The National Cyclo-Cross Championships is coming to Cumbria!
Wheelbase are pleased to announce that next season’s Cyclo-Cross season will culminate with the big one – The 2023 National Cyclo-Cross Championships will take place just down the road from our Lake District HQ at the Westmorland Country Showground near Milnthorpe and conveniently located just off the M6 motorway.
Wheelbase team rider Lewis Craven in action at Westmorland Cross in October 2021.
As some of you will already know Wheelbase have been the event sponsors at the venue for a number of years and have enjoyed watching the race venue move from a regional-level event as part of the North West Cyclocross Association league races to a national-level event as part of the UK’s National Trophy series, all under the guidance of Wheelbase Cyclo-Cross Team’s Dave Haygarth and his loyal band of helpers. With Dave’s passion for racing AND race organise he has consistently delivered, creating a challenging race course that suits both elite racers and less-experienced racers alike. Overcoming many challenges including the restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic Dave and his team were the only national-level race venue to be able to successfully run a round of the National Trophy series in October 2020 when the Coronavirus was at its height. Wheelbase along with Dave and his team have been justly awarded for their efforts over these past few years with British Cycling awarding us next year’s National Cyclo-Cross Championships.
Wheelbase’s Rory McGuire took the holeshot at last year’s edition of the National Trophy at Westmorland.
British Cycling’s Cycling Delivery Director, Dani Every, said:
“It’s been incredible to watch cyclo-cross really flourish in Britain over recent years, with fans able to celebrate an unprecedented 13 podium finishes across the past six world championships. It also makes us incredibly proud that the likes of Tom, Zoe and Nathan have all honed their craft at our National Series, raising the level of racing and inspiring new and young riders to take up the sport.
“For next season I’m pleased that we’ve been able to add two new venues to the calendar, seeing the series now stretch from Falkirk to Torbay, and I’m sure that Dave Haygarth and the team in the North West will deliver another championships to remember. We know that cyclo-cross events are a great day out for all the family and I’m sure that we’ll see some fantastic support once again – regardless of the weather!”
Giles Drake had another stellar year with Wheelbase and had a good showing at Westmorland in 2021.
Dave Haygarth of the North West Cyclo-Cross Association is the national championships organiser, and said:
“We’re both excited and proud to be stepping up to the 2023 National Cyclo-cross Championships, after three years of hosting some thrilling rounds in the National Trophy series.
“The venue is perfect for any conditions and we can adapt to make the most challenging course for some thrilling racing. We can’t wait and are planning already.”
Not only does Dave Haygarth organise the Westmorland races, he pins a number on and shows everyone how it’s done too!
If you’re a purist mountain biker or any form of cyclist for that matter you may absolutely resent the cycling-revolution of the past ten years, the e-bike! Everyone’s entitled to their opinion and it’s fair to say that some cyclists just know from the off that e-bikes are not for them; there are, however multiple reasons why e-bikes are absolutely brilliant. Apologies in advance for my small e-bike manifesto but I think e-bikes are mint!..
First off, as an alternative to using a car for short journeys an e-bike is better for the planet, by commuting or going anywhere for that matter on an e-bike you produce a far lower amount of Co2 pollution per kilometre than cars or motorcycles. As reliable research states, an e-bike produces around 22g compared to a car which produces around 270g. There’s less power drawn from the grid and using an e-bike helps improve air quality which is a massive positive in terms of combating global warming and pollution.
Using an e-bike for his regular rides has helped Andrew get through some of the toughest conditions of the year here in the Lakes.
Another big driver for owning and commuting on an e-bike is affordability. After the initial investment you’ll see a significant cut in your weekly expenses; with fuel prices going up and the general cost of living ever increasing you’ll see your outgoing costs going down. In the UK the average commute is only around 4 miles, generally the range on a fully charged e-bike is 18-50 miles so charging your e-bike once a week should be sufficient making the charging costs negligible compared to fuelling a petrol or diesel car. Just think of those potential savings next time you’re driving that short commute when you could be riding!
Then there’s the health benefits to consider; among many positive outcomes there’s the boost to your immune system, an increase to your metabolism as well as improved cardiovascular health. Beyond the outward-facing health benefits, if we look inward to a potential to improve your mental health there’s plenty of evidence to support the theory that regular exercise, less screen time and an immersion into the natural world all help to keep you feeling better on the inside too. ‘Acoustic’ cyclists on non-electric bikes may look down their nose at us but e-bikes should be heralded as a gateway to getting yourself fitter and enjoying a more active lifestyle without some of the traditional barriers.
Andrew has been onboard the super-fun, all-new Focus Jam2 7.0 E-Mountain Bike this winter.
One last point, which is personal to me. The use of an e-bike, or more specifically in my case an e-Mountain Bike makes the difference between me riding multiple times a week or not at all. It’s fair to say that living here in the Lake District means that nearly every bike ride, regardless of whether you’re riding on or off-road, involves struggling uphill for a fair portion of each ride. Those stunning vista have to be earned! There’s no easy way to get to those mountain-top views and I love to capture the Fells with my camera in all seasons.
Riding an e-bike has put the fun back in all those meters of elevation which I face on a weekly basis, my riding group looks forward to those long climbs now rather than loathing them; on the steeper technical terrain I now see the ups as fun and engaging as the downs, with each climb presenting me with the challenge of overcoming the terrain rather than quickly accepting my fate and pushing up. It’s also the difference between me riding with my fitter friends and not, with an e-bike I’m much more likely to be seen riding at the front of the pack rather than getting dropped at any point of ascent.
The very best part of the e-bike revolution is that it makes any form of cycling more accessible and inclusive for everyone, just like the entire cycling world should be!
Using the Focus Jam2 7.0 through winter has opened up more riding possibilities for Andrew.
We recently published a launch feature on the all-new Focus Jam2 7-Series; you can read it here.
Launched in December ’21 the Cannondale Moterra Neo 4 is a true ‘trail-bike’ e-Mountain Bike built ready for action.
With a compact Shimano EP8 motor the Moterra Neo 4 feels as agile as an ‘acoustic’ trail bike.
Have you seen our weekly Fast Bike Friday feature? You can see bikes like the Pinarello dogma and more every Friday. 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!
Today for our Fast Bike Friday feature we’re taking a detailed look at the all-new Cannondale Synapse 2 RL which was part of the range of new Synapse bikes launched globally this week! As official launch partners of Cannondale we published a full product launch feature earlier in the week when the bikes went live around the world. READ THE LAUNCH FEATURE HERE…
The Cannondale Synapse has had a dramatic make-over for 2022.
Click the link to watch our full run-through of the Cannondale Synapse 2022
We were lucky enough to receive the Cannondale Synapse 2 RL 2022 a month before launch, giving us the opportunity to put this versatile road bike through its paces on the unforgiving back lanes of the Lake District National Park in some of the most difficult riding conditions of the year. Riding at this time of year has its own challenges when it comes to unpredictable weather, poor road surfaces and low light conditions and the new Synapse was more than up to the job, particularly during the short daylight hours, but before we get into the ride here’s a run down of what makes the all-new Cannondale Synapse such a versatile and user-friendly road bike.
The all-new Synapse 2 RL excels on the sort of lumpy back lanes found in the Lake District.
The Cannondale Synapse range has had a dramatic make-over for 2022 and includes a complete re-design of the Synapse’s frame and fork as well as a big injection of tech, with its unique fully integrated ‘SmartSense’ system reflecting a holistic approach to technology implementation from Cannondale. The new Synapse’s headliners include…
SmartSense – Fully integrated tech developed in partnership with Garmin All-Road Ability – Strikes a versatile balance between road and gravel Enhanced Comfort – Increase to frame compliance with size-specific proportional response construction Faster – New subtly aerodynamic frame and fork tube profiles, more speed – less effort
There’s been a big injection of tech with Cannondale’s sophisticated ‘SmartSense’ system.
The Synapse’s frame and fork has had a major overhaul for this all-new version; some elements of Cannondale’s full-on road racing machine the SuperSix EVO have clearly migrated over to the Synapse. There’s the dropped seatstays we’ve grown familiar with and squarer, flattened-off truncated airfoil tube profiles lifted directly from the SuperSix; squint and it almost looks like a SuperSix EVO with a slightly shorter, sloping top tube and a slightly higher head tube; naturally with this configuration the Synapse has gained more speed and even more compliance than its predecessor.
The all-new Synapse is more aero than its predecessor but is just as light.
We all know the saying ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’. When it comes to the Synapse’s geometry that’s exactly what Cannondale have done, with the previous version winning multiple awards in numerous reviews thanks in no-small-part to its comfort over long distances the designers at Cannondale have kept that dialed rider position, which strikes a balance between racy, forward-leaning efficiency and upright comfort. The 2022 Synapse model sees a further increase in comfort and compliance with those newly dropped seatstays and a sophisticated carbon fibre layup process both playing their part in enhancing rider comfort. Cannondale have also applied their ‘Proportional Response Construction’ principle to the new Synapse, with sensitive differences to frame construction across all sizes so that the properties of the frame and fork – compliance where it’s needed and stiffness where it counts are consistent across all size options.
While the model name and frame geometry stays the same everything else is new and cutting edge.
As I’ve already mentioned, the Synapse has inherited some of those truncated airfoil tube profiles from its cousin the SuperSix EVO; these subtly aerodynamic frame and fork tube profiles help this all-road bike cut through the air more efficiently and, as has been proved over recent years, even at lower speeds on ultra-long grueling gravel rides those small aero gains all add up. It’s worth noting too that while the profiles of the Synapse’s tubing had become more aero overall weight of the frame and fork stay the same, there’s no weight-gain despite these improvements.
All tube profiles have become more aerodynamic to make the Synapse more aero-efficient over longer distances.
The new Synapse is described by Cannondale as the perfect ‘road’ bike with the ‘road’ in inverted commas signaling how this bike has been designed to strike the perfect balance between a road and gravel bike. The Synapse feels natural to ride on all kinds of roads and a wide range of surfaces including smooth tarmac, more unpredictable un-made back lanes and gravel tracks.
Taking its inspiration from the Cannondale SuperSix EVO race bike the Synapse now has dropped seatstays for added comfort.
The Synapse 2 RL boasts big tyre clearance too, accommodating tyres up to 35mm wide and allowing you to actually run gravel tyres with a minimal tread; with those 35mm tyres fitted there’s still 6mm of clearance between the tyre and frame/fork. Just like the previous version Cannondale have included bolt-on bosses for mudguards so if you want to set up your Synapse for winter riding duties you can still run tyres up to 30mm wide with full mud guards.
There’s plenty of tyre clearance on the all-new Synapse, allowing you to run up to 35mm wide tyres or 30mm tyres with mudguards.
Upfront the fork boasts the same amounts of tyre clearance.
The rear triangle of the Synapse 2 RL features a reflective paint finish to catch driver’s attention.
When the team at Cannondale ran through the new Synapse there a number of other notable features that were highlighted to us which are worth mentioning here too. First off there’s top tube mounts for you to easily fit a bento box for easy storage on long rides, then their downtube switch plate, which already features on their SuperSix EVO road bike makes an appearance; this small plate is interchangeable and facilities the neat routing of cables or a Di2 junction box. Home mechanics will rejoice at the news of ‘tube-in-tube’ cable routing allowing for quick and easy cable and brake hose changes while the return of a standard threaded BSA bottom bracket instead of Cannondale’s BB30 press-fit standard will have certain members of the cycling fraternity back-flipping for joy at the thought of silent bottom brackets and easy fitting and removal in the future. One last detail worth noting on the new Synapse is the bike’s rear Thru Axle, it is now ‘trainer compatible’ with a configuration that fits your indoor smart trainer without having to faff around with different adaptors; it’s a small thing but it’s a welcome addition.
The addition of top tube mounts on the new Synapse helps open up the bike’s versatility.
A neat Cannondale switch plate means that whatever the cable configuration the looks are neat and the functionality is enhanced.
The return of a standard threaded bottom bracket is a welcome change from the previous generation Synapse.
It’s a small detail but worth noting that the rear thru axle is now smart trainer compatible.
Fast, comfortable, versatile and fast thanks to those aero-profiled tubes; the Synapse 2 RL is packed full of great, ride-enhancing features.
It’s sign of the times that despite all of the new features on the Synapse’s frame and fork the main talking point of this range of bikes is actually Cannondale’s unique, fully-integrated SmartSense system; it’s almost as if we’ve all just come to expect a versatile disc-brake-equipped aero, lightweight and responsive road bike capable of sporting larger volume tyres as standard. It’s the Synapse’s brilliant chassis and all of the additions and improvements over its predecessor which help make this a true ‘all-road’ bike, but now let’s take a look at SmartSense, a fully integrated system that works as one but is made up of the following constitute parts…
SmartSense
Front & Rear Lights
Rear Facing Radar
Radar Unit LED Display
Power Pack
Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Cannondale App (updated)
The SmartSense Radar consists of a Garmin Varia rear facing Radar adapted for SmartSense; it is designed to give you more confidence riding on the open road in traffic and helps to prevent you from having to constantly look over your shoulder. The Radar detects vehicles approaching from behind at a distance of 140 metres and gives a visual and audible signal alerting you to the oncoming vehicle on the handle-bar-mounted Radar LED Display. This clever system indicates the relative position and speed of all contacts and signals warnings for vehicles coming up too fast or too close, activating the rear light and increasing the brightness of the light as the vehicle approaches, helping to alert the driver. Upfront the Synapse’s SmartSense front light also brightens to warn you of traffic moving up towards you. It’s worth noting that while the Synapse bike ships with the standard Radar LED display unit the Radar SmartSense system also works with a Garmin, Wahoo or similar GPS head unit or your Smartphone installed with the Cannondale App, lighting up in the same way.
The integrated Radar and Hindsite rear light form an important part of the complete ‘SmartSense’ system.
As cars approach from the rear the SmartSense Radar detects them and indicates exactly what’s happening on the Radar LED display unit.
Glancing down at the Radar display quickly becomes second nature and is far safer than constantly looking over your shoulder.
The SmartSense system on the Synapse 2 RL includes their own front and rear lights developed in partnership with leading bike light brand Lezyne; the front ‘ForeSite’ light is neatly fitted to the out-front handlebar mount and the ‘Hindsite’ rear light fits neatly under the saddle and comes with various adapters to allow you to set it up with a saddle bag too if required. Both the SmartSense lights and the Radar system are powered by the SmartSense Powerpack developed by Garmin with both lights powering up and turning on automatically when you begin to ride. This is a sophisticated lighting system with some clever features including ambient light sensors to help ensure you have optimal visibility in all light conditions; the rear Hindsite light responds to your bike decelerating and brightens as you slow down to warn vehicles behind you. As I’ve already mentioned when I talked about the Radar system your rear light will also brighten when vehicles approach you from behind at a distance of 140 metres; you can also customise how your lights and the Radar system behave via the Cannondale App.
Cannondale have worked with leading light brand Lezyne to develop the ForeSite SmartSense front light.
The ForeSite reacts to the SmartSense Radar, brightening as cars approach from behind to draw your attention.
The front ForeSite head light throws out a 350 lumens beam.
The rear HindSite light integrates with the SmartSense Radar and also acts as an inertial brake alaert.
You can fine-tune how the SmartSense Radar and integrated lights function via the Cannondale app.
The SmartSense Powerpack brings all of the Synapse’s integration together; developed in partnership with Garmin this powerpack is an intrinsic part of the Synapse’s frame, reflecting Cannondale’s commitment to their integrated-system design principle. With a specially made cradle sitting neatly in a special recess that’s been molded into the carbon frame during production the SmartSystem’s rechargeable battery is easily removed and refitted using a simple and secure lever and means that there is just one single power source for your lights, Radar system and GPS head unit if you use one, which can stay permanently attached to your bike.
Cannondale’s integrated PowerPack powers the whole SmartSense system from central point.
The SmartSense powerpack is quick and easy to remove and fit making charging convenient.
If you want to find out more and read a full in-depth review of the Cannondale SmartSense system check out our Synapse Product Launch feature published earlier this week.
Cannondale’s wheel sensor pairs with the SmartSense system activating the integrated lights and Radar as well as communicating with the App.
The Cannondale Synapse 2 RL comes spec’d with Shimano’s functional, precise-shifting, no-nonsense Ultegra mechanical 11-speed groupset. You may be aware that Shimano launched a new 12-speed iteration of the Ultegra groupset late last year; that version of Ultegra is Di2 only – an electronic transmission. For now this 11-speed mechanical version of Ultegra lives on and you’ll be seeing it on a wide range of road bikes from the leading brands. In use this groupset provides crisp, predictable gear shifts every time you select a gear and with the sort of challenging riding the Cannondale have in mind for the Synapse they have sensibly spec’d the 2 RL with compact gear ratios that can handle hilly rides and portions of your ride that require you to stay in the saddle negotiating loose gravel-type climbs and rough roads.
The Cannondale Synapse 2 RL is spec’s with a brilliantly functional Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset.
An 11-speed rear derailleur is matched with a wide ratio 11-34T cassette.
Upfront there’s a compact 50/34T chainset, matched with a wide ratio 11-speed 11-34T cassette giving you all the gears you’ll need to conquer the steepest climbs you can find; when the road flattens out or points downwards that 50/11T gear ratio means there’s no danger of you spinning out and running out of gears. Disc brakes on road bikes have very quickly become the norm and there’s no surprises to see a pair of neat, flat-mount Ultegra calipers paired with compact, self-cooling 160mm disc brake rotors here. These brakes give you all the braking power you need and really prove themselves on the sort of rides that the Synapse has been designed to excel on; these Ultegra brakes are easy to modulate, providing just the right amount of braking power you need in any riding scenario. The consistency of hydraulic disc brakes cannot be understated and are a big benefit towards the end of long all-day epic rides when you’re feeling fatigued and perhaps your hands are cold and weak.
Powerful Shimano Ultegra hydraulic calipers provide controlled braking in all riding conditions.
160mm diameter disc rotors front and rear help scrub off speed quickly and in control.
Cannondale have spec’d a capable Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 wheelset that features smooth, durable sealed-bearing hubs and fast-rolling alloy rims. The wheelset has been fitted with a pair of Vittoria Rubino Pro Graphene 2.0 tyres in suitably wide 30mm dimensions; these hard wearing, durable tyres will hold up well to long hours in the saddle and can easily handle the rougher, un-made roads and back lanes that the Synapse has been designed to master as well as coping easily with daily commuter duties should you assign the bike to that function. As we’ve already mentioned the new Synapse 2 RL has been designed to accommodate wider tyres, so if 30mm wide tyres still aren’t wide enough for you you can always retro-fit 35mm wide options and push the limits of the Synapse even more.
Large volume 30mm wide Vittoria Rubino Pro Graphene 2.0 tyres can handle rough roads with ease and you can always go up to 35mm if preferred.
So what about the ride? Well, it’s a funny of time of year to get out on a brand new (pre-launch) road bike; with temperatures hovering around zero, high winds being a regular ride companion and the odd stretch of frozen surfaces, riding consistently at this time of year can best described as ‘challenging’. Factor in the shortest daylight hours of the year and normally you might be secretly cursing a bike brand for launching a new bike in mid-winter! Happily though this is was not the case with the all-new Synapse 2 RL and their ‘SmartSense’ system making those normally unpredictable twilight rides a much more confidence-inspiring riding experience.
So what about the ride? Writer of this feature Johnny Dodgin spent a few weeks on the bike during winter to find out…
In real-world use the SmartSense really comes into its own; with all of the system’s settings customised via the Cannondale App I was able to just jump on the bike and ride, with the Cannondale wheel sensor bringing the SmartSense system to life and lighting up the front and rear lights automatically and the ambient light sensors automatically adjusting the light system’s brightness and visibility to other road users. As you can tell from some of our riding photos in this feature, there have been times when I have been riding the Synapse 2 RL into dusk and with those powerful lights just taking care of themselves and adjusting to different light conditions it meant I could just focus on my ride.
Initially I was unsure how much I’d notice the Synapse’s SmartSense Radar while riding, but very quickly I came to realise just what an important bit of kit it could be. In just a short time it became second nature to glance down to the small display unit in response to a short audio queue; a quick look down would reveal that your green LED (which indicates you, the rider) has turned amber and a white LED (which indicates an oncoming vehicle) is approaching from behind. This gives you a clear understanding of the speed that the vehicle is approaching and in some cases that there are multiple vehicles approaching (at one point I had 3 white LEDs creeping up behind me on the display). The Radar is even more confidence-inspiring in total darkness when those ‘have they seen me or not’ fears that come with night riding and vehicles approaching from behind are somewhat negated by a visual cue showing that the vehicle has slowed and is on your wheel waiting for a safe place to pass.
The Synapse 2 RL feels spritely and responds well to sudden out-of-the-saddle efforts.
So in summary the SmartSense system really does add a new safety element to your riding and helps to open up how you use the bike and how you feel riding in urban areas and on busy roads when traffic is busy. The fact that all of the tech is fully integrated with one central source of power is a real plus and don’t forget you can always swap out the original Radar display for your Garmin or similar GPS head unit and run the same Radar system on that.
The Synapse frame and fork is stiff and responsive making it an efficient climber, but the bike is comfortable too on long rides.
Right, onto the bike itself; how does it feel on the lumpy back lanes of the Lake District National Park? I was really impressed at how spritely the bike felt on the short sharp climbs dotted around the Lakes, while longer in-the-saddle efforts up climbs like Kirkstone Pass were a breeze on the Synapse 2 RL; the geometry of the bike has been unchanged from its predecessor, which is great as the bike features a relatively short tup tube and a sensibly sized headtube (not ridiculously high and not super-low like a race bike) putting you in a position where you can stay in the saddle and turn an efficient gear, getting over some of the area’s longest, most sustained climbs.
Riding during short winter days and fading light the SmartSense ambient light system really came into its own.
The frame is stiff and responsive where it needs to be so that you can put the power down and accelerate quickly when you need to. The addition of the dropped seatstays on this new-gen Synapse have enhanced compliance and increased comfort over the previous Synapse meaning I felt fresher for longer into some of those big epic off-season road rides. Descending on the Synapse 2 RL was a dream; the geometry of the bike really lends itself well to going into turns at speed, holding your line and exiting tight corners with the same momentum that you went into them with. It was a really-confidence inspiring ride and I felt encouraged to push on even though I was riding in some of the most difficult conditions of the year; if anything unpredictable did occur, say when I was fast-approaching some ice run-off from fields I was able to quickly and effectively scrub of speed in full control thanks to those powerful, easy to modulate Ultegra disc brakes and avoid disaster.
With a great spread of gears on the Synapse 2 RL even the longest, steepest climbs of the Lake District were relatively easy to ride.
The Synapse 2 RL is a confident descender and keeps you grinning on the downhills.
The all-new Cannondale Synapse 2 RL is a fantastically versatile bike that really lends itself to the kind of unpredictable riding conditions that we all encounter here in the UK; let’s face it, difficult riding conditions are not even limited to the colder months of the year! You’re just as likely to get caught in cold, wet weather in the spring and summer months, when black clouds roll in and visibility decreases rapidly; the SmartSense system is the perfect ride companion, with the lights always there and ready to make you more visible and safer on the road. The ability to fit wider tyres and run mudguards opens up the possibility of commuting duties or using the Synapse as your dedicated winter bike; when you want to take on more unpredictable rides, heading out into new areas that you’ve not ridden before the 2 RL is ready to handle unpredictable road surfaces and light gravel-biking duties. I have to agree with the Cannondale marketing bods who have termed the all-new Synapse the perfect ‘road’ bike with the ‘road’ in inverted commas because this versatile bike really does represent the perfect balance between a road and gravel bike.
The super-versatile Cannondale Synapse 2 RL is ready for long days in the saddle over mixed terrain; when the light fades the integrated SmartSense provides enhanced safety on busy roads encouraging you to stay out even longer.
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We can make so many excuses for ourselves at this point in the new year however here at Wheelbase we’re starting the year as we mean to go on, as we know at some point in the not too distant future it’s undoubtedly going to get warmer, this is what keeps us turning the cranks during these wet, dark and cold winter months.
For our latest riding adventure we started at the small village of Askham; you may or may not be familiar with it? Perhaps what is better-known is actually situated very nearby, the 17th century Lowther Castle is a popular destination for visitors to the Lake District and the surrounding North Lakes area. To the west we have another quaint village called Pooley Bridge, sitting at the north of Ullswater; it’s popular for its steam cruisers and its view of the third highest mountain in the Lake District, Helvellyn.
Now, upon browsing the popular Komoot App whilst looking for some ride-route inspiration I saw this ride and thought to myself “why is this ride called The Cockpit?..” a small amount of casual research gave me the answer. The stone circle at Askham and Barton Fell stands near to the present junction of the M6 motorway and A66, where important trade routes crossed as early as the Bronze age. The Bronze Age of Britain lasted almost 1500 years and it is difficult to date the stone circle as it has features from both the early and Late Bronze Ages; the stone circle referred to colloquially as ‘The Cockpit’ is more than 28 metres in diameter and consists of 75 stones, more than 20 of which are about 1 metre high.
I would describe this ride as steady, there isn’t a great deal of elevation and after starting out riding on a quiet B-Road the route soon turned into a more rudimentary bridleway which climbs gently out of Askham. Once you reach the plateau on top of the Fell there’s some nice flowing, grassy trails before picking up a bit of the rougher single track that leads you over the Fell, underneath Barton Fell for the start of the Ullswater descent.
Now with this descent I’m always torn, do we sit back, relax and enjoy the absolutely stunning views over Ullswater to Hallin Fell, Helvellyn and the surrounding fells? Or do we cut loose and enjoy the super-fun descent? Obviously it’s the latter, however we were slowed down in places due to weather erosion along the bridleway and some deep ruts that the fast-flowing becks run through. Those disruptive elements don’t have too much impact overall as this descent down to Howtown is the best part of 5 km long. One to get the arms pumping for sure!
Once we finally reached the shores of Ullswater it was a short hack along the road up to the outskirts of Pooley Bridge where we were spoilt for choice in terms of refreshments. We were careful to not over-indulge because of the upcoming climb back up the bridleway which runs up the side of Heughscar Hill taking us back up to where we started.
To summarise this ride I do feel like it’s great, no matter what the weather. In retrospect it would appear that we’d done the ride in all four seasons and I would suggest it would be even more fun in the drier months of the year, if there’s such a thing in Cumbria!
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Launched today! Introducing the all-new Cannondale Synapse with SmartSense. Yes, that’s right, the popular Cannondale Synapse has had a dramatic make-over for 2022 and there’s lots to talk about; with a complete re-design of the Synapse’s frame and fork as well as a big injection of tech it stands alone right now in the industry as an endurance road bike with a fully integrated ‘SmartSense’ system reflecting a holistic approach to technology implementation from Cannondale.
Click the link above to see the all-new Synapse 2022 in action…
As official Cannondale launch partners we were lucky enough to receive an all-new Cannondale Synapse 2022 bike a few weeks before launch, giving us the opportunity to test the bike in the real world on the demanding roads of the Lake District National Park. Riding at this time of year has its own challenges when it comes to unpredictable weather, poor road surfaces and low light conditions and the new Synapse was more than up to the job, particularly during the short daylight hours, but more on that later.
The all-new Synapse can handle poor road surfaces and low light conditions with ease.
Before we get into the details, let’s just list the new Synapse’s headliners…
SmartSense – Fully integrated tech developed in partnership with Garmin
All-Road Ability – Strikes a versatile balance between road and gravel
Enhanced Comfort – Increase to frame compliance with size-specific proportional response construction
Faster – New subtly aerodynamic frame and fork tube profiles, more speed – less effort
So where to start? Well as the SmartSense system is the big talking point on the all new Cannondale Synapse and features on all but the cheapest model in the Synapse sub-range we’ll mainly focus on that system during this product launch. We received the Synapse 2 RL from Cannondale which sits in the middle of the range and features a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset; we’re going to take a more detailed look at the bike and discuss how it rides in our upcoming ‘Fast Bike Friday’feature, which will be published later this week. For now let’s just share our first impressions on the all-new Synapse…
The stunning paintjob on our Synapse 2 RL does a good job of highlighting all of those new aerodynamic tube profiles.
At first glance it’s immediately obvious that the 2022 Cannondale Synapse has had a dramatic make-over; there’s a lot of changes from the previous version and my first thoughts were that some elements of Cannondale’s full-on road racing machine the SuperSix EVO had migrated over to the Synapse. There’s the dropped seatstays we’ve grown familiar with and squarer, flattened-off truncated airfoil tube profiles lifted directly from the SuperSix; squint and it almost looks like a SuperSix EVO with a slightly shorter, sloping top tube and a slightly higher head tube; it’s fair to assume that with this configuration the Synapse has gained more speed and even more compliance than its predecessor.
More comfortable, MORE aero, same low weight. The Synapse 2 RL is a great all-rounder.
The Cannondale marketing bods have termed the all-new Synapse the perfect ‘road’ bike with the ‘road’ in inverted commas because this bike actually represents the perfect balance between a road and gravel bike. With a magic mix of speed, comfort and capability the Synapse will ride well on all kinds of roads and a wide range of surfaces including smooth tarmac, more unpredictable un-made back lanes and gravel tracks. This brings us neatly to tyre clearance with the Cannondale Synapse accommodating tyres up to 35mm wide, allowing you to run gravel tyres with a minimal tread; with those 35mm tyres fitted there’s still 6mm of clearance between the tyre and frame/fork. Just like the previous version the engineers have included bolt-on bosses for mudguards so if you want to set up your Synapse for winter riding duties you can still run tyres up to 30mm wide with full mud guards.
The new Synapse is packed full of features that help accommodate a wider variety of riding styles and different terrains.
So after our brief summary of the new Synapse frame and fork configuration (remember to check back for our full ride-review of the Synapse 2 RL on Friday!) let’s get into Cannondale’s SmartSystem, a fully integrated system that works as one but is made up of the following constitute parts…
SmartSense
Front & Rear Lights
Rear Facing Radar
Radar Unit LED Display
Power Pack
Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Cannondale App (updated)
As our lives become increasingly influenced by tech in almost everything we do and we rely more and more on our Smartphones, GPS computers, Apps and even electronic gearing on our bikes our dependency on hi-tech gadgets is ever increasing. Up until now the trend has been for each manufacturer to do their own thing with compatibility and integration being an after-thought at best; Cannondale saw an opportunity to make things a little more user friendly while also improving rider experience and teamed up with Garmin to develop SmartSense for a completely integrated system.
Cannondale’s SmartSense is a fully integrated system that’s unique to the Synapse.
The headliner of the system is the SmartSense Radar consisting of a Garmin Varia rear facing Radar adapted for SmartSense; this clever setup gives you more confidence on the road by helping you ride in traffic without having to intermittently check over your shoulder. Radar detects vehicles approaching from behind at a distance of 140 metres. Once detected your Radar LED Display on the Synapse’s out-front handlebar mount gives a visual and audible signal alerting you to the oncoming vehicle. This clever LED display indicates the relative position and speed of all contacts and signals warnings for vehicles coming up too fast or too close. The Radar will also activate the rear light (we’ll go into the SmartSense lights in more depth in a moment) increasing the brightness of the light as the vehicle approaches, helping to alert the driver; upfront the SmartSense front light also brightens. It’s worth noting that while the Synapse bike ships with the standard Radar LED display unit the Radar SmartSense system also works with a Garmin, Wahoo or similar GPS head units or your Smartphone installed with the Cannondale App, lighting up in the same way.
The rear-facing Radar detects vehicles approaching from behind at a distance of 140 metres.
In use out on the open road I was impressed by how quickly and intuitively you adapt to using this system; the audible signal drew my attention and a quick glance down told me that a car was approaching from behind. It was surprisingly accurate with an instance where three cars coming up behind me at once were all indicated on the display at the same time. On another occasion a car came up behind me and then had to sit on my wheel until we had passed a blind bend, again a quick glance down to the display confirmed what I suspected was going on behind me. It seems like a small thing, but the fact that I didn’t have to glance over my shoulder left me more focused on the road ahead and definitely gave me a little more confidence riding in heavy traffic.
A audible signal on the Radar display draws your attention and a quick glance down tells you that a car is approaching from behind.
I quickly fell into the habit of glancing down to the Radar display to help understand what was going on behind me.
The SmartSense system on the all-new Synapse includes front and rear lights developed in partnership with leading bike light brand Lezyne; the front ‘Foresite’ light is neatly fitted to the out-front handlebar mount and the ‘Hindsite’ rear light fits neatly under the saddle and comes with various adapters to allow you to set it up with a saddle bag too if required. Both the SmartSense lights and the Radar system are powered by the SmartSense Powerpack developed by Garmin with both lights powering up and turning on automatically when you begin to ride. This is a sophisticated lighting system with some clever features including ambient light sensors to help ensure you have optimal visibility in all light conditions; the rear Hindsite light responds to your bike decelerating and brightens as you slow down to warn vehicles behind you. As I’ve already mentioned when I talked about the Radar system your rear light will also brighten when vehicles approach you from behind at a distance of 140 metres; upfront, as well as the Radar LED display your Foresite front light will also brighten to warn you that a vehicle is coming up behind you. The SmartSense Foresite headlight acts as the junction box which connects the system and is constructed with an aluminium body; you can also customise how your lights behave via the Cannondale App to set up the system to your preferred configuration.
The SmartSense ForeSite headlight with a powerful 350 Lumens lights up the road in front of you really well.
As the light fades the Synapse’s SmartSense light system provides enhanced visibility and road safety.
The HindSite rear light brightens when cars approach from behind as well as brightening as you decelerate to catch a driver’s attention.
The Cannondale SmartSense system gives you more confidence when you’re riding on short winter days.
SmartSense ForeSite Headlight
350 Lumens
SmartSense HindSite Tailight
25 Lumens
Integrates with SmartSense Radar
Feature inertial brake alert
Developed in partnership with fantastic light brand Lezyne the integrated Cannondale SmartSense headlight lights your way ahead.
The final piece of the puzzle which brings all of the Synapse’s integration together is the SmartSense Powerpack developed in partnership with Garmin. Let’s get one thing straight, this is no after-thought component that’s been hastily attached to where a bottle cage would normally sit. This powerpack is an intrinsic part of the Synapse’s frame, reflecting Cannondale’s commitment to this design principle, with a specially made cradle sitting neatly in a special recess that’s been molded into the carbon frame during production. The SmartSystem’s rechargeable battery is removed and refitted using a simple and secure lever and means that there is just one single power source for your lights and Radar system which can stay permanently attached to your bike. Here’s some quick facts on the SmartSense PowerPack…
The Cannondale SmartSense powerpack was developed in partnership with Garmin.
With the SmartSense powerpack there is just one single power source for your lights, Radar system and GPS unit if you’re running one.
SmartSense Powerpack
3 hour recharge time
150 day battery life in stand-by mode
5 hours average battery life
2:45 hours battery life in full blast mode
20+ hours battery life in lowest battery saver mode
SmartSense Wake-Up Options
There’s actually four different ways to turn on the SmartSense system…
Press battery button on Powerpack
Use Cannondale App SmartSense power button on Smartphone
‘Proximity Wake’ function – simply walk up to your Synapse with the Cannondale App on
‘Auto Wake’ function – just hop on and go; the Cannondale Wheel Sensor detects movement and powers up the system
Cannondale App & SmartSense
Like all good tech available out there the SmartSense system can be customised, controlled and analysed by a corresponding App; the existing Cannondale App has been updated to allow you to do the following…
View light and Radar status
Cycle through light modes
Customise SmartSense and light configurations in Settings menu
Update firmware directly
You can customise how the SmartSense Radar system behaves to suit you and your riding.
You can customise how your SmartSense lights behave via the Cannondale App.
Cannondale’s Garmin sensor communicates with your smartphone’s Cannondale App and gives you important riding stats.
So that’s the SmartSense system explained; this setup is exclusive to Cannondale, in partnership with Garmin and it’s a pretty impressive, fully-integrated way of equipping your bike with a sophisticated lighting and Radar system that includes a central rechargeable power source. When we first saw the all-new Synapse and listened to Cannondale’s presentation there was one big question from the group and you may well be asking yourself the same question right now. Is the Shimano Di2 electronic gearing also powered by the Garmin Powerpack? It seems like a no-brainer, however at the moment all Shimano Di2 drivetrains are still powered by their own independent seat tube battery; the team at Cannondale explained that Shimano’s system is so efficient when it comes to battery life that the current configuration works fine, however they did also hint that they were in talks with Shimano and that including the Di2 system within the SmartSense system could be a possibility in the future; it would certainly make sense.
The all-new Cannondale Synapse is ‘road reimagined’ according to the American bike brand, so how does it ride out on the punishing back roads of the Lake District National Park? Check in with us again on Friday to read a full review of the Cannondale Synapse 2 RLE in our upcoming Fast Bike Friday Feature…
There’s 6 Cannondale Synapse Models to Choose From
At the launch of the all-new Synapse Cannondale revealed six different models, all featuring Shimano groupsets and ranging from the Synapse 4 spec’d with Shimano Tiagra through to the super-hot Synapse 1 RLE spec’d with Shimano’s newest Dura-Ace Di2 electronic 12-speed groupset. The model names include a series of letters which indicate the inclusion of SmartSense tech per bike, as explained below…
R – Garmin Radar Unit & LED Display included
L – Foresite Headlight & Hindsite Taillight included
Stock of all 2022 Cannondale Synapse bikes will be available in store and online in the coming weeks; the all-new Cannondale Synapse 3 L is already in stock (at time of writing).
Have you seen our weekly 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!
The Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli Cyclo-Cross Team had barely got the mud out of their hair following last weekend’s National Cyclo-Cross championships down in Crawley before it was time to load up the van once again and head out to the final round of the National Trophy Series, which thankfully for our predominantly north-based team, was hosted on our doorstep at Broughton Hall near Skipton in Yorkshire.
The team rode brilliantly last weekend with some great results including a Silver medal in the Vet 40 category for Lewis Craven. The current Vet 40 World Champion would be in action again at Broughton Hall and back in his World Champs jersey for this final race of the season. Unfortunately our most successful racer of the season Rory McGuire had to miss the National Championships last weekend due to testing positive with COVID shortly before; he would be back racing for Wheelbase at Broughton Hall, but would he have enough time to make a full recovery? Lying in 2nd place overall in both the Senior and Under 23 categories going into this final round, would Rory be able to make a full return to health in time to defend his position or even improve on it in the main race Elite of the weekend on Sunday?..
Hope Technology were the event hosts for Round 6 of the National Trophy Cyclo-Cross Series and it was left to one of their very best racers Paul Oldham to set the course for a weekend packed full of fast and frenetic racing. Paul was able to call on years of racing experience to devise a course that suited all the race categories but still provided lots of technical challenges throughout as well as demanding climbs to help thin out the pack and make the racing as selective as possible. After a week of rain in the lead up to the races the course was incredibly slick and slippery; happily it’s exactly these sort of racing conditions that suit our very own Vet 40 World Champion Lewis Craven and following a short pre-race recce Lewis was very happy with both the technical course and the rutted, muddy surface.
Alongside Lewis in the Vet 40 race was Wheelbase’s seasoned campaigner Davie Lines who had made the long trip down from Scotland; equally adept racing on or off-road Davie was on form and ready to compete on a course that suited him just as much as teammate Lewis. A very fast start saw some select riders escape the pack and begin to pull away from Lewis; calling on years of racing experience Lewis kept a cool head and started to pull back the race-leaders by stealing time on the technical descents we’re he could really play to his strengths as an incredibly skilled bike handler. This race-tactic paid off quickly with Lewis catching the leaders and quickly building his own lead over the rest of the pack; with almost Jedi-like skills in the mud Lewis was able to continue to extend his lead staying upright where others faltered and fell on the super-slick track. After a consistent season and multiple podium spots at previous rounds of the National Trophy Series, Lewis was able to put his hands up in the air this time round as race winner! It was a great way for Lewis to end his season, looking all the more resplendent in his World Champion’s Rainbow Jersey. Pointing to the Wheelbase logo on his jersey as he crossed the line Lewis was quick to name-check us in post-race interviews, thanking the team for all of their support and hard work behind the scenes over the last few months.
Davie’s trip down south from Scotland proved fruitful as he raced consistently and in relative control on this challenging course, as others around him made small mistakes and lost time. Stretching things out on the long physically-demanding climbs Davie managed to ride into a top 10 place finishing an excellent 7th on the day. Elsewhere our Vet 50 racer Dave Haygarth lined up against another stacked field of racing talent, struggling to hide his glee at both the brilliantly laid-out course and the super-slick conditions which Dave has a long history of excelling in. After another long season of not only racing but acting as a race organiser, event host, cyclo-cross-focused multimedia guru and so much more it was great to see Dave take his highest placing at a National level with a brilliant 4th place in the Vet 50 race. Elsie Haygarth continues to develop her racing skills and experience at a national as well as league level; after taking on a full season of national racing she has made competing consistently against a very packed field of racing talent in the Under 14 Girls category look easy. Showing a mature, steely-eyed-focus on her racing and training bodes well for future seasons with another cool, composed race performance giving Elsie an excellent 13th place at Broughton Hall.
Lewis Craven excels in slick conditions like this.
Davie Lines made the trip from Scotland to race in Yorkshire.
Line choice is everything, Lewis looks ahead for his next move.
Part of the course quickly became un-rideable.
World Vet 40 Champ Lewis Craven knows how far he can push the grip of his tyres.
Lewis is pretty fast on his feet too when there’s no other option.
Davie Lines rode to a brilliant 7th place in the Vet 40 race.
Ever the professional, Lewis doesn’t forget his sponsors as he takes the win.
World Champion Lewis Craven takes the Vet 40 win for Wheelbase.
Lewis looks pretty composed after the race.
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli post-race debrief.
Dave Haygarth chose the final national-level race of the year to take his best result.
A fine 4th place for Dave Haygarth in the Vet 50 race.
Elsie Haygarth rounded out her season-long National Trophy Series campaign with a fine 13th place in the U14 Girls category.
SUNDAY RACES
Sunday’s racing saw more of the same when it came to technical racing conditions. With a cool, damp evening having no effect on the course in terms of potentially drying it out overnight and following the impact of all the racing from the day before if anything the course was even more challenging for the biggest races of the weekend. After a difficult week following a positive COVID test result the weekend before Rory McGuire was back on track and ready to defend his brilliant 2nd place overall in both the Senior Elite and Under 23 Elite race categories. Even without the extra pressure brought on by the COVID positive Rory was heading into the end of the long cyclo-cross season on the back of a lengthy spell racing in Belgium and following numerous high placings in the National Trophy Cyclo-Cross series including a fantastic win at Sunderland shortly before Christmas. Would Rory’s racing fitness and that valuable experience racing in Belgium outweigh his difficult spell of ill-health and the potential of fatigue following such a long spell of racing? Only time would tell…
Alongside Rory the Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli Cyclo-Cross team had a strong team for this final race of the series with Adam Bent lining up after a very impressive 20th place last weekend in his first Senior National Championships. Our evergreen Vet 40 World Champion Lewis Craven made the most of having a National Trophy race on his doorstep and returned to Broughton Hall following his big win from the day before to line up against the Elite Seniors for the final race of the weekend. Giles Drake had risen to the challenge of the National Championships taking a brilliant 13th place in Crawley and with course conditions very similar here his race held a lot of promise too.
As the flag dropped and the racing began it was no surprise to see the newly-crowned National Cyclocross Champion Thomas Mein take a commanding lead; having spent the majority of the season racing on the continent Thomas was on another level showing a great level of skills and fitness. Behind him the Wheelbase Team’s support crew had their focus set firmly on Rory’s progress and his potential to wrap a high overall placing in the series standings; racing in a composed manner despite the difficult conditions Rory was able to consolidate a high placing in the the top ten during the race. The effects of the difficult week in the build-up to the final round of the series were not to be underestimated and Rory showed a great level of maturity to bounce back, remain positive and stay focused on the job in hand, eventually finishing in 7th place to secure a 3rd place overall and a Bronze medal for the Senior Elite series. Thanks to Rory’s young age he was also eligible for the Under 23 Category too and he was able to secure 3rd place in that competition too. Despite that late-season bad luck off the track Rory has been the revelation of the Cyclo-Cross season and holds a great deal of promise for the future; after a short break Rory will be shifting disciplines, moving over to Cross-Country Mountain Bike racing at both a national and international level and Wheelbase look forward to continuing to support him in his endeavours.
Elsewhere in this demanding race Adam Bent continued his good patch of racing form with a brilliant top-ten placing, making short work of the difficult course and excelling on the long, draggy climbs onboard his Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX bike which does a particularly good job of shedding mud and keeping the wheels rolling thanks to that extra tyre clearance engineered into this new-generation Cyclo-cross bike. Unfortunately Giles was on an extremely rare off-day, eventually pulling out of the race due to feeling unwell; meanwhile Lewis Craven, back in action after his win yesterday, was racing strongly in the mud and showing his superior bike-handling skills to take his best result in the senior Elite this season. His brilliant 10th place meant that the Wheelbase team placed 3 riders in the top 10 – a fantastic showing at the end of a long race-season!
After a difficult week Rory knew what he needed to do.
Lewis Craven was back in his conventional Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli jersey to compete in the Elite Senior race.
Giles Drake was having a very rare off day and eventually ended up with a DNF.
This portion of the course was catching out some riders, not Rory though.
Adam Bent racing to a top 10 place onboard his Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX bike.
The weekend’s difficult conditions kept the pit crews busy.
Rory had to go deep to hold on to his overall race series ambitions.
Rory McGuire was on the podium to take 3rd overall in the Under 23 category.
3rd overall Senior, 3rd overall Under 23. What a fantastic race season for Rory!
It’s been a long race season, but it’s been a successful one! Thanks to everyone involved.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR WHEELBASE CABTECH CASTELLI TEAM RIDERS FOR THEIR CONTINOUS HARD WORK, PROFESSIONALISM AND FANTASTIC RESULTS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. MASSIVE THANKS TO ALL OF OUR TEAM SPONSORS WHO CONTINUE TO HELP US TO RACE WEEK IN, WEEK OUT. SPECIAL HEARTFELT THANKS TO EVERYONE BEHIND THE SCENCES WHO HELPS KEEP THE WHEELS ROLLING DURING SOME OF THE HARSHEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
Have you seen our weekly 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!
May 28th and 29th 2022 sees the return of the challenging #JENNRIDE two day Bike Packing event taking place in the Lake District National Park!
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! Thanks to all of his hard work behind the scenes we can again look forward to two days of bike packing adventures on 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 will again be 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.
300 places are available and a £5.00 fee will get you a place via Eventbrite (see link below), which covers expenses like toilet hire and event boards. Event organiser Rich will be setting up a Just Giving fundraising page which he has done every year since the ride in memory of Jenn. Just Giving is the preferred way of collecting donations as St Gemma’s Hospice receives extra via Gift Aid this way.
Hit the link to find out more and register with Eventbrite: ENTER NOW
This past weekend saw the National Cyclocross Championships take place in Crawley in the South of England, a big trip for the majority of our northern based Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli cyclocross team but a journey that our team undertook full of hope and optimism for a successful weekend of racing across a wide range of age categories. We went into the weekend with big hopes for Rory McGuire who has taken the UK cyclocross season by storm with multiple podium places in the National Trophy Cyclocross Series Elite races, including a brilliant win at the Sunderland round. Returning from a racing stint in the Cyclocross heartland of Belgium Rory brought back with him some fantastic form and racing experience from the most demanding races in the world, however, sadly it was not to be. We got the call from Rory early on Saturday that he had in fact tested positive for COVID and was in isolation; this was a real blow to poor Rory, with really unfortunate timing to fall sick with the virus and was a big blow to the team’s remaining racers and support crew going into the first races of the weekend.
It was due to COVID last year that racing was cancelled and the 2021 National Championships failed to take place. This meant that our very own National Vet 40 racer Lewis Craven had held the title since he took it in the muddy conditions of Shrewsbury way back in January 2020 shortly before we all started to live with the global pandemic. With Lewis’ long reign coming to a close it was time for him to attempt to successfully defend the jersey in similar racing conditions; we all rubbed our hands together when we saw the course and the difficult muddy conditions which we all knew Lewis excels in. In a tight race from beginning to end, Lewis fought a valiant race-long battle with his usual rivals Paul Oldham and Adrian Lansley with Lansley coming out on top this year and Lewis taking a close 2nd place to take the Silver Medal; although disappointed with the outcome of the race Lewis can console himself with the thought that he’s still the Vet 40 World Champion after taking that win just a few weeks ago.
Dave Haygarth was spotted doing multiple rain dances in the run up to his Vet 50 race and Saturday morning certainly delivered, making this technically demanding course even more difficult to master and playing right into Dave’s hands as a racer who warmly welcomes the ‘tractor-pull’ conditions of deep mud and slick conditions. Using a mix of powerful pedalling on the straights, levitating over slippery off-camber sections and putting those long legs to good use over the numerous running sections and steps Dave raced strongly to take an excellent 10th place in his race.
Elsie Haygarth seems to have had the worse of the weather in nearly all of her races this season with rain and mud featuring heavily. Thankfully she has the same taste for mud as Dave and made short work of some of the most difficult parts of the Crawley race course. With a cool, calm attitude to her racing and a natural talent for bike handling even in those demanding conditions Elsie continued her successful season with a consistent race, placing 18th at the end of the race.
Fast-forward to Sunday and the weekend’s main event – the Elite National Cyclocross Championship and an opportunity for our remaining Senior and Under 23 riders to shine. With Rory McGuire sidelined due to COVID all eyes were on our remaining team riders to see who would be able to best handle those difficult racing conditions. In a similar way to Dave Haygarth in the Vet 50 race, Giles Drake was excited to see the difficult, super-slick, muddy racing conditions declaring that he’s been waiting for these sort of racing conditions all season long. With everything coming together at the right time Giles was able to back up his usual consistent run of results at the season-long National Trophy Series with a brilliant 13th place at Crawley Nationals. Remaining calm and focused throughout the race Giles was able to call on bags of racing experience and make small gains in sections of the course where he knew he could excel. Elsewhere in the race Lewis Craven was riding strongly following his Silver Medal result from the day before. Lewis is another rider who is well known for his immense skillset in the mud and put those skills to good use racing to a fine 15th position against riders who in some cases were more than 20 years younger than him!
Speaking of youth our final two Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team racers really impressed too in this most highly-stacked, difficult Elite race of the year; both Adam Bent and Flynn Gregory have only recently progressed up from the junior ranks and are now showing their natural talent in the more frenetic racing of the senior elites. Adam and Flynn are tremendously focused in their training and have strong engines that are equally matched with Jedi-like bike handling skills and they were both able to take advantage of the day’s difficult conditions to take 20th and 32nd place respectively.
Congratulations to all of our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team riders and a MASSIVE thanks to Stu Reid, Tyla Loftus and everyone else involved in the support and logisitcs of the team who all contributed to the success of the team at this year’s National Cyclocross Championships. Next weekend sees the final round of the National Trophy Cyclocross series and we hope to see Rory McGuire back in time to race for 1st place overall in the series!…
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli Race Results
Veteran Men MV40
2nd – Lewis Craven Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
Veteran Men MV50
10th – David Haygarth Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
Under 14 Girls
18th – Elsie Haygarth Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
BIG thanks to Nick and his team from Man Down Media for capturing all of the action over the two days of racing and snapping all of our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team riders. Check out our photo extravaganza below!..
In a tight race Lewis just missed out on defending his National Vet 40 Champion’s jersey taking 2nd place and the silver medal.
Dave Haygarth was spotted doing a rain dance shortly before his race, the filthier the course, the happier Dave is.
With a mix of draggy pedalling sections and portions of the course that were faster on foot Haygarth was able to capitalise on the conditions.
A short set of steps favoured the ‘suit-casing’ carrying method rather than full-on shouldering – text book stuff from Dave Haygarth.
Resplendent in our fresh new Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team kit Elsie Haygarth raced strongly in the U14 Girls category.
100% focused on her race Elsie remained composed throughout the attritional U14 Girls race.
The Elite National Cyclocross Championship race was the last competition of the weekend and saw our own Adam Bent take off with a fast start.
Giles Drake has had his usual consistent season racing in the National Trophy Series, but chose the National Champs to really shine.
Following his brilliant silver medal in the Vet 40 race Lewis Craven was back in action in the Elite race on the Sunday.
Flynn Gregory has really impressed this season, with his move up into the senior ranks almost looking easy.
Adam Bent’s strength and confidence racing in the mud shone through in the frenetic Elite race.
Giles Drake onboard his Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX wasn’t phased by that thick mud thanks to massive amounts of tyre clearance.
Giles admitted after the race that he’d been waiting all season for race conditions like this.
When race conditions are this difficult it’s important to remain calm and controlled; despite a few offs Adam was able to stay focused.
Lewis’ rainbow paintjob on his helmet reminds us that he’s the current World Vet 40 Champion.
A super-technical course full of tight turns, steep descents and off-camber stretches played to the strengths of our skillful Wheelbase Cyclocross team racers.
Flynn plunges down a steep descent while keeping control on one of the most demanding race courses of the season.
Giles brought his A-game to the Cyclocross National Championships finishing in a brilliant 13th place on the day.
Giles rode the awesome Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX to 13th place at the Cyclocross National Championships read our full review of the bike HERE.
Have you seen our weekly 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!
For our very first Fast Bike Friday feature of 2022 we’re taking a look at an aero road bike that sits at the very pinnacle of what’s currently available to race on the road. This premium Cannondale SystemSix Hi-Mod Dura-Ace Di2 road bike boasts the sort of frame technology and aerodynamic properties that can be found at the highest levels of international professional road racing, along with an equipment specification that cannot be bettered. Featuring the very latest tech from Shimano this race-ready machine features the all-new Dura-Ace 12-speed semi-wireless electronic groupset and is finished off with Cannondale’s own propriety carbon aero components.
When a bike looks fast stood still you know the Cannondale designers are onto something.
Before we get into the details and break down all that’s good with the Systemsix Hi-Mod it’s worth us highlighting just how much we love this super-fast Cannondale here at Wheelbase. It’s a model that has been around for a few seasons already and which was way ahead of the curve at its launch in July 2018. Claimed to be the World’s fastest UCI-legal road bike at the time of launch the SystemSix has since proved itself within the highest level of professional road racing with countless wins and podium places. As long term sponsors of our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli racing team Cannondale have very kindly supplied us with the SystemSix aero road bike to race on over the last few seasons. For some of our long-serving team racers the change from the more traditional Supersix which they previously raced on, to this aero machine was like comparing night and day; as race speeds continue to increase and aero-efficiency plays an ever more important role in the outcome of most races the SystemSix has proved to be exactly the race tool that our successful team needed.
We believed in the SystemSix so much that we choose it as the race bike for our Wheelbase Castelli Cabtech racing team.
The SystemSix is a true race weapon; it’s almost invisible from the front thanks to that aerodynamic profiling.
The headline with the SystemSix is most definitely ‘it’s fast’, but it’s not just straight line fast, there’s far more going on here; thanks to an in-depth design and manufacturing process that involved countless hours of deep scientific research and testing Cannondale can rightfully claim that the SystemSix Hi-Mod is faster in almost ALL riding and racing scenarios. This is one aero road bike that has plenty of ‘real world’ stats to back up Cannondale’s claims, so let’s break it down..
Fast Uphill
You’d typically expect an aero road bike like this to be slower on the climbs, however Cannondale state that the SystemSix is faster than a lightweight climbing bike on gradients of 6% or lower, pointing out that most Tour De France climbs average out at around 7-8%. I can remember riding with one of the Wheelbase Team riders in training shortly after they made the move over to the SystemSix from the older Supersix and they mentioned that it felt like they could hold their speed more effectively on longer, more gradual climbs.
Every surface, angle and bend has been carefully designed following extensive wind-tunnel and CFD testing.
Fast on Rolling Terrain
As average speeds in road races have increased, the need to remain aerodynamically efficient has increased too; scientifically, of all the forces you need to overcome to make speed aerodynamic drag has been proven to be the most significant. So cutting out unwanted drag in ALL racing scenarios will translate into more speed with less effort. On rolling terrain, over longer distances these small aero-improvements quickly multiply into a tangible advantage.
Faster Downhill
Cannondale rolled pretty deep on their research during the development of the SystemSix and can legitimately claim that this race bike is also faster on the downhills. Here’s an impressive stat – on a decent with a 5% gradient a conventional non-aero road bike would need to have an extra 300 watts of power input to keep up with a rider on a SystemSix; that means you’re spinning and recovering while they’re pedalling hard just to keep up!
The dropped seatstays enter the seat tube horizontally to further enhance the SystemSix’s aero efficiency.
Faster in the Sprint
Fancy your chances in the sprint? Maybe you’re always there or there abouts at the finish of your local weekly crit? Let’s face it, nine times out of ten the break gets caught and it comes down to a bunch sprint; according to the technical bods at Cannondale in a 200 metre sprint if you and your nearest rival were both putting out 1,000 watts and you were on a SystemSix you would be four bike lengths ahead at the finish line and there’d be no need to be checking the photo finish.
The carbon fiber aerodynamic seatpost blends seamlessly into the frame with a seat clamp neatly stowed away internally.
Faster on the flats
More science and more stats from Cannondale – as I’ve mentioned already, average speeds of road races at almost every level continue to increase as the bikes get even better and racers get more proficient at training, nutrition and racing to power; even at amateur level, speeds have gone up significantly. At 30mph the SystemSix reportedly saves you over 50 watts, that’s not an insignificant amount when you consider that an average Cat 1 amateur racer’s Functional Threshold Power is approximately 350 watts so you’ll definitely feel fresher deeper into your race when the race-winning action usually happens.
Airflow has been analysed on every surface of the SystemSix frame and fork, resulting in some unique configurations.
Everyday Free Speed
We’re not all avid road racers, sometimes we’re just out riding at a more civilised speed on the weekly club run or taking on an all-day epic. Cannondale assure us that the SystemSix requires around 10% less power input to maintain speed, this means you’ll be ready to sprint for the town signs when all your mates are flagging.
A stunning silver & red paintjob along with simple graphics give the SystemSix Hi-Mod a stripped-back, stylish look.
‘Integration’ is a term that’s been used a lot recently by the bike trade, particularly when it comes to full-on aerodynamic road bikes. When Cannondale originally developed this bike they quickly realised that to be as aero-efficient as possible it had to be designed as one complete integrated system – hence the name ‘SystemSix’. Cannondale’s system consisted of a holistically designed six-point system with the frame, fork, seatpost, handlebar, stem and wheels all being engineered to work as one complete unit which significantly cheats the wind.
A fully-integrated cockpit means that the junction between the stem, headset and frame is almost seamless.
With the aim of minimising drag and being as aero-efficient as possible both the frame and fork heavily feature truncated airfoil profiles which have been developed to hold and maintain airflow across their surface, not just head-on but at angles of yaw too. While we’re talking about the frame and fork it’s worth pointing out this particular model of SystemSix is constructed from Cannondale’s lightest grade of carbon fibre ‘Hi-Mod’. Cannondale’s Hi-Mod carbon is not only lighter than their standard carbon, it’s stiffer too meaning that the SystemSix Hi-Mod Dura Ace Di2 is more responsive to pedaling input; when you jump out of the saddle and put in an attack the bike will jump ahead, while those aero properties we’ve already highlighted will take over as you settle in to the breakaway to help you hold your speed.
The SystemSix Hi-Mod’s headtube is profiled to cut through the air efficiently; the junction between the frame and fork is super-smooth.
Continuing their sophisticated approach to total integration and the creation of one complete aerodynamic system the designers and engineers at Cannondale developed their own handlebar, stem and headset configuration. The brief was clear – create a cockpit that efficiently cheats the wind but not at the expense of comfort or adjustability; while some other bike brands have gone down the route of producing a one-piece carbon bar and stem which can’t be adjusted to refine a rider’s personal fit, Cannondale have ensured that the HollowGram KNØT SystemBar and Stem can be adjusted independently despite their seamless appearance. The profile of the aero bar is as comfortable as it is ‘aero’ with an aerofoil profile that also feels good in your hands. User-friendly adjustability continues with the interchangeable stem which is available in a variety of lengths and rises; elsewhere the Knot seatpost features a truncated airfoil profile, reducing drag and even negating the effects of the high-speed airflow that’s accelerated between the rider’s legs.
Cannondale’s propriety HollowGram KNOT carbon SystemBar and HollowGram KNOT alloy stem keep the front of the SystemSix really aerodynamic.
Cannondale have managed to make the junction between the stem and handlebar really smooth while keeping plenty of adjustability.
The newest iteration of the Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset launched to the public in the Autumn of 2021 and there were two significant headlines – first off the Japanese brand had made the leap to a 12-speed drivetrain, catching up with their component-manufacturing equivalents SRAM and Campagnolo. Secondly their all-new electronic groupset had gone wireless, well, semi-wireless to be exact, with Shimano taking a ‘best of both worlds’ approach which sees all the benefits of having totally wireless shifter units on the handle bars so that the need to route wires from the bar through the stem and into the frame are eliminated, while keeping a wired portion which links the front and rear derailleur with an internal battery which powers them both. Shimano aren’t a brand to be rushed into developing sub-standard technology, taking the time to consider the best design solutions to achieve the greatest level of efficiency and usability; Shimano say that this new configuration guarantees longer run times thanks to a more efficient central source of power, compared say, to totally wireless front and rear derailleurs which require their own battery power source located on the mechs themselves (as seen on the SRAM system).
I recently put together an in-depth feature on Shimano’s 12-speed Dura Ace Di2 groupset, highlighting all of the key features of this super-hi-tech electronic semi-wireless groupset. You can check it out here.
The SystemSix boasts Shimano’s top-of-the-range 12-speed Dura-Ace Di2 electronic grouptest.
The 12-speed RD-R9250 rear derailleur is the brains of the Dura-Ace Di2 12-groupset.
The latest iteration of Shimano’s Di2 electronic gear system boasts a much more compact front derailleur.
Dura-Ace Di2 R2900 features 12-speed wireless shifters.
Shimano’s Dura-Ace BR-R9270 hydraulic brake calipers are more compact than their predecessors.
The Dura-Ace Di2 R2900 wireless shifter and hydraulic brake lever now features a slightly taller profile for a more secure hold on the hoods.
This latest Dura-Ace Di2 groupset features compact RT-MT900 disc rotors that have migrated over from Shimano’s mountain bike groupsets.
Going back to Cannondale’s completely ‘integrated system’ design approach to the SystemSix Hi-Mod the 64 KNØT SL carbon wheels that feature on the bike have been developed to be an intrinsic part of the complete aero-efficient race bike. The HollowGram 64 KNØT SL wheels were reportedly the first component of the SystemSix project to be developed and magically blend the speed benefits of a low-drag profile with the lightweight, fast-rolling properties required to gain a jump on the competition and the ability to hold your speed over longer distances. These disc-brake-specific wheels boast an extra wide rim to help give the tyre a wider footprint for more comfort and control. Taking aero-efficiency to the extremes Cannondale have even measured the airflow over the join between the tyre and the rim with this wider rim configuration also helping to make your tyre and wheel combination be more aerodynamic.
The SystemSix Hi-Mod Dura-Ace Di2 aero road bike is spec’d with some super-fast HollowGram 64 SL KNØT SL carbon wheels.
Another small but welcome addition to the SystemSix Hi-Mod aero road bike is Cannondale’s own wheel sensor fitted to the front HollowGram 64 KNØT SL wheel. Developed in partnership with Garmin this integrated sensor delivers accurate speed, route and distance information to Cannondale’s own Smartphone App and also allows you to register your bike and track exactly when your bike next needs to be serviced.
Cannondale include their own wheel sensor on the SystemSix Hi-Mod Dura-Ace Di2 road bike, ready to pair up with their own Smartphone App.
Super-light with deep 64mm carbon rims, the Knot SL wheelset is both aerodynamic and spritely on the climbs.
Cannondale have included a short-nosed Fizik Tempo Argo R3 saddle which will suit the sort of riding position you’ll find yourself in mid-race.
The Cannondale SystemSix Hi-Mod is a race-ready machine which is super-aero with tons of scientific data to back up those claims. Cannondale have engineered a super-aero road bike that will help you race more efficiently and more effectively so that you feel fresher and less fatigued longer into a race, leaving you in a position to either make the race-winning move or at least follow the attacks and hold your own in the breakaway. The SystemSix climbs surprisingly well, sprints brilliantly thanks to that extra-stiff Hi-Mod carbon chassis and holds your speed when you’ve got your head down and are time-trialing your way to the finish line. As I’ve highlighted in this feature, Cannondale’s fully integrated ‘system’ approach to the design and manufacture of the SystemSix, including all of the main components, even the wheels means that this aero bike is super-fast. Factor in Shimano’s 12-speed Dura-Ace Di2 electronic groupset and you’ve got a premium ‘race-ready’ road bike that you’ll struggle to out-spec.
The Cannondale SystemSix Hi-Mod Dura-Ace Di2 is a premium road racing bike at the very top of the aero-road-bike tree; there are NO compromises to this bike’s specification.
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