What a weekend! Getting used to the cleats and pedals took a bit of time on Saturday – the first 30 minutes were really bad but it got better. The only casualty was the left pedal which was quite scratched from my feeble attempts to flip, kick and jam my left foot in – but we got there and no accidents.

Sunday was a totally different matter. There was a time trial on the coastal road so I decided to go through the park not realising there were two different runs taking place along different stretches of the park. Moving onto the road was initally much better until I got to a stretch of one way traffic and a speeding van weaving its way past parked cars and bikes on both sides.  It was looking too close for comfort so I tried to get on the grass verge – managed to get my left foot off before the bike went from under me. Amazingly, the right foot freed itself and I managed to stay on my feet as well as leaping over a small drain in the process. Total damage done was a slightly twisted handlebar and a ripped velcro strip on one shoe.

Read More

At the moment that means using a cable to hydraulic converter we've already seen production prototypes from the likes of Hope and TRP, now USE have entered the fray with a very elegant looking set up. Unlike the TRP and Hope converters which place... That's not to say that the USE system is all about aesthetics, and if it works let's not underestimate the appeal of removing unsightly clutter from around your handlebar especiallly on a cyclocross bike that's got to cope with mud, branches,... The UCI's decision to allow disc brakes on cross bikes has seen a flurry of developments from manufacturers keen to bring the full benefits of hyrdraulic disc brakes to cross&hellip. On the other hand a braking system is the last bit of our bike you'd want to be judging purely on its looks. Moving slowly around the Cycle Show yesterday waiting for the Resolve to kick in our eyes snagged on this smart-looking prototype hydraulic disc brake converter from USE.

Read Article