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Turbo Session 1

This is the first post from our resident trainer, Nigel Nicholas. As the weather’s so bad we thought it'd be appropriate to look at turbo training sessions first. Here goes with a beginner’s guide:
The object of this session is to get used to pedalling on a turbo trainer if you are relatively new to cycling. It's a nice, short workout to raise your heart rate and practice good pedalling. It could easily be done before or after work. [Steady on the before work eh Nige, Ed.] The workout lasts 25 mins. Please start at the top of the chart and work your way down without stopping if you can.

Key to Workout table:
- The time relates to how many minutes to spend in each part of the workout;
- Turbo Trainer level is based on the Tacx Turbo trainer that has 10 level settings (level 10 being easy & level 1 being hard);
- Bike gear is the gear you should be using on your bike. This is based on a standard 18 speed road bike;
- Cadence or Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) is the term used for how fast you spin your legs when pedalling.

Turbo_1

Jan Ullrich retires from cycling

Jan_ullrich

This guy must have a hard time shaving in the morning. I bet he sees a steamed up image of Lance Armstrong riding into the record books every day in his bathroom mirror.

Well, at least our German also-ran need never worry about training camp again, as he announced his retirement from pro-cycling yesterday. It was really effective as of last July when T-Mobile binned him thanks to the Spanish 'Operation Puerto' investigation. If you remember, Ullrich and his team mate, Oscar Sevilla, had tried to boost performance using banned substances. They were dropped on the eve of the Tour de France.

Don’t get me wrong I think Ullrich was a great cyclist. Lance certainly respected him as an athlete and that’s more than enough for me. But doping is a major question in pro cycling and could quite possibly ruin the whole damn thing – audience numbers will plummet should the SPORT continue in its low regard. The UCI and everyone else must take a hard line – perhaps even harder than they are now?

Of course, Jan insists his innocence, but Team Telekom also dropped him after testing positive for amphetamines in 2002. A professional athlete’s response to this? My ecstasy pill must’ve been spiked. Nice one, mate.

No, I’m sorry, I used to love the hard time he gave Lance every July; I respect his Tour win in ’97, his Olympic gold in 2000 and all his other titles, but he looks like he’s done the right thing here (although I doubt there’s any dignity to maintain).

The kid is getting GOOD

You've gotta love these shots. As a father, a marketer and a cyclist, I think they're perfect. There's more on Albes.com

Superman_tailwhip Kasebucketbig
 
Icepick_grind

More whats new, and coming soon

At 50 grams less than the Carbon, the new Avid Juicy Ultimate is considered the best performing light weight XC brake, according to Avid. Have a look at the detailed spec to decide for yourself just how true this is.

Hamax child carriers have expanded with the addition of the brand new Hamax Plus child seat, part of the 'Slide and Click' Hamax Plus luggage carrier system. The seat is ergonomically designed, has a reclining function and requires only one hand to fasten the harness. A warning light indicates if the seat is not securely mounted. Check-out the impressive feature list.

The all-new RockShox Totem is a self-acclaimed 'monster of Freeride' with aluminium tubes, new Mission Control Damping system and a choice of springs: fixed coil, solo air spring or the 2-step air spring. Also new in the range are the RockShox Domain, RockShox Argyle and RockShox Lyrik.

With Spring and sunny weather on the horizon, it's great to take the bikes out to different surroundings for a ride. The newest Hollywood E3 Express Rack is a six strap boot rack which takes three bikes.  Easy, flat storage when not in use. In short: cheap, durable and uncomplicated.

And finally, Fox clothing, Cateye and Altura are keeping us in suspense about their imminent new ranges. We are also awaiting the April launch of Specialized's new carbon range of stems and bars - we'll keep you in the picture when these become available.
Posted by Caroline


Whats new, sales bikes and coming soon

For the bargain hunters among you, we still have a range of 2006 bikes on sale but it seems high time to let you know about some of the latest new products added to the Tredz  website.

Aerospace technology & serious engineering combined with snazzy designs: TLD's helmets are works of art in their own right (my favourite: the Rustic). Troy Lee has also launched their new Grand Prix, Moto and Sprint jerseys, pants and shorts. Four new TLD gloves and carefully designed protective clothing for adults and children.

Dahon's folding bikes prove that this type of bike has truly 'come of age'. For those of you who thought folding = 'one fits all, small wheels' type, Dahon have increased their folding range of 24-26" wheels with the Tournado tourer, Fuego full-sus MTB, Cadenza commuter or street bike and Espresso comfort bike.  Lightweight, quick to pack and with lots of interesting extras like BioLogic seatpost integrated pump and Kevlar puncture protected tyres, worth a closer look if you commute or are short of storage space.

Tredz offers you a cheap escape from the UK: for under £24 virtual training in South Africa, Colorado or convince yourself that there are hills in the Netherlands riding the course of the Amstel Gold Race with Tacx latest training videos for the i-magic Forteis trainer.

Continued tomorrow with Avid, Hamax, Rock Shocks and Hollywood products......
Posted by Caroline

Raleigh bikes hit the spot again

Finding this sort of thing in my inbox definitely makes that first cuppa taste nicer in the morning:

Hi
As per phone call just a short note to thank you for your fantastic service.  The bike
[Raleigh~Mini X] arrived today and it was great to see it was put together and I had no work to do!!

Running my own online sales business I take a keen interest in how other companies deal with their customers and I must say you passed with flying colours.

A 5 star service that I would be only too happy to recommend.

Many thanks
W S S

Fabien Barel races Tredz rider

Tredz team downhill rider Julian often uses the uplift at Rheola but this week’s runs were a bit special. On his way to the course Jules’ good friend, Dirt Magazine's Steve Jones, called to invite him to ride with some professionals who were already on the mountain.

Fabien_and_jules Tracy_moseley
 
Fabien_and_steve_3  

These weren’t any old hacks from the circuit; he was taking about two World Champions: Fabien Barel and Tracy Moseley! They were spending the day at Rheola hammering one of the best Welsh dh courses.

It’d be stating the obvious to say our guy was blown away by the riding ability of both the world champs, but he was more amazed at the level of technical knowledge they employ. Both of them apparently continue to tune and re-tune the bikes to get maximum performance for the specific terrain. Sure, we’d all expect to see their lackeys changing tyres and adjusting fork and shock pressures, but changing the actual linkage plates!? This really was World Cup Fettling.

Fabien was averaging a 3.11 descent, and our guy didn’t let the side down with a very respectable 3.17. All in all, an unbelievable day not to be forgotten - as Jules said “You wouldn’t see Beckham playing football with his fans”.

Way too much time to kill

I got this in my inbox this morning. I can't help the feeling that Dangerous Dave is getting too much attention. Still I guess the Photoshop editing could've been worse - and un-publishable:

Hi from Holland,
Looking at the picture attached, don’t you think the game needs an update?
Sincerely,
Rolf.
Broken_dang_dave

More customer feedback

Hi Simon

Just want to say thanks for a speedy and efficient sale (or purchase on my part).  The bike [Giant SCR 2.0] arrived on Friday much to my surprise and im very happy with it.  Thanks again and I will pass on your details to any friends looking to purchase.

Rgds
David in Northern Ireland

Don't follow us

Okay, this is damn sketchy – but fun. It’s some illegaly built north shore in local woodland at a secret location. Really not recommended (the idiots aren't even wearing lids!) but try telling these guys…

Team Discovery sign Brit sprinter

Steve_cummings The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team have announced the signing of three riders for 2007. Most notably, from a British point of view, is the addition of Wirral born Steve Cummings. Sports Director Johan Bruyneel said “Steve’s track background will be an asset to this team and provide us the opportunity to be competitive in races where we have not been in the past—those with a sprint finish. I am sure he will adapt to the road style quickly and prove his worth immediately.”

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2007 Roster is:

Ivan Basso (Italy) *   
Fumiyuki Beppu (Japan)
Volodymyr Bileka (Ukraine)
Jani Brajkovic (Slovenia)
Alberto Contador (Spain) *
Tony Cruz (USA) *
Steve Cummings (Great Britain) *
Tom Danielson (USA)
John Devine (USA) *
Stijn Devolder (Belgium)
Vladimir Gusev (Russia)
George Hincapie (USA)
Fuyu Li (China) *
Levi Leipheimer (USA) *
Trent Lowe (Australia)
Egoi Martinez (Spain)
Jason McCartney (USA)
Gianni Meersman (Belgium) *
Uros Murn (Slovenia) *
Benjamin Noval (Spain)
Pavel Padrnos (Czech Republic)
Sergio Paulinho (Portugal) *
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine)
Chechu Rubiera (Spain)
Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania) *
Brian Vandborg (Denmark) *
Jurgen Van Goolen (Belgium)
Matt White (Australia)

* New to team

Gloves come good in the end

Hi,
Just a note to say thank you very much for all your help
[we swapped a pair of leaking gloves] - I really appreciate you keeping me up to date with everything. I will definitely recommend you to my friends and family as your customer service has been great.

Thanks again,
Giulia

Trainer joins Tredz contributor team

Nigel_at_swanstri_1 TredzTalk have been on the look out to put a trainer on the books who can offer qualified cycle training advice. We're pleased to say that position has been filled by all-round-nice-guy, Nigel Nicholas. Nigel is a full-time fitness instructor, passionate triathlete and uber Lance Armstrong fan. He's competed in the London Triathlon 2006 as well as several local events and his plans include the London tri again and the Xterra half ironman this year (it’s a US link because the UK site is pathetically out of date). His lifetime goal is a sub 2 hour Olympic distance triathlon.

We're hoping Nigel can enlighten us with advice that'll lift our cycling and triathlon standards (although that'll be simple for me as January was utterly hopeless on the training front, Feb’s not started much better either). If you're anything like us, you're going to welcome any tips that can help get the most out of pretty limited training time.

Orange bikes update web and offers

Orange_1

Orange have always offered customers the choice of upgrading parts on their bikes straight from the factory. This sometimes tricky-but-nice service is now available online. Even better, the lads in Halifax must be feeling pretty generous as they’re offering some upgrades as standard for February:

  • any Five ordered in February will be fitted with a Fox Float RP23 shock, normally a £50 upgrade
  • any Big-T S will get an upgrade package of Fox DHX 5.0 Shock, Hope Mono M4 brakes Custom Paint colour, worth £300, for Free!

Not all are listed on Tredz but give us a call on 01792 560650 and we can source for you (fully built and ready to ride, delivered to your door F.O.C.).

Gold again for Tredz rider

Jody_medal_1 Well the team sprint went well on Friday night. We won the gold in the 4th fastest time ever recorded, a 52.270. Personally though I was very pleased with my own performance, as I managed to dip under 15 seconds for my lap for the first time with a 14.96(average speed 60.16km/h).

Jody_on_the_fly_1 Everything has gone well on this trip, and considering the time of year and phase of training I'm in, I'm very pleased with my performances and am personally looking forward to going even faster as the year rolls on. We've got 2 more days in Sydney, if we can get tickets think we're off to the 2nd match of the one day cricket series. On Monday 12th we fly to Melbourne, before leaving for Beijing the following morning. The bikes go home Monday so Beijing should be a chance for a quick bit of sight seeing, before we head home. You'll be pleased to know that the weather in Beijing is pretty much the same as you've got at the moment, so it's away with the shorts and out with the thermals!

Raleigh goes well

Just got some more nice customer feedback:

Hello Tredz, just to let you know that i received my bike today, Raleigh~Mini x '06 - Kids Bike (14''). It arrived in perfect condition & we are very pleased with it, thankyou for sending it out so quickly.
Mark

Tredz rider wins again

Tredz rider and world record holder, Jody Cundy has won his first race in Australia for good old Blighty!It took a while to find the results page but this is taken from the Australian Cycling Federation (the bugger hasn't writen a race report yet). He races again on Friday in the team sprint. Good luck Team GB.

Results Event 6     Monday, 5 February 2007 1:00:00 PM   Communique 22
                LC2 Men 1000m Time Trial Final                

Place     Rider    Name                      Affiliation          Speed    Time
1           61        Jody CUNDY             GBR                   50.73    1:10.970
2           50        Martin VCELKA         VIC                    49.33    1:12.982
3           72        Jonathon BAXTER     NZL                   42.39    1:24.921

A belated race update from the man himself:

Out of the gate I felt pretty smooth and was quickly up to speed by the first corner. I settled into my tri bars but ran a little wide - I think that was due to running a double disc and not knowing what to expect at full speed. From there I settled into a good rhythm, and pretty soon it was the bell lap. Coming into the home straight I could just hear the commentator saying 7, 8, 9 as the seconds passed so I knew I was on a good ride. 1.10.970, 3rd fastest I've ever been and a new Australian Championship record! Pretty good considering it's only February and we've not really started working on my speed yet, hopefully better times to come as the year goes on.

Pretty good night for team GB. Of 7 events entered we won 5 golds! But so we should as 4 of us riding were world champions from Switzerland.

Join the queue for the queue

Great_north_run_1 Isn’t entering events becoming far more difficult? To get Glastonbury tickets you need to pre-register and the Bupa Great North Run looks as tricky. I’ve just tried to register and get my race number, but instead I got invited to join a ballot. I can’t decide if this is a fairer way to handle their over-subscription of entrants or if a first-come, first-served basis is clearer. That said, I missed the boat on getting into the Bath half marathon which sold out in record time again this year. Perhaps my ballot with the Geordies will give me a fighting chance. It closes on Feb 11th so get entering here.

[Record] Breaking News

Stop the press; we’ve had a new highest score on the Tredz game. Microsoft launched Vista this week but surely a record breaking 2,334 metres is much more deserving of the tag ‘Wow’. We didn’t get a name but congrats fi_fas whoever you are.

Dangerousdaverecord_5

Jody down under

Jody_in_action I'm sure you'd like to hear that it's cold, wet and windy over here in Australia, but I can't lie to you! The weathers gorgeous, around the 28C mark everyday, however it has been a bit windy [bloody shame, Ed].

The cycle track we're training on is really peculiar, it's 418m long but, unlike most conventional tracks, it's not oval in shape. This thing is almost a curved D shape. It doesn't cause too much of a problem for the solo bikes on track but with the lack of any banking, the tandems are having real issues getting round it at full speed. Qu9ite funny though. The camp has gone well with a mixture of road, gym and track based work. I think everyone's really looking forward to Sydney now and I just want to get racing again. Especially as with the temperature so warm the conditions on track should be really fast. (Photos courtesy of British Cycling.)

Brit_cycling_team My new leg has been good, but there are a few teething problems which was expected. The biggest prob is that it's a bit long! I hadn’t really noticed on my road bike, but on my kilo track bike when I’m settled down into the tribars, my right knee has been hitting me in the chest. So after a few modifications we're hoping it should be all sorted by the Sydney competitions.

Continue reading "Jody down under" »

Bike shows help pollute planet?

January has been the month of bike shows. I reckon we’ve driven some 1500 miles in the past four weeks. With all the talk lately of CO2 emissions believed to be one of the main contributors to climate change and the controversy about Prince Charles crossing the Atlantic to collect an environmental award I thought we’d better investigate the apparent ability to offset your omissions.

Being a sceptical person, these schemes have always sounded a little vague or dubious to me. Replacing trees every time someone hops on a plane would surely turn the UK back into one large forest within no time?

Climate Care explains offsetting as follows:

"paying someone to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere by the same amount that your activities add. In this way you can ‘neutralise’ or ‘balance’ the CO2 added by your activities".

Organisations like Climate Care and Target Neutral advise how to reduce daily energy use, they also fund projects that make emissions reductions. These projects cover sustainable energy creation, promote increased efficiency and indeed deal with reforestation as well.

Still curious about the damage I caused to the environment, I used their emissions calculator - despite punching out nearly half a tonne of CO2, I can relieve my conscience for just £3.45. Where’s my creditcard....

Beyond 9.2.5 released

A local-based magazine beyond925 has just launched its second issue. They’re trying to promote a work/life balance and advocate outdoor sports such as cycling and triathlon. We’ll post out a FREE copy if you send in an A4 S.A.E. (65p of stamps) to:
Tredz, Kingsway, Swansea West Ind. Est., Swansea, SA5 4DL.

Tel: 01792 799508

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Some Tredz Contributors


  • Chris: Mountain bike - D/H, XC, Road bike and BMX

  • James: road bikes, MTB and duathlon

  • Jody: Olympic track

  • Phil: endurance racing and triathlon

  • Ed: downhill, jump, BMX, skate

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Cycling holidays

  • mountain biking in southern Spain
    See some of the trails on offer at Blazingtrails