Author: Sean Leckey

Specialized’s first ever electric drop-bar bike looks to redefine road riding

We were treated to a test ride of the brand-new Turbo Creo recently, taken in some of the lumpy roads near our Darlington store and into the Yorkshire Dales.

Specialized’s have mastered the electric mountain bike market with the hugely popular Turbo Levo and Turbo Kenevo ranges of bikes. They’ve now brought this expertise and innovation to a new range of electric road bikes in the Turbo Creo. Each bike in the Turbo Creo range is designed to flatten climbs and nullify headwinds.

Specialiazed Turbo Creo Key Features

• Lightweight Fact 11r carbon fibre frame.
• The lightweight SL 1.1 motor doubles your effort with as much as 240 watts of silent and powerful assistance to amplify your ride. The motor’s responsive torque curve delivers power perfectly in-tune with your normal riding cadence and leaves no resistance when riding unassisted.
• Battery anxiety? Not on the Creo SL. With up to 80 miles of range from the internal battery, the Creo SL eats up big miles and long days. Our optional range extender provides up to 40 additional miles of mountain-flattening power.
• By connecting with our Mission Control App, you’re able to tune the SL 1.1 motor to your riding style, record rides, and monitor the battery. The app can handle battery management automatically too, ensuring the battery will last as long as you need it to. The motor even has a built-in power meter that transmits to any ANT+ head unit.
• With the Future Shock 2.0, you’ll feel a reduction in fatigue and an increase in speed, no matter the terrain. The 2.0 iteration gives you more control via a knob atop the stem. This knob adjusts compression from fully-open to stiff, while hydraulically-damped internals control rebound. The new Smooth Boot, top cap, and Future Stem also enhance the aesthetic, so you get a clean transition from head tube to stem.

The Specialized Turbo Creo range is now available to order online with several models in stock and available from our Darlington store.

The power to ride more trails..

The all-new Turbo Levo SL from Specialized has rewritten the rules for a trail e-MTB. Weighing in at 17.35kg, the full-suspension trail bike doubles your power output and handles like a nimble trail bike.

The Turbo Levo SL is the lightest e-MTB in its class thanks to its svelte-yet-stiff chassis, superlight motor, and cutting-edge motor and battery system. The advanced motor and lithium-ion batteries give you the speed and range to tackle truly massive rides. And the Mission Control App can automatically handle battery management, so you’ll always have power when you need it. The App allows you to custom-tune the Turbo Levo SL’s power delivery, control your range, record rides, or just climb on and hammer to your heart’s content.

The Levo SL shares much of its DNA with the already established Turbo Levo but tips the scale at around 4kg less for overall weight. This is a hefty saving and is largely because of the reduced battery and motor size, reducing the additional power output from 500wh down to 240 watts of motor assistance. The smaller motor retains a natural and smooth pedalling motion as well as reducing the bulk around the bottom bracket area. The technology is also deployed on Specialized’s Turbo Creo electric road bike.

Another cool feature on this 150mm travel trail bike is the integrated SWAT multi-tool hidden in the steerer tube, maintaining the sleek look. The Turbo Levo SL will be in stock and available to order online very soon. For more information give us a call on 01539 821443 or email info@wheelbase.co.uk

Now is the time of year when as cyclists we’re looking ahead and planning our goals and events for the upcoming season. We’ve likely had some time off the bike over the holiday period and will soon be ramping up the miles training for the year ahead. Now is the perfect time to fine tune your position on the bike.

• Are the aches and pains just part of cycling?
• Can I get more comfortable?
• Is my bike set up for maximum efficiency?
• Can I improve my power transfer?
• Am I getting the best out of my cycling?

If you have asked yourself any or all of these questions then there is one sure-fire way to find the answer, with a precision bike fit. At our Wheelbase Lake District and Wheelbase Yorkshire stores we have a highly experienced team of dedicated professionals who can adjust the setup of your current bike, confirm size and discern your ideal riding position.

We have recently invested in the Selle Italia idmatch system which, through a sophisticated algorithm, will offer each individual rider the perfect fit for saddle and cleats based on a few simple body measurements.

How does it work?

What to Wear

You should wear clothing and cycling shoes that you would normally wear on your bike. We have changing facilities available for you to use.

The Interview

The Wheelbase Precision Bike Fit begins with a discussion about your current riding, future aspirations and any issues or injuries you have experienced which helps us determine your perfect riding position.

Physical Assessment

The physical assessment allows us to gauge your flexibility, stability and understand your individual body-mechanics in relation to your bike position.

From The Feet Up

Selle Italia’s idmatch process uses precise foot measurements, biomechanical assessment and sophisticated software to determine optimum cleat position. As a ‘fixed point’ of contact between you and your bike it is essential to get this right first.

The Perfect Position

Once we’re happy with your shoe/pedal setup we use the Precision Fit jig to establish your ideal riding position. Your Precision Fit specialist will go through a series of adjustments to saddle and handlebar position to determine your optimum position.

The Result

Your new position is taken from our jig and using geometry data is applied to your bike. All details of your fit will remain on our database and can be recalled at any time, with the option of a follow up consultation to see how you are getting on.

What our customers say…

“The bike fit has transformed my ride – feels like a new bike!” Steve, Kendal 

“It’s like a different bike. Ride was so much more comfortable, ride position is loads better and the new seat has made a massive difference, I can now walk after a 3hr ride instead of hobbling around for the rest of the day!!!” Caroline, Cotswolds

“I figured if I had a new bike I should have a new fit. Having just completed an epic adventure by riding from Preston to London in a day for the last train home, I can honestly say not once during my ride did I feel the previous knee niggles, lower back pain or neck ache I had prior to the bike fit. Considering this was over a non-stop 226 mile journey it can only be testament to the bike fit I had.” Hannah, Cheshire

“..excellent and thorough bike fit..I went out yesterday and ended up doing 86 miles and the bike was perfect.” – Andrew, Sunderland.

Full Precision Bike Fit – £199

Cleat Fit £25

Gift vouchers available to purchase online

Our WHEELBASE CabTech Castelli rider Lewis Craven took the win and the National Champs Jersey at this weekends National CycloCross Championships in the Vet40 class.

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

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

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

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

Tacx Neo 2T Smart Trainer

Top-of-the-range direct drive trainer

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

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

Tacx Flux 2 Smart Trainer

Realistic ride feel at a more wallet-friendly price

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

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

Tacx Satori Smart Trainer

Wheel-on smart trainer that offers connectivity and data

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

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

After a bumper 2019 packed with great events we’re heading into the new year with another stacked lineup of demos and rides to keep us busy throughout 2020.

Bookings will be going live very soon for our huge MTB demo weekend which takes place at our Lake District store on the 7th and 8th March. We’ll also be taking bookings for our North East Spring Demo at Hamsterley forest on the 21st March. At both events we’ll have demo fleets of mountain and electric mountain bikes from the world’s biggest brands.

Following the MTB demo events we’ve got the Spring Classic sportive at the end of March, a great way to blow away those winter cobwebs and get your road season underway. We’ll be running more demo events at our Lake District and Yorkshire stores in April and May with more of the world’s best bikes from the biggest brands.

See below for a full list of our 2020 events and watch this space for further announcements.

Thanks to our customers, suppliers and all friends of Wheelbase for an exceptional 2019. Have a great new year and keep riding bikes!

Sat 7 and Sun 8 March 2020 – WHEELBASE Lake District Big Demo Weekend – mountain, eMTB

Sat 21 March 2020 – WHEELBASE North East Spring Demo, Hamsterley Forest – mountain and eMTB

Sun 29 March 2020 – WHEELBASE Spring Classic Sportive, WHEELBASE Lake District

Sat 25 April 2020 – WHEELBASE Yorkshire Big Demo – mountain, eMTB, road, gravel and leisure eBike

Sat 16 May 2020 – WHEELBASE Lake District Summer Demo – mountain, eMTB, road, gravel and leisure eBike

Sat 7 June 2020 – Fred Whitton retail, WHEELBASE Lake District

Sat 11 July 2020 – Tour de Staveley Sportive, WHEELBASE Lake District

Sat 7 November 2020 – WHEELBASE North East Winter Demo 2020, Hamsterley Forest – mountain and eMTB

All-weather specialist expands its range with a pair of revolutionary race gloves

After the unprecedented success of their overshoe range, Yorkshire-based Spatzwear have released a glove like no other. Glovz are designed for racing through the worst British weather with a host of useful features for keeping your hands warm and comfortable while out on the road.

The new Spatzwear Glovz features a fold-out, wind-blocking shell which can be revealed when the weather is especially grim and then folds away neatly into a pocket on the back of the hand. The shell will transform the Glovz from a standard 5-finger glove to a lobster style which offers increased protection from the elements.

Glovz are made from a premium 4-way stretch fabric with a soft, fleecy lining. The extra-long cuff is designed to keep the blood vessels in your wrist warm and ensure blood is supplied efficiently to your fingers. The Glovz are also designed to integrate seamlessly with the new Spatz Basez2 base layer.

Designed and developed in collaboration with the current Olympic Champion, the Glovz feature ‘e-touch’ fingers which provide dexterity when operating smartphones or your bike computer. There’s also a smart reflective strip across the back of the glove which aids visibility when cycling in low light conditions.

Giles Drake ran out winner at the North of England cyclocross championships

Our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli rider held off a strong field to take victory on the mud-ravaged course at Towneley Park, Burnley.

Giles gave us his analysis of the race, which involved significantly more shouldering of the bike and running than time spent in the saddle:

‘The North of England Championships is always a big deal to me and I’d never managed to come out on top. With a month until the National Championships and such a strong group of riders representing the North, it gives you an important gauge.

Having raced at Towneley Park last year, I knew it was going to be heavy going and running would play a part, but I never imagined just how big a part. Early races indicated huge parts of the course were going to be unrideable, even the start straight.

Lining up on the start line with every rider shouldering their bikes was bizarre and set the precedent for what was to come. By the first time I hopped on my bike, some half lap later, I was leading with just Leon Mazzone for company. The race played out as a tactical ride vs run, every time I though I’d shaken Leon, he came back to me with the gap never going out beyond 15 seconds. A strong finish saw Leon closing the gap on the finish straight, both of us emptying the tank and ultimately me holding on by just 4 seconds!

I’m over the moon to win, even if it is in a some what unconventional manner. Now onto the final National Trophy round at York this Sunday.’

Save up to 38% and spread the cost over 36 months with Wheelbase and PayPal Credit. OFFER ENDS Sunday 16th December!

Introducing our exclusive promotion in partnership with Paypal Credit – for one month we’ll be offering 0% finance with PayPal Credit on reduced bikes and accessories. So now is a great time to grab a bargain and spread the payment over the next 3 years.

For example this Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Red eTap is now only £4,499, or just £124.97 a month with PayPal Credit 0% finance!

The Synapse Hi-Mod is your ultimate dream bike with a smooth, responsive ride and an 11-speed Sram Red eTap groupset; this brilliant wireless system provides precise, light-touch gear shifting every time in all riding conditions.

Or this Pinarello Gan 105 which is now only £1,649, that’s a huge saving of 34% and available on 0% finance over 36 months.

We’re also running the promotion on sale accessories and clothing, including our incredible range of Gore Shakedry jackets. With a 40% saving and only limited stocks these won’t hang around for long so grab one and save now!

The Eagle and Child ‘Dressed as Santa’ ride – last year we had over 100 Santas all riding mountain bikes around the Kentmere Valley.

We’ll be raising funds and enjoying the mid-ride mobile bar. Plus great food and beer at The Eagle and Child Inn afterwards!

Date: Friday 13th December

Tickets: £10 – All funds go to the Sam Houghton Cancer Research fund.

Meet: 6.30pm outside the Eagle and Child Inn, Staveley LA8 9LP

Jagerbomb @ Halfway

Charity Raffle

Supper on return

Everyone Welcome!

Santa suits out for our Annual Christmas Bike Ride for Sam Houghton Cancer Research!