Trek Madone Frames
We recently managed to get a test ride on one of the Trek Madone bikes that are to be ridden in the 2008 season by the Professional Astana Cycling Team, and we liked what we saw. There are a few different versions of the Madone; the one we rode was fitted with the team issue SRAM Red group set, in this review we look at the full range.

The SRAM Red Group Set
When SRAM brought out the new Force and Rival group sets, a while back, we took a look at it and we liked what we saw. Now SRAM have released the Red group set, it was first used at the very top of the sport by the Saunier Duval pro team on their Scott bikes and now the new Astana team will be using the Red group on their Trek Madone frames for the 2008 season. We managed to get a sneak preview and a short ride on a team bike recently when they were in Spain for a training camp.

Museeuw Bikes; Share the Experience
Johan Museeuw was a big Champion, one of the biggest in the Classic races of northern Europe, he won many professional races and a World Championship and now that he has retired he is putting that race experience into producing his own brand of top class frames and bikes. Now you can, as they say on their web-site, "share the experience of a World Champion, share the experience of a Museeuw Bike".

Neuvation Wheels, Top Technology and Very Affordable
We received a question from Phillip, a short time ago, asking us about Neuvation wheels, we had not heard of them, so we thought it was our duty to have a good look at them and let him and the rest of you know our findings. Neuvation make a great range of wheels at prices we can all afford.

Bicycle Carbon Cranks; Which Should I buy?
There are now many Carbon Cranks on the market and they vary in price and styles, so we thought it was about time we took a good look at what is on offer and try to work out which might be the best, the cheapest, the most expensive, the lightest, the strongest etc. We also have some questions about Carbon Cranks that need answering, if you are looking to up grade your chain set and bottom bracket then you should find this helpful.

Six of the Best Bikes for Women!
We get many ladies asking us "which is the best woman's specific bike on the market?" So we thought we had better take a good look at a selection of bikes that have been designed and built just for the ladies. We have chosen six beautiful road bikes to look at, Cannondale, Giant, Orbea, Scott, Specialized and Trek. Yes, the six best known bike manufacturers around.

Specialized Roval Fusee E5 Wheels
We recently looked at the Roval Fusee Star wheels, in this review we give the Fusee E5 wheels a going over and compare them to the Star and a pair of Campagnolo Electron wheels. We give you our opinions on the Roval wheels and the performance of those and our usual wheels by Campagnolo.

Specialized Roval Fusee Star Wheels
We first saw the Roval wheels earlier this year at the Quick-Step cycle team press day in Spain and we thought "we must get our hands on a set of those." You, our dear readers, are also interested as we have received a lot of questions from you wanting to know when we would spill the beans on these beauties.

Pinarello F4:13 Carbon, Formula 1 Technology

A while back we had a question from Ryan Dupree, he wanted more information on the well priced, all carbon, Pinarello F4:13 frame, at the time we only had a chance to get a quick look at one, this time we managed to get a good look at one, but there was a problem, it was that dreaded PINK one!

Litespeed Bicycles - A Titanium Dream

At the end of last year two riders from the DFL Professional cycling team, David Harrigan and Alex Coutts, were in Spain for early training and we got a chance to have a good look at one of their team bikes, the Litespeed Siena Titanium.

The Scott CR1 SL CD Road Bike

Our regular readers will have realised that we love carbon, so when we got the chance to have a close look at the Scott CR1 SL with the compact chain set we jumped at it!

The Pinarello F4:13; Carbon Bliss

Ryan Dupree has got good taste in bikes; he’s been looking at the Pinarello F4:13 Carbon frame. We have had a good look at this gem and we think its just too nice to ride, well not quite, all bikes must be ridden.

LOOK Pedals: Red or Black Shoe Plates

If you've got clip less pedals they are probably Look, when you bought them they came with either red or black shoe plates, they are very different and maybe you would be better with the other ones, learn the difference and maybe ride more comfortably.

Hutchinson Fusion Air Light Bicycle Tires

Tires are not the easiest of cycle accessories to review, the Hutchinson Fusion Air Light Tires are very easy to ride, I would go as far as to say they are a dream to ride, very nice cycle tires, probably the best I've used, they compare favorably to expensive tubulars with their top class performance.

SRAM Force vs SRAM Rival Groupsets Comparison?!!

Yes that's right, SRAM have introduced road equipment to their range. Campagnolo or Shimano for years was all you could choose from for your road bike, but now SRAM (who are more famous for their mountain bike kit) have brought out the Force and Rival Road Group sets.

Bicycle Seats, Gel or not to Gel Saddles
This is a story about saddles, not hairstyles! The gel I'm talking about is not the stuff you put on your hair, it's the stuff you have in your saddle, or not. Some people can ride a saddle that would be like riding on a razor blade for some and then there are some saddles like a sofa, too comfortable! You are meant to suffer on the bike, aren't you?

Bicycle Handlebars, Round Versus Anatomic
Maybe you thought buying a set of handlebars was easy, all you thought you had to do was to go in to your local bike shop and get any pair of handlebars. Well its not as easy as that, you have to consider many different things: width, drop, shape, materials and thickness of bars, all these things are very important and can make your ride nice and comfortable or make it more like a torture.

Campagnolo Record Group Set
When Tony at my local bike shop phoned me to tell me my Campagnolo Record 10 speed group-set had arrived I felt like all my Christmases and birthdays had all arrived at once. When I got to the shop the sight of those black boxes was enough to bring back memories of the excitement of receiving my first bike.

TIME Edge Translink Carbon Frame
The TIME Edge Translink module (module is what Time call there Frame, forks, head-set, seat pin and stem combination) arrived in an enormous box for protection, the frame weighs in at just a shade over one kilogram, and the box weighed eight.

I'm glad of the packaging, as this frame is a gem, thanks to John Anderson at the TRI-Centre of The Bicycle Works in Edinburgh for arranging all that cardboard and it arriving safely.

Look KX Light Carbon Barbot Cycle Team
After riding a Trek frame for many years, our test rider Borja bought a Look KX Light directly from a pro-rider, enrolled into the Barbot cycle team; Division II at UCI Trade Team and never looked back!

Old Murray Bikes Information
Kalina has an old bike it could be a Murray'. We have tried to find out more, but it's not an easy task with so little information.

Time Frames, on the EDGE of Time
Time Frames are amongst the best made, technically advanced, beautiful frames available, the EDGE range brings the price into an affordable range for most of us, if you buy one of these frames your sure to be ahead of your Time.

Bicycle Parts
Bike parts are now high technology, using the best materials possible for the job. Strength and lightness are most important for cycle parts, you can make cheap bike parts with heavier materials, like steel and some companies have tried plastic, which is light but is not durable and does flex.

Colnago Bikes And Frames
Ernesto Colnago started with a welding torch at 12 years old in 1944, he moved on to work for Gloria cycles in Milan and started to race. In 1951 he broke his leg finishing his race career and starts his own business, opening a cycle shop in 1954, since then probably more champions have ridden his bikes than any other frame maker.

Tips For Buying Road Bike Frames
How much do you want to spend? That’s the biggest question in your choice of road bike frame. The more you pay, the better the bike frame you get, there are many frame builders in the world and all have there own ideas of what is right, the best way to find out is by trial and probably error, or you can get help from measuring services, but remember everyone is different and it’s a good idea to shop around.

Bicycle Handlebars, Gripping Stuff!
You have to hold on to your bicycle handlebars and use them to steer your bike, also they are the place where you put your brakes, gears and cycle computer. Bicycle handlebars, like all bike equipment used to be made of steel and are now made of alloy or carbon, lightness is very important, but so is strength, you don’t want your bars to break or to be too flexible when you are climbing a hill.

Bicycle Wheels Keep You Moving
You need wheels for your bike, otherwise you won't go very far with out them. For a long time they were made of steel and were heavy. Wheels had 40 or more spokes and were hand made and would take time for a trained wheel builder to put together.

Shimano Ultegra group-set
The Shimano Ultegra group-set uses the same advanced functions of Dura-Ace, including Hollowtech 2 and refined ergonomic STI shifters. Good enough to race with but at a mor economical price, with all the class of top class Shimano.

Shimano Dura-Ace Triple
Dura-Ace means simply best and here is the best group-set they make but with the advantage of three chain wheels, to make any mountain ride able, with the style and class of the same equipment that the top professionals of the world use.

Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 Group-set
Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 is the equipment that the Pro’s ride, Lance Armstrong has ridden to victory in the last six editions of the Tour de France on Dura-Ace.

Shimano Components
Shimano are probably the biggest manufacturer of bicycle components in the world. The company was started in Japan in 1921 with a single speed bicycle freewheel. Since then they have become the leading innovator of the cycle industry.

Bicycle Seats, Are You All Sitting Comfortably?
The bicycle seat is a very important; if you are not comfortable you will not enjoy your bike ride and probably not do it again.

Bicycle Rims, Round Your Wheels
The bicycle rim hasn't changed too much over the years; its still round and you still put a tyre on it. As with most cycle equipment the first bicycle rim was made of wood, then steel, alloy and carbon.

Bike Pedals
Bicycle pedals make it possible to turn the cranks which turn the chain that turns the wheels and that makes it all possible. Pedals used to be just a stick that you put your foot on to push your bike along, then riders found out that you could pedal more efficiently if there feet were attached to the bicycle pedal.

Bicycle Headsets Steer You In The Right Direction
Bike headsets have not changed much over the years, basically they are two sets of bearings at the front of the bike so you can steer where you want to go. The headset goes between the steering column and the frame and allows you to turn the front wheel with the handlebars, so you can go round corners.

Campagnolo Veloce Group-set
The Campagnolo Veloce Group-set is available in five different versions, the 10 speed with either double or triple chainset and 9 speed with 2 or 3 chain wheels at the front and also with Ergo Power Flat Bar controls. A wide rage of options for all your needs, whether its for racing, touring or just an easy bike ride, the Veloce group-set if for you.

Campagnolo Xenon
Xenon is the entry-level group-set from the Campagnolo range. An inexpensive set of a high quality and with a choice of three rear mechanisms, and a choice of a double or a triple chain set in light alloy, along with the solid axle and steel cartridge bottom bracket makes for a strong hard wearing drivetrain.

Campagnolo Record Pista Group-set
The Campagnolo Record Pista Group-set is designed for the speed and excitement of the velodromes. This is the top of track world components; crankset, hubs and bottom bracket are specifically designed for the Pista Group-set.

Campagnolo Triathlon Group-set
The Campagnolo Triathlon Group-set is not so much a group-set as some very special components that can be used in time trial conditions. Against the clock any little advantage will make a difference.

Campagnolo Mirage group-set
During 2004 the Mirage group-set underwent a colour restyling, now the group-set focuses on choice, now offering you three different options for your bike. There is something for every enthusiast in the Campagnolo Mirage group-set range.

Campagnolo Chorus Group-set
The Campagnolo Chorus Group-set is for the racing cyclist with a need for quality and durability. The wide use of composite materials and the technical expertise of Campagnolo make this the best available, apart from the top Record Group-set.

Campagnolo Centaur Group-set
The Centaur Group-set is top quality kit for your cycle. It comes in two finishes, classic Silver and Century Grey. 10 speed with either 2 or 3 chain wheels and the Ergopower Flat Bar version makes this an all-round group-set for the aficionado.

Campagnolo components
Campagnolo bike components, funded in 1933

Bicycle Gears Keep Your Wheels Going Round
Originally bikes didn't have gears, you turned the pedals once and the wheel turned once and the size of the bicycle gear depended on the size of the wheel on the old "penny farthing" bike.

Titanium
Titanium bike frames, very strong, very stiff and very expensive! The jewel in the crown of all the top bike frame manufacturers.

Look Cycle International S.A.
Look Cycle International started making ski bindings in 1951, then in 1984 they started production of the first clipless pedal and the next year Bernard Hinault won the Tour de France on these pedals. In 1994 the ski and the cycle divisions separated, since then look have started to manufacture frames, forks, chainsets, clothes and shoes.

Bicycle Frames, The Heart Of The Bike
The design of the bicycle frame has not changed much over the years, but the materials have. The original bike was a hobbyhorse that you pushed along with your feet on the ground; this original was made from wood.

Campagnolo RE-CH-CE 9 group-set
Campagnolo RE-CH-CE 9 speed is Record, Chorus and Centaurs compatible controls, derailleurs, cranksets and sprockets for what is now the old 9 speed.

Carbon fiber Bike Frames
Although titanium is very nice, carbon fiber bike frames are more affordable and probably more popular. Some of the nicest bike frames on the market are carbon, most of the big and famous frame builders now make at least one carbon fibre bike frame. The most famous of these are Giant, Colnago, De Rosa, Look, Trek and Pinarello and there are many, many more, all very beautiful.

Custom Made Frames
When steel was the only material that frame builders used, there were many hand made custom bike frames, because there were many frame builders around, as steel was brazed together easily. There were many small manufacturers who build a few frames a year, but they were all unique and would be built to your specifications or whatever the builder wanted to sell you.

Campagnolo Record Group-set
The Record Group-set is the top of the range from Campagnolo, it's the professionals choice and the first choice for anyone who wants the best for their bike. The best materials available and the most advanced technologies and technical solutions are employed in this hi-tech group-set with the most stylish and lightweight components.

Road Bike Reviews
The design of road bikes has not changed much in the last 100 years, but in saying that, road bike technology has developed by leaps and bounds. From the first wooden hobbyhorse that the rider had to push along with his feet things have changed, but the basic frame and two wheels is the same.