Life In The Saddle

My Kona Private Jake is a seriously versatile bike, and probably the most used of ' My Rides '. From commuting to racing; from weekend-blasts to two week tours; the Private is a do-it-all rig. I haven't changed a huge amount in terms of the specification of the bike, but there have been some subtle tweaks and alterations. Here's how it is currently set up... Bike Specifications: Frame: Kona Race Light 7005 Aluminium Butted - Medium/Large Fork: Kona Carbon Headset:  Full Speed Ahead Stem: Kona Road Deluxe Handlebar: Kona Road Front brake:  TRP Sypre disc brakes 160mm rotor Rear brake:  TRP Sypre disc brakes 140mm rotor Rear derailleur: SRAM Rival Clutch Mech 11spd Shift levers: SRAM Rival 1X Cassette:  SRAM Rival 11-32 11spd Chain: KMC 11spd Crankset:  SRAM Rival  Bottom bracket: SRAM Rival Pedals: Shimano M520 pedals Wheelset:  Novatec 30 Disc Wheelset  Front tyre: WTB Cross Boss Tubeless Rear tyre:  WTB Cr...

The Planet X Pro Carbon is my 'wet roads bike'; a.k.a my 'winter bike', or 'training bike'. It has done more miles than most road bikes will do in their lifetime (around 25,000km to date), and it is still going strong. Admittedly, there isn't an original part left on it; except for the rear derailleur, shifters and handlebars; but that is testament to the number of miles that it has been ridden, often in inclement weather. The build is centred around reliability and comfort, as well as an effort to minimise expensive maintenance. As you'll see from the photos below, it's a heavily modified bike; with tweaks, bodges and customisations galore. It also has numerous scars and knocks; alluding to its lifetime of use and abuse. The set-up in terms of geometry, is almost identical to my Eastway Emitter R0 . Because I am doing endurance miles in the winter and summer, it doesn't make sense to have a more relaxed geometry on my winter bike; which w...

The Pivot LES 29 is my do-it-all mountain bike. It is stiff and fast enough to race XC; yet capable enough to take to the mountains. Set up with a 1x10 drivetrain, tubeless alloy wheels, and a mixture of carbon and alloy finishing kit; it is a reliable, light and fast machine! If my Eastway Emitter has a certain Italian finish to it, then the Pivot LES 29 has a definite British (or rather Lancastrian) vibe. It features wheels, brakes, headset, cranks and grips from Hope Technology; a brand that I am a huge fan of, for their no-nonsense, durable and reliable approach to components. Meet LES... Bike Specifications: Frame: Pivot LES 29 (2015) - Large (19 inch) Fork: RockShox Reba Dual Air Headset:   Hope Technology Sealed Stem: Race Face Turbine 35 Stem 80mm  Handlebar: Race Face Next 35mm Carbon MTB Riser Bar 10mm rise Grips: Hope Technology SL Lock-On Grips Front brake:   Hope Technology Tech 3 X2 ,  160mm floating rotor   Rear br...

My Eastway Emitter R0 is a truly custom build. At the start of 2016, we decided to do something a bit different with Team Wiggle bikes; rather than have identical loan bikes for the year, we would each have a frameset, and be responsible for building it up ourselves. The idea allowed us to choose parts that truly fitted our style of riding, and that were optimal for purpose. My Eastway Emitter is built up for endurance road riding, and has a distinctly Italian theme. The build kit features a Campagnolo Record mechanical groupset; as well as Campagnolo Zonda 2-way Fit wheels, fitted with Hutchinson tubeless road tyres (Read my blog on ' Going Tubeless on Road Tyres '). The finishing kit comes from fi'zi:k; whilst accessories come from LifeLine, Scicon Bags and Bar Fly. It might not be the lightest or most high-tech build, but it is comfortable and reliable. You need good reliable kit when you're riding  200 mile unsupported missions , and travelling abroad for ...