The road we ride on

An interesting piece from the inner ring about something most of us take for granted...

Road cycling. We think about cycling all the time but when was the last time you ever considered the road? It is just there. Perhaps you know where the rough sections appear on your riding routes, but what makes one road smooth and another rough? What makes a road?

Full story:

http://inrng.com/2011/11/the-road-you-ride-on/#more-5800

Cheesy Monday

Holy shit, check out the size of that fucking head tube!

Thanks to velogogo

The inner ring website summed up my feelings exactly when the partial list of 2012 ProTour teams was released...minus GreenEdge:


On Monday the UCI announced several teams had obtained Pro Tour licences for 2012, meaning they will be in the top division of cycling for the coming year. The full list and the press release is on the UCI website.
If there was plenty of satisfaction from the teams named, two squads were left looking less pleased:

The decisions concerning the GreenEDGE Cycling and RadioShack-Nissan teams will be announced later – the Commission is currently waiting for the teams to provide additional documents.

Think about this for a minute. Greenedge has been in gestation for 18 months now and has been assiduous in courting the UCI. Radioshack’s “merger” with Leopard only dates from September. But in both cases the UCI has effectively told the world that these squads have administrative issues and that something is wrong. Perhaps it’s just a missing piece of A4, perhaps something more?


I can’t help feel it would be better to name the Pro Tour teams once they’re all in place instead of putting out some the names halfway through the process. Maybe some teams have real issues but airing this doesn’t help anyone; go back to this time last year and the Pegasus riders could not do much about their team’s demise as they were torn between the “waiting for paperwork” announcements and the fact that most teams had completed their rosters. It’s better to have a set date and if these squads cannot clear the hurdles then so be it. But a running commentary and bad headlines don’t help teams or the sport.

Full story at:

http://inrng.com/2011/11/uci-protour-licence/#more-5846

Slaying the Badger

For someone like me that prefers to look backwards not forwards when it comes to cycling, the book by Richard Moore is a classic.

He painstakingly recreates the background and all the drama of the 86 Tour de France. He not only interviews all the main players but goes beyond that and puts in the views and opinions of many of the second tier participants.

A truly fascinating piece of research about France's last and America's first Tour champion.

Early Garmin

The mechanical forerunner to the ubertech 21st century must have...the Garmin 800.

Made by the English company Joseph Lucas from the 1930's until about the 1960's. Maybe I'm admitting to advanced age but I can remember proudly owning one.

Mt Macedon Challenge 2011

Jim replenishes at the Fountain of Youth

A great day out...sunshine and NO RAIN. Beautiful countryside and great company.

Thanks to Bob for the photos.

Hardman Riding

After this mornings effort in the rain I couldn't resist posting yet another Hardman Riding shot.

I don't think a spot of rain would have changed his plans for the day.

Once again from Velominati

Cycling in Glorious Hell

• Sometimes you see things and it's hard not to get excited...
• 
  
• Friday March 30th: arrival in Lille – lunch & introductions at the cottage in Gent.
• Saturday March 31th: Ride Paris-Roubaix course (at least 180km from St Quentin to Roubaix, full ride available to those who dare) – Visit of the Roubaix Vélodromes (both old and new).
• Sunday April 1st: Rest or short ride around the cottage in the Flanders area (morning) – Watch the Tour of Flanders in Oude Kwaremont and/or Paterberg.
• Monday April 2nd: Visit to Eddy Merckx factory to pay our respects, followed by a Brussells downtown visit (more detail to come).
• Tuesday April 3rd: Short ride around the cottage – visit to bicycle museum in Beveren (Roeselare) – 2 hours practice with a coach on the Eddy Merckx Velodrome in Gent (track bikes provided).
• Wednesday April 4th: Follow the Grand Prix de l’Escaut Pro Race
• Thursday April 5th: Ride with the Pros on their Paris Roubaix recon around Arenberg. Visit to the Brunehaut brewery in Belgium (where our Malteni beer is produced). Tour of  downtown Lille.
• Friday April 6th: Ride Tour of Flanders course (150 and 200km routes available, full ride available to those who dare). Visit the Tour of Flanders museum in Oudenaarde.
• Saturday April 7th: Cyclo Flèche Brabançonne or ride in Flanders area.
• Sunday April 8th: Follow the Paris-Roubaix race (taking in cobbled sectors around Valenciennes + Arenberg + L’Arbre). Depart. 
• 
  

More details: http://www.velominati.com/blog/cyclotourism/velominati-keepers-tour-cobbled-classics-2012/

La Fuga in the Dandenongs

Alistair from La Fuga the excellent bespoke British Bike Tour company was kind enough to come up to the Dandenongs this morning and give us a clinic on how to climb hills without showing any obvious effort.

The fact that he's built like Andy Schleck and about 23 years old has absolutely nothing to do with it of course.

Thanks Alistair. Hope you enjoy your time in Oz.

How Schwinn gave birth to a Giant

I asked about the company's decision to stay in Italy while the world decamped to Asia, Campagnolo offered a frank answer. "It was a forced decision," he told me. When he took over the company in 1983, he said, "I didn't have any special strategy. I didn't have any special management skills in how to handle the company outside of Italy."

There's deep history behind this cryptic answer—and some insight into Campagnolo's willingness to trade high Italian labor costs for the knowledge. Valentino inherited the company two years after the opening of the massive new Vicenza factory, which was old man Tullio's way of doubling down on Italy. In the early 1980s, Tullio and Valentino watched as Schwinn, then the world's leading bicycle manufacturer, closed its Chicago factories and moved production to Taiwan. An industry exodus ensued. "The bicycle industry has a history of chasing cheap labor," said the former Specialized executive Gary Coffrin. "The industry migrated to Taiwan in the 1980s, and then to China in the 1990s."

Everything was fine at first. Schwinn's profit margin thrived on low-cost Asian labor. But in 1985, Schwinn ended its arrangement with its Taiwanese production partner, a company called Giant Manufacturing. What happened next is a lesson that Valentino Campagnolo has never forgotten. Giant turned around and used its newfound manufacturing expertise to produce bikes under its own brand that were better and cheaper than Schwinn's. Though Schwinn bounced back several times, ultimately it never recovered and, by 1992, was bankrupt.

"We do everything inside the company," Valentino Campagnolo told me. "This is something in which I strongly believe. If I know how to produce it, I can always improve my performance. If somebody else is doing it, my improvements are out of my control. This is a very strategic decision for us."

From: http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/italian-job

Team Time Trial 2011 Wrap

A great effort by one and all on the Team Time Trial. Huge commiserations to Lew on sustaining some nasty injuries after inspecting a roadside sandwich board at very close quarters. Hopefully he will be back on the bike very, very soon.


Chapeau to Anthony for carrying the team most of the way home, ably assisted by Stuart and Andrew. The rest of us of course made (very reasonable I thought!) cameo appearances at the front but those lads certainly did the lion's share of the work.

Happily we achieved our aim of holding the team together to the finish...sadly even without Lew. The cracks that just started to appear in the paceline as we approached the tunnel showed that we really had found the limit of what we could collectively sustain for over two hours.

After that there was the inevitable scramble down and up the tunnel (twice), but we were able to stay within a few seconds of each other. A great effort.

Thanks also to Jim for being Team Captain and doing all the necessary organising for a great event.

The above  picture is Bob's suggestion for our approach to next year's event. I think he's serious.

Team Time Trial

The boys having trashed themselves yesterday at the Team Time Trail down the Eastern Freeway.

It was a great achievement with all making it across the finishline together...except for poor Lew who was rearranged by a roadside safety sandwich board at the 60km mark...

Let's hope for a speedy recovery and he'll doubtless join us in the bin at the finish next year.

Pyrenees Cento Cols

 

 

Taken fron Cyclingtips:

 

Call me insane but my idea of a perfect holiday is one where a challenge is set and by the time I get through the other side there's a sense of achievement like no other. I want an experience that I've had to earn; something that no beach holiday can provide.  Life is short.

 

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/11/cent-cols-challenge/

Team Time Trial

The Hanover Team Time Trial rolls out down Eastlink this Sunday from 6:00am. 75km of pain.

These are definitely NOT our team issue wheels.

Mt Macedon Challenge 2011

Mount Macedon Challenge 2011 - Long Course 130km

Start :Hamilton St, Gisborne

Route
North over Mt Macedon, then west through Woodend, Tylden, Glenlyon, returning through Trentham and Woodend

Finish: Gisborne

A great day out...well run and beautiful countryside. Occasional showers.

Can Campy survive?

A thought provoking piece about a company that still serves red wine in the staff lunchroom:

http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/italian-job

Wool rules

Q: So Anthony how do you always look so good on the bike?

A: Well it's not easy. I often try and position myself near Steve and I find that the comparison helps a lot. The other important element is the right jersey. Whether I'm on the bike or walking up a hill, the right jersey just sets the scene for looking my best.

Q: So how would you describe the right jersey?

A: For me there is only one choice in that matter. It must be wool, fit just right and preferably with some historical significance. As a devotee of eBay I am price sensitive so that is also a consideration.

Q: So where do you shop to achieve all this?

A: For me it's http://www.soigneur.co.nz/

Q: Thank you Anthony.

Maitre Jacques

I am a sucker for any great cyclists biography. Paul Howard's book about Jacques Anquetil sets a new highwater mark on just about every measure.

Anquetil was the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, the first to win all three Grand Tours and the first to win the Tour and the Vuelta (in the days when the Vuelta came first) in the same year.

However his domestic arrangements were even more extraordinary. You'll have to read the book to even start on that area!

He raced from 1951 until 1969 so his career overlapped briefly with the great Coppi at one end and Merkx at the other.

A fascinating book.

Ride Across Tasmania 2011

Andrew having second thoughts about bringing the bigger backpack.

Nevertheless there was no stopping the great man. Not even a dodgy freewheeling hub, intermittent rain or a few lumpy bits were going to slow him down. A great effort.