The longest climb in world – tackling Mauna Kea with ENVE – The Enve crew was in Kona a few weeks back in support of the Ironman World Championships. And not to waste a trip to Hawaii for work, they decided to may a small detour to ride what many call the hardest road climb in the world. Starting at sea level it is 13,802ft (4207m) in only 55 miles (88.5km) up the road to the observatory on the top. Oh and there is a 5 mile washboard, ashy dirt road section before you get to the summit as well.
How did the group of six fare with the lack of oxygen as they got to the steepest pitches near the top? What about the 50°F (27.8°C) difference in temperature from bottom to top? What bike setup did they think was best?
Just watch the video they shot, and see for yourself. Then, read more at: Enve.com
Advocacy & Industry News
- UPS launches First-of-its-Kind US Urban e-cargo trike delivery – Sure package delivery by cargo bike is de rigueur in Europe, but it’s a pretty big deal that UPS is bringing it stateside too. Partnering with the city of Seattle & Univ. of Washington Freight Lab, UPS is deploying an urban delivery pilot project with a wild pedal-assist cargo e-Trike that works with modular package containers and a custom trailer that can switch from truck to bike delivery as they enter a city center. This isn’t some bike messenger on a fixie, but a huge van replacement for congested, loud city streets. UPS started in 1907 as a bicycle messenger company, and this harkens back to that zero-emissions, human-powered start. Sustainability.UPS.com
- Tempo Remote launches, stepping up remote cycling training potential – Tempo cycling & pilates studio run out of Portland by multi US & World Track champion and coach to many more champion-winning track cyclists, Kirk Whiteman has paired up with VeloPro, claiming to be the world’s first online dynamic training system for riders. Together cyclists can benefit from world-class training anywhere in the world, alongside in-studio training and coaching. Try it for free for two weeks at: TempoCycles.VeloPro.bike
- Kirk Pacenti moves on – Founder & director of Pacenti Cycle Design for more than a decade, Kirk Pacenti has turned over the reigns to his partners, who will carry on Pacenti’s product development mission. Kirk was an early 650B pioneer, pushed for wider alloy rims & introduced the uniquely short P-Dent handlebar system. The company wishes the man the best of luck in future endeavors, and we’ll keep an eye open to see what innovation each party comes up with next. PacentiCycleDesign.com
Where to Ride
- Ride gravel with Quoc tomorrow in the UK’s Surrey Hills – If you are free to ride outside of London on Saturday, Nov 3, shoemaker Quoc and bike travel hub Pannier.cc are co-hosting a 52km no-drop gravel ride around the UK’s Surrey Hills, visiting four of the finest viewpoints in the area. Everyone with 30+mm tires, MTB walkable shoes & mudguards are welcome. Start is at 10am at Pilgrim Cycles Bike Shop. Riders should be self-sufficient and can find the route on RideWithGPS or Komoot. Oh yeah, it also ends in The Stepping Stones Pub which is always a good sign.
- Register Now to Race the Sea Otter Classic next April – The Sea Otter Classic is one of the big openers of North American racing, running next Apr 11-14, 2019. There’s both Pro & Amateur races on offer including XC, Short Track, DH, Dual Slalom, Enduro, Road, Circuit, Crit, Cyclocross, and even eMTB. Almost all of the races are field limited and often sell out. Registration just opened yesterday, so make sure to snag a start spot quickly if you want to toe the line. SeaOtterClassic.com
- Register to race the Appenninica MTB stage race across Italy next July – Invitation only registration opened yesterday; public registration tomorrow. A max of 150 two-rider teams will be able to compete July 20-27, 2019 in the 1st edition of the Appenninica MTB – a 7-stage team race across one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, along a yet-to-be-revealed ridge route bisecting the length of the peninsula of Italy. It’ll cover 500km of terrain with more than 20,000m of climbing. Start training now!
- Ride Zwift’s virtual Tour of New York through this weekend – Don’t miss your last chances to take a bite out of their new Big Apple course. The Tour of New York runs through Nov 3 with five futuristic stages. Today (through Sunday actually) there are staggered re-runnings of each stage. So if the weather sucks out side, stay inside and explore NYC with Zwift.com
Gear & Contests
- Buy a Colnago C64 in new North America-only paint – It’s no stars & stripes, but Colnago is offering a new two-tone black & blue paint job on the C64 that will only be available in the US & Canada. Finished with white logos and still the Italian tricolore on the seat tube, the PJUS color code will be available in rim or disc brake versions through your local dealer. Colnago.com
