Bikes Etc - January 2015 UK

Gold Di2
2599
Gold 6800
1999
PERFORMANCE
STYLE
ALL THE RIGHT
COMFORT
ELEMENTS
PRICE
Gold Limited Chorus

2999
Gold Limited Dura Ace
2999
To find out more information and to purchase or locate a dealer, visit
www.orrobikes.com
www.orrobikes.com
Oxygen 105 3T Accellero

1399
Oxygen 105 Racing 7

1299
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CONTENTS
ON THE COVER
29 Cold-weather training plan
Survival tips for icy roads, and how to burn
o your Christmas dinner on the bike.
44 On location: pro bikes
Three bikes from the peloton put to the test

on the pro training ground of Tenerife.
64 The science of suering
We delve into the minds of cyclings kings

of pain to nd out what makes them tick.
70 Training with power meters

Now theyre no longer the preserve of the
pros, nd out how you can use a power
meter to boost your performance.
FEATURES
56 Prole: Rob Hayles
The ex-pro on his enduring love of cycling.
76 Tech test: braking distance

The science of slow explored.
FIRST RIDE
44
On location:
pro bikes
We had the opportunity to ride

on a beautiful island with roads
that make champions.
36
New bikes, future kit, latest tech
13 Argon 18 Nitrogen Ultegra

An eye-catching aero bike thats packed
with innovative features.
56
76
16 Pinnacle Dolomite Six
Fun, practical and yours for under 1,000.
18 Sugoi Zap jacket
The hi-viz jacket that isnt a hi-viz jacket.
19 Ritchey WCS nishing kit
Quality components from the iconic brand.
20 Vulpine Harrington jacket
Find out how it fared on our long-term test.
20 Panaracer Gravel King tyre

A road tyre thats equally happy on the trail.
21 Endura Airshell helmet
Head protection that will get you noticed.
Helen Wyman
Everybody cheering me on in
my home World Cup race was
worth an extra gear each lap!
Rob Hayles
As a kid, I always xed things. I

couldnt aord Oakleys, so made
my own with elastic bands.
Braking distance
The idea that riders with disc

brakes would forever crash into
bikes with rim brakes was let go.
January 2015 BikesEtc 7
CONTENTS
DPART
23 Trend: #capsnothats
The social media movement to ban

baseball caps from the podium.
25 Kit: Cube Road

Pro shoes
Style and performance from the

German manufacturer.
26 Nutrition: DIY energy

How to make your own ride fuel.
32 Maintenance: winterproof your cycling
Look after your bike and it will look

after you.
34 Gear: Edco Monoblock

casse8e
An 11spd casse'e for 10spd wheels.
36 Pro rider: Helen

Wyman
The cyclocross star and her bike.
39 Timeline: Oakley
Eyeshades
Thirty years of the pros shades.
40 Opinion: disc brakes

Why were total disc-heads.
ReviewsEtc
Welcome to BikesEcs reviews section. Whether youre after a bike, kit or clothing,
weve put the latest gear through its paces to help you nd whats right for you
Cube Axial
WLS GTC SL
86
Bianchi Intenso
Dama Bianca
90
Turbo trainers
Wilier Stella
94
Toolkits
101
112
Base
layers
108
Overshoes
Caf locks
118
Rear lights
123
127
THE AWARDS
BEST
VALUE
Best Value
The winner of this award may not have
the highest overall score in the test,
and it may not be the cheapest, but it
will always represent especially good
performance at its price.
BEST
INTEST
Best In Test
The overall winner in each group test.
Scoring highly in all criteria, it will be
an excellent all-rounder. Where two
or more items achieve equally high
scores, it will be the one that has that
extra something a touch of style, a
special feature that takes the prize.
GOLD
AWARD
BikesEc Gold Award

This prestigious award goes to bikes,
accessories, components or items
of apparel with exceptional levels of
performance, design and build quality
that make them must-haves. Dont
expect to see it every issue we only
hand it out when its truly deserved.
January 2015 BikesEtc Q 83
85 1,800 womens bikes

Shrink it and pink it? No thanks.
101 Turbo trainers
Choose well, make indoor riding fun.
108 Base layers
26
HERES HOW OUR REVIEWS WORK
ReviewsEtc is your essential buyers guide to the
best road cycling products. Every month, we feature
in-depth group tests of the latest bikes, clothing,
components and accessories to ensure youre as
well informed as possible when it comes to spending
your cash. We know that making the right decision
is equally important whether youre spending 10
on a pair of socks or several thousand on a new bike.
For each group test, we use an extensive set of
criteria, including performance, ease of use, build
quality and value for money. We take our time to come
up with the best way to test every product, whether
that means building a special rig to test pump
pressure or standing out in a pitch-black country lane
in the middle of the night to measure lighting beam
pa(erns. Note that all weights and measurements are
taken from our own testing procedures, not from the

details supplied by the manufacturer.
We then take the products out for road testing,
riding, using and wearing them as thoroughly as
possible on commutes, training rides and even in
races, to see how well made and durable they are and
how well they cope with real-world cycling situations.
Outside of our main reviews section, we also give
scores for many of the other bikes and products we
feature in the magazine. Although our First Ride bike
tests are not as in-depth as our main reviews, we aim
to give you an at-a-glance overview of the key features,
characteristics and qualities of the bike based on
our rst impressions. Many of these bikes will then
be subjected to full long-term testing to appear in
group test reviews in a future issue.
THE RATINGS
THE AWARDS
Rating
ERGONOMICS
CONSTRUCTION
EASE OF USE
Top tips for toasty torsos.
112 Toolkits
Be your own mechanic.
118 Overshoes
Protect your feet from the elements.
123 Caf stop locks
Dont let opportunist thieves strike.
127 Rear lights
Be safe, be seen from behind.
8 BikesEtc January2015
For each group test, we

score the products based
on a comprehensive range of
criteria. There isnt space to
give a full breakdown of the
scoring, but we highlight the
most important and relevant
features so you can see in
which areas each product
performs especially well,
and where its weak spots lie.
OVERALL
BEST
VALUE
Best Value
Winners of this award may not have the highest
overall score in their group test, and may not
be the cheapest, but they will always represent
especially good performance for their price.
10
Giving extra weight to the

most important features,
we add up the ratings for
each product and convert
them into an overall score
out of 10. Note that while
two products may achieve
the same overall score,
they may be very dierent
in key areas see individual
ratings for further detail.
BEST
INTEST
GOLD
AWARD
Best In Test
The overall winner in each test. Scoring highly in
all criteria, this will be an excellent all-rounder,
often with an extra something a touch of style,
a special feature that sets it apart.
BikesEc Gold Award
This award goes to bikes, kit or components
with exceptional levels of performance and
design. Dont expect to see it every issue
we only hand it out when its truly deserved.
Innovative Performance Apparel
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Thermopile insulation is breathable and comfortable
3 rear pockets provide excellent storage and access
POWER GLOVES H20 WINTER OVERSHOE COMMUTER GTX ROAD

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Be Visible! Be Safe!
Northwave has always leveraged its expertise to improve safety as well as
performance. It is committed to producing and advancing technologies and
products that protect cyclists so that nothing can ever diminish their desire to get
out and ride.
This commitment is epitomized by the Be Visible,
Be Safe! clothing range, which has become a global
success thanks to the choice of bright uorescent
colours, strategically positioned reective details and
inserts, and the special HiViz LED device.
Always be visible in every situation, even in the
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BE VISIBLE! BE SAFE!
EDS LETTER
Issue 003 / January 2015

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Editorial
Editor Wesley Doyle
Deputy Editor Andy Waterman
Art Director Andrew Sumner
Production Editor David Kenning
Sta Writer Joseph Delves
Product testers Susannah Osborne, Kevin MacNeil
Consultant Creative Director Ash Gibson
Freelance Design Camille Neilson, Marc Southey
Freelance Sub Editing Mia Bleach
Photography Henry Carter, Danny Bird, Jenni Leskinen
Advertising
Advertising Director Sean Igoe
Advertising Manager Nin Virdi
Senior Sales Executive Jake Adams
Sales Executive Patrick Stokes
Agency Sales Manager Claire OFarrell
Agency Account Manager Lisa Jay
Agency Account Executive Carly Activille
Publishing, Marketing and Subs
Editorial Director Pete Muir
Publisher Nicola Bates
Publishing Director James Burnay
Direct Marketing Manager Holly Mills
Direct Marketing Executive Paul Goodhead
Marketing Manager James Young
Production and Newstrade
Senior Production Executive Anisha Mogra
Network Production Manager Kerry Lambird
Newstrade Director David Barker
Newstrade Manager James Mangan
Seeing my kids
enjoying riding
their bikes keeps
alive the dream that
one day a Doyle will
ride for a pro team!
o by the time youre reading this, Christmas has probably

come and gone, and hopefully the cycling Santa brought
you everything you asked for. The greatest gift for the cyclist
though if youre lucky enough to work for a company that
shuts down over the festive period is the week between
Christmas and New Years Day that stretches out full of riding possibilities.
You could try out some new routes or improve your time on well-trodden
ones. Alternatively if youre not a club rider, why not get together with a
bunch of like-minded souls and head out on a caf run? For those who can
dedicate more time to hi.ing the road, there are challenges such as Raphas
Festive 500 (ride 500km between 24 and 31 December)
or if youve got time, why not plan your own?
If you have kids, I recommend heading out on a ride with them. Its
amazing how well they respond to seeing their parents on their bikes and
want to emulate them. Ive got twin boys and even though Ive signed up to
the aforementioned Festive 500 (again!) what Im most looking forward
to is taking them out on the new bikes Santa has brought them. Seeing the
enjoyment they get out of riding is a greater gift than any I could give them
and it also keeps alive the dream that one day a Doyle will ride for a pro team!
As always, Im keen to hear what you think of the latest issue so feel free to
email me at wesley_doyle@dennis.co.uk and let me know what were ge.ing
right, what were ge.ing wrong, and what youd like to see in future issues.
Syndicaton and Licensing

Syndication Manager Anj Dosaj-Halai
Licensing Manager Carlo=a Serantoni
Dennis Publishing
Group Managing Director Ian Westwood
COO Bre= Reynolds
Group Finance Director Ian Legge=
CEO James Tye
Company Founder Felix Dennis
Copyright Dennis Publishing Limited. Under licence
from Felix Dennis. Origination and retouching by Tapestry.
Printed by Wyndeham Southernprint, Poole. Distributed
by Seymour Distribution. All rights reserved. BikesEtc
is a trademark and cannot be reproduced in the UK and
Republic of Ireland without permission of Dennis Publishing
Ltd. BikesEtc is published by Dennis Publishing Ltd and
is sold subject to the following terms, namely that it shall
not without the wri3en consent of the publishers be lent,
resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of Trade
at more than the recommended selling price displayed on
the cover and that it shall not be lent, resold or hired out
in a mutilated condition or in any unauthorised cover by
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BikesEtc is available for international licensing and
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Get 3 issues for 5
To subscribe to BikesEtc call: 0844 826 5024.
Or subscribe online at: bikesetc.co.uk/subscribe
Wesley Doyle, Editor
10 BikesE c January 2015
Prestige brands from i-ride.co.uk
THE FACTOR
The new Easton EC90 ACC carbon sole offers greater torsional and longitudinal stiffness,
ultra-low stack height and a replaceable heel pad for durability. A breathable Evofiber upper
and micro-ratcheting buckle work with our SuperNatural Fit System to support your foot comfortably.
If you want a better connection to your pedals, this is your shoe. Learn more at Giro.com
FIRST RIDE
NEW BIKES FUTURE KIT LATEST TECH
ARGON 18
NITROGEN
ULTEGRA 3,500
Aero is everywhere but for the

shape of things to come, look no
further than Argon 18; its Nitrogen
frameset builds on a reputation for
innovation but doesnt come cheap
here arent many Canadian

bike brands among the upper
echelons of road cycling, but
those that have made it know
how to get noticed. Argon 18 is
a case in point: like its fellow
Canuck Cervlo, its a brand
with a reputation for riderfocused innovation and boundary-busting design.
Taking over as a title sponsor of the NetApp-Endura
team in 2015 (it will now be Bora-Argon 18), Argon 18s
stock is set to rise as it reaches a wider audience.
The Nitrogen pictured here is Argon 18s
aerodynamic road bike. For the purposes of cu:ing
through the air as eciently as possible, the frontal
area is impressively narrow with cables taking the
most direct route into the frame, or passing only
through the dirtiest air (that which has experienced
the most turbulence already thanks to moving
parts such as legs and wheels). The brakes are also
dierent to normal callipers, comprising TRPs
Most bikes that come into the

BikesEtc oce have a boom
bracket drop of 65-70mm.
The Nitrogens drop of 75mm
makes the bike more stable
and faster through corners
aerodynamic mini V-brakes, which allow air to pass
over the fork and seatstays with less interruption.
The narrow prole and hidden brakes are
complemented by aero tube proles, using the
UCI-approved truncated aerofoil (the tube doesnt
taper to a point but is cut o early to come in within
the UCIs rules on ratios 4:1 is banned, but 3:1 is OK).
This keeps the air owing smoothly and eciently.
Its a concept that extends to the seatpost, which has
a deep section and is secured by a hidden 4mm allen
key bolt in further nods to aerodynamics. Another
advantage of the bespoke aero seatpost is the fact
that it doesnt need aligning like a round seatpost
set your saddle height and you can guarantee it will
be straight. Whats more, the frame weighs in below
the magic kilo mark at 960g.
So far, thats all pre:y standard stu. Every aero
road bike on the market uses some combination of
these features. So whats the Nitrogens USP? First
up, take a look at the top cap of the headset: that isnt
just a specially shaped spacer that sits on top of the
bearings, but rather a presst spacer that becomes
part of the headset assembly, raising the upper
bearing to add handlebar height without sacricing
stiness. Two spacers are supplied, 15 and 25mm, as
well as a stock headset top cap, so riders can choose
from three bar heights, customizing from there with
standard headset spacers.
Thats clever, but so is the geometry. Standard
road bikes are typically based on a moderately
sized 56cm frame with all the other sizes stemming
from there. So look at a size 48cm frame and it
will normally have the same length chainstays as
a size 62, which will mean the comparative weight
distribution for two riders of dierent sizes will
be massively dierent. Argon 18s AFS system is
interesting in the way the geometry changes through
the size range, with the intention of maintaining
consistency in the ride feel, and also making it easy
for riders to achieve the right t, so while our small
tester has 40.6cm chainstays and a 97cm wheelbase,
A choice of presst spacers

that become part of the
headset allow riders to easily
adjust bar height
As is increasingly typical
on modern aero road bikes,
a recessed bolt secures the
deep-section seatpost
ARGON 18 NITROGEN ULTEGRA FIRST RIDE
Frameset: Full carbon, aero fork with

sheltered brake
TRP Mini V-brakes add

to the Nitrogens aero
qualities
Wheels: Fulcrum Racing Quattro, Conti

Force/Attack tyres
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 11-speed
Handlebar: 3T Ergosum Pro
Stem: 3T Arx Pro
Seatpost: Argon 18 aero carbon
Saddle: Prologo
Weight: 7.55kg
Price: 3,500
Contact: i-ride.co.uk
The Nitrogen has

a notably low and
narrow frontal area
A HISTORY OF AERO ON THE ROAD
Road riders and racers greatest enemy after gravity is air. Travel above
15mph and overcoming air resistance demands the majority of your
energy. Ride at 25mph, and the eort required to push through the air
is startlingly obvious. Here are a handful of wind-cheating tricks
DEEP-SECTION WHEELS
THE PACELINE
Mavic launched its Cosmic in 1994, and deep

section wheels quickly became de rigueur
in the pro ranks, largely because they look
totally pro. Now, brands like Bontrager, Zipp,
Hed, Fulcrum and
Enve produce aero
wheels that are as
likely to be used
in road races as
time trials, their
traditionalpreserve.
The crudest way of cheating the wind is

through strength in numbers, as exemplied
by the now familiar sight of the Team Sky
train in recent editions of the Tour de France.
Sit behind another rider and you can save
up to 40% of the energy you spend compared
to going at the same speed all on your
lonesome. Even the lead rider benets
with a rider tucked in behind them, the eddy
eect is reduced and the air ow improved,
which is good news for everyone.
AERO HELMETS
SPINACI BARS
Were through being cool, sang US art

rockers Devo in their 1981 hit of the same
name, while wearing upturned ower pots
on their heads. Like Devo, aero helmets
mark you out as a post-cool, serious cyclist,
someone who eschews aesthetics in favour
of marginal gains. Chris Boardman reckons
using an aero helmet is one of the easiest
ways to make yourself go faster, while Giro
claims that its Air A=ack helmet can save
you as much as 17 seconds every 40km.
A late-90s trend, Spinaci bars mimicked

the position of tri-bars used in timetrials
and were widespread in the peloton for a
couple of years. They were eventually banned
when the UCI decided it didnt like the idea
of riders drafting each other with no easy
access to their
brakes watch an
Olympic triathlon
to see the wisdom
of this move.
the large grows a full 3cm in the wheelbase, to 100cm,

with the chainstays lengthening to 41cm.
One measurement that remains consistent across
the size spectrum is the bo6om bracket drop (the
distance the centre of the bo6om bracket is below
the wheel axles) which is 75mm. Most road bikes
that come into the BikesEtc oce have a drop of
65-70mm, so 75mm is extraordinary. The reasoning
behind this is that the lower the bo6om bracket,
the more stable the bike is and the faster you can go
round corners think monster truck vs F1 car. Sure,
with the lower bo6om bracket youll be less able to
pedal with the bike leaning over mid-corner, but
if youre going faster through that corner anyway,
theres no loss. Added to this, the lower bo6om
bracket means the head tube length is shorter and
the whole unit, rider and bike, has a lower frontal
area. It may only be 5mm, but every li6le counts.
With a full Shimano Ultegra 11-speed groupset
and deep-section alloy Fulcrum Racing Qua6ro
wheels, the 3,500 Nitrogen package is very desirable
considering quite how premium the frame is. The
range continues up from here with a 4,150 Ultegra
Di2 build and a 4,500 Dura-Ace version. As Argon 18
is distributed by i-ride in the UK, nishing kit from
other i-ride brands across the range all good stu
from 3T, Continental and Prologo.
Rating
INNOVATION
PRACTICALITY
DESIRABILITY
OVERALL
10
January 2015 BikesE c 15
PINNACLE
DOLOMITE
SIX
Theres lile to choose

between 11spd 105 and
costlier alternatives
Price: 950 Weight: 8.96kg Size: Medium
A well-rounded package, the

Dolomites practical traits belie
a surprisingly nippy ride
innacle is Evans Cycles house
brand, but while it might
not have the cachet of more
established manufacturers,
the Dolomite Sixs wellrounded spec works hard to
win over potential buyers
On the shop oor, brand
recognition counts for a lot. We know we have to be
competitive. Were not going aer the top end, but
at lower price-points, smaller companies can still
be competitive, even against far bigger brands, says
the bikes designer James Olsen.
On paper, Pinnacle has done such a good job in
out3ing the frame that it compares favourably
against bikes from direct-to-consumer brands
such as Canyon or Rose.
Olsens aim with the Dolomite Six was to create a
functional all-rounder, a bike for British conditions
that would still be at home spending a week in the
Alps. Informed by the belief that unless youre
racing its not necessary to have a bike thats overly
specialist, the Pinnacle packs in clearance for larger
tyres and mudguards along with rack mounts.
Built around an extensively bu3ed aluminium
frame and tapered, full-carbon fork, it features
internal cable routing and smooth welds. Its
standard tube proles are practical rather than
radical, meaning the acid-green colour is the feature
that shouts loudest. A standard threaded bo3om
Long-drop
brakes leave
plenty of room
for wider tyres
or mudguards
Given its practical nature, the

Dolomite Sixs most surprising
trait is the fact that its so
entertaining to blast about on
bracket shell means easier servicing and makes
sense at this price.
While Olsen sees the majority of bikes selling
to people in search of their sole road bike, the
Dolomite Six could also make a great winter training
bike or commuter for those who have the luxury
of owning two rides. At 950, it squeezes in at the
cost of a pair of pedals below the critical 1,000 cycle
to work scheme limit.
An emphasis on comfort and practicality is
evident in the bikes geometry. Its numbers have
been knocked back slightly compared to more
race-orientated designs. In use, an extra centimetre
on the chainstays and between the bo3om bracket
and front hub provides space for mudguards and
increases stability, while a slackish head tube
keeps the steering predictable rather than twitchy.
A reasonably tall stack height means you shouldnt
need too many spacers beneath the stem to get the
bars to a comfortable position. Our size medium
measured 56cm across the top with a 50cm seat tube,
resulting in an abundance of standover clearance.
16 BikesEtc January 2015
Super-sti proprietary
chainrings adorn the
compact four-arm chainset
Frame: 6061-T6
triple-butted aluminium
Fork: Tapered carbon steerer
Groupset: Shimano 105
5800 11-speed
Brakes: Tektro R359
Wheels: Shimano RS21
Tyres: Continental
Ultra-Sport II folding 25c
Price: 950
Contact: pinnacle-bikes.co.uk
The low-slung frame keeps the centre of gravity close

to the ground and will especially suit those who enjoy
throwing the bike around, either when diving into
corners or thrashing side to side while sprinting.
Taking care of shiing is Shimanos excellent
105 groupset. Its become clich to say it provides
almost all the functions of its dearer siblings, with
only slightly increased weight, but its no less true
for being repeated. This new 11-speed iteration in
particular represents a real leap forward. Sneaking
on a cheaper crankset to reduce costs is a common
ploy, so its nice to see Pinnacle hasnt chosen
that route, especially as the new 105 crankset is
such a great bit of kit. Indeed, the only signicant
deviations are the long-drop Tektro brakes. While
not quite up to the standard of the equivalent
Shimano model, they still do an adequate job.
Shallow anatomic bars and sensible-length
stem are of decent quality. While always a ma3er
of personal taste, we can see lots of riders opting
to swap the narrow saddle. Twinned with the low
stand-over, a skinny 27.2mm seatpost provides
PINNACLE DOLOMITE SIX FIRST RIDE
A well-rounded package
with good wheels, great
groupset and a sensible yet
surprisingly spritely frame
a degree of shock absorption. However, while its as

good as you could expect at this price, swapping the
basic stock model for a lighter, more exible option
should increase comfort. Its worth considering
given the slightly harsh ride of the aluminium frame,
although a cheaper alternative would be to run the
voluminous 25c tyres at slightly lower pressure.
Shimanos RS21 wheels far outperform the sets
found on many comparable bikes. Featuring a
minimal number of high-tension, bladed spokes, the
added stiness and reduced rotational mass inject
an unexpected liveliness into proceedings. While
Continentals Ultra-Sport II folding tyres may not be
the most puncture resistant, their low weight and
high thread count result in low rolling resistance.
All of which combines to create the bikes most
surprising trait given its practical nature: the fact
that its so entertaining to blast about on.
Despite the relaxed geometry, it isnt a stodgy ride.
Stiness throughout the frame, fork and wheelset,
combined with a low weight, means it accelerates
rapidly, and despite the longer chainstays theres
li.le energy wasted though ex. In practice, the

whole package gives a far more taut performance
than youd expect. Its easy to nd a comfortable
position on, and with steadfast manners itll eat
up long miles. Nevertheless, wrench on the pedals
and itll hare o with alacrity. The tapered carbon
fork refuses to ex, as does the entire front end,
rewarding out of the saddle eorts. A respectable
weight of just under 9kg, li.le of which is located
on the wheels, means it happily stomps uphill, and
if you push a li.le too hard, the 28-tooth largest
sprocket means theres always the option to winch to
the top rather than topple over at the side of the road.
If theres one criticism, its that the frame is almost
too sti. Unlike carbon, aluminium has a hard time
dampening high-frequency road buzz, leaving you
feeling a li.le knocked about when cla.ering over
rougher surfaces. However, this is a trait common
to all but the best aluminium frames and given the
Dolomites other qualities, its easily forgiven.
At this price, for a bike you can test ride and collect
from a real-life shop, you couldnt ask for more.
BEST POINT
Conscientious parts list and
surprisingly animated ride
WORST POINT
A lile unforgiving over
rougher terrain.
Rating
WINTER VERSATILITY
EVERYDAY THRILLS
VALUE
OVERALL
10
SUGOI ZAP JACKET
Size tested: M Price: 100 Contact: cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk
Everyday luminescence for the cyclist who wants the

benets of hi-viz without the garish neon colours
muggling reectivity into ostensibly
muted cycling gear has become
something of a trend. Sugois Zap
Jacket looks like a normal non-hiviz jacket until struck by a cars headlamps, at
which point it lights up like some bioluminescent
deep-sea creature.
This eect is achieved via thousands of glass
pixels covering the surface of the jacket. On red
and yellow versions, theyre discreet enough
to be almost invisible, although on this black
model, theyre obvious under normal conditions.
Reectivity covering the entire jacket should
provide a be(er idea of the width of the rider
compared to a light alone, while covering the
arms also adds visibility when indicating.
The waterproof fabric is taped at the seams

and it features a storm-proof zip. Itll certainly
keep the rain out but lacks breathability, meaning
this is denitely for the commute and not a race
jacket. Prolonged athletic use will overwhelm
the mesh liner, leaving you feeling hot and
clammy inside it. The cut is cycling-specic
with a dropped rear, elasticated cus and a back
pocket. While not skimping on features, the t
remains slightly more relaxed, allowing you to
layer up on the coldest days.
Dont expect be(er performance than youd
nd on similarly priced commuter jackets. Still,
with a good cut, above average styling and almost
unbeatable visibility, this jacket is far less likely
to leave you looking like a uoro lemon.
BAR TALK
Choose the handlebar

shape that best suits
your riding style
BAR RADIUS
Before the advent of
ergonomic shapes in the 80s,
all bars had a fairly standard
continuous 180 radius.
ANATOMIC OR ERGONOMIC
A pronounced slope be(er
accommodates the riders
hands on the drops. Some
bars feature prominent
kinks and a long, at, angled
section, while others have a
continuous radius.
REACH
The horizontal distance from
the clamp to the front of the
bars. Greater distances will
force the rider to stretch
forward to reach the hoods.
Bars with shorter reach are
described as compact.
DROP
The vertical distance from
the clamp to the centre of the
drops. Deeper drops require
the rider to reach lower, thus
a(ening their back. Bars
are referred to as having a
deep or traditional drop, as
opposed to a less pronounced
shallow drop.
WIDTH
Width is normally measured
between the centres of the
drops. Traditionally, riders
would pick a bar that
matched their shoulder width
although increasingly,
some prefer the greater
leverage and control
aorded by wider models.
HANDLEBAR
Tom Ritchey has worn
his distinctive handlebar
moustache for over 40 years.
Unlike his handlebars, hes
never felt the need to change it.
RITCHEY WCS FINISHING KIT FIRST RIDE
RITCHEY WCS
FINISHING KIT
Upgrading to the iconic
brand just got cheaper
WCS Streem Vector Evo saddle

Price: 90 Weight: 175g
WCS Streem II handlebars

Price: 75 Weight: 294g (44cm)
WCS C220 stem Price: 70

Weight: 135g (110mm)
WCS Carbon Link Flexlogic seatpost
Price: 160 Weight: 176g (27.2)
ince the early 70s, Tom Ritchey

has been at the forefront of
bicycle design. With a solid
claim to having invented the
mountain bike, the ex-pro roadie is one of
Californias original hippy entrepreneurs.
His vast experience has informed a range
of understated yet thoughtfully designed
products, of which the WCS (World
Champion Series) seen here sits a level
below Ritcheys top range of components.
The carbon Flex Logic seatpost is both
light and features a unique layup that allows
it a degree of movement in some directions
while remaining rigid in others, providing

greater comfort but resisting unwanted
twisting. Its compatible with both standard
saddles and Ritcheys proprietary Vector
Evo system; instead of rails, this features a
single, triangle-shaped carbon spar, the idea
being to absorb shocks transmi.ed from
the road by increasing compliance across
the saddle shell. The narrow width and at
prole of the saddle will suit riders who like
to regularly shi about, rather than staying
planted in a single position.
The Streem II bars combine an anatomic
prole with a short reach and shallow drop.
Faster riders may gain aero benet from

the wing-shaped top section, while
everyone benets from having a comfy
place to rest their hands. They make an
ideal partner to the C220 stem, which has
an extended jaw to improve stiness. It
also reduces the possibility of damage to
the bars by creating the largest possible
interface between bars and stem.
An array of options across the range
means whatever your requirements, if
youre aer low-key, high-performance
nishing kit, the Ritchey catalogue is
worth consulting.
January2015 BikesEtc 19
LONG-TERM TEST
VULPINE MENS
HARRINGTON RAIN JACKET
D
AN
BR
1Y
EA
NE
R1
0M
ON
TH
SO
LD
Model reviewed: Vulpine Mens Harrington Rain Jacket

Price: 195 Time tested: One year, 10 months Contact: vulpine.cc
e were in the market

for a Harrington
W
jacket when Vulpine
introduced its
cycling-specic version, which
is why, unlike a lot of people,
we didnt baulk at the price.
A Baracuta Harrington will set
you back an extra 80 quid, so
to us, just shy of 200 seemed
reasonable, especially as it was
designed to be worn on a bike.
Theres not space here to
go into the many technical
features, suce to say theyre
all excellent, especially the
water-resistant co,on. The very
fact this has been our default
go to garment even on those
nights when the bike has been
le at home is recommendation
enough. Aer nearly two years
though, the reective bands on
the cus have started to wear, it
has (unsurprisingly) faded aer
many washes and the ingenious
magnetic collar fasteners now
tend to a,ach to themselves
rather than each other.
None of this is a criticism
though not a week goes by
without us wearing it. However,
there have been changes to
the current model, some like
the new colourways welcome,
others, like the longer looser
sleeves not so much.
While we would still
recommend the jacket to
anyone in the market for
something suitable for the
rigours of riding while looking
good when o the bike, wed
suggest trying one on rst to
make sure the new cut ts
(theres a list of stockists on the
Vulpine website).
PANARACER
GRAVEL KING
Size tested: 28c Weight: 279g each

Price: 30 Contact: zyro.co.uk
Panaracers latest tyre excels

in adverse conditions or away
from the tarmac, without
sacricing on-road ability
VULPINE/PANARACER/ENDURA FIRST RIDE
ENDURA AIRSHELL
Price: 90 Weight: 259g Size: M/L
The day my head turned day-glo

co.ish clothing maker
Endura rst entered the
S
helmet market two years
ago with the Airshell,
and its recent neon makeover hides
a couple of tweaks to an already
excellent performer.
Its always been an agreeably light
and breezy lid, but reinforcing the
bridges that traverse the helmet with
carbon bre has allowed Endura to
pare away the underlying material.
Consequently, the channels that bisect
the helmet remain uninterrupted,
allowing continuous airow over
the head. Endura calls it ClearThru
technology. Its similar to systems

used by other companies but no less
eective for that.
Distinctive angular styling is
complemented by the high-gloss
uorescent green colour, and discreet
reective detailing on the rear and
straps adds visibility. Si.ing relatively
low, even on more elephant-like heads,
the helmet appears svelte.
While youd be well advised to treat
any helmet gently, the Airshell feels
robust despite its low weight. This
is accentuated by the polycarbonate
shell extending underneath the
brow, protecting the soer expanded
polystyrene from damage when not

being worn.
The redesigned retention system
now oers four positions of vertical
adjustment, which will suit anyone
wanting to get the cradle low on
the back of their head. Operated via
a large dial, it feels reassuringly sturdy,
solidly yet comfortably clamping
the helmet to your head. Additional
pads on the back of the cradle further
enhance comfort.
A spare set of pads is included and
for a limited time so is a protective
storage pod, further increasing what
is already a good-value package.
f youre looking for a

versatile and tenacious
I
winter tyre, Japanese
brand Panaracers new
oering may be for you.
Dont be put o by the gravel tag,
even if you havent yet delved into this
still niche category of racing. These
tyres have less in common with chunky
o-road knobblies, instead resembling
the designs favoured for the cobbles
and farm tracks of the spring Classics.
And being available in 23, 26 and 28c
versions, theyre eminently suitable
for modern road bikes; the larger
volume of the 28c seems a sensible
choice, especially as they measure up

slightly narrow.
Their robust construction oers
superior puncture resistance but
they remain supple thanks to a
moderate thread count and natural
rubber compound, so while not the
very smoothest rolling, youd be
hard pressed to tell them apart from
conventional road tyres. Only the
most overenthusiastic wrenching on
the brake levers or most reckless of
cornering will make them slide. When
they do nally break away, they emit
a rasping yelp, suggesting the le-like
tread is doing a good job of engaging
the roads surface. This abundance

of grip makes them perfect for discequipped riders worried their brakes
are producing more stopping power
than their tyres can handle.
Their abilities dont run out
with the tarmac either. Even at
high pressure they provide ample
o-road traction, while the 28c size
can comfortably be run fairly so,
further improving comfort and grip.
On mucky, wet or loose surfaces
they remain unappable, eating up
potholed surfaces or unpaved, graded
access roads, without being a drag
upon returning to civilization.
/paligap.cc
CycleOps exclusively distributed in the UK by www.paligap.cc
CYCLEOPS.COM
JETFLUID PRO
TREND
#CAPSNOTHATS
The social media movement
thats all about sticking up
for a bit of cycling heritage
or all our talk of the latest gear, cu3ingedge tech and exciting new bikes, cycling
remains a sport of tradition and unwri3en
rules of etique3e. In some ways the weight
of that tradition is stiing (eg the 6.8kg UCI
weight limit or the ban on disc brakes) while
in others, the anachronisms are all part of
the allure. Take cycling caps, for example.
Put one on and youve made a statement to
the world: I am a cyclist. While the baseball
cap has been co-opted into the fashion
mainstream, the cycling cap, with its short
peak, just long enough to keep rain or sun
from your eyes, and its soft round upper
ideal for wearing under a helmet has
enjoyed only one brief moment in the sun,
when Wesley Snipes adopted a Colnago cap
in the 80s smash White Men Cant Jump.
Besides that, the cycling cap has remained
the preserve of cyclists.
So, its been with some disappointment
over the last few years that weve noticed
the arrival of the baseball cap into the
sport. Not on the bike, true there, the
functionality of a co3on cycling cap is
unbeatable but on the podium, some
riders swap their headgear for a vulgar
American import. Have they no respect
for heritage? The inux of baseball caps at
podium presentations has spawned its own
hashtag on social media, #capsnothats,
with pro riders being publicly shamed.
The rise of the #capsnothats movement
has coincided with a huge increase in
brands oering short runs of fashionforward cycling clothing. With the humble
cycling cap a year-round mainstay of the
riding wardrobe, it is currently enjoying its
second coming, with new designs, from
understated to wild, appearing every day.
All caps featured here will work perfectly
beneath a helmet, look cool and link you back
to cyclings golden years in the process.
From top: Cinelli Eye

Of The Storm, 15,
kinokocycles.com;
Caf de Colombia,
7.50, prendas.co.uk;
Cadence Flow, 25,
kinokocycles.com;
Kinoko X Daily Goods,
10, kinokocycles.com;
Condor Winter, 20,
condorcycles.com
HOW TO WEAR IT
Just wearing a cycling cap isnt enough on its own. How you wear it counts too
The traditional style of
peak down and to the front
reached a pinnacle on the
pate of Frenchman Laurent
Jalabert. For best results,
the peak should come down
to almost cover the eyes and
the top should be voluminous.
Only cycle couriers and

Belgian former World
Champion Philippe Gilbert
can get away with wearing
a cap with the peak turned
up. Are you cool enough?
Nah, though not. For that
ma2er, neither are we.
Say what you like about Lance

Armstrong, he knew tradition,
and regularly sported a cap
through his career. He did,
however, wear it backwards
more than once, a no-no under
a helmet, and requiring
a louche a2itude without.
Kit
BLUE
SHADE
SHOES
Show your feet some love

with Cubes comfort-oriented,
super-bright Road Pros
oad shoes are a relatively new addition to the German

companys range but with two years worth of R&D, Cubes
Road Pro shoes have got a lot going for them. Despite a not too
outlandish price, theyre pre.y light at 348g per shoe, and oer a
number of ingenious features. Testing them in November probably
wasnt the best time to enjoy the benets of the Cube vent system,
but were assured the combination of the air vent spoiler at the toe
(which directs air into the shoe) and the multiple mesh inserts keep
your feet cool and allow them to breathe. Theres a large adjustment
range for cleats, which is ideal for those new to clipless pedals or those
who suer knee niggles after a few hours in the saddle. The li.le wings
on the Velcro straps are a nice touch as they make adjusting the shoes
easier in gloves or when on the move. The sole is nylon and sti enough
for most riders, with no discernible loss of power transmission. Theyre
comfortable too, with Cubes patented Natural Fit lasts being realistic
about the shape of most peoples feet (unlike some brands that assume
all cyclists have extremely narrow feet). The orange reective logos on the
back increase your visibility at night, and paired with the electric blue, put us
in mind of the now defunct Rabobanks kit. The colour isnt the only a.ractive
thing: the 120 price tag puts them in the aordable range for most riders.
120, cube.eu
GET ON THE GOOD FOOT

By their very nature, cycling shoes are designed to get wet and mucky. But just as you wouldnt chuck your bike in the shed after
a soaking without at least drying it, so should you take a few minutes to ensure your shoes are clean and (eventually) dry.
1.
Wiping them with a damp cloth

to remove any excess water is a
must and if theyre muddy, go at
them with a soft-bristled brush
(an old toothbrush would do)
and some warm soapy water.
2.
Take out the footbeds and

stu the shoes full of balled-up
newspaper this will speed up
the drying time. Dont put them
on the radiator as that can dry
out the upper and (if its very
hot) melt the glue.
3.
A pair of overshoes will go

a long way to keeping your
shoes clean and dry(ish). Not
only that, but theyll keep your
feet warm too handy if your
shoes are well ventilated. Have
a look at our comprehensive
review on page 118.
HANDLEBAR SNACKS
A long ride can cost
a fair bit in on-thebike fuel. Be frugal
and make your own
heres a plethora of products available to feed

every aspect of your ride, but whether its a pro
team-endorsed porridge or a scientically-proven sports
drink, what youre really paying for is convenience. This
is great if youre time-poor, but if you can nd a window
in your busy schedule to t in half an hour in the kitchen,
then theres no reason why you cant whip up your own
equivalent. The benets wont just be nancial: when you
make your own on-bike fuel, you can tailor it specically
to your own tastes and by that, we dont just mean

avour. With a one-size-ts-all approach, some people
nd they cant stomach ready-made sports supplements;
when you make your own, you can ensure that you achieve
a good balance of digestible and palatable. Use our
recipes below as a guide to making your own long-ride
nutrition and if you want to throw in something of your
own in there, well, why not? After a few hours in the saddle,
youve denitely earned it.
Stay hydrated
Power your rides
Ride recuperation
WHAT: Isotonic on the go
WHAT: Energy in the saddle
WHAT: Post-bike recovery
WHY: Even in the cold, you sweat to

preserve a stable body temperature.
So even on rides when you can see your
own breath, you have to top up on uids
and hydration-regulating electrolytes.
A man weighing 76kg needs roughly
500ml of liquid for every hour on the
bike, but its not just water you need:
the European Journal Of Applied
Physiology found 5.5% concentrate
of carb solution to be the ideal for
consistent speed during exercise.
WHY: Your body can only store enough

energy for 90 minutes of continuous
exercise, so whether you rely on bars or
gels for longer rides, the aim is the same:
to deliver a shot of glucose to glycogenstarved muscles. For years, malt loaf was
the number-one energy food choice of
the pros due to the inclusion of high-GI
(glycaemic index) malt extract, which
means its absorbed quickly to give you
a fast energy hit. You can get it from most
supermarkets and health food shops.
Each of these bars will give you 328
calories and 51g carbs just what you
need to get up those big climbs.
WHY: The British Journal Of Sports

Medicine found taking on a drink that
combines carbs and protein after
exercise will not only rehydrate you
and replenish your glycogen stores,
it will also start to repair any damage
to your muscles. It just so happens that
chocolate milk has the right 2:1 ratio of
carbs to protein. Fancy that. Our recipe
below contains 220 calories, 15g protein
and 35g carbs, which is comparable to
a ready-mixed recovery shake.
YOU NEED:
100ml full-sugar squash of
your choice (its Ribena for us)
400ml water
Pinch of salt
HOW:
Mix all the ingredients together in your
bidon and voila. If its a particularly cold
morning, the same solution works just
as well warm.
YOU NEED:
175g bu.er
150g brown sugar
2 tbsp malt extract
4 eggs
200g self-raising wholemeal our
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
600g dried fruit of your choice
(dates have the highest GI)
HOW:
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3.
Blend the bu6er, sugar and malt extract
in a bowl. Beat in the eggs, then fold in
the our, spices and dried fruit. Transfer
the mixture to a baking tray and cook for
around an hour. Once its cooled, cut into
bars and wrap in foil. Makes 10 bars.
YOU NEED:
2 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt
200ml skimmed milk
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 banana
1 tsp of honey
Pinch of salt
HOW:
Stick all the ingredients in a blender,
blitz and drink with impunity.
Nutrition
SOME PEOPLE
FIND THEY
CANT STOMACH
READY-MADE
SPORTS
SUPPLEMENTS
LIGHT.
VERY LIGHT.
Watts.
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Pedal Smoothness.
Torque Effectiveness.
ANT+ Compatible.
Free Home Training
and Service Software
...at 535g
ROTOR RACE PROVEN 3D+ CRANKSET
PEDAL
WITH
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To find your nearest dealer please visit:
TRAIN &
rotoruk.co.uk or call 0845 475 5339
799
Training
IN THE BLEAK
MIDWINTER
Not so long ago, cyclists would put
their racing bikes away for the winter
and spend the cold months clocking up
long and steady miles. Not any more
ccording to global warming lobby

groups, long, cold winters may soon
be a thing of the past. As a cyclist, faced
with the prospect of spending the darker
months clocking up the miles on long,
sub-zero base-training rides, you may
well think this is good news. You can have
the best-that-money-can-buy winter gear
but combine low temperatures with wet
weather and, well, nothing says sofa more
succinctly than freezing-cold rain to the
face. For ve hours.
So if your Sunday morning club ride is
starting to resemble Sco6s Terra Nova
Expedition then youll be pleased to hear
a voice in the darkness (and the rain and
the sleet) discouraging the tradition of
hi6ingthe road for hours on end in the
winter. That type of training comes from
a time when pros maintained their base
tness in the winter and raced themselves
to form in season, says Ian Goodhew, ABCC
senior coach and consultant coach to
Andy Cook Cycling (andycookcycling.com).
Obviously now with training camps abroad
they can train in relative comfort all year
round, which is something your average
rider cant do. If you live in the UK and you
work full time then youve got to maximise
your training opportunities.
Goodhew has outlined his four-point
plan to training in the winter below.
RIDE IN A GROUP IF YOU

CAN THERES SAFETY IN
NUMBERS IN THIS WEATHER,
AS MOST OF THE SENSIBLE
PEOPLE ARE INDOORS
HOWTO TRAIN IN THE COLDER MONTHS
ABCC senior coach Ian Goodhew shares his four top tips for pedaling on
Be prepared
When I was racing, I avoided going out

on my own in the cold and dark for safety
reasons, if nothing else. But accessories
are innitely be6er now than back then,
so the opportunity is there to train at night.
Make sure youre warm enough, that you
can be seen and that your bike is ready for
it. Im talking suitable tyres, mudguards and
lights. If you can, ride in a group theres
safety in numbers in inclement weather,
as most of the sensible people are indoors!
Be realistic
Where are you at the moment? asks

Goodhew. Fitness wise, lifestyle, spare
time Be honest with yourself. What is your
starting point? Theres no use sticking a
load of training on to the end of a busy day
because it will just wear you down and
make you ill. Calculate how much time you
really have and then look at how best to use
it. Your long-term goal may require you
to ride 10 hours a week but thats no good
if you dont have 10 hours.
Training
Ensure progression
Whatever your level, you want to be 2er at

the end of a block of training than you were
at the start of it and that includes over the
winter. Get yourself a target; if your training
doesnt have one then you wont know what
type of training to do. Lets say youve got
eight weeks to prepare for a race in early
March. Ask yourself, what is the most you
can do in your nal week of training? Can
you take a day o work to train? Can you
ride in the evenings? Will you do turbo
sessions? Lets say you can do 13 hours in
total in that last week; that is the end of your
progression. So the week before that you
do 12 hours, the week before that 11 hours,
taking it right back to six hours for your rst
training week. If you want to do more work
in those early weeks then ride harder not
longer. Stick to this and youll peak when
you need to, not before.
4
Mix it up
Long, steady rides have their place, but

adding in interval sessions and tempo
training too is the way to work through
winter. Its the way the pros train, no ma2er
where in the world they are. You want to be
making the best use of your time. If youve
only got an hour, dig out your mountain bike
and hit the single tracks. Broadly speaking,
riding o-road for an hour is equivalent to
two on the road. It can also be safer than
riding in trac on a cold, dark morning.
CALORIE-NEUTRAL CHRISTMAS
Tis the season to be jolly, and so you should be. But if

you dont want a jerseybulge on the Boxing Dayclub run,
you may want to get in some Christmas dinner credits
If you can resist the bucks zz and fry up,
Christmas morning is a great time to get out on
the bike. However, if you think an easy spin on
quiet roads will give you carte blanche to stu
your face for the rest of the day then youre
sadly mistaken. Be-er to use the time having
a half-hour burn on the turbo that puts you in a
calorie-decit state that will cover your roast
turkey blowout later in the day. The theory is the
more oxygen you breathe in, the more calories
your body burns (a litre of oxygen consumes
approximately 5 calories), and after a strenuous
956
Christmas
dinner in
calories
Research in human
nutrition and dietetics
found we can pile on
almost a kilo over
Christmas, with an
all-the-trimmings dinner
se/ing us back over 956
calories. By increasing
your EPOC after youve
nished exercising, youll
can burn enough calories
to neutralise your
Christmas dinner and
tuck in guilt free.
436
Calories
burnt during
session
bout of high-intensity exercise, your body

consumes more oxygen than normal so that it
can return to its pre-exercise state. This causes
a spike in your metabolism as your body absorbs
more oxygen to fund the recovery process.
By elevating this Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen
Consumption (EPOC), youll continue to burn
calories long after youve jumped o the turbo
and started unwrapping your presents. So
before you check to see if Santas been, bang out
the session below and get stuck into Chrimbo
with impunity. Roastie? Dont mind if I do.
While theres nothing

stopping you cycling
outside, to ensure youre
going at out for every
interval, we recommend
the turbo. Warm up,
then sprint as fast as you
can for one minute. The
higher the intensity, the
greater the EPOC. Rest
for 30 seconds between
each sprint. Repeat this
20 times. Now go and
open your presents.
525
Calories
burnt during
EPOC
The Journal Of Sports

Science had a group train
for 30 minutes at 70% of
their maximum eort,
then had another group
do 20 intervals of one
minute at 100% of their
maximum eort, resting
30 seconds between
each bout. The interval
participants breathed in
8 litres more oxygen and
burnt an extra 35 calories
per minute after exercise.
-5
Net
calorie
deficit
Studies in sports
medicine found EPOC
can last anywhere
between 15 minutes and
48 hours, depending on
the individual. For our
Christmas workout,
weve erred on the lower
end of the spectrum but
the likelihood is youll be
burning more maybe
enough to cover a couple
of turkey sandwiches and
a brandy snowball later.
WHEEL OF YOGA
Cycling provides many physical

and emotional benets, says
yoga teacher Alexandra Cat
(theyogaclub.org), however,
its also an activity that involves
repetitive movement through
a limited range of motion and
without incorporating a regular
stretching routine, your passion
might result in an injury. The
camel pose is a truly excellent
preventative for lower back pain,
stretching the front of the hips.
It also improves respiration by
expanding the chest.
Come to a kneeling
position with the knees
hip-with apart.
Rise up o the heels and
place the hands on the hips.
Lightly engage your lower
belly muscles (belly bu2on
to the top of the pubic bone)
and well as the muscles of the
pelvic oor (the same action
you use to stop yourself when
you need the bathroom).
Lengthen through the
spine becoming as tall
as possible.
Slowly begin to bend the

lower back by pushing the
hips forward and then mid
back by taking the chest
forwards and upwards.
Take a few deep breaths
here, keeping the lower belly
and pelvic oor engaged.
To come out of the pose,
slowly reverse the process.
Build up to removing the
hands from the hips and
placing them on either the
heels or on a tower of books
between the feet.
Pictures: Gey Images
Cycling has a myriad of health benefits but for your posture, not so much. Quell any
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RACE THE WORLD
Breakfast overlooking Lake Geneva. A winding, looping Alpine pass.

The islands of the Adriatic Sea glinting as you ride past. Travel through
mountains and plains as you cross Bulgaria.
Sunrise over the Great
Caucasus mountain range.
Craggy ridges and summer
pastures of Kyrgyzstan.
A glittering temple as your
backdrop as you stop to
switch team members.
The outback dust rising from
your wheels. Your morning
view was reds and oranges,
you turn your final corner
to see the ocean.
The welcoming wide, open

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Feeling the Californian
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WINTER-PROOF
YOUR BIKE
If youre prepared to tough it out in the

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ALL THE WAY UP TO 11

The Edco Monoblock comes
with two lockrings, one of
which makes it possible to
run the 11-speed casse"e
on a 10-speed hub
ELEVEN
C
PLUS
If an upgraded drivetrain has made
your old wheels redundant, the Edco
Monoblock is good news for you
hange is inescapable, but

that doesnt mean
its always welcome.
The desire to cram
ever more gears on to our bikes
made it inevitable that hubs would
eventually run out of room, and so it
has come to pass. The 11th sprocket
now found on high-end groupsets
is like the nal piece in a game of
engineering Buckaroo, tossing
everything up in the air.
While the same freehub body
(the part the sprockets slip on to)
has served perfectly for the last
decade, from eight to 10 speeds,
its too narrow for an 11th sprocket.

Increasing the width of the freehub
to make room for that extra
sprocket meant redesigning the
entire geometry of rear wheels.
And so, just like that, a new
11-speed wheel standard was
born. And anyone who wanted
to upgrade their bike to the new
groupset also found they had to
shell out for a new set of wheels.
Fortunately, Swiss wheel and
component manufacturer Edco
(which has been in business since
1910, when anything more than
a single rear sprocket would have
Gear
CASSETTE TIPS
Whether youve moved on to 11-speed groupsets or are still making do
with eight rear sprockets, youll need to know how to look after them
Keeping your chain and casse/e clean will greatly extend
their life and improve shifting performance. To clean your
casse/e, pop the back wheel out, spray the casse/e with
degreaser (go easy, you dont want it to get inside the hub)
and scrub with a sti-bristled brush and warm soapy water.
Use a rag to get between the cogs. A worn chain will quickly
ruin a casse/e, so monitor its condition with a chain wear
indicator (Park Tool CC3.2, 7.49, madison.co.uk). Replacing
a worn casse/e is easy just follow the steps below
Adopt the position

Standing above the wheel with the
casse/e facing away, wrap the trailing
part of the chain whip [1] (Park SR1
Sprocket Remover, 19.99, madison.
co.uk) around the second largest
sprocket. The lever of the tool should be
positioned so as to engage the freewheel,
ie not cause the casse/e to spin around.
From where youre standing, the lever
should sit in the 10 oclock position.
Throw a spanner in the works

Standing in the same position, t the
lockring tool [2] (Park FR5C Freewheel
Remover, 9.99, madison.co.uk) into the
serrated hole in the centre of the casse/e
lockring and a/ach the spanner [3]
(Park Tool Adjustable Wrench, 29.99,
madison.co.uk). The handle should sit
at the 2 oclock position.
Give it some welly

Be sure both tools are securely engaged.
Push down on both simultaneously.
The casse/e will want to spin backwards,
but the chain whip should prevent it
from doing so. Be prepared to use
a fair bit of muscle.
This is the easy bit
With the lockring undone, you can slide
the casse/e [4] o the freehub body.
Check the splines on the freehub body
for damage. Give them a clean and
add some grease or anti-seize. Youre
now ready to t the new casse/e.
MILLED FROM ONE CHUNK OF

STEEL, THE EDCO MONOBLOCK IS
SOMETHING OF A WORK OF ART
seemed incredibly exotic) has come
to the rescue. Its latest innovation
is the Monoblock, a neat casse,e
that allows you to run 11 gears
on your 10-speed wheels. As the
name suggests, the Monoblock
is milled from one chunk of steel
and is something of a work of art
in its own right. At 208g minus the
lockring, the 11-29 pictured here
compares well with casse,es from
Shimano (an Ultegra 11-speed
casse,e weighs a claimed 251g
in the 11-28 conguration).
The casse,e comes with two
lockrings, one for 11-speed wheels
and one to allow its use on 10speed freehub bodies. At 125,

its far from cheap, si,ing
somewhere between Shimanos
55 Ultegra and 160 Dura-Ace,
but given it will allow you to breathe
a new lease of life into old wheels,
that seems like good value. Also
available for Campagnolo groups,
the other positive is the wide range
of sizes available, from the 11-29
option to the tightly packed 14-25,
which is perfect for junior racers
whose top gear size is restricted
on safety grounds.
125, edco-wheels.co.uk
Put a lockring on it
The keyways on the sprockets and the
splines on the freehub body [5] ensure
the casse/e can only be /ed in the
correct position. Check that any spacers
between the sprockets or behind the
casse/e are /ed in the appropriate
locations. With the casse/e in place,
add some grease to the threads on the
lockring and loosely t it to the freehub
body. Check the smallest sprocket is
aligned correctly. Using the lockring
tool, tighten the lockring to the
recommended torque. This will usually
be in the range 30-50Nm, which if you
dont have a torque wrench is best
described as really quite tight.
HELEN WYMAN
The British cyclocross superstar on disc brakes, her
love of mud and racing in front of a home crowd
elen Wyman is Britains best female
cyclocross racer bar none, with a list
of wins so long, a new camper van may
be required just to get it all on the sides. Her
run of UK National Champion titles from
2006 to this year was broken only once,
in 2013, and she was European Champion
in 2012 and 2013. BikesEtc talked to her
at the inaugural UCI World Cup race in
Milton Keynes.
I ride a Kona Super Jake, which is a lot

stier than bikes I have raced in the past,
perhaps thanks to the monocoque front
triangle, and it handles beautifully. My bikes
are 49cm and have 74-degree seat and
71-degree head tube angles. I have four
bikes on the go at any race. Two go to the pit
and two go to the start line. Once the race
has started, the spare bike goes to the pit
so I have three working bikes to hand there.
Because no race is the same, I have 15
sets of wheels at my service. I have Easton
EC90m Aeros. I use Challenge tubular tyres
and have three sets of all their treads, from
the Chicane, which has a le paAern for
1
fast, hardpack ground, and the Grifo

a standard CX tyre to the Baby Limus and
full Limus, which is the mud tyre. Today Im
running the Limus 33mm. Pressure will be
determined by pre-riding the course, and
Ill be looking for a compromise between
maximum grip and mud-shedding ability.
Details
Name: Helen Wyman
Nationality: British
Team: Kona
Age: 33
Height: 178.5cm
Weight: 55kg
Saddle Height: 760mm
Braking is key in all riding, but especially

in cyclocross, and now disc brakes have
evolved to the point where they are
becoming standard. They give me much
more condence in technical sections. I use
SRAM Red hydraulic brakes with SwissStop
green pads, which have a beAer compound
than stock, especially in Belgium where
the tracks are often a mix of mud and sand.
I used to use TRP HY/RD, which are half
cable and half hydraulic, but the SRAM
Reds allow me much more control and to
brake way later into corners. Ive been in
situations where I was in contention with
Nikki [Harris, current British cyclocross
champion] and baAling for the last corner
to line up for the sprint. The power of the
brakes let me slow way later and sneak
through. I use solid rotors made by Carver,
Seat Tube c-t: 490mm

Seat Tube c-c: 480mm
Tip of saddle to centre of bar:
510mm
Top Tube Length: 535mm
Head Tube: 135mm
Frame: Kona Super Jake Carbon

Race CX
Fork: Carbon Race CX
Bar: Zipp carbon 42cm
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL
105mm
Groupset: SRAM Red
Chainset: SRAM Red 44/38
Cassette: 11-28T
Wheels: Easton EC90 Aero
Tyres: Challenge Limus 33mm
Saddle: WTB Silverado
1 WymanhasfourKona
SuperJakebikes,so
shecanswapmid-race
withoutnoticingany
dierence. 2 CrankBros
EggBeaterpedalsallow
mudtosqueezethrough
foreasyre-engagement
afteradismount.
3 Choiceofdiscbrakes
dependsonconditions:
ventedrotorslikethese
inthedry,solidonesin
themud. 4 Likemost
femalepros,Wyman
doesntuseawomens
saddle,preferringthe
WTBSilverado. 5 Kona
usesstandardquickreleasehubsonits
crossbikes,rather
thanbolt-thruaxles
Words & photography: Geo Waugh
ProRider
Wyman has been riding for

the American Kona Factory
Racing team since 2010 and is
eight times British Champion
Wyman ran the Challenge

Limus tubular tyres at
12-13psi in Milton Keynes
While many cross racers

now use a single chainring,
Wyman still uses two 44/38
Deep-section carbon wheels

pick up less mud than shallow
rims (and they look cool)
Havingsomanypeoplecheeringme
oninmyhomeWorldCupracewas
worthanextrageareachlap!
which are good in the wet because they
dont allow mud to build up. In the dry,
I use normal vented rotors.
I love mud! There, I said it. A lot of the
Belgian courses are sand think Koksde
but I prefer it when the going is good
to soft after a nights rain. I love racing
at Koppenberg, Nommay in France and
Hoogerheide in the Netherlands. All have
their history and oer unique challenges.
I see a few racers running single

chainrings but I still use a double of 38
or 39 and 44 teeth. I have a bo4om gear
of 28 teeth and never feel the need to
go lower. If I cant ride a hill in the lowest
gear then running will be just as quick.
Crank Brothers Egg Beater 11 Ti MTB
pedals are super light and oer multiple
entry, which is vital in cross where were
on and o the bike and cleats and shoe
treads can get clogged with mud and sand.

The Egg Beaters clear very eciently and
paired with the aggressive soles on my
Giro Code shoes, its a pre4y good set-up.
Footnote: Helen rode into eighth place
at Milton Keynes after some start sprint
tangles and spills. It was goosebumps all
the way round. I never imagined I would
have this experience of so many people
cheering me on in my home World Cup race.
It was worth an extra gear each lap!
Helen competes in the fth round of the
UCI Cyclocross World Cup in HeusdenZolder, Belgium, on 26 December and the
nal race of the season at Hoogerheide,
Netherlands, on 25 January. For details
of TV coverage, see tv.eurosport.co.uk
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Timeline
EYE
CANDY
1975
Jim Jannard starts Oakley selling BMX and

motocross grips out of the back of his truck.
An emphasis on ergonomics and dierent
colour combinations is already evident.
1980
Oakley BMX grips
After 30 years of putting rivals in

the shade, Oakley is still putting
shades on the pros
1984
here was a time when

the leaders of the
peloton sported the kind
of sunnies wed now
associate more with
suave 1960s Italian
lm stars. While the
earliest racers made
do with modied
ying goggles, by
the 1950s, the
improved quality of road
surfaces made these a bit
excessive. On the brightest days,
riders might don a pair of RayBan Aviators. Otherwise, until the
mid-80s, youd be hard-pressed
to nd a rider wearing glasses at
all except those who needed them
to see, such as Laurent Fignon,
whose spectacles earned him
the nickname The Professor.
All this changed in 1984 when
the Oakley Eyeshade was born.
The Eyeshades looked like
nothing else on the market.
Constructed of Zytel, a light,
impact-resistant thermoplastic
produced by American chemical
company DuPont, they were made
famous by Greg LeMond in the
1985 Tour. Within a few years,
performance sports eyewear
became standard issue among
all pro riders. Oakley followed
with the Razor Blades in 1986;
less ski-goggle, more Terminator
in style, they came in a dizzying
array of colour schemes thanks
to fully interchangeable parts.
The much-copied M Frame model
that came next wasnt only a hit
with cyclists but was also approved
for use by the US military.
Sartorially, the 90s were a dark
time but Oakley beat a host of Euro
horrors to carve out the largest
share within the pro peloton. The
worlds most winningest Texan
spent most of his career with a pair
clamped to his face and 1998 saw
the introduction of the full-frame
Racing Jacket, which was chunky
enough for teams to custom paint
to match their kit. It also saw the
introduction of the aggressively
ugly Over The Top model. The
Radar (2007) was essentially
an updated M Frame and its
popularity remains undiminished.
The O Frame goggle, Oakleys rst eyewear, is

launched. Jannard begins intensive but often
informal sponsorship of BMX pros. Many paid
riders dont wear them, but rather strap them
above the peak of their helmet. This nonchalance
increases their cool quotient even further, making
them a must-have product.
The Factory Pilot Eyeshade (originally the

Oakley Lite) is introduced. Owing a great deal to
its motocross origins, its looks are revolutionary.
A wide and deep curved lens supported at the top
and bo7om covered a large portion of the face.
A foam insert spanning the top of the frame kept
sweat from the riders eyes.
1985
Greg LeMond and Phil Anderson become the

rst Oakley-sponsored riders in the pro peloton.
LeMond accepts $75,000 instead of equity in what
is still a fairly small company. He wins the Tour the
following year.
O Frame
1986
Razor Blades are a breakout product for Oakley.

More conventional in shape and style, they still
feature a broad one-piece lens. Interchangeable
parts mean users are able to choose from
22,394,880 possible colour combinations. The
mirrored Iridium lenses on later models render
riders expressions more inscrutable than ever.
1990
Greg LeMond in his

Eyeshades
Razor Blades
The M Frame marks a departure from the 80s. It

establishes many t-based technologies, such as
the grippy ear socks that still feature on Oakleys
today. Over the years, 10 switchable lenses are
created, including the extremely narrow Strip,
which is quickly je7isoned. Classics such as
the Heater and Strike are still available.
1998
The Racing Jacket features twin lenses and a

vented frame. They take a few years to reach the
pro peloton and never prove as popular as the M
Frames. A slimmed-down version becomes 2009s
Jawbone before reverting back to its original
name. It remains in the current line-up.
2007
The Radar represents a major overhaul. While

including many traits in common with the M Frame,
it features chunkier styling and a lens shape that
endures, and 2012 sees the Radarlock add easier
lens changes. Today they continue to protect more
riders in the pro peloton than any other glasses.
M Frame
2014
The Racing Jacket
With the continued appetite for all things retro,

Oakley celebrates 30 years of existence by
reissuing both the Eyeshades and Razor Blades.
With an annual turnover in excess of $1 billion,
Jim Jannard has come a long way from working
out of a truck. Oakleys new HQ is like a lm-set
dystopian factory, guarded by a functioning tank!
Oakleys new HQ
Opinion
ows the search for a new bike going? Have

you decided what youre going to get yet?
Pinarello? Colnago? Parlee?
Not quite, but I have decided on one thing: Im going
for disc brakes.
Disc brakes? Hmm, I dont think Ill be riding

with you with those things on your bike. Theyre
lethal, arent they?
If you call increased braking power, greater control
and reduced wear to your rims lethal, get Murtaugh
on the phone quick as Riggs is back in town.
Theyre really sharp though and can overheat
on descents. I dont want to see that particular
combination hi&ing my leg in a spill.
Its possible, but so is taking chunks out of yourself
with a big spiky chainring, and they seem to be
doing quite well at the moment.
But chainrings are essential, disc brakes arent.
Ive ridden with rim brakes for years. If you
need more power than you can get with a well
set-up dual pivot canti brake, youre doing
something wrong.
Need and want are quite dierent things
though. The action of hydraulic discs just feel so
much lighter than cable rim brakes. Theres no

resistance, you can sit on the hoods braking with
one nger and feel completely in control. On rim
brakes youd have to be permanently on the drops
with two ngers on the brakes. And then theres the
wet weather performance
Right, because being able to slow down twice
as fast as everyone else isnt going to cause any
crashes, is it?
I hear what youre saying, but the solution to that
problem seems a li4le like cu4ing o your nose to
spite your face. Do you really reckon its safer if none
of us can slow down in the rain? Imagine if that was
the case with cars wed all have to drive around
on old-fashioned drum brakes!
But they still overheat and you cant deny that.
Discs can get hot if you drag the brakes on long
descents, but thats not recommended braking
CHANGE IS GOOD
AND THERES ALREADY
BEEN A LOT OF IT IN
ROAD CYCLING
Theyre heavy, non-aero

and dangerous in crashes
are we really ready for
the disc brake revolution?
technique anyway. And were hardly blessed with
Alpine-length descents in the UK.
I just think theyre unnecessary. A decent rider
shouldnt need extra braking power. If youre
braking all the time, youre doing it wrong.
Tell that to Team Skys Geraint Thomas he wrote
on his BBC blog during the Tour that on one of
the descents, he pulled his brakes and nothing
happened, it was that wet. Terrifying. Now
maybe youre a be4er rider than the G-Man and
that wouldnt have happened to you, but its not
something I fancy experiencing.
But arent you worried that itll make your new
bike really ugly? A classic road bike is a thing of
beauty youre going to end up with something
that looks like a mountain bike!
I think weve reached the crux of the argument
here. Change is good and theres already been
plenty of it in road cycling: aero bars, indexed
shifting, clipless pedals. Dont fear the future; its
looking bright. And disc-shaped.
Andy Waterman is the deputy editor of BikesEtc
and has absolutely no problem with being a total
disc-head. See page 76 for BikesEtcs braking test
Illustration: MichaelLester
DISC
DEVILS
THE SMARTS
IN CYCLING
Up to 800 lumens in a lightweight design
VOLCANIC
ACTIVITY
As the winter training ground of
Wiggins, Froome, Nibali and Contador,
Tenerife is the perfect place to test
three bikes t for the pros
WORDS ANDY WATERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY JUAN TRUJILLO ANDRADES
ON TEST
Probikes ON LOCATION
CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO

HI-MOD DURA-ACE 2 3,499
SPECIALIZED TARMAC EXPERT

3,000
MERIDA REACTO DURA-ACE

3,500
With its high-altitude, secluded

roads, Tenerife has fast become
the chosen training destination
for some of the top Tour de
France hopefuls
ix weeks before the 2012

Tour de France, Bradley
Wiggins was interviewed by
the Guardian near the summit
of Mount Teide in Tenerife.
He was coming to the end
of a two-week training camp,
living 2,000m above sea level
on the volcanic plateau that dominates the
island, acclimatising to the altitude and
bene.ing from the oxygen-depleted air,
boosting his stock of red blood cells before
the biggest race of his career.
We train at altitude and we sleep at
altitude for two-week periods, he said in
the video. A lot of the mountain stages nish
quite high, so its about being able to perform
at altitude without any drop o in power.
Were quite secluded up here, there are no
distractions ideal for us before the Tour.
Tenerife has become the training
destination of choice for Tour de France
hopefuls. Only four hours from London on a
budget ight, the island boasts a subtropical
climate, good roads and above all, a decent
hotel at over 2,000m altitude. Earlier this
year, The Parador, the only hotel in the
national park that surrounds the volcano,
saw three Tour contenders staying at the
same time. Imagine bumping into Chris
Froome, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo
WERE LURED TO THE ISLAND WITH

THE PROMISE OF WARM WEATHER
AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE ON
ROADS THAT MAKE CHAMPIONS
Nibali at the buet breakfast. Perhaps that

wouldnt seem particularly surreal up
there though Teides moonscape was
used as the backdrop for One Million Years
B.C. and frankly, only Raquel Welch sporting
mankinds rst bikini is more surreal than
the landscape itself. Its weird: black and
brown and miles above the clouds, a sea
of white blocking out the horizon, like an
island in space, rather than the Atlantic.
BikesEtc has come to the island lured by
the promise of warm weather, incredible
scenery and the opportunity to ride on the
same roads that have made the last three
Tour de France champions. The chances
of bumping into Froome or Nibali are slim
we are travelling in November, traditionally
downtime for riders looking to peak in July.
The bikes
The bikes well be riding on the volcano are

the more accessible versions of the bikes pro
teams have been riding this year.
First up we have the Cannondale SuperSix
Evo Hi-Mod Dura-Ace 2 which, at 3,499,
features the same frame Peter Sagan has
been racing (and winning) on so impressively
for the last few years. With our 54cm test
bike weighing in at 6.81kg (without pedals),
its impressively light, and given its pedigree
and oversized tubes, we suspect it will be
mighty sti too. To maintain comfort,
Cannondale has incorporated its Speed
Save technology into the rear triangle
to introduce enough vertical compliance
Josh wears Spiuk Dharma helmet, 120,

silversh-uk.com; Smith Optics Pivlock
V2 sunglasses, 120, saddleback.co.uk;
Assos Cento short-sleeve jersey, 150,
Assos T.Tiburu_S7 bibshorts, 185, Assos
Mille socks, 12, all yellow-limited.com;
Fizik R3 Uomo shoes, 215, extrauk.co.uk
Specialized Tarmac Expert

A taste of Tour-winning excellence
Summary: The Tarmac Expert is a stunner
in the esh, that paint job is almost worth
the pricetag alone. With a slightly lower price
than the other two bikes, its no surprise to
nd Ultegra used throughout. The non-series
Fulcrum wheels feel a li&le low-rent in this
company though.
Best points: Exceptional handling and
a great t good enough to win the Tour
and Vuelta in 2014, so good enough for
us. And that paint job!
Worst points: The wheels are the obvious
place to upgrade in the future, but thats the
only sore spot.
Price: 3,000
Frame: Specialized FACT 10r
carbon, FACT construction, tapered/
shaped 1.125in to size-specic lower
head tube
Wheels: Fulcrum S4
Tyres: Specialized Turbo Pro 23mm
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra
11-speed, FSA carbon chainset,
52/36
Brakes: Shimano Ultegra
Handlebars: Specialized Expert
Stem: Specialized Pro SL
Seatpost: S-Works FACT carbon
Saddle: Specialized Toup Expert
Gel, Ti rails
Weight: 7.48kg
Contact: specialized.com
Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Dura-Ace 2

A lightweight and lively road-racing thoroughbred
Summary: The SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod frameset
has been around for a few years now, which
is why Cannondale is able to oer this bike at
such a keen price. Its a fantastic bike, light and
lively and specced just how wed have it full
Dura-Ace, and a wheel package thats hard to
improve upon. Whether as a privateer racer
or a hardcore sportive bike, Cannondale has
created a very a-ractive package.
Best points: The weight 6.81kg without pedals!
and the supremely comfortable t are what
make the SuperSix Evo stand out in the crowd.
Worst points: Beginning to look a li-le dated
(external cable routing for instance) but thats
the price you pay for such a bargain.
Price: 3,499
Frame: Supersix Evo, Ballistec
Hi-Mod Carbon, Speed Save, Presst
BB30
Wheels: Shimano RS81 C24
Tyres: Schwalbe One 25mm
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace,
Cannondale Hollowgram Si chainset,
52/36
Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
Handlebars:Cannondale C1 Ultralight
Stem: Cannondale C1 Ultralight
Seatpost: Cannondale C1 Ultralight
Saddle: Fizik Arione
Weight: 6.81kg (size 54)
Contact: cannondale.com
to be able to ride all day. With a mechanical

Dura-Ace groupset, Cannondales excellent
Hollowgram BB30 chainset and Shimanos
low prole, lightweight RS81 wheels, we are
excited to see what it can do.
Next to be loaded on to the 8am Monday
morning easyJet ight to Tenerife South is
the Merida Reacto Dura-Ace, an aero road
bike ridden by the Italian Lampre team,
which this year included the 2013 World
Champion Rui Costa. Merida may not be
a brand you see very oen on British roads,
but it is one of the worlds largest bike
manufacturers (second only in Taiwan
to Giant), and in the esh, the 3,500 Reacto
is a handsome machine the a?ention to
detail is impressive and the specication
is faultless. Mechanical Dura-Ace is as good
as it gets, Rotor cranks are an a?ractive
upgrade and the Vision wheels are a good
choice aerodynamic thanks to the deepsection carbon fairing, but with an aluminium
braking surface, reliable on long descents.
Lastly we come to the Specialized Tarmac
Expert, which at 3,000, is the cheapest of the
assembled bunch and notably the brightest. It sports a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed
groupset, and Specializeds FACT 10r carbon frame (the S-Works version ridden
by Nibali uses upgraded FACT 11r carbon, which has a marginally higher tensile
strength, so can be built into a lighter frame), and size-specic geometry and tube
proling ensure all seven sizes, from 49cm to 64cm, ride similarly.
WE WAKE TO
FIND THE ISLAND
COVERED IN
THE CLOUDS
WELL BE RIDING
ABOVE LATER
Touching base
Ross wears Madison RR

black jersey, 60, Madison RR
bibshorts, 90, Pearl Izumi
Mens Select Road shoes, 90,
Lazer Blade helmet, 60, Lazer
Magneto M1 glasses, 90,
all madison.co.uk
We are staying with the Delgado brothers

who together run Tenerife Bike Training.
Theyre midway through their Volcano
Tour when we arrive, a seven-day, six-stage
supported circuit of the islands best bits.
We let the riders recover from their
exertions and launch ourselves into a buet
lunch before heading to our rooms to build
bikes. Alongside our normal pair of Evoc bike
bags, weve brought with us a new Thule
RoundTrip Pro bike case, which includes a
built-in bike stand. It becomes immediately
obvious how useful this is, pu?ing the bikes at
the perfect height to rea?ach rear derailleurs,
stems, bars and pedals. Its 495, but as we
head out into the late aernoon light, we
agree it is largely responsible for us having
the chance to ride today any later and it
will be ge?ing dark. Its a good opportunity
to get to grips with the bikes the Merida
in particular, although it feels good, needs
the shiers shuing up the bars to make
for a more comfortable ride. Well need that
tomorrow when we tackle the mighty Teide.
In the evening, we carb-load with a threecourse hotel buet. Aer a 4am start, theres
li?le desire to stay up late, so we retire and
sleep the tful sleep of men who shouldnt
have gone quite so wild at the dessert trolley.
When we ew in on Monday morning, the
clouds hovered around the volcano, the island
visible above and below. On Tuesday morning,
we wake up to nd the whole island covered
in clouds does this mean well ride above the
cloud later on we wonder? Fingers crossed.
The Tenerife Bike Training group has
130km on the cards today, starting in the
north of the island before riding up and over
Teide and back down to Los Cristianos. Wed
love to join them for the day, but the pressure
of taking photos is likely to make us fairly
Andy wears Vermarc PRR

jersey, 111, Vermarc PRR
bibshorts, 106, chickencycles.
co.uk; The Athletic socks, $15,
theathleticcommunity.com;
Endura Airshell helmet, 90,
endurasport.com
Merida Reacto Dura-Ace

The Italian Lampre teams weapon of choice
Summary: We had no preconceptions about
the Reacto when it arrived, and after only a
couple of rides we were very impressed. Sti,
aerodynamic, and surprisingly comfortable,
it climbs well, responds instantly to big gear
accelerations and descends like a rocket. Its
not exceptionally light but the stiness and
aerodynamics will likely be more useful on
the road anyway.
Best points: The cutout in the seatpost
genuinely seems to work to increase
comfort, and the chassis stiness creates
an impression of economy, every pedal
stroke driving you forward through the air.
Worst points: The way the cables enter the
top tube encourages them to bow outwards,
rubbing against knees when out of the
saddle. We solved the problem with a zip tie.
Price: 3,500
Frameset: Aero carbon frame with
carbon dropouts, direct mount front
mech and integrated seat clamp,
Nano matrix and ax bres
Wheels: FSA Trimax T42 carbon/
alloy rims
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix
4000S 23c
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace, Rotor
3D30 noQ chainset, 52/36
Brakes: Tektro direct mount
Handlebars: FSA Team Issue
Stem: FSA Team Issue
Seatpost: Merida Reacto Aero post
Saddle: Prologo Nago Evo T2.0
Weight: 7.61kg (size M/L)
Contact: merida-bikes.com
frustrating ride partners, so we wish them

luck, wave them goodbye and retire to the
nearest caf to give them a good headstart.
We order the peculiar southern Spanish
speciality that is the caf bombn, aka (in
the Canaries) the leche leche, an espresso
with a thick layer of condensed milk in the
bo:om of the cup. Its sweet and delicious
and just what we need to propel us 2,000m
up the mountain. Coee drunk, we drive
straight to the foot of Mount Teide in our
hire carbefore se:ing o on the bikes.
The temperature is in the low twenties
when we set o from Gmar and start riding
up the winding TF523 towards the summit.
Weve not been riding long, though, when we
take a wrong turn and end up riding steeply
up through a village and realise weve made
a mistake. Rather than retrace our steps,
I suggest a dirt track that will lead us back to
the main road. Everyones game, so we ra:le
across some big, rocky cobbles and up a farm
track, accompanied by the unmistakable hiss
of a pinch at. Josh, on the Specialized, is the
unlucky recipient. Its going to be a long day.
GET MORE THAN

A MILE INLAND,
AND A LESS
COMMERCIAL
LIFE TAKES
HOLD. WE ARE
AT THE SUMMIT,
AND THERES NO
WATER IN SIGHT
Heads in the clouds
Back on smooth tarmac, the Merida begins to impress with its stiness its
quite oen the case that bikes that have their rear brake mounted beneath the
chainstays experience brake rub when sprinting out of the saddle, but not so
the Reacto. No amount of enthusiastic big
gear mashing can shi it.
Before long, we nd ourselves riding into
the cloud that has been hanging over us all
morning. The temperature drops, the light
dims and condensation forms on our arms;
suddenly, we feel underdressed in our
uniform of shorts and short-sleeve jerseys.
Half an hour aer we go in, we emerge,
blinking into the sunshine. Were on to the
TF24 by now, the main road that traverses
the Teide plateau, and the change comes
like a click of the ngers. One minute were
cold and wet, the next the sun is beating
down on us and all is right with the world.
You can see why the pros train here.
The gradients of the roads were riding are
all quite friendly exactly what youd need
for doing long, steady eorts. At the same
time, venture o the beaten track and
the roads become very steep; perfect
preparation for the worst of the Alps.
And then theres the weather. Theres
nowhere this high in mainland Europe
that has a climate as stable as this. As we
ride up the nal few hundred metres of
ascent towards the observatory, an ocean
of cloud below on both sides, the idea of
being a pro cyclist seems quite nice until
you remember that this isnt the part
of the job theyre actually being paid for.
Training is just the admin.
We arrive at the observatory and start
hunting around for water. Navely, we had
all assumed there would be a shop of some
sort up here a visitor centre with, at the
very least, a tap with running water. But
this is Tenerife, and although the coast is
as developed as can be, get more than a mile
inland and a less commercial, noticeably
slower pace of life takes hold. There is no
shop, and there is no water. And were all
of us completely dry.
Once weve dropped o the

plateau and out of the clouds,
darkness is about to fall. Were
all on course for hot showers
and much-deserved beers
FOLLOW IN
OUR TRACKS
BikesEtc travelled to Tenerife via an
easyJet ight from London Gatwick
to Tenerife South airport. Our stay was
arranged with the Delgado Brothers,
who together run Tenerife Bike Training.
They arrange a series of cycling tours
around the island catering for riders
of all abilities. We stayed in the four-star
Paradise Park Hotel in Los Cristianos,
along with the other riders on the
Tenerife Bike Training Volcano Tour.
For more information about the range
of tours and to book yours, visit the
website at tenerifebiketraining.com
54 BikesE c January2015
BY WAY OF A
SHORTCUT,
WE SWING
ON TO A VERY
MINOR LANE.
A FARMER
SHOUTS AT US
TO TURN BACK.
WE DONT, OF
COURSE
Going downhill fast
We turn around and start the 40km descent

back to Gmar. Astonishingly, its nearly
5pm; back home it would be dark already.
The roads are rough at this elevation and
the bikes skip around over the pockmarked
tarmac. Josh is riding well on the Specialized,
clearly condent in the bikes Tour-winning
geometry, and Ross, on the Cannondale,
is doing well too, despite the brakes being
the wrong way round for him. We reach
a maximum speed of 72kmh on the descent
and it feels fast, especially once we drop o
the plateau and into the clouds, which have
dampened the roads and reduced visibility.
Within 20 minutes of us arriving back in
Gmar, its dark. Luckily, by then were in
the van, bombing along to warm showers
and a well-deserved happy hour, something
Froome and Contador are unlikely to be
able to take advantage of on their visits to the
island. Four pints, 6.20, you cant go wrong.
Were up early again on our nal morning,
ready to knock out one nal ride before
heading back to winter. The suns up and the
temperature is climbing when we set o into
the hills. To ensure we get to the airport on
time, we swing o a main road and on to a very
minor lane. A farmer shouts that we should
turn back. We dont, of course, and within
seconds were clawing our way up the steepest
climb weve seen outside of the Lake District.
Strava later tells us we gained 171m of height
in 1.1km, making an average gradient of 16%.
Tenerife is an incredible island for bike
riders, with smooth roads, an unbeatable
climate and all the infrastructure you need.
In the 48 hours we spent there, we rode for
eight hours and experienced a huge range
of landscapes along the way. Whether youre
a wannabe Tour champ or just want to
keep SAD at bay, this is the place to be.
HOW THEY STACK UP...

FRAME
Specialized Tarmac Expert

Cannondale SuperSix Evo
Merida Reacto Dura-Ace
COMPONENTS
WHEELS
THE RIDE
OVERALL
8.0
8.9
8.4
ROB HAYLES
LIFE
IN THE
FAST
LANE
Over 19 years as a pro cyclist, Rob Hayles maintained

a unique obsession with bike design and technology.
BikesEtc visited him at his Peak District home to pick up
some expert tips on buying, ing and riding bikes
WORDS MARK BAILEY PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD BAYBUTT
ob Hayles has such a strong aliation

with his bikes, hes bonded his own
gold tooth to one of them. It seems
a bit dark, but it reminds me of the
pain I had with my teeth [in 2008].
So whenever Im suering on the bike I can tell
myself, Well, its not as bad as that, explains the
41-year-old self-confessed bike geek as he shows
o his eet of cycles at home in the Peak District.
As a double track world champion (in the team
pursuit and Madison in 2005), a triple Olympic
medal winner (bronze in the team pursuit in
2000, followed by silver in the same event and
bronze in the Madison in 2004) and a national
road race champion (in 2008), Hayles knows all
about suering on a bike. The other day, someone
RobHayles PROFILE
was riding up the hill by my house and I shouted

some words of encouragement. The guy shook his
head and replied, Youve got no idea. He laughs.
I thought, actually I do, mate.
Robs rides #1: Beacon BF_100 road bike
Kiing out
When Hayles speaks, any amateur cyclist would

be wise to listen. His knowledge of bike design,
aerodynamics and kit is extensive enough to upgrade
any riders performance. For some pro cyclists, a bike
is nothing more than a tool for the job, to be ridden,
replaced, or hurled against a wall at the rst sign of
a mechanical blip. For bona de bike acionados
like Hayles, however, it is an artefact of beauty to
be treasured, understood, dissected and improved.
As a track cyclist for Great Britain, he volunteered
as a wind tunnel guinea pig to learn more about
aerodynamics, routinely repaired his own carbon
wheels and even constructed his handlebars for
the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. When he became
a professional on the road for Codis in 2001, hed
wash his bike in front of his bemused team-mates
and mechanics, and in 2008 he personally craed
the geometry of the custom Boardman bike he rode
for Team Halfords Bikehut. Since retiring in 2011,
Hayles, who lives with his wife Vicky and their two
children, has been repairing carbon wheels for
British Cycling in his garage, constructing specic
components (including Emma Pooleys time-trial
handlebars for the London 2012 Olympics) and
working as a test rider for British bike brand Beacon.
Ive always loved bikes and kit. Im one of the
few people who understands people blowing money
on expensive bikes just to ride local sportives, he
explains. But my career has taught me what ma=ers
and what doesnt. Width of bars is my big thing right
now and Ive spent enough time looking at numbers
The Beacon BF_100 is a race-orientated model so its

silky-smooth and likes to move. It has great acceleration
and power transfer and I like the look of it as well. Riding
my Beacon is the one thing thats made me actually want
to get out and ride a bike since retiring. beaconfell.com
AS A KID, I WAS ALWAYS FIXING THINGS.

I COULDNT AFFORD OAKLEY SHADES,
SO MADE MY OWN WITH ELASTIC BANDS
in the wind tunnel to know the ramications. A lot
of people use really wide bars. Some riders say they
cant breathe properly with narrow bars yet on a
time-trial bike the race when you need to breathe
the most we all try to get our elbows together.
Others say wider bars give you more leverage [for
bike control], but your leverage doesnt come from
your arms, it comes from the distance between your
hands and the centre of the hub. And big wide bars
are horrendous for performance.
Even some of the pros can take some convincing.
Hayles has been a close friend of Mark Cavendish
since they won the World Madison title together in
Los Angeles in 2005 and he now works as Cavendishs
training support partner. Cav still rides wide bars
and when I try to get him to try narrower ones he
refuses because he says he doesnt get the leverage
in a sprint. I say thats because his core is weak.
Its nothing to do with it, hell say. The solution for
leverage isnt wider bars but preparation. Narrower
bars will make you stronger on your bike and give you
a bigger aero gain and more torque. Hayles shakes
his head. Ive given up on him with that one.
Hayles encourages amateur cyclists to challenge
conventional industry wisdom as much as possible.
Dont just go with cycling culture, he warns.

Any culture has to change and cycling is denitely
changing. You used to get laughed at in a skinsuit
but now many of the pro cyclists wear skinsuits
and aero helmets, and the lessons of that transfer
to people doing sportives. Many riders train hard
and eat well then wear big, baggy clothes that slow
them down. Training and nutrition are important
but if you put a lot of time and eort into your cycling,
go the next step and think about your kit too.
To prove the point, he plucks out a pair of shoes
he wore when he claimed his world titles. I took
all the unnecessary components and materials o
them that slow you down and used gaer tape to
wrap them tighter. When you look down on the shoes
from above, they look so much smaller. If youre
travelling at 40-50mph and your foot is repeatedly
going over the top, that makes a big dierence.
A punter and a pro
Hayles says he enjoys working as a test rider

and professional advisor for Beacon bikes because,
unlike at a bigger manufacturer, hes able to focus
on quality. Through all the work I do on repairs
I get to see carbon bikes inside out, and some bikes
RobHayles PROFILE
says. Theyre a pleasure to ride. I do a lot of the test

riding where Brad [Wiggins] trains and those roads
give you everything. They smash you to bits but
theyre nice and quiet and have hilly and at sections.
I love the job. Aer retiring I found it hard to train
without a target, but I can ride for pleasure now.
Breaking records
Nonetheless, Hayles is hoping he will have another

exciting performance target on the horizon soon.
The University of Liverpool Velocipede Team is
designing a recumbent bike, where the rider sits
in a reclining position, which it hopes will be capable
of breaking the human-powered land speed record
in September 2015. The bike, the ARION1 Velocipede,
is capable of reaching 90mph, weighs less than 25kg,
and is 35 times more aerodynamic than a normal
bike. Hayles is one of 30 athletes
who have volunteered for lab testing in a bid to be
selected as the rider.
Id love to be chosen, and told them Id be keen
to be involved in any way possible, he says. Its an
amazing thing to do. It would bring massive pressure
but also give me a real incentive to put my head on
the chopping block and go for it. When I went in
for testing, it was the rst time Id weighed myself
in three years. Im happy to say Ive only put on one
kilo per year thats what Cav puts on in a rest day!
One tness test involved a relentless series of
brutal 10-second and 30-second sprints at a cadence
of up to 130rpm. I was absolutely crapping myself,
he recalls. It was horrible watching the guys go o
before me. Over the years Id done similar tests,
Robs rides #2: Experimental mountain bike
As well as being an
athlete, Hayles is a
skilled craftsman and
mechanic, repairing
carbon wheels for the
British track squad
and making frames for
friends and fellow riders
from expensive manufacturers are bloody horrible

when you start looking into them. Some of them
are like Swiss cheese! The subject of brand versus
quality of product interests me hugely. You can make
something very average look very nice with a good
paint job and a brand name. Were not into that.
The concept of mixing performance factors with
commercial viability was an interesting challenge
for a man used to focusing only on faster times.
I like a harsh ride but thats not what 98% of the
general public wants, he says. When I was working
with British Cycling, none of it was about aesthetics.
It was purely performance-based. But it doesnt
ma9er how good a bike is if it looks crap, nobody
will buy it. Im into performance but Im still a punter
and a bike fan and I like nding that balance.
Hayles digs out his Beacon BF_100 road bike and
the BF_55 time-trial bike, both in blue. You can feel
they want to go as soon as you start pedalling, he
This daft creation started life as a Raleigh Dyna-Tech

in the 1990s but only the frame and forks are left.
I converted it to drop bars so I could train in the right
position in winter. Because it is a skinny-tubed mountain
bike with fat tyres, people think its a weird cross bike.
Robs rides #3: BF_45 cross bike
My cross bikes been underused but now its becoming

my plaything. Im ge%ing to grips with the disc brakes,
but they work very well. I used it for the reconnaissance
of Paris-Roubaix for my Radio 5 Live work and it was
fantastic. While others were ge%ing ba%ered on the
cobbles, I was riding one-handed with a GoPro.
but this one had an added evil twist because there

was a bu:on on the handlebars you had to press
to start it. It was like being in the electric chair
and having to press the bu:on to kill yourself!
The session then nished with a ramp test,
starting at 100 wa:s with an additional 25 wa:s
added every minute. As soon as your cadence
dropped below 50rpm, they lowered the power
and asked you to do three minutes at out, which
was absolutely horrendous.
While he awaits news on the selection process,
Hayles continues to quietly build on his reputation
as a skilled crasman and mechanic. I repair a lot
of the carbon wheels and Mavic stu for the British
track squad. It all started through [British Cyclings
external bike design specialist] Dimitris Katsanis.
Id been doing a lot of wind tunnel and repair work
as an athlete and he said to the British Cycling squad,
Rob is more than capable of doing this. Ive started
making frames for friends and local riders too.
Hayles says he was passionate about bike
technology long before he became a pro cyclist.
I always liked working with my hands as a kid,
building Lego or xing things. I couldnt aord
Oakley eyeshades when I was younger so I made my
own. I sourced the plastic and fashioned it into shape.
Im pre:y sure they were held on with elastic bands
over my ears! It wasnt so much the look although
Robs rides #4: Kuwahara BMX
I grew up razzing around on BMXs and I absolutely love

my Kuwahara, which is the model used in the E.T. lm.
My friend gave me the frame and the forks but they
were in a right state so I had to clean them up. It weighs
an absolute ton but is all original and looks fantastic.
My kids love riding BMXs now so we have a lot of fun.
I obviously thought I looked like the dogs knackers

in them but it was the feeling that kit gave me of
being a part of this amazing world of bikes. Thats
what I remember.
As a child, Hayles was obsessed with BMXs, which
he raced in parks close to his home in Horndean near
Portsmouth. In honour of his childhood passion, he
has now acquired a classic E.T.-branded Kuwahara
BMX a replica of the bike used in the 1982 Steven
Spielberg movie which he has spruced up and
re:ed. My rst road bike was a blue ve-speed
bike borrowed o a friends dad. I then bought from
Butler Cycles, which is now Wiggle, an amazing
blue and white Colnago Columbus which had been
sprayed over using a mesh so it looked like it had a
diamond pa:ern on it. I used to love upgrading bikes.
I can remember moving from down tube shiers to
STI shiers. I think that was my rst big step towards
new technology.
Despite his enthusiasm, he admits he didnt
always get things right. I used to take my chain o,
put it in petrol or diesel, then pour it all away. I can
remember my mum coming home and saying, Jack
from down the road says theres an awful petrol smell
outside his house. The whole street was ge:ing it!
Hayless love of
BMXs stems from
his childhood
in Horndean,
Hampshire. Now
living in the Peak
District, the dad of
two has done up a
classic E.T.-branded
Kuwahara
RobHayles PROFILE
HOW TO BUY
A NEW BIKE
Rob Hayles has

bought a few bikes in
his time. Heres what
to look for before you
part with your cash
KNOW WHAT ITS FOR
Ask yourself what the
purpose of your bike
is. Are you after speed,
performance, comfort,
durability? Think hard
about what youll be using
it for and select the right
bike for the purpose. Dont
just buy one that somebody
else recommends for you.
MAKE SURE IT FITS
The main thing is that it ts,
so get properly measured
up. It doesnt ma1er what
bike youve got if it doesnt
t your body shape, youre
wasting your time. Every
time I see someone with a
saddle too low or a reach too
long thinking, This cycling
is hard work, I think, It
is when you do it like that.
CHECK THE SPEC
If youre looking at buying
a complete bike o the peg,
look very carefully at the
spec. When a manufacturer
says the groupset is Ultegra
or SRAM Force, often only
parts of it are made by the
brand and the rest are
cheaper components.
Dont just take it at face
value. Look at whats
actually 1ed on the bike.
I HOPE TO CHANNEL ALL MY SKILLS

INTO MAKING MY OWN BIKE SOME DAY.
THATD BE AN INCREDIBLE THING TO DO
A bespoke ride
As a pro cyclist, Hayles got to sample a wide range

of bikes, from MBK to Raleigh and Boardman, but
he admits at times he had to repress his passion
for bikes and warns against blindly copying the kit
choices of pro riders. Its almost pointless to be too
passionate as a pro because you get what youre given
and thats it, he says. People think, Well, if its good
enough for this famous cyclist, it must be good, but
mostly riders get absolutely no say in the kit they use.
In fact, it can be frustrating. I can remember being
on the start line once with spoked wheels and seeing
everyone else with top-spec Zipps. It killed me.
Since retiring, Hayles work as a pundit for the
BBC, ITV and Eurosport has given him unique access
and insight into the modern pro cycling scene.
However, he has not been impressed by some of the
things hes seen. There are big mistakes made

by a lot of pros. Alberto Contador, for instance.
Apparently, his mechanic has a say over what he
uses. In the mountain time-trial of last years Tour,
a lot of guys like Chris Froome had a bike change at
the top, but Contador didnt. Before the start, his
mechanic had been drilling holes underneath the
top tube of his carbon bike to make it lighter. How
much weight does that save? He could have played
it like a bloody ute on the descent. Ive got a photo
on my phone of Contadors bike and the saddle is
skew-whi. Maybe he rides it like that like Yatesy
[Sean Yates] used to but it was really weird. A lot
of the general public presume that with riders,
everything is perfect. But no.
Out of all the elegant carbon-bre machines
on show at the start of the Tour de France, Hayles
FOCUS ON THE WHEELS

Wheels are crucial. In 2008,
I was riding an aluminium
bike but I was running Zipp
404 wheels so it was still
really lively. But if you do it
the other way around and
ride a 5,000 frame with
cheap wheels, itll feel dead.
Its worth keeping some
money back to upgrade
your wheels.
THINK AHEAD
Always plan for the future
by making sure its easily
compatible with other
groupsets, wheels and
components. If its not, you
might end up forking out
too much money in a few
years time. Remember,
any parts you replace in the
future can be kept as spares
or used for winter riding.
PROFILE
RobHayles
He may be yet to build
his dream bike, but
Hayles has built a coop
for his two chickens
ROB HAYLES
IN NUMBERS
5
Number of pro teams

hes ridden for
Number of amateur
teams hes ridden for
Golds (2006
Commonwealth
Games, 2005 World
Championships, 2005
World Championships)
Silvers (2006
Commonwealth
Games, 2006 World
Championships, 2004
Olympic Games)
Bronze (2004
Olympic Games)
Number of times
hes nished
Paris-Roubaix
(started on three
occasions 2003,
2010, 2011)
Double
Track world champion
Number of pelvic
fractures (Hayles suered
a car crash in 2001)
1993
Year he broke into cycling

and became National
Kilometre Champion
Robs rides #5: BF_55 time-trial bike
After all my track racing, the time-trial riding position

is the one I feel most at home with on a road bike. This
Beacon model is very smooth and forgiving. You could
do a prologue or Race Across America on it. I did the
bike leg of the London triathlon on it this year. I added
some aero carbon to it because I ride with a big stack.
most admires the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 used

by Movistar. I really like the look of BMC bikes but
Im not sure Id like to race on them based on the
feedback from riders, but Movistars Canyon bikes
are nice. Ive seen Alex Dowse*s bike close up and
its great. But what impress me most are the bikes
that allow riders to get in the right position. The bike
and the frame are really small parts of your overall
silhoue*e. What ma*ers is your position. The two
riders who stand out for me are Taylor Phinney and
Steve Cummings. Their road position is closely
aligned to their TT position. Pros spend so much
time perfecting their TT position, which is really
a minute part of their overall season, but when they
go on the road, it all goes out the window. You see
guys in the break si*ing up with their shoulders
high. Phinney and Steve know what theyre doing.
All those aerodynamic saves really count.
Hayles reveals that he hopes to gather all his
aerodynamic knowledge, materials expertise and
pro experiences, and channel them all into one
supremely innovative bike one day. Its expensive
but I think itd be an incredible thing to do, he says.
Whatever new challenges are on the horizon for
Hayles, he hopes that the knowledge and experience
hes accumulated over his long career will make his
skillset future-proof. We keep hearing horror
stories from the aerospace industry that theres
a shortage of carbon coming up and specialists
Ive spoken to have said prices could go up, he says,
grinning. I guess that means people who can repair
bikes are going to become even more important.
National Madison gold

medal (1995)
14
Number of days he
was suspended after
a blood test showed
him to be 0.3% above
the haematocrit limit in
2008. His licence was
restored two weeks later
2000
Year he broke on to the

international scene
(silver in the Track World
Championships Team
Pursuit, bronze in the
Individual Pursuit
in Manchester)
2,233.4
Number of km he rode
in 17 race days in 2002
Biography Easy Rider:

My Life On A Bike
Pet chickens
11
Age he received his

rst cycling trophy
3,444
Tweets to date
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THESCIENCEOF
SUFFERING
Hinaults frostbien
ngers, Roches oxygendepleted collapse,
Thomass fractured pelvis
the litany of professional
cyclists suering is a long
and glorious one. But can
you learn to ignore your
body when its screaming
at you to stop, and is it
really something you
should be doing?
WORDS TREVOR WARD
The Badger bloodied: Bernard

Hinault demonstrates why he
earned such a reputation for
tenacity and endurance
Suffering SCIENCE
December
January2015
2014 BikesEtc 65
When Irish eyes are crying:

Stephen Roche receives
treatment at the end of a heroic
climbing eort on his way to
winning the 1987 Tour
n his autobiographical novella De Renner [The

Rider], Dutch writer and amateur cyclist Tim
Krabb tells countryman and future World
Champion Gerrie Knetemann: You guys need
to suer more, get dirtier; you should arrive at
the top in a casket, thats what we pay you for.
Whether its the weather, the eort or the
injuries, pain is something that is celebrated
by cyclists and fans alike. De Renner is eectively
a 148-page paean to pain, where suering is reward
itself: Aer the nish, all the suering turns to
memories of pleasure, and the greater the suering,
the greater the pleasure. That is Natures payback to
riders for the homage they pay her by suering.
Team Skys Geraint Thomas, reecting on his
three weeks completing the 2013 Tour with a
fractured pelvis, is slightly blunter: Cyclists arent
normal, are they? When youre on your bike on
your own for six hours a day training in terrible
conditions and you get up the next day to do it all
over again, youve got to be slightly crazy. Some,

though, are crazier than others.
The pain game
Pain is your body telling you to take notice of it,

says Andy Lane, professor of sports psychology at
Wolverhampton University. Dealing with it isnt as
simple as trying to distract yourself from it; that goes
against the evolved reason for pain. Trying to think
of something abstract such as what youre going to
have for dinner that night doesnt work. Professional
cyclists learn how to suer, thats what training on
the turbo is all about. There are few other sports
that will take you to that level of grunting intensity.
Cyclists really push the hurt bu5on.
And not only do cyclists have to be able to endure
pain, they also have to conceal it. Compare cyclists
to footballers, says Lane. On the bike, pain is
masked so your adversaries cant see it and take
advantage whereas on the pitch its expressed loudly,
Suffering SCIENCE
normally in an a=empt to get someone sent o!

Two key theories about pain management revolve
around governors and chimps (and no, were not talking
about Prime Ministers Questions). The Central Governor
theory, devised by ultra-marathon runner Professor Tim
Noakes of Cape Town University, states that the pain of
exhaustion experienced by endurance athletes is actually
an illusion, and in eect its your brain the central
governor and not your muscles telling you that youve
reached your limit and should think about slowing down or
stopping. In other words, Jens Voigts famous catchphrase
should really have been: Shut up, brain!
Sports psychologist and successful amateur triathlete
Dr Victor Thompson says this is an a=ractive theory
but one that doesnt always work in practice. His own
central governor failed to kick in during an Iron Man
event in Switzerland in 2006. He ignored the warning
signs stomach cramps to reach the nish, but woke up in
intensive care 36 hours later. He remained in hospital for six
days, suering the eects of severe heatstroke.
BERNARD HINAULT WON

LIGE-BASTOGNE-LIGE
IN 1980 IN A SNOW STORM
THAT LEFT HIM WITH NUMB
FINGERS FOR WEEKS
Even my psychological skills of being mentally tough
should not have overridden the central governor if its
supposed to be this all-singing, all-dancing dominator,
he says. Theres a cost to being mentally tough theres
a risk you could cause more harm.
Meanwhile, British Cyclings mind mechanic,
psychiatrist Steve Peters, says the key to managing pain
and discomfort whether from lactic acid build-up, the
weather or an injury is keeping your inner chimp in
check. The chimp is the irrational, emotional part of the
brain, something you dont want to be involved in deciding
whether you should ride on through the pain barrier
or not. If a cyclist is less likely to respond emotionally,
the probability of continuing to cycle and deal with the
pain is higher, he says.
Lane adds that while anger or frustration can trigger
a wave of energy, it will only be a short-term solution:
In a bike race youd struggle to keep so highly charged for
ve hours. Even Cadel Cuddles Evans would have trouble
maintaining the rage for that long.
Hips dont lie
While both the governor and the chimp have their

advocates, neither was around when Bernard Hinault
won the one-day Classic Lige-Bastogne-Lige in 1980 in
a snow storm that le! two of his ngers completely numb
for three weeks a!erwards (see Kings of Pain, page 68),
or when Stephen Roche collapsed at the top of Le Plagne
on his way to winning the Tour in 1987 and was only able
to communicate by blinking his eyelids.
Its fair to say brute force beat the governors and chimps
back then but Geraint Thomass experience in the 2013 Tour
was dierent. Pro riders these days have an army of
PAINMANAGEMENT
Go pro and use the following tips to

break through your own personal pain
barrier. Be warned: contains self-talk
and imaginary bungee cords
REJOICE IN SUFFERING
If you perceive pain as a warning
telling you to back o it may
be time to locate your inner
sadomasochist. See pain as not
an entirely bad thing; rather
think of it as good feedback,
says Dr Victor Thompson.
If its associated with pushing
yourself to your limit and
achieving your goals, when you
feel it in the future it will have
only positive associations.
CHANGE YOUR FOCUS
The human brain can only focus
on one thing at a time, says
sports scientist and cycling
tness coach Alan Heary
(irishcyclingacademy.com),
so if youre concentrating on
the burning in your legs then
thats all youll feel. Focus on
something dierent such as
pedal stroke, driving your knees
high, or even shift your a1ention
to your breathing. When riders
talk about breaking through
the pain what they really mean
is theyre thinking about
something else. Thompson
recommends disassociation
and imagining that the pain isnt
happening to you, but to the
person you can see on the turbo
next to you or climbing the hill
in front of you. Just try not to
laugh maniacally at them as
you do this though.
USE YOUR ILLUSION
Have an image you can
concentrate on during moments
of intense discomfort. Professor
Andy Lane suggests imagining
your feet on the pedals are the
pistons of a steam train, while
Heary recommends creating
an imaginary bungee cord
a1ached to your bike. Use it
to pull yourself up to the next
corner, next lamp post or
next car, he says. It breaks
down the task at hand into short
steps, giving you small goals

to concentrate on rather than
one big one.
GET INTENSE
High-intensity reps on a static
bike are a great way of pushing
yourself just that li1le bit further
and experiencing the levels of
pain you need to hit if youre to
improve race times or reach
goals. If you need visual
stimulation while doing this
then visit suerfest.com and
download one of their extreme
training videos. Bear in mind
their online community refers
to the spaces they keep their
turbos in as torture chambers.
HAVE A WORD
WITH YOURSELF
Cycling is one of the only times
you can get away with talking
to yourself in public without
people moving away from you.
Self-talk is very important for
condence, says Heary. Try
running a mental commentary
of your performance, as if a TV
pundit is in your head telling you
how strong and fast you are.
Alternatively, take a positive
phrase and focus on it, repeating
it over and over until it becomes
a mantra. Theres science to
back this up, too. A study carried
out at the Department of
Physical Education, Southern
Illinois University, found there
was indeed a link between
increased focus and the use
of positive self-talk.
GET A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
Remember, if youre suering
because of the intensity or the
weather, the other riders are
too. Probably. Thompson
advises telling yourself: They
arent relishing this level or
these conditions either. Plus,
Im making them suer too.
Just dont say it out loud.
Down but not out: Geraint

Thomas reects on riding
the Tour with a broken pelvis
psychologists and psychiatrists behind them and the

G-Man was able to employ sophisticated mental
strategies to help him continue the 2013 Tour aer
breaking his pelvis in a crash on the rst stage. Pain
is subjective but no one can be in any doubt that
Thomas suered horribly. It was like a prolonged
Chinese burn, he says. The more wa/s
I tried to put out, the worse it was. Going through
li/le towns and villages where I was braking into
corners and having to accelerate out was what
I really struggled with.
Once an MRI scan at the end of stage two had
conrmed there was no danger of his injury
being made worse, Thomas was determined to
continue. The only painkillers he was allowed were
paracetamol and ibuprofen but mentally, he had
all the key ingredients necessary motivation,
preparation and previous experience.
According to Steve Peters, motivation is crucial.

If someone sees li/le reward in ghting against
the pain then they are less likely to continue than
someone who sees great reward, he says. Alongside
this there is oen the team factor to consider. If
a person has a strong sense of team and not wanting
to let others down, then this will contribute to their
determination not to give in.
Thomas had motivation by the bucket-load:
I knew that if I could get through the rst week, Id be
able to contribute to the team and support Froomey.
I also didnt want to stop because this was the Tour,
and Id missed out on it and riding for Brad the
previous year because of preparing for the Olympics.
He was also able to draw on experience learned
during his Olympic gold medal-winning team
pursuit campaign on the track: With the team
pursuit, youre really focused and in the zone, you get
KINGSOFPAIN
Despite being some of the greatest spectacles in sport, modern Grand Tours are a shadow of their
former selves. In the early half of the last century, competitors regularly tackled stages so long, they
had to set o in the dark. Racing on unpaved roads on heavy singlespeed bikes and existing on a diet
of strychnine, amphetamines and raw eggs, the conditions were so atrocious that few starters made
it to the nish. Still, pain is relative, so here is the BikesEtc top 10 greatest feats of suering in cycling
WAYNE RANDALL
During a 25-mile
time-trial, 70s British
cycling legend Wayne
Randall rode into the
back of a caravan,
crashing through
the back window.
Exiting via the door, he
retrieved his bike and
went on to win, only
to be stripped of the
victory and banned for
six months for riding
with his head down.
BERNARD HINAULT
As the 174 riders
lined up for the 1980
edition of LigeBastogne-Lige, the
snow was already
falling. 244km later, the
horric weather had
decimated the eld.
Only 21 would cross
the nish line, led by
Frenchman Hinault
who made a solo break
to victory from 80km
out. In doing so, hed
secured one of the
most famous victories
in cycling history, along
with lasting frostbite
damage to his ngers.
TYLER HAMILTON
Hamilton spent most
of the 2002 Giro dItalia
racing with a broken
collarbone. It didnt
stop him winning the
time-trial or defending
his second place
overall. The following
year, the American
sustained the same
injury on the rst stage
of the Tour de France.
Again he soldiered on
to nish fourth overall,
taking a stage victory
in the high mountains.
Involuntarily clenching
his jaw due to the pain,
over the course of
three weeks, he
ground his molars at.
JOHNNY
HOOGERLAND
The Dutchman was
among a ve-man
break nearing the end
of stage nine of the
2011 Tour when a car
carrying journalists
swerved into him. The
King of the Mountains
leader was ung o the
road and into a barbed
wire fence. Despite
deep gashes and heavy
bleeding, motorbike
medics patched him
up and a bloodied
Hoogerland made it to
the nish line. The rst
stop after appearing
on the podium was
hospital, where he
received 33 stitches.
HANNAH BARNES
Hi8ing the deck at
2013s Tour Series
criterium in Woking
didnt slow down the
feisty Scot. Straight
back on her bike, she
chased back and won
out in the bunch sprint
all the while bleeding
from a wound to her
chin that would require
nine stitches.
LAURENS TEN DAM

2011 was a bumper
year for crashes at the
Tour. A week after
Hoogerlands crash,
Dutchman Laurens
ten Dam launched
himself face rst into
a ditch. He struggled to
the nish with hugely
swollen lips and a
bandage strapped
across his face. Despite
looking like a zombie
and struggling to take
on food and water, ten
Dam never considered
qui8ing the race,
saying, You dont quit
the Tour because of a
thick lip. At least, thats
what we think he said.
Suffering SCIENCE
on the line and then Bam! you go and in less than

four minutes youre done. It took that same sort of
intensity mentally to get up for it during the Tour,
but I had to repeat it during every stage. Id have to get
in the zone and say, Right, I need to a2ack this next
couple of kilometres now and really focus on keeping
as much speed as possible through the corners and
not have to accelerate more than I need to. And
each time you get through that, it gives you a boost.
Once more unto the breach
Another pain management strategy commonly

adopted by riders is to reduce their goals into
increments. Break the race into manageable, bitesize bits, like milestones, says Thompson. So for
example, if youve turned the pedals for one minute
then tell yourself you can do another two. Once
youve done that then do another ve or 10 minutes.
GERAINT THOMAS
When Geraint Thomas
broke his pelvis on the
opening stage of the
2013 Tour de France,
few team directors
would have begrudged
his retirement.
Instead, against his
mums advice, the
Welshman pushed
on, eventually riding
himself back into the
race and assisting
team leader Chris
Froome to victory. They
obviously make them
tough in Cardi.
TOMMY GODWIN
Starting on New Years
Day 1939, Tommy
Godwin cycled 75,065
miles, averaging 205
miles a day, se8ing
a record for the most
miles ridden in a year
that still stands today.
He then carried on
pedalling to rack up
a staggering 100,000
miles by mid May 1940.
After a couple of weeks
recuperating and
relearning to walk,
he then joined the RAF
to ght in the Second
World War.
SEAN KELLY
Now a commentator,
the laconic Irishman
was one of the last of
the old-school hard
men. When he says
the breakaway wont
succeed, you know its
doomed. No question.
Perhaps wisdom
comes through
suering; it would
certainly explain why
the hardworking and
taciturn Kelly can call
a race like few others.
He worked like a dog
every day of his 27-year
professional career.
STEPHEN ROCHE
In a stealth a8ack on
yellow jersey wearer
Pedro Delgado,
Stephen Roche
collapsed at the top
of Le Plagne during
the 1987 Tour. For
10 minutes he could
only communicate by
blinking and he didnt
regain movement until
he was in the back
of an ambulance.
His rst words after
becoming a cycling
legend: Im OK but
Im not ready for
a woman tonight.
Then before you know it, youve done an hour or

reached the end of a stage. Once youve done it once,
you can do it again for the next stage.
Thomas says he did exactly this, remembering
advice he was given during his rst Tour experience.
You try to break it down, so its not one long
200km stage over three or four mountains, but it
was this part here, then this climb there, he says.
It was like when I did my rst Tour in 2007 and was
rooming with Robbie Hunter. He would tell me,
Today youve just got to get to this point, bite the
bullet, hang in there for as long as you can, and even
if you get dropped just keep going because the bunch
will sit up at this point. It was a similar kind of thing.
At the end of the day though, you will feel pain at
some point and maybe the best way to get through it
is to see it as a positive thing rather than a negative
one. Most pro riders see pain and discomfort as
things that are necessary and desirable, says Dr
Thompson. Theyre not to be avoided, reduced or
minimised. They see purpose in suering its an
indicator that theyre working at the right level.
While Thomass achievement was praised as
heroic and raised him to the status of superhuman
in the eyes of many fans, Lane prefers to compare
it to something far more prosaic: In all of us there
is the capability to overcome pain. Probably the
most descriptive stories of intense, horrible pain
dont come from sportspeople, but from women
giving birth. Theyve evolved to cope with that
because its worth the pain. Humans tend to
nd a coping mechanism within them that will
actually deal with that discomfort if they think
its worth it. For riders in a race like the Tour de
France, the victory is their baby.
Pictures: Ge8y Images
RIDING WITH
A BROKEN PELVIS
WAS LIKE A
PROLONGED
CHINESE BURN
GERAINT THOMAS
POWER
TO T H E
PEOPLE
Power meters are no longer the sole preserve of professional riders. BikesEtc explains
why you need one, how to choose it, and how best to use was to benet your training
W
GARMIN VECTOR POWER
PEDALS (MADISON.CO.UK)
WORDS MARC ABBOTT PHOTOGRAPHY DANNY BIRD
ith great power comes

great responsibility. But
whether youre strong as an
ox or simply want to add a
scientic measure to your
training progress, the increasingly
aordable option of a power meter
has many benets. Although available
in a number of forms at the hub, the
cranks or pedals all cycling power
meters work on the same theory, using

strain gauges to accurately measure
the torque you make with each pedal
stroke, and convert that measurement
into a reading in was on your cycling
computer. This allows you to keep
track of your performance on the road
and then spend hours poring over the
data on your computer screen once
youve uploaded your ride.
Powermeters PERFORMANCE
QUARQ ELSA CRANK

SYSTEM (QUARQ.COM)
December 2014 BikesEtc 71
WHO NEEDS
HEART RATE?
So what exactly is a power meter

going to give you that a heart rate
monitor cant? Well, for one thing,
theres consistency. James Gullen,
head coach at Go Faster Coaching
(gofastercoaching.co.uk), explains,
Heart rate can be aected by a lot of
other factors if youre ill or tired, for
example but power is a constant.

And according to Dan Fleeman,
director of Dig Deep Coaching
(digdeepcoaching.com), if youre using
heart rate alone, its impossible to
perform interval training accurately
due to the lag time while your heart
rate rises to the desired level and
return to a resting state. Using heart
rate for a time trial isnt too bad,
because its a constant eort, Fleeman
PICK YOUR METER
Power meters can be divided into three main camps hub, crank or
pedal-based. Heres a brief look at the pros and cons of all three
HUB
CRANKSET
PEDAL/SHOE
The hub-housed Power

Tap system from CycleOps
(paligap.cc) was once one
of the only choices available,
with a price tag to match its
intended level of use. Theyre
now coming down in price
signicantly (from 800 for
a full Power Tap-equipped
wheelset and 600 for a hub
alone) to compete with crank
and pedal meters.
Requires the <ing of a new

crankset (or single crank
arm) that contains a strain
gauge to measure your
eorts and relay data to
your cycle computers head
unit by Bluetooth or ANT+.
Big players in this arena
include SRM (from 1,600,
scientic-coaching.com),
Quarq (from 900, quarq.
com), Stages (from 600,
saddleback.co.uk; as used by
Team Sky), Rotor (from 1,450,
rotoruk.co.uk) and new brand
Infocrank (vervecycling.com).
These are generally much

easier to t and maintain
than other types. Garmins
Vector system (from 750,
madison.co.uk) is available
in either both feet or left
pedal-only versions, while
Looks newest tie-up with
GPS rm Polar, Ko Power
(polar.com) was launched in
November. Zones cleat-based
system (brimbrothers.
com) is <ed to the riders
shoe and forthcoming shoe
power meter from Spanish
company Luck (luck-bike.es)
is an exciting prospect due for
launch imminently.
PROS
Simple calibration and
pairing with head unit.
Ba<ery changes simpler
in newer versions, where

accessibility has been
improved.
If you want to use it on a
dierent bike, its a simple

case of swapping the
wheelset over.
Relatively easy to t
and calibrate with basic

mechanical skills.
Now sub-600 (for Stages
cranks), this is the fastest

growing area of the market,
and arguably the most
accessible to riders on a
budget.
Incredibly easy to t, as long
as you own a torque wrench.

Can easily be swapped
between bikes in minutes.
CONS
Needs to be sent away
for servicing or repair, so if

anything goes wrong youre
unlikely to be able to x it in
your garage.
Hub-only purchase will
require a wheel to be built up

around it.
If youre racing, youll need
to train and race on the same

wheels, or buy two Power Tap
hubs, at double the expense.
Cheaper, single-crank
versions (such as Stages

meters) only measure lefthand power, meaning your
wa<age is a simple calculation
of left foot power x 2, which
doesnt take into account
variations in left and right leg
strength.
Polar/Look pedal meter
uses Polar technology rather

than the more popular ANT+
connectivity.
More aordable (640)
Zone power meter currently

only compatible with
Speedplay cleats.
says, but for anything that includes

on/o eorts, such as intervals, its not
a great tool.
Dont go chucking your heart
monitor strap in the bin just yet,
though, as many coaches still believe
theres a place for it in your training.
Its true that perceived rate of eort
measurements are still a valuable
tool, especially in conjunction with
heart rate readings, says Tobias
Bremer, clinical director and lead
physiotherapist at Physio Clinic in
Brighton (physioclinicbrighton.
co.uk). He adds, A study in 2011 by the
University of Florida found that there
was no dierence in improvement
between cyclists using heart rate
monitors versus power meters while
doing interval training sessions. Both
groups improved signicantly.
Nonetheless, Gullen maintains that
using your power output to measure
performance improvements is far
more reliable than heart rate: If youre
pu;ing out more wa;s in June than
you were in January, you know thats
because youre stronger, but if youre
relying on heart rate across time, the
variables involved in working out why
your HR is elevated or lower make it an
unreliable way to gauge any real-world
performance gains. He adds that
power data makes it easier to compare
yourself to your mates (or rivals),
suggesting, If your mates 90kg and
youre only 60kg, you might not make
the same numbers on your absolute
power output, but if you use your
power to weight ratio, you can track
how you compare.
IM HERE TO
READ THE METER
Its clear, then, that power meters

have their advantages. Whats not
clear is how to make the most of those
advantages to make yourself a stronger
rider. Fleeman warns, I know some
people whove spent more than 2,000
on an SRM, and just use it to go riding
with. Basically, what theyve bought is
a really pricey speedo. In other words,
its only worthwhile investing in a
power meter if you know how to read
the data it provides.
Its ne for the pros: they dont need
to know how to use their expensive
power measuring equipment because
most teams provide coaching sta.
They set a training plan and monitor
riders data online using websites such
as Training Peaks. Teams like Sky do
so well because they can look at their
riders numbers and pre;y much
know how their riders will perform in
certain races if they hit the right wa;s,
says Gullen. However, us mortals,
unless were paying for coaching, wont
have this luxury. So its important you
learn how to analyse your data to get
the best out of your training.
It doesnt ma;er what websites
USING A POWER
METER GIVES
FAR MORE
RELIABLE DATA
THAN A HEART
RATE MONITOR
POWERTAP WHEEL
SYSTEM (PALIGAP.CC)
PRO POWER TRAINING PLAN
James Gullen of Go Faster Coaching (gofastercoaching.co.uk) makes analysing your

power meter gures and boosting your wa s simple with this training plan
SET YOUR ZONES

Find your power zones using a 20min
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test
15
mins
warm-up
mins
as hard as possible
(to open the legs and add enough
fatigue to make the test accurate).
BOOST YOUR
MAX POWER
FIT IT AROUND
YOUR TRAINING
My favourite workout for FTP

improvements is a 2 x 20 minute
sweet spot session. Sweet spot is
a level just between Z3-4 which reaps
good training adaptation without
tiring the body too much.
The sweet spot workout can be done

two to three times a week, depending
on other training and personal stresses.
I would normally suggest it be done
alongside long steady base miles in
winter and then add in some VO2 max
intervals towards the racing season (if
this is what youre training for). A good
VO2 max session would consist of:
15
mins
warm-up
20
mins
10
at sweet spot (around 85-90% FTP)
mins
easy
20
mins
as hard as you can
You then take 95% of your average

power over the nal 20 minutes as your
Functional Threshold Power (power
you can sustain for one hour). So if you
managed 300 wa;s for the 20-minute
test your FTP would be 285 wa;s. Use
this to determine your power zones
ZONE
1
Active recovery
Endurance
Tempo
Lactate threshold
VO2 max
Anaerobic capacity
Neuromuscular
power
Up to 55% of FTP
56-75% of FTP
76-90% of FTP
91-105% of FTP
106-120% of FTP
Over 121% of FTP
N/A*
*youll only ever hit this in very short bursts
10
mins
warm-up
5x5
mins
10
eorts at around 110% of FTP

with 5 mins recovery between
mins
easy
20
10
mins
mins
at sweet spot
10
cool-down
This can again be progressed with

longer eorts, shorter recovery or
more intervals.
mins
cool-down
This session can be progressed as

you get ;er by adding longer eorts,
more eorts or shorter recovery
times between eorts.
you use to store your rides, Gullen

says. You can even use Strava (strava.
com) to see what wa0s youre making
on each segment, and compare
identical rides over time. Its even
be0er if you have access to Training
Peaks (trainingpeaks.com), because
there you can see your power peaks for
ve seconds, 10 seconds, ve minutes
and so on. This is really useful for
analysing interval sessions.
Fleeman would direct you to a book
(remember them?) called Training And
Racing With A Power Meter. Wri0en by
Hunter Allen, it laid the foundations
for the metrics used by Training Peaks,
such as the Training Stress Score
(TSS) and Intensity Factor (IF). Using
these measurements gives you a way of
quantifying the load of your training,
he says. You can use the websites
performance management chart too,
AND FINALLY
To get an accurate gauge of how your
tness is progressing, I would suggest
doing an FTP test once every six weeks.
which plots your TSS over time to

plot a graph. From this, you can work
out when youre tired or how to peak
for an event.
Power meter data can benet your
riding in other distinct ways too. A
power meter can help ag up strengths
and weaknesses in your physiology
and bike set-up, says Bremer. For
instance, you may work at your most
ecient at a cadence of 98 while
generating 220 wa0s rather than a
lower cadence producing the same
power output. Triangulating heart
rate readings, cadence and power will
help you see this and you could change
your gearing accordingly to make
you a more ecient rider. This may
mean poring over a lot of numbers and
doing dicult sums, but the reward
of smoother, faster riding may well be
worth the eort.
adds, You can use your average power

display to measure the sort of wa=s
you want to be generating, to make
sure you dont blow aer ve minutes.
WHATS THE
BIG NEWS?
STAGES POWER CRANK

(SADDLEBACK.CO.UK)
MAKE IT WORK
FOR YOU
You dont even need to be hi=ing the

big numbers of a professional rider to
benet from a power meter. It doesnt
ma=er if you cant do the same wa=s
as Fabian Cancellara; monitoring
your power over time and working
on it will bring improvements,
according to Gullen. Though it helps
if youre actually training for a specic
discipline or event, he adds.
For most sportive riders, Fleeman
recommends that regardless of how
hilly your local roads are, you should
combine your climbs. I usually go
out for a few hours and try to do a
combined hour of climbing; its best
to do this at Zone 4 (see Pro Power
Training Plan, opposite) or a li=le
bit above, he advises. Or if youve no
ITS NO USE TRYING

TO SMASH YOUR PEAK
POWER IF YOURE
GETTING DROPPED
climbs nearby, do ve or 10-minute
eorts in a bigger gear, so you can still
get your power into Zone 4. Its just as
useful for replicating the power youll
need for the big ascents.
Racers, meanwhile, can look at their
power data aer the event and nd the
areas they need to work on. You can
analyse the spots where youre making
big power and work out whether it was
because you were out in the wind, or
even if your brakes were rubbing! says
Fleeman. And for time trials? Gullen
One of cyclings most exciting

developments in recent years is the
increased aordability of power
meters, which puts ownership rmly
within the grasp of the recreational
rider or club racer. Theyre now at
a place where a power meter will cost
you about the same as a set of wheels,
where a few years ago they were the
price of a new bike, says Gullen.
Dan Fleeman adds: The more
inexpensive meters like a Stages crank,
which just measures le-leg power,
while they only estimate power based
on one leg, are forcing everyone else
to lower their prices. This has to be
good news for the consumer, as long as
the cheaper models are still accurate
and reliable, right? The cheaper
power meters are absolutely ne, says
Fleeman. The most important thing is
that you use the same tool every time
to get consistent data.
The danger is you can become a bit
Dave Brailsford about these things,
and Fleeman is the rst to point out
that its easy to become obsessed with
data. Some people will come to me
and say Im doing this power or that
power, to which Ill reply, Yes, but
youre ge=ing dropped in races! Its a
tool for measuring your progression
and performance, its not really much
use to go out there and keep trying
to smash your peak power. If racing
is your goal, he oers this advice: If
youre looking to win a race, oen the
winner is the one who pedals least,
so hi=ing big wa=s is less important.
Look at Christian Vande Velde in the
Tour de France In 2008, when he
nished fourth, his data showed there
were two hours on each day when
he wasnt pedalling. He wasnt the
strongest guy in the race, but in the
nal week he had the advantage.
A nal thought on the benets
of power measurement from
physiotherapist Tobias Bremer: Ive
sometimes used power meters to
prevent injuries or manage knee, hip
and back conditions by se=ing the
maximum wa=age to below the riders
pain threshold. So using a power
meter means you can continue riding
while completing a rehabilitation
programme? Yes, usually at a higher
cadence but with lower wa=age. That
ultimately means less down time and
ge=ing back to full strength sooner.
One thing is for sure there are
going to be thousands more riders
with power meters this time next year,
so whether youre a racer or a caf-stop
wa=age boaster, your competition
is about to get tougher.
THE
BIKE
STOPS
HERE
The arrival of disc brakes is one of

the most significant and controversial
changes in road bikes for many years.
But how much difference do they really
make? BikesEtc sends its guinea pigs
out on a cold, damp December afternoon
to see if they can find the answer
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY JORDAN GIBBONS
Brakingdistance TECH TEST
f the thousands of new

bikes and components
released every year, the
overwhelming majority
will promise that they
can make you go faster. But what
if you actually want to go slower?
It sounds silly to say it like that,
but the brakes are some of the
most important parts of the bike
and they oen get overlooked.
Thats because until recently,
there have been no huge changes
to the brakes &ed to road bikes.
Wheels are now lighter,
theyre stier, the hubs are
smoother, theyre more
aerodynamic and perhaps, once
all the headline facts are out of
the way, there will be a note about
a new braking surface. In a world
dedicated to KOMs, brakes have
always been the aerthoughts.
We brag about beating our
friends to the top of the hill,
but few of us see much glory
in being rst to the bo&om.
Rim brakes of various
iterations have been the standard
on road bikes since the 1900s
and, although brake designs
FRONTUP:THEPHYSICSOFBRAKING
have changed a li5le, the principle has
always remained the same. The
single-pivot calliper brake is the unit
that has been in use the longest; early
examples go back to the 1930s. That
design was king primarily due to its
low weight and its ability to track a rim
that isnt perfectly true, either due to
damage or ex. Once wheels stiened
up a bit, the design could be improved,
but it wasnt until the early 1990s
that Shimano presented us with
the dual-pivot calliper. Its the most
common design in use today, although
early examples were criticised for
their increased weight (you may sense
a pa5ern emerging here). Most
developments in brake calliper design
have been for the goal of lower overall
weight or be5er aerodynamics and
oen at the expense of braking
performance, Campagnolos infamous
Delta brake being a case in point.
There have been a few a5empts at
introducing entirely new systems,
such as hydraulic rim brakes by
Magura in the late 90s, although
these have never really stuck.
ON THE ROAD
Now disc brakes have come bursting

onto the road scene claiming be5er
stopping power, increased modulation
and, most importantly, with li5le to no
weight penalty, but still people are
sceptical. Most concerns seem to be
centred on parts compatibility and
ease of maintenance, although a fair
number are also put o by their lack of
use in the professional ranks (even in
cyclocross, where they are now UCI
legal, the uptake is surprisingly low).
With all that in mind, we decided to
put together an entirely unscientic
When youre riding along, your centre of

gravity sits between the two wheels.
As you apply the brakes and start to slow

down, the equal and opposite reaction
takes place, shifting weight forwards.
This weight shift compresses the front

tyre, increasing its traction and ensuring
most of the braking force is coming from
the front wheel.
The converse is also true. More weight

on the front wheel means less on the rear,
making it more likely that the rear tyre
will lose traction and skid over the ground.
test to see what its all about.

The aim is to see how quickly we can
make our bikes come to a stop, so we
nd ourselves a nice, long, straight
stretch of tarmac to use as our test
area. First, we test everyone using
their own everyday bikes, the ones
whose set-up theyre most familiar
with: Andy using SRAM Force calliper
brakes and 25mm road tyres, Morgan
using Shimano 105 calliper brakes and
23mm road tyres, and Joe using SRAM
Rival hydraulic disc brakes and 35mm
nobbly cyclocross tyres. They set o in
turn, ge5ing up to a steady speed of
30kmh, then when they pass the rst
marker, they try to stop as quickly as
possible. Having recorded the

distances to use as our benchmark
gures, the results take us a li5le by
surprise: everyone pulled up in almost
exactly 12.5m, so in this case there was
no dierence between any of them.
This is where the fun really starts,
as we start to swap bikes and make
other changes to the bikes set-up to
see how (or if) it aects braking. Andy
jumps on the Whyte Stowe Ultegra,
which is 5ed with the new Shimano
hydraulic disc system and repeats the
test. With the brake levers set up the
opposite way to his usual bike (he
prefers to have the front brake on the
le), he pulls up in 15.8m on his rst
The aim is to see

how quickly we
can make our bikes
come to a stop on
a long, straight
stretch of tarmac
THEIDEATHATRIDERS
WITHDISCBRAKES
WOULDBEFOREVER
CRASHINGINTOBIKES
WITHRIMBRAKES
WASPUTTOBED
run and then 13m on his second run,
suggesting that the discs have no
greater stopping power than the rim
brakes, although this could be down to
Andys unfamiliarity with the set-up.
Next we vary the braking technique,
using only the rear brake, which we
hope will demonstrate the importance
of the front brake. Morgan and Andy
both come to a stop aer 15m, while
Joe stops in 12m, although he was
struggling to keep control, with several
of his runs ending in dangerous rearwheel slides. Using only the front
brake, all three pull up in 13m.
Our nal change is to adjust the tyre
pressure on Andys Whyte to see if this
makes any dierence, the idea being
that reduced pressure creates a larger
contact patch, therefore increasing
grip and making it less likely to lose
traction under braking. In fact, physics
tells us that a larger contact patch does
not generally improve grip; instead,
the same frictional force is merely
spread out over a larger area. This
seems to be borne out when Andy
comes to a stop in 12.5m, exactly the
same as in the control test.
While these results surprise us
a li*le, they do at least put to bed the
idea that a mixed peloton of riders
with disc and rim brakes would be
forever crashing into each other
due to radically dierent braking
distances. The disc brake-equipped
bikes pull up no quicker than the
LOOKAFTERYOURBRAKES
Even the best brakes in the world wont stop

you safely if they arent well maintained
It sounds a li'le obvious, but se'ing your brakes
up correctly and keeping on top of maintenance
makes a huge dierence. Lever pull is personal
preference, but manufacturers usually spec the
lever at 50% of travel when the pads touch the
rim for the system to have the correct amount
of mechanical advantage (or power).
Rim surfaces are easily fouled by grime so
it helps to pay extra a'ention to the braking
surface when cleaning your bike. If you want to
go the whole hog, you can buy a rim block from
Mavic and rub the surface down. Pads can also
become fouled by small pieces of aluminium

that wear o the braking surface; these can
easily be popped out with the end of a sharp
object. Most pads have wear indicators that
should be closely monitored as riding in bad
weather can quickly wear them down. Its also
possible to get wet-weather pads: they often
have an area that cleans the rim before the
rest of the pad does the stopping.
Though disc brakes dont have the same
bad-weather issues, avoid spray lubricants
as the disc and pad can become contaminated.
rim brake-equipped bikes when using

both brakes correctly. But does that
mean you should write o the idea of
disc brakes altogether? Put simply, no.
EXPERT ADVICE
First up, in our braking test we dont

think the brakes are the limiting
factor. In fact, the most signicant
inuence on braking performance in
our tests is grip: the road were testing
on is damp, greasy and covered in leaf
li&er, and therefore much closer to
real-world riding situations than a
roller drum in a lab. As soon as we
a&empt to apply more power, the rear
wheels simply lock up, so both the disc
brakes and the rim brakes are capable
of supplying more power than the
riders are able to use.
This conrms the ndings of
research into the role of brakes in
professional motorcycle racing. The
researchers found that the racers
used li&le to no rear brake in rapid
deceleration as almost all of the
weight, and therefore the grip, is
pushed onto the front tyre. Applying
the rear brake when all the weight is
over the front wheel only causes the
rear brake to lock. The racers instead
preferred to use the rear brake to
control speed during corners. In
perfect braking conditions, the rear
brake becomes almost redundant,
although its in less than perfect
conditions that disc brakes supposedly
excel. Rim brakes are undeniably
worse when used in bad weather and
although our test conditions arent
great, we dont have water splashing
back up o the road on to the rim.
This makes it dicult for us to
BRAKINGPROTOCOL
FRONT BRAKE
REAR BRAKE
Consider your front and rear brakes as

separate tools they work independently.
Ossie Ahmet, a motorcycle instructor with
A2Z whos also a keen cyclist, explains how
they dier and how best to apply them
Most people overuse their rear brake, and
thats either down to bad habits picked up over
the years or from a bad experience theyve had
snatching at their front brake when panicked.
Its really important that you make use of the
front brake as, depending on conditions, it
holds up to 90% of the braking power. The key
is learning to deploy it correctly with the rear
and not overusing it.
The rst thing to say is that braking should
always be done in a straight line before the
corner. Applying the brakes while turning a
corner will make the bike sit upright, so youll
either not make the corner or youll lock up the
wheels and skid out. The rst thing to do is apply
a small amount of front brake; this begins the
transfer of weight to the front end of the bike

where the tyre will begin to spread and gain
more grip on the road. If you have suspension
'ed, it will begin to compress. Next we apply
the rear brake; this se'les the whole bike down
before we begin to progressively apply more
of the front brake.
If, for whatever reason, either wheel loses
traction and begins to skid, just release the
brake levers and then reapply. Braking in
adverse conditions is just the same, except
that the braking force wants to be a li'le more
balanced: some people say 50/50 but personally,
I still favour the front brake. Dragging brakes
is also best avoided as this will heat the braking
surface, causing a fade in power.
Do most
of your
braking
before
turning
using the
front brake
Do no
more than
feather the
rear brake
mid corner
make accurate comparisons, so we

turn to some people who have carried
out more extensive and scientic
testing. Hope Technology has been
a disc brake pioneer in the mountain
bike industry since the 1980s and,
being from Lancashire, the rms
marketing manager Alan Weatherill
knows a thing or two about less than
perfect conditions. Disc brakes do add
a slight amount of weight, but on the
ip side, whatever the conditions and
whatever the weather, the brakes work
the same, he explains. One of the big
problems with rim brakes, especially
with carbon wheels, is inconsistency.
Disc brakes work the same all the time
and this makes the weight penalty a
non-issue, especially in general usage.
Weatherill also agrees with our
ndings that grip is usually the
limiting factor when braking, although
Its not just about
the numbers
condence plays
a key role in rider
stopping distance
ITS EASIERTOMODULATETHEPOWERWITH
DISCS,THEHYDRAULICBRAKESYSTEM
MEANINGYOUNEVERTRULYLOSECONTROL
he thinks rider condence can also
play a huge part in stopping distances.
Which is why Hope developed its
V-Twin, a unit that converts regular
cable-pull levers to run hydraulic disc
brakes. With rim brakes, the
performance can also change with the
temperature, more so with carbon
wheels, so people are never quite sure
what will happen when they apply
their brakes, says Weatherill. Every
time you use a disc brake, you know
exactly what will happen every time,
so even if the braking power isnt the
limiting factor, the condence you get
from that consistency will allow you

to push the limits of the grip.
BRAKE THE MOULD
With its roots in mountain biking,

Hope has been through the disc brake
revolution before. Like road cyclists,
mountain bikers were initially
convinced that there was nothing
wrong with V-brakes but now barely
a mountain bike is sold that isnt /ed
with disc brakes.
Weatherill explains the reasons for
the change in a/itude: Initially the
disc brake oerings on the market
were poor cable-pull units and people
were put o. The technology has
improved greatly now, which is partly
why theres less resistance to change
in the road bike market.
The numbers dont tell the whole
story though, and our riders agree with
Weatherill that condence really is
key. Andy initially pulled up much
faster on his own everyday bike than
he does with the disc-equipped bike
we have on test. As the test goes on,
his distances shorten and Joe has
the same experience as he becomes
accustomed to the extra power the
discs provide. What they also nd is
that its much easier to modulate the
power with discs, and despite Joe
constantly locking up his rear wheel,
the extra control that the hydraulic
brake system aords him means he
never truly loses control.
So whats the verdict are disc
brakes the next road bike revolution?
Are they be/er than rim brakes? Wed
say yes, but only when grip is not
the limiting factor.
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ReviewsEtc
Welcome to BikesEtcs reviews section. Whether youre after a bike, kit or clothing,
weve put the latest gear through its paces to help you nd whats right for you
Cube Axial
WLS GTC SL
86
Bianchi Intenso
Dama Bianca
90
Turbo trainers
Wilier Stella
94
Toolkits
101
112
Base
layers
108
Overshoes
Caf stop lock

cks
locks
118
123
Rear lights
127
THE AWARDS
BEST
VALUE
Best Value
The winner of this award may not have
the highest overall score in the test,
and it may not be the cheapest, but it
will always represent especially good
performance at its price.
BEST
INTEST
Best In Test
The overall winner in each group test.
Scoring highly in all criteria, it will be
an excellent all-rounder. Where two
or more items achieve equally high
scores, it will be the one that has that
extra something a touch of style, a
special feature that takes the prize.
GOLD
AWARD
BikesEtc Gold Award

This prestigious award goes to bikes,
accessories, components or items
of apparel with exceptional levels of
performance, design and build quality
that make them must-haves. Dont
expect to see it every issue we only
hand it out when its truly deserved.
January 2015 BikesE c 83
TelluswhatyouthinkofBikesEtc
andyou could WINthis
ORRO
ROAD BIKE
WIN
WORTH
2,600
Wed liketo knowwhatyouthinkofourmagazine. Ifyou

take part in ourshort readersurvey,well enteryou intothe
drawtowinthisstunningOrro Gold road bike,with Ultegra
Di2 groupset, 3Tfinishing kit and Fulcrum Racing 3wheels,
worth over2,600. Forfull bike detailsvisit orrobikes.com
Totake part inthe survey, please goto:
bikesetc.co.uk/readersurvey
*Terms and Conditions can be found at the above URL. Closing date: 20 January 2015
1,800womens roadbikes
ReviewsEtc
If thebikefits
Ifyourelookingforafemale-focusedbike,theres agreaterchoicethaneverbefore.
Wevetestedthreewomens modelstoseehowtheyperformoutontheroad
Bikes on test
Cube Axial WLS GTC SL 1,799

Bianchi Intenso Dama Bianca 1,850
Wilier Stella 1,599
How we test
We dont take anything a bike

manufacturer tells us as gospel: the rst
thing we do when a new bike arrives
is measure everything and compare
the geometry with that stated. We also
compare the spec with the advertised
has anything changed?
With the seat and bars moved into
roughly the correct positions, we head
out to ride a few laps of our local park
loop. This is an opportunity to ne-tune
the position before the rst of the big
rides the following day. The big rides are
always over 100km and include climbing,
descending, wide smooth roads and
rough narrow lanes. Every aspect of
a bikes handling and performance is
assessed, and then the bikes are passed
around the team for a second opinion.
Finally those opinions and
measurements are collated into
the reviews youre about to read.
The overall rating for each bike

is based on these elements
WORDS SUSANNAH OSBORNE PHOTOGRAPHY HENRY CARTER

Men may be from Mars and women
might be from Venus, but when it comes
to bikes, does being a woman demand
something unique? Many bike manufacturers
think it does and are ploughing investment into
developing womens road bikes with geometry
intended to be&er t the female form.
With an increasing number of women
working in the industry, the shrink it and pink
it mentality that once plagued the womens
bike market has quietly and thankfully been

erased. But there are still lots of questions to
ask if youre considering investing in a womenspecic bike.
Is it just a mens bike made small? Do I really
need a women-specic bike? What about the
components? Am I really ge&ing value for
money, or am I paying over the odds for the
women-specic label? Over the coming pages,
we aim to address these issues and more
FRAME
Our in-house testing
questionnaire
rates frames out
of 30, based on
geometry, on-road
feel, stiness,
compliance, nish
and intended use.
COMPONENTS
We rate components
out of 20, based
on groupset and
nishing kit great
bars and stems will
be marked down if
theyre the wrong
size for the frame.
WHEELS
We rate the wheel
and tyres package
out of 20, weighting it
towards the wheels:
tyres come and
go but wheels are
a more expensive
element to replace.
THE RIDE
Rated out of 30, we
take into account
ride quality and also
value does the bike
do what we expect of
a bike at this price?
The best exceed
expectations.
Cube Axial WLS GTC SL 1,799
Agreatspecatavalue-for-moneyprice,withperformancetomatchitslooks
About the bike
For someone who started making bikes in the corner of his parents
furniture warehouse, Marcus Prner has made an impressive dent
in the cycling world. Cubes Woman Like Series (WLS) may sound like
its been dreamt up by Tarzan, but it comprises four road bikes with the
WLS GTC SL at the top of the range. Its performance on the road is
really rather slick, though the spec is particularly notable, especially
at the price. And whats more, theres not a hint of pink or purple.
GEOMETRY
Claimed
Measured
Top tube (TT)
520mm
516mm
Seat tube (ST)
460mm
465mm
Down tube (DT)
584mm
Fork length (FL)
371mm
Head tube (HT)
120mm
119mm
Head angle (HA)
71.0
70.1
Seat angle (SA)
74.5
74.5
Wheelbase (WB)
979mm
985mm
BB drop (BB)
68mm
72mm
86 BikesEtc
TT
HT
DT
ST
FL
SA
HA
BB
WB
Size tested 50
Weight 7.90kg
Cubes GTC carbon bre frames aim to oer ex and
comfort to riders. High-modulus bres (modulus
being the engineering term for stiness of material)
are used in the areas that receive most stress: head
tube, seat tube, top tube and bo3om bracket area,
while the thin seatstays not only look good but also
help to smooth out the inevitable bumps.
We really like the tube proling of the WLS GTC SL.
The oversized tubes on the main triangle, extra-large
head tube and bo3om bracket mean that this is a sti
frame in reality and not just on paper.
With sizes ranging from 47cm to 56cm, most riders
are accommodated. The top tube length is surprisingly
short on a 50cm frame its 515mm so its denitely
worth studying the geometry. Having said that, our tester
rode a 50cm and it was bang on for her at 5ft 6in (169cm).
She normally rides a 52cm frame.
Internal cabling is a highlight of the GTC SL and helps
retain the slick look of the frame. The cables enter and exit
through dedicated sealed ports and this makes the bike
look just that touch more pro than many at the same price.
While its tagline designed with performance in mind,
and with performance comes endurance is clunky, this
is a punchy ride that wed happily use at the local crit, on
the weekend club run or during a week in the mountains.
Components
For many manufacturers, 2K is the maximum price for

their womens bikes. This benchmark can be limiting when
it comes to components, with some manufacturers actively
pulling the boat back in, rather than pushing it out.
SPEC
FRAME
GTC Monocoque Twin Mold
Technology
ReviewsEtc
Frame
GROUPSET
Shimano Ultegra 11-speed
CHAINSET
Shimano Ultegra 50/34
CASSETTE
Shimano Ultegra 11-32
BARS
Cube Wing Race Bar
STEM
Cube Performance Pro, 6
SEATPOST
Cube Performance Motion
Post Carbon, 27.2mm
WHEELS
Fulcrum Racing 5 LG
TYRES
Schwalbe One, 25c
SADDLE
Selle Italia X1 WLS
PRICE
1,799
CONTACT
cube.eu
BikesEtc 87
ReviewsEtc
Saddles are a personal
preference but for
us, the Selle Italia X1
WLS saddle gives an
impressively high
level of comfort
Not in this case, though: for a 1,799 womens bike to carry

a full Shimano 11-speed Ultegra groupset is impressive,
and very pleasing.
The of-the-moment 11-32 casse>e is a confusing
addition to a performance bike. While its nice to be able
to stick it on the big chainring and roll along in the winter
months, in reality, youll probably never need a 32-tooth
sprocket in the UK (remember that need and want are
two very dierent things). Whats more, if youre ge>ing
serious about riding and want to start competing on this
performance bike, you might nd the wider spacing
between gears restrictive. And it was easy to nd a good
position on the bike without the need for headset spacers,
which supports the claim that its a race-focused model
that can also be used for endurance riding.
The Selle Italia X1 WLS saddle is pre>y impressive
and for us, gave a high level of comfort. Saddles are,
of course, a ma>er of personal preference though.
The rest of the nishing kit, except the seatpost
clamp, is supplied by Cube. The Wing Race Bar isnt
female-specic, and some might nd it a li>le wide, while
others will like having something chunky to hold; the
at wing shape gives you a broad platform to grip on
to in a sprint or up a climb.
Wheels
Cube has developed a reputation for good wheelsets on

complete bikes. The WLS GTC SL comes with Fulcrum
Racing 5 LG, which for a complete bike at this price is a nice
touch; wed have expected the budget Fulcrum Racing 7s.
The Schwalbe One 25c tyres are a good all-rounder
with a decent grip. Our tests were all carried out in the
wet and it performed condently in and out of corners.
The ride
This is a racy bike that impresses from the outset. The

set-up few spacers, relatively aggressive prole is
a welcome antidote to the sportive position found on
many womens bikes and means that theres not a lot
of fa required to get on the road.
At this price point, we expected a bike that performed
well when up to speed, but its the GTC SLs bolshiness from
the outset that makes it stand apart even the colour

scheme, billed as redwoodnashred, says, Look at me!
This is a nippy bike that you can condently throw around.
Its sti and rides well out of corners, thanks to the straight
fork, and is easy to handle in tight spaces. Although, the
GTC SL could be be>er on descents. The handling is good
but not exceptional, and doesnt feel solid enough.
If you fancy ge>ing into racing, the wheelset will need
to be upgraded, as will the rear casse>e a compact
50/34 with an 11-32 just isnt necessary. Mavic Ksyrium
SLR wheels would be a good option if you were looking to
add a bit more pace to your rides.
Cube prides itself on making bikes in an array of colours
and styles that others simply dont dare. The styling is very
sleek and highly likely to go out of fashion next season which
is, after all, What Women Like.
Rating
FRAME
Oversized tubes and thin

seatstays create a good shape
COMPONENTS
Shimano Ultegra groupset is

impressive at this price point
WHEELS
Fulcrum Racing 5 LG a
surprising but welcome touch
THE RIDE
Fast, sti, but still well suited

to endurance riding
OVERALL
8.5
The cables enter and exit

through sealed ports,
making the bike look
that touch more pro
The oversized tubes
and boom bracket
show that this is a
sti frame in reality,
not just on paper
10
TheWLSGTC
SLisracybut
versatileenough
forlongerdays
ontheroad.The
performance
geometry
makesa
refreshing
changeand
thespecisof
agreatquality
wattbike.com/winter
Bianchi Intenso Dama

Bianca Veloce 1,850
Bianchiisabignamewithahugeheritage,butisitspedigreeenough?
About the bike
Edoardo Bianchi taught Italys Queen Margherita how to ride a bicycle in

1895, yet the manufacturer, like Wilier, doesnt make a women-specic
frame. It must be an Italian thing (see page 94). Dont expect a unique
design in this case, women-specic refers only to the nishing kit.
GEOMETRY
Claimed
Measured
Top tube (TT)
525mm
518mm
Seat tube (ST)
500mm
475mm
Down tube (DT)
579mm
585mm
Fork length (FL)
375mm
Head tube (HT)
140mm
140mm
Head angle (HA)
71.5
70.5
Seat angle (SA)
74.5
74.5
Wheelbase (WB)
BB drop (BB)
90 BikesEtc
TT
HT
68mm
FL
SA
HA
BB
975mm
68mm
DT
ST
WB
Size tested 50
Weight 8.30kg
Unlike the other two bikes in this test, the Intenso Dama
Bianca has an endurance focus. The standout features
are a slightly taller head tube and longer chainstays
compared to pure race Bianchi models. Women-specic
components at key contact points and a ash of the iconic
celeste colour are what gives this bike its female focus.
The Intenso Dama Bianca frame is exactly the same as
the unisex Intenso. This bike was created to oer comfort
on endurance rides and a more upright riding position.
But thats not to say that it cant be raced, because it can.
The carbon monocoque frame features two of Bianchis
key technologies: BAT (Bianchi Active Technology) is a
process of adding tiny particles of carbon to the resin that
binds the carbon bres, and K-VID technology refers to
the Kevlar insertions in the seatstays and the carbon fork.

These techniques are employed to dampen vibrations
yet maintain stiness for an ecient ride thats worthy of
a package be4er than whats oered.
Having said that, there are some impressive additions
internal cabling for both the gear cables and rear brake
creates a classy, sleek silhoue4e and the nish is lovely.
There are two Intenso Dama Bianca models designed
and engineered in Bianchis famed Reparto Corse in Italy,
one specced with Shimano 105, the other with Campagnolo
Veloce. We tested the Campagnolo Veloce model with
a 50cm frame. With an eective top tube length of 525mm,
it was a li4le on the small size for our 5ft6 (169cm) tester.
The Intenso Dama Bianca is available in four sizes, from
47cm to 55cm.
SPEC
FRAME
Intenso Carbon Monocoque,
1.125in-1.5in tapered head tube
ReviewsEtc
Frame
GROUPSET
Campagnolo Veloce
10-speed
CHAINSET
Campagnolo Veloce Compact
CASSETTE
Campagnolo Veloce UD
10-speed, 12-27
STEM
FSA Team Issue, Carbon
SEATPOST
Reparto Corse SP-TEC-2 alloy
BARS
Reparto Corse JD-RA38A
Compact alloy
WHEELS
Fulcrum Racing Corsa
TYRES
Vi-oria Zaro Pro Slick, 25c
SADDLE
San Marco Era
Start Up Glamour
PRICE
1,850
CONTACT
bianchi.com
BikesEtc 91
ReviewsEtc
The at tops of the
handlebars give riders
something to lean on
during climbs and suit
smaller hands
Components
With the frame being exactly the same geometry as the

mens version of the Intenso, the female adaptations are
found exclusively at the contact points: shorter 165mm
cranks, compact bars and a shorter stem.
The Campagnolo Veloce 10-speed Compact groupset
is complemented by an FSA Omega MegaExo Compact
crankset in a 50/34 combination. The Campagnolo shifters
make light work of changing gear and the 12-27 casse@e
oers a good range that is completely adequate for riding
in the UK (a trip to very steep mountains might demand
one more sprocket).
Reparto Corse RC-471 alloy brakes are quick to respond
without jarring, and we liked the Reparto Corse JD-RA38A
Compact alloy handlebars the at tops give the rider
something to lean on during steep climbs and because
theyre available in 38 and 40cm, they suit smaller hands.
San Marcos Era Start Up Glamour saddle is an entrylevel saddle featuring BioFoam padding and is allegedly
contoured to the female anatomy. Because were all unique,
this is a hard claim to substantiate and its one of the rst
things that we would swap out.
Wheels
The Fulcrum Racing Corsa wheelset features 24 rear and

20 front spokes. These wheels are a notch above Fulcrums
entry-level wheelset and are perfectly adequate for kicking
about throughout the year. That said, the wheels were the
rst things we replaced because theres no doubt that the
frame is where Bianchi has invested its cash. By adding
around 500 to the value of the wheelset, the ride was
transformed from good to very good.
The Vi@oria Zaro Pro Slick tyres have decent grip
but are nothing to write home about, though a 25c tyre
is a good choice for an endurance-focused bike like this.
The ride
On our rst ride into the hills, the Dama Bianca impressed.
The chunky tubes of the monocoque carbon frame give
the bike a weightiness that instantly instils condence.
When up to speed, the bike is certainly at one with the
road. Its solid on fast descents thanks to a slightly tapered
head tube and a sti front fork. Pointing the Dama Bianca
down our favourite sweeping hill, it was easy to hold
a line and we felt condent.
The K-VID technology sections of Kevlar on the fork
ends and chainstays certainly came into play after a full
three hours in the saddle. Its not a soft ride, but the
vibrations are surprisingly low.
Where the Intenso Dama Bianca could do be@er is on
short, sharp hills. Some of this is down to the wheelset and
the weightiness of the spec rather than the frame itself.
Nevertheless, by compromising on the spec, the bike
loses some of its competitive edge. Whats more, ge@ing
the bike up to speed on the at took longer than wed have
liked, something that jars slightly with both the frame
and the idea that this is a bike designed for experienced,
race-focused women.
Rating
FRAME
Sophisticated and noticeably

superior
COMPONENTS
Fair, but key upgrades would

instantly improve this bike
WHEELS
Just above basic.

Adequate
THE RIDE
Surprisingly fast and

responsive
OVERALL
7.1
Thanks to a slightly
tapered head tube and
a straight, sti front
fork, this bike is solid
on fast descents
Despite its relaxed
geometry, features
such as an oversized
boom bracket add
to stiness
10
Thisisa
good-looking,
noteworthybike
withasuperior
framebuttoget
themostout
ofit,somekey
upgradesneed
tobemade
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Wilier Stella 1,599
TheItalianbrandhasracinginitsDNA,butheavywheelsholditback
About the bike
Wilier has a long racing bike heritage. Sportive setups are not really on
the Italian brands radar, so you get a racy ride one brand manager
allegedly believes that if you want comfort, you should buy a sofa. The
Stella is the only women-specic bike in the range and comes in two
versions: the one we tested, specced with Shimano 105, and a GTR model,
with a more impressive Ultegra groupset. While the contact points are
female-specic, the Stella shares a lot with Wiliers unisex models.
GEOMETRY
Claimed
Measured
Top tube (TT)
523mm
522mm
Seat tube (ST)
500mm
520mm
Down tube (DT)
624mm
Fork length (FL)
384mm
Head tube (HT)
115mm
133mm
Head angle (HA)
72.0
70.8
Seat angle (SA)
74.5
73.8
Wheelbase (WB)
998mm
BB drop (BB)
68mm
94 BikesEtc
TT
HT
DT
ST
FL
SA
HA
BB
WB
Size tested 52
Weight 8.30kg
The Stellas frame is not women-specic: Wilier, like fellow
Italian manufacturer Bianchi, does not produce a frame
with unique geometry for the female market. Previous
models of the Stella have used the Izoard frame and fork as
a base but this model, from the custom-build programme,
uses the Granturismo (GTR) frame. The only dierence in
the frame itself is that the paintjob has a more feminine feel.
With sizes ranging from XXS to XXL and top tube length
ranging from 50.8-58.5cm, there really is a Stella for
almost any woman out there. Our 5ft 6 (169cm) tester tried
a 50cm frame, which was a good t and didnt need any
adjustment; the key to this is the short (70mm) stem.
The carbon monocoque frame is sharp and distinctive,
and leans towards a classic Italian geometry with a
straight fork with minimal trail for sharp handling. An outer
layer of unidirectional carbon bre adds to the stiness of

the frame and yet theres ample compliance in the back end
thanks to the tapered seatstays. Integrated cables give the
Stella a pro look and keep the frame clean.
Components
The nishing kit is the key to making this a women-specic

bike: the compact bars, shorter stem, Prologo Kappa
Dea womens saddle and a custom FSA Gossamer Wilier
crankset. The compact set-up is, in fact, so popular that
Wilier reports that men have been asking for the Stella in
a more masculine paint job.
At 1,599, Shimano 105 is an obvious choice of groupset
and its hard to criticise the shifting, which is precise
and consistent. The 11-25 casse7e is a more sensible
choice than the Cubes 11-32 and hints at the
SPEC
FRAME
GTR/Stella Carbon Monocoque
ReviewsEtc
Frame
GROUPSET
Shimano 105 10-speed
CHAINSET
Shimano 105 Compact
CASSETTE
Shimano 105, 11-25
BARS
FSA Omega custom
Wilier Triestina
STEM
FSA OS-168 custom
Wilier Triestina
SEATPOST
FSA Gossamer custom
Wilier Triestina
WHEELS
Shimano RS10
TYRES
Vi/oria Zaro, 23c
SADDLE
Prologo Kappa Dea
Womens specic
PRICE
1,599
CONTACT
wilier.com
BikesEtc 95
ReviewsEtc
The 11-25 cassee
hints at the race
focus of the bike
race focus of this bike, though some might nd themselves

searching for a 28 sprocket in the mountains.
We found the FSA dual-pivot brake callipers slow
to respond, which was frustrating and disconcerting,
especially on our favourite short but fast descent.
Its hard to give an unbiased assessment of the Prologo
Kappa Dea saddle, given our previous experience of si9ing
on this brand of saddle for 100km. If it were our call, it
would be the rst thing to change, but were aware that
saddles are a very personal, Marmite type of thing.
Wheels
The Shimano RS10 wheelset retails for under 200, so its

not surprising that these wheels are a limiting factor on
the performance of the bike. Its always disappointing
when manufacturers choose such a budget option, but
its a frequent reality at this price point. And when so
much is invested in the frame, something has to give.
With 20 rear and 16 front stainless steel bladed
spokes, these quick-release wheels do the job adequately
but theyre nothing to write home about. Theyre not
lightweight wheels either, the crude combined weight
without tyres or tubes but with quick-release skewer
is around 1,900g. Compare this to a suitable upgrade,
like a set of Mavic Ksyrium SLS, which weigh just shy of
1,400g, and its obvious why theyre a limiting factor on the
performance. The Vi9oria Zaro 23c are grippy enough
in the wet and are a suitable choice for these wheels.
The ride
The Stellas story is typical of mid-range womens bikes;

there are pluses and minuses but a lack of cohesion.
Our rst outing on this bike was a stop-start ride
through heavy city trac. The typically Italian geometry
is not women-specic, which in this case is a good thing.
This looks like a race bike, and a quick glance is enough to
spot this bikes potential: the oversized top tube and down
tube, and carbon fork with minimal rake create a fastlooking bike. That said, riding the bike for several hours
was surprisingly comfortable.
The Stellas front end is low and feels solid, which
makes it easy to get into an aggressive position and instils
condence. And the women-specic components

compact bars, shorter stem, womens saddle, and
a custom FSA Gossamer Wilier crankset make this
a tighter package suited to female riders.
On the road, the potential of that spec sheet isnt quite
matched in the performance. Once up to speed, the Stella
rolls well but when changing pace frequently, there was
a distinct lack of oomph. The bike felt heavy at 8.3kg, its
400g heavier than the Cube but even with a sensible
wheel upgrade to Mavic Ksyrium SLSs, we felt that we
were pu9ing in more eort than should be necessary.
Its hard to pinpoint exactly what the Stella could do
be9er. In short, it just feels a li9le lacking. The frame rides
relatively well and the handling is good enough in and out
of corners, it just takes a long time to get up to speed and
reacts just that split second too slow.
Rating
FRAME
Classic Italian geometry

creates a race-ready setup
COMPONENTS
Fair and sensible choices

at this price
WHEELS
A budget option that limits

performance
THE RIDE
Pacy when up to speed but

sluggish to accelerate
OVERALL
6.6
10
The FSA dual-pivot

brake callipers were
slow to respond
frustrating on our
favourite fast descent
The paintjob
emphasises the
smooth owing line
from the top tube
into the seatstays
TheWilierStella
hasmassesof
potentialbut
lacksaspring
initsstep.
Race-oriented
geometryhints
atitspotential
butafewinstant
upgradesare
neededtoliven
uptheride
ReviewsEtc
BEST
WINNER
INTEST
CubeAxial
WLSGTCSL
TheCubeAxialisaclassybike
thatstandsheadandshoulders
abovetheothersinthistest,
thankstoanimpresivelyhigh-level
specandaracyride
This test has taught us that when

it comes to womens bikes, its
worth looking past the label.
Many manufacturers make a big deal of
women riders needing specic and unique
geometry, yet two of the bikes in this test
use unisex frames.
The Cube Axial was the best bike
in this test by far, and its spec alone is
a standout feature. That said, despite
the racy prole of the frame and the set-up,
the specication is confusing an 11-32
casse1ecombined with a 50/34 compact
chainset is really only necessary on very
long, steep climbs. With its red and burntorange paint job, this bike says, Look at
me! and its certainly worth taking a peek if
youre after a slick ride.
The Wilier and the Bianchi are bikes
that give a more all-round experience but
for dierent reasons. The Wilier Stella is
a slightly cheaper bike that looks like the
faster of the two, yet feels sluggish and
a li1le lacking. Some of this is certainly
down to the spec and more specically
the wheels. That said, theres solidity in
the frame that instils a huge amount
of condence and the low-prole setup
means that it could easily be transformed,
if you wanted a pure race machine.
The Bianchi makes no apologies for
being an endurance bike and forms part
of the manufacturers C2C (Coast to Coast)
range. Again, the frame is where the money
is and the quality of the ride took us by
surprise. Its tiresome, though, to need
to upgrade components from the outset.
Two of the manufacturers featured in
this test have thrown out the notion that
womens bikes need to be dierent in every
way. Its a rm reminder that bike t is
personal and a label isnt always necessary.
Women do need components made to
t the (generally) smaller and dierently
shaped anatomy, but lets be clear the
frame doesnt have to be feminine.
HOW THEY STACK UP...

FRAME
Cube Axial WLS GTC SL

Bianchi Intenso Dama Bianca
Wilier Stella
COMPONENTS
WHEELS
THE RIDE
OVERALL
8.5
7.1
6.6
Turbotrainers
ReviewsEtc
Front
room racers
Received wisdom says turbo training is to be
endured rather than something to look forward
to, but with the right machine, static riding can
be just as rewarding as riding on the road
Having read our guide to turbo

training in issue one probably curled
up on your sofa in the warmth of your
living room while winter goes about its cold,
dark business outside youve no doubt come
to the decision that its time to invest in one of
these unholy contraptions. Or perhaps youre
a turbo veteran and just looking to upgrade to
the latest model to reinvigorate your winter
training regime. Either way, our review will
put you on the right track.
The big brands in this market all oer
a wide range from basic magnetic drives to
sophisticated electronic trainers priced over
1,000 with built-in power measurement
and virtual reality features. Weve looked at a
selection up to 500, and while it wouldnt be
fair to draw a direct comparison between a

sub-100 entry-level unit and a state-of-theart model costing ve times as much, weve
aimed to give you a good idea of what you can
expect to get for your money.
Youll have to read on to nd out which
was our favourite, but one of our principal
conclusions was that the optimum amount
to spend on a trainer is roughly 250-300,
for which you can expect good build quality,
reliable performance and a useful range of
features. Whether you choose to spend more
or less will depend largely on what you want
to get out of turbo training and your budget,
but bear in mind that you should also consider
se*ing aside some cash for accessories
(see The Whole Kit and Caboodle, page 103).
ReviewsEtc
Turbotrainers
Lemond Fitness
Revolution 1.1
500
While most turbo trainers work with

a roller, the Revolution is a direct-mount
model simply remove your rear wheel
and pop the bike on the integrated
casse6e. Turning your pedals drives a
large fan, with resistance increasing
progressively as you ride harder, much
the same as in real-life cycling (to put it
simply, doubling your speed quadruples
wind resistance). This natural ride feel
is the Revolutions key selling point and
we have to admit that it does live up to
its claims in this respect; it feels great.
What you dont get with the Revolution,
however, is the option to manually
set resistance level, nor any power
measurement or ability to hook up to
training apps, which seems a li6le basic
at the higher-end price. Its noisy too.
On the plus side, its built to last a lifetime,
and its hefty weight and wide base (with
adjustable rubber feet) mean its solid and
stable enough to put in some serious outof-the-saddle eorts. And being a direct
mount model, you may even save money
on tyres in the long run. It comes in 10 and
11-speed versions, both Shimano/SRAMcompatible only, though a Campagnolo
adapter is available separately for 75.
saddleback.co.uk
Rating
SIZE
USABILITY
Bkool Pro
VALUE
OVERALL
439
Bkool is not just a turbo, its a virtual

world in which training is more like
playing a video game. Set-up is painless.
Having downloaded the app and powered
up the base unit, pairing was as simple as
plugging the USB ANT+ stick into our
computer; it also picked up our heart rate
monitor and cadence/speed sensor. A
vast selection of rides is oered via the
app we tried everything from our local
10-mile time-trial course to a video climb
of Mont Ventoux and you can compete
online against other Bkoolers. Though it
cant be paired with a power meter, we
found its estimated gures acceptable,
mostly just a li6le below the data from a
Garmin Vector. The Bkool doesnt actively
engage the roller with your rear wheel,
relying on body weight to create friction;
ne if you stay in the saddle, but standing
up can cause wheel slips. Nonetheless, its
a good option if you want to make indoor
riding fun, though it may not be the right
choice for serious training purposes.
i-ride.co.uk
10
Rating
SIZE
USABILITY
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Turbotrainers
250
Coming from somewhere around the

middle of Minouras extensive range, the
LR540 oers a great balance of value and
performance. Set-up is straightforward
and in use its notably quiet: your rear
wheel spinning generates more noise
than the 1.5kg magnetic ywheel.
Seven levels of resistance are provided,
selected via the handlebar-mounted
remote switch; the lowest se7ing allows
an easy spinning session but diculty
ramps up sharply as you raise the
resistance level. We used a power meter
to measure our eorts but Minoura oers
a cheaper alternative with its Live
Training app (for iOS or Android, 6.99),
which estimates power to +/-5%
accuracy based on resistance se7ing,
speed/cadence and heart rate data
(using compatible ANT+ or Bluetooth
sensors). The app also allows you to
virtually ride your own routes via your
smartphone screen using GPS tracks,
and sessions can be exported to Strava
and similar training platforms. A free
Suerfest video download adds further
value to the package and when youve
nished punishing yourself, the LR540
folds away compactly for easy storage.
zyro.co.uk
ReviewsEtc
BEST
VALUE
Minoura
LiveRide LR540
Rating
SIZE
USABILITY
VALUE
OVERALL
10
THE WHOLE KIT

AND CABOODLE
Complete your home training set-up with these accessories

TRAINER TYRE
Turbos are notorious for chewing
their way through expensive road
tyres; besides, you dont want to
risk damaging the trainers inner
workings with road grit. Keep a
spare rear wheel set up for turbo
use with a Vi9oria Zaro Pro
Home Trainer Tyre (26, wiggle.
co.uk) with its special rubber
compound to disperse heat.
RISER BLOCK
Since a turbo lifts your rear
wheel o the ground, you need
something under the front wheel
to keep the bike level. The CycleOps
Riser Block (20, paligap.cc)
has three height se9ings and is
stackable, so you can also use it
to emulate hill climbing.
FAN
One big disadvantage of
static training is the lack of
cooling airow over your body.
Compensate with a decent oorstanding fan, such as the Challenge
Chrome High Velocity Tilting Fan
18in (45, argos.co.uk).
SWEAT MAT
If you dont sweat buckets on
the turbo, youre not doing it
right. Spare your carpet from
its corrosive eects with a Tacx
Trainer Mat (70, sheroutdoor.
co.uk), which also absorbs
vibration and sound (handy if you
live in an upstairs at). A Tacx
Sweat Cover (23, sheroutdoor.
co.uk) over your top tube will also
protect your bikes paintwork.
ENTERTAINMENT
One of our colleagues suggested
the ideal turbo training accessory
was a gun to put yourself out of
your misery, but we prefer to
banish the tedium by catching
up with episodes of Pointless on
iPlayer. Alternatively, add structure
to your sessions with a Suerfest
video (from 6, thesuerfest.com),
combining real race footage with
on-screen text instructions and a
motivational soundtrack, or sign
up to Zwift (6/month, zwift.com)
and virtually race against an online
community. For a truly bespoke
workout, create your own interval
sessions using Garmin Connect
(connect.garmin.com) or the
Interval Timer app for android and
iOS (intervaltimer.com).
MEASUREMENT
To get the most out of turbo
training, you need to measure
your eorts objectively, and the
best way to do this is with a power
meter see our feature on page
70. Some high-end trainers have
built-in power measurement, while
others estimate power based on
heart rate and speed/cadence data
using smartphone apps. A heart
rate monitor is another useful
tool, and comes built into many of
the GPS devices we reviewed in
issue two. As you get to know your
levels, heart rate is a great way of
recognising tness from fatigue.
Turbotrainers
285
CycleOps Classic Fluid 2 is a bestseller for

all the right reasons: the uid resistance
unit provides a more natural feel than
magnetic ywheels and a broad range of
resistance (our legs gave up at 950 wa3s
in our sprint test). Its stable enough to
sprint out of the saddle (just make sure
the bike is very secure), and yet it folds
up small enough that you could pack it
away in a cupboard. Its quiet too, so a
good choice for people in ats. CycleOps
oers the Fluid 2 with a power package
that estimates your power from your
heart rate. Realistically, if youre going to
measure heart rate, thats a useful tool
in its own right and extrapolating power
from heart rate data isnt going to add a
great deal or match a dedicated power
meter for accuracy. The Classic Fluid 2
is a fantastic trainer at a great price and
thoroughly recommended. Be sure to do
additional research before plumping for
the power edition; a standalone heart
rate monitor may suit you be3er.
paligap.cc
ReviewsEtc
BEST
INTEST
CycleOps
Classic Fluid 2
Rating
SIZE
USABILITY
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Kinetic
Rock & Roll 2
465
The Rock & Roll 2 is big, heavy and

expensive. Its also very good. The weight
is necessary to allow the bike to rock
from side to side beneath you, which
feels more natural than most turbos. The
rocking also exposes any weaknesses in
your core: if you dont sit straight in the
saddle, the bike lists to one side. The uid
resistance unit is factory calibrated so
that every Kinetic trainer oers the same
resistance curve; consequently, Kinetic is
able to oer a Bluetooth power meter for
175, which connects with a smartphone
via the Kinetic InRide app to give a power
reading within +/-2% of a power meter.
For longer intervals (20 secs or more)
this works well, though you wont see the
spikes you get from a standalone power
meter. The power adaptor also allows
it to be used with virtual reality training
apps such as Zwift. We found that 350
wa3s allows you to sit comfortably midcasse3e, so the resistance unit has plenty
of latitude for big, powerful riders. If you
have the space to leave the Rock & Roll 2
set up permanently, its a great trainer;
solidly made, with excellent accessories.
2pure.co.uk
Rating
SIZE
USABILITY
VALUE
OVERALL
10
ReviewsEtc
Turbotrainers
Tacx Booster
260
Tacx is one of the rst names that comes

to mind when thinking of turbo trainers
and with its mid-range Booster, its easy
to see why. Its a well-built unit with some
thoughtful design touches: the lever to
lock your hub in place is large and easy to
use, while at the rear theres a substantial
foot pedal to engage the roller, which is
safely contained within a nger-proof
housing. Like the Minoura LR540, this is a
magnetic unit with adjustable resistance
levels selected via a handlebar-mounted
remote lever. Ride quality is smooth and
the inertia of the 2kg ywheel gives it
a pleasing ride feel. Resistance is notably
high, even at the lowest se3ing; notch the
lever up through the 10 levels and you can
start to achieve big power numbers even
at low cadence, making this a great
choice of trainer if you want to emulate
hill climbing sessions. Its by no means
the quietest model we looked at and
doesnt come with as many extras as
its rivals in this price bracket. However,
it outperforms them in other ways that
will appeal to the purist.
fisheroutdoor.co.uk
Rating
SIZE
USABILITY
VALUE
OVERALL
10
JetBlack S1 Sport
85
The entry-level model in the JetBlack

range, the S1 Sport is light, folds up really
small and at 85 is undeniably cheap. Its
fairly easy to set up too just fold out the
legs, put the bike in place and get
pedalling. But its when you start
pedalling that the problems start. If
youre new to cycling and looking for
something simple to keep your legs
spinning through the winter, the level of
resistance from the magnetic roller may
well be sucient. If, however, youre
looking to get 3er by doing intervals,
which frankly is the only way weve found
to make indoor training bearable, then it
will probably be too low. For reference,
using a Powertap rear wheel, we found
that pedalling at 90rpm in 53x12 (the
biggest gear available) required
240wa3s, which really isnt very much
when there are no extra gears and
resistance is not adjustable. The ride feel
is actually quite good, though, and in the
right hands the S1 Sport may be a great
buy. However, unless youre on a tight
budget, its too basic to be a useful aid
to serious winter training.
chickencycles.co.uk
Rating
SIZE
USABILITY
VALUE
OVERALL
10
First
contact
They may look imsy, but by helping manage

temperature and wicking away moisture,
base layers play a key role in keeping you
comfortable, whatever the conditions
When George Mallory made his
ill-fated a'empt to climb Everest
in 1924, he did so wearing wool
and silk undergarments. Twenty-nine
years later, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund
Hillary reached the summit wearing
high-tech synthetic base layers, along
with thermal mesh tops produced by
Norwegian brand Brynje.
However, although Mallorys kit
appeared basic, later testing proved
the materials were extremely eective
at retaining warmth, suggesting
that natural bres can be a match for
synthetic, and that unsuitable equipment
wasnt to blame for his death.
Nowadays, cyclists can choose from
a wide range of base layers made from
natural and synthetic materials. While
youre unlikely to encounter conditions
as extreme as Everest, nding the right
one will help keep you comfortable,
regardless of the weather.
Baselayers
Helly Hansen
Active Flow Zip
60
50
Like many of Raphas clothes, its merino

rino
base layer is elegant enough to wear o
the bike, the T-shirt cut is relaxed andd
ts nicely under a cycling jersey. The
100% merino construction means itll
ll
smell acceptable after multiple uses and
wont chill you when wet, leaving youu as
happy as a sheep on a rainy mountain.
ain.
While great-looking, particularly in this
blood-orange, it doesnt oer much over
the cheaper oerings from Endura or
Howies. That said, on multi-day trips,
the ability to look normal and not smell
while wearing what is still a technically
cally
procient base layer is a real benet.
rapha.cc
Despite not having a cycling-specic cut,

the Helly Hansen is very comfortable
on the bike. Its loose, casual t and high
collar mean that if you can live without
rear pockets, itll happily do double duty
as a jersey on milder days. The deep and
stretchy cus at the end of its lengthy
sleeves can be securely snapped over
the top of your gloves, keeping out the
chill and ensuring the arms stay put.
A half-length zipper helps to regulate
temperature. Soft fabric provides good
insulation when under another top.
Breathability is good. Having been caught
in the rain on a test ride, it remained
comfortable and warm when damp and
was quick to dry out.
hellyhansen.com
Rating
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
VALUE
ReviewsEtc
Rapha Merino Base

ase
Layer Short Sleeve
ve
OVERALL
10
Howies Light Merino

Base Layer Short Sleeve
45
Howies is a small clothing company based in Cardigan Bay,

Wales. It produces ethically and environmentally sound
products from a variety of natural bres. And like most of
its range, this base layer features casual yet athletic styling.
This is the lightest of its base layers, using 160gsm merino.
Its also the closest 4ing, thanks in part to its multi-panel
construction. The thin fabric doesnt provide the insulation
of its weightier cousins; that and its short sleeves make
it one for warmer days. Soft and extremely stretchy, it
performs merinos trick of managing sweat well, smelling
good and remaining comfy even when soaked.
howies.co.uk
Rating
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
VALUE
Rating
OVERALL
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
10
VALUE
OVERALL
10
ReviewsEtc
Baselayers
Endura BaaBaa Merino
Base Layer
38
The multi-panel design on this BaaBaa base layer

provides a close, comfortable cycling-specic cut
with excellent articulation yet still looks good away
from the bike. When rst pulled on, the specially treated
merino fabric is unbelievably soft, although this eect
is somewhat reduced after the rst wash. Despite its
wool fabric, the BaaBaa is happy in a standard 40-degree
wash without shrinking or bobbling. On long journeys,
it resolutely refused to stink, even after multiple days
spent riding in the hammering rain. Like most merino
wool, it does a great job of wicking away sweat, and
remains comfy and warm even when saturated. Its
great value for a merino top. Available in black, red
and this look-at-me green.
endurasport.com
Rating
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
VALUE
OVERALL
10
10
GOLD
AWARD
ALL ABOUT THAT BASE

The science behind your second skin
Velobici Thermal Long

Sleeve Base Layer
60
The synthetic Meryl/Lycra mix is super soft against the

skin. Its very stretchy, oering a close but not restrictive
t, particularly on the arms and shoulders where it follows
the wearers contours with no bunching. The round neck
is slightly looser, which is welcome. Nearly as comfortable
as its merino counterparts, it stays soft after repeated
washing, although it doesnt manage odour as readily. It
provides plenty of warmth and the softer inner surface
never feels clammy. Its happy in a normal wash cycle and
you wont have to worry about moths munching holes in
your investment. Its not cheap for a synthetic base layer,
but its certainly one of the best. Both the custom fabric
and the top are made in the UK.
velobici.cc
Rating
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Base layers provide

insulation by trapping air
against the skin. Plenty of
materials can accomplish this.
Co)on is an excellent insulator yet is
a terrible material for a base layer.
This is because it readily absorbs
and retains moisture, causing it to
lose its thermal properties. It
doesnt ma)er whether its rain
from above or sweat coming o
your body once saturated, youll
quickly become cold.
A lot of synthetic fabrics are
hydrophobic, ie they dont absorb
water, instead transporting it away
from your skin. Micro-engineering
of articial materials allows them
to do all sort of clever things, such
as creating capillary actions that
wick away sweat. This makes them
ideal for high-intensity activities.

ities.
Like co)on, woollen bres
res are
able to absorb large quantities
ies of
moisture up to 35% of theirr dry
weight. However, unlike co)on,
)on,
they trap the water within the
he bre
so retain their insulating properties,
roperties,
which makes them ideal for base
layers. Once woven into fabric,
bric,
they can absorb even more water
without feeling damp. This moisture
can then evaporate from thee
exterior of the garment. If a
wool base layer sounds like an
itchy prospect, remember that
hat
a scratchy jumper will be made of
large, rough-edged bres, while
the merino bres used to make
performance base layers aree far
thinner and consequently, much
softer against the skin.
Baselayers
Brynje
Br
Classic Original
Mesh
Me T-Shirt
32
Depending on the intensity of your eort,

this long-sleeved top is designed to work
best at temperatures from 10 degrees
to well below freezing. Channel-stitched
fabric gives a ribbed eect; it does an
excellent job at trapping warmth and
is no less comfortable for being almost
compression-like in the tightness of its
t. The close-0ing collar keeps out cold
air without being overly restrictive. The
material may not be as soft against the
skin as some others, but what are you,
some kind of adult baby? Its still soft
enough for us. Happy to be chucked in
a hot wash, sturdy construction means
this base layer should give you years of
hassle-free use.
craft.se
42
Brynjes
Brynje founders probably never imagined their clothing
would become more closely associated with Rab C Nesbi0
than tthe soldiers and mountaineers who were its original
users, but the mesh design is a classic for a reason: air is
a fantastic
fant
insulator and a woven mesh traps it against
the skin.
sk This 80% merino, 20% polyamid model is tough
but soft
so and stays smelling good after repeated use.
The long-sleeve
lo
version is so eective that paired with
a jers
jersey, itll keep you warm while everyone else reaches
for a shell layer. Its extremely breathable, and the minimal
skin ccontact and merino material means it deals well with
moistu
moisture. Unzipping the jersey quickly allows trapped
warm aair to escape, making regulating temperature easy.
nordic
nordiclifeuk.co.uk
Rating
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
VALUE
BEST
VALUE
Rating
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
VALUE
ReviewsEtc
Craft Active CN
OVERALL
10
Lu
Lusso Wind Block T-Shirt
4
40
You might have seen fans standing near the summit of

climbs passing riders newspapers to stick down their
fro
fronts to avoid ge0ing chilled on the decent. Lussos Wind
Blo
Block T-Shirt does the same thing much more elegantly
wit
with a stretchy windproof panel that covers the front of
the garment. The remainder is constructed of lightweight
bre
breathable fabric, which is free to dissipate heat and sweat.
The t is less tailored than others, but elasticated hems
kee
keep everything in place. The lack of atlocked seams
doe
doesnt impact on comfort. Short of roasting days, there
are few occasions where you wont want to keep the chill o
your
you chest. It might even see you doing without a gilet.
lusso-clothing.co.uk
lusso-
Rating
OVERALL
CONSTRUCTION
FIT/COMFORT
10
VALUE
OVERALL
10
All tooled up
Look after your tools and your tools will look after
you. Weve tested six kits that will help the aspiring
mechanic on the road to self-suciency
Toolkits
ReviewsEtc
Park Tool Advanced Mechanic Toolkit

300
All the tools contained within the robust

storage case are professional quality and
will stand repeated heavy use. Using the
huge, near perfect chain tool will make
you wonder how you ever managed with
miniature versions. Both this and the
cable cu-ers will likely last a lifetime. As
with any more comprehensive set there
are tools here that might be excess to
requirements, a likely candidate being
the cone spanners and crank puller. Still,
theyre as good a design as youll nd.
A chain gauge helps you keep an eye on
wear, while the chain-cleaning machine
keeps everything running smoothly.
Hex and Torx keys come on three-way
handles rather than individually which is

a slight shame, though the colour-coded
individual spoke keys are far nicer to use
than the multi-size versions in other kits.
A hexagonal opening at one end of the
chain whip doubles as a driver for the
bo-om bracket and casse-e lockring
tools not that this is much use when
you need to use the la-er simultaneously
with the whip. Shimano external BB
tools, grease, lube and a bo-le opener
round o the package. While some tools
will be redundant on high-end modern
bikes, if you intend to work on a range,
this is a great option.
madison.co.uk
Rating
RANGE
QUALITY
ERGONOMICS
OVERALL
10
Dismantling your bike

can be nerve-racking but
theres real satisfaction to
be had in taking responsibility for
its maintenance, as well as saving
money on mechanics bills. But this
isnt an area to scrimp on: cheap tools
will only make working on your bike
harder. Trying to remove stuck parts
with soft and inaccurate tools makes
it more likely that youll just end up
damaging your bike. The good news,
though, is that anyone can become
a competent mechanic. Find the
right tools, invest in a good manual,
or consult the web (parktool.com is
particularly informative). Just make
sure you know what youre doing
before you start, be methodical, and
before you know it youll be ge%ing
a job as Chief Grease Monkey on the
Team Sky Death Star.
Pedros Starter Toolkit

140
Park Tool has a near monopoly on pro

workshop tool boards, yet plenty of
mechanics still swear by Pedros. The
selection of tools may seem sparse but
everything included is high quality, and
thoughtful selection means none are
superuous, which means despite the
high pricetag, you really do get your
moneys worth. Lockring tool, 1.5-8mm
hex keys, pedal spanner, screwdrivers
and top-quality cu-ers are present
along with a brush and tyre levers. The
unfamiliar tool with pegs sticking out its
head is Pedros chain whip substitute: the
pins sit between the teeth of the smallest
cog and the lockring tool slots through
the central hole. Its only works with

casse-es with 11 or 12-tooth sprockets
and it wont work with track cogs.
However, for anyone whos skinned their
knuckles punching the spokes, itll be a
revelation. The chain tool has additional
spoke keys in its base, but loses marks
for its non-replaceable pin. The kit comes
packaged in a waterproof burrito tool
wrap that folds down small for easy
transport. Grommets allow it to be hung
from a wall like a tool board and the ap
is good for working in the wild. Plenty of
pouches mean itll accommodate more
tools as your collection grows.
2pure.co.uk
Rating
RANGE
QUALITY
ERGONOMICS
OVERALL
10
Lezyne Port-A-Shop Tool

100
BEST
VALUE
Lezyne has a-empted to cram a workshop into a small

and portable carry case, ideal for travelling or race-day
adjustments. The included tools are divided between
three multitool-style blocks. The rst two contain a
comprehensive range of hex and Torx keys, while the
third includes 8mm hex, 8 and 10mm spanners, cross
and at-head screwdrivers and a wedge for separating
disc brake pads. The grouped construction might not suit
everyone although the machined aluminium blocks are
sti and provide plenty of leverage and the tools are all of
the usual high quality weve come to expect from Lezyne.
Despite their multitool appearance, none of the individual
blocks are grouped in a way that would make them a useful
addition to your saddlepack youd need to take the whole
set to ensure having all the tools you need on the road. The
separate chain tool is nicely shaped to t the hand and
features a replaceable pin. A spare is included. Without the
chuck, it becomes an equally comfortable multi-spoke key.
Open-faced 15mm spanners may be surplus to some riders
requirements. Their short handle and narrow jaw mean
they lack leverage and are more likely to round o nuts.
Although patches and levers are included, the set lacks
casse-e tools or cu-ers, meaning you might do be-er
to buy separate hex keys, chain tool and screwdrivers
and use the change from your 100 to ll in the gaps.
upgradebikes.co.uk
Rating
RANGE
QUALITY
ERGONOMICS
OVERALL
X-Tools 27-Piece
Bike Toolkit
80
This kit certainly provides a lot of tools for your 80 quid.

The wide range of hex keys all need to be mated to the
ratchet, as does the included #25 Torx key. Using a ratchet
is not particularly convenient for ddly jobs and although
the leverage is useful in some situations, in others, the
ability to subtly back o the tension would be preferable.
It would be nice to see some cu-ers included too, although
at this price, thats probably a bit of an ask. A peg spanner,
for holding the back of tricky chainring bolts, is a good
addition. The crank puller can be used with the included
ratchet or supplementary spanners; its designed to work
with both square taper and Octalink cranks. Both it and the
chain whip function well. Although the chain tool is a good
size, its particularly imsy. On our model, the xed pin
came loose and one of the retaining sections snapped.
The BB tool is made of soft material and lacks the precise
casting of more expensive alternatives, meaning its prone
to slipping unless bolted in place. Although this set might
suit casual users, cheap tools are unlikely to make repairs
any easier for inexperienced mechanics.
hotlines-uk.com
Rating
RANGE
QUALITY
ERGONOMICS
OVERALL
10
10
Toolkits
ReviewsEtc
BEST
INTEST
Birzman Travel Toolbox
170
The quality of tools is just a shade below

the oerings from Park Tool and Pedros
yet at a signicantly lower price per
tool. Their design and ergonomics are
outstanding. With care, they should
provide decades of happy wrenching. The
range of individual hex keys features ball
ends, allowing you to work at awkward
angles. A similar set of Torx keys come
with hollow heads should you wish to
use them with security bolts. The unique-
looking chain tool would normally set you

back 35 and features great ergonomics
and replaceable parts. A simple and
sturdy driver provides leverage for both
bo)om bracket tools and the casse)e
lockring tool. An extended pin on the
la)er slots into the hub axle to prevent
slipping. The chain whip features a
curved jaw, helping it grab the sprockets.
Its more secure than at-proled models
found in the other kits. Tools such as the
crank arm installation tool (for )ing

the compression cap on Shimano
cranks) could have been constructed
of plastic; instead, its a beautiful piece
of knurled and machined aluminium.
Chain wear indicators measure the wear
between the rollers of your chain. The
model is an easy-to-use slot-in type and
features an extra set of hooks to assist
in joining and separating the chain.
i-ride.co.uk
Rating
RANGE
QUALITY
ERGONOMICS
OVERALL
10
ReviewsEtc
Toolkits
WHAT MAKES
A MECHANIC
Richard Lambert knows a

thing or two about running
a workshop the former
Team Sky technician has
just landed a job as head
mechanic at JLT-Condor
PRO Professional Hardcase Toolbox

200
While the quality of this kit doesnt quite

live up to the Professional name, it still
provides a good spread of reliable
implements. Although a few of the tools
cram in dual functionality, the majority
are single action (which is always be+er
from an ergonomic point of view),
including a full range of hex and Torx
keys. The cu+ers may not be as solid as
the options from Park Tool or Pedros
but still cleanly chop through a stubborn
gear outer. The 11-speed compatible
chain tool features a replaceable pin;
a spare is conveniently housed in the
handle, and the 8mm hex key operates
the Octalink-compatible crank puller.
A non-ratcheting driver couples with
the bo+om bracket and casse+e lockring
tools. The la+er is compatible with

older-style freewheels as it doesnt
feature the locating pin included on some
designs, although this makes its slightly
more prone to slipping. Stepped jaws on
the two cone spanners accommodate
sizes from 13 to 16mm although this will
leave you to track down a 17mm spanner
to tackle the locknuts on most hubs. Four
separate spoke keys t the hand nicely,
but colour coding would have been
welcome. A crank arm installation tool
(for +ing a compression cap on Shimano
cranks), a chainring bolt peg spanner
and three well-proportioned tyre levers
complete the package. A good kit in its
own right but outshone by the Birzman.
madison.co.uk
Rating
RANGE
QUALITY
ERGONOMICS
OVERALL
10
Obsessive a'ention to
detail, being thorough
and meticulous and not
taking criticism too hard, because
when it comes it can hurt theyre
the qualities that make a good
team mechanic, Lambert says.
Lambert goes on to explain
that on a pro team, a mechanics
responsibilities dont end with
the bikes. Were responsible
for a lot of the way the teams
equipment is presented, he adds.
The mechanic frequently has
to clean and maintain the teams
vehicles too, as well as driving them
thousands of miles between races.
Carbon construction, the
increasing use of presst parts and
cartridge bearings mean unless
your bike is older, many of the tools
hanging in the back of the average
bike shop will be superuous.
So while spanner might still be
a synonym for a mechanic, the
average pro technician is more
likely to use one in changing a at
on the team bus than a riders bike.
On high-end bikes, headset,
pedal and cone spanners are pre'y
much obsolete, Lambert explains.
Bo'om bracket tools and crank
pullers can be equally redundant.
These days, its much more common
that Ill use a bearing press.
That said, certain tools are
essential for every mechanic:
cable cu'ers, chain whip, casse'e
lockring tool, chain breaker,
cross-head screwdriver, hex
and Torx keys. So how should
you go about choosing these?
Look for quality. That doesnt
necessarily mean the priciest, but
a good brand. In the workshop,
I dont really like multitools the
ergonomics are no good if youre
using them all the time. Something
with a T-handle is be'er.
ANGLET-TOULOUSE
NICE-GENEVA
GENEVA-VENICE
Over and out
They may not seem essential but overshoes can make all the dierence to your
comfort on a rainy commute or a chilly sportive. Weve put ten through their paces
To non-cycling friends, overshoes can be a source of bemusement:
You bought some shoes for your shoes? But the truth is that
overshoes are a vital, if sometimes neglected, staple. Yes, they can
keep your feet warm and dry on winter commutes (no one likes turning up
to work with squelchy feet) and longer rides alike. But they also protect
your shoes and socks from weather and road grit, extending their lifespan.
So, in the long term, they can actually save you money. We rounded up a
selection of the best and put them to the test in typical British November
weather. For a guide to the factors you need to consider when choosing
overshoes, see The Five Cs of Overshoes, overleaf.
Rating
WARMTH
Gaerne
Storm Shoe Cover
35
Made in Italy, the Storm Shoe Covers are probably

best kept for the spring when its not quite so
chilly. With 80% polyamide and 20% elastane
construction, theyd stand up to a light shower but
are no match for hardcore British weather. True
to Italian cycling apparel tradition, they look good,
but theyre not the most comfortable the zip
rubbed against our Achilles tendon.
hotlines-uk.com
Rapha Overshoes
55
These overshoes carry the quote Belgian Winter

Training Rule #7, namely: Never ride without
overshoes. With a zip at the back, topped o with
a Velcro tab, they feel secure. Cut-outs for cleats
and heels are reinforced. The high-vis uorescent
pink may not be to your taste, and the overshoes
were immediately streaked with unsightly muck
after we tried them on a rainy city commute. But
being made of a durable and comfortable blend of
polyester, nylon and chloroprene rubber sponge,
they kept our feet toasty and dry. Also available in
goes-with-anything black.
rapha.cc
Rating
WARMTH
FIT
VALUE
OVERALL
10
FIT
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Overshoes
ReviewsEtc
Rating
WARMTH
FIT
Lusso Windtex Pro

Overshoe
VALUE
OVERALL
35
Handmade in the UK, these overshoes have a

stylish carbon look. Windproof and breathable,
theyre comfortable, although the Velcro rear
fasteners dont feel quite as reassuring as zips.
Reectivity is limited and the thermal lining didnt
keep our feet as warm as wed hoped on a cold day,
making these most suitable for shorter rides or
fresh rather than freezing weather.
lusso-clothing.co.uk
10
Rating
WARMTH
FIT
Lizard Skins Dry-Fiant

Insulated Shoe Cover
30
A thicker, heavier overshoe than the standard

Dry-Fiant (see overleaf), these are, as youd expect,
noticeably warmer. Instead of a lateral zip, they
have a Velcro closure at the back, which is a slight
disadvantage as it means theres more pressure
on the rear of the overshoe, potentially meaning
they wont wear as well over time. That said, the
Velcro at the back and underside feels strong and
the overshoes generally are reliable and water
resistant on cold, damp days.
2pure.co.uk
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Rating
WARMTH
Polaris Tornado
Windproof Overshoe
30
The laminated windproof and water-resistant

uppers have a brushed thermal inner layer that
kept our feet warm, while the sturdy neoprene
sole and reinforced toe oered good protection.
If you struggle to get overshoes to t over bulkier
shoes, these could be a good option, being roomier
than some of the others we tested and quick and
easy to put on. Reectivity comes from a logo and
graphics on the sides and a high-visibility strip
running down the rear.
polaris-bikewear.co.uk
FIT
VALUE
OVERALL
10
ReviewsEtc
Overshoes
THE FIVE CS OF OVERSHOES Follow these rules for your ideal footwear protection
CHOICE Make sure youre
buying the right ones for
your shoes: overshoes for
the road are dierent to
those for mountain biking
in order to t diering shoe
and cleat styles. Oversocks
(also known as Belgian
booties) tend to be thinner,
lighter, less durable and
generally more sock-like.
CLIMATE Another vital

factor is the type and
degree of weatherproong
you need. Consider what
kind of climate youll
need your overshoes for.
Do you want warmth,
waterproong, or both?
COMFORT If the overshoe

is too loose it will let in rain
and wind; too tight and it
will be a hassle to put on
and may get damaged
by your shoes fastening
mechanism. They should
feel snug without being
uncomfortable.
CARE To make them last,

follow the care instructions
on the label. Neoprene
and nylon absorb odours
so wash them regularly
to prevent bacteria buildup. Minimise walking in
overshoes; theyre not
designed for it and it will
wear them out faster.
COLOUR Overshoes can add

an extra bit of visibility. If
youre worried theyll clash
with your expensive new
rain jacket, look for subtle
overshoes with reective
details rather than all-out
uoro colours.
Rating
WARMTH
FIT
Lizard Skins Dry-Fiant

Shoe Cover
255
These overshoes from the company famed for

bar tape are thin, making them ideal for "ing
snugly under rain tights. While they dont oer
full weather protection, they are wind and water
resistant, so great for a drizzly Sunday ride, with
a microeece lining that kept our feet just warm
enough. Made of polyurethane, polyester and
polyamide, they feature a reective logo and
a secure lateral zip and Velcro tab, with Velcro
fastening on the outsole.
2pure.co.uk
Northwave H2O Winter

30
These initially seem a bit imsy, but on a wintry

ride into the countryside, Northwaves waterproof
and windproof overshoes proved resilient and
comfortable. A zip to the inside of the foot is
complemented by Velcro tabs at the top and on
the underside, which makes them easy to put
on and secure. The uorescent orange gives
good visibility, the minimal eece lining does
its job of keeping feet warm, and the rubber
reinforcements on the tip and heel, and taped
seams make for a neat, reliable overshoe.
i-ride.co.uk
BEST
VALUE
Rating
ng
WARMTH
TH
FIT
VALUE
OVERALL
10
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Overshoes
ReviewsEtc
Rating
WARMTH
Bioracer Easyt
Overshoe 4.0mm
FIT
VALUE
OVERALL
55
Stretchy, warm and highly waterproof, these

are like wetsuits for your feet. The Easyt no
zip, no hassle claim is exaggerated, though the
overshoes took a bit of time and eort to put on at
rst. Once on, however, the quality is evident. The
inner ankle cu is snug, insulating and waterproof,
preventing water ingress. A Kevlar-reinforced
heel and forefoot protects against wear when
walking. Supremely eective overshoes that come
into their own in atrocious weather conditions.
onimpex.co.uk
10
BEST
INTEST
Rating
WARMTH
FIT
Mavic Thermo
Shoe Cover
40
A warm shell fabric ensures these overshoes are

very good at keeping feet cosy. Since its often the
toes that get cold rst, the double protection there
is particularly welcome. A ratchet access pocket
for on-the-move adjustments works well, though
seems a bit unnecessary. Water-repellent rather
than waterproof, these are a great option for an
early start on a cold, dry day.
mavic.co.uk
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Rating
WARMTH
Sealskinz Waterproof
Cycle Over Sock
35
These look like basic socks, so theyre not the

most stylish, and oversocks generally are less
durable than shoes. But the clever membrane
that manages water dynamics means these really
do live up to their claim to be breathable and
waterproof. The down side? The outer material
draws in a lot of water that takes some time to dry
out. But these super-stretchy socks roll up small so
you can stash them in your jersey pocket, making
them handy for changeable weather.
sealskinz.com
FIT
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Cafstoplocks
ReviewsEtc
LOCK
AND
LOAD
Walking home in your cycling

kit because someones pinched
your bike isnt a good look.
Heres how to prevent it
Even secured with the best

lock, leaving an expensive
bike una'ended for any length
of time is inadvisable. Still, something
is be'er than nothing, and all the locks
here should deter the opportunist crook,
who sees in your bike both the object
of their nefarious scheme and a handy
getaway vehicle.
With such emphasis placed on
weight, few riders are prepared
to lug around the sort of heavy lock
that oers real protection from the
determined thief. Most of the options
here will comfortably t in a jersey
pocket. And for caf stops, answering
the call of nature or transporting
your bike on a train, they should
provide some extra security.
Theyre also useful for securing
wheels or other kit, but dont count on
them as anything more than a deterrent.
With the exception of the Bordo, any
of these locks could easily and silently
be snipped through with a decent pair
of cable cu'ers.
With organised gangs increasingly
targeting races and sportives, taking
extra precautions at these events is
more important than ever. To look at it
cynically, with hundreds of unsecured
and una'ended bikes lying around,
slinging even a minimalist lock around
yours means youd be extremely unlucky
to have it stolen.
Lock manufacturers make all sorts
of questionable claims about their
products, so be sure to look for a Sold
Secure rating (soldsecure.com). Its
your guarantee that the product has
been independently tested and is a
criterion for most insurance companies.
ReviewsEtc
Cafstoplocks
If you cant aord

to replace it, you
should insure it. You may
be able to add bikes to your
household contents cover
for an additional premium.
Alternatively, investigate
stand-alone policies.
Beware of the small print,
as many policies include
unexpected clauses.
Knog
Milkman
cable lock
40
20
17
The Bordo is a serious lock in a compact

package. Just 18x5cm when folded, it
weighs around the same as a regular
D-lock and provides similar protection.
Six at steel plates are riveted to form
a exible loop, with a key-operated
lock in the head unit closing the circle.
Contained in a holster, the rubberised
Velcro straps that a1ach it are far less
likely to cause damage to carbon frames,
which typically dont like having anything
axed to them. Taller riders might even
manage to mount it on the back of a
seatpost. Anyone wanting to pinch a bike
secured with this is going to need serious
bolt cu1ers or power tools.
zyro.co.uk
Similar in size and weight to the Safeman

[right], the Knog Milkman features a far
skinnier 90cm-long cable. Despite looking
like it could be chopped with a pair of
nail scissors, it resisted our a1empts to
wrench it from the locking mechanism
contained within the case. Released with
one of the three included keys, the cable
automatically retracts into the square
shaped housing. Neat and easy to use,
it proved sturdier than its looks would
suggest. In spite of the weedy cable,
without cu1ers, theres no subtle way
to break it apart, making it a good option
for low-risk scenarios or when your bike
remains within sight.
todayscyclist.co.uk
Reeling itself away into a neat and easily

pocketable disk, the handy Safeman
lock features a 70cm cable than will just
about stretch around a pair of bikes.
It can also be looped back through the
body, creating a gure of eight to a1ach
a helmet. The body contains a one-way
mechanism meaning that once its
inserted, the cable can be pulled tighter
but requires the key to release. Although
even small cu1ers will make quick work
of the braided steel cable, its still fairly
robust and we were unable to pull the
cable free, despite using the bicycle as
leverage. This lock would make a great
addition to your ride kit.
soniccycles.co.uk
Record your bikes

details and frame
number (bikeregister.com).
Many police forces consult
this database when they
recover bikes they believe
to be stolen. You can also
nd out if that secondhand
bargain you picked up has
been reported stolen.
Weight 121g
3 Safeman
Weight 132g
Rating
Rating
Rating
PORTABILITY
PORTABILITY
PORTABILITY
SECURITY
SECURITY
SECURITY
WEIGHT
WEIGHT
WEIGHT
OVERALL
OVERALL
OVERALL
10
10
10
INTEST
NB: Locks shown actual size
Weight 830g
BEST
Abus uGrip
Bordo 5700
1
Cafstoplocks
ReviewsEtc
Use supplementary
cables or security
skewers to protect
wheels and saddles
(pitlock.com). Be aware
that a bike thief with a
couple of hex keys can
strip the majority of parts
o your bike in seconds.
4 Giant Surelock
Air Loop
5 Abus 205
Combiloop Cable
20
The tiny Surelock takes up less space

than a pair of tyre levers. Its operated
with a three-digit combination code,
so there are no keys to carry either.
Unfortunately, while it might act well
as a visual deterrent, anyone trying
to pull it apart is likely to succeed in
short order. Even the leverage from
a multitool was enough to pry the jaw
apart, while wrenching on the bike
also instantly popped the cable free.
Part of the problem seems to be the
aluminium construction, which readily
deforms. Although it might work well
for a helmet or a bag, trusting it with
a bike would be a mistake.
giant-bicycles.com
The Combiloop features a seriously long

two-metre cable designed to loop around
multiple items. At full stretch, itll secure
ve or six bikes together. The downside
to this length is that theres no storage
option beyond balling it up, making it
more suited to a saddlebag than a jersey
pocket. Unlocked via a four-digit code,
there are no keys to lose or fumble with.
A rubberised housing ensures it wont
scratch paintwork. Despite its small
size, the locking mechanism is robust.
Furthermore, its length means any
a$empt to wrench it apart is likely to
be futile, leaving would-be thieves with
only the option to try to cut the cable.
zyro.co.uk
Weight 47g
Make sure that

what youre a%aching
your lock to is equally
secure. Ideally, nd a
dedicated Sheeld stand,
somewhere in plain view.
Never leave your bike
outdoors overnight.
Weight 185g
Rating
Rating
PORTABILITY
PORTABILITY
SECURITY
SECURITY
WEIGHT
WEIGHT
OVERALL
OVERALL
10
10
GET READY TO RIDE!
ROAD
MOUNTAIN
URBAN
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BOOK
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BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW AT
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Rearlights
ReviewsEtc
SEEING
RED
With the sun rising after your morning commute

and seing before youve nished your packed
lunch, youll need a back light that keeps on giving
If theres one thing we learnt
when looking at rear bike
lights, its that theres a ne line
between innovation and gimmickry. Its
understandable. Inventive designers
want to make their products stand out in a
crowded market. But if only these cu#ingedge features looked half as good in real
life as they appear on paper
At the end of the day (ie when its dark
outside), all you really need from a rear
light is the reassurance that youll be
seen by other road users. Is this too
much to ask? Fortunately not, as our
selection proves. And since theyre all
USB rechargeable models, all you need to
do is remember to top them up regularly
by plugging them into your computer.
Although initially more expensive than
lights that take replaceable ba#eries,
rechargeables are more convenient,
be#er for the environment and also tend
to be more powerful and compact. And if
those cu#ing-edge features turn out to
live up to the hype, so much the be#er.
Niterider Sentinel
45
Heres a great idea: a light that projects bright red lane

markings on to the road behind you to encourage motorists
to give you room when overtaking. Unfortunately, these
Laser Lanes arent strong enough to compete with car
headlights, so the eect is somewhat lost on the road.
Nonetheless, the Sentinel is still a decent rear light, with
a single large LED providing plenty of light (a claimed 30
lumens) and good overall visibility. Adjustability is excellent,
with both vertical angle and rotation easy to alter.
2pure.co.uk
Rating
BRIGHTNESS/VISIBILITY
MODES
FITTING
OVERALL
10
ReviewsEtc
Rearlights
Cateye Rapid X
35
Slim and light but surprisingly powerful, the Rapid X has

a strip of LEDs rather than a single spot, and oers more
than 180 degrees of visibility. Limited ba;ery life is perhaps
a reection of its compact size but low-power and ashing
modes keep it going for a useful amount of time. A nice
safety feature is that when the ba;ery is low, it switches to
ashing mode to prolong life rather than cut out completely
without warning. Be careful when removing the light from
your bike the thin rubber band has a tendency to ping o.
zyro.co.uk
Rating
MODES
FITTING
10
The Vis180 Micro concentrates its 25 lumens output into

a tight spot of bright red light reminiscent of HAL from
2001. It may not oer the broadest spread of light but
supplementary amber side lights ensure excellent allround visibility. Instead of a ashing mode, it has two pulse
se;ings, which are much easier on the eyes of following
riders. The sturdy rubber strap is reassuringly secure and
easy to use, and theres a top hinge to adjust vertical angle.
Relatively modest ba;ery life is the only disappointment.
madison.co.uk
MODES
FITTING
10
FITTING
Comprising a single Cree LED with an 80-degree beam and

three high-powered LED strobes with a 22-degree beam,
Aussie company Knogs 70-lumen light certainly gets you
noticed particularly in epilepsy-inducing eco-ash mode.
The body also has a clear section for side illumination which
although limited, is be;er than nothing. Knogs trademark
silicone strap is simple and accommodates a variety of
seatpost sizes, while ba;ery life is anything from 3.5 hours
to 20 hours depending on mode. Its also waterproof.
todayscyclist.co.uk
Rating
OVERALL
MODES
FITTING
10
TAKE TIME TO REFLECT
The Zecto Autos party trick is switching itself o after

three minutes of inactivity, then back on when you move
again (hence Auto). As weve come to expect from Lezyne
products, build quality is excellent, though its not the
brightest; its 10 lumens output is useful but not dazzling
(daytime mode boosts output to 20 lumens). We like the
disco se;ing, which ashes the three LEDs in sequence.
A row of tiny lights along each edge indicate remaining
ba;ery life and provide some limited side visibility.
upgradebikes.co.uk
MODES
Knog Blinder Road R
Five key features to consider when

choosing your rear bike light
40
10
43
Lezyne Zecto Auto
Rating
FITTING
OVERALL
OVERALL
MODES
40
Rating
If sheer brightness is your thing and you dont mind

spending 50 on a rear light, the R-100 is for you. Just
be careful where you point it: with 100 lumens in play, the
full-on ashing mode is bordering on the obnoxious, though
we like the much gentler pulse se;ing. Secondary amber
side lights ensure good visibility from all angles. Despite
being a hefty unit, ba;ery life could be be;er; it would help
if there were a low-power mode. Can also be helmetmounted and is compatible with GoPro camera brackets.
madison.co.uk
Rating
Light & Motion Vis180 Micro
50
OVERALL
Electron R-100
OVERALL
10
Brightness
Balance is the key: a good, even spread

of light, not just a retina-frazzling display
of raw lumen power. Although 30 lumens
is a sensible minimum, less powerful lights
can still do the job if designed well.
Fiing
Most rear lights these days t to your seatpost

with rubber band and hook systems. Failures
are surprisingly rare (only one rubber band
snapped during testing) but some are easier to
use than others. Disappointingly few of the lights
we looked at are adjustable, their vertical angle
being determined by the angle of your seatpost.
Those that can be adjusted scored higher.
Rearlights
ReviewsEtc
See.Sense 2.0
45
At 125 lumens, this is immensely powerful and its Fresnel

lens means a large area of light and excellent all-round
visibility. But the real standout feature is intelligent road
sensing: it adapts to your surroundings, speed and other
vehicles, ashing brighter and faster when you need it most.
The motion gesture operation takes a bit of ge2ing used to,
and you cant turn it o without removing it from the bike
(though itll turn itself o after two minutes stationary).
Being so bright, its perhaps not one for group riding.
seesense.cc
Rating
MODES
FITTING
40
The Super Flea solves the problem of making its charging

port waterproof by not having a charging port; instead, it
mounts magnetically to a separate USB plug. Though small,
its deceptively powerful and its collimating lens provides
above-average visibility. Ba2ery life is surprisingly good
too, for its size. The peculiar rubber band-and-clasp 2ing
is somewhat ddly when it comes to removing it from the
bike a bit like fumbling with a bra strap. A handy metal
spring clip means it can also be a2ached to a bag loop.
zyro.co.uk
Rating
OVERALL
Blackburn Super Flea
MODES
FITTING
10
OVERALL
10
8
8
Moon Shield 60
40
INTEST
A great all-rounder, providing a wide spread

of light and excellent side visibility. Five
se2ings include three steady and two
ashing; though as with all high-power lights, strobe mode
is best avoided if you want to stay welcome on group rides.
The quick-release bracket allows vertical angle adjustment
and mounts to the seatpost with a sturdy rubber band; it
also has a belt clip 2ing. Ba2ery life is good rather than
outstanding, but top it up regularly and its a winner.
raleigh.co.uk
Rating
MODES
FITTING
10 Lifeline USB
Double Beam
BEST
17.50
Rating
MODES
FITTING
10
Side visibility
Its relatively easy to make a bike light bright

enough to be seen from behind, but it takes
thoughtful design to account for other road
hazards such as cars pulling out of side roads.
11
10
Flashing modes
Nothing says bike like a blinking red light ahead

of you on the road, but a combination of highpower LEDs and strobe eects wont make you
any friends. Weve looked for a more inventive
and considerate approach to ashing modes.
Baery life
The Lifelines twin LEDs are independently

operated, so you can have one in steady
mode, the other ashing, or both either way. A nice touch.
Its denitely bright enough to be seen, although its
claimed 30-lumens output seems a tad optimistic,
and visibility from the side is limited. Still, it performs
exceptionally well for a rechargeable at this price, not
merely as a budget alternative to the big-name brands.
wiggle.co.uk
OVERALL
Our benchmark for expected ba%ery life is two

hours at full power; not all the lights on test
achieve this, though low-power se%ings can
usefully extend run time. Be wary of claimed run
times measured in ideal lab conditions. Real-life
performance can be much more variable.
11
BEST
VALUE
OVERALL
10
Moon LX70
40
An elegant light with a slimline CNC body that channels

70 lumens into a potent but narrow beam. Low-power and
three ashing modes extend the modest ba2ery life but the
strobe se2ing is really unpleasant for anyone riding behind,
and side visibility is merely average. Comes with a choice
of back plates to t dierent seatpost proles (including
aero and the narrow width of the light makes it perfect
for aero bikes), and the sturdy rubber band has a helpful
tab to make 2ing and removal easy even with gloves on.
raleigh.co.uk
Rating
MODES
FITTING
OVERALL
10
Wesley Doyle Editor

CycleOps Classic Fluid 2
Trainer p101
Santini BeHot
bibtights
Ive had a CycleOps turbo

for the best part of two
years so was happy to
see it win our Best In Test
award. Set up in the garage
(the smell of burning rubber
isnt what you want in the
lounge), its always waiting
for inclement weather. Its
a solid bit of kit that has
completely transformed my
performance on the road.
These bibtights turned

up too late to be included
in this issue but Ive been
testing them and am really
impressed. The fabric
generates heat through
movement, which is then
held on to by the bibtights.
Its weird feeling the heat
spread round your body
but theyve kept me on the
road over the past weeks.
Andy
Waterman
Deputy Editor
Andrew
Sumner
Art Director
Edco Monoblock
casse#e p34
Cube Road Pro shoes

p25
Ive amassed quite a

collection of 10-speed
Shimano wheels and the
thought of scrapping half
of that arsenal (the rear
half) is a bit upse0ing, just
because weve got an extra
gear. The Edco Monoblock
appears to be the answer to
my prayers, le0ing me run 11
gears on a 10-speed wheel.
The riot of colour in the

products featured in this
issue made shooting them a
lot of fun, giving us a chance
to play with dierent
themes. We hope you liked
the results. These shoes in
particular stood out for me,
with their striking electric
blue and orange, but they
dont just look great, theyre
functional too, well made
with a comfortable t.
Etc
me
The BikesEtc team picks out some
of its favourite items featured
in this months issue
Joseph Delves
Sta Writer
Endura Airshell p21
A conuence of dierent
tests this month saw me
aboard a chartreuse bike
while sporting a forestgreen base layer twinned
with a lime jacket. In the
interests of advanced
colour matching, I decided
to top o the look with a
matching uoro helmet.
Its a trend no rightthinking cyclist will want
to get involved in. Still,
in moderation, a bit of
uorescent colour looks
great and the Airshell
helmet is a real bargain.
David Kenning Production Editor

Specialized Tarmac
Expert p44
One of my all-time favourite
bikes, its geometry is as
near a perfect t as any
Ive found. Now with this
latest version, it looks great
too. Specialized is usually
among the loudest in its
branding, but on the racy
red Expert model, theyve let
the design do the shouting.
Birzman Travel
Toolbox p115
Theres something about
a handsomely presented
selection of quality tools
that really appeals to your
unreconstructed inner
bloke. Its not like I even
need any more bike tools,
having acquired a literal
shed-load over the years,
but the sheer unapologetic
shininess of this kit made
me want to nd space for it.
Rapha Overshoes p118

To say these divided opinion
in the oce would be an
understatement. But while
were pleased to see the
womens market moving
away from pink as the lazy
default choice, that doesnt
mean theres no place for
it in the cyclists wardrobe:
match it carefully and it can
look great for both boys
and girls. Or you could just
stick to boring old black.
The Road Cycling & Triathlon Experts
THE JANUARY
UP TO 50% OFF
A RANGE OF PRODUCTS
Free UK Delivery Reserve & Collect Free UK Returns & Exchanges Expert Advice Competitive Pricing
In Store & Online

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www.sigmasport.co.uk
Sigma Sport, St Johns Place, 37-43 High Street,
Hampton Wick, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 4DA
twitter.com/sigmasport

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Gold Di2

Gold Limited Chorus

To find out more information and to purchase or locate a dealer, visit

Oxygen 105 3T Accellero

Oxygen 105 Racing 7

WITH OUR LINE DEVELOPED

YOU CAN BEAT

INSIDE POCKET WITH SEALED ZIP

NECK DETAIL AND ZIP GARAGE

REAR WATER REPELLENT POCKET

Credit: Laurence Crossman-Emms

Reective panels around the arms

Concealed chest pocket and three

Underarm zippers allow you to

Windproof and water resistant

Elasticated hem with silicone

44 On location: pro bikes

Three bikes from the peloton put to the test

64 The science of suering

We delve into the minds of cyclings kings

70 Training with power meters

The ex-pro on his enduring love of cycling.

76 Tech test: braking distance

We had the opportunity to ride

New bikes, future kit, latest tech

13 Argon 18 Nitrogen Ultegra

16 Pinnacle Dolomite Six

Fun, practical and yours for under 1,000.

18 Sugoi Zap jacket

The hi-viz jacket that isnt a hi-viz jacket.

19 Ritchey WCS nishing kit

Quality components from the iconic brand.

20 Vulpine Harrington jacket

Find out how it fared on our long-term test.

20 Panaracer Gravel King tyre

21 Endura Airshell helmet

Head protection that will get you noticed.

As a kid, I always xed things. I

The idea that riders with disc

The social media movement to ban

25 Kit: Cube Road

Style and performance from the

26 Nutrition: DIY energy

32 Maintenance: winterproof your cycling

Look after your bike and it will look

34 Gear: Edco Monoblock

36 Pro rider: Helen

The cyclocross star and her bike.

Thirty years of the pros shades.

40 Opinion: disc brakes

BikesEc Gold Award

January 2015 BikesEtc Q 83

85 1,800 womens bikes

101 Turbo trainers

Choose well, make indoor riding fun.

108 Base layers

taken from our own testing procedures, not from the

Top tips for toasty torsos.

Be your own mechanic.

Protect your feet from the elements.

BikesEc Gold Award

Theres lile to choose