Bikes, sure. But why no UCI seal-of-approval stickers on road helmets?

While cycling media has turned their attention to the Tour, I’m looking at a pile of helmet boxes at Hairpins HQ.

There are 6 or 7 in a corner in my flat. They started turning up since Omloop and haven’t stopped since. One promised to “change cycling forever.” One has Koroyd inside (whatever that is). Another WaveCel, and another still MIPS with Angi.

Some are just straight-up high-density foam, straps and a little engineering. How banal.

So, what do they have in common? For starters, they’re all handsome. POC’s Omne Air SPIN is still one of the more distinct, best looking helmets in my opinion. It uses something called SPIN for its rotational impact tech and has to be one of the best new designs for 2019.

I’ve been riding in the Prevail II from Specialized and the XXX from Bontrager a lot, partly because I like the way they look, they’ve put considerable energy into concussion research, but also because their Larges are true larges. They cater to my particular head issues. Chapeau on that one.

Like all of POC’s designs, a vision for helmets originated in impact safety.

In truth, I I find the pile confusing. The helmets all do the same thing, sure. Yet non have that UCI stamp that occupies real-estate on my road bike that tells me its race-approved. Why not? Could having one help standardize industry-led work to limit rotational impacts that are common in cycling? Could it make the process of buying a new helmet less confusing for cyclists?

This is the nut of helmet reviews, I guess. You can comment all day about a helmet’s aesthetics and fit. You’ll never crash on your morning crit just to ink a few words on its safety, however.

It takes faith in industry to believe all this tech is actually sound. Part of me thinks regulators have a bigger part to play here. I tried to get some comment from the UCI about this. Why no sticker? Why no standardization? The science is there, but there is no standard for oblique head impacts, just some tests (Virginia Tech) that offer insights. Shouldn’t they be more involved?

Several emails later, I was pointed to Article 1.3.031 of UCI Regulations. They address helmets and are based on international safety standards (such as the EN 1078) which are developed for Europe by the European Committee for Standardization. A start. “Currently, the UCI regulations do not set any regulations regarding rotational impacts and concussion” - a serious issue they said, and one which they are keeping an eye on.

Simon Fisher from Specialized had an interesting perspective. Reality is that the UCI already has many rules, he says. For helmets, they simply defer to the major testing bodies like ASTM and SNELL for individual country safety standards because they vary so much.

“Helmets are currently tested for impact standards, but not rotational,” he says. “Most in industry feel that rotational standards will come in the future, but for now it is run by groups like MIPS, Virginia Tech and helmet companies who set up the right fixtures to test for helmet rotational mitigation.”

Maybe there’s no merit to this idea. Maybe the UCI, like Fisher says, has enough on its plate, lording over road, track and MTB racing in so many ways. Perhaps this is a totally nonsensical bit of drivel. But It’s been on my mind for weeks, so I thought I’d put it out there. .

Here’s a link to Virginia Tech’s road helmet ratings. I’m happy to see the two helmets I’m wearing the most these days make the top 12 in terms of safety.

No UCI stickers on either of them, but some peace-of-mind there, I guess.

Stealthy in black.

Best of 2019:

1. The design is unmistakable. But the tech is very impressive too. Specialized Prevail II w ANGi: the ‘Angular and G-Force Indicator’ is actually a sensor that detects impact or a rotational event that could indicate a crash has happened. The sensor is attached to the helmet and paired to your phone. Now you have a crash detection beacon attached to your helmet. Voila. Next level fit, particularly for larger heads like mine. Features MIPS.

2. The XXX with Wavecel from Bontrager made a lot of noise when it came out, but in our opinion, entirely worth it. Great fit, safety and design. And if nothing else, furthered a conversation that will have to evolve in years to come.
   

PEdAL ED's Heiko leans heavily on city cycling culture for inspiration

“Japanese fashion is no longer a simple copy, but a nuanced, culturally-rich tradition of its own.”

W. David Marx’s 2016 book, Ametora, explores the history and rebirth of American-influenced menswear perfected in Japan; a heritage aesthetic that went on to dramatically shape the country’s culture.

Started in Tokyo in 2007, PEdAL ED is perhaps the first Japanese cycling brand to reflect this deep obsession with style, drawing heavily from the classic cuts and colours preferred in Tokyo’s clothing. Kit, too.

I’m not sure why I’ve obsessed over their kit for years; perhaps from time spent travelling in Tokyo. PEdAL ED has always held an appeal (despite now being handmade in Italy, where chunk of cycling industry apparel is made).

From the brand’s 2019 collection, the Heiko Jersey demonstrates founder Hideto Suzuki’s preoccupation with city cycling culture - Tokyo’s in specific - where riders largely defer to simple, functional kit.

Made from Sensitive® fabric, it’s a relaxed fit jersey with three large rear cargo pockets, a side-zip for keys and reflective logos on the front and the back. The colour-blocked bottom-third of the jersey blends in well with black bibs. When on, the effect is a long, lean silhouette for the rider.

PEdAL ED will compete with others vying for share of cycling’s high end kit market.

Our test Heiko in stone is one of those kits you get and reach for repeatedly. On hot humid climbs in central Switzerland, it sits comfortably against the skin and breathes really well, especially when unzipped. Aesthetically speaking, it is a thing of beauty, eliciting many an inquiring comment from others.

The elastic at the jersey base where it meets the bibs is full of subtle details and holds the jersey in place; there is also a subtle cuff on the sleeve that does the same.

Minor knit: the fabric does hold a bit of scent and stink after washing, but it is not unique in this regard. Many kit makers struggle with the limitations of synthetic fabrics. It is otherwise a mirror image of it’s environment: a beautiful jersey that lives up to the weight of expectation. It performs across a range of temperatures and is as stylish as many of the Japanese street wear brands now exported worldwide.

Similarly the Natsu bib short made from lightweight Lycra and outfitted with a two-tone Cytech chamois is a great all-round training short. Specifically appealing: the high-cut mesh waist.

While the company claims it supports posture and muscle compression, the netting from which it’s made just feels good on the bike and has a great way of keeping everything sucked in tight where it’s supposed to be.

Again, in heat when climbing with the jersey open, the mesh feels great and adds a lot of comfort to the ride. Legs grips also are soft and subtly designed. Lovely little details throughout.

Built for training rides, the Natsu’s fit great and are a perfect compliment to the PEdAL ED range.

It’ll be interesting to see where Suzuki takes the brand. They’ve recently offered a line of kit focused specifically on bikepacking while continuing to focus on road. Time will tell. Hope to get more in for test soon.

More at https://pedaled.com/

Vittoria Corsa 2.0: Icons never tire.

With the ubiquity of tan-walled tires, you might be picking up a pair of Corsa 2.0 tires and asking yourself, should I? That depends on the roads you ride.

Every time I grab my bike and look at the Corsa tires on black ceramic DT Swiss rims, I can’t help but get a little drunk on the casings. At the risk of being sycophantic, these are best looking tires in cycling. But are they worth the spend? And what’s the experience riding them?

Corners beautifully on hairpins.

Corsa’s were first introduced to pros in the early 90’s, gaining popularity right away, particularly the tubular versions. They were redesigned in 2015 with a new compound and thread pattern and have become an icon as tan walls have become increasingly popular thanks to their heritage aesthetic. The Corsa’s however are much more than eye candy.

From the get go, Vittoria knew they had a winner when they starting selling the long awaited update. Teams loved them. They offered pro-grade performance on dry and wet roads. And the tan walls look cool AF. It’s okay. It’s Impossible not to stare.

Pictured here on the Klausen pass. Even more stunning against snow walls.

Honestly I I never really got it until I moved to roads suitable enough for riding them. Two cities I lived in over the last five years had roads that resembled Dresden after the War. A move to central Europe finally revealed their intended stomping grounds and ride potential.  

Lotto Soudal, Lotto Visma, Trek, CCC, Dimension Data, Education First Drapac and a slew of other pro and pro-conti teams ride the Corsa 2.0’s. A company spokesperson we met at the Ridley HQ last year ahead of Liege Bastogne Liege, says that riders dig the cotton casings specifically. They are more flexible than standard tires, and the thread, built from four different rubber compounds, create the kind of grip, endurance and low rolling resistance that yields a perfect tension between speed and control.

So much of cycling is emotional and people will fall into different camps on the look of these (not to worry, they’re available in all black, too). But there’s something about the Corsa’s that offer sustained interest. The aesthetic is one thing. But the ride on them is completely another. It’s a soft, smooth experience that’s hard to translate. They are iconic for many reasons, but the ride quality is foremost.

The bead installs easily (we were sent clincher versions for this content) and strike a steady balance between suppleness, durability and speed. You could look around for other options, but why would you.

The first ride on fresh rubber from the box seen above was up and over both sides of the Klausen pass (1952m) in central Switzerland. Even with a little rain, the ride quality makes a compelling case for why so many people prefer them. Call it the result of expectation, but these are entirely justified.

Also offered in a tubeless version in 25, 28 and 30mm widths. Find out more at www.vittoria.com

Don't call it a comeback: Spengle delivers exceptional quality in their signature three-spoke

It’s difficult to pinpoint when gravel riding became a thing, but you have the Dirty Kanza, the Transcontinental, the alternative calendar and the segmentation of cycling into it’s many sub-disciplines to thank for its now ubiquity.

Put differently, gravel riding is growing. If you don’t have your own WTB set-up for punchy rides on unpaved dirt roads, you’re probably thinking about one.

A 2017 Outside article does a good job charting gravel’s come-up. That year, the number of bikes shipped in the United States fell by 4 percent from the year previous, while shipments of gravel bikes specifically continued to grow, adding $26.9 million of net new biz to the industry—more than any other category in cycling.

With that growth, new kit has come to the fore, making gravel rides ever more appealing. (You have entire apparel segments from Cafe du Cycliste, Rapha and others - traditional road companies - selling kit for gravel rides.)

To most cyclists Spengle’s three-spoke will look familiar; maybe a wheel-set seen on a bike-cafe poster or in the wild on some gravel Meet-up. It’s originality is unmistakable. Similar, but very different, say those inside Spengle, from others who’ve tried minimalist spoke designs in past (famously the retired classic Rev-x from American wheel company, Spynergy).

“Ours is a pursuit of fun on the bike, not UCI titles or podium finishes. It’s about the thrill and enjoyment of having an agile wheel underneath you, capable of doing a lot,“ explains Martin Cox, Spengle’s CMO. “This is a wheel for people who just want to go out and have a great time on their bike - a very different emotional experience from riding a deep section carbon wheel.”

Test rides reveal that not only is a gravel bike, wheelset and a compact handy and fun to ride in the hills, it also looks handsome when posing against rocks in hard to reach places.

Spengle makes about 20 carbon wheel-sets a day at their 100-percent owned manufacturing facility in Slovakia. There, they employ roughly 50 people. Their corporate HQ outside Zurich sits in a business park like any other in Switzerland.

A Factor bike sits parked in the main entry alongside a table of chamois and tri-kit samples from Scatta, with whom they share office space. There are some couches and a coffee machine, but it is otherwise sparse and very clean - a design aesthetic the company’s CEO, Pius Brauchart, tries to mimic everywhere.

This is Spengle’s second attempt at the wheel market. The first ended in 2003, when the company was run by his father. A recognized name in European mountain biking at the time, when they shuttered they’d manufactured about 60,000 wheel-sets. Twelve years later, one of the company’s engineers recognized a change in available manufacturing; it had finally caught up to the design they’d always wanted to create. Alongside Brauchart, plans to resuscitate came together and after four years of tinkering, a modernized design was reintroduced to the cycling market in late 2018.

While the response to date has been largely positive - particularly in the Austrian, Swiss and German markets where the brand is recognized - other markets haven’t been as ready to ditch their spokes just yet.

“We have something really unique to gravel and MTB riding,” explains Brauchart. “The wheel is unconventional, but it is also less susceptible to aerodynamic turbulence at high speeds, something you won’t find in a traditional spoked design. You also have a wheel which is quite polarizing - 50 percent of the people who look at it don’t like the shape, but the other 50 percent love the aesthetic.”

The company is working exclusively in carbon, but is also experimenting with Kevlar, graphene and ceramic technologies.

A set up practically custom made for handle-bar bags.

So how do they handle? I got my hands on a 3T Exploro from the company (above) fitted with their signature wheel. I find the wheel aesthetics hard to argue with. To qualify, I also thought the POC Octal was a thing of beauty. It is outstanding in its uniqueness and a head-turner hands down.

The monocoque construction dissipates stresses across uneven sections of road. It’s a ride that is both smooth and comfortable. On descents, it’s agile and responsive as described, though (and this comes from someone who rides predominantly on the road and is after speed) I wonder if on a slim profile tire they’d be faster and even more fun….hard to say after only six hours and two test rides. Still, there’s a lot of joy to be found here.

I like them for their originality, but also for the energy of the people behind it. Clearly they believe they are delivering something unique to the gravel segment, reintroducing something different to MTB, and on the road, too, as they prepare to release new 700c disc models later in 2019.

At the price point, they are striking and a little space-age. If that appeals, you’re landing on a wheel-set with a 30-year heritage - nothing to scoff at. It might be a lot to ask of the market to abandon spokes completely, but in this versatile, do-everything wheel, they might have just found a reason to consider it.

A set of the three-spoke wheels retails for 1490 euros. Find out more here.

A three-spoke 700c wheelset for road is set for Summer 2019 release.

Straight up rebel mode: does cycling have a diversity problem?

Historically, riding a bike has always been about freedom. A vehicle capable of empowering greater social and economic mobility and changing lives. Look at the sport’s heroes: most were plucked from poverty. Through talent and tenacity, they chased glory as professionals. Some even found it.

The sport speaks in many languages, comes from countries all over the world, and is practiced across fast-fracturing disciplines. It’s probably one of the world’s most international sports, in fact. But it’s still pretty white.

This short colab between 2018 USA Amateur Road and Crit Champion, Justin Williams, and bike builder, Specialized, highlights this point, and asks some questions about cycling’s lack of diversity.

His story, the first in a series, examines the struggles he faced (still faces) with representation and diversity pulling up to rides and races. Beyond the simple and obvious economic barriers most face getting started on a bike - myself and many others included - you can’t help but have a think watching it.

A conversation on Medium is also worth a read. Here, an exert:

 How do you think can we change it?

Justin: “I believe we have to start by having conversations within the industry about how brands can do more to help create a more inviting atmosphere for people that don’t come from cycling. That conversation needs to be led by someone that truly understands different cultures. Cycling has to a) Be attractive and inspiring b) Move away from the “boys club” model that’s currently at play, and c) Be willing to invest in the future.”

It’s tough to comment on diversity in cycling, coming from Canada, where cycling brings together people from backgrounds who’d otherwise never connect. Now based in central Europe, however, the reality of cycling’s demography is hard to argue with.