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BikeRadar video expands, literally

BikeRadar UK — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:56:00 GMT

You've probably noticed a new addition to the BikeRadar home page: the video strip that expands at the top, replacing the player on the right hand side. There you can find all our latest videos, as well as an easier to navigate video section.

Why have we done it? Because video is increasingly important for today's hungry internet users, who watch billions of minutes of cat-related footage online alone. In fact you guys have watched over 2,965,912 minutes of video on our site in the past year and we don't have cats.

What we do have is lots of expert opinion on bikes and gear, as well as workshop tips on how to maintain it, how to ride it, people doing crazy stuff on it (including racing), and on special occasions like today, cake.

We like cake

There's more where that came from so sit back and enjoy the bike entertainment experience that is BikeRadar video.

Castelli unveil clothing tailor-made for mountains

BikeRadar UK — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:31:00 GMT

Today sees the Giro d'Italia hit the high mountains of the Dolomites, so what better time for Castelli, kit supplier to Team Garmin-Barracuda, to unveil some new garments tailor-made to tackle them.

First up is the 90g Climbers' jersey, which is made from the 'super light' Strada Light 3D mesh fabric and is cut to eliminate excess flapping in the wind. Castelli reckon, because of the mesh material, it's their quickest drying jersey yet and sacrifices 3 watts at 40km/h compared to the Aero Race jersey.

The matching Inferno Bibshorts are constructed from seven different fabrics and, like the jersey, is claimed to be their coolest and lightest yet. They contain titanium dioxide (the active ingredient in sunscreen) but because some fabrics are open meshes, they recommend you still use cream on the front and side of the legs. The seamless Progetto X2 Air seatpad, used in Castelli's Body Paint shorts, is also used here.

Pricing hasn't been confirmed yet for either garment

They've both been seen in the recent mountain stages of this year's Giro, worn by, amongst others, Ryder Hesjedal, who holds second place going into the final week. It will be some time though before the public can get their hands on them - they are part of the summer 2013 collection, which means next spring at the earliest.

Teenager reunited with his stolen £3K bike

Met Police — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:42:00 GMT

A teenage cyclist who had his £3,000 customised racing bike stolen was reunited with it, in time to compete in the UK National 10 mile TT Championships on Sunday 20 May.

Georg Mew Jensen, 13, built the bike over two years using his savings and money he won from competing. On his 13th birthday he was able to buy a frame using a grant from Tower Hamlets, completing the bike.

Originally, the family began a poster and media appeal to trace the bike stolen from Redbridge Cycling Centre on Saturday 5 May. This reached BBC radio DJ Robert Elms and Gary Kemp from the band Spandau Ballet, who together raised £700 to replace Georg's bike.

Meanwhile, an investigation was launched by police in Redbridge and supported by the Safer Transport Command's Cycle Task Force, funded by Transport for London, who circulated the details of a van containing the bike, which was seen leaving the cycling centre. The van was seized by Essex Police and the owner later arrested, however the bike was not recovered.

A few days later information led officers from the Cycle Task Force to a van parked in Islington, which was seized and found to have the stolen bike within.

As a result of Georg being reunited with his bike on Thursday 17 May, Georg won his age group at the RTTC National Championship 10 mile Time trial on Sunday 20 May.

The money raised by the BBC will now be used to improve the security at the cycling centre.

Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, Safer Transport Command, said: "The Cycle Task Force is dedicated to tackling cycle theft across London and we are delighted to be able to return Georg's bike back, especially in time for his important competition on Sunday.

"Bike thieves should be aware that we will use the full powers of the law and range of tactics to track them down and bring them before the courts."

Steve Burton, TfL's Director of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing, said: "TfL will continue to work with the Met to reduce the rate of cycle theft in the Capital. Through TfL's funding of the Met's Cycle Task Force, the team continues to do an excellent job to tackle this issue so more people chose to cycle in London.

"We urge cyclists in London to help protect their bikes by parking their bike at a designated location, securely locking their bikes and ensuring that they are cycle security marked."

Video: Hesjedal down but not out at Giro d’Italia

Barry Ryan, Cyclingnews.com — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:24:00 GMT

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

A tired Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) reached the summit of Pian dei Resinelli 39 seconds down on Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) but he remained upbeat about his chances in spite of losing the maglia rosa on stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia.

The Canadian was defending a narrow 9-second lead overall coming into the day’s stage, a testing 171km into the heart of Tour of Lombardy country that was made all the more difficult by constant rain and treacherous roads, including the descent of the Valcava.

While Liquigas-Cannondale succeeded in controlling the tempo of the pink jersey group most of the way up the final climb above Ballabio, the racing ignited inside the final three kilometres, as first Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) and then Rodriguez attempted to jump clear.

Mindful of his own qualities as something of a diesel, Hesjedal understood immediately that the best option was to continue at his own pace rather than attempt to match the ferocity of Rodriguez’s acceleration.

“I can’t get sucked in to trying to accelerate with those guys, especially today as I didn’t feel that good,” Hesjedal told reporters shortly after wheeling to a halt beyond the finish line. “But if today was my bad day then I can be happy with that.”

As Hesjedal covered up his mud-splattered pink jersey with a jacket, Rodriguez was preparing to mount the podium to accept a pristine version. However, with just 30 seconds separating them and with a 30km time trial still to come in Milan, Hesjedal was bullish about his chances of staying in the hunt through the Dolomites.

“It was a good finish for him again today, very explosive at the end of a hard day,” Hesjedal said. “It’s clear that he’s in good shape and we’ve got quite the little battle shaping up here.”

Hesjedal explained that he was still suffering the effects of his acceleration on the previous day’s stage to Cervinia, when he had upset the odds by clipping off the front of the group of contenders and moving back into the pink jersey. In such circumstances, he declared himself satisfied to have limited his losses in the mountains overlooking Lake Como.

“I didn’t feel that good today all day so I’m pretty pleased with the ride today,” he said. “I had some problems. I had to ride my spare bike today and it was wet and cold. Plus it was a big effort yesterday. Tomorrow’s the rest day so I’m happy because I don’t think I lost too much time.”

The weight of defending the jersey now passes to Katusha, while Hesjedal’s brief will be to stay as close as he can to the Catalan and the other favourites in the troika of stages in the Dolomites next week. The strongest of the overall contenders in the time trial, he is aware that he has a 30km test to come in Milan to try and recoup any additional losses.

“The team was awesome again on a real tough day to be in the jersey and I enjoyed it again,” Hesjedal said. “It was exciting to take it back yesterday and I’ve got no problems giving it back.”

There was a brief moment of levity as Hesjedal prepared to ride off to his team bus, parked at the foot of the final climb. Asked if his Norwegian ancestry had helped him to cope with the mountains and the cold, Hesjedal managed to raise a smile in spite of his fatigue. “Yeah, probably it’s in the genes.”

Video: Victoria Pendleton on the Olympics and beyond

BikeRadar UK — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Victoria Pendleton, one of the UK's leading cyclists, will be going for multiple gold medals at this year's Olympic Games in London. A top favourite for the women's track sprinting events, Pendleton wants to crown her career with success in front of her home crowd.

"It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. I can't wait to get out there and get it done," she says in this video, taken at the launch of the Samsung Hope Relay, a free app for logging miles that Samsung will turn into charity donations.

After the Olympics, Pendleton says she's hanging up her wheels after the better part of a decade as the world's leading female track cyclist. Then what?

"First of all I'm going to go on holiday beause I never allow myself to go on holiday and really relax," she says. "I always end spending my time in the gym, finding a gym, going for a bike ride. Also I want to plan my wedding and finally get married so that's something that's going to take a little bit of time too."

For the full interview, click on the video below (click here for a larger version).

Pro bike: Andrew Talansky’s Cervélo P5

Ben Delaney in California — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Garmin-Barracuda’s Andrew Talansky got the attention of the racing world in late April, when he finished less than a second behind Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins in the final time trial of the Tour de Romandie. That performance earned him second place on the stage, second overall in the race and the Best Young Rider award.

It also earned him a new ride. At the Amgen Tour of California, Talanksy’s Cervélo P4 from Romandie was hanging on the team rack, but inside the team truck a new Cervélo P5 awaited him.

Cervélo’s P5 comes in two styles: a triathlon edition and the UCI-approved TT model. Both share the same frame but differ in forks; the tri bike has a fairing over the front brake. The P5 was introduced in January, and only a handful have been made thus far.

The 3T Aduro handlebar comes in three heights; Talansky is running the shortest option, with the arm-rest clips bolted in nice and narrow (14cm apart at the center of the pads).

The two most remarkable features of the P5 are the Magura hydraulic rim brakes and the completely integrated Shimano Di2 package. While many team mechanics are still bolting Di2 batteries under down tubes and taping wiring down along the length of tubes, the P5 has completely internal wiring, from the tips of the handlebars, down through the stem and into the frame. Much more impressive, however, is the battery solution — it is tucked inside the down tube, accessible via a panel that faces the rear wheel.

Can you see the Shimano Di2 battery here? Sure can't - and that is exactly the point

Tom Danielson and David Zabriskie are the Garmin-Barracuda team leaders at California, but Talansky could well give them a run for the money in the time trial on Thursday. Talansky starts as the 98^th rider, two minutes behind Danielson and two minutes ahead of defending race champion Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan-Trek).

Check out all the details of Talansky’s Cervélo P5 in the gallery at right above, and be sure to follow all the action from the Amgen Tour of California on Cyclingnews.com.

Complete bike specifications

Frame: Cervélo P5
Stem: 3T Aduro
Handlebar: 3T Aduro, 38cm (c-c); pads 14cm (c-c)
Front brake: Magura RT8 Hydraulic
Rear brake: Magura RT8 Hydraulic
Brake levers: Magura RT 8TT Hydraulic
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-7970
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-7970
Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7900, 11-23T
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-7900
Crankset: Rotor 3D+ TT, 172.5mm, 55/44T
Bottom bracket: Rotor
Pedals: Garmin Vector (without the power-meter internals)
Front wheel: Mavic CC80
Rear wheel: Mavic Comete
Front tire: Mavic Yksion GripLink tubular
Rear tire: Mavic Yksion PowerLink tubular
Saddle: Fi'zi:k Arione Tri 2
Seatpost: Cervélo P5
Bottle cages: Arundel Chrono
Computer: Garmin Edge 500

Critical measurements

Rider's height: 1.75m (5ft 9in)
Rider's weight: 63kg (139lb)
Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 73.5cm

Pro Bike: Peter Sagan’s Cannondale SuperSix EVO

Ben Delaney, from Santa Rosa, CA — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Slovak speedster Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) won the first and second stages of the Amgen Tour of California aboard a Cannondale SuperSix EVO Team with custom geometry.

Although the expense of carbon molds has made custom geometry cost-prohibitive for some companies, Cannondale had created a “54x58” mold for former Liquigas rider Daniele Bennati. Now used by Sagan, the frame size features a 54cm seat tube with a relatively long 58cm top tube.

BikeRadar test rode the Cannondale SuperSix EVO last year, and came away generally impressed by its light weight and smooth ride.

The claimed frame weight of 695g is impressively light. In fact, Cannondale love to point out that production bikes are “illegally light”. Team liaison Rory Mason was quick to point out the custom solid steel spindle used on Sagan’s bike to bring it up to the UCI’s minimum weight of 6.8kg (14.99lb).

Can you spot the steel?

“Last year we added the weight inside the seat tube,” Mason said. “But some riders – Ivan Basso, in particular – felt that the bike’s handling was affected by having the extra weight that high in the bike, so we moved it down.”

Aside from the Cannondale SL Hollowgram crankset, Sagan’s bike is completely spec’ed with SRAM Red 2012. Well, almost completely. The front derailleur is ‘old’ SRAM Red, with a SRAM Force steel cage marked SRAM Red. The SRAM Red cages are titanium, and some riders and mechanics prefer the feel of steel for shifting. (The 2012 Red front derailleur features an aluminum outer cage and a steel inner cage.)

This bike is Sagan's second race bike. His first bike – which he won on twice in California – is identical except that it also has an SRM power meter, which provides information for the rider and coach, and more heft for the UCI.

To keep things tidy, Sagan has clear stickers on his crank arms to avoid scuff marks from his shoes. After all, one must keep things looking good when the bike is coming first across the line so often.

Complete bike specifications

Frame: Cannondale EVO, custom geometry
Headset: SuperSix EVO, 1-1/4in lower bearing, 1-1/8in upper
Stem: FSA SL-K 120mm
Handlebar: FSA Traditional Bend Alloy Energy, 42cm (c-c)
Front brake: SRAM 2012 Red
Rear brake: SRAM 2012 Red
Front derailleur: SRAM Red (not 2012 Red) with a Force steel cage
Rear derailleur: SRAM 2012 Red
Shift/brake levers: SRAM 2012 Red
Cassette: SRAM XG 1090 11-23
Chain: SRAM 2012 Red
Crankset: Cannondale SL Hollowgram with custom solid-steel spindle, 53/39t (note: his race bike also has an SRM power meter)
Bottom bracket: Cannondale
Pedals: Speedplay Zero Team Edition
Wheelset: Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate
Front tire: Mavic Yksion GripLink tubular 22mm
Rear tire: Mavic Yksion GripLink tubular 22mm
Seatpost: FSA K-Force
Saddle: Fi'zi:k Aliante
Bottle cages: Elite Pase Custom Carbon (2)
Computer: SRM (not shown)

Critical measurements

Rider's height: 1.84m (6ft)
Rider's weight: 73kg (160lb)
Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 75cm
Saddle setback: 95mm
Seat tube length, c-t: 54cm
Top tube length: 58cm (horizontal)

Pro bike: Old man Chris Horner's Trek Madone 6.9 SSL

Ben Delaney in Santa Rosa, CA — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:25:00 GMT

Chris Horner has never been overly concerned with what professionals are “supposed to do”. And at age 40, the RadioShack-Nissan-Trek rider who started the 2012 Amgen Tour of California Sunday as the defending champion isn’t about to change his style.

On the eve of arguably the biggest race in America, riding on one of the world’s biggest professional cycling teams, Horner’s bike looked more like the rig of one of the fans cruising the team parking lot than the stereotypical pro bike.

For one thing, Horner rides with a saddle bag, even when followed by the team car. And he carries a pump, strapped to said saddle bag. His seat tube bottle cage is filled with a spare tubular, just in case.

For another thing, Horner rides a taller head tube than Trek’s “pro” geometry that the company calls H1. H2 features a head tube that’s 3cm taller than H1 geometry. A 56cm Madone 6.9 SSL in the H2 geometry has a 17cm head tube. (The reach is also about .5cm shorter.)

In fairness, Horner isn’t alone on the team in riding the H2 geometry. Five riders, including 27-year-old Matt Busche, use the H2 bikes.

“It is a lot about cosmetics, but it is also structurally stronger not having a big stack of spacers beneath the stem,” said Trek team liaison Jordan Roessingh.

Another nod to Horner’s preference for comfort over the stereotypical pro look — 25cm tires. (He will likely be racing 23s Schwalbe tubulars with the rest of his team throughout the week in California.)

Horner likes to be prepared. Even when he has a team car following him the day before the 2012 Amgen Tour of California

Horner is the only one on the team riding the wide Bontrager RL saddle, which he runs on a seatpost with almost no set-back. On the 56cm frame, Horner has a 120 stem.

“Chris is not exactly slammed,” Roessingh said of Horner’s position.

But despite his lack of concern for what pros are “supposed to do” for position, Horner continues to demonstrate the ability to deliver what really counts for professionals — getting himself first across the line.

Be sure to follow all the daily coverage of the Amgen Tour of California this week on Cyclingnews.com as Horner and his teammates defend his race title.

Official 2012 Tour de France Souvenir Pack available to pre-order now

BikeRadar UK — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:43:00 GMT

Celebrate the build up to the world’s greatest race with the only UK Official Tour De France Guide 2012, which is available to pre-order now.

Put together by the team behind Procycling magazine and Cyclingnews.com, and featuring the best cycling writers in the world, this year’s guide is better than ever.

This year’s massive 228-page official programme comes packed with detailed maps and profiles of each stage, stats for every rider, interviews with the stars, expert analysis and a lot more.

In addition to the official programme the souvenir pack also contains:

- a highlights DVD with all the best action from last year's Tour.

- a massive wall planner for filling in the stage winner and jersey holders after each day’s racing.

- classic book extracts with dramatic stories from some of the legends of the Tour, featuring Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Mark Cavendish.

- the official, fold-out, full-size race route map to stop you getting lost on the roads of France (should you be lucky enough to be there!). Looks great on your wall too.

The Official 2012 Tour de France Souvenir Pack, containing the Official UK Tour de France Programme, goes on sale in all good UK newsagents on 1 June, priced £9.99. But don’t risk missing out - Click here and pre-order yours today including FREE delivery!.

New wind tunnel and fitting service offered in UK

BikeRadar UK — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:27:00 GMT

UK cyclists and triathletes have a new avenue for bike fitting and wind tunnel testing in order to optimise their positions on the bike.

Prestige Cycles (Hove, East Sussex) have partnered with the University of Southampton's wind tunnel facility to offer an all-in-one bike fit and wind tunnel package for £799.

The service will be a two-stage process, the first being a bike fit at Prestige Cycles. This will last roughly 2.5 hours and involve a member of shop staff, a sports physio, Dartfish video analysis and foot bed assessment. The outcome will be four positions for an aero fit that can be fine tuned in the tunnel.

Tunnel sessions will take place at the University of Southampton (with their technicians on hand) at the end of each month and last approximately 1.5 hours. Each of the rider's four positions will be tested and the best one in aero terms will be fine tuned.

Tunnel time only will cost £550/hour. For comparison, Drag2Zero's wind tunnel testing costs £899 for a two hour session. For more information, email info@prestige-cycles.co.uk.

Video: The University of Southampton wind tunnel

Vision Metron time trial groupset – First look

Warren Rossiter, in Bath, England — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:10:00 GMT

FSA/Vision’s time trial groupset has been on our radar for a while now – we first came across prototypes at Eurobike 2010. Finally the group is ready and set to be ridden by Gustav Larsson and his Vacansoleil-DMC teammates, plus Team Androni Giocattoli too, at the Giro d'Italia. Designed purely to meet the needs of TT riders, it has components that radically differ from any else on the market right now.

Shifters

Up front the Metron TT shifter looks at first glance like a brake lever. Designed to fit into the forward extensions of a TT bar, the lever blade is actually the up-shifter. A pull on the lever allows for shifting of up to three cogs at a time, with a return to the start position after shifting. Downshifts are done via the button integrated into the lever housing, a simple push providing the shift. The unit weighs in at 192g and is compatible with Shimano drivetrains (as well as Metron, obviously).

Front derailleur

The front derailleur uses a carbon link construction and a wider than usual spacing. The cage is a full-aluminium affair and uses stainless steel hardware for precise, flex-free shifts under load. The shape of the cage allows for a maximium tooth difference of 16t which means it’ll work with anything from a compact 50/34t setup up to a TT-specific 56t outer ring. Despite the burly construction, the front mech only tips the scales to the tune of 63g (braze-on).

Rear derailleur

The rear mech looks radically different to the early designs and prototypes. It has an aerodynamic design, with the outer and inner cage plates fully enclosed to reduce turbulence. The pulleys mix a standard 11t top wheel with a massive 15t lower. Vision claim the larger lower pulley saves energy, though that remains to be seen. The short cage design will accept up to a 28t sprocket and is compatible with Metron, SRAM and Shimano drivetrains.

Cassette

The Metron cassette features heavily ramped teeth and pins to aid faster shifting. The internals are heavily machined but Vision have avoided removing too much material from the freehub interface to help reduce damage to alloy freehub bodies. The sprocket are riveted together rather than machined from one piece a la SRAM but weight is kept down to a healthy 165g (11-21t). The 10-speed cassette will be available with ratios of 11-21t, 11-23t and 12-25t.

Crankset

The Metron crankset uses hollow unidirectional carbon fibre arms bonded to an aluminium axle that spins on full ceramic bearings. The heavily scalloped shape of the arms is wind tunnel designed and keeps the Q-factor (distance between pedal centres) down to a respectable 145mm.

The dome shaped spider and solid outer ring keep it aerodynamic, and looking great. Arms will be available in lengths from 170 to 180mm, increasing in 2.5mm increments. There's a choice of three chainring combinations: 53/39, 54/42 or 55/42t. Complete claimed weight is 730g.

Just when you thought we had enough bottom bracket standards in cycling, along comes another. But before you dismiss the BB386 design used here, we think it’s actually the most interesting and the one with the widest potential applications.

While Cannondale’s excellent BB30 system is considered the benchmark of light weight and stiffness, it does require a bike designed to use it. That’s because it relies on a direct fit (to the frame) bearing. FSA/Vision, who offer plenty of BB30 options, have taken the principle of a bigger 30mm axle but increased the width from 80mm to 86mm. This means that, with the use of one of FSA’s various bottom bracket adaptors you can use a BB386 chainset on any bike.

The increase in axle width widens the Q-factor over BB30 bikes, but Vision have designed the chainset to minimise this. Bikes designed from the outset to use the BB386 standard can be built with a wider bottom bracket shell, which helps improve rigidity in this crucial area.

Aero brake levers

The Metron aero brake levers are quite a minimal design. They’re compatible with any 24mm OD bars and fit via an internal expanding wedge. The lever blade is made from unidirectional carbon fibre while the wedge and pivot are alloy. Designed to be used with Vision's DragOn brake cables, they tip the scales at a lightweight 45.5g.

Cycling News HD issue 2 on sale now

BikeRadar, UK — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:45:00 GMT

Issue two of Cycling News HD, the weekly digital magazine for iPad, is available to download now.

Featuring an in-depth look back on the Giro d'Italia's visit to Denmark, it also focus on this week's stages back on home soil in Italy. The issue also features an interview with the dominant rider of the spring campaign, Tom Boonen, and looks ahead to the upcoming Amgen Tour of California.

Featuring world class photography, in-depth reports, analysis and opinion, your issue of this week's Cycling News HD is out now. Click here to get your copy.

Campagnolo EPS time trial shifters spotted at Giro

Jeff Jones in Verona, Italy — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:29:00 GMT

Campagnolo EPS electronic shifting may have taken years to get to market but already we're seeing the technology being applied to time trial shifters.

Case in point, stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia, a 33km team time trial starting and finishing in Verona. Although many teams were riding with Dura-Ace Di2 electronic shifting, a couple - namely Lotto-Belisol and Movistar - were sporting Campagnolo EPS shifting on a few of their bikes, with fully functional return-to-centre shifters on the extensions and satellite shifters on the cowhorns.

Campy tech lab time trial shifters

As you can see from our photos, team mechanics have had to get a bit creative with cabling through the handlebars, but it's clear that we're not far away from seeing full production versions of these shifters.

The second piece of new kit we came across was the Vision Metron time trial groupset on Gustav Erik Larsson's Vacansoleil Bianchi. That's shifters, levers, derailleurs and cranks all under the Vision Metron brand (brake calipers were FSA K-Force by the same company). It looked interesting but alas, it wasn't ridden during the stage as there just wasn't the time to set it up properly. Hopefully we'll see it working in future races.

Gustav Erik Larsson's Vision Metron equipped Bianchi

There was plenty to see from the team time trial in Verona. Just click on the image gallery to see it all.

Canyon Speedmax CF Evo launched

Jeff Jones in Verona, Italy — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:53:00 GMT

German online bike company Canyon officially unveiled their Speedmax CF Evo time trial bike before stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia in Verona today. It's the product of 10 aerodynamicists, engineers and designers who've worked with former top time trialist Michael Rich, and the result is an extremely well thought out piece of speed weaponry.

The skinny

- Indoor velodrome testing on this bike had Denis Menchov (Katusha) putting out just 270W to go 47km/h (CdA in the low 0.18s). In layman's terms that's very quick for not a huge amount of effort.

- There are 7,560 (!) possible ways to set up the cockpit in each of three frame sizes, by altering handlebars, stems and extension type, and making width and height adjustments

- Only available with Shimano Di2 electronic shifting (Ultegra or Dura-Ace)

- Earliest availability mid-October 2012, depending on component sourcing

- Pricing for complete bikes will start at ~€4,000

- UCI legal in both TT and triathlon versions

The frame

When looking closely at the frame of the Speedmax CF Evo, the first thing that stands out is that the fork, seat and down tube profiles aren't traditional NACA airfoil shapes. They're curved at the front but taper off sharply. Canyon said that in doing their initial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) designs, they found that the NACA shapes were neither as aerodynamic nor stable at speeds below 70km/h and yaw angles up to ~10 degrees as their new profiles, which they've dubbed Trident.

The evolution of the Trident shape

Canyon built an adjustable prototype and tested it at the Mercedes Petronas Drag2Zero wind tunnel in the UK, guided by aerodynamics expert Simon Smart. That led to some minor tweaking of the profile shape, followed by a full CFD build of the bike, then another prototype and final testing in the tunnel. The result was a frame that was a lot slipperier (more on that below), 25 percent more stable in crosswinds, 15 percent torsionally stiffer and around 300g lighter than their current Speedmax CF.

The stability of the frame is potentially a big win and was one of the things Michael Rich emphasised as being important. The less energy used to battle crosswinds, the more can be used to propel the bike forward.

Integration of key components

With the frame sorted, Canyon's next challenge was to integrate the handlebars, stem, forks and brakes into the most aerodynamic package possible. This isn't a new problem, so it's no surprise to see the front brake hidden inside the fork, the rear behind the bottom bracket, the stem nicely flush with the top tube and the cabling as internal as possible.

Exposed cables are kept to a minimum

There's a total of 12cm of exposed cable on this bike – the rest feeds through the handlebars into the stem, down a "virtual steerer tube", into the down tube and through the chainstays. It's apparently not too difficult to install either. Finally, the fork has been optimised to work best with 80mm deep front wheels, and it will accomodate wide rims. Canyon say this level of integration resulted in total savings of 21W at 50km/h (about 2sec/km) over the Speedmax CF.

Geometry and adjustability

Canyon will offer the Speedmax CF Evo in three sizes: S (54cm seat tube), M (56cm) and L (58cm), all growing proportionally in seat tube, top tube, head tube, wheelbase, stack (bottom bracket to top tube distance) and reach (BB to steerer) length. All feature 73.25° head angles and 73.5° or 76.5° seat angles, depending on which seatpost is chosen.

There are two stem options: one flush with the top tube and a riser – albeit a sleek one – with the option of spacers. The bike can therefore meet the requirements of UCI races (laid back Selle Italia Monolink seatpost) and triathlon (steeper fliphead rail seatpost) without radical changes.

Taking bar adjustability to the extreme

Looking at the front end in more detail, the cockpit options are mind boggling. There are two different types of stems (flat or riser) in three lengths (75mm-90mm-105mm), flat or downswept 420mm wide cowhorn bars, three types of extensions (straight, S-bend, J or L-bend) which can be mounted above or below the base bar, three different width and 20 different height options for the extensions, and three different pad widths.

Canyon reckon that gives you 7,560 possible ways to set up your cockpit, while keeping the sleekness of the frame intact. We think this alone is worth waiting for as no other bar setup offers this. There are in addition three fork rake options (5mm total either way) but you'd really want to test ride the bike before playing with that.

Design

Designing the Speedmax wasn't a simple process

The Speedmax CF Evo is a function-over-form bike, but its designer, Tomas Fiegl from Artefakt, still had to produce something that looked good. Aesthetics are a key selling point after all, and this machine does follow through with some slick artwork and an elegant frame.

The red top tubes and handlebar tops on the Katusha bikes we saw look the business. Think "knife" and "sword" and you get the idea. It's complemented by a white 'Z' shape on the sides of the tubes with the Canyon name pretty prominent, as you'd expect. The bike has been awarded a 2012 Red Dot design award as well as the all-important UCI certification.

Specification and availability

The Canyon Speedmax CF Evo is being specced with Shimano Dura-Ace or Ultegra Di2 electronic groupsets, with batteries being placed inside the frame. Surprisingly there's not going to be a mechanical option, but Canynon are confident that this won't affect sales. Given that prices for complete bikes with Ultegra Di2 and low-end wheelsets are expected to start from around €4,000, we can understand why they're not worried. Most superbike framesets cost this alone.

Shimano Di2 shifting only

Wheelset options will be a choice of Mavic, Reynolds or Zipp, while on the saddle front you'll have to be content with a Selle Italia (Monolink or rail). The bike's a 2013 model and will be available from mid-October, providing Canyon's component suppliers can meet the demand. We're aiming to get one to test a little before then, and will be quick to report on how it rides.

Putting it to the test with Katusha's 'climbing team'

Team Katusha were astride their Speedmax CF Evo machines in today's fourth stage of the Giro. Team boss Hans-Michael Holczer insisted that they didn't have the team to win and merely wanted to support climber and general classification rider Joaquim Rodriguez, and that he'd be happy with anything above 15th. Saying that, the lads did rather well for themselves, finishing second in the stage, just five seconds behind winners Garmin-Barracuda.

The new Speedmax CF Evo in its 'triathlon' guise with forward seatpost and riser stem

Video: A brief history of the Giro d'Italia

Cyclingnews.com — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:51:00 GMT

Wednesday sees the 2012 Giro d'Italia arrive on home soil after the brief three-stage sojourn in Denmark, so it's as good a time as any to look back at a race with over 100 years of history.

In the video below, Cyclingnews' Mark Robinson takes us on a whistle stop tour of what many people consider to be the most prestigious race in the sport, from the early years of Coppi and Bartali to the present day and why a race that's Italian through and through started in Denmark.

Giro d'Italia: A brief history

Ticket prices revealed for Box Hill area of Olympic road race

BikeRadar, UK — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:14:00 GMT

Cycling fans will have to stump up as much as £15 to watch key sections of the Olympic road race this summer, organisers have confirmed.

The decision by LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) to charge spectators to view proceedings on key sections of the route caused uproar in the cycling community when it was announced last year and news of the exact figures will only further rile fans of what is traditionally a free-to-view sport.

Parts of the section in question, Box Hill, are owned by the National Trust and spectator numbers on certain stretches will be limited to 15,000 in order to protect the area, with LOCOG saying the decision to charge was “in line with London 2012 aims to provide fair access and safety at venues”.

Tickets, which go on sale here from Tuesday 29 May, cost £15 for the Donkey Green area (£5 for under 16s/60+) and £10/£5 for the viewing area at Dormouse Drive. Other parts of Box Hill will be free to view, along with the rest of the route.

The time trial at Hampton Court Palace hasn't swerved the money men either. Prices come in two tiers, depending on whether you go for Viewing Area A (£15/£5 for full price/under 16s and Over 60s) or Viewing Area B (£10/£5).

The men's and women's road races (28 and 29 July) are among the first events taking place at the summer's Games, with both time trials following on 1 August.

What do you think? Will you be parting with your cash when the tickets go on sale at the end of May, taking your free place on The Mall for the race's climax or just staying at home and watching on TV?

Cavendish left unimpressed by Ferrari move

Cyclingnews.com — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:22:00 GMT

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

Mark Cavendish has voiced his frustration at being taken out by a diversion from Androni-Giocattoli-Venezuela rider Roberto Ferrari within sight of the Giro d'Italia's Stage 3 finish in Horsens.

Cavendish was one of several riders, which also included maglia rosa Taylor Phinney, to crash after Ferrari changed his sprint line. The reigning world champion hit the tarmac at 75km/h injuring his left shoulder and losing his fair share of skin. Ferrari was relegated by commissaries to last place for the manoeuvre.

"Ouch! Crashing at 75kph isn't nice! Nor is seeing Roberto Ferrari's manoeuvre. Should be ashamed to take out Pink, Red & World Champ jerseys,"the Manxman tweeted following the stage.

"Apparently Roberto Ferrari has said to journalists, when asked about the incident, that he can't see what happens behind him & doesn't care," Cavendish continued. "Is the team of Roberto Ferrari or the UCI going to do the right thing? Other riders, including myself, have been sent home for much less."

Androni-Venezuela manger Gianni Savio made no bones about his rider Ferrari's responsibility, telling Cyclingnews: "I'm on the bus going to the airport [for the transfer – ed.] and I will apologize to Mark Cavendish in the name of the team and in the name of Roberto Ferrari for the incorrect behaviour that was not intentional."

Sky's team doctor explained that he was hopeful of Cavendish recovering. "Mark's had a bad crash and is very uncomfortable but we're taking care of him," Richard Freeman told teamsky.com.

Cavendish had commented following his Stage 2 win at the post-race press conference that the pure sprint stages were becoming more dangerous.

"Because things are changing in the peloton, there's not the respect that there used to be," he told reporters. "That means there's a lot more crashes... a sprint team wants to stay at the front, and a sprint team is fighting with a GC team. If every team tries to stay together and stay at the front it becomes more of a stress."

CLIF Bar give opportunity to chat with Levi Leipheimer today

BikeRadar US — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:15:00 GMT

Three-time Amgen Tour of California champion and Olympic bronze medalist, Levi Leipheimer, will be answering viewer questions at 4:30EST (1:30PST) in a 30 minute live webcast sponsored by CLIF Bar.

Here’s how to attend: Go to CLIF Bar’s Ustream Page to watch the web cast. Choose your medium to present questions: Twitter (hashtag #AskTeamCLIFBar), CLIF Bar’s Facebook page, or via Ustream chat (you must create a Ustream account to chat directly).

Should you just want to watch there’s no sign-up process, just click on the above link. CLIF have made the webcast open to the public.

If you do participate and Levi picks your question as one to answer, you’ll score a signed limited edition signed Levi poster from CLIF bar.

Swift out, Hunt in Team Sky's Giro d'Italia team

Cyclingnews.com — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:04:00 GMT

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

Team Sky had to make a last minute change to its roster for the 2012 Giro d'Italia after sprinter Ben Swift suffered a broken shoulder in a training crash today.

The team substituted Swift with his fellow Briton Jeremy Hunt, a veteran in his 14th professional year, who has previously competed in all three of cycling's Grand Tours.

"Well that is my Giro over, had a very heavy crash out on the bike today very disappointed not to be able to start," Swift said via Twitter.

Swift focused on the track during the early part of the season, scoring a world championship title in the scratch race. He will now devote his time to rehabilitating his shoulder.

Hunt will now join world champion Mark Cavendish, Bernhard Eisel, Juan Antonio Flecha, Sergio Henao, Peter Kennaugh, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas and Rigoberto Uran for the Giro d'Italia, which starts on Saturday with an 8.7-kilometre time trial in Herning, Denmark.

Cyclingnews HD launched

BikeRadar UK — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:47:00 GMT

Our sister website cyclingnews.com has today launched a new weekly magazine for iPad. Cycling News HD is a brand new reading experience for cycling fans everywhere combining the immediate reporting of cyclingnews.com and the authority of Procycling Magazine.

Available from the App store every Wednesday, Cycling News HD will bring you a detailed round-up of the week’s leading races, analysis and comment from the experts alongside incredible photography of the week’s key racing events. The weekly digital magazine will also bring you an in-depth look at the week ahead’s racing with comprehensive guides for all the major races, plus regular interviews with the pros.

Issue one is available now, click here to download your free copy.

Scarponi wants to win Giro d'Italia on the road

Cyclingnews.com — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:41:00 GMT

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) will be formally recognised as the winner of the 2011 Giro d’Italia when he is presented with the maglia rosa by race director Michele Acquarone in Herning on Thursday, but the Italian said that the fact that the ceremony is so belated will do nothing to dampen his motivation for this year’s race.

Scarponi stood on the second step of the podium in Milan last June, but he inherits the pink jersey and Trofeo Senza Fine after Alberto Contador was stripped of his title by a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in February of this year. The Spaniard raced last year’s Giro while waiting to hear if he would face sanction for his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour de France.

“It will be a welcome recognition, a reward for the fine Giro d’Italia I rode last year, but I would like to feel the emotion of conquering the maglia rosa on the road. This will be the real motivation of the 2012 Giro for me,” Scarponi said.

Twelve months ago, Scarponi approached the Giro on a high after a string of notable displays throughout the spring, including at Milan-San Remo, the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro del Trentino. This time around, however, his build-up to May has been rather more low-key.

Scarponi is still without a win in 2012, and he coughed up over twelve minutes on each of the mountain stages at the Giro del Trentino, over the Punta Veleno to Brenzone and on the Passo Pordoi. 8th place at the following Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège allayed lingering concerns about his condition, however, and he is upbeat about his chances at the Giro.

“I started the season with the intention of reaching top condition later in comparison to last year, so I wasn’t as sharp as I was in 2011 in races like Tirreno-Adriatico,” Scarponi said. “Still, I was hoping that I’d be a bit more advanced in the month of April, I won’t hide that, but that nice performance at Liège-Bastogne- Liège has given me a lot of conviction.

“It’s never easy to be at the front of the race at La Doyenne. You can only do that if your legs are good, so I can say that I took a important sign about my condition from the Belgian race.”

Scarponi publicly toyed with the idea of lining up at the Tour de France earlier in the year, before formally throwing his hat into the ring for the Giro in mid April. His announcement came just days after Damiano Cunego intimated to Cyclingnews that he, too, would forsake the Tour for the Giro, but Scarponi is adamant that the two leaders can co-exist in the same team. Cunego underlined his form with victory on the opening road stage in Trentino.

“I saw Damiano ride very well in the last races, so he will certainly be an important element of the team,” said Scarponi. “I welcome the presence of a quality athlete like Cunego at my side. With the right collaboration and with clear objectives, we can fight united together to be protagonists.”

While the redoubtable final week of the Giro is the focus of much of the pre-race anticipation, Scarponi was reluctant to nominate a key stage and instead pointed to the old truism that a three-week race must be approached one day at a time.

“Of course, I’ve analysed the map and the details of the Giro, but I prefer to concentrate on one thing at a time, without looking too far ahead,” he said. “It’s for this reason that for now my attention is focused on the Danish stages. It’s a start not to be taken lightly, given that the wind could play some nasty tricks on us.”

Bike news round-up: British Cycling and Sky extend partnership until 2016

John Whitney in Bath, UK — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:02:00 GMT

From the latest product news to details of routes and events, our news round-up is a collection of short snippets of information in one handy article.

Today we bring you news on an extension to British Cycling and Sky's partnership, a major new contract for the award-winning Cyclepods bike storage firm, a UK distributor for K-EDGE products, the 'largest ever' team time trial and much more.

Routes, racing & rides

Four more years for British Cycling/Sky partnership

Sky’s partnership with British Cycling has been extended for a further four years, taking it through to the end of 2016. The governing body said the unique partnership has been instrumental in British cycling’s ‘phenomenal’ recent success and are delighted that it will continue. ‘From playground to podium’ has been the running theme and BC’s Chief Executive Ian Drake believes the new deal will continue to bring success at all levels of the sport.

In addition to the sponsorship of elite cycling with Team Sky, BC says the Sky Ride campaign has seen almost 700,000 more people riding bikes regularly and is on track to achieve their target of a million by 2013. Over 200,000 people in 2011 alone participated in one of 20 traffic-free city Sky Ride events, while many thousands have joined in with the smaller, weekly Sky Ride Local events.

Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy said: “We’ve all seen the difference that Sky can make in cycling. Their work with British Cycling has got more people to understand and enjoy the sport we’re all passionate about. And the support for elite riders has helped the current team and will go on to support the next generation”.

'Largest ever' team trial set for Silverstone this summer

A 50 team, 9-up team time trial will be hosted by Bicester Millenium Cycling Club at Silverstone motorsport circuit on Friday 10 August. The club believe it’s the only amateur event of its kind in the UK and could be the largest TTT ever held. Teams will race across three laps (approximately 11 miles) of the circuit at one-minute intervals. Racing begins at 7pm.

Invitations are limited to British Cycling affiliated clubs, professional and semi-professional teams, MotoGP, Formula One and the Armed Forces, with 40 teams confirming interest so far. Each team will be assigned a pit lane garage for pre-race preparation, with road bikes permitted for racing only. All proceeds from the event will be distributed to charities local to the circuit and Help for Heroes. Email racing@bmcc2000.com to register your interest. www.bmcc2000.com

Scott sportive series begins this weekend

The countdown to the first event in the two-part Scott Great British Sportive series is almost over. The Longleg (113km/70km) takes place this Sunday (6 May) at The Albury Cricket Club, Albury Heath. Hot on its heels is The Arrow, a more testing 160km/115km ride beginning from Berrington Hall, Leominster on Sunday 17 June. www.gbsportive.co.uk

Product and team news

Bike storage firm nets major new contract

Award-winning bike storage firm Cyclepods has announced a partnership with street furniture specialists Bailey Streetscene to supply their range to the construction industry. The deal will see products, such as the flagship Spacepod rack, developed into future projects. They currently have installations at Sussex University, Rolls Royce a number of NHS hospitals.

Madison to distribute K-EDGE in UK

Madison has announced a deal with K-EDGE Cycling Solutions to be its exclusive UK distributor. The firm started prior to the 2008 Olympic Games with a single product, the Chain Catcher, which helped propel Kristin Armstrong to gold in the road race. With a patent on the design, the intervening years has seen the device permeate the peloton and was used by several teams at the 2011 Tour de France. They are also a manufacturer of GoPro mounts. www.madison.co.uk

BMW Cruise Bikes are Olympic bound

The fleet of BMW vehicles to be used at this summer’s Olympic Games has been revealed. The road race will be patrolled by a cavalcade of motors, from the BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics car (doctors, commissaires and neutral service) to the R1200 RT motorcycle (road closures, photographers). There’ll even be 400 of their Cruise Bikes, with one-off Olympic decals, used as operational support for water-based sports such as rowing.

RadioShack confirms line-up for 2012 Giro d'Italia

Cyclingnews.com — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:37:00 GMT

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

Fränk Schleck will lead RadioShack-Nissan in the 2012 Giro d'Italia, supported by a strong climbing team. The team had to re-form its lineup after designated Giro captain Jakob Fuglsang dropped out with a knee injury. It was announced over the weekend that Schleck would move into the captain's role.

It will be Schleck's second appearance at the Giro, having ridden it previously in 2005.

Daniele Bennati will be the team's man on the sprint stages. The 31-year-old Italian is still looking for his first win this year, but last season won stage at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Tour of Austria, Tour de Wallonie and the Vuelta a Espana. In 2008 he won three stage and the point ranking at the Giro d'Italia.

In the mountains, the team will look to Oliver Zaugg and Thomas Rohregger. Zaugg won the Tour of Lombardy last year, while Rohregger won his homeland Tour of Austria in 2008.

RadioShack-Nissan for 2012 Giro d'Italia: Jan Bakelants, Daniele Bennati, Ben Hermans, Giacomo Nizzolo, Nelson Oliveira, Thomas Rohregger, Fränk Schleck, Jesse Sergent and Oliver Zaugg.

Millar in line for London 2012 Olympics after CAS ruling

Cyclingnews.com — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:29:00 GMT

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

David Millar will be eligible to compete for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the British Olympic Association bylaw barring athletes who had previously tested positive from competing at the Games is in contravention of the WADA code.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, CAS confirmed that it had agreed with WADA’s contention that the BOA stance was not compliant with the WADA code, and rejected BOA’s appeal.

“The Bye-Law is a doping sanction and is therefore not in compliance with the WADA Code. The CAS confirms the view of the WADA Foundation Board as indicated in its Decision. Therefore, the appeal of BOA is rejected and the Decision of the WADA Foundation Board is confirmed.”

The CAS Panel which ruled on the BOA case was the same one which in October of last year had found against the International Olympic Committee’s “Rule 45”, a bylaw which barred athletes who had served doping suspensions for at least one Olympic Games on top of their original ban.

In each case, the CAS panel upheld the existing WADA code, which was signed in 2004: “The awards in both cases simply reflect the fact that the international anti-doping movement has recognized the crucial importance of a worldwide harmonized and consistent fight against doping in sport, and all signatories have agreed […] to comply with such a principle, without any substantial deviation in direction.”

It is understood that the BOA will now look for a revised WADA code that will allow for bans exceeding two years. The Guardian reports that while WADA is likely to agree to such an alteration, it will prevent different national governing bodies from having different sanctions.

“At the moment, the system in place does not permit what the BOA has done,” read the CAS statement.

The man who seems likely to gain most from the CAS ruling is David Millar, will is now eligible to line up for Great Britain in London this summer. The Garmin-Barracuda rider played an important role in Mark Cavendish’s world championship win in Copenhagen last September, and had also trained with the Manxman in the build-up to the event.

In a statement released immediately after the CAS announcement, British Cycling moved to stifle speculation as to whether Millar will indeed be in the five-man team for the London road race. "Our team for the Games is being selected in June and across all disciplines we'll

pick the team based on which riders are fit and available, and who we believe have the best chance to deliver medals. Ahead of that we won't be speculating on who may or may not be selected," said a British Cycling spokesperson.

It remains to be seen if the CAS decision will have repercussions for the Italian Cycling Federation directive which bars riders who have served doping suspensions of six months or more from representing the national team.

Millar set to be cleared to race at Olympics

Cyclingnews.com — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:29:00 GMT

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

Reports suggest that David Millar will be among the benefactors of a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling which overturns the British Olympic Association's (BOA) by-law that bans convicted British drugs cheats from taking part in the Games under a lifetime sanction.

The CAS is due to hand down its decision on Monday afternoon at 3pm (GMT). The BBC was just one of several media outlets to pre-empt the announcement while the BOA released a statement saying:

"The British Olympic Association can confirm that it has received from the Court of Arbitration for Sport the written decision in the arbitration between the BOA and the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA).

"As the decision is to be announced first by CAS, and out of respect for CAS and the Arbitration Panel, the BOA will be offering no comment today".

Wada has ruled that the BOA's policy of giving lifetime Olympic bans to athletes who have served doping suspensions is in violation of the World Anti-doping Agency's code which already provides guidelines for doping punishments. The BOA appealed that decision to the CAS.