Images of the day... Happy New Year Everybody!

Litespeed Teramo

'The simple lines and complete package alternative offers great value. Aimed straight at the Etape and Fondo fraternity and with Dura Ace shifting and a FSA Compact crank. The Teramo is available as a complete bike at £2,299 or as frameset/fork for £1,500. The complete bike (medium) weighed in at an impressive 17 1/2lbs.' More

RoadCycling UK's Bike of the Year: Serotta MeiVici

'The big difference with the MeiVici is that the tubes can also be custom tuned to suit the riders weight, size and riding style. The carbon lugs are all formed in-house at Serotta too, so the ride and geometry is personally tuneable. Serotta's ST rear triangle is designed to absorb road vibration and add a level of vertical compliance (MeiVici comes standard with lock-out pucks to tune this).' More

Python DK05CA

'The Python fills the lower end of the spectrum of bikes we have had in on test - however ride-wise the first impressions are pretty good. The weight of the frame is a very respectable 1.35KG, for a small size. They are built with finest Toray T-700 carbon fibre material, normally used in the space industry because of its strength and stiffness.' More

Parlee Z3

'Bob Parlee is part scientist, part artisan and part bike designer. He is at the forefront of custom carbon frame design and has, in a pretty short time, established an impressive reputation in the USA. All Parlee frames are handbuilt and take many hours to create. The finest quality carbon and titanium hardware is used and they really have to be seen in the flesh to appreciate the attention to detail fully...' More

Tested: Mavic Ksyrium ES

'On the new Ksyrium's the big difference is in the rims. The cut edges have all been smoothed away and there's a more organic shape to the underside of the rim, they have even CNC-machined the internal rim surfaces to give lighter weight, with the ED10 version saving a further 10g. The rims can cope with 140PSI (20mm tyre) and the braking surfaces are totally flat and machined for positive control.' More

Who's fitter -- mountain bikers or road riders?

'That's like asking if Superman or Godzilla is stronger. Who was cooler, Jimmy Super-Fly Snuka or Andre the Giant? Who the hell knows? I ambushed Chris Carmichael (Lance Armstrong's personal coach) with this question. He just looked at me and laughed. "No WAY am I answering that one!" was his first reply. Then he gave me a diplomatic response: "They're equally fit... just in different ways."' More

Armstrong named AP's Male Athlete of the Year

'Lance Armstrong takes fewer bike rides these days. He even describes himself as out of shape since retiring after his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory in July. But he remains unbeatable. Armstrong was honored Wednesday as The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the fourth straight year. He is the only athlete to be selected by sports writers four times since the honor first was awarded in 1931.' More

Cyclingnews 2005 Reader Poll: Best Rider

'Two riders from the same team almost tied for first place in this category: CSC's Bobby Julich and Dave Zabriskie. For a rider in the later years of his career, poll winner Bobby Julich has undergone an amazing renaissance since joining Bjarne Riis' squad. In 2005 Julich started the year by winning Paris-Nice and went on to clock up overall victories in Critérium International and Eneco Tour of Benelux, plus winning the LuK Challenge two-up time trial with team-mate Jens Voigt.' More

Cyclingnews 2005 Reader Poll: Best Photo

'Headbutt! The most dramatic image of 2005: Robbie McEwen and Stuart O'Grady going literally head to head while the year's rapidly emerging superstar Tom Boonen beats them both to the line in the third stage of the 2005 Tour. We especially like the way Roberto Bettini's image of this moment looks like a regular field sprint at first glance - till you realise something's going on that's not quite normal!' More

Cyclingnews 2005 Reader Poll: Best Product

'With Cervelo taking out the best team bike category, it's perhaps not surprising that the company's Soloist frame got the nod for best product of 2005. This year saw the introduction of a carbon version of the Soloist, which made a very low-key debut at the Giro d'Italia and was ridden into the Tour yellow jersey by Jens Voigt in July.' More

Top 10

1. Cervelo Soloist frame
2. SRAM road shifters
3. Zipp dimpled wheels
4. Look Keo pedals
5. Shimano Ultegra 10-speed
6. Colnago C50
7. FSA Mega Force Exo compact crank
8. Trek Madone SSLx
9. Mavic Ksyrium ES wheels
10. Continental GP4000 tyres

Cyclingnews 2005 Reader Poll: Best Team Bike

'After two years in the number two spot in this category, CSC's Cervelo bikes finally rise to the level of most desirable bikes in the peloton ahead of Domina Vacanze and Rabobank's Colnagos and bumping Discovery Channel's Treks into third place.' More

Top 10

1. Cervelo - CSC
2. Colnago - Domina Vacanze; Rabobank
3. Trek - Discovery Channel
4. BMC - Phonak
5. Time - Bouygues Telecom, Quickstep
6. ScottUSA - Saunier Duval
7. Pinarello - Fassa Bortolo
8. Specialized - Gerolsteiner
9. Cannondale - Lampre
10. Bianchi - Liquigas

The Breadman of Cairo

Velonews photo gallery

Tested: Turner 5 Spot

'Whichever way you slice it, the 5-Spot is a solid bike. The 69-degree head angle and the rangy 44.7-inch wheelbase combined with a torsionally stiff frame make for a very stable bike. Not much unsettles it.' More

Armstrong group may call off ride due to cap

'The Lance Armstrong Foundation said Thursday that it will cancel a planned event in Colorado next year unless the Colorado State Patrol backs away from a plan to cap the number of cyclists in organized group rides... The new state patrol rule, which has set off a firestorm in the Colorado cycling community, would limit organised cycling events to 2,500 riders.' More

George Hincapie named pro athlete of 2005

'Six mornings a week, every week for the past six years, George Hincapie has done exactly what others in his adopted hometown do: He gets up and heads off to work. Along the way, he often sees neighbours en route to their jobs. They smile and wave to each other, sharing familiarity, a spirit of community, the commonality of their workaday experience. Except Hincapie’s job is not like theirs, not at all. Most of them wear suits or dresses, not Spandex; most drive cars rather than peddle a racing bicycle. And where their “workplace” might be a desk, his is a 70- to 100-mile stretch of road winding up and around Paris Mountain. "I prefer to go around the mountain first, to warm up," the 32-year-old says. "But it’s a great climb. I do it every week on my way back" from a ride that lasts 4-5 hours.' More

UCI president McQuaid on globalising the sport

'At the end of the day, the UCI has to be objective and try and think of the development of the sport in a global way. For instance, one thing which Verbruggen took a lot of stick for several years ago was when we looked at the bicycle and brought back under control what the bicycle was, for bringing in that rule insisting that the bike was this, that and the other.' More

Tested & tasted: Perfect 10 Natural Energy bars

'There is nothing artificial about Perfect 10 Natural Energy bars. They are made from 10 all-natural ingredients: three fruits, three nuts and four seeds. They are also gluten free, dairy free, and don't have food additives, chemicals, colours or preservatives.' More

Anti-inflammatory food quiz

'The foods we eat may make a big difference in how we feel. If you are suffering from arthritis or other chronic diseases, choosing the right foods may make you feel better. Author Monica Reinagel helped create this quiz that can help test your knowledge of anti-inflammatory foods...' More

Fox Launch knee/shin guards

'Fox's replacement for its stalwart 911 is all about the fit: The Launch comes in two sizes, is ergonomically curved to fit right or left legs and features a double strapping system designed to stop pad slippage (and the carnage that is sure to follow)...' More

UCI president Pat McQuaid speaks

'The UCI's new president, Pat McQuaid, is the eldest of 10 children from a Dublin family. He brings to what is perhaps the most challenging job in cycling a lifetime's of experience as a competitor, coach, teacher, race organizer and administrator - including eight years as head of the UCI's international road commission, an unpaid position.' More

Top riders who retired in 2005

'When the European professional peloton rolls out in 2006, a few dozen familiar names will be missing. Here's a rundown on the 16 best-known riders that hung up their cleats in 2005 with a combined 568 career wins...' More

How much suspension do you need?

'With most people moving towards full suspension mountain bikes, the more important issue these days is, "How much suspension do you need?" Full suspension mountain bikes can be a lot of fun but getting the right kind of bike with the right amount of travel for your riding style can make a huge difference in your enjoyment of the ride. There will always be a delicate balance between longer travel and less weight...' More

Imogen Heap on bike

Check out her exquisite, elegant elektropop HERE / Barcode interview / Drowned in Sound story

'Have a Punky Christmas Everybody!'

Original song by The Mangkuks from Bujang Valley. Download/stream it here [scroll down to the end of the page]

Tested: Norco 604

'Much of the bike is noticeably BMX-inspired, from the horizontal dropouts to the steep, 71° head tube, and the 4130 Chromoly frame does as much for the bike’s overall strength as it does its understated look. Norco also gets points for making a frame with rim brake mounts, which can be positioned for 26 or 24” wheels, or removed with barely a trace.' More

Adieu, Armstrong; bonjour, Boonen

'Tom Boonen is never likely to win cycling's most coveted stage race jersey, but after yet another roller-coaster year for cycling the Belgian star could boast of having won the next best thing. For many, the world champion's rainbow jersey, which Boonen won in September, is more prestigious than the Tour de France's famous yellow jersey, which American Lance Armstrong won for a record seventh time before retiring in July. ' More

Maureen Bruno-Roy's IF Planet Cross

'For her racing frame, Bruno-Roy chose IF's now classic green and even managed to complement the color with her bar tape and seat. "My mechanic found lime green bar tape," she said with a smile. "The same with the saddle; we're sponsored by Fi'zi:k . I love to ride the Vitesse saddle. I had some black ones but we found out that they make them in all sorts of colors so we special ordered one to match the bike."' More

Tested: Maverick ML8

'The Maverick ML8... represents what happens when bike geeks such as RockShox founder Paul Turner set out to design the perfect ride — a bike you could spend an entire day with and never lust after anything else. After tinkering around for a while, Turner created a 28-pound trail bike with 6.5 inches of travel that pedals well, descends even better and climbs like a monkey on crack.' More

Tested: Cane Creek Double Barrel

'The Double Barrel features a twin-tube design with four separate damping adjustments: high- and low-speed compression damping, and high and low speed rebound damping. Tuning each element can drastically change the shock’s characteristics. Low-speed compression can be tuned from ultra-plush to bob-free platform firm. High-speed compression can be made to handle any kind of big-hit terrain, with any weight rider, regardless of spring rate, and likewise for the separate rebound circuits.' More

2006 Manitou R-Seven Platinum 100mm

'Manitou has developed a much-needed update to its SPV platform valving for 2006. Cyclingnews.com's James Huang went for a bounce around on a pre-production Snap Valve-equipped R-Seven Platinum 100mm fork.' More

A real pocket rocket

Rocket designer Tim Pickens created his first rocket bike with fellow speed enthusiast Glenn May by bolting a 35-pound-thrust rocket engine to his bicyclie — enough power for a gentle push down the road. That project didn't kill anyone, so Pickens got himself another bike and stepped it up, attaching a 200-pound-thrust engine capable of blasting him from 0 to 60 miles an hour in five seconds—fast enough to beat a Porsche in a drag race.' More

Smart eating for the holidays

'The time for office parties, kids’ concerts, and generally hovering around the Christmas treats table is well and truly upon us. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the season with family, friends, and food, but keep these tips in mind to ensure the turkey doesn’t weigh you down next season…' More

Interview with author/rocker/cyclist Michael Ward

'Anyone watching OLN’s Tour de France coverage last summer heard about a new children's book called "Mike And The Bike". It's certainly not your average cycling book, but exactly the kind of story we love to cover, so we called up the author and famous rock guitarist Michael Ward for a PEZ-Clusive interview...' More

Tested: Reynolds Stratus cyclocross wheels

'The cyclocross incarnation of Reynolds' mid-depth carbon fiber wheels uses a few more spokes to give it the strength for 'cross. Cyclingnews.com's Rob Karman finds it plenty tough but wishes for the holy grail of better braking.' More

Interview with La Ruta champ Louise Kobin

'I don't usually train specifically for one race. I just really like riding my bike hard and long no matter what I'm training for. The only thing I start doing a little differenly when training for any stage race, is riding hard a few days in a row. You have to be able to race on tired legs in a stage race.' More

Nathan Rennie breaks world record

'In a world first, Australian and former World Cup Series Downhill Champion, Nathan Rennie cleared 121.2 feet (36.9 metres) on his mountain bike after being towed in to a 12 metre long, 3 metre high, specially-designed ramp in the Painted Desert of South Australia. The event took place on November 1st, 2005.' More

Tyre test: WTB Timberwolf

'A big, heavy downhill tyre, that gives a solid feel and tons of grip...' More

How long do tyres last?

Review: Exustar E-SR221 road shoes

'Taiwan is fast becoming the world's number one cycling manufacturing hub, although many of its products are rebadged with other countries' brands. Exustar, however, is an all-Taiwanese concern; its top of the range E-SR221 shoes are put through the wringers by Cyclingnews...' More

Tyres on my old GT LTS 2000-DS now!

Maxxis SwampThing [2.5-f / 2.35-r] : Loose soil to deep mud downhill tyre for front and rear. Cleated knob design digs deep to allow optimal cornering, braking, and acceleration.

Three compounds available:
Slow Reezaay 40a (softest)
Super Tacky 42a (soft)
MaxxPro 60a (hard)

"When I am dropping a 20 foot drop I don't need to worry about my tires because they are the best! - "Kayodic" Kyle Strait, 2001 Sea Otter Pro Dirt Jumping Champion

"Maxxis are a wicked company to work with... they listen to riders and develop tires directly from rider feedback. They definitely helped me win some races." - Steve Peat

Matt Kelly's back

'Matt Kelly, the surprise winner of the junior cyclo-cross world championship in Poprad, Slovakia, in 1999, is back. Kelly is the newest addition to the Subaru-Gary Fisher pro mountain bike team, and will fill the spot formerly held by Trent Lowe for the 2006 season. The youngster from Wisconsin briefly rose to prominence after his world's win, but, unlike many of his contemporaries, never parlayed that first big win into a solid career.' More