Feature Stories

"Condor is as synonymous with steel bike frames as

Audi is to Vorsprung durch Technik"

Stuart Bowers, Deputy Editor, Cyclist Magazine

 

AC-CIA-IO
/ at-cha-Yo/

Noun
Simply the Italian for "steel".

Utilising our knowledge in all frame materials, each model in the performance steel range is focused on delivering a lightweight and responsive frameset that will take you further faster and allow you to push the limits of your fitness. The Acciaio is a long standing model that has existed as our performance steel frame since 2002. It has spawned three unique framesets that have built upon the success, technology and praise of the original Acciaio.

The models in the Condor performance steel range are:

• Acciaio
• Super Acciaio
• Acciaio Stainless
• Acciaio Continental (built upon request, used by Rapha Continental riders)

All steel frames are built in our our factory in northern Italy and painted just down the road before being flown to London, where frames are built up by our mechanics into bicycles. Performance steel has an equal footing alongside materials like carbon and aluminium, as long as the design and application is right. We work with all types of material and various grades in each, which highlights the positives about each material and the characteristics that each can deliver to a ride.

The performance steel range excels over long stretches of broken tarmac, fast winding descents and your local training ground. The models have clearly defined tasks:

• Built for long sojourns in the saddle and grand col mountain climbing, the Acciaio has a longer wheelbase and slightly taller headtube to reduce rider fatigue on gruelling big ride days.
• The Super Acciaio uses a similar steel grade to the Acciaio but incorporates technology from our carbon race range. The bicycle is designed to be ridden out of the the saddle, in the saddle, round tight twisting race courses and down finishing straights. It is stiff when you accelerate but won't fire shocks up your arms over changing terrain. The Super Acciaio was developed with the Rapha Condor team and incorporates a tapered headtube and oversized bottom bracket.
• Acciaio Stainless uses the highest grade of steel with a superb finish for an aesthetically pleasing, smaller tube profile, that offers greater strength than titanium and weight similar to a high-quality aluminium frame. It is available with either race geometry or long distance/sportive geometry.
• Acciaio Continental is a custom frame built with more traditional styling. The tubes are fillet brazed with a clean and smooth finish to the welds and fitted with a traditional external Chris King headset. Acciaio Continental is used by Rapha Continental. A series of endurance rides that sought a more adventurous style of riding beyond the confines of regular training and racing, the Continental was established to rediscover the lost spirit of cycling.

 

The 2013 range was previewed in Birmingham at the Cycle Show in October. The range featured revisions to popular models and the introduction of Columbus tubing, electronic cable integration on our carbon bikes, and an entirely new stainless steel model.

The 2013 range bursts with colour and commands your attention. The technology and performance of our frames is paramount and we never make a compromise for a colour, but a bicycle to us is not just a machine. When you see a bike we want both its shape and colour to grab you, offering function, form, aesthetic delight and motivation for the rider.

Our head of design, Ben Spurrier, and production director, Neil Manning, talk through the palet used on this year's bike range, which is now available in store and through our stockists.

Click on the images below to discover the technology in each of the frames and see more pictures.

Condor Leggero | Performance Race Bike | Frameset: £2199.99

Condor Fratello | Audax and Commuting Road Bike | Frameset: £599.99

Condor Lavoro | Performance Track Bike | Frameset: £499.99

Condor Tempo | Touring Single Speed and Town Bike | Frameset: £599.99

Condor Terra-X | Performance cyclo cross bike | Frameset: £799.99

Condor Acciaio | Steel performance Road Bike | Frameset: £749.99

Condor Potenza | Everyday Fixie and Entry Level Track Bike | Frameset: £499.99

At the heart of a bicycle is the frame. It is the soul of the machine. It is one of the most expensive parts and the part that will give your ride its character, its feel and its purpose.
At Condor the frameset is extremely important to us; it has and always will be. That is why after sixty five years we still make all our frames by hand to our specifications in our production facility.

If we go back to when Condor started we used the most famous tubeset in the world; Reynolds 531.
Every frame used to be built using 531 but through the years as people strived to lighten their bikes naturally people turned to the frame. Our Baracchi frame was lugless and had fillet-brazed joints reducing the weight a little bit. We then moved on to butted tubes, having less material where it wasn't needed.

People were using steel frames for road racing at the time and then aluminium appeared in the late eighties. There were some hideously 'blob-welded' frames but when aluminium took off it changed everything. Even if you were proficient in working with steel, it didn't necessarily mean you could work in aluminium. We had proper craftsmen who could make handmade steel frames but working with aluminium required a different set of skills.

We had to start our own production facility using aluminium but we knew we couldn't do it here in the UK. We looked to Italy as we didn't want to go to the Far East. We are a UK company and wanted to keep production in Europe if we could. It was at that time a lot of Italian bike brands moved production to Taiwan, which meant that they were leaving behind many craftsmen who could actually work with aluminium.
What they can see in that frame is craftsmanship. You do need a craftsman to produce a frame like that.

Our ethos to craftsmanship passes onto our carbon framesets. We are proud all our framesets in the Condor range are finished in Italy. The carbon tubes of the Leggero are hand wrapped and hand cut. Layers of carbon are built up to create the frame and the carbon is held together with nano resins. The same manufacturing process is used to create our current carbon Baracchi frames.

We build almost everything out of almost anything. Millimetres translate into performance, and our meticulous attention to detail can be seen in every bike.
We do not compromise, designing our frames so they can be built by the unskilled and a machine, before passing to another worker to carry out another monotonous task. We know our craftsman build with the knowledge of the joy the frame will bring to the rider. That bike could carry someone to a life changing victory or used to ascend the tallest peaks in the most spectacular landscapes.

The fabricators and designers of Condor framesets continue to innovate with unique ideas, use the newest technologies and refine accepted techniques. Production methods become more sophisticated year on year but we continue to make frames and create bicycles that respect the ethos of craftsmanship.

Sections of this article are taken from a book about Condor, Past Present Future

View the Condor bicycle range

 

Black mountains of Wales again play host to the Merlin Sportive on the 1st of July.
Leaving from the idyllic National Botanic Gardens four routes spread out across the climbs and road of Carmarthenshire offering superb scenery and testing gradients.

We rode 'the Merlin' in 2011 under a blistering sun and loved the organisation, route and atmosphere so we are heading back there again to take on the 104 mile long ride and we hope you will join us.

To enter click here

The ride details:
- Four routes, 23, 57, 70, 104 miles
- Timing chips for all participants
- F ully marshalled route and Motor cycle escort by Dyfed Powys Police
- Mechanical assistance
- Feed stations and water points
- Free photographs for participants
- Free recovery pasta meal at the finish
- Free entry to the National Botanic Gardens
- Changing facilities
- Trade village with Condor, Cervelo, Trek and Wilier

Date: Sunday 1st July

Location: Starts from National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmathen, SA4 0TX

Cost: £30

The Merlin Sportive raises money for McMillan Cancer Charity, Wales Air Ambulance and Ty Hafan Children's charity.

"I was watching Goodfellas one evening and they were talking about ‘The Capo.' It means the leader, boss." - Gary Vasconi, President, Capo

Asked to sum up Capo, the owner and president Gary Vasconi says, "I was watching Goodfellas one evening and they were talking about ‘The Capo.' It means the leader, boss. It is easy to understand, it's creative and fun. It translates to how we think about our cycle clothing."

Capo was founded in the US in 2004, offering technical socks and soon after expanded the product collection to men & women's apparel. The Capo jerseys, shorts and jackets available at Condor are all manufactured in northern Italy at their factory near Varese.

The devil is in the detail, and Capo jerseys are functional performance garments. Take the mid priced Dorato jersey, silver fibres are woven into the fabric, for what we politely call anti-odour protection, while the majority of the jersey is constructed from Carbon E yarn, a term Capo use for their signature fabric. Carbon E is a technical, dual-knit microfiber polyester with a visible antimicrobial carbon thread running throughout that helps expedite moisture transfer and drying time, while also keeping you effectively shielded from harmful UV rays.

Capo is bold with its designs, celebrating the distinctively styling in its range of jerseys through to bib shorts, vests, and jackets.
We like the SC-12 bib shorts, the item is anything but your average bib short. Gary Vasconi describes them "a race fit bib, lightweight and constructed from high-gauge (HG) Lycra, giving the material a dense feel." The Capo founder explains that the material provides muscle compression for greater comfort and abrasion resistance for durability. At the gripper where material meets the leg, Capo use a doubled-over layer of laser-cut HG Lycra with a light silicone treatment. "The generous width of the band makes the grip gentle, while the two layers limit stretch."
The short material is treated with coldblack® a proven technology also used by Rapha in their Pro Team range. The treatment reduces heat build-up and provides effective protection from UV rays.

The full Capo range is available now from subtle classic styles to fabulous Euro White. Sizes run from Small to XX-Large.

 

 

You are invited to join the Rapha Condor Sharp team ahead of their summer race season at our classics weekend in Henley-on-Thames on the 14th April.

The weekend will be a chance to meet and ride with the next generation of Rapha Condor Sharp riders, talk candidly to them and support the team in their new direction of developing younger riders. The bikes, clothing and cars the team use will also be available to test.

The weekend will begin with a supported two hour ride on Saturday morning into South Oxfordshire, returning for a free buffet lunch, informal Q&A with the team, the chance to test team bikes and kit. Sunday will follow the same format, with a morning ride into the hilly Chilterns, returning for lunch, test riding. On both days there will be a lead group riding at about 15 mph and a second group for those who prefer a more sedate pace and the chance to chat to the riders.

RSVP
*rides are now full, afternoon activities are free for anyone to attend*

Attending the daytime activities is free but RSVP is essential.
RSVP to: Laura Bower, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Required information: Which ride(s) you would like to go on and on which day(s).

LOCATION

The event will take place at the beautiful Hotel du Vin in Henley, an hour away from London by car or train.

Hotel du Vin, New Street, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 2BP
www.hotelduvin.com

ACCOMMODATION

A special, reduced rate is available for the Friday and Saturday nights at Hotel du Vin.

To book a room: call Hotel du Vin, Henley and reference the Rapha Condor Sharp event (01491 848400).

TIMETABLE

Saturday 14th April

9.30am - Arrival

10am - Ride departure - route available here

1pm - Buffet lunch

2pm to 4.30pm - Rider meet and greet at Hotel du Vin Henley courtyard. Test ride Condor bicycles on a short loop, test Rapha clothing, explore the ethos behind Rapha Condor Sharp.

Sunday 15th April

9am - Meet for ride 

9.30am - Ride departure - route available here

12.30pm - Buffet lunch

1.30pm - 3.30pm - Rider meet and greet at Hotel du Vin Henley courtyard. Test ride Condor bicycles on a short loop, test Rapha clothing, explore the ethos behind Rapha Condor Sharp.

Test Bikes and Clothing
A 6km ride loop has been devised for testing Condor bikes and Rapha clothing. The route is quiet but features a short, steep climb.

To try a bike you will need to bring a pair of pedals and a credit card. Your card will be retained by Condor staff whilst you're on the test ride. The test is free but in the event of the bicycle being lost, damaged or stolen Condor will seek to recoup the loss. The test bicycles are a sample of the Condor range and not every size or model will be available.

A variety of test clothing will be available and as above, a credit card will need to be left as a guarantee. Should you be testing a bike too, this can be done on the same card.

 

"We wanted nutrition that had in them what we wanted in them, but we never set out to be a nutrition manufacturer"
- Science in Sport

When Rapha Condor Sharp first sprinted their way up the tarmac in 2008, they were fuelled by Science in Sport and have been ever since. Rapha and Condor are now indelibly associated with British cycle racing, and so it's a perfect fit given that Science in Sport are a British based brand too.

Science in Sport was born over twenty years ago from the frustrations of two men who, unable to buy the right products, wanted to get more out of their cycling and training. Since then, the pair, a cyclist and a sport scientist, have expanded their range of nutrition that has helped pro cyclist after pro cyclist ride to title victory.

Their objective from the beginning has been to make the best possible products that are true to their claims. They never set out to be a nutrition company, but they figured out that the only way to ensure that the products "had in them what we wanted in them" and "had nothing in them that we did not want in them" would be to do it themselves. Today, Science in Sport still develop and manufacture their energy food at their Blackburn factory, opting to produce in small batch quantities to carefully monitor product quality.

Energy drinks, gels and bars are well known for their uses; open any cycling magazine and there is advice regarding the amount of energy food to eat and when to eat it. Recovery drinks are often over-looked, considered a product for building vein popped muscles and gym bunnies. For cyclists, recovery drinks are an untapped source of goodness that lets you pick up daily life, keeping injury, illness and fatigue at bay.

8 things you need to know about recovery drinks

1. Consume a recovery drink within 30 minutes of finishing activity. It's a window when your body is calling out for energy and also when you can be most susceptible to getting ill as your immune system is suppressed.

2. Rego by Science in Sport has a mix of carbohydrate and protein in a ratio of 3:1. Studies show that consuming carbohydrate and protein at a 3:1 ratio will help you to store carbohydrate more effectively than consuming carbohydrate alone.

3. Rego contains whey protein. Available more quickly than any other kind of protein, it provides the amino acids necessary for muscle repair with little delay.

4. Rego also uses a second protein, L-glutamine, to stop your muscles from breaking down after exercise. L-glutamine is needed by the brain, intestines, kidneys, lungs and immune system. If you leave your body to produce its own supply, it will break down muscle tissue in order to make it available. Therefore, supplementation with L-glutamine immediately after exercise stops the body scavenging for an alternative supply and eating into your muscle.

5. Rego contains three different carbohydrates that ensure the maximum uptake of energy into the muscle and liver stores after exercise.

6. Rehydration is very important. Ever had a headache or a dry chapped mouth the day after a hard ride? That is your body telling you that you're dehydrated. But there is only so much liquid we can drink. Rego powder contains electrolytes that speed the uptake of water by the body compared with consuming just plain water.

7. Depending on the length and intensity of your cycling, it is recommended that you consume 1.2-1.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Instead of working out how much chicken or protein you need to eat in a sandwich after your ride, Rego is a quick and easy way of mixing some after ride nutrition.

8. A hit of protein keeps you on top form. Protein is involved in producing neurotransmitters, chemical messengers in the brain keeping you alert, focused and energised. They also slow down the release rate of glucose into the bloodstream, helping to stabilise blood sugar between rides, and containing energising nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and zinc.

Click here to view the Science in Sport range available at Condor.

"The idea of a steel race bike was created on a whim.
Could we make a bike light enough to be raced,
stiff enough to perform while retaining the characteristics of steel?
We did, and then it snowballed."

Neil Manning, Production Director

In short, the Super Acciaio is a race tuned performance steel frame, with an oversized bottom bracket and tapered internal headset. Unique and original, the design and production team are so proud of their efforts they challenge you to find a finished production frame anything like this one.

The steel models formed the base of the Condor range and each model drew on the heritage and expertise of those at the brand to produce high quality audax, heavy touring, city single speeds and commuting bikes.
As you'd expect everyone at Condor understands steel. The head of design, production director, head of workshop and MD cut their teeth building steel race and touring frames.

Less tangible, but no less important, is the considerable degree of hard work that went into making each prototype over the development process. From making a frameset on a self indulgent whim to creating a product that would interest and excite a well researched rider. Super Acciaio Designer Ben Spurrier and Production Director Neil Manning reflect on the exhaustive process.

What is the bike's background?
Neil Manning: Three years ago there were a number of steel bikes in the range but nothing that was comparable to the carbon models being ridden by our and team and their competitors. The idea of a steel race bike was created on a whim. Could we make a bike light enough to be raced, stiff enough to perform while retaining the characteristics of steel? We did, and then it snowballed.

How was he idea received?
Neil Manning: Once prototype one was built and painted we mentioned it to the team riders who are old enough to have started their careers on steel -Kristian House, Dan Craven and Tom Southam. Their response was really positive, they all wanted to ride it. Dan Craven rode the second prototype at the Smithfield Nocturne. He asked to take it to Italy, for the mid season break.
On his return to England he rode the bike named ‘The Steely Dan' and placed 2nd to Kristian House in a Premier Calendar one day race, a good podium for the bikes and team.

Ben Spurrier: In late 2010 we showed John Herety the latest prototype and he gave us the response we'd hoped for: "get the criterium riders on them," that kind of feedback just gave us more enthusiasm for the project. Four more prototypes were made.

What were you trying to achieve?
Ben Spurrier: Our aim along the way was to make sure we didn't lose the characteristics of steel and make sure it was suitable for seasoned pros and consumers alike.

Neil Manning: From 2010 to end of 2011 the carbon Condor Leggero went from strength to strength. The team bike was ridden to a National title every year for the last four years. And we knew we didn't get those titles for paying big bucks. John Herety plucks riders from obscurity like Jon Tiernan Locke and Zak Dempster, both of whom rode a Leggero to great success. Graham Briggs was a good crit rider in the other teams but in the years he rode the Leggero he took the National title.

We believe we could do something similar with steel as we have done in carbon, and importantly for a rider.

What makes the Super Acciaio special?
Neil Manning: As an industry we've all learnt that a tapered headtube improves stiffness, especially when sprinting but also enables better control through tight twisting descents and on race finishing circuits.

Oversized bottom brackets are commonplace on carbon framesets; a bigger shell creates increased stiffness where power is generated, essential for any rider who wants every ounce of energy to be transferred to the bike.

Why hasn't it been done already?
Neil Manning: In the last twenty years, steel craftmanship and knowledge has been lost. Both the technologies we want to employ add material to the frame and, as steel is heavier than carbon, the frame become much heavier. We had to look at ways of keeping the bike light without compromising the main aim of the project.

So, were you starting from scratch?
Neil Manning: None of the steel tube manufacturers are creating oversized bottom bracket shells or headtubes, therefore we weren't able to even compare and contrast, it was down to us to create it ourselves and that is a long process.

How did you approach the design?

Ben Spurrier: It is important to have a purpose when you work on a new model, otherwise you'll become self indulgent. Our steel race bike is rugged and practical yet stylish. No one would race about with a hundred other like minded people if there was a hint of frailty.

What are the underlying themes in the design, both the frame shape and livery?
Ben Spurrier: Staying aesthetically true to recognised round profile steel tubing is difficult as we have to add material to make a round tube stiff enough for performance riders. Forming a tube into an angular form just wouldn't be right thing to do to a steel frame, so we rolled the top tube to an oval section, increasing its torsional rigidity without incurring any weight penalty.

We had to stay lightweight without making the bike more expensive that a carbon frame, and without losing stiffness.
The stays were trimmed and slimmed and we employed TIG welding to hold it all together. TIG is the lightest way to hold a frame together; using lugs or fillet brazing just isn't an option when grams count.

Weight was shed  by using quality metal, triple butted tubing features throughout the frameset which is heat treated for additional tensile strength. Heat treating is a longer process of making the tubes but enables us to use thinner walls.

Condor is celebrating women's cycling this weekend and offering 50% off Rapha Women's clothing in the Condor store.
A perfect chance to check out their range up close and make a big saving.

1. A dusty road

Tesco Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic 2011 from Andy Waterman on Vimeo.

The carbon is tubing used to make a Leggero is baked into its form, nano resin technology is applied to the weave and fills any microgaps. The tubes are then handcut and handwrapped. These two processes make the frameset able to withstand the battering from rough terrain, and in-turn disperse the forces exerted  onto the rider.

2. A hill climb

There is nothing more exciting that pro riders fighting it out for a Red Bull hill climb title. Except the rider putting away 2011 National Hill Climb champion, Dan Fleeman is our designer Ben Spurrier riding his Condor Leggero, not one of our pro team riders but the guy behind all that, with the layout pad. Ben finished 3rd in the Red Bull Hill Chasers event and won a bronze bicycle for his efforts.

3. A criterium

The Leggero makes its way round corners and to the front of the bunch like no other. In the last five years three National Criterium Champions have ridden the Condor Leggero to success, and in 2011 the bike helped Rapha Condor Sharp win the Tour Series. A tapered headtube helps increase the surface area of the junctions and give the rider more handling stability.

4. A ride across America

Four middle-aged club cyclists rode for 24 hours a day, passing through 14 states and climbing for a total of over 100,000ft in pursuit of the challenge. Covering a total of 3,005 miles at an average of 430 miles a day, the race is 30% longer than the Tour De France.

Finishing the 3,000 mile cycle race well inside their target of seven days, the team placed third overall, receiving an award for the best performance by a single club, in recognition of their exceptional efforts. The team included Sharp UK's Managing Director Paul Molyneaux. All the riders were using a Condor Leggero frameset.

5. A tour

It is always nice to spend a couple of hours in the saddle not just sixty minutes blasting around a circuit.
The Condor Leggero was designed for both. Making the frameset by hand allows the frame to offer comfort and compliancy. It is a characteristic that has helped Kristian House spend many hours alone, riding in front of the peloton in a breakaway. A free bike fit is offered with every Leggero purchase, we use it to tailor the bike set up to your unique position.