I’ve been using a dedicated bike computer for six years, ever since Garmin introduced its now iconic Edge 530 model back in 2019. Before that, I relied on an old Suunto Core smartwatch to record my ride metrics, but for a brief period, I also tried using my iPhone. Frankly, back then, neither watch nor smartphone was up to the job, so I took the plunge and invested in the Garmin.

Six years on, I’ve upgraded my Edge 530 to an Edge 1050, primarily to take advantage of the larger, brighter screen, and I’ve also added Favero Assioma Pro MX power pedals and a Garmin Varia RTL515 radar unit. Like most cyclists, I love my metrics, and I value my safety.

What I’m less keen on is the growing mountain of costly tech I’m accumulating. I also find it particularly frustrating to carry two powerful devices on every ride – my head unit and my phone. Surely, a modern smartphone should be capable of doing everything an expensive head unit can?

On paper, at least, the Cadence app pretty much promises just that. My brief attempt to ride solely with a smartphone more than half a decade ago failed miserably because, even then, bike computers were far more advanced than any app.

Ironically, Cadence launched only a few months after I invested in my Edge 530, but at least that means it has had a good five years to mature. Of course, bike computers – whether Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead, or Coros – have advanced significantly since then too. Is a phone app now capable enough to rival the best bike computers? I was curious to find out, so I left my Edge 1050 languishing in a drawer for a week, relying solely on my iPhone and a freshly installed version of Cadence.

Getting set up to ride

I found Cadence easier to get to grips with than a new bike computer, mainly because I was already familiar with the hardware – my trusty iPhone – and the user interface, which follows a similar logic to any other well-designed app. Apparently, the Android version shares the same functionality as the iOS app, and there’s a dedicated Apple Watch app too.

Cadence is a multisport app that also supports runners, so it will ask you which is your primary activity. Whether you choose ‘Run’ or ‘Bike’, you’ll be able to track either pursuit in the future. You’ll also be asked for your date of birth and current weight, so it can calculate physiological metrics, such as the number of calories burned during an activity. If you plan to use Cadence for basic ride stats – time, distance, and so on – and navigation, then you’re all set. If you want to track more in-depth metrics like heart rate, power, and cadence, or connect a radar such as my Garmin Varia unit, you’ll need to add the appropriate sensors via Bluetooth. The same applies for linking an Apple Watch and ActiveLook glasses.

Trust me, this process is much smoother on a smartphone than using the small screen on a bike computer. My Favero pedals, Wahoo heart rate strap, and Varia Radar were all recognised and added instantly. Reconnection on subsequent rides has also remained trouble-free.

Cadence will attempt to estimate heart rate and power zones, but if you already have accurate numbers that work well for you, you can adjust them manually, a simple process that also enables you to add your maximum heart rate and FTP figures.

A thorough exploration of the setup menu will enable you to alter a myriad of options, including theme styles and colours, data formats, map settings and screen layouts. However, the defaults are so effective there’s little reason to alter anything until you’ve gained a real feel for the app and know what you aim to achieve from it.

The functionality is exhaustive. Cadence ships with seven default screens – general, map, navigation, running, climbing, treadmill and lap stats – but you can add or delete as many as you like, building any of the 150 available metrics into between one and 24 data fields per screen.

Many cyclists will also appreciate the opportunity to connect and share data with Apple Health, Strava, and MyBikeTraffic.com.

The rides

During the summer, I cycle for seven to ten hours a week, typically taking a moderate one-hour ride every weekday, followed by a longer ride and a rest day on the weekend.

The Cadence experience is remarkably similar to using a dedicated head unit. With my phone secured to my bars using a Quad Lock mount, initiating the ride is simply a matter of hitting the big red start button and stamping on the pedals.

Two qualities are immediately apparent. First, my iPhone screen is brighter, crisper and, of course, larger than that of any bike computer, making it so much easier to perceive metrics at a glance. Second, swiping between screens is easier because the target is so much bigger.

When I used Cadence’s navigation features on my longer rides, it was, once again, the quality and size of the screen that was most apparent. Searching for a destination or importing a route is child’s play, but it’s the screen real estate that impresses most.

My Garmin Radar worked faultlessly with Cadence, with the traffic band on the right side of my iPhone screen mimicking the experience I enjoy on my Edge 1050. The Live Tracking also functioned reliably.

Post-ride analysis

Although I record rides and their related metrics on my bike computer, I always analyse the data on my phone, which involves syncing between devices. This is usually instantaneous, but sometimes it takes a few minutes or longer, which can be somewhat irritating. With Cadence, of course, this is never an issue because everything is stored within the app, including all past ride data.

Analytics are rich and powerful, providing detailed statistics that cover everything from speed and power to laps, splits, and even the number of vehicles detected by your radar, along with their speed. Excluding proprietary metrics, such as Garmin’s Grit and Flow figures, the breadth of data is up there with any bike computer I have ever tested.

Is Cadence for me?

Cadence is impressive, but using your phone as a bike computer is not without its shortcomings. Modern smartphones have much improved battery life, but they struggle to compete with bike computers, such as the Coros Dura, that can go weeks without needing to be charged. The solution is to ride with a backup power pack, an option that may still be lighter than carrying both a phone and a bike computer.

Smartphones are more susceptible to damage than dedicated head units, which are designed to withstand the rigours of bike life. However, rugged, weather-resistant cases from brands such as Quad Lock can negate the risks from knocks and heavy rain.

Finally, if, like me, you’re already committed to a brand’s ecosystem – in my case, Garmin’s – it can be a wrench to switch to another platform. However, since Cadence integrates seamlessly with Strava and Apple Health, cycling and running data can still be consolidated with your other health and performance metrics for more holistic evaluation.

If I were thinking of investing in a bike computer for the first time, I would seriously consider Cadence as an option. Not least because it offers a like-for-like feature set at a significantly lower cost – $39.99 a year for Cadence Elite, the app’s most function-rich version.

Similarly, if I were planning to upgrade my computer but wanted a bigger screen for increased legibility, then Cadence would be on my shortlist.

There’s no doubting the magic of MyWhoosh and its ability to enable us to ride anytime, anywhere – all from the comfort of our own home.

But the free-to-use virtual cycling app also offers us the opportunity to sync our training with our body’s natural energy peaks and dips – to enhance performance in the saddle, optimize recovery and boost one’s motivation.

MyWhoosh offers riders a range of workouts and training programs, including those designed for Tadej Pogačar, by his coach, Javier Sola. Whether you’re squeezing in a quick interval session before the school run or carving out time for a long virtual ride on a Sunday morning, MyWhoosh adapts to your schedule and supports your goals.

Tuning into your body clock

With its round-the-clock training options, flexible workouts, and immersive environments, MyWhoosh is an ideal platform for syncing your fitness journey with your lifestyle. And also your biology - maximising not just your performance, but your consistency and motivation too.

Your body runs on a finely tuned internal clock known as the circadian rhythm; a natural, 24-hour cycle that governs everything from your sleep-wake patterns to hormone release, body temperature, and, crucially, physical performance.

By aligning your training with these biological rhythms, you can tap into your body’s natural peaks in energy, alertness, and strength, and avoid times when fatigue or sluggishness are more likely to set in.

Early mornings might be ideal for low-intensity endurance work, while afternoon and early evening hours often bring a rise in core temperature and muscular efficiency, making them prime time for high-intensity sessions or personal bests. Similarly, recognising when your body is primed for recovery - such as post-exercise during the evening wind-down - can help you make the most of rest and regeneration.

Be a Morning person

Morning Power Surge (6–10 a.m.) Best time for tougher workouts. Research shows that our core body temperature and cortisol levels begin to rise, upon waking and through the morning, boosting alertness, power output, and performance potential.

MyWhoosh strategy: Tackle FTP builders, HIIT intervals, or pre-recorded VOD (Video on demand) sessions from elite coaches. Use MyWhoosh's Workout Builder to schedule intense sessions while your body is naturally primed.

Tip: Eat a light carbohydrate-rich breakfast 60–90 minutes beforehand to fuel effort and maximise gains.

Light Lunch

Midday Reset (12–2 p.m.) Light recovery or mental refresh. Our alertness typically dips around lunchtime, making it a great time for active recovery or low-stress aerobic riding.

MyWhoosh strategy: Log in for a gentle solo ride through scenic worlds or do a short Zone 2 VOD session. This maintains training consistency without taxing your system.

Tip: Combine with a day nap or stretch session to restore energy and stabilise your sleep-wake cycle.

Afternoon Boost (4–7 p.m.) Social rides and peak endurance workouts. As our body temperature peaks in the late afternoon, reaction time improves, and strength and flexibility are at their highest—ideal for performance and coordination-heavy activities.

MyWhoosh strategy: Join a live coaching session, or coordinate a club ride. The social element and peak performance timing make this window ideal for pushing limits while having fun.

Tip: Fuel with a balanced meal two to three hours beforehand and hydrate well to support extended efforts.

Night riders

Evening wind-down (8–10 p.m.): Casual rides and recovery focus. The brain’s melatonin (sleep hormone) production begins to rise as your body prepares for sleep. Avoiding intense efforts now helps you wind down naturally.

MyWhoosh strategy: Use the app for recovery rides, casual social runs, or to watch previous VODs for inspiration and learning. Earn coins, plan gear upgrades, and scout new events via the Season Pass.

Tip: Use screen night modes or blue-light blockers if training later in the evening

Get Started with MyWhoosh

By syncing your training with your body’s natural rhythm, you not only improve performance - you make fitness a sustainable, rewarding part of your day. With MyWhoosh’s unmatched flexibility, global racing events, and community-driven features, it’s easy to create a personalised training schedule that works for your lifestyle, not against it. Start by downloading the MyWhoosh app on iOS, Android, MacOS or PC, check out the essentials you'll need below and then get riding!

• Smart trainer (and bike) or smart bike
• Compatible device (tablet, smartphone, or PC/Mac)
• Heart rate monitor (optional for deeper metrics)
• (Find out more about compatible devices here)

Long weekender

Weekend warrior zone: Long rides and social immersion, with fewer time constraints, weekends are ideal for longer sessions and building community.

MyWhoosh strategy: Join endurance rides, longer training blocks, or team events. Try seasonal missions. MyWhoosh's rich virtual worlds, challenges, events and races and $1M prize pool provide year-round motivation.

Tip: Plan key weekend rides around your natural high-performance times (late morning or early evening) to maximise enjoyment and output.

Night owls and busy bees

Flexible options for every schedule: Some people naturally peak later in the day - MyWhoosh makes it easy to tailor training to your individual rhythm.

MyWhoosh strategy: Use on-demand sessions anytime, from late night spins to midday stress-busting runs. The app caters to triathletes, avid cyclists, and amateur riders alike.

Tip: Even just 20-minute bursts in a quiet moment can help keep consistency and mood stable - track progress and stay connected socially.

Recovery, nutrition, and sleep

The forgotten third of performance: Sleep is where adaptation happens, and syncing training with your body clock can reduce stress and boost results.

MyWhoosh strategy: Incorporate recovery rides, rest days, and gentle runs into your plan. Use the data tracking feature to monitor signs of fatigue and overtraining.

Tip: Investigate consistent 90-minute sleep cycles, take power naps between 1–3 p.m., and avoid tech and meals late at night for deeper recovery.

If you're shopping for a new bike this May bank holiday weekend and half term, then making Decathlon UK your first port of call could see you bag big savings as well as help your old bike find a proud new owner.

Decathlon has been running its BuyBack scheme – which lets you trade-in your pre-loved sporting gear for gift cards worth up to 40% off your next purchase – since 2023.

However, from Friday 23rd May - to Sunday 1st June Decathlon members, both new and existing, can grab an extra 20% bonus on top of the standard BuyBack value of their unwanted gear in any Decathlon store - becoming a Decathlon member is free.

Not only will you get money off of your new bike, but Decathlon's experts will refurbish and repair your old gear before selling it in its Second Life marketplace.

Once Decathlon has confirmed the trade-in value of your pre-loved equipment – it especially encourages you trade pre-loved bikes but also accepts, among other things camping gear, golf clubs and fitness equipment from any brand – you can go shopping!

For cyclists, this means you can save money on the brilliant range of Van Rysel cycling kit, and even one of the best road bikes on the market – the Van Rysel RCR, ridden by WorldTour team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.

How the Decathlon Buyback program works

Decathlon's Bank Holiday and Half Term Buyback Event bonus is available to Decathlon Members and accepts 50 different items across more than 15 sports and activity categories, including Cycling, Watersports, Golf, Horse Riding, Racquet Sports (Tennis, Padel, Badminton, Squash), Combat Sports, GPS & Smartwatches, Textiles, Camping, Roller Sports, Fitness, and more. Here's how it works:

• Get an estimate – Complete an online assessment at Decathlon.
• Visit your local Decathlon store at your convenience – find your nearest Decathlon store.
• Trade in your item – Bring it in for evaluation.
• Receive your gift card with the extra 20% bonus (for members during Decathlon's Bank Holiday and Half Term Buyback Event, 23rd May - 1st June).

How to become a Decathlon member

• Rewards on Every Purchase – £1 spent = 10 points
• Stay Active, Get Rewarded – Earn 150 points per week for 150 minutes of sport
• Welcome Bonus – 1,000 free points upon joining
• Redeem Rewards – 2,000 points = £3 voucher, 3,000 points = £5 voucher, 6,000 points = £10 voucher, 12,000 points = £20 voucher
• Digital Receipts – Never lose proof of purchase
• Exclusive Member & App-Only Deals – Special discounts and offers
• Extended Warranty – Two-year warranty on all Decathlon purchases

To find your nearest store and find out all the information on the Decathlon Buyback program and Decathlon's Bank Holiday and Half Term Buyback Event visit Decathlon, today, including the full terms and conditions.

Cycling is a fantastic cardiovascular workout that strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles while also helping to improve your endurance and stamina. Regular cycling increases your metabolic rate, aiding in weight management and reducing the risk of obesity-related health issues.

Additionally, the rhythmic nature of cycling can significantly reduce stress levels and enhance mental well-being by releasing endorphins, the body's natural mood-lifters. Commuting by bike is a brilliantly time-efficient way to get more of these health benefits in your busy day.

As well as exercise, cycling to work is an excellent way to enjoy some fresh air, get outside and clear your mind. You'll find that your daily ride gives you a mental boost, so you arrive at work focused and ready to tackle the day ahead. On the way home, it offers a valuable decompression period so you can leave the stress of work behind and arrive home refreshed. Plus, you’ll often find cycling is quicker than sitting in rush-hour traffic.

But the benefits of cycling extend beyond just you—they ripple out to the whole community and the environment. Each person who chooses to cycle means one less car on the road, which helps reduce traffic jams and makes the morning commute more pleasant for everyone. With fewer cars, there's also less pollution, which means cleaner air for us all to breathe and a healthier planet.

By biking to work, you’re contributing to making the streets quieter and cleaner, while encouraging improvements like better bike lanes and safer streets. So, not only do you get to enjoy a healthy start to your day, you’re also playing your part in building a more vibrant and sustainable community where you live and work.

Get started with Green Commute Initiative

New bikes can be expensive, and if you have made up your mind to start cycling, you will want to do it straight away. The UK Cycle to Work scheme is a government initiative launched in 1999 to encourage more people to cycle to their workplaces by making it easier and more affordable to purchase bikes and cycling equipment. This program has successfully helped over a million people get into cycling, promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing traffic congestion.

Accessible to employees via participating employers, the scheme allows individuals to choose a new bike and any necessary accessories from approved retailers. The employer covers the initial cost, while the employee repays this amount through a salary sacrifice agreement, effectively spreading the cost and offering tax savings. This way, you can start cycling to work immediately on a shiny new bike without having to pay any upfront costs.

Green Commute Initiative – where everyone benefits

Green Commute Initiative is a leading provider of the Cycle to Work scheme and is the best way for employees to access the scheme. Green Commute Initiative is ethical and fair, making sure employees, employers and bike retailers all benefit from the scheme.

Here’s how it works: you simply pick out a bike and any accessories you need from a list of approved local bike shops or manufacturers. The cost needs to fit within a spending limit set by your employer, but don't worry—your employer will cover the upfront cost for you.

Then, you’ll pay it back gradually through a convenient salary deduction. This arrangement not only makes the payments manageable but also reduces the tax you pay during the repayment period.

The whole process is designed to be straightforward. Technically, you’re hiring the bike during the scheme, which keeps everything in line with HMRC rules. Green Commute Initiative takes care of all the paperwork, making sure everything runs smoothly and is hassle-free and ensures you make the maximum possible savings with no unfair fees tagged on at the end. It’s a win-win situation—easy, cost-efficient cycling that you can enjoy without any complicated arrangements.

So, whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just getting started, this scheme makes commuting by bike simple!

Become a green commuter and save time and money. Visit www.greencommuteinitiative.uk to start your cycling to work journey.

The bottle cage is one of those cycling accessories that’s easy to overlook. Until it becomes a problem that is.

While its function is a simple one, a bottle cage that makes it hard to access the bottle can add unnecessary stress to a ride or a race. Equally, a cage that doesn’t grip the bottle sufficiently, causing it to rattle, is an unwanted annoyance. Losing a bottle mid-ride is worse still.

But reliability doesn’t have to be complicated. Elite has been making high-performance bottle cages for decades, with its Custom Race series favoured by professional and recreational cyclists alike. The latest iteration the Elite Custom Race X builds on the performance credentials of past models to create a bottle cage that’s not only lighter than before but comes with new design features to improve security and usability.

Weighing just 28.5 grams the Custom Race X is 35% lighter than its predecessor, the Custom Race Plus. But vitally this reduction in weight doesn’t make it any less durable. Made from a polyamide material that’s been reinforced with fibreglass, the cage is designed to withstand the rigours of cycling, from challenging terrain to extreme weather conditions. In short, the CRX is built to last.

WorldTour teams, including Bahrain-Victorious, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Decathlon-AG2R, FDJ-Suez and Cofidis, have come to rely on Elite bottle cages, and the Custom Race X is no exception. In 2025 it’s the number one choice in the pro peloton, and with good reason. Knowing that the world’s best racing cyclists can’t leave any aspect of their bike to chance, Elite sweat the details, so the riders don’t have to.

When racing at high speeds, bottle retention is paramount. After all, the cost of a lost bottle, and the fluid inside, can be critical. And for those of us not in the heat of battle, an ejected bottle means an unwanted break in the ride as we search roadside. With the Custom Race X in play, these scenarios become a thing of the past.

But this degree of retention still needs to be balanced with the ability to insert and remove the bottle effortlessly. Fiddling around trying to put a bottle back in the cage is a distraction that no cyclist wants. To achieve this Elite has focused on improving the cage’s ergonomics. It’s been refining its molding and stress-analysis technology for years with the Custom Race X the latest beneficiary.

The cage features an extended front section to improve bottle adaptability, allowing for smooth insertion and removal of the bottle; this is of vital importance, whether you’re competing in a Grand Tour, enjoying a fast-paced ride with friends or tackling some technical gravel trails. The Custom Race X benefits too from a lowered profile that allows for side access as well as making it a better fit for gravel and MTB frames that typically have more compact triangles. And with a standard diameter of 74mm it’s compatible with the majority of water bottles.

To ensure those bottles remain in place, Elite has redesigned the base lock. The result is a cage that both eliminates annoying vibrations - the bane of many a cyclist - as well as bottle ejections, no matter the terrain.

Typically though, professional-grade equipment comes with a prohibitive price tag. But the beauty of the Elite Custom Race X is that any cyclist can enjoy the advantages of its reliability and performance. Priced at £14.99 / $22.99, it’s an affordable yet refined upgrade that’s as beneficial to club riders, mountain bikers and gravel cyclists as it is to Mathieu van der Poel and Elise Chabbey.

In the summer, Whistler is the perfect place for your next cycling trip, with great road riding and gravel bike-friendly singletrack. There are wide, open tarmac and gravel roads into the mountains with spectacular vistas and singletrack trails though the forests that are gravel bike-friendly.

So although it’s British Columbia’s premiere ski resort and has the world's number one rated mountain bike park, there's still plenty to attract the road and gravel bike rider.

You do not need a car when visiting Whistler. It’s very easy to explore on two wheels with an endless network of paved and gravel trails connecting Whistler's neighbourhoods, parks and lakes.

With an attractive Canadian Dollar exchange rate too, here’s why you should make Whistler your road or gravel cycling destination in 2025.

Gravel roads and woodland singletrack

Whistler’s green graded trails offer flowy singletrack riding through the woods that’s great for gravel bikers.

The Lost Lake trail network is a popular choice, with a swim in the gorgeous mountain lake once you arrive. The trails are easy to reach from Whistler Village, while there are wide gravel paths and numerous options to explore off onto singletrack.

Around 8km south of the heart of Whistler, the Cheakamus area offers both gravel roads and trails to explore. Many of the routes head up the Cheakamus River, so there’s more gentle grading and a cool breeze from the water on hot days.

If you are looking for something longer, the Sea to Sky Trail offers 180km of off-road riding from Squamish through Whistler and on to D’Arcy. Take in the whole route or part of it to view landmarks including the Brandywine Falls and Green Lake.

And quiet roads into the mountains

If you’re more into road cycling, Whistler offers some great rides along mountain valleys and climbs into the mountains. Many of the more major roads have been upgraded, with a wide shoulder and quieter side roads offer some challenging ascents.

Probably the most popular ride in Whistler, the route up the Callaghan Valley takes cyclists to the Whistler Olympic Park, site of the Nordic events for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Another option is the gentle downhill run from Whistler to Pemberton. It’s only 32km, but there’s a total of 645m of climbing on the way back to Whistler.

Once in Pemberton, you can tack on a 50km loop heading to Pemberton Meadows, with 129m of altitude gain and great valley views of the mountains. At the end of the quiet tarmacked road, it turns to well-graded gravel if you fancy going further.

Other recommended road rides include the 51km out-and-back ride to Squamish and the Tour De Whistler, a 52km ride exploring around the town with 1,300m of elevation gain.

The star attraction for road cyclists is the 122km RBC Gran Fondo, which takes place on 6th September this year. Starting in Vancouver’s beautiful Stanley Park, it heads on closed roads up to Whistler and is the largest Gran Fondo event in North America. There’s a 55km option if you want something shorter and a 152km Forte route should you want to go long.

Superb bike-friendly accommodation in Whistler

Many of Whistler’s hotels and lodges provide bike-friendly features, including secure, monitored storage, bike wash and tuning stations and laundry. You can choose between full hotel service and self-catering, with features including pools, hot tubs, wood burning stoves and barbecue areas.

There’s a friendly community of cyclists in Whistler from spring through to autumn, ready to share your adventures – and a post-ride beer or two.

As an all-year resort, Whistler offers a huge array of off-bike activities too. From hiking through breathtaking alpine trails to paddling across one of five stunning lakes, teeing off at a championship golf course, and indulging in world-class dining in the vibrant, pedestrian-friendly village—Whistler is your all-in-one summer escape.

Whistler offers a fantastic summer experience for the road or gravel cyclist and, with a great exchange rate to the Canadian Dollar, your money will go further in Whistler. Bring your own bike or rent from one of Whistler Village’s many bike shops.

Currently, Whistler is offering a promo for guests. Stay for 5+ nights and receive a $250 Activity Voucher. Visit whistler.com/bike to start planning your trip.

There is a bewildering amount of choice for kids bikes out there, but happily, Cube’s range is not only easy to navigate but also boasts some well thought out features. We’re going to be looking specifically at the brands Acid and Numove range of kids bikes.

Put simply, the Acid range is designed with practical features and components specifically designed to work with smaller hands, making these ideal starter bikes. On the other hand, the range of Numove bikes are focused on being lightweight meaning they’re easier for kids to ride while still retaining the toughness that any child’s bike needs to withstand enthusiastic play.

The Cube Acid 200 Disc sits in the middle of the sizes the Acid range is offered in. It features 20 inch wheels, hydraulic disc brakes and a 6061 aluminium frame. The Acid line up ranges from 16 inch wheel sizes all the way up to 26 inch.

If we look at all the ACID 200 bikes, you have the option of bikes with canti-lever brakes, disc brakes or even an allroad build which comes with mudguards, lights and a kickstand as standard. Of course, these accessories are mountable to any of Cube’s kids bikes and are all available via a Cube dealer.

You may also notice when looking at the different options available, are the variety of colour options to choose from. There’s something for every kid, be it subtle and understanded or something that’s a little more eye-catching.

The same can be seen across the range of Numove bikes. These are offered in sizes ranging from 12 inch wheels to 24 inch wheels. As mentioned earlier the key difference here is the weight saved and you could see weight drop by around 1.5 kilos against the comparative Acid model.

Providing your child with a lighter weight bike comes with a variety of benefits. These include being easier to ride, they’re easier to manoeuvre and pick up if needed and if any small tumbles occur, then there will be a little less weight to contend with.

Thanks to the majority of the bikes in the Numove range featuring a single speed drive train, maintenance is kept to a minimum and the built in chain guard will prevent oily stains making their way onto clothes. Likewise, the cantilever brakes are also simple and cost effective to maintain.

If we turn our attention back to the Acid 200 Disc, you’ll spot some key differences. Most notably is the option to buy a disc brake equipped bike from size 20 inch wheels and up. So, if you want to ensure your little rider has the most powerful style of brakes, those being hydraulic disc brakes, then this could be an important consideration.

If you pair those brakes with the rugged tyres, and the 7 speed gears, you’re left with a versatile package which could inspire the love of mountain biking or just simply getting outdoors to enjoy the love of two wheels.

And if your child falls in love with cycling then good news, because beyond the Acid and Numove ranges, Cube also offers more focussed models for kids who want to take their riding to the next level whether that’s on a hardtail, a full suspension mountain bike or a road bike. With Cube you can nurture and cater to your kids' passion for cycling, and the likelihood is that it will all be spawned from either a Numove or an Acid.

So, if you want to learn more about Cube’s range of reasonably priced and well specced kids bikes, then head over to its website.

We've teamed up with Zwift again to bring you a great deal on its Ride trainer as part of continued 10th-anniversary celebrations.

Cycling Weekly readers can get a jump on Black Friday with 20% off when applying the exclusive code CYCLINGRIDE20 at checkout. The code is valid in the UK, EU and USA from November 26th until December 2nd.

We rate the Zwift Ride highly, so much so that we rated it the best value smart bike. After many months of use, attached to a Wahoo Kickr Core, we still appreciate just how straightforward it is to swap between different users thanks to the Ride’s letter system allowing for quick adjustments to the set-up for each user - it’s a great feature for families or any multi-user household.

The Zwift Ride is suitable for riders of all levels, and the ride feel continues to be excellent, with just the right amount of movement. It’s quiet too and the virtual gearing is a joy to use. Similarly, the navigation and action buttons have become second nature, allowing us to move effortlessly through the various menus and views without cause to lose focus on our riding.

Zwift is also running a Black Friday sale, with many significant discounts available on its site, including:

50% OFF Zwift Play

50% OFF Apparel & Accessories

20% OFF Select Training Accessories, inc. JetBlack Table, Tray, Fan, HRM, Training Mat, NPE Runn

Terms: Code is redeemable on Zwift.com/shop in the US, UK and EU, 20% off Zwift Ride 1 use per customer, Valid while supplies last, Expires Dec 2nd, 2024, can not be combined with other discounts or redeemed for cash.

We've teamed up with Zwift to bring Cycling Weekly readers a brilliant early Black Friday cycling deal. Right now, Zwift is offering 10% off eligible indoor smart trainers when applying the exclusive code CYCLINGZ10 at checkout. The code is valid now in the UK, EU and USA until Tuesday the 31st of December 2024.

Included in the discount are some of the brand's latest additions to its smart trainer line-up, including the Zwift Ride, and the Zwift Frame, plus all Wahoo Kickr Core variants, with or without bundled Zwift memberships.

So there is something for everyone, regardless if you're already a seasoned indoor rider and thinking of upgrading your smart trainer or making a first-time purchase and delving into indoor riding for the first time.

We've highlighted a few deals below that show the discounts on some of our favourite tried and tested Zwift hardware and represent a significant saving.

Eligible smart trainers

• Zwift Ride
• Zwift Frame
• Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One
• Wahoo Kickr Core with cassette
• Wahoo Kickr
• Wahoo Kickr Move
• Wahoo Kickr Snap

This brilliant offer is part of Zwift's continued 10th-anniversary celebrations which have seen the leader in the best indoor training app market enhance its virtual world Watopia, and add updates to its training and racing content.

Terms: Code is redeemable on Zwift.com/shop in US, UK and EU, 10% off Zwift selected trainers with or without Zwift membership bundles, 1 use per customer, Valid while supplies last, Expires Dec 31st, 2024, can not be combined with other discounts or redeemed for cash.

There are a lot of things to think about when preparing for your first gravel race: gearing, tyre choice, tyre pressure, clothing, spares. But arguably the most important thing to get right is your nutrition and hydration. 

Gravel races are usually longer than road events and, by definition, will take you away from civilisation. That means that there may be long stretches where you may not be able to take on extra food and drink. 

At popular races feed stations may be crowded and, although the feed stations at the Dirty Reiver were well stocked, it’s not unknown at some events for the feed stations to run out. It’s also important to make sure that you know that what you’re eating and drinking won’t disagree with you.

So carrying enough with you to keep you going is vital. Fortunately, Camelbak has a bottle or a bag for every eventuality. Sam had the chance to use some great Camelbak products at the Dirty Reiver.

Camelbak bottles 

Camelbak has a wide range of bottles, but Sam chose the Podium Steel for one of his bottles. While plastic bottles usually wear out in a couple of years and can be difficult to keep clean, the Podium Steel will last you for years.

Its clever cap design means that you get a great flow of water without squeezing and it benefits from Camelbak’s leakproof lockout. 

On many rides, your drinks can get uncomfortably warm, not providing great refreshment when you’re working hard. Alternatively, they become painfully cold or may even freeze on winter rides.

Not with the Podium Steel. Its double walled vacuum insulation will keep your drink at the right temperature for up to 14 hours. It’s really easy to clean post-ride and it comes in a great range of six colours too. There’s a new 650ml size just out alongside the standard 530ml bottle.

Sam’s second bottle was the Podium Titanium. It shares all the features of the Podium Steel, only lighter. At 240g and holding 530ml, in fact it’s not a lot heavier than a plastic bottle, but will still keep your drink at the right temperature for hours and last for years.

Camelbak bike luggage 

Camelbak also has a brand new range of bike luggage out. The M.U.L.E. on-bike range (it stands for Medium to Ultra-Long Endeavours) includes a handlebar pack, a stem pack, a frame pack with a built-in 2 litre reservoir and two saddle pack options. All are made with recycled sailcloth and other recycled materials and use environmentally safe DWR treatments. 

Sam chose the M.U.L.E. 1 saddle pack for the Dirty Reiver. With 1 litre of adjustable capacity, it’s a great size for a gravel race and allows you to stash food, tools and other gear on your bike, rather than needing to carry it in pockets or a pack. It weighs just 160g, is IPX5 waterproof, reflective and has secure attachments to your saddle rails and seatpost.

If you need more carrying capacity, the M.U.L.E. 9 saddle pack shares the M.U.L.E. 1’s eco credentials and is made with similar materials. As you might guess, it holds 9 litres and incorporates a bungee cord to carry even more on its top. 

Sam’s M.U.L.E. Stem Pack adds a useful 1 litre. It will fit any Camelbak Podium bottle, but its drawcord top makes it a good place for a phone, keys, wallet – or yet more easy-to-reach snacks.

The M.U.L.E. on-bike range also includes a 12 litre handlebar pack and a 2.5 litre frame pack with a 2 litre reservoir, so there’s a complete set-up for bikepacking. If you need more room, Camelbak also sells M.U.L.E. hydration packs with 9 or 11 litre capacity and a 3 litre reservoir and a M.U.L.E. waist pack which carries 3.5 litres and includes a 1.5 litre reservoir.

The Camelbak Podium bottle range and the new M.U.L.E. packs make great additions for any gravel race or other cycling adventure. Visit Camelbak to see the complete range.

We think most cyclists are tired of receiving bike-shaped pizza cutters or corkscrews, so we have linked up with online bike experts Tredz to round up some of the best things to give to the cyclist in your life this festive season. No matter what your budget is, there are plenty of options available to you and if you get really stuck then, Tredz has helpful staff ready and waiting to point you in the right direction. 

1. Initially, we listed Wera's excellent Advent Calendar. However, advent is in full swing, and Tredz has now sold out of these! So, why not check out the Wera Hex-Plus Christmas Box Set.

A Christmas box set for the cyclist who loves quality tools! These Hex tools from Wera are made from stainless steel, and boast the brand's 'Hex-Plus' profile to offer greater contact surface, reducing the chance of slips and damage to screw heads. The long arm features a hex ballpoint drive profile, and the handy storage case has an L-key fastener to keep the tools neat.

Click here: Wera Advent Calendar

2. Next up, we have the Tredz  8 in 1 cleaning kit. At this time of year when there’s so much grit, grime and debris on the roads keeping your bike clean is vital. So, thanks to the cleaning solution, drivetrain degreaser, selection of brushes, sponge, microfibre cloth and bucket in this kit, this works as a one stop shop for any cyclist needing to give their bike some care and attention.

Click here: TREDZ 8 in 1 Cleaning Kit

If you really want to treat the cyclist in your life then you can also opt for the 8 in 1 Muc Off cleaning kit which contains the brand's famous pink bike cleaner, bike protection spray, high quality brushes and of course the bucket itself.

Click here: 8 in 1 Muc Off Cleaning Kit

3. Giving someone the tools to clean their bike is a huge gift in itself and goes a long way to ensuring the longevity and healthy operation of their pride and joy. The only other thing to bear in mind is that once said bike has been cleaned, the chain will need re-lubing. So, as a great value option, this Muc-Off wet weather lube is worth considering. If you’re buying for someone who chooses to use a different brand or type of chain lubricant then, it’s likely Tredz sells it. Tredz stock a wide variety of lubes and waxes that cover all riding conditions and we think any cyclist would be happy to get some more.

Click here: Muc-Off wet weather lube

4. This next gift will really show that you care! A Wahoo Kickr trainer is a big gift to get someone, however, this is one of the best trainers currently available on the market. This is the V6, which is the latest model of the Kickr, of course, you can find all the technical details on the Tredz website and if you have any questions then you can speak to one of their experts via their online chat tool. But all you really need to know is that this will work with any major indoor training platform like Zwift, Rouvy or TrainerRoad, essentially, this is a bit like the Rolls Royce of indoor trainers. 

Click here: Wahoo Kickr V6 trainer

5. Coming back down in the price range and we have the Garmin Varia RCT715. We couldn’t miss putting this radar, light and camera combo on our list. As the nights draw in and weather conditions get worse, a rear light on your bike is essential, but pairing that with a radar system to alert you to approaching road users and also a camera just in case someone does close pass you makes for an all-in-one safe riding package. It is great for this time of year, but just as helpful when summer rolls round and we all spend even more time riding outdoors.

Click here: Garmin Varia camera and rear light

6. When browsing the Tredz website, you’ll find plenty of products that represent incredible value for money, in this case the Garmin Edge 530. This GPS head unit has now been superseded by the Edge 540, but it’s still available in a few different set ups, like the dirt bundle, the head unit only or the performance bundle. We think that the 500 series of computers are perfect for every type of rider and, while the 530 may not boast all of the features on newer, pricier models it’s still a great head unit for riders of any discipline. If you’re unsure which Garmin might be right, then ask any questions you have to the friendly online helpers at Tredz.

Click here: Garmin Edge 530 GPS

7. The Specialized Align helmet has been around for many, many years. It’s been through multiple iterations of designs and development but the price has roughly stayed about the same. We think this helmet works incredibly well for a multitude of different riders, be it commuters, road riders, gravel riders or weekend warriors. The MIPS system and easy to adjust head cage mean it’s not only as safe as helmets costing much more but, you also have a wide range of adjustability. So, if you want to ensure either yourself or whoever you’re buying for is staying safe out on the road, then this could be the purchase you make.   

Click here: Specialized Align helmet

8. Last up on our list are the Endura Humvee II cycling shorts. While not your typical choice for road cyclists we do think, much like the Specialized Align helmet they serve a wider purpose and type of rider. Irrespective of your favoured discipline, the Humvee IIs work as casual off the bike wear but also make for comfortable riding with their padded short liner and seemingly endless amounts of zipped pockets. 

Click here: Endura Humvee II cycling shorts

We hope we’ve helped you out with our ideas, but we know that buying for cyclists isn’t easy, so if you’re unsure as to what to get, then you can always buy a gift voucher from Tredz. 

It saves you from having to work out what to buy and opens up the possibility for the recipient to choose whatever they want thanks to the incredibly wide selection of bikes, parts, accessories and clothing available at Tredz. 

‘Another one?  Another one. Go on, then, one more.’ I thought to myself as I approached the final climb of the day. I clicked up through the gears and settled myself into a cadence I was confident I’d be able to sustain for the next few hundred metres. Despite not being the hardest climb of the day by any measure, it was the last one before getting back home. With over 100km of fatigue in the legs, I was excited to get back and reflect on what had been an epic ride on some of the best roads the UK has to offer. 

Unlike Greenland, the Peak District in the north of England has been correctly named thanks to its geological properties. As it sits right in the heart of the UK, it’s a pretty accessible part of the country to explore and enjoy some fresh roads to test your legs on. I live 160-miles south and do most of my riding in the Surrey hills, so I’m no stranger to a spicy gradient, however, the Peak District certainly does turn it up a notch.  

I’m using the Peaks to experience the Pinarello X3, the famous Italian brand's newly launched endurance focused road bike. Created to give riders a fresh option in the road endurance category, it promises to be the perfect entry point to Pinarello’s premium road bike offerings. 

Combining comfort geometry with a high-performance frame, the Pinarello X was launched in early spring, and with only a small window to enjoy this new bike, I decided to ride it on some of Britain's best roads for cycling. The Peak District is a place I’ve ridden before, but it’s always left me wanting more. My aim with the Pinarello X: to discover more roads, more climbs and do it all in a single day. 

My day started in the tiny village of Ashover, which sits halfway between Matlock and Chesterfield. Happily, the village is already at ‘altitude’, meaning you aren’t met with a brutally steep climb as soon as you start the ride. As I rolled along the open lanes, warming up my legs and taking in the vast views, I knew that at some point I would have to start descending, and it came in the form of the notorious 1km long Rowsley Bar with its average 12.5% gradient. 

It’s a climb I’ve suffered on previously, but mercifully, I would just be going down this time. What surprised me was just how steep it was -  perhaps my selective memory had glossed over that part. The hairpin which sits at roughly the halfway point of the climb put the Pinarello X3’s hydraulic Shimano 105 disc brakes to the test, but they did not shudder, lock up or complain as I yanked on the levers, allowing me to safely navigate the descent’s twists and turns.  

Now safely at the bottom, it was time to follow the road which tracks the River Wye all the way to Bakewell. Despite being fairly flat, the valley roads which link up many of the towns and villages in the Peak District are among some of my favourites. 

Tucking into a more aerodynamic position and letting my legs churn out as many watts as I dare to eke out of them made for a seriously fun bit of riding. The roads are often pretty wide and some do have dedicated cycle paths. It’s this blend of attributes which meant I could lean on the performance orientated DNA of the Pinarello X3 to really extract everything the roads had to offer. 

Of course, UK roads are famously flawed with lumps, bumps and potholes, but this did not worry the X3 -  the 32c wide tyres and vibration dampening rear seat stays took the brunt of the abuse and left me to worry about stealing glimpses of the gorgeous flowing river next to me.  

18.5 km in, the first climb of the day presented itself. At 2.4km and averaging 8.1%, I was about to climb nearly 200 metres to reach the top of Sheldon’s Spot. With no expectation or goal to make a certain time, I only occasionally glanced down at my head unit, which told me how far up I was and what gradients lay ahead. Very useful knowledge when wanting to ensure one doesn’t overcook oneself. 

The tree lined climb provided some much-needed shelter from the beating sun  until I broke through the canopy and reached the summit. The quintessentially British rolling countryside greeted me from all directions. Despite the 360 degree beauty, I decided to push on and down the other side. Now I had a taste for the climbs and the burning sensation had resided in my calves, I just wanted more. Sadistic? Certainly. Trust no-one who goes looking for climbs to have fun on.

Unsurprisingly, the next ten miles rolled up and down as I had launched myself into the very landscape I had just been admiring from the top of Sheldon’s Spot. As I powered through the quiet roads and baked in the sunshine, I edged ever closer to Buxton. The starting point for the second climb of the day. Cruelly, albeit simply, named ‘Long Hill’  is the road that rises out of Buxton in the direction of Manchester. 

Again, seeing on my head unit what I was about to take on, I took comfort in the sound of my electronic gears shifting into the small chainring and systematically clicking up on the cassette, meaning I could settle into a three kilometre climb at a fairly tame average gradient of 4%. 

A quick scroll of the Strava segment top ten will give you an inkling of the calibre of rider who has tamed this beast in the past. I may not have come close to their times (in fact they could have ridden it twice in the time I set), I did really enjoy spinning my way to the top in sublime comfort. Reaching the summit of this flowing climb also meant I’d also arrived at the highest point of the day. Despite not receiving the Souvenir Henri Desgrange  (the prize awarded to the first rider to cross the highest point of the Tour de France first) , it did reward me with the most spectacular views.  

Little did I know, but the climb was just the precursor to what would be an explosive climax of enjoyment. The first half of the 10 kilometre descent that followed was the highlight. It was made up of fast, flowing corners, none of which I had to brake for, but instead could just lean on the X3. The bike’s direct, confidence inspiring handling came into its own and meant I could lean in then pounce on the pedals on the exit of the corners. 

The bike, and road, goaded me into going faster, and both rewarded me for doing so. As an admittedly timid rider when the tarmac heads down, the pure enjoyment of this combination of road, bike and scenery was arguably one of the highlights of the day and something I rarely get to enjoy. As I carved my way back down into the valleys, I passed through Whaley Bridge, New Mills and Hayfield before continuing my march towards some of the most famous climbs that the Peaks are known for. 

A small category four climb brought my legs out of descending mode and got me to the top of Chinley Head before another descent into Chapel-en-le-Frith. From there, the road once again headed up. 

When I was planning this route, I knew the next climb would be especially testing, not because of its 3.2km length or the 5.8% average gradient, but because the road is made of the rough type of tarmac that depletes your legs of power. You can imagine my surprise when I was on the climb that it wasn’t sapping all the energy out of my legs like I thought it might. 

Once again, the 32c Pirelli tyres were working for me alongside the vibration absorbing Toray T600 carbon fibre that the X3 is built from. The taller head tube of the X3 kept me in a comfortable position, but one where I was still able to churn out the power. 14 minutes later, and I had made it to the top. It was time to ride along the peak of the hill and take in the wide open vistas that this part of the National Park has to offer.  

It was along this brow that I became very aware I was feeling remarkably familiar with my environment. That’s because I had been here before, I just hadn’t reached the top via the road I’d just ascended. I’d landed myself at the top of Mam Tor and Winnats Pass. Two legends of the Peaks. 

I’m undeniably a sadist when it comes to gut busting climbs, but the fact that I hadn’t gone through the pain to get to the top did put a rather large grin on my face, which was only compounded when I flew down Winnats Pass’s twisty corners and in the opposite direction of other riders who didn’t escape their fate.  

Castleton, which sits at the bottom of Winnats Pass, got me thinking about my stomach and the café lined roads only made it growl louder. Clearly a very popular spot for cyclists and hikers, I thought it best to press on into the Hope Valley and stop somewhere a little quieter. The Courtyard Cafe,looked promising, it sat below a bike shop so earned my seal of approval very quickly. As I wolfed down my lunch, I was able to sit there for a moment and actually look at the machine that was joining me on this adventure.  

Every shape and angle of the X3’s tubing oozes sophistication and all the design cues that make a Pinarello so special. The fact that this model is so accessible almost doesn’t compute. It’s like a glitch in the matrix, but somehow, Pinarello has been able to pull off something rather remarkable by bringing this range of bikes to the market. 

Now I’d satisfied every ounce of my desire for sustenance, the food in my belly left me raring to go again. What lay ahead were more wide open river tracking valley roads, which was a blessing for the stomach. The last thing I wanted to see was my lunch on the next climb. I rolled into Hathersage with a similar feeling as when I was at the top of Winnats Pass, although this time, there was no smugness. The distinct memory was of a very, very long climb, but I wasn’t going up the same one, so maybe this one would be more forgiving to my fatiguing legs.  

It was not easy by any means, and my recently acquired food baby might not have been helping matters, but I’d rather a full stomach than an empty one. As had become routine now, I shifted up the block and into my little chainring and began the ascent. I could see on my head unit that there was a small descent mid-climb so decided to aim for that and then use it as a slingshot to get myself up and over the final hurdle, and it worked! 

Once again I was motoring along without a care in the world, I left the climb behind me and was now tucked up on the hoods making myself as slippery as possible and flying along like a deranged pigeon. 

The last 24 kilometres of my ride were slightly odd, not unenjoyable by any means, just a bit of a mixed bag of parcours. There were short snappy climbs, longer descents that, because of the direction of wind, were taken at a more leisurely pace than how I’d have liked to and lots of rolling false flats. 

What’s fascinating, though, is that I found during my whole day with the Pinarello X3 that this was an area where it really came alive. Yes, it kept me in one piece through the biting climbs, the occasionally poor road surfaces and the winding descents, but here, when I was feeling a little tired, it kept me comfortable and it matched me when I wanted to attack either a climb, flat or descent. It left me feeling in control, and didn’t put a wheel wrong all day. It was my silent chaperone, quietly guiding me around a part of the world which I enjoy exploring so much.  

Once I rejoined the roads I had started on in the morning before my route split, it gave me a second to think about everywhere I had been in the past five hours. It was a vast mix of short and long climbs, fast flat roads that made me feel like Fillipo Ganna powering along a TT course, and swooping descents that gave me a taste of what Tom Pidcock must have felt on his iconic descent of the Col Du Galibier. All because of a bike that rewards the performance minded but ensures you won’t be left a blubbering mess at the end.  

It’s safe to say that my time with the Pinarello X3 was highly enjoyable. The Shimano 105 Di2 groupset leaves little to be desired, and the position the bike holds you in is one which means you really can spend all day in the saddle. Position is one thing, but feedback is another. The 32c wide tyres along with the Flexstay vibration dampening seat stays and Toray T600 carbon fibre frame eat up endless amounts of road chatter and allow you to focus on turning the pedals and enjoying the world around you. Which, for me, was the mighty Peak District. I left the place much in the same way I have every other time I’ve been. With a smile on my face and a bunch of memories to savour. The only thing I’m not leaving with this time, is a sore back. 

Pinarello X:Comfort by design

The Pinarello X3 provides comfort in a number of ways. The frame's Toray T600 carbon fibre has inherent vibration dampening qualities, along with the proprietary Flex Stays seat stays that only further this attribute and the endurance specific geometry. 

Tyre clearance spans to 32mm, perfect for those who want to run a tubeless set up. The characteristic good looks of the X3 are epitomised with the brand's use of its Onda fork, something which it has held dear since its introduction in 2000. However, Pinarello continues to embrace the future with fully integrated cables - not something often seen on a bike as accessible as this one. Pair that with an electronic Shimano 105 Di2 groupset, and you’re left with one of the most complete endurance road bikes available. 

Find out more about the Pinarello X here.

The Specialized 'Made in Racing' Experience has touched down in Glasgow, Scotland to celebrate the 2023 UCI World Cycling Championships and doors opened at the City Halls & Old Fruitmarket in time for the Men's Elite Road race with the best road racers in the world passing close by the stunning Specialized event. 

Featuring an incredible selection of the brand's most iconic winning machines, a wind tunnel experience dubbed the 'Win Tunnel', and the opportunity to meet some of the best riders from the Specialized camp including Peter Sagan, Remco Evenepoel, Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky and other members of the most successful women's cycling team, SD Worx.

There is also the opportunity to get up close to the all-new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, launched and raced by select riders including the defending world champion Remco Evenpoel on men’s road race day. 

I checked out the Specialized 'Made in Racing' Experience on the day it opened.

First up was the historical selection of race winning road bikes including Vincenzo Nibali's 2015 Tarmac SL5. This bike was the first Tarmac to be built around the Rider-First Engineered philosophy, which saw each size based on specific stiffness targets using data acquired during real-world testing with the best riders in the world. 

The SL5, says Specialized is the 'winningest Tarmac of all time' boasting a Tour De France win, the Vuelta a España and two World Championships.

Sitting next to Nibali's SL5 was the S-Works E5 from 2002, ridden by Italian Mario Cipollini. The Italian sprinter and the E5 took the top spot at both that year's Milan-San Remo and World Championships. Specialized developed the first Tarmac from the E5 alloy which it says was the catalyst for the brand's unprecedented success on the global racing stage.

The exhibition goes full circle from those early bikes right through to Remco Evenepoel's World Championship winning machine from last year in Australia, and to the Tarmac SL8 that was revealed on the day of the Men's World Championships race. The new SL8 was on display in the 'Win Tunnel' and as part of the experience visitors can enter the wind tunnel specially set up for the world championships. 

The real 'Win Tunnel' is the lynchpin of the Specialized aero operation, designed and built to the highest standards and, as a result, it says the world's finest cycling-specific wind tunnel. 

Optimised for speed, the ‘Win Tunnel’ at Specialized's Morgan Hill facility in California is large enough to allow for multiple testing at once, simulating group situations, like the peloton or a team time trial. It also allows not just bikes but also helmets, clothing, and everything in between. 

The Glasgow 'Win Tunnel' is a replica of the Morgan Hill version and as the lights go off, and with my special Specialized eye protection on, the wind turbines fire up and I feel the full force of the wind tunnel in action. 

It's quite the thrill as the wind blasts through my clothes and hair, almost lifting my feet off the ground. However, the Tarmac SL8 that's in with you remains firmly planted to the ground! Once the turbines slow and you exit the wind tunnel, you can view your wind tunnel experience and download the image via a QR code scan. 

The Specialized 'Made in Racing' Experience runs until 13th of August at the City Halls & Old Fruitmarket, 100 Candleriggs, Glasgow, G1 1NQ. Open daily from 10.00-16.00 confirmed athlete signing so far are:

August 6th, 15:00 - 17:00 - Specialized Gravity Team, including
Loic Bruni, Finn Iles, and Jordan Williams
August 7th, 16:00 to 17:00 - Peter Sagan and Remco Evenepoel
August 11th, 16:00-17:00 - Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky, and Team SD Worx

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been a long time coming. While the men’s edition of the legendary Grand Tour has been winding its way through France since 1903, the women’s version of the race didn’t debut in its current form until 2022. Now in its second year, the event is already a major draw for the best women cyclists on the planet – and many of them will be riding bikes designed and built by leading women’s bike brand Liv Cycling.

The 2023 edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift gets underway on Sunday, July 23. The riders will be vying to claim the coveted yellow jersey at the end of an eight-stage race that’ll take them on a 956km route from Clermont-Ferrand to Pau. In this highly competitive environment, the contenders will be looking to capitalise on every advantage they can find, and a bike designed specifically for women, by women, can make a big difference in the pressure cooker of a race.

Liv founder Bonnie Tu established the brand after having challenges in finding a properly fitting bike. Fifteen years later, Liv now specialises in making bikes and cycling gear for women whether they’re new to the sport, or professionals riding at the very top level. Liv also has you covered if you prefer your two-wheeled adventures to take place off-road, with an extensive range of MTBs and gravel bikes, as well as electric models.

Rather than simply making smaller versions of bikes engineered for men, Liv bases its designs on measurements gathered entirely from women riders. The designers then take this data – along with their understanding of the ways a woman’s muscles are used while riding – to build bikes with frame sizing and components that work better with a woman’s physiology. That’s got to be a good thing, because the better you feel in the saddle, the more you’re going to want to get out on your bike and ride.

And beyond the bikes themselves, Liv is committed to growing women’s cycling around the world. That can mean everything from investing in the grassroots of the sport – coaching, clinics, group rides and other events designed to inspire more women to get involved – to Liv’s high-profile involvement in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

As well as being the headline sponsor of  the white jersey awarded to the best the best young rider in the race – what better way to celebrate the champions of the future? – Liv sponsors two of the teams in the peloton. And riders from both outfits, Team Jayco AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind, will ride Liv bikes in the race, proof they’re just as geared to the pros chasing stage wins as they are to enthusiastic amateurs. Indeed, white jersey contender Silke Smulders is likely to be seen riding a Liv Langma Advanced SL Disc, a bike her TeqFind teammate (and Spanish champion) Mavi Garcia describes as a “truly powerful machine”. 

“While it’s not my first Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, it’s my first time riding the Tour for Liv Racing TeqFind, and I couldn’t feel more prepared,” says Garcia. “I’ve been training and racing on the Langma Advanced SL Disc all season, and it’s a truly powerful machine. There’s no doubt in my mind it’s the right bike for this race, and I’m so excited to represent Liv and the many women that made the race possible this year.”

Specialist climber Ane Santesteban (Team Jayco AlUla) says her Langma Advanced SL Disc really comes into its own when the gradient gets steeper.  “The Langma Advanced SL Disc is built to tackle massive climbs, and it’s amazing to see what we are able to achieve together,” Santesteban explains. “Last year’s climb on La Super Planche des Belle Filles was unlike anything else in the race, and I felt so powerful coming through the finish line. Going into this year’s race and knowing that I have the Langma’s strength under me gives me all the confidence I need.” 

And for a specialist sprinter like Rachele Barbieri (Liv Racing TeqFind), an EnviLiv Advanced SL helps supply the extra kick she needs when the finish line beckons. “Participating in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in its first two years is a dream come true,” she says. “This race is the ultimate challenge for a cyclist, and I'm so grateful to everyone who made this global stage a reality for the women's pro-peloton. After experiencing the performance of the EnviLiv Advanced last year, I am now privileged to ride the new EnviLiv Advanced SL, which provides me with so much confidence. As a sprinter, this bike equips me with the speed and agility required to compete at the highest level.”

Not everyone is going to ride the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, of course, but even if you’re a club cyclist, someone who prefers going out with friends at weekends or even on your own, Liv has the right bike for you. 

For more information on Liv and their range of bikes, visit liv-cycling.com.

An eBike represents a hefty investment, so if you’re looking to spend more time on two wheels this summer, chances are you’ll want to get as much use out of your purchase as you can. It’s good to know, then, that Haibike’s electric Trekking bikes are equally at home on city streets and countryside trails. Whether you’re looking for something to make the daily commute more fun, or a comfortable, powerful ride to carry you on a week-long bikepacking adventure, a Haibike Trekking eBike could be the only electric bike you ever need.

If you don’t need a full-on eMTB capable of tackling the trickiest terrain, but still want to explore countryside routes and canal towpaths where a road-equipped bike simply won’t fit the bill, the extensive Trekking range has got you covered. The precise geometry and upright riding position offer a comfortable, relaxed ride – even over longer distances – while there are multiple frame variations to suit individual tastes. It’s also worth noting that Haibike’s frames aren’t designed to be male- or female-specific. Instead, they’re all about what works best for you, so whether you prefer a traditional crossbar, a low-step frame for ease of use, or the compromise of a mid-step frame, you’ll find the bike for you in the Trekking range.

Because the respected German manufacturer specialise in eBikes, you can rest assured they know what they’re talking about when it comes to bringing a bit of power to the cycling party. Each model in the Trekking range features either the latest Bosch or the latest Yamaha eBike tech, meaning that challenging hills no longer have to be an obstacle. And if you start to feel a bit tired, you can always take advantage of some electrical assistance to help clock up some extra miles in the saddle.

Versatility isn’t the only thing that comes as standard, either. Haibike’s Trekking eBikes come with a kickstand to help you park up, as well as a rear pannier rack suitable that can be used to carry a small bag to work, or kitted out with the essential luggage you need on a cycling expedition. Meanwhile, you can be confident you’re not just buying a fairweather set of wheels, because the fitted lights and full mudguards fitted to your eBike ensure it’s ready to go, come rain or shine.

So whether you’re after a runabout to get you around town, the perfect two-wheeled companion to take you off the beaten track, or a little bit of both, Haibike’s Trekking range is certain to feature the electric e-bike you’ve been looking for.

Here are the Haibike Trekking bikes currently available at Tredz

Haibike Trekking 3

The ideal entry to the exciting world of Haibike Trekking eBikes comes with a Bosch Performance Line Gen 3 motor capable of delivering 60Nm of Torque, while the 500Wh Bosch PowerTube battery supplies the volts to keep you moving. The Haibike Trekking 3 is available in mid-frame and full crossbar options.

Price: £1999.00 (was £2749.00)

Haibike Trekking 4

Like the Trekking 3, the Trekking 4 comes with a kickstand, lights and mudguards, and – along with the full-crossbar and mid-frame versions – is available in a low-frame option that makes getting on and off your bike easier on those epic tours. Power comes courtesy of a  Yamaha PW-TE System 60NM motor and a Yamaha InTube 500Wh battery.

Price: £2413.95 (was £2599.00)

Haibike Trekking 5

A 75Nm Yamaha PW-S2 motor and Yamaha PW-S2 720Wh battery supply the power to keep you moving, whether you’ve opted for the low-frame, mid-frame or full-crossbar options. You also get chunky tyres and 100mm travel on your front suspension to give you a more comfortable ride.

Price: £3249.00

Haibike Trekking 7

Who said a smooth ride and adventure couldn’t go together? The special geometry of the Trekking 7 MID is ideal for riders who want to get off-road without sacrificing comfort, while the Trekking 7 HIGH is a solid all-rounder that takes full advantage of its reliable Shimano Deore 11-speed groupset. The Yamaha PW-X3 85Nm motor is powered by a Yamaha Intube PW-X3 720Wh battery.

Price: £3699.00

Haibike Trekking 9

What do shopping trips and multi-day rides have in common? They’re both ideal territory for the Haibike Trekking 9, whether you prefer the low-frame, mid-frame or full-crossbar options. Teamed up with the Bosch PowerTube 625Wh battery, the high-performance Bosch Performance CX GEN4 motor delivers an impressive 85Nm of torque, while the combination of SR Suntour suspension fork, Shimano Deore shift components and high-volume 27.5” tyres make the Trekking 9 a winner on multiple terrains.

Price: £2999.00 (was £3549.00)

Think of all the best things about cycling, but with none of the downsides. That’s what an electric bike offers.

With a quality e-bike like a Kinesis LYFE, you enjoy the fun, convenience, and health benefits of cycling. But there’s no need to work up a sweat, no grinding up hills. An electric bike makes cycling so much easier.

Slick in the city

Ditch the car. Ride to work instead. You’ll probably get there quicker, and you’ll certainly get there a whole lot happier.

Kinesis LYFE electric bikes have a range of up to 75km (over 46 miles), more than enough to tackle most urban journeys. No more sitting in jams or squeezing into an overcrowded train. On a Kinesis electric bike, you can glide past the queues.

Available as a traditional frame or in a step-thru version, LYFE Bikes with their upright riding position, supportive saddle and wide handlebars are designed for speed and comfort. Whether you’re a regular cyclist or swapping four wheels for two, LYFE electric bikes put you in control.

Great outdoors

LYFE e-bikes are both at home in the city and also ideal for exploring the countryside.

When it comes to weekend relaxation or discovering new surroundings on holiday, nothing beats the freedom, independence, and easy pedalling you enjoy with an electric bike.

Live the outdoor life, but with so much less effort. Go further than you thought possible with the invisible help of electric power. It’s like riding with the wind behind you, wherever you go.

A LYFE electric bike is the perfect companion for day trips, camping holidays, caravanning, or touring in a motorhome, so there’s no need to drive off-site to explore the surroundings, when you can ride so easily. You can just leave your car or campervan behind as you explore on two wheels.

You appreciate the sights and smells of the country so much more when you travel by bike. Lanes you would have driven past in a car become tempting detours. Stop whenever and wherever you like without worrying about finding a parking space. Enjoy exploring your way, and at your pace.

When you load your LYFE electric bike back in your car or campervan, you’ll appreciate the low weight of just 17kg. That’s not a lot more than a non-electric mountain bike.

Weekend rides and holiday explorations are better by bike. Better for you, better for the environment – and a whole lot more enjoyable.

Ever ready

Whether for work or play, a LYFE e-bike puts the fun back into riding. If you’ve never ridden an electric bike before, you’re in for a treat. If you already own an e-bike, you’ll be amazed by the difference that upgrading to a LYFE bike makes.

Both the LYFE and LYFE Step-Thru use the Smartbike X35 hub drive to deliver electrical assistance. It’s made by the German automotive manufacturer MAHLE. The 36V 250-watt electric motor will help you glide through traffic and flatten every hill, providing seamless assistance from standstill to 15.5mph. Wherever you are going, you’ll arrive in style with a smile on your face.

There’s nothing complicated about riding a LYFE bike. Just press the integrated iWoc controller to scroll through three levels of assistance – you choose whether to give yourself a workout, or let the bike take the strain for you. Plus, all LYFE bikes have 10 gears to help tame any climb.

One of the best things about choosing a Kinesis LYFE is that it doesn’t look like an e-bike. There’s no ugly external battery, bulky control panel or boring design. These are stylish bikes that just happen to be electric, with the battery neatly integrated within the bike frame and the motor in the hub of the rear wheel.

A LYFE electric bike is ready for anything, especially if you choose an Equipped model. These bundle handy extras together for a fully loaded spec sheet. Mudguards, integrated lights, a kickstand and a rack are all included. For all-weather riding, running errands, and cycling at night, LYFE Equipped bikes add even more practicality and convenience to the regular specification at an affordable price.

Standard LYFE electric bikes are priced from £2450, LYFE Equipped models are just £100 more.

Whichever you choose, a Kinesis LYFE electric bike will change the way you get around for good. Love LYFE and live for the journey.

Connect with Kinesis

Follow Kinesis on social media or go online to find out more about the LYFE electric bikes and the rest of the Kinesis range:

www.facebook.com/KinesisUK/

www.instagram.com/kinesisbikes_uk/?hl=en

www.kinesisbikes.co.uk

The INEOS Grenadiers cycling team have won seven of the last 11 editions of the Tour de France. Their philosophy of continuous improvement is well known, so when they make a significant change to their kit, you can rest assured they won’t have done it on a whim. In fact, shifts like this tend to make the rest of the cycling world sit up and take notice – but should we believe the hype?

Prior to this season, Oakley had been the team’s eyewear manufacturer of choice since their inception in 2010, and 2018 Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas was often sighted in the peloton wearing his familiar Oakley Racing Jackets. This year, however, INEOS Grenadiers have chosen to make SunGod their new eyewear partner, marking the challenger brand’s debut on the Men’s UCI WorldTour.

“INEOS Grenadiers is a performance-led team so we pride ourselves on working with the most forward-thinking, agile and performance-driven partners,” says Rod Ellingworth, deputy team principal at INEOS Grenadiers. “That’s why we’ve chosen SunGod as our new, long-term eyewear partner. Their product quality and commitment to continuously raising the industry bar is excellent and we’re really excited by the pipeline of innovative products we will develop together.”

Founded in 2013, British eyewear manufacturer SunGod have a simple mission statement: See Better. They’ve previously joined forces with world-class sports teams including America’s Cup sailing team INEOS Britannia, McLaren F1 and England Rugby. Now INEOS Grenadiers are enjoying the benefits of that expertise.

The team are already training and racing both on- and off-road in SunGod’s high-performance Pace Series^TM sunglasses, the Airas^TM, Velans^TM and Vulcans^TM. The range takes advantage of sophisticated 8KO^® lens technology, which offers INEOS Grenadiers riders both optical and weight-saving advantages.

The partnership works both ways, however. SunGod can now use the expertise of some of the best riders in the peloton to aid the design of new products, and the brand say they’re working on all-new sunglasses ”uniquely and directly shaped” by INEOS Grenadiers cyclists. Unsurprisingly, much of this development is currently top secret – exactly as you’d expect from a team operating at the pinnacle from elite sport – but we’re told to keep our eyes peeled for first sightings on the race circuit this summer. SunGod believe the new shades will turn some heads when they arrive.

In the meantime, we were curious to find out what we’d get when we ordered a pair of SunGod sunglasses for ourselves at www.sungod.co.

While we knew that those 8KO^® lenses and 100% UV protection come as standard on the SunGod range, this had the potential to be a daunting process. After all, with lenses available in 10 refined tints (as well as two Iris^TM photochromic lenses), and the opportunity to customise frames, ear socks and even the SunGod logos on the arms of our glasses, there would be more than half a million design combinations available to us. 

Those concerns about having too much choice didn’t last long, however. The easy-to-use site guided us every step of the way, allowing us to see what our new sunglasses will look like when all the design elements were combined – whether we chose to go full-frame, half-frame or no frame at all. Every little tweak we made was displayed on screen in real-time, and the site also showed us what the world would look like – along with the VLT (Visible Light Transmission) value – through each lens.

Once we’d made our choice, our bespoke Velans^TM sunglasses were assembled by hand in the UK, and – because we’d chosen the next-day delivery option available to UK residents – we had them in our hands the following morning. 

They arrived packaged in an elegant cardboard box – SunGod are a certified B Corp™ and proudly carbon neutral, so sustainability has been part of their ethos since day one – along with a microfibre bag (made from recycled bottles) to keep them safe and clean. On top of all that, we found some additional nose pads in the box to help us get the ideal fit. 

It’s also good to know that SunGod products are covered by a lifetime guarantee that covers all damage (excluding lens scratches) for life, free of charge – as SunGod put it themselves, keeping your gear in play is better than throwing it away.

SunGod say that the 2mm nylon-based 8KO^® lens material is lighter, stronger and clearer than the polycarbonate that’s traditionally been the industry standard, and comes with a triple-layer scratch-resistant coating to help keep your eyewear in peak condition. They also believe they’re at the front of the pack when it comes to clarity – where polycarbonate has an Abbe Value of 31, 8KO^® lenses have an Abbe Value of 45, which is comparable to the clarity of the surface of the human eye. (The higher the Abbe Value, the better the clarity of the material, meaning higher levels of optical precision for the wearer.)

But what does all that mean on the road? When Cycling Weekly’s reviewer put himself in the shoes of Geraint Thomas by putting some new Velans^TM  through their paces, he described them as a “solid pair of shades” that “protect from the elements and fit comfortably, both when worn and stored in the helmet”. He also described the frame design as “striking”, and noted that “the Velans^TM also sit slightly off the face, allowing airflow in warmer temperatures, but not too much that it makes your eyes water.” And in the words of Geraint himself, “the moment I put the SunGods on, I was loving the lenses”. If they’re good enough for G…

The SunGod range has already shown it has what it takes to turn the heads of the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team – it could be time for the rest of us to take notice, too. 

Prices on SunGod’s exciting Pace Series^TM start at £130. To find out more, visit www.sungod.co.

There are loads of great things about living in a city, where shops, restaurants and entertainment are practically on your doorstep. Unfortunately, traffic and public transport don’t always make it easy to get around, meaning you often spend much more time than you’d like travelling from A to B. Luckily, however, there’s an alternative that’s good for you and avoids releasing noxious gases into the environment. 

Electric bikes are one of the most important innovations in cycling since humans first put foot to pedal, and they really come into their own in an urban setting. Being on two wheels is a great way to beat the traffic that clogs city streets during rush hour, and riding a bike every day is also brilliant news for your general wellbeing. 

Aside from the obvious health and fitness benefits of getting in the saddle, spending time outdoors in the fresh air has got to be better than being cooped up in a car, bus or train. Electric bikes bring even more to the party, offering powered assistance to help keep you moving, without the costs and ecological downsides associated with running a car.

The stylish Raleigh Trace electric bike is tailor-made for city life, designed to help you get around town with ease and style whether you’re on the daily commute or on your way to a meal with friends.

For starters, it looks good – there are two smart colour options (blue and copper) to choose from, and thanks to the Trace’s battery being cleverly hidden within the frame, you’d never even know it was electric. It’s also the lightest e-bike in Raleigh’s range, weighing a mere 16.5kg. That’s great news for getting around, because not only is the bike easy to manoeuvre on the road, it’s light enough to carried up to an apartment or an office at the end of a journey.

But that lightweight design doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the benefits of going electric. While the 250Wh battery is incognito, it has a range of up to 50 miles on a single charge, meaning you can commute or run errands without worrying you’re going to run out of power at an inopportune moment. The fact that you can charge the bike to full in just four hours also makes it easy to stay powered up between journeys.

And the Raleigh Trace is engineered to be totally at home on town and city streets. Its elegant, integrated design features built-in lights for when it gets dark, mudguards to keep you clean, and panniers in case you need to carry more than just yourself. Meanwhile, the Trace now features a Bluetooth compatible app you can use as a satnav, for an overview of your journey, and as a security tracker in case your bike is stolen. 

Crucially, once you’ve bought yourself a Raleigh Trace (RRP £2,199), you’ll have freed yourself from the expense of paying for petrol, bus tickets or travel cards, which can only be great news for your wallet. Once you own a Trace, all you need to keep moving is pedal power and electricity – which also brings the peace of mind of knowing you’re ditching the internal combustion engine.

In other words, the Raleigh Trace makes it easier to enjoy all the best bits of living in the city without the downsides associated with getting around. This good-looking, lightweight e-bike is built to make negotiating the urban environment a breeze. You also get the added bonus of knowing you’re improving your wellbeing and your bank balance, while making a positive difference to the world around you.

For more information on the Raleigh Trace, visit raleigh.co.uk

Have you joined the e-bike revolution yet? 

Going electric may just be the biggest thing to happen to cycling since the demise of the penny farthing, and there are plenty of good reasons to bring some extra power to your rides.

As well as being better for the environment, e-bikes win out over cars when you’re getting around town because you can dodge traffic and bring some much-needed fresh air into your life. Compared to conventional bikes, meanwhile, few of us are going to turn down a bit of assistance when we’re climbing up hills – especially if we’re carrying any kind of load.

There is a but, however. According to leading e-bike brand Himiway, battery range is one of the biggest concerns preventing cyclists from taking the plunge and going electric. Other potential converts cite the perceived expense as an obstacle.

But, since the company was founded in 2017, Himiway have been on a mission to get as many people as possible using e-bikes – and last year the number of cyclists riding Himiway products topped 100,000. So, having made their name focussing on off-road, all-terrain and fat-tire e-bikes, Himiway’s exciting new 2023 launches prioritize range and affordability. Here’s everything you need to know about the Himiway Pony, the Himiway Rambler and the Himiway Rhino.

Himiway Pony

The Pony may be Himiway’s smallest ever e-bike but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise on power. Although the Pony weighs a mere 35 pounds (15.9kg), its 300-watt motor allows you to cruise through town at an impressive 20mph (32km/h). This, combined with its convenient size, helps make the Himiway Pony a brilliant and versatile option on your daily commute, or for trips around a town or city. 

Its reinforced aluminum frame is strong enough to carry loads of up to 240 pounds (109kg). The 360 watt-hour (Wh) battery delivers up to 22 miles (35km) range when you’re using the throttle alone, meaning you can reach your destination without the worry of arriving drenched in sweat.

The Pony is also small and light enough to be easily carried on public transport or in the trunk of a car, and despite having a total length of just 49 inches (1.24m), the e-bike’s adjustable seat can fit riders from 4’10” (1.47m) to 6’3” (1.91m) in height. And just to prove that the Pony really is for everyone, it’s available in five different colors – pearl white, mint green, midsummer yellow, midnight forest and Himi grey – voted for by Himiway’s social media followers. 

Price
The Himiway Pony is priced at $649, though it can be pre-ordered for only $599. An 180Wh version of the Pony is also available for just $499, making it one of the most affordable e-bikes you can buy.

Himiway Rambler

If you’re looking for a high-performing and durable e-bike that can go the distance, the Himiway Rhino could be up your street. Its 720Wh battery provides a range of up to 55 miles, placing it ahead of many of its competitors in the city/cruiser e-bike market. 

The 500-watt motor packs enough punch to power you along at up to 25mph* (40 km/h), while offering five levels of pedal assist depending on how much effort you want to put in – the more work you do for yourself, the further you’ll get on a single charge.

As well as being reliable, stylish and easy to use, the Rambler is built with some important safety features for your peace of mind. Himiway have made the tail light bigger and brighter to make you more visible when you’re out and about, while the optional hydraulic brakes significantly reduce your stopping distances.

Price
The Himiway Rhino starts at $1,299 for the mechanical brake version, rising to $1,499 if you want hydraulic brakes. A mid-drive option with hydraulic brakes is also available, priced at $2,199.

* The speed will be limited to 15.5mph in the UK to comply with UK regulations.

Himiway Rhino

If range is your priority, Himiway have come up with an ingenious way to give it to you – a second battery. They say that the Rhino is the first ever dual-battery e-bike, and that the combined 1,440Wh capacity of its two batteries is enough to carry you 100 miles (160km) between charges – that’s 50% further than Himiway’s previous longest range models.

The Rhino’s pair of powerful batteries are built into two tubes and equipped with separate chargers so that both can be powered up simultaneously. This cuts charging time in half compared to a single 1,440Wh battery pack.

The Rhino isn’t just about traveling further between charges, however. Riding off road is the Rhino’s natural habitat, with its 9-level speed shift system, hydraulic disc brakes and 4.5” fat tires – which offer a 30% increase in the area of the tread compared to previous Himiway e-bikes – providing you with a smoother, safer ride, whatever the terrain.

And if you’re looking for an e-bike with even more punch, the Himiway Rhino Pro has got you covered. You still get 1,440Wh of energy capacity, of course, but this time those twin batteries are powering a 1,000W mid-drive motor that can deliver a maximum of 160 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque. That, allied with a Shimano 10-speed gear shift system, means faster acceleration and even better climbing performance. 

In other words, the Himiway Rhino Pro is not only one of the most affordable mid-drive e-bikes you can buy – it’s the ultimate off-road beast. 

Price
The Himiway Rhino costs $3,199 ($2,999 for pre-order), while the Himiway Rhino Pro is available for $4,199 ($3,999 for pre-order).

The new Himiway Pony, Rambler and Rhino models are available to pre-order now in the US, and will be available for pre-order in the UK and Europe from May. (Visit Himiway's UK site for more details.)

For more information on Himiway and its products, visit himiwaybike.com

There’s no denying it, winter can often feel like the enemy when it comes to staying in shape. You know the routine – you have all these good intentions about getting out on your bike and clocking up miles on the road as you would through the summer. Then you take a look through your window and decide that, actually, you’re probably better off wrapped up inside with a hot drink and a good movie.

And even though we’re heading into spring, that doesn’t mean we’re all chomping at the bit to get back outside. Sure, it’s getting a bit warmer  and the days are getting longer, but it’s still rather colder and wetter than a lot of us would like. 

If you’ve been putting your fitness on hold through the winter, however, cycling app ROUVY is a great way to get yourself moving again. It’s your chance to ride some of the best, most exciting routes in the world, without even setting foot outside the front door – and it’s whole lot safer than venturing out on real-life roads on evenings that are still colder and darker than we’d like.  

Getting started on ROUVY is easy. All you need is a cycle trainer (smart bike, direct-drive or classic trainers all fit the bill), a display (ROUVY is compatible with Windows PC, Mac, Apple TV, mobile phone and tablet), and your road or mountain bike. Then, with a monthly subscription, you’ll have access to more than 700 realistic cycling routes from around the world – and a cast-iron guarantee that bad weather isn’t going to spoil any of them. 

ROUVY have been specialists in indoor cycling training for nearly 20 years, so you can rest assured that they have an exercise programme to suit your level. Whether you’re a beginner, an avid cycle racer or a new mum getting back in the saddle after a year or two away, ROUVY can guide you through a training regime that’s tailored for you and your ability on the bike. 

Using the ROUVY app, you can climb through 80 Career levels, working your way from complete beginner to legend status – it’s a process that rewards hard work, with no short cuts! As you ride, you get real-time feedback on how much effort you’re putting in, interval timings, and other analytics that make it easy to keep track of your progress. You can also take part in virtual events and races that invite you to pit yourself against other riders. 

And if you’re not feeling competitive, the ROUVY Regulars weekly scheduled rides include a dedicated Femmes section. This features regular, friendly and sociable women-only rides, where racing and topping the podium are not on the agenda, and we reckon you’ll want to make space in your diary for Wednesday’s rides around beautiful coastlines and Saturday’s spins through iconic cities.

Indeed, the chance to explore more than 15,000 kilometres’ worth of iconic routes from all over the world is the one of the things that makes ROUVY fun. The app is your ticket to over locations that many cyclists include on their bucket lists, whether it’s the spectacular scenery of the Alps, glorious sunshine in Vietnam, or city tours of London and Paris where – for once – traffic won’t get in the way. Not only is getting there as quick as tapping your screen, it’s also easier on your bank balance and your carbon footprint. 

When conditions become a bit more favourable to cycling in the summer, getting back on the road doesn’t have to mean the end of your ROUVY journey. The app can log your outdoor training efforts so they count towards your Career goals, and – when it’s too hot outside, or you just want an alternative to your usual cycling routes – you can always hop back on your indoor trainer. 

ROUVY offers a 14-day free trial so you can give it a go before subscribing, and with family sharing, two other members of your household can come along for the ride, absolutely free. It’s time to get riding – all year round. 

For more info, visit rouvy.com.

At the tail end of February, I set out from the city of Marrakesh, Morocco on a 360km gravel loop across the Atlas mountains to the ancient - and stunning - fortified town of Aït Benhaddou. 

I could go on for hours about the ride through the unrelenting sun down on the plains, the sleet and the snow of the mountain passes and how I ended up vomiting twice at an elevation of 2,500m on a remote gravel pass only accessible by a 10km hiking trail on one side and a 30km dirt road on the other - if you’re interested in that, you can find the full write up of our ride through Morocco's High Atlas Mountains over here. 

We also hunted out the most tech heavy bikes ahead of the start of the Atlas Mountain Race - you can check out that round up over here.

But here is where I’ll go into detail on the bags and the kit I used during the trip. Just to be clear, this isn’t a review of Ortlieb’s bikepacking bag system, but a description of how I used the products and a few of the key features that stood out. If you're interested in our reviews, those can be found in our best bikepacking bags buyer’s guide.

For this ride, I used four bags from Ortlieb’s range: the Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack QR, Ortlieb Seat-Pack, Ortlieb Frame-Pack RC Toptube and the Ortlieb Fuel Pack. Before getting into the details on each of them, I’ll just go over my experience of the waterproofing, as it’s the same for the whole range.

Although the temperature range spanned from the mid twenties Celsius to several degrees below zero (seventies to twenties Fahrenheit), the actual perception was much less varied. For the most part it was bone dry with blue skies - and when the clouds did close in, it was mainly snow and sleet rather than actual rain. 

Of course, that was still quite wet once it melted, but it wasn’t really of an extent that would push the limits of any product’s waterproofing. Suffice to say, my kit did all remain dry, but it wasn’t presented that much of a challenge. 

Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack QR

First, I’ll just run through the kit I was carrying in this bag before turning to a few of the details which I was most appreciative of on the ride.

For the most part, it was just food and water that I was stashing up front. The route as planned incorporated some pretty long stretches in some quite remote areas of the Atlas mountains, and so I wanted to make sure that I would definitely have all the nutrition I could possibly need. 

Even with my heavy packing in that regard, thanks to the large 11l capacity I was still able to stash my insulated gilet in there, too. There were some quite large temperature changes throughout the days and with the longer descents, so keeping layers handy was a must. But at the same time, I did want a more secure place to keep them than just relying on bungees, as there were also some long, hot stints.

One of the key features of the Handlebar-Pack QR, as the name suggests, is that quick-release functionality. It is really fast to pop on and off the bike using the retention straps, but out on the ride I didn’t end up using that aspect of the bag - I tended to just use a carrier bag when picking up supplies and leaving the Handlebar-Pack on my bike (and still holding all my gear).

But for the initial mounting of the Handlebar-Pack and the post-adventure stripping down, it was very convenient! Just be aware that there is a bit of a learning curve to using the straps although it’s neat once you know how to use it. 

More generally, the attachment system was great in how securely it held the bag in place and the way it played nicely with the gravel bike’s brake lines. Particularly useful was how it left ample room for a mounted smartphone for navigation.

The stretchy mesh pockets on the sides of the bag were excellent for keeping used wrappers in until I could find somewhere to dispose of them properly. Impressively, the pockets could even accommodate a water bottle, but you would need incredibly wide handlebars to actually make use of that capability - either that, or simply flat bars.

Ortlieb Seat-Pack

Out back, I was using the Ortlieb Seat-Pack exclusively for clothes. Although it is possible to wash one pair of shorts and a jersey every night for you to wear the next morning, I find that kit never really dries in time - and pulling on damp lycra before a cold, early morning start really isn’t so fun!

In addition to spare shorts and jerseys, with the huge swings in temperature (going from the mid 20s Celsius (mid 70s Fahrenheit) to hitting lows of -3°C / 26°F), I had a thick jacket and a range of warmers to help keep me toasty.

It didn’t end up filling the Seat-Pack’s 16.5l volume to its limit, but you can always roll a roll-top down further - you can’t squeeze in more space where there isn’t! So I was very happy with the setup. 

I particularly liked the air valve on the side of the Seat-Pack. Squeezing all the air out of a roll top bag as you pack it down can be something of a dark art - particularly when the said bag is attached to the saddle by the rails. But with this system I could just pull on the valve, roll everything up tight, and pop it back in again - brilliant.

Finally, bungee straps are always a useful feature - and are especially so on a saddle pack. I didn’t have any set items which I would always strap in, it would just be whatever was most convenient at the time. 

Occasionally, that was my outer layer, sometimes it would be a bag of brioche, once it was an extra litre and a half of water - but that was quite heavy and I wouldn’t advise it!

Ortlieb Frame-Pack RC Toptube

This is where I was stashing my tools, spares and other odds and ends - essentially everything which was hard, awkwardly shaped and which didn’t fit in my top tube bag.

This was my first experience of a half-frame bag with a roll-top closure rather than a zip - and the differences between the two approaches were quite interesting. When it comes to waterproofing, zips are generally the weak point, so to that end the roll-top was quite reassuring (although it wasn’t particularly challenged by the weather). 

The other key difference is that no zip also means there’s no chance of a zip breaking.

When it came to the riding, although some people might be able to unfurl the roll top enough to pull out some of their kit on the move, I didn’t find that I was able to. It didn’t present a problem though, as there was enough kit I didn’t really need access to on the move, and it was fine keeping all that in the Frame-Pack RC Toptube.

Helpfully, it is possible to change the locations of the straps which attach the bag to the top tube, helping it play nicely with any top tube bag or other frame features you might have. In terms of the width, I found it quite easy to keep from bulging and it stayed pretty slim-line and didn’t cause me any issues with knee rub when riding - although your experience might be different depending on how you pack it.

Ortlieb Fuel Pack

Like the Frame-Pack RC Toptube, Ortlieb’s Fuel Pack came with another interesting design choice as a result of eschewing a zippered closure. Rather than a roll top, though, it was a lid with magnetic retention.

Now, it’s not as if magnets are exactly at the cutting edge of technology (there’s evidence of their use spanning 2,500 years), but even so, pretty much every time they get integrated into a product I absolutely love it - from helmet straps to jackets. 

The Fuel Pack is no exception, snapping the lid back in place was consistently satisfying. It is worth pointing out, though, that sometimes it could get a wrinkle and needed an extra little tug to get the lid to sit properly in place.

Ortlieb supplies a set of straps for attaching the Fuel Pack to top tubes which don’t feature an extra pair of bosses, but as the Ribble 725 Gravel Pro comes with a pair of these, I used those straps for lowering the position of the bottle cage on my seat tube so the bottle would fit better with the frame bag.

 In terms of what I was carrying, the permanent items were a charger pack, cable and passports. I’d cycle in other odds and ends at various points throughout the ride, generally this was moving food from the handlebar bag to the Fuel Pack for quicker access, but at other times it was arm warmers, gloves, wallet, etc.

These were all the bags I was using and the kit I filled them with, if you’d like to read more about the bikepacking loop I went on around Morocco, the full write up is just over here. For the bikes of the Atlas Mountain Race, that's just over here.

If you’ve spent thousands of pounds on a new car, you’re not going to leave its pristine paint job at the mercy of the elements. The same logic should apply to your bike, because whether you’re talking about a top-of-the-range road racing machine or the latest high-spec MTB, you’ll do what you can to keep your pride and joy in peak condition. 

That leaves you facing a dilemma. No cyclist wants to keep their ride hidden away in the garage, wrapped up in cotton wool like some two-wheeled museum exhibit. But at the same time, roads and trails aren’t well known for being friendly to your bike’s bodywork, whether it’s being attacked by the corrosive salt used to keep traffic moving when things get icy, or the dirt and grime that’s an everyday hazard when you go cross-country. Even cleaning can be bad for your bike’s looks if a scratchy piece of grit finds its way onto your sponge or brush.

Luckily, however, there’s a way to keep having fun on your bike while reducing the risk to its bodywork. Northampton-based Gtechniq have over 20 years’ experience manufacturing protective products to keep cars looking their best, and their state-of-the-art ceramic technology can also be applied to your bike.

A quantum leap

The dirt-repelling properties of the Gtechniq Bike range have their roots in quantum mechanics. Back in 2001, founder and car enthusiast Dr Drew Gill was unimpressed with the paint protection products on the market, so used the knowledge he’d acquired studying for his PhD in physics to come up with a new solution. 

Gill applied his expert understanding of the ways surfaces behave at very small scales to develop innovative coatings that would keep bodywork looking its best for longer. Over the subsequent decades, the company has been evolving the technology he pioneered, engineering a unique range of products to safeguard automotive, marine and bicycle exteriors. 

Gtechniq’s Bike Ceramic is an easy-to-apply coating that gives the surface of your bike a super slick – though not excessively glossy – finish. The unique formulation, based on siloxane technology, chemically binds with the paint on your frame, effectively creating a new invisible outer-layer to protect your bodywork.

As well as shielding your bike from the abrasive effects of dirt, mud and gravel, the Bike Ceramic offers protection from UV light, and from chemical attack between pH2 and pH12. Although the coating won’t prevent dirt from attaching itself to your bike entirely, it makes it much harder for the mucky stuff to get a grip. The result is a bike that’s significantly easier to clean, with less need to resort to the scrubbing and harsh chemicals that can be just as damaging to your bike as hardcore grime. And that’s got to be good news for anyone who’d rather be sitting in front of a warm fire post-ride than stuck outside spraying down a filthy frame. (The Gtechniq range also includes a variety of products such as Bike Clean, Bike Wash, Drive Train Degreaser and Kit a cleaner to help keep your bike looking like new.)

Made to last

The Bike Ceramic isn’t just a temporary solution, either. Lasting for up to two years, it’s more durable and longer lasting than a spray-on sealant. It’s also versatile enough to work on any painted bike surface (including matt finishes), and while it’s not designed to be a replacement for an InvisiFRAME or other protective film, the coating will work on top of films, graphics and vinyls. 

And you don’t need to be an experienced bicycle mechanic – or have bottomless pockets – to give your bike some TLC, because Gtechniq say they want their products to exist in the sweet spot where performance, ease of application and affordability intersect.

Gtechniq products provide cyclists with the peace of mind of knowing that your bike will still look great when you reach the finish line. Bikes are made to be ridden, but that doesn’t mean they have to suffer for your fun. 

For more information on Gtechniq and its cycling products, visit gtechniq.co.uk/bike.

Every parent knows that the school run can be one of the most stressful times of the day. Getting the kids dressed, fed and out the front door can be the ultimate test of patience and diplomacy – and that’s before you’ve contended with all those angry rush-hour motorists who think their journey is more important than yours.

It doesn’t have to be this way, however, because the Raleigh Stride 2 e-cargo bike is an eco-friendly alternative to piling the family into the car every morning. With its powerful motor and impressive cargo space, it’s the ideal way to dodge the traffic. In fact, it can even turn the school run into a pleasure, and better mornings often have a positive effect on the rest of your day.

For decades, the car has felt like the default option for running errands around town, but the e-bike revolution has shifted the balance of power. The Stride 2 is such a reliable, versatile runabout that it’s the ideal substitute for a second car, whether you’re transporting the family from A to B, doing the weekly shop or making deliveries for your business.

The bike’s Bosch Performance CX Cargo Line 500 battery is widely regarded one of the most impressive on the market, and gives you a powerful boost even starting from a standstill. Best of all, it’s smart enough to provide assistance when you need it most, adjusting its output to the load its carrying, or to hills that might previously have felt like a challenge. The motor also has a range of up to 40 miles, meaning you can do what you need to do without worrying about running out of charge every time you hit the road.

But having all that power at your disposal doesn’t mean sacrificing the fitness benefits you’d traditionally associate with cycling. As you pedal around town, you’ll be getting plenty of exercise while enjoying the fresh air , which is great for both your physical and mental wellbeing. You also have the option to escape busy roads, because the Raleigh Stride 2 complies with the UK’s Electric Power Assisted Cycles regulations. That brings with it the freedom to ride on designated cycle routes, and let’s face it, if you’ve got a scenic canal path between your house and your kids’ school, that’s got to be better for your health than a polluted street – especially as you can rest assured that your bike is entirely emission free. It’s worth noting, too, that not even the British winter can stand in the way of this e-bike, thanks to its built-in lights and mudguards.

That would all count for little, of course, if the bike wasn’t capable of carrying everything you need. Luckily, there’s much more to the Stride 2 than paniers and saddlebags, because when it comes to cargo space, the bike delivers spectacularly – indeed, with its 80kg capacity, there’s enough room to accommodate your kids (safely) and the shopping.

While the rack behind your saddle might look similar to what you’ve used on previous bikes, it’s the large, robust container between the handlebars and front wheel that transforms this e-bike into a serious workhorse. It’s versatile enough to carry children, groceries and – if you’re a business owner – goods for delivery, and that’s just the start. Accessories such as rain covers (for both your passengers and your cargo) and purpose-built toddler and baby seats help make the Stride 2 a truly multi-purpose vehicle, while there’s also a cover to keep your investment well protected from the elements when it’s parked up at home.

In other words, when it comes to getting you and the family around town, the automobile has had things its own way for way too long. With its powerful motor, impressive cargo capacity and an RRP of just £4,395, the Raleigh Stride 2 is a genuine alternative to a second car. It’s also less damaging to the environment, better for your health, and a lot more fun.

For more information about the Raleigh Stride 2 family cargo bike, visit www.raleigh.co.uk.

It isn’t just the professionals who should be gearing up for the new cycling season. Fans will be looking for somewhere to follow all the excitement, drama, ups and downs 2023 has in store, and GCN+ is perfectly positioned to bring you every unmissable moment.

Even if you’re not travelling the world to watch your heroes in the flesh, keeping up with your favourite sport can be hard work. With broadcast and streaming rights to the biggest events often spread between multiple providers, just staying in touch with the action can be both a juggling act and a sizeable investment. The great news about a subscription to GCN+, however, is that it offers access to an unbeatable mix of the world’s most thrilling cycling races – and, if you sign up for an annual package, you get it for around the price of a coffee a month.

On GCN+, grand tours, stage races monuments and classics line up alongside cyclo-cross, track, MTB and BMX events, with major races available both live and on-demand. You can also work your way through an expanding library of the best cycling documentaries on the planet.

The exact line-up of races available depends on where you live (check out the live racing schedule in your country for details), but you can expect front-row seats for many of the hottest tickets in the cycling calendar. As the road season gets underway, for example, UK viewers can watch the pros get back in the saddle at spring classics like Strade Bianche and Milano-Sanremo. They’ll also get to enjoy iconic one-week stage races like traditional Tour de France warm-up the Critérium du Dauphiné, as well as the most famous races on the men’s cycling calendar – the three Grands Tours. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Giro Donne and La Vuelta Feminina will also be available on GCN+.

If you prefer your cycling action off-road, meanwhile, GCN+ has got you covered, with events from the UCI MTB World Series, the UCI BMX World Cup and much, much more. And you can take a more detailed look at what’s going on with live race updates and stats, start lists and results, in addition to the expert race analysis provided by exclusive shows like The World of Cycling and The Breakaway.

It’s good to know, too, that GCN+ is as versatile as a high-level domestique. How you watch the racing is entirely up to you, whether you want to enjoy ad-free coverage of the big races live and uninterrupted, or catch up later via the on-demand service. GCN+ also features different types of highlights to fit around your schedule, everything from longer packages which can give you a feel for a whole day’s racing, to briefer snapshots of the all-important final kilometres of a race.

And because GCN+ is available on multiple devices (it works on smartphone, smart TV, computer, smartphone and tablet, and can also be cast to some TVs) you can watch anywhere you have an internet connection – in other words, the action will come to you, whether you’re at home or on the go.

Even with a schedule as packed as GCN+’s, however, the live cycling can’t continue 24/7. Luckily, there’s no need to worry about holes in your bike life, thanks to GCN+’s rapidly expanding selection of cycling films and documentaries. Over 150 titles are already available on the service, covering everything from epic adventures, record-breaking challenges and awe-inspiring cycling locations, to in-depth guides to the science of cycling.

So if you’re looking for the perfect roadside view for the most exciting cycling action 2023 has to offer, GCN+ is ready to take you on the ultimate ride. A monthly subscription costs just £6.99 a month in the UK, though you can save loads by signing up for an annual package that’ll set you back just £39.99. In the US, you’ll pay $8.99 a month (plus taxes), or $49.99 a year. 

The professionals are ready on the start line, and you can follow them all the way with GCN+.

Visit plus.globalcyclingnetwork.com to find out more.

Spectacular coastal scenery, rugged terrain, ancient ruins… the Zurich Lighthouses Challenge has it all. This summer, you can take part in a memorable ride around the Isle of Man, at a sportive event that truly has something for everyone.

Over the weekend of 1-2 July 2023, you’ll be able follow in the tyre tracks of thousands of riders who’ve experienced the joys of three memorable courses designed to suit riders of various abilities. These are roads where top professional cyclists Mark Cavendish and Lizzie Holden honed their craft, and that’s not the route's only claim to fame – on a clear day it’s possible to see Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England across the sea from various points on the circuit.

Starting from Castletown, the Isle of Man’s historic capital, for the first time, the epic Full Circle route will take you on a 100-mile (160km) route around the island. It features 6,800 feet (2000m) of ascents, which is enough climbing to get you up Ben Nevis one-and-a-half times! While the Half Circle course cuts down on the distance, this 51-mile route follows a significant portion of the main circuit, so you’ll still be facing plenty of challenging inclines as you explore the island. And the 17-mile Quarter Circle p/b DotPerformance course is the ideal way for leisure cyclists, novices and families to get a feel for the event. Children are welcome to take part, though it’s recommended that anyone under 16 rides with a responsible adult.

Kids can also enjoy the Pedal Party, where families will get the opportunity to ride together on closed, traffic-free roads around Castletown. There’ll be advice on hand from expert cycle instructors and the road safety team to help the kids become better, more confident riders.

Whether you want to take part in the Zurich Lighthouses Challenge individually or join forces with friends in a team of four, the focus of the event is each individual doing their best. There is no winner, though everyone who rides will enjoy the benefits of electronic timing, along with a medal for taking part, an event t-shirt, access to feed zones, a service course supported by local bike shop Cycle 360, and that all-important massage when you reach the finish line. 

And you don’t even need the latest bike to take part. You can use any type you like, whether it’s a state-of the-art road model, a tandem or even an e-bike. Vintage clothing is also welcome if you want to complete the course in retro style.

Entry costs just £45 for the Full Circle (£150 for a team of four), £35 for the Half Circle and £25 for the Quarter Circle.

Enter the Zurich Lighthouses Challenge here

Getting across the water

While cycling across the Irish Sea isn’t going to be an option, getting to the event couldn’t be easier. In fact, Steam Packet Holidays, official travel partner of the Zurich Lighthouses Challenge, have put together some fantastic travel and accommodation packages for the weekend.

Ferry and accommodation deals start at £140 per person for two nights (based on two adult foot passengers), and you can reserve your spot for just £50. Your beloved bike doesn’t have to feel left out, either, because it’s also included in the price. In fact, if you’re lucky enough to sail on the Steam Packet’s new boat, the Manxman, your bike will travel in unprecedented luxury. The new ferry (which will be in service by the time the Lighthouses Challenge takes place) will boast expanded bike storage and the opportunity to ride your bike onto the car deck – even when you book as a foot passenger.

Cyclists from the British mainland can sail from either Heysham in Lancashire or Liverpool, though boats also operate from Dublin and Belfast. Steam Packet can help with your bookings – just phone (01624 645777) or email (info@steampacketholidays.com).

Check out the Steam Packet website to see the deals on offer, and get set for an exciting weekend of cycling – for you and your bike.

Brains are incredible. Not only do they control the way we think and move, they’re also what make us who we are. While it’s widely accepted that physical exercise has numerous benefits for our general wellbeing, it can be easy to forget that our brains deserve some attention, too.

The good news is that giving your grey matter a bit of extra love doesn’t require signing up for an arduous, time-consuming routine. Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Think Brain Health campaign is dedicated to celebrating all the brilliant things brains can do, while sharing steps we can all take to look after that powerful organ in our heads. Looking after your brain health can have important long-term benefits too, because research suggests that up to 40% of dementia cases are linked to factors we can influence. In other words, while around two thirds of people don’t realise it, taking steps to protect our brain health in our 30s, 40s and 50s can help lower your chances of developing dementia later on.

And though there’s currently no sure-fire way to prevent dementia – age and genetics are also important factors – following these three simple rules can help reduce your risk:

1. Love your heart

It’s a simple equation but what’s good for your heart is good for your brain. So, by staying active, eating healthily and not smoking, you’ll also be protecting your brain and helping reduce your risk of developing dementia later in life. 

It’s well known that eating a balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and healthy proteins helps to prevent heart disease, while also keeping your blood pressure in check. This, in turn, helps to protect the tiny blood vessels carrying oxygen around your brain. 

Physical activity, meanwhile, helps our hearts pump vital oxygen and nutrients around our bodies and, crucially, to our brains. 

2. Stay sharp

The benefits of jumping on the saddle for a spot of physical exercise are clear, but giving your brain a workout can also reap rewards. While there’s no hard evidence pointing to any specific activities being best for your brain just yet, there are a variety of things you can do to get your grey matter in gear. It may be as simple as taking on interesting new tasks at work or, if you like cooking, challenging yourself with a new recipe every weekend. You could also try learning a new language.

Any hours you can devote to your mental wellbeing will be well spent too, whether it’s making time for a hobby or something else you enjoy. As will taking steps to get a good night’s sleep – after all, getting enough quality sleep is also linked with a reduced risk of dementia.

3. Stay connected

After a few years of lockdowns and working remotely, this probably comes as little surprise, but human connection is also good for your health. Research suggests that social isolation can be another factor linked to an increased risk of dementia, so talking and staying in touch with friends and family can be extremely beneficial. The good news, then, is that making plans to hang out with your mates isn’t just fun – it’s also good for your brain health.

If you’d like to take steps to protect your brain health, Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Think Brain Health Check-in can point you in the right direction. While it’s not an assessment or a diagnostic test, this quick, easy Check-in asks questions about you and your brain healthy habits, and takes about 10 minutes to complete. It then uses your answers to celebrate what you’re doing well already, and identify any areas where you may be able to make improvements. You can then sign up to a five-week series of emails containing blog posts, and advice on forming (and sticking to!) habits that are good for your brain. You’ll also receive information on Alzheimer’s Research UK events.

You’ll soon realise that looking after your brain health doesn’t require a massive investment of time or effort – and that it’s wonderful for your all-round well-being, as well.

For more information on how you can improve your brain health, visit Think Brain Health.

Whether you’re a roadie or an MTB enthusiast, ride your bike for the daily commute or just for fun at the weekend, the Cycle Show will have something for you.

The UK’s leading cycling show reaches its 20th anniversary this year, and the event promises to be a spectacular three-day celebration of all things bike. Taking place in the iconic surroundings of London’s Alexandra Palace, the event – which runs from Friday 21 until Sunday 23 April 2023 – will feature world-beating cycling stars, along with the latest gear from major brands, and an epic range of exhibits and demonstrations.

The Cycle Show Stage will be your destination if you want to find inspiration from a selection of big-name professionals. This year’s stellar line-up will feature Q&As with representatives of numerous cycling disciplines, including road (Philippa York, Nicolas Roche and Peter Kennaugh), track (Zoe Bäckstedt) and MTB (Tahnée Seagrave, Greg Minnaar, Kriss Kyle). Check out the guest list for more information.

Meanwhile, if you head over to the Experts Stage, you’ll be able to get tips from the best in the business. Whether you’re a beginner or a rider who’s logged thousands of miles in the saddle, you’ll be able to learn about mechanics, fitness, nutrition and more. There’ll also be a stage dedicated to two of the fastest growing areas in cycling, bikepacking and gravel, with advice on top travel destinations and the best bikes you can buy.

But there’s much more to the Cycle Show than talk. It’s the place to go for everything that’s new and exciting in the industry, from the latest bikes and gear, to exciting cycling holidays. If you’re looking to give your wardrobe a refresh or pick up some new accessories for your bike, the Cycle Show is the ultimate shopping destination – there’ll even be a new retail area in the Panorama Hall, where you’ll be able to find great deals on helmets, eyewear, clothing and other accessories. And in the extremely unlikely event that you need a break from all that new stuff, you’ll be able to get nostalgic for the old days with a display of ’80s BMXs.

Where the Cycle Show really comes into its own, however, is the opportunity to test ride new bikes and gadgets. The beautiful hills and parkland surrounding Ally Pally will be transformed into numerous demo tracks where you’ll be able test the latest bikes on or off road, up and down hill. There’ll be the opportunity to give road, MTB, gravel, commuter, leisure, children’s and electric models a spin, though you will need to book a slot in advance.

Making its Cycle Show debut this year, a dedicated cargo bike area will feature a track for testing out the latest utility bikes. And for anyone who fancies an extra challenge, there’ll be the chance to power your way up the path that leads from the bottom of the park to Ally Pally – you’ll climb 100 feet in a mere 262 yards, so expect your lungs to be on fire when you reach the top. Kids of all ages and abilities can also look forward to their own dedicated area outside the venue, featuring a kids’ track, an MTB pump track and trial skills sessions.

Standard adult admission for the Cycle Show costs just £16 per day (in advance), but you can make your trip even more special with a VIP ticket. For £70 you get fast track entry to the show, early access to the test track timetable, access to the private lounge, a complimentary cloakroom and tea and coffee all day, and a Cycle Show gift bag. VIP places are limited, however, so book now to make sure you don’t miss out.

And – last but not least – you can rest assured that cycling to and from the Alexandra Palace event is most definitely an option. The Cycle Show will have its own fenced bike park, where the dedicated team will keep an eye on your bike. That means you’ll be able to enjoy the show without worrying about your pride and joy, allowing you to devote your full attention to the bikes you want to ride next…

For more information on the Cycle Show and to book tickets, visit www.cycleshow.co.uk

If you love cycling, spending a holiday in the saddle feels like the perfect getaway. As well as enjoying your hobby away from work and the other distractions of your daily routine, it’s a chance to explore exciting new places at your own pace, with the freedom to see as much – or as little – as you like.

But assembling your own itinerary doesn’t come without its challenges, whether it’s planning routes in a place you’ve never visited before, or working out the logistics of moving your luggage from one hotel to the next. Luckily, travel experts Headwater have decades of experience putting together bespoke, self-guided holidays – in other words, they do the hard work so you can make the most of your adventures.

Since 1985, Headwater have been creating bespoke, award-winning walking and cycling holidays for people who want to explore under their own steam. Taking advantage of expert regional knowledge, their expertly curated itineraries can take you to exciting new places you might never have found by yourself. Whether you’re looking for places of historical or cultural interest, hand-picked local restaurants, or characterful accommodation where you can put your feet up in the evening, Headwater can steer you in the direction of some memorable hidden treasures. Alternatively, if you’re after a change of scenery, they can offer advice on city breaks or trips to the coast, or even adding an e-bike to your itinerary.  For extra peace of mind, Headwater offer personalised support from the moment you book to the day you return from your trip, with a service that’s been rated 4.7 stars by Feefo.

With Headwater, there’s plenty of memorable destinations ready to be explored on your bike. Perhaps you’d like to ride through the lavender fields of southern France’s Côtes du Ventoux, experience the iconic canal district on a tour from Amsterdam to Brussels, or head to Ireland to enjoy the spectacular scenery of County Kerry’s Wild Atlantic Way? Other bestselling Headwater holidays include cycling the Classic Cotswolds route, riding from the Julian Alps to the Adriatic, and following the Danube from Vienna to Budapest.

Thankfully there’s no need to worry about luggage slowing you down, because your bags will be transported ahead so they’re ready and waiting when you reach your overnight destination. And forget about crowding around a map, arguing over which road to take next – Headwater’s navigation app offers meticulous turn-by-turn directions to keep you on the right track, with audio navigations individually created for each itinerary. 

So if you’re looking to spend your next holiday on two wheels, immersing yourself in the culture of your destination, take a look at Headwater’s impressive collection of self-guided and guided cycling trips. You can also find further inspiration by requesting a copy of Headwater’s free brochure.

Win! A Headwater holiday for two!

Headwater are currently offering you the chance to win a holiday for two. You can choose between the Secrets of Sicily Walking Holiday or the Contrasts of Catalunya Cycling Holiday. To enter, simply enter your details via the link below. The winner will be selected on 5 April 2023 – good luck! 

(See full terms and conditions at the bottom of this page.)

ENTER HERE

Plus! Get £100 off any Headwater holiday!

If you can’t wait to start exploring, Headwater are also offering you the chance to save £100 per person on any Headwater holiday. Simply use code CW100 when booking. (Offer ends 31 March 2023 – more information can be found here.)

How are those new year’s resolutions panning out? Many of us started 2023 with the aim of spending more time in the saddle, but the double whammy of work and those cold, wet winter days can knock good intentions off course faster than an unexpected pothole.

When you’re trying to stick to a new fitness regime, however, one of the keys to success is building a routine and sticking to it. Luckily, the new ROUVY Regulars weekly scheduled rides have been purpose-built by experts to give you the motivation to keep moving.

With nearly two decades of experience building software for cyclists, ROUVY know what they’re talking about when it comes to indoor training. The ROUVY app is designed to improve your fitness as you cycle iconic routes all over the world, and with ROUVY Regulars, you’re bound to find a programme to suit you – whether you’re a newcomer to the sport or a more experienced rider looking to push yourself to the limit.

There are four categories to choose from – Hobby riders, Avid cyclists, Femmes cyclists and Triathletes – and each one features its own unique selection of rides and races. Because sessions take place on the same days every week, it’s easy to fit them into your diary. The plans also contain a mix of challenging workouts and lighter days to give you a breather when you need one. 

Hobby riders is the place to go if you’re a relative newcomer to cycling. With its easy pace and beautiful scenery, the category is precision-engineered to get you into good habits on your new fitness regime. 

And even if you don’t like Mondays, you have the perfect incentive to get your week rolling in style, joining other riders on an easy ‘Gelato Ride’ where the mouthwatering goal is an ice cream at the nearest café. Meanwhile, ‘Keep It Low Wednesdays’ steer clear of the mountains for a comfortable workout on the flat, ‘Friday Socials’ introduce you to new people on a fun group ride, and ‘Saturday Coffee’ sessions are spot on for that lazy weekend jaunt.

More experienced riders will want to select Avid cyclists as their ROUVY Regulars destination. These medium-level sessions feature faster tempo group rides and races, making them ideal for improving your performance. 

You get the chance to explode out of the starting gate on a Monday morning, building early momentum with a short, high-paced ‘Prologue Race’ or a ‘Monday Tempo Ride’ of an hour or more – the handy magnet feature means you won’t get dropped by the group, even when the going gets hard. As you head into midweek you can clock up some kilometres on ‘Foundation Mile Wednesdays‘, or test yourself against some serious inclines in the ‘Mountain Goats Race’. On Fridays you can shift the pace up and down as you ‘Keep It Rolling’, or try to stay in touch with the front of the pack in ‘Catch The Leader’. Then you get to round out the week on Saturdays with a flat, ‘Zero Gravity‘ race, or by going flat-out in a short ‘Crit Race’. 

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, women riders are invited to take part in Femmes rides, sessions where the focus is enjoying cycling at a comfortable pace while taking in some beautiful scenery – including the stunning coastlines of the ‘Women’s Coastal Cruise’. 

And Mondays and Fridays are when Triathletes get a run out, with a variety of challenging terrains to help build stamina and endurance. With its challenging routes, ‘Breakaway Racing Monday’ is the perfect way to push yourself to the limit at the start of the week. 

So if you want to make sure your cycling new year’s resolutions stay on course into February and beyond, ROUVY Regulars has everything you need to get you on the (virtual) road. It takes seconds to set up a ROUVY account, before you connect to your trainer and start enjoying a free, full-access 14-day trial. Then, once you’re up and running, you’ll just have one question to answer: which ROUVY Regulars ride will you take on next?

To find out more, visit Rouvy.com/regulars. 

Wheels are the link between your bike and the road, so they’re always going to be one of the most important elements of any cyclist’s set-up. Finding the right wheelset can improve both your riding performance and your comfort in the saddle, and Scribe Cycling are on a mission to manufacture the best pound-for-pound wheels you can buy.

Since the brand launched in 2019, Scribe’s small team of engineers, designers and expert wheel technicians have set out to push the boundaries of wheel design and technology, putting each wheel design through its paces with extensive testing.

During the development of each high-performance Scribe model, the team starts out with an end weight in mind, so they can find the all-important balance between the wheel’s strength and weight. The weights of Scribe’s wheels are impressively low, thanks to their use of high-filament Japanese Toray (12k/18k) carbon fibre, and cutting edge resin technology.

All of Scribe’s performance wheels also feature the brand’s exclusive single-disc Ratchet Drive System.

This responsive, high-torque hub system is beneficial because the ratchet faces engage simultaneously every time, offering almost instant drive when you apply the power, not to mention improved durability and ease of maintenance. Scribe believe their Ratchet Drive System is extremely competitively priced compared to other single-disc ratchet drive hubs on the market, pointing out that – while most rival hubs with similar tech retail for around £475 – you can pick up full Scribe Super-light Carbon wheelset for £870, and performance alloy wheels from £380-£440.

New to the range for 2023 is the option to run a 54-tooth ratchet system. This will come as standard on Scribe’s top-tier Élan wheels and will be an upgrade option for the CORE range. Scribe spec’d their wheels with the 36-tooth ratchet mechanism from day one, and the 54-tooth upgrade will offer even faster engagement, with an engagement angle of 6.6° compared to the previous 10°. Scribe also claim that the floating configuration of the ratchet disc and the smaller-toothed profile have a modified tone, and therefore the potential to reduce overall hub noise – ideal for the more noise conscious riders among us.

You can rest assured, too, that when you invest in a Scribe wheelset you’ll be getting industry-leading customer support. Clicking the chat button on the Scribe website or emailing team@scribecycling.com gives you access to an experienced rider who can deliver advanced technical advice, while Scribe’s YouTube channel features plenty of helpful instructional videos. You also get a three-year warranty to help keep you on the road, along with a lifetime crash replacement programme in case an unexpected tumble results in damage to your carbon wheels. Scribe also offer free bearing replacement for the duration of the warranty period for their Carbon ranges.

So whether you’re riding road or gravel, in competitions or on your daily commute, Scribe provide competitively priced, high-spec wheelsets to get you moving. And, because Scribe never discount, you can rest assured that they’re always offering the best deal possible.

Here are three high quality performance wheels from the Scribe range:

Scribe Élan

A high-performance wheel with high-strength, super lightweight carbon spokes, designed for maximum responsiveness when you accelerate – whether you’re climbing or sprinting away from the pack.

Scribe CORE

With low weights and wheel technology impressive enough to challenge the market-leading brands, Scribe CORE gives you a responsive aerodynamic wheelset without the premium price tag.

Scribe Inception

Featuring wide carbon rims and responsive, double-disc ratchet drive hubs, Scribe Inception wheels are designed for relative newcomers to cycling who might be looking to upgrade the stock wheels supplied with their bike. Fitting Inception wheels should help you ride faster on the flats, while offering better responsiveness when you need to pull away.

The days are shorter, and the weather’s colder and wetter, but that doesn’t mean you have to put your cycling on hold until spring. Zwift has plenty of great ways to keep you in the saddle throughout the winter months, including some exciting features purpose-built to add an extra dimension to your indoor training.

Zwift, the global online fitness platform for cyclists, is constantly evolving. The platform has recently added new routes, better event capabilities and improved content discovery to the mix, meaning that Zwifters will now be able to search for suitable workouts based on their duration or the effort they want to put in. 

Here, however, we want to focus on three exciting features that can bring a fun, competitive edge to your training.

Pro Training Camp gives you access to the workouts used by top professional cyclists from leading pro teams, while ZRacing gives you a chance to enter competitions against real-life opponents from across the world of your own level. Perhaps most tantalisingly of all, the new HoloReplay function can pit you against the most formidable adversary of them all – yourself…

So, with the indoor cycling season upon us, here’s everything you need to know about the exciting ways Zwift can help you get the most out of your winter training.

1. Pro Training Camp

Winter training camps have been an essential part of a pro cyclist’s itinerary for decades. Unfortunately, flying out to southern Europe to enjoy a couple of weeks exploring picturesque mountain passes, bathed in beautiful sunshine, isn’t an option for most of us. Zwift’s Pro Training Camp collection can remedy that, however, by bringing the training sessions to you. Best of all, it’s flexible enough to fit around your schedule.

Zwift’s use of the word “Pro” is no accident, because Pro Training Camp gives you access to workouts based on professional riders’ own favourite sessions. Zwift has recruited some top-level talent to help out, too, with Ineos Grenadiers, Jumbo-Visma, Movistar and BikeExchange-Jayco bringing along big names like Geraint Thomas, Marianne Vos, Annemiek van Vleuten, Carlos Verona and Lawson Craddock to share their expertise.

There are incentives for getting stuck in. Completing any of the team workouts unlocks their team cap for your Zwift avatar, while completing any two workouts from each of the four participating teams (that’s eight workouts in total) unlocks a special Pro Training Cap.

As with any other FTP (functional threshold power) based workout on Zwift, the difficulty level will be scaled to match your own current fitness and cycling ability – Pro Training Camp is training like the pros, rather than training for professionals. (To get the most out of Pro Training Camp, it’s worth keeping your FTP accurate and up-to-date, using the choice of four FTP tests built into Zwift.)

Zwift’s Pro Training Camp runs from 21 November 2022 to 15 January 2023, with registration open now. Workouts can be completed at any time on demand, and once you’ve put in the training, you’ll probably want to test yourself by taking part in December’s ZRacing series…

2. ZRacing

Why go to the effort of travelling to a race when the race can come to you? Zwift’s always-on ZRacing feature gives you a chance to take part in races throughout the day, with new contests getting underway every hour. Adding to the flexibility, courses and durations are carefully planned so that you can warm up, race and cool down in the space of an hour – all while pitting your new-and-improved fitness levels against other Zwift users from around the world.

There’s no chance you’ll get bored of the routes, either, because Zwift changes them every week. You also get themed monthly race ‘series’, with the December line-up picked by the pro teams who’ve contributed workouts to Pro Training Camp. 

And if competitiveness is a priority, you can rest assured that Zwift has taken care to ensure races in the Zwift Racing League (ZRL) are an even playing field. Zwift takes data from every ride you do – whether in a free-ride or an event – to build your own customised power profile. Category enforcement then prevents riders from taking part in a category below their ability, resulting in fairer and more fun races for everyone. Season 2 of the Zwift Racing League is already underway but season 3 kicks off on 10 January, so there's plenty of time to register and beat the post Christmas blues by racing with your friends.

3. HoloReplay

Pitting yourself against your fellow Zwift users is one thing, but there’s one rival who’s always going to run you close on the road – yourself. HoloReplay, a new feature that was high on the Zwift community’s wishlist, translates the exact same effort you put in on a particular Zwift segment into a translucent, on-screen avatar.

But this HoloReplay isn’t just based on your average speed throughout a particular section of road. Zwift uses the data recorded on your previous rides to ensure that your avatar is a genuine blast from your past, an opponent riding an identical bike, taking the same line on the same course, with exactly the same power output as your previous self. The HoloReplay’s performance can be based on your last ride, the occasion you set your most recent 90-day PB, or a combination of the two.

Aside from bringing a fun competitive element into play, taking on your HoloReplay rival is a helpful training tool. If, say, you’ve been trying for ages to go sub-60 on the Alpe du Zwift but keep blowing up in the closing kilometres, you can pace yourself better next time. Or, if you have steering enabled, you can see if you can work out an improved line through a particularly twisty segment. 

14-day free trial

If you want to try out Pro Training Camps, ZRacing, HoloReplay or any more of Zwift’s exciting training features, Zwift offers a 14-day free trial. That’s plenty of time to get a feel for everything the app has to offer, without making any financial commitment.

For more information on Zwift and its exciting features, visit zwift.com.

If you thought the handlebars were just on your bike to help you steer, it’s time to think again. Yes, pointing you in the right direction is important, but choosing the best handlebars for you and your preferred riding style can have a significant effect on both comfort and aerodynamics. In fact, investing in new handlebars for your bike is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your performance in the saddle.

Gone are the days of simply picking up the first pair of drop handlebars you find and hitting the road. There are numerous factors you need to consider before making a purchase, and all can influence the quality of your ride.

For starters, you need to think about the width of your handlebars: bars that are too wide can put extra pressure on your neck and arms, while bars that are too narrow can leave you feeling uncomfortably cramped. At the same time, narrow bars have the benefit of pulling your elbows inwards, reducing your cross-sectional area and improving your aerodynamics.

Speaking of aerodynamics, speed demons should probably set their sights on an aero-optimised design shaped to cut through the air more efficiently. Meanwhile, grabbing a set of carbon handlebars is a sensible option for anyone looking to reduce the overall weight of their bike.

And then there’s the shape of the bars: if you’re chasing PB-smashing time trail pace, you’ll want lower, traditionally shaped bars, but if you’re going to be spending a whole day in the saddle, chances are a more compact, less severe design will be up your street. Flare (the amount the drops angle out to the sides) is also important, particularly when it comes to comfort and control. 

In the ever-evolving world of handlebars, there’s no shortage of factors to consider before making a purchase but the good news is that Saddleback – the home of performance cycling – has plenty of top-quality bars to choose from. Here are three of the best you can buy from leading US brand ENVE.

ENVE SES Aero Road Handlebar

The ENVE SES Aero Road Handlebar was built with road racers and short-course triathletes in mind, and has even seen action in the Tour de France courtesy of Team Dimension Data.

ENVE worked with aerodynamicist Simon Smart in the development of this lightweight, full-carbon bar, and the wind tunnel-tested design helps to minimise a rider’s profile against the wind – this is particularly important when you’re out on the road, because your body is responsible for the majority of aerodynamic drag you encounter.

Speed doesn’t come at the cost of comfort, however, because the compact geometry of the bar allows you to assume a fast, aero position that can be maintained for long periods of time. The flare is also an aggressive 5cm from hoods to drops – a winning combination of super-tight on the tops and better handling on the drops.

Price: £440

ENVE SES AR Handlebar

Gravel bikes have exploded in popularity in recent years, and the ENVE SES AR Handlebar is designed to help you get the most out of this exciting branch of cycling. Equally comfortable taking on fast sections of tarmac and rougher gravel courses, the bar is built with versatility in mind – it’s adaptable enough to handle both different riding styles, and various configurations of wheels, tyres and frames.

The “AR” refers to ENVE’s All Road principle, which uses a unique carbon laminate to help smooth out the effects of the roughest terrain. The drop’s 23.5mm flare offers excellent control, and although the SES AR is less aerodynamic than the SES Aero, the bar’s top section features an aero cross-section for excellent performance against the wind.

Price: £440

ENVE Compact Road Handlebar

Available in a variety of widths (from 38-46cm) and with the option to adjust the hood-to-drop distance by up to 2cm, the versatile ENVE Compact Road Handlebar is a bike fitter’s dream come true. As well as giving you the option to adopt your ideal position on your bike, the ENVE Compact Road is built entirely from carbon, creating a lightweight yet stiff bar that delivers an impressively comfortable ride. It’s important to note, too, that not all carbon is created equal, and that the manufacture, finish and testing of ENVE bars help them to stand out from cheaper alternatives on the market.

Like the ENVE SES Aero and the ENVE SES AR Handlebars, the ENVE Compact Road is compatible with internal cabling.

Price: £440

To find out more about Saddleback and its range of ENVE handlebars, visit saddleback.co.uk

Black Friday is here and that’s very good news for cyclists.

Top retailer Sigma Sports is offering massive Black Friday discounts this year, meaning you can save up to 60% on hundreds of products from the leading cycling brands on the planet. So whether you’re looking to treat yourself to a shiny new piece of kit, or want to buy a thoughtful gift for your favourite cycling enthusiast, Sigma Sports has something for you – often at highly discounted prices.

If you want to take advantage of the best discounts, however, it’s best not to hang around. Sigma Sports is clearing stock ahead of the eagerly anticipated 2023 season, and supplies are limited and selling fast. New deals will be added to the site all the way up to Black Friday itself, with offers running up to Cyber Monday (28 November).

Of course, with so many bikes, frames, helmets, turbo trainers and accessories on offer, it can be difficult to know where to get started. So we’ve put together this guide to the many highlights in Sigma Sports’ epic Black Friday sale...

SAVE 47%! Vel 50RL Carbon Tubeless Disc Brake Wheelset

RRP £749.00 | Black Friday price £399.00

Looking to upgrade your bike’s wheels this winter? Vel’s handbuilt 50RL Carbon Tubeless Disc Brake Wheelset is precision-engineered to improve your time on the road. The wheels are aerodynamically designed to reduce drag, while simultaneously keeping you steadier in crosswinds. With an internal width of 20mm, they’re compatible with modern, wider tyres, and there’s enough sidewall support to run them at lower pressures, giving you a more comfortable, grippier ride.

Click here to shop now

Sigma Sports also has lots of great Black Friday discounts across the whole Vel range. Check them out here. 

SAVE 33%! Wahoo KICKR Bike Indoor Smart Bike and Trainer

RRP £3,299.99 | Black Friday price £2,199.00

Keep yourself in tip-top shape throughout the winter months – and beyond – with this smart bike and trainer. Capable of simulating uphill gradients of up to 20% – the impressively responsive KICKR flywheel is accurate to +/- 1% –  the KICKR is a brilliant way to bring your outdoor training regime indoors. Wahoo’s virtual shifting tech can match bike gearing from major brands like Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo, while riders who like to keep track of their training data will be impressed by the array of stats on offer.

When you buy, you also receive a free 14-day trial of the Wahoo SYSTM app, giving you access to a comprehensive library of cycling workouts.

Click here to shop now

SAVE 35%! Cannondale Supersix Evo Force AXS Disc Road Bike 2023

RRP £6,500.00 | Black Friday price £4,225.00

If you’re looking to replace your existing road bike, Black Friday is an excellent time to do it. The Cannondale SuperSix Evo Rival AXS features a full carbon frameset, built with truncated tube shapes to significantly reduce aerodynamic drag when riding at higher speeds.

This lightweight bike features SAVE manipulated rear stays to give you a smoother, more efficient ride when the road surface gets rougher, while generous wheel clearance accommodates tyres of up to 30mm wide. You also get a wireless, SRAM Force 12-speed gear configuration, and powerful, precise hydraulic disc brakes.

Click here to shop now

SAVE 51%! Shimano Ultegra R8000 Carbon SPD-SL Road Pedals

RRP £160.00 | Black Friday price £79.00

You should never overlook the importance of a good set of pedals, and the Shimano Ultegra R8000 Carbon SPD-SLs certainly fit the bill. Weighing in at just 248 grams per pair, these super-strong pedals are designed to deliver maximum responsiveness and smooth rotation. They’re compatible with three-bolt SPD-SL style cleats, and supplied with yellow Shimano cleats, with a six-degree float. Their large binding target also ensures that engaging with your shoes is quick and easy.

Click here to shop now

SAVE 29%! Garmin Edge 830 GPS Enabled Cycling Computer

RRP £349.00 | Black Friday price £249.00

Stay on top of your performance in the saddle with this sophisticated Garmin cycling computer. As well as diving into your riding metrics, the Edge 830 can provide insights that will help you train better – everything from data on how your body deals with altitude or warm weather, to handy reminders telling you when to eat or hydrate. You can also pair the unit with your smartphone to take advantage of useful functions like LIveTrack, which lets your family know where you are in the event of an accident. In other words, whether you’re preparing for a big race or simply looking to improve your fitness, the Garmin Edge 830 is your ideal training companion.

Click here to shop now

And there's loads more...

If you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, Sigma Sports has plenty of exciting Black Friday discounts – whether you’re buying for yourself or that special cyclist in your life.

Whatever your cycling needs, Sigma Sports has got you covered this Black Friday. Visit sigmasports.com to find out more.

If you've given more familiar destinations like Mallorca, Girona, Tenerife or Gran Canaria a try and are looking for somewhere new, the roads of Spain’s Sierra Nevada are cycling’s best kept secret. Situated in the beautiful Andalusian province of Granada, this mountain range is home to the highest point in continental Spain (Mulhacén), and features some of the best riding the country has to offer. 

Whether you’re training or simply riding for enjoyment, the Sierra Nevada’s mix of quiet roads, epic climbs and spectacular descents means there’s plenty to suit riders of all abilities and tastes. Throw in lots of sunshine and excellent food, and the region has everything a cyclist could dream of. 

The experts at Cycle Sierra Nevada have years of experience giving travellers their ideal holiday on two wheels. Here are six reasons to spend your next cycling vacation in the Sierra Nevada.

1. The weather is worth writing home about

While the city of Granada and the Ski Station at 2,500m above sea level can get rather chilly in winter, the area around Cycle Sierra Nevada’s headquarters (in the village of Velez de Benaudalla) is – unusually for Europe – warm enough to grow avocados, bananas and mangoes.

Situated just a few kilometres from the beaches of the sub-tropical Costa Tropical, the region is protected from cold northerly winds by mountains, while warmer breezes from the south prevent temperatures from dropping too low. Throw in an average 325 days of sunshine per year, and you’ve got one of the few regions of Spain where it’s possible to ride all-year round without your full cold-weather kit. There’s a good reason why some of the best pro cycling teams in the world spend their off-season training in the Sierra Nevada. 

2. There are climbs to suit all tastes…

This region of Southern Spain is blessed with epic mountain ranges, with the Sierra Nevada, the Sierra de Lújar, the Sierra de la Contraviesa, the Sierra de Los Guájares and the Sierra de Almijara all close by. That puts a vast selection of routes at your disposal, whether you’re looking for something more gentle (most of the climbs in the area have an average gradient of 5-6 percent), or one of the 20-plus HC category ascents within riding distance of Cycling Sierra Nevada’s base. 

It's also good to know that the roads in the area are generally quiet. In fact, Cycle Sierra Nevada say that it’s possible to take on some climbs without passing a single car. They also point out that drivers in the area tend to be respectful enough to provide plenty of room while overtaking, making your ride much more relaxing.

To get an idea of what to expect, check out Cycle Sierra Nevada’s guide to climbs in the region.

3 …and the descents are pretty good, too

As Sir Isaac Newton theorised all those centuries ago, what goes up must come down, so it’s worth remembering that your hard work on the climbs will be rewarded by spectacular descents. The combination of sweeping bends, fast straights and tight hairpins are a cyclist’s dream, while the lack of cars and the quality of the road surfaces make it easier to settle in and enjoy the ride.

4. There’s no lack of variety

The Sierra Nevada boasts so many memorable cycling routes that you never need to cover the same tarmac twice – unless, of course, you were so captivated by a stretch of road first time out you feel you have to experience it again. 

If you want to take on the challenge of your very own Grand Tour-level climb, there are plenty of options to choose from, including the Pico Veleta, Europe's highest paved road. Cycle Sierra Nevada have an extensive guide to riding the Pico Veleta, and bike hire is available for anyone looking to take on the highest cycling climb on the continent.

But don't worry if you have days when you want to avoid the inclines – you can also choose to drop the intensity with a recovery ride or a quick jaunt to the beach.

5. It’s not just about the cycling

Even the most avid cyclist will want to enjoy themselves out of the saddle, and the region has plenty to offer when you’re not on the open road. Velez de Benaudalla is home to tapas bars and traditional Andalucian restaurants, while you can also find the amenities you need (supermarkets, banks, pharmacy, doctors etc) when you’re away from home. Cycling Sierra Nevada also say that the fact the village is off the traditional tourist track means you don’t need to worry about tourist-level prices.

At the same time, it’s only an hour from Málaga, Almería and Granada airports, meaning you don’t need to mount an expedition before you get in the saddle.

6. Cycle Sierra Nevada has plenty of happy customers

Cycle Sierra Nevada currently has an average rating of 5.0 from over 160 reviews on Google. Here are a few highlights from satisfied customers:

“Cycle Sierra Nevada provide first-class bikes with fair prices, their service cannot be topped. And yes, I almost forgot: this cycling area is about the best for cycling on very quiet roads, no traffic, absolutely stunning nature, great up- and downhill with terrific curves that make you high and singing. We will come again for sure.”

“Wow, what an incredible area of Spain to ride, facilitated by the great people at Cycle Sierra Nevada. The BMC bikes were well equipped and in great mechanical order. The riding is amazing, so if you like mountains, I would highly recommend the area and Cycle Sierra Nevada.”

“I am happy to report that this is an amazing cycling destination. Great road surface, very little vehicle traffic and respectful drivers. Enjoy very scenic roads through the mountains and along the coast. Breathtaking views and smile-inducing descents are on the itinerary each day as your experienced and knowledgeable guide brings you through thoughtfully curated routes. I can’t decide if my favourite day was climbing alongside thousands of almond trees in bloom or descending through a national park down to the beach.”

Cycle Sierra Nevada have a large range of top-line BMC road, mountain, gravel and e-bikes for rent. Visit the Cycle Sierra Nevada website for more information.

Promotional feature: the products included have paid to be part of this feature.

Rehook Tyre Glider and Rehook Mini Bundle

The Rehook Tyre Glider (recently reviewed in Cycling Weekly) and Rehook Mini are designed to get you up and running when things go wrong. These light and compact tools are ideal for fitting tight tyres, fixing dropped chains, jams and turbos, and for general maintenance and roadside adjustments. In fact, they complement each other perfectly. 

The pocket-sized Rehook Mini incorporates toolbits with a foldable classic Rehook toolhead to help you get your chain back on your bike. The Rehook Tyre Glider, meanwhile, is the evolution of tyre levers, designed for quicker, easier removal and installation of tight-fitting tyres on all types of bike.

Bundle available from www.rehook.bike from £29.99

Cycology clothing

Hailing from the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia, the hand-drawn designs of Cycology’s bold and unique garments will help you to stand out from the pack. The brand’s winter range features base layers, long-sleeve jerseys, bib tights and accessories, all constructed from high-performance fabrics that offer exceptional comfort and protection from the cold. You can mix and match, or get the complete look. 

Be bold, be seen and be warm with Cycology.

The photo features long sleeve jerseys (£85), bib tights (£100), winter gloves (£26), neck warmers (£15) and socks (£15). Available from Cycology.co.uk.

Tenaci Gravel Handlebar Cover

Ere believes you’ve never seen anything quite like its new Tenaci Gravel Handlebar covers before. Designed to give your handlebars an upgrade, they’re built for extra comfort on long days in the saddle. The Tenaci Handlebar covers consist of a classic bar tape, combined with a unique bar cover that you slide over the end of your handlebars, all the way up to the shifters. The cover not only offers the ultimate grip on your bike, but also protects your handlebars against side impacts. In other words, it’s one of those little innovations that should make sure every gravel ride is one you can enjoy.

Available for £35 from www.ereresearch.com.

Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction Sport Headphones

Shokz’ bone-conduction technology makes these headphones ideal for cycling and other sports, too. The OpenRun’s comfortable, open-ear design allows you to enjoy high-quality sound while still paying attention to what’s going on around you, making them significantly safer than headphones that plug into or cover your ears. 

The OpenRun also meets the IP67 standard for water resistance, keeping your headphones safe from splashes, sweat and even unexpected downpours. And with a lightweight design and different size options to help you find your most comfortable fit, Shokz’ OpenRun headphones allow you to move around without feeling inhibited.

Available for £129.95 from uk.shokz.com.

Please can you update the 'available for' sentence to - Cycling Weekly: available for ￡129.95 from uk.shokz.com ( ￡103.95 now, 30% OFF from 21 Dec to 27 Dec)

NEW URL ADDED

Vitus Kids’ Bikes

With something to suit children of all abilities, Vitus’s range of kids’ bikes are perfect for exploring and building the essential skills that will stay with them for life – without, of course, forgetting the all-important element of fun. 

Covering ages from three to seven-plus, bikes range from balance bikes to trail-ready hardtails and CX bikes. Their design was influenced by the good stuff Vitus learned when creating award-winning bikes for grown-ups, and the kids’ range is engineered for fun, confidence and control, focusing on simple yet reassuring components to bring the same riding performance to the next generation.

For more information, visit vitusbikes.com.

SQLab 612 ERGOWAVE® R Carbon saddle

This is a saddle for true racers. Starting at only 125g, the 612 ERGOWAVE® R Carbon can give you the cycling advantage you’ve been waiting for. The popular SQlab ERGOWAVE® shape was adapted for performance-oriented riders, providing a sporty sitting position on both road bikes and XC models. The slim, firm padding and narrow waist provide maximum space for the legs, while the raised rear creates optimal grip for a better power transmission. The interplay between longitudinal stiffness and flex to the side means extra comfort with less weight. 

The saddle is available in sizes from 12cm to 14cm, meaning you can find the perfect fit for your body.

Available for €229.95 from sq-lab.com.

Elite Nanofly 0-100 Bottle

Keep your drinks hot or cold for hours during your winter rides with Elite's all-season insulated bottle. The Nanofly 0-100 uses Nanogel for insulation, a lightweight material that offers both exceptional thermal performance, and flexibility. The squeezable bottle’s silicon inner coating means it can handle boiling water without any risk of degrading – no need to wait for your drink to cool down before hitting the road – while the large opening makes filling and cleaning the Nanofly much easier.

Available for £29.95 from freewheel.co.uk.

Endura MT500 Freezing Point Jacket II

Winter can provide some of the most epic riding days with cool, crisp air and snow dusted trails. Reset the thermostat with the updated Endura MT500 Freezing Point Jacket and make even the coldest winter day a riding day. 

Lightweight yet durable ripstop body panels with PrimaLoft® GOLD insulation mean this jacket will hold up in the most demanding conditions. The stretch thermal softshell fabric on the back and lower sleeve (featuring a new Primaloft® inner face) also helps to provide unrestricted movement when you’re out on your bike.

Available for £164.99 at endurasport.com.

Fiido D3 Pro E-bike

The Fiido D3 Pro is a foldable, light, and powerful e-bike that can turn dull, daily tasks such as running errands into a great combination of working out and riding for fun. It also costs under £600.

The Fiido D3 Pro is one of the lightest bikes on the market, with a total weight of 17.5 kg (38.6 lbs), and it’s equipped with a 250W Brushless motor that effortlessly reaches speeds of up to 16mph (25km/h). Meanwhile, you won’t stop feeling your pedal resistance at higher speeds, thanks to the high gear ratio and better torque. An e-bike bike that can broaden your family’s cycling horizons.

Available from www.fiido.com.

Bike lights have moved on since the days of incandescent bulbs and chunky disposable batteries. The evolution of LEDs and USB-powered rechargeables has transformed lighting tech, and plenty of elegantly designed, lightweight devices are now available to make sure you can see – and be seen – when riding at night.

While all that choice is brilliant news for cyclists, however, it does make buying a new light significantly more challenging. These days, illuminating your rides isn’t quite as simple as buying a generic white light for the front and a red light for the rear, because different models offer very different functionality. That means it’s worth doing your homework to ensure you find the lights that best suit your own cycling needs.

Here, we’ll illuminate what you should be looking for when buying lights for your commute, for e-bikes, and for riding road, MTB and gravel. We’ll also highlight which products from leading manufacturer Lezyne are best for lighting your way. 

The importance of lumens

One of the first things you’ll want to consider when buying new bike lights is how many lumens they deliver. The lumen is a scientific unit that measures the amount of light emitted by a source per second – in other words, the lumen value tells you how brightly the light shines.

The lumen value is really important, because it’ll be the first thing to look for when determining when deciding if a light is suitable for your favoured cycling discipline. Brighter isn’t always better, however – remember, the more lumens a light emits, the quicker it will burn through its battery.

It’s also essential to check out the minimum requirements for bike lights where you live, because every country has different restrictions. In Germany, for example, lights need to conform to the more stringent STVZ0 standard.

Lights for commuters

When you’re cycling your commute to work, there’s a good chance you’ll be riding on well-lit town or city roads. In this scenario, your lights’ function is less about showing you the path ahead than ensuring that cars, pedestrians and other road users can see you.

A front light of 200 lumens and a rear light of 30 lumens will be enough to get you seen, though we’d recommend a minimum of 50 lumens at the rear just to make sure. You might also want to run a second light at the back, just in case one of them fails – this massively reduces the chances of you getting a nasty surprise that you’ve been riding without rear lighting.

The Lezyne KTV Drive Pro Smart Pair is the ideal combo for commuters. The KTV Drive Smart Front offers up to 200 lumens of output, while the KTV Drive Pro Smart Rear delivers up to 75 lumens, with a Wide Angle Optics lens to provide 270° of visibility. Lezyne’s Smart Connect wireless technology allows you to pair front and rear lights with the companion LED Ally smartphone app, meaning you can control both lights with just the touch of a button at the front. You can also select various flash, pulse, blast and economy modes to help preserve battery life, including a Daytime Flash mode to improve your chances of being seen during the day – after all, making cyclists more visible can only be a good thing.

Lights for road cyclists

If you’re a road cyclist who’s likely to be riding routes without street lighting, a light that will help you see the road ahead becomes essential. You’ll need a front light with a minimum of 500 lumens to properly light your way.

The Lezyne Connect Smart 1000XL/KTV Smart Pair is the ideal choice for road cyclists. As with the KTV Drive Pro Smart Pair above, front and rear lights can be linked using the Smart Connect functionality. There are also even more settings to choose from, including a battery-saving Femto mode that allows up to 87 hours of runtime. 

Arguably the combo’s most important feature, however, is the Connect Smart 1000XL front light, which uses its MOR (Maximum Optical Reflection) lens to optimise and evenly disperse its 1,000 lumens of output, providing illumination on even the darkest roads.

Lights for MTBs

Long winter nights don’t have to keep you away from your favourite mountain bike trails, but you are going to need a more powerful light to keep you safe on bumpy, unpaved routes. A light that delivers 1,000 lumens or more should fit the bill.

MTB riders also need to pay particular attention to their light’s beam pattern, because all the lumens in the world are no good if they’re concentrated on a tiny spot in front of your bike. That’s why Lezyne works really hard to ensure its lights deliver lumens across the entire width of the road or trail.

With a maximum output of 1,300 lumens, the Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL is perfect for MTB riders. This front light uses Tri-Focus Optics to create a bright centre spot within a large wide-angle beam pattern. It also features multiple settings to help you find the right balance between light output and battery life, while the aluminium design incorporates integrated cooling fins to optimise performance throughout the light’s lifetime.

Lights for gravel cycling

Gravel bikes are one of the fastest growing sectors in cycling, thanks in part to versatility that makes them equally at home on road and trail.

The Micro Pro 800XL/Strip Pair is the ideal combo to bridge the gap between terrains. The Micro Drive Pro XL front light delivers an impressive 800 lumens, and features side cutouts to offer 180° visibility. Its multiple settings also feature the Daytime Flash mode to help keep you visible during the day, while the fact the light is Remote Switch compatible enables operation without needing to take your hands off the handlebars.

At the back, the Strip Drive Rear provides 150 lumens of illumination, with Wide Angle Optics technology providing 270° of visibility.

Lights for e-bikes

When you’re riding an electric bike, there’s no need to worry about finding a USB socket to charge your lights. Lezyne’s e-bike lights are powered by the e-bike’s motor/battery, and the Lezyne E-Bike Macro Drive 1000 takes full advantage to deliver a maximum output of 1,000 lumens at the front. The light also features numerous light modes, including intelligent automatic daytime dimming, and is designed to be compatible with top e-bike manufacturers including Bosch, Shimano and Yamaha. Lezyne recommends having a trained e-bike professional install your lights for you.

For more information about Lezyne bike lights, visit ride.lezyne.com.

 Alzheimer’s Research UK wants cyclists to help it raise funding to support its vital research and has set a challenge to riders to cover 300 miles in November.

To sign up to help, join the Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) Treble Challenge, with rides both outdoors and indoors counting towards the 300 mile total. You can sign up as a team as well as to ride the 300 miles as an individual.

ARUK is looking for support from sponsorship for your riding, setting the objective for riders to raise at least £150. You can sign up via its Treble Challenge website, with the challenge supported by Garmin.

Why is it called the Treble Challenge? ARUK says that your riding is helping keep your body fit and your brain healthy and is also helping to find a cure for dementia. It points out that not only is cycling great for your physical fitness, regular exercise also improves your brain health and reduces the risk of dementia. Money raised is used by ARUK to fund research into causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and finding a cure for dementia.

Plan your riding 

Keeping active through the winter is a great way to ensure that you’re in the best shape for riding in 2023. To cover 300 miles in November, you’re going to need to cover an average of 75 miles a week. That’s not so easy now that the hour has gone back. Although it does mean more daylight in the morning, the sun will be setting well before 5pm.

So if you’re planning to ride outdoors, make sure you’re properly prepared, with lights, mudguards and suitable clothing. Weather in November can be fickle and a winter storm over a weekend could easily put you behind target. It’s a good idea to try to get ahead if you’ve got time earlier in the month.

The good news is that you can count time spent on the turbo trainer towards your total. Many riders prefer to mix time riding indoors with outdoor riding at this time of year, as it allows them to get in a ride in the evening or if it’s really not the weather to head out for a long ride. It’s a good way to spread out your ride time, so that you don’t have to rely on being able to put in a long weekend ride.

To help you keep track of your rides and see how your progress compares to other riders, ARUK also has a TeamARUK Strava club. Sign up and you’ll get leaderboards and weekly progress and can share your experience riding. You can invite other cyclists you know to join the challenge either via Strava or the Cycling Down Dementia Facebook group. You might even find other riders who live close to you you can team up with to share your rides.

If you’ve not got a cycling computer, Strava includes a ride logging function for smartphones that feeds directly into the app.

There’s a league table of distance cycled each week and top fundraisers, both individuals and teams, on the Treble Challenge site too.

Rewards for meeting funding targets 

ARUK is making its Treble Challenge rewarding for participants too, with free gifts. Raise £100, and you’ll get a free ARUK neckwarmer. Riders who raise £200 will be offered a free ARUK Cycling Down Dementia jersey, which is made from 100 per cent recycled water bottles. You can also buy the headband and jersey directly from the Treble Challenge website if you want to ride in them during the challenge. 

Sign up now for the ARUK Treble Challenge 

Signing up is easy, via the Treble Challenge website, which links into JustGiving. 

Electric bikes have been one of the biggest, most exciting developments to hit cycling in decades, and US manufacturer HImiway is at the forefront of the revolution. More than 100,000 cyclists across North America and Europe have already charged up their rides with a Himiway e-bike, and there are plenty of reasons you should put the brand at the top of your wishlist – whether you’re looking for your first power-assisted bike, or are in the market for an upgrade.

Since it was established in 2017, Himiway has been listening to feedback from its users to help improve the range of its electric bikes. The company’s bikes are designed to get you further, giving you a much larger range than their competitors. Thanks to powerful 48V, 20Ah batteries with an energy capacity of 960Wh (which compares favourably to the market average of 672Wh), Himiway says its e-bikes can travel up to 80 miles on a single charge. That’s 43% further than other electric bikes on the market.

The ability to travel further before plugging in clearly has numerous advantages, particularly in the winter months when you really don’t want to find yourself stuck without charge, miles away from home. Indeed, it’s reassuring to know that Himiway batteries are durable enough to keep you moving when temperatures plunge towards freezing – and beyond. 

Himiway electric bikes aren’t just about getting you from A to B, however. One of their biggest selling points is that they’re built to carry impressive payloads, making them a viable alternative to a car when you’re running errands.

Himiway has upgraded its frames by constructing them from 6061 aluminium, three times thicker than you’d find on previous models. This allows e-bikes to carry up to 400lbs (181kg) in additional weight, compared with the 250lbs (113kg) offered by many competitors.

And, having become one of the leading e-bike brands in the US, Himiway products are now available in the UK, France and the Netherlands. The company is so confident in the quality of its bikes that it offers a two-year warranty and a 10-year frame replacement promise on purchases, as well as a 15-day free refund option after you buy. Shipping is free when you buy from the Himiway website.

You can also expect to see plenty of tempting discounts in the run up to Black Friday, but don’t hang around, because the earlier you get in there, the better your chances of finding a deal to suit you:

• Save  $200 on Cruiser/Escape/Zebra/Big Dog purchases with code BF200
• Save $250 on Himiway Cobra with code BF250 
• Save $300 on Himiway Cobra Pro with code BF300
• Get 15% Off on Orders over $3,000 (automatic discount, discounts may vary by country)

Here’s a quick look at the Himiway electric bike range to show what’s on offer:

Himiway Cruiser Electric Fat Bike

With its removable 48V Samsung battery and 250W motor, the Himiway Cruiser gives you the freedom to go anywhere within a 60-mile radius. Its 26-inch Kenda fat tyres offer excellent grip and traction over a variety of terrain, as well as a more comfortable riding experience. And, once you’ve learned how to use the e-bike’s high-end Shimano seven-gear shift system to its full potential, you can save 15% of your battery life as you ride.

The versatile Himiway Cruiser Step-Thru retains the Cruiser’s performance features, but adds in a low-step frame design that makes it more convenient and comfortable for older riders. Its 4-inch-wide tyres also provide stability on rough terrain.

Himiway Cobra Electric Mountain Bike

The Himiway Cobra Electric Mountain Bike has everything you need if you’re looking for a bit of off-road MTB action, or an electric bike for hunting. The Cobra’s 26”x4.8” CST super fat tyres are the biggest e-bike tyres in the US market, and offer extra stability on all trail conditions. The softail design also features four-bar linkage suspension and coil suspension to take care of any bumps when you’re riding down the trails. The 750W gear hub motor supplies plenty of power to your rides, but if you’re looking for a little bit extra, the Himiway Cobra Pro offers 1300W of peak motor power.

Himiway Zebra All Terrain Electric Bike

This all-terrain electric bike comes with 26-inch Kenda fat tyres, designed to improve traction and prevent sinking on loose surfaces such as mud or snow. Propelled by a powerful 250W gear hub motor and upgraded inner ring, the Himiway Zebra can carry you 80 miles with pedal assist, or 60 miles if you rely purely on electric power. It also comes with removeable Samsung/LG power cells to make charging your e-bike even more convenient.

Himiway Big Dog Electric Cargo Bike

The heavy lifter of the Himiway range, the Big Dog boasts a large, multifunctional rear rack that makes it ideal for carrying heavy loads – of all shapes and sizes – up to 400lbs. With its 20-inch fat tyres, the Big Dog’s moped-like design is purpose built for the daily commute, while the brushless gear hub motor can help you negotiate any obstacle in your path.The intelligent pedal-assisted system can adjust power output to suit ever-changing road conditions, while the Samsung/LG lithium-ion battery can last seven hours on a full charge. The Big Dog is a cargo bike that goes the distance.

To find out more about the Himiway range – and check out the exciting e-bikes and accessories you can buy – visit himiwaybike.com (US) or uk.himiwaybike.com (UK). You can also follow Himiway on Facebook. 

Like smartphones, cars and many other aspects of modern life, cycling is in a continual state of evolution. As technology has developed, our rides have become more and more adapted to the task in hand, with road bikes laser-focused on achieving maximum speeds on tarmac, and mountain bikes precision-engineered for climbs, descents and all the bumpy bits in between.

As brilliant as all that specialisation is, however, it can come at the cost of versatility. As we know, road bikes tend to struggle when the tarmac isn’t velvety smooth, while an MTB can be overkill on anything other than gnarly trails – so what about the in between?

The good news is that there’s an exciting way to bridge the gap between the two extremes, and Specialized’s extensive range of gravel bikes provides plenty of compelling reasons to put riding gravel at the top of your to-do list.

Gravel cycling has become one of the most exciting and fastest growing ways to get around on two wheels and that’s partly because it can be anything you want it to be.

Gravel bikes incorporate elements of road, cyclocross and mountain bikes to create a versatile hybrid that has plenty in common with each, yet feels entirely its own thing. With its geometry and drop bars, a gravel bike’s silhouette has echoes of your standard road machine. But if you look a little closer, it becomes clear that a gravel bike can transport you way beyond hard surfaces.

Gravel bikes are often designed with longer reach for comfort and stability, making them ideal for a long day in a saddle, while the fact they’re fitted with wider, more durable tyres than a standard road bike allows them to handle a much larger variety of terrain. It’s a blend that creates a bike that’s equally at home on speedy stretches of open road and challenging forest trails. In other words, riding gravel is a broad church that gives you the freedom to cycle how you want to.

For the seasoned road cyclist, going gravel can add a new dimension to your riding as you escape the confines of the road without having to turn your back the sense of freedom and speed that made you fall in love with the sport in the first place.

For newcomers to cycling, meanwhile, gravel’s versatility means you can get yourself a new bike, even if you haven’t worked out if you prefer riding on- or off-road, or on a mixture of the two. Indeed, with a gravel bike, you never have to make that choice.

Having a bike that performs equally well on roads, dirt tracks, woodland trails and beyond makes it perfect for exploring, and getting closer to nature. Gravel bikes are also ideal for bikepacking, particularly for anyone who fancies getting a little further away from the beaten track.

Best of all, riding gravel is a great leveller, bringing together riders of all cycling tastes and abilities. Whether you want to compete with your racing buddies for a fastest known time, or simply fancy embracing the social side of riding with friends and family, gravel biking is remarkably inclusive – especially when you bring the additional power of Specialized’s e-bikes into the equation.

Here are four amazing Specialized bikes to get you started on your gravel riding journey:

Diverge

The Diverge is a brilliant all-rounder designed to give you speed, control and confidence on any terrain – so much so that Specialized describes it as the most capable gravel bike ever made. Its Future Shock 2.0 tech provides hydraulically damped travel to protect your hands, arms and shoulders from the bumps, while the progressive geometry gives you confidence to keep your hands off the brakes that little bit longer.

Diverge STR

One of the big challenges facing designers of gravel bikes is maintaining a smooth ride without compromising the instant acceleration and direct handling you get from a rigid frame. The new Diverge STR adds Future Shock to the rear of the bike, adding 30mm of rear travel to help keep you safely in the saddle even when the trail gets bumpy, while ensuring you stay in control.

Crux

Specialized used the breakthroughs it made on its Aethos road bike to design what it believes to be the lightest gravel bike in the world – its frame weights less than a full water bottle! Combined with bigger tyre clearance, this lightweight design helps create an ultra-responsive, nimble and supple gravel bike.

Creo SL EVO

You can add more power to your riding with Specialized’s Creo SL EVO e-bike. It’s got all the multi-surface versatility you’d expect from a gravel bike, of course, but – thanks to having the same motor, battery and frame as its road-based equivalent –can give you that little something extra when you’re exploring road and trail. Specialized says it’s also the lightest e-bike in its class.

It's worth remembering that Specialized is also the place to go for all the supporting kit you need, including shoes, helmets, clothing, wheels and more. So whether you want to race at high speed, embark on a multi-day bikepacking adventure or simply cycle to a favourite village café for coffee and cake, when it comes to riding gravel, Specialized leads the way.

Head over to Specialized.com to learn more about riding gravel and the exciting bikes in its gravel range.

We love our bike gear because it keeps us comfortable in the saddle. Unfortunately, our favourite kit isn’t always designed with fashion in mind, making it less than ideal for socialising – as much as we love cycling, there are times we don’t want to look like a cyclist.

Luckily, Altura’s new Grid Collection can help. This exciting range of versatile jackets, hoodies and trousers has been built with all the technical features you demand in high-quality cycling clothing, but also designed to be stylish enough to wear to the office or when you’re meeting up with (non-cyclist) friends. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Altura’s versatile new Grid Collection.

Altura Grid Field Men’s Jacket

The classic styling and smart, tailored feel of this showerproof jacket are designed to make you look good, whether you’re arriving at the office or heading out after work. Beyond the smart appearance, however, the Altura Grid Field is packed with the sort of technical features you demand in a cycling jacket. 

Made from 100% responsibly sourced cotton fabric, the Grid Field features a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating to keep the rain off, while the high, stand-up collar is designed to protect you from the wind. Four generously sized lidded pockets provide plenty of space for your essentials, while a subtle reflective print ensures you’ll be seen when you’re out on the road.

Price: £130.00

Grid Parka Waterproof Jacket (men’s and women’s versions available)

This parka-style cycling shell is built to look stylish whatever your evening plans, but it’s also got the technical credentials to make sure you’re dry when you reach your destination. With its longer length and relaxed fit, it’s designed to give you maximum protection from the elements. 

The Altura Grid Parka boasts all the waterproofing properties you’d expect, including a DWR coating, taped seams and an adjustable hood. But it’s also constructed to keep you cool, with 10k-rated breathable fabric and built-in pit zips to maximise air flow. Storage won’t be a problem, either, because the Grid Parka features two hand pockets and a zipped chest pocket.

Price: £155.00

Grid Half Zip Softshell Hoodie (men’s and women’s versions available)

The relaxed fit and half-zip style of this stylish hoodie make sure it’s entirely suitable for a casual evening with friends. Available in stylish colour ways (light grey for women, carbon/olive and blue/grey for men), it’s also an extremely versatile softshell layer that’ll help protect you from showers if you’re heading out on the bike. Beyond its water-repelling DWR coating and adjustable hood, the Grid Half Zip Softshell Hoodie will help keep you warm when the temperature drops, using thermal grid fleece to trap warmth in the top, while allowing plenty of air flow to ensure you don’t overheat. The design also features areas of reflective print, subtle enough that they don’t compromise your style while they’re keeping you safer on the road.

Price £85.00

Grid Softshell Pants (men’s and women’s  versions available)

Although they’re built for maximum comfort when you’re in the saddle, the contemporary urban styling of these versatile softshell pants ensures you’ll look great when you’re off your bike, too. Although the tapered leg design works as up-to-the-minute streetwear, it has the added benefit of helping you avoid troublesome chain snags. The pants’ water repellent DWR coating also helps to protect you from showers, while the technical thermal fleece fabric prevents you getting chilly. And you can rest assured that you’ll be seen on the road, thanks to reflective areas that make you more visible as the nights draw in.

Price £70.00

Find out more about Altura’s new Grid Collection at www.altura.co.uk

Wheels are so integral to the riding experience that every cyclist will want to make sure they’re using the very best they can get. If they can do it without the premium price tag to match, then all the better.

Since 2013, Elitewheels has set out to show that pro-level wheelsets don’t need to cost a fortune. Years of research and development have led to the creation of the Drive range, which takes advantage of state-of-the-art carbon fiber manufacturing techniques to give you a stiffer, lighter and stronger wheel for riding on the road. 

Elitewheels’ products (including the carbon fiber prepreg, rims and hubs) are produced at the company’s own factories in Xiamen, China. The fact Elitewheels doesn’t need to outsource production makes the manufacturer more adaptable to the ever-changing needs of cyclists, while allowing for more oversight over quality control.

Every wheel in the Drive range undergoes 13 rigorous tests before being sent out into the world, including checks on lateral and radial stiffness of rim and wheel, 20-degree and vertical impact tests, and wheel torque fatigue tests. Elitewheels’ wheels have also received certification from the UCI, and can now be seen being used by UCI Continental teams, including China Glory Cycling who have raced in the Tour of Turkey and Tour of Slovenia.

Elitewheels says the aero-bladed carbon spokes used on the Drive range are seven percent stiffer and three times more resistant to fatigue than equivalent steel spokes. Importantly, they’re just as easy to replace. Spoke holes are also drilled at an angle, which helps reduce stress on the spokes.

Wheels are tubeless-ready and available in both disc and rim brake versions, while the rim profiles have a U/V shape designed to achieve the right balance between aerodynamics and crosswind stability. Rim brake versions have laser-etched brake tracks, in order to improve braking performance in wet conditions. 

In terms of construction, Elitewheels’ hubs feature 6803 and 6903 hybrid ceramic bearings, with their five-axis CNC machines allowing for tolerances of 0.02mm. These tight tolerances allow for a better bearing fit, and therefore, less drag and wear. 

The wheels are built using Elitewheels’ unique manufacturing procedure, which uses custom-made air bladders to prevent resin from leaking inside the wheel rim. Bladders are then removed through the valve hole when the molding process is complete. This process results in smoother sidewalls which, alongside the fact there is no excess epoxy around the spoke holes, helps the nipples to sit properly in the rim. This allows for more consistent spoke tensions and subsequently makes the wheel more stable.

The Elitewheels Drive range comes in a variety of specifications to suit a rider’s individual needs. 

If you’re looking for an all-rounder that specializes in hilly terrain, the 40mm rims of the Drive 40D (from $1,189/disc brakes/1,260g (for the pair)) and the Drive 40V Team (from $1,069/rim brakes/1,325g (for the pair)) are for you. As well as supporting rim brakes, the Drive 40V Team wheels are made with additional Toray T700 carbon fiber to improve lateral stiffness. If keeping the weight down is your priority, you can also get ultralight versions of the Drive 40V, which tip the scales at just 1,255g per pair.

If you’re after an all-rounder more suited to flatter courses, meanwhile, the 50mm rims of the Drive 50D (from $1,189/disc brakes/1,300g (for the pair)) and Drive 50V Team (from $1,069/rim brakes/1,400g (for the pair)) were designed with you in mind. Ultralight Drive 50V wheels (weighing 1,315g for the pair) are also available.

And if aerodynamics are your priority, you’ll want to make a beeline for the 65mm rims of the Drive 65D (from $1,189/disc brakes/1,460g (for the pair)). A rim-brake version will be available soon. 

Beyond the pro-level Drive range, Elitewheels also manufactures entry-level Marvel and mid-level BWT wheelsets. If you like racing the clock, Elitewheels has got you covered with its Velo TT wheels, and if your cycling tastes tend to take you off road, it’s worth checking out Elitewheels’ MTB and gravel products. 

So for professional-level road wheels at a price point that won’t break the bank, take a look at everything Elitewheels’ Drive range has to offer.

Elitewheels Drive wheels come with a three-year warranty, a crash replacement policy and a 60-day money back guarantee. To find out more, and to take advantage of free delivery on your orders, visit www.elitewheels.com.

Imagine being able to experience more than 15,000 kilometres of the world’s best cycling routes without even leaving home? Indoor cycling app ROUVY brings real cycle routes to life with the power of immersive high-quality video and augmented reality technology. Where would you ride first? 

Explore the world from indoors 

One of the greatest joys of cycling is where it can take you. New perspectives, fresh challenges, different scenery is all part of the fun of riding your bike, but few of us can ever travel as much as we want to. However, ROUVY’s augmented reality means you can relish the views and feel the challenge of iconic routes from your indoor trainer. 

If there is anywhere you have dreamt about riding you can almost certainly ride it first on ROUVY. There are thousands of kilometres to explore. From the vertiginous hairpin bends of Passo dello Stelvio, to the iconic slopes of Col du Tourmalet, ROUVY features some of the best-known cycling locations from many riders' bucket lists. You can also use ROUVY to prepare yourself for real-world events by pre-riding the course, allowing you to not just build fitness but also work on your mental preparation. 

Ride real roads

Winter training can be cold, wet and tedious. Especially if you are slogging around the same familiar routes you have been doing all year. Indoor training on the other hand may be warm and dry but it lacks the interest of cycling outside. This is where ROUVY’s augmented reality comes in. With videos of real roads, you can really get to know the place you are cycling through. You can look around and enjoy the scenery just as you would if you were cycling outside in the real world. 

Whether you want to return to a place you enjoyed cycling in the real world, or discover a new route before visiting it for the first time, ROUVY allows you to fully immerse yourself in the experience and feel the ride. It doesn’t have to be about training and mountain challenges. Treat yourself to a gentle pedal through the lavender fields of Provence or explore the old-town streets of Budapest and turn your evening turbo session into a mini-holiday! 

Training and competition 

If you want to add to your trophy cabinet or lay down a time on Mont Ventoux,  Strava Live Segments are available on ROUVY.  Your Segment ride will show up next to two avatars - your best result on the segment (the “PR”) and the fastest rider, the King or Queen of the Mountain (“KOM” or “QOM”). You can also use ROUVY to make your indoor training more effective, as well as more fun, by using one of 700 augmented reality routes and structured workouts. Imagine smashing out some intervals on The Great Pacific Highway or cruising along Ha Long Bay in Vietnam as part of a recovery ride? 

Bringing the outdoors indoors

With routes, training sessions and Strava, as well as the brilliantly realistic immersive scenery, ROUVY brings all the excitement and inspiration of outdoor cycling to your indoor trainer, but no one is suggesting you stop riding outside! ROUVY seamlessly blends your indoor and outdoor riding and counts your outdoor activities for your Career so you have a complete overview of your progress. The more you ride indoors, especially with the support of structured training sessions, the more your fitness develops. 

Start your global cycling experience today 

For Cycling Weekly readers ROUVY is offering a special 30-day free trial. TRY IT NOW!

If you’re suffering from dandruff, that’s not something you have to live with. Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo has been shown to help alleviate dandruff. After that, the T/Gel Anti-Dandruff Daily range should help stop it from recurring.

A common problem

Almost half of all adults can suffer from dandruff at some stage but research shows that only one-fifth of those suffering from dandruff or a dry, sensitive, itchy scalp actually use a medicated shampoo.

Just like the rest of your skin, your scalp is constantly shedding dead skin cells and you can start to get a build-up of dead cells, which stick together and break off in flakes of dandruff. That can be accompanied by a dry, itchy scalp.

An itchy, flaky scalp and dandruff can also be symptoms of seborrhoeic dermatitis or psoriasis of the scalp.

How Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo helps to fight scalp problems

Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo is a medicine to help treat scalp problems. It contains a solubilised coal tar extract called Neutar. This helps to slow down production of skin cells on your scalp and in parallel reduces itchiness.

It should be used two or three times a week for around six weeks, by which time you should expect to see improvements in your scalp condition. If no improvement is seen after 6 weeks, you should speak to your doctor.

Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo fights dandruff flakes, soothes itching and calms redness.

Keeping your scalp feeling healthy

Neutrogena T/Gel isn’t just about getting the problem under control in the first place, there’s a range of shampoos to keep it that way.

The T/Gel daily range includes three T/Gel Anti-Dandruff shampoos, with formulations for dry hair, oily scalps and sensitive scalps. There’s also a T/Gel 2-in-1 anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner available, great for longer hair.

All the T/Gel daily range shampoos are dermatologically tested and include the active ingredients salicylic acid and piroctone olamine to help fight dandruff by breaking down the build-up of dead skin, breaking flakes into smaller pieces. The daily range shampoos come with gentle melon and jasmine fragrance, except for the sensitive scalp shampoo which is fragrance free.

You can buy the whole range of Neutrogena T/Gel products online and in-store at Boots.

Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo is a medicine and contains Neutar solubilised coal tar extract for the treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp, scalp psoriasis and dandruff. Always read the label. UK-NG-2200225.

Learning to ride a bike is a milestone in any child’s life, but when you’re a keen cyclist yourself, it feels even more important that your kids become confident on two wheels. Kidvelo was created with the aim of making high-quality balance bikes that are not only great for kids to learn on, but also designed so that children won’t outgrow them in a flash.

Between them, the two couples who founded Kidvelo have over 40 years of experience within the balance bike industry, of teaching children how to ride, and listening to what parents need in a child’s first-ever bike. Knowing there was a lack of lightweight, affordable, well-made bikes available for kids in the UK, they set out to design high-quality bikes specifically for children aged 1-8 years, regardless of their current ability.

Since the company manufactured its first bikes in 2021, Kidvelo’s balance bike range has been built with quality, lightweight components, along with the correct geometry to ensure that beginner riders get comfortable with their balance. Larger models are also designed so that kids can ride them with pedals on or off, meaning parents don’t need to buy a new bike when their child achieves balance and is ready to progress to pedals.

It's almost a cliché that once you’ve mastered riding a bike, it’s a skill you never forget. Here are three models designed to get beginners on the road to a lifetime of cycling.

Kidvelo Rookie 12 Balance Bike

Designed for the very youngest riders, aged between 18 months and four-and-a-half years, Kidvelo’s lightest balance bike weighs in at a mere 2.89kg. Featuring 12-inch alloy wheels and pneumatic tyres, it’s longer than the average balance bike to provide extra room for a child to grow into.

There are no handlebar brakes, but that’s entirely intentional. Even if they can reach the brakes, kids under three don’t usually have the strength or coordination to pull them quickly enough, meaning that stopping with their feet can be a much safer and better way to improve their skills. The Rookie 12 also features integrated footrests, positioned to mimic pedals on a bigger bike, so that more confident beginners can experience the thrill of riding with their feet up.

Price: £120

Kidvelo Rookie 14 Balance to Pedal Bike

A step up from the Rookie 12, this balance bike can also become a fully-fledged pedal bike when your child is ready to get their feet off the ground.

The Rookie 14 is designed to fit children aged three to six years old, making it ideal for kids who’ve outgrown their first bike, or taller beginners. As well as giving riders the opportunity to get a feel for using handlebar brakes, the Rookie 14’s supplied pedal kit allows your child to get comfortable with the idea of pedals without the need to buy them a new bike. And, to highlight the bike’s versatility, the pedals can be easily removed again if you want to hand it down to a younger sibling.

Price: £225

Rookie 18 Balance to Pedal Bike

The Rookie 18 features the brakes and included pedal kit of the Rookie 14, but also comes with a larger frame – in fact, it’s Kidvelo’s biggest convertible balance bike, designed to fit kids aged between five and eight years. Having a larger bike in the range is additionally beneficial to children facing additional challenges such as dyspraxia or autism, as they don’t usually start learning to ride a bike before five – if at all.

Price: £250

The three Kidvelo models above all feature lightweight alloy frames and forks in a selection of bright, kid-friendly colour schemes. They also come with adjustable seats and handlebars to accommodate those inevitable growth spurts, as well as full-size threadless headsets and pneumatic tyres.

For peace of mind, there’s a lifetime warranty on frames and forks and a five-year warranty on other components (except tyres), while delivery is free across the UK.

Visit https://kidvelobikes.co.uk for more information.

From Grand Tours to touring to bike rides with the kids, cycling is more traditionally associated with the summer. But just because it’s getting cold outside doesn’t mean you have to give up on spending time in the saddle. In fact, riding the Stages SB20 Smart Bike is the ideal way to keep yourself moving when the nights start drawing in.

The benefits of staying active during the colder months stretch way beyond keeping your performance levels up. Having easy access to workouts throughout the winter – a time when your usual group rides have probably been put on hold – can help boost your immune system while colds and flu are most prevalent. Exercise can also improve your mood, which is particularly important when the days are short, and many people suffer from the winter blues. 

In other words, a bike that isn’t affected by snow, ice or wind could be brilliant news for your general wellbeing – especially when you can get pedaling with your favorite virtual content.

The Stages story

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Stages Cycling has many years of experience building indoor bikes for many of the top operators in the fitness market, including SoulCycle, Equinox, David Lloyd Leisure and Lifetime. All that expertise makes going for a ride on their SB20 Smart Bike the perfect way to keep active when the temperature outside drops. As well as improving your fitness, the SB20 brings the outdoor experience indoors. Just as importantly, it’s also fun to use.

The people at Stages aren’t just engineers or creatives or business leaders. They love getting out on their bikes as much as you do, and they’ve been applying that specialist knowledge to indoor cycling innovation for over a decade. 

During Stages’ early days, they made groundbreaking developments in the field of power measurement. Power meters had previously been prohibitively expensive, so they set out to make them more accessible and easier to use – the company subsequently supplied meters to Team Sky (now Team Ineos). 

Stages brought this expertise to indoor bikes – which, previously, had only been capable of measuring the distance, speed and duration of your ride – providing real-time data that made them much more valuable as a training tool. The SB20 Smart Bike was built to utilize Stages’ unique understanding of the importance of power output to cycling training, and they’ve utilized their extensive experience building indoor bikes for gyms and cycling boutiques in its design.

The Stages SB20 Smart Bike

If you’ve been using non-smart or wheel-off trainers, you may be wondering about the benefits of stepping up to a smart bike. Aside from the obvious advantages of keeping you riding when the weather takes a turn for the worse, the Stages SB20 has numerous features to help you get the most out of your indoor time in the saddle.

As well as the Stages Dual-Sided Power Meter that helps you keep an eye on your output, the smart bike has a 50-pound flywheel to deliver an impressively realistic ride feel. Meanwhile, the customizable virtual drivetrain provides a wide range of electronic resistance to create one of the most immersive cycling experiences on the market. The SB20 is also super-quiet – Stages reckon your fan will make more noise than your smart bike when you’re riding.

Crucially, the SB20 is built for versatility. The Stages Dream Drive, for example, gives you a choice of up to 50 gears, or – if you prefer – you can select a drivetrain to match the one you use on your outdoor bike. The bike is easily customizable to match your personal specifications, allowing for micro-adjustments to reach, stack, saddle height, handlebar configuration and crank length. And, depending on your cycling preferences, you can add remote shifters to aerobars or mountain bike bars.

On top of all that, it’s designed to integrate with your riding platform of choice. Whether you want to record your rides using the Stages Cycling app or your favorite third party software (compatible apps include Zwift, Rouvy, TrainerRoad and Peloton), the SB20 has you covered. Better still, it’s ANT+ FE compatible, meaning you can connect your SB20 to your head unit and ride structured workouts in ERG mode.

So if you want to keep up your cycling training through the winter, you won’t find a better way to replicate the feeling of being on the road than riding the Stages SB20 Smart Bike.

From October 13-25, the Stages SB20 Smart Bike comes with a free floor mat (US only), and is available at the discounted sale price of $1,999 (MSPR $3,149). For more information, visit Stages Cycling.

Five workouts to get you moving indoors

The Stages team outline five indoor workouts to help you get the most out of your SB20 Smart Bike

1. IMPROVING RIDING SKILLS

One of the benefits of riding indoors is that there are no potholes, cars or other outdoor hazards to worry about. This means you can devote all of your attention to your posture, positioning on the bike, pedaling skills and other aspects of your riding form. Stages recommend mixing up one-legged drills, over-gear/low cadence drills and fast cadence drills as part of regular indoor recovery rides – as well as helping the time pass faster, it should give your workout extra purpose.

2. “KITCHEN SINK”

This relatively short (75 minutes) workout is ideal if you’re looking for something hard with plenty of intensity changes.

• 10 minutes warm-up (easy spinning), recovery (zone 1) with a couple minutes of endurance (zone 2)
• 10 minutes at tempo (zone 3, 80-90 rpm)
• Five minutes of recovery (zone 1)
• 10 minutes at tempo (zone 3, 80-90 rpm) but include a ten-second ‘sprint’ (non-maximal effort) at the end of each minute
• Five minutes of recovery (Zone 1)
• 3 sets x 5 repetitions of 30 seconds ‘on’ (VO2 zone 5) and 30 seconds ‘off’ at tempo (zone 3). 5 minutes of recovery (zone 1) between each rep. (Note: the ‘off’ portion of the interval is at zone 3, not zone 1
• Take 5-10 minutes of recovery (zone 1) to finish the workout

3. MICRO INTERVALS FOLLOWED BY A SHORT SPRINT

A one-hour workout designed for late winter/spring when competitive group rides are back on the agenda. It features rapid accelerations to mimic the micro surges you’d encounter in a peloton, and goes to tempo at the end to work on your endurance.

• 10 minutes warm-up (easy spinning), recovery (zone 1) with a couple minutes of endurance (zone 2)
• 30 minutes of repeating 15 seconds at VO2 max power (zone 5) followed by 45 seconds of tempo (zone 3). (Note: the ‘off’ portion of the interval is at zone 3, not zone 1)
• 5 minutes of recovery (zone 1)
• 10 minutes of tempo (zone 3, 90-100 rpm). At the end of the 10 minutes, sprint all out, 100% for 20 seconds
• Take 5-10 minutes of recovery (zone 1) to finish the workout

 4. THRESHOLD STEP-UPS

This 40-minute workout is a variation on the tried-and-true threshold interval.

• 10 minutes warm-up (easy spinning), recovery (zone 1) with a couple minutes of endurance (zone 2)
• 3 minutes of tempo (zone 3, 80-90 rpm)
• 4 minutes of low threshold (bottom of zone 4, 90-100 rpm)
• 3 minutes of high threshold (top of zone 4, 100+ rpm)
• 3 minutes of recovery (zone 1)
• Repeat three times total
• Take 5-10 minutes of recovery (Zone 1) to finish the workout

5. ONE-LEGGED DRILLS/OVER GEAR/FAST CADENCE

A 57-minute recovery ride that focuses on pedaling technique and strength.

• 10 minutes warm-up (easy spinning), recovery (zone 1) with a couple minutes of endurance (zone 2)
• 4 repetitions of pedaling with one leg (30 seconds for each leg). Unclip the unused leg and let it dangle, out of the way of your crankarm and pedal. Switch legs every 30 seconds to make each block of one-legged drills 4 minutes. Wattage is irrelevant – aim for a cadence of 80-100 rpm
• 2 minutes of recovery (zone 1)
• 4 x 30 second (each leg) one-legged drills
• 2 minutes of recovery (zone 1).
• 4 x 30 second (each leg) one-legged drills
• 2 minutes of recovery (zone 1)
• 2 minutes of over gear. Wattage should be below zone 4 and cadence should be 50-60 rpm
• 2 minutes of fast cadence. Wattage should be below Zone 4 and cadence target is 100+ rpm
• 2 minutes of over gear
• 4 minutes of recovery (zone 1)
• 3 minutes of fast cadence
• 3 minutes of over gear
• 3 minutes of fast cadence.
• Take 5-10 minutes of recovery (zone 1) to finish the workout

We all have our favourite cycling routes, those circuits we return to again and again because they’re close to home, familiar and make monitoring weekly fluctuations in our performance a doddle. Convenience comes at a cost, however, because the problem with knowing every bend, pothole and incline on your ride can make things a little, well, samey.

Luckily, FulGaz can bring some much-needed variety to your training routine. Thanks to this state-of-the-art indoor cycling app, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to experience the most exhilarating, challenging and scenic bike rides on the planet. The FulGaz app gives you access to over 1,500 routes from more than 40 countries, presenting them in stunning 4K video to provide an immersive experience that’s as close to the real thing as you can get on your smart turbo trainer – and that can only help to make you a better cyclist.

FulGaz features routes to suit riders of any ability, whether you want to cycle along Melbourne’s scenic Beach Road, ride over San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, or test yourself against the brutal slopes of Alpe d’Huez, one of the most iconic summits in the Tour de France. FulGaz also boasts numerous routes exclusive to the app, including official IRONMAN courses and challenging Haute Route climbs. 

The easy-to-use app allows you to select courses based on country, duration, distance, elevation gains and toughness, meaning you can pick the route that’s right for you – and, of course, how you’re feeling on a particular day.

But FulGaz isn’t just about bringing some sunshine into your life as winter draws in. The app supports Wahoo, Tacx, Saris, 4iii, Elite, Stages, Xplova, Wattbike and Zycle hardware, and is designed to improve your training experience, whatever your level. So whether you’re a dedicated cyclist or triathlete working towards an epic challenge like a Gran Fondo, an Haute Route or an IRONMAN, or a less experienced rider simply looking to get better in the saddle, FulGaz has got you covered. 

For relative newcomers to the sport, FulGaz is a great way to get a feel for a proper training schedule and the experience of riding in a road race. FulGaz also features an extensive library of world-class training programmes, and makes it easy to upload .zwo files or import workouts from Training Peaks or Today’s Plan. Any data you record during your favourite routes is then synced back to your training platform of choice, so your coach (if you have one) can stay on top of your progress. 

Better still, using FulGaz doesn’t have to be an individual pursuit. It's easy to set up a private group on any FulGaz route, meaning you can train, ride or race with your friends remotely. The new avatar feature, meanwhile – available in the latest app releases for iOS, macOS, Apple TV and Windows – allows you to create your own fully customisable virtual rider. You can watch your avatar eat up the miles in the Avatar Rides channel, and even race against them head to head.

And because every course in the FulGaz ecosystem exists in the real world, you can use the app as a tool for reconnaissance ahead of that big race in your diary – a major reason why many pro-riders and Olympians include FulGaz in their training arsenal for major sporting events.

So why settle for venturing out on those same old routes again and again when FulGaz can bring the world’s most incredible bike rides directly into your home?

A FulGaz subscription costs €10.99 a month or €97.99 a year. A 14-day free trial is also available. 

Visit FulGaz.com for more information.

The weather’s getting colder and the days shorter, but the arrival of winter doesn’t mean you have to put your cycle training on hold – even on those days you really don’t fancy heading outside. The new, range-topping Justo interactive trainer contains loads of exciting features that help bring the open road indoors – Elite believe it’s the most accurate and evolved home trainer on the market.

As well as being precise, smooth, powerful, silent and easy to use, it features an integrated power meter, auto-calibration and the ability to simulate inclines of up to 24 per cent. Elite also say it’s been designed to be compatible with numerous cassettes, and all indoor training software.

Here are five reasons you should make new Elite Justo part of your training regime – and if you scroll down, you’ll also get a chance to win one of your own.

1. The Elite Justo’s stats are impressive

The Elite Justo can simulate inclines of up to 24 per cent, while its power measurement is claimed to be accurate to within ±1 per cent. Thanks to Elite’s My E-Training software, the Justo can also provide helpful data on your riding efficiency, using a 24-point system to analyse your power output throughout your pedalling motion. Once the system has evaluated the mechanical efficiency of your movement, you can make adjustments to your riding position where necessary. The Justo can also auto-calibrate at the most convenient time for you, without the need for manual intervention.

2. It’s easy to use

You may not be riding on the road, but Elite have done their best to ensure you’re fully immersed in whichever training platform you’re using. Whenever you cease pedalling and the flywheel stops spinning, the Justo’s clever ERG mode helps you to settle back into your rhythm by giving you a few resistance-free seconds before it kicks in again. Elite have also introduced interchangeable Flex Feet, which allow you customise your trainer’s ride feel based on your preferences, and make the pedalling sensation as realistic as possible.

3. It features improved connectivity

The Justo comes equipped with dual Bluetooth channels. This means you can connect a pair of compatible devices simultaneously, allowing you to link your trainer to your bike computer and your favourite training software at the same time. The Justo can also work as a bridge between your heart-rate and cadence sensors, bringing them together with the data your trainer sends through to your software. This is particularly beneficial to Apple TV users, who are limited in the number of devices they can connect at once.

4. It works independently

While you need mains power to get the most of your Justo, its two new standalone modes ensure your trainer can be useful even when it’s not plugged in, turned on or connected to software.

If the Justo is connected to power and switched on, but not linked to software, you can use the My E-Training app to set an incline between 0 and 24 per cent – the Justo will maintain that gradient, even after it’s disconnected from the app. And, if the trainer is neither hooked up to the mains nor the software, you can use My E-Training prior to disconnection to set a level of resistance from 1-16 – your ride will then continue at this resistance level until you reconnect. In other words, you can use the Justo completely independently of software or power.

5. It’s designed for maximum compatibility

The Justo has been built to cater for all sorts of riders. It’s compatible with road, gravel and mountain bike cassettes, and supplied with 130 and 135mm QR hubs, and adaptors to take a 142mm thru-axle. If they don’t fit the bill, additional adaptors are available via Elite or any of their stockists.

When it comes to cassettes, you can immediately fit anything from a 9- to a 12-speed Shimano cassette, while 12-speed Shimano mountain bike cassettes become an option with the addition of a Microspline Freehub body. Campagnolo, SRAM XD and XDR cassettes are compatible with the correct Freehub body.

And finally, the Justo also works with all indoor training software, so whether you like Zwift, TrainerRoad or Rouvy, Elite have got you covered.

The Elite Justo (costing £999 (UK) / €990 (Europe) / $1,199 (US) is now available in Europe. It will be released in the rest of the world before the end of 2022.

WIN! Your own Elite Justo trainer!

You can win your very own Elite Justo trainer. All you have to do is answer the question below. 

A modern cycling wheel has to do so much more than carry you across the tarmac. Whether you’re taking part in time trials, triathlons or longer road races, a wheel that’s optimised for aerodynamics, ride comfort, smoothness and stability can have a significant impact on your performance. That’s why leading brand Parcours have teamed up with top research scientists to ensure their latest generation of wheels and wheelsets get you to the finish line faster and fresher than ever before.

Parcours’ #thinkwider research project is a collaboration with scientist Dr Steve Faulkner and Nottingham Trent University’s sports engineering department. Their in-depth Aero Design Project showed that the aerodynamic forces experienced by your bike’s front and rear wheels are significantly different. In fact, they discovered that the “real world” yaw angle (the difference between a cyclist’s direction of travel and the relative wind vector*) differed by an average of 1.5 degrees between the front and rear wheels.

Parcours first incorporated these findings into their Strade and Ronde wheelsets, where the higher yaw angles experienced by the front wheel were accommodated for using a blunt, U-shaped rim to enhance aerodynamics and crosswind stability. A sharper, V-shaped rim profile then helped to improve aerodynamics at the rear.

Subsequent models like the Chrono – Parcours’ fastest wheelset so far – have also been designed from the ground up, with #thinkwider technology applied to deeper rim depths. By incorporating differential front and rear rim profiles into the design, these wheelsets blend the comfort and rolling resistance benefits of a modern, wider tyre, with significantly improved aerodynamic performance.

Parcours’ latest update to the Chrono promises to maintain the aerodynamics of the previous generation, while improving the wheels’ crosswind stability by 17%. These new time trial and triathlon wheelsets allow riders to run a wider tyres without compromising on aerodynamic performance, which also translates into enhanced handling on your ride. Choosing a combination of the Chrono Max front wheel and Disc² rear, meanwhile, can help to further reduce drag when you’re out on the road.

To show what to expect from Parcours’ exciting new set of wheels, here’s an in-depth rundown of the new line-up.

Chrono wheelset (68/75mm)

Parcours say the new Chrono wheelset is the most stable deep section wheel they’ve ever ridden, as well as being suited to pretty much any ride conditions you might encounter. Its fusion of speed and stability promise to make it a versatile race day option for triathletes, time triallists and road racers alike.

Excitingly, the latest Chrono wheelset (which incorporates a 68.6mm depth front wheel, with 75.7mm depth at the rear) takes advantage of the latest #thinkwider technology to improve on the previous iteration’s crosswind stability by more than 17%. Aero optimised for running with a 28mm tyre, the wheelset also features a hooked rim to maximise tyre compatibility.

Chrono wheelset price: £1,199 / $1,599 / €1,599

Chrono Max front wheel (83mm)

The fastest front wheel option Parcours have ever produced, the Chrono Max has the potential to unlock new standards of performance.  Like the Chrono wheelset, it’s been developed specifically for a 28mm tyre and, despite having increased rim depth (83.6mm), takes advantage of the #thinkwider innovations to handle like a wheel with a much shallower rim profile.

Saving more than 4W over the previous generation of front wheel, it’s the perfect option for any athlete looking for outright performance and speed – and it’s best paired with the Disc² rear wheel for the ultimate race-day set-up.

Chrono Max price (front wheel only): £600 / $800 / €780

Disc rear wheel

The first full carbon rear disc wheel truly optimised for wider tyres, and – with a 22.5mm internal rim width – the widest disc wheel currently available, Parcours’ Disc² can run with a tyre of up to 30mm width without aerodynamic penalty. The Disc² has the added benefit of being a disc brake-specific wheel, which means the wheel profile has been designed to account for the brake rotor. Parcours are also planning to publish further research findings demonstrating the reduction in handling instability from running a rear disc wheel.

All that makes the Disc² the ideal choice for anyone seeking outright speed and performance, especially time triallists and triathletes.

Disc² price (rear wheel only): £1,049 / $1,399 / €1,359
Disc² + Chrono front price: £1,599 / $2,199 / €2,079
Disc² + Chrono Max front price: £1,649 / $2,199 / €2,139

For more information on Parcours’ new #thinkwider aero range, visit www.parcours.cc. Parcours are also conducting research to quantify the benefits of wider tyres and lower tyre pressures, which will be published once finalised. 

All EU prices quoted above are inclusive of European import taxes and duties.

* The relative wind vector is the resulting direction of airflow when both the rider’s motion and wind direction/speed are taken into account.

With petrol prices on the rise, cycling to work becomes an increasingly attractive proposition. But with all the bikes on the market, it can be hard to know what will suit you best on your commute.

That’s where Sigma Sports can help. Whether you’re looking for something portable you can take on the train or a car substitute capable of carrying heavy loads, Sigma Sports’ team of experts have the knowledge to guide you through their impressive range of bikes – both in-store and online. Their expert mechanics have 30 years of experience building the best bikes available, which – along with Sigma Sports’ after-sales support and more than 30,000 five-star reviews on Trustpilot – should give you plenty of peace of mind when you buy. 

So before you head for the office, we’ve spoken with the experts at Sigma Sports to pick out four models – including electric folding, electric hybrid, e-cargo and gravel bikes – capable of improving your journey to work.

Brompton Electric C-Line

Check out Sigma Sports’ full range of Brompton products.

“Brompton is arguably one of the biggest British bike brands out there and for good reason,” says Jack Ford, one of Sigma Sports’ resident bike experts at their electric bike store in Kingston upon Thames, South West London. “They’re incredibly well made, designed for a harsh commute and, with the introduction of an electric motor, it’s been made easier and faster than ever before.” 

The Brompton Electric C-Line comes with six-speed gearing, built-in lights and – as you’d expect – the famous folding design that’s synonymous with the brand. Depending on riding conditions, it also gives you a range of between 20 and 45 miles, which should be more than enough to get most commuters to work. 

“This is arguably the best option out there for those who use to catch a train as part of their journey due to its easy-to-manoeuvre size and folded shape,” explains Jack.

Sigma Sports also stock the non-electric range of Brompton bikes, along with a range of Brompton accessories.

Riese and Muller Swing

Check out Sigma Sports’ full range of Riese and Muller products.

Riese and Muller’s Swing may have a classic, timeless design, but it’s also decked out with some very modern features. Jack is particularly impressed, for example, with the bike’s intelligent rear hub with automatic shifting. “What that means is that once you’ve found a cadence you’re happy with, the hills and flats will all feel the same – completely effortless,” he explains.

Wide tyres and suspension also ensure that the Swing will give you a comfortable ride to work, while the mudguards and pannier racks make this bike an extremely practical choice. The belt drive also gets around any potential issues with an oily mess of a chain, helping you to stay smart when you arrive at the office.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3

Check out Sigma Sports' full range of Cannondale products.

Getting yourself to work is undeniably important, but if you’re investing in a new bike, chances are you’ll be thinking about play too. The versatile Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3 is one of the most popular bikes on the market and it’s easy to see why. Not only does its GRX groupset provide a wide gear ratio to help you negotiate a hilly city or quickly pull away from traffic lights on your commute – you can also use it as a gravel bike at the weekend. 

Sigma Sports stock a large range of Topstone models, and their bike experts in-store and online will be happy to help you find the best model for you.

Tern GSD S10 LR cargo e-bike

Check out Sigma Sports' full range of Tern products.

If you need a bike capable of transporting more than just yourself, the Tern GSD S10 LR has got you covered. In fact, with a potential range of more than 100 miles and an impressive maximum load of 200kg, this cargo e-bike could easily replace the car for many commuters – especially as its integrated parking feet ensure that loading and unloading are a doddle.

“This is for anyone who uses a car but is fed up of sitting in traffic and paying for fuel,” says Jack. “It’s an incredibly versatile bike that can be used for commuting, shopping trips and ferrying kids around. It truly can be a family workhorse.”

Visit Sigma Sports to find out more. 

To help get you out on your bike for your commute, Sigma Sports have pulled together a fantastic offer. You can get 10% off any item in their handpicked list of essential commute products – simply use the code COMMUTE10 in the basket to make use of the offer. 

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S AVAILABLE AND GET SAVING

Terms and conditions: Discounts apply to featured products only. View all eligible products here. Discount codes must be applied at the checkout stage. Discounts can not be applied retrospectively. Discounts apply to basket totals, not including delivery. Can not be combined with any other offer. Discount codes cannot be used in finance or cycle scheme purchases. Discount values may fluctuate based on currency conversions. Discounts valid from 1 September 2022 until 11:55 pm on 3 October 2022. Sigma Sports reserves the right to end the promotion and make changes to featured products at any point without notice.