Cycling Plus September 2021

Whether it was the heat or those recurring Theresa May-dancing night frights (don’t ask), I found myself awake at 2am recently pondering the points raised by Phil Cavell in our Midlife Cyclist article (see p50). Are we, as amateur cyclists, making fundamental training mistakes? Is it time for the bicycle’s Victorian design to finally be given an overhaul? While my own doodles were more Homer Simpson than Thomas Edison, I like that, no matter how many advancements cycling has made, the possibilities still feel endless in increasing our endurance and riding capabilities. 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 LUSSO MOMENTUM CYCLING JERSEY WORTH £70! ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? Get access to exclusive content, competitions and…

THE BIG PICTURE HEAD FOR HEIGHTS Brit Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) celebrates winning a stage of the Tour de France in Châteauroux with his hands on his head, just as he’d done here back in 2008 for his very first win. The intervening years have seen huge highs and latterly crushing lows, which makes sure Cav’s four victories in 2021 (ensuring he equalled Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour stage wins) will rank among the great comebacks in sporting history.…

Just over a year ago, as the UK was coming up for air following the harshest period of lockdown of the whole pandemic, Boris Johnson stood up in Parliament and claimed that this, “should be a new golden age for cycling.” The ‘golden age’ bit and the endless possibilities of such a nirvana was pounced upon over many column inches but seasoned Johnson observers’ eyes will have settled on the dead-weight caveat of ‘should’. BBC political satire The Thick of It built a whole episode around a prime minister’s use of the word ‘should’ not having the certainty that you think it might: “What did he actually say?” asked the PM’s acid-tongued spin doctor Malcolm Tucker. “He said this is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing,” replied hapless…

Shared bike storage solutions can be fraught with irritation if you, your co-workers, housemates or partner misplace the key. That’s where Master Lock’s new padlock comes in as it has a biometric scanner that supports up to 10 people’s fingerprints, doing away with the need for a key. The Biometric padlock is recommended for outdoor general purpose use (sheds, gates and so on) and has a weather cover for protection. The shackle is made of boron alloy, for maximum resistance to sawing, and is 9mm thick and gives 51mm vertical clearance. The metal lock body is 56mm wide. The biometric scanner is backed up by a five-position directional code, which is activated by a ring of buttons around the fingerprint scanner, meaning trusted persons beyond the 10 fingerprint holders can also…

01 STICK LEGS TEG-L WOMEN’S JERSEY £49.95 This British-designed and Italian-made jersey has a performance fit, soft-touch Meryl yarn fabric, three rear pockets, soft-sleeve cuffs, a fourth security pocket and full-length front zipper. An extraordinary level of detail and great quality for the price. 02 BAR FLY 4 PRIME 7075 ALUMINIUM MOUNT £59.99 This 58g alloy bodied out-front mount comes with fittings for Garmin, Wahoo, Polar, Mio, Magellan, Cateye, Powertap and Bryton. On the underside you can fit lights or a camera, thanks to the included action mount; you can even attach a Di2 junction box too. 03 ENERVIT ISOTONIC GEL £2 PER 60ML This gel has 30 per cent maltodextrin for fast carbs absorption and each glutenfree 60ml sachet provides 20g of carbs, reinforced with thiamine, niacin and vitamin B6, while the gel’s high…

To the north is Hadrian’s Wall country, all rugged, sweeping green hills. To the south are the Pennines’ big valleys and brown humpback fells. In between, the scenic Tyne valley’s easy riverside routes. Sociable abbey-market-town Hexham’s in the middle of it all, a fine base for superb day rides of all types. ROUTE ONE WESTERN LOOP 61 MILES ALSTON’S PENNINES Scenic day of solid climbs, descents and levels. Up past racecourse and West Allendale to Black Hill (609m). From Nenthead (cafes) up and over Dowgang Hush (599m) and scenic downhill to Alston (cafes, shops). Valley views to Haltwhistle; back through Hadrian’s country, with final long freewheel. GET THE ROUTE: komoot.com/tour/398066513 ROUTE TWO SOUTHERN LOOP 44 MILES BLANCHLAND’S PENNINES Half-day of ridges, valleys, fells, ups, downs, and great views. Climb to pretty Blanchland (cafe) then some of…