Teams
This area is under construction. Neuvation Cycling™ sponsors race teams with special pricing on equipment. If your team is interested please email me at JohnNeugent@aol.com.
Wheel Testers
I get asked everyday by people who want to be my wheel testers. Who are the few who got the “job?” They are a combination of high mileage riders or people who are just plain tough on wheels.
Jim Langley
Jim Langley is working on his 14th year of consecutive daily rides during which he has test ridden countless bicycles, wheels and components along with his own. For 11 years, he was Bicycling Magazine's technical editor and new products editor, during which time he also rode and wrote about cutting-edge cycling innovations. And before that he wrote for VeloNews and California Bicyclist. Jim also worked as a pro mechanic for 17 years and this experience helped him write the best-seller Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair. Today in his spare time he runs his own popular cycling website www.jimlangley.net, and works full time as the content director for SmartEtailing, which provides the leading website solution for specialty bicycle retailers.
Paul Swift
Good Will Games Gold Medallist, 8 time National Cycling Champion, 15 plus years a member of the US National Cycling Team, former member of The Shaklee Racing Team, Former Athletes representative to the USCF Board of Trustees and Board of Directors of USAC, Chief Designer of The Bicycle Fitting System including The Wedge and co-author of “The Bicycle Fitting System Manual. Owner of BikeFit.com. Designer of the LeMond RevMaster and many more products.
Paul is tough on wheels. He is normally in the range of 220- 245 pounds and generates enormous power. He regularly rides the M 28 Aero wheels with excellent results "The first thing I do when I get my Tete de Course is take off the wheels and put on my Neuvations."
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John Kodin in the center as he's awarded first place in the 2007 over 45 Washington State Road Championships
John has been a friend for over 20 years. He’s well known in the Bicycle Industry. He was in advertising sales for a number of bicycle magazines including Winning Bicycle Racing Illustrated, Tri-athlete, Bicycle Guide and Cyclist. He regularly trains more than 12,000 miles a year and races Masters D category as member of the Shuksan Velo Club/Fanatik. For 2007 he ended up having a great race season with 2 road race wins included winning the States Roads, second in the States TTT, a 4th in both the States Hillclimb TT and Circuit Race, 7 in the States TT and many top 10 finishes.
Big Mark is generates more power than any rider I have ever seen. He's much more powerful than professional road riders because he’s a lot bigger (6’7” and 250 pounds). The M28 Aero wheels are the only low spoke content wheel he doesn’t destroy. He’s also riding a set of R 28 Aero wheels he’s babying.
I will let his extended press release speak for itself.
| Sultans of Watts |
9/29/06, Interbike, Las Vegas, NV
There was no power shortage at Interbike this year… as all cyclists could test their output at a popular power meter manufacturer’s booth.
For the three days of this year’s Interbike Expo, the power meter company sponsored a contest where the rider with the highest average watts (for a 15 second interval) actually won a complete power meter system valued at over $1400. After two days of riders giving their all, the final day started with pro sprinter Magnus Backstedt in the lead with 953 watts.
After that, things got interesting as Neuvation™ (www.neuvationcycling.com) wheel tester Mark Blaubach showed up for another try (riders were allowed one ride each day of the Expo). “I wasn’t aware of the contest until day 2 of the Expo and I was wearing sandals,” Blaubach said. “I gave it a go anyhow and came up with 906 watts (the highest non-pro average at the time). I used to run a wheel-based power meter, so I knew I could do much better with street shoes on, where I could strap the toe clips in and pedal normally instead of just the downstroke,” Blaubach said.
He was right. The next day Blaubach, representing Neuvation™, showed up with shoes on. “I was still sore from Demo Days where I was sprinting/testing the road bikes. I could also really feel the hard effort from the day before. I have chronic Lyme Disease from a tick bite I got mountain biking… so I’m usually only good for one hard effort per week followed by lots of recovery,” he said.
Blaubach’s first effort of the day was cut short after he stopped pedaling with 3 ½ seconds to go. “I swear I heard someone yell stop,” he said. Despite this period of essentially 0 watts, Blaubach still averaged 1087 watts… more than enough to take the lead… but he wasn’t done yet. “I wanted my 15 seconds,” Blaubach said. The company’s officials agreed and let Blaubach try again. “By this time I was exhausted, but I knew those lost seconds cost me a lot (later math would put his average at over 1400 watts had he completed the interval)… so I psyched myself up for another all-out try,” Blaubach said. This time, his output was a record 1207 watt average with a 1605 peak.
“I was ready to give Blaubach the prize right then and there,” said the company founder. We never had those kinds of numbers on the stationary bike… and after 3 days, he was over 200 watts above the next closest competitor.”
There was another monster in the midst, however, as a 6’6”, 280 pound competitive downhiller showed up with only 20 minutes to go in the contest. While he didn’t equal Blaubach’s peak wattage, the rider cranked out a massive 1287 watt average to take the lead and win the contest. “That was the hardest I’ve ever ridden,” he said… “and I don’t think I want to do it again.”
So with these kinds of numbers, why aren’t riders like Blaubach in the Tour De France? “It’s all about power-to-weight ratio,” said the 6’7”, 250 pound Blaubach. “Bigger guys produce more power, but they also have more aerodynamic drag and more weight to lug up the hills,” he explained. “I’m very good at flat to rolling time trials (where he averages over 500 watts), where I don’t have to constantly re-accelerate my mass or do any long climbs.”
As you can imagine, big guys like Blaubach are hard on equipment. “That’s how I became a “real world” product tester,” said Blaubach. After you send something back that you’ve broken 3 times that no one else ever has, you get the manufacturers’ attention… and one day someone asked me if they could send me a prototype for me to try and break. I’ve snapped pedals, chains, cranksets, and bottom brackets. I’ve exploded hubs, folded steel cassettes and broken over a dozen frames (both road and mountain) … so I guess I’m a good indicator of where the weakest link of any product is,” said Blaubach. “A lot of products are designed for and tested by 140 pound racers… and when they hit the real world, they become a warranty/recall nightmare,” said Blaubach. “I help manufacturers avoid finding this out the hard way.”
Blaubach also finds out in a hurry who takes care of their customers and who doesn’t. “That’s why, when I find something that works, I stick with it… like Neuvation™ wheels (www.neuvationcycling.com). Whenever I see someone with broken high zoot wheels I tell them to call Neuvation™ and ask for the ‘Big Mark Special,’ joked Blaubach. “They’ve lasted 3 times longer than any other lightweight wheel I’ve tried, and John Neugent’s (Neuvation™ Founder and CEO) customer service is the best in the industry… bar none,” claimed Blaubach
The stage is set for a “Clash of the Titans” at next year’s Interbike, as both big riders intend to return and give the contest a go. “I’ll be there with shoes on,” joked Blaubach. “My wheel-based power meter peaked out at 2189 watts before it exploded for the last time… so I know there’s room for improvement,” said Blaubach… “although it seems the output on a stationary bike is lower since you can’t throw the bike from side to side for leverage like on the road. I also think I produce more power with my Rotor Cranks™ (http://www.rotorusa.com), which have really helped me develop my power by eliminating my dead spots.”
For more info contact:
Neuvation Cycling™ — JohnNeugent@aol.com
Rotor Cranks™ — http://www.rotorusa.com
Mark Blaubach, Real World Product Testing and Promotions — bigringmark@yahoo.com
