Year: 2020

Take a look at the unbeatable deals on 2020 road, mountain and leisure bikes, available while stocks last.

ROAD

Cannondale SystemSix Carbon Ultegra – Was £3999.99 Now £3399.99

Cannondale Synapse Carbon Dura Ace – Was £3999.99 Now £2999.00

Focus Izalco Race Disc 9.8 – Was £2499.00 Now £2124.15

Focus Mares 6.8 – Was £1459.00 Now £1240.15

MTB

Yeti SB165 C-Series – Was £5399.00 Now £4589.15

Cannondale Jekyll Crb/Al 2 – Was £4199.99 Now £3499.00

Yeti SB140 C-Series – Was £5399.00 Now £4589.15

Kona Big Honzo ST – Was £2399.00 Now £1999.00

LEISURE

Cube Travel Pro Trapeze – Was £999.00 Now £849.00

Cube Travel Pro – Was £999.00 Now £849.00

Shop our full range of 2020 clearance bikes here.

 

 

 

 

With the UK gripped in the horrible Covid 19 (Coronovirus) pandemic an indoor turbo trainer offers an outlet for quality, reliable training for all cyclists. Our range of Tacx smart trainers are available on 0% finance which means you can spread the cost of your investment while your fitness reaches new heights.

Gone are the days when a session on the indoor turbo trainer meant staring at a cold brick wall in the garage while cranking out max efforts based on perceived exertion alone. Now an indoor cycling experience can be as immersive as riding your favourite roads alongside hundreds of fellow (virtual) riders.

It’s long been established that a key component to maintaining cycling fitness through winter is a regular dose of short, intense, mostly uncomfortable intervals. While in theory these sessions can be done outside on the road, an indoor trainer provides a much more reliable and practical way to train. Here in the UK especially, with limited daylight hours, family commitments and unpredictable weather, we’re increasingly time pressed and restricted by when and where we can take on those quality sessions. Investing in an indoor trainer can provide a consistency and intensity to your training that will have you riding into spring in the form of your life.

Like so many areas of cycling today, the technological advancement in the turbo trainer market means consumers are faced with a seemingly endless array of options to choose from. In order to select the right model of trainer you’ll first need to establish a budget, your training goals, how much time you’re going to commit to training and what sort of experience you’re looking for. We’ll take a look at the most popular trainers from market leader Tacx in this guide and explain the features and advantages each trainer has to offer.

Tacx Neo 2T Smart Trainer

Top-of-the-range direct drive trainer

The Neo 2T is an updated version of the Neo 2, with the newest iteration becoming even quieter and smarter. The original Neo set the standard for the ultimate smart trainer and its predecessors continue to lead the way in terms of indoor cycling experience. The motor has been redesigned in order to provide a better indoor cycling experience and ride feel, especially during climbs and sprints.

Sharing many features with the Neo Smart Bike, the Neo 2T offers the Tacx Ride Feel, which simulates riding over cobblestones, gravel and other surfaces. The Neo 2T features both bluetooth and ANT+, allowing it to be easily connected to heart rate monitors and training apps.

Tacx Flux 2 Smart Trainer

Realistic ride feel at a more wallet-friendly price

Upgraded from the iconic Flux, this smart trainer features much of the same technology as the more expensive Neo. The main improvements from the previous iteration include a bigger and stronger flywheel which results in a wider simulation range, better ride feel and a more accurate power measurement (<2.5%). The Flux 2 can simulate gradients of up to 16% and take a power surge of up to 2000 watts, slightly lower than the Neo 2T but a monumental effort nonetheless.

As with the Neo 2T the Flux 2 is easily connectable with training apps such as Tacx’s own software as well as Zwift and other training software programmes.

Tacx Satori Smart Trainer

Wheel-on smart trainer that offers connectivity and data

The Satori Smart is the only manually controlled trainer from Tacx that measures power, speed and cadence. It comes with ANT+ and bluetooth compatibility and can be connected to training apps just like the top of the range smart trainers in the  Tacx lineup. Unlike the direct drive trainers the Satori controls resistance manually through 10 handlebar positions. This trainer can take up to 950 watts of power which still means it can be used for some very high intensity interval workouts.

This trainer is ideal for those on a tight budget who still want to monitor their data and get the most out of their indoor workouts throughout the year. With a wheel-on smart trainer we’d always recommend using a turbo-specific tyre as a normal road tyre will suffer wear as you’re cranking out the watts during those big sprints.

A Fat Bike is for life NOT just for Christmas, or is that puppies? Well, the statement still holds true, but should probably re-worded more specifically to ‘a Fat Bike is for riding everything, not just snow’.

When Fat Bikes first started to permeate into popular cycling culture they were very much billed as bikes that were exclusively for riding on snow or sand, however, what followed was a gradual understanding of the true versatility of the Fat Bike; with riders pushing the boundaries of what was ridable and bike brands refining Fat Bike technology to meet demand. It’s fair to say that spending time on a Fat Bike is a different riding experience, with a slightly different outlook required, but here at our Lake District store we’re fully behind the concept of the Fat Bike, with quite a number of staff owning their own and usually one or two models in store available as rental bikes they’re a really good option for the type of riding conditions encountered here in the Cumbrian fells.

So, to the uninitiated, what are the advantages of riding a Fat Bike? To many people the first sight of a Fat Bike is completely bewildering. The appearance of the super-wide oversized tyres suggest a portly, potentially unwieldly bike that would feel sluggish and hard to handle in most riding conditions, but looks can be VERY deceiving. The large volume, extra-wide tyres provide a really stable platform and give enhanced grip on a wide range of terrain and surfaces. As drivetrain technology has progressed over the years on conventional MTB’s we’ve been able to conquer increasingly steep, technical off-road climbs, with only the grip and surface-area contact of our tyres letting us down until we lose traction or lose balance OR both and have to put a foot down. A Fat Bike’s tyres run with extremely low tyre pressures overcome these issues allowing you to negotiate trails you’d previously deemed un-ridable; similarly coming downhill, you’ll feel that grip is enhanced and control is amplified, particularly on the sort of lose, rocky, marble-runs we have to cope with here in the Lake District Fells.

Part of the reason we keep a Fat Bike available as one of our rental bikes is that they’re great for slightly less confident riders who maybe haven’t previously ridden really demanding, technical and rocky terrain. The low tyre pressures, wide footprint and enhanced cushioning that they provide all help to make for a more predictable ride. In a lot of cases the evolution of the Fat Bike has included a move up from 26 inch wheels to 27.5 inch wheels (a feature of the Trek Farley) and this helps the rolling capacity of the bikes, a larger wheel meaning they will roll over obstacles more easily and will hold their speed more than the 26 inch wheels of other Fat Bikes.

We’ve also seen a rise in popularity for using this type of mountain bike as an adventure bike or ‘bike-packing’ bike. Fully loaded up it’s not unusual to see riders taking their Fat Bikes out onto the trails for multi-day adventures; with the capacity to carry a load and the stability provided by large, wide low pressure tyres as well as a massive spread of low gears a Fat Bike is a great option. The worries of unfamiliar terrain and unknown routes are negated by running such a versatile, user-friendly bike; it’s been likened to Pony Trekking on wheels! OK, so that’s enough of an overview on the benefits of riding a Fat Bike and the sort of riding possibilities they give you as a mountain biker; now let’s take a closer look at the full carbon Trek Farley 9.6 Fat Bike…

The stunning Trek Farley 9.6 full carbon Fat Bike…

The Farley 9.6 is Trek’s high-end 27.5” wheeled Fat Bike made from super-light OCLV carbon fibre and features their Stranglehold sliding dropouts to allow you to fine-tune tyre clearance and the wheelbase of the bike – run it long for enhanced stability or shorter for more nimble handling. A rigid carbon fibre Bontrager Haru fork keeps things simple and lightweight up-front and a remote dropper seat post means you can quickly get the saddle out of the way when thins get steep and rowdy.

Super-light OCLV carbon chassis means this thing is light and nimble…

The paint finish on the Farley 9.6 is something to behold! With a subtle, semi-translucent gloss aqua-green finish that reveals some of the carbon fibre weave as you look across the frame and it catches the light. Bang on trend as always Trek have indulged us with a smattering of oil-slick details including on the head-badge of the frame.

There’s a stunning paint finish to this Trek Farley 9.6…

Subtle top-tube graphics and beautiful semi-translucent aqua-blue paint job…

There’s bags of clearance between frame and tyre, even with these mahoosive 27.5×4.50” tyres…

It’s the same story up-front with a matching tyre sitting comfortably within the wide-stance Haru carbon fork…

Super-wide 27.5×4.50”Bontrager Barbegazi Team Issue, Tubeless Ready tyres with Inner Strength sidewalls and an aramid bead feature a widely-spaced square-profile tread pattern that provides loads of grip while being efficient at mud-shedding…

The Bontrager Barbegazi Team Issue tyres can be run at extremely low pressures for superb traction…

As mentioned earlier, Trek have spec’d 27.5 inch wheels rather than 26 inch wheels sometimes found on other brands of Fat Bike. The rational for this is simple, the larger wheels will roll faster over obstacles at the same time as providing enhanced grip thanks to their slightly larger surface area being in contact with the ground. The Farley’s wheelset features a pair of striking oil-slick-finish, sealed bearing thru-axle hubs with six-bolt disc rotor mounts; the rear hub includes a Rapid Drive 108 freehub body which, as the names suggests, has 108 points of engagement giving nearly instant acceleration with no delay when you step on the pedals.

The oil-slick finish on the front and rear hub is a nice detail…

The rear hub includes a Rapid Drive 108 freehub body giving nearly instant acceleration…

To keep things light and fast rolling the hubs have been built onto SUNRingle Mulefut 80 SL 32-hole cut-out rims which feature a super-wide low profile rim. As you’ll see from the pictures, Fat Bike rims are cleverly machined to remove any excess material, thus saving weight while ensuring the structural integrity of the rim is not compromised; a tough waterproof rim tape can be seen slightly protruding through the machined out portions, keeping everything air-tight.

SUNRingle Mulefut 80 SL 32-hole cut-out rims keep rolling weight down…

Trek have spec’d the Farley 9.6 with a carefully selected range of components with a brilliantly simple and functional SRAM GX Eagle 12 speed groupset. A single 30T chainring upfront combined with a huge range of 12 gears on the rear cassette with the smallest cog being 10 teeth and the largest being 52 teeth gives you a really broad range of gears that will help you overcome any obstacle in your way. Even if you’re fully laden with bike-packing bags the super-low 30x52T combination will let you conquer steep, lose climbs without too much trouble.

A 30T chainring upfront combined with a massive 10-52T cassette gives you all the gear combinations you’ll need…

SRAM’s Eagle groupset means a simple setup with one trigger shifter on the right of the handle bars…

Stopping duties are handled by SRAM’s Level TL hydraulic disc brakes with large 160mm rotors to enable you to scrub off speed quickly and control your Fatty regardless of the terrain, the weather or the pitch of your descent.

SRAM Level TL brakes scrub speed off quickly…

A close-up of the rear brake reveals Trek’s clever rear brake caliper and Stranglehold adjustable dropout configuration. If you’re planning on adjusting the wheelbase of your Farley 9.6 then obviously the rear brake will need to be repositioned too; there’s no issue doing this with the Strangle-Hold, with the rear disc brake caliper attached to a floating mount which can be adjusted fore and aft before being secured with an allen bolt.

Trek’s Stranglehold droput configuration includes an easily-adjustable brake caliper mount…

The setup on the Farley’s handlebars looks clean and simple, with SRAM’s 12-Speed Eagle trigger shifter and Level brake levers. Another nice little styling feature is the Bontrager lock-on handle bar grips with and oil-slick detail.

Oil-slick details are bang-on-trend…

Massive tyre clearance means, even when you’re taking on muddy, boggy riding conditions there’s still enough room between frame and tyre to prevent mud build-up…

So, who is the Trek Farley 9.6 for? Well, the versatility of this bike means that it would suit quite a number rider types with quite different preferences. If you’re looking for a high-end lightweight Fat Bike that’s capable of fast blasts around your local trails and you’re time-pushed but determined to ride in any conditions and on a wide variety of terrain then this carbon fibre Fatty would suit you. Equally, if you’re planning on going a little further afield, with a well-deserved bike-packing trip planned then the fact that this bike can handle most situations and come out of them with you smiling means it’s a great option too. When you can’t guarantee you know exactly what sort of terrain and riding conditions you’ll encounter during your epic ride then the Farley 9.6 will give you added confidence as you embark on your adventures. Oh, and finally, it goes without saying that if it snows A LOT any time soon then you’ll be able to get out and have some real fun, before posting that all-important smug Instagram post.

This versatile full-carbon fat bike is ready for almost anything…

See the Trek Farley in action…

The Trek Farley 9.6 is in stock now and available in-store and online…

Blog written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

This week Fast Bike Friday is looking at the 2021 Focus Izalco Max Disc 8.8 carbon aero road bike and straight off it has to be said it looks absolutely stunning! This German designed, race-ready road bike is super-aero and catches the eye thanks to its minimal, clean lines and aerodynamic silhouette which is somewhat enhanced by Focus’ simple but elegant gloss-burgundy paintjob.

No gimmicks, just a simple, clean and elegant design…

The Focus Izalco Max frameset goes well beyond eye-pleasing aesthetics though with some serious science and German engineering behind its development. Focus have struck that magic balance between lightweight and aero with all of the frame’s tube profiles designed and refined after many hours in the wind tunnel. The use of Kamm tail profiles have allowed the engineers to create an aero frame while cutting overall weight.

Tube profiling has been refined to give greater aerodynamic performance…

The Izalco Max Disc 8.8 is constructed from super-rigid high-modulus carbon fibre which has helped to create a stiff and responsive frame while keeping weight to a minimum, with a claimed weight of 1040 grams for the frame and only 376 grams for the aero fork.

Rigid high-modulus carbon fibre construction means a stiff, responsive chassis…

Sometimes the smallest details make the biggest difference; a good example of this is the Izalco Max’s carbon seat post design. The Focus designers have developed an aero-profiled D-profile post which kills two birds with one stone, firstly it’s aerodynamically profiled and secondly it’s flattened rear profile has been designed to flex a little giving you added comfort in the saddle. A subtle but really effective tweak to the frame’s geometry adds even more comfort and compliance. To maintain the optimum sitting position Focus have pushed the seat tube forwards so that the effective offset is only 2 mm. This means that you can enjoy the comfort of a seat post with 15 mm offset, without having to forgo an efficient, aero racing sitting position.

Don’t be fooled, while the frame may look racey it’s not at the expense of comfort…

The Focus Izalco Max Disc 8.8 comes spec’d with Shimano’s excellent Ultegra 11-Speed mechanical groupset which gives you brilliantly functional, crisp and light gear shifting in every gear selection, even in the heat of the moment while racing. Focus have spec’d a 52T/36T chainset up front combined with an 11-30T cassette to give you a versatile spread of gear ratios that will help you climb efficiently but still be able to find that top speed when you’re strung out on the weekly chaingang.

Focus have spec’d the Izalco Max Disc 8.8 with Shimano’s excellent Ultegra groupset…

Braking is taken care of with Shimano’s Ultegra R8020 hydraulic disc brake calipers and 160mm disc rotors bringing you powerful, predictable well-modulated braking in all weather conditions; gone are the days when a ride in wet weather meant having to second guess whether or not your rim brakes are going to bite and control your speed on tight downhill turns.

Ultegra R8020 disc brakes bring enhanced control to your ride…

With a clean-looking internally-routed front brake hose the front flat-mount Ultegra R8020 hydraulic disc brake looks neat; Focus have developed their own thru-axle system – the R.A.T. (Rapid Axle Technology) Quick-Release system which has cleverly combined the security and stiffness of a typical thru-axle with the speed and efficiency of a traditional quick-release system meaning wheel changes can be done in super-quick time.

The R.A.T. (Rapid Axle Technology) Quick-Release system is fast and efficient to use…

The spec of this complete bike reflects Focus’ erm, focus(?!) on not cutting corners with the finishing kit of their bikes; a Prologo Scratch saddle with a proven saddle profile further adds to the overall comfort of this bike.

Prologo Scratch saddle…

The Focus Izalco Max Disc 8.8 aero road bike features Novatec’s R5 carbon wheelset, which is another great asset to this race-ready machine. This wheelset with an aerodynamic 50mm deep rim-profile makes an excellent wheelset for race day; whether you’re competing in your weekly crit or are taking on a hilly day-long challenge this wheelset hits the desired sweet spot between being lightweight and aero so they really can do it all. The Izalco Max is shod with 25mm Vittoria Rubino Graphene 2.0 tyres giving you good grip and minimal rolling resistance, but if you want to go bigger the Izalco Max can easily take 28mm wide tyres for even more comfort on rough road surfaces.

A fantastic carbon Novatec R5 carbon wheelset comes as standard…

If you are looking for a versatile, modern road bike that ticks all the boxes, namely – disc brakes, aero-profiled frame, enhanced comfort, high-performance stiffness and responsiveness, internally-routed cables AND a pair of race-ready wheels then the Focus Izalco Max Disc 8.8 may be for you. But just to reinforce the point, this is not a bike you’ll only want to ride on race day, as previously highlighted this aero road bike is also deceptively comfortable and is more than ready for all-day epic road rides over the hilliest routes you can find.

Comfort and speed in one versatile package…

See the Focus Izalco Max Disc 8.8 available in-store and online now.

Blog written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

 

Looking for the ideal kid’s bike this Christmas? Take a look at our selection of different sized bikes for all age ranges, from some of the best brands available. Buy online and receive your kid’s bike direct to your door. Alternatively see our kid’s bikes in our Lake District, Yorkshire and North East stores.

 

 

 

Stuck for Christmas gift ideas? Take a look at our Gift Guide! We’ve put together over 30 products to help you find the perfect present for the cyclist in your life. Choose from gifts for Mountain Bikers, Roadies, Kids and Commuters….

 

 

 

This week we’re taking a look at the striking and rather unique Trek Supercaliber 9.8 XT 2021 Cross Country mountain bike which is packed full of lightweight componentry along with a Shimano XT groupset and 29” carbon fibre wheels making it a race-ready bike straight out of the box. BUT hold on, what’s going on underneath the top tube?! Is this a hardtail or a full-suss bike? Or something in between?! Well, lets start with a quick history lesson; this bike has already been around for a couple of seasons and as we all know the bike industry doesn’t stand still for long, but it’s worth a quick look back at the Supercal’s design and development at the highest level of World Cup Mountain Bike Racing and how this unique bike caught everyone’s attention when it launched…

What’s under the covers?…

The Trek Supercaliber first appeared early mid-season in 2019, being piloted by the men and women of the international Trek Factory Racing Team, with each bike carrying a rather un-subtle black covering over whatever was going on beneath it. A shrewd marketing manoeuvre by Trek to draw attention to a soon-to-be-launched model? Or a necessary part of the design process to allow prototype bikes to be tested within the most demanding MTB races in the world? Probably the former, but either way the world’s bike media sat up and took note with lot’s of speculation and spy-shots being published around the world.

The Supercaliber meets the demands of modern World Cup racing…

When all was finally revealed we discovered that Trek had taken on a whole new approach to rear suspension design with a solution that fell somewhere between their Iso-Speed Decoupler found on the Trek Procaliber hardtail and their Top Fuel full-suspension mountain bike with 120mm of rear wheel travel. Trek’s exclusive IsoStrut integrated shock with 60mm of travel suddenly gave their racers the option of running a new short-travel cross country mountain bike that could handle sprints and climbs faster than a full-susser but could also descend faster and in more control than a hardtail.

The IsoStrut is revealed…

The Trek designers have integrated a fully-tuneable Fox Performance rear shock into the structure of the carbon fibre frame eliminating any extra moving parts normally associated with full suspension bikes, producing a simple suspension platform with minimum weight gain. The IsoStrut shock is encased in the frame’s structural stanchion which helps prevent any potential for twisting or flex while giving the feel and behaviour of a conventional carbon hardtail UNTIL you hit an obstacle and activate the shock.

IsoStrut shock is integral to the structure of the frame…

Built to meet the brief of being a world-class cross-country mountain bike capable of not only handling tough, technical and rocky descents but also gaining an advantage on long singletrack climbs as well as being able to win a desperate sprint for the line the Supercaliber utilises years of Trek’s expert engineering and development in carbon fibre frame manufacturing. Pivotless seatstays eliminate the need for extra linkages and the potential for excess lateral movement which can sap the power being put through to the rear wheel. With a clever carbon layup and sensitive shaping Trek have created wide, flat seatstays that are designed to flex and bow giving 60mm of plush suspension travel while being just as responsive to pedalling input as a conventional hardtail.

Lightweight, no-nonsense pivotless seatstays…

The Fox Performance air-sprung shock is fully tuneable using a standard shock pump, allowing you to tune the spring rate to suit your weight and riding style; it also features a dial for rebound adjustment. Fitted with a remote lockout this shock can be quickly shut off on the fly. Coming straight off a steep, demanding descent into a long fire-track climb? Need to put the power down quickly to gain a gap? No problem, the lockout is at your fingertips.

Lockout the rear shock on the fly…

OK, so that’s the frame. What about the components and groupset? Well, Trek have spec’d the Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast suspension fork up front with a Float EVOL air spring.

100mm of travel from the race-ready Fox Performance 32…

This lightweight Boost 110 fork balances brilliantly with the Supercaliber’s rear shock giving 100mm of travel which can be tuned with a GRIP 2-position damper and locked out when you need to via the handlebar mounted lever.

Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast fork, remote lockout…

Trek offer the Supercaliber 9.8 model in two guises – GX or XT giving you the choice of groupset between Sram GX and Shimano XT. This is a really good approach from Trek as we all know that the spec of a particular groupset can make or break the popularity of a bike and riders generally seem to feel strongly on whether they’re a Sram fan or a Shimano fan.

Shimano XT chainset with 32T chainring…

As the name suggests the Supercaliber 9.8 XT we’re looking at here features Shimano full XT groupset with a 1×12 speed drivetrain consisting of a single 32T chainring up front combined with a wide-ratio 10-51T cassette out back. An XT M8100 long cage, clutch rear mech partnered with XT M8100 12-speed shifter guarantees crisp, predicable gear shifting even when you’re under mid-race pressure.

Full Shimano XT 12 speed groupset…

The finishing kit of the Supercaliber 9.8 XT reflects Trek’s focus on creating an out and out race-ready MTB with a pair of Bontrager Kovee Pr0 30 carbon 29er wheels fitted as standard; these lightweight hoops come fitted with fast-rolling Bontrager XR2 Team Issue 29×2.20” tyres. Both the rims and the tyres are tubeless ready so straight out of the box you’ve got everything you need for a fast, light and durable race wheel setup.

Tubeless ready Bontrager Kovee Pro 30 carbon 29er wheelset…

Continuing the theme of lightweight high-performance components Trek have finished off the Supercaliber 9.8 with a Bontrager Kovee Pro handlebar made from their own Trek OCLV carbon which features a 5mm rise and is 720mm wide. Similarly the seatpost is a 0mm offset Bontrager Pro OCLV carbon post fitted with a Bontrager Montrose Elite saddle with lightweight titanium rails.

Lightweight OCLV carbon handle bars and seat post…

So who is this bike for? Well, cross country racing snakes is the obvious answer; everything has been spec’d with this in mind, however, it would be a shame to pigeonhole the Supercaliber 9.8 as a bike that only comes out on race day. This bike is fast, lightweight AND extremely versatile mirroring a lot of the qualities found in a typical gravel bike, which more and more cyclists are now drawn to. Arguably as fast and responsive, the difference with the Supercaliber is that when things get more rowdy and you swing off the fire track onto tight, rough singletrack this bike really comes to life and can handle the extra demands of riding technical mountain biking terrain – it’s World Cup proven after all. If you’re the type of rider looking to cover some significant distances over a diverse mix of terrain and surfaces and tend to chase ever faster Strava times then the Trek Supercaliber 9.8 XT mountain bike is for you.

Trek Supercaliber is too good to save just for race day…

Check out Trek’s video for even more information on their IsoStrut suspension platform….

Currently in stock at Wheelbase:

Trek Supercaliber 9.8 XT 2021 £5,300.00

Trek Supercaliber 9.7 NX 2021 £3,950.00

 

Blog written by Johnny Dodgin

Bike Photos by James Vincent

 

 

Long-time friend of Wheelbase Guy Kesteven has just put together some great new videos over on his YouTube channel; this time he’s reviewing the Mondraker Crafty R 2021 E-MTB.

Riding a super-demanding 39.78km loop of the Lake District, Guy’s ride took in Garbun, Sadgill, Gatesgarth, Nan Bield and finished up in HP Woods.

Guy’s bike tests are certainly thorough! This loop which started off in great weather conditions but turned more and more challenging throughout the duration of ride took Guy 4 hours and 44 minutes to complete but credit to the Mondraker Craft R and its Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 4 motor the demands of this Lake District epic ride were matched by this very capable, super-fun 160mm travel E-MTB.

Check out Guy’s Live Ride…

Despite having to use the bike’s motor in walk assist mode on the steepest, most loose un-rideable sections, the battery life on this ride was extremely good. Here’s some key stats to take note of:

Distance: 39.78km

Moving Time: 4hrs 44mins

Elavation: 1,345m

Bosch Motor Usage : 90% Tour Mode (140 Nm), 10% EMTB Mode (140-340Nm)

Battery Life Left: 28%

Need to know more? Watch Guy’s Tech Talk…

The Mondraker Crafty R 2021 E-Mountain Bike is in stock at Wheelbase now, see the bike here.

Here at Wheelbase we’re massive fans of the Shotgun Kids Mountain Bike Seat, with plenty of our own staff using them with their young families. An alternative approach to the typical rear-mounted child seat the Shotgun places your child safely in front of you and turns their riding experience from a passive, ‘just-a-passenger’ feel to an active participant riding up front with the trail opening up in front of them. The days of your little one dozing off in a rear-mounted child seat are gone – the Shotgun means your child will be where the action is, facing down the trail, giggling and laughing at the feeling of exhilaration as you ride your favourite family bicycle loop.

Make a lasting impression for your little shredder – bike riding should be fun!…

The Shotgun Kids Mountain Bike Seat has been designed for children aged 2-5 with a maximum weight of 22kg or 48lb. Up until recently the front-mounted bike seat, which has been remarkably popular with bike-mad families was sold separately to the additional mini handlebar, which was available to those parents looking to decrease the reach to the bars for their smallest child. Now for the first time Shotgun are selling their front-mounted seat, the mini handlebar and an additional front mudguard as one complete package, which we think is a great move as most of our customers felt it was a more child-friendly setup to have both components running on the their bikes.

 

Here’s the technical specs of the Shotgun mountain bike seat…

 

 

The Shotgun Handlebars are packed full of child-friendly features…

 

 

Learn more about the Shotgun Front Mounted MTB Seat on Shotgun’s YouTube Channel…. 

With a fully adjustable saddle to let you fine tune the fit for your small child, quick installation and removal thanks to a handy quick release and secure moulded rubber padding to prevent paint damage to your dream mountain bike the Shotgun seat is a versatile and user-friendly piece of kit. Picture the scene – you’re at your local trail centre for the day, taking turns with your partner to shred your favourite red and black routes while the kids enjoy the playground. All back together again it’s time to quickly install the Shotguns and ride the blue trial as a family.

The Shotgun setup is bound to make mountain biking more fun for ALL of the family!..

Available now at Wheelbase….

Shotgun Front Mounted MTB Seat Combo £148.98

Shotgun Kids MTB Seat £119.99

Shotgun Kids Handlebar £26.99

This week we’re looking at a very special Cyclocross / Gravel bike with wireless transmission which we’ve spec’d with a Vittoria Elusion carbon wheelset. But before we get into the details, let’s cut to the headline; both of these products are currently on offer with significant discounts applied…

Cannondale SuperX Force eTap 2020 was £5,499.99 NOW £3,999.00

Vittoria Elusion Carbon Wheelset was £999.00 NOW £599.00

We currently have good stock of both the SuperX gravel bike and Vittoria Elusion wheelset so if you’re looking for a versatile bike that can be raced at your local cross race or used for all-day off-road epics, or simply want to pimp your current bike with a lightweight, affordable carbon wheelset then follow the links now!

Right, back to the blog…..

The Cannondale SuperX Force eTap 2020 bike sits atop Cannondale’s Cyclocross range of bikes, but to pigeonhole this bike as a cyclocross-only bike would be doing it a very big disservice. The design of this lightweight, highly-versatile carbon fibre cyclocross bike has been continuously tweaked and refined over the years before arriving at this current iteration. Cannondale’s latest version features generous amounts of tyre clearance in the front and rear of the bike allowing the SuperX to accommodate gravel tyres up to 42mm wide; this combined with a forgiving amount of compliance engineered into the carbon frame and seatpost as well as a wireless groupset that features a broad range of gear ratios and includes a double chainset upfront means this bike is calling out for gravel adventures long after the cyclocross season has passed.

Cannondale have spec’d a Sram Force eTap AXS groupset with double cahinset…

Here at Wheelbase we equip our own racing team with the Cannondale SuperX cyclocross bike, (albeit the alternatively spec’d single-ring SuperX GRX model) and have seen it piloted to numerous Regional and National level cyclocross race wins over the past few seasons including, most significantly Lewis Craven’s win last season in the Vets National Championships race. Our team riders love how the SuperX rides, giving a snappy & responsive feel in the heat of a mid-race battle when accelerating out of corners or fighting for a sprint to the finish line. As well as being stiff and responsive when you need it to be, the SuperX is comfortable too with cleverly profiled chainstays and seatstays taking the sting out of rough terrain. Up front a super-wide headtube and fork-steerer combination keeps your steering precise on the tight turns typically found in cyclocross racing; with a 71.5 degree head tube angle and a 55mm OutFront offset fork the SuperX strikes the perfect balance between providing sharp and responsive steering for cross racing while being relaxed enough to feel stable and predictable on long gravel descents when you’re out exploring further afield.

Wheelbase’s own National Veteran Cyclocross Champion – Lewis Craven in action below…

The Cannondale SuperX is recognised around the world as a legit gravel bike option thanks to all of the clever frame features we’ve already highlighted. Ted King the former professional road racer, who is now based in the States and races for Cannondale within the burgeoning gravel racing scene can attest to the versatility of the SuperX. With a full quiver of bike options including the Cannondale Topstone Carbon and Topstone Lefty Ted will often choose the Cannondale SuperX option if he is looking for a rapid, responsive, fast-climbing bike for the most demanding races out there including the infamous Dirty Kanza and Land Run 100.

Ted King talks about his SuperX…

Kaitie Keough also rides for Cannondale within the US Cyclocross scene and takes regular trips to Europe to race in the cyclocross heartland of Belgium at the very pinnacle of international racing. With numerous wins and podium places in cyclocross Kaitie has also begun to race her SuperX in gravel races including the Dirty Kanza. With very little change to her setup Kaitie will race the same SuperX bike all year round, here’s a GCN review of her SuperX bike in cyclocross race mode…

Kaitie Keough’s Cannondale SuperX…

So, amazingly-versatile carbon frameset aside, the Cannondale SuperX Force eTap’s headliner is of course SRAM’s wireless electronic groupset. When SRAM launched the Force eTap AXS groupset, (which sits one rung below their ‘Red’ eTap AXS groupset), there was a lot of excitement around this technology being made more affordable and accessible. Most of the top bike brands have subsequently spec’d this groupset on some of their flagship bikes since its release and for good reason. The simplicity of wireless gear shifting can’t be denied; easy to setup and maintain, users can expect precise, flawless digital gear shifting in the most demanding, muddy, gritty, grimy conditions making this a great choice for a high-end cyclocross or gravel bike. This 12-speed groupset features SRAM’s unique approach to gear ratios, created in an effort to decrease the size and weight of the drivetrain while making the jump between each gear ratio smaller for an overall more user-friendly riding experience. For the SuperX Cannondale have spec’d a 46T/33T chainset combined with a 10-33T cassette to ensure that you’ll always be able to select the appropriate gear for every riding scenario.

SRAM’s Force eTap AXS wireless electronic groupset…

The Cannondale SuperX Force eTap features some great finishing kit including their own HollowGram SAVE Carbon handle bars and HollowGram SAVE alloy stem combination giving a lightweight, aerodynamic and very clean-looking setup. A compliant, gently flexing SAVE Carbon seatpost adds comfort, particularly over long hours in the saddle while a well-proven Fabric Scoop Shallow Race saddle with lightweight titanium rails is fitted as standard.

Cannondale SAVE HollowGram handle bar & stem combo…

The Cannondale SuperX Force eTap 2020 bike comes with a pair of light, tough and fast-rolling carbon wheels. The HollowGram 22 Carbon wheels feature a 22mm deep rim profile with a wide 25mm inner rim which can easily accommodate wider cyclocross and gravel tyres up to 42mm wide. The carbon rims are also tubeless-ready making them perfect for a reliable, no-nonsense gravel bike setup. Cannondale have spec’d Vittoria Terreno Dry TNT 700x38c tubeless-ready tyres which are definitely more focused on gravel racing than cross and as the name suggests they are also ready for a tubeless setup.

PLEASE NOTE – the wheels in our pictures are not the standard HollowGram 22 wheels included with the SuperX Force eTap, for an accurate spec please see product link here. Which brings us neatly on to our second feature product this week. On special offer right now, the Vittoria Elusion Carbon wheels…

The Vittoria Elusion Carbon wheelset is a versatile option that makes an ideal upgrade for your road cyclocross or gravel bike. The lightweight 42mm-deep carbon rim is stiff and responsive helping you to accelerate quickly and hold your speed more efficiently; this tubeless-ready setup means you can spec your wheels with tubeless tyres to help you enhance bike handling, provide extra-grip at lower tyre pressures, reduce the risk of punctures and decrease rolling resistance.

Vittoria Elusion Carbon wheelset…

The Vittoria Elusion Carbon wheelset is tough too, featuring strong straight-pull steel spokes complimented with brass nipples. Vittoria have spec’d 16 spokes in the front and 21 spokes in the rear; their hubs feature smooth cartridge bearings that are quick and easy to replace should you need to; the cassette body is Shimano / Sram 10, 11 and 12 speed compatible.

Shimano / Sram 10 / 11/ 12 speed compatible rear hub…

 

Cannondale SuperX Force eTap 2020 was £5,499.99 NOW £3,999.00

Vittoria Elusion Carbon Wheelset was £999.00 NOW £599.00

 

Blog written by Johnny Dodgin

All photos by James Vincent