Pedal Dancer®: Cycling News

Showing posts with label Cycling News. Show all posts

27 April 2016

News and stories of interest for Fans - Tour of California

STORIES OF INTEREST at the 2016 Tour of California

Did you know that Jelly Belly Racing Team has been together for seventeen years and is the only Pro Team based near San Diego, California, in San Marcus. Read more.

Peter Sagan, the current Slovakian National Champion and current World Champion Road, will sign a new team contract next year and is reported to be seeking a salary of over 6 million. Considering that the entire Jelly Belly team operates under a budget of 1.5 million (and gives out free jelly beans), that is a lot of money for riding a bike. In the words of Bob Roll, "Is he worth it? I think he is absolutely worth it. He is the best thing that has happened to professional cycling in a long while. He is a phenomenal rider." Peter will wear bib #1 as the defending champion of the Tour of California.

Legendary basketball player Bill Walton is a familiar face at the Tour of California. He loves riding a bike. Read more Bill Walton Is All About the Bike, By Jason Gay at The Wall Street Journal.

You might notice some changes in team names this year. Holowesko-Citadel is the old team Hincapie Racing. Rally is the old Optum. Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka is the old MTN-Qhubeka. Direct Énergie is the old Europcar team. Axeon Hagens Berman cycling team morphed out of Bissell Development Team. Note that the names have changed but not every sponsor or rider on these new teams is the same.

Did you know pro cyclist Taylor Phinney (BMC) is also an artist? And you have a chance to win a BMC bike custom painted by Taylor, enter bike contest on VeloNews. You might have known that Taylor's dad Davis Phinney works with the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's, did you know Taylor's mom Connie Carpenter Phinney is also a former Olympian cyclist and speed-skater, and a race stage announcer for women's pro cycling? Taylor's painted bikes look a bit like a Dario Pegoretti bike, read: A handmade Pegoretti bike, By Pedal Dancer®.

Fans gather to watch the stage start in Santa Barbara in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Spectators at the women's race in northern California, are up for a real treat in watching Great Britain racer Lizzie Armistead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team). Cycling News reports that Armistead is indeed heading to California to race. US road champion Megan Guarnier, women's UCI Hour Record holder Evelyn Stevens, and two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong will also compete in the women's race.

We actually have another Host City for the Tour of California this year that should be acknowledged and appreciated - Modesto. Teams will be staying in hotels in Modesto between Stages 4 and 5 on May 18th. According to Lodinews.com, Modesto City Council voted to enter into an agreement (that agreement equaling a $75,000 cost in hotels and restaurants for teams and staff) with Amgen to host the riders over the one night, having finished the stage in Monterey, the teams will then travel to Lodi the next morning for the stage start.

The Directeur Sportif for the Axeon Hagens Berman (USA) team is Jonkheer ("The Honourable") Axel Merckx, son of Eddy Merckx who has been made a baron in Belgium. The team's bike sponsor is not Merckx bikes, instead they race on Specialized bikes. Keep your eyes open at the race because Eddy Merckx has been known to visit looking like any other fan in the crowd. I have returned home only to look through photographs to realize "What? I was standing next to Eddy!"

Riders come and go to the sign-in stage at a stage start; lots of activity to watch for fans. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Stage 1 start time is 11:30 AM (the San Diego Local Organizing Committee has wrongly printed the start time as 10:30 am, this is incorrect). As at every other UCI race, riders must sign-in on the sign-in stage at least one hour before the stage start (some sign in with 10 minutes to go). There is also a customary singing of the national anthem before the start; these proceedings are not considered the official race start. The start time is solid (when the gun sounds), affecting road closures and TV coverage. So, show up early, but the race starts at 11:30 a.m.

Tourism is real business. Host cities pay large sums to Amgen Tour of California to host a stage start or finish. Their motivation is to increase tourism by being seen on TV, and boosting visitors on race day and repeat customers. Lodinews.com reports encouraging statistics overall from 2015, with the Tour of California one of their biggest events of the year, "Lodi Wine and Visitors Center has seen a 21 percent uptick in walk-in customers, and the number of visitors to the Visit Lodi webpage have increased by 163 percent. Hotels are reporting as high as 85 to 92 percent occupancy rates."

Fans huddle around a TV at a mountain top finish on Mt Baldy last year. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Team Novo-Nordisk deserves your attention. They are not only a team sponsored by a manufacturer of medications for diabetes, they are a team of riders who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Not only inspirational but educational for young athletes wanting to understand the potential of their disease and being an elite athlete. Read more in an interview out of the U.K.: Former Team Novo Nordisk cyclist Joe Eldridge discusses his type 1 diabetes management. Also read Type I Training Tips from a National Champion (track), written by Mandy Marquardt of team Novo Nordisk.

Not only did ex-pro Jens Voigt participate in this year's L'Etape California, the day when amateur cyclists took on Stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California (from Thousand Oaks up Gibralter Rd to La Cumbre Peak in Santa Barbara), but you are guaranteed to meet and get a signed autograph from Jens during two Meet and Greets, with a limited number of fans, in conjunction with V.I.P. Passes purchased in Santa Clarita or Monterey, by paying $65 extra for a 1-on-1 with Jens. Go to this page select more info to ask about meeting Jensie. Or complete this form.

This year citizens who are cancer survivors, caretakers or those affected by the disease will have the opportunity to participate in the Breakaway Mile (walk) in three host cities: San Diego, Santa Rosa, and Sacramento. Register for the Breakaway Mile.

The Giant-Alpecin team waits for an espresso outside the Rapha espresso trailer in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

There are some firsts for the 2016 version of the Tour of California. This will be the first time the race has finished up Gibralter Rd to La Cumbre Peak in Santa Barbara, the first time Morro Bay has hosted a stage start, and the first time the race has ridden on the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey County. This will also be the longest distance (almost 800 miles) covered in the race with the most climbing (about 65,000ft).

In this old piece on Bike Forums, Eric Smith, now Race Technical Director for Amgen Tour of California, Eric explains the process for creating the race route well in advance. Tour of CA "How-To" by Eric Smith.

For fans of the Spring Classics in Belgium and France, Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) recently won both Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields and Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour des Flandres. While young Logan Owen (Axeon Hagens Berman) won the Under-23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège title and Jon Dibben (Team Wiggins) won the 2016 U23 Tour of Flanders version. Huge victories.

Fun to watch the riders warm up before the time trial (here are Mark Cavendish and Julian Alaphilippe). ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Sponsors: According to the bike blog The Inner Ring, Katusha's team name "is an abbreviated version of Ekaterina, Catherine in English and a famous Soviet wartime folk song in Russia." They are also the only WorldTour team at the Tour of California to be using SRAM components. Did you know Segafredo is one company making up the MZB group based in Italy, the group is the world's largest coffee producers. Did you know team Tinkoff gets its name from Oleg Tinkoff who built his business fortune brewing upscale beers for young professionals in Russia. Did you know the South African team Dimension Data is also sponsored by Deloitte, based in New York City, the company is the largest international professional services network in the world by revenue. And I am grateful they like cycling.

The city and county of San Diego have gone all out as the start host city for the 2016 Amgen Tour of California. Engaging businesses and local community support, they have many pre-race and Stage 1 activities planned for locals and visitors, including a celebration for the team presentation. More information: San Diego ATOC.

The annual Luther Burbank Rose Parade will take place from 12:15-2:15 p.m. in Santa Rosa on the same day as Stage 7, while the peloton is out on course. Joan Lunden, a breast cancer survivor, will be Grand Marshall of the parade in Santa Rosa, more information.

Fan wait in the VIP tent. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

A particularly good deal is the VIP Hospitality Pass in San Diego ($209). The start line and finish line are not in the same place, but there will be VIP tents at both locations. I was told by the VIP Experience salesperson that a purchase of the Finish VIP pass in San Diego will get you into both places at the start and finish. Start VIP Hours will be from 10:00AM - 12:00 PM. Finish VIP Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Stage 7 in Santa Rosa will be another long day in the comfort of the VIP tent. Buy VIP tickets.

This year, Stage 3 up Gibralter Road to La Cumbre Peak KOM is the Queen Stage of the Tour of California. Stage 7 in Santa Rosa is calling itself the King Stage, but is also the Penulitimate stage.

While many America pros are now living in Girona, Spain, or Nice, France - Dutch pro rider Laurens ten Dam (Giant-Alepcin team) now lives in Santa Cruz, CA with his family. Americans Andrew Talansky and Peter Stetina live in the Santa Rosa area of California.

Freddie Rodriguez and his son checking out the Jelly Belly swag in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Tour of California - maps, start and finish times, city website:

Stage 1 : Route Map 1 | Start 11:30 AM, Finish 3:40 PM | San Diego ATOC
Stage 2 : Route Map 2 | Start 12:05 PM, Finish 3:46 PM | Santa Clarita ATOC
Stage 3 : Route Map 3 | Start 11:10 AM, Finish 3:48 PM | Santa Barbara ATOC
Stage 4 : Route Map 4 | Start 10:10 AM, Finish 3:43 PM | Morro Bay ATOC
Stage 5 : Route Map 5 | Start 10:00 AM, Finish 3:46 PM | Lodi ATOC
Stage 6 : Route Map 6 | Start 1:04 PM, Finish 3:45 PM | Folsom ATOC
Stage 7 : Route Map 7 | Start 11:55 AM, Finish 3:45 PM | Santa Rosa ATOC
Stage 8 : Route Map 8 | Start 11:55 AM, Finish 3:45 PM | Sacramento ATOC

The communications and TV crew live in trucks on pavement for a week, here they share a meal before the action starts. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Deep on the TOUR OF CALIFORNIA GUIDE PAGE for fans at PedalDancer.com, original content has been compiled with great care to help the spectator learn more about the sport of professional cycling and have an enjoyable day at the race based on good information; leaving you free to have fun!

On the Guide Page you can find more information and tips on the race including:

Pre-race activities in San Diego
Team Presentation
How to watch the tour of California on TV and online live
Stage routes and maps for each stage of the Tour of California
The teams
VIP Passes and Experiences
Breakaway from Cancer Mile walk
L'Etape California
Blog Posts from Pedal Dancer®
Stories of Interest to fans
Tips on how to get an autograph
Team jerseys
Classification jerseys
About the priority of jerseys
Jerseys at time trials
Who will wear bib #1
Who to follow on Twitter
Bikes and Equipment at the Tour of California
Tips on viewing a time trial as a fan
Tips on Photography
Race Organization
What Host Cities do
Fan Education
Terminology for the race
Tips for spectators

The mist on the mountain obscures the giant TV screen as fans peruse the expo on Mt Baldy. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

More Pedal Dancer® race coverage 2016 Amgen Tour of California:

16 February 2015

Cycling Resources and Recommendations Updated

Tons of work

When I speak of tons of work, I am not only speaking of the hours I just spent on this snowy Presidents Day holiday in Colorado, reviewing my extensive Guide Page of Cycling Resources, but of the many hundreds of people out there creating an enormous variety of cycling information on a daily basis for cyclists around the world.

To update the Pedal Dancer® resource page - one I began in 2010 and have added to ever since - I clicked through to hundreds of web links. I wanted to be sure these fine people where still out there producing their goods and services just for you. What I found is that many have gone to the wayside, vanished or closed shop.

I noticed a number of the blogs or podcasts have given up.

Perhaps given up is too harsh a description, although I have heard three years is the marker for a blogger. Not surprisingly, some of the brightest have burnt out. If a blogger/podcaster is not hired away (like Dan Wouri to VeloNews) or grows into a much bigger project, hiring more workers (like Cycling Tips) through incredibly hard work (it is known that Shane Stokes at Cycling Tips never sleeps!), then it takes a lot of self motivation to keep any solo publication going.

It also takes many many hours. Those hours directly correlate with missing out on other things in life. For me it was taking care of my own health. I used to spend two to five hours a day exercising. Quick math will tell you it is not possible to do that level of exercise, and manage a job, home owner maintenance, pet care, maintain and grow relationships, and write daily on a blog. Life is going to fail dramatically in a few of those areas. If I made tons of money to match the tons of work, I might be able to justify it, but I don't, and I can't.

Some of those cycling publication authors who faded away wanted to refocus on their own riding or on their own family. This happened to The FredCast cycling podcast, after 9+ years on the air. David of The Fred Cast, also sited a distinct loss of interest in pro cycling for his reason to close shop. Which I admit, I suffer from as well. It is not simply my own loss of interest in reading daily about the pros, it is that most of the people I used to talk cycling to, have also lost interest.

The truth is we need other people in our lives to sustain interest and form our humor which helps us cope through the ups and downs. There is a reason poets and artists gather together. There is a reason comedians hone their craft around other comedians. There is a reason cycling media need each other. One blogger who authored the There and Back Again blog, truthfully stated he had "run out of things to say," after 4-years of blogging.

I find it interesting to watch this happen to others when I too have pondered my future as a blogger. The fact remains that I love the bike, I love a mountain pass, I love compiling information. Yet I admit it is nice to find I am not alone in growing wary of pro cycling, or in justifying my returning interest to the individual who gets out and does it themselves (have you noticed the growth of GCN!).

Cycling is growing regardless of the future authenticity of pro cycling.

I respect the best of the best. I enjoy watching an athlete at the top of his or her field perform at their best. Yet this is not the only source of inspiration I see in cycling. I can see it in the weekend warrior who gets out and does their best. Perhaps since I am an over-injured cyclist myself, simply enjoying the act of pedaling a bike, now seems good enough.

One thing for certain, I have lost interest in local bike racing. I find the environment harsh and unwelcoming. I tried to cover it through stories and photography, but I find the intensity and egos make for an pleasant place to hang out. I go to a marathon or triathlon and feel the palpable energy of personal triumph that seems absent in local bike racing. I feel much more at home at those types of sporting events, or at the top elite level of cycling where human interest stories still grab my attention.

Apparently I have created a gap in cycling for myself. I seem to like the best of the best, or the least of the worst.

When I look at my photos of Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish, I smile, because it feels like I am glancing at a photo album of old friends. Yet yesterday, when I walked my dog to the local coffee shop, I noticed a man at a table in his long sleeve cycling jersey, slouched in a chair with a relaxed belly, chatting with a friend. He appeared as happy as can be. Nearby, rested his crusty dirty Eddy Merckx bike that was probably 23-years old and had clearly not been washed for the past 15 of those years. In no way was he elitist and in no way did I judge him. I looked at him admiringly and thought, how cool, he is out riding his bike and loving it. He represented many thousands of cyclists around this country.

I reason it can never be a bad idea to return to the simple things in life.

I explained to a friend recently that I felt I had done so much in cycling and was wondering what would be next. I fondly remember being a newbie where even the slightest up in the road terrified me. I took clinics and read extensively. I met a great training partner and we both headed to France to ride stages of the Tour de France. I formed a women's cycling club in Boulder, Colorado, which sparked a national track champ - Cari Higgins. I went on bike tours to France and Italy. I rode many of the Colorado cycling events and even headed to France to ride the Etape du Tour. I hosted National and World Champions in my home. I joined a bike racing team in Boulder. I returned to Europe repeatedly to climb many of the highest Cols and best routes. I chased the Grand Tours and Classics. I started a blog, became media, worked so hard my own fitness suffered, but I learned the personalities in the biz and the inside scoop. I became a photographer, tried to contribute to the community, and then got disillusioned.

Now what? I'm not sure, but it is very nice to know I am not alone in this evolution of cycling.

I absolutely agree with Steve, the author of the ex There and Back Again blog, when he stated, "I would like to share with you one last thing – the biggest surprise (and joy) to me was the relationship I built with so many of you..." Without a doubt - now that I have surpassed over one million visitors to my own blog - the greatest joy has been meeting so many people who have broadened and added immeasurably to my life.

Now please review my long list of updated CYCLING RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS. You know how I love compiling info! And then come back for more, because I am not giving up!

cycling resources and recommendations by pedal dancer

Holy cow that's a lot of information on one blog!

14 November 2014

28 July 2014

The bikes that won the 2014 Tour de France

The fastest bikes on earth

It took us three weeks to learn their jerseys and faces, their dossards and their names (or rather how to pronounce their names), and now on the day after the 2014 Tour de France finished in Paris it is time to look at the road bikes that carried the men of the peloton to victory.

Vincenzo Nibali's two road bikes - shark model and final yellow winners model of the Specialized S-Works Tarmac.

A list of the STAGES and the BIKES that won the 2014 Tour de France

Stage 1 GIANT Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 2 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Stage 3 GIANT Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 4 GIANT Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 5 BIANCHI Lars Boom (Belkin)
Stage 6 RIDLEY André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol)
Stage 7 SPECIALIZED Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 8 FOCUS Blel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale)
Stage 9 SPECIALIZED Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 10 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Stage 11 RIDLEY Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol)
Stage 12 CANYON Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Stage 13 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Stage 14 SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 15 CANYON Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Stage 16 SPECIALIZED Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 17 SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 18 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Stage 19 CERVELO Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp)
Stage 20 SPECIALIZED Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 21 GIANT Marcel Kittel (Giant)

*10 stage wins on Specialized bikes, although they did sponsor three teams at Le Tour.

The BIKES of the overall classification jerseys of the 2014 Tour de France

Yellow jersey: SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Green jersey: CANNONDALE Peter Sagan (Cannondale)
Polda-dot jersey: SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
White jersey: LAPIERRE Thibaut Pinot (FDR.fr)

All the bike reviews from the 2014 Tour de France:

I know that I personally got so wrapped up in daily race tactics and news during the 2014 Tour de France, that I skipped over these Tech reports. They are certainly worth a read, for each year manufacturers and mechanics use the Tour as a launch pad for some of the latest technology.

The Tour de France and Grand Tours bring out the best of the tech writers in cycling. They happily gather around the latest greatest equipment with unprecedented access and the excitement of kids in a candy store. Here is an extensive list of many of the bike reviews completed in the past three months.

If you are interested in a specific bike manufacturer, a rider's frame, want to learn more before buying a new bike yourself, want a sneak peek at the 2015 road bike frames, or simply like to drool over really cool bikes - this list is for you.

Art and custom bikes 2014
One-of-a-kind graphics - 21 Days of Tour Tech, Ben Delaney, Bike Radar
Top 5 - Custom Pro Frames of the Tour de France 2014, (video) Bike Radar
Custom Painted Specialized Shiv by Kristian Von Hornsleth, Oli Woodman, Bike Radar
Custom US$18,000 Cipollini RB1K, Ben Delaney, Bike Radar
Cannondale lets animals loose on the Tour, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Ridley's new retro paint scheme for Lotto-Belisol, Cycling News
Creating Custom Bikes at the Tour, (video) Bicycling

General road reviews
Best New Bikes And Tech - Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Road Bikes of the 2014 Tour de France, Bicycling

Time Trial bike reviews 2014
Time trial gear, part 1 - 21 Days of Tour Tech, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Top five TT bikes, (video) Bike Radar

The bikes of the cobbles
The Bikes For The Cobbles | Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
What Will Teams Ride for the Tour's Stage 5 Cobbles? (video) Bicycling

BMC
Van Garderen's BMC SLR01, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC TeamMachine SLR 01, David Arthur, Road.cc
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC Teammachine SLR01, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC Team Machine SLR01, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Tejay van Garderen's BMC Teammachine SLR01 (video) Global Cycling Network

Bianchi
Bianchi Infinito CV, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Bianchi launch Aquila CV time trial bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Bianchi’s new Aquila CV time trial bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Bianchi Aquila CV launched (time trial bike), Robin Willmott, Cycling News

Cannondale
Cannondale Supersix Sagan LE, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Peter Sagan’s ‘Green Machine’ Cannondale SuperSix Evo, David Arthur, Road.cc
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale SuperSix EVO, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale Synapse Evo Hi-Mod, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Peter Sumner, Road Bike Review

Canyon
Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 Pro long-term, James Huang, Bike Radar
New Canyon aero road bike, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Canyon Aeroad CF SLX (video) Bicycling
Katusha’s Canyon quiver, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Luca Paolini's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX, Cycling News
Alexander Kristoff’s Canyon CF SLX 9.0, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Alexander Kristoff’s brand new Canyon Aeroad CF SLX, David Arthur, Road.cc
Alejandro Valverde’s Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for the classics, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Alejandro Valverde's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX (video) Global Cycling Network

Cervelo
Cervelo R5, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Andrew Talansky's Cervelo R5 Pro Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
Johan Vansummeren's Cervelo R5, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Daniel Martin’s Cervelo S3, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Colnago
Colnago V1-r aero road bike launched, James Huang, Bike Radar
First Ride: Colnago V1-r Matt Phillips, Bicycling
Yukiya Arashiro’s Colnago C60, David Arthur, Road.cc
Bryan Coquard’s Europcar Colnago V1-r aero race bike, David Arthur, Road.cc
Colnago C59 Italia review, CyclingNews

Felt
Felt road and cyclocross bikes for 2015, James Huang, Bike Radar

Focus
Focus Izalco Max AG2R, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar
Christophe Riblon’s AG2R Focus Izalco Max, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Fondriest
Fondriest 2015 road range launched, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar

Fuji
Fuji Altamira SL, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar
Netapp-Endura’s new Fuji Transonic aero road bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Fuji Introduces New Aero Road Bike, Joe Lindsey, Bicycling

Giant
Marcel Kittel’s Giant Propel Advanced SL aero bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Marcel Kittel’s yellow Giant Propel Advanced SL, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Marcel Kittel's Giant Propel, (video) Global Cycling Network
Lawson Craddock’s Giant TCR Advanced SL, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
John Degenkolb’s Giant Propel Advanced SL 0, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Giant performance road, mountain and cyclocross 2015, David Rome, Bike Radar

Kemo
Kemo's big debut, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar

Lapierre
Nacer Bouhanni’s Lapierre Aircode, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Sneak peek: Lapierre 2015, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Lapierre Aircode aero road bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc

Look
Look 695 Aerolight, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Look launch 795 aero road bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Daniel Navarro's Look 695, Mat Brett, Road.cc
First Look: Look 795 Aerolight Frame, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Merida
New Merida Reacto KOM, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Rui Costa’s world champ Merida Reacto KOM, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Orbea
Orbea 2015 road range - first look, Simon Greenacre, Bike Radar

Pinarello
Pinarello Dogma F8 launched - Chris Froome’s new Tour de France bike, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Chris Froome’s Pinarello F8, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Chris Froome's Pinarello F8 photos, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Chris Froome's Pinarello F8 Tour de France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Bradley Wiggins’ Pinarello Bolide, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Ian Stannard’s Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think2, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews

Ridley
Ridley Helium SL, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Andre Greipel’s Ridley Noah Fast and Helium SL, David Arthur
Tony Gallopin’s yellow Ridley Helium SL, David Arthur, Road.cc

Scott
Sylvain Chavanel's Scott Addict, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Sylvain Chavanel’s IAM Cycling Scott Foil, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Svein Tuft’s pink Scott Foil, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Specialized
Vincenzo Nibali’s yellow Specialized S-Works Tarmac, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Vincenzo Nibali’s shark Tarmac, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Vincenzo Nibali's Specialized Tarmac Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
Vincenzo Nibali’s Specialized Tarmac & the McLaren Tarmac, Cycling Tips
Specialized's 2015 Tarmac Race Bike, (video) Bicycling
Alberto Contador's Specialized S-Work Tarmac, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Mark Cavendish’s custom S-Works Venge CVNDSH, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Mark Cavendish’s custom painted Specialized S-Works Venge, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Mark Cavendish's New Specialized S-Works Venge (video) Global Cycling Network
Tony Martin’s stage-winning Specialized S-Works Shiv, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
The £16,000 Specialized McLaren S-Works Tarmac revealed, Cycling News
$20,000 Specialized S-Works McLaren Tarmac, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Alessandro Petacchi's S-Works Tarmac, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Rigoberto Uran’s Specialized Shiv TT bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Tom Boonen’s limited edition S-Works Venge, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Tom Boonen’s Specialized Roubaix SL4, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
First Ride: 2015 Specialized Tarmac, Mike Yozell, Bicycling

Trek
Trek 2015 road range - an overview, Matthew Allen, Bike Radar
Trek Émonda SLR, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Test riding the new Trek Émonda, Cycling Tips
Trek Emonda - Lightest Production Road Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
2015 Trek Emonda (video) Bicycling
Fabian Cancellara’s Trek Domane for Paris-Roubaix, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Trek Speed Concept 9 Series, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Trek World 2014 - Lots of shiny 2015 bikes, Dave Atkinson, Road.cc

Wilier
Martijn Maaskant’s UnitedHealthcare Wilier Triestina Zero.7, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Special interest topics:
Pro Mechanics' Top Tips - Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Team Sky's Custom Jaguar F-Type Coupé, (video) Global Cycling Network
Team Sky Mechanics' Truck Tour | Tour De France 2014 (video) Global Cycling Network
So what really happened to Alberto Contador's Specialized Tarmac yesterday at the Tour de France? David Arthur, Road.cc
That's Not How Carbon Fiber Works, Matt Phillips, Bicycling
Road disc brakes will be "race legal by 2016" - industry executive, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Shaving your legs makes you faster, Jeff Jones, Bike Radar
Specialized test aerodynamics of a beard (video), Bike Radar

Pedal Dancer - A look back at the bikes of 2013: All the Road Bike Reviews of the 2013 Tour de France

13 January 2013

Pedal Dancer Recommendations

Cycling Links and Resources

I have recently updated my Recommendations and Resources Guide Page on this website. This page, located in the right column (or under the dropdown tab at the top when using a phone), may easily be found at any time.

I offer recommendations to online news sources, bike blogs, photographers, cycling tour companies, accommodations, nutrition and training blogs, cycling humorists, rider blogs, podcasts, tumblres, and more recommendations in the world of cycling.

I will, of course, be adding more recommendations over time. If you have any favorites or recommendations you would like to share, or have me add to this list, please let me know. For all the hard work out there, it is helpful to let cyclists and fans find and appreciate the good stuff.

Recommendations and Resources (follow this link)
Topics include recommended:

Cycling news sources
Websites for cycling news links, video links, photos, routes, team rosters, race results
Cycling news bloggers
Bike equipment review websites and blogs
Area cycling blogs or websites
Online cycling magazines & newsletters
Bike blogs
Cycling columns
Nutrition, health and training blogs
Cycling coaches
Cycling race route news
Cycling humorists
Pro rider blogs
Pro team blogs & news feeds
Travel blogs
Cycling photographers
Tumblre
Podcasts
Bike Tour Companies
Cycling Accommodations
Sources to buy bike equipment, gear, and apparel
Good Deeds to Do

Let's hear it for a job well done, for the hard working folks who make our lives as cyclists, if not more exciting, well at least more informed.

PEDAL DANCER GUIDE PAGES