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THE REAXION THE REAXION Volume 1 Issue 2
20th August 2010
How to choose a bike?
Interview : Richard Stroem
Anniversary Ride
Bike Reviews
Rider Views
Movie of the Month
Cycles were the pioneers in transportation on wheels, starting from the Penny Farthing to the
transmission system and then the inception of engines to the addition of more wheels. At one
point, cycles were almost the only mode of transportation, but right now, it could be the most
important one. In the present scenario, cycling holds a wider purpose of racing, fitness and a
means of transportation. With this year witnessing Bianchi celebrating 125 years of existence,
it was an honor to meet Mr. Richard Stroem, Director - International Sales, who gave us his
insight into cycling and it’s current market among other things.
Before I sign off, yes, this year has been one to remember but what makes it special is that
CRX has completed one year of existence which was marked by the Anniversary 'ReaXion
Ride'. I would like to make a special mention of all the support we have received from our col-
leagues, staff and the riders. Team CRX will continue to work towards reaching greater
heights in helping you ride towards a better tomorrow. Until the next issue.
Arrivederci!
As I sat down to write this note, I looked back at the
events of the past year and I realized that there is so
much I would like to talk about, but don’t really know
where to start. Its been a year since we started
ReaXion cycling, and trust me when I say with a
feeling of great pride, that it has been one hell of a
roller coaster ride for all of us. We started off as a
small group, with the intention of promoting cycling
and doing something different, now we have over a
hundred and fifty enthusiastic cyclists who join us on
our Sunday morning rides. We feel a sense of
achievement when we realize that not only have we
grown as a group but have also grown to learn the
importance of team work which has been one of the
single largest factors in helping us stand, as we do
today.
EDITOR’S NOTE
TANVI SHAH
EDITOR IN CHIEF
SEKKIZHAR PRASANNA
CREATIVES & DESIGN
I.K ROHIT, SUHAIL AHMED
TECHNICAL TEAM
ABHAY SHAH
MARKETING
Anniversary Ride. 5
How to choose your bike 6
Richard Stroem 8
Bike Review 12
Tour de France 15
Rider Review 16
Movie of the month 17
Spotted 18
CONTENT
C R X C y c l i n g t u r n s 1 .
Reaxion cycling, as the name symbolizes, it has
amplified to a movement which didn't seem
possible during the inception of the rides about a
year ago where 150 cyclists would cruise down
the East Coast Road on a cool Sunday morning.
Rewind to the summer of 2009, when it was just 5
cyclists embarking on what would turn out to be
the start of a 'Cycling Movement' in the city of
Chennai.
The ‘Reaxion Rides’ has put over 1000 people on a
cycle and have succeeded in changing the mindset
of cycling into a more far reaching activity.
ANNIVERSARY RIDE
The ECR has seen a increasing number of cy-
clists in this time. For Team CRX, this is clearly
just the beginning of their vision of promoting
and nurturing cycling and sports across the
country.
The proposed way forward is to take these rides
to cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Pune to
begin with. The group will be organizing rides to
cater to all sections of society, through rides
such as Heritages City Rides and other mass
mobilizing events. Long story short, CRX is here
to stay!
Road Performance Bikes
Description: This category of bikes are very
distinct starting with the thinner tires,
drop down handlebars, aerodynamic
frames and the use of lightweight
materials. The gear ratios on these
bikes are high .All this adds up to
optimizing ride capability ranging from
speed, comfort and handling, making it
the perfect bike for those with ‘The
need for speed’.
Functionality: This bike is perfect for
training, performance and for long
distance (cross-country) riding.
However the rider must be relatively
flexible and fit to start on this type of bike as it
requires the cyclist to maintain a bent, low
posture while riding. To experience the real
rush of a ‘Road bike’, one must ride it outside
city limits, without the hindrance of traffic.
Hybrid Bikes
Description: Hybrids as the name suggests, is a
cross-over between a road bike and a mountain
bike. It has the stability and strength of a
mountain bike, while depicting characteristics of a
road bike, such as speed and agility. There are two
types of Hybrids, namely :
a. Road focused - Road focused
geometry, components , Thin tires
and flat handlebars.
b. Mountain focused - Backward
stance, Knobby tires and suspension
systems.
The gear ratios on these bikes are
relatively low.
Functionality : This would be the
perfect bike to start cycling as it is easy
on the body and ideal for commuting inside the
city. City slickers who wish to use their bikes to
cover distances between 2-15kms will find the
right company in a ‘Hybrid’.
HOW TO CHOOSE A BIKE?
HYBRID
ROAD PERFORMANCE
The bike you wish to choose has to ‘fit like a glove’
in all sense of the phrase. When it comes to
knowing the body dimensions that have to be
factored in while selecting the right fit , it is
advisable to consult a bike expert .
I will start by giving you a brief introduction on the
factors to be considered while selecting the right
‘Fit’
a. Frame size
It is the measure of length of the seat tube which
is the center of the crank to the top of the seat
tube
b. Stand over height
This is the basic element of bike fit. It is the
distance from the ground to the top of the bike’s
frame (Top tube) , it is preferable that the stand
over height should allow 1-3 inches(2-8 cm) of
clearance between the top tube and the crotch of
a rider.
Mountain Bikes
Description : The mountain bikes are as
rugged as they come. Characterized by a
rigid, sturdy frame with wide knobby tires,
front and back (optional) suspension, disc
brakes, Low gear ratios and mountain
focused components.
Functionality : This type of bike gives you
the power to ‘make your own road’ ! Ideally
suited for harsh terrain but can be used on
city roads for short commutes.
c. Handlebar position
This is the distance of the handlebar with respect
to your body position. It is recommended that the
longest reach and lowest position that you feel
comfortable in is the ideal position for the handle-
bar with emphasis on comfort.
Racers: 2 to 3.5 inches below the saddle height.
Tourers: Same height as the saddle height .
Mountain bikers: 2 inches below the saddle
height .
SELECTING THE RIGHT FIT
THE REAXION
RICHARD STROEM
“When we think of Bianchi, everyone correctly thinks about its longevity and success to be a leader in bicycle racing, design and technology", - Bob Ippolito, Bianchi CEO. With this year being the 125th Anniversary of the brand which has become legendary , Bianchi has surely played an important role both in cycling history and the modern industry. Only time, passion, high professionalism, innovation and excellence can provide such an acknowledgement over the years. All of this, we can clearly see in Richard Stroem - Director International Sales. Swedish by birth, living in Switzerland and working for an Italian company, this self proclaimed “cosmopolitan” was more than happy to give us an interview on Bianchi, Cycling in India, life and a lot more. How did it all start for you? I have always been very interested in sports and marketing my whole life. While at university, I looked at bicycling as a way to market a company and a product. The next step was to find out more about the bicycle market and I ended up starting a distribution company for ‘Bianchi’ in Sweden. Tell us something about Bianchi, the company?. B i a n ch i a ct u a l l y b e l o n g s t o Cycleurope, which is owned by a Swedish family with Italian heritage and their Headquarters in Stockholm. Cycleurope houses many brands including international brands like Gitane, Peugeot (license), Ducati (license), Crescent, Monark etc. Located in Treviglio, a small city 30 km north east of Milan, Italy, is the FIV Bianchi Spa, one of the oldest existing bicycle companies in the world. This year, we are celebrating our 125th anniversary. Can you take us through the process of what
goes into making a ‘Bianchi’ ? Since 1885, when Eudordo Bianchi started the company, our philosophy has been to predominantly focus on Research and Development. We try to be close to the profes-
sional riders, to develop the best possible ride, geometry of the frame ,as well as the over all best possible bike. To make a new Bianchi model, it takes about two years to develop the frames as the rest of the bike has components like Shimano, Campagnolo, FSA etc. We have our own factories which produce bicycles in Italy and France and also through contractors in Taiwan and China.
How is the global market for Bianchi? Bianchi sells approximately 1,50,000 units and Cycleurope 1,000,000+ units per year. Please note that the average retail price for a Bianchi is at least 20 times higher that a normal bicycle in India. We develop bicycles for ‘the world’. Many of our models are perfect for all countries, however, we also develop models which are better suited for a specific country. A perfect example being our ‘SPILLO’ bikes, which we sell in Italy - and in India! What is your outlook for India as a market for
the premium bike segment, taking into consid-
eration that in this country, a bicycle is
perceived as a ‘poor man’s’ mode of transport? I see India as a very important market - not today, but in the future. In fact I would like to add - in the near future.
RICHARD STROEM
Today, the Indian market is a virgin market when it comes to expensive models, but, I have met several people in India who seem to love a good performance bike. I am sure that this interest will soon spread all over the country! We are aware that the prices of our bikes are not low but in India, as well as in other developing markets, we see a strong trend towards fitness and the interest to ride a nice bike.
We see a strong demand for our products in China, Thailand and Indonesia, as we started there a couple of years before starting in India. I am convinced that the Indian market will follow what we do in these other developing markets. That´s why I am so sure that the market in India is good and the sale of expensive bicycles will get bigger. How has your association with ‘TI Cycles of India’
as a strategic partner in India, been?
As for TI Cycles, I must say that we have a fantastic partner who understands the importance of first building a net of professional retailers. In a very short span of time, they have built a good base and in a couple of years you will see a lot of fantastic bicycle stores all over India. As said, together with them we have achieved fantastic results - much faster than I initially thought. We are already well ahead of our plans. The introduction of high end Road bikes to India
is quite interesting as it is a segment which has
never been catered to, Your views on this
strategy?
Road bikes, of course are a bit different from MTB , Trekking and the City bikes. The total market in units is less than 10% almost all over the world . However, in terms of money, the road bikes contribute to about 30-40% of a dealer’s turn over. I see a market for road bikes in India mainly in tourist areas along the coast which is perfect for riding a bike of this kind. Added to this, there are some road bikes which are getting very fashionable such as fixed gear bikes for instance. A fixed gear bike is like a skate board for grown-ups. Are there any Road bikes engineered for
women? Definitely YES! We have a line of models called “Dama Bianca”, where the frame geometry is different. The cranks are a little shorter, the handlebar more narrow, the handlebar stem shorter, the saddle a little wider etc. This makes for a more comfortable experience for a woman.
And now to know a little bit more about Richard
Stroem, the person . Do you cycle to work or go
on bike holidays? I am sorry but I must disappoint you. During the season I travel so much, that I do not find time to ride my bike (of the 5 to 6 bikes I have in my ga-rage) so I travel by plane or train...My sporting holidays are usually ski trips with my family. What kind of music is usually on your i-pod?
A lot of different music but I always come back to Van Morrison. How do you spend your time when you are not
working ? Off season, which is a couple of months in winter, I try to ski as much as possible. As I live in Switzerland I have some beautiful runs just around the corner. Well I read a lot - books, newspapers for a couple of hours a day, a variety of magazines starting from magazines on interior design, fashion, travel, lifestyle to finance. My most recent gadget is an iPad! I start every morning by reading the dailies like New York Times, Financial Times, Le Monde (French), Corriere della Sera (Italian), Die Zeit (German), Svd (Swedish), Tages Anzeiger (Swiss) and now and the I also check The Times of India.
I am also very interested in studying different cultures - languages, food, wines, life styles etc. and I must admit that India is currently my favorite country to visit . There is just so much going on in this country and with so many different cultures to explore, it makes every visit to India a new experience. Finally, your views on CRX and the concept
of ‘Reaxion Cycling’. I see it as something extremely important in a country where bicycling is still a small sport. We need to touch the grass root levels to ensure people get on a bike, which is very I important for the development of bicycling in a country like India. The Bianchi distributor in Thailand started the ‘Bianchi bike days’ 5 years ago with a few people and now there is a ‘trace’ every month with a lot of participants - this, in a country where bicycling as a sport is very small. If we can get just 1% of all people watching cricket to ride a per-formance bicycle the market will be enormous... Thank you for your time, hope to see you soon in India especially on one of our Reaxion Rides.
From it’s inception, CRX has had some
unending support from riders who have
helped in our movement of promoting
cycling.
One such enthusiast is Pattu Subramaniam,
Manager - Customs Clearance and Claims
Management at BMW India Private Ltd.
Born and raised in Chennai, he pursued
engineering at the Government College of
Technology, Coimbatore after which he went
on to do his Master's in Business
Administration from University of Memphis,
Tennessee.
Ask this man about his interests and
he replies saying “Music, Music and Music”
apart from reading fictions. Makes you
wonder how a busy corporate person like
him would be interested in sports like
Ultimate Frisbee, Cycling and Badminton.
He also likes watching Moto GP, F1 and
Football.
We asked him about his need for
speed and his latest love, the ‘Bianchi Via
Nirone-Alu Sora (C2C)‘09 and this is what he
had to say :
“I was actually gunning for a Bianchi
Camaleonte when I test rode a Via Nirone
in November, 2009.
Couple of days later I just went in for it
based on expert opinions and I must say it
was a good decision. It is the kind of bike for
folks who want less stress and more distance
with speed, a flawless piece of engineering
and I am relishing it every time I get on it.
I can go on about the beauty and
engineering architecture of the bike, which
is at its best. The body styling, the pedal, the
Shimano shifters and above all its own
unique color, ‘Celeste'. Working with a
quality conscious organization we get
induced into subtle detailing and my Via
Nirone C2C has fulfilled and exceeded
expectations.
BIKE REVIEW BY PATTU SUBRAMANIAM
I have done about 2200 plus kilometers with her so far
and I am constantly learning to improve my body and
food patterns to support the challenge every time.
Go Bianchi !
Frame VIA NIRONE 7 Alu
Fork Bianchi FL5 K-VID Carbon/Al C2C with Kevlar - 11/8"
Headset Fsa ZS4-CUSTOM
Shifters Shimano SORA
Rear Derail-leur
Shimano SORA 9s
Front Derail-leur
Shimano SORA
Crank set Prowheel OUNCE-622C Compact 50/36t
Chain KMC X9
Sprocket Shimano TIAGRA 12/25
Brakes RC-466E - Forged Alloy Dual-Pivot
Brake Lever Integrated
Tire Vittoria ZAFFIRO 700x23c
Stem RC DA-32 3D - forged alloy
Handlebar Dedaelementi Big Piega
Grips Bike Ribbon cork
Seat post Rc SP-928-G Carbon fiber - 31.6mm
Saddle Selle San Marco Ponza - steel rail
Pedals Look Keo Easy
Water bottle Hanger
Aluminium
BIANCHI VIA NIRONE - ALU SORA (C2C) : 2009
The most prestigious and exhausting
bicycle competition, Tour de France is typically
conducted during the month of July spanning for 3
weeks. The tour length varies every year and
averages about 3600 km. The race is competed by
teams of 9 racers and ends each year at the
Champs Élysées and is extremely demanding both
physically and psychologically for the racers. The
Race began in the year 1903 and since then a lot of
improvements have been made to give it the
current format. The tour circles France and its
neighboring countries in either anti-clockwise or
clockwise routes which are alternated every year.
Various jerseys are given to riders for their
achievements that distinguish them. The yellow
jersey (maillot jaune) is given to the overall leader
in the general classification (GC). GC is the sum of
each days finish time minus the bonuses the rider
wins for each stage win. The rider with the most
number of points that are allocated after reach
stage wears a green jersey. The polka dot jersey is
awarded to the race’s best climber while the white
jersey is given to the best young rider..
Lance Armstrong, with 7 wins happens
to be the rider with the most number of
victories. The fact that Lance came back to win
7 titles after battling cancer makes it a superb
achievement. He came out of retirement and
raced with Team RadioShack and finished
25th on the grid in 2010.
Tour de France 2010 consisted of 21 stages
which were divided as 9 flat stages, 6 mountain
stages, 4 medium altitude stages, one
individual time-trial and 1 prologue. The race
began from Rotterdam (Netherlands) and went
through Belgium and ended at the Champ
Élysées at Paris. The winner of each stage gets
€ 8000. The total distance of this years edition
was 3642 kms and was conducted from 3rd
July to 25th July. Alberto Contador from
Spain who raced with team Astana won this
years edition with a winning time of 91hours,
58 minutes and 48 seconds
Le TOUR DE FRANCE
Prathyush Ponnekanti , 20, from Andhra Pradesh and currently in Chennai pursuing his final year in Computer science and Engineering, IIT. Apart from cycling he enjoys drawing, writing, analyzing movies and lots of scrabble. He is also working on Artificial Intelligence for his final year project. "I aspire to be a civil servant in future and am currently prepping for it", he says proudly. This is what he had to say about CRX and ReaXion Cycling. A typical ReaXion ride for me could be said to consist of four dis-tinct and integral parts which are the ride in itself, the breakfast, the organizers and the motive. At 4.30 in the morning when the skies are dark and clear and the crescent is still bright and beautiful we set off on our little journey witnessing a fascinating morning which steadily moves from the dark blue to surreal hues of orange by the time I reach my destination. On the east coast road the sea breeze blows pleasantly and for a long part of the road you could look at the sea on your left and the sun rising on it.
RIDER REVIEW
After the fairly tiring ride, the breakfast spread at Temple bay in Mahabs is god sent. From Muffins to sausages to idlis and fruit juices there’s not one thing on the offer that I can’t say no to. A hearty breakfast after a sufficiently tiring and equally pleasant ride just peps me up for the rest of the day.
And the whole ride is made very convenient and feasible by the crew of motivated organizers. Right from the nutri-bars provided at the beginning of the ride to the constant support offered at the pit stops all care is taken so that any rider doesn’t fall into trouble during the course of the ride.
So far, fabulous. But what makes riding with CRX Sports a cherishable experience, is the sense of contribution to the green initiative it stands for. It’s a great feeling to do something I enjoy so much and make a meaningful statement at the same time. It’s very motivating to see a lot of people coming together and cycling all the way just to make a point. So those are the four integral and wonderful components of this cool once-a-month ride. And in this case I can safely say the whole is greater than the sum of parts.
A film based on the amazing true story of Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, The Flying Scotsman, is about how he broke the world one-hour record, on a bike he designed and constructed himself out of scrap metal and parts of a washing machine. The film starts with Graeme Obree cycling into a wood preparing to hang him-self. There is then a flashback to Obree's childhood, where he was routinely bullied, events which leave severe psycho-logical scars. One day Obree is given a bicycle and we see Obree evading the bul-lies on his bike. The adult Obree is married with a child and while competing in local races runs a failing cycle shop and having to supplement his income as a courier boy. An ex-minister turned boatyard owner Baxter befriends Obree, which results in Obree coming up with a daring idea - he's going to try and beat the hour record. This is unlikely as Obree has neither the funding nor the machine required to take on such a record. Obree is determined and constructs "Old Faithful", a revolution-ary bicycle, designed by Obree for maxi-mum efficiency, made up from scrap metal, and components from a washing
machine. With help from his friend Malky McGovern , who becomes his manager, and against all odds, Obree makes an at-tempt on the world record in Norway and though he fails initially, he tries again the following morning and actually succeeds in beating it. However, his initial victory is short-lived, when his record is broken by Chris Boardman a week later, and the cy-cling sports authorities then rewrite the rules to try and make it impossible for Obree to win using his more experimental methods. It is shown the night Obree breaks the record he is prone to crippling bouts of depression, which is exacerbated when Boardman breaks the record and he meets up with one of his childhood bullies. After winning the Individual Pursuit World Championship in 1993, the authorities change the rules just as Obree tries to defend his title and he crashes after being unable to adapt a new riding position. This leads his depression to spiral out of control to the point where he attempts suicide in the woods shown at the start of the film. However, the rope snaps and with the help of his wife Anne and Baxter, Obree starts to receive help for his condition. It is then shown Obree comes back and regains his world title. A must watch for Cycling and Sports fans alike !
Source: Wikipedia
MOVIE OF THE MONTH
