Wheelbase have an exclusive offer! We’ve got 35% off the Merida eOne-Sixty 10K EP801 e-mountain bike featuring a carbon frame, Fox 38 Factory forks, full Shimano XTR groupset, RockShox Reverb AXS dropper, a DT Swiss Spline HXC1501 carbon wheelset and Shimano’s powerful new EP801 motor.
Was £10,000 Now £6,499 exclusively at Wheelbase. Save 35% on Merida eOne-Sixty 10K while stocks last…
Cervélo have just launched their all-new, slick-looking aerodynamic carbon fibre Rouvida bike! But is it a gravel bike or a road bike? The answer is yes, to both of those questions. Oh, and one more thing, it’s an e-bike too!
Cervélo have surprised us with their first ever foray into e-bikes and their unique approach to the design and production of the Rouvida has really captured our attention thanks to its super-versatile carbon frame and powerful, efficient Fazua e-bike drive system.
With a yearning for faster speeds and a more rewarding ride experience, particularly on long draggy climbs and epic all-day adventures, Cervélo’s design brief called for a powerful e-road-bike that could excel on and off-road, injecting more power into your ride while still feeling as authentic as a non-e-bike. Not only that, but it had to perform just like one of their world-renowned road race bikes AND handle like one of their most agile gravel bikes too!
The Cervélo Rouvida has been sleekly designed around a super-compact but powerful Fazua Ride60 motor located at the bottom bracket and delivering 60Nm of torque. This almost completely silent motor is paired with a slim 432Wh internal battery located in the downtube, with the drive system assisting you up to the usual 15.5mph legal cut-off.
Whether you choose to ride your Rouvida on or off-road that pedal assist up to 15.5mph really comes into play on those long tarmac climbs or steep, technical gravel tracks, helping to keep your momentum up and your pedaling cadence silky-smooth. When you do hit that motor cut-off there’s no drag from the cranks and with such a compact, lightweight drive system the bike still feels spritely, responsive and agile.
Cervélo have seamlessly integrated the Fazua drive system into the Rouvida, with the overall look of the frame and fork being slick and aero; it’s fair to say that if you lined up the Rouvida alongside their Soloist or S5 aerodynamic road bikes it wouldn’t look out of place and you probably wouldn’t even notice that it is in fact an e-bike. Cervélo took the Rouvida into the wind tunnel as part of the design process and tweaked the placement of the internal battery in the downtube to improve aerodynamics and maintain the overall design aesthetics of this powerful e-road-bike.
Fazua Ride 60 Drive System Fast Facts:
So back to that headliner of the all-new Rouvida being available as a road bike OR a gravel bike depending on your preferences; the first thing to say is this isn’t just a spec change of tyres and components, as seen on other bikes by other brands. Instead of limiting the geometry to only one configuration, with the result being a ride quality that doesn’t really excel at either cycling discipline, Cervélo have designed some clever interchangeable dropouts that significantly alter the geometry of the bike, so the road bike feels like a road bike, and the gravel bike feels like a gravel bike!
Considered more influential on ride quality than your typical ‘flip-chip’ the Cervélo Rouvida’s interchangeable dropouts actually rotate the entire frame to achieve the sort of fit and bike handling you’d expect from Cervélo’s specialist road bikes or gravel bikes. This design approach really does give you more versatility and ride options as your cycling adventures evolve.
Road & Gravel Geometry Comparison:
Cervélo Rouvida Rival XPLR AXS 1 £7,200.00
Cervélo Rouvida Force XPLR AXS 1 £9,500.00
Cervélo Rouvida GRX £6,000.00
Look out for the all-new Cervélo Rouvida coming to Wheelbase in-store and online in early 2024!
The Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge run a ballot for general entries, the window for entering the ballot is 01/12/23 -10/12/23
The event organisers have moved their general ballot entries process from January to December to allow you more time for training over the holidays in preparation for the ride.
The ballot will only be open for 10 days this year, so get your entries in as soon as they go live!
The entry fee is £99 plus a small fixed transaction charge.
All successful places will be notified via email on 14/12/23.
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. We are proud to continue our title sponsorship of the Fred Whitton Challenge for the fast-approaching 2024 event.
Are you ready? An early entry to the 2024 Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge gives you more time to train for the UK’s toughest cycling sportive.
Set to take place on Sunday the 12th of May 2024 the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge can rightfully claim to be the UK’s most grueling Sportive taking in all the major mountain passes in the Lake District, with each climb striking some level of fear in even the most accomplished of cyclists. Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Wrynose and Blea Tarn test each and every rider with the most iconic climb – Hardknott Pass and its 30% gradients proving to be almost unrideable for a great number of participants. There’s over 3,500 metres of climbing to navigate with Hardknott coming late in the day, 94 miles into the 112 course.
We captured all the action of the 2023 Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge, check it out on YouTube!…
Need more inspiration to enter the 2024 Fred Whitton Challenge? Check out our 2023 event report below…
The Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge 2023 took place under blue skies on Sunday the 7th of May. Over 2,000 participants completed the U.K.’s toughest sportive, being cheered on by large crowds of supporters at key parts of the course including the infamous climbs that cruelly come in the latter half of this 112 mile ride. The climbs of Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Wrynose, Blea Tarn and the poster child – Hardknott Pass with its 30% gradients, are a test of endurance for even the most accomplished cyclists. HUGE congratulations to each and every rider who successfully completed the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge in 2023.
Each and every rider was encouraged by roadside spectators, dotted around the 112 mile course.
Back for its 23rd edition the Fred Whitton Challenge sponsored by Wheelbase continues to raise an enormous amount of money for important charities including MacMillan Cancer Support and the Great North Air Ambulance. Cyclists from all over the U.K. and beyond made the trip to the heart of the Lake District to take on this infamous ride and enjoy fantastic levels of support from the roadside as they aimed to complete the course in a respectable time.
Fred Whitton Challenge participants would start and finish in the village of Grasmere.
As well as sponsoring the event Wheelbase were on hand throughout the weekend to provide mechanical assistance for participants before their ride. We were also represented out on the open road, with a small number of our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team riding together in an attempt to set the fastest time of the day.
Wheelbase’s Tyla Loftus, grandson of the Fred Whitton Challenge’s President Paul Loftus MBE took on ‘The Whitton’ this year.
With a stunning average speed of over 20mph our team riders would go on to take post some of the fastest finishing times of the event with Tom Armstrong finishing in 3rd place with a time of 5hrs 29mins, Tom Merry taking 4th place with a time of 5hrs 31mins, Louis Moore finishing in 5th place with a time of 5hrs 35mins and Giles Drake taking 6th place with a time of 5hrs and 36mins. BIG respect to young Finaly Hawker from rival team Zappi who rode with the Wheelbase lads before eventually chipping off solo over the toughest climbs of Hardknot and Wrynose; he would record an amazing time of 5hrs and 26mins.
A special shout out to some of our Wheelbase staff who also took on the Fred Whitton challenge. With our riders each returning to the finish line with a different story to tell we were particularly proud to see our ‘Saturday lad’ young Henry Hunter finish in 10th place overall with a fantastic finishing time of 6hrs and 56secs!
Tom Armstrong finished in 3rd place with a fantastic finishing time of 5hrs 29mins.
Tom Merry digging deep on Hardknott, would eventually take 4th place with a time of 5hrs 31mins.
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli’s Louis Moore finished in 5th place with a great time of 5hrs 35mins.
2022’s fastest finisher Giles Drake took 6th place with a time of 5hrs and 36mins at the 2023 edition.
You can see all Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge 2023 results HERE.
HUGE congratulations to each and every rider who successfully completed the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge in 2023. Scroll through our huge gallery of photos from our talented freelance photographer James Vincent below…
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by James Vincent
Video by Johnny Dodgin
Have you seen our regular fast bikes feature? You can now see all of our fast bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Features too!
Click the link below and search our archive…
Now’s the time to buy your child’s bike for Christmas! We’ve got special offers on selected kid’s bikes to suit all ages. Shop now while stocks last.
We’ve pulled together some fantastic Black Friday deals, with some prices better than half price! Special offers on Endura, Rapha & Castelli Clothing. Amazing deals on selected bikes. Limited Stock, be quick!
£,1,919.00 raised for important charities British Heart Foundation and Manna House, Kendal!
Wheelbase would like to say a HUGE thanks to professional cyclist Fred Wright, event host Alistair Boston and our fantastic audience for all helping to make ‘It’ll Be All Wright On The Night – An Audience With Fred Wright’ a brilliantly entertaining evening which included tons of insightful stories from Fred and a charity auction & raffle, helping to raise important funds for our chosen charities, The British Heart Foundation and Manna House, Kendal.
Our star guest Fred Wright held the audience’s attention all night with his tales from the pro peloton.
It was great to see so many people attending our audience with Fred Wright, helping us to raise money for important charities.
Event host Alistair Boston enthusiastically jumped into the role of interviewer and encouraged Fred to share some of his most entertaining stories and elaborate on his personal experience of being a modern professional cyclist in one of the biggest teams in the World. Fred told us of his keen interest in cycling during his early years and his unusual path into the world of pro road racing. Later on in the evening we learnt more about how he now trains and competes at the highest level with Fred answering questions from the audience on a wide range of subjects including diet & nutrition, altitude training, equipment, wind tunnel testing and more candid subjects such as who he most likes to room with on the Grand Tours and who is the funniest pro in the peloton.
It was fascinating to listen to Fred’s experiences of racing at the highest level of the sport.
The evening was full of insights into training and racing, as well as some great behind the scenes stories involving Fred’s teammates.
Fred kindly signed autographs and chatted with fans in between interviews with host Alistair Boston.
Sharpie in hand, Fred was ready to sign race memorabilia and photos while meeting members of the audience.
Following Fred’s in-depth interview Alistair got the crowd going and kicked-off the charity auction in an effort to raise important funds for our chosen charities. With some great items to bid for we saw some fantastic bidding wars take place with amounts quickly growing for some of the most coveted jerseys on offer including a signed National Road Racing Championship jersey kindly donated from Fred Wright. Afterwards Fred called out the winning numbers for our charity raffle with lots of people from the audience winning some great prizes at the end of a really entertaining evening.
Alistair Boston was a fantastic host, interviewing Fred brilliantly before getting the crowd going for the all-important charity auction.
Fred Wright brought along one of his cutting-edge Bahrain Victorious team bikes, supplied by team equipment sponsors Merida.
All proceeds from our event tickets, an auction of cycling memorabilia including Fred Wright’s National Champion jersey and a raffle at the end of the evening raised a fantastic £,1,919.00 for important charities British Heart Foundation and Manna House, Kendal!
Fred Wright very kindly teamed up with event organisers Wheelbase and host Alistair Boston for a fantastic evening of entertainment.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by Dave MacFarlane
Have you seen our Fast Bike 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 Feature Blogs too! Food.
Click the link below and search our archive…
Join us for an entertaining evening with current National Road Race Champion, international pro racer Fred Wright!
Wheelbase Lake District and The Fred Whitton Challenge are hosting an audience with professional road racer Fred Wright at the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal on Tuesday the 21st of November.
Fred’s racing career has gone from strength to strength over recent seasons, with some outstanding performances on the international race calendar. Racing for UCI WorldTeam Bahrain Victorious Fred has quickly gained a reputation as one of the peloton’s most tenacious riders, getting himself in multiple breakaways of the Grand Tours in a bid for a career-defining stage win. Fred’s 2023 season was crowned with a well-deserved National Road Championship win, making him instantly recognisable within the bunch in the iconic red, white and blue striped jersey.
Join us for an insightful evening with Fred as he talks us through his racing career so far, takes questions from the audience and helps us draw the raffle, which will see us awarding some fantastic prizes!
We will also be auctioning Fred’s National Road Race Champion jersey on the night, raising important funds for our chosen charities The British Heart Foundation and Manna House, Kendal.
It’ll Be All Wright On The Night – An Audience With Fred Wright
Tickets Cost £16.00 + booking fee with all profits going to our chosen charities.
Tuesday 21st November, Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, LA9 6RG (Map HERE)
Doors Open: 6.30pm
Event Start: 7.30pm
Interval: 8.30pm
Raffle & Auction: 10.00pm
Fred Wright will be taking audience questions as part of the evening’s entertainment. You can leave your questions now by clicking the link below; the best ones will be put to Fred during the event. It’ll be All Wright on the Night!
We’ve got exclusive, not to be repeated offers on Orbea Wild E-Mountain Bikes! Voted ‘Bike of the Year’ by BikeRadar these agile e-MTB’s featuring powerful Bosch Performance Line CX motors controlled by Smart System and paired with Bosch Powertube internal batteries are ready to recharge your riding experience and inject more fun into your mountain biking. Enjoy up to 36% off Orbea Wild E-Mountain Bikes while stocks last…
Orbea Wild FS H20 Was £5,899.00 NOW £3,999.00
Orbea Wild FS M-Team Was £8,999.00 NOW £5,999
Orbea Wild FS M-LTD Was £10,999.00 NOW £6,999.00
Orbea Wild FS H10 Was £6,499.00 NOW £4,499.00
Orbea Wild FS H30 Was £5,299.00 NOW £3,499.00
We’ve got great Black Friday deals on selected indoor trainers! If you’re looking for easy to set up, no-nonsense trainers we’ve got some fantastic options which will make the ideal introduction to indoor training. Save up to 46% while stocks last…
Elite Qubo Power Mag Smart Trainer Was £274.00 NOW £149.00
Wahoo Kickr Snap Powertrainer Was £429.00 Now £249.00
Tacx Boost Trainer Bundle Was £249.00 NOW £175.00
Orbea Occam H20 Eagle Was £3,799.00 NOW £1,899.00
Whyte 909 2023 Was £3,500.00 NOW £1,999.00
Trek Marlin 8 Was £925.00 NOW £579.00
Nukeproof Scout 290 Elite Was £2,499.00 NOW £1,799.00
Cannondale Moterra Neo 3 Was £5,750.00 NOW £3,699.00
JOIN US FOR THE ‘DRESSED AS SANTA’ MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE!
MEET AT THE EAGLE & CHILD PUB, STAVELEY AT 6.30PM
TICKETS ON THE NIGHT OR FROM THE BAR – £10.00
INCLUDES HALF-WAY DRINKS & SUPPER ON RETURN
CHARITY RAFFLE, EVERYONE WELCOME
PROCEEDS FOR THE 3 VALLEYS CHALLENGE FUND
SUPPORTING CANCER RESEARCH
The 2022 edition was a great success with plenty of money raised for charity.
Join us for a great ride, half way drinks & supper on return at the Eagle & Child in Staveley, the South Lakes.
