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It was a case of 4th time lucky for Giles Drake of the Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli racing team as he was finally able to bring everything together on the day and take an impressive victory in the World’s toughest Cyclo-Cross race.
Watch Giles take the win at the 3 Peaks!
The 59th edition of this iconic race took place on a typically wet and windy Autumn day, with low cloud and poor visibility dominating the majority of the race. Factor in the strong winds on the top of the peaks and muddy conditions affecting both the riding and running/walking sections and this year’s race promised to be particularly challenging for everyone competing.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a wet and windy Peaks, 2023 did not disappoint.
It was interesting to note that riders who had the potential to be at the sharp end of the race were welcoming these difficult conditions with open arms, inspired by the challenge they would bring to the race and keen to cash in on the chance to establish large time gaps at key points of the course. Giles Drake could include himself in this select group of riders who had the skills, experience and sublime levels of fitness to race for the win; with an unfortunate run of bad luck affecting his results in previous editions he was ready to put that behind him and line up again to race for the win.
The pre-race favourites were ready to compete for the win, but would luck be on their side?
Going into the 3 Peaks with high hopes for Giles, we knew it was important to deploy the full Wheelbase media squad onto the course to help capture all of the drama of this unique race and its foreboding landscape. The approach to the top of Ingleborough, the first of 3 peaks is dominated by the ridiculous gradients of Simon Fell which sees riders shouldering their bikes while steadying themselves with their hands on the ground in front of them such is the steepness of this climb; we headed straight there to catch what is arguably the most iconic moment of the whole race.
The infamous steep slopes of Simon Fell strike fear into the heart of every competitor at the 3 Peaks.
We positioned ourselves three quarters of the way up Simon Fell and waited to see who would come out of the mist first as over 300 riders started to stretch out into a long line below us. True to form multiple 3 Peaks winner Rob Jebb appeared out of the clouds in front with Giles Drake keeping pace right on his heels; it was amazing to see that even at this point in the race they were beginning to stretch out their lead, with the remaining elite racers already well spaced out behind them. After filming and photographing the epic struggle of the main group’s grueling ascent of Simon Fell we hot-footed it off the fell and headed towards Ribblehead Viaduct with high hopes that Giles would be leading the race the next time we saw him.
In the meantime Giles was first over the very top of Ingleborough with Jebb on his wheel; on the long descent towards Cold Coates Giles picked up a front wheel puncture, but unlike other years he was able to remain calm, riding the flat to the first road section thanks to his tubeless tyre inserts before making a quick wheel change and quickly reestablishing his lead on the long valley road towards the second peak of Whernside.
True to form it was multiple 3 Peaks champ Rob Jebb who emerged from the mist first with Giles Drake hot on his heels.
As we arrived at Ribblehead and waited for Giles to descend off Whernside past the iconic viaduct we got news that he had been able to stretch out his lead to around one and a half minutes at the top and before long he was coming through in a flash of yellow, green and black as his Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team kit shone through the flat grey light which was still dominating the morning. Looking powerful and composed on the bike it was clear to see that Giles was on a stormer of a day and was able to steal time on the climbs and flatter portions of the course while staying in control on the chaotic descents, erring on the side of caution to avoid any unwanted mechanicals.
It was a relief to see Giles coming off Whernside in first place without any unwanted mechanicals.
The race was on and Giles’ dedicated support crew could begin to dream that this was finally the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross that everything would come together for him. All of us knew that he was more than capable of taking the win; it was just a matter of time and the avoidance of an untimely puncture. We stayed another 10-15 minutes at Ribblehead to capture the lead riders coming through and before long our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli National Vet 40 Cyclo-Cross Champion Lewis Craven came through resplendent in his National Champs kit. As he drew level with us it was clear he was finessing his bike to the pits with a front wheel puncture where Wheelbase team manager Stu Reid was waiting to perform a super-fast wheel change before getting him off on his way again. After the race Lewis would explain that he’d suffered a double puncture, but despite this clearly affecting his result he was still able to finish the race in an impressive 22nd place.
Punctures would effect Lewis Craven’s race, but with speedy assistance from Wheelbase team manager Stu Reid he was still able to finish in 22nd place.
Some quick trackside calculations indicated that if we were going to be able to get to the finish and capture Giles crossing the line for the win then we were going to have to forego the third and final peak of Pen-Y-Ghent. Jumping in the car we headed straight to Helwith Bridge and readied ourselves with cameras in hand, eager to record the moment that Giles finally got the monkey off his back. Giles’ friends and family nervously clung on to the barriers, craning their necks to see the first sight of him swinging off the road and into the finishing area.
As he crossed the line with his arms punching the air the relief was palpable; Giles stepped off his bike dropped to the floor, onto his knees and bowed his head for a second to take in what he’d just achieved. What followed was a round of hugs, high-fives and back slaps as his friends, family and Wheelbase team helpers all congratulated him on what we all knew was a massively significant result for Giles.
Giles Drake takes the win!
Friends, family and teammates were waiting at the finish to share Giles’ well-deserved win.
Shortly after he regained his composure Giles was back in front of our cameras again, answering my questions and giving us his account of how the race played out. Ever the professional Giles took time to thank his friends, family, hardworking support crew and the Wheelbase team, acknowledging the technical help he’d received in the build up to the Peaks in an effort to eliminate the risk of an untimely puncture or mechanical. The 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race has been a passion project for Giles, he’s refined his race-craft over the years and worked hard to limit the potential for bad luck; there’s no more deserved rider to take the win than Giles Drake and we’re all incredibly proud of his laser focus and unwavering drive to win this iconic race!
Ever the professional, Giles was ready for his-post race interview, giving us the low-down on how things played out up on the hills.
Wheelbase are super-proud of all the hard work Giles put in to win the iconic 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race!
Photos by James Vincent (you can see a full gallery of his 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross photos below..)
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Video by Badger Productions & Johnny Dodgin
Check out Giles Drake’s race winning Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX bike which he very kindly photographed before the lengthy bike cleaning process began! Giles made a number of adaptations to the bike to make it as user-friendly as possible for the 3 Peaks including that HUGE wide ratio cassette ensuring he had the right choice of gears for the steep but rideable portions of the course. Tyre choice and setup were also key considerations with Giles opting for a tubeless setup that included sealant and tyre inserts, enabling him to keep riding to the next pit area on a flat tyre. You can see our full Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX Fast Bike Friday feature HERE
Giles Drake’s 3 Peaks race-winning Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX bike.
Our talented freelance photographer James Vincent did an awesome job of capturing all of the chaos of the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race. Check out our huge gallery bellow…
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As the leaves begin to turn brown and temperatures start to dip towards single digits there’s a certain cohort of cyclists that feel a rush of adrenaline at the thought of what’s to come. A glance at their race calendars reveal a key date, circled in red; it’s nearly time for the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race!
The 59th edition of the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race takes place in the stunning Yorkshire Dales National Park on Sunday 24th September. It presents a unique challenge to every competitor, with no other race else quite like it. Every year the 3 Peaks attracts thousands of entries, with a ballot system determining the final selection of racers due to line up for the start at Helwith Bridge. That tightly-packed group of racers will include anxious first-timers keen to tick this grueling challenge off their cycling bucket list, experienced racers who have travelled far and wide to measure up against this unique challenge and seasoned campaigners who welcome another chance to take on the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race.
Be inspired by last year’s edition. Click the link.
Waiting ahead of the competitors will be a testing 38 mile loop around the iconic Yorkshire Dales, with 20 miles off-road and 18 miles on-road as well as 5,000 feet of climbing some of which is completely unrideable. Racers will summit the 3 peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and finally Pen-Y-Ghent; they’ll be cheered on by large crowds of supporters, with friends and family providing trackside assistance, armed with spare wheels and drinks bottles. As in previous years racers from our own Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team will be action and are ready to show themselves at the sharp end of the race.
Riders take on Simon Fell, climbing towards the top of Ingleborough, the first of the 3 Peaks.
Our super-talented Cyclo-Cross racer Giles Drake heads into this edition of the 3 Peaks with renewed vigour and high hopes for a successful campaign without any mechanical problems. In last year’s edition lady luck was not on Giles’ side as he incurred multiple punctures at unfortunate moments in the race; he would puncture three times, while leading the race or chasing back to eventual winner Robb Jebb, however Giles’ tenacious attitude helped him stay focused and complete the race, crossing the line in a brilliant fourth place.
Despite a run of bad luck, with multiple punctures, Giles Drake go on to finish in 4th place in the 2023 edition.
Despite that strong showing, Giles’ frustration at the end of the race was clear to see and we all know he’s keen make amends in 2023. His build up to this year’s race has gone well, with consistent training leaving him ready to take a good result. He’s got a fantastic support team around him to help ensure he’s got all the nutrition and mechanical assistance he needs at key points on the course and there’s been a lot of time and energy spent refining tyre choice and tubeless set-up so we go into this edition of the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race with high hopes for another strong performance from Giles.
Drake close on the heels of eventual race winner Rob Jebb.
When it comes to pre-race knowledge there aren’t many competitors out there more experienced than Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli’s Lewis Craven. The 2023 edition will be Lewis’ 15th time racing over the grueling peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-Y-Ghent and he always arrives at the start line fit and ready to perform. As a former World Masters Cyclo-Cross Champion and current National Masters Cyclo-Cross Champion Lewis will rely on his formidable bike-handling skills, honed over countless seasons to steal back time on the technical descents and we know he’ll be towards the front of the race when it counts.
Lewis Craven resplendent in his World Masters Cyclo-Cross Champion jersey in last year’s 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross race.
Good luck to everyone who is racing the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross this year! If you’re thinking of coming along for the first time as a spectator we encourage you to do so, this unique race never fails to impress thanks to the sheer scale of the Peaks, the tenacity of the riders and the sheer ridiculousness of witnessing riders take on some of the most challenging off-road riding imaginable on what are essentially fat-tried road bikes! The Wheelbase media team will be in attendance, working hard to capture all the action, so look out for a full report and video coming shortly after the race.
You can find out more about the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross 2023 race on their event website HERE.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by James Vincent
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WAHOO KICKR MOVE
Wahoo are back with an all-new smart trainer for Autumn 2023 and (you’re probably well-ahead of us here given this new trainer’s product name), it features a unique moving action designed to give you a more natural ‘real world cycling’ feel on the bike. As we head into another long, dark winter in the U.K. the Wahoo KICKR MOVE is here to spice up your indoor training, encouraging you to get out of the saddle as and when you need to, enabling you to push a bigger gear while your bike moves more naturally underneath you.
To achieve this riding experience Wahoo have taken all of the great features from their KICKR V5 and integrated multi dimensions of movement to this all-new wheel-off smart trainer. Featuring the same familiar feel of the KICKR V5, with its instant power transfer thanks to that direct-drive configuration, this new KICKR MOVE amplifies the authentic ride feel further thanks to its for-to-aft and side-to-side movement.
If you’re a cyclist who naturally moves in and out of the saddle as you ride, rising to find and hold your rhythm then the KICKR MOVE will suit you and your riding style. This new-found freedom to move brings next-level realism to your workouts and virtual races while also reducing overall fatigue, with the KICKR MOVE’s four-axis movement improving your overall efficiency on the bike, encouraging you to train indoors for longer.
The all-new Wahoo KICKR MOVE is available now for £1,399.00
Looking beyond the four-axis movement of the KICKR MOVE we see all of the key features found on the non-moving KICKR V5 including WI-FI connectivity, along with Bluetooth, Ant+ and direct connection. Power accuracy is within 1% and just like the KICKR V5 the new KICKR MOVE is compatible with the KICKR Climb gradient simulator allowing you to inject even more realism into your indoor training regime.
The all-new KICKR MOVE gives you a confidence-inspiring, incredibly stable and quiet ride. The addition of the for-to-aft and side-to-side movement is a welcome addition which will encourage you to ride your bike indoors in the same way that you would on the open road. Suddenly that switch between riding outside during the summer months to training inside for the winter months doesn’t seem half as daunting.
WAHOO KICKR BIKE SHIFT
Following hot on the heels of their popular KICKR BIKE, Wahoo have just launched the all-new KICKR BIKE SHIFT. In a bid to make their cutting-edge technology available to a wider audience Wahoo have brought their second smart bike to market at a lower price, but have been careful to replicate all of the key attributes of the more expensive, original KICKR BIKE.
So why choose a smart bike over a smart trainer? Well, one of the main benefits of a smart bike is their ease of use; instead of constantly having to remove and refit your bike to your smart trainer you can simply set up your smart bike once and leave it in place for your regular indoor training sessions.
To create an authentic ride experience Wahoo use a new brake and belt drivetrain system to create instant resistance to the virtual grade and your own pedalling input. This configuration gives an almost identical ride to the more expensive KICKR BIKE but at a lower price. It’s great to see the new KICKR BIKE SHIFT featuring WI-FI connection too meaning there’s no danger of your connection dropping out, allowing you to train using optimal, instant data and your favourite training apps.
The Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT is available now for £2,599.00
Just like the original KICKR BIKE the new KICKR BIKE SHIFT lets you fine-tune the trainer to closely match your regular bike. It features the same virtual shifting and custom gearing, allowing you to match the gear ratios of your outdoor bike and replicating your favourite groupsets from Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo.
As we all know, the importance of a comfortable and efficient bike fit is essential to be able to train and perform properly on your bicycle. Wahoo realise that you’re going to be spending a considerable amount of time on your indoor smart bike and with this in mind they’ve included 5 points of adjustment on the KICKR BIKE SHIFT. With the ability to adjust frame, setback and reach dimensions you’ll be able to easily set up this smart bike to mirror the fit of your road-going bike.
So how have Wahoo managed to produce their second smart bike at a more affordable price? First off the brake and belt drivetrain resistance type featured on the KICKR BIKE SHIFT compared to the motor resistance on the more expensive KICKR BIKE helps Wahoo hit that lower price point; secondly there is no motorised tilt up or down on the KICKR BIKE SHIFT and thirdly the frame is constructed from steel rather than aluminium.
With all the power, efficiency and accuracy of Wahoo’s more expensive KICKR BIKE the SHIFT allows you to constantly switch between training outdoors on your regular road bike and training indoors on Wahoo’s new smart bike while benefitting from the consistency of the same riding position and gearing configuration. The all-new KICKR BIKE SHIFT brings Wahoo’s smart bike technology to a wider audience, providing a permanent indoor training platform that’s always ready for you to jump on.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos Wahoo’s own
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The recently launched Cannondale Habit HT hardtail mountain bike is available now in-store and online at Wheelbase!
Described by Cannondale to be ‘never not fun’ the Habit HT represents everything that’s good about the modern hardtail – there’s the mechanical simplicity, making it ideal as your ‘winter bike’ and the purity of the ride experience which will have you refining your line choices and honing your bike-handling skills the more you ride. Then there’s the robust & bombproof nature of a no-nonsense alloy hardtail MTB with a long-travel fork encouraging you to push the limits by cornering harder, jumping higher and blasting through technical sections with speed and accuracy.
The small range of Habit HT hardtails all feature the same frame, constructed from Cannondale’s SmartForm C2 Alloy, with each model coming spec’d with a capable 130mm travel fork. Aimed squarely at rowdy riding, the Habit HT boasts the sort of modern trail geometry we’ve all come to expect from a bike like this; with a slack 64° head angle, a 76° seat angle, a long front-end and a tight rear end with short chainstays the Habit HT feels playful and agile, with a confidence-inspiring, stable ride.
With fast-rolling 29” wheels, a versatile spread of gears and a dropper seatpost included on all Habit HT’s this playful bike climbs brilliantly, allowing you to get to the top of your favourite trail efficiently before dropping your saddle out of the way and blasting down the tightest, steepest most technical singletrack you can find.
Cannondale Habit HT Fast Facts…
Cannondale Habit HT 1 RRP £1,500.00
Full specification:
Cannondale Habit HT 2 RRP £1,250.00
Full specification:
Cannondale Habit HT 3 RRP £1,000.00
Full specification:
Written by Johnny Dodgin
All photos Cannondale’s own
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The all-new TREK Slash Gen 6 featuring its distinctive high-pivot, mullet wheel configuration and large idler jockey wheel designed to prevent pedal kick-back launched around the world recently (See the full range in our product launch feature HERE) and we were lucky enough to get our hands on one just as it went public! So armed with the carbon Slash 9 GX AXS T-Type Gen 6 model we headed up into the local hills surrounding Wheelbase HQ in the Lake District to shoot and film it in action…
All-new TREK Slash Gen 6 first ride…
Photographer: James Vincent
Videographer: Johnny Dodgin
Rider: Luke Chase
The all-new TREK Slash features 170mm of front and rear travel facilitated by a sophisticated high-pivot suspension design.
TREK’s popular Slash enduro mountain bike is back and it’s had quite a dramatic makeover! The all-new sixth-generation Slash includes a number of significant changes to its predecessor, boasting a raft of new features designed to make your ride-experience faster, more frenetic and downright rowdy than ever before. With 170mm of front and rear travel on all models, a choice of an alloy or carbon chassis and a spread of component options across the range of seven bikes there’ll be a new TREK Slash to suit you and your budget. Oh, and the headliner? It’s got to be that high-pivot suspension configuration…
We’d already seen TREK adopt a high-pivot suspension platform on the Session, their longest-travel, gravity-focused downhill race bike, with incredibly successful results. The inclusion of a very similar design on the all-new Slash enduro bike was a no-brainer; sitting just below the Session in TREK’s long-travel food chain of full-suspension mountain bikes it was almost a formality that this 6th generation Slash would boast a high-pivot design.
We got to ride the all-new Trek Slash on launch day! Check it out…
TREK have spec’d the all-new Slash with a ‘Mullet’ wheel configuration – 29″ front, 27.5″ rear, although you can run a 29″ on the rear if you prefer.
The Slash’s new high-pivot suspension layout facilitates a rearward axle path, providing incredibly smooth suspension while maintaining enhanced forward momentum. How so? Well, that rearward axle pathway means your rear wheel moves away from the force of impacts rather than against them, letting you blast over mid-trail obstacles with increased control and confidence.
In the past one of the potential drawbacks of a high-pivot suspension platform was chain growth and pedal kickback. As the rear axle travelled through its suspension the chain tightened and pulled back on the cranks. Bikes like the new TREK Slash have solved this issue with extra pulleys forming part of the drivetrain; in this case you can see them positioned above and behind the front chainring. Routing the chain around idler pulleys gives it room to grow without unwanted tension, meaning you won’t get a harsh pedal kickback.
How does it work? Trek Slash Gen 6 ‘s High-Pivot Suspension
The Slash’s rearward axle path provides incredibly smooth suspension while maintaining enhanced forward momentum.
TREK have clearly spent a long time developing this new high-pivot suspension configuration so that it hits a sweet spot, providing plush rear suspension AND tangible pedalling efficiency, preventing you from wasting valuable energy thanks to those oversized pulleys which help keep pedalling super-smooth.
While your time onboard this sort of enduro bike is always going to be predominantly gravity-focused it’s nice to know that when you point the Slash uphill in a quest to get back to the top of your favourite trail as quickly as possible it promises to be easier to pedal than other high-pivot bikes. According to TREK the all-new Slash is able to scramble straight up super-techy, rocky climbs, maintaining more upward momentum thanks to that rearward axle path which prevents the rear wheel from getting hung-up on roots and rocks.
So what else is new with TREK’s sixth-generation Slash enduro mountain bike? We’ve put together some key features and fast facts below, as well as full specifications of each model in the Slash range of bikes…
The Slash’s oversized pulleys eliminate any potential for pedal kickback while helping to keep pedalling super-smooth.
What’s new about the 6th-generation TREK Slash?…
TREK Slash Gen 6 Fast Facts
There’s increased room for longer dropper seatposts on all frame sizes. Dropper post insertions are:
TREK have approved the following rear shocks for the all-new Slash:
Max/Min chainring sizes:
Slash 8 Gen 6 RRP £4,250.00
Slash 9 GX AXS T-Type Gen 6 RRP £5,175.00
Slash 9.8 XT Gen 6 RRP £7,425.00
Slash 9.8 GX AXS T-Type Gen 6 RRP £7,500.00
Slash 9.9 X0 AXS T-Type Gen 6 RRP £9,400.00
Slash 9.9 XTR Gen 6 RRP £10,8000.00
Slash 9.9 XX AXS T-Type Gen 6 RRP £11,750.00
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos – TREK’s own
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The British Continental is a leading sports website dedicated to following domestic road racing here in the U.K. Packed full of excellent race reports, interviews, in-depth features and race photos they give a great insight into scene with some fantastic content. Jack Beavis from The British Continental recently spoke to Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli Team Manager Stuart Reid to discover more about our road racing team and the ongoing development of young riders heading for the UCI ranks.
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli: The Original Elite Development Team
Stalwarts of the domestic peloton, the Wheelbase CabTech Castelli team have been a revelation in 2023, enjoying their most successful season after almost two decades at the elite end of domestic cycling. Jack Beavis, The British Continental, August 2023
Click the link below to read this excellent, in-depth interview with Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli Team Manager Stuart Reid…
Hit link to check out the latest road racing news from The British Continental…
Feature Image by SW Pix
Matt Fox, Ilkley Win photo by Trax Photos
