The striking Verenti Kilmeston is without a doubt the most versatile and probably the best value of all bikes accross the new Verenti Sportive range. A well thought out frame coupled with price-point beating componentry set the Kilmeston apart from the rest.

Built with the excellent SRAM Rival groupset and featuring a hill-friendly Truvativ compact chainset, a hand-built carbon fork and a power saving 7005 alloy frame; the Kilmeston is the ideal sportive ride: comfortable, lightweight and robust. Factor in fitted mudguards and provision for mounting a rack and you have what is truly a ‘bike for all seasons’.

We have used a 7005 triple butted alloy which is strong, lightweight and ideal for frames such as the Kilmeston. The ‘Triple butting’ refers to the three tube wall thicknesses in each main tube, the ends are thicker than the centre section, allowing for perfect welding whilst still giving a comfy and lightweight ride-feel.

This bike is fast, light and comfortable with a great selection of features and components.

We are confident the Verenti Sportive range and the specially designed ‘Me’ components will garner enthusiastic interest from riders of all ages and abilities – whether an experienced sportive veteran or novice looking to enter their first event.

We want you to have the same confidence in our products as we do; so we have made sure that our bicycles conform to and exceed all the latest European standards (Road standard: EN147810) which involves rigorous testing by the worlds leading testing facilities:

Wiggle offer a Thirty-day ‘ride and return’ policy on bikes – so if you order a Verenti and are not happy with it you can return it for a full refund.

View The Verenti Kilmeston

11

41 Days Left

41 days left. As I write this blog I have just 41 days until I hit the big four zero. It seemed such a long way off when I arrived at the top of Mont Ventoux at the end of the 2009 etape du tour, but now it’s just over a month away. I’m not usually one to get “hung up” about my age. I barely noticed turning 30, but for some reason 40 just seems really old to me! Luckily for me cycling is one sport where age is not much of a barrier.

On the start line of last year’s etape there were a large number of over 60 year olds (well that’s what I judged them to be). Many of them appeared to have no problem in producing a faster time than I managed. This makes me feel a whole lot happier. I still want to be completing these challenges for many years to come and I’d like to think that I could continue to improve on my performances for a few more years yet.

The good thing about predominantly being a sportive rider is that I can just challenge my own ability on any given event. I have set myself some tough targets as far as finishing times are concerned, but at the end of the day, if I don’t achieve these targets, I’m the only person who will be disappointed. I think that this is what makes sportive riding so popular. The pressure is largely “off” and relaxed and this encourages a pleasant and cordial atmosphere between competitors. The detractors of this type of event will argue that the lack of competitive edge means that riding sportives is a bit of a “cop out” but I disagree.

I love competing in road races. The thrill of riding in a fast moving bunch (assuming I’ve managed to not get dropped) is exhilarating. If I’ve summoned the energy for an attack, or even better get into a break then the feeling is fantastic, but there is never any time to enjoy the moment. It’s pure adrenaline. The more relaxed atmosphere of a well organised sportive is a real treat. Couple that with the sense of achievement upon the completion of the event and often the stunning scenery on the way round and it’s Good Times AL!

Whatever your level of ability from elite professional to complete novice I recommend that you ride a sportive this season. I’ll guarantee, at the very least, you’ll have a cracking day out!

Until next time, when I’ll be considerably closer to 40, ride safe

Rich

10

Structure=Positive Effect!

Hello again. Well that’s January out the way. Judging by the Facebook and Twitter comments most of us cyclists are pretty fed up with the weather interrupting our early season base mileage progress. There have been pockets of good cycling conditions and if you were lucky enough to have been off work on these days then your training will not have suffered too badly. I’ve managed a couple of longish rides in the New Forest and supplemented that with a good selection of track and turbo sessions.

I’ve found that making these sessions more structured is having a very positive effect. On the track our coach is keen to stress the impact and focus of each drill and exercise we are doing, whilst on the turbo, I’ve been using a coach based program that does much the same. I’m finding that this means that I can make a large majority of my training sessions really count. Previously I think I’ve wasted many sessions by not having a target. With time being my largest constraint to training it’s important to make every session valuable.

The pro riders meanwhile have no such hassles. A large majority of them were racing in Qatar last week. The last couple of winners of this very flat six day race have been sprinters so it was really refreshing to see a two man break stay away on the second road stage and gain enough time to not be caught for the rest of the race. I’m not sure what odds you could have got on Wouter Mol from 2nd string outfit Vacansoleil taking the overall victory, but I sure they were a lot longer than it being Tom Boonen or Tyler Farar.

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9

Cycle Season Has Started!

Hello everyone. The cycle season has officially started! The days of taking the first race steady and easing yourself gently into the season are behind us it appears. Many of the pro tour teams fielded strong squads in the season opening Tour Down Under. Caisse D’Epargne were virtually at full strength and their top riders were not hiding. The Spanish outfit were looking for the win with Luis Leon-Shanchez and he was being ably assisted by his team leader Valverde.

The battle over Woolunga Hill with World Champion and local favourite Cadel Evans was the highlight of the weeklong tour for me. British based Team Sky had a largely impressive debut. Greg Henderson and Chris Sutton were always in the mix for stage wins in the sprints. They were thwarted on most occasions by Columbia’s ultra impressive Andrei Greipel who took a hat full of stage wins and the overall. It was Evans’ performance for his new BMC team that I was most impressed with.

I have often been critical of the Australian in the past. I believe that he has often failed to grasp every opportunity to attack and has suffered because of it. However credit is deserved for his attacking style in his “home” race. Ironically I would not have criticised him for “keeping his powder dry” in January given that his main goals will be 3 week stage races in May and July but he gave it his very best shot and was not far away from securing an unexpected victory.

Next stop for the pro tour will be Qatar. This is bound to be a sprint fest, with only the nasty winds likely to break the peloton up. Cavendish will be out with a dental issue, but there will be plenty of fast finishers queuing up to take advantage of his absence.

My own progress continues to improve. My now regular track and specific turbo sessions are now being complemented with some longer rides in the New Forest. I’m starting to get to grips with the track. My Focus Pista is contributing hugely to my enjoyment indoor training.

I’m starting to master the art of holding a tight line around the bottom of the track and my confidence is growing with each visit. I’m lucky enough to have been able to join in the “Wiggle Sessions” at Calshot and “TrackyMalc” has really been putting everyone through their paces.

Back on the road thankfully the snow and ice have thawed. Only just in February there will always be a chance that we will experience another cold snap or two, but fingers crossed it will stay away long enough for me to build a solid base. I’m lucky enough to be able to get onto the New Forest within minutes.

The roads are quiet, but the terrain is not very challenging. In the next few weeks I hope to get across to the Meon Valley where there are more undulating routes to test yourself on. Who knows? I may even pop into Wiggle Towers. See if I can blag myself a cup of tea!

Last week you may have spotted that we revealed to the cycling media, Wiggle had launched a superb new range of road bikes under the name Verenti.

Named after one of the most challenging climbs on the Verenti-sponsored Dragon Ride sportive, the Rhigos comes with a full SRAM Red groupset, Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels, and parts from 3T and Verenti’s own ‘Me’ range. RRP is £2,899.99, and it should be available by the end of February.

Asked about the thinking behind the range, designer Marc Edwardson told BikeRadar:

“What Paul [Bolwell, Wiggle's merchandising director] really wanted to do was produce a range of very well designed sportive bikes. The core idea was that they would be, above all, comfortable, great quality and very good value, with the best components and finishing kit, and amazing attention to detail.”

Asked about the name, he said:

“I used to work at Condor Cycles, and Wiggle got me in to design all of the bikes for them. At first they were going to be called Kiron but trademark issues meant we needed to change the name. I wanted to build a brand around the idea of truth and being true to yourself.

“I took the French word ‘verité’ and the Latin word ‘veritas’, both of which mean ‘truth’, and, because of the trademark issues I’d encountered before, changed a few of the letters so that the name sounded very similar when pronounced in English but could be protected.”

Plans are in the pipeline for another five models to add to the five already unveiled, including a full-carbon bike with mudguards, a couple of women’s models and a budget option.

Wiggle offer a seven-day ‘ride and return’ policy on bikes – and this looks likely to be extended to two weeks in the near future – so if you order a Verenti and are not happy with it you can return it for a full refund.

Photos

6

Soap Box Session.

I’m going to jump straight on my soap box this time.

What’s all the fuss about regarding the potential removal of the individual pursuit from the Olympic track programme? I’ve seen all sorts of campaigns in Facebook and Twitter ready to petition the UCI and the IOC in an attempt to influence the decision making process. What’s going on people?

Track cycling is a fantastic sport. It’s exciting, requires great skill and endurance and also many hours of dedication by athletes and coaches to achieve greatness. However it’s not the only sport out there.
The IOC took the decision before the Athens games to have 10 Gold medals available to track cycling. It’s not a new stance. If the UCI want to even the amount of medals available to men and women, then changes have to be made. It’s so negative and unfortunately typical of many British cyclists to “whinge” in the way that we have responded. Why wasn’t there this amount of uproar when the number of medals on offer was reduced from 12 in Sydney to 10 in Athens? The answer is simple.

It’s because we weren’t going to potentially loose out on any at that stage. Now we are a force to be reckoned with, we want it all our own way, it’s pathetic. When the kilometre time trial was removed from the Olympic programme in 2008, Chris Hoy responded by working extremely hard at the events that were included. Sure he’d of loved to add the kilo to them, but he just got on with the job. Why can’t we follow his lead? If the omnium is the event that will be included. Why don’t we initiate a programme to find the capable athletes and win that? After all don’t we have the best academies and coaches in the World?

Unfortunately it’s exactly this self centred attitude that prevents cycling in the UK from becoming widely accepted as a main stream sport. When potential participants are introduced to our sport, they are often met with jobsworth timekeepers and “clicky” little groups that are most unwelcoming. We need to look at the “bigger picture” and learn to embrace change. Why have sportives become so popular? It’s because there’s no need to have to endure that first encounter with the guy who tells you that your socks are the wrong colour or length. There’s no need to work hard to break down the barriers erected by years of tradition. You can just turn up and do the thing that you love. Riding your bike!

I’m back off the box now!

Like most people who are not blessed with the luxury of training away from the UK I’ve been finding it difficult to get out on the bike much. This has meant a return to the garage and the turbo. Most people I know hate them, but I find that if you can find ways to relieve the boredom, they’re not too bad. I’ve taken to watching a DVD while spinning away. I don’t usually get much time to watch films so it’s been a good excuse to catch up on a few.

I do raise the eyebrows of Mrs Carter’s friends when she tells them that I’ve been cycling in the garage for 2 hours. I think it conjures images of a madman riding around in small circles. I’m also about to return to the velodrome at Calshot. It’s no more than 15 minutes from my house, but in the last couple of years I’ve not used the facility. I’m a nervous track rider, but I’m determined to conquer my fears. I actually love riding on the track. However my lack of skills contribute to my nervousness. The wonderful guys at Wiggle have loaned me a Focus Izalco Pista track bike which looks the “berries” so I’m keen to get down there and start. I’ll let you know how it goes in my next post.

The bad weather is not inspiring me much to follow the healthy eating plan that my nutritionist has prescribed. I know what I have to do, but grey rainy days often leave me needing a “pick-me-up”. I’m back to visit the nutritionist in two days time. I have made improvements, but I’m not as far along the progress line as I’d like. I am taking heart from the fact that I’m still in a lot better shape than at this time last year.

Once this weather is a little more settled I’ll be back out on the roads of the New Forest getting some base miles in. Back soon, stay safe and dry!

Verenti bikes in conjunction with Dragon Ride Wales.

Britain’s most popular sportive will get an all new look and an all new name from 2010 as bicycle manufacturer Verenti is to enter into a 3 year partnership with the newly christened Verenti Dragon Ride.

The event, which held its 6th edition in 2009, has long been one of the most beautiful and most rewarding of UK rides, so much so that when the designers at Kiron begun work on a specific sportive range of cycles , their thoughts turned the ride for inspiration:

“We decided to approach the Dragon Ride because we have all ridden and loved the event itself over the past few years, its great organisation and the scenery,” says Paul Bolwell of Verenti Bikes, “ The route takes in some truly beautiful countryside and offers two very challenging routes, so much so that we’ve names a bike after one of the mountain routes; the Verenti Rhigos!”

The Verenti Dragon Ride 2010 will once again challenge over 3000 riders with the wild grandeur of the Brecon Beacons, the fearsome climb of the Bwlch and of course the Rhigos pass whilst expanding the village and the start/ finish area and adding in a few new and exciting twists and turns to its much loved route.

“I’m delighted to be associated with such a dynamic brand as Verenti”

added Verenti Dragon Ride organiser Lou Lusardi,

“It’s fantastic that Verenti have chosen to name their top of the range carbon sportive bike after the signature Dragon Ride climb; the Rhigos, it’s immensely flattering and I can’t wait to see the bikes.”

2009 saw the most successful edition of the event to date with superstar Cervelo Test Team professional Daniel Lloyd setting the fastest time of the day and paralympic and World Champions Darren Kenny and Simon Richardson also mingling with the riders on the course.

“We feel it’s the perfect showcase for Verenti bikes,” adds Paul Bolwell, “so we will give riders the chance to view the bikes at the event. Kiron owners will also have exclusive access to the tented Verenti area, refreshment, support ad masseurs at the ride itself. Verenti bikes are the only brand aimed specifically at the sportive rider so we are very excited”

You can find out more about the 2010 Verenti Dragon Ride at booth the Wiggle and Verenti Dragon Ride stands at the Cycle Show, 8th-11th October at London’s Earls Court or on the web: www.verentidragonride.com