Pave and Frites!

A personal encounter from our man on the ground, Ashley Evans, at the cobbled classics:

“When I thought of Belgium I imagined a grey, windy cold country. Which is what I got. Our first ride from Northern Flanders down to Kemmel with a climb up the Kemmelberg and the Monteberg was perfect for an early season classic, with a cross wind all the way out and a block headwind the 30 miles home. Somehow, after that the rest of the week was perfect weather and just consisted of day after day of sunshine.

While we were out there we visited three races; Tour of Flanders which Alexander Kristoff won. My uncle and I drove out to the Kwaremont and got a prime spot just before the top, where we could see the riders last attempts at creating a gap. The atmosphere was incredible, spectators with massive sound systems playing Euro house and a deep smell of mayo and beer.

Wednesday we went out to the start of Scheldeprijs, a semi classic in Antwerp. I was pretty excited to meet a lot of my cycling heroes as well as get a good look at some of the new bike tech. Most notably Team Skys Dogma K8S and the gorgeous Europcar Colnagos.

Finally, the big one, Paris Roubaix. First up we went to Arenberg which was again the most surreal atmosphere. At both ends of the 2.7km section were two huge festival sized stages with DJs playing a mixture of rave trance and Jamaican Ragga while kids and their  mums danced on stage. In the middle of sector 18 was prime spot for us with numerous punctures and crashes right there. However the Carrefour de L’abre was the best, period. Standing there in the middle of this field I had goosebumps. For me as someone who dreams of winning this race, this was THE sector. My desktop screen is riders creating gaps on this one road, so for me to see my heros less the an arms length away was the best, I got some decent photos too!

  

Now the bit you’ve been waiting for, The riding, the few good rides we got in took us on 3/4 hour jaunts into the Flemish Ardennes and Huevellands, also a nice little jaunt into Bruges, which by the way is beautiful.”

 

Ashley Evans

700cc in the Yorkshire Dales

We are riding in the Yorkshire Dales on the first weekend in July, a self catered manor house in Middleham with beach/lake nearby and internet access; details here.
Dates are 3,4,5 July travelling back on the 6^th. Based on 10 people sharing, the weekend´s accommodation works out at 100 per person.

If you would be interested in joining, please leave a comment here on the blog!

 

700cc Official Kit Design

Hi all

The design team (me) have been busy turning random, swirling ideas into a funky kit reality.

The new 700cc team kit will be produced by market leaders Castelli and will be available in around 6-8 weeks – depending on how Italy feel!

There are 2 designs here simply because it is likely that some will want black kit for Winter, with that said, these are just designs and some pieces will not be available immediately unless specifically requested before Tuesday and provided ordering minimums are met.

Important to note is that the WHITE kit is the one registered with British Cycling and is the official 700cc colour. If you wish to race you must race in the white!

Of course, Train in black, Race in White still holds – so maybe you want both?!

I will be placing an order on Tuesday, predominantly for the White kit for summer. There will be a handful of gilets, warmers, booties etc. If you have any specific requests for items of kit please do let me know on dave@7hundred.co.uk

700cc Kit Order Form

Pricing is likely to be close to that of our previous offerings though some items will likely see an increase as we are using the higher quality Castelli kit.

Anyway, take a look – 700cc is going to look FRESH!

NOTE: The thermal skull cap will sport the same pattern as the overshoes around the brim.

A new era of 700 Cycling

After 3 and a half years, we are continually impressed with the growth and strength of our cycling community. What started out as one weekly ride with a handful of 700 customers has grown into a fun and vibrant group of more than 70 riders and a multitude of cycling achievements and ambitions. The official 700cc Club is here to help more people get more from their cycling. Here’s to more fun out on two wheels!

If you would like to join us, simply complete and return the 700CC Membership Form