CyclistDoes cycling have a problem with over-the-counter medication? Part 3: The truthIn the final part of the series read part one and part two if you missed those investigating the use of over-the-counter medication for enhancing performance, Cyclist finds out whats being taken and whether we can ever find out the truth.In part two we spoke about gateway theory, and in practice it seems to be more supplements than over-the-counter medication. Its an area that Jacek Kapela, who we met in part one, is familiar with.Im always looking for something thats going to help me with my riding, he says. In front of me now, I have a range of supplements including high-absorption magnesium, L-arginine, coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine.At the moment, my friends and I are discussing ways to improve performance by way of better oxygen flow. We follow a nutritionist called Asker Jeukendrup who works for Visma-Lease a Bike. Hes shown that supplementation of L-citrulline with L-arginine will improve your blood flow and your oxygen intake. Like beetroot, though I dont use the shots but I do eat a lot of beetroot. I also use DHEA. That has helped hugely.Jaque Silva/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesDHEA is an endogenous steroid hormone precursor that produces testosterone. Its often used by males who, like Kapela, are over 50. My testosterone level dropped to 190 ng/dl [nanograms per decilitre] from around 380 ng/dl, he says. Youre considered to have low testosterone levels if you dip below 190 ng/dl. Its illegal in cycling [you would need a TUE] but its helped my recovery, my riding and my general health. I take a 100 milligramme capsule once a day.As Kapela says, its on WADAs prohibited list. He also stresses its for general health as much as cycling, albeit a 2012 paper entitled, Psychosocial predictors of doping intentions and use in sport and exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis, found that there is probably higher susceptibility to doping among sub-elite or older athletes. Thats not applicable to Kapela, but it is to several riders he knows.We have a big group ride here in Warsaw; there are up to 200 of us, he says. There are ex-professionals and good amateur riders. When I first started to ride with them, I heard that some of them were doping. I couldnt believe it. There are no prizes to be won, no money made, we are just having a group ride. But they were right, with synthetic testosterone the most popular because its cheap and effective. Theyre not using it for health but solely for cycling performance. You realise that in amateur cycling, there are a lot of ambitious people who want to show up and simply ride strong to look good.If that numbers under ten of the 200, that would roughly tally with Ask Vest Christiansens 2023 study into recreational athletes that kicked off part one, which showed the prevalence of bonafide doping was really low: zero in females and 3.1% in males. Related Posts Does cycling have a problem with over-the-counter medication? Part 2: Ethics Does cycling have a problem with over-the-counter medication? Part 1: The study, the law and Tramadol Doping in cycling: Everything you need to know Ketones for cycling: What are they, do they work and are they banned? Can we ever know the truth?Francis Dean/Corbis via Getty ImagesWe couldnt corroborate Kapelas revelations, leaving uncertainty about the figures, which is the final area well delve into: how do the likes of Christiansen overcome social desirability bias, i.e. when respondents give answers that they believe will make them look good to others and so concealing their true opinions of experience?Christiansen used the randomised response technique, which asks respondents to use a randomisation device, such as a coin flip, with the outcome unobserved by the interviewer. By introducing random noise, the method conceals individual responses and protects respondent privacy.For us, we asked in which month your mother was born, he says. If it was February, March or April, please reply yes to the next question. If she was born in any other month, reply honestly to the next question. We then ask, Do you often use over-the-counter medication for performance purposes? For the respondents whose mothers arent born in those months, they can see that at least 25% will answer yes, meaning they wont stick out if they answer yes. Its an incentive to answer more honestly.Another truth-finder is flagged up by USADAs Laura Lewis. A team of French researchers investigated the prevalence of drug use in ultra running. Intent on gaining more accurate results than a randomised-response questionnaire, they collected urine samples from experimental urinals positioned near the start line of UTMB races that were used by male participants within three hours of the start. These urinals were connected to a custom-made tubing system positioned on the urinal drainpipe. The participants presence in the urinal cubicle was detected by a presence sensor, which triggered an antenna that read the runners radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to his bib. Resulting signals were computed to generate a presence-detection file associated with an encrypted tag code, thus preserving the participants anonymity.They discovered that among the 412 individual urine samples, 205 (49.8%) contained at least one substance and 16.3% of the samples contained one or more prohibited substances. Substances detected in urine included non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (22.1%), acetaminophen (15.5%), opioids (6.6%), diuretics (4.9%), hypnotics (4.4%), glucocorticoids (2.7%), beta2 agonists (2.2%), cannabinoids (1.9%) and stimulants (1.2%). As a snapshot, 12.9% of respondents to a separate questionnaire reported using NSAIDs, nearly 10% lower than physiologically proven.What does all of this mean? Well, its safe to say that over-the-counter medication is being used, but its impossible to find out and be sure of whether its for enabling or enhancing performance. And theres clearly never going to be doping controls on club rides. So arguably the main takeaway is to reflect on what we would do to improve cycling performance and whether that marries with our principles, our values and our attitude to life. Do painkillers and co. enable or enhance performance? And where do you draw the line?If you missed the previous parts, make sure to read part one and part two. Related Posts Does cycling have a problem with over-the-counter medication? Part 2: Ethics Does cycling have a problem with over-the-counter medication? Part 1: The study, the law and Tramadol Doping in cycling: Everything you need to know Ketones for cycling: What are they, do they work and are they banned? The post Does cycling have a problem with over-the-counter medication? Part 3: The truth appeared first on Cyclist.

Yes, you read that right, this new carbon Lapierre Spicy CF enduro bike is both a high-pivot and a low-pivot mountain bike in one. It is a race-ready enduro bike. We already Isabeau Courdurier win the Bielsko-Biaa Enduro World Cup on the bike earlier this summer. But by being able to shift the swingarm mount and swap one link, you can transform it into a bikepark shredder, too whether you prefer a full 29er or mullet wheel setup.2024 Lapierre Spicy CF carbon transformer enduro bike(Photo/Cory Benson)Seriously, one bike that is both a high-pivot and a low-pivot is a pretty wild concept, not to mention a flip-chip to swap wheelsizes too!We first spotted Courdurier on the new 2024 Lapierre Spicy CF carbon enduro bike back at the new Bielsko-Biaa UCI World Cup venue in May. She won on the new bike, set up in the more conventional-looking low-pivot position and with a mullet 29 front/27.5 rear wheel combo. (Photo/Grzegorz Radziwonowski)So frankly, I simply overlooked that extra unused high-pivot mounting hole when we were snapping sneak peek photos of the new bike in and out of the rain.But theres some pretty cool innovation tucked inside this transforming carbon enduro bike!Whats new?Well, pretty much everything is new. The previous enduro Spicy had been a shared Horst-link platform with the all-mountain Zesty. But the Zesty got its own upgrade at the start of the summer, and now its time for a bigger update to the Spicy! The general 4-bar concept is pretty much the only thing that remains.(Photos by Jb Liautard/Lapierre)The all-new Lapierre Spicy CF has been reshaped from the ground up to be more versatile for the type of riding & racing modern enduro bikes actually see. Now with longer 180mm forks, and either 170mm travel out back with a 29 rear wheel or 174mm with a 27.5 rear wheel.Lapierre wanted to create a bike that was equally at home doing bike park runs as it was during enduro races and pedaling back to the top. And they also wanted to satisfy both riders looking for the stability of a full 29er setup or the agility of a mullet wheel combo. The time came to decide whether to stick with a main low-pivot (LP) or shift to a high-pivot (HP), and Lapierre said, Why not both?High-Pivot vs. Low-PivotWhat enduro rider hasnt wanted to own a high-pivot mountain bike, but worried about being able to use it on a daily basis? With its unique HP/LP concept, the new Spicy CF is the solution! There are so many ways to ride enduro that we wanted no limits on this new Spicy! From rolling terrain to the steepest slopes theres bound to be a configuration to suit, with 4 possible versions without compromise. Nicolas VouillozLapierre calls this the bike that will revolutionize the enduro market. By keeping the same rear triangle, but changing the height of the main pivot, the new Spicy CF changes the path of the rear wheel under compression, and the overall kinematics of the suspension. In the High Pivot position, the rear wheel recoils further than in the Low Pivot position, providing better absorption of large impacts.Suspension progression remains pretty constant in every possible mode and air or coil shocks for a plush start and more support as you ride through the travel. But the new high-pivot is inherently a bit more linear.Swapping between the 2 modes and wheelsizesChanging between the two positions requires just 4 relatively simple steps:Unbolt and rebolt the main pivot location high or lowInstall the idler pulley & chain guide on the swingarm in HP mode, or just the chain guide on the frame in LP modeSwap in the appropriate upper rocker link HP or LP, which differ in overall length, and length from the seatstay to downtube connectionsPut the 3-position flip-chip in the correct position LP mullet, LP 29er/HP mullet, or HP 29erEnduro Geometry for every occasionEach of the 4 different suspension modes and wheel size settings slightly alters geometry. But Lapierre says it has evolved and tweaked the new Spicy CF geometry to be more capable in every trail situation.Compared to the old bike, seat angle has been dramatically steepened to 78 for better climbing, and frame Reach has grown to match a more forward position with better weight balance over the front wheel. Head tube angle is also slacker to 63.5 to accommodate a 10mm longer travel fork, and give the bikes a more stable feel on the steepest, roughest tracks. Lastly, BB height is 3mm higher because of the higher front end, but is effectively unchanged at the recommended 30% sag.(Photo by Boris Beyer/Lapierre Zipp Collective)One big geometry shift is the addition of a new fifth size (XS-XL). That smaller XS was made possible by the forward shift and generally longer Reach figures letting Lapierre keep the old small Reach for an extra small bike. Thats a big bonus for self-described Tiny Enduro MTB rider Isabeau Courdurier whos already won on the bike, but also for young enduro racers and bikepark groms.Tech detailsBesides the new transformer suspension tech, the new Lapierre Spicy CF also gets some functional carbon tech upgrades. Aiming for improved stiffness where it counts mostly in the rear triangle the bike moves fully to Lapierres lightweight hi-mod UD SLI carbon construction with a claimed frame weight of 3.2kg (M in HP configuration).Keeping their light feel and low center of gravity concept, the new Spicy CF gets in-frame storage inside the downtube, with a toolkit bag and place to stuff spares and/or a jacket. The frame features internal cable routing through the Zero Stack Acros Lock Block headset for mechanical or electronic drivetrains, a PressFit bottom bracket, Boost rear end, metric trunnion shock, UDH compatibility with SRAM T-type derailleurs, ISCG tabs, a mini rear shock fender, headtube bumpers (for double crown forks) that double as external routing ports, and integrated upper & lower downtube & chainstay protectors.Lapierre Spicy CF Pricing, options & availabilityThe all-new 2024 Lapierre Spicy CF enduro bike comes in 4 complete mullet bike builds and 1 frame kit. All come pre-configured in the High-Pivot (HP) setting and include the Low-Pivot (LP) rocker. Plus, all 5 sizes (XS-XL) can be run with 29er or mullet wheel setups by flipping the included flip-chips. 2024 Lapierre Spicy CF 6.9The Adventure blue Lapierre Spicy CF 6.9 is the entry price point at 5500 and 16.5kg complete, with a RockShox Zeb Select fork, Vivid Air shock, and a Shimano Deore mechanical build kit.2024 Lapierre Spicy CF 7.9The 6500 & 16.1kg Sequoia green Spicy CF 7.9 upgrades to Fox 38 Performance Elite & Float X2 Performance suspension and also a mixed Deore/SLX/XT build kit.2024 Lapierre Spicy CF 8.9For 7000 at 16kg, the Olive green Spicy CF 8.9 goes for Fox Factory suspension and a mostly XT build, also upgrading from house-branded wheels to DT Swiss EX1700 alloy enduro wheels with a 36T SL star ratchet.2024 Lapierre Spicy CF TeamLastly, at 10,000 in Cosmic orange, the Lapierre Spicy CF Team bumps up to a RockShox Zeb & Vivid Air Ultimate setup with a SRAM X01 Eagle build kit, but still mechanical so itll be cheaper to replace when you eventually crash into the rocks. Plus, you get new carbon DT EXC1501 wheels with a Ratchet EXP freehub, all adding up to 15.8kg complete.Lapierre Spicy CF Team framesetIf you want to build up your own super enduro bike, then opt for the 3700 Spicy CF Team frame kit in Racing blue which comes with the RockShox Vivid Air 2 Ultimate shock, your headset, thru-axle with a bottle opener on the lever, and the kit for switching to the Low-Pivot configuration, too.2024 Lapierre Spicy CF AvailabilityThe new bike is officially this years model, but you may still have a hard time getting ahold of one before early Autumn as stock is limited. Some sizes and models are ready to go right now, though. Also, Lapierre is running Test Tour dates around France this September, which may be one of the best ways to see and try out the new bike in both of its HP/LP suspension setups. Check with your local dealer for dates and places.LapierreBikes.comThe post Innovative Lapierre Spicy CF Carbon Enduro Bike is Both High-Pivot & Low-Pivot, You Pick! appeared first on Bikerumor.

Puck Pieterse looked incredibly strong in the women's mountain bike at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Sadly for the 22-year-old Dutchwoman however, a late puncture ended any hopes of a medal. As is the case with most sports though, there is no time to dwell on disappointment, with the next goal just...

Traditionally one of the most chaotic and hard to predict races on the entire racing calendar, the men's road race at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris has the potential to be an absolute thriller. Although Denmark will start with multiple potential gold medal winning options, Mattias Skjelmose insist...

Fizik has partnered with Kenyan cycling Team Amani to make two flashy limited editions of their most popular gravel bike shoes. And the results are pretty killer. At the top tier are the latest lightweight Boa & Powerstrap Ferox Carbon shoes in special Amani pink & white zebra stripes. And at the more affordable end of the spectrum are a pair single Boa Atlas shoes developed with their Black Mamba development team in the bright orange & yellow snakeskin printFizik Team Amani limited edition gravel bike shoesTheres nothing new tech-wise in either of these shoes we covered the separate launches of the Ferox Carbon and Atlas before. But in a world of often drab black, white, and earth-tone cycling shoes, its refreshing to see some bold exciting patterns & colors. (To be fair, Fizik has already done pretty well with eye-searing pink and orange on-road & off-road shoes this year.)Tech detailsSpecial edition Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon Team Amani gravel race shoesDurable upper made of a lightweight woven mesh laminated to a perforated polyurethane, with heel & toe reinforcementone Li2 BOA dial system for forefoot adjustmentone Powerstrap velcro strap for instep/midfoot adjustmentX1 Carbon outsole with rubber tread and replaceable toes spikesStiffness index 10Weight: 297g per shoe (claimed, +20g insole)Sizing: EU 36-48 whole sizes, plus 37-47 half sizes$309 / 309Special edition Fizik Terra Atlas Black Mamba gravel shoes1-piece perforated synthetic upper, with wrap-around TPU heel-to-toe reinforcementone L6 BOA dial system for whole foot adjustmentX5 Nylon outsole with rubber tread and replaceable toes spikesStiffness index 5Weight: 355g per shoe (claimed, +20g insole)Sizing: EU 36-48 whole sizes, plus 37-47 half sizes$169 / 169Fizik Team Amani zebras and Black Mamba snakesFizik calls the special Vento Ferox Carbon Team Amani gravel shoes a limited-edition Team Amani colorway, featuring bold colors and bright patterns inspired by the wildlife from Team Amanis home country of Kenya.And they describe the special edition Terra Atlas Black Mamba as developed in collaboration with the men and women of Black Mamba U-23 Development Squad, our allterrain all-rounder Atlas is now available in a bright, new colorway to celebrate these vibrant, young riders.Get them both now direct from Fizik.Fizik.comThe post Fizik Ferox Team Amani & Atlas Black Mamba Shoe Collabs Deliver Killer Kenyan Gravel Style appeared first on Bikerumor.

21-year-old Italian prospect, Daniel Gianello should be out on his bike, training for his next race. But after the Overall Cycling Team was hit by a motorbike whilst training, that sadly isn't the case.Gianello remains hospitalized in Lugano, continuing his battle for recovery. He has a notable supp...

Seth Dunwoody (Cannibal B Victorious) got back to wining ways on home roads at the weekend, when he claimed victory in the final round of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series and now he has transferred that form to UCI-ranked racing in Europe. The Irish junior with some big fixtures in the green of []The post Seth Dunwoody takes latest big result in UCI-ranked race | Video appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

A letter from our EDHope your Summer is going well, and youve had a chance to get on your bike even in this heat. I injured my knee a couple of weeks ago so that slowed me down a bit, but finally got back on my bike over the weekend, and hope to build my long distance endurance back up to make it to Tour da Parish this Fall. Happy to hear what your biking has been like this Summer.Its been a minute since I sent an update about our work, but I assure you: weve been busy!Since we revamped ourMembership Program, weve seen our Membership go up, and weve also signed up 3 NEW Business Members. Amongst them, we have the Audubon Nature Institute, and Bicycle World, and AECOM whom Ive met with over the last month to discuss new ways to partner with each other going forward. If you are uncertain of your membership status or would like to learn more about becoming a Business Member, just reply to this email and lets talk!We continue to advocate for better biking in New Orleans, and after our lastAdvocacy Round Upwe had some great feedback from supporters and got to meet with some of the folks from the River District to further discuss their plans for people biking and walking in this development and how we can work on a plan together that will serve our community as a whole best.Were celebrating the Citys award of theEPAs Climate Pollution Reduction Grant A 50 million grant to be disbursed over the next 5 years with some key elements that will take us in the right direction for climate change and overall improvement of our citys infrastructure: 3 main highlights for our work are the expansion of our bike share system, a locally manage e-bike rebate program, and the development of 7 miles of protected bikeways connecting the Downtown Area. This is in addition to the 60 millionReconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grantawarded in March that will improve the bike and ped accessibility on i-10 service roads in New Orleans East, which include 3 non motorized bridges over i-10! I get goose bumps thinking about this project awarded 3 years after the death of Larry Jones in this corridor, and a year after a feasibility study was carried in this community.We continue to attend meetings with city agencies to make sure our community is being represented and heard, and are happy to announce that the Community Meetings aroundSafe Streets for Allare set to launch this Fall. We will share more details as they become available for you to join, and encourage folks in your community to come along and share their thoughts.We are also preparing to present at theTexas Trails and Active Transportation Conferencethis Fall:Transforming Transportation in Louisiana with Trails, Bike Lanes and Shared Rides A Comparative Look at New Orleans and Beyond. If you feel inclined, I highly encourage you to attend, and more importantly, if you are personally involved with state wide efforts, reach out to me so I can learn more about it, and include it in the presentation.Im thrilled just thinking about all the changes coming to our city in the next 5 years, and hope you continue to support our work by sharing your stories and concerns as they come up so we can continue to advocate on your behalf.In the shorter term, here are a few ways in which you can be involve and support our work.Consider sponsoring this years Bicycle Second Line!This year our celebration will be the biggest to date: We will start and end at the Broadside with a big after party!Our Call for MusiciansDeadline is this Thursday, August 1st at midnight! Share with your favorite bands to apply. We are also bringing back our Silent Auction, so if that is more down your alley,read more about it here.Pre-Registration and T-shirt Sales launch on August 19th!And since this is not enough, this year were launching our inaugural Fundraiser Sponsored by Dirty Coast!Taking place on Saturday, September 21st, we are encouraging folks to register as individuals for 20.00, or as a team of 5 for 80.00!Click here to find out more!I appreciate you making the time to read this very heavy text email a bit of a change of my usual, but had a lot to share.And for those who want a little extra love,here is a link to our revamped Bike Nola shirt. If you reply this email with the 1 thing that is new in this design (apart from the change in color way for both t-shirt and ink) I will personally drop a Bike Nola sticker for your bike in the mail!Looking forward to hearing back from you.In Service,Allene La SpinaExecutive Director

The transfer market officially opens on Thursday, August 1, but there's always time for contract extensions. The latest news concern two important point-scorers in their respective teams - Corbin Strong (Israel - Premier Tech) and Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan).Corbin StrongStrong made his pro...

Coryn Labeckirode her last race as a professional cyclist this week at the Kreiz Breizh Elites Femmes (1.1). Her team EF-Oatly-Cannondale announced this in anInstagram post. The departure of the 31-year-old Americancomes as a somewhat surprise. Especially since Labecki announced at the end of las...