Condor Cassette Spring 2017

SPRING 2017

CONDORCYCLES.COM LONDON SINCE 1948

The

E T T E S S CA Great Gravel Adventuring in Britain’s first forest to be planted in over a thousand years.

Shower Beaters

Riding Home

2017 Range

Five ways to keep the rain at bay.

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Find your perfect Condor.

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Three riders embrace the challenge of riding back to their family homes. P.4

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Exploring Mallorca on the carbon Condor Potenza (images: Angus Sung)

A WEEK IN THE WINTER OF

MR TOM MOSES O

h winter, an unforgiving season of wet weather, harsh temperatures and even harsher credit card bills. By the time we hit March it’s time for a getaway and some mood-enhancing sunlight. Welcome to Mallorca. If the biggest Balearic island still makes you think of Magaluf and

mainstream tourism, then it’s time to catch up. Mallorca’s rural centre remains quiet with pretty stone farmhouses and vineyards to discover. Smaller port towns ooze glamour with boutique hotels, stone walls and medieval streets. For many years cyclists have headed to the Island and its northern resorts

of Port de Pollença and Port d’Alcúdia thanks to low-priced flights and accommodation, together with mild weather and easy access to mountainous terrain. Each year, bright star of JLT Condor, Tom Moses, heads to the island to warm up for the start of the competitive racing calendar. He gives us a private view of his stylish Mediterranean getaway.

Big ride & lunch

Escape the crowds

Ride with a view

Foodie hotspots

Fornalutx and Cala Deia

Stay

Cap de Formentor

Eat

Tucked away in the Tramuntana mountain range, Fornalutx is a pretty little village with a cluster of honey-coloured villas. Roughly a 60km ride from Pollença, you’ll need to climb the Colle de Femenia and Puig Major to reach it, making Fornalutx the perfect spot for lunch rather than the busier Port de Soller in the cove below. If it’s a big day in the saddle you are after, continue to Cala Deia, one of the filming locations of Bafta-winning drama, The Night Manager, for cliff-top views of the shimmering Balearic Sea.

Hotel Sis Pins (www.hotelsispins.com) welcomes cyclists with open arms. It’s a traditional Spanish hotel with white-washed walls, friendly staff and excellent prices.

Perfectly situated overlooking the port with an easy walk to restaurants, there is also a café attached to the hotel making it a good place to unwind after a day on the bike. If you want to avoid tourism altogether, stay in the southwest mountain village of Galilea or at Ermita de la Victòria (www.lavictoriahotel.com), a restored 14th-century hermitage perched high above the Bay of Alcúdia.

Take a spin out to Cap de Formentor, the northernmost tip of the island and home to some utterly stunning scenery. The road winds for about eight miles, with serious drops, hairpin bends and varying degrees of narrowness. There are several viewpoints— the dramatic clifftop road gives a good idea of what is to come—but for the best vistas keep going until you reach the lighthouse, where you can stop for a coffee while Menorca floats hazily in the distance, some 40 miles away.

With low prices and a buzzing atmosphere, Café C’an Moixet in Pollença serves up excellent tapas. Don’t be put off by the shabby exterior. If you are looking for an easy day, head there in the morning for coffee and pastries.

Try ensaïmada pastry, made from light-as-air sugar-dusted layers. It is an island speciality and once you’ve tasted one you’ll quite likely be eating them daily. If you want to go inland for the day, Rick Stein discovered Es Verger in the small town of Alaró. Paletilla de cordero, a shoulder of lamb slow-cooked in San Miguel beer, is his favourite dish. Booking is essential for lunch or dinner.

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ASSOS

SILCA

sJ.blitzFeder Rain Shell

Crafted from Assos’ ultra-lightweight shell fabric, it is treated with polyurethane and is fully seamsealed to protect from wind, rain showers and chill.

Phone Wallet

SPRING SHOWER BEATERS GRANGER’S

VELOTOZE

Wash and Repel

Shoe Covers

Cheap as chips, VeloToze are constructed from natural rubber and keep 100% of the water out.

Wear with merino socks for additional insulation.

Give your garments an extra boost with this re-proofer and cleaner spray. Spray on the hydrophobic coating, dry and it becomes water resistant.

Silca are a brand obsessed with detail and so designed their wallet to fit the height and width of a jersey pocket. The craftsmanship shines through on this waxed duck canvas phone wallet with internal dry bag for your phone.

GORE BIKE WEAR ONE Shake-Dry™ Jacket

A new standard in wet weather outwear.

Shake the super light ONE jacket and water instantly disperses, ensuring you stay dry and comfortable.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR KICKS BOX FRESH Four golden rules for keeping your shoes looking lively

non-bio detergent to warm water and use an old soft toothbrush to clean 1 Add hard-to-reach suede or mesh.

furniture polish on hard 2 Use plastic to clear scuffs.

Muc-Off Fabric Protect to stop 3 Spray surface water and dirt from sticking.

laces or new Boas lift the 4 Fresh look of a tired shoe instantly.

“This was an adventure that had a purpose and gave more fulfilment than a usual ride.”

RIDING HOME There are tons of bucket list rides to do—ride up Alpe d’Huez, complete a century and see the Tour—but we found inspiration closer to home, as three Condor owners gave us a new bucket list must-do.

Technically “out of towners”, three female riders took on a point-to-point mission, riding from the capital back to their family homes. Ruth, Gem and Kitty brief us on their rides and motivations, and provide the tips and tricks for plotting homeward travels.

LONDON TO SHEFFIELD Yorkshire-born Gem Atkinson used her Condor Acciaio on a tribute ride for friend Cindy who was recovering in hospital following an accident.

“I thought this would be a super cool way to let her know I was thinking about her as she recovered in hospital. The idea of riding from London to Sheffield in a day resonated with me, as it wasn’t a loop that ended at the start point, rather it was an A to B journey. I was excited to see the landscape changing from suburban London to rural Yorkshire.

I stopped for heaps of photos and to enjoy misty hills and deer frolicking in fields.”

Gem mid ride

The Ride: “The main choice I had to make was whether to do a significantly longer route heading east then swing back towards Sheffield, avoiding lots of elevation. In the end I decided that a shorter distance during November was probably the most favourable idea.”

Equipment: Condor Acciaio RidewithGPS.com to plan the route Garmin Edge 510 Lezyne lights Back up battery with USB cable for spare power Ortlieb saddle pack

LENGTH: 254km Nov 2015 All packed with essentials for the ride

Homeward-bound essentials 1

Bike Packing Bags Lightweight and big on volume, bike packing bags from Apidura and Ortlieb are great for frames without pannier mounts.

Versatile saddle packs can carry clothes and the Velcro straps make the bags easy to adjust, fit, and compact down.

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It’s easy when you know how. Our big ride adventurers provide their tried and tested tips.

Plan with RidewithGPS.com Free to use RidewithGPS.com allows you to plot routes and add in notes about water stops or tricky junctions, which will flash up on your Garmin screen.

Gem recommends splitting your route into three files to avoid slow loading on the device.

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Lezyne USB Lights Lezyne’s ultra-powerful Macro Drive light projects a strong beam onto the road for over five hours.

Grab a USB back-up charger from Argos, plug into the back, and add juice as you ride.

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LONDON TO LIVERPOOL Kitty Pemberton-Platt coerced two friends into completing the 386km ride in June 2016.

Planning was a three stage process: decide the route, find a half way point hotel, and get a checklist. “Finding a cheap hotel that was en route, a room for three, and who would allow bikes, was quite a time-consuming challenge.”

The trio set up a WhatsApp group and discussed everything from sharing toiletries to taking flip-flops rather than shoes to save space. “We discussed logistics more than necessary, but it made us feel as prepared as possible.”

The Ride: “This was an adventure that had a purpose and gave more fulfilment than what a usual ride does. We travelled roads that none of us knew existed. It fills you with love, as you know your family are waiting on the other side (with champagne). You arrive feeling more energised, fulfilled and nostalgic than any train journey home can provide.”

@kittypp The travelling trio

Equipment: Condor Acciaio Sketchbook Wahoo GPS Apidura Handlebar Bag Apidura Saddle Pack

LENGTH:382km June 2016

@kittypp

See Kitty’s journal of her ride at condorcycl.es/scousetour

Kitty’s midnight blue Acciaio ready to go

LONDON TO WALES Fog, rain and a 5am wakeup call doesn’t sound like the start of a good day for Soho House’s Head of Design, Ruth Costello, but her pilgrimage back to Wales “opened my eyes to how cycling can be an adventure, not just for riding the same Essex loop at weekends.”

“I’d had this ride in mind for about six years.

My boyfriend, Pete, has ridden back to his childhood home in York a few times and that gave me the confidence to know that it was attainable.” Unfortunately, when the day came in August the weather was so bad that riding would have been dangerous, so a new date was set for October and typically “it did indeed rain all day but that became part of the fun. We arrived at 8pm, soaking wet and freezing, having had 3 punctures, but it was the best ride I’ve ever done.”

Crossing the border into Wales

The Ride: “I put the route together a few months in advance. We paced it well on the day though, ate regularly and planned in stops at petrol stations and cafes. I found it fun knowing that we were on a secret mission and the day flew by.”

Equipment: “Our first two hours riding were through fog. By the first scheduled stop at a 24-hour Tesco in Reading, we were shivering.

I bought a £5 Tesco baselayer, and Pete a pair of gloves, which saved us. Garmins and lights were charged en route with USB battery packs strapped to the top tubes while everything else was stashed in jersey pockets.”

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Flip-flops Kitty suggests stowing flip-flops in your bag.

Lighter and lower in volume than shoes, flipflops are a great footwear choice instead of clomping about on your cleats at an overnight stop.

LENGTH: 287km October 2016 Early morning mist sits on the river Thames

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Top tube notes Note key towns and important distances, food stops or just a list of villages.

Stick the notes to your top tube to help track your progress without having to refer to your phone.

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Go nuts Packed with protein, fibre and essential fats, nuts are a great alternative to sweet snacks.

They don’t get squashed, melt in the heat or freeze in the cold.

2017 RANGE OVERVIEW Discover more online at condorcycles.com

LEGGERO Made from super-light, super-stiff, high modulus carbon fibre, the Leggero is a balance of light and fast. Featuring wind-slicing, droplet-shaped tubes and our finest nano carbon technology, the Leggero provides a responsive ride that jumps the second you drive power through the pedals.

ITALIA RC Borrowing geometry cues from the race-winning carbon Leggero and constructed from state-of-the-art 7000 series aluminium, our triple-butted frameset is stiff and superbly light.

Remodelled with a tapered head tube and new smoother, lighter tubing, the Italia RC is ready to take you to the podium.

LEGGERO SL

Our super-light frame with a sensational race-tuned ride, balancing super-light, expertly selected carbon with perfect geometry for pin-sharp handling. Weighing in at just 850g, it is the perfect weapon for battles into the sky.

POTENZA

The Condor Potenza delivers lightweight performance with superior handling at exceptional value. Our state-of-the-art monocoque construction techniques and internal moulding process yields a frame of unrivalled stiffness and weight at this price point. A smart mix of competition-ready components would put the Potenza right at home in any race.

BARACCHI Hand-made carbon that oozes performance. Designed to offer comfort without sacrificing speed, making your longest ride the most enjoyable.

SUPER ACCIAIO Cutting edge technology married with traditional craftsmanship.

Developed over four years with riders from our pro team and legendary steel manufacturer, Columbus, the Super Acciaio is one of a kind, featuring a tapered head tube and BB30 bottom bracket. Custom-drawn tubes are hand-cut and TIG welded in Italy to create a unique, no-nonsense race thoroughbred.

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HERITAGE & HERITAGE DISC

A modern bike with traditional accents, the Heritage is a robust mile-eater, featuring a classic Tange steel fork, perfect for carrying heavy loads. Using a lightweight front triangle, the Heritage boasts light and fast handling and a smooth ride.

FRATELLO

Our flagship steel frame is as popular as ever. Used as a commuter by some, fast tourer or winter trainer by others, its inherent versatility makes it ideal if you don’t have space for a

The internal mounted disc ensures pannier bags can be fitted and fully loaded without affecting the braking performance. Tackle round-the-world adventures or country-to-country sightseeing. The Heritage is designed for full-on, months-on-the-road touring without a hiccup.

stable of bikes. The responsive triple-butted steel in our latest incarnation of the award-winning Fratello is lively and exciting to ride, whatever the weather.

FRATELLO DISC Our versatile Fratello is now available with disc brakes. The carbon fork features internal routing for the brake cable to reduce snagging, maintain optimum braking, and enable easy fitting of mudguards.

Get the grip and comfort benefits of 28mm wide tyres without having to forgo full mudguards.

ACCIAIO STAINLESS

CLASSICO STAINLESS

Light, fast and responsive, the Acciaio Stainless is our signature frameset built with Columbus XCr stainless steel tubing, offering top-tier performance with the ability to be ridden all day.

Available in a choice of 50 colours and custom geometry as standard.

A feisty ride with classic highlights, the Classico Stainless features sparkling rear stays, constructed from highly-polished Columbus XCr. Unlike chromed tubes, they offer a responsive ride and performance gains.

ACCIAIO

The Acciaio is built for long sojourns in the saddle and grand col mountain climbing. It has a longer wheelbase and slightly

taller head tube than our frames with race geometry to reduce rider fatigue, while the triple-butted steel smooths the road on gruelling big ride days.

ITALIA

ITALIA STEP THRU

The Italia is a lightweight commute and sportive-ready machine. The triple-butted aluminium frame and carbon fork smooths the road ahead. The Italia is, for many, the choice for their first road bike.

The Italia Step Thru is a confidence inspiring road bike. From social rides to weekly workouts and challenging centuries, the lightweight tubing is designed to absorb the Tarmac ahead, and the mudguard and rack options make it a bike ready for all conditions. This model is specifically designed for female proportions: the simple no fuss step through frame suits any outfit.

CLASSICO

Fashion and trends come and go, but at Condor we have always believed in the value of artisan craftsmanship. The Classico is constructed using modern materials and traditional techniques for a timeless design. Available in road and single speed.

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LAVORO

Custom-butted, super-light aluminium tubing is aggressively shaped for performance on the boards. Welded by hand for maximum structural integrity, the Lavoro is designed to withstand the demands of track racing. A front brake can be fitted for road use.

BIVIO GRAVEL

Discover what is beyond the pines, travel paths less beaten and explore new terrain. The Bivio Gravel mixes our tried and tested trail-shredding ‘cross bike with endurance road geometry and custom Columbus steel tubing. Designed with clearance for 40mm tyres, bolt-thru front axle and tapered carbon disc fork, the only limits are what your legs can do.

TERRA-X

PISTA

PARIS GALIBIER

TEMPO

Lightweight and agile, the Terra-X is designed to be raced.

A curved scandium top tube assures maximum space within the frame for shouldering one’s bike. The conical tapered head tube guarantees the highest precision in handling.

The hand-made, fillet-brazed Paris Galibier is a beauty. The lightweight frame features the original bi-lamination design found on original Paris frames of the 1940s, married with modern triple-butted steel tubing for an exquisite ride.

Run it as a traditional fixed gear for supreme simplicity or use a freewheel for a sleek, worry-free, around town bike. Using triplebutted steel tubes and a carbon fork, the Pista is a performance frame with traditional styling.

Imagine pure functionality with an unmistakably clean design.

It’s everything a fixie should be, and then everything a good road bike should be, too.

“Exploring answers our natural urge to be inquisitive”

GRAVEL ADVENTURE T

he word “adventure” in the modern world does not have the meaning it once did. Spend a day over the weekend exploring a mildly wooded area near your house? You’ve had an adventure. Live in south London and made the trip to north London? That’s an adventure.

You may not be trekking in the Andes or living with a tribe in the Amazon, but if you’re in the kind of situation where raiding a corner shop for Jelly Babies mid-ride, or no longer knowing which direction is north while watching the mist rise from a valley, then you’ve embarked on a journey with a genuine dose of adventure about it.

Condor’s designer, Ben Spurrier, and photographer, Angus Sung, journeyed to the National Forest, where the pair explored an area that, until 1991, was a barren land filled with old pits and quarries. Today, the treeless eyesore is a lush green panorama occupying nearly 200 square miles. From manmade forest to an extinct volcano, the riders used Condor’s new gravel frameset to link hard-packed gravel paths and farm fields to roads. The wide tyres, smooth performance steel and carbon fork carried them 120km from Leicester through woodland-filled quarries, onto an old railway line and across the mud.

“Exploring appeals to our natural inquisitiveness”, says Spurrier.

Adventures sound like a lot of hard work, requiring bivvy bags, compasses,

and hours of planning, but try leaving the Tarmac for a less beaten track and it is as simple as that.

“We nipped along bridle paths and onto trails less trafficked, climbed up onto Bardon Hill—an extinct volcano to take in views previously the reserve of walkers—before diving back down the single-track to join the road again.”

“Arms pumping and dust spewing up, you’re like a kid again. I found myself holding my breath as we screamed down the pebble-strewn descent.”

The appeal of a gravel bike lies in it being ready for anything, including washboards, single-track, bike-packing, and pannier-loaded errand runs. You can turn on adventure when you want it, or just ride to work or hit the road if you want to rack up some distance.

“The geometry and riding position of off-road bikes tend to be less suited to longer days mixing asphalt trails. Feeling sluggish on a bike is awful but the gravel bike has road geometry and wide but fast rolling tyres, which don’t hold you back on the Tarmac, and offer excellent comfort and grip on most terrain.”

“Adventures to the depths of Mongolia will always be epic, but that’s a once in a lifetime thing”, explains Spurrier. “With a gravel bike you can go on an adventure every weekend if you want.”

If those things sound appealing, we’ve got just the kit.

Ride our route at condorcycl.es/GravelRide

We rode the new Bivio Gravel frameset £999.99

Starts from Leicester and loops 120km

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BIVIO GRAVEL Clearance for up to 40mm tyres affords our bike the versatility to explore dirt tracks.

All-road optimised geometry keeps handling agile and at home on the Tarmac.

Disc brakes and a single ring set-up keep things simple without compromising the bike’s functionality, no matter what you throw at it.

ANATOMY OF A RACE

Team Kit List Style and substance since 2006

John Herety has engineered so many criterium race wins that the feat of crossing the line first is almost taken for granted when it comes to victories for JLT Condor. Herety explains it isn’t about just being the fastest, it’s about understanding the bigger picture.

The race before the race (5 hours to go) “It’s a fight to the best pit place”, explains Herety. Part mind games, part logistics; arriving late risks “being squeezed into position, having other teams on top of you.”

When it comes to mind games, the early arrival ensures his riders are sitting and looking relaxed “The outward laid-back feel we’re emitting says we’re ready and waiting.

You are playing catch up.”

Scouting (3 hours to go) Riders will complete a handful of laps looking for the fastest lines through corners. Riders look at wind direction and any hidden drags which will help when launching an attack.

FI’ZI:K R1 Boa Shoe Ultra-light carbon sole and leather upper for comfort

Tactics meeting (2 hours to go) If there is a tight corner before the line, the team decide who should go into the final corner first or second wheel, who is the leader, and which competitor they need to mark at all costs.

PEdAL ED Nagoya Jersey

The sprint

Aero cut jersey developed and used by JLT Condor riders

Teams have a designated sprinter. If a sprint finish looks likely, two leadout riders move to the front. Ed Clancy and Alex Frame use their team pursuit skills to keep the pace high and stop solo attacks. “We use a sweeper, a team rider who places himself behind the designated sprinter to stop anyone from using his wheel to launch an attack.”

The warm-up (90 minutes to go) “A warm-up is essential” says former criterium champion, Dean Downing.

“You are bringing your heart rate up gradually, and then sitting at your optimum [race] level for a couple of minutes.”

He adds his rule of thumb: “the shorter the event, the longer the warm up.”

KASK Protone Helmet Conventional styling with proven aerodynamic profile

The 3rd skirmish (40-45 mins)

The 1st skirmish (1-3 mins)

A dangerous move that will stay away if there are enough riders to drive it. “Usually, now is the time for lots of small moves and attacks. If a powerful rider like Jon Mould or Ed Clancy gets in a group, the other escapees might sit up and sabotage the break as Ed will be difficult to sprint against.”

Following a processional lap, it is common for a few riders to “have a go.”

Most times, the move will lose its pace naturally and the bunch comes back together.

CONTINENTAL Grand Prix GT Tyres Handmade with ultra grippy BlackChili compound

The 2nd skirmish (15-20 mins) The lull (40 mins) If a big team has missed out on being in the breakaway and has chased the attack to bring the race back together, there will be a natural lull. Everyone has done a lot of hard riding. The pace drops slightly as riders re-group, and consider the course and whether they have an attack in their legs.

“As the first attack is brought under control, a rider will move forward to line up for a counter attack. We don’t want to miss this second move.”

The second skirmish is much more dangerous. Everyone is up to race pace and if an attack has 5-6 riders, sometimes it is enough to last the whole race.

STEALTH Energy Fuel Advanced nutrition, made with real fruit