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MOVE OVER CARBON, IT’S AFFORDABLE ALLOY’S TIME TO SHINE

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ISSUE 385

NOVEMBER 2021

HIGHLIGHTS POWER STRUGGLE 44 FTP is everyone’s favourite training metric. But does it have flaws?

RIDE FOR A REASON 50 Fundraisers reveal their proven tips for turbo-charging donations

IN FOR A PENNY...

58 Big-wheel fun at the Sweden 3 Days penny-farthing bonanza

ROUGH DIAMOND 52-page bonus mag devoted to all things adventure

Cornish nasty: Nick Busca aims high in Cornwall’s steep lanes P122

9 NOVEMBER 2021

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ISSUE 385

NOVEMBER 2021

30

76

Specialized Allez Sport

MET Manta MIPS

80

Reserve 32 Gravel 700c DT 350

GEAR & BIKE REVIEWS… VIB

NEW GEAR

26 Hope delivered Team GB a very special track bike for the Tokyo Olympics and now you can own the TT version

72 Upgrades including Zipp 353 NSW wheels, Met Manta MIPS helmet, Gaerne Carbon G.STL shoes and much more

BIKE TEST

BUYER’S GUIDE: POWER

30 Aluminium bike frames have come to rival carbon in recent years and this issue we test out four of the best

86 We test the best of the current power meter crop and answer all your key questions, including: do you really need one?

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! SAVE 30% & GET A GIFT

INSIDE EVERY MONTH… Rob Ainsley isn’t feeling guilty 24

BIKE TEST

66 First ride tests of VanMoof’s S3 urban ebike and the latest iteration of the legendary Genesis Tour de Fer

92 Two traction-boosting eGravel bikes from GT and Kinesis that are making off-road adventures more fun

10 NOVEMBER 2021

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TRAINING ZONE

14 The 2021 AJ Bell Tour of Britain reviewed in pictures, the unfortunate demise of the Tour de Yorkshire in The Spin, three enticing routes in Northampton and why you’ll want the Fidlock Vacuum phone mount

105 How your sense of smell might unlock endurance gains, the best big ride breakfast recipes, how Christina MacKenzie broke the Land’s End to John o’Groats record and the Mallorca 312 profiled

MASTERCLASS: AERO Norman Lazarus is a man on a mission 110

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NEW BIKES

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THE BIG RIDE

Ned Boulting is looking in the rearview 130

122 Cornwall has had a big summer, hosting the G7, Tour of Britain pro race and seemingly just about every ‘staycationer’ in Britain.

Cycling Plus joins the hordes in this issue’s Big Ride

114 The focus on aerodynamics in cycling remains intense and for good reason, too: it remains fertile ground in the pursuit of speed. This month’s Masterclass reveals the changes you can make to go faster

SPORTFUL FIANDRE - MADE FOR THE ELEMENTS

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HIGHLIGHTS… WRONG NUMBER?

CycleFit co-founder Phil Cavell offered some thought-provoking views on using functional threshold power (FTP) as a training metric recently, and we’ve followed that up with a full investigation on using FTP as a benchmark (p44).

RETURN TO KERNOW

If, like me and seemingly most of the UK, you went to Cornwall on your summer holiday then there are far worse ways to relive the rolling roads, beaches, glasses of Doom Bar and those pasties than Nick Busca’s fine Big Ride experience (p122).

know what you’d like to see featured in the magazine.

Enjoy the issue...

Matt Baird, Editor

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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.

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EDITED BY JOHN WHITNEY

14 NOVEMBER 2021

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THE BIG PICTURE

IMAGE SWPIX

THE BIG PICTURE AJ BELL TOUR OF BRITAIN

NO PLACE LIKE HOME After the blow of a pandemic-enforced postponement in 2020, the AJ Bell Tour of Britain made up for lost time with a scintillating return in September.

Good weather played its part, particularly in the early southwest stages, but it was the riders who made the race on a fabulous route, with Brit Ethan Hayter separating superstars Wout van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe on the final podium

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NOVEMBER 2021 15

THE BIG PICTURE AJ BELL TOUR OF BRITAIN

Over the past decade it’s been rare for a rider outside of the WorldTour elite to win stages here. They’ll always have a sniff, usually in the day’s break, but it’s a 100-1 shot. Robin Carpenter (Rally Cycling) was the break’s sole survivor into Exeter on stage 2 for a career-defining win

The race has visited Llandudno’s Great Orme headland before in 2014, but rather than go around it, as with that visit, they went up

The fastest rider up the Great Orme was Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert, who was floored by the climb.

One of the favourites for September’s World Championships in Flanders, van Aert threw the kitchen sink at the race, winning four stages and the overall ToB title

16 NOVEMBER 2021

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THE BIG PICTURE AJ BELL TOUR OF BRITAIN

IMAGES SWPIX

After his Tour de France heroics, the race was a joyous homecoming for Mark Cavendish, with fans lining the roads for an autograph or glimpse of the Manxman. But it was compatriot Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) who led the British charge with a second place finish

Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo-Visma) rewards 12-year-old fan Xander Graham with his bidon on stage 7. The youngster became a star when he outrode the breakaway from the pavement, digging deep and forcing a reaction from the riders. “We were riding fast but he was completely sprinting and he looks like a talented kid,” said Eenkhoorn

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NOVEMBER 2021 17

THE SPIN

ORGANISED CHAOS

The demise of the Tour de Yorkshire epitomises the challenge of staging pro bike races o. Farewell, then, Tour de Yorkshire.

It’s been announced that the annual four-day stage race, according to race organiser ASO’s CEO Yann Le Moenner, “will not be organised in 2022”. There was nothing in the statement announcing its cancellation to suggest it would be back in time for 2023, or any subsequent year after that.

The race’s lifespan was similar to another British pro race first organised around the same time, the RideLondon-Surrey Classic. Both were born out of whirlwind romances, the TdY in 2015 through the relationship between ASO and tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire following the organisation of the Tour de France start in 2014; and RideLondon building on the momentum generated by the 2012 Olympic Games and first staged in 2013. But both have suffered messy splits, beset by funding problems, as the hype surrounding pro cycling in the boom years immediately following Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France win in 2012 faded. While the women’s race in London, the RideLondon Classique, is set to continue beyond this year, the men’s race has been quietly dropped.

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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

The Tour de Yorkshire promised much. As Le Moenner said in the statement announcing TdY’s demise, the race’s strengths from the outset could be found in “a route that seemed built for cycling”.

Yorkshire’s roads are indeed peerless cycling terrain - and that’s coming from someone who grew up over the border in Lancashire. A new race needs far more than that, however, to succeed.

Who’s paying for it is undoubtedly important when organising bike races. Without turnstiles bringing in gate receipts, as with most sports, how to cover the costs of staging the race is a perennial problem. Organisers like ASO need local partners like Welcome to Yorkshire and the relevant councils to substantially chip in, as tourism generated by the race ultimately benefits them. With the Covid-19 pandemic hitting everybody, all of the stakeholders are cutting their cloth accordingly, which makes bike races like the TdY something of a luxury.

Pandemic or not, bike races have always come and gone, precisely because the financial model is so precarious. ASO is the biggest bike race organiser in the world, but exists in a landscape where its own event, the Tour de France, eclipses every other race on the planet, including its own stellar stable of races. In the last few years, other races that it has organised have fallen by the wayside, including the Critérium International and the Tour of Qatar, which both departed this mortal coil in 2016.

Organisers are not just competing for capital, but also with history, because so much of this sport is tied to its past. One-day races like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders are, with their cobble stones, aesthetically distinctive races, but much of their prestige is generated by 100-plus years of history.

As such they have their own place on the calendar, targetted by the best riders of the day as seasonand career-defining goals. It’s rare for new races to carve out their own sporting niche on the calendar, with Tuscany’s Strade Bianche (2007), staged on the glorious white roads of the Italian region, the shining recent example.

Footing the cost of bike races is never easy and it always feels more acute in times of crisis, such as now. I write this as the 2021 Tour of Britain – make that the AJ Bell Tour of Britain, as it’s just acquired a new title sponsor – is about to get underway. It’s a race that’s made hay in the cycling-crazed years following London 2012 and chipped away quietly in subsequent quieter years, without title sponsors.

SweetSpot, the organiser, is in it for the long haul and British cycle sport is fortunate to still have the race in this most turbulent of sporting calendars.

ILLUSTRATIONS DAVID MAHONEY, MICK MARSTON

“Without turnstiles bringing in gate receipts, how to cover the costs of staging the race is a perennial problem”

YOU STRIVE TO PERFORM AT YOUR BEST.

Ride responsibly and always respect the rules of the road.

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W H Y YO U WA N T

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FIDLOCK VACUUM PHONE MOUNT AND CASE £29.99 (Mount) £29.99 (Case) Ingenious phone sucker erman brand Fidlock is known for its clever twistlock magnetic system, which has been used for bag mounts, cageless bottle fittings and smart helmet straps. Now it’s designed an all-new phone mount that combines magnets and a vacuum to make one of the most minimal, adjustable and secure phone mounts we’ve ever seen.

The large, 60mm-diameter suction cup has a central 35mm-diameter magnetic disc, which is mirrored on the accompanying phone case (available for iPhone, iPhone Mini, iPhone Max, Samsung S Series and Galaxy Ultra).

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20 NOVEMBER 2021

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The mount fitting is inset on the phone case, which is neat and unlike most phone mount cases. This means there are no sticky-out bits or extra bulk. Fidlock offers different mounts – from a standard bar mount to a unit that replaces your bike’s headset cap and allows you to fit your phone neatly and centrally just behind your bars. It even offers a mount to attach the phone to the air vents in your car, so you can use the Fidlock case on more than just your bike.

The magnetic discs on both the mount and phone case have a micro-tooth pattern around the perimeter allowing you to rotate your phone through a full

360°, even when the phone is locked and vacuum sealed in the mount.

The Vacuum is impressively tenacious, even to the extent that we could lift the bike by the phone alone. The seal also damps out vibrations, so your phone is both secure and safe.

The way you release your phone is as easy and clever as the way you attach it.

At the base of the mount, underneath the suction cup, is a secondary ring, which you pull up on to break the vacuum seal and release your phone.

The mount is light at just 46.3g (61.8g for the stem-cap mount), but case weights vary depending on size and phone type.

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BIKERADAR.COM

NOVEMBER 2021 21

RIDES LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

NORTHAMPTON Quiet lanes through orangestone thatched villages

Steady, middle-England Northampton offers pleasant and quick ways in and out the centre, thanks to the River Nene and Grand Union Canal. These modestly delightful circuits have few hills but plenty of gentle variety, making things easy but never boring. The town has all the facilities you’d expect, plus a fantastic cyclists’ pub.

ROUTE ONE

WESTERN LOOP 62 MILES VILLAGE PEOPLE Easy run through quaint Northants villages. Waterside route out of town, backroads to Daventry Reservoir (cafes in town centre). Pleasant run with sidetrips to quaint Badby, Eydon. Towcester Racecourse, Stoke Bruerne’s canal pubs and museum, Salcey Forest.

GET THE ROUTE: komoot.com/ tour/456405614

ROUTE TWO

EASTERN LOOP 48 MILES EASY SIGHTS AND SCENES Light, villagey jaunt. Waterside route east from town and lanes to Castle Ashby (cafe). Quiet run to Harrold-Odell country park (cafe) and easily to Olney (cafes). Back via Salcey Forest (cafe) and NCN6 home.

GET THE ROUTE: komoot.com/ tour/456407427

ROUTE THREE

GRAVEL LOOP 43 MILES RAILTRAILS, TRACKS AND TRACES NCN6 railtrail north; pretty Chapel Brampton then circuit of Pitsford Water (cafe) and Brixworth (cafe). More railtrail then handy farm track from Maidwell.

Back villages and lanes, and a forest-road charmer – then scruffy farm track – back to NCN6.

GET THE ROUTE: komoot.com/ tour/456410042

STOP FOR CAKES GROUNDS CAFE

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Forest Park cafe with usual good light meals and drinks, plus ice-cream stall. Open every day of the week too.

WHERE Salcey Forest NN7 2HX

One-man, old-style (good!), friendly cubbyhole workshop in town centre. Basic spares.

Closed Sun. WHERE Northampton NN1 1RA

Superb for cyclists: take bikes through the bar to excellent beer garden, great beers, food and ambience.

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Earliest riser in cafe district, from 7.30am. Outside tables, range of meals, pastries, etc.

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Good flat family-friendly 7-mile gravel bike track round country park reservoir. Hire from Rutland Cycles.

WHERE Pitsford Water NN6 9DG

22 NOVEMBER 2021

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ILLUSTRATION TOM WOOLLEY

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LIFE CYCLE

GUILT EDGED

Some new cyclists feel guilty about ‘car bothering’ bike lanes. They shouldn’t be, says Rob Ainsley... ’ve just been guiding a cycle tour of London and the Thames Path. It was a mixed group, some on two-grand carbon bikes with big-mileage Strava profiles, others on a mate’s old MTB posting snaps of ice-cream to Facebook. I’d guided parties over the same route in the past, but this time it was better. Part of the trip is ‘London sights from the saddle’ – Regent’s Canal, Hyde Park, Buck House, Big Ben, Tower Bridge – and pre-2016 this meant hairy roads. This time it was on relaxed, fun, segregated Cycleways – as London’s Cycle Superhighways and Quietways now self-identify.

All the riders were gleeful and enthusiastic about them, but some were also guilty. Good for tourists but not London, they thought. Poor drivers, stuck in queues caused by the cycle lanes. I responded firmly.

(Actually, I said, “Cobblers!” a lot.) Transport for London claims 260km of “high-quality” cycle routes installed since 2016. (I’ll accept TfL’s definition of ‘high-quality’; I buy bike stuff from the sales in Aldi and Lidl, after all.) And there’s 14,800km of roads in London. So, the proportion of London roads with Cycleways is under 2 per cent. (Proportion of trips made by bike was 2.5 per cent in 2018, apparently

I

24 NOVEMBER 2021

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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

5 per cent since lockdown.) But only a fraction of those Cycleways take usable space away from motor traffic. So I reckon the proportion of London roads, which could get more carriageway if you removed the cycle lanes is under 1 per cent. That ain’t causing the congestion. The traffic is.

There was more guilt as our group glided along the Cycleway from the Tower to Parliament Square, past stationary traffic. Oh, we’re holding London up.

More shoemaking invocations from me. “With the Cycleway, more people are moving,” I said. Convert the bike lane to a car lane and you’d merely get two lines of stationary traffic. But we’re all zipping through, keeping the flow up. London’s cycle lanes are not installed as a favour, but for economic efficiency. Rush-hour roads are full; Cycleways are the only way to boost capacity. I’ve recently ridden similar lanes in Birmingham (A38), Nottingham (N3), Bradford (CS1) and others. We need more, far more, but this is good.

Maybe I convinced them. But sometimes there’s a Stockholm-syndrome reluctance by cyclists, commenting on Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes on social media, say, to demand our rightful slice of the infrastructure cake. (Such a cake would have cracked icing, be full of lumpy bits and too small to feed the wedding party.)

Take those infernal barriers on towpaths, railtrails and so on. They bar access to many users, not just trikes or recumbents, but also wheelchairs and others. It’s to ‘stop unauthorised motorbikers’. But this isn’t our problem, and we shouldn’t accept it as an excuse. As drivers we wouldn’t tolerate barriers on the M1 to ‘stop planes landing on it’.

Then there’s pavement parking. Where we live, the footways are completely blocked because of fourcar households. Yet the pedestrians, buggy-pushers, mobility-aid drivers and walking-frame users apologise for walking in the road. This is wrong. We don’t teach our kids to appease bullies, to be cowed, suffer in guilty silence like it’s the victim’s fault. We want them to stand up for themselves, and work with authorities. We should operate the same way when motor traffic is the thug.

It’s not war; 85 per cent of cyclists drive too. And we sometimes have more power than we think. On one hectic road stretch on the London tour, one of our group – a CEO – was cut up by a snarling, swearing driver in a company van. Our CEO chum smiled calmly like a poisoner about to serve a revenge dish ice-cold. “That company is one of our suppliers,” he said. “We’re their biggest customer.

And their contract is up for renewal...”

ILLUSTRATION DAVID MAHONEY, JOE WALDRON

“The proportion of London roads with Cycleways is under 2%. That ain’t causing congestion.

The traffic is”

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VERY IMPORTANT BIKE

Hope HB.TT £15,000 Hope’s time trial take on its GB Olympic gold medal-winning track bike t had to happen. The striking Hope x Lotus HB.T that propelled the Kenny family, Katie Archibald and Matt Walls to Tokyo gold is being spun off into a model designed for time trialling on the road. This is partly a result of Hope’s design engineer, Sam Pendred, having time on his hands during lockdown. The prototype HB.TT features much that’s familiar from the track bike – including the dual-crown fork with super-wide blades and the equally wide-set, blade-thin seatstays – that were allowed following a change in the UCI’s regulations.

“The thing that sets this bike apart,” Pendred says, “is that we’ve created something that looks completely different, yet still conforms to the same regulations that everyone else has to follow.” The HB.TT is designed to make “the whole package, rider and bike, as aerodynamic as possible.” For example, the wide fork and rear end are designed to smooth the airflow over the rider’s legs, and the front brake is integrated into the fork dropout, with the hose running SPECIFICATIONS completely internally.

Hope had originally hoped WEIGHT TBC to take the HB.TT to Tokyo but FRAME Hope HB.TT Pendred found that adding carbon fibre FORK Hope dualsprockets and Shimano Di2 crown carbon fibr “was a bigger nightmare than GEARS Shimano I thought it would be.” British Dura-Ace Di2 Cycling wanted the option of a BRAKES Hope integrated hydraulic front derailleur, which meant “we had to completely remodel disc front, Hope RX4+ hydraulic the back end of the bike.” In the disc rear absence of Lotus, which was WHEELS Hope involved in the development FINISHING KIT Vision of the original track bike, Metron tri-bar Hope gained complete creative extensions, Lizard freedom for the HB.TT, but this Skin DSP bar tape, Hope carbon aero meant Hope had to design its seatpost, 25mm own “hybrid fork using the Continental Grand best bits we can make with Prix TT tyres aluminium and the best bits

I

26 NOVEMBER 2021

BIKERADAR.COM

we can make with carbon.” The result is only around 60g heavier than the track version.

Hope also has the advantage of making virtually every component of the bike itself.

The bike is only at the prototype stage at present, but Hope tells us that the HB.TT will be made completely in-house and parts that were made from 3D-printed titanium on the track bike will either be made of CNC aluminium or carbon fibre on the HB.TT. The wheels on the finished model will also be made by Hope at its Barnoldswick base.

As to whether this is the shape of TT bikes to come, we’ll find out in a while.

Best start saving now…

H O P E H B .T T VIB

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Bicycle or a Romulan Warbird from Star Trek?

Either way, it has bags of tyre clearance

03

The Hope HB.TT is likely to come with a Vision Metron tri-bar extension

The HB.TT is designed to make the whole package, rider and bike, as aerodynamic as possible

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

GORILLA COFFEE With its fine fodder and friendly vibe, this is a one of the best coffee stops in the Midlands

by name) who just come to enjoy the classy food (ciao Damiano, the Italian chef). They are opening a new pizzeria soon, too. gorillacoffee.co.uk SIGNATURE DISH Bacon and baby spinach brioche with homemade mustard; £5 SHOWSTOPPER Sweet potato shakshouka with sautéed leeks etc; £7.50 I’M A COFFEE SNOB, HOW’S THEIR FLAT WHITE? Great, from Coffee Masters of Worcester; £2.60 KEY STRAVA SEGMENT Pebblemill Sprint, 0.5 miles, average grade -0.2%, elevation loss 16ft, 52,193 attempts by 5435 people KOM Dennis Raistrick 0.58, 28/08/2014 QOM Vicky Smith 1.09, 25/11/2014

“Friendly atmosphere. Nice, good-value food” Tara M “Last night’s Italian special was truly memorable... cosy and comfortable ambience” Pat R “After a lovely morning cycling, the coffee was fantastic, served with a smile...

I recommend their delivery service too” P Zroba

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

BIKERADAR.COM

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY Rob Ainsley

B

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

irmingham’s urban sprawl doesn’t appear at first glance to be all that promising for cyclists, but there are some useful ways to navigate through the city – a network of sealed canal towpaths; NCN5; and the recently created A38 segregated cycleway down to Selly Oak. Plus there’s a gem of a cycle cafe, too: the Gorilla Coffee Cafe in King’s Heath, south of the centre just off that NCN5. Thursday nights are the cafe’s own club nights, with up to a hundred riders gathering to set off on a range of rides, some at a steady 12mph, some riding 90 minutes at 23mph. Sunday Socials are more relaxed events.

The food (including plenty of veg and vegan options) is locally sourced where possible, with cakes made in-house or by Brownie Boss of Leamington. Two craft beers are also on tap, of which Big Wave (from Hawaii’s Kona Brewery) has become a sort of default currency in which challenges are rewarded or KOMs paid for.

Owner James is proud of the vibe, and the cafe doesn’t only welcome club riders – utility cyclists drop in to have coffee and a snack during impromptu repairs by the two workshop staff, and there’s a loyal customer base of locals (James knows most

METAL MILITIA four of the best to buy right now…

30 NOVEMBER 2021

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BIKE TEST

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The four on test here challenge conventionally held assumptions about aluminium, offering performance and specs that go head-to-head with similarly priced carbon. Our contenders from Bowman, Cannondale and Kinesis sit in the two-to-three grand bracket and all have disc brakes.

While Kinesis and Bowman offer relatively traditional styling, the Cannondale is akin to a modern aero superbike. The Specialized keeps us grounded with a much smaller price tag and everyman spec with rim brakes. Nevertheless, its frame is assertively modern, not to mention downright handsome, and including such a comparatively affordable bike gives a useful benchmark.

Politics and the pandemic have taken their toll on bike prices, so a certain recalibration of one’s sense of value is needed for this

Aluminium bikes?

In 2021? Are you mad? Nope, all are top performers

assortment of treasures, but we’ve been mindful of the market as a whole with our scoring. While nothing feels as good value as it did a couple of years ago, the variety and sophistication of aluminium road bikes has never been better.

YOUR TESTER

here’s a temptation when reviewing premium alloy bikes to suggest they’re particularly good ‘for a metal bike’, the subtext being that we all know carbon is inherently better. Carbon makes sense for high-performance bikes because it’s infinitely tuneable.

It lets designers target stiffness, strength and flexibility exactly where they want it by using different types and arrangements of fibres and clever lay-up methods.

Metal, by contrast, can be manipulated to a high degree, with elaborate butting, forming and heat-treatment techniques, but you can’t fundamentally alter the mechanical properties of the material with such ease, because it’s not a composite. The truth is, none of this matters when the bikes are this good.

MAT T HE W LOVERIDGE TECHNICAL EDITOR Incurable tech nerd Matthew has been testing bikes and kit for over seven years, covering everything from the most affordable machines to exotic superbikes. He prizes good design and well-thought-out specs, plus is an experienced mechanic and tech expert.

BIKE TEST JARGON BUSTER REACH The horizontal distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the top of the head tube. A longer reach lowers your ride position, a shorter one makes you 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.

THE BIKES ON TEST...

SPECIALIZED ALLEZ SPORT £999 The cheapest bike here by a healthy margin and also the only one sporting old-fashioned rim brakes, Specialized’s entrylevel stalwart is a standardbearer for aluminium. This latest iteration has been out for a few years and it’s a solid performer, but with Shimano Sora, on-paper specs aren’t looking too impressive against some of the competition, but we can expect that given its price.

CANNONDALE CAAD13 DISC 105 £2250

BUTTED TUBING Butted tubes have a constant outside diameter but the wall thickness varies. On a double-butted tube the ends of the tube are thicker (usually 0.8mm compared to 0.5mm in the middle of the tube).

This is done to provide more material for the weld strength while reducing weight in the centre.

THE RATINGS EXPLAINED +++++

EXCEPTIONAL

A GENUINE CLASS LEADER ++++ VERY GOOD

ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN BUY +++ GOOD

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

FLAWED IN SOME WAY + POOR

SIMPLY PUT, DON’T BOTHER

The only bike on test with true aero features, the CAAD13 is the latest evolution of Cannondale’s benchmark aluminium racer, sharing key features, such as dropped seatstays and truncated aerofoil tube profiles with the brand’s carbon SuperSix EVO. We already know the CAAD13 is good, but with prices up across the board, does the 105 model stack up in 2021?

KINESIS AITHEIN DISC £800 FRAMESET, £2680 SUGGESTED RRP FOR BUILD Sold as a frameset, the Aithein Disc is a pure race bike with few concessions to more utilitarian riding. On test here with a Shimano Ultegra build, the Aithein’s styling is classic and it doesn’t have any complicated integration, but it’s bang up-to-date with disc brakes and thru-axles. Kinesis says it’s all about speed… let’s find out.

BOWMAN PALACE 3 ULTEGRA R8000 DISC £2750 Ticking many of the same boxes as the Kinesis, the 8.5kg Palace is the lightest bike on test here (and the most expensive) with Shimano Ultegra and own-brand aluminium wheels. It’s a tidy design that marries classic styling to modern tube profiles. Like the Kinesis, it’s readily available as a frameset for custom builds too.

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WE SAY...

SPECIALIZED ALLEZ SPORT

The Allez will always be a contender, but it’s no bargain on the spec front

£999 A great frameset that’s only slightly dulled by a ho-hum spec pecialized’s entry-level Allez road bike has long been a go-to for new riders because it offers a good balance of performance and value. Previous incarnations of the Allez were more race-oriented, but the current model is less aggressive and so more beginner-friendly than ever. Specialized updated the Allez for 2018 with this droppedseatstay design and the 2021 bike still looks fresh in this satin grey livery. The welds are visible but not visually offensive, and semiinternal routing, with gear cables running through the down tube and out at the bottom bracket, make for a tidy appearance without compromising too much on serviceability.

I’m always pleased to see rack and mudguard mounts on a bike like this as it’s likely that plenty of prospective buyers will be considering the Allez as an all-rounder for commuting, rather than pure road riding. Clearances for mudguards are tight, however, to the point where fitting full standard guards won’t be easy.

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TOP Body Geomtery saddle ioffers support and pressure relief too ABOVE Dual pivot brakes: the only non-Shimano parts of the groupset

This generation Allez’s geometry is distinctly endurance-oriented, with 380mm of reach and 570mm of stack on the 54cm frame tested. With a 100mm stem fitted as standard on this size, the riding position SPECIFICATIONS is upright and unintimidating.

WEIGHT 9.2kg (54cm) Incidentally, like other FRAME Specialized E5 Specialized models, the Allez is Premium aluminium sold as a unisex design.

FORK Specialized Rising costs are a trend across FACT carbon BRAKES Axis 1.0 rim the bike industry today, and a GEARS Shimano Sora price tag that would have bought WHEELS Axis Sport you close to mid-level 11-speed FINISHING KIT Shimano 105 not so long ago Specialized now yields 9-speed Sora, which RoadSport 26mm sits two rungs lower on the tyres, Specialized groupset hierarchy. The good 3D-forged alloy stem, Specialized news is that, sprocket count Shallow Drop bar, aside, Shimano Sora is a very Specialized Body competent drivetrain that looks Geometry Bridge and feels similar to its costlier saddle, alloy 27.2mm siblings. In fact, only the shifters seatpost and derailleurs are Sora – the

BIKE TEST

It is light and direct, with a stiff rear end making it a thoroughly enjoyable companion on hilly terrain

crank is a handsome Praxis Alba unit that sits in a matching bottom bracket. The Allez’s other notable deviation from groupset-matching parts is the brakes, which are Axis-branded rim-brake calipers.

The wheels are Axis branded too and they’re pretty basic but entirely adequate, with 17mm internal rims rolling on budget cup-and-cone bearing hubs. We tend to praise brands for fitting wider rims than this, but these are fine for the job at hand – but can’t be converted to tubeless. The Allez Sport’s in-house finishing kit all looks good and the Bridge saddle offers a decent amount of support as well as a pressurerelieving channel, although seasoned riders may prefer something a little firmer.

Spec details become less significant when you turn a pedal, because the Allez is extremely likeable on the road. While it doesn’t feel quite as refined as the very best aluminium bikes, it’s pretty darned smooth, helped by the ample volume of the stock tyres and those dropped seatstays. It has a light and direct ride quality, with a stiff rear end making it a thoroughly enjoyable companion on hilly terrain.

Although it ‘only’ has nine sprockets at the back, the gearing range is more than ample, with the compact 50/34 crank and 11-32 cassette combining to give you a low bottom gear that will see you right on the toughest climbs. If

Smooth, lively ride; frame finish

there’s one area the Allez is lacking, it’s the rim brakes.

The Axis calipers will certainly LOWS stop you, but they feel slightly Indifferent brakes; wooden and flex visibly when non-tubelesscompatible rims you pull hard on the levers.

The frameset looks lovely and BUY IF... while the choice of components You want one of the isn’t exactly impressive for best-looking entry- the money, everything works level road bikes on well enough. Taken on its the market own merits, the Allez Sport is a very good bike that meets the needs of new riders, and doesn’t embarrass itself next to more expensive rivals. In fact, it’s good enough to justify significant upgrades as components wear out. However, while the frame mounts add some versatility, limited clearances and underwhelming brakes make the Allez Sport a less obvious choice than some of its competitors for commuting and other all-weather riding. For general road riding, though, it’s a sound choice and a great introduction to cycling.

THE VERDICT A solid all-rounder but we’d like better brakes for our cash

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS

A LITTLE MORE

SPECIALIZED ALLEZ ELITE £1249

With the same frameset, Shimano’s excellent mid-level 105 drivetrain makes the Elite a tempting proposition, and its DT Swiss wheels can be converted to tubeless. It does get the same Axis brakes as the Sport, however.

A LITTLE LESS

SPECIALIZED ALLEZ £799

The most affordable Allez is just as handsome as the Sport and gets exactly the same frameset and most of the parts too. The £200 saving means dropping down to Shimano’s 8-speed Claris groupset though.

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WE SAY...

CANNONDALE CAAD13 DISC 105

This latest model is further proof you just can’t go wrong with a CAAD

£2250 Ignore the specs and enjoy the ride he CAAD13 launched in 2019 with Cannondale completely revamping the platform to bring it in line with the latest trends – its features focused on comfort, aero and practicality. Where the CAAD12 had a more traditional diamond frame design, the CAAD13 frameset strongly resembles Cannondale’s ultra-modern SuperSix EVO carbon race bike.

The CAAD13’s dropped seatstays create a smaller rear triangle for stiffness and allow for greater flex through the seatpost and seat tube, hence improving rider comfort over the CAAD12. Cannondale also borrowed some aero features from its flagship, with the CAAD13 sporting truncated aerofoil tube profiles, for a claimed drag reduction of “up to” 30 per cent over its predecessor. Tyre clearances have grown to accommodate 30mm rubber front and rear, and there are bosses for proper mudguards too, with an optional bolt-on seatstay bridge taking care of the upper mount at the back.

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TOP Internal routing keeps the CAAD13 looking slick ABOVE Shimano 105 hydraulic discs are very competent stoppers

While a number of brands have reverted to threaded bottom brackets, citing greater practicality, Cannondale is sticking doggedly with its SPECIFICATIONS signature BB30A press fit. The WEIGHT 9.1kg (54cm) semi-internal cable routing is FRAME SmartForm C1 pleasingly straightforward, premium alloy however, while the cockpit setup FORK BallisTec is standard, with no proprietary Carbon parts or complex integration.

GEARS Shimano 105 Aesthetics are highly BRAKES Shimano 105 subjective, but to my eyes the hydraulic disc WHEELS Cannondale CAAD13’s frameset looks a little RD 2.0 rims on cheap because of the paint job.

Formula hubs I don’t mind the undisguised FINISHING KIT welds – there’s an appealing Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slick 25mm tyres, honesty to not concealing a Cannondale 3 alloy frame’s metallic nature – but the colour scheme is flat. stem and bar, Prologo Nago RS STN The CAAD13 Disc’s geometry saddle, HollowGram presents no particular surprises.

27 KNØT alloy You might be thrown by the seatpost slacker head angles (between

BIKE TEST

A brilliant performer, with accurate handling and a smooth ride that shames many carbon bikes

70.9 and 71.2 degrees) across the four smallest sizes, but these are balanced by a larger fork offset, producing near-constant trail figures across the range (around 58mm), so handling should be pretty consistent – and it’s excellent.

This 54cm bike has 384mm of reach and 555mm of stack – pretty standard race-bike numbers without being excessively aggressive.

Cannondale gives you a full 105 groupset aside from the cranks, which are Cannondale’s own but appear to come from the FSA stable.

While groupset-matching items warm the cockles of my heart, I quite like the look of these and have no complaints about the shifting performance of their chainrings. The CAAD13 has mid-compact gearing with a 52/36 and 11-30 cassette, but the choice of a medium-cage GS 105 rear derailleur means fitting a larger cassette for steep climbs is an option. The generic-looking Cannondale-branded wheels are usefully wide with 19mm internal rims, but they sadly can’t be converted to tubeless. A Prologo saddle aside, the finishing kit is all in-house.

On paper the CAAD13 Disc 105 is heavy and averagely-specced for the money, but that all melts away when you’re in the saddle. Shimano 105 performs as well as ever and the shifting feels particularly good on the CAAD13, likely thanks to that simple cable routing. Having said that, the CAAD13 feels lively with an almost

Exciting ride quality; mudguard mounts; useful clearances

springy quality under pedalling that makes you feel fast and strong. As a result, and in spite of its not inconsiderable heft, LOWS Weight; wheels can’t the Cannondale is a highly be run tubeless effective and very enjoyable climber. In fact, it’s a brilliant BUY IF... all-round performer, with You want a brilliant accurate handling and a road all-rounder and remarkably smooth ride that aren’t a frame shames many more expensive materials snob carbon bikes.

I’m not convinced the CAAD13 Disc looks like a bike that costs well over £2000, but the ride is so good I’m not sure it matters. The CAAD13 isn’t just a good aluminium bike – it’s a bloody good bike, full stop. I wish it came with nicer wheels and had pretty paint, but it rides brilliantly outof-the-box regardless. If you’re lucky enough to be in a position to spend an extra £500 on the carbon equivalent, I’d strongly consider opting for the CAAD13, and putting the spare cash towards a better wheelset.

THE VERDICT It’s neither cheap nor light, but it rides so well you just won’t care

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS

A LITTLE MORE

CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO CARBON DISC 105 £2750

Cannondale’s similarly shaped carbon racer has a near-identical spec. But when the alloy bike is this good, can you justify it? We’d rather spend it on better wheels.

A LITTLE LESS

CANNONDALE CAAD OPTIMO 1 £1200

If you’re on a significantly tighter budget, the entrylevel Optimo makes a lot of sense. In top spec, this tidylooking alloy rim-braked road bike boasts Shimano’s excellent 105 shifting and an FSA chainset.

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WE SAY...

KINESIS AITHEIN DISC

Straightforward, racy, and you can build it up as you like – ideal for crit and road racers

£800 frameset, £2680 (suggested RRP for build) Fast and furious aluminium n a world of truncated aerofoils, proprietary headsets and dropped seatstays, the Aithein is a refreshingly uncomplicated bike that uses no non-standard parts.

Frame tubes are shaped via ‘superplastic forming’, a process that involves heating aluminium to high temperatures before shaping using gas pressure, offering claimed advantages over more common hydroforming techniques.

Normally the preserve of steel frames, the Aithein Disc’s top tube is straight and perfectly round, while the seat tube and down tube have relatively simple profiles too, although the former flares above the bottom bracket shell for added stiffness. The seatstays are straight and exceptionally stout and, despite this being a disconly frameset, they’re joined by a substantial bridge above the rear tyre.

The Aithein is a bike with racy intentions and few concessions, so clearances are modest, with 28mm the maximum tyre size, and there are no mounts for mudguards or other accessories.

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TOP Italian saddle makers Repente provides a quality perch ABOVE Shimano Ultegra: what more could you want?

While the geometry is fairly standard racebike fare, sizing runs on the larger side, with 559mm stack and 391mm reach on a medium. As the build is up SPECIFICATIONS to you, however, sizing up or WEIGHT 8.7kg (53cm) down and choosing appropriate FRAME Superplastic- finishing kit to get your desired formed aluminium fit presents no obstacles. At FORK Columbus Futura Road carbon 174cm tall, I rode a 53cm bike with a 100mm stem for a semiGEARS Shimano Ultegra aggressive position, but could BRAKES Shimano have dropped to a 50cm with a Ultegra hydraulic longer stem to get properly low. disc While the Aithein is sold as a WHEELS Sector R26 frameset, Kinesis owner Upgrade FINISHING KIT Challenge Elite XP Bikes supplied us with a fully Pro 27mm tyres, built test bike sporting a Shimano Thomson Elite X4 Ultegra groupset – 105 front mech stem, Thomson Alloy excepted – and Upgrade’s own Drop Round Road bar, alloy clinchers. A build like this Repente Quasar would set you back about £2680. saddle, Thomson Dropping down to Shimano 105 Elite Setback 31.6mm seatpost would save circa £270.

BIKE TEST It’s an engaging ride when you’re on the rivet and feeling strong, perhaps less suited to chilled-out longer rides

The wheels are tubeless-ready and built on neat-looking straight-pull hubs. Upgrade now imports US brand Thomson’s iconic finishing kit, so it provides the bar, stem and seatpost. The saddle is a very svelte perch from Italian brand Repente. It’s an interesting shape that combines a fashionably short nose – albeit not as short as Specialized’s Power – with a cut-out and wings that taper down noticeably at the front.

Kinesis makes no bones about the Aithein Disc’s racy demeanour. It’s designed for fast, aggressive riding and will appeal to road and criterium racers. Its stiff frame makes it an excellent climber and a precise high-speed descender too. The overall ride quality is reasonably smooth, made more so by the posh handmade Challenge tyres, but on surfacedressed (ie chip seal) rural B roads, it’s not as relaxing as some of the competition. While it’s not harsh, it’s certainly firm and direct, and shines most on good tarmac where you can exploit its supremely stiff back end and really put some power down without sub-par road surfaces ruining your fun.

Given the fat 31.6mm seatpost and chunky old-school seatstays, the uncompromising nature of the Aithein’s ride quality is no surprise. The full carbon fork does a pretty good job of absorbing bumps, but square-edge pothole impacts are communicated directly

Super stiff; great looks; price

from the rear tyre to your backside. As such, the Aithein is an engaging ride on days LOWS Maybe too firm a ride when you’re on the rivet and feeling strong, but it’s perhaps for some less suited to chilled-out longer rides, particularly if BUY IF...

You want a go-fast they include a lot of dodgy road bike built to road surfaces. When you’re in your requirements the mood, however, there’s a pleasing analogue simplicity to the ride experience. Put simply, it’s fun.

The Aithein Disc is a single-minded bike but it looks great and is hugely enjoyable for the right kind of riding. Rivals such as Cannondale’s CAAD13 are certainly more refined, but the Aithein has charm of its own, and it’s good value too. If versatility and long-distance comfort are priorities, you’ll be better served elsewhere, perhaps by other models in Kinesis’ own range.

For fast club riding or racing, however, it’s an appealing option that you can build to your precise specifications.

THE VERDICT Clean lines, super-stiff frame and a sensible price tag

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS

A LITTLE MORE

KINESIS RTD FRAMESET £950

RTD stands for ‘Race The Distance’ – but this scandiumframed bike is more geared to “all conditions, four seasons endurance” riding, and it adds all-weather versatility thanks to mudguard mounts.

KINESIS R2 FRAMESET £650

The affordable R2 does a bit of everything and accepts 34mm tyres for added comfort, or 30s with mudguards. Buy a frameset, or a complete bike with Shimano Tiagra hydraulic for £1680, the choice is yours.

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WE SAY...

Forget the frame material, the Palace 3 is the real deal with a wonderful ride quality

BOWMAN PALACE 3 ULTEGRA R8000 DISC £2750 Aluminium fit for a king ow in its third generation, the Bowman Palace is a stylish aluminium road bike from a small British brand that offers the Palace 3 either as a frameset for £845, or you can have the Shimano Ultegra build as tested here. Viewed from afar, the Palace looks reasonably traditional, with a conventional diamond frame that eschews dropped seatstays and features reasonably slim tubes. Closer inspection reveals there’s more going on.

The main tubes vary in profile all along their length, broadening to meet the bottom bracket shell and tapered head tube, but slimming towards the seat cluster and a skinny 27.2mm seatpost. The seatstays are near enough straight, but flattened slightly for rear-end compliance, their stiffness oriented perpendicular to that of the chainstays in the usual manner.

When it comes to component standards, the Palace is straightforward. There’s nothing awkward or proprietary about the cockpit and headset set-up, the seatpost is a standard round

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TOP A top-quality Italian cockpit from Deda ABOVE No skimping on the braking with Ultegra Ice-Tech rotors

one, and the bottom bracket is threaded. The cables run inside the down tube and emerge at the bottom bracket, and there are specific ports (blanked off on this SPECIFICATIONS bike) for clean Di2 routing.

The keen-eyed will notice WEIGHT 8.5kg (56cm) what appear to be mudguard FRAME 6069-T6 triple-butted mounts above the rear axle, but aluminium there are none on the seatstays or FORK Full carbon fork. These are indeed threaded GEARS Shimano bosses, but they’re only there Ultegra because the Palace shares its BRAKES Shimano Ultegra hydraulic rear dropout with the more disc endurance-focused Bowman WHEELS Bowman Weald, which features full AL24 hand-built mounts and larger clearances, FINISHING KIT Continental Grand and is the better choice if guards are a priority. The Palace does, Prix 5000 28mm tyres, Deda Zero 1 however, fit 30mm tyres. stem and Zero 2 bar, Bowman’s sizing runs on the PRO Falcon saddle, smaller side. I initially opted for Deda Zero 2 27.2mm a 54cm bike with its 379mm of seatpost reach and 542mm of stack, but

BIKE TEST It delivers an impressively rounded ride, balancing liveliness with a surprising degree of comfort

test bike availability meant I ended up with a 56cm (388mm reach and 562mm stack), making up the reach difference with a shorter stem. This naturally meant a less aggressive fit, but not so much as to compromise the bike’s racy persona.

The one standard build gets you a full Shimano Ultegra disc groupset with a race-oriented semi-compact 52/36 crank and a slightly more forgiving 11-30 cassette. The choice of a GS (medium cage) Ultegra rear derailleur gives you the option of fitting a wider-range cassette, should the mountains be calling. Bowman specs its own AL24 wheelset, a nice all-rounder aluminium option with a modern 20mm internal rim width that gives road tyres a good profile.

These come fitted with top-quality 28mm Continental Grand Prix 5000 tyres, a welcome sight on any test bike, although they’re not the tubeless variant, which would be handy given the rims are already compatible. For an extra £695 you can upgrade to carbon clinchers.

Despite its more traditional aesthetics, the Palace delivers an impressively rounded ride, balancing liveliness with a surprising degree of comfort. It’s a pleasure to push hard on, while the slim seatpost, flattened seatstays and low-pressure-friendly rim width all add up to a smooth ride. That Bowman specs really good tyres only improves matters. Whether you’re spinning gently up climbs or throwing it around

Ride quality; looks; bespoke options

out of the saddle, the Palace is a willing accomplice. It’s simply a satisfying bike to ride whether LOWS you’re cruising for pleasure, or Not tubeless-ready chasing seconds and apexes on a technical descent. There are BUY IF...

You can ignore your any number of ways to make carbon compulsion a good road bike and there are compromises inherent in any design, but the Palace 3 just feels spot on.

We can find very little fault with Bowman’s off-the-peg build. You could unlock additional fizz and add aesthetic appeal by swapping in more expensive wheels, but there’s nothing wrong with the standard alloy ones, and the complete package is excellent. The Palace doesn’t have the Cannondale’s aerodynamics features but the riding experience is similar, with the CAAD13 edging just ahead in sheer refinement.

Comparisons aside, the Bowman is a lovely bike for general road riding, competitive or otherwise.

It’s an elegant sufficiency of performance, comfort and style.

THE VERDICT An outstanding ride and a stylish alternative to the big brands

ALSO CONSIDER...

HIGHS

FOR THE SAME PRICE

BOWMAN WEALD ULTEGRA £2750

If the Palace appeals but you want bigger clearances and more versatility, the Weald accepts 32mm tyres and has mounts for full mudguards.

It’s designed for longdistance adventures with endurance geometry.

A LOT LESS

BOWMAN PALACE 3 FRAMESET £845

Don’t want Bowman’s standard Shimano Ultegra Palace 3 build? Why not buy the 6069-T6 triple-butted aluminium frameset and choose the components yourself to create your custom-built dream bike?

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If you want a rounded ride, it’s down to the slick Palace 3 and exceptional CAAD13. This is where it gets tricky

AND THE WINNER IS...

CANNONDALE CAAD13 DISC 105 The king of alloy retains its crown luminium bikes are pretty incredible these days and these four on test really drive home the point that good design is about so much more than a choice of frame materials. All our contenders are respectable performers in their own right, but a clear pecking order has emerged.

The Specialized Allez might feel a little hard done by given how much cheaper it is than the others, and it remains a solid entry-level choice.

The main reason it hasn’t scored higher is its brakes – they’re such an important component, particularly for less experienced riders who need their bike to inspire confidence, and they’re just not that good. Nevertheless, the Allez gives a great ride with one of the prettiest framesets on the market, and one that’s eminently upgrade-worthy.

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The Kinesis Aithein Disc presents an interesting conundrum. If you’re playing n+1 games and want a dedicated go-fast whip, it may well add up for you, and there’s a purity to it you might find lacking in more elaborate designs.

If you want a more rounded ride, it’s down to the slick Bowman Palace 3 and Cannondale’s exceptional CAAD13. This is where it gets tricky.

Under duress, we’ll admit the CAAD13 is the better frameset, but there’s not a lot in it – the Bowman is fantastic. At the same time, the Cannondale’s paint job lets it down for a bike in this price bracket. The CAAD13 is also lower specced and weighs a chunk more, but you need to balance these against its substantially lower price – £500 more than accounts for a step up the groupset ladder and slightly nicer wheels.

Ultimately, we feel the CAAD13 deserves the win because it really is that good on the road.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS...

BIKE TEST SPECIALIZED ALLEZ SPORT £999

KINESIS AITHEIN DISC £800 frameset, £2680 suggested RRP for build

CANNONDALE CAAD13 DISC 105 £2250

BOWMAN PALACE 3 ULTEGRA R8000 DISC £2750

SIZE TESTED

54cm

53cm

54cm

56cm

SIZES AVAILABLE

44, 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61cm

47, 50, 53, 56, 59cm

48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 60cm

50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60cm

WEIGHT

9.2kg

8.7kg

9.1kg

8.5kg

FRAME

Specialized E5 Premium aluminium

Superplastic-formed aluminium

SmartForm C1 premium alloy

6069-T6 triple-butted aluminium

FORK

Specialized FACT carbon

Columbus Futura Road Disc full carbon

BallisTec Carbon

Full carbon

FRAME ALIGNMENT

Perfect

Perfect

Perfect

Perfect

CHAINSET

Praxis Alba 50/34

Shimano Ultegra 52/36

Cannondale 1, 52/36

Shimano Ultegra 52/36

BOTTOM BRACKET

Praxis M30 threaded

Shimano Ultegra

BB30 press-fit

Shimano Ultegra

CASSETTE

SunRace 11-32

Shimano Ultegra 11-28

Shimano 105 11-30

Shimano Ultegra 11-30

CHAIN

KMC X9

Shimano HG701

Shimano HG601

Shimano HG701

DERAILLEURS

Shimano Sora

Shimano Ultegra rear, 105 front

Shimano 105

Shimano Ultegra

GEAR LEVERS

Shimano Sora

Shimano Ultegra

Shimano 105

Shimano Ultegra

FRONT AND REAR

Axis Sport

Sector R26 Disc

Cannondale RD 2.0 on Formula hubs

Bowman AL24

TYRES

Specialized RoadSport 700x26mm

Challenge Elite XP Pro 700x27mm

Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slick 700x25mm

Continental Grand Prix 5000 700x28mm

WHEEL WEIGHT

1.39 (f); 2 (r)

1.38 (f); 1.72 (r)

1.45 (f); 2 (r)

1.32 (f); 1.7 (r)

STEM

Specialized 3D-forged alloy

Thomson Elite X4

Cannondale 3 alloy

Deda Zero 1

HANDLEBAR

Specialized Shallow Drop

Thomson Alloy Drop Round Road

Cannondale 3 alloy

Deda Zero 2

HEADSET

Integrated 1⅛in to 1⅜in

Upgrade integrated

CAAD13 integrated

Bowman integrated

SADDLE

Specialized Body Geometry Bridge

Repente Quasar

Prologo Nago RS STN

PRO Falcon

SEATPOST

Alloy 27.2mm

Thomson Elite Setback 31.6mm

HollowGram 27 KNØT alloy

Deda Zero 2 27.2mm

BRAKES

Axis 1.0 rim

Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc

Shimano 105 hydraulic disc

Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc

TRANSMISSION

WHEELS

COMPONENTS

SPECIFICATIONS & MEASUREMENTS

Specialized Allez Sport

71˚ 74˚

41cm

100.9cm

42.3cm

Cockpit 68.5cm Standover 78.6cm BB height 27.5cm Fork offset 45mm Trail 60mm

Bowman Palace 3 Ultegra R800 Disc Cockpit 69.4cm Standover 79cm BB height 27.4cm Fork offset 46mm Trail 61mm

54cm

74˚

72.6˚

40.5cm

99.8m

99.6cm

54cm

NEXT ISSUE 72.4˚ 73.6˚ cm 49.6

cm 50.9

Cockpit 67cm Standover 78.5cm BB height 27.2cm Fork offset 57.5mm Trail 56mm

54cm

73˚

74˚

Kinesis Aithein Disc cm 49.7

Cannondale CAAD13 Disc 105

Cockpit 66.7cm Standover 76cm BB height 26.7cm Fork offset 46mm Trail 56mm

m 46c

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.

53.4cm

COLNAGO VS SPECIALIZED It’s Italy versus America as the Colnago V3 Rival AXS takes on Specialized’s Aethos Comp AXS in the battle of the £4500, SRAM Rival-equipped lightweight fliers.

41.2cm

99.5cm

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POWER STRUGGLE LEFT Dangling numbers off a number: once you know your FTP you can work out your training zones

BELOW RIGHT Watts your game? Power player Rigoberto Urán on Mount Ventoux during this year’s Tour de France

“It’s just not the one-size-fitsall benchmark many think it is. It doesn’t work for all rider types and the experience of the rider matters, too” Daniel Healey, physiologist

FTP or WTF?

Cavell’s comments came in an interview about his new book, The Midlife Cyclist, which looks at cyclists aged 40 plus and the extent to which they’ve sought to achieve high performance.

“For a lot of people, [FTP] is a dysfunctional threshold,” he told us.

“That’s a little strong as it definitely has its merits but there are gaps,” says coach Daniel Healey, who works with WorldTour and Olympic riders, including Lisa Brennauer who was part of Germany’s gold medal-winning and world record-breaking team pursuit squad in Tokyo.

Why are the likes of Cavell and Healey disruptors in the land of threshold wattage?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we must know what we’re working with, so let’s recap exactly what functional threshold power is and where this benchmark came from.

FTP is a relatively new metric derived from exercise physiologists, riders and coaches who were looking to maximise the use of power meters, which were becoming more common through the early noughties. It was Dr Andrew Coggan in the mid-2000s who coined the phrase as a real-world proxy for lactate threshold, which can only be truly measured through blood sampling in a lab. Lactate, or anaerobic, threshold is essentially the intensity at which you

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‘red line’ during intense activity and commonly falls between 80 to 85 per cent of aerobic capacity (VO2 max). Most well-conditioned athletes can sustain this level of intensity for up to an hour.

FTP is broadly reflective of lactate threshold.

Those of you who ride by power will know your FTP but, as a snapshot, the C category on Zwift – the online training game that uses your FTP as a basis for its training programmes and entry to its races – says that you should be able to ride between 2.5 to 3.1 watts per kilogram. For a 75kg rider, that’s anywhere between 187.5W and 232.5W. As an elite comparison, when Sir Bradley Wiggins broke the hour record in 2015, his FTP reportedly hovered above 450W. With your FTP you can then, as Healey says, “Dangle numbers off a number.” Or, more precisely, set your training zones. Coaches often employ six zones with each corresponding to cranking up a facet of performance, from zone one (less than 55 per cent of FTP) and its aim of clearing out toxins to zones six (121-150 per cent FTP), which elevates maximum power – and is, of course, maximally painful.

Experience counts

It’s all designed to forge a stronger you without falling into the overtraining trap. A wonderful aim, then, but one that, according to Healey, is flawed by its generic application. “It’s just not the one-size-fits-all benchmark many think it is. It doesn’t work for all rider types and the experience of the rider matters, too.”

POWER STRUGGLE “Let’s start with a rider’s experience in and see if your power numbers correspond. If the sport. The FTP is based on an hour’s hard they do, great, but if they don’t, you’ll need use riding but it’s a little arbitrary because what the 60-minute figure to recalibrate your faulty recreational road rider ever has to ride full-on for training zones. that length of time? Few. Even the professionals “That five per cent accounts for decay, for rarely do that, albeit it’s more appropriate for fatigue,” says Healey. “And for professional mountain climbers and time-triallists.” riders, who are very fit, it works okay. But what Mind you, even time trials rarely reach 60 if you’re an enthusiastic recreational rider? Yes, minutes. In domestic time trialling, the nearest you might ride four or five times a week but would be the 25-mile time trial, where the you’re also working full-time and dealing with British competition record is 42 mins 58 seconds many stresses that the elites don’t have to... only but most hover between that and an hour. taking five per cent off is a mistake; it should Coggan recognised this problem in be more like 10 per cent. When it comes to his original formula and so rolled the novice rider, I’d say you should reduce out a truncated test with calculated this further to 15, even 20 per cent.” assumptions. This is the 20-minute It’s not just that a lot of riders will Bradley Wiggins’ test, simply called ‘FTP Test’ on Zwift, be training to a wrong FTP figure; alleged FTP, i n where you ride as hard as you can for 20 the fixation on that number means watts, during his minutes before subtracting five per cent that many riders spend too much of 2015 Hour record (Zwift does this for you). This is your FTP. their cycling lives riding closer to FTP And it is where, for many, it falls down. than professional riders. That’s what Our over-reliance on a flawed FTP Cavell found in his book, through training figure and thus the training zones that we data from a WorldTour coach. Amateur riders, subsequently work in can begin to unravel us. he discovered, are hitting 80 per cent of their For many riders, a five per cent subtraction FTP through their rides averaged across the isn’t nearly enough. There’s simply too much year, compared to WorldTour riders – the best to go wrong in those remaining 40 minutes cyclists in the world - who trundle along at for the less robust or trained riders not used 62-65 per cent through training and racing. “An to such prolonged intensity, or not capable of overestimation and obsession with FTP means consistently replicating it. Test it out the next time you do an FTP test: do a 20-minute test and subtract five per cent, then a week later, once you’ve recovered, try the full 60-minute test

450

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POWER STRUGGLE matter as training should be polarised; in other words, their performance requirements means they should train way above and way below FTP, in essence making FTP worthless. that we tend to set our training levels too high and train the wrong systems,” Cavell said. “Dr Jon Baker [who works with Qhubeka-Assos and FTP’s limitations piqued the interest of highwhose data was the basis for Cavell’s calculations performance coach Guido Vroemen. We spoke to above] calls it a ‘whirlwind of doom’.” him soon after one of his charges, Anne Terpstra, This vindictive vortex is brought to life with had finished fifth in the Olympic mountaina few calculations. Let’s say our newbie Zwifter biking cross-country race in Tokyo. Guido says averages 200W for 20 minutes. Deduct five that FTP’s shortcomings are down to the per cent and their FTP is 190W. Zone energy systems activated. three (tempo, 76-90 per cent FTP) would “We have three energy systems – be 144.4- 171W; zone five (VO2 max, sprint, anaerobic and aerobic – and it’s the duration and intensity of cycling 106-120 per cent FTP) would be 201.4Max power watts that dictates which ones we use,” says 228W. Now let’s deduct the Healeydifference for a Vroemen. The first produces enough recommended 20 per cent, meaning new cyclist when energy, without oxygen, for 10 seconds their FTP drops from 190W to 160W. deducting 20% or so of very hard effort. The second is Zone three now rolls out at 121.6-144W; another anaerobic energy system. It can zone five plummets to 169.6W-192W. produce energy, again without oxygen before The differences in power output are stark quickly burning out. Longer and less ferocious and FTP can be a dangerous benchmark for modes of activity become predominantly aerobic, those who don’t yet have the miles in the bank to which uses oxygen for energy production. deposit fatigue, resistance and resilience.

Which makes FTP all about the aerobic So, fitness levels impact how much you should system. That’s substantially where cycling deduct from your 20-minute all-out effort, which performance lies, but it’s not everything. will potentially offer you more appropriate, Think road racing, criteriums, track sprint progressive training zones. The sort of rider you events, where success is dictated by your ability are also influences things, albeit predominantly over intense, short periods. at the upper echelons of racing where riders are “I work with time-triallists and triathletes more specialist than at the amateur level. Healey and it works for them. But if a cyclist is suggests that, for sprinters, FTP doesn’t really

Power Speed Profile

36

48 NOVEMBER 2021

POWER STRUGGLE BELOW LEFT Jump? How high?

Anne Terpstra during the cross-country race at the Tokyo Olympics

RIGHT Amateur cyclists consistently work much closer to their FTP than professional riders

“An overestimation with functional threshold power means that we tend to set our training levels too high and train the wrong systems” Phil Cavell, CycleFit founder competing in crits or other road races, it doesn’t work as well because of pace variations. Even when filtering that number down to zones, it doesn’t tell you anything about shorter efforts.

Different riders with the same FTP will have differences between them if they ride on a hilly or a flat course.”

FTP is a chapter within a larger story, so Vroemen set about creating the Power Speed Profile. “In it, I talk about critical periods in cycling. The decisive periods where races are won or lost. In the Ardennes classics, for example, it suits an anaerobic puncheur who’s strong over 60 seconds or two minutes. Mathieu van der Poel’s a master of this, as is Julian Alaphilippe. If they launch an attack, many of their competitors can follow. But if they do it 10 times, most can’t recover.”

Vroemen categorises these ‘critical periods’ into: short – five to 60 seconds, like the acceleration during a sprint and a good indicator of a rider’s anaerobic capacity; medium-long – between one and 10 minutes of maximum power; and long, between 10 minutes and an hour. This attribute is the decisive factor in a long Alpine climb or TT. “You then test each of these to more accurately piece together your Power Speed Profile,” says Vroemen.

For those who’ve read Coggan and Hunter Allen’s bible Training and Racing with a Power Meter, it’s similar to their maximal power output charts by time but more specific. “We have a number of tests for each time section, which

sounds quite laborious but it needn’t be so,” says Vroemen. “When planning my rider’s schedules, I might add 30-second intervals and recovery segments and take 90 per cent of the best value.

Then do the same benchmark intervals a month later to check development.”

Power to the people

And it’s that specificity which is key, says Vroemen, as you can start to paint a clear picture of your power-duration curve and isolate which areas need work. “This understanding is heightened by working back from your event,” adds Vroemen. “You should know the course and the important sections. How long are the key climbs? What’s their gradient? Where do they sit on the course?”

Where does that leave us? With FTP having merits, but that it’s specific to only certain types of performance and can be damaging to the less fit if relied on too much. The Power Speed Profile takes this analysis to a higher level of detail than FTP and is more race-specific. Ultimately, Coggan and Allen never stated that FTP would work for every cyclist in every situation. It’s just one metric that can be adapted to suit your specific attributes and aims. It remains a strong foundation for you to build fitness, but its problems stem from a fixation on the number, yielded by riders who deem it the only currency in town. What we’ve shown here is that it’s simply a currency – one that’s part of a broader, well-functioning economy.

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FUNDRAISING

Words ROB KEMP Illustrations ADAM NICKEL

Ride for a reason Thriving fundraisers reveal the ups and downs of the cycling challenges they set themselves and their tried-and-tested tips for turbocharging donations T H E C H A L L E NG E

Ride the battlefields of WW1 on a penny-farthing Dean Williams, 51, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, hasn’t yet completed his big challenge – riding a penny-farthing along the Western Front, over 350 miles, in 2022’s Battlefield Bike Ride (BBR) – but he is in the process of building up the mileage and sponsorship for it. In July he completed a 280-mile ‘Tour de Borders’, from Tynemouth, up the east coast to Berwick-upon-Tweed, across the Scottish Borders to Lockerbie and then to Carlisle before heading back east to Tynemouth. “‘The Penny’ – and my body – held up well,” says Dean.

Conventional bikes clearly don’t hold the same allure for Dean that the more quirky contraptions do. He rode a unicycle for five years, until he could regularly ride 30 miles on it. For his 50th, he received a penny-farthing.

“It’s designed to the original spec – no gears,

front-wheel pedal only – but with modern materials,” he says.

An army veteran and a fundraising manager for Help for Heroes, Dean has raised £3,100 already towards the BBR, which is set to take him five days. “In September we have a team doing a JOGLE (John O’Groats to Land’s End) relay. I’ll be joining them for a 65-mile day through the midlands.

“The only advantage to riding a pennyfarthing is that you can see over the hedgerows.

Otherwise, it’s very hard work going up and down hills, riding in winds. You can’t just put your foot on the ground when you stop at traffic lights, you have to plan ahead and dismount.

From a fundraising perspective, however, it really drums up a lot of interest.”

“Conventional bikes clearly don’t hold the same allure for Dean that the more quirky contraptions do”

FUNDRAISING TIPS Have a USP “Stand out from the crowd – literally in the case of a penny-farthing – to get coverage and sponsorship.

If you can tell the story of a specific beneficiary of the charity you’re supporting, that can help with media coverage.”

Reward supporters “Sponsors like to get something for their donation, so organise a pub quiz or a curry night as a fundraiser with donated prizes for the winners, by way of a thank you.”

Drum up business “Offer businesses publicity on your fundraising page, a logo on your kit or a shout-out on social media in return for funds.

The businesses that supported me just wanted to see the penny-farthing up close and have a photo with it. Or else they just liked me going along to their club to talk about the charity and my challenge.”

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FUNDRAISING

FUNDRAISING TIPS

T H E C H A L L E NG E

Cycle to every lifeboat station in mainland Britain Not content with rowing around the coast of Britain in 2020, this June saw Harry Lidgley finish his 6,550km (4,070 mile) bike ride around it, visiting every mainland Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station along the way.

The achievement made this 23-year-old graduate from Hampshire the youngest person ever to both cycle and row around the British mainland coast. In doing so, he raised £5,000 for the RNLI. “I’ve always enjoyed cycling, but mainly just as a good excuse to spend a few hours outside and keep fit,” says Harry.

After successfully rowing around Britain as part of Team Exe Endurow he finally got the confidence to tackle a cycling adventure.

“Having seen the coastline from the sea and making notes of several places that looked as

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though they’d be a great ride, I thought another circumnavigation was doable.”

Harry planned an endurance ride around Britain with the RNLI charity, as their lifeboat stations are dotted all the way around the coast.

Training turned into a functional affair after he moved to Oxford during the first lockdown.

“I started working as a Deliveroo rider, as I knew it would be an easy way to increase my weekly mileage. On my days off I’d go out and build up the mileage until, just before the start date, I could comfortably spend 10 hours in the saddle.

“I carried all my kit, including camping equipment, with me in a three-bag set-up: waterproof front roll and frame bags from Altura, and then a Tailfin rack and bag on the back. I had to be realistic on the ride, knowing that on some days things would just not go my way and that progress would be slow. I rode through a couple of hailstorms on the south coast, a monsoon in Wales and terrible headwinds at the top of Scotland, plus scorching heat heading back down the English Channel to my finish in Poole.”

Harry was also joined by his rowing team-mates at points. “There are the days you just have to grit your teeth and draw on your mental strength, but they’re also the most valuable in terms of building your experience and your ability to endure. Those are the days you remember.”

Persevere “I spent the six months leading up to my start date firing out emails. Of the hundreds I sent out I think I had just seven positive responses.”

Find a name “Pinpoint an individual person at a company to make contact with, rather than just the generic @ address. Targeted companies don’t necessarily need to have anything to do with what you’re undertaking – it might just be that someone high up in the firm has a personal interest in the nature of adventure.”

Through his efforts, Harry has become an Elliot Brown watch ambassador.

Refresh your appeal “Let supporters know how you’re doing by updating your fundraising page frequently, before and during the challenge.

Videos really help tell your story and say why your cause is important. You can also livestream directly on your page to show your efforts in real time.”

FUNDRAISING

T H E C H A L L E NG E FUNDRAISING TIPS Share stories Sharing on social media raises more awareness and donations. Don’t be afraid to do it – people want to hear about the good things you’re doing.

Ask for favours If you have a friend with PR skills don’t ask them for sponsorship, get them to manage your sponsorship campaign using their talents.

Make it relevant Raising money for any good cause is great, but if the cause is relevant to your story it can help attract sponsors. With Kathy, sponsors saw the connection and that her efforts were her way of saying thanks to the charity.

A personal mileage record Kathy Gooding, 39, of Gloucestershire, has William’s Syndrome, a genetic condition that impairs development, and has been paralysed on one side since childhood. “I had a stroke when I was 13 months old that affected my left side, so I can’t walk very far,” explains Kathy. “But on my specially adapted trike I can do a few miles.

It gives my left leg very good exercise, which it wouldn’t otherwise get.

“I like to ride every day, on reasonably flat routes, which are not too busy, around the Wye Valley. They’re the most enjoyable and I feel very safe on my tricycle, which was specially made for me. It was made to my measurements, has a

special seat and pedals and a brake for my good, right hand. I like to go on holidays where there are good cycle tracks – I find that the tracks that have replaced old railway lines are ideal.”

In 2020 Kathy decided to cycle 200 miles in memory of a dear friend, David. “He was very kind to me and I miss him very much. My parents and support workers were alongside me but I didn’t expect to be cheered over the finish line by over 100 people!”

Through the ride, Kathy has raised over £7,000 for the national charity, Hft, which supported both David, and her and other adults, with learning disabilities.

“I like to ride every day, on reasonably flat routes, which are not too busy, around the Wye Valley. They’re the most enjoyable and I feel very safe on my tricycle, which was specially made for me”

FUNDRAISING

T H E C H A L L E NG E FUNDRAISING TIPS Knock on doors “I went around our village asking local businesses to donate prizes to our fundraising raffle,” explains Andy. “When I told them Tim’s story they were more than happy to help out. It was a nice way of getting local businesses on board.”

Capitalise on any opportunity “Tim and I were in a cycling café near Windsor and got speaking to a YouTuber who promoted our story on his channel to his followers,” says Andy. “That got 70k views and boosted our funds by £1,500 in just a few hours!”

Call ahead “Prepare your own press release and target the editorial offices of every local newspaper along your route.

People will generally come out and support you if they know you’re cycling through their town,” says Tim.

Break the cross-Britain tandem record In 2013 father of five Tim Caldwell, 46, suffered a catastrophic cardiac arrest, which left him in hospital for three months with temporary paralysis and a permanent loss of sight. As depression dragged him further down, his cousin Andy visited from his home in Reading and he started talking about doing a tandem bike ride together. Tim, weighing 18st, hadn’t done anything like that in his life.

But motivated by his cousin, Tim began riding with Andy. “I had to re-learn to walk again but within a year we’d ridden from London to Reading. I started to ride with my local Delamere Cycling Club who provide other pilots and in 2019 we rode to the Isle of Wight from Reading.

Andy then suggested we do LEJOG!” The pair contacted Guinness World Records, who wanted to follow them and officially time their attempt. “Then Covid-19 struck and they couldn’t join us – but we rode it anyway,” says

Tim. Guinness contacted the pair again in February 2021 to see if they were still interested in doing LEJOG. “We explained we’d done it without them and suggested we do a Coast to Coast instead,” says Tim. And so the plan was hatched to ride from St David’s in Pembrokeshire to Ness Point in Lowestoft, Suffolk and attempt to break the tandem record in the IS1 visual impairment category. In June this year, they did it and raised over £9,000 for good causes including the British Heart Foundation.

“I obviously couldn’t have done this without Andy,” says Tim. “Eight years ago I was in a very dark place, but now I hope by doing these rides I can demonstrate to other people with disabilities that no matter the problems you have in your life, you can still achieve great things.”

“I hope I can demonstrate to other people with disabilities that no matter your problems, you can still achieve great things”

FUNDRAISING

FUNDRAISING TIPS Make it manageable People will buy into sponsoring you if your goal is achievable and clearly defined.

‘I’m going to cycle around Britain!’ sounds great but by breaking the details down into short stretches you have tangible targets, that you can accomplish and you sponsors can grasp too.

T H E C H A L L E NG E

RIDE FROM LONDON TO PARIS There’s riding from London to Paris, and there’s riding from London to Paris while escorting 25, 15-year-old students. Prior to the pandemic, deputy headteacher Ben Rackley from Leicestershire, would do this for three years running, with a different group of students each time.

“They ride in relay, completing 10-mile stints in groups of no more than six and then swapping,” says Ben. As for balancing varying abilities, “I organise the groups according to

“Every year a parent is so inspired by the idea of riding from London to Paris that they ask if they could join us!”

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cycling ability from fast to slow – they can’t just ride with their pals.”

Taking a team of school kids on a ride over a distance of 270 miles is clearly not without its challenges, but Ben insists it’s worth it. “This form of school ‘residential’ break is one the kids love. We cycle to London from Leicestershire then to Newhaven and get the ferry to Dieppe.

The kids sleep on deck and love that too. We then start at first light all the way to Paris.”

From London through to Paris, it’s all done along the ‘Avenue Verte’, a mixture of on-road, mainly quiet lanes and traffic-free stretches on old railway-paths and riverside routes.

Each student pays a fee that covers costs and includes an additional charity donation. “They do additional fundraising too and to date we’ve raised over £5,000 for the Child Brain Injury Trust,” says Rackley. “This September, due to Covid-19 restrictions, we’re completing the C2C ride in northern England – we plan to tackle some monster climbs including Whinlatter and Hartside Pass – but once we can, we’ll ride to Paris again. Every year a parent is so inspired by the idea that they ask if they could join us!”

Broaden the event “The students raise money through sponsorship forms, doing odd jobs, dog-sitting, shopping bag packing and hosting bake sales.

It’s always a good idea to boost fundraising with support events wherever you can, it helps spread the word and can bring in bigger sponsors too.”

Tell the charity “By letting the beneficiary know in advance, they can share your page on their social pages. The Child Brain Injury Trust also send us T-shirts and help to promote the ride which really helps.”

chainreactioncycles.com

PENNY-FARTHING RACING

Words Daniel Johansson

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BIKERADAR.COM

PENNY-FARTHING POWER STRUGGLE RACING

Daniel Johansson’s dreams of racing a penny-farthing are realised in the inaugural Sweden 3 Days event BIKERADAR.COM

NOVEMBER 2021 59

PENNY-FARTHING RACING

Above Once up to top speed, penny-farthings can move at quite a gallop

I

’d waited a long time for this. Not just the extra year’s delay, enforced by the pandemic, but many years before that too.

As you might imagine, penny-farthing racing, let alone this, a three-day penny-farthing stage race, is hard to come by, so it was to my great delight the event I’d trained hard for and looked to for so long was finally going ahead.

The first-ever Sweden 3 Days would, however, go ahead in a somewhat altered format. Rules and red tape brought about by the pandemic meant the authorities would not allow a couple of stages in town centres to go ahead, as they wouldn’t close the roads, which meant the race – now officially unofficial as deemed by the licensing authorities – would go ahead with the remaining two stages (each containing

two races). One of the races was moved away from the town centre to Sturup Raceway near Malmö airport in the southern tip of Sweden. Livestreaming of the event was cancelled, some of the international competitors weren’t able to make it because of the problems of travel and we’d have fewer spectators than planned, due to the relocation. For us as competitors, these changes were all unfortunate but mostly superficial – it wouldn’t affect how we’d race. Pandemic or not, a great time would be had by all.

Seat at the high table In many ways, Sweden 3 Days is a unique cycling competition.

It’s a race on penny-farthings, which hasn’t happened in this country for over a century. While

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there are penny-farthing races abroad [ed – look out for the Great Knutsford Race, held every ten years in Cheshire, England], none have this three-day layout, where a winner is crowned through a merging of results across the four races. It’s also an affordable ‘ride like a pro’ weekend; for 200 euros, we got transport between races, three nights’ accommodation with breakfast, one dinner and spa access. Some events charge that for race entry.

All participants gathered at the hotel on the Thursday evening prior to the race in early July for a briefing of what was to come.

There were a total of 16 cyclists, the majority from Sweden but also a Frenchman, four Germans and one rider all the way from Puerto Rico.

Most had their own bikes, but some had borrowed pennyfarthings from Standard Highwheels, made in Tomelilla, Sweden. The organiser, Pelle, went through the layout, transports and rules, before handing over race management responsibility to Tina, so that he could participate and compete himself.

We would run two races on Friday, one on Saturday and one last endurance race on Sunday.

Race one and three were of an unofficial nature as they were held on non-closed roads while races two and four were held on closed areas where we could really compete. The results from the four competitions would then be combined to determine the overall winner.

Here gathered a rather motley bunch of cyclists, just as I hoped; the youngest cyclist being just 15, and the oldest 60. Some were here to compete, others excited just to take part. All would have fun.

Race one, 9.4km individual time trial, Högestad The first race was one of the ‘unofficial’ ones. The bikes were

PENNY-FARTHING RACING

Bottom Once a front group formed, Daniel found it very difficult to break it up

on the roadside. Some sat and had coffee, others were busy started at one-minute intervals, already sitting on the bike with the help of the starting staff who held the bike upright. This was new to me, because normally you stand behind your penny with your left foot on the peg over the small rear wheel and hold the handlebars. Then you kick with your right foot, so the bike gets some speed before you step up, sit in the saddle, find the pedals and pedal away. It was unusual, but the usual method is an easy way to lose time, so being clipped into my SPD pedals already had the potential for me to let my legs do the talking.

Three-two-one and I was away, for what would be like an FTP test on a big wheel. I didn’t go too hard at the start as the course was quite hilly. The penny-farthing can really move on the flat, but when it gets hilly it’s rather useless and it’s not difficult to understand why, when the time came, it was outmanoeuvred and outflanked by the modern bike overnight. A 54-inch front wheel driven by 125mm crank arms moves sluggishly uphill and here it meant my cadence varied between 50 and 150rpm.

Quickly I reached my max effort for the course and tried to hold it together as best I could.

People living along the road and probably some travelling

I managed to pass a few riders who’d started ahead of me, and I pushed as hard as I could in the headwind towards the line.

This was the first time that I’d competed against other highwheel cyclists, and it was very exciting to compare the times afterwards, partly for this race, but also for what was to come. The result exceeded my expectations. The Frenchman Alexandre Voisine outclassed the rest of us with 19:18. Behind him was tight. I had 20:20, Oskar Henriksson 20:21 and Pelle Kippel 20:26. After the flower ceremony, France’s national anthem and coffee, we loaded everything and rolled towards food, rest and recharging before race two later the same evening.

Race two, 2km circuit race, Sturup Raceway.

Beforehand, I was a little worried about the circuit races. Riding tight with other penny-farthing riders, in a peloton, chasing positions and sprinting, was new both to me and some of the other cyclists. A crash from such a lofty position ends badly more often than not.

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PENNY-FARTHING RACING

outskirts of Ystad. The square track measured just over 1km and two qualifying heats over eight laps produced the 10 cyclists for the final. In that final, we rode 16 laps where again a small group of the same five cyclists as the previous evening formed.

This time we rotated a bit more in the group. Oskar and Pelle made some attempts to increase the pace and break the group

Above Slipstreaming is just as important in pennyfarthing racing

Right Our man Daniel celebrates becoming the first Sweden 3 Days champion

Below Racing was moved out of town centres onto race tracks and industrial areas

the first eight finishers would progress to the ‘A’ final. I tried to conserve energy, held back and tried to get a feeling of the racetrack. There were some tight curves that were challenging at high speed.

In the B-final, my roommate Gustav went hard from the start and was able to win from the front without anyone catching him. Before the A-final there was a little rain and we were a little worried that it would be slippery, but there was enough grip. In the early stages of the eight-lap race, a group of five cyclists formed - Alexandre, Oskar, Pelle, Mattias Nordström and myself.

I tried to be tactical, avoided the front and saved my power.

Cycling away from Alexandre felt impossible after the ITT and

on a modern bike, but I had no idea how the legs would stand in this highly unusual context. The small peloton held together until the last lap when it cracked up a bit, Pelle miscalculating the laps and burning his matches one lap too early. In the last corner I sat perfectly on Alexandre’s wheels, I went hard with what I had and felt quite quickly that I had higher speed than the rest. I won the sprint. It was tremendous fun and it was really cool to compete on a racetrack. Sturup Raceway, with its flat roads and easy bends, felt like it was built for pennyfarthing racing.

Race three, circuit race, Ystad The sole race on day 2 was in the afternoon, so we used the morning for a social ride in Ystad, on the south coast, with ice cream and sightseeing. A dozen high-wheel bikes undeniably attract interest, and it would be fantastic, in future years, to run a circuit race in the town centre on a hot summer evening.

We were happy to play the cards as they were dealt this year, which today was the rather less salubrious industrial area on the

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and took the last curve at over 50km/h. I’ve never before taken a sharp curve at that speed on a penny-farthing, and it felt like the asphalt was about to run out before I got the bike around the curve. Again, I snatched victory.

Race four, two-hour endurance race, Björka Sunday and Sweden 3 Days would finish with a two-hour endurance race at the closed Björka military air base. A 5km oval pan-flat course would be run as many laps as possible for two hours.

Ahead of the start, after what we’d experienced so far, it felt impossible that the group could be broken up early, but Pelle and Oskar seemed determined to try.

Right from the start, we set off at full speed. We rocketed along at just over 10 min/lap, almost 30km/h on average. It may not sound so fast for a roadie but trust me, it feels it up there.

My plan was to try to keep up and once again go for the sprint.

Pelle did most of the work up front and when I got up there, I slowed down while Pelle and Oskar increased the speed when it was their turn. This is how it

PENNY-FARTHING RACING

pounds How to get the hang of a 150-year-old bike

“The atmosphere among cyclists, crew, volunteers and spectators was fantastic and something I’ve only experienced in the world of unsupported ultra-cycling” went on for 12 laps, most of it in the sun, but on the last laps a heavy rain came and cooled us down. In the last corner I sat perfectly behind Alexandre and when the tempo picked up, I put the hammer down and managed to go past the other riders on the outside. I won again and, with this final victory, I had the great pleasure of winning the first edition of Sweden 3 Days.

I have never had so much pain in my buttocks before, not even after the 4200km long Transcontinental Race. The upright position on the pennyfarthing awards you with big pressure straight down into the sit bones. It’s almost impossible to stand up and release this pressure, which doubles the pain, especially in the longer races. Double cycling shorts is the consensus solution.

Sweden 3 Days has enormous potential as a cycling

competition. It’s a completely unique event and seems to have suited both those who wanted to compete hard and those who had the goal to complete the four races.

The atmosphere among cyclists, crew, volunteers and spectators was absolutely fantastic and very familiar, something I’ve only experienced on a bicycle in the world of unsupported ultra-cycling.

For the audience, there’s currently one chance every year in Sweden to watch pennyfarthing competitions, something that has probably not happened in over 100 years. Hopefully stages in the coming years can take place in towns and cities, which will encourage more spontaneous spectators to check it out. Roll on next year!

The next edition of Sweden 3 Days is set for 1-3 July 2022

Today’s penny-farthings are a little lighter and may roll a little better due to better tyres and bearings, but otherwise they’re identical to the construction from the 1870s. You choose the size of the front wheel according to how long your legs are. If you have strong legs, you can ride shorter crank arms, a larger front wheel and thus get higher speed.

It’s a very stripped-down experience to ride a penny-farthing; there are no gears, no chain, basically no brakes and not even air in the tyres, which makes punctures impossible. You sit as high as you would on a horse and get an incredible view compared to being on a standard road bike. An early challenge is to get up and down from the bike, one that for most riders requires only a few hours of training. Once you get up and start pedalling, it’s easier than it seems to be. When you ride a penny-farthing, motorists usually hostile to standard bike riders suddenly become cycling fans, finding time to stop and take pictures, and cheer and wave. As a high-wheeled cyclist, you must be prepared to be photographed and questioned about how to get on the bike, how to stop and more. If you want to ride your bike unnoticed, the pennyfarthing is probably not for you.

Penny-farthing races are spectacular, even if the speed is not as high as in a road race with modern bicycles. It’s difficult to break a strong group and go for the breakaway, which will lead to tight races. On top of that, it feels like the tactics from modern cycling apply to these races as well – power saving and positioning are just as important. The risk of crashing is always there and, because you sit so high, it feels like the risk of hurting yourself if you do come down is high.

The bike itself and its constructions feels less crucial than on modern bikes and you can buy a competition-ready high wheel bike for about €1600. What are you waiting for?

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EDITED BY WARREN ROSSITER, SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR

THIS ISSUE… NEW BIKES

VanMoof S3 ............................................................... p66 Genesis Tour de Fer 30 ............................................... p70 Bike test – GT vs Kinesis vs Vitus ............................. p92 NEW GEAR

Zipp 353 NSW wheels .................................................p72 Specialized vs Scott commuter shoes .......................p74 Met Manta MIPS helmet .............................................p76 Gaerne Carbon G.STL shoes ........................................p78 Reserve 32 Gravel 700C DT 350 wheels ..................... p80 Rapha Core bibs and jersey ....................................... p82 Shootout – Short-sleeve jerseys .............................. p84 Buyer’s Guide – Power meters .................................. p86

ZIPP 353 NSW WHEELS P72

SHOOTOUT – SIX OF THE BEST JERSEYS P84

GAERNE CARBON G.STL P78 65

The bike is designed for tall riders between 5ft 8in and 6ft 8in and my 6ft 2in frame felt absolutely at home on it

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Going Dutch VanMoof S3 £1998 (+£315 PowerBank spare battery) Smart and stylish urban ebike utch brothers Taco and Tiers Carlier launched VanMoof in 2009, building stylish, urban commuter bikes. Now VanMoof has taken its award-winning designs into the world of ebikes with the S3 (and its small-wheeled sibling, the X3). The signature design is the top tube that extends beyond the head tube and past the seat-tube junction and integrates front and rear lights. On the ebike this integration is taken to the next level: the frame houses a 504Wh battery while a 250W motor is built into the front SPECIFICATIONS wheel hub.

WEIGHT 21kg + 3.8kg Integration doesn’t stop (PowerBank), one size there either, with a four-speed FRAME Aluminium electronic auto-shifting rear FORK Aluminium hub, integrated security (more on ELECTRIC MOTOR SYSTEM VanMoof that later) and a very slick display integrated into the top tube. The 250W front hub motor with LG 504Wh Matrix display is a board of 166 internal battery, LEDs under the surface of the top (optional rangetube, which illuminate to show extending PowerBank battery level (with a bank of 21 378Wh battery) GEARS Four-speed lights (three columns of seven) electronic auto-shift showing internal battery level, Sturmey Archer and 20 more for the PowerBank rear hub piggyback battery).

BRAKES VanMoof The remaining lights when hydraulic disc brakes riding show current speed; when with 160mm front/ 140mm rear rotor stopped it changes to a ‘V’ logo.

When the bike is secured the WHEELS VanMoof 28in anodised display is dormant unless you try aluminium rims and to move or knock it, when it will stainless steel make an audible warning noise spokes FINISHING KIT One- and the display turns into an piece VanMoof bar/ animated skull.

The one-piece bar and stem with integrated ergonomic grips, stem complement the bike’s alloy seatpost, slick appearance and the VanMoof saddle, ergonomically shaped grips VanMoof front and rear mudguard, full smoothly transition into the chaincase, Schwalbe bar. Aside from brake levers to Big Ben puncture- control the powerful hydraulic protected 50c tyres, disc brakes, each side of the bar integrated front has a small button within easy and rear lights, reach of your thumb. The leftplatform pedals hand button operates the bike’s

D

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The simplicity of the ride is matched by the lovely upright riding position

electronic bell (which can be selected through the accompanying app as a classic ‘ding dong’, VanMoof’s own horn noise or a ‘party’ sound, which is akin to a clown car’s horn and provides endless amusement). The right-hand button hosts the S3’s other party trick: the turbo. This button provides a bit of electronically assisted overdrive, which means you’ll safely beat traffic away from the lights or give yourself a welcome boost at the start of a hill.

When parking, align the marks on the frame and the rear hub then use your foot to kick a button on the rear non-driveside dropout. This locks the bike, renders the rear wheel immovable and sets the in-built alarm, which works in conjunction with the app on your phone to track the bike. It’s a very smart yet-simple-to-use solution that means you don’t have to worry about a second HIGHS lock to secure the bike, and Wonderfully smooth if the worst happens you can ride; impressive notify VanMoof at the touch of range; great price a button. Unlocking can either be done via your phone or by LOWS inputting a three-digit code.

Slippy pedals; The auto-gears work well for auto-gear shift the most part – you can choose flat or hilly settings or set up BUY IF...

You want a your own custom change points. comprehensively The app also controls the lights, equipped urban plus you can set it all up on IOS ebike in Apple’s Find My app.

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On the road the VanMoof is a winner, and the simplicity of the ride experience is matched by the lovely upright riding position and the very comfortable, but not overly squishy, saddle.

The power assistance smoothly matches your pedalling and, largely, the automatic gearshifting changes just when you need it too. The bike is designed for tall riders between 5ft 8in and 6ft 8in and my 6ft 2in frame felt absolutely at home with the bike’s shape. If you’re smaller than the size range, then VanMoof’s X3 with its compact frame and 24in wheels (the S3’s are 28in) is designed to fit riders between 5ft and 6ft 5in.

The top tube’s LED display shows when the bike is locked

It may look odd but the saddle is very comfortable

Moof my ride I did find on occasion the auto- shifting held onto a gear for a fraction too long on drawn-out climbs (admittedly, not the usual topography you’d expect to take a town ebike) and occasionally when descending the gears were sluggish to change and keep up with my cadence. That’s only in VanMoof’s standard hilly setting though.

Cleverly, you can adjust when the bike changes gears via custom settings within the app.

Unlike the Cowboy e-bike (issue 366), which offers a similarly, slick and integrated ebike system, I never felt the VanMoof needed my phone mounted on the bars to impart information (though the VanMoof app does offer a myriad of data, should you want it). The LED display on the S3’s top tube displays accurate speed, and with 21 (40 if you count the spare battery too) individual

The spare battery sits inside the frame triangle

All the clever electronics are in the top tube

The hydraulic disc brakes are plentifully powerful

Value added I tested the S3 without referring to the retail price and I fully expected it to be far more expensive than it is. At under £2000 it’s a steal for something so very well sorted and with such a great ride, range and good looks. When you study some of the detail you can see where money has been saved, such as the standard square-taper and sealed-cartridge bottom bracket being decidedly old-school in comparison to the bike’s slick design and clever ebike system.

The position of the motor in the front hub may seem like an odd choice compared to mid-mounted or rear-hub systems of its rivals.

However, it works rather well here with a sense of the bike pulling you along without it affecting the handling or steering.

Overall, I’m mightily impressed by the S3. It’s a joyful bike to ride with a range that eliminates any thoughts of battery woe. The assistance matches your effort smoothly and the turbo button provides a jolt of speedy power if you need it. The contact points are comfort personified and the package is excellent, with all the tools and accessories you’ll need, including a fast charger as standard which charges both internal and Powerbank batteries simultaneously.

My only niggle is the occasionally dumb autoshifts (but the auto-shifting on my Shimano Nexus Di2 ebike can also be pretty dumb on occasion), plus the rather average platform pedals. Their grip-tape inserts are kind to office shoes, but in anything but the driest of weather they just don’t supply the ample grasp that I’m used to. I can forgive this, however, as the S3 gets 95 per cent of what it needs to do just right.

THE VERDICT One of the very best urban ebikes: user-friendly, slick design, bags of fun The integrated rear, and front, lights are very practical

BIKERADAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY RUSSELL BURTON WORDS WARREN ROSSITER

lights representing the level of charge, it gives a very accurate remaining power indicator too.

The S3’s range is perhaps its most impressive feature. With the add-on PowerBank turned off and not connected, I managed to get the S3 to a remarkable 129.42km (80.42 miles) with 1521m (4990ft) of elevation. The PowerBank adds an additional 378Wh of power (to the S3’s standard 504Wh) and should up the range to in excess of 100 miles. That’s a lot of commuter trips, and with a charge time of four hours (80 minutes will get you 50 per cent charge) the S3 is a more than capable commuter for even the biggest milemunchers out there.

The comfortable ride position is well matched to a bike that handles as well as the S3. Its wonderfully stable and smooth, while the tough ebike-approved Schwalbe tyres offer plenty of grip in the wet along with their generous, roughroad-smoothing volume.

This subtle button rings the bike’s bell

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New beginnings Genesis Tour de Fer 30 £2099.99 A modern spin on the classic touring rig enesis has had adventure as a core focus since its 2006 beginnings, and the Tour de Fer has been a stalwart of its range for much of that time. Gravel riding has grown exponentially since Genesis arguably introduced the first gravel bike - the wildly popular Croix de Fer – but more traditional long-range tourers remain popular. The Tour de Fer aims to capture the essence of packing up and heading for the wilderness in a stripped-back yet absolutely feature-loaded package.

A Reynolds 725 steel frame – strong, dependable, and relatively light – is at the heart of the bike. The frame features a threaded bottom bracket shell, mudguard eyelets, front and rear rack mounts, three sets of bottle cage bosses and provision to carry three spare spokes, which are included in the package. The fork is made from chromoly steel and has a straight 1 1/8in steerer, and both the frame and fork have quick release dropouts rather than thru-axles.

G

Tiagra offers 30 speeds and a wide range of gears

If you’ve a longing for a week-long continental tour, this could well be the bike for you The Tour de Fer comes with front and rear dynamo lighting

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Shimano fits out much of the Tour de Fer’s spec. The shifters and drivetrain are the Japanese powerhouse’s workhorse Tiagra offerings: a triple chainset has the low gears to winch a fully loaded machine up the steepest inclines; A 10-speed cassette offers low maintenance, consistent shifting even when you haven’t had chance to clean it on tour as much as you would at home, and smallish jumps between gears. The brakes are TRP’s cable operated Spyres – they’re not as powerful as a hydraulic setup, but braking is consistent and sufficiently powerful. The external headset is a simple removable ball-andrace type, which is easy to clean and regrease without a panoply of tools.

The Tour de Fer rolls on solid-to-a-fault equipment – Sun Ringlé Rhyno Lite rims that used to be found on mountain bikes, wrapped in dependable Schwalbe Marathon tyres. The Marathon range is synonymous with continentcrossing durability and incredible puncture resistance. Strong, plain-gauge spokes are laced to Shimano FH-M6000 rear and DH-UR700-3D front hubs. Yes, you decoded that correctly – there really is a dynamo hub. It powers Busch + Müller’s IQ-X front and Secula rear light.

Regular finishing kit is Genesis branded: a 27.2mm in-line seatpost, 100mm stem, saddle and a 16-degree flared bar that measures 42cm at the hoods. Extra equipment from Genesis are the

The ownbrand handlebar has a 16-degree flare

The bike is specced with three bottle cages

Front and rear racks make it ready for touring

SPECIFICATIONS

full-length mudguards and two of the supplied bottle cages – the third is a Monkii Cage from Free Parable. It’s a brilliant adjustable cage that has been used to carry a bottle of wine, a small Thermos, and a container of meths for the burner packed elsewhere. The front rack is a Tubus Tara low-rider style while the rear is an AtranVelo Tour 365 with a sprung clip and a 27kg capacity.

From the first pedal turn, there’s a stability and a purpose about this bike that the 15.6kg overall weight helps supply. It doesn’t feel heavy though, it’s nimble and handles extremely well.

Not once did it feel twitchy or unpredictable regardless of how much or little weight was hanging off it. The gearing is intended to allow steady climbing and rapid yet controlled descending – you don’t want to be engaging banzai mode when you’ve got kit for two weeks strapped around you.

We never felt the momentum getting away from us, and the TRP brakes were consistent throughout testing. The brake choice or the basic headset may seem odd, but every last component on this bike is pitched at long-term high mileage and ease of servicing. Spare brake cables are easier to carry then bleed kits for hydraulic systems. And to service the headset you only need an Allen key to remove the stem.

The steel frameset is chosen for much the same reason. Should the worst happen, you’ve

HIGHS Mileage; mood; value

LOWS The colour purple may not be to everyone’s taste

BUY IF...

You want a bike to do everything your current flock won’t

a chance that a welding shop anywhere in the world might be able to get it running again. Try that with aluminium, titanium or carbon…

This bike won’t carry you to records on your local Strava segments, but it will be there for your more considered rides and is built to go the distance. While not as capable off-road as a gravel bike, canal towpaths and smooth forest trails are well within the Tour de Fer’s capability. If you’ve a longing for week-long continental tours or even packing your life up and heading off around the world, this could well be the bike for you. Equally, if you’re looking to reduce car use, four panniers will allow you to carry the week’s work clothes, gym kit, lunch and your laptop comfortably. The dynamo lights provide yearround, charge-free lighting and you can even add supplementary power banks or USB chargers.

Genesis’s Tour de Fer 30 is a prime example of how touring bikes are a utilitarian dream. At a sniff the wrong side of two grand, it’s still great value and it’s a bike that brings massive potential for exploration and future fun-filled riding.

THE VERDICT High-quality, fully equipped tourer for all your big cycling adventures

BIKERADAR.COM

WORDS WILL POOLE IMAGES DAVE CAUDERY

Cable disc brakes are consistent and easy to fettle out in the wilds

WEIGHT 15.6kg (S) FRAME Reynolds 725 steel FORK Genesis full chromoly GEARS Shimano Tiagra 10-speed (5039-30), 11-32 BRAKES TRP Spyre-C mechanical disc WHEELS Sun Ringlé Rhyno Lite rims FINISHING KIT Genesis 31.8mm alloy stem, X-Race Pro bar and alloy seatpost, Genesis saddle, 700 x 35c Schwalbe Marathon tyres, B&M dynamo lights, three bottle cages

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MOST WANTED

ZIPP 353 NSW £3200

Zipp’s new flagship race wheel

ipp has had a rather busy year.

Following on from its 303 S and excellent 303 Firecrest (reviewed in issue 381) wheels released in 2020, now it’s launched the flagship of the 303 series, the 353 NSW, to replace the premium 303 NSW. The 353’s radical ‘sawtooth’ rim shape follows the same design principles as 2016’s 454 NSW, with its wavy inside edge inspired by tubercles found on humpback whale fins. These Hyperfoil nodes are designed to make it behave like a deeper rim (it’s 45mm deep, like the 303) while reducing the sidewall profile and making the rim much more stable under high crosswinds. Zipp has used dimpled sidewalls for years to aid aerodynamics, but here the dimples vary in size and are arranged in strips. Zipp claims that this aids crosswind stability as well as improving straight-line aerodynamic performance.

But that’s only part of the story. Aero takes second priority to weight here, and these are the lightest disc wheels Zipp has ever made, their hookless rims helping shave mass. Our test pair – complete with tubeless valves, 12mm endcaps, XDR freehub body and tubeless HIGHS tape – weigh 600g front and Light; fast; 704g rear (1304g pair) – lighter stable; beautifully made by over a 100g than the already svelte 303 Firecrests.

LOWS On the road the tubeless Tubeless only; 353s are stunning. They expensive coped admirably in blustery

Z

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conditions, feeling stable yet speedy, and their 25mm internal rim is perfect for 28mm tyres inflated to Zipp’s recommendation.

They roll as smoothly as the 303s, but when the road starts to rise and fall the 353s come into their own. Their flyweight makes every climb easier and the smoothness and super-fast pick-up of the new Cognition V2 hub helps too. On descents all these elements come together: stability, speed and comfort from the tyres. The Cognition hubs’ clever disengagement when freewheeling – where opposing magnets push them apart, effectively eliminating mechanical drag – is impressive. When you dive into a corner and come off the power, the lack of drag feels like you’re getting a speed boost, making it easy to maintain speed through the corner and accelerate on exit.

The 353s are beautifully made and finished, and I’m impressed they’ve achieved such a light weight with standard user-friendly spokes and nipples. The rim graphics are directly printed onto the carbon surface for a lightweight and hardwearing finish (no peeling stickers here).

Overall the 353 NSWs are just about the best allround wheel I’ve ever tested. And yet, at £3200 compared to the fantastic 303 Firecrests at half that (£1600), they are certainly not twice as good.

I’d heartily recommend the 353s if – and it’s a big ‘if’ – you can comfortably afford them. The biggest problem Zipp faces is that the Firecrests are so damn good I’d take those and save a heap of cash over the 353s. Warren Rossiter

02

WE SAY...

Better than five-star performance, but it comes at a

ALSO CONSIDER...

ROADIE CHOICE

CADEX 42 £1099 (F) £1399 (R) The Cadex 42s boast a unique construction, with carbon fibre spokes bonded to proper metal ends so they can be trued like a standard wheel. The spokes join smooth hubs and hookless rims. They’re light at 1430g including valves and tubeless tapes, and impressively stiff with it. Their narrow 19.4mm internal rim width makes these best suited to road use.

BENCHMARK TO BEAT

ZIPP 303 FIRECREST £1600

03

RADICAL RIMS

HELPFUL HUBS

GREAT GRAPHICS

The waved shape of the 353’s inner rim gets its inspiration from the fins of a humpback whale. It gives the aero performance of a deeper rim while having the stability of a shallower design.

The Cognition Axial Clutch V2 rear hub disengages the freehub when coasting with the use of opposing magnets, making for frictionless freewheeling that helps you hold onto your speed.

The rim graphics use Zipp’s Impress printing, where they are directly printed onto the carbon fibre, making them more hardwearing than decals and much lighter than stickers.

01

02

03

The understudy to the 353 NSW, at 1406g a pair (with tapes and valves in place) the Zipp 303 is also impressively light. It’s one of the most comfortable wheelsets I’ve tried and it’s blisteringly quick yet stable too.

These wheels are also versatile, with the broad 25mm internal rim making them a fine option for gravel and cyclocross as well as on the road.

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WE SAY...

The Rimes just win for their better weather protection and grippier sole

HEAD TO HEAD: COMMUTER SHOES

SPECIALIZED RIME SCOTT MTB AR FLAT SHOES SHOES £130

£89.99

Flat-sole supremacy

and quick drying. Weather protection is beefed up by the use of bonded polymer sections around the toe and on the flanks, providing more water and spray protection.

The tongue is deeply padded and the lacing pattern excellent, and I like the addition of a lace loop to keep stray laces from catching in your chain. These are superbly comfortable and practical shoes that look good. I’d like a reflective detail or two for urban use.

Riding to work doesn’t have to mean putting on your clipless shoes, but the grip pins on flat pedals make short work of expensive trainer soles. That’s where flat-pedal shoes like the Rime come in – the outsole is both tough and grippy. Made from Specialized’s own SlipNot rubber compound, the sole is stiff enough for efficient pedalling though not so stiff as to be uncomfortable to walk in.

Upper-level comfort The Rime’s upper is superbly designed with a trainer-like fit while Specialized’s Body Geometry footbeds are some of the best around. The upper’s main material is a lightweight mesh called XPEL that’s pretty water resistant

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Weighty matters

HIGHS Breathable; comfortable; decent protection from the elements

LOWS Muted colourways; no reflective detail

At 422g each (size 45) they weigh about the same as a casual trainer but the Rimes are built much tougher and, because of the excellent breathability, they manage to feel light on your feet.

Flat sole supremacy

toe make it a great commuter option. The synthetic upper is a mix of breathable mesh and a tough perforated polyurethane to shrug off rain. The fit is slimmer than the Rime’s and the material is a bit thicker. Scott’s ergonomic footbed matches the Rime’s for sculpted comfort and, also like the Rimes, it’s good to see an elasticated retaining loop to restrain stray laces.

As with the Rime, these bikespecific flat pedal shoes are aimed at mountain bikers but are ideal for commuting.

The EVA midsole gives a comfortable foam base while the Sticki Rubber outsole grips the pedals tenaciously. This sole is slightly stiffer than the Rime’s but the shoes are still comfortable to walk in. The central tread over the pedal is much shallower than at the heel or toe, which works great on the bike but can be a little slippery when walking on wet roads or grass.

Upper-level comfort Scott’s MTB AR (All Rounder) comes from their mountain bike line but its skate-shoe design and reflective logos on the heel and

Weighty matters

HIGHS Light; comfortable; grips the pedal really well; reflective details too

LOWS Not great in the wet; narrower fit

The ARs are lighter at 406.2g each (45) and offer fair protection from the elements, though the mesh sections take on water easier than the Rimes.

They are priced very keenly compared to their rivals here.

Warren Rossiter

DESIGNED to explore

@AlturaCycling

Ridge Jacket With Waterproof Technology.

Learn More at Altura.co.uk

WE SAY...

An excellent lid that boasts superb comfort if you can splash the cash

MET MANTA MIPS £220

Premium aero lid gets a redesign

ith the Manta MIPS, Met is hoping to turn the traditional aero-road helmet on its head. Typically, when it comes to helmets, the ‘aero’ label means added weight and less venting in order to achieve aerodynamic goals. The Manta, however, takes the aero shape and reduces the mass, so this is quite a slender profiled lid with a lot less overhang on the sides. It certainly makes for a helmet that looks good. In fact, it shares a very similar profile and mass as the brand’s top-tier lid, the Trenta 4K, which you may have seen on the head of Tour de France supremo Tadej Pogačar, albeit with a much more aerodynamic bent. Met recorded a 4-watt saving over the original Manta when it was tested in Milan’s Newton Lab wind tunnel. This process involves testing the helmet in various rider positions both down in the drops and up on the hoods.

Met also claims improved HIGHS airflow and cooling from its Lightweight; great fit and details; minimal seven forward-facing superb comfort vents. I’ve ridden the Manta on some of this year’s hottest LOWS summer days (and if you Hefty price; not as remember July’s heatwave, they airy as a non-aero lid were pretty toasty!), as well as

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plenty of cooler ones, and I’ve come away feeling mightily impressed.

Not surprisingly, the sheer comfort of wearing this helmet has a lot to do with the low 272.6g weight for a size large. However, it’s also in part down to the cutaway of the MIPS C2 insert not hindering the deeply channelled internal design of the helmet.

MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) is a rather simple but incredibly clever piece of safety technology. It’s an insert anchored on elastic tethers inside the shell that allows the helmet shell to slide 10-15mm relative to the rider’s head in the event of a crash. This is said to reduce the rotational forces on your brain and therefore reduce the risk of serious injury.

The fit is excellent with well-placed minimal pads, and the rear cradle offers 3.5cm of vertical adjustment. The design allows for ponytails, so it’s friendly for female and male riders with long hair. The lightweight straps are finished with Fidlock’s brilliant magnetic clasp that’s easy to operate one-handed and is also sleeker than traditional click-fixing straps.

The Manta offers aero benefits without the downsides of weight and reduced cooling – its only downside is the price, as £220 is a fair whack to pay for a helmet. Warren Rossiter

Abus Gamechanger £179.99 Developed over two years with input from the Abus-sponsored Movistar team, the Gamechanger at 282g for a large is a light aero road lid. The overall shape is very minimal compared to most of the competition and Abus has paid particular attention to giving it a much smaller frontal area than most.

Venting is decent and even the minimal pads are vented. It’s a comfortable shape and fits well – the only downside is that the coarse-feeling straps don’t feel as premium as they should.

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WE SAY...

A premium shoe from the Italian designers that provide stability, comfort and good looks

GAERNE CARBON G.STL £379.90

Handmade Italian race-ready kicks

aerne has a reputation for quality and the new G.STL is the brand’s premium offering featuring an all-new, one-piece microfibre upper that’s laser-drilled to provide breathability. The upper surrounds the semi-rigid heel cup, and slims and broadens around the shape of the foot. This makes for a shoe that feels very stable, especially when combined with the Boa Li2 dials and eight fixing points for the laces, which allows even tensioning. This further adds to foot stability, and the latest Li2 dials offer micro-adjustments in either direction and are more user-friendly than rival dial systems. The shoe’s shape has just enough height to add volume, but it’s also a slim design. If you have wider feet you may struggle and, size wise, they come up a little small. I HIGHS stepped up to a 46 from 45.

Beautifully made; Gaerne offers a wide size range stable; stiff; comfortable of 39-47 (half sizes between 41 and 46).

LOWS Foot retention is excellent and Narrower shape; I found the extensive heel cup sizing on the small very reminiscent of Sidi’s side; price designs. The G.STs hold your

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foot rock-steady, even when sprinting out of the saddle. The outsole is stiff enough to not budge, even when I was working at my hardest – not really surprising when the sole is rated 12 out of 12 on Gaerne’s stiffness ladder. The sole also has excellent venting with forward-facing holes channelling air into the shoe and mesh vents allowing hot air to escape. The upper is quite closed, however, so I’ve found myself reaching for these on cooler days.

The grip-tape coated cleat plate has welldefined markings, with the sandpaper-like surface holding your cleats tight. The sole is noticeably thin at the cleat plate so the feeling of a direct connection with the pedal is great. At 576g a pair (size 46) they’re pretty light for a more traditional design too. Gaerne also offers a direct-mount Speedplay-compatible sole if you’re a fan of that minimal pedal system.

The G-STLs may not have the ultra-modern tech of a Fizik Stabilita, Giant Surge or Q36.5 Unique; they’re more traditional, like Sidi’s Sixty. They’re very comfortable despite being so stiff and they look every inch the premium road shoe. With replaceable heel bumpers and serviceable Boa dials these shoes, while expensive, are built to last. Warren Rossiter

Sidi Sixty Limited Edition £330 Last year marked the 60th anniversary for Sidi and in celebration it launched a series of limited-edition shoes based around the flagship road model.

You can certainly find significantly lighter shoes than these 617g a pair (size 45) but you’ll be hard pushed to find a shoe that feels as good on long arduous rides. Sidi has certainly learned over its six decades of experience how to take care of your feet and build shoes that can claim longevity.

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COMFORT ZONE

Campagnolo Shamal C21 DB 2WF XDR Carbon wheelset £1160 WE SAY...

Resistance is futile!

The responsiveness of the Reserve 32 demands you play hard

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RESERVE 32 GRAVEL 700C DT 350 £1599

Go fast or go home

s the name suggests the Reserve 32 Gravel are gravel-specific wheels, but these are deliberately different to a lot of similar products. Whereas many wheels aim for a combination of performance and comfort that tips the balance towards extended ride comfort, these wheels have been designed to facilitate the pursuit of power and speed. To be clear, it’s not uncomfortable, just more ‘on it’ in terms of response. The carbon rims are 32mm deep with an internal width of 24mm. Tubelessready they support tyres ranging from 24mm to an optimal 45mm width. The spokes are a blade construction and the hub is a DT 350.

Testing the wheels blind – without reading up on any product information in order to avoid preconceptions – what struck me was the fact they HIGHS Fast; efficient feel stiffer than any similarly and fun specified wheels I have ridden.

There is a definite buzz of LOWS feedback through the hands but Not built for it’s not unpleasant, and that comfort stiffness translates into

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Campagnolo’s first gravel-specific model, this carbon wheel features a versatile 21mm internal width that will fit road tyres or chunkier rubber up to 50mm wide. The tubeless-ready Shamal has a 40mm rear rim depth and 35mm front, a setup designed to balance power transfer and comfort. They’re appreciably forgiving.

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pleasingly precise tracking and an instant surge out of corners as you tap the pedal and ask for more. On subsequent rides it became increasingly clear that, with the Reverse 32s, it’s when you put the power down that they really come alive. Simply put, the harder you ride, the more you get out of them. Cruise along and the 32s are just another stiff wheel, but start to wind things up and you can feel the momentum building. It’s as though it sucks in all your energy and power, amplifies it and then spits it out.

There’s no way you won’t want to go faster.

The DT Swiss hub is the same one that I have used for years mountain biking, and even in that more technically demanding terrain I’ve never had any reason to touch them. Although these wheels haven’t seen anything like that punishment yet, the fact that I’ve never had an issue reassures me of their long-term durability.

If all-day, or touring, comfort is your gravel aspiration these won’t be the wheels for you (try the Reserve 25), but if going faster is always an itch you want to scratch, the Reserve 32 will allow you to indulge it without wasting an ounce of efficiency or power. Russell Burton

FIRE STARTER

Zipp 303 Firecrest £1600 The Zipp 303 is one of the best new all-round wheel options. At 1406g a pair (with tapes and valves in place) they are also light. One of the most comfortable wheelsets we’ve tried, they are blisteringly quick yet stable too. With the broad 25mm internal rim these are a fine option for gravel, cyclocross and road.

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RAPHA CORE BIBS & JERSEY £85 (bibs) £60 (jersey) Relaxed, everyday Rapha for women apha’s Core collection has a stylish look and a more relaxed fit that’s designed for everyday riding. I’ve worn the jersey and bib shorts on a mix of road and gravel rides and it’s become my go-to kit. The jersey fabric is stretchy, soft and breathable.

The front has a deep elasticated hem while the dropped rear is laser-cut and has a silicone gripper to hold it in place. The ribbed sleeve cuffs are hemmed and sit comfortably on my arms. Three decent-sized rear pockets are easy to access and keep everything secure. The zipped pocket is a little too small for my iPhone, though, which is a shame, but it’s still great for smaller items, such as keys.

I really like the length of the jersey, which is longer than some racier cuts. There’s also a zip garage to avoid chafing at the neck and zip guard to protect skin and baselayers from getting caught. The women’s Core jersey comes in four colours (the men’s range has 12) and the branding is subtle with contrasting white Rapha logos on the left-hand side of the chest and the middle rear pocket. There’s also the signature white armband detail on the left-hand sleeve.

At 5ft 2in, the bib shorts in a size medium finish just above my knee and fit true to size. Off the bike the women’s-specific Classic chamois pad feels a little bulky, but in the saddle it performs brilliantly and I didn’t fidget about trying to make adjustments. It’s one of the best I’ve ridden in. The high-stretch straps are wide and comfortable, and there’s a central cut-out on the back to you keep you cool. However, if you need to stop for a comfort break, an element of undressing is required. If this is a dealbreaker for you, look further up Rapha’s range to its race-ready Pro Team Detachable Bib Shorts or the slightly cheaper Core Shorts (£70). The material is supportive and there are no uncomfortable seams to dig into my stomach when in the riding position. The laser-cut legs with silicone grippers stayed put no matter HIGHS what I was riding or for how Comfort; style; chamois long, too. The bibs are available with either black or navy blue LOWS shorts, with a fully opaque Small zip pocket; dense knit construction for no comfort break modesty, and both feature solution white straps. Helen Cousins

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WE SAY...

Great-looking, comfortable everyday kit that performs superbly

Rapha Women’s Classic Gilet £100 For changeable days, Rapha’s Classic Gilet is water-resistant, windproof and packs down small to fit easily into your jersey pocket.

The zip is offset to avoid any chin irritation and the piping and

for valuables.

PI

The Universal Bluetooth Intercom For Your Helmet

Bluetooth 4.1 2-Way HD Intercom 0,25 mi Smartphone connectivity

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SIX OF THE BEST...

BIKE JERSEYS £80-185 We test six top-end tops to find the best for performance, fit and comfort

02 ALÉ PRR GREEN £110 COLOURS SEVEN AVAILABLE WEIGHT 104G

01

One of the newest big clothing brands, Alé entered the market with lairy colours and a good custom program in 2013. The ‘Green’ tag here denotes that 90% of the materials used have low environmental impact or are themselves recycled plastic. A smaller fourth pocket is intended for used nutrition wrappers, leaving no excuse for littering. The cut sits pleasantly between ‘relaxed’ and ‘allout race’, meaning it’s comfortable for the longest rides.

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01 SANTINI REDUX ISTINTO £185 COLOURS BLACK, MILITARY GREEN, NAUTICA BLUE, SILVER BULLET WEIGHT 117G

Santini has been making cycle clothing since 1965, all of it designed and handmade in Italy, including a comprehensive custom program. The stylish Redux Istinto (which scored impressive wind tunnel results in issue 383) sits at the top of Santini’s expansive range and boasts aerodynamic properties, UV protection, active cooling tech and reflective details. Laser-cut pocket entries improve airflow and have the additional benefit of adding security.

An all-out performance piece of kit with a price tag to boot.

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03 DHB AERON ULTRA £80 COLOURS DARK BLUE, RED WEIGHT 158G

dhb has established itself as a convenient, competitively priced brand. The Ultra is the longdistance comfort offering from its premier Aeron line, maintaining a performance cut but doing away with pure performance materials in favour of fabrics with improved comfort and better cooling properties, as well as wicking ability. Features include mesh back and underarm panels, a broad silicone hem gripper, extra zipped side pocket plus open pocket, and bonded sleeve grippers.

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

WE SAY...

Simplicity wins out here – no fancy features just a great cut and quality fabric 05

06 Q36.5 L1 PINSTRIPE £142

04 LE COL HORS CATEGORIE £150

COLOURS BLACK, GREEN, NAVY, OLIVE GREEN WEIGHT 110G

COLOURS BLACK, NAVY, COBALT WEIGHT 150G

Q36.5 make clothing that helps you maintain a stable body temperature by designing fabrics with exceptional cooling and moisture management properties. Handmade in Italy, the Pinstripe is its range-topping jersey. Like most race jerseys, it hangs hunched like empty motorcycle leathers, while no front seams improve its aero qualities. The fabric is claimed to dry 50 per cent faster than other polyester, and includes two per cent silver. In practice, it’s a comfortable, light and airy bit of kit.

Will Poole

Former pro rider Yanto Barker’s Le Col brand is known for highquality togs, and this Hors Categorie jersey is no exception. There are no loose threads or erroneous stitching here, but a cut that sits toward the racer end of the spectrum without being uncomfortable when riding in a more relaxed position. The soft, fourway-stretch fabric is the thickest here, making it more suitable for spring or autumn rides. It has a water-resistant zipped valuables pocket, with a port for a headphone cable if you choose.

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05 PEARL IZUMI ATTACK £85 COLOURS PINE/ALPINE TRANSFORM, PHANTOM/ YELLOW, LAPIS/NAVY, PHANTOM/BLACK WEIGHT 105G

Founded in Tokyo in 1950, Pearl Izumi has created a clothing range serving every category of cyclist. Similar to Alé, the lightweight Attack jersey is made from recycled water bottles. It’s the simplest jersey here in terms of features; no fabric shields for the zip and just the regular three pockets. Yet the moisturewicking fabric is very comfortable whether you’re flat-out in the sprint for the coffee stop or meandering along new-found lanes.

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POWER METERS nce the preserve of professional riders and the peloton, power meters have gained huge traction across the recreational side of cycling in recent years. With massively increased competition in the market and the advent of immersive indoor training apps such as Zwift, TrainerRoad and The Sufferfest, more and more cyclists are understanding the benefits of training and racing with power.

A power meter is, in simple terms, a set of moving scales that measures your power output.

Basically, this is a measure of how hard you’re turning the pedals over time. Your power is measured in watts, with one watt equating to one joule per second. With this

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Choose your power meter well, and you should be rewarded with years of service

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knowledge, you can calculate your training load, target precise effort levels, track improvements in your fitness, determine how many calories you’re burning, and more.

Combine this data with information from your head and a heart rate monitor, and it can be a very powerful tool in the right hands.

When it comes to getting a power meter on your bike, though, there are now more options than ever before and a wide range of price points. As with anything, this makes choosing the best power meter for your needs tricky. With manufacturers making a range of complicated claims, knowing which stand up to scrutiny is vital. As with any measurement device, accuracy is critical. After that, comes ease of use and reliability.

While prices have largely come down, a power meter can still be a significant investment. Choose well, though, and you should be rewarded with years of reliable service. Turn overleaf for our seven-step guide to maximising training with power…

YOUR TESTER

What are the benefits of training with power?

And do you really need a meter? We delve into the world of wattage to find out

SIMON BROMLE Y TECHNICAL WRITER, BIK ER ADAR Simon is a writer and photographer who has been riding bikes for fun since he was a kid. He took a deep dive into road racing, crits and time trial culture in his twenties, and loves nothing more than finding a smart (preferably cheap) hack that others hadn’t thought of.

POWER METERS

QUARQ DFOUR DUB VERVE INFOCRANK

P90

P91

STAGES POWER LR SHIMANO ULTEGRA R8000 P90

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WHAT IS A WATT?

WHY POWER?

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO MEASURE POWER?

HOW WILL YOU READ THE DATA?

WHAT DATA DO YOU NEED?

Power meters simply measure the amount of energy you’re putting through the pedals over time. Power is force multiplied by cadence.

While heart rate monitors offer a good proxy for how hard you’re working, power meters offer an instant insight into your physical performance.

Power can be measured at various locations (eg crank or pedal) on the bike, but each has its positives and negatives.

Don’t forget you’ll also need a compatible bike computer (preferably with a large screen) to capture all the data your power meter produces.

Do you just want the basic readings or are you interested in advanced metrics? Not all power meters have the same capabilities.

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All you need to know before buying a power meter

NARROW YOUR OPTIONS A power meter is, first and foremost, a tool designed to improve your training and racing. If you don’t plan on doing targeted training sessions, testing your fitness or using it to pace yourself during races or big rides, a power meter perhaps isn’t worth the outlay.

If you do want a power meter, the first thing to consider is what kind of riding you do and what compromises you’re willing to make with bike components. This’ll narrow your options considerably. If you only need power data on a road bike, then your options are wide. If you want to use the same power meter across multiple bikes and for multiple disciplines, then your options become more limited.

A power meter based around a roadpedal wouldn’t be ideal for use on your

Ultimately, there is a compromise of some kind with every power meter you can buy

Pedal-based power meters are easier to swap between bikes than other types

gravel bike, for example. And, ultimately, there is a compromise of some kind with every power meter you can buy – there’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution for every bike and type of riding.

Also keep in mind that, unless you’re a WorldTour pro, your numbers aren’t likely to blow anyone away. Power meters are also arguably a young rider’s tool. After all, past a certain point, a power meter just tells you how much fitness you’re losing with each passing year.

CRANK VS SPIDER VS PEDAL Three of the most common power meter options are crank-based, spider-based and pedal-based.

Pedal threads are the same on practically every crankset available, meaning pedal-based power meters can be attached to almost any bike, with no modifications required.

A crank-based or spider-based power meter, on the other hand, might require you to swap the bottom bracket on your bike to make it compatible with the new axle. If you have multiple bikes that you want to measure power on, the cost of

converting them all to the same bottom bracket standard could quickly add up.

Cranks also take a few minutes longer to swap between bikes than pedals. With pedal-based power meters, though, you’re limited to using the pedal body types that the power meter is compatible with. For some models that may just be one road pedal standard, but even for those which have interchangeable pedal bodies, not every cleat and pedal system is catered for.

Once you have a power meter, you’ll need something to capture the data.

And while many power meter brands offer dedicated apps for recording data on your smartphone, a dedicated ANT+ compatible bike computer is a better option. Especially one with a large data screen to present all the data.

BEWARE LEFT/RIGHT SPLITS As with anything, cheaper options often come with compromises compared to more expensive options. Single-sided power meters only measure the power output of a single leg (this figure is then doubled to estimate total power), and therefore only require half the electronics so they tend to be significantly cheaper.

The biggest disadvantage of singlesided power meters is that the accuracy of the total power data produced depends on your left/right power balance. Any imbalance introduces a further margin of error, reducing the precision with which your metrics are measured.

DUAL-SIDED BENEFITS Many power meters now offer a range of advanced metrics such as left/right power balance, pedal smoothness and torque effectiveness. Left/right power balance is a measure of how much power each leg is contributing to the total power being produced. This is usually displayed on head units as a percentage split.

True dual-sided power meters consist of two separate power meters that measure each leg independently and combine the data from each to give a precise total power. If you do have a large imbalance, this may be something you can target to improve with the use of a dual-sided power meter.

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POWER METERS

A large screen helps you to make sense of the metrics your power meter puts out

FEEL THE FORCE Pedal smoothness measures how smoothly force is applied throughout each full, 360-degree rotation of the crank. A perfectly smooth pedal stroke, where the power was applied evenly throughout the entire rotation would give a pedal smoothness reading of 100 per cent, with each leg being assigned a separate score. Most cyclists will see a pedal smoothness reading between 10 and 40 per cent.

Though there are claims that improving your pedal smoothness can improve your performance, a 100 per cent pedal smoothness score isn’t desirable. This is because the majority of the force should be generated on your downstroke, to take advantage of the biggest muscle groups in your lower half, the glutes and quadriceps.

Another measurement is torque effectiveness. This measures how much of the force (torque) being generated is pushing the pedal or crank arm forward.

Like pedal smoothness, this is measured as a percentage and each leg is measured separately. A torque effectiveness of 100 per cent for both legs would mean all your

effort is going into pushing the pedals forward, though this is difficult to achieve in practice.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ANALYSIS Once you’ve finished your rides, you’ll need to have access to dedicated software to review your data. You can use these programmes to calculate your training load and progress, track how many calories you’re burning, review your personal records and more. There’s a practically endless list of metrics you can track and evaluate.

Key tools include Garmin Connect, which is a free service that clearly presents a variety of metrics, and incorporates insights into your current fitness and training load via its Training Status feature.

Strava offers a similar package, but these features are reserved for subscribers to its premium service.

Those working with a professional coach may be best served by TrainingPeaks, which offers a vast array of

Your power meter has a practically endless list of metrics you can track and evaluate in-depth analysis tools and training plans.

For those who like open-source (free!) software, GoldenCheetah offers an offline software package that incorporates a huge range of data analysis tools with amazing functionality.

DEMAND ACCURACY Most manufacturers will claim their power meters are accurate to within +/- one to two per cent. It’s typically the case that the more expensive a power meter, the tighter the claimed margin of error will be. Fortunately, we have multiple power meters from a wide variety of brands to cross reference against one another. This enables us to put those claimed accuracy levels to the test. Turn overleaf for our pick of the best power meters on the market…

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02

If you just want the basics done well the Quarq is a reliable and accurate option

01 03

01 POWER2MAX NG ROAD

02 QUARQ DFOUR DUB

03 STAGES POWER LR SHIMANO ULTEGRA R8000

€990-1190

£355-549

£715

WEIGHT 653g (including crankset, excluding chainrings)

WEIGHT 641g (with spider and Quarq 172.5mm carbon cranks)

WEIGHT 717g (with 50/34T chainrings)

The Power2Max NG Road is a modular spider-based power meter that offers accurate and reliable power measurement, wide-ranging crank and chainring compatibility, good battery life and a lengthy warranty. It offers a userfriendly and trouble-free experience in general use, but an issue with performing zerooffsets on Garmin Edge Options for road bike computers and the and off-road occasional random power bikes; largely reliable; leading spike did tarnish our warranty experience. If you’re looking for a spider-based power meter, this is a Balance data strong contender, but isn’t perfect; occasional the niggles are hard to power spikes overlook at this price.

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Quarq has been in the game for a long time, and has earned a solid reputation for producing accurate, reliable and good-value power meters.

The DFour DUB is a spider-based power meter integrated into SRAM’s DUB crank and bottom bracket ecosystem (bringing the total price to £549 for the whole system as it Fits most bikes and drivetrains; requires the use of DUB). accurate and While advanced power reliable meter users may wish for a more in-depth feature set, Single-axle if you just want the basics option requires done well the Quarq is SRAM’s DUB a reliable and accurate system; lacks advanced option at an attractive features price point.

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Perhaps most renowned for introducing the cycling world to relatively cheap, left-only power meters, Stages now makes a wide range of leftsided, right-sided and dual-sided power meters based around a number of cranks.

The Power LR is a dual-sided power meter built around a Shimano Ultegra R8000 crankset. It produces accurate and reliable power data and integrates Dependable effortlessly with Shimano power drivetrains. Comprising measurement; lightweight; two separate power meter easy integration cranks, it measures the effort produced by each leg independently and Replacing rightcombines the data to side meter isn’t as easy as the determine your total left crank power output.

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POWER METERS

Head to bikeradar.com for the full reviews

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The Favero’s ability to stay accurate when swapping between

04 05

04 FAVERO ASSIOMA DUO

RALLY RS200

INFOCRANK CLASSIC

£699

£969.99

£1172.95

WEIGHT 305g

WEIGHT 320g

WEIGHT 909g (with Verve aero chainring set)

Dual-sided and easy to live with, the Favero Assioma Duo pedals are one of the best all-round power meters for the money (the spindles that connect to Look-style pedals are shown above).

Installation is incredibly easy and Favero’s similarly clear app updates firmware, checks battery levels and accesses product support. I found them to be both accurate and reliable over the months of testing, and their ability to stay accurate and consistent even when Accurate; swapping them between reliable; bikes is very impressive. great value Also available is Favero’s Uno single-sided power meter for £449, but we’d No choice of pedal system; suggest saving for the clunky looks dual-sided Duo.

The Garmin Rally power meter pedal system is the world’s first native SPD-SL power meter pedal, but it’s more of a pedal ecosystem that can be converted for use both on and offroad. They’re highly adaptable and userfriendly, offering more cleat compatibility than any other power meter. It also offers accurate and reliable power data, making it a great option for cyclists who want to measure their Best in class efforts across multiple cleat compatibility; disciplines. Sadly, it’s not easy installation cheap compared to its closest competitor and there’s a slightly delayed Premium price data pick-up when you point; slightly delayed data start pedalling from a pick-up complete stop.

The dual-sided Verve InfoCrank Classic offers unflappable accuracy and reliability, plus a user-friendly installation process and bucket loads of advanced features, but it has a premium price point and lacks a couple of qualityof-life features (software updates can only be done on a desktop).

My test unit gave accurate and reliable data day after day, and generally Accurate and reliable power just worked. On top of data; userthis, with a sample rate friendly; robust build quality of 256 hertz, the highest currently available on the market, data-hungry No Bluetooth cyclists can potentially support; dig more deeply into their firmware update via desktop app; power output than with relatively heavy any other power meter.

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OUR FRIENDS ELECTRIC As cyclists increasingly finding joy in electrical assistance, we look at three traction-boosting, smile-inducing e-gravel bikes that are making off-road excursions even more fun WORDS WARREN ROSSITER IMAGES RUSSELL BURTON

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BIKE TEST

he recent ebike revolution has seen cyclists gleefully embrace augmented riding and it continues apace with ebike sales expected to triple by 2023, according to a recent Bicycle Association report.

Of course, ebikes come in all shapes and sizes: road, superbike, folding, urban and, for me, the ones that make the most sense for performance: e-gravel.

I’m a great supporter of e-gravel bikes for the simple reason that they overcome the limitations of the slender – by mountain-bike standards at least – levels of grip afforded by the tyres by providing a welcome 250W+ boost. This essentially means that you can stay seated and keep the rear tyre gripping, whereas on a regular bike you’d need to stand up and risk losing rearwheel traction.

In the UK, with our rainy climate, optimal dry and dusty gravel conditions are a rarity, so the understanding that most gravel rides will involve at least some bike-hiking is simply part and parcel of the experience. A good e-gravel bike will save you plenty of shoe leather but, more importantly, imbue spark and fun into a ride, particularly on the ascents.

As we head into autumn and what’s bound to be a season of mud-covered gravel excursions, I’ve selected three all-new options from GT, Kinesis and Vitus to see which e-gravel bike provides the best mix of performance, handling, assistance, value for money and, above all, fun.

T

MAKING THE GRADE I’m a big fan of the acoustic Grade, having awarded it Gravel Bike of the Year in 2020.

I own a custom-built Grade replete with Shimano GRX Di2 on which I spend most of my spare gravel time.

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Top Grade: a bike that’s full of surprises and comes at a good price, too

The eGrade doesn’t take its cue from the compliant carbon Grade, rather it’s constructed around the aluminium Grade, which in non-e build tops out at £1450. However, the superb geometry of the carbon Grade is carried over, which means my large test bike gets a sporty endurance ride position of a 608mm stack and 395mm reach combined with a relaxed 71-degree head angle and an efficient 73-degree seat angle.

This results in a bike that’s full of pep, which despite its 14.8kg weight accelerated with ease and felt responsive even when the assistance was in the ‘off’ position. Riding on tarmac on my way to pick up the trails resulted in big gravel days out. I wasn’t hampered by the Grade and even the 42c tyres didn’t feel particularly sluggish. In addition, any extra weight they carry is negated when the bike hits the dirt.

The frame has front and rear mudguard and rack eyes, and top tube bento box mounts, which make this a top weekday commuter and a fine off-roader at the weekend. Fixtures aside, what impressed me most is its off-road manners. It’s balanced and lively when the going gets rough and the handling response is quick without quirks, so it tracks straight in the rough; it’s stability personified when ridden at speed.

The downside is the front end. I love the shape of GT’s adventure bar with its just-flared-enough

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shallow drop but it’s damn stiff. Combined with a rigid carbon fork and firm alloy frame I found it energy sapping on a particular rocky stretch where the good-quality bar tape couldn’t quell the vibrations pumping up my forearms and tiring my shoulders. One thing I will say for gravel – it’s much more of a full-body workout than riding tarmac.

GT has packed in the value and, even though it’s more than £600 cheaper than its nearest rival, it’s not being outclassed in this test. The 1x GRX groupset, with its highlight GRX 810 rear mech, is top quality.

Shifting is swift, even though I found a bit more chain chatter than the SRAM bikes, and I welcomed the chain guide fitted in place of the front mech. Braking is excellent: controlled, dependable and powerful – everything I’d want to halt a 14kg bike safely.

The WTB tyres are a great choice, the tight tread rolls on tarmac and grips for days on dry dirt while in sloppy mud – which counts as gravel in the UK – they’re decent if you stay seated

THE GRADE IS A BIKE THAT IS FULL OF PEP, WHICH DESPITE ITS 14.8KG WEIGHT ACCELERATED WITH EASE

A stiff carbon fork doesn’t always max out on comfort; easy-to-use control button on the top tube

BIKE TEST

GT Grade Power AMP £2900 SPECIFICATION

and use the power on tap to make progress. I recommend refraining from the instinct to stand and use your body weight to ride tricky sections instead.

While it’s ripe for upgrading, the alloy seatpost does its job and it’s topped by one of the bestvalue, finest-performing saddles around: Fabric’s legendary Scoop. I’ve spent many an hour on this design and never had a complaint.

MAHLE’s ebikemotion drives the bike. A 250W motor in the rear hub is powered by a 250Wh battery hidden in the down tube, and it’s controlled by a simple top tube-mounted push button. It has a claimed output of 40Nm of torque, compared with a claimed 60Nm for the Fazua setups on the Kinesis and Vitus. When out on the trails it never felt underpowered compared to the Fazua, with the exception of when the Fazuapowered bikes were in their Rocket mode.

Ebikemotion comes with a clever app support through which you can custom-tune levels, keep a better eye on power reserves and even link it to a heart-rate monitor, so it’ll up the assistance to keep your heart rate within set parameters.

Controlling the motor is easy with a series of colour-coding on the ring around the top tube-mounted button, which also shows you a ‘rough’ indication of the power in the tank. Press to turn it on and the ring LED shines white; press

(Bottom left) Battery hidden in the down tube; (Above) Get close to 100km from Grade’s tank

and hold and it turns green (low assistance), orange (medium), red (full). For battery reserves, white is 75-100 per cent, green 75-50 per cent, orange indicates 50-25 per cent and red below 25 per cent; flashing red is less than 10 per cent.

The downside is that it cycles through modes upwards only. I’d find myself in the lowest assist mode wanting to turn the power off on flat, road sections but I’d have to scroll through them all.

Regarding range, expectations were low as it’s the cheapest bike on test but I was pleasantly surprised, as on a predominantly gravel ride it maxed out at a massive 98.73km/61.35 miles with 928m/3045ft elevation, flashing red by the time I’d got home. On a mixed ride taking in gravel, tarmac, towpaths and bike paths that rose to 100.5km/62.5 miles.

I’ve come away from riding the Grade Power Amp hugely impressed. This bike far outperformed range expectations and it’s an absolute blast. I’d consider changing the handlebar eventually, and a carbon post would be appreciated, but as an affordable off-the-peg e-gravel bike, it’s very hard to beat.

WEIGHT 14.8kg (L) FRAME Alloy FORK Carbon GEARS Shimano GRX 810 (40, 11-42) BRAKES Shimano GRX 600 hydraulic E BIKE SYSTEM MAHLE ebikemotion X35+ 250W, 40Nm, 250Wh battery WHEELS GT Alloy rims on Formula front hub, ebikemotion rear FINISHING KIT WTB Resolute TCS 42mm tyres, GT alloy 16 flare bar, GT Alloy seatpost, Fabric Scoop Shallow Sport saddle

HIGHS Wonderful on- and off-road manners; great fun

LOWS Stiff bar

VERDICT A brilliant gravel bike with usable e-power and impressive range

POWER RANGER The Kinesis Range uses the innovative German Fazua Evation system. This bottom bracket driving system has the advantage over traditional

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mid-mounted motor systems from Bosch, Shimano and Yamaha, in that it’s significantly lighter and the removable down tube-fitting battery also contains most of the motor system.

Once taken off you’re not only left with a standard bike, you’ve also shed 3.5kg.

The Evation system delivers 250W. The top tube-mounted controller has an on/off switch, +/- switches as well as five LED lights that show you your current power status. These switch between white for off, green for low power, blue for medium and red for full power.

The system offers three settings, each with three modes, as well as the no-drag ‘off’ setting.

In the standard, or Moderate, setting, green provides 100W of power in what is called ‘Breeze’ mode; blue puts out 200W (River mode); red provides 250W (Rocket mode). The Eco setting drops the power but extends the range, so green now gives you 70W, blue 140W and red 200W. The Performance setting ups the ante to 120W in green, 260W in blue and in this setting the red lives up to its Rocket billing, giving you a short 300W boost. However, this does have a detrimental effect on the battery range, so I’d recommend you avoid using it unless urgent.

You can also tune all the settings and power levels using Fazua’s app, but I found the standard settings that Kinesis offers just the right mix.

There is, though, a rather un-user-friendly element on all Fazua systems: turning it on. In order to access the on/off button you use a quickrelease to drop the battery from the down tube.

The battery locks in place with a key and unless you change the settings on the app the bike can auto-shut down if left. So if you intend to take a long lunch break mid-ride, I’d strongly suggest you make sure you take your keys with you.

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BIKE TEST

IF THIS TRIO OF GRAVEL WARRIORS PROVE ANYTHING IT’S THAT E-GRAVEL RIDING IS A WHOLE LOT OF FUN

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Kinesis Range £3550 SPECIFICATION WEIGHT 16.8kg (L) FRAME 6061 Aluminium FORK Carbon GEARS SRAM Apex 1 (42. 10/42), SRAM Rival rear mech BRAKES SRAM Apex hydraulic EBIKE SYSTEM Fazua Evation motor system with 252Wh battery WHEELS Sector GCe E-specific 700c wheels FINISHING KIT Selle Italia X3 saddle, WTB Riddler 700 x 45c tyres, Ritchey alloy 31.6 seatpost, Ritchey Baquiano comp handlebar, Ritchey 4-Axis stem, Praxis Alloy E-Crank

HIGHS Stable handling; superbly finished

LOWS Weight; unpredictable tyres

VERDICT A smooth-riding, stable-handling, smart ebike that looks and rides beautifully

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Evation is a neat system that closely syncs with your efforts. In its Breeze mode it matches it very subtly. In fact, you may wonder if it’s doing anything until you hit any sort of elevation and your speed holds steady. The motor feels almost drag free, so I never felt hampered, apart from the weight, when riding with the system in its white, or off, setting. In its blue/River mode you can feel the system gently pushing the pace, making the bike feel even more responsive.

In its red/Rocket mode there is enough punch to allow you to attack steep gravel/dirt slopes at pace while staying seated and keeping grip.

When grip’s not a worry, the boost will make you feel like Pogačar going on an alpine attack.

The distance you can travel on a full charge will vary depending on how you use it, the terrain and topography and the weight of the rider. I’m 6ft 2in and 90kg and I rode the bike on a hilly mixture of gravel roads, byways, bridleways and forest singletrack and achieved 71.3km/44.3 miles with 396m/1300ft of elevation. On a ride with more tarmac that figure rose to just shy of 75km/46 miles.

The ride position leans towards endurance, which is a good thing when it comes to gravel.

The tall 605mm stack on my size large test bike encourages you to look around and enjoy the scenery, exactly what you should be doing on

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(Top) Powered

by Fazua Evation system (Above) Built for the rigours of off-road, ebike riding

a gravel bike. The slacker 71-degree head and 50mm fork rake make for super-stable steering and I had no qualms in drifting onto some local mountain-bike trails replete with proper berms, tabletops and rooty drop-offs. The Range always felt capable no matter what I threw it at.

It is a pleasant place to spend a few hours in the saddle. The Ritchey handlebar has a great shape and comes with thick, high-quality tape too.

It goes a long way to smoothing out rougher surfaces and the high-volume 45c WTB Riddler tyres take the sting out of bigger hits and deeper holes.

The Selle Italia saddle is well shaped and comfortable but its slick cover can get slippery when damp. The rear end, though, with its oversized 31.6 alloy seatpost, does feel somewhat firmer than the front.

Kinesis has done a good job combining SRAM’s Rival and Apex components for a drivetrain that never put a foot wrong with no missed shifts and perfect chain management – thanks to the rear mech’s spring-clutch stopping the chain

WHEN IN ROCKET MODE, THE BOOST WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE POGAČAR GOING ON AN ALPINE ATTACK...

BIKE TEST

bouncing when riding in the rough, and the braking control is equally impressive.

Using a toughened build and with both wheels having 32 spokes, the Sector GCe wheelset is built for the rigours of off-road ebiking, which gave me confidence that it can cope with both added weight and power. The WTB Riddler tyres have a tread that manages to deal with mud better than I thought its shallow tread would cope with.

The Range’s weight meant that when I experimented with lower tyre pressures for rough terrain, the deep sidewalls of the tyres led to a squirmy feel, particularly at the rear. It’s a trade-off between having a tougher tyre for ebike use or a softer tyre for feel. I can forgive Kinesis for opting for the security of the thicker blackwall Riddlers, rather than the more flexible skinwall.

However, the Sector GCe’s alloy rims have an internal width of just 23mm. A wider rim would go some way to rectifying this by spreading the tyre, thus reducing the sidewall height.

The Range is a great bike that comes wellequipped and it’s a decent price but it does have one downside: its weight. At 16.8kg it’s hefty, and for all the Fazua system’s well-considered power delivery and slick operation, the one thing I’ve found testing it on lots of different bikes is that weight isn’t its friend. It still delivers all the oomph you need but only if you run it in the red,

Rocket mode, which ravenously chews up battery life.

RACE READY

Superb brake control with SRAM Apex; WTB Riddler tyres: decent in mud despite the shallow tread

Vitus’s e-gravel bike takes a lot from its acoustic version of the Substance. It has a racy frameset, snappy handling, sporty geometry and uses smaller 650b wheels, which takes advantage of the generous tyre clearances that accompany the massive 47c tyres.

This bike is versatile, comes with mudguard and rack mounts, and it would make a fine commuter-cum-all-rounder. The frame can run either the 650b wheels it comes with or 700c wheels, so you could use the E-Substance as an e-road bike too. And because the Fazua is a midmounted system, there’s a whole raft of standard wheel options available to you.

The 72-degree head angle makes for a road bike-like steering rapidity and the steep 73-degree seat angle puts you in prime position to put the power down. My XL test bike has an endurance bike-esque 623.6mm stack and a decently long 399.3mm reach. The fat tyres even out any potential twitches in the steering. It all adds up to a bike that rides with a rapidity that I wasn’t expecting from fat tyres and a weight approaching 15kg. In fact, the E-Substance rides light, feeling nimble on gravel and surefooted,

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thanks to the big volume tyres. On one test ride I rode a stretch of deeply eroded trail that I haven’t tackled before on anything but a mountain bike – or the full-suspension Gravel Bike of the Year, the Cannondale Topstone Lefty. The E-Substance tackled it with ease. And when it came to the sloppy, slimy clay-rich mud that followed at the base of this descent the extra power of the Fazua motor meant I remained seated, maintained traction and kept going when the muddy trail rose out of this hollow. I came away mud spattered but very impressed.

The workings of the Fazua system are the same as on the Kinesis, and I’m irritated by the need to drop the battery out to turn the system on. The Vitus has even more of a reason for you to keep your keys with you, as the lock is an Abus Keyed Alike, where you can order locks built with the same lock barrel, and that use the same key.

The Fazua modes of white (off) green (Breeze), blue (River) and red (Rocket) are well thought-out and when riding on the flat or downhill in white, you never feel the motor dragging or providing any resistance.

I found myself spending most of my time in Breeze, where the assistance matches your efforts without ever becoming the predominant force driving you forward. Blue provides a bit more pep, and the red setting certainly lives up to its

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Rocket moniker here, and significantly more so than with the Kinesis.

The Vitus impressed me with a maximum range when I was riding fully off-road, of 76.3km/47.4 miles with 623.75m/2046ft of climbing, On a mixed surface ride with plenty of tarmac I managed 78.7km/48.9 miles with 793.4m/2603ft of climbing. It’s bettered by the 700c GT Grade, but these numbers are impressive for a bike running such generously sized tyres.

Vitus has done a great job with the E-Substance build.

The stiff, solid Vitusbranded stem holds Vitus’s adventure handlebar, which has a great ovalised top section mated to a shallow drop with a 16-degree flare. This made the 44cm bar on my test bike wide enough to imbue a sense of confidence when riding rough, rocky, or rooty descents in the drops. The bar is wrapped with high-quality bar tape, thick and tacky to the touch even when wet, giving another boost to confidence when the riding got technical.

THE E-SUBSTANCE TACKLED A DEEPLY ERODED TRAIL WITH EASE...

I CAME AWAY MUD SPLATTERED BUT IMPRESSED

Power down with a 73-degree seat angle; The Venture 1.75in tyres are surprisingly fast on tarmac

BIKE TEST

Vitus E-Substance Carbon £3999 SPECIFICATION

SRAM’s Apex 1 group is mixed with a Fazuaspecific FSA chainset. The 38t chainring and a 10-42 cassette deliver a big range of gears and a less than one-to-one ratio bottom gear. When matched with the power from the Evation motor, it meant I could keep pedalling even on the steepest, most technical and challenging climbs.

The Prime Kanza wheels impressed me on the acoustic Substance I tested in issue 370, and they do so here too. Light, tubeless-ready and with a stiff lateral feel but still with a bit of give vertically that’s boosted by the great tyres.

The Venture tyres are compliant and roll faster on tarmac than a 1¾in-wide tyre has any right to! The tightly packed tread grips superbly on loose gravel surfaces, and the shoulder knobs bite in the corners too. The fine tread isn’t made for mud but they still coped well. They wouldn’t be my gravel tyre choice for winter, but they’re more than up to the job for most circumstances.

If you spend a lot of time on tarmac or riding with friends riding 700c, I’d suggest looking into a second set of bigger wheels because the 650s – as good as they are off road – simply don’t run as fast as 700s on road for the same efforts.

What impresses me most about the E-Substance is how natural it feels to ride. Just as bikes such as the Scott Addict E (CP375) and Specialized Turbo Creo (CP373) are like fast

(Top left) A terrain conquering ebike (Left) Easy to use modes on the E-Substance

standard bikes with electric assistance, the E-Substance feels like a terrain-conquering gravel bike but with an electric punch in reserve to get you out of a jam, or up a loose or muddy steep climb without you having to get off and walk. The E-Substance does everything that makes a great gravel bike and it does it well.

WINNING RIDE If this trio of gravel warriors proves anything it’s that e-gravel riding is a whole lot of fun. Unlike the e-road bike, the increased weight enhances performance as it translates into traction when the going gets steep and slippy and you’ll certainly go further and faster than when riding their acoustic counterparts. In addition, all the bikes I tested here proved to be more than capable riding off road, making them good multi-terrain riding partners.

The bike that beats the rest in this test, however, is the plucky GT. It does everything a good gravel bike should as well as everything a good ebike should. It provides a confidenceinspiring ride, with the control through the bar enhanced by the responses through the pedals.

It’s also £650 cheaper than the Kinesis and a whole £1099 less expensive than the Vitus. It’s the bike that surprised me the most on the first ride, then it kept me smiling the longest.

BIKERADAR.COM

WEIGHT 14.9kg (L) FRAME Carbon FORK Carbon GEARS SRAM Apex 1 (42, 10-42) BRAKES SRAM Apex EBIKE SYSTEM Fazua Evation motor system with 252Wh battery WHEELS Prime Kanza 650b FINISHING KIT WTB Venture TSC 47c tyres, Vitus Adventure 6061 alloy bar, Vitus 6061 alloy stem, Vitus alloy seatpost, Vitus saddle

HIGHS Composed handling; conquering ability

LOWS 650b wheels on the road

VERDICT Awesome off-road manners that inspire confidence

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FROM THE EDITOR...

As if the chance to save 30 per cent on the cover price and have every issue of Cycling Plus delivered direct to your door wasn’t enough of an incentive, this issue we’re offering new subscribers a choice of free gift too – either a Micro Drive 600XL front light (£55) or a Zecto rear light (£52), both from Lezyne. The Zecto uses three LEDs to produce a beam of up to 80 lumens in six modes, while the Micro Drive 600XL relies on just two LEDS to produce a brilliant, 600 lumen light, ensuring you’ll see and be seen.

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Reach your peak p106

Fuel your riding p108

Aero masterclass p114

ISSUE 385 NOVEMBER 2021 EXPERT CYCLING ADVICE ON MAXIMISING YOUR TRAINING

Reach your peak .....p106 Nutrition .................p108 Norman’s Wisdom .. p110

Experience .............. p112 Masterclass ............. p114 Event Focus.............p120

THEEXPERTS

NUTRITION EXPERT

PROFESSOR & CYCLIST

RECORD BREAKER

WIND BREAKER

RICHARD TUCKER

NORMAN LAZARUS

CHRISTINA MACKENZIE

JAMES WITTS

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

Ultra-cyclist Christina relives her record-breaking 51-hour LEJOG ride

Sports science writer James delves into the aerodynamicists' bag of tricks to defeat drag

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FIVE THINGS

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

01 The marketers of cycling shoes use sole-stiffness scores – see Specialized’s FACT rating or Shimano’s Outsole Stiffness index – to reinforce the idea that the stiffer the sole, the more power you’ll push through the pedal. But a new study suggests otherwise.

Research by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, reveals that cycling shoe sole stiffness has no effect on sprint performance. In a study that analysed the measurable advantages of cycling shoes and clipless pedals used by competitive and recreational road cyclists, researchers found that when it comes to sprinting, there’s no hard evidence that a stiff sole is better.

Sports scientists measured the mechanical power outputs,

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velocities and cadences of 19 healthy male cyclists during a series of 50m maximal sprint cycling trials. The riders trialled three types of shoes – with very different grades of sole stiffness – one pair with injection-moulded soles, one with a carbon-fibre/ fibreglass blend, and a third pair with full carbon-fibre soles.

All the cyclists rode outdoors on a paved asphalt road with a steady, uphill gradient (4.9%) using the same clipless pedals throughout all tests. The upshot of all this?

Effectively no difference was detected between the trio of shoe soles. Measurements for average and peak power, average and peak cadence, maximal sprint velocity, acceleration, and crank torque were almost identical throughout. Even the researchers seemed surprised

For short, all-out sprint efforts, it seems sole material makes no difference

the short sprints.

dedicated clip-in cycling shoes.

But before you cancel your order for those stylish, stiff-soled shoes and opt for your old school plimsoles, consider these caveats.

It’s only one trial, among a small group of trained riders focused upon ‘longitudinal sole stiffness’ and its impact was upon a few seconds of all-out sprinting. Over longer time periods, differences in sole stiffness might produce more meaningful benefits.

REACHYOURPEAK

02

Making drinking water more palatable to encourage riders to drink more fluids was one of the simple-but-effective ‘marginal gains’ methods employed by Team GB sports scientists back in the day. It was credited with having a positive impact on hydration levels among athletes. Now the creators of ‘Air Up’ have devised a system that tricks your senses into thinking you’ve tasted flavour when in fact you’ve only smelt it. Cyclists who switch to ‘Air Up’ bidons that house ‘scent pods’ will get the sensation of flavoured water while drinking 100% pure water. The result is a zero-calorie, no additives, lowwaste range of drinks containing natural ‘flavourings’ such as Lime, Orange-Passionfruit, Kola and even Iced Coffee that infuse with ambient air as you drink the water.

Not to be sniffed at!

DIA-BEATING

03

New research published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals how cycling can reduce the symptoms of diabetes and drastically lower the risk of early death. An examination of health data from more than 7,000 middleaged diabetes sufferers – collected by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition – found that regular cycling for over five years can lower the risk of early death by 35 per cent from all causes.

TURBO TUNES

04

“When it comes to sprinting, there’s no hard eveidence that a stiff sole is better”

“We found that listening to hightempo music while exercising resulted in the highest heart rate and lowest perceived exertion compared with not listening to music,” Professor Luca Ardigò of the University of Verona in Italy, revealed in the journal Frontiers In Psychology. Ardigò’s study is the first of its type to find that high-tempo music may increase the benefits of exercise and reduce

“In future we’d like to see how genre, melody or lyrics can affect endurance training” perceived effort, particularly during endurance training. The effect of listening to high-tempo music was shown to be greater for endurance exercises than for those doing weightlifting. “In the current study, we investigated the effect of music tempo in exercise,” said Ardigò. “But in future we’d like to see how genre, melody or lyrics can affect endurance training.” For now, be sure to don the headphones for your next turbo session.

KETO RIDER

05

“Symptoms of ‘Keto flu’ include headaches and lethargy but they will pass,” explains Hannah Sutter, nutritionist and author of Big Fat Lies. For cyclists switching to the low-carb-high fat ketogenic diet, Sutter suggests: “Listening to your body; if you’re hungry or lack energy eat a Keto-friendly snack.”

Also stay hydrated, avoid swapping sugar for sweeteners and don’t fear fat. “Whilst we don’t recommend glugging bottles of olive oil, having a higher amount of fat in your diet will help you to stay feeling fuller for longer after meals.”

Guacamole is high in healthy fats and gets the green light for those looking for a keto-friendly snack

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WORDS ROB KEMP IMAGES GETTY

AIR UP

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FUELYOURRIDING

Big ride breakfasts FUEL BIG DAYS ON THE BIKE AND RECOVER STRONGER WITH THESE TASTY BREAKFASTS

Scrambled tomato eggs A protein-rich breakfast that’s perfect for recovery after a long heavy ride the previous day. Simple and quick to put together, this is a perfect option if you’re short on time but want to keep your nutrition and fuelling on point.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 4 • 5 whole eggs • ½ tsp sesame oil • 1 tbsp mirin • 1 tsp cornflower • 1 tsp sugar • 2 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 2 tbsp olive oil • 5 spring onions, sliced • 1 tsp root ginger, grated • Half a cup of cooked white rice (optional) METHOD 01 Beat the eggs, sesame oil, mirin and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium size bowl. In a small bowl, combine the cornflower with 2 tablespoons of cold water, then add in the sugar and ketchup/tomato paste.

02 Over a high heat, put the olive oil in a non-stick pan and add the chopped spring onions (leave one for garnish). Cook the onions lightly for 1 minute. Add the beaten eggs and cook until they begin to scramble. Cook to your preference but they should be left slightly runny. Take out of the pan and wipe the pan clean.

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03 Cook the ginger in the pan on high heat for about 30 seconds.

Now add the tin of tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

They should take 4 mins or so to cook until the juices have been slightly reduced.

04 Add the cornflower mixture to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens. Return the eggs to the mixture and heat them gently and stir through the tomatoes.

05 Serve with rice (optional) and garnish with a spring onion.

NUTRITIONAL INFO • 266 kcals • 15g fat • 22g carbs • 20g protein • 3g fibre

Ginger and spring onions add a little bite to this dish

KEY INGREDIENT RICE If serving with white rice, this is perfect for either a pre- or postride breakfast. This will top up muscle glycogen stores, perfectly fuelling you for your ride or replenishing the stores after you have completed a session.

“A protein-rich breakfast that’s perfect for recovery after a long ride”

Power pancakes

This is a high-protein breakfast that will support and promote recovery after a hard and intense training session. Replace the tuna with salmon or sardines if you like.

This recipe is swift to make and goes from pan to plate in less than five minutes. Add some toast to the mix to mop up the runny eggs!

These pancakes are a perfect addition to your food intake on the day of a hard or long training session. Bananas are a nutritional powerhouse for cyclists, loaded with energy-giving carbohydrates, and an excellent source of potassium too. With the slowreleasing carb delivery from the bananas, these tasty pancakes should keep you energised throughout your sessions.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 2 • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 1 tsp coconut oil • 2 whole eggs • 1 can tuna in water • 1 pinch dried oregano • Sprinkle of chilli flakes • Chopped parsley to serve METHOD 01 Put the chopped tomatoes in a frying pan on a high heat and cook for about 3 mins. Create space for the eggs, heat the oil and crack the eggs into the pan.

02 Drain the tuna and sprinkle around the pan. Add the oregano and cook for 2 mins or until the eggs are as you like them.

03 Serve with two slices of toast (optional) and garnish with the fresh parsley.

NUTRITIONAL INFO • 307 kcals • 8g carbohydrates • 15g fat • 32g protein • 2g fibre KEY INGREDIENTS TUNA This fish offers healthy fats to support immune function, and is high in protein to aid recovery.

EGGS Eggs are a good source of protein and healthy fats to promote recovery. They help trigger muscle protein synthesis, a key component of muscle repair.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 2 • 70g plain flour • 65g coconut flour • 1½ tbsp coconut sugar • 2½ tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 1 egg, beaten • 300ml coconut milk • 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted plus 1 tbsp for cooking • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 banana, diced • 55g desiccated coconut OPTIONAL TOPPINGS • Shredded coconut • Maple syrup • Sliced bananas METHOD 01 Combine the flour, sugar and baking powder and mix well in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps left in the mixture. Mix in the diced banana and desiccated coconut.

02 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.

03 Scoop ¼ cup of batter into the pan and cook until bubbles start to appear, flip the pancake and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with toppings of your choice.

Power up: delicious and very nutritious!

NUTRITIONAL INFO • 369 kcals • 21g fat • 40g carbs • 6g protein • 11g fibre KEY INGREDIENTS BANANAS A strong source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and fibre, bananas also offer slow-releasing carbohydrates.

COCONUTS Enriched with fibre and antioxidants, which can help protect cells from oxidative stress.

FOODFIGHT! SWEET VS REGULAR POTATO FRIES Although both are root vegetables and share similar macronutrient properties, sweet potatoes and white potatoes come with different micronutrient properties. Sweet potato fries are higher in vitamin A, which is important in maintaining immune function, healthy skin and eyes, and can protect again certain cancers. There’s also a high fibre content for digestion and gut health. Yet the main difference between them is that sweet potato has a lower glycemic index, meaning that the rate at which your blood sugar is raised is more gradual.

VERDICT SWEET POTATO WINS!

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RECIPES RICHARD TUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE SAYERS

Tuna fried eggs

NOVEMBER 2021 109

but with ageing the victory is in how controlled that fall is. The second reason why this is a challenge is the route. There will be hills, and lots of them: the North Downs, the Greensand Ridge of Surrey and the wretched Ditchling Beacon. This latter climb gains 154m over its 1.5km. That’s tough if I was to do it from my doorstep, which I often do living in a valley in the North Downs, but most macabre to think of it rearing its head at the end of a long day.

The first task was do a test run close to the distance of the London-Brighton, where I’d head into Kent before winding my way back to Dorking, in order to test myself on Box Hill. This famed climb would appear close to the end of my ride in a manner not dissimilar to Ditchling Beacon. Also, it gets a mention in one of my favourite novels, Jane Austen’s Emma, and I’d like to experience the view at the summit.

I couldn’t have picked a finer day to do this test ride.

Thinking about it, perhaps the test ride should be ridden in abysmal conditions, so to make whatever is thrown at me on ‘race day’ all the easier? Thanks, but no. Happy to take my chances. I’ve banked more than my fair share of such days in my old audax life and I don’t need any more than is absolutely necessary. At 85 enjoyment is paramount, which is why I’d given myself not one but three stops along the way for coffee and cake. Sure, it’s okay to challenge oneself but a little moderation is called for. Riding in order to eat cake is as good a reason as any. Selecting stops is as important as route selection and I have chosen places where the cakes are fresh, not sold wrapped in plastic from the fridge. Remember your physics cold air dehydrates.

By the time I got to Box Hill, half-man, half-cake, I was pleased with the road’s passage up the hill.

The zig-zag road follows its contours, and contour riding is a doddle. Just select a comfortable gear and spin. Had this road been built by the Romans, I might have been in some bother. Closer to home the Roman roads go in one direction, and that’s straight up.

I reached the summit and the place was packed with cyclists. Have all these people read Emma? I rode straight past the tearoom – another stop and I was surely in contention for Guinness’s ‘most cake stops in a single bike ride’ record – and headed straight for the viewpoint. The South Downs are visible quite a way away and it certainly is a splendid view. This view has been enjoyed since 1815 and I am sure many centuries before that, but what is missing from Emma is any description of the view.

In fact, if I remember correctly, the whole group has a rather miserable day. They were too bound up in each other’s problems. What a waste. The day was anything but wasteful for me. I made it home, via that usual killer climb close to home, with renewed confidence that my London-Brighton ride will go off smoothly. A piece of cake? Make that pieces.

NORMAN’S WISDOM

Let Norm eat cake

NORMAN LIMBERS UP FOR A LONDONBRIGHTON RIDE WITH A LEMON DRIZZLE

By the time you read this, myself and colleagues at King’s College will be freshening up having finished Alzheimer’s Research UK’s 55-mile London to Brighton bike ride. That’s the plan, anyway.

At the time of writing, in July, such a distance was at the upper end of my limits, certainly at the speed I aimed to complete it in. Sure, I could take the whole day and finish but that would leave me way behind my buddies. I could throw in the towel, leave them to it and withdraw, or I could give this training malarkey a serious go and have a good crack at it.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

At 85, London to Brighton is quite a challenge for two reasons. Well, there’s a few more than two but I must be brief. The first has to do with me aiming to finish the ride in 6.5 hours. That is audax time – this meaning the minimum speed limits in the long-distance cycling events that I became veteran champion in back in 2001. It’s good to track how far my performance has fallen. Not in any negative way – as I’ve written many times, of course it’s fallen –

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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

“Riding in order to eat cake is as good a reason as any. Selecting stops is as important as route selection”

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“The challenge was trying not to let my mind play tricks by persuading me to get into the support van”

“Smashing the record gave me a high I’ll never forget” STIRLING’S CHRISTINA MACKENZIE, 44, ON BREAKING THE GRUELLING 1350KM LAND’S END TO JOHN O’ GROATS ROUTE RECORD IN 51 HOURS “I thought the LEJOG was crazy and questioned how you could cycle that far in one go. After being introduced to the Mersey Road 24hr TTs and doing them twice, meeting [ultra-cyclists] Mike Broadwith and Jasmijn Muller and following their progress, the idea developed.”

“We’d planned my latest LEJOG attempt for July 2020, but due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions we rescheduled until 2021. As a time triallist I’m used to cycling on my

own so there was no issue not being able to participate in group rides. I kept concentrating on turbo and road sessions.”

“I rode a Liv Avow Pro 2 with some adaptations to provide some comfort over this distance. I have custom aero extensions to make it more aero, the crankset is 170mm Shimano Ultegra R800 50/34 with a Giant Pro power meter and an 11/32 cassette to give me enough of a range for all the climbs.”

CHRISTINA’S LEJOG TIPS! Take nothing for granted. If you’re going for a record, respect the distance and put in the hard work, the dedication and the commitment that it requires.

01

Smashing the LEJOG record gave Christina a high she won't ever forget

Enjoy the experience.

If you’re wanting to do the 1350km LEJOG route at a leisurely pace, then take in the fantastic scenery and soak up the sights of England and Scotland. And make sure you avoid the A30 in the south west of England and the A9 through Scotland!

02

“The toughest section was from Gretna to Abington as it was into a headwind and on really poor road surfaces. I felt I was going nowhere, and the road was never-ending. It was a struggle to keep motivated, there was little to no life on the road. I had to keep convincing myself round the next corner would be better and keep going.

There were times I just wanted to stop and get in the support van.”

“Mentally the challenge was trying not to let my mind play tricks by persuading me just to get into the support van and drive to John O’ Groats. I was questioning myself why I was cycling, as fatigue was setting in and any rationale went out the window.”

“Nothing can beat the high of mile 838 and knowing you only have one more mile left. Seeing the iconic John O’ Groat’s signpost after 51:05:27 hours of cycling was one high I’ll never ever forget!”

If you’re going for a fast time, you will definitely need a LEJOG support team who you can trust to take great care of you.

A good support team will give you the motivation you need when times get tough (they will!) and also think for you when you can’t think straight yourself!

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 PHOTOGRAPHY JASPER IMAGE

LIFEEXPERIENCE

“There were so many variations on the route, from fantastic tailwinds at the start to tropical rain showers, block headwinds and challenging crosswinds. The hardest physical part was pushing through the pain barrier, when every part of your body hurts and you can’t get comfortable on the bike, knowing you still have 200 miles to go.”

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289 EXPERT TIPS TO RIDE STRONGER

They look divine and are mooted to save watts, boost speed and generally make you a happier human being.

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But browsing the ‘health food’ section of the supermarket can be a tour in itself, such is the range of supplements available. We consulted three wise men who devote their working hours to researching the latest sciencebacked powders, pills and probiotics in order to find exactly which ones you need to be taking and when.

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Before you know it, your autumn break will be over and it’ll be time to crank up your training for the 2022 sportive season. So, how can you best develop your fitness and keep what you’ve worked so hard to build?

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Getting more aero will make you faster – and it’ll cost you nothing

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MASTERCLASS CYCLINGMASTERCLASS

Becoming aero It’s a depressing fact of a cyclist’s life that aerodynamic drag is cubic.

In other words, to double your speed requires eight times as much power. One of the greatest drag acts of our time is air resistance, presenting an invisible and increasing force as you accelerate.

It’s just one reason why becoming more aerodynamic isn’t only the wise option, it’s the only option.

Just look back to Graeme Obree.

The former hour record holder used the ‘tuck’ position to win world championship pursuit and national time-trial titles in 1993 and 1994 before the UCI banned it.

He returned with the ‘Superman’ position. Again, the UCI banned it.

In both cases, the public reasoning

was safety; in both cases, the implicit reasoning was that they were too aerodynamic.

Obree’s raison d’etre was the time trial. But improving your aerodynamics will improve every genre of cycling, especially road riding. Your first port of call should involve a long, hard look in the

“Your first port of call should involve a look in the mirror as around 75 per cent of drag is you”

mirror as around 75 per cent of drag is you. That’s where a professional bike fit is money well spent.

Educated hands will steer you into a more aero and, importantly, more sustainable position. And don’t worry that a lifetime in the drops awaits. Even pro riders spend less than 20 per cent on the drops in most stages. The rest of the time they’re on the hoods. But, you can be slippery on the hoods…

Working on your aerodynamics is free speed and covers everything from you, your clothing, your bike and, as you’ll discover, hair and safety pins. It’s time to make life less of a drag and ride faster…

WORDS JAMES WITTS IMAGES RUSSELL BURTON

OUR NEW SERIES DELIVERS THE TRAINING AND GEAR TIPS TO HELP YOU CYCLE FURTHER AND FASTER. SATING YOUR THIRST FOR SLIPSTREAMING SPEED THIS MONTH IS JAMES WITTS…

You cannae change the laws of physics, so try to make your riding position more aero

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NOVEMBER 2021 115

“Spend more time on the drops and think like a turtle – shrug your shoulders, head down and in”

Get your head tucked in to reduce your frontal area, and use an aero road lid for aero gains and comfort

AEROTIPS

10 steps to success Essential positioning, gear and practical advice on honing your aero profile 01 A SMALLER YOU “To ride really fast, you must reduce your frontal area,” says John Morgan of cycling-coach. co.uk. “Spend more time on the drops and tuck your head in. And think like a turtle. Shrug your shoulders and bring your head down and in, always keeping your eyes on the horizon. This position will save a massive 40-50W compared to riding up on the tops, equating to around 3km/h of free speed. Just note that it’s a

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hard position to master and initially will put strain on your shoulders, triceps and core but, with practice, you’ll grow stronger. It’s worth the effort.”

02 SLIPSTREAMING SWEETSPOT It’s mooted that the contribution of the helmet to a rider’s total aerodynamic drag sits between two and eight per cent depending on its profile, with further studies showing an aero version can realise savings of 90sec from a 40km time trial. But pure teardrop helmets are for time triallists only as they lack the comfort and breathability of road helmets. So, take a stop at the halfway house and go for an aero road helmet. They’re more aero than a vented version and more versatile than an aero helmet.

03 GROUP SAVINGS “One way to avoid being slowed down on a windy day is to shelter behind another rider,” says Ruth Eyles, who runs a cyclecoaching company. “If the wind’s head on then ride very close (but safely) behind the rider in front.

Make sure the other rider knows

you’re there so that he/she rides smoothly with no sudden braking.

If the wind is at a slight angle to your direction of travel, then shelter behind but slightly to one side, keeping in the lee of the rider in front.” That’s not all.

Professor Bert Blocken of Eindhoven University showed that the lead cyclist(s) also enjoy an energy-saving benefit from the drafting rider – 1.5 per cent or so if the following rider’s 15cm back.

04 CORE DRAG SAVINGS “Anything that moves creates drag,” Morgan explains. “That’s why a strong core is important. If the anchor is weak, for instance, you’ll endure excessive upperbody movement. So, focus on your core muscles when riding and strengthen them off the bike.

Also, avoid muscling big gears around at low revs, especially into the wind. Unless you have exceptional core strength, you’ll rock from side to side, which creates a lot of drag. Always aim to keep your revs smooth and fluid at 80-90rpm. This’ll keep your upper body nice and still, and much more aerodynamic.”

MASTERCLASS 05 TEARDROP TUBING

applied to the pedals. The

in an uphill time trial where the average gradient for the course is greater than 4.5 per cent for normal cyclists or 7.5 per cent for a pro-cyclist. This is a scenario where a lightweight bike is faster.

However, it’s a rare scenario.”

07

06 HIGHER, NOT LOWER Koen Pelgrim, DeceuninckQuick-Step trainer, researched optimum aerobar position for time trialling with intriguing results. “Our work shows that when bars are too low, the rider often compensates by sitting higher. In contrast, by tilting bar extensions up a little, the rider’s head and back drops. This is more aerodynamic, especially if you’re

You can enjoy an aerodynamic advantage climbing too, according to the aeroobsessed pro rider Dan Bigham. “When you’re out of the saddle, your co-efficient of drag (CdA) goes up. If this is really steep, it’s not too much of an aero issue as speeds are slower and you can generate more power by engaging other muscle groups like your arms. But on longer, shallower drags, there’s an aerodynamic case for remaining seated.

Many riders are significantly more efficient biomechanically and physiologically in a seated position too.”

If you want to reduce drag, you don’t want any fabric flapping around. Tight is right for an easy aero win

wearing an aero helmet, as the tail flows more smoothly into the back. It’s a more sustainable position, too.” Pelgrim showed that a slightly higher position required 407W to average 50km/h compared to 437W with the lower bars. That equates to a 48:11min 40km TT versus 49:23mins.

08 HAIR TODAY, GONE… Think shaving your legs is a step too far? Think again, recent Silverstone wind tunnel testing saw editor Matt shave 21 seconds from his 40km TT after shaving his legs. You could even follow advice from bike designer Mike Burrows who says that the aero ideal is to leave two strips of hair, about 10mm wide, to mix up the air for better flow. So, just how far are you willing to go?

09 THE HEAT IS ON Looking for optimum sportive speed? Then look to hotter climes. Warm air is less dense and is why when Bradley Wiggins broke the world hour record in 2015, the Lee Valley Velodrome was kept to a constant 28°C. When Victor Campenaerts from Belgium beat this, his 55.098km was helped by the low pressure of his altitude attempt in Mexico.

10 FOREGO THE FLAPPY Form-fitting clothing is an easy aero win. If you can hear your jersey in the wind, it’s too flappy and too drag-inducing. The same applies to race numbers. Pinning your paper digit to your outfit acts like a mini parachute.

Instead, go for a Speedband (£15) or similar from NoPinz. They enclose your race number and are mooted to save up to five watts.

And you don’t pierce your top.

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Specific training will help you to maintain a more aero riding position for longer

AEROWORKOUTS

Get into position Make a shape like a turtle to improve your riding position’s aerodynamics

WORKOUT 01 OUTSIDE AERO COACH Matt Bottrill TIME 90mins BENEFITS This isn’t too demanding a session, but it’s not designed to be; instead, it’s all about making changes to your

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head position as that’ll be a gamechanger in terms of free speed and performance, as well as improving your handling and comfort in the drop-bar position.

KIT Bike, power meter or heart rate monitor WARM-UP 10mins easy at a high cadence.

6 x 5mins @ 83% functional threshold power (FTP) or 7/10 rate of perceived exertion (hard) – low cadence (around 80rpm) with 5mins easy between each rep.

Use the Turtle for the reps.

10mins @ sweetspot. Cadence to suit. Turtle – see how long you can hold.

COOL-DOWN 10mins highcadence recovery.

MAIN SET 10mins @ 30secs max effort with 30 secs easy.

Action the Turtle; in other words, push deep into the drops and try pushing your head forwards to hold a better head position.

WORKOUT 02 BIKE INTENSITY

5mins easy recovery.

COACH Paul Jones, F4L Coaching

“It’ll be a gamechanger in terms of performance and free speed, as well as improving handling”

TIME 46mins plus ride home (so around an hour) BENEFIT To develop event-pace intensity. This can also be included in a slightly longer ride, and can be done on both the road and an indoor trainer.

WARM-UP 10mins easy spin – can

MASTERCLASS

be more – followed by 5 x 20secs @100% functional threshold power (FTP) or 8/10 rate of perceived exertion (vigorous) with 40secs easy spin between reps.

MAIN SET 8 x 3min with 1min recovery between each rep.

Ideally, do this on a stretch of road where you can ride 3mins hard in one direction and then 3mins hard back again (out and back). Efforts should be at 100% FTP intensity or 8/10 (vigorous) if using RPE. Perform all efforts in the drops.

Above Aero ride bikes are faster than lightweight bikes virtually all the time…

Right … a lighter bike only trumping aerodynamics when the road kicks up

“Making changes to your head position will be a game-changer in terms of free speed and performance”

AERO GEAR THREE PIECES OF KIT PROVEN TO REDUCE AERO DRAG AND SHAVE OFF THE WATTS

01

02 03

INNOVATIONS OF SPEED A TRIO OF INVENTIONS THAT UPSET THE AERO APPLECART SANTI N I R E DUX I STI NTO £185 The price is high but Santini has done its aero homework with the Istinto, its blend of techy fabrics, thermo-sealed seams and a lean fit proving 62secs swifter over a 40km ride than a basic jersey.

01

IMAGE GETTY

SCOTT CLIP-ON AEROBARS Who invented the aerobar remains a matter of debate. But there’s no denying Greg LeMond’s use of the Scott clip-ons in 1989 awoke the peloton to their slipstreaming benefits. The American overturned a 50sec deficit to the traditional-barred Laurent Fignon to win by 8secs.

LYCRA FABRICS Chemist Joseph Shivers invented Lycra in the 1950s when working for DuPont. The discovery would eventually kill off wool, to be replaced by more form-fitting cycle clothing. Bib shorts are the clear example, but it also opened up the possibility of all-in-one skinsuits.

S PECIALI Z E D S -WOR K S E VADE I I WITH ANG I £250 Aero road helmets are the smart middle ground between a full time trial helmet and the less aerodynamic traditional road helmet. Our testing – on the road and in the wind tunnel – has shown the Evade II to be the pick of the crop.

02 LOTUS 108 Chris Boardman’s Lotus 108 helped him to 4000m pursuit gold at the 1992 Olympics. The carbon frame came with a single monoblade fork similar to those used in jet-landing gear. Tests showed it had 30 per cent less drag than a conventional diamond-frame pursuit bike.

NOPI N Z N U M B E R SOLUTION S , F ROM FROM £15 Devon’s Nopinz are a major presence in time-trial racing, with their race number pockets, belts and sleeves aiming to make that drag-creating flapping race number a thing of the past.

03

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Only 311 kilometres or so to go for the 8000 riders…

There are 10 categorised climbs, so be sure you can climb…

EVENT FOCUS

Mallorca 312 THE LONGEST GRAN FONDO ON THE EUROPEAN CALENDAR, TO EVERYBODY’S DELIGHT, HAS BEEN SHUNTED BACK IN THE CALENDAR TO OCTOBER

It feels like forever since we’ve written about continental sportives and gran fondos. With pandemicenforced travel restrictions easing across Europe, however, several of our favourites have returned for the second half of the summer and one of them, the Mallorca 312, is set to close out the 2021 season. Several Cycling Plus staff have ridden this brute of a ride in years past, but its switch from early spring to autumn will prove favourable to participants this year.

PRE-RIDE PREP

In years gone by, Mallorca 312 riders have been tasked with tackling its eponymous 312 kilometres in late April. Mallorca residents may have been blessed with weather for a fertile winter season of cycling, but British-based riders will have just come up for

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air from the depths of what was almost certainly a long, dark and miserable winter on the bike. This new late October date, then, will be welcome across the board, with all riders more likely to have the necessary big-mile rides in their legs at this point in the year than they ordinarily would in April.

THE RIGHT KIT

This isn’t only the longest of the major European gran fondos, eclipsing even the 296km MilanSanremo, but also one of the biggest days of climbing, with 5050m vertical elevation. With a highest point atop Puig Major at 899m, the 312 can’t rival the Alpine giants for height, but few rides are as packed with significant inclines as this.

There are 10 categorised climbs in all - and all coming in a brusing first half. As frequent as the climbs are, however, Mallorca’s roads are rarely super steep: pack a low gear, no doubt, but a 34/28 will be sufficiently small for most riders.

EVENT WEEKEND

Mallorca may be an island in the Mediterranean but it’s undoubtedly one of the easier European events to

RACE STATS 5050m Elevation gain of the 312km route

899m Highest point (Puig Major)

8000 Participants joining you for the 2021 edition

reach. Regular flights operate out of the majority of British airports and once you reach the island, the start line in Platja de Muro is just 40 minutes’ drive from Palma airport. You could base yourself here or in neighbouring Alcudia, or if accommodation is in short supply, Port de Pollença, just a little further up the coast, is a favourite for visiting Brits.

THE RIDES

Such are the complexities of the Mallorca 312 that even the shorter rides would equal the toughest rides at most other events. There’s a 225km ride that packs in close to 4000m of elevation - as much as the event featured here last issue, the Fred Whitton Challenge - and even the baby route is over 100 miles (167km) with 2475m elevation. The pick of the whole day is arguably the 225km route, which includes all of the best climbs but skips over a flatter 87km flatter diversion east to Artà. But then, this is the Mallorca 312, not the Mallorca 225, and bragging rights, should you skip some distance, won’t be yours. milestoneseries.cc

PHOTOGRAPHY MALLORCA 312; SPORTOGRAF

MALLORCA STATS Location Platja de Muro Next date 24 October 2021 Distances 312 kilometres Price 90 euros

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Big Ride

CORNISH NASTY Nick Busca plots the toughest century imaginable from the Cornish town of Bude WORDS NICK BUSCA PHOTOGRAPHY JOSEPH BR ANSTON

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A B OV E Nick and his road captain Craig get cracking in Crackington Haven

Part of the fight is devoted to keeping your front wheel and the tarmac acquainted 124 NOVEMBER 2021

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here are 130 kilometres on the clock, and some 3200 of climbing metres to boot, in a thoroughly exhausting day’s work when the heavens opened to stick in the knife. Oh, and I’d also run out of food, and there were 30km still to go.

My legs trembled with each pedal stroke, on the cusp of cramping. I wasn’t climbing any Alpine or Andean monster, rather the steepest hills of Cornwall, and frankly, in that moment, I didn’t know which was worse.

“It always rains in Holsworthy!” A bellow through the fog, as we tipped over into Devon, briefly jolted me into life. It came from my day’s road captain, local Strava legend Craig Harper, who was cranking up the tempo. Craig is always sphinx-like, with no grimaces or visible signs of pain across his face at any point. He appeared annoyingly fresh. He must have been feeling it, though, as this had been a monstrous day in the saddle for the pair of us.

We’d set off much earlier that day from the centre of the coastal town of Bude with a bold plan: 160km and 3500m of elevation. There’d

T

been no gradual easing into these numbers, either, as the road reared up immediately following a fast descent towards the wide, sandy and rocky Widemouth beach, and straight into one of the steepest climbs of the day.

Millook is gracefully short at 750 metres in distance, but its 14.4 per cent average gradient bites hard and thunders straight into 30 per cent pitches. It’s tough on a dry day, but in this day’s wet and humid conditions part of the fight is devoted to keeping your front wheel and the tarmac acquainted. Craig set the tone for the day with a no-fuss seated grind to the summit, while I scampered around in his wake.

Morale panic Following this rude awakening in Millook, there was no time to settle back down, with a steep descent down into the gratifyingly named coastal village of Crackington Haven. This cove is quintessential Cornwall: crystal-clear waters dominated by dramatic cliffs. However, we had no time for a dip, nor was it particularly inviting. There was a gentle drizzle on the horizon, and another 4km climb lay in wait.

This was to High Cliff, Cornwall’s highest edge at 223 metres, and a road that feels like it goes on and on. You reach a point that you think

is the top, only to find that there’s plenty more to come. By the summit we’d clocked our first hour’s riding at a snail’s pace of 17km/h. Today was going to be a long one…

Our average speed – and our morale – received a shot in the arm with a long and fast swoop down into Boscastle, despite the arrival of that foreseen rain. We quickly passed through the picturesque fishing village where novelist and poet Thomas Hardy met his wife Emma in 1870. It’s now home to The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, which we swoop past just before another magical coastal outpost: Tintagel. Despite sounding like a remedy for greying hair, Tintagel has links with something far less mundane – Arthurian legend. Tintagel Castle’s ruins lies atop a small island separated by only a few metres of swirling sea from the coast. These medieval ruins are listed and protected by English Heritage, and a new pedestrian suspension bridge was built in 2019 to facilitate access to what in Cornish means ‘fortress of the narrow entrance’ (Din Tagell).

Our own impenetrable fortress that needed to be scaled was just outside Tintagel: Trebarwith.

This climb is only a couple of hundred metres long but was plenty to push our heart rates – and our gears – to their outer limits, spinning faster

A B OV E L E F T Cornwall boasts a cornucopia of cafes and coast

T O P R IG H T Thighs like these are made in Cornwall!

than a hummingbird’s wings. As is customary in these parts, the road goes up all at once, causing my rear wheel to slip and slide more than in Millook. The only way to push through is to stay in the saddle and grind. A walker greeted us politely, but I was unable to return the gesture, the all-out effort necessitating the most Neanderthal-like grunt. Even Craig, who was a picture of serenity on the bike until now, furrowed his brow.

Ports of call

As is customary in these parts, the road goes up at once, making my rear wheel slip and slide

These brutal climbs – narrow, short and steep – are emblematic of the region, but their rough edges are softened by bountiful descents and delightful fishing villages along the way. This theme continues into the attractive village of Port Isaac, known for the TV series Doc Martin and its crab sandwich kiosks. Sadly for us it’s still only 9.30am and they’re closed – not exactly the hour for a crab appetiser.

After being catapulted inland and then slingshotted back to the coast, we find ourselves in the fishing hamlet of Port Quin, quite likely the cutest settlement of the whole ride. A handful of houses and a few bobbing boats are the only things we see while whizzing in and out of the small harbour. This picture-postcard feel

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These brutal climbs - narrow, short and steep – are softened by bountiful descents and delightful fishing villages

A chat on the coast, just before some climbing no doubt

changed noticeably at the 50km mark – almost three hours into what’s set, unbeknown to us, to be an extraordinarily long day. The quaint, historic villages gave way to up-and-coming ones like Polzeath. New buildings made of stone and wood made it look more like a ski resort than a Cornish village, and the pop-up coffee and pizza places on the beach seem to have emerged from a trendy and gentrified neighbourhood. We stopped to refill our water bottles and later decided to grab an early lunch in Wadebridge, 20km down the road.

A calmness then descended on some more welcoming roads, which boosted conversation between Craig and I. It may have been the effect of the gentle coastal scenery near Rock and Padstow (where Gordon Ramsay has said he stops for a flapjack when he’s cycling around here), but we both seemed more relaxed and talkative. Despite being retired for seven years, Craig is still only 47. He left the world of work after a year-long backpacking trip around the world that changed his life. Upon returning home, he decided to quit his job in the mezzanine floor industry in Hertfordshire and travelled with his wife Jodie and their two dogs in their RV before setting up home in Bude.

They’ve never left. It isn’t hard to understand why, really.

Legion of doom Just before Wadebridge, we get a glimpse of the Doom Bar, a notorious shoal sandbar that caused more than 600 wrecks since records began in the early 19th century. Legend says that the mermaid of Padstow created the shoal as a curse after being shot by a local man. And as you may rightly guess, the shoal has given name to one of the most popular ales in the UK. It was still far too early in the ride to consider such a beverage, but it certainly planted the seed for

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the post-ride pint. After 200 minutes of riding – and still not at the halfway point of the ride – we made it to Wadebridge, where Craig led me to Behind the Bike Sheds bike cafe where I swiftly devoured a panini and coffee. I passed on the scone, but had I not, I’d have been sure to make a point of putting the jam on first. A recent advert run in the Truro Sainsbury’s made the grievous mistake of using a picture of a scone with jam on top of the cream – the method in neighbouring Devon. Customer protests ensued, forcing an apology from the supermarket and the removal of the heretical advert.

We departed Wadebridge before being sucked into any local delicatessen scandals and made our way to Bodmin, where the old county jail, closed since 1927, is still a sombre and imposing presence, what with all the public hangings held there. The stretch of road between Wadebridge and Bodmin was welcomingly uneventful, and the gentler gradients were to be hugged close.

Moor, moor, moor This serenity came to an abrupt end as we began climbing the foothills of Bodmin Moor. The morning clouds and rain had evolved into a

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A B OV E Enjoy a whistlestop tour of Cornish settlements

This serenity came to an abrupt end as we began climbing the foothills of Bodmin Moor

gloopy mist that engulfed the majestic moor. On a clearer day, the granite moorland is a constant presence in the distance, a towering and reassuring landmass that helps with navigation and serves as a reminder of our effort. We pass the quiet and dormant villages of Mount, Pantersbridge and St Neot on metaphorical tiptoe, so not to disturb the tranquillity, before finding ourselves on the longest challenge of the day: the 10km ascent to Minions (no relation to the small yellow cartoon characters).

When there are no clouds, you can always spot the end of the climb, with its antenna at the summit – I’ve christened it the Cornish Mont Ventoux – and it keeps your hopes and expectations in check. We had no such luck on our ride, as the thick mist limited our view to a few metres in front of our front wheels. To fortify ourselves, we paused for more coffee at the Cheesewring, a distinctive rock formation of granite slabs.

On a sunny day in Minions you can clearly see ancient stone circles (the Hurlers and the Pipers) and admire the remnants of the old mining engine houses. This is also where some of the first season of BBC’s Poldark – which gives a

L O C A L K NOW L E D G E DISTANCE 158.7km / 99 miles TOTAL ELEVATION 3664m GRADE Hard. Lots of climbs, some 30 per cent DOWNLOAD komoot.com/tour/452112063

T O P R IG H T Cornish roads win out in the steepness stakes hands down

fictional glimpse of the Cornish love affair with mining – was filmed. But today, with the impenetrable mist, we needed our imaginations to fill in the gaps. It was an anticlimax, and we needed something to boost our morale.

Fitting finale What better way than with a descent from Minions into warmer temperatures and the undulating hills towards Launceston? From here, the final segments back to Holsworthy and Bude were the least scenic, and the grey clouds were turning black. With faster roads came greater speed and purpose, but the rigours of the day were catching up with me. Despite what I thought was adequate fuelling, my motor was starting to splutter. I used the last of my gels before Holsworthy and prayed it was enough.

Craig remained a powerful presence, so I let him go at his own pace while I focused on turning the pedals.

When we hit single-digits in the countdown to the finish, I felt energy flood my body. Maybe it was prospect of finishing. More likely, it was the thought of finally wrapping my lips around that promised beer and pasty…

GETTING THERE Bude is on the north coast, 50 miles west of Exeter, which is the closest train station. Then there’s the bus: two hours and over 70 stops along the way!

GETTING SPARE TUBES The only cycling shop in town is Ride It Cycles. The staff are friendly and always keen for a chat.

WHERE TO EAT The best pizza in town is hands down La Bocca, while for coffee and cake don’t miss the Electric

Bakery. If you’re into Mexican the shack at the Cerenity Campsite is among the best I’ve tried, while for the view you can’t beat Life’s A Beach (cafe and bistro). For a more gourmet dinner try the Tree Bistro in Stratton or the Long Bar and Restaurant in Boscastle (24km from Bude).

FIND, PLAN AND SHARE ADVENTURES WITH KOMOOT

and powered by the outdoor community’s recommendations it’s komoot’s mission to inspire great adventures, making them accessible to all.

Komoot is an app that lets you find, plan, and share adventures with the easy route planner. Driven by

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NED F I N A L W O R D

The long shadows have been cast on this year’s racing season

FINAL WORD

HARVEST MOON

Ned is sorry to see the sun set on the racing season imon and Garfunkel are a guilty pleasure. I don’t know how the opencollared, satin-shirted duo came into my life. It’s possible I discovered them when I watched The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman walking around looking gormless to a soundtrack of Garfunkel warbling his falsetto of such heart-rending sincerity it made his giant stack of curly hair wobble. Anyway, there they are: part of the playlist of my life, yet seldom admitted to. I mean, they are in no conceivable way cool. Not even when they were playing their famous concert in Central Park did they come across as anything much more charismatic than a pair of mildly unorthodox sixth formers at a school summer camp.

I certainly never foisted their syrupy poetry set to tinkly folk guitar on any of my family members when they might have been of an age to take my musical tastes seriously. And yet just recently, an adult offspring of mine came downstairs to make some toast, and casually put April Come She Will onto the smart speaker. I was so bowled over by this that I very slowly put down my cup of tea and listened with great nostalgia and intensity to Art Garfunkel mournfully intoning: ‘April, come she will. When streams are ripe and swelled with rain.’

S

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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.

Now, here’s the admission: I adore this song. The fact that another generation, younger than me by 30 years, had made the same discovery only seemed to add to the deep melancholia this tune inspires in me. As Garfunkel ticks off the months, he tells the brief story of a short-lasting love. By August, ‘The autumn winds blow chilly and cold’. What is notable about this calendar of infatuation and desertion is its brevity.

Based either side of summer’s height, it excludes the darkness of winter, the misery of late autumn or the bitter cradle of early spring. It is the story of flickering warmth and then its extinction.

And that, dear reader, is the road-racing calendar. I write this column during an unseasonable cold snap in London. I will be tuning in again this afternoon to watch the Vuelta; a race which, although swelteringly hot, also betrays the tilt of the Earth’s axis as it proceeds on its annual path around the sun. The shadows are long by the time the racers hit the final kilometre. And, after the Vuelta, there are no more Grand Tours. There’s Lombardia, of course, and the Worlds. But they are simply the emphatically hammered-in nails to the coffin of the season. It is beautiful, but it is brief.

And yet, in April the promise of all the months of racing seems endless. While we’re in the throws of Holy Week in Flanders, even the distant Giro in May seems impossibly remote and endless in scope. Let alone the Tour de France with its blue-sky blazing July presence.

The Vuelta might as well not exist in our thoughts. Not until it’s suddenly upon us with its melancholic ‘last orders before closing time’ vibe. No one targets the Vuelta, except possibly Ángel Madrazo, who hides in a vault beneath some Asturian cathedral between editions. People just end up there because they screwed up the Giro or the Tour. Once they’ve started, they often quite enjoy it, but no one of note ever announces at the start of the year, ‘I’m targeting the Vuelta this year.’

Perhaps it’s simply a function of ageing that I find it increasingly difficult to let go of things. I dislike goodbyes. I fret when the day’s hours appear to be slipping away and there are things that still need doing.

Even when the sun is shining, I worry that the next day might be cloudy. So, I find that I am able to focus most clearly on the races of late spring and early summer.

They have my attention because I am not worried about the imminent end. The season feels interminable, in the best sense of the word. But by the time we get to late summer and last throws of the dice, I am conscious of what is to come; a barren, dark hunk of time in which we try to divert ourselves with cyclocross and other such mutations. Art Garfunkel might have been a folksy oddball. But he knew his cycling: ‘September, I’ll remember. A love once new has now grown old.’

ILLUSTRATION DAVID MAHONEY IMAGE GETTY IMAGES

“No one targets the Vuelta. People just end up there because they screwed up the Giro or the Tour”

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Cycling Plus

No. 385

RI DDE N & RAT E D 13 GRAVEL BIKES ON TEST FROM £985 INSIDE The ultimate rides for

NEW HORIZONS From routes to bikes and kit, here's everything you need to nail your next adventure and banish the boxset

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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

“ARE YOU RUNNING TUBELESS?”

FOR REAL RIDERS

W E L C OM E

After 18 months of restrictions not experienced for generations, the need for adventure is palpable. Books and boxsets may fuel mental escapism, but nothing surely comes close to being on two wheels armed with a map or app, a frame bag filled with jelly babies and just the open tarmac, gravel tracks or muddy trails for company. If you’ve exhausted your local network of routes (from page 7) or are unsure of what bike (starting p14), storage bags (p28) or overnight kit (p30) to buy, then you’ve come to the right place. For over the next 50 pages, our explorers offer all the essential advice you’ll need to propel your adventures in 2021 and beyond. I'll see you in the Outer Hebrides...

Matt Baird, Editor

FUGIO 30 The Fugio 30 is a bike that knows no bounds.

Forget gravel. Rocks, roots, jumps, chutes - one flick of the dropper-post lever and they are all fair game. When your riding is this rowdy, you need a paintjob to match - many said we couldn’t go one better than our sunset fade, but we’re pretty sure this is it.

For more information visit genesisbikes.co.uk

THE 10 BEST UK ADVENTURES

1 Image Daniel Monaghan

DURO TRIALS Everywhere!

The Racing Collective’s DURO events have been a rare pandemic success, providing spellbinding images and inspiring stories as riders have traversed various multi-day, sustainable and selfsupported adventures around the UK on a host of surfaces.

All rides are free, with the flagship event being the week-long GBDURO, a 2000km epic from Land’s End to John O’Groats that includes nearly 27,000m of climbing.

Adventure Guide

07

Adventure Guide

2 Image Max Darkins

GREAT NORTH TRAIL Peak District to Cape Wrath/ John O’Groats. 1,287km A corker from Cycling UK is the 1,287km Great North Trail.

Starting at the Peak District, it links the Pennine Bridleway and concludes at either John O’Groats or Cape Wrath on the northern tips of mainland Scotland (Cape Wrath is about 170km west of the more famous John O’Groats). A mountain bike or 40mm tyred gravel bike is recommended, as is some serious water- and wind-proof clothing.

3

HEBRIDEAN WAY Vatersay to Isle of Lewis. 297km Two ferries, six causeways and 297km of riding make up the Hebridean Way, which commences at Vatersay – the southernmost of the Outer Hebrides’ inhabited islands – and finishes on the Isle of Lewis. The island-hopping Outer Hebrides-style takes place on the National Cycle Network Route 780, which means you're able to tackle it on a road bike, and you can pack some trunks for the wonderful sandy beaches.

4

NORTHERN IRELAND C2C Whiteabbey. 390km Adventures, of course, don’t have to be off-road, with 98 per cent of this Sustrans coast to coast route taking place on asphalt. It begins in Whiteabbey, before heading on a largely traffic-free route to Lisburn and into the heart of Belfast. It then follows the Newry Canal and traverses the remote Sperrin mountains, passing stone-age alignments, ahead of Omagh and Enniskillen, before it concludes at Ballyshannon – in the Irish Republic – and the surfingfriendly Atlantic Ocean.

5

KING ALFRED’S WAY Winchester. 350km Cycling UK’s KAW has been a huge success since opening in September 2020. And what a challenge it is: a 350km largely off-road loop punctuated with calf-shredding climbs and hair-raising descents taking place on nearly every surface known to man – mud, gravel, sand, tarmac and white chalk to name but five, the latter when wet is surely the work of the cycling devil. The 85 per cent off-road route officially begins and ends in Winchester, with highs including Avebury and Stonehenge, scaling Butser Hill (pictured), and traversing Salisbury Plain.

We’d suggest a gravel bike from April to October, a mountain bike for the depths of winter, doing it clockwise and five days of riding – expect progress to be slow. Fans of The Last Kingdom apply here.

6

THE DISTANCE Scarborough. July 2022. 129km From the organisers of the brilliant Dirty Reiver gravel event comes The Distance, a “rackless touring” event where riders have to reach a series of checkpoints before arriving at their overnight camping spot.

All kit, including camping gear, must be carried by entrants, and further challenges come in the multi-terrain tracks that the organisers say favour gravel bikes or cross-country mountain bikes. So leave your skinny-tyred Colnago at home!

Adventure Guide

09

7

LÔN LAS CYMRU Anglesey to Cardiff. 600km Three mountain passes and a couple of national parks (Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons) are the highlights of the Lôn Las Cymru, which stretches through the entirety of Wales. Over 400km of the near-600km-long route is on quiet lanes and traffic-free cycle paths. It starts in Anglesey and – after the Gospel Pass and Black Mountains – concludes in Cardiff or Chepstow, before a welcome train journey home.

10

Adventure Guide

8

C2C Whitehaven to Tynemouth.

220km This 220km ‘Sea to Sea’ route from Sustrans begins on the west coast at Whitehaven in Cumbria and ends at Sunderland or Tynemouth in the east. It’s 45 per cent traffic-free, 84 per cent on tarmac, and it can be done in a day. The nearby Hadrian’s Way route is an alternative to the north that you could ride home to Whitehaven on – but at nearly 277km you’d be taking the long way back.

Adventure Guide

9 Image Jordan Gibbons/Pannier

WEST KERNOW WAY Penzance, Cornwall. 241km From the makers of the King Alfred’s Way comes this new Cornish experience, a 241km mainly off-road loop that starts and ends in Penzance.

Designed to be ridden over three to four days, it takes in the Botallack tin mines, Land’s End, St Michael’s Mount, the Lizard Point and possibly our favourite location of the lot, the Porthcurno beach/Minack Theatre combo. We can smell the recovery pasties and cream teas already…

10

NORTH COAST 500 North Scotland. 805km A ride you can do all-yearround, this is an 805km effort around Scotland’s north coast.

It’s popular with drivers and bikers, but there are alternative routes for cyclists.

Visit northcoast500.com for daily itinerary ideas, including eating and sleeping options, of around 65 miles per day. The first day, starting in Inverness, is free on the website. You pay £15 to become a ‘Traveller Member’ of the North Coast 500 for the other seven days.

RADDLER 700c 40 44

www.hotlines-uk.com

Raddler is the radder version of our famed Riddler tread pattern. The expeditious efficiency of a shortknob centreline with the get-rad traction of chunky outer knobs.

Let’s call it a semi-slick, but one designed to increase confidence while pushing the limits of gravel.

Lean it over, take the inside line, brake late and stay pinned…

Adventure Guide

Marin Nicasio + £985 Is it Californian dreamin’ for Marin’s budget graveller? ravel is the one road-based genre where pro-grade equipment has little bearing on the fun of riding. Gravel is more about conquering the terrain, surface and topography than power output, aerodynamics or Strava kudos. So, forget about lightweight carbon wheels and revel in the Marin Nicasio +, a bike that offers plenty of bang for your buck.

On paper the Nicasio + doesn’t shine; there’s a modest, butted-chromoly steel frame and fork, own-brand wheels, cable disc brakes and Microshift drivetrain. And at nearly 13kg, it’s weighty, too. Yet the Nicasio + has nearly everything you’d want in a gravel bike: a comfy ride, stable handling over rocky terrain yet nimble through tight turns, and a ride position that’s ideally set between sporty and relaxed.

The drivetrain occupies the world beyond Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo, but for many years Microshift has been toiling away at the

G

14

Adventure Guide

Above Tektro Mira cable disc units and Advent levers. Geometry is at the sporty end of endurance

budget-end of the market. Here it’s the Taiwanese company's HIGHS Advent system, a 1x nine-speed Brilliant ride; handling; the groupset that combines simple fun factor drop-bar levers with right hand-only shifting. And, with LOWS 300km of riding under our belts, Weighty; the system hasn’t put a foot budget brakes wrong. The FSA Vero chainset BUY IF... is equipped with a 1x-specific You want to chainring that holds the chain experience tenaciously and the Advent rear everything great about mech’s clutch stops the chain gravel but from bouncing when you're don’t fancy a riding over rough surfaces. four-figure The Tektro Mira cable disc price tag… brakes do a decent job even if they lack the power of good hydraulic units. It just means you must think about braking more.

The basic alloy wheels are rock solid on hairy terrain and have a modern, gravel 25mm inner width. They’re paired with WTB’s huge-volume 47c Horizon tyres, which handle gravel superbly

SUB-£2000 GRAVEL

SPECS Weight 12.9kg (58cm) Frame Series 1 double-butted chromoly steel Fork Chromoly Gears Microshift Advent 1x9 (42, 11-46) Brakes Tektro Mira cable disc Wheels Marin Aluminium double-wall 650b Finishing kit FSA Vero 1x chainset, WTB Horizon 47c 650b tyres, Marin Beyond Road saddle, Marin alloy seatpost, Marin 3D alloy stem, Marin alloy 12° flare bar

and yet are still able to roll fast on tarmac, so the Nicasio + would make a superb commuter, particularly if your route mixes up tarmac, towpath and trail.

The flared drops of the alloy gravel bar are well shaped, while the ‘beyond road’ saddle has the feel of an old-school WTB mountain bike saddle.

It has a great profile that allows you to shift your weight up on the nose for climbs and move to the rear for descents.

Above left 45mm fork offset gives high-speed stability on descents Above Gravel ready: WTB’s brilliant Horizon tyres

Come together Marin’s geometry is where the modest, but greatperforming components and keen price come together. Our 58cm test bike’s 609mm stack and 398mm reach put it firmly at the sporty end of endurance. The 72.5° head angle and 45mm fork offset give the front end plenty of highspeed stability for road descents yet low-speed accuracy for when you’re riding woodland singletrack. The 1,029mm wheelbase doesn’t make the bike feel laborious and, if you wanted to make the Nicasio more road-focused, it’s compatible with 700c wheels too.

The frame is relatively simple in its construction and is made from skinny, double-

The steel frame is relatively simple but it comes with myriad fixtures and fittings

butted steel tubes, but it comes with myriad fixtures and fittings – external welded cable guides for both drivetrain and brakes, triple ‘anything’ mounts on the steel fork, front and rear mudguard eyes, and rack mounts. The Nicasio + frameset also has tidy welds and a stylish desert-sand paint finish.

I could bang on about the middling brakes, weight and the unfamiliar drivetrain, but that would be missing the point. This bike is only £985 and it hasn’t lost the essential element of any Marin bike – namely being awesome to ride.

It’s so much fun and handles serious off-road terrain with aplomb. When you beast that big ride or event and realise that you’ve spent less on your bike than your fellow riders have spent on their wheels, that’s where you’ll fully appreciate the Nicasio’s charms.

The verdict A bike that’s the absolute definition of being better than the sum of its parts

Adventure Guide

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Guide

Merida Silex 400 £1,400 Merida's mountain bike-inspired gravel biking all-rounder erida’s take on gravel brings a different approach to that of most of its rival manufacturers: instead of using a road or cyclo-cross bike as the basis for the design Merida has instead looked to mountain bikes. Merida says the result is a combination of mountain bike handling with endurance geometry, creating a machine that can blast confidently down gravel tracks as well as speeding you over tarmac.

The difference from a mountain bike lies in the stack, increased to a tall 663mm, and reach, stretched out to 430mm, which combine with a short 80mm stem. This ensures a position similar to that of a standard endurance bike’s, but with handling optimised for off-road riding – the Silex’s slack 71° head angle stabilises the front wheel while its short stem speeds up the handling responses from the fork.

Cleverly, Merida has paired the slackened head angle with a lengthened fork, so you have a bike

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Above Internal routing keeps cables out of the muck while a slack head angle makes for a sure-footed ride

that feels absolutely at home when you hit the rough stuff.

HIGHS It tracks superbly well and Very clever chassis design; cuts through bumps with handling; value assured control without ever feeling sluggish.

LOWS Merida’s carbon Silex is Slender rims, hugely impressive and this squirmy tyres more affordable, aluminium BUY IF... option deserves high praise You want a too. It has the same full-carbon bike that you CF2 fork, which is brilliant could use for gravel, at cushioning the worst of bikepacking the pummelling that rough and touring surfaces can throw at you. and is great fun At the back the oversized, on road and off 30.9mm-diameter alloy seatpost can’t quite keep the same plush feeling as the front end, though it’s topped with a comfortable perch in Merida’s Expert saddle.

The frame features mudguard mounts, rear rack mounts, two double bosses on the fork legs for either a further two bottles or low rider/

SUB-£2000 GRAVEL

SPECS Weight 11.7kg (58cm) Frame Prolite 66 triple-butted aluminium Fork Carbon CF2 Gears Shimano GRX400 (46/30, 11-36) Brakes Shimano GRX400 Wheels Merida Comp SL Finishing kit Merida Expert GR bar, Expert CW stem, Merida Expert saddle, Maxxis Rambler 700 x 38c tyres

anything mounts. That means you could easily put the Silex into service for a spot of touring, bikepacking or adventure cycling (the frame will also accommodate 650b wheels with 45mm tyres). Or just simply commuting during the week and exploring the wider, off-road world at the weekends.

Above left The 11-36 cassette’s spread should cover all scenarios Above An oversized seatpost makes for a firmer feeling rear end

Great combination The Silex 400’s equipment levels are a good mix of Shimano’s gravel-specific GRX components from both 400 and 600 levels. The 46/30 chainset and 11-36 cassette give an excellent spread of gears for on and off-road riding.

The Maxxis Rambler tyres are equally accomplished whether you’re on tarmac or trail, their 38c carcass covered with a tightly packed small-block tread that rolls well on tarmac and hard-packed dirt. The tyres’ large shoulder blocks do provide bite when cornering off-road but they’re so tall and soft that they tend to squirm somewhat when cornering.

Merida provides the lion’s share of finishing kit with own-brand parts. The cockpit is a fine combination of a smoothly shaped, minimal, alloy Expert CW stem and Expert GR bar. The

You could use Merida's Silex 400 for touring, bikepacking or adventure cycling

bar shape is excellent and offers a small amount of flare and oversized tops, and the padded, textured tape makes for great holds on the tops and drops. The Merida Comp SL wheelset runs on cartridge bearing hubs and the shallow aluminium rims roll well, but the internal rim width – between 17 and 18mm – is quite narrow for gravel and the 38c tyres are about as wide as I’d choose to go. If you fancy going to the maximum 45c (in either 650b or 700c) allowed by the frame, you would need a wider rim to get the best performance.

Merida’s Silex 400 offers something quite different in what’s a rather packed playing field of gravel bikes. It blends a superb riding position, brilliant off-road handling and a fantastic ride quality, making it a bike that combines value with performance.

The verdict Huge fun factor from this very accomplished machine

Adventure Guide

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Adventure Guide

Vitus Substance SRS 1

£1,599.99 It’s Reynolds steel but does this Vitus have the substance? he brand may have a Gallic history, but Vitus is now very much a British entity as part of the CRC/Wiggle empire. The Substance SRS 1 uses a Reynolds 725 British steel frame and, like its carbon cousin, is based around 650b wheels and plus-sized tyres.

The Substance SRS 1 combines modern allroad geometry with classic, skinny Reynolds 725 steel tubing to create a bike that majors on versatility without compromising off-road performance. The Vitus boasts handling that’s more relaxed than a road bike’s, making for great off-road stability, though it’s not as relaxed as some gravel bikes that wear their more overt mountain-bike influences on their sleeves.

This makes the SRS a truly excellent allrounder. On dirt it inspires confidence with handling that’s nicely balanced between stability and swift reactions, and it feels particularly at home when tackling technical

singletrack. It comes with an off-road-ready 1x SRAM Apex HIGHS groupset, combining a 40-tooth Great handling; ride comfort; chainring with an 11-42 quality frame cassette. The super-low bottom gear makes off-road uphill LOWS traverses a breeze. Hydraulic Below-par stopping power comes from saddle; some cassette noise SRAM’s Apex brakes. With plenty of feel to match the BUY IF... power, they’re less vocal than You want a Shimano’s hydraulics but are superb steel gravel bike a little screechy when wet and with an mud-caked. Vitus has stepped impressive away from the full SRAM ride at a very groupset by using a SunRace good price RX8 cassette. This looks swish but its appearance outdoes the performance, as it has a little too much chain chatter and vibration.

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Adventure Guide

Above WTB’s Venture tyres provide grip while a SunRace RX8 cassette delivers drive to the wheel

Old material, modern ride The finishing kit all comes from the Vitus stable with the Substance’s cockpit a particular high

SUB-£2000 GRAVEL

SPECS Weight 10.8kg (XL) Frame Reynolds 725 Fork UD carbon Gears SRAM Apex 1 (40, 11-42) Brakes SRAM Apex Wheels Prime Kanza Finishing kit Vitus 6061 alloy post, Vitus saddle, Vitus 6061 stem, Vitus Wing bar, WTB Venture 650 x 47 TCS road plus tyres

point. The gravel bar combines a 16° flare with a flattened, almost aero-shaped top section that makes for a great hold when you’re grinding along on the flat at speed. The ride position, with its low 577mm stack and mid-length reach of 391mm, makes for a ride that feels rapid off road and is no slouch on it.

The Prime Kanza wheels are stiff laterally, and the WTB Venture tyres have a low, textured grip through the central section and prominent knobs on the shoulder. This makes for a fastrolling tyre on tarmac – for its size – and one that offers plenty of cornering grip on dirt. That said, while the less-prominent tread is excellent in the dry, it struggles in wet mud. The 650b wheel choice has its benefits when it comes to off-road cushioning and traction. Sadly, it’s outclassed when it comes to matching the speed of a 700c set-up on mixed-surface rides.

Steel has been used since Victorian times for manufacturing frames and the material is still renowned for the comfort it can deliver – and it doesn’t disappoint here: the Substance is impressively comfortable. The skinny-tubed Reynolds 725 frame offers the lively spring indicative of quality steel pipes and the full-

Above left SRAM’s 1x Apex chainset keeps a secure hold of your chain Above Flattened bar tops provide a great hand-hold on flat stretches

Vitus’s superb Substance hits all the high points, it’s well priced and the ride will impress

carbon fork, with its generous rake, helps to nullify front-end vibrations. It’s all wrapped up with the suspension-like cushioning offered by the huge volume of the tyres. In fact, the Vitus saddle is about the only chink in the Substance SRS’s formidable armour. The flat shape is okay, but the hull feels overly stiff and that’s only compounded by its minimal padding.

Overall, the Vitus is a superb modern gravel machine – and shows that steel still has a place in the world of 21st-century cycling. The Substance hits all the high points: it has handling chops; it’s versatile, has fixtures and fittings for racks and mudguards; there are 1x and 2x drivetrain options; and 650b/700c compatibility (although the carbon fork lacks mounts for the fully loaded bike-packing brigade). All this and it’s well priced and the ride will impress, too.

The verdict An excellent package where the quality frame is the star

Adventure Guide

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Adventure Guide

Boardman Advantage 9.0

£1,800 Step on board this value-packed carbon gravel machine oardman Bikes was an early adopter of the gravel concept. Its original ADV was an aluminium machine with mountain bike-derived 650b wheels and an attitude that was all about getting rough and rowdy in the dirt. The 9.0 is more refined but, we’re happy to report, it’s still very much up for getting down and dirty.

The jewel in the crown is the premium C10 carbon frame, tipping the scales at 990g, and the 420g gravel fork – respectable weights for a road bike. The frameset’s 71.5° head angle slackens the steering for off-road stability but doesn’t feel lazy on tarmac, while the 73° seat angle puts you in the power position directly over the cranks for swift acceleration on road and off. When paired with 38c tyres, the 50mm fork offset gives a relaxed trail figure of 65mm.

The gearing mixes Shimano’s gravel-based GRX components. The 2x chainring won’t please hardcore gravelistas, but for real-world usability

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Above Shimano’s GRX groupset is present to take care of all your shifting and stopping needs

22-speed is still the best (and that’s speaking as a 1x devotee).

HIGHS The bike has Shimano’s top Great ride quality; mechanical gravel GRX810 handling; low mechs and GRX600 shifters. weight for the The ‘adventure’ gearing of its money 46/30-tooth chainrings may see die-hard roadies scoff at being LOWS Gears needed under geared for the asphalt, but tinkering after I never found myself wanting a few days’ more. And the 30x32 pairing riding will keep the pedals turning BUY IF... on the most severe slopes when You want a others might be walking. top-value Shifting is crisp and braking gravel bike smooth and powerful, with with a carbon frame and the basic RT30 disc rotors high-quality kit staying free of screeches, even in the mud. The ADV’s 588mm stack and 392mm reach figures are sporty without being stretched and make it a good place to spend time in the saddle. Off road, this Boardman rides with a thrilling urgency – it’s

SUB-£2000 GRAVEL Below A very capable carbon frame helps the Boardman shine, as do the tubeless-ready wheels and tyres

More Gravel Picks

FUJI JARI 1.3 ADVENTURE £1,399.99 Fuji’s Jari range is aimed at the more adventurous gravel rider. This is a decently priced all-roader that combines a versatile lightweight aluminium frame and carbon fork with a gravel-focused drivetrain based around SRAM Apex 1x. It’s built to take you through the roughest toughest terrain and is very well set for fixtures and fittings, with full rack and ’guard mounts, top tube bento box-style mounts and three sets of bottle bosses.

responsive and rapid yet handles bumps with a stability that keeps you tracking true.

The ADV 9.0 is largely dressed with ownbrand components. The alloy stem is stiff and well finished, though I did occasionally catch a knee on the stem’s sharp bolt fixtures. The flared alloy bar makes for assured handling when descending off road and the hoods don’t sit at a funny angle when you’re riding on tarmac. The Prologo Akero AGX saddle has generous padding.

The ADV’s charms belie the relatively modest price. The chassis is stiff and responsive and the Panaracer 38c GravelKing SK tyres are impressive: compliant and grippy off road, fastrolling (for gravel treads) on tarmac and, like the wheels, they’re tubeless ready.

Though the bike doesn’t come set up tubeless, this is the next best thing. Just add sealant and fit the valves, and you’ll get more tyre pressure adjustment and the elimination of pinchpunctures, while there are a couple of spare tubes in the mix. According to Boardman, the ADV’s wheelset was built to be tough and the 1,950g overall weight certainly bears that out.

The verdict An ultimate bike for experiencing gravel without breaking the bank

SPECS Weight 9.35kg (L) Frame C10 carbon Fork C10 carbon Gears Shimano GRX(46/30, 11-32) Brakes Shimano GRX400 hydraulic disc Wheels Boardman ADV Tubeless Ready Finishing kit Boardman alloy stem, 6° flare bar, Boardman 27.2mm alloy seatpost, Prologo Akero AGX saddle, Panaracer GravelKing SK 700 x 38c tyres

BIVIBIKES GRAVELLER £1,599 BiviBIKES offers this one-size-fits-all gravel bike.

The Japanese Sanko steel tubing is different from the norm and the frame has all the fixtures and fittings you could wish for. BiviBIKES’s approach to gravel geometry brings something different, too, as does the mix-and-match build. Overall, it’s a superb all-road machine – its handling is wonderful and the frameset screams quality.

ON-ONE FREE RANGER £1,799.99 On-One has a reputation for making exceptional value-for-money bikes and the Ranger continues that trend. It’s a rapid yet confident bike off road and, when you combine that feel with its low weight and great gearing, it’s simply excellent. If you want to go long-haul trucking it’s a little racy, but if your idea of gravel riding is sprinting through singletrack in the woods, you won’t find a better value option.

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Adventure Guide

Left Warren hits the Salisbury Plain trails aboard his Kinesis Tripster ATR titanium gem

WHY I GRAVEL

“I enjoy getting out and getting lost” Building bikes and wondering where that trail leads.

Here’s senior tech ed Warren on his love of gravel First gravel experience

Favourite gravel bike

I’m a mountain biker from the early 1990s old school. MTB then was effectively gravel riding of today, traversing the great outdoors with a map in your pocket. When mountain bikes became overly techy, I bought a cyclocross bike (a singlespeed Genesis) and haven’t looked back.

I still own the genre-busting Cannondale Slate with its lefty suspension fork and 650b wheels.

One of my favourite gravel bikes is my custombuilt GT Grade with Shimano GRX Di2 in 1x form, with setups in both 650b and 700c wheels.

It’s just a brilliant off-road machine that’s fast, nimble and light. Being equipped with a dropper post, it’s the bike I choose when riding technical trails that test my skills to the limit.

The lure of the trails It’s the freedom from traffic that first attracted me to gravel riding. I also enjoy getting out and getting lost, exploring new places and wondering what’s around the next corner or where that new trail leads. Living on the edge of Salisbury Plain helps with inspiration. There’s a network of bridleways, permissive byways, technical forest trails and fast gravel military roads to explore.

Top gravel routes Further afield than Salisbury Plain, the Strade Bianche roads in Tuscany, Italy, are glorious.

Facing the mountains of Montana on my GT Grade is a fond memory, as is riding on Cervélo’s Aspéro from Glen Fruin to Arrochar, taking full advantage of Scotland’s right to roam laws.

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Current gravel bike Another favourite is Kinesis’ Tripster ATR. I’ve built up this titanium masterpiece with GRX Di2 but in a 2x configuration because I wanted an all-rounder. I’m running big tyres but with slicker tread for road speed and having a broader gear range means I can keep pace with my roadie mates. It’s the ideal one-bike-for-all solution.

Essential gravel advice Like a good boy scout, be prepared. Take the emergency kit you need every time, in fact make sure it lives on your bike. Bitter experience has shown me the error of my ways multiple times.

KEY GRAVEL KIT

FUMPA Pump £139 This pocket-sized air compressor isn’t cheap, but it’s got me out of many jams when I’ve either split a tyre or burped a tyre off the rim and where a handpump won’t give the consistent pressure to reseat a tyre.

www.hotlines-uk.com

O W N

TraceR Mk2

Sirius Mk9

75 Lumens Seatpost mounted Day Bright Pulse

850 Lumens Bar mounted Smart Port +

T H E

R O A D

BIKEPACKING ESSENTIALS

The route’s planned, but what are the bikepacking essentials? Here are our ultimate bike bags, camping kit and overnight accessories

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Adventure Guide

ULTIMATE BIKE BAGS You’ll need to be smart with your on-bike solutions for bikepacking adventures. Here are our recommended bags for multi-day trips

ALTURA VORTEX 2 SEATPACK £69.99

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BROOK SCAPE TOP TUBE BAG £50 BROOKS SCAPE FRAME BAG £85 Brooks might not be the first brand you think of for getting down and dirty on the trails, but the heritage brand has a new range of kit for all your bikepacking adventures. The fully waterproof Scape has a three-litre capacity, weighs 200g and can hold 3kg of kit in its 460 x 120mm dimensions.

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Another classy Brooks companion is this Scape top tube bag for your valuables, energy bars, that bag of jelly babies or a sausage roll. It’s waterproof, has a 900ml capacity and has three straps to keep it securely clamped to your bike.

A waterproof seatpack is an absolute must for backpacking. This more-affordable option can hold 12 litres of supplies so there’s plenty of storage, while the neat and durable strapping system keeps everything clamped firmly in place.

LIFELINE ADVENTURE FRAME BAG £20-25

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This frame bag comes in three sizes and, while the price may be entrylevel, there are plenty of smart touches for riding adventures. These include a cable entry point so you can charge your bike computer/ mounted phone on-thego, reflective detailing, and a size that lets you fit a 600ml water bottle on the down tube.

ORTLIEB FRAME PACK £110

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When we battling wetweather warnings on the King Alfred’s Way in 2021, this 200g Frame Pack stayed waterproof throughout the whole trip and remained robust through thorny stretches. The total load it can carry is 3kg, and it didn’t affect handling even when fully loaded.

It’s sizeable enough to hold camping kit and its easy access makes it good for nutrition.

ORTLIEB SEATPACK £135 At 16 litres, you might

Bikepacking Kit Checklist CLOTHING Waterproofs Spare dry clothes Thermal clothes Warm jacket Socks TOOLS Multitool Pump Spare inner tube Tyre/puncture repair kit Bike lock CAMPING Sleeping mat Sleeping bag Bivvy bag (tent/tarp or hammock) Toothbrush and paste Toilet roll BIKE STORAGE Saddlebag Frame bag Handlebar bag Top tube bag ELECTRICS Power pack Charging cables Navigation/GPS device COOKING GEAR Stove Gas canisters Lighter Penknife Mug, spork, foldable plate/bowl Food Bag for rubbish Water purification tabs or filter

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CAMPING KIT For an overnighter, you’ll need gear that’s light, packable, durable, comfortable and watertight. Here are our essential camping picks…

ORTLIEB VELOCITY £105

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ALPKIT DRIFT PILLOW £13.99

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We’d previously stuffed an empty pillowcase with clothing on overnighters, but the Drift is a camping revelation that’ll we’ll now never go without.

At just 100g and little bigger than a can of Coke when in its bag, it’s easily transportable and surprisingly comfortable when inflated to its full 42cm width.

Adventure Guide

JACK WOLFSKIN TRAIL MAT AIR £110 This is another packable, easily inflatable and surprisingly comfortable gem. It packs down to a 22 x 10cm size from its 182cm length, making it both seatpack- and framebag-friendly, while it has the added benefit of providing warmth compared to sleeping without a mat.

Weight is a lean 490g.

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Wearing a backpack while bikepacking won’t suit all, but the 23L capacity, heavy-duty waterproof materials and on-bike comfort of the Velocity create a winning mix if you go down that route. We’ve found it ideal for storing the bulk of a sleeping bag and spare clothing, while the solid laptop compartment gives its commuting credentials.

Adventure Guide

Bikepacking Extras

CAMPING KIT MSR POCKETROCKET 2 £34.99

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ALPKIT ELAN £99.99 Okay, we won’t lie, sleeping in a bivvy bag for the first time is certainly an odd experience, especially if the rain is pattering centimetres from your face. But you’ll get used to it over time, and we personally remained warm and cocooned during weather warnings in May this year. The selfsupported canopy of the Elan kept us free from claustrophobia, while the 900g weight and compact 39 x 11cm packed shape made it easily transportable on the bike.

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ALPKIT CLOUD NINE £189.99

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That early morning cup of tea/black coffee/ vanilla chai (delete as applicable) is essential ahead of a big day, and the PocketRocket 2 is deservedly one of the most celebrated stoves in the bikepacking community for getting the H20 bubbling. A litre of water takes 3:30mins to boil, while the 73g weight and foldable arms make carrying a breeze (the gas canister adds 113g). And you can also rehydrate freezedried meals using the

Duck (or goose) down is your friend when it comes to bikepacking, and this comfy and cosy creation should serve you from spring to autumn (Alpkit recommends its use down to about 0°C).

At 800g, there are lighter summer bags out there, but this has more versatility and the drawstring closure adds to the warmth.

1. GPS BIKE COMPUTER One wrong turn can add an hour onto your route when bikepacking, so a GPS bike computer where you can upload routes and follow them is essential. Our picks are the Wahoo Elemnt Roam (£300) or Garmin Edge 830 (£350), while Komoot is arguably the most intuitive routing app.

2. PUNCTURE PROTECTION As we’ve found to our cost, a serious puncture can ruin your day when bikepacking. Spare tubes and repair kits (plus the ability to get your tyre back on – practise this at home) are mandatory, as is a decent mini pump – the Topeak Pocket Rocket (£20) is exactly that.

3. STASHABLE JACKET Riding in the UK, it can take just one pedal stroke for a change in the weather. For spring to autumn, a lightweight bike jacket that can fit into a jersey pocket is essential. The Van Rysel RCR Ultralight Packable (£44.99) is a budget choice, while the Gore-Tex Paclite (£200) is a top-end pick.

4. MTB & GRAVEL SHOES Yes, you may lose efficiency, but MTB shoes with flat pedals have plenty of practical benefits for bikepacking. They’ll reduce the need to carry extra footwear for evening strolls and make sections where pushing is the only option more bearable. We like Scott’s MTB AR (£90) shoe and, if you decide to go for a gravelspecific shoe, Lake’s MX176 (£135) is the pick of the crop.

5. FIRST AID KIT Essential but easily overlooked.

Ortlieb’s 180g First Aid Kit (£30) includes all the safety backups you’ll need, including a first aid brochure, surgical gloves, sticking tape and a set of plaster strips. And it comes in a waterproof case too.

R O F Y D A E P RE A C S E R U YO E S. T U O R ACK BIK EP

ING

Bikepacking is what you make of it. Just pack the essentials, get yourself and your bike ready, and leave everyday life behind. Out of the city and into an adventure, follow your instinct and the trails. Everything you need is stowed safely in the ORTLIEB bikepacking bags. The ORTLIEB promise: Our sustainable products are waterproof, Made in Germany and backed by a five-year warranty.

Guide

Below Matt takes on the King Alfred's Way aboard his beloved Bombtrack Hook EXT C test bike

WHY I GRAVEL

“I’m obsessed with the Alfred’s Way” Liberation, a love of Lanzarote and the lure of the Ridgeway have made editor Matt a gravel lover First gravel experience Like many, the joys of gravel came to me during Lockdown 1.0. I wanted to stay close to home but had exhausted the roads and MTB trails around Bristol. A new adventure bike (Boardman’s £750 ADV 8.8) changed all that, providing me with road and trail liberation when I needed it most.

The lure of the trails The versatility of gravel bikes shines for me.

Winter roads are no problem, I can join my kids on towpath routes, ride on fireroads yet retain road speed in comparison to my MTB. Conversely, it’s also made me love road riding even more: the joys of getting out on smooth tarmac in aero kit and riding fast is heightened after lengthy time spent riding through dirt.

Top gravel routes As a fan of The Last Kingdom books and TV series, I’m obsessed with the 350km King Alfred’s Way. Some 85 per cent of it is off-road and it’s gravel bike-friendly from spring to autumn. Further afield, riding from La Santa to Costa Teguise via coastal trails, volcanic 34

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climbs and the Mirador del Rio in Lanzarote was possibly my best day on a bike.

KEY GRAVEL KIT

Favourite gravel bike First love is a powerful thing, so I’ll always have a place in my heart (and shed) for Boardman’s ADV 8.8. It’s an affordable investment that’s also a barrel of fun, helped by mighty spec choices.

Current gravel bike The most thrilling gravel bike I’ve ridden is Bombtrack’s Hook EXT C (£3100). With 650b WTB tyres, it's built for the dirty stuff, yet it’s also no slouch on tarmac due to its lean carbon frame and forks. Spec includes Hunt’s Adventure Sport rims and SRAM Rival 1 gears, and the punishment I've long subjected it to is proof of its durability and reliability.

Essential gravel advice Take your time. Riding off-road is far slower than road, so factor that in if you’re aiming for a campsite or are hoping to reach home before dusk. Enjoy the sights, the escapism, the sounds and (most of) the smells of the wilderness.

CYCLE PAL TYRE SEATING TOOL £15 From humbling experience on the Ridgeway (thanks for the lift, mum!), changing a new gravel tyre can be painful. I’d suggest a Cycle Pal Tyre Seating Tool (£15) if you have as much trouble as me.

VAAST A/1 £2469 Gravel meets magnesium he USP to Vaast’s wellpriced gravel bikes is the material that’s being used to build them. Fellow American company Allite produces a magnesiumalloyed tubeset called Super Magnesium, a metal originally designed for defence and aviation. Magnesium alloys have been used in bikes before and Vaast says it’s lighter than aluminium, steel and titanium, stronger than steel and aluminium, and more corrosion resistant than aluminium and steel.

The 1100g frame weight is respectable but Vaast also claims that the ride quality is more akin to steel and titanium than that of aluminium.

The A/1’s design mixes the traditional with some sharp details. The internal cable routing is a nice touch while oversized, water-tight grommets give the A/1 a proper out-doorsy, off-road feel. The back end has asymmetric chainstays with the driveside stay radically dropped to facilitate much bigger tyres and

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Above Neat cable grommets and the Vaast A/1’s radically dropped truss-like driveside chainstay

dual-wheel size compatibility (40c in 700 and 47c in 650b).

HIGHS The frame is complemented by a Frame; handling; price full-carbon fork that comes with mudguard fittings, rack mounts LOWS and twin bottle bosses.

Creaky The A/1 would do a decent job Seatpost of bikepacking and commuting but its spiritual home, at least BUY IF...

You want to in terms of geometry, is that experience of a fast gravel grinder for fun everything days out and rough-road racing. great about gravel but With a 72-degree head angle and don’t fancy a 72.5-degree seat angle on my heavyweight test bike, it’s direct and snappy price tag… to steer. The 425mm chainstays keep things tight, for gravel, at the rear and the 595mm stack and 395mm reach keep the riding position sporty. I’m a big fan of droppers for gravel descents and I appreciate’s the internal routing for the A/1’s dropper.

The 1x GRX drivetrain performed admirably with slick shifts and good chain retention from

£2000+ GRAVEL

SPECS Weight 9.46kg (L) Frame Allite Super Magnesium Fork Carbon Gears Shimano GRX RX600 (42, 11-42) Brakes Shimano GRX RX400 hydraulic disc Wheels Stan’s Grail S1 ZTR Finishing kit Praxis Zyante carbon cranks, Vaast Urban pro alloy bar, Vaast Allroad Pro alloy stem, Vaast carbon seatpost, WTB Silverado saddle, Maxxis Rambler 38c tyres

the clutch-equipped mech. The stiff and sharplooking Praxis Zyante carbon chainset is a real highlight on a bike at this price. I liked the simple alloy cockpit with its short 90mm stem and a bar that has just enough flare for comfort without getting into the ridiculous extremes seen on some dedicated ‘gravel’ bars.

Above left Magnesium’s chunky welds are more alu-like than steel Above right The Stan’s rims allow you to run the tyres at low pressure

Rough rider The bar, stem and seatpost are all solid and exactly what you’d expect for the money, and I was a big fan of the WTB Silverado saddle. The Stan’s rims are excellent at retaining tubeless air pressure and their seal so I’d no reservations running the Maxxis tyres at super-low pressures on particularly wet, muddy test loops. The Ramblers are a great tyre in the dry but in the wet they need the extra bite afforded by being able to spread and squish.

Kit and components aside, where the A/1 shines is in its ride. The frame comes alive when the going gets rough, with a sprightly spring to the tubing that’s as stiff as it is responsive, yet it controls vibrations with a softening touch. The stiff, straight carbon fork is slightly at odds with the supple rear, though it feels great on the road.

Its spiritual home is that of a fast gravel grinder for fun days and roughroad racing

The lightness is a boon on the climbs and the responsive handling is fun. On descents it was only the limit of grip of the tyres and the fork’s chopping over ruts that held me back.

The threaded bottom bracket avoids noise issues, but the A/1 isn’t quiet. No matter what I did with the seatpost it didn’t stop creaking throughout the entire test period. Though after I swapped it out for a brief test ride with one of my own carbon seatposts, I found that it didn’t protest quite as loudly.

Overall, the A/1 is a brilliant gravel chassis with a great package: a mix of named parts, excellent wheels and smartly thought-out, ownbrand bits make this a good-value purchase. If Vaast can cure the creaky post it’s onto a winner.

As it stands the A/1 is a smart machine made of a smart material at a very smart price.

The verdict Fast and fun gravel bike that shows magnesium is back in the game!

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£2000+ GRAVEL

SPECS Weight 9.47kg (56cm) Frame Dedacciai custom triplebutted aluminium Fork Fullcarbon Parallax 2 Gears Campagnolo Ekar 1 x 13 speed (38, 9-42) Brakes Campagnolo Ekar Wheels Mason x Hunt 650b alloy disc Finishing kit Ritchey VentureMax WCS bar, Deda superzero stem, Mason carbon seatpost, Fizik Argo Terra saddle, Vittoria Mescal 27.5 x 2.1in tyres

Mason Bokeh Ekar £3550 British-designed, Italian-made adventurer

ason Progressive Cycles has fast become one of the most desirable names in gravel and adventure bikes. With numerous award-winning models and riders of the calibre of long-distance supremo Josh Ibbett (a GBDuro winner) riding and developing the bikes, it’s no surprise.

The Bokeh is a truly versatile machine. It can take 700c or 650b wheels, has mounts for pretty much every type of rack or bag you can think of, internal routing for 1 or 2x gearing, routing for dynamo lights and more. Tyre clearances are very generous, up to 50mm wide for 650b and 45mm for 700c. You can also choose from eight different Hunt wheel options, a variety of tyres both fat and (relatively) thin, as well as multiple gearing options.

I’ve opted for Campagnolo’s Ekar. The Italian brand’s gravel groupset comes in a unique 1 x 13-speed configuration and is claimed to be the lightest gravel groupset available. Its 650b wheels are shod with Vittoria’s Mescal mountain bike tyres. The chief reason is that we gave an earlier Bokeh a five-star review, but that was in an all-round configuration. I wanted something that could be used not just on gravel roads but also in pure mountain bike territory, to discover if the Bokeh lives up to its versatile reputation.

Rest assured it does, and how!

The Bokeh’s geometry is smart. The 73-degree seat angle is road-bike steep, putting you square over the cranks for efficient pedalling and power transfer, but the head angle is a more relaxed 71.5 degrees, compounded by the long 65.4mm trail. The 579.5mm stack and 383.4mm reach deliver a compact ride position. This makes for

M

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a bike that’s superbly balanced and tracks true on treacherously rutted surfaces, yet feels agile when thrashing along technical single-track.

When it comes to traction, normal ‘gravel’ rules don’t apply here. The massive Mescal tyres grip tenaciously and their generous volume means you can play with low tyre pressures to maximise grip in poor conditions. The other bonus of tyres this size is comfort, with the compliance coming through this rubber feeling like an inch of suspension at each end.

The 9.47kg weight may not sound impressive compared to a road bike, but it does includes those huge tyres – and it feels much lighter than the scales suggest. The lightweight fullHIGHS carbon fork gives the steering a Gorgeous, quality chassis; deft lightness that adds to your superb ride confidence when riding. position and The aluminium frame handling; kit may be an oddity in a world obsessed with carbon, but it’s LOWS Sticky shift one of the finest alloy frames lever; 2.1in I’ve seen in a long time. The mountain bike gloriously smooth welds and tyres aren’t fast on the road multi-shaped tubing is as good as any superbike I’ve seen and BUY IF... puts plenty of custom builders You want a fun to shame. Everything about the gravel bike that Mason chassis oozes class. can handle the really rough The Campagnolo Ekar stuff drivetrain shifts quickly, and the braking is quiet, positive and 40

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Above right Campag’s Ekar group has a large C-shaped inner lever Above Running 650b tyres you can go up to rubber 50mm wide

progressive. The levers are well shaped and the curved blades have great ergonomics, but there’s no escaping that the metal levers feel cheap compared to Shimano’s GRX800 units or SRAM’s Force 1. The shift lever that sits behind the righthand brake lever also occasionally catches on the brake lever and doesn’t fully return.

Mason has done a great job with the kit, especially the cockpit. The lightweight Deda Superzero stem holds a Ritchey radical WCS VentureMax bar, which has a wide flare and a superb chunky grip. There’s a wealth of hand position options and the control offered in the drops is top class. The Mason x Hunt wheels have a well-earned reputation for hardiness and, at 1594g a pair, they’re light for such a burly design.

When it comes to versatility, Mason’s Bokeh absolutely nails it. It’s a bike that’s as at home loaded up and traversing continents as it is stripped down and giving mountain bikes a run for their money on forest trails. In this 650b guise it’s the latter it excels at, but you could always add another set of 700c wheels to your order – I’m told a lot of Mason’s customers do – to truly have a bike for all seasons and eventualities.

The verdict A brilliant, versatile and fun-filled gravel machine

Cannondale Topstone Lefty 1 £7500 Top of the class? Enter the suspension-equipped Lefty 1 annondale brought lightweight bike suspension to the world of gravel in 2019 with its innovative, rear suspension ‘Kingpin’ system on its all-carbon Topstone. The Kingpin design uses a pivot at the top of the seatstays, which runs on a maintenance-free bearing, using the flex in the carbon stays and a seat tube engineered to act like a leaf spring, to provide 30mm of suspension travel at the saddle.

Cannondale’s innovative Lefty fork has appeared on a drop-bar bike before, on the ground-breaking Slate. Cannondale had a major redesign of the mountain bike Lefty in 2018 and this fork is pared down for gravel – it weighs 1340g compared with 1446g for the mountain bike version. This reshape allows for 47mm tyres in 650b and 45mm in 700c and the single-leg design means you don’t have to remove the front wheel to fix a puncture. The Lefty’s 30mm of suspension is matched at the rear by the frame.

C

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Above Cannondale’s innovative and effective Kingpin provides 30mm of rear-end suspension

What this Topstone gives you is so much more control. The HIGHS fork has fast, reactive travel Handling; control; and if you factor in the huge comfort and 47c tyres, then the off-road speed capability is magnified. The tyres, like most mountain bike LOWS tyres, have differential treads – Few if any – but the price is on the front Venture tyre has block the high side edges, which bite in the corners to provide grip, while the Byway BUY IF... rear has a much slicker tread You want a gravel bike pattern that’s great for helping genuinely like to efficiently transfer your pedal no other power into forward motion.

It’s the same with cyclocross and it’s strange that it’s taken so long for road and gravel bikes to catch on to this way of thinking. Cannondale deserves credit for such a well thought-out spec.

The ‘mullet’ drivetrain – small in the front, large at the back – mixes SRAM’s Force road and Eagle off-road components, with the 12-speed

£2000+ GRAVEL Bottom left Why have two fork legs? Cannondale’s Lefty fork makes tyre repairs much easier

MERIDA SILEX+ 6000 £2650 The Silex+ 6000 is far more versatile than its looks alone would suggest. It’ll take on tougher terrain than an endurance-focused road bike while offering improved comfort, yet it can still operate at a reasonable level when you hit the tarmac.

It isn’t a replacement for a mountain bike, but for a rider who wants the option to go off-road more than most drop-bar bikes will allow, this is a great choice.

setup offering massive a gear range, thanks to its 10-52 cassette. This means you have an easiest gear that’ll keep you ascending when most will be walking, and at the other end a gear that is plenty for the fastest of off-road riders and for most on the road. The jumps between gears are larger than smooth-pedalling roadies are used to, but in low-traction situations you just don’t tend to shift around your gears quite so much.

I’d like to have seen the bar have more flare in the drops, as I like more wrist clearance when riding down in the drops off road. It would also be good to have a second set of wheels – 700c perhaps with a more all-round tyre, making it a genuine one-bike-for-all solution. Yet the ability to traverse bad surfaces is class-leading.

It retains the Topstone’s wonderful handling: quick but not twitchy, stable but not dull. It’s arguable that this Lefty-equipped bike opens up whole new terrain to explore. When you combine its mountain-goat gearing, controlled compliance from the suspension, generous tyres and the handling you get arguably the most capable gravel bike around.

The verdict An immensely capable gravel machine

SPECS Weight 9.98kg (L) Frame BallisTec carbon Fork Lefty Oliver carbon 30mm travel Wheels Cannondale HollowGram 23 Superlight Hi-Impact Carbon tubeless Gears SRAM Force AXS shifters, Eagle X01 mech and cassette (40, 10-52) Brakes SRAM Force Finishing Kit WTB Venture TCS Light (f), WTB Byway TCS Light (r).

Fabric Scoop Shallow Race saddle, Cannondale wheel sensor

PEARSON OFF GRID £4000 The Off Grid is Pearson’s first foray into carbon fibre gravel. With a steep 73-degree seat angle and 72-degree head angle, it’s at the competitive end of the gravel endurance genre. It’s a bike that’s easy to ride rapidly and has no slack, mountain bike-influenced, front-end geometry. It’s up there with high-performance go-anywhere bikes, but the fixtures, mounts and bosses mean it can easily handle bikepacking.

CERVÉLO ÁSPERO-5 £8199 Even with a power meter thrown in it’s frighteningly expensive, but Cervélo’s stripped-down speedster is awesome off road and great on it. If you want something fun, fast and exciting from a gravel bike, the aero Áspero-5 achieves all of those in spades.

The responsiveness is stunning, while its bottom bracket stiffness hits the same high mark as Cervélo’s R5. It also accelerates like a sprinter’s bike to reward every pedal stroke.

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Below Steve escapes modern life (and military gunfire) on his new Giant Revolt on Salisbury Plain

WHY I GRAVEL

“The only sounds were of gunfire” Senior art editor Steve has fallen big for Salisbury Plain, Giant’s Revolt and escaping modernity First gravel experience

Top gravel routes

My first real taste of gravel riding was in this year’s Bike of the Year testing period for Cycling Plus. I got to ride Boardman's brilliant ADV 9.0 (£1800) gravel bike, which received five stars in issue 380. Along with the rest of the team, I did a 60km off-road loop out on Salisbury Plain and the surrounding area. I instantly felt at home riding off road and experiencing the surroundings – it was so quiet and the only sounds were the occasional gunfire and explosions from the nearby military ranges.

Well, that and me cursing after I got a puncture around 30km in.

I really enjoy riding along the Marlborough Downs and up on the Ridgeway. It has epic scenery and it isn’t far from where I live.

The lure of the trails After the traffic started to build following the various lockdowns, cycling on my tight local country roads became less appealing. It was then I decided that my cycling should follow my running and go off-road where I can ride (almost) traffic free. There’s a certain buzz you get when you’re miles from civilisation and you haven’t seen a soul for hours, having to rely on what you’ve squeezed into your bike pack.

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Favourite gravel bike I’ve always been a big fan of Giant's range of bikes and I managed to borrow a Giant Revolt Advanced 1. In fact, I liked it so much I bought it! It’s a comfortable, sturdy ride with great handling, so perfect for someone with my skill level. It comes with Giant CrossCut AT 1 Tubeless 700 x 38C tyres, which can handle pretty much anything you throw their way and are great for the hard-packed routes that I often ride, as well as on tarmac and canal paths.

Key gravel advice Stay relaxed. It’s an easy thing to say but it’s key to enjoying your ride. Much to the amusement of my colleagues I’m known for falling off bikes, especially off-road as I’d often find myself gripping the bars way too hard as a result of being tense. Yet I’ve learnt to loosen up and my handling has improved massively.

This handlebar bag from Ortlieb is perfect for a multi-day adventures on the bike. It has loads of room for your gear and, due to roll-closures at either end, it’s easily accessible. Having a pack that’s waterproof is a must for riding in the UK, after all...

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Just what would the inaugural Welsh Grinduro – a unique cycle-fest that combines the best elements of a mountain bike enduro with a gravel grinder-style road race – hold in store for BikeRadar’s Robyn Furtado?

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Above Head for the hills!

Though the climbs may not all be that long, you will need to be fit to ride the Grinduro

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y time has come to ride the final timed section of the day at Grinduro Wales. I’m waiting alongside 30 fellow gravel riders in hushed silence. There have been rumours running rife all day about how technical and difficult this part is going to be. “If you don’t find me at the bottom, maybe check the hospital,” I jokingly tell my friend, who is also riding. At last, I’m at the front of the queue. The marshal gives me a reassuring smile and then I’m off, bracing myself for what’s to come.

This final race stage, it turns out, is glorious fun. I crash down some flinty doubletrack, enter a few sharp berms and zoom towards the finish arena. A group of spectators cheers me on as a giant boulder slab sends me down the last stretch in a blur and then under the finish line. Someone hands me a beer as I cross the line. It’s the perfect end to a fantastic event that combines racing and partying in equal measure.

The clue’s in the name Grinduro is an enduro-style gravel race that celebrates the fun and social aspects of bike riding as much as competing or making the podium.

Dreamt up by American ex-pro road racer Joe Parkin and originating in California, Grinduro is now held in various locations across the world each year including, for the first time, this one in Machynlleth that I’m riding, held on 24 July.

The challenging course, described as “steep, loose and technical” by event host Canyon, is 80km long with 2000 metres of climbing, with a variety of technical skills required. The aim isn’t to be first back over the finish line; instead, you race over the four timed sections located along the route, each taking roughly five-to-seven minutes, and add together these stage times to give your final time.

The rest of the course – the transition stages – is for cycling at ‘party pace’, catching up with friends, admiring the view or doing whips for Instagram. It’s all very relaxed – you even get lunch in the middle. And it isn’t just about the riding.

The whole weekend is a festival for bikes, with live music, dancing, free food, camping, custom bike stands and even a special Grinduro pale ale.

The finish line is strewn with riders slumping over their bars, cheering weakly

mountains. The first timed section of the day arrives at only 8km in, and it’s something of a shock to the system. The climb is a kilometre long, up a gravel fireroad. It doesn’t seem too daunting at first – how bad can it be riding uphill for a kilometre? I soon find out halfway through as my legs are like jelly, my lungs are burning, and I want to throw up the breakfast I’d eaten only half an hour before. I make it to the top in a sweaty mess and have to work hard to get enough oxygen back in my lungs. The finish line is strewn with riders slumping over their bars, cheering weakly as their friends grimace their way over the finish line. This isn’t going to be as comfortable as I’d thought!

Courage and camaraderie

It’s an extremely eclectic mix of people who turn up to ride Grinduro too. The peloton features everything from full-suspension e-bikes to aero gravel whips, people dressed in leopard costumes rubbing shoulders with Lycra-clad racers. Some riders sprint-finish every stage while others coast across the line. Grinduro is only as serious as you want to make it.

Positively party-like We arrive at the Grinduro campground in bright sunlight, with a festival-like atmosphere in the marquee already. Around us, people are riding all sorts of interesting and beautiful bikes, and music is ringing out across the campground. A cheery set of volunteer marshals gives us wristbands, goody bags and timing chips; everyone is positive and excited, and rumours about the course are flying.

I’m riding a Genesis Fugio 30 and, from the sounds of it, its dropper seatpost and knobbly 650b tyres are going to be very useful for the day ahead.

The mass start is exhilarating. I’ve ridden almost exclusively alone since the pandemic started, so setting off with hundreds of others feels chaotic and fun. We ride in a long, snaking line from the arena, out of town and north towards the

Above In between the Grinduro’s timed race sections, the cycling is tackled at a sociable ‘party pace’ Below On downhill sections you can hit seriously high speeds, if you’ve the nerve and the handling chops…

The rest of the morning passes more smoothly.

We continue upwards, with beautiful views across the pine forests and to the mountains of North Wales. We’re then treated to miles of long, smooth gravel roads that climb and descend in lovely meandering curves. The mood is euphoric, with chaingangs of cyclists soaring along in clouds of dust and plenty of camaraderie as we speculate on what’s coming up next.

I’m determined to pace myself better in the second timed section. It’s more undulating, with a grassy climb, a rocky downhill and a final sprint upwards to the end. I put my head down and pedal hard, fighting against a stiff headwind and

Adventure Guide

Below The BikeRadar trio celebrate with cans of Grinduro Pale Ale: Robyn Furtado, Felix Smith and Jack Luke

dodging ruts and grassy tussocks. Just as my legs begin to ache, I spot the stage end on the hilltop above me – and also a photographer. I try to look like I’m finding all this easy for the camera, but alas at the same moment both my water bottles rattle free and bounce down the hill… not quite the photo I was hoping for!

After recovering (my composure, not the bottles, they’re far, far away), I follow the crowds of other riders downhill on some technical, narrow singletrack. It’s clear that there’s a range of abilities here.

Those on full-suspension bikes are going fullgas, while newbie riders are being cautious. But instead of causing tension, confident riders stop to cheer on the beginners, suggesting line choices and whooping for anyone who does a great skid or dramatic fall. It takes me three attempts to build up enough courage to ride an entry into a steep chute, and the group of mountain bikers watching give me a big round of applause for not stacking it.

The morning loop concludes with one of the best gravel descents I’ve ever ridden. It’s a long, winding fireroad that plummets downhill. With no cars or obstacles, you’re free to go as fast as you like, flinging up clouds of dust in your wake. I end up rocketing down at 60km/h, whooping and feeling both terrified and exhilarated, and the adrenaline takes me whizzing back to the arena for the lunch stop.

The afternoon begins with a climb back up into the mountains on a grassy, steep ramp, with spectacular views across to Snowdonia’s mountains. We then zoom back down to sea level on some rough singletrack through beautiful woods of silver birch.

The next timed section starts at the bottom of a hill. Apparently, it’s another fireroad climb.

Groups of riders are gathered at the start, trying to guess how long and steep it is going to be. There’s quite a lot of misinformation flying around, and some outrage that the hill might be as much as three kilometres.

Eventually we decide to take a moderate pace up it, in case it’s as long as it’s rumoured to be. Big mistake. After a few steep switchbacks we reach the end, and I’m feeling strong enough for several more! I sprint to the line anyway, which earns me a cheer from the friendly marshal.

give up and push, along with nearly everyone else I’m relieved to see. The view from the top and the next few miles of exhilarating downhill more than make up for the slog, though.

Eventually, I reach the start of the last timed section. This is the one I’ve been dreading as I’ve heard it’s tricky and very technical, more suited to mountain bikes than gravel bikes. I feel nervous; the last few kilometres were rough and rocky, and I’m shaken and weak from hanging onto the bike.

If this next section is worse than what I’ve just ridden, I’m going to need every ounce of technical riding skill I have. Much to my relief, instead it’s ridiculously fun and I’m grinning uncontrollably as I reach the finish arena.

Overall, the Grinduro weekend is an outstanding experience, with a great variety of riders and a wonderfully positive atmosphere. It manages to mix a lot of fun with some technical and challenging racing and celebrates the core of gravel riding – it’s many things to many people, but in the end it’s all about getting out there and enjoying yourself on your bike. As I sip my beer and watch the podiums, there’s only one challenge left for me… with the organisers promising to be back in Mach’ for 2022, how quickly can I sign up to next year’s Grinduro?

Sunshine and smiles The sun makes an unwelcome reappearance as we head towards the last hill of the day, which looks more like a wall than a climb on my Garmin ClimbPro. Everyone is in an almost sombre mood as we inch upwards with just some quiet cursing, and a few moans at how hot it is – and this is Wales! The final part is overwhelmingly steep as we battle over bumpy grass and through ferns and, try as I might, the pedals won’t turn any more, so I 50

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With no cars or obstacles, you’re free to go as fast as you like – I end up rocketing down at 60km/h

VITTORIA TERRENO MIX Gravel tyre for mixed terrain conditions Open shoulder lugs for secure off-camber traction.

Traditional tread profile for smooth transitions across a broad range of terrains.