Issue 11 April / May 2014

edition 11 april/may 2014

smith optics sir bradley wiggins stages on the ews podium uk gravity enduro

Re-inventing the wheel? Enve just have with their new M-Series, a rim for every mtb discipline.

Each month incycle will share the inner workings of Saddleback’s brand building activities, news, events and business developments.

Allowing you to gain an in-depth feel for the brands we represent and meet our passionate team. Issue Eleven is best served with American Bubble Chips and a gallon of Grade 12 Nespresso coffee.

inside the office Coxy forgets his jacket for the wet ride home, thankfully the warehouse guys had a plan!

Most of us here at Saddleback headquarters have used or are still running Enve mtb rims.

Never a complaint or issue - we continue to enjoy what we believe is the best carbon mtb rim on the market. So when we got a conference call from the guys at Enve introducing us to the new range of better (yes, better) rims we were naturally excited and a little confused. How could Enve improve upon a world cup tested mtb range? Before the mtb market was split by Enve into three sections XC, AM and DH. Now however there

is more cross over between disciplines with the introduction of a new ratio you can choose a rim that will suit any riding type or discipline you participate in. Stronger and lighter than the previous range, our Enve brand manager Ash has been inundated with orders from retailers, the media and of course many of the staff here. With new wheel decals and the launch of the 11 speed Chris King hub, it’s time to get your hand in your pocket, trust most of the staff here will be. nick cox

“Our beadless hook design has performance implications that include better tubeless performance, pinch flat resistance, and impact durability. It is a design that truly plays to the strengths of full carbon construction.”

Lead Engineer Brett Satterthwaite

27 mm

29 mm

32 mm

34 mm

21 mm

23 mm

25 mm

25 mm 34 mm

32 mm

32 mm

27.9 mm

50/50

60/40

70/30

90/10

XC RACE

TRAIL / AM

BIG MOUNTAIN / PARK

DH RACE

TYRE SIZE

TYRE SIZE

TYRE SIZE

TYRE SIZE

SUSPENSION TRAVEL

SUSPENSION TRAVEL

SUSPENSION TRAVEL

SUSPENSION TRAVEL

DESCEND / CLIMB RATIO

1.9 - 2.25” 0 - 100MM

DESCEND / CLIMB RATIO

2.1 - 2.4”

105 - 150MM

DESCEND / CLIMB RATIO

2.3 - 2.4”

150 - 190MM

DESCEND / CLIMB RATIO

2.4 - 2.7”

195 - 250MM

enveequipped Up close and personal with Greg Minnaar’s DH World Cup race rig.

Ok so we’re not all at the same level as Greg Minnaar, although I expect there’s a wealth of people out there who mistakenly think they are. However we can all dream right? So here at Saddleback we want to facilitate that dream, so here’s what Minnaar’s world cup ride looks like through ‘Enve’ eyes. Everything Enve you see bolted to his bike is readily available here at Saddleback: bars, stem, seatpost and wheelset just to bring you one step closer to pretending you’re a Syndicate rider - no thanks needed. nick cox

smithnow instock Helmets, goggles, sunglasses and riding glasses - we’ve got them all!

For over forty years Smith Optics has hung its hat on a heritage of authenticity, innovating products for the fresh-air addict who pushes their limits and gear daily. In short, they aim to make the great days better. We’re super excited to have the brand on board here at Saddleback, offering eyewear and protection for road and mountain.

Based in Sun Valley, Idaho, Smith Optics, Inc. was founded in 1965 with the creation of the first goggle featuring a sealed thermal lens and breathable vent foam. Today, Smith Optics has become synonymous with innovative, durable, top-quality products in the eyewear, goggle, and helmet market. The company is also recognised for its unparalleled team roster of athletes, which boasts some of the top names in biking, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, motocross, and climbing.

These athletes depend on Smith Optics under the harshest conditions and Smith utilizes team input as a key element of new product design, performance testing, and colouration selection.

From Smith’s ultimate integration between goggles and helmets, to the unmatched clarity of the ChromaPop lens, its devotion to excellence, innovation and style has made Smith goggles, helmets, and sunglasses the choice of action-sport athletes worldwide. Coming very soon, we will offer a diverse range of Performance and Lifestyle sunglasses, goggles and the brand new and awardwinning Forefront mountain bike helmet. It’s time to make those great days better. emily carr

office in numbers This month we take a look at the new Saddleback van fleet

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Felt Bikes

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White VW Transporter vans

10.2 Square metres of vinyl

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Number of man hours

2

cut fingers

45

newvans

Andy Wigmore: “We’ve got three brand new VW Transporters being delivered, we need some graphics” Nick Cox: “Is one for me?” Andy Wigmore: “No” You’ll all be familiar with your Saddleback Rep, but next time they pay you a visit you may notice something different - their van. Everyone loves a new van especially a VW Transporter, so updating the Rep vans was the perfect excuse for us to buy some more!

Also with more new brands now being distributed by us the graphics needed a refresh, so next time you see a ‘zebra’ on the motorway it might just be Hoy, Fish or Oli so give them a wave and if you’re lucky they’ll wave back... maybe. nick cox

minutes of Coxy interfering to ‘get it right’

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cooler looking reps...

stagesmakes thepodium One of the best all-round mountain bikers on the planet, Jared Graves sends Stages to the podium at the EWS.

Yeti team rider and probably one of the most talented riders on the planet podiums at the first round of the Enduro World Series. Jared Graves is a well known name in the world of mountain biking and due to his rigourous training program, he is one of the most physically fit riders.

Stages have had a long partnership with Graves, who has used his Stages power meter to further his fitness and add another aspect to his training. Rest assured we will see alot more of Graves on the podium this season, thanks in part to his Stages power meter. nick cox

Adhesive printed vinyl wallpaper covers a large wall in each of the changing rooms, counter and back wall.

email quote of the month

Scot Easter: So, I had an annoying rattle at the front of my bike, tried a few things, still there. Thought it was the brake lever as the cables needed replacing.

Changed them, rattle still there. Finally removed the bar end plugs and out rolls a Malteaser !

TM

staff choices

This month emily carr shares with us her pick of the bunch

castelli stealth t1 w top Absolutely awesome piece of women’s triathlon kit – speedsuit benefits with SPF sun protection, to be worn exclusively on the bike leg over a tri suit to reduce drag and protect the rider. Perfect for longer distances, this will be my essential piece of race kit this season. top five

Adrian Yate shares with us his top five castelli products

Adrian ‘tup north riding in his Gabba, Prima Glove and Muur Jacket tucked in his pocket.

merlinshopfit It’s grim up north? Not anymore! Merlin Cycles’ new store gets the Castelli treatment this month.

It’s a four hour drive from Saddleback to Merlin Cycles, with the van packed with Castelli display graphics, buckets of sweets and plenty of food we set off early (stupidly early) one morning. Merlin have recently moved premises and are in the progress of opening a new store. With Castelli being one the many brands of ours they stock we wanted to support them with specifically designed point of sale artwork. So along with a ton of Castelli hangers and display arms we transformed a plain shop space and two changing rooms into a Castelli ‘zone’. If you would like similar support make sure you talk to your rep and we will endeavor to help you out. nick cox

1. The Gabba the pros fave foul weather jersey is mine too, great all year round versatility for changeable weather or short wet blasts.

4. Muur Jacket if you gonna ride all day in the wet you need this jacket, close fitting = flap free, highly breathable and fully waterproof.

2. Toe Thingies great for cool days or damp roads, enough to protect your toes and shoes without inhibiting your pedalling.

5. San Remo Speedsuit concept amazing comfort I did a 2 day 270mile ride in this and it was perfect really is a summer game changer.

3. Prima glove cheap as chips but surprisingly versatile on and off the bike.

team sky rider

sir bradley wiggins team sky rider

mikel nieve

stages supplier toteamsky “Over the last year, many riders chose the Stages Power meter for its economical price, but this collaboration with Team Sky really shows that we have what it takes to lead the power measurement category. Not only are we more affordable than anyone else in the category, but we’re proving that the product meets the needs of one of the world’s best professional cycling teams.”

Stages’ Marketing Manager Matt Pacocha

meet the saddleback team

team sky rider

k a n s ta n t s i n s i u t s o u

jess greaves the warehouse downhill racing extrodinaire

Who is Jess Greaves?

A 20 year old girl who loves to ride/race her bike.

Where do you live?

Bristol.

What’s your job title?

Warehouse Assistant.

What do you do?

Pick orders to be sent to bike shops across the UK. How long have you been at Saddleback?

I’ve only been at Saddleback a few weeks but I am enjoying it so far.

Worst job you ever had?

Probably working in a bike shop years ago that never had any stock!

Best place to ride?

South Wales has far too much to ride at the moment! I like to vary between natural downhill and xc, to skateparks and dirt jumps to keep fresh.

Favourite Bike product?

Enve Carbon wheels! So much lighter and faster in corners than alloy rims!

Getting down and dirty on her downhill bike, Jess at Taff Buggy, South Wales.

What makes you angry?

Not having a car at the moment, getting the train to go riding somewhere is not ideal.

downhilldamsel

What makes you happy?

Being out in the sun, riding my bike and spending time with my friends.

Saddleback’s newest employee gets in some race pratice ahead of nationals at Fort William.

What’s your favourite saying?

Jumps for show, corners for dough!

Last week I raced the MIJ Downhill series at Taff Buggy in South Wales.

The main aim for the weekend was to get some good downhill runs in and get some time on the bike for the bigger races coming up in the next few weeks. Saturday practice was a greasy, muddy rainy affair with some high wind. I started the day with SPD pedals on but the mud would clog them up so I switched to flat pedals later on. In my first race run on Sunday I crashed just after the rock section at the top but still took the win. The second race run was a chance to improve on that time and I took it steadier at the top to stay on the bike and managed to take 12 seconds off my first run time. This left me with a 23 second lead in the race overall. It was great to take the win and get some good practice in for the upcoming national at Ft William. jess greaves

Whats the best bit of advice you could give?

If you see a good opportunity, do everything you can to take it!

What are you listening to now?

Radio 1 in the warehouse, but would much rather be listening to some drum and bass.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a happy, fun loving girl who brightened your day!

Donny paying us a visit at our stand.

race report

ENVEat ukgravity enduro Ae Forest is home to Round 1 of the UK Gravity Enduro sponsored by Enve. We were there - were you?

The sold out opening round of the 2014 UK Gravity Enduro at Ae Forest was eagerly anticipated by those lucky enough to get an entry. The stages Charlie and Steve had laid out were both technically and physically challenging. With Saddleback sponsoring the series with Enve, our sponsored stage, stage 4, gave all riders a run for their money. Even the Elites were having trouble.

We’re really proud to be a part of this hugely popular series and can’t wait to see what the UKGE team have in store at Innerleithen! Be sure to keep an eye out for us at each round with a wealth of Enve on display for you to salivate over. ross grimmett

rossraces Our Chief Technician dusts off his trusty steed and saddles up for a grueling Round 1 of the UKGE. 37km and 1000m of climbing doesn’t sound too hard does it? So that was the first round of the UKGE over then. Tough in places and with a couple of long transfers complete with annoying headwinds, and a stage 4 designed to knock any complacency out of you that you might have gained from stage 3!

Great racing on stages that had so many lines, it really was a test of what you can do on your trail bike. Roll on round 2!

Donny clearing a set of doubles at the final stage. and (below) on the podium finishing 3rd.

Ross end in sight pushes to finish at a respectable 40th.

There’s an exciting 2015 ahead if these sneak peak pictures from Felt are anything to go by!

Yeah ok so we’re not even half way through 2014 yet but we all know that’s not how the cycle industry works. This years Sea Otter gave a us a preview of some of the new bikes to be leaving the Felt factory for 2015.

We thought we’d show you a few of them to see if you’re as excited as we are. With new colours, specs and redesigned frames keep your eyes peeled for more info and images in upcoming Incycle issues. nick cox

this month’s best sellers

1 3.4 SES Wheelset 2 Arundel Sport Cage 3 Castelli Retro Cap 4 Bont Riot Tri 5 Felt Z5

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staff choices

This month emily carr shares with us her pick of the bunch

smith optics pivlock v2 Comfortable, light and with great coverage – my Pivlock V2’s are perfect for run or ride. I’ve used them doing both and they never slip or move, and the rimless style is awesome when down on the drops or bars. Very easy to change lenses and a great fit for smaller faces.

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MEDIA coverage The latest reviews from the media world 1 enve MBUK303 2 smith optics MBUK303 3 stages Triathlon Plus 67 4 felt What Mountain Bike 160 5 felt Triathlon Plus 67 6 castelli Triathlon Plus 67

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pricelist front_outline.indd 3 FINAL_OUT.indd 5

11:06 24/01/2013 10:27

B r o u ght t o y o u by

exclusive UK DISTRIBUTOR Saddleback Ltd Unit 10 Easter Court Woodward Avenue Yate, Bristol BS37 5YS

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01454 285 285 info@saddleback.co.uk sb2b.co.uk If you’d rather receive this digitally the please email: incycle@saddleback.co.uk c o nta c ts Area Managers Oli Hunter 07917 462 225 South West Justin Hoy 07917 462 224 South East Michael Fish 07917 462 223 North DESIGN Nick Cox Senior Graphic Designer nick.cox@saddleback.co.uk MArketing Andrew Griffiths Marketing Manager andrew@saddleback.co.uk

the ne w enve m ser i es r i ms n ow ava i labl e . a rim for every di s c i p l i n e. www. sa d d l e b ac k.co.uk