HARO BIKES

bling my cyclocrosser, Jagwire, Wolftrax, Merida FS, DB Ashton Effect, Troy Lee, DMR, Maxxis, Michelin, Tekiya, DJ26, Raleigh Carbon Team, Manchester velodrome, DB Response, Lezyne, Smart, Nalini, Altura, Rik's Bike Shed, Spanish training camp!

So, its been a busy summer at Mikes Bikes despite the weather. So busy, in fact, that its been a "wee while" since the last blog and that has created a little opportunity for a mysterious guest blogger from the depths of south west Scotland. The weather down here has been fantastic, incidentally, but more of that in a future posting...

What has Mike being doing that has given him an excuse to neglect his writing career? Well, his Raleigh U6X cyclocross bike now has more bling on it than a barry boy's Saxo. Keep up with where its at from our range of Jagwire multi coloured brake and gear cable on display from £19.99. Will it make him any faster when it comes to the new season of cyclocross races this autumn? I suspect the real reason the blog has been quiet is the amount of additional, secret training he has been doing so we look forward to the results with interest.

Of course, there have also been the weekly trips to Wolftrax at Laggan as a welcome distraction. I was able to join in on an enjoyable trip north a couple of weeks back where we introduced some Dutch visitors to the world of DH mountain biking. Coming from a land starved of vertical variation, they enjoyed the uphill sections as much as the downhill runs, an enthusiasm that was not shared by a certain ski instructor who joined us. I'm not sure if he has recovered yet from the discovery that he couldn't buy a lift pass Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sally's riding has come on a storm - its not about the bike, though I suspect her new shiny white Merida FS-One-Twenty-400D would not have been a hindrance! Showing a worryingly similar obsession to her dad she pleaded to be allowed to clean it herself after the session and I think she enjoyed this almost as much as riding it!

The new guys in the shop have broadened the scope of our provision for local bike enthusiasts. There has been significant interest in the DB Ashton Effect Jump Bikes - perhaps due to Callum being out on his at the local jumps every night. You need the gear to go with it though and I'm sure he is saving his Saturday money to buy more from the Troy Lee Designs range in stock - we have elbow pads, knee pads and gloves from £17.99. Also of interest to people who share Callum's passions for all things gnarly might be DMR pedals at £27.99, Maxxis 24" downhill tubes and Michelin 'HOTS' 26x2.5 for £16.99.

News from our sponsored riders merits a sub heading all of its own...

Trouble in Hepburn Household!

One of our assisted riders, Hamish Hepburn, has been working hard over the summer perfecting his bunny hop on his Mikes Bikes supplied Tekiya and DJ26. He can now get higher than before and is performing a public service in Carrbridge by hopping onto benches and clearing them of OAPs who have over stayed their welcome Like Callum, he is out every day practising new stunts. Although he is yet to master it completely, he has had some success with a foot jam tail whip (is it just me, or does foot jam sound pretty disgusting?) and is putting a lot of effort into his 180s. However, he has also spent too much time on Youtube and has come across the film of Martyn Ashton putting a £3,500 Raleigh Carbon Team bike through a stunt routine (it includes a back flip!). Consequently, Jas has had to put a heavy duty lock and chain through his road bikes to curb Hamish's ambition. You needn't have bothered Jas, there's no way he'd want to jump your road bike once he finds out how heavy that saddle is Hamish's advice for other riders? " I love riding my bike and go out every day! Ride hard and play hard!"

Following that advice, our other assisted rider Megan has been spending a great deal of the summer on the track, including a few days spent at the world famous velodrome in Manchester that has prepared so many of our current crop of highly successful riders. During her visit she had the opportunity to sample a variety of training sessions, mixing slow laps round the track with flying laps as a group, using rollers and varied sprinting using the watt bike. A tiring few days but obviously an exciting time for Megan.

News from MBUK September 2010 edition - the Diamondback Response at £579.99 is the best bike available at the price. That's an opinion that we share and guess which local bike shop you can get your hands on one at? (no prizes for answering that question just the smug satisfaction of knowing you can get the best on your doorstep!) Other top sellers this month are new to Mikes Bikes - Lezyne Tools from £19.99, DMR handlebars at £34.99 and my personal favourite, mini LED lights by Smart that fit onto helmets, bags, clothes and bikes. They are perfect as back up lights, extremely adaptable and provide peace of mind for only £14.99 a set.

I was out cycling with a group from Thornhill on Tuesday and I promised Reuben from Rik's Bike Shed a mention. Obviously feeling under pressure from the older riders, Reuben decided to take a short cut at a hairpin at the bottom of a steep hill by going straight through it. It was an interesting technique and, whilst I was glad to see that the same Shimano wheel set I have on my Raleigh Carbon Race survived hitting the kerb at speed followed by a 5 ft drop into the garden below, I just don't feel that I have the same need to be out in front. Respect!

And finally... thanks to Sam for inviting me and the bedman out to Spain for an October training camp. I told him I wasn't too sure about the best way to pack our bikes for the flight so he said we should just invite Mike too and he'd do it for us! I'm getting into training now so that I can justify the race cut Nalini tops and shorts in stock now from £49.99. Is there any truth in the rumour that Nalini are considering going one size above their biggest just to accommodate a well known Aviemore mountain sports equipment magnate? Perhaps he should stick to the Altura Pro-gel bib shorts so highly rated by Cycling Weekly - black has a slimming effect!

And finally, finally - a newcomer to our range of top end road bikes - Tifosi Road frames. Check out the ever changing stock at Mikes Bikes Aviemore!