Dedicated solely to the exhilaration of road cycling, Cyclist is the very first magazine of its kind. A celebration of the rides, the travel and the latest gear – we'll show you how to get the best from your ride every time.
Many of us still remember the first time we were overtaken up a hill by someone on an e-bike. Initially, we might have been impressed by how effortlessly they seemed to be laying down the power, but when they passed, for some strange reason they didn’t look us in the eye. As we puffed and ground at the pedals, they cruised serenely into the distance, legs turning smoothly, with never a glance back. Many of us will also recall our sense of disdain when it dawned on us how we had come to be so easily overhauled. ‘Why even bother riding if you’re going to rely on a motor to do all the hard work for you?’ was the general sentiment. It was around the same period the first reports…
Louison Bobet wins the Tour de France, Elvis releases his first single, both Lord of the Flies and the first Lord of the Rings books are published. It’s 1954 and, on top of all that, Ernesto Colnago begins making lugged steel bicycle frames. Colnago is a company steeped in history and tradition, one that prides itself on producing bikes steeped in history and tradition, but 68 years on and the Italian brand’s latest bike, the C68, is embracing a whole new world and finally leaving lugs in the past – kind of. Despite no longer being Colnago’s go-to race bike (the monocoque V-series took over those reins many years ago) the C-series, which can claim to have been one of the world’s first full-carbon composite frames, remains an equally desirable…
New Zealand bike brand Chapter 2 has unveiled its second Artist Collaboration Project with the release of 60 special edition Koko frames painted by Canadian artist Bradley Harms. It follows on from the 50 special edition TOA Disc framesets painted by New Zealand artist and athlete Caitlin Fielder, which sold out in two weeks earlier this year. Each of the lines used in the frame’s artwork is hand-drawn and layered to create a beautiful and dynamic piece of contemporary art. The full bundle includes your choice of MANA Bar (five sizes, two colours) cockpit system, custom-painted carbon bottle cages and anodised blue matching thru-axles/top cap. For further information visit the Chapter 2 website, or view the mini website at bharms.chapter2bikes.com.…
For Shimano’s third groupset launch of 2022, 105 has gone electronic. That’s right, Shimano’s most affordable groupset – the one you recommend to friends who are just getting into riding, the one you use for spare parts when strapped for cash, and the one speculated would go electronic for years – has now pushed its way into the 21st century. Predictably, the 105 R7150 closely shadows its elder siblings, Ultegra R8100 and Dura-Ace R9200. It is now 12-speed and enjoys the semi-wireless configuration, with shift levers interacting wirelessly with a battery/brain in the seatpost that’s wired to the front and rear derailleur. 40 years in the making Shimano’s latest 105 offering is released in the groupset’s 40th year, and what a way to celebrate. All but the most discerning cyclists…
Fizik has pulled out all the stops in the latest rendition of its popular Vento Argo saddle, offered in 150mm and 140mm widths. The Adaptive features 3D printed padding which, as the name suggests, allows for a saddle that is soft to touch and pliable when you’re seated. Therefore, says Fizik, the Adaptive suits all people in all cycling scenarios whether it’s road, gravel or mountain. We tested it on road and support Fizik’s claims that the rider can find comfort in multiple positions. Whether grinding up a hill or sitting on the nose on a flat effort, the Adaptive remained consistently comfortable with no sharp edges or unexpected twinges. Even though it was squishy to touch, when seated, the even pressure meant the saddle felt almost as firm as…
Bryton’s Rider S500 is the latest challenger to enter the hotly contested $500 bike computer bracket. In terms of hardware, battery life is impressive at a claimed 24 hours (continuous GPS recording time); the screen is a generous-for-its-size 2.4-inch colour touchscreen with ambient light sensor; and the whole thing weighs just 87g. Functionality highlights include turn-byturn mapping, online search-by-voice capabilities (when paired to a smartphone) to make finding mid-ride cafes that much easier, plus a neat ‘Climb Challenge’, where upcoming climbs are displayed in profile with height, length, ascent and gradients in colour-coded segments.…
