Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Cycling Plus

In half the country’s garages, a bike languishes with a puncture, awaiting car transport to a bike shop. We know this thanks to Cycling UK figures that reveal 47% of the population can’t fix a flat. Punctures have dogged us since the invention of bike tyres in 1887. John Boyd Dunlop, a Scottish-born vet working in Ireland, devised an inflatable rubber tube for his kid’s trike. Racers found they rolled faster than solids, but – partly thanks to conflict with earlier patents unknown to him – Dunlop was never to be in the money, unless you count his appearance on Northern Ireland’s £10 note. Stuck on you Boyd’s tyres were tubeless, stuck on to the rim. Mending a puncture involved hours ungluing and reattaching. But in France in 1891, Édouard…

SHIMANO’S LATEST VERSION of Ultegra Di2 is exceptional. We’ve been testing the 12-speed electonic groupset for nearly a year now and think it’s Shimano’s best option for real-world riders. Not only is the shifting superb, but it hasn’t required adjustment. As for the braking, this has improved over previous generations; and now, thanks to its built-in wireless communication, you can connect it to a head unit, and Shimano’s phone app, in an instant (this means you can use your hood-top buttons for scrolling through bike-computer menus, display on your screen what gear you’re in or how much battery power you have left, and much more). The semi-wireless design means your bike will look cleaner too, with no extraneous cables to worry about. That makes it a great option for aero-optimised road…

Weight 8.54kg (L) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2 (52/36, 11-34) Brakes Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc Wheels Vision TC40 carbon Finishing kit Hutchinson Epsilon 28c tyres, BH Evo monocoque ACR bar/stem, ProLogo Dimension saddle, RS1 Aero seatpost SPANISH BIKE BRAND BH’S latest RS1 sits in the firm’s road range alongside its flagship and pro-tour-proven Aerolight: a light, fully integrated aero road race bike. The RS1 is also very aerodynamic and very integrated, but where the pro-race Aerolight has a slammed front end of just 554mm, the RS1 lifts it by 3cm and shortens the reach by a couple of millimetres. This makes the RS1 a genre-busting endurance aero-road bike. On the road, if you hunker down into the deep drop of the one-piece BH Evo Monocoque ACR bar/stem combo, you…

Invisible, unpredictable and unforgiving, wind is every cyclist’s ghostly nemesis. Gusty winds will steal your speed, blow you into danger and batter your will to keep riding. Long distances, however challenging, can be conquered with smart fuelling and training, but wind cannot be mastered by gels and fitness alone. Gravity – that other invisible foe – is made manifest in the form of mountains, making its torments reassuringly visible and finite: what goes up must come down, you remind yourself – just 1km more to do at 7% before a rewarding descent… But the wind is wild, fickle and merciless: it can blast all day long, makes no promise that the pain will soon be over, and offers no guarantee that it won’t just change direction and smash you again.…

The word ‘retirement’ is a sensitive concept for a professional athlete. As a younger man, I once enraged an ageing professional cyclist so much just by mentioning the word that I had to plead for him not to put the phone down on me. In my defence, he was going on 36 and he did retire at the end of that season, but it was a lesson learned: do not be the first to speak the ‘R’ word. It’s easy to understand the sportsperson’s sensitivity, too, if they have to give up on a profession long before they might want to. Such was her dislike of the word, tennis player Serena Williams cryptically announced in August that, rather than retiring from her sport, she would be “evolving away” from it.…

THIS SECOND ITERATION of the CLX cuts the same silhouette through the wind as the original. The girthy 35mm wide, 51mm-deep front rim is designed to damp steering input and keep the rider from overcorrecting in crosswinds while the rear rim has a more traditional, 30mm wide, 60mm-deep aero profile. The wheels use DT Swiss Aerolite spokes (18 at the front; 24 at the rear) and both wheels have 21mm internal widths optimised for 26mm-wide tyres. Hooked beads are still used. Although brands such as Enve, Hunt and Zipp have fully embraced hookless technologies, Roval says it uses hooked rims for better security and more compatibility with both tubed and tubeless tyres. So what’s different to its predecessor? It has tubeless compatibility and a revised carbon layup. The new layup…

Weight 22.9kg (L) Frame 6061 aluminium Fork Fox Float 34 AWL 100mm Gears Shimano XT (36, 11-50) Brakes Magura MT5 E-stop hydraulic disc Wheels Orbea OC1 tubeless E-bike system Shimano Steps EP8 motor, Orbea internal 540Wh battery Finishing kit Dropper seatpost, Selle Royal Vivo saddle, OC bar, Schwalbe Jonny Watts 29 x 2.5in tyres, lights ORBEA’S LATEST ADDITION to its urban ebike range, the Kemen, is built for excursions into the rough stuff as well as big commutes and weekend treks. The heart of the Kemen is Shimano’s powerful mountain-bike-derived EP8 motor, with its impressive 85Nm of torque from its mid-mounted 250w motor. Orbea has, however, designed its own cleverly packaged battery rather than using Shimano’s system. Using a more compact battery-cell configuration means the Kemen has a slender down-tube…

01 Roll and ride You pedal. That’s what you do. But have you ever dug a little deeper into the pedal cycle? Visualised your sinewy lower-limb muscles generating increasing power through textbook souplesse? More specifically, focused on your legs’ capacity to reach their optimum via a pre-ride warm-up? No to all three? Well, it’s time to rethink your pedalling prep thanks to a recent paper in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine that looked at whether static stretching or vibration foam rolling “induced greater changes in range of motion, functional performance and stiffness of the hamstring muscles”. In other words, which would make you a stronger, more proficient cyclist? First, some background. The hamstrings run down the back of your legs from your hips and cross behind the knee…

01 Be ultra prepared ● Expect the unexpected and be prepared for different scenarios. “You’re completely self-supported out there [in ultras such as Dirty Reiver], so having tubeless plugs, canisters and tubes easily accessible is crucial. With a mechanical, you can easily lose five minutes,” explains Andrews. “Before a big gravel race, I study the course and figure out where I could make an attack or even take an energy gel. You can only plan so much, so it’s best to just go with an open mind and enjoy yourself.” 02 Sharpen your skills ● “The difference between winning and losing is pretty much down to technique and skill. In races, I’ve put time into pro riders simply by hammering a technical section harder. Having said that there are risks…

“I’m not a club cyclist, just a keen, recreational one. I’ve been fortunate enough to do various sportives including London to Paris, Belfast to Dublin and through the Alps with the Raid Alpine and Classic Climbs. I’ve also cycled in Rwanda.” “During the pandemic, I pledged to cycle every day of the lockdowns, where permitted, thinking I may end up doing a few weeks or a month at the most. I ended up cycling for 529 days – covering 14,000 miles – and having to switch to a mountain bike during the snowier days.” “For my 65th birthday – in August 2022 – I chose to cycle 65 laps of my home village of Drumbeg in Northern Ireland, a total distance of 169 miles. I did it to raise funds…

Traditionally, the choices for cyclists looking to improve have been: a) get a coach, b) join a club, or c) go it alone. Now, there’s a fourth option to consider – using tech to set your riding, assess your progress and adapt your programme to suit your needs. Sounds neat, right? Or, perhaps, a bit pseudo-science? Whatever your view, there’s no doubt that trying to utilise tech for performance is an emerging area that looks set to ramp up in the coming years. Here, we take a look at some of the big players already coming to market… BIONIC FUELLING SUPERSAPIENS You can’t fail to have heard of Supersapiens. This is the world’s first ‘athletedriven’ continuous glucose monitoring device that sees Chris Froome as one of its investors, and is…

This is one of my three laptops… and here’s a bag of sensors… and see those oscillations. That is what I’m interested in.” Steve Faulkner, sport scientist and senior lecturer in science and technology at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), has just popped into Parcours’ chipboard-decorated office-cum-warehouse and he’s in his element. He’s not the only one. Dov Tate, owner of the UK wheel brand, is under Faulkner’s data-rich spell. “Ultimately, we’re both engineers,” smiles Tate, “albeit Steve’s a world-class one. He’s helped us deliver what we feel will be a gamechanger for us and cyclists…” We’re in Puttenham, near Guildford, to find out more about Parcours, one of the UK’s most progressive and fastest-growing wheel brands. The timing’s perfect as not only is Midlands-based Faulkner in the area but Tate,…

Harry Hall Cycles Manchester History ● Started in 1955 by renowned mechanic Harry Hall, the man who helped a dying Tom Simpson in vain on Mont Ventoux in 1967. What makes this shop special? ● “We’re a local bike shop but with big-city-centre accessibility,” says Simon, an employee since 1984. “And we do everything from kids’ balance bikes to eMTBs and top-end road models.” Why is a local bike shop so important ● “Individuality. We can stock, and do, what we think is best for our particular customers right here, and not have to follow the diktats of people in an office far away. We’re cyclists, not salesmen.” What’s in store ● International shortages mean all their available bikes are on the ground floor (the upstairs is now used for…

Weight 8.6kg (L) Frame Titanium 3AL-2.5v tubing, 6AL-4V investment cast head tube Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2 (52/36, 11-30) Brakes Shimano Hydraulic disc Wheels Strada Carbon PAD-55 Finishing kit Deda Elementi DCR integrated bar/stem, Continental Gran Prix 5000 28mm tyres, Reilly carbon aero post & saddle, Reilly Grip carbon bottle cages REILLY WANTED TO CREATE A thoroughly modern road bike out of titanium to make the most of the metal’s aesthetic, handcrafted appeal, corrosion resistant properties and longevity. The Fusion, with its aero-profile tube shapes, dropped seatstays and full integration, looks much like the latest carbon aero-optimised road bikes. You can’t get this look from off-the-peg tubing, so Reilly designed their own (3AL-4v titanium) hydroformed tubes and investment-cast (high-grade 6AL-4v titanium) junctions. Investment casting gives a much smoother surface finish and…

IT IS A DAY WITH THE SORT OF OPPRESSIVE, SUFFOCATING HEAT WHERE YOU CONSIDER WHETHER IT’S AN ENTIRELY SOUND IDEA TO EXPOSE YOUR WATER-BASED BODY TO IT. It’s the Saturday at the back end of the second spell of extreme heat, in August, and we’re riding in some of the most exposed terrain in England, high up on a tinder dry Salisbury Plain. The reason? Not only to test out the new gravel clothing collection, GV500, from Scottish brand Endura but an opportunity to ride with Marcel Kittel, the now retired German sprint powerhouse and winner of 14 Tour de France stages during a prolific career that ended in 2019, aged 31. Try riding through the desert in the road race of the 2016 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, he…

Favourite race Lombardia. 2011 was my favourite edition, when I was second [even though he won it in 2014]. I think that was the best course. I love that whole Como area. Least favourite race Paris-Nice. So happy to get podium there [in 2017], it’s such a brutally hard race, always nervous. I’ve done stages of that race where I’ve burned through tyres because of braking so much. It’s not my style of racing, so that podium was one of my most proud achievements. Best team-mate I’ll pass on that one – it would disappoint a lot of people! Best climb Mur de Huy [the finishing climb of La Flèche Wallonne]. Off-bike indulgence Wine. Always red. Favourite place to ride Andorra. It’s all climbing, it’s quiet and the roads are…

Weight 9.63kg (L) Frame 6061 aluminium Fork Carbon Drivetrain SRAM Rival 22, 50/34t, 11-32 Brakes Hydraulic disc Wheels Sonder Nova i19 Aero Finishing kit Sonder seatpost, Abode saddle, Storc stem & Spitfire 42cm bar, WTB Expanse Comp 32mm tubeless tyres IF EVER A BIKE was designed with British roads, budget and modern riding styles in mind, then the Sonder Colibri is it. Since starting up in 2016, outdoor gear company Alpkit’s bike brand has become known for its practical, well-specced bikes that focus more on adventure than aero. The Colibri has a 6061 aluminium frame and monocoque carbon fork, with tapered steerer, both beautifully finished with a glossy paint job. Beneath the paint, the frame welds are tidy, and the chunky dropouts are impressively neat with good-quality hardware. The gear…

THIS UNUSUAL-LOOKING STEM comes from Dimitris Katsanis’ company Metron Advanced Equipment. Dimitris was part of the original British Cycling Secret Squirrel Club that brought tech marginal gains to Team GB’s track cycling team (see right). According to Metron, using 3D printing has enabled it to make components that wouldn’t be possible using traditional manufacturing methods. The material used is Scalmalloy, an alloy of scandium, aluminium and magnesium that’s designed for 3D printing and mostly used for aerospace. Metron has used this to work out the areas of the Mythos that require more, or less, material and has greatly increased the torsional stiffness of the stem without affecting on bending stiffness. My test stem is 110mm long with a +/-8˚ angle. The clamp for both bar and steerer is standard, with…

All-road bikes are causing a lot of excitement. But how do you define ‘all-road’? Well, it can be a road-based bike that’s capable of being ridden comfortably off-road, or a gravel-specific bike with a design that allows it to be ridden at road-bike pace on the asphalt. But which type should you choose? The Fara F/All-Road on test here is a bike from the road-going camp but, as the bods at Fara explain, their road rides can easily go from beautifully smooth Oslo tarmac to gravel tracks in the Norwegian wilderness in the blink of an eye, which is typical of Scandinavian terrain. This means the F/All-Road is designed for Sunday morning tarmac rides with friends, but can also be called upon to happily head off the beaten track for…

When you’re training hard, your body uses up micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) at a higher rate so it’s important to eat well to keep them topped up. The usual suspects of fruit, veg, legumes, wholegrains and pulses are top of the must-eat list, plus eggs, dairy, lean meats, fish and shellfish also pack a nutrient punch for those who eat them. Remember to eat a large variety of different things to get the full range of micronutrients. Buckwheat crêpes with mushrooms, spinach and bacon Help keep autumn ailments at bay thanks to the antioxidants and minerals in these pancakes. Details • Prep 5mins* • Cook 10mins • Serves 4 Ingredients • 100g buckwheat flour • 50g plain flour • Pinch of salt • 1 egg • 100ml semi-skimmed milk •…

Session 01 Gravel hot laps Benefits Timed sectors require fast riding and razor-sharp skills. This session will help you explore the fastest lines, build confidence and improve speed. Kit needed A gravel or cyclocross bike and a bike computer. Nutrition Test your nutrition and hydration on the go. Keep your hands on the bars during technical sections; practise fuelling in between. How to do it Warm-up Progressive riding for 20mins, increasing intensity to 7/10 effort. Include 2-3 hard 5sec surges to activate muscles. Main set Ride off-road loops for 90mins, including a technical ascent and descent. Ride at a sustainable ‘allday’ pace, 6/10 effort exploring smooth lines. Once you’ve gained confidence, build speed on the technical sections until you’re at 8/10 effort. Record times and aim to beat these when…

LOMBARDIA 2023 STATS Location Como, Italy Next date 8 October 2023 Distance 113km Price From €60 (2022) Set to host its sixth event in October 2023, Gran Fondo Il Lombardia in Cantù, near Como, Northern Italy, has become one of Italy’s biggest mass-participation cycling events. Some 688 riders finished in 2022 (many more started), with that Gran Fondo billing ensuring plenty of these were racing for amateur honours. The event coincides with the 117-year-old Il Lombardia (or the ‘Race of the Fallen Leaves’), one of cycling’s five classic Monument events, which shares some of the same course and attracts some of the world’s best riders (Tadej Pogačar won in 2022). PRE-RIDE PREP Prepare for climbing! While its 113km distance isn’t outrageous, the Gran Fondo has 2,250m of elevation gain over…

All of us will have found ourselves in training ruts at one time or another. Perhaps your numbers might not be progressing in the way you’d hoped, or you’re being held back by gnawing fatigue, or you find yourself stuck in a cycle of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Whatever the cause of your riding malaise, the answer to your conundrum can often be found in trying something new, which will lift you out of your comfort zone. This Peak Performance special is dedicated to that idea, whether it’s tips on how to reach your peak, the latest cutting-edge tech designed to give you an edge in your performance goals or a guide to turbo trainers - devices that will push you forwards…

Indoor riding used to have a well-deserved reputation for being excruciatingly boring. The idea of spending time on a turbo, self-flagellating to pumping music while you stared at a wall, all in pursuit of some intangible fitness gains, seemed like madness. However, thanks to the advent of smart turbo trainers and third-party interactive apps such as Zwift, realising the benefits of indoor cycling has never been easier nor, crucially, more fun. Today’s smart turbo trainers work by communicating with apps on tablets, smartphones and computers using Bluetooth or ANT+. It sounds complicated, but most of these trainers and apps will automatically search for and connect to each other with the click of a button. If you’re looking to invest in an indoor-training set-up, you’re in the right place. We explain…

Scott launched the super speedy updated Foil RC aero road bike just before the Tour de France and it was ridden by top-10 finisher Romain Bardet for Team DSM. Here’s why it’s better than ever. 01 Go-faster geometry The new Foil RC features identical geometry to the Addict RC lightweight race bike, except for the Syncros Creston handlebar, which results in a 10mm shorter reach – and super-sharp handling. 02 Flexi time Climb aboard and enjoy the flex in the new Duncan SL Aero CFT seatpost that helps smooth the ride. The weight-bearing full-length post has a cut-out section and can flex against the stabilising rear section. A rubberised filler can be swapped with an additional light. Overall, Scott reckons the new frame is 10% more comfortable than the previous…

● A variation on the Fred Whitton route, this skips Kirkstone, Whinlatter and Newlands, but still takes you over the steepest trio of Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose. Head north of Ambleside past Thirlmere reservoir to Keswick, over Honister, then out to the coast at Seascale. Next is the assault on Hardknott, then career down to Wrynose Bottom’s grand valley and final scenic parade back to the start. 01 Bike shop ● Ghyllside Cycles, Ambleside (LA22 9DQ, ghyllside.co.uk, closed Sun) is a small but lively, well stocked and long established local hub covering road, off-road and touring. 02 Lunch stop ● Java, Keswick (CA12 5BL, facebook.com/Java.Keswick) has super coffee and cake: get takeaway and enjoy it by the lake nearby. 03 Photo op ● The view of Hardknott Pass’s zigzags, west…

Weight 8.6kg (L) Frame Advanced-Grade carbon Fork Advanced-Grade carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2 (52/36, 11-30) Brakes Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc Wheels Giant PR-2-disc Finishing kit Giant Course 1 25c tyres, Ridesense Bluetooth/ANT+ sensor, computer mount, Giant Contact stem, Variant composite seatpost, Approach saddle, 44cm Contact bar THE TCR IS SEEN AS ONE OF THE most complete all-round race bikes. With a frame and fork silhouette that’s basically unchanged since its 1997 debut, the compact (sloping top tube) design has become the shape of the modern sport bike. The geometry is all about agility and providing the dynamics to thread through corners and through the pack – it’s no wonder the TCR is so popular. The TCR Advanced range comes in three levels: Advanced, Advanced Pro and Advanced SL, costing from £1,999 for…

ALL THREE OF THE BIKES TESTED here are superb showcases for Shimano’s brilliant Ultegra Di2. BH’s idea of combining an aero road bike with an endurance bike sounds odd on paper, but out on the road it makes so much sense. The aero-optimised design makes it an easy bike to ride fast. BH has a history of making very light and very quick bikes and the RS1 takes those elements and creates something new that stands out from the crowd. Better tyres would elevate the RS1 further, but it’s excellent as it stands. “The Fusion’s frame is stunning with its jewel-like finishing, impeccable welds and beautifully shaped junctions” The Advanced 0 will uphold the TCR’s legendary status amongst race bikes. Giant has brought the technical marvel that is Ultegra Di2…

Subscribe & receive a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump* Worth £29! Hurry! Offer ends 25 November 2022 Why subscribe? • Receive a Lezyne pump worth £29 • Save 30% off the UK shop price - pay just £24.99 every 6 issues by Direct Debit • Every issue sent to your door or device 1 PRINT 6 issues of print & a Lezyne Pocket Drive pump for just £24.99! 2 DIGITAL 6 issues of digital & a Lezyne Pocket Drive pump for just £24.99! PLUS! Access to exclusive offers and competitions as part of our Subscriber Club! buysubscriptions.com/CPP399 03330 162 142 quote code CPP399 Or scan the QR code to subscribe Lines are open 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-1pm Saturdays. Overseas orders please call +44 1604 973 751 or visit buysubscriptions.com Terms & conditions *Offer open…

Cane Creek eeSILK+ Seatpost Carbon £329.99 All-road, bump-smoothing suspension seatpost THE CANE CREEK EESILK+ suspension seatpost has been designed to reduce the chatter of long gravel rides without adding unnecessary weight or bulk. On test is the carbon version, but it also comes in aluminium (£224.99). Both versions come with titanium hardware, stainless steel axles and Igus bushings that sit inside the seatpost head to make it quieter and easier to service. This version of the seatpost serves up 35mm of travel (there’s also a 20mm option), and an ‘elastomer’ – a shock-absorbing insert that sits under the saddle – that provides a damping effect. You can swap out this elastomer and choose from five densities (£12 each) to get the perfect feel. Attaching a saddle is simple, and it’s easy…

YES, £55 IS EXPENSIVE FOR A TINY 15ml bottle, but you only need a small amount of this special coating. For best results, it’s all about the preparation. First thoroughly clean and dry your bike. Then use the spray bottle of Frame Prep and one of the microfibre cloths also provided to clear any residual grease or dirt. Once you’ve fully prepped the frame, pop on the latex-free gloves and use the super-soft pad applicator to apply Bike Ceramic everywhere. Leave the frame for a couple of minutes before removing the product with the first microfibre cloth, then use the second cloth to wipe over and buff the frame. After that, leave it for 24 hours to cure. The principle is that Bike Ceramic creates a chemical bond with the…

01 Layer for success “Layering up is an oldie but it’s true,” says cycling coach Liam Holohan of Holohan Coaching. “You want to layer up rather than rely on one big warm jacket. The reason being that in winter, when you set out first thing in the morning, it’s usually around 0˚C, but a few hours into the ride that could rise to 10˚C. If using layers, it means that you’re continually dressed for the conditions. The last thing you want is to be wet through with sweat, which will lead to you getting cold in the same way as if it were raining. Remember, water conducts heat 25 times faster than air.” “If it’s a really cold and wet day, carry spare gloves so when the first pair gets…

Road bikes Four fantastic flyers for road riding and racing Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 7 Disc eTap £4,949 Issue 397 This is a superbly specced and surprisingly comfortable aero bike that’s built with more than the pros in mind. Factor Ostro VAM £9,450 Issue 395 You’ll need big pockets, but this is a fast, light and comfortable bike that has a collection of the best spec around. Giant Defy Advanced 0 £2,899 Issue 394 A very special frameset with a superb level of kit and fantastic wireless gearing. The latest Defy is very, very hard to fault. Dolan ADX Titanium 105 Di2 £3,099.98 Issue 398 A great, sporty, year-round titanium endurance bike that majors in value and definitely doesn’t disappoint in its ride. Gravel bikes This capable quartet will help…

● Both are from the legume family and both are swimming with health. Lentils are relatively low in calories but contain a hearty amount of ride-fuelling carbs and muscle-repairing protein – around 40g and 18g per cup, respectively. Chickpeas are similar at 45g and 14.5g. When it comes to macronutrients, they’re neck and neck. When you examine their micronutrients, there is a legume leader, but only just. Both are rich in magnesium, which helps muscle function, though chickpeas deliver greater bone-strengthening calcium. However, lentils counter with not only higher levels of iron – for red-blood cell production – but pantothenic acid and choline to improve brain and muscle function, too. VERDICT Lentils win!…

Gravel riding and racing has surged in popularity over the last few years, seeing a coming together of cyclists from different disciplines to push their limits and have a good time. With more events and races than ever, could 2023 be the year you take your gravel riding to the next level? “Gravel racing was a natural transition for me. It perfectly aligns with everything I enjoy about cycling: adventure, freedom and community,” says Sam Andrews, an elite gravel rider and the overall winner of Grinduro Wales 2022. “There are club riders and WorldTour riders on the start line, which makes it super accessible for everyone. The rules are few, the system is uncategorised and the fun is endless.” Home or abroad there are a variety of races to test…

1 CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO It’s another Sunday-morning ride with your crew and you soon settle into your routine order. But is the hierarchy purely based on riding strength? Maybe not, according to a recent study in Nature involving mice. Groups of mice scuttled through an arena to locate food. After thousands of runs, a pecking order emerged, with the top mice arriving at the reward zone first around 55% of the time. However, the mice were equally matched in terms of strength and speed. The research team discovered that neurons in the front of the brain stored social-ranking information, indicating that competitive success is not simply due to physical fitness. Takeaway Shake up the order on group rides to get more out of them 2 SAVE YOUR SMILE Is your smile…

01 Indoor gains ● Most of us will probably admit we don’t enjoy getting wet or cold. Furthermore, if you live in a busy part of the world, training indoors can be much safer. If you’re doing hard intervals to exhaustion or training in a time-trial position on the open roads, you need to be particularly careful. Riding indoors can save you from all of that, plus it can be extremely time-efficient if you’re following a Zwift training plan or something similar on another platform. Virtual riding is now so popular that there are organised online group rides and Zwift races, so you can indulge your competitive urges at any hour to make training more fun. 02 Weight & packability ● Trainers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes…