Cycling Plus July 2021

Cycling Plus’s annual bike testing behemoth that is Bike of the Year is consistently a massive undertaking for the whole team. And with a backdrop of the pandemic, the 2021 edition has been the logistical jigsaw to end them all; a maze of trade routes and tracking numbers, bike shortages and socially-distanced shoots, with even the stranded Ever Given ship playing a role. As you’ll see from page 25, however, it’s been worth the sleepless nights, with an unparalleled mix of insight from tech editor Warren, inspirational imagery and some glorious bikes on display. I owe the team a cold drink or two. Enjoy the issue… SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE OFFERS & COMPETITIONS AS PART OF OUR SUBSCRIBER CLUB! SUBSCRIBE! NEW SUBSCRIBERS TO CYCLING PLUS CAN GET A SYNCROS MATCHBOX COUPE…

GET LUCKY Favourite socks, foods, songs… research suggests that 80% of athletes rely on superstitions before an event (peanut butter bagels and Pearl Jam for me). But is there a science behind the rituals, or are these dark arts holding us back? Turn to p88. WEIGHT EXPECTATIONS Watch the Tour de France and it’s easy to think that cycling is full of human whippets who have never sampled the chippy on a Friday night. As our Big Rider’s Guide shows, however, cycling is often ‘a normal sport for normal people’. See p102. GET IN TOUCH… If you’ve anything you want to say you can chat with us via @cyclingplus on Twitter, CyclingPlusMagazine on Facebook and cyclingplus on Instagram. And, of course, you can always email us at cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk. And don’t forget to visit cyclingplus.com!…

THE BIG PICTURE FOUR-MIDABLE Maybe it was his return to the team with the Midas touch, Deceuninck Quick-Step, or that he was back riding his favourite Specialized bikes, or that he’s returning to his best form following the Epstein-Barr virus that sabotaged his health for years. It’s probably a bit of all three, but at April’s Tour of Turkey, Mark Cavendish, at 35, was back to winning ways. Here he’s outsprinting Jasper Philipsen for the third of four stage wins, in his most prolific race haul in five years.…

The longtime Cycling Plus staffer offers his take on all the comments and controversy on the frontline of the cycling scene As soon as he’d tossed the bottle in the direction of a group of fans by the roadside, AG2R Citroën’s Michael Schär, remonstrating with his hands and then slamming them onto his handlebar, had the body language of a man who knew his jig was up. Schär, racing in early April’s Tour of Flanders, was about to become the first pro rider to fall foul of the UCI’s new rule on littering, which decreed that riders would face fines or expulsion from races should they dispose of waste outside of designated zones. Make no mistake, the new rule has laudable aims. Professional cycling, despite being played out on human-powered vehicles, isn’t…

Being seen is an absolute priority when you’re riding at night or in low light conditions. Regular bike lights provide visibility from ahead and behind, but they’re much less helpful for being seen from the side at junctions, crossroads and roundabouts. Which is where British brand LittyKitty comes in with its products. LittyKitty’s 360-degree Bicycle Spoke Lights consist of units for front and rear wheels, each comprising a soft plastic tube containing 20 super-bright LEDs. Fitting is simple. You just thread the tubes between the spokes inside the rim and mount the control box securely to the spokes using the included zip ties, which does take a little care. Three standard AA batteries provide more than 48 hours of illumination on constant, and significantly longer in flash mode. The units are fully…

01 100% S3 NEON WITH HIPER RED LENS £179 We highly rated 100%’s classic S3 model as stellar riding glasses, and they now come in this hot-for-summer soft-touch neon orange frame with a brilliant Hiper Red lens. If you find all of this a touch too colour blinding, then you also get a second clear lens included along with optional nose pieces, a soft cleaning bag and a zipfastening hard case. 02 CONDOR MERINO GRAVEL SOCKS £19.99 Condor’s new mid-weight Gravel socks have been specifically designed for riding on the rough stuff with a tall cuff, reinforced heels and padded footbed. They’re woven from 70 per cent Merino wool, which helps regulate temperature, keeping your feet cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s not. They also have antibacterial properties to keep your…