Cycling speed records are defined in many unusual way. For purists, it’s about the athlete pushing themselves on flat ground to the utmost speed. These mad men and women have pushed speeds of 83 mph (133 km/h) and 75 mph(121 km/h) respectively.

Then there are the paced records, where a cyclist utilizes a motor vehicle to minimize wind resistance. The first record of this style was set in 1899, when Charles “Mile a Minute” Murphy convinced a railroad company to lay down plywood sheets between railroad tracks and draft a train. He hit 60 mph (96 km/h) and became the first person to ride a mile on a bicycle in under a minute.

There are also the downhill records where riders hurtle down snow capped mountains (or sometimes a volcano) to reach speeds of over 100 mph (160 km/h)

Then there is this guy. Who used a Swedish designed hydrogen peroxide powered rocket to propel himself to 163 mph (263 km/h) on a former military base in France.

Despite the auxiliary power, this daredevil still wasn’t fast enough to surpass the flat surface, motor paced record of 167 mph (268 (km/h) set by Fred Rompelberg (who was fifty at the time!) in 1995.

Via Nos.SL

Summer’s just around the corner, and Spring seems to be fluctuating between hot and cool and not much in between. Which makes for the perfect time to test out new Giordana and Castelli cycling kits designed for the sunnier days, and Cedar Cycling’s excellent Merino wool blend jersey for the cooler ones. All three brands are making some pretty amazing stuff, and each has it’s role in a well rounded cycling wardrobe.

Above, the Giordana FRC (FormaRed Carbon) Vertical bibshorts and jersey are their pro-level trade (read: self-branded) kit. The cut is aero, but the sizing is suprisingly American for an Italian brand. With most clothing from the boot-shaped country, I have to size up one or two levels, but Gita’s rep suggested a Large against my XL request and it ended up fitting perfectly. FTR, I’m 6’2″ and about 185lbs with fairly normal proportions.

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Last year while Tyler was visiting Taiwan, he spotted a peculiar Giant road bike with disc brakes and big tires. Called the Giant Anyroad, it was based on an upright geometry road bike with loads of tires clearance that seemed like it would be perfect for dirt, gravel, well, any road really (hence the name). There was only one problem, the Anyroad was not available in the US.

Now, 6 months and a lot of positive comments on our original article later, Giant has confirmed that there will be select models of the Anyroad coming to North America this fall.

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To compliment its new Edelhelfer 18-gram carbon water bottle cage, German carbon bicycle wheel manufacturer Lightweight is now offering the RESERVETANK water bottles.

Available in two sizes (500ml or 750ml), the RESERVETANK features a super-wide mouth for easy cleaning, and its classy minimalist graphics offer a stylish match with the Edelhelfer cage. Retail price on the 750ml bottle is 5 euros, and its weight is about 96g. Cost for the 500ml version is 4 euros, and it weighs about 76g.

The RESERVETANK will also be available in the United States, check the Lightweight website soon for details.

Last August, Charge Bikes started testing 3D printed titanium sections for their frames. Now, they’ve moved the process into full production mode, and it looks killer! Here’s the quick blurb from the PR:

Charge Bikes have collaborated with EADS (The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) Innovation Works, the corporate research centre for the EADS group, to produce the world’s first 3D printed Titanium frame manufacturing components using a process developed for the aerospace industry.

Expect it to show up on frames in the very near future, starting with the Freezer Ti cyclocross bike, shown further down, but first, this update from Chris at Charge:

“This is a first prototype, the dropouts are now deeper and the bolt heads now sit snugly into their countersunk recesses. Chain clearance is tight but no tighter than most bikes out on the market nowadays. The clearance certainly isn’t affected by the dropout design. There is a better picture of the dropout side-view which shows the depth on the Charge Facebook page.”

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Photos from Nick Crumpton of Crumpton Cycles. Closeup after the break. If you think you know what this is, post your answer in the ‘comments’ section– the correct answer will be posted there on Tuesday!

To send in your own Mystery Pic to be considered for the Monday feature, click here and attach your photo with all pertinent information.

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Sunset Hills Cemetery in Eugene, OR has taken their natural burial offering to the next level.  Funeral Home Director Wade Lind has designed a three-wheeled bicycle capable of carrying their casket basket ($3500) to the deceased’s final resting place.  The bike is even outfitted with an electric hub motor to assist in getting up hills.  KVAL of Eugene has the full story here complete with video.

As a kid, I loved riding my bike. It was my favorite tool for exploration and I took it everywhere (except uphill). So it’s great to see the next generation of riders are just as stoked on their two wheel steeds.

Lyrics after the break.

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Catch up on all of our Project 1.2 posts here!

With out Project 1.2 singlespeed, we set out to take a look at the world of reasonably priced carbon fiber.  While the benefits of lighter and/or stronger components with improved vibration damping are clear, do those benefits erode as the magic plastic works its way from the ultra-high end to the plain old high end of the price spectrum?

Over the past few years, the mountain bike market has seen an explosion of carbon rim’d wheelsets- and with them a doubling or even tripling of prices at the high end.  Sitting comfortably between the $2,500 wunderwheel and $900 high-end aluminum wheelset, Specialized’s Roval wheel brand has had moderate success with solid and surprisingly light wheels like the $1,650 Control Trail SL.  But they knew that, in order to gain widespread acceptance, they would need to do better.

Enter the $1,200 Control Carbon 29 wheelset.  Built using a freehub borrowed from DT Swiss’ bombproof 350 model and DT Revolution spokes, it’s hard to argue with the Rovals’ foundation.  But the real news is the rim itself.  Realizing that tubeless and tubeless-ready beads were plenty strong to hold tires in place without a bead hook, they decided to go without.  Genius move- or recipe for disaster?  Hit the jump to find out how they’ve fared.

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Marc and I have both been rockin’ Darn Tough Merino wool cycling socks for quite some time. Marc’s review is here, and until they contacted us a couple years ago, I’d never heard of them. Funny thing is, once I had a pair, I started noticing just how many of my friends had already discovered these little gems.

For 2013, they’ve introduced four new styles, the highlights being the new 3/4 length “Road Warrior” above and “Herringbone” designs. They’re a blend of 53% Merino Wool, 43% Nylon and 4% Lycra Spandex, and they feel great. With my original pair, I tested the anti-stink nature of their wool by wearing same pair of socks for the entire SRAM Rise wheels launch, which included two full days of riding followed by racing the Roc d’Azur. With no washing. Oh, and the plane flights to and from Europe. And there was no stink. Seriously.

These haven’t suffered through quite the same test, but they’re just as comfortable as ever thanks to a no-feel toe seam and plenty of cushioning for an “ultralight” sock. Retail is just $17, and if they hold up half as well as the others I’ve had, that’s a steal. Check the others below…

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