School building security and structural rehabilitation plan (Mission 4 – Component 1 - Investment 3.3) Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan contributes to climate recovery also by enhancing school buildings’ safety and energy consumption this measure aims to contribute to the improvement of energy classes and leading to lower consumption and CO2 emissions as well as to increase structural safety of buildings Particular attention is paid to the most disadvantaged areas with the aim of tackling and eliminating economic and social imbalances The investment is financed by Italy’s Recovery and Resilience plan by EUR 4.4 billion Buniva' school complex stands on a lot with access from Via dei Rochis in the school district of Pinerolo an important municipality in the western part of the Province of Turin and consists of a building for classrooms on four floors one of which is basement level and three above ground two twin gyms with playgrounds and changing rooms with services on the mezzanine floors The complex is divided into three functional bodies: body A of the classrooms and offices body A of the classrooms was raised by one floor obtaining a number of classrooms and constructing the partitions to brace the internal stairs and the heads the aim of the project is to adapt the complex to the latest regulations such as the Technical Standards for Construction of 2018 through building renovations on the load-bearing structure the envelope and the internal distribution The areas of intervention on the building are: seismic retrofitting; energy retrofitting; fire retrofitting; hygienic-sanitary retrofitting; acoustic retrofitting; electrical installations The short but tough fourth stage of the Tour de France 2024 marks the first entry into French territory The 139.6-kilometer high alpine route starts in Pinerolo and crosses the border at the Col de Montgenèvre The first major mountain challenge comes 19 kilometers before the finish in Valloire with the riders tackling the 2,642-meter-high Col du Galibier Such a demanding stage is rare this early in the Tour Some experts predict that by the end of the day only 20 riders will still be in contention for the top spots in the overall standings over the next two and a half weeks The road begins to ascend gradually but continues for an extended period The official climb to the winter resort of Sestriere is 39.9 kilometers long with a moderate average gradient of 3.7 percent but the first ten kilometers are also uphill the stage ascends for the first 50 kilometers to an elevation of 2,035 meters After an 11-kilometer descent to Cesana Torinese the next climb begins: the Col de Montgenèvre (8.3 kilometers at 5.9 percent) which signals the start of the stage’s finale Passing through La Salle-les-Alpes and Le Monêtier-les-Bains the peloton reaches the base of the legendary Col du Galibier climb The Col du Galibier will be climbed for the 37th time in the Tour de France 2024 This Hors Catégorie climb is 23 kilometers long with an average gradient of 5.1 percent there are still 18.9 fast kilometers of descent to the finish in Valloire Will the fight for the overall lead start in earnest on this stage Will Tadej Pogacar have his UAE Team Emirates set the pace wanting to test the form of Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) on the long climbs Or will Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe take the offensive From Briançon over the Col du Lautaret to just below the Galibier summit a strong team leader could have his squad set the pace and then take over in the final uphill kilometers and the fast descent to Valloire Maybe Ineos Grenadiers will launch an early attack with one of their three top-placed riders There’s also interest in how Richard Carapaz (EF Education–EasyPost) Will the Yellow Jersey inspire him to ride with the best and will his team support him like a true GC squad Given the stage’s short length of just under 140 kilometers the breakaway group forming on the long climb to Sestriere is unlikely to succeed If the GC teams start pushing hard from Briançon Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Aeroad CFR: The Bike Behind His Spring Classic Wins Mathieu van der Poels Cyclocross Calendar 2024/2025 Season Review 2024: Great Success of Team Alpecin-Deceuninck The Panthers’ starting lineup in Piedmont was Wolosz-Haak as evidenced by the 64 minutes of play over three sets where the Panthers were overwhelming from start to finish There was nothing former player Sorokaite and her teammates could do against a standard formation Prosecco DOC Imoco never managing to counter the yellow-blue’s pushes Only in the first set was there some balance always resolved situations by varying the play at will and successfully giving opportunities to all her attackers for a choral performance that satisfied the fans Prosecco DOC Imoco found an outstanding Gabi (6 points and 100% in both attack and reception for the Brazilian star!) who would end the match as the top scorer with 12 points one more than the “usual” Isabelle Haak The second set saw total dominance; Pinerolo struggled right from the serve reception against the Panthers’ offensive onslaught with 7 out of the 10 (to 1) total blocks of the match it was Chirichella who closed with 100% attack success the Panthers finished the job thanks to Bella Haak’s smashes (5 points in the set) and the first touches of the Olympic duo Fahr-Lubian gave the 34th seasonal victory to the Panthers The two winning trips this week have well-oiled the mechanics of coach Santarelli’s team keeping the temperature high for his 14 girls in preparation for the big event next weekend at Casalecchio (Bologna) where the Italian Cup will be awarded which Prosecco DOC Imoco has held uninterrupted since 2020 the semifinal against Igor Novara at Unipol Arena POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS AND PHOTO GALLERY ON IMOCO VOLLEY’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND FACEBOOK PAGE controlled ride to match; cartridge brake blocks Mekk is the new kid on the British cycling scene but its two founders — Mark Edwards and Ken Knight — are long-time leading British cycling industry figures They have created a range of 13 aluminium and carbon road bikes of which the Pinerolo SE 0.1 is the least expensive their extra width a more natural fit for your fingers than this earlier One of the reasons for this is that the Pinerolo design is now a few years old it’s all external cable routing and perhaps more significantly That’s even more of a surprise when you spy the Mekk’s rear rack and mudguard mounts there’s plenty of clearance for the rear ’guard but a front one would be a very tight squeeze Saturae is Mekk’s associated component-manufacturing arm and its name adorns the standard aluminium cockpit components straightforward wheels and a Shimano Claris-alike five-arm compact chainset which shifted just as well as Shimano’s own The 11-30 cassette is still better on the hills than an 11-28 which is partly a consequence of a previous review of ours The Mekk stands out with its unashamedly aggressive geometry steep frame angles (74-degree head and 75-degree seat) racy top-tube and a short head-tube at 14cm though 4cm of spacers do allow you to set the bar a little higher if you don’t want to be in perma-race mode This marks it out as a more performance- rather than endurance-orientated ride Its racier credentials hold up on descents would leave me battered and bruised over poorer surfaces Though I’d have still preferred wider tyres and a less squidgy saddle but you can push the padding in for more than a centimetre I would have liked a little more cushioning from the bar tape even though the carbon fork successfully takes the sting out of broken road surfaces The Mekk Pinerolo SE 0.1 represents good value for a first ‘serious’ road bike especially if you’re looking for a quite aggressive ride but 25mm tyres and a firmer saddle would be good for the next incarnation By Mina Holland There’s a sense of everything rising: the dough, the fruit, the heat, the scent, and the Alps that tower above the town. On the road above Pinerolo, the light is soft and gauzy, as though diffused by a piece of tulle. The snowcapped peak of Monte Viso looms in the distance, a reminder of Christmas’ imminence. The air smells sweet up here too. It always smells like Christmas in Pinerolo visitors to this little Piedmontese town 30 miles southwest of Turin are greeted by the season’s essential olfactory cues as soon as they arrive—baking spices These seem to be in the very pores of the place a bakery-factory that specializes in northern Italian enriched breads an operation that defines this small town—from its aroma to its employment options and the area's smaller bakeries have just begun their year's panettone making readying for the seasonal wave of customers But Galup has kept a steady pace—they make panettone (and other enriched breads like pandoro and colomba di pasqua) year-round the fall sees their production skyrocket in anticipation of the holiday season tells me they are now making up to 6,000 loaves each day which is set to increase to 10,000 in December triples between September and February.) As I wander around the factory the uniformed workers in white hair nets move hurriedly at each stage of the production line giving the place a Santa's workshop kind of mystique The uniformed workers move hurriedly in white hair nets giving the place a Santa’s workshop kind of mystique.Panettone—the golden egg-yellow bread of northern Italy—has become a winter mainstay across the entire boot a favorite being that it is pane di Tonio (Tony's bread) the result of an experiment made by a brilliant medieval court chef who had nothing to serve for Christmas dessert panettone is more likely related to a whole category of enriched breads popularly eaten for Italian religious feasts during the Middle Ages and dried fruit—were added to bread dough to create something regal and festive Dough is poured to be portioned; loaves fresh out of the oven; the finished product.Those original loaves likely resembled the style found in Milan today: unfrosted and in a tall hazelnuts.) Italians will slice and eat panettone for breakfast on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day They are largely purists with their panettone but some deviants cover slices of it with maraschino or cognac Italy produces nearly two loaves per every resident The country does more than $50 million of panettone business in the U.S (Galup is available Stateside through Eataly stores.) But for a product so widely distributed traditionally made panettoni are shockingly uncommercial filled with expensive ingredients and time-consuming to make little expense is spared on the quality of ingredients: candied citrus from Calabria and Sicily; fat sultanas from Turkey or Australia soaked in marsala wine; Piedmontese hazelnuts for dusting; the best Italian milk Galup’s production line is a sea of midcentury machinery supervised by a workforce that has been here for decades.The most important ingredient is free: The bread must be fermented with local wild yeasts which are responsible for the great variations in quality among brands and makers the pasta madre—"mother" yeast—is a descendant of the bakery's original from 1922 and has been fed with flour and water every four hours ever since "It's not just a yeast," bakery owner Giuseppe Bernocco says loaves rest upside down to keep the crown from caving in.Panettone is widely considered to be among the most difficult products for a baker to master Industrial and artisanal renditions alike require two levitaziones—two distinct stints of rising to get the dough to swell and the resulting bread to its trademark pillowy texture The best ones also call for a fine balance of timings of cult artisanal bakery Perino Vesco in Turin told me his process takes 40 hours in total; in small bakeries like this one session will yield just 60 or so breads As his giant electric mixer massaged a bundle of stretchy yellow dough between its long Just when I thought no more could possibly be added to what looked like an absurdly rich another mound of ingredients would fall in to be combined (Almost half of the average panettone’s volume is butter.) This extensive kneading creates a network of gluten a web through which the yeast pushes up to give the bread its bounce which in turn deposits its crowning proliferation of fruit on top Left: Ida Badino works on the machine that portions the dough Bottom Right: A photo from the Galup HQ archives—the leaders have changed but the product largely has not.Mechanization is essential given the volume that a place like Galup needs to produce The production line is a sea of midcentury machinery supervised by a workforce that has been here for decades; it's a curious mix of the mechanized and the handmade A giant vat of dough is tipped slowly into another container before being divided into individual paper wrappers Ida Badino is one of three people who operate the machine responsible for spezzatura She has worked here for 44 years and controls the size and weight of each ball of dough—reminiscent in shape and color of a yellow Labrador puppy—and makes sure that each dollop hurtling up the spinning belt is uniform in proportion Armies of panettoni then march through a giant oven Each 2-pound bread needs an hour at around 350°F to reach precisely 194° in the center the temperature that the company feels best ensures a light It is baked and then cooled upside down to prevent its crown from caving in on itself There’s a sense of everything rising: the dough The snowcapped peak of Monte Viso looms in the distance ADVERTISEMENTADADWant more SAVEUR?Get our favorite recipes Articles may contain affiliate links, which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use. because fortunately good products are more common than bad Purchases made after clicking on those links may help support road.cc by earning us a commission but all of our reviews are fully independent Mekk have produced a lovely frame here that with a few changes to the componentry - preferably before you even leave the shop - will offer an excellent racey ride Mekk are still pretty new to the UK bike market but the two guys behind it Mark Edwards (ME) and Ken Knight (KK) show their years of industry knowledge regarding products design and racing to deliver an absolutely cracking frameset on their Pinerolo AL 1.0 bike The Pinerolo range is Mekk's entry level of three aluminium bikes; the ZR carbon fork with Shimano's 2300 (£549.99) at the bottom the AL 1.5 which has a triple butted alloy frame carbon fork and Tiagra 10spd all for £799.99 obviously leaving our AL 1.0 sat in the middle at £699.99 The majority of bike manufacturers go one of two ways when it comes to putting bikes on the shelves at a given RRP The first is a basic frame adorned with plenty of bling to entice the customer upgrade friendly option of a top notch frame with a functional but not exactly exciting build Always a better long term option in my opinion The AL 1.0 uses the same frame as the AL 1.5; triple butted seamless tubing built into a semi compact style thanks to the shallow sloping top tube The oversized downtube ovalises either end providing a larger mating face for welding to the headtube and BB shell creating a stiffer frame The chainstays are square section as they leave the BB narrow giving plenty of heel clearance before swooping out mid way along to provide enough space for the rear hub The seatstays and seat tube are chunky looking affairs implying the AL 1.0 is intended more for performance than comfort The sizing runs from a 48cm to 58cm in 2cm increments with the size referring to the seat tube length The test model is a 54cm which has an effective top tube c-to-c of 55.5cm and a headtube of 15cm which looks smaller due to the diameter of that downtube The seat and head tube match at 73.5° which ties in with the other cues that Mekk have aimed the Pinerolo range at the performance end of the market standard 1 1/8' top and bottom while the bottom bracket is pretty much a retro item Designed as a replacement for square taper BB's the Octalink uses eight splines for the matching crank to be aligned with The welding from the Taiwanese factory is as tidy as you'd expect from a frame at this price point and finished off with a bright red deep paint job like the guides being on the headtube rather than the downtube which stops paint rub from the cables as you steer and internal cable routing for the rear brake Little details which show there has been some thought behind the whole design process The fork has 3k carbon fibre legs with an aluminium steerer The straight legs are a deep section which should keep things pretty tight up front Shimano provide the drivetrain made up predominately of their second tier Sora groupset It's been 9 speed for a few years now and uses a thumb button and the brake lever for changing gear (for 2013 the shifters are following the rest of the line up with the brake lever and paddle controlling the gear changes known as Sora 3500) a bit like Campag's Ergolevers They don't quite work for me as the button always seems to be in the way of your thumb when you want to ride in the hoods (unlike Campag's button which sits further back) and you can't reach it from the drops That aside though the shifting is very good a solid precise clunk up and down the block from the rear mech and it performs pretty well under load the chainset uses Shimano's Octalink tapered spline mating system It's a basic non series model using 50/34 rings on a 110 BCD but to be honest the shifting performance was pretty impressive After years of riding bikes with larger axles afforded by outboard bearings and BB30 the bottom bracket doesn't feel as efficient in terms of stiffness though The brakes are non branded dual callipers which are quite literally crap and at times downright scary on a bike designed primarily for beginners is it common sense to downgrade the one component that is quite literally a lifesaver I'm not aiming this specifically at Mekk either it's a problem across the board from virtually every manufacturer I can think of The calliper bodies flex and when paired with the hard non-cartridge pads the majority of your braking power just disappears with the levers feeling spongy in your hands High speed descents just become scary as you have to drag the brakes to keep the speed under control causing huge amounts of heat build up and brake fade Slowing from more normal riding speeds is met with a lack of feel and control as you change from full power to nothing in a bid to find the right balance An upgrade is a must - at the very least we'd get the pads changed in the shop Mavic's CXP22 32 hole rims are laced 3 cross building into a strong if slightly heavy set of wheels which look good and should be reliable We certainly didn't seem to have any issues over the test period with them staying as true as the day they were delivered The hubs are sealed units from ICE and they rolled smoothly from day one 23mm in width with wire beads and a mere 60TPI meaning they aren't the supplest Puncture performance and wear levels were good though so you take the pick on whats most important to you The seatpost and stem are ICE branded aluminium components while the handlebars get an upgrade to Ritchey Comps These have got a profile somewhere between a traditional curve and the more commonplace anatomical style It strikes a good balance between comfort and position as you don't need to move so far forward to get into the drops The Mekk saddle is a narrow race perch that has some of the softest padding known to man It's comfortable but you do need to put your saddle up by the best part of 10mm to compensate for the compression Three hours or so was fine and the white cover stayed clean too The frame impresses the moment you start turning the pedals with its all round racing feel The Pinerolo AL 1.0 may weigh in at 20.3lbs (9.2kg) but once you've got it moving off of the line it rides like a bike much lighter With the 405mm chainstays bringing the rear wheel in close to the seat tube the resulting small rear triangle and short wheelbase of just 980mm means the AL 1.0 responds quickly to direction changes and hard efforts out of the saddle making it ideal for club runs and group rides where changes in pace are frequent The Kenda tyres have a lot of rolling resistance and do dull the ride a lot but change them for something a bit quicker (I swapped them for my 58mm deep carbons and Velomax Master tyres for a couple of rides) and you will feel exactly what the frame will do Maintaining a decent average on the flat is no problem although if things are a little lumpy the jumps between sprocket sizes become noticeable on the 12-28 cassette When it comes to climbing the 32' bottom gear helps offset the overall weight and the AL 1.0 performs admirably There are some feelings of flex from the chainset and bottom bracket when you're out of the saddle - most notable from the chain rub at the front mech Whether in the saddle or out the Mekk remains comfortable and even when your weight is over the front end the handling remains the same the Pinerolo remains unflustered as the speed increases The forks have very little give and remain locked on to where you're pointing them Due to the braking issues with the standard brakes the usual gung ho 'let's see where the limit is' style of descending through the bends was put on hold until a more suitable calliper was fitted from the spares box Once set up though the frame and fork once again showed its quality easily taking everything you could throw at it The stiff rear end could become a little unsettled at speed on rough road surfaces but the fork once again kept the front end neatly in position Aluminium frames get a reputation for being harsh which is often misguided Thankfully the Mekk is another frame that dispels this myth as it absorbs road buzz rather well Some of the bigger bumps do make it through to your hands but that's more to do with the hard nature of the 60TPI tyres not responding with the surface imperfections Eighty to ninety mile roads were done in relative comfort though so if the Mekk is an investment for your first sportive or charity ride you shouldn't be disappointed especially for a newcomer to the sport the Pinerolo AL 1.0 might not look that appealing due to the lower end components like the Octalink chainset and Sora 3400 shifters compared to the other bikes sporting an entire Sora 3500 or even Tiagra groupset at this price With the Mekk you are paying for the frame though and what a cracking frame it is to You could easily spend £500 to £600 quid upgrading components and still be left with a bargain tyres and a trustworthy front brake on for part of the test period completely transformed the AL 1.0 and allows you to really get the best out of the frame The Sora drivetrain works well in all conditions and if the shifter design suits you there is no need to change them as the performance is snappy and precise The flex mentioned with regards to the chainset is acceptable but an upgrade to a new Sora unit with outboard bearing cups would be beneficial for gains in performance and looks Everything else works well out of the box and the Mekk will complement any style of riding you fancy doing It looks great too with the bright red paint job and white detailing the designed in Italy sticker receiving a little bit of kudos at the cafe stop All of Mekk's alloy and carbon frames are guaranteed for five years (with the usual disclaimers of course) which brings a bit of peace of mind to your purchase Impressively upgradeable frame (starting with the brakes) that delivers a responsive State the frame and fork material and method of construction List the components used to build up the bike Frame - Super Lite Aluminum Triple Butted Seamless Tubing Wheelset - Mavic CXP22 rims with ICE hubs 32 hole How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike Priced at 700 quid the AL 1.0 is aimed at the entry level for new riders and those coming from other disciplines Mekk state on their website that the aim is spend money on the frame making it ripe for upgrading while providing enough quality components for the bike to be enjoyable from day one Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork the build quality is good with decent welding and a deep paint job The attention to detail is high from the design and build point of view Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork The alloy tubing is triple butted meaning the wall thickness varies along its length to put material where its needed and removed from where it isn't The tubes are drawn rather than rolled meaning no welded seam equalling less weight and consistent strength Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mekk-pinerolo-al-10-sora-2013/ How was the bike in terms of height and reach How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size The test 54cm has a 540mm seat tube with 555mm toptube It's comparable to other 54cm/medium sized frames Tell us how you felt about the ride quality the ride was comfortable on both long and short rides The Mekk was being tested alongside a titanium frame and although alloy is less naturally shock absorbent the difference wasn't huge Did the bike feel stiff in the right places Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible The frame has plenty of stiffness where it needs it Very well considering the components quality and pricing Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness The chainset/BB combo are the weak link for power transfer Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency The large gaps in the cassette sprockets made undulating terrain gear choice a 'make do' affair so a change to a closer ratio block would be a good move mechs all work well but the crank/BB are a bit antiquated Anything you particularly did or didn't like Any components which didn't work well together It all works well enough and when you consider that a full Sora groupset can be had for just £230ish online Like I mentioned above though an upgrade to the crank/BB would be a good move Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered remaining true throughout and the hubs rolled smooth The 32 spokes in each wheel provide some comfort and shake of the worst of the rough roads The tyres are robust but let things down on the rolling resistance How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders oversized alloy and its kind of fit and forget stuff The ICE logoed parts look good and have decent levels of stiffness No but I'd happily buy the frameset if it was availiable on its own Anything further to say about the bike in conclusion One of those bikes that gives you a marking quandry; I really enjoyed the Mekk and the frame is a gem but I've got to mark it as it comes so it gets a 7 based on the standard spec A frameset only option would definitely be in contention for a 9 I usually ride: Ribble Winter Trainer for commuting Genesis Flyer  My best bike is: Sarto Rovigo I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99 Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999 but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results These days though riding is more about escapism keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job Unless the brakes are actually carved from faeces It sounds as though budgetting another £100 for 105 calipers and a pair of better tyres would make it a contender in the sub £1K stakes versatile and efficient – the welcome update makes this a road bike for all conditions affordable and good-looking – the best-kept secret in pro cycling A showcase of what's achievable in road bike design in terms of weight Great value and with a good drivetrain and brakes – but a firm ride and crying out for better tyres and a wider cassette road.cc's audience Report an advert on road.cc Privacy policy Subscribe All material © Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. Tel 01225 588855. © 2008–present unless otherwise stated. Terms and conditions of use Fausto’s Bianchi Reparto Corse had a 61.3-centimeter steel frame the race number “36,” the “inflate and repair” cartridge which at the time was positioned on the handlebars Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © Cyclinside - all rights reserved - Reproduction of photographs and texts for more than 10 percent is prohibited It is mandatory to indicate the link to the page © Cyclinside - all rights reserved - Reproduction of photographs and texts for more than 10 percent is prohibited The Prosecco DOC Imoco Volleyball return to the Palaverde after their trip to Bulgaria for the Champions and maintain both their scepter in the A1 standings and their unbeaten season in tonight’s match with Wash4green Pinerolo in front of 5,000 very warm fans confirming all the passion for the Yellow-blue Panthers After the greeting to the day’s partner association on the court from the start for coach Santarelli captain Asia Wolosz at setter Pinerolo lined up with Cambi in diagonal with Polish Smarzek Perinelli and young promise Bracchi setters The beginning of the match sees the first stretch of the Italian champions on 10-7 with a great service turn by Bella Haak (6 points in the set) then the furrow widens thanks to the defenses of Moki De Gennaro and the beautiful conclusions of Gabi and Lubian Cambi keeps the pace high and the set is balanced until another Gialloblù shoulder with Haak in the terminal role (16-10) Perinelli breathes life into the Piedmont attack (17-14) then for Prosecco DOC Imoco the Seki-Adiwge double change comes in and as often happens it’s immediately good news for coach Santarelli: 19-14 and time out for coach Marchiaro The award-winning Japanese-Italian duo continues to make waves Adiwge takes advantage of the Rising Sun director’s imbeccate and continues to violate the guest defense (22-16) audience in raptures for the 6 points (with 75%!) of the baby panther The set ends 25-21 for Prosecco DOC Imoco despite Pinerolo’s good final harry In the second set the home team immediately tries to run away thanks to its central players but Sarah Fahr pushes from the middle well assisted by Wolosz who churns out mouthwatering serves for her teammates Khalia Lanier targets holds well in reception A nice serve by Bracchi reduces the gap for the Piedmontese (14-13) but Marina Lubian with two “blocks” and a winning attack brings the Yellow-blue Panthers back ahead: 18-13 Captain Wolosz also makes her presence felt at the wall and Pinerolo inserts former Sorokaite to boost the attack It’s Marina Lubian‘s set (7 points the Piedmontese player feels derby air and goes wild with two more missiles on serve that make the 5,000 at Palaverde go crazy and also put the second set on ice (22-14) The finale is a monologue of Prosecco DOC Imoco that closes with two blitzes by Gabi (6 points in the set with 5/5 in attack!) who shows her class in attack and wall: 25-15 There is balance at the beginning of the third set it’s Wash4green that gets off to a strong start (5-7) but Isabelle Haak equalizes at 8 after a defense-monstre of Lanier Moki De Gennaro also props up the second line with her spectacular dives again Haak benefits well served by a brilliant Wolosz and Prosecco DOC Imoco goes back ahead: 13-10 and time out for Pinerolo which shows the first signs of giving up in front of the hardly sustainable pace of Gabi and her teammates Gabi and De Gennaro drive the crowd crazy with borderline defense Lanier closes in on the wall and it’s pandemonium at Palaverde (17-12) the show with Prosecco DOC Imoco is assured Lubian (MVP of the match) and teammates do not stop pushing and the match closes with all the Panthers offering their best to a very warm audience enjoying the 9th victory in as many matches of the frothy Prosecco DOC Imoco girls INTERVIEWS AND PHOTO ALBUM ON IMOCO VOLLEYBALL YOUTUBE AND FACEBOOK PAGE Back in the day, Mekk's Mike Edwards and Ken Knight were the men behind the distributor Caratti but Messrs Edwards and Knight are still involved in cycling with their own brand of bike bearing their initials Whereas most of the new breed of British bike brands boast about their Britishness – Moda and Boardman stress that their machines are UK-designed – the Mekk states proudly on its down tube that it’s designed in Italy but the geometry certainly has an Italian flavour For the price the finish is absolutely stunning the chainstays are short and the seat angle steep The head tube is also shorter than on a lot of modern comfort- or sportive-orientated machines The quite slack head angle is a little less Italian in flavour but the shortness of the head tube still makes for a pretty aggressive riding position though a longish wheelbase stops it from getting too lively The 12-27 cassette also suggests racy ambitions At first glance the frame resembles the cheaper Pinerolo ZR we tested last month but a closer look reveals that there aren’t actually that many similarities The slightly longer wheelbase means there’s much less likelihood of toe overlap on the 1.5 which means the tubes can be made from very narrow-walled alloy and the lack of mudguard mounts and clearance also shows that this bike has sportier ambitions really quite chunky seatstays and narrow 23mm tyres this Mekk is easily comfortable enough for long-distance riding If your only experience of aluminium is from years ago you’re likely to be very surprised at just how little battering you’ll get from a 21st century road bike this Mekk won't leave you aching after a long ride One final area where this Mekk scores over the cheaper model is the groupset the 1.5 going for full Shimano Sora and R500 wheels rather than Microshift and Saturae but the wheels are lighter than those on many of its competitors Mekk’s own-brand Saturae name is on the rest of the kit except for the saddle which contributes its share to the bike’s comfort Our only real criticisms are that the cables rattle where they enter the down-tube and that this bike isn't particularly keenly priced If you’re looking for a racier entry-level machine then there's no denying that Mike and Ken have delivered the goods here Panthers at home with Pinerolo for the eighth day of the Regular Season on Sunday at 5 p.m against the “pinelle” of former Gialloblù Indre Sorokaite a typical loose cannon with players that if on a good day can be a headache for anyone the Piedmontese travel in mid-table and are fresh off a nice success against newly promoted Talmassons In Wash4green to keep an eye on in addition to Sorokaite other experienced elements such as Polish bomber Smarzek Italian director Carlotta Cambi and interesting young players such as prospect Martina Bracchi PANTY – Prosecco DOC Imoco Volleyball’s new mascot is back the plush Trudi “Panty” panther that is the latest in attraction and entertainment at Palaverde Mekk’s entry-level road bike is as good as you’ll find at this price: decently fast though the rear brake cable is internally routed and the Mekk has a carbon fork Unusually – and very welcome – at this price Microshift’s 8-speed shifters work well with the Shimano Sora rear derailleur and Microshift front and though the three-lever setup takes getting used to we still prefer it to old-style Shimano thumbshifters It’s good to see rear rack mounts and fittings for mudguards though you might want to check toe overlap Our tester’s size 42 shoes overlapped the front tyre of the largish frame by about a centimetre which shows the frame’s pretty aggressive geometry as a first road bike and a step up from supermarket bike-shaped-objects www.robertsmithphotography.co.uk/Future Publishing but the men behind Mekk – Mark Edwards and Ken Knight – have decades of experience in cycling They were the team behind distributor Caratti which brought GT bikes to the masses back in the day They’ve put their experience to good use – and put their money where their mouths are – creating the Mekk brand offering bargain priced bikes across the road bike spectrum entry level Al 1.0 ‘Pinerolo’ (we hope a certain Italian company’s lawyers are happy with its cheeky name) comes with a compact Shimano 9-speed Sora groupset Where a lot of companies proudly proclaim their British design heritage Mekk’s down tube has an Italian tricolore declaring its Latin design roots though the semi-smooth welds of the triple-butted frame are a lot neater than on most bikes at this price – and many much dearer bikes The overall weight – just 9.16kg (20.19lb) – is exceptional at this price The chunky down tube changes profile from a rounded triangle to a flattened oval but keeps its considerable diameter where it meets the bottom bracket and the standard 27.2mm seatpost prevents the ride getting too hard The twin-bolt seatpost keeps the saddle secure too Our 52cm (equivalent to most brands’ 54-55cm) has a short 14.5cm head tube Shortish chainstays make for a lively and easily flickable sub-metre wheelbase too There’s little mudguard clearance and no mounts for them either but in spite of this it stays pretty comfortable You won’t have carbon’s plushness in any £700 aluminium bike but the Mekk doesn’t leave you numb-bummed or saddle sore thanks to a well-shaped seat from Velo and comparatively slim seatstays with the less user-friendly thumbshifters rather than the newest model’s paddle shifters the same frame is also available with 10-speed Tiagra for £799 – compatible with all Shimano’s 10-speed groupsets – with 105 and Ultegra bikes topping the A1 range At this price the usual compromises are brakes But while the non-cartridge brakes and Kenda tyres are par for the course Whereas you’d expect so-so own-brand wheels these Tiagra-level wheels are lighter than most of those on some £1,000 bikes – 1.28kg (2.82lb) front and their low mass helps hugely on the hills The stainless steel spokes are easy to replace upgrading to something like Schwalbe’s Ultremos will reduce weight and help you make even more of the frame and wheels Depending on your fitness and local terrain you might consider a different cassette than the aggressive 11-25T fitted this model comes with a free waterproof jacket worth £70 hard-to-fault road bike package offering a grand ride quality for much less than a grand Britain's Best Selling Road Cycling Magazine Mekk’s Pinerolo AL ZR is the company’s newest and most affordable road bike an interesting second bike for winter riding The frame is made from a single butted alloy tubeset with a 3K carbon fibre fork the bike is fitted with eyelet mounts for mudguards and racks so it could easily be pressed into touring or commuting service The frame is offered in five sizes from 47 to 59cm It’s a smart looking bike with neatly finished welding with cable stops on the side of the head tube the rear stays are nicely curved providing loads of heel and tyre clearance and the carbon bladed fork is a neat addition Mekk have given the AL ZR a mix of Shimano drivetrain with Claris 8-speed shifters and brake levers with a matching front mech and an upgraded Sora rear mech The chainset is Mekk’s own design with a compact 50/34 chainring setup The rear 12-32t cassette offers a large range of gears The bike rolls on Shimano R500 wheels and they’re fitted with Vittoria Zaffiro 23mm tyres It’s Mekk branded products for the stem The dual pivot brake calipers are Mekk branded items as well A bike of this price is never going to win a competition on the scales against more expensive rivals but at 10.42kg (22.97lb) it’s at least on the money for a bike of this price They’ve thoughtfully specified a huge range cassette so you’ll have a fighting chance of overcoming the weight penalty on the hills and the name Pinerolo - it’s a town in Italy southwest of Turin Any similarity to to the name of any high-profile brand is On the surface the Mekk is a really nice looking bike, and just goes to show that you really don’t need to spend a fortune to get a decent road bike these days. If you want an idea of what the other options look like at this price, our Best Entry Level Road Bikes Under £500 guide is a good place to look www.mekkbicycles.com All material © Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. Tel 01225 588855. © 2008–present unless otherwise stated. Terms and conditions of use and its recent offerings have impressed us greatly The Pinerolo AL SE 0.2 represents the second step on the ladder of the company’s four-bike range of aluminium-framed road bikes and features a nine-speed Shimano Sora groupset ‘We believe that just because a bike has a budget price tag it shouldn’t have a budget ride.’ We agree with the soundness of the principle but the proof of that will be in the riding Can the Pinerolo live up to its racy aspirations Groupset It’s a bit of a mix and match affair Shimano’s nine-speed Sora set-up provides new riders with plenty of ratios and an 11-27 cassette ensures the jump between ratios is smaller than the Delta 10’s eight-speed 11-32 set-up Mekk’s own-brand compact chainset performs the simple task of transferring power to the rear wheel with no fuss Tektro’s workaday R315 brakes are good enough while the action of the Sora shifters is that little bit more slick than Claris shifters.  Finishing kit Mekk’s in-house finishing kit brand Saturae provides the ergonomically pleasing 420mm diameter compact drop handlebars simple alloy kit keeps the cost down – and providing it does its job can really allow a good quality frame to shine Perhaps the only area of the finishing kit that isn’t to our taste is the saddle Wheels Shimano’s RS501 wheels are actually better than the RS10s we’ve found on even £1,500 carbon bikes used for nine-speed compatibility and low maintenance Upgrading from the cheap Schwalbe tyres would improve not only rolling resistance but also confidence First impression On the face of it – or at least the first few miles of our test – the Pinerolo appears to have it all its riding position is on the more committed side meaning we’re able to attack and swoop downhill and get low and aggressive on the drops.  On the road Some beginner-focussed road bikes just do a good job of letting their riders get on with the simple pleasure of riding not only for new riders but also for those of us who might be looking for a second bike for commuting or training duties The way in which the alloy frame transmits power from pedal to rear wheel is surprising at this price mark – we found ourselves knocking out some full-on sprints on false flats just to revel in the performance as long as the cassette is fairly close-ratio It’s not featherlight enough to really attack long Alpine ascents but it’s agile and willing enough to have a dig at some local KOMs although the front end is particularly well damped no doubt assisted by the bladed carbon fork.  Handling Change the saddle for something firmer and we’d gladly sit on the Mekk all day But where this bike really takes us by the short and curlies is in its willingness to positively attack corners Its steering geometry is on the sportier side this does lend it some urgency in the turns One of life’s great joys is braking hard for a downhill hairpin hitting the apex and standing up out of the saddle to power down the descent in a big gear even if you need to apply the Tektro brakes a little earlier than some But this isn’t simply a bike for those looking to go racing it might make a decent criterium starter bike but it’s also a good introduction to long-distance riding most of us use our road bikes for just this purpose – however much the idea of racing appeals in our minds it jars with the reality of our bank accounts and demands of our significant others There’s no reason that four hours spent in the company of the Mekk on a sunny day couldn’t be your best – or first – ride of the summer.  You must be logged in to post a comment To manage an existing Cyclist magazine subscription, please visit Manage your account or visit our subscription FAQ page. To subscribe, or for other enquiries, please contact us Sign up to the Cyclist newsletter to receive curated emails direct to your inbox Sign up to our newsletter Log in to access Cyclist Rides using your email pertaining to your subscription Don't forget a subscription to Cyclist includes: Log in to post comments and use Ask Cyclist our AI platform that answers your questions based on our articles Register to comment on our latest articles Occasional emails from selected third-party sponsors and advertisers Please enter your username or email address to reset your password It looks like you get a lot of bike for your money with the Mekk Pinerolo AL 2.0 Mekk’s philosophy when designing bikes is that the frame takes priority If you talk to either Mark Edwards of Ken Knight they’ll tell you that they want to provide a frame that’s good enough to last you years Components wear out and are upgradeable over time but the frame is the heart of the bike and it’s likely to remain constant so that’s where the majority of your cash goes when you buy a Mekk The frame in question here is made from what Mekk describes as ‘Super Lite Aluminum Triple Butted Seamless Tubing T4/T6 Heat Treated’ Triple butted means that the wall at one end of the tube is a different thickness from the wall in the centre and also from the wall at the other end The idea is to provide strength where it’s needed while keeping weight to a minimum Heat treatment hardens and increases the strength of the metal Mekk uses this frame for four bikes in the Pinerolo range starting with the £799.99 AL 1.5 and going right through to the £1,459.99 Pinerolo AL 3.0 It’s similar (but not identical) to the frame of the Mekk Pinerolo AL 1.0 that Stu Kerton reviewed here on road.cc a couple of years ago The oversized down tube ovalises at either end to increase the size of the mating surface with the head tube and the bottom bracket shell while the top tube flares out at the front end to provide further support for that head tube increasing in size up towards the junction with the seat tube The welds are all very tidily done to the extent that at first sight you might think that this is actually a carbon-fibre frame that has popped out of a mould and you can spot the telltale ripples underneath the paint the gear cables entering the underside of the down tube That’s fairly unusual positioning (although by no means unique) most brands opting to put the holes on the upper side of the down tube We’ll keep an eye on whether anything getting thrown up off the front wheel can work inside there The rear mech cable exits towards the end of the driveside chainstay The fork is made with an aluminium steerer and carbon-fibre legs Those legs are fairly deep section so we’re hoping that they keep things feeling taut at the front Mekk is firmly of the belief that investment in a high-quality frame is the way forward but you still get what looks to be a very good spec for the money here The groupset is mostly Shimano’s mid-level Tiagra although the brakeset is from the next-tier-down Sora groupset meaning that it comes with 50 and 34-tooth chainrings rather than something more traditional like a 52/39-tooth setup the idea is that it gives you a lower range of gears to take the suffering out of the climbs The wheels are Shimano’s reliable R500s and they come fitted with Continental Ultra Sport II tyres which we know from experience to be decent offerings for the money The saddle is a San Marco Era Start while the handlebar stem and seatpost are all aluminium options from Mekk’s in-house Saturae brand The Pinerolo AL 2.0 is available in seven different sizes: 48cm Our review bike is a 56cm version and it weighs 9.4kg (20.7lb) Of the bikes that we’ve reviewed here on road.cc recently, the closest in price to the Mekk is the GT Grade Alloy Tiagra at £849.99 that bike is also built around an alloy frame and has a largely Shimano Tiagra spec but it’s intended for use on non-smooth roads as well as tarmac – surfaces like gravel – and it comes with disc brakes so it’s quite a different proposition The Lapierre Audacio 400 that we reviewed back in February was £899.99 – the same price as the Mekk That bike is built around an alloy frame and alloy/carbon fork and it has a complete Shimano Tiagra groupset whereas the Mekk has a couple of downgrades That bike was also pretty light (7.8kg/17.2lb) and Stu (him again!) was very impressed with the ride so the Mekk faces some stiff competition here Priced at just under £900, the Mekk is within the price band allowed by most employer Cycle to Work schemes. and that’s what we’ll be doing once we have the saddle height and handlebar position dialled in We’ll be back with a review on road.cc soon and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions Montoso brings race above 1,000 metres for first time this year The mammoth stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo was not broadcast live on television but was instead immortalised in Mario Ferretti's radio commentary and Dino Buzzati's newspaper account Giro d'Italia 2019: Stage 12 Preview Giro d'Italia 2019: The Essential Guide Cyclingnews' countdown collection ahead of the 2019 Giro d'Italia 10 riders to watch at the 2019 Giro d'Italia Ferretti gravely told listeners that there was un uomo solo al comando – one man alone in front – and that his jersey was celeste The following day in Il Corriere della Sera Buzzati wrote of how watching a vanquished Gino Bartali struggle on the Col d'Izoard put him in mind of Hector being slain by Achilles "Is the comparison too solemn and glorious?" Buzzati asked before deciding that the gods made their own importance "But what purpose would our so-called classical studies serve if the fragments that stayed with us didn't form a part of our own small lives?" Coppi's impresa on the 1949 Giro is perhaps his most storied and almost certainly his most significant His 192km solo raid on the road from Cuneo to Pinerolo not only saw him dispossess Adolfo Leoni of the maglia rosa it also marked the moment the torch passed definitively from Bartali to him The 254km leg was punctuated by five mountain passes and then proceeding by way of the Col de Vars he had a lead of almost 12 minutes on Bartali and a 23-minute buffer in the overall standings The Giro had never seen a feat like it and the Cuneo – Pinerolo stage has come to be the outsized yardstick by which all future tapponi were measured The severity of the stage was such that the Giro has only once replicated it in full when Franco Bitossi took the honours.  A heavy-duty version of the Cuneo – Pinerolo stage was originally included on the route of the centenary Giro in 2009 but the risk of landslides and administrative difficulties saw the Maddalena Vars and Izoard excised from the course as the race was forced to avoid crossing into France Ten years on, RCS Sport have again included a Cuneo – Pinerolo stage on the Giro route to mark the 70th anniversary of Coppi's solo raid and the 100th anniversary of his birth there was never any question of the race attempting to replicate the precise route followed by Coppi and Bartali the 158km route limits itself to just a single classified ascent: the category 1 haul up Montoso "Another very hard stage wasn't possible on the Giro because we already have tough stages at the weekend and again next week so the route would have been too heavy," Giro director Mauro Vegni told Cyclingnews for the decision not take on the mighty peaks scaled by Coppi As the current uncertainty over the snow-banked Gavia's inclusion on stage 16 demonstrates conducting a stage over multiple climbs in excess of 2,000 metres is a high-risk strategy in Italy in May "There was also the risk of running into bad weather at that altitude," Vegni said RCS Sport have chosen to commemorate Coppi on consecutive days on this Giro with a finish in his hometown of Novi Ligure on stage 10 prefiguring Thursday's stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo "We have evoked Cuneo – Pinerolo as a concept and we think that's sufficient to celebrate Coppi," Vegni said "Nobody wants to deny the history and tradition of this sport otherwise we'll be forever tied to the past which is very complicated for the younger generation to understand." Thursday's stage sees the slow-burning 2019 Giro enter the mountains for the first time with the Montoso serving as a prelude to the demanding days in the high Alps that follow The early part of the stage brings the gruppo through the rolling hills of the Langhe but the terrain grows rather more testing as the riders pass through Pinerolo for the first time after 90km The climb to Montoso marks the first occasion that the 2019 Giro climbs above 1,000 metres in altitude The ascent is 8.8km in length with an average gradient of 9.5% but there is an interesting sting in the tail in the form of the short but brutally steep climb to San Maurizio The 550m-long muro pitches up to 20% and comes with just over 2km to go sits ready to inherit the jersey if the Italian falls short although it remains to be seen if men like Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) test the waters here given the demanding legs that come on the three following days "The Montoso is a new climb and it's a hard one so we don't think the Pinerolo stage is going to be one for the sprinters," Vegni explained "It's a stage where riders who want to make something happen have a chance to do so It's a day where the breakaway has a real chance One wonders if the 'classic' Cuneo – Pinerolo stage – by way of the Maddalena Montgenevre and Sestriere – could ever feature in the modern Giro "But I'm convinced that everything in a Giro must be harmonious with its overall design If tomorrow there was a chance to have the stage We're already seeing the risk with the Gavia very complicated stage to put together."  British brand Mekk has made quite an impact on the UK road cycling market in the couple of years since it launched and for 2016 the company aims to build on this early success with the launch of several new bikes including disc brakes on aluminium and carbon fibre frames with the new Pinerolo SE featuring an updated aluminium frame with double butted tubes and and a new retro inspired paint job Pictured is the Pinerolo SE 0.3 with Shimano Tiagra and Saturae components and costs £750.  The range starts at just £500 for a Shimano Claris 8-speed bike and rises to 105 at £900 Another important change across the board is the standard use of 25mm tyres on all bikes if you want it (with the exception of the Primo But the really interesting news is that there is now a disc brake model the Pinerolo DS 0.4 with Shimano 105 shifters and Promax mechanical disc brakes costing £1,000 Disc road bikes are proliferating through the market as any regular reader of road.cc will no doubt be aware and Mekk’s entry at this price point is a serious sign of intent from the brand to appeal to cyclists wanting disc brakes at an affordable price and the frame is furnished with rack and mudguard eyelets The Poggio has been joined by the new Poggio SE It features a carbon fibre frame and the SE 0.3  comes in at the magic £1,000 price point for which you get Saturae wheels and a Shimano Tiagra groupset Add another £100 to that price if you want a Shimano 105 groupset Production bikes won’t come with the pictured white bar tape A shame but a more practical choice for sure Last year’s Poggio carbon fibre has been given an update with new oversized tube profiles and new seatstays It has the appearance of a race bike and is well suited to racing but is ideally suited to fast performance minded cyclists and sportive types which for £2,000 includes Saturae wheels a Shimano 105 groupset and Continental tyres Top of the range is a £2,800 Shimano Ultegra Di2 model And for 2016 the Poggio is being offered with disc brakes Mekk has reworked the carbon fibre frame to accept disc brakes and uses regular quick release axles front and rear and full internal cable routing starting out with the DS 1.5 with Shimano Sora TRP Spyre mechanical discs and Shimano RX50 wheels for £1,400 The range tops out with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical with hydraulic disc brake model The bike pictured is the £1600  Shimano Tiagra and TRP Spyre model At the top of the company’s range meanwhile the Primo race bike has been redesigned with an all-new aero frame The NACA profile tubes certainly give the bike an impressive appearance and there are other aerodynamic details including the chainstay mounted rear brake and the speccing of the company’s own Saturae carbon fibre clincher wheels - which cost £800 a pair available aftermarket and a very competitive price The cheapest Primo cost £2,200 but tops out at £5,500 for a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 build There are five models in total to choose from The cables are all internally routed on the Primo and enter the top tube just behind the stem Something that Mekk has always concentrated on and what helps to set them apart from some of its rivals is a focus on providing the highest quality frame possible so the customer is buying a bike that is underpinned by a high quality frame that should last the test of time better than a higher specced bike on a lower quality frame The idea is that while it’s easy to replace components replacing the frame as you become a more experienced cyclist is a costly exercise so Mekk’s thinking is you’re better off with a good frame in the first place We've got one of the new Mekk bikes on test at the moment so watch out for that review soon.  I had a similar experience to Pauld - emailed re a few queries on frame geometry - and never got a response but it wouldn't have taken much to reply and even say they didn't know the answer to my question still waiting for a reply from them to the email I sent in June!! In my various dealings with Paligap (who distribute Mekk and I believe own the brand - the phone no is certainly the same) They're not taking any risks with the steer length being too short are they ... Be one of the first to try our new activity feed following the discernment held in the curatorium of the Pinerolo novitiate house "Monte Oliveto" and with the consensus of the General Council officially communicated the appointment to the aforementioned house of Fr Leonardo Mancini as its Director - Master of the house of Pinerolo "Monte Oliveto" for 2018-2021 Fr Mancini accepted this task in obedience which he will assume in the next month of September Among the tasks of Fr Mancini there will also be that of accompanying the transfer of this formation house of Pinerolo "Monte Oliveto" to Colle Don Bosco ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements Is 2013 the year of the aluminium road bike culminating in one winning our Bike of the Year award and judging by the latest crop of bikes arriving in the office The very latest is this Mekk AL Pinerolo 1.0 a £700 entry-level aluminium racer with a 9-speed Shimano groupset and a bright red paint job The story behind Mekk is a simple one, it being a relative newcomer to the road bicycle market. Two men with years of experience between them in the bike trade, Mark Edwards and Ken Knight, put their heads together and created a complete range of bikes, from aluminium to carbon fibre. We tested one such carbon model, the 3G Potenza SL5.5 last summer and came away highly impressed with such a capable and very well-specced bike for the money The £699.99 AL Pinerolo 1.0 is an interesting bike and is the first of four aluminium models which top out at £1,199 Beyond that carbon fibre takes over and Mekk split their offering into three separate ranges priced from £1,199 right up to £4,999.99 £700 is still a reasonable chunk of cash but it’s a very good point to get onto the road bike carousel and the Mekk offering has a lot going for it with a very good build kit and smart finish making it one for your shortlist if you’re in the market for a £700 bike the frame is triple-butted aluminium which means it’s a bit lighter and should hopefully ride better than a plain gauge (non butted) tubeset The welds are smooth and it’s all very neatly finished It has a chunky down tube that is ovalised at either end to present a larger weld area with the head tube and bottom bracket shell The top tube has the merest hint of a slope giving it a traditional look that just seems right to my eyes A 1 1/8in head tube carries a carbon fibre fork with an aluminium steerer tube The rear brake cable is routed internally through the top tube It’s not often you see internal cable routing at this price The gear cables are routed externally along the underside of the down tube Mekk opt for Shimano on most of their bikes and this model gets a mostly Sora 9-speed groupset with a non-series Octalink compact 50/34 chainset It’s the older style Sora with the thumb shifter paddle rather than the newer Dual Control lever shifters A KMC Silver 9-speed completes the drivetrain Wheels are a combination of ICE hubs with sealed bearings and Mavic's CXP 22 rims saddle and brake callipers are all branded with the ICE logo too On first impressions it all appears to be good but it will be interesting to see how the brakes perform during the test period as they’re an obvious downgrade from Shimano branded brakes They’re fitted with non-cartridge brake pads Weight for the bike pictured (a 54cm) is 9.22kg (20.32lbs) Now we’ve cast our eye over the build kit The 54cm bike we have comes with an effective top tube of 55.5cm while the seat tube is 54cm The head and seat tube angles are both 73.5° The head tube length is on the short side at 15cm which places it at the racier end of the scale Even going up a size to the 56cm gets you only a 15.6cm head tube That’s interesting because the more expensive Mekk 3G had a whopping 20cm head tube for a size 56cm It would have been reasonable to assume Mekk might have opted for a similar sportive-friendly geometry across their range of bikes so the fact the entry-level aluminium bikes are far more racy than their more upright carbon models higher up the price slider has us rubbing our chins that we expect might be interested in this Al Pinerolo more comfortable front end like on the expensive carbon models I’m not a fan of the really tall head tubes so it will be interesting to see our our tester for this bike There’s some hot competition at this price point there’s the Verenti Belief from wiggle.co.uk at £750 which manages a Shimano Tiagra 10-speed groupset offers the Volant 10 at £799 which combines a double-butted alloy frame and Sora 3500 9-speed groupset And there’s Pinnacle Dolomite 4 for £750 an alloy frame wearing a Shimano Tiagra groupset from Evans Cycles I got this bike the other month as an upgrade on a steel frame raleigh I had I must say I've thoroughly enjoyed the bike it feels and looks nice and so far the build quality seems to shine I managed to pick it up from Wiggle at £560 so it was definitely a bargain Only downside I've found at the moment is the sora thumbshifters do often have a habit of sticking every so often Not sure if this is something that could be fixed through a service but it is a tad annoying when battling a tough hill only problem is keeping it looking as shiny as the day I got it because it sounds a decent bike that doesn't need to hijack another company's identity *Pinerolo is the name of a town and a climb in Northern Italy It's mentioned in the article for pete's sake Is it worth £400 more than a BTwin Triban 3 though although the very first thing I'd be doing is removing the 'AL1.0' stickers They're sailing a bit close to the wind there with the name I bet Halford's lawyers are getting excited If you are going to play with similar sounding names this is the best one I've seen: http://i42.tinypic.com/211uq2g.jpg participated in the annual pilgrimage of the Diocese of Pinerolo; their destination: the Marian Sanctuary of the Sacred Mount of Oropa in the Italian province of Biella Piergiorgio Debernardi spoke of the 11 novices living the last month of their novitiate in preparation for the First Religious Profession which is scheduled for September 8 in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians will be filled with actors in period costumes reenacting the story of Maschera di Ferro A procession of participants and actors will move through the street of Pinerolo on Saturday evening; the evening will include entertainment and dances Sunday afternoon the story will be acted out and the mask will be removed to reveal the identity of The Man in the Iron Mask; every year this part is played by a different actor acronym of "Network Enabled Capabilities" is a Defence-Industry project aiming to improve the communication time and the acquisition of information in military operations through the use of new information technologies aims to create a Force composed of three medium digitalized brigades the most important of which is the "Pinerolo" one through the modernization of all components The NEC Force project gives the possibility to connect directly and immediately each soldier with the decisional centre In that way the soldier on the field can enter the databases as if he was in front of the computer and communicate by sending messages night and day or images to all the units on the network The project is ambitious and the first step for its realization is the Pinerolo Brigade that represents the vanguard of the "Future Soldier" Project; thanks to it the Armed Force intends to realize a link towards the future land integrated Force.    Source: ghanasoccernet.com « Prev Next » Comments (0) Listen to Article Ebenezer Afriyie Acquah The Get Fit Village sports center was enriched this year by three indoor panoramic padel courts in addition to the traditional fitness areas provides a complete wellness offer with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool and a thermarium all created by radically transforming the existing structures on an area of 20,000 square metres in the prestigious and purely sporty area of San Siro The padel courts in the Get Fit Village have been organised in a layout that occupies the space between the clubhouse and the indoor gym and swimming pool building a covered structure housing three courts was built The covered padel has a structure of laminated wood beams with a double membrane roof made of polyester fabric coated with PVC; the three main bays are interspersed with bands of translucent single membrane The whole is supported by square-section galvanised steel pillars The outdoor and indoor padel courts are made of steel and glass structures of the so-called “panoramic” type The playing surface is made of textured synthetic grass the same type used in the World Padel Tour Privacy policy