Rodale

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

MacDonald claims breakthrough World Cup victory

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First career World Cup win for downhiller


Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines

Olympic time trial start times

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Complete listing for men's and women's events


Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines

USA Cycling summer 'cross camp concludes in Montana

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Four-day camp attracts US's top young talent


Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines

Wiggins favourite for time trial, says Sánchez

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Spaniard ready for Olympic test


Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines

Will Phinney's Olympic time trial simulation bear fruit?

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American hopes for medal thanks to specific training at home in Colorado


Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines

Pearl Izumi Elite drop tail bibs (women's) review

These women's specific shorts combine the comfort of bibs – meaning no tight waistband pressing against the stomach as you ride – with the convenience of normal shorts. 

The straps and bib rear are made from Pearl Izumi's Elite Transfer mesh fabric and stay pretty sweat free, while the polyester/Lycra shorts feel comfortable and stretchy. 

The pad is wide for your sit bones but then gets quite narrow, which won't suit everyone. 

The deep hems keep the legs in place, helped by silicone Pearl Izumi logos and swirls.

This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.



By: BikeRadar.com Road Bikes & Gear

Gwin clinches overall UCI World Cup downhill title for second time

American Aaron Gwinandrsquo;s fifth-place finish in yesterdayandrsquo;s downhill competition at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Val dand#39;Isandegrave;re, France, was enough to secure him the overall downhill world cup title for the second year in a row.

Source: USA Cycling News Headlines

Kreuziger denies helping Vinokourov to gold in Olympic Games

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Czech rider accused of riding for his Astana teammate


Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines

VDO MC 2.0 WL computer review

You can pick up a decent wireless cycle computer for £30 (US$50) or so. So what does VDO’s new MC 2.0 computer offer to justify paying three times that?

In a word, functions. Lots and lots of functions. All the usual suspects, such as current, average and maximum speeds, are included. But the MC 2.0 WL, which weighs 34g (head unit), also has an altimeter and temperature gauge. 

The altimeter doesn’t simply display your current altitude. You can call up the total height climbed for each ride, the average and maximum gradient, total height lost on descents… The list goes on. VDO’s own description lists 43 separate functions, and you can add a handful more if you pair the computer with the optional cadence kit – £22 (US$39.99) extra.

It sounds complicated, but basic setting up is reasonably straightforward. We put the intimidatingly thick instruction manual to one side and used the ‘picturebook’ to get started. Thoughtfully, this covers the cadence kit and heart rate monitor – £19.95 (US$20) – so there’s no need to thumb through a separate manual to set up these extras.

Getting further means using the manual, as with five buttons there’s a lot to learn. It’s worth taking a while to get to know the VDO, though, as there’s more than enough information to satisfy gadget geeks. 

Ever wondered which local climb is really the steepest? With the maximum gradient function you can find out. Reset at the bottom of the hill and you can check the average slope, too.

With so much information on display, the screen does look rather busy, but the speed reading is large enough to stand out. It’s the information on the top line (temperature and gradient) that can be harder to take in.

In fact, there’s so much being displayed and recorded it’s a shame there’s no way of downloading the data as you can with a Polar CS200cad bike computer (around £100 or US$130 online). 

What’s more, the VDO makes you choose between using the cadence kit or heart rate monitor as there’s no way of showing both on the head unit. That’s an irritating oversight when in other respects the WC 2.0 is very good indeed.

This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.



By: BikeRadar.com Road Bikes & Gear