I was very fortunate to combine some more SBCU studies in USA with a tripto Salt Lake City, the home of the ‘Worlds Fastest Indian’. I had the opportunity to test ride and evaluate the 2008 range of specialized bicycles and the release of all their new hot componentry. You may have noticed a great number of teams in the Tour De France wearing the new Specialized ultra light D2 helmets and the S/works carbon shoes which we now have on display in store.

It was a dramatic change arriving at Salt Lake City airport with the temperature hovering around 40 degrees, a far cry from wet and windy Palmy. On day one we were taken just out of Salt Lake City to a wonderful plateau to sample all the road bikes. I was fortunate to ride the latest Tarmac SL. You guessed it, it is the bike made for Boonen for the Tour De France and what a weapon it was indeed. I set off from the car park and headed up a 7-mile hill climb in the searing heat. I was floored and it was not from the climbing itself but inhaling large quantities of hot air that proceeded to burn my throat and top of my lungs. That evening my roommate turned air conditioner on so low it just zapped me and I suffered for the rest of the trip with a huge head cold.

The bikes were awesome to ride and the next bike I rode was one of the brand new time trial transition bikes, which is a butt up and head down job. I think for me to fit on that bike properly and look the part, I would need to have my lower ribs surgically removed but what a ride.

The next day was back to the classroom with more studies and learning. Day 3 we were taken up to Silver Lake Village, which is where they hosted the Winter Olympics. You have never seen anything like it in your life. It is built in a Swiss alpine theme and after arriving there we were presented with a full selection of the latest carbon MTB offering from Specialized.

I picked an Enduro model which I thought would suit me best and it was wonderful. After loading the bike up onto the chair lift and being whisked away to the top point at 9 ½ thousand feet, which take if from me, is seriously high and it felt like you could see right over all of USA. We were given ride maps with all the different levels of tracks you could choose to ride down on and these were groomed single track courses which I have never experienced anything like it in my life.

Once coming to grips with the brake levers being on opposite side of the bars I was away and I managed to stay up right for the whole day and completed 5 runs down the mountain on different tracks. The following day studied bike fit and other appropriate training. The highlights were the grand gala dinner, which was hosted for all the top USA, South America and Japanese dealers. I managed to take in a genuine American baseball game in their local stadium and sample one of those cool hot dogs you see on TV. I managed to show off my ice skating abilities at the winter indoor marina and also played some games of curling which I have never done before. I would recommend all these activities to anyone. So all in all it was an absolutely fantastic trip and would like to thank Specialized New Zealand for sponsoring my travels. I am really looking forward to returning to the USA in the new year for a month to do my next Masters fit classes and proceed to the next level.

While on the subject of fit classes, I need to do 100 refits which means refitting riders to their present bicycles and recording the data to take with me. If you would like your present position on your bicycle checked out and a refitting with all our new fitting tools we have accumulated, just ring me to make an appointment and I will only be too happy to refit you to your bike and ensure you are gaining maximum performance and comfort from your machine.

All the best and keep on pedalling.