The Fred Whitton Challenge, recognised as the UK’s toughest cycling sportive, takes place each year on the doorstep of our Wheelbase HQ in the heart of the Lake District National Park. So it’s rather fitting that after years of involvement providing technical support for this gruelling event Wheelbase have now become title sponsors for the fast-approaching 2022 event.
The 30% gradient of Hardknott Pass is unforgiving.
Set to take place on Sunday the 8th of May the Fred Whitton Challenge can claim national-level infamy within UK cycling culture thanks to its demanding 112 mile route which includes over 3,000 metres of elevation and takes in some of the Lake District’s most iconic climbs including Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Hardknott, Wrynose and Blea Tarn. Riding the ‘Fred’ should not be underestimated, with the UK’s most challenging sportive featuring a particularly cruel sting in the tail when the 30% gradient of Hardknott comes towards the end of the route at 94 miles.
The UK’s toughest sportive should not be underestimated.
The Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge starts and finishes in the charming Lake District village of Grasmere where we’ll be on hand to provide technical and practical support for both the event’s organisers and the thousands of participants poised to take on this 112 mile epic. Look out for us on the road too as our elite Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli road racing team take on the Whitton and try to set the fastest time of the event. Our instantly recognisable green and black Wheelbase squad have a rich history in the event with the record time of 5 hours 40 minutes set by one or our team riders a few years ago.
94 miles in, facing 30% gradients, there’s no shame in getting off and pushing.
During Wheelbase’s long relationship with the Fred Whitton Challenge we’ve enjoyed watching the event grow to become the UK’s premier sportive. Running for 23 years this charity event which is named in honour of Fred Whitton of the Lakes Road Club who passed away in 1998, has to date raised nearly two million pounds for a wide range of charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Great North Air Ambulance, The North West Air Ambulance and The Duddon & Furness Mountain Rescue Team. Wheelbase’s close friend Paul Loftus MBE, who is also the grandfather of one of our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli road racing team riders Tyla Loftus, received his Member of the British Empire honour in recognition of his hard work and fund raising over the years, from organising the original Fred Whitton Challenge in 1999 to his ongoing work as President of the Fred Whitton Challenge.
As title sponsors we’re looking forward to cheering you all on at the Fred Whitton Challenge.
We hope that all Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge participants are preparing well for the upcoming 2022 event and we wish you all the best of luck for this iconic cycling event. We’ve got everything crossed for a weekend of good weather and are looking forward to welcoming you all to the Lake District and cheering you on as you take on the UK’s most grueling cycling sportive.
Have you seen our Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best 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!
Cannondale have launched a whole fleet of Moterra Neo eMTBs today! There’s 5 new models to choose from, each tailored specifically for a certain style of riding and to suit different budgets, but there’s one significant component that defines them all. They all feature Bosch’s super-efficient 750Wh PowerTube internal battery driving a powerful 250W Bosch Performance Line CX motor, controlled by Bosch’s SmartSystem and viewed on the compact and easy to understand Kiox display.
The Moterra Neo’s Bosch powerful Performance Line CX motor makes short work of even the steepest climbs.
With the most powerful & efficient Bosch drive system featuring across the whole of new Moterra range we need to look beyond the Bosch components to understand what sort of riding each model is aimed at. We’ll go into plenty more depth on each model in the feature below, but briefly, the Moterra Neo 3 is Cannondale’s base model made from their SmartForm C1 Alloy featuring 150mm of travel front and rear and spec’d with fast-rolling 29er wheels.
More fun for further – the all new Moterra Neo features an efficient 750Wh battery making range-anxiety a thing of the past.
Moving on to the next two models, Cannondale’s Moterra Neo CRB 2 and CRB 1 feature a lightweight carbon front triangle and alloy rear triangle, constructed using their Proportional Response design and construction principles which help to ensure the bike handles the same regardless of frame size. These carbon models see integrated cables with internal routing through the headset and into the frame for a cleaner, uncluttered look. Again, these carbon models feature 29er wheels as well as 150mm of front and rear suspension travel.
Pointed downhill the Moterra Neo transforms from the ultimate uplift shuttle to a capable trail shredder.
Finally, there’s the two carbon Moterra Neo CRB LT eMTBs. You may have already figured it out from the model names, but LT stands for long travel with these bikes featuring piggyback coil shocks for a super-plush 160mm of rear suspension travel matched up with 170mm of front suspension. The other defining difference between these two models and the rest of the range is the wheel configuration with both bikes boasting a ‘mullet’ setup (business upfront, party out the back) consisting of a fast-rolling 29er wheel on the front combined with a more agile 27.5” diameter rear wheel.
There’s plenty more to these super-efficient 750Wh eMTBs so read on for a detailed breakdown of each Cannondale Mottera Neo model…
Cannondale Moterra Neo 3
The Moterra Neo 3 is constructed from Cannondale’s SmartForm C1 alloy and features a Rockshox Deluxe Select Debonair rear shock giving 150mm of plush travel and including 2-position adjustment. Upfront to match that rear suspension Cannondale have spec’d a capable pair of RockShox Yari RC with 150mm of travel. So once that powerful 250W Bosch Performance Line CX motor has efficiently got you to the top of your favourite descent you’ll be able to blast down the most technically challenging trails with the Moterra Neo 3 handling whatever is thrown at it.
Front Tyre: Maxxis Minion DHF, 29 x 2.6″”, EXO, tubeless ready
Rear Tyre: Maxxis Rekon, 29 x 2.6″”, EXO, tubeless ready
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Cannondale Moterra Neo CRB 2
The Moterra Neo CRB 2 features a lightweight frame with a carbon front triangle and an alloy rear triangle; the frame follows Cannondale’s ‘Proportional Response’ design principle which sees the dimensions and carbon construction techniques being tailored specifically to each size of bike. Even the bike’s suspension has been tuned to match the specific demands typically incurred on each frame size. The Moterra Neo CRB 1 has internal cables running through the headset and into the carbon frame for a cleaner look and also features a plush RockShox Deluxe Select+ rear shock and RockShox Lyrik Select fork giving 150mm of travel front and rear. To keep you rolling over any obstacle and to get the most of that powerful Bosch motor Cannondale have spec’d fast-rolling 29er wheels shod with gravity-focused Maxxis tyres for plenty of traction.
Front Tyre: Maxxis Minion DHF, 29 x 2.6″”, EXO, tubeless ready
Rear Tyre: Maxxis Rekon, 29 x 2.6″”, EXO, tubeless ready
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Extras: Lezyne Super HB STVZO E1000 headlight w/ remote high beam switch
Cannondale Moterra Neo CRB 1
The Moterra Neo CRB 1 features the same lightweight carbon frame as the Moterra Neo CRB 2 with that slick looking carbon front triangle neatly housing the Bosch Performance Line CX motor and that super-efficient 750Wh battery. Cannondale have combined this with a compact alloy rear triangle which works in unison with a super-plush ‘Proportional Response Tuned’ RockShox Deluxe Select+ rear shock with DebonAir. Upfront Cannondale have spec’d a plush RockShox Lyrik Select+ fork giving you 150mm of travel to take the big hits on the most rowdy downhills. It’s great to see a mix of Shimano XTR and XT components that make up this eMTB’s bombproof drivetrain; with a pair of 29er wheels shod with a Maxxis Minion DHF upfront and a Maxxis Rekon out back the Moterra Neo CRB 1 is built to shred the trails.
Front Tyre: Maxxis Minion DHF, 29 x 2.6″”, EXO, tubeless ready
Rear Tyre: Maxxis Rekon, 29 x 2.6″”, EXO, tubeless ready
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Cannondale Moterra Neo CRB LT 2
Have you spotted the difference between the Moterra Neo CRB and the Moterra Neo CRB LT? Yep, that’s right, it boasts more travel and a more gravity-focused piggyback coil shock, increasing travel from 150mm to 160mm on the rear of the bike, hence LT (long travel). You still get that powerful Bosch Performance Line CX motor combined with that super-efficient 750Wh PowerTube internal battery with an incredible range that helps you utilise the drive of the motor more and ride further for longer with none of that ‘range anxiety’ typically associated with eMTBs featuring less efficient batteries. Upfront the Moterra Neo CRB LT 2 is spec’d with a pair of RockShox Deluxe Select+ boasting a whopping 170mm of travel to help you blast down the trails in full control. If you’re the sort of mountain biker who wants to get to the top of their favourite trails as quickly as possible so they’re able to spend more time shredding the downhills then this is the eMTB for you. With durability and agility in mind the Moterra Neo CRB LT 2 features a ‘mullet’ (business upfront, party at the back) wheel configuration with a 29er wheel on the front and a more compact 27.5 wheel on the rear.
Front Tyre: Maxxis Assegai, 29 x 2.6″”, 3C, EXO+, tubeless ready
Rear Tyre: Maxxis DHR II, 27.5 x 2.6″”, 3C, EXO+, tubeless ready
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Cannondale Moterra Neo CRB LT 1
Remember uplifts? Spending a day at your favourite downhill bike park and relying heavily on the uplift service back to the top at the expense of your wallet? Well, with the Moterra Neo CRB LT 1 those days are a distant memory; now YOU are your own uplift service. As the model name suggests this is the long-travel version of the new 750Wh battery powered Moterra boasting a more capable piggyback coil shock, increasing travel from 150mm to 160mm on the rear of the bike. That same Bosch Performance Line CX motor which features on all of the new Moterra models will get you back up the hill in super quick time and that large 750Wh battery will mean you’ll be able to squeeze even more riding into your day. In a savvy move Cannondale have configured the CRB LT 1 as a ‘mullet’ bike; this mullet setup (business upfront, party at the back) features a 29er wheel upfront which steamrollers through the roughest terrain and a more compact 27.5 wheel on the rear which is both more agile and resilient to the extra forces incurred from an eMTB and the sort of rowdy riding that this bike is going to take on.
Have you seen our Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best 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!
Here at Wheelbase in the Lake District we have recently started going Bikepacking again now that the spring is upon us and the rugged fells are more enticing they had been during the colder winter months. In an effort to share our enthusiasm for Bikepacking and to help cut through some of the mystery of the ‘perfect kit list’ we thought we’d put together a wild camping kit guide to help give you the confidence to head out on your own Bikepacking adventures. Why not spend a night or two under the stars or as we’re more than used to, under the canvas because it’s raining! Typically!
Let’s start with how I carry all my camping equipment; I’m a big fan of modern Bikepacking bags, especially from specialist brands such as Apidura, for their practical application and the way that they don’t compromise on how my bike handles in the way that traditional pannier bags can. Every feature of these bags is extremely well thought out, making them as user friendly as possible for typical UK riding conditions. Features like waterproof coatings and welded seams mean that water ingress is all but eliminated and clever attachments and sensitive shaping make these Bikepacking bags particularly versatile when swapping them from bike to bike.
Being a committed landscape photographer who can’t go on a ride without my camera the first consideration I have is how I carry it while riding. I generally carry it on my back so there’s no room for a rucksack with all my kit in and besides, carrying a rucksack for a long distance becomes particularly uncomfortable. With the option of riding with a rucksack eliminated my only option is to carry everything on my bike. My general setup consists of an 11 litre bar bag, a pouch that attaches to the front of that bag giving another 4 litres of capacity, a small top tube pack which has a little under 1 litre of capacity and finally a 6 litre saddlebag. With an approximate overall capacity of around 22 litres on the bike the packing brief is simple – only take the absolute essentials; here’s how and what I pack in them…
In my bar bag I always store any kit that I’m definitely not going to need throughout the day. First off there’s my small tent which packs down really well then there’s all of my sleeping equipment, consisting of a synthetic or down sleeping bag appropriate to whatever season I’m Bikepacking in, an inflatable sleeping mat, again appropriate to the season I’m heading out into and finally a small inflatable pillow because a little luxury is good for the soul!
In that smaller 4 litre bar bag pouch, I carry items need to be quickly accessible throughout my journey. My essentials in this bag include dehydrated meals, my water filter, a first aid kit and toiletries; when I need to grab a snack on the go or collect water everything is right there at arms reach rather then having to start unpacking everything to find what I need, I’ve learnt the hard way!
Moving on to the small top tube pack, I’m usually asking myself ‘what do I have in here?’ It’s typically all of the sorts of essentials that keep the wheels in motion – inner tubes, tyre levers, pump, allen keys and super patches for inner tube repairs; I also keep other important items such as keys, wallet and a Buff in there.
Lastly, what’s in my saddlebag?! Here are the bulkier items I like to keep accessible. My stove doubles up as a mug, so I can stop for a cup of tea as and when I like, living up to that ‘Englishman and his cup of tea’ cliché. I also keep my small camping gas cylinder in there as well as my waterproof jacket and trousers or my insulation jacket, depending on what the weather is doing at the time. Either way, I like to keep all my bases covered so that I can be warm and dry and keep the elements at bay.
I hear some of you saying “where’s the luxury in this” well, in some instances I’ll take a few items I may not essentially need, but I like to have with me. If I do happen to be camping in the depths of winter I’ll take a small hot water bottle, this makes such a difference in sub-zero temperatures. A power pack, sometimes, especially when the nights are longer; I like to take this so I can keep my devices charged whilst watching something I’ve downloaded or listened to a podcast or two. One other thing I do take is earplugs, not being woken to the tent tussling in the wind, your pal a few meters away snoring their head off or the local residents such as sheep bleating at ungodly hours. This just ensures you get a good night’s sleep.
I hope this guide helps inspire you to get outside and explore further afield; Bikepacking is liberating, encouraging you to explore new places and stretch your adventures into multiple days rather than your typical out-and-back ride. I do feel that when packing for a trip, beyond the absolute essentials it’s a personal preference and like all things worth doing, it takes a little bit of trial and error to get it right. Just think of that trial and error as an excuse to head out on more Bikepacking adventures!…
Have you seen our Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best 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!
Launched today! – the all-new Cannondale Topstone Carbon. Now nothing is impassible…
The original Topstone Carbon was one of our most popular gravel bikes here at Wheelbase and it’s great to see this new version which has had quite a makeover for 2022 and reflects the ongoing evolution of gravel riding. There’s a significant number of design improvements compared to its predecessor and our first impressions, before we even got into the technical aspects, were that this new Topstone looked hot! There’s a faster, more agile vibe to the bike’s silhouette and it looks ready for more fun even when it’s stood still; this is mainly down to the changes to the frame which is now more compact, with a dramatically increased slope to the top tube which just looks more in proportion to their unique rear triangle featuring the Kingpin pivot point.
The all-new Cannondale Topstone Carbon’s frame is more compact that its predecessor and just looks right.
We’ll get into the specifics regarding tech in a minute, but first there’s two stand out factors to us which we think is worth identifying. First off is the raft of key improvements over the previous iteration of the Topstone Carbon. It’s clear that Cannondale have listened to both customers and retailers who’s gravel riding has evolved in recent times and have acted accordingly to make the bikes even more user friendly and functional as the demands of modern gravel biking continue to diversify.
Cannondale have clearly listened to their customers and have made some very logical and user-friendly design changes to the all-new Topstone Carbon.
Secondly there’s the versatility of the new Topstone Carbon, with much more choice within the range; this isn’t just a case of same frame and fork throughout with just the choice of groupset to decide. Reacting to how gravel biking continues to diversify with individuals focusing on different types of riding from Bikepacking adventures to flat-out mixed terrain rides where speed is key to more singletrack-focused riding where agility is more important Cannondale have offered a wider choice of configurations to meet the needs of a wider gravel audience.
Cannondale recognises how gravel biking continues to sub-divide into different riding styles and spec their Topstone Carbon bikes accordingly.
Within the Topstone range there’s a bike for every gravel style; for example choose the Topstone Carbon 2 Lefty for rowdy capability on the trails thanks to that super-plush 30mm travel front fork or the Topstone Carbon 2 L for a more Bikepacking-focused setup allowing you to head out fully laden with your Bikepacking luggage for a multi-day adventure. This particular model features Cannondale’s unique SmartSense system developed in partnership with Garmin and first seen on the road-going Synapse which launched earlier this year; SmartSense is ideal for those epic adventures that see you riding long into the night, when you need a powerful light source and benefitting from the SmartSense radar system which increases your awareness of traffic behind you as well as alerting drivers to your presence further up the road.
Epic Bikepacking adventures that extend into the night are made a little easier with Cannondale’s SmartSense system featuring on key bikes in the range.
Key Features In The Topstone Carbon Range…
Kingpin Suspension You’ll most probably be familiar with Cannondale’s iconic Kingpin suspension system from the original Topstone Carbon. For the new 2022 version the same rear suspension now features a low-friction bushing which is more durable than the previous model’s cartridge bearing setup. This simple system which relies on the engineered flex of the carbon fibre rear triangle gives 30mm of rear travel and takes the sting out of rough terrain without adding any extra weight or complexity and is completely maintenance-free.
Cannondale’s Lefty goes big! Whilst Cannondale previously offered their Lefty suspension fork on the Topstone Carbon in combination with a 650b wheel size this is the first time that the Lefty fork has been designed around the larger 700c wheel size. This all-new Lefty Oliver fork with its unique one-sided upside down telescopic configuration provides 30mm of bob-free travel and gives an even faster ride thanks to that larger-diameter 700c wheel which can accommodate a gravel tyre up to 45mm wide.
OutFront Steering Cannondale have continued to tweak the geometry of the Topstone Carbon with their OutFront steering providing confidence-inspiring handling for a stable ride in the chop when things get a little rowdy while remaining light and nimble when you’re winding your way through tight singletrack or are pointing the bike uphill.
SmartSense All of the new 2022 Topstone Carbon models are either equipped or are ready to upgrade to Cannondale’s SmartSense system which includes ambient reactive front and rear lights as well their rear-facing radar system which alerts you to traffic approaching from behind.
Superior Carrying Capability Cannondale have done everything possible to encourage you to spend longer on your gravel bike. Instead of doing your usual out and back ride in ‘a oner’ why not load up your Topstone Carbon with everything you’ll need for a multi-day adventure. There’s plentiful gear and water bottle mounts on the frame and fork (on the non-Lefty models) for all of your Bikepacking luggage.
Proportional Response Cannondale have included their Proportional Response principle to the construction of each frame size in the Topstone Carbon range. Size-specific construction, with different carbon layups specific to the size of frame and fork means that every size of rider experiences exactly the same ride quality.
Increased Tyre Clearance and Greater Wheel Compatibility For the new 2022 version of the Topstone Carbon Cannondale have made two significant changes when it comes to their wheels and available tyre clearance. Gone is their unique Ai wheel and frame system seen on the previous Topstone; this set up meant that the wheels had to dished differently to conventional wheels and swapping out wheels from one bike to another was more complicated than it had to be. Now all wheels are standard dished for easy interchangeability; the other improvement is seen in the mud-shedding clearance capability of the new Topstone. Thanks to that new dropped drive-side chainstay you can now run up to 45mm wide tyres and still benefit from 6mm of clearance between tyre and frame.
Dropper Seatpost Compatible All of the new Cannondale Topstone Carbon gravel bikes will accept an internally-routed 27.2mm diameter dropper seatpost making this bike even more capable when your gravel biking gets rowdy on technical trails.
The all-new Lefty Oliver suspension fork is specific to the 700c wheel diameter for the first time, giving a faster ride and providing 30mm of travel.
The Topstone Carbon features a neat StrapRack tool holder, internal routing for a dropper post, an all-new low-friction Kingpin bushing and a threaded bottom bracket.
That Kingpin pivot gives 30mm of rear travel; some models feature Cannondale’s SmartSense system, without it the frame’s recess acts as a cradle for the StrapRack tool holder. If you want to run a single chainring the front derailleur hanger mount is removeable.
Colour: 1 Smoke Black w/ Jet Black, Stealth Gray, and Silver (SBK)
Colour: 2 Olive Green w/ Black (OGN)
Extras: StrapRack toolholder
The all-new Cannondale Topstone Carbon range is an intelligently-put-together collection of bikes which are clearly in-step with the ongoing evolution of gravel biking. Within this range there’s pretty much a Topstone Carbon to suit everyone; from riders looking for a fast & agile singletrack slayer with the capacity to take on rough, technical terrain at speed to those of us who are looking for a reliable gravel grinder that can be fully-laden with Bikepacking luggage and be ridden late into the night thanks to Cannondale’s SmartSense system. There’s been plenty of updates to the 2022 Topstone, helping the bikes function more efficiently while being more user friendly too; the versatile Topstone Carbon gravel bike has had a significant makeover for 2022 and we like it!
The Cannondale Topstone Carbon has has a significant makeover for 2022 and we like it!
Have you seen our Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best 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!
It’s time to go racing! Finally after a long winter that followed a year of stop-start racing in 2021 thanks to the Coronavirus we can now all look forward to a full season of our preferred cycling discipline. For some people though, one form of bike racing is just not enough; bring on Lucy Bell, Wheelbase’s own multi-discipline cycling star who thinks nothing of mixing up a year of racing that includes gravity-focused Downhill and Enduro racing or swapping the big travel bike for the superlight cross-country MTB and taking on long-distance mountain bike marathon events. How’s about the curly bar bikes? Yep, she’s into them too and it’s not unusual to see her onboard her gravel bike taking on the latest, most grueling gravel event on the race calendar or even lining up for her local time trial on her aero road bike. It’s this open-minded attitude to riding and racing which keeps her equipment sponsor Cannondale happy as there’s always a cycling-themed challenge to overcome and a story to tell…
I was looking forward to kick-starting my racing calendar again and after a productive off-season which saw me spending a lot of time on my big travel Cannondale Jekyll Enduro bike I was super-keen to get myself to my local gravity event to see exactly how my form was. I’ve really taken to the Jekyll and it’s given me a renewed motivation for racing downhill and enduro events this year.
Lucy’s spent a lot of time on her Cannondale Jekyll this winter, honing her skills ready for the new season. (Pic by James Vincent)
Hamsterley is my local trail centre and it’s packed full of technical downhill trails which I ride all the time so I was stoked to be able to take on the Hamsterley TT run by the Northern Downhill as my first race of the season; the event staged two timed runs down the well-known Transmission-Accellerator-Nitrous tracks and would prove a challenging but enjoyable early-season tune-up.
Hamsterley is Lucy’s local riding spot and made a great race venue to kick off her season.
There was a little more motivation to head to Hamsterley too; after really getting into his riding this winter my 12 year old nephew would be making his racing debut, this made it all the more special for me and it was good to see just how excited he was to compete for the first time. Although this event was deemed a downhill race I’d spent the week before practicing the course onboard my Cannondale Jekyll enduro bike and decided that this would be my weapon of choice particularly as I knew there were some seriously pedally bits.
Lucy rails the berms.
The weather was kind to us on race day with dry hard-packed conditions which encouraged me to swap out my Maxxis DHR rear tyre for a semi slick and add some tyre pressure in the hope I’d gain some ‘free speed’. I wanted my Jekyll to be as responsive as possible on this relatively short course so tuned my suspension with a little more pressure too; the track was damp but not slippery and actually provided more grip than if it had been completely dry and dusty.
On a fast but pedally course Lucy’s Jekyll benefitted from a couple of tweaks to her setup.
I did one practice run to ensure I’d sighted any changes to the taping of the track and then it was time to race! My first run went OK, I felt like my big 170/160mm travel Jekyll coped pretty well on a fairly pedally course which even included a small portion of uphill fireroad which required me to sprint as hard I could out of the saddle. Learning from how I’d felt on my first run I tweaked my rear shock, adding a little more pressure and on my second run I finished 4 seconds faster coming away with a 3.50 run and finishing 2nd behind Helen Gaskell in our race category as well as 3rd overall female. The Hamsterley TT was a great way to start the season and has got me itching for more! I’m glad to see that my form is improving and I’m super-keen for more Enduro racing this year!
An excellent 2nd place gives Lucy plenty of confidence going into Enduro season.
We’ve got new hardtail mountain 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…
We’ve got new road & gravel 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…
Here at Wheelbase we’ve shown how keen we are on adventure cycling and the sub-genre that goes hand in hand, wild camping. Here’s a short story from a recent trip I took with the all-new Mondraker Crafty RR on a Lake District Bikepacking journey, to see how it fairs in what I would deem to be an unconventional form for this EMTB. This bike is most definitely designed to conquer tight, technical single track and suchlike and will very easily take that sort of riding in its stride, but how would it fair as a fully-laden pack-horse?
This trip was the first time that the Mondraker Crafty RR e-mountain bike took on Bikepacking duties.
With fuel prices currently rising I’m always thinking about ways I can experience bike-themed adventures straight from my front door; the Lake District National Park is a mere five miles or so from my doorstep, so there are plenty of fantastic mountain bike routes to tackle nearby once my cycling legs have warmed up.
By carrying the minimum amount of equipment required we travelled light and were able to gain elevation quickly.
Now, when Bikepacking and wild camping there’s a certain etiquette I like to stick by when heading high up into the hills and I have a few examples. Here in England, there are two rules I stand steadfast to; my first one is to arrive late and leave early. Doing this is just considered good practice when wild camping for no particular reason other than being considerate towards others and keeping a positive outlook on the wild camping community. The second and most important rule adheres to the ‘leave no trace’ movement, packing out all of your rubbish AND any more that you may have found. All that should be left on your departure at dawn is a flat piece of ground where your tent was once pitched.
The Apidura Bikepacking luggage comfortably fitted my Mondraker Crafty RR for a practical but lively ride.
On this particular Bikepacking trip we arrived late, about an hour before sundown and found a flat spot on the side of the fell where we pitched the tents and cooked tea. In the north of England your evening meal is always referred to as ‘tea’ rather than dinner but we can debate that another day! When I’m camping out on the hills I generally take dehydrated meals which are super easy to pack, are calorific and cause minimal fuss – just add boiling water for a quick and convenient meal.
Dehydrated meals are quick and convenient when you’re Bikepacking in remote areas.
Setup your camp late, depart early and leave nothing but a small patch of flattened grass.
The weather settled down early in the evening and made way for crystal clear skies once the sun had set, with minimal wind. Up high on the hills the deafening silence was only broken by the tent flapping in the wind and the resident sheep bleating to each other in the distance. As I settled in for the night I’m pretty sure I heard some owls hooting as they started their nocturnal night shift.
A beautiful, still night was our reward for risking camping out so early in spring.
We woke early doors to frost on the tent and a still, calm, cold morning in the Lake District. A tactical coffee was made in an attempt to defrost the extremities and then we quickly broke camp, packed up and adopted our usual policy of departing early, leaving no trace. As we headed off onto some of our favourite trails the early morning sun lit up Windermere and the surrounding fells; what a crackin’ start to the day.
What a stunning morning, with a light frost and a beautiful sunsrise.
A quick coffee to warm us up and bring us back to life ready for our ride off the hills.
I often get asked the question – what do you get out of sleeping outside in a simple shelter such as a tent or a bivvy? My response is generally something along the lines of me not having an agenda, having no phone signal, only my camera and a book to keep me occupied. It’s something I do to lift me out of the rat-race of everyday life where we’re constantly connected to everyone and everything at the few touches of a button on the Smartphone. Bikepacking gives me such a sense of adventure because more distance can be covered in a shorter amount of time, enabling access to most places where bikes are permitted in the lakes. Parts of this ride had to be pushed but it’s well worth a short section of hike-a-bike for sunrises and sunsets on fells such as these.
Your feature writer and Bikepacking aficionado – Andrew Barlow.
The Mondraker Crafty RR e-mountain bike has quickly proved itself as a reliable power-charged Bikepacking machine.
Want to get into Bikepacking and wild camping? Stay tuned as we put together a comprehensive list to help you along your way should you want to strike out on your own mini adventure…
Have you seen our Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best 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!
What do you get when you have two time-pushed Dads struggling to find the opportunity for a proper mountain bike ride, goaded by some of the best mountain biking in the Lake District right on their Wheelbase HQ doorstep? You get two e-mountain bikes and you hurriedly hatch a cunning plan for a dawn raid…
…At 6.30am on a Saturday morning guaranteed to be cloudless with blue skies Toby Dalton, Wheelbase Operations Director and I (Johnny Dodgin, Wheelbase Digital Marketing man and author of this feature) headed out of Glenridding on the shores of Ullswater and in the shadow of Helvellyn with a plan to summit the mountain before breakfast and then take on the challenging but super-fun descent of Sticks Pass.
With a plan to get to the top of Helvellyn as quickly and efficiently as possible the Scott Patron eRide 910 easily met the brief.
Just a week before this ride Toby could be seen manning the bike cleaning hose for two full days, helping to keep the wheels turning at our busy Wheelbase BIG DEMO Weekend while I was running around with DMTWO Media making a video to capture the vibe of this brilliant event. As we collected our thoughts after the manic weekend we realised that yet again, we’d been too busy to get the chance to ride some of the very best mountain bikes and eMTBs from our favourite brands. Happily our friends at Scott Sports UK had left us with a very special demo eMTB – the brand new Scott Patron eRide 910. It was a chance too good to miss; I would pilot this powerful eMTB to the summit of Helvellyn while Toby would jump on a very capable Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC Action Team 625.
The Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC Action Team 625 made short work of the arduous climb.
We’d promised our families that we’d be back by mid-morning so a dawn raid with EMTBs allowing us to cover the uphill terrain a little more efficiently was an inspired plan; I was interested to see exactly how much more rideable the route to the summit of Helvellyn would be on an eMTB compared to my usual ‘acoustic’ mountain bike. I’ll admit that on previous Lake District adventures I find the ‘hike a bike’ stretches that inevitably occur when negotiating this kind of terrain on a non-e mountain bike less than inspiring. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, when the gradient reaches a certain steepness and the ground beneath you gets particularly loose and rocky the laws of physics come into play and before you know it you’re dabbing your feet and getting off to push. In some cases it just starts to feel like you’ve taken your bike out for a walk!
Two time-pushed Dads on top of the World!
On this eMTB-fueled ride those uphill frustrations just never materialised; both Toby and I managed to climb up the valley and onto the infamous switchback climb up to Keppel Cove feeling fresh and carrying plenty of momentum into this difficult stretch of super-steep, loose track. Compared to previous efforts on our non-eMTB bikes we were able to hold traction and hold our line through even the blockiest, roughest tight turns. There was one corner which caught us both out as we spun out but otherwise the route to the VERY windswept ridge of Keppel Cove was completely rideable!
The switch from open terrain at the top of Helvellyn to the tight singletrack trails of Sticks Pass was a bit of a wake up call…
It’s easy to fall into the trap of being a mountain biking purist and to dispel eMTBs as something that ‘cheats the system’ and I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of that sort of mindset in the past. However, a ride like this encouraged me to reconsider my stance; is riding an e-mountain bike physically any easier? Is it lazy? No, not really. As my Garmin Connect files can attest, my heart rate was just as high as on any non-eMTB ride and I was definitely riding hard. The clearest way I can break it down is this – it’s still a hard and rewarding ride, it’s just that you’re able to ride more efficiently with the eMTB making terrain that you may have previously deemed unrideable as rideable; the eMTB made this grueling mountain climb a realistic goal. Suddenly I was having as much fun trying to ride cleanly to the top as I would be trying to ride smoothly downhill.
…and I rather inevitably had the odd ‘bobble’ on the way down.
We then turned left and climbed up over Whiteside Bank, fighting against some unbelievably strong winds and onto the steep, precarious climb up Lower Man. It was at this point that we both had to use ‘Turbo’ mode on our Bosch powered eMTBs and the affects were almost unbelievable; both of us couldn’t help laughing out loud at just how capable these bikes were as we continued well past the point where we’d expected we’d have to dab a foot and begin to push. Admittedly a final couple of tight bends caught us out but setting the eMTBs to ‘Walk’ mode meant there was a useful amount of assistance while pushing the bikes, meaning you never had to deal with the dead weight of the bike.
The Scott Patron eRide 910 was super-fun on the downhills and definitely enhanced my descending abilities beyond what I’m normally capable of.
Shortly after we peaked the summit, captured the views for the ‘Gram’ and headed back down toward the super-fun Sticks Pass descent. This technical singletrack pitches steeply downhill in sections and includes plenty of tight, rocky turns to keep you focused all the way back down to Glenridding. The Scott Patron eRide 910 had already proved its self on the uphill thanks to that powerful Bosch motor, but when I pointed it downhill I quickly appreciated just how capable this 160mm travel trail bike was. On that note lets take a closer look at the bike…
Heading back down on dry trails, bathed in sunlight and it’s only 9.00am.
At our recent Wheelbase BIG DEMO Weekend the Scott Patron eRide 910 was most certainly one of the ‘stars of show’ garnering loads of attention and facing a very long queue of pre-booked test rides over the two days. That long queue of expectant riders extended beyond our customers to a whole bunch of Wheelbase Lake District staff eager to get a feel for this cutting-edge eMTB.
So why did this bike pique so many people’s interest? Well, just look at it! The Patron eRdie 910 has a unique appearance and a very stylish aesthetic thanks to some clever integration and Swiss engineering. First off, let’s talk about the ‘invisible shock’ stowed neatly into the Patron’s top tube; in a similar move to Scott’s Spark cross country mountain bike the rear shock has been placed internally, giving 160mm of smooth travel while being protected from the elements.
At the heart of this capable eMTB is Bosch’s Performance CX motor controlled by their Smart System via a Bosch LED Remote & Kiox 300 display. With Eco, Touring Plus, E-MTB and Turbo modes users are able to dose the power to the motor intelligently through their ride, using just the right amount of pedal assistance for each riding scenario. Scott have fitted the Patron eRide 910 with Bosch’s biggest 750Wh PowerTube internal battery; this latest iteration of Bosch battery increases capacity and ride range encouraging you to explore further on one charge. It’s interesting to note that on our ride up to the summit of Helvellyn and back down to Glenridding the efficient 750Wh battery on the Patron was left with a whopping 55% of charge!
Some of you may have noticed that on some rival eMTBs from other brands when a 750Wh Power Tube internal battery is spec’d the frame configuration can look a little janky; as batteries become more powerful they inevitably have to get to bigger, or in this case longer. To compensate for this Scott came up with a clever solution to keep the look of the bike right. By simply rotating the Bosch Performance motor Scott were able to drop the longer battery lower, placing it underneath the motor at the bottom bracket. This is not just an aesthetic solution though, this clever configuration also re-distributes weight creating a lower centre of gravity for enhanced handling and a more stable ride quality, something I can attest to having got some serious speed up on the loose, rocky tracks off the top of Helvellyn.
Have you seen our Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best 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!
We are extremely proud to launch the Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli road racing team for 2022. After two tricky seasons of Covid-19 impacted competition we’re back for our 15th year and are looking forward to lots of fast, frenetic racing all over the UK. Despite certain logistical difficulties around the pandemic 2021 turned out to be our most successful season yet with one of our team riders taking an impressive 3rd place at our local elite race – the grueling Lancaster GP, part of the national-level Premier Calendar race series. Elsewhere we saw one of our longest-serving Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli racers take the gold medal and Rainbow Jersey of World Masters Cyclocross Champion as well as one of our youngest riders taking a senior win at the National Trophy Cyclocross series before finishing on the podium in the overall series standings.
With the impact of Covid-19 on racing now a thing of the past we head into 2022 with renewed confidence and more passion than ever to support our young squad of racers in their pursuit of racing success throughout a busy season of road racing. Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli is now the longest-running team in the British road racing peloton; we’ve always classed ourselves as a stepping stone team, helping our young riders gain valuable racing experience in the UK’s most challenging races. Over the years we’ve seen a number of our team riders gain national exposure before going on to bigger international teams at the highest levels of professional road racing and last year we celebrated local Cumbrian lad and former Wheelbase team rider Mark Donovan completing his first Tour De France.
Watch our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team launch video…
We enjoyed a successful team launch event on a sunny early-spring day at Wheelbase HQ in the Lake District, with our riders travelling from Scotland and the north of England, coming together for the first time this year to get to know each other better and to familiarise themselves with their new highly-spec’d Cannondale SuperSix EVO Disc Ultegra Di2 race bikes before getting decked out with their brand new 2022 Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team kit.
We kicked the day off with a team briefing hosted by Team Manager Toby Dalton and Directeur Sportif Stu Reid which covered a brief history of the team and our ambitions for 2022; our young team will be doing the new British Cycling Under 23 National Road Series as well as a mix of National A races and we’ll also be making an appearance at the televised Tour Series too. We’ll also take on the National Crit Series with its elbow to elbow city-centre racing and on a more regional level our racers will tune up their race fitness by taking on their local circuit races and time trials.
When it comes to building experience and developing some solid race craft the young riders can tap into with wealth of knowledge and expertise from their road captain Davie Lines; with over twenty years of racing experience Davie shows no signs of slowing down on the bike and will be at the sharp end keeping the team organised and effective in their racing. Off the bike Stu Reid will act as our Directeur Sportif, driving the team car and making mid-race decisions that benefit the whole team; he too can call on years of road racing experience and read a race like the very best DS’s in the business.
During the ride which also encompassed a team photoshoot and plenty of filming for our launch video the personalities of our young team very quickly started to shine through. As well as reporting on their race results throughout the season we look forward to getting to know each rider a little more and will be checking in with them in the coming months to find out more about each of them.
Have you seen our Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best 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!
