crank with procycle - june 15th 2013

FOLDIE FEVER! THE NEW DAHON MU P8

TRAIL TYRESCHOOSE THE RIGHT RUBBER

DOWNHILL DIARIESBLITZ DOWN NANDI HILL

The CRANK with ProCycle Team

Publisher and Managing Editor Vikram Limsay

Editor Rahul K Thomas

Technical Editor Nilesh Dhumal

West Zone Bureau Divya Tate South Zone Bureau Anita Bora

Contributions by RIshi Goyal, S Goyal, Chenthil Mohan, Nitin Phadke, Smita Patil

Registered to Procycle and Sports India Private Limited. Corporate Office: Indiranagar, 889, First Floor, 7th Main, 4th Cross, HAL II stage, Bangalore - 560008. Tel: +91 80 41161902 Showroom: Indiranagar, 37, 11th Cross, 1st Stage, Bangalore- 560038 Tel: +91 80 25202004 +91 98802 16064

Website www.procycle.in. For queries regarding advertising and subscription, mail us at [email protected]

Cover Photograph: Vikram Bapat, ED PWC, riding the new Dahon Mu P8 folding bike

Rear cover photograph: The ProCycle car hitting the trails with DH bikes in tow

1THE PROCYCLE STORE

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http://www.procycle.in

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IN THIS ISSUE

1. Pedal Pilgrims

2. In and Around Town: Ahmedabad

3. Feature: Foldie Fever

4. ProCycle Profiled: Rajeev Warrier

5. Downhill Diaries: Nandi Hill

6. Gear Review: Trail Tyres

7. The Road Less Taken: Bikesurf Berlin

8. Boys and their Toys

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Hello readers!

As temperatures soared and tempers frayed in bumper-to-bumper traffic, we started looking at easy, fun ways to get around town. Enter the Dahon Mu P8 - a folding cycle which is guaranteed to take the stress out of your commute and put a smile back on that face. You can’t imagine what fun it is to zip around on this little beaut!

Divya Tate in Pune profiles pilgrims who are pedalling their way to spirituality - a nice way to keep both body and soul healthy. Anita Bora then asks Rishi Goyal - a young gun who’s munching miles like there’s no tomorrow, to tell us about his favourite routes around Ahmedabad.

The lads hit the quickest downhill track in the south for some edge-of-the-saddle action and we bring you images from that session.

Since we get a lot of questions on the subject of rubber (yes we know you’re sniggering), we thought we’d review our favourite trail tyres and show you what we look for in different riding conditions.

From overseas this time, we have a little cycling project that has the potential to change the way we travel. In Berlin, two guys have started a bicycle-sharing initiative based solely on trust. In an increasingly Mammon-worshipping world, they remind us to stop, smell the flowers and trust in humanity.

Keep cool, stay hydrated and pedal on!

Editor

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HEYA!

2 CRANK with ProCycle JUNE 15TH, 2013

A bus load of pilgrims on their way to one of the 8 Holy Ganpati (Asthavinayak) temples, catch a glimpse of a couple of cyclists - conspicuous by their obvious urban appearance. A few hours later, resting in the shade of a Banyan tree outside the temple the same cyclists ride up. Still sweaty and hot, they park their cycles and prepare to take darshan. Curiosity aroused, a few of the pilgrims approach the cyclists and bombard them with questions. This was scene that Smita Patil and Nitin Phadke from Pune soon grew used to as they pedalled their way across the Ashtavinayak Yatra route.

The Ashtavinayaka Yatra covers eight ancient holy temples of Ganesha which are situated at

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PEDAL PILGRIMS

NITIN AND SMITA AT SIDDHATEK

WORDS BY DIVYA TATEIMAGES COURTESY NITIN PHADKE AND SMITA PATIL

(EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE INDICATED)

ANOTHER PODIUM FINISH(CYCLOTREK 2010)

3CRANK with ProCycle JUNE 15TH, 2013

distances of 30 to 130 Kms around Pune. It is a popular pilgrimage, usually undertaken by motorised transport over one or more weekends. Smita had done it previously by car while Nitin had done similar pilgrimages in Satara and Kolhapur region, also using conventional means of transport.

Traditionally, most pilgrimages across the world require some physical effort and hardship, which make the spiritual experience more

intense. Smita and Nitin, both avid cyclists and teammates in the tough Enduro3 race, are no strangers to intensity and pain. It was only fitting that this pilgrimage be made more meaningful by doing it on cycles.

Nitin, an engineer by profession, played Khokho and Kabaddi at the intercollegiate level and used to commute to college by cycle. In his youth he had done some cycling tours to various holy destinations in

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TEAMMATES AT THE ENDURO3. IMAGE COURTESY KEDAR TOKEKAR


Maharashtra. Trekking for many years now, Nitin’s interest in cycling was revived three years ago.

A sports captain in school, Smita made fitness her profession. Trained with the American Council of Sports Medicine, she worked for over a decade as an aerobics Instructor. She was introduced to the outdoors when she moved to Pune.

Both Nitin and Smita train regularly, and are seen frequently on the podiums of many cycling and multi-discipline outdoor races, both individually and as a team.

This plan was first conceived while they were on a training ride. Inspired by hearing the story of how fellow cyclists Ulhas and Gayatri Joshi did the Ashtavinayak Yatra by cycle, they decided to follow suit.

Nitin and Smita chose to visit the closest temple first, and headed for Theur (25 kms away) in August 2011. Having begun their yatra, they found that they had way too many commitments to keep it up. In fact, their next visit (to Ranjangaon) was only in March 2012. Participating in various races, with a tough training regimen to follow, they could not devote enough time to the pilgrimage. Determined to complete the whole yatra over the course of a few months, they began again in August 2012, somehow managing to fit it into their busy race schedule.

Their usual plan would be to leave home early in the morning, spend an hour at the temple and return by afternoon or evening. As it was a religious tour, both ensured that they woke up early enough to bathe

before they left. Carrying a basic tool and puncture repair kit, they were pleased that did not get any mechanical issues or even a single puncture on any of the rides. While they would carry some snacks with them, they preferred having a meal, or fruits along the way, or at the temples. Sometimes they would relish local fruits not available in Pune, like at the Pali and Mahad temples in the Konkan where they enjoyed raw cashews and Jackfruit.

Smita, who had done the Asthavinayak Yatra before by car, said that doing it by cycle made her more observant, not only of the landscape and villages along the way, but also of the idols themselves. While her memories of her previous yatra, which was completed in just a couple of days, are a blur, she has distinct recollections of each of these visits. She noticed details about the differences between the idols and how they were decorated, picking the Lenyadri idol as her favourite. Nitin, a devotee of Ganpati, would research details about each Temple before their visit, learning the story of how each one was established. Each of these Ganeshas has its own individual legend and history, as distinct from each other as the temple. They are all said to be Swayambhu (self-originated), the form of each idol distinct from one another.

Just as they themselves were inspired by hearing about the Joshi’s pilgrimage by cycle, Nitin and Smita are also inspiring others.

Nitin’s colleagues at work would look forward to him bringing back Prasad form each temple, and also hearing about his visits. Some of them have taken to cycling too. Many of their fellow cyclists are thinking about similar journeys. Halfway through this pilgrimage they

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SANTOSH AND SMITA DIG INTO SOME WATERMELONS ALONG THE WAY


were joined by their coach Santosh Pawar, who now has to complete the set. To keep him company, Smita and Nitin are considering continuing the visits and doing the pilgrimage all over again.

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Name Distance Cycled

Date Brief Notes

1 Theur 50 Km Aug ‘11

The shortest distance first was quickly done.

2 Ranjangaon

104 Km Mar ‘12

After a long break, they felt the heat.

3 Moregaon 176 Km Aug ‘12

The headwind while returning was a huge challenge.

4 Mahad 176 Km Sept ‘12

Climbing Bhor ghat on the return was really tough.

5,6Ozhar, Lenyadri

200 Km Feb ‘13Joined by a friend, they stayed overnight so as to have enough time to visit both temples.

7 Pali 209 Km Mar ‘13

The Furthest from Pune, required them to climb Bhor ghat a second time.

8 Siddhatek 70 Km Mar ‘13

The Heat forced them to used transport for a part of the distance.

DestinationDistance

(kms)Notes

Theur 50The shortest distance - easily done

Ranjangaon 104This was after a long break - they really felt the heat

Moregaon 176The headwind while returning was a huge challenge

Mahad 176Climbing Bhor Ghat on the return was very difficult

Ozhar and Lenyadri

200They were joined by a friend and stayed overnight so as to have enough time to visit both temples

Pali 209The furthest from Pune, requiring them to climb Bhor Ghat a second time

Siddhatek 70Excessive heat forced them to use motorised transport for part of the distance

In 2010, Ulhas and Gayatri Joshi decided to commemorate their silver wedding anniversary in a most unique way. Considering that they had chosen to cycle in Mahabaleshwar for their Honeymoon 25 years previously, it was only appropriate that they plan another cycle tour to celebrate this special occasion. They decided to do the Asthavinayak Yatra over a week, visiting 2 temples at a time, taking a day’s break in between and sometimes staying a night near the temple. It was their story that inspired Nitin and Smita to cycle to each temple.

ANOTHER DARSHAN DONE


Rider RIshi Goyal

Profile 16-year-old student who has just completed his 10th standard.

Favourite cycling routes

16-year-old Rishi Goyal, who was one of the youngest participants in TFN 2011, talks about his favourite routes around Ahmedabad where he resides. Rishi completed his 10th standard this year and is an avid cyclist – it lets him explore his mental and physical capabilities - is what he says. He started when he was around two and a half and his father is also a dedicated cyclist. He was also one of the Ahmedabad Bicycling Club’s (ABC) youngest members when he joined at the age of 11! He attempted the Desert 500k this year, completing it in 12 hours.

Rishi is today the proud owner of two road bikes, and a hybrid and averages around 250 kms on a weekly basis. He talks about some of his favourite routes.

In and around Ahmedabad

There are a lot of scenic routes around Ahmedabad. Rishi looks for routes with a certain amount of scenic beauty such as the routes to Thol (a bird sanctuary near Ahmedabad), Nal Sarovar (another famous Bird Sanctuary), Gandhinagar, Dholka and so on. These tend to be 100-120 kms long.

The Gandhinagar route takes you past he famous Akshardham temple and across the Sabarmati river (sans a drop of water). The roads are spotless and the terrain is green. The other popular route is the Sardar-Patel Ring road – the outer ring road of Ahmedabad. It’s about 82 kms of smooth tarmac and very popular with cyclists. Rishi often rides Abu road to the Mt. Abu climb which is about 180 kms from Ahmedabad. Riders need to drive their cars out to Abu Road, complete the ride and be back the same day. The climb sees an elevatio gain of more than 1000 meters in 18 kms and Rishi tries I try to do 2 laps of this route non-stop.

Highlights of these routes in Rishi’s words

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IN AND AROUND TOWN

AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT

BY ANITA BORA

RISHI ON THE ROAD BETWEEN BHIMTAL AND NAINITAL. IMAGE COURTESY S GOYAL


When I ride, I feel one with nature and its boundless beauty. I like to push hard and enjoy the ride, experience the transformation of darkness into light as the sun emerges in the eastern horizon, inhale the morning freshness, admire the fragrance of dew on dry eucalyptus leaves, listen to the shrill chirping of birds, perspire a lot and let the toxins out, hydrate my body, have some figs and nuts, laugh a lot and have a fabulous time with friends.

Every route has its own charm. The jungle-like atmosphere fills our heart, mind and body with joy and indescribable solace. We forget who we are and look around in wonder and awe. I feel small and insignificant, totally in awe of the forces of the creation. The only sound you listen is the sound of silence or sweet chirping of birds or other insects. This early morning experience, away from the city, into the wilderness, takes you to a different world while the divine painter of this splendour secretly hides somewhere.

Pit stops

Rishi doesn’t usually eat roadside food because the food stalls aren’t open when he rides (5 to 8 a.m). He takes take dry fruits and energy drinks with him and sometimes eats some Gujarati snacks like dhokla, fafda, papdi and samosa, all of which are quite easily available.

Company or solo

Rishi prefers to ride with friends but is not averse to riding alone. Most of his fellow riders are much older than him. He rides with his father a lot. to me, children of my age prefer other sports. I ride a lot with my father also. Riding with friends is fun and we can help each other if required.

What Rishi carries with him on a ride

Ahmedabad relatively is a very hot city. These days it reaches above 40°C by 8 am. And it’s going to get worse in the months to come. So when I go for cycling for a long distances, it is a must to carry plenty of water, energy drinks and eatables, because once you are on highway you won’t get any water or eatables suitable for riders. I also carry a puncture repair kit, hand pump and an extra tube on long rides.


RISHI AT THE TFN. IMAGE COURTESY CHENTHIL MOHAN

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FEATURE

FOLDIE FEVER!WORDS AND IMAGES BY RAHUL K THOMAS

VIKRAM BAPAT, ED PWC, ZIPS AROUND ON THE DAHON

With traffic on the rise, commuting becoming an ever-increasingly hellish experience and the dedicated cyclist’s living room turning into a garage of sorts, we’ve been itching to review that fascinating bicycle oddity - the folder.

Folders occupy a peculiar perception in the Indian mindspace. Their diminutive stature reminds people of kids’ bikes - the BSA Champs of our youth. Even the average rider (let alone the average consumer) is usually dumbstruck when he or she realises that these ‘funny-looking’ bikes are priced at more than most full-size bikes of comparable spec. To the average Indian, more money has to translate has to translate to more product -

bigger car, bigger phone, bigger screen, bigger, bigger, bigger!

Well, to the casual eye, the confusingly-named but gorgeously-red Dahon Mu P8 is anything but big. The casual eye though would miss the amazing array of features packed into one compact offering.

The frame is made of Dahon’s proprietary aluminium alloy named ‘Dalloy.’ According to Dahon, this is an an aerospace grade alloy offering 20% more frame strength than 6061 alloy. Dalloy tubing is double-butted and thicker at the ends (stress points and welds) while being thinner in the centre to minimise weight. We can tell you that it seems very solid with robust,

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HAND BUILT IN THE EU FROM DAHON’S DALLOY

STRONG YET BEAUTIFUL TUBING

REINFORCEDAT THE JOINTS. NOTE THE LOCKING MECHANISM (THE BLACK KNOB) ABOVE THE QUICK RELEASE

THE DAHON IN ALL ITS QUIRKY-YET-STYLISH GLORY

reassuring joints and an exceptional finish. The folding joints are thickly reinforced and the corresponding quick releases are both ergonomic and confidence inspiring. Each of them has an extra ‘lock’ in place to ensure that there is no way for the bike to ‘unfold’ and surprise you.

The 8-speed drivetrain (from which the 8 in P8 comes from) duties are taken care of by SRAM gripshifters, an OEM crankset with a 53 tooth chainring, Shimano hyperglide cassette and a rear derailleur christened the Neos, which has been customised by Dahon for this design. Dahon didn’t just take a regular derailleur and slap it on this frame. They redesigned it so that the derailleur itself has a lower profile than normal - tucking it away so it doesn’t get bumped even by accident. The SRAM grip shifters are indeed an old design and somewhat less than refined, but the advantage of it is that unlike with trigger shifters, you can quickly jump through gears (going from 6 to 3 and suchlike) with one twist - a very useful feature in stop and go traffic.

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THE DAHON DRIVETRAIN

DAHON’S 8-SPEED NEOS DERAILLEUR - NOTE HOW IT DOESN’T STICK OUT

53 T CHAINRING

FOLDING PEDAL

SHIMANO HYPERGLIDE CASSETTE

SRAM GRIP SHIFTER

AVID BRAKE LEVERS

Braking is taken care of by a combination of Avid levers with promax v-brakes. It stops in a heartbeat or as near as is possible with Vs. We also like the ergon grips it comes with.

The quintessential commuter

This bike comes loaded with commuter-friendly features, the most notable of which is the dyno hub up front which powers a headlight. The headlight is deceptively small, to say the least. When we tested it at night we were blown away - it lights up everything up to twenty-odd feet away, and it doesn’t take more than a few pedal strokes to get it up to that brightness. The hub is laced to WTB rims making it a pretty solid wheel too for urban abuse. At the back the bike comes stock with a rack which even has its own custom bungee cords which hook onto a recess on the rack. The rack has a weight limit of ten kilos, which is more than anyone should ever need on a commute. There’s a big battery-powered rear light attached to the rack to make sure you stay seen by vehicles behind you.

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RACK (10 KILO LOAD CAPACITY) WITH A BUNGEE CORD DESIGNED TO CLIP INTO IT

SKS MUDGUARDS

BATTERY POWERED LED REAR LIGHT

SCHWALBE MARATHON SUPREME SLICKS

DYNAMO HUB

DYNAMO HUB-POWERED HEADLIGHT

Lets not forget the awesome SKS fenders that come with it. These do a great job of keeping the muck off you and your backpack. Rounding things off, the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 20 x 1.6 slick tyres ensure you zip through traffic.

Ride quality

Make no mistake, this is one very zippy bike. The small 20-inch wheels mated to the massive chainring ensures terrific acceleration and you’ll find large bikes eating your dust at traffic lights.

To get a completely unbiased view, we thought it would be nice to have a person who doesn’t normally ride, give it a go. And considering the type of bike, it just had to be someone from the corporate world. Vikram Bapat, Executive Director, PWC, lives in Indranagar (just a short hop from his office at Ulsoor), battles traffic every day as he drives and was a great sport about taking time to hop on our little runabout. It took him just a couple of minutes to get used to the bike and then he was cranking his way up a slope and cruising back down with elan. In amazement he remarked,”When I first saw you with it, I thought it was a kid’s bike. But, it feels and rides exactly like a full-sized bike!”

The Dahon turns on a hair-trigger and can sneak through most traffic snarls. You’ll quickly get used to how responsive it is and start loving it. Vikram took to it with absolute ease despite not having ridden a bike in ages, let alone something as unique as this.

Folding and storage

This is the litmus test of the bike. After all, the rest would be pointless if folding the bike is a pain.

Well, the first time you try it, it looks a tad intimidating, but you’ll do it in about 20 fumbling seconds. By your third try, we’re willing to bet you’ll do it in less than 10. Yup, TEN seconds! It is incredibly easy to fold this bike down (as you can see below). Unfolding is as simple as folding and you’ll be on the road in a flash.

When folded, the bike comfortably fits under your work table in your workspace. It can be stowed away in a closet at home. It even fits perfectly into the boot of a car (we tested it in a Maruti Alto) so you can take it with you wherever you go and then use it to get around locally. Getting it around flat land is very easy - raise the seatpost a foot (in the folded state), tilt it towards you and wheel the bike ahead of you like you would a trolley. About the only downside we can see about this particular model is that at 13 kilos and an odd shape, it isn’t the easiest to carry up stairs and suchlike. Having said that, he non-dyno hub version will be a good deal lighter at about 11 kilos so that should help.

Fit

The bar is height adjustable, as is the seatpost and is supposed to be suitable for anyone up to the height of 6 feet, 3 or 4 inches. So, unless you’re freakishly tall, the Dahon can be made to fit you right.

The model we’ve got our hands on is a limited edition version which has been ‘hand built in the EU’. The dyno hub isn’t a stock feature either and these two factors contribute to its pause-worthy price tag of Rs.60,000. There is good news for those on a smaller budget though. We are told that Dahon’s range which will be on offer for the Indian consumer will include folders that begin at around Rs.30,000 - a mouth-watering price for a great brand with excellent engineering.

The bottom line

A brilliant piece of engineering, the Dahon Mu P8 is not just ‘the sensible thing to do’, but is in fact a downright cool vehicle which is tons of fun to ride.

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LEAN THE BIKE ON THE KICKSTAND

FOLD DOWN THE HANDLEBAR

DROP THE SADDLE AND FOLD THE PEDALS

MOVE THE STAND BACK AND FOLD THE BIKE DOWN THE CENTRE

THE DAHON IN THE BOOT OF A MARUTI ALTO


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PROCYCLE PROFILED

Rajeev Warrier has always been passionate about cycling. Growing up in Kerala, he still remembers renting cycles at 50 paise an hour and going off on joyrides with his mates. He got his first cycle in high school (a Raleigh) and has never looked back. About eight years ago he picked up a Focus hardtail in Germany and it did yeoman service until it started emitting squeaks and sounds and was consigned to a dark corner for lack of quality spares. He was delighted when ProCycle handed him back his old bike, rendered better than new (in his own words). While he treasures that bike, his weapon of choice these days is a beautiful Giant Tance and you’ll find him cranking out the miles across Bangalore’s ring roads pretty much every single morning.

RAJEEV WARRIER

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Featured Trail: Nandi Hill, Bangalore

About 75 kms from the centre of Bangalore lies the fabled Nandi Hill. This has been the scene of many an interesting footnote in history - battles of Tipu, executions, suicides and so much more. Today, Nandi has become one of the playgrounds of Bangalore’s downhill clan. With a nearly World-Cup length track of 1.8 kms, the lads spend a long time pushing those bikes uphill. Long, sketchy and oh-so-deceptively fast, the average downhill rider takes only about two-and-a-half minutes to shred down what took him 30 to 40 minutes to climb.

Why do it?

‘Cos you’re only truly alive when you’re off that saddle with the trees whipping past you doing fifty on a sketchy stretch of sand!

DOWNHILL DIARIES

THE LONG WALK UP

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THE SHORT RIDE DOWN

With a whole variety of rubber to choose from and mountain biking on the rise in India, we keep hearing the same question,”What mtb tyres should I buy?”

So, we decided to give you the lowdown on four of our favourite trail tyres. This is not a shootout - different people have very different requirements based on terrain, technique, style, aggression, speed, control and so on.

In this story we review the Kenda Nevegal, Schwalbe Blackjack, Serfas Krest and Kenda Small Block 8.

We’ve put in varying amounts on time on the tyres with the Nevegal being the most (at some few thousand kilometers) and the Serfas being the least (at about a thousand odd). We believe this to be more than enough of a

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GEAR REVIEW

TRAIL TYRES


sample on which to review them. They’ve all been tested in varying conditions and on different kinds of terrain.

Schwalbe Blackjack

The Blackjacks are getting increasingly popular as both stock and aftermarket tyres. As you can see from the tread pattern, it has nice big knobs which are fairly closely packed in the centre and angled on the sides. They are fairly soft compound this makes them extremely grippy though they wear down a tad faster. In a straight line they give you tremendous confidence. When you lean however, they seem somewhat reluctant to go with the bike i.e. there seems to be some resistance to cornering. We aren’t sure why this is considering its more rounded profile ought to make it more lean-friendly (or so one would think). It has held grip through every corner though and hasn’t given out even when pushed so this slight resistance to leaning could just be something a rider has to mentally ignore. It saves on weight through its ‘Liteskin’ sidewalls and actually manages to be a good deal lighter than the other two wire-bead knobbies in this review. This is a a very versatile tyre and does well on all surfaces - hardpack, loose gravel, you

name it. Its mud-shedding qualities leave something to be desired and in wet conditions it will eventually clog up leaving you sliding all over the place.

Kenda Nevegal

What more can we say about a tried, tested, touted and much loved tyre. The Nevegals have been around for a long time and for a reason. Nice big knobs in the centre with evenly spaced knobs as you move towards the sidewalls, the Nevegals are without question the kings of control. This is the tyre we keep coming back to all the time (as the wear on the tyre shows). Throw this on your bike and it’ll corner on rails. The Nevegals give you absolute confidence and you’ll find yourself nailing those tricky corners and flying through technical sections before you even realise it. This tyre is sheer fun and is designed to keep a smile on your face, if you’re the sort to enjoy a day out on technical trails. On the downside, it is a heavy tyre indeed and has the maximum rolling resistance of the tyres featured. This is going to be ponderous on the flats. The Nevegal also comes in folding versions which are considerably lighter albeit more expensive. This is an all-mountain tyre, and will never be one for the marathon cross country

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BLACKJACK - CLOSE, BIG KNOBS.GRIPPY AND PREDICTABLE

NEVEGAL - KING OF THE MOUNTAIN! EVENLY SPACED LARGE KNOBS. SUPERB CORNERING AND GRIP


riders.

Serfas Krest

The Krest is not terribly known in India primarily because Serfas hasn’t made a big push into the market. In terms of the profile, it is similar in tread pattern to the Nevegals with slightly smaller knobs. And in terms of performance, it certainly did hint at similar traits. On mid-level technical trails it performed excellently with good straight-line grip and cornering capabilities. It also has the least rolling resistance compared to Blackjacks and the Nevegals so its a fun bit of rubber for your bike. When pushed to the wall though, its a bit nervy. In the tight, fast corners which the Nevegals would handle with aplomb, the Krest tends to be less predictable and can leave you biting the dirt. It requires an experienced hand to know how far is too far and to correct in time. Having said that, only an experienced hand would really push it to those limits anyway so its not really too much of a concern. The lower rolling resistance also means its nice on flats and on tarmac - a desirable quality for most urban Indian mountain bikers. Its a tad heavy and falls in the same league as the Nevegals for weight though strangely it doesn’t seem to feel as heavy as it is. In short, the Krest is a solid all-round tyre.

Kenda Small Block 8

Designed by John Tomac, the Small Block 8 was originally intended as a fast, hardpack tyre meant for racing. Its tiny tread pattern ensures it is the quickest tyre by far. This is boosted by the fact that it can take pressures of up to 85 psi. The Small Block pattern was designed based on the Nevegals so it does echo some of the performance of its bigger sibling, in hardpack conditions. In terms of handing, it is grippy enough in a straight line on hardpack and corners decently as long as the rider goes easy on the brakes. If you’re a drifter, this is the tyre for you as it skids long and hard. In looser terrain, you need to move towards the mid to lower end of the pressure range to get decent grip. Upon doing this though, it becomes flat prone when running lower pressure. In a folding bead, the Small Blocks are super light which is why you pay a premium for them. Even the wire bead comes off lighter than the others in this review. They have now become the stock tyre of choice for many hardtail manufacturers who spec them on the medium-end hardtails.

Despite the soft compound, they do run a fairly long time (a few thousand kilometers if used

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KREST - QUICK AND GRIPPY BUT NEEDS AN EXPERIENCED HAND

SMALL BLOCK 8 - EXTREME SPEED ON HARDPACK, LOUSY GRIP IN LOOSE SOIL AND MUDDY CONDITIONS


properly) but we recommend you resist the temptation to run it at the higher end of the psi range. This is because, while it gives you speed, the trade-off is that the centre knobs wear out a lot quicker than the sides and you’ll end up having an uneven tread with no grip on the centre and plenty on the sides.

Here’s what we think you should be riding in various conditions.

Technical Trails

For mountain bikers looking to ride gnarly stuff, the Nevegal stands the unquestioned king. In a 2.1 width, this is the purists’ all-mountain tyre lending the rider oodles of confidence, plenty of grip and cornering ability. If you’ve never ridden with a decent set of tyres, slap these on and it’ll feel like a different bike altogether.If your technical skills are good, you might find that these slow you down on your familiar training grounds. If you’re looking for more speed, you might want to consider the Blackjack or the Krest. The Schwalbe Blackjack gives you plenty of grip in the dry but in the wet it’ll bog you down. As we mentioned though, it takes some getting used to in terms of cornering feel. The Serfas Krest is the quickest of the three knobbies but you need to stay on your toes when you push it to the wall. Its also heavier than the Blackjack.

Speed

In the speed category, the Kenda Small Block 8 is the quickest by a bike length. If you want to rip down hardpack trails, this is the tyre for you. Run it at an above medium psi and it’ll give you a good combination of grip and

speed. It corners pretty decently in these conditions too. Its a complete washout in the mud (pun intended) but that isn’t a surprise as it was designed for hardpack. Pump it up towards the upper end of its psi limit and it’ll be every bit as quick as any semi-slick out there and will let you rip through the streets. The Krest ranks next in speed followed by the Blackjack and then the Nevegals.

All-purpose riding

For general purpose riding, some technical fun, decent speed and the ability to get around the streets without huffing and puffing (too badly) we advise you to pick either the Serfas Krest or the Schwalbe Blackjack. The Blackjack is a softer compound tyre so its grip comes with a wear-and-tear price. The Krest seems tougher and quicker. We find the puncture protection offered by the FPS on the Krest to be pretty good. The Blackjack also has a kevlar version which does a decent job of keeping out those annoying thorns. Now while this isn’t usually a criteria to look while buying performance tyres, we thought it would be useful to the recreational rider considering we’d all prefer to spend more time in the saddle than fixing flats. In that respect the Small Block 8s are the very worst, attracting thorns like flies to honey. Its so annoying that we never use them without tyre liners. Speaking of flats, changing the tyres have never been so easy as on the Small Blocks which don’t require tyre levers even. Neither does the Serfas Krest. The Blackjack is a little harder and might requirestyre levers as does the Nevegal.

There you have it folks - four rubber horses for different courses. We hope this helps you make the right choice for your style of riding. Now get out and rip up those trails!

22

SCHWALBE BLACKJACK

KENDA NEVEGAL

SERFAS KREST

KENDA SMALL BLOCK 8


The Indian backpacker is not an uncommon phenomenon these days. Travel costs have drastically reduced with airlines offering great deals and backpackers have solved the problem of expensive and soul-less lodging by using trust-based, free-of-charge hospitality networks through websites such as hospitalityclub.org, couchsurfing.org and bewelcome.com. These sites allowed travellers to stay with locals, in their homes, anywhere in the world.

The only thing that still poses a bit of a challenge in local transport. For bike lovers, cities such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen provide some sort of relief with their state-sponsored free bicycles even though these tend to be so much in demand that one needs to show up before the crack of dawn to blag one. When it comes to renting, even in cities as backpacker-friendly (read as cheap) as Berlin a bike would set you back an average of 7 Euros per day. Which means that renting a bike for a week could end up costing as much as a second-hand ride.

In May 2012, Graham Pope and Pau Simo - two bike enthusiasts and expats living in Berlin, began thinking about a solution to this conundrum. They decided to piggyback on the aforesaid hospitality networks to offer budget travellers bicycles to get around Berlin. And they made it completely free of charge (you read that right).

This is their story.

We implemented this in July of 2012 and soon Couchsurfers passing through Berlin began to pick up bicycles and use them for the duration of their stay. Soon, the bikes were being handed back with a smile, a hug, perhaps a beer or dinner or often a small, voluntary

monetary donation to be used for sustaining and expanding the project. This exchange – a bike in return for some token of appreciation, was christened BikeSurfBerlin.

This process just requires you to send a request via the request form on the BikesurfBerlin blog (http://bikesurfberlin.blogspot.de). We check the requests and ensure that a bike is available for the requested period, and then, using the information on the applicant’s BeWelcome or Couchsurfing profile, we determine whether we need to meet the bikesurfer before giving them all the information concerning the collection of the bike. By using these hospitality clubs' trust systems, we believe we have had no need to even ask for a deposit on the bike being lent. It is entirely based on trust in human nature (and a little verification using BW or CS profiles).

Pau and Simo have gone the extra mile to make things convenient for the bikesurfer by utilising combination locks. So, if they can’t meet a bikesurfer at a particular time, the bike is left at an agreed location and the surfer is given the combination so he or she can pick it up at a convenient time.

Initially we were only two, now we are ten people who help organise, promote and develop the project. As a wider aim we also try to promote cycling not just as a leisure activity but as a lifestyle choice and a means of getting quickly from point A to B, while causing minimal damage to the earth, one’s wallet and becoming fitter in the process. We want people to see how much more beautiful and enjoyable Berlin (or any city) is when viewed from

23

THE ROAD LESS TAKEN


the saddle. We want to spread the spirit of cycling and inspire people to bring the BikeSurf project to their own cities.

There are now fourteen bikes in the fleet and it takes time and effort to keep this running but the reward is manifold - a traditional Nepalese meal prepared for us as a thank-you, seeing people riding away on our bikes and knowing that we are facilitating a whole new Berlin experience and so much more. Any regular user of hospitality websites will agree that karma is the most satisfying reward.

For those of you who prefer numbers, we’ve had 160 people borrow our bikes for a cumulative 1357 days to date, and based on a typical 7€ per day bike rental price, we’ve saved BikeSurfers 9499€. We’ve invested 610€ of our own money and received 367€ in donations. In an effort to be as transparent as possible, we keep all our finances online for all to see.

To spread the BikSurf gospel, Graham and Pau are currently developing an umbrella site - bikesurf.org, to act as the focal point for the new bikesurfing projects they hope will start across the world, with detailed guidelines on how to go about setting up your own local chapter of BikeSurf. They are also happy to answer any questions people might have, so feel free to write to them.

At the moment, this is only open to members of bewelcome and couchsurfing but, if you like the idea of such trust-based travel, we think getting on these sites is a great way to see the world. And we think there are few better ways to see it than on two, pedal-powered wheels.

In the words of BikeSurf Berlin - Two legs good, free wheels better.

24

BIKERSURFERS IN BERLIN!

THE VOLUNTEERS WHO KEEP IT GOING

25

GEAR THAT TURNS MEN INTO BABBLING BOYSBOYS’ TOYS

SIGMA RC 14.11

WHILE THIS WAS PRIMARILY LAUNCHED FOR RUNNERS AND FOR TRIATHLETES, THE SIGMA RC 14.11 CAN BE A DECENT COMPANION TO CYCLISTS TOO. IT COMES WITH THE R3 HEART-RATE MONITOR AND ACCELEROMETER AND CAN SPEW OUT DISTANCE, TIME, CALORIES, SPEED, HEART-RATE AND SO ON. ADD TO THAT THE FACT THAT IT IS WATERPROOF UP TO THREE ATMOSPHERES AND COSTS ABOUT HALF THE PRICE OF ITS COMPETITION, AND YOU HAVE A VERY COMPELLING PRODUCT.

FOR MORE DETAILS DROP US A LINE AT [email protected]



26

4ZA STRATOS SADDLE

THE STRATOS IS 4ZA’S ENTRY-LEVEL OFFERING. ITS TARGETED AT THE BUDGET RACER WITH A LITTLE EXTRA PADDING IN THE CENTRE TO PROVIDE MORE COMFORT TO RIDERS WHO SPEND MORE TIME ON THE HOODS. WITH CROMOLY RAILS AND AN EXCELLENT FINISH, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BREAK THE BANK FOR A QUALITY SADDLE ON YOUR ROADBIKE.

27COPYRIGHT PROCYCLE AND SPORTS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

GET OUT AND RIDE!

crank with procycle - june 15th 2013

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