Veloviewer:- Strava Stats On Steroids

Recently I posted on my twitter page that if you are a strava user and you like breaking down your ride stats then you should be using veloviewer. It had an incredibly positive response as most strava users seemed to be unaware veloviewer even exists.   

Veloviewer is an external website that imports your strava data and displays your stats in a much more detailed way.

Its very easy to use, you just log in through your strava account on the veloviewer homepage then click on the update button to load your strava data and your straight into stat heaven.

All your activity's are listed with every stat you can think of.

You can see all your segment positions, detailed breakdowns of segments including gradient diagrams that is very cool.

You can find your strava rivals as well as many more cool stats to look at.

What is even more amazing is that Veloviewer is free to use but please make a donation as the guy responsible has obviously put a lot of work into the site for our benefit.

You can follow Veloviewer here on Twitter.

Take a look you wont regret it..

ENJOY!!

Ride Strong

Craig

Buying A Bike That Is Right For You

Many riders have a good understanding of bike geometry and if this is the case you will know all about what is written below.
If you don't then this blogpost might be of assistance the next time you are purchasing a bike or certainly if you are buying your 1st bike.

One of the many things that I learned while running the Onix brand is that buying a bike is a very considered purchase. So it should be, buying a high end carbon road bike is for most people one of the biggest investments they will ever make in a piece of leisure equipment.

With there being so many brands and types of bikes to choose from these days it can be very confusing to know what bike is right for you.

A lot of riders, particularly the younger generation just want to ride the bike they see their idols riding on the TV. Even as the previous owner of a niche brand I totally understand that, I sit here writing this from the perspective of previously being the owner of 3 Trek carbon bikes from 2003-2006 on the back of being brainwashed by the Lance Armstrong story.

Before I get into this in a little more detail, I would advise that you never buy a bike without having a BIKE FITTING session. If this is not offered as part of your purchase then I question whether the retailer really has your best interests at heart.

The first thing you need to get straight in the old grey matter is 
"What Type Of  Rider Are You"

The type of frame geometry that will suit someone who wants to do some racing against someone who just wants to ride sportives or do cafe runs are very different. All the brands do different  models with different geometry's so you can still stay loyal to the brand that you like.

So where do we start?

I have always felt that the biggest pointer towards what type of bike has been produced is the Head tube length. (See Below)

A smaller head tube leans towards a more racing machine and a larger head tube points towards more comfort and the sportive market. 

Why is This?

Its quite simple really a smaller head tube has a lower front end and gives the rider a lower more aero aggressive position. The taller head tube sits the rider up in a  higher position which is more comfortable for longer rides and easier on the spine.

A taller head tube is better for riders with back problems or the rider who is a little older and less supple than they used to be.

Another key element is the seat tube angle. 
The seat tube angle is between the chainstay and seat tube (See below)

On a more sportive orientated bike the seat tube angle will be larger. This softens the ride slightly thus adding a little more comfort. The machine aimed towards performance will have a steeper angle which stiffens the ride and has the riders weight more on top of the bike thus improving speed and performance.

These are just 2 parts of many explaining how geometry can effect the ride and characteristics of your bike. I believe these are 2 key components that you should take into consideration when buying a new steed to improve your chances that its going to be right for the type of riding you are going to be doing.

I realise that you may just go with the bike you have always dreamed of owning and that's fine as long as it fits properly.
All im saying is by giving it a bit of thought, the bike you ride can be totally fit for purpose and further increase your enjoyment of this fantastic sport.

Cheers for now
Ride Strong

Craig

My Bike

I suppose I am in quite a unique position because I ride round on a bike that I sourced, helped develop and designed the look of. 
I cant fully explain how it makes me feel when someone comments on how much they like my RH Pro whether it be actually on a ride or at one of my many cafe stops. #Pride
I get asked a lot about what specification I run so I thought I would go through it and explain why I went for the options I choose.

My Onix Black RH Pro

Frameset

Onix RH Pro

If I'm being honest I went for the RH Pro mainly because as the Owner and Founder of the brand at the time I had to be seen to be riding the top of the range machine. Both of the RH models came out of the testing programme with similar performance credentials. The RH Pro geometry however did suit me better with the smaller headtube getting me a bit lower at the front end. Also the chainstay flow bottom bracket layout provided a slightly stiffer ride and power transfer.

Chainstay Flow Bottom Bracket

Groupset

Shimano Ultegra Grey (Mechanical)

The 1st bike I ever bought was a Lemond Alpe D Huez that came with Shimano 105 on it, I've been a shimano rider ever since. If that bike had come with Campag or Sram I would probably still be using that brand today. I have always thought that Ultegra has a great spec for the money, its light, the shifting is precise and reliable. I have never thought that the massive jump in price for Dura Ace is worthwhile for a rider of my average talent. Its not like im going to go over Waddington Fell minutes faster is it, in fact I will go up at exactly the same speed probably. It will always be Ultegra for me and the Grey looks killer on the stealthy RH Pro design.

Ultegra Grey Groupset

Wheels

Shimano RS80 C24 carbon matrix

I have ridden many deep section wheels over the years from respected brands to prototypes. These were chosen almost entirely from a vanity point of view because they without doubt make your bike look the business. In time though and a few crosswind rides later experience tells you that as an all round wheel it doesn't make sense. I have used these shimano wheels for a long time and always used to send Onix test bikes to the magazines with RS80 hoops on. They are light, roll really well and are well equipped to cope with all those nasty pot holes.Getting spares is very easy if you need them and you can ride them in any weather conditions.

Shimano RS80 C24 Wheelset

Bars & Stem

FSA K Wing Carbon Bars/ FSA SL-K Stem

There is a little bit of vanity and performance involved in the choice here.

When I'm climbing I always like to have my hands on the top of the handlebars so the flat profile of the K Wing Bars are very comfy. They are also very light and I like the compact bend on the drops. Everyone knows your bar and stem have to match brand wise, its in the rules,right ??

The vanity comes in because the red on the bars and SL-K stem are a perfect match to the red on the frame ;-)

FSA Finishing Kit

Tyres

Continental GP4000s Clincher Tyres

Very early on in the Onix journey I was told to always send test bikes to the media with GP4000s tyres on. Just a great all round performance tyre with good grip and puncture resistance.

At the end of the day its great to tinker with your bike or treat yourself to a new one. I know from the Onix testing program in the past that some are definitely better than others but one thing will never change.

Its the person sat on it that will bring it to life with good form.

Cheers

Ride Strong !

Craig

New Blog

Greetings

Hello and welcome to my new blog.

People who have followed my journey for a while will know that I like to be totally honest about what I am doing. All the highs and lows will be documented on here as I continue my entrepreneurial journey in the cycling industry as well as reporting on all the things I'm doing on the bike.

Its always written from the heart with passion for what im trying to do. I will put in an early apology for my grammer and will endeavour to improve this along the way.

So the Onix journey has come to an end  but as with all things that end come new beginnings.

Since leaving Onix I have been contacted by numerous people in regards to doing some consultancy and some Social media. I am very flattered to have been thought of in such high regard. Having literally built up a bike brand on Social Media I feel I can offer a lot on how to maximise this amazing tool for your business or brand.

If anyone is interested in acquiring my social media expertise or anything else then please contact me at ontherivetcc@gmail.com for more details.

I also have a few new ideas in the pipeline that require funding. Im working hard on trying to make things happen at the moment. Progress is being made and I hope to have something to report in the near future.

Well I will leave it there for the moment.
I hope you will find my new blog interesting, you can sign up for email notifications of new posts if you wish in the right hand side menu bar.

For people unaware of my story there is a post on my previous blog here that you may find interesting.

Cheers for now..
Ride Strong!

Craig