India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine
` 100/-
Issue 9 Volume 3 October 15th 2015
INSIDE
Official a n
d
lusive M e Exc
ar tner aP di
IN SEARCH OF THE MIDDLE TRAIL EXCLUSIVE: ONKAR SINGH PAHWA, AVON CYCLES TESTED: STARKENN NEO 5850 D
Cycling Federation of India
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IN THIS ISSUE Around the world Betty Rider..................................
4
Coffee with Crank
12 Birth of a Mountain Bike............14 Bicycle Diary Ep.6......................16 In Search of the Middle Trail.......
Crank News Route
6-8 Race Reports............................10 CFI News..... ........................
Cyctech Profiled
17 Young Turk................................18 Unfolding Ambitions... ............ 20 Onkar Singh Pahwa...................
22 Hammerhead.......................... 24 Boys Toys................................ 25 Starkenn Neo 5850 D..............
YO! The CRANK with ProCycle Team Managing Editor and Publisher Vikram K Limsay Invitee editor
Mr. Onkar Singh Editorial support Nishtha Kaushik
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 Issue contributors
Manali Khardung La Cycling Championship Prateek Singh, Shivam Roy, Marin Bikes Yash Mehta
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Hello Riders,
T
he last few months have been really exciting. We have been following the hottest trends to hit the market at the Eurobike 2015 and I am in awe of what is to come in to the world of cycling. There is so much happening in terms of technological advancements, wheel sizes, groupset technologies and so much more. E-bikes were a flavour this year. You can expect more in the months to come and Crank will bring it to you. Bikers in India can look forward to exciting times with the 2016 models of all brands hitting the road soon. There is clearly a look east focus and the Indian consumer can expect the best at attractive prices. The Dollar will spoil the party a bit though.
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Prayers and wheels, Shivam Roy Back Cover
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We are happy to bring in this issue features, profiles and a soul searching expedition from the mountains of Sikkim by Prateek Singh. He has managed to invoke some of the basest questions from a cyclist while answering some complex questions for a human being. Until the next issue of Crank with ProCycle. Read on, Ride on, Ciao. Vikram K Limsay Managing Editor and Publisher
FEATURE
BETTY RIDER Nishtha Kaushik, Images: Katharina Klos
C
ycling competitively is expensive and can become one of the top reasons for talented riders to miss out on opportunities. Crank brings you an exclusive story on a Betty (nick name given to female mountain biker) from Germany, Katharina Klos, a science assistant who is also a Downhill & Enduro racer from Germany and is fast climbing the rungs of popularity with backing only from her local bike shop. With a podium finish in her very first race riding Urban Downhill in 2012, Katharina started her career in the city of Meissen. She calls herself an avid fun enthusiast and sets stringent personal challenges. At the age of 30, Katharina has achieved multiple victories and has her eyes set on the world championship track and she uses San Romolo and Val di Sole in Italy, Schladmingin Austria, and the famous Swiss Portes du Soleil track as her training grounds.
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Peter Duke, Katharina’s boyfriend and coach, has been on the UCI circuit for a while now. He inspires her with his experience as a World Cup mechanic. Duke has trained star athletes like Wyn Masters and coaches Katharina about suspension sets while monitoring her training progress. While Duke’s coaching trains her, her sponsors, a local bike shop from Zimdorf, Germany called Bikedevilz ensures that her training is backed up with the perfect equipment. In 2014, they provided her with a Specialized Demo 8.II that she rode to victory and she currently rides the specialized Demo 8.1 2015. Katharina follows a diverse and varied training regime due to her travel routine for work. The schedule includes trying to ride as much as possible, gym training to improve strength and power and road riding for endurance. She also practices yoga to complement her fluid riding style and maintain focus.
Katharina and Peter Duke
Katharina Klos
When asked about how she could encourage more female riders to enjoy cycling, “Biking has brought so much freedom and joy into my life. I always encourage women into riding especially on my home trails. I love to see how they get confident about their riding and their inner strength. Riding bikes for me has a lot to do with enjoying nature – the mountains, the forest and grasslands. Ladies, just grab your bikes and go outside – enjoy yourself!” Currently recovering from a shoulder injury, Katharina is truly an example of women who conquer it all. We hope to see more Indian women coming aboard the mountain biking adventure and making the sport their own. Do you know a rider who fits the bill? Write to feedback@procycle.in Endurorace ©Katrin Wiersch
Riding at German Cup ©Sebastian Sternemann
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L-R Ms. Deborah Mr. R K Sharma Ms. Kezia Varghese
CFI NEWS
TRACK ASIA CUP 2015 Crank CFI Bureau
T
he Cycling Federation of India under the aegis of International Cycling Union (UCI) and Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) is organizing the Track Asia Cup 2015 from 18th to 20th Nov. 2015 at the Indoor cycling Velodrome, New Delhi. Over 15 countries from Asia are invited and quite a sizable number of them are expected to participate. This has been classified as Class I event by the UCI, which in other words is an Olympic qualifier where the points gained by a cyclist will add to their ranking to qualify for the Rio Olympics making this race a coveted platform for the participating athletes. The race also opens an opportunity to Indian senior and junior cyclists to repeat last year’s performance if not to excel higher. Knowing the magnitude and impact of this race to the Indian cycling community, the Cycling Federation of India has invited Brian Cookson , UCI President to be the Chief Guest of the event.
Senior
Junior
S.No. Name Gender S.No. Name 1 Alan Baby SSCB 1 Sanu Raj P 2 Sinu Raj P SSCB 2 Sahil Kumar 3 Amarjeet Singh Nagi RSPB 3 Emerson 4 Deborah A & N 4 Arkaprava Baul 5 Kezia Vergheese Kerala 5 Nayana Rajesh P 6 Anu Chutia
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Gender Kerala Haryana A&N A&N Kerala Kerala
Team Officials S. No. 1 2 3
Name Rajendra Kumar Sharma I. Goutamani Devi Bhim Singh Dahiya
Gender Male Female Male
Designation Remarks Chief Coach Lady Coach Coach
International exposure for the Indian Cycling Team Indian Cycling team will take part in the 2015 Taiwan Cup Track International Classic from 2nd to 4th Oct. 2015 at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Ms. Deborah and Ms. Kezia Vargheese, who are India’s shining hope at International cycling platform are participating in the event under Mr. R K Sharma, Chief Coach. A team comprising of 11 cyclists and 03 team officials will also be
participating in the Track Asia Cup at Bangkok from 9th to 11th Oct. 2015. These participations are aimed at giving Indian track riders maximum riding exposure with International competitors, prior to the upcoming Asian Cycling Championship and World Cup scheduled in the end of the year.
12th National Mountain bike Cycling Championship The Cycling Federation of India in association with Kreedajagruti, Pune is organizing the 12th National Mountain Bike Cycling Championships from 31st to 2nd Nov. 2015 at Pune, Maharashtra, where all the affiliated units of the CFI will be invited to show their performance and skills in Cross Country category races.
Pinaki Bysack
A team of trained officials under the command of the International Commissaire Mr. Pinaki Bysack has been appointed by the Cycling Federation of India to officiate and oversee the events at a very picturesque and challenging track prepared specifically for this event. The event will be held in all the categories of Men and women classes such as elite, junior and sub junior from various states, boards and departments which will vie for the top Mountain biking honors in India. Pinaki Bysack has Commisaired at various international events like MTB Kerala and MTB Uttarakhand in India and Asian MTB Championship in Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.
EVENTS CALENDAR Hero MTB Himalaya Shimla 26/09/15 www.mtbhimalaya.com
200 BRM Mumbai 19/09/15 aniluchil@gmail.com
Great Malnad Challenge Koorg 17/10/15 http://greatmalnadchallenge.in/
200 BRM Ahmedabad
23/10/15
contact@cyclone.org.in
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BANGALORE’S FAVOURITE BICYCLE SUPERSTORE INDIRANAGAR | KORAMANGALA/HSR | SANJAYNAGAR Discover a world of premium bikes from global brands, genuine spares, impeccable service and expert advice at ProCycle, Bangalore’s bike superstore. Great rental plans too. WIDEST RANGE OF BICYCLES, ACCESSORIES & SPARES AVAILABLE UNDER ONE ROOF
ProCycle Indiranagar #226, I Main Rd, Domlur 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560071
ProCycle Koramangala 14th Main rd. Jakkasandra/Koramangala Near HSR 5th Sector Bangalore - 560034
ProCycle Sanjaynagar #126, 80 ft rd. RMV II stg Ashwathnagar Bangalore - 560094
+91 80 2520 2004
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Divyam Singh (R)
RACE REPORT
EMBASSY PEDAL FOR THE PLANET Crank Bengaluru Bureau
B
engaluru has fast grown to be the hub for corporate culture and a Corporate cycling challenge has been due for some time. The second edition of Embassy Pedal for the Planet laid rest to that longing on 23rd Aug. The race was held at Manyata Tech Park that has arterial roads that enabled a criterium styled race of varied distances for different categories. The amateur race had its primary objective as gathering cyclists and exhibiting its sustainability as a mode of transport. This edition of Embassy Pedal for the Planet also aimed to support government school children in Bengaluru. The event generated close to Rs 3 lakhs through registrations and sponsorships which will be donated to the NGO, Colors of Life that works with the Embassy Group education initiative to support 2100 children across 10 government schools in the city. The race saw 550 cycling enthusiasts coming together to take part and encourage others to cycle to work. Contestants from companies like HP, Samsung, Hilton Bangalore could be seen right through the early hours of the morning, getting their competitive spirit on. The races were divided into 4 categories based on the distances. The CXO race covered a distance of 6kms, the Team Race 8kms, the Individual Race 10kms and finally, the fun race which was open to all participants, covered a distance of 4 km. Category
Individual race Team Race
CXO Category
Winner
Divyam Singh
Anthony Maradona, Swaroop Joseph
Rajesh Krishnan
1st Runner up
Ashok Kumar
Piyush Sharma, Arun Moses
Mike Holland
2nd Runner up
Darius Koester
Vikram Jolapara, Dinesh Shetty
Karan Virwani
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A wee morning start CXO category winners
Aldrich couple from USA
RACE REPORT
MKCC 2015
Crank India North Bureau, Images by MKCC
E
very thrill seeker has wished up on riding, driving, cycling or even hiking along the illustrious Manali to Khardung La route and most have succeeded in doing this a minimum of once and most others make an annual ritual out of it and many still hope for that opportune moment to cross this item off their bucket list.
Laxmi Magar Nepal cheers Makhan Singh
Northern Escapes and Cycling 4 Change pushed this envelope in 2014 by hosting a race across the 500kms from Manali to the highest motorable road on the planet, the Khardung La top and called it the Manali Khardung La Cycling Championship (MKCC). The 2015 edition kicked off on 25th July and by the 4th Aug, riders had managed to finish the race after braving through landslides and cloud bursts among the usual torments of nature that one finds along this route. The route cuts through the high altitude desert of the Leh region and is comprised of broken tarmac to complete gravel sections which are often slit across by overflowing streams of ice cold water. Altitude sickness can become a common enemy and acclimatization before racing becomes imperative. The organizers had the support of Fortis Hospital, Mohali for any medical emergencies. Cycling over long distances in cold weather drains out a lot of energy and carefully chosen nutrition was supplied by Bonn, the nutrition partner and quick refreshments by The Brown Box, Patisserie partner for the race.
Indian Army team celebrate victory
A total of 56 men and 7 women participated in the two race categories of Open Men Solo and Open Women Solo. Awards for the winners and product support was provided by GoPro and Merida. Category Men’s Solo Women’s Solo
First Purna Bahadur Pradhan (21:04:54) Laxmi Magar (27:51:52)
Second Third Ramesh Ale Makhan Singh (21:06:03) (21:25:54) Angela Kim Aldrich (33:21:10)
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Rare moment of clairvoyance
TRIP PICK
IN SEARCH OF THE MIDDLE TRAIL Prateek Singh, Photos: Shivam Roy
I
think there comes a time when everyone has to choose the road less travelled. I choose to be the one to discover this road. As a part of my job, I took people to ride bikes and got to explore quite a few places. One of my earliest memories of a bike trip takes me back to when I was 16, gazing at the massive Kanchenjunga peak, brilliantly glowing in a slight purple tinge of the moonlight as I sat alone next to a fire. It was in that moment that I found several answers I had been looking for. The year gone by had been a bit of an emotional challenge for me. I wanted to ride my bike, I wanted to explore some trails and I wanted answers, but most of all, I wanted to sit in that shadow of the Kanchenjunga and reflect. In June, my best bud Shivam Roy and I packed our bags and my bike and set out for Sikkim. The Sikkim skies were perpetually blanketed in dark clouds of the harsh June Monsoons. We were certain that the majestic view of the Kanchenjunga range will be a no-show for us. Despite this, we kept going. After all, we had no fixed itinerary. It was just two guys with their bikes on the road; no rules, no routines, just riding and the occasional post ride beer. We used to spend our days hiking, riding around and exploring. One such day, we rode up to a monastery and my bike was blessed by one of the monks. This led to something magnificent on the very next day. I woke up a little hung over and looked out of the window to gaze on pristine, clear blue sky overhead. I couldn’t see the Kanchenjunga from the altitude I was at and I rushed out, rode up from 5,500 feet to 7000 feet to Bhulbhulay. I was familiar with
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Bumping about
Blessed paths
Holy Trails
the trail as we’d explored it once before. From that altitude, the clouds had given way to a view fit for a king. I woke Shivam up and he rushed there in a cab, followed by some flip-flop enabled hiking. We sat there gazing and scrambling to capture the beauty in front of us to the best we and our camera could. Minutes after the shot was taken, the clouds engulfed the peaks and all we could see was a grey mass above that was ready to come down on us. It was as though the clouds had hand crafted this moment for us. It is moments like this that make mountain biking such a rich lifestyle. From coping with emotional turmoil to finding the little joys, the sport can shape almost every aspect of one’s life. It was on this trip that I found a new Mantra for myself, “All a man needs to truly be happy is a nice mountain bike, food, the mountains and beer.” Those experiences and moments are what gave me a new insight on life and answers to the unknown. The rich Buddhist culture found in the reticent mountains of Sikkim preaches the ‘Middle Path.’ It is the perfect balance to keep moving forward in life. What I found in this trip was the middle path equivalent for a mountain bike, The Middle Trail.
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BRAND FEATURE
BIRTH OF A MOUNTAIN BIKE Crank India West Bureau, Images by Marin Bikes.
T
he origins of a product and its brand play a vital role in deciding what direction the brand will take in the future. Keeping that in mind, we bring you a peek in to the history and heritage of Marin Bikes and how their humble and purpose oriented origins have driven them to 30 years of producing a complete line of quality mountain bikes along with a range of pavement and kids’ bikes. What started as an exercise for an injured knee quickly became a passion for Bob Buckley, founder of Marin Bikes. He saw the gap in the market for quality, affordable bikes and teamed up with local Marin County bike enthusiasts to design a line of mountain bikes. 1986 Marin County, California then became the corner stone to Marin Bikes. You know you can trust a mountain bike that has its origin in the mountains. One of the local trail riding enthusiasts who helped develop the early models was Marin’s first bicycle product manager, future World Champion and Mountain Bike Hall Of Fame inductee, Joe Murray. Dave Turner, later of Turner Bikes known for their full suspension range of bikes, was also instrumental in Marin’s early product development. Marin’s bikes were purpose built and continued to dominate in races. Team Marin racer Jurgen Beneke’s victory to a world championship title in 1993 was a feather in Marin Bikes’ hat and the legacy continued with Paul Lasenby ‘s win of the UK national title in 1996 making Marin the first company to win a XC National Championship on a full suspension bike. Marin Bikes first shot to fame however was with the introduction of first mass-produced mountain bike with a titanium frame aptly called the 1988’s Team Titanium. While the bike itself released to great acclaim, the research and production helped lay the groundwork in bringing hand-built, performance-minded options to the market. It was around this time that Marin started naming models after the iconic landmarks of Marin County like Muirwoods, Bolinas Ridge, Pine Mountain, Indian Fire Trail, Eldridge Grade and Hidden Canyon to pay homage to the county’s scenic bike routes and trails which often doubled up as test tracks for the prototypes. L-R Madrone-Joe Murray, Bob Buckley, 1986 Early Marin advertisment
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MARIN BRAND 19 WARNER
In 1991, Marin Bikes introduced their first hybrid and road models. Seeing the potential for a new market in pavement bikes, Marin’s research continued its work on the new hybrids addressing the needs of urban riders. Also an early pioneer in full-suspension offerings, Marin’s Titanium FRS broke new ground in 1993 by incorporating Manitou rear suspension components and yet weighing only 11.3kg. As Marin continued to grow, their customer base and distribution expanded rapidly. By the late-90’s, Marin bikes had built a worldwide following, and had the distribution to back it up. With the advent of the new millennium, the company focused on newer technologies including an award winning quad-link suspension design. Throughout the company’s growth, Marin maintained a strict focus on innovation. As clearly demonstrated by new bikes like the full suspension Attack Trail Enduro, Mount Vision trail and Rift Zone trail 29er, Marin’s innovative spirit is still on full swing. In their 30th year, the company is introducing an “Any Road” bike range – Gestalt. Heritage-inspired Pine Mountain 27+ trail bikes and the Four Corners touring line will be further adding to the brand’s diverse offerings. Marin Bikes have come a long way but have stayed true to what a mountain bike is all about. It is about getting out and riding and getting good at it. We tip our helmets to such an iconic brand and wish them a happy 30th.
Marin Muirwoods, 1987
Joe Murray, 1986
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BICYCLE DIARY, EPISODE 6
OUR FIRST TIME
aniSh. This is the sixth part of a short novel. Catch a fresh episode of this multipart series in the following issues. Get involved. Write to us. Maybe you could impact the course of the story like Arooshie did in the previous episode.
H
i, my name is Aakarsh and I dare call myself a cyclist. A few months ago two beautiful neighbours moved in to my building. One of them had two wheels and a saddle and the other had two legs and a beautiful spirit.
Their combined influence has made me a better person today. The bicycle had been an integral part of my formative years and since the time it has been away from my life, I had been rid of the virtue of patience in life. Maya and her bicycle have helped me take the first step towards recovering it. I have bought myself a bicycle and have enforced in my life, the figurative ‘getting back on the saddle.’ If you do not remember, my feelings for Maya is what let me let her influence me. Since the time we went shopping for my bicycle she has remained consistent to her habit of letting go and exploring on the bicycle at least once every month and I have dodged every invite of joining her. We have grown fond of each other over the time. We have dinners together and we cannot go to sleep without sharing how our days went and what alters the course of our lives. It is time for her customary monthly bike trip and I am invited. I have been cycling on my own and slowly building my stamina. I am not sure though if I can keep up with someone who has been cycling all her life and treats her body like a temple. This will be our first bicycle
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trip together and away from our comfort zones. This is what I’ve been hoping for since the time I made my mind to buy a bike. I am a fairly odd potato. I do not share my things and am very particular about carrying everything that I need and sometime won’t. If I go on this trip with Maya, I am going to find out things about her even if I did not want to. When you are out and away from all the creature comforts, you are bound to find new behaviours and reactions to situations from the people you are travelling with and compatibility can become a make or break situation. Don’t get me wrong, I want to find out more about what kind of a person Maya is. Is she always prepared? Does she carry her own toothbrush? Would she have a habit that I might be disgusted by? Is she one to get easily irritated? How would I react when she becomes irritable? By agreeing to go on this trip with her, I am jeopardizing what could become a very beautiful relationship. There are a lot of things worrying me about going on this trip and yet I will say yes and throw my lungs out on every hill we climb or as she climbs it and I am pushing my bicycle up. After all it was me who decided to get back on the saddle, I think it is time for me to find out how long I will stay on it. How bad could it get? Maya and I get along pretty well now. We leave early in the morning. Wish me luck people.
PROFILED
I
ndia is known for being an enterprising nation and this imagery has stuck with us from the days of independence when humble hardworking businesses used new opportunities and made themselves a mark. In the many industries that thrived, Avon Cycles made a fitting impact in the transport segment of India. We bring you a one on one with Mr. Onkar Singh Pahwa, Chairman and Managing Director, Avon Cycles Limited sharing a revealing peek into the functioning on one of the country’s biggest enterprises. Take us through the early days of Avon Cycles Way back in 1951, my father and his two brothers dreamt of giving the common Indian an affordable means of mobility. Within a year, we had the first batch of 250 cycles rolling out from our small facility. Excellent quality, economic pricing and ethical business dealings soon earned us acceptance. As years rolled by and the business progressed, we set up our own component factories minimizing procurement costs of parts. Today, we do an impressive ten thousand units a day and within the Avon Group we have almost complete background integration going as far as producing some varieties of steel for our consumption. What is your view on the cycling market in India and where do you think it is headed? Countrywide, there are four large companies producing some fifteen million units; add another four to five from the small, unorganized sector and a it’s a total twenty million odd bicycles that the Indian bicycle industry produces. For some years now the Indian bicycle has been moving away from the traditional black roadsters to youthful designs and styles. While many of the Indian brands cater to this choice, there are also a good many high end international brands that have entered the
Onkar Singh Pahwa and his sons, Rishi Pahwa and Mandeep Pahwa
market. No doubt that there is market potential, but how far and how fast these brands get a fertile ground to flourish is another matter. And, the local players are also gearing up to the new situation. What are Avon’s Global plans? As of now we have a sizeable presence in exports to the developing world. Lately, we have begun making efforts to get into the sophisticated markets of Europe and the Americas. Slowly but steadily we are updating our capabilities and building suitable infrastructure. How has Avon’s tradition and value driven administration developed over the decades? Based on the principles that our founders provided us, we have made it a priority to put professionalism before all else. We carefully choose our employees to be well mannered and idealistic. My own sons, Rishi Pahwa and Mandeep Pahwa who assist the company as Directors are devoted to their assigned roles and we have successfully inculcated the efficiency of the corporate culture and the trust it imbibes along with the speed and simplicity of a family based business. I am happy to see them carrying forward the family values while keeping the business models and functioning updated. What are your plans for the future? We plan to maintain an average growth rate upwards of 15%. At the same time we will remain committed to the business ethics given us by the founding fathers. We have a range of cycles that will continue to cater to the Indian cyclist and we will as we originally and always intend to, provide means of commute to the Indian citizen.
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YOUNG TURK
FAIZAL PJ
Crank India South Bureau, Images: Scott Sports India
R
oad cycles instills a minimum of one skill in you. Endurance! Catching up with one of the youngest to hit the competitive road cycling scenes, he tells us about the other skills the 19 year old has picked up. Part of the Scott Future Star program, Faizal P J defines cycling as his passion. Now, a national level star cyclist, Faizal was born in November 1996 in a small town in Kerala, Thodupuzhha. Growing up in humble financial conditions, he quit his studies at an early age. From then on, his interest in cycling became kept driving him. He says,” I believe one must do what he loves doing. Cycling is my education and I want to excel in it. I look up to it as the only remaining education left for me. My only dream is to become a Biking World Champion.” With podium finishes and victories as his goal, Faizal cycle a 100kms everyday as part of his training. He also includes carefully scheduled strength training and flexibility exercises as his daily rituals. In his five years of professional cycling, he has become popular for making sprint finishes his specialty and holds 4th position in the National Road Championship, 2014 and he says
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this has been possible only through discipline and patience, both valuable skills that cycling incorporates in one. His performance at all major cycling events across the country is testament to his dedication. Faizal believes the MVS Coimbatore Criterium Race-2015 to be one of the most notable races in his short yet embellished career. His performance in this race won him a podium finish in the under 18 boys’ category and Scott Future Star title followed soon after. Being thoroughly professional at an early age, Faizal believes that reliable gear and equipment are essential for one’s success. He uses the high quality road race specific helmet Scott Arx specially designed for racers & speed enthusiasts like him. He currently rides the race-ready Scott Cr1 Team. When asked about his dream bike, he said, “I would choose the FOIL Di2 Carbon Bike as it is the perfect blend of light weight and stiffness.” Ready to set the roads ablaze, this road racer certainly is one to watch out for in the upcoming races.
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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
PROFILED
UNFOLDING AMBITIONS Crank India West Bureau, Image: Yash Mehta
A
folding bicycle or affectionately called a ‘Foldie’ is a bicycle that can be compacted while hopping about in congested urban environments and switching modes of transport between the bicycle and a train or a bus. The last thing it will be used for is Randonneuring and that is precisely what 33 year old Pankaj Patil has done and bids that it won’t be the last thing he would do on his Dahon Foldie. A clever Business Analyst at an Investment Bank in Maharashtra, Pankaj has been riding competitively since 2011 and has for over a period of one and a half years attempted 6 times to complete riding for 610kms in under 40 hours on the measly 20” wheels of his Foldie and he managed to bite through it on his seventh attempt to be declared the first Indian to cover such a distance on a folding bicycle and also earn himself the title of India’s First Super Randonneur on a Folding Bike. His ambitions did not end there, being part of the Indian Audax community where he is goes by “Pankaj Patil on Foldie,” he knew of the glories of competing at the Paris-Brest-Paris and he dare not attempt it without his trusty Foldie on his side. ParisBrest-Paris 2015 became his next goal and he began training for it with 100kms rides on weekends and over 3 hours on the trainer indoors. No amount of last minute training suffices for a race of 1230kms and Pankaj had his training plotted out well. Unfortunately, doctors advices about his health put a grinding halt to his elaborate
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training plans 3 weeks before the race. Knowing he might not finish the race with insufficient training did not discourage Pankaj, he went to Paris and gave it his best. He now holds the title of the first Indian to attempt the PBP on a Foldie and vows that in the next edition he will convert it to the first Indian to finish it on a Foldie. About France and the race, Pankaj tells us, “I have never experienced enthusiasm of such levels. At the start line of PBP it felt like it is not a cycling race but a cycling festival. The roads are fabulous, weather and the countryside is perfect for riding. You will find locals cheering the riders, villagers come out and serve the riders with refreshments even as early as 3am in freezing cold nights. For me, meeting these awesome souls on the road was the highlight of PBP 2015 and I consider myself blessed to have got this opportunity to ride in France.” Apart from finishing what he started with Paris-Brest Paris this year, he is also looking for sponsors to ride the London-EdinburghLondon (LEL-1400km event) and has also got an ambition to ride the notorious R.A.A.M (Race Across America) on a folding bicycle on his cross hairs. Bicycling has always been about pushing the envelope and Pankaj has managed to push his, one pedal stroke at a time and has created a whole new category for aspiring racers to compete in. We need more such riders brewed by India’s Audax community.
CRANK TESTED
STARKENN NEO 5850D aniSh, Rider: Gautam Taode
I
n my hunt for the right trail bike for a beginner, I have stumbled on a few and mostly ended up with one common dilemma, what is the right bike and how can I even define this rightness? Let us consider the universal question of how much am I willing to spend on it. While shooting for the story on India’s DH Bombers, I was introduced to the Starkenn NEO 5850D, a bicycle that Starkenn bikes promises to be the right choice for a beginner trail riders and more importantly priced lucratively at Rs. 39,100/Let me be honest, it is not much of a looker in its glossy red! Moving on to greener pastures, the frame has a significant feature, how the seat stays attach directly to the top tube and not at the joint of the top and down tubes. A similar frame design has proven to deliver frame stability at international MTB races. An aluminium alloy frame can use this added stability when attempting small to large jumps in the forest trails. Trail jumps to city commute bumps on this bike are easily softened by the 100mm travel front suspension. Manufacturers however have gone the extra mile to offer a hydraulic suspension lock to it. Suspension locks are becoming a near quintessential on mountain bikes of varied calibres. Over all my research for the right trail bike, I have come to learn that I personally am fond of how and what a 27.5” wheel size responds to. The Neo 5850D however comes only in the 26” wheel size and this might become detrimental for me to buy this bike. Starkenn spared no other measures and setup this bike with cool Kenda off-road tyres which have shown great response both on and off trail. The drivetrain for this price point is quite astonishing. It has an Acera FD with Shimano 3 speed chain rings and the new 9 speed Alivio RD which clarifies that this bike can be taken quite seriously while riding a range of terrains. The fact that the braking is handled by Tektro H D 300 Hydraulic disc brakes gives you that added level of ride confidence.
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Clever choice of tyres
Platform Pedals
Quick reach cockpit
Tektro hydraulic disc brakes
Ball joint saddle
Suspension lock out
While we are delving on the handling of the bicycle, the handlebar has a great cockpit set up for easy reach of all the control levers, but the handlebar itself could have been much flatter and wider to make the Neo 5850D a much hotter knife to the trail butter. The saddle has this unique ball joint on it, that lets the saddle sway and rotate under you while riding. While unique, we are still unsure of what it possibly does to the ride comfort. No doubt, the Starkenn Neo 5850D has everything going for it, perhaps a wider handlebar a greater larger wheelbase would have increased its appeal. Crank gives the Starkenn Neo 5850D an AHT (Average Head Turning) Factor of 6.75 out of 10
9 Speed Alivio RD
CRANK with ProCycle OCTOBER 15TH, 2015
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SHOP TALK
HAMMERHEAD aniSh
W
e always believed that GPS devices have the potential to becomes cool accessories for your bike. One such device we found is the Hammerhead, a device in its prototyping stage with immense
potential.
It took us a while to digest Hammerhead’s form and function and its name rescued us. Hammerhead is being developed in the United States by a team of dedicated cyclists and we managed to get a hold of a prototype product here in India. After having fiddled with it sufficiently and checked out the android version of its app, we returned to our workshop to debate if we would ever buy one or never be caught dead with this device on our bike. None of our trail riders wanted to be around it, they mostly wanted to throw it around like a boomerang and hope for it to return or worse, they ran around with the Hammerhead in their hand like it was a toy airplane. The grown up road racers however thought that the device could be of some use for its aerodynamics. But the lack of a display beyond turn signals disheartened them. These men and women mostly need some kind of a masochistic reminder of their average speed and distances on their handlebars to keep them going.
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Who then is this cleverly conceived device for? Well, here’s what it does. It connects to an app on your mobile phone where you program a route and destination. You then stow away your phone safely and the hammerhead mounted on the handle gives you turn signals as and when you approach a change in course. It can also indicate a U turn all via the array of colourful LED lights. Ok, how is that different from mounting my phone on the handlebar? Here’s our list of excuses, a phone displays your location as a tiny blip and requires you to squint at it. A phone cannot be waterproof or smash proof, a Hammerhead is. A phone is not aerodynamic. The number of colourful flashing lights on a phone is limited. A hammerhead looks really cool. Ok, the last two reasons may not be as important, but they are very true. Here’s our verdict. It is a must have for every commuter. It is for that hack who never sees himself getting around any town, his own or a new one without his bicycle. It is for everyone who has used a navigation device like a phone or anything else and has managed to drop it a minimum of one time. Our hope however is that its size reduces significantly and it won’t stick like a sore thumb on the handle.
BOYS’ TOYS
ZEFAL Z CROSS XL This one really expands out after it opens up from its 9” compact form. It has a telescopic piston handle that reduces the number of pump strokes. Compatible with Presta, Schrader and Dunlop valves, the Z Cross XL is designed for mountain bikers. It can also be mounted to your bike, but is not apt to be carried around in a Jersey pocket. It has padded EVA foam grips, a dust cap and the patented Z flip system to shift between valves.
TOPEAK POCKET ROCKET DX II As the name declares, this pump is compact and sleek. It is specialized for high pressure road tires. It is compatible with Presta, Schrader and Dunlop valves and is small enough to fit into jersey pockets, saddle bags or any corner of a daypack. It can even be attached to the bottle cage with an included bracket. It’s added features are a thumb lock, an integrated dust cap, a butted alloy barrel and a Kraton handle for pumping grip.
GET OUT & RIDE!
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