Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i Cycling Plus

WELCOME… As someone who once captained a Sunday football team to a 13-month losing streak, the non-competitive element of sportives certainly appeals to my languid sporting mindset. And yet there’s something about actual racing, against humans or clocks, that always brings a heightened thrill, from squeezing into that aero jersey to the starting-line tension and mid-ride tactics. This month Mark Bailey discovers the very best advice for anyone wanting to take on hill climbs, time trials, road racing or track events this autumn and beyond. Just don’t forget the safety pins… matthew.baird@ourmedia.co.uk Your experts Warren Rossiter Senior tech editor Is there more to life than carbon-framed bikes? Our reviews expert Warren thinks so, testing a quartet of options boasting magnesium, steel, alloy and titanium From p34 John Whitney Deputy editor Long-serving…

Cogito, ergo sum, posited Descartes, the great cyclist: ‘I think, therefore I am’. Now we have a different philosophy: ‘If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen’. The computer platform for sharing workout data was launched in 2009 by high-achieving Harvard sporties Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath, named after the Swedish sträva (‘stray-var’), meaning ‘strive’. Around 100 million people worldwide now use it to spread their activity data from fitness devices. The dozens of activities include alpine skiing, canoeing, rock climbing, swimming… even zombie treadmills (A to Z, then). But most are cyclists. No wonder. A bike is a two-wheeled metrics generator: speed, power, location, weather, altitude, attitude. For training obsessives it’s, well, obsessive: two-thirds of Tour de France cyclists are Strava devotees. Socialites Recently Strava has developed its social…

“What about disabled people?”, is the cry we often hear when discussing cycling-friendly changes to the streetscape. It’s long overdue that we asked this – but it’s also easy to assume we know the answers without talking to disabled people. The assumption, when people think about things like Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), is that they automatically disadvantage those who need a wheelchair and/or a vehicle to get about. Our streets are already unequal places. Research shows people with disabilities benefit most from low-traffic streets free of speeding drivers cutting through, and from pavements unbroken and unblocked by pavement parking. People with visual impairments, physical disabilities or mobility issues – something many of us experience as we age – are statistically at greater risk from traffic danger and so, when you…

Reach • The horizontal distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the head tube. A longer reach lowers your ride position, a shorter reach means you sit more upright. Stack • The vertical distance from the top of the head-tube to the centre of the bottom bracket. A taller stack means a more upright ride position; lower stack means a lower – racier – position. Butted tubing • Butted tubes have a constant outside diameter but the wall thickness varies within that. On a double-butted tube the ends of the tube are thicker – usually 0.8mm compared to 0.5mm in the middle of the tube. This helps make stronger joints while reducing weight in the centre. Bulge butted means the tube’s reinforced on the outside.…

Weight 9.3kg (58.5cm) Frame 3Al/2.5V titanium Fork Alpina ADX carbon Gears Shimano 105 Di2 (50/34, 11-34) Wheels Mavic Cosmic SL 32 Brakes Shimano 105 hydraulic disc Finishing kit Deda Zero bar and stem, Selle Italia Novus saddle, Alpina Ti seatpost, Continental GP5000 28c tyres LIVERPOOL-BASED DOLAN HAS been designing its own-brand bikes under founder Terry Dolan since 1977. With close ties to British cycling and track racing, its range covers everything from road and time-trial machines to gravel, tandem and ebikes. Dolan’s ADX Titanium is the brand’s take on the classic endurance bike, with a smart, brushed-finish 3Al/2.5V tubeset built into a semi-sloping frame. Proper mudguard mounts and provision for rear racks make it a truly year-round machine, adding commuting and light touring to the ADX’s endurance credentials. The ADX…

The Testers Warren Rossiter Senior tech editor Warren is one of the UK’s most experienced bike journalists and tech reviewers Russell Burton Cycle photographer Photographer and rider Russell is used to testing kit to the max on long, tough days Katherine Moore Bikepacking expert Experienced rider Katherine is passionate about gravel riding and bikepacking Tom Marvin Technical editor Gravel bike and MTB fanatic Tom has been testing bikes for nearly a decade…

AUSTRALIAN DESIGNER KNOG is known for making quirky and interesting bike accessories, from lights to locks to low-profile bells, and the Pwr Solar is a smart addition to a bikepackers’ luggage. Its four solar panels have been made using high-quality, mono-crystalline cells encased in a tough, rubberised outer that’s water, dirt, salt, and oil resistant. This charger certainly has a premium feel to it: it’s built to last and comes with a two-year warranty. Knog recommends having its PWR bank battery (£79.99), which also powers its high-performance lights, camping lanterns and even Bluetooth speaker, to store the energy for later if you’re not using it to directly charge your devices. Perhaps a newer USB-C port would have been preferable and may arrive on the next version. I have plenty of…

Mission Workshop Speedwell £305 A durable, do-it-all pack that’s ready for adventure THIS 20L PACK is made from a combination of X-Pac and MultiCam Cordura making it both tough and weatherproof. It will swallow up a bladder (in a separate compartment), a laptop (up to 16” MacBook Pro), two water bottles in the exterior mesh pockets, and it also has a key fob in the smaller front pocket. Harnessing comfort The careful design and combination of pockets makes this pack hugely versatile. We’ve used it on a daily commute, day-long gravel rides, hiking and for trips to the beach. It’s never found wanting in terms of packing space, ease of use or comfort. That comfort comes courtesy of a floating harness that provides airflow but keeps the pack stable. Both…

The clothing you wear will make a massive difference to your ride experience this autumn and winter, so you need to choose the right clothes for the job. That includes well-chosen layering, windproofing garments, proven picks for keeping your extremities protected and products that offer breathability but also water resistance. Easy, right? Not really. Which is why we’ve partnered with leading British cycling apparel brand Lusso to offer you our guide to staying warm, dry and happy this winter… Autumn options 01. Baselayer A baselayer is a breathable layer that’s worn next to the skin under a jersey or jacket. On warmer days, a thin version will help wick sweat away from your body, and when worn on cooler rides, a thicker one will help keep warmth in. 02. Mid…

Weight 32.9g Colours Snow white; Black Lenses Two Extras Cleaning bag, zipped hard case VAN RYSEL IS MAJOR retailer and kit producer Decathlon’s premium offering for road bikes and components, but that doesn’t mean a premium price. The RoadR 900 is based around a chunky pair of arms that flow neatly into a brow-only frame. A shield lens fixes into this via a smart lock-in system. The RoadR 900 frame’s arms are coated with a sticky rubber that provides a secure fit to grip when riding in the rough and rain. The nosepiece is non-adjustable but made from the same sticky rubber as the temple tips on the arms, so they stay secure. The main lens meets ISO standards and is rated as Cat3 to filter 88% of sunlight –…

Jersey colours Black Orion Grey; Agave Green Black; Danger Red Black; Snorkel Blue Teton Blue; Stellar Blue Orion Grey; Neon Spring Orion Grey DANGER RED BLACK! Snorkel Blue Teton Blue! Neon Spring Onion (sorry, Orion) Grey! The snappily-titled Protraction II Recycled Lightweight Jersey from British brand Dare 2B comes in a host of colours, including the more conversative Black Orion Grey seen here. The best bit for a jersey of this price (and it’s currently reduced to £24.45) is that the material construction is sustainably made using polyester recycled from plastic bottles. So, good for the planet, but what about its performance on the road? The fabric is fairly loose, with our size small certainly floaty rather than formfitting in the body and sleeves so I’d suggest sizing down (six…

Norman, 86, is a physiology professor at King’s College London, a former audax champion and author of The Lazarus Strategy: How to Age Well and Wisely Cyclists accept that they are going to come off their bike one way or another, at various times, and in varying degrees of seriousness. I’ve had six such falls in my cycling years, all memorable – and not necessarily for the right reasons. Four I’d like to think were due to bad luck - others might call it plain poor bike riding. The first time involved my front wheel sinking into a load of mud that had been dumped into the road after a storm. The wheel tuned 90? and I suffered varying degrees of bruises. The second I hit a spot of black…

01 Try visualisation I recreated various scenarios of what could go wrong in different places. When you visualise the worst that will be thrown at you, it doesn’t come as a surprise. But I always ride with a positive mindset. 02 Find your fuel I ate berries to beat the heat and crunchy crisps at night to stay alert. Chewing gum and little fixes of caffeine were a constant. Major meals were grabbed from fast-food options or made by my sister Sapana. 03 Practise racing Next up I’ll be doing the 24-hour World Time Trial Championships in the USA (Borrego Springs) in November 2022 and then I’ll be doing the Race around Austria in August 2023.…

Weight 11.1kg (S) Frame 6061 T6 aluminium Gears SRAM Apex (40, 11-42) Brakes SRAM Apex hydraulic disc Wheels DT Swiss G 1800 Spline 650b Finishing kit RockShox Rudy XPLR 30mm fork, Vitus Ti rail saddle, WTB Venture TCS Road Plus 650b tyres THE SUBSTANCE IS Wiggle-CRC’s gravel offering from its in-house brand Vitus. It offers a dazzling array of different builds, including 1x or 2x, carbon or alloy, SRAM, Shimano or Microshift, and for 2022, the option of rigid or ‘HT’ (hardtail), which comes with a mountain bike-style suspension fork. Our test model is the priciest alloy build. The double-butted aluminium frame has numerous mounts for bottles, cages, rack and under-down-tube storage, and can accept 650b wheels, as fitted, or 700c. But the Substance’s most distinctive features are the RockShox…

Weight 9.09kg (L) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears SRAM Force/Rival AXS XPLR (44/10-44) Brakes SRAM Force hydro disc Wheels DT Swiss GR1600 Finishing kit Vielo one-piece carbon bar/stem, Fabric Scoop Ti saddle, Vielo carbon post, WTB Riddler 700x45c tyres GATESHEAD-BASED VIELO was formed in 2017 by father and son Ian and Trevor Hughes, whose vision was to craft high-performance bikes focused on what British riders need for fast-riding drop-bar bikes on and off road. Its V+1 Strato is just such a bike, with the Generation 2 designed to bring uncompromised speed to gravel riding and racing, thanks to its 1x-only frame. This 1x-specific construction allows for a symmetrical rear end and a bottom bracket shell claimed to be 30% stiffer laterally than a frame designed for a double chainset, while…

Rouleur the world The Rouleur Live cycling show (3-5 November) attracts heavy hitters from the cycling world and it’ll no doubt be the same in 2022 in its new venue, at The Truman Brewery on London’s Brick Lane. rouleur.cc/pages/rouleur-live Mountain man Breaking the Cycle, a new film by Red Bull, follows Bora-Hansgrohe Anton Palzer, who in 2021 swapped a career as a top ski mountaineer for life as a domestique in pro cycling. Watch here: tinyurl.com/palzer High demand The 2023 Haute Route mountain sportive series has been unveiled. It opens with the 3-day Crans-Montana on 9-11 June, with the flagship 7-day Alps event from 20-26 August Biggest ride RideLondon, which partnered with Essex for the first time this year, has announced a return for 2023, on Sunday 28 May. Routes…

Weight 10.7kg (L) Frame Aluminium/carbon Fork Carbon Gears SRAM Apex 1 x 11 (42, 11-42) Brakes SRAM Apex hydraulic disc Wheels Microtech MX25 Finishing kit Microtech XL Gravel bar, Basso stem and seatpost, Selle San Marco GND saddle, Maxxis Rambler TR 45c tyres BASSO BIKES DOESN’T HAVE the brand recognition in the UK of fellow Italian brands Pinarello, Colnago, Bianchi and Wilier. But the 45-year-old company has always taken pride in its made-in-Italy foundations, from the time Alcide Basso started making steel bikes in the 1970s to today’s handmade-in-Italy carbon creations. The Tera features a beautifully finished aluminium front triangle that uses manipulated tube shapes, from a slender, round seat-tube to a tapering hexagonal-to-ovalised down-tube and a kinked, flattening top-tube, which is finished off with an oversized machined head-tube. This…

Weight 9.93kg (L) Frame Custom 4130 multi-butted steel Fork Carbon Gears Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed (38, 9-42) Brakes Campagnolo Ekar hydraulic disc Wheels Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 DB 2WF Finishing kit Cotic bar, stem and saddle, CC Alloy seatpost, WTB Horizon Road plus 47c Skinwall TCS tyres THE PEAK DISTRICT-BASED British steel specialist Cotic has an enviable reputation among mountain bike aficionados, thanks to its forward-thinking design and love of all things steel. But while best known for its off-road bikes, Cotic has been designing interesting drop-bar bikes since its earliest days in the early noughties. The Escapade is Cotic’s go-anywhere, no-limits road bike. When launched in 2015 it featured horizontal dropouts that enabled it to be run with hub or derailleur gears or as a single-speed. On our fourth-generation Escapade,…

I already knew how special a ride this had been, but what was happening right now hammered it home. We were riding in a 350-rider convoy making a 50km beeline for Paris from the town of Menucourt; this was a closed-road peloton with motorbike outriders speeding ahead to close all junctions for us, to keep us safe and, theoretically at least, in constant movement deep into the French capital. It’s how Hotchillee, the Surrey-based cycling events company, always ends its London-Paris ride, bringing together several groups separated by speed and ability into one for a memorable mass finish under the Eiffel Tower. One of these groups, with whom I had pedalled, hadn’t even made the journey to Menucourt, via Folkstone and Calais, on tarmac, instead taking a totally different, more…

Weight 9.34kg (XL) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano 105 (50/34, 11-30) Brakes Shimano 105 hydraulic Wheels Fulcrum Racing 800 Finishing kit Deda Zero 1 stem and bar, Prologo Kappa RS saddle, Orro alloy seatpost, Continental Grand Sport 28mm tyres ORRO BIKES HAS a fine reputation for building good value bikes, all made to order at its facility in the heart of the South Downs, in the shadow of the legendary Ditchling Beacon. This milelong climb, with an average gradient approaching 10% and peaking at 16%, is a mecca for local riders to test their mettle. The Gold Evo is the brand’s take on an endurance bike and comes in this full Shimano 105 spec, or a cheaper 105/FSA mix with mechanical disc brakes for £1,799.99. The claimed frame and…

ITALIAN SHOE BRAND Udog’s debut shoe, the Tensione (£135; issue 395), impressed us with its clever close fit, comfort and value aimed at everyday riders. The brand’s second design, the Cima, is made for climbing, with a very stiff sole plus a woven upper offering targeted support, comfort and breathability. The full-carbon outsole has built-in rubberised toe and heel bumpers and features a single forward-facing vent in front of the footplate with an exhaust port in the midfoot. Moulded-in cleat markers are a great touch and the unidirectional carbon finish looks premium. The outsole is exceptionally stiff and very well shaped and manages to work harmoniously with the comfortable upper. The star of the show, however, is the light, woven and very well thought-out upper. The generous toe box uses…

01 Torq Performance £29.25 for 15 Serving size 591ml Carbohydrate 28g THIS NEW GEL hits the textural sweetspot: not so loose that it flows like fluid, not so thick that it resembles tar. Its consistency is apt for its delicious caramel taste. Carbs make up 28g (112kcals) per 45g serving from both maltodextrin and fructose sources. This sugary blend has been shown to absorb into the bloodstream via different intestinal pathways, helping to prevent gastro issues while raising the potential to consume greater quantities of carbs. There’s an 89mg caffeine hit from guarana, too. 02 High5 Electrolyte £6.99 for 5 Serving size 60g Carbohydrate 23g THIS GEL IS a delightful-enough raspberry flavour that glides down smoothly, but its consistency is very loose, meaning you don’t enjoy that perceptual hit of…

Weight 315g (Size 42) Sizes 40-47 Colours Black; grey/navy blue; Bordeaux/charcoal; lime/black THE TRIBAN GRVL 500 cycling shoes (previously the RC500) come at a super-budget price, and boast a lace-up design and a two-bolt-only SPD-specific design that’s aimed at the leisure, commuting and gravel rider. And since Triban’s a Decathlon brand, the RC500s are a lot of shoe for the money. They don’t shout ‘bike’ when you’re with your non-cycling friends – though they’re more lairy in their fluoro orange and yellow finishes. The deep rubber sole means that the metal SPD cleat is entirely recessed and the deep heel ensures they’re okay for walking shortish distances. The fibreglass-reinforced nylon sole is reasonably stiff and can’t compete with carbon soles for all-out efficiency but there’s not that much give, which…

Weight 240g Length 237mm Width 142mm Sizes 142, 155mm THE LINE S ELITE Flat from Fabric is the short-nosed version of the celebrated British brand’s highly rated full-length Line saddle. Aided by its compact proportions, the unisex Line S Elite Flat is very light for a saddle at this price but, if you’re desperate to shave off a few more grammes, you could go for the Line S Race with its titanium rails. Apart from its size, the Line S’s pressure-relief channel is the saddle’s most notable feature. This measures around 50mm at the rear, narrowing to 15mm at the front, and it’s around a centimetre deep for its entire length. For quite a racy saddle, the Line S Elite Flat has deep and fairly soft padding. It’s neatly done,…

FEATURING Gravel bikes for all budgets Essential gear The best places to ride in the UK Bikepacking essentials Skills to tame any terrain www.buysubscriptions.com/Gravel2022 or call 03330 162 138* and quote ‘Gravel 2022 Print 1’ Lines are open 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-1pm Saturdays Overseas please call +44 (0) 1604 973 746 *Prices including postage are: £10.99 for UK residents, £12.99 for Europe and £13.49 for the Rest of the World. UK calls will cost the same as 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). Lines open weekdays 9am to 5pm. Overseas please call +44 (0)1604 973 746. Price. EUR price £12.49, ROW price £13.49. All prices include P&P. Please allow…

01 Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave Road Shoes £240.65 • Featuring a very light, net-like upper and an ultra-stiff carbon sole, these race-level shoes combine weight saving and power transfer to help you battle uphill. 02 dhb Aeron Lab Women’s Ultralight Bib Shorts £135 • Incredibly light and breathable, with a very close, compressive fit, these bib shorts are the ideal battle armour for hill-climb season, with no excess fabric to slow you down.…

• New gear Bikes from Sonder and Orbea The best sustainable kit • Also inside… Ride like the wind How to make the bike rider’s greatest foe work for you Pain on the plain We recce Endurathon, a 2023 gravel event on Salisbury Plain Cometh the hour… Dan Bigham, the Hour Record & achieving the impossible Plus! Science of cycling Up your riding game with our special bonus mag On sale 28 October 2022…

Weight 9.47kg Frame Carbon Gears SRAM Rival AXS eTap XPLR (40, 10-44) Brakes SRAM Paceline hydraulic discs Wheels Bontrager Paradigm Comp 25 Finishing kit All Bontrager: Elite Gravel bar, Pro stem, carbon seatpost, GR1 Team Issue 40c tyres TREK’S VERSATILE CHECKPOINT bristles with mounts – triple-boss bikepacking bags, extra bottle cages, mudguards, racks and bento boxes are all invited to the accessory party. In this second-tier SL guise, the Trek isn’t exactly a slouch at 9.47kg, but then it is built up with chunky alloy wheels. The key feature of the Checkpoint family is Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler system. This splits the seat-tube from the top-tube, allowing it to flex around a pivot. The upper cup of the headset also sits on a pivot, allowing the steerer tube to flex. This…

I had no idea what to expect from the Tour de France Femmes. Nobody really did. Well, it had been 33 years since the last official race… Many people are wary of women’s racing simply replicating the men’s calendar and some argue that the likes of ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), the organiser, is merely jumping on a growing bandwagon. I would counter that the adage “better late than never” applies: although ASO could have pulled their finger out sooner, that they have done so now is still something to celebrate. Being on the ground at the race, I realised the unparalleled scale and reach that the Tour de France brand has and how significant it is for the women to finally be able to share in that. In Paris, at…

Weight 8.37kg (XL) Frame Super-Magnesium Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra (50/34 Praxis Zyante, 11-30) Brakes Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc Wheels Vaast Aero 30mm alloy tubeless ready Finishing kit VAAST Aero carbon bar and seatpost, Vaast Pro 3D forged stem, ProLogo Scratch M5 PAS saddle, Vittoria Rubino Pro 25mm tyres EVEN THOUGH US BRAND VAAST has only been around since 2019, it has produced a wide range of bikes. It aims to make its products environmentally friendlier by shipping them in plastic-free packaging and by making its frames from magnesium. The ‘Super-Magnesium’ alloy it uses, originally designed for the defence and aviation industries, comes from the US company Alite. Vaast and Alite claim Super-Magnesium is lighter than aluminium, steel and titanium, as well as being stronger than steel and aluminium and…

“T he extra-large vents enable air to easily flow from the front intakes, over the head and out the rear” THE FIRST THING you’ll notice about the Prevail 3 is the gaping vents, created by replacing the traditional EPS foam bridges with aramid (a supertough material used in body armour) ’cables’, known as an ‘Air Cage’. The Air Cage is said to be as strong as an EPS design, while leaving a whopping 24.5% more space for air to penetrate compared to the Prevail II Vent. This system is also said to be better at absorbing impacts, borne out by the helmet’s 5-star Virginia Tech safety rating. Also helping with that safety rating is the MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system) within the helmet’s padding, which has also been stripped back…

SIDI’S ORIGINAL ENTRANT into the gravel-shoe world, the Jarin, was an impressive stripped-down mountain bike race shoe. The new Sidi MTB Gravel has taken things a step further. By removing the heavyweight features of protection and race stiffness and replacing them with a stripped-down sole, its clever tension system and new synthetic suede, Sidi has upped comfort and reduced the price. The Tecno-3 tensioning system was the original dial adjuster, with its flip-up dial and spring-loaded release. It may lack the simple two-way micro-adjust of the latest BOAs, but it offers easy adjustment and holds firm. The upper is what sets the Sidis apart from the competition, though. The new Politex material has a supple, suede-like brushed outer, a stretchy midlayer and a light, knit-like liner. It’s made from recycled…

DRIVETRAIN INNOVATOR Campagnolo is a legend of Italian engineering. It has also been quietly producing quality riding kit for years now, covering everything from lightweight racewear to tough gravel kit and casual wear for men and women. The Indio jersey is where classic style and technical fabrics meet, using a combination of a closely woven yet highly breathable and fast-wicking torso and lightweight, close-fitting mesh sleeves. This is set off nicely with a full-length zip and classic silver steel Campagnolo shield logo zip pull. The fit is close on the arms and a little more generous in the body, with sizing true to UK norms. Three generous pockets on the rear and a slightly dropped tail complete what is a beautifully made, good-looking, high-performing jersey. Men’s and women’s versions come…

Weight 16.66kg (L) Frameset Carbon Gears Shimano GRX (44, 11-42) Wheels DT Swiss Brakes Shimano GRX E-bike system: Bosch 250W/85Nm motor and 500Wh battery Finishing kit Canyon bar, stem and post, Fizik saddle, Schwalbe G-One Bite 50mm tyres CANYON’S RADICAL GRAIL design, with its angular frame and unique ‘biplane’ cockpit, was divisive when it launched as a gravel bike. The electrified Grail:ON version, however, looks like a much more complete machine. The sculpted frame and integrated cockpit balance well with the oversized downtube that hides the 500Wh battery, while the oversized bottom bracket with its Gen 4 Bosch motor makes for a muscular-looking futuristic bike well suited to e-power. This CF 7 build is very well thought-out. Aside from the hugely powerful motor, you get Fizik’s excellent Argo saddle sitting…

Weight 348g (M) Colours Fluro yellow; black; grey Sizes S/M, M/L THE RELAY MIPS is Giant’s new sub-£50 lid and already has a 5-star score from the influential safety-rating institute at Virginia Tech in America. That score will have been enhanced by the addition of MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System), which aims to reduce rotational motion transferred to the brain from angled impacts to the head, and largely dominates the top spots in Virginia’s safety rankings. In terms of its weight, performance and price, the Relay MIPS sits close to the Specialized Align II (also £45 and boasting MIPS), the 17 ventilation channels offering reasonable cooling in the summer heatwave with the decent TransTextura internal padding helping to mop up sweat. The basic retention ratchet is a touch clunky, but…

Weight 1,871g Wheel size 700c Freehub options Shimano/SRAM Road 9/10/11-speed Rim depth 49.9mm Rim internal width 19.1mm Spoke count 24 (f)/24 (r) Tubeless? Tubeless ready AT 50MM DEEP and 28mm at their widest, the Elite 50’s wide, blunt-nosed shape is designed to balance aerodynamics and stability. An internal width of 19mm ensures the tyre forms part of the aero profile of the rim while giving a wide stance for increased grip and comfort due to the larger-than-average air cushion. The TLR Rim Strip – Bontrager’s removable system for sealing the rim for tubeless setups – reduces the effective depth of the rim to 8.5mm, or around the usual depth. As well as the TLR Rim Strips and tubeless valves, you’re given regular rim tape in case you’d prefer a clincher…

One of Iceland’s foremost manufacturing companies is Ossur, a world leader in prosthetics. Benedikt Skúlason’s engineering background, and interest in composites, led him to join this Icelandic company. While working on prosthetic feet and seeing their composite components going through millions of repeated stresses, he wondered why the bicycle industry’s interest in composites only focused on their low weight, rather than their long-fatigue life and flexibility. Being both aware of composites’ utility and having an interest in mountain biking, it wasn’t long until he pitched an idea to friend, industrial designer Gudberg Bjornsson. Prototypes followed, from basic proof of concepts through to near-finished carbon and glass-fibre demonstration pieces. Then, in 2013, the Trail Racer fork was launched and found its way to the top step of the podium in the…

Getting there • Direct flights to Copenhagen are available from many UK airports. 01 Where to stay • During the Tour de France, our room at CitizenM Copenhagen Radhuspladsen (citizenm.com) cost £200 for a basic double room. They allowed bikes into the room with some gentle persuasion. 02 Where to eat • You could check out number 1 in the 2022 The World’s Best Restaurants Awards: Geranium (“Food meets art”). If your spending is more aligned with Cycling Plus’s expenses account, we can recommend Café Wilder in the atmospheric Christianshavn. Bike shop • Your trip to Copenhagen is probably best enjoyed on a city bike. Check out visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/activities/copenhagen-bike-rentals. Find, plan and share adventures with komoot Komoot app lets you find, plan, and share adventures with the easy route planner. Driven…

• This brassica (the same family as Brussels sprouts and kale) is ready to harvest in the UK between September and December. High in gut-friendly fibre, it has a peppery taste and satisfying crunch when eaten raw, but becomes softer and sweeter when cooked. Eating it should also provide you with antioxidant anthocyanin, vitamins C and E and carotenoids plus anti-inflammatory phytochemical sulphurophane. Why not eat it raw in a colourful coleslaw, pickle it or lightly braise it with apples?…

01 Find your club If you crave the raw speed of time-trial racing, there are around 1,200 open time trial events to choose from every year. These are not managed by British Cycling but by a separate governing body called Cycling Time Trials. There is no individual affiliation option, you just sign up to your affiliated local club and pay an on-the-day race fee. Most races have fixed distances (10, 25, 50 and 100 miles) or fixed times (12 and 24 hours). 02 Get aero early The first thing to do is get your position dialled down. “Spending time refining your aero position should be done as early in the season as possible,” says coach Richard Rollinson of CPT Cycling (cptcycling.co.uk). This will ensure you feel comfortable and confident on…

Ned is the main commentator for ITV’s Tour de France coverage and editor of The Road Book. He also tours his own one-man show Working in cycling sometimes leaves me feeling a little complicit in cruelty. I occasionally agonise about my role in all of it, and wonder about the ethics of cheerleading for such a beautiful, brutal sport. I remember the first Darts tournament I worked on, a long time ago. Moving around the players, backstage, I was agog at how punishing their lives were: it’s a hugely stressful environment, and their health, for the most part, was not the best. Getting up on stage in front of thousands of baying darts fans and having to perform under huge pressure in order to pay the bills for another month…

Weight 10.3kg (XS) Frame 6061 aluminium Gears SRAM Rival (42, 11-42) Brakes SRAM Rival hydraulic disc Wheels Mavic Allroad 650b HG Finishing kit Full carbon fork with Carryall mounts, Selle Italia X3 Boost saddle, WTB Sendero TCS Road Plus 650b tyres RIBBLE’S GRAVEL AL COMES IN a number of builds from £1,699 to £2,399, with our mid-range model sporting 1x SRAM Rival, Mavic Allroad 650b wheels and chunky WTB Sendero tyres. At a first glance, you could mistake the Gravel AL for carbon, thanks to the smooth welds. It’s only when you cast your eye towards the chainstays that alloy welds are visible. As standard it comes in British racing green, with a lovely matt and gloss finish, but for an extra £299 you could use Ribble’s custom programme to…

Weight 8.33kg (L) Frame Advanced-Grade Composite Fork Composite Gears Shimano GRX Di2, 2x11 (48/31, 11-34) Wheels Giant CXR 1 Brakes Shimano GRX 810 Finishing kit Giant Contact SLR XR D-Fuse bar, Approach SL saddle, Maxxis Receptor 700x40c tyres AT THE HEART of Giant’s Revolt is a new frame and fork, albeit with the low-slung sloping top-tube seen on past editions for ease of movement on technical parcours. The ovalised seat tube, aero-style cutaway and dropped seatstays look like the Giant Defy. It also retains a D-shaped post, though it can also accommodate a round dropper post. The new fork provides clearance for tyres up to 53mm wide. At the rear, a flip-chip dropout lets you extend the wheelbase to take a 53mm tyre here too; in its standard setting, you…

• Short but memorable, our 51km route was leisurely ticked off in a day with time for a couple of dips in the tantalising, clear waters of the Med. The ride started at the ferry terminal in La Savina before heading east to the sands of Platja de Ses Illetes and then south to the rugged plain of La Mola. We did it on road bikes, but gravel is best for the unpaved sections at La Mola and Caló des Mort. 01. Bike shop There’s a bike-repair shop on Formentera at Sant Ferran (formenteracycles.es); and Es Brolls (esbrolls.com) just south of La Savina offers road and MTBs for hire. We hired bikes from Simon at Velo Club Ibiza (veloclubibiza.com) in Ibiza for 30 euros per day each. He operates from a…