Redline Flight Monocog Review

(By: W. Jeffrey Lockwood, dirtragmag.com) :: Redline has been a dominant force in BMX racing since the company's start back in the 1970s, despite the varying levels of BMX popularity in this country.Yet, the company has always had an eye toward the more traditional "adult market" bicycle segment. Even as BMX/Freestyle was exploding in the mid-1980s, Redline was adding mountain bike frames to their line. By 1990, Redline boasted a whole stable of adult bikes that included mountain bikes, road rigs and cyclocross framesets.

About five or six years ago, the singlespeed thing really started to take off in the mountain biking world. Redline saw, and seized, the opportunity to capitalize on their BMX bloodline by introducing a singlespeed mountain bike. After all, a BMX bike is by definition a "singlespeed." In 2001, Redline introduced the chromoly Monocog. Sporting 110mm rear spacing, the no-frills Monocog was priced low and helped make singlespeeding accessible to the masses.

Redline had success with the steel Monocog, and it's still in the Redline line-up. However, the minions of aluminum worshipers called for an aluminum version of the Monocog with mountain bike-specific hub spacing of 135mm instead of the BMX-style of 110mm. Redline answered that call and in 2004 introduced the Flight Monocog, a well priced singlespeed that deserves some strong consideration during your pre-purchase research. In 2005, both Monocog models were upgraded to the more standard 135mm spacing.

The Chinese-made Flight frame is a U6 aluminum affair. U6 is supposed to be stronger and more fatigue-resistant than 6061 T6 aluminum. The downtube, which has a small gusset at the headtube, is ovalized at the bottom bracket and at the headtube. The horizontal dropouts (with 4mm-headed chain tensioners) are cut from a large piece of aluminum, and definitely have that BMX-style look. Redline pioneered the tubular BMX fork way back in the day, and the Flight has an aluminum tubular fork with disc tabs.

Redline chose a decent set of components for such a low-priced vehicle. Ritchey supplies the Comp post, the Pro stem, the Comp Rizer bars and the Girder XC Comp 32 hole rims. Cane Creek tightens things up with an Aheadset. WTB gives us the Rocket V saddle and Epic Wolf 2.1" rubber. The V-brakes and brake levers are Avid Single Digit 5, and the disc-ready hubs are Redline's own. FSA gets things turning with an Alpha Drive crank set.

One of the beautiful things about inexpensive singlespeeds such as this is that you can upgrade any component that doesn't suit your style. Not a fan of the lower-end rim brakes, and you have a pair of discarded disc brakes lying around like me? Throw them on...the disc tabs are on the frame and fork, the hubs are all set for six-bolt rotor mounting and the frame has disc cable/hose guides. If you would rather use a suspension fork, the frame geometry sports an 80mm travel correction for your upgrade convenience.

The one downside to less expensive parts is that they often don't last as long as their more blinged-out brethren. You have to devote more care to less expensive parts so they will last a bit longer. I found this out the hard way after putting the bike atop my van for a two-hour drive home in snowy weather on salted roads. I didn't clean everything off right away, and after two weeks...ok, three weeks...of neglect, the bottom bracket was completely seized. Meanwhile, the bottom bracket on another bike on top of my van in the same situation at the same time didn't meet the same fate.

This was my first time on an aluminum AND rigid ride in several years, so I had a bit of anxiety as to how the bike would feel for me during the first couple rides. Fortunately, I was able to overcome my apprehensions in one single ride by taking the horns of the bull right away. So on a very nice autumn day, I set off for an XC jaunt with two professional downhillers. We hit one of the most rock-strewn, leaf-covered parks in the area. I chased these guys all over the park, and was bounced around quite a bit as I hit rocks I couldn't even see. It was a tough, long ride, but my fears of a sore back and butt were put to rest.

After that initial ride, everything came together for me and I grew quite comfortable. I learned to pick through the rocks and roots with a rigid fork, and the stiffness I usually associate with an aluminum frame didn't seem to bother me. The geometry on this bike is perfect for those who demand a certain amount of snappiness to a ride, yet shun bikes that get too twitchy. My 17" (medium) has a 72�/73� head/seat angle, 23" effective top tube, a chain stay length of 16.5", and a wheelbase of 40.7". The bottom bracket height was a bit lower than what I'm used to, at 11.75", but the bike still cleared most of the stuff I usually get over in my riding.

I was looking forward to a very responsive feel to the bike because of the less forgiving nature of aluminum, but I'm quite surprised that it is more forgiving than I had thought. I still felt small things in the trail that suspension usually hides, but those small things didn't jolt me like I had expected. I'm no fan of rigid forks, but once I got used to it, I really learned to enjoy throwing the Flight into the tight local singletrack. Putting this bike into the turns was easy, yet it wasn't too sketchy when doing so. And since we're not dealing with any suspension, the rig was nice and efficient on the climbs. The front wheel stayed on terra firma for the most part, too. I quickly found the proper position for the hills, and never worried about it again.

How's it look? The Flight is adorned with a flat red paint job that is quite a contrast to the rather bold and exciting graphics that are found above the paint. If you're not into that color or those graphics, you're out of luck. That's the only combo available. But for such a solid bike at this price, I think you can live with that color.

Tester: W. Jeffrey Lockwood
Age: 33
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 159lbs.
Inseam: 32"

Vital Stats
Country of Origin: China
Price: $669 (complete) / $289 (frame and fork)
Weight: 22.2 lbs.
Sizes available: 15", 17" (tested), 19", 21"
Contact: www.redlinebicycles.com

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4th World Student Cycling Championships

(www.supercycling.co.za) :: The 4th World Student Cycling Championships are being held in Antwerpen, Belgium between the 19th and 26th of March, for cyclists who are studying towards a degree or diploma.Belgium, being a cycling fanatical country, is a perfect host nation for the tournament, with countries from all over the world taking part, meaning there will be some awesome competition around.

The championship consists of an individual time trial, a cyclocross and a road race for both men and women respectively. The region/area in which it is being held is St. Herentals, which has established cycling routes, creating the scene for a well organized event, with some serious racing to be had on routes where most of today's pro's may have raced.

South Africa has entered a team for the event which will create the opportunity for the youngsters to gain valuable experience and networks. The men's team is as follows:

Michael Sowerby (Stellenbosch University)
Lourens Callitz (Cape Tech)
Bradley Smith (Tshwane University of Technology)
William Robinson (University of Cape Town)
Nico Bell (Tshwane University of Technology)
Mangesi Khoza (Tshwane University of Technology) development rider.

The ladies team is as follows:

Samantha Oosthuizen (Tshwane University of Technology)
Stephanie Jansch (Stellenbosch Univeristy)

The team was chosen mainly on their performance on last years South African Student Sports Union (SASSU) champs help in Cape Town. Latest results from the riders were taken into account to. Unfortunately, the couldn't field its strongest riders as one was chosen for Commonwealth Games (Arno Viljoen (Maties)) and two others were unable to incur the costs (Konrad Siebrits (Maties) and Marnus Potgieter (TUKS).

Unfortunately, due to a terrible accident, Will Robinson will not be able to partake in the event. The team is looking for a replacement at present but struggling due to minimal time left to the event.

The distances of the time trial are 30km and 20km for men and ladies respectively and the road race 140km for men and 120km for ladies. No one is taking part in the cyclocross event as none of the riders have ever done one before, but it will be a fantastic event to watch!

The conditions are going to be interesting for the riders and very new to the team, as temperatures are ranging between 0'C and 4'C with wind, rain and snow to date and has been known to be similar during the event. The occasion creates a fantastic environment for the riders culturally, sportingly and for a fuller, richer knowledge of the outside world.

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An interview with Katie Compton, March 20, 2006 (Cyclingnews.com)

(By: Steve Medcroft, photo: Keli Medcroft, Cyclingnews.com) :: Coming from virtually nowhere to win both the 2004 and 2005 US national Cyclocross championships, Katie Compton remains quite an enigma for US cycling fans. Cyclingnews' Steve Medcroft spoke with Compton after her second national championships win last December and found out a little more about this talented rider.

In 2004 Katie Compton surprised the elite women's field at Cyclo-cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon. She had no UCI points and started at the back of the grid, and as she hadn't raced a US Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross race, media and competitors who had been facing each other all year in top-level ‘cross knew little about her. It wasn't until she stomped to the front of the race, opened a defiant gap on the field and took the championship jersey without a challenge that we learned a little more.

In an interview with Cyclingnews after that race, her Carmichael Training Systems elite coach told us that she avoided UCI races because they would have affected her eligibility to compete as the sighted pilot to a blind stoker on a Paralympics track tandem team; that team won gold in Athens in 2004. We also learned that she had trained for nationals by quietly competing in men's races in Colorado.

In 2005, the odds were stacked against Compton repeating as champion. Again she had no UCI points to her credit and was relegated to the rear of the field; the 2005 crop of elite women ‘crossers now knew Compton by sight and could anticipate her tactics, making life even tougher. All they needed to do was work together to guard the front of the race and keep Compton buried in traffic. Compton defied the odds, however, by taking the lead after just half of the first lap and winning a second consecutive national championship by a comfortable margin.

Compton says she had planned the repeat as soon as she finished the 2004 race. “I knew I wanted to come back to nationals; 2005 is an off year for Paralympics so I knew I wouldn't have much that travel and training. I knew I'd be home and able to train and rest a little bit more,” she says. Compton prepared herself the same way she did for the 2004 race - racing with the men in American Cycling Association (ACA) sanctioned races in her home state. “I raced Cat 3 in Colorado; two races a weekend, sometimes three depending on how I felt," explains Compton. "My first race wasn't until the last weekend in October.”

Compton says that even though she didn't face many of the elite racers she finally would compete against in the national championship, she knew the competition in Colorado was tough enough to prepare her for any challenger. “The competition in Colorado is pretty strong so I didn't feel like I was missing anything,” she says. “When I raced against the men, I don't win every week; top five was a good finish for me and I felt like that was competition enough to prepare me. I faced women in Colorado too, and although they didn't necessarily go to nationals, they were strong. The racing in Colorado is totally competitive, we just don't get the media attention."

On December 11 in snowy Providence, Compton once again started deep in the pack. “I hadn't done any UCI races during the year and if that was the way it was going to be then that was fine,” says Compton. “I knew going in it was going to happen - I accepted it.”

Unbelievably, Compton erased the deficit within the first half lap. “The start in Providence was easier than Portland,” she explains, before adding, “[The start/finish straight in] Portland may have been as wide [as Providence] but there were only one or two lines you wanted to take. In Rhode Island, it was pretty much all the same all the way across; muddy, snowy and slick. I tried to get through the group as quick as possible and get to the front.”

Being in front meant she would able to pick her own lines and not worry so much about losing traction. “I loved the course,” she says. “It was technical and slippery but fun. At the start, I was nervous and wasn't sure what was going to happen at the back, and that kind of put me off a little bit. As soon as I got to the front though, I felt good and strong and just wanted to stay consistent. The goal was to keep the gap open in case I got a mechanical or crashed or something.” She maintained that gap to win by 1:32 over Ann Knapp (Kona) to secure back-to-back titles under a myriad of trying conditions.

Compton's success in ‘cross offers her the temptation to turn away from her single-minded focus on Paralympics but she says she'll resist. “Paralympics is what I love to do,” she says. “It's just so different than able-bodied racing. It's still super-competitive but everyone is a lot more supportive. It's fun and a great thing to do. I love ‘cross too, but for me, Para's come first.”

But Para's won't come first forever, Compton says; after the next Paralympics (held two weeks after the regular Olympics in Beijing in 2008), she's committed to shifting her focus to cyclo-cross full time, but adds, “As long as I'm healthy and still riding well.”

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Museeuw, others face trial in doping scandal

(By Agence France Presse, photo credit: Graham Watson) :: Belgium's former world champion cyclist Johan Museeuw and 10 others implicated in a doping scandal are to face trial, prosecutors said Friday.Museeuw, the 1996 world road race champion, stands accused of possessing the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoeitin) and two other illegal performance-enhancers.

He was suspected of being part of a ring of drug traffickers including a veterinary surgeon, three-time world cyclo-cross champion Mario De Clerqc and eight other riders and go-betweens.

They are suspected of supplying human growth hormones, stimulants, steroids and testosterone to riders. All will now face trial after Belgian authorities decided there was enough evidence to prosecute the men.

Museeuw was given a two-year ban by the Belgian cycling federation in 2004 for being implicated in the doping affair even though the 38-year-old, who won the World Cup in 1995 and 1996, had already retired from the sport.

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Breaking away

(By: Clay Evans :: Boulder Dirt, Boulder, CO) :: Chris Grealish loves cycling. He loves to ride, he loves to race, his business involves cycling, and he's always looking for a way to promote anything you do on two, non-motorized wheels, whether it's road racing, mountain biking or cyclocross. He's a tireless promoter of the sport.That explains his longtime involvement in producing bike-racing events around Boulder and other parts of northern Colorado for more than a decade.

2006 Criteriums@Stazio cycling races

Sunday, March 12, 19 and 26

Stazio ballfields complex, east Boulder

Free-$15; (303) 619-9419 or www.dbcevents.com

But as much as the 43-year-old owner of Denver/Boulder Couriers enjoys producing events and promoting the sport, he admits he'd usually rather be riding.

Now, thanks to his persistent efforts, he may get his wish: The city of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department is poised to take on spring criterium races at Stazio Fields, starting next year.

"Hopefully next year," Grealish says, "I'll be participating instead of being a person wearing an orange vest. ... (The city has) begun to look around for alternative sports that will be valuable to the community, not a money loser, and sustainable."

Step one will begin this month, when parks and recreation officials will "shadow" Grealish and other race organizers at the 2006 Criteriums@Stazio races, which will take place - weather permitting - on Sunday, March 12, 19 and 26.

"One thing Chris said to me early on was, 'I just want to race. I don't want to put them on; I want to race,'" says Teri Olander, recreation administrator for the city of Boulder. "I said, 'OK, we'll do it, so you can race.'"

And while Grealish notes that "Nothing has been signed yet," the city already has included this year's Stazio races in its spring parks and recreation catalog, to be published in the next couple of weeks.

"We're starting to get people used to the idea," Olander says. The city also plans to sponsor a couple of summer races with an assist from Grealish to "help in the transition," she says.

This year's races, co-sponsored by Denver/Boulder Couriers and the Tyler Hamilton Foundation, will be open to seven age categories for youth 18 and under, "non-licensed" men and women citizen riders, and American Cycling Association and United States Cycling Federation licensed adult riders in five categories, from masters (40 and older) to professionals.

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