Month: March 2018

Wheelbase MTB Big Demo Weekend 2018

The 11th WHEELBASE BIG DEMO WEEEKEND landed last weekend at our Lake District store and despite the wintery conditions we had a great day demoing some of the world’s best mountain bikes on Saturday. However, day 2 on Sunday wasn’t to be as we got struck down with ‘Beast of the East 2’ and had to cancel due to high winds, ice, and deep snow in the Kentmere Valley.

With bikes from 12 of the world’s best MTB brands to try out, we welcomed 200 riders to our Lake District store on Saturday morning ready to venture out onto the natural trails around the Kentmere Valley guided by the team from Penrith based Cycle Active. Despite the freezing conditions and frequent flurries of snow all rides went ahead and riders returned cold but with smiles on their faces – we’re a hardy lot up North!

As we’ve seen in recent years the popularity of eBikes continues to grow and this year we offered up our largest ever selection for demoing. A strong mix of full suspension and hardtail mountain bikes from Cannondale, Cube, Focus, Frog Bikes, Genesis, Kona, Mondraker, Nukeproof, Transition, Trek, Whyte and Yeti gave our customers plenty of options to choose from.

Despite the challenging weather the BIG DEMO WEEKEND proved again to be one of the best demo events in the UK and it will return next year on 16+17 March 2019 – what will we all be riding then?

Click here to check out the full gallery from Saturday’s rides.

Our range of Spring/Summer cycle clothing from Gore has landed. Known for their innovation and outstanding functionality, Gore produce some of the most technical weather-combating sports clothing available.

GORE® wear stands for the best engineers and designers developing the best products in close cooperation with a strong and versatile team of sponsored athletes – like two-time Olympic road cycling champion Fabian Cancellara.

‘Our lab’ combines an in-depth understanding of the elements and the human body with cutting edge fabric technologies to deliver highly engineered and functional performance wear. It is a commitment to constantly push the boundaries.

Some of the key pieces in the range include;

Gore C5 Gore-Tex Shakedry 1985 Jacket

Your rides are demanding: this jacket will keep you performing at the highest level in all weather. Honouring our first ever GORE-TEX® jacket, which set the standard in 1985, this modern tribute signifies our commitment to continued excellence.

Gore R3 Womens Gore-Tex Active Hooded Jacket

The weather doesn’t always agree with your training plan, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting outside and enjoying the elements anyway. This jacket is a great lightweight but fully protective addition to any workout when you’re going to get wet.

Gore C5 Optiline Jersey and Bibshorts

   

A contemporary road-styled jersey that finds the balance between keeping the wind off your core, and ensuring sweat stays at bay on even the most strenuous rides. Reinforced features all around will ensure this jersey always stays in your kit bag.

Even on the hottest days, when the sun is shining, the wind can be chilly once you’ve summited the last climb. With breathable fabric all around, moisture is managed to keep the chill off. A GORE® WINDSTOPPER® seat insert adds extra protection.

Click here for our full range of Spring/Summer Gore clothing.

WHEELBASE NORTH EAST WORKSHOP TUTORIALS

New to cycling? Not confident in fixing a puncture or tuning your gears?

Our Workshop Tutorials are geared towards beginners and intermediates cyclists who want to be confident with roadside repairs and basic home maintenance.

Lesson start at 7pm prompt and end around 9pm. Biscuits and brews provided!

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All up coming courses will be held at WHEELBASE North East, 100 Bondgate, Darlington  DL3 7LB – BOOK IN STORE OR BELOW

for queries call 01325 352255  or email darlington@wheelbase.co.uk

 

DARLINGTON – LESSON 1: WHEELS AND TYRES Wednesday 04 April 2018

• Wheel fitting and removal
• Punctures
• Tyre removal and seating
• Hubs

DARLINGTON – LESSON 2: BRAKES Wednesday 11 April 2018

Caliper + Disc brakes:

• Causes of poor braking
• Trouble shooting
• Fitting new blocks
• Setting and adjustment

DARLINGTON – LESSON 3: GEARS Wednesday 18 April 2018

• Causes of poor shifting
• Degreasing
• Trouble shooting
• Chain wear
• Splitting chain
• Setting and adjustment

 

DARLINGTON – BOOK ALL LESSONS

£15 per lesson, or all three for £40

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Introducing the Trek Checkpoint: A new foray into Gravel Riding

The all-new dedicated gravel road bike from Trek is now available.

Gravel bikes are very much on trend in the UK right now, you’ll struggle to find a bike manufacturer that doesn’t have at least one in their line-up and now Trek have joined the party with the Checkpoint. Versatile, rugged and adaptable – gravel bikes are for the rider looking to venture away from tarmac and explore new avenues.

The Checkpoint comes ready to roll with a wealth of adventure-ready features aimed at the rapidly-growing gravel scene, like adjustable Stranglehold dropouts, massive tyre clearance, and extra mounts that make it super versatile and easy to customise.

The geometry of the Checkpoint is comfortable for long rides and rough roads, but aggressive enough to provide the speed and ride-feel most gravel riders are looking for. Checkpoint features almost identical reach as the Boone cyclocross bike but with a slightly taller stack and lower bottom bracket. Chainstay length and wheelbase are the same on the Checkpoint and Boone.

Carbon models feature the same Rear IsoSpeed decoupler found on the Domane for additional comfort over rough roads, along with Control Freak internal cable routing. There are mounts all over the Checkpoint, with room to fit three bottles in the main triangle and an additional bottle mount under the down tube. Rear and fork mounts make plenty of room to carry luggage and clearance for up to 45mm tyres mean exploration can be taken onto the gnarliest roads.

There are seven models in the Checkpoint range with the entry point being the ALR 4 at £1450 and the top of the line SL 6 at £3400. Each of the Trek Checkpoint models are now available in-store and to order online for store collection.