Hargroves Cycles

First established in 1981, Hargroves Cycles are a recognised cycling retailer in the South of England who are trusted by the cycling community. The products and services needed by cyclists are readily available at the best possible prices, supported by the highest levels of customers service.

Transition TR500

The TR500 is the successor to both the TR250 and the TR450, and features adjustable geometry that lets riders build it up in multiple configurations. Everything from a mini-DH / bike park ripper with 180 mm of travel all the way to a downhill race bike with 203 mm of travel is possible, and adjustable chainstays allow the bike to accommodate 26” wheels.

TR500 details:

1.    Intended use: DH.

2.    Wheel size: 26".

3.    Rear wheel travel: 203 mm.

4.    Aluminum frame.

5.    Fox 40 FLOAT 203 mm fork.

6.    Fox DHX RC4 shock.

7.    Sizes: S, M, L, XL.

8.    Colors: orange, pearl green, raw.

9.    Weight: 37.5 lb.

10. MSRP: $6199 USD.

Constructed from hydroformed 6.061 aluminum, the TR500's frame has a modern, low slung look, aided by the fact that the linkage that drives the rear shock is hidden inside the split seat tube. In addition to the two shock travel positions, there are chips in the rear dropouts that can be flipped to set the bike up with either 434 or 442 mm chainstays, although 27.5” wheels can only be run in the 442 mm position. The bike's head angle and bottom bracket height can also be altered by flipping the chip that's located where the seatstays mount to the rear shock linkage, giving riders the option of choosing between a 63 or 63.5° head angle and the corresponding -10 or -4 mm of bottom bracket drop.

Like its predecessors in the TR range, the TR500 uses a link driven single pivot suspension layout. The Whistler Bike Park is the ideal place to rack up the vertical while testing a downhill bike, containing a wide variety of runs featuring everything from seemingly endless jump lines to trails brimming with roots and rocks that are challenging aboard any bike. Even at slower speeds on tighter, twistier trails the bike was quick and lively, diving in and out of corners without any sluggishness. 

Geometry and frame design play a large role in how a bike feels on the trails, but on a downhill bike suspension is also of the utmost importance, especially given the high speeds at which obstacles need to be dealt with. The combination of the TR500's Fox 40 FLOAT in the front and a DHX RC4 in the rear felt extremely well matched, working together as a cohesive unit to filter out those brake bumps that can wreak havoc on unprepared hands and forearms. Although air sprung forks like the 40 have become more prevalent, especially among downhill racers, the same can't be said about rear shocks.

Component check:

1.   Shimano Saint brakes: It's hard to go wrong with Shimano's Saint parts group – everything from the brakes to the rear derailleur are well designed to hold up to the rigors of DH riding.

2.   Transition HD wheelset: The TR500 rolls on Transition's house brand wheelset, which uses 32 hole, aluminum rims laced up with a 3 cross pattern to a set of sealed cartridge bearing hubs. 

Ribble Evo-Pro Carbon

Ribble is an internet bike store with its own brand of bicycles. The frame has quite racy geometry with a slightly sloping top tube.

The carbon forks are attached to a steel steerer, which means there is a nice secure star nut used to tighten the stem rather than a carbon bung. The inward curve of the seat and chainstays make the bike very attractive looking.

Astonishingly for the price of £999 the bike is specced with the full Shimano Ultegra 6.800 special edition double groupset.

The bike build gives you a choice of three cassette sizings, as well as three choices of chainset. The seat pillar can be upgraded to carbon for an extra £19.

The wheels are standard Rodi Airline 5 clinchers. A nice touch on the Fulcrums is the spoke nipples are red to match the frame.

The saddle felt quite hard but its shape lends itself well to support the sit bones and it still felt comfortable on an 80-mile ride. Out of the saddle the bike felt very easy to steer and extra pressure on the pedals was instantly transformed into speed. The two trims on the front mech saw the chain run smoothly and quietly.

Unbelievable, unbeatable value for money. A perfect first race bike or fast sportive machine.

About Cove Bikes

In 1992, after years of North Shore testing and riding, Cove Bikes emerged to release the world’s first North Shore freeride bike. The riding, testing and torn bagskins didn't stop.

Today, Cove Bikes is an integral part of the North Shore scene. No wonder Cove is a four letter word to other bike brands.

Cycling NZ Unveil Revolutionary New Olympic Bikes

Cycling New Zealand has unveiled bikes they believe will have a revolutionary impact on the Rio Olympic velodrome. Since the track team's two bronze medal haul at the London Games, local investment has helped research and develop sprint and endurance bikes to advance their 2016 cause.

Working in secret, Cycling New Zealand combined with High Performance Sport New Zealand, manufacturers Avanti, wheelwrights Southern Spars, aerodynamic experts Kinetic Simulation and Auckland University's wind tunnel in an effort to produce track bikes capable of delivering gold. Bicycle design engineer David Higgins led the project for Sheppard Industries, who market the Avanti brand.

A lot of mouths need to stay mum. Two were Yin Fai Li and Ben Goodwin, researchers based at Auckland University's wind tunnel in Newmarket.

Two 90 kilowatt electric motors power wind into the tunnel through mesh screens to remove turbulence in a looped circuit.

New Zealand's top track cyclists tested simulated designs at the venue. Higgins says the key thing for the sprint bike was reducing aerodynamic drag - eventually cut by more than 15 percent - and lightening the bikes' weight.

"We've integrated a new handlebar design into the frame. In the past it all bolted together, whereas this bike is one piece of fluid design.”

"With the pursuit bike, the main design feature is the wings. They are part of a new fork design. The fork load pass is attached to the handlebars rather than the frame. That makes a more direct attachment to the wheel which reduces the weight on the front.”

"Each set of handlebars is customised for individual riders and the new design provides substantial aerodynamic and stiffness benefits after honing in the wind tunnel."

The design team liaised with the UCI to ensure they met competition specifications. Cycling New Zealand was allocated $17.5 million of taxpayer money across the Olympic cycle. 

Best Road Bikes Under £1,000

1.      Eastway Emitter R4: Price £950.

2.      Specialized Allez E5 Sport: Price £750.

3.      Pinnacle Dolomite 5: Price £1,000.

4.      Saracen Hack 2: Price £950.

5.      Giant Defy 3: Price £649.

6.      Cannondale CAAD8 Sora 7: Price £700.

7.      Calibre Rivelin: Price £300.

8.      B'Twin Triban 540: Price £600.

Ellsworth Bikes

19 Sneaky Speed Secrets

1.      Drop your wheel weight: taking weight off your bike is the quickest way to ride faster, and rotating mass is the best weight to remove. More rotating mass means more energy expended.

2.      Use faster tires than you think you need:  tire technology is better than ever. You can mismatch tires, opting for a fast-rolling tire in the rear and a grippier, knobbier one in front.

3.      Try a short stem and wide bars: the shorter stem results in quicker handling, and the wider bar offers more control. We’ve seen some riders go overboard, though.

4.      Take time to experiment with new suspension setups: knowing your riding style is critical here. That said, we’ve had very good luck with some bikes set up with as much as 40 percent sag, as well as lightly tuned, fast rebound settings and firm compression settings. It’s always good to head back to your default settings if your changes don’t work out.

5.      Lose the excess weight: items like light mounts, Presta valve covers and unused water bottle cages all add tiny amounts of weight to your bike. If you have enough accessories bolted to your bike, it adds up. Remove the unused bits to save weight.

6.      Tune your bike the night before: never rely on the morning of a big ride for tuning.

7.      Steer with your hips, not your hands: bikes are best steered with weight transfer and core strength, not by simply turning the bars.

8.      No wasted energy, no matter how small: white-knuckling the handlebar is a waste of energy.

9.      Look farther down the trail than you think you should: looking down at your front wheel, it’s blurry, right? The farther you look down the trail, the faster your “normal” speed will be.

10.  Pump your way to speed: you can ride a pump track without pedaling, and that’s because emphasizing the downward force propels you forward.

11.  Learn to ride with your “switch” foot: most, if not all, riders have a “chocolate foot.” That’s the one that you ride with in the forward position most often.

12.  Be efficient! Especially early in a ride: if you’re on a ride that you know is going to push your limits, save the bravado for the end of the ride.

13.  Drop the water weight: it’s never a good idea to pack too little water, but know your hydration limits. Most riders should plan to have roughly one water bottle of fluid per hour of riding.

14.  Pack enough food for your ride: Nothing tastes better than “real” food on a long ride.

15.  Eat a good breakfast: Starting the ride with a full tank makes a big difference.

16.  Dress to feel faster: brightly colored jerseys are faster, but black and gray ones blend in.

17.  Ball bearing in the handlebar: you can sabotage a fellow rider if you have access to his bike preride.

18.  Tighten the buckles on your shoes before a big climb: this little intimidation tactic can make your riding friends shake in their cleats.

19.  Pick the lightweight bike if you have a choice: rides, even if they’re not races, are usually won on the climbs and not the descents. Picking a lightweight bike rather than a big and burly long-travel machine will give you a serious advantage on the uphills and will save energy for the descents. Very few riders have ever “won” a long trail ride on a downhill bike, and that’s because the lighter and shorter-travel machines are simply more efficient.

Bike Sizing Guide

Choosing the right sized bike depends on the type of bike, your height, your riding style, and your preference. To get started, think about your style of riding, measure your height.

1.      The type of bike. What type of bike you choose will affect the size bike you buy.

2.      Measure your height. To find the correct sized bike you will need to measure your height and your inside leg. Measure the height from the book to the floor. If you have a positive ape index then go for the larger size, or if you have a negative ape index go for a smaller size.

Bikes are measured by their seat tube length. Mountain bikes are either measured in inches or descriptive sizes. Road bikes are in centimetres or descriptive sizes where as Hybrid bikes can be any one of the three. Bikes also get longer as they go up in size but different brands can be inherently longer or shorter than others.

Stand over height measurements are to the top of the top-tube. In theory, your stand over height is your leg measurement minus 2 cm.