Jim on a Bike: November 2009

With my first post under my belt I suppose now would be a good time to explain why I decided to start this blog.

If you havent already worked it out I am a competative road cyclist and having signed mid year with Apollo bikes as my main sponsor and team, "Apollo under 23 Development team", I figured a blog would be the perfect medium in which to write about my training race and travels as well as promote Apollo Bikes, particularly as Apollo has given me and my team mate Trent permission to travel and race in belgium in the first half of 2010 in preparation for the 2010 Aussie Nat road series with team Apollo. So this blog is a way for me to do some promotion as well as keep friends, family and fellow riders up to speed with how my racing is going.

In early March, Trent and I will fly out to brussels before travelling to the "Johan Bruyneel Cycling Academy" in Oostkamp, 5km south of Bruge., where will will train and race predominantly Kermese races throughout Belgium until just after the start of the Tour De France in July.

"A canal in the city of Bruge"

Due to the location and timing of our trip, it is likely that both Trent and I will be able to spectate and possibly even ride the courses for all the spring classics which will be held during our stay, as well as the tour of Flanders, which traditionally starts in Bruge, and the early stages of the Tour De France, which starts in Rotterdam before heading south through Belgium before enetering France.

But before all that Trent and I have our sights set on performing at our best in January for the 2010 Aussie Nat Champs, and the 2010 Tour of Wellington in New Zealand.

For my first ever post, I figure this would be the perfect time to give the sponsors a well earned plug, by writing a short review of the "Team Apollo Elite C"

After first laying eyes on what was to be the 2010 Elite C in early july at the team photoshoot, the countdown had begun until I would had one of my own. After much discussion, while waiting for the photos to be taken, it was decided that the new and improved Elite C, which had originated from the same molds as the 08 and 09 but was created with a higher quality carbon, well and truely looked the part with its new paint scheme. Most notable was the top tube of the frame which was emblasened with "Elite C"

Being the first sample of the new Elite C, it was about a month and a half wait for the first run of production to make its way to Apollo head office, where we would pick them up the following day. Trent and I both picked our bikes up togeather, and after several minutes playing giant tetrus with 2 bike boxes and a back seat/boot which was no where near big enough we were on our way back to Trents where they would be assembled.

After several hours of tinkering, Muz, the Apollo rep and team manager came by to make sure he approved of how we had built our bikes, in particular what stem lengths we had chosen which was discussed thoroughly before a compramise was struck. But by the time we had the bikes ready to roll it was too late to take them for their maiden voyage.

So the following day we set off for the dandy's in the pouring rain to put them through their paces. Before we had left the driveway it was it was evident just how stiff and efficient the power transfer of the frames were and how well, despite the stiffness, the frames soaked up the bumps. After previous bad experience with sram red (due to operator error) I took some time to become accustomed to the double tap shifying motion, but after a bit of practice and deralieur adjustment was taking to the new grupo well.

Once at the 1 in 20 it was evident just how much improvement the power transfer of the Elite C's frame made while climing, and despite the trecharous conditions on the decents the elite c's handled extremely well quickly instilling a sense of confidence enabling it to be thrown into corners with little regard to the glacial road conditions.

After a 4 hour barrage of road spray it was time for its first wash, which due to the large quantity of white in the paint scheme, was not expected to be a quick job. However much to our surprise the large surfaces on the frame and the finish of the paint meant it took little more than a spray with the hose and a quick wipe with a clean rag before they were looking like new again.

As well as the improvements in carbon quality and paint design the Apollo has cut no corners with the componentry with easton ec70 aero bars, ea90sl wheels, ec90 seatpost and ea90 stem, as well as prologos scratch saddle and SRAM's ever popular RED groupset coming stock standard, prooving that the Elite C is built for racing!

With that said I think it's montage time!...

"The curved seat stays and large chain stays combine nicely to create a high level of stiffnes without the degree of harshness in the saddle associated with typical stiff frames"