Laura Trott has joined the ranks of Olympians working with British retailer Halfords with her own new range of bikes. Consisting of three women's-specific road bikes and one hybrid, the range will be released in July, ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
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The limited-edition range starts at £449, and features women's specific geometry and specs. Mega-retailer Halfords will be hoping the move helps rejuvenate its fortunes after a disppointing year to April that saw pre-tax profits drop by 1.2% and like-for-like cycling sales fall by 0.9%.
With the recent addition of two gold medals and one bronze at the Track World Championships, Trott now has a grand total of seven world titles. This, Halfords feels, make her an ideal ambassador for women's cycling.
“Riding bikes is my life, so it’s been a dream for me to develop my own." Trott said of the range. "I want to see as many women and girls as possible to get out there on bikes – whether it’s city commuters, mums cycling to school, fitness seekers or for those who want to go all the way and compete, the bikes are tailored to women and their individual ambitions for cycling.
"When we went through the design process, it was really important to create bikes that are both fast and comfortable for women. I wanted to create a range dedicated to the specific needs of women, so they don’t have to worry about whether a bike fits properly, leaving them inspired to really just enjoy getting out there.”
“If I can inspire women and girls to get on a bike and give it a go, that would be amazing,” Trott added.
Trott joins the likes of Victoria Pendleton and Chris Boardman, whose ranges have been very popular for the UK retailer. Halfords will also be releasing a range of children's bikes developed in collaboration with Bradley Wiggins in July.
Range overview
HYB1 – £449.99
The Hybrid bike in the lineup, the HYB1 features an alloy frame, with full carbon fork and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, which is pretty impressive at this price. Shimano Acera gears in a 3x8 setup and Suntour crankset with an 11-34t cassette gives a wide range to play with, with low enough gears to spin up steeper climbs. Also worth noting is the quality Selle Italia Diva Flow saddle, a popular women's specific model.
The HYB1 is available in three sizes: 48.5cm, 51.5cm and 54cm. The bike features quick release wheels front and back, and takes fatter 700x37mm tyres, which will provide cushioning on rough road surfaces.
RD1 – £449
The RD1 is, as the name might suggest, the entry-level road bike model in the Trott range. For £449 you get an alloy frame with full carbon fork, with a women's specific geometry. The Shimano Sora 8-speed gearing comes with an FSA Tempo compact crankset to provide 16 gears, with an 11-30t cassette giving a good range for climbing and power along the flats.
As with the hybrid model, the RD1 is available in 48.5cm, 51.5cm and 54cm size frames. Decent Continental Ultra Sport Folding tyres provide grip, and the bike is again finished with a Selle Italia Diva Flow saddle and alloy LT finishing kit.
RD2 – £699.99
The mid-range model has a number of additional upgrades, as you'd expect, and is also available in a smaller size. As well as the 48.5cm, 51.5cm and 54cm options of the HYB1 and RD1, the RD2 also comes in the smaller 45cm frame.
Gearing comes courtesy of Shimano Tiagra, with an FSA Vero Compact crankset and Shimano CS-HG500 cassette with a 12-28t range. Finishing kit is otherwise similar to the RD1: upgraded Continental Ultra Sport Folding 2 tyres, Selle Italia Diva Flow saddle and alloy LT finishing kit.
RD3 – £899.99
The top of the range bike still comes in at a cycle-to-work scheme-friendly £899.99, leaving you spare money for helmets, lights and locks. Again, you're looking at an alloy frame with full carbon forks, alloy LT finishing kit, Selle Italia Diva Flow saddle and Continental Ultra Sport Foling 2 tyres.
The main upgrade here is the popular and reliable Shimano 105 groupset. The bike has the works: Shimano 105 brakes, derailleurs, cassette and crankset, which is great at this price. You get 22 gears in a compact 2x11 setup, with an 11-28t cassette.
As with the RD2, it's also available in the smaller 45cm frame size as well as 48.5cm, 51.5cm and 54cm.
