http://wattbike.com/ Latest News http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/inter-school_competitions_with_dame_tanni_grey-thompson/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/1675/ Darlington’s first Inter-School Wattbike competition supported by Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson GOLD medal-winning paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson visited a school to present awards to the winners of a cycling challenge. Darlington’s first Inter-School Wattbike competition was won by a team from Carmel RC College. The Wattbikes were loaned by the British Cycling North-East regional team to three Darlington schools, Carmel, Haughton and Longfield. Team members from the schools took turns to cycle one kilometre. An average was then calculated for the teams. The results were: Carmel, 86 seconds, Haughton, 92 seconds and Longfield, 97 seconds. The competition was organised by Sustrans, a sustainable transport charity, and backed by Dame Tanni. At yesterday’s presentation, Maura Regan, principal of Carmel, told pupils, staff and guests that she was delighted with the energy and enthusiasm of the pupils involved in the many Sustrans cycling initiatives at the college. “They all promote and encourage young people to cycle,” she said. “It is fantastic that there are so many of you here today to celebrate with Dame Tanni, such a great ambassador and advocate for young people.” Kevin Kilcullen, of Sustrans, said it had been a tough challenge. He said: “Some riders found the short test really tough and there were many wobbly legs as riders got off the bikes after their turn. “I plan to run the competition on an annual basis for the secondary schools in Darlington that work with Sustrans.” http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_racing_at_lichfields_youth_and_ladies_event/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/957/ Wattbikes a winner! The ongoing inclement weather conditions failed to stop the recent craze of indoor cycling that is Wattbike racing. 22 riders gathered on Tuesday 12 January to participate in the first round of the Youth and Ladies Only event at Friary Grange Leisure Centre.  Once riders had been split into 3 groups the races began with the 500m Time Trial. The Group 1 race was won by Georgia Tonks in 43.99 seconds but Rosie Cox’s finishing time of 44.00 seconds gave a hint of the night aheads results.  Bertie Newey finished in 31.86 seconds to take first win of the night ahead of William yde in 32.98 seconds in Group 2.  In Group 3 “The Ladies”, Sam Simms won in 37.42 seconds ahead of Debbie Yates in 40.73 seconds. The evening’s second race was the ‘Scratch’, a distance race over 1500m to 2000m that tests pace and endurance of the riders.  A reversal of the placings in Group 1 saw Rosie Cox win ahead of Georgia Tonks.  Bertie Newey won again in Group 2 but Jacob Kelly followed him home just 1.9 seconds later.  In Group 3 meanwhile Sam Simms proved to be the stronger rider again but Sarah Cox sneaked into 2nd place. The 250m Team Sprint is a popular event with the riders and certainly proves to be an exciting race for spectators.  Riders are formed into teams of two based on their times in the first event.  It ensures close racing between the team and so it proved.  Special mention must go to Heather parlour who thought she had come to watch the event but was persuaded to ride the team sprint. The penultimate event was the 500m Handicap.  Once again the results from race 1 are used to determine the starting order.  It effectively means the winner of race 1 will start the race last.  The potential is therefore that all riders will finish at the same time. It is however rare as other factors also come into play.  In a repeat of event 1 however, Georgia Tonks finished first, with Rosie Cox second.  Daniel Cooper was however pleased with himself to finish in 3rd place. This was an emotion clearly shared by Emily Capewell in Group 2.  Her yell of “I win” announced the result to everyone in the room.  Luke Selibas was second closely followed by Isabelle Clarke. There was no such shout as Anne Robinson of Group 3 crossed the line, but 2nd place Janice Hyde was certainly smiling at her own result. The last event of the night was the Keirin.  In this race the riders are required to ride to a pace determined by a rider on an additional bike.  The pace speeds up until it reaches a pre-determined distance, at this point the riders are able to race flat out – first across the line wins.  It is a race of timing and tactics. In group 1 Cox and Tonks occupied the first 2 positions ahead of 3rd place Amie Parlour. Group 2 was split into 2 separate groups so that the girls had their own race.  Sophie Capewell took first place ahead of Isabelle Clarke and Emily Capewell.  In the boy’s race, Jacob Kelly took first place to ensure he retained his crown of ‘King of the Keirin’.  He is unbeaten in a Keirin race on the Wattbikes.  Bertie Newey took second place ahead of Nick Selibas. Sam Simms won the ladies race with Debbie Yates and Sarah Cox taking the next two placings. The league takes place every Tuesday until March and the senior riders get their chance to ride on a Friday. Further details are available on www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/wattbikes as are results and league standings. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_price_freeze/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/837/ Happy New Year to all Wattbike users! To celebrate the New Year we are freezing the price of the Wattbike at £1850 even with the increase in VAT! To buy your Wattbike visit our shop or call 0115 945 5454. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/norfolk_wattbike_race_series_starts_this_jan/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/786/ Entries are now open for the inaugural Norfolk Wattbike Race Series, which starts in the New Year in Norwich. To book your place visit www.activenorfolk.org or contact Beth Coley on 07736 061788. Active Norfolk and City College Norwich will be running the series, each lasting six weeks, starting in January 2010. The Wattbikes will all be linked through a laptop, and a huge image showing real-time racing, projected onto a wall. The image will show the progress of riders as they race in each event. The race series is open to anyone aged 16 and over. Each course consists of six sessions held once a week with 5 races each session. Races held each session: 5km time trial: A flat, steady course to get you legs in race mode. Race hard, but save something for the rest of the night. Devil Takes the Hindmost: A 2.5km race - every 500m the competitor in last place will be eliminated. Win and Out: The first person to reach 500m wins and stops cycling, leaving the rest of the pack to compete, 500m at a time, for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th. You need to cross a 500m marker before the rest of the pack, for the next win and out place.  Big Gear Challenge: 1km, fixed resistance, fastest wins.  750m time trial: The final race of the night is a short, sharp, sprint give it everything you've got! Where possible, riders with similar abilities will be grouped to race each other. An athlete's best four performances will count towards the race series. At the end of the six weeks, prizes will be awarded to the leading male and female athletes. The league runs over six weeks at City College Norwich, with two sessions per evening, 6-8pm and 8-10pm. Key Facts: Starts Wednesday 20th January for 6 consecutive weeks The course costs £45 to attend (6 sessions on consecutive Wednesdays with 5 races each session). For further information please contact Beth Coley on 07736 061788 To book your place visit www.activenorfolk.org or contact Beth Coley on 07736 061788 http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/watt_a_night_-_report_from_the_lichfield_wattbike_league/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/750/ The first race of the evening, a 500m time trial was won by Chris Stilgoe in 33.73 seconds. Alison Holmes finished in second place in 34.40 seconds closely followed by Beth Clayton 0.40 seconds later. The battle between these two latter riders would continue throughout the evening as they attempted to assert their authority over each other and the rest of the group. In Group 2 meanwhile Alex McDonald completed the distance in 30.44 seconds, with Group 3’s Ian Beard blasting home in 27.96 seconds.   The popular Team Sprint, in which each rider in the 3 man team races over a 250m distance, was the next race. Sue Smith, Debbie Capewell and Alison Holmes took the honours in Group 1 with Mark Stodgell, Rob Cox and Ian Roberts doing the same in Group 2. Group 3 was won by Simon Smith, Phil Kelly and Dave Smith.   The final event of the evening is the now traditional 500m Handicap. This race allows the riders with the slower time from the opening event to make amends. Riders set off at different intervals with the fastest rider from race one setting off last. In Group 1 Sue Smith pipped Ann Robinson to the line by a slender 1 second margin, whilst Alison Holmes ‘s 4th place gave her the overall victory in Group 1 for the evening. Richard McDonald won in Group 2 ahead of Tim Challinor with Mark Stodgell in third, who claimed the overall win in that Group. A 31.63 second ride clinched first place for Ian Beard, despite being set off 4 seconds behind Bertie Newey who finished in 31.87 seconds. Simon Smith took third place in 33.19 but Clayton who finished in 6th place had done enough to win the overall in Group 3.   The league takes a break over the Christmas period and restarts in January. A Christmas special will take place at the leisure centre on 30th December. Details of all the forthcoming league fixtures and the Christmas special can be found on www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/wattbikes http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/newman_targets_new_24_hour_world_record/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/751/ The 24 hour static cycling world record is set to come under threat today (11th December). Tom Newman from Fulham is aiming to surpass the record of 722.383 km (448.76 miles) on a Wattbike set by RAAM cyclist, Jim Rees at the Cycle Show in October.   Newman’s main motivation is raising money for the Princess Alice Hospice, but the 25 year old athlete has ensured that he will be spurred along to break the record by inviting friends to pay for 30 and 60 minute slots to ride alongside him. He has hired two Wattbikes for the challenge at the Horsley Sports Club in Surrey where he will start his marathon ride at 3pm.   He said: “I think one of the toughest things will be keeping going throughout the night. I’ve sold slots to make sure I’m not riding on my own!”   He also has a live band, party and festive cakes to help him along and has put up a cash prize for the winner of a Wattbike peak power test, which involves cycling as hard as possible for six seconds to record a power score. The current record is 2159 Watts, a score that comes close to those achieved by the likes of Sir Chris Hoy!   Newman continued: “I’m hoping to break the 24 hour record. I did a bucket-load of miles in 12 hours when I tested myself out a few weeks ago. This isn’t my main focus for training, but it’s something I decided to do at the start of the year and I intend to enjoy myself. I had originally planned to do it outdoors in the summer on a 20mile loop but I was involved in an accident where I fractured my skull and most of my season was written off.   Newman, who competes for Pro-Vo2, has taken part in numerous Ironman events and represented Great Britain at the World Long Distance Championships in Prague last year.   He added: “This challenge is really good training for me and I really like the Wattbike. It’s a great way to build power and work on specific programmes. It’s the first bike I think that really does this, particularly as I hate turbo training!”   To sponsor Tom visit www.justgiving.com/24hourtom. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_hire/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/655/ £75.00 a month hire, 50% of your hire fees back if you buy within 3 months*. What are you doing for your winter training? Why not give your fitness and technique a boost with the Wattbike over the winter months for just £75 a month? If you then want to buy the Wattbike, we will even give you back 50% of your hire fees*. This is how to hire: £75.00 per month for first 3 months, £60 per month therafter. £100.00 set-up bond – completely refundable if you buy within the first 3 months £100.00 refundable deposit on the safe return of the bike or off-set against the purchase price if you decide to buy. One Wattbike hire per person. Companies cannot rent or hire through this scheme. For multiple machines, there are leasing schemes available Please call us on 0115 945 5454 or email info@wattbike.com for full details What makes the Wattbike the world’s leading indoor bike? The Wattbike is endorsed by British Cycling who use it for training and testing cyclists of all ages and abilities from kids to elite athletes of all disciplines It’s world-class data will help you to your improve your fitness and pedalling technique It offers the authentic feel of cycling that other indoor bikes lack It provides live technique and performance data for analysis and improvement http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/newey_scores_a_hat-trick_of_wins/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/654/ Round 3 of the Wattbike league at Friary Grange Leisure Centre, kicked off with the familiar 500m time trial. The 3 groups racing during the evening’s proceedings had been reshuffled following the previous weeks performances and resulted in some very different racing as a consequence. Group 1’s race was won by Chris Stilgoe in 31.02 seconds, a faster time than he recorded the previous week whilst riding in Group 2. Alex McDonald took the top spot in Group 2 in 30.98 seconds. Ian Beard, after being promoted into group 3, set the early pace with a 27.85 second ride, almost 2 seconds ahead of second placed Paul Askey. The second event traditionally called the Course des Primes, or the race of sprints, sees the riders sprinting to the 300m distance marker, in a bid to earn the single point on offer. The rider who accumulates the most points is declared the winner. Up to 7 sprints would be contested before the final 400m dash, so it becomes a test of tactics, sprinting and the ability to recover well. Mike Yardley won in Group 1, Alex McDonald won again in group 2 and Dave Smith won group 3. The organisers threw in a twist for the Team Sprint; riders were placed into teams of 3, instead of the usual pairings. The team of Chris Stilgoe, Bertie Newey and Ian Simms took top spot, over 2nd placed Alison Holmes, John Yates and Dave Smith. The 4th race of the evening traditionally seems to be the endurance event and so it remained. Group 1 rode over 2km and Mike Yardley finished in 2.50.27. Alison Holmes kept the pressure on him to finish in 2.51.63 to take second place, followed by Stilgoe. Group 2 ride 3 km and the time of 4.01.90 gave Mark Stodgell the top spot followed by Rob Cox in 4.06.71. A 4km ride faced the group 3 riders, but unfazed by this Bertie Newey stormed home in 5.18.99 just ahead of Graham Birch’s 5.19.49 The traditional end of evening race is the 500m Handicap. With start times based on the results of the first of the evening races, riders start with the slower riders first and the faster riders last. Group 1 was led off by Anne Robinson, who led all the way and recorded a ride 1 second faster than her effort in the first race. Alison Holmes took second followed by Mike Yardley in 3rd. Rob Cox led the field home for group 2 followed by Mark Stodgell and Richard McDonald. Bertie Newey took his third win of the evening in Group 3 followed by Dave Smith and Ian Beard. By the end of the night, Mike Yardley won Group 1 followed by Stilgoe and Alison Holmes. Group 2 experienced a joint first by Alex McDonald and Mark Stodgell, with Richard McDonald given 3rd place. Group 3 proved to be a keenly fought group with 4 riders all accruing the same points tally and being awarded joint firsts. They were Newey, Dave Smith, Graham Birch and Ian Simms. Bertie Newey now leads the league after 3 rounds with 39 points ahead of Alison Holmes with 35points. After missing this round Steve Clayton drops to 3rd place with 34 points. The next event is on Friday 3rd December, all bikes have been reserved and organisers are only able to take reserves for the final round before the Christmas break. There is a Christmas special on Wednesday 30th December, so if you would like to ride contact Nigel Capewell on 07768 560 932 or the leisure centre on 01543 308842, alternatively email friary.grange@lichfielddc.gov.uk for details. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/round_2_of_the_wattbike_league_took_place_at_friary_grange_leisure_centre/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/652/ The 5 races in the event programme ensured a full and action packed evening of indoor cycle racing. An increased field or riders also meant that the competition for points was even more hotly contested. Charlie Cox continued to show his strength and endurance, as he had the week before. He took 4 out of the 5 possible victories in his group and took the overall victory in his group and goes to the top of the overall leader broad. Matthew Sisley made his first appearance in the league and clearly demonstrated his own ability to take a string of high placings to clinch 2nd place on the night. Daniel Cooper who finished in 3rd place on the night, did enough to ensure he remains in 4th place in the league overall. In group 2 Emily Capewell, another new rider, got off to a good start and won the first 2 races. All 7 competitors in this group won podium places at some stage during the evening and as such the competition was once again very intense. Isabelle Clarke however took first with Ella Birch in 2nd with newcomer Capewell in 3rd place. The boys in Group 3 put on an exhilarating show with times improving from the previous weeks racing. Ultimately, Bertie Newey took 1st place Jacob Kelly was 2nd and 3rd place was shared by Will Hyde and Matt Thomas. In the ladies it was clear that some riders must have been engaged in secret training sessions. Deborah Newey knocked 7 seconds off her 500m time from the previous week to win the first race. Debbie Yates pushed her to the line and continued to ride consistently throughout the events to take 1st place on the night. Sarah Cox and Anne Robinson did not give up easily and ensured that Yates had to work hard all night. They finished 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Newcomers to the event Janice Hyde, Corrie Sisley and Sue Clarke all seemed to have another battle going on throughout the night. With their children watching they gave their all and no doubt did them proud. Cautious smiles emanated from the faces of the ladies as they climbed off bikes, and replied to the organiser “of course we will be back!” Anyone can ride the Wattbike League, so if you want to do so or need further information contact the leisure Centre on 01543 308842 or log on to www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/wattbikes. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/friday_night_wattbike_league_returns/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/762/ The Wattbike league is based on the type of racing commonly seen at indoor velodromes and provides 5 different events for each competitor to participate in. Riders are split into 3 groups of 10 riders. Group 1 is for the ladies and the remaining 2 groups places are taking by the men. A mix of participants had assembled which included first timers, seasoned wattbikers, cyclists and triathletes and even current National Champions.   In group 2 Alex McDonald’s time of 30.96 ensured him of the win ahead of his father, Neil. Local GP Pat Staite’s 31.57 time gave him third place, surely a good example of an active lifestyle being set for his patients! The Devil race, with pre-determined distances used to eliminate the last rider to reach it, guarantees fast and furious racing in which tactics are all important. Julie Cooper won again for the ladies, followed by Beth Clayton and Sue Smith. In group 3 meanwhile Steve Clayton took first place but was hotly pursued by Bertie Newey, who was clearly in good form following his participation in the Tuesday night league. Simon Smith continued to challenge though and took 3rd spot.   In Group 2 Chris Stilgoe and Neil McDonald beat Rob Cox and Ian Simms to the line followed in 3rd place by Mike Yardley and Pat Staite. The combination of Steve Clarke and Simon Smith proved too much for the field in group 3 as they snatched victory ahead of Bertie Newey and Dave smith.   Group 2 are pushed a little bit more and race over 3km. Rob Cox’s 4.09.66 ensured he pipped Tim Challinor to the post who was closely followed by Ian Simms in 3rd place. The 500m Handicap event, the last of the evening, sees riders set of at intervals dependant on their times in the 500m time trial event. If the handicapping is done well it should see all riders crossing the line together. It does however rely on the riders not holding back in the first event, as if they would consider doing so! Debbie Capewell took her first Wattbike victory followed by Anne Robinson and then Julie Cooper. All the groups’ riders actually finished within 3 seconds of each other. Neil McDonald, Ian Simms and Tim Challinor took the first 3 places in Group 2 again all riders finishing within 3 seconds of each other. By the end of the evening Julie Cooper had won overall in Group 1, Ian Simms for group 2 and Steve Clayton in Group 3. The next league event takes place on 20th November. If you would like to participate in this event which is open to anyone to do so please contact Nigel Capewell on 07768 560932 or Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on 01543 308842. Full results and details are available on www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/wattbikes   http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_used_in_the_talent_2016_initiative/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/653/ UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport have teamed up to unearth Great Britain's Olympians beyond London 2012 by launching Talent 2016: Tall and Talented. Olympic rowing medallist Katherine Grainger and Andy Triggs-Hodge have given their backing to the scheme, aimed at identifying the stars of tomorrow in sports such as rowing or basketball where height can be an advantage. Tall and Talented is looking for men and women between 15 and 22 over the heights of 5 ft 11ins for women and 6ft 3ins for men. To see the Wattbike in use watch the video on UK Sports YouTube channel and for more information on Talent 2016 programme see the UK Sport website. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_world_record_breaking_rees/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/651/ Jim Rees achieved two incredible cycling feats this weekend at the Cycle Show (8-11 October). The Bedfordshire man, who has ridden 3000 miles across America three times, set a new 24hour static cycling world record on the Wattbike, and then went on to complete 1000miles of cycling during the four day show at Earls Court. Rees was Britain’s top finisher at the Race Across America (RAAM) event last year, completing the mammoth cycle race in 10 days and 20 hours. He accepted the Cycle Show challenge just weeks ago, but amassed a huge total of 448.76miles in 24hours. He beat Neil Rhodes’ previous record, set last November, by 56miles. He then went on to complete 1000miles of cycling throughout the rest of the show, despite suffering with a cold. He said: "The first night was really tough, especially when the lights went down and there was no one around. But it was great during the show that I got to chat to so many people who were supporting me, and to know that a lot of data was being collected by the Wattbike. It will be really interesting to look back at that." "It was also tough that I had to get there at 4.30am on the final day to give myself a chance of reaching 1000 miles." "I believe that anything is possible with the right mindset. I only decided to do this just over a week ago and am delighted with the record. I hope it will help raise more awareness of the Wallace and Gromit Foundation, which helps very sick children." Rees was featured on an ITV4 documentary about his participation in RAAM and plans to ride again in 2011. He was not the only person to ride and break records on the Wattbike during the Cycle Show. Over 1000 people took part in the 500m time trail, with a new record time of 27.21seconds being established by Jason Prior. John Wilson from Wattbike said: "The Cycle Show was very successful for Wattbike. It was inspiring to see Jim Rees’ pushing the boundaries of human endurance, whilst also seeing some incredibly explosive speeds during the time trial. We’re gradually establishing indoor cycling as a recognised discipline, as well as reinforcing the message that the Wattbike provides measurable and specific training benefits for serious cyclists." http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/rees_achieves_24_hour_record/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/650/ Jim Rees, the Bedfordshire man who rode 3000 miles across America in 10 days and 20 hours, has set a new world record for 24 hours of continuous cycling. The record was achieved on a Wattbike during day one of the Cycle Show at Earls Court in London. Rees surpassed the previous record of 392.9miles, set last year by Neil Rhodes, with just under three hours to spare, and is still currently cycling! He is aiming not only to set a good bench mark for 24 hours, but also to achieve 1000 miles of cycling during the show in aid of the Wallace and Gromit Foundation. At current pace, he should achieve a total of around 460miles. Rees, who was featured on an ITV4 documentary about his participation in the Race Across America (RAAM) event, is attempting to complete his target mileage during the Earl’s Court show, which is open until Sunday (11 October). Rees said: "This reinforces the message that anything is possible with the right mindset. I only decided to do this just over a week ago." John Wilson from Wattbike said: "Brilliant! What a great achievement. The Wattbike is ideal for this sort of challenge and we’re full of praise for Jim for breaking the world record. We’re here at the show cheering him along. 1000miles is a very long way on a static bike!" Cycle Show 2009 will take place at Earl's Court 1, London. Open for trade only on the 8th October it opens to the public between the 9th and 11th October. Tickets are on sale now and are available online atwww.cycleshow.co.uk. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/rees_to_ride_1000_wattbike_miles_at_cycle_show/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/649/ Jim Rees, the man who rode 3000 miles across America in 10 days and 20 hours, has set himself a challenge of completing 1000miles on a Wattbike during next week’s Cycle Show, as well as breaking the world record for 24hours of continuous cycling. Rees, who was featured on an ITV4 documentary about his participation in the Race Across America (RAAM) event, will attempt to complete his target mileage during the Earl’s Court show, which opens to trade next Thursday (8 October) and lasts until Sunday (11 October). He’ll need to rack up around 250miles a day. Rees, who is a motivational speaker and plans to tackle RAAM again in 2011, started training on a Wattbike at home last month. He said: "I enjoy being a normal guy who achieves things that people think aren’t possible. If you have the right mindset you can achieve anything, and through the things I do and say, I hope I can influence people positively, particularly children. "I am a big supporter of the Cycle Show and I wanted to have a go at a tough challenge to also help benefit the Wallace and Gromit Foundation, which helps very sick children. "I’m impressed with the Wattbike, it’s really easy to set up into the correct position and I’m not one for getting really cold and wet in the winter! The power meter is interesting too." Cycle Show 2009 will take place at Earl's Court 1 London. It will open for trade only on the 8th October before opening to the public between the 9th and 11th October. Tickets are on sale now and are available online at www.cycleshow.co.uk. Cycle Show visitors can guess how long it will take Rees to complete 1000miles, and will have a chance of winning prizes. He will be located in the entrance walkway of the show and there are more opportunities to win with Wattbike through the indoor time trial. Any visitor entering the 500m time trial can win a trip for two to Club La Santa in Lanzarote or a trip to the Tour Downunder with Sports Tours International. Prizes will be drawn from all participants and there are bonus prizes for the fastest riders. The bar is currently set at 27.29seconds, the current 500m world record on the Wattbike. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/james_cracknell_improves_his_cycling_using_wattbike/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/648/ Training on the Wattbike has helped me improve at a phenomenal rate this year, and to post really successful results. I can't say enough how much the Wattbike has helped. Not only has it kept me really honest on long rides and intervals, but also helped my pedalling. I no longer just turn the pedals over, I’m more efficient and the results have been really encouraging. I make the most of limited training time to train effectively at home. Through the Wattbike I’ve learned the gearing and cadence that suits me best, and been able to glimpse into the future to see how much better I could be. When I first got on the bike I was pushing a high gear at low cadence and losing up to 56 metres per minute (over 3300 metres an hour) due to pedalling inefficiency. I’ve since improved my overall average power output by close to 40 Watts during a one-hour test, and reduced that loss to 34 metres per minute (just over 2000 metres per hour) with a lower gear, higher cadence and better pedalling efficiency. My first attempt at an hour ended with an average wattage of 303W, distance 43,138 metres at a cadence of 92, losing 3300 metres (0.6 of a metre every pedal revolution) and I was exhausted. Just seven weeks later I produced a wattage of 340W, distance of 45,032 at 98 cadence losing only 2000 metres (0.34 of a metre every pedal revolution). Apparently I still used at least 240 more pedal revolutions than needed, so I know I can get better. One of the most addictive things about the bike is the polar view. You can see the points during the revolution you generate power, and at points you don’t. Perfect pedalling results in a perfect circle, which I’m always aiming for by trying to push and pull consistently throughout the revolutions. According to the Wattbike I can improve by another 1000 metres over an hour and generate about 360W, that’s got to help me with future challenges! Without doing any more training I’m already more efficient, tire less quickly and am performing better as a result. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_all_set_for_liw/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/647/ Wattbike continues its national tour next week, stopping off at Leisure Industry Week in Birmingham from 22-24th September. And the first 200 people riding the Wattbike each day will receive a free wristband. The bike is the only static bike ever to be endorsed by British Cycling. It is the result of seven years of development, working with the top coaches and sports scientists in the world to produce a bike that feels like real cycling and is capable to generating accurate, measurable performance data. For the fitness industry the bike represents an opportunity to offer an authentic cycling experience and target committed cyclists and triathletes in particular. John Wilson of Wattbike commented: “Training on the Wattbike offers a challenging workout. It’s ideal for busy people wanting to make the most of the training time they have and is ideal for our dark winters. The reaction to the bike recently at events like the Dextro Energy ITU World Triathlon Championships on the Gold Coast and the SkyRides has indicated that people really appreciate what the bike can do. They all want to make the scale of improvements that customers like James Cracknell have made!” “The Wattbike is ideal for home use and in gyms. They can be linked together easily to hold races and offer coached group cycling sessions.” The Wattbike is also set to appear at the Cycle Show from 8-11 October, with RAMM cyclist, Jim Reece, aiming to rack up 1000miles during the four days. For more information contact Helen Gorman on 07739 456644 /helen.gorman@perfectmotion.org or Chloe Chaplin on 0115 9258777 /chloe.chaplin@perfectmotion.org. LIW takes place in at the NEC in Birmingham, 22-24th September. Seewww.liw.co.uk. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_time_trial_debuts_at_cycle_show/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/646/ Taking part in the new Wattbike 500m indoor time trial at the Cycle Show (8-11 October) could land visitors a holiday for two in Lanzarote. Vicky Pendleton is the British record holder on the track with 34.614seconds. How fast you can go? Anyone contesting the 500m sprint stands to win one of two holidays for two at Club La Santa in Lanzarote, thanks to Sports Tours International. Just by recording a time over the 500m distance, any competitor in the male and the female races can be selected at random to win. The revolutionary Wattbikes are the only static bikes endorsed by British Cycling and will feature for the first time at the Cycle Show when doors open for trade visitors on Thursday 8th October and for the public from 9th to 11th October at Earls Court. In addition to the top prizes, there will be a host of other prizes on offer, including official Cycle Show branded kit. Children are also invited to take part in a 200m time trial. Event Director, Andrew Brabazon said: “We wanted to offer something new for 2009 and the Wattbike indoor time trial is a fantastic addition to the show. For around half a minute of effort, anyone who takes part could win the Sport Tours Holiday to Club La Santa.” John Wilson from Wattbike said: “Anyone taking part in the time trial can post their times to our World Rankings database and see how their times compare. The fastest time at the moment is 27.29seconds. Visitors should set their times early if they want to have the opportunity to improve them during the show!” He added: “By simply getting on the bikes and having a go in the Polar View mode visitors will be able to see how efficient their pedaling is and make very basic adjustments that will translate into smoother, more efficient cycling.” Peter Davies from Sports Tours International said: “Club La Santa is the perfect purpose-built training centre, with everything a cyclist could possibly ever need. Now anyone who comes along to the Cycle Show could win a trip for two.” For more information see http://www.wattbike.com or contact Helen Gorman on 07739 456644 or helen.gorman@perfectmotion.org Cycle Show 2009 will take place at Earl's Court 1 London. It will open for trade only on the 8th October before opening to the public between the 9th and 11th October. Tickets are on sale now and are available online at http://www.cycleshow.co.uk For more information on the Cycle Show contact Daniel Lipman ondaniel.lipman@ideageneration.co.uk or Ffion Williams on ffion@ideageneration.co.uk About the Wattbike: The result of over seven year’s development, Wattbike is a user friendly exercise bike that feels as close to real cycling as you can get. It can be used for every kind of cycling from rehabilitation to Olympic training to online racing, is suitable for riders of all abilities and ages and provides accurate and consistent performance data. And it doesn’t cost the earth. It is the first and only indoor bike to be endorsed by British Cycling, the highly successful governing body of cycling in the UK. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/jason_mayhew_testimonial/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/645/ During the 90s I competed in triathlons around the world, most of the training I see still follows the same style to this day. For me going for a bike ride was simply that! I never knew information apart from MPH or heart rate from the monitors that I would use. If I wanted to check my cadence, I would count over 15 secs. Then we had turbo trainers, again offering not much more, apart from inaccurate wattage and apparently a close feel to 'real road' cycling. I have not raced for 12 years , yet still train and move the same social circles and as yet, I still have not seen a great deal of change. I was introduced to the Wattbike about a month ago by Eddie Fletcher my new coach and to me the Wattbike is the biggest step forward in cycling. Whether you're a triathlete or cyclist, elite or age grouper, this has to be a must. It looks like a bike and feels like riding a bike and I can use its unique air brake gear lever system to replicate the gears on my road bike. For the first time ever, you can see your left and right leg balance and monitor the efficiency of each pedal revolution to make sure you're lifting the gear as well as pushing down. Watts are displayed accurately (comparable with an SRM Eddie says but don’t take his word for it see the video here and you can also monitor your cadence, speed, pace and HR using the Wattbike Performance Computer. Coupled with good HRV monitors (I use Suunto) you can have a measured improvement, even when you are looking to squeeze out those marginal gains. Eddie links me up to the Wattbike Expert software so that I can see my efficiency 'shape' and the other parameters I'm working on – usually trying to apply constant power, cadence and HR. I'm not producing a great 'shape' yet but have moved from a poor peanut close to a sausage and I know more to come – and all these years I thought I was an efficient cyclist! Eddie’s worked on getting my gearing and cadence right so that I'm getting the best power output for the lowest 'physiological cost', as Eddie puts it! In 3 weeks I have improved my efficiency by 7%, this means I have found more power for the same effort and in my last session found more power for a lower 'physiological cost' – in short it felt much easier and my HR was lower. Imagine that over a time trial, or the benefits when you’re about to embark on your run in a triathlon!!!! Not only is the Wattbike the future, the future of cycling is here!! http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/asda_pedal_power/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/644/ Cycling is one of the most popular pastimes in the UK with over 20 million of us owning a bicycle and 6 million of us cycling regularly. ASDA Pedal Power is a campaign to encourage even more people to take to their bikes by making cycling more accessible and affordable for everyone, whilst raising money for the Bike Club consortium. To help launch the initiative, ASDA’s Chief Exec Andy Bond has vowed to cycle the length of mainland Britain from Land’s End to John O’Groats this August to raise a massive £1 million. Bond will cycle more than a thousand miles over ten days, visiting ASDA stores along the way. The money raised will be distributed by the Bike Club consortium, a group of charities led by CTC – the UK's national cyclists' organisation – to set up community Bike Clubs across the UK for young people and families alike. Wattbike has been a key partner in the Pedal Power campaign through providing bikes for various parts of the scheme. Andy Bond has used a bike as an essential training tool on his build up to the Lands End to John O’Groats ride. ASDA have purchased 21 bikes to be positioned in every store on his journey. The bikes will be used as a challenge to pit customers and ASDA colleagues against a score set by Sir Chris Hoy. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/payment_plans_now_available/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/643/ We are pleased to announce that we are now able to offer finance options on the purchase of the Wattbike. There are two options available: Buy Now Pay Later - get your Watbike now and pay nothing for 6 months 36 or 48 month interest bearing loan (18.9% APR) For more information please see the Wattbike page in the Shop section. Or call us on 0115 945 5454 to apply now. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/adidas_microsoft_challenge_teams_take_in_the_wattbike/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/642/ In the spacious surroundings of the atrium of Adidas HQ in Stockport a cheering crowd of fellow staff members some hanging over the balcony watched 4 teams battle it out for the honour of being the top team in the Wattbike/Concept 2 Rowing challenge. 4 teams, 6 members, 7 races, Points awarded for finishing position, 4, 3, 2 and 1. The Races: Wattbike – 500m, 750m and 1000m Rowing – 500m, 750m, and 1000m And then one member of each team had to undertake a gruelling biathlon 1000 m on the Wattbike followed immediately by 1000m on the rower. The Teams: Listen, Test, Modify Impossible Fitness for Fun Semi-Pro Team 'Fitness for Fun' got off to a flying start in the 500m Wattbike race storming into the lead to finish in an impressive 29.28 – 4 points to 'Fitness for Fun', 3 for 'Impossible', 2 for 'Listen, Test, Modify' and 1 for 'Semi-Pro'. Fitness for Fun on their way to victory in the 500m The 750m Wattbike race was incredibly close with 'Semi-Pro' and 'Listen, Test, Modify' battling it out right to the line. 'Semi-Pro' ran out the victor by 0.29 of a second to record a time of 53.39 against 'Listen, Test, Modify'’s 53.68. – 4 points to 'Semi-Pro', 3 to 'Listen, Test, Modify', 2 to 'Fitness for Fun' and 1 to 'Impossible'. Semi-Pro and Listen, Test, Modify fight it out in the 750m Onto the 1000 m Wattbike race, 'Impossible' went out to an early lead closely followed by 'Semi-Pro' but 'Impossible' held on to win in an excellent time of 1:16.69 – 4 points to 'Impossible', 3 to 'Semi-Pro', 2 to 'Listen, Test and Modify' and 1 to 'Fitness for Fun'. Impossible takes the lead in the 1000 m and holds it to the finish Onto the first leg of the biathlon – here some tactics came into place with riders ‘saving’ themselves for the 1000m row to come straight after. 'Semi-Pro' and 'Fitness for Fun' battled it out with saving their best cyclists until last as they finished in 1:10.77 (a whopping speed of over 50kmh) and 1:14.72 – 4 points to 'Semi-Pro', 3 to 'Fitness for Fun', 3 to 'Impossible' and 1 to 'Listen, Test, Modify'. Semi-Pro and Fitness for Fun slugging it out at over 50kmh Overall result was a win for Fitness for Fun with 25 points followed by Semi-Pro on 21 points and Listen, Test, Modify and Impossible tied in third place on 17 points each. A fantastic event well supported by the teams and their colleagues. We wish them well in the forthcoming Microsoft Challenge. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/dhl_wattbike_tour_comes_to_bikeradar_live/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/641/ Challenge the professionals at the DHL Wattbike Tour London, UK – 22 May 2009: DHL, the world’s leading logistics service provider, has joined forces with Wattbike to give visitors to the BikeRadar Live event at Donington Park (30-31 May) a unique opportunity to measure themselves against some of the world’s best cyclists. Ten Wattbikes, a stationery exercise bike that feels as close to real cycling as you can get, will be housed in a distinctive 44 foot DHL trailer at the expo. Visitors are invited to have a go and test their fitness through the Wattbike’s revolutionary measurement techniques, with scores recorded on the leader board alongside cycling stars who’ll be attending the expo over the weekend. As well as rewards for the top performances, every participant will be entered into a draw to take home top prizes. A limited edition Sabbath Monday’s Child titanium road frame is up for grabs worth £1900, the 2010 offering from Sabbath is currently the only one available in the country. Participants in the DHL Wattbike Tour are asked to donate £1, with all proceeds going to charity through DHL’s global charitable partnership with UNICEF. The Wattbike is the perfect tool for gauging individual fitness and performance levels, recording data up to 100 times per second across 29 parameters. It is the only exercise bike to be endorsed by British Cycling. The DHL Wattbike Tour concept is part of DHL’s LifeCycle employee project, which aims to raise £70,000 towards UNICEF’s work in reducing child mortality in developing countries. The DHL Wattbike Tour will travel to ten key DHL sites across the country in June, encouraging DHL employees and local communities to raise funds through cycling-related participation events. UNICEF is Deutsche Post DHL’s global charity partner and the DHL LifeCycle employee project will help support their work with the children of Nandurbar district in India. Every year around 2.1 million Indian children die, mostly because of poor nutrition and preventable diseases. For tickets to the BikeRadar Live event, the booking hotline is now open on 0871 230 7158 (calls can be made from a landline at 10p per minute, mobile tariffs may vary. Lines close 5pm Sunday, 24 May). Visit: www.bikeradar.com/live. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/pitch2podium_talent_assessment/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/640/ BBC News 24 this morning reported on the UK Sport and the English and Scottish Institutes of Sport (EIS/SIS) initiative which, together with the major football and rugby union authorities, offers released academy players the chance to take up a new challenge and switch their talents to Olympic sports. Part of the assessment included the use of the Wattbike,you can read more about the initiative on the UK Sport website. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/watt_champions/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/639/ Tuesday 10th March was like the last night of the proms, the atmosphere was electric as riders waited to start the last night of the Youth Wattbike League at Friary Grange Leisure Centre. The 3 groups of riders were ready and raring to start their first race of the evening as Group 1’s riders took to their saddles! The traditional opening event, the 500m Scratch race, was set to be a battle royal between Sophie Capewell of the Lichfield Club and Paige Millward from Lyme RC. As the countdown commenced a hush fell upon the room in anticipation of the start. Throughout the race Sophie and Paige pushed each other to the limit, but it was Sophie who took the line first in 38.65 seconds just 24/100ths of a second ahead of Paige. Sophie’s sister, Emily, took the third place in 43.04 seconds to keep family pride intact. Group 2 saw Jacob Kelly, the league leader, looking to consolidate his lead and stamp his authority on the evening’s proceedings. His 34.35 second ride did just that as he finished ahead of Alison Holmes (35.59) and Lyme RC’s Sam Birchall (36.58). Group 3 meanwhile was lead home by Lee Westwood in 30.27, with Matt Gee 2nd in 30.68 and Ben Hendon 3rd in 30.87. The next event was a Win and Out. In this event the first rider to reach 200m wins the race overall, but then the race is restarted to determine 2nd place over a second 200m distance. The same is repeated for 3rd place so that 3 riders are then left in the race and they race over 400m to determine 4th, 5th and 6th places. In Group 1 Paige Millward of Lyme RC won over club mate Sallie Birchall and Emily Capewell was 3rd. Group 2 was won by Jacob Kelly of Lichfield CCC, Alison Holmes was 2nd and Sam Birchall finished in 3rd Group 3 finished with Westwood in first place, Hendon 2nd and Bertie Newey in 3rd spot.     A short respite led riders into the 500m Team Sprint with riders paired up, in order to race 250metres each and their cumulative time used to determine finish positions. The results for Group 1 were set on a knife edge as sisters Emily and Sophie Capewell recorded the exact same time as Lyme RC club mates Paige Millward and Sallie Birchall, so they all shared the top spot with their 38.42 second rides. In group 2, Jacob Kelly and Luke Selibas won in 33.27seconds. Group 3 winners in a time of 28.70 were Nick Selibas and Matt Gee. The penultimate event of the evening was the Keirin. This is the event in which a motorcyclist paces the cyclists round the velodrome, and peels off the track at a determined distance leaving the cyclists to sprint to the line. An extra Watt Bike ridden by a willing parent, Debbie Capewell, a competitor in the Friday League, fulfilled the role of the motor bike. Group 1 was won by Sophie Capewell; Kelly took Group 2 and Matt Gee Group 3. The final event of the evening was a 500m handicap time trial. In this event riders were set off at intervals dependant on their time from the evening’s first race. Emily Capewell proved to be the on form rider in Group 1and took first place, followed by Milward and then Sophie Capewell. Group 2’s thrilling race saw Luke Selibas set off first and cross the line in that position, Alison Holmes was 2nd and Jacob Kelly, after setting off last some 6 seconds after Selibas, fought his way to 3rd place. In Group 3 Deborah Newey took the top spot, humiliating her son Bertie at the same time who took 4th position. The 2nd spot was taken by Nick Selibas and Matt Gee was 3rd. In the league overall there were no changes in the final positions. Jacob Kelly took first place with a total of 84 points accumulated over the 7 weeks. Paige Milward was 2nd and also took 1st Lady with 66 point. Sophie Capewell, who won in the evening’s event, was 3rd overall. Prizes were also awarded to fastest Team Sprint pairing and Group 1 was won by Paige Milward and Emily Capewell. In a dramatic change on the night, Jacob Kelly and Luke Selibas took the fastest time for Group 2. Georgia Tonks was also awarded the rider who had shown the most improvement of the league, by improving by 5% her 500m time. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/university_team_cycles_half_a_million_metres/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/638/ As part of the Wattbike-initiative the University of Nottingham NUWS Squad put a “crack(ed) team” together on Red Nose Day to race a 12-hour challenge against the other universities who are part of the “Everyday Cycling” national programme led by British Cycling, helping to promote recreational cycling at Universities across the UK. Establishing an early lead in the 12-hour Watt-Race the NU-Bike squad and “friends” kept their wheel spinning hard averaging over 40kms an hour, “reaching Plymouth University” which was the initial goal (a distance of 407.9kms) after 9hrs, 54 minutes and 52 seconds before keeping the Wattbike spinning on to the revised target of the magical Half-Million Metres, reached after 12hrs, 5 minutes and 42 seconds. Alongside the Record Challenge several Wattbikes were positioned at the three Uni-Sports Centres to encourage people to “do something stupid for Red-Nose Day” and have a go themselves at a 750 metre challenge or simply guess at how far the NUWS Nu-Bike squad could travel in the twelve hours. With over 120 “new” folk getting involved with the Little Red Watt Ride and Everyday Cycling, Comic Relief will also benefit by over £200. Top participating Red Nose AU Club were Womens Football “seating” 23 participants, followed by Mens Basketball and the Swim Team. 750M RED NOSE CHALLENGE SITE WINNERS   SB Nicole Chase 54.23s Matt Chesworth  (Rugby) 47.35s UP Sarah Williams (Football) 58.99s Adam Robinson (Cycling) 47.59s JC Rebekah Whiting 58.99s Martin Hudall  (Basketball) 47.99s Best Guess Aneel Kilo 495 km Actual Distance 495.586Km Many thanks to the Nottingham University Bike squads who rallied to the Challenge, to the Nottm University Sports staff at each Centre who helped with Little Red Riding and especially to Rich Denham from NU-Bike for recruiting his “volunteers”, to Steve Farey from Jubilee for being daft enough to ride himself and to Steve from Wattbike for helping out with some of the logistics…. next year…. A Million Metres???? OVERALL WATT RED NOSE CYCLE CHALLENGE RESULTS   Time Plymouth Bristol Nottingham 12:00 68,000 68,620 81,115 14:00 142,000 136,769 162,293 16:00 217,807 208,684 247,462 18:00 286,452 279,803 329,185 20:00 367,500 - 410,939 21:00 391,500 379,438 453,028 22:00 423,702 452,367 495,586 Position 3rd 2nd 1st   WATTBIKE KEY-RECORD MARKERS (As set 13/03/09 by Nottingham University, all markers set by amateur riders) The Classic 9hr 54m 52s Nott'm Uni to Plymouth Uni: 407.9Km Fastest Hour 43.815Km Five Man Team Fastest 100Km 2hr 27m 1s Five Man Team Fastest 500Km 12hrs 5m 42s Ten Man Team   http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/twin_towns_challenge/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/637/ On Saturday 28 February, Wattbike were in attendance at the Northampton Saint RFC game against Newcastle Falcons. Wattbike had been invited to the day by the charity Autism Concern who wanted to raise money and promote their Twin Towns Challenge charity cycle ride. The organisers set up 2 Wattbikes in a public location and challenged the thousands of fans, coaches and players to get their peak power using the Wattbike, and donate lots of money to the charity ride. Lots of people had a go and raised a great deal of money for charity. Organiser and charity rider Richard Sturt said "We raised £1300 on the day, a great contribution to the overall fundraising effort for Autism Concern. We had a queue of people wanting to have a go on the bikes from 12:30 until 2:45 when we stopped for the game. The high score in the Iceni Max Power challenge was over 1700 watts! The lucky winner took home two tickets for a hospitality box for a Saints game." Ex-England rugby player and rider Jon Sleightholme added "The Wattbikes proved to be a great success, they helped to create interest for the Twin Towns Challenge and raise money for Autism Concern. There were lots of people keen to see how their maximum power compared to the power of the Olympic champions. A big thank you to Wattbikes for supporting this event" The Twin Towns Challenge is a charity bike organised by ex-England star and Northampton Saints winger Jon Sleightholme to raise money for Autism Concern. The riders will cycle 1000 miles from Northampton to it's twin towns Poitiers and Marburg in 8 days . To find out more visitwww.twintownschallenge.co.uk http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_youth_league_round_4/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/636/ Tuesday 24th February is Pancake Day but it is also Round 4 of the Wattbike Youth League at Friary Grange Leisure Centre. A field of Lichfield based riders mixes it with riders from Newcastle under Lyme and Birmingham. As they prepare for the first of the evening races. Friary Grange Wattbike Youth League R4 The 500metre Time Trial takes Imogen Crooks 38.57 seconds to complete, 2 seconds ahead of Paige Millward in 40.01 in 2nd place. Sallie Birchall crossed the line in 3rd place with a 43.67 second ride. Group 2 riders were poised and ready for action as the “GO” signal was given. Jacob Kelly took first place with a ride completed in 33.55 seconds which was 2 seconds faster than the previous week. Sam Birchall came 2nd in 35.70 and a finish time of 36.63 seconds gave Alison Holmes third. Veteran and Under 16 years riders mixing it in group 3 sees age versus youth. Phil Kelly wins it for the Veterans in 30.32seconds followed by veteran Nick Selibas in 31.20. The next event of the evening was the “Win & Out”. In this race the first rider to reach 200m wins the race and plays no further part in the event as the other places are contested. With the subsequent 2 further places decided using the same principle it becomes a desperate challenge for riders to reach the 200m line before anyone else. A few seconds recovery between each contest means the final contest between the last 3 riders over 400m is a real test of spirit, endurance and determination. Sallie Birchall wins in group 1 with Paige Milward 2nd and Imogen crooks 3rd. Jacob Kelly clearly back on form wins in Group 2 with Birchall in 2nd and Alison Holmes in 3rd place. Phil Kelly wins in group 3 and maintains family honour; Ben Hendon wins the 2nd sprint and Selibas the 3rd sprint. The team sprint saw Sallie Birchall and Imogen Crooks paired up and taking victory in Group 1, followed by Emily Capewell and Isabelle Clarke. Group 2 had an odd number of riders and so Sallie Birchall of group 1 rode again and paired up with Jacob Kelly. They took 2nd place behind Alison Holmes and Luke Selibas. Birchall did well to ride so soon after her own group’s event and should be proud of achieving 2nd place with Kelly. The pressure was clearly present in Group 3 and the pairing of Bertie Newey and Phil Kelly was relegated to 2nd place behind Selibas and Steve Clarke. Clarke had been drafted in for this race from the spectators as Ben Hendon was feeling unwell after his efforts in the earlier events. The 4th event of the evening for the Group 1 riders was “The Devil”. Last man, (or woman) across the 200m line is eliminated and this process continues until 3 riders are left. Paige Millward wins in group 1. Emily Capewell takes 2nd place and Sallie Birchall takes 3rd place. Group 2 was once again dominated by Jacob Kelly with Sam Birchall 2nd and Alison Holmes finishing in 3rd place. Group 3 however were down to just 3 riders and their event became a Course de Primes. This race sees riders competing for points in 4 sprints in order to take overall victory. Youth however took its revenge and Bertie Newey took the honours in the group with Kelly and Selibas having to settle for 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Group 1’s final event was the 500m handicap. In this event riders are set off at different intervals depending on their earlier times in event 1. Isabelle Clarke won in 45.41 with Emily Capewell 2nd in 46.13 and Imogen crooks with a 46.17 second ride claiming 3rd place. Overall in the evenings races, Paige Milward was 1st followed by Capewell and then Imogen Crooks. Taking his 4th win of the evening Jacob Kelly completed the distance in 42.21. Alison Holmes finished in 42.94 and Sam Birchall took the third spot with a time of 44.84 seconds. Kelly therefore won overall in group 2 with Sam Birchall and Holmes sharing 2nd place. In Group 3 meanwhile Nick Selibas won in 32.64 seconds with Newey 2nd in 33.41 and Phil Kelly 3rd in 33.43. Kelly however won the group with Selibas 2nd and Newey 3rd. The overall standings for the league see Lichfield’s Jacob Kelly leading with 59points followed by Paige Millward with 46. Sophie Capewell who had been unwell, and therefore missed the evening’s races falls to 3rd place. Her 41 points, however keep her in contention for 2nd place overall with just 2 rounds left of the league itself. The final event for the Youth riders is on Tuesday 10th March. The majority of the riders will all be in action at the British Schools Cycling Association National Roller Racing Championships on Sunday 15th March. Emily Capewell is the current Best All Rounder Champion for Under 12 girls and she goes into the event with the aim of defending her National BAR title hopes. Sister Sophie Capewell was placed 2nd in last years national title race for under 10’s and won the regional title. Jacob Kelly is the current under 12’s regional champion but with his move up to the Under 14’s category he is looking to better his national placing whilst retaining his regional title. The event takes place at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre from 10.00am and spectators are welcome, as the event make for fascinating spectating. Call the leisure centre on 01543 308842 for more details. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/friary_grange_league_round_8/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/635/ If it is Friday evening it means only one thing to local cyclists; Wattbike League. There was a hint of apprehension and nervousness as riders prepared for the evening’s races at Friary Grange Leisure Centre. The ½ mile dash is the first of the races and as the riders await the start signal a hush descends upon the room. In Group 1 Simon Ham records a time of 57.11 seconds, enough to take the victory away from Brian Edmunds 57.79 second ride. Julie Cooper however was clearly not going to let the men have it too easy and her 58.81 second ride gave her 3rd place. Group 2’s winner Mark Whiteley completed the distance in 52.91 seconds, Alex McDonald recorded a 54.37 second ride just ahead of Steve Clarke’s 54.74 seconds. Dave Smith and Phil Kelly were both promoted into Group 3 as a result of their previous successes in Group 2. Mixing it in with the big guns of group 3 would challenge both of the riders during the course of the evening. Simon Smith however won Group 3 in 49.19 seconds. Second place went to Paul Askey in 49.34seconds. Ed Coppinger was third one second later. The 3 seconds that divided Ed from Kelly who took 4th place shows the gap that he and Smith who took 5th need to bridge to compete within this strong group of riders. The Keirin, raced over 100m, but paced up to the 700metre point is a race of tactics and timing. Mike Yardley won in Group 1 followed by Brian Edmunds in 2nd place once again. Steve Clarke of Group 2, won in a time of 1.19.39 with Whiteley relegated to 2nd place. The pace bike was taking no prisoners in Group 3 meanwhile and Ed Coppinger took 1st place followed by Simon Smith and Dave Smith respectively. The 750m Handicap race is just a little bit too far for sprinters but not really far enough for the endurance riders. It therefore becomes a battle of mind over pain for all. However Michelle Drakeley took first place in Group 1 in 1.05.50 followed by Anne Robinson in 1.06.68seconds Group 2 was won by Bertie Newey in 54.92 seconds over Steve Clarkes 57.21 second ride. In Group 3 Dave smith took advantage of his sprinting skills and time advantage to win in 51.92. Phil Kelly took 2nd in 56.59 seconds and Ed Coppinger claimed 3rd in 58.67 seconds. The Course de Primes sees riders competing for points in 6 sprints in order to take overall victory. In Group 1, Brian Edmunds took 1st place after winning 2 sprints and crossing the finish line first amassing 5 points in the process. Julie Cooper and Jacob Kelly both finished with a 3 point tally, but Cooper’s 2nd place over the finish line just ahead of him gave her the 2nd place overall and Kelly 3rd. On form Simon Smith took 5 points to win Group 3 Coppinger and Paul Askey both claimed 3 points but once again the final finish position came into play and Coppinger therefore took 2nd place. The Team Sprint affords a slight respite in the evening’s proceedings as event organiser, Nigel Capewell, works out the pairings before the race starts. In Group 1, Youth League leader, Jacob Kelly was paired with Simon Ham and together their efforts gave them victory. Julie Cooper and Michelle Drakeley came 2nd ahead of Mike Yardley and Sue Smith. Group 2 was lead home by Adrian Ravenscroft and Bertie Newey, with the pairing of John Shenton and Alex McDonald crossing the line in 2nd place. In Group 3, the riders were forced to choose their own partners and Dave Smith and Paul Askey proved to be the successful partnership. Simon Smith and Steve Clarke, who had been moved up into group 3 for this event, took 2nd place with Coppinger and Kelly taking 3rd place. The final race of the evening for Group 1 was the now traditional 3km scratch race; a 4.19.39 ride gives Mike Yardley first place over Brian Edmunds and Michelle Drakeley. The fight for 4th place between Jacob Kelly and Julie Cooper was right down to the line, but despite Kelly winning their own private battle, Cooper had done enough to take 3rd place overall for the evening. Brian Edmunds took 2nd place and Mike Yardley took the overall first place for Group 1. Adrian Ravenscroft led Group 2 home with a 4.04.15, a little over 3 seconds faster that Bertie Newey who was a further 4 seconds ahead of Steve Clarke It was Clarke though who basked in the glory as he took the overall win for Group 2. Ravenscroft had done enough to take second and Newey another of the Tuesday night Youth riders took 3rd. Group 3’s 4000m started fast and Simon Smith and Ed Coppinger powered away from the other riders and took what was an eventually unassailable 120m lead. Coppinger took the lead when it mattered and crossed the finish line in 5.08.78 with smith 2nd in 5.09.19. Phil Kelly claimed 3rd place in 5.31.35mins ahead of Paul Askey in 6.09.02mins. Group 3 however did not have a clear winner overall and Simon Smith and Coppinger were awarded joint 1st place with Askey and Dave Smith both awarded joint 3rd. In the league after 8 rounds Paul Askey remains at the top just 2 point ahead of Ed Coppinger. Simon Smith climbs to 3rd place and Stuart Clarke drops to 4th place. Julie Cooper is the first of the ladies in 6th place, ahead of 2nd placed lady Nicky Healey who occupies 14th place overall The next event is on Friday 6th March if you would like to participate or for more information contact Phil Kelly at the Leisure Centre on 01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on 07768 560 932. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/triathlon_cycling_running_show/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/634/ Wattbike Take Centre Stage with British Triathlon Federation and Adidas Snow and rain accompanied visitors to this year’s TCR show held at the famous Gold-Cup venue, Sandown Park. At the show Wattbike teamed up with British Triathlon Federation and Adidas to create a competition stand, to let visitors find out and try the best equipment in the show. Hundreds of visitors came to the Wattbike stand to see why it is the first indoor bike that British Cycling has endorsed. There were lots of positive comments about the riding experience, the accuracy of the bike and how cyclists and triathletes will use it for analysis, training and competition. The revolutionary polar-view analysis was very popular, with riders looking at their own cycling efficiency in real-time and seeing the improvements in efficiency with each small adjustment to their cycling technique. Attendees also tasted the competitive side of Wattbike as friends and family raced head-to-head live on the stand. Over the course of the weekend hundreds tried the Wattbike and raced a flying 200m lap and maximum power test. The second-to-none accuracy of the Wattbike allows results to be compared directly between bikes and users. Visitors’ results are entered onto the free Wattbike Ranking site where they can compare their scores against everyone else in the country. The fastest flying 200m of the weekend went to top triathlete Ain-Alar Juhanson from Estonia. Despite being unhappy with his performance, the Estonian did the 200m in 10.12 seconds hitting a top wattage of 1538W. Not too shabby from where we were standing! http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/friary_grange_league_round_5/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/633/ The winter blues continue into February as riders assembled for Round 5 of the Wattbike League. The temperature certainly warmed up as the racing at Friary Grange Leisure Centre got underway. With the riders warmed up and ready to go the ½ mile dash became the latest in a series of new races developed by the organisers. Mark Whiteley, of Group 1, riding the Wattbikes for the first time got the evening off to a good start with a 58.10 second ride, Brian Edmunds followed in 58.25secs and Stuart Clark was third in 59.72 seconds. Group 2’s race was won by Paul Smith in 54.54 secs followed by Neil Lawford and Bertie Newey. Paul Askey clearly throwing the gauntlet down to the other Group 3 riders won in a time of 49.82 second, but with less than 1 second between him and the next two riders (Ed Coppinger and Steve Gould) the other riders seemed prepared to take on the challenge. Friary Grange Wattbike League R5 A twist to the familiar Points race format saw the race restarted every 250metres. This ensured that riders also had to ride tactically, recover quickly from sprint efforts and keep track of the points other riders had gained. A weaker ride or a slip in attention could easily mean that the race could be lost. Stuart Clark won in Group 1 with 6 points followed by Beth Clayton with 4 and Michelle Drakeley with 3points. Group 2’s race was won by Graham Truelove with 6 points, who contested all the sprints but left enough in reserve to take the final sprint which is worth double points. Paul Smith was second with 4 and Neil Lawford and Bertie Newey both finished on 3 points. The 500m Handicap event followed with all the riders in all groups competing against each other in the league long competition. The first 4 riders in Group 1 all finished within 1 second of each other but Nicky Healey took the honours in 40.87seconds, with Deborah Newey in 2nd place. Group 2 was won by Dave Smith in 41.40secs with Phil Kelly 2nd in 42secs.Group 3 was destined to be a closely fought race and so it was with the first 4 riders all finishing within 7/10ths of a second of each other. Steve Cronshaw won in 41.13 followed by Simon Smith and Paul Askey. The Devil race, with pre-determined distances used eliminate the last rider to reach it , guarantees fast and furious race in which tactics are all important. Healey of Group 1 won again, as did Truelove from Group 2 and Matt Gee of Group 3. A short respite in the evening’s races allowed riders time to recuperate whilst the teams were decided for the next event: The Team Sprint. Each of the groups’ trio of riders except for Group 3 which had teams of 2 is required to ride 250m. The cumulative time decides the overall winners. Deborah Newey, Brian Edmunds and Beth Clayton won Group1. Bertie Newey, Phil Kelly and Graham Truelove won Group 2. The pairing of Ed Coppinger and Graham Birch stole the win for Group 3 over Steve Gould and Cronshaw. The final event of the evening, the 3000m or 4000m in the case of Group 3 is the Scratch race. This final test of endurance can see riders jockeying for positions throughout the race as they time their efforts to give them the best finishing position. A time of 4.16.44 gave Healey her third win of the evening and 1st place overall in Group 1 Bertie Newey, of Group 2, as in the previous weeks race took the honours in 4.01.46 but was closely marked by Truelove and Kelly. The final ride was enough to give Truelove the overall group victory. Group 3 was won by Ed Coppinger, with his 2nd victory of the night in 5.14.83 and claimed the overall Group victory for his efforts. Simon Smith came home in 5.16.86 followed by Steve Gould. Overall the league standings have seen some changes; Paul Askey leads Graham Birch by 2 points followed by Stuart Clark, Brian Edmunds and Julie Cooper. The next event takes place on Friday 13th February at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre. For more information please contact Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on 01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on 07768 560 932. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/online_wattbike_stories/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/632/ Below are some link to recent reviews of the Wattbike, click the links to see the full articles on the individual websites: Wattbike Arrives At RCUK "What the…? It's a WattBike, and it's no joke. Instead, it is a serious bit of training hardware; serious enough to have the endorsement of British Cycling, who helped with development during its seven-year gestation and who use Wattbikes as a means of identifying talented young athletes with potential as competitive cyclists..." (full story - roadcyclinguk.com) Way To Spend Your 51st Birthday "Wattbike World 24 Hour Cycling Benchmark Achieved - Ultra distance athlete Neil Rhodes has used the revolutionary new Wattbike to set a World Record for static cycling. Rhodes recorded 632,289 meters, or 392.9miles in 24 hours of cycling at a busy ASDA store in Nottingham..." (full story - roadcyclinguk.com) Wattbike: Not Just An Ordinary Indoor Bike "Wattbike is an indoor bike that's a lot more than your average piece of fitness equipment - Launched in early 2008, Wattbike has been developed in conjunction with British Cycling. They wanted a machine they could use to test a rider's potential, analyse their power and pedaling action, and also compare it to real world data. Wattbike complied, and the result is an impressive bit of equipment..." (full story - bikeradar.com) BikeRadar Product Review "All-Singing, All-Dancing, All-Inclusive Trainer - How much?! That's the question we often hear about test bikes. So when our colleagues got wind of the Wattbike’s £1,650 price tag there was the sound of jaws hitting ?oors. But that price was put into perspective after people discovered what this training bike was capable of..." (full story - bikeradar.com) http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/youth_league_round_2/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/631/   On Tuesday 27th January, young cyclists assembled once again for Round 2 of the Friary Grange leisure Centre Wattbike Youth League. A full contingent of 6 riders in each group would ensure an evening of competitive racing. The first victory of the night went to Paige Millward who completed the 750m time trial in a time of 1.04.86. Sophie Capewell was 2nd less than 1 second behind her. In Group 2, Jacob Kelly completed the distance in 57.36 seconds with Sam Birchall 2nd in 57.43 seconds. The shouts of encouragement were deafening for both riders and no one really knew the outcome of this race until the finishing times were displayed. A 3 up team Sprint was the next event, each rider completing 250m and the cumulative time of the team to count. The 750m race was won by Sallie Birchall, Isabelle Clarke and Paige Milward. In group 2 the trio of Kelly, Hannah Tonks and Imogen Crooks emerged victorious. The 3rd event was a 1500m scratch race for group 1 for which Paige Millward took her 3rd victory of the evening, completing the distance in 2.22.92 minutes. A plucky and determined ride by Sophie Capewell, 2 years Milward's junior, saw her finish 2nd just 8 seconds later. A further 6 seconds later, family honour was upheld as Emily Capewell finished in 3rd place. Group 2 raced over the longer 2km distance. Kelly was clearly on form and completed the race in 3.02.19 mins, a clear 6 seconds ahead of Sam Birchall. In the 500m handicap the riders are set off at different intervals based on their results in the 750m time trial. Emily Capewell won Group 1 followed by Milward and Sophie Capewell. Kelly was clearly on a roll in Group 2 and just pipped Hannah Tonks to the line by 1 second. The Keirin then followed, this is the event in which a motorcyclist paces the cyclists round the velodrome, and peels off the track at a determined distance leaving the cyclists to sprint to the line. An extra Wattbike ridden by Centre Manager Phil Kelly fulfilled the role of the motor bike. Group 1 rode over an 800m distance with the “motorcyclist” peeling off at 600m. Milward won but was hotly pursued by Emily Capewell in 2nd and sister Sophie in 3rd place. Group 2 faced the longer distance of 1000m and Kelly timing his sprint to perfection took his 5th win of the evening over Imogen Crooks and Sam Birchall The next Youth League event is on 10th February, at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre. For more information please contact Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on: 01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on: 07768 560 932 http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_league_round_4_results/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/630/ A cold and wet Friday evening in January is usually not an attractive option for riding a bike. When the bikes are indoors and it’s the 4th Round of the Wattbike racing league it’s an altogether different scenario. With the riders warmed up and ready to go the 1000m Scratch race was the first of the evening’s races. Rob Satherley, of Group 1, riding the Wattbikes for the first time, showed early signs of being the on form rider winning in a time of 1.15.60mins. Group 2’s race was won by Dave Nelson with a time gap of just 3 secs. separating him from Simon Newey in 2nd place. Paul Askey won in a time of 1.10.50 mins for group 3 but was pushed all the way by Graham Birch who took 2nd place just 5 tenths of a second behind. The Devil race, with pre-determined distances meaning the last rider to reach it is eliminated, guarantees fast and furious race in which tactics are all important. Satherley of Group 1 won again, as did Simon Newey from Group 2 and Simon Smith of Group 3. The short distance, 500m, of the next event belies the effort that the riders will put in. The starting effort is all important and many riders adopt the same techniques to do so as used by the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton. A time of 33secs for Julie Cooper meant she took the Group 1 honours. A fast and furious event in Group 2 with just 4 seconds separating all the riders saw Simon Newey win in a time of 29.6secs. Riders in Group 3, among them cycling champions, were keen to deliver the fastest times of the evening. 28.7secs by Warren Holmes ensured this was the case with a valiant effort by Paul Askey of 28.8 secs. giving 2nd place. The next race, Course de Primes, (the race of sprints) consists of 6 x 200m sprints and a final 400m sprint. The first rider to reach the 200m mark earns a point; double points are awarded on the last sprint. The rider with the most points wins the race. This really is a tactical race as riders choose when to time their efforts to best effect. It is unlikely that a rider will take consecutive wins and the race could even be won by the rider who saves their energy for the last sprint. Julie Cooper, Dave Nelson and Gary Gee took the wins in their respective groups. A short respite in the evenings races allowed riders time to recuperate whilst the teams were decided for the next event: The Team Sprint. Teams of 3, with a rider from each group, became the format for this race with each rider required to ride 250m. The cumulative time decides the overall winners. Debbie Capewell, Wayne Geldard and Simon Smith completed the total 750m of the race in 43.48secs to take 1st place. The now traditional finishing event, the 3000m or 4000m in the case of Group 3 is the Scratch race. This final test of endurance can see riders jockeying for positions throughout the race. A time of 4.14.40 secs. gave Satherley first place followed by Michelle Drakeley and then Nicky Healey. Bertie Newey, of Group 2, launched an impressive and sustained attack from the start, taking a clear lead. Settling into a rhythm he was then able to maintain his lead till the end of the race. With last weeks winner of Group 3 not competing the evening’s final race gave other riders the chance to shine. Consistent effort saw Graham Birch claw his way into the lead to take the win, followed by Warren Holmes and Gary Gee. Overall the league standings have seen some changes, Graham Birch leads by 2 points followed by Julie Cooper, Paul Askey and Stuart Clark The next event takes place on Friday 6th February at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre. For more information please contact Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on: 01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on: 07768 560 932 http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_helps_to_launch_first_ever_pedal_it_pink/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/629/ The Wattbike was a key attraction at the glamorous new Met Quarter shopping centre in Liverpool as Breast Cancer Campaign launched its first ever women’s only cycle event, Pedal it Pink. Pedal it Pink offers a variety of routes including a 26.2 mile (marathon course), a 13.1 mile (half marathon course) and a 5km family lap. All distances take place in Liverpool’s Sefton Park on 19th April. Shoppers at the launch got the chance to try out their cycling skills on the Wattbike, testing their power and speed against the likes of Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton, who are both supporters of Pedal it Pink. The money raised from taking part in Pedal it Pink will help Breast Cancer Campaign to fund innovative, world-class research throughout the UK to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure. Jayne Smith, from West Derby in Liverpool attended the launch. In 2006 she discovered a lump in her breast after being urged to check them by the charity’s ‘Tickled Pink’ campaign. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said, “never in a million years did I expect to find anything during my self-examination. It left me absolutely devastated. I didn’t know if I was going to live or leave my two children without a mother.” “After my treatment the doctors told me I was in the clear. It was the best news I’d ever heard and I was so relieved I’d been one of the lucky ones. Breast cancer affects so many people and it’s heartbreaking to read about those who don’t survive their diagnosis.” It is now over a year since Jayne was diagnosed and treated and to show her gratitude to Breast Cancer Campaign for helping her to find the lump she is taking part in the 5k family lap at Pedal it Pink. Jayne was one of hundreds of people to test ride the Wattbike, she said: “I enjoyed testing my cycling skills on the Wattbike at the Pedal it Pink launch. I had a few races with my friend, Nicola, which was great fun – even if she did beat me a couple of times! The bikes really did add the fun factor to the launch and it was a fantastic opportunity to get some cycling practice before I take part in the real event in April.” To join the pink revolution, visit www.breastcancercampaign.org, email pedalitpink@breastcancercampaign.org or call 020 7749 3700 to sign up. Come on girls! Let’s get together and put the brakes on breast cancer! http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_league_round_3_results/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/628/ Round 3 of the Wattbike racing League took place on Friday 23rd January at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre with a field of riders, including Regional, National, European and World Champions in cycling. The familiar six race format began with a tough introduction to the evening with the Points race. The 3 sprints within the 1800m race ensured that the tempo was kept high throughout. Stuart Clark from Group 1 maintained his dominance of the group but was pushed hard by Julie Cooper in 2nd place. Steve Cronshaw of the Brereton Wheelers riding for the first time in the League won for Group 2 but Graham Truelove the current World Masters Bronze medallist in the Points race came in second behind Cronshaw. Group 2’s race was won by Graham Birch, clearly on fine form following his promotion this week from Group 2. Matt Gee finished 2nd with Warren Holmes in 3rd place. Friary Grange Wattbike League R3 The 500m Handicap event was next, with riders being set off at different time intervals the pressure is on to cross the finish line first and makes for tense viewing. Clearly Julie Cooper from Group 1 had her “race face” on and took the victory followed by Deborah Newey. Group 2 was won by Watt Bike first timer Simon Smith of team Chase Race followed by Graham Truelove. Warren Holmes from Lichfield CCC took the honours in Group 3 closely followed by Mark Stodgell his club mate. The event organisers introduced another new event this week – the “win & out” In this event a series of 400m races determines the placings. The first rider to reach 400m wins overall. The race is then restarted so that a second 400m race is contested, the winner of that claims 2nd place overall. This is repeated until just 3 riders remain who race over 600m to claim the minor placings. This is a race which means the longer you are in the harder it gets because of the continual sprinting for positions. Once again Julie Cooper emerged victorious in Group 1, Cronshaw took first place in Group 2 and Paul Askey from Burntwood Tri and Lichfield CCC took the honours in Group 3. The Keirin returned this week with riders once again paced to the 700m point of the 1000m race. Clearly some riders couldn’t hold themselves back and stay behind the Pace Bike so consequently they were disqualified. Stuart Clark, Steve Cronshaw and Paul Askey won in their respective groups. The fifth event was the Team Sprint, contested over 250metres for each rider in the pairings. Brian Edmunds and Dave Lowe won in Group 1, Simon Newey and Steve Clarke in Group two. In Group 3 the odd number of riders meant that co-organiser Phil Kelly had to compete. His pairing with Paul Askey proved effective as they posted the fastest times in Group 3. The last event of the evening was the scratch race, contested over 3km for Groups 1 and 2 This race tests the power and endurance of the riders to the limit. Dave Edmunds of Group 1 took the honours in 4.32.47; Simon Smith took Group 2 in 3.58.34 a clear 5 seconds ahead of second place Graham truelove. Matt Gee of the Lichfield club won the 4km event for group 3. Matt rode the race of the evening in a bid to break the 5minute barrier for the distance, his 4.57.54 mins ride did just that and meant he finished an impressive 25 seconds ahead of 2nd placed Graham Birch of the Brereton Wheelers. Overall results for the league so far place Steve Clayton and Stuart Clark in joint 1st place despite Clayton missing this week’s event. Graham Birch moves up to second, closely followed by Julie Cooper and Paul Askey. The next event takes place on Friday 30th January at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre. The next Youth version of this event is on Tuesday 3rd February, it is open to any child from 10 years of age, whether a member of a cycling club or not. For more information please contact Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on 07768 560 932 http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_league_round_2_results/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/627/ Round 2 of the Wattbike racing League took place on Friday 16th January at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre with an increased field totalling 33 riders. Due to the increased demand British Cycling, cycling's governing body, had kindly loaned 2 bikes in order to accommodate the extra riders. Lichfield Wattbike League The six race format kicked off with a 500metre sprint. Group 1 was won by Dave Kershaw in a time of 31.12 secs. Dave Smith won group 2 in 30.19secs and Steve Clayton in a time of 28.83secs won group 3 The Points race, in which riders contest a sprint at pre-determined intervals of the race was contested over 1800m for Groups 1 and 2. Dave Kershaw and James Newey winning in their respective groups. Group 3 rode over 2400m and was won by Steve Clayton. Event organisers Nigel Capewell and Phil Kelly introduced the first of 2 new events of the evening with the Keirin. This is the event in which a motorcyclist paces the cyclists round the velodrome, and peels off the track at a detemined distance leaving the cyclists to sprint to the line. An extra Watt Bike ridden by Nigel an ex Paralympian and European Campion fulfilled the role of the motor bike. Group 1 was won by Stuart Clark, Group 2 by Dave Smith and Group 3 by Paul Askey. The course de Primes was the second new event and comprised six 200m sprints followed by a final 400m sprint. The format allows riders to decide which sprints to contest in order to gain the points. Double points are awarded on the last sprint and makes for a tactical event. Jacob Kelly won group 1, Dave Smith won Group 2 and Steve Clayton won Group 3. The fifth event was the Team Sprint, which is becoming one of the most popular events of the evening racing. Teams of 3 were made up of 1 rider from each group. The event was won by Julie Cooper, Steve Clarke and Matt Gee. The last event of the evening was the scratch race, contested over 3kn for Groups 1 & 2. The longer distance tests the power and endurance of the riders to the limit. Dave Kershaw of Group 1 took the honours in 4.22.04 and Group 2 rider James Newey won in 4.02.08. Group 3 rode over the 4km distance and on form Steve Clayton completed the distance in 5.06.26 to win the last event of the evening. Overall results for the league so far places Steve Clayton in 1st place, Dave Kershaw in 2nd, Neil Lawford in 3rd and Graham Birch 4th. The top 15 riders are all close and so the coming weeks should see some interesting races and changes in league standings. The next event takes place on Friday 23rd January at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre. For more information please contact Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on 01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on 07768 560 932 A Youth version of this event is due to commence on 20th January, it is open to any child from 10years of age, watch out for a report in next weeks sports pages http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/youth_league_begins/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/626/ Lichfield’s Friary Grange Leisure Centre pulled of a first yet again as it held the first ever Wattbike Racing League for Youth riders. A field of 12 riders had entered the inaugural event using the revolutionary Wattbikes, as used by Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and other members of the GB Olympic Cycling Team. The entrants had all been split into 2 groups and would take it in turn to contest the 5 races for each group. The initial event of the evening was a 500m Time trial, equivalent to 2 laps of a velodrome, the all out effort was however not a gentle introduction to the evenings races. Group 1 winner was Sophie Capewell of Lichfield CCC in a time of 38.37secs; Sam Birchall from Lyme RC won Group 2 in 35.15secs. Lichfield Wattbike Youth League The next event was a Win and Out. In this event the first rider to reach 200m wins the race overall, but then the race is restarted to determine 2nd place over a second 200m distance. The same is repeated for 3rd place so that 3 riders are then left in the race and they race over 300m to determine 4th, 5th and 6th places. In Group 1 Sophie Capewell won again with Paige Millward of Lyme RC in second and Emily Capewell 3rd. Group 2 was won by Jacob Kelly of Lichfield CCC, Sam Birchall was 2nd and Hannah Tonks finished in 3rd. A short respite led riders into the 500m Team Sprint with riders paired up, in order to race 250metres each and their cumulative time used to determine finish positions. The winners from Group 1 were Emily Capewell and Paige Millward with Jacob Kelly and Jenny Halling taking the honours in Group 2. The Reset Points was contested over three 400m sprints followed by a final race over 800m. Riders down to 3rd place for each sprint scored points in order to determine the overall winner for the race. Paige Milward emerged victorious in Group 1 with Sophie Capewell 2nd and Isabelle Clarke in 3rd place. A close race in group 2 saw Sam Birchall take the honours followed by Jacob Kelly and then Hannah Tonks. The final event of the evening was a 500m handicap time trial. In this event riders were set off at intervals dependant on their time from the evening’s first race. Sophie Capewell proved to be the on form rider and took first place, followed by Paige and then Georgia Tonks in Group 1. Group 2’s thrilling race saw Jacob Kelly win with Birchall in 2nd and Hannah Tonks in 3rd place. The overall group placing for the league means that in Group 1 Sophie Capewell leads followed by Paige Millward and then Emily Capewell. Group 2 is led by Jacob Kelly, then Sam Birchall with Hannah Tonks in 3rd place. The next event takes place on Tuesday 27th January at the Friary Leisure Centre. For more information please contact Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on 01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on 07768 560 932. Details and entry forms are also available on www.lichfieldyouthcycling.co.uk This is also featured on the British Cycling site. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_racing_league_begins/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/625/ A unique event took place at Lichfield’s Friary Grange Leisure Centre on Friday 9th January as the Worlds first ever Wattbike Racing League held its first event. A field of 27 riders had entered the inaugural event using the revolutionary Wattbikes, as used by Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and other members of the GB Olympic Cycling Team. The entrants had all been split into 3 groups and would take it in turn to contest the 6 races for each group. The initial event of the evening was a 750m sprint, equivalent to 3 laps of a velodrome, the all out effort was however not a gentle introduction to the evenings races. Group 1 winner was Neil Lawford in a time of 55.01, Dave Smith won Group 2 in 52.21 and Steve Clayton won group 3 in 46.60. Fastest Lady was Julie Cooper in 56.83 Lichfield Wattbike League The next event was the Devil take the Hindmost. In this event the last rider over a set distance, usually 250metres, is eliminated until just 3 riders remain. These then contest the final finish line sprint to determine final placing. A short respite led riders into the 500m handicap event. This short sprint sees riders set off at different time intervals with the intention being to achieve a massed sprint for the finish line. The Points race in which the first 4 riders to reach set distances scores points then followed. The 500metre Team Sprint saw riders paired up, in order to race 250metres each and their cumulative time used to determine finish positions. The fastest time of the evening went to Paul Askey and Gary Gee with a combined time of 26.69. Second and third places were close with Dave Nelson and Steve Clayton achieving 28.14secs and Paul Smith and matt Gee achieving 28.15 secs. The final event of the evening was a scratch race, quite simply a race over a set distance with the first person over the finish line being the winner. In Group 1 Dave Kershaw was 1st over the 3km distance followed by Debbie Capewell and then Sue Smith Group 2’s event again over 3km was won by Graham Birch, followed by Mark Stodgell and Stuart Clayton. Group 3 racing over the longer 4km was won by Steve Clayton, with Matt Gee in 2nd and Ed Coppinger in 3rd place. The overall group placing for the league means that in Group 1 Neil Lawford leads followed by Dave Kershaw and Stuart Clark. Group 2 is led by Graham Birch followed by Warren Holmes, with Stuart Clayton and Mark Stodgell in equal 3rd In Group 3 Steve Clayton leads with Paul Askey 2nd and Ed Coppinger in 3rd. The next event takes place on Friday 16th January at the Friary Leisure Centre. For more information please contact Phil Kelly at the leisure centre on 01543 308842 or Nigel Capewell on 07768 560 932 http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/yst_national_talent_orientation_camp/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/624/ Yesterday Steve Marshall visited the YST National Talent Orientation Camp at Loughborough University. As ever he was impressed with the British Cycling team there and the way that the athletes adopted the Wattbike and gave it their all. Steve’s short report is below: YST National Talent Orientation “Over the past week, around 100 of the UK’s best under-16 athletes have been working with top coaches and equipment at the National Talent Orientation Camp in Loughborough. A variety of sports are represented from sailing and wheelchair basketball, to canoeists, rowers and cyclists. British Cycling brought 12 of their Wattbikes to do some intense training with their athletes. Gary Coltman, Performance Manager Olympic Talent Programme British Cycling, explained that the usage of Wattbikes has been extremely useful in training for all cycling disciplines. During this week track cyclists, bmx and mountain bikers have all trained together, it would have been difficult to effectively coach outside with a range of bike speeds, traffic and weather conditions. With the Wattbikes and using their own bikes on rollers, the athletes have been able to really push themselves. The bmx coaches have also found the Wattbikes very useful, the simplicity to set up and the ability to accurately compare performances across a time period being the biggest advantages. It was not just the cyclists who were using the Wattbikes as later that afternoon many rowers were brought across by their coaches to be taught how to use the bikes by the cyclists. They raced over 1000m with Chris Hoy’s time as a target. Quick, but not that quick …yet!” http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/bbc_audio_slide_show_features_the_wattbike/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/623/ An audio slide show featured on the BBC Radio 4 website takes a look at the lessons that can be learned from British Cycling - the most successful team at the World Championships and Olympic Games. During the slide show the BBC Interviewer Adam Shaw met with Sir Chris Hoy who explained how the British Cycling team of coaches, athletes and support staff all aim for excellence in everything that they do. Over the last eight years we have worked very closely with British Cycling in the development of the Wattbike and have been impressed at every stage with the professionalism and focus on what it is that they are trying to acheive. British Cycling talk about the ‘aggregation of marginal gains’, they try and think of everything, and once they have thought of it, improve it. We have been able to benefit from that philosophy as we returned to them time after time with their previous tick list of requirements completed only to be presented with a new list. It was in that environment that the Wattbike was born and continues to develop. We are currently working on a number of developments to the software that should be available for download shortly. Towards the end of the Audio Slide show Sir Chris also takes the opportunity to put Adam through the peak power test on the Wattbike to give him an idea of what it takes to be an Olympic Sprint Cyclist. Adam produces 992 Watts, compared to over 2300 Watts that Chris is able to produce. That can be a target for 2009! Listen to the full Audio Slide show at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7796000/7796283.stm http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/friday_night_wattbike_league/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/622/ The first ever Wattbike league of its kind in this country has been launched by Lichfield City Cycling Club. The Wattbike League means you can race bikes without braving the elements and no fiddling about putting your bike together! All you need is shorts, t-shirt and trainers and you are ready to race. The league, taking place at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre in Lichfield, begins on the 9th January and will run for 10 weeks. The organisers explained how the new Wattbike race series came about: "It's not everyday that you get a phone call from a member of staff from British Cycling suggesting you delay ordering some new spinning bikes as there is something else coming on to the market of more interest. But that's just what Nick Yarworth, West Midlands Regional Development Manager did to Phil Kelly, the manager of Friary Grange Leisure Centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire during December 2007. Nick's reasons were sufficient for Phil to do just that though and arrange to have a meeting with Wattbike in January 2008. At this point the Wattbike was in prototype form and only an illustration of the bike and some technical details were available. Despite this Phil decided to order 11 of the Wattbikes, using funding secured from South Staffordshire PCT as part of a larger health project already in place at the leisure centre. Phil's 11 bikes ordered in February 2008 were the first commercial order in the world and he had to wait till October for the bikes to be ready and delivered. Phil says he recognised the value and potential of the bikes immediately. He thought that they could be used for his normal spinning classes as well as developing a host of projects targeted at cycling and triathlon clubs, schools and local sports coaches for performance monitoring. Spinning classes are going well and Phil needs to hire additional spinning class instructors. The bikes have been well received by members of the public who particularly like the data the bike displays during use. Class attendees have indicated that knowing how far they have cycled and at what speed is highly motivational. Of more interest to cyclists will be the cycling development work that Phil and his team are doing. The leisure centre already hosts cyclo cross, roller and grass track racing, organises inter-school cycling competitions and a number of triathlons. A lot of this work takes place with the support of the West Midlands Go Ride coaches and Lichfield City Cycling Club. A consequence of this has been the trebling in the number of youth members in the cycling club. Plans are now in place to run the UK's first ever Wattbike racing league. The league, which will run from January to March 2009, is being organised to run like a traditional track meeting. The bikes will al be linked through a laptop, and a huge image showing real-time racing, projected onto a wall, The image will show the progress of riders as they race in each event. Events will include scratch races, individual and team sprints, points, a devil and course de primes. The league runs over 10 weeks, each Friday evening from 9th January. In addition to the league Phil is also working with local schools to develop a series of competitions for pupils from 10 to 17 years old. The aim is to run a virtual league between Primary and High schools, with each school being able to use the Wattbikes on their own with support from the leisure centre and the Local School Sports Partnership. To enter the league download an entry form from phil.kelly@lichfielddc.gov.uk or Nigel Capewell on 07768 560932 or email nigel.capewell@ukgateway.net More information on the league can be found by clicking here. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/review_of_the_wattbike_on_bikeradar.com/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/621/ Wattbike is an indoor bike that's a lot more than your average piece of fitness equipment - according to the review on bikeradar.com. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_world_24_hour_cycling_benchmark_achieved/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/620/   Ultra distance athlete, Neil Rhodes, set a World Record for static cycling in aid of BBC Children in Need last week. Rhodes recorded 632,289 meters, or 392.9miles in 24 hours of cycling at a busy ASDA store in Nottingham using the new Wattbike. The Wattbike has been developed in partnership with British Cycling and enables World Records to be possible for the first time ever due to the precise and identical calibration of every bike. Rhodes, who celebrated his 51st birthday on Saturday whilst attempting the record, has completed extraordinary challenges such as running an arctic marathon and becoming the first Englishman to run across the Alps and the Rockies back-to-back. Rhodes, whilst attempting the record! He said: “I was contacted just a week prior to the event and asked if I would do it. My first reaction was that 7 months notice would be more appropriate, but the lure of another challenge was too strong. I’m always asking myself what is my body capable of and I haven’t fully answered that question yet, so I had to say yes. “As much as I am fit at present, my fitness is geared towards running not cycling and I knew that the big problem was that my body was not used to the pressure of sitting on a saddle for such a period of time. “I’m pleased and a little disappointed not to have reached 400miles. The problem with new ultra-distance challenges is the fact that it’s totally new territory and you don’t know how hard to push and how your body may react to constant exercise for such a long period, so it’s only afterwards that you know if you could have done more.” Rhodes’ record breaking exploits, along with riders on the other ten Wattbikes in ADSA’s busy entrance foyer raised almost £10,000 for Children in Need and ensured that the Nottingham store was the top fundraiser across all ASDA stores nationwide. Riders from the local Nottingham Clarion club completed a 12 hour relay and Nottingham Rowing Club’s 18 year old Sam Ward pedalled his was to a new 12 hour bench mark. John Wilson of Wattbike commented: “The event was a huge success and response to the Wattbike was hugely positive. People were queuing up to ride and it looked fantastic in the busy setting of ASDA.” “It’s exciting that we can start to establish records for static cycling for the first time. It’s a perfect way to do charity fundraising and set some new standards in cycling.” http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/british_cycling_enters_new_era_with_wattbike/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/619/ British Cycling is about to enter a new era, in which its athletes, coaches and members have the opportunity to exploit the potential of the revolutionary new Wattbike. The Wattbike is an exercise bike, testing bike, competition bike and a rehabilitation bike all wrapped up in one. It is the first product of its kind to be endorsed by British Cycling, which has played a key role in its development. It will create a new sport, of indoor cycling, and be a pivotal part of the extension of the successful Go Ride and Everyday Cycling programmes. Wattbike prototypes are already being utilised in talent identification programmes, and the.first batch of production Wattbikes is now available to the cycling public, with British Cycling members qualifying for discounts. "We are completely sold on the Wattbike’s capacity to provide a positive benefit to every level of the sport” said Ian Drake, British Cycling’s Deputy Chief Executive. “It will support us in everything from increasing participation in the sport and recreational cycling through to underpinning our World Class Pathways and International success.” British Cycling’s team of Go Ride coaches plan to introduce them into schools up to, and beyond, the 2012 Olympics. Wattbikes give them the chance, for the first time, to engage children throughout the winter months. New leadership qualifications for indoor instructors are also being developed. A pilot Everyday Cycling project will initiate indoor cycling in five Universities from January 2009. It is envisaged that this programme will be expanded and rolled out nationally, through to March 2013. The development of a new sport which embraces new technology and social media is ideally placed to address the drop-off in participation from the age of 16. “We believe there is an opportunity to link indoor cycling and gym activity together under the umbrella of Everyday Cycling “said Ian Drake. “This holistic approach should ensure that seasonal outdoor cyclists are still participating throughout the winter months. We will also have the opportunity to promote outdoor opportunities to indoor gym cyclists. “ The Wattbike’s ground-breaking computer console delivers the quality of feedback that, until now, only the world’s best cyclists have been privileged to receive. It reproduces the challenges of the open road with participants able to spin along lightly at a comfortable pace or push themselves to their limits. It will measure every pedal turn from start to finish and offer scope to compete, online, or in an indoor arena, with the bikes linked together for racing. No other product of its type accurately measures power output – watts. It is suitable for riders of all ages, and abilities. Dan Hunt, coach to Olympic champion Rebecca Romero, has already been impressed by its potential to aid such talent identification programmes as the Girls4Gold initiative, which sees British Cycling working in unison with UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport. He said : “I’ve seen some impressive scores on the Watt bike tests – with a few exceptional performances that are approaching world class standards already. Everyone at British Cycling is really excited about the athletes Girls4Gold might uncover and the opportunity to further enhance our chances towards London 2012.” http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/national_senior_track_championships/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/618/ Wattbike have been in Manchester this week supporting the 2008 National Senior Track Championships at the Velodrome. For more information and results please see the British Cycling website. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_rivals_hoy_as_main_attraction_at_salford_nocturne/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/617/ The Watt Bike made an appearance as part of the Everyday Cycling Tent at the Salford Nocturne on Saturday 30th August. In the picturesque setting of Salford Quays on a mild, late Summer evening, throngs of people gathered to get a glimpse of Great Britain’s victorious cycling heroes, including triple gold medallist Chris Hoy. The event generated a great atmosphere which encouraged people to let their hair down and have some fun. It also created an element of competition of people where the Watt Bike was concerned. The gauntlet was thrown down: “Chris Hoy managed 2200 Watts on this thing – can you beat a triple gold medallist?” Over 100 people took up the challenge during the 4 hour event and nobody was able to only have one go. Every single person who had a go was determined to beat their first score. At a couple of points throughout the evening, there appeared to be more interest in the Watt Bike than in the Nocturne as huge crowds gathered around supporting and encouraging each other to achieve the best score. In the end, the winning score was 1,328 watts, achieved by a former track sprint cyclist. This drew huge admiration from the crowd. Some of the younger participants also achieved incredible scores, with three Under 16 males achieving over 1000 watts. In the female Under 16 category, one cyclist managed to achieve a score in the high 800’s. This can only bode well for Great Britain as we head towards 2012. It is very unlikely that a piece of training equipment could ever upstage the elite athlete who trains on it – but the Watt Bike very nearly achieved it this weekend. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_wins_blue_peter_badge/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/616/ The Wattbike was put through its paces on the June 10 edition of Blue Peter. Tom Gregory and Hannah Barnes from the Great Britain Cycling Talent Team,  matched themselves against the Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon. The Wattbikes were linked to a laptop and the audience followed events through the Expert Software system. The challenge began with a six second sprint power test.  Zoe managed 501 watts on her first attempt. Tom responded with a personal best of 1145 watts and after he had passed on a few tips to Zoe she bettered her first score with 595 watts. After a short break Zoe’s next challenge was a 90 seconds endurance test. The software enabled two bikes to be linked up, so that she could race against Hannah. Hannah covered 1200 metres with an average power output of 343 watts and Zoe covered an impressive 1007 meters with an average of 225 watts. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_takes_centre_stage/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/615/   The Wattbike played a central role in today’s launch of the latest instalment of the Great Notts Bike Ride, staged at the Nottingham headquarters of sponsors Boots.   Former England footballer Geoff Thomas, who has twice ridden the Tour de France as part of his remission from Leukaemia, took on all-comers in a series of 500 and 1,000 metre races on the Wattbike. Former England footballer Geoff Thomas is interviewed in front of the Wattbikes at the launch of the Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride His Foundation will be one of five charities to benefit from the annual event, which takes place this year on Sunday June 22, during National Bike week. It features a 100 mile Sportive, a 50 mile Challenge, an 18 mile Community Ride, and a Corporate Challenge. Thomas said: “I think it’s my fault that the 100mile route has been included! It was good to get a bit of training in at the launch, and I was relieved to win the Wattbike challenges. The event provides a huge boost to charities, and I’m delighted that the Geoff Thomas Foundation will be involved this year” Nottingham is the home of the Wattbike.. The Great Notts Bike Ride aims at getting more people on bikes, having some fun whilst getting fit. Now in its 27th year, the event attracted 4500 riders in 2007. Entries for all routes have gone live today on the event website  www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/bikeride http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/matt_crampton_excels_in_wattbike_challenge/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/614/ Matt Crampton underlined his reputation as one of the emerging talents of British cycling on and off the track at the world championships. Crampton, the 21-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist from Manchester, laid down a marker for the future in the kilometre time trial on Sunday. He set the pace with a time of 1:01.822, but was eventually edged into fourth place by Frenchman Francois Pervis. Remarkably, within an hour of that prodigious ride in his first senior world championships, Crampton took on the Wattbike challenge. His peak power output of 1898 watts put him third overall, behind Wattbike world record holder Jan Bos, the Dutch speed skater, and Dave Readle, a British shot putter who recorded 1972 watts. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/cabinet_minister_andy_burnham_experiences_wattbike_effect/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/613/ Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, gained first hand experience of the ground-breaking Wattbike during his visit to the world track cycling championships in Manchester. Mr Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport watches a Wattbike race at the Manchester 2008 World Cycling Championship Mr Burnham tried the machine himself, and was struck by the enthusiasm of the participants in the Wattbike peak power challenge. They included his son, who had two sessions on the machine. Mr Burnham visited the championships as a guest of British Cycling, whose deputy chief executive Ian Drake briefed him on the Wattbike’s potential to add an extra dimension to cycling participation in the UK. This highlighted the prospect of enhancing British Cycling’s Go-Ride development programme. Wattbike officials explained the attractions of the computerised console to the young, and outlined the innovative nature of the partnership between a progressive British company and Britain’s most successful Olympic sport. Mr Burnham, MP for Leigh, saw Britain win another three gold medals in what has been a spectacularly successful event. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/bos_sets_world_wattbike_record/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/612/   Dutch world champion Speed Skater Jan Bos has established a new world record for power output on the Wattbike. Jan Bos prepares to set a new power record on the Wattbike! Bos, who also won Olympic silver medals over 1,000 metres at the Winter Games in Nagano in 1998, and in Salt Lake City in 2002, recorded a peak power output of 1996 watts. The 33-year-old, from Harderwijk is one of Europe’s most versatile athletes. He is the brother of Theo, who lost his world sprint cycling title to Britain’s Chris Hoy in Manchester on Friday evening. The brothers represented Holland in the team sprint track cycling event at the Athens Olympics in 2004, finishing sixth after being knocked out by Japan. While Jan’s immediate aim is to push the record beyond 2,000 watts, British Cycling is beginning to monitor the potential of the Wattbike as a key talent identification tool. There have been some outstanding performances in the Wattbike challenge in the age groups competitions at the Manchester Velodrome, which have attracted a wide range of youngsters. Tom Gregory, 15, currently leads the Under 16 Boys competition with a peak output of 1167 watts. Daisy Sherwood, only 17, is the leading womems’ rider, with a score of 1010 watts. Emily Kay,12, heads the girls Under 13 standings with a score of 813 watts. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/the_feel_good_factor/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/611/ With Great Britain established as the dominant nation of these world track championships in Manchester, cycling is on a real high. The world class programme, overseen by Performance Director David Brailsford, is being hailed as an example for other British sports to follow in the build up to the Beijing Olympics. Multiple medal winners, like Victoria Pendleton and Bradley Wiggins, are becoming the role models for a new generation of sports enthusiasts.   Jill Douglas of the BBC celebrates after finishing her Wattbike Race But that tells only part of a modern success story. British Cycling’s culture of advancement and innovation is having an impact from the playground to the podium. A batch of new community coaches has been introduced, and discussions are under way to utilise the Wattbike in an expansion of the sport in schools, through British Cycling’s Go Ride programme. The BBC is experiencing unprecedented television ratings for cycling, outside of an Olympic Games, and the spotlight is being trained on domestic areas of excellence. This is where the Wattbike, which was featured by presenter Jill Douglas in Thursday night’s transmission, comes in. It is the product of British company, based in Nottingham, which believes in the ability of sport to be a force for social good. It is envisaged that the Wattbike will eventually become the centrepiece of a series of socially-responsive programmes, aimed at combating childhood obesity and inactivity. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/can_you_feel_the_force/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/610/ The Wattbike has quickly become one of the talking points of the World Track Cycling Championships at the Velodrome. Hundreds of spectators have taken advantage of the opportunity for a trial spin on the ground-breaking indoor bike, which promises to reinforce cycling’s status as a sport for all. They have ranged from schoolboys to senior citizens, who have tested themselves over the nominal distance of 250 metres, the length of a single lap of the track. The most effective recreational riders have generated peak power of more than 1400 watts. This compares to the optimal force generated by elite cyclists, which can range between 2300 and 2500 watts. The Wattbike’s capacity to augment elite training programmes has been seized on by the world’s leading sports scientists. It has been studied at the championships by both Dr Kevin Thompson, of the English Institute of Sport, and Dr David Martin, of the Australian Institute of Sport. They are globally-respected physiologists, whose expertise includes fatigue management, competition analysis, talent identification and development. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/worldwide_interest_in_wattbike/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/609/ The Wattbike made a global impact, even before the world track cycling championship began in Manchester today. Coaches from China, Korea and the Czech Republic were the first to register interest in the revolutionary indoor bike. They were joined by Michael Flynn, training department manager at the UCI, the worldwide governing body for the sport. Flynn, a former High Performance Manager with Cycling Australia, is the pivotal figure in the UCI’s World Cycling Centre in Switzerland. This is at the hub of a global network of centres, designed to develop cycling in emerging nations. The Wattbike's ability to provide accurate, consistent data, has also attracted considerable interest from performance scientists in Australia and the UK. This enthusiasm is mirrored by members of the public. Spectators at the championships have been taking advantage of the opportunity to race three Wattbikes, which are being demonstrated in conjunction with British Cycling’s Everyday Cycling programme. http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/wattbike_launches_cycling_into_a_new_era/ http://wattbike.com/uk/news/post/607/ Wattbike is the first indoor bike to be endorsed by British Cycling, the governing body for cycling in the UK with a global reputation for innovation and achievement. It is a No Boundaries product, suitable for riders of all ages, and abilities. Welcome to Wattbike, and the No Boundaries world of cycling in the 21st Century Wattbike is an exercise bike, testing bike, competition bike and a rehabilitation bike all wrapped up in one. No other product of its type accurately measures power output – watts. It paves the way for the introduction of the new sport of indoor cycling. A ground-breaking computer console delivers the quality of feedback that, until now, has been limited to the world’s best cyclists. Pioneering software captures data 100 times per second, and offers real-time feedback across 25 different parameters for users, coaches and scientists. “We have designed the Wattbike so that it can be used by everyone, for everything “said Dusan Adamovic, Wattbike’s Technical Director. “ We believe it will work for school children and senior citizens, cardiac rehabilitation patients and Olympic athletes. “Our aim has been to create the first indoor bike that accurately measures performance. This allows us to establish a worldwide measuring standard for cycling, and a new sport of indoor cycling. “We knew the bike had to feel like cycling on the road, both on the flat and when climbing. This is why we have worked closely with British Cycling throughout the bike’s development. We share their vision of cycling being about fun and fitness, for people of all ages and abilities.” Peter King, CEO of British Cycling, commented: “British Cycling prides itself as an organisation that operates on the cutting edge, and in Wattbike we have the perfect partner. Together, we have developed a piece of equipment that will support us in everything from increasing participation to underpinning our World Class Pathways and International success. “The Wattbike will provide a positive benefit to every level of the sport by linking indoor and outdoor cycling and helping us continue to make a substantial contribution to the health, education, participation and performance agendas.” David Brailsford, British Cycling Performance Director, added: "The GB Cycling Team have played an important role in the development of the Wattbike to ensure that it is capable of supporting and making a valuable contribution to our World Class programmes. “The Wattbike is already assisting the GB Cycling Team in identifying our future stars and its potential in terms of indoor competition in schools and clubs can only be positive in terms of the number of young people coming into the sport in the future." Spectators at the world track championships have the opportunity to compete on Wattbikes, as part of British Cycling’s Everyday Cycling programme. Online Leagues are to be established, and competitions created in indoor arenas, where the Wattbikes will be computer linked to create a real time race environment. Notes to Editors: A unique patent-protected dual resistance system allows riders to spin along lightly at a comfortable pace or to push themselves to their limits. The Wattbike measures every pedal turn. All are calibrated identically, which means performances can be compared from bike to bike. This gives cycling access to a global online community, in which participants can validly compare themselves. For the top level cyclist and coach the Wattbike delivers scientific feedback that will revolutionise training, testing and the search for talent. For the recreational cyclist it offers everything from low intensity fat-burning exercise to group sessions, right through to high intensity sprinting. For the non-cyclist it combines the enjoyment of cycling with the health benefits of a foundation for lifelong fitness. For schoolchildren it provides a gateway to physical activity, and the promise of year-round fun. British Cycling is the national governing body for cycle sport in the UK British Cycling works throughout the sport – from delivering Olympic medals to encouraging people to get on a bike for the first time British Cycling is the fastest growing cycling organisation in the UK, with 22,000 members British Cycling was involved with 2,500 affiliated events in 2007 British Cycling encourages and develops children’s cycling talents: the Go Ride scheme is expected to coach 50,000 children in 2007/08 British Cycling Helps everyday cyclists enjoy riding more through the Everyday Cycling scheme British Cycling is funded by membership, UK Sport and Sport England More information on British Cycling, visit www.britishcycling.org.uk