Apologizes for the late posting but here are some of the visual high lights from this year's show. Of all the bikes this year I felt that Ribble had the most interesting display this year. Demonstrating their intentions to move from a pure price concerned brand to a brand with greater aspirations. ...

The tour of Cambridge passed through Peterborough today so the family and I popped by to see some of the action. Alongside the various time trials and sportives, there were displays from some of the leading bike brands. I must say I was very taken by the Specialized Tarmac a beautiful bike but beyond my price range.  One gadget I was shocked worked so well was the AfterShokz bone conduction headphones. I had seen these at the Bike Show in Birmingham but due to the crowds, I had not been able to try them.  I popped them on and turned up the volume and was Shokzedhow clear the sound was. I asked Helen [my wife] if she could hear any sound from the units, not a peep. A very impressive device if you like tunes on your bike but want to be able to hear traffic. ...

Over the years I've always brought bikes from bike shops. Sometimes this has been a great experience and others the "experts" have failed to deliver. The bike buying choices have changed a lot from when I first bought my own bikes you had no choice but to use bike stores and your choices were restricted to the brands that your local store provided. The internet has helped consumers have greater choice but undermined the bike shops ability to function profitably. I feel a sense of loyalty to my local bike stores but I often wonder if the feeling is mutual. The attention to detail and personal service seems to evaporate the moment the bike is wheeled out of the store. I bought a Specialized road bike two years ago from a local store and had a minor gear shift problem I popped back into the store and the problem was resolved. Roll forward a couple of months and I kept getting what appeared to be nylon stuck on the gear cable. I took the bike to another local store and th......

My son and I had an exciting afternoon watching the professional riders tear up the Leicester and Rutland countryside. We were fortunate whilst heading to Owston to come upon a gathering of cyclists at the junction of a muddy track and a tarmac section. Initially, we were stood on the apex of the corner but were encouraged by a friendly official to perhaps move down the road as the competitors coming out of the corner could crash and the most likely place they would crash is where we stood. The riders appeared soon after some caked in the dry dust of the muddy track, one or two sporting cuts and bruises from the rougher sections of the course. In the space of twenty meters, challenges were made, wheels changed and water given. My son and I were transfixed by the excitement and intensity of the competition and  look forward to many more cycling events....

I am a guy in his forties, a married father of two boys, who plays sport and goes to the gym trying to keep healthy. But in the end, the gym has provided too many chances to stand and talk rather than move and talk. The time spent in the gym became counter productive I wanted to at least maintain a level of fitness and health that had gradually, as I got older, seemed to slip away.  Rather than simply give up I resolved to find a better solution.   I've never found much joy in running and I swim so slowly that I doubt I could have made any improvement. I inital brought a mountain bike and explored the local landscape. It put a smile on my face and I eventually teamed up with a local friend to explore the trails and pathways of the country side. Great fun but what started with two guys in the wilds of England developed into a large group of guys prospectively turning into a club. Personally I prefer a more close knit gathering, so I brought a road bike. The difference h......

Made.com the stylish and affordable furniture website has launched a range of bikes for the urban commuters. An online bike store is not unusual, what is unusual is that Made has built its reputation selling furniture. To be fair the bikes do look striking with combinations of copper with white or black paint. All of the bikes are single speed flat handle bar urban commuter bikes. Rather than using cryptic sizing charts Made has included in each of the bike descriptions the height of the suggested rider an interesting and efficient innovation. The prices range from £299 to £599. To quote Made the bikes are: "Lightweight, practical, and easy on the eye. This bike is ideal for every day, urban use. Keep it simple with one gear - the most common type of bicycle and super easy to maintain." There are also a number of accessories being sold ranging from a retro handle basket to a copper coloured helmet which has a Buck Rogers vibe. Its a little early to determine the quality o......

By Felouch Kotek - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68151314 The 2018 Paris-Roubaix, a challenging one day 257 km race was won this year by current World Champion Peter Sagan. Sadly during the race 23 year old professional cyclist Michael Goolaerts suffered a heart attack and subsequently died.   Peter Sagan was the first World Champion to win the Paris-Roubaix since Bernard Hinault's victory in 1981. Sagan had launched, in collaboration with Specialized, a gold coloured bike before the race. Ever the showman he rode the race on one of the golden bikes and won with a remarkable demonstration of strength and confidence. 55km from the finish line Sagan sped away from the main group forcing other riders to test themselves against this pace. The Swiss rider Silvan Diller and the Dutch rider Niki Terpstra rose to the challenge taking second and third place respectfully.   Queen of the Classics The Paris-Roubioux is one of the fiv......

The French company Decathlon defies the current norms. Whilst other business focus on online-only shopping models they have gradually expanded the number of physical stores they have. Seeing an opening in the retail market that other brands have ignored, quality products (many there own brand) in organized minimalist stores. In an era where many sports stores are sprawling, disorganized and discount-driven. B'Twin Triban range Decathlon launched there own brand of bikes, the B'Twin range, which is carefully crafted and surprisingly excellent value with a starting price of £249 for an aluminium framed bike.  The B'Twin range starts with the Triban 100 road bike , which has a sporty ride, though still comfortable for day to day riding. The bike comes with an aluminium frame, steel forks and seven-speed Shimano shifting with Tektro brakes. The Triban 500 comes with a carbon fork for £349. Next is the Triban 520 with Shimano Sora groupset at £499. The Triban 540 ......

Peter Sagan (three times World Champion) and Specialized have worked together to create a signature range of bikes, The Sagan Collection. The bikes come in a number of colour options but the most striking and perhaps the most "Sagan" is gold. The bikes are Specialized's S-Works Roubaix, a bike designed with the cobbled Classics in mind. The Sagan bikes are being launched just as Sagan prepares for the Paris-Roubiaix. Coming quickly after the Tour of Flanders a cobbled classic which test both Rider and bike. Would you want a gold bike is the question? Many cyclists like to wear extravgant colours and some love to ride bikes that are equally outlandish but Gold is a statement colour. It declares a confidence in not only your style but also your athletic prowess. I think these bikes are certainly a reflection of Peter Sagans personality, I wonder how many have the Chutzpah to carry off the look on a Saturday morning sportive....