After a bumper 2019 packed with great events we’re heading into the new year with another stacked lineup of demos and rides to keep us busy throughout 2020.

Bookings will be going live very soon for our huge MTB demo weekend which takes place at our Lake District store on the 7th and 8th March. We’ll also be taking bookings for our North East Spring Demo at Hamsterley forest on the 21st March. At both events we’ll have demo fleets of mountain and electric mountain bikes from the world’s biggest brands.

Following the MTB demo events we’ve got the Spring Classic sportive at the end of March, a great way to blow away those winter cobwebs and get your road season underway. We’ll be running more demo events at our Lake District and Yorkshire stores in April and May with more of the world’s best bikes from the biggest brands.

See below for a full list of our 2020 events and watch this space for further announcements.

Thanks to our customers, suppliers and all friends of Wheelbase for an exceptional 2019. Have a great new year and keep riding bikes!

Sat 7 and Sun 8 March 2020 – WHEELBASE Lake District Big Demo Weekend – mountain, eMTB

Sat 21 March 2020 – WHEELBASE North East Spring Demo, Hamsterley Forest – mountain and eMTB

Sun 29 March 2020 – WHEELBASE Spring Classic Sportive, WHEELBASE Lake District

Sat 25 April 2020 – WHEELBASE Yorkshire Big Demo – mountain, eMTB, road, gravel and leisure eBike

Sat 16 May 2020 – WHEELBASE Lake District Summer Demo – mountain, eMTB, road, gravel and leisure eBike

Sat 7 June 2020 – Fred Whitton retail, WHEELBASE Lake District

Sat 11 July 2020 – Tour de Staveley Sportive, WHEELBASE Lake District

Sat 7 November 2020 – WHEELBASE North East Winter Demo 2020, Hamsterley Forest – mountain and eMTB

All-weather specialist expands its range with a pair of revolutionary race gloves

After the unprecedented success of their overshoe range, Yorkshire-based Spatzwear have released a glove like no other. Glovz are designed for racing through the worst British weather with a host of useful features for keeping your hands warm and comfortable while out on the road.

 

The new Spatzwear Glovz features a fold-out, wind-blocking shell which can be revealed when the weather is especially grim and then folds away neatly into a pocket on the back of the hand. The shell will transform the Glovz from a standard 5-finger glove to a lobster style which offers increased protection from the elements.

Glovz are made from a premium 4-way stretch fabric with a soft, fleecy lining. The extra-long cuff is designed to keep the blood vessels in your wrist warm and ensure blood is supplied efficiently to your fingers. The Glovz are also designed to integrate seamlessly with the new Spatz Basez2 base layer.

Designed and developed in collaboration with the current Olympic Champion, the Glovz feature ‘e-touch’ fingers which provide dexterity when operating smartphones or your bike computer. There’s also a smart reflective strip across the back of the glove which aids visibility when cycling in low light conditions.

This past Sunday saw the final round of the National Trophy Cyclocross Series take place at the York Sports Village under tough, sloppy, muddy conditions where technical bike handling skills and an ability to run efficiently off the bike were a must.

The Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli cyclocross team had a very successful weekend with Lewis Craven (the fastest optician in the North!) taking a fantastic win in the Vet 40 race which took place on the Saturday in conditions that suited his excellent bike handling skills. Lewis was going for a double-header weekend and would go on to race the main Elite event on the Sunday too so this win was a great tune-up and a fantastic result for the team!

On Sunday in the Elite race our team were faced with the same demanding conditions as the previous day. Cyclocross is a team sport, with much of a rider’s success can be put down to an efficient pit crew that’s able to do perfect bike changes each lap and be ready with a clean bike for each rider as they return to the pits. Our pit crew performed flawlessly and contributed to Lewis finishing with another top 10 result, this time in 6th position against the very best national competitors as well as some very talented Belgian racers. Giles Drake took a fine 10th place keeping up his strong form following on from his recent Northern Area Champs win. Tom Martin returned to racing at the top level of cyclocross following a few issues with illness earlier in the season to finish strongly in the top 20 in 16th position.

This was the final round of the National Trophy Cyclocross season with Lewis and Giles’ overall results reflecting a successful season of racing for the Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team; Lewis took 6th overall and Giles took 8th place overall. The final big cyclocross race of the season comes shortly after the Christmas break with our team heading to the National Cyclocross Championships on January 11th and 12th which takes place at the infamous Shrewsbury venue renowned for it’s difficult racing conditions; good luck to all of our team riders!

(All photography by Craig Zadoroznyj)

Giles Drake ran out winner at the North of England cyclocross championships

Our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli rider held off a strong field to take victory on the mud-ravaged course at Towneley Park, Burnley.

Giles gave us his analysis of the race, which involved significantly more shouldering of the bike and running than time spent in the saddle:

‘The North of England Championships is always a big deal to me and I’d never managed to come out on top. With a month until the National Championships and such a strong group of riders representing the North, it gives you an important gauge.

Having raced at Towneley Park last year, I knew it was going to be heavy going and running would play a part, but I never imagined just how big a part. Early races indicated huge parts of the course were going to be unrideable, even the start straight.

Lining up on the start line with every rider shouldering their bikes was bizarre and set the precedent for what was to come. By the first time I hopped on my bike, some half lap later, I was leading with just Leon Mazzone for company. The race played out as a tactical ride vs run, every time I though I’d shaken Leon, he came back to me with the gap never going out beyond 15 seconds. A strong finish saw Leon closing the gap on the finish straight, both of us emptying the tank and ultimately me holding on by just 4 seconds!

I’m over the moon to win, even if it is in a some what unconventional manner. Now onto the final National Trophy round at York this Sunday.’

 

Cannondale Super Six Evo Dura Ace Ex-Team Bikes just £2,000

Here’s your chance to own one of our top of the range Wheelbase Team Bikes!

These superlight Cannondale Super Six Evo Dura Ace carbon road bikes have been used by our racing team this season from March to September 2019 and have been fully maintained by our professional mechanics; each bike has been fully serviced before going on sale.

Featuring:

• SuperSix EVO, BallisTec Carbon frameset
• Carbon SPEED SAVE fork and seatpost
• Full Shimano Dura Ace 9100 groupset
• Cannondale HollowGram Si, BB30a chainset
• Cannondale HollowGram Si Carbon Clincher wheels, 35mm deep and tubeless ready (tubeless tyres required)

This is an opportunity to own your dream race bike for less, we have a wide range of sizes available NOW! Please visit our Staveley store to view the range.

Please Note: Ex team bikes are sold as seen. No warranty. Not available on 0% Finance, a cycle to work scheme or any other promotion.

Save up to 38% and spread the cost over 36 months with Wheelbase and PayPal Credit. OFFER ENDS Sunday 16th December!

Introducing our exclusive promotion in partnership with Paypal Credit – for one month we’ll be offering 0% finance with PayPal Credit on reduced bikes and accessories. So now is a great time to grab a bargain and spread the payment over the next 3 years.

For example this Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Red eTap is now only £4,499, or just £124.97 a month with PayPal Credit 0% finance!

The Synapse Hi-Mod is your ultimate dream bike with a smooth, responsive ride and an 11-speed Sram Red eTap groupset; this brilliant wireless system provides precise, light-touch gear shifting every time in all riding conditions.

Or this Pinarello Gan 105 which is now only £1,649, that’s a huge saving of 34% and available on 0% finance over 36 months.

We’re also running the promotion on sale accessories and clothing, including our incredible range of Gore Shakedry jackets. With a 40% saving and only limited stocks these won’t hang around for long so grab one and save now!

 

The Eagle and Child ‘Dressed as Santa’ ride – last year we had over 100 Santas all riding mountain bikes around the Kentmere Valley.

We’ll be raising funds and enjoying the mid-ride mobile bar. Plus great food and beer at The Eagle and Child Inn afterwards!

Date: Friday 13th December

Tickets: £10 – All funds go to the Sam Houghton Cancer Research fund.

Meet: 6.30pm outside the Eagle and Child Inn, Staveley LA8 9LP

Jagerbomb @ Halfway

Charity Raffle

Supper on return

Everyone Welcome!

Santa suits out for our Annual Christmas Bike Ride for Sam Houghton Cancer Research!

WOW. ONE HECK OF A WEEK.

We’ve just landed back from an amazing week spent with Trek USA at their global HQ in Waterloo, Wisconsin. We’d been invited out with a small team of key retailers to from the UK, US and Europe to look at the future direction of bike design.

As you would expect from Trek their design and direction team were world-class and their hospitality fantastic.

The week was topped off with being invited for a beer in front of a roaring fire in John Burke’s house, the President of Trek.

Here’s a few pics from the trip but it was NO PHOTO on the really juicy stuff. For the full gallery check out our Facebook page.

Take a look at the complete Trek range on our dedicated brand page.

Muc-Off Christmas Gifts | Huge Savings On Cycling Presents

Looking for a great gift for the cyclist in your life this Christmas? 

Save up to 37% on Muc-Off cleaning kits. Huge savings on Muc-Off Airmach Electric Inflators too.

Muc Off 8-In-One Bike Cleaning Kit – Was £50.00 Now £29.99

The Muc-Off 8-In-One Bicycle Cleaning Kit is perfect for any lover of bikes. Complete with Nano Tech Bike Cleaner, Expanding Microcell Sponge, Soft Washing Brush, Detailing Brush, Claw Brush, Two Prong Brush, Bike Spray and Storage Tub this kit has pretty much everything you need to keep your bike looking nice and tidy. It makes a great Christmas or Birthday gift for your bicycle obsessed friends and family.

This kit isn’t style specific either. No matter if you’re into Road, MTB, Cyclocross or just getting from A to B, our 8 in 1 kit solves even the most annoying bike cleaning problems!

Muc-Off Wash, Protect and Lube Kit – Was £19.99 Now £12.50

The Muc-Off Wash Protect and Lube kit contains the three essential items you need to look after your bicycle. First up is the Biodegradable Bike Cleaner for a post-ride wash, follow that up with the application of the MO94 Maintenance Spray to disperse any moisture from your components and finally apply a touch of Wet Lube to your chain to keep that drivetrain running smoothly. This kit makes a great stocking filling for the conscientious cyclist!

 

Kendal Mountain Festival delivered another inspiring celebration of films, talks and events over this past weekend.

We were delighted to be a part of so many excellent events as a supporter of the festival and this was our busiest year yet.

Our festival kicked off in style on Friday evening with the Trek Bike Night presented by Rob Warner and Tracy Moseley. Kendal Leisure Centre was packed full of MTB fans who were treated to a collection of exhilarating films and special guest speakers. Father and son Rich and Tom Seipp got the evening underway with tales from their incredible adventure bikepacking The Great Divide which runs from Canada to the Mexican border, covering over 3000 miles of off-road terrain. There was a stacked lineup of Trek Factory Racing athletes on stage for the evening, taking questions from the presenters and offering insights into their 2019 racing seasons. Katy Winton, Evie Richards and Reece Wilson were in Kendal for Bike Night and the World Premiere of their film’Going In’, a year in the life of the Trek Factory Racing team.

We were up early Saturday morning to team up with Kendal Cycle Club and Rapha for the KMF club ride to Grange. There were 85 keen roadies who arrived for the ride and headed out from Kendal Leisure Centre on mostly flat roads towards Grange and returned in time for the afternoon Rapha Road Bike session.

The Leisure Centre was once again the venue for the afternoon Road Bike Session with Rapha starring Australian Pro Lachlan Morton from EF Education First alongside Transcontinental winner and ultra endurance cyclist Emily Chappell. The session was hosted by Harry Dowdney from the Rapha marketing team and featured the EF Gone Racing film from this year’s Three Peaks Cyclocross Race in which Lachlan took part for the first time. There was talk about this year’s ‘Alternative Calendar’ – a programme which saw Lachlan and some of his EF teammates take on races and events beyond the traditional World Tour with the aim of bridging the divide between Pro Cycling and amateur bike riders. A programme which has proved to be highly successful and inspiring. Emily Chappell’s story is very different to that of a World Tour pro – from humble beginnings as a London bike courier to becoming the fastest female finisher at the Transcontinental Race, she spoke with great humour and insight about the extremes and challenges of ultra endurance cycling.

Saturday afternoon at the Mountain Festival saw the world premiere of Going In, presented by Trek. A feature film about the highs and lows of training and racing as a Trek Factory Racing athlete.  The Trek Factory riders then hot-footed it to our Lake District super store for a group ride in the Kentmere valley with a host of friends and great post ride beers in Hawkshead Brewery at the KMF ‘After Show Ride’.

Photography from Dan Monaghan of Cadence Images and James Vincent.