Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Cycling Plus

SUBSCRIBE! NEW SUBSCRIBERS TO CYCLING PLUS CAN GET A FREE LEZYNE ZECTO REAR LIGHT OR A LEZYNE LITE DRIVE FRONT LIGHT ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? Get access to exclusive content, competitions and offers It’s easy to be seduced by the lure of a carbon frame, and the fact that you can get a full bike built with one for a grand these days seems too good a deal to resist. But should you resist? In our test on p100 we take two £1000 bikes from the ever-reliable Boardman family – one carbon-framed, one aluminium – and ask the question as to which provides the best value for money… If you have a bit more to spend, check out our five bikes (p40) inspired by those the British pros will be riding…

Tresca is a relatively new brand based in the UK with all the design and development carried out by a small dedicated team (frame manufacturing is in Asia). The TCA-1 frame is good looking and the individual tube profiles show some clever thinking. Tresca tells us that each tube has unique butting profiles and hydroforming. The seat-tube has a nod to aerodynamics with its wheel-hugging profile. The seatstays are multi-shaped and tapering, whilst the boxy chainstays are there for power efficiency. The squarish down-tube is neatly radiused and it, along with the seat-tube, flares out at the bottom bracket junction for maximum stiffness in the BB shell. Up front, an oversized and tapered head-tube ensures handling accuracy. On the road the TCA-1 feels just like a good bike should: stiff…

The bikes raced by the world’s top professionals are out of financial reach for most riders. By looking a little further down the range of each model, however, we can get a taste of the performance the very best riders enjoy. With this season’s World Road Championships taking place in the UK for the first time since 1982’s uninspiring Goodwood event, not only will the planet’s finest one-day racers be gunning for rainbow jerseys, but an ever-increasing crop of talented Brits have a huge incentive to perform. With that in mind, we thought we’d select five bikes that cost roughly half of those that some of our British pro contenders ride, and put them through their paces. Known for its grand scenery and ability to produce a seemingly endless stream…

WE SAY… The SL6 is the most accomplished Tarmac yet, and this Disc Expert model offers amazing value for money Always prominent in pro races, Specialized’s Tarmac and Venge bikes both offer the riders from Deceuninck-Quick Step and Bora-Hansgrohe all-round or aero-focused road performance. It’s a case of trying to match the most suitable bike to the upcoming race. Faced with Yorkshire’s challenging landscape, the Tarmac makes the most sense. This Tarmac Disc Expert’s frame is built with FACT 10r carbon fibre (1), which is only two ‘r’s less than the top-level S-Works FACT 12r model. But just how much performance does this give away, and would you really notice? For a start, this complete bike retails for around £1000 more than the S-Works frameset, and for that you get…

WE SAY… BMC’s second-tier SLR shares its big brother’s looks and much of its ability Team Dimension Data’s Teammachine SLR01 has a little brother, or perhaps more of a clone. Only differing in the quality of carbon fibre used, and overall build specification, the Teammachine SLR02 Disc ONE leads BMC’s 2020 model year second strings bike line-up. Sporting SRAM’s Force eTap AXS wireless 12-speed groupset (1), the SLR02 has very clean lines with just the brake hoses exposed. A minor difference from the SLR01 is that these can’t be routed within the ICS stem and through the headtube for total hidden cable integration; instead they slip in to the fork crown and down-tube before popping out again at the brake calipers. BMC’s trademark dropped seatstays, beefy chainstays (2) and down-tube…

01 TOPEAK HEXUS X £22.99 WEIGHT 172g SIZE 95x42x30mm FUNCTIONS 21 including 2-8mm hex keys, T15, T25, T30, two Phillips, 14/15g spoke wrenches, Presta core tool Neat. Very neat. The Topeak combines the most regularly used tools in a small seatpack-friendly size, with the 8mm hex and two smaller Torq keys housed internally. They are slightly awkward to access and the tyre levers, which double as outside plates, are hard-edged though still effective. However, the overall quality is excellent and it’s very well priced. 02 BIRZMAN DIVERSITY 17 £27.99 WEIGHT 179g SIZE 100x46x22mm FUNCTIONS 17 including 2-8mm hex, T25, drivers, chain tool, 3.2/3.4 spoke wrench, tyre levers, CO2 valve head All the basics are covered with the addition of a Presta/Schrader CO2 valve head and a pair of slightly uncomfortable-to-use…

WE SAY… One of the finest blends of high performance and all-round comfort of any road shoe we’ve tested With their 3D engineered knit construction, DMT’s KR1 shoes have supple uppers and little weight – our size 45s are 578g. Their highly elastic sock-like construction has a taut, snug feel, which makes the seamless upper conform very well to your foot, with a constant pressure all over. The tapering heel cup fits higher than normal around the ankle and has a rubbery internal gripper, together ensuring excellent heel retention. Stability comes from the UD carbon sole, with a sculpted shape that is raised around the heel and arch for solid support. A replaceable hard rubber heel helps walking grip, but the carbon toe has no protection ahead of the cleat,…

Greg Henderson knows a thing or two about going downhill fast. A professional cyclist of 16 years until 2017 – 10 of those spent at the top WorldTour level – this Kiwi rode 10 Grand Tours as a sprinter and lead-out man. Six foot tall and 71 kilos, on the days in between leading out the likes of André Greipel for sprint victories, he was a paid-up member of the grupetto – the group of riders that forms at the rear end of Grand Tour stages such as the Tour de France, particularly during the mountain stages. Its composition is a mixture of riders who’ve done their work and dropped back, stage hunters taking a break for the day, general classification riders who’ve catastrophically blown up or those who’ve been…

WE SAY… A good value package that mixes the best of old and new ideas for a forgiving and comfortable ride TOTAL COST £136 COMP STREEM III BAR £51 WIDTHS 38cm, 40cm, 42cm, 44cm & 46cm WEIGHT 310g (42cm) Ritchey’s 6061 alloy Streem bar combines the old (with its classic curved drop shape) with the new, featuring flattened wing tops. The hooks come with 128mm of drop with 73mm of reach and have zero flare. These are less angular than most and ideal for tucking in on. For added comfort, Ritchey has not only flattened the tops, which are great to climb on, but has added 4.7-degrees of sweep to bring the bars closer to you. This is especially good for those who prefer a more upright position without the…

WE SAY… Spesh has done a good job of making a frill-free, high performing, light weight cockpit setup TOTAL COST £422 S-WORKS SHALLOW BEND BAR £185 WIDTHS 40cm, 42cm & 44cm WEIGHT 200g (42cm) The S-Works Shallow Bend carbon bar is ideal for riders that want a reliable carbon bar that works well all round but comes into its own when climbing. As the name suggests these are a shallow bend bar with 75mm reach and 123mm drop that feels fine and will work very well for most riders. They also do a solid job of soaking up road vibrations whilst also remaining stiff and responsive. The tops have subtle ergonomic flats but these are not overly big like on some wing style or specifically aero bars. This makes them…

WE SAY… Typical 3T quality and innovation that’s rider friendly and works well on the road, but it’s not cheap TOTAL COST £535 R SUPERERGO TEAM STEALTH BAR £290 WIDTHS 38cm, 40cm, 42cm & 44cm WEIGHT 200g (42cm) The Team Stealths is the most expensive bar on test, so, naturally, we had high expectations. Instantly, the shape impressed with the ergonomically flattened tops. The nifty corner grips and the shape of the hooks feature 77mm of drop with 119mm of reach. This works well with a variety of hand sizes. Definitely one of the most comfortable bars on test with more grip options than most. The tight top bend also makes it easy to achieve the perfect lever alignment. Vibration soaking abilities never came into question and we were impressed…

For Yorkshire folk, the status of Britain’s biggest county as the world centre of almost everything is unquestioned. Yet, outside the Broad Acres, and especially on the Continent and beyond, Yorkshire owes much of its recognition to its recent embrace of professional cycling, which began with its hosting of the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, has continued with the annual Tour de Yorkshire and will be heightened still further by the running of the UCI Road World Championships in the county during the final week of September (22-29). Since 2014, international visitor numbers have grown significantly, reaching a record 1.39 million in 2018, while Yorkshire’s tourist industry increased in size by 14 per cent between 2011 and 2018, contributing £8 billion to the local economy. Much of the…

Believe the advertising and aero road bikes are the greatest invention since the wheel. The bike industry, however, is just that – an industry. And an industry doesn’t thrive if it’s standing still. Where once weight, or lack of it, ruled, now it’s all about curvaceous carbon and concealed cables. But do they always deliver a faster, watt-saving ride compared to traditional lightweight roadsters? Good question… CHARACTERISTICS OF SPEED The performance road-bike market branches off but, in general, it’s divided into two camps: lightweights and aeros. Trek and Specialized have their ultralight Emonda and aero Madone; Giant its TCR and Propel; Specialized its Tarmac and Venge – you get the picture. Historically, lightweights featured round tubes to aid power transfer and save grams. They don’t strictly adhere to that template…

JAMES PALSER, CYCLE-FRIENDLY EMPLOYER ACCREDITATION PROJECT MANAGER FOR CYCLING UK “Approaching your boss to establish cycling-to-work facilities at your workplace is well worth doing. There are business benefits for firms involved in cycle-to-work schemes and employers are increasingly aware of the positive impact this can have on staff and the business as a whole. First off, identify the right person to approach – HR or those tasked with overseeing the health and wellbeing of employees. Put together a list of what you require – bike racks, lockers, shower facilities etc to enable employees to cycle in all weathers and still be presentable. Also use it as an opportunity to kind of collectively bargain: are there colleagues who are runners and could benefit from facilities, too? The more people you have…

We’ve all been there. A pothole, some broken glass, or a disturbance in the force; suddenly, one end of the bike (heaven forbid, both!) starts feeling vague and then horribly harsh as all pressure escapes your tyre. You’ve got your spare tube, you’ve got your preferred inflation device, but disaster! Who did you lend your tyre levers to? All is not lost. It will still be difficult, of course. Would you have confidence in tyres that just flopped on and off the rim? Some tyre/rim combinations will undeniably be less willing to comply than others; keep going with this technique and you’ll get there eventually. It’s one of the exercises that give mechanics a vice-like grip, and does require both practise and experience. Oh, and patience. Tubeless, tubular or good…

THEN 26ST 9LB MARCH 2018 NOW 19ST 6LB HOW WAS LIFE BEFORE THE BIKE? “Over the last 10 to 12 years I started a family and built a career in construction management, which kept me busy but not active. My wife worked unsociable shifts at the hospital. We had very little time to cook proper meals, which lead to a ‘fast food’ kind of life with quick-to-cook processed food.” WHAT DID YOU DO TO LOSE WEIGHT? “I sought help from the NHS dieticians. They put me on a low-calorie liquid diet of 4 _ pints (2.5 l) of milk for eight weeks. After that I ate only clean, healthy and weighed foods – never exceeding 1200 calories a day.” HOW DID CYCLING HELP YOU SHED POUNDS? “As the numbers on…

Arecent study of the world’s best cycling cities saw London languishing in 62nd place, just above Detroit, Athens and Istanbul. The study, by German bike insurance firm Coya, ranked cities on factors such as bike usage, theft, injury and fatalities, infrastructure and road quality. How much to read into the reliability of the study? Well, not much at all if having Bristol at number 17 is anything to go by – the only people who think Bristol is a cycling city are those who don’t live in Bristol. Yet it was to nobody’s surprise that the number one ranking went to the Dutch city of Utrecht, a cycling utopia with an ingrained culture of bike riding, a progressive attitude to putting cycling infrastructure high up in its town planning (18,000km…

MAJORCA For £312 you can ride the Majorca 312 sportive on 25 April 2020 with Sports Tours International with three-nights half-board accommodation The go-to destination for British roadies shows no signs of slowing down. It’s easy to get to from across the UK (two hours 40 mins from Manchester, for example), airfares are cheap as chips at this time of year and the island is fully adapted to cater for cyclists through the winter and spring with testing climbs, quiet roads and (generally) patient motorists, and an abundance of bike shops. The best time to go is March and April; temperatures average 15-16 degrees between December and February, and while you can get great days in these months, the potential for rain and even snow is greater. You can base…

Less frequented by British cyclists than the other destinations here, the Azores makes our list for its year-round pleasant temperatures, hilly (if not quite mountainous) terrain and direct flights from the UK. São Miguel, the largest and most populated of the volcanic archipelago’s nine islands, is where you’ll fly into and where you should base your trip. There’s much to explore by road, despite the island measuring just 40 miles across and 10 miles in width. Roads, which you tend to see more tractors on than cars, rise sharply out of the ocean up to towards the highest point, Pico da Vara (1103m), through dense woodland and volcanic crater lakes before plunging back down just as fast. What flat there is, is described by locals as ‘Azorian flat’ – not…

The transfer from Venice airport to the heart of the Italian Dolomites takes between two and three hours, which is plenty of time to reflect on the enormity of the task ahead of you. When I first did the Maratona dles Dolomites back in 2012, my bus transfer included a group of riders from the island of Malta. They were veterans of the event, and took great glee in pointing out every nuance in camber and gradient as our bus joined the final section of the race route before arriving in the finish town of Corvara. “But how did you train for an event with more than 4000 metres of climbing on a tiny Mediterranean island without any mountains?” I asked. “Easy,” they replied. “Our biggest hill is 200 metres…

The power ramps up quickly, which is great for pulling away from traffic or punching up a short, steep climb There are two distinct flavours of e-road bike emerging: the lower-assistance, lighter bikes like the Fazua-equipped Focus Paralane2 and the max-power heavier units like Giant’s Yamaha-equipped FastRoad. Joining that party is Trek’s new Domane+. The Domane + is based around the last generation Domane frame design. Built from 500 Series OCLV carbon, encased within is a powerful Bosch Performance Cruise motor with 250w output and an impressive 63nm of torque. It’s backed up with a large capacity 500wh battery that’s mounted within the down-tube. The battery itself can be charged in situ via a port that sits in front of the motor on the BB shell. Or you can use…

Oakley has a long association with the Tour de France and it has produced plenty of Tour-issue glasses over the years. The 2019 Jawbreaker is a limited-edition pair that will be around for as long as they’re available – so catch them quickly before summer passes us by. For 2019, Oakley is celebrating 100 years since the first yellow jersey was awarded, so these Jawbreakers get plenty to set them apart from the standard design. First up is the matt-finish to the frames, which is highlighted by a custom platinum set of bold yellow accents and graphics. The included soft-touch leather case is a step above the standard unit, too. Not that the standard Jawbreaker glass is anything to be sniffed at, since you get a lens shape designed to…

1 MONTH AWAY 22 SEPTEMBER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTIVE, HARROGATE, YORKSHIRE Human Race, the organiser of the Fred Whitton Challenge, take the reins for this mass participation ride that accompanies the UCI’s annual racing extravaganza. There are three routes (the longest is 149km) that use parts of the road races. 29 SEPTEMBER FOREST OF BOWLAND SPORTIVE, MILNTHORPE, CUMBRIA Finish your season with a bang with this brutal test of over 8000ft elevation. The best of the action comes in the two longer routes (81 and 100 miles), which wind their way over the Trough of Bowland, via its easier Lancaster side. 4-6 OCTOBER HAUTE ROUTE VENTOUX The Tour de France may have swerved its best mountain this year, but you needn’t. This three-day ride will take you up all three road…

To either side of the town of Clitheroe, you’re spoilt for choice in your riding options. To the east, Pendle Hill, the Mont Ventoux of East Lancashire rising high and solitary from the Ribble Valley. To the west, the expansive Forest of Bowland, home to a whole host of delights, such as the iconic Trough. And once you’ve plundered the region’s many treasures, you can settle down for coffee and cake - and a little bit more, perhaps - in Clitheroe’s The Green Jersey. It’s an easy find from the summit of Pendle Hill, at 293m; just follow the north bound road to Clitheroe, cross the A59, and follow it to the main junction in town. It’s far more than a coffee shop, but a workshop (a bike service costs…

CANYON AEROAD CF SL DISC 8.0 Di2 £3889 Kicking off our selection with a bang, Canyon’s Ultegra Di2-equipped Aeroad Disc offers excellent value for money on paper. Rolling on 62mm deep DT Swiss rims and with an integrated carbon bar and stem, it’s all about aerodynamics – but is that enough to take on the uniquely challenging terrain offered by this year’s race in Yorkshire? SPECIALIZED TARMAC DISC EXPERT £4250 The Tarmac SL6 Disc Expert offers low weight, intuitive handling and all at a very competitive price. With the best lb:£ ratio out of the five bikes on test, the burning question here is, ‘Can its mechanical Ultegra groupset and wide carbon rims and tyres compete with the latest electronic shifting bikes?’ Suffice to say, we had fun testing it…

WE SAY… Recalibrate your Super Six Evo expectations, as this new model has more to give in every area After 11 years and two major iterations, the SuperSix Evo has taken on a new form. Gone are the slim, round tubes, with Cannondale finally conceding that truncated airfoil profiles are faster. Cannondale, unsurprisingly, says the new Evo is better, so we took our 2017 Evo out for a ride, followed by the new bike. With equivalent tyre volume, wheels and build, it was a fair contest, but Cannondale is telling the truth. In September, Education First’s Hugh Carthy will pit the Evo against the world’s best in Yorkshire. The new Evo’s front end is less aggressive than before. With no interfering headset top cap, a single 10mm spacer gave us…

The comparatively bargain-priced Tarmac has endlessly accessible performance, amazing grip and compliance Even though these five bikes are separated by £1310, it’s clear that more cash doesn’t necessarily always equate to a better ride. But brand loyalty, aesthetics, component choice, marketing and availability can influence buying decisions just as much as verified performance. Although rim-braked bikes still win most pro races, our Pinarello Prince FX under-performed here, offering a lower spec and a less than comfortable ride, despite its great looks. BMC’s new SLR02 Disc ONE has a brilliant wireless groupset and classy frameset with perfect manners and great potential, but could use a wheel upgrade to fully realise it. Canyon’s Aeroad Disc is by far the cheapest bike on test, and one of the lightest, plus it has an…

WE SAY… If you’re looking for fit and forget all-road performance with no vices, the GR1s are a great choice ERE RESEARCH TENACI 36MM £66.99 Specification Swiss brand Ere Research’s Tenaci tyres are intended for gravel and dirt roads. It has a 120 TPI tubeless-ready casing, aramid folding bead and an Armis 2 puncture protection layer from edge to edge. The tread comprises 65a durometer rubber, the sidewall graphics are reflective, and it’s also available in 700c x 30mm, 32mm and 40mm widths and 36mm. They weigh 415g each (36mm). Fitting The Tenacis were a very tight fit on some Mavic Allroad Pro wheels, needing considerable effort to wrangle them in to place. The benefit is that they inflated and seated almost instantly, with a high volume track pump. Mavic’s…

WE SAY… The Stages Power L Carbon meter is a simple entry to riding with power for carbon crankset owners Stages’ left side 2012 crank-based power meter was instantly popular, due to its ease of fitting and low price in relation to spider-based units at that time. It was only available incorporated on aluminium cranks, with the debut of a carbon crank-based equivalent a development cycle away. Stages teamed up with FSA to produce the Stages Carbon crank. Available in 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm and 175mm lengths, our 175mm Stages Carbon GXP crank weighed in at 165g. This 3rd generation meter only adds 20g to the crank, and has a new, lower profile housing design, said to reduce frontal area by 17 per cent and broaden frame compatibility. Stages says the…

The cockpit of the bike, namely the bars, stem and seatpost, are essential components for two of the important contact points. The bar and stem are the main area of control, so choosing the right combination is vital. And the simple seatpost holding and keeping your saddle in the right position is essential. With many different shapes and sizes of handlebar things can get confusing. Width is a good place to start. This is traditionally based on the distance between the acromioclavicular (AC) joints on your shoulders. A narrower bar can offer aerodynamic advantage but can impact shoulder comfort and make the steering feel twitchy. Conversely, a wider bar can offer more control but make the steering feel slower. It also increases reach, opens the shoulders further and forces you…

WE SAY… A lower to mid-price cockpit setup that brings trickle down performance, yet still offers good value TOTAL COST £239.97 ELITE AERO ROAD BAR £69.99 WIDTHS 38cm, 40cm, 42cm & 44cm WEIGHT 350g (42cm) Bontrager’s Elite Aero is a 6066-T6 alloy bar that has been designed to save time. Here, Bontrager has created a wing bar with flattened tops designed for the best aerodynamic advantage. Bontrager claims this will save 23 seconds over a traditional round bar. This is hard to quantify out on the road but we’re sure there is a time saving, and the shape is comfortable when sitting up on the tops. We also like that Bontrager has deliberately made sure there’s plenty of wrist clearance here, too. The Elite Aero features a rounded centre portion…

WE SAY… Lightweight and high performing bar, while the stem and seatpost are more modest TOTAL COST £479.85 SL-K ACR CARBON COMPACT BAR £269.95 WIDTHS 38cm, 40cm, 42cm & 44cm WEIGHT 190g (44cm) It’s hard not to be impressed by the weight, or lack of it, when you pick up the SL-K ACR bar, which takes our lightest-in-test award. FSA has done a top job here in getting all the big and small things right. From the elongated top for climbing comfort and angled corners for wrist clearance, to the 120mm drops with a four-degree flare and flattened tops that are perfect for sprinting, the shape feels right. FSA has also added reinforced texture zones in clamping areas to avoid slippage and included all necessary holes for internal cable routing.…

WE SAY… A truly light weight yet highly functional package from Deda but you will need deep pockets TOTAL COST £584.97 SUPERLEGGERA RS BAR £269.99 WIDTHS 42cm, 44cm & 46cm WEIGHT 195g (42cm) The name Superleggera is an Italian term for ‘super light’ and the RS bar definitely lives up to this at 195g (by our scales). The RS tag here is simply a limited-edition version of the Superleggera. Deda uses a high modulus HR40 carbon fibre and resin combination that allows it to create a compact composite, which means it can then shave off every excess gram of weight. Deda calls its compact shape RHM (Rapid Hand Movement) that allows you to move your hands quickly into a wide variety of ride positions. It’s hard to quantify this but…

So, you have £1000 of your hard-earned tucked in your cycling jersey. Or maybe you’re prepared to hit your credit card for a grand to buy your first serious road bike. Or you’re upgrading from a more basic, budget bike. Whatever, the choice is the same: carbon fibre or aluminium, supposedly mundane metal or high-tech composite? Your beating heart will probably say carbon but should you be listening to your coronary organ when your brain might say something else? The best way we could think of to answer the burning question of the age was to take two near-as-dammit identical bikes – one made from carbon, the other aluminium – and ride them head-to-head and back-to-back. This is where Boardman Bikes comes in. Its SLR 8.9c and its Boardman Team…

“When the gradient pitches up, power to weight is king,” explains Liam Holohan. “We’re going to look at the second part of this equation. The vast amount of the mass isn’t the bike, but you, so this should be the first port of call when looking to improve power to weight.” According to Holohan the aim among elite cyclists isn’t to just drop weight, but to improve body composition. “That means reducing fat mass, while preserving muscle mass – this is best done in the base period of training, rather than in the few weeks before (the build period).” This is because during that build period riders are looking at increasing power, for which it’s critical to fuel. “Burning the candle at both ends rarely works and can lead to…

FRANCE Tours du Tarn You’ll be amazed to discover the cycling holidays offered by Tours du Tarn – it’s a destination your club mates won’t know about, but the cycling pros do! Book now and cycle in the slipstream of the Tour de France. Experience exhilarating terrain, challenging routes and stunning scenery. Even better, there are no dormitories in sight, just en-suite, catered accommodation with luxury pool. toursdutarn@gmail.com • tarncyclingholidays.com PORTUGAL Algarve Bike Holidays Consider the Algarve for your next cycling holiday! Smooth and mostly traffic-free roads for road cyclists, endless trails for mountain bikers and a little bit of everything for touring bikers. Plus we have 300+ sunshine days a year, breathtaking scenery, the freshest air in Europe and an established local company offering full support. What are you…

With the number of dry rides reducing, it’s time to winterise your bike. Check your drivetrain and pad wear. Are you happy to head into winter with them in their current condition? Maybe invest in some heavier, more puncture-resistant tyres than your summer lightweight affairs. Stops for mechanicals during the summer are unpleasant enough, without the added ‘bonus’ of inclement weather to factor in. MAYBE INVEST IN SOME HEAVIER, MORE PUNCTURE-RESISTANT TYRES THIS MONTH Have a look over your bike and see which mudguards it will take. Yes, they ruin the aesthetic, but that outlook is far from practical, and it’s also fairly antisocial. The worst feeling on a normal ride is a soggy posterior, but riding in the wet behind someone without mudguards? Unless it’s in a race, I…

The ride quality from the frameset is refined, and with the air volume of the 28mm tyres, it’s like rolling marshmallows over velvetROBIN WILMOTT PRICE £7021 UPGRADES £750 (WHEELS & TYRES) MILES RIDDEN 720 SUPER-CLEAN LOOKS 01 The elegant looks and sharp lines of the BMC SLR01 Disc are thanks in part to the frame’s internal brake hose and Di2 wire routing PERFECT FRAMESET 02 BMC’s holistic, proprietary approach produces machines that boast such great performance, upgrading is unnecessary BEST PERFORMANCE 03 Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 shifting and the Stages Power Dura-Ace chainset ices a very pleasing drivetrain cake with superb performance A couple of things have become apparent since I built my BMC SLR01 Disc earlier in the year. First, and most obvious, is just how good I think it…

PRICE £3600 UPGRADES NONE MILES RIDDEN 1100 The Swift has been my workhorse machine, which is not often said of a handmade custom Reynolds steel frameset used to make a utilitarian town bike. Never mind that this one’s an e-bike too, built with a Shimano Steps E6001 motor (with optional E8010 504w battery) which drives a Gates belt drive attached to a Alfine hub gear (shifted electronically via Alfine Di2). I have to say, I thoroughly love this bike. I commute a 60-mile round trip to the office on it, use it to ride to the supermarket, ride out to meet friends at local (and not so local) pubs. The integrated lights makes it perfect day or night. From the standard spec, I’ve only changed to a ProLogo e-bike specific…

TENERIFE Ride the 160km Vuelta al Teide gran fondo with Sports Tours International on 9 May 2020 with four or eight-day packages For winter occasions when Majorca’s weather doesn’t feel enough of a weather upgrade on the UK, Tenerife, the largest Canary Island, is a consistently warmer option. That doesn’t make it immune to bad weather – Geraint Thomas had to abandon his late March training camp this year due to snow – but that was an exception to a generally reliable rule. Snow in the Canary Islands, on the latitude of the Sahara Desert, might sound like a freak occurrence, but the wildcard is Mount Teide. At 3718m, it’s the highest point of Spain, with the surrounding Teide National Park, a stunning (but heavy with traffic) UNESCO World Heritage…

LANZAROTE Enjoy a training camp (20-26 March 2020) from Club la Santa with Sports Tours International Not just the Canary Islands most distinct destination, but the most distinct on this whole list, with relatively recent volcanic activity between 1730 and 1736 shaping the landscape as it looks today. Go for a spin on the buttery tarmac through the scarred Timanfaya National Park, the area most affected by these eruptions and which makes up a quarter of the island, and you’ll be rewarded with a ride like no other. While now classed as dormant, you can still feel the heat closely beneath Lanzarote’s surface, none more so at El Diablo restaurant in Timanfaya, which harnesses the furnace below to cook meat on its BBQs. The island isn’t as mountainous as Tenerife,…

We take our testing very seriously at Cycling Plus. For more than 25 years – an age when disc brakes, Di2 and super-wide 1x gearing weren't even a glint in a designer’s eye – we have been putting road cycling products through their paces. Our test team, led by senior technical editor Warren Rossiter, has nearly a century of riding experience between them in just about every discipline. They can separate the great from the also-rans when it comes to bikes, clothing, accessories – and more. If it gets our seal of approval you can be sure that you’ll be bagging a great buy!…

THE BIG PICTURE LAND OF THE GIANT The Tour de France may have given the swerve to its greatest mountain this summer, but for the riders of the Santini GF Mont Ventoux in June, there was no avoiding it. A big ask on its own, the 21.5km, 1610m wall came at the end of a 137km ride (inflated to 168km when adding the assumed descent), with temperatures atop the Giant of Provence, within its infernal, exposed moonscape, of wood-fire oven proportions. We’ve got a report of a sweaty day in Provence in the next issue.…

MATTHEW: They’re self-identified as the Velominati – the ‘Keepers of the Cog’. The Rules are an etiquette guide that list everything that, as a proper roadie, you’re supposed to respect. While in some ways they could be seen as a valid starting point for shaping your personality as a roadie, we’re going to talk about how, maybe, those rules are a bit prescriptive and potentially quite elitist. ROB: And rules are there to be broken, as my dad always told me. How many rules are there? TOM: 94. It says 95 on the site but they don’t have a 13. Because 13 is an unlucky number. ROB: And that’s one of the rules. Racers will wear it upside down. MATTHEW: I wore 13 in a race, I didn’t turn it…

WE SAY… The Aeroad CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 has a list of good attributes as long as its name The first rim brake Aeroad appeared over four years ago, with the disc model arriving some time later. Its sleek looks, integration and specification marked it out as a racy contender for class-leading honours. Some of the latest road aero machines have arguably surpassed the Aeroad’s styling, and offer even greater levels of integration, but few can match its value. The Aeroad CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 has a specification list as long as its name and, although the cheapest bike here, it offers Shimano Ultegra Di2 shifting, as well as hydraulic disc brakes. And the 62mm DT Swiss wheelset, and Canyon’s integrated carbon bar and stem couldn’t shout aerodynamics…

WE SAY… The Prince FX shares the Dogma’s unique design style, but lacks some of its ability Any Dogma, let alone the ones Team Ineos riders will be racing, is far too expensive for this test’s price band. Step forward the Prince, Pinarello’s Dogma-like understudy, which shares the same profile, and many of the same exotic tube shapes as its big brother, but uses more affordable Torayca T900 carbon fibre instead of the Dogma F12’s T1100. Even so, your £5000 outlay still buys you a mechanical Ultegra drivetrain (1) with rim brakes, and relatively inexpensive wheels. Pinarello doesn’t exactly give its frames away. The frame looks impressively purposeful though, with truncated aerofoil profiles defining every tube that faces the airflow, something Pinarello calls FlatBack. The down-tube takes things to the…

SwiftCarbon has been producing frames for over 10 years and has revealed the newest addition to its roster – the Racevox. Almost two years in the making, it’s what the firm is calling its “do-it-all superbike”. The Racevox’s seatstays have been dropped lower down the seat-tube (an industry trend), the cables and hoses in the head-tube are hidden and there’s an integrated bar and stem system - Vision’s one-piece ACR model. SwiftCarbon claims that the Racevox balances the responsiveness of a race bike, the compliance of an endurance bike and the aerodynamic features of an aero bike. Sticking to the same geometry principles as applied to the Ultravox (rated 4.5 stars by BikeRadar), they’ve revaluated the blend of composite materials and tuned the layups of the Racevox’s carbon frame. When…

WE SAY… Don’t want GPS? This is user-friendly and the batteries last a long time In these days of all-singing, all-dancing GPS cycling computers why would you want a non-GPS unit? Well, we were surprised at just how much we appreciated the simplicity of the digital incarnation of Cateye’s longstanding Padrone computer. Its popular familiar features are still there – including the clear, large, super-legible screen and secure, easy-to-fit FlexTight mount – but it now has Bluetooth connectivity from the combined speed and cadence sensor (and optional heart rate monitor) to the head unit, and the ability to upload all your data to your mobile. Whether pairing it with a smartphone or not, you still have to manually format the Padrone Digital using mode and menu buttons on the rear.…

WE SAY… With an excellent fit, these photochromatic glasses are some of the most adaptable on the market Scicon is legendary when it comes to bike bags and cases. Recently, it’s diversified into other areas with a short saddle and now these sharp-looking shades. The Aerocomforts max out on adjustability with the package including three different sizes of nose pad. You can also add or remove the lens-protecting fenders on the bottom edge of the glasses. The arms are some of the most adjustable around, the rubber temple tips have a metal core and can be bent to pretty much any angle to secure the fit. The arms themselves also have three inserts (called clip switches) you can remove these clips to make the arms more flexible, too. For prescription…

FROM THE EDITOR… As if the chance to save 30 per cent and having every issue of Cycling Plus delivered direct to your door wasn’t enough of an incentive, we’re also giving new subscribers a choice between a Lezyne Zecto rear light or a Lezyne Lite Drive 700XL front light – the choice is yours! The Lezyne Zecto is a high-visibility light with three ultra bright LEDs, up to 80 lumens and six output options, while the Lezyne Lite is a compact LED light that produces up to 700 lumens. Paul Robson, Editor PLUS ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE OFFERS & COMPETITIONS AS PART OF OUR SUBSCRIBER CLUB! HURRY OFFER ENDS 8 OCTOBER 2019 WORTH £57 WORTH £47 GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE Choose either a Lezyne Zecto rear light OR Lezyne Lite…

WE SAY… An impressive matching cockpit setup that brings modern ideas and function in an affordable package TOTAL COST £134.97 CYRANO R5 (BULL) BAR £44.99 WIDTHS 40cm, 42cm and 44cm WEIGHT 300g (42cm) While the R5s are a good quality entry-level bar they offer more than some in this price range. What’s unique is that they are available in three versions, like many of Fizik’s high-end components, that work with a rider’s flexibility. The Bull bars here are designed for the least flexible, while the Snake version is for the most flexible and the Chameleon sits in between. Here, the Bull version has 75mm of reach with a shallower 125mm drop, making it ideal for riders who prefer a more upright ride position. It is made from an Anticorodal aluminium,…

WE SAY… A quality aluminium setup that brings the best of Shimano’s technology–but you pay a premium TOTAL COST £239.97 VIBE ALLOY BAR £79.99 WIDTHS 38cm, 40 cm, 42 cm & 44cm WEIGHT 250g (42cm) Pro is the component arm of Shimano and it has a reputation for making quality, no-fuss products. The Vibe compact bar is no exception. It is made from 7075 aluminium and comes with 130mm drop and 80mm of reach. The more traditionally-shaped Vibe is designed to be Di2 compatible, but naturally works well with cable gear setups and the ports are in the perfect locations for an easy life without sacrificing strength. It’s also one of the few bars here with a centre port for complete integration with the stem. We liked the slightly elongated…

WE SAY… High quality, top-performing cockpit setup that helps to keep weight down TOTAL COST £569.97 EC90 AERO BAR £279.99 WIDTHS AVAILABLE 40cm, 42cm & 44cm WEIGHT 235g (42cm) Easton has a long history in the world of carbon fibre and this shows in the quality of its products, especially the EC90s. This is a beautifully crafted wing bar with flat tops that not only help make them fast in the wind but are super-comfy for climbing on. Easton has flared the ends, which means there’s plenty of wrist clearance when sprinting. The overall shape works perfectly and we found them stiffer than most wing bars without any comfort issues. All the usual internal cable holes are present but it’s a shame there’s no hole in the centre of the…

WE SAY… This trio is lightweight yet high performance carbon fibre at fine stand fastest but it doesn’t come cheap SL-70 AERO ROAD BAR £298 WIDTHS AVAILABLE 38cm, 40cm, 42cm & 44cm WEIGHT 235g (42cm) The space-age looking SL-70s is designed to be stiff, comfortable and aerodynamic. Zipp has done a great job with the unidirectional carbon lay-up and this bar is certainly stiff, but we’re pleased to say this hasn’t been at the expense of comfort. Aerodynamics are definitely right up there, too, thanks to the large flat and thin airfoil top sections. These are UCI legal and the tops feel good when climbing. The anatomical bend with 70mm reach and relatively shallow 128mm drop means it feels great on the hoods, or tucking in the hooks. Zipp’s ‘Rapid…

> As we reach the end of the season cyclists start thinking about getting ‘fat adapted’. Let’s talk about utilising a ‘train low’ protocol. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING? If you’re a new rider your body may not yet be efficient at cycling, which means sticking to zone 2 (60-70 per cent of your functional threshold power) will be hard. Carb-restricted rides require that the intensity stays at Z2 or lower. If the ride has intensity, the potential of you getting through three plus hours without food will diminish. DO YOU WANT TO LOSE BODY FAT? Whether you’re in a calorie deficit, not whether you do fasted rides, will determine whether you drop body fat. If you have two days that are identical in every way – food, activity,…

It’s easy to see why the Defy has been Giant’s best-selling range… JOHN WHITNEY PRICE £3199 UPGRADES £134.99 (SADDLE) MILES RIDDEN 562 As you may have already read on p76, descending isn’t my forte. A friend recently called me ‘Captain Sensible’ for reasons that I shan’t get into here. I bring the same caution to the road, particularly in the mountains. The results of said feature have nothing to do with this Defy that I had with me. It handles superbly on long descents; its Ultegra hydraulic discs are superbly responsive, and the tubeless 28mm tyres – they came fitted with sealant – are a revelation, offering superb comfort and grip. A somewhat late adopter of hydraulic discs, I really couldn’t consider using anything else in the mountains these days,…

Ironically for a career as an environmental consultant, my job was quite office based. Sitting behind a screen all day and not complaining about high workloads was sapping the life out of me. Cycling, the thing that makes me most happy in life, was taking a back seat. I’d ride early morning before work with friends and we’d spend a good chunk of that time chatting about how we wish we could have a job based outdoors and have more chance to ride our bikes. On a whim, earlier this year, I took a job in Seville, Spain, a three-month role in tree conservation that I did until July this summer. It gave me lots of time to ride – often in some rather sweaty conditions (it was 44 degrees…

CYPRUS Take part in an eight day/seven night training camp from November through March with Sports Tours International, with half-board accommodation in a 4* hotel Cyprus has similarities to Tenerife in its identical flight time from the UK, southerly latitude, access to altitude and population (1.1m to Tenerife’s 900,000). It is four times bigger, however, and you do feel more isolated in its mountain roads than the tourist hotspot of Mount Teide – the most visited national park in Spain with 4m people annually. It doesn’t quite get the average temperatures as Tenerife through December and January (17-18 degrees), and the best time to visit is March and April, by which time you’re able to explore the Troodos mountain roads of Mount Olympus, the road to which tops out at…

Any top cyclist will tell you that the secret to a successful season is in getting a strong pre-season in the legs. This is where the foundations for success are laid and few who struggle through this crucial period go on to winning seasons. Even the hardiest among us will admit that surviving a no-holds-barred British winter with fitness and motivation intact on the other side has its challenges. But to lay the groundwork we need to be healthy and to keep a mental focus. When you’ve already endured months of miserable weather and spring has become an abstract concept, it can be difficult to rouse yourself for another few hours of being tossed around like a rag doll outdoors. It’s at times like this when dusting off your passport…

I don’t know if actor Roger Moore ever rode a bike, but I do know he was the best James Bond we ever had. His eyebrows alone had more acting talent than Connery, Brosnan and Craig put together. So it was a major disappointment to ride through the luxury Swiss resort of Gstaad, where he lived for many years, and find there is no monument to the great man, not even a restaurant called Live and Let Pie or The Man With The Golden Bun. Fortunately, Switzerland – specifically the canton of Vaud, which will host next year’s Road World Championships – has so much more to offer both Bond fans and road cyclists. Here are 007 reasons why riding in this part of the world is a license to…