edition 15 october 2014

reviewdealershow2015sir bradley wiggins

silca distribution

castelli alpha jacket

brandon semenuk

dan martin

inside the office

Each month incycle will share the inner workings of Saddleback’s brand building activities, news, events and business developments. Allowing you to gain an in-depth feel for the brands we represent and meet our passionate team. Issue Fifteen is best served with a coffee and breakfast roll from Greggs for £2 enjoyed by many on a Friday here at Saddleback.

team Felt colbornes rock up at the 3 peaks to do some damage...to themselves.

dark nights are upon us, unable to find his mount; coxy resorts to tape to fit his light.

2015presented bysaddleback

dealershowreview

Jump in the DeLorean and take a look at the future.Every September there’s an air of anticipation and excitement here in the Saddleback office. After months of planning the Dealer Show was upon us. This was very much a joint effort from all staff members to achieve what we consider has been the best show yet. With a large amount of 2015 products on display from our brands, it was the place to be. The entire 2015 Felt range was present with alot of excitement around the FRD bikes and the new road dics bike. Bont were showcasing three new shoes and it was the first time that people could have a close look at the new Smith Optics Overtake helmet, Enve M-Series rims were also on display, the new mountain bike rim demand continues to grow rapidly. Accompanied by the new SES Aero Road bar and SES Aero TT bar, the Enve stand received a lot of attention. While not forgetting Castelli, with the summer 2015 range available for all to

nothing but blue skies on the demo rides.

welcome to the saddleback dealer show.

limited edition castelli saddleback kit.

The Felt truck rolled into town bursting with everything 2015 for us to try.This year at our Dealer Show we were fortunate enough to play host to the Felt Demo Truck. Full to the brim with the latest 2015 Felt bikes for everyone to try out, and Andreas on hand to answer any questions and prepare the bikes, it was a real assett having them visit. Not only did the Dealers take advantage of riding any bike they wished, Saddleback staff also enjoyed getting their hands on the new AR, Compulsion and trying out electric bikes. And so was born the Fat-E bike lap challenge. Dealers and Saddleback staff fought it out to be the champion of the taped out course. nick cox

always quality food at our dealer shows.

beats being stuck in the office or bike shop.

the new Felt compulsion received plenty of attention from dealers and the media.

see. The new redesigned Gabba 2 and Alpha jacket created a lot of interest. With plenty of free coffee, cake and meals made fresh, our tradition of making sure everyone was well fed and watered continued. Here at Saddleback the Dealer Show is very important to us and it gives you, the dealer, an insight into our company, the brands that we love and the real passion of the staff for all things two wheeled. Thanks to all that attended, we will be keeping an eye out for the Saddleback jersey making an appearance around the country. nick cox

our dealer show demo ride took the participants through our beautiful local countryside.

setting off on the demo ride complete with the free limited edition castelli saddleback kit.

ross hunting down andreas on the electric bike lap course.

ash getting low on one of the demo electric bikes.

charles getting the demo fleet ready.

the electric bike lap challenge leader board.

ash and scot makng sure all the dealers are well looked after.

alfonso de antoni - smith opticsHead of smith europe

doug crawford - stagesvice president

Michael Müllmann - feltpresident

Marc schmiedtke - felt international sales Manager

andreas lieberherr - feltevent Manager

steve smith - castellibrand Manager

scot nielson - envevp of engineering / r&d

The amount of times Emily vomitted

this month we take a look at our very own Brand Manager emily Carr’s ironman.

offiCe in nuMbers

Women started195

1

Energy bars consumed

Calories burned

7

9493

Energy gels consumed

Minutes to complete the Ironman

12

Months of preparation8

867

Women finished128

Mile runMile swim

Mile ride26.22.4 112

justdroppedinThis year’s Dealer Show saw a great many products and brands on display. Who better to explain them than the brands themselves.Every year our aim here at Saddleback is to provide our dealers with an insight into the upcoming range for the next year. Showing the products themselves achieves this, but here at Saddleback we like to go a bit further. All the staff at Saddleback make it our job to know as much as we can about all the products we sell. However what better way to explain and inform

than listening to the actual brand representatives themselves. So we picked up the phone and arranged to fly these people in from Italy, USA and Germany, in order to give you the low-down on their respective products. There is a great deal of passion and excitement when you speak to these representatives, we learnt a lot, we hope you did too. nick cox

Redesigning the winter jacket...

articulated collar

five pockets

stay drier

windproof and water resistant

asyMMetric zip

Throw out everything you think you know about cycling jackets and redesign the way a jacket should be made. Or possibly how they’ll all be made in a few years when everyone else follows our lead once again. With the Alpha, Castelli are introducing several new techniques and fabrics to construct a lightweight, cool and cold weather jacket. They’ve focused on two perennial problems with cycling jackets and wind jerseys. First is ventilation. With the latest fabrics Castelli can essentially build a winter jacket that will keep you warm in all but the most extreme conditions with just a base layer underneath. But when you open the front zipper you get a blast of cold air at the top of your chest, while the rest of your body remains too hot. In the Alpha jacket Castelli have detached the insulation layer from the windproof layer so that you can open the windproof layer to let air in to ventilate and help evaporate moisture. Riding these pieces shows how effective it is at regulating temperature and comfort while helping to keep you drier. The second focus area is all the openings. At the waist they have a new fabric and construction that lays completely flat, is streamlined for aerodynamics, yet when you drop into the riding position it follows your body without binding or billowing. At the wrists they have a new flat raw-edge construction that interfaces perfectly with our gloves to keep drafts out and to improve comfort. At the collar they have a new articulated construction that follows the bends in your neck whether you’re standing or riding in the lowest aero position. castelli

castelliproductfocus

the new alpha Jacket is windproof and water resistant

thanks to windstopper’s 150 material. but the real

innovation on this jacket is the detached insulating layer

which stays close to your body when you unzip the

jacket so your core doesn’t get blasted with cold air.

when opening the front zipper of the jacket you get a blast of cold air at the top of your chest, while the rest of

your body remains warm.

theironwoManSaddleback’s Smith Optics Brand Manager show us how to be a real Ironman, sorry woman.

Saddleback are presented with two awards from Enve and Stages Power Meters for our passion, dedication and success.One of things we pride ourselves on here at Saddleback is the investment we put into our brands. Not just financially but through the passion of our team, we promote and market our brands to the highest level. With follow-up technical and sales support we continue to distribute our brands with enthusiasm and knowledge. That’s why this year Stages Power Meters and Enve have chosen to present us with these two awards. The Stages award is for best global International Team and the Enve “King of the Mountain” award is for the best representation and creation of awareness of the mountain bike side of their products in the world. We continue to strive to do all we can for all of our brands as we look to their future growth through our passion and dedication. nick cox

Ironman Wales. The two words that make triathletes raise their eyebrows and say ‘tough bike course’ or ‘interesting sea swim’. Choosing not to listen to this accurate assessment (as it turns out) meant finding myself standing on the North Beach in Tenby with 2000 others, wondering what I had got myself into! The swim was made harder by a nice Atlantic storm bringing big waves, but came out the water in pretty good shape and 6th in my category. The 112 mile ride takes in the very beautiful but challenging terrain of west Wales, the short closed 25% climb in Saundersfoot a highlight with big crowds with an almost Tour feel! The four lap hill run was in the end a test of mind over matter, and crossing the line felt like something had well and truly been achieved. As I crossed the line I told my boyfriend ‘never, ever again’….until we signed up for the next one a week later. Ironman Switzerland 2015, you’ll have to go some way to beat the tough course and amazing crowd support in Tenby. emily carr

We are delighted that SILCA see us as the right partner for their company and we are confident we can make SILCA an essential part of our dealers’ business - Rich Mardle.

Reimagining the iconic SILCA SuperPista over the last 10 months has been a transformative experience for SILCA’s small company. Enjoying untold enthusiasm and support from SILCA fans worldwide through the process of design and developed. Hundreds of thoughts and opinions were solicited and what became clear through the process was that to SILCA users, the floor pump is not just another tool in the garage; it represents an important cycling ritual in their lives.In some ways, inflating tires represents the simplest

of cycling maintenance, yet to others it represents a critical performance technology or a final preparation to carefully tune the ride or cornering performance of the bicycle. SILCA heard stories from track racers who carefully set and log pressures before each event, of brevet riders looking to optimize comfort and rolling resistance, and of our own story of developing wheels for Paris-Roubaix only to learn that the three pumps on the team truck varied by over 10psi from each other! Ultimately, what was heard the most were stories about

great friends, great adventures and great rides from around the world, all pulled together in some small way by a shared experience with these classic pumps.

Saddleback is a natural fit for SILCA as it is the leading distributor of high performance cycling products in the UK and touts a long list of great brand partners. They have had proven success with their current brands, so SILCA is excited to join the team and continue to grow it’s presence in the UK. silca

josh poertner, head of silca said: “we couldn’t be more excited to partner with saddleback in re-launching siLCA in the UK market. saddleback’s focus on premium enthusiast brands is the perfect fit for us. we’ve had substantial customer interest in the UK and we’re so excited to have saddleback on board to fill those rider’s needs.”

winner of the interbike 2014 ‘best in show’ award!

The UK Gravity Series comes to an end at Grizedale boasting its most participated year yet.This year has flown by, it only feels like yesterday we were at round one of the UKGE in Ae Forest, yet here we were at the final round in Grizedale Forest. And what a setting! The glorious Lake District put on a great show all weekend with stunning scenery and amazing weather. Stages 2 and 4 were the talking points, starting off overlooking Coniston before sending you down fresh-cut, twisty singletrack all the way down to the shore of the lake. Enve rider Neil Donoghue was unfortunately out of action due to a shoulder injury, but he’d already secured the overall series win in the Elite category so was on hand to top the podium. Planning is already underway for the 2015 UKGE series so we’ll see you there! scot easter

It’s been a pretty tough season for Dan Martin.

With a crash and injury-riddled year, most would

have shut up shop. Dan Martin didn’t, he came out guns blazing at the

Tour of Lombardy. With the support from his team

mates, Dan was victorious, beating such big hitters as

Alejandro Valverde and Rui Costa. Congratulations

Dan from everyone at Saddleback. nick cox

Brandon Semenuk’s domination continues as he wins the FMB Diamond overall series.

brandon semenuk on the podium at this years red bull rampage.

2014 has seen the continual domination of Brandon Semenuk on the FMB stage. With his emphatic win at the Red Bull Joyride, as reported on last issue, he has continued to prove why he is the best freestyle mountain biker on the planet. With a respected 3rd place at Red Bull Rampage, the Grand Finale to the series, the overall victory was secured. Brandon now sits at the top of the Diamond Series FMB World Tour table. The final standings see Canada occupying the 1st, 2nd and 3rd spot. With Semenuk sitting proud on top, Brett Rheeder and Anthony Messere make up the top 3 respectively, all of which are Smith Optics athletes. These athletes continue to push the limits of what is possible on a bike on a daily basis. So the next time you slip on your Smith Optics goggles pretend they’re Semenuk’s and you’re at the top of Red Bull Rampage course looking down waiting for the beep. nick cox

the one that’s causing quite a stir, the new overtake helmet is first on my wish list. Available in a wide range of colours, but i am definitely in for the pink version. packed with features, it looks great and performs better.

tHis MontH eMily carr sHares witH us tHe products sHe dreaMs of owning.

sMith optics overtake - pink

Most wanted

Team Sky rider Sir Bradley Wiggins proves he’s still the best time trial rider on the planet.Ponferrada, Spain was the location for this years UCI World Time Trial Championship. After what has been a rocky year for Bradley Wiggins, the World Champs provided the perfect stage for Wiggo to show he’s still got it. With the likes of Tony Martin (the favourite) in attendance, the competition was fierce and wasn’t going to be easy. However he almost made it look that way, putting 26 seconds into Martin on a 47.1km course which led him to victory. Now with his sights firmly on next years World Champs and then the Olympics, this national treasure of ours still remains one of the best there is. nick cox

thenewworldtiMetriALchaMpionsirbradleywiggins

kingofthehillCharles Coleman - he’s faster than you.

“But your performances are what people remember you for the most. As for the rest of it, it’s for other people to decide. Not everyone likes you. You want to see my comments on Instagram sometimes!” Sir Bradley Wiggins

The road season has more-or-less finished so I have planned a few hill climbs to see the season out proper – I did a few last year and turned out to be quite good at them. This weekend was the start of the hills with 4 in a row, and with my usual preparation of countless hours not training and a hill rep about a month ago, took on the seasoned specialists. After a few mediocre results (3rd, 8th and then another 8th), I had the final hill of the weekend, my local hill climb which my family came and supported. I came 2nd for the second year in a row, fair to say I’ve got back into the swing of things. Roll on 3 more weeks of coffee-induced 3 minute efforts pushing down on the pedals as hard as I can. charles coleman

“What was that thing you said the other day about you know that thing which we thought, we thought we could put in

Incycle, remember?”Nick Cox Senior Graphic Designer

qUote of the Month

septeMBerstopseLLingproducts

After competing this season on 3.4’s, i would love to start the next on some 6.7’s. ironman switzerland consists of long, flat straights with only a few climbs mixed in so these will be perfect. Along with some new Chris King sour apple hubs, these are on my 2015 most wanted.

tHis MontH eMily carr sHares witH us tHe products sHe dreaMs of owning.

enve ses 6.7 chris king wheelset

Most wanted

enve brake pads

castelli nanoflex knee warMers

arundel gecko bar tape

vredestein fortezza senso extreMe weatHer

castelli gabba 2

sportique century riding creaM

who is iris moore? A patriotic irish woman who enjoys sport, singing and good nights out! where do you live? in shirehampton with my long suffering husband. what’s your job title? Merchandiser. what do you do? the official definition of merchandising is getting the right product in the right place, at the right time, at the right price. in reality i spend most of my time working on spreadsheets with the occasional use of a big stick! how long have you been at saddleback? 8 weeks. worst job you ever had? working on a dart stall at a fairground in my hometown. best place to ride? i don’t ride but i’d recommend a tour of ireland, great scenery and plenty of “craic” at night. Favourite bike product? our new lines from silca - the superpista Ultimate. what makes you angry? Liverpool conceding stupid goals. what makes you happy? Liverpool playing well and winning games, i’m not happy very often this season. what’s your favourite saying? go on, go on, go on what’s the best bit of advice you could give? if you’re at home when a thunder and lightning storm starts don’t say “we’re ok it can’t get us in here” it can and it will! what are you listening to now? the dulcet tones of my colleagues. how would you like to be remembered? As someone who liked to have a laugh and did so regularly.

iris Moore

saddleback’s very own pot of gold.

Meet the saddleback teaM

Enve equipped Sandy Plenty, Trailhead Bicycle Company, takes on the Trans - Provence.Enve supported rider Sandy Plenty made the trip to the south of France to compete in one of the hardest stage enduro races, the Mavic Trans-Provence - a six day race that covers 300km with 9,000m of climbing and 18,000m of descending. Sandy was one of the 74 riders taking part in this prestigious event. “Six long days of gnarly, rocky single track really takes its toll on your bike and wheels” explains Sandy. “I chose to run the ENVE 60/40 rims, staying faultless for the entire race.” Sandy ended up 39th overall and 16th in the Amateurs. sandy plenty

racereport

sandy plenty of the trailhead

bicycle company.

1 felt triatHlon plus 722 castelli cycling plus 2933 sMith optics Mbuk 3084 bont cycling plus 2935 vredestein triatHlon plus 72

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FINAL_OUT.indd 5 24/01/2013 10:27pricelist front_outline.indd 3 24/01/2013 11:06

exclusive uk distributorsaddleback Ltd

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Yate, BristolBs37 5Ys

01454 285 285info@saddleback.co.uk

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b r o u g h t t o yo u b y

c o n ta c t s

area Managersoli hunter 07917 462 225 south west justin hoy 07917 462 224 south east

michael Fish 07917 462 223 north

designnick cox senior graphic designer

nick.cox@saddleback.co.uk

Marketingandrew griffiths Marketing Manager

andrew@saddleback.co.uk

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cHeck out tHe saddleback dealer sHow gallery at: www.flickr.coM/photos/saddleback_ltd/