Here is a look back at some of my favourite photos from 2016. See you all next year!
Saturday, 31 December 2016
Thursday, 29 December 2016
Vittoria Peyote Tyre Review
Lets be honest. Until a few weeks ago I'd never heard of the Penyote. Vittoria as a MTB tyre brand wasn't on my radar. However, in the cellar at City Cycles I found of box of this 29 x 2.25 tyre. The tread looked promising and at under 600g it passed the weight weenie test.
Vittoria market the Peyote as their "Go to XC tyre", with positive remarks from sponsored rider Pauline Ferrand-Prevot the 2015 World XC Champion. This means a low profile and fast rolling tyre are guaranteed, but what is the grip like? The sipped knobs and stepped side lugs are a positive start. The sidewalls aren't wafer thin either, like some lightweight XC treads; which should help the durability.
I mounted the Peyote on the front wheel tubeless, without any problems. Visually the width was a little disappointing for a 2.25 tyre. For comparison the tyre is just a smidge plumper than a Specialized Fast Trak 2.0 and definitely narrower than the Rocket Ron 2.25 that it replaced.
I tested the tyre on the North Downs at Peaslake on a cold day with very mixed trail conditions. Fast frozen hard packed man made trails, slithery greasy roots, slippery mud on top of hardpack and deep claggy glop! This ride had it all!
I was asked frequently during the ride how I was getting on with the Penyote. My response was slightly non-committal because what could I say? It had handled everything that had been thrown at it. The tyre is nicely predictable and I had just forgotten about it and concentrated on riding!
It is a cross country tyre, but I found you could lean on it pretty hard and still find grip. On firm trails like "Barry Knows Best" it held a tight line on the berms, handling quick direction changes nicely. In softer, loamy conditions the knobs dug in well. This type of tyre is never going to be brilliant in the proper sticky stuff, but it was controlled and manageable. I was also pleased to find it handled wet roots without any scary moments. At the end of the day I was pretty impressed. This tyre definitely gives the Schwalbe Rocket Ron a run for its money, in fact I'd be tempted to say I preferred it trail manners. (I've been running a Ron upfront on the race bike for several years now.)
As a punt in the dark I've been impressed with this Vittoria tyre and will definitely be leaving it on the bike to form a longer term opinion. The Rocket Rons I've had have just gone on and on forever, so I'll post again in a few months when I have a better idea of the durability of the Penyote.
Vittoria market the Peyote as their "Go to XC tyre", with positive remarks from sponsored rider Pauline Ferrand-Prevot the 2015 World XC Champion. This means a low profile and fast rolling tyre are guaranteed, but what is the grip like? The sipped knobs and stepped side lugs are a positive start. The sidewalls aren't wafer thin either, like some lightweight XC treads; which should help the durability.
I mounted the Peyote on the front wheel tubeless, without any problems. Visually the width was a little disappointing for a 2.25 tyre. For comparison the tyre is just a smidge plumper than a Specialized Fast Trak 2.0 and definitely narrower than the Rocket Ron 2.25 that it replaced.
I tested the tyre on the North Downs at Peaslake on a cold day with very mixed trail conditions. Fast frozen hard packed man made trails, slithery greasy roots, slippery mud on top of hardpack and deep claggy glop! This ride had it all!
I was asked frequently during the ride how I was getting on with the Penyote. My response was slightly non-committal because what could I say? It had handled everything that had been thrown at it. The tyre is nicely predictable and I had just forgotten about it and concentrated on riding!
It is a cross country tyre, but I found you could lean on it pretty hard and still find grip. On firm trails like "Barry Knows Best" it held a tight line on the berms, handling quick direction changes nicely. In softer, loamy conditions the knobs dug in well. This type of tyre is never going to be brilliant in the proper sticky stuff, but it was controlled and manageable. I was also pleased to find it handled wet roots without any scary moments. At the end of the day I was pretty impressed. This tyre definitely gives the Schwalbe Rocket Ron a run for its money, in fact I'd be tempted to say I preferred it trail manners. (I've been running a Ron upfront on the race bike for several years now.)
As a punt in the dark I've been impressed with this Vittoria tyre and will definitely be leaving it on the bike to form a longer term opinion. The Rocket Rons I've had have just gone on and on forever, so I'll post again in a few months when I have a better idea of the durability of the Penyote.
Wednesday, 21 December 2016
2016 Year End Summary
Club
and Sponsorship:
For
the first time since 2010 I didn’t join the South Downs Bikes club this year.
Although I definitely missed the camaraderie at races, team sponsorship was
unlikely as I couldn’t commit to a definite schedule of events at the beginning of
the year due to the birth of my daughter in February. Instead I obtained
sponsorship to cover my entry to the Grand Raid marathon race in Switzerland. As
part of the package McMurdo also supplied the distinctive orange Fast Find Ranger
PLB branded jersey. I was also appointed a brand ambassador for Absolute Black,
riding their oval chainrings throughout the year. Both of these agreements
meant I continued to blog and also introduced the Ben Races Bikes Facebook fan
page.
General:
I
continued to ride the S-Works Stumpjumper. The major upgrades this year were
new wheels from Strada and the DT Swiss fork which is a revelation compared to
the SID I had previously.
For
the 2nd year running I purchased a British Cycling racing license.
This enabled me to enter the National Marathon Championships and obtain a
better grid position at the Grand Raid.
Racing:
Training
in 2016 started slowly following the birth of my daughter in February. However,
the focus of the year was August where I would race 3 marathon events in 3
weeks.
Racing
started in May with the Gorrick 100 where I rode well but failed to make the
top 20.
There
was then a brief foray with the Olympic distance at the Southern Championship,
where I missed the Open podium by 1.2 seconds!
With
the pressure now off it was time to enjoy myself! I entered the Open category
at both rounds of the Gorrick Autumn Challenge, where after 13 years of trying
I won my first Gorrick race! I was third in the second round, finishing the
year on a high.
Social:
In
the build up to the Grand Raid I had a number of great social rides. Long days
in the saddle with friends, including Winchester and back along the South Downs
Way with Ian and Julian.
With
two children at home and a school run to complete my total mileage for the 2016
was lower than the past few years. However, I enjoyed another cracking summer
of off-road commuting. Regularly passing Stanstead house and looping over
Kingley Vale in the morning or on a warm summer's evening. There can be nothing
better for relieving the stress!
Highlight:
Riding
across the Swiss Alps!
In
summary:
Enjoyable,
experience laden year!
2017 is the dawn of a new
career in the cycle trade! The effect this will have on my free time and
cycling opportunities is unknown. Therefore my focus will be just continuing to
ride, maintaining my fitness and entering events when I can. Watch this space!
Monday, 12 December 2016
City Cycles Shop Opening
Opening the shop has meant my life has become entirely cycling focused. However, actually riding my bike has had to take a back seat. Long days in the shop and late evenings ordering stock haven't left much free time.
After a career spent sitting behind a desk, standing at the counter 8 hours a day has also taken its toll. Each morning I've struggled to lurch from my bed with stiff joints and weary limbs. So when I did finally clamber aboard the road bike for a quick afternoon ride on Sunday, you could almost hear my body creaking as I tried to contort it into motion. The first 30 minutes were torture while the muscle memory was restored. 4 hours racing at the Merida Brass Monkeys next weekend could be fun!
As for the shop we've had a very successful first week. We've sold a bike every day and the workshop has seen a steady stream of customers. We held an opening event on Saturday that was extremely well supported and demonstrated the loyal customer base the previous owners Martin and Jackie had built up.
After a career spent sitting behind a desk, standing at the counter 8 hours a day has also taken its toll. Each morning I've struggled to lurch from my bed with stiff joints and weary limbs. So when I did finally clamber aboard the road bike for a quick afternoon ride on Sunday, you could almost hear my body creaking as I tried to contort it into motion. The first 30 minutes were torture while the muscle memory was restored. 4 hours racing at the Merida Brass Monkeys next weekend could be fun!
As for the shop we've had a very successful first week. We've sold a bike every day and the workshop has seen a steady stream of customers. We held an opening event on Saturday that was extremely well supported and demonstrated the loyal customer base the previous owners Martin and Jackie had built up.
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