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MATHIEU VAN DER POEL: World champion CX 2015 & 2019 |
European champion CX 2017 & 2018 | 7 times Elite Dutch National
Champion (CX, Road, MTB) | Winner Amstel Gold Race 2019 |
European champion MTB 2019

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 CONTENTS
VOL. 10, ISSUE 6

THE SCENE GEAR

7 Cyclo Nord-Sud at 20 ROAD
For two decades, the Montreal-
38 Fara Cycling F|Disc
based group has been
A frame from a Norway-based
improving lives with bikes
company for roaming or racing
8 Cycling Celebrity
39 Trek Domane SLR 7
he bike has taken folk-noir
Holes in the frame make
musician Abigail Lapell to
for a better bike
gigs and on tour
TRAIL
9 Crankology
Why I can’t possibly sell 40 Scott Ransom 920
one of these bikes The enduro rig will help you
rip down trails and climb up
10 Canadian Club
them well, too
Mountain and Fat Bike Chaleur
develops the young riders and 41 Trek Top Fuel
the trails of Bathurst, N.B. Head down country on this quick
and nimble bike

26
11 Notes from the Gruppetto
No need to get CSaD GIFT GUIDE

12 48 Hours 42 Project: Give Great Stuff

Cycling the edge of the world Amazing presents and stocking
on Haida Gwaii stuffers for every type of rider
FEATURES
14 Nutrition IN DEPTH
20 Pedalling Pixels 5 foods to try in the new year 54 Trainers
he rise of virtual competition Top smart trainers to take your
15 Guest Chef
Online racing is keeping us fi t year-round, creating winter riding to the next level
Karen Verk’s Bake: Dessert Co.
new development pathways for cycling talent,
espresso biscotti 56 Getting Remote and
ofering novel ways to cheat and inl uencing bike
Just a Little Rowdy
technology. It’s fun, too. TRAINING
Various configurations of the
by Dan Dakin
16 Training Tips Shimano GrX groupset see
26 Taking on the Wild Atlantic Way, with Kids How to recover and get the most action in the wilds of Montana
Four adults, four young teens and out of your breaks
58 Rolling on the Big Wheels of
2,000 km of tough roads 17 Technique the Pique Advanced Pro 29 0
A trip down the west coast of Ireland is a challenge for Rachel Atherton on The new cross country machine by
any cyclist. Here’s how to tackle it with young riders. coming back from injury Liv is at home on easy-going rips
by Kevin Vallely and at world championship races
18 Maintenance
30 Your 2020 Cycling Makeover Getting seized bolts to twist again
Improve your fitness, diet and – yes –
DESTINATION
even your happiness in the new year
You can transform yourself. Here are steps, both big 60 Sending the Trails in the
and small, that will make you better on the bike. Land of Waterfalls
by Molly Hurford Transylvania County’s
forests hold many routes for
mountain biking and gravel
riding in North Carolina

  
Yash Keough rides a
Trek Domane SLR 7 (p.39).
He’s wearing a new Lazer
2 Editor’s Letter G1 helmet (p.47), Pearl Izumi
4 Vintage Velo Quest Amfi b jacket, Quest
bib shorts, Elite thermal
5 The Calendar knee warmers and PRO

20 6
37
64
News
Gear
Q&A
Leader v4 shoes.

Photo: Matt Stetson

cyclingmagazine.ca 1
 EDITOR’S
LETTER

Editor Matthew Pioro

[email protected]
Senior Editors
Dan Dakin, Kevin Mackinnon, Dean Campbell
Associate Editor Andre Cheuk
Photo Editor Matt Stetson
[email protected]
Copy Editor Amy Stupavsky
Art Director Warren Wheeler
[email protected]
[Roseander Main, roseandermain.com]
Designer Cristina Bolzon
Production Artist Warren Hardy
MTB Web Editor Terry McKall
[email protected]
Podcast Producer Adam Killick
Web Developer Sean Rasmussen

Better rain. But, it’s not better than riding in snow.

Riding in snow is a bit silly, but that’s what makes it
fun. The odds of slipping increase so much that you can’t
Digital Operations Dmitry Beniaminov
Publisher Sam Cohen
[email protected]

to Ride
Editorial Director David Smart
take it so seriously, at least I don’t. When the snow is at [email protected]
a certain depth on the roads, steering is more a matter of Advertising & Sales Andre Cheuk
[email protected]
making suggestions with your handlebars, as opposed

in Snow to directing the bike. It’s a bit like riding through sand
in cyclocross. A bit, but not quite. Tires lose traction on
snow in such a sudden, immediate and surprising way.
Account Managers
Joel Vosburg
[email protected],
Lorena Jones
I’ll take my bike into [email protected]
Surprise! You’re now going sideways. Fun, no? Circulation Manager Robyn Milburn
that cold, white stuff – A good pair of studded tires can be a revelation. If [email protected]
you’ve never run them before, resolve to shod your steed SUBSCRIBE
for now Send $20.95 (1 year) or $38.95 (2 years) to
with them this winter. (Also, while you’re making reso- Canadian Cycling Magazine,
PO Box 819 Station Main,
lutions, check out Molly Hurford’s story about getting Markham, ON, Canada L3P 8L3
t’s raining as I write this. It was fitter, healthier and faster in the year ahead on p..) In or call:
I raining as I rode into the office
this morning. Really, I rather it was
the right conditions, I can pass cars outfitted with inferior
all-seasons. Remember though, be safe. Even studs have
1.800.567.0444
SUBMIT
Manuscripts, photographs and other
snowing. their limits. It’s not so bad when you find those limits and correspondence are welcome. Please
contact Canadian Cycling Magazine
Snow and bikes traditionally don’t end up in a soft snowbank. for contributors guidelines, or see
work well together, I know. At this Now, as I look at my rain-soaked jacket, gloves, pants them on the web at cyclingmagazine.ca .
Unsolicited material should be accompanied
time of year, most of us have taken and socks, I think about how much easier it is to dress for by return mailing address and postage.
our bikes inside. Maybe you have a snow. Sure, the layers are thicker and more numerous, but Canadian Cycling Magazine
Tel 416.927.0774 Fax 416.927.1491
fat bike for the fluffy stuff or a winter keeping snow out of the base layers is a breeze, provided cyclingmagazine.ca
bike that you bash around on when the breeze isn’t too fierce. Yes, I’d much rather face snow Gripped Publishing Inc.
you don’t mind some slipping and than this seep-into-everything rain. For sure. 75 Harbord St., Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1G4
Copyright 2019 Gripped Publishing Inc.
sliding. But essentially this is the So, let’s check back again in the February/March issue he contents of this magazine may not be
off-season. Well, it’s in-season for after some months of snow. Who knows? My feelings on reproduced in whole or in part without the
express consent of the publisher. he views
indoor riding. Riding the trainer is the stuff might have evolved even further by then. included herein are those of the authors,
definitely more fun than it used to be Matthew Pioro and do not necessarily relect the opinions
of the publisher, owners and management
thanks to e-racing and e-riding. In Editor of Canadian Cycling Magazine.
We occasionally make our list available
this issue, writer Dan Dakin charts to companies of interest to our readers.
the rise of Zwift, that ubiquitous Canadian publication
digital playground for cyclists (p.). mail agreement: 40036245
Online Printed in Canada
It’s stunning what that platform has
done in five short years. This past ISSN 1923–1628 Canadian Cycling Magazine
Website cyclingmagazine.ca
September at Eurobike, I played with Podcast cyclingmagazine.ca/cycling-magazine-podcast
Facebook @CyclingMag + @CanadianMTB
its new feature: steering. The video- Twitter @CanadianCycling + @CanadianMTB
gamification of cycling continues. I Instagram @CanadianCycling + @Canadian.MTB
have to admit, I don’t think it’s the YouTube Canadian Cycling Magazine
Plus download previous issues of Canadian Cycling Magazine
enemy of cycling . It’s definitely using our mobile apps and Apple News+.
different. It’s definitely better than
getting soaked on the road by a cold

2 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 Photo: Gruber Images

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 VINTAGE
VELO

Tire-Tube
Repair Mount
I n the early ’s, Maurice Soulliere,
owner of East Windsor Hardware,
bought Johnson’s Cycle, a bike shop
in the Riverside neighbourhood of
Windsor, Ont. The southern Ontario
city has a long history with bicycles:
the Dodge brothers, the same pair
who founded the motor company,
were behind the E & D bicycle, which
was made in Windsor. After the
Johnson’s Cycle purchase, Soulliere
hired a mechanic from the shop,
brought some of the equipment to
East Windsor Hardware and set up
a bike-repair space at the back of
his store.
One piece of equipment was the
tire-tube repair mount. Its backplate
can be bolted to a workbench or even a
post. The spade-like work surface can
flip up and sit parallel to the ground
when you need it and flip down when
you don’t. The mount makes for a
convenient spot to patch a tube.
Maurice’s brother-in-law, Laurent,
purchased East Windsor Hardware
in the late ’s. He operated it until
the store closed in the ’s. Laurent
donated the bike-repair equipment
to the Grand Erie District School
Photo: Matt Stetson

Board, where it was used to set up

repair stations in some auto shop
classes, furthering the link between
Windsor, cars and bikes.—MP

4 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 THE
CALENDAR Looking
DECEMBER Ahead
Looking to get something for It’s Holden Jones’s birthday.
1 another cyclist this holiday season?
Or maybe you want to add something
22 Find out more about the
-year-old cross country rider from
to your own wishlist? Check out the Squamish, B.C., on p..
annual Canadian Cycling Magazine
gift guide on p.. Ho, ho, ho. To some athletes,

It’s Rachel Atherton’s birthday.

25 Christmas means the
Christmas Cross project by Cycling
6 Find out how the -year-old,
five-time downhill world champion
Canada is underway. Elite cyclo-
crossers are in Europe taking on the
copes with and recovers from injury best riders in the world. Christmas also
and illness on p.. means gifts. Find out about special
cycling-related gifts that former
participants of the Christmas Cross
project have received starting on p..

JANUARY Rooted Vermont

August 2
Want a cycling makeover for the new year? Of course you do. Check out tips
1 on how to improve your fitness, diet and skills on the bike for  on p..
O n the day of the inaugural Rooted Vermont ride,
organizer Ted King was busy. The former pro roadie
While and his wife, Laura King, ran the event in early August
16-26 columnist
Bart Egnal may get a gentle
. As some of the  participants pulled into the
parking area, they were surprised to see a familiar face
dig at the Tour Down weilding a baton and carrying a radio. Ted King, who was
Under (p.), there’s a lot a domestique on teams such as Liquigas-Cannondale
of action to dig in Australia. and Cannondale-Garmin, had been pressed into service
The women’s race starts to guide drivers in the lot.
on the th and finishes Rooted Vermont riders took on routes of either  km
on the th, the same day ( miles) or  km ( miles). Roughly  per cent of each
as the men kick things off. course was on dirt surfaces. Some of that dirt was smooth,
Everything wraps up with some was rough – what the Kings call Vermont pavé or
a finish on the famous Peter Sagan holds Class . A very similar mix of riding surfaces will return
Willunga Hill on Jan. . a joey at the for the  edition.
Tour Down Under
The Kings not only wanted to feature the roads of their
The fourth annual Even though home state, but they want to encourage more women
17-19 Western Track
Challenge takes to the boards of
24-26 -m-sprint
world-record holder Kelsey Mitchell
to get out and ride. “Female participation was organi-
cally at  per cent, which is higher than the industry
the Burnaby Velodrome. Riders, has been training at Mattamy National standard,” says Laura King. “We offered a free women’s
in under- to masters categories, Cycling Centre and living in Milton, gravel skills clinic in June  with some of  Cycling’s
compete in races that include sprint, Ont., since summer , she hasn’t most decorated women mentors, as well as three female
keirin and snowball, a variation of yet competed in a World Cup on her pro mechanics. Gravel is less intimidating when you’re
Photos: Stefano Sirotti, Courtesy Rooted Vermont

a points race. home track. She plans to change that given the tools to break down skills. Those skills are not
when the  track cycling World Cup just limited to on the bike, but also mental and emotional.
returns to Canada. Read more about It was a really powerful event and we look forward to
Mitchell on p.. offering another in the future.”
Rooted Vermont is set to expand to roughly  riders
The  paracycling track world championships in . More people will be able to enjoy a weekend’s
30 -Feb 2 come to the Mattamy National Cycling Centre. Top
Canadian athletes, such as Tristen Chernove – already a multiple world champion –
worth of events, post-race farm-fresh food and maple
creemees, which are maple soft serve-like treats. (rooted
Ross Wilson and Keely Shaw, will be vying for rainbow jerseys at home. vermont.com)—MP

cyclingmagazine.ca 5
 improving her abilities so she can Cup circuit. Following the successes of Mark Wallace,
NEWS win at lower altitudes, like in Milton. Finn Iles and the late Steve Smith, these juniors are
In January, Mitchell plans to adding to Canada’s reputation as a country of fast down-
compete in the Milton stop of track hill racers.
A world record is cycling World Cup for the first time. Cross country racer Emilly Johnston and DHer Amy
just the beginning for “I’m so excited for that,” she said. Even Ertel delivered the top junior women’s results. Johnston
Kelsey Mitchell though she’s raced the Hong Kong was ninth, while Ertel finished in th place at Mont-
After becoming Canadian champion World Cup, she’s only been a spec- Sainte-Anne. “There were people chanting ‘Go Emilly! Go
in the sprint, team sprint and time trial, tator at home. “So many people were Canada!’” Johnston said after her race. “It was just so cool
Kelsey Mitchell was back to training here. It was sweet to see the velo- to have the home crowd. I loved it.”—Terry McKall
on the boards where she took her drome packed like that.”—MP
wins. The rider, who’s from Sherwood
Park, Alta., just east of Edmonton, has Canada’s next generation Maghalie Rochette
been calling Milton, Ont., home since of mountain bikers arrive takes the win at
Jingle Cross 
August . Her commute to that at the Mont-Sainte-Anne
city’s velodrome is an eight-minute world champs
bike ride or a five-minute car ride. Canada’s junior racers thrived under
“I needed to learn how to ride a bike pressure when the  mountain bike
and to ride the track,” she said of her world championships returned to
condition in mid-. After Mitchell Mont-Sainte-Anne this past August.
participated in a talent-identification The youngest riders delivered the
event, Cycling Canada knew she could country’s best results.
put out a lot of power, about , W. Lucas Cruz was fourth in the junior
But the -year-old athlete had men’s downhill, finishing off his first
focused on soccer and hadn’t owned season of international racing on a
a bike since she was a child. Mitchell high note. The Pemberton, B.C., racer
found her progression on the track was just . seconds away from
slow as it took her almost two years earning a medal. Impressive stuff,
to learn to spin the cranks properly, considering he finished the race with
a front tire that was quickly going
Kelsey Mitchell flat. “Near the bottom I started feeling
it slide a little more,” Cruz said. “It
definitely would have been nice to Maghalie Rochette on becoming
have more air in the tires.” OK with winning in order to win
Carter Woods was also fourth, after A week after Maghalie Rochette won her first cyclocross
leading the junior men’s cross country World Cup race in Iowa City, Iowa, she was in Waterloo, Wisc.,
race early on. With no junior XC World for the next round of the series. She reflected on the victory
Cup series, the national champion’s that had her crying tears of joy and disbelief on Sept. .
near-medal performance was borne Rochette, however, did believe she could win at the
of only a few international races. Iowa race, known as Jingle Cross. Although, she did have
Racing a world championships to convince herself that it was OK to come across the line
push and pull on the bars and pedals event at home is an opportunity few in first place. “It’s so easy to choke when you are so close to
properly and corner well on the banks. riders will get in their careers. The a big goal, and I’ve done that before, many times,” she said.
She said her reaction when she crowds are bigger than a World Cup, “So, I told myself that if it happens, it’s OK. I’ve prepared for
first looked down on the Milton velo- the fans know you by name, and this. It’s not a fraud. I just need to do my best.
drome’s banked corners was “how they are cheering. Loudly. While the “You can freak out if you’ve never been in that position.
the heck do people stay on this experience can be a rush, it adds pres- You’re going full gas. Your heart rate is through the roof.
thing?” Once she was on the track, it sure, too, especially for first-time And then you’re leading the World Cup. It can feel like:
wasn’t so bad. world championships participants. ho-ly crap. What am I doing? And then you crash or what-
In early September, Mitchell set Cruz and Woods weren’t the only ever. It sounds super silly, but I think this little realization
the world record in the -m riders to push through the pressure helped me to make it happen on the day.”
sprint, with a time of . seconds and deliver strong results. Three At Waterloo, Rochette finished fifth, dropping to
in a qualification round at the Pan more Canadians finished in the top second in the World Cup standings. She then notched
Am track cycling championships  in the junior men’s downhill: Elliot another win at the C-level FayetteCross in Fayetteville
Photos: Kevin Mackinnon, CXHairs

in Cochabamba, Bolivia. While she Jamieson was sixth, Patrick Laffey, Ark., at the beginning of October. The  national and
feels it’s exciting to hold that record, eighth, and Seth Sherlock, ninth. The Pan American cyclocross champ still had a long season
she was actually more pleased with strong showing at worlds caps off a ahead of her. Rochette had the World Cups in Nommay,
her consistent finishes in the sprint, year in which Canadian juniors were France and Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, as well as the
which led to a gold-medal win in that on the podium and all over the top  world championships in Dübendorf, Switzerland, on her
competition. Next, she’s focused on at every round of the downhill World calendar. It would all require a lot of preparation.—MP

6 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 For two decades, the Montreal-based group
has been improving lives with bikes
by Matthew Pioro

“I study a lot because I have an objective. I want to become something in life,

but my father doesn’t have a lot of money. I want to become a diplomat. I
want to work in an office and share ideas with others,” says -year-old Vastie
Jean-Baptiste. She has a plan. To realize that plan, she needs to complete her
education. She lives in Cap-Haitien, in northern Haiti. To get to school, Jean-
Baptiste relies upon a used bike that travelled all the way from Quebec. Centrech,
the organization that helped Jean-Baptiste find her wheels through the Vélo-
Bisiklèt project, has been working with Cyclo Nord-Sud in Montreal since
. Close to , used bicycles collected throughout Quebec have afforded
Haitians like Jean-Baptiste the mobility they require to get to school and work.
Claire Morissette, one of the pioneers behind the push to make Montreal more
cycling-friendly with the activist group Le Monde à Bicyclette, recognized that
bicycles could play a significant role in improving the lives of people in under-
privileged nations. It led to the creation of Cyclo Nord-Sud in , which makes it in Europe and the U.S., but we’re a
one of Canada’s oldest cycling-advocacy institutions. Since then, the organiza- little behind in Canada. We abso-
tion has sent more than , used bicycles to partners lutely support lobbying for better
in  countries in Africa and Latin America. At some point cycling infrastructure, but what if
a question was raised: couldn’t some of those used bicycles
THE SCENE
CYCLO you cannot even afford a bike, let
find a home here? NORD-SUD alone maintain it?’’ says Robin Black,
“It was after we moved our offices to the Saint-Michel AT 20 project co-ordinator for sister project
neighborhood of Montreal six years ago that we were Vélorution -.
forced to ask ourselves some hard questions. Being in one of the poorest neigh- “Cycling is not only a means of trans-
borhoods in Montreal, we witnessed how a lack of transport equity adversely portation,” says Sue Montgomery,
affected locals,’’ says Collin Mayrand,  general co-ordinator. mayor of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-
With the creation of the Vélorution Saint-Michel project three years ago, Dame-de-Grâce. Her borough funds
 has started to address the barriers to cycling at home. “There has been Vélorution - in its entirety. “For
greater recognition of the need to focus on an equity-based approach to cycling many, it is an opportunity for emanci-
pation and a way to break isolation.
Immigrant women, for instance, are
not always comfortable with cycling. I
am pleased that our borough supports
a project that helps them develop their
skills and sense of security when
riding a bike.”
On most Thursday mornings,
volunteers weave their way around
obstacles at the  warehouse,
helping to sort through donations of
used bicycles, tires and bicycle parts
amassed from bike-collection events
throughout the province and bike-
shop donations. Although there is talk
of finding a larger space to accom-
modate new projects and a growing
team, more funding needs to be
secured. While  has had  years
of concrete results and awards, it still
struggles to secure stable financing.
Cyclo has started to make inroads
with the cycling industry as well
as Canadians outside of Quebec. For
now, Cyclo continues to rely upon its
Photos: Mikael h eimer

regular supporters and volunteers

along with project funding to continue
making cycling accessible to all, both
at home and abroad.

cyclingmagazine.ca 7
 
Abigail Lapell

THE SCENE
with her backup
CYCLING singer Dana Sipos

CELEBRITY

her closer to the city. “I remember the day I discovered

that I could bike downtown,” she recalls. “I always took
the subway everywhere, but it was slow. The first time I
realized that if you just bike far enough that eventually
you will get downtown, there was such a sense of freedom.
“There was this feeling that if you live in the suburbs,
the city, life and the world was another place,” Lapell adds.
“Then, you get on the subway and it magically transports
you there. Biking for the first time felt like it was all
connected. It made my world feel smaller.”
These days, Lapell travels the world – sometimes by
bicycle – sharing her music and making connections.
This past February, she put out her third release, Getaway.
Recorded at Union Sound in Toronto with Chris Stringer,
the album speaks to this universal theme of freedom and
the nomadic life of a touring musician.

“You don’t have to worry

about parking and you can
bring everything straight
to the stage.”
“I had been on the road a lot touring and had all of
these road songs,” Lapell explains. “That’s one of the great

Abigail Lapell clichés of rock music: songs about leaving your baby at
home or whatever. It wasn’t exactly a concept album, but
retroactively, I realized many of the songs fit with the
he bike has taken the folk-noir Getaway theme. That gave me some structure on how to
musician to gigs and on tour curate the songs. The word getaway has a broad interpret-
ation because it is ambiguous; it can mean escape as a
vacation or escape as fleeing from a bank robbery.”
by David McPherson Lapell didn’t get her driver’s licence until five years ago;
she would often bike around town with a bike trailer. She

T en years ago, Abigail Lapell’s

father passed away. She still
catches glimpses of his spirit when FAST FACTS
says it was so much easier travelling to some of her gigs
this way. “You don’t have to worry about parking and you
can bring everything straight to the stage.”
Abigail Lapell
she is out riding around the city and In , Lapell did a cycling tour with Tune Your Ride,
she sees an old guy with a beard on Hometown Toronto a Toronto organization that puts on music festivals and
a bike. “I always think it is him for sustainable shows. The audience even pedals bikes to
Profession Folk singer/songwriter
a second,” says the Toronto-based power the PA systems. Artists play several city parks
folk-noir musician. “As a kid, we Albums Great Survivor, in one day, riding to the next venue after their sets. The
would go camping in Prince Edward Hide Nor Hair, Getaway tour also went from Toronto to Ottawa over the course of
County, and the whole family would roughly two weeks, riding about  km each day, and doing
take our bikes. I remember cycling bought her first bike with her bat some outdoor shows in various towns along the way.
on these country roads and biking for mitzvah money at Sporting Life. “It’s a novelty thing here, but in Europe you can do your
hours; it brought us closer together.” Before she ever considered a career full tour by bike there. It is quite practical,” Lapell says.
Lapell came of age in the Toronto as a musician, cycling gave the artist “It’s on my bucket list to tour Europe by bike someday. That
suburbs in the s. At , she her first taste of freedom and brought would be so neat.”

8 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 Why I Can’t it – can serve. I’ve tried explaining this to Mrs. Cranky more times than I can
count (and I can count quite high), but I can tell by her blank expression that
she doesn’t get it. So let me describe my stable to you, loyal readers, as I’m sure

Possibly you’ll both sympathize and understand.

First, there’s my “good bike.” This is my carbon race bike. It hangs in the
prime spot in the basement. It hasn’t been ridden in a long time. Because I’m

Sell One of not racing anymore and because the bike is impeccably clean, I can’t bear the
thought of it getting dirty again. It’s also more bike than I’m worthy to ride at
the moment, given that I’m in a physical condition recently described as Spring

These Bikes Classics shape.

Next is my “good crappy bike.” This is my older road bike, the one I raced
before buying my carbon bike. It’s a titanium frame and it will last forever.
5 fabulous machines, and yet,
It’s an amazingly comfortable ride, and it’s perfect for use on the trainer, so as
something is missing not to put unnecessary lateral stress on my carbon frame, which as described
above, must stay unperturbed, ready to step into active duty if needed.
Third is my titanium cyclocross bike. I don’t use it for cyclocross riding or
racing, but rather as a foul-weather steed and gravel-road conveyance. It’s one
by James “Cranky” Ramsay of my favourite bikes to ride. Every year I hop aboard it at the cottage, seeking
out as many rough roads as I can find. I’ve also used it to rip through mountain
inter is a time of reflection. The hours trapped bike trails, where it’s in its unexpected element until the going gets a bit too
W indoors on the trainer (or perhaps the couch) allow
us to ponder the big questions in life – questions such as,
technical and I find myself cursing in a ditch.
Fourth is my track bike. This is a strangely hybrid frame, as it has track fork
“How do my leg hairs know to stop growing longer when ends and super-tight clearance, but also bosses for a bottle cage. I’ve set it up as a
my eyebrows don’t?” or “Has anyone ever actually tried road-going, fixed-gear machine with
to put toothpaste back in the tube?” and most important of a front brake and (of course) a bottle

THE SCENE
all, “How can I justify buying a new bike?” cage installed. It’s my main ride, and
The answer to that last one is easy. If you were to ask if ever I were forced to choose one bike,
my wife, she’d say, “You can buy a new bike, and there’s this would be the one. The paint is CRANKOLOGY
no justification needed. All you need to do is get rid of chipped, the bar tape is worn through,
one that you already own.” the front brake is rusty, and it’s battle-weary, but I love it. My riding buddies don’t
I have to admit that there’s a certain logic to this understand. They think I’m nuts, or that I’m being arrogant by showing up for a
response, but I cannot accept it. As any right-thinking group ride on a fixed gear, as if to say, “This way I can still get a workout, even
person knows, bicycles have souls. It’s no more accept- though I’m stuck riding with you guys.” They’re right on all counts. I am actually
able to sell or discard one than it would be to sell or discard nuts, and most of the time, that’s exactly what I’m thinking.
one’s Uncle Rupert, though he may be chronically gloomy This brings us to bike No. , my ceremonial fixed gear. This bike is reserved
and not at all a great asset to the family. for national holidays, state occasions and general diplomatic duty. Obviously,
But it’s not only that. Every bicycle (at least every this is a very special bike. I built it up using the finest parts: a vintage Mercier
bicycle that I own) has a specific purpose that it – and only steel frame from the s, a Brooks racing saddle, Campagnolo Record crank
and seatpost and wheels that I built
myself and that have remained
perfectly true through thousands
of ceremonies and parades. Almost
no one understands why I need
a second fixed-gear bike, but they
would if they rode it. This bike has
more soul than Curtis Mayfield and
the Impressions. It weighs a ton. With
its extra-long wheelbase, it rides like
a French-Italian version of a Lincoln
Continental. It’s great on the flats and
brutal up hills, which is fine, because
who ever heard of an uphill parade?
So even though Mrs. Cranky
doesn’t get it, I know you can see
why I can’t let any of these bikes
go. And this means I’m no closer to
figuring out how to get a sixth bike
Image: Russ Tudor

into the house, unless, of course, I can

convince her that I’m just storing it for
my gloomy old Uncle Rupert.

cyclingmagazine.ca 9
 PROFILE
Mountain and Fat Bike Chaleur

City Bathurst, N.B.

Established 2017

Members 150

Website facebook.com/
mountainfatbikechaleur

loops around  km long that people can roll on mountain

Mountain and bikes, fat bikes or cyclocross machines. There are also
Velo NB races in Bathurst. Some of the club members head
west to Edmundston for races on the Sentiers Madawaska

Fat Bike Chaleur trails. In Minto, you can find  Chaleur colours flying at
the Coal Miner’s Lung race, which uses trials on the mud-
dump landscape left over from the closed coal mine.
Developing the young riders and the trails Winter is when the fat bikes have dominion. Nighttime
of Bathurst, N.B. group rides run into April. In collaboration with the town,
the  Chaleur hosts the Big Chill race. A popular ride
is along the groomed trail the city maintains behind the
by Rob Sturney Bathurst watershed. The club and city have an agreement
in which they can use each other’s fat bikes –  adult-size

C haleur means heat. The Chaleur region of northeast New Brunswick,

named after the nearby bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is where a knobby
tire club burns up the trails even in the dead of winter. Mountain and Fat Bike
machines that belong to Bathurst and four youth-size rides
in  Chaleur’s stable that community sponsors helped
to purchase. Along with spin sessions at a local school, the
Chaleur is based out of Bathurst and gelled in  to create a competitive local fat bike partnership helps to fill a training void created by
youth-development program. Although it’s not a membership-based club, it wretched late-winter/early-spring trail conditions.
represents  to  riders. One of the things that makes this club special is its The club has a very active Facebook group that posts
close relationship with the town of Bathurst to promote trail riding. condition updates of the local trails and rallies members
Club coach Joel Jean says the trail system in the town for work bees. The group page also
has been around since the mid-s. He describes the provides schedules for the youth
THE SCENE

routes – sporting straightforward names, such as the racing team’s clinics.

Ridge, the Pine and the Roots – as “narrow with punchy CANADIAN In the future,  Chaleur hopes
hills.”  Chaleur is committed to trail upkeep and to expand racing clinics to adults to
building additions to the existing system, with sched-
CLUB meet local demand, but there’s also
uled workdays for members to wield the saws, rakes and a desire for a Sprockids program to
Photos: Christian J. Baudchon

“goonspoons.” Jean says that the club endeavours to give the existing trails further serve the young riders.
more flow. In August, the club added placards to trail signs designating three If you come to Bathurst without a ride, you can rent fat
emergency exit points easily accessible to first responder vehicles as part of bikes from the city. When asked which trails he would
implementing an emergency action plan to ensure riders’ safety. recommend to someone visiting Bathurst, Jean enthusi-
Summer is when the club runs its monthly short-track race series with astically endorses: “All of them!”

10 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 No Need to 
Mallorca
training camp
Third, make sure everyone knows how to ride co-
hesively. Most club riders ride the opposite way that you
should. Basically, they hammer on the climbs, then ease

Get CSAD off over the top and recover. Then, they do it again. The
group shatters on every climb, and then regroups. The
weaker riders blow up and the group slows down in the
How to fly away from the winter blues valleys. While the top dogs show what big legs they
have, this dynamic is, to put it mildly, stupid. Instead, a
by Bart Egnal group should move as a unit, riding the climbs slowly,

Y ou most likely live in Canada.

Because you live in Canada,
experience, let me open the race book
and fill you on in the features that
“For those of you who have
you most likely get afflicted with make a training camp great. never attained such a
cyclist seasonal affective disorder. First, and most important, is group
For those of you unfamiliar with this composition. I’m not talking about
nirvana-like experience,
condition, let me quote the official
definition for you.
bringing people with matching s
or a dude who will gladly sit on the
let me open the race
Cyclist seasonal affective disorder front for you for  km each day. No, book and fill you on in
() is a condition that strikes you must choose people who will
during the miserable winter months, all get along and have a blast doing
the features that make a
which can range from December
to March, although, if one lives
it. This past summer, for my th
birthday, four friends and I rode from
training camp great.”
in Alberta, the period may start High Park in Toronto to Central Park doucement, so the group stays together. Then, the stronger
in September and end in August. in New York City during the course of riders can push it on the flats where everyone can make
Symptoms include staring out the a week. What made the trip amazing time together. It’s amazing how you actually move much,
window for long periods at a time were the running jokes, routines and much faster this way. It takes a strong leader who can yell
at snow (Toronto), rain (Vancouver), gags that got funnier as the week at people to stop racing up every hill. The result is worth it:
ice (Montreal), growing anger at the
trainer, expanding waistline, irrit-
NOTES
THE SCENE

ability toward family soigneurs,

binge-watching the Tour Down Under FROM THE
and compulsively buying bike items
while believing they could help bring
GRUPPETTO
better weather. Treatments include
moving away from Canada and the went on. You can ride four hours a
midwinter training camp. day with any jerk, but when you’re
Yes, the midwinter training camp. having breakfast, lunch and dinner
If you’re hit with , there is no with the same crew, you’d better love
better way to cope – and prepare the time together.
for race season – than by planning Second, the food. If you want to
a training camp. Now, let’s be clear look like Geraint Thomas go drink
here. I’m not talking about the kind some fizzy water and eat a whole
of soul-sucking training camp run by watermelon after each ride, and then
the likes of Team Ineos. Such camps go to sleep. You won’t make the Tour
include monotonous stays in some team and you’ll be miserable to boot.
Cold War-era base high atop a moun- Instead, a great training camp, in my
tain where you sleep in monastic view, involves awesome meals out,
rooms and eat less than half of post-ride drinks and a chance to take
your daily recommended calories in the local culture. A few years ago
so you can cut weight for the afore- in Girona, the riding was amazing,
mentioned . Oh no. I’m talking but the food blew me away. One night, the group can ride longer, together, day after day.
about the kind of training camp that we went to a restaurant where course I could go on about co-ordinated kit, guaranteed tail-
will have your legs and heart singing after course of creative food came winds, epic climbs and car-free roads. There are so many
by the end – the kind where you out, culminating in an egg that was keys to a successful training camp. But really, wherever
will return to our miserable climate cracked open to let its yolk run out. I you go, just get off the trainer, don’t pack your leg and arm
having broadcast your joy on Strava realized it wasn’t an egg, but a sweet warmers, and get the hell away from Canadian weather.
Photo: Matt Stetson

and with your mind and lungs ready dessert. It was all far more mem- Not only will you cure your , but you will bring joy
to rip it up at the start of race season. orable than what wattage I held on to all those around you who are victims of your suffering.
For those of you who have the Rocacorba ( W for my normal- And with that, time to pack for Mallorca. Really, I’m going
never attained such a nirvana-like ized power, if you are curious). for my wife. Really.

cyclingmagazine.ca 11
12 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020
 from Prince Rupert. The town of Skidegate is spread out On the way back down, stop in at Details
around breathtaking Rooney Bay and makes a good the blow hole and watch water shoot
starting point for a two-day cycling adventure north. Before up through gap in the otherworldly When to go
you get going, you’ll want to stop in at the Haida Heritage basalt rock formation. July and August give you the best
Centre. Opened in  and fronted by six stunning totem Haida-owned businesses have weather and choice of activities. They
poles, the centre is in a beautiful building that documents been powering a push toward cultural are also the busiest months on the
Haida life and culture from its earliest beginnings ecotourism on Haida Gwaii in recent roads, but drivers tend to be respectful
From here, you can take Front Street through town years, mostly hiking, kayaking, and give cyclists plenty of space. If
and past more of Skidegate’s totem poles. Stop in at Jags fishing tours and excursions to Gwaii you’re a music fan, try to time your
Beanstalk for the espresso and the view from the bench on Haanas, the ,-sq.-km protected trip with the Edge of the World Music
the other side of the highway. Look up to the hills behind national park reserve and marine Festival in August for a West Coast
you and you’ll see dozens of white heads – eagles, perched conservation area that’s home to hippie delight.
sentinel-like in the trees. Look out at sea and you might more than  Haida heritage sites,
spot a whale. and where some ,-year-old trees How to get there
Continue up the mostly flat coastal road past Balance still stand. There are regular flights between
Rock and Jungle Beach to the town of Tlell. If you arrive at Queen Charlotte resident Bill Vancouver and Prince Rupert and the
low tide, you can take the Pesuta Shipwreck Trail out from Broadhead sees an opportunity Sandspit Airport on Moresby Island.
mossy old-growth forest to East Beach, where the wooden to put Haida Gwaii on the map for You can also fly into Masset, though
bow of a log-carrier has been beached since . mountain biking, too. “My dream is to those flights are less frequent. Your
Past Tlell, the highway turns inland and runs up other option is to take the seven-hour
the western edge of Naikoon Provincial Park, and the ferry from Prince Rupert. There are a
terrain becomes more rolling. You’ll pass Port Clements – couple of places to rent bikes on the
Angela’s Place is a great coffee stop – and a smattering of island, but the selection is limited. If
farms and logging sites. Other than that, it’s just you, the you’re bringing your own bike, keep in
old-growth forest and the occasional deer for about  km. mind that there’s only one bike shop on
You should stop in Pure Lake Provincial Park for a swim. Haida Gwaii, in Masset.
The Yellowhead Highway ends in Masset, a fishing
Photos: Christina Palassio

village on Masset Sound. Ride around Masset and Old Where to stay
Massett and check out totem poles and carving studios. There are a few first-come, first-served
Past Masset, the road turns to dirt – follow it west for campgrounds in Naikoon Provincial
roughly  km to Agate Beach and take the boardwalk up Park. There are a range of B&B options
Tow Hill for a killer view of the beach and the forest inland. in the cities and bigger towns, including
poet Susan Musgrave’s Copper Beech
build a trail network like Pidherny in Guest House (copperbeechhouse.com)
Prince George,” says the -year-old up in Masset. For high-end accommo-
rider, referring to the -km network dations, try Haida House (haidahouse.
of mountain biking and hiking com) near Tlell.
trails that were developed through
joint investment by several levels Where to eat
of government, in partnership with Sandy’s Seafood Shack in Masset,
the Prince George Cycling Club and Blacktail Restaurant and Jags Beanstalk
a local trail association. “That’s what ( jagsbeanstalk.com) in Skidegate, and
we want to get here. Something that’s the Ocean View Restaurant in Queen
advertisable.” Charlotte are all good options. For an
Broadhead is just at the start of his unforgettable dining experience, make
journey, and he’s determined. He and a reservation at Keenawaii’s Kitchen –
a group of friends have been tracking the Haida chef hosts guests in her
down inactive logging roads that dining room for a long-table dinner of
could form the base of their network. traditional foods.
“The roads are overgrown with moss
and grass and packed down. Alders What to do off the bike
have started growing. When you’re Try ocean kayaking in the bay near
on Google Earth, you’ll see these Skidegate – you can rent kayaks from
bright electric-green strips.” Green Coast ( gckayaking.com). Hike
For Broadhead, turning scars on the Sleeping Beauty Trail. Visit the
the land into trails is one way of many artists’ studios on the island. If
creating more pure-bliss cycling you have the time, plan an excursion
moments on Haida Gwaii, and down to Gwaii Haanas National Park
drawing more riders to the edge of Reserve with Haida Style Expeditions
the world. (haidastyle.com).

cyclingmagazine.ca 13
 5 Foods to Cacao Nibs

THE SCENE
Think of cacao nibs as dark choco-
late’s healthier brother. The crunchy

Try in the NUTRITION gems are made by simply smashing

up roasted cocoa beans into little
nuggets that are about as close to

New Year
Bring these ingredients into your diet
chocolate as Mother Nature intended.
Nutritional perks include plenty of
satiating fibre (a whopping  g in
just a -oz. serving), magnesium
to improve your health in 2020 and flavonoid antioxidants shown
to help shave down blood-pressure
numbers. Yes, cacao nibs contain
by Matthew Kadey saturated fat, but it’s mostly in the
form of stearic acid, which does not
f your diet has become as predictable as Sky/Ineos Arctic Char affect heart health negatively in
I Tour de France wins, it might be time to make a New
Year’s resolution to shake up your shopping cart, not only
There are a boatload of reasons to
reel in this cold-water-loving
the same way that the saturated fat
present in beef and dairy does.
to excite your taste buds, but also to help you load up swimmer. Not only is Arctic char a
on a greater bounty of nutrition to support your winter great source of muscle-sustaining In the kitchen Eating cacao nibs is as
training efforts. A study in the American Journal of Clinical protein, but it’s also full of mega- simple as scattering them over yogurt,
Nutrition found that individuals who presented ten- healthy omega- fatty acids. These oatmeal and ice cream. They can also
dencies for food neophobia – a reluctance to try unfamiliar fats get a lot of press for their heart- be blended into post-ride smoothies.
foods – had overall lower quality diets and were at a boosting powers, but research shows
greater risk for certain health conditions, such as diabetes. omega-s can also help turn down
So take your menu off of repeat and smash out of a food rut the dial on post-workout muscle pain.
by welcoming these items into your diet. Char’s flesh appears to be lower in
contaminants than some fish, such
Freekeh as tuna, and is awarded a green light
Middle Eastern cuisine is trending, which means this on several sustainable seafood ad-
staple is surging in popularity. Freekeh (pronounced free- visory lists as an eco-friendly farmed
kah) is a “green” version of wheat that is harvested while option. For the fish adverse, this
still immature, then sun-dried and finally roasted for a traditional protein staple of the Inuit
delicious smoky flavour and chewy bite. So think of it as is less “fishy” tasting than salmon.
the bacon of the whole grain world. Nutritionally, freekeh
is a whole grain on steroids with more protein and twice In the kitchen For the most part, any
as much fibre ( g in ¼-cup dry serving) as quinoa. Is recipe calling for salmon or trout will Sunflower Butter
also delivers the same vision-protecting antioxidant duo work for char. Yes, peanut and almond butter are
lutein and zeaxanthin found in leafy greens. awesome, but perhaps it’s time to
Black Lentils spread the love. Made by grinding
In the kitchen Cook freekeh as you would other grains and Black lentils, also called beluga lentils up the seeds of the sun-worshiping
then use it in soups, stir-fries, pilafs, tabbouleh, salads and because of the whale caviar that they plant you so often see in Tour de
veggie burgers. It can also be sprinkled over Greek yogurt to resemble, have a fetching jet-black France coverage, sunflower butter
upgrade snack time. skin. They are less earthy tasting has an earthy, nutty flavour and a few
than more common green and brown nutritional highlights worth noting.
lentils. It’s not a stretch to call them Namely, it delivers  g of protein in
nutritional gold mines with high a -tablespoon serving, which is on
amounts of plant protein (about  g in par with peanut butter. It’s a good
each ¼-cup serving), fibre, vitamins, source of magnesium – an often
minerals and the same type of potent under-consumed mineral linked to a
anthocyanin antioxidants found in lower risk for heart disease. Oh, and
dark berries. Another advantage is crushed sunflower seeds also tend
the cooking time of black lentils – to be more budget-friendly than
only  minutes in a pot of simmering almond butter.
water until slightly tender. No
annoying presoak required. In the kitchen You can slather sunflower
butter on your morning toast, but also
In the kitchen Use cooked black lentils try it in smoothies, sauces, salad dress-
in soups, salads, curries, grain bowls ings and homemade energy foods, such
and even as a taco stuffing. as bars and balls.

14 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 Nutritional This past August, Verk participated
Information
in the Northern Pass charity ride,
For one cookie which raises funds for the Princess
Calories 123 Margaret Cancer Centre. Before the
event, she wasn’t sure if she’d take on
Carbs 19 g
the -km ride that looped through
Saturated Fat 2.3 g the Muskoka cottage country north
Fibre 0.7 g of Toronto, but she did complete the
century ride. Also this past summer,
Protein 2 g
Verk joined Cycle Toronto, an advo-
cacy group in the city. She was
particularly taken by the organiza-
tion’s support of some new cycling
infrastructure that could connect
the western suburbs with the east.
“When I learned about it, I joined the
committee,” she says. “I am volun-
teering my time because I think safer
roads in the greater Toronto area will
get more people out riding.”

Ingredients
2 cup (115 g) butter
 2 cups (200 g) sugar
 eggs
Karen Verk’s  g semi-sweet chocolate,
melted and cooled

Bake: Dessert Co.  ml espresso, brewed

 tsp coffee extract
 ¾ cups (460 g) all-purpose flour

Espresso Biscotti  tsp (10 g) baking powder

 tsp (5 g) salt
 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup (110 g) almonds, chopped
¼ cup (15 g) espresso beans, chopped
by Matthew Pioro
Directions
Heat oven to 350 F.
A t the Tour de France this past July, Karen Verk was 1.
THE SCENE

struck by the specific modifications the pros had 2. Cream butter with sugar and eggs.
made to her company’s bikes. Michael Matthews, for 3. Beat in melted and cooled chocolate.
example, had a -mm-long stem on his Cervélo S. “It’s 4. Beat in brewed espresso and
pretty spectacular to be able to see the small changes
GUEST CHEF coffee extract.
that the pro riders make so the bikes perform even better,” 5. Sift flour, baking powder and salt
Verk says. “Anywhere they can save a watt or two is together. Add to mixture. Beat
significant to them.” Not long after, the executive project until well blended.
co-ordinator at Cervélo got an S of her own. She runs a 6. Mix in chopped chocolate, almonds
-mm-long stem. and chopped espresso beans.
Years before Verk came to Cervélo, she made sure 7. Divide the dough in half. Shape
things ran smoothly at a wholesale bakery in Toronto. into long rectangles, roughly
Verk, with her mother and brother, both trained pastry 3" wide and 2" high.
chefs, started Bake: Dessert Co. in . “I decided to Karen Verk,
8. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until
join them by running the office,” Verk says. “In my time right, with Team biscotti begins to brown on
there, I definitely baked every product that we put out, Sunweb rider the edges. Cool 10 minutes.
Lennard Kämna
even though I was in the office doing more operations 9. Cut logs into ¾" slices.
work.” Verk still bakes when she can find the time. At 10. Put slices back onto cookie sheet
the Toronto launch of the Cervélo PX this past March, Team Sunweb visited the “Cervélo bake for another 20 minutes.
the company kitchen was transformed into a café, which cafe.” Matthews was able to sample
included squares and cookies by Verk. Verk’s baking before heading off to
In September, there was a similar event. Members of win the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. Makes 42 cookies

cyclingmagazine.ca 15
 Rest Right that athletes don’t realize how tired
they are until they have rested for
a bit. You might think you aren’t
off-season break.
Think of your year-end rest, when-
ever that year-end may be, as a way
How to pick your breaks and that tired at the end of the year. But to replenish your energy for the
get the most out of them after a week of rest – with easy following season. Imagine a bucket of
rides, hiking or other non-cycling water, full when you start the season.
by Andrew Randell and Steve Neal activities – you suddenly become Each time you train, you dip into the
of he Cycling Gym aware of the fatigue from the season, bucket of water, the level dropping
even feeling that you probably need as the season goes on. The different
another week of rest. Here’s a great types of rest help manage the water
trick to prepare for this time of the level. The weekly and monthly rest
year: throughout the season, write keep the bucket from being emptied

W e all love riding. We want to do

our best and be able to perform
well for as long as we can. To do so,
down the things you miss doing
that you want to do during your
too quickly. The seasonal rest allows
the bucket to be refilled in preparation

incorporating adequate rest into our

training is critical.
TRAINING

Rest happens in a few ways. On

a small scale, within each training TRAINING
week, you allow for adequate TIPS
recovery between workouts. Then
within each monthly block of
training, during a rest week, you
give yourself a chance to recover
and adapt to the training load you
just did. Finally, each year, there’s a
break between seasons.
At the weekly level, the rest is
really about maintaining the quality
of your workouts. For instance, you
need more rest after a VO workout
before doing your next quality ride.
In this case, rest doesn’t necessarily
mean a day off the bike. It does,
however, mean doing a workout,
such as one with an endurance focus,
that is appropriate for your recovery
needs and leg fatigue after a
hard workout.
Rest at the monthly level of the
training block is about adaptation.
We know that it is through resting
that the body is given a chance to
repair itself and adapt to the stresses
“You might think you for the coming year.
When you are planning how much
of the training. Despite this know- aren’t that tired at the end rest you should be taking, keep in
ledge, many of us avoid taking mind that the stresses of real life are
appropriate recovery time.
of the year. But after a just as tough on you as training and
When you look at your seasonal
training load, you can think of rest
week of rest – with easy need to be factored in. Remember to
give your mind a break, too. If you
as a reset button. The timing of your rides, hiking or other are tired mentally, then you won’t
reset is typically during part of be able to motivate yourself to train
the year when you don’t have any
non-cycling activities – appropriately.
goals on the horizon. If you don’t
race cyclocross, for example, then fall
you suddenly become Rest doesn’t necessarily mean
taking days off the bike: it means
is a good time to take it easy. You aware of the fatigue from managing your overall workload
can take a prolonged rest. What is properly by varying your riding
the season, realizing
Photo: Matt Stetson

appealing about a long rest is how intensity as needed. Rest when the
your perception of your fatigue level
changes as you really recover.
that you probably need time is right, and your motivation to
ride will stay strong as your riding
At the Cycling Gym, we often find another week of rest.” improves.

16 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 “I try to use
negatives as
a springboard
for success.”
recovery: I just follow the steps, and
I know that I’ll be back in the game.
I’ve learned a lot about soft tissue
and treating myself with a ball, or a
plank of wood – anything to get into
those really sore places.
I try to use negatives as a spring-
board for success. When you’re going
into a race and you are coming back
from injury, or you’ve had a crash,
everything goes into it, all of your
focus, all your experience. And you
come out way faster.

You were sick a while back, and

you changed your diet and lifestyle.
Can you say more about that?
In , when I was so ill with a kind
of chronic fatigue, glandular fever-
type illness, it was actually way more

Rachel Atherton on difficult than dealing with an injury

because the pathway wasn’t as clear.
I felt much more alone in my head.

Recovering from Injury It was difficult because, from the

outside, it looked like I was fully fit
and recovered. But I’d lost a lot of
he ive-time DH world champion talks about muscle mass and a lot of fitness. It
what it takes to get back on the bike was definitely a battle to get my head
back into racing, but acupuncture
was a massive help. I also completely
by Steve homas changed my outlook on nutrition.
I’m lucky that I live in a town with

R achel Atherton is one of the most successful female

downhill racers of the past decade. Unfortunately, DH
athletes often have to deal with injuries. Atherton faced a
it hard enough. I ended up standing
on my hand and doing it myself. Then,
it felt like as soon as I was back up to
a market every Wednesday. I buy all
organic vegetables every week. I eat
a lot of whole foods for healing and
debilitating illness in , seven shoulder surgeries and speed, I broke my collarbone at the completely exclude gluten and most
a ruptured Achilles tendon this past July. Here what she’s world champs in Australia. That was lactose. Most important, I’ve learned
learned about wellness and recovery along this roller- ridiculously painful. to listen to my body and to be kind
coaster of a trail she calls life. I’m really lucky that I have great to myself.
team behind me, especially my
You’ve had some really nasty crashes. How badly have physio Doug Jones from Harris and Have the setbacks ever had you
they damaged your body? What does it take to recover? Ross and Nick Grantham who is my close to quitting?
How do you handle going back mentally? strength and conditioning coach. Constantly. I want to quit all the time,
Injuries are a massive part of the sport. In , I collided So, there is a very clear pathway to every time I get injured. I do worry
with a pickup truck during a training ride and dislocated that I can’t really afford another
my shoulder so badly that I was out for more than a season. big injury at this stage of my life. In
TRAINING

I had seven operations before it was anywhere near being the end, the need to race and to win
fixed. To this day, it’s only about  per cent. is stronger.
Photo: RedBull Content Pool

I found  was a hard year. I came off a perfect season TECHNIQUE Racing has been my life since I was
and a full two years of winning every race:  consecutive -years-old. For me, it’s a big part of
World Cups and two world championships. I crashed out at  my family life, too. The thought of not
Rachel Atherton, UCI
Fort William and dislocated my shoulder. There was a spec- DH World Cup, Vallnord, racing – especially on our new own
tator who I tried to get to put it back in, but he wouldn’t pull Andorra, July 2019 brand of bikes – no.

cyclingmagazine.ca 17
Stick it to threaded hole. So, how do we prevent this?
To avoid creating excessive heat and friction, don’t use high-speed power
tools to install anything, especially stainless-steel fasteners. Also, lubricate.

Seized Bolts Anti-seize grease is your friend here. You can also use a light multi-purpose
grease if you don’t have the anti-seize stuff. Even using chain lube for wet
conditions is better than mating dry surfaces, but it will fade away after a few
Tricks for getting fasteners washes. You want to apply lube to cleat bolts, pedal threads, threaded bottom-
to twist again bracket cups and chainring bolts. Other bolts to grease are the ones on the stem,
seat clamp, crank, as well as the those mounting derailleurs. Make sure thru
axles and even quick-release skewer threads get treated.
Now what do you if you have a bolt that just won’t twist, such as a cleat bolt,
for example. Well, there are few things you can try. But first, use good tools.
Cheap Allen keys or ones that are worn and rounded can make matters worse
by Nick Di Cristofaro by rounding out the fastener head.
Use a sharp pick or razor blade to remove all the crud and dirt from where

W hile you probably struggle with email threads

more than the treads on a bolt, it’s important to
take care of the latter to keep your
your Allen key or screwdriver comes in contact with the fastener to get the
most grip with the tool. Spray the bolt with WD- or a good penetrating
lube. I prefer Red Stallion. You have to allow it to soak in
bike running properly. Those bolt for a few minutes before getting to work. This method
threads hold many parts on your can be used with any stuck nut or bolt.
TRAINING

machine. They can, however, seize Another tip: hit the bolt. You’d be amazed at what a little
up. But before you wrestle with a tap can do. After letting lube soak in, get a punch or pin
seized bolt, let’s talk prevention.
MAINTENANCE of appropriate size. With a hammer and the punch, give
Bolts and nuts often seize because the head of the bolt a moderate tap. An automatic spring-
of thread galling, which is sometimes called cold welding. loaded centre punch works great for most small fasteners on bicycles. The
Believe it or not, thread galling usually happens during strike breaks up the corrosion and allows the lube to penetrate better.
installation when pressure and friction cause bolt You can also use heat. You have to be smart with this. A propane torch works
threads to seize to the threads of the nut or within the great, but never take a flame to any carbon-fibre parts or any painted surface,

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 “Another tip:
hit the bolt.”
unless you don’t mind discoloration.
A little heat can go a long way with
regard to removing a stubborn bolt.
Even a heat gun or blow dryer can get
the job done.
If all of these tricks don’t get a
bolt to twist and you have rounded
the bolt head, you can try cutting.
You can turn an Allen head into a
slot head. Take a rotary tool, such
as a Dremel, and outfit it with a
cut-off wheel. Next, cut a small slit
in the head of the bolt. You can try
using a good flathead screwdriver
to remove the stubborn bolt. If this
trick fails, you’ll most likely need
to grind the bolt head off or drill it
out. These are very delicate proced-
ures and best left to an experienced
mechanic if you are not confident
with doing them yourself. Still, before
you got stuck, you did all you could
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 PEDALLING
PIXELS
       -
     ,                     
                    ,        
                           
             .   ’     ,    .

by Dan Dakin

hen Jake Cullen decided to parallelled that of Zwift.

W

Leah horvilson
switch his sport of choice It’s not that the software was the
rides with Canyon/
from sailing to cycling, first interactive cycling platform SRAM Team
he ran into a significant offering multiplayer racing. The now

problem: a wet and cold West Coast antique-looking I-Magic trainer from
horvilson with
winter. In the last few months of Tacx, as well as the CompuTrainer, her oicial
, Cullen found himself enrolled offered some version of that experi- Zwift proile
in full-time studies at Simon Fraser ence more than a decade ago.
University and working part-time But why have we been seeing
at Vancouver’s Bicicletta bike shop. such growth in recent years? Why is
He’d just come off his first season of your Strava feed littered with virtual
racing mostly Cat.  road events with rides in the winter? (And they’re
less-than-stellar results. Motivation there in the other three seasons,
to train wasn’t a problem, but finding too.) Call it a convergence of trainer,
daylight was – until a colleague video-game and mobile technology.
introduced him to the online training Think about it this way: the original
platform Zwift. “I tried it and was Tacx I-Magic was released in ,
pumped right away because I found it three years before the first iPhone
engaging,” he said. “It made training came out. You needed a powerful
feel a lot less like a chore and allowed home computer to run the Tacx soft-
me to spend more time doing it. It ware. Today, even an older iPhone
really changed the game for me.” can handle the Zwift software. Or,
A group of four cycling fans in hook up a  Apple TV and run it
the tech industry launched Zwift in on any connected television.
. The Long Beach, Calif.-based The other driving force behind the
company became a paid platform success of Zwift and its competitors,
in  and has seen massive year- such as Rouvy, Sufferfest, VirtuGo,
over-year growth ever since. While  Cycling and Bkool, is the rising
most early adopters connected their acceptance of online gaming as legit-
old-fashioned trainers to the soft- imate competition. People are now
ware using + power meters and paying big dollars to watch profes-
speed/cadence sensors, the rapid sional e-gaming teams compete
rise of smart trainers – with their against each other and, in some
built-in meters and sensors – has cases, video games are being used to

20 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

cyclingmagazine.ca 21
 identify real-world talent. Nissan partnered with Sony in would give it a go. I had friends who Applewood Garneau Cycling Team for
 to launch the GT Academy, which uses Gran Tourismo knew how much I used Zwift and  and acknowledges the role Zwift
on the PlayStation platform to identify potential race- were egging me on,” he said. had with his improved results. “Put it
car drivers. The program has worked, with many of What he didn’t know at the time this way, in one year I went from mid-
the winners signing professional racing contracts and was that Zwift had seen massive pack in Cat.  races to winning Cat.
competing in some of the world’s biggest series. growth since he had started using / races. Zwift played a major role
As Zwift grew quickly in , it also started a system the platform just a few months earlier. in that because I was doing maybe
for discovering fast riders. The company launched The second edition of the Academy one or two rides outside each week,
the first edition of Zwift Academy, an online talent- drew , women and , men but five or more rides indoors on the
identification competition for women in . “The GT from across the globe. trainer,” he said.
Academy was a huge inspiration for us,” said Kate Much to Cullen’s surprise, he Mark Ernsting, who signed Cullen
Veronneau, who has been at the helm of Zwift Academy made it to the semi-finals, finishing to ride with his DC Bank Pro Cycling
since the start. “Everyone thought we were a little in the top . On the road, he joined Team for , said the Zwift Academy
crazy four years ago when our  Eric Min said we can
do e-sports in Zwift. It was very risky. We had a lot of
naysayers and a lot of questioning press.”
But Zwift Academy was an instant hit. More than ,
women from  countries entered the combined training
program and competition, with U.S. rider Leah Thorvilson
winning it and signing a contract with Canyon/ for
. “We all know that with cycling, the best riders are
not on bikes yet,” Veronneau said. “It’s one of those sports
in which athletes who come from other sports might not
even know they have the engines yet. Some countries do
a great job of identifying other opportunities for athletes
to see if they have the power or physiological ability for
other sports. Zwift Academy is like that, but accessible
to everybody.”
When Zwift announced its Academy would expand to
include men in , Jake Cullen was intrigued. He had
spent enough hours on the platform racing against others
to know he could hold his own. “In my head, I thought I

22 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 “It’s like a new
sport.. It’s not
going to replace
outdoor riding,
valid. “The program has gotten so big that we’re now
attracting riders with more racing backgrounds. So it
would be very hard for someone with no peloton experi-
ence to make it to the finals,” she said, adding that the

but it’s allowing three finalists for each gender now compete for the top
spot at real-life training camps. “If they’re not comfort-
able riding handlebar to handlebar or descending,

people to race
they’re not going to make it,” she said.
Ernsting sees the platform as a talent-identification
tool on the same level as the ergometer competitions
that national rowing organizations use. “If you look at

all over the countries that have led the world in rowing, they hold
erg competitions in key metropolitan areas across their
nations,” he said. “From there, they take that data and hold

world and giving

camps to do more physiological testing on the individuals
to verify the data and add in things like V testing to see
if they could be transformed into world-class athletes.”
Ernsting says national cycling organizations could do

them more the same thing, using indoor cycling to identify talent and
then move them into a feeder system. “The feeder system
would teach them cycling etiquette and dynamics,” he

opportunities to
said. “From there, we’d see if they’d continue to progress
and move toward the highest levels of the sport.”
Aside from the Zwift Academy, which is aimed at
developing under- riders, racing on the platform is also

race and be seen.” growing at a rate that far exceeds that of traditional road
or mountain bike racing. Zwift users can find races at a
variety of ability levels (categorized by power-to-weight
averages), at any time of the day or night. There are many
series and leagues, and some now offer prize money.
“It’s like a new sport,” Veronneau said. “It’s not going to
results factored into the contract decision, but it was far   replace outdoor riding, but it’s allowing people to race all
from the only reason he signed the -year-old rider. Team Wiggins - over the world and giving them more opportunities to
Le Col competes
“We’re a development team, so I think it’s a good step- in the irst race race and be seen.”
ping stone and it gives a rider like Jake the opportunity to of the Zwift Kiss With bragging rights, cash purses and even real-world
develop further,” he said. The team principal acknowledges, Super League contracts on the line, the issue of cheating is never far
from London,
however, he wouldn’t have signed Cullen had he not spent a January 2019 from any conversation about virtual racing. Lie about
couple of seasons learning the sport at lower levels. “We’ve your height or weight and it could affect your virtual aero-
taken a few flyers on riders who have shown really promi-   dynamics (yes, that’s a thing) or your power-to-weight
Zwift in the home
nent physiology markers. We could tell right away that ratio. In early October, Cameron Jeffers, who had won the
they had a certain ability to excel,” Ernsting said. “But after   first British Cycling e-racing championships in March,
that point, it’s a matter of putting in the time to allow their he virtual was stripped of his title, fined and given a six-month
Zwift peloton
bodies to handle the demands of the sport.” ban for his alleged manipulation of data to unlock better
Since Cullen’s cohort, Zwift Academy has exploded in-game equipment. Some believe full-on hacking of
in popularity. More than , riders competed in , smart trainers could be the next frontier of e-cheating.
and that number nearly doubled to more than , in There’s also no drug testing.
. On the line each year are contracts with pro cycling But what online racing does offer up is data. And lots of
teams. Veronneau says the early fears that complete it. “The nice thing is riding and training is all so data driven,”
newbies would be thrown into a pro peloton are far from said Zwift spokesman Greg Fisher. “Zwift has a ton of data

cyclingmagazine.ca 23
 that riders put out in the game. If a is being done to stop cheaters. Frank    
red flag pops up, it’s very easy to ask Garcia,  of Cycligent, a competing  
a rider to produce other data to prove e-sport platform, thinks electronic
or disprove the effort in the game. It
takes some analysis and communi-
doping is a far bigger problem than
anyone wants to admit. “From my
S I MONE
cation, and is a lot of work, but it has
proven itself really effective.”
perspective, e-racing is broken on
all other platforms and will remain BO I LARD
The policing is largely community- broken for the foreseeable future,” In September , Quebec City’s Simone
driven. In late , a group of he said. By “all other” platforms, he Boilard took bronze in the junior women’s
Zwifters launched , the Zwift means those other than his own world championship road race in Innsbruck,
Anti-Doping Agency. The informal cade, a virtual training and racing Austria. Roughly five months later, she won
team would look at a superhuman platform his company brought to in a virtual Innsbruck.
performance (such as someone who market in  after initially working Boilard and three other teammates from
regularly averages more than  W/kg alongside Zwift to offer a virtual- Sho-Air Twenty competed in Round 
for long races) and do a deep dive racing league. of the Zwift Kiss Super League this past
into the Zwifter’s real-world data “This is one of the things that we February. It was set in Zwift’s Innsbruck
from services such as Strava to see talked to Zwift about early on. We world on the Innsbruckring route. As with an
if there’s a history to back up the were doing prize purses of ,.  race, the teammates worked together
virtual ride. As Zwift grew, however, The only thing we could think to end by covering attacks and leading out sprints.
 got overwhelmed. In early , cheating would be to have real-life But unlike an  race, they could also use
Zwift announced it was taking the events. We hoped that would keep power-ups. Boilard won the Zwfit race and
“agency” in-house, renaming it Zwift people honest,” he said, referring to her teammate Erica Clevenger was third.
Accuracy and Data Analysis. Afterwards, Boilard said, jokingly, that the
For now,  is monitoring its win was redemption for her third place at
own major competitions, such as
the  Super League racing series
and national championships, auto-
“It’s more worlds. She did, however, seriously enjoy
the virtual racing.
“I was super impressed by the format of
matically verifying the data of the these races in the comfort of my own house,”
podium and two random finishers.
“We’ve created this team that is
Mar io Kar t she said. “The Zwift races feel like real racing,
but shorter and harder. In fact, the effort
wholly responsible for trying to find is really condensed. It gets you out of your
every loophole, and creating guide-
lines for data and what people have
to adhere to,” Veronneau said. “I
than Mario comfort zone right from the start. The biggest
difference with real racing is the power-ups,
but they add to the fun. It becomes not only
want everyone to feel very confident
that this is a fair competition.”
But not everyone believes enough
Cipollini.” about watts, but also about strategies for
using your power-ups. That’s what’s nice
about Zwift: racing becomes a game.”

24 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 a boring training session. cade is largely focused on
this area with the ability to steer around or jump over
obstacles, crash into other riders and use power-ups. If
you don’t have a bike and trainer, you can play the system
using a keyboard only. Even Zwift has gotten into gami-
fication with the launch of power-ups in training rides
such as a feather that reduces your weight by  kg for
 seconds or extra drafting or aero abilities. It’s more
Mario Kart than Mario Cipollini.
Veronneau said Zwifters will see more gamification
in the future. “Zwift is a video game at heart and we will
always have that aspect,” she said. “We’re still indoor
racing, and we’ll have a lot of fun with that in the next
couple of years.” At September’s Eurobike trade show,
Zwift debuted the ability to turn within its environment. At
the moment, you need a companion app running on your
smartphone. With your phone affixed to your handlebar,
events where competitors ride trainers in one room while the app and the phone’s accelerometer can send signals
an audience looks on. Garcia said riders would show up to to the virtual world when your turn your bars.
these real-world events significantly heavier than their The serious side of virtual racing is expanding, too. At
online profiles, and they were often producing far less the   road world championships in Yorkshire (not
power than when they rode at home. “We developed an coincidentally a course available in the Zwift platform),
additional set of rules that was like  pages long,” he said. officials from Zwift and the  announced the first-ever
cade’s answer to the e-doping issue is what Garcia cycling e-sports world championships to be held in .
calls physical equalization, a sort of handicapping system Riders will qualify through formal national champion-
that allows riders of all sizes and abilities to compete ship events.
directly against each other. “Physical equalization puts “As the governing body for the sport, we need to remain
you on a more level footing, but not an equal footing,” he open to technical innovations and change, and to remain
said. “Fatigue and fitness still matter. Training and endur- relevant to all audiences,” said  president David
ance still matter. It’s not just about one race; it’s about Lappartient. “Zwift is a platform that is enjoyed by people
performing consistently.” Garcia said the technology his of all ages and abilities. However, there is a particu-
company has developed allows the equalization system larly exciting opportunity through e-sports as we look
to be evolving constantly and changing so that a Cat.  to attract a younger audience to cycling. Together, we
rider, for example, could beat a Cat.  rider if the former is have an opportunity to support a fitter youth, through the
working harder in a given race. creation of a new sustainable sport.”
Another feature of the virtual environment is gamifica- The cheating issue received a small, but important
tion – making virtual racing more like a video game than mention in the world championship announcement with
the  and Zwift saying they would be working together

to develop a new  rulebook for cycling e-sports in the
For Round  of coming year.
the  Zwift While Zwift fights to hold its place as the market leader
Women's Kiss
Super League,
on the software side, the companies that manufacturer
four members of the trainers are jockeying for space. Indoor riding was a
Canyon/SRAM – big focus at Eurobike in September with new or updated
Tanja Erath,
Rotem Gafinovitz,
trainers from Kurt Kinetic, Elite, Saris, iiii and others.
Ella Harris and Tacx, Wahoo and Stages all debuted stationary bikes that
Alice Barnes – work with virtual worlds. They all have extra buttons,
raced at Canyon
Bicycles headquar-
usually built into the hoods. Each company hinted that the
ters in Koblenz, extra buttons would eventually connect to gamification
Germany features within Zwift.

“I love seeing how much Zwift has influenced the evolu-
Jacques tion of the technology,” said Veronneau. “The same way
Sauvagnargues the cycling industry has always worked to evolve and
works with his
Wiggins - Le Col
create more opportunities, the hardware development
teammates will just create more interest and opportunities for people
during Round  riding indoors.
of the Zwift Kiss
Super League
“It’s super exciting to think you can show what you’re
made of from your living room against some of the top
competitors in the world and we’ve been able to offer more
and more opportunities to do that.”

cyclingmagazine.ca 25
 
 

with kids
RULE 1
A 2,000-km trip down
the west coast of
Bring your own bikes
IF YOU’RE RIDING long distances Ireland, it’s chip seal’s tougher rural
Ireland is a challenge across multiple days, particularly cousin. Think of crunchy peanut
with kids, do it aboard machines butter spread over hard toast. Some
for any cyclist. you’re comfortable with and not ones
that you’ve mounted for the first time
of it is smooth, some of it is bare and
lots of it is jagged. It’s rough and sharp

Here’s how to tackle it at the start of the trip. Using your

own bikes will allow you to address
and wears tires like a belt sander. We
knew this before going and chose

with young riders. issues before you start. I can guar-

antee you, there will be a lot of them.
our bikes accordingly. Dave rode a
Felt FX cyclocross bike. The kids had
Who’s going to carry that? What are Felt road bikes with beefy tires. Nicky
the kids going to carry? They don’t and I rode Norcos, a ’cross and gravel
by Kevin Vallely want to carry anything. How heavy bike, respectively. Brenda had the
can I load that rear rack before the new titanium Knolly Cache, a super
If you’re thinking about undertaking a big bike tour with bike starts to wobble out? Does it lightweight gravel bike, and had us
your kids and are frightened about everything that could matter if we exceed the weight limit all jealous for the duration of the trip.
go wrong, then keep reading. This past summer, my wife, on the trailer? Discs or rim brakes? Depending on the airline you
Nicky, our two daughters, Arianna and Caitlin (age  and Flats or clipless? Road kit or moun- choose, travelling with your bike
), and I, were joined by our friends Dave Diebolt and tain bike kit? The list goes on and can be very straightforward and
Brenda Ryujin and their two teens, Kai and Mika (age  on. The only way to figure it all out not particularly expensive. Do some
and ), on a ,-km ride down the wild rugged west is to ride the equipment. If you do research before you purchase your
coast of Ireland. The route we followed, called the Wild it beforehand, you won’t be doing it tickets. We headed over to our local
Atlantic Way, is considered an epic journey for a trained when the kids are asking, “How much bike shop and picked up all the card-
adult cyclist. For two families with young teens, who farther!? I’m tired!” board bike boxes we needed for free.
often craved beach time rather than saddle time, the The roads in Ireland are very Not only do they easily accommodate
journey was, speaking objectively, an exercise in crisis different from what we’re used to. your bikes, but you can also pack
management. We made it work and had a trip of a lifetime. They’re routinely uneven, scratchy in other odds and ends you need to
We followed these five simple rules to make it happen. If surfaces akin to pea gravel spread bring, such as tents, sleeping bags,
you’re thinking of hitting the road with your kids, you atop a layer of tar and then let to set. stoves and the like. Bring your own
might want to consider them, too. In North America, it’s chip seal. In bike. You won’t regret it.

26 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 RULE 2
You’ll move slow, just accept it
IN IRELAND We discovered that they were pain inducing.
comfort is everything and easy gears Ireland isn’t considered a moun-
are a must. That may seem obvious, tainous country, but what it lacks in
but if you come from any sort of sheer geographical enormity is made
racing background like I do, your up amply with undulant quantity. The
instinct drifts toward aerodynamics hills never end. Road grades of  per
and a need for speed. This instinct cent or more are common and, on the
will mess with your trip. You won’t be
moving fast, certainly not with kids.
numerous roads we ascended, are
unrelenting. The pass through the Gap RULE 3
You will also end up carrying more of Mamore had an average grade of
weight than you anticipated. Why
not slow down, enjoy the ride and
have that granny gear, just in case? I
. per cent with a long cruel section
of  per cent at its summit that made
for moments of deep existential
Noodle it up
learned this lesson the hard way. questioning at the end. I didn’t have YOU COULD HEAR the roar of the engine as the tiny red car
All of our bikes were heavily a dinner-plate granny gear and paid careened around the corner. There was no deceleration as it
loaded, the adults’ bikes that is, with the price. When I rolled to a stop at the came toward us. The driver’s face, like that of an assassin,
Dave and I hauling trailers with large summit my breathing was like that was steely and indifferent, and seemed to revel in this
waterproof gear bags atop them, of an Everest summiter in a perilous game of chicken. There was no winning for us on this tiny
stuffed to bursting. These exquisite state of hypoxia. “I’ve never seen you road. We tucked in tightly as the vehicle blasted past. Inside,
devices of torture allowed us to carry look so exhausted,” said Brenda, only at the wheel, was a woman, likely in her s. She raised a
more than  kg of gear and proved after I had safely exited my proverbial finger from the steering wheel in an apathetic acknowledg-
themselves as superbly functional as death zone. Bring a granny gear. ment. I instinctively smiled and nodded back and thought

to myself, maybe she’s not so bad after all. I only realized

later that I hadn’t seen what finger she had raised.
Drivers in Ireland drive fast. I’m not aware of an Irish
car racing pedigree but, damn it, there could easily be one.
Speed limits of  km/h on tiny winding roads seem to be
more a challenge than a limit. Signs in Irish seem to cry
out in encouragement. Go mall is written on signs every-
where. Say it out loud: “Go mall!” What does that mean to
you? “Faster,” maybe? Or “come on now, quicker, quicker!”
possibly? Or “go, go, go!” at the very least? Well, in Irish, it
means slow. Or so they say. I don’t believe it.
But, not everyone in Ireland is moving fast. The lead-footed
majority occasionally needs to deal with a more inert minority.
There are slow moving tourists, slower moving tractors and
even slower moving cows, and, of course, us to deal with.
Motorists have to find the right moment to pass. The tiny
roads that trace the coast of Ireland are rarely straight and

cyclingmagazine.ca 27
 force drivers to make assertive, if not free of fast-moving traffic but occasionally it slips onto
impulsive, manoeuvres to negotiate RULE 4 the more arterial N roads that criss-cross the country.
the slower moving. How do cyclists N roads are often no wider than their rural counterparts
dissuade such behaviour? With a yet need to accommodate a much higher traffic volume
pool noodle, of course.
You read that right, a pool noodle – Create a that includes trucks, buses and RVs. There’s rarely a
shoulder to ride upon. When we found ourselves riding on
a cylindrical piece of buoyant poly-
ethylene foam useful when learning
to swim, for floating and for aquatic
detailed route one of these N roads, we felt very vulnerable.
The Ring of Kerry is a peninsula that extends out into
the Atlantic on Ireland’s southwest corner. The road that
exercise. It’s also invaluable at
keeping aggressive drivers at a
distance. Dave rode at the back of
beforehand follows its perimeter is the N, a dreaded N road, with
enormous amounts of traffic on it. There were no R or L
roads for us to take. Rather than risk our lives facing down
our crew and I took to the front. We (and expect to change it speed-crazed drivers for two days, we adjusted our route
had both affixed a bright pink pool on the fly and cut across the peninsula. We rode the Gap of
noodle to the rear of our trailers. They a lot when you’re out there) Dunloe instead. In my research before we left, I discovered
extended out into our lane adding this route and now, under the circumstances, jumped at
an extra metre to our girth. The pink ESTABLISH A TRIP itinerary before using it immediately.
noodle, to the passing driver, pres- you go and establish mileage objec- The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow road that punches
ents an object to manoeuvre around. tives you’d like to hit, sights you’d its way through the imposing mountain range that
The fact that it’s a piece of bend- like to see and places you’d like to runs down the spine of the Kerry Peninsula, which
able foam doesn’t seem to matter. stop at. Be thorough and exacting includes Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s tallest peak. The road
It’s part of our bike and needs to be with the planning. Once you’re out is a magical wandering that links tiny mountain tarns
avoided. What the pool noodle does there, adjust the plan, often. “Why up through a labyrinth of towering cliffs and walls of
is create an imaginary box around go to the bother of figuring it all out green. It unfolds like a vision in a fairy tale’s dreamscape
our group. The imaginary box intro- in the first place if you’re going to coming to life.
duced a significant layer of doubt to change it anyway?” you might ask. Over the course of our cycling adventure, I carried my
the passing driver and encouraged Well, because planning before you daughter Arianna’s violin atop my trailer in hopes that
an added level of care. As a cycling go immerses you in the route and she’d play it. She’s a member of North Vancouver’s North
tourist, the  pool noodle will be the acquaints you with the options you Shore Celtic Ensemble and has a quiver of Irish songs at
best investment you will ever make may weigh when you’re out there. her disposal. Our hope had been that she’d join a trad-
for staying safe on the road. Don’t Certain sections of road may prove itional Irish musical jam at some point on the journey
leave home without it. hillier or busier than you had antici- and get a feel for a true trad session in its element. But
pated. The weather may turn or you this never materialized. At this point in our journey, after
may have a mechanical that needs hauling this considerably awkward and bulky item for
addressing or someone might come more than , km on the road, I’d come to regret my deci-
down with a stomach bug. Whatever sion to bring it in the first place. But there, on a small rocky
happens, being familiar with the outcrop, Arianna took out her violin and began to play the
route will give you the confidence to traditional Celtic ballad of The Gap of Dunloe on the Gap of
adjust your plans easily on the fly. Dunloe. The sound of her violin pierced the pristine silence
The bulk of the Wild Atlantic Way with only the gurgle of a mountain stream as her accom-
route in Ireland is on so-called R or paniment. The moment was an enchanting interlude that
L roads that are generally quiet and revealed the potential delight of adjusting on the fly.

28 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 “In tackling the
Wild Atlantic Way,
we knew we’d
have to push our
kids through some
difficult times.
We knew that
by pushing them
they’d become We saw the best, and occasionally
the worst, that Ireland had to offer. It
stronger, more tested us, pushed us and forced us
to see and experience things a little
capable and, differently than we’d planned. It
dished out heaping loads of Type  fun
ultimately, more that, at times, had us questioning why
empowered we chose to come in the first place. In
the end, we came away gobsmacked.
young adults.” Ireland was enchanting.
There were times when we were
our parental balancing act: we need to focused on getting somewhere only
push our kids to get stronger, allowing to have a herd of cows emerge onto
them to bend just far enough that they the road, stare at us with empty
rebound tougher, but not so far that indifference and saunter along in
they crack and break. Where this frac- front of us for as long as they bloody
ture line lies is always on our mind. well wanted to. We discovered that
Our intent was to camp for most tomorrow’s forecast was never
of our journey on the Wild Atlantic correct, but always included wind,
Way. Out there we decided, when rain, clouds and sun in some com-
we faced exceptionally hard days in bination. We noticed that hills were
the saddle, to stay in guest houses always steeper than they said and
RULE 5 instead. We elected to stay at the that the road surface, at times, would
surfside Rougey Hostel in Bundoran shred a truck tire.

Push hard but after being thrashed by a storm that

hit us in Killybegs. We nestled into
There were moments when the
rain stopped, and the sun peeked

be f lexible the -year-old Beach Bar and B&B

at Aughris Head in County Sligo after
being lashed by driving wind and
out to reveal a landscape so green
that the colour took on a completely
new meaning. We found ourselves
THE YOUNG FRENCHMAN we met at the viewpoint over rain through County Leitrim, and skirting a coastline that ended so
the Doolough Valley, County Mayo, said, “You don’t come we huddled up at McCarthy’s Guest sharply that it felt like riding on the
to Ireland for sunny skies, do you? You come for other House in Westport after riding  km roof edge of a building with its stone-
reasons.” through nothing short of a tempest faced facade plunging hundreds of
Bicycle touring with kids is bloody hard and can be in Sligo. “But those are the days feet down to the broiling ocean below.
downright demoralizing at times. But it also touches on you’ll remember,” said Geraldine, the We met a nation of people who simply
something else, something more meaningful, something hostess at McCarthy’s. “You’re seeing wanted to receive you, find out “how
more transcendent. As adults, we’re able to rationalize more of Ireland than I ever have.” yee were?” and pass the time of day
ourselves through the difficult times on a journey. When Managing your children’s rolling through lazy chat.
you have your kids with you, it can be more challenging. emotions on a bike-touring journey Cycle touring with kids is defin-
In tackling the Wild Atlantic Way as two families, we knew will be the biggest challenge you’ll itely not for the faint of heart, but for
we’d have to push our kids through some difficult times. We face. Push hard but know when to those who have the appetite to face
knew that by pushing them they’d become stronger, more back off. the grumblings of worn-out young-
capable and, ultimately, more empowered young adults. Riding Ireland’s Wild Atlantic sters (and oldsters) and to embrace
By facing uncertainty, discomfort and struggle, we believe Way was not a leisurely spin, but an the unexpected at every turn, jour-
our children will discover their own capacity to cope and, in arduous physical challenge through a neying with your kids by bike is
the end, we hope, will become more resilient. But here lies wild and unpredictable environment. guaranteed to be a trip of a lifetime.

cyclingmagazine.ca 29
 Your 2020
Cycling
Makeover

Image: Guy Parsons

30 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

cyclingmagazine.ca 31
32 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020
 Makeover your mindset “Make 
Write your mantra for the year
“Find a statement that’s easy for you to call to mind, one
the year you
that makes you feel awesome, one that’s going to start
something great in your mind. That’s what your mantra fi nd your
should be,” says sports consultant Traci Stanard. For
example, professional mountain biker Rebecca Rusch has
been telling herself “I can, I will, I will not be denied,” since
Zen side.”
she was a teenager. Take your  mantra to the next
level by printing it on a vinyl sticker and placing it on your
bike’s top tube so you’re reminded of it every time you ride. Meditate
You probably don’t need to hear, yet again, about the many
Keep a daily gratitude journal benefits of meditation: decreased stress, reduced anxiety
Take your training log to the next level by adding a line and even modified brain patterns that can improve your
about one thing you’re grateful for today after making attention span. Despite all the benefits – and lack of any
notes about your workout. Expressing gratitude can make negative side effects – most people have a hard time
you healthier, less stressed, and even help you make committing to the process. Make  the year you find
new friends. Stacking the habit of writing a gratitude your Zen side, whether you spend five minutes in the
journal on top of recording your training log can make it a morning with a free app, such as Oak, that plays gentle
much easier habit to adapt. “That small accomplishment white noise in the background, or you spend  minutes
of listing something every day can be really powerful,” a day practising in complete silence, or you just pause for
says Stanard. “The reason a habit like making a bed every  slow, deep breaths during your lunch break. Learning
morning is great is because it gives you a small win right how to meditate before things get stressful can help when
away. The same is true of a daily journal like this.” you’re getting freaked out on race day.

“Rebecca Rusch has

been telling herself
‘I can, I will, I will
not be denied.’”

cyclingmagazine.ca 33
34 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020
Makeover your bike love
Try a new race
Not feeling excited about race season?
You don’t have to switch sports, just sign
up for a new style of race. Road racer
Robert Gutgesell’s specialty was the
time trial – spending hours every week
practising specific wattages for specific times in straight
lines on perfectly paved roads. After years of road racing
at a high level and of maintaining the necessary commit-
ment to his sport, he was getting worn down. On a whim, he
signed up for a gravel race, and everything changed. “The
gravel courses are way more fun,” he says. “After years of
racing around a small circuit, long, interesting gravel roads
were such a great change and challenge.”

Put a big goal on the calendar early

Find a bucket-list event that piques
your interest. Maybe it’s something as
big as the BC Bike Race or Singletrack 
stage races, maybe it’s an early season
gravel race, maybe it’s a cycling tour in
Spain or Italy or maybe it’s just a goal of riding  miles
in April with a group of friends. Find a goal that’s just a
little bit scary and involves a commitment of time and/
or money, and put it on the calendar. Having a big goal or
an event that sounds exciting on the calendar will keep
you on the trainer or outside cross-training instead of
huddling inside and binge-watching a series on Netflix.
“It’s very motivating to have an event to look forward to
during the depths of winter,” says Kate Sparling-Holmes,
who puts the Roam women’s cycling festival on her
calendar for May every year. Having that early-season
event makes it easier to stay on track with training even
when the days are short and the nights are long.
Try something completely different
If you’re feeling meh about racing this season, try swap-
ping racing for adventure. That might mean switching
from cyclocross to gravel racing, shifting from cross
country mountain biking to enduro, or road racing to bike-
“Find a goal that’s just a packing. “I had a couple pretty bad crashes on the road,
and I was getting tired of travelling across the country to

little bit scary and involves race a couple times for an hour or two at a time,” Gutgesell
says. “That made me shift my perspective: I didn’t want to
race in a professional capacity anymore. It started to feel
a commitment of time like the downsides outweighed the fun. I started riding
more gravel at home and realized I loved the training. I

and/or money, and put it could mountain bike, I could run, I could explore new roads
and it was all part of race prep.” Look for the more adven-
turous and less competition-focused version of the style
on the calendar.” of racing that you once loved.

cyclingmagazine.ca 35
RECOVERY IS YOUR EDGE
MAXIMIZE YOUR TRAINING AND MAKE YOUR RECOVERY
WORK FOR YOU WITH THE NORMATEC PULSE 2.0 SERIES.
NORMATEC’S PATENTED COMPRESSION MASSAGE GIVES YOU
FRESH LEGS FASTER, HELPS YOU WARM UP PRE-WORKOUT,
AND OPTIMIZES YOUR RECOVERY POST-TRAINING.

NORMATECRECOVERY.COM
 GEAR

Holiday
Gift
Guide

Road
Fara Cycling F|Disc p.38
Trek Domane Slr 7 p.39

Trail
Scott Ransom 920 p.40
Trek Top Fuel p.41

Gift Guide
Amazing presents and stocking
stuffers for every type of rider p.42

In Depth
Trainers p.54
Photo: Hiep Vu

Shimano GrX groupset p.56

Liv Pique Advanced Pro 29 0 p.58

cyclingmagazine.ca 37
 Fara reviewed by Matthew Pioro Fara Cycling F|Disc (as tested)

Components SRAM Red eTap AXS

Cycling I n July, I was on a ride that featured some jamming on gravel

roads, a double helping of pastries and good conversations –
a perfect summer outing. It was well matched to Fara Cycling
Wheels 303 Firecrest carbon
clincher tubeless disc brake

Sizes (cm) 48, 51, 54, 56, 58

F|Disc bike I was testing. You might ask, though, isn’t that type

F|Disc of summer ride that all bikes are for? Sure. But they’re not
always positioned that way. Some are designed for winning
races. Some are designed for tackling the bumpiest surfaces
Price $2,999 (frameset
and seatpost)

Website blacksmithcycle.com
A frame from a Norway- you can find. Some are made specifically to carry you to the
based company for top of a mountain pass. The F|Disc – it has its own vibe. company, with providing some of the
When I test bikes, I try to get beyond a company’s marketing. inspiration for Fara.
roaming or racing It’s not that I don’t believe a company’s message, but it’s my “About four years ago, you could see
job to look at it and compare it with what I experience on the a transition from pro-race-oriented
bike. With Fara’s message, I was caught a little off guard by bikes and kit to products that were
just how straightforward it is. more fashion-inspired. Cycling in
Jeff Webb, from Huntsville, Ont., is the CeO of the Oslo, general was becoming more fashion
inspired,” he said. “The apparel industry
had taken that to heart, but the hard-
“People want emotional goods side had not yet responded to
connections with it. I use Rapha as category, but it could
be Rapha or Maap. If you look at the
their equipment.” rider who’s dressed in those brands,
he then goes into the garage and
there’s a flashy, yellow-and-green
bike. It doesn’t really match. People
want emotional connections with their
equipment, especially something you
spend that much money on.”
Webb often rides his Fara Cycling
rigs in Nordmarka, a vast forested area
just north of Oslo. A trip to Nordmarka
features pavement as you leave the city
and a lot of gravel through the woods. My
perfect summer ride on the Fara F|Disc
was as Nordmarka as I can get leaving
from my home in Toronto. During the
past five months, I’ve also taken the bike
to other parts of the province on main
highways and back roads.
How did the bike handle? I outfitted
the carbon-fibre frame with full SraM
Red eTap aXS and Zipp 303 wheels
with 28-mm tubeless tires. The full rig
(including pedals and bottle cages) was
7.95 kg, pretty light and easy to take up
hills. I rode it in the Sea Otter Canada
Gran Fondo in July, where it was as lively
as the event itself. The bike was well-
ROAD balanced, cornering nicely and feeling
GEAR

TEST good when I was out of the saddle or

sprinting in the drops.
While Fara Cycling has a direct-to-
Norway-based Fara. He raced bikes as a kid and young consumer model in E.U. countries, the
adult in the late ’80s and early ’90s. He even landed on a bikes from the Norwegain company
French team for three years. After he stopped competing come to Canada via Blacksmith Cycle
Image: Matt Stetson

at a high level, he got into the sporting-goods field. About in Toronto. That shop sorted out my
four years ago, Webb and his partners started Fara Cycling. Fara bike with a SraM build, and it’s with
They wanted to sell the types of bikes they wanted to ride regret that I’m preparing to return that
directly to customers. Webb also credits Rapha, the clothing far-out frame.

38 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 ROAD

GEAR
TEST

Trek Domane SLR 7

Holes in the frame make for a better bike

reviewed by Matthew Pioro

A fter weeks of riding the Trek Domane Slr 7 on all kinds of surfaces, I spoke with
Anders Ahlberg, Trek road product marketing manager, who took me through
the bike’s IsoSpeed technology. It eases the effects of rough surfaces on a rider. I was
keeping me a little less rattled. I like the refinements of the
new system. My only quibble is that the top tube slider of the
new generation isn’t as easy to slide into place as the older
familiar with the previous generation of IsoSpeed and its slider on the seat tube. That model. That’s definitely not a showstopper, though. The slider
slider allowed you to tune the amount of flex you’d have at the seatpost and saddle. isn’t something you adjust often, once you’ve found a compli-
The design worked well for some riders, but not others. A larger rider, one who already ance setting you like.
puts more input into a frame, would get more compliance than a smaller rider could. The Domane Slr 7 comes with secret compartment. Push
The second-generation IsoSpeed simply didn’t scale well enough, Ahlberg said. a lever by down tube’s bottle-cage bolts, and a plate comes
For the third-generation of IsoSpeed, the model that was on the Domane I was away from the tube. Inside there’s a sleeve you can wrap your
testing, Trek reconfigured the system. The seatmast has an extension that you tire levers, CO2 cartridge and tube in. I took full advantage of
can see under the top tube. Mast and extension are all one piece, which resembles this feature because it keeps things looking neat and clean on
an L if you view it from the drive side of the bike. The “corner” of the L sits at the the outside of the bike. I was curious, though, about how the
top-tube/seatstay junction, connected hole affected the frame’s construction. “We did a bunch of
Trek Domane SLR 7
to the frame with a pivot. (The pivot is computer modelling for stiffness and laminate to make sure
behind the quadrilateral in the frame at Components Shimano Ultegra R8050 Di2 that the storage door was not a negative,” Ahlberg said. “We
the junction.) From the corner of the L, Wheels Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V put quite a bit of work into exactly where that hole should be.
there’s a little tab that extends into the We tired to get it as big as possible, so you can get that flat-kit
Sizes (cm) 47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62
seat tube. You can’t see this tab, but at bag in easily, but also as small as possible to not compromise
the back of the seat tube, you can twist Price $10,950 stiffness as much. We did have to add a little more laminate
a bolt that is affixed to tab. The bolt also Website trekbikes.com compared with a traditional bike to keep stiffness where we
adjusts an elastomer damper within. wanted it, but we knew the minimum amount of extra ma-
“With the damper, you can run a much higher compliance setting without it feeling terial to use to make it ride properly.”
Photo: Matt Stetson

bouncy,” Ahlberg said. You can also tune the ride with the slider on the underside of My outings on the bike were long and leisurely. (If you want
the top tube. Move the slider toward the head tube for a softer ride and toward the to race it, though, it would be capable.) I was impressed with
seat tube to firm things up. all the refinements to the Domane, which make it quite a
Out on the roads, both gravel and asphalt, the latest IsoSpeed did a great job refined ride.

cyclingmagazine.ca 39
 TRAIL
GEAR

TEST

Scott Ransom 920 the suspension dynamics with the flip

Scott Components SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed

derailleur, trigger shifter
and 11-50 tooth cassette.
of a switch. Full open mode gives you
all 170 mm of plush track-eating travel;
the middle mode only offers the top 120

Ransom 920 Shimano MT520 four-

piston disc brakes with
200-mm-diameter front
and 180-mm-diameter
mm of travel in the rear and significantly
firms up the front. TwinLoc is a great
feature for technical climbs, where you
he enduro rig will help you rip down rear rotors need the pedalling efficiency to keep
trails and climb up them well, too Suspension Fox 36 Float Performance moving but also need a bit of travel
Air fork with 170 mm to soak up small bumps to maintain
of travel, custom FOX
momentum. The third setting is a full
Nude T EVOL shock with
reviewed by Matt Stetson 170 of travel lockout for all those fire-road climbs.
I ended up using the climb mode on
Wheels Syncros Revelstoke
have always enjoyed the Swiss engineering and attention to all but one of my ascents to the top of
I detail that Scott puts into its bikes. Often, it’s the first brand
to introduce new bike technologies or features to the market,
Sizes S, M, L, XL Blue Mountain. The setting was able to
transform the bike from a big-travel
Price $5,600
such as the inverted trunnion-type mounting of the shock, beast into a more tame and manage-
Website micasport.com
introduced on the Scott Spark in 2016 and later the Genius able climber. Not only was the TwinLoc
before also being used on the enduro-focused Ransom. I stay planted through rough sections. I great for switching on and off for climbs,
had a chance to ride the Spark when it first came out, so I was did have to play with the suspension it was convenient to switch quickly
excited to try its bigger, longer-travel brother on the mild a bit to get it to feel balanced. I ended into climb mode for flatter sections of
steeps of Blue Mountain. up running a bit more pressure than sprinting on enduro stages. The one
Out on the trail, the Ransom is a real brawler. With 170 mm recommended in the rear to keep the downfall of the TwinLoc is that it puts
of travel there isn’t much to complain about when it comes bike from sinking into its travel through your dropper-post remote on top of
to pushing speeds going downhill, especially on the Ontario hard berms and corners. With extra the bars, which could be a deal breaker
trails I was riding. The Ransom soaked up all the rocks and air in the shock, the bike felt more for some. In enduro racing, where you
roots I could throw at it and even saved me from a few poor balanced, but I feel like the real solution are usually going up or down, I see the
line choices that may have seen me careening into the woods would be to try a piggyback shock, such mounting as less of a hindrance. With a
on a lesser bike. The Fox 36 fork kept me going in my intended as the Fox X2. price tag of $5,600, the bike may seem
direction, while the rear shock did a good job of helping me For me, the standout feature of a bit expensive for an aluminum-frame
the Ransom is the TwinLoc remote machine. The Ransom, however, comes
and suspension. Scott’s proprietary packed with technology and features
“It’s a real brawler.” TwinLoc system allows you to change that make it a bargain for the price.

40 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 Trek Based on looks, the new 2020 Top Fuel appears more
of an XC race bike as opposed to a more aggressive trail
slayer. Full carbon everything, including very slight seatstays,
and stage racing – events in which you
need a light and efficient bike to pedal
for long distances, but also need to

Top means a medium-size frame comes in at a featherweight

2.5 kg. Paired with a full Xtr build and 29" Bontrager Kovee
XXX wheels, my test bike was hovering around 10 kg. I never
manage technical trails. A lot of gravity-
focused tech is spilling into cross
country bikes recently, which is great,

Fuel once complained about the bike while climbing, not only
because of the weight, but also because the rear suspension
has amazing small-bump performance. The Top Fuel eats up
but is sometimes a detriment to a
bike’s climbing abilities. It’s good to
see that Trek thinks balance is impor-
Head down country on this roots and rocks on climbs and even rewards you for standing tant for a bike meant to go up as much
quick and nimble bike up out of the saddle and powering over bigger obstacles. I as it’s meant to go down.
could lean really far forward without losing traction in the
Trek Top Fuel (as tested)
rear, which seems to be the Achilles heel of some bikes in the
reviewed by Matt Stetson same category. I suspect the slightly longer chainstays help Components Shimano XTR

with the bike’s climbing abilities. Many brands seem to have Suspension Fox Factory 34 fork with
he Top Fuel was once the pinnacle been caught in a shorter-is-better competition to achieve 120 mm of travel, Fox Fox
T of Trek’s of dual-suspension cross
country racing bikes. It’s since been
the most compact chainstays. Trek and the Top Fuel have
reminded me that for those of us who climb as much as we
Performance Float with
120 mm of travel

replaced by the new and innova- descend, a little extra length out back really helps. Wheels Bontrager Kovee XXX
Boost TLR 29 MTB
tive design of the Supercaliber. The One of the biggest changes with the new Top Fuel is its
company, however, has kept the Top geometry. Trek gave the bike a slacker front end to help Sizes S, M, M/L, L, XL

Fuel in the line for 2020. So where does manage descents better and offer more stability at speed. Price $4,000 (frame, shock,
this new model fit in? If you look at The bike certainly handles steep trails much better than the stem and headset only)
its geometry chart, you can see simi- previous version and feels more composed ripping through Website trekbikes.com
larities with the Yeti SB100 and Intense fast sections of trail. When things start to get really rough,
Sniper. Both are established bikes in the though, the bike did tend to go through its rear travel rather
Photo: Matt Stetson

“down country” category. I wanted to quickly. I felt like it took more effort to keep the bike online
see how the Trek compared with others in rough sections of trail when compared with similar bikes. TRAIL

GEAR
within this new breed of more aggres- Those bikes, however, don’t climb as well as the Top Fuel does.
sive cross country race bikes. Where I think the Top Fuel really shines is in marathon
TEST

cyclingmagazine.ca 41
 Melding high-performance features
Project: with trippy graphics, the Bontrager XXX
LTD Mountain bike shoes A ($560, trek-

Give Great Stuff bikes.com) will help a cross country rider

or a cyclocross racer rip. The pattern is
called caMooflage. The bovine-themed
Amazing presents and stocking stuffers design from the Wisconsin-based
for every type of rider company, however, really does pop. The
lacing system keeps pressure off of the
If you are shopping for a cyclist on your list this holiday season top of the foot, while the sole provides
or want to influence the presents that might be coming your maximum stiffness. The Shimano XC5
shoes B ($220, bike.shimano.com) have
way, check out this guide of great gift ideas. You can go high – a grippy Michelin rubber outsole for
new wheels or a cycling getaway – and you can get cool when they’re put into service off bike.
stocking stuffers – a sweet bell or colourful gloves. Start here, Each shoe has a Boa dial and hook-
make a list and check it twice. and-loop strap to snug things up. It’s an
excellent pair for cross country races
and even gravel adventures.

A B

2019
GEAR

GIFT GUIDE
The super user-friendly  system for
swapping lenses is now on the trail with
the Smith Attack MTB glasses C ($290,
smithoptics.com). With two simple clicks,
a mountain biker can remove and reat-
tach the temples. This set comes with
two visibility-enhancing ChromaPop
lenses: one for sunny conditions and
one for low light.
C
Photos: Hiep Vu

42 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 E The Kryptonite Evolution Mini-9 D ($110, kryptonitelock.
com) is a refined u-lock with subtle but effective features.
Kryptonite’s double deadbolt helps to combat twist attacks.
The disc-style cylinder is drill-resistant. The Evolution Mini-
attaches to a bike with bracket that’s included. This lock, in a
way, is a gift for a bike that will make it feel secure.

The Abus 770A Smartx lock E ($370 for -mm length,

$390 for -mm length, abus.com) can make more noise
than a Christmas cracker. Would-be thieves are treated to a
-decibel alarm. Lock up or unlock with an iOS or Android
smartphone via the SmartX system. These new-school
elements work with classic hardened steel, which is used for
the shackle, the housing and the load-bearing parts of the
locking mechanism.
D

The
Christmas
Cross
Project
Since , the Christmas
Cross Project has been
helping Canadian
cyclocross racers get to
Europe to gain experience
competing against the
world’s best. The Canadians
spend most of the holiday
season abroad, away
from family and friends,
at events such as the
World Cups in Namur and

Jenn Jackson
Zolder, as well as races
part of the  Trophy
and Superprestige series.
In this gift guide, five
The first rider is Jenn Jackson, who won her first  C-level
event in Iowa this past September.
“Best cycling
cyclocross racers connected “Last year, when I was on the fence about going to race gift I’ve ever
with the Christmas Cross Christmas Cross, my parents helped make the decision by
received,
Photo: Matt Stetson

gifting me the flight to Belgium,” Jackson says. “It was a price-

Project discuss cycling-
related presents that have
less gift. It gave me the opportunity to race and was an extra
gesture that showed they really believed in me as a cyclist.
and probably
been important to them. “Best cycling gift I’ve ever received, and probably ever will.” ever will.”
cyclingmagazine.ca 43
 A

These two Campagnolo espresso

cups A ($60, campagnolo.com) make
quite the pair. Think about it: legendary
Italian component maker matched with
an Italian way of enjoying coffee. Bene !

Ring in the new year with a Giant

Cruiser bell B ($10, giant-bicycles.com).
The purple colour looks great, but so
do the black, blue, and red and blue
versions. Fits on bars from  to  mm
in diameter.

The Easton pit beer slingC ($20, easton

cycling.ca) (or insulated wizard stick

with strap) ensures riders have the
Photos: Hiep Vu

necessary canned hydration at events.

It can hold six -ml cans or four
-ml.

44 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 Pop a tab in your bidon before heading
D out, or while on a ride. A Nuun Sport tube
F ($10 each, nuuncanada.com) has 

tablets, each providing  calories,  g of

carbs,  mg of magnesium and  mg
of sodium. For the holidays, Skratch
Labs G ($27, ryekasport.com) has its
gift with purchase pack. There are four
bars, including the new raspberries and
lemon, and peanut butter and strawber-
ries. The fruit punch hydration mix is way,
F way tastier than a Christmas fruit cake.

Launched in early October, the GoPro

Hero 8 Black D ($530, ogc.ca) is the
latest iteration of the action camera. It
has improved stabilization and a new
night-lapse video setting. With addi-
tional mod kits, the camera can be
outfitted with a directional mic, flip-up
display or light.

A set of Hunt 36 UD Carbon Spoke

wheels E ($2,064, huntbikewheels.cc)
would make a massive transformation
to any road bike with rim brakes. The
hoops weigh a feathery , g. The
Hunt Sprint hub has  teeth on its
ratchet ring. Three pawls, each with
three teeth, grab the ratchet, which
then spins up the TaperLock UD carbon
spokes and filament-wound rim.

E
H

From Vermont, Untapped waffles H

(US$32 for a carton of , untapped.cc)

are delicious mid- or post-ride fuel.
The four tasty flavours include maple
(naturally), chai, raspberry and coffee.
The company will ship to Canada for
free if the order tops .

cyclingmagazine.ca 45
 The
Christmas
Cross
Project

Ruby West
In early , Ruby West, the national
under- cyclocross champion, finished
th at Grand Prix Sven Nys. It was the
kind of opportunity that the Christmas
Cross Project provides.
“I’ve certainly had my share of cycling-
related gifts over the years,” West says.
“One year, I got a new Tacx trainer and a
wheel with a trainer tire on it. The next
year, I got a set of rollers to train on.
Around Christmas time, it’s normally
something for indoor training because,
you know, Canadian winters.”

A Give the gift of comfort. Lizard Skins

DSP 2.5-mm-thick bar tape A ($60,
simbolpr.com) will lessen the effects of
road vibrations on hands and wrists. The
 cm of tape and plugs weigh  g.

The Syncros Tailor iS bottle cage B C

($70, micasport.com) combines the

maintenance of the rider and the bike.
The side-entry cage can be mounted to
take a bottle from the left or the right.
Behind the bottle is a multi-tool with
 items. There’s a chain tool, disc-pad
wedge, chain-link holder and bits for
various fasteners. The whole package
weighs roughly  g.
B

The Sugoi Women’s Zap bike jacket C

($200, sugoi.com) really lights up the
night. A micro-glass bead application
that seems like a mere design pattern
of dots and dashes actually reflects
a beam, increasing rider visibility. The
fabric is waterproof, while the seams
Photos: Matt Stetson, Hiep Vu

are taped to keep water at bay. A back

pocket with flap holds ride essentials.

46 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 The Lazer G1 D ($300, lazersport.com) debuted late this
past September. It’s the company’s new performance road
helmet. A size small G weighs in at  g. The Advanced
Rollsys system, with its roller at the top of the helmet, snugs
the helmet to a rider’s head. Twenty-two vents let air pass
through, but an Aeroshell cover can improve aerodynamics
by sending the wind up and around the helmet. The Bollé
Furo MIPS helmet E ($300,
$300 bolle.com) mixes protection and D

aerodynamics. The  liner helps to address rotational

forces that can affect a rider’s head in a crash. The vents and
truncated-airfoil design let air pass by smoothly when a rider
is pushing the pace at the front of a group or sprinting by.

This past September, the Norco Fluid FS 1 20 F ($2,899,

norco.com) hit the trails. It’s for riders from roughly seven-
to -years-old. The aluminum frame comes with a "
F Manitou J-Unit Expert Air fork with  mm of travel and
Fox Performance Float shock with  mm of travel. The JD
TransX Light Action dropper post works well for young riders
lighter than  kg. The Giant Pre G ($200, giant-bicycles.
com) is a classic balance bike that will get a proto-cyclist
stoked on riding. The tubes have been updated to give the
frame some sportier angles. A young rider will probably want
to rip the " wheels around the house while waiting for the
snow to clear outside.

H
G

Buzz Rack Scorpion H rack H ($359,

damourbicycle.com) is a hefty system
for hefty bikes. It can even carry
e-mountain bikes. When two machines
Photos: Hiep Vu

are mounted, a vehicle’s trunk is still

accessible; the rack’s tilt function can
angle the bikes out of the way.

cyclingmagazine.ca 47
 C For the rider who is still getting out
during the holiday season, there’s the
Giordana skull cap C ($43, unoimports.
com), ear cover ($33) and neck gaiter
($33). The designs are festive; the
Roubaix material means warmth.
A

For the fan to wants to watch pro

cycling, the Flobikes streaming service
D ($198/year, flobikes.com) is a must.

The company has secured the rights to

broadcast the Tour de France in Canada
from  to . There’s also cyclo-
cross, the Spring Classics, the Giro
d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, as well
as  and track events.

The Garmin Edge 830 A ($550($550, garmin.

com) has features for mountain bikers.
The head unit can tap into Trailforks’
database of trail maps to offer guid-
ance in the woods. It also keeps track of
metrics such as jump count, hang time,
what Garmin calls grit – the difficulty of
the ride – and flow, how smoothly you
rode the trail.

The Reggie Retro Trainer B ($180,

reggie.bike ) was inspired by the
sweaters that Reggie founder Jeff Wills
wore in Belgium, where he rode and
trained in . “We were in the age of
Lycra and hardshells, but we all trained
in wool jerseys on the cooler days, which
seemed like every day,” says the rider
from Port Hope, Ont. “The guys I rode
with all grew up racing in wool team
Photos: Hiep Vu

jerseys, so I was always trying to trade

for the coolest ones.” Now Wills makes a
very cool jersey for cool weather.

48 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 E F While the Racer E-Glove 3 E ($300, oneal.com) is a light piece of hand
racergloves.com) is from France, it protection for the mountain biker on
works great for the Canadian winter. your list. The silicone on the palms
The heated gloves have a thermo- and fingertips add grip and braking
regulator to keep hands warm without control. The synthetic leather palms
cooking them. A Polymax membrane make the gloves durable. The graphics
keeps water out. There are even shock are wicked, too. The Liv Signature LF
absorbing pads if things get bumpy. The gloves H ($50, liv-cycling.com) are for
Specialized Women’s Body Geometry race day. They have a four-way stretch
Dual-Gel long-finger gloves F ($70, on their backs for excellent fit and are
specialized.com) have synthetic suede quite breathable. After the race, the Tip
palms for great grip. The dual-gel Tech fingertips will let a rider check her
padding takes out some of the harsh- smartphone to see her results.
ness of road vibrations. If a rider works
up a sweat, the soft fabric at the back
of the thumbs can take care of that.
The O’Neal Mayhem glove G ($57,

The
Christmas
Cross
Project
Gunnar Holmgren
The Christmas Cross Project has taken
Gunnar Holmgren to Europe on three
occasions: in –, – and
–. The junior and under- national
champion has done quite well across the
pond where he’s had a few top- results.
“I received a cookbook last year,”
Holmgren says. “It’s by Alan Murchison,
or Performance Chef, who is a cyclist
himself. The recipes are tailored to
cyclists, which is very helpful. Another
gift that I bring with me everywhere
Photo: Matt Stetson

is a windproof jacket that rolls up. It’s

perfect for when I’m riding in the spring
or fall since it’s so easy to carry and
adds so much warmth.”

cyclingmagazine.ca 49
 When it’s dark in December, give light. B Training and Racing with a Power Meter (VeloPress) is the
The Bontrager Ion Elite R/Flare R latest edition of the work by training-with-power gurus
City set A ($177, trekbikes.com) will Hunter Allen, Andy Coggan and Stephen McGregor. It’s a
brighten the way ahead and behind. The must for a rider hitting the trainer this winter. The Joy of
Ion Elite R has five settings that can Cycling (Jackie Corley, Hatherleigh Press) is full of fantastic
cast  to , lumens in front of a quotes by famous folks (Robin Williams, Mark Twain, Michelle
bike, with a maximum daytime visi- Pfeiffer and many more) about bikes. It’s easy, breezy reading.
bility of  km. The Flare R City sends The Man and His Bike (Ebury) is a collection of writing by
 lumens to the rear. Both can pair Dutch journalist Wilfried de Jong. There are wonderful narra-
with an + device, such as a Garmin tives on getting and fixing a flat to a meeting and mediation
head unit. The sleek Fabric Lumabeam on Gino Bartali. For a work of cycling fiction, Road Warrior
B ($80, fabric.cc) can blast  lumens (Vivian Meyer, Inanna) features a bike courier/amateur detec-
from its sandblasted alloy body. Click tive searching for a missing boy in Toronto. In With You by
the on/off button some more to acti- Bike (Katrina Rosen, Rocky Mountain Books), a couple heads
vate the four LEDs for either white or on ,-km tour with the aim of rebuilding their marriage –
red light. It’s versatile. Give two of them intense travel and intense relationship strengthening.
to have a bike totally covered. Higher Calling (Max Leonard, Yellow Jersey Press) tries to
answer the following question: why do road cyclists go to
the mountains? The World’s Fastest Man (Michael Kranish,
Scribner) is a biography of Major Taylor. Taylor, who raced
in the late s and early s, was the U.S.’s first black
A sports star. Cycling and Cinema (Bruce Bennett, Goldsmiths
Press) is a heady look at everyone’s favourite vehicle in
movies including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , Rad ,
Breaking Away and, E.T. Sunday in Hell (William Fotheringham,
Yellow Jersey Press) goes deep into the making of the Jørgen
Leth film, A Sunday in Hell , a documentary of the  Paris-
Roubaix. The book not only covers filmmaking but the riders
and state of pro cycling at the time.

Photos: Hiep Vu

50 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 The
Christmas
Cross
Project
Sidney McGill
Sidney McGill, the  national under-
cyclocross champion, participated in
the CX Project in the – season.
“One of my top Christmas gifts I’ve
received was my first ever ‘real’ race
bike,” McGill says. “It was a Scott moun-
tain bike. It was snuck into the living
room in the middle of the night for a
special surprise the next morning. I had
just started racing bikes and was over
Photo: Matt Stetson

the moon to have a bike that didn’t

weigh  lb. and had clipless pedals. I
was ready to rock that next summer
with my brand new weapon!”

C D E For an -you-shouldn’t-have gift, give a cycling getaway,

such as a trip with Correze Cycling Holidays F (correzecycling.
com). The company offers accommodation, food and guiding
in the Correze region, just to the west of the Massif Central.
The riding is based out of Espagnac, France. Prices range from
$1,160 for seven nights in the low season to $1,350 in the high
Early in the fall, the Maxxis Rambler season. Stage  of the  Tour de France ends on Puy Mary,
tire C ($81, maxxis.com) in a c width a climb with an average grade of eight per cent and ramps of
was released. In mountain bike-speak,  per cent. It’s also a staple on Correze Cycling rides. Really, if
that’s a "-wide bit of rubber. The you are giving this trip as a gift, you should probably go along,
blocky knobs on the Rambler will have too. Someone needs to take photos.
a drop-bar rider cruising over all kinds
of gravel. The Pirelli Scorpion MTB M F

Lite tire D ($150 for  x ., sasquat-

chagency.com) is a do-it-all tread for
both dry and wet conditions that might
include hardpack and soft soil. The
Lite model is about  g, roughly
 g less than its non-Lite sibling. This
past summer saw the launch of the
new Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless Easy
tire E ($110 for c, schwalbe.com).
The company says it’s improved the
souplesse, or suppleness, of its flag-
ship road tread with multiple carcass
layers under the Addix Race compound.
The new Pirelli mountain bike tires are
geared toward various terrain types, not
mountain bike disciplines.

cyclingmagazine.ca 51
 C The VéloColour Tube and Tool Rocket
Pocket seat bag C ($78 for the
-mm model, velocolour.com) is an
elegant way to carry ride essentials.
It’s made in Toronto. Roughly  per
cent of its materials are produced in
North America. The side that presses
against the saddle rails is made of
A D Cordura for durability. The side
that faces outward is made of X-Pac
VX, which is good at shedding water
and mud. The Osprey Savu mountain
biking lumbar bottle pack D ($80,
osprey.com) keeps weight low and
around a rider’s waist. It can accommo-
date two water bottles on quick rides on
nearby singletrack. Recently, a bunch of
PRO Discover bags ( pro-bikegear.com)
were released for big rides on vari-
able surfaces. There’s the frame bag
E ($88), the seat bag F ($75) and bar/

bottle bag G ($48), which mounts on

the stem or bars. All bags are water-
proof, perfect for rides that get soggy.
Keep a laptop and a change of clothes
protected with the Specialized Base
Miles Stormproof backpack H ($225,
specialized.com ). The -l bag has
also been tested in Specialized’s wind
tunnel, so it should perform well in the
D
daily commuter criterium.

The Liv Energize Off-Road rain jacket

A ($200, liv-cycling.com) is for the
E
mountain biker who’s not afraid of a
little shower out on the trail. The jack-
F
et’s ProTextura fabric is breathable and
has a water-repellent finish. The hood
B can fit over a helmet. A rider can stow a
few of her essentials in the front pocket.

The Giant Clutch Crank B ($95, giant- G

bicycles.com) is a multi-tool that makes

excellent use of a gap in a bike. It fits in
any hollow-spindle , Shimano or
Praxis cranks. The multi-tool includes
.-, -, -, - and -mm Allen keys, a
T bit, a chain breaker, spare chain-
links storage and a spoke wrench.

H
Photos: Hiep Vu

52 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 The
Christmas
Cross
Project
Maghalie Rochette
Although Maghalie Rochette has a lot of
experience racing in Europe, she hasn’t
been a participant in the Christmas
Cross Project. She has, however, been
involved with Cycling Canada’s cyclo-
cross working group. Also, this past
fall, she launched her CX Fever neck
warmer ($25, maghalierochette.com).
“All the profits from the warmer go to
help Cyclocross Canada at Christmas
and worlds,” she says. That little boost
is important. Cyclocross, unlike road,
track,  and mountain bike, doesn’t
get any government funding because
it’s not an Olympic sport. Canadian
CX athletes have to find support from
other venues. So, if you give the CX
Fever neck warmer as a gift this season,
it’s actually two presents in one.

For someone who

needs to ride the
bumpy stuff, there’s
the Garneau Groad LS
jersey and Groad Grip
bib shorts I ($260 and
$295, garneau.com).
The bibs have storage
along each leg. The
jersey has three stan-
dard pockets and mesh
side pocket. Tethered
Photos: Hiep Vu, Matt Stetson

to the back is a bottle

opener, which, if you
think about it, shouldn’t
just be for gravel rides,
but all rides.

cyclingmagazine.ca 53
 Hardware for Going Virtual
Top smart trainers to take your winter riding to the next level

With these trainers, you don’t have to dread the pain cave. Well, you
might still dread the physical duress they can put you under, but
that’s all in the name of getting fitter. These trainers are easy to set
up and connect you to all the virtual distractions you could want
when you are cranking away in winter, whether those efforts are for
pixel podiums or for rides you plan to take outside in spring.

Elite Direto X
$1,199
elite-it.com
ith the Direto X, Elite continues with more subtle shifts in power across
W to refine its line of direct-drive
trainers. With the previous Direto, the
intervals, the trainer worked well. When
I was facing a huge (for me) jump, say
trainer’s accuracy was +/-  per cent. from  W to  W and then back,
On the latest model, launched early the power readings were quite vari- Tacx Neo 2
this past September, the company has able. I asked Gaetano Mercante, the $1,649
improved that figure to +/- . per cent. R&D electronic manager at Elite, about tacx.com
Other numbers that look better are the this behaviour. He recommended using he Tacx Neo  was released late in
Direto X’s ability to simulate grades up
to  per cent (up  per cent on the old
easier gears for lower power rangers
and lower cadence ranges. This advice
T . It has some impressive stats:
providing , W of resistance and
model) and the , W of resistance helped. In my initial tests, I was big mimicking grades of  per cent. Also,
it can provide to really, really strong ringing it. (Why not use some gear it features the ability to simulate rolling
riders. Unless you’re a track sprinter, combinations on the trainer that I don’t down virtual descents. The Neo ’s
you probably don’t worry about the use as much on the road? Use the whole accuracy is posted as +/-  per cent.
latter figure much. cassette, right?) It’s also quiet. Really quiet. Compared
Setting up the Direto X was easy. I As for riding in Zwift in simulation with the original Neo, the  has added
merely had to attach the three feet to mode, the Direto X was great. It tracked features, such as pedal-stroke analysis
the main unit. The trainer is tall with its my power changes accurately, its re- and left/right balance.
height of  cm. It has a wingspan of sistance always dialed. For racing and The machine has quite a bit of heft to
 cm and is  cm from front to back. going for broke on climbs, the Direto X it, weighing in a . kg. With its fold-out
For a direct-drive machine, it’s fairly is your machine.—Matthew Pioro “wings,” it seems to have a big footprint,
light at . kg. I attached a -mm however, it’s a reasonable  cm wide
thru axle to the Direto, which was a and  cm from front to back. When the
simple matter of slipping in the right wings are up, the Neo  is only  cm
adapters beforehand. When I spun the wide making it stowable. Tacx trainers
Direto up, it was very quiet. don’t come with cassettes, so you have
Elite has its own app, My E-Training, to get out a chain whip and lockring tool
that connected with the trainer using to put on a Shimano or  cassette.
its QR code. With My E-Training, you can The unit comes with a quick-release
run workouts and use the pedalling and adaptors for  x  mm and  x
analysis feature. These features,  mm axles. There’s a handy video that
however, require an additional will help you figure out the adaptors
subscription. To tap into the in a few minutes. Budget a few more
Direto’s smart technology, minutes if you are the lemme-see-if-I-
I headed over to Watopia. can-figure-this-out-myself type.
Connecting to Zwift via + Both erg and simulation modes, in
FE-C, the wireless protocol for Zwift, work very well on the Neo . In the
fitness equipment, was a breeze. former, the trainer switches between
I did a few workouts in erg mode, interval intensities well and can adjust
in which the trainer keeps you at a for fluctuations in cadence. In the latter,
specific resistance no matter your cruising through Zwift was smooth.
gear or cadence. For workouts At this year’s Eurobike in September,

54 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

I rode both the Neo  and the newest
Neo, the  T. (The latest version couldn’t
ship in time for testing.) The  T has a
few minor refinements on the Neo ,
but there was one significant change
that Tacx wanted me to experience. On
the Neo , a rider could cause some
slipping in the unit going from a slow IN

GEAR
cadence in a hard gear and then jumping DEPTH
into a sprint. When Tacx set me up on
their Neo  to try to make it slip, I didn’t
think a light climber-type like me could
do it. But I did. I couldn’t cause the same
slippage on the  T. Back in my home
pain cave, I tried to recreate the slip-
ping on the Neo  I had in for testing.
I couldn’t do it. Had I gotten weaker?
(Of course that was my first worry.) I
think the problem is common in Neo s,
but probably not for all, especially for
low-wattage types like me. The Neo
 remains a great option for training
throughout the winter.—MP Kurt Kinetic R1
$1,350
kur inetic.com
nyone who has ever red lined while sprinting out of

Also check out...

A the saddle indoors knows the frightening feeling when
the support legs of an old-school trainer start to lift off the
At Eurobike in early September, I spent a few minutes on ground. It’s like the indoor version of a speed wobble.
4iiii Fliiiight smart trainer ($700, iiii.com). It was familiar, Way back in , Kinetic introduced the Rock and Roll
and yet very new. In May, the Cochrane, Alta.-based iiii trainer, which allowed riders to sway side to side as they
acquired the Kitchener, Ont.-based  Performance. I’ve pedalled thanks to the base being separated from the wheel
ridden two iterations of the orange  Zero trainer with roller with elastomers. That evolved into the Rock and Roll
their magnet calipers creating resistance on alloy rims, so Smart Control. Recently, Kinetic released the Kinetic R, which
I was excited to see how things would change at iiii. The combines natural movement with direct-drive technology.
orange colour has been replaced with grey. I’ll miss the The first hint of the Kinetic R’s robustness is the “two-
orange. I won’t, however, miss the weights I had to attach to person lift” warning on the box. At . kg, including a . kg
my rear wheel. Because the  unit didn’t have a flywheel flywheel, the trainer is not designed for easy transport, but
to provide inertia and simulate road feel, you had to attach it provides a solid base with no concerns for tipping under
weights in the rear spokes, which then made spins ups and heavy loads.
spin downs seem a bit more natural. The weights were While it’s fun showing the Rock and Roll technology to
pretty tricky to get on and wouldn’t work with novel spoke cycling friends on “regular” trainers, the movement is more
patterns such as the G on a set of Campagnolo Shamals. So beneficial for allowing a natural cycling motion than for
what’s changed? The calipers with their magnets now move leaning left and right like a MotoGP star.
a whole lot more. When you are spinning down, they oscillate, The R is fully Bluetooth and + compatible and works
managing the resistance to simulate road feel. Ah, tech- with Kinetic’s own Fit app or any other indoor-cycling plat-
nology. It can be wonderful. I’m looking forward to getting on form that controls a smart trainer. It offers , W of
a Fliiiight later this winter.—MP resistance with an accuracy of +/-  per cent and a maximum
slope of  per cent.
Even for a smart trainer newbie, setup of the R is fast and
uncomplicated. Riding the trainer is a blast. The direct-drive
system isn’t particularly loud and comes with the added
benefit of not launching bits of rubber against the walls
and floor like older, tire-on-roller trainers. The side-to-side
motion feels natural and makes time in the pain cave a little
easier to handle.
At , the Kinetic R isn’t cheap, but it’s in line with
other smart trainers on the market and comes with a lifetime
warranty on the frame, two years on the power unit and a free
six-month subscription to the Kinetic Fit app.—Dan Dakin

cyclingmagazine.ca 55
 Getting
Remote and
Just a Little
Rowdy
Various configurations of the
Shimano GRX groupset see action
in the wilds of Montana

by Daniel Walker

“W e have three people with bear spray on this ride.

Make sure you stay in sight of one of them,” warned
Shimano road brand manager Nick Legan during our pre-
ride briefing. During the ride, I found myself cruising down
the backside of Montana’s Whitefish Mountain with no one
around. My thoughts switched between, “Wow, this is a really
great place to ride,” and “Wow, this would be a great place for
a bear to jump out.” In a way, those ideas speak to what gravel
riding is all about: you push your comfort levels with the more
technical nature of the riding and often with remoteness of
the locations. You come across both those features when you
leave the asphalt.
Tapping into this spirit of adventure was one of Shimano’s
goals when the company released the  gravel groupset in
May. Gravel is not one type of riding; it’s specific to the local
geography. So, one rider’s  setup could be very different
from yours. If you want the widest range of gearing possible,
the groupset can accommodate with a -by chainring setup

“he gravel road we were

riding could probably be
more accurately described
as a goat track.”

PRO Discover Bags for Big Rides

Alongside its new gravel groupset, Shimano’s sister company
 components has added to its Discover line of bags with
a new small frame bag, a water-bottle bag and a smaller
saddle bag that will fit a tube, CO container and tire lever.
The new additions to the Discover range address issues with
smaller frame sizes and accessibility to hydration that can
sometimes be blocked by bike bags. The water-bottle bag
also comes in handy as a very easy-to-access bear-spray
holder for those more remote gravel epics.

56 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 IN

GEAR
DEPTH

and a - tooth cassette. If you’re more of a -by person, bar tops. With this extra, fully operational position on the bars, I could vary how I’d
Shimano now has an official configuration for that, using absorb the bumps and roots of the trail that we rode up. After climbing for more
its wide - or - tooth cassettes. I went with a single than  minutes, we were rewarded with stunning views of Montana’s tree-lined
-tooth ring with a - tooth cassette. But what did my mountain passes. It was only on the descent that I missed some of the top-end
colleagues at the media camp choose for their bikes? -by? gearing that a double chainring setup would have provided me. But if I’m being
-by? There was almost an equal split between riders with a honest, I probably wasn’t all that comfortable going any faster.
front derailleur and those who chose to forgo a front mech. After two days on the unbeaten paths of Montana, my biggest takeaway about
On Day  of gravel camp, the crew from Shimano took us on  was its versatility. I was impressed by how it adapted to the different riding
a multi-surface ride, a / mix of rough asphalt, forestry- styles of my companions and how each rider’s approach to building up the groupset
access roads and singletrack. It was an excellent route for was different. Yet whatever the rider’s preference, it could be managed by . That
testing the gravel-specific hood and shifter shapes of the adaptability and the groupset’s ergonomics that work so well on rough surfaces
groupset. If we had ridden the trails on mountain bikes, we mean you’ll be seeing a lot of bikes with  in the future.
would have found them relatively mild. On gravel bikes, the
rocky and sandy trails provided a nice challenge. The curved
top of the hoods helped to keep your hands from slipping
as you went through small sections of rocks or when you
slammed into an unexpected root. The pivot position of the
 brake lever was raised by  mm compared with the
company’s Dura-Ace and Ultegra hydraulic levers. At first, I
thought this change would be relatively inconsequential, but
in practice, it made a huge difference. Paired with the new
hood shape, one- or two-finger braking was no problem. My
hands were noticeably less fatigued than they normally would
be after similar trail sections.
Day  was more of a classic gravel ride with a big -km
climb up to almost , m of elevation kicking off the day.
With the climb peaking at an incline of  per cent, I def-
initely appreciated the wide gear range of the  setup. The
gravel road we were riding could probably be more accurately
described as a goat track. My bike had sub-brake levers, or
interrupter brakes, on the tops of my bars. They were paired
with auxiliary Di shifters just underneath, allowing me to
change gears with my thumbs as my hands rested on the

cyclingmagazine.ca 57
 predecessor (which I’ve also reviewed),

Rolling on the IN
this bike has been completely rebuilt.
At first glance, it’s easy to gloss over
GEAR

some of the key selling features – such

DEPTH
Big Wheels by Tara Nolan
as the internal cable routing or the Fox
Live Valve shock and fork – and zero in
on the bike’s rockstar paint job instead.

of the Pique I ’m steering my way down a rooty

descent, aiming to go high when
It’s called chameleon. In a certain light,
the bike is a shimmery purple. In other
conditions, it’s a definite blue.

Advanced I get to the berms and corner like a

champ in a group of women mountain
bikers from all over the world. My elec-
The full-carbon rig was designed for
fast XC racers and endurance riders.
Since I don’t fall into either category,

Pro 29 0
he new cross country machine
tronic suspension system has detected
said roots and has opened fully so I
can take advantage of the  mm of
I was curious whether I would notice
the more forward, aggressive angle for
climbing and whether it would affect
travel. On the subsequent climb, with my ride. Quite honestly, after having
by Liv is at home on easy-going rips its chorus of “thwacks,” as every- the bike set up based on my measure-
one’s .-mm-diameter, XC-specific ments, I felt like it was made for me.
and at world championship races dropper post goes back up and the
suspension automatically locks itself
out. I marvel at how it almost feels “I didn’t feel
as though I’m on an ebike as I propel
myself up the hill with ease.
nervous about
I’m at Kingdom Trails, a network any of the
in Vermont with more than  km of
sections, and
Photos: Robin O'Neill

routes, testing out the new Liv Pique

Advanced Pro  , the queen bee
in a new line of ers. While it may
I rode like
bear the same name as its  . I owned it.”
58 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020
 Sandra Walter, a World Cup XC
mountain bike racer for Team Canada
and Liv Racing, who does fall into
the fast-racer category, got the bike
in July. In early September, she raced
to her best-ever finish at a world
championships. She placed th at
Mont-Sainte-Anne. Walter says that
the bike made the course, which is
infamous for its technical challenges,
unforgiving climbs and intimidating
descents, feel easier. “Having big
wheels, amazing suspension, a dropper
post and a bike that is competitive
with other XC race duallies in terms of
weight changed that track for me,” she
says. “I didn’t feel nervous about any of
the sections, and I rode like I owned it.”
Liv’s F design philosophy guides all
of its builds and components. It features
data pertaining to women’s anatomy,
as well as feedback from athletes. comes with the Fox Live Valve, an on matching bikes. Even our guides from Kingdom Cycling and
The new Advanced Forged Composite electronic suspension system with Experiences, a local company that offers tours and instruc-
Technology upper rocker arm was sensors in the frame and both wheels tion, are kitted out.
designed for increased stiffness, dur- that monitor the terrain. Kingdom Trails, which is the sister network of Quebec’s
ability and lower weight to keep the bike On Day , the pitch detection of the Vallée Bras du Nord, offers the perfect suite of trails for this
lively. The   Composite wheels can Fox Live Valve ensures a smooth climb bike. There is a lot of climbing, but the rewards are fun down-
also handle aggressive XC riding. up Widow-Maker. On Pines, we come hills, like Tody’s Tour, Herb’s, Kitchel and Downtown, the latter
The wealth of research on women- across a precipitous, Flintstones-esque leading to a spot that sells maple creemees.
specific geometry led to frame sizes rock spine that leads to a bit of smooth Later, we laugh about how it is kind of like a summer camp
offered in extra small through large. trail, before the suspension opens so while we devour wood-oven-fired pizzas and beer (or cider)
Other standouts for me included the I can comfortably navigate a technical, behind Village Sport Shop Trailside, which overlooks the
comfort of the Liv Contact  Forward rooty turn in a descent for a photo op. bucolic countryside. We try to guess who won the  World
carbon saddle and the dialed standover “Are you girls in some type of camp?” Cup in Val di Sole and talk about the best places in the world
height in the medium-size rig. The question comes from a group of where we’ve ridden. Kingdom Trails definitely rank up there
Liv also worked closely with its ers as we ride by. We certainly look and they are perfectly matched with the bike – like a perfect
suspension partner. The model I rode official in our purple and black Liv kits food and wine pairing.

cyclingmagazine.ca 59
 Sending the Trails by Matthew Kadey

in the Land N orth Carolina’s Transylvania

County has become a highly
touted two-wheeled destination for
winter-weary Canadians, particu-

of Waterfalls larly those of us from Ontario. Many

cyclists make the trip south for
some early spring training as the
Transylvania County’s forests hold many routes lumpy terrain provides a perfect
for mountain biking and gravel riding playground for gaining some much-
needed fitness. This past April, a
quartet of us including my partner
Tabi Ferguson landed in the cycling

Pisgah
Nashville
Brevard
Charlotte

Atlanta
Charleston

60 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 DESTINATION
BREVARD,
NORTH
CAROLINA

hub of Brevard to spend a couple of of this terrain. It’s a land dominated

weeks riding the best dirt and gravel by trail-oriented bikes with generous
the area has to offer. suspension, but we revelled in the
More than  per cent of the coun- challenge that our less-cushy XC
ty’s land area in public ownership – bikes demand of us. The hardtails in
including sprawling Pisgah National our group might have been the only
Forest and a section of the iconic Blue ones around for many miles.
Ridge Parkway – there are numerous Beyond rugged si nglet rac k ,
riding opportunities to satisfy the big Pisgah is also known for its thun-
three cycling disciplines: road, gravel dering waterfalls, including the
and mountain. We stuffed our car much Instagrammed Looking Glass
with both mountain and gravel bikes, Falls. In the midst of a particu-
knowing that it wouldn’t be hard to larly soggy spring, this and other
give both a good workout. cascades were heavily swollen
The Bracken Mountain Preserve resulting in misty vistas.
trail system near the Brevard Music A surefire sign that this region
Center winds its way up and up, not has gone bike crazy is that riders are
far from downtown Brevard. It’s spoiled for choices when it comes to
several kilometres of expertly built local bike shops for any service needs.
dirt that left us impressed, if not a In the Lumberyard cultural district of
bit breathless. From here, a predomi- downtown Brevard, Squatch Bikes
nantly downhill glide on a fire road and Brews provided us with plenty of
took us deeper into Pisgah National trail intel. Staff also welcome all out-
Forest. Pisgah is home to roughly  of-towners to join in on the shop’s
km of trails worthy of squishy bikes. twice-weekly club rides followed by
The mountain biking in Pisgah is cold beer.
generally not for newbies. Many trails, While Brevard has plenty for
including Daniel Ridge, Squirrel Gap mountain bikers, gravel grinders
and the notorious Black Mountain, are also in a dreamland of route
consist of steep, techy uphills and choices. We couldn’t get enough
Photos: Martin Lortz

rooty, rocky downhills that make of testing the unpaved climbs and
for a full-body workout. Black screaming descents in the forested
diamond-rated trails back home are lands. A journey along Pisgah’s
positively fluffy compared with some lonely and rolling Yellow Gap Road

cyclingmagazine.ca 61
 outdoor playground is a leading fat-
tire destination in the eastern U.S.
Here, we were offered up a potpourri
of terrain to work with, ranging from
flowy singletrack to testing rocky
descents that required our utmost
attention. Overall, these forest trails
are a little more user-friendly than
those in Pisgah.
One of DuPont’s most enticing
rewards is the continuous  minutes
of perfectly bermed downhill of the
Hickory Mountain and Ridgeline
Trails. At the bottom, I wondered
if I had ever found more joy on a
saddle. If you tackle the bald granite
dome of Cedar Rock Trail, you’ll be
forgiven for thinking you’re riding
in Moab. The mossy, rocky summit
awards winded riders with wides-
creen views. Burnt Mountain, Mine
Mountain and Reasonover Creek
Trails are defining examples of
DuPont riding – heart-pounding
climbs followed by heart-swelling
downhills. Our -km loop left us
delightfully exhausted.
Tabi couldn’t get enough of the
white squirrels that leaped among
the branches in our backyard – not
albinos but a genetically unique
is flat-out exhilarating. In April, the canopy starts to
sprout green. The rushing streams are home to many
“Black diamond- type of ghostly rodent that is a
fixture of Transylvania County. A
species of salamander, such as Blue Ridge dusky and rated trails stroll through downtown Brevard,
shovel-nosed. The back roads here are a bit chunkier where you can purchase white
than those in our part of Ontario, calling for fatter rubber
back home are squirrel socks and a home from the
and lower pressures. For our next visit, we made note of a
gravel road that appeared to wind its way up to the famed
positively fluffy White Squirrel Realty, makes it clear
that the white rodent has become
Blue Ridge Parkway, likely a more adventurous option compared the town’s mascot. There is even a
than the much-used paved options. A brilliant multi-use yearly festival during Memorial Day
pathway that connects Brevard with Pisgah guided us
with some of weekend devoted to the animal and
back home away from cars.
Of course, lightly trafficked, squirrelly asphalt that
this terrain.” a gran fondo called White Squirrel
Cycling Classic in the fall.
knows no straight line is why roadies descend on this
region in droves. A climb up and over the mighty Ceasars
Head, just over the border in South Carolina, is a classic
with a / leaderboard saturated with Canadian
blood, sweat and tears.
In Brevard, riders have plenty of options for refuel-
ling. We often loaded up on inexpensive day-olds at the
Blue Ridge Bakery and looked for fresh nutrition from
the Transylvania farmers market, which runs every
Saturday, year-round. Magpie Meat and Three provides
necessary recovery calories in the form of smoky meats
and generous sides. The region has popped up a number of
breweries including UpCountry Brewing, making it easy
to say cheers to rides well done.
No sojourn to Brevard would be complete without
spending a day – or many – ripping around the bounty
of trails at nearby DuPont State Forest. This ,-acre

62 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

 The verdant Gorges State Park, which is on the Blue
Ridge Escarpment, presented us with the perfect excuse
MARKETPLACE
to trade in padded shorts for hiking boots. Moody forest
trails led us to raging waterfalls. A handful of the park’s
British Columbia
backcountry roads are open to cyclists, which we put on Bike Barn
our seemingly ever-expanding to-do list for our next visit 300 Westminster Ave. W.
to this cycling nirvana. Penticton, BC
250.492.4140
[email protected]
bikebarn.ca

Ontario
Racer Sportif – Oakville
151 Robinson St.
Oakville, ON
905.815.2100
[email protected]
racersportif.com

Racer Sportif – Toronto

2214 Bloor St. W.
Toronto, ON
416.769.5731
[email protected]
racersportif.com

Trysport Inc – Parry Sound

77 Bowes St.
Parry Sound, ON
705 746 8179
Trysport Inc – Bracebridge
83 Manitoba St.
Bracebridge, ON
705.637.0383
[email protected]
ontariotrysport.com
The only full-service triathlon shop
north of Toronto.

Bike Travel
Baja California Sur, Mexico.
One of the last cycling paradises.
Nothing can compare with the
incredible tropical tour that awaits
Details the medium conditioned cyclist.
When to go bajawheeling.com/cycling.html

The prime cycling season in Brevard is between March Escapades Bike Tours
and November. We loved visiting in April when the Have Fun – Get Pampered!
landscape becomes greener and temperatures are All Levels – Fully Supported.
Arizona Sonoran Desert,
generally mild. GA/SC Low Country, Cape Cod,
VT/NY Yankee Doddle Toodle,
Getting there Maine Islands, Hudson Valley,
Lake Champlain Roundabout,
Most people drive to the Brevard area from Ontario and Texas Hill Country, Natchez Trace.
Quebec. If you are heading out from the other provinces Book early to save!
and territories, look into flying to nearby Asheville, N.C. 877.880.2453
escapadesbike
tours.com/canada
Where to stay
If you want to sleep in the great outdoors, there are Holland Bike Tours
Road bike tours in the Netherlands.
plenty of camping options surrounding Brevard. We hollandbiketours.com
used Airbnb to secure roofed accommodation in
Brevard for our two-week trip. Hotels are also available.

Route planning
Bicycle shops in and around Brevard, such as Squatch
Bikes and Brews (squatchbikes.com), are an excellent
Photos: Martin Lortz

place to glean information on mountain, gravel and

road routes. You’ll also find useful maps for Pisgah
and DuPont. More cycling information can be found at
biketransylvania.com .

cyclingmagazine.ca 63
 Q&A
Holden Jones
Solid support helps this young rider
toward his big results

by Dean Campbell

I n August, Holden Jones’s late

season was looking good. The first-
year under- cross country racer
won the Canada Cup series overall in
the elite category. Later, at the world
championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne,
his race began well. He started in
th position and worked himself
up to th position by the start of
the second lap. Unfortunately, a mid-
race crash forced him to abandon.
With the cross country season over,
Jones headed back to the University
of British Columbia to continue his
engineering studies.

How long have you been racing?

I have been racing local toonie and
kid races since I was in Grade . I’ve
raced the Canada Cup series for five
years, since I was under-. In my
first year as a junior, in , I trav- I started by doing both XC and DH, What about friends back home?
elled to Europe for the first time. Later pretty much equally. At some point, I I’m a little bit of an odd one out. All of my friends are
that year, I went to Australia for world realized I was doing a bit better in the biking friends, but they’re more into enduro or downhill.
championships. XC races. When I was about  or , I I just follow them on my little XC bike. They’re super
figured it was time to make a choice stoked on it all, too.
How did you gravitate to cross and went for XC.
country racing? Squamish isn’t From a fan’s perspective at the side of the course at worlds,
necessarily known for its XC scene. Who has helped get you here, the cheering gets louder when a Canadian rides past, but
The riding there isn’t necessarily XC, to this point in your career? from your perspective, is it just louder the whole time?
but it supports a really great training Mike Charuk, a coach with Team In Lenzerheide last year, there were so many people
environment with long climbs, so Squamish, a local youth mountain attending. But this year, in Canada, you could really feel so
you can fit in almost a road ride on biking club. He used to be the Cycling much more energy from the crowd. There’s no way you’re
the fire roads heading up to the trails. BC high-performance coach. When I just sitting up on one of the climbs when you have all of
In my first couple of years racing, first joined Team Squamish at  or those people shouting your name.
, I came out to all the group rides.
tOp riGht
Holden Jones,  world championships, Once I was old enough to race the What’s it like being on Pendrel Racing and having
Mont-Sainte-Anne Canada Cup events, he invited me Catharine Pendrel and Keith Wilson as resources?
to come out to the races because he It’s so amazing. My coach Mike has told me so much about
organized the projects. He really got Catharine and Keith. At every race I was at, even before
STATS me into the high-performance side I was on Pendrel Racing, Mike would tell me to go talk to
Age 19 of things and has been my coach for them because they have so much knowledge. To be on the
Home Base Squamish, B.C. the past five years. team that they’ve put together and interact with them so
Mont-Sainte-Anne was my third often is really wonderful.
Team Pendrel Racing
world championships. My parents There’s a lot of things you can read or hear, but if you just
Bike Orbea Oiz have come to all three – Australia, read it in a book or an online resource, it’s not the same as
Highest Bronze, Cairns, Australia, Switzerland and now Quebec – which hearing it from someone who has accomplished so much.
Photo: Rob Jones

World 2017, junior men’s cross is pretty wicked. My extended family You hear how important rest is, but when you have someone
Championship country is incredibly supportive. They’ll follow like Catharine explain how important a rest week would be
Result
my racing on the live streams. after three weeks of hard racing, it feels a lot more real.

64 Canadian Cycling December 2019 & January 2020

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