Last Saturday, Dan was  fortunate enough to be invited along by Charles at Yorkshire Velo Tours to get a guide of some of the legendary cobbled climbs with their inaugural Bronte Cobbled Classic Route. Here’s how it went.

Like the vast majority of people you meet in the cycling world, Charles is in it for the love of the bike, the love of good company and, of course, the love of Yorkshire.  Having been a social rider for over twenty five years, in 2011 Charles was instrumental in the setting up of the now mighty Ilkley Cycling Club.  After spending five years on the committee (during which time the Club grew from a a few people in a pub to an organisation of several hundred members including supporting children, racing and the terrific White Rose Classic sportive), he recognised a needto provide a first rate guiding experience to newcomers to the area.

Beyond guiding, Yorkshire Velo Tours will also hook you up with great local accommodation and the comfort you’ll only get from knowing your trip, be it for a day or a weekend, is being handled by someone with a genuine passion to share the best of the area with his guests.

We chose to join him on the Cobbled Classics route for two reasons.  The first was that it takes place in West Yorkshire, an area which we really have zero personal knowledge of.  The second is that it takes in some of the most challenging cobbled climbs you will ever encounter in the UK.  Inevitably doing so means that it’s at the far end of navigationally challenging – these routes out of the valleys are typically tucked away on the more industrial peripheries of the County.

We were warmly welcomed by Charles and his Yorkshire Velo Tours support staff  of Jayne, Mel and Chris with the opportunity for a full mechanical inspection with resident mechanic Chris as we popped inside for a morning Cappuccino.  With wheels up at 9.30, we rolled out through Ikley and across the Moor.

Preparing for the off

Our first climb of the day was Thwaites Brow.  Tucked out of site behind an industrial zone in Keighley, this is a climb with cobbles that would give a Classics winner pause for thought.  Ascending steeply and turning sharply, you need to ride it with your weight in the right place, your wits about you and hopefully a set of wheels that aren’t too delicate.  Thankfully I was on a gravel bike with 30 mm rubber so no problem for me but not as kind to a couple of other riders in the group, for whom the climb afforded no opportunity for recovery once their toes went down.

Coming out of Keighley, the ride blessed us with stunning views across West Yorkshire and then back in to the Valley on the other side After a quick recovery stop (complete with on-tap water, energy gels and home made sandwiches, flapjack and cake), we headed off to hit the Shibden Wall.

Across the valley from the Shibden Wall with YVT

Coming up the Wall

Shibden Wall was followed by further climbs of Gibb Lane and, of course the famous Haworth Main St before a lunch stop in Haworth.  From here the ride took us back to Ilkley via Priest Bank and my own personal nemesis, Goose Eye before heading back to the Wheatley Arms for a well earned coffee and the added bonus of a commemorative bottle of local ale. All in all a terrific day out and a fantastic tour of the area that we would recommend for anyone looking for a great route and  top guiding from a first rate team.

Charles plan to run further Cycle Saturday rides in June, July, August and September that are all listed on our events section.  As a way to discover the region they are an absolute gem and wholeheartedly recommended.

Hard at work

Whatever your reason for wanting to improve your riding strength and fitness, short of having a personal trainer to chase on rides of ideal gradient and distance it is hard to argue with the benefits of well managed indoor training.  Note the emphasis on ‘well managed’.  Spinning your legs around on an exercise bike or turbo trainer with no real mission or consistency will likely yield minimal results and be terrifically boring.  Alternatively, a traditional spinning class can be a fantastic cardio workout and great fun, but it won’t give you the targeted power gains you might want to be improving on, for example maintaining speed over short climbs or sustaining power up longer ones.  The fitness industry is starting to take notice and last week we spent some time with Huw Spacey at the new Lear Fitness gym in Harrogate to learn a bit more about how training indoors with power can get us through the dull winter months and out the other side as stronger cyclists.

Huw has devised a training programme that utilizes the fleet of Stages indoor training bikes at Lear Fitness to deliver structured indoor cycling classes– an evolution on the standard gym bike you might be familiar with in that they also offer specific power measurement.  We went along to a couple of their classes, first of all to have our Functional Threshold of Power (FTP) measured and then to take part in one of Huw’s structured interval sessions.  Neither were easy, making me nostalgic for my school days when a lack of sporting prowess rendered me (and my total lack of effort) invisible to gym teachers.  But they were a lot more fun than expected and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone that is serious about wanting to improve their fitness off the bike and make targeted gains on it.

FTP test – tough but rewarding

Afterwards we sat down with Huw to learn some more about power training and classes that he is offering:

What is the difference between the training classes you offer and a conventional spinning lesson?

The classes that I am running use Stages Indoor cycles equipped with power meters.

The fact that the instruction is based on training zones means that it is specific to that individual, regardless of ability or experience on a bike. The use of power meters by cyclists on the road is just one use, we are using them to coach non-cyclists too and target specific areas of their physiology using specific workouts that are proven to work. This is quite different to a ‘spin’ class where everything is done on feel.

I like to start with a client by doing a Function Threshold of Power test with them in order to determine their current level, spot areas that we can be working on and most importantly, set their training zones to work on during my sessions. I can usually spot troublesome areas with their technique, often attributed to feet, hips or core strength and because I work closely with Lear Fitness’ Physiotherapist and Pilates instructor Elise Mailloux we can address those areas swiftly for the client, thereby helping them further with their physiology and cycling technique.

Giving each client their own specific training zones means that I can have the least experienced cyclist and Bradley Wiggins in the same class, and they will both get the same quality of workout at the same intensity. That leads to a good atmosphere in the classes as everyone is doing the same thing at their own specific output.

And why is power so important rather than using a heart rate monitor for training?

This is a really big question, and one that is asked regularly now that power meters are being used by so many people, but something that requires breaking down into several components. Bear with me here…

The main benefit of a power meter is that you can measure your efforts and gauge them without question.  A power meter is measuring the users output from the bike. If you are performing interval training and want to be sure that you’re hitting the correct zones, then a power meter is the way to go.  Having already performed a ‘test’ with me, we can figure out your limits and training zones which allows you to pace yourself efficiently during efforts.

A heart rate monitor is measuring your body’s input to the bike. There will be a lag response time between your output and your HR rising to its target zone.  A power meter is particularly useful during shorter intervals (under a couple minutes) when your HR spends much of the interval rising to the zone you’re targeting.  You’ll very likely be going too hard at first when trying to get your HR up, and then the rest of the interval you’ll be so tired out you’ll actually be pushing very little power (but your HR will remain high).   When you use a power meter, you’ll notice that when you push a specific wattage it will feel easy at first, but as the interval progresses it will begin to feel harder, yet the power will remain constant and HR will rise.  As your form progresses, you’ll notice that you’ll be able to push a higher wattage at a certain heart rate.  This is when you know your training is working.

Heart rate monitors are good intensity-measuring devices also. But heart rate by itself actually doesn’t tell you much. It’s like the rev counter on a car—it tells you how hard the engine is working but nothing more. Data such as heart rate isn’t meaningful until it is compared with some measure of output. Output is critical to success, input isn’t. After all, they don’t give awards at races to those who worked the hardest or had the highest heart rates (input), but rather to those who had the fastest time which results from high power (output).

Then we have heart rate drift – another topic in itself. Your heart rate can be incredibly variable and be affected by several factors including temperature, illness and fatigue but power doesn’t lie.

All that said, a power meter is only effective if you are using it in conjunction with a prescribed training plan or session from a coach, or instructor who knows what he’s doing with power.  That’s my job, I design the workouts to get the best from you, using a bit of periodisation and specificity.

A lot of people get pleasure from a normal spinning class comes from the motivation of working in time to the music – what do you do to push people through the toughest efforts?

I do use upbeat music in my classes but my main motivation is vocal and encouraging the clients to target a wattage specific to the effort that we are doing at that time. For longer efforts, say 2 minutes or more, I try to describe a setting; perhaps a hill they know with other riders, or racers on encouraging them to keep with the wheel in front of them playing on the imagery that we have all seen on the television during the Tour De France. I am hoping to utilize the projectors in the room soon and have some alpine climbs or stages from big well known bike races on the wall. I know that type of imagery would help motivate me and so I am sure it would help others also.

So do you feel that having numbers to focus on adds an extra layer of motivation as well as purpose?

Having a number to chase, or hang on to definitely helps to motivate you, that feeling of seeing your wattage slide during an effort drives you on push it back up again. Without that interface you don’t really know you are slowing down until it’s too late.

How do you make sure that classes appeal to both the committed rider as well as someone who might want to attend one of your classes for purely fitness reasons?

I have many clients that are not serious or experienced cyclists and come to the classes for the fitness benefit. The style and efficiency of the sessions lend themselves to everyone wanting to better themselves. Many of the classes I run are great fat burning sessions, as well improving lactate threshold which to an experienced cyclist is the Grail, but it applies to everybody. The more efficiently your body can deal with lactate build up, the better your fitness becomes and the longer you can go, on or off the bike. It is all about improving the cardio-vascular system and the efficiency of delivering oxygen to the muscles. I have some clients that do different sports like squash and use the classes to improve their top end without the high impact that other ‘cross training’ activities might bring.

For anyone that can’t make it to one of your classes, what one piece of advice would you give them to keep their fitness up over the winter?

Interval training, Interval training, Interval training, and some long rides. Eat well, stave off illness by eating the right foods to keep your immune response high and recover well in between workouts. That and do something that makes you happy at least once a week.

To learn more about Huw’s indoor power classes, contact the Lear Fitness gym in Harrogate on 01423 709 844 or email harrogate@learfitness.pro

The end…

Another store room in Mallorca, packed and ready

A man of many travels. Fresh after his mini adventure in the Yorkshire Dales, NYC’s Dan jets off to sunny Mallorca for a few days!! Lucky sod. Check out his thoughts and experiences of his new Bike Box Alan erm….. bike box!! Lucky sod (again).

1)      It’s solid as anything.  The anti-crush pole in its centre and special plastic construction (backed up by several real life tests on their web site) give us total confidence that the bike will arrive perfectly undamaged at its destination. The solidly riveted hinges and catches are likewise bomb proof.

2)      The myriad internal velcro straps are as tough as you like – once strapped down in to place your steed isn’t going anywhere.

3)      The wheels lock nicely in to place in the lid of the box.

4)      Your rear derailleur stays on during transport.  Ever spent a day hanging around outside a bike shop in Lanzarote waiting for the mechanic to work through a line of rental customers and mates before he grudgingly gets round to helping you because your previous mallet-fisted attempts at mech reassembly  have left the rear hangar threaded? We have and it sucks. Not having to mess with the mech on a trip is a layer of stress we’re happy to lose.

5)      There’s plenty of room in the box to squeeze in other kit for your trip so you really only need that plus hand luggage for a week away

6)      Customer service and support is excellent – the box comes with a seven year guarantee and it’s made in Britain.  If you do manage to trash the hinge or break a catch then help is right at hand – no mucking around with shops, distributors etc etc.

7)      And it comes in loads of colour and sticker variations.

8)      Anybody who’s anybody on a bike in Britain seems to have one (Froome, Browlees, Laura Trott, Jo Rowsell etc etc).  Team Sky’s Ben Swift was popping in for a cuppa at the Rotherham HQ when we went to collect ours.

9)      Packing is really simple and quick so long as you remember to make sure you can get your pedals off in plenty of time rather than leaving it until the last minute and realising your necessary hex key is rounded off (not that we’d ever do that. Not us, never…)

10)   Our mate had a similar (actually pricier) plastic case on a recent trip abroad. On arrival at resort he discovered the top tube on his several grand super bike was smashed. He’s now getting rid of his other case and buying a Bike Box Allan.

So is it perfection? Almost. The catches can be a faff to line up so there’s a little room for improvement, but that aside there’s nothing else out there we’d rather use.  At a starting price of £415 they’re not cheap, but given the years of use you’ll get from one and the confidence of knowing you’ve done all you can to protect your bike and possibly save your trip? They’re great value.  Hiring is also an option – to find out more go to bikeboxalan.co.uk

Ready to roll

Podcasts can be a little like blogs – they kick off with great intentions but rapidly fall victim to a lack of time, commitment or resources.  Like blogs, some stand the test of time and become go-to places for information, entertainment and analysis (Inner Ring we’re looking at you).  Here are some cycling podcasts to take a listen to.  You’ll typically be able to find them via iTunes or Soundcloud.  Dedicated Android access can be less consistent.

The Cycling Podcast

Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Bernie are without a doubt the holy trinity of road race podcasting, especially now that they’ve got over the terrible production values that plagued them in the past.  Their weekly insider access to the biggest names in cycling coupled with unrivaled reporting experience make them our first choice listen and we wait with baited breath to see what their weekly output brings.  They also report daily during grand tours and have ‘Friends of the Podcast’ specials that thus far have included Team Sky and The Classics.  These are only available to premium members but are well worth forking out the £6 yearly subscription fee for. http://thecyclingpodcast.com/

Velocast

The one time Eurosport podcast is now wholly under the control of its production team and is available in various paid for forms including a £7.99 a month subscription package that includes a weekly news show, one off interviews and ‘This Week in Cycling History’ – a meticulously researched essay about great moments from days gone by.  They also provide daily content from all of the major tours.  Whilst its presenters do not have the insider privileges that the Cycling Podcast guys possess, nor are they limited by the obligations in tact and diplomacy these necessitate so some great opinion and insight. There’s also a free daily show and the occasional sample. http://velocast.cc/

SBS Cycling Central

If your frustration with British podcasts includes a tendency to focus on Dave B’s gang then fear not – SBS Cycling Central from our friends on the other side of the world take time to dwell on Orica Green Edge as well (unless Richie Porte is on a roll, in which case they’re as Sky focused as the rest of them).  Sitting somewhere between the last two entries, there’s a mixture of journalistic insight and blunt antipodean assessment for 45 minutes or so every Thursday https://soundcloud.com/cycling-central

Others (may be active, may activate later in the season, may never come back)

Real Peloton “Cycling banter at its best with Matthew Rendell and Ned Boulting”. Hasn’t appeared for a while and may well not now that Ned’s increasingly popping up on the cycling podcast.  Production values are terrible (it sounds like it’s recorded on an iphone that may or may not still be in the producer’s pocket) but when it’s Matt and Ned you know it’s worth listening to anyway. We’d give you the address but part of the fun is finding it.

Team Sky Podcast “Team Sky bring you the inside track throughout the season from the professional cycling team.”. Yes, it’s the Sky PR machine on full tilt but the production values are good and you get to hear about the one team most of us know more than two riders in.https://www.mixcloud.com/teamsky/

BeSpoke BBC Radio 5 Live’s monthly cycling magazine show – a great place for beginners to start and  unrivaled access to the biggest names. Rob Hayles pops up a fair bit too and that’s never a bad thing. http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/bespoke

Rouleur Everyone’s favourite lifestyle cycling mag has its own podcast.  Worth taking a listen if you enjoy the aesthetics of life as a MAMIL. http://rouleur.cc/journal/Podcasts

Want us to add more? Tweet us a link to @yorkshirecyclin (yes, the g’s missing) and we’ll take a listen.

Bike lights. Let’s be honest, they hardly feature high up on your list of kit you want to buy. In fact for us at least they are firmly on the list of things you ‘need’ rather than things you ‘want’ and not in the same way that you ‘need’ a new Colnago!!  However we need to put a small caveat in there as about 3 years ago we came across Ay-Up lights whilst out on a ride with some friends and these Australian beauties have remained elusive to us until now, but very much on our ‘want’ list.

After a chat with the guys over in Australia they quickly sent us a set to play with and this was quite possibly the first time lights have got us excited.

So what’s the fuss all about? Well first off they are a pretty rare find in the UK and that’s probably largely due to them not being found in UK shops! (we could be wrong on that). Instead purchasing is online which does mean you can’t have a play before buying but we urge you not to pass on these just yet. (visit www.ayup-lights.com)

Delivery was very quick and the road kit instantly impressed with its large case full with all the various bits and bobs to get you going and mounted in any number of places. This is where your first decision comes – do you mount on the handlebars or on your helmet? Well most people opt for the former and the included mount is stable and excellent. However, for some reason we felt compelled to helmet mount these and whilst we’ve used helmet lights before, these really were taking it up a level.

Lights on your helmet seem to be a marmite thing and it’s probably fair to say most people don’t bother but since giving it a go we’ve never looked back as coupled with a good handlebar light it gives so much more illumination where you’re looking – which isn’t always where you’re going!!

Rated at over 700 lumens the road kit is easily powerful enough for any road riding on its own but used in conjunction with a similarly powerful bar light you are well set.  The current trend of ‘more lumens the better’ isn’t strictly true as it’s more about the quality of light and the beam. Both of these are superb on the Ay Up lights and easily up there with the very best from the likes of Exposure, Lupine etc.

The construction is solid too and whilst we haven’t tested them for durability we reckon they could take a few good knocks no worries. The helmet mount kit is also equally as excellent as the handlebar equivalent and once set in place they just don’t move – at all. As a nice extra they also come with a rugged head mounting kit which would be perfect for trail running (although it might not be intended for that) and we intend to have a go at that soon so look out for a further update.

The illumination itself comes from two high powered lights in one unit and it’s all powered by an external battery pack. Whilst previous lights of this ilk have proved to be annoying, the battery pack here is very light, pretty small and fits perfectly in place either on the bike or back of the helmet (when helmet mounted of course!). As with most lights there are 3 power options varying in brightness and it’s dead easy to use on the move which is a big bonus considering there is a good chance you will have full fingered gloves on at this time of year.

So there must be a negative right? Well sort of, although it’s not specific to these lights and is more to do with helmet lights in general. We don’t advise using in the fog as the result is similar to sticking the high beam on in your car ie; not good, and you do have to be aware that if you’re looking at oncoming traffic then there is a good chance you will be shining your light right at it too. But aside of that we can’t find anything bad to say about these lights. In fact we’d go as far as to say that they are currently our favourite lights (and we have a lot). OK they might be overkill for some who already have a good bar mounted light and just want some extra visibility from higher up but you can always use a lower power setting if you like.

Price comes in at AU$250 and you have tonnes of colour options to match them to your bike and/or clothing. So they’re not cheap but we rate these very highly and with that in mind they are cheaper than many other options out there. Not only that, they sound like they’re from Yorkshire : )

Brilliant lights and the pack is very generously accessorised.

Verdict; 9/10 – They do get pretty hot when in use so if you reach to alter the angle on the go then probs best to leave your gloves on. Apart from that they are superb. Get some bought, we love em!

For more information visit www.ayup-lights.com

Regular readers of our blog and reviews will know we are huge fans of the Australian brand Knog. For years they’ve been providing simple yet highly effective products all wrapped up in quirky but highly effective designs.

Last year we reviewed the Blinder Road 2 and Road R lights and we loved them. In fact the Blinder R remains our favourite rear light of them all.

So naturally we were keen to get our hands on some of the newer products in the range and this year we’ve got the Blinder Road 3, Blinder Arc 1.7 and Blinder Arc 5.5 in for review. So let’s get cracking starting with the Road 3.

Knog Binder Road 3

Sporting a very similar design as the excellent Road 2, the Road 3 is essentially its bigger brother offering 300 lumens as opposed to 200 but that’s pretty much the only difference in the spec you’re going to be interested in. OK it’s slightly heavier and slightly bigger but that’s expected and really it’s still excellent in both those areas. Again it sports the same quick release clasp we’ve come to take for granted and the handy USB charging also remains the same.

There’s little else to say about this that we didn’t cover last time round. It’s a brilliant light either as a commuter, a helmet light, or even as a back up front light. You could ride with this as your main front light but you’d need to slow down a bit as 300 lumens isn’t quite enough to pick out potholes etc effectively at speed in our opinion. But use it as intended and it’s near enough perfect. At around £60-£70 (if you hunt) it’s also great value.

Knog Blinder Arc 1.7

So on to the Blinder Arc 1.7 and this sports a more typical design but with the usual Knog twist. Priced at around £50 this 170 lumens light is again another winner.  Its shape means it takes up less room on the handlebars than the Road 2 or 3 but with only one cree LED as opposed to two some may not prefer the narrower beam. This is a preference thing though and it really depends on what sort of beam you’re after.

In reality this again pretty much serves the same purpose as the Blinder Road 2 and 3 light just slightly lowered power so its will do the commuting or ‘be seen’ thing as good as anything and better than a lot.

As with the Road 2 & 3, the Arc 1.7 comes with a basic helmet mount and this is where the design will likely come in to its own for us. The mount itself is pretty basic and we had some reservations about it but in use it’s been faultless so we can’t complain.

Knog Blinder Arc 5.5

Finally on to the Blinder Arc 5.5 and this is a totally different beast to the others as it offers 550 lumens out of its single cree LED. We’ve happily used this as our main front light on a few rides and whilst we’re not arguing the comfort a 2000 lumen light gives, the reality is that 550 lumens is plenty for group riding at night, especially if you choose to run a helmet light as well (which we do).

Whilst it too comes with the helmet mount we felt it was a bit big for that application but on the handlebars it has been brilliant. It does occasions move up a touch but that’s nothing a quick readjustment doesn’t fix and to be honest this is pretty common on lights with a silicon band for mounting.

Priced at around £85 it becomes a more serious light investment but we wouldn’t call it expensive. It’s a quality light that’s well made and looks cool.

Our final thoughts

All three lights tested get the thumbs up from us and are excellent if you use them for the purpose intended. They all have the excellent USB charging and easy operation. Run times are what you’d expect for a self contained light so whilst they don’t set any records, they are absolutely fine, especially when you factor in pretty quick charging times, and there’s the huge benefit of not needing to carry an external battery pack around.

We started this review claiming Knog to be one of our favourite light brands and we end it with no reason to change that. Great products that will last and look cool.

Here at North Yorkshire Cycling we have to admit that we probably spend the lion’s share of our riding time in the Yorkshire Dales purely because of convenience and the constraints of work week to week. So when the guys over at Ox Pasture Hall just outside of Scarborough invited us to come and stay a night in their luxury 4 start country house hotel we took it as a chance to do some more exploring over by the coast.

At roughly 3 miles from Scarborough train station and sitting just on the edge of the North Yorks Moors National Park, Ox Pasture Hall stands majestically alone within 17 acres of enchanting gardens although staying here technically means the whole North Yorks Moors are your playground. The town of Scarborough itself is a lively and colourful seaside town that perhaps doesn’t quite match its former glory but still has a lot to offer the tourist or in our case ‘The Cyclist’ – we liked it instantly.

On arrival the first thing you notice at The Hall is that it’s clearly a desirable place to stay, the elegant country hotel affords visitors a super relaxing and picturesque place to stay and in our opinion (at least) has a ‘spa’ feel to it. For us cyclists who usually want somewhere to relax after a hard days riding it seems perfect and with facilities such as secure storage for bike and kit the Hotel really is welcoming the cycling community.

Our room for the stay also couldn’t have been better. In fact it’s fair to say it was more like a country cottage boasting a large bathroom, large living room area and huge bedroom with the sort of bed comfy enough to make you forget you came to ride your bike.  On top of that the view is an uninterrupted countryside vista which surely must have inspired many an artist. In fact the only negative point here is that the hotel WIFI didn’t reach our room which could be problematic if we hadn’t already planned our riding in advance. Basically we had no internet access and mobile reception was nearly non-existent although the last point is hardly the fault of the Hall.

Any way aside of the WIFI issues you would struggle to find a room more suited to a cycling stay and on our regular cycling travels we seldom enjoy such luxury.

As part of our stay we were treated to both Afternoon Tea and a full 3 course meal. Both were exceptional and worth paying significant money for (and as a bonus the restaurant has a strong WIFI signal too!!!). Really as we are not food connoisseurs as such there isn’t anything clever or educated to say so just take it from us that the food is superb and if you’re staying there then we’re confident you will struggle to find a local restaurant serving better food. (more info available at www.oxpasturehallhotel.com/food-and-drink)

All in all for a short cycling stay we have to say Ox Pasture Hall is just about the best place we’ve stayed and if budgets allow then we’d definitely recommend you give yourself a treat. Excellent facilities (apart from WIFI), great location, luxury rooms, very friendly and helpful staff and all in North Yorkshire – what more could you ask for?

So hopefully we’ve got you interested in the Hotel, but what’s the riding like? Well there are a few things you will always find in the North Yorks Moors – steep hills (in abundance), quite roads and great views (coastal if you’re this far East). With all that in mind it goes without saying really that this part of the UK offers some of the very best riding you will find anywhere.

So with that in mind we absolutely recommend you make the effort to ride in this stunning part of North Yorkshire and the Ox Pasture Hall country hotel is a superb place to base yourself from.

To find out more about the Hotel and area visit http://www.oxpasturehallhotel.com/

Cycling is a simple sport. Jump on your bike, turn the pedals and away you go. As is true with most things that are aching simple in raw form we find ways to complicate all in the name of progress and where sport is concerned; performance.

Over the years we’ve had bigger chain rings, smaller chain rings, a variety of crank lengths all strangely claiming to offer superior this that and the other, heck we’ve even seen bent cranks! Over the last couple of years we have however seen oval (or at least not round) chain rings reappearing and adorning the bikes of Wiggins and Froome no less. I say reappear as in reality the concept has been around a long time and like the Mohican haircut they keep coming in and out of fashion.

Now however, due to a few top cyclists swearing by them they seem here to stay and one of the biggest names in this business ‘Rotor’ are leading the way with their Q-Rings. So, having never actually tried anything other than round chain rings we were very interested to get our hands on a lovely set of sent courtesy of the guys at Rotor.

This review won’t go in to the science part of using the chainrings, you can find that info here; http://www.rotoruk.co.uk/qrings/ instead we’re just going to focus on our experience out on the road.

First things first it’s clear the Q-Rings are really well made and whilst style is a subjective thing, they certainly add a whiff of ‘pro’ once fitted. We liked them instantly. Also worth noting is that despite some horror stories we had no problems at all fitting them to our test bike with Dura Ace Di2. A few minor adjustments here and there and they’ve not slipped or struggled to change once.

Whilst our true test was to be a tough 72 mile ride in the Lakes including Whinlatter Pass, Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass, we did take them out of a couple of short evening rides to check all was fastened up right and changing under load etc.

Strangely the first thing we noticed was, well nothing at all!! Despite the obvious oval shape and being told “it will take an hour or so to get used to them” after about 10 pedal revolutions we struggled to even notice any shape difference during pedalling. Some may see this as a good thing but we were left a little disappointed if only because at around £159 they aren’t cheap and we wanted to feel different, but literally after 1 minute they felt no different at all.

(we appreciate in reality not noticing anything different is a very good thing).

Despite only planning to keep them on the bike for the few test runs and the Lakeland Loop we have in fact left these on for a good while now (mainly out of laziness to change them) so feel pretty well placed to make comment on how they have effected performance. As stated before this is not backed up by any scientific data and is purely based on our feeling and performance out on training runs.

Anyone who is expecting these to suddenly transform them from a Cat 4 rider in to a Cat 2 rider is probably going to be disappointed as far as we are concerned. That’s not to say we haven’t noticed benefits as in truth certain climbs have seemed to pass a little easier than previously and again on occasion it has seemed easier to hold a higher pace on the flat. In either case though it hasn’t been consistent enough to convince us they are definitely making the difference as that could be down to any number of things – but it has made us intrigued to stick with them for the time being.

What we are confident about saying though is that at no time have we felt they resulted in slower times or made any part of a ride harder than normal and with that in mind it brings us to the buzz word in cycling at the moment ‘marginal gains’. There have been times when we’ve felt some kind of small performance increase and it’s as likely to be the chain rings as anything else and so with even club and sportive riders now looking for every last ‘gain’ these could well be one area to look at.

At the end of the day they work brilliantly as chain rings, offer smooth shifting with no chain dropping (during our tests) at all and look ‘pro’ so if you’re in the market for new chain rings these reasons alone make them worth considering. The fact they might just shave a few seconds off a 10 mile TT, your next hill climb or potentially even more on a 100mile sportive should really get you interested if every second counts to you.

So will they turn you in to the next Bradley Wiggins? Probably not, but then neither will spending £8k on your next dream bike and yet we still see plenty of club riders doing that.

Our verdict – Worth looking at and giving a go as they are a very high quality product that you might just love.

For more information see – http://www.rotoruk.co.uk/qrings/

More often than not new clothing comes in from season to season, typically with a few extra features that may or may not have a dramatic effect on its performance and with some minor design changes very much in keeping with a particular brand. Because of this (again) on most occasions when out in a new jersey for example, it goes un-noticed.

Regular readers will know we have always favoured Shutt VR products in previous views so when we received the new Isobel Ladies Jersey in the post our female testers started to get excited.

The first thing you notice about this jersey is the style. Designed by Lucy Gardner this is one jersey that has sparked comment from just about everyone we’ve shown it to, and all of it positive. With such a bold design the jersey always going to divide opinion to a certain extent however we’d say this is one of the best ladies jersey designs we’ve seen in a very long time.

So big tick on the style front but what’s it like quality wise? Well we have reviewed a number of Shutt items from the men’s range previously and they’ve always been the equal of anything from any price range so we know in general the company produces excellent quality clothing. If pushed we’d actually say the quality of the Isobel Jersey is a level above anything we’ve been sent before. It really is a lovely jersey and whilst we’ve only had it a few weeks so longevity is yet to be proven, we have no concerns at all.

Features wise there are a lot of good points as well from the waterproof (not tested) zipped back central pocket to the neck and waist fabric zip end covers to the mesh side panels, this jersey isn’t left wanting for anything. It’s hard to think of anything else you could do to be honest without adding features that have no real use.

One thing to point out is that although a short sleeved jersey, the Isobel is made of slightly thicker material so we’d say on those really hot rides it could get a bit warm. As always that really depends on the individual and as yet it hasn’t been noticed on our warmer rides so perhaps we are underestimating the breathability of the jersey. At this time of year with Autumn fast approaching this is another bonus and add a sleeveless baselayer and some arm warmers and you really are going to remain comfy when other light summer jersey’s are getting out of their comfort zone.

Shutt claim the fit is designed to flatter all body sizes. Our tester is a size 8 and wears the Extra Small so we can’t comment on how it looks on other sizes but during our tests the fit has proved excellent in all areas with the right amount of drop at the back and support where it’s needed.

Really we can’t find anything to fault this jersey on. If you like the design (and we do – a lot) then this should be the next short sleeved jersey you buy. It’s simply a brilliant piece of ladies cycle clothing.

If you prefer something a bit less noticeable then perhaps look elsewhere.

click here for more info and to buy: http://www.shuttvr.com/shop/productdetail/Isobel-Jersey/ 

What’s more exciting (bike wise) than a new set of wheels? Aside of getting a whole new bike, a new set of seep section wheels is probably the most desired upgrade and as a result the ‘which wheels should I buy?’ is probably the most contested post on cycling club facebook pages across the country.

So when our friends over at Baldwin Titanium Bikes gave us a call inviting us to come over and test their new ‘Actif’ range of wheels we jumped at the chance.

Hand built in the UK, Actif wheels are fully customisable with rim depths available in 38, 50,60 & 80mm, and are built around either Hope RS Mono hubs or Chris King’s for those with deeper pockets. Also available as either clinchers or tubular the rims are sourced from the Far East (like 99% of those on the market) and use a combination of T700,800 & 1000 filaments from Toray in Japan so there shouldn’t be any quality issues at all. Clinchers are also treated to better braking with a proprietary resin used in the composite allowing them to withstand extreme heat (220 degree is claimed).

Our wheels for the day are the 60mm tubular (Hope hubs) and they’ve been added to a lovely Baldwin Titanium bikes for us to ride. The first thing that surprised us was the overall bike weight (inc pedals) of just 6.7kg!!! That’s astonishing for a metal bike with 60mm deep section wheels and a mid range Shimano groupset. When you factor in the added comfort of titanium it really starts to look like an attractive option that blows most carbon race bikes out of the water for weight and comfort.

Anyway back on to the wheels.

Our test route for the day is a fast 40+ miler around the pretty flat roads in East Yorkshire, so perfect for deep rims. As luck would have it, despite soaring temperatures there’s also a strong coastal wind to test how they react in less than ideal circumstances.

So are they fast? Well in a word yes, but you already knew that. Very light, 60mm rims and with excellent Hope hubs – of course they are fast.

So are they comfortable? Well it’s hard to say as we were riding a ‘new to us’ titanium bike but what we can say is overall comfort was remarkable. Typically deep rims = less comfort, for obvious reasons but the overall package was substantially smoother and comfier than our high end carbon bikes with shallow rims.

So are they stiff? Yes. Not to the point of being harsh but sprinting out of corners (which we did a lot of just to keep up with our chaperones for the day) resulted in no noticeable flex.

So are they good in wind? They were much better than expected and equal to anything else we’ve tried including very expensive wheels from the biggest brands out there. Again whether we were just lucky when the gusts hit or not is hard to say as winding country lanes do provide good shelter but at no point did they catch to the point of concern.

So do they brake well? Braking on our test route was excellent although it has to be said we had no steep hills to really test them. Stopping on the flat from 25mph was stable and rapid so we’d have no problems using them on almost any terrain. Obviously there are always concerns over any carbon clincher under constant heavy braking so we probably wouldn’t take these to the Alps or in to The Lakes but then you probably wouldn’t want to anyway. With the added heat resistance of these rims though there is nothing to suggest they are not every bit as good as top end brands.

So are they expensive? Well they’re not cheap but then you are getting an expertly hand built set of wheels. Prices start from just over £1000 depending on what spec you go for so they will dent your wallet but not to the extent of the top brands or some mid range wheels.

So what did we think of them overall? Well we came away really liking the new Actif 6.0 wheels. OK 60mm rims are not for everyone and personally we would be more likely to opt for the 38mm versions (Actif 3.8) as they are better suited to our riding but performance wise they are great and we had nothing negative to report at all.

Price wise they are of course a serious investment but we have no issues with the cost. Essentially you get what you pay for and they are a really nice set of wheels, perfect for adorning an outstanding custom Baldwin Titanium frame.

To find out more visit the Baldwin website – http://www.baldwintitanium.co.uk/product/actif-hand-built-carbon-wheels/