Red Chilli WR1 – Fine Tuning for Fine Riding 🙂
by Larisa Chinces
Executive Editor, Reviews
My new RedChilli WR1 is a super bike – I love it ?. However, every bike needs to be checked and changed just slightly when we first ride. Yes, I know… this bike was built just for me – big smiles – but, it was done at a distance and so it needed to be fine-tuned when I collected it and after I’d ridden it for a few rides. The best thing about the new bike and its sizing is that I’m more comfortable on the drops.
The new bars are less wide than my previous ones and perfect for my body and my shoulder width. Also, the stem is ideal and allows my body to fall nicely into position and to maintain that position when on the handlebars. It’s a tight racing position and allows me better control over the bike, especially on the twisting tight turns and descents. One area that I did need to adjust slightly though was the saddle height. And, as the RedChilli WR1 is a specific aero framed race bike, this also meant cutting down the saddle slightly – not an easy job, and one that needed careful work, as it’s a carbon seat post. Thankfully, one of my friends is a top mechanic and guided me through this.
I was seated onto the stationary bike after having watched me riding, and then asked to stand on the pedals and move my legs into power positions etc, so that he could get the right measurements. Once all of this was done and the seat post marked, a piece of tape was used too and the seat post placed carefully into a vice while he slowly and carefully cut it down. Once cut, he smoothed off the edges, refitted it and set the height to where it needed to be – voila!
Now, that final piece in my RedChilli bike fit jigsaw is complete and my saddle height is correct too, giving me extra power and less pain in the knees and hips. Yes, if you don’t set the bike up correctly, you can get long term pain in these areas, and you will not get the best performance either. Now, me and my beautiful RedChilli WR1 are ready to race – just in time to train for the race on the Transfargarasan in early July – it’s time to ride!
This month I’ve been riding locally in Sibiu, my hometown located in Transylvania. I love how the nature has turned completely green again. I missed it, considering that our winter was a very long one. Skiing is wonderful, but cycling and hiking in the green hills, with the flowers in the meadows – wow! My latest ride was in Cisnadioara (Michaelsberg), a little saxon village, which is dear to me because it has a very beautiful view.
The village’s historical asset is its fortified Citatdel on the hill, overlooking everything. The road to Cisnadioara from my city is uphill and surrounded by a beautiful rich green forest. As usual, after a medium long uphill, I caught my breath on top, enjoying a fruit juice and admiring the view of the Citadel. After enough break, I headed towards Sibiu and back home on the same route. I cannot express how much that I enjoyed so much the downhill sections, with plenty of twists and turns. I like the speed and with the RedChilli being such an aero design and frame, it was a pleasure to cycle, and I rode with smiles.
It felt like freedom, I love it!! Now, me and my beautiful RedChilli WR1 are ready to conquer more roads! 🙂
Larisa is a Red Chilli Bikes ambassador.
Pedalnorth team kit provided by Presca Sportswear