Ready to roll?

If you fancy a unique cycling challenge then Rollapaluza is right up your street. We are hosting and sponsoring the Bristol leg of the National Series on 15 Feb 2012. Come on down at 6PM and let's see what you're made of!

With Rollapaluza, two particpants battle it out on a pair of custom-built rollers connected to a huge dial, with split-second-digital timing over a simulated 500m distance at speeds in excess of 50mph!

Accompanied by music, MC and cheering crowds, it's your chance to test your mettle, have a few beers and win some folding stuff at the same time. What could be better?

Split second digital timing tracks you pedalling over a simulated 500m distance. Top riders reach speeds of over 50mph (80kph). There's a backdrop of music and cheering, and it's all kept rolling along by the MC.

Now entering it’s 3^rd year, we're providing prizes for the fast and furious Rollapaluza National Series  at Mud Dock on 15^th Feb. Racing kicks off at 6pm with finals from 9pm. No need to enter in advance, just turn up on the night. Entry is a fiver to race or spectate, 

Anyone can enter, but there will only be one winner. Have you got what it takes?

Cycling and the city (part 1)

How Katriel Costello fell in love with cycling all over again (with the help of a rather dashing bike)

Have you just started cycling?

"No, I've always had bikes, but when I stayed with friends in Amsterdam and I fell in love with cycling again. We spent days cycling round the city. It's a cycling-crazy place. 

"I really was bitten by the biking bug. We'd rented those 'sit up and beg' bikes, and I found mine so comfortable, and it was so easy to look around and enjoy the ride, that I was determined to get something like that back in Britain."

Trek Navigator

So how did you go about choosing a bike?
"I asked around my network for some recommendations and several people said Mud Dock provided a good service. I've been going to the cafe at Mud Dock for years, but never the bike shop on the ground floor. So I went down to the store. 

"As soon as I saw the Trek Navigator Ladies bike, I was smitten. I’ve been riding a boy’s bike for the past 10 years – in my defence, it was cheap – and women’s bikes didn’t seem that different, with their crossbars and seats that look as though they could slice you clean in two. But this one was different."

What did you like about the Navigator?
"I fell in love at first glance with everything, from the curve of its shiny black frame, to the brown leather seat and handlebar grips. It has voluminous seat pads that are very kind to the bottom, and a steep step-through – no more cocking your leg to get onto the bike. 

"I bought the bike! My new love of cycling changed my life. I used to do the school run – literally – after my scootering, cycling boys. Now we all scooter and cycle together.
 
"Mums I’d never spoken to before came up to tell me how much they liked my bike. The pannier frame, with its elastic ties, means I can carry small trays of plants home from the garden centre. I even took the recycling to the supermarket on the bike the other day, too."

In part 2 of this interview,
Katriel provides some great tips on how to get back in the saddle,
riding with kids, and her favourite routes.

WH-7900 C24 CL Dura-Ace Clincher Wheelset

 

James Gray gives the latest Dura-Ace Wheelset a big thumbs-up

The C24 wheelset sits amongst Shimano’s premium Dura Ace range. The latest incarnation, the 7900, was designed to bring the performance and reliability for which Shimano is so well respected, to its wheelsets. 

I’ve been testing the C24 (24 mm rim version), the lightest of the three in the range, targeted at the high-level recreational rider and the climbing specialist. Well, over the last three months of the 2011 racing season they did over 1,500 km of racing and 3000 km of training. 

Being Shimano, these wheelsets boast some very clever technology, and the resulting performance is impressive. At 1,400 grams they may not be the absolute lightest, but because so little of the weight is at the rims they accelerate very well, which I was very grateful for at the evening criterium races. But also, because of the carbon-aluminium laminate construction, you don’t miss out on sure-footed braking performance like full carbon rims do.

The real feather in their cap, though, is the comfort they exhibit. Riding out on the smooth surfaces of the Alps last summer it was difficult to appreciate just how good they are. But on returning to the rough Bristol pavé the effect of the aluminium-carbon laminate construction is superb; they feel akin to a full carbon wheel costing twice their £750 retail price.

In summary if you’re looking for a well-priced high performance wheelset, for which their performance outshines their understated appearance, I’d recommend taking a look at a set of these. 

Contact the Cycleworks on 0117 929 2151 to discuss these and all other road wheelsets.