About bikes, cycling and cycle to work - Tredz Blog

Giant TCR Advanced 3 review

The Giant TCR Advanced 3 is a bit of a favourite with our road riders. Pretty much all of our Tredz racing team use the Giant TCR Advanced frame and it’s really no coincidence.

It's a brilliant road bike. One that mixes the best frame for the money (a big statement, but we'd say that with all of the awards it's won in the last few years we're in good company) with a smart choice of components to make the road bike that most of us want and can, just about, afford.

Frame

The TCR Advanced 3 frame is constructed from Giant’s Advanced T700 fibres, which are painstakingly woven in a factory more akin to an operating theatre than a bike factory. To get this quality of build from other manufacturers you are having to stretch to the top of the range, where Giant offer their beautifully crafted frame cast from the same moulds as the factory Rabobank frames for mid-range prices.

Other frame features like Giant’s Overdrive headest system and the ridged carbon fork produce a really stiff ride. The bike makes you feel like it’s encouraging you to put the power down. The TCR Advanced comes with a Power Sense Speed Sensor built into the chain stay and Giant have somewhat remarkably built the bike in a full monocoque design – showing off their technical mastery there I think.

Groupset

Giant have garnished the TCR Advance 3 with a full Shimano 105 groupset. OK, so 105 isn’t  going to be what Lars Boom is running this year but it’s going to do a pretty good job of getting you to a podium finish if you can power it. 105 has been branded as being “designed for riders looking for all the technological features of Dura-Ace and Ultegra at an unrivalled price" - which just about covers it. Unless you're counting grams, 105 will do the job just fine.

Wheels

Normally, manufacturers will fit a wheelset Made by Mavic, Zipp, Amercan Classic or possibly a budget brand. What happens is they end up paying for the parts; and so do you.  Giant have gone out and head-hunted some wheel building engineers from the best and most experienced companies and got them to build their own P-SL1 wheelset. Now not only are these wheels a great set of hoops, but they have cut out the middle-man – ergo, you get better quality and pay less.

We can't overstate the importance of the Giant's own wheels to this year's bikes. They've dropped none of the quality (in fact we're willing to bet they'll be winning a few reviews as standalone items) - and have in a few cases actually led to price drops. Can't think of another bike company who have been able to do that as much as Giant have this year.

Recommended for?

The Giant TCR Advanced 3 is sold as a racing road bike, but don't let that put you off. It's supremely comfortable for such a stiff high performance road bike - and won't feel out of place at events as diverse as sportive and triathlon.

We’d recommend the Giant TCR Advanced 3 for any progressive riders. Our own race team are using the TCR Advanced 3 for the 2011 season, and with most of them looking to get in Olympic programs over the next four years, buying one won’t leave you in bad company by any standard.

Also consider: Specialized Tarmac | Cube GTC Race Pro

 

 
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. 

Core Bike Show 2012

You may be aware of Core Bike show. Unfortunately if you don’t work in the cycle industry you won’t have had the chance to go. Core is an industry only bike show based near the Silverstone racing circuit and is a chance for a manufactures and distributions to show their 2012 lines and hint at their upcoming releases.

We are going to be taking our regular yearly trip to Core on Monday so expect to see full coverage here on our blog, on facebook and our twitter feed. If you have any question we can pass on to our reps or feedback about the products, let us know and we’ll pass it on.

Cognation

If you’re a mountain biker and have been riding in the Brechfa, Cwmcarn or Afan Valley lately, you may have seen the presence of Cognation in the hills. Whether it’s a sign on the wall, a trail crew or the brand new trail sections they have built, Cognation are developing and preserving the mountain bike infrastructure in the South Wales area.

Cognation is a group set up in partnership with Neath Port Talbot, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil borough councils and also the Forestry Commission Wales and its main aim is to develop mountain biking in the South Wales area.

Cognation are playing a major role in the construction of the Gethin woods mountain bike center, due to be open in October 2013. Their other projects include: the creation of a new 6km competition mountain bike trail in Margam park to hold XC events (should have had the Olympics as well), they have extended the carpark in Cwmcarn as well as creating a small skills area coming May 2012, a new downhill trail by March 2013 and another trail by October 2013. Cogantion are also behind the creation of the new blue/green graded trail in place of the Penhydd at Afan Valley, something we are quite highly anticipating after riding the blue, Verderers trail in Forest of Dean.

Cognation have loads going on and we really recommend you head over to their website for all the latest new and trail developments. The future of mountain biking in south Wales is looking bright.

 

Hornit db 140

I have just had the Hornit db 140 land on my desk. As the name might suggest, the Hornit db 140 emits 140 decibels. I have to be honest; I haven’t tested it for fear of going deaf!

I just want to put 140db into perspective:

A normal conversation is around 60db, while your average car horn is something like 110db. The strange thing about decibels (db) is the higher up the scale you go, the more intense a sound gets – so a sound 10 times more powerful than near 0db is 10db. However, 20db is actually 100 times more intense than 10db.

If you could stand near a jet engine at take-off, you would be experiencing 120db. To hear 140db you are going to have to hear a gunshot at close range. Any sound over 85db can cause hearing damage.

The Hornit is safe due to its directional sound emitter… just don’t hit the button while you’re on the wrong end of it.

Cautions aside, I can’t think of any better way of making cars aware of your presence. As you can see in the following video, people don’t always see you, but with a Hornit strapped to your bars, they certainly will hear you. It’s even rumoured the mayor of London, Boris Johnson uses the Hornit for cycling around the city; and we can’t blame him.

  

 

 

 

2012 Tour Down Under

Road cycling fans will be aware that the first big UCI road tour of the year, the Tour Down Under was held last week 15-23^rd of January.

The race now in its 14th year saw huge crowds turning out to cheer on their favourite riders in the Australian January summer. This season, the race featured a long awaited cat. 1 climb – in fact it featured two, on the Menglers Hillstages (stage 4) and Old Willunga Hill (Stage 5). Willunga Hill also features a mountain finish which was warmly welcomed.

The win was taken buy Austrailian rider Simon Gerrans riding for newly formed, all Australian team, Green EDGE. Team owner Gerry Ryan branded the success as a “win for the people”.

Green Edge are off to a pretty strong season start and it will be interesting to see how they fare against some of the more established European teams on this year’s UCI pro tour – but the theme looks set to be more exciting racing. 

Photos:adelaidenow.com

 

Specialized Sirrus Elite Review

The Specialized Sirrus Elite is up there with our favourite fast and comfortable commuter hybrid bikes and is perfect for purchase on a cycle to work scheme.

What is a Hybrid?

As the name suggests, a hybrid is a cross between two bikes. You can think of the Sirrus Elite as a road bike frame and wheel set, with mountain bike bars and seating position. The result is a more comfortable ride than on a specific road bike, but at the same time as being a fast bike across urban terrain.

Do I need a hybrid?

The question should be “do I need a road/mountain bike?” I’d say a large proportion of the mountain bike buying market never actually take the bike off road. As a result, you end up dragging the heavy tyres around on the tarmac and never really get anywhere fast. With a road bike, unless you need the performance seating position to churn out the power, then you are just going to be uncomfortable and less stable on the road.

A hybrid such as the Sirrus Elite is the perfect combination. It gives you the low rolling resistance of a road bike to get you from A to B quickly and with the minimum of friction, while you sit comfortably and pedal away.

Spec

The Sirrus Elite is built with Specialized’s E5 super-light alloy frame to keep the bike’s weight low. At the front, the Sirrus is fitted with a FACT carbon/alloy fork with Specialized’s patent ‘Zerts’  inserts to reduce road vibrations and has mounts enabling you to fit mudguards.

The Sirrus Elite runs ‘Flack Jacket’ protected 700x28c Nimbus tyres which will excel on both tarmac, light gravel and canal tow paths without going flat every five minutes. Stopping power comes from ‘V’ brakes, providing a confident and reliable braking action.

When it comes to putting the power down, the Sirrus Elite has a 9-speed (27 gears) Shimano branded group set, giving you no excuses when it comes to hills.

The flat bars with included bar ends and Specialized BG fit saddle provide maximum comfort for your daily commute or Sunday afternoon pub ride. Eyelets mean you are able to fit mudguards and a pannier rack, so you can stuff your paper work, laptop, books, tools etc. in and ride on into work, saving you time and money.

Who is the Sirrus Elite for?

Probably more people than you might think. Unless you want to race a road bike or ride properly off road, a hybrid bike is the perfect choice for you. The Sirrus Elite makes a great  commuter bike, ideal for purchase on a cycle to work scheme - even if your employer doesn’t offer one, buying a bike like the Sirrus on 0% interest free finance and replacing your car with it, will probably save you more than it will cost. If you spend more than £50 a month on petrol/diesel (which isn’t hard), then you could buy the Sirrus, pay that £50 towards the bike every month, and at the end of the year sell it on. You’d actually MAKE MONEY from buying this bike. So there’s our Tredz ‘credit crunch’ top-tip… Buy a bike and make money (and get fit… and be green… and save time on your commute). 

 

Mekk 2G Poggio P20 2012 – best road bike for less than £1000?

Looking at the Mekk 2G Poggio P20, you'd be forgiven for thinking the carbon-frame road bike was worth more than it’s £999 price tag; that’s because it’s a £1200 bike in the clothing of a sub £1000, cycle to work, entry level road racing machine.

The Mekk 2G Poggio P20 carbon road bike comes built with a mixture of Shimano Tiagra and 105 group set components, and a compact 50/34 t chain set. The Poggio has an external bottom bracket for stiffness and Ritchley Comp finishing kit (Seatpost, bars and stem). Both the frame and forks are a full carbon construction – no composite or aluminium here, breading a lightweight curb weight of 1.125kg.

Smooth, flowing lines combined with attention to detail characterise the overall design brief of this high-modulus carbon frame. Important features include an internal cable guide for the rear brake, and substantial, metal capped carbon dropouts that hang onto the wheel with a muscular grip.

-Cycling Plus

The Mekk 2G Poggio P20 is a great bike for its original £1199 price tag, but our price for the Poggio of just £999 makes it a great buy for anyone looking for their first carbon road bike or for a quick way of getting into work on time. As you progress as a cyclist, so will the 2G Poggio P20. This highly upgradable bike warrants a new wheelset and brakes as you get fitter and faster and it will see you through races, sportive’s, the daily commute or your weekend rides for many years. 

 

Mountain bike dates for you diary 2012

2012 is looking like it’s going to be a packed year for mountain bike racing. The Gravity Enduro series is back and as strong as ever, we have a race in Essex that some people like to call the Olympics and either Freecaster or Red Bull are going to be running a worldwide downhill series.

So, if you have an empty diary for 2012, here’s some dates that might help you fill it:

Gravity Enduro series

Gravity Enduro, if you don’t know, is the newest kid on the block in the MTB race calendar. Based around trail centres, Gravity Enduro sees riders climb up the hill at their own pace and race back down, making it the ultimate ride and race your mates kind of event.

Mountain Mayhem

One of the original and best 24hr races, Mountain Mayhem is up there with the must-do races for any mountain biker. We visited last year and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.

22nd, 23rd, 24th June

WDMBA

Originally founded by a Tredz staff member, the WDMBA continues to run the South Wales’ premiere DH series after Dragon downhill’s reign ended.

28/29 Apr, 16/17 jun and 8/9 Sep

Halo British Downhill Series (BDS)

The Uk’s number one Dh race series. You’ll go head to head with the likes of Gee Atherton, Steve Peat, Brendon Faiclough and the best of British race talent.

14/15th April Combe Sydenham
12/13th May Fort William
7/8th July Glencoe
Nat Champs 21/22nd July Moelfre
4/5th August Caersws
25/26th August Bringewood
22/23rd September Llangollen

Megavalanche

The 2600m downhill/endure race is an annual pilgrimage for hundreds of Brits. This year three Tredz team members will be racing it. Watch this space.

16-22 July

DH UCI world Cup

The Crème de la crème of DH talent – you’ll need UCI points from the BDS series to even dream about entering, but it’s a great event to watch in the flesh or on Freecaster.tv.

17/18 March

02/03 June

09/10 June

23/24 June

30/01 July

28/29 July

14/15 September

Kokanee Crankworx

Big Air and style is the theme at Crankworks. If you are one of the lucky few who gets to ride in Whistler then you might be in town for the Crankworx event. If you want to enter, you are going to need A LOT of practise and an invite. 

28/29 July

Olymipcs - Cycling, MTB

With the worlds oldest sporting event coming to the shores of the UK this year, the Olympic mountain biking held at Hadleigh farm in Essex has to be on the list of things to watch. Sadly, us mere mortals wont get to enter but I'm sure it will be all over your TV. 

11/12 August

Training for triathlon - why tri?

People train for a triathlon event for a whole variety of reasons. Some people do it for the challenge, some for  the competition, others for charity and still others because of a rashly made New Years Resolution. Personally, I did my first one because my then girlfriend’s dad told me I wouldn’t be able to. Whatever your reason for starting tri, many of you will be taking on new triathlon challenegs in 2012, and we at tredz will be writing a whole series of guides to help you take on your personal challenge. 

Motivation is crucial in training for a triathlon event, because there’s no denying this is a tough sport. The physical and mental challenge together make triathlon a genuine achievement, whether its your first super-sprint or your tenth Ironman. And that takes motivation. Without good motivation So in our first installemnt of the 2012 triathlon guide we’re looking at the aspects of good motivation:

1)Know your aims. Targets are great for heading towards, and its important to get the right aim. It should be stretching enough to motivate you to make sure you get that workout in, but not so unrealistic that you’ll never make it. Everybody’s aims will be different, but good exmaples might include completing your first sprint triathlon, or just finishing your half Ironman within the cut off time. Avoid trying to set aims which are way too hard or way too easy for you.

2) Know your mind. Psychology is so vital to human performance that elite programmes all over the world spend millions on giving their athletes ‘the edge’. You might not have access to a shrink but attitude is still important to your race. You need to know why your racing, who you’re fracing for and why you’re going to overcome the challenege. Try and avoid some of the common pitfalls, which include being persuaded into being nervous of something new, by other peoples fears, becoming intimidated by the egos at the pool or being tempted to always measure your performance or training by what someone else is doing. Winning athletes race on race day, and only on race day. Its vital to know your own mind, and use it wisely to get the best out of your body.

3)Know your body. All this training is going to feel like hard work, especially if you’re new to the sport. The purpose of training is after all to make your body tired, so that when it recovers it will super-compensate and you’ll become stronger and fitter. Rest then, rather than training is actually the process that makes you fitter and faster, so its important not to neglect it. If you’re tired from late night TV, get out and train, but if you’re tired from training, get on the sofa and watch the TV. Sleep is the number one most effective recovery aid.

4) Know your plan. The last important motivator is a plan. It holds you accountable, it gives you direction and it lets you know what you should be doing. If your really serious about your aims you’ll want to get in touch with a suitably qualified BTF coach who can write you a personal plan, but many people also complete triathlons on generic plans from reputable training manuals, such as Joe Friel’s “Triathlete’s Training Bible”. It is best to avoid plans found in the back pages of magazines or set my non-tri specific personal trainers. This plan is going to take you on your triathlon journey so it needs to be good, and you should be picky about how you choose your plan and then stick to it (note, that’s stick to your plan, not your new tri club friend’s plan.)

Hopefully these four pieces of knowledge should help you get started on your journey. There is still plenty of time to train for the bigger Welsh events, and for many local ones too, so why not set your aims, find your motivation and begin your triathlon challenge.

 

photo links: 

triathlontrainingisfun.com

totalposter.com

Megavalance 2012 + video

Megavalanche 2012 entries are now open. If you are a mountain biker, the Alp d’Huez Megavalanche is THE ultimate race and one you really should tick off your mountain biking bucket-list at some point.

If you haven’t heard of the Megavalanche, then I’ll give you a brief description of what it is: Picture the Alps, in summer, 200 riders on a single start line. You all start to the sound of some crazy Euro-techno and race down a 2600m decent across snow, rock, dust, tarmac and grass.

To put 2600 meters into perspective; South Wales’ second highest Peak, Pen-Y-Fan is only 800m… above sea level. Mt Snowdon is only 1085m, and Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis is 1344m. Or, the Rheola downhill track is 300 metres decent, so it’s the same as doing nearly 9 runs… in an hour!

If you are thinking of entering this year, here’s a few top tips:

• You will need to drive, going by plane will be far too much haste and you’ll never carry all your kit. Try and go with 3 other people in a van if you have the option – trailers will incur higher road tolls which are going to cost you about 100 euros each way – so be sure to factor it in your budget.
• Take spares. You really have to plan ahead when you’re heading to the Alps to ride. They do have bike shops in France, but your local bike shop will have far better stock.
• Book early. And try to stay in Alp d’Huez not at the bottom of the valley. It might be a bit cheaper, but there is far more going on in the resort and you won’t have to drive up the 21 bends to get your lift pass, which is tiring enough in a car, let alone on a bike.
• It’s a long drive – around 15 hours, so you could do a stop off at Les Gets on the way down to add a bit of variation to the trip.

Kit List:

You will need a full face helmet, long finger gloves and elbow pads. These are compulsory so don’t forget or you might not get to start. The Organisers also recommend knee pads and a long sleeve jersey. Some people recommend full body armour, but personally I’d find it a bit too restrictive for an hours riding.

You will need something warm for the start that is fairly light weight – a packable jacket maybe. The start line is going to be cold – the race starts at 3300 metres above sea level so it’s going to be cold, even in summer and if it’s warm at the bottom. Don’t take too much clothing as you are going to have to carry it… unless you have a support team.

You’ll need to take spare brake pads. I’d take two pairs to be sure. (Personally I’d have two pairs, one sintered and one resin, but you don’t have to break the bank). I’d also take brake fluid, as the alps do take their toll on your brakes – at least get them serviced before you go.

Goggles or glasses – I could never ride without eye protection. Especially not when you ride with 200 others and the terrain goes from snow to dust with everything in between.

Tyres - If you are running trail tyres or single compound rubber, I’d highly advise you upgrade to dual ply. Also, go for at least a 2.35 tyre and 2.5 max. My chosen rubber will be a 2.35 Maxxis Minion at the front and a 2.35 Highroller at the back. Take a spare if you can, if you bust a tyre wall it’s going to cost you.

Hydration pack. You are going to need to drink on the way down, so carry some fluid in your back pack. You can also stick a trail tool kit.

Trail tool kit – you might want to carry the following

• Spare tube
• Puncture patches
• Pump
• Multi tool (with chain splitter)
• Money (about 5-10 euros)
• Phone
• Power links

Don’t forget to take your Helmet cam - personally I don’t think any do it better than Go Pro. You are going to want to show people how crazy this race was and there will be crashes. Hopefully you won’t be involved in any.

  

Photos from:

romanskyva.com

dirt.mpora.com/

Cube Analog Disc review

The Cube Analog has proved itself to be a real value for money, best-selling, entry–level mountain bike. The German manufacturer’s unique selling point is the rigorous DIN testing that all their bikes and components endure to be passed as fit to ride. DIN testing may be more familiar if you work in engineering, but to us ‘laymen’ it means they test the life out of their frames and more so, components – so if a fork, brake lever, seat post doesn’t pass, it doesn’t get fitted to a Cube bike.

The Cube Analog’s kitted out with a spec that’s above the bikes actual value. Cube made this their aim over the last few years and as a result, they have become one of the UK’s largest selling brands.

The Analog, unusually for a bike in its price bracket, comes fitted with a Rock Shox front fork and Shimano groupset. The Rock Shox XC 28 has 100mm of travel, perfect for smoothing out the rough ground and also features a Poploc to lock-out the suspension on the climbs.

Cube have fitted the Analog with a Shimano SLX shadow rear mech. With the Shimano Shadow system, you are less likely catch the mech on a passing rock or other obstruction meaning you are far less likely to end up with a bent (or snapped) mech hanger. SLX is also a grade of component more akin to bikes of the £700 price point and the 27 gears will get you up, and down the steepest hills.

The brakes on the Cube Analog are Shimano hydraulic disc brakes (hense the name - Analog Disk). They are a scaled down version of what you’d find on a motorbike, so they are going to stop you fast in the worst of weather conditions. The beauty of hydraulic discs is they doing get dragged through the mud like their cantilever cousins, so you are going to get a similar stop every time.

Other notable features of the Cube Analog is the Easton bars and stem, Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres, full Shimano groupset and its Alu Lite AMF 6061 frame.

In short the Cube Analog is the perfect bike for anyone who wants to get into mountain biking. It will be happy on the road or cycle path, but you’ll need to take this bike off road to really get the most of its potential. Light weight and strong build, make the the Cube Analog a really popular choice for entry level mountain biking and it will give you years of fun on or off road. 

Videos worth a watch

While browsing around the interweb last weekend I came across two video lectures that as cyclists and mountain bikers, you may well be interested in. The videos come from a website called ‘Do Lectures’ which is a conference held in Builth Wells every year.

The first video is by the Godfather of Welsh MTB trail centres, Dafydd Davies. He explains how he developed Coed-y-Brenin trail centre and how official centres have grown out of Forestry Commission land. Fascinating for anyone truly interested in where the trail centre has come from and where it is going. Be warned, you’ll need forty mins to watch in full, but it’s well worth it. 

 

 

The second is a from a cyclist and Author called Rob Penn. Rob talks about building his perfect bicycle, and goes into details of the history of the bicycle. A shorter lecture this time, just under 22mins, but again, well worth a listen.

 

If your browser does not support iframes, please visit Dafydd Davies or Rob Penn

Where to ride and stay in Wales

Ever wondered where the best places to stay in Wales are? Or maybe you are new to riding the Welsh hills and want to make the most of your holiday with a guide.

This is part of our guide to a few of the best local companies who can look after you if you decide to have a weekend in Wales.

 

 

 

 

MudTrek have a reputation for offering great accomodation and guiding...

In their own words:

“Based on the doorstep of the world renowned Brechfa Trails we specialise in fully-catered mountain biking week-ends, short breaks and holidays in fabulous accommodation at very affordable prices with free off-piste guiding! Think of a ski chalet type holiday for mountain bikers, in Wales, and you’re on the right lines.

We offer “off piste” guiding – a chance to get away from the trail centres, your group can benefit from our knowledge of some the best local natural single track in Wales.” 

 

 MudTrek two fully furnished barns with TV, DVD and free Wi-Fi, free parking, BBQ, linen etc etc all inclusive. Oh and dogs are more than welcome to stay as well. You can book for up to 18 people between the two barns so it really does have a chalet vibe if you would like to get a big group together for a weekend… or why not stay for the whole week?

MudTrek’s prices start from just £95 and they can offer you some of the best natural single track in Wales. You can expect a warm welcome, great service and no hidden costs – which is nice.

 

Tour de France coverage stays free

Great news for Tour de France fans, broadcasting network ITV have secured the rights to show live coverage of the race until 2015.

In 2011 the tour proved a ratings winner for the channel, pulling in a peak audience of 878,000 viewers. In the same weekend Sky Sports reported just 248,000 viewers for its cricket coverage. Spectator or participatory, cycling is big and getting bigger.

The news comes after Tour of Britain also reported its largest ever TV audience in 2011, with 592,000 watching Lars Boom take the victory in the final stage in Stoke-on-Trent. The Tour was also broadcast world-wide via local channels and the internet, reaching an even larger audience.

ITV’s new agreement secures daily live coverage of the tour and evening highlights, but the channel will also extend its online coverage.

The interest in road cycling has continued to grow exponentially since the 2008 Beijing Olympics and with London 2012 this year and continued coverage of the Tours, cycling isn’t going away anytime soon – which, provided it doesn't get eaten up whole by any pay-per-view channels, is great news.

 

Best Snow board and ski helmets

Snow helmets are becoming increasingly popular with those lucky enough to be hitting the slopes this winter. In case you haven’t already heard, the snow is pretty good this year so the chances are it’s going to be a good season. And with all that fresh powder lying around, the chances are you’re going to be heading off piste at some point.

Snow helmets are a must when you leave the slopes – all those trees, hidden rocks and chair lift pylons are all going to be deadly if you decide to go ‘head’ to head with them. But even on the piste (and I’m not talking vin chaud and a few pints of locally brewed beer), you have a pretty risky job avoiding all the ski schools and having locals buzz past you kicking up snow in yoru face. One slip and you are eating ice with someone’s freshly detuned hire-ski brushing your hair – a sure-fire way to turn the snow red, buy you a ride in a helicopter and ruin your hard earned trip.

Get over to our snow helmets page now and get yoruself protected, there are also some great savings to be had - upto 36% off!

One last thing, have a great holiday, if it's your first time you're going to love it. You might also want to get yoruself a Go Pro to film all the crazy antics you get upto. 

 

Giant Revel 0 W women's mountain bike review

Giant’s Revel 0 W is a really nice entry level mountain bike for women. Giant Bikes are the world’s largest cycle manufacturer and have been making bikes since 1972, so there is quite a heritage in all their bikes, as well as some pretty good technology.

The Revel range is sort of similar to Specialized’s Hardrock range – it’s the company’s minimum standard for a good quality mountain bike (MTB). Spending less than £400-500 on a bike is false economy, as the frame and components are going to be on the heavy site. Also try taking it off road and you are going to start having problems with mechanical failure pretty quickly.

The Revel 0 W (W meaning women’s) comes in three sizes (14”,16” and 18”)and stood out to us the other day with its white colour scheme, a bit refreshing from the usual pink and green finishes, which have become a bit stereotypical for women’s bikes of late.

 

What sets a good quality branded bike apart from its lower-end rivals, is not only the lightweight aluminium frame (Giant use Aluxx aluminium just like on their high-end mountain bikes), but the geometry and components. Here’s why I think you are better of spending a few extra ‘£’ on your next bike:

Geometry – you may not realise it, but a bike has some finely tuned angles that are designed to have a massive effect on its performance and/or comfort. Buy a cheap rival and you going to have something thrown together rather than a bike designed to provide the most comfortable ride possible – and believe me when I say Giant have a lot of experience there.

Components – Un-branded components are usually the first thing to break on low-end bikes. Spending that little bit more and getting Shimano parts is well worth it in the long run. There’s nothing worse than having to bring a 3 month old bike into a workshop because a cheap part has failed.

Suspension – Suntour XCT forks aren’t ever going to be as good as some of the Fox or Rock Shox offerings on the market, but then you are never going to need that functionality. Recreational mountain bikes are designed to be comfortable, fun and not trail centre destroying machines. The difference between these forks and unbranded is that they’ll keep working, and more importantly are serviceable so they don’t seize – a common cheap fork problem.

Brakes – low budget breaks are normally rim mounted or cheap, ineffective cable pull disks. Spending that little bit more on the Revel will get you hydraulic disk brakes – powerful and safe.

Upgradeability – the great thing about branded bikes is that you can change and upgrade most of the components. So, want a more comfortable saddle? You can fit one, and have far more options when you do.

Weight – and mentioned, the Revel 0 is made from Giant’s AlluxX aluminium making it lightweight. That means it will be easier to pedal, easier to put on your roof rack and generally more fun to ride.

The Revel 0 W is a perfect bike for anyone looking to ride recreationally on cycle paths and would even make a comfortable shorter commute bike. The Revel 0 W is a far better investment than a cheaper rival and would last you for a few years more, and I guarantee it would be more comfortable to ride.

Also worth a look:

Specialized Myka

Cube Access Womens

 

Giant 2012 brochure: 

 

 

Got a smart phone? Get this app for cycling!

We love the Bike Hub App. It’s a really useful piece of programing that acts like a cycling version of a Tom Tom satnav on your iPhone or Android mobile. If you are a new owner of a smart phone, or just a cyclist who would like to utilise their device more, the Bike Hub app is for you.

So what is it?

Effectively, it’s a bike sat-nav. However, unlike your in-car street navigating device (we use the term losely), the Bike Hub app also contains cycle paths – information from cyclestreets.net. The beauty of the app, is you can tell it where you want to go and it will find you the quickest, shortest or quietest route, or just one that doesn’t involve riding on roads – great for recreational riders who might not be that ‘au fay’ with the hustle of riding on the highway.

Updated

The recently updated app will now cache (ie remember) your downloaded maps, so when you go back to that same geographical area, the maps will load quicker and save you downloading the data every time you go for a spin. Or even download them when you are on a WIFI network and save your bandwidth for facebook and twitter.

Bar Mount

If you are going to use the Bike Hub app, we strongly advise you don't go holding a phone and trying to navigate whilst you ride – even if you are female and have the ability to multitask. Even the app itself (pictured right) recommends you mount it before use.

There are now specifically designed mobile phone holders available that allow you to attach your smart phone to your bike. They are weather proof and work well through the screen covers – so no fiddling required.

 

A few we like are:

Tigra BikeConsole Bike Mount For iPhone £34.95	Topeak iPhone Drybag £16.19
Weatherproof housing Can swivel 360 degrees by simply rotating the whole unit Headphone jack can be reached from outside Can use iPhone’s camera for recording your trip Loads more features here	Designed for all iPhone models TPU and foam construction is weather resistant and shock protective Window allows iPhone’s display to remain visible so you won’t miss a phone call QuickClick mountable pack

Off road use

We wouldn't really recommend these cover/phone cobinations for mountain bike use. If you are heading out for some proper mountain biking, there is nothing more robust and accurate than the specifically designed GPS units from makers like Bryton, Garmin and Memory Map. But if you’re an avid user of cycle paths, or just want to avoid roads, get the Bike Hub App now! Oh, and it’s FREE, so well worth having it just to see what what you are missing out on locally.

 

 

 

 

Get in shape, get a turbo trainer

So, good Christmas was it? Clothes feeling a bit tighter now? It’s OK, we know the feeling.

Here’s a few tips if you've also overdone it on the mince pies:

• Don’t make resolutions. You're only going to break them. Make a lifestyle change and decide you are going to be a healthy person who turns their nose up at those people in the office eating chocolate. Trust me, you’ll feel miles better.

• Drink water. Lots of water. It’s massively important (more than I’m going to go into right now), but if you're hydrated you're going to feel better and more importantly, less hungry.

• Don’t diet. As with resolutions, it’s just another thing you are going to break. Change your lifestyle, eat three or even five (small) meals a day and you’ll control your weight far better.

• Get a friend. Well, find someone who can support you through the low times when you get cravings, and in turn you can help them back. Nail it for a couple of months and you're away.

• Don’t join a gym. Two reasons not to join a gym (in January) 1. They are packed and 2. You’ll quit within the first few months. Gyms are great if you decide you want to use them properly, but the decision to change your lifestyle will need to come first, and that starts with eating and drinking healthy.

• Get yourself a turbo trainer. Chances are, if you are reading this blog, you will be a cyclist – it is a cycling blog after all. So you’ll have a bike, even if it’s sat in your shed rusting away (that’s bad if you do - Look after you bike people, love them). A turbo trainer allows you to ride indoors whenever you want, without getting wet or muddy and will probably work with 95%+ of bikes. You can even watch the TV while you ride. If you are really clever, you could probably even power the TV. 

If you are unsure about turbo trainers, please feel free to get in touch with any questions via facebook or twitter. The following video, with web team member Dave, demonstrates how they work. You can even give us a call on 01792799508 and speak to Dave himself about his recommendations, but please be nice. 

 

Jody Cundy, 2011 review

We just received a 2011 yearly report from our old friend, Jody Cundy. It's always great to hear what he's up to, especially as we head into an Olympic year. We'd like to wish Jody the best of luck for 2012 and hopefully it will be at-least as successful as last year. 

Read the report below or if it doesn't load in your browser, click here.

 

 

Halo British Downhill series 2012

Entries for the 2012 Halo British Downhill series officially go live today. If you want to get out there and race Downhill in Britains premiere downhill race series, get over to the BDS site and get signed up. 

Don't leave it too long though, they normally sell out pretty fast. You are more than likely gonig to be rubbing shoulders with the cream of British riders like Danny Hart, Gee Atherton and Steve Peat - whether you'll be able to keep up with them is another thing. 

The dates and locations are: 

1- 14/15th April Combe Sydenham

2- 12/13th May Fort William

3- 7/8th July Glencoe

Nat Champs 21/22nd July Moelfre

4- 4/5th August Caersws

5- 25/26th August Bringewood

6- 22/23rd September Llangollen