London Bike Show 2013 - Kinky Pinarellos

Kinky Top Tube

I said it last year, I am saying it again this year and I know I'll be repeating it next year.

Why is a straight line not good enough for Pinarello?

Why do they insist on disrupting every possible straight line with a kink or a curve on so many models?

To me, the best bike design is about clean lines.

London Bike Show 2013 - Team Sky Pinarello Graal TT Bike

Displayed next to the Pinarello Matt Track Bike, this was the only item on the Pinarello stand to make the 10 Grand fixie seem cheap.

The Team Sky liveried Graal comes in at a jaw dropping £14,000.

Featuring a 60HM1K carbon monocoque frame (1100g in 53cm) and matching fork, this Graal is equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2.

Available in a range of sizes from 45cm to 57.5cm, Pinarello were anxious to emphasise that your £14,000 bike will come complete with basebar, stem and bars.

Phew.

If you prefer a non-trade team liveried bike, there was also a tasty looking red and white number, equipped with Campag Super Record and Corima Disc for the bargain basement rate of just £9,499.

Phew again.

London Bike Show 2013 - The Ten Grand Fixie - Pinarello Matt Track



The Pinarello Matt 2013



Ladies and Gentlemen; here it is - the ten grand fixie!

Well, its the Pinarello Matt 2013 track bike at the London Bike Show.

As pictured, running Campagnolo Record, complete with Corima 4 Spoke front and Disc rear, this little beauty will set you back £9,999.

If you prefer to simply pick up the carbon 30 HM12K monocoque frame, forks and bars it can be yours for as little as £7,699.

The frame comes in 42.5, 46, 51.5, 53, 55 and 58cm, the 53cm example weighing in at 1200g.

It is certainly an amazing looking bike - I particularly loved the bars, but 10K?

Go on, treat yourself!

2012 - A Year in Numbers

Some cyclists love numbers. Numbers can define what we do and how we’ve done it.

We all seem to throw numbers around -  in many cases without even having to define the unit of measurement.

For example, I could ride a 10 or a 25, aspire to do a 12 and manage a short 1:04 and a lot of like-minded people would know exactly what I was talking about.

I like the numbers and although I don’t ride for their sake, they help me understand what I have done – where I’ve done well, where I am lacking and where I can improve – and they help me plan for the following year – most of my 2013 targets have a numerical quality. Either a bigger or smaller number. You know which is which.

So in review, the top line. For me;

2012 = 5549

While...

2011 = 4155

And...

2010 = 3187

That’s progression and it makes me happy.

2012 was my 2^nd season of time trialling and I managed to knock 2.12 off my 10, 6.58 off my 25 and 7.34 off my 50. In 2013, I will be targeting a 100 and a 12 and hoping for another 1.00 off my 10, 3.00 off my 25 and 6.00 off my 50.

Looking at my Garmin Connect, it will tell me that the 5549 for 2012 encompassed 309hrs on the bike at 16.5mph. With an average HR of 136bpm, I climbed 27,000m and burned 258,000Cal. This included 37 races, 4 Reliability rides and 235 other training and leisure rides. I also used the bike as part of my commute to work 64 times.

Financially I made £35 in prize money, and spent a classified amount on entry fees, kit and consumables. In this game, the numbers don't always add up.