India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine
Volume 6 Issue 1
KARENG / 2016 / 68421
JANUARY 2018
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Profiled: Rutuja Satpute Amdavad Crankmeisters Bike Review: Custom Spot Bike Nandi Epic
Official a n
Inside
Cycling Federation of India
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InThisIssue 04
CFINews National Commissaire Course
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IndustryNews Israel Cycling Academy Bergamont at India Cycling Festival
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ProCycling The Nandi Epic
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PlanetSaddle Ultra Spice Tour of Karnataka
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Review Spot Bike
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CityTalk Amdavad Crankmeisters
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CrankActive Kettlebell
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Profile Rutuja Satpute
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TriathlonCorner The Fourth Discipline
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Editor’sNote
The CRANK with ProCycle Team Managing Editor and Publisher Vikram K Limsay Invitee editor Onkar Singh, Secretary General CFI and ACC Edit Desk Dr. Meera Velankar Karthik Gottumukkala Trackside Editor - Triathlon - Deepak Raj Issue contributors Shashank Bijjhalli, Vinay Sag Creative and Design N. Chandru Contact editdeskcrank@procycle.in subscribecrank@procycle.in advertisecrank@procycle.in Expert Test Team Karthik Gottumukkala All Rights Reserved By ProCycle and Sports India Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Office and Showroom 226, 1st Main Road, Service Road, Domlur 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar, Bangalore – 560071 Tel: 080 41161902, +91 95380 66695 Website www.procycle.in Follow us on Facebook: @CrankwithProCycle https://www.facebook.com/CrankwithProCycle/ Photo Credits Vamsi Krishna, Nikhil Soneji Sanjay Satpute & Parshuram Chenji Karthik Gottumukkala Printed By Print 2 Last Solutions
Dear Readers A short ride and it is December already! And so before I begin, may I wish you all Compliments of The Season and a very Happy New Year in advance. I am sure you are all getting ready for the holidays and preparing to ride into the new year. It has been a great year for us at CRANK ! We hope we have made our humble contribution to the cause of cycling and to getting more people to get out and ride. It has been our endeavour through these years to cover and encourage cycling in very part of the country. When I look back I am happy that cyclists have reached out to CRANK not just from the eight metros but also from places like Dehradun, Shillong, Bhubaneshwar, Nagpur, Gwalior, Salem and many other towns spread across this vast country. I am indebted to our readers, advertisers, CFI, the pro and am riding community and most importantly to our team who have helped us through this journey. Well we are well on our way to make our plans for 2018 and you shall see a lot more from us and more of us. Till then have a great and safe new year celebration and keep those spirits cranked up... Ciao Vikram K Limsay Managing Editor and Publisher
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UCI Elite commissaire Coure
CFINews
UCI Elite National Commissaire Course
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he Cycling Federation of India under the aegis of International Cycling Union and Asian Cycling Confederation organized the National Elite Commissaire (Judges) Course at IG Sports Complex, New Delhi from 19th to 26th Nov. 2017, whereby representative from 14 Asian Countries including India are participating.
Executive Committee Meeting of ACC Meeting of ACC Executive Committee meeting was held at Roda Al Bustan Hotel in Dubai on 1/12/2017 chaired by President of ACC, Mr Osama Al Shafar of UAE and with
This course was conducted by Mr. Wayne Pamario, Instructor appointed by UCI and is one of the most qualified International Commissaire in the game and has been Chief Commissaire (Judge) in Olympics and World Championships besides many other International events.
other Executive members including Vice President Sheikh Khaled Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Secretary General Onkar Singh of India and Treasurer Amarjit Singh Gill of Malaysia. Constructive meeting was held in preparation of the 2018 season
This is a sign of the growing stature of India to the world of cycling
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ICA 2018 roster - Credit Brian Hodes Velo Images
IndustryNews
Israel Cycling Academy Launches World’s Most Diverse Team
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el Aviv: Cyclists from 16 countries and five continents, including Turkey’s national champion, made Peres Center “Ambassadors for Peace”. ICA’s 2018 roster, comprising Jewish, Christian and Muslim riders, is aiming to compete in world’s biggest races, including the 2018 Giro d’Italia, which begins in Israel. The Israel Cycling Academy’s 2018 roster was unveiled in front of the world’s media in November, and awarded the prestigious title of Peres Center “Ambassador for Peace” by Chemi Peres, son of the late President Shimon Peres, at a ceremony attended by Ambassadors from many countries. The team comprises cyclists of three religions, from 16 different countries on five continents, including recent addition Ahmet Örken, the 2017 Turkish National Time Trial cycling champion. The team also launched its roster, the team’s strongest ever, ahead of the 2018 season, the most significant in its short existence which it hopes will culminate with a place in the 2018 Giro d’Italia – beginning in Jerusalem and passing through several other Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, whose Mayor Ron Huldai attended the event. The Israel Cycling Academy, Israel’s first and only professional
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cycling team, is unique in the world of professional sports. As a non-profit team, its values, ethos and commitment to social change set it apart from its competitors, and ensure that its significance extends far beyond the realm of sport. Among the team members are four current national champions, including Ahmet Örken, the 2017 Turkish National Time Trial cycling champion. Örken’s participation is further proof of the Israel Cycling Academy’s ability to break down barriers. Meanwhile, Spain’s Ruben Plaza and Italy’s Kristian Sbaragli have won stages of the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana respectively. The team also includes five of Israel’s top cyclists, including national champion Roy Goldstein, hoping to make their mark on the international stage. It is the world’s most diverse team, and a living embodiment of the potential for sport to bring people together. In recognition of these values, the Peres Center for Peace bestowed upon the Israel Cycling Academy team members, team managers, plus team founders – Sylvan Adams and Roni Baron - the title of “Ambassador for Peace”. The award, given by Chemi Peres, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, is a powerful statement that sport can be a strong force for good in the world.
Bergamont at India Cycling Festival
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ergamont Bicycles, highlighted its complete cycling range at the India Cycling Festival in Nehru Centre, Mumbai from 24th to 26th November. Cyclists, triathletes, and sports enthusiasts of all age groups landed near the sea face in
Mumbai.
India Cycling Festival- the first-of-its kind event for premium, domestic, and international brands to showcase their world-class products. The event aimed to connect those in the cycling business with cycling enthusiasts from around the country and the world to make cycling the new buzz word. Bergamont’s was the biggest and the coolest booth of the exhibition and showcased its brand philosophy by using the power and clarity
of contrasting rich black and white images, which are authentic, unmistakable, timeless, and true. As a contrast to the photographic material, they like to add graffiti- and sticker-style symbols inspired by the authentic and creative look of the streets and bars of St. Pauli, their home. They mark their territory wherever they go and like to live the rough-and-ready spirit of St. Pauli. They tag, spray, and leave stickers all over the place. The booth looked very vibrant, youthful, creative, funky and that is reflected in what the brand loves: straightforward bikes, Made for everyone but not for all. Everyone who came in got an opportunity to take a test ride of the bike they wanted to try and got a chance to experience the brand’s love. It was truly an immersive experience of the lifestyle around cycling that the brand encompasses.
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ProCycling
The Nandi Epic The BBCH 2017 season finale
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he Nandi Epic, does it even need an introduction? If you are a road cyclist in India, chances are, you know a little something of this race, it has been a staple of the road racing scene pretty much since the scene has existed. For the uninitiated, the Nandi Epic is (for the Elite and Masters categories) a 112.5 KM race that begins on the Hyderabad Highway in Bangalore, goes about 45KM down the highway, then the riders turn around to ride the same route before turning into the Nandi approach, which is another 15 KM and the climb begins to the famous Bangalore landmark of Nandi Hills begins. For the Amateur, Women and U-18s the race is 65km, and is essentially a shorter version of what the elites race.
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The race took place on the 18th of November, with 200 or so riders saddling up and beginning the rolling start from the Century Sports Village to the highway, where the race would officially begin. The Elite and Masters were flagged off at 7 AM, the Amateur, Women and Under-18 ten minutes thereafter The Elite and Masters took in a circumspect manner in the beginning with riders gauging each others and sticking to the pack. As expected none wanted to take the lead, or dictate the pace, as the objective was to preserve the legs for the attacks everyone knew would come after the U-turn. Predictably, in a short distance after the U-turn a lead group separated from the peloton. It included the usuals; Kiran Kumar Raju, Parushuram Chenji, Craig
Raynes, Loki, Naveen Raj and others. Starting with this breakaway the lead group showed why they were the strongest and there was no hope for the rest of the peloton to keep up from thereon. The break-away stayed together until the base of the climb, with all the guys sharing the load, taking turns at the front. The pack truly was something to witness, trying to maintain pace, but with apprehension of the most difficult part of the race to come, the climb. The climb is 7.34 kilometers with an average gradient of ~5%. If you do not quite understand the numbers, let me put it to you this way, it is excruciatingly painful, to say the least. Especially after 90 kilometers of hard racing with some of the best riders in the nation. So, with apprehension they approached the climb, waiting for someone to attack first. About 700 meters into the climb, there was a wheel touch which lead to a couple of riders going down including Cyclopedia’s Loki, and right at that moment, Trek’s Kiran Kumar Raju (KKR) and Ciclo’s Parushuram Chenji broke off from the front, working together to get away from the rest. The young gun and the defending champ battling it out. But that didn’t last too long, after maybe a kilometer, KKR got out of his saddle, and started his dance up the mountain, he rode like there was no tomorrow. At this point Parushuram looked like he was out of steam. It was at that time that it looked like Naveen Raj found some steam, pounding on his pedals until he passed Parushuram and began chasing KKR to the top. Naveen looked like he would catch up to KKR, but KKR would simply ride away at the hairpins. Loki too had recovered from the crash and began chasing the top guys to see if he could regain the title of the Nandi Champ. He pushed until he caught and passed Parushuram, who was at the time, the third man on the mountain. KKR’s dance was one no one could keep up with that day, he won after riding a beautiful race, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Naveen Raj who came in at 2nd place, and Loki rolled in 8 seconds after Naveen Raj to round off the elite podium. Parushuram finished 4th after an incredible performance, beating his own personal best by upwards of two minutes, this is definitely one to watch! In fact, everyone in that break away of 11 riders are ones to watch! The Nandi Epic once again showed us why it deserves being called epic, showing all that were there to witness, the beauty of road racing.
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PlanetSaddle
THE ULTRA SPICE RACE India’s toughest ultra cycling race
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et ready for India’s toughest Ultra Cycling Race that goes from the beaches of Goa to Ooty, through the forests and spice plantations of South India! With an elevation gain of over 21000 Mt in 1750 km the race is a test of determination, set against a backdrop of lush green mountains of Chikmagalur, Coorg and Wayanad! The race is the first of its kind, a multi-day, time trial race that is a qualifier for one of the world’s toughest races, Race Across America (RAAM). The race has 3 distance categories of 600, 1000 and 1750 KMS to choose from, and can be raced Solo, or in a relay team. The second edition flags off from Bogmalo beach on the 27th of Jan 2018.
This year’s edition will see tough competition with some of India’s most accomplished Ultra cyclists racing against each other! Srinivas Gokulnath, India’s first RAAM solo Finisher will be racing the 1750 KM race, with an experienced crew. He will have to contend with Bharat Kumar who won the 1000 KM race last year and then raced in a two member team over the Alps at the Race Around Austria. Others will be contending for top honors include Kabir Rachure, who has RAAM Qualified twice at Deccan Cliffhanger, having finished third in the Nov 2017 edition, Anand Patil, an Ironman who has Qualified twice for RAAM at the DC with a top 3 finish both times even though he is in the 50+ age group. Among the teams that the race will see are the Mangalore Cycling club in the 1000 KM category and an all women team in the 600 KM class
Participation so far…
The Ultra Spice Race is organized by Inspire India Ultra Races
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under the guidance of Divya Tate, India’s first woman Super Randonneur, who has crewed and officiated multiple times at various Ultra Races around the world. She said, “The Ultra Spice race is designed to challenge racers to the limit, and also prepare racers for bigger International Races like RAAM.”
Race Route The Race starts on the beach in Goa, and follows the coast crossing coconut tree lined creeks, before turning inland. Here the route goes through the forest and plantation covered mountains of the south. Different distances expose you to everything from Betel Nut, Pepper and Coffee plantations to tea estates. The route returns again along the coast to finish back on the beach.
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PlanetSaddle
Tour of Karnataka Paradise found
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amma Karnataka is turning out to be one of the most cycling friendly states in India. With a terrain amenable to both leisure and competitive cyclists and conducive weather, there are many stage tours aimed for the cycling aficionado to feel the wind in the hair and refresh the mind and heart. The Tour of Karnataka is one such tour. Organized by Cadence90 and in its third edition this year the tour had 35 riders covering a distance of about 500 KM over four days starting from Hassan to Karwar via Shimoga, Sirsi and Dandeli. The tour has been curated in a way that riders with different skill levels can enjoy the tour in their own way yet bond with each other at the end of each stage. You are never far away from your fellow riders if you need them for anything during your ride says Chethan Ram, the tour director. The landscape is in constant flux - always with something new to see. A few small hills are a good chance to get off that saddle and
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work a little harder to keep up the pace. The rolling countryside rejuvenates the soul. This year the Tour of Karnataka offered its riders quiet country roads and crisscross network of trails, myriad terrains that were a mix of treacherous climbs to peaceful flats but throughout were a treat to the riders eye of the nature’s beauty and bounty. The adventure start line was Hassan with a day one objective to cover a distance of 153KM to the reach the gateway of Malnad Shivamoga. There were charming little stalls of tender coconut and fresh fruits all along this beautiful and scenic farmland ride. The road passed through many small villages, which had panoramic views. Day two activity was to cover a distance of 147kms to reach Sirsi, popular for its numerous water falls. This stage take you into dense, mysterious and magical rain forests, one of mother earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with a diverse mix of animals and plants. On this
thrilling stage one comes across many natural waterfalls that seem to cleanse your soul Day three was perfect for all nature lovers and especially for bird watchers. The terrain passes through beautiful forests, which provide home to many endemic species of birds such as Malabar Trogon and mammals like Malabar Giant Squirrel and even a lot of reptiles! Lush green meadows, verdant mountains full of lovely vegetation, describe this stage from Sirsi to Ganeshgudi a distance of 126kms. This green paradise is nestled amidst the Western Ghats - enchanting and hypnotizing hills, the misty environs, a land
filled with lot of history and rich culture. The finale is a 94 KM ride down to the coast at Karwar where green and blue merge. The lovely sea breeze and a sandy beach full of people enjoying the sight of a beautiful setting sun gave the tour a fairy-tale ending. With a ride this lovely we here at CRANK were just a little angry with ourselves for not signing up for this year’s ToK, well there is always next year, and hopefully we will be seeing a lot of you guys out there as well!
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Women’s Specific Bikes Are they Needed ? Reviewed: Ladies Rides from GIANT, SCOTT, RIDLEY & TREK
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Review
Spot Bike Review Is this the N=1 bike? By Karthik Gottumukkala
First Impressions When I was told we were getting in a premium, hand-made steel bike for test, saying I was excited would be a gross understatement. In this age of automated everything, there is a very rustic, romantic charm to things made by hand. The first thing I look for when I get my hands on a hand-made bike is its attention to detail, how is the cable routing, how versatile is the frame, and perhaps most importantly (to me at-least), how clean are the welds. Spot Bikes is a small bespoke bike maker based out of Golden
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Colorado in the United States, and first came onto my radar sometime in early 2016, when they launched the Rollick 557 AllMountain bike, and I’ve been wanting to get my hands on one of their bikes ever since, and I finally got the chance. Boy, are the welds on the Spot clean. So clean, you don’t see the welds unless you look for them, at first glance you might even mistake it for a carbon bike. The welds aren’t just clean on the joints, even on things like the cable routing the welds are incredibly clean, it almost looks like its glued on, which is a fantastic thing. Trust me, I could go on and on raving about the welding job on this bike, but I think you get the jist.
After getting the bike, ogling at it for a while, and setting it up for my liking, I set off back home form the CRANK offices, which is a 31km commute through some of the worst of Bangalore’s traffic, with a couple of super-fast stretches thrown in. The commute has enough variation in terrain and speeds to get a good initial feel for the bike. Sometimes the commute is enough to turn me away from some bikes for good. But not this bike, it rode so beautifully, the horrible traffic did nothing to wipe that massive grin off of my face. It was so fun to ride that I didn’t even go home, I went past my apartment and kept peddling for about another 40kms till I reached Hosur!
Spec Check I will list out the specs below, but suffice it to say the build on this bike was simply amazing, from those beautiful sounding Sunringle hubs, to the Sugino Crankset to the Tangeseiki bottom bracket, the build didn’t really leave much to be desired. The only thing I would have done differently is the gearing, but that is a very personal thing so I won’t really dock it too many points.
Ride Review well-made steel bike does truly have a beautiful ride quality. It is A a very forgiving material, soaking up road buzz and small bumps without really compromising on stiffness. The bike is built to be versatile, with interchangeable drop-outs, allowing to be fixed, single speed, run a derailleur or even have a belt-drive. The frame also has really good clearance, I have ridden this bike with both 28c road tires and 35c gravel tires, both of which change the way the bike rides. he way the bike was built when it came in for test, it was clearly T built to be a city commuter, but with the way it rode, I would not hesitate for a second before slapping on a cassette, a couple of chain rings, and riding up a categorized climb. Now don’t get me wrong, this bike isn’t going to be winning races anytime soon, but that isn’t what its built for so it’s perfectly fine. The point of saying that, is to demonstrate the versatility this frameset begets you. This bike could easily take the place of multiple bikes in your garage, it could take the place of your commuter, your gravel bike, your cyclocross bike, and maybe even your touring rig. he ride characteristics of this bike are probably the most neutral T I have even encountered, and I say that in the best possible way. The bike is forgiving without compromising in stiffness. Stiff enough to make out-of-the-saddle sufferfests fun, but not stiff to the point where its uncomfortable to ride. The bike responds the same way, regardless of the rider input or road conditions. This bike will react the way you want it to, when you want it to. And that is simply amazing.
Final Thoughts The build we got will cost you Rs1,80,000 or, alternatively, if you go the frame only route it will run you Rs.85,000. Which may sound like a lot, but all things considered, I think it’s a steal. This isn’t a bike that you have to replace after a couple of seasons. This also isn’t the bike for a casual rider. If you love bikes and ride a lot, trust
me, this bike will put a smile on your face, regardless of the terrain, the conditions, or the years put in. This frame will definitely last you decades of hard riding, and knowing that, the price isn’t really all that much now is it? FRAME
SPOT BRAND- TRUE TEMPER-OX
FORK
CARBON 3K CANTI FORK
BARS
SPECIALIZED, GENERIC
STEM
ANSWER ATAC FORGED ALLOY STEM, -70
HEADSET
TANGESEIKI TECHNOGLIDE J27Il 1.1/8’ WITH INTEGRATED CANTI STOP
BRAKE LEVER
ENE CICLO
CRANKSET
SUGINO RD2
BOTTOM BRACKET TANGESEIKI LN3970 PEDALS
MKS RMX
CHAIN
TAYA SINGLE SPEED CHIAN
CHAINING
SUGINO MESSENGER 46t CHIANRING ½’X 1/8’
CASSETTE
BOMBTRACK 16t FREEWHEEL COG
FRONT HUB
SUNRINGLE DIRTY FLEA
REAR HUB
SUNRINGLE DIRTY FLEA
RIMS
ARAYA SA-730
SADDLE
SQ-LAB SADDLE 611 ACTIVE TiTUBE
SEAT POST
MICHE SEAT POST
TIRES
PANARACER GRAVEL KING SK 700X35c
WEIGHT
9.2 KGS
TOTAL PRICE
Rs.1,80,000
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CityTalk
Team Track
Amdavad Crankmeisters
F
rom this issue we shall begin to feature teams from various corners of the country. Some may be Pro teams but most are amateurs who have come together as a result of their common passion for cycling. Many have come together just to enjoy and bond over the weekend and yet there are others who are aiming for some serious competitive stuff. CRANK salutes these teams and its members as they are an inspiration for their local communities and are helping build the cycling culture in a big way. Many have stellar achievements. The passion, the hard work, the sweat and the grime, that these people put in, and that too in addition to their normal work a day life is a saga of commitment and a showcase of determination. Outside their local communities most of their achievement go
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unsung...but we a CRANK are proud to sing their song... This month, as Gujarat goes to elections, we bring to you a star-studded team from Ahmedabad city, fast imbibing the cycling culture – The Amdavad Crankmeisters What do a group of eight professionals that include a designer a chartered accountant, a spine surgeon and a PhD Student, from Ahmedabad have in common? Why, their love of cycling of-course! In 2015 these eight from seemingly different walks of life came together with one vision, to make their mark on races around the globe. They knew, in order to be able to achieve such a lofty target they needed to work together, to train hard, to train smart, to understand the nuances of the sport, and to work together
as a team. Their motto -the Aristotelian maxim, ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. Come lets meet the team and look at their stripes find out their aims. Yagnesh Ahir: A competitive road cyclist who aims for a top ten finish at the 2019 RAAM. Yagnesh’ journey truly showcases the grit that team members show towards achieving their goal, which got highlighted at the recently concluded Pune to Goa Deccan Cliffhanger 2017, one of the toughest endurance races in the country which has been a CRANK partner event in the past and which is also the qualifier for the prestigious and tough RAAM. Yagnesh,
representing team Amdavad Crankmeister finished 2nd in the men’s overall category and that too in an awe inspiring 28.5 hours. But that’s not the story. What is special is that he did so after having an accident and being tended to by medics who put him through some more than basic first aid including painful stitches on his ear. Please note this is not as simple as it seems. The race is one of the toughest with only a 40% finish rate. So, to not just get up and move after an accident but to get up and come second and that too in a-sub 30 hour timing is something very special that only endurance cyclists will know. “Some serious physical and mental strength is required for this” says race director Divya Tate while acknowledging his feat during the valedictory. Yagnesh for his own is modest and gives the credit to the many who helped him. “It was difficult to continue after the accident but that’s when the mind took over the body”. He specifically thanks Deepak Raj of Yosca who put him through his daily training paces and Shaili Chauhan the renowned nutritionist who gave him a training aligned nutrition advise apart
from of course his club mates and his wife Dharati and friends. Lets get to know the other members who have equally stellar riding bios Gaurav Yadav: A two-time state champion and a RAAM qualifier by finishing the Deccan Cliffhanger in 28 hours is aiming for and ITT Gold at the 2019 Nationals and to finish the “Run the Rann” Ultra-Marathon in 2018. Ingit Anand: A two-time Ironman finisher aiming to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona. Dr. Arpita Pandya: A state champion aiming to become India’s fastest woman on a cycle. Karthik Kansara: A RAAM qualifier, state champion and winner of the Tour of Aravallis. Anuj Sharedalal: A national level competitive cyclist aiming to be a finisher in
an Ironman in 2018. Robin Thakur: A Super Randonneur and half-Ironman finisher aiming for a Full Ironman in 2018. Kishan PKV: A Super Randonneur and a multiple marathon finisher (with an average pace of 5 minutes a kilometer!) Also pursuing a PhD at IIM Ahmedabad. Dr. Nisarg Parikh, a Spine Surgeon, and state level podium finisher. Major Alap Desai (Retd.): A marathoner and an Ultra-Cyclist. And its not just that the team is just focussed on individual and team glories. They organise regular cycling events in the city and have proven to be a true driving force for the sport in the state of Gujarat. We wish you luck team Ahmedabad Crankmeister....after all we share a common name ! Keep it cranked...
CRANK with ProCycle JANUARY 15TH, 2018
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CrankActive
Kettlebells for cross-training
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ettlebells are the cast-iron cannonballs with handles that you may have seen in your gym or training center. A kettlebell provides you with a complete body workout. The simple design and versatility make it the ideal tool for beginners, while the cardiovascular and strength-endurance components of kettlebell training challenge even the most conditioned athlete. It helps you achieve your goal in a much shorter duration, be it fat loss, training for weightlifting, building muscles or improving in a sport. Kettlebells made their way to Russia about 1700, where they happened to be used as a weight measure for grain and goods. By the early 1980s, kettlebell competitions began to spread across the globe, and U.S. bodybuilders started bringing the techniques to their hometown gyms. With time people started to see genuine benefits of intense kettlebell training, it is now being used by athletes, actors, models, businessmen, martial artists, firemen, and is a popular tool used in gym’s group classes and outdoor boot camps, which focus on minimalist set ups. Kettlebells are absolutely safe and kettlebell training actually prevents injury if done under proper supervision and instruction. Would recommend for the beginners to start with a qualified instructor and moderate weight and increase when you have learned the moves perfectly. (Men can start off with a 10-16kgs kettlebell; women can start with 8- 12kgs). For cyclists in bad weather situations, kettlebell training is ideal, as it is a good option for quick cardiovascular load, increasing core strength and enhancing muscular endurance. Let me introduce you to the most
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CRANK with ProCycle JANUARY 15TH, 2018
foundational of kettlebell exercises, the swing (two handed) that involves moving of the bell back and forth like a pendulum through simultaneous flexion & extension of the hip & knee joint. The bell propels upwards through explosive hip extension and there is no active involvement of the hands and shoulder muscles. Kettlebell swings are valuable for improving sprint running ability: a medial hamstring focus, peak activation of the gluteus maximus in hip extension, and greater horizontal force production. Kettlebell Swing develops great strength endurance. From a functional movement standpoint, it teaches hip extension, how to produce & reduce force and linking the upper body and lower together into one unit which also can help cyclist in improving the pedaling motion. For a cyclist, one handed swing is good for upper and lower body variation as here the bell is held in just one hand and allows the lower/upper body to be used in the similar motion when the cyclist is around the finishing point. A wide range of challenging lifting and swinging movements builds both strength and cardio. Next I am going to introduce you to goblet squat that can very well form part of cyclist routine workouts. Performing a squat with a kettlebell held like a goblet in front of your body is a great exercise to build overall strength, hip hinging ability, explosive leg power, core strength and mobility. Also another Squat that can be combined with the above is Front Squat that works the hips, quadriceps and hamstrings and are great to use through your max strength and muscle endurance phases. Push press another primal movement involves a shallow squat/extension before pressing which involves lifting the bell from
the rack position to the fixation/lockout position overhead. Push press builds tremendous core stability and forces you to generate power from your lower-body, transfer it up the kinetic chain, and out through your arms. Combining high number of repetitions with manageable kettlebells weight is the key to the perfect workout for a cyclist. Other exercises such as deadlifts and lunges strengthen the hamstrings and muscles. Windmill and Turkish get-ups strengthen your core to effectively transfer energy between your upper and lower body. The above exercises can help a cyclist build the type of strength required for biking and also prepare better for their events. To sum up would say that Kettlebells are great to workout with – there’s a lot you can do with them, and you will never variety of supplies of workouts and is a great tool that has been scientifically proven over the years to offer many health, fitness and performance benefits. Kettlebell training being a fast paced work out type makes for cyclist as one of the best form of training for greater results.
Profile
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ycling came naturally to Rutuja. Daughter of an accomplished cyclist and a triathlete and now a coach she took to cycling like fish to water. Watching her father train his wards in Pune inspired Rutuja to get on her own set of wheels from the age of eight and its been quite a ride since then. And what a ride it has been. Rutuja is the reigning national champion in the 30KM individual time trial elite category and has led the squad for her state Maharashtra at the recent road nationals at Jamakhandi But accolades and medals have been many along the way. Early in her competitive career she started at the state level track championships in Pune Maharashtra where she got the top of the podium but could not progress to nationals since she was underage! But since then she has come a long way. Todays Rutuja is an integral part of the Indian women’s cycling that is being diligently supported and developed by the CFI and is doing so well on the Asian and World circuits. The team showed commendable performance at the Asian Track Cycling Championship 2017 in New Delhi where they came 4th in 4km Team Pursuit and at the South Asian games in Guwahati where the team struck gold in 40km Team Time Trial. The 30KM individual time trial remains Rutujas favorite where she
Rutuja Satpute
The rising star of Indian procycling has won several medals at a national level. The gold at the National Games 2015 in Kerala and Road Nationals at Jamakhandi being amongst the few Ever the humble achiever, Rutuja has not let her achievements go to her head. She is aware of the challenges a sportsperson, especially sportswomen face in our country. She is of a view that many girls especially those coming from a humble and a rural background have the ability to win at International levels but unfortunately have to face so many social and economic pressures through their journey that when it is time to peak these pressures sadly wear them out. Things are turning positive through, according to Rutuja. Families are beginning to support she says and there are projects like the India Pro Cycling Project that support and prepares cyclists for a sporting career with a view to closing the gap between Indian and International cycling It is through this project that Rutuja recently got an opportunity to train in the Mecca of procycling, Belgium. The experience she says was a dream come true. “Though it was cold and windy the learning I got, both on and off the saddle was superb. The facilities, professionalism, shared experience of co cyclists and the culture only add to
a cyclist performance”, says Rutuja. “Its full race calendar and one can choose the races and plan the journey to train for global events. The support for woman cyclist from general public is heart warming”. Rutuja is confident that the sport has a bright future in India considering the way it is being professionally supported by all CRANK got an insight about Rutujas positive, competitive and race ready mindset when she told us that she learns from every performance especially mistakes and keeps her focus in the present. Her Dad is her coach and the sports friendly atmosphere at home helps “My Pre-Race Day routine is important to me. I am grateful for the support of my equipment sponsor Giant. I ride a special women’s geometry Liv-Envie. As I approach the race day I keep myself hydrated, clean and set my bike, pin my bib’s and ready my gear and then start meditating on the next days event. On race day I stay calm, warm up 20 minutes before the race and till I finish the race I don’t like to talk with anyone!” And on that note Rutuja we will leave you alone and let you focus on your next podium. All the best
CRANK with ProCycle JANUARY 15TH, 2018
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TriathlonCorner Nutrition
The Fourth Discipline By Deepak Raj
While Triathlon has 3 disciplines including swimming, cycling and running, how we take care of nutrition during training and during the race goes a long way in ensuring we have a good race and overall progress in our endurance journey. Here are 10 simple but key points I have learnt over the years. Training for endurance and getting regular workouts is not a ticket to eat whatever you want to. We need to take care of our general diet all through the year. Aim to have a nice balanced mix of carbs, protein and good fats in every meal.
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Hydration is important and it involves not just replacing water but also electrolytes. While water is good enough for shorter workouts, make sure that for all training workouts that are more than 60 minutes, you are consuming water and electrolytes. A good rule of thumb is to get 600 to 800 ml of hydration for every hour of workout. This may vary based on individuals and weather conditions where you will need more in hot and humid conditions.
In a race, aim to hydrate every 10 minutes. If it helps, have your smart watch to alert you so that you remember. Aim to get both water and electrolyte and maybe you can alternate to make sure you are getting enough salts/electrolyte. Aim to get around 750 ml in for every hour.
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In the race, aim to get your chosen form of nutrition in every 30 to 35 minutes. Much better if you can do it 15 to 20 minutes but sometimes, for example, it is hard to consume half a gel every 15 minutes and it is more convenient to eat 1 gel every 30 minutes. Aim to get 1 g of carbs for your body weight for every 1 hour of racing. It is important to train your body to adapt to this in training workouts, building up to race day and not just bump up gems for race day.
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In some cases, when we are doing high intensity workouts such as intervals or brick workouts (back to back workouts such as running immediately after a bike ride), though the second workout duration could be short, it is important to have an electrolyte based drink.
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Nutrition can be obtained in multiple sources ranging from natural sources like bananas to packaged nutrition such as gels, bars and carb based drinks. Key thing is to see what you can replicate on race day in terms of what you can carry on the cycling segment and the run segment. It also matters what is the nutrition being provided in the race course and if that is something you can use on race day. You cannot train using one type of nutrition and switch over to something entirely new on race day and that would not work.
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Every long training workout over a weekend is an opportunity to understand how your body responds to nutrition and hydration. So you can experiment and see how the body handles it so that you can start to design the race day nutrition and just execute it on race day. This will help you to fine tune how much hydration you need, how much nutrition and what nutrition works for you. This includes getting comfortable with your pre workout nutrition such as banana or a slice of toast, etc as that would also set you up to replicate the same a pre-race meal on race day morning. Think if you can source and access that on race day morning as you are not in the convenience of your home on race day morning.
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How well you take care of your nutrition and hydration in the bike segment of a triathlon will determine how your run would be. It does not matter how good of a runner you are; your run would be dependent on how well you fueled yourself. So stay focused in the bike segment and fuel yourself regularly so that you can get off the bike and run. In the run, continue with your hydration and nutrition taking advantage of every aid station in the race. In the days leading up to the race, depending on the distance of your race, it is important to focus on getting enough carbs in your foods and salts to make sure that you are well fueled for the race. Avoid eating a very heavy dinner the night before and focus on the lunch and previous days and not just the night before. On race day, aim to get some good pre-race meal based on your routine that you have established in training especially for your longer training days. It is important not to try something new on race day and if you are not yet used to pre-race meal, race day morning is not to experiment. Stick to your normal routine for that race and trial in training to prepare for your next race. Post workout nutrition is equally important and is best to consume carbs and protein within 30 minutes of your workout. It is important to establish a routine as it helps in recovery and muscle repair after workouts. It is equally important after a race to make sure you replenish yourself and recover appropriately.
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GET OUT & RIDE!
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