"You're going where?"
Working in the cycling industry, I'm used to envy. Envy of bikes I can't afford, fitness I can't attain and Atherton's I'll never meet. But when James, our resident road expert told me he was "off to Portugal to test ride some top of the range Cervelo bikes", along with some Cervelo test team pro riders, I must admit I felt particularly resentful.
Sure you will too...
So the boss has asked me to go abroad to learn more about and test ride some of the best road bikes on the planet. What can I say? When does the plane leave?
Day one
Having arrived in Faro, Portugal for the 2010 Cervelo Bike Brain training the evening before, I was determined to get a big breakfast knowing I had 50k to ride later late morning. So with a belly full of food it was off to the classroom for an overview of the new 2010 Cervelo Range. Once we were gen'd up it was time to put on the replica Cervelo Test Team kit that we had been issued with and go down to the storage area to find the bikes.
Today I would be riding the Cervelo S3 (editor's note: this is around the point I start getting really sick with envy).
the market and the same stock frame ridden by the TDF Green Jersey winner Thor Hushovd, so arguably also the fastest.
In fact, all the demo bikes we were using were actually all team issue bikes that the pro-team had been using for their winter training.
Spec wise the bikes were all fitted with Sram Red, Rotor Cranks and Zipp carbon wheels with finishing kit by 3T and Fizik.
So we head out of the hotel into the Portuguese countryside to find it is not as flat as it looks from the plane! The terrain is very rolling with loads of short sharp climbs and descents and a lot of sweeping bends. I was a little hesitant to start with being on a new, much lighter bike than usual but after a few kilometres the balance and comfort of the bike came through giving me a great deal of confidence.
The most obvious thing you notice when riding is the weight, or should I say the lack thereof. Especially when climbing. Power transfer is instant, which is proof the massive chainstays are not just there for show. The combination of the aero frame with the Zipp wheels gives you so much momentum on the descents you found yourself halfway up the next climb before you even needed to start pedaling! The bike just carries so much speed it is easy to see why it is an advantage. To be honest I felt like a passenger as I'm sure given the opportunity the bike could have gone by itself.
Once back at the hotel it was a quick shower/lunch and back in the classroom for the afternoon for an education in aerodynamics, structure & materials with one of the companies chief engineers/designers Gerard Vroomen. He is one of the partnership who has made Cervelo into one of the most innovative and desirable bike brands in the world.
Anyway after a relaxing walk to the beach and a quick dip of the toes in the sea it was time for dinner and off to bed as we would be riding again first thing in the morning.
Come back tomorrow for the second half of James' Portuguese Cervelo adventure.
