Crank with ProCycle August 2015

India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine

` 100/-

Issue 7 Volume 3 August 15th 2015

INDIA’S DH BOMBERS

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lusive M e Exc

ar tner aP di

LE TOUR DE FRANCE SCOTT FOIL 2016 A GIRL’S BIKE

Official a n

INSIDE

Cycling Federation of India

IN THIS ISSUE Around the world

4 Race Across America.................. 6 Le Tour........................................

Coffee with Crank

21 A girl’s bike.............................. 22 Bicycle Diary Episode 5.............

Crank News Route CFI News..................................

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Tsunami Survivor smashes

11 Events Calendar.......................... 11 Track Records............................

CycTech Profiled

SCOTT Foil 2016......................... 24

16 Devendar Thakur.......................19 Bikepacking in the Ghats......... 20

Tested, Surly Pugsley................... 26

India’s DH Bombers...................

Garmin Edge 810........................ 28 Boys’ Toys................................... 30

Tune your bike! Tweak your heart !

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YO! The CRANK with ProCycle Team Managing Editor Vikram K Limsay Editor Nilesh Dhumal Invitee editor Mr. Onkar Singh Editorial support Rick Boethling, Rachel Bernard India North Bureau Ashish Sood India South Bureau Joseph Anish Marketing and Distribution Joseph Anish anish@procycle.in, +91 97415 77884 Test Riders Nilesh Dhumal, Ajay Kamble Ritwik D Burman, Joseph Anish Student Editor Aishwarya Palaparthy Issue contributors David Balasuda, Flavio Gallelos, Naveen John, Manush John, Shawn Jacob Stephen All rights reserved by Procycle and Sports India Private Limited Corporate Office 226, 1st Floor, 1st Main Road, Service Road Domlur 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore-560071 ProCycle Showrooms Indiranagar #226, 1st Main Road, Service Road, Domlur 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560071 Tel: +91 98802 16064 Koramangala/HSR Layout New #12, Old #75, Service Road, Jakkasandra Extension, Koramangala 1st Block, Near HSR 5th Sector, Bangalore - 560034 Tel: +91 80 2550 1967 Sanjaynagar 126, 80ft Road, RMV 2nd Stage, Ashwath Nagar Bangalore - 560094 Website www.procycle.in For queries regarding subscription write to subscribecrank@procycle.in To share a stroy, write to feedback@procycle.in Cover The SCOTT Foil 2016. Image by SCOTT Sports SA Back Cover There is a new mascot in town Printed by Print 2 Last Solutions | info@print2last.in

Hello Riders,

C

rafting this month’s issue has been particularly fun for us. For the story on DH bombers we did something that is dear to me, downhill riding and a whole lot of reminiscing old days. Shooting for the story and the interviews were a very small part of it. Catching up with old friends and watching where they have gotten to now and making new friends in the process was what it was all about. Us bombers are particularly proud of what we have done for the sport of Downhill in India and will continue to do a lot more in the coming years.

The other story that excites us is the biggest event in the world of cycling. The Tour De France! There is just so much happening. Many favourite teams, many more favourite athletes and exciting new bike launches from the biggest names in the industry. The sheer magnitude of the event is yet to set in. Watching the stages progress and the coveted yellow jersey being fought for furiously reminds us of everything cycling stands for. It is the spirit of adventure and a state of being responsible for what you are and where you are now and how that will alert and alter the paths you take in your life. We will bring you more on the tour and the indomitable human spirit it imbibes.

Crank with ProCycle along with every single cyclist in the country would like to congratulate Doctors Mahendra Mahajan and Hitendra Mahajan for being the first Indians to complete the Race Across America ever. You have done your nation proud.

Read on, Ride on, Ciao Nilesh N Dhumal Let’s Shred

Team Sky’s Jaguar F type

AROUND THE WORLD

LE TOUR, THE OPENER Rachel Bernard, Images by Naveen John

I

t is July 2015 and every cyclist, sports maniac and fanatic of all things French is glued to the screens watching the 102nd edition of Le Tour de France.

23 days, 21 stages, 3500kms, the oldest and most prestigious of the Grand Tours. Through its popularity, Le Tour de France has whipped up public enthusiasm for professional cycling since its inception in 1903. Le Tour is the brainchild of a sports newspaper.

The first Tour, involving 5 stages, was a publicity move by L’Auto in an attempt to compete with Le Vélo, both papers competing to boost sales and bankrupt the other.

Henri Desgrange, cyclist and journalist was the first organizer of the races. He intended for the Tour to be a feat of superhuman proportions with, ideally, only one athlete being competent enough to finish. Thankfully it was toned down and yet continues to be one of the toughest courses in the sports world.

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CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

Each race is a maximum of 3500kms, divided into 21 stages of 3 broad categories – flat, hilly and mountain. Also included are high altitude finishes and time trials. The route, which changes each year, is mostly French but does include neighboring countries time and again. 21 of the 102 Tours’ routes have had their start lines in other countries, including 2015’s start in Utrecht, Netherlands. The grand finish, however, is always at Champs-Élysées, Paris demarking it as France’s pride and joy.

Each team participating has 9 athletes, usually UCI ProTeams or those invited by the organizers. The teams compete to win various classifications and leading competitors are identified by characteristic jersey colors. Leader of the general class wears the famous yellow jersey that was earned by Eddy Merckx for a staggering 96 stages. Other classes are marked as green for highest point aggregate, white with red polka dots for the leader in the mountain class, etc.

Mark Cavendish warming up

Considering that the Tour is the Oscars of the cycling world, it’s no wonder that competition is intense, the record smallest margin of win being 1989’s mere 8 seconds.

The high stakes of the sport have lent it rather negative tones - the myriad scandalous doping cases brought the race under scrutiny. The organizers, headed by race director Christian Prudhomme, now run the show following strict UCI regulations.

Tony Martin Heading for a recce Astana Cycling Team’s car

The fair like Grand Départ of 2014 saw 3.5 million spectators lining the route. Millions of people around the world follow the race on the official website, via Facebook (currently finish line of stage 1 at 1.7 million likes) or Twitter ( 1.38 millionfollowers), via live streaming or even, more recently, the official Tour de France app available for android and apple devices.

Start house

Daryl Impey warming up

So, this July, relive the legendary experience. Witness the raw power of human grit and endurance progressing mile after mile of sweat and tears with nail biting changes in Peloton leaders. For once, Crank doesn’t mind suggesting that you don’t get out and ride, but sit down and watch Le Tour.

Tour info : http://www.letour.com Live streaming : www.steephill.tv

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

5

The wild west

RACE REPORT

RACE ACROSS AMERICA 2015 Crank Race Bureau, Images by Race Across America photography team

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mongst the many things that the United States of America is popular for, one is for being ‘the land of opportunity’. Every year, the vast landscape of North America creates one such opportunity for cyclists across the world to earn their glory in the form of The Race Across America.

Fondly called RAAM, it is a 4800kms (3000 miles) race from Oceanside, California on the Pacific coast to Annapolis, Maryland on the Atlantic coast. The race features solo racers as well as teams ranging from two to eight members.

The route across the stages sees elevation ranging from 170 feet below sea level to more than 10,000 feet above as it traverses the Arizona desert, the snowy peaks of Colorado and the gruelling climbs of the Appalachian mountain peaks.

RAAM racers also cross the five longest rivers in the US: Mississippi, Missouri, Rio Grande, Arkansas and Ohio.

The concept of the RAAM came alive in 1982 when four individuals raced from the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles to the Empire State Building in New York City in what was then called the Great American Bike Race. Telecasted on national television, the race captivated public imagination and returned year after year. The Team category was added in 1992 and quickly became the most popular and fastest growing segment of the race. Relay team racing made the event accessible to any reasonably fit cyclist.

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Christoph Strasser, fastest RAAM finisher

Colorado mountains

Colorado mountains

The 34th Edition of RAAM held this year saw participation from 25 countries across 5 continents, including a team from India in the two man team category - Team India : Vision for Tribals. The race was flagged off on 16th June, starting with the solo racers.

The athletes race continuously around the clock on their own power or share the challenge with a team. They are supported by a crew of 8 to 15 members following in support vehicles with food and supplies. These courageous adventurers brave heat, wind, thunderstorms,altitude, the dark of night, fatigue and sleep deprivation, across several mountain ranges.

RAAM is considered as a true test of athletic ability. Very few who start the race manage to complete it before the cut-off time. In fact, less than 200 solo and tandem racers have officially finished RAAM, earning themselves the title of RAAM finishers. The racers at RAAM have to qualify for the race through RAAM qualifier (RQ) races in their individual hometowns. At these RAAM qualifiers, the racers must average 10.5 mph in a “RAAM Style” RQ or finish the event within its official cut-off time, whichever is faster or the racers must travel 400 miles in a “24-hour” Time Trial RQ. In addition, racers achieving the qualifying standard for a “24-hour” Time Trial RQ must attend a RAAM sponsored seminar or should have crewed for a solo RAAM attempt.

The RAAM podium is known for creating and breaking many a records. The earliest known record for cycling across America was set by a newspaperman, George Nellis in 1887, who covered the distance in under 80 days. This record was then passed on to John

Cooling off at Arizona

Marino in the 1970’s and then to Lon Haldeman in 1982 at the first official transnational race, the Great American Bike Race. Currently the fastest solo time at RAAM is held by Austrian Christoph Strasser who, in 2014, covered 3020 miles in 7 days, 15 hours and 56 minutes.

Cooling down

Riders catch a breath

Rider 528 climbs the Appalachian

Considering the magnitude and reach of the race, RAAM has grown into a platform to raise funds for many charitable organizations. The Indian team competing at RAAM this year is the perfect example for this. The two man team of brothers, Dr. Hitendra Mahajan and Dr. Mahendra Mahajan, in association with Kalapataru foundation are participating in the race to raise awareness and funds at Nashik for the cause of providing eye care to the tribal community in Maharashtra.

They started their journey to RAAM by qualifying at the Deccan Cliffhanger race and raising enough funds to support their entire race.

The doctor duo’s finish at this race makes them the first Indians to complete the RAAM and they did it in a time of 8 days, 14 hours and 55 minutes bagging the first place in their category.

The Race Across America has a huge fan following across the globe and the race organizers, under the guidance of Fred Boethling (President) and Rick Boethling (Executive Director), have made it a point to run the event like a welloiled machine. The entire race has live tracking and streaming, made available online. The race also sees gathering of supporters along the stages.

Sunset in Ohio

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CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

Young and old alike

The Race Across America is the American dream for many ultracyclists and only a few each year manage to realize it. We are proud to have had an Indian team participate and win this year. We hope that their story inspires Indian cyclists who pursue long distance ultra-cycling to keep pedalling and to persevere towards more such victories for our country.

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CFI Managment committee

CFI NEWS

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ew members of the Cycling Federation of India’s Management Committee were elected at its Annual General Body Meeting held at Punjab Bhawan, New Delhi, on 6th June, 2015. Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Finance Minister, Govt. of Punjab was reelected the President, while Mr. Onkar Singh and Ms. Bani Ghosh were also reelected as Secretary General and Treasurer respectively. The new members will hold the offices for a term of four years.

Mr. Kailash Vijayvargiya was unanimously conferred the post of Chairman of the Federation. Sh. Manjit Singh GK (President, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee) was unanimously elected as Sr. Vice President.

Indian Cyclists selected for training at Korea For three consecutive years the Federation has been sending athletes for the UCI’s advanced training program at the World Cycling Centre – Korea Satellite in Korea.

This year, two Junior track Cyclists, Mr. Sinu Raj P from Kerala, representing the Indian Air Force and Mr. Krishna Nayakodi, Karnataka have been selected to undergo the 6 week training program. Ms. Gautamani Devi from Manipur, coach of the National team will also undergo the advanced coaching program of the UCI at the same venue. They will be joining cyclists from various Asian countries in the UCI’s advanced training program under the watchful eyes of UCI trained coaches.

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Krishna Nayakodi

Sinuraj P

Gautamani Devi

National Cycling Coaching Camp The National Coaching Camp for Elite and Junior categories of Men & Women track cycling athletes has commenced at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Cycling Velodrome, New Delhi on 1st July, 2015. This training camp has 16 Cyclists and 9 coaches and is being conducted by the Federation under the ACTC program sanctioned by the SAI. The camp prepares the athletes and coaches for numerous International events like the upcoming Asian Cycling Championship in Japan and Track Asia Cup to be held at New Delhi in Nov this year. The training is imparted by a battery of coaches under chief coach Mr. R K Sharma, who is a Class I diploma holder from UCI’s World Cycling Centre, Aigle, Switzerland. This camp is a part of the long term training program of the Federation’s vision to prepare Indian cyclists for various International R K Sharma events, all leading up to the 2020 Olympics.

CFI STATE NEWS

TSUNAMI SURVIVOR SMASHES TRACK RECORDS Crank CFI Bureau

T

rack cycling has been a much pursued cycle sports and India has been a favourite venue for hosting track races.

Although, for some time the country has been looking out for a new idol in the sport. We believe Deborah Herold might just be it. Deborah hails from the enchanting Andaman & Nicobar islands. Originally a footballer, she has been proving her mettle in cycle sports since 2010. In the Tsunami of 2004 that devastated a lot that was dear to her, 9 year old Deborah survived by climbing up a tree and endured many adversities while waiting to be rescued.

Deborah Herold

Her never say die spirit is clearly seen in her races. In her very first year of competitive racing, she broke the National record in Sub junior category events. Later, as a junior rider, she broke all the National records in sprinting events of Elite category. At a young age of 20, she has participated in prestigious international cycling events including Asian Games & Commonwealth Games and is a record holder for bagging over 20 medals in Sprint & Time Trial events at the National level.

IN OTHER NEWS

Deborah has won Gold at the Time Trial, Sprint, Team Sprint and Keirin events at the track Asia Cup 2015 held at New Delhi. At the recent 35th Asian Cycling Championship at Bangkok, she missed her Bronze medal by a fraction of a second. India rests its hopes for winning the upcoming International championships on Deborah’s shoulders and wishes her good luck. l

Grand Tour scheduling reforms cause rift between ASO and UCI

French Pauline Ferrand-PrĂŠvot of Rabo Liv Women Cycling team bags her first mountian top finish at Giro Rosa.

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Norwegian Dahle Flesjaa wins her 29th World Cup XCO at Lenzerheide.

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Third round of 2015 UCI Cycle-ball World Cup held in Tokyo.

SCOTT Sports SA acquires Bergamont Fahrrad Vertrieb GmbH. SCOTT intends to enlarge its already broad bike portfolio with this move.

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Trek bikes launches its new Madone road bike, Procaliber SL XC bike and full suspension Top Fuel.

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EVENTS CALENDAR MKCC-2015 25-07-2015 Manali, Gaurav info@northernescapes.in Uttarakhand Cyclists monsoon ride 13-08-2015 Nainital - 9012354501, uttarakhandcyclists@gmail.com 200 BRM 19-07-2015 BARODA Raghvendrasinh Jhala rjjhala@gmail.com 400 BRM 25-07-2015 Coimbatore, Chakravarthy Birur chakragold@yahoo.com 400 BRM 08-08-2015 Hyderabad, Krish Agrawal hyderabadrandonneurs@gmail.com

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

11

The crew

EXCLUSIVE

INDIA’S DH BOMBERS Crank Bengaluru Bureau

D

ownhill mountain biking in essence is high pressured flow of adrenaline. It is one of the most extreme sports on the planet. Fondly called as DH, it has its origin in USA’s west coast around late 1970’s and although it has been around for only a few decades, it has seen changes in its gear, bikes and techniques and gathered a large number of fans and big sponsors for itself. DH enjoys the status of a UCI world cup sport and is picking up its pace around the world.

Frankensteinian machines in backyard garages to withstand jumps among other things that bicycles are not usually known for doing without breaking into two. This process led Vinay to later co-found Psynyde bikes that builds custom bike frames and components.

A typical DH ride involves pushing your bike and gear up a hill trail, plotting lines as you go along, reaching the peak breathless and then setting yourself to roll down the trail and letting gravity do the rest. On your way down you deal with rocks, gravel, roots, vegetation ranging from a thorny bush to full grown trees. It may seem like a futile thing to do when you read about it. But Downhill mountain biking is one of those things that cannot be written or read about, but needs to be experienced. A high speed ride down the side of a hill on a bicycle is not what a lot of people think of doing when they wake up. So, when Crank got wind of the stars of Indian DH coming to our headquarters, we made sure we get you in on a day in their lives.

Talking to Vinay and Nelly as they geared up to ride Bengaluru’s Turahalli trail with Gautam Taode and Piyush Chavan, they let us in on a secret that watching TV had a lot to do with them taking up cycling and progressing onto DH riding. “I was a huge fan of Motocross and Dirt Mania and I would try to imitate their riding styles on a single speed rigid frame up until I met much serious riders from Pune and joined their team.”-says Vinay. Nelly agrees with Vinay and presents him with a customary fist bump. He was fond of X-Games and it led him to start style riding and BMX around the streets of Mumbai. A few years later Vinay and Nelly met in Pune and found common reasons to get into serious mountain biking. One of them was that many international brands had started setting themselves up in India. This meant better equipment availability and that there was no longer a need to beg relatives and friends returning from abroad to carry crude looking bike parts with them.

DH is quite new to India and might have a collective history of about 10 years and we are being liberal in arriving at that number.

DH in India has its roots around the Mumbai-Pune region with pioneers like our Editor Nilesh Dhumal aka Nelly teamed up with the current deputy editor of Freerider magazine, Vinay Menon. These were days when bulky commuter frames had to be modified into

While Nelly and Vinay were busy playing around the mountains of Pune with their big boy bicycles winning trophies in private races, there were younger kids who were easily impressed and decided to get on the wagon. Two of them were Gautam Taode and Piyush Chavan who have successfully carried on the mantle of DH in India. Gautam is now the factory rider for Giant bicycles and has

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Name: Piyush Chavan

Name: Vinay Menon Age: 31

Age: 19 Profession: Professional Downhiller/Student

Profession: Sports Videographer, Co founder of Psynyde Bikes & Components, Deputy Editor of Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine

Current bike & gear: Scott Gambler 730, Scott Jersey combo kit with Scott Spartan helmet.

Current bike & gear: Psynyde ‘Psymptom’ w/Fox 40, Sun Ringle Wheelset, Psynyde cockpit clipped with Sram/Avid Drivetrain

Name: Gautam Taode

Name: Nilesh N Dhumal

Age: 24 Profession: Professional Downhill Mountain Bike Racer

Age: 31 Profession: Entrepreneur, Competitive DH rider, MTB coach, Trail builder, Editor of Crank with ProCycle

Current bike & gear: Giant Glory, Giant jersey, TLD shorts, 510 shoes.

participated in international races since 2011. He says, “DH as a sport in India is not easy. Getting sponsored as a DH athlete is hard since it is not a recognized sport yet. But just like how we persevere logging our bikes up the hill for a few moments of downhill glory, I have managed to stay true to the sport to get to where I am now.”

Piyush who rides for Scott Sports India under its Future Stars program, adds that he has had trouble saving up and importing a pro quality DH bike. “Before being sponsored, it was next to impossible to save up money for international races and equipment.

Thankfully our talent and interest for such a niche sport is being recognized and I now have the latest bike and equipment.”

A big part of Downhill riding is the course itself. Many of it is kept natural and a lot of the details are added mainly for the sake of safety. “A track needs to be safe for the rider and we take the trouble to build jumps or berms onto the track. Building is just the start, maintenance and sustaining the builds is what takes a lot more effort. When I first came to Bengaluru, I discovered the Nandi hills trail that was the original path used by Tippu’s soldiers and immediately recognized that it has the potential to become a world cup track. Sadly, the process of building that trail still continues after 6 years.”-says Nelly. Piyush Chavan is the youngest in the gang and the first Indian to compete at the legendary Fort Williams downhill track. With his international exposure he tell us that there is a lot that can be done with the trail in India. “Not a lot of riders in India understand the need for building a trail and fewer still understand the need for building bigger and better. If we have to push our riders into global competition, it is important for them to get a lot of riding practise in.”

Current bike & gear: Giant Faith, ProCycle race kit, Motocross helmet and Raceface safety gear.

locations in the region are Chaturshrungi, Baldev Ghats, Panchavati and Sinhagad. A lot of trails here are created by the villagers around and few more were built by us. “Trail hunting in India is easy as most hill tops have a temple and a trail to get up there. We just have to make it bicycle friendly. Turahalli is one such example and a few more secret trails will come to light once we have deemed them safe from animals.”-says Nelly.

Nelly and Vinay might have picked up tips and tricks over TV, books, magazines and DVD’s while Gautam and Piyush have the internet at their disposal. All four agree that learning is a constant process and it can only be achieved by being out in the track. While Thrashing the trails

A lot of the training grounds for DH still lies in Pune. Dighi being the most popular where Vinay has developed the lines, jumps and the big cliff drops over the many years of riding there. The others

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

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In search of Holy Trails

Pushing up the trail Catching up

they all spend quite a good part of their life achieving this, they also devote some to teaching what they have learnt by conducting mountain biking workshops and setting up races that give riders the experience needed. Vinay being a sports videographer and Gautam passionate about videos, make sure that a lot of their rides and practise sessions are documented and shared via the internet.

Downhill mountain biking is clearly not for everyone, but any innocent bystander is sure to get spellbound by what these riders can do with their high performance bikes. And therein lies the hopes for this sport to grow. We can leave finding better trails, building and maintaining them and even learning techniques to these professional riders and all we need to do is show up to watch them ride and that should be enough to keep this rare sport growing in India.

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Devendar Thakur

YOUNG TURK

DEVENDAR THAKUR Crank India North Bureau

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he past few months have been good to Indian cross country mountain bikers. MTB races in Shimla, Kerala and Uttarakhand have taken it to a whole new level, exposing athletes to newer terrain and riding techniques.

The podium of these three races saw a common athlete, Devendar Thakur.

Devendar Thakur is a true child of the Himachal Mountains and has been racing since 2013. Every spare moment that his college life permits is spent riding single tracks with his buddies from the Hero Action team managed by HASTPA. Riding on single tracks has been second nature to him since early schooldays and he is a natural mountain biker. He rides all 7 days of the week at varied intensities and distances. Devendar has efficiently included running, core strengthening, interval training and even weight lifting and power training to his schedule for muscle strength. A la Farhan Akhthar in BhaagMilkhaBhaag, he too uses ankle weights.

task with ease. Some of his biggest victories are MTB Shimla 20132nd, MTB Chandigarh 2014- 1st, Duathlon Chandigarh 2014- 1st, National championship 2015- 5th, MTB Kerala 2015- 1st and MTB Uttarakhand 2015 - 2nd.

Devendar currently rides a UT HT PRO 1 and the UT HT 6. In the journey to fulfil his dream to win an Olympic gold for India, he hopes to own a BMC four stroke like the one his inspiration, Julien Absalon, rides. He tells us, “I cannot perform the way I do if I did not know that my family and friends believe in me. Mr. Ashish Sood, my manager, Mr. Raman Awashti and Mr. Gaurav Matta of Hero Cycles and Mr. Sunil Barongpa from Kullu are also a very integral part of this family that guides and supports me.”

We sure hope to see a lot more of Devendar out on the race trails and wish him luck for that elusive Olympic gold. We also wish to express special thanks to the efforts of Hero Cycles and HASTPA in nurturing such young talent.

Devendar is one of the few riders in the country who is fully sponsored through the Hero Action Team. He reminisces about the times when he did not have sufficient funds or even a bike to compete in his first race, and says that he can never forget his humble beginningswith HASTPA. A sponsored rider’s shoulders are laden with the task to perform and convince his supporters that they made the right choice in him. With his recent victories, it seems like Devendar is achieving this

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

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Somewhere near Ukkuda

THE LONG ROAD

BIKEPACKING IN THE GHATS Manush John

B

eing a 24 year old cycling enthusiast in Bangalore city is a lot of fun and so is commute on my 9-speed Schwinn road bike. I have been putting off the idea of a longer cycle journey with some decent company and not being sure if 9 speeds are sufficient. Along came Nathaniel, a cycle mechanic, here for a holiday from the US and having synched our wavelengths at the Kochi biennale, we decided to set off on a little biking adventure.

We chalked out a route, stocked supplies, gathered some courage and planned an 8 day, 500km trip to be back in time for Nathaniel to catch his flight back home. The biking community of Bengaluru networked by various bike shops comes in real handy and Nathaniel rented a bike from ProCycle. Our bikes were loaded to a bus to Shimoga and buzzing with excitement, we set off on the night of 17 March. The plan was to cycle from Shimoga, Karnataka, to my uncle’s farm in Kuttiady, Kerela.

Hunting ATMs

We were having a blast, but soon realized that theory and the real deal are a two different ballgames. Our learning each day were, Day 1: Shimoga-Thirthahalli: How do you evade wild elephants while on cycles and resist temptations of photographing them?

Day2: Thirthahalli-Kottigehara: Where, in the middle of nowhere, do you refill on water that won’t kill you? Day 3: Kottigehara-Kakkinje: Is it really so hard to find a decent place to sleep?

After 3 days of cycling, we reached our planned midpoint – Varanashi Farms, near Puttur – completely exhausted and in pain.

Nathaniel had strained his Achilles tendon. At the farm, we were enjoying our recuperation complete with swimming about in fresh water, fishing, cooking and sleeping out in the open that 3 days had sped past. All healed but out of time, we caught a bus back to Bangalore from Puttur on the 23rd.

We only made the halfway point on this ride, 317kms. But the experience made me think that the overused little saying- “It’s not so much the destination as the journey” is highly underrated. I intend to get out on a trip again soon, perhaps with a better plan. Or maybe I’ll just let the trail take me where it would again. Either way, there won’t quite be a feeling like skinny wheels on an open road.

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Manush Nathaniel

BICYCLE DIARY, EPISODE-5

SHOPPING

Arooshie Chandok from Delhi wrote to us asking to hear Maya’s side of the story. We called Arooshie up and had her narrate this issue’s episode. Arooshie herself is an avid cyclist, a hopeless romantic and wanderlust addict. (name changed on request)

I

t feels strange to be out shopping for a bike for someone else. There will bemany questions raised,the answers to which cannot be generalized. What I want in and from a bike is usually not what you should also expect from one. You might be buying one because you want to lose weight. I can be as fat as a cow and ride a bike simply because it makes me feel good.

I was hesitant to go bike shopping with Aakarsh. Seeing how much he had found out and understood about bicycles put me at ease and at the same time, made me wonder why I was invited at all. Is he even going to buy a bike or are we just here to spend time together?

Either way, I’m having fun with the amount of attention he gives me every time he turns to me and reaffirms his sentences.

After quizzing the salesman thoroughly, he zeroed in on a bike and turned to ask me what I thought of it.

When I got my bike, I had not been inspired by anyone. I had just gotten on the bike one fine day and never gotten off. A bike is never a means of transport for me. It has always been a form of expression. It is what makes me, well, me. The number of life lessons a bicycle has taught me cannot match any degree certificate. Us humans are the cause of pollution and using a bike gives me the chance to do my tiny bit to reverse the harm.

So, when I look at Aakarsh waiting for my reply, I realize that I have managed to inspire someone to change their habits and, in turn,their life.

I have succeeded in getting at least one person on the planet hooked to cycling. This moment right here is when he makes me feel good about myself and undoes all the damage his stupid jokes do. Many of my friends think that I’m crazy to ride as much as I do. My sister and her husband complain that I leave them behind quite often when we are out riding.

But Aakarsh understands the freedom that a bike gives you and he is willing to get on one and relive the amazing feeling we all had as children. I have to support his decision. Reeling in from the whirlpool of feelings in my head, I raise my hands and give him two awkward flying thumbs up and say, “Let’s go get some coffee now.”

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A GIRL’S BIKE Rachel Bernard, Image by Shawn Jacob Stephen

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here is a sense of achievement in learning how to ride a bike.

A sense of pride and independence is what it constitutes.

Riding a bike meant a coming of age and for a girl it was the first step towards doing all that men could do. The bicycle is a potent means of empowerment that became instrumental to 19th century women’s struggle towards a future of equality.

Soon after its introduction into European and American societies, which is where the women’s suffrage movement began, the bicycle became the key to opening new doors for women. Light-weight, compact and capable of maneuvering almost all terrains, bikes were user-friendly and women were able to push boundaries that they had not before. No longer were women dependent on men for transport and this independence added to changing the public view of what was considered suitable for women.

Thousands of women got out of their homes, hopped on their bikes and set out to redefine themselves. In the words of Susan B. Anthony, the renowned American feminist, “I think it (bicycling) has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

Along with the obvious advantage of commuting, cycles played a role in changing clothing styles, something that was of paramount importance to the women’s movement. Long, restricting and bulky layers of clothing common at the time, such as skirts and corsets were soon replaced by bike-friendly, light and comfortable clothing like drawers (leggings), liberty bodices (think corset, but comfortable) and the aptly named “bicycle suit”. Anyone who has attempted to cycle in anything other than pants or shorts can relate to what a difference this would have made. The shift in societal norms allowed women to boldly push forward to new fronts.

Companies like Pickering and Davis made moves to create bikes targeting women riders as early as 1869. Instrumental to this move, was the power of advertising. Posters and flyers depicting the “ideal” independent woman started creating ripples in the public sphere right around the time of World War II. This ideal woman was one that supported her male counterpart off fighting the war. The relationship between cycles and women was extensively used to depict the new age woman, whether in terms of work or leisure. It became increasingly clear that the female cyclist was here to stay.

Over time, the situations have changed. In the 21st century, the notions of freedom and independence are very different from what were.

Women have attained equal rights and greater social standing, and cycles too have evolved to take on new roles. Jeannie Longo, Marianne Vos, Emma Johannson - women around the world are creating waves in the many fields of professional cycling with female athletes gaining recognition and popularity the world over, ushering in a new era of equality.

To the modern women, the new age cyclists, our bikes are more than just a means to an end. Our bond with our bike gives us an escape. It is a way of life, it is our companion in passion and adventure. The world holds no boundaries and us women cannot be tied down - We ride.

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1YEAR ` 720 12 ISSUES at 40% OFF the cover price DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP PLUS some surprise goodies along the way To subscribe, mail a cheque in favour of ‘PROCYCLE AND SPORTS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED’ to our corporate office (address below) along with your details or drop by one of the ProCycle showrooms (adresses below) and pay cash.

For queries, call Joseph Anish on +91 97415 77884 or email anish@procycle.in Showroom: l Indiranagar - #226, 1st Main Road, Service Road, Domlur 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560071.

Tel: +91 98802 16064 l Koramangala / HSR Layout - New #12, Old #75, Service Road, Jakkasandra Extension, Koramangala 1st Block, Near HSR 5th Sector, Bangalore - 560034 Tel: +91 80 2550 1967 l Sanjaynagar - #126, 80ft Road, RMV 2nd Stage, Ashwath Nagar, Bangalore - 560094 Corporate Office: Indiranagar - 226, 1st floor, 1st Main Road, Domlur, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru - 560071. Tel: +91 80 41161902

Foil Premium 2016

FEATURE

SCOTT FOIL 2016 Crank Tech, Image courtesy SCOTT Sports SA

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cott Sports unveils the much awaited Foil 2016 ahead of the Tour De France. The new Foil has been in the making for over two years now with its predecessor the original foil first releasing in 2010. The two Scott sponsored world tour teams Orica-Greenedge and IAM Cycling have been using the Foil since its launch to bag 108 world tour race victories, 15 Grand tour stage wins and 3 Classic wins. The teams have started riding the Foil 2016 at this year’s Tour De France.

The Foil has been a prime example in the genre of aero road bikes and the new one strives to live up to that name. Scott is calling it a Speed Update with advanced aerodynamics going in to the build of the lightweight frame that weighs 945g and a fork weighing 335g.

The original Foil was known for its frame stiffness and clean power transfer. The new bike as a characteristic is made stiffer to handle the shocks of bumpy roads and has far superior aero integration into its frame and components.

The Foil derives its name from the primary technology used in its design, aerodynamic aerofoils, like that of a plane’s wing. Frame parts are individually and collectively made aerodynamic increasing their countering response to drag created at different angles. Scott

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has put in extensive amount of research, prototyping and wind tunnel testing into creating this frame design.

In an object of any shape and size that is set in motion against the wind, the most amount of resistance is created at the initial point of contact. Keeping this is mind, the headtube, fork and more importantly, the junction between the two have received maximum aerodynamic optimization. Leaving us to wonder why would the front brake assembly be placed in front of the aero fork instead of at the back. Further, frame parts like the seat stays, down tube and seat tube are also carefully crafted to reduce wind collection and eventually drag. As a design feature that is becoming increasingly common to aero bikes, the Foil’s seat stays connect to the seat post much lower than the earlier model.

In terms of components, the new Foil has a Syncross aero cockpit.

It is made of carbon fibre and options for fully integrating the brake cables, mechanical or electronic shifting cables and the Shimano Di2 junction box are available.

Further integration and concealment of the cables has been made possible at the frame too. The upside of the down tube has a single

Foil 2016 in Action

Aero cockpit

Seat Stay design

port for routing all required cables to the rest of the bike. This point was chosen as it is the one subjected to least drag. The rear brake cable connects to the Shimano Direct Mount brakes placed under the frame where the BB and the chain stays join making the frame free from further drag.

In terms of drive train components, the Foil features the highly reliable Shimano DuraAce Di2 electronic at its top configuration, the Foil Premium. The battery holder for the Di2 electronic components are placed inside the seat post.

At a glance, the Foil 2016 with its matte paint and orange highlights immediately grabs attention. Keeping track of its performance and placing at Le Tour has become easy and after sufficient excitement, Scott has finally released their new beast out on to the tracks.

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

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Surly Pugsley

CRANK TESTED

SURLY PUGSLEY aniSh

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hat good are fat bikes? We’d be lying if we said that Fat bikes aren’t good at starting conversations. Isn’t that bike heavy and exhausting to ride around? Are those motorcycle tyres? What is the maximum tyre pressure?

Where would you even ride one of these? Will it hurt if it runs over my foot?

Can it do a wheelie? These are just some of the questions that people ask when they see a fat bike. Too bad dating websites haven’t tapped into this ability yet.

In reality, fat bikes are built for quite the contrary; shutting people up. When somebody points out a rugged trail and says it is impossible to ride a bike on, you merely grab a fat bike and seamlessly pedal it around the said terrain to, well, shut them up.

Fat bikes are the ultimate bike packing companion. You should seek a fat bike when you are not sure where you want to go or how you want to get there. They are surprisingly easy to ride and are built to take on any terrain you might toss it through. “But how? I don’t see any suspension on it,” you may say, with your eyes glued to its monstrous 4.8 inch tires.

To answer these and other questions, Crank tests out the Surly Pugsley. A bike that looks as intimidating as a bulldozer and rides like greased lightning on any trail or the lack of one.

The Pugsley and the Moonlander mark the dawn of fat bikes in India and Surly sends out these monsters completely customizable in the standard S, M and L frame sizes.

Fat Bikes have their origins in snowy Northern Europe and Arctic terrains. A lot of its build and geometry is meant to allow for a comfortable ride even when covered in bulky layers of warm clothing. This concept is evident in the wide handlebar with spaced cockpit components like the old school Microshift thumbshifters that won’t get in the way of gloved or mitted palms. Evidently, most questions about the Pugsley revolve around the tyres and that is exactly where its soul lies. The impact absorption, traction and weight

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Modified forks

Surly Nate

Thumbshifter

SRAM crank All terrain ready

Deore XT

Deore XT insert

Rear dropouts Reinforced frame

Wheelie

distribution all happen at these massive Surly Nate 27 tpi tyres that can range between 3.8”- 4.8”in width and can run a tyre pressure ranging from 50 to 15 psi, making it the perfect choice to trudge through the snow and other gnarly terrain or anybody’s foot.

Another reason why the Pugsley is a step up is the choice of mechanical disc brakes, the Avid BB7. They offer crisp stopping power and great control for situations varying from riding on tarmac to decent downhill riding and quick cornering on the trails.

To accommodate these tires, the frame has specially built wider forks and chain stays. The rest of the frame is a pretty basic hard tail built out of CroMoly steel with reinforced joints. Keeping its long haul bike packing nature in mind, the frame has braze-ons for luggage, bottle cage and pannier attachments at the fork, down tube, seat tube and the seat stays. The frame is also subjected to Electrophoretic coating inside and out to protect against corrosion.

The dropouts are rear loading enabling easy removal and installation of the wide wheel.

Achieving optimum manoeuvrability on the Pugsley will require some getting used to. But if you are an experienced trail rider, the learning period is short. On its maiden trail ride it surprised us with its handling abilities. It was capable of doing everything a full suspension trail bike could do and perhaps do it a little better.

Once you switch on explorer mode in your head and you have the Pugsley between your legs, there is no stopping you. If during this deed you stumble onto tarmac highways, the Pugsley can handle that as well. You will have to learn to deal with the persistent humming caused by the buttons cutting through the air flow around them and you may not make road bike like timing, but you are definitely faster than the average road roller.

The Pugsley does not shy away when it comes to choice of components. It has a SRAM two ring crank set with 36-22 teeth making it a breeze on climbs. The Shimano 10 speed CS-HG50 cassette at the rear gives you a greater pedal range that is controlled by the Deore XT Shadow rear derailleur. The Deore XT’s Shimano clutch system prevents chain slap against the frame and more importantly keeps the chain in the intended sprocket under all riding circumstances. The KMC 10 speed chain may look dull and grey, but that is the rust buster coating on it. The clickless thumb shifters graduates the bike as meant for seasoned and speciality riders.

In conclusion fat bikes are good for conversations after all. The kinds that make up elaborate travel stories with a companion that will go anywhere you want to go.

The Pugsley earns a Crank AHT (Average Head Turning) factor of 9 out of 10.

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2015

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Comfortable HRM strap

SHOP TALK

GARMIN EDGE 810 aniSh

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he TDF fever is on and as we battle taking bathroom breaks while watching it stream live at our workshop, a small void brews inside us about how we secretly desire to someday ride those hills and need to start training right now. We take our bikes out early the next morning to pump out our hearts, put some good mileage on the bike and return gleeful to watch the next stage.

Building stamina and maintaining a steady heart rate is almost an art to master and it is impossible without a good cadence sensor and heart rate monitor. We searched the market to find a good buy and found the Garmin Edge 810. The good folks at Garmin India sent us a complete cycling bundle of the Edge 810 to fiddle around with. We were immediately impressed by the number of features it had and by the fact that the device needed only one cable and that too was for USB charging. It can be attached to a cadence sensor and a heart rate monitor, all wirelessly. Which meant no more cables winding across the frames of our pretty bikes.

The mount is compatible to the handlebar or stem with the aid of industrial strength rubber bands. A simple clockwise quarter turn locks the device to this mount and holds it there.

The Edge 810 is bigger than most devices and has just cause to be so. Its large touch screen provides you with multiple pieces of information at a single glance. The user interface is simple and straight forward and does not require extensive head scratching Garmin Edge 810

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Wireless sensor

when shifting from one bike to another. You can pre-program different bike profiles onto the device. The touch screen technology is far superior to most smartphones and is extremely responsive, even to gloved finger tips.

Setting up the cadence meter and the wireless transmitter might require a few glances into the instructional manual based on the frame type of your bike but the chest strapped heart rate monitor is a perfect fit and doesn’t bother the wearer.

Load maps on to the Garmin Edge 810 using its SD memory card slot and it can be used as a regular GPS device with turn by turn narrated directions. Weatherproof and loud, the device is easy to develop companionship with when out alone on the road.

The device can transfer ride data to your smartphone via Bluetooth and can also use this connection to acquire and display weather predictions along your route. To the social network friendly rider, the Garmin Edge 810 can also send live updates of your ride. It offers up to 15 hours of battery back-up on a single charge and depleted to only 73% after being out on a ride for about 5hours.

The Garmin Edge 810 might be big and bulky and probably causes more wind resistance because of it being so. But the device has a plethora of features that are essential to cyclistswho take their riding seriously and has thus easily become a Crank recommendation.

Bike mount

BOYS’ TOYS

CAMELBAK PODIUM Camelbak has always been known for performance sports hydration and the podium a perfect example of it. Essential to a sports bottle is excellent finger grip that lets you focus on other important things while riding. The podium has a self sealing jet valve that holds your hydration in and does not let it out until you squeeze the bottle. It has a large opening letting in sufficient gulps of water with very little effort. The podium is available in a variety of colours and sizes including the colours of world tour teams like the one featured here.

CASTELLI ROUBAIX GLOVES Good quality gloves from Castelli, specially designed for cobble sections of the ParisRoubaix race it offers excellent ride grip.

The grip pattern becomes a boon to riders with sensitive palms and goes a long way to prevent blisters and sore palms. The glove’s construction pattern and material makes it breathable and lightweight making its presence on your palms minimal. The cherry on the cake is the availability of these gloves in the replica pattern of your favourite teams. You can bunch up with your friends and now form your own little race teams.

GET OUT & RIDE!

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