Crank with ProCycle Aug 2016 by CrankMag

India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine

Volume 4 Issue 7

KARENG04778

August 2016

Rs. 100/-

lusive M e Exc

ar tner aP di

Deborah Herold - Vision 20/20 for Tokyo Tour de France – Waiting For an Asian Downhill thrill at Nandi Hill

Official a n

INSIDE

Cycling Federation of India

Giant

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IN THIS ISSUE CFINews UCI Level 1 Coaching Course by WCC India Satellite Vision 20/20 for Tokyo

IndustryNews Starkenn Sports taking cycling to the next level

ProCycling Downhill thrill at Nandi Hills Le Tour – Waiting for an Asian?

ShowCase SCOTT Spark 2017 MERIDA Scultura DISC 2017

HealthWise Post injury, Back to cycling

WorkBayWatch Does the world need Electronic Shifters?

CrankActive 5 Trail Races in India worth travelling for

BikeCity Ludhiana Cycling Ambassador - Davinder Nagi

PlanetPedal BluBel – The Crowdsourced navigator for the urban cyclist

04 07

06 08 10

12 14 16

18 20

22 24

Editor’s note

The CRANK with ProCycle Team Managing Editor and Publisher Vikram K Limsay Invitee editor Onkar Singh, Secretary General, CFI Content Sub-Editor Varenya Vijaykumar Oceania Contributing Editor Cam Whiting Contributing Editor Joseph Anish India North Bureau Ashish Sood Creative and Design N. Chandru Contact editdeskcrank@procycle.in subscribecrank@procycle.in advertisecrank@procycle.in Issue Contributors Badrinath Rao Gauri Jeyaram All Rights Reserved By ProCycle and Sports India Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Office and Showroom 226, 1st Main Road, Service Road Domlur 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar Bangalore – 560071 Tel: 080 41161902, +91 95380 66695 Website www.procycle.in Follow us on Facebook: @CrankwithProCycle https://www.facebook.com/CrankwithProCycle/ Cover Deborah Herold Back Cover Waiting for the rains Printed By Print 2 Last Solutions

Hello Readers, Tis the season and the big race has begun in France! Early days yet as we go to print. More in the next issue. The monsoon has arrived and those who like to ride in the rain are sure to have done their pre-monsoon tweaks. Ride safe and don’t miss out on the fun. Roadies would have unpacked their trainers at home I am sure! There is a lot happing at Crank. For starters a complete new section plan that allows us to cover cycling in all its hues. With ever-increasing readership, we are covering more geography. This month we bring you news from Ludhiana. Look forward to more cities, personalities and cycling related stuff from other locations in our Bike City Section. Let me welcome aboard Cam Whiting. Our Oceania contributing editor and an experienced industry watch. Look forward to interesting updates from down under! Varenya Vijaykumar strengthens our edit desk as content sub editor. Welcome to both of you. CFI continues its yeoman service by conducting the UCI coaching certification camp and its effort to put India on international podiums through Deborah. We are proud of her and wish her the best. 2017 models are beginning to come in. Take a dekko at a few and run along to the stores. The supermodels are a-coming! And keep that feedback flowing. Happy reading ‘n’ happy riding! Vikram K Limsay Managing Editor and Publisher

Coaching course participants

CFI News

UCI Level 1 Coaching Course by WCC India Satellite From the CFI bureau

here has been a resurgence of cycling as a sport in Asia with increasing number of events making it to the Union Cycliste Internationaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (UCI) calendar. This is sure to encourage more number of athletes to embrace cycling as a sport. We, in India, are already seeing stars like Deborah Herold, emerge. The UCI has taken note of this promising trend and is investing considerable resources and effort in this part of the world, in association with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), under the leadership of Mr. Onkar Singh, Secretary General. The CFI is doing yeoman service in developing cycling as a sport in an integrated manner in the country, through athlete development programmes, building infrastructure facilities and providing worldclass coaching. Recently, the UCI in association with CFI and Sports Authority of India (SAI), established its World Cycling Center (WCC) satellite in New Delhi as reported in our previous issue. In continuation of its efforts, with a firm belief that better coaches lead to better athletes, the UCI has recently organized two coaching seminars to raise the standard of coaching across India.

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2016

The New Delhi satellite of the WCC saw two UCI coaching seminars. The first one took place in May 2016 and the second in June 2016. The Level 1 coaching seminar in June was completely funded and organized by the UCI. Held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, it saw 25 participating coaches from India and other Asian countries. There were 13 participants from our SAF neighbours, other south-east Asian countries and Korea. Mr. Alejandro Gonzalez Tablas, a coaching expert from the UCI World Cycle Center in Aigle, Switzerland conducted the workshop. These two levels automatically qualify the participants to progress to the next level by going to Aigle to attend the WCC Coaching Diploma Course. This event was seen as a huge step forward in the process of bettering the standard of cycling coaching in Asia. The initiative taken by the CFI was appreciated by Indian as well as foreign participants for furthering the sport in India. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more to come from CFI. Keep Reading!

Deborah Herold with her achievements

Deborah Herold Vision 20/20 for Tokyo Tsunami survivor Deborah Herold has set a benchmark for cyclists in India. She was spotted and inducted into the Indian cycling camp because of her exceptional talent during the National Track Cycling Championship at Amritsar in 2012, where she represented Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Since then, she has been working hard to improve her timings with the help of her UCI Diploma qualified, national coach, Mr. RK Sharma. Her hard work paid off when she was able to bag one silver and two bronze medals at her first international event, the Junior Asian Cycling championship in 2013. She was the first junior woman to ever achieve such a feat,

especially as she had only spent one year in the structured training schedule. Since the start of her training, Deborah has received a medal in every event she has participated in, missing it only at the Asian Games, 2013 in Seoul because of an incident of fluting at the podium. She has proven that she is more than capable of handling the challenges professional cycling pose by being ranked number 4 in the UCI world rankings as of December 2015. With this, she became one of the youngest women to be in the top 20 list and the first ever Indian cyclist to qualify for the world championship.

March 2016 was a bright day in London. The Indian flag flew proud and high courtesy of Deborah. The thunderous applause she received after her amazing performance was a personal victory for her too, as she received her best timing in the 500-meter Time Trial. She was also honored by BBC, with a televised interview. Deborah has now set her sights on the Tokyo Olympics and is determined to bring India to the world cycling podium. The CFI is ensuring that she has the best support system available to her in her endeavor to achieve this dream. We at Crank, will closely follow her progress and keep the readers updated! Our best wishes are with her.

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2016

Industry News

Starkenn Sports

taking cycling to the next level Crank Bengaluru Bureau

tarkenn Sports Pvt. Ltd. in association with Kolte Patil Life Republic and Radio Mirchi organized one of the largest sports event in Pune called the Mirchi Ruggedian held on 26th June. Giant Starkenn’s agenda behind organizing this event was to provide a platform for fitness freaks, health enthusiasts, students and office goers to come out of their daily routines to enjoy sports and fitness amidst nature. This year’s Mirchi Ruggedian started with an amazing concept of living one day of your choice. The event consisted of three different races cycle + Race (14 km) includes 6 km cycling and 8 km race, obstacle fun race (8 km) and Fun race (5 km). The event saw an overwhelming participation of -- people from all age groups. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Pravin V Patil, MD & CEO Giant Starkenn bikes said, “It was an absolute delight to be a part of Mirchi Ruggedian. It was heartening to see people from different age groups participate with equal enthusiasm and gusto. Young and old alike were extremely energetic and brought their best foot forward. I am extremely happy to see fitness in India going to the next level. We will keep striving to provide many such platforms where everyone can come together and enjoy their journey for a healthy life.” Giant Starkenn, in association with its trade partner Just Buy Cycles, also sponsored the cycling event in ‘Dusk to Dawn Chennai Night Marathon’. The primary objective of this year’s D2D Chennai Night marathon was to create awareness on educating underprivileged

children and to create a better cycling environment in Chennai and help create awareness about benefits of cycling. Giant Starkenn, in association with Neville Endeavours Foundation’ aimed to raise funds for educating the underprivileged children through ‘Freedom Through Education Project’ of Round Table India. Giving back to the society has always been Starkenn’s motto and associating with Neville Endeavours Foundation was one of their ways to contribute to this noble cause. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Pravin V Patil, MD & CEO Giant Starkenn said, “We are glad to see such an amazing initiative. Giant Starkenn is putting in great efforts towards supporting these formats and we remain dedicated to promoting cycling in the country. Being a part of ‘’Dusk to Dawn Chennai Night Marathon’ was an extremely enriching experience for us. Overwhelming response of the people was very inspiring for us. Our efforts have always been to encourage cyclists of our country and this kind of platform always helps us to create awareness”.

All the Best! Crank wishes Ashish Sood, from our north bureau the very best. He leads a three-member team to participate in the 2016 Bike Transalp race. The Bike Transalp is the toughest amateur mountain bike stage race across the Alps which is to take place between July 17th to July 23rd, 2016. All the best, Ashish. More about this in the next issue!

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40 Feet Mound

ProCycling

Downhill thrill at Nandi Hills Crank Bengaluru Bureau

his June, the Bangalore Bicycle Championships saw an intense and competitive Downhill race at Nandi Hills. The track chosen was at Avathi village next to Thimmaraya Swamy Temple. The begin was from the hill top which has a gorgeous 360-degree view. The trail is a narrow through between big rocks and ends on a plane, where, a 40 feet long earth mount was constructed for the race. The downhill part had many gaps between the rocks which were covered by multiple wooden log bridges made by volunteers. Once the riders started downwards, the bridges would allow him to gain enough momentum to climb on to the earth mound and jump off it on to the other side, which was 40 feet away. This was followed by another stretch of muck and gravel right till the finish line. This track is a new one for the DH and was chosen over others, because it enabled the audience an unrestricted view of the riders and the race, from start to finish. The audience got to choose their own mini-pavilions, where they could and cheer for the riders, turning the race into a family outing. The race began at 0730 hours at Nandi Hills on Sunday, 16th June 2016. The downhill course was a 1 km MTB course with two rounds. Winners were chosen on the basis of the best of

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Elite Celebrations

Lena Robra

Shred with a rider coming downhill on a bamboo bridge

Race Results

two rounds. The categories open to participants this June for the Downhill race were Elite (Open for all), Amateur (Open for all), Women and Under18 (both boys and girls). This June saw participants from all over India, including Bangalore rider Nilesh Dhumal, and Pune riders, Goutam Taode and Piyush Chavan, who shared the podium in the Elite class.

Sponsors for the race were Adidas, YogaBars, Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital, Spectrum Physio, Veloscope, CrankMeister, Lumos, Starline Support, Nomadic Destinations and Tour of Niligiris. Special mention to Khurram and Suman Paul for rallying the volunteers and putting up yet another successful edition.

Elite Place 1 2 3

Bib Number

Name Category

Run 1

Run 2

Best Time

469 422 468

Gautam Nilesh Dhumal Piyush

Elite Elite Elite

0:01:35.903 DSQ 0:01:37.176 0:01:37.232 0:01:40.468 0:01:41.786

01:35.9 01:36.2 01:40.5

391

Rohan Gawade

Amateur

0:01:53.084

0:01:52.645

01:52.6

2 3

369 106

Pranit Hemant Ajay Aron

Amateur Amateur

0:02:28.040 0:02:41.477

DNF 0:02:34.603

02:28.0 02:34.6

419

Ruturaj Bhopatkar

U-18

0:01:56.516

0:01:47.450

01:47.5

2 3

115 300

Errol Martin Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;mello Gary Beelen

U-18 U-18

0:01:57.693 0:01:58.913

0:01:54.747 0:01:57.654

01:54.7 01:57.7

305

Lena Robra

Women

0:04:06.186

0:03:31.269

03:31.3

Amateur

U-18

Women 1

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Le Tour – Waiting for an Asian?

n case you missed it, the world’s most famous bicycle race began earlier this month, with 198 professional road cyclists lining up in the northwest of France on Saturday 02 June ahead of a 3,519km odyssey that will traverse four countries over three weeks and 21 stages.

riders took in the 1990’s. At an individual level, Belgium still has the most registered professional road cyclists competing on the pro cycling circuit, but the number of pro cyclists from Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan and China are growing at a much faster rate.

The 113-year old Tour de France is not only one of the oldest events on the global sporting calendar, it is also one of the most visible: this year’s race will be broadcast to over 190 countries, including India.

Indeed, Northeast Asia is where it’s currently all happening in Asia. Japanese and Chinese teams are dominant in numbers, accounting for upwards of 70% of all riders from this part of Asia – which, let’s not forget, also experiences ‘proper’ winters.

Despite these impressive headline figures, just 35 nations are represented in this year’s race, and five countries – France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy – account for exactly half of the 198-rider peloton. By all measures, Le Tour has been a tough nut to crack for non-European riders. Even as recently as the late 1990’s, the only chance that talented cyclists from Australia and New Zealand – both very strong cycling nations - had to sign professional contracts was to pack their suitcases and grind away in the Western European club racing scene until they attracted the attention of a team which might offer them a job. However, for every rider who ‘made it’, countless others left demoralized by months of brutally-hard racing without reward.

Cam Whiting

Oceania Contributing Editor fascinating to witness the number of Asian cyclists breaking into the top echelon of professional road cycling; often making the same sacrifices that Australian and Kiwi

in Numbers

Still, the years of toil have paid off. Today Australia boasts its own first-division team (ORICA-BikeExchange) and 12 of the 198 riders in this year’s Tour come from Oceania. By comparison, Asian cycling still has a long way to go. For evidence, look no further than the fact there are only two riders from Asia in this year’s Tour: Yukiya Arashiro (Lampre-Merida) of Japan, and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Pro Team) of Kazakhstan. But as professional road cycling continues to spread its global wings, it has been

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23 Days 21 Stages 02 Rest Days

3520kms

World Tour Event 22UCI Teams 09Riders per Team Over

160

Vehicles

Maximum Yellow Jerseys

Eddy Merckx 96 Lance Armstrong (annulled) 83 Bernard Hinault 75 Chris Froome 30 Fabian Cancellara 29 Greg LeMond 22 Peter Sagan 3

100 TV Channels 190 Country Broadcast 6300 Hours of Footage

LIVE Watch the tour live on Eurosports.com, steephill.tv Visit letour.com for more info. Download the Androind and iOS app for live updates Information source: ASO, letour

In development terms, Japan is higher up the pro cycling food chain, thanks to pioneering WorldTeam riders such as Fumiyuku Beppu (Trek – Segafredo) and Takashi Miyazawa. Cheng Ji (Giant - Alpecin team) from China has also impressed, and can now be considered a veteran of the European cycling scene after more than a decade of top-level racing in the region – in 2014, he became China’s first-ever Tour de France participant. This has only happened because cycling culture has flourished at a grassroots level. For example, Japan has a widespread and sophisticated cycling culture, represented by way of three national racing series, mass-start “fun rides” with thousands of participants and a high-street bicycle retail scene that would make any aficionado weak at the knees. If a strong cycling culture is the bread and water of professional cycling development, then Taiwan also deserves a special mention – the island nation of 22 million people is cycling crazy! In 2014, Taiwanese cyclist Feng Chun Kai landed a first-division professional contract with team Lampre Merida. To all readers, I hope you’ll get to watch some of the racing taking place this month. More importantly, enjoy the ride.

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ShowCase

SCOTT Spark 2017

or the trail and off road enthusiast and racer, the SCOTT Spark has been one of the most sought after bicycles. Don’t agree? Well, four-time World Champion XC racer, Nino Schurter won himself his fifth consecutive World Championship with it. “The new Spark is packed with race dedicated tech features, I could not ask for a more race-optimized package”, says Nino Schurter, about the new SCOTT Spark 2017. If you watched the race, you would have noticed him riding a whole new bicycle, in SCOTT’s signature grey camo paintjob that all their prototypes get.

mid-stroke support. The new pivot rocker link is only 77g in carbon and 114g in alloy

What makes this bicycle so great? This can be answered by a look at all the great features it already possessed and how 2017’s additions have improved it further. What catches the eye if, you have been following the SCOTT Spark’s frame design over the years, is that it has finally changed in the sub frame region. The tail suspension is no longer connected to the top tube, but has changed into a system that most Downhill bicycles possess. The shock body now extends between the two lower mounting bolts which results in more stroke for the same eye to eye length. The Trunnion standard also offers structural gains. The shorter shock enables a very compact frame and shock package, which integrates tightly to the seat tube. This platform offers a system with best bump sensitivity and bottom-out resistance as well as good

The lightweight frame has been constructed by using the lightest and most exclusive carbon fibres combined using SCOTT’s sophisticated carbon lay-up process. The frame design was achieved after rigorous testing using SCOTT’s proprietary EvoLapTechnology where simulation models exert different forces on a virtual frame model and the frame construction is adjusted accordingly.

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The other significant benefits for people who would like to own or ride this bicycle and stay updated with what has changed on the bicycle, is the frame that is now 140g lighter than the old one at 1749g. There is also the slacker head angle, a shorter seat-stay and a steeper seat tube angle that gives the rider better control of the bicycle. To optimize it for racing, the fit of the bicycle with the rider has also been optimised.

The Spark is available in 4 models with optimized racing features, the Spark RC SL, Spark RC Ultimate, Spark RC World Cup and Spark RC Pro where RC stands for Racing Concept. There are also non-race specific bicycles sold in three models Spark Ultimate, Spark, Spark Premium.

Spark Handle

4 Models of Spark are available in the 27.5” Plus size, where the tyres are as broad as 2.8”. Over the years, the 29’ wheels have been gaining popularity among casual riders and the Spark does not disappoint by offering this wheel size as well. Scott has engineered two different frames, one that accommodates only a single chain ring for racers and one for the more traditional double chain ring setup for enthusiasts. There is a clean looking chain guide that was developed in collaboration with the SCOTT ODLO MTB Racing Team. The idea behind was to create a reliable component that helps to avoid dropping chains but that was light, versatile and integrated into the design of the frame. The new Spark chain guide weighs just 23 grams and can accommodate chain rings from 30 to 36 teeth. To provide a clean look and a functional solution for all the different control cable standards on the market, cable routing is fully internal and designed for full length cable housing. The entry points are machined alloy removable inserts that come along with the frame and can be chosen according to the setup of the bike. There are many more features that make this machine the best at what it does, and we at Crank cannot wait to get our hands on live one to test it out. In the mean time, you can start spending your fair share of time with this beautiful machine at their website https:// www.scott-sports.com while we all wait for this bicycle to become available in India around Dec 2016. We at Crank give the Spark an AHT (Average Head Turning) rating of 9.

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ShowCase

MERIDA Scultura DISC 2017

ERIDA, true to their punchline More Bike have done just that in their 2017 line up. A completely new range of trail bikes, called the BIG TRAIL and the powerful Reacto in a new track avatar, but what really caught our eye for being realistic was the Scultura. It did so last year for its claims of being the lightest production bicycle on the planet. What does the Scultura have new this year then? Weight. Well not a lot of it, just the weight from the DISC brakes and the resultant frame modifications. Many of you might be wondering that disc brakes on road bikes may not be sensible but the UCI said yes to them and then displayed their regret by suspending them after the Paris Roubaix. But MERIDA remains a strong believer in the future of disc-brakes in road cycling and is very excited to present an even more advanced version of the previously updated SCULTURA series, now equipped with discs. Disc brakes have been established in mountain biking for a long time, have found their place in cyclo-cross, and thanks to their advantages disc brakes now make their way into road biking. Disc brakes add a small amount of weight to a bike, but compared to

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2016

rim brakes they have many benefits and cannot be ignored and that is exactly the direction Merida is taking with the SCULTURA DISC. The new SCULTURA DISC will be available in three frame variants, two in carbon levels and one in aluminium level. The top variant CF4 weighs only 900 grams and will be used by TEAM LAMPREMERIDA. The CF2 weighs just below 1000 grams and is followed by the LITE coming in at below 1500 grams. Scultura is known to be an aggressive bicycle, Merida has however toned down this aggression in the CF2 and LITE frames but retained it in the CF4 for the racers. Because there were only minor adjustments needed to turn the rim brake SCULTURA into its progressive disc counterpart, both are almost identical in terms of their performance data and share the same outstanding head tube and bottom bracket stiffness, comfort and aerodynamics. The adaptation required on the disc version was to extend the chain stays by 8 mm for more tire clearance and to fulfil Shimanoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directive for disc brake frames. Also necessary were adjustments to the fork and rear triangle to grant stability under the one-sided braking forces that come with disc brakes.

Despite these alterations to the frame, the Scultura disc on the whole is still showered with features like the 12 mm thru-axles (100 mm front, 142 mm rear) with 160 mm braking discs on the CF4 and CF2 frame levels. R.A.T. thru axles (Rapid Axle Technology) front and rear for ultra-fast changing of the wheels on the CF4. Then there is the Flat mount braking callipers front and rear on the CF4 and CF2, the exceptionally stiff BB386 or BB86 (CF4, CF2) bottom brackets with a wide connection to all tubes. And in true racing fashion, all frames will take up to 28 mm wide tires.

temperature is reduced by roughly 35° Celsius with the Disc Cooler.

The Scultura Disc also has MERIDA’s own ‘Disc Cooler’ technology which is employed to cool the disc rotor of the back wheel. During fast descends, the rotors generate high amounts of heat and front rotors enjoy natural cooling but the sheltered rear braking system’s heat management is taken care of by the proprietary Disc Cooler technology. The Disc Cooler component is made of forged aluminium and is screwed tight under the rear calliper. In this position it effectively dissipates the uprising heat through CNCmilled cooling fins. Tests confirm that during a four-minute brake the

With MERIDA offering one of their most sought after and performance oriented road bikes, the Scultura with disc brakes, we at Crank are taking a guess that disc brake road bikes are going to be very popular in the very near future.

Facing the choice between disc and non disc versions is going to be a judgement call, that you as a rider will have to take. But you will have to bear in mind that every single benefit that the disc brake brings has been enjoyed and exploited by your fellow mountain bikers for quite a long time now. In terms of safety, disc brake systems for road bikes have gone through a lot of testing and certification and will only see more refinement.

Crank gives the MERIDA Scultura Disc an AHT (Average Head Turning) factor of 7.5 out of 10.

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HealthWise

Post injury, Back to cycling By B S Badrinath Rao

Back injury and back pain are common problems. But if you are a cyclist coming back post-injury or surgery, this is a major concern as the spine bears the maximum load in the human body. This issue needs to be addressed before re-starting the activity. In order to assess whether you are fit to cycle again, the first step is to determine whether you have recovered from your injury or surgery completely. If you are still suffering from back pain, then you should not be cycling without consulting a qualified medical professional. Depending on the severity of the pain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Acute, Chronic or Neuropathic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; your physician will be able to guide you on how to use cycling to help rehabilitate yourself and how to avoid further damage. Research has shown that a majority of back complaints that arise with cyclists are due to issues with saddle adjustment which alters spine posture and pelvic tilt. Thus, it is imperative to get your bike tailored to you in terms of height of saddle to optimise knee position, crank length to suit power generation (many a times you may need a smaller crank length to reduce the leverage, especially post operation), height

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2016

Category

Duration of Pain

Acute Pain

Possible Recovery duration

Type of Pain

Examples

upto 30 days

sharp pain at point of injury, pain disappears post the accident

hammering your own thumb; falling off your bike and falling on the bum or knee

within a few days post injury

Chronic Pain

>45 days

primarily muscular & soft tissue related deep spasm, low mobility or painful mobility

failed back surgery syndrome (continued pain post surgery), inexplicable back pain or neck pain where you cant sit for too long, cant keep your neck unsupported for too long

can last years if unattended

Neuropathic Pain

does not have duration

tinging, burning, pins & needles

loss of strength in the fingers, toes, inability to fly toes

few weeks to months; if surgery done then post surgery relief is immediate

of headset to align spine & improve hip & spine angulation, change in length of stem to ease the arm reach & tilt of the pelvis. Firstly, while returning to cycling it is best to take it easy. Depending on the terrain and conditions, you will be able to select a bike type. Second, the saddle of the bicycle must be adjusted for least pressure on your back. Remember, an improperly placed saddle is the leading cause of back pain in cyclists. Good gear and proper nutrition are also important elements for cyclists.

Many cyclists who have recovered from surgery or injury feel like their cycling days may be over. This is not true. Precautions must be taken while restarting the sport. If you keep these things in mind, you will find that cycling will not only help you recover but also serve to ease the stress injury and surgery brings. So #getoutandride

B S Badrinath Rao - Human Movement Specialist focused on sports performance science. ACTIVITY HEALS is his motto!

Shimano Dura Ace 9070 Di2 Groupset

WorkBayWatch

Does the world need Electronic Shifters? aniSh

efore I start answering that namesake question, let us understand what electronic shifters are.

Traditionally, bicycle gear shifting is done by mechanical components that are controlled via springs kept under tension by steel cables. Gear shifting is controlled by the shifter levers on the handle and derailleur components execute the changes narrated by the shifters onto the drive chain. In electronic shifting, the springs are eliminated and replaced with micro servo motors and steel cables that control the spring tension are replaced with electric cables that carry electric pulse signals. If you want to compare what is happening across the cycling world with all the electronics taking over to some other relatable situation, think what was happening 20-25 years ago with

Shimano Dura Ace Di2 RD

CRANK with ProCycle AUGUST 15TH, 2016

cameras. All of us were photographing our vacations on 35mm roll films and if you were keeping track of what the professionals were doing, they were exploring digital photography. Like in photography and almost every other walk of life that digital technology invaded, it has brought a supreme form of convenience to the activity. Eliminating the need for processing film and printing, digital photography has now taken over all forms of photography, professional and otherwise. In the same manner, at some point in the future, we will all be plugging

in our derailleur batteries for charging on Saturday nights. Electronic shifters are at the horizon of the biggest cycling change since perhaps the invention of the freewheel itself. Three of the biggest drivetrain manufacturers, Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo have developed their fully independent electronic systems and the one pending brand FSA is fast catching up. Electronic systems require additional components like battery packs, junction boxes and electrical wiring. In most

Sram Red eTap Rear Derailleur

Campagnolo Super Record eps Rear Derailleur

Sram Red-eTap

systems you end up adding weight when you replace from entire mechanical systems. What then is the advantage in migrating to electronic drivetrains? The top priority should be effortless shifting and the immediate response. You are not throwing a lever, but merely toggling a micro circuit. The shifts become smooth and happen in true digital age norms, not in a click but at the slightest of taps. The shifting remains consistent, just like the day it was installed. With no cable stretching or spring tension losses to bring the need for frequent gear tuning, you can be sure that there won’t be a need for a second or double tap on the levers ever to make sure that your gear did engage. The press and hold feature. In some electronic drivetrain systems, pressing and holding the shifter lever takes you from one end to the opposite end of the gear spectrum in one go. This can be very handy during frequent terrain changes. Saves a lot of time and cadence. Customizing options. On an electronic shifter

system, you can customize your buttons and levers, you can add a second set of control levers for different riding positions like on time trial aero bars or sprint grips on traditional drop handle bars. You can feel like a Cyborg. The idea of cycling is to achieve near supernatural feats. Bonding with your cycle is imperative to these feats. With the slight hiss or whizz sound of the servos doing the shifts, you can feel truly supernatural like you are strapped to a smart machine. Go check some videos online if you don’t know this hiss sound. Or you could watch Robo Cop and note the sound that moving his joints make. It’s the same thing. If you know the sound from watching videos of the electronic shifting systems, then you probably are sceptical of all this technology being on your bicycle. You have heard about battery life, signal interference, wireless compatibility, how migrating to electronic on an existing mechanical bicycle is a pain, and even dreaded having your expensive bicycle stuck in one gear like a lug nut of a fixie. And these speculations and might I say, fears are alright to have, because you and I

are not migrating to electronics right away, mostly because of their ridiculous pricing. But by the time we get closer to upgrade, frame designs, race and real world testing of these parts and a whole lot of smoothening our the edges will have made it a cake walk. Yes, even in the Indian market. Well, that is what I would like to believe. The hatred or the mixed reactions towards electronic systems is justified, it is a part of the process and the product. Like how nobody really missed flip phones anymore, we complained a lot when they were strategically taken out from the market, but we don’t really care anymore. We have gotten used to the far more superior replacement. And in such baby steps, the world shall also heed to the idea of electronic shifting systems. In the interim, you might hear one or many say that he is a purist and will never migrate to electronic shifting systems and remain on mechanicals honouring the legacy they have created, but by that logic of purism, you should be riding nothing but a velocipede or a high wheel bicycle. Give it time and for whatever reasons, you should start liking the new technology.

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From this edition we dedicate a section to other active sports. Running, swimming, climbing…we know cyclists like to mix it up

CrankActive

5 Trail Races in India worth travelling for Gauri Jayaram

espite the challenges of ‘finding’ good trails close to most “running cities” in India, the popularity of trail running has gone north and India seems to be following the world trend in embracing the uneven, natural trail courses. Serious trail running fans will rattle off the reasons for their choices and many have almost ditched asphalt racing in favour of trails. For starters though trails offer more challenge but the natural surfaces cause fewer running related injuries. Unpolluted air and green surroundings make trail running therapeutic and the takes the mind over body challenge to another level. This probably explains why many trail races are also “ultra” races, often going beyond the

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full marathon distances. Finally, many are loving the small race sizes as trails become a great meeting place for nature-loving, like-minded runners. Here are our 5 top picks of some of the most scenic and experiential trail races in India that are worth leaving your home for.

Kaveri Trail Marathon Possibly one of the oldest trail races, this year the Kaveri Trail Marathon will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Held close to Srirangpatna (just off Mysore) the race is held next to the Ranganathittu bird sanctuary, as runners follow the meandering canal of the Kaveri river. You’ll encounter fauna, flora and plenty of village kids along

the race who are out to give high-fives to runners! Next Race Dates: September 17 & 18th, 2016 Distances: 10K, Half Marathon & Full Marathon

Malnad Marathon The newest edition on the list of must do trail races, Malnad Ultra is going to set the benchmark of becoming one of the most scenic races to run in India. Organised in the less trodden coffee estates and forested region in Kemmanagundi (near Chikkamagaluru), this route goes through some of the most enchanting & nicely challenging terrains. The course will take you through miles of coffee plantations with

Frigid heights at La Ultra

Picturesque Kaveri Running the Rann

black cobras, giant monitor lizards and occasional tribal communities.

Next Race Dates: Generally held in April each year Distances: 70 Mile (112.6 km)

Next Race Dates: 10-13th February, 2017 Distances: 51 km, 101 km, 161 km

La Ultra

majestic jungle trees in addition to varieties of birds, and small animals such as Malabar Flying Squirrels, Porcupines etc.

Sandakphu Himalayan Race Next Race Dates: 08 October, 2016 Distances: 50 km, 80 km, 110 km

Run the Rann Set deep in the salt desert (literally an 8 hour drive from Ahmadabad, this trail race offers you the chance to run on some very unique terrain. They boast of a trail which is both trilling and scary at the same time as you thump on cracked desert land, salt marshes, wet mud and keep company with

Head to East India to be part of this 4 day ultra that offers stunning views of the Himalayan peaks including the Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Lhotse and the majestic Mt. Everest. During the first two stages you literally run to the top of Sandakphu and the next two stages you descend. To make it convenient for participants the organisers (the Windchasers) offer complete travel support from Bagdogra airport and back.

The folks at La Ultra pride themselves for having curated one of India’s (and maybe even the world’s) cruelest races. Held in Ladkah and designed by Dr. Rajat Chuhan (a medical doctor), the race is characterized for the distance challenge it combines with altitudes as high as 17500 feet above sea level and temperatures that can range from +40 to -12 degrees in a matter of hours. Add that to a timing qualification every few kilometers, which means that this one is not just about finishing. Its about finishing on time, every time! Next Race Dates: 11 – 14th Oct 2016 Distances: 111 km, 222 kms, 333 km

Gauri Jayaram: An amateur runner, Gauri is the founder of Active Holiday Company, India’s first travel firm to offer activity based experiential holidays. Their holidays are largely based on cycling, hiking, running, wildlife, sailing, diving and other activities. The company is the official India representative for several International races including the World Major Marathons.

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BikeCity

Ludhiana Cycling Ambassador Davinder Nagi Our North India Bureau

f it’s Ludhiana, especially cycling and Ludhiana, it must be Davinder Nagi. That’s how much Davinder is associated with cycling in this commercial capital of Punjab and indeed the bicycle manufacturing capital of India. Davinder and the club he’s birthed, the Ludhiana Pedallers Club and the Ludhiana Bicycling Club of which he is the founder and President, are synonymous with most of the the cycling related activity in the city, like tours and rallies “I started young. Riding every day to school and then taking a round trip to Manali. Those were early days in cycling and I was considered a maverick by my friends and relatives”, says Davinder. “These early trips drove my passion further which lead me to establish both the clubs with an objective to help initiate more people into cycling. I sincerely believe cycling is one the healthiest disciplines. Besides sport, commute and general fitness it even helps ward off stress, depression and anxiety. The benefits are manifold”

has a huge fan following amongst kids whom he motivates to lead a healthy lifestyle from a young age. He routinely supports social causes like anti-narcotics drives and freedom from drug addiction through cycling. We doff our hats to him. Salute So much is Davinder’s passion that for the entire extended cycling family outside of Ludhiana there is an open invitation by Davinder’s clubs for free accommodation and food if you happen to ride through Ludhiana. True Punjabi gregarious hospitality that one can never miss and will make your ride extra memorable! “In my cycling journey I have been supported by many”, says Davinder. “Mr. Ranjod Singh, Mr. Gurinder Singh and Mr. Manmohan Singh, who encourage me so much and Dicky Saluja my mentor, guide and support. Thank you” And as Davinder says “What I dream, is for Ludhiana to be not just the manufacturing capital of Bicycles but also its riding capital” What can we say Davinder. God Speed and Good Luck!

A teacher of creative art in the Guru Nanak Public School, Davinder

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Sasha and her idea

Planet Pedal

BluBel – The Crowdsourced navigator for the urban cyclist

are going it helps you feel more confident and secure too!

e at Crank, want to introduce you to what we think is a brilliant innovation for urban commuters. Navigation is an essential must in any city, old or new, but the problem with existing apps is that they are not responsive to cyclists needs. Introducing, BluBel, a handy and portable satnav-in-a-bell for a cycle that takes us a step forward in adopting cycles as a mode of transport, especially in urban environment.

that data we would be able to find better routes! That’s how BluBel came about - it’s a Bluetooth Bell! It also has a dial of 12 lights that navigate you through each turn, as well as pointing to the final destination” says Sasha

We had a chance to talk to the brain behind the idea and the founder of BluBel, Sasha Afanasieva, a British/Russian consultant who is a self-professed casual and leisure cyclist. While touring London on her bike, she found herself getting lost quite often which is where the idea for BluBel struck. Sasha says that she loves the freedom cycling offers her, apart from the speed and the cost factors.

Blubel is designed so that you can forget you’re using technology and just enjoy the ride! Features like sound alerts warn you of upcoming turns, ambient lights, matte surface finish, which means you are not distracted while you’re biking. It lets you keep your eyes on your surroundings and since you know Connected to your phone exactly where you

“I found that a lot of the (navigation) apps would take you down really busy routes that are unpleasant for cyclists. I realised that when people ring the bicycle bell, it’s often to indicate that they have encountered a hazard, so I realised if we could capture

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The device works by crowdsourcing hazards and other data, via the Bluetooth connected app, to come up with safer routes - and navigates you along these routes using simple LED gestures.

Blubel uses Bluetooth to connect to the smartphone app, which sends the navigation instructions. The app is for iOS and Android and is using Open Street Maps cartography. The device is currently awaiting funding on Kickstarter! Hope we can push it for all of us commuters. To contribute to this project go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/372524908/blubel-the-cyclingnavigator-powered-by-community

Fludic Frame Design

ToyCentral

Cruiser Bells from Giant Rs. 260/The rains dampening your mood? Enhance your riding time with these colourful and patterned bicycle bells. The bells are specifically made for cruiser bicycles and hence emulate the retro plaid patterns on them. They are guaranteed to up the style quotient of your beloved bicycles.

Lightweight Bottle Cage from XMR Rs. 495/For the new rider looking for a lightweight sturdy bottle cage but does not want to burn a hole in the pocket. The XMR is made of a composite material and has a very grippy and yet contemporary design. It can be used standard with both MTB and road bikes alike.

GET OUT & RIDE!