The New Shimano XTR M985 disc brake

These new 394g per end XC stoppers are 55g lighter than the previous XTR and are everything we’d hoped they would be.

Firstly, do they stop the bike faster than the old ones? Emphatically yes. Once fully bedded in, which is a quick and easy task, the bite from a grab of the lever is hard and decisive and excess speed can be hacked to zero with ease. As the old Pirelli tyre ad slogan went, ‘Power is nothing without control’ and Shimano understand that.

You can control the level of braking from the merest tickling off of a few mph to some massive eye-popping deceleration into a downhill switchback – even with small 160mm rotors. The one-?nger levers allow you to achieve either effect with ease. Yes, one ?nger – the abbreviated brake lever’s a visual sign from Shimano of just how powerful the XTR brake is. We never felt like we needed more ?ngers to do the job.

There are several new details that we like; one is the split clamp, which is ideal for bar changes. It’s also about time that Shimano caught up on this now old trend. Another Shimano catch-up is a new ability to integrate the brake and shifter mounts (as on SRAM’s XX), using a hook and grub screw combo. The look is clean and we’ve no complaints with the adjustable ergonomics.

New rotors (sold separately along with adaptors) are still a two-piece and centrelock design (spline ?t only) and come in 140mm (rear only), 160mm (tested) and 180mm options. The brake body is polished alloy and the levers are black anodised. Performance on the trail, as we've already hinted, is luxuriously smooth, with next to no lever friction.

The action is so light that they’re almost too easy to grab, but this makes them perfect for long rides, especially ones involving multi-minute downhill braking sessions. If that’s your bag, however, you might prefer the XTR Trail with vented callipers. Unlike the Trail model, there's no bite point adjustment on the XC version, though they both have a lever reach adjustment.

Bleeding is still simple, although the Shimano instructions don’t make it appear so. Since ?tting these brakes we have been riding faster than normal just to experience the joy of slowing down and stopping with them. If you have got some money for non-budget brakes this year, we suggest you seriously consider Shimano’s new stoppers.

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Should USA Cycling not allow ProTeam and ProContinental teams participate in the single-day classic?

In the letter, Kontogiannis threatened to contact New York State Attorney General and US Senators should USA Cycling not allow ProTeam and ProContinental teams participate in the single-day classic.

"I fully expect the USAC to adopt this position immediately and to start advocating (in earnest) for single-day road classics like the Tour of the Battenkill, instead of continuing its current unfair and arbitrary practices of selective favoritism for certain lower category events," Kontogiannis wrote in a letter to USA Cycling Chief Operating Officer, Sean Petty.

"If you choose to ignore this request, I will be contacting the NYS Attorney General, both New York-based U.S. Senators, and every newspaper from New York City to Buffalo. And I will be meeting with the other clubs in early February to discuss our relationship with the USAC going forward."

The dispute between Drake and USA Cycling came to a boiling point this month when the national governing body announced that the International Cycling Union (UCI) would allow ProTeam and Professional Continental teams to participate in NRC level criteriums which would be added to the UCI Criterium Calendar, according to code 2.7.005.

USAC said in a statement that the situation was all due to pre-existing rules, and hopes to resolve the issue through dialogue.

The announcement came on the heels of the UCI's decision to strictly enforce rule 2.1.009 that prohibits such teams from competing in national level events on the road such as stage races and single-day events like the Tour of Battenkill.

However, Drake felt that allowing ProTeams and Professional Continental teams to participate in NRC criteriums and not other road events was detrimental to his event, especially under the economic downturn that has made it increasingly difficult for promoters to find sponsorship.

The Tour of Battenkill was tentatively scheduled as a UCI 1.2 event on April 16 and its amateur counterpart was scheduled one week prior on April 10 in Cambridge, New York. Drake was forced to pull the men's event from the UCI calendar due to a lack of funding. He proposed to combine the two events onto April 10 and run the men's and women's races as NRC events.

"We have a calendaring process and there is an established time line for that," Smith said. "We work months in advance with these event organizers to establish these dates and our job is to manage that overall calendar and try to minimize the conflicts and keep the entire group's goals and perspective in mind when doing that."
It was reported that the Tour of Battenkill attorney Eugene Grenz has sent a letter to USA Cycling and the UCI threaten to take legal action should they not allow ProTeam and Professional Continental teams to participate in the event.

"All we can do when we receive a legal threat is to turn it over to our lawyers," Smith said. "But we hope that there is some dialogue before that point and we hope that it is something that can be resolved without all this."
Dieter Drake was not immediately available for comment.

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The latest wares from Cateye,Panaracer,Tifosi and Altura

Abus:German company Abus are best known for their locks but also have an extensive range of road, mountain and commuter helmets. The Hill Bill is a new all-mountain/trail lid along the lines of Giro's Xen or Fox's Flux (it even has a similar plastic 'spoiler' to the latter), with extra rear coverage.

Features include in-mould construction, Abus's ZoomPro II fit system and 19 air vents. Available in four colours (black, Engine – pictured here – Stream or white), the Hill Bill costs weighs a claimed 300/325g (M/L) and costs £89.99.

Abus's top-end road lid, the £79.99 Tec-Tical, is unchanged for 2011, while the Urban Icommuter helmet (£54.99) just has two new colour options – Reflective Red and Signal Yellow. One striking new arrival is the Metronaut, a lightweight in-mould lid hidden inside a removeable baseball cap style cover. RRP is £79.99.
The Abus Metronaut is aimed at commuters and urban warriors

On the lock side of things, Abus are releasing a UK-only Granit 53 – essentially a cheaper version of their highly rated Granit X-Plus 54, with a more basic key and a round 13mm shackle instead of a square one. It still has Sold Secure Gold status but costs £59.99 instead of £89.99, with the main downside being a bit of extra heft.

Mini U-locks have proved popular, so the company now offer both Sold Secure Gold (£69.99) and Silver (£49.99) rated U-Mini options, which are said to be significantly lighter than the competition. They're also releasing a lighter weight version of their Bordo folding lock, the Lite 6050 (£69.99), which weighs a claimed 650g.

Abus's tiny U-Mini has Sold Secure approval

Ashima
Ashima have tweaked their innovative PanCake Brake to address some of the issues we encountered during testing. A change to sintered brake pads is said to have made a big difference, along with changes to the calliper and improved pad clearance – look out for a review on BikeRadar soon. New for 2011 is an adaptor that lets you use six-bolt disc rotors with Center Lock hubs, and aims to remove the play common with other such adaptors.

There are also new alloy rotor bolts that are said to deliver a 50 percent weight saving over steel at a fraction of the price of titanium. To address durability concerns, Ashima have beefed up the head and shoulder.

Claimed weight is 4.8g for a pack of six. RRP is £9.99 and they're available in black, blue, red, gold and silver. Steel versions (12g) are available for £5.99.

Ashima were showing off this new D-Matrix rotor and Center Lock rotor adaptor
In the pipeline is a stunning-looking new D-Matrix rotor, which combines a steel braking surface with a lightweight alloy body, with carbon fibre reinforcement to enhance stiffness. Estimated price is around £70, with weight around 60g for a 140mm rotor. Ashima are also working on a prototype trials disc coated with automobile clutch liner that's designed to be used with rubber pads for ultimate stopping power.

Prologo
We've already shown you Prologo's Nago Evo TTR time trial saddle, which is now available in a Team Sky colourway, and the new Nago Evo X10 mountain bike perch. Also new for 2011 is the Zero, a flat saddle aimed at both road and off-road riders. It's available with oval carbon rails for £139.99 in Zero Nack guise (165g), or with nickel-titanium alloy rails for £60 less as the Zero 1.4 (200g, or 228g with gel padding). All models have a carbon fibre injection base.

Zero is Prologo's new flat saddle. Riders who prefer a more rounded shape should look to the Scratch or Nago models instead.

The company's women's seats look equally well thought out. The Dea ("goddess") design is available in Prologo's Scratch (round) and Nago (semi-round) shapes. It's based on the idea that women tend to have wider sit bones and sit further back on their saddles than men, so they need a seat that's shorter and wider, with a bigger 'pressure management zone' in the centre.

The Nago Evo Dea and Scratch Pro Dea both have 'Active Shape' padding – a variable stiffness base with triple density padding on top – and titanium rails, and cost £109.99. The Nago weighs 212g and the Scrach 227g. This year Prologo will be offering a 'Try & Buy' scheme so you can borrow a saddle from your local dealer and try it out for yourself.

Prologo's Dea women's saddles have been specifically designed with the female form in mind

Zefal
Zefal were showing off a new mudguard, the No Mud, which can be used on the front or rear of your mountain bike/hybrid. Designed to fit 26-28in wheels, it attaches to the fork legs or seatstays and has a flexible extension which can be clipped to the front/back. RRP is £14.99 (for one). Claimed weight is 190g.
The French company also had new carbon fibre and fibreglass bottle cages, brush sets, tyre sealant and an array of their latest pumps on display – see the image gallery for more on these products.

Panaracer
As well as producing tyres bearing their own logo, Panaracer also make rubber for other companies, including Soma Fabrications of San Francisco. Aimed at the fixie/hipster crowd, these colourful treads are a whopping 5mm thick. "It's all about having a tyre you can skid with and get through an urban environment without any flats or other issues," says Panaracer's Jeff Zell. The Soma Everwear is available in 700x23c and 26c sizes, for £39.99.

Another collaboration is the IRD CrossFire CX cyclo-cross tyre, which uses the same tread as Panaracer's Fire XC Pro mountain bike tyre, mated to a lighter weight casing. Available for 700x32c wheels only, there's a choice of 120tpi (£39.99) or 60tpi (£36.99) rubber, with the former coming in black/white and the latter in a choice of one or the other.

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Retro Cycling long sleeved Le Col Derboun Jerseys

The Retro Cycling  long sleeved Le Col Derboun Jerseys here is a good place to start to get to know the brand. It uses a medium weight Sportwool fabric that is just right for this time of year, providing great warmth when worn over a Merino base layer and an appropriate outer layer for the conditions.

Le Col clothing is intended to be slim-fitting and as such very definitely comes up small in the traditional Italian sizing sense. I’ve found it to be just a smidgen smaller than Assos (if we’re to use the Swiss brand as a benchmark) but the Medium has fitted me comfortably. Le Col point out that this top is intended for spring and autumn, but it makes an ideal mid layer through the winter, with a jacket worn over the top or a shell on warmer days.

The upshot of Le Col’s sizing approach is that you get a proper ‘race fit’ with a snug, body-hugging fit, which is my preference for cycle clothing. It should be said that this sizing approach doesn’t mean it’s aimed at the racers reading this, but those cyclists who want the sharp and (sometimes flattering) close fitting style. I found the fitted sleeves too tight to allow the wearing of a long sleeve Merino base layer underneath, which restricts its use during the winter to warmer conditions.

Features include three rear pockets. These are sized well for carrying all your essentials for a typical Sunday ride. There’s a small zipped pocket on the outside of the rear pockets, an ideal place to keep your house keys. I really liked the internal zipped chest pocket; it proved the perfect place to accommodate my mobile phone or music player with quick and easy access. A bonus of the tight fit of the top is that, even with loaded pockets, they stay ‘in place’ and don’t cause the back of the jersey to sag down over your bum. A definite thumbs-up in my book.

Style is a subjective matter but chatting to several people while testing this Le Col clothing, it’s clear that people either love or hate the combination of black with gold details. I can’t argue with the understated look, I like it, and it’s very different to most of the other high-end brands available. It’s tough standing out in an overcrowded market but Le Col has managed just that.

As I’ve been testing this jersey for quite a while now, I can report that the build quality is first class. The fabric has proved to be excellent in a range of conditions and temperature. The only issue I’ve found is that wearing a long sleeve base layer underneath leaves a tight fit around the sleeves.

The Retro Cycling  long sleeved Le Col Derboun Jerseys are a solid performer,and has proved itself to be well designed, well fitted and durable. Only the high price, which puts it right in Assos and Rapha’s path, might make some think twice.

Le Col Derboun Long Sleeved Jersey, Black only, sizes S - 3XL, £134.99
www.lecol.net

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Marianne Vos on the podium every time

Of the eight races Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) entered since the middle of December, she has been on the podium every time, including four first places, one of which her first ever Dutch National Championship title.

Her most recent victory was in Pont Château, France last weekend. It was her first World Cup win of the season, and not so coincidentally, it was also the first World Cup this season where she had a first-row starting position thanks to her quick collection of UCI points over the short month of competing.

"In Pont-Château I was able to race my own race from start to finish. But in my first two World Cup events, I started off with chasing other riders," explained Vos to Cyclingnews from Gran Canaria where she is training for a week with the Dutch National Road Team.

Going into World Championships, held January 30 in Sankt Wendel, Germany, Vos is naturally feeling solid about her chances to earn a fourth World Cyclo-Cross Championship title. "Until now my season is going how I hoped and I have done the training I wanted to do, so I'm looking forward to the race.

"I've done Worlds in Sankt Wendel six years ago and I liked the course. It's hilly and hard because there's not much recuperation. Of course, depending on the weather, it can be slippery, muddy or fast. But I don't really mind what the conditions are," said Vos.

Her biggest challenge is expected to come from USA rider Katie Compton (Planet Bike) who has won all four World Cups she entered this season. When asked about the expected battle between her and Compton, Vos says, "Compton dominated the races she did and I'm the current World Champion, so it not strange people talk about this duel between us."

What will be different about this duel, though, is that it will be the first time they both line up side by side on the front row.

"For sure it will make a difference to start in the same row. But Katie was really strong in the races I've seen, so it's going to be tough to beat her. For sure it's going to be an interesting and exciting race," said Vos, "But there are more favorites for the title."

"I know [Hanka] Kupfernagel is aiming for a medal in front of her home crowd. And there are two other Dutchies in the [Dutch National] Team who want to make the podium orange [in the form of ZZPR.nl's Daphny van den Brand and BrainWash's Sanne van Paassen]."

If Vos realizes her dream to hold onto the rainbow jersey for a third consecutive year, do not expect to see it for the rest of the season. Directly after the World Championships, she goes back to the track to qualify for Manchester World Cup and World Championships. "This plan will not change by my result at Worlds. I must do the races and training I need to get myself on a higher level for the Olympics."

When asked if she'd feel any regrets for skipping out on the last of the 'cross events if she were able to retain the jersey, Vos thoughtfully responded, "I planned my race schedule myself because I think this is the best for me, so I've no regrets. Of course I would have liked to do more races, but I surely appreciate the few races I have been able to do." As for her plans for next winter, she will make her decision after track season.

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Mavic Alpine XL the new protective trail/freeride crossover shoe

Comfortable enough to walk in but light enough to see you through long days on the bike Mavic Alpine XL is a new protective trail/freeride crossover shoe.It’s based on the basic Alpine trail shoe and shares the same two-tone Trail Grip outsole for decent grip in mud, snow and on rock without the treads or cleats getting clogged.
It works fine with platform-style clipless pedals and the front is flexy enough to make clambering up stuff you can’t ride comfortable too. you’ll be able to feel the cleat under your foot when pedalling hard though, and the cleat slots are further back than on most shoes, so set position carefully.

At 948g per pair – with cleats – they’re much lighter than the classic Shimano MP66 shoes (1,232g apair), which will please trail riders. While the cordlock slips if you’re working hard, the single wrap-over strap and well shaped heel cup keep the shoe feeling secure.

Like its Shimano rival, the Alpine XL gets a protective flap, though mesh panels in the upper mean it doesn’t keep weather or wind out for long. The Neoprene sock and fat tongue keep your ankles cosy though, and a useful toe bumper protects you from any flying rocks.

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The GB Paracycling Talent Team in Bilbao

Last year was extremely enjoyable for me, managing to race as a member of the GB Paracycling Talent Team in Bilbao, Bayonne, Kent and elsewhere. A solid season of Rudy Project TTs and National Disability Crit Series was backed up by some good progress in National B crits at my local airfield (oooh, the glamour).

Over October I applied for a place at the GB Paracycling Academy – a programme devised to support those riders targeting the London 2012 Paralympics. I was unfortunately unsuccessful in this goal. Competition was extremely high, as in all levels of the British Cycling set-up, and I was fighting for my place on the squad against 3 other riders in the same disability class- Darren Kenny, Rik Waddon and Shaun McKeown- all of whom have medalled at World Championship level in the recent past.

Despite this slight set-back, I’ve had a productive winter building up a decent base of riding and trying to build upon relationships I have with my sponsors. One exciting development was the creation of my website – www.tom-staniford.co.uk . Whilst at first glance it may appear to be a shameless attempt at further self-aggrandising egotism, the truth is that, as I’m unsupported by British Cycling, I have had to find my own support in order to race. On a business basis, support comes through increased media coverage. Media coverage for Paracycling is less than that of able-bodied cycling, so I felt the best way of addressing that was to create my own media coverage.

Sounds hilariously simple and equally hilariously narcissistic but the fact is I want to race, and I want to earn a place on the squad for 2012, and I’m prepared to put the work in to achieve that. Sponsorship/support from companies makes that a great deal easier for me financially and in terms of logistics. Selling out? I’ll let you decide.

If you do get time, please do try and have a look at the Sponsors page on my website. I’m extremely grateful to all of them for their support, and would be very pleased if you chose to use their products/services as a result of seeing them on this blog or my website.

I’m coming up to running out of space in this blog entry, so cannot go into great deal at this time, but… winter riding. Love it or loathe it, it needs to be done in some way or another. Whether you are a hardcore winter warrior racking up the miles in all conditions, or just an occasional cyclist who wishes to ride solely to burn off calories to facilitate the inevitable port/cheese/chocolate indulgence (I’m looking vaguely in your direction, RH)[Erm... - ed.]. In the interests of being succinct and also extremely lazy, I’m simply going to paste some good mottos to use at your discretion. Some are well-known, others I have just randomly made up this evening. Enjoy:

“Medals are won in the winter and just collected in the summer”.
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”.
“It’ll be alright once I’ve warmed up”.
“Any miles are better than no miles”.

“My worst day on a bike is still better than my best day with mother-in-law/kids/partner/relatives/WorldofWarcraft (delete as appropriate)”.

“If I do this extra hour, there will be more space for that attractive Stilton nestling at the back of the fridge” (That one is for you, beloved Editor).

Light-hearted and inane banter aside; I’d like to finish this blog on a more serious note.

A great many of you will have heard of the shocking deaths just a few days ago of two cyclists- their lives cut tragically short before they reached their true potential. Lewis Balyckyi and Carla Swart were both fatally struck by vehicles whilst out training, and our thoughts go out to their families, friends and teammates. At times like these we are all reminded even more so to ride safe, and look after one another on the roads.

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Bradley Wiggins encouraged to prove he raced clean

Bradley Wiggins finished fourth in the 2009 Tour de France and admits that the result encouraged him to post his passport data from the race in a bid to prove he raced clean.
“I think it was the natural thing. Everyone thought I was on gear after that and I can’t blame people for that,” Wiggins told Cyclingnews from the Team Sky training camp earlier this week.

“I would have thought the same thing about someone who had come from absolutely out of nowhere from the gruppetto and finished fourth on the Tour and JV [ed. former team boss, Jonathan Vaughters at Garmin] just said to me, ‘we did it with Christian Vande Velde last year, what do you think?’ I said, ‘let’s do it.’”

Wiggins' values for the period February 16, 2008 to July 28, 2009 were made public on July 31, just days after the Tour, and roughly 18 months on he would like more riders to follow his example.

“I think they should make these things public,” he said.

“The whole blood passport should be on [the] internet, every rider in the peloton. I don’t see why it shouldn’t be. It’s got to that stage now where if there’s nothing to hide why aren’t they up there? You can pull up in any walk of life, company accounts, people’s tax and that’s public knowledge, so I don’t see why the blood passport shouldn’t be public knowledge. It will silence people or challenge certain things but I don’t see what harm it would do. It would give you credibility in the public’s eyes … but I don’t think everyone would agree to it, maybe for moral reasons or people thinking that it might be an invasion of privacy.”

Another rider who published his passport data in light of his 2009 Tour de France result was Lance Armstrong. The American returned to competitive racing that year after a three year absence and finished a place ahead of Wiggins in the Tour GC.

However, his data was put through far morescrutiny at the time and in an unrelated matter, the American is now facing a US FDA investigation into doping practices at the US Postal team.
Wiggins is a firm believer that Armstrong is innocent until proven guilty, admitting that he is a fan of the seven-time Tour winner.

“I’ve always been a bit of a fan of Lance and have sided on the side of innocent until proven guilty with him. There isn’t an athlete or a cyclist out there that isn’t more tested than he is, certainly since his comeback, he’s probably been the most tested cyclist in the pro peloton and you take that on face value and that he’s never failed a drugs test and until he does he’s clean. That’s how I’ve always had as a stance on Lance.”

The contention that Armstrong is the most tested athlete now or in any of his years of competition has never been proven but the allegations levelled at him by former teammate Floyd Landis shocked the sport back in May, when they first surfaced.

“All the other stuff that’s come on with Landis and things like that is one for the courts and whether the truth will ever come out is down to this investigation. I think time will tell with that. As it stands today, with the time I’ve raced with him – and I’ve never raced with him in his era of winning seven Tours – but in his comeback, he’s probably been the most tested athlete and never failed a drugs test.”

Landis announced his retirement from the sport earlier this week after being unable to secure a team for the last year. Wiggins, it seems, is a firm believer on letting the judicial process do its work.

“I think you have to question Landis’ credibility because he lied under oath before and the stories that you hear about him drinking and things like that and you know, [making] telephone calls to people I know, threatening them with things, you just think that the guy appears to not all be there. So when you see these kinds of claims in the press you have to question his credibility because it’s almost like it’s coming from a mad man, but at the same time maybe that’s all borne out of frustration and things.

“You just never know but you just look at the way his life has gone over the last five years and you think there’s one person who it would have been so easy to have just admitted it when it happened in 2006, come clean if he did do it and he would have been back racing in a professional team making pretty good money. It’s quite sad how his life has gone away, just dwindled away and now there’s all these claims and counter claims and it’s quite a sad story for him.”


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Remembering Carla Swart

Talking to Carla Swart at the HTC-Highroad camp in December, where she was about to embark on her first season with a top-level professional team. She described signing to the team as "a dream come true", but her path to the top level of the sport came not through dreams but through years of incredibly hard work and a schedule which would crack the vast majority of people.
After moving to the USA from South Africa seven years ago, Swart embraced the life of an athlete - she enrolled in Lees McRae College with scholarships for cycling and running, but it wasn't long before bike racing won out.

Ahead of the 2008 season, Swart said she set some goals for herself  "to be more noticed so I could make the jump from collegiate to professional racing".

I had the pleasure of witnessing this rise to prominence in the regional races in North Carolina, often from the receiving end of Swart's seemingly unlimited energy. She earned five collegiate national titles that year, and before her life came to an abrupt end on a road in South Africa today, she had added 14 more between track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross and road.

What isn't reflected on the results sheets is the punishing schedule Swart kept up for the past two years. She raced on four different teams and literally around the world in a racing calendar that went from February to October. In between, she kept up with her school work, determined to finish her degree.

2010 was a defining year for Swart. In January and February she raced with the South African MTN team where she scored a podium in the national championship time trial. She then returned to the USA for school before heading to Europe for her first big campaign. In just her second World Cup, Swart placed 18th in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen - a race she described as her absolute favorite.

"It was everything you expect it to be and more," she said of the event. "The feeling is so much different than any other race. You have the most enthusiastic fans in the world - they come from all over to watch it, and you know how important the race is for the cycling world. There's just this great feeling around it and great drama with the cobbles, the weather and it's just full gas all the time - it's just rough and fun."

Swart's successful run also included an 8th place in the Ronde van Drenthe World Cup, but it was just a taste of things to come. A second block of racing in Europe that summer yielded three top-ten finishes and the Best Young Rider classification in the Tour de l'Aude - one of women's cycling's top stage races.

There's no doubt that Swart's new career with HTC-Highroad would have seen many top results, which Swart had the drive and energy to achieve.

On the verge of her first season with the team, Swart said, "It's such an amazing opportunity - each team you're on is exciting, but to be here is a dream come true."

The world of women's cycling is a small, close-knit community, making the loss of a rising star like Swart all the more painful. Cyclingnews extends its sympathies to her family, friends and fans.

Lees McRae College is establishing a scholarship in Swart's name. The college issued a statement:
The Carla Swart Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually to a female cyclist who demonstrates a love for the sport and exhibits great promise as a cyclist. Checks should be made out to Lees-McRae College (note Carla Swart Scholarship in the memo line) and mailed to the Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 128, Banner Elk, NC 28604.

Please e-mail your memories of Carla to Cyclingnews@Cyclingnews.com and we will add them below.
Tributes to Carla Swart:

HTC-Highroad:

"Carla was new to our team in 2011 and after only a short amount of time she endeared herself to everybody and became part of our family. Her enthusiasm and spirit was engaging and she had the ability to make everybody smile around hers. She had a remarkable talent and looked forward to a very bright future. Our thoughts and hearts are with her family and we will honour her in the days and months ahead."

South African racer Lynette Burger:

"I remember both of us crashing out on the first day of The Tour of Qatar 2010, looking at our wounds on our way to the hospital, not really knowing where we going or what's gonna happen to us. Needless to say all worked out well got stitched up and got back to the hotel. We had some great times together in the 5 Star Hotel and spoiled ourselves with some spa treatments.

Just looked at some photos and its sad to know that you are not with us anymore. You will really be missed my friend, till we meet again!!

USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson:

“We were terribly sorry to learn today of Carla Swart’s tragic passing and we extend our most sincere condolences to Carla’s family, friends and teammates.

Words fail me at times like this, but I do know the world has lost a wonderful spirit and that she will be sorely missed. It is tragic and extremely sad when anyone’s life is cut short but particularly so when it is someone we know and with whom we shared her and her teammates’ success and joy at Collegiate Nationals.”

David Haile, Fort Collins, Colorado:

"Carla and the rest of the Lees-McRae cycling team stayed at our house for the duration of the May 2009 Collegiate Road Nationals in Fort Collins, CO. Several team members were sitting around the fire in the backyard and she was telling stories of what it was like to be a cute little redhead fashion model in South Africa when she was a child. She was also riding for Team Lip Smacker at the time and had a bag full of chapstick that she distributed to my little girls. She was always gracious and easy to be around and will be missed!"

Chad Andrews, cycling announcer:

"Carla was a tremendous spirit and talent. I recall fondly commentating her amazing performance at Collegiate Nationals in Lees McRae. It was muddy, nasty, cold mess but yet the freckled smile was always there. Nothing more than a pure talent who's life was tragically cut short.

On the mountain bike or road Carla was a fierce competitor who's athletic talents were only equalled by her excellence in the classroom at Lees McRae. RIP Carla"

Lees McRae College (via Facebook):

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Swart family and our fellow LMC Bobcat family as we mourn the death of Carla Swart. We will hold a time of prayer and reflection tonight @ 7:00 pm in Evans Auditorium.

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Ti Factory Lightweight designed for racing

The Ti Factory Lightweight is inspired by the original 60's Factory Lightweight muscle cars of Detroit and, packed with a host of new features, is designed for racing - it looks the perfect crit machine.

This model includes an integrated seatpost featuring the brand spanking new IFtop secure saddle adjustment device, which has a weight limit of 500lbs with bolts tightened to 10Nm. A fluorescent indicator appears on the back of the IFtop when the height limit is reached.
 
Meanwhile, the large diameter head tube is designed to accept the new Inset 44mm headset, while an oversized bottom bracket was designed exclusively for use with the new Press Fit BB30, shedding a ton of weight, while making the frame even stiffer.

Beautifully crafted dropouts were also made exclusively for this model, which are smaller and feature drilled out faces and an engraved backside. The new single bend chainstays are designed to be even stiffer and lighter.

The Ti Factory Lightweight also displays IF's new script decal. Rather smart, we thought. There's no news on the price yet, but you'd better start saving if you want to get your hands on one.

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Teams and riders against the ban of race radios

A large majority of teams and riders are against the ban of race radios,citing safety as the main reason to maintain radios, but several French sports directors have pointed out that the issue is not quite that simple.

Cyrille Guimard, seven-time Tour de France stage winner and long-time team director, argued in Thursday's L'Equipe that radio communication could distract the riders, sometimes even causing crashes instead of preventing them.

"I have never read a serious study of race radio impact on concentration or balance. In the last five kilometres of a race, I never say a word to my riders in order not to distract their attention, to not make them make mistakes with their braking and their trajectory. During the race, we don't even tell them about a roundabout because they're being signalled by motorcycles leading the race anyway," said Guimard, who now runs Continental team Roubaix-Lille Métropole.

"One day, I saw a rider fall without an apparent reason. He told me,' Oh, I was absorbed by the radio and I touched the guy in front of me.' The security argument is a fraud."

Guimard's opinion was echoed by former Tour of Flanders winner Jacky Durand. "It's a false pretext. Show me one single sports director who announces a speed bump... As regards security, race radio even has a perverse effect when 20 sports directors simultaneously ask their riders to move up in the bunch because of a change in direction or for a side wind. And I still remember Kivilev, who died because he had both hands in his back pocket, probably trying to fix his radio reception." Andreï Kivilev crashed heavily on March 12, 2003, in Paris-Nice, and died due to his injuries.

To Guimard and Marc Madiot, manager of team FDJ, the use of radio communication leads to increasingly dull racing, and even the argument of poor or non-existing assistance in the case of mechanicals cannot dissuade them.

"For the AIGCP (the association of Pro Tour and Pro Continental teams), the best rider has to win, but if that's how it's going to be, then we will be bored," said Madiot. "TV spectators want the unexpected, the uncertain, and not scenarios that are written in advance."

Guimard agreed. "Breakaways are systematically caught at one kilometre before the finish. It's legitimate to question this! A closed system generates a mafia system..."

Cofidis rider Samuel Dumoulin also had this point of view, even asserting that riders were acting like robots, being remote-controlled by their team directors. "I have ridden my entire career with radios, but it doesn't prevent me from thinking that we always fall back into the same old race routine, and that the public is getting a bit tired of it. When you go on the attack at the Tour, you know that there is a 99% chance that you will be caught. They become publicity breakaways, just to show that you exist. Without radio, we'd experience more unexpected twists."

"Today, there is no need for thinking or anticipating, even to study a race route. The whole mental part disappeared and the rider is merely a robot."

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Mauricio Soler confident in his ability to win the queen stage six

The Colombian Mauricio Soler (Movistar) is confident in his ability to win the queen stage six that boasts two significant ascents through the Andres Mountain Range.

“To win this race would be very good for me and for the team,” Soler said. “I don’t know if I have the condition to win it yet. It could be complicated because of the strong winds here but there are a few stages in the mountains and that suits me. Overall, I think this terrain is good for my team.”

Soler is confident that his six-man team is capable of strong overall performances. The squad will start former stage winner Xavier Tondo, Carlos Oyarzun, Javier Iriarte, Pablo Lastras and Francisco Perez. Liquigas-Cannondale will be a likely threat to secure the overall title having won the event last year with Vincenzo Nibali. This year’s team includes two-time Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso. Androni-Giocattoli also has a serious contender in climber José Serpa, who placed second to Nibali last year.

“If I look at all the teams here I think Liquigas is also strong,” Soler said. “Especially with a rider like Ivan Basso.”

The Tour de San Luis will touch the Andes’ foothills on the second stage that finishes atop a five kilometre ascent in Mirador Del Potrero. The true climbing will begin on stage five with a mountaintop finish on the Mirador Del Sol. Stage six will play a major factor in the overall classification with two decisive climbs. The first ascent will take the peloton over Alto de Nogoli at the mid-point of the race and finish on the lengthy and steep climb to La Carolina.

“I know that stage six will be very difficult,” Soler said. “It will be a place for attacks and for the race to open up. If I can stay in the front group and at the front then I think that is the most important thing. I think this will be the stage that suits me the best but I have to wait and see what my condition is like. So far this year I haven’t done many kilometres but I hope that my form is still going to be good.”

Soler believes that the Tour de San Luis is a prime event to start the season because of its warm climate and mountainous terrain. He will use the seven-stage event as an important step of his preparation for the Tour de France in July, where he won the king of the mountains classification in 2007. This year he hopes to trade in the polka-dots for the yellow jersey.

“I want to have a good race here and prepare for the European calendar,” Soler said. “I think this is a very good race for preparation. I want to arrive to the Tour de France in very good condition. In order to prepare, I will compete in a lot of mountain stage races like this. Winning the climber’s jersey at the Tour de France was important but I would like to win the overall. The best opportunity and fortune would be to win the overall. But it is always good to be able to win any jersey.”


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The Dartmoor Classic

In the four years we’ve staged The Dartmoor Classic, we’ve never had such a rapid take up of places and, despite planning for a 10percent increase in the size of the field, it looks like our best attempts to satisfy demand may again be thwarted.” said Stewart Bergman, chairman of the organising team.

The event, which takes place on June 26, will welcome representatives from Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Holland, Russia, Switzerland, the USA and Zimbabwe as well as all the home nations.    
With a choice of two well signed and marshalled routes through the spectacular Dartmoor National Park the internationally-recognised event is now a must-do ride for all who enjoy a challenge. “We’re awarding unique granite trophies for all finishers, gold, silver and bronze standard medals for those who beat the time standards and, thanks to Specialized’s support, amazing value-packed goodie-bags,” said the event’s organiser, Ken Robertson. “There’ll also be bountifully-stocked feeding stations, individual timing, mechanical back-up, paramedic support, National Escort Group motorbikes, a vibrant Depart Village and everything you’d expect of a major promotion, plus a whole lot more.” he added.

The Depart Village will open at noon on the eve of the event, when riders and their supporters can soak up the relaxed atmosphere and enjoy the many attractions. These will include the Specialized Chill-out Dome, cycle trade exhibition, live music and a wide variety of activities.

To encourage riders to register on the Saturday and avoid the following morning’s rush, there are also free cycling product prize draws every hour. The village reopens on Sunday in time to welcome riders home and offers a second chance to view all that is on display.

Despite increasing the event’s capacity each year, the Dartmoor Classic is always a total sell-out, with all 2,000-plus places being filled months before last year’s ride.
Entries available online at  www.dartmoorclassic.co.uk

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Tri bars the simplest and cheapest way of cycling faster for the same effort

It would be nice if it were that straightforward, but there’s a lot more to consider than just aerodynamics. All you need to do now is get nice and low at the front so that your chin’s almost scraping on the road and before you know it you’ll be slashing minutes off your time trial times, all because you create less drag.

Yes, tri bars are the simplest and cheapest way of cycling faster for the same effort, because your body, and specifically your frontal area which meets the wind, accounts for over 60 percent of your total aerodynamic drag. By allowing you to get lower, they do more to improve the profile you present to the wind than other, more expensive components, frames or wheels will ever do. What's more, they're easy to fit to almost any bike and very adjustable.

It's important to spend some time getting used to new kit before you race and that's certainly true with tri bars. But you also need to be wary when adopting an aero position. The conclusions of a recent research study, which I conducted at Brunel University, suggested that riding while crouched low on your tri bars may reduce the amount of power you're able to produce.

Aero bar testing
We tested age group triathletes over a 20-minute cycling time trial followed immediately by a 15-minute run at self-selected 5K race pace. They cycled in a crouched aero position as well as in the more upright position of riding with hands on the hoods. We measured average power produced on the bike, as well as their running economy.

Not only did we find that the triathletes produced an average of eight percent more power when cycling in the upright cycling position, but perhaps more surprisingly they also demonstrated a four percent improvement in their running economy. We concluded that the narrower hip angle produced by the crouched aero position may affect muscle recruitment patterns, leading to higher oxygen usage, heart and breathing rates.

Hip angle
So does this mean we should avoid using aero bars? Certainly not. Aero advantages should definitely be on your hit list, but you should aim to achieve your aero position with as large a hip angle as possible. If you have a road bike with tri bars, it's likely that your hip angle is too closed. A well-fitted time trial bike with its steeper frame geometry is more likely to guarantee you increased cycling power and better running performance.


Not all of us can afford, or even want to have, two bikes though. So the key is simply to make sure that, through adjustment of your seat fore/aft position and handlebar height, you keep as open a hip angle as possible while still maintaining a crouched aero position so you can ride fast. So stick with those tri bars, be prepared to spend some time optimising your setup, and there’s no reason you can’t go out and get that new personal best.

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Simon Gerrans is back in Adelaide

Champion Simon Gerrans is back in Adelaide with the motivation of a potential winner after showing great form by taking the bronze medal at the Australian Open Road Race Championship on Sunday in Ballarat.

"I'm pleased with how it was going at the National's," Gerrans told Cyclingnews after his arrival in Adelaide. "We had a plan at Team Sky to help me try and win and we pretty much stuck to the plan but you can't be disappointed to be beat by someone like Jack [Bobridge] who is such an outstanding rider.

"It's still nice to have something even though it's only a bronze medal and not what I wanted at the start. It shows the good work done by the team and how we prepared for this season," he added.

As he reached the Adelaide Hilton, Gerrans saw himself pictured on the wall as the first man to have won the Tour Down Under after the introduction of the ochre leader's jersey in 2006. "It seems like it was a long time ago," the Victorian said. "I've had a few wins since then but the Tour Down Under was a different race back then too.

"Up until 2007, it was an opportunists' race but in the past three years it's been very much a sprinters' race. When you look at the field this year, a majority of the best sprinters in the world are here. For me, plenty of people will ride for a bunch sprint but there are some hills on the course and maybe we'll upset the sprinters on several occasions."

As the slogan of the Santos Tour Down Under goes, Gerrans is 'feeling the rush' again as he'll line up in Australia's biggest cycling event for the first time since he became the first Australian to win a stage in each of the three Grand Tours (France in 2008, Italy and Spain in 2009).

Two years ago he joined the Cervélo TestTeam, which wasn't in the ProTour and therefore didn't qualify for the Australian event; he chose to miss it during his first season with Team Sky last year. "In 2009, I finished my season late, so it was logical to start my 2010 season a bit later too," he recalled. "But in 2010, I finished quite early with the world championship in Geelong, so I also started racing earlier with the Bay Crits in Australia."

Gerrans' 2010 season was badly affected by a heavy fall at the Criterium International that left him a bit short in condition for the Ardennes Classics, where he made the top 10 in all three of them the previous year. Two other nasty crashes took him out of the Tour de France and his preparation for the World's was shortened by Team Sky's early retirement from the Vuelta a Espana following the death of their masseur Txema Gonzalez.
"I want to try and race a little more this year," explained Gerrans. "It's not about doing more days of racing but each time I'll race I want to be competitive and have an objective in mind, whether it's for the team or myself. I'm not using a race for a training ride this year."

As there is a new policy at Team Sky that riders aren't allowed to disclose their race program until the team management releases it, cycling fans aren't supposed to know yet where Gerrans will be racing this year, but the Victorian admits that the Ardennes Classics are still a major objective for him.

He also welcomed the arrival of GC riders such as Rigoberto Uran and Michael Rogers to Sky. "We've really grown as a team," he commented. "We'll all race much better this year. After the disappointments of last year, a few of us want to get back on top of the results." And if his physical form is anything to go by, Gerrans looks like he's already back.

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The New Specialized Allez Triple Bike

Specialized Allez Triple is a modestly priced bike with racing aspirations, and the decades Specialized have spent producing aluminium Allez frames haven't been squandered. Our only criticism is the comparatively low top gear, which seems a strange choice on an otherwise racy bike. 

Frame: A good looking chassis with a carbon fibre fork (9/10)Handling: Offers the uncompromised handling of a race bike (8/10) Equipment: Shimano 2300 works well and adds to the look. We’d prefer a 12-26T cassette (7/10) Wheels: Well thought out for the price. Decent tyres too (8/10)

The Allez has quite a history behind it, with a timeline stretching back to 1979, when the ?rst Allez bikes were made in Japan. Production has since moved, with today’s frame proudly boasting a ‘handmade in Taiwan’ sticker on the down tube. The Triple model is the second cheapest in the present Allez range of six bikes; the same frame with a standard 52/39T double chainset is available for £559.

The Allez is a machine with racing ambitions coursing through its veins, designed to be ridden fast. Even with 23mm tyres there’s no clearance for full mudguards, with no mountings for them or racks. Look further beneath the surface and there are even more race-ready features in its DNA. Specialized have also managed to spec their FACT carbon fork, which is great to see on a bike costing less than £600.

At this price, it’s no surprise that Shimano’s 2300 provides the shifters and front and rear mechs, but it’s good to see the same groupset’s 52/42/30T triple chainset too. This looks and works faultlessly. The cassette is a 13-26T; this gives a top gear of 108in, which is on the low side for a bike that otherwise seems set up as a high-speed machine, and you might ?nd yourself running out of gears if you really crank up the sprints or power down the hills. The double version has the same cassette, though the dearer Allez Sport models have a racier 12-25T.

Mavic’s CXP 22s are tough rims that are seen on bikes much more expensive than this, the hubs are well sealed, and Specialized’s 23mm All Condition Sport tyres are supple and grippy, coping with poorer surfaces well. Wider tyres would offer more cushioning but would be trickier to ?t safely given the Allez’s tight clearances.

It might be a few grand removed from the Specialized Tarmac SL3 bikes ridden by the professionals, but the Allez frame has the same tapered head tube design and Specialized say it has the same torsional stiffness. They also say it's 20 percent stiffer than last year’s Allez. While we can’t vouch for those ?gures, or that the narrow seatstays have increased compliance, we can say that the handling is taut, faultless and feels every inch a racing bike when you put your foot down and start cranking on the pedals.

There’s never any sense of your energy being wasted. The ?ipside is that you can feel a bit more road buzz through the frame than with some other road bikes at this price. It’s not uncomfortable – the carbon fork will help and all the contact points are good – but if all-out plushness is your main consideration, the Allez probably shouldn’t be your ?rst port of call. If you want a bike for speed, with sharp, race bike handling, this is about as good as it gets at this price.



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The Consumer Electronics Show

Early January means the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).It’s an event that remains among the world’s biggest trade shows and for mostattendees the biggest headache of the year – at least we get it out of the wayearly.

Having attended many a trade show around the world, it's safe to say they all sort of blur together after a while – and not a longwhile, at that. There's the usual registration process, followed by waves ofnew products as well as cocktail receptions on the show floor, as well asendless seminars and generally too much to do and too little time to sleep.

That said, the Sands Convention Center, which serves asInterbike’s current home, looks very different in January. The crowd isdifferent – older, dressed in suits and a tad more jaded about the future.The show is loud, big and frankly a bit too much. Anyone who can’t believe thecost of high-end bikes should check out the high-end home audio, where justspeaker cables can set you back a few thousand dollars.

While the crowd is different, the name of the game isthe same. Size may matter when it comes to buying a bike, but it matters too whenbuying a TV. And in yet another parallel to our industry, they also becomesurprisingly thinner and lighter. According to the show’s producers, innovationis what will save the American economy. Isn’t technology grand?

While CES will continue on at full speed in the evenlarger Las Vegas Convention Center (now I really wish I had a bike as thebuildings are two miles apart and the bus line can be an hour long), the Sandsis taken over by another show that helps Vegas sell out yearly (of hotel rooms;the city sold out long ago). This is AVN, as in Adult Video News.

That’s right, thesame halls that will be filled in September with the latest and greatest bikegear are now filled with porn stars and “adult” focused products. AVN is – atleast in this reporter’s humble opinion – the least sexy thing you’re everlikely to see. Let’s hope they bring in a truckload of bleach after thesilicone-enhanced products leave town – and we’re talking about AVN, not CES.

It's hard not to think about Interbike while at some ofthese other shows. While the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), whichis the biggest video game trade event in North America, happily remains in LosAngeles not Vegas, it has a Vegas feel. The attendees are similar as well. Lots of tattoos,everyone is wearing shorts and there's a constant smell in the air – at least at Interbike I know it's because people rode a bike in thedesert heat, not just because they haven’t showered in days.

All that said, am I thinking too fondly of Interbikebecause I’m writing as I attend other shows? Perhaps, but it's also because Iwear the aforementioned shorts and ride a bike at Interbike – whereas at CESI’m usually wearing a suit and riding buses. Maybe the other thing is that Interbike comes at the endof the trade show season, which means I’ve made it through another year.

January is filled with CES, the Detroit Auto Show andSHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show) – yes I get to shoot guns -before February’s North American International Toy Fair in New York (talk aboutcold, and yes I get to play with the new toys). I’m not really complaining; it's fun to see thenewest stuff, first, but I just wish I'd brought my bike to ride.

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Iljo Keisse will have to be content to be the "unofficial" runner-up

After forcing his way into the race through the courts, Keisse will have to be content to be the "unofficial" runner-up of the event.Iljo Keisse and his partner Kenny De Ketele fell shy of the overall victory in the Rotterdam Six Day today, conceding the race in the final Madison to Dutch team Leon Van Bon and Danny Stam.   

In addition, he faces another last-minute legal battle to be at the start of the Six Day in Bremen, Germany this Thursday after the race informed him today that he was not welcome.

The UCI has made it clear that it will not record the results of the Belgian, who received a temporary stay to his doping suspension by a Brussels court in October. The UCI say that Keisse is only allowed to race in his own country, but he took the case through the Dutch legal system, which allowed him to start in Rotterdam because of an existing contract between the rider and the race organization.

"I knew my condition was good and we would be contenders for the podium," Keisse told Sporza.be. "The UCI making my life miserable doesn't make me ride better or worse. I try to get distracted from the bike as little as possible. After all these years it is possible for me to switch it off."

Keisse received the support of his fellow riders and the fans in Rotterdam, but that may not help him to take the start in Bremen. The German organizers are unwilling to risk the ire of the UCI who in July appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to ban Keisse for doping and won.

The Belgian cycling federation refused to suspend Keisse in its 2009 hearing after he was found with two banned substances in his urine at the 2008 Six Day in Ghent, Belgium. He argued that the adverse analytical findings came as the result of cold medicine and a contaminated supplement.

The UCI and WADA appealed to the CAS, which handed Keisse a two-year ban in July, 2010. Keisse was heard in October by the Brussels appeals court, which raised the question in a November ruling if the CAS is a genuine court of arbitration. According to the UCI it has yet to declare its competence to make such a ruling, and will meet in April to debate the issue. It temporarily suspended the execution of the CAS decision until that time.

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Headed out for the traditional Coastal Clog

With kit laid out the night before quickly pulled onto a shivering body, porridge eaten and coffee gulped, I headed out for the traditional Coastal Clog.

While the most recent weather forecast that I saw in preparation of this ride suggested a warm day, the hard frost and white countryside that greeted my eyes as I pedalled through south London and out through the suburbs of Surrey towards Dorking suggested it would be anything but a sun-kissed ride.

The reason for the early start is all Richard Hallett's fault. It's his annual Coastal Clog, a 100-mile ride that he's been hosting for the past 20 years that acts as an early season blow-the-cobwebs-away ride, a good opportunity to get the first long pedal turner under the belt. To kick-start the year with a bang, as you mean to go on.

Due to the time of the year, the weather typically plays a hand in the smooth running (or otherwise) of the 'event'. 2011 would be no different. The roads were slippery, as discovered on several occasions just on the cycle to the meeting point. A few ‘moments’ as the rear tyre tried to get away revealed to me that, for the first few hours of our dash to the coast and back, the ride could be treacherous. Little did I realise just how true these words would become.

Hunkering down in the not-so-warm Ryka’s Café at 9am, now already starting to bustle with the sound of leather-clad (and slightly bulging) motorbike riders gathering for an early Sunday blast around the Surrey lanes, Richard Hallett, Neil Webb, Simon Smythe and I downed several coffees or hot chocolates. We swapped tales of our individual incident-packed journeys to the meeting place.

Lengthy wait over, gloves removed from the radiators and snugly pulled on, we zipped up our jackets and rolled out. Following the A24 through Dorking and the first climb of the day comes quickly. With just the four of us however, and several of whom are still getting over winter colds, the pace was thankfully steady and measured. Today wouldn't be an attacking and lung-busting ride, a small mercy for one still evacuating snot at an extremely rapid rate.

Clouds of exhaled breath pouring over his shoulder, Richard led us up the first climb, and soon we turned left and began our navigation of the quiet country lanes that make up this ever-rolling route to the coast. Diving through sleepy villages and winding past bustling car parks, joggers out getting an early morning run, we were in a buoyant mood.

Trading stories of Christmas excess, discussion turning towards the cyclist's favourite 'how much riding are you doing now’, the inevitable cyclist's desire to find out what his fellow riders have been up to. How many hours have they been doing, how serious are they at this time of year, what form is everyone in, hoping to assess the natural pecking order of the group in advance of the 100 miles to the coast and back.

Then, just as we were warmed up, the ride turned sour. Riding happily along the country lanes at a speed of 30kph or more, in a nice little group two abreast along a particularly straight ribbon of Tarmac, Simon caught a patch of ice. This set in motion an unavoidable sequence of events.

First, his Condor fishtailed wildly, the rear wheel sliding first right then left, all played out in slow motion right in front of Neil and myself.

We had nowhere to go.

Neil caught his front wheel on Simon’s sliding rear, pushing the front of his bike out to the left and in doing so colliding with my rear wheel. This unfortunate chain of events saw the three of us each meeting with the cold, hard road and sliding along to an undignified halt.

That spelt ride over. Deciding the roads were just too risky, we opted to risk it no further and turned about and headed home. That’s not to say the ride home was any safer, but there’s just no knowing what condition the roads would be like further into the route. Better or worse, there’s no way of knowing. And with three battered, bloodied and bruised riders, continuing seemed the less favourable option. Sometimes even the most determined are forced to face facts and take the sensible option.

So we’ll be looking to embark again on this annual ride to the coast and back. And hopefully it’ll be incident free. Something we can take away from this attempt, other than grazed knees and hips all round and ripped Lyrcra tights, is a warning of just how dangerous cycling in winter conditions can be. Be careful out there.

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Verenti Kilmeston designed to be a versatile

If you remove both guards and rack and it's light enough to tackle the odd sportive.Verenti's Kilmeston is designed to be a versatile, all-year riding machine. With a full complement of mudguards it's ready for wet winter riding, and come warmer weather you can make use of the rear rack ?ttings and load up for a spot of light touring.

Frame: Quality triple-butted aluminium, with geometry for a comfortably quick ride (8/10)Handling: Stable, con?dent and plenty quick enough (8/10) Equipment: SRAM Rival is hard to beat at this price. Only the saddle lets down the component package (9/10) Wheels: Solid, mid-range wheels that roll well are class-leading for their weight, and are shod with good rubber (9/10)

Bearing in mind the Kilmeston’s triple-butted aluminium frame and slim carbon fork, we were expecting a fairly ?rm ride. It actually does a very good job of smoothing out the high-frequency buzz of rough road surfaces.

The only real comfort complaint we had was with the Me3 saddle; its narrow, ?at pro?le is at odds with the comfort of the overall package, and we spent plenty of time moving it round. We tried  – and failed – to ?nd a comfortable position we were truly happy with, especially on the climbs.

The tall frame and long head tube (195mm) combined with 40mm of headset spacers gives a fairly upright riding position. This can obviously be adjusted by moving the spacers. In standard trim though, the commanding position feels great for a bike that will undoubtedly be used for commuting and training.
Handling is con?dent, with the emphasis on stability rather than the snappy speed of a more race-orientated bike. This makes the Kilmeston an excellent choice if you want a dependable, comfortable and fun second bike for winter training.

It also makes sense if you need one bike that will handle commuting with ease, whatever the weather, and be light and fast enough for forays into distance rides and the odd event or sportive. We’d even recommend sticking a rear rack on and using the Kilmeston for light touring and long weekends in the saddle.


The SRAM Rival drivetrain paired with a Truvativ Elita compact chainset gives a very usable 50/34 up front and a 12-27 rear cassette – a wide spread capable of conquering most climbs you can expect in the UK.
Shifting is positive and quick. Not quite as rapid as SRAM’s top-?ight Red group, but easily the equal of its counterparts from Shimano or Campagnolo.

In fact, the more we use SRAM’s mid-range offering the more we like it. Yes, it takes time to get accustomed to the ‘double tap’ shift, especially in a panic or under load, but the simplicity of one lever is great. Plus, the big pistol-grip hoods offer a great, comfortable shape.

The Me3 brakes paired with the Rival levers don’t have quite the same stopping power as SRAM’s top-class units, but they offer predictable progression when applying pressure throughout the levers’ movement. They're an understandable choice for Verenti at the price.

Like the saddle, the bar and stem are own-brand Me3, while the wheels are Verenti-branded Pro-Lites, hand built and shod with Vittoria Diamante Pro tyres. The complete weight of 9.5kg (20.9lb) for our large test bike – including pedals – is impressive at this price. It actually feels less because of the wheels: fast and tough rubber wrapped around a light rolling package gives the Kilmeston a sprightly feel, something that can get lost when compromises are made due to budget.

The Kilmeston’s strong spec and excellent wheel package make it a real bargain at £900, even more so given that Wiggle, the company behind Verenti, is currently offering it for £750. We’d recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone making their ?rst foray into drop-barred bikes or wanting a second bike for commuting, training and touring.

The Kilmeston isn’t trying to be a fast and ?ighty bullet, and it’s all the better for that. It’s comfortable, con?dent, hard-wearing and speedy enough – just a great ride.

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A long road ride

There's a chance coming up to do a long road ride: 120 miles plus the return ride the following day from London to Poole for a trade show. Trouble is, the weather forecast is not good, with heavy showers and even continuous rain likely for most of the morning.

Supposing I bite the bullet and get stuck in, the mount of choice will be my Indy Fab Club Racer, which is all-day comfortable, mudguarded and, er, good-looking. Recently, however, the brake blocks have started looking a bit thin. They'll soon need replacement. How soon?

Were the forecast for dry weather, I'd leave them. Even used hard, they wear slowly in good conditions and would surely last the ride. Were I riding 26 miles per day in wet weather, I'd leave them subject to a daily inspection; there's probably still enough meat in each block for several day's commuting despite the wear that would take place on each of them.

A long ride in the rain, however, is a different matter. Blocks can wear out in an alarmingly short time if used heavily in wet conditions, grit in the water splashed up off the road abrading them away so quickly that, if part worn, they can go down to the metal of the shoes over the course of a day. Many a participant in a wet Etape du Tour or similar sportive has rued not fitting new ones for the event.

The last thing I want is to find my brakes unusable on some steep Dorset descent, so I dug around in my spares box for some replacements. The blocks concerned are replaceable ones housed in shoes rather than the one-piece moulded type and are removed by undoing a small retaining screw and sliding the worn block rearwards. Usually this is easy enough although a recalcitrant block may need persuasion.

Getting the new one in, however, is often a real annoyance. They are moulded to precise dimensions and yet while some slide into the shoes easily, others - such as those fitted this morning - need a real push and a splash of water for lubrication. For some reason I find this the least agreeable of maintenance jobs, not least because even the cleanest of bikes has filthy brake blocks.

Once done, however, the firm, reassuring feel of those newly-refurbished brakes more than makes up for it. Why delay?

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Alessandro Ballan preparation for the classics

Alessandro Ballan will skip the Tours of Qatar and Oman as he alters his preparation for the classics,is determined to put his disappointing debut season with BMC behind him and return to the levels that saw him win the world championships road race in Varese in 2008.

“I want to return to being the rider of 2007 and 2008,” Ballan told Gazzetta dello Sport. “You know that my objectives are Flanders, which is a beautiful race, and Paris-Roubaix, which is history.”

Ballan won the Tour of Flanders in 2007 and finished third in the 2008 Paris-Roubaix behind Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara. However, he endured an underwhelming season in the rainbow jersey in 2009 and he faced further problems during his first year at BMC.

The Italian was withheld from competition for most of April and May by his team, when it emerged that he was linked in the Mantua-based investigation into alleged doping at his former Lampre team. After an internal investigation, BMC cleared Ballan to return to racing at the end of May but he struggled for form thereafter and failed to make the Italian squad for the world championships in Geelong.

Looking ahead to the 2011 season, Ballan has altered his calendar and will forgo the February races in the Middle East in order to have a home-based build-up to the classics.

“I’ve asked the team to change my programme,” he said. “Qatar and Oman don’t suit me as there aren’t any climbs, a fundamental part of my preparation. I’ll start with the Tour Down Under and then I’ll proceed with the Italian calendar as far as Milan-San Remo.”

After San Remo, Ballan will head north, where the Three Days of De Panne will be his final warm-up for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Before that, he travels to Australia on Thursday to train ahead of the Tour Down Under.

“Without doubt, 2011 is a season of redemption,” Ballan said. “And with riders like Bennati and Cunego, I’m in good company.”

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The 2011 Trek Paragon Review

The bars create the biggest ?rst impression, putting your hands right back towards your lap for an upright ride position. At first it feels weird in a ?at-steering-wheel, bus-driver way. But give it time and the lightened yet authoritative feel helps the front ?oat over rough sections.

It also offsets increased front wheel weight when you're lifting the bike up steps or wheelying across ditches or off drops, and keeps weight back on steep descents. Fans of backswept bars will say their wrists have never felt better, although some of our testers felt the shortened reach restricted breathing and enthusiasm for attacking the trail.


While switching to a straighter bar gives a more aggressive ride position, the Trek Paragon is still a more relaxed character than other 29ers. The light G2 steering and stiff fork axle/tapered head tube mean front wheel placement accuracy and line holding is good on ground the tyres grip on.

The long rear end means a wide turning circle and a less snappy feel in the tighter stuff, and you’ll soon run out of corner if you try and push the pace too hard on snaking singletrack.

The tyres and wheels aren’t particularly light, which means a slow heave out of tight corners or stalling situations. However, the whole bike is pretty fat-free. It climbs and accelerates well in middle and big ring gears. The Bontrager rubber rolls well, making this a fast and easy cruising bike for long-haul riding.

It’s not the stiffest in terms of pedalling feel, but that’s repaid with a smooth overall ride. The jolt-reducing effect comes from a combination of quality fork and well-shaped frame, plus ?ex in the backswept bars and skinny seatpost.

The tubeless-ready compatibility of the rims and tyres mean softer, lower-pressure running is a couple of rim strips and squirts of sealant away. Lower tyre pressures would offset the tendency of the plasticky-feeling tyres to slide on harder, wet surfaces.

Frame: Well-suited to stiffness

As the top alloy-framed bike in the eight-strong Gary Fisher Collection hardtail range, the Paragon gets the most advanced hydroformed 6066 alloy tubeset. This includes a stubby top and bottom reinforced head tube for the tapered E2 steerer fork.


The down tube gets a subtle curve and expansion tweak behind the head tube. Both main tubes use a rounded geometric section that ends up ovalised at the seat tube for increased lateral stiffness.
The seat tube uses an extended top with three clamp slots to spread any potential crack/fatigue load, and there’s a bolted collar to hold the skinny 27.7mm seatpost.

Equipment: Unusual backswept bar

Out back, mid-section rectangular stays curve past crank and ankle areas to forged drop-outs. These include a rear-facing disc mount to reduce torque stress on the stays, although it’s still a heavier, ?ddlier IS rather than post-style mount.

The braceless rear stays leave generous mud clearance around the tyres. Five frame sizes, from 15.5in to 23in, should cater for most riders. The Fox fork gets a 15mm QR axle with a custom 51mm G2 geometry offset at the fork crown.

A 185mm front rotor adds extra stopping power to the Avid brakes, while a Shimano/SRAM mix delivers a reasonable 30-speed transmission for the money.

Bontrager wheels and fat, low-tread tyres provide the rolling stock. The ?nishing kit is Bontrager too, including the backswept Big Sweep bar gripped in the short stem.

Whatever you think of the backswept bar, the Paragon is a naturally easy and ef?cient cruiser with the appropriate kit to enhance its relaxed ride. Low weight and fast tyres make it deceptively quick, although it’ll come unstuck if you try and push the pace too hard on tight, technical trails.

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