CRANK with ProCycle - September 2014

ISSUE 8 VOL 2 SEPTEMBER 15TH 2014

INSIDE

RAAM 2014 THONNUR LAKE TRIATHLON TESTED: SCOTT SUB SPEED 30

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IN THIS ISSUE

4 10

8

04 08

State MTB Championships

10

Bike Review: Scott Sub 30

16

Thonnur Lake Triathlon

18

Gear Review: Topeak DeFender

20

2014 Race Across America

25

ProCycle Profiled

26

Boys Toys

Off the beaten Trail: Manali

16

18

20

25

26

HEYA! The CRANK with ProCycle Team Publisher and Managing Editor Vikram Limsay Editor

Rahul K Thomas Technical Editor

Nilesh Dhumal

West Zone Bureau Divya Tate

Bike Tester

Ajay Kamble Contributions by

Viju Varghese, Avinash Kumbhar, Anju KP Shivaraj Jana Kiran Kumar, Lokesh Narasimhachar Prithvi, Satish Babu, Nimesh and Guru Registered to

Procycle and Sports India Private Limited Corporate Office

Hello Readers!

This month we head to the other side of the globe and join Divya Tate as she brings us the blow by blow from the 2014 Race Across America. From subzero temperatures on snow-capped summits to the blistering heat of desert, athletes raced across the breadth of the North American continent in one of the toughest races on the planet.

Then we bring things closer to home as we catch all the action from the 10th Karnataka State Mountain Biking Championships in Mysore. Staying in Mysore (which appears to be at the heart of everything these days), we take in the Thonnur Lake Triathlon which has become bigger, better and more challenging than last year.

Indiranagar, 889, First Floor, 7th Main 4th Cross, HAL II stage, Bangalore - 560008 Tel: +91 80 41161902 Showroom

Indiranagar

We bring you the straight dope on a hybrid that’ll make people go even greener with envy than its colour scheme - the Scott Sub Speed 30. Join us as we put it through its street paces.

All this and more in this issue of CRANK.

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Turn the page and read. Then get out and ride!

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www.procycle.in For queries regarding advertising and subscription mail us at subscribecrank@procycle.in Cover

The Scott Sub Speed 30 - ready to carve a path through traffic. Image by Rahul K Thomas Rear Cover

ProCycle car heading out Printed by

Print 2 Last Solutions

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Editor

The new and improved ProCycle Indranagar store

A long line of riders spin up the gradient

RACE REPORT

10TH KARNATAKA STATE MTB CHAMPIONSHIPS Images courtesy Prithvi, Satish Babu, Nimesh and Guru

While cycling has been growing fast in Mysore, its been almost exclusively focused on tarmac. That, is all set to change from here on.

Over the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of August, mountain biking came to Mysore in a big way.

The 10th Karnataka State MTB Championships, sponsored by Merida Bikes India, were held at the ‘Helipad Grounds’ near the Lalitha Mahal palace. It saw more than 150 riders vying for titles, bragging rights and the chance to represent Karnataka at the soon-to-be-held MTB Nationals.

Participants had to compulsorily participate in 2 events - a mass start and an Individual Time Trial.

While the mass start would determine who would share the day’s honours, it would be the winners of the ITT who would go on to represent Karnataka at the nationals.

The track was a 5 kilometer loop (3.5 kms for the younger competition categories) which had been marked out and cleared over the preceding two

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Paigambar checks his line on the descent

Elaguresh Gaddi dominated the day winning both Mass Start and ITT

In the shadow of Chamundi Hills

Riders grit their teeth as they spin up the incline

months thanks to the hard work of the lads over at Cyclopedia. Headed by national-level roadie Lokesh Narasimhachar (aka Loki) who was also Organiserin-Chief of the event, they slogged it out to create a course worthy of an XC championship of this level.

What makes this an even bigger deal is the fact that the past 9 editions of this have been ridden on broken tarmac and even paved road! So the team had to literally write the book on how to properly conduct an XC championship. And they did so in style!

The track consisted of 3 sections essentially. One had a nice long gradient where riders had to spin their up. The second consisted of a bunch of switchbacks, testing riders’ ability to merge speed with control. The third consisted of four big dips.

Here only the stronger riders could grind their way up. Most of them had to dismount and hike the bike up the slope before clambering on again.

In the Men’s Open category, Elaguresh Gaddi, Mahadev Halbar and Kiran Kumar Raju slugged it

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5

In hot pursuit

The ladies battle it out up the incline

out throughout the 4 laps of the Mass Start. In the end, Elaguresh triumphed followed by Mahadev and then Kiran.

In the ITT Elaguresh maintained his dominance, winning by 7 seconds, followed by Kiran and then Paigambar, a further 18 seconds after.

In the Women’s Open Mass Start, Renuka Dandin came in first, followed by Sowmya Urs and then Fariyal Jamadar. In the ITT, Seema Adagal replaced Renuka at the top, with Sowmya and Fariyal again retaining their places in 2nd and 3rd.

Kiran Kumar Raju is all intensity as comes out of the last dip

Things get really close

Women’s Open Cat ITT podium - (L to R) Fariyal Jamadar (3rd), Seems Adagal (1st) and Sowmya Urs (2nd)

Men’s Open Mass Start Podium (L to R) Kiran Kumar Raju (3rd), Elaguresh Gaddi (1st) and Mahadev Halbar (2nd). Image courtesy Venkatesh Shivarama

Lokesh (in grey at the front) and his merry band of volunteers who made it all possible

OFF THE BEATEN TRAIL

MANALI, HIMACHAL PRADESH Text and Images by Viju Varghese

580 kilometers from Delhi is a hill station called Manali in Himachal Pradesh. Once upon a time it was no more than a sleepy hamlet, inhabited by villagers and the occasional adventurous trekking spirit. Today it is a bustling town which serves as a jumpoff point to all those looking to explore the greatest mountain range in the world - the Himalayas.

A perfect get away from the concrete jungle, Manali was the venue for a cycling event I was attending.

And while I was there to compete in a trail biking event, I couldn’t resist the the temptation to ride in the mountains.

I went for a short but pleasant ride from Manali to Solang Valley and then to Gulaba. This is the same picturesque route that goes to Leh. With snowcapped mountains all around me, verdant greenery and breathtaking vistas, I revelled in being far from the concrete jungle. I rode a of 53km with an elevation gain of 1274meters in 3hr 22 min.

And while your lungs may feel like bursting, you will love the taste of crisp fresh air coursing through them.

It makes you feel alive. If you’re in the vicinity, make sure you try this route.

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BIKE REVIEW

SCOTT SUB SPEED 30 HYBRID Images by Rahul K Thomas

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Beautiful matte paint

Shimano hydraulic disc brakes give huge stopping power

Gotta love the Green Goblin! This month we bring you the blingest hybrid in town. In fact its possibly the blingest we’ve ever seen! Forget all that you heard while growing up about how you needed to look sober and understated if you wanted to be taken seriously. Today’s ‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it’ mantra was never to well embodied as in the Scott Sub Speed 30 hybrid.

Appearances Well... Its green. VERY green! The paint job makes it impossible to ignore and we love the matte finish on it. The geometry is nice and, in fact, is a little more aggressive than the average hybrid. The rims complete the package and you are absolutely set to slip into your hipster avatar when you get it out on the road.

Swing your leg over the bike and you feel like ducking and weaving through traffic. Geometry is rather aggressive for a hybrid. Stomp on the pedals and the bike rolls forward implacably rather than urgently. She feels like a cruiser rather than a charger - once you get her up to speed, she stays there.

The handlebar is a little narrower than we are used to but this could be a boon in traffic.

Frame The frame and fork are crafted from 6061 alloy. Tubing is fairly straightforward. The chain and seat stays are flattened. Nice big ripple welds on it. The fork uses rather thick tubing. Paint quality is excellent. This’ll take some scratching. Nice frame on the whole. No surprises there.

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The Green Goblin in all its glory

Shimano Altus FD does the job

Slightly narrow bars but they do the job

The 9-speed Shimano Acera ‘Shadow’ rear derailleur does an excellent job

The superb Shimano hydraulic disc levers with independent Altus shifters

Drivetrain

Wheelset

Equipped with an Acera rear derailleur and Altus front derailleur and shifters, the bike shifts pretty crisply. This is the new 9-speed Acera so its a lower profile and a better range of gears. The crankset is also Shimano which makes it a full Shimano drivetrain (except for the KMC chain) - pretty decent on the whole considering this is where a lot of manufacturers cut corners. There’s a reassuring click every time you shift and we didn’t have any missed shifts. We had no problems at all with it. In fact, it all seemed well put together and performed much better than we expected.

The wheels are 32-hole Ryde X-Plorer rims with a Formula hub up front and a Shimano at the rear.

While these are indeed budget rims they seem pretty bomb proof. They roll fairly decently in combination with the Kenda Kwest 700x35c tyres.

The tread pattern of the tyre is fairly minimal in the centre to minimise rolling resistance with a slight tread on the sides to help maintain grip while cornering. All-told they do the job fairly well.

The wheelset doesn’t accelerate too well but once up to speed, its a breeze to maintain that rhythm.

Bling Ryde X-Plorer rims are pretty robust

700x35c Kenda Kwick tread pattern

Flattened stays in the rear triangle.

Note the rack mounts

Ritchey headset with OEM stem

Brakes These are by far the best thing on this bike. Scott has gone all out and equipped the Sub Speed 30 with hydraulic disc brakes from Shimano. After a little bedding-in, these babies will bite like a mangle. Modulation is excellent and the levers are truly ergonomic. Go easy with the braking finger (we recommend you use just one) ‘cos these can thrown you over the bars before you know it.

Cockpit and finishing kit The cockpit comprises a Ritchey headset, 75mm angled stem and no-name OEM bars. The bars aren’t bad although the design feels a bit dated compared to the rest of the bike. Decent grips on the end of them made by Syncros (their in-house components brand). Seatpost and saddle are also OEM. The saddle is fairly firm with a channel down the centre for relief. Rather comfortable on the whole. Pedals are plastic and not very robust.

Bit slippery too. We’d recommend you swap them asap.

The Bottomline This is a very nice hybrid indeed - one of the coolest we’ve tested in a while. It feels solid, rides well, stops on a dime and looks absolutely to-die-for.

Being a showboat makes it difficult to slip under the radar though and you can be sure that more than a few covetous eyes will be trained on your ride. Which is why its a good thing Scott has done away with the quick release for the seatpost. You now need an allen key to adjust it, ensuring nobody can just walk away with it on a whim. At INR 45,000 its a little on the expensive side for a hybrid but it certainly has the quality to back that price.

Make sure you have a nice long lock (preferably Kryptonite) and that its tied down to something because this is one bike that everyone is going to want.

OEM seatpost with a comfy saddle

Get up and crank through traffic

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Riders line up at the start of the Duathlon

RACE REPORT

THONNUR LAKE TRIATHLON Images courtesy Anju KP

On the weekend of August 9th and 10th, all roads for aspiring Indian endurance athletes led to Thonnur Lake, 40 kms from Mysore. In its third edition, the Thonnur Lake Triathlon (or Tri Thonnur) turned out to be bigger and better than ever before.

There were many firsts in this edition. Organisers introduced the use of timing chips for competitors to ensure ease and accuracy of recording timings. The transition areas were well organised with stands for bikes and goodie bags. Two new categories were added - the Long Course and the Aquathlon. The former was supposed to be equivalent to a Half Ironman comprising a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and a 21.1km run. The latter was in huge demand with runners and swimmers as it comprised a 1.9km swim and a 10km run. The other categories stayed the same - Sprint Triathlon (750m swim, 20km ride and 5km run), Olympic Triathlon (1.5km swim, 40km ride, 10km run) and Duathlon (40km ride and 10km run).

The day dawned murky and cool - perfect conditions for the events.

Things got off to a late-ish start. While this wasn’t an issue for most people, those competing in the longest event (the Half Iron) would feel the effects of the sun which peeped out much later.

As Aditya Kaul looked out onto the lake, he was very pleased to see the buoys marking the swimming course clearly visible from everywhere. Returning to the scene from last year, he said it was a big improvement.

Competitors in the Half Iron dived in and got swimming. A few kicks in the head were par for the course - something most of them were prepared for in a mass start. As they made their way around the course, they had to tap a mat to mark each lap. The field was somewhat split between strong swimmers and those who were

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below average. Which comically resulted in a sort of queue at the mats marking the lap since the strong swimmers were lapping the slow ones.

Once out of the water they ran to the transition area to get on their bikes. Here the cyclists in the field (mostly dominated by runners) had to make their move. They moved to the fore and tried to build up as much of a lead as possible, knowing that the runners would have the advantage in the last leg of the race.

There were excellent aid stations along the way offering bananas, water and Oral Rehydration Salts to the athletes. All this while friends, family and onlookers cheered them on.

There were interesting stories all around. Exiting the water in third, Aditya Kaul made his way to the head of the field and had a 15 minute lead by the 37th km when disaster struck. His chain snapped. But fortune sometime really does favour the brave. Shashi who was competing in a different category, stopped to ask him what happened. When he heard Aditya’s plight, he simply handed him his own bike saying he was just 1km short of his transition to the run stage and he would begin his run early. Gasping his thanks, Aditya hopped on his bike and pedalled away furiously while Shashi began jogging. Beginning the run in first, he stayed ahead until the 7th kilometer when Amit Samarth caught him. They ran the next 3 kms neck to neck at a blistering pace until Amit pulled ahead.

Shortly thereafter, Thoudam Opendro Singh was breathing down his neck but he held off his challenge. Amit finished first in the Half Iron with Aditya second and Opendro in third.

Swimmers braved the odd kick in the head at the mass start

Rajanikanth Puttabuddi was participating in the duathlon where he knew the field quite well - all of them being regulars on the Bangalore cycling circuit. Knowing that Kiran Kumar Raju was his main competition and a strong runner, he decided to break early. He spent the next 25 kms alone in the lead while the group behind tried to play catchup. Eventually he was caught by Kiran towards the end of the biking leg. Finishing the stage with just seconds between them, he chose to run barefoot (or in his socks rather) in order to save time on the transition. In the end, Kiran did catch up and they ran most of the way together before Kiran surged ahead at the finish.

In the Women’s Sprint, Sneha Patil of Pune finished first with Supriya Shankaran in second and Deepa Bhat in third. The duathlon saw some familiar names to the Bangalore cycling and running communities. Vicki Nicholson blew away the cycling field, as is her wont, and went on to finish first.

Geeta Bisht came in second with Sowmya Urs in third.

All told, it was a fabulous (if gruelling) day out for

everyone. There was almost universal praise from the 180-odd competitors for the way it was organised. Ajit Thandur and his band of brothers at Enduro Sports Prajwal Prasad, Anil Kumar and Abhilash Kashyap, should be very proud. They’ve created an event which is now among the top endurance competitions in the country. We hope it only gets better.

RESULTS Men Category

First

Second

Third

Half Iron

Amit Samarth

Aditya Kaul

Olympic

Vignyan

Nagaraj Harsha

Sprint

Chirag

Bharath

Aditya Parash

Duathlon

Kiran Kumar Raju

Rajanikanth

Parameshwar Raju

Aquathlon

Krishna Prasad

Shayas

H M Anirudh

Thoudam Opendro

Women Category

First

Second

Third

Sprint

Sneha Patil

Supriya Shankaran

Deepa Bhat

Duathlon

Vicki Nicholson

Geeta Bisht

Sowmya Urs

Aquathlon

Shivangi Raut

Keerthana

Arshita

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Pretty decent visibility in the dark

GEAR REVIEW

TOPEAK DEFENDER IGLOW REAR MUDGUARD Price: INR 2810 This week in our Gear Review section, we bring you the Topeak DeFender iGlow rear road fender. Whew! That’s a mouthful indeed.

Now we’ve always been fans of Topeak’s designs and this is no exception. It is beautiful - tapered, wedge-shaped and sleek, as befits a fender for a road bike. Plastics and finish are top notch. It’s supposed to be rated to cover any tyre up to the size of 700x25c.

In practice, you could probably have wider tyres beneath it and still stay pretty clean. We’ve tried it out and it works pretty well, keeping muck and grime off your back.

The DeFender is about as versatile as imaginable. Attaching itself to the seatpost, the mount comprises a strap which goes around the post and then attaches to a plastic lever via a metal cam. Close the lever and the strap tightens enough to grip the post. Aiding this is a little yellow winch which allows you to wind the strap in or out depending on the size of the post - rather dinky. Topeak claims that this is something you can mount and remove ‘in seconds’.

However, it isn’t quite so simple.

Close-up of the clamp. The yellow dial is the winch and the chrome hex bolt which is the large pivot for adjust the angle of the fender It stands pretty well once you’ve figured out how

Frankly, we found the mount pretty fiddly. In order to get the exact amount of tightness needed on the strap, you have to wind or unwind the yellow winch. This has to be done while holding the fender up in place while simultaneously ensuring the clasp does not get undone. This takes a fair bit more than a few seconds, even

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The LED blinkie at the pointy end of the wedge

The fender - adjusted to angle up

The metal cam attached to the strap and the plastic lever which locks it in place

with some practice. A little too much slack and the fender slumps down, too little and the clasp can’t close. When you do get it right though, it stands pretty neatly. Some people have reported that over time it loosens up and tends to swing side to side. While we didn’t face it, we don’t advise putting any pressure on it whatsoever. On the whole, this may have been overengineered just a bit.

The angle of the fender is plenty adjustable. There are two pivots at which the the angle of the fender can be adjusted using a 2.5 and 5mm allen key respectively. This allows you a virtually endless list of possibilities. We like!

The discrete button operating the blinkie

All this brings us to probably the dinkiest feature of this - iGlow. Topeak has added an LED tube to their fender which ends in a pretty bright LED facing backwards. It won’t blind anyone behind you but it will certainly get you noticed. We tested visibility and its pretty visible from a good half-a-block away. If you angle the fender downwards, the entire LED strip is visible and that is pretty unmistakeable. The button to operate this is a very discrete Topeak logo which sits on the fender itself. The blinkie uses 2 button cells and is good for 50 hours in steady mode and a 100 in blink. Pretty handy in the wet conditions this is designed for, we think.

The Bottomline The Topeak DeFender iGlow is a nice piece of kit for your road bike or hybrid or even your MTB if you’re running not-too-fat tyres. We wish it had been less fiddly but perhaps that’s personal. If you’re in the market for good, easily mountable rear fender, this is it. Just remember not to leave it on your bike when you walk off.

The smaller pivot for adjusting the angle

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Shusanah Pillinger a couple of hours before her fall

FAR FROM HOME

RAAM 2014 Text and Images by Divya Tate

The author, Divya Tate travelled from India for Race Across America (RAAM) for the 3rd consecutive year to get the experience necessary to provide logistic support to potential RAAM contenders from India. This year after crewing for a RAW solo rider Dave Preston, she returned to RAAM TS-2, Brawley only to drive the entire Race route as a RAAM route official. This is her report on RAAM 2014.

The Start 48 RAAM soloists started on 10th June right after the RAW solos and teams. 6 women and 23 men under the age of 50, 14 men between 50 and 60 years, 4 in the 60+ category and 1 over 70 year of age left the cool of the Pacific coast at 3 minute intervals. Christoph Strasser who started almost an hour and a half after the first racer, had blown past all the others on the course by Time Station 4, Parker, 460 km from start. The rest of the way (4500 km) he was only ever passed by a 4 person RAW Relay team that finished in Durango.

As the rest of the field made its way across the desert, the harsh conditions claimed a couple of riders within the first 2 days. Coming out of the desert, riders faced the mountains of Colorado with the highest point on the route, Wolf Creek Pass at 3300m. Some made it over Wolf Creek but the terrain had taken too much of a toll, and the race saw some more DNFs before the end of Colorado.

Teamwork By the time the last few soloists and RAW riders were going through Durango, on the 14th the RAAM teams were just starting from Oceanside. Relay teams have 9 days to finish i.e. a minimum of 540 km per day or 22.5kmph, compared to solo male under 60 yrs who have 12 days, i.e. 405 km per day or 17kmph. Relay teams that are racing, adopt strategies to optimise speed. Moving non-stop, the teams plan the frequency of the rider exchanges, the length of ‘pulls’ and rider rotation according to the goal. The length of a pull can be as little as 10 mins, with racer exchanges up to 40 or 50 times a day, or may be 12 hours long. As an official, I spent the first 2 days interacting with the crews of numerous teams, educating them about the rules.

Joe Barr and the author at Parade section at the Finish

By the end of the third day, some of the four person teams had caught up with some of the soloists, before they left the windswept plains of Kansas. Five 4-man teams fighting for the podium were cutting across America at the rate of 860-900 km a day. An epic battle raged for first place between 2 of them, as they reached each time station within minutes of each other. It ended when ‘The Legends of the Road’ finished 1st in less than 5 and a half days, followed an hour later by ‘Team Innovation Africa’.

Inspirational Stories In addition there were some teams that were incredibly inspiring. ‘Fuzzy’s Friends’ raced RAAM in memory of Lee Fuzzy Mitchell a dedicated Raamster. A four person mixed team of riders over the age of 70, they finished in 8 days and 16 hrs. The ‘Father Daughter’ team - a mixed 2 person team from Switzerland, was the first father daughter pair to race RAAM. The father, who has only one arm, and his daughter, finished the race in 8 days and 5 hours. Another team that had the crowd cheering whole heartedly for them was the ‘Ultrahandbikeduo’ from Austria. Both riders are paralyzed from below the waist but insisted on riding in the Open Category, and finished in 8 days and 1 and a half hour.

Men’s In the under 50 Men’s category, Christoph Strasser of Austria, beat his own record to finish in under 7 days and 16 hrs, having slept less than 6 hours in that time. Gerhard Gulewicz, who has finished twice in 2nd place and twice in 3rd place in previous years, maintained 2nd place till TS 28, El Dorado, 2575 km, before withdrawing from the race.

A busy morning at TS 6 Congress - an oasis in the Arizona desert

The start line at Oceanside

Joe Barr at the finish meeting the children of Hopecam the organisation he supports

Mark Pattinson of UK, who had maintained a very steady pace, retained his position to finish 2nd. Anders Tesgaard of Denmark and Nico Valsesia of Italy fought hard with each other for the 3rd place, with Nico arriving at finish only 5 hours before Anders. Stefan Schlegel who had a spectacular fall coming down the Glass Elevator, very early in the race, got right back on the bike, rode strong and finished 5th.

Women’s In the Women’s race Janice Sheufelt of USA, took a strong lead early on, only to have severe breathing problems in the Rocky Mountains. The crew took a call to take her to hospital, where along with treatment she was advised to take rest. Determined to get back into the race, Janice did rest, but having lost 11-12 hours and slipping into 3rd place, she got back on the bike. A steady pace put her back in the front with Joan Deitchman of Canada, and both were neck and neck throughout Missouri.

George Thomas interviewing Dale Capewell at the finish, after he came 3rd in the solo men 50-59 age group

Thomas and Manfred of the Austrian handbike 2 person team - both are paralyzed from waist below

Janice pulled decisively ahead only as they crossed the Mississippi river and finished in 1st place in 11 days and 18 hrs. Shusanah Pillinger who was riding strong, maintaining an even pace had an unfortunate fall in Illinois on the 9th day, breaking a collarbone and forcing her to withdraw from the race.

Joan finished in 2nd place, with Angela Perin of Italy finishing 3rd.

RAAM and DNFs As always RAAM solo had a high percent of DNFs. 21 of the 48 who started were unable to finish. Among them was the Indian participant, Sumit Patil and his team.

Their performance right from the first day, reflected a lack of understanding of what RAAM demands of a rider and his crew, and the kind of planning and preparation that is necessary to attempt RAAM. 90 kms into the race their average was slower than all except Sergey Zimin, a 70 year old contestant.

Escorting PARIDE MIGLIO of Italy after his solo finish

India and the RAAM RAAM qualifiers in India, like Deccan Cliffhanger, have increased the number of RAAM Qualified riders here, but it is important to understand that ‘RAAMqualified’ does not equate to ‘RAAMcapable.’ A 640 km race only gives you a taste of what to expect. The distance

Joe Barr 2nd place winner in solo men 50-59 age group being escorted by the author to the Finish

no use The parking lot just berfore start - 2

4 of the 6 Solo RAAM Women contenders - Shusanah Pillinger, Jacquie Schlitter, Joan Deitchman, Janice Sheufelt

Riders overtaking each other on Yarnell Grade

Celebrity element in the form of Pippa Middleton got RAAM a lot of media attention

of RAAM may be only 8 times as much but the challenge is exponentially greater.

With Janice Sheufelt who won the women’s solo in 11 days and 17 hrs

The higest point on the RAAM route - Wolf Creek Pass nestles among snow capped peaks

We have a long way to go, to evolve to being RAAM-capable, and we need to start by appreciating it for what it is. Solo RAAM is an extremely challenging project in every respect. Fewer people have done it than have been in space. Less than 10% of the number that have climbed Everest, have done RAAM solo.

The only person to have done both, Wolfgang Fasching, has said “Climbing Everest is more dangerous, but RAAM is much tougher!”

PROCYCLE PROFILED

AVINASH KUMBHAR About 3 years ago, life threw a curve ball at Avinash. Hit with a bout of dengue fever, he found himself weak and out of shape. After unsuccessfully trying to hit the gym, he tried his foot at cycling since he figured he would rather be outdoors than in. He hasn’t looked back!

Today, he is the founder of the Bangalore Cyclists Group where he takes groups of people out for long rides, has ridden many a brevet, is part of a biking group at Oracle (where he works) and much more. His new companion on the road is a Giant Defy 2 - a birthday present from his wife. Lucky lad! Here’s wishing him many happy miles on the road.

BOYS’ TOYS

VP X93 MTB MULTI-FUNCTION PEDALS VP’s (confusingly named) X93 MTB Multi-Function pedals are clipless on one side and have a grippy, non-slip platform on the other.

Thus, you can either clip in for those long, aggressive trail rides or, if the terrain is a little too technical, use them as platforms.

You can also wear sneakers for your daily grocery run or commute. Made of polished aluminium with a chromoly steel axle, they are truly versatile.

VDO A4+ WIRELESS CYCOCOMP VDO’s A4+ wireless cyclocomp punches well above its weight. Its functions are limited but its easy to set up and navigate. The A23 battery should ensure long life. It can be mounted on the bar or stem. All this at an almost unbelievable price for a wireless cyclo computer. What’s not to like?

For more details drop us a line at torquewrench@procycle.in

GET OUT & RIDE! RNI No. KARENG04437

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