About bikes, cycling and cycle to work - Tredz Blog

Turbo Training Session - Round 3

The object with this session is to use your turbo trainer to the max! This is workout will help to increase endurance & recovery. The workout lasts 60mins. 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 work out;                   
- 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 Minuet (RPM) is the term used for how fast you spin your legs when pedalling.

The Shocker's First Air

Jules, Tredz' DH rider, on his new Cove Shocker frame                 

           

Cyclists get free lunch

Wanna free protein bar? Not tried 'em myself but they've got that magic sound about them, free. It was advertised in Men's Fitness magazine and appears on their website http://www.easuk.info/mf%2Dstorm/

'The second you experience a Storm bar, you'll forget it's loaded with 27g of high quality protein and formulated to support muscle growth and recovery. And you'll definitely forget it's a nutrition bar - packed with flavour Myoplex Storm is the taste of sports nutrition!

Try Myoplex Storm for free! Enter you details here to receive your free sample bar'.

*Only one bar per household.
*Offer closes 30th April 2007, or whilst stocks last.

Rocky Mountain 2007 bikes roll in

With the cabinets full of glittering Race Face parts, our continued support of Kona bikes, and our spangling new Cove frames hanging on the wall, we're spreading the love of all things Canadian. Yep, our first delivery of 2007 Rocky Mountain Bikes has arrived! Rocky are still hand built in Vancouver, only a stones throw away from the legendary North Shore trails. They’ve got the perfect test ground on their doorstep which would make most bikes crumble. The first thing you notice about them is the attention to detail - it’s outstanding. If you run your finger over the maple leaf paintwork you can feel the depth of the paint; it’s even a little different on each bike (a bit like leopards’ spots!)

One of the best things about us stocking Rocky Mountain is the fact that they offer such a complete range of bikes. The new Slayer SXC has 6” of travel at each end, filling the 'All Mountain' slot pretty comfortably - especially with the world shortage of Specialized Enduros. Their XC race bike, the Element, has been tweaked for 2007 and is backed up by more race wins. It maybe considered short travel by today’s standard, but this rig is fast. Whatever style of bike you're looking for, it looks like there’s a Rocky that’ll float your boat (if your wallet can swim).

If you've ever watched Roam, The Collective or any of the NWD movies then you would've seen the legends, Wade Simmons and Thomas Vanderham, doing some out-of-this-world riding on their Rockys. That’s about the best testimonial any brand could receive.

Praise indeed

I almost get bleary eyed reading stuff like this:

Hi Simon,
Just got your message, was out testing the new bike when you called! Nearly killed myself bombing down the waterfront for the afternoon (not because I nearly crashed or anything, but because I'm so unfit).
I'd like to extend my thanks for the first class service from Tredz. The price on the bike [Giant SCR 2.0] was fantastic and you have a great range of accessories to choose from. When you saw that I was local and you made a special delivery within a couple hours of me calling - that was just the icing on the cake. Hope I can return the favour with my future business (after my credit card cools off!) and recommendations to friends.
Many thanks,
Paul

Specialized Stumpjumper gets some TLC

Where's my daughter's birth certificate? Do they sell babies on eBay? Unlike dad, she's really rather cute - honestly. The question is, would she fetch enough to buy this ’07 Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper we've finished building for a customer today (just shy of £5,000)?

Look at her (the bike, not the baby). A carbon frenzy: frame, brakes, shifters, bars, barends. It might be quicker to list the parts that aren’t. There’s even a pair those new Mavic Crossmax SLR wheels. My chin is on the floor just looking at it. Unfortunately, I won't get to ride it this weekend. [If my wife is reading my blogging this week I might not be able to get out anywhere this weekend.]

Jules' new bike

Our veteran downhiller has built his new stead. I’m not sure who decided first but both Ed and Jules are to be racing the Tredz downhill banner on Cove Shockers.

Jules has rigged his up with: Marzocchi 88rc2 fork, Mavic dee max wheelset, Shimano Saint crankset, Crank Bros mallet pedals, Maxis high rollers, MRP chain device, Hope Moto v2 brakes (awesome), Easton bars, Odi lockon grips and a Charge Stool saddle. It certainly looks like a winning combo but it rides like one too according to early reports. If you see him on the circuit, go say hello.

Cycling is key to quitting smoking

I’m a little out of sync with National No Smoking Day and should’ve posted this last week. StaffNurse.com writes “A cycling machine or a breath of fresh air may be enough to help smokers beat their cravings. Exercise is one of the best ways for smokers to manage their cravings when they are trying to give up, according to the Exeter University study.”

Is that ‘manage their cravings’ by distracting them with the pain of exercise? I don’t suppose it really matters, but as many as four million people may be inspired to get riding not puffing in light of Britain’s imminent ban on smoking in public places and workplaces on July 1 (already happened in Scotland and in effect from April 2nd in Wales).

F1's new star takes silverware

A star wasn’t born on the weekend (he's 22 years old), but it certainly shone more brightly when Lewis Hamilton finished an amazing 3rd on his Grand Prix debut. A brilliant Saturday of sport was topped on Sunday’s early hours by my favoured Formula 1 team, McLaren finishing 2nd & 3rd in Melbourne.*

Former world champion Damon Hill said on the BBC “The weight of expectation was massive on Lewis and it seemed to me he didn't really show any sign of weakness at all. He was on it right from the word go. He qualified well, and he raced brilliantly.”

I'm torn this season between wanting Kimi Raikkonen (aka The Mute One) to show just how damned fast he is and that Michael Schumacher’s boots have been well and truly filled - at least on track, if not with team leadership - and praying for some long overdue success for 'my McLaren gang' at Woking. Mind you, when you add Messrs Hamilton & Alonso to the mix, perhaps there's not such a great deal of a contest after all.
*This category might be more accurate if it read 'Other stuff I like' when it comes to F1. Sorry if I'm off-subject but I couldn’t resist.

Outdoor show is a hit

I took myself to Birmingham on the weekend for the Outdoor Show in the NEC (got back for the superb rugby and outstanding Grand Prix though). Now, I’ve never been to this show before and confess that I’d made some not-too-flattering assumptions about the type of visitor I might be sharing the halls with. I was thinking more Bill Oddie than Britney Spears, but I went with an (reasonably) open mind to discover things new.

How wrong I was – the whole show was excellent, at least 9/10. That’s about 5 points more favourable than the last comparable bike show I attended. I got my hands on loads of top kit from all sorts of brands and played with the new Nikon D40 camera as well; it must be an omen, I’m meant to buy her.

Last year’s show saw an eclectic mix of 45,000 outdoor enthusiasts, many of whom would be interested in cycling of some description or other. Total number of bike brands who attended last year and this? One. Well done Specialized, yet again you’ve show your peers a clean pair of heels.

The new black

You think you’re ready for the spring season? With that bar and stem combo? You must be joking. Forget black, if you want to get noticed out there this season, you need to Pimp Your Ride to white - it’s the new black. Honestly.

These components in white are the hottest things to hit the market since Saun Palmer’s plimsoles. Not only do they look uber-cool, but it’s been scientifically proven that white components make you think your bike is lighter (well, debated in our workshop quite a bit). It’s started with this lot: Super strong bars and stems from Deity, a brand new prototype e13 bash ring, Crank Bros mallet pedals, Halo Tornado wheelsets and the Freek saddle from Fizik. But expect to see everyone and their dog producing white this year.

Cove frames are lush (and in stock)

We've been a fan of Cove frames for ages and sold the odd one here and there, but this week we made the leap of faith and bought a load for stock. Why the hell hadn't we done it before - they're gorgeous?

Only available as frames, they offer a burly build that looks like you could huck it off a building! (Not that we recommend that type of thing, obviously.) There’s hardtails, jump bikes and trail eating machines available, but it’s the downhill bike, the Cove Shocker, that’s going to be flying the Tredz flag. You’ll see both team riders on Shockers at the dh races this year. Ed is building up this one. Is it the orange or his hair that you’ll notice first?

New camera needed?

A new digital camera is needed necessary being considered. I don't really need one but I'm working on building enough excuses to convince myself, and my wallet, otherwise. A toddling daughter and more blog work are an obvious pair for starters. Summer's coming, that's three. I hate my Sony and its 10 minute shutter lag. Four. Photoshop is becoming my favourite computer package. Five.

Six (and this could be the biggie) is the newly-discovered Seb Rogers blog. He regularly gets covers on the UK's best MTB press and his blog explains his craft in more detail - almost makes you want to shoot riders as much as riding yourself. You can see more of his portfolio here. Trouble is, he's recommending this Nikon. Uh oh.

Jody update

Feels like a while since I last posted and to be honest not a lot has actually happened. Just been busy training and that's been about it. After the Australian nationals finished we spent 2 nights in Beijing and basically did the tourist thing. Checked out Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City which are vast. So strange to see so much open space in the middle of a city. Then we hit the Xiu Shui/Silk Street markets which are a "an experience." I don't think there is anything you can't get here, and if you are up to the bargaining, there’s many a bargain to be had. Our hotel was just a stones throw away from the Olympic stadium (pic above), which is affectionately known as the bird’s nest (you can understand why).

It took a little time to get back used to the wet and the wind as we'd been spoilt for great training weather in Australia, but things are going well now. I’ve even scored a few PBs on the track in training over the last couple of weeks – they’ve helped my confidence. So things are currently on track for the Visa Paralympic world cup which is in May. Unfortunately it looks like the European championships in Newport might be off, but they were on and off 3 or 4 times during our time in Australia so until the date comes and we're not racing, I'll take it with a pinch of salt!
Posted by Jody

Turbo Training Session - Round 2 (Intermediate)

This is a follow on from our beginners' guide to turbo training of last week. The objective of this session is to get a bit more from your indoor trainer. Again it's a nice, short workout to raise the heart rate and put your pedalling technique under pressure. 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.

Linebreak in 6 nations

In 2005 Wales won the Six Nations rugby Grand Slam. This year we’ve played 3 and lost the lot! Added to the obvious concern about our players is the fact the Charlotte Church is now with child. That’ll give Mr Henson far more to worry about than James Hook. But play on we say, play on. The lads will do just that this weekend in Italy. Most of them will be wearing this compression clothing from Linebreak. Let’s hope it helps them, eh?

Etape Du Tour 2007 Recce DVD

Riding L’Etape Du Tour this year? Wanna see the route? Watch this 3 minute ad that Carlton points us to. It’s a promo for the movie 'Road to Loudenvielle', produced by Cyclefilm. Amazingly, they’re going to air it in a dozen cinemas on March 11th.

Specialized and Giant test bike days

We posted a while back about Specialized and Giant teaming up to offer Joe Public a range of test bikes in a non-race environment. Well, their promo site is now up and running so you can register here for any of the six venues (although their home page says five??).

Giant SCR is 'awesome'

Got a cracking email from a customer:

Guys,
Cheers. The bike [Giant SCR 2.0] got delivered today. Can't praise you enough, your service has been fantastic and the price of the bike is awesome.
Thanks
steve

Afan Argoed MTB video

The Afan Forest Park (aka Afan Argoed) and its four trails is constantly referred to as one of the best places to ride your bike in the world. Yep, the world! We thought we'd make a short video for anyone into mountain biking that's still not convinced the singletrack is up to par. Check out 5 mins on one of our local trails, Penhydd (there's 3 others just as good).

Specialized Allez Elite review

Bad weather, bad health and a bag load of work have meant my cycling/running/exercise regimes have been nothing short of pathetic since about Christmas. But our friends at Specialized UK have kindly loaned me a new 2007 Specialized Allez Elite road bike, which has inspired me to don my lid and get the 700Cs turning.

I’m under no illusion that, unlike most of my fellow contributors, my cycling talents lie firmly at the amateur end of enthusiast. I haven’t owned a stream of wild and exotic Italian frames, or ridden most stages of le Tour as part of my summer holidays. No, I’m more a muck about on a riser bar and 5” of travel type of guy, but road riding does interest me. It feels like a totally different workout (perhaps that’s the obvious lack of trees to hit); more exercise than fun per say, but very rewarding all the same.

The benefits of road cycles as I see them are:

• everyone has tarmac to turn on whereas pucka singletrack is more of a rarity;
• less concentration – Lance often refers to Zenning out on his bike or running – do that on a MTB and a face plant will soon follow;
• more continuous pedalling which equals a better workout (cardio, max thresholds etc.);
• the washing machine gets a break from less mud/grit/stones hammered into your kit.

So I’m inspired, but what about the bike? Well, Specialized have consolidated the aluminium-framed Allez range this year from five to three models. Each is available in a double or triple chainset option: Allez (double at £500, triple at £530), Allez Sport (dbl £700 – tpl £730) and mine, the range-topping Allez Elite (dbl £900 - tpl £930). Allez is their opening line of drop handlebars (as the Hardrock range is to their MTB line up) and is designed to “answer the needs of competitive road riders, designed in relentless pursuit of efficiency and speed, and then enhanced with advanced ergonomic features in every model.” With catalogue lines like that, who needs NASA?

Ed not outdone by Albes kid

Well it’s February and it’s raining; it’s still bloody raining. Thank god for indoor skate parks. A haven of dry in a world of boggy jumps and waterlogged berms. Plywood is refreshingly firm and springy under wheel. Perhaps a little too firm as a stuffed jump means I'm now typing this with very little help from my right hand, the wrist of said hand being about as much use as a triathlete on a downhill course. Anyway, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and besides it left me free to take a couple of pictures of Ed tearing about the place.
Posted by Chris