In this issue:

October Specials - 2009 stock sale
Bike Review – Orbea Opal Liege
Parking at Fusion Cycles
Fusion Criterium 8 November – speed, aggression, adrenalin!
Brisbane to Gold Coast Ride - mechanical support
Fusion at Noosa Tri Festival
Gatorade Tri Series – mechanical support
Why I love cycling – Peter York
Upcoming Events
Studio Rise – 3 for 1 offer
Nutrition Tips - Can hydration affect climbing ability?  

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October Specials

Great discounts on remaining 2009 bikes!

The 2010 range arrives over the next month so 2009 models have got to go! 
Cannondale, Orbea, Bianchi all on sale! Up to 20% off.
Sale ends October 31.

Bike Review – 2010 Orbea Liege with Opal Frame

RRP: $5999 - $8499

The Orbea Opal frame is the middle kid in Orbea’s carbon road line between the Orca and the Onix and is designed for criterium style racing.

The Opal uses slightly different carbon (primarily for cost savings) than the top-shelf Orca, and the aluminum dropouts, not just the derailleur hanger, are completely replaceable—so if you crash and tweak a drop, the frame's not toast.

The bike shares a principal design feature with Orbea's other carbon bikes called Size Specific Nerve. SSN is essentially a raised rib molded into the monocoque frame, starting at about the middle of the top tube, running through the head tube and down to the bottom bracket. Many frames use these kinds of stiffening ribs, but the size of the SSN rib, the size and shape of the tube, and even the layup change with the bike's dimensions. The idea is that the 48cm Opal rides the same as the 61cm version. SSN means small riders don't get beat up and big ones won't twist the frame when they uncork a sprint.

To call a frame "crit style" typically implies a board-stiff ride. But the Opal feels exceptionally comfortable even with deep-section Reynolds Assault wheels. Because it shares the Orca's geometry, the handling is impeccable. It's also plenty stiff, and while the Orca is lighter, the difference isn't dramatic—about 90 grams in a size 51. 

Review by Bicycling.com

Parking at Fusion Cycles

Street parking at Newstead is limited, so we have arranged to have a loading bay car park underneath Fusion Cycles at 68 Commercial Rd.  As you drive into the carpark, turn immediately left and park behind the Fusion Ute.  This space is for customers dropping off/picking up bikes.

Additionally, Fusion Cycles customers may park in the Fusion building behind Fusion Recycles.  There are 5 general visitor spaces and 2 dedicated Fusion Cycles customer spaces.  Please park in here if you will be in the shop for more than 10 minutes.   

Fusion Criterium 8 November – speed, aggression, adrenalin!

Brisbane to Gold Coast Ride - mechanical support

We will have a mechanic on course in the Fusion ute supporting Fusion Cycles customers who need any mechanical assistance.

Please click here to be sent the mechanic’s mobile number.

Fusion at Noosa Tri Festival

Our race team star – Peter Thompson, has qualified for the Noosa Criterium this year.  Please come and cheer him on at 4pm on Saturday 31 October. 

Fusion Cycles has a corporate tent on Noosa Parade this year, near the finish line.  Fusion customers are welcome to come to the tent and cheer our teams and individual competitors over the finish line!

Gatorade Tri Series – mechanical support

Fusion Cycles sponsorship of the Raby Bay Gatorade triathlons includes a mechanical stand at each triathlon.  Look for the Fusion Cycles tent at these events if your bike needs help.  Our mechanic’s expertise is free on the day but you will need to pay for any parts.

Studio Rise 3 for 1 Offer

Studio Rise is very pleased to be sponsoring the Men’s B Grade Race on 8 November and is offering Fusion customers 3 classes for the price of 1.

Studio Rise at Newstead has spin bikes that measure cadence, trip and watts or you can bring in your own bike and wind trainer. 

Increase your fitness, build your strength and power at Studio Rise!  See www.studiorise.com.au for timetable details or T3162 3231.

Nutrition Tips - Can hydration affect climbing ability?

Canberra recently had the world Mountain bike Championships and the ability of some riders to ride up hills was breath taking.  A person on the course saw a rider drinking regularly to stay well hydrated and commented “Why is that guy drinking so much, surely that much fluid is going to weigh him down.”  With the Vuelta just finishing I thought this is a very good observation and a question many cyclists have surely asked themselves.

Does 2kg of extra water weight reduce climbing ability?
We have all seen pro riders come to the base of a hill and ditch water bottles etc pre climb only to take them on again on the other side.  This logically makes sense.  The less weight you carry going uphill the easier it is.  We try to reduce every gram out of pedals, wheels and frames so why carry an extra 1kg in water up a hill if you don’t have to.  What about not drinking as much going into the climb to save a few more kilograms will this have a similar effect.  Cyclists have been known to regularly lose 2-4kg during road races.  Can a small amount of dehydration improve climbing ability?

A study at the AIS set out to answer this question.  They took a group of cyclists and made them ride for 2 hours prior to a ~20-30min hill climb to exhaustion.  Subjects were divided into two groups: those that were allowed to replace fluid and those that were not. All subjects got enough carbohydrate to meet their requirements for the effort.  

Those that were dehydrated prior to the climb were ~1.9kg lighter than those that were able to replace some of their losses prior to the climb starting.  Those that were dehydrated fatigued earlier and couldn’t complete as much of the climb as the cyclists who were not as dehydrated, and they had a higher core temperature. 

So ditching water bottles at the base of a climb may help improve performance while climbing but if the cyclist isn’t adequately hydrated prior to reaching the climb then that dehydration will have a dramatic impact on their ability to climb no matter how light they are.

The flip side is the cyclist you see on the road with up to 4 water bottles on their bike.  These cyclists leave for a ride fully stocked with enough fluid to meet 2 cyclists’ requirements.  They come back after a ride with 3 water bottles still full. 

Some criterium riders too, who are racing for less than an hour, have 2 water bottles hanging off their frame.  Criterium racers rarely have an opportunity to drink during a fast course and often complete the race having consumed only small amounts of fluid. 
This extra weight will impact on performance and in a short race, dehydration is less likely.

The goal of hydration for performance should be matching hydration to needs.  If you need to be in the best physical shape possible before you climb a mountain and make a decisive break - being well hydrated is of critical importance.  But if you need to be explosive in the sprint to the line in a criterium, carrying extra weight in water in your bottle cages isn’t the best strategy.

Know your requirements and meet them- no more, no less.

Ref: Ebert T et al. Influence of hydration status on Thermoregulation and cycling hill climbing, Med Sci Sports Ex, Vol 39, No 2, pp323-329.

Greg Shaw
Sports Dietitian
Department of Sports Nutrition
Australian Institute of Sport

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