Here's just a few of the 2011 bikes on special.....

Cannondale Slice 4 Rival (above) RRP: $3600 Special: $3060
Cervelo P2 Ultegra RRP: $4245 Special: $3610
Orbea Alma S50 Carbon MTB RRP: $3499 Special: $2975
Cannondale Supersix 1 RRP: $5500 Special: $4675

 "Visually it's quite different to current Supersixes. The bottom bracket area is much smaller than the huge Beat Box on 2011 models, for instance, the profile of the chainstays is much shorter (top to bottom), and the top tube slims down towards the middle. It still looks like a Cannondale, but a slimmed down model.

"In terms of the ride, it's very light and quick off the mark and it climbs really impressively. Cutting weight is all very well – it's not difficult to take material away and drop the grams. It's keeping the stiffness while dropping weight that's more tricky.

"This bike retains the stiffness of current SuperSixes. If Cannondale hadn't told me the head tube was slimmed down with a 1 1/4in lower bearing instead of 1 1/2in, I wouldn't have noticed. I couldn't discern any difference in front end stiffness. And the whole middle section of the bike stays firm when you whack all your weight through the cranks and swing the bike about.

"I managed to get in 2hrs on the SuperSix Evo on one day, and 5 1/2 hours the following day. Most of the roads around Turin were smooth but we took in some with UK-style surfaces too. No big potholes, but certainly some rough stuff.

"From that I'd say that the SuperSix Evo is perfectly capable of soaking up vibration. It felt really comfortable throughout and doesn't jump or skitter when you hit a bad patch, so you stay firmly in contact with the ground and fully in control.

"Even at the end of our big ride, I'd happily have stayed out on the bike longer if we'd had time. There were no aches or pains from being in the saddle, despite some big climbs and fast descents. This is a really high quality road bike. It will do well in full-on tests and is bound to prove extremely popular."

(review courtesy of Road.cc) (for the technical review click here)

The Evo Ultimate currently on display at Fusion is a 56cm and the total weight of the bike is 5.2kg including DT Swiss wheels (no pedals) and Sram Red groupset.  The frame on its own is 695 grams.This is the lightest most reliable bicycle Cannondale has ever produced. 

RRP: $12,999 Evo Ultimate with Sram Red, DT Swiss Wheels
RRP: $8,999 Evo 1 with Dura-ace, Ksyrium SL Wheels

Fusion Cycles will now be closed on a Sunday!  BUT, we are opening for longer hours during the week and on Saturday.  Open from 8.30am in the mornings and until 5pm on Saturday, 6pm for weeknights and still 7pm on Thursday.

AND our cafe next door is now Larder II and will be open on Saturdays for Breakfast!

Mon-Wed, Fri 8.30am - 6pm
Thu 8.30am - 7pm
Sat 8.30am - 5pm
Sun Closed

Fusion Cycles has a range of Wheels for hire this racing season.  Come in and chat to the team about your racing goals for advice on the best wheels to try.

You're training 3-4 times per week, you're feeling fit and strong and maybe with an analysis of your pedal stroke, your descending and climbing technique and your VO2 max, you could take a few more minutes off your best race time?

If this sounds like you, register your interest for Fusion Super Sessions.  Each month throughout the summer, we'll have an expert in the areas above, host a session where you'll get one on one training to take your cycling to the next level.

Costs and scheduling of sessions will depend on interest.  Click here to register your interest.

The 62km Fusion Social Ride at Kingscliff is on again next Saturday starting at 7am at the Kingscliff Community Hall. Its a scenic ride through the Tweed Valley and is part of the QSM Sports Kingscliff Triathlon weekend. 

Entry is $25 and includes breakfast.  To register click here.

PS. Kingscliff Triathlon entries are still open - Kids, Tempta, Olympic Indvidual and Teams entries available. Click here for more info.

Tom gettting ready to race at Fusion Games Corporate Crit Jul 2011

Age: 42
Occupation: Aussie Home Loans Franchisee

How did you get into cycling?

Moved from running to triathlon so had to get on a bike plus going to a bike shop like fusion is for me , what most blokes like in Bunnings.

What brought you to Fusion Cycles?

I found out about Fusion via the Reddog Triathlon Club.

What do you ride and how often?

Black Cervelo, no idea on the model, age or stuff on it. I just ride it 4 times a week, and like most triathletes have no idea about it and that’s why I like dealing with the experts at Fusion who tune it up every 6 months.

What are your cycling goals?

Ironman Melbourne in March 2012 then Ironman Austria in July 2012...so for the next 6 months long, lonely rides.......

As a cycling coach I believe it is important to do whatever we can to ensure our safety on the road. We cannot control the behaviour of all motorists but we can control our behaviour and set a good example for others out on the road. Here are a few important tips and rules for the road that you may or may not know.

Road Rules

1. Cyclists must obey the same road rules that apply to all other road users.
2. Cyclists must not ride in a manner considered to be dangerous. Failure to maintain a straight line by swerving and you could be fined.
3. Your bike must be road worthy.
4. Sorry! Cyclists are not permitted to wear headphones  (iPods) while on roadways.
5. When riding 2 abreast cyclists must not be more than 1.5m apart.
6. Cyclists must maintain more than 2 metres behind a motor vehicle.
7. Cyclists must use hand signals when stopping and turning.

Road Tips

1. Ride defensively and stay alert. Expect the unexpected such as cars turning suddenly, failing  to give way, pulling out of parking spots and car doors opening.
2. When cycling in bunches always communicate with your  fellow cyclists.
3. Clearly indicate to motorists what your intentions are.
4. Keep to the left hand side of the road unless turning right. Then you are able to turn right from the left of the centre line of the road.
5. Avoid riding in a motorist blind spot.
6. Always overtake other cyclists on the right hand side.
7. Always scan back before changing lanes.

The rules and tips we have just covered are simple to do and if followed will increase your safety margin when out on the road. Please look after yourself and stay safe!

Adam Gill Level 2 Coach

If you would like to ride with the Fusion group for the Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge on 9 October, please register online as an individual and then email Chelsie to keep updated with our plans for the event.

Ok, so maybe like me you’re a fan of Marco Pantani, or maybe you’ve been re-watching Cadel Evans’ epic win in the 2010 La Fleche Wallone on the Mur de Huy, so you start thinking, “Where can I do that in Brisbane?”  Well, the answer is the steep side of Mt Glorious, coming up from Samford.

This ride was logged back in February, and I didn’t do it from the shop or take any photos, but it’s simple enough to work out, and when you hit the top the view is spectacular and you can look down on your efforts and be justifiably proud.  I’m sure everyone can work out how to get out to Samford Road via Newmarket Rd, and then you just keep on truckin’.  I’ve described the climb over to Samford before in the Mt Mee ride log, but this time, it’s probably best to save the legs for what’s to come, so don’t hit it too hard.  As you come into Samford, go straight through the roundabout (keep the Caltex Servo on your right).  Again, you can’t go wrong along here, just keep going straight.  It’s undulating, with nothing steep.  It’s perfect for tempo efforts, and if you’re not keen on the mountains, you can just use this section as a great out and back course, good for a paceline or for triathletes wanting to get down on the aerobars for a decent hit out with zero interruptions. 
And then you hit the climb.  It isn’t recommended for beginners, but if you fancy yourself as a climber, or really want to challenge yourself, then you want at least a 25 or 27 sprocket on the back, or compact cranks on the front (unless you’re Toby Hood, in which case a 21 is fine).  There’s three steep ramps before you hit the climb –don’t be sucked in, you’re not there yet, and it eases off with flat or downhill after each of them.  When you go across the little bridge, there it is, the sign that says “Next 2km, 15%”.  The first drag isn’t too bad, but don’t overdo it thinking you can see a switch back coming up where you’ll get to recover.  Keep it as steady as you can, delaying the moment when you’ve got to get out of the saddle, as there is NO recovery on this climb.  Every time you get to a corner, it just keeps kicking.  You’ll get to a corner thinking, “This must be it,” but on and on it goes.  This is the hardest thing – for 10 to 15 mins you’re on the limit, with zero chance to back it off.  If you do, you’ll be walking the rest of the way.  There’s probably not a lot of real training benefit to this climb as such, except for the mental strength you get from knowing that if you can do this, you can do anything. And hey, how cool is it to brag about at the coffee shop afterwards to all those that wouldn’t even attempt it.
After two km of pain, you get to the T-intersection.  If you’ve got anything left, do a couple of quick circles to recover (watching for traffic of course) then head right and go the last couple of k’s up Mt Glorious.  The best bit is that after what you’ve already done, this last bit seems like nothing at all.  There’s a pretty decent café up there too, and a park with public toilet facilities a bit further on. 
The way home, thankfully, is mostly downhill.  At the café, turn around and go back the way you came, riding straight through at the intersection I mentioned before, and heading for Nebo.  After some downhill recovery, you go back upwards for a while on a really sweet little climb that goes from the top of the Goat Track up to Nebo township, with smooth tar and awesome rolling switchbacks.  From Nebo township it really is mostly downhill, with just a few pinches to sap the rest of the strength from the legs as you stay on one road that takes you all the way back to The Gap.  After that, just follow Waterworks Rd, which take you basically back to into the City.
Of course, you can always do this loop in reverse, and it is easier, though still a real challenge and not to be underestimated.  If you do though, just make sure your brakes are working well, because as steep as it is to climb, it’s just as steep to descend.  Ride safe and enjoy…

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/70269543

Ride log courtesy of Ryan Wilson - Team Fusion

Weight loss more specifically fat mass loss is a very common goal of people training for specific events or general health. So how do you lose fat, without losing muscle tissue and also maintain training intensities at optimal levels.

Energy availability
“Energy availability” is a term that refers to the amount of surplus energy available after the energy cost of exercise has been accounted for from your daily energy intake.  When people exercise the energy they consume from food is prioritised to fuel that exercise. Whatever is left, is the energy available to keep their other systems working.  If the amount of energy available falls below a certain level (~30kCal/kg Fat free mass/day) there is not enough left to meet the requirements other bodily functions (reproductive systems, immune function, muscle tissue growth, bone growth). This insufficient energy availability can come from not eating enough or expending too much energy through exercise. This leads to serious health issues like bone, immune and reproductive systems shutting down.   It is therefore recommended that people looking to reduce their energy intake to lose weight maintain an energy intake at appropriate levels (>30Kcal/ kg FFM/ day) especially if this intake is to be sustained over long periods.  If you have trouble calculating your exact “energy availability”, a sports nutrition expert will be able to help you calculate the appropriate amount of energy required.

Protein intake
Protein is a nutrient that during fat mass loss, has two functions.  Firstly the acute intake of protein after every training session ensures that muscle tissue growth and repair is optimised. The intake of protein throughout the day (~20g) at every meal and snack will ensure the process of repair and growth is continued over longer periods.  Protein also has an added benefit of increasing satiety after consumption. This means that when you consume a good dose of protein you feel fuller for longer.  So people trying to lose fat mass while maintaining or gaining muscle tissue should consume 20g of good quality protein (those containing all of the essential amino acids namely leucine) at all meals and snacks throughout the day.

Low energy density
Consuming foods with low energy density is an easy way for people who are trying to reduce calories to eat sufficient volumes to fill them up but still loss fat mass. Energy density refers to the amount of energy per gram of food.  Potato chips are a food with a high energy density; this is compared to a plate of vegetables with may the same weight as the potato chips but far less energy. Research has shown that foods that contain large amounts of fluid or water have a much lower energy density. In fact a meal of identical composition but with increased water content have far different impacts on appetite and consumption.  For example a plate of beef and vegetables is far less filling than the same ingredients cooked up as a beef and vegetable soup.  This means if you are trying to change body composition by reducing calories ensure that the foods you are consuming have a very low energy density; specifically focusing on foods with high water contents.

Putting it all together
So by consuming sufficient energy to maintain health and training intensity, moderate amounts of good quality protein at all meals and snacks and eating foods and meals with low energy density you should be able to lose fat mass and gain/maintain muscle tissue at the same time and achieve the body composition you are looking for.