Foldable Bikes Party: October 2015

Saturday, 31 October 2015

â€‹Valente medals at Track World Cup

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Jennifer Valente(San Diego, Calif./TWENTY16 p/b SHO-AIR) won her second medal at the2015-16 UCI World Cup #1Saturday in Cali, Colombia, earning bronze in the womenandrsquo;s scratch race.

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Compton wins C1 Kings CX After Dark in Ohio

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Katie Compton (Trek Factory Racing) won the Cincy 3's Kings CX After Dark, a UCI C1 event held in Mason, Ohio on Saturday. She built her winning lead with three laps to go to take a commanding win ahead of Crystal Anthony and Amanda Miller, both from Boulder Cycle Sport-Yogaglo.

A top-notch field gathered for the Kings CX After Dark as contenders included Compton along with Luna teammates Maghalie Rochette and Georgia Gould, Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld), who recently placed second at the Valkenburg World Cup, Courtenay McFadden (American Classic-Zones), Beth Ann Orton (Kona), Erica Zaveta (Maxxis-Shimano) and Canadian champion Mical Dyck (Naked Factory Racing).

Caroline Mani (Raleigh-Clement) took the early lead in the women's race followed by Emma White and Meredith Miller, Compton and McFadden. Compton forced a small gap but she was followed by Amanda Miller (Boulder Cycle Sport).

It didn't take long for Compton to build the winning lead she needed with three laps to go.The chase group behind was a strong one and included Amanda Miller, Crystal Anthony (Boulder Cycle Sport-Yogaglo), Antonneau, Mani, Gould and Rachel Lloyd.

Anthony and Miller broke clear of the chase group in pursuit of Compton, and for the second and third spots on the podium, while Antonneau took fourth and Lloyd fifth on the day.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Trott and Manakov take early leads in Omniums

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You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Lars van der Haar beats Wout Van Aert at Niels Albertland Cyclo-cross

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You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Van Loy wins Niels Albertland Cyclo-cross

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You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Taihu Lake: Mareczko wins in Wuxi Binhu

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Italy's Jakub Mareczko of Southeast started the Tour of Taihu Lake with the number 1 on his back, and crossed the finish line of Wuxi-Binhu in first position in a bunch gallop. He beat Andriy Kulik from the Ukraine and Turkish sensation Ahmet Örken from Torku Sekerspor. The 21-year-old from Raffa di Puegnago near the Garda Lake was prompt to express his ambitions for winning the nine-day long Chinese race overall.

"I'm glad I managed to get another victory in China after stage 6 of the Tour of Hainan where discovered that I have the legs for winning races during this campaign," Mareczko declared. "The team helped me tremendously for that. They controlled the very fast start and rode behind the breakaway with 30km to go. They kept me at the front to avoid the risks of crashing as it happened last week. Dal Col did a wonderful job delivering me at 250 metres to go and I got the victory I was aiming for."

Breakaway riders Mads Rahbek (Trefor-Blue Water), Thomas Rabou (Attaque Team Gusto) and Wang Meiyin (Hengxiang) got reined in with 8.5km to go. The latter won the third intermediate sprint that put him in the lead of the Greater China special competition while all other jerseys went to Mareczko (orange for the overall ranking, green for the points classification and blue for the best young rider).

"I know some of my adversaries in this race but not all of them," Mareczko admitted. "We have a competitive team, we can do well without bothering too much about the other sprinters. We're at the level of the riders who are in contention here." Scott Sunderland, a former Australian track cyclist for sprint events was the designated sprinter in the Budget Forklifts team of defending champion Sam Witmitz but he was involved in a crash with 5km to go.

"I was confident that I could do well here after collecting a few placings at the Tour of Qinghai Lake," Kulik said while up and coming Turkish fast man Örken said his good form is due to a strong racing program ahead of the Tour of Taihu Lake. "I have had a few successes in category 2 races back home and I took part in the European championship for track racing," the 22 year old from Konya explained. "At the Tour of Taihu Lake, I'm used to getting a podium result towards the end of the race but I didn't want to wait for stage 7 or something this time around."

The Tour of Taihu Lake is known for being dead flat all the way but the race organizers haven't some interesting hills on stage 5. However, Mareczko doesn't seem to worry about them. "For sure, the goal is to win the overall classification, since the course isn't too hard for me," the Italian warned. "We're definitely riding for the GC here."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Inside FFWD's Dutch factory, where 'handbuilt' is the mantra

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Rolf Timmerman, the director of FFWD, is buzzing with pride over what his firm has achieved in its short eight-year history. Based in the unassuming small-town of Zwolle, about an hour from Amsterdam, this tightly run wheelmaking company has seen significant success in a short time.

While other companies may bombard you with technical stories, wind tunnel data and performance-gain boasts, Timmerman claims that FFWD is simply about bringing the best-built wheels it can to market and backing that up with service and support levels no one else can offer.

"Every part of our wheel-building process is completely done by hand; [during] the rim manufacture in our facility in Asia the carbon is hand-laid. When the rims arrive here they’re are assembled by our team of wheel builders, finished and tensioned and stressed all by our highly trained staff."

This is, of course, exactly the kind of bluster and marketing hype you expect manufacturers to spout. But as we spend a day within the building we see every piece of the process come together – and it's hard not to walk away impressed.

When rims arrive at Zwolle, they're checked and visually inspected before heading out to a test lab to be X-rayed and approved

Telepathic wheel knowledge

Fast reflexes

Crash landings

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Flare Roost Downhill Jersey

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If you're looking for a loose fitting long-sleeved jersey for downhill riding, or just riding the trails, we reckon you can't really go wrong with the Roost from Flare.

We were impressed with how breathable this jersey, made from a lightweight polyester, is. It's ideal for intense sessions, but also great for longer rides where you might want a bit more coverage.

The Flare Roost Downhill jersey is made in the UK

Flare always makes a visual statement with its gear, and the Roost Downhill range is no different. The joyfully bright turquoise option with vivid red stripe is certainly eye catching; there's also a navy option with purple stripe, and Roost Downhill Shorts to match.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Verenti Substance Sora

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Why would you buy a bike designed, at least in theory, for the off-road world of cyclocross for more urban duties? Well, in spite of the sport’s growing popularity we reckon more cyclocross bikes see action solely on city streets and country roads than competitive mud-plugging duties.

Verenti’s distributor Wiggle alludes to the wider ambitions of its Substance by saying that it’s also designed to be "a bit of fun around town, a sturdy commuter and a weekend rambler". Ah, it all makes sense now.

The gearing is certainly more all-rounder than 'crosser. Competitive ’cross bikes need their gears closer together, hence the common 46/36 setup. That might be handy for racing, but it leaves you short at both ends of the range when it comes to more general cycling.

Cable-actuated disc brakes offer ample power

The Substance’s 50/34 compact is a much better call for most uses, and gives a very impressive range when combined with the 11-32 cassette. The nine-speed Sora setup does mean biggish gaps between gears, especially at the lower gear range (bigger sprockets), but we think that’s a price worth paying. The 34x32 will get you up even the steepest hills (or help you carry loads comfortably), and only the likes of Mark Cavendish will find the 50x11 too small at the top.

Comfort and versatility

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Women’s news shorts: Team pursuit medals for Canada, USA and Great Britain in Cali

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Canada take gold medal in team pursuit at World Cup in Cali, silver for USA and bronze for Great Britain

Canada’s women’s team pursuit squad captured the gold medal in the opening UCI Track World Cup held in Cali on Friday. The team included Jasmin Glaesser, Allison Beveridge, Kristi Lay and Stephanie Roorda. The team was ranked third in the world heading into the event and recently won the gold medal at the Pan American Games held in Toronto in July, where they beat teams from USA and Mexico.

In Cali, the Canadian team won the team pursuit in 4:21, beating USA’s team that included Sarah Hammer, Kelly Catlin, Jennifer Valente and Ruth Winder. The bronze medal went to Great Britain’s team; Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne and Joanna Rowsell. They defeated the Chinese quartet by less than two-tenths of a second in 4:26.

Great Britain rolls out for the women's team pursuit final

Australia’s Meares and Morton take silver in the team sprint, set new Australian record

Australian sprint duo Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton took silver in the team sprint at the World Cup in Cali, and set a new Australian Record in the process, according to a team press release.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Savio: If there is one team that fights against doping it is us

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Androni-Giocattoli boss Gianni Savio has responded to the announcement from the UCI that they had refused to lift a 30-day suspension handed to his team, saying that Pro Continental outfit was doing more to fight doping than many. The Italian team were suspended by the UCI from August 1st to 30th after two of their riders registered adverse analytical findings in the space of 12 months.

Davide Appollonio was the first Androni rider produce an adverse analytical finding when he tested positive for EPO June 14. Days later, Fabio Taborre gave a positive sample for the experimental product FG-4592, which helps to stimulate the production of EPO. Savio confirmed at the start of September that he would take legal action against the two riders.

“If there is one team that fights against doping it is us. We are totally removed from the criminal behaviour of the two dopers. In fact, we demanded at the time of the two riders and we will receive a communication next week with the days that the proceedings will be. It is the first time in history that a team demand a doped cyclist. Never happened,” Savio told Biciciclismo, referring to the legal proceedings against Taborre and Appollonio.

In taking the two riders to court and trying to have the suspension overturned, Savio says that he is defending the honour of his team. He will be hoping that organisers will be able to look past the indiscretions of Taborre and Appollonio when they are planning their invitations, specifically Giro d’Italia organisers RCS. Androni-Giocattoli finished third in the Coppa Italia this season, which means they will be relying on RCS to give them a wildcard entry.

Savio believes that they will be able to secure a spot, however. “I have confidence we will be in the Giro. I don’t see why not, we are always protagonists.”

Androni-Giocattoli are one of 20 teams that have been confirmed as applying for a Pro Continental licence for next season. They have had a poor 2015 season, taking only five victories and finishing 34th in the Europe Tour.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Pardilla still awaiting apology from organisers after Pais Vasco crash

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Almost seven months on from crashing out on that now infamous stage of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Sergio Pardilla says that he’s still waiting for a comment, let alone an apology, from the event organisers. Pardilla was one of many riders to collide at high speed with metal bollards on the finishing straight of the stage 2 into Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Pardilla and his lawyers have made numerous attempts to contact Organizaciones Ciclistas Euskadi, who manage the race, but have not yet received a response. Pardilla is also frustrated that they issued such a swift apology to Greg Van Avermaet after he was hit by a race motor bike during the Clasica San Sebastian, which they also organise.

“They have ignored the subject,” Pardilla told Spanish sports paper Marca. “I don’t know anything, they haven’t responded to our calls or letters. With Van Avermaet, when he was run over in Clasica San Sebastian they sent him a letter in Spanish. For me, not even this.”

Peter Stetina (BMC) was another rider seriously injured in the accident. The American was left with broken ribs, tibia and patella and told Cyclingnews in June that he was considering legal action against the organisers. Pardilla’s lawyer Mutua Navarra didn’t discount that option and said that the organisers must take some responsibility.

“The responsibility for what Sergio has lost in this time and the conditions for insurance when you cannot be in competition should be covered by the organisers. I will send another request soon and if we don’t have to sue at least there is the act of reconciliation,” he explained.

Pardilla has been unable to return to racing since the incident at the start of April this season. The 31-year-old suffered a hemopneumothorax, fractures in both shoulder blades, the ulna of the left arm, four ribs, a broken finger in his left hand and he destroyed the metacarpals of the same hand. The seriousness of his injuries meant that he was unable to do some of the simplest tasks for himself.

— Filippo Pozzato (@PippoPozzato) April 7, 2015

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Cali World Cup: Wiggins misses team pursuit medal as British women take bronze

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Bradley Wiggins and the British men’s team pursuit squad missed out on a medal on the opening day of the Cali World Cup as the women claimed bronze despite being forced to compete with just three riders.

The British women set the second fastest time in the qualifying round but lost out to the USA in the first round. Katie Archibald, Clara Horne and Joanna Rowsell rode a 4:26.662 in the bronze medal clash against China to win Britain’s only medal of the opening day. Fourth rider Elinor Barker was required to take to the start but pulled out immediately due to illness. They were also without Laura Trott, who was pulled from the team after the qualifiers to give her a chance to rest before competing in the omnium.

It was a close call in the end with Britain beating China by less than two tenths to take the bronze. Following the event, Rowsell heaped praise on Barker for ensuring the team could take the start. “She has been feeling a bit unwell,” Rowsell said. “Regulations say that although you can finish with three you can’t start with three so I think she was a real hero to be getting up on the line so we can start the bike race.

“Racing with three was quite a battle but we enjoyed it and got it, just, thanks to Elinor for putting us up on the line when she wasn’t feeling up for it.”

Canada put in a dominant performance to beat the USA by more than five seconds to claim the gold.

The men’s team pursuit squad didn’t fare as well, qualifying fourth before losing out to eventual winners Russia in the next round. There were some positives as they caught Germany in the battle for fifth place. One of their key rivals in the event, Australia rode to third with Switzerland backing up their European Championships performance to take second.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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GB women claim team pursuit bronze

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Great Britain's women take bronze in the Track World Cup team pursuit in Colombia despite Elinor Barker's illness.

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Friday, 30 October 2015

â€‹U.S. wins World Cup team pursuit silver

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The U.S. earned womenandrsquo;s team pursuit silver on the first day of the 2015-16 UCI Track World Cup #1 in Cali, Colombia, falling to Canada in Fridayandrsquo;s final.

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Russia, Canada top team pursuit qualifying

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You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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BikeMotion Benelux 2015 mega gallery

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On our way to checking out Holland’s FFWD wheels design and production facilities (look for a story on BikeRadar very soon), we got the chance to stop off at the Dutch BikeMotion show – so we thought we’d give you a gallery of some of the best bikes and bits from one of the biggest Benelux bike shows.

Salsa

Salsa may have taken a bit of a low profile of late (at least in the UK), but the new generation of ‘hardtail drop bar bikes’ takes things a little further than its pioneering gravel machines like the Warbird. The carbon Cutthroat is designed to be the ideal companion for long-distance bikepacking racing. The race-inspired geometry features super long 445mm chainstays to get you up and over technical singletrack trails, yet still give plenty of stability and comfort for big endurance rides.

The Cutthroat features vast clearances at the rear

The bike features huge clearances and will accommodate up to 29 x 2.4in rubber (plus plenty of mud). It’s suspension-adjusted for a 100mm travel fork, though comes equipped with a full-carbon unit. At the rear there’s provision for 74mm post-mount brakes for rotors of either 140 or 160mm and a 142 x 12mm thru-axle.

Olympia and Scapin

Alchemist wheels

Chesini

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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BikeRadar Bargains: MTB disc brakes

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Hands up who's going trail riding this weekend? Yup, us too. Things are getting a little, well, gloopy now that autumn's firmly here, so for this week's BikeRadar Bargains we're taking a look at disc brakes.

Read on for the seven best deals we could find, starting with affordable anchors and moving up the price scale but without losing the focus on quality.

Clarks Skeletal Hydraulic Disc Brake (single) - £63.99 £31.99

These pack in the features for such a low price, with both leverage and reach adjusters built in, while the caliper gets an adjustable angle hose for neat ﬁtting.

Available now with 50% off from Chain Reaction Cycles

Avid DB3 Disc Brake Set £210 £85.99

Shimano SLX M675 Disc Brakes - Front & Rear Set - £149.98 £89.95

Hope Tech 3 E4 Disc Brake (single) - £150 £134.99

Shimano Zee M640 Disc Brakes - Front & Rear Set - £219.98 £144.95

Formula R0 Disc Brake Set - £478 £238.99

SRAM XX Disc Brakeset - £540 £269.99

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Primal's new look women's range makes a bold statement

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Primal has unveiled a bold new look for the brand, a bright new women's cycling range, and a fresh range of active wear alongside its road cycling staples. It's something of a new era for the Colorado-based brand.

With a history of eye-catchingly different designs (the tattoo-design arm warmers of 2008 spring to mind) it's hardly surprising that the new women's cycling range incorporates fashion-forward shades, patterns and detailing into it's technical jersey range.

New for 2015/16 are the lifestyle and active clothing ranges, which represent fresh territory for Primal. The Lifestyle products incorporate shorts, T-shirts, vest tops, polo shirts and even a skort, and are designed to be worn on and off the bike. We're rather taken with the look of the new Active wear range, which features a sports bra, shirt and a selection of capri leggings and tights.

On the cycling kit side of things, Primal has divided its kit up into four sections. Streetwear has a looser fit and a focus on loud, bold, eye-catching graphics, High Fashion jerseys and shorts have a looser sport fit, and some rather cool designs. Race Evo is, as the name suggests, a race-cut range including a jersey and bib shorts with subtler and more traditional graphics. Race Helix is the top race-specific range that Primal produces, with two designs - one sharp chevrons of blue and turquoise, one in a stealthy black.

Primal items are available globally, and we'll update this article with Australian pricing shortly.

Mache and Kismet women's cycling jerseys

Primal Women's Sound Barrier Helix jersey

Primal Active Casual / Lifestyle range

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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The adjustable mountain bike stem is here, and we're not sure we need it

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Spanish firm 3FStech has, in its own words, come up with a product that will be an 'evolution in mountain bike racing'. What it's actually done is designed an adjustable mountain bike stem.

Indexed through three positions, the 3FStech AIM (adjustment in motion) stem slides along its own alloy shaft to offer 55, 95 and 120mm stem lengths to a rider.

With the 350g 3FStech AIM in place, a rider simply pushes forward on a remote lever and either pushes out or pulls in the component to reach their desired stem length. Should you want to risk an accident, it can even be done while in the saddle.

Many of us will have resorted to adjusting stem lengths over the years – and anyone who has will be able to report on the dramatic effect that doing so will have on a bike's steering.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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11spd: This week's best new bike gear

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All hail Friday! All hail the coming weekend's rides! And all check out this week's latest 11spd!

Every week we have 11 new pieces of cycling goodness lined up here for your visual pleasure. Next week we'll take a closer look at a few of them. But for now, feast your eyes – and get out on your bike this weekend!

New road gear

Fizik Aliante VS saddle

If you like Fizik's Aliante saddle but find it a little, uh, numbing over long rides, the VS version with an anatomic channel might be the one for you.

Fizik recommends the Aliante for those with poor back flexibility, but many others find it comfortable, too. This version has ovalized carbon rails, a nylon/carbon shell, a Microtex cover and a snap-on attachment for Fizik saddle bags and/or rear lights.

We weighed our sample at 224g; claimed weight is 229g.

Shimano RP9 shoes

Clif Bar Hot Chocolate bar

Pactimo Storm Hybrid jacket

Bell Gage MIPS helmet

Assos knee warmers

New mountain bike gear

Lifeproof FRĒ iPhone 6 case

WTB SL8 Carbon saddle

WTB Trail Boss 27.5x3in

Industry Nine BC 450 wheelset

Bontrager Ion 700 RT and Flare RT

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Strava and Zwift take the edge off winter training

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Strava's partnered with online cycle training game Zwift to give Strava Premium members two months of free access every year.

Zwift, an online program that combines game elements such as the ability to ride against other real and virtual players, was developed to make indoor training a more social and – dare we say it – fun experience. It's compatible with a number of smart turbo trainers and costs £8/$10/AU$10 for a monthly subscription.

Strava Premium members will be able to access two consecutive months of Zwift per year, with Premium membership costing £3.99/$6/AU$6 per month or £39.99/$59/AU$59 per year. With the nasty weather well and truly here, we reckon this could take the edge off winter training.

Premium members also get access to a suite of other features, including coaching tips, videos and customisable training plans.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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