9 Day Bike Clearance – Fineshade Woods

If you’re in the market for a new bike you don’t want to miss our massive clearance sale. Over the course of 9 days we’ll be offering massive discounts on some of the biggest and best bikes from premium brands such as Specialized, Trek, Scott and many more.

Over at Fineshade Woods from the 25^th May until the 2^nd June, Rutland Cycling will be taking over the courtyard at Fineshade Woods and offering you the chance to get your hands on a real bargain. We have got plenty of 2013 bikes that we need to make space for so this really is an opportunity not to be missed.

With bikes attracting up to 50% discount you are guaranteed to find a bargain. Bikes from Yeti, Orange and De Rosa will be there to cater for customers looking for something a bit special. For those after a real everyday bargain then Raleigh and Dawes bikes starting from £59.99 will be in plentiful supply.

If you would like to know more information about this sale please don’t hesitate to contact us by emailing enquiries@rutlandcycling.com or calling 01572 332032.

Late Night Shopping

On the evening of Thursday 30th May we will be remaining open until 8pm where our expert staff can advise you exactly what bike will suit your particular needs.

Directions

Our store at Fineshade Woods is located in north Northamptonshire, just off the A43 between Stamford and Corby.

Fineshade Cycling,
Top Lodge,
Fineshade Wood,
Corby,
Northamptonshire,
NN17 3BB.

Other Facilities at Fineshade Woods:

• Café
• Picnic area
• Toilets
• Parking
• Forestry Commission information centre
• Waymarked cycling and walking routes
• Birdwatching
• Camping – at Top Lodge in Fineshade Woods

We look forward to welcoming you at the Fineshade store.

In all triathlons I have taken part in, I find that running off the bike presents quite a few issues for me, with wobbly legs that can feel like lead. I often wonder ‘what’s the best way to get off the bike and running after a hard ride?’  We could spend hours going through the numerous methods and techniques to assist your running in general, but in this post we will pin-point one area that should help you run more efficiently off the bike and even get that extra bit of speed for a fast finish.

Running exercises

Start off by jogging on the spot; now speed up your feet but not your hands, difficult isn’t it?  Now try it the other way around, again jogging on the spot speed up your hands but not your feet, without practice it’s very difficult.

Let’s try something much simpler. Stand up straight, relax your arms, start jogging on the spot but in sets of three, so left, right, left in quick succession. Jog just three steps on the spot, hands and feet moving at the same pace. After 5-10 sets of this we are ready for the next step.

Ensure there is a little space around you, about 10-15feet should be fine, now making small steps and gaining very little forward momentum you should jog briskly.

If you have a speed ladder then you can use it to practice this technique. After you have a done 5-10 runs, speed it up a little and then repeat getting faster each time.

Spend the time to do this at your training session and you will be off to those quick starts and dismounts in no time at all.

Remember:

• Relax
• Look ahead, not at your feet
• Breathe in a controlled manner

How will these drills help?

The running technique drills outlined in this post will:

• Increase your cadence or footfall and is a very good way to get off to a flying start when you dismount the cycle section of your next triathlon.
• Faster feet will make you a faster runner
• Improve balance

Why not challenge your friends with different fast feet moves.

If you’re new to triathlon and you’re looking for more advice and tips, we’ve got lots more guides and videos to help you here

Related content

• Cycling exercises for triathlon
• Breathing and swimming techniques for triathlon
• Preparing For Your First Triathlon – 5 Top Tips
• How to Get Started in Triathlon
• A Guide to Triathlon for Women
• A beginner’s guide to triathlon, by Kerry Rough

The main muscles you use to produce the power when cycling are your:

• Glutes
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings

Having competed in a number of triathlons myself  I find that one of my main issues in cycle training is gaining enough leg strength and then utilising this strength – Trying to maximise power through cycling, and finding the right exercises to support this is very important.

I’m going to explain how you can use a progressive series of exercises that will help you develop strength and power in all these muscle groups, to make you stronger and quicker on the bike. You can do these exercises at home as you don’t need any special equipment. Just make sure you’re well warmed up before you start them.

Love them or loathe them, squats are one of the most effective exercises you can do.

1. Normal squat

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and face forward.

Bend down to 90 degrees and raise your arms to help you keep balance.

Once you get to the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position.

2. Swing squat

The swing squat is very similar to the normal squat.

Using the same motion as the normal squat with your legs, swing your arms between your legs and then bring them up above your head whilst exhaling and stretch at the top.

3. One-legged squat

The key to the one-legged squat is to keep your knee straight when bending your leg.

Stand on one leg.

Using your opposite arm, lean from your hips and reach over your knee before pushing back up again through your heel.

4. Jump squat

The jump squat is a great exercise to help you build power. This exercise is also very similar to the normal squat.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and face forward.

Bend down to 90 degrees as you would in the normal squat but as you come up, swing your arms upwards projecting yourself into a jump. As you hit the floor it’s important to land on your toes and then let your heel hit the floor afterwards.

How to use these exercises in training

So now you have a simple set of 4 exercises to build strength in your legs, which you can do at home in 20 minutes, or as part of your next gym training session.

1. Start with normal squats, to build up the strength in your gluts, quads and hamstrings.

2. Build up to more dynamic squat exercises as you get stronger, like swing squats, one-legged squats and jump squats, to build your functional strength even more.

3. Start with 20 repetitions of each exercise, remembering to warm up fully before attempting these.

If you’re new to triathlon and you’re looking for more advice and tips, we’ve got lots more guides and videos to help you at rutlandcycling.com/triathlon.

Related content

• Breathing and swimming techniques for triathlon
• Preparing For Your First Triathlon – 5 Top Tips
• How to Get Started in Triathlon
• A Guide to Triathlon for Women
• A beginner’s guide to triathlon, by Kerry Rough
• Triathlon bikes – a helpful guide

If you’re new to Triathlon you may find that one of the most difficult skills to get to grips with is swimming in open water. This is very different to swimming in a pool for a number of different reasons. Firstly, it’s harder to swim straight as there are no lines to follow on the bottom. One of the other big differences is that you can follow other swimmers very closely and get some advantage by being pulled along – they call this drafting!

Open water

Probably the key barrier for me was managing my fear and anxieties about being in Open Water while trying to keep calm and focussed.  A handy tip for beginners and experienced triathletes alike that will help calm the nerves and get you off to a really good start, is to remember your training and practice until the start of the race.

Exercises

When you get out into open water it can be a little bit scary, especially for the first time. But don’t worry it’s common to feel nervous; you’re most definitely not alone in your feelings!

I will explain a great exercise that will improve your core stability and help with your streamlining, to practice this technique get to a pool, if possible get yourself in to a nice warm cosy Endless Pool, if you cannot find an Endless pool in your area then a regular pool will do just fine but make sure you have some space and someone to spot you.  Now it’s very simple, but something we often forget when we’re apprehensive about the water or nervous about a race, is to breathe in above the water and out constantly and evenly under the water rather than holding our breath.

For this technique you need a pool. Your local pool is as good as any, keep your hands above your head and take in a big breath. As you start to sink under the water let the air out of your lungs – push yourself out of the water and breathe in. Repeat this practice this until you feel you have a good grasp of the technique and then try it out in an open water situation.

Once you’ve got the hang of this, start to swim, focussing on breathing out under the water just as you did in the pool.  And remember to relax!

Why is this important?

1. Because it gets you into a regular breathing pattern ready to swim hard.
2. It means that when you turn to breathe, you only have to breathe in and not out as well and you will swim  faster and more smoothly.
3. When you hold air in, it causes the chest to float at the expense of the legs and so you’ll have a lot more drag when you swim.

Its an important technique which is a ‘must do’ that you can easily practice in a pool, to get off to a great race start. And this is equally important for the more experienced swimmers amongst you.

If you know that you have a tendency to hold your breath, make it a part of your regular session just to do a few bobs to practice breathing out and sinking down before you start your session. You’re likely to find that you won’t get out of breath so quickly and you’ll be more relaxed and ready to go. When you get to open water, do just the same in the warm up before the race start.

Building your core strength will definitely help make you more streamlined and swim faster.

Good luck!

Related content

• Preparing For Your First Triathlon – 5 Top Tips
• How to Get Started in Triathlon
• A Guide to Triathlon for Women
• How to get fit in 2013 by Rutland Cycling Triathlete Kerry
• World Triathlon Championships – My Grand Final Experience
• A beginner’s guide to triathlon, by Kerry Rough
• Triathlon bikes – a helpful guide

It is a common (mis)conception that you need to spend lots of money to do a triathlon, when in fact, the opposite can be true. Of course, at the other end of the scale, you might end up spending lots of money, only to find that (a) you don’t actually need half the things you’ve bought, or (b) even worse, now you’ve given it a go, you don’t really enjoy triathlon anyway. Let’s hope the latter isn’t the case – but it’s still better to go into the whole triathlon game well informed, and aware of what you’ll need.

One of the most important questions to be asked firstly is: What Do I Need?

With the first part of a triathlon being the swim, this is where you have a couple of essential pieces of kit. Even though you will probably be starting off with a pool-based triathlon, you certainly will need a good pair of goggles. These often will need you to try them to see if they fit your face by seeing if they will suction to your face without the need for the straps to be placed around your head.

For open-water events, a swim hat and wetsuit are the other essential pieces of kit needed. A swim cap will give you that extra protection and warmth as well as helping to keep your goggles in place.

With regards to the cold open-water swims wetsuits are compulsory in water temperatures below 14 degrees Celsius.  Not only do wetsuits keep you warm, they also increase your buoyancy making it easier to swim. However pool-based triathlons would not require wetsuits.

A lot of first time triathletes also worry about what they should wear for the event. A tri-suit would be the recommended piece of kit, although this is not a necessity as anything that is close-fitting and comfortable to wear will be just as adequate. Again this can be expensive and therefore for your first event, anything that you feel comfortable wearing in water and cycling and running in afterwards should be fine.

With a tri-suit the added benefit is the extra padding, however this is normally only a thin layer, and therefore will not be uncomfortable for the run and is merely a slightly extra comfort layer for the bike portion of the race.

A mandatory piece of equipment for the bike section is a helmet; you’ll never see a triathlete riding without a lid, not even elite triathletes. New helmets are comfortable, reasonably priced, simple to use, and offer proven protection.

Giro Atmos Helmet 2013

What probably is the biggest expense for any first time triathlete is the bike. This is pretty much the piece of kit that you will spend a lot of time looking for to insure you get the right one, and obviously will cost the most with regards to all of the kit needed. To begin with you do not need to worry about looking for a tri-specific bike, but it is recommended to make sure that your bike is in good working order and in good condition. A service is therefore another good recommendation for your pride and joy.

For those of you just starting out, it is very easy as well to start to worry about cycling shoes; these can be deemed a luxury for those beginners, especially given the cost. It is therefore probably much more important to consider shoes that are easy to get on and off during transitions. The advantage of cycling shoes is that they attach to the pedals giving you better cycling stability and power.

When it comes to the run section of the race, again it would be recommended that you are wearing something that you are comfortable in for the entire race. Breath-ability is always an advantage.

When it comes to your running shoes, these are the most important part of your running equipment. If your feet are well supported and comfortable, it will make your run seem much easier. It is always advisable to seek out a running shoe expert who can recommend the best shoes for your feet as everyone is quite individual. Everyone has a slightly different foot-type and running style, therefore this will dictate specific requirements.

Good luck!

Related Content

• How to get fit in 2013 by Rutland Cycling Triathlete Kerry
• World Triathlon Championships – My Grand Final Experience
• A beginner’s guide to triathlon, by Kerry Rough
• Triathlon bikes – a helpful guide

As a female triathlete, I have found that there are a few extra bits and pieces that I need to consider to help me in my training and race preparation, as well as actually during the race.

Finding a good starting position in the swim

Firstly, swimming. What I find during open water swimming is that ladies can certainly be just as powerful and competitive as men, and so as to avoid jumping straight into the middle of what can feel like a fight, I tend to start my swim more towards the back of the field, or to the side. This helps avoid being swum over, and also prepares you for the most clear swimming line. Another good open water swimming tip for me is to wear two swimming hats. Like many women, I have poor circulation and I find that I get really cold ears and head while swimming, so the extra layer is a good way to help keep those ears slightly warmer! Speaking of hair – I also tie my hair up in a non-restrictive and practical fashion for both training and racing, to make sure it doesn’t get in my face when I am sprinting to the finish line. I often wear a cap on the run anyway, to make doubly sure.

What to wear under your tri-suit

Another point to consider for ladies, is what to wear underneath a tri-suit. I have to find a good, close-fitting tri-suit as it is important to be fully *ahem* supported in all areas! A good sports bra underneath your tri-suit is probably more out of preference for me than for practicality, but it may be a very worthwhile choice for some ladies!

Get your bike fit just right

Making sure you are as comfortable as possible on the bike is so important to your performance on race day. For me, this starts with finding the right saddle. We women are certainly not built the same as men – so should we be using the same saddles? In the end, it is all about finding the right saddle for you, which offers the best all-round comfort and protection – and speaking from experience, I can definitely recommend a women’s-specific saddle.

You should also check with a bike expert (or your local shop) that your bike is set up correctly for you, especially if you are riding on a men’s frame. Men’s bikes tend to have wider handlebars and a longer reach than women’s-specific frames. I have had mine adjusted as it is a men’s bike and I have made sure that all the geometry is set up for me. It would be worthwhile exploring a professional bike fit to give you the confidence that you are set up correctly.

Sure you need all that gear?

Okay, so now I’m stereotyping…but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to be as prepared as possible for every eventuality in training and racing…and this can result in carrying lots of pieces of equipment on your person which are of little or no use, and will weigh you down. If so, it might be worthwhile getting used to carrying all (yes, all) your equipment in your cycle jersey pockets and if you are cycling in a group, sharing the load, with one person bringing a mobile phone for emergencies, and another carrying money for cake!

Join a club

One invaluable piece of advice, and one which has led me to some great friendships, was to join a triathlon club. I am a member of my local Triathlon club – Stamford Tri Club. I have learned so many tips and tricks from fellow triathletes who have bags of experience to share. It also allows you to form groups for riding, organise races and training weekends, so you are never on your own for training!

Balancing priorities

One last thing that you probably will find as your training time increases is that you have less time to spend on other hobbies/family/household tasks. Although I would argue that household chores are not the priority in my life, family and friends do come first, and even though there are days and evenings when I have to make a tough choice between family and friends, or a social and training, I have to balance them out quite equally. You should always bear in mind that although training is important for your triathlon success, your friends and family will be there to support you through these ventures, so keeping in the loop with them is just as important. If you have joined a club (or encouraged your friends to also give it a go) then you can almost combine the two!

Happy Training!

Related Content

• Preparing for your first Triathlon – 5 Top Tips
• A beginner’s guide to triathlon, by Kerry Rough
• How to get fit in 2013 by Rutland Cycling Triathlete Kerry
• World Triathlon Championships – My Grand Final Experience
• Triathlon bikes – a helpful guide

So, training. Not going to lie, it’s a pretty important component in preparation for an Ironman – one of the longest and toughest endurance events in the world. But how does one just jump into the daunting world of triathlon, with little or no experience, ensuring that you hit the ground running with enough direction and drive to keep the wheels rolling? Yes, all 3 puns intended.

Me? Whilst I have never done any running before signing up, I do have some cycling and swimming experience. I have cycled (semi)competitively for a few years now, for both my University and local club in various disciplines, at various levels (and even more varied success).

At school, the summer terms were tainted with compulsory swimming training. Despite being a big cricket fan, I was drafted into the (sub-par) school swimming team to bulk out the squad. It was tough. What I lacked in tanned skin tone, I made up for in goggle marks – a great trade, by anyone’s standards. However, it did leave me with a residual inkling of how to swim. 6 years later, I find myself voluntarily repeating the drills I so hated, as I meander methodically up and down the pool. Swimming in a straight line is still not my forte.

On my return to England and start of ‘proper’ training in January, I was in this situation:

My running had already seen a massive improvement from my spurious training in South America, but still at less than 2/5ths of the distance, there was a lot to be done.

The Plan

I started my training plan by looking at the end – what is my goal? “Come the 23^rd of June, I need to be able to complete an ironman”. However, I can’t just aim to do a couple of practise Ironmen before then. In fact, I can’t even afford to run a complete marathon before then, even though that’s just one of the 3 disciplines I’ll need on the day! “Why?” The issue here is recovery. At the long distances required in the running and cycling disciplines, as a beginner, the recovery time needed would prevent further training, and so is not the most effective training plan.

The same basic training sessions translate across all the sports, with endurance sessions necessary to get your body used to the distances for the event, and the shorter, more intense sessions used to try and actually improve your technique and aerobic capacity. The shorter, higher intensity sessions are also ideal for those more pushed for time, requiring shorter, but just as effective, training sessions.

So, the idea is to get in:

• 1 x long session – to build endurance (the main goal),
• 1 x shorter, higher intensity session – to build aerobic capacity (to try and go faster),
• 1x ‘medium’ session – to really focus on technique (to make it a bit easier)

for each discipline. I needed to spread the sessions evenly across the week allowing for 1 day off from training every week, and build the training plan such that every week increased in training volume, until the 4^th, which was a ‘recovery week’ where the volume of training is cut (see below for an example of the volume building). The importance of recovery time cannot be stressed enough! And eating. Eat EVERYTHING. That’s pretty key too.

This is how my training plan looks:

• Week 1 – 12 hours
• Week 2 – 14 hours
• Week 3 – 16 hours
• Week 4 – 10 hours ‘Recovery week’
• Week 5 – 13 hours
• Week 6 – 15 hours
• Week 7 – 17 hours
• Week 8 – 10 hours ‘Recovery week’

In terms of discipline training compatibility, running and cycling are the two that use the most similar muscle groups, and so I took this into consideration when planning the endurance sessions (which are scheduled later in the training week, ideally just prior to the rest day). Then, I just had to synchronise my training plan to my social and work life to get the best fit!

This schedule above shows the order of the sessions, but the specific details of the sessions should be based upon your fitness and your goal. The plan is purposely not linked to specific days of the week, so that you can synchronise it with your social and work life. [For example, weekends are where I tend to socialise, and so I have chosen Day 7 to correspond to Saturday, as Day 1 is a shorter day than Day 6.]

An example week plan is included below, but for someone starting training, the plan would be a lot less intense. It’s advisable to follow the 10% rule, where you don’t increase the duration of any discipline by more than 10% week to week.

I hope this has given you a little insight into my training plan. In my next post I will tell you a little more about the training plans I have for each of the 3 disciplines (Swimming, cycling & Running) and give you my top tips for improving your technique and efficiency.

Related Content

• Preparing for my first Triathlon – Ben Kenneally
• World Triathlon Championships – Kerry’s Grand Final experience
• A beginners guide to Triathlon by Kerry Rough
• Triathlon and Time Trial Bikes – A helpful guide

Set a realistic, achievable goal

It’s good to set your sights high – but for your first triathlon, don’t be over ambitious. Give yourself a motivating goal, and one that you stand a good chance of achieving. It might not sound like a big deal, but having something to aim for – whether it is to swim four lengths without stopping, or get to the next drinks station without walking – can really help you in the long run (quite literally in some cases!). By setting small achievable steps, it can add up to a great big goal, which will not only feel great when you hit it, but may also inspire you to sign up for your next triathlon!

Plan your pre-race preparations

Party invite the night before the race? Left your transport and accommodation plans to the last minute? All of these things are no-nos if you want to compete successfully in triathlon. Making sure you are well rested and fully prepared the night before a race is often the part the gets the most overlooked by regular participants in triathlon. Their training has gone without a hitch and their equipment is all in tip-top shape, but if they haven’t given enough time to get to an event because of traffic, or have stayed at a friend’s on their sofa the night before the race, then all that training and equipment checking has literally gone to waste. Making sure you have all the event details to hand, all your kit, and vitally that you have enough time, gives you the advantage if anything should go wrong!

Check, check and recheck your equipment

It is no good arriving at your first ever triathlon to find that your back tyre has deflated, and you are without a spare tube, tyre levers or a pump! These things have all happened to me, and although I did manage to start the races in each case, it wasn’t the best way to settle the nerves! Even though you may find yourself with quite a lot of equipment in your first ever triathlon, you will soon discover the things that are absolutely essential and the things that are a ‘leave-in-the-car’ kind of item. One thing to consider is that although you might have checked your equipment was all in good condition a few weeks ago, it is not ideal to be packing the car for your first race to find out that your goggles have snapped and the nearest sports shop is closed at 7am on a Sunday morning! Make yourself an essential kit list, then plan and check ahead of time.

Don’t neglect transition practice

Transition – making a smooth changeover from one discipline to the next – is in effect the fourth discipline of triathlon. Successful, experienced triathletes know how important it is to practise transitions – although races may not be won in transition, they certainly can be lost! Having the confidence to practise the wobbly-legged run after a hard effort on the bike will undoubtedly pay dividends on race day. If you are able to practise with a few others, or set up somewhere accessible in your home/garage/garden, it will boost your confidence for race day. Knowing which pieces of equipment you will need to pick up, practising putting on your running shoes, racking and unracking your bike – even knowing how to spot your bike when it is amongst hundreds of others – will definitely be preparation time well spent.

Transitioning is in effect the fourth discipline of Triathlon!

Practise your finish line smile!

Remember why you are doing the event and what you will have achieved, and I am certain you will have a huge smile plastered all over your face when you cross that finishing line! No matter the pain during the race, nothing can top that feeling when you cross the line, knowing you’ve done it! It is that surge of adrenaline as you approach the finish that will give you the best, higher-than-high feeling that will make you want to come back for more.

Good luck with your next triathlon!

Related Content

• How to get fit in 2013 by Rutland Cycling Triathlete Kerry
• World Triathlon Championships – My Grand Final Experience
• A beginner’s guide to triathlon, by Kerry Rough
• Triathlon bikes – a helpful guide

Specialized Tarmac Elite 2013 product review

RIDING IMPRESSIONS

In the saddle, the Tarmac Elite takes you by surprise with its direct response and instant drive, especially if this is your first proper road bike. Fast sweepers are a delight and feel planted, aided by that hard-core geometry that puts you over the front wheel, pushing that tyre into the tarmac to get you round at a rapid enough pace. Down hills are a blast too, as again, that riding position perfectly balances in such a way that speed wobbles are unlikely in your usual riding conditions, but going back up hill highlights the big gears and that responsiveness is dulled somewhat, but we’re nit-picking; and you can upgrade chainsets once you can feel that pea in the mattress, which might be some time.

FRAME AND FORKS

The Tarmac Elite’s FACT carbon frame puts its rider into instant attack mode, pitching you forward with its aggressive geometry, featuring a strong tapered headset that stays light while punching above its weight in firmness. The way the tubeset delicately tapers towards the back reducing mass and looking great, while fattening up around the 1.5inch steerer tube and down at that chunky bottom bracket, all evoke the hallmarks of its high-end brethren. In all, this fantastic frame offers beautiful precision of the front end with the most direct transfer of power when you wind the pedals up. The top-drawer tapered forks are a monocoque design, no doubt aiding their stiff feel for a fork that looks more wayward than it feels, and delivering a ride that handles well at speed through all corners

Buy the Specialized Tarmac Elite 2013 >>

KIT

The Elite is draped with a decent 105 groupset from Shimano, offering you tried and tested drivetrain mechanics that are precise and durable. The only exception to the Shimano kit is the double chainset, which is an FSA Gossamer item, in 52/36.

Braking is undertaken by Shimano, 105 series, STI levers for a slick, fast shifting, while your contact points are fitted with Specialized branded components such as BodyGeometry saddle sitting atop a FACT carbon seat post.

The DT Axis wheels are impressive, considering the overall price, and make for a seriously-minded piece of kit to use in competitive riding or training. They’re agile and light-turning, but not at all skittish and imbue confidence, especially combined with the Turbo Elite tyres by Specialized, which feature the firm’s Blackbelt puncture resistance technology. There’s certainly no need to upgrade these for some time, and as the wheel set makes up one of the most fundamentally important parts of your bike, they’re impressive kit for a sub-£1800 bike (with a carbon frame, let’s not forget…).

THE RIDER

The Elite is a great entry into Specialized’s serious Tarmac road kit and simply benefiting from that same frameset technology as the top-shelf, multi grand bikes is reason enough, but throw in the lovely light DT Axis wheels and a 105 drivetrain and you’ve got a remarkable road package for a very reasonable price tag.

BOTTOM LINE

Coming from the same gene pool as bikes costing three times the price, the Specialized Tarmac Elite benefits from some excellent heritage. If you are looking to enter the road race fray and seriously push the limits of your riding without breaking the bank, the Tarmac Elite will go the distance with you.

Buy the Specialized Tarmac Elite 2013 >>

SPECIALIZED TARMAC ELITE FRAME GEOMETRY

SPECIALIZED TARMAC ELITE – FULL SPECIFICATION

• Colours: White/Red/Black
• Sizes: 49cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, 61cm
• Frame: Specialized FACT 8r carbon, FACT IS construction, compact race design, 1-1/2″ lower bearing, OSBB
• Fork: Specialized FACT carbon, full monocoque, OS race for 1-1/2″ bearing
• Wheels: DT Axis 3.0
• Front Tyre: Specialized Turbo Elite, BlackBelt, 100TPI, aramid bead, 700x23c
• Rear Tyre: Specialized Turbo Elite, BlackBelt, 100TPI, aramid bead, 700x23c
• Shifters: Shimano 105 STI
• Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105
• Chainset: FSA Gossamer Pro 52/36
• Cassette: Shimano Tiagra, 10-speed, 11-28
• Chain: Shimano Tiagra 10-speed
• Bottom Bracket: OS integrated, sealed bearings
• Front Brake: Shimano 105
• Rear Brake: Shimano 105
• Brake Levers: Shimano 105 STI
• Saddle: BodyGeometry Toupé Sport, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm
• Seat Post: Specialized Comp, FACT carbon, 27.2mm
• Handlebars: Specialized Tarmac Comp, alloy, deep bend
• Grips: Specialized S-Wrap, w/ gel
• Stem: Specialized Comp-Set 6061 alloy, cone head bolt, 12-degree, 4-degree shim, 31.8mm
• Headset: 1-1/8″ upper and 1-1/2″ lower Cr-Mo cartridge bearings integrated w/ headset, 20mm cone spacer, w/ 20mm of spacers
• Pedals: Nylon flat test ride, loose ball, w/ reflectors
• Extras: Chainstay protector, chain catcher, derailleur hanger, clear coat, owners manual
• Weight: Not Specified

Related Content

• Buy the Specialized Tarmac Elite here
• Our guide to Road Bikes

Guest blogger Teresa regularly commutes into London on her bike. We sent her an award-winning GoPro Hero3 camera to demo and she reviewed it for the LoveCycling blog.

GoPro Hero3

I love being asked to review things and jumped at the chance to have a go with the GoPro Hero3. I’ve seen these cameras used often in cycling films. They’ve also started to be used quite regularly by London commuters, as it means that you have a record of anything, should anything on the commute go wrong.

Buy the GoPro Hero3 here >>

GoPro Hero3 Features

Before I get to my review I thought I’d summarise the features of the World’s most versatile camera that has picked up an array of awards.

• The camera comes with a waterproof case and a variety of mounts.
• The mount’s reasonably easy to use. You do need the waterproof case to be able to use the mounts so the fact that the case is waterproof is a bonus rather than being a special feature. You need that case to use the camera on the go!
•  This GoPro has in-built WiFi. Theoretically this means that you can transfer your files across the ether. Given that I had a USB cable for the camera and a laptop a whole arm reach away, I didn’t test the WiFi feature, but it is quite neat.
• This model of GoPro features an ability to capture wide angle HD video at 1080p at its biggest. Of course it does go down to 720p if you so wish meaning it won’t eat up the memory as quickly.
• It can also capture 12MP photos and in sports burst mode (as I call it), it can capture 30 photos per second.

If you didn’t know any of the above and came across a GoPro Hero3 on the side of a road where it had fallen off someone’s bike, you’d be mistaken that it was a first generation digital camera. The sort where the pictures were grainy and no more than 2mb in size. Wrong!

The unit is tiny and as a result I found the (tiny) battery didn’t last very long. I did have some problems trying to charge the battery up. Plugging it into my laptop using the USB cable didn’t really do the trick (very quickly), but worked on a 3rd or so attempt. The connection into the camera/battery was the same as my Garmin 500’s, so I tried my Garmin plug into the wall charger. That didn’t work. Therefore in terms of charging and using the unit for any great length of time, I’d recommend investing in a GoPro specific battery charger. Also if you want to record a film of more than 30 minutes in length, buy yourself some spare batteries which you can keep charged up as back up.

The operation of this GoPro is pretty straight forward. Select the mode you want on the front (video vs. camera etc.), and then hit ‘go’ on the top. A top tip I received from a friend was to make sure the WiFi function was switched off – if you leave it on it will rapidly drain the camera battery of juice.

The original plan was to take it to Belgium and test it out on RVV weekend – on the Friday we normally pootle up for a climb (or two) of the Muur. Last year we’d bumped into Team Sky on the Friday, who were pedalling up a cobbled climb at least 50 times faster than we had. I’d screamed like a total fan girl and taken some terrible pictures. This year: GoPro! Unfortunately that plan fell flat for a variety of reasons, but for one I had been struggling to recover from a chest infection. The thought of a cold weekend in Belgium with low capacity lungs wasn’t a risk I wanted to take!

So, take two. I thought I’d film some of my bank holiday Monday ride. I thought I’d filmed a stunning (sarcasm) ascent of Box Hill. Beautiful Surrey countryside. Alas. All I recorded was 4 seconds of my handlebars waiting for a set of traffic lights turn green. Brilliant. I’m blaming leaving the WiFi button on by accident.

Take three (and a deadline to send the camera back), I decided to film my commute to work. I’d been warned I’d need to read the instructions, and this time I did and the film worked (hurrah!). Although for only 17.5 minutes. Answers on a postcard as to why!

I was so impressed with the film quality. The camera was in its waterproof case, strapped to my chest. Given it was its third outing with its temporary owner it did very well. You can tell I’m on a racing bike as the camera does capture the road quite well (rather than the gorgeous blue skies that morning).

What I found most remarkable though (and this is a side tangent type point), is that drivers who noticed me wearing the camera were more considerate – they knew they were being watched! If that’s an extra benefit, then I’m all for it!

The bottom line

The only criticism I have of the film is that the sound isn’t captured particularly well on this ride. Was this because of the waterproof case, or because it was strapped to me? I’m not sure. But on the commute, which is a noisy London cycle ride, you don’t really grasp on the film the sounds of what is happening around me.

To give you an idea, the 17 minute film, on 1080p, was 1.6GB in size.

The GoPro Hero3 is a brilliant piece of kit, if used well. I recommend that you read the instructions before use though

You can view the video of my commute to work here.

Related content

• GoPro camera
• GoPro accessories 
• Read more posts by Teresa here

Guest blogger Frank Burns has already amassed well over 3000 miles this year wearing the Specialized Tahoe sport shoes. Frank could not be happier with his shoes and writes a review for the LoveCycling blog. Read on to find out why he rates these shoes a massive 5/5!

I am not a technical expert, nor am I much interested in the ‘vital statistics’ of a product. As a long-distance cyclist, I am much more interested in the functionality of products….in other words, do they perform according to the instructions on the label?

I recently completed a 2,500 mile tour of New Zealand and Australia and, apart from a pair of flip-flops, I had only one pair of shoes, which I wore for at least 10 hours a day, for nearly two months. So the Specialized Tahoe Sport cycling shoes have been well and truly tested.

Who are they for?

These shoes are specifically designed for the kind of rider who needs both an efficient cycling shoe, along with one that is good off the bike. In other words, the sole has to be sufficiently stiff (but not too stiff) to perform well on the bike, but pliant enough to be comfortable for walking. So expedition cyclists like myself, along with commuters, day riders and off-roaders will find this type of shoe very versatile.

The cleats are embedded into a Vibram sole, which is grippy enough to give the foot purchase on slippery and gravelly surfaces.

Their good points

They are a stylish shoe that look good both on and off the bike. The laces tuck into a little pouch on the tongue (so out of danger’s way) and are held in place by a Velcro strap, that provide a neat finish to their appearance. I personally found them very comfortable both for pedalling and walking, which meant that I only needed one pair of shoes for the entire journey.

From a style point of view, they have the narrow look of a road shoe, so do not suffer from the ‘trainer-like’ appearance of many shoes in this category.

Buy the Specialized Tahoe sport shoes >>

Any downsides?

During the first few days of the ride, I suffered a little from ‘frozen toes’……a numbness that set in after about 3-4 hours of pedalling. But it turned out not to be a shoe issue, but a fitting issue. I inserted a set of insoles and they were perfect for the rest of the ride.

I was also concerned about sweaty feet, given that I was putting in long hours on the road during the Antipodean summer (rising to 38 degrees C), but the ventilation was sufficient, and it turned out not to be a problem. However, ventilated shoes can mean wet feet when it rains, so be prepared.

Summary

♥♥♥♥♥ 5/5

You can buy these shoes with a more basic sole for £15 less, but for £80 you get an excellent all-round shoe that performs very well both on and off the bike. And for those who are concerned about style, you can wear them on your Sunday club rides with your ’roadie’ mates without a noticeable difference. These are shoes that intelligently combine practicality with style, and they are rugged. The ones you see on my feet in the photos, they already have at least 3000 miles of wear….and I think you might agree, they are weathering well.

Related Content

• Buy the Specialized Tahoe sport shoes >>
• How to ride ride with clipless pedals
• Read more posts from Frank here

LC: I’m not a competitive cyclist or a triathlete. Is bike fit for me?

Mark: Bike fitting is for anybody who rides a bike. Some people would like to go faster, some people want that niggle in their knee to stop and some just want some reassurance that everything is all right. Many companies that offer bike fitting services will only offer it to people who ride road specific bikes, whereas our methods of bike fit apply to all styles of cycling – from full-on time trial bikes to folding commuter bikes. 

LC: Why has bike fitting become so popular?

Mark: There’s a short answer to this – you were never meant to ride a bike. And neither was Bradley Wiggins or Mark Cavendish. You, me, them; we simply didn’t evolve to hurtle everywhere with our bums in the air, chins on the stem whilst pumping the pedals hard. Humans are designed by evolution to climb trees, walk about, build simple tools and look for food. That’s why we have opposable thumbs and feet instead of aerodynamic heads and wheels where our legs should be.

But riding bikes is challenging, exciting and above all a lot of fun. Mother Nature may not have intended us to do it, but we do it anyway. The problem with making your body do what it was never designed to is that it can cause us some problems. Everybody who has ridden a bike at some point has experienced an ache or pain or maybe something more sinister. If nothing is done it can lead to reluctance to get back on two wheels, reduced performance or even serious injury.

That’s where bike fitting comes in.

LC: So what exactly does a bike fit involve?

Mark: Bike fitting is a process of adjusting a bike to fit its rider. Not the other way round. In fact, the way you move around off the bike can be as important as how you are on it, so we always start with a full on-bike and off-bike assessment. Using techniques to measure ranges of movement and flexibility, we start to make adjustments to your bike, which will typically include saddle and handlebar position, stem lengths and cleat set ups, with the aim of making you feel more comfortable and move more efficiently. 

LC: Why should I choose Rutland Cycling bike fit?

Mark: We have a team of male and female bike fitters, who have all been trained with Trek and CycleFit in London – two organisations with a long and prestigious history of bike fit. The methods we use mean we can offer our service to anybody – so, no matter what your age or cycling ability, we’ll help make your riding more comfortable and efficient, so you can stay in the saddle for longer.

We offer a comprehensive and completely personalised bike fit service, lasting two to two-and-a-half hours. What does this mean? Firstly, we look at the bike fit process as a whole. Beware of companies that offer a ‘cleat-only’ or ‘saddle-only’ set up – any adjustment made to one part of your bike without considering the impact on other areas can have potentially disastrous consequences.  When you think about it, the human body is the most complicated bit of cycling kit you own – so, like any other service or treatment relating to the body, make sure it gets the correct diagnosis and treatment.

Find out more

If you’re interested in bike fit, call the bike fitting team (we’re open 7 days) on 01780 460 705, or drop into our Whitwell store to make a booking.

Cost: £120

Length of bike fit session: 2 to 2.5 hours

Location: our Whitwell store

How to book: advance booking is essential, so call our bike fit team on 01780 460 705 – we’re open 7 days a week.

Related Content

• More about Mark: read Mark’s full profile here

Tuesday 9^th April saw Giant store, Rutland Water taken over by some 35 triathletes, both experienced and new to the sport as well as a number of staff from Rutland Cycling interested in triathlon and giving it a go.

With a talk from Mary Hardwick of Inspire2tri and Tom from Blue Seventy, the night provided the platform for Rutland Cycling to find out about triathlon and take a look at the new triathlon range that is to be introduced at the Giant store.

The evening was a chance for triathletes, new and seasoned,  to chat and catch up, but also to peruse the kit, ask questions about triathlon, and provide specific feedback to the staff about their thoughts and opinions on all things triathlon whilst enjoying drinks and nibbles.

Discussing everything from wetsuit hire, to running shoes, the questions and feedback were all extremely helpful, with an engaged audience from the start, it was a great evening all round.

Mary, who boasts an inspirational sporting CV, spoke about her courses, her coaching philosophy and of course the facilities and events soon to be taking place on our very own door step.

The evening was also a great opportunity to chat with Tom, from Blue Seventy to find out more information about their products and allowed triathletes to see for themselves the quality and variety of kit soon to be introduced to our Giant store on the shore of Rutland Water.

A great evening was enjoyed by all. Hopefully those who attended the event left the evening  inspired to get involved in one of the UK’s fastest growing sports.

Keep an eye out for further tri-related events at Rutland Cycling.

Related Content

•  A beginner’s guide to Triathlon, by Kerry Rough
• Triathlon and Time Trial bikes – a helpful guide

Ironman Nice – a rough 2.4 mile open water swim, a gruelling 112 mile Alpine cycle topped off with a relatively relaxing marathon… consecutively.

Well, it turns out that repeating the statement “big deal, that’s easy”, to yourself, no matter how sarcastically, has a lasting psychological influence on one’s subconscious. Disastrously, following a moment of naïve self-belief, I now find myself entered in an Ironman event later this year…

Obviously, the common response is “Why?!” in a tone ranging from interest to absolute incredulity.

Well, that’s a difficult question to answer, but I like to summarise it with the following three points:

• I’m intrigued to see if I can
• It gives me this opportunity to support a cause that’s close to my heart and my family (and I’m sure many others)
• To help to raise some money for some incredible causes!

I am raising money for several causes through the Rotary Charity Fundraisers (RCF), with an additional nominated charity, Parkinson’s UK.

Now, I promise this blog is mainly about my adventure into the world of Triathlon, my training plans, my progress, the triumphs and the slip-ups (and anything remotely interesting along the way!), but here’s a little background to the cause I’m supporting.

My Chosen Charities

As a child, Parkinson’s was definitely the disease I had most exposure to. Diagnosed at the age of 50, my grandfather’s condition deteriorated over 25 years until his death in 1999. The shaking? The shuffling? The constant need for polo mints? Even his crawling around the floor, that was all just normal to me. Normal grandpa Ken. It didn’t make me sad, I didn’t know any different. I didn’t have the slightest understanding of the disease or the consequences of its progression.

Turns out I wasn’t the only one.

Parkinson’s Disease, a disease that has no cure and an unknown cause, effects one in 500 in the UK.

Now that I am older, I can understand the things I saw. I understand how that man, who in the morning could dance to the radio and walk down to the promenade to watch us play on the beach, would be reduced to immobility, needing to be carried back home just an hour later, such was the cyclical nature of the relief that the drugs offered. And the polos? Turns out they were needed to stimulate saliva.

The money raised from my Ironman will be used by Parkinson’s UK to support people with the disease, and to fund cutting edge research projects in the quest for a cure and increased understanding. Hopefully this will lead to answers for some of the more important questions out there.

And the fun doesn’t stop there! The RCF is a great body that supports an umbrella network of charities that often collaborate on fundraising efforts, including numerous Cancer charities, Air Ambulance, Help for Heroes and Life Education Centres. I hope that this broad variety of great causes will strike a note where maybe Parkinson’s doesn’t, and that everyone can be encouraged to donate generously!

So, I promise that that is the end of the charity plug. Now, it’s just about me and my event.  Over the next few months, expect;

• Training plans – what I’m up to and why?
• Equipment lists – what am I using?
• Product reviews – which bits work and which don’t?
• Tips and tricks – things you only really learn the hard way.
• Photos – share what I’m up to!

What stage am I at now?

Today, April the 16^th, is 68 days before the event i.e. really, really not long. On a positive, however, for all of you, it means that my blog will have to be a more concise account of my experience.

Training

That’s been a bit of a mix in terms of success if I’m to be honest, but  it has been a journey in itself, nonetheless!

Training started a little over 9000km away, in Quito, Ecuador. In fact, it was whilst on a 5 month voluntary Engineering project in South America, that I actually started all this madness by signing up for the Ironman. Panic quickly ensued, and I found myself altitude training in Quito, at around 2800m. It was hard, very hard. The air was thin, and the temperature higher than my chances of being mugged. Opportunities to run were dictated by work, climate, altitude, temperature and, of course, safety. Consequently, training didn’t happen that much.

My Engineering project in South America was designing and manufacturing transitional houses, built by TECHO

Running

Moving around Latin America, I ran at every opportunity there was. Most people train for a number of years for an Ironman – I didn’t have that luxury. When I signed up, I had never, and still have never, run a marathon or even entered a triathlon. My running experience was minimal, the 1500m at school representing my upper confidence interval. An Ironman? Ill-advised, some might say.

Fortuitously, my engineering work in South America provided me the chance to work in some amazing places, Santa Marta, Quito and Rio De Janeiro to name a few. The first thing in the suitcase was always my trainers.

The run in Tayrona National Park, Colombia

Swimming

Now that was a harsh introduction. My first attempt at a distance swim (after having not swam properly for around 5 years) was just off the northern coast of Colombia, in Tayrona National park. It’s quite incredible just how hard distance swimming is to start, as aerobic fitness in your shoulders is just so uncommon. What other sport or day to day activity uses your shoulders and upper back in the same way swimming does? It was quite a daunting experience, and I knew I had a lot of work to do on my swimming fitness. Undeterred after an embarrassingly short swim, I decided to run along the coast, which involved wading through a couple of swamps. However, the running was quickly cut short, having noticed an unwanted spectator…

Yes, that is a crocodile

Cycling

….so, I didn’t have access to a bike.

Back in the UK in late December, I knew it was time for the training to really start. With a little over 5 months, I had a lot of ground to make up. Despite being a keen cyclist, I had been out of the country since June and so was lacking cycling fitness too. I quickly signed up for a local pool, dusted off my cycling lycra and started thinking seriously about training. Late, but determined, this was about to get serious!

My next blog entry will detail my proper start to training, how I structured my time, increased the distances and really got into triathlon as a sport. It offers my tuppence on what it’s like to take up the sport, and what to expect! In advance though, the general message is ‘It’s great’ and ‘I’m hooked’.

You will be able to follow Ben’s progress on the LoveCycling blog over the next couple of months. Be sure to check back!

Related Content

• World Triathlon Championships – Kerry’s Grand Final experience
• A beginners guide to Triathlon by Kerry Rough
• Triathlon and Time Trial Bikes – A helpful guide

Frenchman Alex Blain won the race for Endura-Racing in 2012

It was announced in February that our Giant-Rutland store and Schwalbe Tyres joined forces to secure the future of what has in recent years been the UK’s leading one-day race, the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic.

With the UCI 1.2-ranked race just around the corner (Sunday 21st April from 11am), we take a closer look at the the prestigious Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic.

Route

The race will start at 11am (Market Square, Oakham) and will travel directly past our Giant-Rutland store at approximately 11.15am where Rutland Cycling employees will be watching the pro riders as they pass. Please feel free to join us for this section of the race.

The race will then pass through, Langham, Pickwell, Somerby, Owston, Borrough-on-the-Hill, Whissendine and Burton Lazars before finishing in Melton Mowbray at approximately 15.25pm.

The full route can be found here: http://cicleclassic.co.uk/route-2012/

History

This race, that’s now in it’s 9th year, has previously seen the likes of Mark Cavendish as part of a 160 strong line-up and will this year see Olympic Team Pursuit Gold Medallist Ed Clancy riding in a team with last years second placed James McCallum.

The 2012 edition was won by Frenchman, Alex Blain (Endura Racing) despite weather so atrocious that a large percentage of riders didn’t even finish the race, further enhancing the reputation that the CiCLE Classic has been merited with. Alex Blain will be riding again this year but he will be flying the flag for Team Raleigh.

Watch the race with us

For the first time in the races history, the riders will cycle past our Giant-Rutland store where we are inviting you to come and watch the prestigious race with us. The 34 confirmed teams are expected to cycle past the front of the store at approximately 11.15am, it’d be great to see you there!

Offer: Hire a Road Bike for just £10

Inspired by the CiCLE Classic? Come and watch the CiCLE Classic with us at the Giant-Rutland store this Sunday and take advantage of a reduced road bike hire price.

Hire any of our Premium Giant road bikes prior to 12.30pm and get 2 hours for just £10. We recommend booking ahead to avoid disappointment. Payment by Debit/Credit card only.

Related Content

• Rutland Cycling team up with Schwalbe Tyres to secure the future of CiCLE Classic
• Full CiCLE Classic Route
• More information about our Giant-Rutland store
• Find out more about the CiCLE Classic