Madison cycles very kindly flew fifty of their UK Cervelo dealers to the Canary Islands and presented their new bikes to us in the sunshine, and then gave us the opportunity to ride them. More about this later.

What did I ride?

1.  Cervelo S5 Team with SRAM Red groupset and Mavic Cosmic SR wheels

2.  Cervelo R5 VWD with Campagnolo Super Record and Fulcrum wheels

3.  Cervelo S5 with Dura-ace Di2 and 3t carbon wheels

4.  Giant TCR composite with Ultegra (I stayed out for a couple of days extra, and this is the hire bikes that the hotel has.)

I could talk about the differences between all these bikes all day long, please pop into the Leatherhead store and ask me about them. I will summarise my thoughts about the groupsets here, but please realise that these are all very top end bikes, and all of them worked really nicely, choosing between them is a personal thing, and what I like may not be to everyone’s taste. I would be happy to own any of them (except the Giant:))

Ergonomics

This is the main thing that sets the groupset manufacturers apart, how the shifter fits into your hand. They are all really really similar, Shimano and SRAM feel quite large in the hand, and failry similar, Campy just ‘fits’ the way the horn is curved feels lovely to hold.

Method of Shifting

All the gears worked well and were indexed correctly. Both Shimano groupsets were the smoothest shift by far. The Di2 being the fastest and crispest. The SRAM Red up-shift was lovely and fast, but personally I really can’t get used to the double tap down shift, doesn’t feel intuitive and smooth to me, much more ‘clunky’. Campy Super record, fast, accurate, separate buttons to perform each shift, and you can really feel the chain snaking smoothly across the cassette into gear, just lovely gear shifting. Front mech shifting on the Shimano groupsets was sublime, far and away better than the others, with SRAM lagging way behind.

Braking

All the bikes were set up with the front brake on the left, wrong way round for me, so I wasn’t totally happy with the braking on any bike.

This is really highlighted when doing 75 kph with Canary Island side winds on deep carbon wheels! I felt that the SRAM brakes had great power but were a little wooden. The Shimano 105 brakes/Ultegra levers were lacking power, and I really dislike the brake lever swinging left and right as well as fore-aft. The dura-ace Di2 brakes and levers were really good, powerful and accurate (and the levers move in and out in one plane only). The Campy brakes were not as high power as the Shimano, but had loads of feel and modulation.

So what was my favourite? Can you guess? Campagnolo all the way. I love the feel of the gear shift, the ergonomics and the braking. Add to that the look and aesthetics of the groupset and I would feel happiest spending a lot of money on Super Record/Record/Chorus. A very close second is the Di2, precise and perfect shifting. SRAM, works well, but just not for me, Tom and Carl disagree with me, but as I said earlier, this is all my personal ride feelings. Ultegra, yes it is good, but not as good as the others, the top end groupsets really are better, you pays your money…you makes your choice.

Written by Dave Farmer

The bike is a lovely finish, nude carbon with beautiful finishing touches that make the whole bike appear really well thought out.

29″ wheeled bikes are starting to appear from every brand that we sell, and they have really ‘come of age’. In the past they have been overly heavy, flexy and slightly sluggish feeling.

A few things have changed; Carbon frames/oversized BB’s/tapered forks/direct mount front mechs, all help to make the bike lighter and stiffer/sharper. also modern thinking about geometry has been worked out to make the bikes handle really well. Some of the above specs have allowed geometry changes, the front mech allows a really short chainstay, the tapered front allows a low bar height that doesn’t flex.

In the past I have made the decsion to use a full suspension bike for my race bike (usually a Specialized Epic). I now may re-think this, a 29″ wheeled bike really holds speed well, and helps the rider to feel less stressed and tired while riding the bike, all the reasons why I chose to ride full suspension rather than a hardtail in the past. A hardtail is also a simpler, and this day and age an important consideration is that a light hardtail is significantly less expensive than a full suspension bike. This bike is still a very expensive model (£2500), but it weighs only 23lbs, to get a 29″ wheeled full suspension bike that would weigh this little would cost nearly double!

I am amazed at how smoothly this bike rides over rough terrain, the big wheel, combined with the tiny seatstays really works to take the edge off bumps. This bike really feels like it has 0.5″ of suspension, and the big wheels really hold speed well.

Whyte design their bikes with a long front centre, this means that all their bikes have a fairly slack head angle and a lot of length in the top-tube, to use a short stem. This increases the stability of the bike, and gives the rider confidence descending, and it really works. If you were to jump off a £2500 23lb carbon hardtail with 26″ wheels, then on to this, the extra stability would be immediately noticable. BUT, the perception that a lot of people have is that 29″ bikes will be rubbish around tight corners, this is simply not true.

Pop into the shop any time and I can show you the bike, and arrange a test ride for you.

Dave Farmer

“I was searching for a lightweight jacket which would take the edge off of the winter cold and the Phantom jacket is a superb piece of clothing to have for the colder months of the year.

When i visited Cycleworks Petersfield to fill the void in my winter cycling wardrobe I was steered towards the Phantom Jacket and I must say honestly, I’m glad I parted with my cash, its WINDSTOPPER® construction is very good, clearly a well made item fit for purpose. It fits well and is comfortable to wear even on long rides, it has reflective patches to increase your visibility and three elasticated pockets on the rear for your bits and bobs.

I would advise if you wish to wear it for the really cold periods of the year, go a size up (theres not alot in it) so you have the option to layer up using technical base layers or fleeces. [The jacket] comes in h- vis and looks great in blue oh and I nearly forgot when it gets warmer you can zip the sleeves off- genius!!.”

So there you have it- Cycleworks recommended and customer approved, perfect.

I visited Cycleworks Petersfield on the hunt for a bag that could meet the needs of enduro cross country cycling events and cross country racing and chose the Evoc 10 Litre backpack after looking at other variations on offer.

I’m glad to say I made the right choice, it is very well made and a lot of thought has gone into the design.

I trialled it for the first time on the Randonnee South Downs Way 100 mile MTB Cycle, I managed to get everything I needed for a long ride inside the bag without much persuasion.

In main body:

2 x Litres of water in the impressive Evoc folding bladder, with a separate camelback with 1x Litre of SIS GO hydration fluid, 3 mule bars, 3 x SIS Go Gels, 3 x torq Gel, 2 x deli wraps, 1 x light windproof jacket and 1 x long-sleeved HH lifa top.

In main front pocket:

1 x inner tube, 1 x pump, 1 x CO2 canister, 1 x Pair brake pads, 1 x rear hanger 1 x Top peak survival tool box and emergency blanket.

In top front pocket:

1x GPS, 1 x wallet and car keys.

I had this bag on my back for 15 hours over the 100 mile course and I must say I was extremely impressed, comfortable with good ventilation well balanced and most of all it did not let me down. A must buy.

Benjamin

Having been a dedicated Orange five rider for the past five years, it was going to take something special to tempt me away from my faithful northern work horse, and this is it- a Specialized Epic Expert Evo.

I love my Five, we’ve had many adventures together both home and abroad, but over the years the old girl’s put on  weight which doesn’t help getting to the top of the hills. I’ve always liked the way Specialized FSR bikes climb, but none of them have come close to the Five for singletrack fun until now.

The Expert Evo, is an E5 aluminium framed Epic, with 120mm travel Rock Shox Sid forks, 2×10 Sram gearing, Roval Control wheels and a Command Post adjustable seat post. All of which has given the well established cross country race machine a seriously aggressive attitude, and I like it.

The bike climbs like a mountain goat on acid to the top of the trail and then behaves like a hooligan when you show it something twisty and techy, encouraging you to explore where its limits might lie.

Buying a new bike in January is always going to mean that the first few months are going to be some of it’s toughest. So to bed it I took it for an epic 44 mile blast along the North Downs, taking in Box Hill and some of the muddiest trails in the area. Plenty of climbing on which the bike proved its’ cross country speed and comfort. Not much singletrack unfortunately, but what I did ride down certainly put a smile on my face and gave me a glimmer of what it can do. I can’t wait to test it down some technical trails.

To summarise, it rides a bit like a hard tail in terms of efficiency and you can feel what you are riding over, but it cushions you from the shock of the bumps while maintaining momentum, traction and control, unlike a hard tail. The longer forks and dropper seat post inspire confidence and encourages you to misbehave on the downhills that can be a lively ride on other Epics.

This can now possibly be described as the ultimate trail bike for the Surrey Hills.

Personal Modifications:

Specialized Storm 2bliss tyres

Thomson X4 90mm 0^o rise stem

Easton EA70 low rise bars

Crud catcher and RRP mudguards

The Brand is ‘Blue’

The bikes and what the brand stands for have really impressed us, the attention to detail is as good as many more established top-end carbon bike manufacturers.

Blue have been winning races in the US in both cycling and triathlon disciplines for a few years. Their bikes have been used successfully at the Olympics, and now they are available in the UK.

You can buy any of the bikes as a frame, or as a bike. You can choose your groupset and build up your bike to suit your requirements/budget.

Pop into the leatherhead store and take a look, i think you will be very impressed.

I was lucky enough to borrow a bike to ride for a couple of weeks (an AC1 Aero road bike with HED wheels and a Dura ace groupset). All I can say about it is that it is FAST. Very very Fast. This is without sacrificing comfort, the carbon damped the road buzz enough to allow me to ride it for miles in comfort, but those miles passed very quickly and put a big smile on my face.

Brand new 2011 Triad bike, integrated fork/steerer tube, horizontal top tube, BB30, as Aero as they can make it;

2011 Ac1 and AC1 SL, Aero road bike. Normal road bike position, but cheats the wind to save you time and energy. The SL has a new layup on the top and headtube amking it lighter and stiffer for 2011;

The Axino, this one is light! Tapered Steerer tube, BB30, the frame is designed to be light and very stiff;

The previous version had a lot of potential, but a few flaws that didn’t let you really push it to get the most out of it, a bit flexy and not really sure of it’s own identity.

The bike is 100mm rear travel, 120mm front. The geometry is fairly slack at the front but designed to be ridden fast everywhere, up and down. Try it and you will either ‘get it’ or you won’t (that’s what the demo bike is for).

The Orange Five is awesome and selling well, and can be built lightweight for XC riding and tough for Alpine big mountain riding.

The new ST4 adresses all of the issues with the old frame, and presents a few questions to be asked……

• What is the sT4 for?
• Do i need anything with more travel?
• Why isn’t it lighter?
• Why don’t i just buy a Five?

The answer to all the above questions in my opinion is that it is not really a bike that is intended for different riding to a Five, it is just a different feeling trail bike. Come in and ask us about it, then take a test ride.

Why bigger wheels?

• larger radius wheels will roll over bigger objects in their path and lose less momentum
• larger wheels will have a bigger contact patch on the ground, so more grip
• a bigger wheel will act like a flywheel and maintain momentum

I have sat on the fence with these bikes for years, not wanting to pass comment, or even admit they exist. But i believe that I should always try something before dismissing it or knocking it.

I managed to get an ex-demo Giant STC 29-1 from a mate, thanks Jason, just to see what the fuss is about.

What can i report;

• 29ers feel lazy at slow speeds
• 29ers climb like a road bike, keep on top of the gear and they roll nicely up the hill, let your cadence drop and ‘lose’ your spin and they become sluggish and a hand-full
• on fast wide open trails they are sooooooo fast
• they corner differently, swoop through the turns rather than flick.
• the tyre grip on off-camber and slippery sections is awesome, even with semi-slick summer tyres on North Downs chalk!

All in all, better in some areas, not so good in others than a 26″ wheel mtb.

So, not better, just different. I think I will keep it (even if all the guys i ride with refer to it as a hybrid)

After trying ergo shaped handlebars, traditional bend handlebars, compact handlebars, aluminium bars and carbon bars I have compiled a list of what I like and dislike about road handlebars.

What I like about road handlebars

• A flat transition from the tops to the hoods
• A lot of space to put my hands on the drop section
• A deep enough drop that allows me to get low over the front of the bike
• A drop that is long, that you can really lean into when cornering/descending
• A flattened tops for cruising and climbing
• Carbon for comfort

What I dislike about road handlebars

• Cramped positions, either on the tops, hoods or drops, I need space for my hands
• Drops where you have to change you arm angle to brake
• Bars that mean you can’t stretch out on the bike when going down onto the drops
• Carbon that flexes when you are heaving on the bars
• A hood position that gives a really abrupt curve into the hood of the shifter/ergo

When we started stocking Zipp Speedweaponary wheels and components I looked closely at their contour SL handlebar, in the traditional shape. It was what I have been searching for all along. Flat transition into the hoods, flat top section, long drop section, and loads of different hand positions on the drops. And carbon, which is not too flexy, but very comfy. The downside… £239.99!!

Oh well, wrapped up in some Bikeribbon Eleganza tape they look great and feel perfect.

Tubeless tyres offer a few benefits over using a conventional inner-tube setup. Most of these are shared between MTB and road bikes. But first consider the conventional tyre set ups available and their reletive pros and cons.

Clincher

This is a ‘normal’ inner tube equipped tyre setup. These are simple, every cyclist knows how to change a tyre and there is a massive array of tyres avauilable. If you suffer a puncture on the road/trail it is easy to sort out and you can carry all that you need with you.

But clincher tyre setups can be heavy, prone to pinch punctures, and harsh feeling (compared to other setups) due to friction between tyre and tube. If you suffer a puncture the tyre can come off the rim (only really a ‘problem’ on road bikes due to the increased speeds involved)

Tubular

Not to be confused with tubeless. A tubular tyre is a tyre carcass sewn up around an innertube. The tub is then glued or taped to the proprietry rim. This is a setup that is confined to road or cyclocross use (with a couple of exceptions). It gives a smoother ride, allows use of a really light rim, and gives more grip. This is mainly due to the ability of the tub to conform to the road surface better than a clincher even when run at high pressures. Pinch puncturing is more difficult due to the rim shape. If you do puncture the tub, the tub is very unlikely to come off the rim, and can even be ridden flat (just)

But, you have to glue your tubs on, this takes time, and is not really possible by the side of the road. So this setup is only really for race use.

Tubeless

On an MTB or road bike tubeless tyres share the following atributes; a smoother roll as there is no friction between tyre and tube, and you can run the tyre softer than a similar tube setup without risking a puncture, this also gives more grip. You can do this because of a slightly stiffer tyre carcas construction. My recommendation is to run a sealant in the tyre, this seals any small punctures that happen due to thorns, sharps, or small cuts. Pinch punctures are almost impossible to get. If you do get a puncture the tyre won’t come off the rim as it is ‘locked’ into place.

The only downsides as far as i see it are that there is less availability/choice of tyres and rims.

I have been using tubeless mountain bike tyres for six years so, to me this is proven technology. I have only suffered seven or eight punctures in all this time. Most of these I sealed with a tubeless repair kit, but a few I had to put a tube in until I got home and patched the inside of the tyre.

In the last year I tried racing on the road on tubs for the first time. Two punctures. and two ruined £65 tubs later………

I decided to try Tubeless.

The setup I decided to try was Fulcrum Racing One wheels, light fast, stiff and ‘two-way-fit’.

Hutchinson Fusion 2 tyres. Hutchinson currently are the only tyre manufacturer making tubeless road tyres.

Eight months on, they are running perfectly. I have suffered one puncture, the sealant sealed it in ten seconds, and I only lost 20psi.

The best thing is the ride. SOOOOOOOO smooth, and fast, and grippy. It really livened up the bike, and made it more comfortable. So I would definately recommend it to racers, and people riding sportives, alike.

I got so used to it that I didn’t want to ride my training wheels, even though I need my Powertap hub for training data. So I decided to convert the rim to tubeless.

I used the same tyre. Hutchinson now make three tyres, but I wanted to keep the same set on both wheels.

I used no-tubes spoke tape to seal the rim bed, and their tubeless road valves to seal and add air.

They blew up easily with a trackpump, and have stayed that way for the last 400 miles.

The ride is sublime, so smooth again, and i was using a high quality race tyre before (continental GP4000s, or Vredestein Quatro something or other), not an armoured winter training tyre.

I am now running no inner tubes on any of my six bikes, and very very happy about it.

Pop in the shop and ask any questions of me about tubeless. I have tried many combinations and have got a good feel for what works and what doesn’t.

Dave