Category: Sports

Pinarello Dogma FS is now available

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In Treviso, Italy in 1952 by Giovanni Pinarello manufactured a bike three years later, the bike carrying Giovanni’s name, Pinarello won it’s first stage at the Giro d’Italia with Fausto Bertoligo Piloting the machine.

Jump in to the modern day and the bikes have been at the sharp end of the peloton at pretty much every Grand Tour since the founding of Team Sky. Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas all have a yellow one, with Froome also having a pink and red one along with their usual black.

Pinarello have been putting this Grand Tour winning nouse towards the classics campaign, most notably Paris Roubaix. First Pinarello released the K10 with rear suspension, but now they’ve gone a bound further with the Dogma FS with DSAS, or Dogma Smart Adaptive Suspension if you don’t want to use acronyms. The Dogma FS is the worlds first electronic front and rear suspended road bike.

The idea? To try and guarantee the unbeatable Pinarello handling and racing performance even on rough terrain. Pinarello claimed that this bike will help their riders bounce over the cobbles 5 kilometres per hour quicker than that of a rigid bike, with the rider expending a small amount less of energy.

The Dogma FS seemed to fall slightly short at 2019 Paris Roubaix with the first Team Sky rider across the line down in 21st place, 1 minute 40 behind the winner, Philippe Gilbert (and what a winner he was by the way). Team Sky’s race captain and Cobble lover Luke Rowe earned himself 8 world tour points, finishing down in 32nd, some four minutes 25 down.

The stiffness of the bike can be changed by an interface, on the down tube. From here the rider can switch the system on and off, switch between manual and automatic mode. Thanks to BlueTooth and ANT+ you can change these settings using your Garmin or Smartphone, handy when you’re hitting the cobbles hard.

All this is powered by an LiPo battery pack and circuit board which are assembled in the seat tube. It is equipped with a CPU that run the suspension control algorithms. It is able to collect data from gyroscopes and accelerometers to distinguish the road condition and change the state of the suspension itself.

If you think the pot holes on your local route are getting jus too much to bear, you’re in luck. Pinarello have now said that this bike is now available for you to buy, available in just four sizes (53, 55, 56 and 57.5) and one colour option of Matt Black (500) the frameset alone will cost you £7,500, the addition of Dura Ace Di2, Talon Bar and Fulcrum Carbon Wheels will cost you £12,000 with the bike. You’ll be glad to hear that if you place an order for your bike now, before June, it’ll be delivered in September, just in time to use as your winter bike…

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Times They Are Changing.

Posted in Automotive, Bikes, Blog, Blogging, Cars, Children, Cycling, Family, Fitness, Food and Drink, Kids, Lifestyle, Parenting, SportsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

A quick update from Pusher of Pedals – there’s a little change to the site coming up!

No longer will the blog be dedicated to just bikes, but also cars and family lifestyle. The automotive world has been a life long passion of mine, in my work (TV and Event production) life I’ve worked on more car shows than anything and I’ve loved every minute of it. Top Gear, Car SOS, Stars In Their Cars while also working on CarFest and London Classic Car Show.

This, to you, may seem strange, how are these connected? Well, my life has changed, I’m now a parent, I’ve two boys, Barnaby who is two and Elijah who is two months. They are my world and the way in which I look at life is now different.

So, from here on in, I’ll not only be writing reviews on bikes and cycling related products like clothing, tech and supplements but also kiddy tag alongs, kiddy seats, helmets – while also looking at the automotive world. Family cars, with the occasional sports car, how do they swallow up everything which family life brings and are they useable and likeable?

There will be change BUT change is mainly for the better.

As ever, your feedback will be listened to and look at building a better more useable blog for you to follow and enjoy.

Stay tuned and hopefully we’ll all enjoy the ride together, on two wheels or four!

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Wahoo Unveils New Limited Edition Colours for ELEMNT BOLT

Posted in Bikes, Blog, Blogging, Clothing, Commuting, Cycle To Work, Cycling, GPS, health, Sports, Wahoo, Womens CyclingTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Now regular cycling house hold name Wahoo has released limited edition colours for the ELEMNT BOLT on the first day of the Sea Otter Classic.

I’ve never used the ELEMNT Bolt, but two years ago I did try out the ELEMNT and loved it, back then I more than thought it was more than an adequate replacement for any Garmin which was on offer. Just seeing how Wahoo has taken off since then can only confirm that.

The ELEMNT BOLT, the world’s first GPS computer designed to be aerodynamically efficient, is equipped with Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ dual-band technology, ELEMNT BOLT pairs seamlessly with all of your cycling sensors. It works with the free ELEMNT companion app, which allows you to set up your data fields, customise your profiles, track performance, and share ride data effortlessly — all without clicking through confusing menus. Plus, programmable LED QuickLook Indicators provide an easy way to see if you’re on pace with important performance metrics.

The new colours do not cover the whole BOLT, just the back, replacing the traditional grey, are a shocking pink and bright blue. “While the classic grey looks good on any bike, we know that some cyclists look for opportunities to use their bike to express their own style, and we want to help by offering more colourful options,” said ELEMNT Product Manager Megan Powers. “Our customers were especially clamouring for a pink BOLT, and in looking at the whole cycling landscape, it was clear that there was an opportunity to match many current bikes and kits with a blue BOLT. We’re pleased to offer Wahooligans these new Limited Edition colours, and hope they’ll help cyclists create their own unique on-bike looks.”

I’d have preferred colours which are not so gender splitting, orange, green, purple… maybe even yellow, green and polka dot white and red, to match that or the Tour de France jerseys.

Blue and pink just feels a bit boys and girls. I don’t feel as if it would be an addition to my bike or kit colours, however a nice bit of colour never goes a miss. So, more colour options, please Wahoo!

The Limited Edition BOLT colours are available for sale at WahooFitness.com now and cost £199.99.

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New bike day – LOOK e-765 Optimum

Posted in Bikes, Blog, Blogging, Commuting, Cycle To Work, Cycling, Electric Bikes, Fitness, health, SportsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

LOOK have announced the arrival of two new gravel bikes to their range – the 765 Gravel RS and e-765 Gravel – signifying the historic French marque’s arrival in the fast-growing segment.

The e-765 Optimum bike represents a brand new direction for LOOK, utilising the marque’s unrivalled carbon expertise and marrying it to the excellence of an integrated Fazua motor and battery system. The e-765 Optimum is made entirely in-house, and as a result carries with it LOOK’s potent performance DNA alongside the convenience of electrical assistance.

At the core is a fully-fledged carbon performance road bike – the carbon frame is made up of specifically optimised fibres laid up into an endurance-bred geometry that allows the e-road bike to meet the needs of its rider; stiffness and responsiveness where it’s required balanced by compliance and durability.

The frame’s seatstays are an important source of innovation – created using a new ‘3D Wave’ design that incorporates two deflections into the tubes, LOOK’s engineers have built an extra 15% vertical compliance into the rear triangle of the e-765 Optimum, compared to a standard carbon construction, supposedly resulting in a comfortable all-day ride.

Meanwhile, the e-765 Optimum’s neatly integrated Fazua motor and battery system produces assistance without disrupting the aesthetic of the bike.

Fazua’s motor and battery system is world-renowned for its integrated and lightweight design – the motor and battery adds just 4.6kg to the overall weight of the bike, with the entire machine weighing an average of 13.4kg. The motor will assist riders up to 25km/h, with four modes possible including a 400W ‘rocket mode’ selectable through the handlebar-mounted remote. More than enough power to give you a Chris Froome style boost up the Colle delle Finestre.

The close partnership between Fazua and LOOK has enabled the French brand to research their own power mapping profile for the electronic control unit, developed for optimum performance in a road riding situation following a year-long study into rider habits by LOOK.

The Fazua system has an integrated app, which allows the rider to turn your smartphone into a fully-functional bike computer, including GPS navigation, speed recording, as well as providing metrics on how they are using their battery power and motor, and temperature readings. Plus, the electrical system is completely detachable, converting the e-765 Optimum into an ordinary pedal-powered road bike.

Bernard Hinault, 5-time Tour de France Champion and LOOK Ambassador, said: “When the LOOK teams first spoke to me of their desire to develop an electric road bike made of carbon, I must say that I was surprised. However, the time spent engaging in the design process alongside the engineers, and in particular the first few pedal strokes on the e-765 Optimum convinced me immediately!

“It is a genuine revolution for any cyclist – I would never have believed they could retain all of the sensations of a 100% muscle-driven bike. It has become my benchmark bike!”

Two models will be available, featuring Ultegra Di2 and Ultegra groupsets, with immediate availability in Europe before spreading to other territories in the near future.

e-765 Optimum Ultegra Di2 – €7,699
e-765 Optimum Ultegra – €6,499

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The challenge is set.

Posted in Bikes, Cycling, Fitness, health, Sports, Strava, Training, Turbo Trainers, Wahoo, ZWIFTTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Last night saw the return of something to my life which has been missing for almost a year. Exercise on a bike.

I felt like my legs couldn’t turn the pedal, power was nowhere near what I used to be able to put out and I couldn’t manage very long at all. You can see my sorrowful attempt of a ride here.

Screen Shot 2019-03-25 at 07.54.53
My terrible attempt up the brutal climb at the start of the 2018 World Championships, Innsbruck.

There’s a few reasons why I’ve been off the bike; work, raising a young family (a two year old and a one month old), moving home, laziness… I could go on but this would bore you to tears.

However, this week I signed up to the UCI World Championships Sportive. 100 glorious miles through the Yorkshire countryside, following some of the route which the World Championships will take place. Magic.

So what better time to start getting back to some form of fitness than six months before the big event!

I’ve done century rides before, Sportive’s also, but never with trying to fit in training around family time!

So follow on as I go through the training, riding and equipment which is going to get me there.

Oh and to add to the story, I’m dragging my wife along for the 100mile ride… the poor mite only gave birth last month, has never ridden a sportive before but those that train together, right?!

UCI 2018 Road World Championships
Alejandro Valverde winning the 2018 World Championships in Innsbruck

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Bioracer Summer 2018 collection

Posted in Bikes, Blog, Blogging, Clothing, Commuting, Cycle To Work, Cycling, Fashion, Fitness, health, SportsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

 

Bioracer new Summer 2018 collection:
73 new items for men & women

New Spitfire and Vesper collections

The Belgian company Bioracer, which develops innovative & tailored sportswear, has shown the world its Summer 2018 designer collections for men (Spitfire) and women (Vesper). 73 new items across different themes mean there’s more than enough colours and styles to choose from.
 
The new collection revolves around 5 themes, and, apparently, ‘reflects the spirit of an optimistic future’ which Bioracer firmly believe in. Its inspiration comes from rideouts in Barcelona, Ibiza and the Canary Islands to name a few. Names like Jungle, Radient, Zebra and Rebel makes one dream about sunny rideouts. Urban fashion, Berlin, London, 80’s skate surf punk and the DIY graphic language of fanzines capture our imagination.
 

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“Every design is a character, just like you”

Sam Ratajczak, Head Innovateer

 
 
 

About BIORACER

 

Established in 1986 and located in Belgium, spiritual home of cycling, BIORACER has always been at the forefront of the design, development and fabrication of cycling speedwear. Our mission is clear and simple: we make you faster. It’s not only about delivering the fastest kit possible. It’s also about giving you all the tools necessary to be the fastest you can be. This philosophy goes far beyond simple clothing. For example, we developed the first modern racing shoe and the first digitized bike fitting systems. These are only some of the innovations we’ve made to improve your comfort on the bike, and therefore ultimately, your speed.
 
Thousands of competitive athletes choose BIORACER because they need the fastest kit available. And they know they will receive just that. Not only do we have the scientific data to prove our claims, but also the proven track record of our medal count. With more than 666 Olympic and World Championship medals, we are the fastest.
 
“We follow one basic principle: our athletes are the measure of all things. Innovations can only lead to a breakthrough when they benefit the athlete. We look at cycling from every angle and try to fit those pieces that make your puzzle complete. And we do this with one aim in mind: to make you faster.”

 

Beet it Sport Nitrate 400 – Disgustingly good

Posted in Bikes, Blog, Blogging, Commuting, Cycle To Work, Cycling, Fitness, Food and Drink, health, Nutrition, SportsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

There’s an ever increasing market of products out there which claim to boost your performance. From energy gels to isotonic drinks and powders. Even beer. However the guys at Beet it have come up with this shot of beetroot which they claim does just that.

Beetroot has long been researched in sports to boost your performance so Beet it aren’t coming out with anything revolutionary more just trying to reinvent the wheel.

Beet it has come up with a new was to harness the purple powers of beetroot and change the way you perform. Developed specifically with the sporting elite in mind, Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 shot provides a natural boost to sporting performance in one quick hit. With a new Nitrate 400 strapline added, the name clearly communicates the optimum amount of natural dietary nitrate contained in each 70ml shot, which is needed to increase sporting performance.

Now I quite like beetroot as a root vegetable, it’s tasty when roasted and delicious in a salad. So beetroot juice must be just as delicious… right? Wrong. Personally I think it just tastes all kind of wrong and half way through drinking it I was really hoping that it did what it said. I had to wash it down with water and it took will power to go back in for a second gulp and finish the bottle off.

Apparently enjoyed (I say apparently because I honestly don’t think anyone looks forward to a shot of this) and revered by many leading international rugby and Premiership football teams, UK Olympic and Pro Tour cycling teams, the Beet It Sport shot is made from 100% natural ingredients, consisting of concentrated beetroot juice (98%) cut with lemon juice (2%).

Another downside to the drink is that for best effects you have to take it 1-4 hours before exercise and continuously for four days before competition or event. If you’re doing that, I hope the taste becomes more palatable!

However, shortly after drinking this purple thing, I started to turn in to what felt like the Incredible Hulk, but purple. My lycra ripped and my muscles bulged as I was able to somehow hold a slightly higher average power.

Now, I’m not saying it was all down to the magical power of beetroots, it may have just been one of those days when the stars aligned. It was strange though that I was feeling so good on my ride. I’m sure one swallow doesn’t make a summer so next time around I tried it again(the taste got better thinking that it could improve my ride). While my performance wasn’t as stand out, to myself anyway, the figures were still there. I was hugely impressed.

Here’s some science bit… Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 shots are the gold standard used by over 200 universities worldwide for medical and sports performance research into the benefits of natural nitrate supplementation. The research has identified that their naturally high dietary nitrate content (400mg per shot) interacts with enzymes in saliva to generate nitric oxide (NO) in the blood system. NO is a vasodilator that increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the muscles, thereby boosting strength and endurance – similar in impact (but legitimate) to blood doping!

One 70ml Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 shot delivers 400mg of natural dietary nitrate, the equivalent of 400ml beetroot juice.  It provides the maximum intake of natural nitrate in the smallest volume of liquid possible, thankfully.

Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 shot is available from Wiggle, Holland & Barrett and Amazon, with an RRP of £2.00 per shot.

For more information on Beet It brand and products, please visit www.beet-it.com

Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 shot

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Hammer Time – The Hammer Series returns

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With four days until the Hammer Series returns, the start list for Hammer Stavanger and Hammer Limburg is taking shape with some big names put forward by the competing teams. 

Racing for Quick-Step Floors in Stavanger and having one of the seasons of his life is former Paris-Roubaix winner and current Tour of Flanders champion Niki Terpstra. With such a strong one-day racing pedigree, the Belgian team will be hoping to add Hammer victory to the successes they have recorded in the opening to their season.

For the following weekend in Limburg, Tom Dumoulin, Team Sunweb, returns, following his defence of the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d’Italia. BMC Racing Team will line up a full-strength squad including Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet and Richie Porte. John Degenkolb will lead Trek-Segafredo.

Roy Hegreberg, Race Director, Hammer Stavanger, said: “The line-up of riders taking part in Hammer Stavanger is fantastic. To have multiple national champions mixing it up with Classics riders in the forms of their lives should make for really exciting racing. I’m confident the riders will enjoy riding on the very best roads Stavanger has to offer and it will make a memorable experience for fans and viewers alike.”

I certainly think so! If you didn’t catch the Hammer Series last time it was awesomely amazing with a nail biting and very close finish which crowns Team Sky champs.

All three races taking place this year will be streamed live on social media, with Facebook, Twitter and DailyMotion all hosting video feeds. This means that unlike other pro-cycling races, fans anywhere in the world will be able to watch the Hammer Series live, on any device and without being charged for access. To watch the action from Hammer Stavanger, the first race in the season, head to https://www.facebook.com/hammerseries/, https://twitter.com/hammerseries and http://www.dailymotion.com/hammerseries

If you’ve never seen the Hammer Series before and want to know how it works.. well, you better get a cup of tea and read the below, if you have and you just want to see some nice photo’s just skip down to the bottom of the page. if all of that is just simply too much, here is a video explaining it all. Believe me, the racing is infinitely better than the video!

Teams are made up of seven riders, but they can field only five riders in each of the three races. While traditional cycling races have individual riders as stage and classification winners, the Hammer Series is all about teams.

The Hammer Climb and Hammer Sprint are points races in which riders will attempt to win points for their team.

Each team’s finishing positions from days one and two are combined to determine their starting place on day three’s Hammer Chase, a team pursuit against the clock.

HAMMER CLIMB

It takes place over multiple laps of a short circuit. On every lap, riders will earn points for their teams depending on their position when they cross the line. The higher the position, the more points. The team with the most points will win the Hammer Climb.

HAMMER SPRINT

Again, it takes place over multiple laps of a short circuit and riders can earn points for their teams by placing as high as possible at the end of each lap. The team with the most points will win the Hammer Sprint.

HAMMER CHASE

This is the decisive race. It is a team pursuit over several laps of a circuit. The participating teams will be ranked by adding together their positions in the first two races, with the lowest total being the top team.

For safety, they will then be split into two groups: the top half will go into Finalist Group, and bottom half will go into Runner-Up Group. Teams in the Finalist Group can challenge for both victory in the Hammer Chase and overall Hammer Series event. Teams in the Runner-Up Group can challenge for the Hammer Chase win, but not overall victory.

Teams in each group will set off at fixed time intervals decided by their ranking.

The team who complete the time trial in the fastest time will be winners of the Hammer Chase.

The team who cross the finish line first in the Finalist Group will be the winner of that Hammer Series event.

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Muc-Off Announced as new Team Dimension Data Partner

Posted in Cleaning, Cycling, Muc-Off, SportsTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

As of right now Muc-Off, the leading bike and athlete performance brand, have been announced as the latest partner and supplier of World Tour cycling team Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka.

Dimension_Data_Launch_MO_Banner

Muc-Off will supply the team with their full range of clean, protect and lube products. More on the bike, more specifically the chain, Dimension Data will also be using the much coveted NTC formula. I guess Cav will have no excuse now to losing a sprint finish, huh?

Scott Mitchell 3
Credit: Scott Mitchel

Along with the cleaning and lubing products, riders will also use Athlete Performance products – meaning their Luxury Chamois Cream, Amino Ultra Endurance, Luxury Moisturiser with spf15, Amino Recovery Balm and more… Who knew Muc-Off had such a range?!

From their  Muc-Off’s entire bike and rider care range will make the life easier for both riders and mechanics.

The team that includes established cycling stars such as Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings and Bernie Eisel very well may be glad of Muc-Off’s revolutionary pink Nano Tech Bike Cleaner and their Athlete Performance Amino Recovery Balm come the end of the season. It will certainly be welcome during The Classics!

Muc-Off Managing Director, Alex Trimnell, said:

“We’re really excited to be working with such an amazing and inspiring team of riders using the very latest in cycling efficiency that we have to offer.

Mechanic and rider feedback make up the heart of Muc-Off’s development roadmap, and to be working with some of the worlds best riders and mechanics at Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka will be a real driving force for us in continuing to develop the worlds best bike and rider care products.”

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka Head of Performance, Rolf Aldag, said:

“Muc-Off has been known to be a leader in the market for a long time now, they are easily one of the most innovative and trendiest brands in cycling. We are not only happy to be using their wide range of products but also confident we have the highest quality products at our disposal. We look forward to working with Muc-Off on the development side too, with our riders and experienced technical staff providing feedback throughout the season.”

Muc-Off will support the teams #BicyclesChangeLives campaign to raise 5000 bicycles for Qhubeka.

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Bradley Wiggins Motor Home for sale!

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British Car Auctions, later this month, are giving bidders the chance to win Bradley Wiggins former motorhome.

Bradley Wiggins Sporthome for sale at BCAThe coachbuilt Sporthome by McLaren is based on a long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 316 2.1 with manual transmission.  It was commissioned by Sir Bradley in 2014 and while finished in white, has been vinyl wrapped in Team Wiggins colours of blue with chromed wing mirrors and bull bar and 8-spoke alloy wheels AND it’s only covered 5,500 miles!

Wiggo Van 006

The Sporthome features bespoke red, white and blue leather seating with ‘Wiggo’ detail on the headrests.  The custom GB-inspired interior includes a double bed, combined shower/toilet, integrated kitchen area with fridge, cooker and wash basin, overhead lockers and a storage area/repair bay for cycles. It doesn’t finish there either, in the seating area, which has two swivel seats, fold down table and five TV screens (two of which have Sky, obviously).

To say it’s understated on the inside would be an understatement, garish dashboard styling is not one to my taste, but then again who am I to question the king of the cycling mods? If you wanted a motorhome perfect for the cycling get away then what better one to have, you would imagine that there’s everything you would need to make yourself feel like Wiggo himself – minus a few Olympic gold medals…

The Sporthome will be offered for sale at BCA Blackbushe on Thursday 21 September from 11.00 am.  To see the full catalogue listing and images online at bca.co.uk.

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