CRANK with ProCycle - December 2014 by CrankMag

ISSUE 11 VOL 2 DECEMBER 15TH 2014

INSIDE

QUICK FYX F-STOP KENTI PACK MISTY MULLAYANAGIRI

COMPACT ROAD Aluminium Technology

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IN THIS ISSUE

04 08 12 14 18 20 22 26

Misty Mullayanagiri Quick Fyx ProCycle Profiled The Long Road Gear Review Dighi Hills XC Race Bike Feature Boys Toys

18 14

HEYA! The CRANK with ProCycle Team Publisher and Managing Editor Vikram Limsay Editor Rahul K Thomas Technical Editor Nilesh Dhumal West Zone Bureau Divya Tate Bike Tester Ajay Kamble Contributions by Mohammad Rafi Shaik, Robin Darius Conz, Aniket Mahashabde, Anil Uchil, Venkatesh Shivarama, Chidambaram Subramaniam, Sahil Parikh, Vinod Purohit and Veloscope Registered to Procycle and Sports India Private Limited Corporate Office Indiranagar, 889, First Floor, 7th Main 4th Cross, HAL II stage, Bangalore - 560008 Tel: +91 80 41161902 Showroom 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 Website www.procycle.in For queries regarding advertising and subscription mail us at subscribecrank@procycle.in Cover A Fyxation Pixel tries to stay incognito in front of some street graffiti. Image by Rahul K Thomas Rear Cover The ProCycle car making sure riders get out come rain or shine Printed by Print 2 Last Solutions

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Heya! This month we hit the street with the Fyxation Pixel and put it through its paces. Then we hit the trails with Robin as he tests out the F-stop Kenti camera backpack. Long distance cycling has come a long way in India and we get the lowdown on the itinerary for the year ahead from the two associations that will be giving people their endurance fix. Then a randonneur (Mohammad Rafi Shaik) tells us about his latest unsupported tour. We also take a look at the very hot, top-ofthe-line Polygon Helios road bike and more. All in this issue of CRANK with ProCycle. Turn the page and read. Then get out and ride!

Editor

The new and improved ProCycle Indranagar store

THE LONG ROAD

MISTY MULLAYANAGIRI Text and Images by Mohammad Rafi Shaik

For a long time I had been planning to do a cyclo-trek (cycling to the of a mountain and then trekking to the peak) to the highest peak in Karnataka - Mullayanagiri (1,950m or 6,398ft). Finally this October I got around to it. The plan was to start from Chikmanglur and cover Muulayanagiri peak and a few waterfalls on day 1 and then Baba Bundanagiri and Kemmunagundi on day 2. I was joined by Anbushivam and one Friday night we loaded our bikes on the bus to Chikmanglur and were off.

the climb. We then took a deviation to the Mullayangiri climb - a scenic route passing through coffee estates. All the way caterpillars were hanging from the tree tops just like spiders. The road was very good and as we started climbing we noticed small waterfalls every one km. I took a quick ‘shower’ and the cold water rejuvenated the legs.

Day 1

The view of the valley was simply superb with lush green forest and a big reservoir on the left. The maps showed us the climbs ahead and we got ready with our climbing gears. Continuous photography breaks made the climb feel easy though. As we continued further, tourists passing on the same route cheered us to climb.

Reached Chikmanglur at 5 am, assembled our bikes and started riding. On reaching the outskirts of the city, we saw beautiful mountains encircled by clouds and we quickened our pace, eager to reach them.

The final few kms are very steep, at places there are no barricades on the valley side and the road condition is pretty bad making it very difficult to ride. Finally we reached the top of the road but since I had felt signs of cramp we decided not to trek to the peak.

Within a couple of kms, Anbu’s rear tire flatted out. We were irritated at first, only to realise it was worth it as we got to spend some time admiring the scenery reflected in the lake’s water - something we would have otherwise breezed past.

As it was around lunch time, we thought we would get something to eat but since nothing solid was available, we made do with pineapple, watermelon, hot bajjis and butter milk from a small shop.

After fixing the flat, we started to ride and noticed the slow change in gradient. Since we would be entering a forest stretch after Kaimara junction, we decided to have a quick light breakfast before

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A chit chat with the Forest Officer and we were warned not to camp around Attinagundi being a tiger reserve forest. He advised us to camp in Mahaal village for safety. We thanked him and started downhill.

Anbu climbs the final stretch to Mullayanagiri

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Mohammad cranks it uphill

After a quick lunch at a small joint, we continued to ride towards Kemmunagundi. After another climb, we crossed a forest check post and followed by a long downhill and finally we reached a board saying Jhari waterfalls. Set 1 km back from the road, this was a beautiful spot so we spent some time here before heading on to Honnammana Halla waterfall. This one turned out to be just the opposite - crowded and over developed so we moved on. By 4.30 p.m it was getting misty and dark and we decided to camp for the night. Locals were very hospitable and the owners of a coffee estate cleared a space for us to camp. Hearing we had cycled all the way from Chikmanglur, they spent time chatting with us and even shared their food with us. We went to sleep to the sound of rain in the midst of the forest.

Day 2 In the chilly morning, we were treated to a hot breakfast by the coffee estate owner. Then his son (Sanju) took us on a trek to Galikere - a lovely lake on a misty peak. The height of our journey was reached when we realised the entire mountain was bedecked with Kuranji flowers which bloom only once in twelve Horrific roads make it a truly MTB experience

Camping in a coffee estate

years. And we were lucky enough to be right there when they did! Our sense of wonder was a little dampened by the sight of garbage around the place. We then trekked back down and cycled on to explore two lesser known waterfalls inside the forest with the help of locals,While climbing up from the waterfall, my camera crashed against a rock but luckily the lens was saved by the filter. We continued to ride towards the land of tigers - Bhadra wildlife sanctuary. With terrible roads on offer, it was a truly uncomfortable ride which would be hell for road bikers. The last 14km to Kemmunagudi saw us pass through grass meadows and deep valleys. We finally reached Kemmunagundi forest check post by 3:30pm only to realise entry to Hebbe falls closes at 11 a.m. An awesome 20km long downhill started from Kemmunagundi. We deviated from the main road and headed to Kalhatti Falls - a beautiful waterfall between Kemmunagundi and Lighadhahalli. Finally we rode on to Linghdhahalli to catch a bus back to Chikmangalur and then to Bangalore.

A quick and refreshing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;showerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at a waterfall kept me going Company for the night

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Getting through traffic is a breeze with those narrow bars

BIKE REVIEW

QUICK FYX!

Tech Talk by Nilesh Dhumal. Images by Rahul K Thomas With metropolitan India becoming uber cool and the hipster clan growing, we thought it about time we review that odd product of urban biking - the fixie. And to kick it off, we got our hands on one of the latest brands to hit India, and in fact, one of the newer brands in the world - Fyxation’s Pixel. Fyxation began life as recently as 2009 - as the brainchild of two brothers who wanted to offer the world a stylish and functional urban tyre (you read that right). It was only in 2013 that they launched their first frame (the Eastside) and the Pixel is their budget offering which is catching on around the world. The bike looks pretty muted and does fly under the radar. The sparkling grey frame mated to black components exudes a

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certain quiet charm but it certainly is far from bling. Frankly, in our book, this is an eminently desirable trait in a commuter which is going to be left all around town. A quick bit of bar, brake and saddle adjustment, get on the bike and let the good times roll. We were surprised at how easily it breezes along. The Pixel is quick in traffic indeed. We were able to squeeze through small spaces thanks to the narrow bars. The upsweep of the bars are perfectly engineered to make for a very nimble ride. We love the Fyxation branded grips which come with them too. The bike is pretty reminiscent of a BMX as far as that’s possibly for a 700c wheel. But it isn’t just the handling which takes inspiration from that.

A nice subtle paint job

Promax calipers lack bite so swap the pads

The Pixel even held up beautifully to a thrashing

The frame is crafted from 4130 ‘Tri-moly’ steel. For those unfamiliar with the name, its a throwback to the BMXes of the eighties when the front triangle was made from Chromoly steel while the rear (chain and seat stays) used the less expensive, heavier and less fancied Hi Ten steel. What this then means is that they are able to keep the price down. Typically, this should mean a goodly increase in weight but we certainly didn’t feel it. Bump absorption is excellent thanks to the steel frame and the stellar wheels which completely outperform their looks. The bike rolled along beautifully on our horribly pitted Bangalore roads.

Speaking of wheels, they are seemingly unbranded forged flip/flop 32h hubs with 30mm alloy rims. The flip flop hub allowed us to ride either single speed or fixed gear mode. Frankly, riding a fixie in our traffic is a hairy scary experience and we don’t really recommend it. The unpredictability of Indian roads makes commuting a tough enough thing without adding an extra variable to it. The daredevil who likes a rush should try it though. This bike will more than deliver. The wheels seemed so nondescript that we decided to give it a

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A no fuss crankset with a gear ratio that can be a little challenging on climbs

Trimoly steel - chromoly in the main triangle with regular steel stays Fantastic saddle

The Fyxation Pixel - uber cool and very artsy

Single speed cog on one side Fixed gear on the other

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Bombproof wheels with Fyxation Accela 700x28c tyres keep things rolling smoothly

Fyxation has built up an excellent following in a very short time

thorough thrashing with bunny hops, drops off ledges and even wall rides. They didn’t even turn a hair! They stayed impressively throughout and we’re pretty blown away by them. Crankset is again an incognito little thing which does the job decently. Stock gearing is a 46 x 17 which made climbs a little hard. Swapping it for an 18T cog would help in a hilly place but of course you could just HTFU and ride. Did we mention the saddle? We love this saddle! Superb comfort despite being stiff and supportive - exactly the way a saddle should be. In fact, we’d like to buy a few of these for our other bikes. On the subject of stopping duties - the Promax brakes specced for this are pretty sketchy and woefully short on braking power. We suggest you immediately swap out at least the brake pads for performance pads - something like a Koolstop Salmon. If you can swap levers for some BMXtype stuff that’d change things completely. While you’re about it, change the pedals - stock pedals are pretty awful and we’re pretty sure they won’t last long. Oh and we thought all this would come in a pretty hefty package but we were pretty stumped when the Pixel weighed in at just a little more than 10 kilos. The Fyxation Pixel is priced at INR 38,500 and we think this might make it a tad bit of a tough sell in India where the average Joe counts the number of gears he gets per thousand ruppees. Then again, a bike like this isn’t intended as a mass product and we think it delivers a whole lot at the price. You certainly can’t put a price on the big grin on your face as you breeze through rush hour traffic over broken roads.

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PROCYCLE PROFILED

SMRUTI SAMPAD PADHI Smruti Sampad cycled his way through school and college. One day he rode to Nandi Hills and was amazed to see riders riding to the very top. Realising his trusty but heavy Hercules might be holding him back, he decided to keep an eye out for something better. He got a chance to test ride a Scott MTB at ProCycle and immediately made up his mind. Today his weapon of choice is a Scott Aspect 670 hardtail. While he only occasionally commutes, weekends see him doing road rides of more than 100 kms. But, his real passion is trail riding. Having ridden a few trails around Bangalore, he is hungry for more. Considering heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happiest riding in rain, we think this lad was born for the outdoors.

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At the start of the PBP. Image courtesy Anil Uchil

THE LONG ROAD

RANDONNEURING IN INDIA The randonneuring world in India has exploded over the last 3 seasons in particular. Today we have two separate organisations putting in the hard yards behind the scenes to offer riders the chance to ride long distances in safe, enjoyable conditions. We take a look at what each of them has to offer in the coming seasons.

Audax India Randonneurs by Divya Tate

The activity of Randonneuring, or self supported long distance rides, has grown immensely under Audax India Randonneurs (AIR,) a national umbrella organisation. It has increased from 50 Brevets in 6 cities in Nov 2011 to 250 Brevets in 19 cities across the country. In only its second year randonneurs in India had clocked almost 200,000 Km of Brevet riding, putting us 14th in the world in terms of brevet mileage. We will have done close to 600,000 km at the end of our 3rd year. The staggering growth in the popularity of this activity can be attributed to many factors, including the possibility for people to transform themselves, by pushing their personal limits slowly through the brevet distances. Audax Club Parisien (ACP) is a 110 year old Cycling Club that has been registering brevets worldwide, since 1921 when it created this current format of distances (200, 300, 400, 600 and 1000 km events). ACP organizes one of the world oldest cycling events, Paris Brest Paris (PBP) in France, every 4 years. To qualify for the PBP, riders have to complete a Super Randonneur brevet series

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(200, 300, 400 and 600km events certified by ACO) in the year of PBP. In India, AIR has been given the authorization to oversee and validate this activity and is particular to enforce BRM rules in India, to maintain the same standards as in any of the 40 participating countries. In 2011, 15 Randonneurs from India attempted PBP for the first time, having qualified by doing a series of brevets in India. The previous season that ended on 31st Oct 2014 was the prequalifying year for PBP, and this season of brevets will count toward qualifying for the 18 edition of PBP in 2015. Numerous riders travel across the country to ride BRMs in the company of fellow randonneurs. A non-profit, volunteer driven activity, from top down, randonneuring runs on the commitment of organisers to create these opportunities for riders. An extensive array of dates, such as in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AIR calendar, is a reflection of this commitment to randonneurs in India. This year, with 19 cities to choose from, the calendar of AIR events has a wide range of terrain and climate to offer. In the future, Audax India Randonneurs will be creating events that attract International participation, giving Randonneurs in India a chance to play host to this worldwide community. Divya Tate is the representative of Audax India Randonneurs and one of the founders of randonneuring movement in India.

An AIR brevet in Surat. Image courtesy Sahil Parikh Divya Tate with randonneurs from Canada, France, USA and Ireland at PBP 2011. Image courtesy Vinod Purohit

Controlee point at a brevet. Image courtesy Anil Uchil

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India Randonneurs

by Chidambaram Subramaniam Offering riders ‘Indian certified brevets’ we deeply believe in unsupported or minimally supported long distance rides, which in our opinion is the essence of the randonneuring spirit. Our goal is to create a democratic organisational structure which will include all riders. Thus far, a number of clubs across the country have subscribed to this ethos and have joined us.

India Randonneurs came together just in October of this year due to differences of opinion with Audax India Randonneurs. IR rides are not affiliated with ACP and are not certified by them either so if you are riding brevets to qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris, our rides will not get you there. However, if you just like to get out and enjoy warm, inclusive, spirited rides, IR might be just the thing for you.

This young lady embodies the spirit of India Randonneurs. Image courtesy Veloscope

Indian Randonneurs decided to kick off the year with a 200km organised by Bangalore Brevets on November 1st - the Kottai Brevet. Riders began from Silk Board and took the fast highway route on NH7 down to Krishnagiri and then turned towards Rayakottai. It then stayed on state highways passing through small villages and towns, all the while climbing slowly back to Bangalore’s altitude. The route had about 1650m of elevation gain in total. With nearly 80 riders showing up, this turned out to be a roaring success. A similar ride was organized in Delhi, and one in Goa a day later. With a packed calendar, India Randonneurs have arrived and we look forward to further growing the culture of randonneuring in India. You can follow all the India Randonneurs action at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ Indiarandonneurs/ Chidambaram Subramaniam is a core member of the Bangalore Brevets and India Randonneurs teams.

IR Affiliated Clubs

A smile during the Kottai Brevet. Image courtesy Veloscope A breather during the brevet. Image courtesy Veloscope

A controlee point during the Kottai 200. Notice the magazine in the marshall’s hand. Image courtesy Veloscope

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• Bangalore Brevets • Coimbatore Cycling • Goa Randonneurs • Indian Randonneurs - Hyderabad • Indian Randonneurs - Mumbai • Pune Indian Randonneurs • South West Riders, Delhi, • T3 (Delhi) • Tirupur Riders Club • Trivandrum Bikers Club Punctures being fixed by the side of the road at the Kottai Brevet. Image courtesy Veloscope

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Nice straps for a tripod

GEAR REVIEW

FSTOP KENTI CAMERA BACKPACK Text and Images by Robin Darius Conz

Photographer and mountain biker Robin Darius Conz reviews the Fstop Kenti camera backpack.

Excellent padding for your DSLR and lenses

I’ve been looking for camera backpacks for a while now. Most of the bags I’ve seen are very big and can carry a lot of gear which is great, but when you are on the move on a cycle they can be quite a pain. The lightweight bags tend to be flimsy and too small for my requirements. You see, when I commute I usually have to carry my (DSLR) camera, lense(s), laptop, external hard drives, camera accessories, tripod, sometimes a change of clothes, some bike spares and some water too as biking around is thirsty work. In addition to holding a lot of gear, my bag therefore needs to be waterproof, rugged and lightweight. A tall order indeed. Enter the Fstop Gear Kenti - a bag designed by photographers who are out and about on their bikes and a quick trek. The Kenti is spacious enough to carry a pro body DSLR or a DSLR with a battery grip and 2 or 3 lenses along with some camera accessories such as a flash There is a sleek compartment that tucks away a 13 inch laptop, a small pouch to store away your sunglasses and a narrow front compartment into which you can squeeze a hard drive, cables, wallet, cycle pump, patch kit and maybe even an energy bar. The roll top allows it to expand and take in a bit more. If you don’t want to carry a camera, the internal spacers can be

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A soft pouch for your shades

The F-stop Kenti is a nice, compact, stylish bag

Easy access to the campera from the side yet plenty of safety measures

removed and it becomes a pretty spacious 21 litre bag. In practice, the Kenti’s hip strap takes a lot of load and does a great job of distributing weight. When trail riding the bag sits pretty firmly and doesn’t move around which is pretty amazing. There is even space for a hydration bladder. While it can take a 3 liter bladder, in practice this creates a bulge when the hydration bag is filled up to much. This is due to the soft backing. A stiffer back may have been preferable for this reason. But, then again, that may have added a bit of weight to it. The workaround here is to fill a max of 1.5 litres. Of course, this means you need to keep more water on you for longer rides and hotter days.

Conveniently accessible pocket on the waist band for your phone

Pros

Space for other stuff in the zippered section

Rugged build Very spacious Excellent ergonomics

Cons Add ons (like the rain cover and gate keeper straps) cost you extra The bladder space could’ve been better designed to hold more

The bottom line A great all around bag to tote your camera and gear in everyday. Great for cycling and as a general day bag is well.

Provision for a 3L bladder although it gets uncomfortable with more than 1L

At the start line

RACE REPORT

DIGHI HILLS XC RACE Text by Divya Tate. Images courtesy Aniket Mahashabde The track at Dighi Hills was barely visible as riders rode through scrubland, looking for the start point of the Cymour Off Road Race. The group, enjoying a cool, crisp morning, were soon bathed in the glow of the sun which had not yet risen over the hill itself. The trail, a 5 km loop around the hill, rolled only gently, passing through a small patch of forest. Pune has a long history of mountain biking with many riders whose wheels will rarely touch tar. This was the first time that the monthly race was not on the road, and thus it saw a mix of riders, from the usual road racing community and a group of mountain bikers. After a warm up lap to allow riders to see the trail and ensure they do not veer off the path, the riders assembled for a mass start. Heading anti-clockwise around the hill, the first group came around in just about 10 mins, to race 3 laps around the hill. Rushabh Hattarki took the lead early on, finishing first in the youth category in 29:29 min. Nakul Singh finished close behind finishing first in the Open Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s category in 31 minutes flat. The youth Category saw Nikhil Anandsekar and Mihir Deo finish 2nd and 3rd. Suraj Swami and Ajay Padwal finished 2nd and 3rd in the Open. There were unfortunately, no women competitors - something we do hope will change soon. The prizes were given out on an impromptu podium - a rise on the hillside itself. On a trail which did not need technical downhill skills, the road bikers did rather well. Having enjoyed a great morning out in the countryside, all involved are looking forward to more off road races, including a downhill race in the coming year.

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Impromptu podium on the hillside

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BIKE FEATURE

The Polygon Helios A9.0 is a road beast in a featherlight package (6.7 kilos without pedals!)

Gorgeous Shimano DuraAce crankset

POLYGON HELIOS A9.0

From the latest brand to hit Indian shores comes a jaw-droppingly gorgeous, uber elite road bike. The Helios frame weighs in at just 900 grams with the whole bike clocking in at under 7 kilos - only just barely UCI legal. Priced at a little more than INR 5 lakhs, its a steal when you consider that it comes with complete DuraAce kit and the competition would set you back at least double. Swoon away!

Note the internal cable routing and the gorgeous paint job

A beautifully crafted fork

The Ritchey WCS carbon cockpit

DuraAce brakes give you immense stopping power

Shimano DuraAce 9000SS RD

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It eyes the road disdainfully

Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL wheelset with Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres. If the wheels got any lighter, this bike wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be UCI legal! Superb hubs

DuraAce brifters

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The Fizik Arione manganese rail saddle mated to a carbon aero seatpost with Ritchey WCS carbon clamp kit for amazing adjustability

The stamp of UCI approval

BOYS’ TOYS

PLANET BIKE ORION GLOVES If you’re looking for a decent pair of full-finger gloves for mountain biking, look no farther. The Planet Bike Orion fits like a... errr... glove! Its a synthetic glove but one which is pretty durable with one way stretch terry and four way woven spandex, so it conforms to the shape of your hands. The foam padding is pretty effective and we’re sure this’ll save those palms a lot of pain on your next spill. The hook and loop closure makes it fit even more snugly and it has a nice terry thumb for you to wipe off that sweat too.

CAMELBAK OCTANE XCT Camelbak’s Octane series is all about minimising weight by using lightweight materials so you can keep up the pace in your adventure race while staying hydrated. Inside the Octane XCT is a 3 litre Antidote Reservoir to keep you going for miles. The stash pockets are very handy for keeping things such as your wallet and mobile phone accessible (though we don’t advise using it while riding). The single vertical storage pocket should store any other stuff you need on the trail. Just in case you run into trouble, Camelbak’s included a whistle on the harness. For more details drop us a line at torquewrench@procycle.in

GET OUT & RIDE!

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