Road bike maker Planet X has a double-header event this weekend, November 19-20, with the launch of their new range of performance road bikes, and a book-signing and ride featuring top Irish rider Nicolas Roche.
The new bike range will be on display at Planet X's global HQ and showroom in Sheffield, Yorkshire all weekend, and Roche will be in there Saturday afternoon to sign copies of copies of his new book Inside the Peloton and to lead a 100km ride in the rolling hills of South Yorkshire early Sunday morning before returning for refreshments in the early afternoon.
If you're wondering what's the link between a Sheffield bike company and Ireland's top rider, the answer is legendary Irish cycling figure Frank Campbell. Roche's mentor and the former Irish national team manager is now the principal road bike designer at Planet X. Inside the Peloton is dedicated to Campbell.
And Campbell has clearly been busy over the last few months. Planet X tell us they'll have lots of new bikes on show including three new carbon road bikes: the successors to the Pro Carbon and Nanolight frames, and an all-new tube-to-tube construction superlight frame handmade by Sarto in Italy. Plus, they have updated the Titanium Sportive and Pro Road frames.
'Big Frank' as he's known, will be on hand to talk about the new bikes. His knowledge, experience and huge enthusiasm for cycling have driven the development of Planet X's 2012 road bikes.
His protege Nicolas Roche had a 2011 season that was troubled by injury but he bounced back to finish 26th in the Tour de France, 16th in the Vuelta a España and to take a stage win in the Tour of Beijing.
In the meantime, Roche's race diaries in the Irish Independent have cemented his popularity at home, and his book has been well-received with hundreds of people turning up at signings in Ireland.
For more details on how to take part in Planet X's Nicolas Roche weekend, see www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/news/events/q/date/2011/11/11/roche1
