Cyclist April 2022

Two years. That’s how long it has been since the message circulated around Cyclist Towers saying that we should all work from home while we ride out this new virus thingy. ‘See you in a couple of weeks!’ Off we trotted, innocently unaware of what was about to unfold. The weeks turned into months, which turned into years, until now our pre-pandemic lifestyles seem like something from a strange, alien world. Do you remember we used to go into an office five days a week? Unthinkable! And can you believe that people used to squash together in trains, buses and bars, unmasked, breathing their foul fumes over each other? Urgh! We’ve all become used to a new way of living. But now that restrictions are slowly being lifted, the question is: will…

The emergence of gravel riding has brought with it the argument of whether a 1x or 2x drivetrain setup is best, and that debate has spilled over onto the road. There are pros and cons for each: 2x can offer greater range and closer gear progression; 1x is simpler, lighter and could be more aero too, yet is largely out of favour in the pro peloton, with its use restricted mainly to time-trials. However, increasing cassette sizes mean the issue is by no means settled, and the 1x setup has a cult-like – and growing – following in the amateur ranks. But what if there was a system that offered the best of both worlds? In August 2020, Classified Cycling emerged from seven years in development in Belgium to launch Powershift,…

£310, rapha.cc Rapha and Gore-Tex have been getting on famously for the past couple of years, ever since the brands collaborated to produce two jackets using Gore-Tex’s Shakedry fabric. The relationship has now spawned three further jackets, adding to Rapha’s Pro Team and City collections. These ones pass on the opportunity to use the Shakedry fabric, however, instead opting for Gore-Tex fabrics that are still waterproof but a little more versatile. The Pro Team Insulated Gore-Tex rain jacket uses Gore-Tex’s Paclite Plus fabric, which the German manufacturer says is on the more durable side of its waterproof material range but still doesn’t compromise too much in terms of breathability. With that forming the external protective shell, Rapha has added a recycled synthetic insulation on the inside of the jacket, which it says will…

£599.99, garmin.com Garmin has taken its already highly advanced Fenix 6 smartwatch, popped the hood and stuffed in even more goodies to create the Fenix 7. The most obvious change is the addition of a touchscreen, but for cyclists perhaps the most interesting upgrade is that the Fenix 7 can now track different cycling disciplines, so the watch will distinguish between gravel, road, commuting, cyclocross, e-biking and MTB. The stamina tracker is another noteworthy addition, allowing the rider to track and monitor exertion while exercising. GPS accuracy is also said to be improved, with the watch now supporting multi-band GNSS tracking for better location services, which Garmin says makes its mapping richer and easier to use. Battery life has been boosted, with the manufacturer claiming up to 18 days between charges in ‘smartwatch’…

€240 (approx £205), pocsports.com These are Poc’s lightest ever sunglasses, coming in at a claimed 23g. That’s less than four average-sized grapes, or a third of a kiwi fruit, or three Jacob’s Cream Crackers, or… you get the idea. Poc says truss-structured arms help carve out weight without impacting on the glasses’ performance. The large shield lens features Poc’s Ri-Pel water and oil-repellent coating and an anti-scratch treatment, plus the brand’s light-filtering Clarity technology for better, well, clarity.…

£300, specialized.com When Specialized launched its S-Works 6 shoes back in 2015, a Sub6 lace-up version was released at the same time. They proved to be as popular, if not more so, than the Boa dialequipped originals. So when Specialized revised the shoe and released the S-Works 7 in 2018, it would have been logical to assume a lace-up alternative would be hot on its heels. Not so. Specialized made fans wait for four years, and has only now released the S-Works 7 Lace. But it looks like it was worth the wait. The new model uses many of the same features and technologies as the original S-Works 7, such as the stiff Powerline carbon sole and Padlock heel cup, just with laces instead of Boas. From the tone of the marketing drive,…