Author: M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer, a former road racing cyclist (at the amateur level), and a science enthusiast. Also an animal lover! I write about cycling on this website, cycling-passion.com. I also take care of stray cats & dogs. Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

Urban cycling

UK’s pothole problem: a danger to cyclists

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 25, 2017
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Potholes: a danger to cyclists — Potholed roads are an even bigger danger to cyclists. Suddenly steering around a pothole can put a rider into the path of passing cars; and it can be an even worse situation when a car swerves into a cyclist. It's an issue that can only be sorted if road users report a pothole to their local authority as soon as they see them. However, only 1 in 5 people report potholes.

Many of the cyclists who have ridden on Britain’s roads will know that even at the best of times, it can be a bumpy ride due to potholes. They are caused by changes in temperature and water in cracks of the road surface meaning that potholes are a problem that unfortunately cannot be prevented. They put many road users at risk of damage to either their vehicles or themselves. According to research from the AA, 1 in 3 drivers in the UK reports that their car, van, or motorcycle has been damaged by potholes in the last two years with some cases even leading to crashes.

Bicycles and Equipment Special Bicycles

Aston Martin unveils a special edition £15,000 Storck road bike

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 12, 2017
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Aston Martin Storck Fascenario.3 2017 — Limited special edition Aston Martin Storck Fascenario.3. A state of the art. The Aston Martin Edition includes a SRAM RED eTAP groupset, SRAM's wireless gear shifting technology. Many components of the bike, such as the THM brakes and ZIPP wheels are also made of carbon fiber. A prototype of the bicycle was originally presented at the exclusive Rouleur Classic cycling event last year. During the subsequent 12 months a few changes have been made to items such as the bottom bracket, which is now stiffer, and the brakes, which are now the second generation of THM's Fibula calipers. In a nod to the tires used on some of Aston Martin's road cars, the Storck Fascenario.3 Aston Martin Edition bicycle also now comes equipped with Pirelli's recently launched high performance P Zero Velo tires. The Fascenario.3 frame has been designed with innovative Nano Carbon Technology. The utilization of nano-particles in the resin structures of the carbon fiber improves the breaking and splintering behavior, increasing the flexibility. This leads to enhanced comfort combined with higher component safety.

Aston Martin, the British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers, has collaborated with renowned bicycle manufacturer Storck to produce a limited-edition road bike: an exclusive Aston Martin version of Storck’s new Fascenario.3. Only 107 pieces of this special bicycle will be produced, and owning one will cost £15,777!

The special Aston Martin version of Fascenario.3 has amazing features. For instance, it has an iridescent paint job, which means the bike will appear to gradually change its color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. The weight of the medium-size frame is only 770 grams, and according to Storck, the complete build is around 5.9 kilograms.

However, although it’s light, it is far from fragile, with Storck greatly exceeding the expected industry testing standards in order to prove the durability of its frames. According to an earlier road.cc test, “Storck has offered some of the lightest and stiffest bikes they have ever tested, and the new Fascenario.3 Platinum was no exception”.

Training and Nutrition

10 Reasons to Get on Your Bike

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 10, 2017
1 Comment on 10 Reasons to Get on Your Bike

A group ride — Various research studies have indicated that engaging in cardiovascular exercise regularly can significantly improve one's brain functioning by improving memory and enhancing concentration among other brain functions. This is because cardiovascular exercises increase blood flow into the brain, therefore, ensuring that the brain has an adequate supply of oxygen for its optimal functioning. You can incorporate cycling as your preferred form of cardiovascular exercise. Other studies have linked cycling with rebuilding the hippocampus brain cells which begin to deteriorate at the age of 30.

Have you been looking for a good enough reason to get on your bike? Well, there are many reasons you can start cycling. Cycling offers a wide range of benefits and usability in every day to day life. Below are 10 reasons to get on your bike today that can motivate you.

History and Legends

Watch: The race between LeMond, Kelly, Flecha, and Edwards

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 19, 2017
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LeMond, Kelly, Flecha, and Edwards race against each other — Three great retired cyclists, Greg LeMond, Sean Kelly, and Juan Antonio Flecha, and British former triple jumper and a keen recreational cyclist Jonathan Edwards racing against each other using a custom setup. They jumped on their stationary bikes which were fitted to a toy race track with miniature riders representing each person.

Cycling journalist Laura Meseguer posted a video on her Twitter account: three great retired cyclists, Greg LeMond, Sean Kelly, and Juan Antonio Flecha, and a British former triple jumper and a keen recreational cyclist Jonathan Edwards racing against each other using a custom setup. They jumped on their stationary bikes which were fitted to a toy race track with miniature riders representing each person.

Tags Sean Kelly

Cycling and Music, Cinema, Art Races Tour de France

Le Ride – Retracing the 1928 Tour de France

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 16, 2017
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Le ride - Tour de France 1928 documentary — "Le Ride" is a cycling documentary, which follows two cyclists, Phil Keoghan (also the director of the film) and his friend Ben Cornell as they attempt to recreate the original route of the 1928 Tour de France. Averaging 240 km a day for 26 days, Phil and Ben traverse both the unforgiving mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, on original vintage steel racing bikes with no gears and marginal brakes. In 1928, the first English speaking team has entered the Tour: Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop. There were four riders in the squad, three Australians - Sir Hubert Opperman, Ernie Bainbridge, and Percy Osborne; and a New Zealander, Harry Watson. The documentary takes inspiration from the remarkable true (but untold) story of these riders. They arrived after six weeks at sea, under-trained and under-resourced, untested and completely written off by the French media.

“Le Ride” is a cycling documentary, which follows two cyclists, Phil Keoghan (also the director of the film) and his friend Ben Cornell as they attempt to recreate the original route of the 1928 Tour de France. Averaging 240 km a day for 26 days, Phil and Ben traverse both the unforgiving mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, on original vintage steel racing bikes with no gears and marginal brakes.

Tags Tour de France 1928

Cycling Climbs Races Vuelta a España

Bola del Mundo

Bola del Mundo, also known as Alto de las Guarramillas is a mountain of the Guadarrama mountain range located in the Community of Madrid in Spain, near the border with the province of Segovia. Its height is 2,257 meters (some sources give it 2.265 meters). It is one of the hardest climbs ever seen in pro cycling. Despite its modest average gradient of 6.2%, the climb gets really hard in the final kilometers where the average gradient is always above 10% and at some points, it gets as steep as 19%.

Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment

Bianchi for Scuderia Ferrari

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date August 31, 2017
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Bianchi-Ferrari SF01. Bianchi will develop, produce and distribute worldwide a 'Scuderia Ferrari' branded range of high-end bicycles which will offer various product categories: Road, MTB, E-Bike, City-Fitness, and Kids. The R&D and Design departments from Bianchi and Ferrari will work closely to develop exclusive models inspired by the technical excellence of the racing team.

It has been announced that Bianchi and Ferrari were joining forces for a range of bicycles at the end of July 2017. The Italian noteworthy brands were collaborated to launch the “Bianchi for Scuderia Ferrari” project. Now, they revealed the project’s first fruit – the SF01.

The new bike, the SF01 is actually based on the Bianchi Specialissima, with a few customized components here and there. There’s also a Marco Pantani edition of Bianchi Specialissima to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Marco Pantani’s Giro-Tour double.

Tags Ferrari

Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment Races Tour de France

Bianchi Specialissima (Marco Pantani Edition)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date July 18, 2017
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Bianchi Specialissima 2018 Marco Pantani Edition. In the Summer of 1998, Marco Pantani and Bianchi put in some of the most epic stage race performances of all time to take outstanding wins at both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. It's a feat that only seven riders have ever achieved and that confirmed Il Pirata's place in cycling history and Italian culture.To honor the 20th anniversary of Pantani's spectacular Giro-Tour double, Bianchi has created a 2018 very special commemorative edition of the world-renowned Specialissima ultralight frame and fork.

Bianchi released Marco Pantani edition “Specialissima”, a special bike to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Marco Pantani’s Giro-Tour double. The bike has the iconic celeste-yellow fade paint job, the same color schema of Marco Pantani’s 1998 Bianchi. In 1998, after winning the Giro d’Italia, Pantani rode the yellow and celeste Bianchi Mega Pro XL (serial number H 314-74) in the famous July 27 Grenoble-Le Duex Alpes stage of the 1998 Tour de France. He attacked Jan Ullrich on the Galibier climb and won the stage, taking the race lead. He went on to win the Tour in Paris ahead of 2nd finisher Ullrich and 3rd Bobby Julich.

This was a feat only achieved by seven riders in history: Fausto Coppi (1949, 1952), Jacques Anquetil (1964), Eddy Merckx (1970, 1972, 1974), Bernard Hinault (1982, 1985), Stephen Roche (1987), Miguel Indurain (1992, 1993) and Marco Pantani (1998).

Tags Tour de France 1998

Bicycles and Equipment

Efneo GTRO Gearbox is now available for purchase

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 26, 2017
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Efneo Gearbox installed on a commuter bike. It can be installed at any type of bicycle frame designed for a tapered square axle bottom bracket.

Two and a half years ago, I wrote about Efneo Gearbox, an under-development product (actually a 3-speed front gearbox) that replaces a bike’s front derailleur, probably the most disliked part of bicycles. Now it is fully developed, thoroughly tested, and available for purchase.

With a front derailleur, switching the chain between the chainrings in the crankset is an arduous process, and there’s always some risk to drop the chain, especially if the drivetrain is not in perfect condition. Efneo’s GTRO Gearbox targets these problems and aims to make things more effortless, quicker, and smooth while switching the front gear.

Races Cyclists and Teams Giro d'Italia

Winning the race by going slower

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 25, 2017
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Pierre Rolland wins Giro d'Italia 2017 stage 17 — Stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia 2017 was won by Pierre Rolland, the French rider of Cannondale–Drapac. Rolland and his team were really needed this victory: Rolland's last Grand Tour stage win was back in 2012 (Stage 11 of the Tour de France), and the American Squad didn't win a single World Tour race for the last two years (actually, Andrew Talansky won Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California atop Mt. Baldy on Thursday May 18, 2017 - but before that, the last two years were empty). The moment the race was won interesting: Rolland stopped pedaling and waited for the big chasing group - this was the decisive "move" of the race.

Stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia 2017 was won by Pierre Rolland, the French rider of Cannondale-Drapac. Rolland and his team were really needed this victory: Rolland’s last Grand Tour stage win was back in 2012 (Stage 11 of the Tour de France), and the American Squad didn’t win a single World Tour race for the last two years (actually, Andrew Talansky won Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California atop Mt. Baldy on Thursday, May 18, 2017 – but before that, the last two years were empty).

The moment the race was won was interesting: Rolland stopped pedaling and waited for the big chasing group – this was the decisive “move” of the race.