About bikes, cycling and cycle to work - Tredz Blog

New test bikes

Just had a delivery of our first 2010 test bikes and I can't wait for them to be built!

Unfortunately law of the jungle states the humble blogger is well down in the pecking order when it comes to taking Tredz test bikes for a ride. But once the boss, any interested customer and the cleaning lady have all had a go, that large Stumpy Elite is mine!

Cycling Hall of Famer

Chris Hoy? Tom Simpson? Bradley Wiggins? Steve Peat? Nicola Cooke? Chris Boardman? 

The nascent British Cycling Hall of Fame is looking for your nominations for the first 50 inductee's.

If you need a little help to look beyond the current crop of outstanding young Brits, British Cycling has compiled a great decade by decade highlight list to refresh your memory. 

Not just athletes, but any outstanding individual across the whole field can be entered. 

Unknown corporate bike shop bloggers for instance.

Send as many nominations as you like to: fame@britishcycling.org.uk

IMB issue two

We've got admit, we're impressed. Second issue in for IMB and the high standards already set are getting higher. 

More interactive content (still getting over how easily swayed we are by moving ads!), more videos and some great content. Not least of which some big name interviews (don't get much bigger than Gee Atherton and Steve Peat) and a guide to the best trail center in the world (Afan in case you needed to ask) 

Steve Peat's interview in particular is a cracker. Why's he still at it when the rest of his peer group have fallen by? "They must be girls..." 

Spot the typo competition!

Win a pair of Crank Brothers Eggbeater C pedals!

Our winter flyer should be hitting your favourite magazines now. If you’re more at home online, you can find all the deals on our Issuu page. 

All well and good, except we we went to print with a typo... 

We thought this was a perfect opportunity to have a little fun at our expense. A spot the typo competition!

Here's the deal:

• To enter, please email info@tredz.co.uk with the error(s) you've spotted. Let us know your name and telephone number to join the draw. If you're right and lucky, we'll be in touch to arrange delivery.   
• Closing date is 27th November, with draw shortly after (winner published here).
• Tredz employees (and family and friends of Tredz employees), this isn't for you!
• Editors decision is final.  
• Other T&C's apply.  

Build your own Tarmac frame

Want to build yourself the lightest road bike frame in the world?

Looks pretty self explanatory if this video from the Specialized Tarmac microsite is anything to go by!

And for good measure, don't forget to check out Specialized's advanced biomechanical security system.

Awww...

One Ridgeback bike, one very happy customer:

thanks for delivering in good time.

As you can see, the birthday girl loves her bike and next spring she'll be tall enough to remove the stabilisers.

Thank you again

G

2009 Sale bikes

It isn't our intention to use this blog as an out and out sales tool for our shop, more a tool for us to talk about our obsession. Having said that we do think our new bike sale comes under that 'share the obsession' remit.

Take it from a some fellow cyclists and incredibly picky cyclists at that, the sale is pretty unique and well worth a check. This is 2009 stock is being sold at rock bottom prices, and are models that simply aren't available anywhere else. 

We've got something for everyone here. Some seriously nice, dirt cheap road bikes, mountain bikes and womens bikes. Snap em up quick, we're not talking large amounts here, but the odd one or two - when they're gone they're gone and you're stuck with post-global recession inflated prices.

Dirty Weekend in Margam park?

A new off road event is taking part in South Wales next month, in the form of “The Dirty Weekend” at Margam Park. 

It’s promoted by Mens Fitness magazine, who already run the popular Rough Track day of mountain bike duathlon and triathlon races held at Dorney Lake in September.

Unlike Dorney though, the Welsh Hills in November are going to be a sterner test than the summer flat grass of Windsor. The weekend’s race schedule consists of a 5k/23k/3k duathlon and a 5k multi terrain run on the Saturday then a 50k enduro and a 10k run on the Sunday.

Margam is no stranger to the mountain biking world, as the crowds who flocked there for the Big Welsh Weekend will attest. This one stands out for us though because one of our sponsored riders Ryan Evans (Xterra specialist) has designed the course for the new event. We grabbed a hold of him on one of his flying visits to glean some insider info...

I had a pretty strict set of parameters to design the bike course to by Mens Fitness due to the broad range of abilities of their subscribers. Not being too technically demanding on the descents was the real issue so that they could open up the race to all abilities, not just advanced mountain bikers.

I have managed to get the course with some quality climbing right from the outset to get you working, nice singletrack then some fire road to recover before some fast descents and climbs before coming back into the park.

There is a little sting in the tail just when you think you are home to keep things interesting right to the end. It’s all on quite mixed terrain so there should be something in it for everyone from the beginners to the riders who want to hit it hard.

We’re going to have a presence at the event and will make sure our guys take their tools to be able to jump in and help if needed. Ryan will be swapping his course designers hat for his more customary race lid to race the Duathlon on the Saturday. There’ll be a load of trade stands and as usual at Margam, loads more for the family.

Mens Fitness has the relevant info on how to enter.

 

World Commute

Is it right that I've more social network site memberships than social networks? I guess another one won't hurt.

World Commute is a grand sounding site with a grand sounding raison d'etre: 

World Commute is a not-for-profit, free social-network website to encourage, promote and track the use of non-motorized transportation around the world. We promote the idea of “Greater Health. Healthier Environment” through a unified effort of individuals engaging in physical activity for transportation purposes.

A place to meet others, and maybe get competitive about your weekly commuting mileage, get tips for cycling to work or just, ya know, 'connect'.

It is funded and run by Cateye, a company that happen to manufacture a lot of products that cyclists tend to need. We'll leave any doubts about their altruism to those more susceptible to skepticism.

It's got a bit of a way to go till it catches our personal favorite social network site for cyclists, and an even further way to go till it catches just getting out on a ride with some mates. 

Now there's a thought...

SixSixOne Comp II Helmet

Shortly after appealing to our day-glo 80's youth with the New Wave Evo helmet, our SixSixOne man then appealed to our credit crunched wallets with the new Comp II full facer.

An absolute steal at sixty quid, we're pretty sure the 661 Comp II is going to rule the roost at the entry level price point. All the features and looks of way more expensive helmets and at a fraction of the cost, this is going to sell.