Turbo Trainers and indoor cycle training

As the nights start to draw in there are certain things that cyclist start use again, replace or consider buying for the first time. On that list for this month is usually lights, waterproof jackets and turbo trainers.

There has been a huge boom in road bike sales since the London Olympics and Tour de France. This means there are thousands of new road cyclists and therefore thousands of people now considering the purchase of a turbo trainer for the first time.

A turbo trainer makes a lot of sense if you want to maintain some fitness over the winter. Unless you are a hardened commuter its difficult to maintain the fitness gained over the summer months. There are a couple of other options worth considering - joining a gym is one option but these tend to be very costly and much more time consuming. The second option is night riding but you'll need a very good set of lights, some good clothing and a strong resolve to get out there in the cold and rain. We think a turbo trainer makes the most sense and can be used year after year with no additional expense.

So if you've decided a turbo trainer is the way forward then here are a few things to consider before your purchase. First up you need somewhere to use it! This might sound a simple consideration but think about where you are going to use this either in a garage or somewhere in your house that won't be in the way. Secondly think about keeping cool. Its hot work using a turbo trainer so consider a large desk fan or something similar. Thirdly keep yourself entertained - get yourself a laptop, an iPod or even a TV. If you don't keep yourself entertained you'll find it really hard work to stay motivated.  If you want to be really prepared have a towel to hand and a bottle of drink.

All you need now then is the trainer itself. Trainers start from just over £100 although if you want to race people in real time over the internet you'll need to spend around £1000! Often its confusing what the right trainer to buy is, but fundamentally they all do the same thing.  You'll find terms such as fluid, gel, mag and rim drive. These all refer to the way the turbo trainer resists the wheel and therefore how the wheel feels as its going round.

If you are looking for a first turbo trainer we recommend the TACX T2650 Blue Matic. This has 10 resistance levels with a handlebar shifter, a powerful magnetic brake and it folds away to make storage easy. We have lots more great offers on turbo trainers and all come with free delivery!

More lights and safety gear

We've had hundreds of brand new products delivered recently. Although I've already blogged about the latest lights from Lezyne I found a couple of new lighting products that seem worth mentioning given the nights are really drawing in now and I really liked these.

First up I spotted the Tacx Lumos Light Set. Doesn't sound too special but take a closer a look at these and you'll notice these mount in place of the bar end plugs on any road bike. The below video probably sums the product up much better than words.


The second product I noticed was the Respro Vegas Hump. The Hump is a firm favourite for commuters but the Vegas takes it one step further! Check out the crazy lights on the back - you can't be missed with this on your back.

New Lights From Lezyne

It's nearly that time of year again when the lights have to go back on the bike. If you ride your bike to work or ride in the evening you'll no doubt have noticed this already. As ever we've got a huge choice of lights in stock, but what should you buy if you are looking for something a little bit more stylish yet also something that is a top performer? One word - Lezyne

First up check out the Lezyne Femto.  A complete set comes in at only £21.99. For this you get a CNC'd aluminium set putting out a modest 15 lumens with 5 different modes. Ideal as a back up set or as a set to put in your back pocket if you think you might be home late. Also available as a single unit and in lots of different colours!

If you are looking for something a bit more serious then take a look at the Lezyne Macro Micro Set
This one is a serious set for everyday use.  At £84.99 you get lights capable of putting out 300 lumens with a choice of 5 different modes again. Easily bright enough to flood the road and attract the attention of any motorist even under street lighting.

Due in stock soon we have the Lezyne Super Drive XL. If you are looking for a dedicated front light then look no further. Up to 500 lumens with 4 settings, rechargeable and only weighing 149g At £99.99 its a good deal and VERY bright.

Eurobike 2013

Every year we take a trip to the Eurobike trade show in Germany. To put the show in perspective its a bit like the Geneva Motorshow for the bike world.  A huge show in the centre of Europe displaying all the latest in bikes and bike technologies. Something like 10 huge exhibition halls and a host of outside demonstrations and side exhibitions. There are brands that most people would recognise and many that are alien to many of the show goers.

It takes a good couple of days to cover the show in depth - our remit is to carefully look at the range of 2013 bikes, parts and accessories. We also take time to look at brands we don't already sell and look for new cutting edge brands we think our customers would be keen to purchase.

If you are reading this in early September then you'll see from our website that we are already uploading 2013 bikes with many available in stock already.

Cube Bikes 2013



Specialized Bikes 2013




Scott Bikes 2013



Cannondale Bikes 2013




Stevens Bikes 2013



Bianchi Bikes 2013




Felt Bikes 2013

Our 2012 Bike Sale is NOW ON!

Yes folks our BIGGEST sale of the year is now on. All our 2012 bikes have now been reduced to make way for 2013 models.

We've got some amazing offers but don't leave it too long - some bikes are in very limited numbers and once they are gone they are gone.

We've got mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, BMX, time trial bikes and cyclocross bikes. We have literally got 1000s of bikes in stock. All of our bike brands are included in the sale including Specialized, Cube, Scott, Felt, Stevens and Bianchi to name but a few.

Take a look at our complete range of bikes here

Our Chichester Store is moving

We are pleased to announce that in the next few weeks we will be re-locating our Chichester Store.
For those familiar with the current store you'll know we are tight on space so naturally we have found a much more spacious site.  Obviously this means we'll be carrying a much wider range of bikes, parts and accessories.
Our new address is: 106 - 108, The Hornet, Chichester, PO19 7JR - we are next to Laura Ashley and opposite the Toyota Dealership

Cube Agree GTC SL 2012

With the Tour de France all over the TV and newspapers at the moment it stands to reason that more and more people are contemplating their first road bike or possibly upgrading to something a bit classier.

We've got a great range of road bikes on the website with something to fit most customers style and budget. I regularly notice bikes that really stand out and this week the Cube Agree GTC SL really caught my eye.

Thinking of the Tour de France as I was, the Agree GTC SL really fitted the bill for a Tour esq bike. Cube don't have a sponsored team but this bike certainly is worthy of a pro team. In a nut shell - carbon frame, Dura Ace drivetrain, FSA SLK crankset, Syntace finishing kit and Schwalbe tyres to name but a few!

The best bit however is the price. At £2245 we can't show you another bike with Dura Ace, its a simple as that! With the majority of our bikes its available with 0% Finance to soften the blow.

2013 Specialized Bikes

It's only July but some of the 2013 Specialized bikes have arrived already! There is an early release of Allez, Tarmac, Roubaix, Secteur, Dolce and Hardrock bikes. We've got them all listed on our website with most now in stock and ready to ship!

First up we've got the Allez - Allez 16, Allez Sport and Allez Elite.


Next up we have Secteur - Secteur, Secteur Sport and Secteur Elite




Moving onto carbon road we have Tarmac - Tarmac and Tarmac Sport


Carbon road continues with the Roubaix - Roubaix and Roubaix Sport


Hardrock is the only early release mountain bike

Challenge Adventure Charities Report with Elliots

Elliots are Hampshire's Leading Independent Builders Merchant and sponsors of the Hargroves Cycles Race Team.

Part of the Elliots Commitment to raising money for charity has been taking part in the Challenge Adventure Charities various cycling events.

Stuart Elliot sends us this photo from Col de la Bonette at 2800 metres! Chapeau Stuart and your team!

Totton Store Open Evening

As many people local to Southampton will know - we opened our 6th store in Totton 3 weeks ago. The store is just at the bottom of the M271 and is quick and easy to get to from the city and surrounding area.

To celebrate the opening of this store we are holding an open evening on Thursday 31st May - 4pm - 9pm.  We've got lots of great offers on the night and everyone is welcome -

Top Bike Offers will be available on the night - You'll have to come along to see what they are for yourselves but they are for one night only!

Tacx Turbo Challenge - Climb Dean Hill on a Tacx Turbo Trainer
Free High5 water bottle worth £5.99 for the first 50 customers!
Mega deals on pumps,CO2 and tyres
25% Off a BG Bike Fit purchased on the night(in the form of a £50 voucher) - RRP £200
Free refreshments on the night
Loads of parking


More information on the Totton Store

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