New type of road bike?!
After more than 15 years as an editor at TOUR, I would never have thought it possible that I would come across an unknown type of cycling. The confusion was correspondingly great when I studied the list of exhibitors before the Bespoked frame building trade fair in Dresden: "Tracklocross bikes" are supposed to be a speciality of an exhibitor called Ballern Cycle Works. As there were no pictures, my imagination tried to make sense of it. Tracklocross? What is that supposed to be? Racing in an oval on mud with obstacles? Or toiling through difficult terrain with a fixed gear and no brakes? Both seemed impossible to me until I was able to admire the steel result of this neologism at the trade fair. There was actually a bike with knobbly tyres but no brakes. With pannier racks and panniers, but without gears. Unreasonableness in its purest form, so to speak.
For creator Bennet Janz, on the other hand, it's a dream bike: "It combines the two most beautiful types of cycling there are. On the one hand, the purist feeling of the track bike, where every movement is intuitive, and on the other, cyclocross and gravel, far away from noisy roads and in the middle of nature." I realise that you have to be able to suffer for exhilarating cycling experiences, but like this? Uphill without gears, downhill without brakes? Janz says: "What I like most is that even undemanding tours become more fun when you know that you can only brake with the rear wheel, which takes you to the limit much more often and often beyond." Well, another first for me: it's the first cycling discipline that I don't actually want to try.
Rolling heavenly
"Tyres are tyres", I thought for a long time. But now that road cyclists are allowed to go wider - at least as far as tyres are concerned - even I know that the rubber makes a huge difference to the riding experience. In my opinion, the Turbo Cotton from Specialized tops the well-known comfort gain from wider tyres. I am "in love"!
Rolling feels heavenly soft and light - without being spongy. Even when leaning, I always have the feeling of being in full and secure contact with the road. And visually, the light-coloured cotton sidewall makes every bike an eye-catcher. Just my thing ... The fact that, according to the TOUR test, the puncture protection isn't particularly good leaves me in little doubt about my enthusiasm. Maybe it's because I personally feel that I'm often the victim of punctures anyway.
A firm grip against the wind
Somehow, I have a talent for setting off on tours alone whenever a strong wind is blowing - usually from the front. I look over enviously at the racing cyclists who are cool enough to rest their forearms casually on the upper handlebars and crouch down low to pass me. This position was always too wobbly and unsafe for me. Then one day, the "Aero Bolt-On" handlebar attachment from the Australian brand Farr landed in the editorial office.
The attachment consists of a small pipe bend that is mounted on handlebars with a diameter of 31.8 millimetres using two clamps. It offers a tight grip position at about the height of the brake levers. My small Garmin Edge 130 just fits in between. The position is comfortable and surprisingly ergonomic, provided you wear gloves, because without them it gets slippery in summer and freezing cold in winter. The part weighs a reasonable 113 grams. I can stay in the moderate aero position for a long time without back pain or neck tension. I always have the bike well under control.
Of course, looking at the wattage measurement of the crank for a few seconds is not enough to make a reliable statement, but it feels like the watt consumption drops in order to keep the speed above 30 km/h compared to the brake lever position. The aero attachment is available from the manufacturer's online shop from 95 US dollars (currently around 89 euros, www.ridefarr.com), but the part then travels halfway around the world for a hefty shipping fee. Tip: The higher-quality carbon version is currently available for 95 euros from r2-bike.com in Dresden.
For the ears
Nothing annoys me more about podcasts than endless, irrelevant rambling. When it takes ages after the "Hey, guys" greeting before the content really gets going, I feel like I'm at a cycling tour where you don't start for ages and then turn off onto the cycle path along the main road. The "Sportschau-Tourfunk" podcast is completely different: the sharp start is right at the beginning. Every single minute is worth listening to, and that is down to the expertise of the ARD presenters and guests. Moritz Cassalette, Holger Gerska and also occasionally Florian Naß, Michael Ostermann and Fabian Wegmann contribute their concentrated cycling expertise.
This also leads to the guests opening up and giving surprisingly detailed insights. The best example is the appearance of Bora team boss Ralph Denk. Nowhere else has he been so open about his past deals and future plans. The "Tourfunk Podcast" only reports when it makes sense in terms of content - which is why there are sometimes long gaps between the individual episodes. This podcast is pure racing - if you're just looking for relaxation, you'll find plenty of slower "RTF podcasts" to bridge the gaps.
Print is alive!
It's not as if I'm not active on the digital front despite my advanced age. I record my tours with Strava, know what a heat map is, have Komoot recommend tours to me or plan them myself with Outdooractive. Recently, however, the back and forth movement of the map section on the monitor somehow got on my nerves. The exact pass or road I want to see is always out of the picture. If I move the section further, the connection is gone. If I zoom out, the labelling is no longer displayed, if I zoom in, I can no longer tell where anything is. Annoying. Is there nothing better? Yes, there is.
I have now bought another printed map of the Alpine region. It's so big that I have to clear the dining table to spread it out, but there's nothing better than leaning over the map with my finger on the coloured line and dreaming of the next wonderful mountain pass tour!
Long-term tread
Looking after things and using them for a long time has always been a good idea for reasons of sustainability and economy. Accordingly, I treat my Bontrager XXX Road long-term pedals, which have accompanied me on countless crank rotations for seven years now, with great care. Bontrager's top model with carbon sole and two Boa fasteners was one of a total of 40 candidates in the shoe test in TOUR 7/2016 and cost 350 euros at the time. One indication of its participation in the test is the small hole in the heel area of the carbon sole, in which the weight for the stiffness measurement was fixed. Due to this flaw, Bontrager didn't want the shoe back after the test and left it to me as an "endurance tester".
Since then, I've always been happy to slip into the red Bontrager with its wide toe box, stable arch support and perfect heel hold. Compared to white road cycling shoes, which often fade in the sunlight over the years - regardless of the brand - the red colour of this shoe is still fresh and vibrant. Experts will recognise that this is an older model by the Velcro strap; in the current successor and top model, Bontrager has dispensed with the lashing aid, which I have only adjusted once in seven years and not since.
Inspiration from the professional kitchen
I have a great passion for beautiful cookery books and always enjoy leafing through them for inspiration. My discovery is the Grand Tour cookery book by Hannah Grant. It contains delicious recipes that are easy to cook. Burger buns and tortilla pancakes, for example, can be made in no time at all. I like the layout, each recipe has a double page with a nice large photo, preparation time and level of difficulty. There's also plenty to read: the book contains interviews with active and former professional cyclists who provide insights into their diet.
But the book is also worth reading for all those who love the Tour de France and cycling. Hannah Grant is an experienced professional chef and was the first ever professional cyclist. The recipes are based on her nutritional philosophy for big stage races, but are also suitable for the whole family.
Perspective
As a test editor, you not only have the luxury of testing many cutting-edge racing bikes or gravel bikes. Accessories such as helmets, shoes and glasses also need to be tested in practice for fit and functionality. When it comes to the "nose bike", I always fall back on a model that has been in the box for umpteen years: the POC Crave.
The sunglasses from the Swedish manufacturer are practically indestructible. Apart from minor signs of wear caused by carelessness or falls, they fit almost like on the first day. Compared to current models, which are reminiscent of ski goggles with their huge lenses, the POC is also not bulky. You don't have to follow every fashion! The protective function is good, both against glaring sunlight and wind. For me as a contact lens wearer, watery eyes would be an absolute no-go. However, the biggest advantage of the Crave is the interchangeable lenses from Carl Zeiss. The lenses can be changed in two simple steps and the tinted or clear version provides a clear view in any weather and at any time of day.
