Specialized Tarmac Expert with Rovals

Specialized Tarmac Expert with Rovals

Rob collected his Specialized Tarmac Expert this week.

He swapped the wheels to Specialized Roval for better aesthetics.

We must agree it was a good choice.

Green with Enve?

We took stock of our Enve Handlebars, Stems & Wheelsets in October and thought it would be good to share our love now that we had time to appreciate the products...

Paul built his S-Works up with a few of the Enve products including a 65 T Wheelset, and had so many admiring comments, that he is now displaying the bike in pride of place, with the Venge Dura Ace having to go in a stand next to it. What has the world come to once a Venge is not seen as the pinnacle of Bike Shrines?

Give us a call on 03 9427 8501 to discuss how we can spec your bike with Enve.

Paul's S-Works with Enve components

Wheelsets

45 Tubular  

Jack of all trades this “Magic Bullet” is known as the ENVE 45!  When your in the market for a high end CX race wheel set, that you will not have to worry about durability and will perform in all conditions, then in the summer use for road races, crits, and hill climbs, the ENVE 45 Road Wheel is the logical choice.  

Price 45T 20/24 Shimano Tub DT240 $3149

65 Tubular

Wheels are extremely responsive in race situations, acceleration from corners and pace changes are excellent. The 65 rim used in TT was very stable in gusty cross winds in aero position. Tight. 

Price 65T 20/24 Shimano Tub DT240 $3249

Handlebars

Compact Road Bar

Price Compact Road Bar 42cm 144mm drop/85mm reach $459 If you were charged with designing a carbon handlebar what would you strive for and what features would  you put into your handlebar. Tough question given carbon handlebars are nothing more than a carbon tube  shaped to create adequate spaces for you to hold.  Shape, looks and three features make it stand out from other bars.  It's really stealth looking and when  combined with the Enve carbon stem a killer looking, riding and lightweight option.  The Enve bar has a really natural sweeping drop. The top's of the bar are a semi flat aero shape that  is exactly the right size when wrapped with regular bar tape and the transition from the tops to the break  levers is perfect.  Cables are routed through two grooves and the shape of the grooves houses the cable housing perfectly  so it's not felt through the bar tape. No holes in the bars, no fishing cable and no questioning the  integrity of the bar because of this. The cable grooves also add to the stiffness of the handlebar and  out of the saddle there is little flex.  Enve has placed a non slip material onto the bar at the stem clamp area and both brake/shifter zones, thus  components fixed to the bar do so under way lighter torque.The third feature that is unique the to Enve  bar is the rubber bar ends that hold bar tape. So no bar plugs when using the Enve bar just flip the rubber  stopper back, wrap and cut tape and flip the stopper back into place. This bar end also feel great in your  hand when on the bike. Unlike any other bar end it's quite comfy to hang the palm of your hand over  the end of the bar. Sweep or Riser MTB Bar Price Sweep MTB Bar 31.8 clmap, 9 degree, sweep 0 deg,  rise 5 deg tip $229 Price Riser MTB Bar 31.8 clamp, 9 degree, sweep 23 deg, rise 5 deg tip $229 The goal was to achieve the perfect balance of strength, comfort, and durability in a lightweight package.   Rider feedback confirms that the extra width and flexibility of our mountain bars provides comfort and  control for any trail condition. So when you get the chance to upgrade to this product, know that you are  in for the best experience a bar can offer. Stem Price 100mm Stem 31.8 clamp +/- 6 deg $359 Beautifully light and amply stiff, it's the perfect compliment to the  ENVE carbon handlebars. Featuring titanium hardware, cold forged  alloy face place, and molded-in threads, this stem is a perfect compliment  to your mountain or road bike.

Sponsored Rider Bike Sale

Grab yourself a sweet deal with these used Sponsored Rider ex-bikes. 

They are all in good condition, been regularly serviced by our Workshop Technician and treated with respect.

Give us a call on 03 9437 8501 to arrange a viewing.

S-Works Stumpjumper FSR Small (2009) 

SALE PRICE $4750

S-Works Stumpjumper FSR (2009)

Specialized Transition Pro Medium 

SALE PRICE $2500

Specialized Transition Pro 

Giant TCR Women Small (2009) 

SALE PRICE $1400

Giant TCR Womens (2009)

Specialized Test The Best Wknd at Mordialloc

Sponsored Riders Summer 2011/2012 Race Schedule

Here's the race schedule for the Bike n Bean boys and girls racing this Summer 2011/2012 season.

Look out for them if you are attending any of the events. Good Luck Riders!

Date	Event	Location	Type	Category	Rider/s
Nov-11
5	Coburg CC	Campbellfield	Crit	A	Shannon
6	St Kilda	Port Melbourne	Crit w Inter sprints	A	Shannon
12	Coburg CC	Campbellfield	Crit	A	Shannon
13	Preston CC	Eden Park	RR Champs	Open	Shannon
19	Coburg CC	Campbellfield	Crit	A	Shannon
20	Carnegie CC	Mulgrave	Crit	A	Shannon
26	Coburg CC	Campbellfield	Crit	A	Shannon
26	Victorian MET Track Champs	DISC	Track	U17	Liam Hood
27	St Kilda CC	Port Melbourne	Crit	A	Shannon
Dec-11
3	Coburg CC	Campbellfield	Crit	A	Shannon
3	Seymour Scratch	Seymour	RR	A	Shannon
3	GMBC Gazebo Series	You Yangs	MTB	3x3	Rachael & Kylie
3	Tour of Bright	Bright	RR		Stephen
10	Coburg CC	Campbellfield	Crit	A	Shannon
10	Victorian Junior Omium Champs	Shepparton	Omnium	U17	Liam Hood
11	Carnegie CC	Mulgrave	Crit	A	Shannon
17	Coburg CC	Campbellfield	Crit	A	Shannon
18	St Kilda CC	Port Melbourne	Crit	A	Shannon
17	Melnbourne Cup on Wheels	DISC	Carnival	U17	Liam Hood
28	Bendigo Xmas Carnival	Bendigo	Carnival	U18	Liam Hood
29	Shepparton Xmas Carnival	Shepparton	Carnival	U19	Liam Hood
Jan-12
1	Jayco Bay Crit	Geelong	Crit	A	Shannon
2	Jayco Bay Crit	Geelong	Crit	A	Shannon
2	Jayco Bay Jnr Support Race	Various	RR	U17	Liam Hood
3	Jayco Bay Crit	Port Arlington	Crit	A	Shannon
4	Jayco Bay Crit	Williamstown	Crit	A	Shannon
6	Australian National Road Champs		RR		Stephen
7	Echuca/Moama Jnr Carnival	Moama	Carnival	U17	Liam Hood
14	Brunswich Open	DISC	Crit	U17	Liam Hood
21	Victorian Jnr Track Champs	DISC	Track	U17	Liam Hood
29	Wangaratta CBD Open	Wangaratta	Crit	A	Shannon
Feb-12
4	Gravity 12 hr	Bright	MTB	Mixed	Rachael & Kylie
11	Ballarat Spokes Jnr Madison	Sebastopol	Madison	U17	Liam Hood
11	Round 1 Vic Enduro Series	Ballarat	MTB	Female	Rachael & Kylie
18	Victorian Club Teams Premiership	DISC	Crits	U17	Liam Hood
25	Ararat Track Carnival	Ararat	Track	U17	Liam Hood
Mar-12
3	GMBC Gazebo Series	You Yangs	MTB	3x3	Rachael & Kylie
4	Preston Junior Track Carnival	Preston	Track	U17	Liam Hood
9	Bendigo Intl	Bendigo	Crit	Elite	Shannon
14	Australian Jnr Tracks Champs Selection	DISC	Track	U17	Liam Hood
17	Mansfield Open	Mansfield	Crit	A	Shannon
17	Mt Buller Criterium	Mt Buller	Crit & RR		Stephen
17	Mansfield to Buller	Mansfield	RR	A	Shannon
22	UCI World Qual TT	Rottnest Island	ITT	M1	Shannon
24	Round 2 Vic Enduro Series		MTB	Female	Rachael & Kylie
25	UCI World Qual RR	Perth WA	RR	M1	Shannon
25	Victorian Jnr Crit Champs	Castlemaine	Crit	U17	Liam Hood
27	Victorian Schools Cycling Cup	Shepparton	Crit	U18	Liam Hood

Liam Hood

Measuring Talent in the RMIT Lab

Measuring Talent In The Lab

By Stephen Lane (Human Performance Technologies)

Liam being put through his paces by Dr Lane

I had the pleasure the other day of testing one of Bike n Bean's young sponsored riders Liam Hood. Being a man who loves climbing big hills on the bike myself I was glad to hear Liam won the junior mountain climb championships earlier this year up Mount Buffalo. It was now time to test the engine of this young billy goat so we could get serious about his training and make the most of his potential on the bike. The test of choice was a VO2max test. This test measures the bodies ability to uptake and use oxygen which is often thought as one of the better predictors of endurance performance.

The test would also allow me to design a training program base on a few of the physiological parameters at each of the various intensities throughout the test.  The main goal was to tests Liam’s VO2max and determine his power output that corresponds to this maximum value. This would give me a good idea of his current training status and allow me to compare Liam to the various other athletes I test in the Lab.

When designing programs for younger athletes it is important to remember that they are still developing. An athlete of Liam’s age has a large potential to develop strength that will ultimately translate to power on the bike. However, adolescent athletes are also at a higher risk of structural injuries due to the rapidly developing musculoskeletal system. This makes it even more important to have the correct fitting equipment and position on the bike… That I will leave to the expert Paul who will ensure Liam’s position on the bike is optimal using his Specialized BG fit knowhow.

With a little encouragement from myself Liam gave a max effort and we got some good results. I can now develop a range of training zones to prescribe to Liam to ensure he is gaining the most out of his training. Over the next few months I will prescribe a series of progressive blocks of training that will make sure Liam is in good form to tackle his 2012 racing goals. We can then retest Liam to make sure the hours he is putting in on the bike are paying off as physiological adaptation and performance improvement. 

Make sure you check back in a few months to see how Liam has progressed...

Stephen's 'Hot & Hilly' weekend race

STRATFORD TO DARGO- A DAY OF HEAT AND HILL TOP FINISHES

Last Saturday saw the running of the annual CV/Wellington Cycling Club Stratford to Dargo KOM. Kosdown was represented by two mountain goats, Jason Laird and myself. Jason was in hot contention for the MAS2 win and I was hoping for a result near the pointy end of B grade.

Stephen staying cool in the shade, note the arm tan lines!

The S-Works was all tuned up thanks to Bike N Bean and it was feeling barely legal weight wise. It started as a foggy morning and the predicted 30 degree day didn’t look like it was going to eventuate…. Assumptions are the mother of all @#$% ups.. A and B grades went off together, when your working against (or with) the likes of some NRS talent such as Jason Spencer and Rowen Dever you have to be on the ball. After an assessment of the field I had a good feeling I could stick it to most of these guys up the final 15km climb (average gradient of 8%). Early on four B grade and two A grade riders got away. I decided to stick with the big boys back in the main group as I knew they wouldn’t blow there chances by letting the escapees get too far up the road…

The race had two feed zones, one at halfway and the one at the bottom of the main climb 15km from the finish. These were primarily going to be for extra fluids because of the predicted high temperatures. Right before the first feed zone was the first major climb. About 8km long at about 5%. It was enough to drop a few off the back and see who was willing to push the pace at the front. I was happy to be up near the front feeling fine and retrospectively can barely remember a hill at all.

By the time we went through the first feed zone I was near out of water and only picked up a small bidon. Hmmmm 50km to go with stuff all water… I went into conservation mode when I began to feel the salt crusting up over my face and my mouth become a desert. Could I make it to the final feed zone without popping from dehydration? Luckily I did… but by then I was seriously wondering if I could even make it to the top of this big hill. The legs felt pretty good but I was cooking big time.

As we approached the final climb I prepared for the feed zone… I zipped up my jersey to cram as many bottles down the front as I could and removed the lids from my bidons to fill them up as quickly as possible. I managed to grab three bottles of water… I skulled one and emptied the other two into my bidons all while thinking ‘damn now im gunna weigh about 1.5kg extra now’. I worked my way back through the pack to get a wheel that I knew wasn’t going to pop in the first few minutes once we started the ascent.

We strung out along the climb and I was felling OK after rehydrating. Guys were slowly popping leaving me and about 4 other guys in front with the NRS boys about 50m up the road. At this point we had been pushing the pace for a good 10 minutes and I was beginning to pay for the earlier lack of fluids. Legs OK… but body temperature soring. I was sticking to the shady side of the road and battling the mental game to keep pushing.. 65rpm in a 53-27. Yep it was pretty steep..

I broke… and decided to stop in a small shady patch on the roadside. I removed my thin undershirt and pulled down my bib straps. I hadn’t given up. I was still going to get to the top but I had to cool down a bit. I drank a whole bidon of water and got back on and pointed the bike across the hill to get the momentum started. I found a rhythm and felt 100% better with the breeze blowing through my jersey. 

OK.. ‘Now to reel em back in’.. Id stopped for about 3minutes and had about 10km to go. I could see scattered riders up ahead and started reeling them in one by one. Surprising myself I reeled guys in holding a steady tempo at about 300W. I probably rounded up about a dozen guys once we got to within 1km from home. The end of the race finishes atop a final pinch of about 22+% for 400m. It looked pretty much like a wall. This was going to hurt but I always say the steeper it is the better it suits me.

Just before the Finish Line at the top of THE Hill

I pulled in two more guys in the final 800m and crossed the line with a smile… Good enough for 4^th. Jason Laird, a Kosdown team mate was battling it out for 1^st with the guy I drove up to Stratford with, Gabe Carey. Gabe 1^st Jason 2^nd in a good battle. Jason Spencer won overall, this boy will definitely go places, and Miranda Griffiths, my other travel companion took out the womens KOM.

I drove home stuck in the car with two winners (Gabe and Miranda) but happy with the legs and confident that in three weeks time Ill be smashing it up the hills of the ToB with the best of them.. Bring it on..