CTech June Product Picks

By Matt Wikstrom
CTech Editor - June 7, 2012

This month, CTech takes a look at sunglasses, tires, saddles, an iPhone app and Balint Hamvas' sensational photo book on cyclocross.

Panaracer tires

Panasonic makes Panaracer tires in Japan and they offer three models in their Race range of road tires: the Type A, Type D and Type L, which are defined by their weight and durability. The Race Type L is the lightest model in the range and features Panaracer’s AX casing that is claimed to be both supple and resistant to sidewall nicks, while a layer of material (PT shield) is added to provide puncture protection for the full width of the tire. At the other end of the spectrum is the Race Type D, which was designed with an emphasis on durability rather than weight. The Type D lacks AX casing but includes full width protection with Panaracer’s PT shield. In contrast, the Race Type A combines AX casing with a puncture resistant belt for the tread only, so as to save some weight over the Type D. All Race Type tires have a dual compound tread (called ZSG) and aramid folding beads.

Weight: Race Type L, 185g; Race Type A, 210g; Race Type D, 230g ( all weights are for 700 x 23c).

Price: $80

The Race Type L is Panaracer's lightest model, weighing in at 185g for a 700 x 23c tire

While it's not obvious to the eye, all of Panaracer's Race Type tires feature a dual compound tread

CTech’s take:

“

My benchmark for road tires is Continental’s GP4000, which achieves what might be the ideal mix of weight, durability, and grip. I was able to test ride the Type L and Type D tires and they compared well, though they were lacking some of the extra grip that characterises the fine performance of GP4000s. The tread of the Type D is noticeably thicker than the Type L, however the extra weight wasn’t apparent on the bike. Both tires gripped well and rolled very nicely. In fact, while the Type D test tires were 700x25c and the Type L 700x23c, I couldn’t find much to separate the performance of the two other than a slightly firmer ride on the narrower tire. Given the thicker tread of the Type D tires, I’d anticipate a longer road life than the Type A tires, and therefore, a better buy.

Selle San Marco Concor Saddle

The Concor was first introduced to road cyclists a little over three decades ago and in that time, it has been ridden to world titles, grand tour victories, and classics glory. At the time, the Concor was designed with a pronounced dip and generous wings to conceal the rails. The latest iteration is now sleeker, a lot lighter, and the shell has been carved away to reveal the rails. The Concor still features a dip, but it is very mild compared to the original shape. You have a choice of carbon or hollow steel rails, and a there is a range of colours and graphics, though black and white predominates amongst the choices. All models are built on the same sturdy shell without any channels or cut-outs. The only variation in the range is the Concor Sprint, which has a shorter nose and more compact appearance.

Weight: Carbon rails, 160g; hollow steel rails, 190g; Sprint, 186g.

Price: $160-260

Find out more on the Selle San Marco website.

Selle San Marco delivers the Concor in a variety of finishes that includes both bold and conservative graphics

This black-on-black version should appeal to fans of the stealth look

The Concor Sprint is identical to the rest of the Concor range in every way except it has a shorter nose

CTech’s Take:

“

In general, saddles can be broadly classified as either flat or dipped, and most riders prefer one type to the other. The Concor once belonged firmly in the dipped category, but with this new design, it now falls somewhere in between by offering a long flat nose with a mild scoop. The shape of the Concor looks quite generous from above, however it has very steep sides that narrow the saddle considerably. If you are a rider that prefers a dip to anchor your hips (as I do), then you might find the Concor is too shallow to be effective. It has a very firm shell that refuses to yield under load; the Concor also transfers more road shock than other saddles. The surface of the saddle was perfect, it provided enough texture to stop my shorts from sliding around, but I was still able to make minor adjustments to my position without any effort. The rails provided a generous range for setback adjustment, but I found the shortened wings near the nose left the mounting hardware of my seatpost exposed, so there were a few instances where my shorts were momentarily snagged as I was getting out of the saddle. Regardless, I like the presentation of the Concor, there are both bold and conservative options, and a few nation’s flag colours too.

BBB Select Sunglasses

BBB make a huge range of parts and accessories ranging from tools to brake pads, pumps and helmets. They also sponsor various teams including two ProTour teams, Vacansoleil-DCM and Cofidis. A large range of sunglasses (a dozen models are available) can be found in the BBB catalogue. The Select glasses have a Grilamid frame, an adjustable nosepiece, and an interchangeable one-piece polycarbonate lens. The Select comes with three lenses (clear, yellow, and smoke) while the Select PH is fitted with a photochromic lens. Select frames can be customised with different coloured temple fittings (black, blue, red, green, grey, yellow, white) and a variety of other lenses (smoke flash mirror; smoke blue multi-layer coating (MLC); smoke red MLC; smoke green MLC).

Price: $130 for Select, which includes 3 lenses and a case; $240 for Select PH, also includes a case.
See more on BBB’s Website.

The Select comes with three lenses--smoke (shown), clear, and yellow--and all offer a very crisp view of the world

The photochromic lenses of the Select PH allow 17-85% light transmission and can adjust to a change in lighting in 8 seconds

CTech’s Take:

“

The Select frame fit my face very nicely, I never had to fuss to keep them on or relieve a pressure point. The lenses provided generous protection, and while they were close enough to my face that they fogged quickly when coming to a halt on a cool morning, my vision always cleared quickly (almost instantaneously) once I was riding again. The lenses also provided a very crisp view of the world without any detectable distortion. The photochromic lens was effective against all but the brightest of sunlight then I found myself squinting. However, the rapid adjustment to shady conditions meant I kept them on for longer than regular lenses, and they were my lens of choice for this time of year when my afternoon ride home takes me into the setting sun and ends in darkness. The only thing missing here with BBB is the appeal/reputation (and the hefty asking price) of a renowned sunglasses brand.

Velocio

Velocio is an iPhone application that uses the phone’s location services to deliver many of the features found on a GPS-driven bike computer such as Garmin’s Edge 800 for a fraction of the price. In fact, Velocio is now available to download for free from the iTunes store. Once installed, Velocio provides data on current speed, travel time, average speed, altitude gained and maximum speed that can be viewed via a live dashboard and mapping, or collected while running in the background. By using the latter strategy, riders can expect at least six hours of run time on an iPhone 4S compared to around 4 hours when running the live dashboard. Other features include ghost-racing your best time over a favoured route and Strava connectivity.

Price: Free from the iTunes app store. Visit veloc.io for more information.

Once you start a ride, Velocio displays a map and basic data (centre), then at ride's end. a lot of summary data and a highly interactive map

CTech’s Take:

“

An iPhone application will never replace a bike computer for a lot of riders, but for those that carry their iPhone everywhere and don’t want the expense, then Velocio serves as an effective recording device. Indeed, once installed, Velocio looks and operates a lot like a Garmin Edge 800 with the benefit of the iPhone’s superior screen size and resolution. I haven’t tested similar applications from other vendors, but I appreciate the emphasis the developer has placed on minimising power consumption. Such considerations make the most of the iPhone’s run time, however it’s still too short for a long ride in the hills, so while Velocio is beautiful in its execution, it’s only suited for recording shorter rides and weekday commutes.

Bailint Hamvas’ CycloCross 2011/2012

“I had a dream. Ever since I stumbled upon the phenomenon called cyclocross, I knew it was what I wanted to do. I got immersed in it, I love every aspect of, I love the intensity, I love the atmosphere, I love the racing, I love the buildup, all of it. Those of you who know me know well enough that I act like an overexcited puppy when I talk about cyclocross.

After doing my first season two years ago, I know so little about cyclocross. I thought the World Cups were the backbone of the season and I had many other misconcepts. That being said, it was a great season and the book, the ‘UCI Cyclocross season 2009/10? nicely bookended the whole project, if you forgive me the horrible pun.

The book itself broke even but it didn’t generate enough revenue to fund the trips for the next season, so I skipped the 2010/2011 season and salivated over the sporza videos week in week out. Then a sudden family death meant that a smaller inheritance landed on my bank account and I decided to use that money to cover another season – this time in it’s (almost) entirety: World Cups, GVAs, Superprestige s, World Championships, the whole lot. And so I did.

As I started to talk to people about this season, they often asked: are you going to do another book? It made me think about it and I decided I should go ahead and do it. But I knew if I was going to do it, it has to better in every possible way. Plans were made and scrapped, calculations were sent backwards and forwards and finally I finalised the details: 270mm x 230mm, 220 pages, hardcover. It will be bigger, better, nicer than the previous book and I will tell you why.

The book covers 33 races, almost all the big races of the season and to make that work, one race will be covered on six pages – which means that only the very best photos of each race will make it into the book. My best photos on thick, high-quality paper, hardcover, a proper coffee table book. All my passion, all my love of cyclocross is distilled into 220 pages – if you like my work you know what to expect. ”

Website: cyclephotos.co.uk
RRP: €39.99

Over 200 pages filled with Balint Hamvas' stunning cyclocross photos which conical 33 races from the 2011/12 season. A must-have for the bookshelf of any cyclocross fan

“

I got to know Balint a few months ago when he began offering his cyclocross photos for use here during our 2011/12 season coverage. I always love an inspiring story like Balint’s where he follows his dream to do what he’s passionate about. This book is a labour of love and the quality is as high as I’d expect from a major publisher. It takes a deep knowledge and feel for the sport to capture it in photographs and Balint does an outstanding job at telling the story of the full CX season. This is a magnificant book which conveys the essence of the weather, the fans and the competition of cyclocross and Bailint doesn’t miss a single moment.

Open publication - Free publishing

Tags: Balint Hamvas, BBB Select, Concor, cyclocross, Panaracer, San Marco, Velocio

Notso Swift

Panaracer were the clincher of the late 80′s early 90′s
…then Specializd turbo’s made big inroads back when a kevlar /folding tyre was a novelty and 450 gr was the norm!
JustJoshinYa

Thanks for the tech tips (looking for advice on iPhone app to use - cause I am cheap!) and FWIW, Balint’s book is awesome. I got mine delivered about a month ago (he was nice enough to sign it for me too) - It’s fantastic!
http://twitter.com/gr3g5ki Greg Ski

I have a very low opinion of GP4000s especially their durability. Maybe I am unlucky but after riding on them for 3 weeks I had to brake suddenly one day and skidded my back tire. The skid took a 3cm long chunk of the rubber exposing the casing underneath. Hmmm.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Really? I’ve had nothing but excellent experiences with GP4000′s. I’d say that you’re unlucky. It depends on a number of things, but I think you’ll find that most good tyres won’t hold up too well when skidded on.
  - Sven Nijs
    
    I like GP4000s and been using them for years but find they pick up cuts too easily. I’ve moved to Gatorskins which sacrifice a little suppleness and ultimate grip but don’t cut up or ‘square off’ on the rear as much for all weather training useage.
    Keep the GPs for racing use though.
    - Gab
      
      I love how the GP4000s roll smoothly and grip well. I’ve installed the cheaper Gatorskins for commuting to get more life per $ out of my tyres, but found that their grip in the wet is extremely poor compared to the GP4000s. I reduce the tyre pressure a bit and my cornering speed a lot during my commutes as a consequence.
  - http://www.bunchridefinder.com.au Bunch Ride Finder
    
    +1 I have been using them for years and like the review says, it’s the perfect balance between grip, weight and durability
  - Cameron Senese
    
    I can’t fault their durability - in my experience the GP4000s really do last. I personally found them sketchy in the wet and shelved them before their time was due. Since this experience, I have been fascinated to encounter so many riders that swear by them - but over time I have come to notice that generally heavier riders tend to pledge their allegiance. I’ve come across a few lighter (<68kg) riders that have had similar experience to me - and thus won't go near them again. I have come to form the opinion that the harder, more durable compound deforms nicely under the weight of a heavier rider - providing the performance and durability proclaimed by many - but once a rider is on the lighter side, the tyre no longer deforms to road surface appropriately - and thus facilitates a somewhat more terrified state of being..
    Hardly scientific I know, but it's my 2c nevertheless..
    - Felix
      
      As a lighter rider, have you tried lowering the tyre pressures to compensate for the lack of tyre deformation (grip)?
      
      I just ordered my first set of GP4000s after using Ultra Race’s for the last 2 years, really looking forward to riding on them after hearing all the excellent reviews.
      - Cameron Senese
        
        Good angle. I tend to run my tyres at 105psi. While I don’t recall if I tried running them any lower - a harder compound is still a harder compound at any given pressure.
    - a different ben
      
      You need to get yourself some cake!
    - Anonymous
      
      I also pledge my allegiance (at 80kg and 120psi). I run the 25mm at 100-105 and they’re great too. Still, Veloflex for race days.
    - JBS
      
      I concur with Felix, drop your pressure. I’m ~65 kg and have no issues with road grip of the GP4000s and swear by them.
      - Felix
        
        JBS, what pressure do you run your tyres at? I’m a similar weight to you and I generally just run 100psi without knowing how low I should go for it to be optimum. I haven’t really had any grip issues in the wet on my Ultra Race tyres so far, but I don’t really turn aggressively either…
        
        JBS
        
        On a standard diameter rim I’d run GP4000s at 100 psi front (max), 105 back, if its wet I’d drop those 5 or 10 psi. Having said that I fell in love with HED 23 mm wide rims last year, on those I run 80/85 psi.
      - Cameron Senese
        
        I’m glad they’re working out for you JBS.
        I’ll stick with my Ultremo R.1s. Sticky, supple, durable.
    - Sam
      
      Agreed. They ride very rough for my 65kg and are too loud (lame excuse, but I don’t like it!). Not great in the wet for me either, even under lower pressure (sub 95psi). Durable? Yes, but not supple in anyway.
      
      Good for some, but nowhere near a Vittoria Open Corsa or Michelin PRO 3 (4).
  - Jcjordan
    
    I am also one of those that dont find the GP4000′s to all that good a tire, especially since they went to the new ‘chilli’ compond. They just seemed to cut up to much and wear to quickly.
    
    I have been using Vredestein for the last two years and found them to be far supperior.
    
    Interestingly for the last couple of months I have been trying out the TUFO tubular clinchers on a set of carbon clinchers. I was a bit concerned after the reports of failure and then the ban at the Leivi’s Grand Fondo so decided to try something new.
    
    Its a real mystery why more people are not riding these tires. They feel like tubs with the simplicity of a clincher. Ik you still need to carry sealent (which TUFO do an excellent job with their version) or a spare tire, but at least if you go down the road of a spare its easier to get on then a partially glued tub.
    - a different ben
      
      I’ve also found that they cut up a bit (especially quickly from new), but that doesn’t have any effect on their puncture rate. My front tyre has had a massive slit in it for nearly a year, with no punctures there yet. Remember that the outer compound is for grip, not puncture resistance.
      
      There’s a chap from Perth who’s into recording all his data from biking on his website, and on this page: http://www.aushiker.com/bicycle-tyre-wear/ he details the lifetime and puncture rate of a few tyres. GP4000s are his best performers with an average rate of 2600+ km per puncture!
      - Jcjordan
        
        Teh biggest problems with the tires cutting up was Canberra’s lack of a bottle deposit scheme. When its wet here tires suck up all the small bits of glass and in paticular into all thos little cuts. The result is a visit from the puncture fairy.
    - Nathanmon
      
      +1
      
      I used to only use GP4000s but find Vredestein Fortezza TriComp SLicks to be my tyre of choice now. No regrets.
      - Sean Doyle
        
        Late to the party. I rate these tires pretty high. I had put a pair on my training wheels and I think I may put them on my racing wheels instead. Have lasted a good 8 months on the training wheels doing avg. 300km weeks as well.
  - Jimbobsurunkle
    
    Gp4000′s get my vote. However does anyone that is worried about cuts/punctures, wear etc.. try running a harder compound on the rear?
    
    I often train on Gp4000 front and Gatorskin rear (or equivalent combination in other brands)
- Allemande
  
  My vote goes to Conti GP4000s too. Used to like Michelins but they have lost the plot, and nearly lost me on a wet road. As a vegetarian I find it hard to endorse Gatorskins.
- Allemande
  
  My vote goes to Conti GP4000s too. Used to like Michelins but they have lost the plot, and nearly lost me on a wet road. As a vegetarian I find it hard to endorse Gatorskins.
- lekoshe
  
  You were unlucky. That can happen to any tyre. I recommend against forming strong opinions based on one data point.
- JC
  
  I was gunna mention that i’ve had 1 puncture in 2 years on GP 4000s but I won’t cos I don’t wanna jinx myself
- http://twitter.com/snookasnoo Idon’t Know
  
  What tire would not do that?
  I recently switched from Conti Grand Prixs to the GP4000s and really like the ride. Too early to say on durability.
Michal

Anyone using similar app as Velocio on Android platform?
- http://twitter.com/supafly46 Kevin Walker
  
  I tried Endomondo, but I dont think power consumption has been optimised and a 20Km commute had all but drained my battery. Strava is my normal app and I still have half battery after 70-80 km rides. Phone is a Samsung Nexus.
- http://twitter.com/supafly46 Kevin Walker
  
  I tried Endomondo, but I dont think power consumption has been optimised and a 20Km commute had all but drained my battery. Strava is my normal app and I still have half battery after 70-80 km rides. Phone is a Samsung Nexus.
- Rad
  
  I’m perfectly happy with the free Strava app. I get about 6 hrs battery life with my nexus s in my jersey pocket
- Anonymous
  
  In addition to those mentioned, there are apps from Garmin which looks very similar the Velocio app; and from Sports Tracker. Both easy to find using Android Market.
  I used Sports Tracker on a Nokia phone till I got a Garmin 500. It was great and included a bluetooth connection to a (bluetooth) heart strap, which I didn’t have. The big shortfall for these apps, is the massive drain on the phone’s battery, especially if you use bluetooth for HR or power. If the phone battery runs out due to GPS logging, then not only do you run the risk you don’t know where you are, but you can’t call anyone to pick you up.
jules

can i be provocative - how do you measure the grip of a tyre? there’s an easy way, but usually painful.

can you really get a feel for the grip without pushing it past the threshold? i can’t, but maybe others are more sensitive than me.
- http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/ CTech
  
  Tour magazine tested grip in the rain directly by measuring how fast a rider could take a corner before the tires started to slide:
  
  http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/general/downloads/download/tourtest_gp4000s_en.pdf
  
  Interesting results, and you can guess by Conti’s hosting of the article, that their tires went well.
  - jules
    
    that is interesting. maybe this is euskatel’s problem - on the wrong tyres? :)
- Steel
  
  You could get a basic measurement of friction through a spring scale, a weight, a piece of tyre and a piece of tarmac. Fairly simple. However, not sure if this works up on the shoulder of the tyre, particularly if wet.
  - jules
    
    i’ll leave that to the cardigan wearers out in vermont :)
- Jcjordan
  
  I found Crit racing to be the best form of testing. Depending how they felt going around the tigher bends at Stromlo are a great what to benchmark tires. For instance Bontrager R3, for me at least, reduced my ability to corner ‘collorbone’ by at least 10km/hr. The areo ridge kept causing me to slide out and loose control of the front wheel.
http://twitter.com/ArtisanDan ArtisanDan

+1 Panaracer Type D. Made in Japan and owned by Panasonic!
SpecializedJE

I’ve used GP4000s and Durano in the past for commuting and for me the Durano was just as grippy, but didn’t cut up as easily.
WampaOne

Try Vittoria Corsa CX 320i clinchers if you want a benchmark tyre. I use them in training and racing - the expense is worth it as in my opinion nothing else is as comfortable, fast rolling or grip-tastic. There are some tests around on the web somewhere that back this up. Similarly nonplussed about GP4000s and Gatorskins, both overated.
WampaOne

Try Vittoria Corsa CX 320i clinchers if you want a benchmark tyre. I use them in training and racing - the expense is worth it as in my opinion nothing else is as comfortable, fast rolling or grip-tastic. There are some tests around on the web somewhere that back this up. Similarly nonplussed about GP4000s and Gatorskins, both overated.
- Michal
  
  I second Vittoria Corsa CX 320 clinchers with latex tubes. They are great tyres. Nowdays I mostly use 25′ @105psi and they are comfortable & fast & last longer too on rough alpine roads. 25′ don’t seem to get cut as much as 23′ did. Lot’s of mates are using GP4000s too.
Bricksfold

Maybe chronicle 33 races?
Peter_Cutter

I had the previous series of Panaracer tyres (ie before they changed the series name to ‘race’) and they had to be the hardest tyres to get over a rim I have ever had. Changing a tube was not an enjoyable, or quick exercise. Not sure how you found the new series.
RayG

Tire? Damn coca-colonisation.
http://twitter.com/_easy_tiger_ easytiger

When I first started racing in the late 80s I ran 20mm Specialized Turbos, which were fast in the dry, but completely treacherous in the wet. I remember coming down the Pacific Highway into Lindfield at speed in the wet and doing a 30m fishtail slide through the lights when they turned red. That aged me way beyond my years. Suffice to say I changed my tyres (and my knicks) after!

Now I run Conti GP4Seasons, after an interesting 55km/h rear sidewall blowout on GP4000s in the wet and dark down Greenhill Rd in Adelaide. They are a few grams heavier than 4000s because of the Vectran belt, and way more supple than Gatorskins, and for me a perfect compromise between weight and puncture resistance.
Hubbard

PRO looks aside, an additional yet unmentioned benefit of using an iPhone as a cycle computer is that if your bike gets stolen, you can find it using the “Find my iPhone” application. Clever!
Wildenbeast

I am surprised to see a new Concor saddle. This new saddle should have a new name and the Concor name should be tied to the true classic saddle that is still coveted by many riders.
Alan

Here’s a list of sites in which I can see photos
Road Bike Review
Bicycles Network Australia
Audax Australia
Cycling News
Road.cc
Bicycle Times
Bike Radar
Velo Orange
Cycling Australia
Randonneurs USA
Eco Velo
Bike Snob New YTork City
Jan Heine
Fat Cyclist
Cycling Challenge

Here’s a list of sites in which I cannot see images
Cycling Tips

Does your web developer object to Firefox and https?
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Hi Alan,
  
  I haven’t heard this before, so I appreciate you letting me know.
  
  I host all my images on Amazon S3 as well as using a CDN. I’m guessing the problem lies somewhere in there.
  
  Can you see the images in other browsers besides firefox? Which version of firefox are you using? Are you accessing the site in a manner that might not be typical (i.e. using a firewall, proxy, etc)?
  
  Thanks,
  Wade
  - Dennis
    
    I can see images on your site using Safari but not when I use Firefox. My computer’s running an older operating system (Tiger), so I just chalked it up to using a no-longer supported version of Firefox, but I guess other people have this problem too. I’m using Firefox version 3.6.28 and Safari version 4.1.3.
    - Dennis
      
      P.S. I am using an extension on Firefox called HTTPS Everywhere. It would seem that Alan is using something similar.
      - http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
        
        Hey guys,
        
        I just downloaded “https everywhere” and have the same issue as your’e talking about. Thanks heaps for letting me know. We’ll work on it this weekend.
        
        Cheers,
        Wade

CTech June Product Picks

By Matt Wikstrom CTech Editor - June 7, 2012

Panaracer tires

Selle San Marco Concor Saddle

BBB Select Sunglasses

Velocio

Bailint Hamvas’ CycloCross 2011/2012

By Matt Wikstrom
CTech Editor - June 7, 2012