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GRAVEL MASTERCLASS THE UK’S BEST-SELLING CYCLING MAGAZINE

SUPERCHARGE YOUR OFF-ROAD SKILLS, STAMINA & STRENGTH P120

ISSUE 384

OCTOBER 2021

THE BIKE TEST

LONGER FASTER

NUTRITION

A PRO? WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE PELOTON’S DIETS

P46

No.1 FOR NEW GEAR OVER 50 PAGES OF E X PERT R E V IE WS INSIDE !

ENDURANCE BIKES THAT GO THE DISTANCE RIDDEN & RATED P30

THE BIG RIDE

GEAR ADVICE

IS THE ISLE OF WIGHT THE UK’S HOTTEST CYCLING DESTINATION? P128

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO IMPROVING YOUR BIKE P90

THE RETURN OF MARK CAVENDISH

THE STORY OF CYCLING’S GREATEST COMEBACK P52

@GTBICYCLES

THE GRADE The gravel scene wouldn’t be where it is today without innovative bikes like the GT Grade pioneering the way. Our iconic Triple Triangle frame with floating stays ensures the best ride on any multi-terrain adventure. Thru-axle hubs, full-carbon forks, and a Shimano groupset come standard on a bike that’s fun, flickable, and surefooted. Strap it up with all the bags and head for the hills – this is built for it.

RIDERS: @SOMETHINGSICKK / @DCONTE123 PHOTOGRAPHER: @BROOKSCURRAN

We’re incredibly proud to announce our partnership with the most decorated British Olympian of all time.

The winner of nine medals, seven of which are gold, Jason Kenny has cemented his name into the sporting history books. At HUUB we love speed and when it comes to Jason Kenny - it doesn’t get any faster!

ISSUE 384

OCTOBER 2021

HIGHLIGHTS EAT LIKE A PRO? 46 Are the restrictive diets of the propeloton appropriate for us?

RETURN OF THE KING 52 How Mark Cavendish pulled off a comeback for the ages

GOWER PLAY 58 Exploring the tracks where the road ends on the Gower Peninsula

James Witts circles the Isle of Wight P128

9 OCTOBER 2021

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ISSUE 384

OCTOBER 2021

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74

Endurance bikes

Hunt 60 Limitless Aero Disc

80

Leomo Type-S Pro Fitting System

GEAR & BIKE REVIEWS… VIB

NEW GEAR

26 Much lusted-after Italian bike maker De Rosa shows off its Campagnolo-flavoured Merak race bike

67 Tests of Hunt 60 Limitless Aero Disc wheels, See.Sense BEAM light, MET Rivale MIPS helmet and more

BIKE TEST

ULTIMATE UPGRADES

30 The endurance road bike may get overlooked in 2021, but we’re here to put it back on the map in this month’s test

90 Gear guru Warren draws on decades of testing experience for the 10 best ways to upgrade your bike

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INSIDE EVERY MONTH… Rob Ainsley is horsing around 24

BIKE TEST

68 First rides of the Vitus ZX-1 EVO 105 aero bike and Benno Bikes’ RemiDemi 9D ‘etility’ – electric utility – bike

100 A thousand-pound shootout from two of the industry’s biggest players: Cannondale and Giant

10 OCTOBER 2021

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TRAINING ZONE

14 This issue we bring you a Tokyo Olympic photo special and celebrate another table-topping performance – with a difference – by Team GB’s cyclists. We’ve also got three thoroughly good routes in Thirsk

111 We round up the latest cycling science findings including new research on whether high-intensity cycling can disrupt heart rhythms, reveal the best recovery shake recipes and profile the Fred Whitton sportive

MASTERCLASS: GRAVEL Norman Lazarus is looking at yew 116

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NEW BIKES

HUB

THE BIG RIDE

Ned Boulting has a chain reaction 138

128 Freelance writer James Witts knows the Isle of Wight better than most: as we find out, he got married there a few years ago and holidayed as a youth. But he’d never done a lap of the island by bike... until now

120 No matter what your experience as a roadie, getting into gravel cycling can be a fish-outof-water experience. This issue’s gravel masterclass will equip you with the skills to put you on firmer ground

PRINTED PERFECTION — FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, OUR GROUNDBREAKING PERFETTO RoS

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HIGHLIGHTS… BREAKING THE NORM

I’m sure I’m not alone, but Norman Lazarus’ column is one of the first pages I turn to. This month, Norman offers existential questions to a 1500-year-old tree. He even quotes my hero Neil Young. It’s better to burn out than fade away, indeed… p116

WIGHT MOVE

The wrong pedals meant I cycled 100km unclipped but joining writer James Witts on his tour of the Isle of Wight swiftly became one of my favourite days on a bike (image above). Smooth roads, no potholes and few cars.

I’ll see you there. p128

plenty of inspirational nuggets we can all use to further our own cycling dreams.

Matt Baird, Editor

GET IN TOUCH…

If you’ve anything you want to say you can chat with us via @cyclingplus on Twitter, CyclingPlusMagazine on Facebook and cyclingplus on Instagram. And, of course, you can always email us at cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk.

And don’t forget to visit cyclingplus.com!

IMAGE STEVE SAYERS

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EDITED BY JOHN WHITNEY

14 OCTOBER 2021

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THE BIG PICTURE IMAGE GETTY

OUT OF SIGHT Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer stormed to victory in the Tokyo Olympic road race, yet she was perhaps the only rider who knew about it. With race radios not permitted, the peloton was unaware that Kiesenhofer – a big long shot and the sole survivor of an early break that had been away all day – was still up the road. Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) threw her arms up on the line, not realising she’d have to settle for silver.

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OCTOBER 2021 15

At the age of 22, Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock is perhaps the greatest all-round bike rider in the world. He’s competing at the sharp end of road racing, cyclo-cross and crosscountry mountain biking and his gold medal in the latter in Tokyo underscored an era-defining talent

IMAGE JAMIE SQUIRE

Jason Kenny was far from the fastest rider throughout the Games but used all of his experience and savvy from a long career to win a stunning keirin gold with an unlikely solo break. It was his seventh gold – more than any athlete in British Olympic history

Mount Fuji lurks behind the Izu velodrome in a shot taken prior to the Games. The foothills of the huge volcano featured in the men’s road race, won by Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz, while Izu, outside of Tokyo in Shizuoka, was one of few sports to welcome fans through the doors

16 OCTOBER 2021

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THE BIG PICTURE OLYMPICS 2020

Laura Kenny (left) became the first British athlete to win golds at three successive Olympics with a win in the Madison alongside Katie Archibald. The duo had earlier suffered disappointment in the Team Pursuit competition, where they had to settle for silver ahead of a dominant German team, who broke the world record three times in Tokyo

We don’t recall ever talking about backflips in Cycling Plus but we’ll make an exception for Manchester’s Charlotte Worthington. She cooked up one of the moments of the Olympics in the BMX freestyle, landing a 360 degree backflip – the first ever seen in competition – on her final run (after crashing on her first) to win gold ahead of favourite Hannah Roberts (USA)

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OCTOBER 2021 17

THE SPIN

AFTER THE GOLD RUSH

GB’s Olympic track success may have waned, but Britain’s influence in cycle sport is now far deeper s predictable as day following night, Great Britain - or Team GB to give them their self-styled moniker topped the Tokyo Olympic cycling medal table. This dominance began in Beijing in 2008 and has continued through the subsequent three editions of the world’s great sporting jamboree.

There’s just one problem with this: it wasn’t really that predictable this time around. While there’s clearly a developed pattern of success here, Great Britain’s topping of the medal table in 2021 (or 2020, as the impossible-to-alter branding would have you believe) was far from the foregone conclusion it was in previous outings.

In the past three editions - 2008, 2012 and 2016 GB didn’t just ride every other nation off their wheel, but lapped them. In 2008 and 2012, for instance, they won eight of the 18 golds available. Of course, in all these Olympics, the majority of the available golds (12 of 18 in 2020) have been contested on the track in the velodrome, within which Great Britain has ruled with an iron fist ever since Beijing. And it was in Tokyo that they were finally overthrown from power, their rivals catching up for the most egalitarian spread

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JOHN WHI T NE Y DEPUT Y EDITOR The longtime Cycling Plus staffer offers his take on all the comments and controversy on the frontline of the cycling scene

of track medals since Athens 2004. GB won just three golds on the track this year - and none in the blue riband races that they’ve long dominated, such as the team pursuit and sprint events.

The bell tolls for all untouchable teams eventually and, while these Olympics were hardly a disaster for the GB track team, three golds represent a lesser return. Big-name retirements, ageing stars and in-house turbulence within British Cycling since Rio 2016 have all contributed to this, but you also can’t ignore the rise of their opponents, rather than the fall of GB, in shifting fortunes. Arguably the most visible sign of this was in the women’s team pursuit, won by a Germany team that broke the world record three times on the way to gold. At the final’s end, they’d shaved almost six seconds off the pre-Games record set in Rio by Great Britain.

Another example of GB’s retreat came, ironically, in an event they won gold in. Jason Kenny’s incredible keirin victory, in which he went for an audacious solo break from the gun, was spellbinding viewing but it was far from his dominant, muscular win in the same event in 2016. His move, very unusual at this level of the sport, was his gambit only because he knew that conventional victory against stronger rivals was such a long shot. The seventh gold of a remarkable career for this most unassuming of professional athletes meant he’d leave Tokyo as GB’s most decorated Olympian ever.

That being said, a new generation of talent were making a name for themselves. Matt Walls, just 23, belied his years with a tactical masterclass to win omnium gold, while Jack Carlin, a year older and bronze in the men’s sprint, was the only rider on show capable of challenging the dominant Dutch duo of Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland. With a further gold in the women’s Madison, it was a Games marked by pockets of excellence from GB on the track rather than sweeping dominance.

To top the medal table then, despite this, shows just how multi-faceted Great Britain has become as a cycling nation. This despite not winning a single medal on the road - a discipline we’ve really become quite good at - for the first time since 2004. Two thrilling golds in the BMX for Charlotte Worthington and Beth Shriever, and an absolute demonstration in the mountain biking by Tom Pidcock, who’s shaping up to be a standout talent of his generation, show just what an all-round force we’ve become in world cycle sport. Things might have gone off the boil, in relative terms, on the track, but it was unquestionably the success there that has fed the beast that British cycling has subsequently become.

ILLUSTRATIONS DAVID MAHONEY, MICK MARSTON

“Golds in the BMX and mountain biking show what an all-round force we’ve become in world cycle sport”

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Torq’s research team has now looked into applying the same benefits to help keep your body in tip-top cold- and flu-fighting condition, resulting in these two new Immune System Support products.

The first, dFND, is a one-a-day tablet that contains vitamin D3 and zinc.

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Vitamin D3 supports your bone health and muscle function, and it’s well known that your body’s vitamin D levels are lower during autumn and winter. Zinc helps you to maintain healthy skin, hair and nails, and some vegetarian and vegan diets can result in a zinc deficiency.

Should you fall prey to an infection, Torq recommends using its other Immune System Support product – the aTAC Cold and Flu Relief, available in 364g pouches that contain 28 doses. It comes in two flavours, with each serving designed to

jump start your immune system, and contains 1000mg of vitamin C, 1000mg of glutamine, 500mg of echinacea and 10g of carbs for an energy boost. The resulting mix will also help to keep you hydrated.

Both aTAC and dFND use no artificial colours, preservatives or sweeteners, they’re vegan and use only all-natural flavours. You can find Torq’s research on its Immune System Support products at torqfitness.co.uk/immune-systemsupport as well as advice on staying healthy and keeping riding.

W H Y YO U N E E D

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FOUR ESSENTIALS 01 LEYZNE AERO ENERGY CADDY £36

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OCTOBER 2021 21

RIDES LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

THIRSK

North Yorkshire town with loads of varied cycling options Deeply corrugated moors on one side, flat but fascinating Vale of the York on the other: agreeable, accessible market town Thirsk offers all kinds of cycling, including one of Britain’s best gravel roads. Enjoy the sights, scenery and local colour of James Herriot country before a convivial evening in one of Yorkshire’s most likeable market squares.

ROUTE ONE

HILLY MOORS LOOP 74 MILES HERRIOT COUNTRY CHALLENGE Mighty day of moors climbs, descents and flats, with big views all the way. Sneck Yate Bank’s 25 per cent to ridge top, Hawnby’s volatile hills, busy road over moors. Back up to awesome Blakey Ridge and Rosedale, downhill through Hutton’s gem. Foothill lanes past White Horse.

GET THE ROUTE: komoot.com/ tour/427973428

ROUTE TWO

FLAT VALE LOOP 57 MILES EASY SIGHTS AND SCENES Minimal hills, maximum sightseeing. Nifty (permissive) bridge over Swale through quirky farm sculpture-park. Quaint Well, brewery-town Masham, villages, and long gentle downhill to Ripon. Quiet lanes to Boroughbridge (Devil’s Arrows).

GET THE ROUTE: komoot.com/ tour/427976019

ROUTE THREE

GRAVEL LOOP 41 MILES DROVE ROAD DELIGHT Lanes past the Kilburn White Horse and Byland Abbey, and track up to the moors’ ridgetop. From here it’s Hambleton Drove Road, a stunning survivor of the old cattle-market routes. Marvellous views, good gravel surfaces. Reservoir then picturesque back lanes home.

GET THE ROUTE: komoot.com/ tour/427976471

STOP FOR CAKES FORGE TEA ROOMS

GET SPARE TUBES VENTURE CYCLES

FANCY A PINT? GOLDEN FLEECE

HAVE BREAKFAST UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS

WITH FAMILY? WORLD OF JAMES HERRIOT

Overlooking the superb village green. From ice cream and afternoon teas to full meals. Open 7/7.

WHERE Hutton-le-Hole YO62 6UA

Cycling enthusiast-owned local bike shop right in the centre: basic parts and tools, workshop, friendly service.

Closed Sun, Mon. WHERE Thirsk YO7 1LB

Classiest of three pubs in square with yards: speciality blended coffees, cafe, eatery and bar with cask/keg ale, meals, etc.

WHERE Thirsk YO7 1LL

Early start? Cosy tea room and deli/shop. Stock up on picnic provisions or start with a full breakfast etc daily from 8am (10am Sun).

WHERE Thirsk YO7 1HD

Award-winning museum in the late author’s old vet’s surgery. Vintage cars, petting animals, interactive gallery, children’s area. Open 7/7.

WHERE Thirsk YO7 1PL

22 OCTOBER 2021

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ILLUSTRATION TOM WOOLLEY

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LIFE CYCLE

IT’S NEIGH BOTHER Roads are getting busier – with horses.

Rob Ainsley is singing their praises... ntil my epiphany at a bridge outside York this summer, I had horses all wrong. I’d run away with the idea, or rather cycled away, that they were just forerunners of bikes. I’d seen too many gushing 1880s odes to the new safety bicycle, framing it as an iron horse that needed no stable, no hay, no water; permanently saddled, ready to go.

So I thought of horses as animal cycles. Unreliable steering. Terrible brakes. Oversize frames. Only four gears, walk/trot/canter/gallop, with dodgy shifting.

High maintenance. Emissions problem, too.

Then came my conversion on the road to Damascus. Or Strensall. Two nags were refusing to cross a narrow bridge, panicked by oncoming traffic.

One of the riders asked me to befriend the horse, then walk across the bridge. So I stroked the animals’ noses, gave them grass, spoke to them softly about my frame geometry and gear ratios, and ambled nonchalantly over the bridge. The horses, my new friends, calmly tagged along.

I’d like to credit my animal magnetism, but it was horse sense. Once they saw a newly-trusted stranger doing something they wanted to do but weren’t sure of, herd instinct kicked in and they followed. Peloton

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ROB A INSLE Y WRITER & JOURNALIST Rob wrote The Bluffer’s Guide to Cycling and 50 Quirky Bike Rides, and collects international End to Ends. Check out his new website: e2e.bike

breakaways may identify with that. Anyway, there and then, I got horses. Not lumbering automata; but graceful, complex, gentle natural presences, relating subtly with humans. Benign, elusive, animal power.

Some people still tour by horse, like travellers used to. Cycling in Surrey, I met a genial chap who does (danielbrownhorseman.com). We swapped notes on bike/horse trails, the Pennine Bridleway, Ridgeway, etc. Sounds fun, but finding horse-friendly B&Bs is even trickier than bike-friendly ones. Parking is a ’mare. And try booking a horse space on a train…

After a period of decline in the 2000s, recreational equestrianism is on the up: 850,000 horses owned by 375,000 households, with 1.8 million people riding at least monthly. Cycling outnumbers that: 22m people have access to bikes, with 7m adults riding for leisure at least monthly. All of whom seemed to be in the Dales the recent sunny weekend I was there.

Hmm – implied ratio of one horse per four bikes: feels high. Nevertheless, it seems I encounter horse riders more on the roads these days leisure riding: amiable, smiling, country-lane clip-cloppery. I find it calming, delightful, life-affirming. So it slows people down? Good. Recent safety campaigns have encouraged both sorts of riders to, ‘Be nice, say hi’. As cyclists we’re urged to pass horses slow and wide.

Sound advice, of course: spooked horses bolt. The recommended action is to say, ‘Hi! Is it okay to pass?’

My former tactic was to sing 1960s lounge ballads, thinking this would signal a harmless presence approaching. Matt Monro’s pensive wistfulness worked best, but ultimately failed.

The 2021 Highway Code actually brackets cyclists and horses together: we’re cited as vulnerable road users, persecuted by impatient motorists. There are many other vulnerables. Wheelchair and mobilityaid users; children; people who don’t hear or see or balance as well they used to, or perhaps never did.

Pedestrians having to take the road because the pavements are parked on. Our interests – having safe, calm, wide, convenient leisure and utility routes unthreatened by motor traffic – are identical.

It’s not horses v cyclists or cyclists v pedestrians or anything. We’re on the same side. We should campaign together. I’m off to a joint horse-bike safety event in Bradford in September.

So be nice, say ‘Hi’. And, heck, try Matt Monro anyway. There’s something for every situation. Quiet lane? Born Free. Unpleasant encounter with motorist? Walk Away. (Matt’s often saved me from conflict.) Campaigning? We’re Gonna Change the World – or perhaps The Impossible Dream.

Whether you’re on horse or bike, happy riding.

ILLUSTRATION DAVID MAHONEY, JOE WALDRON

“There and then, I got horses: benign, graceful, complex, gentle presences, relating subtly with humans”

VERY IMPORTANT BIKE

DE ROSA MERAK c£9323 An all-Italian affair with De Rosa and Campagnolo taking centre stage he drop-dead-gorgeous De Rosa Merak was sent to Cycling Plus to showcase Campagnolo’s latest flagship wheels. It’s an all-Italian affair, of course, pairing the Merak frameset with Campag’s latest Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels and its 12-speed electronic Super Record EPS groupset.

Ugo De Rosa first started building bikes in 1953, and since then his eponymous company has supplied racing machines to some of the greatest cyclists the sport has ever seen – not least, two of cycling’s all-time giants, Eddy Merckx and Francesco Moser.

Today, De Rosa sponsors the Cofidis Solutions Crédits team. The Merak is one of two road bikes used by Cofidis and serves as the all-rounder in the French WorldTour team’s armoury, with the De Rosa SK Pininfarina being the dedicated aero bike.

History and pedigree are at the heart of the De Rosa brand and the Merak has both, with Romāns Vainšteins winning men’s UCI Road World Championship title aboard an earlier version of the bike in 2000.

Twenty years later, De Rosa revived the Merak name and, needless to say, the frame has evolved significantly in that time. Vainšteins’s bike was aluminium with rim brakes, while the latest

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Campagnolo’s 12-speed Super Record EPS groupset is the jewel in the Italian firm’s crown

26 OCTOBER 2021

Merak is carbon fibre with disc brakes and sports the kind of aero-influenced silhouette we’re now used to seeing. The Merak is designed to combine low weight – the frame has a claimed weight of 800g – with a sleek, wind-cheating profile.

The Merak serves as a stylish showcase for other Italian brands. The groupset is Campagnolo’s 12-speed Super Record EPS, the jewel in its drivetrain crown, with Campag also providing wheels with an iconic name and a long backstory.

Campagnolo first launched its Bora wheels in 1994, which is now in its 11th version. The latest edition is disc-specific and is offered in three aero-profiled rim depths – our Merak has the middepth Bora Ultra WTO 45s, with a claimed weight of 1425g. Campagnolo claims this is lighter, stiffer and faster than its previous incarnation (of course it does), thanks to a new carbon construction.

The spoke nipples are now hidden inside the rim, which in turn sports an exquisite lacquerfree finish with copper decals. Combined with Campagnolo’s G3 spoke pattern and the slender hubs, the new Boras are mighty fine on the eye.

The Merak’s finishing kit comes from a trio of Italian brands. FSA’s ACR (Aerodynamic Cable Routing) keeps the cockpit tidy, Selle Italia provides the saddle and Vittoria its grapheneinfused tubeless-ready Corsa tyres.

BIKERADAR.COM

De Rosa revived the Merak as a top-level race bike combining low weight and aerodynamics

03

FSA’s ACR stem routes the cables internally to keep the front end looking extremely tidy

D E R O S A M E R A K VIB

SPECIFICATIONS Weight 7.13kg Frame De Rosa Merak Fork De Rosa Merak Gears Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12-speed Brakes Campagnolo Super Record hydraulic disc Wheels Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45 Finishing kit Vittoria Corsa Graphene 2.0 tubeless-ready tyres, FSA ACR stem, FSA K-Force Carbon handlebar, Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow Kit Carbonio saddle

De Rosa’s Merak is designed to combine low weight with a sleek, wind-cheating profile

BIKERADAR.COM

OCTOBER 2021 27

C A F E C U LT U R E CAKE STOP

VELO VERDE, NOTTINGHAM One of the East Midlands’ best-kept secrets and a great starting point to explore the countryside

there, then Bill’s always happy to talk bikes, racing or touring – he recently did the entire coast of Britain on his Kinesis! caffeveloverde.co.uk SIGNATURE DISH Porridge with fruit, nuts, honey or maple syrup; £5 SHOWSTOPPER Sausage (2) bacon (3) and egg cob; £6.75 I’M A COFFEE SNOB, HOW’S THEIR FLAT WHITE? Superb, roasted locally by Coffee Central; £2.70 KEY STRAVA SEGMENT Head to Caffe Velo Verde for coffee and cake, 500 yards, average grade 0.6%, elevation gain 16ft, 33,338 attempts by 3795 people KOM Stevie Young 0.36, 07/09/2019 QOM Barah Surke 0.40, 10/10/2018

GOT A FAVOURITE CAKE STOP? Let us know on cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk 28 OCTOBER 2021

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“Great food, coffee and service, a go-to destination for cyclists” Mark G “Wow! Bill and Vini made me feel very special and made my favourite sausage sandwich.

Just gorge x” Tracy B “What a wonderful place. Tasty snacks and light meals, a good range of soft drinks and hot drinks, all served with a smile” Marjie

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY Rob Ainsley

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S AT I S F I E D C U S T O M E R S

ottingham’s putting itself on the cycling map thanks to the excellent new Big Track (a 10-mile car-free family circuit alongside the River Trent and the Nottingham and Beeston canal) and the start of a segregated bike network (N3 from the castle).

And in Velo Verde, 12 miles east of the city past Trent waterlands, it has one of Britain’s best cycle cafes too. Bill and Vini set it up two years ago after working in Tanzania, turning lockdown into an opportunity using it to radically redevelop the outside space. It’s become a favourite with the steady stream of cake-seeking day-riders exploring the Notts countryside, plus locals out for a coffee and chat.

As well as the usuals (homemade cakes and meals, artisan coffee, gourmet local sausages, free use of bike tools and pump, bike cleaning stuff, charging points, parking, bike decor, bike videos on the big screen, spares for sale), Velo Verde is involved in the local community and stages inventive bike events (films; workshops; themed local rides, for instance to accompany the Liège-Bastogne-Liège pro race with waffles and Belgian beers).

Geraint Thomas is a fan, and he featured it in one of his 2021 podcasts. And if he’s not

STAGES SMART BIKE T H E U LT I M A T E I N D O O R T R A I N E R TO TA K E YO U R CYCLING PERFORMANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. DUAL-SIDED POWER METER TECH PROVEN WITH SIX GRAND TOUR WINS WIDE-RANGE FIVE-POINT ADJUSTABILITY INCLUDING CRANK LENGTH MULTIPLE SCREEN SETUPS FOR PHONE AND TABLET PLUS ON-BOARD CHARGING WIDE APP COMPATIBILITY INCLUDING ZWIFT, TRAINER ROAD, SUFFERFEST AND MORE REAL ROAD BARS WITH ELECTRONIC SHIFTING, BRAKING AND STEERING GATES CARBON BELT DRIVE FOR QUIET, MAINTENANCE-FREE OPERATION

30 OCTOBER 2021

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BIKE TEST

GOING THE DISTANCE Here are four of the best…

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in the hierarchy. On paper it’s impressive: a full Shimano Ultegra group paired with Giant’s latest SLR 2 carbon wheels, great quality kit including a carbon bar and seatpost, plus tubeless tyres and a lightweight saddle.

Next up is Kinesis and its gorgeous-looking GTD V2. This second-generation titanium bike comes with a build for around £4000 using components from the wide range of brands handled by Kinesis’ parent company Upgrade.

Can its ride match its looks?

Our third contender comes from Cube. The Agree C:62 SL aims to mix endurance and performance in a bike that’s good for your sportive goals but can hold its own in the cut and thrust of racing too.

The highlight of the package is Shimano’s Ultegra Di2.

Our final ride is the Felt VR, with a chassis optimised for comfort

In it for the long haul: four endurance bikes go head to head

and a ride position to match. Felt has also managed to squeeze Shimano’s Ultegra electronic Di2 drivetrain and carbon wheels into the mix, and this is reflected in the price. Is the VR’s elevated specification worth the extra cost?

YOUR TESTER

ith aero road bikes getting lighter, race bikes getting more comfortable and gravel bikes becoming so road capable, the endurance bike category is often overlooked. But here at Cycling Plus we think endurance bikes offer some of the best all-round rides.

I’ve decided to test four of the best new options around £4000.

For that sort of money, I’d expect a bike that’s equipped with a Shimano Ultegra groupset along with quality wheels and great finishing kit – I’m not looking to make upgrades any time soon.

That brings me to our first bike: the venerable Giant Defy in its Advanced Pro 2 form. Giant offers the Defy in two ranges, the standard Defy from £2099 to £2499 and the Pro range from £3299 to £5499. Our Pro 2 at £3999 is second

WARREN ROSSIT ER SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR Warren’s always had a soft spot for endurance bikes. He owns a Cannondale Synapse and a custom-made titanium bike to his own sporty sportive geometry. He regrets letting a Specialized Roubaix go a few years back, and ponders on purchasing a Giant Defy a little too often.

BIKE TEST JARGON BUSTER

THE BIKES ON TEST...

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 between the top of the head tube and the centre of the bottom bracket.

Taller stack means a more upright ride position; lower stack means a lower (racier) riding position.

£3999 Over the years, and through numerous versions, Giant’s award-winning Defy endurance bike has been a firm favourite.

This model has Shimano Ultegra with a wide-range 11-34 cassette, hydraulic disc brakes, Giant’s own carbon wheelset and tubeless 32mm Gavia tyres. A composite bar and seatpost finish it off, but can this year’s version equal its predecessors for performance and value?

KINESIS GTD V2 £4000

SPREAD TOW CARBON This carbon fibre fabric is made with a ‘spreading’ technology that makes the individual carbon fibre tows – or threads – very flat, wide and even. It looks like a chequerboard and has better impact resistance than conventional carbon fibre, as well as being lighter and stronger.

THE RATINGS EXPLAINED +++++

EXCEPTIONAL

A GENUINE CLASS LEADER ++++ VERY GOOD

ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN BUY +++

In a world dominated by carbon, Kinesis has stuck to its titanium guns. Its secondgeneration GTD (Go The Distance) has a new titanium frameset with a host of revised features. These include among them different geometry, a new carbon fork, greater tyre clearance and improved cable routing. The £4k cost is what my custom build racked up to, but you can choose your own.

CUBE AGREE C:62 SL £3999 Cube has pulled out all the stops with the Agree C:62 SL. The name isn’t that exciting but this year’s bike looks cracking value. It comes with Shimano Ultegra Di2, Fulcrum wheels and a carbon cockpit from Cube’s components partners Newmen and a chassis that promises allday comfort and race bike responsiveness. But will we agree that this Cube can be all things to all riders?

FELT VR ADVANCED ULTEGRA DI2 £4819

GOOD

IT’LL DO THE JOB VERY WELL ++ BELOW AVERAGE

FLAWED IN SOME WAY + POOR

SIMPLY PUT, DON’T BOTHER

It’s electronic Di2 Ultegra for Felt as well, with a carbon frame that’s been altered to reduce vibrations. Designed for long days in the saddle, the VR has hidden rack mounts, proprietary mudguard fittings and top-tube ‘bento box’ bosses.

Felt’s associated brand Devox supplies the aluminium bar and stem plus integrated carbon seatpost, while the Reynolds wheels are tubeless-ready.

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OCTOBER 2021 33

WE SAY...

GIANT DEFY ADVANCED PRO 2

A near faultless endurance bike with an excellent spec for the money

£3999 The king of the road returns iant’s Defy has always been the Taiwanese brand’s most userfriendly road bike. Its geometry hits the ideal balance between an upright riding position and a sportier, more slammed stance. It comes with an endurance-friendly low bottom gear, cooling IceTech rotors and a raft of Giant-branded kit.

This includes the carbon bar, D-profile seatpost and carbon wheels fitted with 32mm tyres.

It’s a comprehensive and very attractive package for the price.

Giant hasn’t taken any chances when it comes to shifting and braking. Its mechanical Ultegra is as reliable as ever, and the 50/34 chainset and 11-34 cassette provide a 1:1 bottom gear that will get you up the steepest climbs. Braking is equally impressive.

Giant’s D-Fuse D-shaped seatpost has long been a feature on many of its bikes, and similar profiles have since been adopted by numerous brands. The shape retains the lateral rigidity of a round post but allows for some

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TOP IceTech rotors let you scrub speed without overheating ABOVE Shimano Ultegra delivers dependable shifting

fore-and-aft movement that absorbs road buzz and vibrations. Giant has now incorporated D-Fuse into the handlebar, with the D-shape orientated SPECIFICATIONS so that the compliance comes Weight 8.3kg into play when you hit a rough (L) surface. Giant claims this offers Frame & fork 10 per cent more compliance AdvancedGrade than its standard carbon bar. composite But when you’re sprinting the Gears Shimano bar is impressively stiff, Giant Ultegra (50/34, 11-34) claiming 30 per cent stiffer in Brakes this direction than its standard Shimano bar. A neat balancing act.

Ultegra disc Wheels Giant The Pro 2 Giant wheels are SLR-2 carbon based around a new 42mm-deep Finishing kit All hookless rim, which makes Giant: Contact SLR D-Fuse fitting a tubeless tyre a doddle composite bar and sealing the tyres easier. & post, Contact SL stem & Fleet Hookless rims are also stronger SL saddle, and lighter, which helps explain Gavia Fondo 1 their light weight. At just 1545g 32c tyres a pair they’re a healthy 250g

BIKE TEST

It’s stable at speed and through corners but never feels laborious, and you can feel the taut frame

lighter than last year’s model. Freehub pick-up is fast and the big-volume tyres balloon out nicely thanks to 19.4mm internal-width rims.

The Defy’s geometry – with its 605mm stack and 390mm reach – delivers a balanced riding position, which is sporty rather than overly relaxed. Personally, I think Giant has got the Pro 2’s dimensions absolutely spot-on for this style of bike. On like-for-like sizing the Felt is a centimetre taller while the Kinesis has a 5mm lower stack and 5mm longer reach.

On the tarmac the Defy’s figures translate to a high-quality ride. It’s smooth over bumpy roads and the big tyres also coped admirably with some gravel road excursions. The bike is stable at speed and through corners but never feels laborious. When you put the power down you can feel the tautness of the frame, while the excellent power transfer when you’re sprinting shows the TCR’s influence.

In terms of pure road speed, it’s not a proTour bike but a lot of that is down to the 32mm tyres. Personally, I’m happy losing a little top-end speed in return for the Defy Pro 2’s allday comfort, but you could go down to 28mm rubber. Another part that increases comfort is the new seat. I was never a big fan of Giant’s Neutral saddle, but the short Fleet is excellent.

I also appreciated the accessories Giant includes in the package. There’s a carbon

computer mount with fittings for the major GPS brands, and this integrates into the stem for a very clean-looking front end.

At the back there’s a Bluetooth LOWS Ridesense sensor that transmits Some may speed and cadence data to a want faster tyres head unit, and a neat removable composite bridge for mounting BUY IF... mudguards; frame and fork You want one both have hidden mudguard of the most mounts. If Giant added a bottle complete endurance cage – which many of its rivals bikes available do – it would be ready to ride straight out of the shop.

As an endurance bike the Defy is pretty much flawless. The ride quality exudes comfort, the handling is pure class and the specification doesn’t leave you wanting for anything other than a bottle cage or two. It’s extremely good value and, with its subtle black-grape hue, it looks every inch a superbike. Not only that, this Defy is very definitely a super distance bike.

THE VERDICT The very definition of what a topclass endurance bike should be

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS Top-quality ride, great components and excellent handling

A LITTLE MORE

GIANT DEFY ADVANCED PRO 1 £5499

The top-of-the-range Pro 1 shares the same AdvancedGrade composite chassis and fork as the Pro 2 but comes with SRAM’s wireless Force eTap AXS groupset and Giant’s premium SLR-1 carbon wheels.

A LITTLE LESS

GIANT DEFY ADVANCED 1 £2499

The same Advanced-Grade frame and fork and Ultegra groupset as the Pro 2 – but Giant keeps the cost down by speccing its alloy PR-2 wheels, alloy bar and Shimano’s non-series Shimano RS510 chainset.

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OCTOBER 2021 35

WE SAY...

A bike that’s as wonderfully smooth and versatile as it is attractive

KINESIS GTD V2 £4000 British big-distance titanium challenger here’s no doubting the endurance ambitions of the new GTD. A titanium frame should last a lifetime and Kinesis’ stunningly finished take on the material is designed for year-round use. The butted, custom-specified tubeset is replete with fittings for mudguards, racks, a third bottle cage and internal cable routing, while the carbon fork is compatible with a dynamo, covering you for just about every eventuality.

The GTD’s fixtures are all welded in place rather than riveted, an attention to detail usually only found on premium custom frames.

Its cable ports, which can be adapted to both mechanical or electronic drivetrains, are another nice touch. Kinesis’ Swiss Army knife approach to fixtures may make you think of the GTD as a tourer, a luggage-bearing workhorse for the leisure rider. But it’s much more than that. Its all-new geometry is sportier than ever, its 600mm stack and 403mm reach making it even sportier than Giant’s Defy.

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TOP A titanium head badge matches the perfect brushed-titanium finish ABOVE The frame has fittings for both racks and mudguards

The GTD feels like a classic road bike in the saddle. The liveliness of titanium delivers a ride that’s smooth but also taut and responsive on out-of-the-saddle sprints and when you’re powering up steep SPECIFICATIONS slopes. The 71.5-degree head Weight 9.16kg angle, which is slacker than a (58cm) Frame Custom- race bike’s, imbues the steering drawn titanium with the sort of stability you Fork Carbon crave after a dusk-till-dawn epic Gears Shimano Ultegra (52/36, avoiding potholes, which has left 11-28) your legs heavy with fatigue. The Brakes racy 73.5-degree seat angle puts Shimano you bang over the cranks, so the Ultegra discs Wheels Sector GTD is an efficient pedaller.

R26 My build meets the £4k budget Finishing kit with parts from Kinesis’ owners Thomson Elite seatpost, bar & Upgrade’s stable, alongside X4 stem, Shimano Ultegra (as it’s custom Repente built, the choice is yours). It Quasar saddle, Challenge has pretty aggressive 52/36 and Strada Bianca 11-28 gearing and, though I 30c tyres didn’t find the range wanting, I’d

BIKE TEST

The GTD feels like a classic road bike and the liveliness of titanium delivers a ride that is super-smooth

have appreciated a 30-tooth sprocket on the final climbs of some of my longer test rides. As a result of supply issues, the Ultegra hydraulic brakes came with a Dura-Ace IceTech front rotor and a 140mm Tektro rear. These worked well together, with Tektro’s rotor only feeling a little ‘softer’ when braking on the limit.

The finishing kit comes from Upgrade’s stable of brands. Thomson’s alloy bar and stem are exceptional stuff, delivering a rock-solid feel and contributing to the GTD’s direct yet stable handling. Repente supplies the bar tape and saddle. Its tape is designed for maximum grip and shock absorption, and I found it impeccable in both wet and dry conditions. The short Quasar saddle has a swoopy profile, and with its generous pressure-relieving channel and highdensity padding I found it ideal for long days out.

My only niggle was the seatpost clamp. The aluminium post and titanium frame are both smooth, and the post started to slip if it wasn’t tightly clamped – which isn’t unusual but the Kinesis clamp isn’t ideal. The recess for the hex key head is shallow, so ball-end keys don’t fit tightly enough and you have to be careful you don’t chew the bolt head if you’re using a flatended key. I’ve replaced the clamp on my own Kinesis with Hope’s more robust design.

I had no such issues with the GTD’s Sector wheelset. The R26 alloy wheels have

26mm-deep tubeless-ready rims, they’re very well puttogether and feel like a lively match to the bike. They’re LOWS paired with luxury rubber in Irritating the form of Challenge’s Strada sinking Bianca tubeless-compatible seatpost 30mm tan-walled tyres. Their BUY IF... supple ride adds to the GTD’s You want a all-round smoothness, with bike that’ll do their lightly textured tread everything on gripping well in corners. the road to the highest The Kinesis GTD is a rare standards example of a bike that is a master of all trades. It’s equally at home on fast group rides, solo tours, laden with luggage, commuting to work or on epic weekend excursions. It looks good too. The brushed-titanium finish is flawless, and the frame even sports a proper titanium head badge.

A titanium bike is often described as one to ride for life. Well, Kinesis’s GTD V2 is a bike that will broaden your cycling life.

THE VERDICT Beautiful looks matched to a gorgeous ride

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS Sporty yet smooth; great looks match a superb ride

A LITTLE LESS

KINESIS GTD V2 FRAMESET £2200

Most GTD buyers opt for a frameset. The frame’s custom-shaped and formed titanium tubing looks as refined as any titanium bike you’ll find, and the adaptable internal cable routing gives plenty of scope.

A LITTLE LESS AGAIN

KINESIS R2 £1680

Sharing the GTD’s geometry but built from more affordable butted aluminium, Kinesis’ R2 gets Shimano Tiagra with hydraulic disc brakes for an all-day machine that looks far more premium than its price tag suggests.

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WE SAY...

One of the sportiest of sportive bikes around, with a typically value-packed Cube build too

CUBE AGREE C:62 SL £3999 Sporty, race-influenced German sportive special ube has a big reputation for value and quality and I wanted to see what a race-inspired endurance bike from the German brand would be like. Its geometry places it at the more aggressive end designed for big days out and, being Cube, the kit line-up looks impressive with Shimano’s electronic gearing and Cube’s component partners Newmen providing the wing-profile carbon bar and carbon seatpost. The modest Fulcrum wheels seem to be the one exception to this.

Cube opting for Di2 has certainly upped the ante, and the 50/34 chainset and 11-32 cassette is endurance-bike gold, especially when you add Di2’s shift accuracy into the mix. The Di2 spec is the same as the Felt’s, and the Agree’s stemmounted control/junction box has a similar slightly untidy look, though it’s still better balanced than the Felt’s setup.

The Cube comes in at the same price as the Giant and it’s essentially down to you whether you prefer Di2’s slick, maintenance-free

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TOP The Nuance saddle is a good shape but has a rather slippery finish ABOVE All cables are internally routed through the down tube

accuracy paired with lower-spec wheels, or Shimano’s excellent mechanical Ultegra – with its maintenance needs – that SPECIFICATIONS allows for fast, lightweight carbon wheels. I’d probably lean Weight 8.55kg towards the latter but Di2 is a (58cm) Frame Carbon very understandable draw.

Fork Carbon The Agree’s race influence is Gears Shimano evident at the front in its straight Ultegra Di2 (50/34, 11-32) fork and racy 72.5-degree head Brakes angle. It’s a more relaxed rear Shimano end that shows its enduranceUltegra disc Wheels riding influences. The 72.5Fulcrum Racing degree seat angle is slightly 77 DB Finishing shallow and the Agree’s dropped kit Newmen Evolution stem, seatstays and kinked-up Newmen chainstays are designed to flex Advanced bar to reduce vibration. Its 592mm & post, Natural Fit Nuance stack height and 394mm reach Lite saddle, puts the geometry at the racier Continental end of things, making for a more Grand Sport aggressive ride position. The Race SL 28c tyres Agree’s bar is the lowest here

BIKE TEST

Its handling is lively and agile, making it easy to make sharp corrections to swish around potholes

but the reach is shorter than on the Giant and Kinesis. The result is handling that is lively and agile, making it easy to make sharp corrections to swish around potholes and confidently thread your way through traffic.

The Agree is also rapid to accelerate and balanced through corners. Fulcrum’s Racing 77 DB wheels are typical of its mid-level alloy wheels. Their hubs spin smoothly, the freehub picks up quickly and they have Fulcrum’s typical build quality too, and in my experience they have proved hardwearing. But at 1750g a pair they’re not the lightest option you can find, and they’re also fitted with mid-range Continental Grand Sport tyres. The combination soaks up the bumps and grips well enough, but the Contis never felt as sparky to pick up speed as the Kinesis’ Challenge tyres or the Giant’s, even though the Grand Sports are slimmer.

For the rest of the build Cube hits a very high mark. Newmen’s squared-off stem is paired with its carbon bar, which features excellent flattened tops, a compact drop and some fetching two-tone bar tape. However, the Cube’s ride is much firmer at the front than the rear.

Where the Agree’s back end soaks up vibrations and road buzz with ease, the front definitely feels harsher than its three rivals here.

A lot of the slender carbon seatpost is exposed because of the Agree’s low-slung compact

frame shape, which all adds to its comfort-giving flex.

The short Nuance saddle has LOWS a lower pressure-relieving Middling central channel and I found its wheels and shape very agreeable, but the tyres slow padding is very firm and the down responsiveness saddle has a slippery surface.

On a particularly wet test ride BUY IF...

I regularly had to correct my You want a sitting position and I never felt long-distance at home with it as I did on the machine with a sporty persona other three bikes’ saddles.

The Agree is exactly what Cube claims it to be – a race-orientated bike but with a more endurance-friendly riding position.

It’s not the smoothest of our quartet but it’s comfortable enough, it handles with an assured stability and responds well to acceleration. It also has one of the most dependable drivetrains you can buy. With a few choice upgrades down the line, Cube’s Agree C:62 would be a real contender as a long-distance machine.

THE VERDICT A lot of bike for the money, just look to improve its rolling stock

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS Big value; great handling; good ride position

A LITTLE MORE

CUBE AGREE C:62 SLT £4699

Step up to the SLT and you get Force AXS wireless shifting and Newmen SL R.38 full carbon wheels along with Newmen’s carbon finishing kit. The SLT looks to continue Cube’s valuepacked reputation.

A LITTLE LESS

CUBE AGREE C:62 RACE £2999

For a £1000 less you lose electronic shifting in favour of Shimano’s mechanical Ultegra group and the Fulcrum wheels are replaced

by Newmen’s Sl R.32s. But the Race is still packed with great kit and big value.

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WE SAY...

A masterfully comfortable ride – each element from design to finishing kit adds layers of smoothness

FELT VR ADVANCED ULTEGRA DI2 £4819 Comfort-driven performance elt’s VR range has always been the brand’s comfort and distance platform. VR stands for Variable Road; that means it’s designed to go up and down as well as conquer road surfaces both good and bad.

The key element in Felt’s quest to make a smooth-riding machine is the frame construction. Both frame and fork are built with the brand’s own UHC (Ultra Hybrid Carbon).

This consists of three types of carbon fibres – elastic, rigid and impact resistant – all orientated to make the best use of their properties. The rigid fibre is found in the head tube and bottom bracket, which is where you want a chassis to be optimally stiff to aid handling and power transfer. The elastic fibre can be found in the (dropped) seatstays, as this is where you want a bit of flex to enable the chassis to absorb fatiguing vibrations from poor road surfaces. Finally, the impact-resisting fibre is used in more vulnerable areas, such as the down tube’s underside and the chainstays,

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TOP The cockpit isn’t the cleanest with lots of cables visible ABOVE Shimano’s Ultegra hydraulic brakes are reliable performers

where it’s common to get stones striking or the chain bouncing and hitting, chipping away at your frame’s finish.

All of the carbon is bonded SPECIFICATIONS together using a nano-tech resin Weight 8.2kg made with nano particles of (56cm) carbon within the resin that Frame Carbon enhance the construction Fork Carbon Gears Shimano strength, bolstered with Ultegra Di2 Textreme carbon. This spread (50/34, 11-34) tow woven carbon fabric is much Brakes Shimano more uniform and compact than Ultegra disc traditional carbon. It also has far Wheels Reynolds AR29 superior strength-to-weight and DB custom better impact strength, but it’s Finishing kit expensive so is used sparingly.

Devox C2 Looking at the VR’s silhouette seatpost, DBar A1 bar & R.A1 and geometry, it’s clear this is a stem, Prologo machine that’s geared towards Dimension comfort. My large test bike Space T4.0 saddle, Vittoria (closest traditional size is 56cm) Rubino Pro IV has a 595mm stack and a short 30c tyres 386mm reach. This put me in

BIKE TEST

It floats over rough, buzzy surfaces without any drama and swallows the smack of a pothole

a more upright position than any of the other bikes on test. This is not a negative at all – the VR is designed to be a speedy long-distance bike with comfort at its core. And it’s the most comfortable and smoothest-riding bike here, by some distance. It floats over rough, buzzy surfaces without any drama and swallows the smack of a pothole. I found that the only fatigue after four or five hours in the saddle was from tired legs, rather than aches and pains anywhere else.

The Felt is also the most expensive bike on test and, as you’d expect, the lightest. The extra money is spent wisely on its kit specification.

Alongside the electronic groupset you get rather good carbon wheels from Reynolds. The AR29 DBs have a shallow rim that’s also broad at 29.5mm, and they shape the 30mm Vittoria tyres to generous proportions. The wheels tip the scales at a feathery 1455g for the pair and are tubeless-ready, but unlike the Giant Defy here they come setup with tubes and clincher tyres, rather than tubeless. Having light carbon wheels on an endurance bike makes a lot of sense. It means the VR is light on the climbs and when seated and spinning a high cadence up a steep climb, it’s a great feeling. The Felt makes short shrift of tough climbs, especially with its gradient-friendly 11-34 cassette mated to a compact 50/34 chainset.

Contact points are excellent: the carbon seatpost enhances the bump-smoothing comfort of the chassis’ back end and it’s LOWS topped with one of my favourite Scruffy cable short saddles in Prologo’s routing up Dimension space, with its great front shape, dense padding and wellBUY IF... positioned pressure-relieving You value channel. Up front the alloy bar comfort and has a lovely profile with the smoothness flattened ovalised tops offering above all a great hold and compact drops that let you stay down without overstretching.

One niggle is that the internal cable routing isn’t quite as optimised as I’d like. The VR’s external hose routing from bar to fork leg and into the left-hand side dual port on the down tube, combined with an old-style under-stem Di2 junction/control unit, leaves a messy collection of wires and hoses at the front end.

It’s not detrimental to the ride in any way, it just doesn’t match the VR’s exemplary ride.

THE VERDICT Rapid and relaxing, a geniune undiluted distance machine

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS Smooth ride; comfortable position; great drivetrain

A LITTLE LESS

FELT VR PERFORMANCE ULTEGRA £3079

This model loses the Textreme fibres in the frame (though it’s the same design) and standard Ultegra replaces Di2. You do still get the premium Reynold’s AR29 wheelset and quality finishing kit though.

A LOT LESS

FELT VR 40 £1319

The VR design but rendered in aluminium and finished with Shimano’s Tiagra group and hydraulic disc brakes. A full suite of Devox finishing kit makes the VR 40 a great option for endurance fans on a tighter budget.

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It’s a wonderful companion on fast descents; the total package from tyres to tape is of the highest standard

AND THE WINNER IS...

GIANT DEFY ADVANCED PRO 2 A perfectly executed endurance machine ach of the bikes in this test has a lot to offer, and I wouldn’t be disappointed to end up with any of these contenders in my bike shed. Cube’s Agree C:62 SL has a great specification (on the whole) and ride feel, its big-mile credentials are intact, but it still has the flavour of a race bike. With a few upgrades, namely better wheels and tyres, it’d be a rapid bike for long days out.

Felt’s VR Advanced has been designed for comfort above all else. The ride position is as relaxed as you’d want to go without resorting to wearing flip-flops and beach shorts, but the exquisitely smooth ride from the clever chassis makes for a bike that you’ll love when the road ahead is less than premium. The contact points are superb and, aside from some untidy cable routing, Felt has nailed the endurance brief.

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The Kinesis GTD looks like fine jewellery with its polished titanium lusciousness and attention to detail. The ride is at the sporty end of endurance and the complementary component choices all add up to a bike that oozes quality in its ride as well as its looks. It’s versatile too without being too grown up – it can still get your pulse racing when you want to up the pace and take a few chances.

Giant’s Defy boasts all the endurance standards expected: comfort – yep, ride position – spot-on, versatile – absolutely. The handling is stable but never boring. It’s a wonderful companion on fast descents, it absorbs noisy road buzz with ease and the total package from tyres to tape is of the highest standard. It’s rare that I test a bike and wouldn’t want to change something, but with the Pro 2 I struggle to think of anything I’d want to switch out. Magical.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS...

BIKE TEST GIANT DEFY ADVANCED PRO 2 KINESIS GTD V2 £3999 £4000

CUBE AGREE C62: SL £3999

FELT VR ADVANCED ULTEGRA DI2 £4819

SIZE TESTED

L

58cm

58cm

56cm

SIZES AVAILABLE

XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL

XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

50, 53, 56, 58, 60, 62

43, 47/48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm

WEIGHT

8.3kg

9.16kg

8.55kg

8.2kg

FRAME

Advanced-grade carbon composite

Custom drawn 3Al 2.5v titanium

C:62 Advanced twin mold technology carbon

C:62 Advanced twin mold technology carbon

FORK

Advanced-grade carbon composite overdrive 2 steerer

Full carbon

CSL Evo Aero carbon

Felt UHC Advanced carbon + textreme

FRAME ALIGNMENT

Perfect

Perfect

Perfect

Perfect

CHAINSET

Shimano Ultegra 34/50

Shimano Ultegra 52/36

Shimano Ultegra 50/34

Shimano Ultegra 50/34

BOTTOM BRACKET

Shimano press-fit

Praxxis threaded

Shimano press-fit

Token Ninja Lite BB386

CASSETTE

Shimano 11-34

Shimano 11-28

Shimano Ultegra 11-32

Shimano Ultegra 11-34

CHAIN

KMC X11SL-1

Shimano 11-speed

Shimano HG700-11

Shimano HG701

DERAILLEURS

Shimano Ultegra

Shimano Ultegra rear, Shimano 105 front

Shimano Ultegra Di2 RD-8050

Shimano Ultegra Di2 RD-8050

GEAR LEVERS

Shimano Ultegra

Shimano Ultegra

Shimano Ultegra Di2 STR8070

Shimano Ultegra Di2 STR8070

FRONT AND REAR

Giant SLR-2 42 carbon disc wheels

Sector R26 tubeless ready

Fulcrum Racing 77 DB

Reynolds AR29 DB custom

TYRES

Giant Gavia Fondo 1, tubeless, 700 x 32c

Challenge Strada Bianca 30c tubeless tyres

Continental Gran Sport Sl 28mm

Vittoria Rubino Pro IV 30c

WHEEL WEIGHT

1.37 (f); 1.86 (r)

1.44 (f); 1.73 (r)

1.53 (f); 1.98 (r)

1.23 (f); 1.7 (r)

STEM

Giant Contact SL

Thomson Elite X4 stem

Newmen Evolution 318.4

Devox StemR.A1

HANDLEBAR

Giant D-Fuse SLR, composite

Thomson Elite bar

Newmen Advanced Wing bar carbon

Devoc Dbar.A2

HEADSET

FSA Sealed cartridge 1.5 x 1.25in

GW Tapered headset with ACB Bearings

VP Top integrated 1.125 x 1.25in

FSA Sealed cartridge 1.125 x 1.5in

SADDLE

Contact Fleet SL

Repente Quasar saddle

Natural Fit Nuance Lite

Prologo Dimension Space T4.0

SEATPOST

Giant D-Fuse SLR, composite

Thomson Elite seatpost

Newmen Advanced carbon

Devox Post.C2

BRAKES

Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc

Shimano Ultegra Hydraulic disc

Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc

Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc

TRANSMISSION

WHEELS

COMPONENTS

SPECIFICATIONS & MEASUREMENTS

55cm

Giant Defy Cockpit 70cm

73.5˚

Felt VR Cockpit 67.3cm

42.1cm

NEXT ISSUE 72.5˚ 73.5˚ cm 45.5

102cm

71.5˚

105.5m

102.4cm

Standover 78.5cm BB height 27.9cm Fork offset 50.5mm Trail 56mm

41.4cm

73.5˚

54cm 71.5˚

51cm

Standover 81cm BB height 27.8cm Fork offset 48.5mm Trail 64mm

Standover 81.5cm BB height 26.9cm Fork offset 48.5mm Trail 64mm

42.3cm

56cm

Cube Agree SL Cockpit 68.1cm

Kinesis GTD V2 Cockpit 70cm m 53c

Standover 83cm BB height 27.7cm Fork offset 52.5mm Trail 54mm

72.5˚

74˚ 52cm

Geometry is probably the most important factor when buying a bike but, as you can see from these tables, even bikes nominally the same size can vary considerably. All reputable bike retailers – high street and online – should ensure the bike fits you.

56.8cm

41.6cm

102.3cm

QUALITY ALUMINIUM There’s a lot to be said for quality aluminium bikes so we’ve assembled fourstar performers to see how they shape up, with big brands Cannondale and Specialized mixing it with UK specialists Bowman and Kinesis.

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OCTOBER 2021 43

If the joy of cycling is what drives you, visit vitusbikes.com to find your ride

THE REAL DEAL

E X TR AORDINARY BIKES FOR E VERYDAY RIDERS Bike brand Vitus believes that everyone deserves to ride the finest bikes. Not just the professional riders and the elite teams, or those who can afford to ride a trophy machine. Vitus designs and builds extraordinary bikes for the real riders: everyday cyclists and fun-loving sportive stalwarts who are out with their mates every weekend come rain or shine, or pinning a number to their backs to battle the headwinds on local roads on a soggy Sunday.

PURE PEDIGREE Now based in Northern Ireland, Vitus was originally a French brand that earned its stripes as a pioneer in bike building by leading the charge with lightweight aluminium tubing in the seventies,

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building race-winning bikes for Irish prostar Sean Kelly in the eighties and as innovators, producing one of the first one-piece monocoque carbon frames in the nineties.

The brand’s history of forward thinking has been adopted by its Irish owners who bought the company in 2009. Alongside innovation Vitus continues to design bikes that deliver top performance and quality yet are financially within the reach of regular riders.

AN EVOLUTION REVOLUTION Backing up this modus operandi are bikes such as the Substance CRX gravel machine. “Vitus shows it can mix performance and value with the best,” said Cycling Plus’s senior tech editor Warren Rossiter.

The Vitesse EVO also got kudos in Cycling Plus’s Bike of the Year 2021 and Vitus’s new ZX-1 EVO six-bike range sees the Vitus team working with the latest technologies and materials to create

YOU DON ’ T NEED TO BE AN ELITE RIDER OR WE AR CO - ORDINATED OU TFITS TO RIDE THESE BIKES – YOU J UST HAVE TO ENJOY THE THRILL OF BEING OU T ON THE ROAD AND THE TR AILS

SP O N SO RED CO N T EN T

LEFT Team Spectra rider Xan Crees.

“It’s not all about the miles, but the smiles too.”

ABOVE One of Vitus’s cycling ambassadors Ryan Forde takes a break

BELOW Team Spectra: you don’t have to be serious to ride a series bike from Vitus

BOTTOM Mean machine: custom version of the Vitus ZX-1 EVO CR eTap AXS Rival

RIGHT The Team Spectra cycling outfit all ride Vitus bikes for both training and racing

bikes that are aerodynamic, lightweight and race-ready. Don’t get us wrong, you don’t need to be an elite rider or wear co-ordinated outfits to ride these bikes, you just have to enjoy the thrill of being out on the road and the trails.

So how do Vitus manage to make such desirable machines at affordable prices?

Vitus tells us that by selling direct to buyers, rather than investing in elite-level pro-sponsorship deals, it’s possible to keep costs down without compromising on performance or value.

If the quality of the bike you’re riding means more than the clothes you’re wearing; if the joy of competing means more than winning and if the love of cycling is what drives you, head to vitusbikes.com to find your next bike.

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OCTOBER 2021 45

46 OCTOBER 2021

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NUTRITION

Javier Gonzalez Javier is lead performance nutritionist at Ineos Grenadiers and a researcher at the University of Bath.

Ineosgrenadiers.com

Will Girling Will is a performance nutritionist for WorldTour team EF Education-Nippo willgirling.com

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OCTOBER 2021 47

NUTRITION mateur cyclists can ride the same bikes as pro riders, wear the same kit and pedal up the same Alpine cols. But when it comes to copying elite riders’ dietary strategies, things get a little more complicated.

For short but specific periods during the racing season pro riders commit to some highly restrictive nutritional strategies in a quest to optimise their body composition, training gains and race performances. From low-fibre and low-carb diets to fasted training, they pursue every possible marginal gain.

When these pro-level nutritional protocols percolate through to the amateur cycling scene, they invariably cause great intrigue. These strategies are backed by serious scientific research and promise impressive performance gains. But if misused or misunderstood, they can also be extremely unhealthy. In our hunger to learn from the pros, it is easy to forget that they are monitored by world-class nutritionists who ensure they remain healthy, and who can step in to say: ‘Enough is enough’.

Javier Gonzalez, lead performance nutritionist at Ineos Grenadiers, says we shouldn’t be surprised if pro riders eat differently to us. “In pro cycling, there are good examples of different advice for the general population versus elite athletes,” he explains. “For example, our riders eat a lot of white rice and white pasta because they’re using it as a performance fuel. It’s easily digestible, and it’s not going to cause them gut distress. But it’s not what I’d be advising my family to eat every single day.”

It’s the same scenario with the restrictive diets now used by pro cyclists. Although these diets may be useful, they should never be the primary focus for amateur riders. “The best advice I could give to amateur riders is to fuel your ride,” says Will Girling, a nutritionist for WorldTour team EF EducationNippo. “It’s interesting what pro riders do. But this is one part of a bigger picture. There’s no point trying to do a four-hour fasted ride like them, feeling awful, then getting home and bingeing.”

Nevertheless, pro-cycling diets do have advantages that are worth exploring. The big issue is knowing how to use them wisely. Here we reveal the potential gains and the pitfalls to ensure you know what to do – and what not to do – this season.

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What is it?

Also known as a low-residue diet, a low-fibre diet involves restricting fibre-rich foods, usually for four to five days before a race, in order to lose weight. Low-fibre foods are easier to digest and move through your small intestine more quickly to help pare down your weight come race day.

“Riders swap (high-fibre) brown rice for (lowfibre) white rice and avoid avocado, vegetables and the skins on potatoes as these are high in fibre,” says Girling. Some Ineos riders also adopt this diet before mountain stages to feel lighter. “At dinner they might have a small amount of salad or vegetables but we’ll be very careful about which ones we provide, especially if it’s a mountain stage,” reveals Gonzalez.

What does it do?

The main goal of this diet is weight loss. “You’re able to drop 1-1.5 kilos if you follow a strict lowresidue diet for four or five days,” explains Girling.

“A low-residue diet will deliver results with about 15g of fibre per day, but we see the best results from about 10g of fibre per day, which is not much.

However, to a rider at the highest level, a kilo is huge on a mountain stage.”

Because you are not cutting carbs, it is also unlikely to affect your training intensities, if limited to a few days. “You don’t need to be in a calorie deficit so you aren’t going to compromise training performance or recovery,” says Girling.

Low-residue diets can also be kinder on your stomach during gruelling stage races. “The riders like to stick to pretty simple food,” says Gonzalez.

“Partly that’s because it’s easy on the stomach and easy to digest.”

What are the risks?

Reducing your fibre intake for a more extended period would be terrible for your health. “Fibre is massively healthy for your gut, and for the passage of food through the gut, and it helps to prevent diseases,” explains Girling.

That’s why Ineos Grenadiers limit this strategy to around major races, and consume plenty of fibre (the recommendation is 30g per day) when training or resting. “Fibre is an important part of a healthy diet, and is associated with a lower risk of bowel cancer and improved metabolic health,” explains Gonzalez. “So when the riders are training they will usually be aiming for a balanced mix of carbohydrate, protein and plenty of vegetables, because we want to get the fibre in.”

Even when temporarily following a low-fibre diet, riders use smart strategies to ensure they still get enough immunity-boosting vitamins and minerals without eating mounds of fibre-dense

NUTRITION

A low-residue or low-fibre diet, used correctly, can aid in pre-race weight loss

in order to improve your stamina. This usually means riding in the morning without having eaten anything since dinner the night before.

“Because you haven’t eaten anything, you need to stay at a low workload the whole time, around Zone 2 (56-75 per cent threshold power/69-83 per cent max heart rate), so relatively easy riding,” explains Girling.

Gonzalez says pro riders now like to mix up how they approach fasted training. Some Ineos riders have a black coffee for breakfast and only water during the ride. Others do the first hour of their ride fasted but then start fuelling towards the end. Others have breakfast, in order to fuel the first half of their ride, but then stop fuelling in order to finish the ride in a fasted state. And some even fast after an evening ride so they don’t take on carbs until the morning.

What does it do?

veg. “We want to get nutrients, vitamins and minerals in (at races), so we use smoothies,” says Gonzalez. “We would mainly use peeled fruit and veg and well-cooked vegetables, to avoid excessive insoluble fibre intake.”

So what’s in it for me?

Gonzalez says it’s better to get the fundamentals of good fuelling right first, but there is a place for a low-fibre diet.

“Once the major areas of your nutrition are in line, you may wish to try this for one or two key races in a year,” he says. “It is important to try in training first, so that you understand how you respond. But following a low-residue diet for two days before an event, by limiting fruit and vegetables to smoothies and well-cooked vegetables, is a good way for an amateur to try this. But not done regularly.”

Girling agrees: “For the everyday rider it might be something to consider for a few days before the hill climb season or a big challenge. It can make a difference, but only if used in the short term.”

Your body’s energy system can be compared to a hybrid engine in a car. Whereas a car can switch between petrol and electricity, you can switch between fats and carbs. The goal for endurance riders is to become efficient at using both sources of fuel. And fasted training helps us to get better at burning body fat, not just carbs.

“One of the main adaptations you get is an increase in the capacity to use fat as a fuel,” explains Gonzalez. This helps to improve stamina and aid body composition. But it’s also why you have to do fasted rides at a low intensity, which is when your body uses more fat than carbohydrates for fuel. If you push too hard, you will start burning carbohydrates and ultimately run out of fuel. “At a high intensity you won’t be able to break down fat quickly enough, so stay at a low intensity,” says Girling.

Fasted training can help to improve stamina and aid body composition

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OCTOBER 2021 49

you take on carbs during a race, you will find you don’t have enough builders to break down those carbohydrate walls. So you will be significantly less efficient. That’s why you need to train regularly with carbs too.”

Fasted training may also hamper your immunity, which is why it’s used very sparingly

by Ineos Grenadiers. “Fasted rides are not used as much as people might think and carbs are still important for most training sessions,” informs Gonzalez.

So what’s in it for me?

Another benefit is what is known as mitochondrial biogenesis. “That means the creation of more mitochondria, or aerobic cells,” explains Girling. The stress of fasted training encourages your body to adapt by developing more mitochondrial cells, which help to burn fat for fuel. By burning more fat for fuel, you will spare your carbohydrate stores for the final stages of a race.

You also get a higher adrenaline response from fasted training. Adrenaline regulates fat metabolism to help you burn more fat for fuel.

What are the risks?

Fasting severely limits what you can do in training. “As it only works with easier rides in Zone 2, you can’t use it for your power and high-intensity sessions,” says Girling. “If you did it all the time, it would hamper your ability to train properly.”

In fact, too much fasted training could reduce your ability to burn carbohydrates during races.

“Imagine your enzymes as builders,” explains Girling. “We have builders that break down fat and builders that break down carbohydrates.

If you do all your rides fasted, you will start to hire more builders to knock down fat walls. But you will also start to lay off the builders who break down carbohydrates walls. Now, when

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Treat fasted training with caution. Have a snack in reserve just in case...

Caffeine kick: Some amateur riders will drink black coffee before a ride

Fasted training is a well-researched strategy and even British Cycling recommends it as a way for intermediate-level riders to burn fat and lose weight. They suggest trying it out on your gentle morning commute. Testing it out on the turbo is another safe way to see how you respond, before hitting the roads. But the secret is to use it sparingly. “Including just a few fasted sessions is a nice way to get some of the benefits without some of the downsides,” says Gonzalez. “The key points would be to not do this too often and to keep the intensity low. Having a black coffee before the ride can also help, as the caffeine can reduce the perception of effort.”

Girling says it’s important to limit the length of fasted rides. “Some pro riders will do longer rides but for your everyday individual doing one to two hours of fasted training in the morning would be ideal,” he says. “But only do it a maximum of two times a week.”

What is it?

Whereas fasted training involves consuming nothing but a cup of coffee, with this strategy you are able to take on protein and fats but specifically cut down on carbohydrates before a training ride. A typical dinner the night before a low-carb training session might be some chicken and vegetables but without any rice, pasta or potatoes.

“If it’s a lower carbohydrate day, it might just be an omelette (for breakfast), and maybe a yoghurt,” explains Gonzalez. Riders often have avocados with their eggs before a low-carb day, and add berries to their yoghurt for extra nutrients.

“Berries only add 5g of carbohydrates per 100g, which won’t shift metabolic activity much, so you still get the right adaptations,” says Girling.

What does it do?

As with fasted training, low-carb training helps you to burn more fat and improve your stamina.

“When we exercise, part of the adaptation is because we deplete our carbohydrate stores in our muscle and in our liver, and when your glycogen stores become low, that seems to be a signal for our body to adapt better,” explains Gonzalez.

“The idea is that you can turn up the volume on that signal by restricting carbohydrate intake, either before, during, or after training.”

Low-carb training helps you to build more mitochondria (the powerhouses of the cells which access energy), grow more capillaries to supply the muscles with oxygen, and increase your ability to use fat as a fuel. So it will mean you have more gas in the tank at the end of rides, while everyone else is racing on fumes.

One advantage is that it can feel a bit easier than fasted training. Carb restriction removes the least satiating macronutrient and increases the most satiating elements, such as protein and fat.

Where’s the spuds?

Occasional carb-less meals can help burn fat

And by preventing muscle breakdown through intake of protein, and enjoying some healthy fats through eggs, you can usually ride a bit further than when doing fasted training, and push into the low to medium intensity range - though still not into high-intensity carb-burning territory.

“With low carb training you are just tiding yourself over a bit, so it helps with hunger and energy, but still means you will finish a bit depleted to help you adapt and burn fat,” says Girling.

What are the risks?

You still can’t do any high-intensity training on a low-carb diet. “Doing too many of these sessions might compromise your top-end performance,” warns Gonzalez. Carbs are also an essential fuel for your immune system, so be careful. “A large energy deficit for too long can contribute to some health issues, such as a low bone mineral density, and potential menstrual cycle issues in women,” warns Gonzalez.

So what’s in it for me?

Again, it’s important not to do this too frequently and to keep the intensity low to medium. “Once per week is probably plenty,” advises Gonzalez.

“It is also worth building it up gradually. Maybe start with 30-60 mins before increasing the ride by 15-30 mins.”

Girling says this is one for advanced riders. “For an intermediate or beginner, you will get so many more gains from fuelling well and riding hard.

But for intermediate to advanced riders, then once or twice a week, for just one to two hours, will trigger improvements. Glycogen stores only last for 90 minutes so after that time you will struggle and feel depleted. You can nudge it up from there, depending on how you feel. But three hours should be your limit.”

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R E T U R O F T H E WORDS Mark Bailey PHOTOGRAPHY Getty

K I N G 52 OCTOBER 2021

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N

How Mark Cavendish pulled off one of sport’s alltime great comebacks at the 2021 Tour de France BIKERADAR.COM

OCTOBER 2021 53

E

ven Mark Cavendish’s selection for 2021 Tour de France was, in the words of cycling writer Daniel Friebe, less of a comeback and more of an exhumation.

Cavendish had endured five years of illness, injuries and poor form, and hadn’t bagged a single win between February 2018 and April 2021. Then, having been given the unexpected nod for the Tour, the 36-year-old stormed back to win four stages, seize the points jersey from his young rivals and equal Belgian icon Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins at the race.

The sprinter from the Isle of Man was already a legend of the sport, having won 30 stages at the Tour, 15 at the Giro and three at the Vuelta, as well as the points jerseys at all three Grand Tours, and the world road race title. But Cavendish had been in purgatory ever since his last Tour win in 2016.

In 2017 he crashed out of the Tour with a fractured shoulder, following an illegal manoeuvre from his rival Peter Sagan. In 2018 he was eliminated after failing to make the time cut on stage 11. And in 2019 and 2020 he was not even selected. Between April 2017 and August 2018 he was twice diagnosed with the debilitating Epstein-Barr virus, which left him barely able to walk upstairs at home. And in August 2018 he became clinically depressed, a grim experience which he says left him in a “dark” place.

No wonder Cavendish’s heart-warming comeback has reverberated around the sporting world: the Manxman has proven to athletes of all abilities that with focus and resilience you can beat hard times and rediscover your best form.

Whether you are an older rider recovering from an injury, or a younger rider struggling with confidence, Cavendish has shown every cyclist how to step back into the light.

“He’s been through a difficult time and has fallen in love with cycling again,” purred Merckx, the five-time Tour de France yellow jersey winner, after Cavendish’s golden summer.

“That’s a great message for young people.”

MIND OF STEEL The secret to Cavendish’s career-long success is his steel-plated confidence. “I have no doubt that Cav always thought he could do it as he always said that he could come back and win big,” reveals Brian Holm, the Danish sports director at Cavendish’s team Deceuninck Quick-Step, who has known the sprinter ever since their time together at the all-conquering HTC-Columbia team in the noughties. “I always thought he would come back. But to come back and win the green jersey… well, even I didn’t see that coming.

I was happier with his win (on stage 6) at Châteauroux than when he became world champion (in 2011) because it showed the importance of having faith. A lot of people don’t have faith. But he always believed.”

Being confident doesn’t mean you will win every race. But trusting in your abilities means you will always strive to perform at your best.

And that is what will keep you pushing forwards every year. “Whether it was a spelling test at school, or a school sports day, I always had to be

“If you are struggling for form or motivation, remember why you got into cycling. Ride with friends. Find new routes.

And leave your bike computer at home” Mark Cavendish

Above A moment of glory as Cav nails the sprint on his 34th stage win Far left Cav and Merckx share a well-deserved pat on the back Left A serious matter: stage 14 of the Tour and Cav’s not messing about

the best,” Cavendish once explained to me. “I am not saying I always succeeded but I certainly thought I was the best and I tried to be.”

FUELLING THE FIRE Cavendish was able to stay anchored through these turbulent times because he reminded himself why he fell in love with cycling in the first place: joy, freedom and competition. The bike-mad Cavendish grew up racing BMXs, mountain bikes and road bikes. He would stoically carry his bike on his shoulder when taking the ferry to compete in races on the mainland. And as a teenager he diligently worked in a branch of Barclays Bank to help fund his cycling career. Even when he became a successful pro he never abandoned his boyish enthusiasm for the sport, and he still trains with old friends when riding on the Isle of Man. “When I was training as a kid, I never really felt like I was training,” he previously explained to me. “And I still do it today. When I am training I wander off in my mind and I imagine I am racing.

I can actually feel the sensations of the race - the speed, the feeling in my legs… I am a proper cyclist: I just love riding my bike. The same aspects of cycling that appealed to me as a kid are the same things that I enjoy now. That’s why I can happily ride my bike every single day of my life.”

And so, while many riders would have retired through frustration, Cavendish kept going. By focusing on his love of cycling, he was able slowly to rekindle his form. This mindset also gave him the humility to go back to basics: having once earned lucrative contracts, he humbly accepted a lower wage to join his current team, simply for the chance to train and race again.

“Earlier this year when you saw Mark jumping around in Belgian races in the rain, you just know he loves it,” reflects Holm. “How many guys who have won 30 stages at the Tour would do that? Do you think Tom Boonen would have ridden for a little contract, with no big deal, jumping around on the ‘B’ team in Belgian races, just because he loves it? That is the reason Cav has won 34 stages of the Tour.”

In an Instagram message in May, Cavendish declared: “Do what you love and love what you do. Take nothing for granted. So if you are struggling for form or motivation, remember why you first got into cycling. Ride with friends again. Find new routes. Stop off at cafes. And leave your bike computer at home. Go back to basics and you’ll soon rediscover the spark that will reignite your form and fitness.”

HARD YARDS Cavendish’s 2021 renaissance was built on pure hard work. He has always pushed himself in training, riding for 30-40 hours per week, for up to 200km per day. “I still get people saying, ‘You are so lucky to do what you do,’” he once revealed.

“No. I am fortunate to do what I do. But I’m not lucky. I made my own luck.”

Over the last year he had to leave his wife and children to commit to brutal training camps.

“Not many people understand how hard he trained, alone, going to Greece and training behind the [motorised] derny,” reveals Holm. “He sacrificed a lot. When he did a camp in December our trainer said: ‘Damn, he has got good numbers.’ Day by day, he was getting better.”

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OCTOBER 2021 55

BRICK BY BRICK Even with his natural confidence and impressive work ethic, Cavendish still needed to take things step by step. He wasn’t afraid to build up his form in smaller races. This kind of dedication enabled him to battle through tough early-season races to rediscover the kind of form which saw him win four stages at the Tour of Turkey in April. When his team’s other sprinter Sam Bennett, the reigning green jersey holder, got injured before the Tour, Cavendish was ready to seize his opportunity.

“Earlier this year Cav was asking about the Belgian programme but these smaller races, such as Nokere Koerse and Grote Prijs Jean-Pierre Monseré are nobody’s dream, unless you really want to prove yourself,” insists Holm. “Cav was convincing his teammates he could do it, and convincing himself he could do it.”

NO EXCUSES The key to Cavendish’s longevity is his refusal to give in to problems. Despite his bad fortune and legitimate physical and mental health issues, he didn’t let temporary problems become permanent scars. The defeats hurt. Missing out on the Tour in 2019 and 2020 cut him to the bone.

But he remained rational. This mindset enabled him to find answers to his problems.

“Everybody can break down sooner or later when they are beaten a lot,” says Holm. “It is just human nature, isn’t it? But for Cav to win for three decades, from the zeros to the 20s, we know he must have a strong head. He has had hard days, crashing out in Yorkshire (2014) and that collision with Sagan (2017). And you can always find excuses to quit or lose, like your handlebars, your socks, your breakfast or your bloody dog.

But with Mark it made no sense why he could win 30 stages and then lose the next year. It just doesn’t happen that fast. So he accepted that his virus was where everything went wrong. Then he was able to rest and come back stronger.”

In good times and bad times Cavendish remained laser-focused on his goals. He accepted

Above Despite defeat and disappointment, Cav has fought back

“Whereas other guys spike at 1800 watts then dip to 1000, I peak at 1400-1500 watts but can hold above 1200 for the full 10-20 seconds of a sprint” Mark Cavendish 56 OCTOBER 2021

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his problems, took time to recover, then strived to put things right. “I always knew what I wanted and I made sure it happened,” he once told me. “I always thought: if I want something, I will go and work hard and get it.”

BELIEVE One of the secrets behind Cavendish’s enduring success is the way he focuses on his strengths, rather than fixating on his weaknesses. At 5ft 9ins and 69kg, Cavendish could never match his rivals for brute strength. “The other sprinters are big and powerful, but I have different strengths,” he explained to me. “The first thing is my leg speed. Most guys sprint at 120 revolutions per minute, but I sprint at 130-140: think of it like a smaller engine revving faster. My body is shorter too, so I can lean over the handlebars for a more aerodynamic profile: again, think a smaller engine but in a F1 car. And whereas other guys spike at 1800 watts then dip to 1000, I peak at 1400-1500 watts but can hold above 1200 for the full 10-20 seconds of a sprint.”

Having faith in his own strengths gives him the confidence to train and race in his own way.

He didn’t try to change his style. Instead, he stuck firmly to his own game. “Mark got his mojo back, but to ride like that you have to be confident in yourself,” explains Holm. “When I saw him in

Turkey surfing around the last 200m between the riders and beating (Jasper) Philipsen (of Alpecin-Fenix) I saw that he still had those qualities. He is a pure sprinter.”

MIND GAMES But Cavendish’s success is as much down to his mental agility and preparation as his physical strengths. The Manxman famously prepares for a sprint in forensic detail. “I want to know the gradient of the finish and any turns or details which might give me an advantage,” he once explained. “I use Google Street View to walk the actual road.”

During a frantic sprint finish Cavendish can clock speeds of 75kph. In those moments he has to make quick-fire decisions on which wheel to follow, and which gap to aim for. These quickthinking skills have been honed over years of racing. “I just do it without thinking,” he explained. Cavendish’s sharp mental game plan is what enables him to stay calm in difficult moments, when so many other riders crack under pressure. In his 2010 memoir On Tour, Bradley Wiggins wrote about Cavendish’s mental skills. “In the final stages he races by instinct, but only after all the information about the finish and those around him has been fed into that computer of a brain.” Rod Ellingworth, Cavendish’s former coach at British Cycling, has explained: “After a race he can recall every detail of the last 300-400m – who was where, when and what happened. That visual awareness, combined with his judgement and speed of thought, makes him formidable.”

TEAM SPIRIT Cavendish always reminds journalists and fans that he never wins any races alone. He surrounds himself with a close-knit group of family, friends, teammates and coaches who know him, understand him and believe in him. The Manxman has a reputation for being spiky, but your teammates don’t put themselves through

“In the final stages he races by instinct, but only after all the information about the finish and those around him has been fed into that computer of a brain” Bradley Wiggins

Above Cavendish is the first to remind people that he never wins on his own – his team is integral to his success

the horrific pain and danger of a sprint lead-out unless they really want you to win.

“To love him, you need to know him,” explains Holm. “He has a heart of gold but he can also be a pain in the butt. But if you know him you can listen to a bit of bollocks because you know he does care about you. And that is why people support him.”

DREAM BIG Having matched Eddy Merckx’s stage record, many riders would be tempted to quit on a high.

But Cavendish is unlikely to retire until he gets what he wants. “I used to think if there is a book written about all the greats in cycling, I want my name to be in it,” he once declared. His favourite quote is from Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans: “Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.”

“I would say do one more year at the Tour and no more,” concludes Holm. “I don’t care if he beats Eddy Merckx or not. I don’t say he would be a bigger legend than Eddy by beating him. But I would tell him to do one more year because he loves cycling and he loves to be one of the boys.

You cannot do a Tour just to break a record. It is too hard. You do a Tour because you love it. And Cav still loves it.”

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OCTOBER 2021 59

RIGHT Living the life of luxury for John as he tests out a campervan

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hen it was made clear to me that I’d be a part of Cycling Plus’s Ortlieb-sponsored summer series of weekend bikepacking adventures, I’d mentally prepared myself for a night or two of sleeping under the stars, of roughing it in some remote, signal-less nook of Britain with nothing but my long-lapsed scout skills to keep me afloat. It’s what my predecessors in the series had done; editor Matt on his three-day mudplagued journey in issue 382 in which he rode the southern half of the 350km King Alfred’s Way, and freelance writer Gail, there and back again to Wales’ Black Mountains from her Bristol home in the issue 383 follow-up. Both were gruelling, multi-day off-road rides bookmarked with bed and board in a bivvy bag. You can imagine my delight, then, that - as a man with no great desire to sleep anywhere that doesn’t guarantee as minimum requirements a spring-loaded mattress, solid roof and buffet breakfast - for this third and final feature in the series, I’d have the keys to an Auto-Trail campervan. You might say the sun was shining on me.

And, wow, would it shine. Our trip, to the Gower Peninsula in south Wales, was scheduled for the July week when the Met Office issued its

first-ever Amber Extreme Heat Warning.

Granted, this new warning system had only been launched a month earlier, as a response to the current and future threat of climate change on prolonged spells of hot weather, but these were nonetheless mercury-busting temperatures that spread across the nation, with the heat record falling in Northern Ireland (31.4 degrees Celsius in Armagh).

Camper comforts The campervan offered the chance for a different kind of weekend adventure, one of long and languid day trips based from a fixed location. For us – us being photographer Joe Branston and myself – that location was the Gowerton Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite. There are more remote options deep within the Gower that might be preferential for a longer stay, but for our purposes the Gowerton site was ideal, on the outer edge of the peninsula close to the M4 motorway, which kept us clear of its small inner lanes in our hefty van. Sure, not the textbook definition of ‘adventure’, but I’ve already made my preferences quite clear.

Away from the suffocating humidity of my house back in Bristol, I enjoyed the best night’s sleep in weeks in the surprisingly cool van.

Before it was cut short by the rising sun, anyway.

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ABOVE Early morning sun was the best time to start the ride

LEFT The often lovely route was sourced from Komoot

We’d wanted to make an early getaway, to get some of the 60 kilometres of the day’s route ticked off before the fierce heat laid waste to us, so we left the curtains of the van open to have the sun serve as a natural alarm clock. And if that somehow didn’t work, the guttural groan of nearby seagulls offered cast-iron insurance.

This being a day trip, I was able to dispense with many of the frame bags that anchored Matt and Gail on their overnight adventures and instead opted for a single bag, Ortlieb’s Toptube Frame-Pack (£105). It’s four-litre capacity squeezed in everything I needed for the day: spare tube, repair kit, pump, flapjacks, van keys, tools, emergency bottle of Coke and the now indispensable post-pandemic combo of face mask and antiviral gel.

Despite the usual morning faffing we were able to get on the road by 7.30am, with the heavy condensation and wonderfully crisp feel in the air relaxing the infernal grip that the country had been held in by the weather. It was to be savoured, as we had, at best, an hour before it evaporated. This grace period was in turn matched by the surface under foot, the gently rising, well-surfaced back lanes on the road to the village of Crofty serving as a red herring for the steep 60km route on the cards today.

Similarly misleading was the pan-flat 5km

stretch of coastal road that followed, which is the location of numerous salt marshes along the northern coast of the Gower. Here lies a plethora of flora and fauna, such as oystercatchers and golden plovers. Cwm Ivy, further along the coast to the west, had been a freshwater marsh since it was claimed from the sea in the 17th century for farmland. In 2014 the sea water breached the defences and the decision was made to allow the sea to reclaim the land and for it to become a saltmarsh once more. The Gower saltmarsh lamb that graze in these parts is sought after across the country and beyond.

Following this fantastically serene ‘If Carlsberg did opening kilometres…’ start to the ride, our troubles began to mount shortly before the village of Llanmadoc at the 17km mark, where we left the comforting, familiar embrace of tarmac for the first time. We knew it was coming, but we weren’t ready for it being so violently steep, or for how overgrown it was.

We’d taken and adapted a route from Komoot, titled, The Gower Coastal Loop – Gravel Heaven in Wales, trusting the community to deliver offroad perfection in a place I didn’t know at all.

Blood brothers It had started off so well, too, but now we’d been suddenly pitched into something far closer to hell. We ended up losing the route as our bike computers went haywire in the frenzy of the terrain and we were forced to improvise our passage. So overgrown were the ferns that the paths we chose at times disappeared into nothing – the ferns engulfed us to the extent that we could no longer see our bikes, let alone a path in front of us, yet so desperate were we to get back to

Following this fantastically serene ‘If Carlsberg did opening kilometres…’ start to the ride, our troubles began to mount...

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John’s weekend kit 1 SALSA CUTTHROAT C APEX 1 £2850 Designed for the Tour Divide ride that traverses the Rocky Mountains, this is a mountain bike without suspension, with a wide bar and huge tyres. The geometry is closer to a road bike, however, and it’s a brisk machine on tarmac. SRAM’s Apex 1 provides the shifting while the carbon frame limits the weight.

2 ORTLIEB TOPTUBE FRAME-PACK £105 This waterproof 4l bag

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3 tucks away under the top tube and is the perfect companion for all-day stints in the saddle. On longer adventures, its length provides useful storage for longer items like tent poles.

3 AUTO-TRAIL EXPEDITION CAMPER This campervan, which includes storage for four bikes, is new to Auto-Trail’s range for 2022 and is so new it’s yet to be added to their website. You can check back soon at auto-trail.co.uk

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FAR LEFT Rhossilli Beach: one of the country’s finest stretches of sand LEFT John vs sheep: CP’s deputy ed looking a little nervous as he passes the natives

civilisation that we simply continued, at speed, putting our trust in nothing but momentum. An unseen rock down below and we were done for.

We surely wouldn’t have been in such a flap, either, had it not been for the relentless pursuit of horse flies, which saw this gravel ride morph into an unexpected game of whack-a-mole as they’d attack again and again, desperate to feast on our blood. Much claret was spilled and not since professional road racing in the 1990s had an infusion of fresh blood been so appealing to a pair of cyclists battling harsh gradients. Against all odds we made it to Llangennith, reaching asphalt with all the glee of sourcing water after a barren trek in the desert.

Following this short oasis of tarmac, the downloaded route would have sent us over another sharp, fern-y hill but we chose to continue a bit further down to a flatter coastal path that Joe had done already on foot in the past.

Frankly, we were still nursing some trust issues with the original route that we needed time to work through.

A magnificent choice this turned out to be too, as the non-technical path weaved its way south with Rhossili Bay and its impossibly long beach

down to our right: flat, wide open and not a blood-sucking insect in sight. Rhossili Beach is one of the country’s best and renowned throughout the world, and on this hot July morning the tourists were beginning to descend on it. Our plan was to have lunch there but such was our crack-of-dawn start that it was a more brunchy hour on our arrival.

Now melting faster than a 99 in the latemorning heat, we made our way back in land by road to Scurlage, then jumped back off it, first with an aborted passage up an initially inviting gravel road that would morph into an unpassable, post-apocalyptic wasteland, then via a far more obliging grassy track. Negotiating gravel routes, even when presented with a route, can be a game of trial and error. Routes are far

ABOVE The Salsa Cutthroat: designed to cross the Rocky Mountains, this trail is a breeze

Against all odds we made it to Llangennith, reaching asphalt with all the glee of sourcing water after a barren trek in the desert BIKERADAR.COM

OCTOBER 2021 63

more changeable with the seasons than road routes and what was an acceptable route one year can be rendered utterly unpassable the next, just through neglect or lack of interest of walkers or cyclists.

We hit Oxwich Beach by lunchtime and the queues for its carpark were backing up down the road. People often ask me how and why I choose to ride on days as hot as this but in reality, short of water sports, it’s perhaps the most comfortable thing to be doing, as for much of the time you get a breeze on your face. Of course, it has its moments on the hills, not least when you’re pushing up a 20 per cent through a swarm of irrepressible insects hell-bent on taking chunks out of you, nevertheless, on balance, it’s one of the better ways to keep your cool on such days.

Certainly more so than slow cooking yourself on a beach.

View finders From Oxwich, we were about to discover the highlight of the ride. It was a grind to get there, with a couple of kilometres of steep off-road climbing from the coast, but Cefn Bryn was well worth it. This eight-kilometre ridge is known locally as the backbone of the peninsula and stretches from Fairyhill in the west to Penmaen in the east. From this lofty position almost 600ft high, superb views stretch in every single direction and shows just why it was named the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) back in 1956. If, like me, you spend your life trying to avoid tourist hotspots, then up there, on Cefn Bryn, is a hugely satisfactory find –

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ABOVE The Cefn Bryn ridge rewards with a lofty view of the Gower Peninsula

we didn’t see another soul until we dropped back down onto the main road.

Our stints off-road were behind us now and all we had to do was negotiate the asphalted, if lumpy, roads north. We were both nicely cooked by this point and looking forward excitedly to a cold shower back at the campsite, possibly even a bottle of Gower Power ale from the local Gower Brewery. It’d been perhaps the purest expression of gravel riding, or my definition of it, that I could remember; a generous slice of tarmac, jumbled up with wild card off-road sections thick with possibility for when we ran out of road.

Get the route DISTANCE 59km / 36.7 miles TOTAL ELEVATION 960m / 3150ft GRADE A challenging but not forbidding mixed terrain ride DOWNLOAD komoot.com/tour/428108756 START AND END Gowerton, Swansea ROUTE Start in Gowerton, heading anti-clockwise along the flat north coast. To make it a full weekend, try it in the opposite direction, or take a trip to the Mumbles.

YOUR FAVOURITE HELMET GOES SMART

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The Universal Bluetooth Intercom For Your Helmet Bluetooth 4.1 2-Way HD Intercom 0,25 mi Smartphone connectivity

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EDITED BY WARREN ROSSITER, SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR

THIS ISSUE… NEW BIKES

Vitus ZX-1 EVO 105 ...................................................... p68 Benno Bikes RemiDemi 9D ...........................................p72 Bike test – Cannondale vs Giant ..............................p100 NEW GEAR

Hunt 60 Limitless Aero Disc wheels ...........................p74 Castelli versus Megmeisterbib shorts ......................p76 See.Sense Beam bike light .........................................p78 MET Rivale MIPS helmet ............................................ p82 Giant Phase 2 shoes .................................................. p84 Isadore Debut Bibs & Jersey ..................................... p86 Shootout – Women’s bib shorts ................................ p88 Buyer’s Guide – Ultimate Upgrades ........................... p90

HUNT 60 LIMITLESS DISC WHEELS P74

MET RIVAL MIPS HELMET P82

GIANT PHASE 2 SHOES P84 BIKERADAR.COM

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Vitus took a holistic approach, redesigning the complete bike as an aerodynamic entity

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Total triumph Vitus ZX-1 EVO 105 £2799.99 A complete aero package at a great price itus’s original ZX-1 was a very well-priced aero-optimised race bike that fast became the ride of choice for the Vitus Pro Cycling Team. For this 2021 revamp the designers wanted to not only improve the ZX-1’s aero performance, but also bring more raceoriented handling to the party. To achieve this they first borrowed the geometry from Vitus’s lightweight race option, the Vitesse EVO. Then, rather than just updating the frame and fork, Vitus took a holistic approach, redesigning the complete bike as an aerodynamic entity.

This means that whichever model you choose from the six-bike range – from the ‘entry-level’ 105-equipped bike I’m testing here to the £5399.99 version with SRAM Red AXS – you’re getting genuine aerodynamic deep-section carbon wheels from Reynolds. All the bikes come with fully integrated internal cabling too, thanks to Vitus’s collaboration with FSA and the component company’s ACR (Aerodynamic Cable Routing) stem system.

Most of Vitus’s rivals will make claims on their bikes’ SPECIFICATIONS aerodynamic credentials in Weight 8.48kg (XL/58cm) the wind tunnel, and how they Frame UD line up against their rivals. carbon Fork UD carbon Vitus takes a slightly different Gears Shimano approach, arguing that in the real 105 (52/36, world there are so many variables 11-32) Brakes that most aero claims are fairly Shimano 105 meaningless, even listing sock hydraulic disc, 140/160mm height, helmet and whether you rotors can ride in a super-tuck (not in Wheels a race, of course) as factors that Reynolds AR 58/62 affect aero efficiency.

Finishing kit Vitus claims that drag from Prime Primavera Carbon Aero the new frameset is 18 per cent bar, FSA SMR lower than its predecessor, ACR stem, and its designer told me that in Vitus Race Performance wind tunnel tests the complete saddle with bike is also significantly more CRN-Ti rails, Vitus ZX-1 EVO aerodynamic than the outgoing Aero Carbon machine. “We’ve tested this seatpost, bike’s aerodynamics to validate Schwalbe One Performance our own design decisions,” he TLE 25mm tyres said. “It exhibits up to 45 per cent

V

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The new ZX-1 rides like an aero superbike

Shimano’s 105 group is utterly dependable

The spec includes a bladed aero seatpost

less drag than the previous ZX-1 when built as a full bike. Trust us when we say we’ve done our bit and this bike is fast... the rest is up to you.”

Upping the ante If you look at most of the ZX-1’s rivals at this price point, you’ll find non-aero bars and stems, semi-internal cabling and non-aero wheels, often euphemistically called ‘training wheels’.

The ZX-1’s wheels and cockpit are especially impressive to see on a bike at this price.

The wheelset alone would normally retail for £1200 – a hell of a chunk of the total cost – while FSA’s SMR ACR stem and the Prime Primavera carbon bar create a clean-looking and aerodynamic front end. And as it’s a separate stem and bar rather than a one-piece design, you get more adjustability and choice should HIGHS Huge speed, you want to swap the bar at spec and some point. In fact, I think this value is one area where this model actually outperforms the pricier LOWS ZX-1 EVO bikes. Those are Tyres could be better ‘upgraded’ to Vision’s one-piece 5D Metron bar, which is light, BUY IF... aerodynamic, cool looking You want a and also works with FSA’s ACR complete aero standard. But, as the ZX-1 is bike that’s fast and an internet-only purchase, fantastically you have to be absolutely sure priced the 5D’s dimensions suit your

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The separate bar and stem give you more adjustability

Vitus specs 28mm tyres but there’s clearance for 30mm

preferred bar width and stem length. The plus side is that the ZX-1’s price tag is much, much less than that of its rivals, no matter which model you choose. In our recent test of aero road bikes the top performer was Cannondale’s SystemSix with SRAM Red AXS. This retails at a hefty £10,500, very nearly twice the price of the similarly SRAM-equipped Vitus ZX-1 EVO, and Vitus delivers similar value throughout the range.

This reincarnated ZX-1 feels more like a race bike than an aero bike to ride. Its new front end is very direct, whereas its predecessor suffered from a little front-end flex and could feel slightly vague under high-speed cornering. That stiffer front end also makes the ZX-1 feel more stable, and comfort is decent too for an aero road bike.

Even with the bladed aero seatpost, the dropped seatstays add some rear-end compliance and dull down road noise pretty well. You don’t get the smoothness of an endurance bike but you’re not getting the granite-like stiffness and the punishing road vibrations you’d have experienced on an early aero road bike.

The geometry on my XL test bike is similar to that of the previous model, with just a couple of millimetres added to the stack (578mm); at 406mm the reach is long and the parallel 73-degree angles are suitably steep and racy.

The 45mm fork rake combines with the steep head angle and 25mm tyres to deliver a trail of around 56mm. It’s this shorter trail figure that imbues the ZX-1 EVO with the sort of speedily

sharp handling that I’d expect from bikes such as Giant’s TCR and Cannondale’s SuperSix EVO, rather than an aero road bike where the default tends to be towards more trail and slower handling for high-speed stability; here it’s all about high-speed agility.

The Vitus’s Shimano 105 gearing, pairing a pro-compact 52/36 chainset and 11-32 cassette, is a good choice, offering sensible gears at both ends of the spectrum. The 52 x 11 top gear is more than enough for most aero-assisted super-fast efforts, while the 36 x 32 is roughly equivalent to a 34 x 30 pairing on a compact, and will help ease you up pretty much any ascent. The 105 drivetrain is as impressive as we’ve come to expect from Shimano’s third-tier groupset.

Shifting was smooth and accurate and the hydraulic disc brakes performed just as I’d hoped, with only the occasional squeak after prolonged braking on fast descents. No brake noise and the absence of rubbing rotors when you’re sprinting or climbing show there’s plenty of stiffness from the frame and fork.

The 58mm front rim is slightly less deep than the 62mm rear

Wonderful wheels The ZX-1’s quality wheelset really helps the ride shine. The Reynolds AR 58/62 DB wheels feature deep-section tubeless-ready carbon rims and Sapim spokes, and they’re backed by a lifetime warranty too, which is a handy bonus. It was a smart move of Reynolds to reduce the depth of the front rim compared with the

deeper rear. The front rim’s 58mm depth is still quite deep, though, so you do feel pressure on it from crosswinds – on gusty days you need to concentrate when passing hedgerow gaps and gates – but when the weather is less breezy these wheels offer speed benefits you can really notice. As with the rims, the 25mm Schwalbe One Performance TLE tyres are tubeless ready.

They’re decent and grippy tyres too, although their 25mm width does mean they convey plenty of vibrations from poor road surfaces – for my local testing routes I’d switch up to 28mm rubber for a little bit more compliance. But I could easily live with this bike for the lifetime of its tyres. If you wanted you could go wider still, the ZX-1 EVO can accommodate tyres up to 30mm wide.

Vitus’s ZX-1 has been going for 20 years but the new ZX-1 is an absolute triumph. It’s a complete aero package, and at this price you won’t find another bike anything like as well equipped.

The newest EVO incarnation of the ZX-1 chassis is seriously fast, it has a superb carbon cockpit and a set of quality aero wheels for a spec that wouldn’t be out of place on a superbike, and a performance to match.

THE VERDICT The best value ‘proper’ aero road bike you can buy Reynolds AR carbon wheelset is a superb addition to the ZX-1

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PHOTOGRAPHY RUSSELL BURTON WORDS WARREN ROSSITER

This reincarnated ZX-1 feels more like a race bike than an aero bike to ride; it’s all about high-speed agility

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Fun factory Benno Bikes RemiDemi 9D £3399 Big-load carrying ‘Etility’ machine erman bike designer Benno Baenziger had a skateboard and snowboard background before he founded Electra bikes back in 1993. Electra is less well known in the UK but its retro-looking Townie is the USA’s most popular cruiser bike. Baenziger later sold Electra to Trek and went on to found Benno Bikes, an e-bike brand specialising in what it calls ‘Etility’ bikes – electric bikes that blend an easy, fun ride and a massive cargo-carrying capacity.

Whereas many of Benno’s ebikes feature long wheelbases, the one-size-only RemiDemi 9D is a more compact model based around a standard 1130mm wheelbase. This makes it nice and manoeuvrable in city traffic and its super-fat Duro tyres also help make it one of the most enjoyable utility machines I’ve ever ridden. Who says you can’t combine practicality and fun?

And while it is reasonably compact, making storing it that much easier, Benno Bikes has still designed the RemiDemi to have the versatility

and massive load-carrying capacity of a dedicated cargo bike.

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Carry that load

It has mudguards and lights powered by the battery

The Benno’s super-fat tyres make the RemiDemi one of the most enjoyable utility machines I’ve ever ridden Wide tyres and a plush saddle keep the ride comfortable

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The RemiDemi has a solidly mounted 20kg capacity front rack and it can carry 30kg at the rear, with the chunky chromoly steel frame itself doubling as the rear rack. The total carrying capacity is a massive 180kg (400lb), including the 30kg bike and a rider up to 120kg (260lb), so most of us will be able to load up both racks to the max and carry a backpack. This haulage capacity is enough to handle a weekly shop and take your kid to school at the same time, depending on your weight, of course.

The RemiDemi also comes with a raft of loadcarrying options for just about every eventuality and potential customer. Want to fit a Thule Yepp EasyFit child seat at the rear? A rear delivery box and front tray for commercial cargo deliveries?

A secure frame-mounted front tray? Or perhaps a Carver Surf Rack? The RemiDemi can be adapted for all of these uses and more.

The RemiDemi’s versatility extends beyond merely carrying stuff too, as its frame is designed to accommodate riders from 155cm (5ft 1in) to 185cm (6ft 1in) in height, but in practice I found the range wider still. I’m 6ft 2in tall and had no trouble fitting the bike and the same is true for my partner who’s 5ft tall. Unless your

Benno’s RemiDemi is practical… and great fun

I’d have preferred a double-sided kickstand

Bosch’s Purion controller is simple to use

The bike is powered by a Bosch PowerPack 400 battery

size disparity is even greater than ours, the RemiDemi is genuinely a bike for the whole household rather than a single-owner machine.

In addition to the front rack the RemiDemi comes with full-length mudguards, which provide a solid platform for the front and rear lights that are both powered by the battery. The Herrmans MR8 front light puts out 180 lumens and the Herrmans twin LED rear, with its 220 degrees of visibility, is ideal for city riding.

Feel the power The mid-mounted Bosch Performance Line system is the perfect match for the RemiDemi’s design, as you have so much torque on tap that you never really feel the bike’s near-30kg weight.

If you like to roll along swiftly, you’ll also love the RemiDemi’s massive slick tyres, as these offer an unholy amount of grip when you lean it into corners. In addition to this, their huge air volume lets the RemiDemi roll over the roughest surfaces and stay comfortable, and you’re further helped by the luxurious couch-like saddle and the bike’s relaxed upright riding position.

The best range I managed on a largely flat urban test ride was 74.3km (46.2 miles) with 311m (1020ft) of climbing. That’s plenty for a school run or a day’s worth of local deliveries.

The range was also pretty impressive over some tougher rural test rides, and I managed 57.8km

HIGHS Practical; easy; fun

LOWS Single-sided kickstand; weighty

BUY IF...

You want to make your commute, shop and school run cleaner, greener and healthier

(35.9 miles) with 613m (2011ft) of elevation on an excursion over some of Wiltshire’s rolling hills.

Fun and functionality I’ve loved my time riding the RemiDemi. It impressed me with its simplicity and practicality and it’s supremely comfortable but, best of all, it’s a shedload of fun to ride. It’s compact for a cargo bike and folding pedals reduce its width. Though I would like to have seen a Speedlifter stem, as seen on Cube’s Compact. This lets you turn the bar independently from the fork and would have made the RemiDemi even easier to store I’d have also preferred a dual kickstand rather than the single-sided kickstand that comes as standard (though dual-sided is an option). The stability of a double-sided stand would make loading a bike of this weight that much easier.

But even with those provisos, the RemiDemi is a fabulous bike that’s full of charm. It’s also a machine that could take over a lot of duties presently carried out by a car and would make going car-less that much less of a hardship.

THE VERDICT A rare and impressive mix of riding fun and cargo-carrying practicality

BIKERADAR.COM

WORDS WARREN ROSSITER IMAGES RUSSELL BURTON

SPECIFICATIONS Weight 29.6kg Frame 4130 chromoly steel Fork 4130 chromoly steel Gears Shimano Sora nine-speed (48, 11-32), Shimano Acera shifter E-Bike system Bosch Performance Line 250W motor, Bosch PowerPack 400 battery (396Wh), Bosch Purion display/ controller Brakes Shimano BT-MT200 hydraulic discs, 180mm/ 160mm rotors Wheels 20in Benno HJC double-wall 80mm wide alloy rims; 36-hole KT cartridge bearing hubs Finishing kit Benno alloy 60mm stem, 700mm riser bar and seatpost, Benno Ergonomic grips, Benno/ Velo Comfort saddle, 20in x 4.25in Duro Street tyres, Custom mudguards, front rack, single-sided kickstand, foldable pedals, Herrmans MR8 E front light and H-Trace-E rear light

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MOST WANTED

HUNT 60 LIMITLESS AERO DISC £1189

Devastatingly fast carbon hoops

unt’s rise from a small-scale UK-based wheel seller in 2015 to a brand notching up three stage wins at this year’s Giro has been meteoric. In just six years Hunt has gone from a supplier of well-selected generic wheels to this ‘Limitless’ design by former aerospace engineer – and 3T and Campagnolo alumnus – Luisa Grappone.

The Limitless is available in this 60mm-deep rim version and a 48mm model. The carbon rim is Hunt’s proprietary design and it’s been benchmarked in the wind tunnel against its competitors – with Hunt claiming it’s equal to, or better than, the opposition in reducing drag. Our 28mm tyre measured 29.2mm when inflated on the 21mm-wide internal rim, but with the external rim width a bulbous 34mm, you can see it when you’re riding.

The usual issue with wheels with deep rims is that they can come up heavy, but these buck that trend. Ours weigh 1770g – 970g rear, 800g front – including tubeless tapes, valves, rotor lockrings and an XDR freehub.

A CeramicSpeed bearing upgrade shaves off 101g but HIGHS pushes the price to £1429.

Fast; stiff; well The Limitless 60s are put-together; very devastatingly fast on flat good price roads or rolling terrain, they pick up speed with ease LOWS Slight drag on and the freehub – with its the bearings on 7.5-degree engagement and my test pair 48-tooth ratchet – means

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your freewheeling is met with the buzzing sound of an angry wasp.

You do feel the weight a little when you climb, because while they’re light for their depth, much of that mass is in the rim, where it has more of an effect when you’re climbing (Hunt’s 35s by comparison weigh just 1357g). But unless you’re riding mountain ascents on every climb, the Limitless offers gains pretty much everywhere else.

The build quality is excellent and they feel taut and responsive, especially through corners on fast descents. And though crosswind stability is impressive, I’d still not recommend a 60mm front rim in strong gales. You’re not blown across the road like you would be on an early aero rim, but you still need your wits about you in blustery conditions. I’d like to see Hunt offer a 48mm front and 60mm rear for a more versatile aero pairing.

My only niggle is that the bearings don’t feel as free-rolling as I’d have expected. The EZO steel bearings have a good reputation and perhaps the 557 miles of testing hasn’t quite loosened them up, but they did feel a little sluggish against Zipp’s 303 bearings and my own bike’s CeramicSpeed bearings. If you can afford Hunt’s CeramicSpeed upgrade, I’d recommend it. But these are still superb wheels and they deserve to be successful. That Hunt is making such a high-quality wheelset at such great value is also impressive at a time of constantly rising prices. Warren Rossiter

WE SAY...

Top-quality build and a great performance at an excellent price

ALSO CONSIDER...

ENVE FOUNDATION 65 £1850 Enve’s tubeless-only Foundation 65s have a lot in common with Hunt’s Limitless wheels.

They have a slightly deeper 65mm rim with a narrower outer width of 28mm, but just as with Hunt’s Limitless wheels they have a 21mm inner rim width aero optimised for 25c-28c tyres. Enve claims best-in-class aerodynamics, confidence-inspiring handling in crosswinds and, at 1640g per pair, they’re light too.

VERSATILE VERSIONS

VISION SC 55 £1150

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RIM BED

HUBS

SPOKES

The Limitless rim has a broad 21mm internal dimension that’s aero optimised for 25-28mm tyres but will actually accommodate tyres up to 50mm wide.

Hunt will adapt the wheels to your needs, fitting thruaxles or quick releases, Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo or SRAM AXS freehubs at no extra charge.

The Limitless’ Pillar Wings spokes have a blunted elliptical profile that Hunt claims is more aerodynamic than flat or bladed spokes.

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Available in models for both rim and disc brakes, Vision’s cost-effective, highperformance aero SC 55 wheels boast 55mm-deep tubelessready rims with an internal rim width of 19mm. At just 1566g a pair (without skewers) for the rimbraked model they’re competitively light, and that appealing price also includes rim tapes, carbon rim-specific brake blocks and wheel bags, though not tubeless tape and valves.

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WE SAY...

Both shorts keep you comfortably supported on big rides but the Premio has the edge

HEAD TO HEAD: BIB SHORTS

CASTELLI PREMIO

MEGMEISTER L8

£220

£169.96

Build up Most traditional bib shorts use up to 10 pieces in their construction. That can mean lots of potentially irritating seams. The Premios use an innovative new design with just three pieces, plus the pad.

Castelli calls it “‘engineered’ material”, which means a complex mix of weaves. Highheat areas, such as the back panel, are breathable whereas around the thighs and midriff the weave is tight, for a supportive, compressive fit.

Sizing is typical Castelli, so size up!

Sit down Castelli’s Progetto X² Air Seamless pad has a seamless construction, low weight and its twolevel design matches the Premio fabric in terms of comfort and

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protection. The outer “skin care” layer is the softest and stretchiest it’s ever made.

Underneath is a cushioning layer using two densities of foam and gel pads. The pad is 3D-formed as one, so there are no steps between the padding, and it’s preformed for a better fit. When riding, the pad form fits superbly, provides all-day comfort and stays dry even in serious heat.

Stay cool

The Premio’s masterstroke is that the material used throughout is thinner than most shorts and HIGHS Lightweight; significantly lighter. superb fit; These shorts manage great heat heat and wick away management moisture as well as the best I’ve tried.

LOWS Pricey; you Surprisingly, they also may need to work well in more size up temperate conditions.

Build up

of a threaded pad made from columns of zig-zag knits that Megmeister is best known for build up the padded areas. This its seamless knitted base layers. is then infused with a gel to The L8 Bibs use some of that support the knit’s elastic tech in their construction, with spring. When riding, this a high-stretch knitted back that proves extremely comfortable runs from your coccyx to your and relieves pressure well, but shoulders. The rest of their the pad’s edges have steps construction is more typical of a rather than tapering smoothly. standard design with 12 pieces – plus the pad – making up the L8 shorts. The high-density Stay cool material is closely woven and The L8’s material is thin and its its highly elastic four-way tight, close-fitting weave aids stretch provides a compressive cooling and wicking. The openfit, which works well when weave back is also comfy and you’re a few hours into a ride wicks moisture efficiently. The and fatigue is setting in. pad’s outer skin regulates And despite the number heat well and, though it HIGHS of seams, these are well retains moisture longer Pad pressure placed to avoid than the Premio, it relief; fit and irritating you. never gets overloaded or fast wicking damp. The bonded-on leg-gripper print can Sit down LOWS Leg grippers get a little slick when The L8’s 3D WAS – Warp stutter when sitting against wet skin.

Aero Suspension – pad wet eschews foam in favour Warren Rossiter

chainreactioncycles.com

WE SAY...

Versatile across all disciplines and, app or not, the light quality is excellent

UPGR ADE

£120

Light and versatile front light with its own app

he See.Sense Beam weighs only 132g but its slim design has a reassuringly solid feel. It features four modes: high (1000 lumens), which is bright enough for riding off-road trails, medium (650 lumens), standard eco (420 lumens) and daylight flashing.

Switching between modes is straightforward too – you just hit the large button on the top.

The same button acts as a battery indicator by turning from green to red. Solid red shows battery life has fallen below 20 per cent and the light has automatically switched to its ‘get me home’ mode, with at least an hour of battery life left. The Beam comes with its own secure and easy-to-fit bracket as well as being compatible with Garmin-style mounts.

On the road, the Beam’s actual beam quality is excellent.

HIGHS Construction; It has good depth with no loss of beam quality; quality on the periphery and ease of use the consistency of the fade to the edge, with no ‘stepping’, is LOWS very good to ride with. The front App functionality housing runs right to the top makes it edge, which prevents upwards expensive glare – but it is cut away at the

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BENCHMARK

SEE.SENSE BEAM

BIKERADAR.COM

sides to ensure you’re more visible at junctions.

There are lights with a greater beam distance, but I find the Beam’s balance of depth and spread make it versatile across road, gravel or off-road riding and I’d opt for depth and spread over reach every time.

However, the See.Sense Beam offers more than merely a way to light your route – it also gives you the option of downloading See.Sense’s app, which allows you to run it in an ‘adaptive’ mode. This automatically reacts to junctions, roundabouts and traffic filtering, pulsing more strongly to make you more visible. It will also react to ambient lighting, adjusting brightness when transitioning from unlit to lit streets for example, helping to prolong battery life. The app will alert your emergency contact if you crash or let you know if your bike is moved, assuming you left your light attached.

The Beam has an IXP67 waterproof rating, which means it can be dropped in water, and the combination of its build quality, usability and beam makes the Beam a very good light, with its Adaptive app offering additional functionality.

Though whether the app justifies the Beam’s price tag when compared with similar non-smart lights is an individual call. Russell Burton

Magicshine Allty 1000 DRL £70 The Magicshine Allty 1000 DRL has a similar construction to the See.Sense Beam as well as four modes – from a 1000 lumen high setting down to a 55 lumen daylight mode – controlled by a top-mounted switch. It may not have the option of an app to improve its functionality but then again, at just £70, it’s £50 lighter on your wallet too.

K QR

R O F Y D R E A ESC A PE R U O Y .

S E T U O R H A ND

- PA C LEBA R

The latest bag from the Bikepacking collection - the HandlebarPack QR (Quick Release). The patented attachment system Bar-Lock allows you to take the waterproof handlebar bag within seconds when you reach your destination. The ORTLIEB promise: Our sustainable products are waterproof, Made in Germany and backed by a five-year warranty.

02

WE SAY...

An accessible measuring tool that can help find your perfect position

INSIDE INFORMATION

03

The three-axis gyroscopes and accelerometers inside the Leomo’s sensors generate real-time data. The 10 bikerelated measurements cover leg smoothness; dead-spot score; foot and leg angular range; pelvic angle, rock and rotation; torso angle, rock and rotation.

These allow you to tune your position for efficiency, comfort, power or a mix of these, while considering your own specific needs.

01

BATTERY LIFE

CONNECTIVITY

SUPPORT

The 1900mAh battery should last eight and a half hours, or 14 hours with the extra power mount.

The Type-S connects to thirdparty devices and its own sensors, via WIFI, ANT+ or Bluetooth.

With the optional 73g power mount installed, use a solid GPS mount, as the head unit weighs 185g.

01

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03

CUTTING EDGE

LEOMO TYPE-S PRO FITTING SYSTEM Remote smart bike-fitting system

eomo’s Type-S personal bikefitting system is intended for anyone with an indoor trainer and positional issues – but without access to a bike fitter.

You don’t even have to buy the hardware, as Leomo also offers rental packages including online expert reviews of your sessions.

It comes with two or five Bluetooth motion sensors, head unit and ancillaries. The supplied multi-sport adaptor fits on a belt or arm band, but you pay extra for a USB-C cable, bike mount or the battery life-extending power mount.

The Type-S can help optimise saddle position; maximise power through efficient use of the muscles surrounding your hips, plus knee and ankle joint movement; and ensure pelvis and hip stability.

HIGHS As well as GPS metrics and Simple to use; Motion Performance Indicators accurate; enlightening (MPIs), its Android 9.0 Pie operating system and SIM card LOWS slot allow the touchscreen Use the data Type-S to operate like a smart wisely phone, with pre-installed apps

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and two cameras. Navigating wasn’t intuitive, but the online manual is comprehensive.

With sensors on your feet, legs and body, you just ride. You can do the sessions indoors or on the road. Watching the real-time MPIs is interesting, but to interpret them you need to upload them to the online app. And while the data can be overwhelming, the explanations do help you understand what you’re seeing.

My pedalling dead spot score – a measure of pedalling smoothness – and leg angular range proved good, as did most positional aspects. But after the 12 o’clock position my left foot applies power 10 degrees after my right, and my left foot’s angular range is also greater than usual.

Being able to compare data between rides and bikes is useful, but figures, such as pelvic angle rely on the bike being horizontal. Optimising position with a new saddle or cockpit is more quantifiable, but data alone won’t increase efficiency. Unless you’re well informed about biomechanics, it’s best to consult a professional – or you risk doing more harm than good. But as an evaluative tool, whether to own or rent, the Type-S is impressively powerful. Robin Wilmott

ALSO CONSIDER...

£649

MOTION PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

PERSONAL BIKE FIT £100+ Many bike shops – from independents to bigbrand concept stores – offer bike-fitting services. All should be operated by experienced, trained staff, and will either utilise your own bike, a turbo trainer and specific measuring tools, or the integrated, often adjustable, semiautomated fit bike, to evaluate and optimise your riding position.

SOLID HOLD PERFORM ANCE YOU CAN FEEL .

Sometimes it’s okay to be a little rough around the edges. Compact and super-efficient, the Grip Drive HP features a knurled barrel design for increased grip for sweaty hands and gloved fingers alike, while the integrated ABS Flex Hose offers simplified pumping action and superior ergonomics. Offering more inflation power per stroke than you’d think was even possible, the Grip Drive HP makes quick work of flats— without hogging all the space in your pack.

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WE SAY...

One of the best aero road lids around is improved with extra protection

MET RIVALE MIPS £140

Met’s lightweight lid with extra protection

erodynamic design in road helmets is a big factor in saving you energy. The downside to your average aero helmet, however, is an increase in weight as the aero design usually has more volume.

Another potential mass-adding element is MIPs (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System). This is a patented design using a slip-plane technology that reduces rotational forces that can come from angled impacts, so the helmet slides relative to the movement of your head. Here it’s the C2 version of MIPS, which has a cutaway inner panel that’s anchored to the helmet with elastic tethers.

The Italian company MET seems to have overcome these weight issues as our large size HIGHS Light; airy; Rivale tips the scales at a very comfortable; scant 268.6g. MET also claims sharp looks the Rivale has a three-watt advantage over similar vented LOWS Nonaero helmets, and with its lowremovable volume design you can see how straps that saving could be possible.

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Aero is all well and good but for me the most important element of any helmet, aside from protection, is comfort. And the Rivale scores well here. Its low weight, along with its 18 vents and deep internal channelling, creates a light and airy feel. When I tipped my head into a headwind I could feel the air being forced through the large forward-facing vents and flowing over the crown of my head.

Vertical adjustment on the rear is generous and the slimline dial on the Safe-T Upsilon retention system is easy to operate even in fullfinger gloves. Its soft, minimalist elastomer pads add comfort as well as being fast-wicking, removable and washable. The soft-touch straps are equally comfortable, though I’d have also preferred these to be removable for cleaning.

MET’s Rivale has the feel of a high-quality lid; it’s light, comfortable and good looking. The finish is exemplary and the smooth integration of the shell into the EPS – expanded polystyrene – foam core is very tidy. The hard polycarbonate shell also offers coverage over the lip of the exposed edges to protect the foam core from accidental damage. Warren Rossiter

SCOTT CENTRIC PLUS £149.99 The Centric Plus also features MIPS but in a minimal design that incorporates the slipplane tech into the pads. The design has huge vents for a cool feel. In fact, Scott claims the Centric provides more cooling airflow across your head than not wearing a helmet!

The 271.7g weight (large) is impressive and I was impressed that its soft-touch straps are removable for easy washing.

ISADORE.COM

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WE SAY...

Excellent build quality, fantastic value and the performance and comfort to ride far

UPGR ADE

GIANT PHASE 2 SHOES £89.99

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SCOTT ROAD COMP BOA £109.99 Scott’s cheapest Boa shoes combine slick looks with practical details. The composite nylon and fibreglass sole features a toe vent, moulded rubber bumpers at each end, and three-bolt cleat fittings. Airmesh panels and perforations ventilate the synthetic leather uppers, and Scott’s Wrap Fit design is secured by a single Boa L6 dial and Velcro toe strap. They’re stiff enough, supportive and secure.

All-day kicks

iant’s Phase 2 packs an impressive array of features in to a very affordable shoe. Not only does Giant make some of the most consistently good bikes on the planet, but its component and apparel range has really begun to challenge the established players.

Our pair of size 45 shoes weigh 674g, which is very competitive, and look smart in Giant’s black and blue colourway. They’re built around Giant’s ForceDrive nylon Airstream sole, which has a broad rubber bumper at the front, and generously large heel bumper too. It accepts both two-bolt SPD and three-bolt cleats, with a textured surround for cleat grip and minimal positioning markers. The Airstream cooling system comprises two mesh-covered HIGHS Price; comfort; vents at the toe, and two larger ventilation; ones in the midsole, allowing sound cool air to enter the shoe and performance heat to escape. Inside is an antibacterial, slim EVA footbed, LOWS Straps don’t with central metatarsal button. tighten as The uppers are mainly evenly as Boas microfibre, which is heavily

G

DIAL S FOR SCOTT

perforated on the front half of the shoe, while the heel cup combines a rigid base with a soft, wellpadded top. The tongue is thickly padded mesh, with two opposing Velcro straps, and a ratchet buckle-fastened strap above. They maintain a low profile thanks to the thin, woven, stretchfree and extremely pliable fabric used on each strap, and around the heel cup. Each heel features two reflective elements for visibility.

With the two upper straps open, the tongue folds out, making the shoes easy to put on. The toe strap adjusts volume, and once correct can generally be left alone. On-bike strap adjustment takes a little longer than with a good rotary dial, and their localised tightening could mean you can’t keep the uppers as snug as with a Boa-style system. But foot retention is great, with no heel slippage, and there’s plenty of room in the toe box for slightly wider feet.

Sole rigidity and upper integrity are very good, with no serious flex when stomping up climbs or sprinting, and the level of all-round ventilation is impressive, noticeably wafting through the uppers, sole and tongue. The Phase 2 is an ideal daily-use starter or intermediate shoe, with a quality fit, feel and finish. Robin Wilmott

TOP-SPEC BARGAIN

BOARDMAN CARBON CYCLE SHOES £85 These 542g per pair (size 42) shoes have super-stiff soles, comfy uppers and all the features of a top-end shoe at a bargain price.

The carbon sole has front and rear cooling vents, a replaceable heel bumper and decent front bumper, and accepts three-bolt cleats. Twin ATOP dials secure the wellventilated, part padded synthetic leather uppers, giving precise adjustment, and the toe box is roomy.

PLAN FOR EXPECT ADVENTURE

FIND, PLAN, AND SHARE YOUR ADVENTURES

WITH KOMOOT

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ISADORE DEBUT BIBS & JERSEY sadore’s clothing has always impressed us, but this premium brand – designed by the Slovakian pro Tour-riding Velits brothers – has always carried quite a high price. The new Debut line aims to bring Isadore quality to a lower budget, comparatively speaking, while maintaining its environmental commitments with recyclable packaging as standard and the use of recycled fabrics wherever possible.

The jersey is a close, slim fit without feeling restrictive. The main body, made from 100 per cent Italian recycled polyester, is closely woven and very lightweight but also compliant so it allows good freedom of movement. The underarms and sleeves use an even lighter micro-mesh material (87 per cent recycled) that breathes superbly well, meaning no build-up of moisture when you’re working hard. Like the main body, it wicks sweat fast, making the Debut jersey ideal hot-weather wear. The three rear pockets are neatly reinforced but the elastic at the top is tight, which means they retain your essentials well but can be a bit tricky to access while riding.

The elasticated hem has silicone print to hold it in place at the rear and does a fine job. A handy full-length zip has a neatly auto-locking zipper but the zip itself is quite chunky and noticeable against the skin if you’re not wearing a baselayer. The Debut is available in a broad range of sizes from XS through to XXL and for this 6ft 2in, 90kg tester the XL was a spot-on fit.

The matching bib shorts are also superb, their simple construction belying their excellent performance. The four-layer Italian chamois pad has multi-density padding that’s well placed and good for marathon days in the saddle. The legs and torso are constructed with Power Lycra, which offers a close, supportive fit that’s especially noticeable through the midriff, ideal to stave off any lower back aches and twinges. The thigh panels are treated with HIGHS Superb all-day Coldblack to manage heat bib shorts; build-up, aided by the mesh lightweight Y-shaped back and broad mesh jersey braces that stay flat. The Debut LOWS bibs may be Isadore’s mid-range Tight cargo offering but they perform at the pockets highest level. Warren Rossiter

I

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WE SAY...

Well-made, superb quality, comfortable kit for warm weather riding

PERFECT PARTNER

£110 (bibs) £90 (jersey) Light, simple summer kit

Isadore 100% Merino SL base layer £50 Ultralight, ultra-soft natural Merino wool baselayer that’s soft against the skin and fast wicking and drying; ideal to wear from spring through to autumn.

Bicy e Insurance w h up 25% off ! *

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Entertainment & Leisure Insurance Services Limited is an appointed representative of The Equine and Livestock Insurance Company Limited. The Insurance Emporium is a trading name of The Equine and Livestock Insurance Company Limited (registered in England and Wales no. 294940) which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority no. 202748. *The 25% discount is available on lunar and calendar monthly policies and policies where the premium is paid annually, and is made up of 15% Introductory Discount, an Age Related Discount plus Security Discount (if DSSURSULDWH 3OHDVH VHH RXU ZHEVLWH IRU WKH DGGLWLRQDO GLVFRXQWV 7KH ,QWURGXFWRU\ 'LVFRXQW LV DYDLODEOH IRU WKH ɺ UVW SUHPLXP SD\PHQWV RQ OXQDU DQG FDOHQGDU PRQWKO\ policies or one premium payment on annual policies. X 2ɹ HU HQGV DQG LV RQO\ UHGHHPDEOH RQ PRQWKO\ SROLFLHV DQG QRW ZKHUH SUHPLXPV DUH SDLG DQQXDOO\

SIX OF THE BEST...

WOMEN’S BIB SHORTS £60-203 Female-specific shorts built for comfort 03

02 DHB MODA CLASSIC £60 SIZES UK 6-18 WEIGHT 160G

The Moda are sleek bibs for warm weather riding. Comfort is clearly a priority, with zig-zag stitched leg hems and a quality chamois that’s been designed specifically for a less aggressive riding style. There are no real leg grippers on these shorts, but the leg is hemmed with a zig-zag stitch to maintain material elasticity. The thin straps and mesh support fit around the outside of the bust rather than straight over the top – good news for those who find the latter uncomfortable – but the straps can twist easily. Yet, overall, the quality and comfort of the Modas far outperform the price tag.

01

02

03 CASTELLI VELOCISSIMA 2 £100 SIZES XS-XL WEIGHT 165G

01 VELOCIO LUXE £203 SIZES XXS-XXXL WEIGHT 160G

These endurance-focused bibs feature Velocio’s genius FlyFree design for easy toilet breaks without complicating the bibs’ function. The mesh front panel stops dirt going down your front and also gives some modesty when really hot, so you can unzip a jersey and still be partially covered. Developed with Elastic Interface, the women’s-specific chamois is designed for long days in the saddle. A sleek and minimal aesthetic rounds off the shorts, with raw-cut leg hems and subtle branding for a really stylish, top-end option.

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The Velocissima 2 bibs are one of Castelli’s lower-priced bibs, but there’s no compromise on comfort or fit.

There’s a durable and supportive femalespecific chamois designed for long endurance rides and wide, skin-friendly leg grippers. The fit is true to size and compressive around the middle with secure, breathable bib straps. There’s also a reduction in seams around the stomach, which ensures no discomfort on the ride. With a traditional cut, they do lack an easy-pee mechanism and the main material is pretty thin, on the rear in particular.

S I X O F T H E B E S T. . .

WE SAY...

Wide, elasticated straps, quality chamois and supportive design make long rides a breeze

04

05 ALÉ GREEN ROAD PRR £145 SIZES XS-XXXL WEIGHT 205G

The Green Road bibs feature recycled materials in the construction of both the chamois and short. Combined with a brilliant cut and women-specific chamois, this makes for an impressively comfortable bib option. Alé’s women’s-specific 12mm-thick foam pad is designed for both on and off-road use, and is ventilated by a network of holes. The traditional bib design might mean that loo breaks are still a faff for women, but that can be forgiven in light of the figurefitting, supportive fit and breathable back piece. The wide, elasticated bib straps fit well in the riding position without twisting.

04 MACHINES FOR FREEDOM ENDURANCE BIB £170

06

06 RAPHA PRO TEAM TRAINING £140 05

SIZES XXS-XL WEIGHT 190G

SIZES XS-XXXL WEIGHT 150G

These are top-end performance bib shorts that offer a high level of compression in a traditional design. Multiple panels across the shorts and bib straps offer a closely tailored fit, and there’s a sleek, minimalist style. A variable density chamois, breathable bib straps and wide leg grippers combine with the compressive fabrics to offer impressive all-day comfort. The nature of the fabric consequently gives a supportive fit, but this means getting the sizing right is crucial. The wide, nonrestrictive but grippy leg hem adds to the comfort, but you do pay a premium price and they lack a pee-friendly design.

At a glance, these bibs are a fairly plain set of shorts with a lightweight mesh upper. It’s the multiple panel design and loud logos on the legs that set them apart.

Rapha’s revered Pro Team chamois, here in a women’s-specific shape, is thicker than many but is a real highlight. The compressive polyamide/elastane fabric is comfortable but the variety of seams weren’t great aesthetically, causing a bit of ‘sausage leg’, especially when teamed with the thin elasticated leg bands. Worth noting is that there’s no special design for easy loo breaks.

Katherine Moore

BIKERADAR.COM

OCTOBER 2021 89

W

hen most of us buy a bike, it comes with some element of compromise. Do I buy the best frameset I can find? Should I prepare to take a downgrade when it comes to groupset and wheels? Or do I opt for a bike with a great spec but a so-so chassis?

I’d always recommend getting the best you can when it comes to the core of your bike, and not to be swayed by things that wear out.

Mechs, chains and cassettes all wear out eventually and as long as

From £1600 Zipps to an £8 inner tube, upgrades come in at all sorts of prices

Parts all wear out eventually and as long as a groupset performs, more spend here usually just means less weight

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less weight.

Upgrading your bike always used to be a race to reduce weight as, for the most part, less mass is a good thing. The biggest caveat is not to lose weight at the expense of anything else; a super-light saddle may look cool on the shelf but, under your shorts, you’ll ride slower if it’s uncomfortable.

Lightweight parts, especially bars and stems, can be flexy, which has a detrimental effect on handling.

So here I’ve assembled my personal top 10 key ways to improve your bike without buying a new one; particularly pertinent in these times of demand exceeding supply. It’s not about price, it’s about performance.

Sometimes the smallest changes can reap the biggest rewards.

YOUR TESTER

ZIPP SL70 AERO BAR; SL SPRINT STEM; QUICK-VIEW MOUNT P92

WARREN ROSSIT ER SENIOR TECH EDITOR One of Britain’s most experienced cycling writers, Warren has been testing road bikes for decades, after starting off riding mountain bikes. He is a demon descender, and on bike launches is known for his ability to beat all and sundry down Alpine and Dolomite descents.

ULTIMATE UPGRADES

CONTINENTAL RACE LIGHT INNER TUBES P97

GARMIN EDGE 830 P95

FABRIC LINE-S ELITE FLAT SADDLE P96

91

ZIPP SL70 AERO BAR; SL SPRINT STEM; QUICK-VIEW MOUNT £296, £258, £62 Zipp’s classy carbon bar and SL stem aren’t a cheap combo, but their wind tunnel-optimised design brings real benefits to speed, while its unidirectional carbon construction reduces vibration.

10 The cockpit of your bike is a key area and a quality handlebar mounted to a solid, secure stem can contribute a huge amount to both the feel of your bike and the handling. Plus, it’s one of your three contact points, so think hard about the shape and style of bar you choose.

On pretty much every new bike the bar is an average of the width for that size of bike. Though quite a lot of us aren’t ‘average’, to get the ideal width bar, it’s worth using the rule of thumb by measuring the distance between the two bony bits on your shoulders. This is the bump you can feel on the top of your shoulder – AKA the acromioclavicular joint. If this measures 40cm, you’ll be better off with a 40cm bar.

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preference in. My ex-rugby player frame measures 46cm, but I opt to ride a bar 44cm wide. Some of my riding buddies – mostly mountain bikers – ride a bar a little wider than their shoulders, while others who want to be more aerodynamic opt for a narrower bar. This creates a narrower frontal area and better aerodynamic profile.

Don’t be tempted to go to the extremes. A bar that’s too narrow makes the bike’s handling feel unstable, while a wide bar can make a bike feel stable but lazy when it comes to steering. If you aren’t the most flexible rider, a compact drop to the bar (typically 125-130mm) is a smart option. If you’re more flexible and can hold a lower position, then an

anatomic shape (where the drop is shaped like a pistol grip) with a deeper drop, usually 150mm or so, is an option.

In terms of materials, both carbon and good quality aluminium can have high weight savings. A handlebar bar that has the good vibration-damping that quality carbon offers is equally important, as is a solid feel when you’re honking on the bar on a climb.

“ON PRETTY MUCH EVERY NEW BIKE THE HANDLEBAR WIDTH IS AN AVERAGE FOR THAT SIZE OF BIKE”

ULTIMATE UPGRADES

09 WHEELS

A ride-changing upgrade but potentially a wallet-emptying one

Wheels are one of the first upgrades many of us target after buying a new bike. Plenty of brands, especially those with aero-road bikes, tend to fit what are euphemistically called ‘training wheels’, which usually just means budget.

Wheels can have an impressive effect on a bike’s performance, adding speed, dropping weight and, let’s admit it, a slick slice of carbon rim makes your bike look a thousand times better. I’ve only put them in a relatively lowly spot here because they can cost as much as a complete bike.

And I believe you’re better off looking at cheaper components before taking a four-figure leap into a wheel upgrade.

When considering wheels, think long and hard about how and where you ride.

Do you love to hit the hills and spend your days ascending? Then a deep-section, aero optimised wheel isn’t your best option. It’s better to look to a shallower, lighter wheel that’ll reap benefits when

RITCHEY WCS CHICANE STEM; WCS STREEM III BAR £91.99, £87.49 This 277g alloy bar with an aero wing top is a great match for the Chicane stem (196g, 100mm), creating a slick combination that looks much more expensive than its combined price would suggest.

the road rises, with top picks being Reynold’s 28s, Zipp’s 303, Hunt’s shallower options and multiple models from DT Swiss (Mon Chasseral, DICUT) or Fulcrum’s Racing range. If you spend your time on flatter, rolling terrain, then a deeper wheel with big aerodynamic benefits such as Hunt’s 60 Limitless or Zipp’s 404 are great benchmarks for outand-out flat-road velocity.

Also look at warranties. Hunt, ENVE, Fulcrum and especially Zipp all offer impressive guarantees on wheel longevity and crash replacement policies.

“WHEN CONSIDERING WHEELS, THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT HOW AND WHERE YOU RIDE”

ZIPP 303 FIRECREST CARBON DISC £1600 Zipp’s legendary 303 is one of the most successful wheels in racing and the latest incarnation is lighter and more aerodynamic than before and is

cheaper than the previous model.

MASON X HUNT 4 SEASON DISC £379 Their low weight of just 1585g a pair, and their wide 20mm internal rim

tyres from 25mm up to more than 40mm.

The downside is they’re so popular you may have to wait for your order.

BIKERADAR.COM

OCTOBER 2021 93

08 SEATPOST

RETÜL FROM SPECIALIZED From £100

Gain comfort, lose weight

The seatpost may seem like your bike’s humblest part, but not only is it the simplest upgrade you can make as it takes just minutes to fit, but it can also add comfort, improve your ride position and drop some weight from your bike.

Most bikes up to around £2500 come with an aluminium post, and while these do the job absolutely fine, a step up to carbon will improve comfort, as carbon has a much better ability to absorb road buzz. You can even look for seatposts designed to reduce vibration, which include Canyon’s VCLS, Specialized’s CGR and Syntace’s HiFlex.

If your bike has a dedicated seatpost design like the D-shape found on Giant, Cannondale, and Cervélo, those brands all offer premium carbon versions of their proprietary designs.

As well as improving comfort and dropping weight, a seatpost can alter your bike’s effective reach. If you feel you’d benefit from a longer reach, then a post with some layback or an offset clamp can increase the reach.

Conversely, if you feel you bike is a little long in reach, you can switch to an inline post to reduce this distance.

CANYON S14 VCLS 2.0 CF £203.95 Canyon’s VCLS post is a high-tech piece of design where the post section is split into a shallow V shape. This acts rather like a pair of leaf springs to disrupt the buzz from the road and makes for a smooth seating arrangement.

At 220g it’s a lightweight option too.

SHOP AROUND! I’ve seen top-quality premium offerings like FSA’s excellent K-Force Light (just 251g) at less than half price (down to £60 from £170), while budget brands, such as Brand-X have multiple carbon post options under £40.

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Specialized-owned Retül offers full bike fits at Specialized Concept Stores for around £100 and no, you don’t have to be riding a Specialized, Retül will also help you get the right fit for your current bike, whatever the brand.

07 BIKE FIT

Make sure you and your bike are in perfect harmony It may sound odd that my number seven upgrade doesn’t include any product or shiny object to fit to your bike. Rest assured, however, that a good bike fit can improve your riding experience and performance far more than expensive lightweight carbon bling.

Pretty much any bike you buy is built to suit the ‘average’ rider, but not many of us are average. We all have different physiologies, riding styles, injuries and more. Among testers on our team we have ultra-runners, ex-footballers with knee problems, weightlifters, ex-rugby players with post-broken bones everywhere, rowers and BMXers, each with their own concerns.

So we all have individual needs when it comes to bike setup, and you’d be surprised just how much small positional changes can reap big rewards.

Personally, after a previous bike fit, I altered my saddle height and position by

under a centimetre both in height and setback and saw a big improvement in power output, and I was comfortable riding for longer too.

Going to an expert fitter will help you learn more about both bike setup and yourself. Remember it’s a two-way conversation, so be precise about how you ride, where you get any aches and pains, and what you hope to achieve. If your goal is to ride a century comfortably without aches or pains, getting a fit that puts you in a slammed down Cavendishstyle sprint position just won’t work.

“YOU’D BE SURPRISED JUST HOW MUCH SMALL POSITIONAL CHANGES CAN REAP BIG REWARDS”

ULTIMATE UPGRADES

06 BIKE COMPUTER

A high-tech but not necessarily expensive way to boost your riding

THE BIKE TAILOR WIND TUNNEL FIT

We all want to improve our riding, especially when it comes to fitness, which can come from riding with friends or clubs – although being outgunned by fitter riders every time you head out on your bike can be demotivating.

But the very best motivation comes from actually seeing improvements in your performance. Yes, you’ll feel you’re getting better when you’re besting a climb or railing a corner, but seeing proven data is the real spark to push harder and put in that extra effort in for the final few miles.

Fitting a bike computer, GPS or even a smart mount and your own phone allows you to track every mile of riding you do.

When you factor in membership of cycling- or running-tracking websites, such as Strava or Garmin Connect, you can add further motivation through

From £275 Stephen Roche (thebiketailor. com) runs fitting sessions at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel and his years of fitting top riders to top bikes is a brilliant resource.

Aerocoach and Drag2Zero also offer bike-fitting services if you’re serious about getting aero.

virtual competition with other riders or earning badges for your cycling endeavours as you go.

Setting goals and weekly or monthly targets really can make the difference between getting up off the couch or getting an early start to ride your bike.

Something that gives you a reason to ride faster, longer, higher every time is the best motivation, and it can come from a small screen device or that phone in your pocket or backpack.

“THE VERY BEST MOTIVATION COMES FROM SEEING IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUR PERFORMANCE ”

GARMIN EDGE 830 £349.99 While not Garmin’s range-topping unit (that’s reserved for the £519.99 1030 Plus) the 830 is still a marvel. Its compact dimensions offer a clear colour touchscreen, a long battery life and enough metrics to record every piece of data you could ever desire.

FIDLOCK VACUUM PHONE MOUNT/CASE £29.99/£29.99 Fidlok’s ingenious phone mount is a compact vacuum-sealing mount that offers a 360-degree rotation of your phone and a smart direct mount to your stem cap. Add in Strava membership and you’ve got all the benefits of a GPS without the price tag.

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05 CLEANED & LUBED Your first job!

Friction losses from an unlubricated and dirty drivetrain can cost you more than a squeak. Tests by Jason Smith of Colorado-based lab Friction Facts revealed: “The numbers can vary based on the ‘dirtiness’ of the chain, but on average, testing shows a dirty road chain can decrease efficiency by about 3 to 5 watts (at 250-watt rider output) – about 1 to 2 per cent power loss.” He adds, “In extreme cases we’ve seen a muddy chain add 12 watts of losses.” I’m not suggesting every time you go out you should clean your drivetrain, but keeping your drivetrain spic and span will make things more efficient.”

I’m a big fan of wax-based drip chain lubricants, which are more efficient than non-wax based lubricants. The paraffin-wax lubes some racers bathe their chains in are more efficient – but are much more faff. It’s crucial that your bike’s chain, chainrings and cassette are clean before applying chain lube, so also invest in a good drivetrain cleaner.

Excellent green options include Green Oil’s chain cleaner/degreaser.

CERAMICSPEED UFO DRIP CHAIN COATING From £36.95 (180ml) Denmark’s CeramicSpeed is an expert when it comes to highgrade bearings. It also makes this wax-based chain lube which, for ultimate smooth running, is superb.

SQUIRT CHAIN LUBE £11.99 (120ml) Squirt’s modest price hides a very slick wax-based lubricant and one that scores very highly in independent testing. It’s the liquid treatment I turn to for my own bikes.

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FABRIC LINE-S ELITE FLAT £59.99 Fabric’s shortened shape Line-S saddle with chromoly steel rails offers the best mix of low weight (234.5g) and great comfort.

04 SADDLE

Get measured for the perfect perch for your particular posterior My best advice when it comes to saddles is to get measured! Each quality saddle brand offers its own saddle measuring system, so one of your better local bike shops should have a version that will accurately measure your sit bones. Matching saddle width along with riding position is the easiest way to find a saddle that’ll suit your riding style.

If you’re not getting measured, then you’re guessing whether a saddle will work for you. With some saddles costing over £300, that can be an expensive mistake. If you can’t find a local store, then both WTB and Specialized offer at-home methods online.

Aside from saddle width, your ride position is key when choosing a saddle. If you ride in a flat, racy position then a saddle with a flatter top and thinner

dimensions is a better choice; if you sit in a slightly more upright ‘endurance’ position a curvier shape will suit better.

The biggest trend in saddle design has been the move to much shorter shapes – but it’s not just fashion. That shorter nose makes it easier for you to rotate your pelvis forward and not get any discomfort from the interaction between your undercarriage and saddle, so it’s easier to hold a lower position for longer.

“ASIDE FROM SADDLE WIDTH, YOUR RIDE POSITION IS KEY WHEN CHOOSING A SADDLE”

ULTIMATE UPGRADES

03 TUBELESS & INNER TUBES

Lighter, faster, fewer punctures – choose your priorities wisely!

Riding a bike is all about overcoming resistance. This comes in the form of aerodynamics – how easily you move through the air – and overcoming friction in the system (more on that later). Then there’s gravity, where weight comes into the equation. And you’ve also got rolling resistance, which can be reduced by using good tyres at the right pressure. Yet, even if you run the fastest rolling tyres, if you use them with cheap, heavy inner tubes you’ll negate the best qualities of the tyres you’ve just invested in.

Inner tubes come in many forms from cheap, thick butyl tubes that won’t puncture easily but also won’t roll that well, through to gossamer-thin latex tubes that reduce rolling resistance to a minimum but can be very fragile. It’s all well and good having ultra-light lowresistance tubes, but if you’re spending more time fixing punctures than actually riding it becomes a moot point.

Personally, I’ve found the middle ground offers the best balance between fast and smooth-rolling, and low weight.

I’d recommend looking for a good premium ‘race’ inner tube and avoiding bargain basement butyl tubes (unless it’s for a commuter bike where puncture protection is more important than speed), while experience has taught me to be wary of expensive ultra-light tubes on rough British roads.

Going tubeless is a great option, particularly if your bike already has tubeless-ready wheels and tyres (lots of brands sell bikes this way). Tubeless has the benefit of better puncture protection (pinch punctures are a thing of the past as there’s no tube to be ‘pinched’) and more control of tyre pressure to suit terrain, as you can run tubeless tyres at lower pressures. The downside is the learning curve of fitting them and the expense if your bike’s rolling stock isn’t compatible.

“GOING TUBELESS IS A GREAT OPTION, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR BIKE ALREADY HAS TUBELESS-READY WHEELS” STAN’S RACE SEALANT £32 (946ml)

SPECIALIZED S-WORKS POWER WITH MIRROR £390 The short dimensions of S-Works’ Power saddle work in both a racy and an endurance position, making the Mirror both one of the most advanced and versatile saddles you can buy.

MILKIT TUBELESS VALVES £27.99 Stan’s NoTubes pretty much invented tubeless for mountain bikes. Its sealant seals quickly and lasts for ages too. The MilKit tubeless valve has a smart one-way system, which lets you top up sealant without losing air.

Once you’ve tried the MilKit way, you won’t want to go back.

CONTINENTAL RACE LIGHT INNER TUBES £7.99 Continental’s basic Race 28 light is a high-quality inner tube with a removable core. The rubber makes them easy to fit, they roll really well and prove tough for their low 75.8g weight.

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02 BAR TAPE

Don’t underestimate how much difference new tape can make This is simple, relatively cheap and makes a huge difference to your ride. Over the years I’ve had many a test bike that just doesn’t feel quite as good as it should thanks to cheap or overstretched bar tape.

Original bar tape was cloth based, with almost no stretch, so you ended up double- or even triple-wrapping it to add comfort. Modern tapes are so much better, with gel-infused or multi-density padding providing shock-absorbing comfort and outer materials that are tacky to the touch, meaning your most vital contact point to the bike is never compromised, even in the wet.

Learning to wrap tape properly is a meditative art and, with some modern tapes now coming without glued-on backs, you can even unwrap tapes to thoroughly clean them – if you’re as nerdy as me, that is. With modern padded tapes, make sure you don’t overstretch the material as then you’ll lose the all-important cushioning.

Stretching bar tape to within an inch of its life is very much old-school thinking, so don’t be heavy handed and remember to wrap it evenly and leave enough to be caught by the end plugs. The old adage of measuring twice, cutting once is also

true of bar tape. Be absolutely sure before you cut the tape, as cutting it short could prove an expensive mistake.

Today’s handlebar tape is pretty hardwearing, but it does also lead a very hard life. Your bar tape is exposed to the elements, it has your weight on it constantly and it’s also absorbing the combination of salty, oily water from your sweat. That said, I tend to replace my bar tape around every six months or so. It’s a great way to give your bike a good-looking refresh too.

“MODERN TAPES ARE SO MUCH BETTER, WITH GELINFUSED OR MULTIDENSITY PADDING”

REPENTE TACKY LIGHT TAPE

PRO SPORT COMFORT

From £25

£18

Repente’s bar tape combines elasticity with a highly wearresistant finish that’s tacky to the touch.

It’s available in 2mm (£25) and 3mm (£30) thicknesses but both offer high vibration-damping and lower weight than equivalent tapes, thanks to their unique multi-layered construction.

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PRO is the component line of the Japanese cycling giant Shimano. Its 3.5mm thick adhesive-backed Comfort Tape lives up to its name thanks to a layer of gel padding that’s infused within its EVA polymer construction. It offers plenty of comfort at a great price and is available in white, red, blue and black.

ULTIMATE UPGRADES

01 ROAD TYRES

A change of rubber can vastly improve your bike’s performance The easiest and best improvement you can make to a bike is upgrading its tyres. In over 20 years testing bikes, from steel, aluminium, titanium and carbon, and from the most aggressive race bikes to comfortable endurance machines – the one unifying factor is better tyres make a better ride.

So, before you think to upgrade and search out the lightest, fanciest, most aero components, look to your bike’s rubber. You wouldn’t fit budget rubber on a Ferrari, so don’t skimp on your bike tyres.

The only real question is, tubeless or clincher?

Clincher tyres with their simple inner tubes are the system we all grew up with, and with some teams’ riders in this year’s Tour de France using clincher wheels and tyres, they’re still one of the best and fastest options around.

CLINCHER CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 £54.99

TUBELESS GOODYEAR EAGLE F1 TUBELESS £54 Continental’s Grand Prix range has long been at the forefront of clinchers, and the latest 5000 (241g, 28mm) continues the legacy. They’re fast, light and tough and though not cheap, they’ll add sparkle to your bike.

Goodyear is new to the road tyre game, but its Eagle (310g, 28mm) has a beautiful on-road feel, grips impressively in all weathers, and it feels fast. Very fast.

I’d vouch for the tubeless system, however, especially if you like to run tyres over 28mm wide. Tubeless tyres are better when it comes to puncture resistance and pinch punctures – where the inner tube gets ‘pinched’ between tyre and rim (when you hit a pothole at speed for instance) – are completely eliminated. A well-maintained tubeless setup will quickly seal small punctures from thorns and flints, as well giving you greater control over tyre pressures.

Personally, I’m happy to stick with clinchers on 25mm wide tyres, but when going bigger to 28mm and even wider gravel-like volumes I’ll always opt for tubeless, though I’ve plenty of riding buddies who have gone tubeless on all tyre widths and won’t ever go back.

“A WELL-MAINTAINED TUBELESS SETUP WILL SEAL SMALL PUNCTURES FROM THORNS AND FLINTS” CLINCHER SPECIALIZED S-WORKS TURBO £37.50

TUBELESS HUTCHINSON FUSION 5 PERFORMANCE 11 STORM TR £50 Specialized’s Turbo (240g, 28mm) comes in non-conformist 24mm and 26mm sizes as wells as the more familiar 28mm width. They all give great grip and offer compliance over rougher surfaces.

When it comes to tubeless tyres, Hutchinson’s Fusion 5 Performance 11 Storm (292g, 28mm) is a great option for foul weather and winter riding. It’s available in 25, 28 and 30mm widths.

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MAJOR PLAYERS

Well-priced endurance bikes from two of cycling's biggest names – but who goes the distance in this £1K test? Time to let the Cannondale vs Giant battle commence WORDS SIMON WITHERS IMAGES RUSSELL BURTON

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Go for longer on this light and stiff yet comfortable ride

annondale and Giant are two of cycling’s biggest guns, some of the bike industry’s major innovators and among the UK’s best sellers of quality bikes.

And while both Cannondale and Giant sell superbikes with matching stratospheric prices, these two longdistance cruisers here are the sort of real-world bikes at prices many more of us actually pay – a thousand quid for Giant’s eight-speed Shimano Clarisequipped Contend AR 4, and £1100 for Cannondale’s Synapse Disc, which is specced with Shimano’s 10-speed Tiagra.

They’re extremely evenly matched bikes too.

Both feature compact or semi-compact aluminium frames, full-carbon forks with tapered steerers, thru-axles and mechanical disc brakes. Cannondale describes its Synapse bikes as: “light, stiff and surprisingly comfortable” and says “your rides will go longer”. And it’s similar stuff from Giant, which claims its Contend has a “balanced, smooth-riding frame that goes from fast pavement to bumpy backroads with confidence and control”.

Luckily, we had perfect riding conditions to give the bikes a rigorous workout – blazing sunshine to top up the cycling tan one day, near-torrential flood-

causing rainstorms the next. So, a big thanks to the weather gods for that.

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A CANNY RIDE?

Smooth shifting action, thanks to Tiagra while the alloy stem comes from Cannondale

Cannondale’s Synapse Tiagra Disc is a great-looking bike. Whereas Giant’s design department seems to have bought industrial amounts of black and grey paint (sorry, Gloss Charcoal) for its 2021 models, Cannondale has gone for a striking Electric Blue finish that lives up to its name.

The semi-compact aluminium frame has internal cable routing, and I was pleased to note the number of fixtures and fittings. As a bike likely to be used for commuting as well as leisure and fitness riding, it’s good to see not only rear rack mounts but a removable fender bridge between the seatstays that enables you to fit full-length mudguards, for which there’s bags of clearance. I’d recommend keeping the bridge in place even if you’re not using it – unless you never plan to use ’guards – as it’s the sort of gizmo that’s easily lost in a bike bits box. The fork has threaded mudguard mounts inside the legs and in the fork crown, and frankly I wish I’d been using ’guards when testing in some biblical downpours.

The Synapse boasts a good range of gearing, thanks to its 50/34 compact FSA chainset and 11-34 cassette, and having 10-speed Tiagra means there

BIKE TEST

little noise but this doesn’t translate into pedestrianscaring squealing. They did screech loudly for a while after riding through a 10 inch-deep puddle in one of Bristol’s dystopian urban underpasses, but that’s not typical in Britain. Well, not yet…

I always reckon 28mm is the ideal tyre width if you’re looking for a balance of performance and comfort on the road. If you place comfort over speed, I’d plump for 32mm for the extra plushness and barely perceptible performance loss. Cannondale has split the difference here and gone for 30mm Zaffiro rubber, though this is purely nominal as they balloon out to 31.5mm when inflated. The tyres themselves are quite modest but offer decent grip and comfort, although when they reach the end of the road I’d upgrade – the Synapse’s overall quality deserves it.

CONTROLLED COMFORT are smaller gaps between gears than on the 8-speed Giant, which helps when it comes to maintaining a consistent pedalling cadence. Tiagra’s shifting action is very smooth too, and noticeably lighter than that of the Claris shifters on the Giant – especially using the left lever to move up into the big ring.

Both bikes use cableactuated discs and the Cannondale’s Decode R brakes are pretty decent.

I’d really like to see hydraulic disc brakes on road bikes costing around a grand but that hasn’t happened yet, with Boardman’s £1100 ADV 8.9 adventure road bike about the only exception.

We can but hope. But if you have to have cable discs, they should at least be a dual-piston design, which the Cannondale’s are, with both calipers pushed against the rotor when you pull the lever for even, more symmetrical braking.

The Decodes felt a little woolly at first but once bedded in they proved capable. They don’t offer the lightness and power of hydraulics, but are consistent and give good feedback. In the wet there’s initially a

THE SYNAPSE HOLDS ITS PACE VERY WELL AND PROVED SUPERBLY COMFORTABLE OVER SOME VERY POOR COUNTRY ROADS

I found the Synapse a real pleasure to ride with a performance that belies its 10.6kg weight. Its endurance geometry isn’t that far removed from a road bike’s figures, with a 71.9-degree head angle and a wheelbase only a shade over a metre. In fact, the Cannondale and Giant share very similar geometry, with stack and reach figures virtually identical: 570mm stack and 373mm for the Cannondale, 574mm and 380mm for the Giant. Endurance, yes, but not overly laid back or stretched out – just enough so you’re not riding nose down to the stem.

The Synapse’s handling is accurate and decently sharp. Until the climbs rise above five per cent or so you don’t notice its weight, and that’s when the one-to-one ratio bottom gear comes to your aid. The tapered head tube delivers great control and while the frame has a quick-release axle rather than the thru-axle of the fork, this didn’t seem to hamper braking or rear-end tautness.

Acceleration isn’t super-sharp, though some of that will be down to the quite modest wheels. Yet once up to speed, the Synapse held its pace very well and proved superbly comfortable over some very poor country roads. There’s a fair amount of seatpost exposed and the post itself is a slimline design in Cannondale’s own 25.4mm diameter – yep, another seatpost standard, but it does seem to translate into a post that absorbs road buzz nicely.

CANNONDALE SYNAPSE TIAGRA DISC £1099 SPECIFICATION Sizes 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm Weight 10.57kg (54cm) Frame SmartForm C2 alloy Fork BallisTec full carbon, tapered steerer Brakes Promax Decode R cable discs, 160mm rotors Derailleurs & shifters Shimano Tiagra Wheels RD 3.0 rims, Formula hubs Finishing kit FSA Omega ME alloy 50/34 chainset, FSA MegaExo cartridge bottom bracket, Shimano Tiagra 11-34 cassette, Vittoria Zaffiro 700x30c tyres Cannondale 4 6061 alloy stem and bar FSA sealed bearing 1¼ - 1⅛ in headset, Cannondale Stage Ergo saddle, Cannondale 4 25.4mm seatpost

HIGHS

Comfortable ride; mudguard and rear rack fittings; Tiagra groupset

LOWS

Plus 10.5kg weight; unexciting wheelset

BUY IF

You want an endurance bike with a lively ride for big days out and commuting

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THERE’S ABOUT AS MUCH AIR BETWEEN THESE TWO BIKES AS THE OLYMPIC HIGH JUMPERS WHO DECIDED TO SHARE GOLD

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BIKE TEST

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GIANT CONTEND AR 4 £999 SPECIFICATION Sizes available S, M, ML, L, XL Weight 10.28kg (M) Frame Aluxx-Grade aluminium Fork AdvancedGrade Composite, tapered OverDrive steerer Brakes Tektro MD-C550 cable disc, 160mm rotors Derailleurs & shifters Shimano Claris Wheels Giant S-R2 Finishing kit FSA Tempo 50/34 chainset, Shimano HG50 11-34 cassette, Giant S-R3 AC 700x32c tyres, Giant Sport stem, Giant Connect bar, Giant Overdrive 1⅛-1¼in headset, Giant Approach saddle, Giant D-Fuse alloy seatpost

HIGHS

Long-distance comfort; good all-round ride; loads of tyre clearance

LOWS

Only 8-speed groupset; stiff front shifting

BUY IF

You want a comfortable and versatile all-rounder from one of cycling's biggest names

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The Synapse is perfectly at home tapping out the big miles in comfort. Its tyres didn’t cope with a short and extremely muddy off-road diversion, but I wouldn’t have expected them too. Over everything else they were fine and contributed to a bike that also descends well. You have to brake a little earlier than you would with hydraulic discs, but it’s always confident and controlled.

Cannondale’s Synapse Disc would make a fine allrounder that you could commute on during the week and use for training, leisure rides or even sportives.

It’s stable, comfortable, practical and quick enough for all but the most competitive of us. Alternatively, for those with more of a race focus, there’s the option of Cannondale’s sportier CAAD Optimo range.

DO WE HAVE A CONTENDER? There’s pretty much no company with as much experience in making high-quality bicycles as Giant.

Giant also manufactures almost everything itself, even smelting its own aluminium, which enables it to monitor every stage of production. And over the last few years Giant has brought just about every component in-house, so our Contend AR 4 has a Giant stem, bar, seatpost, rims, tyres and more.

The Contend has a slightly more compact aluminium frame than the Synapse and although it

comes with 32mm tyres – 34mm when inflated – with room for rubber up to 40mm wide. It boasts both front and rear thru-axles, Giant’s D-Fuse seatpost and what Giant calls “balanced road geometry” that’s actually very similar to the Cannondale’s.

While it’s slightly unfair to criticise the cheaper Giant’s groupset, even the £1099 Contend AR 3 still only gets 9-speed Sora rather than the Cannondale’s 10-speed Tiagra. However, you do get the same very good gear range: a 50x11 (123in) top gear that you’re unlikely to spin out on – at a cadence of 100rpm you’ll be going over 36mph – and a 34x34 (27in) bottom gear that’ll help you conquer the steepest climbs.

Having only eight sprockets does mean noticeably bigger jumps, though, which makes it harder to maintain a smooth cadence. The shift from the small chainring to the large was also perceptibly stiffer than the Tiagra’s action.

The wheelset is an area where I feel Giant scores over Cannondale here. Giant has seriously embraced tubeless technology, with some of its higher-spec road bikes sold setup as tubeless. The Contend’s rims and tyres are both tubeless-ready, though I found them comfortable enough even running with tubes.

And with clearance for tyres up to 40mm, you could go exploring. Like the Synapse the Contend has cable-actuated brakes, with TRP providing dual-

BIKE TEST THE WEIGHT DOESN’T SEEM TO HAMPER ITS HANDLING, AS THE CONTEND IS REASONABLY QUICK TO ACCELERATE, HOLDS ITS SPEED WELL OVER GOOD SURFACES AND DOESN’T DISAPPOINT WHEN YOU CRANK IT UP

piston discs with 160mm rotors. These stayed quiet and offered decent power and control. The advantage they have over rim brakes is that they’re likely to work better in wet conditions, where they clear water faster, and also your rims should last much longer.

play that would hamper handling. It’s made of alloy and, just as with Cannondale’s seatpost, you could upgrade to carbon.

As with the Cannondale Synapse, the Giant Contend AR 4’s handling is well controlled, steering sharply around potholes and tackling descents without issue. It also romps comfortably and confidently over very poor road surfaces and bumpy towpaths with ease. Wider tyre clearance adds to the Giant’s all-round versatility but, while it has mudguard fittings, I’d like to see rear rack mounts to up its commuter credentials.

CRANKING IT UP While the Giant is lighter than the Cannondale, on a plus-10kg bike 300g is neither here nor there, and while 10kg isn’t light, it isn’t something to fret over.

Sure, lighter is better, but this weight is about the same as the Pinarello bike that Spanish great Miguel Indurain rode to Tour de France victory in 1993. As with the Cannondale, you will feel this on longer and steeper climbs, but again, the 34x34 bottom gear will bail you out. The weight doesn’t seem to hamper its handling either, as the Contend is reasonably quick to accelerate, holds its speed well over good surfaces and doesn’t disappoint when you crank it up.

Comfort, as you’d expect from a brand that is the master of the compact frame and a bike running 32mm tyres, is very good. Giant has also gone with its own D-profile seatpost – unique, obviously – to maximise comfort by absorbing road shocks and vibrations. While Cannondale has shrunk down its seatpost diameter, Giant’s D-Fuse post is designed to flex fore-and-aft for comfort but without side-to-side

PICKING A WINNER

The Synapse has cableactuated brakes: Flex for comfort – Giant’s own D-profile seatpost

There’s about as much air between these two bikes as the Olympic high jumpers who decided to share gold. Both bikes are built from similar material, have geometry within a few millimetres of each other, and an insignificant weight difference. But not only does Cannondale’s Tiagra groupset sit two steps above Claris in the Shimano hierarchy, it feels it, which certainly adds to its enjoyability on long days out.

Yes, the Cannondale is £100 more expensive and it’s carrying a little more weight, but the smoothshifting 10-speed Tiagra helps give it the nod over the Giant, which I’d also have absolutely no qualms in recommending.

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Gravel masterclass p120

Fuel your riding p114

ISSUE 384 OCTOBER 2021 EXPERT CYCLING ADVICE ON MAXIMISING YOUR TRAINING

Reach your peak ..... p112 Nutrition ................. p114 Norman’s Wisdom .. p116

Experience .............. p118 Masterclass .............p120 Event Focus............. p126

THEEXPERTS

NUTRITION EXPERT

PROFESSOR & CYCLIST

RETURNING HERO

GRAVEL MASTER

RICHARD TUCKER

NORMAN LAZARUS

BRUCE FALKENBERG

MARK BAILEY

Richard is a physiologist and performance nutritionist at the Human Performance Lab.

Columnist Norman, 85, is a physiology professor, author and a former audax champion.

Bruce Falkenberg is a former soldier who has found a new lease of life after rediscovering cycling.

Sports writer and four-time Haute Route finisher Mark is our resident performance expert.

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FIVE THINGS

Reach your peak BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE SADDLE WITH THE LATEST SPORTS SCIENCE AND TECH FINDINGS

01 As anyone who has watched any of the major Grand Tours over the past couple of seasons will testify, performance eyewear has gone large, with lenses wider and higher than the sleeker creations of the nineties, noughties and early teens. But to what extent do glasses – often seen as an inconvenience in other sports – enhance performance in cycling?

In the case of many frame styles from the major eyewear brands – including the new SunGod Airas (£130) pictured here, for example – it’s argued that they provide a completely unobstructed peripheral and vertical field of view. If you’re going to wear glasses while riding that’s certainly what you want.

Research also shows that polarised lenses are great for

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reducing glare, especially in the summer months with sunlight reflecting off the roads, water, other riders and roadside buildings.

Aside from momentary blindness in the most extreme cases, the ride-long battle to counter the glare can also cause discomfort by making eyes work harder, which can cause tiredness.

The wraparound design of cycling glasses also helps keep drying wind off the eyes, yet still allows enough air circulation to prevent fogging of the lenses.

Many examples of cycling eyewear additionally extend above the eyebrow to allow an unobstructed field of view when riding low on the drops.

A crucial, and pretty obvious, component of cycling sunglasses is the protection from ultraviolet rays

Big is best.

Large lenses give more protection to cyclists

they give – even when cycling in autumn and winter. According to research by the American Academy of Opthalmology, UV exposure – regardless of the time of year – can increase your risk of developing cataracts and growths on the eye, including cancer. Even on a cloudy day, UV exposure can be high – and good quality, wraparound cycling sunglasses with UV protection can minimise this risk.

The next step in performanceboosting eyewear? Look out for riders wearing blue-light-filtering specs the night before a major race. Recent studies from Indiana University published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that wearing blue-light-filtering glasses creates a form of physiologic darkness, thus improving both sleep quantity and quality.

REACHYOURPEAK

02

A researcher from Australia is aiming to discover if excessive cycling leads to heart issues among non-elite riders.

Dr Daniel Wundersitz, from La Trobe University in Victoria, says: “There’s a lot of research into heart arrhythmias among elite athletes, but what about the recreational riders – can a certain amount of endurance exercise lead to changes in the way the heart functions?”

Wundersitz is running trials with 60 cyclists to ascertain whether excessive exercise can cause heart problems, and to examine how cycling compares to other types of aerobic exercise in terms of its effect on the heart. A 15-year study among 300,000 commuters in England and Wales found that those who cycle had a 24 per cent reduced rate of death from cardiovascular disease (which includes heart attack and stroke) when compared to those travelling by car or public transport.

GO PROBIOTIC

03

“UV exposure can increase your risk of developing cataracts and growths on the eye, including cancer”

‘Active’ foods full of healthy bacteria can help prevent GI issues among cyclists during training and competition, new research shows. Live yogurts, pickles, tempeh, kimchi, and sauerkraut – all probiotic-rich foodstuffs – have been shown to help combat bloating, gas, nausea and the digestive urgency suffered by many endurance athletes. The study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, monitored the responses of 27 male CAT 1 riders over 90 days, and found that those in the probiotic group had lower incidence of nausea, belching and vomiting, and decreased incidence of GI symptoms during rides.

04

BODY CLOCK BENEFITS

Looking to build your stamina and

“The body is stronger and responds better to training stimuli when the core body temperature is higher” strength in the saddle? Then train after work. But working on strategy and tactics? Then a ride out at noon is the better option.

Research from Liverpool John Moores University reveals that the body is stronger and responds better to training stimuli when the core body temperature is higher – in the evening between 5 and 8pm. But cognitive tasks – such as a tactical training session – are better done in the late morning when the core temperature is lower, and the brain’s ability to learn a task is better.

RISE UP

05

To sit or stand on the big climbs?

While instinct may tell us to rise up off the saddle to tackle steeper gradients, cycling coaches and elite riders often opt to stay seated, insisting it’s the more power-producing pose. Yet it turns out that you really can generate extra power by standing, as a recent study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reveals. They trialled 15 male participants riding at different cadences in both seated and standing positions. The standing posture decreased knee power by 15 per cent in both cadences, concluding that the engagement for the hips and ankles when standing will generate more power. “Our results provide evidence that the standing position is more effective than the seated position for generating high pedal forces, because the knee has better mechanical advantage,” said lead research scientist Ross Wilkinson.

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WORDS ROB KEMP IMAGES SUNGOD; GETTY

HEART FUNCTION

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FUELYOURRIDING

Recovery shakes

REPLENISH & STRENGTHEN YOUR BODY WITH THESE DIY SMOOTHIES

These smoothie recipes provide you with a fast, refreshing and nutrient-dense option to consume as either a pre- or post-workout recovery. Each recipe is packed with protein to help promote muscle repair and recovery, while giving you adequate amounts of carbohydrates to either fuel you for your workout or to replenish those depleted muscle glycogen stores following a training session.

The beauty of smoothies is that you can add additional ingredients, such as coconut flakes for an additional hit of omega 3 fats, or a scoop of whey protein to increase your protein consumption.

Plus, they’re super-fast to make, ensuring they’re a perfect option for the time-poor athlete.

Chococado Recovery Smoothie This is a great ‘thick’ smoothie option that’s packed full of healthy fats to support immunity and cognitive function, protein to help you recover from a hard and intense training session, and carbohydrates to replenish those depleted muscle glycogen stores.

The avocado also offers good quality fats to help promote and support healthy immune function.

You may wish to have this as a preworkout smoothie or breakfast option as well.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 1 • 85 grams avocado (ripened) • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder • 1 medium sized banana • 65g plain Greek yogurt • 2 tablespoons chilled milk • Half a teaspoon vanilla extract METHOD 01 Blend all of the ingredients

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together until they’ve reached the desired consistency. If you prefer a thinner consistency, put in more chilled milk.

02 This is best served immediately but it can be saved for up to 24 hours in the fridge. You may wish to replace the cocoa powder with chocolate whey protein for an additional protein hit.

NUTRITIONAL INFO 361 kcals • 33g carbohydrates • 20g fat • 6g fibre • 15g protein KEY INGREDIENTS AVOCADO Packed full of vitamins (K, B5, B6, E), potassium, antioxidants and holding key antiinflammatory properties that may relieve symptoms of joint pain.

Vitamins, potassium, antioxidants and good fats are ideal after a hard training session

They’re also a strong source of good fats for supporting a rider’s healthy immune function.

GREEK YOGURT This is a good source of protein and also very versatile for multiple sweet and savoury recipes. Greek yogurt is also full of probiotics to help improve gut function and health.

High in vitamin B12, which is key for formation of red blood cells, brain function and DNA synthesis.

“Avocado offers good quality fats to help support healthy immune function”

With a big protein hit, this smoothie is a perfect choice for a post-summer ride. The inclusion of blueberries, cherries and beetroot adds numerous health benefits as well, while bananas provide a strong source of potassium and fibre and they also offer energy-giving yet slowreleasing carbohydrates.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 1 • 100g frozen cherries • 250ml water • 100g raw chopped beetroot • 100g frozen strawberries • 100g frozen blueberries • Half a banana • 1 scoop whey protein (personal preference on flavour) METHOD 01 Place all the ingredients into a blender and serve immediately.

02 Add crushed ice for a bit of brain freeze!

NUTRITIONAL INFO 329 kcals • 50g carbohydrates • 5g fat • 11g fibre • 28g protein KEY INGREDIENTS BEETROOTS The reason why this is a perfect recovery smoothie option is down to the inclusion of raw beetroot, which is associated with numerous health benefits that range from increased blood flow, lower blood pressure and subsequently improved exercise performance.

BLUEBERRIES High in fibre to aid digestion. Also high in vitamin K1, which helps promote bone health,

and containing good levels of vitamin C to support immune function and skin health.

Pomegranate Smoothie Bowl A lower-calorie option that’s packed full of antioxidants, making this a great option for a recovery or rest-day breakfast.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 1 • 170g fresh pomegranate seeds • 1 banana • 120g frozen berries • 120ml coconut milk • Ice cubes Additional toppings to serve with: Chia seeds Coconut flakes Cocoa nibs METHOD 01 Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until your desired consistency.

02 If you want to have a thicker consistency then add more ice, if you prefer a thinner consistency then add more milk. Add any additional toppings you choose!

NUTRITIONAL INFO 198 kcals • 40g carbohydrates • 4g fat • 8g fibre • 3g protein KEY INGREDIENTS POMEGRANATE SEEDS These contain a high number of antioxidants, which can help protect against inflammation and free radicals caused by exercise.

Pomegranate seeds are also very high in vitamin C – almost 30% of an adult’s recommended daily intake (RDI) per 175 grams

Potassium, fibre and a great post-ride choice

Vitamin C and K and lots of topping options

– and vitamin K, 36% of your RDI. They’ve also been shown to fight against joint pain and to help lower blood pressure!

COCONUT MILK This may help to lower the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) and also increase the ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL cholesterol). It may also help to reduce inflammation.

FOODFIGHT! MILK VS DARK CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE Milk chocolate contains anywhere between 10-50% cocoa solids and is often diluted with milk, sugar and cream, which can increase the calorie, carbohydrate and fat content while reducing the nutrient density.

Dark chocolate, meanwhile, can contain anywhere between 50-90% cocoa solids that increases the nutrient density. Cocoa is a fantastic source of flavonoids, which are a particular type of antioxidant. These have been shown to reduce inflammation, improve vascular function and assist in lowering blood pressure. Both are things to eat in moderation!

VERDICT DARK CHOC WINS!

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RECIPES RICHARD TUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE SAYERS

Superfood Summer Smoothie

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makes for a pleasant break before I have to tackle those dreaded North Downs, and in particular that monstrous hill I’ve written about before, which comes between me and my house.

There is a bench nearby and as I sit, resting, the yew and I exchange our mutual thoughts and views pertaining to ageing – we’ve got much in common.

I ask the tree what being 1500 years old feels like.

Only silence. I agree, a daft question. Yews are male or female but can sometimes be both. This yew is female and I tell her that I have seen a female welwitschia plant in Namibia that is also 1500 years old, so she needn’t feel too bad. Again, nothing. I agree with her. How does it help her problem to know that something out there has similar ones?

I mention the recent twinges in my right knee that are irritating me while cycling and I wonder whether these twinges will become more serious over time.

I wear a knee brace, I explain to her, but I think the research on their effectiveness is questionable. Her branches make a creak. She, in turn, complains about the idiot that attached a door to her hollow trunk sometime around 1850. She’s had to put up with it for close to two centuries now.

I tell her that I’ve been thinking about getting an electric bike but that I also have reservations. I have absolutely nothing against ebikes, I continue, and if I was seeking a mode of regular, cheap reliable transport then having a bit of added power would be absolutely fine. However, in my autumn years, I go out to enjoy myself and to test my ageing muscles against established foes, such as that hill just before home. As much as I loathe it and shudder at the merest thought of it, it’s a test that tells me I’m still in the fight. Battling its contours offers a sort of masochistic pleasure, which I know I’m not alone in appreciating in the cycling community. For as long as I am able, I would like to travel according to my own abilities, even if that means my legs only take me around the block. Better to burn out than fade away.

The tree awakens, branches rub, needles drop and there is a creaking and shaking all around. Was that a sudden gust of wind? I don’t think so. The tree agrees with me. That’s why I admire her. She knows when to be silent and when to make a statement. You can’t beat 1500 years of wisdom. She probably has been around sufficiently long to have seen the Normans come marching up from Hastings. She must have thought: ‘Here comes another one...’

I say goodbye and start back home. That hill isn’t going to climb itself. Well, it would on an ebike but not on my old steel steed. Is it strange that an old cyclist talks to a comparatively aged yew? I do not think so. Oldies of whatever biological background need to stick together. Gaia demands it.

NORMAN’S WISDOM

Wonder of yew

NORMAN FLIRTS WITH THE IDEA OF AN EBIKE, BUT SOMETHING HOLDS HIM BACK

One of my regular routes takes me on a round trip of 50km, passing by three graveyards. Visiting them allows me to say hello to three old friends. Hey, take it easy, you’re jumping to conclusions about who exactly these friends are. They’re yew trees!

Depending on your age, there’s a tendency among people to add or subtract a few years. Kids and teenagers like to pretend they’re a bit older than they actually are, those approaching 40 wish they could take a few off, then when you get to my age some revert to type, adding a few years onto their real age in order to bathe in the reflected glory that advanced age seems to attract. I’m 85... and still looking to take a few years off.

Something similar is happening when people consider their local old yew trees. The website of the eldest yew in Crowhurst, where my most aged friend resides, claims an age of 4000 years. That is way over the top. My three old friends vary in age from 400 to around 1500 years old. My oldest friend is on my way home on this 50km ride, so a visit

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NORMAN LAZARUS Norman, 85, 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

ILLUSTRATION DAVID MAHONEY, DAVID SPARSHOTT

“As much as I loathe it and shudder at the merest thought of it, it’s a test that tells me I’m still in the fight”

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“After the second amputation, I tried to ride, but it was too difficult with the loss of power” loss of power on the pedal stroke and problems keeping my prosthetic feet on the pedals.”

“Riding a bike is one of my greatest achievements”

EX-SOLDIER BRUCE FALKENBERG LOST BOTH LEGS BELOW THE KNEE, BUT REDISCOVERING CYCLING HAS GIVEN HIM A NEW LEASE OF LIFE… “As an infantry soldier I developed severe plantar fasciitis and nerve damage to my lower legs due to military service wear and tear.

I had surgery, was on sick leave for two years, and turned to painkillers and alcohol. I put on weight and became depressed.

The pain worsened and I ended up making the decision to have both legs amputated below the knee.”

“I was a keen cyclist before I lost my legs and I used to ride almost

every day around the hills and fireroads near my home in Maesteg, Wales. Losing both lower legs rendered me disabled but, with the use of prosthetics, I could finally walk again.”

“With one prosthetic leg, riding a regular bike was quite easy – I needed only a toe cage on one of the pedals and a cycling socket.

After the second amputation though, I tried to ride it as before, but it was too difficult with the

BRUCE'S ALMIGHTY TIPS! Be adaptable. I would say to anyone wanting to get into cycling, especially with a disability, everything is adaptable. It may not be pretty but if it works, it works.

01

Discover more about Bruce’s story at helpforheroes.org. uk/bruce

Be inventive. I had to use some [1980s television hero] MacGyver tactics to attach the magnets onto the bottom of my cycling feet using jubilee clips – it certainly wasn’t pretty, but it worked amazingly well, keeping my feet attached to the magnets on my pedals.

02

“Riding a recumbent trike helped me to build up my strength and endurance safely. But I really wanted to get back to using an upright bike. I discovered that I’d need an electric one to assist my loss of pedal efficiency. I also needed some lightweight cycling legs and feet. With the help of my prosthetic centre, I found a set that worked along with magnetic pedals that help keep my feet on the pedals.”

“Today I can get out for a ride by myself. This is what I strived to do, to keep my independence. That’s my greatest cycling achievement to date but I’d like to do a charity ride of some sort to give back to Help for Heroes and [military charity] Blesma, who have helped me return to cycling.”

Don’t wait. If you want to start cycling to improve your health, just do it – stop procrastinating and get in the saddle. It works wonders for both the body and mind. Don’t feel embarrassed if you haven’t ridden for years – cycling is for everyone and nobody will judge you.

03

GET IN TOUCH Have you created a memorable cycling experience? Email us at cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk

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WORDS ROB KEMP

LIFEEXPERIENCE

“I tried to use cleats but found I couldn’t disengage from the pedals efficiently and fell off a lot. There were also the dead spots between 10 and 2 on the pedal revolution. This also caused blisters to form in the sockets of my prosthetics due to the effort. Using a recumbent trike was the best way I could mitigate these issues and I could get back into cycling once again.”

The world’s best riding advice BikeRadar is your premier source for news and reviews of bikes and cycling kit.

Whether you’re a beginner or a former pro, a roadie or a mountain biker, ZH SULGH RXUVHOYHV LQ R HULQJ \RX WKH ZRUOGȇV EHVW ULGLQJ DGYLFH

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CYCLINGMASTERCLASS

Conquer gravel EXPLORE EXCITING NEW TERRAIN AND IMPROVE YOUR OFF-ROAD SKILLS WITH THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GRAVEL BIKING FROM MARK BAILEY Gravel bikes are the hot new trend for road cyclists who want to enjoy wild off-road adventures without giving up the thrill of riding at pace along the roads.

Also known as adventure bikes, these exciting machines combine aerodynamic road frames with thick tyres and disc brakes, so you’re able to dash along the road at speed but also blast along gravel tracks, forest paths and mountain trails in a single exhilarating ride.

“Road cyclists will enjoy gravel riding because it takes you to completely different environments,” explains Nick Craig, a gravel bike expert at Scott Bikes (scott-sports.com) and a

multiple British cyclocross and mountain bike champion. “And you don’t need special clothing or equipment either.”

The quickest way to learn is simply to get out and explore. “If you’ve not ridden off road, then the best way to condition yourself for

“Road cyclists will enjoy gravel riding because it takes you to different environments”

the rough stuff is to ride off road,” says Josh Ibbett ( joshibbett.com), the 2020 GBDURO champion.

“Your body will soon get used to the vibrations and you’ll get stronger surprisingly quickly.”

But whether you want to explore the Peak District for pleasure, or test yourself in one of Britain’s many organised events such as The Dirty Reiver (dirtyreiver.co.uk), it helps to do your homework.

That’s why we asked a team of experts to share some technical tips, kit upgrades, nutritional advice and training ideas to help you get set for the big switch.

A gravel bike will prove fast on the road and offer good control when you hit rough stuff

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MASTERCLASS

PHOTOGRAPHY RUSSELL BURTON

Remember that speed is your friend on unstable riding surfaces

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OCTOBER 2021 121

And relax.

Try to keep your body as loose as you can when riding on gravel, for better grip and balance

GRAVELTIPS

10 steps to success From technique to kit, our experts provide their proven tips to power your gravel riding 01 STAY LOOSE The first challenge for road cyclists is how to deal with the shock of riding on bumpy, shifting terrain. The secret is to relax.

“Keep your body as loose as the surface,” says Richard Rollinson, online cycling coach at CPT Cycling (cptcycling.co.uk). “The more you keep your upper body relaxed, the more grip you’ll have over your front end.” Gently flex your elbows so you ‘flow’ over the terrain. If you see any hazards

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ahead, make small, controlled micro-adjustments to your line.

“The rest of your body tends to follow your head, so keep looking at the place you want to go, to help you stay balanced,” adds Ibbett.

02 GET THE GEARING When venturing off-road, you need a wider range of gears. “I have a single 42-tooth chainring and a 10-50t rear cassette and this setup allows me to go anywhere, on any trail, without running out of big gears on the road,” says Craig. “And a 1:1 ratio is helpful.”

A 1:1 gear ratio means that for every revolution of your cranks, your back wheel will also fully rotate once, giving you more balance and control on steep ascents. “With this setup, my second gear down is 42t, providing a perfect 1:1 ratio,” says Craig. “But I can also rely on the 50t sprocket in an ‘emergency’ on steep climbs.”

03 FEEL THE PRESSURE Gravel bikes run tyres from 32mm to 48mm in size so you

can enjoy more grip. A smooth tyre will roll better on roads, but a bumpier tread will add stability on trails. The choice is yours.

The choice of tyre pressure is a highly personal one, too.

“A lower pressure gives better grip but a higher chance of punctures,” explains Ibbett.

A standard gravel tyre runs at 45-70psi. But if you switch to tubeless tyres, you can ride at an even lower pressure, so your softer tyres can better ‘grip’ any uneven terrain. “The trick is to find the right balance,” says Ibbett. “Personally, I go for 28psi.”

04 NEAT CLEATS You don’t need any special gravel bike clothing but a pair of

“You don’t need any special clothing but mountain bike shoes with SPD pedals and cleats will help”

MASTERCLASS mountain bike shoes with SPD cleats and pedals will help. The exposed cleats of road-specific Shimano SPD-SL or Look pedals can get covered in dirt, making it harder to clip in. But SPD cleats are recessed within the soles of your cycling shoes, so mud doesn’t get in the way. SPD pedals are also double-sided, which makes it much easier to clip in on steep starts.

05 SPEED UP Although it’s very tempting to slow down out of caution, speed is actually your friend when you’re riding on unstable gravel surfaces. “It gives you better momentum and brings more control when steering,” says

07 ON THE RISE One of the trickiest techniques to master is how to ride up slippery or gravelcovered slopes. “The key is body weight distribution,” explains Ibbett. “When climbing an off-road slope, you need as much grip on the rear tyre as possible. Get your body weight over the back wheel by sitting back on the saddle, with your hands on the hoods. Also, select a gear that isn’t

“Although tempting to slow down, speed is your friend when you’re riding on unstable gravel” 06 FUEL UP Gravel rides can be highly taxing on the body so fuel up well. “I recommend porridge with 50:50 milk and water and some

gear and a lower cadence for wet mud or sand, switch to a to avoid slipping. plugs, spare inner tubes and a multi-tool. If you are venturing into wild terrain, it’s worth packing a chain tool and a spare link, just in case.

09 TAKE A BRAKE If you’re not used to riding a bike with disc brakes, which can be much more powerful than rim brakes, make sure you familiarise yourself with their power. Your front brake is more useful at speed, so try to use your front brake more often, and just feather your rear brake to help bring the bike under control.

10 SLOPE STYLE Riding downhill on a slippery gravel surface can be daunting, but again the secret is weight distribution. “As you start to feel gravity moving you forward, counteract this by moving back from your saddle,” suggests Rollinson. Perching just above your saddle as you squat backwards enables you to make small shifts in balance to ensure you stay in control.

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When climbing try to keep your weight as far back as possible, to increase grip and control

GRAVELWORKOUTS

Ultimate gravel sets Boost your power output on the grit and gravel with these benefit-led training sessions

WORKOUT 01 VO 2 MAX SESSION TIME 70 minutes THE BENEFITS Powering up slopes when you venture off road can be hard on your heart and lungs. V02 max work (sessions designed to improve your maximal oxygen uptake) will elevate your

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cardio-respiratory fitness and enhance your stamina for longer gravel rides. “By working just below your best power – close to your V02 max – you’ll increase your chances of developing your power at V02 max,” explains Richard Rollinson. “This’ll also improve your upper aerobic limit.”

KIT SUGGESTION “Invest in a cadence sensor and aim for slightly higher gearing and a lower cadence to help stabilise your pedalling movement,” suggests Rollinson.

For the main set do 4 x 5mins @ 105-120% FTP (90-100% HRM) with 5mins rest @ 30-56% FTP (50-60% HRM) between each effort. “These main set intervals should feel very hard, but below maximal,” says Rollinson.

COOL DOWN 10mins @ 56-76% FTP (60-70% HRM, a gentle pace)

WORKOUT 02 ROLLING TEMPO TIME 3 hours

NUTRITION “You shouldn’t need fuel during the ride itself, but as this is a higher-intensity workout, replace any electrolytes lost through sweat,” says Rollinson.

WARM-UP 5mins @ 30-56% FTP (50-60% HRM, easy spinning) MAIN SETS Start with 3 x 90sec efforts @ 105-120% FTP (90-100% HRM, very hard) with 3mins recovery @ 30-56% FTP (50-60% HRM).

THE BENEFITS Gravel adventures require short but sustained bursts of effort over what can be very challenging terrain – and it’s absolutely the same when it comes to gravel races. Rolling tempo drills will prepare you for racing. “These will help you to increase your effort when on the front of the group or move up through the bunch and then settle back into your rhythm again,” says Rollinson.

MASTERCLASS The bonuses of hitting the gravel include clean air and no vehicles A 1:1 ratio gear will help you ride up steeper climbs on looser surfaces

KIT SUGGESTION As this is a longer session, get a bike computer with a unit timer to remind you to eat every 30mins.

NUTRITION “Aim to consume 25g of carbs and 10g of protein every half an hour,” says Rollinson. “Go for solid food like bars or rice cakes for the first hour or two, and then move onto gels later. The solid food will give you longer-lasting energy and the digestible gels will be more usable towards the end of your ride.”

“Go for solid food like bars or rice cakes for the first hour or two, then move on to gels”

WARM-UP 10mins @ 56-76% FTP (60-70% HRM)

10mins @ 76-88% FTP (70-80% HRM, which is a pace that you’re able to sustain for two hours) in between each one.

Fully recover for 5mins @ 56-76% FTP (60-70% HRM) then do a second set.

MAIN SET 7 x 1min @ 105-120% FTP (90-100% HRM), with

COOL DOWN 10mins @ 56-76% FTP (60-70% HRM).

TOP GRAVEL GEAR CONQUER THE GRIT WITH THIS RECOMMENDED KIT

01 02

GRAVEL EVENTS

03

IMAGE JOSEPH BRANSTON

THREE UK GRAVEL RACES TO CONQUER IN 2021

L AKE MX 176 £135 These gravel-specific shoes offer a great balance of performance and comfort at an excellent price. Impressive power transfer too.

01

DIRTY REIVER An exhilarating 200km dash around the stunning Kielder Castle Forest Park in Northumberland, this is a tough but rewarding adventure (11 September).

THE GRAVEL SERIES: HAMPSHIRE These 20-50km events start at Matterley Bowl near Winchester and then head straight for the South Downs Way. Expect mud on 14 November.

Z I PP TANG E NTE COU R S E G40 £64 These gravel tyres excel on hardpacked loose-topped tracks, where they seem to take any amount of punishment without puncturing.

02 RIDGEWAY 100 48, 86 and 107km options are available on this tough test over one of Europe’s oldest highways (above). It starts and ends in Chilton, Didcot, on 11 September.

L A Z E R CHAM E LEON £49.99 The Chameleon is a bargain when it comes to protection on dirt roads and offers more coverage at the rear than a standard road lid.

03

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John on a descent – make sure your brakes are working!

Gradients reach 30%, so watch out for riders off their bikes

EVENT FOCUS

Fred Whitton Challenge BRITAIN’S MOST NOTORIOUS SPORTIVE? THREETIME RIDER - BUT ONLY TWO-TIME FINISHER JOHN WHITNEY MAKES THE CASE a long way to a more enjoyable experience. On a wet day these dizzying descents get slippery, so don’t pretend you can become Fred-fit on the turbo trainer.

You need to get outside, in all conditions, to replicate a day that can chew you up and spit you out.

The Fred Whitton Challenge, one of the oldest sportives in the country, dates back to 1999. It’s since cemented its lofty position in the UK sportive landscape and finishing its murderous route is up there as an achievement with the big Euro sportives. After the pandemic-enforced cancellation of the 2020 event, for 2021 it’s been pushed back from its usual early May position to September. Expect similarly compromising weather that so often defines the ‘Fred’.

THE RIGHT KIT

PRE-RIDE PREP

The route clubs together the Lake District’s most ferocious mountain passes, including Hardknott, Wrynose and Honister, with gradients consistently 20 per cent and above. Hone your climbing of course, but finessing your descending ability will go

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We’ve spoken to mechanics at the event in the past, who’ve been shocked at the state of the bikes that riders have brought with them; brake pads down to the bone on some of the country’s steepest roads the biggest concern.

This was in the time before disc brakes on road bikes; on one hand, the power of disc brakes and their performance in the wet is good news for riders here, but being unable to see the condition of your pads, unlike with rim brake pads, means that poorly functioning brakes is a more likely occurrence.

Make sure you replace your brake pads - disc or rim - in the fortnight before, with time to bed them in.

THE RIDE

The Fred Whitton outgrew its old Coniston site by 2014, moving

RACE STATS 3285m Elevation gain of the 113-mile route

30% Max gradient of Hardknott Pass

£n/a Only £250 sponsorship places left

to the much larger Grasmere site that it occupies today. Riders can register on the Saturday (1-5pm) for a quick Sunday getaway, or alternatively on the day, and you can start any time between 6am and 8am. The best riders tame the frightful course in around 6hrs, with the slowest up to double that.

ENTRY

The event is always oversubscribed, with a ballot deciding who gets a ride each year. Entries for 2021 have been carried over from the aborted 2020 event, so the start list has been full for some time, but at time of writing entries remain for those able to raise at least £250 for the event’s chosen charities. Alternatively, if you volunteer to help steward this year’s event you will get a guaranteed £25 entry to 2022.

FOUR SEASONS CHALLENGE

If you miss out on entry, there’s a year-round ride that you can do under your own steam, with a phone app available to record your ride and raise money for charity. fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY TOM SIMPSON

FRED STATS Location Grasmere, Cumbria Next date 19 September 2021 Distances 113 miles Price Charity sponsorship only

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FITNESS AND TRAINING

12-WEEK TRAINING PLAN FOR SPORTIVE SUCCESS HEALTHY HABITS

SUMMER

TRAINING TIPS TO BUILD FITNESS AND STAMINA EVERESTING

AUTUMN

ALTITUDE SLICKNESS The cycling phenomenon of the Covid-19 era has been ‘Everesting’.

We reveal how to prepare for climbing 8848m – the height of Mount Everest – in a single ride

ithin a year of taking up cycling, Alice Thomson pedalled to the height of Mount Everest - by riding up Naish Hill near Bristol 89 consecutive times. The 26-year-old veterinary student is one of thousands of gritty riders who’ve tackled an ‘Everesting’ challenge, clocking up 8848m of vertical gain, the height of the world’s most famous peak, through repetitions of a single climb, in one gruelling ride. She has a few regrets (“I tried to eat some fancy mushroom ravioli mid-ride but they were disgusting and I felt sick”), while locals thought she was insane (“A guy in a car pulled over in the evening and said, ‘I

saw you at 8am! You’re still here!’”). But Thomson battled through to set what was then the women’s world record of 12 hours and 32 minutes.

“I would thoroughly recommend giving it a go,” she says. Thomson tackled the challenge in August 2018 while doing office work that left her dreaming about wild adventures. “If you like Type 2 fun – miserable at the time, but fun in retrospect – you’ll love it. There are many different ways to do it: a full Everest climb, an Everest ‘base camp’ climb (half the height of Everest), solo or with friends. And now is a good time because… what else is there to do?”

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T H E WIGH T ST U F F Pristine roads and easy navigation make a lap of the Isle of Wight a must-do for all roadies WORDS JAMES WITTS PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE SAYERS

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Isle of Wight

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ne sunny morning, Cycling Plus editor Matt, photographer Steve and I cycled off the ferry from Southampton to East Cowes. We were here on the Isle of Wight to ride the perimeter of the island – around 65 miles – in a day. We’d stay overnight in Gurnard, West Cowes, and return to the mainland the following morning, but it’s easily doable in a day, meaning a foot-passenger day ticket is an option.

A B OV E Glorious views are a good distraction on the climbs

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The Isle bills itself as a cycling island. And a walking island. And a running island. If it moves, the marketing team tag and sell it. It’s also a fossil island, with professional and amateur palaeontologists flocking here, with finds as old as 130 million years. However, this set-adrift land only broke from the mainland around 8000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. Sea levels rose, flooding the Solent. This didn’t stop enterprising Celts populating the island and it was they who gave it its name in 400BC, Wight meaning ‘place of the division’.

What lies beneath, then, is a huge pull for dinosaur hunters. What sits above is equally appealing for bike riders, as the roads are the smoothest you’ll find anywhere in the UK. I’m no engineer, but having ridden in France I read that their smoother surfaces are down to using less-coarse asphalt because of lower rainfall. I can’t verify this, but the Isle does enjoy less rain.

Whatever the reason, potholes are a pockmark reserved for the mainland. The roads are also quiet. Usually. But as we climbed out of East Cowes and headed toward the east coast and Nettlestone, traffic was busier than normal thanks to the rise of the ‘staycation’.

Things soon settled down once we passed Osborne House, the former residence of Queen Victoria and the place where she departed this mortal coil. It’s worth a visit, as ornate furnishings and artefacts decorate the rooms and corridors where Victoria entertained heads of state; in fact, echoes of the empire emanate from every chamber including the frankly psychedelic Durbar Room, designed by Rudyard Kipling’s father John Lockwood in an elaborate Indian style.

Our languid, relaxed pace was mirrored by the lazy mobile connection – a plus point on holiday but, if you’re married to GPS, download

the route to your bike computer first. Then again, it’s not really necessary as the route is clearly signposted, whichever direction you’re circumnavigating the island. Chapeau to the marketing board from technophobes like I.

A B OV E L E F T A circuit of the island can easily be covered in a single day’s ride

T O P R IG H T Fast-twitcher meets slowtwitcher on multiple climbs

Sea-ing is believing The east side of the island is characterised by a series of climbs that rise and fall sharply for around 40 metres elevation. It’s hardly severe, but they are still numerous and steep enough to hurt when you’re tipping the scales at a packet of peanuts over 14 stone. I’ve always prided myself on endurance, a proliferation of slowtwitch muscle fibres easing this two-wheeled tortoise to the finish. Sadly, slow-twitchers come at the expense of hare-like fast-twitchers, meaning this is a route profile that cuts deep. It’s death by a thousand inclines.

Editor Matt has no such issues, his lithe nine-stone stature rising up the hills with the metronomic confidence of the garlic bulbs that burst into life at this time of year. They’re an Isle staple, with French soldiers in the Second World War discovering that garlic flourished here due to the chalky soil, light and unique climate.

The section towards Bembridge is arguably the most workmanlike of the ride, though

Sadly, for slowtwitchers the route profile cuts deep. It’s death by a thousand inclines...

pleasant enough with chilled flat stretches beneath canopies of trees. For an island tour, the first 25km are devoid of sea views, but that changes at Bembridge. This is home to many of the island’s wealthiest residents, a place where yachts bob away beneath the Earl of Yarborough Monument, a massive obelisk of granite to commemorate the man who was the first Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes. If it’s an imposing nod to the island’s maritime past, Sir Ben Ainslie is a nod to its present. The Olympic sailing legend lives in Seaview on the north-east of the Isle and there’s talk that his team, Ineos Team UK, will compete in the next America’s Cup, with Cowes mooted as the venue. If it happens, it’d be over 170 years since the first America’s Cup was contested around this land.

The roads then narrowed and flattened and we were spewed out somewhere familiar – hazily familiar. For this was Appuldurcombe House, the shell of a large 18th-century Baroque country house that doubled as my wedding venue. On that late-March 2018 Saturday, attendees at what they’d term the world’s coldest wedding (climatically not emotionally) witnessed us both forgetting the first dance, no doubt a blessing for all present. Then my wife

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Make sure you’re well fuelled for heading up the west side as a gradual, grinding ascent to Blackgang burns a match or two. It’s well worth the effort, though, as the views are incredible

The climbs reward with views of the English Channel

fell asleep before we cut the cake, and my dad and best man had to carry her to bed.

The bits we can remember are memorable, but not as memorable as the goings-on of former owner Sir Richard Worsley, who gained notoriety for insisting his wife, Seymour, accept countless lovers – up to 27 – so he could satiate his voyeuristic sexual urge by observing through the keyhole. It was one of 18thcentury Britain’s greatest scandals and was immortalised in the 2015 film The Scandalous Lady W starring Natalie Dormer.

The hunt for food We headed further west to Niton and the salubrious environs of Norris’ family grocers for a banquet of prawn wrap, chicken breast, cashew nuts and water to refill electrolytefizzing bottles. It proved revitalising but also highlighted the paucity of bike provisions, especially on the south of the island.

Make sure you’re well fuelled for heading up the west side as a gradual, grinding ascent to Blackgang burns a match or two. It’s well worth the effort, though, as the views are incredible.

Where the east was dominated by hedgerows and trees, the west is open fields that draw your senses to the English Channel.

We descended at speed before drawing to an abrupt halt at the base of Blackgang to reprise a childhood memory, for here is the theme park that’d lit up the imagination of many a child’s summer holidays. Blackgang Chine, opened in the 1840s, is the oldest theme park in the UK. Its original remit of offering scenery and curiosity to the middle classes led to its most famous attraction, a large whale skeleton washed up by nearby Needles. It’s still a showpiece today alongside the Rumpus Mansion, the Valley of the Dodos and Cowboy Town. It’s a ramshackle, eccentric and charming park and an antidote to

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modern-day sterility – so much so that it’s featured in the book, Bollocks to Alton Towers.

The Military Road then carried us through the often-windswept Area of Outstanding Beauty and along the Tennyson Heritage Coast. Here, there are few buildings and a wild and desolate atmosphere. Roadkill is common, despite the appreciated paucity of cars, but life flourishes, too, with birds of prey above, resting on fence posts and watching fields of alpacas. Or llamas.

I’m never quite sure which is which.

A B OV E Spiky ascents and exhilarating descents are aplenty

Straight outta Compton The official route deviates inland to pass Brighstone and its rows of thatched cottages and traditional farmhouses. It’s here that we took a breather for further fuel and fluids, boosting flagging glucose levels. More specifically, we’re in the car park of Compton Beach, aka fossil nirvana with its famous dinosaur footprint that’s still visible at low tide. It’s an outlier among subtler fossilisation, so if like me the only fossil you’d recognise is a concentric ammonite and your Isle ride coincides with a holiday, I’d recommend a guided fossil-hunting tour. Either that or persist with trying to

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My inner Nibali was replaced by my 44-year-old father-of-two me so I scrubbed some speed

convince your family that the white pebble you’ve picked up is a dinosaur tooth.

We were around 75-80km in and the longest ascent of the day awaited, made easier by the still sunny conditions. The exposed ridge overlooking Freshwater can resemble a wind tunnel, however, so bear that in mind for autumnal adventures. Hit the peak, suck in the view, breathe in the sea air and enjoy an exhilarating descent into Freshwater where 65kph registered on my computer. I smiled, then nervously smiled. My inner Vincenzo Nibali was replaced by, well, my 44-year-old father-of-two me and I scrubbed some speed. It was still memorable, just safely memorable.

Freshwater celebrates the cerebral with an annual literary festival. Its most famous writer was Poet Laureate Alfred Tennyson, who sought escape from his legion of fans in the 1850s.

Charles Dickens and Enid Blyton were both reportedly inspired by the isle, as is current resident Alan Titchmarsh, whose raunchy novels inspired The Guardian to call Alan’s style “sex in a pullover”.

The remainder of the ride was characterised by more sedate stimulation: peaceful country

L O C A L K NOW L E D G E DISTANCE 104km/65 miles TOTAL ELEVATION 1350m/4429ft GRADE Naughty steep pitches crank up difficulty DOWNLOAD komoot.com/tour/428899729

T O P R IG H T Journey’s end: from a land bridge to a ship’s bridge

lanes, wild flowers and rolling roads through the town of Newton. This is where our photographer’s ebike ran out of power. Steve’s grin turned to a grimace, his bike from friend to foe. With around 10km to go, Steve’s ride had arguably just begun. He dug deep and against grey clouds creeping over from the mainland’s Lowry-like industrial backdrop – this time of Fawley oil refinery rather than Salford – we reached our West Cowes finish line, over seven hours after we set off, albeit a good portion of that devoted to stops for photography.

There is a heaven that shines over the Isle of Wight, especially for road cyclists. The safe, fast, smooth roads are mainly traffic-free, and a sense of history and beauty pervades every pedal stroke. It’s one of the sunniest places in England, enjoying an average 37 hours of weekly sun compared to a mere 29 on the mainland. With over 1350m of climbing, from short, sharp pitches on the east side to longer, shallower drags on the west side, a lap of the island is a wonderful, challenging day for all, with committed masochists having the option to ride both clockwise and anti-clockwise in the same day.

WHERE TO STAY We stayed at Pebbles Lodge, Gurnard, on the west side of Cowes. The lodges are in the owner’s garden and are comfortable and clean. Just remember to close the side gate so the owner’s dog doesn’t escape! It was £100 for the night and we booked via booking.com WHERE TO EAT Our late finish, drained energy resources and Euro 2020 football on the telly saw us acquire lessthan-textbook refuelling via

Sainsbury’s Indian ready-meals. The next morning, before our ferry back to the mainland, we enjoyed breakfast at Joliffe’s Eatery in Cowes. I had the tasty eggs benedict but would recommend something a little less saucy if followed by cycling.

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Komoot is an app that lets you find, plan, and share adventures with the easy route planner. Driven by

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RIDING FOR A CAUSE

How to raise big money for charity on two wheels

BIG WHEEL BONANZA

Wacky Penny-farthing racing in Sweden

ADVENTURE ADDICTS

The best bikes, rides and races in the gravel world

ON SALE 29 SEPTEMBER 2021

NED F I N A L W O R D

With the wind in your face, cycling offers respite from oppressive heat

FINAL WORD

MERCURY RISING

A bicycle’s charm is bottomless, Ned discovers

write this dispatch from the middle of a heatwave. Because submission runs a few weeks ahead of print, it’s possible the UK’s weather has reverted to type and become, once again, an amorphous sequence of disappointing summer days when you are never very far from the likelihood of drizzle. So let me remind you of the heatwave of late July…

Ice-creams melted before they could be consumed, particularly problematic if it was a Magnum Classic, from which great shards of wilting chocolate would cascade like the seaward shelf of an Antarctic glacier.

Nights became a thing of dread, not so much restorative as a 10-hour torture in which the desire for sleep was pitted against the violent disruption of sticking bedsheets and a sole mosquito intent on settling on the fleshy pad of one’s earlobe. In short, the heatwave was fun for about one morning. By midday on day one it had become yet another thing to complain about in our ever growing list of stuff we detest. We longed for rain.

Let that sink in: we LONGED for RAIN. And yet, dear reader, there was always the bicycle.

For those of you who have been following this column, and the intense scrutiny and fascination the bicycle’s brilliance merits ever since its first edition in 1885, it will come as no surprise that once again the bicycle

I

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NED BOULT ING SPORTS JOURNALIST Ned is the main commentator for ITV’s Tour de France coverage and editor of The Road Book, now in its second edition. He also tours his own one-man-show.

provided balm to the soul and an easement of the distress. The humble bike rescued me, and probably you, from evaporation, both mental and physical.

There are almost no sports that are fun in a heatwave, except possibly ice-hockey. Running becomes a braincoddling invitation for total corporeal system failure.

And anything involving a ball, simply appalling. But cycling is curiously okay: the very bit about cycling that makes it hard suddenly becomes the thing that supplies the solution to the problem of overheating. Basically, a bicycle turns on a fan in your face.

Alright, London’s fetid atmosphere may not be airconditioned, but the simple bike-generated movement of air, however hot, is an intense relief. Every day I’d last about two hours before inventing some spurious context for hopping on the bike and nipping down the shops again. Cheese biscuits, a box of lateral flow tests, a bottle of wine; it simply didn’t matter what the ostensible mission was, the journey was point of focus.

I would ride deliberately slowly in order to extend the duration, to feel the soothing breeze a few moments more, before freewheeling to a halt and sensing the dead weight of still, hot, sultry air descend on me once again, flattening my spirit and sapping my energy.

And besides, hot weather riding makes me think I’m overseas on holiday. A spin to the garage at the end of the road for a packet of Quavers felt like I was jauntily freewheeling down the pathway to the beach. Riding as far as the DLR station and up the hill to Tesco seemed akin to setting off for a saunter through vineyards before arriving at an artisan market selling figs and locally produced olive oil. Hot weather turns London into a thing it is not, and the carefree movement of the bicycle, weaving its way through stationary lines of diesel engines puffing out their invisible poison, was the closest thing to liberty that the summer of 2021, Freedom Day ’n’ all, ever really managed to impart in my post-pandemic worry and neurosis.

Bikes are made for summer. Yes, they’ll do a job for you in the winter; pushing through puddles, grinding along gritted roads and dodging downpours. But bikes are never happier than when the sun sits high in the sky. It’s then that they wink at you from the corner of the shed/garage/hallway, promising escape from the torpor. Even climbing a hill in the heat of the summer is a pleasure, given the certain knowledge that what goes up must come joyfully, wonderfully, refreshingly down.

I never thought of them as seasonal beasts before, but now I know this to be true. And with the climate emergency bearing down on the planet and forcing the mercury ever higher, once again the bicycle’s protective loyalty to the human race will continue to inspire a devotion few other objects can ever match.

ILLUSTRATION DAVID MAHONEY IMAGE GETTY IMAGES

“A spin to the garage for a packet of Quavers felt like I was freewheeling down the pathway to the beach”

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