Paco Ferrer, el último gran héroe del Valencia LD /¿11 velocidades ?

cei y paco en el triwhite


La historia de Paco Ferrer, el último gran héroe del Valencia LD

ValenciaRunner.com / 5 junio, 2013
El triatlón ValenciaLD nos dejó impactantes historias e importantes marcas. Regresos importantes como el de David Castro y remontadas como la Marta Fernández de Castro. Pero dentro de los 725 que se inscribieron y los 576 triatletas que cruzaron la línea de meta, nos gustó la historia de Francisco Ferrer, uno de los héroes. Este vecino de Gandía, a sus 68 años, fue el último en acabar el ValenciaLD en la Marina Real. Empleó para ello, 8 horas y 18 minutos para completar un exigente ‘medio Ironman’ de 1.900 metros a nado, 90 kilómetros en bicicleta y 21 km de carrera a pie.

“Sentí una alegría inmensa al cruzar la línea de meta del ValenciaLD”, confiesa Paco, pero nos avisa también de que “quiero que sepa que hice ese tiempo porque el 14 de abril me lesioné y una semana después ya corrí el triatlón de Gandía lesionado, que no tenía que haberlo hecho. No he podido entrenarme bien y ya salí del agua 12 minutos más tarde de lo que debía. En bicicleta más o menos lo esperado, pero en la carrera a pie tardé mucho más de lo habitual minutos. Estuve corriendo 3h15’ que son 45 minutos más de lo que tenía previsto. Si no, no habría llegado el último!!”

El pasado domingo, Paco Ferrer comenzó el día como siempre. “Yo desayuno un trago de leche y un plátano. Y durante la carrera solo bebo agua. Ni geles ni nada”, confiesa este triatleta, que reconoce que fueron muchas horas desde que se levantó a las seis de la mañana.

Hace 18 años, este mecánico de profesión, ya jubilado, tenía una vida diametralmente opuesta a la que ahora disfruta: “Me fumaba ¡tres paquetes de Marlboro al día! y llevaba una mala vida, comiendo y bebiendo. Me avisaron del peligro y dejé de fumar. Pero engordé mucho, con mis 1’58 metros llegué a pesar 91 kg. Y empecé a hacer deporte. Ahora estoy en 66 kilos, pero sé que me sobran algunos kilos que en las fotos se ve que tengo ‘barriguita”.

Su comienzo en el deporte popular llegó hace 15 en las carreras populares, primero de 10 ó 15 km. “Hace cuatro años pasé a los duatlones y triatlones. También me he atrevido con las carreras de montaña, pero me falla un poco la vista y tengo miedo a caerme”, nos confiesa.

Corriendo y nadando, solo tenía que sumar la bicicleta para llegar al triatlón. “Hasta hace siete años no había tenido ni una bicicleta en mi vida. Iba en coche a todos los sitios. Un amigo me regaló una bici vieja de montaña. La reparé y se la devolví. Y ahora tengo una bici de segunda mano con la que una o dos veces a la semana la cojo y hago 60 ó 90 kilómetros”.

Cuando le preguntamos por la sensación de acabar un triatlón de media distancia, un “medio Ironman”, como dice Paco, se emociona. Pero se apresura a recordarnos también que “en casa tengo 472 dorsales de carreras, travesías de puerto, y demás pruebas… Y este año llevo duatlones, dos triatlones, el Ultrafondo de 6h de Valencia… Ya llevo 12 ó 13 podium en estas pruebas. Ya no sé ni donde empezar a meter los trofeos y las medallas que me llevo en mi categoría (Veteranos 3)”. Y bromea contándonos que “pido que me inscriban con los de 33 años, pero no me dejan”.

Ahora Paco disfruta del deporte cada día y en cada prueba. Por eso recomienda a todos su práctica, “que te llega a enganchar”. Y él lo ha notado en su colección de trofeos, pero sobre todo en su salud: “Cada año me hago un análisis médico… y no me sale ni dinero. Los médicos se asustan de los resultados. Se creen que estoy enfermo, hasta que le digo que las pulsaciones y presión es por el deporte”.

Lo dicho, todo un campeón Paco Ferrer, que se despide de nosotros lanzando un deseo al aire a sus 68 años. “Yo solo quiero seguir haciendo deporte 25 o 30 años más…”. Lo dicho, un mito. Uno de los héroes del Valencia LD.

http://valenciarunner.com/la-historia-de-paco-ferrer-el-ultimo-gran-heroe-del-valencia-ld/

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Do We Really Need 11-Speed?

By Twain Mein May 30, 2013 OPINION ROAD
Normally, I’m pretty excited about advances in cycling technology and I love to try the newest, lightest, most aerodynamic inventions. However, with the advent of 11-speed drivetrains, I’m not convinced at the need to upgrade.

Actually, I’m upset that the bike industry is suddenly moving to this “new standard” which results in forced upgrades, but, as far as I can see, with no real benefit to the end user. This conspiracy of planned obsolescence just doesn’t seem necessary. Heck, there are plenty of new avenues of growth like disc brakes, gravel bikes, aero-road bikes, carbon fiber wheels and new and amazing frames. Why do they need to fuss with yet another drivetrain standard?



It All Started With A 6-Speed

As a long-time cyclist and gear nut, I am accustomed to change and typically welcome it if warranted. (You can see the proof in my many bikes from over the years in the gallery below.) It started when I got my first road bike in 1986 was 6-speed. That first bike was a $450 Tange 1 steel-framed Nishiki International with a mix of Suntour Cyclone and Sprint components (think Shimano 105 and Ultegra, respectively. Superbe Pro was the Dura Ace equivalent).

For $50 more, I had it “upgraded” to Shimano 600 SIS shifters and rear derailleur with a six-speed cluster and a 13-26 cassette. SIS, otherwise knows as “Indexed shifting” is likely the most revolutionary advancement in cycling for the past 40 years or more, eclipsed, perhaps only by LOOK pedals that signaled the end of toe clips and straps.

Until SIS, shifting was friction-based. Meaning you had to move the shifter “just so” to get it to hold a gear. With SIS, you simply clicked the lever in to place. It was awesome! The bike also had 52/42 front chainrings, which was the standard for the day. I was happy as a lark and rode the snot out of that bike, and, in fact, I still own it today.

Bottom line: when Shimano introduced 6-speed with indexed shifting, it was a huge step forward in shifting performance, in addition to providing one more gear from 5-speed. It was a worthy upgrade and the gruppo provided many reasons to go to 6 speed.



Then Came 7-Speed

Shimano then introduced 7-speed in 1987. I waited three years until 1990 to upgrade when Shimano 600 became “Ultegra” and sprang for a Dura Ace freewheel with 12-23 gearing, which gave me more top end speed which was useful for triathlons. Fortunately, the original 600 derailleur worked with 7-speed indexed shifters so I didn’t have to upgrade that and I kept the front chainrings. With the lower gears, 7-speed was a reason to upgrade. SRAM also joined the fray at this time with economical twist shifters that also worked with 7-speed. It was reasonably priced to buy just a new cassette and shifters to get the advantages of 7-speed.



Anyone For 8-Speed

8-speed came around about a year later, but I never got it on my road bike, though my mountain bike was thus equipped. I believe 8-speed introduced the 28-tooth rear cog, which, coupled with a 22 tooth front made it much easier to climb the steeps. Shimano also completely revamped their cassette design; 5, 6, and 7-speed cassettes were not compatible with the new freehub design of 8-speed.



Number 9-Speed

In 1996, 9-speed was introduced. 9-speed was notable for introducing a larger big chainring and smaller small chainring with a 53×39 front configuration, and either an 11-23 or 12-25 rear cluster. This provided more power on the down-hills with easier gears on the up-hills. Shimano also introduced the Octalink bottom bracket which was exceedingly stiff and had more splines to reduce and prevent any “play” with the cranks. 9-speed was also lighter.

Thus convinced of the merits of 9-speed, in 1999, I bought a Fuji Team Issue bike with “state of the art” scandium tubeset and 9-speed Ultegra. The Fuji rocked the 53×39 and 11-23 cassette.

So thus far, 6 speed had lasted me four years and 7 speed lasted nine. 9-speed seemed like it was the ultimate – and would never change. To this end, I upgraded five bikes to 9-speed and I enjoyed being able to swap out components easily, without having to change shifters and cassettes. More and more components came on to the market with this standard, and the weights were coming down. 9-speed was the ultimate! Why would it change?



Because of 10-Speed

Unfortunately, in 2000, it did when Campy introduced 10-speed. Shimano waited three more years, first with the 7800 series, then with the 7900 series that featured hidden cable routing for the shifters. 7800 series Shimano Dura Ace was positively goofy looking with the external cable routing for the shifters. But 7900 was a worthy upgrade to hide those cables!

It took until 2008 for upstart SRAM Red to introduce their 10-speed gruppo that was both lighter and less expensive than Shimano Dura Ace while also featuring hidden derailleur cables. Sold on SRAM Red’s lighter weight, integrated cables, and wide 11-26 gearing, I finally saw a legitimate reason to upgrade to 10 speed, and did so. 9-speed had lasted me 9 years.

10-speed truly felt like the end all of drivetrain set up with wider ranges and lower weight. That said, it seemed that a lot of work still needed to be done to refine 10-speed. Drivetrains were noisy, some components were still very heavy, and setup and maintenance was much more finicky. It seemed that 10-speed was in for a long haul of continuous refinements that would take many years to refine.

In fact, SRAM Red was completely revamped in early 2012 to reduce weight and noise and improve shifting; if there ever was an upgrade I’d be interested in, it would be to the improved SRAM Red 10-speed. Shimano also introduced electronic shifting for 10-speed and it seemed they had plenty of reasons to continue to reduce weight and bulk.



Enter 11-Speed

In the background, in 2008, Campy did start fiddling with 11-speed and launched it. But I didn’t see it coming to the masses for many years. Well, suddenly, it is mid-2013 and Shimano has made 11 speed a viable option with the roll out of the new Dura Ace and Ultegra. Joining the fray, SRAM recently announced its 11-speed components. So now what?!

What are the reasons to upgrade to 11-speed? Shimano’s Dura Ace is lighter than 10-speed. And it gives you one more gear. Other than that, I am at a loss. Additionally, if you do buy 11-speed Shimano, you need to make sure your rear hub will accommodate it because 11-speed requires a compatible hub.

Bottom line “upgrading” an existing bike to 11-speed is going to be costly. Buying a new bike with 11-speed already equipped may be a better option but sharing components with an older bike is out of the question.

In the end

The new standard represents a lot of challenges. Cyclists who own 9- and 10-speed bikes will be faced with expensive upgrades if they want to go to 11-speed. At the same time, they may be tempted by plummeting 10-speed prices to upgrade the previous generation. Adding a new 11-speed bike to the stable would thus require upgrading other bikes to share componentry if that’s what you do. Frankly, I’m frustrated and would have rather seen more R&D and improvement with 10-speed versus this unnecessary jump to “11”.

http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/do-we-really-need-11-speed