Issue 5 Volume 3 June 15th 2015
` 100/-
INSIDE
Official a n
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lusive M e Exc
ar tner aP di
FEATURE: LIFE, INDIA AND CYCLING WITH JONTY RHODES YOUNG TURK: MARTIN MAES, GT FACTORY RACER HOP TALK: CONNECTED CYCLE
Cycling Federation of India
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IN THIS ISSUE
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04 A Life Changing Journey 08 CFI News: Annual Report 2014-2015 10 CFI State News: MTB Kerala 11 Race Report: UT MTB Shimla 2015 Feature: Life, India and Cycling 12 with Jonty Rhodes 16 Young Turk: Martin Maes ProCycle Profiled: Indian Ambassador of 18 Cyclotrekking 20 Bicycle Diary, Episode-3 21 Shop Talk: Connected Cycle Pedal 22 Bike Tech: Bike cleaning First Look: TomTom Multi-Sport 24 Cardio watch 26 Boys’ Toys: NiteRider Lumina 400
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YO! The CRANK with ProCycle Team Managing Editor Vikram K Limsay Editor Nilesh Dhumal Invitee editor Mr. Onkar Singh Editorial support Kavya Ashok, Varuna J, Srushti Bhaskar & Kirtana Divakar India North Bureau Ashish Sood India South Bureau Joseph Anish Marketing and Distribution Joseph Anish anish@procycle.in, +91 97415 77884 Test Riders Ajay Kamble, Nilesh Dhumal & Ritwik Burman Student Editor Aishwarya Palaparthy Issue contributors Varun Datta All rights reserved by Procycle and Sports India Private Limited Corporate Office 226, 1st Floor, 1st Main Road, Service Road Domlur 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore-560071 ProCycle Showrooms Indiranagar #226, 1st Main Road, Service Road, Domlur 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560071 Tel: +91 98802 16064 Koramangala/HSR Layout New #12, Old #75, Service Road, Jakkasandra Extension, Koramangala 1st Block, Near HSR 5th Sector, Bangalore - 560034 Tel: +91 80 2550 1967 Sanjaynagar 126, 80ft Road, RMV 2nd Stage, Ashwath Nagar Bangalore - 560094 Website www.procycle.in For queries regarding advertising and subscription mail us at subscribecrank@procycle.in Cover Jonty Rhodes hits the hills Image by Montra Back Cover Cheering the runners at Bengaluru TCS 10K Printed by Print 2 Last Solutions | info@print2last.in
Hello Riders, The whole country is smitten by May showers and we love riding in the rain, well most of us do. With the welcome cooling a lot of bicycle action is taking place across the country. Don’t let rains stop you from riding a bike. Reaching home soaking from a ride across the city or tasting dirt while out on the trails are but a few occasions when people feel alive and those moments are gladly sponsored by a bicycle. Get out and ride. Don’t fret over the maintenance of your bike, read our Bike Tech section for cleaning tips. Crank has always taken pride in bringing you great stories and will continue to do so. Please write to us if you have a cycling story that you want to share to the world. Lastly, as bikers we know Nepal as one of the most beautiful riding destinations of the world. I’d like to take the opportunity to extend our hearts to the victims and survivors of the Nepal earthquake. We wish the country a quick recovery and hope it rises like the Phoenix to become an even more beautiful destination than it always was for bikers. Nilesh N Dhumal Let’s Shred
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Soaking the scenery
FAR FROM HOME
A LIFE CHANGING JOURNEY By Kirtana Divakar, Crank Bengaluru Bureau. Images by Anil and Arjun
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nil Srivatsa, 48 owns an Internet radio startup, is a marathoner and an avid cyclist. Along with his 49 year old neurosurgeon brother; Arjun Srivatsa and 15 year old son Surya, he recently completed a 7-day, self-guided tour through Spain. But that is not the only interesting aspect of the trip. What is special is that this is a story of brotherly love, compassion, sacrifice and support. Arjun and Anil shared an idyllic childhood in Bangalore till the age of 15 after which they moved to different cities for higher studies. Cycling was always a part of their lives. Both brothers had one bike between them and Arjun being the older retained the right of usage. Anil recalls renting his older brother’s bicycle many times. Life moved on and Arjun continued occasional cycling but moved onto golf as a leisure pursuit, while Anil was still going strong with cycling and included running to his favourite sports. In September, 2014 tragedy struck when Arjun suffered a kidney failure. Finding a replacement kidney for transplant is not easy in India as the law does not make it easy for non related donors to donate their organs. The choice in the family narrowed down to younger brother Anil. But the matter was sensitive. After all Anil led a healthy, active life himself and donating one kidney was sure to
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impact his lifestyle. Much discussion ensued within the family but in the end Anil decided to part with one kidney to help his older brother. But before doing that he embarked on one rigorous trip to the Himalayas thinking that this may not be possible once he was one kidney short. Once he was back Anil decided to go ahead with the operation. After all Arjun was a doctor and this way he would be able to serve more people in future. The surgery was successful and both Anil and Arjun steadily recovered into their regular lives. The cycling story had truly begunon March 2015, when Anil came across a contest from Active Holiday Company that was seeking to give out a prize which was an all expenses paid cycle tour across rural Spain for anyone who had a compelling life story. Anil being an active cyclist decided to enter his transplant story and won the contest. Elated Anil decided to take his brother along in order to add meaning to his trip. Arjun recalls, “Oh yes. The trip gave me an opportunity to prove that life after transplant is not over. A grueling cycle trip would be the best way to prove it.”
Morning ritual
They started off their journey at Malaga, and then hitched a ride to Ronda where they picked up their bikes. Anil’s decision to use a GPS instead of maps allowed them to witness breathtaking imagery that was not part of the original package that covered Ronda – Álvaro – Zahara – Benaocaz, Jimena de Libar, and back to Ronda.
Relaxing before the next hill
Anil spoke to us in depth about the challenges they faced. “The trip tested our limits, mostly mental. There were times when Arjun lost his breath and it got to a point where we decided to call an ambulance from the neighbouring city. While we waited for an ambulance, some rest and a successful battle of mind over matter helped Arjun get back on his bike and continue peddling. The best part of my trip was the company. Besides my brother, my son Surya also accompanied us. There were instances were we lost our temperament, but feeling the wind through my helmet and on my skin was absolutely magical. Nothing could match up to riding on cycles along these trails.” World Kidney day was around the corner when they finished their trip. Anil and Arjun decided to share their story to increase awareness about
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live organ donation. By sharing their story out to the 5lakh people around the world who are undergoing transplant and the possible donors, they wanted to show that life is as good as normal for both the donor and recipient and more importantly, the life a donor gives to the recipient is amazing and is worth the effort that goes into this surgery from all angles. They wanted to remove misconceptions about organ donation by participating in activities such as cycling after a surgery like this. “Besides the occasional pain that reminds me of the surgery I lead a perfectly normal life.” says Anil. They believe that no one should hesitate in donating an organ as they, along with millions all over the world have proved that a person can continue all the activities that he would before the surgery, but with a little caution.
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Their story gained a lot of positive momentum. Social networking sites like Facebook even called Anil ‘The Brother of the Year’. When asked what is the one thing they’d like to say people who feel they cannot properly function after a transplant, Anil says, “It’s all in the mind. If you have led a perfectly active life before transplant, you will lead the same after. If you haven’t, then it probably won’t change after either,” and Arjun agrees. “If I can do it within 4 months of my surgery, I think everybody can” he says. The Srivatsa brothers have become an inspiration to organ donors and estranged brothers alike and cycling is the catalyst that helped spread their message. Planning on cycling in Italy with their sons next year, Anil and Arjun continue to cycle and spread their message.
Track Asia Cup-2015
CFI NEWS
ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015 Crank CFI Bureau
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Besides holding various national championships in track, road and MTB at Trivandrum, Jamkhandi and Pune respectively, the Federation carried out its traditional races at the Sabarmati Cyclothon, Ahmedabad and the Vodafone Cycling Marathon, Bangalore with prize money totaling up to 18.5 lakhs.
The Federation organized the Track Asia Cup 2015, which saw participation from 5 Asian nations besides India. India ranked second in the overall medal tally and was credited for its organizational efforts by the UCI.
The federation has also paid close attention to avoid the use of dope in the sport. They have propagated dope free cycling and have had periodical dope tests during the championships as well as during the national camps. All trainees were not only tested for drugs, but were also educated about the perils of drug abuse and counseled against the use of the substances.
he year 2014 was packed with activities for the Cycling Federation of India. During this year, the Indian cycling team of 109 including cyclists, coaches and other support staff participated in 8 international events. Our victories included 5 gold, 5 silver and 11 bronze medals at the Asian level championships. The federation is particularly proud of its presence at Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
A total of 51 cyclists participating in various categories of Men Elite, Women Elite, Men and Women Junior were coached during the national training camp under UCI trained Chief Coach Mr. R. K Sharma who was assisted by specialist mechanics, physiotherapists and doctors. A notable achievement was that of Ms. Deborah, who became the youngest racer to compete at the 500-meter Time Trial Women’s Elite category at the Asian Track Cycling Championship. During the National Games in Kerala, 9 out of 10 new measurable records were created reflecting the overall improvement in the standard of cycling in the country. The Federation converted the National Cycling Academy into a satellite center of the UCI’s World Cycling Center, Aigle, Switzerland. The agreement was finalized during the Asian Cycling Championship in Thailand on 9th February 2015 by Mr. Brian Cookson, President, UCI, Mr. Heera Ballabh, Secretary, SAI and Mr. Onkar Singh, Secretary General, CFI. With the establishment of this satellite center, India became the third country among the 181 affiliated units of UCI to have such a training facility.
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Overall it has been a productive year for the sport of cycling and it has become a reality with constant improvements in facilities and the provision of international level training and support from the Government of India, Ministry of Youth & Sports, SAI and International Cycling Union. Indian Cycling Team
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CFI STATE NEWS
MTB KERALA By Crank CFI Bureau
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Award ceremony
rom the tribal belt of Waynad district in Kerala which extends upto the Priyadarshini Cooperative Tea Estate we bring you MTB Kerala-2015. Over the last three years, MTB Kerala has grown to become one of the most popular mountain biking races hosted in southern India. The mountains of Northern Kerala provide the perfect setting for hosting a lapped mountain biking race. This year’s MTB Kerala was organized by the Eco Tourism Dept , Govt of Kerala under the aegis of Cycling Federation of India. The tea estate provided natural single track sections for the racers along with challenging inclines and downhill sections. The circuit was 4.2kms long and six laps of it made the total race 25kms. With 8 foreign teams in contention for the Prize Money of Rs. 6.7 Lakhs, Mr. Peerapol Chawchiangkwang of Thailand lead all the way to win the top honors while in the Indian segment, Devender Thakur from Himachal Pradesh beat all the compatriots hands down.
Natural downhill sections
Sh. A P Anil Kumar, Minister of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala, Ms. Jayalaxmi, SCST Minister and Sh. K P Mohanan, Agriculture Minister of Kerala state were present at the award ceremony which had interesting performances of dance and music by the tribal artist and the event had a colorful conclusion. With the level of participation that was seen at MTB-Kerala 2015, along with the able guidance of the Cycling Federation of India, it is well on its way to becoming a sought after mountain biking event in Southern India.
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Organization team
Riders at the flag off
RACE REPORT
UT MTB SHIMLA 2015 By Srushti Bhaskar, Crank India North Bureau. Images courtesy HASTPA
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he Shivalik Mountain range located on the foothills of Himalayas is popular for its wildlife, scenic valleys and off road trails nestled between dense Deodar forests, making it a destination for mountain biking enthusiasts. Banking on their expertise of the surrounding terrain, HASTPA (Himachal Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association), organized the 4th edition of UT MTB Shimla between the 3rd and 5th April 2015. The two day cross country mountain biking race takes racers through 105kms of unexplored trails of the Shivaliks while accommodating a dose of the village countryside coupled with steep uphill ascends, spiralling downhill trails and stream crossings. This edition of the race saw 70 riders from across the country with Delhi-NCR contributing to the highest number of riders. Contesting in its signature Students’ category along with the regular Men, Women and Masters open solo, the participants were aged between 14 and 54 years. The 2015 edition included new routes that were well researched and marked to reduce navigation errors. The implementation of sports timing devices this year aided in accurate results. The organizers have also upped the ante through strict scrutiny and accepting only serious athletes for the race.
Akshay Choudhary, Students category
The race was flagged off on the 4th from Hotel Holiday Home, Shimla. The riders covered a distance of 59km on a route called Parallel Paradise. It covers 1550M of uphill climb, 1774M of downhill descends accompanied by village back roads and meadows. The final section of the day consisted of testing uphill sections, which forced riders in to challenging their skills. Day 1 ended at Hail Himalayas, Kanachi. Riders began early on day 2 on a route known as Cliff Clamber through Doghlapul, Pujarli, Panthaghati and ended at The Ridge, Shimla. In this section of the course, a total distance of 33km were covered with 1474m ascend and 811m descend. The results were announced at the Ridge, Shimla’s town square. Owing to home ground advantage, Shiven placed first in the students’ category with a time of 4:03:56 followed by Gaurish Shyam and Rohan Kukreja coming in third. The other categorical results are as follows: Category Men’s Solo Women’s Solo Masters Overall
First Devender Thakur Dr.Mona Chopra Hilmar Weber Devender Thakur
Second Sandeep Madaan Gurleen Kaur Jasvir Singh Sandeep Madaan
Third Sunil Barongpa Alka Lad Mr.Randhir Shiven
Dr. Mona Chopra winner of the Women Solo
Downhill action
Hilmar Weber crosses a stream
Jasbir Singh enjoys the downhill
Gurleen Kaur, runner up, Women category
FEATURE
LIFE, INDIA AND CYCLING WITH JONTY RHODES By Crank India South Bureau. Images by Montra
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onthy Rhodes is an athlete etched in the memories of every cricket fan. He is known for his fielding skills involving inhuman leaps to grab a catch. Little would his cricket crazed Indian fans know that he started his career playing Field Hockey and much less would they know that he is an active cyclist. When Crank got wind of him participating at the Track and Trail Gran Fondo in Chennai, we made it a point to bring you more on Jonty Rhodes, his love for India and cycling. Jonty is now 46, retired from cricket and coaches for the South
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African national team and the Mumbai Indians IPL team. He reminisces his childhood in the brilliant weather of South Africa that supported his outdoorsy upbringing. “Every child in South Africa was introduced and initiated into various ball sports and I played hockey, cricket, soccer and tennis. Back in the 90’s, playing for the state was as far as one could get with a sporting career. I shuffled between hockey and cricket for six months each at the University level and upon graduation, began playing International cricket.”
Being fit has no age bar
Jonty does not enjoy monotony. “I enjoy the fact that my life, whether as a coach or as a player has never been the same every day. After retiring from cricket, I worked at a bank and enjoyed the training and the exposure to the clients and the banking procedures but never saw a career ahead of me as a business banker and began coaching. I have never had a bucket list. I’ve been fortunate to be involved in so many different things in my life that I’m never worried about prioritizing one over the other.” Just a few weeks back, Jonty and his wife Kate McCarthy were blessed with a baby girl whom they named India Jeanne for their love for the country. During his cricketing career he has visited India numerous times and has been fascinated with the heritage,
Jonty hits the trail hard
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Enjoying a bicycle commute
history, culture and tradition merged with technology and advancements. He says, “The thing I love about India is that every day is a surprise. You have no idea what is going to happen on the road or on the way to the ground. As a player, I’ve mostly spent my time travelling from airport to hotel to grounds. But as coach I’ve made it a mission to see a lot more of India and Indians.” In this very mission of his, he has been to Gulmarg, Kashmir for snowboarding and heli-boarding. He intends to cycle the mountains down south in Kerala. He has also been frequenting Mangalore and Vizag for surfing. He has always wanted to explore the high peaks of Leh-Ladakh region on a mountain bike. He tells us, “I’m a mountain biker and don’t enjoy much being on the road. Riding on the roads of South Africa is more dangerous than India. We just drive too fast. I also surf and do yoga as much as possible. I’m aging and I’m doing everything to keep me on my toes.” Jonty being a fitness aficionado is happy to see that a lot of Indians are taking to the fitness lifestyle through running and cycling and was almost worried about the level of competition he will face at the Gran Fondo. As a cricketer, cycling is a big part of staying fit and a good form of cardio vascular exercises owing to its low impact and high strengthening abilities. Jonty along with a few celebrity riders in South Africa are popularizing mountain biking. Some of these riders are retired rugby players who are physically strong and train 3-4 hours in a gym and still use cycling as a method to maintain muscle strength. For Jonty, 3 day endurance races across South Africa that he and his friends actively participate in is all about the enthusiasm and less about the race. It is about building a strong community around the sport. Much like snowboarding or surfing he wants to enjoy the activity and is alright with taking his time to gain the skills required. Jonty Rhodes is an example of a full life. He is fit as ever and does everything in his power to remain so. With cycling as an integral part of this effort, he enjoys every bit of it and is an inspiration to many who would choose to put this effort into their own lives.
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Training hard and long
YOUNG TURK
MARTIN MAES
By Aishwarya Palaparthy, Crank Bengaluru Bureau. Images by Sven Martin
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ith trail riding culture fast picking up in India, Crank ventured onto international tracks and caught up with some young talent setting the global pace. In this issue we profile Martin Maes, an 18 year old Belgian Enduro cyclist who has taken part in over 250 races with multiple titles to his name. Although Enduro racing is Martin’s forte, he is a careful rider and strategically competes in an increasing number of downhill tournaments every season. He shares that his favourite riding conditions are “fast, rough, steep with long fast turns” and that Finale Ligure and Punta Ala are two tracks that guarantee him these conditions. The Belgian terrain offers very little for downhill training and hence riding around on an Enduro bike through the forests becomes a natural form of training for his races. His favourite bike to ride is the GT Sanction, for its versatility across Cross Country, Enduro or Downhill terrains. Martin has been riding since the age of 2 and racing since 6. He trains with the GT Factory racing team’s coach, Alan Milway. He
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caught GT’s attention at the age of 15 by placing 5th overall, one place behind his current teammate and mentor Dan Atherton at the Sauze D’Oulx. Martin has since joined the GT pro-racing family and his proudest victory yet, Fort William Downhill World Cup 2014 is credited to the training he receives there. His goal is to finish school and focus on his career as a professional Enduro Racer. He is currently basking in his latest victory at the North American Sea Otter Dual Slalom and is training in the hopes of becoming faster and better while having loads of fun and aspires to win the world championship. Martin’s chart topping victories are an inspiration to racers across the world and his association with GT makes his career path that much more exciting to follow. Crank wishes him luck and hopes to catch him riding on Indian terrains soon. If you want to feature a friend in Crank with ProCycle, write in to feedback@procycle.in
Action packed riding
Fast, rough, steep
Martin Maes
Martin and his GT racing family
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ProCycle PROFILED A section where we show off some of our most valued cyclists.
INDIAN AMBASSADOR OF CYCLOTREKKING By Varuna J, Crank Bangalore Bureau. Images by Varun Datta
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ny ardent reader of Crank is aware of our dedication to introduce personalities from the world of cycling. We caught up with Ashirwad Sadavarthe when he came down to Bangalore from his trip in Shillong.
Ashirwad works as an Industrial Photographer and his day job involves precision industrial photography for global transnationals. “My profession allows me ample time to pursue my passion which is adventure on 2 wheels” says Ashirwad. A passionate biker, Ashirwad has collected a fleet of 16 bikes which include all genres from road bikes to MTBs to tourers and hybrids. His collection includes Indian brands such as Hercules and BSA as well as International brands such as Trek, Giant and Specialized. The latest addition being a rugged Surly Pugsley Fat bike which was infact the reason for his trip to Bangalore. He plans to use his newly acquired fat bike this winter in the
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Himalayas. The Pugsley is designed from the ground up to ride where there are no roads, no trails and no people, which is precisely what the Himalayas offer in the winters. The loose snow, frozen rivers, lakes and the vast uneven terrain will prove to be a fun challenge for the bike. Ashirwad’s passion has taken him far. He has cycled from Panaji to Cochin, Pune to Delhi and frequently visits the Leh-Ladakh region. He has trekked 11 enduring times to the Everest base camp. Ashirwad’s next goal is to cover a distance of 570kms from Manali to Leh up to Khardaung La in 5 days. For his achievements he has been bestowed the title of “Ambassador of Cyclotrekking in India” by none other than the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narenda Modi. Crank will be on the lookout to bring you more of Ashirwad and his adventures and we wish him all the luck!
Celebrating his new toy picked up at ProCycle
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BICYCLE DIARY, EPISODE-3
Why do I not find time for it? Do I not have a true purpose? In all my conversations with cyclists, the common factor is the expensive price range. While I have wrapped my head around how light these machines can get, the price point still eludes me.
DISTANCES
By aniSh. This is the third part of a short novel. Catch a fresh episode of this multipart series in the following issues. Get involved. Write to us. Maybe you could impact the course of the story!
O
ver the last month I have spoken to several cyclists, visited 3 cycle stores and now spent 9 days not seeing Maya for she has gone away on a cycle trip for a whole month. My newfound knowledge of specialty cycles seem ready to burst out. Since Maya isn’t around to listen to it, I’ve started to doodle out my obsession. Her carefree love for the outdoor makes me wonder if I am missing something in my life. We both have jobs and responsibilities but she manages to find time for cycling, her true purpose as she calls it.
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Twenty more days and Maya will be back and I cannot wait to ask her if suspension on bicycle is worth the money. I want to ask her all about sizing a bike. And if it is ok for a guy to be seen riding a yellow bicycle? I want to tell her that I might be considering a road bike and want to ride long distances just like she does and that I think I will look good in tight shorts. I want to tell her that she is pretty. I have to find a way to spend more time with her and cycling is the only way I can do that. She has such passion for living, and I want a piece of that. I have never seen a girl who dresses with such precision when she’s out cycling but won’t spend more than 10 minutes to choose her clothes to wear to party. She looks stunning every day either ways. I wonder what she is doing now. It is raining here, I hope it isn’t where she is. I’m sure she is well covered even if it is. Is she perhaps climbing a hill or exhausted looking for shelter to throw her luggage and dry her feet? I hope that Kiran isn’t being mean to her. He always does that. I probably need to have a word with him about it.
SHOP TALK
CONNECTED CYCLE PEDAL Kavya Ashok, Crank Bangalore Bureau
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rom the many friendly workshop debates this month amongst our technicians and riders, what stood out was the discussion over an interesting prototype. The Crank mailbox receives several mails which include queries, reader comments, information on product introductions and much more. This month we received a mail from a French company intending to launch a new product or should we say, a new concept in the Indian market and they wanted our opinion.
Connected Cycle Smart Pedal
We are talking about the Connected Cycle Pedal that is an activity tracker, GPS and anti theft device. Over the many kilometres of cycling that we have put in, we have used all kinds of pedals, from plastic to aluminium to alloy to pedals with toe clips and even lightweight clip-less pedals. When we first saw the Connected Cycle Pedal, we were a little skeptical about its minimalistic look and whether it was all style and gimmick or would it really stand to the test of practical use while riding. The Connected Cycle Pedal has a built-in GPS that connects to a smart phone app. The pedal can record speed, time, distance and calories. Just like a GPS watch. But what makes this pedal especially interesting are three features. Its built in anti-theft system, the ability to generate its own power and its own internet connection.
Easy to install
Every biker fears that his bike could get stolen. Once the hardware is installed, the pedal cannot be removed without a special coded key. This means even if stolen, the pedal continues to track the movement of your bike and relays it to your smart phone via its built-in GPS. Did we want this pedal on our bikes? Well, the downhill and mounties wanted nothing to do with it, except perhaps to smash it open to see how it generates power. The roadies were doubtful about the grip. But every commuter cyclist at Crank - including me, wants to try it out. With the pedal available in 5 bold colours and its technology made compatible across various smart phone platforms, the Connected Cycle Pedal is clearly meant for commuters and for the sake of my friends here I hope the manufacturers will also venture into designing something that appeals to competitive riders.
Rubber padded grips
The pedal envisioned by Paris based company, Connected Cycle has created a huge buzz in European markets with its large number of bicycle commuters and in just one day of running an indiegogo crowd funding campaign to enable mass production have reached their goal amount. We are waiting to put it through a thorough Crank test soon. Have something to say about the Connected Cycle Pedal? Write in to feedback@procycle.in Anti theft technology Bold colours
Mucky bike
BIKE TECH
BIKE CLEANING By aniSh
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ough weather riding is an exhilarating experience but it invariably dirties the bike. Riding in the blistering summer heat and intermittent heavy showers result in dry dust, grime and mud to accumulate on the bike which can be and especially harsh on the moving parts. Bike stores have advanced cleaning equipment and consumables to keep your bike spanking new but it is not possible for us to turn up at the service station after every ride. It is therefore advisable to give your bike a thorough scrub after every ride at home and visit the service station at regular intervals. This prevents squeaking noises and quick depreciation of parts. Cleaning at home can be done in four stages degreasing, washing, drying and lubricating. The time taken depends on how mucky your bike is. The first step is to degrease the moving parts like chain, chain
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rings and derailleur, pulleys and so on by spraying good quality degreasers available at all leading bike shops. Wait for some time and wipe the grime down with a rag. Repeat if necessary until all the grime is gone and all the parts are clean and shiny. Once done start washing the bike. Understandably at home you are limited for the lack of a pressure hose or a rotary cleaner but a water soaked rag will do the trick for you. Add a water based detergent for stubborn dirt. Be sure you don’t miss the difficult areas like the underside of the fork, the intersection of the seat tube, down tube, chain stays and the drive train. In case you have a pressure hose at home be careful not to spray at high pressure onto fork seals and ball bearing joints at the head set and bottom bracket as you risk washing away the internal greasing. That is a specialist’s job and will be looked at when you go to your bike station.
Caked up mud
Dirt reduces component life
Use a water based detergent
Lubricate the chain rollers
Wipe off excess lube
After a thorough wash bounce the bike on its wheels to shake off the extra water. Let the bike stand for some time until fully dry. Use a clean dry rag and pat dry the water from the nooks. Now start lubricating the chain and drive-train. Standard lubricants, both dry and wet are available at any bike shop. It is advisable to be consistent with your choice. Wipe the chain dry of any excess water and apply a very thin layer of the lube or oil only to the chain rollers. Rotate the crank to work the lube in and wipe off the excess with a rag. Never leave too much residue on the chain, it will only attract more dirt and become counterproductive. Once done with the chain, continue lubricating parts like the derailleur pivots, cables and brake pivots. Proper lubrication prevents rusting and increases component life. That is it. Check the tyre pressure and your bike is ready for your next ride. A good clean well maintained bike is a mark of how much you love her. Do you have a bike tech or maintenance query you want answered? Write to feedback@procycle.in
Cleaned up bike
CRANK with ProCycle JUNE 15TH, 2015
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Cycling mode
FIRST LOOK
Handlebar mount
TOMTOM MULTI-SPORT CARDIO WATCH By aniSh
W
ith triathlons picking up pace in India, it is evident that cyclists are choosing to challenge themselves at a multi-sport level. Moving up this ladder can be testing and it is a common practise for athletes to train with a partner. One such partner could be the TomTom MultiSport Cardio Watch. The watch is an upgrade to the TomTom Runner and Multi-Sport. Its salient feature is that it includes a built in heart rate monitor which frees you from the shackles of a chest strap and allows you to train at your optimal heart rate. The monitor uses optical technology and is at the back of the watch for constant contact with your wrist.
for a training watch. It syncs to the TomTom MySports Mobile app where detailed statistics of your training is made available on a smart phone or PC for later analysis. Priced about a modest Rs. 24,000/-. The TomTom Multi -Sport Cardio is a desired tool for the serious cyclists and aspiring triathletes. The bikers at our shop are excited to Crank Test it and probably want to hook themselves up to an ECG machine to check its heart rate monitor’s accuracy. Have something to say about the TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio? Write in to feedback@procycle.in
In addition to the one piece simplification that the watch provides, it also has features and modes that can monitor your specific cycling and swimming routines. It also comes with a sturdy handlebar mount and is waterproof for 50m. The slim design of the watch is simple and ingenious in its ergonomics. Getting the watch on and off your wrist is simple and reminds you of its clever design every time you tuck in the extra length of the strap. The display is large enough to catch your activity data at a single glance and the one-button controls are convenient with a short period of familiarization. The watch has a beep and vibrate feedback every time you change or update a setting, a useful feature when you are on-the-go and don’t want to keep looking at the watch to make sure you have set the changes. The device charges via a USB dock and runs for about 8 hours in GPS and heart rate mode. Which by most standards is sufficient
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CRANK with ProCycle JUNE 15TH, 2015
Optical heart rate monitor
BOYS’ TOYS
LIMAR 885 The helmet’s bright yellow and matt black layout grabs any mountain bikers attention. Built with the Superlight technology, it has a double shell for maximum protection. The unique design of the Limar 885 offers additional protection to the back of the head. It has a Competition + Fit system that offers you height adjustment too. With an exhausting number of 23 carefully placed vents, sweat is never going to be a problem with the Limar 885. With chin padding and a bright yellow strap, we recommend the Limar 885 for both its style and design appeal.
NITERIDER LUMINA 400 The NiteRider Lumina 400 is a versatile ride light that is perfect for all cyclists. It comes with a unique handlebar mount and is also compatible with mounts of various other kinds. Made of aluminium, it is solid and durable. The Lumina 400 has three brightness modes. With it set at 400 lumen, the battery lasts for about an hour and a half. It charges via a USB port that has weather protection. Its brightness range makes it perfect for both commute and trail riding.
GET OUT & RIDE!
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