Beacon Bikes BF_80

Many of you may have heard of new British bike company - Beacon Bikes, operating out of Whalley, near Clitheroe, Lancashire.  I'm one of a team of people bringing the business to market after 18 months worth of planning.  You can read more about the story here.

The first store opened in Whalley, near Clitheroe at the end of the Summer after a huge effort from all concerned, it's a very unique place.  Like a cross between an Apple store and a bike store combined with the service levels of John Lewis.

I've just taken delivery of my new ride, a Beacon BF_80 Supersport (one of the upsides of having an interest in a bike company).  When we were looking at the designs for this new range, this particular model in terms of its geometry characteristics and paint scheme really appealed to me.  To be honest it was difficult to choose as I'm also a big fan of the BF_100 paint scheme, however I wanted a dark colour for my new ride as I already own a blue bike.

The whole ethos of the new brand is about distinctive looking bikes in terms of paint schemes, with exceptional technical performance, supplied out of our own stores and built by highly capable mechanics, in our case - ProTool Cycleworks who provide all the race support for the Rapha Condor race team.  All bikes are built to customer order and body specification with a range of different bike fitting services available.  

The black and dark grey colour combination, with pink accents on the rear chainstays is really distinctive.  All the frame paint designs were done by world class creative consultant and designer - John McFaul - who works with major brands all over the world.  His brief was to go away and design something that would be immediately identifiable as a Beacon bike and across the range of models, he's achieved that in my view.

Build Wise I've gone for this specification: -

• BF_80 Grey/Black Frame
• Ultegra Grey Groupset (50/34-12/27)
• Deda 35 bar and stem
• Beacon Carbon Seatpost
• Beacon Carbon Bottle Cages
• ProTool 50mm carbon wheels with DT Swiss Hubs
• Look Keo Pedals 

I've put some pictures below.  I took it out for its first ride last weekend and the performance of the bike was exactly to expectation.  I've ridden the 50MM carbon rims below as test prototypes on another one of my bikes for three months and thought they performed excellently, they are supplied by ProTool Cycleworks.  

This latest build wheel is a full production version with DT Swiss hubs and they roll absolutely beautifully, best wheels I've ever owned by far.  In particular I've been really impressed by their capability in strong winds, normally with 50mm rims you can find yourself being blown all over but the aerodynamic profile of these rims seem to displace wind really well.

Anyhow, on to some pictures....

Bike In Store as I picked It Up

At Home, Side Shot

Downtube Shot

Deda 35 Bars and Stem Set-Up

Front Shot

Ultegra Grey against the Grey Gloss Frame

Rear Cassette

Pink Inside Rear Chainstays

ProTool CW50 50MM Carbon Rims with DT Swiss Hubs

You can follow Beacon on Twitter - @Beaconbikesuk and like on Facebook here.  If you'd like to view the range of bikes in the store, you can find directions here or alternatively if you want a bike fit then give the guys a call on 01254 658950.

Onix RH Pro First Ride

Space Age Technology?

Today was my first ride of my new Onix Black RH Pro bike in readiness for my upcoming London to Paris ride, departing this Thursday.   It's really important to get out on your new ride before a major event, just to make sure everything is in shape shape condition and nothing needs attention.  I'd had bike mechanic Mike Jackson torque everything up earlier in the week and get the bike fully set up, so there were no rattles or squeaks.

It has brand new tyres and brake blocks, so it's good to get out and put some preliminary wear on.  I'm running a compact chainset (50/34) with an 11-28 cassette on the rear, so it was also good to familiarise where the most comfortable gear was at a 90 or so cadence, relative to my heart rate on the flat.

One thing I did find is that I kept having to slow myself down, the bike just wants to be ridden and my Garmin kept buzzing at me to remind me to slow things down.  My aim for today was to ride close to 148bpm average the three and a half hours I was out.  I came home with an average of 144bpm across the ride.

My Heart Rate data from today's ride

By staying just under 148bpm, I'm effectively staying under the point where I need to fuel with extra carbohydrate, encouraging the body to burn fat, whilst also increasing endurace.  That's the science, it seems.

Today's conditions were really windy.  There was a strong sidewind and headwind for much of the ride, which made the going tougher than normal, the bike reacted well.  I managed to get a good 35mph descent in, which felt very solid and predictable and riding through Wilmslow managed to get in the draft of a van at 30mph, which the bike whipped up to very easily.  It's a very good bike indeed and has jumped to position one in the stable..

I dropped by to see Andy Tennant who has just been selected as part of the pursuit team for London 2012, separate blogpost to come about that.  One thing I will say is that Andy makes the best flat white coffee of any I've ever tasted, so the ride home was caffeine fuelled.

Onix RH Pro

If you've never heard of bike algebra, you may never have heard of the formula N+1, this is the algebraic formula for the optimum number of bikes you can own, where N = your current number owned.  On that basis, let me introduce my latest +1, the Onix RH Pro.

Onix RH Pro

I've owned an Onix Azzuro for over a year now and it's - without doubt - the best bike in my stable.  Stiff, fast and very whippy at the front end, I always feel quick when I ride it.  Since owning the bike I've stayed in close contact with Onix owner - Craig Middleton - and have assisted him in the background with a number of things to get the brand established and the business firing on all cylinders.  I'm a big supporter of challenger brands, Onix is a perfect example of one.
 
When Craig first showed me the frameset for the Onix RH Pro, it was obvious it was a winner.  Manufactured in UDM carbon, a flowing chainstay design, huge BB30 bottom bracket and really tight geometry, it promised to be a top performer, coming in under 1kg in weight.  Craig had gone to huge lengths to source a really top end frameset which would rival the framesets from the well known brands.

Former professional - Rob Hayles - did all the testing of the frameset and confirmed exactly that, a frameset he could have won races on - period.  When the paint schemes were put together, it really set the bike off.  A stealthy matt black paint job offset by striking red accents on the inside of the rear chainstays and forks plus a bold stripe on the headtube, really put it a step above anything else out there.



Initial response to the RH range has been excellent, with the cycling press all recognising the bikes attributes and the Rob Hayles testing programme as being something quite unique to Onix. 

Since seeing the RH Pro, I've been hankering after one and decided to recently take the plunge and order one from Onix, I took delivery of it this week.

Specification

Onix Black RH Pro
Ultegra Grey Groupset
Look Carbon Pedals
FSA Stem and Bars
Onix Carbon Seatpost
Selle Italia Gel Flow saddle
Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels (wheels I already owned).
Continental GP4000 tyres

I've not ridden it yet, was waiting to get a new cassette on my Ksyrium rear hoop following a re-build which is now fitted, so all being well it will see its first tarmac this weekend.  I'll be riding this bike on the upcoming London to Paris event, so hopefully I'll be able to do it justice.  More pictures below: -

Ultegra Grey 50/34

Huge BB30 Bottom Bracket

View from the Rear- Like the Inside rear chainstays

Like the Gloss Onix "O" on the top tube

View from the front (ignore the fork sticker, there for L2P)

FSA stem and bars

Paint scheme continues on the headtube

Revolution 34

It's been a packed weekend of cycling.  A nice spin round the lanes on Saturday morning (60M), Revolution Track Series at the Veldrome on Saturday night, followed by a 50M club run today, so a decent mileage for the week of 131M (210km).

I need it.  Next weekend is the ride out organised by Onix Bikes that I plan to join.  It's a 50 miler taking in around 5,000 feet of ascent over in the Peak District, challenging for an average cyclist (here's the route for the Onix ride).  So, I've put my winter wheels on my Onix Azzuro, as they have a 32T rear cassette on them and I'm temporarily storing my Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels on my winter bike.  I thought they looked pretty good, here's a picture: -



Kinesis Racelight TK2 - My Winter Bike


With my standard front chainset 53/39 and rear cassette 12-32, it gives me a gear ratio of 1.22 (32.1 inches).  If you were to compare that to a compact chainset (50/34) with a 12-28 on the back (gear ratio of 1.21 or 31.9 inches), you can see it's basically the same, so that's about as good as it's going to get without changing the front chainset, which is a step too far.  More about gear ratios here.

Revolution 34

I had three main reasons for wanting to go to Revolution 34.

1. To see Mark Cavendish in the Rainbow jersey and back on the boards at Manchester Velodrome.
2. To see Rapha Condor rider - Andy Tennant - race, to see how his form was.  Andy is someone I ride with from time to time, so it was brilliant to watch him on home turf and cheer him on.
3. To see the official tribute to Rob Hayles, who has recently announced his retirement.

Cavendish riding the boards caused a big buzz for the event, which was sold out.  Speaking in an interview he said “It’s nice to race at your home velodrome. It all started off here, so it’s good to come back.” 

He wasn't there to seriously race, more of a personal appearance and - although the crowd would have loved to see a Gold medal podium, it wasn't going to happen on Saturday.

Rapha Condor Sharp riders Andy Tennant and Ed Clancy saw to that, putting in a blistering performance in the 1km Madison, nailing a time of 55.351 seconds to take first place.  Cavendish, riding for Team Howies, finished third with 59.421.   You can see the full results here.  Tennant and Clancy looked in terrific form, watch out London Olympics 2012.

Rob Hayles Retires

Hayles takes the salute from the Revolution Riders

Hayles is one of those popular riders who has enjoyed considerable support throughout his career.  You can read his results here.  A special guard of honour was laid on by the major riders there on the night, which was brilliant to see.  Hayles did a lap of honour on a bike and then through the tunnel of pro's to a standing ovation.

He spoke of his career highs and lows during a live interview and his great friend Mark Cavendish presented him with a gift commemorating the night.  It was really good to see and I really enjoyed being there.  Chapeau Rob Hayles for a brilliant career (so far as phase II in the media is just starting).

Summing Up

As I sit here tonight, penning this blog - I feel tired.  I didn't cover myself in glory on today's club run, I felt tired and was dropped on just about every hill.  The route took in about 2.5K feet  across the 50 miles, however my legs felt heavy and I didn't feel like I had much in the tank.  One of those days.  Still, I got up everything eventually (spin, spin, spin) and enjoyed some great descents along the way.  I bought a DVD about Robert Millar at Revolution and it showed him descending on one of his training runs back in 1984, absolutely terrifying!

It felt good to get to the cafe at Rivington, a delightful little place, with an old fellow playing the piano whilst you got your tea and cake down -one to re-visit for sure.  Conditions today were foggy and temperatures were cooler up in the hills, so a steaming hot cup of tea was welcome at that point.

A couple of days rest now.  May do something light on the Wattbike tomorrow night, just to flush the legs out.

Winter Build - Kinesis Racelight TK2

Changing weather conditions are on the way and I've been thinking about putting together a winter bike for a bit,  something dedicated for the job, rather than one of my carbon bikes with crudguards on.  Over the last six weeks, I've been busy buying bits for a build.  Here it is, unveiled for the first time.  It's a Kinesis Racelight TK2 with DC07 carbon forks.

Fully Built Up - Click Photo to Enlarge

Having started looking around, there aren't that many decent winter bikes around to buy off the peg.  A good winter bike has to have all the right lugs and bits on to mount full mudguards, I'd pretty much got the shortlist down to the Kinesis Racelight TK02, having reviewed Ribble and Dolan as potential candiates.  As usual, I got to thinking about how I could create something a little more personal with the money. 

Specialized Short Drop bars with Deda Stem

The Racelight TK02 has had great reviews, I really liked the colour scheme and - as my luck would have it - a 60cm frameset with carbon forks, mudguards and some Specialized bars had just gone onto eBay, hardly used.

Tiagra 9 Speed Groupset

Having successfully won the auction, I picked up a Tiagra groupset (hardly used) off of e-Bay, Fulcrum 7 wheels, Continental Gatorskin 25mm tyres, Deda stem and seatpost from Onix bikes and all the other bits I had hanging around in the garage or just picked up on-line.  Within a couple of weeks, my pile of bits in the conservatory was starting to look complete and ready for building up.

SRAM 11-32 Rear Cassette

One thing I did do was buy one of those SRAM 11-32 rear cassettes, which I thought would come in really handy for some of those harder days out in the hills, when you just need to keep spinning.  I spotted an on-line store doing a deal on one and picked one up for about £15, they're normally nearer £40-£50.  This gives me a gear ratio of 34/32 (1.06), which is basically about the same as a 28 tooth cassette on a triple (marginally better).  More about gear ratios here.

Picked up some Shimano Long Reach Callipers Cheap

You need to consider if building your own winter hack with full dedicated mudguards, that you may need longer reach brake callipers than normal as they may not go over the mudguard (short reach).  You should check, as it's not the same for every bike.  My estimates concluded I needed longer reach callipers, so I found a guy on eBay selling a brand new Shimano pair he'd stripped off a new bike.  Sorted.

Only thing I plan to change is the bar tape.  The Specialized bars I picked up on eBay, came with the tape and levers already mounted, so I'll run this until it needs replacing, then stick some black tape on.


After a super-fast and quality build mechanic mate Mike Jackson, I picked the bike up yesterday.  The bike looks stunning, it's exactly what I wanted.  Distinctive, with the right gear ratios, dedicated mudguards, a nice aluminium frame and equipped for whatever the winter wants to throw my way.  It also means my other bikes can be put into storage, reducing the need for a post-winter service.

It's been really interesting and at times exciting, doing a self-build.  Choosing components, watching auctions, ticking off the shopping list. Yes, it takes a little longer, however you bag some pretty good bargains if you're prepared to be patient.  I'm very fortunate knowing a great mechanic, so bits in boxes dropped off in a box one night, came back as my new winter steed two days later.  Happy days and bring on the winter.

Full Mudguards

Love the Deep Burgundy Colour

Ready for Winter

Names on the Top Tube

126 riders now have their names on my toptube.  Every winner of a yellow, green or polka dot jersey from the Tour de France 1903-2010 plus the names of other riders that have inspired me since I took up the sport.

18 riders have been bolded out on the toptube.  I wanted to look down at those and for them to stand out from the others.  Here's the names that made that list: - 

Bernard Hinault
Bradley Wiggins

Sir Chris Hoy

Eddy Merckx

Fabio Casartelli

Francesco Moser

Graeme Obree

Jan Ullrich

Laurent Fignon

Mark Cavendish

Maurice Garin

Miguel Indurain

Philippe Thys

Richard Virenque

Robert Millar

Sean Kelly

Tom Simpson

Wouter Weyland

Who would make your toptube if you did the same thing and why?

Unicorn 2 Final Build

Those of you that follow the blog will know that I've sent one of my frame/forks away for a re-spray.  The bike colour scheme, which I'd had in my head for a bit, was based upon the stealth black colour of the McLaren Specialized Venge combined with the powder blue on the Team Sky Pinarello Dogma.

The primary purpose for the re-spray, was to design a bike, which promotes my blog.  So, that when I'm out on a sportive, people will know it's me.  Most importantly, I wanted a paint scheme that was personal to me.

The sprayer - Chris at Performance Race Art in South Wales - has done a fantastic job.  The work quality is fantastic.  He's a perfectionist no doubt.  We've spent many an hour talking on the phone about little bits that he's thought of.  Some of the best features, we've done on the fly as Chris has been working on the bike.  The culmination of it all, is a one-off paint job.

So, here's some pictures.

Unboxed

Built Up

Stealth Matt Black Paint

Powder Blue on Inside Front Fork

Blue inside rear chainstays with Unicorn2 logo

Blue stripe on downtube with logo

Headtube with Double Stripe Accent

 

Double Stripe runs down fork exterior

Nice bikepure spacer added by Mike the Spanner

Seat Tube Logo

View from the Front

View from the Rear

View from Underneath

Looking down

From the Offside

 The bit of the design which was an outcome of an initial idea from Chris, which I'm really chuffed with is the top tube.  It has the names of 126 cyclists on it.  Every TDF jersey winner from 1903-2010, Yellow, Polka-Dot and Green.  In addition, other cyclists who have meaning to me - for example, Wouter Weyland, Tom Simpson, Graeme Obree.

I thought it would be fantastic to be out on your bike, looking down at some of the legends of the sport.  So, in that moment of suffering, you could just dig deeper, as you know they would.  I'll do another blogpost on the names in bold, they are the people that have motivated me in my short time in cycling. You can see below, how that looks: -

 

126 of the greatest cyclists on the toptube

 

The Finished Article

Bringing it all together, I'm one happy cyclist.  I've got a bike to my own design.  Something that means something to me.  With a colour scheme to my taste and a top-tube which I think is a work of art.

A few people have asked me what does Unicorn2 mean?  This bike was always tagged "The Unicorn" by the guys in the cycling club, as they said "it was hardly ever spotted out".  It was Andy Whyte that started it.  The label stuck and it felt right to carry on the legend with the re-birth and to make it official.  My own little joke to myself.

Chris at PRA did an awesome job. He's a small business getting off the ground in South Wales with aspirations to paint all the pro-teams bikes.  Please give him your support as a guy trying to get going in cycling.  He does frames, TT helmets, you name it.  Cracking guy and cracking job.

Latest pics of the Unicorn2

Chris over at Performance Race Art has been a very busy boy.  He's getting married next week and despite all this, he's been giving my bike frame full gas.  So, where did we get to?

Last design idea was to have imprints of the blog along the top tube, it did look nice, however it sparked another idea.  I got thinking about what I'd like to look down on when I'm riding the bike.  What would motivate me to keep going, in those moments of darkness.  A couple of hours thinking and I had it.

The top tube now features the names of every Yellow, Green and Polka dot jersey winner of the Tour de France 1903-2010.  In addition, it highlights the names of the riders that are my personal greats- Graeme Obree, Eddy Merckx, Mark Cavendish, Bernard Hinault, Fabio Casartelli, Jacques Anquetil, Laurent Fignon, Robert Millar, Tom Simpson and a special mention for recently fallen - Wouter Weyland. 

All these names appear on the toptube, so when I look down, I'm looking down on some of the greatest cyclists that ever lived.   Motivation indeed to carry on - "Put me back on the bike."  All being well it will be back with me by Wednesday and built back up again by next weekend for its inaugral ride.   

Headtube Side On

All 126 of the Names

Inside Rear Chainstays now done