THE BICYCLE DIARIES Volume 1, Issue 1

APRIL 2010

Inside this Issue

Editor’s Note 2

Reaxion Rides 3

Pune—Chennai 2010 6

Better Biking 8

Know Your Bike 9

Bike Review 10

Time Trial 2010 12

Mumbai Cyclothon 13

Credits 14

“Yeh Dilli hai mere yaar, bas ishq mohabbat pyaar’ .

I know this is Chennai but the emotions in these lyrics echoed my feelings

on the morning of my ‘first ride’.

Its been a roller coaster year that started with 5 friends doing the

“unthinkable”. Since then our group has expanded to include over nine

hundred people in what has become a movement of sorts.

These rides have given us happiness, lasting friendships and experiences we

can cherish forever. Its surprising that despite growing to this size , it still

feels like a normal Sunday morning ride with friends. A special mention has

to be made of T.I.Cycles for their unwavering support towards encouraging

cycling and our initiative.

Team CRX is on a mission to take this movement across cities with the help

of like-minded individuals passionate about cycling, who have the drive to create a ‘Greener tomorrow’.

We hope to continue in our efforts to make each ride better than before. Thank you for your support. We

invite contributions in the form of articles, reviews and guest columns to help co-create a strong information

base. Contact CRX at : crxcycling@gmail.com.

Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

2 Editor’s �ote

CRX hosts two events a month and targets a different base of riders for each event.

1. Reaxion Ride– This is typi-cally to promote cycling and targets people of all age groups. It is a recreational ride for people who wish to start cycling, those who have not cycled for a long periods of time and those who like to take it easy on a Sunday morning.

2. Team Time Trial – This event is geared towards pro-moting competitive cycling in the city. It is essentially a race against the clock, com-prising of 10-15 teams with 3 riders each. Regular cy-clists and semi professionals are encouraged to take part in this event.

Reaxion Rides

Reaxions and More

About The Rides

Reaxion Rides are one of the key platforms CRX has

consistently used to promote cycling. These rides are usu-

ally organized on any given Sunday of a month and it cov-

ers a distance of around 50 kms. Riders number anywhere

between 85 (min) to 150 per ride and they are refreshed at

3 pit stops along the route and given a lavish breakfast at

the finish. Safety cars, trucks, buses and an ambulance

accompany the riders to ensure a safe ride. The partici-

pants are taken back to the starting point in a chartered

bus.

We invite people to bring their own bikes to the event

but we also make available bikes for rent, with the objec-

tive of encouraging people of all age groups to participate

with minimal effort on their part.

Join the ReaXion...Join the ReaXion...Join the ReaXion...Join the ReaXion...

3

The childhood thrill of riding a

bike and catching some fresh air

early morning is what takes me to

a Chain Reaxion ride on a sleepy

Sunday morning. It's a 50 km ride

down the ECR and is truly an

amazing feeling to be awake,

breathing in fresh air and watch-

ing the sun rise.

The long ride is nicely

complimented with an

awesome breakfast

which most of us look

forward to. There is no

pressure, no worries,

no planning, no hard

work at all. All I need to do is hop

on a bike and ride. As much as I

think of it as a day which is NOT

meant to be spent doing

anything, this ride makes

me feel very good. I stop

to ask my self "How many

people get a chance to

experience a Sunday

morning in such an awe-

some manner?"

Not many is my answer

and I'm one of the lucky

ones. I've found an awesome way

to spend my Sunday mornings. I

love Chain Reaxion and hope to

enjoy many more rides with you

guys.

Chain Reaxion is that they

combine fitness, fun and get

people involved in the ‘Go

Green’ cause that they support.

Hats off to the founders of the

group to have come up with such

an awesome idea and make these

events the talk of the town !! Way

to go you guys !!!

Riding with Chain Reaxion has

been an absolute treat. Its a

fantastic way to start an otherwise

l a z y S u n d a y mo r n i n g .

Waking up at 4 am with excite-

ment is most likely only possible

when a bunch of fun loving

enthusiastic friends decide to get

together and do something fun, in

this case Cycling. The ride along

the coast early morning is simply

superb. What's amazing about

ANISHA SARAH SIMON

PURNIMA MURALIDHARAN

“ There is

no pressure,

no worries,

no planning,

no hard work at

all. All I need to

do is hop on a

bike and ride

happily”

4 Riders Speak

Testimonials

Sometime in August last year, my

neighbour Sidharth suggested that

I join him for the Chain Reaxion

ride to Mahabs. To me, the

thought of waking up at 3:30 am

on a Sunday was more daunting

than that of cycling 40 and odd

kilometers.

Well, I did manage to wake up,

made it to the start on time, strug-

gled to the finish and after about

two hours on the saddle, pre-

ferred to stand rather than sit the

rest of the day and the next, but it

left me all excited and wanting to

do it again ! I guess it was the

fresh air and the awesome view

along ECR, a sense of accom-

plishment, the lively bunch of

people who participated and

also the two women who beat me

to the finish.

I invested in a Bianchi road bike

within a week from the event and

managed to go for a morning ride

at least three times a week. I lost

quite a bit of flab and in six

months I have gotten fitter than I

have ever been in a very long

time.

As a side effect of ster-

oids which I continue to be on

since a kidney transplant four

years back, I was diagnosed with

a condition called Avascular Ne-

crosis early last year which

prevented me from any form of

activity that put load on the hips.

Cycling turned out to be just the

perfect solution, thanks to Chain

Reaxion for being in the right

place at the right time for me :)

The folks behind the Chain

Reaxion group stay true to the

slogan of fun, fitness and freedom

and that is what in my opinion has

me and a whole lot of others com-

ing back to their events every

time.

RAJESH DEVARAJ

I can honestly say that riding by the

sea, with the cool air through

your hair, when there's practically

no traffic on the road is an experi-

ence one should not miss in Chen-

nai. That the team organizes a

superb breakfast at the end, provides

the bikes, and makes sure that all

the important stuff like water and

safety are taken care of, makes

this really easy for any first timer

or veteran. The added bonus be-

ing the great people I've had an

opportunity to meet every single

time I've gone on the ride. Go for

it, because I guarantee you wont

be able to stop talking about it for

weeks.

SANGHAMITRA MOHAPATRASANGHAMITRA MOHAPATRASANGHAMITRA MOHAPATRASANGHAMITRA MOHAPATRA

“Cycling turned

out to be just the

perfect solution,

thanks to Chain

Reaxion for be-

ing in the right

place at the right

time for me”

5 Riders Speak

To ride or not to ride? This is what goes through ones mind when one thinks about going on a long ride. Not to mention that fact that all that one has is the trusty bicycle! But then I met four cool dudes , who have a different outlook on long distance riding and cycling in general. So what does the term 'long distance' mean to them? Pune to Chennai - a trail that spans 900 kms! While the stretch may seem long and daunting even for the average motorist, here is what our heroes have to say. Their modus operandi – a range of Bianchi and Hercules ACT cycles, an ambulance and 2 es-corting Toyota Innovas! Meet Vasant, Babu, Arif and Veeresh, who tell us about their experience, the dos and don'ts and mistakes over a little tete- a tete. Ask them how this energetic and friendly team came about, and in unison they say it was all volun-tary. Veeresh and Arif (the ones that are young not just at heart) did this to check their endurance

levels and see how far they could push their mind and body While Babu never really wanted to cycle, he eventually decided to join the team after a little coercion from the rest of his com-rades. "I had to stop smoking as I

needed all the energy to be channeled into cycling" adds Babu. "Not following the right routine for the first four days was a downer", chuckles Babu who says that they rode like they were on a 9- 5 job. Not to mention they were following the wrong diet. They finally started follow-ing a more professional routine which meant riding 4 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. And for food, they packed in a lot of proteins, greens, carbs and fluids ,electral, chocolates, fruits and water at the right time. They had time for an afternoon si-esta, thanks to the state run tourism motels en– route. Ask Vasant about how he joined the

The long Ride home

“Age is not an issue at all, if you

are determined and you focus on

your goal, you can achieve

anything!”

team and everyone smiles be-cause though he knew he would finish the entire ride, he had to spin a completely different story for his folks at home.. The weather wasn't really an issue as such, except, on the day they rode from Sira to Tumkur when the heat took it’s toll due to a delayed start. Though they were dehydrated, what kept them going was the motivation to finish the ride. The routes they chose were rela-tively safe and they stopped at toll gates and villages for their regular breaks which got the vil-lagers inquisitive about these ‘Men on Wheels’. At times they

even let the villagers test ride the bikes! According to Veeresh, the two most important things to remem-ber while riding a bike is : “To Ensure you have the right bicycle and not wait for a mega

cycling event to be organ-ized ! And the second important rule is wearing the right clothes and jerseys which are comfortable even in extreme heat.”

VEERESH

VASANT

6 Pune - Chennai 2010

A few pointers you could use to

prepare for a long ride:

• Perform adequate stretches to warm up before getting on the bike prior to a long ride. Stretch-ing your back, and legs muscles (quads, gluteus, hamstrings,

calves) are essential

• Eating and drinking right will help you sustain performance during the ride. Hydrate yourself with lots of water and juices be-fore and during the ride. Eat a healthy amount of carbs before and during the ride to keep your

energy levels high.

• Wearing a proper helmet,

gloves, cycling shoes, cycling shorts & a jersey can go a long way in helping you stay comfort-

able despite unfavorable weather

• Get used to sitting on the saddle

for extended periods. Take short breaks. Stand up from time to

time to avoid cramps .

• Wear sung las se s and sun screen to protect yourself

from the those unrelenting rays.

Day 8 – Bengaluru to Ambur

Day 9 – Ambur to Kancheepuram

Day 10 – Kancheepuram to Chennai

Day 1 – Pune to Karad

Day 2 – Karad to Kholapur

Day 3 – Kholapur to Begaum

Day 4 – Belgaum to Hubli

Day 5 – Hubli to Davanagere

Day 6 – Davanagere to Sira

Day 7 – Sira to Bengaluru

“To catch the rea der's a tt enti on, pl ace a n int eres ting sent ence or q uot e fr om the s tory h ere.”

BABU

ARIF

7 Pune - Chennai 2010

Excitement, Adrenalin and Free-dom are some of things you ex-perience when you get on a cycle for the first time or after a long hiatus. We do tend to get carried away and push ourselves that much more only to be left with sore legs and the need for a lot of rest. If you are already in good shape, you have to understand that cycling uses different muscle groups than other exercises and your body will need time to get used to this new type of stress. Start out nice and easy and pro-gress gradually. Set yourself a route which will cover about 3-5 kms at first and go about it nice

and slow.

Safety. As a cyclist you must pay attention to your safety needs at

all times.

Helmet. Do not ever ride without one. It is a prerequisite for every rider irrespective of the time or terrain. It is essential that the hel-met fits well to ensure maximum

protection.

Clothing. Wearing the right cloth-ing for cycling is of utmost impor-tant, cycling shorts, sports T-shirts and sports shoes are recom-mended. Wearing trousers or track pants can result in them getting

entangled in the cycle chain.

Water. H2O should be consumed in plenty before and after your ride as it can be the difference between a painful cramp and a hydrated body ready to hit the

road again.

Traffic. Always be safe on the road. Do not ride at a speed at which you have no control and follow traffic rules (as clichéd as

it may sound) at all times.

Route. Choose a route which is relatively free from heavy traffic, pedestrians, stray animals, high number of intersections and mis-

creants.

Riding partner. Cycling alone does require a lot of self motiva-tion and can get boring at times. We recommend you find a riding partner who is at the same level in

terms of ability.

Happy Riding, Stay safe !

for the Recreational Cyclist

8 Better Biking

This column is for all you people who want to rekindle the joy of cycling but do not know where to begin. Getting back on a bike can be a lot harder than you think because cycles have come a long way in terms of technology and detailing. In this edition of ‘Know your Bike’ I will help you decide

which cycle is most suited to you and the terrain you will be using it in. When you start hearing words such as Derailleur, Flywheels, Hybrid et al, you start wondering if all this really mattered when you went to buy a bike as a kid. Well, as the saying goes ‘Change is the only thing that is constant’.

Let me start by throwing light on the different types of bikes and

their categorization.

In the next edition of ‘Know your Bike’ I will be writing about the ‘right size’ and ‘fit’ of your bike in relation to your body di-

mensions.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIKE

K�OW YOUR BIKE 9

and strong. The carbon fiber materi-a l s e l i m i n a t e t h e c o r r o -sion issues that are so prevalent in Chennai due to being located near to

the sea.

The downside to carbon fiber construction is that it is easily chipped and care must be taken to not bang the bike against other bikes or hard surfaces. The advantages of carbon fiber far out weigh the minor issue of having to take care not to

knock the bike around.

The B4P has Shimano Ultegra SL components, which are one step down from Shimano’s top of the line Dura Ace. The only difference is that the Dura Ace is a few hundred grams lighter as they have a high carbon fiber content. Otherwise the technol-

ogy is the same.

The Ulterga shifters work well and do not need much attention, as they shift good stay adjusted for a long time. The Ultegra brakes have plenty of stopping power and a progressive braking motion. This means that initially the pull on the brake is very light and gets progressively stronger as you put more pressure on the levers. This keeps the brakes from

grabbing when they are first applied.

The wheels that came on the B4P were Mavic Ksyrium Equipe, which is a good mid range wheel. These wheels roll well and nicely made. The only issue I have with this type of wheel is that is has spoke holes that need to be covered with rim tape. You need to make sure that you have correctly installed very good tape. Road tires need high pressure; if you

don’t take care with covering the spoke holes it is very easy to rupture

the tube resulting in a flat tire.

I have replaced the wheels with a set of Fulcrum Racing 3. These wheels are somewhat lighter and have the added advantage of not having spoke holes drilled through the rim. There is no need for rim tape and allow much higher pressure to be pumped into the tires. Higher pres-sure allows the tires to roll easier

with less effort.

I have installed a powerful front lamp made by Hope. This light uses LED technology and is very bright. This is probably the most valuable option I have installed on the bike. I really like being able to see further down the road; this give me more confidence to avoid any

obstacles in my path.

On the rear I’ve installed multiple flashing lights which make it easier to be seen by passing traffic. It is very important to let passing car, trucks and busses know you are on

the road.

I also installed a very basic item; that is a rear view mirror. I don’t know how people ride without a mirror in these traffic conditions. I need to see behind me to be aware of

over-taking traffic.

All in all, the B4P is a nice pack-age; I am satisfied with the quality of construction and finish. The compo-nents are well suited to the bike and function as advertised. Almost every-one comments about the bike and I am more than satisfied with

this purchase.

All of 61, meet Charlie Lewis, Head of Global Network Solutions Center, Nokia Siemens Networks. Apart from Photography, Motorcy-cling and Golf, he loves Cycling and I must say he has one of the coolest bikes in the city. When asked if he would give us a bike review of his Bianchi B4P this is what he had to

say.

The B4P is a nicely made and equipped bike. The frame is made of carbon fiber and is of mono-coque construction; Bianchi has

labeled the bike as Mono-Q.

Monocoque construction infers that the frame is made in one peace and the external surfaces make up the frame structure. This type of con-struction in used in aircraft and racecars as it is very light, stiff

Bianchi B4P

Bike review

The B4P is a nice package,I am satisfied with the quality of construction and finish.

Almost everyone comments about the bike and I am more than satisfied with this purchase.

10

motorbike instead". For these rea-sons you sometimes wish the Spillo was a little more subtle. But it can't be because it's so easy to be really quick through traffic and overtake mopeds, motorbikes, cars, buses and even the occasional buffalo and you can still stop in the next traffic light and act as if nothing happened. With-out any signs of feeling tired and when the lights turn green, you're off again leaving everything else behind you. No one understands what on earth is going on. Sometimes it baf-fles me as to how I'm riding so fast. This is all because the gear ratios in the Spillo are so perfectly put to-gether, you have appropriate one's for acceleration (which is tremendous even if you have weak legs), and just the right set of high ratio gears which work like an overdrive in a car so you can maintain that high speed which you ve ry qu i ck ly go t t o . I ride a lot slower on the long distance rides. I like to stop off now and then and dig through my saddle bags to find some food or water. The long seat post easily accommo-dates a load carrier which never looks out of place on the Spillo. The brakes are very sharp and precise. Takes a little getting used to but once you're used to it, you can never go back to the conventional one's that you had on your previous Hero or Hercules. You may have heard of Bianchi's being really delicate and parts like the rear derailleur of the Shimano Acera system, the Presta

valves and the Feimin pedals easily get damaged or broken and when fixed, get damaged or broken again. I've never had issues like these. In the last 10 months I've had maybe one flat tyre. I've refilled air in both tyre's about three times in all.. I had heard a metal cranking noise from the pedal axle recently but that problem just healed on it's own. The only annoying fact about owning this bike is the number of times you have to clean it. It gets very dirty but I guess that comes with living in a land such

as this.

All in all I've had a blast with my bike and I think the investment was worth it. Even the shock absorbers have worked perfectly. There is a little spring mechanism in the rear seat which according to other owners stops functioning if not lubricated periodically. Lubricating this part is a bit tricky so I haven't bothered with it till now. Never greased it before! The front shocks are a dream. Best suited for our bad roads inside town. It has a little lever on the handlebar so you can lock the shock absorbers in place when you need speed. Nice little details. What's most surprising is how compact the bike feels even after the rugged use I've put it through. No rattles or squeaks whatsoever. If you're thinking about buying a Spillo then this is the time to go in for one before the prices go up. I'm not sur-prised there's been so much demand. I just hope the color options open up

a bit more.

Test driving BMW cars is his job but riding cycles is his passion. Here is Lakshman Sreedhar who talks about his Bianchi Spillo Quarzo

Man.

“It's been about 10 months since I bought my Bianchi Spillo Quarzo and I have to say it's been rather enjoyable to own and ride one. In spite of all the criticism and nega-tive comments that came from own-ers who had just bought these 'high-end' bikes a little before I did, I still-went ahead and bought myself a white Spillo after taking a liking to a good friend's Spillo. His was black. And so were a few others I had seen, and therefore my white Spillo just had to stand out. I use my bike to commute around the city more t h a n I u s e i t f o r l o n g rides. Whatever said and done, it's more of an urban bike than a long distance one. It is quite a head turner, with random people always running up just to find out how much the bike costs. In many occasions I've blurted out a price a lot lower

than it actually is. The most common reaction to that would be " “You could have just bought a

What’s most surprising is how firm and tight the bike feels even after the rugged use I’ve put it through

Bianchi Spillo Quarzo

Bike review 11

of beautiful bikes and not all of them were designed with t h e r o a d i n m i n d . At the stroke of 6 the first team was flagged off and every team there after with a two minute time lag. The competition was intense but like every race there had to be one winner. The Trek team from the Chennai Bikers, an active cycling group in Chen-nai, won the top prize. Coming in 2nd was another team from the same group,

showing that being quick on a bike is all about practice and teamwork. In third with a most noteworthy performance we had a team all the way from Auroville that rode 2 mountain bikes and 1 road bike. Despite being a first of its kind the event was a huge success and the response was great. Let's hope competitive cycling is here to stay.

A race aga ins t t he clock! Cyclists taking turns to be the engine that drives the team past the finish line. These were the scenes that greeted the spectators at the Track & Trail—Team Time Trial. The 14 teams of 3 gathered at the start, a few hundred meters past the toll plaza on the ECR all nervous and ready to conquer the next 26 kms that lay ahead. There was an array

TRACK and TRAILTRACK and TRAILTRACK and TRAILTRACK and TRAIL————TIME TRIAL ‘10TIME TRIAL ‘10TIME TRIAL ‘10TIME TRIAL ‘10 Suhail Ahmed

Too Many T’s

12 Time Trial 2010

ternational teams fight it out over 100kms for the winning purse of

$50,000.

Argentinean Juan Jose Haedo claimed top honours at the inau-gural Mumbai Cyclothon-Tour De Mumbai, the first-ever UCI-ranked pro race held in India. The legendary Eddie Merckx was the brand ambassador for the

International event.

Mumbai played host to the first ever International Cyclothon, held in India, on the 21st of Feb-ruary 2010. The event had two legs, The BSA Hercules India-Cyclothon (Mumbai 2010) and the Mumbai Cyclothon-Tour De

Mumbai.

The first leg was open to the public and it saw over 7000 Mumbaikars get on their bikes and hit the roads to be a part of the country’s biggest Cyclothon. The event area was spread be-tween the Bandra Reclamation ground and the Worli Sea Link. The routes covered areas of Ban-dra and the famous Worli Sea link which was cordoned off for the event. The residents of Ban-dra, in support of the event and towards a ‘Greener future’, called for a ‘Car free day’ in and around Bandra-Khar. Salman Khan was the brand ambassador for the event and he cycled along with the part icipants. The second leg was the Mum-bai Cyclothon which saw over 100 cyclists from renowned In-

Results

1. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg)

Team Saxo Bank

2. Dirk Muller (Ger)

Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse

3. Tobias Erler (Ger) Tabriz

Team Petrochemical Cycling

4. Baden Cooke (Aus)

Team Saxo Bank

5. Philipp Mamos (Ger)

Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse

6. Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) CKT

Team - Champion System

7. Stuart O’Grady (Aus)

Team Saxo Bank

8.Leif Lampater (Ger) Mumbai

Livestrong All Stars

9. Ahmad Haidar Anuawar (Mas)

Marco Polo Cycling Team

13 Cyclothon

14

Volume 1 Issue 1

April 2010

Editor-in-Chief

Tanvi Shah

Editorial Director

Suhail Ahmed

Creative Director

Siddharth Mohapatra

Technical Advisor

I.K.Rohit

Advertising & Marketing

Abhay Shah

Registered Office

204, Sai Niketan, Old 12/ New 6 Lock Street,

Kottur Gardens, Kotturpuram, Chennai—85

Email: crxcycling@gmail.com Join ‘Chain Reaxion’ on Facebook or follow us on Twitter