Apple’s latest generation of AirPods are here and looking to be one of the best pairs of headphones for cycling. They're uncannily familiar to the previous version, but there are some subtle design changes. Let's delve in...

Construction

The position of the ear bud section itself is slightly more protruding and rotated more inwards, so as to fit into the ear and more shapes better according to Apple. The ear buds themselves now come in five sizes with a new XXS size to go with the XS, S, M and L. These buds also now feature a foam inner designed for better noise cancellation as well as greater fit retention during exercise.

In terms of tech specs, the AirPods Pro 3 feature two times greater noise cancellation than the previous generation, which is partly down to the new H2 chip. Battery life is a claimed eight hours with ANC (active noise cancellation) versus six for the buds themselves and 10 hours with transparency. However, the case actually has a lower total battery life, with 24 hours of total charge compared to the previous 30. The case is charged via USB C and this can be done wirelessly.

Additional features include precision finding through the Find My app, which locates the pods if they are misplaced. There is also a larger air port to provide better ANC and transparency, as it uses external noise to determine how it blocks out or amplifies the sound. Dust and water resistance has also been increased to IP57, up from IP56, so for sweaty turbo sessions these should be even more resilient.

The new halo feature however is the heart rate monitor inbuilt into the earbuds. This uses PPG (Photoplethysmography) tech similar to the usual green LEDs but using a less powerful light, better suited to the ears, which are thinner than the wrists where measurements are usually taken. This infrared light works at a rate of 250Hz to determine HR based on blood flow in the ear. This links via Bluetooth to specific devices to broadcast HR data. Other new features are live translation, and meets the standard for a hearing aid in the UK. Price remains at £219 / $249, with only a white option currently available.

The ride

Coming from an Apple ecosystem the process of setting up and using the AirPods Pro 3 was fairly easy. They connect directly to your phone by just being held in the vicinity of it, then once connected you can try different ear buds as part of the ‘seal’ testing to determine which size you require. This is required to ensure that the active noise cancellation and transparency work effectively.

Once connected, every time you place an ear bud in your ear they will connect with your phone and you can pick up listening from where you left off. Sound quality is fantastic, which means listening to playlists or watching a TV series while you tick down the indoor riding clock is an immersive experience. I’m not a fan of the hearing the sound of my gears or imy ndoor fan blowing in my ears, and with the ANC active the noise of these is efficiently drowned out. It also means you can listen to music at a lower volume.

Transparency mode is a very interesting feature. I ride with just the left earbud in when on the road, as that leaves my right ear free to hear traffic and road noise. However, when riding with transparency mode, it actually heightens what I can hear. It makes it harder to hear whatever I’m listening to, but acts as a sort of hearing aid. This is particularly useful for long term hearing health, as I have seen over years of riding with just the left ear bud in, that my hearing is better in my left ear than right. It has been shown that cycling can reduce hearing over time due to the wind noise. Using both of these with transparency mode does nothing to block road noise, if anything heightens it, while potentially protecting your ears.

I also like having the single ear bud in for the sake of being able to take calls, be it a worried partner wondering why my 3 hour ride has taken 4.5 hours after an elongated impromptu café stop, or a call about why my energy bills are increasing unless I act now. It’s useful not relying on a vibrating rear pocket or a note on my bike computer which requires me to stop and fumble to grab my phone. Instead I can answer on the headphones, although generally I still pull over to speak.

Outside of the sound quality, the battery performance of the AirPods Pro 3 is a step up. I’ve had the AirPods Pro 2 run out of battery on some longer 4.5+ hour rides, while the Pro 3 have survived 6 hour rides, as long as there are no stops. The negative is that the case does have a smaller charge than previously, so total battery life is lower, and you will need to charge the case more frequently. But overall I’d say this is a worthwhile sacrifice.

A new feature of the AirPods Pro 3 is the heart rate monitor function. It's impressed me, and I say that as skin measured HR via lights has often not been good. When comparing the AirPods Pro 3 with my Wahoo Trackr HR monitor, the two have actually tracked in line and responded to sudden changes in HR quickly and over longer durations. It’s a really useful feature and means you can track cycling workouts without a chest or wrist HR monitor, which I personally find more comfortable. But this comes with a caveat, which is that the AirPods Pro 3 do not connect via BLE to bike computers or Zwift. This is a huge limiting factor to the usefulness of the HR tracking capabilities, and meant that frankly I just didn’t use them for that. If they add Zwift connectivity, then I would use these over strap monitors for comfort, but at present that is not an option. I know Apple is trying to boost usage of Apple Fitness and Fitness+, but for now that limiting of functionality means that the HR tracking aspect of these is somewhat lost to the broader cycling community.

There is one other issue that I have encountered, which after some trawling through online forums, appears to be a known issue. Occasionally, the left earbud will produce a loud chirping noise. I reached out to Apple for comment, but am yet to hear back. Looking online it seems this issue can sometimes be resolved by changing earbud tip size, or making sure the seal in your ear is airtight as the ANC might be the cause of the feedback. However, it tended to happen when sweat or rain was present and after around 2 hours or so of ride time. Once wet, it’s almost impossible to get that seal 're-sealed', especially if you're out on the road in rain. I ended up just putting the earbud in my pocket when this happened. Given I’ve never had this issue with the AirPods Pro 1 or 2, it’s a bit of a shame. I wonder if the earbud sticking out of the ear more makes them more prone to move slightly due to wind rushing past your ears at speed? This is purely conjecture, but might explain the difference as the profile of the 3 does protrude more than the 1 and 2.

I did use the earbud fit system on the phone, where you put the AirPods in, a noise is played, and they are able to detect if the seal between bud and ear is good. This all checked out well, so I changed the size of the earbuds to see if that had any impact. There has been less chirping since doing so, but the smaller earbuds has resulted in an occasional switch between cancelling wind noise out and letting it in, possibly due to the fit being not quite as good.

Live translation is another new feature of the AirPods Pro 3, and it’s an interesting addition. For riding abroad, it can make bridging the language barrier a bit easier, great for riders escaping to foreign climates for winter warmth. However, at present it is quite slow and it’s not possible to have a flowing conversation unless the other person is using a set of the headphones themselves. It has promise, but currently is a small addition.

Value & conclusion

At £219 / $249, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are certainly not cheap. Impressively, the price has not changed since 2022 and the AirPods Pro 2, even with inflation, tariffs, and a host of new features and improvements. It's also quite comparable to its rival headphones. We’ve reviewed the over-ear H20 RIPT Ultra headphones, the same that Zwift has a version of. Those are £227 / $250 and being over-ear using silicone cups are suitable for sports, but are indoor use only and heavier than in-ear options. Equally the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra buds are a whopping £299 / $429.

However a popular option in cycling are bone conducting headphones. The Shokz OpenRun Pro Wireless are one of the best performers at £169 / $160, with the Haylou PurFree being just £56.99. The issue with these is they lack the noise cancellation for indoor riding, and do project sound into both ears out on the road. There is also limited protection from wind noise. Being able to use the AirPods with transparency mode to reduce wind noise and heighten traffic sounds, or use just one ear bud on the pavement side does make external noises easy to pick up.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are an impressive update over the previously superb AirPods Pro 2. Certainly much of their performance relies on being an Apple iPhone user, otherwise there are better alternatives for Android and Google users. For those with an iPhone the noise cancellation is ideal for indoor training, limiting drivetrain and fan noises. While outdoors, transparency mode limits wind noise while heightening the sound of traffic, protecting your ears and also keeping you aware of surroundings.

Increased ear bud battery is another great plus, even if the case total is lower, while the translation function can help in cycling abroad situations. Heart rate tracking is also impressively good, but is limited to the Apple Workout app, with no third party capabilities for the likes of Zwift or a bike computer at present. Hopefully this is something we will see down the line though, along with a fix for the annoying chirping that sometimes occurs.

At present though, there are a few too many hiccups with the Pro 3, and if you are able to find the Pro 2 on sale, they represent better overall value at present.

I love a pair of snug, light and ultra-stiff cycling shoes, but after 4–5 hours in the saddle, I’ll admit I’m more than ready to take them off. No matter how many bike and cleat fits I’ve had, eventually the arches of my feet start aching, my toes tingle and my feet are just longing to be set free.

I’m no podiatrist, but I doubt wearing stiff carbon-soled shoes day in and day out is particularly good for you. And that’s where recovery slides come in. They may have been designed with runners in mind originally, but cyclists can benefit from them too, letting our feet breathe, stretch out, and, well, recover.

What are recovery slides?

Recovery slides look a lot like any other slip-on sandal, but they’re designed with a very different job in mind. In addition to being something easy and comfortable to slide into post-ride, recovery slides use structured footbeds, targeted cushioning and ergonomic shaping to actively help your feet reset after training.

Cycling locks your feet into the same position for hours of relentless, repetitive pedaling. There’s little room for natural movement, and over time that can lead to some aches and discomfort. Recovery slides are meant to counteract that by giving your feet a chance to decompress, encouraging a more natural motion, and easing the strain on muscles and tendons that have been working overtime.

It's not all marketing spiel, either. There’s actual science to back this up: early studies on recovery footwear suggest that specialised footwear can reduce muscle forces in the lower limbs during walking, essentially lightening the load on tired legs. Engineers at Arizona State University even found trends toward improved peripheral circulation when testing recovery slides, hinting at a physiological benefits beyond comfort. And researchers at the University of Massachusetts are currently running a clinical trial to measure whether these shoes can reduce joint pain and stiffness, and improve foot mobility over time.

The scientific evidence is still emerging, but the market demand certainly is there. The global recovery footwear segment was valued at roughly $15.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit $24.6 billion by 2032. So I felt like it was high time I tried a pair of these recovery slides myself.

Why this Roll Recovery model? Well, I’ve been using the brand’s R8 deep tissue massager (which I lovingly call the torture device) for well over a decade, so when they offered me a chance to try their relatively new SUPERPLUSH™ line, I figured it was worth seeing if they could do for my feet what the R8 has long done for my legs.

Constructions and details

• Gender-specific sizes: Men's sizes 7-14 // women's sized 5-11
• A slight 6–8 mm heel-to-toe drop with a cupped footbed to ease calf and Achilles tension
• A multi-density footbed that cradles the arch and midfoot
• Generous wide toe-box
• Textured Grip Zones: raised ridges and perimeter to prevent slippage
• Made from sustainable materials including recycled plastics and plant-based content (EVA and algae foam)
• MSRP: $69 (Sale price: $39.50)

Wearing the recovery slides

These are my first pair of recovery slides, and six months later I’m still wearing them every day. And that perhaps tells you all you need to know, really.

I was already a slides person, sliding into comfort post-ride, post-run or around the house. My usual go-tos were Adidas Adilettes. They’re soft, they’re familiar, and they do the job. Or so I thought. The Roll Recovery slides have since kicked them out of rotation… at least around the house.

Out of the box, though, I’ll admit I wasn’t immediately sold. They look a little clunky. The cupped footbed does a great job of cradling your foot and even works as a bumper against those treacherous bed posts and chair legs, but it does add bulk.

And then there’s the branding: a bold white logo across the red strap gives me hospital vibes, relegated them to the “worn-at-home only” category.

But then I slid them on. Despite the name, SUPERPLUSH™, I was surprised to find them more firm than flush. No cloud-like sink-in feeling here. Instead, the footbed is firm, structured, and supportive. Compared to the Adidas slides, which feel softer and squishier underfoot, these Roll Recovery slides are denser. And it’s this density that matters. While the Adidas slides do little to support my feet, the Orthofit™ footbed and Cradle Design™ hold the heel steady, lift the arch, and gently nudge my stride back into something resembling natural walking after hours locked into a rigid cycling shoe.

Proponents of recovery footwear argue that without support, your plantar fascia, Achilles, and calves are still under stress, even when you think you’re recovering. A structured footbed redistributes weight, improves alignment, and helps circulation — all of which makes your feet feel better today and keeps them fresher for tomorrow.

If nothing else, the Roll Recovery slides are very comfortable. The density and support feel nice underfoot, and I’ve found that after a long day in the saddle, they help my feet relax. I've grown to like them so much, that I toss them in my travel bag as well.

Impressively, after six months of daily wear, these slides haven’t broken down, sagged, or lost their shape the way softer slides tend to. They still feel as supportive as day one. I just wish the fit were a bit more dialed in. They run loose on my small, low-arched feet. Around the house it’s fine, but not for actual walking in.

Verdict

Recovery slides may be a smart addition to any cyclist’s recovery toolbox. They make a lot of sense. After hours in stiff carbon shoes, your feet deserve more than just freedom, they deserve support that actually helps them recover. And these $69 Roll Recovery SUPERPLUSH™ Slides are well worth a look.

They aren’t exactly a fashion statement, and I do wish the fit were a bit more snug, but they deliver where it counts. The firm, structured footbed supports rather than just cushions, and six months of daily wear later they still cradle my arches, steady my heel, and let my feet properly relax after long rides. Softer slides may feel nicer at first step, but they break down fast. These hold up, day after day.

H20 Audio is a San Diego-based audio-tech company, and since Paris-Roubaix, is the new official Audio Partner of Alpecin–Deceuninck and Fenix–Deceuninck WorldTour Cycling Teams. It makes a range of water or sweat-resistant audio products for training, including some neat bone-conducting waterproof ones you can wear on the turbo or take to the pool, and these sweat-resistant over-ears, the RIPT Ultras.

Now, if this all sounds like a tenuous reason for me to borrow a nice fancy pair of headphones, you’re not wrong. However, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to test what *could be* Mathieu van der Poel’s best headphones to see if I could get in the zone like he does.

To keep it relevant, I reached out to H20 to find out a little bit about what MVDP and his colleagues might listen to. They told me that Jonas Rickaert and Gianni Vermeersch are the team DJs, and tend to control the music on the team bus.

I was also hoping they’d send me a playlist full of hardcore Belgian or German Techno, and they didn’t disappoint. One playlist is called ‘Ketamix’. You might want to grab a caffeinated energy gel – or something on the WADA banned list – before you get too deep. There’s a banging remix of Destiny’s Child’s Say My Name, about 7 minutes in. After that, it gets a bit darker.

Both playlists are linked at the bottom of the review for those who want to channel Alpecin-Berghain pre-race vibes at the Zwift Club 10 tonight.

Testing H20 RIPT Ultra - How did they do?

Returning to the review, the headphones I’ve tested are not the bone conductor models that H20 also makes, but the flagship over-ear sports model. Over-ears, for the unacquainted, are the DJ or studio monitor-style headphones that completely enclose your ears.

For turbo training, especially in busy environments, such as the gym or when the kids are home and running around, over-ear headphones can provide a real escape from ambient noise and the sound of the turbo trainer itself. The trouble is, sweat can compromise the electronics and materials inside a normal pair, causing hygiene issues or rendering them unusable.

**Over ears are not suitable for the road, for those, check out our guide to the best headphones for cycling, they're much more suitable.**

H2O knows this too and has made a sports-specific over-ear to address this problem. Its top-of-the-range model is called H20 RIPT ULTRA. RIPT is not some muscle beach reference from the boardwalks of San Diego, but instead refers to Real Isolation Performance Technology. Noise Cancelling to you and me.

For a warm-up on rollers, the over-ears would be perfect, and I suspect MVDP thinks so too. The RIPT noise-cancelling system gives you complete isolation from the ambient noise in the paddock and, as a result, some peace and quiet to take in your favourite techno mix ahead of stage one of this year’s Tour De France.

Sound quality and competition

The headphones retail at $249, which pitches them into direct competition with some very competent gear, such as Sennheiser Accentum Plus, Bose Quiet Comfort Plus, and, at the premium end, even the Beats Studio Pro.

At this level, the 50 hours of battery life offered is not just competitive, it’s very good. And so far, despite running in them every morning for some two months, using them on the turbo, and taking plenty of work calls, I’ve only had to charge them up three times, which gives me some confidence in their claims, despite driving them pretty hard more than I should.

H20 Audio bills the sound quality of the RIPT Ultra simply as ‘premium’, and the performance is certainly better than many in-ear headphones. Information about what’s in the body of the headphones is scant, but the driver – the business part of the speaker to you and me – measures 45mm. That’s 5mm larger than the driver in say, Sony’s ULT headphones, or Beats Studio Pro, both of which boast excellent sound quality.

In the latter of those models, it’s worth noting that you do get a premium Digital to Analogue Converter or DAC. Every pair of headphones, and even your phone, needs and has one, but some brands spec really good ones. As the name suggests, these devices convert your digital music signal into an analogue signal that can drive your speakers. The better the conversion is, the better the sound reproduction. H20 don’t identify componentry down to that level of detail, but sound reproduction is really quite good.

To my knowledge, no one has yet invented a speaker that operates directly from a digital signal. It’s one electronic item that is stubbornly analogue. I think there’s a romance to that, in this increasingly digital world.

Despite a lack of detail in the information about what’s in the headphones, there’s no lack of detail in the resolution of the music or overall sound quality produced by the RIPT Ultras. At £249, it needs to be decent, and it is. It’s not an audiophile standard, but you can’t sweat into your audiophile headphones without them disintegrating, and that’s where H20 start to regain some ground with the securely fitting, sporty intentions of the Ultras.

I played a huge mix of music, from highly produced tracks to bedroom DJ or popcorn tunes, and nothing troubled them. Cat Burns' vocals were present and detailed. Percussion in my regular nineties guitar band, come hip-hop run-around, was bright, and bass was plentiful for my old ears, without being boomy. I couldn’t overwhelm the drivers at a volume that was still listenable.

Comfort and Features

Comfort was outstanding. I forgot they were there. My pair came with two sets of ear covers. One standard ‘leatherette’ looking pair, like you find on conventional headphones, and one set of silicone ‘waterproof’ pads. I’ve been running with the silicone almost exclusively, and it adds a great deal of comfort and confidence, knowing you won’t short them out or cause them to rot, regardless of how hard you work out.

There is no standard for rating the level of sweat protection claimed by sports headphone manufacturers, but so far, so good; they’ve lived up to the promise of surviving some pretty damp runs, and some Amazonian humidity when indoors on the turbo trainer. There is an extended warranty available, which suggests the specialist brand has some confidence in the product.

Bluetooth 5.4 delivers a solid connection with minimal latency. The first time I paired them with my phone, I was in Heathrow Airport outside the electronics shop. My phone detected every camera and other pair of headphones, even all the smart TVs displaying flight information, but the Ultras hooked up to my phone instantly with little fuss.

I deliberately relied on punching buttons blindly without reading the instructions, and the controls are intuitive enough that I switched them on and got up and running without any need to read anything further. Once in use, they are very simple to use, and your fingers find the right buttons, mostly, with ease.

The noise-cancelling is brilliant. You can switch it on and be oblivious to anything else. There’s also a notable uplift in sound quality when it’s engaged, but that’s not to say the sound is bad when it’s not on.

The industrial design is one area where these could fit into your lifestyle better. And whilst that shouldn’t be important, it really is. The blue and black, including the logo, appear somewhat generic. The materials, headband and buttons are all tactile, of good quality, and offer a secure fit, but they look a bit sporty in the way a shell suit does.

Verdict

If you need a set of reliable, comfortable, workout-friendly, secure-fitting over-ear headphones, you could do a lot worse than these. They stay put and remain comfortable for hours on the turbo and show no ill effects from it. For running, you forget you’re wearing them.

Whilst I’ve commented on the ID already, some competitors can look a little like Kensington gym kit and tend to be better matched with a pastel tracksuit and a rose gold iPhone, so the unoffensive and frankly, not horrible but not gorgeous aesthetic might work for you.

These are not cheap. But they don’t sound or feel cheap either. Sound quality is on a par with many at this price, if not better. While you might find marginally better sound from a similarly expensive pair from a more well-known name, like Sony or Sennheiser, it’s unlikely they’ll stay put and shrug off sweat like these do.

And don’t forget, MVDP almost certainly has a pair. And from what I’ve experienced of the Ultras, he probably thinks they’re pretty decent, too.

So what are Alpecin-Deceuninck listening to on their team bus? The 5NAPBACK MNM Party appears below, and we're reliably informed you can often hear this blasting out of the team bus very regularly. Another mix we're told is also very popular is intriguingly called 'Ketamix', and can be found on SoundCloud...

https://on.soundcloud.com/muZo8Gb1CVHZr5cm7

There are some deals that, when you see them, you don't ask yourself whether you can afford to buy it, but whether you can afford not to. At a full 73% off the full price, this is surely one of them.

When we reviewed this bike we called it the best alternative to a Peloton bike, and praised its "simplicity of use straight out of the box", and its "entertainment via the bespoke app".

If the idea of taming the winter months with a bit of indoor riding has always appealed, but the price of a smart trainer put you off, this is probably the answer right here.

At this price you might even want to buy a second one for a family member.

While the 73%-off mega deal is available only in the US, British smartbike seekers can also benefit from what by any other standard would be a super deal on Echelon's EX5 Smart Connect exercise bike, which is coming in with an impressive £350 off – that's 26%.

It's a compact and sturdy bike, with plenty of accommodation for riders of (almost) all heights – from 4ft 5in to 6ft 8in (134-203cm). The magnetic flywheel is silent and offers 32 different resistance settings, depending on whether you want an easy spin or a full-bore VO2 max session.

It also comes with SPD / platform pedals, and a phone and tablet holder up front, so you can keep tabs on your workouts or (shhh...) just watch your favourite movie.

Echelon offers two different pricing plans, with the Premium Plan offering riders access to live classes led by Echelon's own trained instructors, off-bike exercise classes such as strength and yoga, scenic rides, a five-year warranty and up to five people on the same plan. Or, you can connect to Zwift via a bridging app.

Blood pressure may not be a metric you’re overly concerned about. However, worldwide, high blood pressure is one of the biggest causes of ill health, directly leading to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia. Cycling can lower your blood pressure, so tracking it should be of interest to anyone who cycles for health as well as fitness.

The Garmin Index BPM (blood pressure monitor) is a device that sits at the intersection of wellness and fitness industries, something we’re likely to see more of in the future.

Design

A traditional home blood pressure monitor consists of a display and pump unit which is connected to an arm cuff by a flexible hose. The Garmin Index BPM is one of a few newer monitors that have a one-piece design where the pump unit is connected directly to the cuff. This allows the overall package to be a good amount smaller, leaving more space in your bedside drawer for all your other gubbins.

To quantify, the Garmin weighs 340g and measures roughly 8 x 8 x 15 cm (as tested). In comparison, my 10-year-old Boots / Omron monitor weighs 450g and is roughly 15 x 12 x 10cm all packaged up.

Interestingly the Garmin doesn’t have an integrated rechargeable battery but relies on four AAAs. Given the modern design, this seems slightly curious and a wasted opportunity for a smaller and lighter unit. Claimed battery life is “up to 9 months” albeit without an indication of actual usage in that time. I’ve had no issues with battery life during four months of testing.

Fitting

The Garmin cuff is suitable for arms from 22 - 42cm in diameter, but its fitting is unnecessarily difficult. And if it’s not fitted properly, you won’t get an accurate reading.

Firstly, as the monitor is mounted directly onto the cuff, it’s awkward to fit as it’s difficult to both stabilise the unit and tighten the cuff at the same time. Perhaps it’s a matter of debate as to how important this is; if you value the more compact design of the cuff-mounted design you may accept this downside. If you accept that a blood pressure monitor is relatively bulky regardless, then you’ll likely find it more annoying.

Regardless of what you think of the cuff-mounted approach, its disadvantage is exacerbated by the design of the cuff itself. The material is quite stiff compared to a traditional cuff and also only has panels of Velcro – rather than a continuous strip – so you have to be more precise as you are pulling the cuff closed. In our testing, this seemed to be an issue on bigger and smaller arms alike.

Accuracy

It’s well established that blood pressure readings, even those that are accurately taken, vary greatly. This is why NHS guidance recommends taking an average of three readings at one time and monitoring your blood pressure over days and weeks rather than relying on a single value.

With all that in mind – assuming you’ve got the BPM cuff fitted correctly – the accuracy of the Garmin Index BPM appeared both reliable and valid for heart rate and BP readings during our testing.

To measure this, I compared measurements from my Omron machine (British & Irish Hypertension Society verified and approved) and the Garmin Index BPM. With a monitor on each arm, I simultaneously took multiple back-to-back readings, one or two times a day for several weeks. There were no consistent high or low discrepancies between the monitors in either diastolic or systolic measurements with readings varying by no more than 2mmHg for each. Heart rate was within one beat per minute for each reading.

If you don’t have the cuff properly fixed readings tend to be significantly off (typically lower by more than 20mmHg) so it’s fairly obvious something is awry.

Connectivity

Connecting the blood pressure monitor to Garmin Connect seemed a little bit more straightforward and more reliable than my watch or head unit. Helpfully, you can program up to 16 different users on a single BPM, all synced to separate Connect accounts, something that isn’t possible on other devices you might share such as head units.

Once connected, the BPM automatically uploads each of your readings into your Garmin Connect dataset. In Garmin Connect you can set your own parameters (e.g. control targets) and then track your pressure data over time, just like any other health and fitness metrics your devices record.

It is also possible to manually record blood pressure data into Garmin Connect if you have taken readings on other devices.

Value and overall

At £159.99 the Garmin Index BPM is a significant investment particularly as there are many, independently validated, blood pressure monitors available for £30-50.

Of course, the Index BPM has the advantage of an automatic, wireless connection to your Garmin Connect account, saving you the hassle of manually recording your readings. On the downside, not only is it much more expensive, but its more compact design makes it much harder to fit onto your arm and take your recordings.

If you've ever straddled a rowing machine in a gym, the chances are you have already become aquatinted with the brand Concept2. It's the very same company that hosts the indoor rowing championships, which the likes of James Cracknell and Sir Bradley Wiggins have competed in. In fact, any indoor rowing event, race or record will always be completed on a Concept2 rower because it's the gold standard when it comes to repeatable and comparable data on every machine. 

It's this ability to replicate data with such precision that makes the Concept2 BikeErg very appealing as one of the best exercise bikes.

Construction of the Concept2 BikeErg

The consistency that the brand is most celebrated for is down to its performance monitor, the PM5. It's this clever bit of software that provides repeatable and comparable data across all of Concept2's products.

On the rower (and Concept2 SkiErg) it measures acceleration and deceleration of the flywheel to calculate power, distance, and speed. On the bike however, with constant pedalling, you don't have a spinning flywheel to measure, meaning it requires slightly more complex inner workings in order to get the same dataset. 

It's what Alex Dunne, Concept2 Managing Director UK, says put the brand off developing a bike for so long. 

"There was user demand for a bike for a while," he told me "but we had to stay true to our goals of being affordable, reliable and repeatable so it took a while to make sure we had it right.

"We kept the air resistance, but this time the PM5 takes readings from pressure, temperature, angle and drag data in order to get power information. The PM5 monitor does this calculation instantly. In terms of the bike, the rider periodically recalibrates, which takes into account all conditions that would affect the flywheel, so you can be assured and confident."

Air resistance on a bike is probably an unusual concept (no pun intended) for most bike riders. In terms of 'riding' it makes very little difference, the pedals still go round, but this time you do away with the need for a heavy weighted flywheel, and either mechanical or electromagnetic resistance, and corresponding mains power requirement for the latter. 

Resistance is adjusted on the bike by means of a manual damper, positioned on the flywheel, which opens and closes the fan, effectively acting as a gear change.   

Doing away with the need for a heavy flywheel, and using an aluminium frame enables the Concept2 BikeErg to be exceptionally lightweight, at around just 68lbs/ 31kg, a good 11kg lighter than the Wahoo Kickr bike.

Arrival and set up

This lightweight nature and power free design means that the journey from unboxing to being up and running is remarkably swift, with just the legs, handlebars, monitor and crank arm to attach; all tools are included in the box. 

There's plenty of adjustability in terms of position: bar height, reach, saddle height and set back can all be fine-tuned using tool-free ratchet systems. 

In terms of rider requirements, this adjustability allows for an inside leg measurement of between 28inchs/ 71.3cm to 37inches/ 94cm as standard. If this rules you out, fear not as a 'Tall' seat post, which increases the inside leg height to 41inches/ 104cm, or a 'Short' seat post, which decreases it to 26inches/ 66cm is also available to purchase. 

Handlebar wise, the reach ranges between 22.25inches/ 56.5cm up to 30.25inches/ 77cm, and has 10inches/ 25cm of height at the front end, add to this saddle fore/aft of approximately 1.5inches/ 38.1mm and 16degrees of seat angle adjustment, there won't be many riders left wanting position wise.   

What you will probably still want is the ability to personalise your ride, so you'll be pleased to hear that you can swap out the handlebars (down to a 1inch/ 25.4mm clamp), and saddle. You can also swap out the pedals, which have a Q Factor of 155mm and a regular thread of 9/16in/ 20tpi. Q Factor influences how are your feet are apart as you pedal, at 155mm this is within range of standard bikes so shouldn't feel alien. However, you are stuck with the 170mm cranks. Some shorter riders favour 165mm cranks, and taller riders can prefer 175mm cranks, but this is unlikely to bother many recreational riders.

Once assembled, the Concept2 BikeErg is good to go using just the PM5 performance monitor displaying and recording data. From this alone you can see and track distance, speed, pace, calories and watts for each workout, and also choose between display options.

One simple step further is to google 'Concept2 BikeErg WOD (workout of the day)' and you are taken to the website page that offers three workouts to choose from, short, medium or long depending on your goals.  You can then follow the button sequences on the screen to program the PM5 so all you have to do is the hard work of turning the pedals for the required time, duration or distance. 

Alternatively, you can choose to use the PM5 wirelessly using ANT+ and/ or Bluetooth to connect to Concept2's own app, your own heart rate or power meter, and best of all, it's compatible with most indoor bike platforms, such as Zwift or Rouvy, Wahoo STSTM, to name but a few. 

The ride

Firstly: it's insane how smooth the Polygroove belt and air resistance are in favour of a chain.

For me personally, where rides were an hour max at a time, I loved the get on and ride simplicity option of the Concept2 BikeErg. Even after a couple of months use, I wasn't moved to swap out the bars or saddle for my own. Both were really comfortable and allowed me to get a great position.

Not having any real specific training needs at the moment, I can often just amble on a bike without purpose. Being able to log on and pre-programme the unit according to the Concept2 WOD webpage was a perfect way for me to unwind and get a decent sweaty session under my belt utilising any widow of opportunity. 

If you're a numbers junkie like me, this clear, repeatable and accurate measuring system of the PM5 will have a lot of appeal. It's an unemotional uncomplicated way of measuring progress that I find a great stress reliver. When there's no external variables to take into consideration, the numbers either point up or down, allowing you to truly measure performance over time.    

On the flipside, my partner struggles to find motivation to just 'do a session', and needs more mental stimulation. The wireless connection to hop on a Zwift ride has been the smoothest and easiest set up of all the pedals/ turbos/bikes I've used thus far, and highlights the Concept2 BikeErg's superior software functionality.  

It's worth investing in the screen mount if you are going to be opting for more online riding, as this securely holds a tablet screen. 

Talking of secure, it's impressive how stable the flyweight bike is. The two mini roller wheels at the front of the bike legs mean it's effortless to move around, making storing the bike out the way really easy, yet even during full gas sprint efforts the bike is solidly planted. 

It's also virtually noise free, with a constant 'shuushhhh'ing over a drone, or vibration baseline that turbos or exercise bikes are better known for, although it is still an air fan, so if you are pressing on, the volume will increase.

The other point to note on an air resistance bike is airflow. While I did appreciate the cooling effect of a gentle breeze, I found it slightly jarring to have it constantly and only on my left hand side.   

But the real 'ah' moment here is when you realise that in order to change gear you need to reach down to that same flywheel and physically move the damper. 

Ideally, I would like to have 'gear shift' on the bars and a centrally located flywheel to balance out the wind chill. 

Data accuracy

While you aren't getting the remote resistance control that other smart bikes can provide, you are theoretically getting absolute true data ride after ride. This means improvements are easily visible, as are areas you need to work on.

On a less positive note, taking power reading at the flywheel means that some watts are lost, when compared with more direct measurements - for instance at the crank or pedal. Attaching a pair of power meter pedals, you will see a +15 - 20% difference which is a big factor to take into consideration if you are intending to race online. 

We found  a far smaller discrepancy when comparing readings from the Peloton exercise bike against a pair of Garmin power pedals, which is disappointing as the Peloton simply uses an algorithm based upon cadence and resistance level.  

However, thanks to this strain gauge positioning, a self tensioning belt and other metrics such as air pressure in the PM5 calculation, you are consistently getting comparable data. 

The honest truth is that studies show drift among almost all popular power meters. The important take-home is that is the Concept2 BikeErg is repeatable to its own metrics, so if you want an accurate measurement of your own performance then the PM5 monitor will show you that. Our experience was just that it didn't give us bragging rights among friends, and we'd probably pair it with power meter pedals if we were to race online.

Value

The Concept2 BikeErg plugs the gap between inexpensive exercise bikes, and expensive smart bikes such as the Wahoo Kickr Bike. 

The biggest trade-off is with the mechanical flywheel damper design. Its simplicity enables the accuracy, consistent repeatability and durability for around $2.5k/ £2k less than a smart bike. But, if you want to race online, it might be a compromise too far. 

If not, the Concept2 BikeErg comes in at a third of the price of a smart bike, and it's more accurate and 'bike' like than an exercise bike will ever be, making this middle ground really appealing. 

Update: Unfortunately, following the test period - and approximately six months into use - these headphones failed, seemingly due to a fault with the charging port.

Checking the Troubleshooting page, "My OpenMove isn’t charging" is the first item listed. If we were a customer, our headphones would have been covered under the two-year warranty. However, we were pleased to notice when testing the new (and more expensive) OpenRun headphones, that the brand now uses a new proprietary charging port. We believe that this new charging mechanism is likely to reduce the chance of issues.

The rest of the review copy has not been altered since the product failure, and we left the score untouched, as this would be a warranty fix. However, it's worth bearing in mind, and we would be inclined to advise shoppers to investigate the OpenRun option.

Bone conduction headphones, like these Aftershokz OpenMove headphones, are designed to transmit sound to your auditory nerve via vibration - therefore leaving your ears open to outside noise. This makes them a valid option for cyclists who want to listen to music or podcasts when riding, whilst remaining aware of their surroundings.

Not everyone is comfortable with listening to music whilst cycling outside, but these headphones also have another use: because they don't sit in your ears, and are wireless, they're also less vulnerable to damage from sweat - which, as a regular visitor to the virtual worlds of Watopia and Sufferlandria, was my primary interest.

The OpenMove earphones are a relatively new launch from AferShokz, and they sit at a more entry-level price tag compared to the brand's other offerings (such as the AfterShokz Titanium headphones). However, they're far from basic.

Weighing in at 29g, the OpenMoves are lightweight and flexible, featuring curved ear hooks and lightly magnetic earpieces which snap to meet each other when out of use.

The loop that sits at the back of the head is made from a malleable plastic, and there is an on/off button on the right hand side as well as volume controls and a charging port which takes a USB C cable. Charing takes two hours. The system is sweat resistant, though you're advised to dry them out before charging if you do get them 'moist'.

These headphones have three modes - standard, vocal booster and ear plug mode.

The first is what you'd expect to use most of the time, using Aftershokz's 7th generation of bone conduction tech to deliver sound. Select vocal booster and higher frequencies enjoy a boost, whilst the 'ear plug' mode is for use alongside supplied foam ear plugs (these are very basic ear plugs you could buy in a pharmacy and replace easily if you have a preferred pair), lowering the volume and bass and effectively returning the sound to a standard in-ear experience. I used the standard mode most of the time.

The headphones use a Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which connects to the audio feeding device. In my case, I mainly hooked them up to my phone - usually featuring playlists from Spotify that allow me to indulge my inner punk and pretend I'm still 16-years-old whilst pounding pavements or pedals. The paired device will stay connected up to 10 metres. The connection was always quick. I did find the sound broke up briefly during some uses - leaving the vocalist omitting staccato oddities into my ears - but this was occasional and always very short-lived (sub 20 seconds).

The battery lasts a claimed six hours of continuous use (10 days on standby), and I never found myself disappointed with the duration between charges. I did manage to run them out accidentally several times - because I'd end the session by closing down the app in use (eg, Spotify), remove the headphones and fail to press the on/off button. Typically I'd realise a few hours later when I could faintly hear them emitting the sound of a phone call or random Facebook cat video at the foot of the stairs where I'd discarded them.

The actual audio was always good - always full-bodied and never tinny. I did find that I could sometimes hear it having removed the headphones, more so than with in-ear options, so it is worth testing this to avoid being that anti-social person playing your tunes to the (albeit socially distant) train carriage. Regardless, I was impressed that I could always hear what was going on around me, walking into town to the tune of the raucous Girl Anachronism by my favourite punk cabaret band, for example, I could hear every car from a reasonable distance. This is notable because other bone-conducting headphones tested by the Cycling Weekly team have been less successful - with outside noises not audible over the sound of the music, pretty much defeating the object.

Training indoors the earphones stayed in place despite my sweating profusely, and I also used these for gym sessions without them budging. I'd never be able to complete kettlebell swings in my back garden using wired or in-ear headphones, and I also wouldn't want to force the neighbours to listen to an hour of industrial metal - so these provided a perfect solution.

There's always a "but", and for me it was the fit of the headphones and the feel of the vibrations. I have quite a small head, and the 'loop' behind my neck was quite long. It's not adjustable, leaving a strange overhang. This was particularly irritating on the occasion that I decided to go for a walk wearing my prescription glasses, a winter hat, and the headphones. I kept having to adjust them to keep it all in place. That said, I've never had much luck with in-ear headphones either, and at least in this case I was never at risk of losing the earbud.

The vibration is part and parcel of using bone-conducting headphones. However, I never fully got used to it. This was more noticeable on some tracks than others, the bass booms during the intro to 'London Calling' by The Clash, for example, were particularly disconcerting. If I used the headphones for over an hour, I'd get a nagging niggle approaching the onset of a headache - so I'm not sure I'd want to use them for much longer. However, habitual users might be accustomed to this - and the bone-conducting tech does allow you to remain open to noises outside of your own audio world whilst eliminating the issue of sweat damage.

Traditionally, heart rate straps have always come with a product. Be it a Polar watch, or any GPS device that sits on your bike or wrist. The heart rate monitor would link with that product, and, as tech improved over time, that product alone. (Riding with a Polar in the 1990s it wasn't uncommon to confuse the device if riding with someone else using one.)

Thanks to phone apps that can record your data this has all changed and the Wahoo Tickr is sold as a stand-alone product.  Used with the Wahoo app can give you the majority of ride data you'll need through use of your phone's GPS. So if you exercise with your phone and only want some basic info there is no need to purchase another device - A good affordable introduction in to fitness tracking

Download the Wahoo app, sign up and enter your details (age, height, gender and weight) and off you go. You can also enter your FTP if known, and your maximum and resting heart rates. From there it will calculate your training zones (see below for more) to help decipher a training session and track your progress. The app will of course connect to your favourite fitness tracking app (Strava, Training Peaks, Komoot, RideWithGPS and many more) to upload and store your details after a workout.

For riders with other devices the Tickr will connect seamlessly if our experience is anything to go by. With both Bluetooth and ANT+ there's nothing it won't talk to. Other Wahoo devices are a given, we also used it with an old Garmin 520, a Garmin Forerunner watch and Zwift. All of them linked quickly to the Tickr. It will hold three simultaneous connections to different devices meaning you can ride on a virtual platform while also capturing it on a GPS device - should you need to. The device has a claimed reach of 10ft.

The Tickr comes in two parts, the elastic strap, which includes the sensors, and the pod which holds the battery and all electronics. It's this part that transmits info to external devices. The pod sits in the middle of your chest and attaches on either side to the strap with a popper, the metal in which makes the connection by which the sensors communicate with the pod.

The fit of the strap is superb. Gone are the days of an eight-inch harder plastic front section sitting across your chest (think back to the old Garmin or Polar straps) with the ultra slim sensors now moulded to the back of the elastic. These bend and twist in any direction giving a perfect fit around your rib cage. I foroet it was there after a while. The strap never slipped out of position or sat off of my chest . Even when running it stayed perfectly in place and didn't need to be uncomfortably tight to hold its position.

Wahoo Tickr Accuracy

Any heart rate monitor is only as good as the data it gives. While the Tickr never dropped a signal while I used it, it did flat line a few times. It took a while for me to notice this as it usually flatlined at a HR that was about right for the effort I was putting in. Check out the heart rate trace below. I hovered the cursor at the flatline section which I noticed as it was clearly too low for the effort I was putting in. It displayed an HR of 116 for just over two minutes, never varying from that during that period. You can see another flatline just before it of about a minute-and-a-half and a few very small ones just before that.

When I noticed it on the ride I popped the pod off one popper then put it back in to try and reset it, but the HR number on my Garmin 520 stayed at 116. Although it was a hot day, around 32 degrees, the strap felt dry to the touch. I poured some water from my bottle on to my chest and soon after it started reading as I'd expect. But that could have been a coincidence. Going back to look at the data from a previous ride I noticed the same flat spots occurring.

At this stage I checked in with Wahoo who sent an Element ROAM over for me to try it with, but the issue remained so a replacement strap was sent. Not a great start for a test product, but Wahoo were quick to replace it and assured us that this would be a warranty issue so no need to worry as a paying customer. The two traces below taken from Strava show two much more realistic HR traces from two separate rides with the strap. Problem solved and I was happy the Tickr was performing how it should.

There is no definitive or industry standard measure of how accurate an HR strap's data is, although Wahoo say they test the Tickr against a number of known heart rate devices. It's something you can also measure yourself. Put the strap on, find your pulse in your wrist or neck and start counting. You can check this against the red LED light (see below) or the HR displayed on your app or external device. It is clearly much more accurate than the wrist based infrared lights (photoplethysmography) method, so I used the strap whenever out exercising with my running watch.

Wahoo Tickr LED lights

The Tickr comes with two LED lights on the top of the pod not visible below, but both clearly visible as soon as you put it on. This gives instant feedback of it's status. When clipped together the blue LED will flash slowly to tell you it's awake and looking to pair with a device. Four quick flashes of the blue LED means a connection has been made. Quick flashes of the blue LED means it's paired to a device while the red LED with flash with your heart rate. Both turn off after 30 seconds to save battery life, so that red flash is just there to tell you it's picked up your heart rate, it's not something to keep checking if you're exercising without a top, ie on a turbo.

Wahoo training zones

The Wahoo app will auto-calculate both power and HR training zones, using the parameters below. The power thresholds do seem slightly contradictory when swapping between six seven and eight zones. For example, using my FTP of 228 (no laughing at the back please) the six zone formula gives my lactacte threshold zone a range of 202 - 234w, but switch to the eight zone parameters and steady state is listed as 202 - 234w with threshold intervals at 235 - 267w. Worth remembering that these are guides, and you'll either need a bit of experimentation to work out what's best for you, or input from a coach.

Wahoo Tickr Specifications

The Tickr weighs in at 48 grams and is powered by a CR2032 coin battery (common in many watches and power metres). This should give it around 500hrs of battery life and is easily replaced when appropriate. As with most devices, open the back by inserting a coin in to the slot and turn. The strap is handwashable while the pod is water resistant to five ft. The elastic strap is adjustable from 23 to 48 inches

I’ve had a long time with the Stages power meter and know many riding buddies that use it. When it works it is great, readings are stable, it is subtle and hidden out of the way and it weighs next to nothing.

Over the years we’ve not had too many issues with our test models but this one in particular has been a little faulty and we are not alone.

>>> How to train with a power meter

Since the firmware and hardware update water ingress has reduced, though cold temperatures and damp conditions drain the battery super quick with many having to take spare coin cell battery out with them to ensure they aren’t caught short – there has been instances when the battery dies after one ride too.

Buy it now from Evans Cycles for £649

One of our Stages power meters refused to pair with a Garmin 500. It seems if you can get really unlucky with the reliability of Stages power meters, where others run without issue.

In my experience it read slightly higher than other power meters too, personally this isn’t too much of a problem, unless you change your power meter, as at least it is constantly reading high. Though the within two per cent accuracy is one of the highest on test, improvements are needed.

It is worth factoring in that because the measurement is left side only, the overall power measurement can be inaccurate if you have an imbalance. For this reason I wouldn't suggest the Stages power meter for athletes recovering from single leg injuries.

Video - how to test your critical power

If you want an idea of the power you produce and like to keep the look of your bike clean the the Stages power meter is a good option. Stages also means you can still use the same crankset and wheelsets you love, though it can bring problems, especially in the battery department - be sure to take out some spares!

There are days when you wake up, your legs are already hurting and you think "nope, today I'm not gonna make it". But then you get in the saddle and after a first shock, you actually realise you're in a pretty good shape and smash it.

>>> Should power meters be banned from pro racing?

It is unbelievable, you think, but actually, if you had a SuperOp you would have found first thing in the morning that your "metabolic stress" was actually not that bad and - consequently  - the training load for that day could be medium/hard.

To simplify things a little, SuperOp is a light and compact heart rate and blood pressure you put on your wrist before getting out of bed in the morning, sending the data via Bluetooth to the paired smartphone app (available for Android and iOS). SuperOp will also require you to indicate the amount of training and its intensity from the previous day's session, although these numbers will not effect the metabolic stress level.

>>> Interval training: an essential guide of cycling performance

After having entered the blood pressure and hearth rate data, an algorithm will calculate what your metabolic stress level is (i.e. a number that indicates what your fatigue is and how much you've recovered) and also tells you how hard you ideally should train in the day. SuperOp is the result of more than 20 years of studies conducted by Prof. Marco De Angelis, lecturer in Training Methodologies at the University of L’Aquila.

Training according to your physiological condition, the company says, is a key to optimise the super compensation, which is the performances improvement process that the body goes through's after a training session. But this process can be truly achieved day after day only if you train smart and following your body condition, and this is what the Italian company says is the SuperOp's main feature. SuperOp can also be used by coaches as they can monitor athletes' status through Trainer Vista, a platform developed from SuperOp website.

Watch: what are training zones?

For the period I have tried SuperOp so far (more than a month with hard training sessions and an Ironman in between), this machine has really blown my mind. It does not only get the real stress and gives you the right advice, but it can also surprise you in a big way.

Particularly when you wake up in the morning and you don't feel good at all and, contrary, SuperOp tells you that you should train at high intensity as you're not in a bad shape after all. Big surprise then, when you hop on the bike and discover the legs are actually working very well. Paolo Gambini, one of the SuperOp co-founder together with Maurizio Binello, said that this is also given by the fact that sometimes you don't sleep well and you feel tired, but actually your muscles have recovered.

Just few more details didn't convinced me 100 per cent of SuperOp. First the previous training quantity and intensity; being able just to give a number from 1 to 5 is a bit too general and not very accurate. The company said this numbers won't affect the stress level indicator, which is based on the physiological stats only and it is calculated from the history of your measurements (the training ones being mostly used for coaches to track the training load).

>>> Turbo training sessions: get the most out of your indoor training

Secondly, I noticed that the data - particularly in the two-week period of data collection - changed quite much from a very first measurement in the morning and a second one immediately after (both taken in bed and still not having stood up). Gambini says the the very first one in the morning is the one that really counts - and doing a second one because you're not happy about the data it's just wrong (I confess was one of those athletes).

Finally, in a cycling world increasingly driven by data and stats, SuperOp is definitely a product that can improve your performances.  However, I'm also from that school of thought that, even if it tells you to train lightly and contrary you feel good on the bike, my suggestion is still don't look too much at the power and just go for it.

It comes in two models (one for less than 40 ppm and without Bluetooth) and two different prices: £185 for the Bluetooth-enabled model and £168 for the standard model (plus £10 shipping).

For more information visit the SuperOp website.

You might have the best bike, wheels and nutrition – but this can all be undermined if you are not getting sufficient recovery to perform at your best.

>>> Road bike wheels: buyer's guide (video)

Although there is limited research into sleep and athletic performance, it is generally accepted that good quality sleep is paramount for adequate recovery from hard exercise.

>>> Top tips to sleep better and ride faster

In its quest to find ‘marginal gains’ British Cycling turned to prominent elite sport sleep coach Nick Littlehales. Littlehales said: “The best way to get good quality sleep is to stick to a routine – principally you need to redefine your approach and then stick to it.”

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As part of his support to British Cycling Littlehales supplied them with the Elite R90 sleep kits, which includes a R90 mattress.

What makes the R90 different?

One of the main USPs of the R90 is its customisation, enthused Littlehales: “You can walk into any store and they’ll sell you a mattress. However, does it really provide what you want? Does it match your individual physique and needs?”

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When purchasing a R90 mattress a customer first takes part in a sleep profile consultation. This involves completing a questionnaire that covers, amongst others: height, weight, body shape, current mattress and your sleep characteristics (such as being an early riser or a night owl).

Based on your answers Littlehales will select the optimum mattress for you.

“You don’t want the same mattress for someone who is 190cm and weighs 100kg as you do for someone who is 165cm and 65kg.”

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There are three basic mattress options reflecting the three main different body types: Ecto (Ectomorph),  Meso (mesomorph), Endo (endomorph).

By adding other items - such as a R90 postureMax mattress topper (different depths 50mm or 80mm) or a R90 bodyPro comforter to account for different shoulder dimensions and body shapes - you can create a bespoke product set-up.

The Mattress

The mattress selected for testing was the R90 Meso UK King which retails at £684 (prices range from £396 to £828). The mattress is 20cm deep and 152cm wide and 200cm long.

When boxed and roll packed for delivery (storage) the mattress weighs 30kg and the box is 35cm x 35cm x 160 cm in length.

The theory is that this reduces carbon footprint (i.e. reduces transit costs) and makes for easier storage until when you want to install the mattress.

After unwrapping the mattress you have to let it breath for 24 hours – this is to let it return to its normal state/shape and to allow the manufacturing odour to dissipate.

The mattress has an outer cover that is fully removable & machine washable – to help you keep a fresh sleeping environment.

The top section of the mattress is made from pro viscoelastic (PVE) foam and has indentations and channels cut away from the surface. Since remaining cool is fundamental to effective sleep the theory is that this enhances airflow and breathability. In addition the channels are said to support your weight and adapt to your natural sleeping environment.

Beneath the PVE section there is a high density pro-flex 70 foam core designed to distribute your body weight.

"A mattress that fits your physical profile should provide support where you need it and promote the correct sleeping position," explained Littlehales.

Test

“A new mattress will initially make you sleep better, but within a short period you’ll go back to your old process," said Littlehales. "The key is to adopt a sustainable routine."

There are several factors to improving your sleep for the long term (such as understanding the seven key sleep recovery indicators; adopting a pre and post sleep routine which could involve reducing distractions before bed; and a consistent wake up time).

Having the correct mattress is only one part of that process.

To put the mattress to the test I recorded my sleep for four weeks living my normal life and then recorded my quality of sleep over another four week period when trying to adopt Littlehales’ recommendations.

To record the quality of my sleep I used an unobtrusive sleep tracker, Beddit. Beddit claims to be “the most convenient and clinically validated sleep tracker.”

It is easy to install – you download the Beddit smartphone app, attach what is in effect an adhesive strip to the top of your mattress and plug it into a power socket.

In short the Beddit is a sensor that detects your heart rate, breathing and movement to provide a range of data, including: total amount of sleep; how long you took to fall asleep; your sleep pattern (when you go to bed and wake up); your heart rate throughout the night; when you left the bed; sleep efficiency (how long in bed was actually spent asleep); amount of restless sleep (triggered by lots of movement during the night).

>>> Can delayed onset muscle soreness be avoided?

Based on this information it gives you an overall SleepScore out of 100. 100 is said to be the perfect night's sleep but anything from 75 and above is classed by Beddit as a good night's sleep.

Results

In the first part of the test I lived my normal life, which involved exercising in the late evening, going out to see friends and irregular sleep patterns.

Although my overall Beddit SleepScore fluctuated slightly (at times it was in the 50s), on average it was between 70 and 75 (out of the maximum 100); my heart rate varied but often was in the mid 40s; restless sleep was low with the maximum reading being 32 minutes; my sleep efficiency was close to 85 per cent (which Beddit says is desirable).

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As Littlehales predicted, I noticed an immediate difference with the R90 mattress. The real test would be whether I still felt the same in weeks three and four.

I did my best to adhere to a Littlehales' guidelines - primarily, trying to achieve five 90 minute sleep cycles (a total of 7.5 hours sleep a night); switching off tech (TV, tablet and mobile phone) 90 minutes before my aimed-for bed time; and to keep a consistent getting up time.

The R90 mattress was noticeably more supportive than previous mattresses I have used and kept me significantly cooler. I expected my sleep efficiency and overall SleepScore to spike immediately.

Six ways to improve your sleep and ride faster

In fact, it took me a few days to get used to the new mattress, but once acclimatised there was a steady improvement in both my perceived sleep quality and the feedback from the Beddit.

Over the four week period my sleep efficiency moved to being consistently towards 90 per cent, my average heart rate dropped by 4 beats, the amount of recorded restless sleep also reduced, and the overall SleepScores save for the odd blip were over 75 and often above 80.

Conclusions

The test is obviously not without flaws, but also reflected the difficulty of sticking to a strict regime.

The Beddit is user friendly and straightforward. Nontheless, at times it produced anomalous readings (such as saying I had left the bed when I had not) and the usefulness of the data for testing is debatable.

That said, the mattress made a noticeable difference to my sleep (both perceived and supported by the Beddit) and it is undoubtedly a great tool to improve your sleep quality.

However, in isolation it will not transform your sleep quality. To do so requires discipline and commitment to remove bad habits, such as accessing social media within 90 minutes of planned sleep and not waking up at a consistent point.

Compared to a standard mattress the R90 is fairly expensive, however its price point is competitive - if not slightly lower - than other mattresses that are claimed to be sport focussed.

In order to establish what the performance benefit of an altitude tent might be, Cycling Weekly got hold of a unit from the Altitude Centre.

What is it?

By sleeping in a tent at a simulated high altitude, you reduce the amount of oxygen you are able to breathe in, which forces the body to increase its red blood cell count. Then, when you train back at sea level, you are able to compete more effectively because a greater amount of oxygen is now being delivered to your muscles than before.

>>> Bike Fitting. Which approach is best?

Not everyone has the luxury of training at altitude, so many people, cyclists in particular, hire altitude tents or hypoxic chambers which they will sleep in to get the same effect. Some cyclists have been known to train in them, with some pitching them up over their desk at work.

I hired an altitude tent and slept in it for a month. We all want to be faster and are looking for ways to become faster and fitter. Altitude training can do that, so I decided to try sleeping in an altitude tent to see if an amateur club cyclist, such as myself, could benefit and see a physiological improvement. I was also keen to establish how easy it is to use and live with. Would it disrupt my sleep? Would my girlfriend mind?

>>> The three Rs of recovery

What does it consist of?

Firstly, there is a tent. Our test model is designed to fit over a queen sized bed, with your mattress inside, although other sizes are available. Some tents are large enough that you can comfortably set up an exercise bike or treadmill inside.

The next crucial piece is the hypoxic generator. This is connected to the tent via a tube, and it is this unit which regulates the atmosphere inside the tent.

The tent simulates the atmospheric oxygen concentration at 2,700 metres above sea level — roughly the height of the Stelvio Pass.

You can use the control to set the altitude you want and it ranges from 0m to 3,962m, which is roughly from sea level to the height of the Eiger in Switzerland.

The other bits of kit are an air filter which fits over the end of the tube and an Oximeter. The filter cleans the air of pollution, pollen and microbes, whilst the Oximeter is used to monitor your heart rate and oxygen saturation levels.

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In healthy individuals at sea level, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is typically 98-100%. Whilst at 2350m our saturation is likely to drop to around 87-92%. Our heart rate is likely to be higher too.

The guidelines for using the tent suggest you record your blood oxygen saturation and resting heart rate every morning.

How much does it cost?

In the world of elite sport, marginal gains and Olympic gold medals, the price of renting or hiring an altitude tent almost becomes insignificant to professional athletes. But to the club athlete looking to boost their performance in a Grand Fondo or race, the price may be more restrictive.

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The system we have on test can be rented from the Altitude Centre for £450 a month or purchased outright for around £4,000. That is a serious amount of money for most of us.

How does an altitude tent make you fitter?

In 2012 Sir Bradley Wiggins spent considerable periods of time living at altitude on Mount Teide, Tenerife. This training proved very successful, with Wiggins going on to win the Tour de France, Olympic gold and a whole host of other stage races.

The idea is that you sleep in the tent at simulated high altitude and continue training at or around sea level. The tent simulates altitude by reducing the oxygen content of the air you breathe.

At sea level air contains 21% oxygen, whilst at 3000m there is effectively 14% oxygen. The composition of the air remains the same at altitude, what differs is the partial pressure, meaning the molecules are further apart (i.e. the air is thinner).

Dr Mark Cole, a lecturer in integrative physiology at the University of Nottingham School of Life Sciences informed us that "live high train low makes sense from a physiological perspective, because from the limited studies that have been done, it seems to offer the biggest effect. It enables you to maintain high intensity training loads, that you wouldn’t be able to do at lower oxygen."

With regards to how to body responds, Dr Cole told us "the kidneys sense that there is less oxygen available and that kicks off a whole series of cellular events in the kidney which results in cells in your bone marrow being released into the blood stream, which then promotes growth of red blood cells. You may get a measurable response within 10 days to two weeks."

How did we test this?

In order to see if this tent will give us any improvement we needed to do some tests before and after sleeping in the tent. Cycling Weekly spoke to leading experts to establish the sorts of things we should look at. Dr Max Testa, Chief Medical Officer of the BMC Racing Team told us "you can do tests before and after to see the effects of altitude, you can do heamatocrit, but a haemoglobin test is most important."

Dr Cole informed us, "haematocrit and haemoglobin are the primary indicators of exercise capacity because they have been shown to be some of the limiting factors, in terms of supplying oxygen to muscle.

"Haematocrit gives you a measure of how many red blood cells you have in a set volume of blood. A ballpark figure for humans is 43% in 1mL of blood, but it can vary considerably. Heamoglobin level is intrinsically tied to how many red blood cells you have, because the haemoglobin is contained within red blood cells and is the part which actually carries the oxygen, so it can be offloaded at the cells."

Our Experiment

• A baseline haematocrit test (volume of red blood cells in blood).
• A baseline haemoglobin test (protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen to body tissue and returns carbon dioxide back to the lungs).
• A baseline 20 min FTP (functional threshold power) test
• A baseline ramp test at sea level and at altitude.

I slept in the tent for a month then repeated the above tests post tent.

As a disclaimer, it is worth noting that this experiment is by no means definitive and not the most scientific, considering we only have a sample size of one.

While different protocols for using altitude tents exist, I couldn't test everything in the time available. Factoring this in, I decided to follow the protocol that the Altitude Centre advises. This involved sleeping in the tent for one month for typically 8-9 hours a night, and not training in it.

Results and discussion

Before I get on to the numbers, I should say that the tent wasn’t the easiest piece of equipment to get along with.

I’m a good sleeper, but I found the tent hot and dry and my sleep quality was affected. Sleep plays a huge role in recovery after cycling, so this was potentially a big issue.

I did however focus on trying to get plenty of sleep, probably about 1.5 hours more a night than normal.

This required the discipline of not watching Newsnight, procrastinating on the internet or getting lured in by the start of Predator at 10pm on BBC1 (we've all been there).

I should also point out that the tent did create a hypoxic environment and I measured my blood oxygen saturation every morning using the oximeter. My Sp02 was 85-89% when in the tent and when not in the tent my blood oxygen was 99-100%.

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The blood test results suggest there was no change in my haematocrit or haemoglobin levels, as the slight differences lie within the realms of experimental error.

However, I did feel in great shape after sleeping in the tent and my 20 min power was significantly higher, at just over five watts per kilogram.

To add further weight to this, I took part in three criteriums after sleeping in the tent and placed second, fifth and third.

Although no physiological change was observed in my blood values, it may not necessarily mean there was no improvement. “Plasma volume [the fluid red blood cells are contained in] can increase with training, resulting in a lower haematocrit,’ says Dr. Mark Cole, who oversaw the testing.

“This may be working against any increase in haematocrit resulting from hypoxia, resulting in a neutral blood result.”

When I performed my second ramp test in the altitude chamber, I was able to reach the same result at 700m higher than before. This could have been down to physical adaptations, improved fitness, a placebo, or combination of these.

Is it worth it?

It’s hard to tell, some individuals appear to benefit more than others. Dr Cole explains that "the response to altitude between individuals varies a great deal — with the limited amount of properly conducted research available, some people show a very strong response, others show modest or no improvement in performance."

Dr Testa pointed out that "there is no one size fits all; some people don’t have a big response, they are insensitive". Whereas "other people are quick responders. Some recreational guys tell me that they have spent five days at altitude and they come back feeling that everything is much easier."

From my experience I would suggest you factor in the quality of sleep you will get in the tent, as it can be affected. Convincing a partner to use the tent too is not going to be easy, and the high cost can’t be ignored.

Although my FTP increased significantly it is important to think about where that improvement came from. I was training, sleeping and eating well during the experiment.

In addition, I was highly motivated and felt good. My improvement could potentially have just been down to a well structured, good quality block of focused training.

There is potential for a placebo effect too. Placebos can be a powerful thing and are currently at the cutting edge of science. Peer-reviewed studies repeatedly show that if you believe something is going to make you better/faster, it often will. I may have benefitted from a placebo effect.

Thanks to Dr Mark Cole and the University of Nottingham School of Life Sciences for their help in this feature. For more information on renting or buying altitude systems, head over to the Altitude Centre.

Five breakfasts for cyclists

While my first encounter found the scrub to be a little abrasive after a dry ride, used after damper rides, the multi-sized granules were perfect for removing road muck adhered to my skin.

Smelling of bubble gum, the gel doesn't whip you into a lather but still leaves you feeling clean and fresh. As a sensitive little soul, I was happy to find it didn't irritate or dry my skin.