Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i Cycling Plus

WELCOME… While we never tire of the many shiny bikes that come through the doors of Cycling Plus Towers, there’s always an added buzz when something truly special spins its way into the oil-stained floors of the workshop. That bike this autumn has been the Grifn 105 Di2 from the celebrated Belgians, Ridley, an endurance/gravel/all-road creation that has genuine do-it-all chops and is already giving our 2023 Bike of the Year, the Vitus Venon Evo RS, a run for its money. Head to page 24 for our chief reviewer Warren Rossiter’s major test of this season’s best endurance bikes. Enjoy the issue. Your experts Mark Bailey Gut instinct Mid-ride tummy troubles? We’ve all been there. Help is at hand, however, with Mark’s guide to boosting your stomach comfort, energy production…

I’ve always enjoyed indoor training, even back when most pro riders hated it. I discovered it in my first year at Team Sky, around 2011, when I did a five-hour indoor ride. It was ice cold, wet and foggy outside, which is why I stayed indoors. I didn’t have a fancy turbo, just a power meter to focus on. But I really enjoyed it. I had snacks. I had a break for lunch. And I watched three movies. I was a first-year pro living at home with my parents, and my father worked from home. And I thought: ‘He is at work, and so am I!’ The difference was that I got to watch movies. Of course, there has been a big shift in attitudes in the last decade, with…

I flinched a little when I heard the words, “So, is the ULEZ as bad as the newspapers make out?”. I was in Somerset visiting family when, in a cafe over breakfast, a neighbour of my mum’s asked the question about London’s newly-expanded Ultra Low Emissions Zone. I was expecting a bit of an argument. To his credit, though, the neighbour was ultimately receptive to the idea that parts of the media had given him the wrong end of the stick. Like all things, I said, it’s rarely as simple as newspaper reports suggest – and while a small proportion of people with the dirtiest vehicles will undoubtedly lose out from the emissions-based charges, far more people will benefit from the resulting cleaner air. This conversation took place before the…

● Leave Berwick towards Horncliffe, then cross the Union Bridge into Scotland. Ride west through rich farmland to Duns, then head to Greenlaw through the heathery lower reaches of the Lammermuirs. There’s a short, hard climb to Hume Castle, which affords 360˚ views. Drop into Kelso for refreshments before crossing back into England near Carham. Enjoy views of the Cheviot Hills as you pass through Branxton, Ford and Yeavering. Refill bidons in Wooler before heading north and rolling back through wide open countryside. Distance 128km Elevation 1,243m Download ridewithgps.com/routes/43608883 01 Bike shop ● Berwick Cycles offers hire, servicing, repairs and spares (berwickcycles.co.uk). 02 Lunch stop ● Friendly Cafe U in Kelso (45-47 Roxburgh St) has a broad menu and a couple of outdoor tables. 03 Photo op ● West of Kelso…

Weight 8.8kg (L) Frame Toray T1000/T800 full carbon monocoque Fork Full carbon Gears Shimano 105 Di2 (50/34, 11-34) Brakes Shimano 105, Tektro CL 160mm rotors Wheels Level DB56 Sport Carbon clincher Finishing kit Level 5 Carbon Integrated bar/stem (42cm/110mm), Level carbon seatpost, Prologo Kappa RS saddle, Continental Grand Prix 28mm tyres TRUE TO FORM, RIBBLE’S Endurance SL R has by far the best specification of our quartet, backing up Ribble’s reputation for great value. In fact, the stock SL R Sport that comes with Level’s DB56 carbon wheels is the cheapest here, although we upgraded to Mavic’s excellent 1,575g-a-pair Cosmic SL 45-disc wheelset, as featured on the Enthusiast Ultegra Di2 build, which retails at £4,999. The good-looking SL R frameset boasts Ribble’s usual aero-profile tubing, integrated fork, radically dropped stays and…

Weight 9.2kg (L) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears SRAM Rival AXS 12-speed (48/35, 10-36) Brakes SRAM Rival AXS, 160mm front, 140mm rear rotors Wheels Vision Team 30 clincher Finishing kit FSA OS-167 Omega Pro 110mm stem, FSA Omega compact 44cm handlebar, Argon 18 carbon seatpost, Repente Quasar saddle, Vittoria Zaffiro 30c tyres THIS IS THE LATEST ITERATION OF Argon 18’s long-standing Krypton endurance bike. The frameset cleverly mixes the technical with the practical. It uses the now ubiquitous dropped seatstays, oversized down-tube, slender fork and tapering seattube, but Argon has tweaked the tubes. From the top of the head-tube through to the rear dropouts, the frame has the sort of stiffness you’d expect of a pro-Tour bike. Above this line, however, the slender seatstays are designed to flex, as is the…

What do athletic Tour de France cyclists and mustard-chinned competitive hot-dog-eaters have in common? Not much, you might presume. Okay, cyclists gobble plenty of bars and gels during races, but they don’t scoff gluttonous amounts of fatty grub like American Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut, who holds the Major League Eating (MLE) record for necking 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes. There is one colourful similarity: Tour winners wear the yellow jersey, while Chestnut earned the MLE’s fabled ‘Mustard Yellow Belt’. But what really unites these wildly different sports is the new scientific concept of “gut training.” While competitive eaters train their guts to handle huge volumes of food, pro riders take a more nuanced approach, performing gut training to boost how many carbs they can oxidise, in an effort to optimise…

The Garmin Edge 840 Solar replaces the Edge 830, its major sell being the titular solar tech. If you’re upgrading from an older Garmin Edge connected to the Garmin Connect app, you can import your previous data screens and sensors. You can also now customise your data screens from your phone. The functionality is quite basic, but works well and is fast to load. At 57.8 x 85.1 x 19.6mm, it’s slightly bigger than the outgoing Edge 830, and 9.8g heavier at 88.9g. It’s also heavier than the 68.4g Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. The size is a decent balance between screen real estate and a compact feel on the bar (out-front mount included). The excellent touchscreen has large bezels so the display size is just 2.6in, though that’s bigger than the…

● IDEALLY SHAPED FOR RIDING, these trousers have a pedalling-friendly knee shape and tapering leg to stop cuffs getting oily. The waist is higher at the back to protect your on-bike modesty and there’s an integrated belt, plus twin thigh pockets. The stretchy material is water repellent, shaking off light spray, making these great for gravel or commuting in changeable weather. The use of sustainable polyamide reduces CO2 emissions by 60% over traditional polyesters, while the water resistance comes from an ECO Finish instead of harmful PFCs.…

ONLY £10.99 INCLUDING FREE DELIVERY! LEARN MTB BASICS SO YOU CAN MAKE THE MOST OF BLUE TRAILS GET THE SKILLS YOU’LL NEED TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE RED RUNS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CONFIDENTLY TAKE ON BLACK TRAILS ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY www.buysubscriptions.com/mountain-bike-skills Or call 03330 162 138 and quote ‘Mountain Biking Skills 2023 Print 1’ Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. Overseas please call +44 (0) 1604 973 746 £10.99 with FREE UK delivery. EUR price £12.49, ROW price £13.49 UK calls will cost the same as to other standard fixed-line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages, calls from mobile phones will cost between…

It’s hard not to think about the 50 miles still to go on your 100-mile ride, as pain gnaws at your legs and boredom creeps in. At best, this will cause you to suffer a drop in intensity. At worst, you might quit and head home early. But according to Professor Andy Lane, an expert in sport psychology at the University of Wolverhampton (winninglane.com), the key to staying focused on long rides is to know how to adapt your focus. “To help beat boredom, you need a plan,” says Professor Lane. “Break the ride into short chunks and have certain times when you’re focusing hard on technique. For example, try to feel what your feet are doing. Concentrate on the foot rotating around. How does the pressure on your feet…

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Weight 8.66kg Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed (50/34, 11-34) Brakes Shimano 105 Servo-Wave Wheels Forza Norte Gravel DB Finishing kit Forza Cirrus alloy-carbon seatpost, Selle Italia X-LR saddle, Forza Cirrus Pro Integrated Gravel handlebar/stem (40cm, 100mm), Vittoria Corsa N.EXT 32mm tyres RIDLEY’S GRIFN IS A BOLD STEP for the Belgian bike brand. It’s designed to be as at home on fast gravel roads as it is on fast roads over big distances. Ridley already makes the Classics-proven Fenix endurance bike and gravel bikes including the aero Kanzo Fast and bikepacking Adventure, and classes the Grifn as “all-road’. It’s a great looking bike, with a silhouette like Ridley’s Falcn road bike with its slender tubes and fork and skinny dropped stays. Its clean looks hide a wealth of…

Cycling Plus has spent enough time riding along the network of gravel roads and tracks of Salisbury Plain on countless photoshoots over the years to know it’d make the bones of a brilliant gravel event. Northern England and Scotland in particular are blessed with the terrain and wilderness to allow several events to develop into bucket-list rides – we count the Dirty Reiver in Kielder Forest and Dukes Weekender in The Trossachs among them. Both are tantalising prospects for anyone north of Manchester, but for riders in the south of England, both are onerous schleps up the motorway. A big hello, then, to the Ekoi Stone Circle, a new addition to the gravel calendar from events firm Hotchillee that levels up gravel riding for fans of the rough stuff in the…

The Testers Paul Norman Cycling writer Paul’s been reviewing and writing about bikes and kit for over a decade Simon Withers Freelance writer/tester  Highly experienced tester Simon specialises in trying more affordable bikes and kit Liam Cahill BikeRadar staffer  Keen cyclist and seasoned writer, reviewer and presenter on all things gravel and road Emma Lewis Senior production ed Experienced product tester Emma is a long-term cycling commuter…

THE KELIONS USE AN OVERSIZED one-piece curved lens that’s 60mm at its deepest; Rudy claim that the 5.2mm base curve on the rear of the lens closely mimics the base curve of your eye, keeping the lens free of distortion. Whatever the science, they possess exceptional clarity. The high quality, angular semi-translucent frame features a clever lens-release system. On the inside of the hinge, there’s a simple round button to pop the lens in and out to allow for a second lens for low-light use (available separately). Lenses come in eight configurations, four with (RP Optics) mirrored lenses and four with IMPACTX photochromic lenses. The Kelion’s also compatible with Rudy Project’s own prescription insert. The frames are made from Rilsan Clear, a bio-plastic material derived from 45% castor oil, grown…

I usually agree with everything that Thomas Voeckler says. In part, this is out of deference to a man for whom I have the greatest of respect. He was a ferocious bike rider, brilliant tactician and one of the great French riders of recent times (consistently patronised and misunderstood, I would also contend, in the anglophone world). I also tend to agree with him because, nice bloke though he is, he is known to have a proper angry head on him from time to time, and so it’s easier just to fall into line. Voeckler, these days, does the TV reports from the back of a motorbike at the Tour de France, for French television. He’s really good at it, too: honest, accurate, never falling into the false hyperbole that…

Wales trail Cycling UK has unveiled another off-road, multi-day route, this time in Wales. The 200km Traws Eryri (Trans Snowdonia) links Machynlleth to Conwy is packed with 4,424m of climbing. Visit cyclinguk.org for information and route download Self discovery The ninth edition of the Europe spanning Transcontinental Race concluded in Thessaloniki, Greece, in August, with Austrian Christoph Strasser winning for a second consecutive year. 355 riders did the self-supported ride Fair game UAE-based virtual cycling app MyWhoosh has replaced Zwift as the gaming platform for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships from 2024 to 2026 Coast to coasters The Frontier 300 gravel coast to coast across Scottish and English border country has announced a new two-day version of the one-day 300km ride for 2024 (7-8 June). Entries open 1 November.…

Reach ● The horizontal distance between the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the head-tube. A longer reach lowers your ride position into a racier position, a shorter reach means you sit more upright, which gives more comfort over long distances. Stack ● The vertical distance between the top of the head-tube to the centre of the bottom bracket. Taller stack means a more upright ride position; lower stack means a lower (racier) position. Trail ● The trail figure is derived from a combination of head-tube angle and the fork offset, and shows how far the tyre’s contact point ‘trails’ behind the steering axis. A small trail makes for a fast handling bike; more trail slows down the steering response. Endurance bikes have slightly more trail than…

Weight 9.18kg (L) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Brakes SRAM Paceline, 160mm front/140mm rear rotors Gears SRAM Rival AXS (46/33, 10-36) Wheels DT Swiss ER1600 Tubeless Ready Finishing kit Lapierre alloy 3D forged seatpost, Lapierre alloy 100mm stem, Lapierre alloy 42cm handlebar, Fizik Aliante R5 Manganese saddle, Schwalbe One Raceguard Tubeless Easy 28mm tyres LAPIERRE’S LONG-STANDING Pulsium endurance platform’s latest redesign has added a new SAT (shock absorption technology) rubber-insert section to the arched, flattened seatstays that attach to the top-tube. Lapierre claims this insert (whch adds just 20g to the frame) helps reduce vibrations and increase comfort by 11% over the standard Pulsium design without losing any of the bike’s lateral stiffness. Comfort is increased by clearance for 35mm tyres, and using a carbon frame construction that’s stiffer at the bottom…

EASTON’S GRAVEL-SPECIFIC EC90AX bar majors on ergonomics, with diameters tweaked according to size. It also combines a short 80mm reach with a mid-compact 120mm drop. The highlight is the 16° flare through the ‘maximum contact drop’. The spread of the bar starts late in the curve so your brake levers stay close to vertical. Up on the hoods, it doesn’t feel too different to a standard bar; in the drops, there’s ample wrist clearance and the 148mm-long lower section of the drop is enough for large hands. The top of the bar is ovalised and flattened, not quite into the full-on aero shape of Prime’s Orra gravel bar but there’s still a broad platform to rest the heel of your hands on. It’s here where Easton’s made the shape size-specific.…

● THESE ARE AN EXCELLENT PAIR OF gloves to transition into autumn with. The seamless, suede-like palm is beautifully pre-shaped with cutaways to prevent creasing, while high-density, low-volume pads protect your metacarpal bones at the base of your fingers from vibrations. The back of the hand is a high-stretch, highly breathable lightweight material that shapes brilliantly around your hand and even keeps light rain or spray at bay. The special tip on the index finger allowed me to operate my Garmin and iPhone, and I appreciated the terry fabric on the thumb for wiping my glasses.…

IT’S ALL ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY with this eye-catching new range from the ‘world’s oldest bicycle business’. We love the easy-reach pockets on the front of the top (one large square one and two smaller, gel-sized ones) so we don’t have to contort to reach into a back pocket, for instance. Energising colours keep things light-hearted, but there’s serious tech too. The close-fitting jersey, made from highquality Italian materials, is designed to cope with everything from commuting and fun days out to racing. A high-wicking fabric and mesh back panel work to keep you at the optimum temperature, while raw-edge cuffs on the sleeves, and bonded hems, boost comfort. As well as the front pockets, there are the usuals on the back plus a zipped valuables one on the right-hand side. The…

Getting there ● We travelled to Baden-Baden via the Eurostar from St. Pancras International in London – you can travel to Paris or Brussels and connect onto high-speed ICE (Intercity Express) trains to Baden-Baden via Frankfurt/Karlsruhe. Bikes can be carried on (non-ICE) trains in Germany, but require reservations. Where to stay/eat ● We stayed in the Leonardo Royal Hotel (leonardo-hotels.com/baden-baden), which has an indoor pool, bar and restaurant. Double rooms cost around 100 euros a night. Dining highlights in Baden-Baden include Rizzi restaurant and the Kaffeesack coffee shop. Bike shops ● Sport road bike rental isn’t available in Baden-Baden. For spare parts and services, there’s the Trek dealer Zweirad Rehm (zweirad-rehm.de). Tourist info For further information about Baden-Baden and the Black Forest, please go to the websites germany. travel and…

01 Kneel one leg on a bench or chair and plant your other foot on the floor. Ensure you bend forwards around 45° from your hip. 02 Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand to that of your supporting knee and keep your upper arm parallel to floor, tight to your side with a 90° bend at the elbow. 03 You should then raise your lower arm out behind you so that the arm carrying the weight is straight out behind you, in line with your shoulder. 04 Under good control, lower the arm holding the weight back to the starting position. Repeat, aiming to do 10 of these. 05 Repeat on the opposite side. Keep your upper arm strong and still throughout the move. Hold your core tight and…

CEP Infared Recovery Socks £44.95 Compression wear can increase bloodflow to aid the post-ride recovery process, with CEP’s range of recovery socks aiming to increase the supply of oxygen to your muscles. Torq Strawberries & Cream Recovery £21.95 (500g) Recover after a ride or tough turbo set with a quality protein shake, with Torq’s Strawberries & Cream offering a 3:1 blend of carbohydrates and whey protein. Omegawave €12.90 per month Omegawave offers a high-tech approach for using heart-rate variability (HRV) to gauge your state of stress and readiness to train.…

The CX season is here and so is a plan to help you navigate your first month of racing. Whether you’re new to cyclo-cross or a seasoned racer, you should find something here to get (your muddy feet) stuck into. Ideally, you’ll be heading into the autumn with a solid summer of endurance riding and some long gravel rides too. Largely anaerobic, cyclo-cross is high-intensity on and off the bike, but a strong aerobic base will improve your ability to deliver repeated race efforts. Get race-ready with a combination of high-intensity and ’cross-specific skills sessions. Complete sessions using your cyclo-cross or gravel bike and ride outside, if possible, to keep training specific. Use the off-bike sessions to support the whole-body effort of this unique cycling discipline (Fridays are an optional…