Issue 3 vol 6 mar 18 procycle

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India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine

Volume 6 Issue 3

KARENG / 2016 / 68421

MARCH 2018

Rs. 100/-

Inside lusive M e Exc

Official a n

ar tner aP di

d Ultraspice 2018: The Ultimate Extreme RedBull Pumptrack World Championships Coaching Basics by Coach Nigel Cycling Federation of India India on Two Wheels



InThisIssue

IndustryNews RedBull Pump Track World Championships Pedalling for a cause

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ProCycling Bangalore Mountain Festival 2018 The Basics of Coaching Ultraspice 2018: the Ultimate Extreme Pedals, they matter

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PlanetSaddle Profiled: Abhishek Diwadkar Profiled: Chakravarthy S Birur Cycling Injury Series India on Two Wheels

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TriathlonCorner International Triathlon Championship Ahmedabad

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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 Rutvik Khare Creative and Design N. Chandru Contact editdeskcrank@procycle.in

Dear Readers Hope you are making the best of the riding season before the sun starts beating down Individual attempts at cycling are a aspiration for the masses to take up cycling and we are always happy to profile these riders. You wil read about them in the issue Extreme cycling has upped the ante with the Ultra Spice. Read all about this fast emerging event We bring to to you a few helpful coaching tips from coach Nigel and something to

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know about pedals

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At Crank we are embarking on a campaign to engage with the authorities to help

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 Inspire India, Ultraspice 2018 Bangalore Mountain Festival Front Cover Bangalore Mountain Festival

Back Cover Ultraspice Printed By Print 2 Last Solutions

commuters and to assist an increase in urban cycling. We are meeting decision makers in municipal corporations and are coming across surprisingly helping people. If you have someone in your city who you think we can get in touch with, please let us know And carry or riding and making the world a better place Ciao Vikram K Limsay Managing Editor and Publisher



IndustryNews

Pedalling for a Cause A Rotary Initiative On Wheels

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wo young cyclists, Pavan and Bhagyashree from Rotaract Bangalore Orchards, a youth wing of the Rotary Bangalore Orchards are cycling 20000 kms across India for awareness regarding Rotary’s End Polio Campaign and for literacy. This expedition, supported by Jeep and Rotary International District 3190, aims at motivating school children to become achievers. They will cycle to various schools across India

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and interact with the kids about hygiene, disease prevention and literacy. The 200 days’ journey has already reached it’s half way mark this January, where in the cyclists have pedaled for 100 days covering a distance of 10000 kms after visiting 80 schools, 13 states and 4 Union Territories. The expedition will reach completion in Bangalore in the month of March this year.



IndustryNews

Red Bull Pump Track World Championship A fresh new face to bike racing

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unique new style of racing is set to start off in 2018 across the world with the first ever Red Bull Pump Track World Championship. Pump tracks combining rolling jumps with banked turns, they are accessible to riders of all skill levels. Riders use the features in the track to gain momentum and attack the track as fast as possible. The series will take racing and bring a fresh face to bike racing all around the world from New Zealand to the USA, Chile to India, France to Japan. Velosolutions, globally recognised for their leading pump track and bike park construction, have teamed up with Red Bull to launch the exciting series. Qualifier events will take place around the world ahead of the grand final on the 7th September 2018 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland to coincide with the UCI MTB World Championships where the official Pump Track World Champion will be crowned!

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“We are extremely grateful for all the adventures, new friendships, countries and cultures we have experienced around the world during Velosolutions pump track constructions. Through our partnership with Red Bull we can now give something back, The Red Bull Pump Track World Championship gives riders from around the world the chance to be a World Champion and make their country proud” – says Claudio Caluori, Mountain bike legend and the man behind Velosolutions. It really is awesome to see our country be a part of this new discipline from its inception! The race will be coming to India on the 21st of April at the Wallride Park Pumptrack in Hyderabad, so we hope to see you there!


A ERODYNAMICS

SIMPL IFIE D

THE BRAND NEW REACTO LTD Completely redesigned for 2018. The wind tunnel honed shape improves aerodynamics by 5%, reducing weight through a new carbon lay-up. Now available in caliper or disc brake version with the difference in aerodynamic efficiency between the two systems being less than one watt. With all that speed on tap, disc brakes make real sense for high speed descending and over all control. Simplicity was also one of the key objectives; overly complex solutions create a nightmare for mechanics resulting in costly workshop bills. MORE INNOVATION. MORE BIKE.

MERIDA .com


ProCycling

XC flag off The XC field was filled with the who’s who of XC racing in the country, with Cannondale’s Shiven and Trek’s KKR the pre-race favrouites

Bangalore Mountain Festival A concoction of nature and adventure!

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n the 28th of January trail runners and mountain bikers assembled at Avathi hills, just a short drive from Bangalore to revel in the beauty of the mountains and to test their skill and courage. There were to be three events that day, a trail run, an XC (Cross Country) race and the ‘Balls of Steel’ DownHill trophy. With a turn-out of nearly 800 competitors and spectators, it promised to be a day filled with excitement!

XC chase Bangalore’s KKR pulling out in front to establish a clear lead that he would hold onto until the finish

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Rajesh Magar The Nepalie rider showing everone how its done!

XC podium Elite cross country - Podium Kiran Kumar Raju 1:26:16 from Bangalore Shiven 1:29:00 from Himachal Devender Thakur 1:33:23 from Himachal Pradesh Craig Ryan’s 1:35:52 from Australia David Kumar 1:36:25

DH Podium 1st: Nepal’s Rajesh Magar 2nd: Pune’s Piyush Chavan 3rd: Bangalore’s Rishab Gowda 4th: Pune’s Gautham Taode 5th: Manali’s Rinku Thakur

Downhill Race The dauntingly steep start ramp

Piyush Chavan The current National DH champ taking the terrifying redbull drop


Coaching

What Should It Be? What Should It Do? By Nigel Smith

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he purpose of any coach-athlete relationship should be relatively obvious: to improve & achieve a designated sporting performance target. To that end, it can initially appear that the coach ‘coaches’ and the athlete ‘does’, resulting in a particular outcome. However, for any coach-athlete relationship to truly succeed, the coach/athlete boundaries must be allowed to shift, blur or even disappear. The role of a coach therefore, is to help the athlete create a performance-centric environment for themselves, that has a clear structure and plan so that it enables them to achieve their desired performance. The coach will work with the athlete to create and mutually agree a plan, then offer feedback, monitor progress, suggest detours and be the athlete’s sounding board. In essence,

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it’s all about balance – a word that I will be repeating frequently during this article. The first element the pair need to balance is the athlete’s understanding of the demands of their event, and the work required to achieve that. The goal(s) must be realistic and provide enough time to incrementally increase the training load such that adaptation (the process by which the athlete’s body gets used to performing at greater levels) can take place. It’s important at this time that the coach & athlete agree not only on a target performance but also a general outline of the training phases required. This could be an increased period of endurance rides, more specific gym work, longer reps at threshold or any combination of different sessions. One thing is clear: you can’t improve all your weaknesses at the


same time. We need to balance the need to get ‘faster’ with the desire to improve all our weaknesses. Choices must be made on what elements you need to, & have time to, improve. Once the general phases have been agreed between athlete and coach, they can start to map out the specific sessions, creating the correct balance of load, fatigue and rest. As we mentioned earlier, the design of the sessions should see them get marginally harder each week – too hard & the athlete risks accumulating too much fatigue, too quickly, then having to ‘back off’. Too easy, & the risk is stagnation. Therefore, balancing how much harder each week’s load is, versus when to schedule ‘recovery weeks’ becomes a point of trust between athlete & coach – the athlete must be honest with his feedback & sensations and the coach must be attentive to what he understands to be happening, flexing the load accordingly. At this point I’ll talk briefly about ‘data’. Most of us log or monitor what we’ve done. Whether it’s how far or how fast, or whether we’ve become a slave to Strava, it’s rare to find a cyclist who doesn’t measure something. As a coach, the data the athlete is creating becomes an important tool i.e. data doesn’t lie! As a minimum, a coach & athlete will plan sessions based on heart rate zones (a sliding scale of effort), then apply that zone to a period of time followed by a period of rest. This gives us a session (like all sessions) based on effort x time. I never tell an athlete how far or how fast they need to ride – it’s always how hard, for how long. If the athlete says no matter how hard they push, their heart rate will not rise, or if their heart rate is high for a relatively low effort then it could be an indication of fatigue & action can be taken. If the rider has access to a power meter (a device that measures the force produced by the rider, in ‘Watts’, in propelling the bike/rider combination forward) then this can be combined with the heart rate & each device can be used to sense check the other. Ultimately, any rider will always want to produce more power. If we can measure, track and improve an athlete’s power, we can track his/her overall improvement. The on-line tools available to upload, store, evaluate & analyse this kind of data are very numerous – again, it comes down to a balance of using the right amount of data in the right way... online tools can indicate ‘freshness’ but never underestimate an athlete’s own ‘feel’. So, we now have an idea of what sessions we’re doing, over what period, with a specific goal in mind. We’ve planned recovery such that adaptation can occur. Is there anything else we can do? There sure is! Nutrition! We need to fuel the body so that it can ‘work’ at the right level when we want it to and ‘rebuild & repair’ when it’s not. Nutrition is about the athlete & coach understanding 1) what do I want my body to do? 2) when do I want my body to do it? 3) how long do I want it to do it for? 4) when will I be doing it again afterwards? Showing a colourful plate of fresh fruit and vegetables on your Facebook page does not show you’re balancing your nutrition requirements. Understanding how many calories an athlete needs for their body, for their daily workouts and then what they need for their recovery is the balancing act: too many carbs and there might be weight gain, not enough carbs and the athlete could ‘bonk’

during a session. Not enough protein and recovery is compromised. Not enough fat & we risk harming the body’s immune system. The right quantity of vitamins and minerals (almost exclusively via natural sources), and we keep the body ‘balanced’ (that word again!). What we eat & when we eat it is only part of balancing the athlete’s lifestyle – yes, it’s about committing time and energy to our sport, but what about commitment to family & friends? Who wants to be the best athlete but have no other social footprint outside of training & racing? The coach should ensure the rider is balancing their time away from the sport – this will help to rest the mind & improve their psychology. Everyone wants to win, everyone thinks about winning, but clearly it should not be an all-consuming 24-7 thought process. Balancing nerves and belief will improve race-day performance. Equipment Vs budget needs to be balanced. Servicing requirements: the coach is not a mechanic, but the athlete needs to be self sufficient in terms of basic breakdown and maintenance requirements. A flat tyre early in a 3-hour ride can either mean a 5-minute delay, or a missed session. The coach must help the rider understand that methodical preparation and carrying basic spares (pump, tube, levers, etc) will mean no lost work-outs. Finally, once coach and rider have worked through the above, set out their race schedule and balanced the number of ‘A’ (important), ‘B’ (less important) & ‘C’ (training) races, they must both believe in their approach. Doubts from a rider’s perspective must be conveyed and discussed with the coach throughout the process so that when they line up on the start line there is only one thought in their mind…’today I shall succeed!’ Nigel Smith is a Level 3 Accredited Road Cycling Coach via his National Federation, British Cycling. He holds a Sports Nutrition qualification via the ACSM. He supports the riders on the Scott Athlete Programme, as well as coaching a range of riders throughout India. He also performs athlete profiling & physiological testing at the SportsMed facility in Mumbai, where he now lives connect with him on @nidascyclecoaching on FB or at www. nidascyclecoaching.com.

Nigel Smith is a Level 3 Accredited Road Cycling Coach via his National Federation, British Cycling. He holds a Sports Nutrition qualification via the ACSM. He supports the riders on the Scott Athlete Programme, as well as coaching a range of riders throughout India. He also performs athlete profiling & physiological testing at the SportsMed facility in Mumbai, where he now lives connect with him on @nidascyclecoaching on FB or at www.nidascyclecoaching.com

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ABSOLUTE EXTREME! The Ultra Spice Race 2018

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f you thought you’ve pushed your limit in an ultra cycling event in India then wait till you’ve tried this! Curated by Race Director Divya Tate of Inspire India who has already established the hugely successful Deccan Cliffhanger, the Ultra Spice aims to take it to the next level. The second annual edition of the race was flagged off on the 27th of January 2018 from Bogmalo Beach, Goa. The multi-day non-stop race is a qualifier for one of the world’s toughest races, the Race Across America (RAAM) and offered 3 distance categories of 600, 1000 and 1750 KM and one could attempt either solo or as a team in a relay format. This year 5 men went for the max and took up the1750 KM solo challenge while there were others who attempted the other categories of 1000 and 600 wither as solo or as a team.

Reporting from the front! This year, we at CRANK (and if you will please excuse the immodesty) decided to take journalism to the front! Our head of content and operations Meera Velankar decide to participate as a team of two in the 600 KM category along with Abhishek Diwadkar as team ‘CRANK Cyclozeal’ with coach Miten Thakkar and crew to get you a taste of the experience straight from the frontline! And believe us keeping and eye on the road and mind on the editorial is a tough assignment. And so when we say we vouch that this is THE toughest ultra cycling we mean based on our own experience of it having put in our own sweat and grime and not just on hearsay. The same is echoed by RAAM finisher Srinivas Gokulnath.

“We are glad to have curated this tough event that not just showcases a fabulous terrain, but also gives the riders a chance to challenge themselves as in other International ultra races right here in India. We hope to popularize this race with increased Indian and International participation in future and aspire to make it a premier world ultra cycling circuit event befitting its tag as the toughest ultra cycling race of India’’ says Divya.

Our aim was to interact with the participants and get a first hand experience of their experience. We met participants, their crew, family, friends and other well wishers. A non-stop ultra-cycling race is a like a fast paced nomadic caravan on the road with many who support the main protagonist, the rider. And at the end when the caravan pitches tent, the glory of winning or even of finishing is shared by all. It’s a bond created forever...

And she is right. The terrain map is not just tough but technical and includes variations in temperature, humidity, altitude and wind condition is in a long loop from and to Goa. From the flat and humid start line to sudden elevation gain into the ghats to the strong headwinds of the Karwar coastline to the cool climbs of Ooty and then when you thought it was done and dusted you are back again for more variations. And as its always said; it never done till it is finally done.

Come let’s introduce you to some ULTRA friends whom we met during the race and know their experience and the critical success factors to finish an ultra race according to them.

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The awesome threesome from Mangalore You could feel the preparation and the planning these guys put in even before the race. The composition included Srikantharaja, a


hobby Triathlete, Masood Teekay, a Marathoner and Hari Prasad B, an endurance cyclist. Seemingly different but tied by the common thread of endurance. “It all started with identifying our race horses and it boiled down to the three of us. The preparations began and they soon realized that it wasn’t just about the riders but their shadows as well, the crew and they started selecting a not so motley but interchangeable crew of drivers, navigators, helpers for each of the three support vehicles that were to follow every rider. They also had to plan for the logistics such as tickets and hotel booking and supplies. “We did a quick recce of the route to get an idea and then visualized the entire event in couple of sittings with the entire team over several mugs of caffeine and some expert tips from coach Bikey Venky” The cerebral part was aligning terrain with specific rider competence. Rajanna & Masood were assigned climbs and Hari the flats & downhill. “The blue print for the race was planned to the T with complete details of start and end time, location, changing over of riders, rest and refreshments such that was minimum fatigue factor. What we learnt from these guys was that success is in the planning and no wonder they finished their 1000 well within cut off.

Kabir Rachure Kabir attempted and finished the solo 1750 category on the podium. We asked him what was his critical success factor. “I didn’t really have any notions of finishing on the podium when I started, I simply wanted to finish. But as soon as I sensed there was chance I upped the ante”. One can sense the strategy and competition involved from an incident Kabir narrated. “When we were 90 KM from finish, I sent my support car ahead to see how far ahead of me was Bharat who was positioned second at that time. When I learnt that he was just 12 KM away, I decided to attempt a catch up just before the final climb 50 KM from finish and go for a final sprint there after. I reckoned Bharat may be tired and that I may have a chance with the podium. I executed the plan and all fell in place”. Kabir credits his performance to his amazing team. He was assisted by a crack team that included Mohan Subramanyam for his knowledge of the terrain, his sister Sapna, who always had a hot meal ready him an Inderjit Singh Khamba to look after the bikes technical needs. “I also had my friends, Ratnadeep, Tushar, Peeyush and Dibyojyoti, who egged me on through the race”

We learnt from Kabir how a dedicated crew goes all the way in helping you to the podium.

Jagdish Italiya Jagdish attempted the 600 solo this time. If there is some one who just appreciates the fun of ultra cycling and understands the spirit of participation then it is Jagdish. “I started ultra cycling since 2015 and have done several attempts in the past. My first experience was Deccan Cliffhanger, and hopefully I will be able to finish and take part in longer distance categories in future” Jagdish came with a well prepared and disciplined crew but what struck us overall was his enthusiasm.

Bharat Pannu Bharat finished third in the 1750 solo category. “The race was indeed a challenging event and provided an excellent platform for the cycling community in India to prepare themselves for international races”. Bharat worked the race like a racehorse. He established the true spirit of the race that of comraderies with competition with his compatriot Kabir who finished ahead of him. But that’s what the sport is meant for. The spirit. Bharat was especially kicked about the route which presented varied terrain for the rider to discover the beauty of the Western Ghats along with a wide-range of difficulty. The scenic beauty of the coffee plantations, the coastal highway, Jog Falls and Ooty made the race memorable. But in the end Bharat’s says” The importance of the crew cannot be undermined as they play a pivotal role in the success of the rider. The rider along with his crew must do thorough planning before undertaking an event of such magnitude.” We second that.

Srinivas Gokulnath An experienced campaigner and a RAAM finisher, Srinivas took the podium top in the 1750 solo category. We listened to him intently as he had many technical comments on the race “the race is a unique and is made for the brave at heart” says Srinivas. “The route passes through high mountains, rugged terrain and is overall a super scenic route and poses challenge not only to the racer but also to its crew in equal proportions. This race in India is extremely tough and is one of the toughest RAAM qualifying races in the world.” Srinivas had an edge with his experience of the RAAM in chalking

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out an overall strategy. “At RAAM the intention was to finish but here we were aiming for the podium…and we knew the critical aspect would be the crew so the most important task therefore was to build a mini army of crew members. Learning from RAAM, we knew some essential roles. Accordingly, we had 12 crewmembers (including 4-year-old Rohan, Srinivas’ son!)” Though as challenging as the RAAM this race had some unique characteristics. Indian roads are narrow and most of the times shoulders are absent and the roads aren’t the smoothest. Add to that the traffic and road congestion, which could cause potential delays. Finding hotels and restaurants is also not easy as finding motels in the US. All this of course is accounted while making the race strategy. Medical and breakdown assist is a must on Indian roads. Successful teams who do not want to experience an “Ultra gone wrong” must therefore have a mechanic, a doctor, a strategist and a bunch of people who can drive. If in one word we could summarize what was the critical success factor for Srinivas, amongst many things it was experience.

CRANK Cyclozeal How can we not blow our own trumpet a wee bit! It was a mix team of two; Meera who had the experience and Abhishek Diwardkar a student of KESSC College, Mumbai had age on his side. “We had anticipated it to be challenging event due to the disparity in riders age, training history, terrain and experience. For me as his coach it was important to put Abhishek to test in these extreme conditions before taking a deep dive, as this was his first ever ultrarace Abhishek getting this exposure will put him to many situations

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he hasn’t yet encountered. Abhishek did the preliminary job of clocking significant miles at a good average that took the team closer to the time target.” Says Miten Thakker founder of Cylozeal and the team coach. The plan was to give Abhishek long turns while he was fresh, and for Meera to support him to fill in the miles getting them closer to the finish line while allowing him to recover and vice versa. It was perfect team play. Meera added “Having done many 600kms within the 40 hrs. cutoff, I wanted to see if a support car can help me go faster but unfortunately with rolling terrain, temperature variation and long duration of time I had to sit in the car made it more difficult rather than cycling continuously during brevets, I am not satisfied with my performance but I am glad that as a team we achieved our goal to give our best and finished the given route” Anyway for us at CRANK what mattered most was that the team gave its 100 % and we were able to report from the frontline. Great show guys.

Epilogue So in the end as we found out from the participants themselves it is all about the crew, the fun, the discipline, the planning and the experience that go into successfully competing in an ultra. And about the Ultra Spice itself, it sure promises to be one that tests you for the max. Here’s wishing the race all the growth in stature.


Pedals -They matter! Contact points and choosing them right By Karthik G

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don’t know about you guys, but I often find myself in the recesses of the inter-webs looking at bits of carbon or titanium bling drooling over the latest, lightest wheels or the lightest handlebar money can buy, but the one bit of cycling kit people tend to overlook that could make a world of difference is the three contact points. The contact points are where the riders body interacts with the bike, the handlebars and grips/griptape, pedals and the saddle. Regardless of how fancy or high-end your bike is, if you aren’t comfortable on the bike, you aren’t going to enjoy your ride, and because enjoyment is the reason we all ride, what good is an uncomfortable bike? In this piece lets focus on pedals. Pedals are the point on the bike through which power is transferred to the bike, which in turn propels you forward. Very broadly pedals can be categorized into two major categories; clipless pedals (where your shoes attach onto the pedals), and Platform or Flat pedals. First off, clipless pedals. Why are they called clipless if your feet attach to them I hear you ask, that because in the era between clipless and flat pedals, there was this mechanism called toe-straps or toe-clips, which were cage like structures that were tightened over the shoe to keep your foot attached to the pedal, now they were quite dangerous as you needed to bend to loosen the cage before you could get your foot out of the system. Clipless pedals allow you to ‘clip-in’ by pushing your foot down into the pedal, and you disengage by simply pivoting your foot. The major benefit of being clipped in over platform pedals, is the increase in pedal efficiency, as you can transmit power into the pedal both when you push down and when you pull up, especially for racing when every micro-second counts, clipless pedals are a no-brainer. Now, clipless pedals for the road and for mountain biking vary in a few quite distinct ways, first off, all MTB clipless pedals have two-sided

entry (with the exception of crankbrothers, which have four-sided entry), whereas most road pedals have only one side from which you can engage (with the exception of Speedplay which are dualsided). They also vary design-wise, most road clipless pedals are attached onto cycling shoes with a three hole, triangular design (with the notable exception of Speedplay which uses a four-bolt design), whereas MTB clipless pedals use a two-hole design. Two major factors to consider when trying to decide what clipless pedals to go with are; Float and Release tension. Float is how much your feet can move, both vertically and laterally without disengaging from the mechanism, and is usually measured in degrees, the higher the float, the more you can move your feet before disengaging and vice-versa. Float is a very personal thing, some people like having absolutely none, like with Shimano’s red cleat on their SPD-SL line, and some like as much as they can get. Release tension is how much lateral force the pedal mechanism requires for you to disengage from the pedal, this would also indicate how easy or gard it will be to engage with the system. The other major kind of pedal is the Flat or Platform pedals. On the road side of things, flat pedals have been relegated to beginners, in a sport where efficiency is paramount, there seems to be no place left for the humble flat pedals, but in mountain biking, the debate between which is better, Flat of Clipless is one that has spanned the ages. Mountain Bikers are advised to use flat pedals to work on and build skills before even considering clipless pedals. In some disciplines of mountain biking, like Freeride and Slopestyle, platforms are king. Even in the racing disciplines there is a debate, with people like Sam Hill and Connor Fearon proving that flat pedals can win medals. This piece was just an overview, but if you have questions or want to know more about one kind of pedal or want us to elaborate, please write to us on Facebook or email us and we will be happy to explain in further detail.

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PlanetSaddle

Abhishek Diwadkar The Ultra Young Turk

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bhishek Diwadkar is a motivated, super talented ultra-racer hailing from Mumbai. He attends the KESSC college in Mumbai, and spends all the free time he has training to achieve his goal of competing at the highest level of Ultra-Cycling both in the country and across the world. The recently concluded Ultraspice was his first foray into the world of Ultra-endurance racing, and what a performance he put on! He competed with our very own Meera Velankar in a mixed team of two in the 600km race, and took the Anchor leg in the relay style of Ultra-Racing. Abhishek Trains under Miten Thakker, who has coached RAAM finishers and crewed at races across the world, he says, “As Abhishek’s coach I wanted him to test his abilities in these extreme conditions, getting this exposure surely had to put him through many situations he hasn’t ever encountered in his training and this being his first attempt ever in Ultra-race. This being a development within the last month, his training was tweaked as per the demands of the event to prepare him physically and mentally to push through his limits and then push even harder; which he did by riding 60 percent of the distance at race pace, this included the most challenging climb plus many other challenging sections and riding in the heat during the noon, he surely delivered.” He even managed

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to finish a 200km Brevet in 9 hours! In the future he wants to finish a SR and compete in Ultra Races. We had some questions for him and this is what he had to say; When did you start training? I’ve been training for about 2 years now, except when I have had exams. What bike did you ride at Ultraspice this year? I ride the Merida Scultura 5000 with FFWD wheels that was generously given to me by Ravi Motwani. How often do you train? And where do you like to ride? I train about 6 times a week, between 12-15 hours and strictly follow my training plan that was tailor-made for me by the wonderful folks at Cyclozeal. I love climbing and riding the Ahmedabad Highway. Abhishek is turning into someone to keep an eye on! Mark our words, the way this young-gun is going, he is bound to do great things and make all of us proud!


Chakravarthy S Birur The Kovai Chakra!

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eally! When you finish reaidng this it will seem to you that cycling in Coimbatore revolves around this man! Chakravarthy S Birur, who is fondly known as ‘Chakra’ among friends, fellow cyclists and business associates, is a sports enthusiast. He strives in his mission to inculcate a ‘fitnessspirit’ in all, especially in millennials, in and beyond in the city of Coimbatore. Chakra, an entrepreneur and a cycling enthusiast was an avid cyclist during his school and college days in Bangalore, who always enjoyed short cycling trips along with friends during holidays. Later, he migrated to Coimbatore with his family for his career and for business, wherein cycling took a back seat. After a long gap, in 2011, at the age of 41, he gifted his wife, Archana Dange who is also passionate environmentalist, a bicycle to ride to her work place everyday. But, due to her outbound business travels, she was not a regular rider, thereby leaving the bicycle to collect dust. Chakra decided to make use of the vehicle, and as one thing led to another, he developed a strong passion for cycling that went several steps above, making him a professional in the sport!

In 2012, he bought a new bicycle and regularly rode to and from Tirupur to Coimbatore, twice a week for business. Eventually, he came to know about ‘Brevet’ (long-distance cycling 200 kms-300 kms-400 kms-600 kms) from his long-time friend and later business partner, Sulaiman Bimani and passionately participated in Brevets. As of today, Chakra has completed 4 SRs (Super Randonneur). Also, as a representative of Audax, he has been conducting Brevets consistently over the last 3 years in Coimbatore. To add to an already impressive list, Chakra has been regularly participating in Triathlons since 2 years and has won a couple of podium finishes. In 2014, Chakra cycled Chennai-Vijayawada-Chennai covering a total distance of 1,000 kms. Thereafter, he attempted PBP (Paris Brest Paris) a long distance cycling event, of a distance of 1,230 kms, but unfortunately had to quit in between, due to mechanical issues. Chakra started Cycology – The Bicycle Store in Coimbatore that he started in 2014 with Sulaiman (Karnataka Cycling Champion) the go to bicycle shop in Coimbatore, to cater to the requirements of hard-

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core cyclists, who are passionate about cycling. This outlet sells two leading brands – Merida and Polygon that are quite a hit among cyclists. It also provides all the required accessories and gears as well. In the recent past, Cycology has incorporated ‘Cycology Studio’ to support cyclists to get on to the next level. The Studio provides, training, nutrition and bikefit for enthusiastic customers who want to upgrade themselves. In October 2017, resulting from new demands of cyclists, Cycology added a new division – Cyclopath, to conduct cycling tours. This division provides custom-made cycling tours both, off and on roads to Corporates as well as individuals. Chakra is the Founder Member of ‘Coimbatore Cycling’ an organisation that conducts activities/rides and events for members regularly in and around Coimbatore. Some of the activities include,

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Brevets, Hill Climbs, Camping besides others, that amounts to 1 or 2 events in a month. For members to plan in advance, the organisation publishes an event calendar every November for the forthcoming year. Coimbatore Cycling also caters to other sports’ events that require cyclists’ support, eg., during Marathon, cyclists follow the runners to attend to them in times of emergencies. Chakra is also the Master Franchisee, SportyBeans, India’s most reputed non-competitive multi-sport program for young children in Tamil Nadu. Being a passionate cyclist and operating the various cycling related business Chakra surely comes across as a 360 cycling aficianado.


Exercises that might help

Cycling injury Baker’s Cyst Dr. Anam Sultana

A

common irritant to cyclists, endurance or otherwise is the Bakers Cyst. Baker’s cyst is caused when the space behind the knee fills up with fluid and bulges. A bursa reduces friction between surfaces, it is a space filled with fluid. When damaged it becomes inflamed and swollen. For cyclists, baker’s cyst occurring is most likely because you bike fit is incorrect, i.e., either your saddle height is incorrect or your saddle layback is off. Imbalances in posture and imbalances in the muscle tone or strength may also contribute it occurring. A crash could be another. What will you notice if you have a Baker’s Cyst; Swelling at the back of the knee that is hard to miss, A sensation of pressure which may go down to your calf muscle. Tightness or stiffness behind your knee. On bending or straightening your knee, there would be slight pain behind your knee and upper calf. What can you do about it: The cyst may go away on its own, provided adequate rest is taken. Try wearing a compressive knee support to help reduce swelling. POLICE and RICE could be useful for most people. For the uninitiated, POLICE is an acronym that stands for Protection, Optimal Loading, Icing, Compression, and Elevation, and RICE stands for Rest, Icing, Compression and Elevation. Protection involves protecting the joint and help to prevent further injury. Optimal loading can help with muscle contraction and provide a balance of muscle contraction and blood flow to the area. This would help with quick healing.

Bent-Leg Raises Bent-leg raises help strengthen your inner thigh, which often is weaker than the outer thigh and can cause imbalances in the knee. To perform this exercise, place 1 lb. ankle weights on both ankles and sit down on a chair. Straighten one of your legs out in front of you, holding this position for one minute, then bend the knee at a 45-degree angle and hold this for 30 seconds. After you have held the bent position, return your leg to resting position with your feet on the ground and rest for one minute.

Back of Knee Stretch The back of knee stretch helps stretch the hamstring, calves and back muscles in addition to the back of the knee. Stand up and place the balls of one foot on a step or curb in front of you. Hold your knees and back straight as you bend down to touch your toes, or at least stretch to try and reach them. Hold this position for 20 seconds, then switch feet and repeat the exercise. Straight-Leg Raises This exercise helps strengthen the quadriceps muscles in relation to how they support your knee joint. Much like bent-leg raises, this exercise also requires the use of 1 lb. ankle weights. Wear the weights and sit down in a chair. Place one foot on the floor and place the other extended straight out in front of you on a chair or footrest. Lift the foot a few inches off the surface, keeping it straight. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then return the foot to the chair or footrest for 10 seconds. Continue this exercise for up to three minutes, then repeat on the other leg. Dr. Anam Sultana, MBBS, is a skateboarder herself & works closely with athletes in Dr Fitness to achieve their fitness goal. Dr Fitness is a one of kind fitness center catering to athletes. The personal trainers at Dr Fitness are professional sports doctors and athletes. Each doctor and trainer looks at the reason for injury and designs a suitable rehabilitation program that helps the athlete recover and get back to training. You can connect with them at drfitness.in. Dr. Anam Sultana, MBBS, is a skateboarder herself & works closely with athletes in Dr Fitness to achieve their fitness goal. Dr Fitness is a one of kind fitness center catering to athletes. The personal trainers at Dr Fitness are professional sports doctors and athletes. Each doctor and trainer looks at the reason for injury and designs a suitable rehabilitation program that helps the athlete recover and get back to training. You can connect with them at drfitness.in.

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India on two wheels My journey and the people I have met By Ankit Arora

To fulfil a dream you have to dream first.’ goes the adage. And my dream has always been to be on the road. The thrill of witnessing the unknown is the key that keeps me going further and the joy of spending precious moments with people, learning about their culture, motivates me to pedal greater distances on the road ahead. I have managed to fulfil and cherish every moment of my journey while pedalling on the roads of India. For me personally, I get lost into a wonderland while I’m cycling and travelling solo to a lost world. The hour or hour and a half of cycling goes by in a fraction of a second. Even Scientists are confirming what most cyclists instinctively know – that riding a bike has extraordinary effects on our brain chemistry. Hailing from Rajasthan, I became Rajasthan’s first “Super Randonneur” after my nonstop and selfsupported 600km cycle ride. My expedition was from India Gate in Delhi to Wagah Border. I was instantly attracted to this event as the route includes some breathtaking landscapes of emerald green fields alongside the serene roads of Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. For me, it was more than that. It was a once in a lifetime experience to travel through different states in India, different cultures and meet different people. An experience that I would not want to miss. Cycling is something that does not exhaust me, but something that calms me. I have also made my biggest discovery -the roads of India are very much like its people – simple, serene and welcoming. My journeys have taken me across many a road, through many places and have met many a people, and I can fully attest to this being a fact. This dream began some months ago. Solo expeditions of this nature are all about testing your ability to survive in some of the toughest conditions and overcome these challenges all on your own. Armed with just a sling bag containing one set of clothes, a towel and the essential cycle accessories and tools, the food is the last thing I thought of carrying. In a hospitable country like ours, a meal can be arranged anytime, anywhere, with little money and with the help of the locals. Indeed, I was too overwhelmed by this expedition to think about how I’d feed myself. A solo road trip across the country is not about readiness

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or certainty rather my adventure trip like this is more about ‘Uncertainty’ and ‘Spontaneity’. These two factors make my solo journey more lively because due to Uncertainty, one gets the new stories of survival every day and due to Spontaneity, one gets the human stories of love and care that they share with a stranger like me unhesitatingly. It’s a general phrase these days that humanity is dead and there is no space for love. Only money can win hearts. I don’t know the truth behind this concept but I do know some realities against it that I have been seeing through my journey. When people share their love with a stranger like me then the true picture of humanity comes out. The stories are unending. Emotions are unstoppable. And it never ends. I met many mothers who saw their own child in me and loved me like their own. Some of them still ask about my wellbeing on calls or messages. I found many homes away from my home. I’ve covered 17 states till date and uncountable districts and villages. It happens every day that many people including truck drivers, visitors, biker’s, waiters, restaurant owners, office commuters and workers see me and come to talk to me at roadside dhabas or any other shop and ask about my journey. And within next just 5 minutes of conversation they become some good friends of mine. Many truck drivers and dhaba owners didn’t charge me for my food or they paid on my behalf. Many medical shops didn’t charge me for my medicines when I had a fever. Many passers by took me to their homes for breakfast and lunch and took so many selfies with me. Daily I carry one small parcel in my backpack which contains some eatables given by the locals out of sheer love. I have taken so many such parcels form every state Kashmir, Punjab Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, Dadra Nagar haveli, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. The list is endless and love is limitless. They say home is where the heart is, and mine is out there on the open road on my bike, exploring all that life has to offer. So I say, home isn’t a place, home can be everywhere, and nowhere, sometimes its both.


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TriathlonCorner

International Triathlon Championship 2018 Gandhinagar

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e love hearing of new events, to us an event in a new city means that there are more people riding bikes, and at the end of the day isn’t that what we all want? The growing race scene in heartening, the bigger the sport gets, the more widely acceptable the lifestyle of riding bikes becomes. Here we bring to you news of another such event from Gandhinagar in Gujarat. On the 18th of Febuary, the city will play host to the International Triathlon Championship, organized by the Amdavad Crankmeisters with the support of Astral Pipes, and Gujarat tourism. The event will be held 2018 at Sports Authority of India Complex, Next to Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. There will an expo of leading bike brands, nutrition brands, triathlon equipment suppliers etc. which shall be open for all people on 17th February, 2018 at Karnavati Club, SG Highway, Ahmedabad. The event will have three distances, Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run), Olympic, in both solo and team relay (1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run) and Half-iron in solo and team relay (1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1 km run).

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We asked Ms. Khyati Nayak, PRO, Head - Film Facilitation Cell, Medical and Wellness Tourism, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd. gives the below reasons why Gandhinagar, Gujarat is considered as the place to hold a triathlon event, “the environment is lush and green, we have some of the best roads in the country, which are both pollution and traffic free. And after the event, we are at very close proximity to tourist attractions like the Heritage city of Ahmedabad, Kutch, Polo Forest, Riverfront, Kankaria Lake, Nalsarovar, Sardar Sarovar Dam, Champaner, Gir Forest, White Rann and many many more. What makes this event worth the trip if you aren’t from Gujarat I hear you ask? Well we asked Ingit Anand, a 2-time Ironman finisher and coach and here’s what he had to say; “I think this course is perfect for athletes of all skill-levels to come and set down their PB (Personal best) for a variety of reasons, the route is nice and green, so that would take the edge off of the heat, the roads are smooth with hardly any speed breakers, the bike route if partially blocked, all these factors and much more will ensure that this race will be one to remember!” We don’t know about you guys, but we sure can’t wait to get out and race!



GET OUT & RIDE!

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