Cyclist December 2021

Both the men’s and women’s versions of the race had the added frisson of muddy, slippery cobbles, which made for edge-of-seat viewing as the racers fought to stay upright on surfaces more suited to Dancing On Ice than riding a bicycle. And both races were compelling – but in different ways. On the Saturday, the women’s race saw Britain’s Lizzie Deignan strike out alone with 80km to go, meaning that for the next couple of hours she was forced to defend a narrow lead while skidding around like she was riding a broken shopping trolley, bleeding from her hands, and with the world’s greatest-ever rider, Marianne Vos, chasing like a demon two minutes behind. It was more tense than watching an England penalty shootout, only with a much more satisfying conclusion. The…

All the stuff that makes you glad to be a cyclist Keeping pro-level products a secret in today’s world is a difficult task at the best of times, with the top pro teams enlisted to test the latest gear before the rest of us can gawp. Handy for all concerned, then, when your new bike spends a season cleaning up on the biggest stage before its arrival is announced. Who needs to keep secrets when you already know you’re onto a winner? Jumbo-Visma actually played a pretty big role in the testing of the latest Cervélo R5, with the team switching over from riding Bianchis before the new bike was finished. Tom Dumoulin especially had plenty of time on the old version of the R5, the Dutch powerhouse riding for Cervélo-sponsored Sunweb…

If you’re spending more than £300 on a rain jacket you’ll either be entirely convinced of its capabilities or Michael Fish is back doing the weather reports. Well, Castelli has sent us its brand new Idro 3, and if a hurricane is on its way your torso will be the last thing you’ll need to worry about. Made with Gore-Tex Shakedry technology, the Idro 3’s waterproofing and breathability are well proven at this point. It also has internal wrist gaiters that seal at the wrists and integrate with your gloves to fend off wet arms and hands, as well as a YKK Vislon waterproof zipper to ensure no moisture can slip through the front either. It doesn’t stop there. The lower back area is made with Gore-Tex Topo stretch fabric that allows…

Since its launch in 2009, London-based brand Quoc has always prided itself on classic, stylish designs, but the new Mono II shoes claim to be Quoc’s ‘most advanced road shoe to date’. Certainly they look racier than the outgoing, all-Velcro enclosure Mono shoes these replace. Starting from the bottom, the Mono II is based around a unidirectional carbon fibre sole to maximise power transfer, with a vibration-absorbing insole on the other side to help dampen the road vibrations super-stiff soles are liable to transmit. There’s also padding around the heel and a choice of three inserts for customised arch support. The new two-piece upper has been borrowed from Quoc’s Gran Tourer gravel shoe and selected for its weather-resistant durability, albeit here it gets a highly perforated treatment to increase breathabiltity. There’s also a…

What do you say about a lube that’s marketed as ‘fast’? You might describe the claim as ‘ludicrous AF’, yet Muc-Off assures us its latest project is ‘the world’s fastest race lube’. Tested by Ineos Grenadiers in back-to-back Giro d’Italia victories, Ludicrous AF claims to be 3%-5% more efficient than nearest competitor Synergetic. It achieves this through molecules in the formula that create a sheer plane with the chain’s surface, which reduces friction and thus increases efficiency. Muc-Off says it also self-lubricates over time, meaning longer between reapplications.…

Body Geometry is Specialized’s ongoing project to create products that help riders to fit better to bicycles, and the latest innovation to emerge from its laboratory is the S-Works Romin Evo saddle, featuring Mirror technology. It’s the same wizardry as used in the S-Works Power saddle that cradled Mark Cavendish’s posterior while he rode to those stage victories in France earlier this year. Mirror technology means the saddle is built from a 3D-printed liquid polymer matrix, effectively a honeycomb structure that can be more precisely tuned than regular foam. This in turn is bonded to a flexible carbon shell and carbon rails. What this means for the rider is that pressure is more evenly distributed across the saddle, importantly taking pressure away from the sit bones while still ensuring unrestricted blood flow…