December 2018

Happy New Year! To get you through the morning after the night before, we’ve got four predictions for the year ahead, a bumper edition of hacks and bodges and an exciting new challenge for Lloydy! What will we see in our crystal ball(s)..?

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With 2019 now officially upon us, we thought we’d be so bold as to make 4 predictions for the cycling world this year, and see if you lot agree with us. That’s right, we’ve got two each.  I shall get us started.  I predict that the gap between the equipment the pros use and the equipment the rest of us use will increase massively this year. Every piece of equipment the pros use is designed with performance in mind, to go as fast as possible for the power that they put in. Unfortunately, that speed often comes at the expense of comfort.  And I think that many of us are coming to the conclusion that, for the type of riding we do, comfort is top priority. 

Are you sure that this isn’t just a sign that you’re basically middle aged now?
Well, it could be, but I still think I’m right.  Because unless you’re pinning a number on and competing, do you really need to be slammed, with your 25mm tyres pinging along at 120psi, and a skinsuit that needs the help of two other people to actually get it on?
I take your point.  The only reason I use an aero helmet these days is to keep the rain off my head.  
Exactly, so whilst the pros and their teams will continue to search for the smallest of advantages with their equipment, the rest of us will be on bikes and in clothing that have more of an emphasis on comfort, durability, and above all, versatility, even if it is at the sacrifice of a small amount of speed.

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📹 Emma's Hour Record 

Music: Epidemic Sound & Cue
Hakan Eriksson - Dazed
Victor Olsson - On The Farm 2
Sebastian Forslund - Moshpit Madness 3

Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / 

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

GCN's Dodgy Crystal Ball - Predictions For 2019 | The GCN Show Ep. 312

Help! My brakes are making a noise... What do I do? Jon Cannings is here with the answers.

Clean
Cleanliness. Something is much less likely to make a noise in your braking system if its clean. The braking systems on our bikes are really open to getting contaminated as dirt and grime from the road can get thrown up on to the parts, and well as overspray of lubricants and polishes when you apply them.

Condition
If your pads are past their best, they could be causing that noise. It’s a scream for help if you like! After that previous step of cleaning is the ideal time to check the condition of components. 

CHECKS
A final few checks:
 - Firstly, if you are using rim brake pads, you want to make sure that they are either toed in, or flat on the rim surface. So by this I mean that the pad contacts the rim at the same point throughout, or very slightly the front most part of the pad contacts the rim first. 
 - An easy way of doing this is to hold the brake lever in, and loosen and retighten the pad, ensuring that it it lined up correctly. Toeing in does a great job of removing squeal, so for this a nice way of doing it is the same method as before, but slipping a bit of thin card such as a business card in between the rear third of the brake pad and the rim and then tighten up the fixing bolt.
 - Using carbon rims on your bike? Then make sure you are using brake blocks designed for carbon as the wrong pads can give of a loud scream to let you know you have the wrong pads fitted as well as giving you bad braking performance. 


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Winter maintenance tips 📹 

Brought to you by the world’s biggest cycling channel, the Global Cycling Network (GCN), GCN Tech goes deeper into the bikes, kit and technology stories that matter.

GCN Tech is utterly obsessed with seeking out and showcasing the best in bikes, tech, products and upgrades. Everywhere. Every week. From news and rumours, first ride exclusives, how-tos, the weekly GCN Tech Show, pro bikes, set-up tips and more, we geek out over the tiny details that can make the big differences to you. 

With years of racing and industry expertise, we also bring you instructive maintenance videos to hone your mechanical skills, as well as behind the scenes factory tours and in-depth analysis of kit chosen by the pro peloton to keep your finger on the pulse of cycling’s latest technological innovations.

Engage with us every week on the channel and across social media – we’re here to answer every question you’ve got on cycling tech.

How To Solve Brake Squeal – Solutions For Noisy Brakes

Welcome to the GCN Racing News Show - coming up, what do pro riders want to achieve in 2019, and what can you achieve? We also look back at some of the coolest non-pro racing we’ve covered this year, which might give you some ideas on what events to enter yourself in 2019.  

Let’s start then, with an event that we took part in ourselves. I say we - effectively Hank got the short straw, the only straw, and raced The Red Hook Crit in Milan, the first ever fixed gear event by a GCN presenter.  And he did bloomin’ well.  The red Hook crits really are quite mad, if you ask me. No brakes, tight circuits and large bunches, plus, plenty of crashes.  So if you haven’t already caught up with all the action, make sure you check out the video on the channel and see how James got on.

Next on the list is the somewhat misleadingly named Canyon Belgian Waffle ride, which is actually in California, USA. but there are waffles for all entrants or competitors! The Waffle ride was won this year, after a closely fought battle by Brian McCulloch ahead of Ted King, in a time of 6 hrs 34 minutes. The route of 133 miles included 46 miles of dirt sectors and almost 4000 meters of elevation gain. At one point it even went through someone's garden, and house.  Pretty unique then.

Another event attended by ourselves was the Dirty Kanza, with a special appearance from Katherine.  And fair play to her, she completed the 200 miles of off-road gravel riding, even if she was harshly criticised for taking some outside assistance in the form of pickle juice. If that doesn’t seem hard enough, forward slash you are absolutely mad, then why not sign up to the DKXL, 350 miles of gravel riding! This years winner was Matt Acker in a time of 25:10, a clear 40 minutes ahead of second place.

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GCN Vs Red Hook Crit 📹 

Music: Epidemic Sound
Party Bangers - Qeeo

The 9 Coolest Races Of 2018 | The Cycling Race News Show

This indoor cycling workout is perfect for building your overall fitness and boosting your peak sprint power. You can use a road bike on a turbo trainer, on the rollers or even an indoor bike.

NEW! Ride this workout in The Sufferfest app. Connect your trainer and hit specific targets as you ride with GCN! Start your 14-day free trial now: 

This 25-minute indoor cycling workout can help to improve your max sprint power, recovery and VO2 max. During the course of the workout, you'll complete five thirty-second sprint efforts with three minutes of recovery, plus, of course, a warm up and warm down.

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone - there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. As with any strenuous exercise, you should take into account factors such as your flexibility, strength and overall health to determine if an exercise is appropriate for you, and consult a doctor/physician before beginning a programme of exercise. Discontinue your exercise session immediately if you experience any pain, dizziness or discomfort. 
Partaking in training sessions following GCN's video instruction is entirely at your own risk, and Global Cycling Network, its partners and its affiliated companies cannot be held responsible for any injuries which may occur as a result of these exercises.

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More workouts on GCN: 

As with any strenuous exercise, you should consult a doctor/physician before beginning a programme of exercise. Discontinue your exercise session immediately if you experience any pain, dizziness or discomfort. Partaking in training sessions following GCN's video instruction is entirely at your own risk, and Global Cycling Network cannot be held responsible for any injuries which may occur as a result of these exercises.

HIIT Indoor Cycling Workout | 25 Minute Sprint Intervals

From the iconic trispoke of the Spinergy Rev X to more modern innovations like the Revolver Kameleon disc wheel, here are 5 of the coolest and quirkiest wheel designs that have changed cycling history. 

Spinergy’s. I am starting with one of the biggest revelations in wheel design during my lifetime. The company was founded by Rafe Schlanger in the early 90’s and these wheels quickly rose to fame. From side on these wheels looked as though they were a four spoke monocoque carbon design, but get up close and you can see that there are in fact eight separate carbon spokes, or blades (more on that later).

These spokes are actually connected to the rim as you can see here, and the small rivets, I think, were added to prevent the spokes coming away from one another. A kind of reinforcement if you like. 
Another reinforcement that was seen added to the wheels were some sticky backed gap fillers, called X Beams. These were put in between the spokes to help stiffen the wheels up a bit. 

Sadly, the wheels went into decline, partly, I imagine because if one of the highly tensioned blades broke, the knock on reaction was often the whole wheel would fail, and quite dramatically. The other reason is because the UCI, the governing body of competitive cycling actually outlawed the use of them in competition after a few riders suffered from injuries in crashes that were allegedly worsened by the blades of the carbon from these wheels.

This particular pair belong to 2004 Paris Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt!

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📹 How to fit mudguards 

5 Best Cool & Quirky Wheel Innovations

Just how much climbing can you do in an hour? Just like the hour velodrome, only upward, Emma takes on the challenge on Jebel Akhdar whilst riding in Oman. 


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In association with ROTOR and Haute Route Oman. With thanks to The Shangri La Hotel.

So, as Emma is about to start enjoying this most epic of climbs, we should explain VAM. Velocità Ascensionale Media. Or, average rate of ascent, measured in vertical metres gained. 

For context, what is a good VAM? This year, Thibaut Pinot, took the record on the famous Monte Zoncolan at a rate of 1700. However this climb doesn’t actually last for an hour, it was 40 minutes, so a higher VAM would be expected.  

On the same day, the grupetto, climbed over 14 minutes slower, resulting in a VAM of 1250. 

Annemiek van Vleuten recorded rates of between 1375 and 1480 up La Colombiere on her way to victory in this years La Corse by Tour de France. But, there was a descent in the middle of this climb and the uphill efforts again didn’t total an hour.

And what could you or I expect to climb at? In September weighing 78 kgs I climbed the Passo Giau in 55 minutes at a VAM of 970. I rode to an average power of 290w which should give you a rough guide. 

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📹 Epic Ride Oman 

Music: By The Harbor - Mhern
Comfort Zone - Nebulae 
High Castle - Ballpoint
If Only I Was a Poet - Staffan Carlén
Our Jam (Instrumental Version) - Da Tooby
PREL SSFX Glitch 13 - SFX Producer

Unofficial World Record! - The Uphill Hour

Jon has dipped into his very full attic and found us a very special bike. With a completely custom paint job, a very interesting mix of parts, and even a really touching tribute to a lost friend, Jon's Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra really is one of a kind.

Frame and forks: Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra custom painted by Fat Creations
Wheels: Ambrosio Nemsis rims on Hope Pro3 hubs, with Sapim CX Ray spokes
Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Evo SC 
Handlebars: 3T Grand Prix 
Stem: 3T Quill stem 
Saddle: Selle Italia Turbo
Shifters: Shimano Dura Ace 7900 indexed downtube shifters 
Brakes: Shimano 600 Aero levers with Campagnolo Delta calipers 
Front Mech: Shimano 105 5700
Rear Mech: Shimano Dura Ace 7900
Chainset: Shimano Dura Ace 7900
Pedals: Time Pro Magnesium
Chainring size: 53:39
Cassette: Pro-Lite 1 piece aluminium, 12-23t

Bike weight: 9.79kg
Saddle height: 79.5cm
Reach: 59.5cm
Bar width: 42cm
Stem length: 14cm
Crank length: 172.5mm
Tyre width: 23mm

Finishing touches: Bike Ribbon bar tape, Supa Caz bar end plugs, Shimano BBR60 Bottom Bracket, Chrome chainstay protector, Merckx bottle, K-Edge chain catcher, 108 frame number. 

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📹 Corsa Corsa Shop Tour 

Jon's Retro Pro Road Bike | Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra

Thinking about your 2019 New Year's Resolution? Perhaps you shouldn't - or rather take heed of Emma's advice with our very worst New Year's resolutions for cyclists! 

From trying to loose weight to fad diets, from unrealistic goals to increasing your mileage, not all New Year's resolutions are good for you! Here are the best of the worst resolutions for us cyclists, and food for thought on some better ideas. 

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📹 GCN Indoor Training Videos 

5 Worst New Year's Resolutions For Cyclists

The presenters are back in the set for a Christmas special Ask GCN, with everyone answering their specific questions that you sent in. This week they cover who has the best Trek Madone, Ollie or James, we find out what Dan's favourite beer is and we also find out if Si would upgrade his wheels or groupset first...

They cover lots more this week too, including a question for Chris on how to improve your sprint on the bike, a question for Ollie and James about erg mode on the indoor trainer and also whether Chris does any weight training to look the way he does!

Remember to keep your questions coming in for next week using #torqueback or for your chance to win a 3-month free Zwift subscription use #AskGCNTraining. 👇

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Carbon Bikes - Retro Vs Modern 📹 

Music: Epidemic Sound
Magnus Ringblom - Latin Quaters Jazz Band
Johannes Bornlöf - Tense Excitement 1

Ask The Presenters - Christmas Special Edition | Ask GCN Anything

It's finally time for the GCN Tech Awards! You've voted in your thousands and we're super excited to show you the results. Have your favourites won anything?

We've got all the results from the tech of the year, the new bike of the year, upgrade of the year, head to head of the year, and most importantly the bike vault bike of the year!

We've had a great year, and we're so glad you've all spent it with us! We hope you have a great Christmas, and a Happy New Year 🎉🎄🍾

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📹 Shimano 105 v Dura Ace 

Music: Epidemic Sound
Academic Arenas 1 - Martin Landh
Break The System - Cecilia Lindh
Inspirational And Uplifting 5 - Gavin Luke
Midnight Call - Magnus Ringblom Quartet
Nothing Left Of Us (Instrumental Version) - Happy Republic

The GCN Tech Awards 2018 - The Results Show | GCN Tech Show Ep. 52

As we approach the end of the year, now is a great time to set yourself some goals and challenges for 2019. In this video, James runs you through 10 cycling challenges he thinks could make 2019 your best cycling year yet.

From riding your first century, through to taking part in a multi-stage cycling event such as the Haute Route, James gives you lots of possible challenges to set your goals for next year and to keep motivated throughout the winter months. 

Let us know any cycling challenges that you have lined up for 2019. 👇

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Emma Does CX - The Big Race 📹 

10 Cycling Challenges To Make 2019 Your Best Year Ever

This indoor cycling workout will help you to improve your fitness and power. We use the beautiful Passo Valparola in Alta Badia in the Dolomites.

This workout session is a classic. It's going to burn! You'll do a brief warm-up, then a series of 40/20 intervals on your indoor trainer or spin bike. The 40-second intervals are maximal before you recover for 20 seconds.

If you try this workout, be sure to comment below and let us know how you get on.

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More workouts with GCN: 

December 2018

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