CatEye Strada Wireless Computer

Summer is here and it is time to get out on the bike. How far did you go? what was your max speed on that long downhill you found? Don’t know  - then you need a cycle computer to keep track of things. An ideal model is the CatEye Strada which is available both as a wired and wireless version. We prefer the wireless for it’s cleaner to fit to modern bikes. It’s slim design combined with ease of use and large screen makes it the ideal training tool for riders aspiring to Le Tour De France and casual riders alike. Rather than having fiddly buttons, almost the entire screen is one single button that requires little precision - just push and cycle through the computer’s functions in sequence. The sensor/transmitter itself is similarly compact, and impressively impervious to interference from other transmitters.

At £44.99 the Strada normally comes in black or white but for a limited time, Tour De France colour themes such as yellow, green and white/red polka dot to mimic the main jerseys for leader, points leader and king of the mountains are available. For minimalist, real world, real rider performance, at such value, the Strada Wireless can’t be beaten.

Le Tour De France is now in full swing and although most people will never get to be in it, let alone win it, you can ride a Tour winning bike.

When a frame has won the Tour de France as often as Trek’s Madone - seven times in the hands of Lance Armstrong and last year with Alberto Contador - you expect great things of it. The latest incarnation used by the pros is the 6.9 . Its rapid acceleration, balanced geometry and an impressive degree of comfort make for a bike fit for Tour de France winners. And if it’s good enough for them, it should be more than good enough for the rest of us.

The Madone family of bikes is made up of three parts. There is the 4 series, the 5 series and the 6 series as well as women’s specific models designated WSD. The team issue 6 series frames are made from OCLV2 Red carbon with a full carbon XXX Lite asymetric carbon fork. It has BB90 internal bottom bracket bearings as well as full internal gear and brake cable routing. It is also available to purchase through Project One which allows the customer to not only choose from a wider palette of colours but to also spec the groupset. Want Campag on a Trek? no problem with Project One.

The 5 series frames are upgraded for 2011 to now include internal gear/brake routing. It shares BB90 with the 6 series but is made from the slightly heavier TCT carbon and has a Race X Lite fork with aluminium steerer.

The 4 series are also made from TCT carbon but do not include BB90 and have a conventional seatpost instead of the seatmast used by the 5 and 6 models. These are not available to purchase through Project One either

The 2010 Madone range starts at £1599 for the 4.5 Madone, up to £5800 for the 6.9 Madone Pro.

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Wilier

On Wednesday 30th June Red Kite are going Italian! Wilier will be bringing their fleet of demo bikes for customers to use for test ride. These include the Cento 1 model as used by the Lampre Team as well the Izoard and Mortirolo models, there will be at least one equipped with the new Shimano Di2 electronic shifters as well.  For female riders we will have the Mimosa to try.

Two ride sessions are planned for the day:  6:00pm and 7:00pm, with a limited availability of places booking is essential to try these Italian Cycle Exotica.

To keep the Italian theme going we will have some Italian food, wine and coffee available for all participants. No hard sell either so why not come along and try something different.

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The Secteur range of bikes was introduced by Specialized for 2010 and continues the tradition established by the popular Roubaix range. They offer the all day riding comfort and stability at a more affordable price  since the cheapest Roubaix is now £1,699.

At only £1,000 the Secteur Elite has  Shimano 105 10 speed STI shifters and gears which provide more efficient and durable shifting than the cheaper Tiagra range. The external bottom bracket cups on the triple chainset are also a nice feature not found on the cheaper Sport Model. In fact the overall spec is similar to the Roubaix Elite apart from the carbon frame and that make it £700 more. Also the price falls nicely within the Cyclescheme limit.

A good all round bike to go exploring the local lanes or for that challenging Sportif or Charity ride you have planned.

Vega 120

Vega 120 was £79.99 now £59.99

Lumens / run time, High: 120 / 2 hours

Vega 200

Vega 200 was £99.99 now £79.99

Lumens / run time, High: 200 / 2 hours, Medium: 100 / 4 hours, Low: 50 / 8 hours, Flash: n/a 24+ hours

Stella 150

Stella 150 was £199.99 now £159.99

Lumens / run time, High: 150 / 2.45 hours, Medium: 75 / 3.30 hours, Low: 50 / 7 hours, Flash n/a / 100+ hoursSystem weight: 200 grams!

Stella 200

Stella 200 was £224.99 now £189.99

Lumens / run time, High: 200 / 5 hours, Medium: 100 / 10 hours, Low: 50 / 20 hours, Flash n/a / 100+ hoursSystem weight: 300 grams

Stella 300

Stella 300 was £274.99 now £219.99

Lumens / run time, High: 300 / 3 hours, Medium: 150 / 6 hours, Low: 75 / 12 hours, Flash n/a / 1+ hoursSystem weight: 300 grams

Seca 400

Seca 400 was £274.99 now £219.99

Lumens/ run time, High: 400 / 2 hours, Medium: 200 / 4 hours, Low: 100 / 8 hours, Flash: n/a / 100+ hours

Seca 700 Race

Seca 700 Race was £349.99 now £299.99

Lumens / run time, High: 700 / 3 hours, Medium: 350 / 6 hours, Low: 175 / 12 hours, Flash: n/a / 100+ hours

Seca 900 Race

Seca 900 Race was £549.99 now £449.99

Lumens / run time, High: 900 / 2.30 hours, Medium: 450 / 5 hours, Low: 225 / 10 hours, Flash: n/a / 100+ hours

Seca 900 Ultra

Seca 900 Ultra was £599.99 now £489.99

Lumens / run time, High: 900 / 3.30 hours, Medium: 450 / 7 hours, Low: 225 / 14 hours, Flash: n/a / 100+ hours

These offeres are only available in store, hurry before they are all gone!

Developed in the UK for year round use with masses of mud clearance and a sublime ride, the Mount Vision 5.7 combines sculpted looks with exceptional performance on the rail. Fox’s new 15mm QR system on the front fork increases torsional stiffness for improved steering performance on technical trails. Lifetime bearing warranty guarantees suspension performance will not degrade over time.

Marin Mount Vision 5.7

Only one left

Original Price £1760 - Special Offer Price £1499

Follow Me - the Teaser from Anthill Films on Vimeo.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been testing out a set of XR1 tryes (£26.99) kindly supplied by Mark at TREK UK, which Bontrager describe as ‘Designed in collaboration with Bontrager-sponsored pro race team riders, the XR1 is an ultra-fast rolling Cross Country race tyre that’s ideally suited for dry and dusty conditions.  Small, tightly spaced knobs provide plenty of fast-rolling traction while siping (thin slits) across the middle knobs give even more grip on dusty surfaces. Designed for front or rear use.’

Bontrager XR1

I’ve used my new Whyte 19 with these tyres to commute on, and my god are these tyres fast.  They pick up speed like no other tyre I’ve used and have seriously amazing grip cornering on tarmac, they inspire you with enough confidence to lean round corners like riding a motorbike, whether you have the skill or not!

Since having them fitted  I’ve ridden at 2 Welsh MTB trail centres, Coed-y-Brennin and Glyncorrwg at Afan.  Despite not being designed as a rock loving tyre, they held up incredibly well.  With conditions being wet and rocky at both centers, I hoped a fat, low profile tyre would give maximum contact with the ground and maximise grip, and it worked a treat!  As expected, they were rapid on the connecting fire-roads but also really grippy over the big slabs of rock.  The one area they were not very good was over the wet roots and greasy sections at Afan, the low profile tread just didn’t dig in deep enough, but that’s not what these tyres are designed for.

So as a seriously fast dry weather tyre, I think they can’t be beaten.

Features:

• Reduced Lactate Build Up
• Material 7075 Aluminium CNC machined
• Hard anodized for ultimate endurance
• BCD 130
• Weight 159g for double set

The dead-spot limits the cyclist’s performance; sometimes causes tendonitis and injuries to the knee, as well as a short loss of traction while cycling off-road. Q-Rings provide a helpful solution to minimize this inefficiency, by definitively reducing the dead-spot, which is typical in conventional pedaling. Rotor Q-Rings minimize the dead spots like reducing the size of a regular chainring, and give you more time during the pedal down stroke. This allows for a lower physical demand on your body, so you are able to ride longer with less fatigue, climb easier…

Rotor Q Rings

The Rotor Q-Ring is different from other ovalized chainrings, both present and past; a new concept incorporating a patented variable regulation system (OCP) that applies some of the biomechanics of the Rotor Crank System to conventional cranks.

Staff member and team rider Euan Adams recently tested the Q-Rings whilst on a training holiday in Majorca here’s what he said, ‘The Q-Rings really made a difference on the longer climbs, I found I was pedalling in a much more fluid motion which allowed me to ride a gear higher than normal. I can’t wait to try them in my first few races in the South Downs when I move down to Eastbourne in April’

Store manager Nick also rode them when testing the new range of Cervelo road bikes out in Portugal earlier in February.

The Rotor 3D cranks are the first cranks to have been designed with the input of a complete pro cycling team. Utilizing a special manufacturing process, named the “Trinity Drilling System,” an extruded aluminum bar is intricately CNC machined with three drilled holes through the length of the crank. The result is a unique triple hollow crank arm that enables ROTOR’s engineers to remove the excess aluminum in the core while still maintaining the structural strength of the crank. The result is the 3D Crank - extremely stiff, to meet the high demands of Thor Hushovd and the TestTeam’s sprinters, yet lightweight enough to satisfy the needs of Carlos Sastre and the climbers on the team.

Rotor 3D Cranks

Fuel EX8 Demo Bike

The Fuel EX is Trek’s most versatile suspension bike. Capable and comfortable across a wide variety of terrain, yet still light and precise, this bike handles everything from steep switchbacks to wide-open descents like second nature. Every skill level can benefit from the Fuel EX on anything from beginner to advanced singletrack trails. It takes away the smallest bumps and takes the edge off big hits, yet remains controlled on everything in between.

If you’re the type who wants a bike that’s equally capable on the climbs as it is on the descents, the Fuel EX is the right bike for you.

Fuel EX8 WSD Demo Bike

Book now in store for a test ride!