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My Bikes

Over the years I have managed to acquire (and dispose of) numerous bikes. Some have been sadly taken from me which seems to be an occupational hazard. Below are a few of the more recent models which have served me well of late...

More recently I have dipped my wheels into the disc-brake market, controversial for some, but I was keen to experience the extra stopping power and my latest disc version of the Trek Domane has proved a lovely ride over the last 6 months and may well get a trip to Spain in the coming months to try it out on the long sweeping descents of the Marina Alta mountains.

Road Bikes

Over the years I have had a number of road bikes, each one evolving from the last as I appreciate the nuances of ride position, performance and so on.

2020. Cannondale Synapse Carbon etap. I have been looking for a replacement for my Di2 Trek Domane for a while now and a chance browse in our LBS at the end of 2019 revealed this thing of beauty. A full carbon disc brake racer coming in at under 8kg? With Wifi groupset? You better believe it. It is the 2019 model and sports a glorious colour scheme too (remember the mantra 'colour is all'!). I've never used SRAM before and first impressions are very favourable. I am just waiting for some decent weather to get out on a proper ride and really enjoy this bike.

2019. Kinesis GTD custom build. After last year's Carlton build, I was not really looking to add anything new to my collection but was struck by this beauty in our local bike shop in Gresford. Titanium always looks special and Kinesis have a winner in the GTD (Go The Distance), an Audax-based frameset which they had built up in some style. With Hope extras, including the disc wheelset, 30mm road tyres, and Zipp handlebars, all based on Shimano Ultegra groupset, it doesn't come cheap. But boy, is it a stunner. Designed with distance and comfort in mind this looks set to become my touring bike of choice from now on.

2018. Carlton Criterium. A bike of elegance and great beauty, this was a project for the Spring of 2018 when I took the original 1978 steel chrome model acquired from a friend, stripped it down, had a respray in some classic Colnago colours and brought it back to life ready for some summer riding. A day out on the classic Bob Clift Memorial ride in June was a suitable inaugural 100km ride. Classic lines, a smooth ride and old-style Shimano gearing make this a bike for flat fine weather riding.

2016. Trek Domane 4.5 Disc. Disc brake technology is here to stay, and I have definitely bought into it. Last year's BMC didn't quite hit the high notes for me, but my conventional Domane 5.9 has long been a favourite to ride, this bike matches the 5.9 in terms of geometry and ride comfort. It comes with Shimano 105 groupset mixed with the Shimano disc brake technology and is proving to be fast, spritely and a rather enjoyable ride.

2015. BMC GF01 105 Disc. The lure of a disc-brake road bike became too hard to resist and, having secured Bike of the Year 2015, this was an obvious choice. With Shimano 105 hardware and a chunky carbon frame this stylish addition to my stable is ideal for long rides and steep climbs

2014. Cannondale Synapse (revisited). In the end I couldn't bear to part with my trusty Synapse after so much fun over the years. This rebuild utilised a mix of Ultegra and 105, plus some ageing but still quick American Classic A420 wheels. It's as good as ever

2013. Enigma Etape. This is comfort on wheels, with carbon forks and Shimano Durace C35 wheels (now replaced with handbuilt Pacenti rimmed wheels with rather sexy Hope hubs), built to ride long miles but also light enough up those hills. It fulfils a long held ambition to go down the titanium route

2012. Trek Domane 5.9 Di2. One sexy stealth machine. This carbon sportive machine features Di2 as well as innovative seat suspension. Has proved to be a glorious bike to ride through 2013, including the illustrious Maratona dles Dolomites

2012. Ribble Sportive full build. Another build, this time based on the Ribble SPortive 7046 aluminium frame. Built for comfort and speed, and allied with Vision 42 wheels should be a quick ride.

2011. Ribble EM2 full build. This makes winter cycling a bit more interesting. Good enough to ride sportives on without quite the excitement of the Synapse. Proves aluminium bikes can be good.

2010. Canondale Synapse Carbon Ultegra. A thing of sheer beauty, and amazing to ride. This is my ultimate Sportive bike. So far has helped me complete my second Etape and the illustrious 2011 Marmotte.

2010. Ribble TT. Having passed on my original Ribble to Paul it was time to bring the marque back into the fold, and build a TT bike from scratch at the same time. Great fun project. And a nice machine too. Shame about the engine!

2009. Dolan Scuro RS (custom build). Second Dolan machine after mechanical issues with the original Scuro frame. This too was a dream to ride, skittish and frisky. Sadly, a snapped chainstay brought our liaison to a premature end

2008. Dolan Scuro (custom build). First try on a full carbon monocoque design, Deda design and Dolan badged. Lovely riding machine, saw me to my first Etape du Tour finish, as well as a traverse of the Pyrenees.Mechanical issues saw it replaced after 12 months.

2006. Pinarello Galileo. Italian styling and glorious red paintwork, this was a new dimension to my riding. Later converted to a full-on time trial machine, but not before some european adventures and many UK sportives. Still too small! Eventually demised when the headtube seized

2005. Ribble (Mark 1). More sympathetic sized machine (too small actually) but a step up in ride comfort after the Scott. And saw me take those first tentative rides on the Continent, notably the Ventoux and Alpe d'Huez. Paul inherited it when I moved on to the Pinarello

2002. Scott AFD Expert. My first real road bike. Too big, a bit too stiff for my liking, though it was great to ride time trials on. Eventually saw the light and decided to downsize, but still got a lot of enjoyment from this machine.

1973. Raleigh. Another one from the archives, this is my circa 1973 Raleigh chrome painted 5-speed bike, complete with panier rack, dynamo lights and a rather obscenely angled saddle which looks mighty uncomfortable. Used for commuting to school and then university in Manchester. Sadly, it was stolen from my university digs a few years later - not sure I ever really got over that!

1971. Raleigh. I discovered this old photo taken of my first road bike from way back in 1971, a Raleigh of unknown pedigree with five speed gearing and vintage downtube shifter (as was the vogue in those days of course) along with plenty of shiny chrome. Not sure about the colour scheme though.