Looking for a bargain? Here are the latest great deals we've found, including a great entry-level race bike from Specialized, online retailer discount codes, fat road tyres at fast prices, bargain training wheels and a great price on David Arthur's favourite winter jacket.
Evans Cycles
Specialized's Allez road bikes have a lineage that goes right back to the company's first race bikes back in the 1970s. The Allez Elite has a bang up to date aluminium frame with carbon fiber fork, and Shimano Tiagra 10-speed shifting. It's usually £900, but at this price you could add a load of accessories and still come under the usual £1000 Cycle To Work threshold.
Here's a relatively cheap way to experiment with fatter road tyres, with top-quality fast-rolling tyres in 25mm or 27mm width. The 'Open' designation means that these tyres are a clincher version of Vittoria's race-quality tubulars, with 320tpi casing and dual compound for grip. Our Shaun Audane was very impressed with them at £50 each so if you've been thinking about trying fat road tyres — and they'll fit your frame — this is a bargain.
A favourite at road.cc, the Serano RL has a classic raised tail/drop nose shape that many riders find very comfortable.
With 25% off, it's a bottom-cosseting bargain.
Wiggle
Summer is a good time to buy winter training wheels as you can pick up some great deals. Shimano's RS21s are reliable all-rounders that are startlingly good for just over £100. They'll work with Shimano and SRAM 11-speed cassettes, or 8- to 10-speed with a spacer.
Normally £250, this Rolls Royce of folding workstations is currently 36% off at Wiggle. The end-weighted knobs make it quick and easy to use and the quick-release jaws are kind to paintwork. It folds down small enough to tuck into a corner of the garage or shed, but once set up it's stable and sturdy. "Wonder how i ever coped without one," said one happy Wiggle reviewer.
Chain Reaction Cycles
One to hang in the wardrobe ready for winter, Sportful's Fiandre jacket provides "incredible protection against the wind, cold and rain" as David Arthur put it when he reviewed this Belgian weather-fighter. David had a couple of minor criticisms but concluded "its ability to shrug of the worst weather makes it my favourite winter jacket". That was at the original price of £170; for £114, it's a steal.
As well as saving weight, a carbon fiber seatpost will add a bit of shock-absorbing flex to take the sting out of rough roads. David Arthur really liked it, but marked it down for its eye-watering £199 price tag, so at £72 it's a bargain for its low weight and the fine tuning of your saddle angle provided by the DiffLock clamp.
Dorking Surrey independent bike shop Bikes Direct is offering £150 in free accessories with every bike order when you quote 'DealCatcher' in store. If the bike is more than £1,000, they'll also throw in a free bike fit.
Take a look at their website and if the name sounds familiar that's because last year we covered owner Max Whicher's generosity in donating a bike to a girl with a serious illness whose bike had been stolen.
New cycling holiday company La Vie en Vélo has an introductory special offer on a week riding in the rolling countryside of France's glorious Dordogne regione.
All your food, travel and accommodation will cost you just £595 and as anyone who's spent time in rural France can tell you, it's a great place to ride a bike.
Discount codes
Don't sit on your hands for this one — it ends tomorrow night. Sports clothing brand Ashmei is offering 20 percent off all its gear, including the Men's Softshell Jacket that Mat Brett loved when he reviewed it back in February. At the checkout use the code '20for48'.
Retto will knock another three percent off their already discounted prices for any order over €90 until July 31 with code 'BELBOON3VPAG'.
BikeInn is also offering three percent off, with no minimum order. The offer lasts all the way until December 31 so you could even bank this one to do some Christmas shopping for the other cyclists on your life. The code is 'TRADBELB3'.
And a Happy Christmas to you, road.cc staff!
The odds of not being able to find a single pedestrian - just one, note, "any pedestrian" - in an area containing more than about ten of them who...
It's actually not too bad at the moment. I suspect the shared sections will become a nightmare in summer though. It stops before it gets into the...
I love how wannabe racer reviewers talk about fork flex under braking like their tyres are made of glue. I find traction gives long before fork flex.
All children should be locked in their rooms with a playstation to avoid causing a nuisance to the NIMBYs, curmudgeons and gammons. When they get...
They don't make them like they used to
Thanks for using my picture of chocolate in your opening picture. The original can be found here, chocolate! | LongitudeLatitude | Flickr.
Fair comments. I'll put my hands up and say I got the wrong end of the stick with this one. ¡Feliz navidad! Here's a pic for the season of goodwill.
A trip down memory lane (or street) for me - Harry Quinn's bike shop was at the top of our Street and I used to spend time staring at the bikes and...
Because people aren't buying those cars. They are effecively renting them on PCPs or via companies. The bike market doesn't work like that.