About bikes, cycling and cycle to work - Tredz Blog

Even more 2010 bikes

Yet more 2010 news: The new Trek Madone, a new 120mm all mountain bike from Cannondale and a singlespeed from Kona called the, wait for it, 'Band Wagon'.

No 2011 news as of yet, but we're on tenterhooks...

Specialized 2010 news

Lots of stuff flying round at the moment about the Specialized 2010 launch in Snowbird, Utah. Assuming our invite and flight tickets to the prestigious event got lost in the post, we've been relying on the same sites you have for info.

And like the bike geeks/gossip queens we are we've been unable to stop checking out the pictures. On our lunchbreaks, obviously...

Best two places to go for Spesh '10 news are Bikeradar for their road coverage and Mtbr for the mountain bike pictures.

Our first thoughts? We're drooling.

Checkout the 2010 Specialized Enduro! A massive frame departure. One that had our general manager excited enough to start reminiscing about the Cannondale Killer V. Both the 2010 Stumpy and Enduro have got the very successful 2009 Epic shock position.

Not sure we're going to see any here, but that Epic 29er is something else too.

The Road frames are getting (again this is American news, not sure yet if we are getting this), an 'entry level Roubaix' in the form of the Secteur. Budget road comfort, as the geometry is the same as the more expensive and much praised Roubaix just in good ol' Alu.

The new time trial bike is a real attention grabber too. The Specialized Shiv is not only one of the coolest (and scariest) named bikes in recent memory, but it is also one of the most radical.

New GB cycling team

A not very well kept secret, Team GB is on it's way. Yup, Millar, Wiggins, Thomas and Cummings - despite all being currently contracted to existing pro teams are going to race for 'Team Sky' .

Missing anyone? A certain world class sprinter? Apparently they haven't yet been able to persuade Mark Cavendish that it'll be a nicer home for him than Columbia. With his current winning streak on the American team, they might have a job on their hands.

Still, it will be cool to have a team that we can get behind on the pro circuit. If the same methodology that helped Britain dominate the track is brought to the grand Tours, the (B)Sky(B)'s the limit.

A clean bike = happy riding!

All round nice guy and mountain biking legend, Nick Craig has just paid us a visit.

Nothing too important, just a cup of tea (our coffee machine is rubbish, sorry Nick) and a chat, keep us up to date with what’s new and exciting from Scott (everything, obviously) and probably just because he’s nice like that.

Anyway, as ever He’s been busy having followed consecutive fell running races on Friday and Saturday with competing in the Merida marathon in Crickhowell, a mere 100km slog in horrendous weather. It didn’t surprise me that he looked so fresh and neither did it that his Genius was spotless. But it’s this that should be a lesson to us all; how to care for your bike.

Far too many of us would have left our bike in a shocking state, caked on mud and rapidly seizing cables. Nicks ride was spotless, smooth running and ready to ride. And before you whine about how he’s probably got a personal mechanic, or full factory support, he hasn’t, he just rides a lot and knows that a clean bike is a happy bike and a happy bike equals happy riding.

Simple really. Keep your bike clean, and it’ll work better, for longer.

European Handmade Bike Show

Sick of gazing with jealousy at Americans and the ever colourful North American Handmade Bike Show? Well, now add Germans to the list!

The first European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition is taking place in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany on the 6th - 10th of May.

Kerazy exotic material track bikes? Check!
Long list of exhibitors - from big companies to one man framebuilding hermits? Check!
Hard to get to (from the UK)? Check!

As soon as we get some pictures we'll post them here. Custom built bikes might occasionally reflect the isolation in which they were built (ie, they're totally nuts), but sometimes they can provide a great example of just what is possible on a bike and a good indication of where current cycling fashion is headed.

Giant TCR Advanced - bike of the year

Cycling Plus has voted the TCR Advanced 3 their bike of the year.

In such a large field, with so much competition, this is no mean feat. So congratulations to Giant for never resting on their laurels. They pretty much invented the modern compact road style and are still pushing back the boundaries of what can be done with it. Don't take our word for it though...

The TCR's handling is awesome. The front end is tremendously stiff, and the handling as stable as anything we've ever ridden, which mean it goes exactly where you want it to go, all the team, climbing, descending, sprinting on the flat.

...While it's fast, stiff and responsive enough for racing, it's comfy enough for any long distance riding.

Good enough for the likes of Rabobank, the trickle down technology from Giant can be found on bikes that us mortals can afford too. Just as the TCR Advanced proves how much can be squeezed out of a mid rtange budget, Giant's awesome buying power and trickle down techonology is evident throughout their entry level Defy range, a firm favourite with our own Chris after his recent review.

The future according to Scott

Scott have released this promo video recently. It's fast, very techologically advanced - and pretty much completely unfathomable. Naturally, we want one.

SCOTT Plasma project - Move to the future from Ride on Scott on Vimeo.

Born in the USA (but built in the far east)

Cannondale are to cease production of bikes in their US headquarters in Pennsylvania, laying off 200 staff in the process.

Whilst it should  have zero effect on their products, it does mark something of an end of an era for US cycle production. It has a certain sense of inevitability about it, but still, quite a biggie.

SIS go organic

The worlds first fully certified organic energy and hydration products have been created by Science in Sport.

It took SIS five years to research fuels that both reached the stringent organic certification, and the standards set by users like the British Olympic track cycling team, Astanta or Ferdie.

We're big fans of SIS nutrition already, so we'd expect nothing less than a great product. We'll keep you updated once we've used our free samples on a ride.

Credit Crunch Hits Team Columbia/Highroad

British sprint sensation Mark Cavendish has been spied out training with his team on their new Scott Team bikes. Does this raise important questions about the level of commitment from sponsors towards their athletes?

Or it may just be a screen shot from the new Columbia/Highroad TV ad...