NE XC MTB Round 2 @ Hetton Lyons Country Park

 

A quick local mainly gravel loop along the old Railway lines of Co Durham

 

Well it has been a funny old week of work and weather so far but it was time to get a quick loop in today. I was in that much of a rush packing the van this morning I forget to take my Garmin and camera but not to worry as I have done the same loop hundreds of times before. I used the camera on my works phone for a couple of snaps. The lines and interlinking road sections were lovely and quiet. The tracks n trails are bone dry and dusty - lovely. Its just a shame we have not seen any sun for days. The wind has finally gone but just cannot get into the double figures with the temperature. 

Enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

Fresh Goods Sunday - Specialized S-Works Romin EVO with Mirror Saddle143mm

 

If you follow my blog this is the second Specialized Mirror saddle I have bought but this time it is the Romin model. It has the same rrp as the Power model and also comes in the same two sizes / widths 143 and 155mm. I choose the 143mm width as its the same as my Mirror saddle. They use the same technology but the saddle has a different shape / length. Fitting is the same as the Mirror, you just need to make sure you have the correct seat post clamps that are suitable for oval 7 x 9mm carbon rails. The weight of saddle is just under the claimed manufacturers weight of 190g for the 143mm version. This one took less setting up as it is a long nosed saddle just like the Brooks I was taking off the bike. 

I purchased the saddle 7 months ago and I fitted it onto my Specialized Creo gravel bike where it has been since. Over the 7 months I have never had to adjust the height / angle tilt / move along the rails etc since first setting it up. Again it takes a couple of rides to used to the saddle coming from a hard Brooks. Overall the feel and comfort of the saddle is better for me than the Power model on my road bike. I prefer the more traditional shape / length of the Romin. There are no signs of any wear / sagging to date and cannot fault the construction / materials / finish. They has been no noise's coming from the saddle. As ever the rrp is just unreal and defo not worth the money. Fizik have brought out a few models of 3D printed cells designs which are cheaper than the Specialized models. Note that not the Power model has been and is discounted in a few stores so time will tell if they start to discount the Romin model.  

RRP £390 and I paid £390 from Specialized Concept Store Harrogate - Discount a big fat 0% 

Manufacturers blurb - Our pro-favourite S-Works Romin EVO with Mirror saddle is designed to deliver exceptional comfort and ensure blood flow to soft tissue when riding in a low, aero position. By replacing foam with our Mirror technology, we’ve also reduced sit bone pressure up to 26%. We developed Mirror technology by 3D printing from a liquid polymer to perfectly reflect your anatomy. This revolutionary process creates a complex honeycomb structure that allows us to infinitely tune the material’s density in a way impossible with foam.

The Body Geometry ergonomic supportive cut-out is designed to maximize blood flow, while the unique saddle shape allows you to maintain comfort, even in a competitive, aerodynamic position. Our very first concave FACT carbon fibre shell enabled us to create our thickest Mirror pad ever with 22,200 struts and 10,700 nodes, while oversized carbon rails create a saddle that's ready for anything.

The carbon-railed, lightweight S-Works Romin EVO with Mirror is a high-performance saddle that's designed to put you in a position for optimal power transfer and comfort as you put pressure on your competition.

• Patented Body Geometry design is lab-tested to ensure improved comfort and blood flow to sensitive arteries.
• Mirror technology pad features 22,200 struts and 10,700 nodes, all individually tuned.
• Concave FACT carbon fibre shell is flex-tuned for support and ride compliance.
• Ultra-light oversized FACT carbon rails.
• SWAT™-compatible mounts moulded into the saddle base allow for sleek and integrated storage solutions.
• NOTE: Oversized 7x9mm carbon rails are not compatible with seat posts equipped with side-load clamp mechanisms for 7mm round rails.
• Size 143mm/Weight 190g
• Size 155mm/Weight 198g

Sunday morning local road ride to No Place, Pontop Pike & Burnhope inc The Peth climb

 

No riding yesterday as we had a drive through to the Bishop Auckland Food Festival. We went early and managed to get parked no problem and had a walk around the festival and then went for a cuppa and buttie. On the way back to the car we had a walk around the town before heading home. 

Today (Sunday) it was time to sling my leg over the saddle and go out for a local road ride. The sun was beating through the bedroom curtains early so dragged myself out of bed and jumped into my spring cycling kit. I was up and out just after 7am but it had clouded over slightly and was real nippy. The very strong NE wind has still not done one which made for parts of the ride real raw / hard going. The roads were all lovely and quiet which is half the battle. I had a rough route in my head but as ever that changes as the ride goes on. At the top of the climb from Witton Gilbert to Broom House Farm I stopped to take a photo but when I pulled away Stan's was squirting 6 ft in the air from my front tyre, I did the fast descent all the way down to Witton and it sealed after a while but had lost some air. It was time to cut the ride short so I headed back home with the hole unsealing and resealing a dozen times. By the time I got back the bike and myself was covered in the sticky stuff. 

All in just under 36 miles in 2 hours 29 minutes with 2900ft of climbing. Below are a few snaps from the ride and a couple of short video clips at the bottom, enjoy and hopefully more soon-