Issue 10 vol 5 nov 17 procycle d2

India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine

Volume 5 Issue 10

KARENG / 2016 / 68421

November 2017

Rs. 100/-

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MTB NATIONALS FIXIE FACE-OFF Road bike geometry TRACK ASIA CUP 2017

Official a n

Inside

Cycling Federation of India

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InThisIssue CFINews Track Asia CUP 2017

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IndustryNews Giant Starkenn Facilitates Maharashtra State team Scott Announces 2018 Line CANADA’S FIRST ELECTRIC SUPER BIKE GIRO 2018 ROUTE MAP TfN 2017 Round up Track & trail announces new rider for 2017

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ProCycling Giant Starkenn MTB Nationals My Tryst With The Himalayas TOA 2.0 round up

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CityTalk Profiled: Saran Preeti Dash in the Deccan

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Feature Road bike geometry FIXIE FACE-OFF: Scolarian Sonic 21 X Astr Sidewinder

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TriathlonCorner A ‘TRI’ You Must! The Thonnur Triathlon 22

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CrankActive BBC Koramangala

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Tune your bike! Tweak your heart !

Maintain your cycle, so that your cycle maintains you!

Trained Technicians.

State-of-the-art Equipment.

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Editor’sNote

The CRANK with ProCycle Team Dear Readers Managing Editor and Publisher Vikram K Limsay Invitee editor Onkar Singh, Secretary General CFI and ACC Edit Desk Dr. Meera Velankar Karthik Gottumukkala Trackside Editor - Triathlon - Deepak Raj Creative and Design

First a very HAPPY DIWALI to all of you and may all that you wished for be showered on you. May you have a very prosperous year ahead Speaking of showers the monsoon seems to have extended in many parts of the country making it a tad difficult for the trade and for riders. New bikes have just about hit the market but we are told off take hasn’t begun yet. Perhaps people are waiting for the mud trails to dry up and roads to become less slippery Nevertheless, It’s the festival time and it’s a festival of cycling events all around. It kicked off with a brilliantly managed MTB Nationals in Pune with a track that we can be proud of and that which will prepare our riders for the future. And the festival is on

N. Chandru

from Pune to the Himalays to the Deccan to Ariunachal and everywhere . Triathlon

Contact

seems to be picking up in every part of the country and we keep getting reports of

editdeskcrank@procycle.in

people aiming for the max. It’s a great feeling to look at India getting fitter

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We review two local fixies and give you some important tips on road bike geometry so

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that you can take care of your knees and back

Operations Rahul kavaseri Expert Test Team Karthik Gottumukkala Kiran Kumar AM 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/ Photo Credits Catherine on the single track, Hero MTB Himalaya Back cover: Bangalore bicycle Championship Printed By Print 2 Last Solutions

And like always more personalities, places and events from all over the country ....

So read on and ride on....and have a super Diwali Ciao Vikram K Limsay Managing Editor and Publisher

CFINews

Track Asia CUP 2017

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ndia had an amazing run at the Track Asia Cup, managing to bag 7 golds and 9 silvers and 5 bronze at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex Velodrome in Delhi. Ashwin Patil opened India’s campaign by winning a Gold medal in the 15km Point Race event in the Junior Men category with 29 points while teammate Naman Kapil won Silver with 29 points. The team of Sushikala Agashe & Mayuri added another Gold to India’s tally by winning a Gold at the Team Sprint event of Junior Women category with a run of 37.000s. While today’s limelight was stolen

by Sushikala Agashe, she showed her supremacy in the 500m Time Trial & added Gold to the account with a run of 37.702s. A National record was also set by the Men’s Elite Team of Sahil Kumar, Ranjit Singh & Apollonius when they clocked 47.399s (better than Asian Games Gold medal time) in Team Sprint event and won Gold.

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Medal Tally

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India

7 9 5

China

4 2 0

Saudi Arabia

1

Indonesia

4 1 2

Malaysia

3 1 1

UAE

0 0 3

Bangladesh

0

5

0

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1

1

IndustryNews

giant starkenn FACILITATES MAHARAshtra state team

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une, 7th October, 2017- Starkenn Sports Private Limited, a premium bicycle brand and the organizer of the Giant Starkenn 14th MTB National Championship, 2017 today felicitated the winners of Maharashtra Cycling Team. On this occasion Mr. Ajit Dada Pawar, President- Maharashtra Olympic Association handed over Giant bicycles to the winners for their achievements in the Giant Starkenn 14th MTB National Championship, 2017.

Mr. Pravin Patil, MD & CEO, Starkenn sports was also present for this event.

As announced before the starting of the Giant Starkenn 14th MTB National Championship, Starkenn Sports kept its commitment and rewarded Maharashtra Cycling Team members with Giant bicycles; the Rincon Disc and Tempt 4.

Riders from Maharashtra Team namely Vivek Waykar, Pranita Soman, Siddhesh Sharma, Mangesh Takmoge, Priyanka Karande, Swapnali Sutar, Mansi Kamlakar, Pooja Danole and Shiya Lalwani got the Giant bicycles from Starkenn Sports Private Limited for their achievements in

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the 14th MTB National Championship while representing the Maharashtra state.

Speaking on the occasion Shri. Ajit Dada Pawar, President-Maharashtra Olympic Association said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be here today and felicitate the winning members of Maharashtra Cycling Team for their extraordinary efforts in the Giant Starkenn 14th MTB National Championship. Maharashtra Team won the overall Championship this year because of all these riders. I would also like to congratulate Starkenn Sports and Mr. Pravin Patil for their continuous efforts in promoting cycling as a sport in India. This kind of felicitation motivates rider to perform better in the upcoming tournaments.

Today on behalf of Maharashtra Olympic Association I would like to inform you that whenever Maharashtra Cycling Team needs any help or have any requirements they can always approach us and we will definitely support our state team.”

Mr. Pravin V Patil, Managing Director and CEO, Starkenn Sports Pvt Ltd said, “It is a proud moment for Giant Starkenn to hand

over Giant bicycles to the riders of the Maharashtra Team for their achievements in the Giant Starkenn 14th MTB Nationals.

As declared during the announcement press conference of Giant Starkenn 14th MTB National Championship, Starkenn Sports has kept its promise and today we handed over 10 premium bicycles to the winners. As promised we will also be extending a 50% sponsorship to the remaining riders that represented Maharashtra, during the Giant Starkenn 14th MTB National Championship, but were not able to secure a spot on the podium, as we value the contribution made by all members, in making Maharashtra this year’s champions. At Giant Starkenn our aim is not only to sell bicycles but also to create a convivial environment for cycling and promote it as a sport in India. I would like to take an opportunity to thank Shri Ajit Dada Pawar for giving us his valuable time for today’s program. We aim to continue our association with Maharashtra Cycling Team in near future as well to promote and nurture cycling talent from Maharashtra.”

scott announces 2018 Line

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cott Sports India launches their pedal assisted E-Bikes range for 2018 and their #BuildYourVision service to change the future of bicycling in the country

India, 28th September 2017: SCOTT Sports India, the Indian arm of the globally recognized multisport company SCOTT Sports, launched their 2018 range in India this month. The main highlight is the launch of their pedal assisted E-Bikes range which is the first in the country. The second highlight is the launch of their #BuildYourVision service wherein you can personalize your road bike by choosing your own frame and components, thus creating a tailored product.

Change is the only constant and SCOTT Sports India, a subsidiary of SCOTT Sports SA, once again shows their expertise with the launch of their pedal assisted E-Bikes. They are the first global brand to launch E-Bikes in India. These E-Bikes are going to be powered by Bosch and Brose, and will be available in the MTB and Commuting E-Hybrids variants. The prices will be INR 2.5 lakhs onwards. These bikes will assist your speed and make pedalling an easier job for you especially uphill. They will have a range of up to 120 kilometres on a single charge. With this launch, SCOTT keeps up with its commitment of environment friendly products as this range will be a threat to low cost motor powered bikes in the market.

consumers personalize their road bike, wherein one can choose their own frame and components and build their dream bike. This would result into the making of a bespoke piece for a whole new cycling experience for you by you. For this one can choose from frame sets ranging from INR 1.5 lakhs to INR 4.5 lakhs. SCOTT Sports India recently did a bike build off with the only 2 coveted special edition Rio Olympics Frame sets in the country.

The launch also includes the Addict range of cycles that are lightweight, fast and comfortable bikes. These cost INR 1,25,000 to 2 lakhs. There is a new range of apparels too with an emphasis on Women’s Apparel. With the 2018 launch SCOTT continues to ensure that when a consumer buys a SCOTT Bike, their other requirements too are met under the same roof, to make their cycling experience complete in one go.

According to Jaymin Shah, Country Manager, SCOTT Sports India, “We are glad to launch our 2018 range with first in market opportunities of buying pedal assisted e-bikes and building your own road bike from scratch. The E-bike is an exciting segment for us as that product range has the ability to bring down the pollution problem as well as reduce the perennial problem of traffic in our country. These E-bikes are easy to use, they come with the latest technology and servicing them is as simple as servicing your regular bikes. “

The next big highlight is the #BuildYourVision service which helps

CRANK with ProCycle NOVEMBER 15TH, 2017

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CANADA’S FIRST ELECTRIC SUPER BIKE

Founded in April of 2016, SURU Inc. is a manufacturing startup focused on delivering quality electric vehicle technology. Based near Halifax, the company uses local suppliers for all custom manufactured parts.

The SURU One Fifty is their first consumer product.

comfortable, and functional design.

What sets SURU apart is a proprietary frame technology developed in pioneering electric racing motorcycles to combine lightweight and power into a clean,

The SURU One Fifty features dual suspension, automotive-grade front and rear lighting and a range of 50 km. The battery is protected inside the lightweight

“I wanted to bring advanced racing concepts and motorcycle levels of design integration to e-bikes” Says Michael Uhlarik, the company’s founder, “Quality, comfort, and safety should co-exist.”

aluminum frame but is removable for easy indoor charging using any outlet.

SURU Cycles are manufactured in Canada, come with a lifetime frame warranty and are fully US Department of Transportation (DOT) and Transport Canada compliant.

The SURU One Fifty retails for $3499 CAD (~Rs.1.82L), all bikes come specially numbered, and limited to 150 examples.

GIRO 2018 ROUTE MAP In May 2018, the world-famous Giro d’Italia, a major event in the global sporting calendar, will begin in Jerusalem. This will be the first time in history that a Grand-Tour (cycling’s three major races) has taken place outside of Europe, and will be the most prestigious sporting event ever held in Israel. The 2018 Giro will carry with it a message of peace, coexistence and the power of sport to bring people together.

Commencing on May 4, this prestigious event will see 176 of the world’s top cyclists begin the competition against the backdrop of Jerusalem’s Old City. Over the following two days, the competitors will ride from the North of Israel to the tip of the Red Sea, taking in breathtaking views from start to finish.

The Giro will finish three weeks later on 22 May in Italy. As a result, the 2018 Giro will carry a strong message of peace and coexistence, with its journey representing the ability of sport to build bridges between people, religions and nations.

The Giro d’Italia, which takes place annually in Italy over 21 stages during a three-week period, is watched by hundreds of millions of viewers in 194 countries. Next year’s race will be the 10st edition of the Giro.

Since 2006, the Giro has commenced every other year with a high-profile ‘Big Start’ outside Italy. Previous ‘Big Starts’ have brought the excitement of the Giro to Holland, Denmark, Northern Ireland and Belgium. Next year’s ‘Big Start’ in Israel will be the first time the Giro, the Tour de France or the Vuelta a Espana has been held outside Europe.

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TfN 2017 Round up

Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), powered by RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F) is a circuit for seasoned cyclists. Hailed as the mother of all Cycling Tours in the India, TfN is an annual event with TfN 2017 being the 10th edition (Dec 10 – 17, 2017). TfN 2017 will witness around 120 riders covering a distance of 1,000+ kms across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu and with a special ‘King & Queen of the Mountains’ climb up Kalhatty in Ooty. tarting from Bengaluru, Cyclists will pedal S through Mysuru, Madikeri, Sultan Bathery, Ooty and finish the tour by riding back to Mysuru Highlight of TfN 2017 is the celebration of decade of Cycling across Nilgiris. What makes TfN 2017 memorable is the fact

that 2017 also marks 200th anniversary of the invention of the humble cycle. This multi-day Cycling tour attracts best of the Cycling talent from all over the world. TfN has been adding more exciting elements to the tour with every passing year and thereby presenting tough challenges even for accomplished bikers. The riders will get a chance to pedal across different terrains and an opportunity to ride through three wildlife sanctuaries and splendid mountains of Western Ghats. The entire route offers breathtaking scenery and exposes riders to some great biodiversity rich flora & fauna fN goes beyond cycling as a sport, with T riders keen to make their pedal strokes count by giving something back to society, TfN 2017 will also witness charity riders riding to support their chosen social initiatives I n short TfN is keen on promoting cycling culture & popularizing cycling for the sheer versatility it offers - Extreme / endurance sport; sustainable transport; daily commuting; Cycle tourism/eco-tourism / local tourism; technology; social awareness; technology window; health benefits, etc.

Unlimited & RAC-F has propelled TfN as the preferred Cycling tour of India and attracts riders from various backgrounds including corporate honchos, highly ranked officers from Armed forces and Civil Services, women, teenagers, kids and entrepreneurs.

About RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F): RAC-F is a not-for-profit advocacy organization, is pioneering an initiative to popularize Cycling for commuting, leisure and as an agent of social change and usher in a Bicycle Freedom Revolution in the country and make it a viable option for daily transportation. RAC-F’s initiative is essentially aimed at bringing back the culture of Cycling by creating awareness in society on the virtues of using Cycle and its benefits. RAC-F also partners with Cycle-activists, Cycle Manufacturers, Cycling Communities and Government Organizations with a single minded devotion to provide a fillip to Cycling culture.

The foundation over the years has initiated several programs including Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), NammaCycle, Cyclerecycle and additionally supported charity activities so as to achieve its stated objectives.

The tireless efforts of Breakaway Sports

Track & trail announces new rider for 2017 Track and trail is proud to announce that Shiven, 20 will be joining us as a Cannondale Athlete powered by Track & Trail. The 20-yearold lad hailing from Himachal Pradesh has been racing since 2012 and racing professionally with Hero Action Team since 2014. Some of his achievements include winning the Men Junior’s National Champion title in 2015, Winning the Attack Classification in Bike Transalp (the world’s oldest MTB Stage Race), the 2nd Indian in MTB Himalaya 2015 and 2016 and winning the student category in MTB Shimla 2013,2014,2015. His arsenal will be loaded with the best-in-class weapons like the Cannondale SCALPEL & Cannondale SYNAPSE. His goals for 2018 will be the national championships on a top priority as well as MTB Uttarakhand and scoring some UCI points at international races as well as pan India races. His long term goals include representing India on the international MTB circuit in World Cups, World Championships, CWG, Olympics etc. Talking about the athlete program, Shiven says, “This is the kind of support system that is required by an

athlete to reach the levels that he desires and his country demands.

I am sure with the kind of support here; we will take the Indian MTB scene to the next level.”

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ProCycling

Giant Starkenn MTB Nationals

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he 14th edition of the National Mountain Biking Championships concluded at the Oxford Golf Resort on 24th September. It was no less than a fair of bike enthusiasts with athletes flowing in from every state in India at the venue with their coaches, managers and fancy bikes.

This year’s race course was meticulously designed by Giant Starkenn Bikes and Gautam Taode of GT adeventures. India people and had the technicalities never before seen in the previous editions of the race.

Two CRANK staffers were present racing at the 14th Mountain Biking Nationals, one at the Cross Country Events and one at the Downhill race. Get ready to get taken onto the race course with Yogesh on his Cross Country race reports. And remember, right after you finish this article to, GET OUT AND RIDE! The riders competed in the two events across various age groups from 22nd – 24th September i.e. Time Trial and Mass Start. The rider categories were Men Elite, Men Juniors, sub-Junior Boys, Youth Boys, Elite Women, Women Juniors, and sub-Junior Girls.

The road to the nationals for every athlete is an inspiring journey in itself with a dream to represent India at the international level and Olympics. K Kiran Kumar Raju, a 31-year-old strong rider from Karnataka, recently returned from Belgium after a good training and racing season. He finished second in both the Time Trial and Mass Start. He was the defending Time Trial champion of 2015 and 2016. It was an emotional moment for him at the end of the Mass Start. He said, “If you want it bad enough, just one reason is enough. Otherwise there are 100 reasons to quit.” In the Time Trial, he finished 19 seconds behind Ramesh Ale from the Indian Army who bagged Gold in both the Time Trial and the Mass Start events.

Devender Thakur from Himachal Pradesh did a two-month highaltitude training at his home in Pangi Valley prior to the Nationals.

He finished fourth in both the Men Elite categories, the same position he got in 2014 and 2015. It was quite a sight at the venue and a place to be at for any bike enthusiast.

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It rained quite heavily in Pune prior to the Nationals and the already difficult race course got more challenging resulting in slush, mud, slippery sections across the course. The race course was 4.5 km long. The first kilometer was a wide undulating off-road track that connected to a single downhill technical track with switchbacks of about 800meters; the nightmare of every rider. This section was the deciding factor in the finishing time of the riders. After that, it was the game of cadence and power for the next 1.5km with the water stream flowing on the jeep track strewn with rocky paths. The remaining distance was a slippery single track which culminated at the steep uphill hike and bike section. Riders were simply amazed at the technical sections that included many aspects of an XCO race. Shiven, another 20-year-old rider from Himachal Pradesh, feared the slippery downhill section but he fared well during both events finishing at fifth position in Time Trial and eighth in Mass Start.

Time Trial Race Report The more you race, more strategically sound you become and have better control over race anxiety.. I was trying to get into the race mode with deep breaths and clear my mind of the extraneous stuff.

My right knee had kinesiology tape put on as it was aching a bit due to a crash I suffered during my last training ride in Manali just before the nationals. I had four bananas to fuel up for the race about one and half hours before my scheduled race start time It was hard to get my head around the fact that I was riding in the nationals, the journey of which began with just a thought of “why not – it’ll be a great experience” a couple of months ago. I had to peddle against time and had to do two loops of the 4.5km course in this event. The tires weren’t able to purchase any traction on the slippery downhill section, so I ran off the saddle with the bike in both the loops on that part of the course and rode the rest of it. It was a short race, so I didn’t use any water available at the aid stations. The last section of the loop was a steep hike and bike, it was difficult for me to get a foot hold and was slipping walking up with the bike.

Mass Start Race Report The weather turned quite drastically, turning bright and sunny. It hadn’t rained for the previous two days and everyone hoped the track would be in somewhat of a better condition, especially the dreaded technical downhill section. A total number of 89 riders stood on the start line and I could feel the tension in the air. Some were standing with a silent expression, some with closed eyes, hands folded on the handle bars for prayers. I was apprehensive to stand on the start line a day earlier because of a nagging injury but a friend motivated me to go for it for the experience. He said, “No one will remember your result whatever it may be but the experience will count”. I can’t thank him enough for it as there I was standing behind a muscular guy with tree trunk size thighs.

I put one gel between my shorts and thighs only to see it fall on the downhill section but no time to pick it up. I had already been fueling well leading up to the Mass Start event - about half a dozen bananas and sipped on the two bottles of electrolytes to avoid any cramps. The flag-off was delayed by about two and half hours and bright sun was sucking the energy out of the riders who all were lined up against the best riders representing their respective states.

We were pouring water on our back and neck to cool off. It was announced that the riders have to finish every lap (except the fifth and the final lap) under the XCO MTB 80% rule to stay in the race.

Under this rule, any rider whose time is 80% slower than that of the race leader’s first lap is pulled out of the race. This rule allows to withdraw from the course very slow riders.

Downhill Nationals This year’s MTB nationals marked a momentous occasion for everybody in the Downhill community in India. It was the first time CFI, the governing body for cycling in India, associated itself with the sport. It was the first time the sport of Downhill broke out of its niche and presented itself to a larger audience of all cyclists in India, almost validating itself, telling people that Downhill riders are here, and we are immensely motivated.

The track itself wasn’t too long or too technical, mostly because the downhill track was the downhill section from the XC race. Now, from an XC rider’s perspective, the downhill section was incredibly technical, but from a downhill rider’s perspective it could have been a lot more technical, considering the terrain that was around the track.

but with enough room for the fast boys to stretch their legs.

The first Downhill event was the qualification run, with about 40 riders lining up at the start gate. The event was preceded by incessant rainfall leaving the track extremely slushy, for the last day of practice, however the day of qualification, most of the track had dried up quite a bit, barring the first 150 meters or so. These first 150 meters set the tone for the remainder of a riders run, it was wet, slushy and insanely slippery. Line choice was paramount, with tiny mistakes translating to time lost. Gautam Taode, the track designer showed us why they picked him to design the track by taking first place in qualification, followed by Karnataka’s 16-yearold shredder Rishab Gowda whose run came as a surprise to everyone, even those who knew how fast the kid was, rounding up the top three was Pune’s Piyush Chavan, a staple of the Downhill racing scene in the country. The top 20 qualifiers would move on to the finals, which were to be the final event of the 14th MTB nationals.

The day of finals was nice and sunny, meaning the track would only have gotten drier, but the downhill race being the last event meant that the still damp track was ridden over by every single XC rider that raced that day, which was at the lease well over a 100. Which meant the track was quite rutted out. The track being rutted out meant that some of the lines the riders had meticulously picked out, were unrideable. The first 150 meters were even worse than on the day of qualifying, making it the more important to get through that section clean. Finals meant every rider was pushing to win, which, inevitably meant a greater risk of crashing. Rishab Gowda had some really nasty luck in the finals, his tire popped off his rim, ending his day of racing. But everyone else pinned it. This time Piyush Chavan came out on top, claiming the top step on the podium, followed by Gautam Taode, and third place was taken by Slade Gomes. Making it a sweep for the Pune boys.

Downhill nationals marked a milestone for Indian Downhill racing.

Being a CFI sanctioned and run event, in a way legitimized the sport, bringing it to a wider audience and allowing the riders to pursue greater things in the sport on an international platform. From here, Downhill has an uphill battle to grow, but grow it will.

The track was around 800 meters long with quite a few sharp switchbacks thrown in. The track lacking technicality meant one thing, it was fast. The relatively mellowness of the track meant the riders pushed their riding to the limit, riding a line as sharp as a razor’s edge between victory and losing control. In a way the track was quite fitting for the first downhill nationals, it was rideable by all those who wanted to, but challenging enough for the fast guys to push it, the track juxtaposed the downhill scene in India, new, growing,

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My Tryst With The Himalayas ByYogesh Kumar

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came to know about MTB Himalaya touted as a tough mountain bike event in 2015 and that’s when I participated in it for the first time. I struggled through the race with aches all over body and was barely able to finish. This year, I did my third MTB Himalaya and it has become a pilgrimage race for me as this is the race that got me into mountain biking. Stage races are tough. One has to ride in pain, day after day, until the glorious finish line comes.

There is a kind of satisfaction at the finish line knowing that you didn’t give up in the face of all those tough moments, times and pains during the race.

This year’s race was 620kms long spread across 08 stages with a rest day after day three. It was a fierce beast to be won over with 16,000mtrs of elevation gain and an average altitude of about 2,000mtrs. The race started from Shimla, ended in Dharamshala and went through forests, single tracks, hike & bike, river crossings, passes, etc.; anything that could make it tough, it did. I still can’t forget the thumping of myheart, a ritual I always feel at the start line, on day one.

The countdown for the flag-off for the first day began and I clipped in. 3…2…1…GO! And off went the pro riders. I could see them sprinting and I was at the back slowly clipping in my other foot. Not used to the MTB shoes, I rode slow and was soon in the pack of the slowest of the riders. A slippery downhill with strewn gravels came and soon it became evident that I should have trained for the essential downhill skills with the cleats. I rode as slow as I felt comfortable, my speed being about 10kms/hour on the downhill turns. I felt more comfortable on the uphills and I let my feeling of fear with the cleats go. It was manageable and more than that, I was faster on the uphills. The riders who overtook me on the downhills, lagged behind on the uphills, a norm that I would see throughout the race across all the stages. I was aware of the importance of carbs and cadence on the uphills and followed it. Day one, I finished third in the Indian category, something of an unbelievable starting of the race for me.

There were food stations during the race and never-ending post-race meals. I burned 3,0003,500 calories every day and was probably taking in about 3,000 before the next day’s

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stage. Recovery was indispensable. I used compressions and always had to take a good 8-9 hours sleep. There was nothing much to be done after the stage of the day got over. We chilled with friends, talking about the mechanical problems during the race, climb of the day, etc.

Every day’s ritual was same before the flag-off and after the race. Get up, freshen up, have food, put on the route profile sticker of the day on the stem, Garmin, lubricate the bike, wipe it, sip a lot of water all the time and off for the day. After the race, hog down food into the belly, clean the bike with the pressure jet, eat again, chill with fellow riders, and eat again. The ambience at the camp site was quite incredible.

The professional riders always reached about one and half to two hours before me. There was a lot to be learned from them and we, Indian riders, have a long way to go to be able to give them any competition.

Some stages were quite hot and I suffered on the climbs that day, especially on stage two. I think I didn’t keep count of the time and didn’t fuel in right. I borrowed a gel from a rider and that seemed to have helped me from bonking out. During the race, my mind was silent and clear all the time. I was in the moment and my eyes dug on the route ahead. That is the awesomeness of the moment and the reason why I love endurance sports. Red Bulls played a pivotal role in pushing the last section of every stage. Riders even carried the cans in the back pockets from the feed stations to help them push through to the finish line. The competition was tough this year amongst the top riders like Cory Wallace, Adria Noguera Soldeville, Thomas Turner, Antonio Ortiz, Thomas Engelsjgerd and Pau Perez Zamora. Adria Noguera Soldeville, a 25-year-old rider Spain sponsored by Buff Scott, was the overall winner of the race. It just felt great to be around this league of riders. Indian riders were competing in their own category and David Kumar, Isaac Rai and Rakesh Rana, in respective order, took the podium.

I suffered a crash with a motor bike on stage 4 on a sharp downhill and rode the rest of the race with a kinesiology tape on my right calf. That is nothing major than a crash a fellow rider from Bangladesh suffered at the very last stage. He had a serious leg fracture and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Sometimes I had to dig that deep well of energy and motivation to keep

going and calm the negativities my mind threw at me.Many things could go wrong in the race but I didn’t want to pay any heed to that thought. My fingers ached and went numb because of the constant braking on the downhills, lower back because on the uphill pushes, and heart rate ranged between 160-170. There were a lot of takings from this year’s race for me. As I delve into the sport of mountain biking full-time, I know what my weaknesses are and what I need to improve to become a strong and competitive rider. My recovery took a nosedive after stage 4 as I fell sick and suffered from cold. At the start line of day one, the 620kms and 08 stages in 09 days seemed like a lot. I took the race one day at a time and did not think at all about the next day. The task was made simpler by being in the moment and focus on the stage of the day. One can learn a lot from MTB Himalaya if they pay attention to their mind and body. It brings out the best of the riders and let them mine the power of their minds; such are the benefits of pushing the body and the reason why I like to do it in first place.

There were about 35 DNFs (Did Not Finish) this year. Each and every rider is a hero at the end.

There is a sense of achievement at the end of the race knowing what you have been through and cherishing those tough moments throughout your lifetime. In a way, you earn a right to brag after having just finished the race and show-off that Finisher Medal. I am more than happy that I have got three of them but there is still a long way to go for me in the sport.

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TOA 2.0 round up 50 riders, 3 days, over 330 kilometers and 4500 meters of elevation gain through several classified climbs, passes, and some of the most stunning vistas of the Aravalli hills in Rajasthan.

This event promised each participant a thrilling experience full of happy memories to cherish for a lifetime. What adds more to the magnificence of the tour is its route scooting through some of the most scenic locations of the Aravalli hills in Rajasthan, such as Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur and the highest peak of the Aravalli Range (Guru Shikhar, Mount Abu).

TOA 2.0 is an exclusive, invite only cycling tour for 50 select enthusiasts. It was well-organised all-inclusive cycling tour with accommodation in 3 to 5 star luxury hotels, meals, technical support, medical aid and on tour support stations. Moreover, the organisers will also provide to and fro transportation and bike transfer from Ahmedabad to the flag-off and finish points, respectively.

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Brief Itinerary The three-day excursion was followed by a gala celebration including a cool-off party, tour ceremony and price distribution at Bikaner Palace, one of the best heritage property in Mount Abu. For the serious and competitive riders, there were daily competitive segments, timed by Race Director. TOA 2.0 had some supreme warriors, fighters and winners. Participants had different objectives for the tour. It can either be to test ones endurance, or up the fighting spirit, or to challenge others, or just to survive through the tour! But, our objective is simple and clear. We, Team TOA, want to give you a lifetime experience fitting of the events moto; “Cycle.

Climb.Cherish.�...

CityTalk

Profiled: Saran Preeti

I

t’s a very interesting story how she started cycling, little did she know that her husband falling on a ship will lead to this amazing world. Her husband, Abhishek Kashyap, a second officer in the Merchant Navy got a severe ligament injury when he fell on his ship, and the doctor suggested to start with cycling in order to avoid surgery. Abhishek started doing cycling in the gym of, later we had to go to Cochin for his exams for promotion. It was in the year 2013. From there it spiraled into an all-out obsession that would eventually become her life.

One day, out on a ride, it hit her, what cycling had done to her, for her. Cycling changed Saran Preeti’s life, and if it changed hers, perhaps it could be used as a tool to change the lives of others in their rural community. From there it became her mission, to promote cycling tourism in the Kandi area of Punjab.

Saran Preeti realized that Hoshiarpur, the city they were living in, was a little too small to start a proper cycling club, so she decided to begin a club from Jalandhar, which is about 60 kilometers from Hoshiarpur. Launching the club was really a challenge. There were many rides in the early days, where people would just not show up. But she persisted, even if it was just her and her husband, they would carry on, both riding and organizing events, and promoting themselves on social media. They soldiered on, eventually getting authorization to host a brevet from Hoshiarpur. That brevet proved

to Saran Preeti that it could be done. A total of 45 riders showed up for that event, from all over Punjab and some even all the way from Cochin!

The region that surrounds Hoshiarpur is perfect for cycling.

Stunning vistas, beautiful forests and great roads. All the ingredients required for a great time out on a bike. Another objective for promoting cycling tourism in the region is to provide the local people with opportunities for employment. According to Preeti, the one thing that is the most important to achieve this is to promote the culture of riding, she sees this happening, albeit gradually.

As with most endurance cyclists, the Race Across America (RAAM) was Saran Preeti’s dream. All she wanted was to go, to see one of the most spectacular displays of human endurance. She got the chance this year to go as an official, she got to witness one of the difficult endurance events in the world of cycling from behind the scenes. To see how the logistics of this behemoth of an event in action, she understood all that it takes to pull of an event of that magnitude without a hitch. Armed with that experience and all the knowledge she gained, Saran Preeti is more inspired than ever to take the events she organizes with the Punjab Bikers Club to the next level.

She says “As like almost everybody in Punjab, my entrepreneurial

CRANK with ProCycle NOVEMBER 15TH, 2017

17

family members are involved in different businesses such as running a couple of fuel pumps or as tour operators. These are completely different businesses than my current venture of running a bicycle store- Bikestore-Hoshiarpur Cyclewalle and requires a great deal of passion and patience. The strength and confidence of opening a cycle back can be traced back to my experience of becoming the first women Super Randonneuer from Punjab. The difficult journey towards my SR title taught me a lot about the joy of cycling and the technicalities of the bicycle and made me realize that not everyone who bicycled actually did it correctly. There were several knowledge gaps w.r.t the choosing the correct sized bikes, or the cycling gears.

At the same time, it was also important to make good quality and right-fit bikes available to our cyclists and I felt that I could easily make a difference through my new cycling shop store. I always like to think that my cycling venture, which is a franchisee outlet for the Cochin based famous Bikestore chain, runs on professionalism of the highest order and passion for cycling and the employees we prefer to hire have all been associated with cycling in some manner and for a considerable period.

After the chat we had with her, we at CRANK are itching to throw our bikes in a bag, get to Punjab and ride with her on those gorgeous roads we heard so much about. If you are ever looking for a beautiful brevet to ride, make sure to remember the Punjab Bikers Club and Saran Preeti!

Dash in the Deccan

C

rank is proud to present a partner event with a great future as it is one of the rare open water triathlons in the country.

The Kolhapur Sports Club is 50 year old club formed by tri athletes is ready to give you a flavor of their region through the Deccan Tri and Duathlon. The organizers are an experienced bunch of people who have many titles and podiums amongst them ironman included . The club aims at making their event counted as an event of choice for those who want to pit their skill and lungs against the beautiful Deccan Ghats.

There will be two events on 29th October the Deccan triathlon and the Deccan duathlon both affiliated with Maharashtra triathlon association.

To ensure that the event adheres to exciting professional standards the organizers have put in place measures like Time chip technology with strap chip and medical and physical assistance , hydration points , traffic controls , transition points and adequate volunteers.

It’s also one of the few open water triathlons in the country which means participants can get a rare opportunity on home turf.

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The race will be held to international standards and will have the rolling categories.

This event follows international standards and has the following categories.

Categories Deccan Duathlon, 1) Kids Deccan Duathlon Under 15 yrs includes Run 2 km , Cycle 5 km , Run 1 km.

2) Sprint Deccan Duathlon Above 16 yrs includes Run 5 km , Cycle 20 km , Run 2.5 km.

Categories Deccan Triathlon 1) Deccan Sprint Distance Triathlon Above 16 yrs includes swim 750 mtrs , Cycle 20 km , Run 5 km.

2) Deccan Olympic Distance Triathlon Above 16 yrs Includes Swim 1500 mtrs , Cycle 40 km ,Run 10 km.

3) Deccan Half Iron Distance Triathlon Above 18 yrs Includes Swim 1900 mtrs , Cycle 90 km , Run 21.1 km 4) Deccan Sprint Relay Triathlon Above 16yrs old ( this is a team of 3 event ).

5) Deccan Olympic Relay Triathlon Above 16yrs old ( this is a team of 3 event ).

3) Olympic Deccan Duathlon Above 19 yrs includes Run 10 km , Cycle 40 km , Run 5 km.

So come on guys look forward to seeing you there.

And if you want more info log in to www. kolhapursportsclub.com

TechCorner

Road bike geometry

W

e get a lot of questions about Road Bike geometry here at CRANK so we thought we’d throw together a handy little guide. For those who don’t really know what geometry is, or why it is important to understand it, the reason is, just by looking at these numbers, you can get a pretty good idea as to how the bike might ride without actually getting on it, it would also tell you what style of bike you would want. It is also important to note that geometry would vary between sizes of bike.

Understanding the steering o understand how a bike steers, you must first understand three T main measurements at play; the Head Tube Angle, Fork Rake and Fork Trail. Out of these three criteria, fork trail probably tells us the most about the way a bike would steer. irst, head tube angle. The head tube angle is the angle between F the head tube and the ground. The steeper (more) the head angle, lesser effort would be required to steer it. The slacker (less) the head angle, more would be the effort required to steer the bike. To put that in perspective, touring bikes are slacker than road bikes, to enable more stability with the weight that would not be present on a road bike (like panniers). ext, fork rake. Imagine drawing a straight line down from the head N tube, the distance between that line and the drop-outs on the fork

is the fork rake. Increasing the fork rake makes steering faster and decreasing it make sit slower. astly, the fork trail. The fork trail is the product between the head L tube angle and the fork rake. The less the trail, the faster the steering, i.e., makes it feel like you are steering with your hands.

The more the trail slower the steering, i.e., makes you feel like you are steering with your hips.

Chainstay Length he chainstay length is the distance between the bottom-bracket T ad the rear drop-outs. The longer the chainstay, the more stable the bike at high speeds and vice versa. But a longer wheelbase means the bike would be less nimble and harder to change directions at speed.

Wheelbase he wheelbase is the distance between the front drop-outs and T the rear drop outs, i.e., the distance between the center of the two hubs. The wheel base is the product of the head angle, fork rake and chainstay length. The longer the wheelbase, the more comfortable and more stable the bike would be at speed, but a longer wheelbase would also mean more sluggish handling. hese measurements are not all that are on the bike, but according T to us here at CRANK, understanding these would be enough for anyone to get a good idea as to how a bike would handle.

CRANK with ProCycle NOVEMBER 15TH, 2017

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Feature

FIXIE FACE-OFF: Scolarian Sonic 21 X Astr Sidewinder

C

RANK presents a review and a show-down between two entry-level fixies, both hailing from Indian companies.

This article will be pieced off into two sections, first, both bikes will be briefly reviewed before they are faced off and we will tell you, if it were our money, where we’d put it.

Fixies have started to garner a decently large following in the country, their minimalism and low maintenance

Scolarian As with most modern fixies, the first thing that will strike anyone looking at these bikes is how retro and minimal these bikes are.

This minimalism coupled with the subtle blue and bright gold of the Sonic 21 really do make it a sight to be held. Like with most bikes at this price point, there aren’t any branded components anywhere, which to be quite fair, is not really an issue, as long as the components are solid and do the job.

The components on this bike are good, nothing to really write home about, but for a bike at this price point it, they are quite good.

They are all unbranded, so we would assume that they come out of a catalogue from Taiwan, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

What surprised us in particular, where how nice the wheels felt

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while riding them, stiff when you put the power down and with just enough flex to take the edge off rough roads.

Let’s get to the heart of the bike. The Frame. Chromoly steel is truly a wonder material amongst frame materials. It isn’t as expensive to make or as difficult to work with as titanium, with some of the ride characteristics that make titanium so desirable. So knowing all that, and knowing that they are a home brewed company, made me quite excited to swing my leg over the bike and see what it was all about. To sum up my experience with the bike in a sentence it’d be; has potential. Coming into this review we really wanted to like this bike. Companies from India honestly make me proud, and we want to support them, but not if the product is anything less than stellar. For the asking price of 28,500 a bad frame is inexcusable.

The amount of flex is this frame is just too much. A little bit of flex in a bike meant for the city is not only a good thing, but is required to make the experience of riding the bike pleasant. Especially on a fixie, where most of the pleasure of riding it comes from being more connected to the bike, being able to understand the feedback the bike gives you, and to be able to control it exactly the way you want, a frame that comes in the way of that communication between the rider and the bike, fundamentally ruins the experience that is riding a fixed gear bike. The flex, particularly from around the bottom bracket area, prevented me from standing up to accelerate,

thought it might be an issue with the bolt, but on bolt number 3 we concluded that it had to be the axle. The other major gripe we have with the specs on the bike, was their choice to have everything off-brand on the bike. For this asking price the least they should do is stock branded tires.

especially from a stand-still, like from a traffic light, or even while climbing.

The bike also comes with a saddlebag with the all the essential tools you would need for a fixie, a couple of allen-keys and a spanner to remove the wheels. Something like this wouldn’t cost much for the company to provide, but is a very thoughtful addition, and we hope more bike makers follow suit.

ASTR Sidewinder.

Astr is a brand from Hyderabad’s favorite LBS The Bike Affair. Much like the Scolarion what first struck me was the visual appeal of the bike. the model of the Sidewinder that was provided to us for review came in an absolutely stunning polished chrome finish. Very simple, very minimal, very much what a fixie should be. Another thing that is quite prevalent in the fixed gear community is this romanticizing of retro tech. Astr has attempted to pander to that audience with things like the use of a quill stem.

Out of the box, the bike is quite a pain to set up. We had quite a few issues with things that normally shouldn’t have issues, like the axle on the rear wheel had a slight bulge, and it took quite a bit of effort to put the seatpost in. Both axles had some serious issues, during the testing period we went through about 3 bolts on the front, during rides, for some reason the axle would eat up the threading on the bolts. Initially we

Now to the frame, the heart of the bike.

This bike’s frame really took the cake.

Apart from the aesthetic charm of naked steel, beautiful straight lines and clean, neat joints. The way the bike rides, quite honestly makes all of its other faults fade. The bike took full advantage of the potential Chromoly Steel has. The bike is stiff around the bottom bracket area, without being an uncomfortable ride.

Riding this bike was simply fun. Sprinting out of a traffic light, weaving through traffic, getting out of a saddle to get up a climb, were all things that we looked forward to when we got on the bike.

And according to us, that is the most important factor for a bike, there is no point of having fancy spec if your bike doesn’t make you want to ride.

Despite all the minor inconveniences of the sidewinder, the way this bike rides makes all those inconveniences worth overlooking.

Astr Sidewinder or the Solarion Sonic 21?

The question is a no-brainer to us here at CRANK. Considering the fact that both bikes fall into roughly the same price-range (the Sonic 21 at Rs.28,500 and the sidewinder at Rs.34,500), We would pay the extra dough for the Astr, although some components like the wheels are better on the Scolarion, it matters little if the bike doesn’t ride well, and simply because of that superior ride quality we would choose the Astr Sidewinder.

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TriathlonCorner

A ‘TRI’ You Must!

The Thonnur Triathlon

T

honnur is one of the most unique open water swim triathlons in India as it poses a big challenge due to the nature of the open water swimming. Over the years, the design and execution of timing chips and race time measurements has improved to ensure to capture the Swim, T1 (Transition one, i.e., from swimming to running), Cycling, T2 (Transion 2, i.e., from cycling to running) and the run segments of the triathlon.

On the 10th of September, the beautiful lake of Thonnur successfully hosted the 6th Edition of one of India’s top triathlon events. There are very few open water Tri event in India. Thonnur is a sleepy village near Mysore, about 140 kms from Bangalore.

This event follows the successful Swimathon (Open Water Swim Distances of 1K, 2.5K, 5K) that was conducted on 13th August at the same lake as a precursor to the Triathlon event. Between Swimathon and Triathlon every year, Thonnur sees in excess of 500 participants from all parts of India.

This event like most triathlons organized, had multiple different distances, to be able to cater to a wider field of athletes. The distances were; Sprint Distance (750 m swim, 20 km cycle, 5 km run), Olympic Distance (1.5 km, swim, 40 km cycle, 10 km run), Half Iron Distance (1.9 km swim, 90 km cycle, 21.1 km run), Aquathlon (1.5 km swim, 10 km run), Duathlon (40 km cycle, 10 km run) Swim – The swim loop was designed as a small rectangle loop 100m X 25m allowing the water safety team to keep a close eye on all the participants. Given that the general swim experience and capability of the participants are average, the small loop helped to manage the open water swim and it also allowed the participants to take short rest breaks after every lap holding on to the swim course marking buoys. So the Sprint Triathletes had to do 3 loops, Olympic Triathletes and Aquathletes had to complete 6 loops and the Half

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CRANK with ProCycle NOVEMBER 15TH, 2017

Iron Triathletes had to do 8 loops.

Bicycling – A single cycling course was designed for all the distances with multiple turn around points for the various distances with the Sprint Triathletes had 1 loop of 10 km out and back.

Olympic Triathletes and Duathletes had 1 loop of 20 km out and back. Half Iron Triathletes had to complete 2 loops of 22.5k out and back. The bike course was challenging and had rolling terrain and also climbs with about 335m of elevation gain over the course of the 22.5 km lap with most of the climbing after the 12 km section. The Sprint Triathletes escaped the hilliest portion as they turned around at 10 km mark but the rest of the participants had to maneuver. This meant that the half iron triathletes had a fair amount of climbing given that they had to 2 loops. Bike n Rack are the official sponsors in terms of cycling support, transfers and they were providing assistance at the Transition area and the 10 km and 20 km U turn points of the Bicycling route for bike related issues including punctures.

Run – The Run has a challenging steep climb to the Finish and was designed along the same run course with 2 ‘U’ turn points for the various categories. Sprint Triathletes had 1 loop of 2.5k out and back. Olympic Triathletes, Aquathletes & Duathletes had 1 loop of 5.25k out and back. Half Iron Triathletes had 2 loops of 5.25k and back.

CrankActive

BBC Koramangala

B

engaluru Bouldering Championship (BBC), was an international championship that took place at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bangalore. The event was spread across 2 days and witnessed participation from different parts of India and the world like Nepal, Singapore and Malaysia to name a few.

participant reached the finish line. He who’d finish first would qualify for the finals.

Day 1 began with the Beginners Speed Climbing Competition. This competition proved to us that age is just a number, with participants right from the age of 12 to one contestant who was in his 70’s geared up for the event.

As the finalists came face-to-face for the final race, the indoor stadium filled with cheers.

The race was close, with the time difference between the winner and runner-up was less than 5 seconds.

Being slow on the Speed Wall wasn’t an option, as the climbers’ speed would be tested to full potential. The participant who made it to the top the fastest would taste victory.

There were two kinds of speed race: 1- Where each participant would climb the wall and their timing would be recorded.

2- Where 2 participants would compete against each other. The race would start with the referee’s signal and end when the fastest

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CRANK with ProCycle NOVEMBER 15TH, 2017

Post the Speed Wall Competition, day 1 ended with the qualifying round of the Bouldering Competition for men and women.

Day 2 started off with the finals of the Speed Wall Competition.

After the finale of the Speed Wall, the Bouldering Finals was held.

The competition was tough, but that didn’t stop the participants from crossing their obstacles. Each participant had to solve a number of routes to make it to the finals. As they reached the finals, they realised that was just the beginning, as the finals had tougher routes to complete.

After day 2 of intense competition, it was time to announce the winners. Dennis Chua Ren Ming, from Singapore came first in the men’s division, and Puntarika Tunyavanich from Thailand in the women’s division.

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Reviewed: Ladies Rides from GIANT, SCOTT, RIDLEY & TREK

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