Andy's Parlee Z1 with Di2

Just a lovely, lovely build
Di2 with Enve cockpit and Mavic SLR wheels
Enjoy!

Some shop pictures

We have been busy here - I thought I would take the time to update you of our progress.



This is part of upstairs. The main table in the middle is meant to showcase seasonal items and things we think are cool. Behind the table you can see the flags flying which show what is downstairs


We created a bike park based on the Col markers you get on some of the classic climbs. We thought we would add to it with the time of the fastest ascent.




This is where it gets serious..... the main bike studio downstairs. As we progress we will build out different 'brand sections' and do some cool things.



Here is a close up of a Parlee Z1 on the new bike stands we had make. They are wooden frames with light boxes in them, They look really cool !

Come and see the shop for yourself, and hopefully we will have more developments in the days, weeks and months !

Chrissie Wellington in the house

We had the huge privilege of hosting Chrissie Wellington and the team from Audiofuel last night. It was a full day affair with the media (including Sky News) in the afternoon and then a general public meet and greet later on. It was enormous fun, though I did not spend much time listening as I was like a mother hen running around making sure it all went smoothly. As such it was great to read Rich's blog.

http://brainfartsofabiketart.com/2012/01/09/chrissie-wellington-audiofuel/

Thanks to everyone involved and all those who came to the event. I hope you enjoyed it!

2012 Trek team bike is HOT

This thing is sweet !

Specialized Venge 'Cav' World Championship Edition

Here is our size 52 (a suitably "pro" size!)
Its only one of 200 in the world, and 40 in the UK and given its size we think there must only be a hand-ful in this size in the country.
It looks great in the flesh - very stealth, with silver highlights on the chainstay and some cool World Champion bands on the underside of the downtube. Its the same price as the regular Vange (£2500) and given the amount of international interest we have already had in the frame we have been told its actually selling for more than list on the second hand market.
Bikes that appreciate - who would have thought !

Anthony's Firefly winter bike

This is one of four Firefly 'winter' bikes that are coming our way in the next couple of weeks. Though to call them winter bikes is to do them a total dis-service. Although they have full mud-guards they use normal 47mm racing brakes (in this case Dura-Ace). They also use the normal Enve road fork, but what the clever folk at Parlee do is bond on some carbon mud-guard eyelets for Firefly. Thus come the spring, these mud-guards can come off and you have a race bike for the summer season. Two bikes in one - with no compromises.

Anthony went to town on this build:

-Full Dura Ace and Di2 including the hidden battery in the Ti Firelfy seatpost
- Chris King Gold BB and R45 hubs laced to Open Pro Ceramic rims
-Enve bar and stem

The frame is of course the star of the show, and features internal Di2 wiring and internal brake cabling. Perfect for winter!
The frame is brushed Ti with polished and anodized decals

Its simply an amazing bike!

New years resolutions

Its that time of year again!

I told my wife last night that I was hoping 2012 was a quieter year than the craziness of 2011. Opening the new shop space and the birth of our second baby boy has knocked me for six a bit to be honest!

I said at the start of last year that I had no real cycling goals and that if the shop was a success and I became fat as a result that would be a good year. As such I only entered one main event for the whole year (and even that was half baked with the inevitable painful consequences).
So this year I want to have my cake and eat it....and given my current appetite that is a pretty god analogy.
I am the heaviest I have been since Uni and that coupled with my steel bike with mud guards has made the Kent hills a real slog this winter.
But the fightback starts now!
I have entered a number of UK sportives and the big European one for us will be Quebrantos in Spain - a bunch of us are doing it and would love more people to joing for the inaugural Bespoke club championships!

On the Ironman side I am planning to give Roth another good go- its such a quick course that it would be rude not to

To get me in shape I will be using all the toys we have the shop - including biomechanical sessions with Ben, regular testing with our new Vo2 machine and even using our hypoxia altitude machine closer to the time.

I will keep updating this blog with progress (or lack thereof). I am hoping the fear of humiliation will keep me hitting the turbo and sticking away from the chocolate muffins.
Wishing you all the very best in your personal, professional and cycling aspirations in 2012.
All the very best
Barry