Cyclist March 2022

For years we’ve been used to seeing combative Cav, cocky Cav, contentious Cav, surly Cav, elated Cav, angry Cav, and after a particularly bruising Gent-Wevelgem in 2020, a despairing, tearful Cav as he contemplated an end to his career. At that time a combination of Epstein-Barr virus and mental health issues had robbed him of his powers, and it looked like he may never return to winning ways. But then came the 2021 miracle. Against all predictions, the stars aligned to see Cavendish return to Deceuninck-QuickStep and secure a place at the Tour de France, where he took four stage wins to equal Eddy’s Merckx’s all-time record. As he tells Cyclist in our interview on p76, he fully intends to return even stronger to the Tour this year, with a view…

Italian custom builder Sarto used to be the quality bike maker that no one had heard of. For decades the company made frames by hand at its factory near Venice, but for many of those years the names on the down tubes were mainly of other brands – some of them among the biggest and most respected of the Italian bike marques. Thus while Sarto’s highquality frames were being appreciated around the world, its house brand went virtually unnoticed. Not anymore, though. Sarto stopped contract manufacturing two years ago to focus on building only its own custom bikes, and the rewards of that extra focus are starting to show. Traditional values, modern materials The Seta is Sarto’s most versatile bike, promising a balance of top-level performance features with plenty of comfort for endurance…

Albion is the British clothing brand for British people who ride British roads in British weather, and it’s made in Britain (and Italy and China, but let’s not get distracted). So when Albion introduces its autumn/winter collection, it means British winter, not some temperate Continental winter. The Long-Sleeve Jersey, now in this elegant ‘earth red’ colour, is made from soft, brushed fabric that is stretchy, insulating and moisture-wicking, and can be worn as a standalone layer in milder temperatures or as a midlayer when the chill really ramps up. The Insulated Gilet (here in ‘moss green’) has been updated for version 3.0 with C0 Durable Water Repellency (DWR) coating on the face fabric that provides rain resistance. And despite being puffy, it’s also lightweight and packable. Albion’s Three-Season Tights use a mid-weight thermal…

Hope springs eternal, said Alexander Pope. He wasn’t wrong. After supplying Team GB with its super-aerodynamic track bikes for the Tokyo Olympics, the Lancashire-based innovator went completely the other way and produced its first series of clip-in off-road pedals. The RC – Race Clip – is the smallest and lightest of the range, weighing a claimed 324g thanks to its fully CNC-machined build and titanium axle. Both cleats and clips are stainless steel yet, while they might look similar, they aren’t SPD-compatible. Hope’s cleats offer 2mm of lateral float and come with two cleat options that either give 4° of free float and a 12° release angle, or 5° float and a 13° release. The Union Clips are fully serviceable and rebuildable, not that they should need much maintenance. Hope says the…

This ultra-tough smartwatch meets US military standard MIL-STD-810G, meaning it has been dropped 26 times on all faces, corners and edges, and still ticks. Not sure the same would be said about the wearer. The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS has access to all five global satellite systems so your chances of getting lost in the wilderness are slim, and the battery won’t leave you in the lurch either. With 72 hours of battery life in Smart Mode and up to 45 days in Essential Mode, even when your body battery is flagging your timepiece will still be up for the adventure. It uses Google’s Wear OS system, with dual Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 Platform and Mobvoi processors, and is full to the brim with useful tech, including 24-hour heart rhythm, on-demand…

There has never been a better time to be a fairweather cyclist. Indoor training apps have developed to the point that they can get you an actual contract as a pro cyclist. The only thing that’s stopping you from never leaving the house again is the hardware. Elite’s new Rizer is literally turning the corner. Fixing onto your front fork, the Rizer lets you move the handlebars left and right, meaning you can control your Zwift avatar to make descending – and overtaking – a bit more interesting. Elite says it also provides a much more natural ride feel because it recreates the lateral motion you get riding on two wheels, so it should be more comfortable than a fixed frame and it works the same muscles as normal riding. And that’s…