Cycling Plus

Issue 404 ● May 2023 WELCOME… How can we ride faster? This Speed Edition has the answers we’re all looking for. First up is the Go-Faster Wishlist selection of high-end aero goods (p12) before the latest generation of British cycling talent inspire you to get out the door (p38). Next is a date with the Silverstone wind tunnel (p78) to discover the biggest – and cheapest – ways to improve your aerodynamic profile, with some surprises in tow. Then it’s our Speed Masterclass (p112) with tips to help you ride like Tom Pidcock on Galibier. Or make it to the mid-ride café stop before the Bakewells have sold out… Your experts Hannah Grant Chef We speak to the former chef to the pros and include three recipes from her new…

In a world… Zwift has released its latest world, Scotland, to coincide with the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, which has just taken place. It has 58.8km to explore, past castles and lochs, across five routes Jumbo-Visma primer Your own documentary is the must-have object of pro teams and the world’s best men’s team Jumbo-Visma have got in on the act. The six-part Amazon Prime doc is only available in the Benelux region for now On/off switch Bike maker Pearson has launched its ‘Steeplechase’ event (7 May), with both road (100km) and gravel (60km) rides through the Surrey countryside pearson1860.com S-pain cave Climbing authority Simon Warren’s latest tome, 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of Spain (£14.95), out now, includes many climbs made famous by La Vuelta. Order now at 100climbs.co.uk Cafe closure…

From conception, my book The Midlife Cyclist was built on several pillars, including: that in any other century in history most of us would never have made it out of our 40s, never mind 50s and 60s; that we are the first generation in history to test the hypothesis that intense exercise into middle age is as good for our biological health as it seems to be for our mental health and well-being; that there is a better way for us to balance our lives using fitness; and that the book will be more novel than manual. There would be no graphs or pictures – it is a story about how we may all do better. I started the book in 2017 after spinal surgery, but I underestimated the toll…

In principle it’s easy. Just ride in the same direction until you get back where you started. A Round The World. Adventurers’ websites are breezily optimistic (‘Just go!’) but the reality is more involved (dirt roads, dodgy borders, illness, war, weather, natural disasters, psycho drivers…). The biggest challenge is money: RTWing usually involves long term wild camping and a subsistence diet. And it helps to have a career to come back to. British-American Thomas Stevens is often cited as the first RTW cyclist – on an Ordinary (‘penny-farthing’) in 1884–86, carrying little more than a raincoat doubling as a tent, and a revolver. He only rode part way round, though, spending more time on trains and steamships. Also questionable is the ‘first woman RTWer’: American ‘Annie Londonderry’, an industrious self-promoter…

Cyclestreet York History ● Set up in 2010 following redundancy, as a small shop. Moved to bigger premises right on the York Orbital cycleway, and a stone’s throw from the Way of the Roses, in 2012. Manager Joe says they’ve since ‘surfed the waves’ of the Tour de France (Grand Départ in York 2014), ‘Cycle city’, Covid, supply chain issues…. What makes this shop special? ● ‘Personal approach at the expense of sales at times’, says Joe. ‘Building great relationships with our customer base is key to customer retention.’ Why is a local bike shop so important? ● ‘It’s a key enabler for the cycle commuter, with quick same-day repairs en route to work. Safe, reliable and friendly. Online sales are more based on money, and oft regretted!’ What’s in…

Ireland-based custom carbon builder FiftyOne Bikes had made headlines before creating custom bikes for stars like former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and UFC MMA legend Conor McGregor. The brand also produces this rather special gravel bike that majors on versatility without sacrificing speed. 1 Flip away At the heart of the Assassin is its adaptable geometry realised by using ‘flip-chip’ dropouts in both the fork and rear stays. That allows the bike to switch between three positions at the rear, adjusting the wheelbase in 5mm increments, so you can go shorter for more agility, longer for more stability, or stay in the middle for a balance. The two-position fork dropout switches between a low position for a longer trail and slacker head angle, for technical twisty terrain, and a high…