About bikes, cycling and cycle to work - Tredz Blog

Whatever happened to...

There are certain models of bike that we’ve heard great things about. Bikes that we’ve seen and loved the look of, or maybe you’ve had one in the past that  sold on, grown out of or, God forbid, had stolen (swine!).

No matter how much you search for them they seem to have disappeared from the face of the bike retailing planet. Sometimes they have, but often they’ve been re-modelled and re-named in an effort to ‘keep things fresh and exciting’

Looking for a Specialized Stumpjumper? No problem, they’ve been in continuous production since 1981. The current 2009 range of 9 models may bear no similarities to that original single model but you know what you’re getting because of the name.   

And therein lies the problem. A change of name can make a bike seemingly vanish. The list below is not exhaustive by any means but will hopefully provide a few answers to the question of the missing bikes.

2009 Specialized Pitch Pro

If you've been searching for the 2009 Pitch Pro then I'm sorry to give you some bad news. It's sold out. Not just with us, Specialized have no more, that's it for 2009.

They grossly under-estimated the potential of this superb 'all mountain' machine and now we're all paying the price.
 You can still get your hands on the Pitch Comp. The same great frame but slightly lower spec'd. That said at less than £1000 it represents possibly even better value for money than the Pitch Pro.

If you have your heart set on a bit more 'bling' then there's always the 2009 Enduro SL which does essentially the same job but is lighter and higher spec'd.

If the price of the Pitch Pro was right then you could look at the Giant 2009 Reign X2 which is another well spec'd and good value genuine 'all mountain' bike and with a little more travel is a slightly burlier machine.

Another more than worthy contender is the Cannondale Prophet 1. Receiving numerous rave reviews in the mags it has always been probably the main competition for the Pitch Pro being very similar in spec, geometry and travel.                                  

          

Jody's still collecting medals

Velodromes, MBE's and World Records. Yup. Jody's been in touch to let us know what he's up to...

Flat as a pancake

Nothing upsets a great ride quite as much or quite as frequently as punctures. They are the bane of every cyclist.

There has been something of a quiet revolution going on for some time now concerning the dark art of going tubeless on mountain bikes. The tyres and rims have been available for a while now but for me the solution is the Stans No Tubes system.

Wales Rocks

It’s St. David’s day soon, a time to celebrate all things Welsh, all the great things about being Welsh and living in Wales. Believe me there’s a lot to celebrate and I’m not talking Daffodils and leeks here, although they are undeniably lovely, I’m talking about the riding Wales has got to offer.

Whatever kind of cycling floats your boat we’ve got it. You could spend a year out on your road bike and never ride up or down the same quiet brutally steep hill twice. Touring is a delight for the same reason and the fantastic scenery. Of course if you fancy getting a bit more in amongst the scenery then you're spoilt for choice.

Specialized Safire Comp 2009 Review

I’m lucky enough that my girlfriend loves mountain biking. Just another indication of her excellent taste (ha ha).

She has spent the last 12 months throwing herself around South Wales’s excellent trails on her Specialized Myka Pro (now become the Myka Expert) which has proved a reliable and great riding little bike but she felt the time was right to move to full sus as I think she’d reached the limits of what a hardtail can cope with on some of the rockier descents we’re both keen on.

Finding a suitable bike was no easy task as Sarah is 5’2” and whilst there are numerous ‘women’s specific’ bikes out there, finding one with a decent amount of travel (5”+) to suit her riding style and height and able to cope with long wilderness rides and forays into the Alps wasn’t simple.

We looked at the Orange 5 Diva Pro but budget prevented this and besides, the obvious choice was the Specialized Safire Comp as it seems to tick all the boxes; travel, sizing, spec, price.

Swansea in Dirt Mag

Our very own beloved hometown of Swansea has always been a bit of a hotbed of off-road cycling talent. Admittedly on the quiet, but we don’t like to shout about it!

Anyway it’s about to receive a bit of much deserved recognition with an article about the riders and scene appearing in Dirt Magazine, (on sale Feb 25th) probably the worlds premiere gravity based off-road (DH and dirt jump!) publication out there.
 
No sneaky previews I’m afraid, you’ll have to get out and by your own copy to check out our 15 minutes of fame. Tredz sponsored rider Jules Poffley will definitely feature as he is probably the most prominent downhiller in the area and the Kilvey hill D/H track which he is almost single-handedly responsible for is the finest in the area having already featured in Dirt magazines excellent Earthed DVDs in the past.

The very healthy Swansea dirt jump/BMX scene will also be represented which will give you a chance to check out some of the awesome local jump spots and the very talented riders responsible for them.

These riders do it all for the thrill of it, not the recognition but a bit of fame never hurt anyone.  

Cape Epic Training: Tony's take

Yesterday we got Phils take on the early training for the Cape Epic. Today it's Tonys turn to give us a glimpse of the pain...

Cape Epic training

Despite the terrible weather conditions recently, Tony and Phil have been in touch about their early training sessions on their brand new Specialized Epics. They've both been kind enough to send us accounts. First up is Phil's, written prior to their first road ride. He's been and done the Cape and his straightfoward account really reflects that. Especially when you read Tony's tale of suffering tomorrow!

Camelbak hydration vest

Just had some of the Camelbak hydration vests in and they are awesome. Admittedly expensive but awesome.

Carrying 2.1 Litres of fluid in a close fitted vest, it also wicks moisture and'll help keep you cool on the trail/road.

Sitting so close to the body it will obviously perform better in terms of wind resistance too, so for performance cyclists (and runners), this looks like being a 'must have item'.

Chris reliably tells us it felt really comfortable too. And no, those aren't his pecs. The vest supports the resevoir at the rear with a support 'bra' style system. Really well thought out.