Tech Brief – Look at Lance’s new pedals
by Zack Vestal Velo News February 03, 2010.

Famously resistant (like many riders) to changing particular contact points on his bike like the pedals, saddle, and handlebar, Armstrong has been persuaded to make the jump. For as long as most of us can remember, he’s been on Shimano pedals of one type or another, and just last year he was the lone holdout on Shimano Dura-Ace 7810 pedals while the rest of his Astana team spun Look Kéo and Kéo 2 Max pedals.

Long history with Shimano

Wayne Stetina of Shimano gave us a timeline of Armstrong’s long history with Shimano pedals. His chronology, created with help from Shimano’s Shimpei Okajima, who was in charge of pedal development at the time, pegged Armstrong’s start on Shimano pedals in 1992.

After Look introduced their original PP 65 in 1985, Shimano released the PD-7401 in 1988 with a Look-compatible cleat and a design licensed from Look. Stetina says that Armstrong used this original Shimano pedal for a ten-year span from 1992 through 2002, interrupted only by a short stretch in 1993, when he used Shimano’s SPD-R for his first full year in the pro ranks.

If you remember, SPD-R pedals used a metal cleat and clasp not unlike Shimano’s SPD mountain bike pedals, and featured a much lower shoe/pedal height than the PD-7401.

“Lance did use SPD-R during his first full year as a pro, including his first world road race victory back in ‘93. Then he went back to the Look/PD-7401 until 2002,”

said Stetina.

But Stetina added,

“Although Okajima started Lance’s history with PD-7401 in 1992, an Olympic year in which Lance also turned pro, I suspect Lance was actually racing PD-7401 soon after it was introduced. At minimum 1-2 years before 1992, including all his time with Subaru-Montgomery.”

He also noted,

“I actually began sponsoring Lance with Shimano components when he was a 14-year old triathlete back in 1985 …”

Since 2002 Armstrong has used Shimano SPD-SL pedals, what we would recognize today as the company’s flagship road pedals.

“SPD-SL pedals use Look 3-bolt cleat mounting, and combine the cleat/pedal stability of the original Look/Shimano PD-7401 with the much lower shoe/pedal height of SPD-R (PD-7700),”

said Stetina.

In August of 2003 Shimano introduced the PD-7800, which updated the original SPD-SL pedals with a larger contact area nylon top plate for improved durability. Then in 2007, Shimano introduced the current PD-7810 with a stainless steel top plate. Stetina noted that Armstrong had retired before this model came out, but confirmed this was the pedal he used last year for the comeback season.

Making the change

This year, Look sponsors the entire RadioShack team, and Armstrong made the transition alongside those of his teammates that likewise might be new to Look.

“The primary concern with Lance and his pedal choice is if something were to go wrong with a bike, or a flat tire, or something during a critical moment in the Tour, or any other race for that matter,”

explained Ben Coates, Trek technical liaison to team Radio Shack.

“It doesn’t happen that often but it has happened where a race leader has needed to take another rider’s bike.”

“It’s a very, very narrow instance, but it’s a risk,”

said Coates,

“So with the goal of eliminating all risks, that was the major motivation to try the pedals out, to make the switch.”

Armstrong’s team carefully tweaked his position for the new pedals.

“The process of making the switch was basically back-to-back fits on the same bike, but with two different pairs of shoes,”

said Coates. One pair of shoes had Armstrong’s customized Dura-Ace cleats, and the other was fitted with new Kéo cleats. By starting with the Dura-Ace pedals and cleats, measuring Armstrong’s position, then duplicating it with Kéo pedals and cleats, the correct biomechanics were established.

“That was at team camp in December,” said Coates. “He’s been riding them with no issues up to this point, and it looks like he’s going to stick with them.”

Levi lends a good word for Look

According to Coates, teammate Levi Leipheimer was riding the Kéo Blade pedals at team camp and put in a good work for Look’s new pedals.

“Lance’s concern with pedals is that they’re locked in,”

said Coates.

“He rides with a zero-float pedal, wants zero gap in the interface, and wants to have the best power transfer possible. And Levi attested that they were a tight fit with a good interface,”

Coates related. Along with some coaxing from the team staff, the case was made, and the pedals with carbon fiber blades for retention springs got the green light.

Speaking of light, at about 93 grams each, the new Kéo Blades are feathery, but shaving grams was not a big factor in the decision to switch.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt, but his bikes are at the (UCI) weight limit, so it’s not as big of a factor as one might think,”

said Coates. But all in all, the transition has been smooth.

“So far, so good,”

added Coates.

Britain’s biggest online bike retailer Wiggle has teamed up with UK Cycling Events to launch an exciting new Super Series involving 14 events. The series consists of 10 road sportives and four mountain bike events which will take place throughout 2010 and are designed to encourage people of all ages and abilities to “get out and ride”.

With two or three different distances on offer at all events and free entry for under 16s, it is hoped the series will prove popular with families, recreational riders and competitive cyclists alike.

Martin Barden, of UK Cycling Events, said:

“We are hugely excited about the Wiggle Super Series and we’re working hard to ensure this is a truly special series of events. The series is all about encouraging as many people as possible to get on their bikes and have a great time riding. Riders will be able to experience some stunning cycling in some really picturesque areas simply by turning up. Let us do the rest.”

Wiggle’s Paul Bolwell said:

“We can’t wait to see the Wiggle Super Series get under way and we’re looking forward to getting involved with so many superb events.”

The first event of the series is the March Muddy Madness MTB ride, which takes place on March 21 in Storrington.

Other mountain bike events include the Ups and Downs on April 24 in the North Downs, the South Downs Epic on June 27 in Chichester and the Falling Leaves on October 2 in the New Forest. For those who prefer to ride on the road, there’s the New Forest Spring Sportive less than a month later on April 18 or The Ups and Downs on April 25 in Dorking. Two of the 10 road sportives – The Long One, which is a 200km epic on June 26 in Chichester, and the Jurassic Beast on May 2 in Dorchester – are believed to be among the hardest sportives in the country.

Wiggle and UK Cycling Events have signed a three-year deal which will see them working together to ensure every rider has a brilliant event experience. With many of the events based at prestigious venues in beautiful countryside, rider satisfaction is sure to be high. All events will follow clearly signed routes and have well stocked feed stations. There will be free bike wash facilities (courtesy of Mobi) plus cleaning products, accessories, mechanical support, chip timing, event photography, toilets, hot drinks and homemade cakes.

Entries can be made online via the Wiggle website (check out www.wiggle.co.uk) and Wiggle customer discount applies to all purchases, so platinum Wiggle customers will receive 10 per cent off entry.

With events scattered throughout the calendar from March until October, there promises to be something for everyone, to see the full list and to find out more. Visit: www.wigglesuperseries.co.uk or www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk

Last week you may have spotted that we revealed to the cycling media, Wiggle had launched a superb new range of road bikes under the name Verenti.

Named after one of the most challenging climbs on the Verenti-sponsored Dragon Ride sportive, the Rhigos comes with a full SRAM Red groupset, Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels, and parts from 3T and Verenti’s own ‘Me’ range. RRP is £2,899.99, and it should be available by the end of February.

Asked about the thinking behind the range, designer Marc Edwardson told BikeRadar:

“What Paul [Bolwell, Wiggle's merchandising director] really wanted to do was produce a range of very well designed sportive bikes. The core idea was that they would be, above all, comfortable, great quality and very good value, with the best components and finishing kit, and amazing attention to detail.”

Asked about the name, he said:

“I used to work at Condor Cycles, and Wiggle got me in to design all of the bikes for them. At first they were going to be called Kiron but trademark issues meant we needed to change the name. I wanted to build a brand around the idea of truth and being true to yourself.

“I took the French word ‘verité’ and the Latin word ‘veritas’, both of which mean ‘truth’, and, because of the trademark issues I’d encountered before, changed a few of the letters so that the name sounded very similar when pronounced in English but could be protected.”

Plans are in the pipeline for another five models to add to the five already unveiled, including a full-carbon bike with mudguards, a couple of women’s models and a budget option.

Wiggle offer a seven-day ‘ride and return’ policy on bikes – and this looks likely to be extended to two weeks in the near future – so if you order a Verenti and are not happy with it you can return it for a full refund.

Photos

Maintenance is key to keeping your steed running well, what with all that nasty road grime, salt and grit recently, we have a huge range of bike cleaning products on site from Muc-Off to help keep your bike in tip top condition this winter.

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8th January 2010

Less than 10 days after online entries opened for the 2010 Verenti Dragon Ride all 3500 of the Medio and Grand Fondo places have been filled. That’s a staggering 388 entries registered per day!
The super-fast sell-out comes less than a month after the readers of Britain’s premier cy-cling magazine ’Cycling Weekly’ voted the ride the best sportive in the U.K. for a second year running and ironically, just a single day after the magazine’s editorial column urged riders to get their entries in fast as places were rapidly filling.

“Simply stunning is all I can say,”

comments event organiser Lou Lusardi of BreakAway Cycling,

“we had already read of one prestigious sportive selling it’s quota of 350 in less than a day but to sell 10 times that many entries in less than 10 days is just flabbergast-ing and reflects well on all the efforts we have made to make The Verenti Dragon Ride what it is, the premier sportive in the country.”

BreakAway cycling have temporarily reduced the number of places available on the new Corto or short ride to transfer places to the Grand and Medio Fondo in response to the overwhelming number of requests. The good news for those still wanting to ride the event is that a further, and final, 300 places will be available from midnight on Monday 11th January.

As the popularity of high quality sportive rides continues to grow the 2010 Verenti looks set to be the best yet with expanded start and finish village area, full professional mechanical rider back-up, ample parking and accommodation and a new and exciting partnership with sportive bike brand Verenti, exclusively manufactured and distributed by online retail Giant Wiggle. Secret testing of the new Verenti bikes has already been going on by the press with fantastic feedback and entrants will get the chance to demo the bikes at the Dragon Ride in June.

The Verenti Dragon Ride will take place on 6th June 2010 over 190km, 130km and the new 40km distances starting and finishing at Pencoed Technology Park and encompass-ing over 3000m of climbing for the Gran Fondo.

Full event details can be found at: www.dragonride.co.uk

Contact:
Spokesmen Ltd Tel: +44 7961 765068
e-mail: info@spokesmen.co.uk

Overnight the South Coast was left in at least 4 inches of snow with plenty more predicted overnight, a few hardcore employees are here keeping things ticking over. While extreme weather conditions across the UK are affecting our usual level of service. Responsiveness may be temporarily disrupted because many of our staff have been ‘snowed in’ at home. Please bare with us through the current difficult conditions. We at Wiggle are still fully committed to providing our normal excellent level of customer service and would like to thank you for your patience.

For up-to-the-minute information we have provided tracking information below from Royal Mail and CityLink.

Should you have further questions please contact us via sales@wiggle.co.uk. We are endeavouring to answer all emails as quickly as possible – usually within 2-4 hours, but please be aware short delays are possible.

In the meantime here are a few pics of Wiggle HQ blanketed in snow!

Introducing the Wiggle Mega Sale, with up to 75% off Cycle, Run, Swim, & Triathlon equipment. From bikes to base layers, there will be a bargain for everyone!

View the full sale!

By Robbie Stout, December 14, 2009 Velo News

When it comes to choosing the right kit for a cold cyclocross race, Ryan Trebon makes a few basic items go a long way.

Perhaps the most important item of clothing for the Kona-FSA rider is his Craft Gore WS long sleeve base layer. This cycling-specific garment augments Craft’s sweat-wicking Pro Zero fabric with a stretchable, windproof fabric to keep the rider’s core warm.

“It’s nice that it’s windproof in the chest,”

says Trebon.

“It keeps your core warm and I don’t feel like I overheat using it. You don’t want it to breathe much — you want to trap all that heat in. You’re not going to be sweating much when it’s 25 degrees outside.”

Next on the list is a good pair of gloves—make that two pairs, both from Giro. Trebon uses the Ambient for cold weather, generally temperatures below 40, and the Blaze for cool weather.

Both use a neoprene lining on the back of the hand, to fend off wind and rain, and the synthetic leather Clarino on the palm. The wrist strap uses a large Velcro patch for a sturdy hold and there is a large piece of soft fleece over the thumb for wiping a runny nose. Finally, both gloves use silicone strips on the thumb and first two fingertips to provide a trustworthy grip on the brakes, shifters and handlebars. The Ambient adds an X-Static anti-microbial fleece lining, which goes a long way toward keeping fingers warm

Trebon wore the Ambient during the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross finale December 6 in Portland, when the temps dipped to just below freezing.

“Those are nice because they are a little thick but you still have good dexterity with the handlebar and there is a huge terrycloth section to wipe your nose with,” he says. “They don’t bunch when you grip the bar. They are the best winter gloves I’ve ever had.”

On a cold day like that, Trebon adds a Craft Gore WS Skull Hat. This cold-weather cap is based on the same principles as his base layer — the fabric that touches the skin is the wicking Pro Zero fabric and the outer layer is Gore Wind Stop fabric.

“Most days I wear a normal cycling cap but if it’s really cold out I wear the Craft hat,” says Trebon. “This is essentially windproof in the front and breathable everywhere else.”

His cyclocross-specific, long-sleeved skinsuit by Champion Systems is fleece-lined, which Trebon said

“makes a huge difference in warmth compared to regular Lycra.”

Trebon also uses Champion Systems leg warmers — fleece-lined for cold weather and basic Lycra for cool temperatures.

View Craft Base Layers

Voucher promotion now closed.

With Christmas fast approaching, this week Wiggle are introducing a special voucher promotion when you spend either £50 or £100. The voucher promotion ends on Sunday 20th December 2009 23:59 GMT. So act fast to claim your reward!

Order items ‘in stock’ for free Christmas delivery within the UK!

How it Works

How to use your promotional voucher.
Select the items you wish to purchase and proceed to check out in the normal way. In the section titled ‘Wiggle e voucher’ in your shopping basket enter the voucher number and hit the ‘Use my voucher’ button. This will apply the voucher discount to your order.

For Terms & Conditions click here

When Blike agreed to cycle to Copenhagen with Christian Aid for the UN Climate Conference (COP-15) we were a bit worried. Don’t get us wrong, we think climate change is a serious issue and we wish the politicians well in a getting a deal that’s good for the planet – we just weren’t sure what 28 cyclists were going to achieve.

But after two days with the group who have committed their free time to this mad mission, we’re fairly sure they’ll make a big noise in Denmark’s capital.

The group ranges in age from 15 to 72 which includes students, vicars, teachers and even ex-bankers; the only thing they’ve got in common is the fact that they care about climate change enough to cycle their way through a foreign land.

We arrive at COP-15 on Saturday and join with thousands of others from Christian Aid all calling for Climate Justice. Blike will be riding in on a Focus Corrente Courier bike – new for 2010 – and so far this machine has eaten up the miles.

With a camera, a laptop and all of Blike’s clothes stuffed in to the panniers the bike is still light, comfortable and cruises up inclines with ease.

Blike’s not alone on this trip and riding the new Focus Hybrid is Ben. After two days and 110 miles of cycling, Ben’s remembering why he should have done some training before taking on the ride.

The deep pain in his groin is a constant reminder that he hasn’t ridden a bike since he was 17. He’s 25 now. He’s been lucky, the bike he has is top quality and the flat terrain of Denmark is proving no problem. It’s just his sore arse that is causing the trouble.

The Christian Aid cyclists don’t know if their efforts will make any difference, but they’ve had a bloody good time getting here so far and nearly raised £50 grand in the process. Help them out if you want by clicking here.

Or, if you want to follow the group’s twitter just click here

Wiggle kindly lent Blike the Focus bike’s and dhb cycling gear for the trip to Copenhagen