Bikes
Lance Armstrong famously once said,
“It’s not about the bike”.
Far be it from me to disagree with the Boss, but I think it is! Half the fun of cycling and what sets is apart from other sports, especially compared to something like running, swimming, or football is the equipment. Runners have shoes and clothes. Swimmers have Speedos. Footballers have boots. I can’t imagine the post training conversation in the pub or cafe about Speedos lasting too long…
I love bikes. I think they are one of the greatest inventions known to man. Specifically, the road bike.
They say that the ideal number of bikes to own is n+1, where n is the number of bikes you currently own. Personally, I have 4, and this isn’t enough. There’s my Winter/sportive bike, my Summer carbon road bike, my commuter/cyclocross bike, and (sort of) my time trial bike.
Time Trial Bike – Ridley Dean
Unfortunately, this isn’t mine – it has to go back to Bicycle Repair Man at the end of the season. However, if I had the money, I’d choose a Ridley Dean without question. The Dean actually weighs less than my TCR Advanced, in fact THIS Dean weighs less than most top end road bikes. The SRAM groupset and PRO wheels have a lot to do with this, but with a season best of 22:54 in a 10 mile TT, it’s certainly been about the bike for me!
Summer Carbon Road Bike – Giant TCR Advanced
I never wanted a Giant. I found them to be boring to look at, and the bottom of my list of bikes – until my friend Cath turned up on her Giant Avail Advanced. Resplendent in white with a full SRAM Red groupset, it looked the dog’s bollocks. I still hadn’t made my mind up, but after visiting several bike shops in the North East and being less than impressed, I finally wound my way up to Bicycle Repair Man in Prudhoe, who custom built a Giant TCR Advanced to my budget and spent nearly 2 hours fitting it to me. The result is an unbelievably light weight, responsive, and sexy looking bike. And to think, I nearly bought a Trek…
Winter / Sportive Bike – Burls Titanium
This is the bike that was fundamental in me losing most of my weight. It’s the bike that sat on the turbo trainer for the long Winter months, it’s the bike I used in Winter club runs with the Tyneside Vagabonds, and it’s the bike I did my first few time trials on. Hand built by Russian aerospace engineers, the titanium frame is lightweight, comfortable, responsive, and the perfect all day bike. I’d recommend a Burls to anyone looking for a titanium bike frame.
Commuter / Cyclocross Bike – Merida Cyclocross Team
The plan was to race some ‘cross races in the 2010 Winter, but it never panned out that way. However, this is my daily ride, and gets me to and from work every day. It’s hard work to pedal because it’s heavy and has fat tyres on, but it’s tough and sturdy – perfect for avoiding cows (and cow crap) and dodging other commuters! You never know, it might even get to see a ‘cross race one of these days…
