May 2016

Descending is a cycling skill that's really fun to work on – here's how to improve yours.


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As pro cycling races often show, being fast in the hills or the mountains isn't *just* about how fast you can ride uphill. While we're not suggesting that you go out and treat your local descent like a race course, becoming a better descender won't just help you to ride faster – it will, ultimately, help you to descend more safely too.

Here's our advice for working on your descending. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments and SHARE this video!

Watch more on GCN...
Europe's top 7 road climbs ▶︎ 


The Chainless Race – who is the fastest descender at GCN? ▶︎ 

Buy NEW GCN cycling kit, casual wear and accessories in the GCN Shop: 

Music:
Keep On Rising - Per Ljungqvist, George Nakas

The Global Cycling Network puts you in the centre of the action: from the iconic climbs of Alpe D’Huez and Mont Ventoux to the cobbles of Flanders, everywhere there is road or pavé, world-class racing and pro riders, we will be there bringing you action, analysis and unparalleled access every week, every month, and every year. We show you how to be a better cyclist with our bike maintenance videos, tips for improving your cycling, cycling top tens, and not forgetting the weekly GCN Show. Join us on YouTube’s biggest and best cycling channel to get closer to the action and improve your riding!

Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside cycling

How To Descend Faster | GCN's Pro Cycling Tips

What a finish to the Giro! Let us know your thoughts on the race down in the comments.

Enter our latest unboxing competition for your chance to win a set of Reynolds 46 Aero wheels: 

We're talking Giro d'Italia this week. With Kruiswijk's crash, Nibali's comeback and the way Chaves gradually faded on the final two stages, stages 19 and 20 were some of the most thrilling days of racing we've seen in ages – do you agree?

Away from Italy, our thoughts are with Stig Broeckx following his awful crash at the Tour of Belgium.

As always, we have your favourites; caption, comment, hack and bodge of the week – keep all of your entries coming in!

Watch more on GCN...
The affects of altitude on cycling performance ▶︎ 

EDM Detection Mode by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence 

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500026

How Did Vincenzo Nibali Win The Giro D'Italia?! | The GCN Show Ep. 177

Blaming the bike for getting dropped is no excuse!
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A quick run-down of the main things that can go wrong on your bike is the best way of avoiding mechanical problems when you really don't need them. It doesn't need to be a full service, especially not the night before your event. But things like your gears, brakes and wheels need to be working smoothly as a bare minimum.

Watch more on GCN...
Our maintenance playlist ▶︎ 

Music:
Topher Mohr & Alex Elenn - Rubber Necking

6 Maintenance Checks To Make Before Your Next Big Event

"That'll get me to the feed zone, and then, well... I'll grab some more goodies..."

What do the pro peloton like to eat during a stage of the Giro d'Italia? It's not all energy gels and bars.

LIKE and SHARE this video and let us know your thoughts down in the comments!

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ALL of our videos from the Giro ▶︎ 


What should you eat and drink when you're out riding? ▶︎ 

What's In Your Pockets?! How Do Pro Cyclists Fuel For A Stage At The Giro D'Italia 2016?

Reynolds 46 Aero wheels combine aerodynamics with lightweight – you might have seen that mid depth wheels like these are the choice of the pro peloton for most racing days.

Watch more on GCN...
Why do wheels make the best upgrade to your bike? ▶︎ 

GCN Unboxing: Reynolds 46 Aero Wheels

What's actually in those bags at the feed zone?
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The musette is a cloth bag handed out in the middle of a stage which essentially serves as a rider's lunch - it contains all the nutrition that these athletes need to complete a hard day in the saddle. These are typically made up of 2 bottles filled with water or an electrolyte mix, energy bars and gels, plus homemade portables that the soigneurs prepare. The rice cake is a popular choice - many teams pride themselves on their own specific recipes. Paninis, sweet cakes, bananas and small 'mixer size' cans of cola all feature in Matt and Simon's cross section of pro team feed bags.

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More Giro D'Italia videos ▶︎ 

Pro Cycling Nutrition - What Do Riders Eat In A Race?

Sergey Firsanov races for the Gazprom-RusVelo team. Riding their first ever Giro d'Italia, the riders have had some breakthrough results, with Firsanov breaking into the top 10 on some of the hillier stages.

Check out the detailed specs below and don't forget to LIKE and SHARE this video!

Frame and forks: Colnago V1-r
Wheels: Campagnolo Bora Ultra 35
Tyres: Tufo
Handlebars: Deda Zero100, 40cm
Stem: Deda Zero100
Seatpost: Colnago V1-r
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Carbon
Shifters: Campagnolo Record EPS
Brakes: Colnago B1-r
Front Mech: Campagnolo Record EPS 
Rear Mech: Campagnolo Record EPS
Chainset: Campagnolo Record
Pedals: Look Keo
Chainring Size: 53/39T
Powermeter: SRM
Cassette: Campagnolo Record

Bike weight: 7.03kg
Saddle height: 71.5cm
Reach: 54.5 cm


Watch more on GCN...
Giro d'Italia 2016 playlist ▶︎ 

Sergey Firsanov's Colnago V1-R | Giro D'Italia

We ask what numbers the pros like to keep track of when racing.
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Cycling computers are a great way of keeping track of an almost infinite number of metrics when you're on the move. Power, heart rate, speed distance, even maps of your route are available at your fingertips. We asked the pros what they look at for 5 or 6 hours a day during a Grand Tour - it's fair to say the bunch is split - some are real numbers geeks, while others are fairly minimalist.

What data is important to you during your ride? Let us know in the comments below!

Watch more on GCN...
More videos from the Giro D'Italia ▶︎ 

Ask The Pros - What Data Do You Have On Your Screen?

The team car is a mobile workshop, feed station and strategy HQ all in one.
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The team car will drive in the race convoy behind the peloton and will spring into action to support the riders when they need something. Tactics and updates can be relayed via race radio, and each rider has access to a spare bike or wheels in the event of a mechanical. In the back is a cooler filled with bottles and race food, and it is the job of the 'domestique' to drop back to the convoy to collect refreshments and clothing for their assigned leader - in LottoNL-Jumbo's case, it's Steven Kruijswijk, whose spare bikes are positioned on the roof rack for easy access in an emergency.

Inside The LottoNL-Jumbo Team Car | Giro D'Italia 2016

This week in Ask GCN Anything: nutrition, washing cycling kit, and choosing the right turbo trainer.

Keep your cycling questions coming in the comments, on Twitter and on Facebook and using #TorqueBack

Mentioned in this episode of Ask GCN Anything About Cycling...
How to wash your cycling kit: 


The perfect nutrition strategy for recovery: 


Our most viewed video – Martyn Ashton's Road Bike Party 2: 


All of our videos from the Giro d'Italia: 

What Should I Do To Recover After Training? | Ask GCN Anything About Cycling

How do athletes deal with lower available oxygen levels at higher elevations?

Ride a bike in any mountain range and at a certain point you'll get above an elevation where the concentration of oxygen begins to decrease compared to sea level. The Colle Delle Agnello, the highest point of this year's Giro D'Italia at 2744m, has 25% less oxygen concentration. What does this mean for the riders? They will be breathing harder and producing more lactic acid, and depending on the individual, power outputs can drop markedly. It's become increasingly common for teams to spend time in high altitude areas like Colorado, Andorra and Tenerife to help their bodies acclimatise to riding in thin air.

Simon and Matt did some testing in the state of the art altitude chamber at the University of Kent to see how their bodies were affected by the reduced available oxygen.

Watch more on GCN...
Want more GCN science projects? Click here ▶︎ 


Check out our videos from the Giro D'Italia ▶︎ 

Music:
RW Smith - Dig Deep
Otis McDonald - Scarlet Fire
Silent Partner - Friction Looks


Buy NEW GCN cycling kit, casual wear and accessories in the GCN Shop: 

How Much Does Altitude Affect Cycling Performance? GCN Does Science

Steven Kruijswijk is the current leader of the Giro d'Italia. This is his custom-painted Maglia Rosa themed Bianchi bike.

Frame and forks: Bianchi Oltre XR2
Wheels: Rear: Shimano Dura Ace C50, Front: Dura Ace C24
Tyres: Vittoria Corsa 25
Handlebars: FSA New Ergo Extra light
Stem: FSA OS-99 Stem
Seatpost: Bianchi
Saddle: San Marco Aspide
Shifters: Shimano Dura Ace Di2
Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace
Front Mech: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 with BBB chain catcher
Rear Mech: Shimano Dura Ace Di2
Chainset: Shimano Dura Ace
Pedals: Shimano Dura Ace
Chainring Size: 53/39T
Powermeter: Pioneer with custom pink cap
Cassette: Shimano Dura Ace 11-28T

Bike weight: 7.09kg
Bar width: 42 cm
Stem length: 130 mm
Crank length: 172.5 mm
Tyre width: 25 mm

Watch more on GCN...
Vincenzo Nibali's custom Specialized Tarmac ▶︎ 


All of our pro bike videos from 2016 ▶︎ 

May 2016

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