July 2018

The GCN Tech Clinic is here where Jon tackles your tech-related questions. In this edition, Jon answers whether skinwall tyres are more susceptible to punctures, how to know what exact groupset you have and what the best chain lube is.

We cover lots more in the Tech Clinic this week including indexing your front derailleur to a new power meter, running tyre widths different than the rim manufacturer recommends and why brake and gear cables are different.

Remember to keep your questions coming in for Jon using #askgcntech. 👇

If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. 👍

If you'd like to contribute captions and video info in your language, here's the link - 

Watch more on GCN Tech...
Tech Tour Show Ep. 30 📹 

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

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.

Skinwall Tyres & The Ultimate Chain Lube | GCN Tech Clinic

While on their bikepacking trip in Morocco, Si and Josh showed you how to set up camp or bivvy in the wild. An essential skill when touring by bicycle, there's lots you can learn from bikepacking expert Josh Ibbett.


Register your interest in the GCN Club: 

Whether you take a tent or just a sleeping bag, it's a must that you can set up your own camp while on a cycling adventure. It's a fairly simple process, but these top tips will make sure you get a good nights rest!

Watch more on GCN...
Bike Packing Morocco 📹 

Music: Epidemic Sound
Badlands 3 - Håkan Eriksson
Follow Every Move 3 - Magnus Ringblom
Haunted Heart 4 - Bo Järpehag
Opa Opa 3 - Björn Skogsberg
Russian Slapstick - Håkan Eriksson
Swamp Fever 4 - Håkan Eriksson

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 Goes Bikepacking | How To Set Up Camp

Welcome to the GCN Show! This week we’ve got a busy one, starting the Show with cycling’s darkest secrets. We’ve also got Emma coming from Ride London, Katherine at the start of the Transcontinental race and news from our friends at Zwift.

The GCN Show brought to you by Wiggle. Shop Online: 


Submit your inspirational photos to us on social media using #gcninspiration for your chance to win a Wiggle voucher.


Last week, we learned, quite by accident, that Dan Lloyd has been harbouring a dark secret. That started an avalanche of confessions and so we’ve duly rounded them up. Frankly, it’s pretty alarming. We’ve anonymised the comments, you’ll see why. Before we delve into this murky underworld, we should probably address the elephant in the room, doping. Is that cycling’s darkest secret? 

We’re going to start for the first time ever, with running. Because somebody has just run the route of the Tour de France and so deserves some serious credit! He ran the route of the Tour! Peter Thompson ran 30 miles a day for 68 days to rack up the 2082 miles of the exact route. Fantastic. He did it to raise money for the mental health charity Mind, and raise the money he did. Over £20,000. Great job. 

Some news from Zwift now, and they’ve given us the heads up about a new course release! They’ve recreated the UCI world champs course from Innsbruck which is going to be raced at the end of September! Thankfully,  we don’t have to wait that long. In fact, only until Thursday 2nd August!

Watch more on GCN...
Tour de France Mavic Service 📹 

Music:
Cue:
Viper Creek Club - Because I Know (Instrumental)
Epidemic:
Jonas Elander - Afternoon Swing 3
Magnus Ringblom - Horror Trailer 1 T60
Gunnar Johnsen - Documents 10

Cycling’s Darkest Secrets Uncovered! | The GCN Show Ep. 290

After a brutal final week, the Tour de France reaches its conclusion in Paris. Bike racing resumes outside the Tour with the Prudential Ride London Surrey Classics, the GP Pino Cerami and the Tour de Wallonie. Plus we look at an hour record attempt and the NorthCape 4000.

The Tour de France has finished for another year.  No doubt you all know the results by now - Sagan won green, as expected, Julian Alaphilippe the polka dot jersey, Pierre Latour the White jersey, Movistar fought really hard and achieved their aim of the teams classification, with a stage win for Quintana along the way, but the big prize went to Geraint Thomas.

This weekend saw a whole host of events at the 2018 RideLondon including the Brompton World Championships, the women’s Classique, the Men’s Classic and a range of sportive distances of up to 100 miles. 25,000 amateurs took on the 100 mile route faced by tough weather conditions. There were also a few famous names riding including rugby star Martin Johnson and the runner Kelly Holmes.

Watch more on GCN...
Who Is Geraint Thomas? 📹 

Music: Epidemic Sound
Head Nod Supreme 2 - Jack Elphick

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

Geraint Thomas Wins Le Tour de France | The Cycling Race News Show

The quick release skewer, something that is often used incorrectly by many cyclists out there. They have an ultra-important mechanical function, as well as a safety role, so let Jon teach you how to use them correctly.

A QR skewer consists of a cam mechanism, you can see that the handle of the lever actually slots inside this curved washer. The lever is shaped in such a way so that when you close it, it compresses inwards by approximately 1.5/2mm. Which may not sound much, but it takes up the slack and holds your wheel in the dropout securely.

The skewers have two little springs. If we look closely, you can see that they are shaped in a certain way, almost cone-shaped. They are positioned on either side of the hub axle and held in place on the spindle of the QR. Now the purpose of these little springs is to keep the skewer in place so that you can insert a wheel without having to centre the skewer by hand. 

Watch more on GCN Tech...
Romain Bardet's Factor 📹 

How To Use A Quick Release Skewer

From Cardiff to the Maillot Jaune at the Tour de France 2018, this is the story of Geraint Thomas.

Geraint Thomas has been a key domestique for Team Sky and Chris Froome for many years. He's a multiple Olympic Gold medallist, a world champion and he has won many big races as a professional cyclist.

But, it's safe to say that very few people saw Geraint's victory at the 2018 Tour de France coming. With two stage wins, including one on the iconic Alpe d'Huez and and incredibly controlled, trouble-free ride at this year's Tour, Thomas looked set for yellow in Paris with stages remaining.

Geraint Thomas started cycling with the Maindy Flyers club in Cardiff, Wales – alongside current teammate Luke Rowe, in fact. From there, he grew with the British Cycling development programmes before turning professional with Team Barloworld and riding his first Tour in 2007, where he finished 2nd to last.

It's safe to say that it's been quite a journey for Thomas since then, culminating in this incredible win at the biggest race in professional cycling.

Who Is Geraint Thomas? Tour de France Winner 2018 | Tour de France 2018

You'll never guess who needed a wheel change...

We spent the day with the legendary Mavic Neutral Service on stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France. Starting in Mavic's hometown of Annecy, Stage 10 took in the only gravel climb of this year's race. From the outset, then, it was going to be a busy day for our friends at Mavic.

So, what do Mavic do at races like the Tour de France? As you might know, the riders receive service – in case of a puncture or other mechanical – from their team car. But, with two team cars per team in the race and the chance of many mechanicals or punctures on any given day, sometimes the teams can't cover all of the issues that their riders face. This is where Mavic's Neutral Service steps in. Their iconic yellow cars and motorbikes are there when the pro peloton needs them the most. Whether it's a wheel change, a loose saddle or a full bike, Mavic have the peloton covered.

Each car carries wheels to suit any of the bikes in the race; a task which has doubtless become more complex with the advent of disc brakes, and, they have bikes, complete with dropper seatposts for the riders, too. Each Mavic car carries a range of bikes with all the clipless pedals that the riders might be using; Speedplay, Shimano and Look.

We hope you enjoy watching this video as much as we enjoyed making it. Huge thanks to Mavic, Max and Benjamin for having us along for the day, and great work on that rapid wheel change.

A Day At The Tour de France With Mavic Neutral Service | Tour de France 2018

Egan Bernal is one of the most promising talents in cycling at the moment and is currently riding for Team Sky, supporting Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas at the Tour de France. Jon took a closer look at his Pinarello F10 X-Light pro bike.

Frame and forks: Pinarello F10X
Wheels: Shimano C40 Tubular
Tyres: Continental Competition ALX Pro Ltd
Handlebars: Most XFC Carbon
Stem: Most F Series
Seatpost: Pinarello F10
Saddle: Fi'zi:k Antares
Shifters: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9150
Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace 9100
Front Mech: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9150
Rear Mech: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9150
Chainset: Shimano 9100P
Pedals: Shimano Dura Ace 9100
Chainring size: 53/39
Cassette:  Shimano Dura Ace 9100

Bike weight: 6.84kg
Bar width: 40cm
Crank length: 170mm
Tyre width: 25mm

Finishing touches: K-Edge out front mount, Elite Legerro Carbon bottle cage

If you'd like to contribute captions and video info in your language, here's the link 👍 

Watch more on GCN Tech...
Nairo Quintana's Pro Bike 📹  

Egan Bernal's Pinarello F10 X-Light

It’s the final week of Chris' Tour de Fitness and we hope you're feeling fitter, faster and more in control of your training. This week we focus on the recovery and taper for your target event or your fitness test.

You’ve overloaded your system for 3 weeks, now is the time to reward yourself. You’ve worked hard, and by reducing the volume and frequency of intensity, a little freshness will start to return to your legs. This is the fitness you’ve worked so hard to build coming through as your body adapts to the stress you have placed it under. 

Test/event day - start the day as any other, that has worked well so far, so don’t change your routine on the most important day of the entire schedule! Just like your pre-event session, it is important it is important to include a very thorough, progressive warm-up of around 20 minutes. Work up to an intensity close to what you could maintain for an hour, then spin gently for 5-10 minutes. If you’re at an event, make your way to the line and enjoy. You’ve worked hard to be there!

Watch more on GCN...
Get Fit In 4 Weeks Ep. 1 📹 

Music: Epidemic Sound
I'd Rather Sleep - Smartface
Marches - Tigerblood Jewel
Parallax - Luwaks
Straight Out The Basement 3 - Axel Ljung
Unbroken - Hallman

Get Fit In 4 Weeks Ep. 4 | Recovering & Tapering For A Big Event

Emma was on the start line at La Course to ask the riders what they had in their jersey pockets. What do you take in yours?

From energy gels to bars, rice cakes to sweets, the nutrition choice of the women's pro peloton is as varied as you might expect. And as for the Oreo rice cakes - make sure you send us a recipe if you know how! 

Make sure you check out more women's racing content on the channel, and let us know what more you'd like to see too. 

Watch more on GCN...
📹 Canyon//SRAM Bike Setup 

Music: Swing Manouche 03 - John Åhlin, Running Around - Martin Klem

What's In Your Jersey Pockets? | GCN Asks The Pros At La Course

Romain Bardet is arguably the greatest French general classification rider of this generation. Simon got to take a look at his stunning custom Factor O2 on the first rest day of the Tour de France.

Frame and forks: Factor O2
Wheels: Mavic Cosmic Ultimate Tubular
Tyres: Continental Competition ALX
Handlebars: Black Inc Integrated Barstem 
Stem: Black Inc Integrated Barstem
Seatpost: Black Inc Factor O2 specific
Saddle: Fi'zi:k Arione R1
Shifters: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9150
Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace 9100
Front Mech: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9150
Rear Mech: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9150 with CeramicSpeed OSPW "Victory" Edition
Chainset: Shimano 9100
Pedals: Look Keo Carbon Blade TDF
Chainring size: 53/39
Powermeter: SRM
Cassette:  Shimano Dura Ace 9100

Bike weight: 6.83kg
Bar width: 40cm
Stem length: 135mm
Crank length: 172.5mm
Tyre width: 25mm

Finishing touches: K-Edge chain catcher, Elite Vico Carbon bottle cage

Watch more on GCN Tech...
Nairo Quintana's Pro Bike 

Music: Epidemic Sound
Rotations - Friends With Animals

Romain Bardet's Custom Painted Factor O2

On this week’s Ask GCN, Emma and James sit down to answer your cycling related questions. Remember to get your questions in with the #Torqueback, or if you are in need of some help with your training, use the #AskGCNtraining.

In this edition of Ask GCN, we address how to train your endurance when you are short on time, how to train for sprints and flat riding when you live in the hills, how you can know when to buy a new bike and whether blood donation has a negative effect on your performance.

Remember to leave your questions in the comments below. 👇

Watch more on GCN...
GCN Show Ep. 289 📹 

July 2018

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