Regular readers will know I don’t usually feature product reviews on here. I did a book review last week but that’s about it and I’m not sure I’ll be doing many more. It’s much harder than I thought.
kit
What do you look for in a review?
A quick item to ask what you look for in a clothing review. Some clothing has turned up from Hincapie Sports and I intend to give it a full and thorough review. My starting point is some long term testing and checking all the small things, like the quality of every seam to how easy … Read more
Tour de France competition
There’s another chance to win one of the Rothera Cycling caps on Bastille Day, the French national holiday.
This time predict the first French rider to cross the finish line in Luz Ardiden on today’s Stage 12.
Who makes what
Like any industry, the bicycle sector is a broad one and international, with sophisticated supply chains going around the world. There are so many companies from garage artisan frame builders to corporate giants quoted on several stock exchanges at once.
I’ve put together a list of some of the main companies involved and the brands they operate. You might find some surprises, for example that Lapierre is Dutch-owned and part of the same corporate empire as Tunturi gym bikes. Or that helmets from Giro and Bell are from the same company.
Pro maintenance (don’t try this at home)
Imagine a fancy hotel where you return from a ride or race to hand your bike over to mechanic. You could mention a creaking bottom bracket or you maybe you want a different cassette on the back for tomorrow. It’s done, not only that but the bike gets cleaned and even the bar tape looks new. Well that’s exactly what a pro rider gets. Obviously they have a duty to ride the bike to exhaustion and beyond but they can always count on getting the bike fixed.
Paris-Roubaix Tech
Five points on the tech side ahead of this Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix race. The Tour of Flanders has pavé but things are a lot worse in Paris-Roubaix, these roads are simply brutal and unlike any other race on the pro calendar.
Tip and tricks from years past are reapplied. Mechanics spend days, if not weeks, getting ready for just this one race. Unique equipment is used, even team cars are adapted. Here’s a look at five things related to the tech side.
Are bike reviews biased?
How objective are bike reviews? Someone writing a review would say they know their stuff, that they can tell the difference between a good frame and a bad one, more they can get the measure of wheels, handlebars and tyres too. Only there’s plenty of evidence from outside the cycling world that reviewing, testing and … Read more
What do the pros ride?
A question on Twitter last Thursday got me thinking: “name the last rider to win a Classic using an Aluminium frameset”. I was thinking of strange win from way back… until I remembered Philippe Gilbert. The Belgian won the Amstel Gold and the Tour of Lombardy on an aluminium frame. This was then a subject … Read more
Spot the difference
A lot has been made about the trend of teams to adopt blue and black colours for this year. It’s almost symbolic of the sport’s bruised and battered status. But there are practical considerations, fans watching on TV can struggle to struggle to identify riders and teams. Indeed Peter Stetina joked about Team Sky and … Read more
Colnago Con Brio
There aren’t many blogs dedicated towards single bike brands. But there is one for Colnago called Colnago con brio. The clover-leafed company from near Milan is a mythical name in the sport, no wonder it has such a following. I grew up revering the name, the Italian frame builder was completely out of my league. … Read more