Super Acciaio Mark II

Check out some pics of the latest re-iteration of the Super Acciaio, the deft steel racing-bred machine from those guys in London. The latest version retains the tapered bottom bracket and beefy lines, but has managed to shave 200g off the frame weight and it now boasts a slightly lighter more nible fork, yielding another 50g in the savings pot (enough to offset that treacle tart at the cafe stop... ammirite?) Expect a team RC-JLT colorscheme and a natty neon red like the pics below. Framesets start at a shade under £1300 and full builds can be scored from £2.5k approx.

Condor Cycles 

Cap-pow!

Those dudes & dudettes down at Condor Cycles have released some natty new cap designs ready for an autumn of riding. The LDN and Houndstooth hi-vis models shown below are two of their line up. The caps are handmade in Italy, and I can vouch that the cotton is nice and stiff, ensuring maximum euro cap-luft for those seeking to adhere to the rules. Head on over to the Condor Cycles website to check out their range, all very reasonably priced as usual.

Chapeau Grays Inn Road Crew!

Condor Cycles have announced the exciting news they have will be furnishing London's Lee Valley Velopark, home to the iconic Olympic cycling venues, with their Condor brand road and track cycles. Their three year contract will see the velodrome equipped with a fleet of their slick looking 'Lavoro' model, whilst the circuit road riders will hop aboard their 'Italia RC' model. Both bikes have been garnished with a custom paintjob for the venue, and boast being handmade in Italy, and both designed and built by Condors distinguished London stable.

This is a marvelous coup, and I must take this opportunity to congratulate all at Condor. I think its pretty cool that a respected and quality British bike brand was selected to provide the rides that will see a whole raft of the next generation of cyclists enjoy the sport. Head on over to Condors blog to read more from Mr Young on their news...

TGH

If you arent familiar with Tao Geoghegan Hart, then check out his blog here. At 17, Tao is currently riding on the British Olympic Development Squad, and for Hackney CC. On his blog he journals the highs and lows of racing at such a high level. The guy looks every inch the dapper pro already, and in 2012 rode the espoirs version of Paris-Roubaix.

He's not only every inch the consummate aspiring PRO, but also managing to hold down studies for A levels as well as ripping the legs of racers in the UK and the continent come the weekend. He's a lovely guy too, so check out some of the links below and pull up a seat to what im sure will be a very successful season for Tao on the road. Oh and Tao said I had a nice face so obviously that makes him a TOTAL DUDE.

http://www.rapha.cc/hart-of-hackney

http://www.rapha.cc/hart-of-hackney

http://www.rememberthename.co.uk//tao-geoghegan-hart

http://taogeogheganhart.blogspot.co.uk

Dominique's Destroyer

Check out the fully custom weapon Condor have created for veteran of the London cycle scene and sometimes rapha muse, Dominique Gabellini. The carbon beast had each tube cut and sculpted by hand in Italy. Running a mix of componentry that reads like a whats what in the £ per gram ratio, the bike really does look the biz. No inner chainring or front derailleur, and a mix of campy wheels and Di2 help keep the weight down to a feather-like minimum. Dom will race crits like a madman on this beast this upcoming season, but for now the bike can be seen on display in the Condor window. Check it out next time you visit... I love the saddle and bars, with their subtle striped finish. Bravo Condor!

Lotus Condor - Update

Super-snapper Andrew Ferraro, reader of this wee blog and fellow Acciaio rider recently snapped a few frames of this special edition Condor Leggero crafted for car-makers Lotus.

The bike marks the beginning of a really interesting collaboration between the firms, with Lotus able to offer some incredibly specific engineering knowledge to produce some exciting new innovations to the world of Condor bicycles. 

Although on first inspection the design looks a little like the infamous rapha 'imperial works' colourscheme with the whole black and gold vibe, this is a happy accident.... it was actually designed in homage to the Lotus Formula 1 machine, which is apparently soon to accompany this snazzy bike at the showroom.

Both Condor and Lotus, formed in 1948, share a passion for the production of lightweight racing machines, so this seems like a really cool partnership, with both companies utilising their knowledge of material and design to offer up something a little cooler than the Spesh X McLaren offerings. The focus im told from my Condor 'Secret Squirrel' will be "Efficiency on a bicycle, performance gains and a bike that everyone can ride, not just a pro." With an emphasis on affordability and performance... it seems to be a match made in heaven. There's every possibility in 2013 you will see some cool specialist fruits of this hook up... I for one await with baited breath! For now enjoy some pics shot by Andy Waterman....

Nocturne - 9th June

The 2012 Smithfield Nocturne is almost upon us! info here

Custom Acciaio HUP!

Condor Race Socks

Condor Cycles have released a new model of sock just in time for summer, this time tipping a nod to the cool euro styling seen on PRO racers within today's peloton. Their lightweight-tech white sock features a simple striped contrasting rear logo (available in both black and red, perfect to pick the coordinating colour to your S-Works heel cup!). In a longer incarnation of their previous sock, the race model boasts a 7cm long cuff section, perfect for those looking to enhance their bronzed pins for uber-euro points. 

Priced at £8.99, I can confirm from the featured pictures that even after a decent 40 wash cycle, the socks came out like new. A welcome piece of information for those prone to heavy washing of their kit. The midfoot section is crafted from a meshed version of the microfibre yarn, improving ventilation to this part of the foot, along with ease of moisture transfer - bound to a nice bit of respite on those hot summer days in the saddle. The toe and heel area offers a thicker blend of fabric, resulting in a comfortable and secure fit.

The socks are available in-store now, in two sizes, a S/M & M/L. Alternatively, those non-London residents can ping the good folks at Grays Inn Road an email or phonecall and take advantage of friendly mail order option. Another nice sock staple to add to the summer riding wardrobe.

Bespokery

This past weekend I visited the very lovely 'Bespoked' handmade bicycle show in Bristol. Making a day of it I set out with a very good chum for a wonderfully sunny daytrip, taking an early morning train out from London. The exhibition showcased some great UK framebuilders complimented by different stands encompassing the many different spheres of the current cycling scene. 
There's no denying that cycling has become more popular than ever, with many different builders popping up over the last couple of years. One only has to browse the internet for proof of such a burgeoning scene, and on a daily basis im consistently amazed at some of the beautiful and lust-worthy bikes and kit popping up all over the place. Bespoked, making its maiden voyage into the world of bike lust with a roaring success of a show last year, returned bigger and better, with a whole host of exhibitors showcasing some delish bikes & fodder.

First to greet visitors at the top of the entrance staircase was a collection of extremely anticipated builds. This year marks the efforts of Rapha to globalize their unique 'Continental' programme, and at Bespoked were 4 of the frames to be used in the UK continental rides. Ricky Feathers bike, that Max Leonard will throw his legs over for the uk rides also won the 'Best Road Bike' category for the show, and its really not hard to see why! Lush detailing, and as you'd expect from the Perrn St mob, that timeless black with a dash of pink componentry.

The three other frames garnered much attention, with Donhou building a disc braked steel beauty, complete with wound up forks, Brian Rourke crafting a beautifully proportioned frame for the towering rider Graham, (and curiously unlike most large frame sized it actually looks fabulous) and the Robin Mather displayed, with its funky decal. 

The UK continental project will see six talented riders undertake a series of quintessential rides across the British isles, documenting the landscape and weather fluctuations of our country in the typically rapha-esque aesthetic. Watch their website for more information as the rides are undertaken.

James points out that only one bike used any pink on the framework, in a small and eloquent tribute to a sufferer of breast cancer. Unfortunately I blurred the detailing of this meaningful gesture.

The Brian Rourke stand contained a lot of lovely frames, and their race ready beast built up was one mean machine! My friend James is collecting his custom rourke this weekend, and having kept us in the dark for 6 months about the colour scheme, we couldn't help but wonder if his frame was sat perched upon the wall, staring back at us.

The show had loads of race bikes built using steel, it seems the material has truly made a resurgence, and some of the builds were light indeed.

It was also great to meet Richard, the man behind the Urban Hunter webstore. Iv always been a fan of their, as they seem to stock some really cute trinkets and lines that are exclusive to them (I think they are the only people to be punting those super euro Salice glasses). 

They had some nice things on display at their stand, with some nice racey Italian bits to some serious courier bags for the fixie dudes.

Rowland and I had our hearts stolen by a custom brand called Legend, creating by the man who was the brains behind the Viner bikes. I lusted after a scarlet matted carbon peach, whereas Si fell for a cheeky Ti number...