Cycling Passion

Jean Alavoine atop Col d’Aspin (Tour de France 1922)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 30, 2018
1 Comment on Jean Alavoine atop Col d’Aspin (Tour de France 1922)

Today’s historic photo of the day: on Wednesday, July 5, Frenchman Jean Alavoine (Peugeot-Wolber) crosses over the Col d’Aspin during the Tour de France 1922, stage 6. It was a monster 326-kilometer stage from Bayonne to Luchon, which contains three major climbs: Col d’Aubisque, Col d’Aspin, and Col de Peyresourde. Alavoine won the stage in 14 hours 28 minutes and 44 seconds. The second finisher, Victor Lanaers (Automoto) came 16 minutes 43 seconds behind. The overall winner, Firmin Lambot (Peugeot) came third, at 31:05.

Tags Henri Pelissier

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.

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.

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%.

History and Legends Cycling and Music, Cinema, Art

48 Tornanti di Notte: Downhill from Stelvio, in the night, with no hands, no brakes!

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 25, 2017
No Comments on 48 Tornanti di Notte: Downhill from Stelvio, in the night, with no hands, no brakes!

Passo dello Stelvio (Stelvio Pass) — At an elevation of 2,757 m (9,045 ft) above sea level, Passo dello Stelvio (English: the Stelvio Pass) is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, just 13 m (43 ft) below France's Col de l'Iseran (2,770 m /9,088 ft). The Stelvio first featured in the Giro d'Italia in 1953, and Fausto Coppi was the first atop it (Coppi also won the stage and the 1953 Giro). It is also the highest point of Cima Coppi, the summit with highest altitude reached by cyclists during the Giro d'Italia, which was established in 1965, five years after the death of the "Il Campionissimo" (champion of champions) Fausto Coppi.

This is the story of the last record attempt of Giuliano Calore, a racing cyclist, world champion of extreme cycling, holder of 13 records, and won 98 medals. He was born in Padova (north-east Italy) in 1938. The movie is titled “48 Tornanti di Notte” (48 Hairpin Bends at Night) tells about his most impressive challenge so far: descending from the Stelvio Pass – at an altitude of 2758 m – at night, with all of its 48 hairpin turns, on a bike with no handlebars or brakes, illuminated only by a torch and moonlight.

Classic/Retro bicycles Bicycles and Equipment

Vintage Carbon Nonsense and Marketplace

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date March 28, 2017
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Look KG56 Génération 4 Composite Road Bike 1990 — Look KG56 Génération 4 Composite Road Bike. This model is the 1990 Look KG56 Génération 4, the first composite frame that was sold at the same price level as regular top steel frames. After years of testing Look finally felt secure to enter the mass market with this piece that was built from 60% unidirectional carbon fiber and 40% glass fiber. The lugged construction proved pretty safe and opened the door to the composite world for many amateur riders. Photo: lfgss.com

Last week, Facebook offered me an interesting group named “Vintage Carbon Nonsense and Marketplace”. It is an interesting group, dedicated to the ’80s and ’90s carbon bikes.

Carbon-fiber frames have a longer history than most people think. According to Wikipedia, the American bike producer Kestrel produced the world’s very first all-carbon bicycle frame in 1986. But before then, there were hybrid designs, like carbon fiber tubes bonded to titanium or aluminum lugs.

Tags LOOK

History and Legends Giro d'Italia Races

Koblet-Coppi battle, Giro d’Italia 1953

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 11, 2017
No Comments on Koblet-Coppi battle, Giro d’Italia 1953

Fausto Coppi and Hugo Koblet, Giro d’Italia 1953. Hugo Koblet, "Pédaleur de charme", and Fausto Coppi, "Il Campionissimo", two post-war era giants. They were good friends, until the Giro d’Italia 1953 edition. After that Giro, they would never speak to each other again. But, what happened?

Hugo Koblet, “Pédaleur de charme“, and Fausto Coppi, “Il Campionissimo”, two post-war era giants. They were good friends, until the Giro d’Italia 1953 edition. After that Giro, they would never speak to each other again. But, what happened?

Tags Hugo Koblet, Louison Bobet

Hour Record Cycling Records

Aged 105, Robert Marchand sets a new hour record

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 4, 2017
No Comments on Aged 105, Robert Marchand sets a new hour record

Robert Marchand Hour Record ride (January 2017) — The evergreen French cyclist Robert Marchand, during his record-setting ride. Robert Marchand sets a new hour record The evergreen French cyclist Robert Marchand, during his record-setting ride. Marchand holds the hour record for 100+ age category. To give you an idea of what that distance means, three years ago at the same velodrome, he completed 110 laps in the track in an hour when setting his world record in 2014. After setting the record, Marchand said that he "could have done better, but missed a sign showing 10 minutes to go. Otherwise I would have gone faster, I would have posted a better time. I'm now waiting for a rival."

This afternoon (on January 4, 2017) 105-year-old French cyclist Robert Marchand set the hour record for the category created especially for him by the UCI (105+). At the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome near Paris, managed to complete 22.547 kilometers in an hour! He fell just short of his 2014 record of 26.927 kilometers but what a phenomenal achievement!

A huge crowd cheered Marchand during his record-setting on trackside. He carried number 105 on his back.

Tags Robert Marchand

Giro d'Italia Races

A Short Giro d’Italia History with Numbers

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 1, 2016
No Comments on A Short Giro d’Italia History with Numbers

Giro d'Italia 2016 — The 2016 Giro d'Italia was the 99th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The Giro started in Apeldoorn on 6 May with a 9.8 km (6 mi) individual time trial, followed by two other stages in the Netherlands, both between Nijmegen and Arnhem. After a rest day, there were 18 further stages to reach the finish on 29 May. These stages were principally in Italy, although two stages partly took place in France. The overall winner was Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali of team Astana, who won his second Giro.

The Giro d’Italia is the first of the three grand tours in the cycling calendar and is generally regarded as the second most important race in cycling. Here is a short history of Giro with numbers. Overall winners, mountain, points, young rider, and team classifications.