Sycacross #3 : 1st of September 2013

Just a quick post to keep you up to date with the events I have been attending, this past weekend I went to the third round of the Sycacross Cyclocross series. This series is being run by the good folk at Whittlesea Cycling Club who are doing their best to promote all aspects of cycling in the Whittlesea area. They are holding all of their Cyclocross events at the Sycamore Reserve in Mill Park, this park features a BMX track that they have made good use of by incorporating it into the Cyclocross course.

We rode a full lap of the BMX course, albeit it backwards, on the cross bike. Great fun, although when riding the wrong way around a BMX track you will find that the track doesn't flow all that well. However, considering the alternative, this was a good choice by the organisers. Going the right way around the track would mean riding some fairly steep kickers that would have been difficult on a cross bike. After our BMX lap, we went around the outskirts of the track starting with a barrier jump followed by three logs that could be ridden if you could manage to hop your bike over in time. 

Then some nice reducing radius turns through some trees and a dip down to a gully where you had to hold as much speed as possible to get back out the other side and dodge some rocks that were hiding well in the grass. This lead to the longest "climb" of the course, this got harder and harder each lap, where you also having to contend with the headwind as you changed direction. A few more sharp turns and we went into a tight 180 degree turn up a hill, a spot for many a stalling rider. 

We then headed down a descent into the wind where you needed to pedal to keep any speed up,  before a left hand bend that lead into a hay bale barrier and the one big water feature of the course, a very deep, very stinky mud puddle.  This is where some spectators had set up a pole hand up, a hand up is when a spectator hands a racer something during a race. Usually something to drink or eat, beer, water, cash, whatever, but when attached to the end of a pole the racer HAS to go through the centre of the puddle to reach the hand up, crowd participation at it it's best.

The last round of the Sycacross series is being held on the 29th of September, they have classes for everyone from kids to hybrid to mountain bike riders and of course cyclocross riders. Come out and give it a try and support a cycling club that is doing their best to support the local cycling scene. Even if you come out just to spectate and heckle it is all appreciated and you will have a great day out at the same time. See you there.

- Brad

Trek Crockett 5 Disc Review

Any one who has read one of my blog entries or talked to me in person will know just how much I love the sport of cycling and of all the different aspects of the sport my absolute favorite has to be Cyclocross. I have been following the sport since the 1990's and got my first Cyclocross bike in 2002. Back then the major players in the bike industry did not bring a Cyclocross model to the country so the only way you could get one was by importing one yourself from the USA or Europe. Needless to say, you never got to see too many cross bikes out and about back then. 

Fast forward around a decade and almost all of the major bike industry players have a cross bike to offer the Australian consumer, a lot of them offering 3 or 4 models. The Cyclocross bike is a perfect bike for a lot of people. You can use it for racing Cyclocross, commuting, touring, bike track riding, rail trails, light duty mountain bike trails and you can put a set of road tyres on and use it for your favorite road ride as well. I have used my cross bikes for all of these and more. 

For 2014 Trek have expanded their range of cross bikes, in 2013 they signed a number of big named Cyclocross riders to their "Trek Cyclocross Collective" team. Probably the biggest name of these was Katie Compton, 2013 World Cup overall winner. Katie is well known for being a very meticulous rider, wanting her bikes to perform flawlessly and has worked with Trek to help them develop this new range of cross bikes for 2014. The bike that Katie rode last year was a prototype of the Crockett that is now available to us mere mortals. The geometry of this new platform is completely different from previous years cross bikes and should lead to a bike that handles the rigors of Cyclocross even better than the Cronus and Ion from last year.

Trek Crockett 5 Disc 

I was lucky enough to receive one of the first Crockett's available in Australia, good timing too, I got it the week before the National Cyclocross Championships and the final round of the Dirty Deeds Cyclocross series. A weekend of cross racing to break in a brand new bike, sounded good to me. 

Nice clean lines with no brake at the top of the fork.

I got to take the bike out for a quick spin before the first race, not nearly long enough but it gave me an idea of what to expect. The geometry of this new model is more in line with the Trek road bikes than their current range of cross bikes. This leads to a quick handling bike that is still stable through the corners and at speed. Standing up and stomping on the pedals results in an immediate response at the wheel, very efficient and stiff without having an overly harsh ride quality. The new frame is made of Trek's Alpha 200 series aluminium, their top of the line alloy material. 

I love a nice new shiny cassette. 

The alloy frame no doubt contributes to the stiff and efficient ride quality. The frame is also set up to run the gear and brake cables internally to keep them out of the mud and help reduce wear to the cables caused by being exposed to the elements. The carbon fiber fork is the same as the fork they designed for their Domane road bike. This IsoSpeed fork has been designed to offer good vertical compliance for the bumps but still be stiff laterally for steering precision. The backwards facing drop outs mean that the fork will handle like a straight blade fork but with the comfort of a raked fork. This along with Trek's patented E2 tapered steerer system makes for a stiff and yet comfortable ride. The frame also comes equipped with the Trek 3S integrated chain keeper which stops the chain from bouncing off the crank set to the inside, handy considering the rigors of cross racing.

The parts attached to this frame are reasonably modest but I think are a good choice for cross racing. Cyclocross is notoriously hard on components and having cheaper parts means that when the inevitable breakage does happen it isn't too much of an impact on your wallet to get the part replaced. This also means that the bike has a recommended retail of only $1,999.00, not too bad as a way to try out Cyclocross.  The bike has mostly Shimano 105 parts with an FSA 36/46 Cyclocross specific crank set spinning in a press fit BB86.5 bottom bracket. Avid BB5 mechanical disc brakes, post mount, with 160mm rotors handle the stopping duty. The wheels are an in house Bontrager set with 135mm rear hub spacing and are tubeless tyre compatible. 

The package comes together nicely; the new geometry and stiff frame works in conjunction with the Cyclocross specific build to make for one very impressive Cyclocross race bike. The handling of this bike is rock solid, with lower US style bottom bracket height and a longer top tube you end up being in a long and low riding position that really helps to put the power down and maintain stable handling. The disc brakes help with confidence in that they will start braking straight away when you apply them, not having to get rid of a layer of water and mud off of the brake surface before you get any friction. The 36/46 chain ring combination matched to a 12/30 cassette makes for a very usable gear range for its intended purpose.  I found myself staying in the big ring for longer and also using more of the cassette while in the big ring which allowed for a straighter chain line, this is great for helping to reduce wear. 

The handing of this bike is going to suit a more aggressive rider who has the ability to push the bike to its limits, when you get to those limits though it feels very secure and stable. The aggressive geometry allows for a very quick handling bike, very responsive to input from the rider. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing depending on your skill level. If your inputs are the right type of inputs then you will get great results, if those inputs are wrong though the results might not be so pleasing. Quick changes of direction, a staple of cyclocross racing, are perfectly handled by the Crockett. High speed corners are another place this bike shines, you would normally expect a fast handing bike to be less stable at speed but, like Trek's road bikes, this is simply not the case. They manage to bring the best of both worlds together for a ride quality that is hard to understand until you have ridden one.

I have got to say that I am impressed with the new Crockett cross bike, fantastic bike for the money. Having Trek's proprietary technology designed into a cyclocross frame has definitely helped create a bike that is perfectly suited to it's intended use. Given the price point of under two thousand dollars the weight of the bike is quite reasonable and if you spent some money on upgrading the wheels you could bring the weight down quite a bit. You could pretty easily take half a kilogram off the weight of the bike right there. As a first timers cyclocross bike you really couldn't ask for a better package, good quality parts without being overly expensive, built in versatility with the hidden fender mounts, good consistent braking in wet or dry conditions and the famous Trek handling has carried over as well. Well done again Trek, very pleased.

- Brad.

Dirty Deeds #2 : 11th of August 2013

It has been a while since my last entry here, so let’s visit the last event first, the Dirty Deeds Cyclocross round two on the eleventh of August. This event was held at Darebin Parklands in Alphington. This was held the day after the National Cyclocross Championships and would be the first event for the newly crowned 2013 National Cyclocross Champions, Lisa Jacobs and Allan Iacuone. 

Personal commitments and an accident that destroyed my Cyclocross bike kept me off my wheels for a month. I got my replacement bike built before race day but my first ride was actually at the National Championships on Saturday, (the less said about that event the better), so hardly an ideal preparation. 

Upon arrival at Darebin Parklands, I was struck with the usual sight of a massive line for registration followed by the not so usual sight of a fly over in the middle of the course.

Fly Over

Fly Over

This is a fairly regular addition to courses overseas but it is the first time I had seen one here in Australia. The course was the usual work of art that the crew at Dirty Deeds are now famous for, excellent use of the available elevation and great use of the existing track network.

Just after the start of the course we were sent through an increasingly soggy section of grass / mud that led into the one barrier on the lap. This section got to the point that I was sinking almost to my ankle as I got off to jump the barrier, tough. We  then ran over to climb the stairs up the fly over, remount at the top and fly down the ramp, Woo Hoo! After the fly over, we went around a couple of off-camber corners before dropping down a hard pack track full of rocks. Holding your speed through this section meant a great lead in to the next descent which led into the biggest mud pit on the course.

Probably the best place to spectate and heckle from, there was a huge crowd there and each lap I was going harder and faster into that mud pit. This seemed to keep the spectators happy; the bigger the splash, the bigger the cheer. This lead into an off-camber left hand bend that saw most riders drifting and/or crashing around, great fun! 

 Mud Pit

Left Hander after the Mud pit

After coming around that corner we went around a few hairpins on the flat before climbing our way back up away from the mud pit. This lead into a tight right hand turn on a climb that lead to a quite a few more interesting stalls and crashes and another hot spot for the crowd. A few more turns and we started heading up again past the pit area, a fairly gentle climb but on soggy grass that was very bumpy meant it was tougher to ride than it probably looked. Then we went along a nice hard pack section of dirt, ah relief, before coming back into the start finish area to go and do it all again, Yay!

This event marked the first Cyclocross event for a friend of mine and it was fantastic to see him racing with such a huge smile on his face.  

First Time Cyclocrosser

I have managed to convince a few people to try Cyclocross out now and am pleased to say that everyone who has tried it seems to agree with me about just how much fun this sport is. It is a very special type of pain that you go through in these events, you learn a lot about yourself and what your body is capable of.

You also remember why you ride your bike in the first place, to have fun! Slipping and sliding around in the mud and just generally doing all the things you have been told to never do on a bike you remember what it was like doing these things as a kid.

I think that anything that helps you connect with that side of your personality is a good thing. When you see the smiles on the faces of the other competitors even though you know that they are in pain, tells you something about just how much fun this sport is. 

Well that is it for now, until I write about the next event, get out there and try something new, something different just to see if you will enjoy it. As they say, don't knock it until you have tried it.

2013 Trek Madone 5.2 Review

Trek have made some major changes to their 2013 road racing range, along with the introduction of a completely new range of road bikes with the new Domane they have also done a major revamp of their Madone range. 

First seen early this year at the Tour of California, the new Madone is a radical departure from the previous year’s model. The most noticeable feature is the brake placement and design. The brakes have been integrated into the frame design which means that they are both placed nicely out of the wind. The rear being tucked down under the chain stay and the front nestled in under a specially designed head tube. 

Trek have included a design feature usually seen on heavy duty brakes for BMX and Mountain Bikes and scaled it down for road use. The new brake is a twin post mount design as opposed to the single post that the majority of road bikes come with.

The second post helps to distribute the braking load over two mounts rather than only one which translates to increased braking power and better feel at the lever.  Because the rear brake mount has been taken away from the seat stays, Trek have been able to tune the ride to flex where needed. Also, because the brakes are placed neatly out of the wind the bike ends up being more aerodynamic.

The other major change is the shape of the frame tubes. Over the past few years Trek designers have been developing their "Virtual Kammtail" design on their time trial bikes. This design effectively takes all of the advantages of an air foil design and does away with its disadvantages. The design creates a shape that mimics the airflow characteristics of an air foil  with  less material, which means lower weight. It also means that the air foil will maintain its relationship to the wind. In other words, the "tail" of the air foil will always be parallel to the wind the tube is slicing through.

Out in the real world where wind is rarely, if ever, a straight on headwind, the aerodynamic traits are always consistent. This technology has been incorporated into almost every tube on the frame, from the head tube right back to the seat stays. Along with the internal cable routing this makes for a very fast, low drag bike. The best features of last years Madone have carried over as well, such as; E2, Duotrap, ride tuned seat cap and the long renowned Madone handling.

I have ridden a long series of different road bikes through the years from steel to aluminium to carbon fibre to a combination of materials. Last year when I had the opportunity to ride the 2012 Madone, I could not believe how stiff yet comfortable it actually was. I have been on stiff frames that seem to accelerate with every pedal stroke but they also transfer EVERY shock from the road right through to the rider. With the Madone though, I found it was almost as stiff when it came to sprinting yet when I hit an unexpected bump in the road the shock transferred through to me was negligible. After a long ride this was a welcome design feature, leaving me feeling fresher for longer.

So, when the Trek representative told me the new Madone was even better again I struggled to believe him; more aerodynamic, stiffer, lighter and more comfortable.

So it was with great excitement that I received the new 2013 Madone 5.2. I couldn't wait to get out on the roads with it and see how far off the representative really was.

My first ride was the weekly Gran Prix Bicycles group ride, a great chance to show off my new toy. This is obviously a very well known ride for me so it was a great test to see how the new bike would stand up against last year’s model. The first thing I noticed was the incredible advancement in the braking; a few times I almost got myself into trouble when I grabbed a bit too much brake. I needed to "re-calibrate" my fingers with these new brakes, easy one finger braking is all that is needed. The next thing I noticed was the bikes ability to hold its speed. Once up to full speed, I felt like I was able to hold it there for much longer without going into the red zone. Great in the final sprint (it felt like I was cheating a bit). 

The new Madone's first big ride, Mount Donna Buang.

My first big ride on the new Madone was up Mt.Donna Buang, riding from The Basin up the 1 in 20 to Monbulk then over to Warburton and on to the summit of Mt.Donna Buang. It was on the first climb that I noticed the other great new feature for this year, less weight! I was able to spin quite well all the way to the top, admittedly at a very low speed, but much easier than my last trip up there. 

She is very pretty.

I rode up the West side of Mount Donna Buang, which meant that the road was mostly gravel, albeit smooth gravel. The Madone ate it up, even when I accidentally hit braking bumps and pot holes, the new more forgiving ride allowed me to keep the power on and concentrate on keeping my speed rather than keeping the bike upright.

Mostly gravel on "La Strada Don Fangoso" 

(a.k.a. Mt. Donna Buang's west side)

La Strada Don Fangoso

Then, on the descent, I noticed the new aerodynamic frame coming into play. I was able to hold a higher speed while coasting than I could previously. Then I was introduced once more to the new brakes and how much more powerful they really are. Flying into corners and braking at the last possible second, braking so hard that I could hear the tyres starting to let go, the whole time using only minimal finger force on each brake lever. These brakes remind me of when I upgraded from cantilever brakes to V-brakes on my mountain bikes, a whole new world of performance.

Overall, the first decent ride on the new Madone had proven to be a revelation. Lighter than last years model, more aerodynamic, better braking and more comfortable, by the end of this first ride I had been in the saddle for about six and a half hours and if it weren't for the fading light I could have kept going.

The comfortable ride is fantastic, encouraging you to ride for longer, which is always a good thing. The stiffness when out of the saddle is awesome, it really feels like none of your energy is being wasted by flexing the frame; all of your effort is being transferred to the rear tyre. When I wind the bike up to speed I feel that I am able to hold my top speed for longer before I hit my red zone, which I would attribute to the improved aerodynamics. The brakes are confidence inspiring, all that power allows you brake later into corners and stop faster in case of an incident. This bike really is as good as the Trek representative said.

After two months of riding on the new Madone, I can safely say that I am in love. Each time I take the bike out I struggle not to add that one extra loop or those few extra kilometers to the end of my ride. Since I started riding the new Madone, I have broken almost all of my previous personal records from when I was riding last years model and I am feeling fresher at the end of every ride, both good things.

Well done Trek,  thank you for such a well designed and produced bike.

- Brad.

Thanks a Bunch

A big thank you from Gran Prix Bicycles to all of you who make our Saturday morning group rides such a hit.

When I started here at Gran Prix Bicycles late last year I was told not to expect too much in the winter time, where group numbers would sometimes dwindle to one or two riders.

But here we are at the end of a particularly nasty Melbourne winter and the average number of riders braving the early morning starts is about a dozen. Add to that the ad hoc Sunday morning rides that break out from time to time when the weather cooperates and we have a nice uptake on morning rides.

Riders have come to rely on the fact that there will always be a group ready to ride at 7:00am. Whether it is a big group or small, there will always be someone to ride with.

We’re a friendly bunch - if someone gets a flat tyre we all stop so that they will not have to do the rest of the ride on their own. Newcomers are always gently brought into the fold. We don’t need anyone to prove themselves with a long turn on the front if they are not up to it.

We have some fantastic patrons. Matt Robinson, our GP Domestique, is number one. He is always there for a friendly chat or to show someone the ropes but also to stand up for us and give someone a good talking to if need be. You can read up on Matt's experience as a "M.A.M.I.L.", (Middle Aged Man In Lycra), on his blog here.

Another long standing stalwart of our group is Ned, equally consistent as Matt, rain hail or shine. Ned is a fantastic advocate for our group rides, getting his brothers to come along with us. Ned also invites some of his friends to come out and they all seem to have a great time, regularly coming back for more. 

One of the things that I love about working in the bicycle industry is getting to watch people becoming addicted to cycling. Being able to watch as a rider’s strength and confidence soars, inspires riders like me to keep the passion alive.

Again, I would like to extend a big thank you to all of you, including our regulars who keep our group ride going strong and I hope that it will only get bigger and better from here.

Come on out with us on Saturday mornings! It’d be great to see you there.

- Brad.

Dirty Deeds #1 : 15th of July 2012

Time for round two of the National Cyclocross Series, this was kind of like a Cyclocross stage race, two races in two days. I could get used to this very easily, in America and Europe this is just about the norm. Round two was hosted by the fine people from Dirty Deeds, at the  Darebin Parklands.

A grade field lining up.

We really are starting to hit the big time, SBS's Cycling Central had a crew out filming the weekends action. I am no longer alone in my cyclocross passion, woohoo!

Officially big time!

As usual the Dirty Deeds Crew out did themselves with a course design that was even better than yesterdays. Some fantastic use of the available space and some mean course design by taking the course down next to the pond in the middle of the Darebin Parklands, probably the muddiest section of the park. Thanks for that guys.

One side of the course.

Another "Circle of Death", this is starting to become a Dirty Deeds trademark.

They also included another circle of death, this looks awesome in motion full of riders seemingly going every which way. Absolute chaos, fun chaos.

Not quite full here but it gives you the idea.

After the "Circle of Death", there was a little drop down a bank that sent you flying into a hairpin turn at 30+ km/h only to come to almost a dead stop when you hit the mud at the bottom. Then grind your way around the corner and try to accelerate for the climb up the other side only to have to get off half way up and jump a barrier. Good fun. 

This section was tough to hold any speed through.

You can see from this guy's rear tyre just how far down your tyres sank.

Barrier jumping.

After this section we got a little bit of respite as we turned back down the hill and onto a section of bike path. It felt so good to get back onto a surface more appropriate to ride a bike on. Strange that.

After the bike path section they sent us back up the hill again into a tight right hand hairpin that increased in gradient as the turn decreased in radius. This was tough to stay on your bike through but paid dividends if you were able to. 

Tough section to ride.

We then went down to ride beside the pond, right beside the pond, VERY SOGGY. Another tough section to ride even though we had gravity on our side to get through it.

See? Very soggy.

Going down to the pond.

Nice little puddle.

After the pond section, just for a change of pace, they sent us through another mud patch. What a surprise.

More mud, yay.

This led us into the final straight and the finish line ready for yet another lap. What an awesome course. If it wasn't so hard to ride I could have kept going for hours, top fun.

Finishing straight.

As far as my performance on the day goes, I think the less said about that the better. Not too well basically. But huge buckets of fun were had so that is the main thing, (that is exactly what all the back markers tell themselves I am sure). Basically mid field so not too bad but not the best either.

Muddy bicycle.

Thanks again to the Dirty Deeds crew for another awesome event and a fantastic start to the  National Cyclocross Series.

- Brad.

Cross Melburn #1 : 14th of July 2012

Cyclocross is getting pretty big here in Australia, only two years ago there was nothing to sate a hungry crossers appetite. You could ride a cross bike in an MTB event or put slicks on and do a road race but nothing truly "cross like". Now, in 2012 we have the inaugural National Cyclocross Series. A six round series taking in the cross scene from Melbourne,  Adelaide and Sydney. We are starting to get a few followers of this crazy cross thing, cool.

The first two rounds of the series were in Melbourne, Saturday and round #1 would be "Cross Melburn". This was held at the Melbourne Go Cart Centre in Port Melbourne organised by the fine folk at Trailmix and Full Gas Promotions. This was a brand new location for Cyclocross in Melbourne, held on and off the go kart track, it made for a fun and tough course.

Now THAT looks fun.

Cyclocross is meant to be a tough sport, it was originally intended as a form of cross training for professional cyclists to stay fit in their off season. So all cyclocross courses are a challenge , not only physically but technically and mentally as well. You really do need to be a good all rounder to do well at this sport. Seeing as how this course was around a motor racing track they really made the most of the terrain available. At the end of a fast straight on a track like this they have gravel traps to slow the cars down in the event of an off track excursion. So of course they sent the track through as many of these gravel traps as possible.... The gravel in these traps was like pea gravel, almost round, this meant that there was never a firm line through it. The gravel would simply slide back down to fill the divot  your tyre had just made, this made riding through it almost impossible. 

Gravel trap

It became clear quite quickly that running these sections was faster than riding them. 

At the end of the main straight they sent us off track and onto the grass leading into a right hand berm. Good fun. If you took a high enough line through here you could build some momentum for the following gravel trap.

Nice little berm

The fast line through here was up next to the billboard, on the other side of the tyres in the middle of the shot above. You could use gravity to get your speed up and bypass half of the gravel trap usually gaining a couple of positions in the process. This was a very cool course, very different to what I had gotten used to.

 Being the first round of the National series they also set a pit up, very Pro.

Practice

There were some obligatory muddy patches.

Yep, muddy.

Line choice.

A lot of the corners were like this one, two line choices. The inside line on the grass is shorter but much tougher while the outside line on the track is longer but much faster.

So, after struggling through the race with a heart rate above 85% of my maximum for 40 minutes or so I ended up finishing in 7th place. Not too shabby, one down from the last race but over a longer duration so at least I didn't lose any positions during the longer race. Lots of fun was had though so that is, as always, the main thing.

I finished the day sore, happy and excited for round two the next day.

Thanks to the guys at Trailmix and Full Gas Promotions for organising this series, you should come along to compete or just to watch the next one. I have been told that it is a great day as a spectator as well. If you are keen to try this out you can follow the above links to enter the next rounds.

- Brad.