Archive for October 2011
Torn on the KOBH: Pinarello’s Cobblestone Competitor vs the Dogma
Bicycling in the Alps never looked so good. Between the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and numerous trips through the French and Italian countryside, I needed a bike that would stand up to the elements (snow, rain and gravel during the Giro). This adventure called for using one of Pinarello’s 2011 KOBHs during a busy tour season with Punto Tours. And it was a great choice.
Just so you know, Pinarello has no idea who I am. I receive nothing from Pinarello for reviewing any of their products, and if I did, I would disclose it. It just so happens that I like to write about quality products, and they (so far) haven’t let me down.
The KOBH (pronounced /kob/as in “cobblestone”) was launched just prior to the 2010 Paris-Roubaix, as reported by Competitive Cyclist. In fact, their report on the KOBH is much more thorough than anything I can write here. We know that these carbon-fiber frames are strong for racing, but how strong are they over the cobblestones? There are a few aspects of the KOBH that make it an incredibly resilient ride over rocks regardless of its relatively “fragile” carbon-fiber based core.
A re-shaped “Dogma”
The bike is essentially the same as the Pinarello Dogma that I wrote about here in this post. However, as Competitive Cyclist puts it:
With the introduction of the KOBH, Pinarello takes the amazing form of the Dogma Carbon and re-fashions it for the worst of the Spring Classic pavé.
And they’ve done that by re-shaping the seat-stays, making them thinner yet wider than the Dogma’s. This technique is seen on a number of bikes created for the punishing cobblestone classics in northern 
Europe.
However, the KOBH also allows for bigger tires (28c tires as opposed to 27c). All the while, maintaining its asymmetrical design to maximize speed and efficiency under torque.
Obviously the headtube is a bit beefier, and both the headtube and the seattube are more perpendicular to the ground, so the compression of the material is along the length of the tube, not across it. An added plus is Pinarello’s use of the Torayca 60HM1K carbon with its “bursting” alloynano technology (which I wrote about here). So even if you stress the carbon, these alloy particles are released into the carbon fiber making it stronger and giving the carbon a longer life. And a longer bike life is important, especially when yours is riding on top of it.
Sardinia, Italy and the Adventure Travel of a Lifetime
Italy’s western-most island is not often on tourists’ top-ten list when visiting the peninsula. In fact, some people confuse Sardinia with Corsica (a smaller island to the north belonging to France, home to two famous twin brothers). Yet like many islands in this part of the world, Sardinia boasts a culture and history that makes it unlike any mainland Italian region as well as any other European country. Australian-based Punto Tours runs a few unique bike trip itineraries on this beautiful island through many of the most historic and picturesque villages imaginable. Fall is a great time to travel to Italy and Punto Tours’ Sardinia departure is a storybook vacation. Today, Sardinia remains a true “emerald” of the Mediterranean Sea: full of luscious green mountains covered in thick forests, scored with plummeting rocky chasms, all of which make it a unique Mediterranean destination.
To give you an idea of Punto Tours’ magical week-long Sardinian escape, read on. The following villages are just a few highlights of this special departure:
Alghero
Hard to believe that Italy could have as much Catalan and Spanish influence as Alghero has, but this city was under Iberian rule starting in 1354. The original towers (built by the Genoa kings) were knocked down and the Spaniards built new looming defense structures. In 1720, when Sardinia was annexed by the Savoy Kingdom, Alghero remained primarily Catalan. Today you can still visit the seven towers still standing: among which the Torre de Sant Joan, the Torre del Portal and the Torre di Sulis have the richest history and the most Spanish influence.
Bosa
Set along the Temo river in western Sardinia, Bosa is picturesque with its XII century fortress overlooking the valley. Its 300 m perimeter walls enclose the sacrosanct N.S de s
os Regnos Altos: a XIV century cathedral with some of the best preserved frescos from the 1300s. Bosa celebrates its Festa di Santa Maria del Mare on the first Sunday of August, with a boat procession, carrying a statue of the Madonna out to sea.
Oristano
Sartiglia is a festival in Oristano that comes from medieval Spanish practices. During the Easter celebration, a rider on horseback adorns Castilian medieval dress, garnished with flowing silk scarves and a round black hat. An androgynous mask is placed over the rider’s eyes. The objective is to thread as many iron rings with his saber while he rides through the wild crowds in the center square. Even the name Sartiglia comes from the old castilian language meaning “ring” but also “fortune.” Thus the horseman with the most rings will win the contest and will also have the most prosperous year.
Gennargentu
This mountainous forest region contains the highest mountains on the island. Many of these geological formations are said to be some of the oldest in mainland Europe. With peaks high enough to accommodate skiers in the winter, this part of Sardinia is home to many endemic species of flora and fauna, and is a stunning contrast to the pearly beaches and azure waters so commonly associated with this island.
Guspini and Villamar
Guspini has been a mining village ever since the Phonetician conquest of Sardinia. Lead, silver and zinc were just a few of the minerals extracted from these dark caves which were the last residences for many ancient Roman citizens banished fromt he eternal city. In contrast, Villamar is decorated with stunning murals on many of the village walls. These paintings depict the Sardinian lifestyle in captivating images of daily life and the history of the islanders’ struggle.
Sant’Antíoco
This picturesque and historical city was first founded by the Phoenicians in the VIII century B.C, and is home to their tophet necropolis (burial ground for children). It served as a major municipal city for the Roman Empire and eventually became the isle of exile for Sardinia’s patron saint, Saint Antiochus, martyred in 110 A.D. in the mines of the island. These days the treasure of this minor island lies above ground in its sandy beaches and turquoise waters.