s good to have a little bit of comfort; a cold drink, a hot drink, a microwave, gas hobs, running water, a sofa, double beds with mattresses. The things we take for granted in our own homes. The 6-berth OPUS® Camper Trailer can offer you all of those comforts, plus a whole lot more, including the ability to carry up to 6 cycles on it’s roof. OPUS® takes care of the simple things, leaving you more time to concentrate on your routes.

Start planning your next route today with OPUS®

opuscamper.com 01473 601200

46 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

PRODUCT REVIEW

GIRO AETHER Road helmet

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PRODUCT REVIEW

Giro Sport Design Road helmet

It’s called the Aether. It looks like Giro’s Synthe, with a few subtle improvements — and one very significant development. The current Synthe MIPS has a conventional low-friction, thin plastic “slip plane” placed in between the foam liner and the retention system. But the new Aether utilizes something Giro and MIPS have developed in partnership over the past three years, which they’re calling MIPS Spherical.

First seen in Giro’s Avance MIPS snow helmet, MIPS Spherical takes the concept of protecting the brain from rotational forces to the next level.

The other common alternative to those standard MIPS plastic liners is to integrate the slip plane directly into the retention system, like Giro has done with the RocLoc Air in the new Vanquish aero road helmet, and the similar Float Fit system in the Bell Zephyr. But with Spherical MIPS, there’s instead an elastomer attachment placed between two layers of expanded polystyrene foam — the internal liner and the outer shell — allowing them to rotate independently during an angled impact.

As with all MIPS systems, the goal is to minimise how much the head violently twists upon impact, with the theory being that reducing how much the brain abruptly spins inside the skull helps to prevent brain trauma. Though the full product name of the helmet is Aether MIPS, that’s a bit redundant; unlike with other Giro models, there is no non-MIPS Aether.

This helmet only exists because of MIPS Spherical technology; it’s in the DNA of the design.

The result is a MIPS system that spans the entire inner liner of the helmet, yet is invisible to the naked eye, with claims of better ventilation, lighter weight, improved comfort, and increased aerodynamics over the Synthe. Also increased? The price. We’ll get to that a little later. But first, the backstory.

MIPS: WHAT IT IS, WHY IT MATTERS For all the R&D Giro has put into MIPS Spherical, they are not here to tell you it’s a safer helmet. It might be safer, but you didn’t hear that from them.

For legal reasons, Giro — like most manufacturers — will not make specific claims about helmet safety.

Every crash is different, every brain injury is different, and in-house attorneys warn against making promises to consumers about the performance of a helmet in an accident.

What Giro will say, however, is that within the constraints of laboratory testing, test engineers were able to see “repeatable benefits” with the MIPS Spherical system — a technology first incorporated into its £600 Avance snow sports helmet, which was designed to protect against both high-speed crashes on ice as well as repetitive gate impacts

during slalom racing.

Instead, Giro and MIPS are eager to tell the story of how much science and research goes into developing their products. That research includes three in-house tests that Giro began developing five years ago to help prove or disprove the MIPS concept — tests based around rotational, rather than linear, impacts.

“most manufacturers — will not make specific claims about helmet safety” The vision behind MIPS (MultiDirectional Impact Protection System) began in 1995 when Hans von Holst, a Swedish brain surgeon, repeatedly found himself operating on trauma victims who had been wearing helmets when their heads hit the ground; their skulls were not fractured, but they had still suffered brain injuries. Von Holst contacted the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and began research into head and neck injury

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PRODUCT REVIEW

prevention.

After conducting thousands of helmet tests, Holst and partners Peter Halldin and Svein Kleiven determined that most accidents result in oblique impacts — meaning slanted, neither parallel nor at a right angle — which causes rotational violence to the brain.

Existing helmets may have done their job in protecting the skull, but they weren’t doing enough to protect the brain, which is more sensitive to internal shear than to linear impacts. The human brain is soft, like gelatine or tofu, and suspended in cerebrospinal fluid. It doesn’t compress, but when your head violently rotates in an impact, different layers of the brain will accelerate at different rates. As a result, the billions of tiny nerve cells that comprise the brain can stretch and tear.

Yet, until recently, traditional helmets had historically only been tested for linear impact, not those more complex forces that occur when sliding or twisting. The first prototype of a MIPS-equipped helmet was tested at the University of Birmingham in 2000, but it would be another decade before it was embraced by the cycling industry.

Some might suggest that MIPS is no more than a marketing gimmick, but recent data says otherwise. In an independent study released last week, developed by Virginia Tech university and the USbased Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), helmets were ranked on the theoretical risk of concussion based on a more modern test protocol; the lower the percentage, the higher the ranking. The first 30 helmets to be included in the test covered a spectrum of prices and styles, but only four earned the top five-star rating: the Bontrager Ballista MIPS, the Louis Garneau Raid MIPS, the Bell Stratus MIPS, and the Specialized Chamonix MIPS. The top six rated helmets all use MIPS technology, and none of the bottom 10 were equipped with MIPS technology.

Granted, the study didn’t directly compare MIPS and non-MIPS versions of the same helmet, so it’s not 100% conclusive that adding MIPS makes a helmet safer. But it’s powerful circumstantial evidence.

The relationship between Giro and MIPS has grown so close over the last five years that former Giro general manager Greg Shapleigh, who had been with the brand since 1990, left to join MIPS last summer.

At a June product launch for the Aether in Scotts Valley, California — just outside of Santa Cruz — Shapleigh was on hand to speak about MIPS and the brand’s partnership with Giro in developing the Aether’s MIPS Spherical technology.

“MIPS is thrilled to have a partner like Giro,” said Shapleigh, who acknowledged that during his time at Giro, the helmet brand originally expressed skepticism of MIPS technology. “While some partnerships between MIPS and helmet brands are more commercial, this is more of a collaborative partnership, and MIPS only has a few of those. There’s no financial arrangement, and we know that Giro will use whatever works best. But our mindset is the same — to reduce the risk of brain injury.”

To those who still aren’t convinced, here’s how Eric Richter, Giro’s senior brand and business development manager, addresses that cynicism: “We all ride. Our friends ride. Our families ride. There is no reason for us to create anything less than our very best.”

DOME: GIRO’S IN-HOUSE TEST LAB Inside Giro headquarters in Scotts Valley is the DOME test lab — DOME is an acronym for Design, Observation, Materials, Engineering — which includes text fixtures, 3D printers, injection- and thermal moulding equipment, an in-house wind tunnel, CNC machines, and more. The test lab is shared by Vista Outdoor brands Bell, C-Preme, and Giro, and is used to design, develop, and evaluate helmets for power sports, cycling, and snow sports.

Among the text fixtures demonstrated to the media during a tour of the DOME in June were the BRAD, Mono-rail, and Sled, all designed to evaluate how well helmets manage rotational motion. From an engineering perspective, MIPS defines rotational motion as “a combination of rotational energy (angular velocity) and rotational forces (angular acceleration) that both affect the brain and increase the risk for minor and severe brain injuries.”

After Giro was first approached by MIPS, following a period of review and discussion, DOME engineers sought a second opinion. They reached out to a Phoenix-based crash-testing lab called Exponent, where hundreds of crash-test dummies have their heads repeatedly slammed and twisted for test purposes.

Exponent’s testing confirmed that MIPS technology was effective, and DOME and Exponent began designing their own rotational-test lab equipment, as none was on the market. In 2014, Giro unveiled its first MIPS-equipped helmets.

Early research MIPS had conducted determined that most often during crash, brain injuries occur when the head strikes at an angle. Simulating that angular impact allows Giro, and MIPS, to develop ways to redirect and attenuate, or absorb, the energy of an angled impact.

Synthe model without MIPS protection For 2019, there will no longer be a Synthe model without MIPS protection. In fact, Giro claims there are now only two helmets in the brand’s entire cycling line that don’t offer a MIPS option; within the United States, every cycling helmet now comes in a MIPS version.

It’s worth pointing out that the non-MIPS Synthe earned four stars (out of a possible five) in that Virginia Tech-IIHS test, ranked 13th out the 30 helmets tested; the Synthe MIPS would be expected to score higher. I’ll be very interested to see how the Aether scores, though there’s been no timeline given as to when Virginia Tech and IIHS will conduct their next round of tests, or whether the Aether will be included.

Also, it’s worth keeping in mind is that while MIPS Spherical is proprietary to Giro, MIPS partners with dozens of other helmet brands. As Giro’s Eric Richter acknowledged, “Technically, another brand could try to replicate a spherical system using MIPS’s essential elements.” It may look different, and it may go by a different name, but we should expect to see this technology in other helmet brands in the future. Which brands, when, and what it might cost are unknowns.

JULY 2020 BIKE MAGAZINE 49

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50 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

Aurelie and Marco

CYCLING THE PAMIR HIGHWAY Amazing sceneries and a solitary road which takes you up one of the highest cyclable places on Earth, but is that really all there is to it?

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PAMIR HIGHWAY

We had been literally training and preparing for this for years. The Pamir Highway ranks in the top places to be on a bike on most lists and yet it remains, somehow, a pretty exotic destination.

Although many cyclists undergo this epic route every year and information is ready available on the World Wide Web, we were there for a month and we didn’t bump into many other two-wheelers. Furthermore, most of them are travelling light. Like Pierre, a French bikepacker on a 2 week holiday who makes our fully loaded bikes look like container ships.

For those at the back, The Pamir Highway was built long ago by the Russian Empire (yes, that long ago) to supply their southernmost border with troops and stop the advance of the Brits which were quickly spreading north from India and threatened to flood Central Asia with unwanted competition. This border just happens to be surrounded by countless 12 and 13 thousand feet peaks between modern days Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

History and geography are nice but what this translates into is quite simple; almost a thousand miles of river bends, deep valleys and open plateau, far from civilization and only breathtaking views with which to waste time and go crazy with the camera. Well, at least this is what we thought and it’s definitely the idea one is likely to get when reading blogs about it, but the reality is not quite so. Before getting into the specifics though, let me take you back a little.

Admittedly, if I had to plan a trip to this part of the world, I probably wouldn’t. The Pamir is renowned for being the second highest in the world and although cycling is by far one of my favourite activities on this planet, the fact alone that several hundred miles of this route are spent above 10.000 feet leaves you wondering about the preparation involved for such endeavour. And, to be fair, there are other perfectly cyclable mountain ranges a lot closer to home and a lot more accessible.

However, while planning our longhaul trip to Singapore, we realised that we would stroll pass the vicinity of this epic road. The decision to takle it was taken without a moment hesitation.

We told ourselves that by the time we’d get there we will definitely be fit and experienced enough and that it might be a slow climb up the 12.000 feet passes, but that it wouldn’t be the same if we came all the way to Tajikistan and not even try it. What is there to lose?

So, as time and kilometres went by, we had to overcome many problems, most of them involving Visas and other red tape issues most travellers face when outside of their homeland, but The Pamir was always on our minds. Every climb was a small training exercise and at the end of every hard day we’d tell each other that The Pamir would probably be a similar ordeal.

Aurelie and Marco are cycling from Helsinki to Singapore and fundraising for two bycicle related associations.

To find out more: 421adventure.wordpress.com or @421Adventure on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Once in Dushambe, the capital of Tajikistan, there was only one thing left to do; climb. Well, actually, that’s a lie, we spent most of our time there looking for suitable sleeping bags since ours had served us very well up to now but with night temperatures well below freezing even in May, we needed to find a good alternative or risk hyperthermia every time we set up camp.

So, finally, off we were! The first few days out of Dushambe are spent in open countryside, going up and down fluorescent green rolling hills

“Pedaling along the Panj River, you slowly wind up, following the slender valley and experiencing different levels of road surfaces but always along the same magnificent landscape”

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PAMIR HIGHWAY

and little towns where everything is ready available,especially friendly locals.

Once we even had the pleasure of being hosted by the owner of a public bathhouse which actually had a sauna!

Just to make this little anecdote a little better, we had been sharing the roads with two Swedes, who practically live in those things, and it had been a cold and rainy day; so you can imagine how it felt like an heavenly gift!

The road which connects the capital with the first town on The Pamir is wide enough to offer a safe shoulder on which to cycle and is incredibly well kept and sealed. Then, after the first real mountain pass, the scenery changes drastically and after a long, steep downhill between beautiful mountains and a river 500 feet below you, the valley opens up and you are, at last, plunged into another world.

Anyone who has ever been to the Alps or similar knows what I’m talking about; naturally, the first thing you notice are the huge peeks just ahead. You’re at 3000 feet so how high are they? You slow down just a little and take a second to study the enormous, green valley and you immediately remember that you’ve analysed the map various times before and that on the other side of the river is Afghanistan. That little village on the opposide shore is that country you’ve heard so much about on the news!

And then, as a good cyclist, you also remember that what had marked you the most about that map was the fact that this is also the place where those

hairpins were and, undoubtedly, as you get closer to the guardrail, you see it many many feet below you; fun at it’s purest.

It had been an overall difficult, hot and sticky day but we found a wild camping place with a fountain so, after a cold shower and a warm dinner, we tooked in for the night and dreamt of what else the Pamir would have in store for us.

This quickly brings us to a very important conversation topic regarding the Pamir; water. Maybe in summer the situation is different high up in the

plateau, that would explain why tons of cyclists insist on climbing up there with several bottles strapped to their panniers, but in Spring, good H2O is readly available everywhere. Even on the plateau you can just ask any of the very few houses scattered here and there and the dweller will happily supply you straight from their stash or well.

Back to the road. Pedaling along the Panj River, you slowly wind up, following the slender valley and experiencing different levels of road surfaces but always along the same magnificent landscape, one which has been carved over million of years by the elements and which has left a magnificent scenery where you can always hear the rumble of the water and very regularly see Afghan villages on the other side.

Sometimes they are so close you can actually see inside the houses and shout “hello” back to the kids who are waving at you from that world so far yet so close.

One evening, we found a great camping spot sheltered from the wind but, maybe, a little too close to a village which laid just on the other shore of the river. Just as we were about to wash up and wrap up for the night, a group of Tajik soldiers approached us and suggested we may want to move a few hundred yards in any direction to avoid said closeness.

Obviously, at 10pm the last thing anyone wants to do is move camp, so we politely insisted to stay and after a little while they agreed but only if two sentinels stayed with us, at an appropriate

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PAMIR HIGHWAY

distance, and kept guard all night. We offered coffee, they denied. In hindsight, knowing what I knew at the time about Tajik customs, I should have gone for black tea.

This anecdote also served the double purpose of bringing about the topic of security along the almost 200 miles bordering section which Tajikistan shares with its controversial neighbour.

In 2018 this area was tragically hit by a terrorist attack against a group of cyclists and the government has taken very heavy actions to show the whole world that that shouldn’t stop mountain lovers from experiencing the Pamir.

And so this stretch is constantly being patrolled and surveyed by the army and, if I may say so, they are rather friendly with tourists and even more so with cyclists (we do deserve special treatment!). At any point did we, or anyone else we spoke to, feel in danger while there. Au contraire, given the recent events, we got the feeling that locals were trying even harder to show their best side.

Having said this, it is a quite unique experience to be able to discretly observe a country while in the absolute safety of another and it’s an activity which we rather enjoyed. In two small cities along the way, and only on special given days, it’s also possible to attend markets where Tajiks and Afghans gather in unique free zones and exchange not only goods but also time together.

The Panj joyfully escorts you all the way to Khorog where you should grasp the chance to stock up on supplies and, why not, spalsh out in a restaurant with more than one dish on its menu. As soon as you leave its hustle and bustle, the road slowly takes you higher and further away from towns and through villages, then settlements, until you arrive to Jerundy with its hot water springs renouned for bringing health to your joints and muscles; unmissable in any time of the year and an absolute during the cold months (i.e. from October to May). After all, how many times does life offer you the chance to stay in a Sovietic Sanitarium style facility?

Without any doubts though, the part of the Pamir which we loved above all is the one which is above all the rest… we’re talking altitude now! At this point you understand why most people tend to concentrate their efforts on this section.

Not having any previous practice at this height, we weren’t really sure what to expect but the result is far better than we thought; most peaks are still snowcapped but the roads are clear and so is most of the land around us. We had never thought that nothingness could be so magical; tranquility is queen and wild camping is as easy as pointing with your finger and saying “there”!

This plateau is basically just a series of huge valleys, each with its own peculiarities and colours. At every turn you are astonished by the latest mouthopening view or the surprise of either a short climb to warm you up a little or a pleasant descent with a nice little bend, if you’re lucky.

Sceneries come and sceneries go on the Pamir but, without any doubt, the element which remains the most constant along the way are Tajiks

themselves. 7 out of 10 times you will feel like you’re alone until you hit any type of settlement, big or tiny as it may be, and then the human contact is inevitable. Level 1 is kids waiting for you by the roadside, waving, shouting “hello” or simply looking at you astonished.

Next levels include being invited for tea and biscuits, lunch or dinner and even a bed or a safe place to set up the tent (locals consider the Pamir to be highly dangerous).

It’s a common feeling to cherish the time spent in this unforgettable mountain chain for as long as one draws breath where a great cycling challenge merges with amazing views, the chance to immerse in a local culture and also share unique moments with its inhabitants and go back home with lots more than just a couple of SD Cards full of pictures and an applauding Strava account.

54 BIKE MAGAZINE JULY 2020

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