Grab a superb opportunity to bag yourself a great deal on Focus Bikes, A huge 15% – 40% off in stock Focus Bikes will only be available until midnight GMT Thursday 11th March 2010.

Whether it be a MTB, Road Bike or Tourer, grab yourself a cracking deal!

View the Focus Bikes range.

We are pleased to announce the winners of this superb competition in association with Asics where by Asics are giving away a chance to win a days training with World Triathlon Champion 2008, Helen Jenkins.

All you had to do was simply spend over £70 on Asics running products at wiggle.co.uk before Midnight Sunday 28th February to be in with a chance of winning!

Asics have been developing running shoes and running clothes for more than 50 years. But their principles have never changed. Everything Asics undertake at their research and development center in Kobe, Japan is developed on the basis of scientific work with the intensive cooperation of male and female athletes. And with a very clear objective: To produce innovative sports product solutions and technologies to help athletes achieve their goals. ANIMA SANA IN CORPORE SANO – A sound mind in a sound body – ASICS This phrase has shaped Asics destiny. It is the echo of their consistency, innovation, commitment to quality and originality.

lucky winners Katrina Pirlo & Stephen Morrell will be taking their guests Catherine Townsend & Jeremy Paul Mulkern to attend the training day with Helen Jenkins due to take place on Friday 16th April 2010.

This is what Katrina Pirlo had to say!

Hi Jason, I’m absolutely chuffed to hear I’ve won this…. I only did my first tri last year and have signed up for two this year. A training day with Helen Jenkins and a bunch of new kit is such a motivating prize at this time of year. Thanks Wiggle (and thanks for the haribo that came with my shoes). I’m really excited.

And Here’s what Stephen had to say!

I wasn’t sure what else Helen Jenkins had won (apart from the World Championships) but Jeremy filled me in:

• 2006 – UK National Triathlon Champion
• 2007 – Australian Caloundra Sprint Triathlon Champion
• 2008 – La Paz ITU Triathlon Pan American Cup Champion
• 2008 – Vina del Mar ITU Triathlon Pan American Cup Champion
• 2008 – ITU World Triathlon Champion

‘Well done, she’ll put you through your paces. Could be harder than a Thursday evening session!’

(We have a cycling club turbo night, and a ’stretch’ session with our Physio – usually the most painful part of the week – on a thursday night)

I hope his facts are right. Some training tips from a world champion are enough for me.

So I’ve gone from a feeling of stunned elation to being completey intimidated and wondering if we can keep up with possibly one of the all round fastest people on the planet, even for a training session!

Absolutely looking forward to it, though and always nice to win something!

We will be keeping you up to date with the winners training with Helen Jenkins via the Wiggle Bloggle.

She also competes in the National Women’s Team Series and usually rides for the Surrey League Women’s Team, which is the case for 2010. She trains very hard during the Winter months and spends many hours turbo’ing during the cold dark and wet evenings and many hours in the saddle over the weekend with the local cycling club (i-team.cc). We’ll keep you posted on Nikki’s 2010 season in the saddle via the Wiggle Blog.

1

My First Race Of 2010

I always aim to make my first race the Mountbatten Centre Circuit race with the 3rd category men towards the end of February, as I use it to see how my training is going and to help me establish what areas I need to concentrate on. I also had another reason – I wanted to try out my new bike as I’ve treated myself to a Felt ZW1. Considering I had only ridden it for an hour the day before it felt great and extremely comfortable to race on.

Now I don’t know what it is about the first race of the season, but I’m always really nervous until I am actually on the bike ready for the off. I suppose it has something to do with being a lot closer to riders than I have been used to over the past 5 months, as well as the thought of having to exert myself and push my body much more than I would probably like – especially at this time of the year because it is cold and the weather is still fairly miserable.

Let’s face it when us ladies are in with the men and the season hasn’t really even got off the ground yet, it can be quite a daunting prospect. I ask myself the same questions and, as I never really know how well my training is going, self-doubt tends to kick in – how fast is it going to be, will I be able to stay with them, and will I get dropped? My partner, Rich, just thinks I’m mad and laughs at me, but I know I’m not the only one going through this very same process before a race – it’s just not that many will actually admit it.

After all that worrying, and my nerves getting the better of me before the race started, I was actually fine during the race itself. It was very fast for me at times, which was really good practise training for the many races to come, and I could begin to feel the positive effects of the turbo training sessions falling into place. Several times I had to dig deep, grit my teeth, and ignore the fact that my legs were screaming at me, but it was good to get my heart and lungs used to responding to the faster speeds. There were quite a few attacks, but the strong wind meant that the breaks were brought back each time finishing in a bunch sprint.

I’ve got used to riding on the outside edge of the race so that I am able to move up whenever I can, but I do tend to ride in the wind more than I should, which I actually prefer, as I like to be able to take evasive action when necessary!, but a strong wind takes its toll on me and wears me out more than I would want. I guess I’d like to think of myself as superwoman every now and again, but in reality it just knackers me out far too quickly, and as I’m a Vet that’s far quicker than I’d like to admit!

The race lasted for about an hour, which was probably just as well as towards the end of the race my legs were definitely starting to feel it. I stayed at the back of the bunch as I didn’t want to get involved in the inevitable ‘argy bargy’ of an early season race and ended up off the back when they all sprinted to the finish line – my legs just didn’t have anything left at that point. Like everyone else, the extreme weather conditions we have had since the beginning of January have played havoc with my training.

Well, that’s the first one out of the way, with the next ones probably being at Thruxton Motor Circuit. No doubt it will be extremely windy with the possibility of rain – like it normally is.

I was really really looking forward to training with David in Nice. We had been invited to join a pro training camp based at the great Tour De France, Giro D’italia and World Champion, Stephen Roche’s hotel and it meant we were to have some quality, dry hard miles in the mile Alpes Maritimes. Fabulous! Sadly David was still carrying his injury from the crash he sustained in Snowdonia. Luckily enough our team soigneur and remedial masseur, Peta McSharry, had also come out to administer health and well being and ride with is as well. You will, if you have been following this crazy story, know already that David’s Achilles did not magically self fix and after a wee ride out at the start of the camp it had become obvious that the injury was much more serious than we all thought.

The riding therefore has become solo this past week and after the hard rouleuring in Nice which also took us to Monaco, Italy and of course San Remo I have spent five days in the Corbierres. That is the region between Toulouse and the Mediterranean. It has been dry but very windy. I have been tired but sleeping well, being looked after by great hosts, who ate well and enjoyed laughter song and great conversation . They are professional musicians and dancers. Great food, good company and a fantastic time. My digs are in their 16th century gatehouse overlooking the river Orbieu.

I used to live in this region so know the roads well and can pick and choose whether it will be hard, hilly, rolling or whatever our super team coach, Colin Batchelor, has set us. Road surfaces are excellent and traffic very little. Days start cloudy but by afternoon the sun is shining a well warm 14C, so very comfortable indeed. I have been doing 5 plus hours a day- originally it was supposed to be up to 12 but what with David’s injury and the first attempt postponed, Colin has pulled us back on the miles.

Do I head west and the rest of team wiggle tandem head home? I ended in a fabulous part of France, quiet roads, stunning scenery and great food. What more could an cyclist require? It was hard being without an eqippe and I was tired but got out and rode – rode well and successfully. Measuring my wattage output and energy usage. It was good. It was also good seeing my dear French friends – to be able discuss weight/food issues with them. As dancers they share the same passion for weight/food balance so it was no surprise to them that we still had lots in common!

It was nice to be able to be part of a different nature too with kingfishers, early martins arriving, montagues harriers and egrets too.

Soon it was time to get on the train and all too quickly to leave the relative warmth – 14degrees – and head for the snowy hills of Scotland and eventually Islay and home. The Endura boys were heading south to race in Murcia, Spain – the big time for our young Scottish pro team. It’s been a long time for all of us but a worthwhile journey all the same.!

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com

Or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com

Alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

Few bike brands can claim to be as beautifully crafted or as lovingly made as De Rosa – so we’re understandably excited about stocking them at Wiggle.

De Rosa is synonymous with everything cyclists know and love about Italian bikes: passion, master craftsmanship, skill and precision. Whether it’s the hand-finished steel Neo Primato frameset which catches your eye or the Merak Carbon, all bikes are created with the same close attention to detail by the family-run De Rosa company, which is based in Milan.

These are the bikes which Ugo de Rosa dreamt of building as a teenager back in 1947. More than half a century later, his dreams are reality and countless champions have ridden – and still ride – his prestigious bikes. His love and enthusiasm for cycling is reflected in every single bike made. A De Rosa bike is the kind of bike you buy and keep forever…

Here at Wiggle we are stocking four different framesets:

Check out our De Rosa page for more information – De Rosa Bikes at Wiggle.co.uk

5th March 2010

Revolution Series

I have been the team manager for Team Slicks this year and what a team they have turned out to be. The Future Stars were a mix of Wales’s best up and coming riders and with such a huge pool of riders to choose from its not surprising that they are also the best young riders in the UK showing all the other regions up at the Revolution series. Team Slicks has also had four super team coaches who have played a massive part in Team Slicks success and they are Kyleigh Mannors, Mark Griffiths, Andrew Russell and Alan Davies.

We also had a strong team of elite riders for both endurance races and also sprint events. Sprinting legend Craig McClean was our team captain and you could not meet a nicer gentleman who really helped out with the younger riders unlike some of the other team captains. We also had Welsh double Junior Sprint World Champion Becky James for our most recent event and put in some fantastic results competing against senior World Champion Vicky Pendleton. Welsh senior riders Luke Rowe and Sam Harrison put in some of the strongest performances in the elite races and for Revolution 26 had one of the most respected British riders Bradley Wiggins.

Team Slicks won two out of four races and still managed to finish second on the other two events only one point behind on both occasions. This meant that Team Slicks won the Revolution series with ease and were rewarded with a trophy presented to the team in front of a sold out audience at Manchester Velodrome. Amy Roberts and Owain Doull won the majority of the races they competed in and this allowed Owain to ride in the Leaders Jersey for all four events proving to every one that he was the strongest male Future Star there!

At Revolution 28 the final round I told the Future Stars to ride the Madison event steady so they would save their legs for the main event and stay safe y avoiding crashes. Robbie Westwood and Matt Cross where up first and were soon off the front leading the race (I’m standing there scratching my head) and they eventually finished second and they did not find the race hard so just shows how strong these riders are. Newt up was the girls’ team Amy Roberts and Amy Hill and again I told them to conserve their energy, the next thing I know they are also off the front leading the race (I’m still there scratching my head thinking will they ever listen). The girls finished second with ease and said they felt fresh and didn’t push too hard which gave them confidence for the main event. Not only did the Future Stars do well in the Madison but also Team Slicks rider Luke Rowe and his partner Mark Christian won the 200 lap British National Madison Championships with an average speed of over 30mph!!!

I’m really proud to be part of this exciting and successful team. I can see all these riders producing some top results for the following season and am now already looking forward to the next Revolution Series!

Well Done TEAM SLICKS!!!!

Products and Promotion

Recently Paul (Big Boss Man) from Wiggle asked me if I would be available for a photo shoot at Calshot Track and as ever I couldn’t miss the opportunity to promote myself and Wiggle products. The photo shoot was for a new Ford S-Max advertisement and the idea was to get us riding around the track and find an angle that would suit the shot they were looking for. The idea was to have us super imposed on to a Damn wall with the Ford S-max sitting in front of it (easier said than done). After a few hours of waiting around for the crew to set up they finally found the correct shot, I made most of this time to rip around the track. I have never ridden at Calshot before and it is a lot shorter and steeper than Newport or Manchester Velodrome. It was great fun to ride, you get a real sling shot out of the bankings but I must say I wouldn’t fancy racing on the track with more than 10 riders!

This week I had a delivery of some custom Exposure Lights with my name etched on them…what a treat! I now have a Diablo front light with Micro Red Eye attachment for use on my helmet or for commuting on my road bike and also a MaXx Daddy Front Light with Red Eye attachment for off road use. I have used plenty of light in the past but these are such high quality and look super cool compared to the others. Not only to they have a longer burn time and also the added bonus of the smart port for additional battery or other attachments but there are no cables so it is very neat on your bike. I would describe them as being the ‘iPhone’ in the lights market, sleek looking and very practical.

Not only did I receive my lights but I’m also starting receive my 2010 kit. I have already got my 2010 Focus Cayo Expert Compact training bike which is a dream to ride and my Crud Roadracer mud guards make it a lot more comfortable to ride in the rain and keeps your kit clean. 2XU Compression tights have been a life saver when it comes to recovery from riding and for use when running or in the gym. My Saucony ProGrid Paramount 2 running trainers have been a great tool for my training as it is something I never really used to do but have found that it is a good form or exercise if you are short on time or when it is dark I find it safer to go for a run. I am looking forward to the rest of the goodies I am very lucky receiving! Thank you Wiggle :-)

One last thing I have been working on is a website to promote my sponsors and also professional services which I am qualified to do. So for up to date news and information check out the following links:

My Website: www.elitecymru.com

Facebook Fan Page Link

Follow Me on Twitter

Enjoy the dry and sunny weather while it lasts!

Ben

I had call out of the blue this week from Joanna Ebsworth who is the Editor of Health and Fitness magazine. Jo contacted me as she is doing a case study in conjunction with Shock Absorber in preparation for the Shock Absorber Women’s Only Triathlon and got in touch because I won that event last year. I spent 40 mins on the phone with her today doing an interview and on Saturday I am meeting up with her and her team to do a photo shoot! I’m really excited about it and promise to take some ‘behind the scenes’ shots to share on the blog.

So it hasn’t all been sitting on my butt talking to journalists, there has actually been an increase in training! A trip to the US and a cold I picked up there slowed down the training but I have recovered and I am back on track doing 2 sessions a day and loving it! I had a lesson last week in punctuality when I turned up at my track session 10 mins late by which time those who were on time had already decided the weather was too awful to do the session. I ended up running the session with another tardy athlete who took this shot of me running in what only be described as a downpour.

I have also started doing some technique classes to sort out my swim stroke with www.Triforfitness.co.uk My swimming lets me down big time so I have committed to more hours in the pool and some of that on correcting the bad habits I have picked up. It is frustrating to have to slow down but as my coach Terry keeps telling me, you have to slow down to get faster. The big thing that keeps resonating through my head is that I have to make every stroke count. Unfortunately that involves memorising at least 5 things to do differently and staying co-ordinated whilst doing them!! I can already feel an improvement and if nothing else I am much more conscious of what I need to improve on.

Usually I duck out to Nice to get some warmer weather, but this year has also been exceptionally cold there, so much so there has been snow in Nice which is very rare. The Dutchman and I went out for a ride and we were very surprised to be hitting snow at low altitudes. Rather than fight it we did our ride on the Saturday and embraced the snow and went skiing on Sunday.

Happy training and more after Saturday’s photo shoot!

Cx

Photos

Promotion Now Closed

How It Works

Platinum Plus – At least 15% off all products including 2010 bikes!

Until Midnight GMT Monday 8th March all customers of Wiggle have Platinum Plus discount – which is at least 15% off all products at Wiggle!

There has never been a better time to shop from Wiggle with huge savings on every product! We have to be a bit sensible so we have excluded vouchers, memberships and events entry, but all standard products are included – even brand new bikes!!

Click here to start shopping!

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

Cold, rain, mud, cobbles – not the sort of environment most cyclists look forward to.

On a cold and windy Wednesday morning, nine riders of the Cervélo TestTeam spent a couple of hours training on the parcours of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

They were trying out the new Aero Rain Jacket for cold and wet racing, based on some ideas that came out from a focus group with the Cervélo TestTeam “Wet & Cold” Spring classic riders last summer.

“Luckily”, the weather cooperated by swinging from beautiful to nasty and back with regularity.

The Aero Jacket is a prototype which may go into production for Winter 2011. It’s great to see that Castelli are working with the Cervelo Test Team and are continually working to produce better products through feedback.

All the current team clothing is available and already has had very extensive testing. These can be found below

Cervelo Team Clothing

Read the rest and see the images in the attached Cervelo-Castelli Test-Day file.

Video from the Test Day.