August 3, 2011 by admin
Welcome to Cycling Top Links.com
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December 14, 2011 by admin
Do-it-yourself LED work lights
During the past month, I have been busy trekking and going on biking trips with my fellow bikers. It was really exciting even though we had to endure dirt, rain and sun. Aside from enjoying the view, the company of my friends and the adventure we all have shared, I also enjoyed learning a lot of new biking tips from my biker friends who have been trekking for so long.
They taught me things that I should always keep in mind when I’m biking as well as the list of things that I should always bring during biking trips. One of which that they have mentioned is to always bring trusty LED work lights. However, if you are in a tight budget, these things can get pretty pricey that is why my friends came up with this do-it-yourself LED work lights which I tried doing at home. 
They guide me as we try to make a Mark 6b LED bicycle headlight. It was really cool! It felt like I was a kid again trying to experiment and work on stuff. My friends and I attempted to make a main beam that we can use as a dip beam with a Cyo lamp. However, it was not as easy as I thought it would be. I had to keep in mind the efficiency of the work I am going to do and the accuracy of the figures I am going to work with or else, I won’t be able to achieve a good quality, home-made LED work lights.
First, you have to keep in mind the angles of the nominal beam you are going to assemble as well as the percentage of light that is going to be concentrated within the said beam. You should also keep in mind the peripheral illumination aspect of the LED work lights you are making.
The whole process is a trial and error especially if it is your first time to make one like me. It requires lots of patience, hard work and good estimating skills. However, once you have finished your work, everything is definitely worth it.
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August 4, 2011 by admin
Bike Insurance Review
Here at Cycling’s Top Links we discuss and review bicycles and gear all the time. We also like to give some advise in deciding which policy to choose to protect your beloved bicycles. After all, we have a couple of insurance providers to choose from. I am gonna go first with my bicycle insurance provider which is bikesure.
Bikesure offers
1. Bikesure Pro:
- A comprehensive Home and Contents Package that includes bicycle insurance.
2. Bikesure Sport:
- A Stand Alone bicycle insurance policy.
- Both policies include the following benefits:
- Worldwide cover for damage to bikes (up to 90 days)
- Damage to bikes including whilst in use
- Cover for theft in open air
- Third party cover up to $20,000,000 (including whilst racing)
- Cover for damage to your bike whilst racing
I have the Bikesure Sport package and a separate Home Insurance which includes my bike as well. The Bikesure Sport provides me the peace of mind that I am fully covered when I am racing in competitions. Twice I have had to make a claim and twice I was satisfied.
I have not had any problems in making a claim and highly recommend Bikesure. People don’t really have much to complain about when they are happy and get what is promised them, I am glad I chose Bikesure for my Bicycle Insurance. I will go into more details with the next companies and provide comparisons. For now I am happy with Bikesure and will be sticking with them for a long time.
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August 4, 2011 by admin
My Top Cycling Gear
The bike is obviously the most critical component in making a good biker. However, the clothing/gear they choose to wear and use is also a very important factor. The gear that you choose can have a big impact in the results of a race. Even as an ordinary cyclist the clothing you choose determines how comfortable the ride is. There are many brands out there that should be considered when choosing the right wardrobe for your cycling.
Specialized is one of the ranges that feature a lot choices and is one of the leaders when it comes to cycling clothing and accessories at affordable prices. They have a nice range of jackets and under vests for men and women. They also have shorts which are perfect for the summer, making sure that the ride is as comfortable as possible.
Next on the list is Endura ,which is the next brand that is famous among cyclists. The company has been manufacturing for over 15 years. The brand meets the ideals for professional and amateur cyclists. Endura have an assortment of items all made to ensure that your cycling experience is as comfortable as possible. From sunglasses, boxers, coats and gloves, they can provide anything for any season and any cyclist.
And last on my list is the Assos clothing range. Comfort and optimum protection clothing for the best experience. The Fabrics that are used by Assos are light, and sensitive which allows the cyclist to be free while cycling, giving the rider a lot of comfort. Just like my first two choices Assos, has a huge range of products for everyone from jerseys, shorts, socks, etc.
When shopping around for cycling gear comfort always comes first. Because when you are comfortable you can maximize your efficiency and you know that you were able to give your best whether you win or lose.
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August 4, 2011 by admin
Cervelo S3 Review
The Cervelo S3
Cost: $7,200+
In all my years of riding and racing I heard nothing but splendid comments about Cervelo bicycles. I was looking forward to review the Cervelo S3. Cervelo is famous worldwide for its cutting edge technology and top performance. Eqipped with it’s very competitive SRAM Red groupo, Arione saddle and Rotor cranks, and Zipp’s 404 tubular wheel set, the S3 was ready for the test.
For my test with the S3 I selected a flat stretch of road. The wind was blowing 15-20 mph and was mostly a dead-on cross wind. My target was an hour tempo ride with two minute intervals at the end. The S3 pushed laterally quite easily when riding in the cross winds, It was a battle to keep the S3 upright when I turned into the crosswind. Using a 3″ down tube the S3 catches crosswind; it is also equipped with some high profile Zipp 404, combined with some crosswinds and it will be a bit of a fight. Even a crosshead wind tended to push the bike a little.
I picked an area with less wind so the pushing which I had experienced is not going to be a problem for the two minute intervals. I switched my power meter on and floored it on the first interval, my first thought was. This bike is fast! I looked at my power meter and it agreed.
Once I finished my ride I transferred my data and saw that I was able to generate more power during the tempo than I was able to do with the bike I normally ride.
Things I observed during the ride:
1)The ride was still comfortable even with cracks on the road that would normally be bumpy. The S3 absorbed the rough road and made the ride smooth and comfortable that I was able to produce higher numbers than I normally do.
2)I noticed how firm the rear of the S3 was. The Cervelo S3 pedals really responded quickly when it needed to. Extra power generated could be seen in my power meter CPU right away.
The following test is a course in a criterium like environment, high speed corners at about 20 mph, saddle jumps etc. The S3 cornered effortless with every turn of the handlebars and steer tube. With my confidence growing I decided to do some corners at 30 mph plus. No feeling of push or skip that is normally experienced when cornering at such high speeds.
My next test is a 2 mile climb at an average grade of 7.5% where the S3 was not as responsive but did not matter much cause I was switching from in saddle to out of saddle so it could have been my fault for most of the climb. The situation changed immediately on my down as I topped 55mph on a 15% grade for about 2 miles as the S3 exceeded my expectations of how it would handle itself at high speeds. The bike did not shake no noise and held its speed nicely and the aerodynamic tubing cut through the air for more speed.
The S3 costs about the price of a entry level car and not everyone will be able to afford it, but this is a review of the bike’s performance and not the price. Thor Hushovd uses the S3 because it distrubutes power very well is smooth laterally, and pretty darn fast! Him being a world champion should be enough proof that he knows how to pick a bike. And I am pretty sure he would also vouch for the S3.
For more information about the Cervelo S3 or other Cervélo bikes visit wwww.cervelo.com.
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August 4, 2011 by admin
How to become a cyclist
I started cycling cause a friend of mine travelled 140kms in 7hrs. He was an acquaintance when I first asked him and I was pretty shocked when he said it to me. It was my first time to actually meet someone who has ridden a bike over a long distance. Being a competitive person I wanted to learn more about what my friend did and of course wanted to beat him. If there is someone in my office who is doing a sport then I just got to be a part of it. I don’t care if it’s a team or individual sport, as long as I get to compete then I will do it.
When you start on your road to cycling, you will read and hear about speeds and distances done by other cyclists. Cyclists with high experience will be able to cover 100kms at 25-30kmh during their weekends. Hearing all that turns into a desire to push yourself, and you can only manage 10kms for 30mins.
One of the first things about cycling that you must realise is that it is a sport of endurance and not a short-term sport. Gradually your mind and body will become adapted to the long distance over the next 2-3 years. You will not be able cover great distances within 3months unless you are some sort of phenomenal cycling sensation.
The first few weeks is just about getting to know the bike and what it is capable of. There is no shame in being able to cycle only 10kms or having other cyclists pass you by. You will be able to do more at your own pace and not at their pace.
After a week or two of doing 10km two to four times a week, you can start trying 15kms or even more, it is all up to how you gauge yourself. You can even try going faster, but do not pressure yourself. Beginner speed is about 18-20kmh and only takes a few weeks to achieve. In some cases if you are a natural you can do this the first day and with very little training you’ll be speeding along like Lance Armstrong.
Ideally a cyclist should have both speed and endurance. Try take long rides on weekends for endurance for about 2-3 hours. On weekdays go for short rides for working on your speed. Don’t concentrate too much on what your speed cause each day is different. There are days when you could beat a world record and then there are days when a golf cart is faster than you. There are a lot of factors to account for such as physical condition, weather, type of road, traffic etc etc.
Maintain this routine for the next six months and it will be safe to say that you really want to become a cyclist. Once you have realized that you want to become a cyclist then you will never look back.
It took me about 22 months before I could start beating my friend.
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