Saracen Zen - The Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance

Saracen Zen 1, spare tube karma, electric bikes, Raleigh Leeds Tour, Panasonic Ebike, Ridley Bargains, Dawes Tracker v Islabikes Beinn, DMR, Uvex
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As promised in the last blog, we have Cal's review of his latest bike, the Saracen Zen 1. Unfortunately, we don't have Sal's review of the Zen because she has been too busy being in Spain, doing her English homework and going out for dinner. Whilst being quite happy to accede to the maxim "what happens in Sitges, stays in Sitges" and having no interest in English homework, I was a little surprised that an offer to publish a review of the dinner date didn't meet with a little more enthusiaism So, here is Cal's first hand account of the Zen...

" I've been riding the Saracen Zen 1 for a little over two weeks now. I love it! Most of my riding has been on the High Burnside trails but I have also managed a day at Laggan Wolftrax. It is so fun! The Zen climbs well and descends even better. The RockShox Tora forks, powerful Shimano hydraulic brakes, SLX gears and a lightweight trail frame combine to make this a brilliant hardtail. Due to our fantastic Scottish summer, I have only managed to use it in the wet but Schwalbe's 'Nobby Nic' tyres kept me glued to the track. If you are looking for a fun hardtail that can bomb down hills (but still can be ridden back up them!) look at the Saracen Zen range - you won't be disappointed "

Continuing the theme of Eastern mystical philosophies, I benefitted from a little bit of Karma last week. Riding through Drumlanrig Castle in the rain I suffered a rear wheel puncture. The Bedman had assured me that he was carrying a spare tube and true to his word produced it for me. It looked like it had last seen service in another century and even the patches were older than my children. If it had been a mattress, it would have had a health warning. Unsurprisingly, it would not inflate. At this point, we were passed by half a dozen end to end riders closely followed by their support vehicle. Out popped a mechanic with a new tube and a track pump. Problem solved! I didn't feel too bad about not being able to pay him for it - a few of my spare tubes have found their way on to other bikes in previous good Samaritan episodes. If you want to prepare to put your own account into Karmic Kredit (or just want to avoid relying on people who ride £3.5k road bikes on patched tubes), check out our range of inner tubes. You never know when it will come in handy!

There has been rapid growth in the purchase of electric bikes in Holland in the past three years - recent purchases in Aviemore suggest that Scots might be catching up on the trend. There has never been a better time to buy an electrically assisted bicycle. The recent rise in the price of petrol has been accompanied by advances in design and development that make an electric bike a very real alternative. The pick of the bunch is the Raleigh Leeds Tour featuring the Panasonic EBike System. In Europe these bikes are marketed under the brands Kalfhoff and Rixe, however, by opting for Raleigh you will get full UK support from the national network of UK Raleigh dealers. The Panasonic crank drive motor has won world-wide approval for its efficiency, reliability, looks and lightweight setup. The system drives 250w of brushless power through the bike's own chain meaning that there literally won’t be a hill too steep to climb anymore. The 26v 10Ah battery only weighs 2.4kgs, yet returns a massive range of between 25 and 50 miles dependent on the mode you are in. Lithium technology means you can quickly recharge the battery at any point. The stunning looks of the Raleigh Leeds Tour coupled with the quiet operation of the Panasonic system means that if it wasn’t for the amazing performance, nobody would even know you were riding an electric bike! It comes fully equipped with front and rear lights run from an internal dynamo, hub gears and mudguards plus a stand so this bike is ready to go.
If traditional road bikes are more your thing, we have some remarkable deals on Ridley Road bikes just now. The Ridley Eos is available in small, medium or large sizes, has an amazing spec within our special price of £750 and is ideal as a sportif or lightweight tourer, or even as a fantastic winter bike. The deal on the full carbon Ridley Orion (last one!) is so good that I wouldn't be surprised if it was sold before I finish this blog - there is no where else you can buy performance like this for £1,200

Buying a bike for your child is something you want to get right. The internet can be tempting but it can never match the customer service on offer from a good specialist shop and the satisfaction to be gained from knowing that you have made the right choice. I thought I'd share this unsolicited customer review, with a special mention for Cal

" Hi. Gotta thank you for getting us to go to Mike's Bikes. Lovely folk, great service. My Cal totally delighted with bike and Big Cal was great with him. Will go back in few weeks to get service check.Thanks again for help with making my Calum a v v happy BMX boy! (I think the bike has now become surgically attatched to him somehow!) "

Our latest model for kids is the Dawes Tracker. Recognising the demand for no-nonsense, quality bikes for children identified by companies such as Islabikes, Dawes has produced a bike that matches the Isla Beinn for performance and philosophy but at a much more attractive price. The 24" wheel Tracker features an aluminium frame, alloy v-brakes, 18 speed Shimano EZ-Fire trigger shifters, alloy wheels and fast rolling semi slick tyres in both girls' and boys' models. The current price in Mikes Bikes is £190.00 - go compare!

Also new in (says Cal) is an extended range of DMR grips and pedals - more bike bling at pocket money prices

Some adventurous riding last week at Forest of Ae, one of the 7 Stanes resorts, will see me purchasing a new helmet this week following a tree stump/head interface. Never mind, the money I saved through the Ae cafe and bike shop being closed (the second time this summer I've had to miss the post-ride cake and coffee ) will mean I can rationalise myself a bargain on whatever I like from the comprehensive range in store. Currently riding high in the popularity stakes is the Uvex fp1 but Specialized are offering some very serious alternatives at very reasonable prices.

Finally, as a reward for reading this far, the bargain of the week. We have one Dawes 20" XC 2.0 frameset - hydro formed light alloy frame, disc ready, suitable for up to 120mm fork, curly stays - £150 to include the FSA headset!