A bizarre mid-march snowstorm turned what would usually be a rather (boring!) flat, fast roadie-style time-trail of Sherwood Pines into a wicked rollercoaster slippy, slidy ride! However, it made for hellish conditions getting to the race, with my bicycle stuck in Inverness due to the A9 being closed, and not re-opened until the Saturday morning. Then came the delights of my navigation to avoid the A66 which was closed for mountainous snow drifts. Finally we arrived at Notthingham(shire!) after 6pm on the Saturday night, too late to pre-ride eek!

It was a freezing cold morning with six inches of snow on

Well... As they say, everything counts as experience. Sadly, the race at Sherwood didn't go exactly to plan, but lots of things to learn and take from it for next time!

After a stressful few weeks of being drowned in Uni work I was looking forward to a weekend away bike racing. So when I picked up the beautiful Specialized Fate 29er from Dales cycles on the Friday and headed down a very sunny road I was feeling pretty stoked. After a great dinner on Saturday night and having done all the travelling on the Friday,

Saturday was a lovely day enjoying the sunshine and getting a couple of laps around the course. The bike was SWEET!! Super fast on the flat Sherwood course and rolling over the small bumps as though I was on asphalt. It was a perfect fit too with a 15inch frame even small enough for my short legs!

Dales Cycles Elite XC rider Morven Brown throws Dougie Vipond a "deefie" live on the BBC in the interest of a quick rider changeover. Now thats selfless teamwork!

I took the Foil out last week, what a great bike!!! I was surprised how stiff the frame was for an aero frame, the bike just darts forward every time you push the pedal. Ride quality is not bad either considering the frame rigidity and responsiveness, however you do get some vibrations transferred through the bars and saddle while riding on the rougher roads. Speaking of the saddle - I found the Selle Italia X1 extremely comfy, I know saddle is always a very personal choice but this must honestly be one of the best I've sat on.

Overall it was a great experience and I think Scott have done a great job by designing an aero bike that is only a wee bit heavier than their standard benchmark racer - the Addict - yet it is just as stiff and responsive!

The bike I've tried is a part of our Test Bike range and is available to anyone who wishes to try it - just call in store for details!

Blood sweat & beers at the final round of the Rollapaluza National series, hosted by Dales Cycles on March 1st 2012. A majorly good night and well attended, thanks to everyone who made it. Congratulations to the machine that is Kenny Ayres, taking the title again from an amazingly consistent Chris Hutchens. Same time next year anyone?