April 2010

In 1973 Shimano released the Dura-Ace component range, their highest level of equipment for road bikes and a jersey was given to Condor to celebrate the launch of Dura-Ace.

What makes this top special, is that at the time it was highly unusual to find that the logos are not embroidered onto the material, instead, the graphics have been flocked onto the jersey.

At the time this was a revolutionary way to put detail onto a cycling jersey and towards the late seventies embroidery began to be used less and less as flocking became more popular because it offered more flexibility with design.

It wasn't until 1988 though, that Shimano Dura-Ace got its first win in a Grand Tour thanks to Andy Hampsten at the Giro d'Italia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a guess what frame this is? Or take a punt at the frame material.

Here's some clues - frame is circ 1987, made by British brand which has now gone bust.

It's nearly Grand Tour season, kicking off first with the Giro before the toughest tour around France. To celebrate, Condor are hosting a book signing in the store on Wednesday 12th May, with two best selling authors, William Fotheringham and Graeme Fife.

The writers will be at the store on Gray's Inn Road from 5.30pm to sign copies of their latest books. Both authors have written several publications about the Grand Tours and the stories and personalities behind them, as well as pieces for Rouleur magazine. Copies of their previous books will also be available in store to purchase and be signed.

About the authors

 

William Fotheringham is the Guardian’s cycling correspondent. His in-depth examination into cyclists’ fascination with the British Tour de France rider Tom Simpson (Put Me Back On My Bike) has been superbly followed up with the first specifically targeted biography of Fausto Coppi for English speakers. Fallen Angel tells the story of Italy’s most popular sportsman and his scandal filled life and tragic death.

Graeme Fife has a diverse portfolio of books, articles, radio work and plays. Fife’s revised book, Tour de France: the History, the Legend, the Riders, paints a picture of the world’s toughest sporting event from someone on the inside and why the race inspires such passion among cyclists. His book, The Beautiful Machine, is a witty celebration of the bicycle and of the people who ride and with whom Fife has ridden.

Stewart O'Nan, the American novelist, said of The Beautiful Machine: "Wise, honest, funny, The Beautiful Machine is not just a paean to the bike but to life itself." And Libby Purves called it "a great book".

Graeme Fife has also written the hugely popular Rapha Guide to the Great Road Climbs of the Pyrenees.

The Great Road Climbs of the Pyrenees is not a conventional guide to the Pyrenees. Facts and guidance is offered on obscure and well-known Pyrenean cols, but the gripping element is rather a highly personal exploration by Fife of the variety and peculiarity of the region that leaves the reader with a colourful and memorable picture. Fife combines careful historical research with a swift narrative style, and supported by beautiful photographic portrayals of the imposing landscapes by Pete Drinkell gives persuasive encouragement to visit.

Read an excerpt from William Fotheringham's Fallen Angel here

Evening with the writers
Wednesday 12th May
5.30pm to 7.30pm

Address
Condor Cycles
49-53 Gray’s Inn Road
London
WC1X 8PP

Tel: +44 (0)20 7629 6820
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Original wheel truing stand used by Montgomery Young, founder of Condor Cycles.

The story goes that over the years many of the large tool manufacturers wanted to supply Monty the latest wheel building jigs. But in the end he always went back to Old Faithful to build his renowned lightweight wheelsets.

 

 

The Star Series Handlebar will be produced using reinforced alloy, with an internally spined construction. The reason for the choice of alloy is that carbon can be unpredictable after a crash.

Have a guess what this is and if your want to be extra clever what colours did it/they come in?

 

My Beautiful Parking of Barcelona retails the Condor Uno fixed range. They recently ran a Bicycle Polo tournament and made a video of the event.

SEXY, POLO, BEER, AMIGO. from mybeautifulparking on Vimeo.

Blogs are different from news websites. They are a person's thoughts, feelings, ideas, sometimes planned, and sometimes posted, ad-hoc. Its personality on paper? Blogs jump away from the mainstream.

For us at Condor, we love blogs because you get to read and look at some really interesting parts of the sport and lifestyle that is cycling.

This month we'll mostly be reading...

Bianchista - finds some really rare cycling pictures that you'll probably never see on mainstream cycling sites. There are lots of pimp bike products and plenty of Italian influence. A couple of reviews, too.

 

 

 

 

Kristof Ramon - pro photographer. In late 2009, we went to Gent to watch one of the final nights of the Six Day. The following day it was wet, windy and rank, so we went for a ride down by the canal (see the pic below). Kristof gave up his Sunday and popped up along our route and took some snaps. They are very epic snaps.

Since then the cycling snaps just keep on coming. He's snapped some of the very top pros in his very unique style. Follow him on Twitter - @kristoframon and bookmark his Flickr.

 

Geoff Waugh - funny man and photographer. He's been snapping a fair amount of time and you'll have no doubt seen his images crop up in cycling magazines, mainstream media and newspapers. We like his excellent blog, and it's not just related to cycling. Follow him on Twitter - @TheWarHead.

 

 

 

Elcylista - cycle design is one of the happier marriages of form and function. This New Yorker's blog looks effortlessly cool and mixes it up between bicycle culture and design.

 

 

 

 

LaGazzettaDellaBici - pros, Italian stuff, pros and pro cycling. Nice pics and good post-race write ups.

 

We're excited because we have a huge new warehouse and build facility.

OK, yes, a warehouse full of boxes and stock is not the most amazing thing in the world, but we just wanted to share.

The new premises will allow for 1,000 Condor frames to be held in stock at any one time, and also increase the turnaround times for customer purchases. To supplement the growth to a new warehouse we are hiring staff to fill roles in our bricks and mortar store and at the Condor build facility. Check out the current job vacancies at Condor.

We're building up this beautiful, lugged steel frame for a customer's wife. How lucky is she!

Less rain, more sun, dry road, new kit, and a spring clean of the machine.

What? Garmin Edge 500

Who's got it? Ben (Designer) and Greg (Store Manager)

Why? Compact size, most of the functions of a Garmin Edge 705, but in a smaller unit. Simple and better twist on mount. Updated software, plenty of training and ride data at your finger tips.

Price? £249.99 - This bundle includes heart rate monitor, cadence and speed sensors, and UK mapping. Bundles are available without the additional sensors.

What? Condor Track Grips

Who's got it? Sammy (Sales Team) and Fish (Head Mechanic)

Why? Foul weather is over chance to spruce up the bike ready for sunny commutes to work or a spin round the track.

Price? £5.99 - Available in black, blue, purple, red, green, white, orange, brown.

 

What? Sidi Dragon Ergo 2

Who's got it? Er, no one, because they are quite pricey, but everyone wants them!

Why? The ultimate in commuter comfort. Fantastic looks and lightweight shoe. The perfect cyclo-cross, towpath and mountain bike shoe. Best for chilling out in the beer garden after work and not having to worry about landing flat on your face thanks to recessed cleats.

Price? £249.99 - In stock from sizes 39 to 45 (Euro)

 

What? Coloured tyres from Michelin (Pro 3) and Continental (GP4000)

Who's got it? Rachel P has blue (Rapha Condor Women's Team), Claire has red (Communications), Ben has white (Designer).

Why? Less tread, more speed, and a splash of colour adds some personality!

Price? From £31.99 - In stock in every colour imaginable

 

What? Rapha Women's Stowaway Jacket

Who's got it? Claire (Communications), Belinda (Customer Relations)

Why? Okay, even though it's spring, it can still be a bit cool in the mornings, and there is a chance of an April shower. Rapha have taken the classic Stowaway and changed the cut and the fit to make the garment women's specific.

Price? £165.00 - In stock in store, available in red or cream

To celebrate the Queen of the Classics, Paris-Roubaix, the people of Perren St. hosted their own Hell of the North for the riders who weren't able to make it over to see the real thing.

We started out at 9am in Highgate and rode 50 miles, covering 20 sectors of grave through Essex and Hertfordshire, ending up in High Barnet.

All the riders finished up together to eat frites with mayo and drink beer whilst watching Cancellara smash all the other pros into the ground.

A great day had by all; glorious sun, a couple of climbs, a couple of challenging sectors - all very epic.

Thank you Rapha.

How was your ride?

No other one-day race comes close to the sheer unpredictability or brutality of Paris-Roubaix. 27 cobbled sectors, totalling some 52km of pavé, separates the hopefuls for glory in the Roubaix velodrome.

This weekend (April 11) two power house teams go head to head. Saxo Bank vs. Quick Step. In the Saxo Bank corner is recently crowned King of Flanders, Fabian Cancellara while eager to prove is Tom Boonen for Quick Step. Boonen is a proven master of the cobbles and the odds are stacked in his favour.

The magic of the race is that it won't all go to plan. Threats to Boonen's supremacy will come from every direction. Thor Hushovd, Juan Antonio Flecha, Philippe Gilbert and Filippo Pozzato will all be on Boonen's radar on the 259km slog to Roubaix.

Tweet Condor Cycles (www.twitter.com/condorcycles) and tell us who is going to win this years race. From the correct entries we'll pick a cap winner. Simple and easy!

Paris-Roubaix 2010: TV guide

• British Eurosport - available on cable and satellite systems
• Sun April 11, 1.30-4.15pm, Paris-Roubaix live, British Eurosport
• Sun April 11, 7.30-8.30pm, Paris-Roubaix highlights, British Eurosport
• (Sun April 11, 8.30-9pm, Tour DoonHame highlights, British Eurosport)
• Sun April 11, 11.45pm-12.45am, Paris-Roubaix highlights, British Eurosport

Also checkout Cycling.TV and their live streaming coverage. Click here for more

Watch it with Beer and Frites courtesy of Rapha. Click here for more information

Delve into the history: Book

Paris-Roubaix - A Journey Through Hell

The perfect addition to your coffee table to recall your memories of this years race... and more

Seasoned journalists Philippe Bouwet, Pierre Callewaert , Jean-luc Catellier and Serge Laget have cobbled Paris-Roubaix’s history together through both journalism and pictures. For those wanting an in-depth and all encompassing view at the doyenne of the Spring Classics, Paris-Roubaix: A Journey Through Hell uses a variety of lenses: the spectators, the victors and their competition, and the cobbles.

The writers chronicle nearly a century’s worth of race photography and writing, using race reports and first-hand accounts along with intense historic photographs illustrating the agony and ecstasy of the wrenching race.

Hardcover with jacket. Full color and b&w photos throughout. Introduction by Bob Roll. In stock at Condor Cycles £29.99

Our memory of the 2009/10 cross season may have faded, and the mud may have long since dried (oh wait, no, we're based in the UK).

Anyway... the latest piece of literature to hit the book department at Condor reignites, in beautiful colour, the magic world cup of cyclo-cross. It is a must for anyone that revels in mud on skinny tyres.

Condor staffer, Konrad Manning, wrote up his thoughts on the new book for RoadCyclingUK. Check out what he thinks here.

UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup: season 2009/2010 by Balint Hamvas, softback, £17.99, in stock at Condor Cycles

Illustrated by 122 colour photographs.

Condor Cycles recently refurbished and expanded its retail store on Gray's Inn Road, London, and thanks to strong sales over the miserable winter, Condor is looking to hire both full- and part-time staff in a number of positions.

Condor Cycles - Full & Part Time Sales Team

We are looking to expand our team of passionate sales assistants. We are looking for someone who is already an enthusiastic road cyclist, racer or commuter, with a strong interest in performance cycling products and the reputable Condor brand. Duties will include retail, customer service, and assisting at some Condor events.
You will be required to help maintain the appearance of the shop throughout the day.

Skills and experience

• Keen interest for road cycling

• Selling and communication skills

• 2 year retail experience in cycling industry is advantageous

• Must be eligible to work in the UK

To apply for this position, please send your CV to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Condor Cycles - Workshop Mechanic & Build Technician

We are looking to hire an experienced workshop mechanic to further expand the build facility at our new warehouse. Your primary responsibility will be to build bikes to our customers' specifications.

Condor Cycles operates a fully functional workshop at the Gray's Inn Road store. We are looking to hire a mechanic to service, repair and assess customer bikes.
Your primary responsibilities include keeping the workshop running smoothly at all times, maintaining high standards of repair & servicing and helping to maintain the tidiness of the workshop throughout the working day. You will report directly to the store manager & workshop manager.

Skills and experience

• Keen interest for road cycling

• Cytec level 2 training is advantageous

• Minimum 2 year workshop experience

• Must be eligible to work in the UK

To apply for this position, please send your CV to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*Please note: we do not respond to all applicants. We will, however, keep your CV on file for future opportunities.
NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE

Today, two Paris Galibier frames arrived at Condor. We build the frames by hand in England.

It's a rare event because frames are built to order and lugs cut by hand. The next step for these frames is a visit to the spray shop and get dressed in their livery to the riders' specifications.

The frame features fillet brazed welds and hand cut lug work. The tubing is hand selected, double-butted steel from Reynolds and Columbus.

Twin, small diameter top tubes balance the oversize main tube and an intricate fork crown tops the subtly raked blades. First produced in 1947, the Galibier embodies everything of the golden era of cycling.
The Harry Rensch design inspired by continental race bikes of the 1940s claimed to eliminate "whip" and soon gained a strong following among road racers in the fifties.

There is a year's waiting list for a Condor Paris Galibier. Good things come to those who wait.