Inhaltsverzeichnis für April 2021 in Cycling Plus

I’ll come clean, even though I don’t exactly look like a racing snake in the riding image above, I’d give anything to look even that ‘athletic’ right now. Since semi-lockdown 2.0 in October put an end to bike commuting and the latest restrictions cut exercise options to just once a day, I’ve become more couched than coached. That’s going to change, though, and I’ll be taking the advice from our feature on page 88 to sensibly reboot my riding. It won’t be long until I can fit into my large Lycra again! SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE OFFERS & COMPETITIONS AS PART OF OUR SUBSCRIBER CLUB! HIGHLIGHTS… CLASSIC CHROME As a child of the 1980s, and a youthful owner of a Raleigh racer, I was delighted to see the…

£4999 Futuristic urban transport The Precede:ON seems every inch the concept bike made real. The winner of the 2021 German Design Award certainly looks the part, and it boasts a commitment to integration with no external cables, integrated brake levers and kickstand as well as a completely integrated ebike system. Essentially, this is a bike that is all about no-fuss, no-nonsense commuting. The specification is impressive, featuring a top-of-the-line Bosch Performance Line CX motor (more commonly found on high-end e-mountain bikes), a big-capacity 500Wh integrated battery that is easily removed for remote charging, plus the equally impressive Enviolo Automatiq hub. With a constantly variable internal transmission that alters its resistance to match your pedalling, this rear hub removes the need for gears. For the more technically-minded, you can even set…

£160, £179.99 For the dedicated year-round cyclist Offering infinite run time for lights and the ability to charge devices on the go, a dynamo set-up makes sense for Audax riders and commuters alike. Once the sole preserve of custom wheel builders, a number of mainstream manufacturers are now offering complete dynamoequipped wheelsets. A dynamo is an electrical generator that is usually integrated into the front hub. A series of magnets in the shell of the hub rotate around a copper coil that is a"xed to the axle. The action of the magnets moving past the coil induces an electrical current that can be used to power lights. Halo – the in-house wheel brand of distributor, ISON – now offers six dynamo-equipped wheels that are all built with SP hubs. From…

WE SAY… Radical geometry makes this the best bike here for traver sing off-road at speed The Graveller is the vision of BiviBIKES founder Fraser Barsby’s perfect adventure bike. To make his dreams become reality, Barsby’s taken a highquality but little-known tube maker in Japan’s Sanko, selected its skinny steel pipes and smartly welded a frame replete with strengthening gussets on the ring-reinforced head tube. Versatile dropouts offer multiple fixings for bikepacking sojourns, while a 73mm mountain-bike spec bottom-bracket shell (1) is threaded to appeal to home mechanics (no press fit creaking woes here). Moving to a wider bottom bracket and mountain-bike cranks (Shimano SLX) means a broader stance on the bike that allows you to nimbly shift your weight around for better handling. It also means better clearance when…

WE SAY… Lightweight bike that’s nimble off-road and speedy on tarmac but will cost you more The Felt is a ‘breed’ apart here, using lightweight aluminium instead of heavier but more compliant steel. It results in a bike that’s nearly a kilo-and-a-half lighter than the Vitus and Ragley, and two-and-a-half kilos less than the all-steel BiviBIKE. While it is significantly more expensive it’d be hard to find a bike for this kind of money equipped with a full carbon fork, carbon seatpost, titanium-railed saddle, carbon cranks, tubeless-ready wheels and quality tubeless tyres. That’s before we mention the SRAM Force drivetrain and brakes. The Breed’s geometry is well thought-out, with a relaxed 71-degree head angle and road-like 73-degree at the seat. Throw in a 50mm fork offset and 38c tyres for…

WE SAY… Only your riding surface of choice separates these two tyres £55 (each) What it says on the tin The Cinturato Gravel H is a specifically hard-terrain option from Pirelli. Built with a low-profile triple-ply tread with strategically placed reinforcement and an antipuncture wrap, it is designed to withstand any amount of punishment from hardpacked gravel riding. Unless you live close to an extensive network of fire roads, UK gravel routes tend to not be consistent so looking for advantages on one surface usually means a compromise on another. Mix it up On tracks with a loose top but underpinned with a solid base the Cinturato rolls well and sucks up enough punishment to give a pacey, comfortable ride. Transitioning to rougher trails it copes well with rockier, rooty…

£74.99 Hiplok has been forging its own path ever since it launched its first product: the groundbreaking Original Wearable Chain Lock that fits like a belt. The Hiplok DXF is one of the brand’s U-locks. Its compact shape (available locking space is 150x85mm) is enough to secure your bike frame, however, we’d recommend additional locks for your wheels and components (maybe a couple of Hiplok’s ties at £14.99 for a twin pack). Despite its diminutive dimensions, the DXF is a tough little beast with a 14mm diameter hardened steel shackle and a double-locking mechanism that comes with three keys. The shackle is cased in soft-touch rubber that won’t scratch your bike and the lock casing is wrapped in a rubberised coating. Where the DXF really stands out, though, is just…

WE SAY… This high-quality bag is far more functional and practical than its large size initially suggests £100 VOLUME 45 litres WEIGHT 967g LAPTOP SLEEVE No FULLY WATERPROOF No LIGHT CLIP Yes Designed as a travel bag (evident from its generous capacity), the Transition’s practical layout nonetheless makes it versatile and worth considering for commuters. It’s made from 450 denier TPU-faced ripstop fabric, which is highly water-resistant and hardwearing. It has one large main compartment with internal mesh organiser pockets, but no laptop sleeve. There are two exterior pockets, both with waterproof zips and one fleecelined for glasses. The padded straps use open-cell foam and are mesh-lined for comfort, plus it comes with a chest strap–but no waist belt. Its unique extra is a separate, expandable base section for wet…

WE SAY… Very well made, superbly organised and generous pack for those who like every thing in its place £120 VOLUME 30 + 10 litres WEIGHT 1.22kg LAPTOP SLEEVE Yes FULLY WATERPROOF No LIGHT CLIP Yes Vaude’s pack is not so much a backpack but a portable office with its incredibly organised storage. The main compartment has a roll-top fastening with the additional security of a zip closure. The laptop sleeve can be accessed from the side so you don’t have to open the top to reach it, and it also has a small mesh zipped pocket. A large external front pocket has more mesh organiser sections, plenty more room (the extra 10 litres) and a rain cover clipped into its own storage bag. A helmet holder sits over the…

Elite cyclists’ training workouts vary according to numerous factors, such as the stage of a season, demands of a race and training status of the athlete. “But many workout principles are uniform; goals are often similar and elements are transferable to be adapted by riders of all standards,” says Liam Holohan. “If you’re looking to build your training sessions, emulate elite riders or make more of any spare cycling time you may have been afforded of late, then you could integrate this selection of workouts from pro riders and coaches into your own routine.” “INTEGRATE THIS SELECTION OF WORKOUTS FROM PROS AND COACHES INTO YOUR OWN ROUTINE” MOUNTAIN STAGE SESSION “This is a five to six-hour training session for a Grand Tour GC rider based on the demands of a…

when I was younger, I didn’t hold Milan-San Remo on the same level as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. I really appreciate it now though. That’s partly because it’s the first big race in which I got my first big result, but also because riding it as a professional has made me appreciate what makes it special. What makes it great are the final kilometres and the way it builds up in waves. So many things can happen in a really short time, and you can never know what scenarios are going to play out until the last moment. “For me, the race falls into three parts. Part one is Milan to the coast via the Turchino Pass. Let’s be honest, it’s quite boring. It’s long and flat and…

The genius move of the organisers of the Milan-San Remo Gran Fondo (6 June 2021, milano-sanremo.org) was to not stage it in spring but in June, in the blistering heat of an Italian Riviera summer. All other mass participation rides associated with the Monuments take place alongside their corresponding races, but the thought of riding around 300km on the third weekend of March, when snow has been known to sabotage the pro race, appeals only to the most committed. Rather than starting, like the pro race does, on the Piazza del Duomo by Milan Cathedral, the Gran Fondo begins in the suburbs 13km south of the city, in Pieve Emanuele. It then remains faithful to the route, with a fast, flat ride up until the Passo del Turchino, one of…

If I had to pick three words to describe the Ronde I would choose emotional, iconic and unique. It is alone in its richness and is so much more than its famous cobbled hills. There are small roads, big roads, tight turns, ups, downs, ditches and crosswinds. Then there are the people, the atmosphere and the emotion. If the other big classics are high definition, Flanders is 4K. Paris-Roubaix is better known, but it’s Flanders for me. In Roubaix you can win or lose with a puncture or a crash, but in Flanders racecraft and finesse are often more important than being the strongest. “The race went through a big change in 2012. On the old route, the one I knew best, the race had late climbs on the iconic…

Date: Saturday 3 April Website: werideflanders.com When Cycling Plus rode the Tour of Flanders sportive back in 2012, it was combined with the launch of one of the then new-fangled aero bikes, complete with wind-tunnel-friendly bare handlebars and roadkill-stiff carbon tubes. After eight hours riding up Flanders’s famous cobbled bergs, we were jangling for days afterwards. It was the least fun aspect of what is the most fun of the four rides associated with the Monuments. This is very much an inclusive ride; it’s a grand day out for all ages and you’ll see plenty of kids on oversized bikes strutting their stuff. You may be one of the battle-hardened sorts who leave Antwerp at the crack of dawn to ride the full 229km route, but the vast majority will…

I remember going into my first Paris-Roubaix very scared. You know all the stories but you don’t yet know what to expect. The only thing I felt was that I had to get to the velodrome no matter what. A veteran team-mate, Marc Wauters, who had ridden Roubaix a few times, said to me: ‘Always keep riding – you never know what’s going to happen.’ “Apart from 2016, most of my Paris-Roubaix stories are about missed opportunities, crashes and poor moments. Few riders come out with stories of great rides or personal successes there. Roubaix is tough. “I finished every Roubaix I started. The edition that sticks in my mind is 2008, when I was last by a long shot. I gave a wheel to a team-mate before the really…

Date: Saturday 10 April Website: parisroubaixchallenge.com This is the only one of the four Monuments sportives that Cycling Plus is yet to ride, but we did get the chance to preview several key cobble sectors of the first event back in 2011 with the one and only Bernard Hinault, the French fivetime winner of the Tour de France who won his only Paris-Roubaix in 1981. He famously referred to the race as “bullshit” shortly after that win as well as, upping his zinger count further, “a race for dickheads”. So you get the idea that he was no fan of the cobbles, particularly when they appeared on the Tour de France route, but he sure did relish putting the hurt on associated journalists, twinkle in his eyes, at the head…

Date: Saturday 24 April Website: sport.be he full 266 kilometres of this course in Belgium’s hilly Ardennes region may be just shy of Milan-San Remo’s distance, and there’s not a cobble in sight – aside from the odd section of pristine, modern ‘town’ cobbles – but make no mistake, pound-for-pound, this is the toughest sportive of all the spring Monuments. With around 4500m of climbing, a figure that rivals the toughest Alpine Tour de France stages, the pro race has traditionally been the place where the Grand Tour contenders rendezvous for a spot of shadow boxing ahead of the summer’s stage races - a time where there’s little to lose but much to gain. For us amateurs, however, this might well be our biggest, most gruelling ride of the entire…

THE BIG PICTURE GO FIRTH Further wintry carnage is promised in the Sidlaw Hills, between Perth and Dundee, during our loop of the Firth of Tay. Trevor Ward’s route took him over bridges, past castles and up some very steep hills. Along the way he bumped into local legend George ‘McNasty’ Berwick, an 80-year-old Audax rider who gave him some stick for not having mudguards on his modern gravel bike. You can read all about Trevor’s ride in the next issue.…

If you’re looking for gravel adventure and have a two-grand budget, we’d suggest searching beyond carbon and aim for some of the toughest rides around made from metal. Carbon fibre may well be the ultimate material when it comes to lightweight road riding, but there’s a lot to be said for quality steel and aluminium when building a bike that’s designed to take a few knocks. I’m a big fan of welded tubes and frames kitted out with a plethora of fixtures and fittings, forging not only a tough but also a highly versatile all-road machine. For this test, I’ve looked to brands you may not be aware of, and ones that possess a unique difference – none more so than BiviBIKES. This Liverpudlian micro-brand designed the Graveller with two…

WE SAY… Riders looking for adventure will appreciate the mountain - bike qualities of the Trig Ragley’s specialism is hard-tail mountain bikes and steel with bikes, such as the highly regarded Big Wig, Piglet and value-packed Marley, constantly exciting our stablemates over at Mountain Biking UK. The Trig takes its cues from mountain biking too, with its slack 70-degree head angle and steep 74-degree seat angle: an interpretation of classic mountain-bike geometry. This aids control and boosts confidence when riding over rough terrain. The 587mm stack on our XL bike is sportily low and the 402mm reach is long. Ditto the wheelbase at 1052mm while the chainstays, at 425mm, add heaps of stability when the surface is slick. The Trig comes with mountain-bike style 650b wheels (1), while the huge…

This is a bike that’s built for tough terrain and has geometry that encourages bad behaviour… Gravel bikes come in many shapes and forms. If you want a road bike with off-road potential, then Felt’s Breed fits the bill. It’s roadbike light and superbly equipped for the money, with a premium drivetrain, carbon seatpost, top-brand saddle and superb tyres. Plus it has on-road manners to rival the landed gentry on Downton Abbey. But if you want a bike that excels when the going gets rough and tough, then the BiviBIKE Graveller, Vitus Substance SRS 1 and Ragley Trig are much more technical and trail-minded. The BiviBIKE is so surefooted on off-road tricky technical descents that it’s intoxicatingly good and its charms are plentiful. I admire the idea of a simple…

Commuting on your bike can be more pleasant with the right backpack, but the wrong one could be an expensive mistake. Whether you’re looking to upgrade an old faithful or have finally lost patience with the floppy old sports pack you found in the back of the cupboard, I’ve been out riding with a selection of the top picks to help guide your choice I’ve reviewed a wide range, from bike-specific commuter packs to more versatile luggage hybrids. Regardless of the bag’s size, I packed exactly the same kit for my testing: a laptop, a packing cube with a change of work clothes, a shoe bag and my regular tool roll. In a 20-litre bag, this should be a good fit, with perhaps space for lunch box and a few…

WE SAY… A versatile pack that’s crammed with clever features, despite its light weight construction £60 VOLUME 30 litres WEIGHT 578g LAPTOP SLEEVE Yes FULLY WATERPROOF No LIGHT CLIP Yes This is the lightest bag on test, but still manages to squeeze in a lot of extra pockets: two inside, a separate laptop section, a front slip pocket plus two zipped side pockets. The roll top also has a zip closure, making the main bag more secure when unclipped. What isn’t immediately apparent is that the unassuming grey front pocket is reflective, giving lots of low-light visibility. The shoulder straps are well padded and are what the grab handle is fixed to, so it doesn’t pull on the body of the bag when lifted up; a neat touch. A bright…

WE SAY… If you love the Rapha look and don’t need to make long journeys this could be the pack for you £100 VOLUME 25 litres WEIGHT 925g LAPTOP SLEEVE Yes FULLY WATERPROOF No LIGHT CLIP Yes The Roll Top has a distinctly city vibe, but it does pack several useful features into its minimal design. Made from a water- and abrasion-resistant fabric, it includes a laptop sleeve, main compartment and an exterior pocket that’s handy for stashing keys and the like. The roll top fastens with a hook that retracts into the bag when not in use – a simple and elegant solution. A webbing strip down the front enables a lock to be carried outside rather than taking up interior space, and also allows for rear light attachment.…

WE SAY… A very well-designed and versatile bag that’s packed with great features but comes at a cost £185 VOLUME 25 litres WEIGHT 1.28kg LAPTOP SLEEVE No FULLY WATERPROOF Yes LIGHT CLIP Yes Like the Vaude, this Ortlieb bag is a high-quality, sustainably-made German hybrid; it’s part daypack, part duffle travel bag. Made from waterproof, durable Cordura fabric, unusually it opens with a zip that extends the full length of the back. The plush, well-placed hip and back padding ensures you never feel the zip against your skin, though, and you also needn’t worry about pickpockets gaining access while you’re wearing it. Useful external features include lots of daisy chain attachment points, a chest strap, a removable waist belt and two external stretch mesh side pockets. Packing the Atrack couldn’t…

RIGHT FROM THE start of lockdown, we did our best to stay connected as a club,” explains Suzi Rae of the Kent Velo Girls (KVG). “Virtual rides on Zwift were an obvious option but, at the time, few of our riders used this platform as we’ve predominantly ridden on the road. Not letting that stop us, the club turbos were lent out to those who needed them, instructions put together and we started regular meet-ups on Zwift. “There was then a virtual coffee afterwards on Zoom for anyone who wanted to join in. To support our regular coffee shop, which was closed at this time, we also purchased virtual coffees.” Many members preferred to keep riding on the road. “Everyone was encouraged to ride in our distinctive pink club kit…

orty one years ago, Raleigh won the Tour de France with the legendary Nottingham-built Ti-Raleigh and this classic model recently enjoyed a limitededition comeback. But is this retrofaithful bike from the 1980s any match for the shiny new Aircode DRS 8.0 from Lapierre – the bike that’ll be ridden by Team Groupama-FDJ in this year’s TdF? Back in 1980 Raleigh was a global powerhouse of a brand but, in recent years and with the advent of new materials and methods for bike production, Raleigh’s mastery of metal became a footnote in cycling’s recent history. Raleigh needed to rethink its business model and so, over the subsequent four decades, it moved away from manufacturing and into distribution. Today, Raleigh is one of the UK’s biggest distributors of bikes and components, supplying…

The inspiration for the ride’s theme came from an unusual place: Boris Johnson When the first coronavirus lockdown struck Britain almost a year ago, I found myself, as Features Editor of Cycling Plus, in the unfortunate, or perhaps deserved, situation of having to scramble around for one of these Big Ride pieces to go into the following issue, because I had absolutely nothing in reserve. As you may recall, we were only allowed to leave our houses once a day for a short period, let alone photograph some far-flung British bike ride, so like every other cyclist who had one, I jumped onto my turbo and improvised. The resultant seven hour, 142km ride through the virtual world of Zwift that I wrote up for the magazine hurt plenty, and I…

The first major one-day spring meeting will be Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (27 February) but, as with most of the Spring Classics, the route is yet to be finalised. It’s likely to be an early foray over some of cycling’s best-loved climbs in the Flemish Ardennes and, unlike Milan-San Remo, has an accompanying women’s race, held on the same day. The men’s race is paired with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (28 February) to create the so-called Opening Weekend. Following on from that, both the men’s and women’s pelotons depart for Italy. Strade Bianche (6 March) is described lovingly as a modern classic, or the sixth Monument, yet it is 100 or so years younger than most other Classics. And at about 185km it is a good deal shorter too, yet it has fitted seamlessly…

In March, Driedaagse De Panne (men’s race, 24th, women’s, 25th), the E3 Saxo Bank Classic (26 March), Gent-Wevelgem (28 March, men’s and women’s) and Dwars door Vlaanderen (31 March) provide the big names of the pelotons the opportunity to practise their lines ahead of the Tour of Flanders. Yet they’re all top-ranked races, so are big wins in their own right. E3, at just over 200km and covering much of the terrain, is the closest thing to a dry run of Flanders, but the more interesting race is Gent-Wevelgem. Its early dogleg to the North Sea coast of Belgium has a tendency to create echelons before travelling to lessused lanes on the Franco-Belgian border. Chief among them is the fiercely steep cobbled ascent of the Kemmelberg, which has a reputation…

Now straddling Belgium and the Netherlands, Scheldeprijs (7 April) is the oldest (1907) continuing Spring Classic race in Flanders, and is even six years the elder of its closest neighbour, the Tour of Flanders. It’s flat and fast, tailor-made for the sprinters of the men’s and women’s peloton. The now-retired Marcel Kittel won a record five editions between 2012 and 2017, and up until the big German took his fourth in 2016, he held the record of three wins jointly with Mark Cavendish, who’s back with Deceuninck–Quick-Step for 2021. The women’s race, held on the same day, is a new addition for 2021, and is one of a host of new Classics races to appear alongside existing men’s races.…

The way the women’s calendar is set-up means that the competition in the Ardennes races is at its fiercest. In a normal year, the Tour of Flanders is where everyone’s peak begins and then the Ardennes – and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in particular – are hugely important for all the big teams, so everyone is on their best form. Right at the start of last year, LBL was a big goal for the team, so to win it in October after a difficult year was incredibly satisfying. “In the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics this year, Liège has extra importance for me. I liken the LBL climbs to those on the finishing circuit in Tokyo – they’re the same sort of effort. Last year, I pinpointed Liège as very important in terms…

£2650 Mid-range gravel slayer Merida sponsors teams at the sharp end of pro cycling so is no stranger to making bikes that love speed. Add to that its involvement in cross-country and marathon mountain bike racing and multiple World Championships and you have a brand that makes bikes that can both go fast and handle abuse. The 6000 is the cheaper of its two carbon ‘+’ denominated 650b-wheeled bikes. Merida’s Silex range also features a 700c carbon model. All three models share the same frame and fork: the Silex CF2. The frame has an integrated headset, a press-fit bottom bracket and 12mm thru-axles for maximum frame stiffness. There are three bottle mounts with a choice of two positions on the top of the down tube. Near-standard direct luggage mounts adorn…

BIVIBIKES GRAVELLER £1499 Liverpool-based microbrand BiviBIKES offers this one-size-fits-all solution to your gravel needs. The Japanese Sanko steel tubing is something different from the norm with a frame that’s appointed with all the fixtures and fittings you could wish for. BiviBIKES’s approach to gravel geometry certainly brings something different, too, as does the mix-and-match approach it takes to the build. RAGLEY TRIG £1699.99 UK-based Ragley bikes has been making highly regarded steel mountain bikes since 2008. Now, it’s brought its extensive mountain-bike knowledge to the world of gravel. The low-slung steel frame is based around 650b wheels and huge 47c tyres with treads that are built to cope with soggy British conditions. All of which adds up to a bike that promises huge off-road potential for UK gravel riders. VITUS…

WE SAY… The Vitus ticks all the right boxes for a versatile, comfortable gravel bike with good handling The Substance SRS 1 combines modern all-road geometry with classic, skinny Reynolds 725 steel tubing to create a bike that majors on versatility without compromising off-road performance. The design combines a road-bike style 73.5-degree seat angle with a slightly relaxed head angle of 71.5-degrees. The fork offset of 43mm and the big 47c tyres create a 69mm trail figure (see p35). The usual trail for a fast handling road bike is around 57mm, so at 69mm the Vitus boasts handling that is more relaxed than a road bike, making for great off-road stability, though it’s not as relaxed as either the Bivi or the Ragley with their more overt mountain-bike influences. This…

WE SAY… A well-made, comfortable and decent weight saddle at a good price too £74.90 Selle Italia’s heritage stretches back over a century and the Novus has history, too, having first launched in 1994 – although this latest incarnation bears little resemblance to the original. The Novus Boost Evo Superflow might have a long name, but it’s a short saddle at 245mm in length. The profile has a slight wave with a dip through the mid section and a kick up towards the heel of the saddle. This shape is suited to riders who favour a more aggressive riding position, giving them a posterior pelvic tilt. This tester’s sit bones have been measured at 147mm on multiple systems and the 145mm-wide Novus felt pretty much spot-on. The padding and cover…

WE SAY… The svelte profile is charming but we found it lacking in the promised warmth £155 To keep cycling throughout a British winter requires key items of kit to make it comfortable, or bearable at least. Lake says its new winter shoes provide both comfort and ease as they allow you to head out without your overshoes. A bold claim indeed! Features that are designed to keep the cold, wind and wet out include a 200g 3M Thinsulate (thermal insulation) with an additional waterproof membrane that lines the toe box. The upper is made from Clarino microfibre that’s been treated with a DWR (durable water repellent) coating to shrug off rain and road spray. After several wet rides, we did find the DWR finish needed to be reapplied to…

SAVE 35% FROM THE EDITOR… As if the chance to save 30 per cent and to have every issue of Cycling Plus delivered direct to your door wasn’t enough of an incentive, this issue we’re also giving new subscribers a great gift – a Cateye Padrone Computer worth £49.99. We admit we love cycling stats, particularly our own when we’ve been out on a long, hard ride and this little companion will tell you how far you’ve travelled, your current/average/maximum speed and elapsed time. There’s a stopwatch, too. Rob Spedding, Content Director GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE Receive a new Cateye Padrone Computer worth £49.99 Save 35% off the UK shop price – pay just £50.95 every 13 issues by direct debit Every issue delivered straight to your door Never miss…

WE SAY… A well thought-out design with excellent features for the money, but let down by a slight lack of comfort £50 VOLUME 28 litres WEIGHT 590g LAPTOP SLEEVE No FULLY WATERPROOF Yes LIGHT CLIP No This pack is, as the name suggests, completely waterproof, featuring sealed seams and a watertight zip. The construction is solidly durable and that’s carried right through to the reinforced feet on the base that help keep it upright and off wet ground. The straps are wellpadded as is the back, and it also has both a chest and waist strap for added stability. Its large size made packing a cinch; shoes fit in width-ways at the base with everything else following. There’s no laptop sleeve but, in its own case and with the waterproof…

WE SAY… A good-looking pack without standing construction and comfort plus a host of excellent features £95 VOLUME 25 litres WEIGHT 938g LAPTOP SLEEVE Yes FULLY WATERPROOF No LIGHT CLIP Yes The Transporter Roll is an urbanstyle pack (there’s a camo colour option), but its rugged details make it very bike-friendly. Made from a tough, water-resistant 400 denier fabric with a double-TPU (a rubber-like material) finish, it has a large main compartment with an organiser section, plus a padded laptop sleeve, tablet/documents holder and drop-in mesh pockets for small items. Two exterior side pockets are big enough for bottles. The back has a V-shaped wide padded section, the padded shoulder straps are mesh-lined and it has a chest strap and removable waist belt. This pack hits the sweet spot between…

WE SAY… If you want the ultimate commuter pack and can justify the price, then you certainly won’t be disappointed £190 VOLUME 22 litres WEIGHT 1.4kg LAPTOP SLEEVE Yes FULLY WATERPROOF Yes LIGHT CLIP Yes Chrome bags have achieved neariconic status because they’re built to last – you’ll probably only ever need to buy one. The Barrage is a seriously constructed pack – it has a welded-seam waterproof tarpaulin liner and the exterior shell is made from abrasion-resistant 1050 denier nylon. The roll top fastens with the chunkiest buckle I’ve ever seen and there’s an exterior cargo net that can be fastened flat when not in use. An easy-access zipped pocket sits underneath it for phone, keys and the like, while the side pockets are big enough for water bottles…

Even passionate cyclists can end up hibernating indoors over winter. A week off the bike stretches into two. Before you know it, Christmas is here and suddenly you’re dodging training to watch Home Alone with a plate of mince pies instead. By the time the new year comes around, you’re feeling seriously unfit - and pretty guilty about the fact that you haven’t cycled outside for over a month… The first step on your comeback trail is to banish that guilt. Even pro riders enjoy a winter break – often earlier than the rest of us, around November – in order to restore their energy and motivation. “When the season finishes, we get almost five weeks off the bike to see family and live like a normal person,” says Ineos…

1984 French skibinding maker Look adapted its system to be used in pedals. This allowed riders to easily clip in and out rather than use strapped toe-clips. The main benefit was improved pedalling efficiency (allowing to power through a full pedal stroke) and it was also a safety improvement. 1989 The Tour de France saw Greg LeMond trail Laurent Fignon by 50secs going into the final day’s time trial. Commentators had Fignon pencilled in for victory. LeMond, however, had other plans. He used revolutionary aero bars and an aero helmet, won the stage and made up the deficit to win the Tour. 1989 This Tour also marked the debut of full carbon frames, ridden by LeMond – a rider known for his penchant for new tech. The Frenchmade TVT frame…

Chris Jones, 52, from Morecambe, Lancashire transformed his life, health and weight by taking to two wheels just a few years ago… THEN 17st NOW 11st 6lb HOW WAS LIFE BEFORE THE BIKE? “In 2016 I was overweight and had been diagnosed with COPD (a group of lung conditions) at my asthma medication review. I joined a gym in a bid to get lighter and fitter and to make up for 30 years of debauchery! But I found it dull and uninspiring.” WHAT GOT YOU INTO CYCLING? “My employer at the time began a Cycle to Work scheme in the summer of 2016 and that was the catalyst for me. I bought a Boardman hybrid and although my first ride killed me – it was only four miles – I…

DISTANCE 45 miles / 72km TOTAL ELEVATION 845m GRADE Moderate. Formidable climbs like Providence Lane and Dundry aside, this is a pleasant scenic tour of Bristol DOWNLOAD komoot.com/tour/304689261 GETTING THERE Bristol Temple Meads is the main central train station, with Clifton Down station just down the road from the ride’s start. WHERE TO STAY Hotel du Vin & Bistro (hotelduvin.com) enjoys one of the best locations in the city, overlooking Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge. WHERE TO EAT Lavender Italian deli in nearby Westbury Park serves up an exquisite range of toasted sandwiches – the ’nduja, aubergine and cheese a highlight. On route, stop by Mark’s Bread (marksbread.co.uk) on North Street for awardwinning coffee, cake and sandwiches. TOURIST INFORMATION visitbristol.co.uk FIND, PLAN, AND SHARE ADVENTURES WITH KOMOOT Komoot…

Despite their sense of inclusivity gran fondos, like marathons, are not to be taken lightly. “Doing your homework and learning about the course, the conditions, the duration and the changes in gradient and road surfaces is essential if you’re going to be spending six or more hours tackling them among a mass of riders,” explains former Team Raleigh and Team Wiggins rider Liam Holohan. Gran fondos are often spectacular events to be a part of, so you want to ensure you’re prepared enough to not simply survive them but enjoy them – you want to make it a memorable ride for all the right reasons. If there were such a thing as the prototypical gran fondo rider, for Liam Holohan, Vincenzo Nibali, the 2018 Milan-San Remo winner, encapsulates all the…

When we’re looking at a ride like the Tour of Flanders sportive, which can be up to 229km long if you opt to ride the full race route, ensuring you plan your food consumption correctly is very important. You want to find out where the feed stations are along the route, but more importantly, you need to know what kind of food those stations are going to provide. “Some events will give that sort of information beforehand,” says Head of Nutrition at EF Education First Pro Cycling, Nigel Mitchell. “If the food provided is something that you don’t normally eat, ‘practise’ with that food during training, so your gut becomes accustomed to it.” He also suggests that rice-based foods are really useful for long events. “It’s easy to digest, a…

Belgian veteran Philippe Gilbert is testament to how a rider can finesse the cobbles form necessary to tame Paris-Roubaix. This Classics specialist made his name in the hilly – and non-cobbly – Ardennes Classics, but won his first Monument on the cobbles at the Tour of Flanders at the age of 34 (2017), followed by his first Paris-Roubaix at 36 (2019). There’s a whole lot more to conquering the cobbles than simply fitting some wider tyres to your bike – although this will help, of course. The robust requirements of the pavé call for both a bike and a body prepared to take a bit of a pounding – for the latter, stamina and putting up with the pain play their part. For many riders, riding cobbles means bagging a…

The mid-week Brabantse Pijl (14 April, men’s and women’s races) runs on a course that contains a series of short climbs that come fast and furious, and that sets the tone for Amstel Gold Race (18 April, men and women), which has more than 30 climbs for men in the Dutch province of Limburg. Amstel Gold usually features highly in most pros’ hardest-rides-of-the-season list. If Amstel is about dozens of climbs, the mid-week La Flèche Wallonne (21 April) in the Ardennes is about one: the Mur de Huy. At just 1.2km, it’s short but it has an average grade of over 10 per cent and a maximum of almost 20. It’s a finale that will always anoint the world’s best short-range, highvelocity climber… so long as they get their timing…