Tech of the week: SRM/Look pedal power meter, Chris Froome’s numbers and more
Also Zipp wheel updates, tubeless tyres from Pirelli and Ford’s virtual reality cycling headset
How to win the Giro d’Italia
We’ve had a mop-up of the sensational last few stages of the Giro this week, of course focussing on Chris Froome’s race-winning Stage 19 ride as well as his attack on the Zoncolan.
Velon has released a summary of Froome’s power output files from those stages and we’ve had a look at his impressive numbers. Dave Brailsford has told us the pre-race team planning that went into the Stage 19 break too.
Now all Froome has to do is to get back to peak form for the Tour de France. We’ve asked whether a rider can peak for two grand tours in a row, as he attempts to repeat Marco Pantani’s feat of 20 years ago.
Power meters, tyres and VR headsets
Of course, power data analysis is crucial to the pros’ training regimes. One key measure is functional threshold power or FTP – we’ve told you what it is and how to use it.
There’s a new pedal based power meter from SRM and Look that will help you to measure your FTP and we were at the launch this week. Power meter specialist SRM says that it’s as accurate as its crank based system used by many pro teams, gives you the same stats and is easy to set up and calibrate.
Pirelli has launched its first tubeless tyre. The Cinturato is aimed at endurance riders and comes in four widths from 26mm up to 35mm. We have our initial impressions of the new tyre, having ridden it over some strade bianche as well as tarmac roads in Italy.
Zipp has updated its NSW and Firecrest wheel lines this week too, making the former tubeless ready and adding Showstopper brake tracks and Sawtooth dimples from the NSW range to the Firecrest. We’ve also given you our pick of British brand steel bikes this week, including bespoke and off-the-shelf options and told you about PedalEd's first women's clothing range and Muc-Off's new tubeless sealant.
The relationship with motorists is a constant source of tension on the road. Now Ford has looked to do something about it with a virtual reality headset, as part of its Share The Road campaign.
The headset lets car drivers experience what it feels like to cycle in traffic and cyclists see what it feels like to drive around riders.
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Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.
He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.
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