Bikes: Ian Field’s New Weapon

2015_Sept_Hargroves_Banner

After resisting for many a year, Pete Hargroves gets his riders disc based bikes including four time champion Ian Field

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Bikes: Ian Field’s New Weapon

A chance remark by some one alerted me to the fact that the Ridley CX bike that Ian Field, and some other riders from Hargroves Cycles were riding bike with disc brakes on them.

_0_ianfieldcrossbike_01

Now for those who have followed cyclo-cross for a few years or more, this was about as big a news as you could get in the national trophy; stop press, shock horror, disc brakes on Ian Field’s cross bike!

With team boss Pete Hargroves looking on, a long time supporter of cyclo-cross and let’s not forget junior road teams that have helped the careers of riders like Jon Dibben, Dan McLay, Sam Lowe, Owain Doull and others, I spoke to Ian Field just after he’d ridden the bike to victory.

The bike is based on the X-Night SL Ridley cross bike with Shimano Dura Ace groupset. Di2 of course for the World ranked rider. Was this the first time he’d had disc brakes on a cross bike I asked?

“Yes” was the reply. “I’ve only had them on the mountain bike before so the first race with them in ‘cross was one in ‘Vegas . Before that, I wasn’t convinced about discs for cyclo-cross but then you race it, and it was like ‘oh my god, night and day’. It is unreal what you can do with the bike when you can actually stop!”

The other significant change for Ian’s bike is that it’s gone from a cabled groupset to Di2 electronic. “Before this bike, a lot of the work Jim was doing was changing cables and now it’s simple; set it up and away you go.”

_0_ianfieldcrossbike_04

Prior to chatting to him, I’d listen to Ian explain to someone why he rode double chain rings. It was such a good question, I stuck it in this chat and he replied “I find the one by eleven (single chain ring) is a bit of a compromise. I have no trouble with having two chain rings and that provides good ratios with the sprockets on the back”.

“On the front chain ring, I predominantly ride on the big ring which is a 46 but then when I get a hilly course like Koppenberg or Valkenburg, I can use the 39 so I’m not having to change rings and worry about that”.

Our thanks to Ian for that inside info!

_0_ianfieldcrossbike_02

_0_ianfieldcrossbike_03

_0_ianfieldcrossbike_05

_0_ianfieldcrossbike_06

2016_ShuttVeloRapideAdvert

AlpsCyclesMidstory

 

Send your results as well as club, team & event news here

Cero

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: