English
Well what better way to test the Verenti Rhigos 3 than to ride it in one of the toughest sportives there is?
The Ronde van Vlaaanderen or Tour of Flanders is one of the toughest one-day classics in the pro tour calendar. It’s a mix of windswept open planes and short sharp steep cobbled climbs.
There are flat cobbled sections too and these really separate the “hard men” of cycling from the crystal cranking “lightweights” The winners list of this legendary race reads like a who’s who of your favourite tough riders. From Merckx to Boonen with a bit of Museeuw in between. On the day before the race, the organisers very kindly allow 20,000 or so amateurs to take to the roads around Flanders to experience a little of what the pro peloton will endure 24 hours later.
And so it was that I found myself with my newly assembled Rhigos 3 in Ninove with a 150km ride in front of me. The weather was appalling. The wet conditions were certainly going to make the cobbled sections “challenging”. I met up with 2 other Rich’s from Wiggle and we set off at a steady pace. The Rhigos 3 is a true Sportive specific machine. The head tube is striking and much larger than any bike I’ve ridden before. This makes for a very comfortable riding position and from the start I had the feeling that this was a bike that I could ride all day.
The weather was beginning to get worse so riding all day was starting to become a possibility. We covered the first 10 miles very swiftly, nothing too demanding in the way of terrain to conquer. I was very impressed with the way that the Rhigos, as well as being extremely comfortable, was also very responsive. When I needed to put a bit more power through the pedals it was transferred to the road very quickly. This was giving me oodles of confidence.
Then we hit the first cobbled sections. I had never ridden a surface like this before. Immediately it felt as though I was riding through the fast spin cycle of Mrs Carter’s washing machine. “You need to relax a little more,” said Rich. He was right, when we reached the next section of cobbles I managed to ride with my hands on the top of the handlebars and at least this time I could see where I was going. I was now beginning to really enjoy this experience.
The Rhigos 3 was coping with these stones wonderfully. The SRAM Rival groupset changed efficiently and smoothly. It needed too at this point. As the ride enters its second half, the short sharp and often cobbled climbs arrive at regular frequency. In my opinion, this is where the Rhigos was at its best. Weather you’re in the saddle or stomping on the pedals the bike really responds. Yet again this was giving me plenty of confidence to push harder and I was soon standing at the top of the iconic Muur-Kapelmuur climb, riding in the wheel tracks of my cycling heroes.
With 20km to go we reached the final cobbled climb the “Bossberg”. I gave it one last effort and managed to climb really well and crested the top feeling a “million dollars”. The rain soaking through to my skin couldn’t dampen my spirits. The route back to Ninove was flat and fast. Head down and in the biggest gear I could manage, I was flying. Suddenly we were looking at the finishing straight and after one final sprint for the line our day was complete.
The Ronde van Vlaanderen is a wonderful race and to get the chance to experience it for real enhances the enjoyment of watching the race ten fold. You can really understand the pain and suffering the professionals are going through. The Verenti Rhigos withheld any amount of abuse I could put it through. Some of the terrain is worse than a cyclocross race and the bike just kept on delivering. I’m genuinely impressed with it and am already clocking the miles up.
Rich
