Table of contents for February 2025 in Cycling Plus

On a Tour de France rest day one year, a colleague of mine was asked by a radio presenter how the riders would be spending their day off. “Will they be practising cycling?” Practise cycling? It’s certainly not how it’s usually put, nor are there many skills that you could sharpen up in the space of 24 hours, like you could in, say, a cricket nets session. Yet, honing our technique is an underrated aspect of cycling that, when worked on over the longterm, can enhance our enjoyment of the sport. On p40, Mark Bailey explores the weaknesses – in descending, riding in a peloton, no-handed riding and more – that pro riders have turned into strengths. Your experts Rob Kemp Features writer Rob’s delved into the maddening world of…

In the frame Acclaimed cycling photographer Michael Blann has expanded his range of mountains prints to include the southern-Spanish climbs of Alto de Velefique and Pico del Veleta. www.michaelblann.com Rough justice The Gralloch, the UCI Gravel World Series race qualifier in Galloway, Scotland, has added a gravel sportive for 2025 (18 May). Two routes, 111km and 53km, are available. https://sportive.grallochgravel.com Failure to launch The route presentation of the 2025 Giro d’Italia was mysteriously pushed back from November, with (strenuously denied) rumours that the proposed start in Albania was in jeopardy Buy the Rules Fine Art Central have launched a limited edition Velominati-themed collection celebrating the ‘Rules’ of the sport. Starting from £25 for a 6x6in print, you can also buy the artworks framed. www.fineartcentral.co.uk Madeleine fer it Registration is open…

ONE LAST JOB Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) announced she’d be retiring – but only after one more season on the team, where she’ll use her experience to nurture young talent FULL CIRCLE The Stone Circle gravel festival in Wiltshire, plunged into doubt when its organiser went bust, has been revived for 27-29 June 2025 by former employees ROCKET MAN There’s a new Alpe d’Huez Strava KOM. Canadian amateur Jack Burke surpassed Sepp Kuss’s record of 36.05, set during the 2022 Tour de France, with a new effort of 35.56 INEOS AND OUT After a troubled season, Ineos Grenadiers’ management looks very different for 2025. Dan Bigham and Steve Cummings are among the big names to have departed NET ZERO Britain’s two men’s UCI Continental teams, Saint Piran and Trinity, both announced…

Scott’s all-round race bike has always been built with an eye on the scales, but that’s been taken to a whole new level on the new Addict RC, with complete bike weights starting from less than 5.9kg. The brand say that’s been achieved without any performance compromises too. Could this be the new benchmark race bike? 01 Even lighter Thanks to new moulding techniques, inspired by Scott’s mountain bikes, they’ve been able to shave a claimed 300g off the frame-kit weight (frame, fork and hardware), reducing it to just 640g, without sacrificing any strength or stiffness. The chassis is created using Scott’s innovative Polypropylene Molding Core process, where the carbon fibre is laid up around an inflatable form to allow precise shaping of inner surfaces. This results in a frame…

Weight 11.75kg (M) inc. rack Frame Columbus triple-butted alloy Fork Columbus alu-carbon Groupset Microshift 10-speed (11-48t, 40t) Brakes Tektro C510 mechanical discs Wheels Shining A250 Tyres Kenda Flintridge 700cx35mm Seatpost Cinelli alloy, 31.6mm Saddle Cinelli Selle San Marco RND Stem Cinelli 6061 Handlebar Cinelli alloy riser, 680mm Extras Front rack It’s no surprise that the storied Italian brand Cinelli have delivered a distinctive entry for our commuter bike test. We last tested a Zydeco a decade ago when it was a cyclocross machine that would also work as a commuter bike. This flat-bar version has transformed into a ‘go-everywhere city bike’, claim Cinelli. It’s the only bike here with a flat bar, the only one with an aluminium frame and the only one with 1x gearing. Interestingly, for 2025 this Zydeco…

On the final Sunday of October each year, amateur and semi-professional cyclists from all over the UK take to the start line at the bottom of a very steep hill with the aim to get to the top in as fast a time as possible. Some years the winners will do it in as little as two minutes, other times as many as 20. All involve violent efforts that turn riders inside out. Come rain or shine, hundreds of cycling fans armed with cowbells, vuvuzelas and indeed anything that can make a racket will line the roadside to cheer them on and enjoy the party. For many of the riders, the National Hill Climb party atmosphere is like nothing else they’ll ever experience as a competitor, representing the reward and…

01 Oxford Mint Wet Lube £11.99 for 250ml Sizes 60ml, 125ml, 250ml ● Oxford’s Mint Wet Lube is a very good oil-based chain lubricant. It’s minty green in colour, but the accompanying minty scent isn’t especially strong. Thankfully, the lubricant hangs around for far longer than the smell, proving tenacious across multiple rainy rides. It attracts dirt relatively quickly, like many other wet lubes, so the chain gets black before too long, but I’ve noticed less gunk build-up in the pulley wheels than I’ve seen with some other products. This means cleaning your chain periodically isn’t as arduous as it might otherwise be. Value is excellent if you buy the largest 250ml bottle, at £4.80 per 100ml. Considering it performs as well as any of the other lubes on test,…

£249.99 Sizes S-2XL Colours Black, Utility Green, Lime Yellow, Cargo Blue Women’s version? Yes This is Gore’s first major attempt at a high-performance PFC/PFAS-free waterproof cycling jacket, and they’ve gone for a Gore-Tex-branded ePE membrane. Their official communications about the fabric address “PFCs of environmental concern”, which makes us wonder if Gore might not consider all PFC or PFAS chemicals worth eliminating. Nevertheless, it’s a step in the right direction. The three-layer fabric is said to be waterproof to an impressive ‘“minimum of” a 28,000mm water column rating. There’s no figure for its breathability performance. The cut is slim-fitting with a dropped, partially elasticated tail, and the tapered cuffs also have an elasticated section to help keep draughts at bay. The collar is prominent but doesn’t have a fleece lining…

£320 Sizes XS-4XL Colours Orange, Black, Pink, Navy Blue Women’s version? Yes The Guard Neos is a crossover take on a waterproof jacket – part hardshell, part softshell. Its three-layer construction incorporates Polartec Power Shield Pro fabric, claimed to offer a high 20,000mm water-column rating (as does Pertex Shield, while Gore-Tex ePE is said to offer even more water resistance). This jacket features sturdy seams (taped on the inside) and stitched edging throughout, giving it something of a softshell feel. Adding to this are neoprene-outer cuffs and a dropped tail, which are both backed by a lightly fleeced material. The cuffs hug close to the skin, complementing the slim overall cut. An over-helmet hood is stashed in the tall collar, sealed with a magnetic tab. This also works as a…

It took the peloton all year to figure it out, but right at the very end of 2024, they did. Almost. Tadej Pogačar, about whom there is little left to say, except for the fact that there is little left to say about him, won his final race of the year in Italy in a similar fashion to how he won the first race of his frankly astonishing season. It began in March with Strade Bianche, and it ended in October at Il Lombardia. Pogačar’s attack to win the self-styled Race Of The Falling Leaves (a Monument classic that’s supposed to be reasonably hard to win) came with a little over an hour of racing remaining. His record in Lombardy now reads ‘Played four, won four’. Likewise, his springtime domination…

Parlee’s devastating loss of their founder Bob Parlee in September isn’t the news the reinvigorated Bostonian brand expected to share. The legendary carbon bike builders really want to showcase their impressively updated range of bikes across pure road, all-road and gravel. This is their all-new all-road option, combining a signature lightweight chassis with tuned compliance for all-day riding. 01 One-piece wonder The frame is a one-piece monocoque made from unidirectional (UD) carbon fibre and, at a claimed 830g (M), it’s race-bike light. This model is the flagship SRAM bike in the range, boasting Red AXS with a power meter and Zipp’s 353 NSW wheels. Parlee also offer Shimano builds. Complete bikes start at £6,390, while the frameset costs £4,173. 02 Covering all bases With geometry designed to provide predictable, stable handling…

Weight 16.14kg (M) inc. extras Frame Chromoly steel Fork Chromoly Groupset Shimano Claris/Acera, eight-speed (11-40t, 46/30t) Brakes Promax DSK-717 mechanical disc Wheels Amplitude G50 Tyres Vittoria Randonneur Tech 700cx40mm Seatpost Amplitude G100 alloy, 27.2mm Saddle Madison Flux Switch Stem Amplitude G100 Handlebar Amplitude Extras Front and rear racks, kickstand, three bottle cages The steel-framed Tour de Fer 20 is part of this well-established British brand’s TdF touring range. We gave the Tour de Fer 30 a rare five stars in 2021. The TdF 20 sits below it but comes with loads more extras than you’d expect for £1,499, including racks, mudguards, a kickstand, a trio of bottle cages, even spare spokes. That price is unchanged since 2017 and, while there have been some compromises, I think we can forgive Genesis…

PRESENTED BY The runaway success of our first Rider of the Year awards in 2023 meant the decision to bring it back again this year was a simple one. Held in our Bristol office with our stablemates Mountain Biking UK – who once again wielded the star power, with some of the world’s top off-road racing talent either in the room or appearing on the big screen – and BikeRadar.com, the nominations and winners in Cycling Plus’s categories reflected our inclusive approach to cycling – otherwise ordinary folk and unsung heroes with a story to tell from their bike. Hundreds of you voted in the two public categories – Newcomer of the Year and Rider of the Year – while Cycling Plus staff decided the Lifetime Achievement award. The latter…

Spin it whichever way you wish, but winter is categorically the worst season of the year for cyclists. That, however, doesn’t mean there’s no fun to be had – and increasingly so, with the leaps and bounds in technology. And last winter, it led me directly to my new off-season hobby – tile-hunting. Also known as tile-bagging, I’d been aware of its existence for a little while. I was scrolling through Strava and noticed how bizarre a few riders’ routes appeared. Instead of a clearly defined loop or point-to-point, these were random, jagged squiggles, as if they were constantly taking wrong turns. After a bit of investigative work, I found out they were tile-hunting on VeloViewer, the ride planning and analysis website. I’d long been a VeloViewer user – its…

Your Experts Katherine Moore Cycling journalist Gravel and bikepacking expert Katherine tells us the pros and cons of two bar bags Warren Rossiter Senior technical editor Warren tests the novel Invert CS fork from Cane Creek, plus tries out phone mounts Ashley Quinlan Road tech lead It’s waterproof jackets and the Trek Madone SLR 7 Gen 8 on Ash’s test list this month Matt Baird Contributor CP’s former editor sees how successful the Boost kit is at electrifying his Brompton…

Fidlock Vacuum Ahead Cap Base £29.99 Fidlock’s system combines magnets and a vacuum connection that provide a very secure hold. It’s highly adjustable too – you can rotate the phone through 360˚. The 69.5g base sits 35mm above the stem cap, so while it doesn’t have any angle adjustment, I didn’t have any issue with it clearing a 12˚-rise stem on my commuter bike, or a short 90mm/0˚ stem on my gravel bike. However, it’d catch on the 65mm riser stem on my mountain bike, so I had to run my phone ‘landscape’ there. When I’m out riding, the vacuum mount does an excellent job of minimising phone vibrations, especially when combined with Fidlock’s Vacuum Uni case (£34.99), which keeps your phone splash and dirt-free while still allowing full touchscreen…

I’ve always been fascinated with maps, mountains and cycling, but I only bought my first racing bike aged 35. The idea for Climbbybike came after my first big rides, when I was doing a course on project management of multimedia applications in Milan. Google Maps and Google Earth had just launched, opening up possibilities, which Climbbybike took advantage of. It’s always been a solo project. I’ve been active in the digital marketing world since the very beginning in 1995, and worked for everyone from e-commerce players, online publishers and agencies to traditional multinational companies. Adding the necessary technical skills through courses and self-study, I had what I needed for the site. It became more than a part-time job and there have been moments when I considered going full-time. I’m perhaps…

Butting ● Butted tubing is the norm for steel or aluminium bikes. Unlike straight-gauge tubes, which have a uniform wall thickness along their length, butted tubes have thicker walls at the end, where they’ll bear more stress, such as at the bottom bracket. By reducing thickness in the middle of the tube, frame weight is lowered. Tubing can be single-butted, where the walls are thicker at just one end; double-butted, where it’s thicker at both ends; or triple-butted, where the tube has three different wall thicknesses, reducing weight further while retaining strength around the weld areas. Thru-axles ● For years, the wheel-securing standard was the 5mm quick-release skewer, inserted through the dropouts and hub axle (9mm front, 100mm rear), then clamped in place. The increasing dominance of disc brakes has…

Weight 11.02kg (55cm) Frame 4130 chromoly steel Fork Carbon fibre Groupset Shimano Sora 3000, nine-speed (11-32t, 50/34t) Brakes TRP Spyre mechanical disc Wheels Halo Drove Line Tyres Halo RXR 700cx35mm Seatpost Genetic Heritage II 27.2mm Saddle Genetic STV Stem Genetic STV Handlebar Genetic Drove Minneapolis-based All-City are the newest brand in our test trio, but their bikes have been well received by us over the past few years. The Super Professional steel frame is handmade, extremely neatly, in Taiwan, and the beauty is more than just skin deep – the frame is ED coated (see jargon section) to keep rust at bay. Both the frame and Whisky Parts’ sleek carbon fork are treated to All-City’s fantastic sparkly ‘Hollywood Violet’ paint option. The 4130 chromoly frame is finished to a very high…

Pro cyclists may seem superhuman, but they all have chinks in their armour. Tom Pidcock has been busy working on his multi-day stamina in a bid to win the Tour de France. And Kasia Niewiadoma, winner of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, has sharpened up her sub-par time trials by spending more hours on her TT bike. Even the best can get better. And you can too. “The important thing is to set aside time dedicated to working on an issue,” explains cycling coach Mark Walker (https://markwalkercoaching.co.uk). “In my experience, few road cyclists do this. Mountain bikers and ’cross riders tend to be better at working on skills, but many road riders never practise technique.” Failing to address a weakness, such as nervous descending or riding in a group,…

Cane Creek’s Invert CS has a top-syturvy design, with the sliding stanchions moved to the bottom and the upper legs fixed in place. The brand say this saves weight, makes the fork easier to set up and gives better performance on gravel than competitors. They also claim better stiffness, a reduction in unsprung mass and more sensitivity, because the oil within the fork naturally sits where the upper and lower legs meet. The Invert has 40mm of travel, with the CS in the name standing for ‘climb switch’. A press of this button on the left side of the crown firms up the fork to reduce bobbing when out of the saddle, but it isn’t a full lockout. There’s also a lighter, 30mm-travel Invert SL, without the climb switch. Tyre…

£164.99 Sizes S-2XL Colours Black, Sulphur Yellow Women’s version? No The Scott RC Weather WP Men’s Jacket uses Pertex Shield fabric, which is PFC/PFAS-free and offers a little stretch. Unlike some jackets that use a three-layer version of the fabric, Scott opt for a lighter, thinner two-layer variant here. The seams are taped on the inside, and appear noticeably thin, to preserve the jacket’s svelteness and packability. While the cut is slim, with an extended tail, the arms are oddly baggy – something which is noticeable when riding. Creature comforts are relatively sparse, but a zipped section on the rear-right flank offers some access to jersey pockets underneath. There’s also a small mesh-backed cargo pocket on the inner-front of the jacket. The wrists feature an elasticated underside, as does most…

Getting there ● The cloest railway station is Dunblane, from where it’s 10 easy miles on bike paths and quiet roads to Callander. Glasgow is around an hour away by car, Edinburgh 90 minutes or so. Where to stay ● You could try the Callander Hostel, or various pubs and B&Bs, such as the bike-friendly Dalgair House Hotel. Where to eat ● The Pier Cafe in Stronachlachar (FK8 3TY) on the banks of Loch Katrine is a candidate for Scotland’s best-view snackery. Bike shops ● Wheels Cycling Centre in Callander offers mountain bikes and touring and hybrid bikes (plus electric versions) for as little as four hours (£20) to two weeks (£150). They also offer servicing for your own bike. Events ● The Grand Old Dukes ride (15 June) is…

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