Kayathlon.ie ISSUE #13
OCT-NOV '19
Your Home of Adventure Racing
COMPETITOR SPOTLIGHT:
NATALIA POCELUJKO
We Went on our ANnUAL JAUNT TO THE CYCLE SHOW IN THE NEC BIRMINGHAM on page 20
GADGET REVIEW
on page 28
GRAHAM MACKEN took on the RACE AROUND IRELAND CHALLENGE
on page 14
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OCT/NOV 2019
Contents
P.4. WE HAVE BEEN BUSY The season hits the crazy period and we have been busy.. P.6 EVENT CALENDAR Time to get planning. See what's upcoming in February & March
EMMA GENOCKE P.8 COMPETITOR SPOTLIGHT We go international with this months spotlight P.10 GADGETS & GEAR Dave brings you all the latest gagdets to ensure you dont slow down over the winter months P.11 YOGA FOR THE ATHELTE Laura is back with another yoga masterclass for the athlete.
ACTION PACKED!
IT COMING D
CARRAUNTOOHIL A
COMPETITOR SPOTLIGHT! Natalia Pocelujko. If you have raced at all this year, you have probably seen her kicking ass along the way!
PAGE
08
EY SMASHING
DOWN OFF
Photo by FOTOSBYMARTIN.COM
AT QUEST 12.24
THE LADS HEAD TO THE BIKE SHOW
GEAR & GADGETS TO GET YOU WINTER READY!
CHECK OUT WHATS RACES ARE COMING UP NEXT!
GRAHAM MACKEN - ON THE RACE AROUND IRELAND
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From the Gang
It's go go go...as we hit the business end of the season It's been a busy few weeks for all the gang. First off was OFF THE BLOOM where Padraig & Dave togged out. Padraig managing to pick himself up some nice podium silverware or in this case wooden clock. Next up was Daves annual trip to the BOYNE ADVENTURE RACE. Another great day. It wont be his last trip. Shauna & Padraig went up to the CAVAN KAYAKARUN. A tough course. You can see why the Cavan lads are constantly smashing the Adventure Race scene. Then Padraig & Greg headed to the Kingdom to take on 147km course of QUEST 12. Both finished in the alotted time on a tough but very enjoyable day around South Kerry. This race wont retun till 2020, but definitely one for the bucket list folks. The folks at Quest launched their newest event in early September in LOUGH DERG. A tough challenging course. Although none of the gang raced, you may have spotted Kayathlon.ie | 04
The Home Of Adventure Racing
THE PAPARAZZI WERE OUT! Shauna Gowan being papped by Dave Gowan at the Cavan Kayakaran
Padraig as the man in "the Volvo" doing the rolling starts. At the end of September the international trail running franchise "THE ECO-TRAIL" made its debut in Ireland in the beautiful Garden of Ireland, Co Wicklow. There were 5 distances to choose from, a Dave lived by his mantra, "Go big or Go Home", took on the largest route, the 80km race. A great day in the hills and trails of Wicklow. The lads also went to the CYCLE SHOW in the NEC in Birmingham UK and you can read all about that further in this issue
Upcoming Events Quest Killarney
Oct & Nov '19
Date: 12th Oct One of the calendar highlights of the year where 2000 competitors ascend on the Kingdom of Kerry. With 5 different routes to choose from, its no wonder this one sold out well in advance. Race info...
Skibbereen Charity Adventure Race (SCAR) Date: 19th Oct 500 plus racers head for annual Charity race in Skibbereen to tackle infamous "Wall". But how many will make it to top without dismounting....
Race info...
Sea2Summit Date: 9th Nov 2500 Competitors head west to Croagh Patrick and Westport to take on this season finale. The Continental National Adventure Race titles will be decided and celebrations will be go on long after! Race info...
...lots more new events to be announced, so make sure to
follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest Event announcements....
U O Y RE
F R U
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T 8KM
COURSE
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ENO
DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE
FOR GROUPS OF 10+ FREE
AFTER PARTY
FREE
BEER
ACCOMMODATION
FROM ¤25PP PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
2ND NOVEMBER 2019 REGISTER NOW | RACE LOCATION: LEENANE CO. GALWAY
WWW.TURFWARRIORCHALLENGE.COM
COMPETITOR SPOTLIGHT I usually try to seek all information about the route and elevation before the race...
- NATALIA POCELUJKO Our next person has truely embraced the outdoor spirit and grabbed the adventure racing horns with two hands. She has traveled the length and breath of Ireland to train, recce and race. If you were to follow her on Instagram, you could be forgiven she worked for Failte Ireland.
W
e got chatting to Natalia and she was more than happy to tell us her story. A fascinating read and an insight to what keeps her coming back for more.
So Natalia, tell us where you are from? Poland/Waterford - Galway What is your occupation? Master Teacher / Fitness Instructor / Coach What is your sporting background? Professional Swimmer National Level / Kayak Polo National Team In the days leading up to your first race, what was going through your head...I have this in the bag or I'm a bag of nerves? It was a while ago but I do remember that I was a bit stressed before the race. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to complete the full race. Wasn’t sure about my gear or shoes, what I should be eating. The biggest challenge was at the start when everyone knew each other very well and I was the one who was totally new in the adventure races. You have had a crazy busy season. You seem to love the process of getting race fit. Do you have any go to places for training? I usually try to seek all information about the route and elevation before the race so I can adjust my training around place where I am living. A few weeks before the race, I always try to make it to the original route done to make sure that I know the hardest elevations and also be ready with hard sections (specifically the bike section). The Home Of Adventure racing
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COMPETITOR SPOTLIGHT
NATALIA POCEL Do any of the races stand out? Quest Killarney What races/goals have you set for the upcoming season? There are no goals yet but I am set for a long distance, endurance races rather than short distance events. Maybe coming back to few triathlons as I really enjoy the hardman half distance triathlons this year. What are your plans for 2020? I wish to know the answer for that question. Definitely want to spend winter enjoying myself with trial running and cycling in
places which I haven't been before. After small recovery I will have some idea what I want to achieve in 2020. Too tired at the moment to set realistic goals. If you could design your own course/race, what would it be? I would like to design some adventure race around Wicklow as we don’t really have anything around this stunning area ( only quest Glendalough). IMRA run a few races but they are mostly running events. You did a load of races last year. It would be a safe assumption that you have caught "The Bug". What is it for you that keeps bringing you back? The atmosphere and people .
LUJKO Of the 3 disciplines, kayaking, cycling & running, which would be your strongest/ favourite? Strongest and favourite... Two different terms. Kayak is the strongest. Favourite running = cycling. What inspires you? The other people taking part in the races who are placed in TOP 3. Laura O’Driscoll and Ger Kelly would me my ”small stars”. This girls reach so far and always keep a smile on the face.
drinks etc. Mobility & Flexibility, deep tissue rub, sometimes dry needles, long swims and hydration. Morning of race...What do you do? Try to stay calm. Get a breakfast about 1-2h before the start. Stretching, foam rolling. Focus on what is coming on. Any race superstitions? Not really. Maybe one Polish thing. Someone
Runner of choice? Depends on the terrain and distance ; Inov8 ( short distance , rocks ) , Hoka Speedgoat (long distance, soft surface) Bike of choice? Ridley Liz C Womens GPS Watch? Do you use one? If so, which one? Garmin 735xt
Week before race...What do you do? Stressing and panicking as everyone else! Getting ready for the race. Get my gear and bike ready. Supplements as gels, food, The Home Of Adventure racing
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COMPETITOR SPOTLIGHT
NATALIA POCEL has to give me a soft kick “for luck”
( how bad )
Any embarrassing moments you wish to share?
Strangest thing you have seen on a race
Haha there is plenty but I am not sure if I want to share them out in the magazine :)
Jako running Quest Killarney last year in a kilt :) Most beautiful scenery? Wicklow/Kerry
Post-race...Do you spoil yourself, if so, how? Usual I am training so much before the race so Sunday more likely I am in work :p
Hydration/Gels? Do you use them? Do you use any particular brands? SIS would be the best brand at the moment for me for any supplementation At the moment using a gels and hydration products from this BRAND . Bars : Quest , Fullfill , naked For the long run Nudest yogurts are great .
Sporting Hero? Laura O’Driscoll and mentioned before.
Ger
Kelly
as
Advice for absolute beginners Do not run with a cycling shorts ! :D
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The Home Of Adventure Racing
LUJKO
RACE AROUND IRELAND (RAI) So the crew had to McGuyver a neck harness from whatever they could salvage from a local LIDL
GR
RAHAM MACKEN There aren’t too many people out there who look at Irelands toughest Adventure Race (The Race in Donegal – 250km of running, cycling and kayaking in 24hrs) and think “I wonder if I ask nicely will they let me do 2 back to back loops of the course”… It takes a certain type of athlete/gobshite to even think about doing something like that….and Graham Macken is that type of athlethe/gobshite.
O
wner of Spun Cycles & Spun Run in Trim County Meath, a very Adventure Racing focused shop and a great place to go and have a coffee and talk rubbish about mountains and bikes as much as meeting your bike or gear needs, and a veteran of Race Across America a few years back, it’s been knocking around in his head for a while to attempt the Race Around Ireland Solo this year. A nice little sightseeing spin around the country it covers 2,160km with about 22,000m of vertical gain, so it’s kinda flat really J, nonstop in about 5-6 days with little or no sleep. The level of training that needs to go in to an undertaking like this is mindblowing, that’s before you even begin to look at the family and work commitments. Many often wonder though what drives us to do these events, in particular the endurance athletes who want to push a bit further and take on the big challenges that are out there (and in many cases create or invent every more extreme challenges. Graham in his blog probably explained it best with this quote he ‘borrowed’ from some lad called Roosevelt. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
GRAHAM MACKEN
RACE AROUND but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. With a fantastic crew supporting him, including regular adventure racers Bernard Smyth from Ultimate conditioning and Andy Reilly, Graham finished the race in 122hours and secured 3rd place. In the process he slept for 3 hours, burned through almost 60,000 calories….and no doubt consumed his body weight in Freddo bars….oh and he also picked up the Ciaran Smith award for the fastest time over the toughest king of the mountain section. A phenomenal achievement, made even more impressive by the fact that on day 3 Graham suffered from a debilitating injury/ condition called Shermers neck, which is a condition a long distance cyclist can get where the neck muscles basically stop working and cannot support your head weight…so the crew had to McGuyver a neck harness from whatever they could salvage from a local Lidl (a wetsuit, a box of pringles, a belt and 2 brush handles…). Normally this is a race-ender but somehow he managed to push on for 2 more days and hold 3rd spot and finish the race. No doubt he was well and truly in ‘The Dark Place’ where it goes beyond the normal presence of pain, fatigue, or discomfort and deep in to the dark recesses of the mind where the sleep monsters also reside and the desire to quit is high and the hallucinations can appear quite real!! We hope Graham is enjoying the recovery and wait eagerly to see the next adventure – RAAM 2020 (Race Across America) in June 2020 to raise as much money as possible for the Alzheimer's society. To read in more detail how Graham got on before, during and after the race have a gander at his blog. It’s a fascinating read and gives us an idea of the pain, suffering and ultimately the joy and fulfillment of a race like this:
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The Home Of Adventure Racing
IRELAND (RAI)
GRAHAM MACKEN
RACE AROUND “Made it out and into Sligo, through to Leitrim with its endless rolling hills, horrible weather all night through Mayo and torrential rain in Galway”…..It sounds like a barrel of laughs!" https://grahammacken.home.blog/ To get a unique insight what it’s like to crew at one of these events check out this great report by Andy Reilly who was part of the support team: http://www.savageevents.ie/the_height_of_madness?fbclid=IwAR1cItcXKQg_071pVCoWE Xx2xR9-yFPS8-FbYABjgF-trVOR5Nygt8fjT38
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The Home Of Adventure Racing
IRELAND (RAI)
The Home Of Adventure racing
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ANNUAL TRIP - THE CYCLE SHOW
ANNUAL TRIP
THE ANNUAL TR
S
eptember saw myself (Dave) and Padraig head off to the UK on what’s fast becoming our annual trip to The Cycle Show in the NEC Birmingham. For those unfamiliar with the NEC, it’s connected to Birmingham Airport by a monorail rendering it extremely accessible from Ireland. With flights from Dublin to Birmingham taking approximately 35 minutes and the show itself opening from 09:30 & 17:00, a day trip is the way to go. Having opted for the first flight out in the morning, 06:30, had us leaving our respective houses at around 04:30 coffee in hand and headed for the short term carpark at Dublin Airport. Once inside we were off for more coffee and straight to the gate where we’d arranged
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to be meet the godfather himself Paul Mahon. After some sitting around we were aboard our flight and off to Birmingham. Kayathlon has started to breach international borders! We were headed for the Press & Trade day and whilst it opens earlier than the public days we were still well ahead of time and headed off to put the world to right over another coffee. If we even do half of what was discussed that morning it’ll be a busy 2020! Once inside we zig zagged our way through he exhibition halls checking out anything that caught our eye. Picture bringing a child to Smyths you have an idea! The E-bike market has exploded in the last two years and nowhere was that more evident than The Cycle Show with a huge section dedicated to all sorts of The Home Of Adventure Racing
RIP TO THE NEC e-trickery including a test track! Bill and Ben, sorry I mean Padraig and Paul couldn’t wait to get their hands on some of this new tech on the track. There was everything from e-mountain bikes to e-cargo bikes and even an e-pedal car bike thing which Padraig duly volunteered his driving prowess to negotiate the test track in. Can’t see it catching on in the AR scene though! With the fun stuff out of the way and scouting lap of the show completed, we grabbed a spot of lunch and formulated a plan of attack with the idea being to hit as many as possible of the stands as the lads wanted to see before they had to head off to catch an afternoon flight. I’d opted for the full day with a flight that night so was happy to cruise around with them and take note of the stands I wanted
to hit on official duty when they were gone. With that said, time really does fly when you’re having fun, or in this case drooling over expensive bikes, and time soon came for the lads to head off for their flight, they’ll know better next year, and I made a beeline for the stands I’d brushed passed earlier. Most ports of call had a common theme for me, the winter season ahead, turbo trainers, jackets and lights were in my sights. I’m a bit of light geek and want hit the Cateye, Brightside, Exposure and our neighbours up in Belfast, See.Sense. I’ve been following See.Sense since their early days so it was great to meet some of their team. Keep an eye out for an article on some of the products that caught my eye. I wound up my day at the show and
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ANNUAL TRIP - THE CYCLE SHOW
ANNUAL TRIP
hopped on the monorail back to the airport and headed straight for check in figuring I’d grab something to eat the far side of security, it can get very busy as we found out last year! After an uneventful flight back to Dublin I was back in the house for about 22:00. This just goes to show how accessible exhibitions in the NEC really are. To wrap this up, The Cycle Show is a great day out no matter what your discipline is, there’s a huge showing from all the top brand and lots of smaller ones you may never have heard of but isn’t that why we go to these things! It’s a long day for sure but it’s a day drooling over bikes and tech that most of us only dream of and it’s all under one roof and it’s a relatively inexpensive day out. I’ve included a rough breakdown of costs below. It’s not an expensive day out by any stretch, so who’s coming to the 2020 Cycle Show?? Return flights: €35 Show Admission: €17 (£14.95stg) Food: €25 approx incl coffee! Airport Parking: €10 (if I remember correctly….) Total: €87
SATURDAY 25TH APRIL 2020 CYCLE IRELAND’S MOST DRAMATIC LANDSCAPE
ALONG THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY
55KM
AND
120KM
CYCLE ROUTES ON THE MAJESTIC DINGLE PENINSULA AND SLEA HEAD. The Home Of Adventure racing
JOIN US IN ONE OF IRELAND’S MOST BEAUTIFUL AND EPIC LOCATIONS FOR A CYCLE YOU WON’T FORGET. For more information visit
www.ridedingle.com Kayathlon.ie
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YOGA FOR LAURA O'DRISCOLL | 2018 FEMALE NATIONAL SERIES CHAMPION (EXPERT)
A
s discussed in previous issues, the hip and core complex is our powerhouse as athletes. If we can keep these strong, flexible and mobile, we are greatly minimizing those niggles that manifest themselves in our lower and upper limbs. Combined with a healthy spine and easy breathing, we are well on our way to enjoying many more miles on the mountain trails.
Here we are going to look at some poses that can be practiced alone or as part of a flow sequence. The focus will be on hip strength and mobility, strong legs, lengthened hamstrings; combined with the creation of space in the chest and shoulders. Rather than describing the pose, we are going to touch on their benefits and their contraindications (when not to practice them). The illustrations will give you a taste of what the poses look like but ideally try a yoga class, or better still, opt for a one-to-one with an experienced yoga teacher. This way you are more likely to receive the full benefit of the pose. There are some good online tutorials and yoga websites * but receiving corrections and hands-on adjustments is golden in maximizing the potential of these magical asanas (yoga poses).
WARRIOR II POSE (Virabhadrasana II)
The following yoga flow sequences will originate in Warrior II pose. This is one of the most powerful, all rounder, standing poses. Named after the fierce warrior god, Shiva, this pose can be held for as long as you can maintain safe joint alignments ** and it can be as much of a strengthener as a mobiliser.
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The Home Of Adventure Racing
THE ATHLETE
By Laura O'Driscoll
YOGA FOR ADVENTURE RACES | PART 4
WHY SO GOOD? • Develops strong quads and hamstrings, ankles and arms. • Creates stability in the hip, knee and ankle joints. • Stretches hamstrings, groin. • Creates space in the chest and shoulders, allowing our lungs expand and increasing our capacity to breathe • Increases stamina when practiced slow, controlled and with purpose • Core engagement • Balance • Helps with lower backache, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome WHY NOT SO GOOD? • Clinically diagnosed balance conditions • High blood pressure • Diarrhea • Neck problems (relax the gaze)
WARRIOR II Warrior Flow 1: (Warrior II / Reverse Warrior) Virabhadrasana II / Viparita Virabhadrasana The additional space in the side waist, latissimus dorsi, chest and shoulders. This is particularly effective for stretching out after a long day of the bike.
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YOGA FOR LAURA O'DRISCOLL | 2018 FEMALE NATIONAL SERIES CHAMPION (EXPERT)
WARRIOR II Warrior Flow 2: (Warrior II / Extended Side Angle Pose) Virabhadrasana II / Uttita Parvokonasana Extended Side Angle pose is another beauty for creating length in the side body, whilst stretching out the groin, spine, chest and shoulder. It can even touch into TFL (Tensor Fascia Latae), a tricky little muscle, which causes havoc when tight or weak, pulling on the ITB (Illotibial Band) and often resulting in tracking of the kneecap, particularly in runners.
WARRIOR II Warrior Flow 3: (Warrior II / Extended legs, Arms overhead) This last little sequence is one of my favourites. When practiced mindfully and with full engagement of the muscles and breath, we can work a little deeper into the hamstrings and groin, and really challenge the quads, as we exhale back into our warrior lunge. On our inhale, we lengthen the back of the front leg bringing the hands together overhead, drawing the shoulders away from the ears and lengthening the spine, creating space and length in the upper body. Try to avoid the pendulum effect that sometimes occurs when we flow in and out of poses. Kayathlon.ie | 026
The Home Of Adventure Racing
THE ATHLETE By Laura O'Driscoll
YOGA FOR ADVENTURE RACES | PART 4
Focus on: 1. Breathing. Lengthening, reaching, extending - on the inhale. Deepening, twisting, releasing - on the exhale. 2. Whole muscle engagement through strong, controlled movement.
THINGS TO NOTE... When *Be selective with online resources. Yoga Journal and Gaia are great websites to start with. One of my favourites on Youtube at the moment is Yoga with Adrienne. But again, better to learn the basics from a teacher so you can follow the online tutorials with the knowledge that you are practicing correctly. ** Joint alignment is key in Warrior II. ‘Stacking the joints’ is where knee is in line with ankle at 90deg, and knee is tracking forward so that when we look over our kneecap, it is perfectly aligned with our middle toe. It’s important that we don’t place any lateral pressure on those precious knees!
J O I N U S AT
ST
TAKEN THE PAIN OUT OF SEARCHING
The lads went to the NEC Birmingham to check out the latest Tech & Gear at the Cycle Show so you could be ready for the winter. NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER As you read through the next few items you’ll soon notice a common theme, Winter is coming! With the days getting shorter and the weather inevitably taking a turn for the worst the hardy among us will continue to commute and keep the winter miles up for as long as the frost and ice stay away. Afterall, there’s no such things as bad weather, just bad gear! Hopefully some of the following items can help make those bike rides a bit safer, more practical or indeed provide a good excuse to just stay indoors.
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1. THE SPECS
Lumens Rear: 300 Runtime: 16hrs on 'Reactive Flash' Rated Price: €89 (£79.99)
The Home Of Adventure Racing
STUFF Gadgets Gear
&
BIG POWER, SMALL SIZE
1.
DAVE GOWAN
SEE SENSE ICON 2
First up is the new See.Sense ICON2. If you haven’t heard of these guys, they’re based up the road in Belfast and started as a husband and wife team with a goal of making cycling safer for everyone. Their first iteration, the ICON, was a smash hit on Kickstarter in 2018 and is my own go to “be seen” light. The new ICON2 is LED equipped with 300 lumens in the rear light and 400 lumens up front providing a focused beam making you visible from up to 3km away! Not only are these lights super bright but at junctions, roundabouts, filtering in traffic etc ICON2 reacts by automatically flashing brighter and faster to make sure you stand out! With additional features such as crash and theft detection the ICON2 really is a handy bit of kit.
Weight: 50 grams Water Sealed: IP67 Available From: https://seesense.cc/
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ACEPAC ROLL TOP FUEL BAG Winter rides, be it commuting or otherwise, normally see the Ziploc bags come out; one for the phone and one for wallet or cash etc. Inevitably when the monsoon starts the Ziploc is either nowhere to be found or your hands are too cold to get fiddly thing open. In steps the AcePac Roll Top Fuel Bag including drybag. Pop your stuff into the roll top bag and Bobs your uncle. The bag is made from Cordura, it’s held closed by an elastic V belt and clip is big enough to be glove friendly. How accessible it is on the move remains to be seen but you can always stick the bars or gels in a jersey pocket.
THE SPECS Size:L: 20cm – D: 11cm – W: 6cm Weight: 150 grams Rated Price: €30 (£26.99) Available From: www.shop. terraventure.co.uk
BRIGHTSIDE SIDE LIGHT Continuing the road safety trend, the Brightside Side Lights are a novel idea that really caught my eye and aimed predominantly at the commuter market. These lights mount to your frame and project light to the sides making you visible from any angle. After all, traffic doesn’t always come from the front and rear! Being USB rechargeable and with a battery life quoted at 20 hours it should cover a week’s worth of commuting for most of us.
THE SPECS Features: Day & Night modes Weight: 66 grams Rated Price: €25 (£22.50) Available From: http://brightside. bike
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The Home Of Adventure Racing
ELITE SUITO
For the dedicated among us the turbo trainer is a staple year round, but for the rest of us it gets dusted off as the weather turns. There’s one thing turbos have in common, size!. Even a basic ‘wheel on’ turbo takes us a chunk of real estate! Not anymore! The new Elite Suito is extremely compact when folded for storage, so much so in fact, that you might actually be allowed to have it in the house and not be relegated to the garage. The pictures don’t really do it justice but give you some idea of just how small the unit is. It’s the first direct drive trainer to come ready to go straight out of the box with an 11 speed Shimano/ Sram cassette already fitted. The Suito is ANT+, FE-C & Bluetooth enabled so is compatible with all the popular training apps such as Zwift & TrainerRoad. It’s the formfactor that really makes this trainer stand out from the crowd and has it firmly on my wish list.
THE SPECS Features: 15% Slope Simulation, 11 speed cassette, +/- 2.5% accuracy Max power output: 1900w Connectivity: ANT+, FE-C & Bluetooth Water Sealed: IP67 Rated Price: €730 Available From: Check with your local bike sho
Your Home of Adventure Racing
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CYTRONEX C1
Something completely different now and with the rise in popularity of e-bikes we couldn’t but include something from that end of the market. Regardless of opinions on them, they certainly have their place. If it means getting someone, who otherwise wouldn’t be able for that long / hilly spin, or gets someone commuting by bike that normally wouldn’t even entertain the idea, out on their bike then I’m all for it. I’m personally not a huge fan of dedicated e-bikes though, they tend to be heavy and can only be used as an e-bike. That’s where the Cytonex C1 separates itself from the crowd. With very little tinkering and no permanent modifications to your bike, you can convert it to an e-bike and back again! The kit comes with everything you need to convert pretty much any bike to an e-bike in minutes and relatively inconspicuously. The battery pack looks like an oversized water bottle and the only sure giveaway being the large front wheel hub that houses the motor. Weighing in at 3.6kg it’s certainly not light but depending on what bike it’s added to, it’ll most certainly weigh in much lighter than a dedicated e-bike! This is the most promising bit of e-bike kit I’ve seen yet.
THE SPECS BATTERY: 300Wh Weight: 3.6 Kg Fast Charge: 90mins Max power output: 250w Rated Price: €1100 (£995) Available From: www.cytronex.com/ Kayathlon.ie | 032
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A FINAL FEW WORDS
THANK YOU!!! We say this every month but we sincerely mean it! Without you guys, All this could not happen...
P.S. Please make sure to follow us on Facebook. Likes make all the hard work that little bit easier.
Photo captured by Dave's at The Boyne Adventure Race
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