December 2009

9th November 2009 - Issue 3 landed in store today, an initial thumb left me memorised by the imagery. Delving further inside the multicoloured pages and you'll find an autobiography from Dino Signori, founder of Sidi, a personal perspective of the Dunwich Dynamo rider and the tale of one mans 1980's dream to be that Brit who turned pro on foreign soil. I couldn't wait to read more.

22nd December 2009 - I've read it cover to cover, studied every page, picture and person. Ok so it took me more than a month to read a collection of short stories, why. I was out on my bike of course but today for the first time (thanks to the snow) I took the train.
The train stopped at Forest Gate and we waited in unexplained silence for fifteen minutes. I'm squished next to a man who probably doesn't know what a bike, here I read a few more pages, before the train moved onto a piece of 'no mans track' just outside of London Bridge station. Too far from New Cross Gate but not far enough to get to a platform. We waited for the points to unfreeze for twenty minutes and it was by then I finally managed to close Ride Issue 3 shut.

I chose not to read it cover to cover but dip and jump around - I like it for that. Pausing on pages when photography catches the eye. In the first month of owning my copy I'd find a page read the story but find it again some days later drawn something new within the image. I love that, it makes my eyebrows rise in amusement.
Trouble is Ride just makes me want to get out and ride so it takes longer to get through, I can't sit still. Even when its snowing Ride musters my spirit to set my bike up on the turbo and turn my legs into jelly. Ride Issue 3 is the best yet.

Personal faves: The Swarm on pg. 33, Pedal to Enlightenment on pg. 129. In the Blood on pg. 142 features the Athertons a formidable force who have been taking downhill titles left right and centre. I am no downhill, 4X or freerider, I once fell off in true comic style riding up, on a straight piece of track with no roots. But that fact I loved this piece means The Ride has done what it set out to do - not pigeon hole and there is something in here for everyone even if you think there isn't.

Favourite images: the shoes pg. 86-87, the montage on pg. 40 and the mud cake riders on pg. 24-25

Website: http://www.theridejournal.com/

PUSH PULL from Landis Fields on Vimeo.

"Our partnership with Rapha Condor marks a turning point for Sharp as a brand in the UK and we are thrilled to be supporting the huge potential growth of British professional cycling," said Sharp UK managing director Paul Molyneux. "On behalf of Sharp, I'd like to wish the team the best of luck in achieving its goals for 2010 and beyond - we'll be right behind you!"

The new Rapha-Condor-Sharp team kit and team bike will be officially launched on January 28, 2010, at the team's new season presentation.
Sharp started its relationship with the team at the end of 2009, when the company partnered the squad's Prostate Cancer Charity efforts.
The new sponsor will make a big difference in more than the team's name, though. The small team had some major wins last season, including the national road title and the overall title in the FDB Insurance Ras. Team manager John Herety now has his eye on a strong performance at next year's Tour of Britain.

"That is the area where I want us to get better this year and with the investment from Sharp we have the riders and the programme to deliver them to that objective in peak form,” he said, “so long as we get an invite of course!"

Read more about the announcement on the Rapha Condor site

Condor were crowned 'most popular British brand' and we got an honourable mention in the Best bike brand. Across the pages the Rapha-Condor team kit was runner up to Cervelo in the 'favourite team kit' category.
Rapha-Condor rider Dean Downing has plenty of fans out there getting an honourable mention in the category for 'most impressive British-based rider'.

It was good to see the Hell of the Ashdown sportive voted the third most popular British Sportive (and no wonder the 2010 edition of the ride sold out in 36 hours).

Hell, is a popular ride with staff at Condor and in 2010 we'll be pitched up at the side of the course running free emergency pit stops and mobile maintenance vehicle. We've invited friends of Condor, Mule Bar to supply the energy food for all the riders.

Hell of the Ashdown takes place on the 31st January and opens the sportive season, a perfect way to kick start your training and raise money for the Alzheimer's Society.

Over the holiday / festive season Condor Cycles will be still be open, but we need to sit down for some turkey too so we'll be running reduced hours - see below for details

• Thursday -24th December - 9am - 6pm
• Friday - 25th December - Closed
• Saturday - 26th December - Closed
• Sunday - 27th December - Closed
• Monday - 28th December - Closed
• Tuesday - 29th December - 9am - 5pm

• Wednesday - 30th December - 9am - 5pm
• Thursday - 31st December - 9am - 5pm
• Friday - 1st January - Closed
• Saturday - 2nd January - 10am - 5pm
• Sunday - 3rd January - Closed
• Monday - 4th January - Open as normal

For our regular opening hours click here

"As more and more marques take their manufacturing to the far east, slowly but surely, the bicycle manufacturing industry in Italy shrinks at a steady rate. For this reason it was not unusual to find signs of general fabrication -items of outdoor furniture and in one case MicroLite space-frames bumping up productivity.

At the same time, it was mighty heartening to see the methods behind the manufacturing of steel, alloy and carbon frames when not on a mass-production scale. We were plied with Espresso and fed to the eyeballs -thanks to Lorenzo of Dedacciai."

Handbuilt Uno wheelset from £185 per pair.

There is that post holiday season lull, where you wonder what to do with your Christmas money from Aunty Pertunia or try to figure out how you will ever get inspired to get back on the bike.
If sitting around during the Christmas week has got you fired up to attack the tarmac and train for your next challenge a fresh new garment might be the way to take you that little bit further.
What ever your circumstances pep up your motivation and make a saving on our sale items to feel great in, look renewed, and snug during the cooler months.

Our Winter Sale hits the store on January 4th 2010 featuring sale items from our 2009 Gore,
Assos, Campagnolo Clothing, Craft and Mavic collections

• Save 30% on all womens specifc clothing including Gore Bikewear, Craft, and Mavic
• Save 25% on Sidi shoes
• Save 35% on all Campagnolo clothing

Sale Bikes

If you are looking for a trusty new steed to take about the city streets, maybe a new winter ride or perhaps something racey, visit our Winter Bike and Frame sale page there are Condor road bikes, Condor touring bikes, plus ex-team and ex-demo Condor framesets from Titanium to Carbon. Not forgetting our other brands. Our sale includes Specialized Tarmac SL2 Framesets and closeout BMC carbon framesets and BMC road bikes.

Sidi Terra-X Mountain Bike Shoe - Save 46%

Campagnolo Heritage Jersey - Save 35%

Gore Power Womens Thermal Jersey - Save 30% - Available in Pink, Black and White

Campagnolo 11 Speed Hollow Core Thermal Bib Tights - Save 35%

Mavik Zxellium Road Shoe - Save 30%

Fancy something different mix it up with bold lime or pink (£74.99). These one off candy coloured treats just arrived in store from Japan.

The Condor Uno is the signature chainset for the Condor Cycles track and fixed bicycles range. The chainsets etched with the Condor detailing are produced exclusively for Condor by Sugino. Silver and black versions are available from £64.99. With white, blue or red chainset available for £74.99

The forged Uno cranks are 165mm and come with 46 tooth CNC machined chainring.

We came across a courious selection of short films. So typically euro and quite funny, believe it or not hosted on the official You Tube channel of the Tour de France. There are a whole host of short films part of the Yellow Jacket series but the photo finish episode was one of our favourites.
For musical accompaniment they've added an Accordion, random farm house animal noises and bicycle bell.

Click here for all the short films

We're deep into the season and while winter crit races have begun. Condor staffers are well and truly focused on their cyclo-cross performance. This weekend was the final big race for us to test our fitness and ability, it will provide a gauge for the National cyclo-cross champs and if a trip up to Birmingham is really worth it.
Rouleur photographer Geoff Waugh captured images of the racing, click read more to view. Head Designer, Ben made it into the top 10 on a tricky, slightly sticky Ipswich course. Epic effort

1st - Jamie Newall
2nd - Darren Barclay
3rd - Michael Raven
10th Ben Spurrier
Vets - 9th Konrad Manning

5th round of the National Cyclo Cross Trophy was held in Bradford. It was cold and a tough race for the Condor staff competing in the womens and seniors race. Plenty of mud meant plenty of running. Great race in the senior mens saw National Champ Jody Crawforth blowing the international field to bits. He took to riding up the climb (pictured) as opposed to everyone else having to run at it.

Over Christmas we thought we'd share in the festive cheer by running a 12 day long Christmas competition via Twitter. To win all you have to do is Tweet or Retween @condorcycles - 12 Days of Condor and from all the mentions we randomly draw a winner at 5pm.

Each day we posted a gift idea on our dedicated micro-site 12 Days of Condor . On day 10 legendary British rider Malcolm Elliot popped into the store and pulled out the winner. The winner won a signed Fallen Angel book by William Fotheringham.

Thanks to Malcolm for drawing the prize

There is riding on the turbo trainer for fitness and then there is riding off road to hone cyclo-cross technique. In the winter the turbo usually is the first port of call as the nights darken at 4pm, leaving a small window at the weekend for off road duties. Usually this would surfice but with only four weeks to the National Champs in Birmingham we decided to step up our game and get out during the weekday for some honest cyclo-cross practise. Trouble is you need to find a place where you won't run over into dog walkers, won't get locked in, is also safe but not too far to get to. Somewhere with additional furniture like fallen trees, steps or sharp inclines is a bonus as it helps make a ride around a playing field much more interesting. After coming across a You Tube video of cyclo-cross in the 70's we decided the legendary Crystal Palace park would be a good training venue.

The Crystal Palace

The Great Exhibition of 1851 was the expression of a society at the zenith of its prosperity and power. Paxton's Crystal Palace was a huge iron goliath with over a million feet of glass, containing such industrial exhibits as the jacquar loom, courts depicting the history of art and architecture from ancient Egypt through the Renaissance as well as exhibits from imperial territories like India and Austrialia. Major concerts were held in the Palace's huge arched Centre Transept, which also contained the world's largest organ. The central transept also housed a circus and was the scene of daring feats by world famous acts such as the tightrope walker Blondin. The Crystal Palace itself was almost outshone by the park in which it stood, which contained a magnificent series of fountains (the water pumped through a set of towers designed by Brunel) and the park's original trees.
Today, it is a rather different matter. What Mayhew described as the glass hive burned down in the thirties; all that remains are a set of empty terraces, with headless statues gracing the steps and Sphinxes guarding the entrance way to nothingness
Truth be told its a good but eerie place to train. After a lap you get used to used to the shapes but I was pleased I could glide away on two wheels.

At the races

We took to the M6 heading towards Manchester Velodrome for the second race in this season’s Revolution Series. Like everyone else we were looking forward to the prospect of seeing Bradley Wiggins. The nights racing was full of excitement and Wiggo didn't disappoint, pulling off a win in the scratch race.