Year: 2021

UPDATE! He’s done it! Following on from our feature on his ALT TOUR we’re pleased to confirm that Lachlan Morton has successfully completed his challenge! Skip to the bottom of our original report to see his final stats for this gruelling ride…

 

Lachlan Morton of the EF Education NIPPO pro-cycling team is in the process of upstaging the entire field of this year’s Tour De France. Only a few days into a unique cycling challenge Lachlan and his exploits have caught the attention of not only the world’s cycling press but also the wider media as he undertakes the ‘Alt Tour’. So what’s Lachlan up to and what exactly is the Alt Tour? Well first, let’s have a quick Tour De France history lesson…

…We all know the modern Tour De France as a 3 week high-speed race packed full of drama and stunning athletic performances. Packed full of the very best professional cyclists in the world it’s all about flat-out speed and efficiency, with the race being spread over 21 stages each day is in effect a separate race with its own stage winner and a race leader who has the least amount of overall time over the combined stages wearing the iconic Yellow jersey. In a modern Tour riders are ferried to the start of each stage on their team buses and collected at the finish to move on to the next stage start the following day. Depending on the course that’s set around France it’s not unusual to see the riders being transferred 100’s of kilometres between some stages such is the demand for French towns and cities to host a stage start or finish. The modern Tour De France is so demanding when it comes to rider performance the organisers have even factored in two rest days within the three week race.

Lachlan Morton is taking on a unique challenge during this year’s Tour De France…

(Image by EF Education NIPPO)

The Tour De France wasn’t always this way; hark back to the very early days of this gruelling spectacle and the race was very different. The Tour of old featured ultra-long stages made up of distances of more than 200-300 miles, with riders competing self-supported, racing the vast distances while feeding themselves at road-side cafés and repairing their bikes themselves as and when they needed to. These historic Tour De Frances in the early 1900’s saw riders racing through the night to reach the end of each stage and this format of ultra-endurance racing caught the imagination of the French public and made hero’s out of these brave men.

Leap forward over one hundred years and the race has transformed, now being completely different to its earliest incarnation. During that time cycling has diversified and split into so many sub-genres as the sport continues to evolve and new cycling disciplines are born; in the past decade we’ve seen a real resurgence of ultra-endurance cycling events, with gravel bikes playing a large part in the development of this sort of single or multi-stage competition which sees competitors riding vast distances while being completely self-supported, carrying all of their own equipment including camping kit in the case of multi-day adventures.

Lachlan Morton is no stranger to self-supported ultra-endurance bike races…

(Image by EF Education NIPPO)

When it comes to the most gruelling multi-stage adventure races out there one man more than most sticks out – Lachlan Morton is a professional road cyclist who races for the EF Education Nippo team, competing all over the world at the highest level including Grand Tour races such as the Giro D’Italia. With an alternative race calendar between those conventional road races Lachlan has carved a niche for himself by also competing and excelling in such gruelling ultra-endurance events as the GBDURO.

Now Lachlan Morton takes on his greatest cycling challenge yet – racing the Tour De France completely unsupported in an effort to beat the race to the finishing line in Paris. Setting off at the same time as this year’s race departed from Brest in Brittany Lachlan has been riding ultra-long distances each day carrying all of his own gear, camping at the side of the road and stopping at cafés and supermarchés to stay fuelled up for this gruelling challenge. Sounds impressive, but there’s more! Lachlan is not only following the route of this year’s Tour De France but is also riding the transitions between the stages which the Tour’s competitors will be taking by team bus or high speed train. This means that while this year’s total distance is 3,383 kilometres Lachlan’s Alt Tour will be 5,510 kilometres and will take on 65,500 metres of climbing compared to 42,200 metres in the ‘conventional Tour’.

Lachlan’s chosen bike for the Alt Tour is his versatile Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod road bike…

(Image by EF Education NIPPO)

Having a wide range of Cannondale bikes to choose from Lachlan has gone for the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc, the same machine that his teammates will be using to take on the Tour De France, with this super-lightweight bike best suited to the Tour’s gruelling mountain stages. It’s a real indication of just how versatile the Cannondale SuperSix EVO is; while Lachlan could have chosen the more rugged Topstone gravel bike and perhaps compromised a little on flat-out speed in an effort to be more comfortable, he has confidently selected the SuperSix to gain a higher average speed while still being able to carry his full bike-packing luggage and remain comfortable and in control thanks to the bike’s compliant carbon frame with dropped seatstays, versatile spread of Shimano gearing and enhanced braking power thanks to those hydraulic disc brakes.

Lachlan is taking on the Alt Tour onboard a SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod very similar to the version we recently reviewed, click the image below to read more…

(Image by James Vincent)

The Cannondale SuperSix EVO is a fantastic example of a modern carbon race bike that’s a true all-rounder built to excel on all gradients and in all possible road racing scenarios – light and stiff to help you dance up the climbs, just the right amount of aerodynamic tube shaping to help you hold your speed on flat high-speed stretches and precise handling for a ride-feel that is truly confidence inspiring and encourages you to throw the bike into tight corners at the mid-week crit race. Benefitting from a rich racing heritage and all of the design and engineering experience that Cannondale have built up over the years the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod has taken all the classic elements of the original and brought it bang up to date with all of the key features we’ve very quickly come to expect from a contemporary, premium, disc-equipped-road bike.

Read a full review of the SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc Ultegra HERE

(Image by James Vincent)

Lachlan’s Alt Tour Equipment:

• Bike: Cannondale SuperSix EVO
• Wheels: Vision Metron
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa
• Saddle: Prologo
• Aero Bars: Vision
• Pedals: Speedplay
• Powermeter: Power2Max
• Minipump: Silca Tattico
• Bike Computer: Garmin Edge 1030
• Bar Bag: Rapha
• Rear Pack: Rapha Waterproof
• Custom Frame Bag: By Tolcat
• GPS Tracker: Followmychallenge

Bike-Packing Luggage Contents:

• Foam sleeping pad
• Sleeping Bag
• Bivy
• Camping Pot
• Camp Burner
• Water Bladder
• Powerbank
• Spare lights and head lights
• Spare jerseys, bib shorts, Rapha puffy jacket, extra rain jackets
• Spare inner tubes & tyres

(Image by EF Education NIPPO)

Lachlan’s Alt Tour is gaining world wide attention right now and it’s great to see such a gruelling challenge capturing the attention of so many people. There’s a really important fund-raising element to the challenge too with his team sponsors EF Education First and Rapha each donating 500 bikes to World Bicycle Relief, a non-profit organisation that provides locally assembled and maintained bicycles built to be rugged and durable in an effort to provide sustainable transport for people to move from villages to towns to gain education and employment.

Click the image below to find out more about Lachlan’s challenge and the World Bicycle Relief charity he’s riding for…

(Image by EF Education NIPPO)

To follow Lachlan’s progress with the Alt Tour live tracker, click the image below…

 

UPDATE: July 13.07.21 Click the link below to read more on Lachlan’s amazing achievement…

After setting off from Brittany just over two weeks ago we’re happy to confirm that Lachlan has succeeded in his amazing challenge to complete this year’s Tour De France route AND all of the transfer miles (that the pros who are racing the Tour complete in the team buses or on a plane when it comes to the final transfer from the Pyrenees) beating the Peloton to Paris by six days! After riding for 17 consecutive days, taking on a gruelling route that included climbing the Alps and the Pyrenees mountains, carrying all of his own camping equipment and sleeping as and when he could at the side of the road Lachlan arrived in Paris at 5.30am this morning 13.07.21

Congratulations Lachlan!

Lachlan receives a hero’s welcome in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Paris…

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

 

Have you seen our fast bike features? You can now see all of our bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!

Click the link below and search our archive…

This week we’re looking at a stunning Trek Project One road bike – the Emonda SLR 9 eTap featuring the team colours of the Trek Segafredo professional cycling team. This lust-worthy ultralight road bike includes SRAM’s flagship electronic wireless groupset, featherweight Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 carbon wheels and some great finishing kit including Bontrager Aelous RSL carbon integrated aero handle bar and stem.

The Emonda SLR 9 eTap in Project One Trek Segafredo colours…

Launched in the middle of 2020 while the world was coping with the Coronavirus pandemic the all-new Trek Emonda wasn’t revealed in the usual way that Trek typically showcase their flagship road bike. Rather than its debut being assigned to the Tour De France as previous incarnations have, the  Emonda was revealed to the public first, with Trek’s professional riders having to wait until later in the year to prove exactly what this cutting edge road bike could do within road racing at the highest level. Happily when the Tour De France did eventually take place we saw Trek Segafredo professional Richie Porte take a very well deserved 3rd place podium spot in Paris onboard the next-generation Trek Emonda.

More recently, during the 2021 Tour De France Bauke Mollema took an amazing solo victory onboard his beautiful Chroma finish Trek Emonda SLR 9, racing in the foothills of the Pyrenees after attacking the breakaway that he’d been in for the duration of Stage 14. The stunning Chroma finish is now available to the public as part of Trek’s Project One custom paint service, so you could get your own Emonda in this super-cool colour. Learn more about Trek’s Chroma Project One paintjob here.

Bauke Mollema pilots his chrome finish Trek Emonda SLR 9 to a stage win in the 2021 Tour De France…

Bauke Mollema’s Emonda SLR 9 was the perfect tool for the job – superlight on the climbs and super-aero on the flat roads…

This newest iteration of the Emonda saw some significant changes with Trek taking the previous super-popular model and bringing in enhanced aerodynamic frame profiling throughout. The Emonda mixes all of the ultralight properties from the former model and have combined it with a fair share of the aerodynamic benefits seen on their most recent Madone model. The new Emonda features its very own all-new grade of carbon tubing – Trek’s OCLV 800. As explained by Trek during the launch of the Emonda, when carbon tubing is reshaped to produce more aerodynamic profiles the intrinsic strength of each carbon tube can be compromised; to increase strength Trek would have had to increase the overall weight which of course is not a satisfactory design solution. To overcome this issue the Trek designers and engineers created OCLV 800 to give the perfect balance between aerodynamics and light weight; in short they produced a super-aero, responsive AND lightweight road bike that excels on the climbs as well as on the flat. Being ultra-light AND aero Trek claim this is the fastest climbing road bike that they have ever made. That’s a pretty bold claim from the American manufacturers, however, they have a lot of solid science and test results behind them to back up the claim and can show evidence of the bike being more aerodynamic even at the slower speeds encountered when climbing long hills.

Trek developed 800 Series OCLV for the new Emonda…

The Emonda SLR 9 sits at the top of Trek’s Emonda sub-range of road bikes and features exactly the same frame that’s used by the Trek Segafredo professional cycling team. This model features H1.5 geometry, developed with the Trek Segafredo pro cycling team, which puts the rider in the optimal aero racing position while still remaining comfortable on long all-day epic rides. It’s worth pointing out that this is the only change Trek have made, moving from H2 to H1.5. This simply means that the headtube is not quite as tall as on the previous version of the Emonda for a more racey feel. There are no other changes to the geometry of the Emonda frame and rightly so as  it was already sublime in terms of excellent handling; in fact I’ve talked at length about the Emonda’s geometry when we looked at the ALR version last year.

The Emonda SLR 9 features Trek’s H1.5 geometry…

The colours on the Project One custom painted Emonda are absolutely stunning with an iridescent finish on the deep blue portion of the frame which changes tone as it catches the light. As you’d expect from what is essentially a Trek Segafredo team replica bike this custom paint option screams TREK with their logo extending down the full length of the downtube.

This Emonda’s Project One paintjob is something to behold…

The Trek professional cycling team’s co-sponsor Segafredo is represented on the frames top tube…

As we’ve all quickly come to expect from a modern carbon aero-road-bike the Trek Emonda features a very neat, aerodynamic front end with all cables (in this case the only the hydraulic brake hoses, as there are NO gear cables on this bike) neatly routed from the SRAM brake/gear levers, through the aero-profiled integrated bar/stem combo and down into the steering tube of the frame with no exposed cable to create unwanted drag.

Bontrager Aelous RSL carbon integrated aero handle bar and stem and internal cables mean a super-aero front end…

That super-aero, fully integrated headtube, top tube, stem and steerer hides a motivational message…

As well as the aerodynamic Bontrager Aelous RSL carbon integrated aero handle bar Trek have spec’d their super-lightweight Bontrager XXX Full carbon 138mm wide saddle. This truly race-spec, minimal saddle may not be to everyone’s taste but it reflects just how performance-focused the Emonda SLR 9 is.

This saddle is one for the weight weenies…

As this model’s full name suggests Trek have spec’d their flagship bike with SRAM’s flagship eTap electronic, wireless groupset SRAM Red eTap AXS. This groupset is so slick, with wireless technology meaning that there are no cables or wires routed through the frame making for a simple, clean and efficient setup. The shifters contain a simple button-battery to power the shifting signal to both the front and rear derailleurs; at the drivetrain both front and rear mechs include simple rechargeable batteries that are quick and easy to remove and install. Every gear change is positive and precise and operation couldn’t be more simple or intuitive, simply press the right lever to shift down the block and the left lever to move up the block. Press both right and left levers together and the front mech will shift, either from the big ring to the small ring or the small ring to the big ring depending on were your chain is currently sitting. If you want to change how your bike shifts you can customise the settings via the SRAM App to enable you to shift up the block with the right lever and down the block with the left lever.

Positive, precise wireless gear shifting with SRAM Ret eTap AXS…

This is the very same groupset which features on the pro team’s bikes and consists of a 12-Speed drivetrain with SRAM AXS gearing which has effectively shrunk down a conventional drivetrain to slightly smaller ratios to give a wider spread of gears without any significant jump between each ratio. This means that the chainset features a 48 tooth outer ring and a 35 tooth inner ring combined with a 12-speed cassette with a 10-33 tooth spread. The SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset sports a unique chain design with a flat-profiled upper to each chain link, this helps to strengthen the chain which has become slightly slimmer to accommodate the 12 speed drivetrain. The chain design combined with a fluid clutch within the rear mech also means that chain retention is guaranteed.

The simplicity of the wireless rear mech with integrated rechargeable battery is a game-changer…

The SRAM Red eTap AXS front derailleur is simple to operate and guarantees perfect shifting…

Braking is taken care of with SRAM Red eTap AXS hydraulic disc brakes. These are powerful but easy to modulate brakes which keep you in control even in the heat of a frenetic road race regardless of the terrain and road conditions you’re racing in. With flat mounts on the Trek Emonda frame and fork the brake calipers look neat and uncluttered; thru-axles keep everything secure and in place further adding to the stiffness and positive handling of the bike .

Flat-mount SRAM Red eTap AXS hydraulic disc brake calipers are neat and uncluttered…

Another brilliant addition to this top-of-the-range groupset is the SRAM Red AXS power meter integrated into the chainset. This power meter measures right and left leg power balance and power readings are accurate within +/-1.5%

AXS power meter fitted as standard…

The Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap features a pair of superlight Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 wheels which have been developed alongside the bike with a focus on excelling on the climbs while still enhancing the aerodynamics of the overall setup. The Carbon rims are tubeless ready with a depth of 37mm and the wheels are shod with a pair of grippy but fast rolling 25mm wide Bontrager R4 320 handmade clincher tyres.

Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 carbon wheels excel on the climbs…

This Trek Project One Emonda SLR 9 eTap is a great choice for the cyclist who is looking for a contemporary, cutting edge road bike that’s capable of doing it all. This brilliant all-rounder benefits from the years of development and refinement that have preceded it. The Emonda’s geometry is truly confidence inspiring; this bike feels agile without being skittish and is equally at home riding long epic rides in the hills as it is in a sprint finish at your local road race. A stunning paint job, a cutting edge wireless groupset and lightweight finishing kit combined with all of the ‘free speed’ gained from all of the aerodynamic development that has been put into this all-new Emonda means you get a stand-out road bike which is the absolute pinnacle of road bike design and manufacturing.

 

Blog written by Johnny Dodgin

Bike Photos by James Vincent

 

 

A quick heads up! Our Wheelbase North East and Wheelbase Yorkshire stores will closing early at 5.00pm on Friday 9th July and reopening a little later than normal at 9.30am on Saturday 10th July.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused, normal service resumes thereafter!

(Normal opening hours at our Lake District store – closing 5.30pm Friday 9th July, opening 9.00am Saturday 10th July)

This week for our Fast Bike Friday feature we’re back on the gravel! Initially, walking around the Wheelbase shop floor the Cube Nuroad C:62 SL gravel bike may not catch the eye; there’s no garish colour scheme or quirky frame features designed to isolate you from rough terrain like you might see from other brands. But stop and take a minute to cast your eye over the Nuroad C:62 SL and you’ll soon realise this is a really premium gravel bike with a great carbon chassis, a fantastic SRAM eTap AXS wireless groupset and super-light carbon wheelset. And then there’s that paint job; what you thought was just a matte black finish actually includes some stunning iridescent glitter details.

Blink and you might miss it, but the Cube Nuroad C:62 SL is a premium gravel bike packed full of biking bling…

The Cube Nuroad C:62 SL frameset is fully constructed from carbon fibre using their C:62 carbon technology with ATM (Advanced Twin Mold) construction; to decrease overall weight Cube’s ATM construction technique minimises imprecise overlaps of carbon fibre in the monocoque building process; the end result is a lighter overall frame weight.

Cube’s ATM construction technique helps decrease overall weight…

Look close up and there’s some stunning iridescent glitter paint details…

As we’ve already mentioned the Nuroad C:62 SL doesn’t feature any overt, gimmicky features to isolate the rider from rough terrain, however the overall construction and frame geometry DO add compliance to the ride quality of this gravel bike; with a slim 27.2mm carbon seatpost and dropped seatstays Cube have definitely engineered some comfort into the Nuroad C:62 SL. It’s great to see that there’s tons of tyre clearance on this gravel bike even with wide 45mm tyres fitted and you may also notice the dropped chainstay on the driveside of the bike – a clever way of building in enough clearance for the bike’s chainset and fat rear tyre; it also means that Cube have been able to keep the year triangle nice and short making the bike sharp and responsive. This superlight frame also features internal cable routing, flat-mounts for disc brakes and bolt-on-bosses for mudguards or a rear pannier rack.

A slim 27.2mm carbon seatpost and dropped seatstays adds noticeable compliance and comfort to your ride… 

The Cube C:62 fork features a 1 1/8″ – 1 1/4″ tapered steerer tube for increased stiffness and steering precision…

The matching carbon fork also uses Cube’s C:62 Technology and features flat mounts for discs as well as bolt-on-bosses for a mudguard…

We’ve enthused over the SRAM Force eTap AXS wireless groupset during previous Fast Bike Friday features thanks to its simple, intuitive-to-use functionality. One of the best things about SRAM groupset componentry is that they’re interchangeable between groupsets; they’re even interchangeable between components designed for road and mountain biking. This is where Cube have really utilised this quirk, mixing SRAM Force eTap AXS road components with SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS mountain bike components; the XX1 Eagle wireless rear derailleur combined with a wide-ratio 10-50T mountain bike cassette works brilliantly with SRAM’s 12-speed road shifters. With this clever setup Cube have been able to provide an even wider range of gear ratios that you’d normally find on a typical gravel bike making the Nuroad C:62 SL really versatile when it comes to being able to negotiate anything from the steepest, loosest off-road climbs to the smoothest, fastest on-road sections. With a single 42T chainring upfront the groupset is a simple setup that provides crisp, precise wireless gear shifts while the narrow/wide tooth profile on the chainring combined with a fluid clutch in the rear derailleur means that your chain stays located and secure even when the terrain gets rough.

Cube’s mix-and-match approach when it comes to SRAM’s groupset components means you get a huge range of gear ratios…

The light, stiff carbon Sram Force D1 DUB chainset with 42T chainring is a work of art…

Mixing SRAM road and mountain bike components is a clever move, giving a very broad range of gear ratios…

SRAM’s XX1 Eagle AXS wireless 12-speed rear derailleur with a fluid clutch provides slick gear shifting…

SRAM’s Force eTap AXS wireless gear shifters and hydraulic brake levers are simple and intuitive to use…

The ergonomic levers work well off-road giving your hands a secure hold even over rough terrain…

Disc braking on the Nuroad C:62 SL is provided by SRAM Force, with neat flat-mount disc brake calipers located neatly within the rear triangle and on the rear of the fork. The disc brake rotors are 160mm diameter on both the front and the rear and provide plenty of braking power even in wetter, more unpredictable off-road riding conditions. The Force levers feel good with just the right amount of lever pull allowing you to modulate your braking so that you’re always in control.

SRAM Force disc brake calipers and rotors work really well together providing ample braking power in any conditions…

The Cube Nuroad C:62 SL really is a premium-spec’d gravel bike and an important part of that spec is the wheelset; to help ensure that this gravel bike is super-light AND super-fast on road and off road Cube have included a pair of fast-rolling carbon Newmen Evolution SL X.R.25 gravel-specific wheels. These wheels feature tubeless-ready carbon rims with a nice rim width (25mm inner and 29.5 outer) which gives your tyre a slightly more square profile to put more of your tyre in contact the ground while helping to prevent pinch flats.

Newmen Evolution SL X.R.25 gravel-specific carbon wheels help give the Nuroad C:62 SL its spritely, lively feel…

Wide rims change the profile of your tyres to put more of your tyre in contact the ground while helping to prevent pinch flats…

The Newmen Evolution SL X.R.25 gravel-specific wheels feature hubs with durable double-sealed bearings and super-secure thru-axles – 12×100 on the front and 12x142mm on the rear, this helps to stiffen up the junction between wheels and frame/fork for enhanced steering response and ensure perfect alignment between the disc brake calipers and rotors.

Newmen alloy hubs are durable and gravel-ready thanks to their double-sealed bearings…

 

Cube have spec’d a pair of tubeless-ready WTB Riddler TCS gravel tyres with a nice wide 700x45C size to help make your gravel rides more comfortable and your bike handling more controlled thanks to their fatter size and larger contact area with the ground. Despite their 45mm width these tyres are fast-rolling and work well in nearly all circumstances; with a blocky low central tread pattern you won’t be working against your tyres when pedalling on smooth terrain and when you do swing off the tarmac and drop into your favourite local trails the Riddler TCS tyres provide ample grip on loose off-road tracks. The tread pattern on the outer edges of these capable gravel tyres is larger with a more raised tread profile to provide extra grip on tight, loose turns.

With a blocky low central tread pattern you won’t be working against your tyres when pedalling on smooth terrain…

A more raised tread profile on the outer edges of the Riddlers provide extra grip on tight, loose turns…

A Cube alloy stem with a lightweight Easton EC70 AX carbon handlebar make up the comfortable, compliant cockpit…

Even the Natural Fit Nuance SLT Road saddle features carbon, with the rails helping to add even more comfort to your ride…

The Cube Nuroad C:62 SL really is a top of the range carbon gravel bike featuring a multitude of the very best componentry available; there are no corners cut here. With a superb frameset that’s been designed to be stiff and responsive while still being comfortable thanks to some clever engineering and manufacturing techniques, a fantastic carbon wheelset from Newmen and some super-light carbon finishing kit this bike is clearly built to perform. Last but most certainly not least there’s that brilliant electronic wireless groupset from SRAM which has been cleverly tweaked by Cube to include Sram’s wireless XX1 Eagle AXS 12-speed rear derailleur and huge 10-50T mountain bike cassette to give a greater spread of gear ratios and really open up the versatility of the bike helping you to excel on all terrains; perfect for when you’re taking on all-day-epics mixing fast road sections with technical off-road gravel and trail sections.

Nothing has been compromised here, every detail on the Nuroad C:62 SL is top-spec…

Click the link below for a full walk around of the Cube Nuroad C:62 SL…

The Cube Nuroad C:62 SL is available in-store and online now.

Full Specification:

• Frame: CUBE C:62 Advanced Twin Mold, Internal Cable Routing, Flat Mount Disc, Fender/Rack Option, 12x142mm, AXH
• Fork: CUBE C:62 Technology, 1 1/8″ – 1 1/4″ Tapered, Flat Mount Disc, Fender & Lowrider Mounts, Internal Light Cable Option, 12x100mm
• Shifters: Sram Force eTap AXS
• Rear Derailleur: Sram XX1 Eagle AXS, 12-Speed
• Cassette : Sram XG-1299 Eagle Rainbow, 10-50T
• Chainset: Sram Force D1 DUB, Carbon, 42T
• Brakes: Sram Force eTap AXS (160F/160R)
• Wheelset: Front – Newmen Advanced SL X.R.25, Carbon
• Wheelset: Rear – Newmen Advanced SL X.R.25, Carbon
• Front Tyre: WTB Riddler TCS 700x45C
• Rear Tyre: WTB Riddler TCS 700x45C
• Stem: CUBE Performance Stem SL, 31.8mm
• Handlebar: Easton EC70 AX Gravel, Carbon
• Handlebar Tape: CUBE Grip Control
• Seat Post: Newmen Advanced, Carbon, 27.2mm
• Saddle: Natural Fit Nuance SLT Road Carbon

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

Want to see more fast bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!

Click the link below and search our archive…

We’ve got new bikes coming into stock every day at WHEELBASE, here’s just a selection of some of our latest arrivals from the World’s best brands…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEELBASE Lake District

Position: STOCK ACCOUNTANT

Location: Wheelbase HQ, Staveley, The Lake District, LA8 9LR

We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced individual to join our Finance Team as an Inventory Accountant. Reporting to the Finance Director you will be responsible for maintaining complete and accurate stock records as well as working with our buying team to ensure flow of goods in as required by the business.

• The role will involve both analytical work and review of our stock programme as well as logistical planning for physical stock movements and stock takes.
• You will execute company processes to ensure products are ordered, received, stored and delivered safely and accurately.
• Attend functional and company meetings as required and support other departments in order to meet business objectives.
• Assist with other ad hoc queries, and analysis as required, prioritising work effectively to ensure that these queries are responded to on a timely basis.
• Occasionally as is required work extra hours to meet business deadlines.
• The role will require some travel at times and work on some weekend/public holidays during, periodic stock counts and year end.

Responsibilities and duties:

• Assist with forward order planning and just time in time orders and deliveries to support business requirements.
• Check order confirmations and back order reports.
• Investigate and resolve supplier order and invoice queries in a timely manner.
• Provide feedback to senior management team on any material issues that arise.
• Issue weekly out of stock risk lines and maintain mins and max levels across all stores for key products.
• Ability to identify areas of aged and slow-moving stock and suggest actions to improve this.
• Maintain supplier information and price books in the inventory management system. Including regular reviews for updates in RRP, trade price and margins.
• Assist with reconciling inventory from EPOS to the general ledger.
• Complete all required store to store transactions in an accurate and timely manner within the inventory management system.  Control all movements of stock transfers between locations and arrange as required.
• Loading and unloading vehicles in a safe, accurate and timely manner.
• Responsible for delivering a robust stocktaking programme for the retail business.
• Complete cyclical stock counts in an accurate manner ensuring the results are recorded in the inventory management system.
• Undertake analysis of stocktaking data, report on discrepancies found and assist with implementation of further stock control measures required.
• Maintain accurate stock records, carry out regular audit of data held and keep records to support these reviews.

Knowledge and skills:

• Ability to work under pressure, within tight deadlines, with flexible approach to working hours and a motivated team player.
• Ability to establish strong working relationships and engagement with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Problem-solving ability.
• IT Skills required and knowledge of stock systems would be preferable.
• Experience of advanced excel skills required.
• Experience in retail audit/perpetual stocktaking within a retail environment would be preferable.
• Driving Licence.

Location: Wheelbase HQ, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 9LR UK. Only 15mins from the M6 motorway and 10mins from Lake Windermere. 5mins walk to Staveley train station.

Salary: We offer a competitive salary, dependent on experience.

Hours: Monday to Friday, with hours negotiable.

Additional benefits:

• Our HQ is Staveley is surrounded by hills and you’ll have one of the best commutes to work in the country
• We have a very generous staff purchase scheme which will help fuel your passion for cycling
• You will qualify for our staff cycle to work scheme after you have been with us for 6 months
• We hold regular staff rides and social events.

How to apply: please send your CV and a covering letter to: Jobs@Wheelbase.co.uk

Closing date: Thursday 15th of July 2021

 

WHEELBASE Lake District

SALES ASSISTANTS – FULL TIME AND PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE

LOCATION: STAVELEY LA8 9LR

We are currently looking for the right applicants to join our ever-growing Store Sales Team at our Lake District super store in Staveley.
In a busy and exciting environment, we strive to deliver outstanding service to our customers. Providing the latest products from the leading brands across all disciplines of our sport – mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure.

ABOUT THE JOB:

• To offer first-class customer service to all of our store customers at the UK’s largest cycle store.
• Provide advice, assistance and expertise within any of our store departments; mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure.
• Work closely with your Store Sales Team to create a positive, exciting and engaging retail environment.
• The role is fast paced, varied and testing.

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO:

• Engage with customers, from meeting and greeting to asking questions, listening and understanding their needs.
• Be a team player in our busy retail environment and have a passion for cycling
• Develop your product knowledge across mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure bikes, clothing and accessories.
• Manage orders and deliver within time frames.

ABOUT YOU:

• Passionate about cycling
• Confident, outgoing, polite and helpful
• Willingness to develop inter-personal skills and product knowledge
• Proactive
• Team player
• Good organisational skills
• Be able to work under pressure

NOTE: PLEASE STATE FULL TIME OR PART TIME PREFERENCE ON APPLICATION

SALARY: We offer a competitive salary based on ability and experience
PLEASE SEND YOUR C.V. AND COVER LETTER TO: jobs@wheelbase.co.uk
Closing date: Sunday 11 July 2021

 

WHEELBASE Yorkshire

SALES ASSISTANT – PART TIME – SATURDAY OR SUNDAY

LOCATION: ILKLEY LS29 9EW

We are currently looking for the right applicants to join our ever-growing Store Sales Team at our Yorkshire store in Ilkley.
In a busy and exciting environment, we strive to deliver outstanding service to our customers. Providing the latest products from the leading brands across all disciplines of our sport – mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure.

ABOUT THE JOB:

• To offer first-class customer service to all of our store customers at the UK’s largest cycle store.
• Provide advice, assistance and expertise within any of our store departments; mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure.
• Work closely with your Store Sales Team to create a positive, exciting and engaging retail environment.
• The role is fast paced, varied and testing.

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO:

• Engage with customers, from meeting and greeting to asking questions, listening and understanding their needs.
• Be a team player in our busy retail environment and have a passion for cycling
• Develop your product knowledge across mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure bikes, clothing and accessories.
• Manage orders and deliver within time frames.

ABOUT YOU:

• Passionate about cycling
• Confident, outgoing, polite and helpful
• Willingness to develop inter-personal skills and product knowledge
• Proactive
• Team player
• Good organisational skills
• Be able to work under pressure

SALARY: We offer a competitive salary based on ability and experience
PLEASE SEND YOUR C.V. AND COVER LETTER TO: jobs@wheelbase.co.uk
CLOSING DATE: Sunday 11 July2021

 

WHEELBASE North East

SALES ASSISTANT – PART TIME – SUNDAY

LOCATION: Darlington  DL3 7LB

We are currently looking for the right applicants to join our ever-growing Store Sales Team at our Yorkshire store in Ilkley.
In a busy and exciting environment, we strive to deliver outstanding service to our customers. Providing the latest products from the leading brands across all disciplines of our sport – mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure.

ABOUT THE JOB:

• To offer first-class customer service to all of our store customers at the UK’s largest cycle store.
• Provide advice, assistance and expertise within any of our store departments; mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure.
• Work closely with your Store Sales Team to create a positive, exciting and engaging retail environment.
• The role is fast paced, varied and testing.

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO:

• Engage with customers, from meeting and greeting to asking questions, listening and understanding their needs.
• Be a team player in our busy retail environment and have a passion for cycling
• Develop your product knowledge across mountain, road, electric, leisure, kids and adventure bikes, clothing and accessories.
• Manage orders and deliver within time frames.

ABOUT YOU:

• Passionate about cycling
• Confident, outgoing, polite and helpful
• Willingness to develop inter-personal skills and product knowledge
• Proactive
• Team player
• Good organisational skills
• Be able to work under pressure

SALARY: We offer a competitive salary based on ability and experience
PLEASE SEND YOUR C.V. AND COVER LETTER TO: jobs@wheelbase.co.uk
Closing date: Sunday 11 July 2021

This week our Fast Bike Friday feature is taking a closer look at the Teammachine SLR01 One LTD – BMC’s stunning all-round road bike which is a lightweight & spritely climber that also happens to be brilliantly aerodynamic with a beautifully shaped frame-profile featuring a fully integrated cockpit that includes an aero bar & stem combo and internal cable routing. Sitting very near the top of the Teammachine SLR range the SLR01 One LTD is packed full of cutting-edge technology; while the aerodynamic fully-integrated frame and fork stands out for all its innovation and aesthetic qualities there’s also SRAM’s brilliant 12-Speed wireless Red eTap AXS groupset and some fantastically lightweight, aero carbon wheels from Zipp.

This newest iteration of the BMC Teammachine SLR is born out of over ten years of evolution and racing experience at the highest levels of professional road racing. As you’d expect, the constant performance demands of pro-cycling have pushed the BMC designers and engineers to continuously innovate and refine their highest-performing road bikes to gain every competitive edge possible; the Teammachine SLR represents that rich racing and testing heritage. The Teammachine SLR, has won every major title that a bike can win including Monuments, World Championships, Olympic Games and the Tour de France with Australian pro cyclist Cadel Evans; most recently another plucky Australian Ben O’Connor of the AG2R Citroen team took an impressive solo victory at the mountain-top finish in Tignes in the 2021 Tour De France onboard his Teammachine SLR01.

Ben O’Connor took an impressive solo mountain-top win onboard his BMC Teammachine at the 2021 Tour De France…

Let’s take a minute to give the Teammachine a little context within the larger BMC road bike range; BMC describe the Teammachine as the ultimate lightweight race bike, a road bike that does everything very well and excels on the climbs. The BMC Timemachine Road is their out-and-out aero road bike which is ideal for fast flat road races where aerodynamic gains can make all the difference; the Roadmachine is their ‘One Bike Collection’ a true all-rounder built for all-day adventures with a frame that’s been developed to provide more compliance putting the rider in a comfortable, neutral position. So if you’re looking for a modern disc-brake-equipped high-performance road bike that is super-lightweight and flies up the hills but is aerodynamically efficient too and puts you in a nice racey position then the BMC Teammachine is the perfect option for you, helping you to dance up the climbs and efficiently cut through the air during daring breakaways. Want to find out more about the Timemachine Road and the Roadmachine? You can see a full breakdown of the BMC road range in our recent Brand spotlight here.

There’s a really uniform look to all of BMC’s carbon road bikes in their range, and it’s quite a unique look too; that clean, uncluttered, angular silhouette is striking and catches the eye straight away. We’ve got a number of BMC road bikes on our shop floors at the moment, including the Teammachine and they garner a lot of attention simply because of their good looks. We’re big fans here; there’s a similar aesthetic feel to the design-continuity of Apple products; take away that large logo on the downtube and we’d still be able to tell it’s a Swiss-made BMC.

It’s not just about good looks though, the BMC Teammachine is a brilliant example of the ‘form follows function’ principle which states that an object’s shape should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose. All of those great looking angular and truncated aerofoil frame tubing profiles help to make the Teammachine more aerodynamically efficient, as do those dropped seatstays and that fully-integrated cockpit. With some clever engineering and sensitive carbon layup the BMC designers have not only created an aero-efficient frame and fork, they’ve produced a super-light stiff chassis that excels when the roads point upwards.

BMC’s angular silhouettes reflect a design-continuity similar to that of Apple products; take away that large logo on the downtube and we’d still be able to tell that it’s a Swiss-made BMC…

A clean, uncluttered front end with no exposed cables for ultimate aero-efficiency…

That cockpit is something to behold – a smooth integration of handle bar, stem, frame and fork with no exposed cables…

Viewed from the front it’s clear there’s very little potential for unwanted drag…

Dropped seatstays are aerodynamic AND add compliance for enhanced comfort…

It’s all about the details – BMC’s Aerocore design principal sees integration of key components, in this case their own bottle cages…

As I’ve already briefly mentioned, the Teammachine SLR01 ONE LTD features SRAM’s brilliant 12 speed wireless Red eTap AXS groupset. Red sits at the top of the Sram groupset tree and is fantastically simple to use with intuitive gear-shifting that can even be customised to suit exactly how you want to use it. With tiny motors on both the front and rear derailleurs which are powered by simple clip-on rechargeable batteries this intuitive wireless gear shifting is activated by ergonomic gear shifters that are powered by small button batteries. Shifting gears up and down the cassette is done by pressing either the left or right shifter; right to move up the block, left to move down the block (or vice-versa if you prefer, remember you can customise them via their App). The front derailleur is activated by pressing both the front and left gear levers together at the same time, shifting from the small ring to the big ring with one activation and then back from the big ring to the small ring the next time you press both gear levers together at the same time. This becomes pretty intuitive pretty quickly!

SRAM’S brilliant Red eTap AXS wireless groupset is fantastically simple to use…

The SRAM Red 12xSpeed rear derailleur provides enhanced chain security thanks to its Orbit fluid clutch…

The front derailleur is activated by pressing both the front and left gear levers together at the same time…

The Red 12-speed wireless 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 Teammachine SLR01 One LTD BMC have spec’d a 48T/35T chainset combined with a 10-28T cassette to ensure that you’ll always be able to select the appropriate gear for every riding scenario.

SRAM’s unique gear ratios work well in practice…

The Teammachine SLR01 One LTD comes spec’d with a pair of super-fast, lightweight Zipp 202 Firecrest Tubeless disc-brake carbon wheels. The development of modern road bikes and the universal move to disc brakes has seen a change in attitude towards how we all run our road bike tyres. Wider rim profiles and increased spacing between wheel and frame have opened up the possibility of running wider road tyres at lower pressures; it’s now not uncommon to see pro riders running 28mm wide tyres (while the Teammachine SLR01 One LTD comes spec’d with 25mm tyres it has clearance for 28mm tyres). These tubeless-ready Zipp 202 Firecrest wheels feature a 32mm rim depth for a classic feel and real aero benefits while a 21mm internal width is optimised for use with 28mm wide tyres. When set up tubeless, you’ll be able to run lower tyre pressures for improved grip and enhanced comfort; these Zipp 202s include ZR1 DB hubs which provide great levels of durability.

Tubeless-ready Zipp 202 Firecrest wheels feature a 32mm rim depth for a classic feel and real aero benefits…

ZR1 DB hubs provide great levels of durability…

The BMC Teammachine SLR01 One LTD road bike is a fantastic example of a modern high-performance road bike that has been designed to be one clean, uncluttered fully-integrated unit which is as brilliantly functional as it is good looking. With a stiff, responsive, lightweight frame which also features just the right amount of compliance engineered into it the Teammachine SLR01 One LTD is aero-efficient thanks to that truncated-aerofoil-profiled frame tubing, slippery integrated cockpit and internal brake cables. A couple of years ago I’d have made more of the disc brakes in this feature but, things move on so quickly that this sort of braking technology is now the established norm, we just expect disc-brake-equipped road bikes to be as lightweight and responsive as caliper braked bikes were previously. That SRAM Red eTap AXS wireless groupset is so good to use with its simple, intuitive operation and the Zipp 202 Firecrest carbon tubeless-ready wheels enhance how the bike handles, particularly with the option to run wider 28mm tyres. It’s fair to say that with the Teammachine SLR01 One LTD BMC have hit that sweetspot between stunning looks and flawless functional efficiency.

The Teammachine SLR01 One LTD is as brilliantly functional as it is good looking…

Full Specification:

• Frame: Teammachine SLR 01 Premium Carbon with Aerocore Design
• Fork: Teammachine SLR 01 Premium Carbon with Aerocore Design
• Shifters: SRAM RED eTap AXS HRD
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM RED eTap AXS, 12xSpeed
• Cassette : SRAM RED XG-1290, 10-28T, 12xSpeed
• Chainset: SRAM RED AXS 48/35T
• Brakes: SRAM RED eTap AXS HRD, Centerline XR Rotors (160/160 rotors)
• Wheelset: Zipp 202 Firecrest Carbon Tubeless Disc-Brake
• Front Tyre: Vittoria Corsa, 25 mm
• Rear Tyre: Vittoria Corsa, 25 mm
• Stem: ICS Carbon, One-Piece Full Carbon Cockpit
• Handlebar: ICS Carbon, One-Piece Full Carbon Cockpit
• Seat Post: Teammachine SLR 01 Premium Carbon D-Shape Seatpost
• Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Boost Carbon

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

Want to see more fast bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!

Click the link below and search our archive…

Last Saturday the 26th of June saw the return of the challenging #JENNRIDE two day Bike Packing event starting at Wheelbase in Staveley. It was great to see the event back after a year off due to the Coronavirus!

The #Jennride is a 100 mile off road bike packing charity event in memory of Jenn Hill organised by Wheelbase’s own local postie and well-known Lake District mountain biker Rich Munro! This brilliant bike packing adventure follows a route that takes in all that’s good with the Lake District trails – long off-road climbs, picturesque stretches and super-fun downhill sections.

In memory of Jenn Hill the event was raising money for St Gemma’s Hospice – St. Gemma’s Hospice provides specialist medical and nursing care for people with life threatening illnesses, predominantly cancer, along with support for their families, in the In-Patient Unit, by the community care nurses, in the Day Hospice, or as an Out-Patient.

After a particularly wet Friday spent setting up the event we were relieved to find that come Saturday morning the sun had reappeared and then pretty much stayed out for the duration of the weekend, save for a few hours of darkness during this mid-summer event. Participants rode a really wide range of adapted mountain bikes, carrying everything they needed to ride and camp for the night.

Our talented photographer James Vincent was there to capture this super-social event and we’ve put together a collection of images to help reflect on such a successful event; if you took part, then thanks again for your support and participation. If you didn’t take part this year and are inspired by our photos then please do make sure you enter the 2022 edition, it really is a fantastic event!

 

One of the most interesting aspects of the #JENNRIDE is seeing each participant’s Bike Packing rig and exactly what they choose to carry, here’s some great examples… 

 

About Jenn Hill…

Jenn Hill sadly passed away in October 2015 after a short battle with Cancer. She was well-loved by so many people within the UK mountain biking community and her death touched a lot of people. Her passion for racing and in particular, taking part in gruelling 24 mountain bike events was infectious; adventure was in her heart and she was renowned for being able to take on big challenges on the bike with a focus on racing solo for 24 hours being her speciality. One of Jenn’s greatest achievements within mountain biking was her completion of the Great Divide Race – a 2,500 mile race down the spine of the Rocky Mountains in the USA from the Canadian to the Mexican borders. Aside from racing Jenn had a background working in the bike trade before moving into mountain bike journalism within the small Singletrack Magazine team and eventually becoming the Deputy Editor. Living in Calderdale Jenn would often make the trip up to the Lakes to ride some of her favourite trails and with this in mind we think it’s really fitting that the #JENNRIDE continues to take place here, challenging adventurous bike packers to complete a 100 mile loop in memory of Jenn while raising money for St Gemma’s Hospice.

Thank you to all of the participants who took part in this year’s #JENNRIDE and made it another super-friendly, fun event! We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

All (awesome!) photos by James Vincent

 

Want to start Bike Packing yourself? Not sure where to start when it comes to equipment? Check out our Apidura Bike Packing feature!

Click the link below…

 

This week for our Fast Bike Friday feature we’re taking a look at a truly ‘hardcore hardtail’ – the Ragley Blue Pig. This sort of setup has been a staple of the UK mountain biking scene for many years now with brands like Ragley realising their potential pretty early on compared with the rest of the global MTB community. Yes, for once this was one design and development race where the U.K. was ahead of the pack! A no-nonsense hardtail typically made from steel (sometimes made from alloy) is a fantastic option for the UK riding scene where tracks and trails can be particularly steep, tight and technical; whether you’re threading your way through twisty forested singletrack or are finessing your way down a loose, rocky track packed full of switchbacks in the Lake District this sort of mountain bike just makes sense.

In the U.K. hardcore hardtails just make sense to a lot of riders…

A hardcore hardtail tends to attract a certain type of rider too; for someone who prefers to spend their time out on the trails in all weathers, getting rowdy rather than having to factor in long hours in the workshop swapping out rear suspension bushings and bearings they just make sense. Built to handle abuse, a steel hardtail with all the right frame angles will ride fairly closely in feel to a full-suspension trail bike and stands up well to those moments where you have to bail out quickly only to see your bike tumbling down the hill. Hardtail fans will talk about a more connected feel to their riding with the most gifted of riders amongst us able to carve super-smoothly down some of the most technically demanding trails out there.

Made from triple butted 4130 Chromoly the Blue Pig is ready for rowdy riding…

Ragley have been at the forefront of hardcore hardtail development from the very beginning and as that type of aggressive trail riding has evolved so have their bikes. During the past few years Ragley have continued to push the boundaries when it comes to progressive geometry on hardtails, with the Blue Pig now boasting a super-slack 63.75 degree head angle to keep you in control at high speeds and on steep drops. The seat tube angle is fairly steep at 74 degrees making riding back up to the top of your favourite downhill trail that more comfortable and chainstay length is nice and short at 425mm to help you weave the compact backend through tight turns and pull the front wheel up easily to manual through stutter bumps with style and ease (skills allowing!).

That head badge is a work of art! The relaxed 63.7 degree head angle makes a lot of sense too…

Before we go any further it’s worth pointing out that the Blue Pig is Ragley’s 27.5” wheel option; when it comes to hardcore hardtails, you’ll probably be aware that a lot of bike brands are now running the larger 29” wheel on almost all of their trail bikes regardless of whether they’re hardtails or full suspension bikes. The trend for larger 29” wheel makes sense in most cases thanks to their faster rolling capacity; now that manufacturers have refined their geometry to accommodate them they’re a good shout in a lot of cases. However, there’s still a strong argument for a hardtail spec’d with smaller 27.5” wheels; we still have lot’s of riders who want this wheel size for hardcore, aggressive riding and time spent jumping in their favourite bike parks. As a side note Ragley do also produce a 29er option – the Big Wig with the same price and built kit with a steel frame.

The small bridge from the top tube to the seat tube adds strength and allow Ragley to make the frame more compact…

At the heart of the Ragley Blue Pig is the beautifully crafted custom triple butted 4130 Chromoly tubing steel frame. As you’d expect from Ragley this tough chassis features everything you’ll need from a modern hardcore hardtail including internal routing for a dropper seatpost, a 148x12mm boost rear end and ISCG tabs to enable you to run a chain protector should you want to. As well as the slack headtube angle and short seatstays there’s a nice low 305mm bottom bracket to keep your ride stable at speed and there’s bags of tyre clearance in the rear of the frame to let you run a fatter, more durable wheel and tyre combo.

Nice details like the flattened-off chainstay yoke caters for fatter tyres and accommodates the Blue Pig’s drivetrain with no problems… 

There’s a lot of craftmanship that’s gone into this steel hardcore hardtail…

Seatstays are spaced nice and wide for plenty of tyre clearance…

As well as being tough and durable there’s a great ride quality to 4130 Chromoly steel too…

When it comes to a burly suspension fork up front Ragley have spec’d a very capable Rockshox Yari RC with a whopping 150mm of travel; this fork will handle the roughest rooty or rocky terrain you encounter and as long as your legs can keep up (acting as suspension for the rear of the bike) you’ll be able to plough through most situations in confidence and in control. A long-travel fork spec’d on a hardtail sometimes needs some sensitive adjustment to compliment the bike as much as possible. To prevent any potential for fork dive on some of the steepest descents it’s worth playing around with the compression and running the fork a little firmer to balance out the bike as a whole and help prevent any unwanted dive. All said, the combination of the slightly smaller 27.5” wheel and the longer travel 150mm fork makes for a very cable hardcore hardtail.

With 150mm of travel the Rockshox Yari RC will have you floating over rocky and rooty terrain with ease…

150mm on a hardtail is a lot of travel but Ragley have done a great job with their frame geometry to accommodate it…

When it comes to the Blue Pig’s groupset Ragley have gone for a very selective mix-and-match approach, using a mix of Shimano SLX and Deore components. The drivetrain is bang-up-to-date with a 12 speed rear cassette matched with a single 32T chainset upfront; the Deore rear cassette features a huge range of gear ratios from a tiny 10T to a huge 51T so there’s no more excuses for getting off and walking back up to the top of the trail you’re sessioning, this setup will encourage you to stay in the saddle and twiddle back to the top with your mates.

Shimano’s 12-speed groupset gives you all the gears you’ll need, uphill or downhill…

In a clever move Ragley have upgraded from Shimano Deore up to Shimano SLX for the Blue Pig’s rear derailleur and trigger shifter meaning that you get slightly lighter components that are not only more durable but are also more accurate in their gear selection. Shimano’s drivetrains are so good now it’s pretty much a case of fit and forget, you may need to change the gear cable every once in a while but that’s it. Needless to say, the SLX rear derailleur features a clutch mech to help keep your chain tight and securely located on the chainset and rear cassette.

A 12-speed SLX rear derailleur with clutch mech keeps gear selections precise and secure even on the roughest terrain…

Ragley have spec’d a Shimano SLX 12-speed shifter to give you a huge range of gears at your finger tips…

A 32T chainring on a Shimano Deore chainset is spec’d specifically to work with a 12-speed drivetrain…

With a wide ratio cassette there’s very little excuses left for getting off and pushing uphill…

It goes without saying that a hardcore hardtail like the Blue Pig needs a powerful set of disc brakes to help you scrub off speed quickly and effectively when you’re riding on the very edge of control. With this in mind you’ll not be surprised to see 4-piston hydraulic brakes rather than the less powerful 2-pistion options found on more traditional, cross-country-focused hardtails. The Shimano Deore hydraulic brake levers feel great and allow for powerful one finger braking keeping more fingers safely wrapped around the handle bars for added security through the rough stuff. The Deore levers are matched with those Deore 4-piston brake calipers we’ve already mentioned and to ensure maximum bite and braking effectiveness Ragley have included a big ol’ 203mm disc rotor on the front and a slightly smaller but no less effective 180mm rotor on the rear.

Compact, powerful Deore hydraulic brake levers cater to controlled one-finger braking…

Powerful 4-piston hydraulic brake calipers scrub speed off quickly and in control…

When it comes to wheels and tryes on the Ragley Blue Pig you’d expect a tough pair of wheels that can handle all of the forces encountered by fast, frenetic riding on really challenging terrain – dropping into rough singletrack at speed, landing flat on jumps or that moment when your rear wheel lifts slightly and slams into a tight berm as you weave your way downhill. This is were the slightly smaller wheels come into their own with a pair of 27.5” Nukeproof Neutrons more than capable of handling all of the rowdy riding that the Blue Pig will no-doubt be subjected to.

Tough 27.5″ Nukeproof Neutron wheels can handle rowdy riding…

We’re not surprised to see a pair of Maxxis Minion DH tyres spec’d on the Blue Pig; with the kind of aggressive riding that Ragley had in mind when they designed and built the bike it’s a bit of a no brainer really. Upfront there’s a nice wide 27.5×2.5” Minion DHF tyre with a super-grippy triple compound tread pattern and EXO+ 120 TPI puncture & sidewall protection. Complementing this tyre on the back is the slightly slimmer 27.5×2.4” Minion DHR with the same triple compound and puncture protection; both tyres are tubeless ready.

That triple compound and aggressive tread pattern gives you plenty of grip and control on everything from slick rocks to loamy singletrack… 

A widely spaced, square profile tread pattern help keep you in control at speed, even in tight, loose turns…

Finishing kit for the Ragley Blue Pig includes the brand’s own alloy handlebar with a 25mm rise at 780mm wide on bike sizes small and medium and 800mm wide on bike sizes large and extra-large. There’s a Brand X Ascend stem and dropper seat post which again is sized proportionally to suit the dimensions of your chosen bike size – 125mm drop for the small, 150mm for the medium and 170mm for the large and extra large bikes. The Ragley lock-on grips are nice and secure and feel good with or without gloves thanks to their soft compound and knurled grip pattern while a Ragley saddle features a comfortable profile, extra protection from scuffs and abrasion on the saddle sides and Ragley’s head badge motif embossed into the saddle surface.

A Brand X Ascend dropper seat post instantly turns the Blue Pig into an even more agile hardcore hardtail…

Ragely’s own-brand saddle is comfortable and hard-wearing and will stand up well to the inevitable scrapes and knocks…

The Ragley Blue Pig is a really versatile hardcore hardtail, the spritely steel chassis is a work of art that’s built to take its fair share of abuse and features all of the modern geometry numbers you’d expect from a bike like this for a stable but agile ride. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense, one-bike-does-it-all machine the Blue Pig is a great option; with the dropper seat post up you can put in the miles, riding a mix of terrains to and from sections of your favourite wooded singletrack. Alternatively the Blue Pig is perfectly suited to a day spent on the really rough stuff, negotiating super-steep, loose and rocky descents in the Lake District; with the dropper down and the saddle out of the way, 150mm of plush suspension travel, fat puncture-proof Maxxis downhill tyres with sidewall protection, wide handlebars and that progressive geometry this Ragley machine is built to meet the demands of this type of riding.

The Ragley Blue Pig is a hardcore hardtail that’s more versatile than it first appears…

The Ragley Blue Pig is available in-store and online now…

Full Specification:

• Frame: Custom triple butted 4130 Chromoly tubing, ISCG 05 tabs, a 44mm head tube, internal dropper routing,148x12mm, boost rear end, 63.75 degree head angle
• Fork: RockShox Yari RC Motion Control, 150mm, Boost, 46mm Offset
• Head Set: Token ZS44/28.6, EC44/40
• Shifters: Shimano SLX SL-M7100 12 Speed
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano SLX RD-M7100
• Cassette : Shimano Deore CS-M6100 10-51T, 12-speed
• Chainset: Shimano Deore FC-M6100, 170mm, 32T
• Brakes: Shimano Deore BR-M6120 4-piston, 203/180mm rotors
• Wheelset: Front – 27.5” Nukeproof Neutron 15×110 Hub
• Wheelset: Rear –27.5” Nukeproof Neutron 12×148 Hub
• Front Tyre: Maxxis Minion DHF 27.5×2.5”, Tubeless Ready, 3C EXO+
• Rear Tyre: Maxxis Minion DHR II, 27.5×2.4” Tubeless Ready 3C EXO+
• Stem: Brand X Ascend 31.6mm, S 125mm drop, M 150mm drop, L/XL 170mm drop
• Handlebar: Ragley Alloy Handlebar, 25mm Rise, S/M 780mm L/XL 800mm
• Seat Post: Brand-X Ascend 31.6mm, S 125mm drop, M 150mm Drop, L/XL 170mm drop
• Saddle: Ragley Tracker

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

Want to see more fast bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!

Click the link below and search our archive…

 

 

 

We’ve got new bikes coming into stock every day at WHEELBASE, here’s just a selection of some of our latest arrivals from the World’s best brands…