His nickname’s Petals, but we call him Pedals – because anyone who knows Gordon from Hay Flower shop knows he likes his bikes.
And when Gordon puts one of our steeds through its paces, he doesn’t just go for a gentle pootle around the car park – he bangs out 250 miles and then some working out what he does, and doesn’t, like about the ride.
Now – just as you don’t serve fish finger butties to a gourmet connoisseur, you don’t plonk Gord on any old hack and expect him to like it. It’s got to have a bit of wow-factor, it’s got to do the business.
With that in mind, we fixed Gordon up with one of our NeilPryde high-performance road bikes – the Zephyr. Read on to find out what he made of it…
What attracted you to the Zephyr in the first place?
It’s not a run-of-the-mill bike from one of the big brands. It’s got that prestige, boutique feel to it, and I’m always looking for something different. You don’t see many people on these, which is a shame – if they tried one, they’d know how good they are.
First impressions then?
Very good-looking bike, with unusual lines. I liked the look of it straight away and I’ve heard the black one is real tidy.
Tell us how it felt out on the road
I went all over on it, and clocked up about 250 miles over three rides. I did all my climbing routes – over the Beacons, Begwyns, Hay Bluff. It’s a brilliant climber and descends amazingly – it feels fast but also really safe in the descents, so it’s perfect for riding on little back roads. One ride, I put in about 90km and got 21 personal bests! Coming down the hill in Llanthony, I had to slow myself down – it was that fast.
Who’s it going to appeal to?
Me, for a start – and anyone who wants the perfect all-round bike for training, commuting and riding sportives. I’ve tried hard to find a fault with the bike, and just can’t.
Remember we have a massive 20% discount on all NeilPryde bikes for June only.
Fancy trying the Zephyr, or its stablemate, the Nazare? We have demo models of both bikes in store now – get in touch to try one for size.