Fair weather cyclists - Are you one?

May 29, 2020

Have you ever heard of this expression? You see, some of us commute to work everyday whether it is raining, snowing or blowing a gale. The saner amongst us will only break out the bike when conditions are a little more friendly. It is, shall we say.... less eccentric cyclists that we refer to tongue in cheek as fair weather cyclists. But rarely is it ever said in spite, rather it is stated with a certain affection. You see we would all like to be fair weather cyclists would we not?

Why Cycling?

What is it about cycling that draws us in, what makes us cyclists so passionate about this sport of ours and this hobby that we love so much? Is there anything better than looking out of the window and seeing the sun hovering there just waiting to be enjoyed? Or, checking your weather app and seeing the weather is set fair, in the knowledge that your calendar is free for a few glorious hours?

It is that freedom of being able to hop on the bike and escape from it all, if only just for a few hours. That feeling of being at one with nature, breathing in the fresh air, feeling the wind rushing past as you plummet down that exhilarating descent, that familiar hum of the tyres floating over the road surface. All of these and more are why we love cycling.

Cycling unlike most sports is very diverse for there are many disciplines and this is what makes it unique. In the guide below we highlight a handful of these disciplines and one bike from our range that exemplifies each. Bikes that improve your ride experience and enjoy the sunshine. What makes them unique to their discipline and why? Let's find out shall we?

Road

A ‘pure’ road bike is a specialist bike for riding on tarmac surfaces only. Today's road bikes are fast, super-stiff and responsive. Everything about the road bike geometry is designed to maximise their on-road performance. With key factors being the position of the rider, aerodynamics and tyre clearance to name but a few. Let’s take the latest iteration of the all-new R872 for instance.

Constructed from lightweight carbon fibre the R872 frame is lightweight for better acceleration and stiff for better power transfer. The ‘sportive’ geometry ensures that you have a bike as comfortable for a quick spin as it is for long distance riding and racing. This geometry provides the rider with a more relaxed riding position. This in turn helps to reduce fatigue and in so doing helps you to ride further and for longer.

Being a road bike that is designed to be as fast as it is responsive and comfortable the tyre clearance is restricted to 28mm with mudguards and 25mm without guards. Fatter tyres may be more comfortable but they also have a negative impact on speed and drag resistance. Like all the road bikes in our range the R872 includes discreet mudguard fittings within the frame.

Available with disc brakes or rim brakes the R872 is a great value option for anyone looking for a carbon road bike.

View the R872 range of bikes here.

Gravel

The gravel market has exploded in the last few years and for good reason. The gravel bike is extremely versatile and crucially must be as capable off-road as it is on-road. In this the CGR AL is certainly no exception. What gives the CGR AL its huge versatility is the ability to fit road AND MTB wheels. Thanks to this feature a whole host of tyre options are made available. In fact the tyre clearance on the CGR AL is as much as 47mm which allows you to tailor the tyre choice to suit specific surface conditions.

"Excellent value and huge versatility from a well mannered drop bar machine"

off road.cc 4.5 out of 5

For ultimate off-road capability 650b wheels with large volume tyres provide the additional shock absorption and comfort that you need as well as better traction and grip. Conversely when fitted with 700c wheels and road tyres the CGR is as fast as most specialist road machines.

Whether on road or off it the CGR range are fast, comfortable and incredibly versatile.

Fancy a do it all bike with mammoth tyre clearance? View the range here

MTB

Should your idea of summer fun be loading up your rig and shredding some local trails we have the first of our new range of MTB's the HT Ti. The HT Ti is the all-new Titanium Hardtail MTB. A stunning combination of elegant design and blistering performance, it's sgile, light and steadfast, rockets up climbs and is ridiculously fun on descents.

The HT Ti boasts a progressive long and low geometry with a 64° head angle combined with a short stem and 150mm of travel up front for a super capable platform when the trails get steep, fast and technical.

The HT Ti is a hardcore hardtail for serious trail slayers

View the HT Ti here.

Adventure Touring

Adventure bikes and touring bikes have a lot in common but the biggest difference is in what terrain they can accommodate. An adventure bike is better suited to mixed terrains particularly trails, fire roads and tow paths.

If you're planning to embark on your dream bike trekking epic then you should look no further than the Adventure 725. This sleek, classic looking and rugged frame is constructed from triple butted Reynolds 725 Steel. Steel is very compliant and is exceptionally efficient at soaking up the punishment from rough surfaces.

To ensure that you leave none of those essentials behind the 725 is equipped with multiple luggage mounting points. Not only is the 725 compatible with the usual front and rear pannier racks but it can also be fitted with 'carryall' fork mounts for such essentials as sleeping bags, ground mats etc. The mammoth tyre clearance of 2.8" ensures that regardless of the terrain the Adventure 725 keeps on rolling over almost any obstacle.

Discover your next adventure here

Electric Bike

The popularity of electric bikes continues to grow and our range of electric bikes are pound for pound some of the best you will find anywhere worldwide. All 3 bikes in the range use the lightweight ebikemotion X35 pedal assist system.

The Hybrid ALe is the all-terrain leisure option in the range. The term hybrid here is twofold in it's meaning. First, much like a car it uses 2 forms of propulsion to drive it along. In this case a combination of rider and electric assistance. Hybrid also refers to the design of the bike which is a mix of road bike and MTB. Better than a road bike off-road and better than a mountain bike when riding on tarmac.

Like the Endurance SLe and CGR ALe it features the same smooth and reliable 3 levels of power assistance. What sets apart the Hybrid ALe and its siblings apart from most other ebikes in their class is the weight. The entire propulsion system including battery weighs in at a featherweight 3.5kg for a total bike weight of approx 13.5kg.

The effect this has on the ride is remarkable for even with the assist deactivated the Hybrid ALe can be pedalled along like any normal hybrid bike. This would be difficult with most ebikes around the 20kilo mark but not with the Hybrid ALe. The Hybrid ALe is the perfect blend of elegant styling comfort and efficiency. And the features do not stop there. Connect the bike to the ebikemotion app on your smartphone and you can turn your phone into a smart bike computer. You can read about the app here.