Fusion Cycles will be OPEN on Easter Saturday 23 April 10am-4pm and Easter Sunday 24 April 10am-4pm.

Fusion Cycles will be closed for Good Friday 22nd April, Anzac Day 25 April and the public holiday Tuesday 26 April.

The Onix is Orbea's entry carbon frame bike and is designed with comfort in mind for long kilometres.  The Onix is hand painted in a choice of four colours and comes with a lifetime frame warranty.  Fusion has a range of Onix bikes instore, come in for a test ride this month.   

Carbon frame, Shimano 105 groupset. RRP: $3000 Special: $2599

We still have a full range of ladies and mens Orca tri suits and tri pants and singlets.  Discount on instore stock only.

Core TriSuits: RRP $159.95 Special $127.95  Perform TriSuits: RRP $229.95 Special $183.95

Core TriSinglets: RRP $109.95 Special $87.95 Core TriPants: RRP $99.95  Special $79.95

I have to say this is the best bike I've ridden or owned.  I needed a bike that was fast and comfortable for endurance XC events.  Over the years I've owned high end 26" hardtails and Dual Suspension bikes, I've been thinking of buying a 29er for some time now and finally narrowed it down to the Cannondale Flash 29er.

The traction and balance this bike has is a huge leap forward it climbs faster and further than any bike I've ridden.  On the road this bike is fast, it feels more like a road bike than a mountain bike.  For a hardtail it rides smooth.....The SAVE seatpost and seat stays must work,and big wheels and Lefty fork are a great combination.

This bike is very stiff and stable when you are out of the saddle.  People have always told me 29er's are slow on single track......I really don't notice much difference or maybe they didn't try the Cannondale.  The only change I made was the handle bars were too wide so I cut about 80mm off them and added barends & the boys at Fusion lowered the stem.

If your looking for a new MTB try a 29er, if you want the best try a Cannondale Carbon Flash 29!

Review courtesy of John Travers - mad keen mountain biker and Fusion customer.

The Fusion Games at Newstead will be on again during Tour De France! In addition to the Duathlon and Cycling Criteriums we will also include an early morning Social Ride and a Corporate Teams Criterium.  Watch this space for more info.

Mt Gravatt is a reasonably easy ride, depending how hard you want to push yourself ! We decided to do two ascents when we got to the start of the climb, and the overall ride time took just under 1.5hrs to complete with the total distance being 35km’s. Mt Gravatt itself is a “forgiving” ascent (if there is such a thing) – nothing too steep, and there are parts of the climb where you can take it easy if you need to. For a training ride, this 2km climb is perfect for interval training.

Starting from Fusion Cycles, make your way up Ann street and over the bridge to Woolloongabba. From here you will need to lock onto Logan road (follow Ipswich rd to Balaclava street). Follow Logan road through Greenslopes and Holland Park until you reach the main strip at Mt Gravatt. You will need to turn right onto Shire road – there is a red rooster on the corner (resist the temptation!). Veer left onto Mt Gravatt Outlook drive, this is where the main entrance is, and make your way to the top whilst enjoying the views (or chewing the handlebars). Once at the top you will be rewarded with one of the best views of Brisbane city and surrounds.

Do you have a Garmin? Download the ride details from:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/73732147 and let the Garmin lead you!

Need a little motivation to push your performance? See how you measure up to the Virtual Partner — see if you can get to the top before we do!

Ride log courtesy of Shane Bedford - Team Fusion.

Briarna Mackie has had a terrific month, warming up with a 2nd in Open Women's at the Kingscliff Triathlon on March 6 and then taking out First place in her age group at the Mooloolaba Triathlon on March 27.  Well done Bri!

Shane Bedford and Craig Shepperton came 2nd at the MTB 4hr Enduro Super Series 6 Mar. 

Melanie Gillespie came 3rd in her age group at the Kingscliff Tri 6 Mar.  Also in the photo is Chris Moor who came first in his age group.

Descending is something we often neglect in training, but is a very important skill, especially if you are in a group.  

We will start with the basics of descending solo or single file as this will form the basic skills required for descending in a group. Please note we are going to look at an intermediate skill level, we can address more advanced techniques later.

Solo Descending:

· Firstly pick your line into the corner. An easy way to work out the line into the corner is to picture a car driving down the hill, you want to be on the outside set of wheels on the road. This will ensure you are wide enough before entering the corner.

· Brake gently before the corner when the bike is still travelling in a straight line. Adjust your speed so you feel comfortable you can take the corner without using the brakes.

· Ensure your inside leg is raised and place firm pressure on your outside leg. This will help stabilise your bike and help push your centre of gravity into the corner.

· From here we simply look “through” the corner to where you want to exit the corner.

Descending in a Group:

· Firstly pick your line into the corner. We need to take into account another rider either on the outside or inside of us. Picture a set of train tracks about 2m apart around the corner. You will be either on the inside or outside track. This is your line around the corner. Please note that the inside line will have a tighter radius.

· Brake gently before the corner when the bike is still travelling in a straight line. You will need to adjust your speed taking into account that you will need to stay on your own train track around the corner. If you are travelling too fast you can easily drift wide into the other rider or out onto the opposite side of the road. If you end up on the opposite side of the road at ANY time you are travelling too fast. Please remember that we are not at the Tour De France and 99% of the time you will be riding on roads open to traffic!!! Good descending is safe descending.

· Ensure your inside leg is raised and place firm pressure on your outside leg. This will help stabilise your bike and help push your centre of gravity into the corner.

· From here look “through” the corner to where you want to exit the corner, do not look at the other rider. Remember your bike will go where you look. The last thing we want is 2 riders sitting on the same bike.  When you look for the exit of the corner still picture your train tracks extending down the road in a straight line. Your goal is to stay on your train track all the way around the corner and continuing up the road in a straight line.

· Practice, practice and more practice. Grab a friend at the same ability and give it a go at a slow pace staying side by side around the corner. Swap and ride on both the inside and outside train track. Once you feel comfortable you can slowly increase the speed.

Good luck and stay safe.

Adam Gill - Cycling Science

Sat Apr 2 TQ Offroad Triathlon Championships, Landsborough. 350m swim/10km cycle/4km run.  Click here for more info.

Sat Apr 2 and Apr 9 HPRW Criteriums, Nundah. 8am start. All grades.  Click here for more info.

Sat Apr 2 and Apr 9 Balmoral Cycling Club Criteriums, Murrarie.  Click here for more info.

Sat Apr 2, Sun Apr 3 Dirt Fest Ultimate Endurance Challenge, Sunshine Coast Hinterland.  XC MTB, Offroad Triathlon and Trail Run events.  Click here for more info. 

Sun Apr 3 Ipswich 100 Road Ride, Ipswich.  Click here for more info.

Sun Apr 3 DCRR Open Criteriums, Northlakes.  Click here for more info. 

Sun Apr 10 Foodworks Queensland Road Team Series Rnd 2, Beaudesert.  Click here for more info.

Sun Apr 10 TQ Olympic Triathlon Championships, Redcliffe.  Click here for more info.

Sun Apr 10 MTB Enduro Super Series Round 2. 6hr MTB enduro, Murrenbong Scout Camp, North Brisbane.  Click here for more info.

Sat Apr 16 HPRW Kermisse, Lakeside.  7am start.  Click here for more info.

Sun Apr 17 MTBA Marathon Championships, Boonah/Beaudesert.  Click here for more info.

Mon Apr 25 Anzac 25 Track race, Lakeside.  Entries close 10 April.  Click here for more info.

Fri 29 Apr - 2 May QSM Battle on the Border, Tweed Valley.  Road racing, Criterium and Social ride.  Click here for more info.

There are still a few spots left on the Half-Smiddy Challenge Team! Join the Smiddy team for an 880 kilometre, 5 day cycle tour through scenic northern New South Wales and the Darling Downs.  You’ll be raising funds for world-class cancer research and honouring family and friends that have been touched by cancer. Be the first to tackle this great new event!  There is no registration fee, just your fundraising commitment.  For more info Ph: 07 3163 8600 E: info@smiddy.org.au.

I have previously discussed the potential benefits of Beetroot Juice on improving performance. Is there more to this story than originally meets the eye. YES!!!  In the past 18 months since beetroot juice first burst into the public domain more research has been done on this unique ergogenic aid. Remarkably beetroot juice has withstood the rigour of the scientific microscope and has come out in good shape. 

What makes beetroot juice so special?

Beetroot juice is high in chemicals called nitrates. See my original post in September 09. Beetroot juice is not the only vegetable that is high in nitrates but it is one that is somewhat easy to consume. (I reinforce “somewhat”)

What can beetroot juice do?

The nitrates in beetroot juice are transformed in the mouth to nitrites and to NO in the body. This is an important pathway that is enhanced when the body is stressed and oxygen is limited (aka - EXERCISE). The nitric oxide that is the end product of the pathway has been shown to be effective in reducing blood pressure but it has been suggested that nitrates in beetroot juice can improve the efficiency of mitochondria. This basically means for every molecule of oxygen used to create energy in the muscles more energy is produced when nitrates are consumed. This is a highly unique outcome from the ingestion of a simple vegetable product. There are very few things that have been proven to reduce the energy cost of exercise so effectively. 

How much is necessary?

In the original research that was discussed in Sept 09 the subjects drank 500ml of beetroot juice for 6 days leading into testing. Recently this volume has been reduced to as little as a 70ml shot (available overseas) or a 250ml bottle (products available in Australia). The great thing is that research has shown that a single acute dose about 2.5 hours prior to exercise can have the same positive effect on exercise performance. This is much easier to carry out than 500ml a day for 6 days.

Who will benefit?

It is early days in this research and the scope of benefits is difficult to estimate. Currently it has been shown to be effective over distances of 4 and 16km or events when athletes creep towards their max. This means that it would seem to be beneficial in track cycling and criterium cycling at this stage.

Side effects?

There seems to be minimal side effects apart from your urine changing colour after consumption. Nitrates have been implicated as being carcinogenic but this link seems to be due to the consumption of high nitrate cured meats and not the consumption of high nitrate vegetables.

So from something as simple as beetroot juice comes a supplement that might turn out to become a staple for elite athletes all over the world.

Greg Shaw
Sports Dietitian - Australian Institute of Sport