The Scott Cr1 Pro 2011 Road Bike chronicle

The Scott Cr1 Pro 2011 road bike comes in just under 2500Gbp, but looks very similar to the 2010 model, which had a unblemished makeover. In 2010 the bike was essentially made with relieve in mind and was aimed at the leisure and sportive market.

The 2011 paint job looks very similar to the 2010 bike and underneath it is the same frame as the 2010 model. In 2010, Scott like Specialized has added vibration damping into the frame. The Scott Cr1 incorporates their new Shock Damping System, which is built into the front forks, seat and chain stays. The rear stays also have been shaped to bend in response to vibrations and shocks, but importantly doesn't lose the any stiffness.

Road Bikes

In reality this means that the Scott Cr1 has comfort, not race dimensions, with frames having shorter top tubes and a higher head tube. This means that any rider is in a less aggressive riding position, so is better mighty to long rides or inordinate hours on the bike.

The Scott Cr1 Pro 2011 Road Bike chronicle

Like many of the new frames being produced on the market today the Scott Cr1 is built using Integrated Moulding, which is a process that allows the three main tubes to be moulded together in one step and seamlessly joined at the three stress points. This means less material and therefore a lighter end results as well as a stronger bond throughout the whole frame.

This bike is about lightweight construction and parts. The Naked external tubeset close means the general cosmetic layer you see on the outside of many frames does not need to be there. The stay and fork dropouts as well as the cables stops are made of integrated carbon. The front mech hanger is machined from a one-piece aluminum extrusion.

Scott has brought to market five models in the Cr1 range. The Pro has a 6700 Ultegra groupset, Scott branded saddle and Mavic Ksyrium rims. The other models contain the Sl, Elite, Team and Comp.

The Sl model comes with the top of the range Dura Ace groupset, Mavic Ksyrium Sl rims and Continental grand prix 4000 tyres.

The Elite model comes with the Sram Rival groupset.

The Team model comes with a full 105 groupset, Ritchey carbon seat post and a scott saddle.

The Comp come with Tiagra groupset and 105 rear mech, Ritchey carbon seat post and Velo saddle.

Overall this road bike is great for any rider finding to save time on hill climbs and be able to withstand the soldiery of a quick and mighty sprint. It is one of the lightest bikes out there for the price and 2011 brings it in range of many riders.

The Scott Cr1 Pro 2011 Road Bike chronicle

bike Tour through France and Spain - London to LeMans

A few weeks ago, a group of 8 of us went on a motorcycle touring holiday. The trip had been planned some months before and given the name "Wild Bogs" - the "Bogs" standing for "Boring Old Gits" as only one of the party was under 47 years old!

My chosen mount for the trip was a Triumph Rocket 3 Classic, maybe not the most sensible, but comfy and with that 2.3 litre engine providing plentifulness of torque for the mountain roads in the Massif and Pyrenees mountains that border Andorra and Spain.

Road Bikes

We left Dover, England at 8.00 am having covered 130 odd miles to get there. Fortunately the weather in England was warm, and the early morning, a Sunday, gave a clear run into the dawn.

bike Tour through France and Spain - London to LeMans

After just over an hour on the ferry, we arrived at Calais, France, and having filled up with fuel in Dover immediately set about blasting our way to leMans for our first stopover.

The weather was cool but sunny on that first day and we stuck to the motorways for this 270 mile run. This was the first time I had precisely used the Rocket, having bought it a few months earlier, but with only 375 miles on the clock when I left home on this trip. The bike felt great on the French motorways as we all took liberties with the speed limit!

That's what I love about France, so many of the roads are virtually empty, and have good surfaces. The bike is like an armchair, in that it's comfortable and one can move ones feet nearby the foot boards, thus never suffering cramp or stiffness.

Because of its weight, the Rocket is extremely stable, never suffering "wind bump" when overtaking large trucks etc. This gives huge confidence, particularly when one has to hit the brakes as the braking is progressive with plentifulness of feel, and hauls you to a stop precisely and quickly.

We arrived at leMans without incident, although this could have been distinct as I nearly dropped the Rocket when pushing it off the petrol pumps with the side stand down. I tripped over the side stand, but just managed to keep from falling over completely, using every ounce of drive to keep the 800lb plus behemoth falling over.

Reflecting on the day's events later in the evening, I realised it had been fairly unchallenging day in that we were on main roads all the time, (something I was to appreciate later in the trip), but the bike had been superb for blasting from Calais to get to our first hotel stop. The power has been exhilarating, but unlike, say, my old machine, a Honda Blackbird, I never felt the bike urging me on and on, the Rocket feels placed at any speed, but if you do open the throttle, it responds in a similar way!

The Rocket just does what you want, as you want it.

At least that's how I felt at the end of the first day!

bike Tour through France and Spain - London to LeMans