The dimensional precision and manufacturing tolerances insures that the air-flow over the surface of the SPEEDMAX CF is uninterrupted. The mechanical function of the integrated handlebars, brake/shift-levers and brakes calipers is flawless. In some poorly integrated systems turning the handlebars can cause the brakes to open and close. This can be dangerous, and it’s not the case with the SPEEDMAX CF. The SPEEDMAX CF was flawless.
The relationship of the bottom bracket and drop-outs is superb. The chain-stays are relatively short for a TT/ Tri bike, and although long chain-stays are often promoted by frame designers as a method to increase stability, I enjoy the instant power and responsiveness the short chain-stays offer. Furthermore, the short chain-stays do not compromise the chain-line and shifting. The chain-line is ideal for big gear power. I can shift all 11 gears in Dura-Ace Di2 in my 54 big ring, 39 small ring, and 11/28 rear set-up.
The brake actuation is superb. I have had decades of experience with special TT/ Tri bicycle brakes as a wheel designer, manufacturer and tester, and brake performance is typically a compromise between aerodynamic design, and performance, with stopping power usually lacking. The SPEEDMAX CF rim brakes are solid and powerful. The rim brake calipers on my Speedmax CF work as well as my Dura-Ace Caliper brakes on my CANYON ULTIMATE CF. Furthermore, the left-right-center adjustability, and open/close width is robust.
The handlebar mounted hydration system functions equally well compared to other integrated systems. There is nothing special about the SPEEDMAX CF hydration system that makes it any better or worse than competitors’ systems. Although the handlebar mounted hydration system slides into place on a rail, it does not lock-down, and it is not tightly secured. There is a significant friction generated by an interference fit, and I was never fearful that it may inadvertently detach; I was satisfied with the security and performance of the design. The hydration system is difficult to assemble/ disassemble and clean, but this is typical with all integrated hydration systems. The hydration system is difficult to drink from, and for me, it’s easier to grab a bottle from a cage than to struggle with a straw. I prefer a frame mounted bottle with an aerodynamic shape. I should mention that wind tunnel tests preformed by CANYON suggest performance benefits when the hydration system is attached, so racing with the hydration system mounted, but empty may also be an option to consider. I have not validated that claim, but I am familiar with the fastidious nature of the CANYON engineering team and the rigor of their test protocol, and I believe that their improved performance claim is valid.
Despite the benefits of the hydration system, I decided not use the integrated hydration system and I removed it because:
The Arm Pads are slippery when I am sweating, and I am sweating most of the time. A pad solution with more grip to make me feel like my elbows are firmly anchored would be a welcomed improvement.
I would prefer that the hand grips on the wing-bar to be positioned farther forward. The position is too far rearward by 100 mm. Moving the hand grips forward would open up the chest and breathing while climbing. The CANYON SPEEDMAX CF is such a great climbing bike that this additional improvement for hand position would make this TT/ Tri bike a climbing machine. A more forward hand grip position would also provide better steering control for high-speed maneuvers.
The SPEEDMAX CF is stiff. It is a race bike. The short chain-stays contribute to the stiff rear triangle, and the nearly vertical straight fork adds to the stiff feel. If the ride is too stiff you can soften the feel with carbon saddle rail options, and saddle designs that minimize vibration and absorb road roughness.
The SPEEDMAX CF steering feels predictable and accurate under power, however with no power input when coasting through a high-speed tight turn, especially if it's slightly off-camber, the SPEEDMAX CF will over-steer slightly. Steering is not the strong suit of any TT/ Tri bike, and I want to emphasize that the SPEEDMAX CF is as stable as any other TT/ Tri bike, so just be aware- small steering inputs work best.
Despite any of my small criticisms, the CANYON SPEEDMAX CF is possibly the best TT/ Tri bike you can race. If you're considering a TT/ Tri bike and your research begins and ends here, you can confidently make your purchase of a CANYON SPEEDMAX CF.
As the previous owner of FASTER Wind Tunnel, I’ve spent a lot of time in the Wind Tunnel, and I have posted a report TT VS ROAD BIKE- HOW MUCH FASTER? comparing the CANYON SPEEDMAX CF to the CANYON ULTIMATE CF.
]]>You may have seen images of big cities with empty streets, empty shops, and empty parks as a result of Coronavirus, or perhaps you have experienced this in the city where you live. The National Parks are closed, and the Las Vegas Strip is open and deserted. The deserted Strip presented an irresistible opportunity for cycling on the Strip. The Resorts are all closed and one of the most congested 3-miles of road in the world is absent of gamblers, party-goers, cars and limousines. Las Vegas was a wild West ghost town.
Under normal circumstances, the risk of cycling the Strip is high. The combination of drivers from another city or country unfamiliar with the road, the distraction of the lights, and sounds of the Strip, drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and sheer congestion makes the Las Vegas Strip a portion of road to avoid. Coronavirus changed everything, if only for a moment in time.
The last time I was on the Las Vegas Strip on a bicycle was in 1996 with Alex Stieda when we both found ourselves in Las Vegas for Interbike (trade show) in and we decided to ride from our hotel on the strip out to Red Rock Canyon, ride the Red Rock Canyon Loop Road, and back to our hotel (50-miles ride). Alex had retired from professional cycling and he was Sales Director for Softride bicycles.
We left the hotel at around 5:30 AM so that we could get back for the 9 AM start of the trade show, and fortunately we only had to endure a few-hundred yards on the Strip until we were able to depart the Strip to head West to our destination, Red Rock Canyon Loop Road. Red Rock Canyon Loop Road is spectacular in every aspect, and the main photo on my blog was taken there. It’s open generally from sunrise to sunset 365-days of-the-year. I highly recommend this ride for anyone visiting Las Vegas. It’s been a wonderful memory to have experienced Red Rock Canyon Loop Road for my first time with Alex. Alex Stieda is a former professional Canada cyclist. In the 1986 Tour de France, he led five classifications on the second day: the general classification, the mountains classification, the combination classification, the intermediate sprints classification and the young rider classification. He also became the first North American to lead the Tour De France. Riding the Strip is not on most cyclists’ bucket list. There’s nothing identifiable or associated with a great cycling experience. It’s the one place most cyclists would avoid, but on this day the Las Vegas Strip experience could not have been better. The 3-lane road was smooth and flat, and I was all alone to experience the Strip in a way that few have ever had the opportunity.
I made one full loop from my starting point at the far South end of the Strip, Town Square to my turn-around point at the far North end of the Strip, Fremont Street Experience and back South to where I started, Town Square. I can’t say that I had the Las Vegas experience, not the kind of experience most people associate with Las Vegas, but for any cyclist, this Las Vegas experience was one I’ll remember as one of the most unique experiences I’ve had on a bicycle.
Las Vegas took a big hit from Covid-19, and as it has done many times in its past will regenerate and reinvent itself. I have no doubt that Las Vegas will rebound from the devastating effects of Coronavirus, and that it is only a matter of time until the Strip will be bustling and hotels will be back to full occupancy. As I have seen so many times, having lived in Las Vegas since 1996… “The show must go on.”
Given all options are available to you- road, off-road (MTB), and stationary cycling, which option is the best option? And, if you are in a region where the Coronavirus restrictions are lifting, what decisions will you make? Coronavirus introduced significant risk not only to our health and well-being, but also our lifestyle, and curtailing or modifying our cycling program is not easy medicine for us to take.
First, let’s explore stationary/ indoor options. Many elite athletes choose to train at least intermittently on a stationary set-up, whether it’s a semi-permanent system or mobile system such as rollers or a device that attaches to the rear wheel of your bicycle. Training on a stationary set-up can provide several advantages over riding the road or trails.
Weather, temperature, and light are known considerations and involve no pre-planning, and clothing decisions are simple, and no helmet. Food and water are conveniently available, and in unlimited quantities. Road and trail hazards such as automobiles and animals are not of concern. I’ve been hit by a car and collided with a horse in a race (future blog articles). Streaming music, video, podcasts, and audio-books are all on demand.
Other reasons to ride indoors (if you’ve never considered them): conference calls where your participation is mostly listening, young children needing supervision (and you can’t leave although you want to), waiting for a service to arrive to repair an appliance or your very-important WiFi.
Assuming that your default training/ recreation program is outdoor cycling, and you’re not set up for indoor cycling, let’s take a look at options for setting up stationary/ indoor cycling taking into account several factors.
Your considerations should include: floor space available, semi-permanent or mobile equipment requirement, and electric power availability.
Additional considerations are:
Finding the optimum environment and physical space to support my equipment.
If you are restricted by floor space, and you need a compact and mobile solution, your best options are either rear-wheel resistance trainers or rollers. Rear wheel resistance trainers offer stability. Rear-wheel resistance trainers and rollers can be loud, and if you happen to be on a second floor residence, the people below you may be disturbed, and if you share a residence with someone, this cycling set-up is best in another room if someone may be sleeping while you’re cycling.
Many elite athletes prefer rollers for their real-feel. They provide a highly-authentic cycling experience. If you’ve never ridden rollers before, they can be challenging (and possibly dangerous), so proceed cautiously.
Stationary semi-permanent systems are typically known as spin-bikes. Some are energized systems which can offer computerized training solutions, and others require no electrical connection. Typically, both systems are relatively quiet, and some are essentially silent, which makes them a nice option if you live on a second floor residence or if you share a residence with someone. They are typically heavy, so moving them can be difficult, and may require help to initially set-it up, or to move it from one place to another. Some of these systems are similar in size to a rear-wheel resistance training or roller set-up: none of these systems are more compact, and many of these systems are larger.
If low cost is your goal, then the lowest cost option is a rear-wheel resistance trainer or rollers (although there are some higher-end, more expensive models).
Tacx | Kreitler | Inside Ride | Saris Cycleops
Stationary semi-permanent systems range from medium to high cost.
WAHOO | Peloton Bike | LeMond RevMaster
So, you’ve considered your options, and you’ve decided to cycle outdoors. What are your risks and what are your rewards?
Risks
Rewards
A Compromise
I’ve found a compromise that I think I can live with, and that can work for me. I’ve come to enjoy stationary cycling outdoors. What I mean is, if you have a yard, garden, patio, veranda, deck, etc. you can put your stationary cycling equipment outside and enjoy some of the benefits of being outdoors. Of course you'll have to consider rain or snow, and in some cases electrical power.
I’ve chosen a non-energized system that is mobile/ semi-portable, and placed it outside in my yard/ garden. I can stream media to my mobile phone, and even connect with other cyclists using an app via my mobile phone.
ZWIFT | The Sufferfest | RGT Cycling | TRAINER ROAD
Stationary cycling in an outdoor venue was the best of both worlds for me. It presented the best opportunity for cycling fitness with the lowest risk, and the least disruption to the household. Coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown, I'm sure to venture back out onto the road and trails, but cycling through the Coronavirus pandemic on a stationary bike has added a dimension to my cycling enjoyment, and it has demonstrated that stationary cycling can become a practical and valuable part of a training routine.
Stay fit, healthy, and safe.
]]>Traveling around-the-world with my bicycle, I've had the pleasure of experiencing many different coffee cultures, farmers, brands & roasts. Arriving back home, I've searched for the aromas and experiences that I've enjoyed on my travels. After decades of cycling, travel and coffee, I've created special roasts that remind me of my favorite experiences, and I think you will enjoy them. I invite you to experience the aroma, the flavor, and of course, the fuel of my very special freshly roasted coffee. You'll immediately notice the difference between typical premium coffee (which looses flavor after aging in a commercial supply chain), and the TARMACANDIRT farm direct coffee that arrives to you freshly roasted. Cycling and coffee make the perfect pair. Explore a city on a bicycle and discover the perfect coffee shop, cycle to exhaustion, focused and painful suffering, or cycle leisurely, taking in your surroundings. The thought of beginning, ending or interrupting your journey with coffee is part of cycling. Photo (left/ above): With Dean Gestal, former Reynolds Cycling CEO and Rwandan National Cycling Team.
Cycling and coffee have a symbiotic relationship. The growth of the cycling and coffee cultures have happened simultaneously. Take a look around, and you won’t have to look far to find coffee and bicycles together everywhere- in a branding logo, as part of a cycling routine for a team or a recreational group, even on the continent of Africa where bicycles are not only used by coffee farmers, but cycling has become a national sport for many African Nations such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Cycling and coffee are both experiential and inspirational, Christoper Morley said, “The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets.” Photo (right/ above): At Tour of Rwanda, part of the UCI Africa Tour as a wheel sponsor of the Rwandan National Cycling Team/ Africa Rising.
Not only is coffee a great drink, but it can improve athletic and cognitive performance, and findings from an August 2018 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, a peer-reviewed medical journal) report suggests coffee drinking is associated with a longer life span.
Paul Lew, "Bicycles make friends"
My passion for cycling, suffering, mathematics, and a life that is bigger than mine has awarded me with more than 30 years of experience and global travel to meet and interact with extraordinary people. This is my first article in my ongoing blog where I will share stories and perspectives of my lifetime in the cycling industry. I’ll share insight from personal experiences and experiences of my colleagues, evaluate products and events, interview people important to the cycling world, investigate health and performance, contemplate the future, evaluate the current, and reflect on the past.
As I think back to my earliest memories, athletic endeavors and mathematics have been an enjoyment and fascination for me. At a very young age I recall thinking that competitive swimming might become a passion. I was introduced to the sport of swimming by a swim instructor named Gary Dilley who was a Silver-medalist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, just one-year after I was born in 1963. I realize that my interaction with him at a young age gave me a very personal understanding of the passion a person can develop for sport. At age 8 I began playing competitive tennis, rising to a level of National (USA) competition by high school. Also, in high-school I added cross-country, and track. In college (US Naval Academy and Ball State University) I competed in tennis, squash, cross-country, and triathlon.
Triathlon was fantastic. It posed the most impossible challenge to master. It demanded time and focus. It was loaded with health and nutrition challenges, and then there was the equipment and the technology all combined in competition with the most obsessive and competitive group of people you will meet.
Triathlon was my introduction to cycling. I am competitive by nature, and every sport was enjoyable, not for the sake of the sport, but for the competition. Triathlon represented what seemed to me to be the ultimate competitive environment. For years I competed in both professional and age group events. In reflection, the sport didn’t matter, it was the competition… until cycling.
Cycling was different. Cycling is about suffering as much as it is about competition. While cycling is only one sport compared to the three sports of triathlon, cycling represented more. I found the same obsessive competitive personalities, the same health and nutrition challenges, and the majority of equipment and technology in triathlon is cycling related, but what triathlon lacked that I found in cycling was depth, depth in physical suffering and depth in the culture of cycling. Don’t misunderstand me, the suffering in a full IRONMAN® distance competition is life-changing and emotional, but the suffering in cycling is part of the culture of cycling.
Hours turn into days, days into weeks... months, years, and decades of suffering is a special place to live life, and misery loves company- and builds bonds of friendship. Bicycles make friends… good friends. I first experienced this thought as a reflection thinking back to the friendship I developed more than 30-years ago with Keith Lewis, the person who introduced me to cycling, and the years of suffering I experienced with him sharing cycling experiences.
“Cycling is an excruciating sport - a rider’s power is only as great as his capacity to endure pain - and it is often remarked that the best cyclists experience their physical agonies as a relief from private torments. The bike gives suffering a purpose.” -The New Yorker on Team Rwanda, and inspired by Jonathan "Jock" Boyer, one of the most important figures in competitive cycling, founder of Team Rwanda, and the first American to race the Tour de France®.
At some point, I realized that the environment of pain and shared understanding of suffering builds bonds with other cyclists and also with inanimate cycling equipment. Just like the teammates and companions you rely on to take a pull, to talk you through the pain, to share the suffering, cyclists learn to depend on their equipment, they challenge it during a race, expect it to perform on demand, and care for it afterwards; as a result an emotional connection to their cycling equipment is created.
Enter my fascination with mathematics, and especially the special mathematical constant π (Pi) which is approximately 3.14159265. Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Pi is also an irrational number, which means that its value cannot be expressed exactly as a simple fraction. As a result, Pi is an infinite decimal. I was fascinated with the concept of Pi as an irrational number which represents infinite value to engineers of circles. Pi is an irrational constant with a valuable purpose, similar to the concept of how the irrational constant associated with suffering finds purpose in cycling. I suppose I first considered the concept of Pi as a mathematical utility as part of my fascination with bicycle mechanics, and specifically bicycle wheels.
Suffering represents the essence of cycling as a culture, and bicycle wheels represent the mechanical essence of cycling equipment. Bicycle wheels (okay, and the tires) are the components of the bicycle which connect the rider with the road or the trail; they are the single piece of mechanical equipment which simultaneously touch the tarmacandirt and the bicycle. They also, arguably represent the most mechanically significant cycling component. They impact speed, comfort, durability, reliability, and offer infinite variability that can fascinate a cycling obsessed enthusiast and engineer (like me).
Anyone who knows me, knows that my lifetime in the cycling industry has been largely focused on bicycle wheels. While my obsession with cycling, and specifically bicycle wheels, is emotional, they fulfill a need for a very practical and enduring creative and mathematical challenge which I enjoy. Furthermore, the design, engineering, and manufacturing of bicycle wheels means that I have had an opportunity to create something that takes on a life of its own; something that is bigger than me.
My first introduction to product design, and the possibility of being part of something bigger than me came in 1988 with my introduction to Myles Levin, Profile Design's first Marketing & Sales Director, and an invitation to join him at the Texas A & M University Wind Tunnel to test a handlebar design of mine (our more than 30-year friendship began on that trip). Profile Design was a sponsor of the United States Cycling Federation, and representatives Chris Carmichael and Steve Penny there with several young junior cyclists, one of which was George Hincapie (a future article). I didn’t realize it at the time, but that experience created the concept that I came to understand- that my designs become something that a cyclist can take on his or her own journey, and in a very unique way, I get the exquisite privilege of being a part of their cycling culture.
Perhaps cycling is not suffering at all; perhaps cycling is healing- not just a sport, but a culture which can help to alleviate true human suffering through teamwork such as building coffee bikes for Rwandan coffee farmers, uniting otherwise adversarial counties as teammates in global competition, creating multinational design and manufacturing opportunities and strengthening relationships and respect in business through supply chains.
Perhaps simply, cycling and bicycles build bridges, knock down walls, break social barriers, find equality without racial prejudices, and see the world as a place where everyone can share a common language, culture, and respect.
Perhaps, “Bicycles make friends.”
Paul Lew, "Bicycles make friends"
]]>In 1986 I purchased my first racing bicycle with the intention of competing in a triathlon. Triathlon led me to cycling and cycling became my true passion. Having competed competitively in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and cycling nearly every day of my life since 1986 means that I’ve ridden more than 10,000 days.
The magic happens every ride- the bicycle provides a special experience every time. My passion for cycling has become a lifelong career as a designer, engineer, manufacturer, business owner, industry consultant, advocate for standards and safety, and expert witness. My determination to shape the future of cycling has manifest itself in my obsession with technology- aerodynamic performance of the Black Hole Wheel, the design and patent of the first carbon-fiber clincher, the introduction of unidirectional, inert-gas molded carbon-fiber construction to the cycling industry, and the lightest production wheels in the world, the Lew Racing PRO VT-1, and many more (future articles).
Lew Composites, from which former employees spun off the Enve and Easton brands was my first Las Vegas based manufacturing company. Lew Composites was acquired and transformed into Reynolds Cycling, and for a decade I was Director of Technology and Innovation for Reynolds Cycling.
Over my 20-year long relationship with Shimano, I designed their first WH-7700 wheel line, molding technology, and set-up their carbon wheel factory. As an OEM supplier/ carbon-fiber manufacturer/ design consultant to Trek, ASI (Fuji Kestrel USA, Oval Concepts), DT Swiss, Storck, Canyon, Campagnolo, Corima, Specialized, Ritchey, Mercury, and more than 20 other cycling brands, I’ve been fortunate to work with the best cycling professionals in the industry, and I was one of the founding stakeholders and Vice-Chairman of the WFSGI/ UCI Wheel Committee which established guidelines for carbon-fiber wheel safety and testing.
The experience of personally designing and manufacturing cycling products for, and supporting Tour De France Champions and stage winners, World Championships, Olympic Champions, Hour Record Holders, Ironman Champions, and Ironman bike course record holders has provided insight and experiences I look forward to sharing in future articles.
The excitement and friendships created from having traveled with multiple teams in the Tour De France, and Giro D’Italia, Vuelta a España, as well as countless other UCI and Pro-Continental teams and competitions have created opportunities to share stories from the world of competitive cycling from a personal perspective.
In addition to my cycling career, I provide design and manufacturing services for Unmanned Aircraft/ Drones to the US Government, State Law Enforcement, and served as an advisor to the NASA UTM program. For a list of my design, engineering, and manufacturing cycling projects as well as a full clients list which includes GE Aircraft Engines, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, please visit Paul Lew Design.
Paul Lew, "Bicycles make friends"]]>