After announcing his resignation in January, Jon Dutton’s tenure as British Cycling CEO has now come to an end, with an interim CEO put in place until a permanent replacement can be appointed.

Dutton joined British Cycling in 2023 after a five-year period as chief executive of the Rugby League World Cup. He has been appointed to one of the most prominent roles in British sport as the new CEO of the British Olympic Association.

British Cycling board member Lee Gibbons has been drafted in as interim CEO, beginning the role on the 13th of July.

“Gibbons brings a wealth of experience from the sports agency sector, other sports rights holders and commercial brands, including nine years at adidas where he ran the sports marketing division,” read a British Cycling statement.

British Cycling say that recruitment for a new CEO is now in its final stages and Gibbons will remain in post until a new CEO is able to join the organisation.

These changes come at a time when the organisation’s board is without a chair, following Frank Slevin’s decision to step down from the position in March due to a bowel cancer diagnosis. Slevin held the role for eight years.

Andy Cook and James Davies have shared the role of acting chair in Slevin’s absence. British Cycling say that a new chair of the board will be announced soon.

Dutton came on board with British Cycling at a turbulent point in its history, during which the organisation lost around 200,000 members shortly after petrochemical company Shell made an agreement to become a major sponsor - a deal which was struck before Dutton’s stint in charge.

British Cycling has also faced recent criticism for its policy that stopped transgender women from competing in female racing categories.

Dutton led a period of strategic change within British Cycling, seeking to boost its social impact and instilling a new mission statement to ‘bring the joy of cycling to everyone’, while working to grow the sport as one that is more accessible and inclusive.

He told Cycling Weekly last year that he hopes to see Great Britain & Northern Ireland's Olympic selection over the coming cycles “to be truly representative of society.”

“We want cycling across Great Britain to represent society, and it is clear in some areas that is not the case,” he added.

Under his tenure, British Cycling played a key role in bringing the 2027 Tour de France grand départes to British soil and also stepped in as the organisers of the Tours of Britain.

“The finish line has arrived far sooner than I had anticipated,” Dutton wrote in a post on LinkedIn signalling the end of his time with BC.

“This journey has been a rollercoaster of challenge, joy, and everything in-between. I’m eternally grateful for the humbling opportunity to lead such a magnificent organisation.”

“It’s been a privilege, an honour and a pleasure,” he added. “I’ve made mistakes, some will cheer my time on while others will jeer, but I leave knowing I’ve given it my all.”

The 2026 Tour de France begins on Saturday with a team time trial in Barcelona, Spain.

The course, 19.6km long, opens on the city's seafront, before heading past the Sagrada Família and south to Montjuïc, finishing on a double-header of climbs: first, the Côte de Montjuïc, 1.1km at 5.1%, before the Côte du Stade Olympique, 800m at 7%, at the top of which the finish line is drawn.

Tour debutants and wild-card invitees Caja Rural-Seguros RGA will be the first team down the ramp at 17:05 CET (16:05 BST).

The remaining 22 teams will then set off at five-minute intervals, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the team of defending champion Tadej Pogačar, the last to begin their effort at 18:55 CET (17:55 BST).

The stage is expected to finish around 19:15 ET (18:15 BST).

It is the first time since since 1971 that the Tour has started with a team time trial.

This year, the race organiser, ASO, has introduced a new timing system at the race: times will be recorded individually, not as a team.

ASO has been trialling this system at Paris-Nice since 2023, and did so again at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last month.

The winner of the stage is the entire team, rather than the fastest individual. However, individual times will count towards the general classification, and the race's first yellow jersey will go to the fastest rider across the line on the day.

Any riders who finish outside an extra 30% of the winner's time will be eliminated from the race.

Below are the start times for all 23 competing teams. For information on how to watch the race, visit our streaming guide.

Stage 1 team time trial start times

Time passes and things change. Kids don’t do paper rounds anymore (many won’t touch a newspaper in their entire lives), and it seems that young Saturday staff in bike shops are experiencing a similar extinction event. And this will cut off an entry point into the cycling world that has existed for decades, a leading industry body has said this week. But why are many bike shops no longer employing weekend staff?

According to Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), it is mainly down to rising costs and onerous employment obligations. However, retailers we spoke to cited changing bike trends, such as electronic gears, hydraulic disc brakes and tubeless tyres as major factors.

In a press release this week, Harrison argued that the combination of minimum wage increases, holiday pay entitlements and new sick pay requirements introduced in April is deterring independent bike shops from taking on young part-time staff, which is choking off an entry point into the industry.

"The Saturday lad or lass has been how generations of people fell into the cycle trade," Harrison said. "They came in for the love of bikes, learned the ropes, and many of them went on to build careers in the industry. That pipeline is now under serious threat."

The release goes on to quote Paul Kenchington, director of The Bicycle Chain in Bridgwater, who said: "In the early days of our business the Saturday lad or lass worked for the experience and the staff discount, with a small wage as the bonus. Some of our best people started that way. But the product is now complex, the marketplace is cut-throat, and the cumulative cost of employing someone one day a week has reached the point where many of us are simply stepping back."

When Cycling Weekly spoke to some independent bike shops, it was actually the complexity of the modern bicycle that came up as the biggest barrier to employing weekend staff, over and above any concerns about improved employees’ rights.

“We haven’t been able to employ any Saturday staff for some time,” said Sid Soanes from Soanes Cycles, an independent bike shop that began life in Colyton, Devon, in 1902 as Liberty Cycles. Back then, bikes were handmade in the shop, and Sidney J Soanes (Sid’s grandfather) joined the business as a mechanic in 1910. Over a century, and four generations later, the bike shop is still owned and run by the same family, but a lot has changed.

“Saturday is our busiest day, and bikes are just too technical these days for an untrained young person to do anything meaningful with. Now we’re dealing with electronic gears, hydraulic brakes, tubeless tyres – you just don’t get the minor repairs and servicing that a Saturday lad might have been able to work on without supervision.”

“It’s the same with work experience,” continues Soames. “We used to take loads of kids on work experience, but it’s not doable now, because bikes are far too technical and complicated. It's a shame, but we can’t spend enough time with them to make it worthwhile for them or us.”

Tom Armstrong, an elite rider who races for Wheelbase CabTech Castelli and placed second in this year's Rutland–Melton CiCLE Classic, works for JE James Cycles when he’s not riding, and he agrees.

“At one time, you could start as a Saturday lad in bike shop, sweeping the floor and so on, and when there was a spare minute learn how to true a wheel or something, but it's not like that anymore,” he told Cycling Weekly.

“Bike shops have to range e-bikes, of course, and then you’re dealing with motors and batteries, and you almost have to be an electrician. But even ‘standard’ bikes are incredibly technical. Now, when we do a handover and give a bike back to a customer, you need to be there with a laptop, asking them what phone they use, talking to them about apps and all sort of things.”

“Weekend jobs still exist in big bike shops, but they’re different. Now, unless you’re a fully trained mechanic, you’re likely to be out on the shop floor, showing customers what’s available – basically working as a sales assistant, but not getting your hands dirty.”

Harrison did also acknowledge this issue, recognising that the demise of Saturday jobs isn’t purely down to cost: "The job itself has changed,” he said. “Customers expect expert advice on e-bikes, on fit, on technology. That's a lot to ask of someone working one day a week, and when the financial risk of employing them has also risen, many shop owners are simply deciding it isn't worth it."

This is something Armstrong has seen firsthand, and he agrees that it’s having a big impact, not just on the industry, but also how kids get into the sport. “The bike shop that really helped me out when I was a young rider, Broadgate Cycles in Preston, has just closed,” he explains. “It was a family business and had been passed down from generation to generation, but the times are so tough and margins so tight, that they decided it wasn’t worth it. I got my first and second bikes from there – I’m very sad to see it go.”

The ACT, which is part of the Bira Group and represents cycle traders and retailers across Britain, championing independent bike shops, is appealing to the government to review the impact of recent employment legislation on small independent retailers, and to consider whether targeted exemptions or support for young and part-time workers could help preserve entry-level roles that are vital to the future of the trade.

When, in 1982, Gerald O’Donovan, then head of Raleigh’s elite Specialist Bicycle Development Unit (SBDU), discovered that Tommy Godwin was riding time trials at the ripe old age of 61, he didn’t hesitate to build the veteran Olympian a bike suitable for a champion.

“As well as being a remarkable engineer with a natural gift for marketing, Gerald was one of the most generous people I have ever known,” explains current owner, Dave Marsh, of the Universal Cycle Centre, Rotherham.

Godwin was a cycling icon for decades. He won two bronze medals at Herne Hill during the London 1948 Olympics, managed the British team at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics, and was, at 91, an official ambassador and torch bearer for the London 2012 Olympics. Marsh first met him trackside after winning the Masters category of the 1997 National Championship points race at Manchester Velodrome.

“Tommy presented me with my medal,” Marsh fondly recalls. “Little did I suspect that I’d be buying this bike from him four years later at a Kidderminster cycle jumble.”

Godwin was having a clear-out that included his TI Raleigh Team Bike. “We did a meticulous restoration,” remembers Marsh, “including a respray by talented ex-SBDU frame painter Phil ‘Skill’ Insley, who first painted it back in ’82. Even the decals are original.”

The frame is built entirely from heat-treated Reynolds 753 tubing, a stronger, thinner-walled version of 531. The rest of the build is almost entirely ‘no expense spared’ Campagnolo Super Record. The training wheels shown feature 28/32 spoke Mavic Mach 2 CD grey anodised rims shod with durable Vittoria Rally tubulars, but Marsh also owns the original TT-ready 28/28 spoke Arc-en-Ciel rims that Godwin paired with fast silk tubulars.

The Saba stem evokes ’80s nostalgia. It’s a Cinelli, but pantographed by Italo Berigliano, whose London-based company Saba imported lust-worthy bike components from Italy. The bars are also Cinelli, a 42cm width model 64.

The full route details for the five stages of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men were revealed on Wednesday by British Cycling, which gets underway on Wednesday 2 September and runs until Sunday 6 September.

The course will see some of the world's top riders racing across 910.3k (565 miles) of Britain, from Michaelgate in Lincoln, via the Yorkshire Dales to the Lammermuir Hills, just across the border in southern Scotland, tacking 8814 metres of ascent enroute.

"The route brings unique challenges to the riders, while delivering a backdrop which shows the best of Britain, from the beautiful coastline, across the highways, through our stunning countryside, and up some iconic and challenging categorised climbs,” says Jonathan Day, Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures.

Stage one, Lincoln-Lincoln, Weds 2 Sept 2026, 187.6km

This is the first year Britain’s biggest professional men’s cycle race has visited Lincoln, but riders will see plenty of the city on this 187.6km stage, which takes rolls out of town into the Lincolnshire Wolds and through Market Rasen, riding north to visit Caistor in the West Lindsey District, before wending west through Waddingham and then south to head back towards Lincoln via Ingham.

Once back in the city, with 120km already on the clock, riders will climb Michaelgate (11.3% average gradient) five times while doping crowd-pleasing laps of the famous Lincoln Grand Prix circuit, a prestigious part of the Lloyds National Road Series.

Stage two, Boston–Skegness, Thurs 3 Sept 2026, 185.2km

Day two will see the race start further south, in Boston, with riders heading north past Coningsby (WWII base of the 617 Squadron - better known as the bomb bouncing 'Dambusters') and pedalling through Woodhall Spa, Horncastle and Wragby, before heading east back into the Lincolnshire Wolds, where the route intersects with the stage one course at Binbrook.

The peloton will then ride east, via Louth to meet the coast and ride beside the North Sea through Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, with a climb close Langton Hill, before dropping to end in a sprint finish into Skegness.

Stage three, Hull–Beverley, Fri 4 Sept 2026, 200.6km

The tour starts north of the Humber on day three, with the peloton departing Hull and heading up England's east coast, pedalling through Withernsea and continuing up to Hornsea and Skipseam before bearing inland to Burton Agnes.

Riders face a sequence of climbs en route to Driffield before descending into Wetwang, racing four times around a 16km circuit in Beverley, with the finish line positioned atop a testing uphill final stretch to the racecourse.

Stage four, Helmsley–Leyburn, Sat 5 Sept 2026, 170.5km

Riders face 2459m of ascent during the toughest stage of the 2026 Tour, as the race moves into North Yorkshire and tackles terrain that will likely prove pivotal in determining the final General Classification standings.

From the market town of Helmsley in the North York Moors National Park, the course winds through Easingwold, Boroughbridge and the cathedral city of Ripon before entering the Yorkshire Dales National Park. From Pateley Bridge, a stiff climb out of Greenhow Bank (4km at 7,2% average gradient) takes riders west towards Grassington and Wharfedale before the course head north to Buckden.

Between Cray and the finishline in Leyburn, the peloton will pass through some spectacular scenery - familiar to those who spectated the 2014 Tour de France Grande Depart - as riders climb Kidstones (2.9km at 6.3% average gradient and 12.6% max), race past Aysgarth Falls and tackle the climbs of Greets Moss (4.4km at 6.9% average gradient) and Grinton Moor (4.4km at 5.3% average gradient).

Stage five, Earlston–Earlston, Sun 6 September 2026, 166.4km 

On the final day the race heads into southern Scotland, to the Berwickshire town of Earlston, making its debut appearance on the Tour of Britain.

Heading east, through Smailholm towards Kelso, the route then elbows north to visit Hume, Greenlaw and Duns. Riders will then do battle during climbs in the Lammermuir Hills, passing Whiteadder Water before ascending to Redstone Rig and Duddy Bank. The route then returns to Earlston, where riders will race around two circuits of a 19km lap to the final finish line.

Further details about the routes of all five stages, and more information about the race and host venues, is all available on the BC website.

Tour of Britain 2026 stage table

The French retail giant Decathlon has invested in Britain’s largest bike manufacturer, Brompton with a strategic partnership aimed at turbo charging the brand's iconic folding bikes penetration into key markets, specifically Germany and China.

In a deal thought to be worth about £18 million, which became public knowledge on Tuesday morning, reported on in The Guardian, Decathlon Pulse (the investment and innovation arm of Decathlon) have secured a 10% stake in Brompton Bicycle, while BA Capital (a Shanghai-based venture capital firm) have bagged a 5% interest.

Founded by inventor Andrew Ritchie, Brompton bikes were born in London in 1975 and now, 50 years and 1.2 million bikes later, the signature three-way folding mobility machines are available in 47 markets around the globe, along with electric versions of the bikes, powered by the brand's proprietary e-Motiq system, and the more-recently launched G Line model, which gave the bikes gravel riding capability.

“For over 50 years, Brompton has been dedicated to helping people move around cities in a way that is simpler, more flexible and more enjoyable," said Will Butler-Adams, Brompton CEO, who opined that the European bike industry was “over the worst” after a slump in sales following the Covid-created boom and insisted that “cycling is in the ascendant.”

"As demand for smarter and more sustainable urban transport continues to grow, we see a tremendous opportunity ahead," he continued. "Decathlon Pulse and BA Capital bring complementary expertise, global networks and a shared belief in our mission. We are excited to welcome them as long-term partners as we continue to grow while staying true to who we are.”

Decathlon has previously partnered with – and added some financial heft to – brands such as bike computer and bike light manufacturer Magene and smartwatch makers Coros. And despite the significant size of the investment, spokesfolk for the brand are anxious to stress that the quality and style of the steeds will not change, saying 'Brompton will remain Brompton'.

"Brompton embodies a unique combination of performance, durability and community engagement that perfectly complements our approach," added Franck Vigo, CEO of Decathlon Pulse. "This partnership is about scaling that model while preserving what makes Brompton truly unique. This partnership is about scaling that model while preserving what makes Brompton truly unique.”

As much as the Brompton brand masters attempt to reassure their existing customers and fanbase, however, the immense gravitational pull of the Chinese market, and transformative potential of penetrating it, is writ large in the deal.

“The rise of experience-driven consumption is reshaping China’s consumer market," enthuses Michael Zhang, Managing Partner of BA Capital. "As health awareness grows and outdoor lifestyles gain momentum, cycling is expanding beyond sport into everyday occasions such as commuting, travel, and social activities. Brompton’s strength lies not only in its product leadership, but also in its unique ability to bring together products, culture, and community.

“We believe globalisation is a two-way journey. As China becomes an increasingly important market for international brands, we are proud to be part of Brompton’s long-term journey in China as it brings exceptional cycling experiences to more consumers."

Keegan Swenson and Sofía Gómez Villafañe won the 2026 editions of SBT GRVL presented by Wahoo on Sunday in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Swenson claimed his fourth title at the 108-mile Black Course while Gómez Villafañe held off a determined Sarah Lange in the final kilometre.

SBT GRVL is one of the marquee events on the American gravel calendar, drawing thousands of riders to the champagne gravel roads of Routt County. The 2026 edition returned to downtown Steamboat Springs after last year's race was held on a modified circuit in nearby Hayden. Each SBT GRVL course started and finished on Yampa Street, with the new 2026 Black Course featuring favourite sections of previous routes plus with entirely new segments. There were also separate starts for elite men, elite women, and amateur categories in 2026, as well as a rolling safety enclosure.

How the race played out

After beginning the 2026 season with a devastating hip fracture, Keegan Swenson has made a brilliant return to form. After an early breakaway featuring Adam Roberge got away, Swenson forced a selection partway through the race. Following the steep gradients of Wahooligan Hill, Swenson bridged across to Roberge along with Cobe Freeburn and Henry Nelson.

Swenson wasn't going to wait around for the sprint, so with 20 miles to go, he went solo. With a healthy gap to the field, Swenson nabbed his fourth SBT GRVL title ahead of Alexey Vermeulen who came impressively out of the chase group. Freeburn sprinted to third on the podium, while Nelson finished fourth, the best result of his young career.

Swenson's approach at SBT GRVL is consistent and dominant: make the race hard early, reduce the group, and solo to the line. "You have to push all day and break the group up and whittle it down," he said after his third title in 2024. "You don't want to come to the line with a bunch of guys, ideally you want to come solo or with just one other. You slowly want to turn the pace up, see how everyone else is doing." The same was true in 2026.

Result: SBT GRVL men's 2026

1. Keegan Swenson
2. A. Vermeulen
3. C. Freeburn
4. H. Nelson
5. A. Roberge

SBT GRVL Women's race

In the women's race, everyone had their eye on Unbound Gravel winner Sofia Gómez Villafañe. The Specialized Off-Road rider arrived as the pre-race favourite and former Steamboat winner, but it was another rider who made the decisive move of the day.

Sarah Lange led the small group of leaders over the top of Wahooligan Pass, and with a few miles to go, Lange still had a gap. But then came the charging figure of Gómez Villafañe. A two-up sprint seemed imminent, but Gómez Villafañe had other ideas. The Specialized Off-Road rider launched just inside the final kilometre and Lange had no answer. Gómez Villafañe took the win with Lange in second, and US gravel national champion Lauren Stephens in third.

For Gómez Villafañe, winning SBT GRVL was about more than the place on the results sheet. In fact, she almost didn't line up for the race, saying, "Physically and mentally you don't always get to show up at 100% for events, and that's kinda what I felt here. Once I got into Cow Creek, I found the Sofia that I know, the Sofia that knows how to race hard."

Result: Sea Otter Gravel women's 2026

1. Sofía Gómez Villafañe
2. S. Lange
3. L. Stephens
4. P. Onweller
5. C. Decker

Becky Mursell is buzzing, and well she might be. Her work – a photography project called The Everyday Cyclist that has been four years in the making – has been launched and is on display in the stunning grounds of Osterley Park in London. More than that, the message she wanted to send is now out there: cycling is very much for everyone, whoever you are, whatever your background.

Working in a London bike shop, Mursell was surrounded by the usual slick marketing bumpf with which we're all well-versed: models draped in nice kit riding fancy bikes in beautiful locations. But it wasn't long before she realised that the people in the images weren't really representative of the people she was serving in the shop.

"I was on the shop floor selling bikes, and I was like, oh, I don't really relate to some of this imagery, you know?" she tells Cycling Weekly. "At the time I just had a hybrid, and it's not really the people who I see coming to the shop, people who I see out and about on the roads. As I started to get more photography commissions, I did drop the bike shop job, and I thought, well, I'll do a project, like a personal project, and fuse my passions."

That was back in 2022, and since then Mursell has become a full-time photographer, enabling her to start The Everyday Cyclist project in earnest. It saw her ultimately gather more than 120 subjects from all over London, riding no less than 3,500km in the process and spending time photographing them in spots that meant something to them, and talking to them about their passion for two wheels.

Thanks in part to a highly successful crowdfunding appeal that enabled her to fund the exhibition, those subjects and many of their stories are now being exhibited to the general public, for free, in Osterley Park.

It was a "surreal" experience, Mursell says, seeing the exhibition finally come to fruition and open up for the first time.

"When I went back for the first time to the park – after the install day – and saw members of the public stop and interact with the artwork, it took a moment for it all to sink in that I had actually pulled this all off," she says. "I've even had a few people come up to me in the park with really positive feedback, which makes it all feel worthwhile."

Mursell found her subjects from all over, beginning with friends and then progressing to reaching out to others and even getting London Cycling Campaign involved. There were even occasions where she encountered other riders while out on her bike, and asked whether they would be involved. The response, she says, has been overwhelmingly positive.

"I've never done the portrait off the bat," she says, "but a few people I have been out and about cycling, spotted somebody, and then literally cycled up to them: 'Hello, my name is Becky'. And then, a week or two later, we're actually on the shoot."

Some of those Mursell photographed will be recognisable to Cycling Weekly readers, including Pinarello Q36.5 pro rider Fred Wright, and broadcasters Rebecca Charlton and Jeremy Vine.

But most are not famous at all. People from all walks of life who have a mutual enjoyment of riding a cycle of some form, include adaptive machines that allow those who are unable to ride a standard bike access to transport, fresh air, and freedom.

Mursell gives the example of Quailyn, who suffers from epilepsy and pelvic arthritis and was only able to get around using lifts from family and friends – before getting an e-trike through the Wheels For Wellbeing charity.

"It's been an absolute game changer for her," Mursell says. "Suddenly she's got her complete independence. She says that before, sometimes she'd have to use a walking stick briefly, but because she's moving about because of the trike, her physicality has got better."

Mursell adds: "Notoriously the imagery around adaptive cycles is really poor, so as I started to kind of get connected into that world, I was like, this is really important to show a good variety of those bikes that share those stories, display them equally – it doesn't just have to be sports."

"I'm just trying to encourage cycling to be a more welcoming space, because I think too many people don't see themselves [in it]. They're like, oh, I have to be a certain type, I have to have a certain bike, that kind of thing," she says.

The Everyday Cyclist displays in Osterley Park until 6 July, before moving to Brockwell Park in Brixton on 8 July until 31 August, after which Mursell says she hopes to tour the exhibition more widely.

Last week, Dr Sarah Ruggins arrived in Nordkapp, in the far north Arctic-tickling tip of Norway, exactly 13 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes after setting off on her bicycle from Tarifa in southern Spain. Her total riding distance was 6,042km, and just to put that into context, last year’s entire Tour de France was 3,301.9km in length, spread across 21 stages and three and a half weeks.

In completing her epic journey in such a blisteringly fast time, the Canadian-born athlete and adventurer not only smashed the existing world speed record for riding from the bottom to the top of Europe – knocking over three days and 32 off the time set by Dr Ian Walker, in 2019 – she also set a new record for the greatest distance ever ridden by a woman in a week, riding 3,364.08km in seven days.

These figures are phenomenal in anyone’s book, but when you consider that Ruggins couldn’t even ride a bike just three years ago, they’re nothing short of incredible. Now a triple-record holding ultra-cyclist (she also holds the John O’Groats to Land’s End and Back record), Ruggins only began cycling in 2023, after spending 10 years recovering from a rare autoimmune condition.

A promising track and field athlete as a child, with realistic Olympic aspirations, Ruggins was diagnosed with the condition when she was 15, and the illness left her bedridden and in need of 24-hour care. A couple of years before setting her LEJOGLE cycling record, Ruggins was planning to run from Land’s End to John O’Groats, when she run collapsed with series of dreadful injuries as result of her illness, suffering two broken ankles, and fractures in her femur and pelvis – just weeks before the planned start.

Undeterred, she secured an entry for the Transcontinental Race, a 4,000km unsupported race across Europe, and then bought a bike and started training. Ruggins crashed out of the 2023 event, but returned stronger in 2024, and finished near the front.

But, even having proved herself capable of climbing such a steep training and learning curve, Ruggins achievement over the last fortnight is jaw dropping. So, how on earth did she manage to pull off such an incredible ride, let alone in the heatwave conditions she started off in last month?

Dr Ruggins has a PHD in finance – suffice to say, she knows her way around an abacas, and number discipline was obviously a crucial factor to achieving what she has done over the last couple of weeks.

With that in mind, Cycling Weekly spoke to the rider and some of her support crew earlier this week, when they were enroute back to Britain (where Ruggins is now based), and together we have gathered the stats and stories that tell the tale of this extraordinary double record-setting ride.

Riding by numbers

One – Ruggins rode the entire route on a single bike, the Liv EnviLiv Advanced SL (also much beloved by Cycling Weekly tech writer Hannah Bussey). She also rode the entire route on one chain.

12 – Number of croissants with cream cheese eaten per day by Ruggins during the latter part of the ride, after she overcame the nausea that plagued her during the early stages.

Nine – Countries passed through during the continent-crossing adventure.

Two – Number of punctures Ruggins suffered during the entire ride.

14 – Number of times Ruggins listed to Salt by Ben Camden during her mammoth cycle. “I felt very overstimulated,” she says. “I had my earbuds silent most of the time. But this track reminded me of my partner, Ryan. My second most-listened to track was Hymn by Charlotte de Witte - that one kept me awake at night!”

90 – Minutes of lie-down sleep Ruggins allowed herself every day until she broke the seven-day distance record (after which she treated herself with a 3-hour kip)

Four – The maximum number of off-bike micro rests Ruggins allowed her during each day (five minutes of which were taken up with eating and medical checks, leaving 5 minutes for a quick nap)

8,623 – Amount of money, in GBP sterling, that Ruggins has so far raised for World Bicycle Relief, a charity that helps people and communities around the world by providing them with life-changing bikes.

Two – Number of fingers Ruggin’s has no feeling in (temporarily, we hope) after suffering nerve damage during her ride. “I was unable to use the aero position for much of the ride, because of saddle discomfort,” she told us. “So I was riding on the hood for most of the way, and I'm paying for it now!"

35,000 – metres climbed during the 6,042km ride

22 – Hours spent in the saddle every day during the challenge

11,000 – calories consumed on average every day

20 – Number of kilometres of mud, sand and gravel Ruggins was forced to ride her road bike across when she encountered some unexpected road works whilst leaving Poland.

35 – Degrees of heat (in Celsius) that Ruggins was riding in during the first few days of her record attempt, while racing across Spain and France. “Nutrition, especially hydration, was very challenging, in those conditions” she says. “I was taking on 2 litres of electrolyte-loaded liquids every hour, and the only thing I could eat was gels.”

11,748 – Kilometres driven by Ruggins’ media and support car

500 – Number of Buffalo Bicycles Ruggins is aiming to provide to people in poor rural regions around the world.

Read an interview with Sarah Ruggins in the current print edition of Cycling Weekly – subscribe here!

Sometimes as a writer of columns I find I’m writing a column that’s a sort of “Part 2” to a piece I did a few weeks earlier. Perhaps I didn’t quite finish the thought first time, or I came up with a decent joke after I’d filed the copy, or I changed my mind and wanted to pretend I hadn’t been stupid enough to write the first one.

And sometimes I realise I’m writing a whole series of themed columns that you could collate into one long whinge. To wit, I’ve noticed that a recurrent motif of recent years has been, “Gosh, hasn’t cycling got expensive?”

In general I’ve been against this trend. But, last weekend, as I tried to find something in my overly-cluttered bike store I found myself thinking differently: “If everything had been as expensive ten years ago as it is now I’d have a lot more space in here.”

In fact a bit of quick maths suggests that the increased cost of bikes and the consequent reduction in my ability to buy them would save enough storage space that I could get off with a smaller house. Financially I’d actually come out in front.

The advantage is actually two-fold. First, as mentioned, you can afford less. Second, to upgrade you have absolutely no choice but to sell something you already own. This saves even more space. You can’t conceivably afford to keep anything you don’t use.

I’ve only preserved one bike from my racing career as a memento – it’s a TT bike that I won quite a lot on, and which was perhaps the prettiest of my race bikes. Its aesthetic qualities are, however, hard to appreciate because it’s surrounded in its storage unit by a mighty collection of some of the best wheels, bars, saddles, and random bits given to me by sponsors down the years that I hadn’t intended to keep, but somehow did.

I’m not a hoarder. But if the Hoarder Police raided my unit, they would have questions I’d struggle to answer.

Why do I still have all these things? The problem is that when things were cheaper, their second-hand value declined to nothing even more quickly than modern equipment. If you were a sponsored rider looking to squeeze a bit more out of the deal by selling your team equipment, you had to do it very fast.

I’ve got one friend who used to do well on Ebay, but insisted that speed was key. If the prize haul at a race included something like a pair of sunglasses, he normally had them listed for sale before he even got home. (“Exclusive pro-only promotional colourway” was, he told me, the secret to turning ugly Italian sunnies with over-sized logos into a new video game.)

He still looks back fondly on the year he broke his collarbone in mid-September and got to sell everything his team had given him a month earlier than usual.

For those of us a bit slower out of the blocks, the cash value of most things dropped below the it-might-come-in-useful-one-day value in a matter of months.

Leave it sitting for a year or two beyond that point, and you had things that no one would take even if you gave them away, like rim-brake tubular-tyre wheels. You find yourself at the local recycling centre asking a dude in a high-viz jacket what skip you should put carbon fibre in. That’s pretty heartbreaking.

Which naturally means that I don’t even do that with it – I just keep it. I tell myself that one day the value will go up again. Like an exquisite, chromed Cinelli frame from the 1950s, perhaps people will one day pay big money for old rim-brake aero wheels. And if they do, I’m going to be so rich I’ll be able to afford a modern bike.

How To… Be a Good Winner

Everyone knows the importance of grace in defeat, even if they prefer not to actually demonstrate it. Similarly, it is important to know how to win while maintaining a spirit of generosity towards your vanquished opponents or, as we winners think of them, the losers.

For example, you can help them improve their own performance for next time. Pinpoint for them any mistakes they might have made: “Mate, I just couldn’t believe my luck when you launched that incredibly stupid attack over the top of the last climb. Wow, you really handed it to me there.”

You might like to suggest that your performance was really just down to luck: “Mate, I’m just lucky. I have a lot of innate genetic talent, but as well as that I’m lucky enough to be the sort of person with a real work ethic and a will to just find ways to keep improving. Next time that could just as easily be you.”

Recognise that your opponents might not have had all of your advantages: “Mate, I think you did pretty well to be that close to me. I mean, you’ve got a lot of limitations as an athlete.”

Make sure you show them you understand the pain of defeat: “Mate, I know how hard you work. I know that you’re out training every day, sacrificing time with your family. It must really hurt to do all that and still come up short. I mean, I’d be bloody raging if something like that had happened to me.”

Acts of Cycling Stupidity

A long time ago, there was a fad for L-shaped cranks – cranks with a 90-degree bend in them. Supposedly they made it easier to pedal over top-dead-centre. Of course they did no such thing. There was maybe a visual illusion, but nothing more.

I was surprised to find an old photo of a friend of mine using them. I messaged him, mocking his credulity.

“Not a bit,” he replied. “I knew they didn’t work. But I’d also overheard one of my main rivals telling someone that he was desperate to get a pair because he was convinced they were brilliant. So I borrowed a pair and rode up and down in front of him with them at the race HQ before that year’s national championships. I’d killed him before he even got on his bike.”

The British bike charity Cycling UK announced the opening of a brand new, multi-day bikepacking trail this week, called Gallovidian Gravel, which traverses the terrain of Dumfries and Galloway in the south of Scotland.

Cycling UK has established a growing network of riding trails across the country, including the Royal Chilterns Way, King Alfred’s Way, Rebellion Way and Traws Eryri - but this is its first route located entirely north of the border, in Scotland.

The circular route, which starts and finishes in Dumfries, offers adventure-seeking gravel bike and MTB riders 330km of off-road cycling with a total of 4,002 metres of climbing, as it rolls around the wild region's rugged and history sodden landscapes, exploring remote mountains, secret lochs, ancient abbeys, volcanic coastlines, evocative ruined churches, iron age hill forts and character-filled Lowland towns and villages as it wends along forest tracks and coastal back lanes.

Designed to be done over a long weekend or half a week, riders can arrange B&B or pub-based accommodation along the way or punctuate days on the trail with wild camping experiences under star-strewn skies.

The trail, which has been designed and implemented with the help of route designers and bike-tour guides Guy Kesteven and Kieran Foster, includes unique highlights such as the artistic fishing town of Kirkcudbright, and (apparently) the world’s fanciest cow shed. Cyclists can also encounter all kinds of wildlife beside and above the trail - from eagles and ospreys to majestic red deer and wild goats.

“We’ve worked hard to create a moving story of an adventure that takes in traffic free paths and quiet back lanes, linking trail centres, craggy coasts, smugglers coves, seemingly endless forests and wild mountainscapes," said Guy Kesteven.

“Despite being the closest part of Scotland to England, the area remains largely overlooked and undiscovered," he continued. "It’s somewhere you can experience the wild solitude of Scotland’s dark sky parks, whilst also taking in deep history, delightful towns, villages, remote farms and stunning scenery at every turn.

“In short, it really has been the perfect biking area to build a route in. Similar to when we made Royal Chilterns Way, we’ve built in three distinct sections that are linked. That makes Gallovidian Gravel one of our most accessible routes yet for those without the time to tackle the full adventure in one go. We guarantee even the shortest ride in Galloway will grab your heart and make you want to return as soon as possible though.”

According to stats collected by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), cycling tourism generates more than €44 billion annually, and supports myriad small businesses across Britain and the continent, from B&Bs to bike shops.

Survey data collected by Cycling UK along its King Alfred’s Way route in 2020 backs this up, revealing that on average each person riding the route spends £107.61 per day. With some 1.23 million overnight biking trips being made by adventure cyclists annually, the charity estimates that backcountry riders generate £520m per year.

“Cycling can be the best way to truly experience a place, because you’re travelling slowly enough to take everything in but fast enough to cover great distances," said Cycling UK's commercial director, Katie Hammond. "It’s always exciting to be able to unveil a new route, knowing that at the same time, it’ll boost the local businesses and communities, connecting more of our cities, towns and villages.

“Multi-day routes also offer a much greener and healthier way to travel. You get to see incredible places that are often inaccessible by car, and I’m so pleased to be revealing our first Scottish route. By joining Cycling UK, anyone can help support the creation of even more routes that make cycle adventures accessible to everyone. You’ll also be the first to know when we launch something new.”

The day has come, it's the fourth and final day of the Amazon Prime Day cycling deals. As we all know, all good things have to come to an end, and that end is midnight tonight, June 26th! Fear not, Cycling Weekly's resident deal-hunting experts are back in the hot seat one last time, bringing you everything the summer sale has to offer for cyclists.

This year's Prime Day deals have not disappointed. There have been so many discounts that I feel like we haven't even scratched the surface. There have, however, been some standouts that should not be missed before the midnight deadline. Aaron could help but wax lyrical yesterday about the $100 saving on the Garmin Edge 550, which he believes is Garmin's best-kept secret—and the 11 electric bike pump deals I spotlighted should be at the top of everyone's list.

Final Reminder: If you aren't a Prime Member yet, get your skates on, Prime Day deals end today! Become an Amazon Prime member, and you will not only get access to all the best Amazon Prime Day cycling deals but also free and fast delivery year-round.

All the best Amazon Prime Day Cycling Deals 2026

USA

• Amazon US - Today's Best Prime Day Bike Deals
• Massive 28% off - Shimano Dura Ace Pedals
• In excess of $100 off - Garmin Edge 550
• Save up to 29% - GoPro Hero 13 cameras and bundles

UK 

• Amazon UK - Today's Best Prime Day Cycling Deals
• Save 19% - Airbank Mini Electric Bike Pump
• Big discounts across - Magicshine Bike Lights
• Save up to £95 off - Wahoo ELEMNT Roam

Beyond Amazon - Live deals not available on Prime

• Top cycling deals - Decathlon
• Save up to 40% off on bikes - Competitive Cyclist
• Over 500 products on sale - REI
• Discounts on hundreds of bikes - Sigma Sports
• Discounted bikes, apparel, & accessories - Mike's Bikes

Our deal-hunters top Prime Day picks

Top US Picks

Top UK picks

Good Morning & welcome back!

Its Day 4 of the Amazon Prime Day cycling deals, and the final day. Which is good for me, as its been a long week, but it does mean the summer savings come to an end tonight at midnight June 26th.

Once again I'm Cycling Weekly's resident deal-hunting expert, and ill be with you for next few hours bringing you the best Prime Day deal for cyclists.

Lidl-trek Trainers anyone? I think it goes without saying I wasn't tempted

Before we get into the deals, did anyone spot these in the Lidl middle aisle this week? I wonder how many Lidl-Trek branded trainers they have sold?

I think it goes without saying I wasn't tempted.

Something I am tempted by...

I am just penning my final thoughts on this Wahoo Kickr Core 2 deal, as I am very tempted.

For a while, I have been watching my weight only increase, and, with family life, I have been struggling to get out on the bike consistently. So, I'm thinking it might be time to come out with my tail between my legs and admit that I probably need to consider a bit of indoor cycling. Given how good our resident indoor cycling expert, Aaron, thinks the Kickr Core 2 is, combined with this Prime Day deal, it might have to be the one for me.

The rise of the chinese manufacturers..

The rise of Chinese manufacturers has been widely reported recently, so much so that our Video Manager, Jamie, took a trip to China for an exclusive look at the XDS bike factory. It's not just bikes, frames and wheels, it's tech as well. While we are still in the process of organising some test units, brands like IGPSport and Magene are trying to muscle in on the best-bike-computer market.

iGPSPORT BiNavi Bike Computer is 15% off in the Prime Day deals, which doesn't sound like much, but when you see the features list and the fact it's only £200 to start with, you've got to question what brands like Wahoo and Garmin are up to.

It wouldn't be a Prime Day without me mentioning the RockBros Bell 🛎️

I know there is some controversy surrounding the RockBros classic-style bike bell, and while I do appreciate Spur's efforts to keep manufacturing in the US and to an insanely high standard. It is just a bell, and for £15.99 it does a perfectly good job. It's loud enough, it's been more than durable, and now it's just £12, with 20% off.

Let me lubricate you with one last deal, before I pass over to Pat

This Kryptonite Keeper U-Lock is available for a steal!

Bike theft is the great scourge of the modern era, so securing your steed with a decent bike lock is extremely important. This Kryptonite Keeper U-Lock is a heavy-duty anti-theft U-lock, which features 12mm Shackle and 10mm x4ft length braided-steel security cable, and it comes with a mounting bracket and (of course) keys.

And, it's currently available with 51% off the usual asking price - an absolute steal!

Get Shorty! Decathlon are selling cycling apparel for dirt cheap prices at the moment

It's always worth looking beyond Amazon during Prime Day. Decathlon are also running a sale at the moment, offering some really good deals on bikes and cycling apparel, such as these FDX All Day Men’s Cycling Shorts.

These road-biking shorts come in four different colours and feature 3D padding and side pockets, and they are available online at the moment for just £14.99 (a saving of 61%).

It's hot but so are some of the cycling deals I've spotted for you

Hello all - Aaron here. I'm the Cycling Weekly tech writer with special interest in tech such as power meters, cycling computers, wheels, smart turbo trainers and, of course, bikes. You've got me for the next hour so I'll try my darndest to point you in the right direction of any deals I think are as hot as the current temperature outside. Stay tuned for some killer deals.

Garmin's best-kept secret. The Edge 550 now on sale

I'm a huge fan of Garmin's best bike computer range, and it's the brand's Edge 850 that impressed me most recently. The bright screen, metric tracking, and navigational properties are just a few attributes I praised it for - but it sure is pricey. Thankfully, I've managed to source an incredible Amazon Prime Day deal on the Garmin Edge 550. It's the same size and has the same screen and battery life, but loses out to the Edge 850's touchscreen, digital bell, and audible navigational prompts, which are merely nice-to-haves if anything.

Pedal, damn it!

Yes, that's a quote I've stolen from Niner Bikes, but it's a pretty apt description of Shimano's fabled Dura-Ace PD-R9100 pedal system. Lauded by many for its lightweight, carbon construction and easy-to-clip-in/clip-out interface, it's one of the most popular, if not the best, road bike pedals on the market. And now you can own a set for yourself with this mega 28% off Amazon Prime Day deal.

Hello, Adam Becket here again, ready to furnish you with a couple of deals...

Cycling in photos

My colleague Hannah spotted a deal earlier this week on a great book of cycling photography, The Art of Suffering by Kristof Ramon.

Captured through the eyes of Belgium-born pro cycling photographer Kristof Ramon, the images share an insider's view of what it takes to perform at the top of races such as the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix, and Strade Bianche, weaving a thoughtful narrative into each photograph, taking us all on a storytelling journey through the professional peloton.

Keep hydrated!

In the summer, we all need to probably be drinking more water than we currently do.

Usefully, Camelbak have money off their Podium bottles on Amazon for Prime Day.

Wahoo time

Yesterday, we wrote about how Wahoo had all of their latest bike computers on offer on Amazon. Now, there are other bike computers to consider, from Hammerhead to Garmin, but my go to has been the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt for years now, and I'm currently rocking the third-generation version on my bike. You can too, with this fantastic deal.

Is your chain clean?

If you answered no to the question above, then don't worry, none of ours are either. After all, it's much more fun riding your bike than cleaning it.

So why not leave the latter to a smart, little gadget? Park Tool's chain cleaner tool has dipped under £30 on Amazon. They even throw in a bottle of degreaser and a scrubber.

Stock up on gels

With a whole summer of riding ahead, now's a good time to fill the cupboards with discounted energy gels – it'll save you paying full price last-minute.

Plus, with this pack of 30, you won't have to keep going to the shop to buy more.

Strike a pose

Knee, neck and back pain are among the most common injuries reported by cyclists. The truth is, most of us love pedalling, but we don't always do the strength and conditioning to support it.

How about some yoga? This book gets great reviews: 4.5/5 starts on Amazon. Plus, it's 60% off this Amazon Prime Day.

OMG I need to cool down!

In the UK right now, no one is going anywhere near their turbo trainers. We're into our third day of record breaking heat and we don't deal with the heat well at the best of times. I've had to resort to putting my laptop in the fridge to get it working again #truestory (This actually works. I didn't believe it until I tried it.)

My point is, we're all trying to stay cool and fans are selling like the proverbial hot cakes. Once the summer is over, this fan from Cycplus can be relocated to your training space and help with our indoor workouts. It's even bluetooth enabled, so you can control it from your phone as you pedal / lie in bed tonight.

An upgrade for the ultimate training space

"It's the middle of summer, why are you showing us deals on indoor training kit?!" I hear you shout. Well, indoor training and e-racing is a year round activity, and by the time we get to winter, these items will be back in demand. And for those who are serious about it, a rocker plate is an ideal addition for your training space. AKA pain cave.

Attach your turbo and bike (or smart bike) and the rocker plate (essentially two bits of plywood with some tennis balls sitting inbetween) will move with you, allowing a more natural feel when you get out of the saddle or rock from side to side.

Ride in comfort with 37% off Muc-Off

It's surprising how much we end up talking about chamois cream during our tech team daily stand ups! Who uses it, who doesn't, if bike fit and saddle fit is really the key to comfortable riding... however, the truth is some riders like chamois cream, and others don't.

If you're pro the gloopy stuff, then Muc-Off is a cult favourite, and, it's currently reduced by 37%. This formula features aloe vera, shea butter, witch hazel and sunflower oil to keep your skin feeling chafe free and hydrated.

Roll slick with Panaracer

Panaracer tyres have had some solid reviews across Cycling Weekly. The Panaracer GravelKing Semi Slick Plus TLC model clocked 4 stars out of 5, whilst the full-fat Panaracer GravelKing X1 TLR scored 4.5.

This Slick iteration is more suited to tarmac with a little of the rough stuff. The deal is in the 40c version, which will give you tons of squish at a low pressure.

So, which deals have been flying off the shelves?

The Cycling Weekly team has been all over Amazon Prime Day cycling deals, but which products have been getting the most interest?

Well, Cycplus electric tyre inflators have been extremely popular, and so has Smoove Lube chain lubricant. However, those deals are sadly sold out (at time of writing).

The next most popular is the Garmin Varia Radar light.

CW writer Simon Fellows recently tested a host of radar lights, which alert a rider to vehicles approaching from behind. He originally dismissed them as "an expensive gimmick, a rich boy’s toy", however, he became a convert. When Simon tested Garmin's most recent version, he awarded it 5/5 in his review. The model reduced by 25% is slightly older, but tester Paul Grele tried the RCT715 and scored it a near-perfect 4.5/5.

It's little wonder you've all been snapping these up. The deal is still available.

Once you go steel, you'll never go back

I remember CW writer Matt Ischt-Barnard waxing lyrical about the Stainless Steel bottle from CamelBak. It'll keep your drink cool, features a leak-free design, and the steel material contains no harmful chemicals. You can bet it will be robust, too! And yes, it will fit most cages.

Shine bright with MagicShine

MagicShine lights consistently top the charts with Cycling Weekly readers, and you'll find models within our best bike lights guide.

This 300-lumen beamer also comes with a built-in motion sensor, so it'll turn on automatically when you're braking. There's a day-mode option, and you can get two hours of light on a full charge.

Well, I'm handing the deal hunting baton to Matt

I've been Digital Editor, Michelle Arthurs-Brennan, and I've enjoyed hunting deals for you! I'm handing the baton over to Matt Ischt-Barnard, who will be pulling the next CW deal hunter's shift.

Don't forget to check the very best Amazon Prime Day deals in our Quick Deals section, which is full of great options if you're after an offer and short on time.

Evening in the UK, and I hope you are enjoying Friday lunchtime in the US. If you don't know by now, I'm Matt, and I'm back for the last stint of the Prime Day deals.

I'll probably be with you for the next hour or so, to round up the last few deals and, of course, give you all a gentle reminder to place those orders before it's too late.

Limited time offer! a new deal this late in the day, surely not? and possibly the lowest price I have ever seen on the Edge 1050

I find it hard to believe I have only just spotted this deal, having spent the last 4 days in the Amazon listings. Which must mean it is truly a limited-time offer.

The Garmin Edge 1050 is the tech giant's flagship and best bike computer, and as far as I can tell, it's just popped up in the US with 25% off. It might be late in the day, but the Prime Day deals just don't stop. For those who might have been considering other Computer deals we highlighted this week, such as the Wahoo Element Roam V3, this might be your lucky day.

Let's talk Mirrors for a minute

The humble best bike mirrors are a somewhat divisive topic amongst cyclists, but a review North American Editor Rook wrote on the Spurcycle mirror got a lot of traction, somewhat surprisingly. Maybe it was the mention of the descending wizard, Matej Mohorič, in her headline, or maybe we are secretly interested in bike mirrors?

While the lovely Spurcycle one isn't on discount, one of our top picks is:

Blackburn Road Mirror

For those on flat bars, like Hybrids or ebikes, the bar-end mirror is heavily discounted

Blackburn Mountain Mirror

It's not real LEGO, but it is kinda cool

The big topic in the CW meetings for weeks now has been the Lego Road Bike. Either discussing how we could make some cool content with it, or asking Rook how she is getting on with building hers.

While it is very cool, it is a shame there aren't more options. Hopefully, this is the opening of the floodgates. Lego must now know there is some serious interest from cyclists.

Anyway, in passing, I happened on this cool 'faux Lego' kit. It's in a classic Dutch bike style, but it does the same things as the 'real' Lego version. For example, you can pedal it, but this one comes with a little dog, what's not to love?

Now 44% off, the Pantasy Vintage Floral Bike Brick Model with Spring Picnic Accessories

Did you know you can also get an LED kit for the LEGO Road Bike already?

With 20% off the BrickBling Lego Road Bike Compatible LED Kit

I keep going on about them, but it's time we all made the swap to electric bike pumps 💨

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but with these Prime Day deals, some of the best electric bike pumps are now as cheap or cheaper than their old-school manual brethren. If you want to see all the best deals I have stopped this week, I brought them all together in one place earlier in the week.

11 electric Bike pump deals not to be missed

If you want to get straight to the best options and the broadest range on offer this Prime Day, go straight to the Cycplus listing on Amazon.

"And it's goodnight from me". and "And it's goodnight from him".

That is me done for this Amazon Prime Day. I will continue to bring you the best cycling deals throughout the summer, of course. However, as far as Amazon is concerned, I will be back for the Pre-Black Friday Prime Day, which usually falls around mid-October.

Happy Shopping!

A curious, maybe portentous, image emerged from last week's racing at the Tour de Suisse. As the race passes through a postcard-beautiful riverside town, the spectators are nowhere to be seen – until you look carefully. Then they appear, sheltering in small groups in dark spots beneath trees and among bushes – not from the rain, but from the blazing sun.

It may not have escaped your notice that a blanket of scorching heat is currently being wafted across Europe. Unusually high temperatures approaching 40degC (100.4deg F) have been forecast for the UK and for Spain, while France, on the eve of the world's biggest bike race, has already suffered temperatures above 43C (109.4F). Scorching, oven-ready readings that add up to 50% to the seasonal average.

In my very British experience, I can vouch that people get rather excited when the mercury starts to rise. 'Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun', as the saying goes, and there's probably some truth in it – likely a symptom of living in a country where grey skies are the default setting and, a bit like when it snows, many of us feel a certain amount of childish glee when the UV rises.

But temperatures like this deserve to be taken seriously, as a resultant and tragic 20 deaths across France would attest.

If you're planning on spectating at a bike race this summer, you might want to go prepared. The current heatwave may not last into August, but that isn't to say another won't come along, while temperatures in-between spikes may remain high.

Dangers include sunburn, which with some planning can be mitigated for, and heatstroke, which is less predictable and poses immediate danger to life.

In the UK, the NHS advises against going outside in hot weather between 11am-3pm as a heatstroke avoidance tactic. Unfortunately, when it comes to spectating at a race like the Tour de France, that is exactly the time bracket that's likely to see you out under the sun. With the surrounding roads closed and the time between the famed Tour caravan arriving and the passage of the riders usually around two hours, it's no quick out-and-in deal either.

We're probably all sufficiently well-versed in sunburn prevention tactics. High SPF cream reapplied at intervals, hats and shady spots. Take it seriously and there's a good chance you can avoid the beetroot look.

Heatstroke on the other hand is caused when the body overheats and is unable to regulate itself, and can be fatal. It's also a very good reason to avoid any open and unsheltered spots from which to watch a bike race. If you start to feel ill and you're a 30 minute walk from shelter, you could find yourself in trouble of the most serious sort.

If you're determined to go watch a race and nothing – not even the ramblings of a Cycling Weekly writer – is going to persuade you otherwise, pick a town to do it from. Here, you are more likely to find air-conditioned shops that you can shelter in when you need to and will be genuinely cool, unlike a patch of shade under a tree. You'll also be able to find extra supplies and cold drinks, although given you'll need to take hydration as seriously as the riders, you'll no doubt have plenty packed already.

If watching a bike race isn't on your radar this summer, that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Everything from family picnics to short rides is going to require the same kind of planning, and consideration as to whether you might be better off leaving it for a cooler day.

And so concludes this public information message, coloured by the experience of an admittedly sun-cautious 50-something whose kids' devotion to daily UV ratings (higher the better, apparently), leaves him somewhat aghast. Stay safe out there.

Cycling Weekly's resident deal-hunting experts are back in the hot seat, bringing you everything the summer sale has to offer for cyclists. We are officially halfway through the sale, with just today and tomorrow left, with prime days deals ending at midnight on June 26th.

Yesterday was a busy one with deals coming in faster than we could write them. Surprisingly, one of the biggest hits of the day was the Van Rysel deals at Decathlon hunted out by Patrick. There is a growing appetite for deals outside of Amazon. We hear you, and we will keep an eye on that today! Paul's Garmin Varia RCT715 and Cycplus AS2 Pro remain very popular, and we will absolutely have more of them today.

Alongside these deals, the best bike computers are proving, as always, very popular. including the Garmin Edge 550 & Hammerhead Karoo 3.

Quick Reminder: As I said, we are halfway through the sale, so if you aren't a Prime Member yet, get your skates on! Become an Amazon Prime member, and you will not only get access to all the best Amazon Prime Day bike deals but also free and fast delivery year-round.

All the best Amazon Prime Day Cycling Deals 2026

USA

• Amazon US - Today's Best Prime Day Bike Deals
• Massive 28% off - Shimano Dura Ace Pedals
• In excess of $100 off - Garmin Edge 550
• Save up to 29% - GoPro Hero 13 cameras and bundles

UK 

• Amazon UK - Today's Best Prime Day Cycling Deals
• Save 19% - Airbank Mini Electric Bike Pump
• Big discounts across - Magicshine Bike Lights
• Save up to £95 off - Wahoo ELEMNT Roam

Beyond Amazon - Live deals not available on Prime

• Top cycling deals - Decathlon
• Save up to 40% off on bikes - Competitive Cyclist
• Over 500 products on sale - REI
• Discounts on hundreds of bikes - Sigma Sports
• Discounted bikes, apparel, & accessories - Mike's Bikes

Our deal-hunters top Prime Day picks

Top US Picks

Top UK picks

Good Morning! Prime Day Cycling deals are finally here. I am Matt, Tech and Ecomm Writer here at Cycling Weekly, and I will be with you for much of the morning, bringing you all the best deals the summer Prime Days have to offer.

I am just going to make a coffee, and we will get straight into the best deals I have already found in the listings.

Prime Day is a members only event!

Before we get into the deals, I just want to remind you all that Amazon Prime Day Bike Deals are for Prime Members only! Becoming an Amazon Prime member is easy, and you can even use the 7-day free trial for Prime Day and then cancel if you so wish. However, don't forget that once you are a member, you can enjoy free, fast delivery year-round and watch some of the latest movies and TV shows.

Deals, deals, deals!

Right..... let's get into it. I will focus my efforts on the UK this morning, since we are all awake and probably looking for distractions from the heat 🔥 or for fans, I know I certainly am after the lack of sleep my son and I had last night.

So, let's start there, with the Vacmaster Cardio54.

Our top trending product of the last 12 months 💨

The Cycplus AS2 Pro is once again on discount in the UK. It is by far the top trending product of the last 12 months, with just about everyone we know taking the opportunity to ditch their best mini bike pump in favour of the best electric bike pump.

Down to just £69.43 from £83.33, representing a decent 17% discount, the Cycplus AS2 Pro is at one of its lowest prices we have seen.

There is budget options too!

The Airbank Pocket SE surprised us in our best electric bike pump test, as we initially assumed that a pump that small and cheap would not be able to compete. However, its value for money is outstanding, even inflating and seating a tubeless tyre. If you aren't sure about electric pumps, still! The Airbank is the one to help with the transition, thanks to its low cost and now-healthy Prime Day discount.

More Coffee required...

I am hopping off for yet another coffee, but I will leave you with a deal on my favourite mugs... See you in five.

Suns out! 🕶️

I'm back after a quick sit in the sun and a brew. While I was sitting there, it got me thinking, I do need some new sunglasses. The team here at Cycling Weekly are big fans of Tifosi sunglasses, and my colleague Hannah just reviewed their latest offering, the Tifosi Vogel XC. As always, they performed well, with Hannah awarding them 4.5 stars out of 5, yet again delivering an excellent best budget sunglasses option.

🎧 What is your current earworm?

The CW Slack chat lit up this morning, first because it's Prime Day, but largely because Digital Editor Michelle's daughter was struggling to get her Amazon Alexa Echo Dot to 'Play K-Bop Barnaby'. What she actually wanted was, of course, K-Pop Demon Hunters, "Born to be", or for us who also have small children, we all know this as "Golden".

I am on a bit of a jazz binge myself, after discovering Snarky Puppy earlier in the year. Which is a bit out of my comfort zone normally, but I have been amazed at how much better Jazz sounds through a decent pair of headphones. You really start to notice the depth that I take for granted from Rock and Metal.

Guess what.... Prime Day has a ton of the best headphones for cyclists on offer, like these 3 examples below.

Good Morning, New Yorkers! 🗽

It's just about time for our friends over the pond to be rising. My watch says it's 7 am in New York, which, from the Times Square webcams, looks to me like a wet, misty start to the day.

So, let's get our first Amazon.com deal out of the way, and then it's time for a spot of lunch here in the UK.

Sticking with the best headphones theme, and the fact that all I can think about now is Frank Sinatra, Shokz are also heavily discounted in the US.

Hello, intrepid APD’ers! I’m Andy, and I’m here to take you through the rest of our evening. I love a bargain, so I’ll be digging around for some of my favourite bits of kit and bringing you the best deals I can find, right here on our live blog.

Matt has already flagged the amazing Garmin Edge 850 and 550, plus the Osmo Action 4, Cycplus, Airbank, and an awesome home training fan. You don’t have to be training today to appreciate it, though—my south-facing office is baking in 32-degree heat with no air conditioning. I’d pay far more than £79.99 for the brilliantly named ‘Vacmaster Cardio’ today, but you don’t have to.

In all seriousness, if you’re training indoors—even on cooler days—there really isn't a better or cheaper way of cooling your turbo setup than this. You really don't need the big brand stuff, when this does the job so well, for way less cash.

Now, I’m going to dig around for some decent tech that I personally use and love to see if I can top Matt’s deals from earlier today...

The outgoing Crux might be the smartest buy of the whole APD sale and it's not on Amazon!

My esteemed colleague Anne-Marije Rook said it best in her love letter to the outgoing Crux: snag one of the outgoing model frames while they’re still available.

Yes, yes, the fancier aero Crux has landed with a hell of a fanfare but that means the outgoing model – with it’s round tubes, excellent handling and way more practicality is now dirt cheap.

The 2022 model was lighter, simpler and a genuine do-everything bike. Just about everyone who has ridden one, loves it.

Sure, if you ride at average speeds of elite riders in UCI gravel events, then the new version *might* be faster, but smart money – my own money – would grab a 2022 version Crux whilst there’s still some left on the planet.

They don’t sell them on Amazon, but I’ve found them on sale at 26% off on Sigma Sports. It's not all about Amazon, this Amazon Prime Day week.

Hammerhead Karoo 3 headunit for a smidge over £300!

Our highest rated cycling computer, the Hammerhead Karoo, has been knocked down to £301.99 in the Amazon Sale – the lowest price it’s been all year, and it’s on sale in SRAM’s own Amazon Store, so no worries about where it’s coming from.

I have one of these on loan, and I’ve made no secret that I absolutely love using it with SRAM’s Force Groupset – which is in my view, the pound for pound best groupset on the planet – and, the Karoo fills the same kind of sweet spot.

Garmin’s menus can feel a bit unwieldy in comparison and the screen feels just as good as your phone, with brilliant mapping. It’s not the very cheapest way into a new head unit in the sale, but it is pound for pound, one of the most usable. Need more convincing? It won 'best overall' in our best cycling computer buyers guide, so what are you waiting for.

My favourite pocket drone that films you riding, is now just £113

If you love those swooping follow-me clips for your socials, but don’t have a deal with Red Bull that includes a helicopter, DJI has you covered. And it's 33% off in the Amazon Prime sale.

I use the DJI Flip, and NEO, and they are excellent. I actually crashed a Flip into the blades of a combine harvester, and it survived unscathed.

Honestly, if you’re just filming yourself messing about on your bike, the NEO is the one to go for, for both price and ease of use. In the Amazon Prime sale right now, you’re getting a whopping £56 off.

What’s cool about this one is that it takes off from your palm, automatically tracks you and shoots in 4k. The best bit is, it fits in your jersey pocket too.

Battery sounds short at 12 mins, but who wants to film or watch more than 12 mins of footage from your sunday ride with your mates? For reels, vertical video, and that influencer-feel to your content, the spec is absolutely spot on. Everything you need and nothing you don’t, and it’s fool proof. Just avoid combine harvesters in high winds.

For US readers, you’ve got you can take advantage too. The Neo is down from $199 to just $139.

Some bargain bike or shed security that's got to be worth a punt

I skim past a ton of stuff when I’m looking for cycling deals on Amazon Prime Day, but high-tech electronics is always a rich seam of bargains in the APD coalface. This one looks so good I just had to share it - it's down from £124.98 to just £24.99 and it's got to be worth a try.

Now, bear with me, because this isn’t strictly cycling gear, but if you’ve ever had your bike nicked (who hasn’t?), you might have considered getting extra security for the shed or garage.

We know you’re keen on the subject because every time we run a feature on bike security, it gets plenty of traffic. We ran a story recently about a guy who turned his shed into a fortress, and we also have some very busy buyer’s guides for the best locks, and plenty of good consumer advice on the best security available for your bike.

This Blink 4 set up comes with a camera and a doorbell, for less than £25.

With this setup, there are no wires, so there's no faffing about with fitting, and it might just be the thing that makes a thief think twice or head to the neighbour's shed instead.

If you're in the US, the deals look very good on these highly-rated units too with 66% off.

Beet-Doping on the cheap this Amazon Prime Day

This deal on Beet It shots is not to be missed if like me, you like to try new nutrition products for a little boost.

This Beet-cheat is 15% off—and it could give you a performance boost of up to 3%. Unlike some supplements, this isn’t snake oil; I’ve used beetroot for its performance-enhancing benefits for years.

The active ingredient at work here is nitric oxide, which supports your circulatory system and can provide a short-term performance boost—some studies even suggest an extra 3% in capacity.

I used to include it in nearly every evening meal at my Cycling and Triathlon Pro-Camps in the Alps. My athletes loved it, and they’d often return from Commonwealth Games, Island Games, or even Kona with their own tales of ‘beety-boosting’ obsessions that started right there at camp.

I still go through a ton of beetroot even though I'm not training at that level anymore. But if you don't want to roast it or mess with the boiled stuff – and if you don’t have a private chef on hand at an Alpine pro-camp – the easiest way to get your intake up, and give it a go, is via a shot.

One of the most well-known brands—and one I’ve used personally—is Beet It. With 15% off this Amazon Prime Day, you can stock up or give it a try for much less.

For context, if the 3% is to be believed, that's a full 45 seconds off a 25 min Park Run... I'll leave that there, Champ...

It is not currently on offer on US Amazon, but it's a relatively inexpensive and natural performance boost, so I've included a link to the US Amazon store below the UK deal links so you can give it a try if you want to.

Move over other brands – at this Amazon Prime Day sale price Garmin Fenix is still the best...

I’m wearing this watch right now. In fact, it rarely leaves my wrist. Having tested equivalent smartwatches from Suunto, COROS, and many others over many years, I can confidently say the Garmin Fenix 8 is a standout, especially with 28% off in the Amazon Prime Day sale.

It's the pricing of new entrants that must be giving Garmin some headaches lately. But, with the price dropped on Fenix 8 from £789.99 to £567.15, that isn't quite the problem it has been.

Don't get me wrong, watches like the COROS Nomad are brilliant and compelling at a third of the price of a Fenix 8, and at that much lower-than-Garmin price point, its few downsides are hard to argue with. It’s nearly two thirds cheaper.

However, if your budget today can stretch just a little further than the Corus, this discount changes the equation massively, and allows you to own arguably the best adventure smartwatch available for much, much less than the RRP.

Film your ride like the pros do – the best deal on Insta X4 bike bundle I've seen today

Just spotted the Insta360 X4 air with the Road Cycling Bundle - which includes chest mount, stay and bar mounts for your selfie stick, so you can get those dreamy POV shots, and access loads of angles in the edit. With 20% off this Amazon Prime Day.

We've raved about them. Creators everywhere swear by them, and this setup uses proper clamps, with secure fittings, so you're not risking throwing a cheaply made selfie stick straight into your carbon wheels.

Since X3 and earlier we've been using these for cycling content here at CW. The X4 got a huge upgrade, and whilst it has been superceded by X5 now, the X4 Air made all that power available in a smaller package, and still remains a solid choice. It films at 8k so you can crop into shots forever. At this price, with 20% off, its a real way into properly polished content creation at a great price.

If you ride a motorcycle and want to use it for that too, do select the motorcycle pack, as it uses much heftier clamps that are better suited for that purpose. I've found this bundle is perfect for cyclists concerned about weight, who need a proper video solution, and in that context, I wouldn't trust anything else.

Healthier coffee? Exhale is on a really good Amazon Prime Deal and it's really lovely stuff

Searching for deals is thirsty work. Time for a quick break and I'll be right back.

I've got Exhale Coffee, which is roasted in London, in Brixton in fact, not far from where I used to live, by Al and his wife. I paid full price for it, but today you can grab a sack for just £16.91. 28% off.

Long and the short of it. It's not mouldy. Apparently mould loves coffee. And if you've got any autoimmune issues – which I do – trouble can be hiding in more humble beans. No pesticides. No rubbish.

Hopefully it will get me through the next three hours of hunting down all these best cycling deals...

Handing over to Matt so thank you for having me, deal hunters

I hope I’ve brought a good mix of recommendations for exotic tech I actually use, and do know about, alongside valuable insights into some genuine performance-enhancing agricultural products.

The Exhale coffee is a great deal, but also a genuine ‘forever’ tip—and if you haven’t tried beetroot for performance, get on that stuff. It’s potent.

The deals are out there, and we'll keep finding them for you. If you stopped by or clicked on something since I've been with you, thanks for coming along for the fun. I hope you've saved a few bob and picked up bargains galore in this veritable carnival of two-wheeled capitalism.

May your carts bulge with the fruits of our toil, and may your postman's back bend under the weight of your good fortune.

Good evening, is there something going on today??? ⚽️

Evening all, Matt here again, reporting for duty from the beautiful but roasting South Coast of England. I didn't expect to be back today, but the deals just keep coming, and luckily for the CW team, I care not for football. I have had a swim in the sea, seen my son off to bed and now back on the hunt for some Prime Day cycling deals.

If you, like me, believe cycling is the greatest sport on earth, you're in the right place this evening. So, stick around, and we will find some bargains in the Amazon Prime Day sale.

How to spot and get the best Prime Day Cycling Deals?

Before we jump back into the deals, I thought I'd cover a question I get a lot, from friends and family. There is, of course, no hard and fast rule; however, follow these four tips, and they will at least help you make informed decisions about your purchases and guide you towards what is a good price or a good product:

• First stop: Check reviews from the Cycling Weekly Team.
  We test hundreds of products every year across almost all cycling disciplines. If we haven't reviewed it, it's likely we have reviewed the same model in a different specification or a very similar product.
• Why not try other retailers?
  Prime Day is, of course, designed to get you to shop exclusively on Amazon. However, we increasingly see cycling and sports retailers offering better pricing on a wider range of products at the same time.
• Check the price.
  There are two really useful tools I always use: camelcamelcamel and Keepa, which track millions of prices on Amazon. What is most useful is that it tells you the lowest price the item has been sold for and whether it was listed before the event. So, you always know if you are getting a deal.
• Read the Amazon reviews carefully!
  Amazon reviews used by sellers to boost their ratings are easy to spot. While Amazon has clamped down on this, it is not a foolproof system. Look out for overuse of these five things:
  - A very high percentage of five-star reviews,
  - Lack of detail in reviews and vague praise,
  - Generic review titles like “Nice product” or simply “Awesome”,
  - Poor grammar and spelling mistakes,
  - Multiple reviews on specific dates (especially if there are long gaps between them)

Right back to the deals - Starting with Wahoo!

Earlier today, my brilliant colleague and deal-hunting extraordinaire, Paul, spotted that Wahoo had all of their latest computers on offer. The most significant being the 18% off, the Elemnt Roam V3, which is arguably the closest competition to our best bike computer, the Hammerhead Karoo 3.

Sticking with Wahoo for a second... This might be the steal of the week!

This is an interesting one. Earlier, I spotted that Wahoo is still selling the Elemnt Roam 2. I assumed it had been discontinued long ago, since we reviewed it in 2019 and launched it even earlier. Even last year, when Wahoo announced the refreshed range and the Wahoo Elemnt Roam 3, the outgoing model was still hugely popular with amateurs and pros alike.

Well, in the UK, you can still get the old Roam, and it's a decent 24% discount. Of course, the updated version got a touchscreen and a whole host of upgraded features. For those looking for a feature-rich training tool for a reasonable price, this might just be the steal of the week.

Not nearly as old as the Roam, but a record equalling low price

It is nowhere near as old as the Elemnt Roam 2, but the people's favourite Garmin Edge 540 is back on sale, matching its lowest-ever price. I predicted that Spring Deal Days were the start of the end for the Edge 540. Yet 3 months later, here I am again, but how many more are there?

Could this be the last opportunity to grab one of the most user-friendly devices Garmin has ever produced, or will I be sitting here again on Black Friday, saying the same again? Who is willing to take the risk?

A quick detour before I sum up the day, and head off for the evening

A pretty stonking deal on a Bob and Brad Massage gun has just caught my eye. I am not a user myself, although I do think about it, as even at just 36, I feel like I am falling apart. A while back, we had physiotherapist Dr Graham Theobald conduct an in-depth review of the Bob and Brad C2 ice and heat massage gun.

It’s hard to know which massage guns are truly effective; however, Dr Graham gave the C2 4 out of 5 stars, noting its value for money relative to the market leaders and its effectiveness for its intended use. Which he claims is fine for areas such as arms, neck, and feet (actually very good for the plantar fascia), but when it comes to larger athletes and muscle groups, such as glutes, it is a little underpowered.

It's getting late (at least here in the UK) 🌙 time for some rest, ready for another day of deal hunting! I will leave you with this... Don't forget to shop around.

What a first day, I feel like we are only just scraping the surface! I will leave you with the following.

One of the first posts I made this evening was some tips for getting the best deals on Amazon Prime Day. The Second of which was.... Why not try other retailers? We believe Amazon offers some great deals, but it isn't always the best place for cyclists. We understand that.

So, I leave you with these cycling-specific retailers, all of which offer excellant deals on bikes, clothing, and accessories right now that you should take a look at immediately.

• Top cycling deals - Decathlon
• Save up to 40% off on bikes - Competitive Cyclist
• Over 500 products on sale - REI
• Discounts on hundreds of bikes - Sigma Sports
• Discounted bikes, apparel, & accessories - Mike's Bikes

Good Morning ☀️

Morning all, I'm back for day two of the Amazon Prime Day deals, bringing you all the best offers for cyclists.

It's hot here in the UK (speak to any in the UK today, and this is all you will get) I didn't sleep well, and more then every fuelled by vast quantities of caffeine. I have a little bit of housekeeping to attend to on the blog, and we will jump into the deals. Starting with the UK as ever, as our friends across the pond are getting their beauty sleep.

Quick recap on yesterdays hottest UK deals 🔥

There were a number of deals that seemed to catch your eye yesterday, but a few standouts are truly great deals and products:

• Airbank Mini - this small but mighty electric bike pump punches well above its weight and, even at RRP, is excellent value.
• Vacmaster Cardio54 - there is no denying it's hot here in the UK, and given this is maybe the 3rd or 4th year on the bounce we have seen such heatwaves, maybe it's time to invest in a fan. Fans like the Vacmaster can double as turbo fans in the winter as well.
• Le Creuset Espresso Mugs - My favourite coffee mugs finally came back on sale. Grab them while they are on a discount.
• Tifosi Vogel XC sunglasses - Probably the steal of the day. Top performance budget sunglasses at an even lower price!

Currently on test... The Cycplus AS2 Ultra!

We have waxed lyrical about the Cycplus AS2 pumps for at least the last 12 months. Two of them feature in our guide to the best electric bike pumps. Quietly, Cycplus released the AS2 Ultra towards the back end of 2025, and I have been testing it for a number of months.

The skinny is that it packs the punch and features of the Pro into a much smaller package, similar to the AS2 Mini. I'll be penning a full review very soon, but if you can't wait to find out, it is heavily discounted in the Prime Day deals, so you can find out for yourself.

Buying clothing and helmets on Amazon can be a minefield, but you can grab a bargain!

There is no easy way to shop for helmets and cycling clothing on Amazon; it is rare to find consistent discounts across a wide size range, and generally speaking, information on the products is sparse. Why this is, I have yet to work it out, but it does mean some bargains can be had. Check out this POC Onme Air MIPS.

First of all, you only need to do a quick Google search to see that the Onme Air is a £180 helmet. So, being able to purchase it at £86 is a bargain. Despite it only showing as discounted from £101. Which is the lowest price I found, and in a decent size as well, medium. This is usually where the discounts show up as quite low, but they only apply to very small options.

I just tested over two dozen pumps with this handy tool

Tech Editor Andy and I recently conducted a couple of big group tests, the first of which you can already see online in the form of the best mini bike pumps. Between those and track pumps, which are coming soon, we tested over two dozen pumps. To test the accuracy of all of these pumps, I used the very handy Topeak D2 Digital Gauge.

Mine is a few years old now, but I have found it even more valuable in recent years, given the issues surrounding hookless rims and their tyre pressure limits. You can, of course, use it on your car tyres, wheelbarrow, or mobility scooters, basically anything with a pneumatic tyre.

For me, I like to know my exact tyre pressure, espcially when I am testing new wheels, tyres, tubes, sealants, etc. Tyre pressure is such a valuable and free performance enhancer that more of us should be better in tune with the pressure in our tyres.

Time for something not on offer, but it's so cheap, you should consider putting it in your cart this Prime Day

The BananaSlip Tungsten All-Weather Lube from Tru-Tension is, according to ZeroFiction, one of the world's best, fastest and most durable drip lubes. It is just £10 a bottle in the UK!

This is a fairly recent discovery for me. I usually spend my hours reading bicyclerollingresistance.com testing reports until an industry friend mentioned ZeroFriction. It has been a fascinating read, and my suprise at finding a fairly unknown brand at such an affordable price was a bit of a suprise.

I have some of my favourite Peaty's All-Weather lube to finish up first, but once I have, I will certainly be splashing the cash on some BananaSlip to see what it's all about.

A must have for family bike rides this summer!

Okay, sorry, this is another product not on offer, but it is available via Amazon. Having spent the last few months testing it, I believe it's a must-have for all parents who want to take their kids on bike rides this summer.

This tow-rope from Kids Ride Shotgun has somewhat transformed riding with my son. We basically no longer need to worry about where we ride, including hills. We recently took a camping trip to the Forest of Dean, where the KRS Tow-rope really came into its own.

For the first time, we were able to really ride some proper trails and cover some proper distances. We have had great success with it in a number of places, not just trail centres, especially when I have been slightly ambitious with the mileage or underestimated how many snacks we would need.

One last deal before I sign off for the day...

Ill shortly be be relieved of my live blogging duties shortly by Andy once again. So, I will leave you with one last deal, this time on our best rear bike light.

Thanks, Matt. Those Magicshine lights are so good. I tested plenty this year, and they really are brilliant. Amazon Prime Day is perfect for picking up really good gear like that, for so much less.

That's got me to thinking about what other related tech could be on the best deals today. I'll have a dig around and come back to you shortly.

I'm Andy, tech editor at Cycling Weekly. I'll be with you till 3pm.

I'm going in...

Waterproof headphones are not just for triathletes – especially on this deal

I’m starting today with a strong 'buy recommendation,' like an outdoorsy stock trader. These H20 Audio Tri2’s are the best bone-conducting headphones I’ve ever used. With the current Amazon Prime Deal, they’re 30% off—the best price I’ve seen for these top-spec headphones.

Why do I rate them so highly? I live near the beach and train here, often including swimming. They provide a real boost during training and for race days. I used to find the pool boring without music too, but these change that entirely.

They’re also brilliant for paddleboarding. While bone-conduction headphones don't offer the same immersive sound quality as closed-ear models or high-end earbuds, they excel in this waterproof setup by allowing you to hear both your music and your surroundings.

Living on the Norfolk Coast, that means I can enjoy my music alongside the natural soundtrack of rare birds, the breeze in the reeds, and the water bubbling as the tide ebbs and flows.

At this price they’re worth it even if you’ve tried bone conductors before and didn’t think they were for you. They really are great.

For UK buyers sadly this deal is UK only, but with an Amazon Barclaycard / Giftcard, they're showing at £93.

'Flipper feet'? Check out these WIDE Fizik's in US/UK friendly sizing. These won’t hang around.

I am thrilled to have found these. While Fizik creates wonderful cycling gear, Italian brands are often known for lasts that don't accommodate many UK and American feet.

These Fizik Vento Proxy WIDE FIT are currently available in all sizes at the best price I have seen.

They are also marked as being at their lowest price on Amazon in over a month. Simon Fellows is massive – 6'6 ish tall – and he described these shoes as being made for 'Flipper feet' when he reviewed them. He meant that in a good way. I'm a little more average sized but these fit me perfectly too.

The white version is the one to get. And it's the one on sale, conveniently. IN ALL SIZES!

Worried about white? Don't be. Our editor, the CW Grand Fromage, insists on white shoes for cover shoots; whether he is the true gatekeeper of cycling style is up for debate, but these are genuinely excellent, stylish shoes available at a great discount today. US only kids, sorry UK. I'll keep searching!

It looks like the mad-popular Vacmaster 54 deal is back on discount, but it's being marketed as something different...

One of the surprise deals that went mad for the clicks yesterday was our Vacmaster 4 deal, on a cracking looking floor fan to keep you cool when training. Perhaps not that surprising given how hot it is in the UK today.

Well, SADLY, it’s no longer on sale in the UK. It’s back up to £100. Well done to those who acted fast.

BUT, we don’t give up that easily, and I’ve found another one hiding in another section of the Amazon Prime Deals US site, that might be even better. And US buyers can snap this one up.

It’s $69, less than yesterday’s price, for what looks like exactly the same item. This one isn’t labelled as an indoor training fan, but it’s fairly obvious its basically the same product. It’s even shown in use as a bike / indoor training fan in the pictures.

YES, you CAN pressure wash your bike - just be careful.

Ok, let’s talk about pressure washers. Because this Karcher is 50% off in the Amazon Prime Day sale.

Now, some will say you must NEVER pressure wash a bike. But that’s only true if you’ve no common sense. Whether you agree with that advice or not is up to you. This deal certainly makes plenty of common sense to me.

This brings a quality, premium product, way closer to reach, and perhaps more importantly, way cheaper than a ton of inferior options. This is genuinely one of the best Amazon Prime Deals you'll see today.

And of course you can wash the bikes, car, house, patio, barbecue, maybe even the kids if they get really dirty. I’m joking of course. Don’t pressure wash your kids... or your bearings.

Right, bargain hunters. Did you buy that pressure washer yet? 55% off!!!

That's me for another day. I'm handing over to the inimitable Adam Becket, our news editor, who's not only brilliant at sniffing out bargains, but he's also just had his hair cut, so he's looking super-sharp too.

Cheers all, happy bargain hunting, and thanks to Adam for jumping in next.

Hello! As promised it's me, Adam Becket, stepping forward into the breach of deal hunting. I'm currently melting in the west country, so it might be a time to take a look at some more cooling deals...

My colleague Matt talked about the Magicshine Seemee 400 earlier today, our best rear bike light, but that was the UK deal, so what about in the USA?

Wahoo time

Yesterday, we wrote about how Wahoo had all of their latest bike computers on offer on Amazon. Now, there are other bike computers to consider, from Hammerhead to Garmin, but my go to has been the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt for years now, and I'm currently rocking the third-generation version on my bike. You can too, with this fantastic deal.

Wahoo smart trainers on sale too

There's also a decent amount of money off the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 with Zwift Cog and Click.

My colleague Aaron wrote in his review last year: "The new features have elevated the overall package, boosting perceived quality while maintaining the realistic, refined user experience that the Core platform has built its reputation on."

It's now 15% off.

Keep hydrated!

In the summer, we all need to probably be drinking more water than we currently do.

Usefully, Camelbak have money off their Podium bottles on Amazon for Prime Day.

Airpods on sale

You can get almost a third off the Apple AirPods Pro 3s on Amazon at the moment. We don't necessarily recommend cycling with them in, but for off the bike, you don't get much better.

Right, that's me done for the evening! I hope if you're not too sweltering, you manage to have a lovely evening. Stay in the shade and keep hydrated, please.

Good Morning! Day 3 of 4, halfway through the sale. I'm Matt, and I back once again bringing you all the best Prime Day deals.

Day 3 represents the day to really dig in and find the hidden gems. All the headline deals are out there now, so today we will be focusing on those only true experts like the Cycling Weekly team can bring you.

I'm fueling myself with some caffeine after another very warm night here in the UK, and we will get right into the deals.

It' hot 🔥 in here!

As I said, it was another unyielding night of heat in the UK. I told myself I wouldn't moan about it this year, try and embrace it, but a just a slight breeze at night wouldn't go amiss.

What would help is investing in a fan, of course. As I found out in Lidl last night, trying to buy one right now is a fruitless mission.

Thats where smart trainer fans could be a good option. There seem to be loads in stock on Amazon, and you can, of course, use them year-round once winter comes with your best smart trainer. Given that this heat looks to continue until at least the weekend, with Prime delivery, you could still feel the benefits.

Here are a couple of great options:

Sticking with the heat & UK deals

Former Tech Editor Simon Fellows is a big fan of the Elite Deboyo stainless steel cycling bottle, awarding it 4.5 stars out of 5. His testing was largely done during the winter, in an attempt to save him some cash and time on coffee stops. It works both ways: you can use it as a coffee cup or a water bottle for hot or cold fluids.

It's something I'd like to see more water bottle manufacturers offer. There are alternatives, the Camelbak Podium Stainless and the colourful Bivo Bottles, which North American Editor Rook rates highly.

Secure your bike for a whole lot less 🔐

Last year, I put five angle-grinder-resistant bike locks through their paces, and of those five, there was one that stood head and shoulders above the rest, not just in its overall angle-grinder resistance, but also in use and in its absolutely incredible value. Even at its usual RRP, the OnGuard RockSolid is worth investing in. On the rare occasions it is on sale, you should drop everything to place an order.

In the Prime Day deals, you can now pick it up for just £128.

Wait hold the phone 📞

I can see Tredz actually has the OnGuard for nearly £10 cheaper. I should take my own advice and shop around even when its Prime Day!

• OnGuard RockSolid Just £119 at Tredz

What's trending in the UK? 📈

I thought we would just do a quick recap of the Prime Day cycling deals trending right now on day 3 of the sale:

• AIRBANK Pocket SE Electric Bike Pump: was £39.99, Now £32.29 at Amazon
• Tifosi Vogel XC: was £54.99, Now £43.99 at Amazon
• Vacmaster Cardio54 Fan with Remote: was £99.99, Now £79.99 at Amazon
• Apple AirPods 4: was £169, Now £125.40 at Amazon
• Wahoo Elemnt Roam 2: was £399.99, Now £305.49 at Amazon
• Garmin Fenix 8 47mm: was £789.99, Now £567.15 at Amazon

Not on offer, but they are dirt cheap

The focus of this week's blog is to highlight the best Prime Day deals, but not everything gets one, which means some great products don't always get a mention. Take the Muc-Off Rim Stix, they are only a fiver, and while the best tyre levers seem to really divide opinion, it can not be denied that they are an excellent choice. They are my go-to, and if you buy nothing else this Prime Day, these are so cheap, you could slip them in with your loo rolls or coffee capsules.

Stock up on this benchmark gravel tyre

If you ride gravel much, you'll very likely be aware of the Panaracer GravelKing, one of the OG gravel tyres and often used as a bit of a benchmark. Of the extensive GravelKing range, the SK (small knob) version is the original. In our experience, great for a bit of three-season razzing around trails and paths of all kinds.

They've always been a good value pick, but we've just seen them reduced on Amazon UK, so now they're even better. Stock up!

Now you're torque-ing!

We're all aware to some degree or other that most of the bolts on our bikes should be tightened to a certain level and not beyond. But weighed up against replacing tyres and chains and buying new kit, shelling out on torque wrench is something that's easy to put off for another day.

Well, with numerous deals around, perhaps this is that day. We found this one on a Lexivon set that should cover pretty much every bolt on your bike.

The deal is on Amazon US, but the set is also available on Amazon UK at the full price.

Major savings on this Peloton bike

Half of Europe may be under threat of melting under an unseasonably roasting sun, but we all know that the weather will cool and, eventually get cold again. At which point you may well want to get back to riding in the shelter of the micro-climate of your kitchen / shed/ garage (delete as appropriate).

In which case you could do worse than this stonking 35% Amazon UK deal on this Peloton indoor trainer, which comes with an HD swivel screen. (membership required to access all features).

Cheap fuel anyone?

If you're riding in red-hot weather, such as we're experiencing right now, then you really need to keep on top of your nutrition and hydration, and in particular replace those essential electrolytes that have been dripping off your face for the last few hours. Nice!

With that in mind, why not stock up on some tubes of Phizz Daily 3-in-1 Electrolytes, Multivitamin & Hydration Tablets, especially since they available with 43% off at the moment?

Get ahead, get a helmet (for a great price)

Don't forget that there are plenty of deals to be found beyond the realms of Amazon at the moment, like this lovely lightweight lid from Oakly, which is being offered by Decathlon for an absolute bargain online-only price at the moment.

The Oakley Light Red ARO5 Race Mips Cycling Helmet, featuring ace ventilation and brain protection would usually set you back almost 200 quid, but at the moment you can pick one up for £67.99.

Does it work? Just ask former British time trial champion and Katusha-Alpecin Alex Dowsett, who publicly thanked his Oakley ARO5 lid for protecting his head during a nasty crash.

Take a seat!

A camping chair that's light enough to take bikepacking, the brilliantly designed Helinox Chair One collapses down into a tiny package that will fit into bar bags. With a sturdy frame and a comfortable bucket seat design, it's ideal for kicking back and looking at the stars at the end of a day's ride, or take it along to the next bike are you attend as a spectator.

As absolutely ace and lightweight as they are, South Korean-designed Helinox products do tend to put a big dent in your wallet, so when you see a chair like this with almost 25% off, it's worth sticking it in your basket.

Glow Jacket Required - save up to 78% on this this waterproof high-vis cycling shell

Another ace deal from Decathlon here. It might be very hard to imagine wearing anything much beyond shorts and the thinnest of summer cycling tops at the moment, but we all know this weather won't last too long, and this looks like being a very wise time to bolster your riding wardrobe for autumn.

This J20 Men’s Waterproof Cycling Jacket is lightweight and breathable, and offer wind as well as rain protection, while also boasting reflective flourishes to keep you safe on the road. And it's available with up to 78% off the usual asking price at the moment, with the high-vis yellow version costing just over a tenner! I'll get my coat…

Save a pretty packet on these Pearl Izumi Quest road cycling shoes

Another great example why it's well worth looking beyond Amazon during Prime Day, these Pearl Izumi Quest road cycling shoes are available with a fabulous 40% discount at REI right now.

Boasting a breathable upper and a stiff chassis made with full nylon soles, to reduce foot fatigue, they have quick fasten velcro straps and work with 2- or 3-bolt cleats. EVA foam and rubber heel bumpers make them stable and comfortable to walk or ride in, and they have BioViz powerful reflective elements that can been see 100 metres away at night.

Lids for keeping kids safe

There's nothing more important that keeping you kids' heads safe when they're adventuring, and this Ouwoer children's bike helmet is good for everything from cycling to scootering.

Available in various fun colors, and equipped with ventilation holes, it's fully adjustable, so will grow with your child (to a point…).

And it's available today for a bargain price, with a 15% discount applied.

Be smart and get in shape with a bargain-priced indoor trainer

Built for hard efforts and structured training, the Wahoo Fitness KickR Core Zwift promises to deliver road-like feel and smooth resistance.

Our man Symon Lewis loved the Kickr Core when he reviewed it for Cycling Weekly, giving it a four-star rating. “In use the Wahoo Kickr Core feels pretty realistic,” wrote Symon, “just like the Kickr it’s virtually silent and the only sound you’re likely to hear is from your drivetrain."

The unit's integrated WiFi delivers faster pairing and automatic updates when connected to an active WiFi network, and this smart indoor trainer is available at the moment with a 15% discount.

Get (bike)packing with this nicely priced frame bag

Another outside-of-Amazon Prime Day deal we've spotted, this nifty REI Co-op Link Frame Bag - a great bikepacking bag - is currently reduced by 40% to under $50.

Perfect for bikepacking adventures and/or cycle commuting to work, the REI Co-op Link frame bag is designed to fill the main triangle of your bike frame and is the ideal place to pack heavier items as well as anything you'd like to easily access through the day.

If you were a fan of last week's futuristic and, in theory, super-safe Canyon Predict concept, you may well enjoy the company's latest release. The Roadlite:On e-bike is close to mass production and features the V2X (Vehicle 2 Everything) system, which allows cars and bikes to communicate with each other.

Like the Predict, it will be showing at Eurobike next week, but unlike it, the Roadlite:On is production-ready.

The V2X tech, which Canyon has trialled alongside Volkswagen (VW), includes a nano-board in the downtube and a GPS antenna in the headtube, which can send signals to vehicle displays, alerting drivers to the presence of the bike. For the cyclist, the e-bike will send vibrations to the left or right handlebar grip, and visual information can be displayed on a connected smart device, such as a phone, watch, or computer.

Where cities are trialling infrastructure that pairs with these systems, the bike can communicate via the likes of “bicycle specific ‘green waves’ at traffic lights”, according to Canyon. The tech is standalone and has been adopted by VW already across a number of models, with Toyota and Cadillac among the pioneers.

The Roadlite:On also features a dynamic braking light and radar system, which can alert drivers to a rider’s intended actions. More prosaically, it's powered by a Bosch motor and battery.

Launching the system, Canyon stated in a press release: “The technology aims to address a growing safety disparity on modern roads. Over the past decade, cars have become inherently safer, and motorist deaths have fallen. As it stands, though, the bike industry has not kept pace with the auto industry, and the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on our city streets is rising.”

Official statistics bear this out. In the USA, cyclist deaths have risen dramatically over the last 10 years, from 902 in 2014 to 1,392 in 2024, according to the National Safety Council. In Germany, where Canyon is based, cyclists killed in road accidents have risen 20% in 10 years; car occupant deaths have fallen by a third. UK figures are trending downwards, from 113 to 82 during the same time frame.

It's hard to criticise any attempt to improve road safety. Loss of life destroys families, and serious injuries, which are far more numerous than deaths, can blight lives. Anything that seeks to reduce this can only be a good thing. But the question has to be asked – are we getting this the right way round?

The idea that cyclists need to invest in a machine dripping with safety bells and whistles to defend against inattentive drivers won't sit well with everyone. Neither will the implication that a lack of safety features on the average bicycle mean the cycling industry is not pulling its weight. Yes, cars are becoming safer, but much of that safety comes from the occupants being more insulated than ever, in cars that are only growing in size: in other words, hit something and you're more likely to be absolutely fine.

That said, this sort of tech can also help protect inattentive bike riders, and Canyon's adoption of the V2X system is surely a positive step. It, or something very much like it, seems destined to be part of the future of road safety for everyone.

So let's see more of the world's auto manufacturers step up and work towards fitting such things as standard. The tech is there – it just requires the will. And an acceptance of accountability.

The USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships concluded in Charleston, West Virginia, on Sunday with mountain biker Kate Courtney (She Sends Racing) and Lidl-Trek's Quinn Simmons claiming the elite road race titles and the stars-and-stripes jerseys for the coming year.

For Courtney, the victory capped a remarkable transition to road racing in 2026 and delivered her first elite road national title. For Simmons, it marked a third elite road race title after previous victories in 2023 and 2025.

The road course was a punchy challenge, featuring 1,126 feet of elevation gain per 13-mile lap. The women's elite peloton covered six laps, for a total of 113.8 km (70 miles) of racing, while the men's race consisted of 10 laps, or 198.6 km (123.4 miles).

A big win for Courtney

Kate Courtney capped a remarkable spring on the road by sprinting to victory in the elite women's race ahead of national gravel champion Lauren Stephens (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment).

The former XCO world champion and reigning mountain bike marathon world champion has enjoyed a breakthrough road campaign in 2026, including a stage win at the Tour de Féminin in May. Her victory in Charleston earned the 30-year-old her first elite road national title and the stars-and-stripes jersey for the coming year.

The women's race was animated early by gravel pro Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless off-road), who attacked on the second lap and spent much of the day alone off the front. Her advantage grew to nearly three minutes before a chase group featuring Courtney, Stephens, Ashley Frye (Cynisca), Grace Arlandson (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) and Kira Payer (SpeedBlock p/b Terun) gradually reeled her back in on Charleston's demanding circuit.

The decisive moments came on the final lap. Stephens accelerated on the last ascent of Bridge Road, with Courtney the only rider able to follow, and the pair soon closed on Onweller. Another attack from Stephens on the final climb of Wertz Avenue dropped the gravel racer, leaving the two riders to battle for the title in downtown Charleston.

Courtney launched her sprint out of the final corner and quickly opened a gap, crossing the line five seconds ahead of Stephens. Arlandson completed the podium in third.

"This was a really special one," Courtney said afterwards. "To pull off a National Championship again and to pull on that jersey, it's beyond words."

The Californian, who launched her She Sends Racing program this season, said she embraced the uncertainty of competing outside her traditional discipline.

"I really needed to give myself a chance to experiment and put myself in new, uncertain situations where I didn't have expectations, and I could really go for it," Courtney said. "I did that today, and it worked out."

Women's Podium

1. Kate Courtney (She Sends Racing)
2. Lauren Stephens (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment)
3. Grace Arlandson (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment)

That's Three for 'Captain America'

The elite men's championship was decided by a late attack from Simmons (Lidl-Trek) after nearly 200 kilometres of attritional racing around Charleston, West Virginia.

A series of aggressive moves throughout the day failed to stick as a reduced lead group formed deep into the race. The winning move came on the penultimate lap when Simmons attacked on the Wertz Avenue climb, quickly opening daylight on his rivals.

Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates XRG) responded strongly, distancing Ashlin Barry (Visma | Lease a Bike Development) and Lawrence Warbasse (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) in pursuit, but Simmons was gone. The rider already known as "Captain America" on the WorldTour continued to extend his advantage and crossed the finish line solo, with a comfortable two-minute lead.

Behind him, Vermaerke won the sprint for second place, with Warbasse rounding out the podium.

The victory is Simmons' third elite men's road race national title.

"I knew as long as I could make it to the point where everyone else is tired, there was a good chance I could get away," Simmons said. "It's a special feeling. It’s really important for me to wear this jersey."

Men's Podium

1. Quinn Simmons (Lidl Trek)
2. Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates XRG) 
3. Lawrence Warbasse (Tudor Pro Cycling Team)

Just 14 days into her Around the World Faster ride, Lael Wilcox has abandoned her Guinness World Record attempt due to health concerns brought on by the ongoing heat wave in Europe.

Wilcox had been battling heat exhaustion for days and was ultimately encouraged by her support team to stop riding.

"I’ve been nauseous every day and finally threw up in the first hour of my ride this morning," Wilocx shared. "It's kind of a miracle I haven't just passed out."

In a video message announcing her decision, Wilcox fought back tears as she explained why the ride had to end.

"I've never tried so hard," the ultra-endurance star said.

After becoming the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle in 2024, Wilcox set her sights on the overall around-the-world record, held by ultra-endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont since 2017.

To best Beaumont's record, Wilcox would have had to cut 30 days from her 2024 time, and she has left no stone unturned in preparation.

Wilcox entered the attempt in the best riding shape of her life; spent time in the wind tunnel at Specialized's headquarters in Morgan Hill, California, to optimise her position and equipment; and even shaved her head to improve comfort and efficiency. For the first time in her ultra-endurance career, she also undertook the challenge with a full support crew.

The weather, however, remained outside of anyone's control.

After battling rain and headwinds across North America, Wilcox arrived in Europe earlier this week and rode directly into a severe heat wave in Spain. Despite 4 a.m. starts, ice socks, and aggressive hydration strategies, the extreme temperatures quickly took their toll.

"We were expecting [the weather] to be a big challenge, but not a health problem," Wilcox said.

As conditions worsened, she began falling behind the pace required to challenge Beaumont's record.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever done and I'm giving it everything I can. I have to take it one hour at a time," Wilcox said on June 20, calling it "the most humbling ride of my life."

Wilcox later described the experience as "a lesson in climate change," noting that increasingly extreme weather is something endurance athletes are being forced to contend with more often.

On June 21, Wilcox officially ended the attempt roughly 3,000 miles into the ride.

"Honestly, I'm amazed I've endured the past 14 days. Conditions have been really tough," she said. "I hate to quit, but it’s the right choice this time. I just can’t manage race pace in the heat.

"Thanks to everyone for cheering me on and riding with me— truly great to see people coming together & celebrating the sport."

In 2024, Wilcox set a new women's around-the-world record, completing the 18,125-mile journey in 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes. For now, Beaumont's overall record of 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes remains intact.

A little while ago, my CW colleague Andy Carr wrote a piece with the central idea that maybe it’s time the UCI stopped manufacturers from selling World Tour spec bikes to amateur customers.

The bikes are, he pointed out, vastly over specified for most people, yet a lot of us feel short changed by riding anything less. So we pay a £12,000 price tag for the bike we feel we need. If we weren’t allowed to actually have such a thing, and couldn’t feel jealous of mates who did, we’d all be richer and happier.

A World Tour bike would become a glamorous, unattainable brand-promotion item. It’s the system that F1 has worked on for decades. You can’t buy an F1 car, but you can buy a Mercedes or a Ferrari and feel you’ve got a bit of that brand’s aura.

I enjoyed his argument, even if at a fundamental level I disagree. I don’t think you need a World Tour bike either, but I will defend to the death your right to buy one if that’s what you want.

If cycling as a sport is anything, it’s a communal experience. Any of us can watch a rider suffer through a Tour de France stage and imagine what it feels like. Anyone who’s ever trained for anything knows what it’s like to head out on a winter day to get a hard session done. We’ve all fallen off at some point and known that microsecond between disaster and impact.

What really separates a World Tour performance from a Club Run ‘C’ performance is not the bike but the rider, and for that to have any value we need everything else to be at least potentially the same. As soon as the pros have access to a whole different level of technology that we’re not allowed to have, you don’t know where you stand. I rode a Strava KoM in Spain last autumn and came in five minutes down on Tadej Pogacar. It’s nice to know that’s all him. If I want to try to take the KoM off him, I can buy a bike like his, hire some friends like his to help, and have right at it.

The problem (if it is a problem) is more one of perception and tradition. For a long time cycling was one of the few equipment-based sports where “the best” was reasonably affordable for someone on a moderate income. That’s not the case anymore, but we’ve also lost track of the fact that the margin by which the best is better than the second or third best has shrunk.

The performance difference between a World Tour bike and one at half the price is almost zero. The Volkerwessels Continental Pro team uses a second-tier Specialized bike, and no one seriously thinks that if you gave the team the double-the-price S-Works version they’d be the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe World Tour team. There’s no way that any of us should feel pressured into shelling out for a World Tour bike because we think it’s going to make us faster in any measurable way. For a lot of us the aggressive geometry probably makes us slower on any ride longer than about an hour.

I’d love it if bikes were cheaper, and I mean all bikes. But still, if you have the money, and the inclination, you should be able to buy what you want. It’s how everything else in the world works.

In fact, in that spirit I called Mercedes F1 and asked if I could buy an F1 car. The guy who I eventually got put through to said yes. He reckoned about £20 million would do it. Although, he added, “Our servicing bill for it will probably bankrupt you.”

It’s probably not that much faster than a 2009 Fiesta anyway. Not if I’m driving it.

Great Inventions of Cycling: Committees

Committees are the only thing cycling loves more than a café stop. In spite of their central role in keeping progress down to as small a scale as possible over the last 150 years or so, the exact date of the first one is still uncertain. A committee was set up to look into it in 1995, and it’s still arguing about whether it was 1868 or 1869.

One of the very first committees was responsible for an early cycling competition, in Liverpool in 1868, where as a compromise between a race and a track-stand competition, they invented sword fighting on bicycles. Similar committees have been producing exactly the sort of sport everyone wants ever since.

The heyday of the cyclists’ committee came after World War 2, when the British League of Racing Cyclists started its civil war with the National Cyclists’ Union over the right to hold road races rather than just time trials.

All the members of the BLRC’s many committees were cyclists. Practically all the BLRC’s many cyclists were on committees. There was even a committee to decide what committees they needed. The NCU had a similar arrangement. After 17 years of battle, both sides lost.

Committees have become a lot less popular since then, because the increasing social acceptance of divorce means that many fewer people are stuck in unhappy marriages, so there is a much shorter supply of people needing to find to find something cheap to do every evening as an excuse to get out of the house.

Act of cycling driving stupidity

After the recent storms, I was about 15 miles from home towards the end of a long ride when I got stopped by a deep flood, about waist high.

I couldn’t face retracing to the only alternative route, because it would be about an extra 30 miles and it was getting dark, so I phoned my dad for a rescue. He turned up about twenty minutes later, but to the far side of the flood.

“It’s a longer drive to your side,” he shouted.

“I know!” I shouted back.

He made me wade through. I made sure to get in the car while I was still good and soggy, so at least it will stink of flood water for months.

Connor Kelly

Canadian-born ultra-cyclist Dr Sarah Ruggins has set a new world record for riding from the bottom to the top of Europe.

The John o’Groats to Land’s End and back record holder rode from Tarifa in southern Spain to Nordkapp in Norway in 13 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes.

The Cirencester resident beat the existing record, set by Brit Dr Ian Walker in 2019, by 3 days and 32 minutes.

Her 6,042km route crossed nine countries and included around 35,000m of climbing.

Ruggins said: "To me, this record proves that women can compete alongside men at the elite level - and I hope it's a powerful statement to every woman who wants to try."

On her way to the record for riding across Europe Ruggins also bagged the record for the furthest distance ridden by a woman in seven days.

She covered 3,364.08km in the allotted time, over 100km more than the previous mark of 3,258.38km set by Alexandra Meixner in 2021. This record is still subject to verification.

Setting off from Spain nearly two weeks ago, Ruggins has been riding for up to 22 hours each day and sleeping for only three. She has ridden through temperatures in excess of 35°C in Spain and below 0°C in the Arctic circle.

To fuel her ride Ruggins has had to consume around 11,000 calories a day.

Ruggins only began cycling in 2023 after she spent 10 years recovering from a rare autoimmune condition that she was diagnosed with at the age of 15. It left her bedridden and in need of round the clock care.

She told Cycling Weekly last year: “All I remember was that the pain was so bad. People would ask me how I felt about not being able to run, and I didn’t care. I just cared about getting through the day. I couldn’t go to school. I couldn’t do anything. I remember just feeling fear, and feeling like I wanted to give up. I didn’t care about anything, and I thought it would never get better for me.”

Age 37, she set a John o’Groats to Land’s End and back (JOGLEJOG) in 2025 battling sleep deprivation and at one point had to be saved by a member of her support crew when she collapsed on her bike. “I’ve been told this – I don’t remember it,” she told CW. “I started swerving like a young child who’s just off their training wheels, and I was slowing down quite significantly.

She ended up knocking six hours and 39 minutes off the previous record with a time of 5 days, 11 hours and 14 minutes.

Ruggins carried those lessons into her cross-Europe ride. Speaking before she set off from Spain she said: “On a ride like this, the hard part is staying sharp when tired. The record will come down to thousands of small decisions, repeated hour after hour."

“It’s about focusing on the controllables that allow you to keep moving forward when the environment is not in your favour and your mind is telling you to quit. I’ve learned you can outwork most challenges as they arise if you adhere to your process and not your emotions.”

Ruggins’s European ride record was done in aid of World bicycle Relief, which provides bikes in communities where distance is a barrier to education, health care or work. You can donate to World Bicycle Relief online.

Ro Marshall tells me she’s “no one special”, which might be true if it were common practice for a mum to set off on a 1,000-mile expedition with her two kids in tow.

As it is, riding Land’s End to John O’Groats with a four and one-year-old is somewhat of an undertaking, but it’s perhaps Marshall’s “anyone can do this” attitude that’s built her a following of almost 160,000 on Instagram.

Launching her British Adventure Mum profile when her now four-year-old was just one, Marshall set about showing the world that motherhood - or parenthood - didn’t mean you “couldn’t do the things you love, you just need to adapt.”

After returning to Devon (UK) following a stint in California, Marshall launched the ‘90 Minutes from Anywhere’ series, and that’s when her British following skyrocketed.

The concept was simple: whilst her husband was working away for three months, leaving her to “solo parent [their] two feral micro besties”, she shared adventures that could be had just 90 minutes from her front door, and in doing so, inspired others to take on bite-sized escapades.

“It’s about sharing tips, and inspiration, and helping to empower women that you don’t need to be anyone special or an elite athlete to integrate your children into the great outdoors,” Marshall says.

A host of studies have shown that time outdoors benefits children physically, mentally and cognitively, and it also carries known benefits for parents. It's a trend Marshall sees in herself and her children; “I can notice the differance between their cooped up mentality [and how they are outside]. But I think as parents, as well, you're so much lighter outside,” she confirms, adding “I speak to so many women [who say] their motherhood journey has changed since they've introduced more outdoor time.”

In March this year, the UK government published new guidelines for parents in a bid to tackle what it called a “constant battle” with screens. Marshall says she's not “anti-screen at all” but rather believes in promoting a “healthy relationship” with technology; “we definitely utilise it, but it's about having a healthy boundary where it's not becoming something that's standard, that negatively dictates mood and morale.”

Cycling is just one of a plethora of outdoor pursuits the family enjoys, but Marshall observes it as one of the best. “Biking is the easiest thing to do with children, especially once they’re old enough to sit on the front of a bike [in a Shotgun style seat]. They’re really in the thick of it, you’re engaging, and you don’t need to say a lot - ‘bird, car, sheep’ - and it’s just escalated into something that now we do weekly.”

Anyone who has ever lost their temper over a pair of socks, or their mind over a pair of shoes, will no doubt question if Marshall’s past career may have been in Geopolitics style negotiation. Often, we want to get up and go, but our children don’t.

“It's just about finding your children's motivators”, Marshall suggests. “‘We’re going on a walk today’ is not the narrative I use. It’s ‘shall we go on an adventure today?’” she advises, adding suggestions such as making it a game to get outside, preparing the night before so that logistics don’t become a hindrance, and “taking things into the mindset of ‘what can I control?’”, such as your own mood and the timing schedule of the day.

Of course, riding LEJOG will take the family much further than 90 minutes from home. And, despite being due to set off on a 1,000-mile ride on Friday June 19, Marshall still wouldn't call herself a ‘cyclist’.

“To me a cyclist is someone that has all the lycra, the clip-in shoes, the drop handlebars, [is] going out for miles and [on] Strava. But for me, biking has sort has always sort of been a ways of a commute,” she says.

Arguably, the ride will be one very long commute. Completing the adventure over a planned seven weeks, Marshall is prioritising a “child-friendly pace.”

“I’m sitting at around 25 miles a day, with the occasional day that’s sort of 36, but we’re also sandwiching them between active rest days that are more like 15 miles.”

Elsewhere during the 24 hours each day affords, there will be playgrounds, ice cream stops, softplay as and when the UK weather doesn’t play ball. For some stretches of the ride, the trio will have support from Marshall’s own mum, who will set up their tent each evening and pack away in the morning, whilst during unsupported stretches, they’ll stay at hotels and B&Bs.

“I'll just be exposing them to things that otherwise they wouldn't have necessarily seen or done that day. And they're going to remember the beauty of the journey in a completely different way to me. And that's so fun,” Marshall says.

In terms of set-up, the adventuring mum will be riding a Genesis Croix de Fer gravel bike, with a Thule Chariot trailer and a bike seat. The trailer’s bright yellow hue is a topic we touch on as Marshall addresses her own feelings towards the road safety barriers that prevent many women from exploring the country by bike.

“I think for me, it starts with confidence on your bike,” she says, endorsing incremental growth through practice, perhaps hiring bikes to be used on cycle paths before hitting the road. “It’s also about being visible. And, when you know the Highway Code, you can utilise that to be bigger, to take up more space when needed.”

Another barrier of course is injury, something that many mothers may find themselves facing during the postpartum period. How can we get a bite of this active lifestyle if our bodies just aren’t playing ball? “For me, it's about immersing yourself in the environment that gives you joy or that you want to be a part of,” Marshall says, suggesting simply driving to a beautiful landscape or watching the sunset on the beach.

“I’m no one special. I’m just exposing myself, going out, and seeing what’s the worst that’s going to happen from building things incrementally. If it doesn’t work, and you wanted to run, and ended up walking, whether you walk a mile or run a mile, it’s still a mile. I’ve run at a speed where people have walked past me faster. But for me, it was just the joy of moving my body, and pushing the running buggy [that motivated me].

“It’s so healthy to just feel that you dont need to be anyone other than who you are. And who you are is enough. Especially as a mum, when you move further down the pecking order of the priority list,” she says. “Sometimes you don't need to do anything to do so much, and free yourself from that burden or expectation that in order to have joy you have to be productive.” For that answer, perhaps it’s fair to say that Marshall is someone special.

Ro Marshall will be riding LEJOG from Friday, June 19, fundraising for PANDAS, a charity that supports parents from conception to a child’s first birthday. You can follow her journey at British Adventure Mum, here.

With radar, AI, cameras and a display inside the bars, is this futuristic new prototype from Canyon going to revolutionise bike safety in the coming years?

The sleek new Canyon Predict will be appearing at the Eurobike show in Frankfurt next week and promises to raise eyebrows – not just for its safety features but for its looks too. Safety might have a dowdy and unexciting image, but it's nowhere to be seen on this bike, which has the appearance of a machine that could easily keep pace in the fastest of pelotons.

But its safety features are the heart of the bike. Radar and cameras and other sensors can see obstacles, interpret them and warn the rider accordingly, says Canyon in an introductory video. Those warnings come via flashing lights on the lever hoods as well as vibrations, not unlike the lane-assist on modern cars.

As well as spotting obstacles, the bike's 360-degree sensors can suggest cornering speeds and predict tricky road surfaces. The bike can even connect to Canyon's Stingr Smart helmet, with its drop down visor and data display.

Rather than connecting to the cloud, the bike displays information on a rectangular data screen on its aero-style bars, all powered by on-bike Edge AI. Canyon says this cuts out crucial split-second latency that could make all the difference in an emergency situation.

The seatpost, while looking ultra-aero, is actually a dropper-post, designed to help the rider through tricky moments by allowing them to lower their centre of gravity.

“We considered the numbers of people killed or seriously injured while riding, or the numbers who simply don’t cycle because they don’t feel safe, and we asked ourselves what we could do to address this problem, said Canyon’s head of design Fedja Delic.

“Cars have become inherently safer and motorist deaths over the last 10 years have fallen, but bicycles have not seen any significant safety improvements. In fact the proportionate and absolute number of cyclists killed or seriously injured is shown to be rising in many countries. While technology has made driving a car safer than ever before, riding a bike on the road has arguably become more dangerous than ever before. Yet with the technology available, significant bicycle safety improvements are more than possible.”

Being a prototype you're unlikely to find it available to buy any time soon, but it has already garnered admiration from Canyon's pro riders with Kasia Niewiadoma saying: "With this sort of new technology, it makes me eager to see where it can go in reality and what the next generation of bikes can deliver to the rider.”

Polished to perfection, Karl Barton’s All Chrome Carlton Flyer would have blazed like a comet with its tail on fire around the steep banking of Japan’s Hachioji Velodrome at the Tokyo ’64 Olympic Games.

At 5 ft 4 in (167cm), Barton was a diminutive rider yet a giant of the track. “I watched him race at Butts Stadium in Coventry,” recalls current owner, Dave Marsh, of the Universal Cycle Centre, Rotherham. “He’s a short guy, but very punchy - a dominant force on the UK track in the mid-1960s.”

The Carlton Flyer was immensely popular among Barton and his peers, not least because it was a formidable race weapon on both track and road. As Carlton’s hero product, Gerald O’Donovan, the brand’s manager, was quick to realise its marketing potential too. “It’s amazing how many pros were on Carlton Flyers,” says Marsh. “Gerald actively sought to provide every talented rider with one.”

Barton’s bike is memorable for several reasons. The scarlet headtube is, of course, noticeably short, but it’s the red, white, and blue bands on the seat tube that catch the eye.

They probably represent the UK’s colours but may celebrate Barton’s record as a British track champion. He won the British National Individual Sprint Championships in 1962, 1963, and, just months before Tokyo, 1964.

The frame is Reynolds 531 double-butted throughout, as are the round track forks. The Campagnolo Pista chainset is unusual by today’s standards because it’s fitted with a 23-tooth 1” pitch ring. Similarly, the rear sprocket has seven generously spaced teeth.

These are coupled with a 1” pitch block chain, which uses solid blocks in place of inner links. This construction makes the chain immensely strong, an advantage at a time when it wasn’t unheard of for powerful sprinters, like Barton, to break regular chains.

Ultimately, the podium eluded Barton in Tokyo, and his star waned. He went on to forge a successful career helping O’Donovan export Carlton bikes into North America.

A couple of weeks ago I returned from a ride with a friend in tow. Not the sort of friend who fist-bumps you afterwards and says 'great day, seeya next weekend'. Or even the sort of friend that might say, 'good to see you still have the FTP of an asthmatic ant, Shrubsall', with a conspiratorial wink. No, this was the sort of friend that might suck your blood while giving you Lyme disease. A tick, in other words and, actually, no friend at all.

My proud brandishing of the pin-head sized parasite was met with limited sympathy, or indeed admiration, from family members. Instead they recoiled in disgust and went off, I presume, to find the nearest plague mask. I went off to find the nearest pair of tweezers to get rid of the thing.

The chances are you know about ticks. You may well have had an encounter with one – they're not uncommon. They can be found in every UK county, and there are plenty in the USA too, particularly in the North-East and the West Coast. You may well also know that they can transmit Lyme disease, with one estimate putting the proportion of carrier ticks in the UK at 4%. In the US there's a pronounced variation, depending on where you live, ranging from less than 1% to 50%. There are other delights too, but Lyme is by far the most common.

Small (in some cases minute) spider-like critters, ticks lurk on foliage tips, latching on to humans and pets as they brush by. They'll then spend some time searching for a likely spot before biting on to feed, which is where any potential disease transmission occurs.

If you're part of the gravel fraternity and your rides take you along overgrown paths or through long grass it's worth checking yourself over when you get home. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends showering within two hours, which can wash off any roaming ticks and gives a chance to spot any that have latched on. Covering up as far as possible, avoiding foliage and using tick repellent can also go some way to ensuring you never experience the pleasure of meeting one.

Tick removal involves pulling the offender straight out with tweezers – don't try to burn it or drown it. I can vouch from my own experience that this is easy and painless (though slightly icky). Standard recommendation is then to dispose of the tick by placing it in a sealed container or novelly, folding it in sticky tape and binning it. Not having read this and being of the 'live and let live' persuasion, I chucked my mate out the window. I rather regret this now: I can imagine it waiting in the lavender outside the front door, ready to strike again.

If you get bitten by a tick and are unlucky enough to have been furnished with Lyme disease, there's a good chance you'll notice an expanding red 'bullseye' rash (usually around the bite, but it can be elsewhere) within a few weeks. You may also experience flu-like symptoms. At this point, it's worth getting yourself to your family doctor, who will likely offer a course of antibiotics. Left untreated, it can spread throughout the body over time and cause all sorts of unpleasant symptoms, from severe fatigue to localised paralysis and more.

For me personally, I'm going to spend at least the next couple of weeks looking out for rashes and swiping at the foliage outside my door. But, equally, I feel more alert to the possibility of another bite while out riding, and if I do find another stealing my, quite frankly, precious blood supply, it's going to be in a whole lot of trouble.

Sixteen-year-old Camsmajaco rider Shane O’Brien died on Tuesday in a training incident in Ireland.

The teenager's team announced the news on Wednesday, describing him as a “talented rider who had a bright future ahead of him”.

Born in County Cork, Ireland, O’Brien was a first-year junior on the 21-rider roster of Camsmajaco, a British feeder squad paired with WorldTour team Netcompany-Ineos, and launched at the start of this year.

A statement from Camsmajaco read: “It is with immense sadness that we report the death of Shane O’Brien, a first-year junior with us.

“Shane tragically died yesterday in a training accident in Ireland.

“Shane was a talented rider who had a bright future ahead of him, and was a kind-hearted, gentle and positive young man. We were honoured to have him as a member of the team and he will be forever in our hearts.

“Our thoughts at this devastating time are with his family, friends, teammates and all who were lucky enough to know him.”

According to a report in The Irish Times, O'Brien struck a parked lorry in Ballygalane while training on Tuesday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene. Gardaí, the national police force, are appealing for witnesses.

O’Brien last competed on 7 June, when he finished the three stage Côte d’Or Classic Juniors in France. He also raced across Ireland, Belgium, the UK and the Czech Republic this year, as he looked to gain experience with a view to turning professional.

Cycling Ireland said it was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the news of O’Brien’s death.

“Shane, formerly of Fermoy CC and more recently with Camsmajaco was well known and loved in the cycling community. He recently made his national team debut at Course de la Paix in the Czech Republic and had shown great promise as an emerging talent,” the governing body said.

“Shane will be missed dearly by all in the cycling community in Ireland. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates at this time of tragic loss. May he rest in peace.”

The 16-year-old’s older brother, Liam O’Brien, was competing for Lidl-Trek Future Racing at the Giro Next Gen this week, but did not start Wednesday’s fourth stage in order to return home.

“Our thoughts and prayers go to Liam O’Brien and his family, as Shane O’Brien, Liam’s brother passed away yesterday,” the Giro Next Gen posted on social media. “The Giro Next Gen sends their love and support in these difficult times.”

The USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships opened Tuesday in Charleston, West Virginia, with Taylor Knibb and Artem Shmidt (Netcompany INEOS) claiming elite time trial victories and the first elite stars-and-stripes jerseys of the week.

Knibb, a two-time Olympic medalist and three-time Ironman 70.3 world champion, captured her second elite women's national time trial title on the pancake flat course, finishing 45 seconds ahead of defending champion Emily Ehrlich (Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty28). Gravel specialist and Life Time Grand Prix competitor Paige Onweller completed the podium, 1:14 behind the winner.

"It was a great race. I was thrilled to come back here after 2024," Knibb said after the finish.

Knibb previously won the title here in 2024, thereby earning a starting position in the Olympic time trial alongside her triathlon campaign at the Paris Games. Despite crashing multiple times on the treacherous rain-slicked course, she persevered to finish 19th in a field of 34 riders in what was only the third time trial of her cycling career.

With the Los Angeles Olympics less than two years away, Knibb's dominant ride suggests she remains a serious contender to represent the United States again in the discipline.

In the men's race. Netcompany INEOS' Artem Shmidt successfully defended his national time title. The 22-year-old Georgia-native held a steady 52.32 kph (32 mph) throughout the 33.4km (20.7-mile) course to best Lawrence Warbasse (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) by 10.17 seconds. William Barta (Tudor Pro Cycling team) rounded out the podium in third, 15.60 seconds off Shmidt's winning time.

"It was pretty windy out there, to be honest, but I was able to come away with the win, so I feel pretty good now, but during the moment, it did not feel good at all," said Shmidt at the finish.

Notably absent from the time trial were several top American riders currently committed to WorldTour and international racing schedules, including the likes of Brandon McNulty, Matteo Jorgenson and reigning Olympic road race champion Kristen Faulkner.

The elite championships continue Thursday evening with the criterium races in downtown Charleston. The women's race begins at 6:30 p.m. EDT, followed by the men's race at 8 p.m. Both events will be streamed live on FloBikes.

Then, on Sunday, the peloton is in for a punchy challenge in the road race with a course that features 1,126 feet of elevation gain per 13-mile lap.

In 2025, Kristen Faulkner and Quinn Simmons each claimed their second elite national titles, setting the stage for a potential hat trick in 2026.

The women's elite field will cover six laps, for a total of 113.8 km (70 miles) of racing, starting at 8 a.m. EDT. The men's race will consist of 10 laps, or 198.6 km (123.4 miles), starting at 1 p.m. Both races will again be streamed live on FloBikes.

Fresh off a milestone GC victory at the Tour de Wallonie and a spring spent racing some of cycling's biggest events, including Paris-Roubaix, George Hincapie's Modern Adventure Pro Cycling has secured a boost for its future.

Factor Bikes announced Tuesday that it is expanding its investment in the U.S.-registered team and will become co-title sponsor, with the squad set to race under the new name of Modern Adventure Factor Racing.

The increased commitment supports the team's long-term goal of reaching the Tour de France within five years while helping establish a more defined development pathway for American riders.

Factor joined the project as a founding equipment partner ahead of the team's debut season in 2026. Under the expanded agreement, the company will contribute to rider recruitment, athlete development, performance infrastructure, and closer collaboration between team staff and Factor's engineering and product-development departments.

A key element of the partnership is the integration of Factor Racing, the bike manufacturer's UCI Continental development team, into the broader Modern Adventure Factor Racing structure, creating a clearer progression from development racing to the professional ranks.

For Factor CEO Rob Gitelis, the project carries personal significance. The former American pro rider entered the sport during the 1980s, and followed an uncertain route through the domestic scene before making the leap to Europe.

"I know what it feels like to be a young American rider looking toward Europe and trying to understand how to get there," Gitelis said. "There was no easy pathway then, and it still isn't easy now. George and Dustin are trying to build something that gives riders a real structure, a real team, and a real chance. The ambition to reach the Tour de France within five years is bold, but it has to be. Factor wants to be part of that because we believe in the mission, and because we can contribute more than equipment."

Factor said the closer relationship will also create a more direct feedback loop between riders, staff, and the company's product-development teams.

Hincapie, who launched Modern Adventure Pro Cycling to create a sustainable pathway for American riders, said the expanded partnership strengthens his vision.

"Rob and Factor understand what we are trying to build," Hincapie said. "This is not just about putting great bikes under our riders, although that matters at this level. It is about surrounding the team with people who understand racing, development, equipment, and the long road it takes to reach the Tour de France. Factor is becoming part of the team in a much deeper way."

Comparison might be the thief of joy, but it's still a trap many bike riders fall into when it comes to ride stats. PRs, leaderboards, average speeds – they're out there for all to see on ride platforms like Strava, Zwift and Garmin Connect. Whether it's against your ride buddies, the random internet cyberpeloton, or even yourself, the comparison game is somehow a very easy one to play as a bike rider.

Average speed is an enduringly popular compara-stat, and more recently power figures have crept into the equation, no matter that they're highly personal.

But how about average ride length, not just that of your ride mates, but of the whole world? That's something harder to glean, but intriguing all the same, right? Are you riding longer than most, or shorter? And, does it even matter?

Data can help provide the answers to the first two questions. As to the third, well, we'll take a look at that too.

The 'average distance' answer isn't quite as simple as you might imagine because there are numerous platforms where cyclists record their rides, but Cycling Weekly has been able to obtain data from the three biggest platforms, and we'll have a look at a these in turn.

Before we go on...

Just briefly, before we go any further, what do you think is the average riding distance for riders around the world? Thought of a number? Good. With that in mind, read on.

Garmin averages

The GPS and fitness tech giant released its cycling and running data reports earlier this month, yielding some intriguing data and sparking this whole thing off for us.

First off, the key riding figure. It's 28.6 miles, or 46km. A surprisingly big distance, perhaps, considering it's an average across all rides. However, in its report Garmin points out that most rides are recorded on Sundays, so these are not brief spins at lunch time or the workday commute.

Like the other platforms we spoke with, Garmin also provided an average ride time which, of course tallies well with the distance: 1hr 55min. That works out as an average speed of 14.89mph or 24kph, which will no doubt be recognised by plenty of road riders, although perhaps not quite so many gravelists and mountain bikers.

Strava averages

With a claimed 195 million users, Strava is the most popular platform of its kind, so it should theoretically offer the most insightful look at the facts and figures when it comes to the average ride.

If you were disappointed at just how wide of the mark your own guess was when you read the Garmin statistics, this one might be for you. At 12.8 miles / 20.6km, the average Strava ride in 2025 is less than half the distance of the average Garmin ride.

While the latter's users most often record on Sunday, the lower distance belonging to Strava people suggests that more commuting and perhaps utility runs are being included – though that is speculation.

In line with the distance, time taken is also reduced, with those 12.8 miles taking 1hr 4min 47sec. Those eagle of eye or mathematical of mind may have spotted that this equates to a reduction in average speed too, which is 11.86mph / 19.1kph in the world of Strava.

Zwift averages

Anyone who regularly uses any of the virtual riding platforms will be aware that they're a great way to hop on and squeeze in a bunch more miles than you usually would in a given time frame. Alternatively, if you're feeling down about the way your IRL average speeds are going, Zwift et al will give you a comforting cyber-pat on the back and a few more mph to boot.

The most popular of the virtual platforms, Zwift defaults to 50% of actual gradient on all hills, and doesn't feature headwinds either; no wonder it's faster. That isn't to say it's necessarily easier – there is no freewheeling, so you've earned every mile. Just like the most basic indoor trainers of old, Zwift is often used for interval workouts and races, which is about as hard (and as fast) as it gets.

We got in touch with the folk at Zwift, who pulled out the latest statistics for us, and it wasn't a surprise to learn that the average speeds posted by its users are the highest we have here. The average distance is healthy too, but with the vast majority of riders completing their long ride of the week outdoors (unless the weather is awful), it's not as high as it might be.

The average ride distance posted over the past year is 16.8 miles / 27km, and that was dashed off in just 55 minutes. That's clearly a brisk old pace: more exactly, it's 18.33mph / 29.5kph – an average speed that most of us would be more than happy with on the bike.

But what does it all mean?

Averaged out, we can see that cyclists recording activities across the three platforms above ride 19.4 miles / 31.2km in 1hr 18min, at an average speed of 15mph / 24.1kph.

How did the distance compare to your own guess? Answer our poll below to see how you and others fared.

Learning about averages like this definitely scratches the 'intrigue' itch, but in truth it doesn't offer many, if any, useable takeaways for our own riding. Because this is an average, it's perfectly possible – probable even – that most riders are riding somewhere above or below all of these averages. A short commute in the week, for example, boosted by a longer weekend ride.

Our riding can be affected by numerous variables that make it difficult and pointless to compare your own personal averages to somebody else's.

Your own personal calendar – how your life is arranged, essentially – will play a significant role in determining the distance and times of your rides, while road surfaces, hills (or lack of them) and weather can boost or cut down average speeds, meaning you won't ride as far for the same time on the bike.

Perhaps biggest of all, though, is whether or not you ride much gravel or other trails. Depending on the nature of the off-road stuff you're riding (which could range from summer hardpack to sticky winter mud), and what percentage of it you include in your ride, it can drastically reduce the distance you ride.

The message from all of this is to just get out and ride – and enjoy it. Don't get hung up on average speeds and distances; if you really want to worry about anything, worry about time spent on the bike, effort levels (could be high or low, depending on the day), and most of all, enjoying it.

In a scene that could have been plucked from the late 1900s, a smattering of penny-farthing cyclists rode through central London on Saturday afternoon, as part of a record-breaking amuse-bouche to the City of London Nocturne.

In total, four records fell, including the smallest and largest penny farthings ever ridden, and the fastest 100m while juggling.

Siblings Flo and Finn Woodward, aged six and seven years old, took the women’s and men’s titles for riding the smallest, the front wheel of which measured 11.41 inches (29cm) in diameter.

At the other extreme, Neil Laughton, founder of The Penny Farthing Club, rode a custom 100-inch (254cm) penny farthing nicknamed ‘Big Bertha’, which lifted him some nine feet off the ground among the office blocks near Bank Station.

“I was born in London, worked in London and honestly, after riding the world’s largest penny farthing bicycle that’s ever been built, I’m just pleased I didn’t die in London today,” Laughton said. “It was a fabulous day.”

The record for the fastest 100m on a penny farthing while juggling was set by Sweden's Henrik Hedström and now stands at 19.87 seconds (18.1kph).

There was also a successful world record attempt on a unicycle, with Roger Davies clocking the fastest 100m while blindfolded: 37.31 seconds (9.7kph).

Guinness World Records adjudicator Juliet Dawson said the spree was a reminder that record-breaking can be “joyful, unusual and incredibly skilful all at once”.

“What stood out most was the mix of people involved, from experienced riders to the next generation of penny farthing enthusiasts, all willing to take on something genuinely challenging in front of a live crowd,” Dawson continued.

“We’re incredibly proud to recognise the dedication, focus and courage behind today’s achievements.”

Guinness tracks around 30 penny farthing world records in its database. In October 2024, London's Herne Hill Velodrome and Lee Valley Velopark hosted a penny farthing record 'extravaganza', in which 13 world records were broken, including the fastest 1km on a penny farthing by a man (1:30.103) and the furthest distance on a penny farthing in one hour by a solo woman (26.199km).

The record-breaking largest and smallest penny farthings ridden on Saturday were both hand-built in Australia by Dan Bolwell, also known as 'Penny Farthing Dan'.

A couple of recent events have pushed me back to thinking about rider retirements. The first was the departure of Simon Yates, who caught us all on the hop when he took a long hard look at the demands of his 13^th pro season in 2026 and decided that it wasn’t for him.

The second was an interview with David Millar, where he talked about the difficulties of retirement – he said it just left riders staggering into the real world spinning and disorientated, and it’s only getting harder for them.

This is the problem with being a pro rider over the age of about 32. It’s hard to know what’s more difficult, staying or going.

Pro sport, and pro cycling in particular, is a terrible thing to do to people. I’ve a friend who’s been involved in pro cycling for a long time who says their rule of thumb about bike riders is simple: “They remain the age at which cycling took over their lives. A rider might be 30 years old, but if they effectively turned pro at 16, for all practical purposes that’s the age they are now.” She says that if you don’t believe her, just ask one of them how income tax works.

I think this is a little uncharitable. But only a little. Pro cycling is a sort of un-education – you learn a lot about a weirdly specific activity, none of which is applicable anywhere else. Who wouldn’t get a strange world view if they’ve spent a decade employed in a repetitive, menial, manual job, and getting paid €300,000 a year to do it while fans surround their place of work holding up placards in their honour?

Many pros earn a lot less, of course. This doesn’t really help. While they might be a bit less adrift from the real world, they also have a much more urgent need to find something to do after they retire. Another friend, an accountant by profession, once found himself interviewing a British ex-pro for an entry-grade administrative job.

This was a rider my mate had read about for years, he’d seen him on TV many times. “And there he was, sitting across the desk, large as life, totally unqualified, completely unsuited to the world of work. He looked blank at the mention of Excel, so we talked about the 1998 Tour of Britain for a bit. Then he stole some biscuits when he thought I wasn’t looking, and went on his way.” You read that right; a retired bike rider can’t even steal biscuits from a job interview properly.

What exactly do you do with an ex-pro rider, then? Once upon a time they opened a shop, on the basis they’d already done the publicity for it. These days, the equivalent is to start a coaching business. Some of them are brilliant at this – they have deep experience and an understanding of the sport.

And some of them are a disaster, because the only rider whose characteristics they know about is themselves. I know one hard-nut ex pro who started a coaching business, over-trained every rider who came within a five-mile radius, declared modern riders were bloody soft, and went bankrupt. Twice.

Some pros never really retire at all. A sports director is just a bike racer in a car. Same races, same travelling, same crappy hotels, same leisure wear – just with thirty noisy, youthful (overpaid) reminders of the days of their glory.

But a handful get away. The start a new life. If you ever find yourself wondering, “whatever happened to ‘X’?” but can find no trace, however long you search, be comforted that they’re probably alive, happy, and doing a normal job under a new identity. They’re the lucky ones.

Acts of Cycling Stupidity

My attention has been drawn to a rider who, in order to improve his race performance, nicks a couple of puffs of his teenage son’s Beclomethasone asthma inhaler before racing. He is, as you would expect, very secretive about it, on the basis that it’s doping.

The first irony is that it’s not. Beclomethasone by inhaler isn’t actually banned, but he’s never bothered to check. The second irony is that if it’s working, it’s only doing so because of the placebo effect, although of course that’s much enhanced by his assumption that he’s a cheat. The third irony is that even if he works all this out, well, I’m sure we’d agree he’s still sort of a cheat anyway.

It’s quite a tangle. But the upshot of it is much simpler, and that’s that his son, who is also a bike racer, essentially has his dad over a barrel. And now I do too.

Great Inventions of Cycling: Tradition

Cycling’s traditions are its lifeblood. That why tradition started early. The moment someone attached pedals to a bike, there was a chap in a hat on hand to tell them that he preferred proper bicycles, ones that you scooted along with your feet.

It was the same when they invented the chain-drive safety bike. Magazines of the era were full of articles decrying the desecration of the dignified traditions of the sport, and complaining that all sorts of non-bicycle-type people would take up cycling now that it didn’t involve penny farthings, knee-high leather boots and certain death. (Especially women and vicars, as it turned out, but that’s perhaps a topic for another time.)

We could go on, but instead please just take it as read that there has never been a change in cycling, be it technical, social, aesthetic, or financial that we didn’t attempt to shout down with cries about tradition.

In practise, though, traditions are what makes up the sport. They bring people together, give them something in common to complain about, and without it Rapha would never have got their retro inspired kit ranges out of the shops.

But the very best thing about it is that tradition is, of itself, the easiest tradition to master. Just keep saying you preferred everything how it was in 2008, 1998, or 1988, and you can’t go wrong.

Maxim Van Gils outsprinted Tobias Johannessen to take victory on a “crazy day” in the Alps during stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

After a big breakaway led the peloton by over four minutes for much of the day, the general classification was decimated and Van Gils’ Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate, Luke Tuckwell, finished third in the stage, to move into first place in the GC. The 21-year-old Australian also leads the young riders' classification.

Although he wasn't part of the breakaway, with just over 3km to go, 19-year-old Paul Seixas (Decathlon) pulled away from the front of the peloton in a show of strength, as fellow young gun Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) desperately held onto his wheel. Seixas has now moved up to seventh in GC, while Del Toro is in tenth spot.

After winning stage five yesterday, against his run of form this week, Wout van Aert did not start stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with Visma-Lease a Bike citing ongoing discomfort from a pre-race training crash.

Van Gils' stage win comes jut four months after he suffered a fractured pelvis in a finish-line crash at the Clásica Jaén, and the 26-year-old Belgian was beaming during the finish-line interview.

"I always stayed positive," he told reporters. "To win here in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, in the region of Dauphiné… it's a region I really love, my girlfriend is from here. I'm really, really happy about it.

"It was a really crazy day… My Scottish teammate Callum [Thornley], all the week I was telling him 'Friday we go', and we make it the day. But then we had four guys in the breakaway.

"To achieve this with the team is really great, we are here without a big leader. This morning I was asked some questions in interviews about why we didn't bring a big star, but to win a stage and take yellow is, I think, really really big."

In hot and sunny conditions, riders raced around the 182.3km stage between Saint-Vulbas and Crest-Voland with an average speed of 47.5km/ph.

But, despite riding near-enough through his home town, it was not a good Friday for Alex Beaudin. After spending five days leading the general classification at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the longest period any Frenchman has spent in the yellow jersey at this race since 1964, the EF Education-EasyPost rider tumbled down the table during a mad day in the mountains.

For a long period of the day, a breakaway group of up to 60 riders were leading the peloton by well over four minutes. The lead group had diminished to around 30 by the top of the penultimate climb, Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine, but Beaudin had lost contact by the time the peloton reached the bottom of the final ascent, Côte de Crest-Voland.

The situation played perfectly into Luke Tuckwell’s hands, delivering the yellow jersey to the young Aussie and and taking a sledgehammer to the general classification, with just two stages of the race remaining.

Results

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026, stage 6 Saint-Vulbas › Crest-Voland (182.3km)

1. Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe in 4:06:34

2. Tobias Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility "

3. Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull Bora hansgrohe, 0:06

4. Pablo Torres (Espera) UAE Team Emirates - XRG, 0:13

5. Raúl García Pierna (Esa) Movistar, 0:33

6. Yannis Voisard (Swi) Tudor Pro "

7. Jordan Jegat (Fra) TotalEnergies "

8. Cristián Rodríguez (Esp) XDS Astana "

9. Clément Braz Afonso (Fra) Groupama - FDJ United "

10. Lennart Jasch (Ger) Tudor Pro "

General classifcation after stage 6

1. Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe, 22:14:55

2. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike, 1:12

3. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Groupama - FDJ United, 2:00

4. Matteo Jorgenson (US) Visma | Lease a Bike, 2:34

5. Cristián Rodríguez (Esp) XDS Astana, 2:37

6. José Félix Parra (Esp) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA, 3:04

7. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, 3:06

8. Juan Ayuso (Spa) Lidl-Trek, 3:15

9. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl - Trek "

10. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 3:22

Campaign group Cycling UK (CUK) has welcomed an ambitious new active transport plan from the British government with one major caveat – it does little to address cycling's gender divide.

Women only make around 50% as many journeys by bike as men, says CUK, who point to "missed opportunities" to begin equalising these numbers within the new plan.

Announced yesterday, the government's new Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy will see 4.5 billion funnelled into the active transport modes over the next five years. It aims to encourage 55% of people to make short journeys by bike or on foot by 2035, as well as 60% of schoolkids to travel actively to and from their schools.

“The strategy is long-awaited and we’re pleased to see ambitious targets on journeys to school and a continued focus on short journeys," said CUK head of policy Sarah Whitbread in a statement. "However, it is disappointing not to see a commitment to closing the gender gap in cycling when we know that women make half as many trips by bike as men. Clear measures to address this would make cycling better for everyone.”

She added: “Our ‘Getting there with cycling report’, published this week, sets out the huge benefits investing in cycling infrastructure brings. The government has already committed to putting cycling on an equal footing with other transport options. It will now be for government and local authorities across the country to make that ambition a reality.”

The government plans to create 5,000 new cycling and walking routes and 10,000 new safer crossings by 2030, which it hopes will encourage people to travel actively to transport hubs such as train stations.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don't feel they have safe and convenient options to do so.

"Our new Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy sets out how we will change that, with ambitious targets, record levels of investment and a clear plan to make active travel a practical choice for millions more journeys.

"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."

Health secretary James Murray said the strategy had the potential to reduce health inequalities and help alleviate pressure on the NHS by boosting the nation's health.

British aero sensor start-up Body Rocket is selling off its assets and heading towards liquidation, its founder has said.

The company, established in 2018 as the world’s first real-time aerodynamic direct drag force measurement system, is currently seeking offers for everything from its trademarks and patents to the furniture in its office in Brighton.

Body Rocket’s products include power meters and air speed sensors, which were designed to give riders live coefficient of aerodynamic drag (CdA) data.

Despite raising more than £250,000 in crowdfunding in 2020, and opening pre-orders in 2024 for packages starting at around £3,000, the products never reached commercial availability.

“We simply ran out of funding,” founder and CEO Eric DeGolier told Cycling Weekly. “We privately funded through investors and ran out of funding in the commercialisation process, between refining the technology and then making that a commercial product.

“It’s very disappointing. It’s been my work for the last eight years, since we started,” he continued. “I’m incredibly proud of the work that we’ve done and how far we got, and also very disappointed for everybody involved that we weren’t able to bring it out to make it commercially successful.”

At the time of Body Rocket’s launch, six-time British time trial champion Alex Dowsett, one of the company’s investors and advisors, described real-time CdA tools as the “next natural progression in cycling”.

DeGolier, a former elite track cyclist who competed for the USA at the 2004 Paralympics, hoped his products would make aerodynamic testing more accessible to cyclists, removing the need to use a wind tunnel.

While other, similar businesses are still on the market, DeGolier said Body Rocket is now moving towards liquidation as an “inevitable next step”.

“We’re selling off the assets and have engaged with an insolvency practitioner. From a legal standpoint, there’s a lot of prep work that happens first. We are not technically in liquidation, but that is where we’re headed,” he said.

Body Rocket’s two most recent Companies House account filings, dated August 2025 and November 2024, showed the business to be around £300,000 in the red. “[That figure] sounds a little high, but it’s not too far off,” DeGolier said.

“We were largely still a pre-revenue business in development of a product. The only product that we retailed was a bike-fitting product, and that was sold in small numbers.”

As for the company’s aero sensors, DeGolier found the steps to take the technology from prototypes to commercially available products “more difficult and more time- and research-intensive” than anticipated.

Body Rocket’s tangible and intangible assets are currently available to buy by way of a private treaty sale. Offers can be made through auctioneers Marriott & Co until 5pm on 18 June.

“I’m sorry we never got to a product that they could put on their bike. That’s always been the goal, and it’s disappointing that we didn’t get there,” DeGolier said.

This time last week, endurance athlete Caroline Livesey was approaching Inverness, racing towards the end of an absolutely extraordinary bike ride, well ahead of schedule in her attempt to set a new women’s speed record while cycling around Scotland’s North Coast 500 route.

Livesey didn’t just break the existing female fastest known time (FKT) for the NC500, she smashed it to pieces. The Scottish gravel rider and ultra triathlete completed the 516-mile challenge in 32 hours and 22 minutes, knocking four hours and 17 minutes off the previous FKT, and setting a new official world record, now checked and ratified by the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA) and recognised by Guinness World Records.

Cycling Weekly followed the record attempt live and, when seen from a comfortable distance, we could almost be forgiven for saying Livesey made it look easy. When I catch up with the newly minted record breaker five days later, she breezily tells me she’s already been back out on her bike since that behemoth ride around the top of Scotland.

“It was only 30 odd hours,” she laughs. “I mean, it was a big ride, but it was only one big ride. I’ve done eight-day stage races before that have been worse in terms of recovery.”

As we talk, however, a different story emerges. One which reveals just how much planning time, expense and dedicated (often painful) training went into achieving this record, before she went into battle against the fatigue-induced sleep monsters and eye-wobbles that attacked her during the ride.

It also becomes clear how enormously important it was to both Livesey and her husband, Mark, a photographer and videographer who documented the ride (when he wasn’t busy refuelling Caroline with rice pudding and flapjack).

Putting her neck on the line

The idea of doing a speed-ride around the NC500 came to Livesey in December, when she was in Nepal. Several years ago, after doing an endurance event in the country, during which Caroline got sick and ended up in hospital – an experience that had a profound impact on her, not least because of the kindness of her host community – the Liveseys launched a charity called Peak Education Nepal raising funds to provide access to schooling for impoverished Nepalese children.

“I wanted to do a fund-raising challenge for the charity in Scotland,” Caroline recounts. “Initially I didn’t even know there was a world record on the route, I just wanted to do an FKT. Then I came across Mark Beaumont’s ride. I spoke to Mark, and he was fantastic – he made so many recommendations.”

And then the training began. “When I started preparing for the record I hadn’t been on my time trial bike for months,” Livesey tells me. “I’d been concentrating fully on gravel racing. I went out for one-and-a-half hours on the TT bike, and it was tough. Really tough. I thought ‘Wow! I’ve got myself into something serious here.’

“My neck was so painful and my durability levels on the TT bike had really dropped. I knew I was going to have to sort that out to get the record. The last part of the route is pretty flat, and I needed to be able to get down on the speed bars and be comfortable while putting in the power.”

Livesey knew that during his record-setting ride for the fastest men’s NC500 in 2022, Beaumont had suffered a neck injury precisely because of the hours he’d spent in one, frankly unnatural position on the bike. She wasn’t about to risk such an affliction ruining her ride (or her life for months afterwards), so Livesey set about designing a bespoke training method to strengthen her neck.

“I rigged up a system in the gym and – three times a week, for six months – I hung weights off my head to strengthen my neck muscles. I had a baseball cap, with a hook on the front, and I’d be down on all fours with a weight hanging off it, nodding up and down – although at first I could only hold it still. I started with a 2.5 kilo weight and built up to a 5kg weight.”

Beyond her unorthodox neck workouts, Livesey spent endless hours in the gym preparing for this one ride. “Strength and durability is so important for a challenge like this,” she explains. “You can be as strong and fast as you like for the first 20 hours, but if you start losing efficiency in your pedal stroke after that, it’s all for nothing.”

And her dedication paid off: “Tony, my mechanic and manager, who was in the vehicle behind me, remarked how my riding position did not change at all during the whole ride. I put that down to the strength training. I experienced no neck or shoulder pain at all.”

The crew

Livesey had seven people in her main crew: three in the main support vehicle, two in a camper van and two medics in a four-wheel drive. In the van were two officiators, collecting everything required for WUCA (who verify for Guinness) to ratify the record.

There’s no fixed route for the NC500, but there are 24 must-visit waypoints, which more-or-less dictates the course. “Britta and Debbie had to have me in line-of-sight at all times,” Livesey explains. “They documented my position every 45 to 60 minutes, describing the conditions, and took time- and date-stamped photos.” For the record to be confirmed, everything had to match up with the tracker and the stats on Livesey’s bike computer.

“Tony was my tech support and team manager, and his righthand man, Graham, had ridden the route about a month before, so he had brilliant road knowledge,” says Livesey.

“The two medics had a Land Rover-style ambulance, and they were great. They went ahead to check for obstacles. At one point they came across roadworks – the kind where you have to wait at lights and then be escorted around by a safety vehicle. The medics explained what I was doing and the workers let me through. One of the JCB drivers even put a tenner in the charity collection.”

The timing

The success of any long-distance bike ride in Scotland, let alone one that takes you through the night, is heavily dependent on the elements, which are unpredictable even during the long days of midsummer in the far north, when the sun (if it deigns to make an appearance at all) only dips beneath the Highlands horizon for a few hours. Livesey timed the record attempt around the summer solstice, for obvious reasons, but she still needed a good weather window.

“Paul Easto from Wilderness Scotland was my weather guru,” she reveals. “I asked the crew to make themselves available for a designated week. In the build-up I couldn’t bear to look at the forecast, but when we did check it, a front was clearly coming in, and we had to get ahead of it.

“Wind is the most important factor. I can still ride fast in rain, but wind is a different matter. In the end, rain was what I got – for about half of the time. Light, heavy and misty rain. There was almost zero sun, but there was also very little wind, so it was fine. The roads in Scotland are pretty good, and I didn’t feel like I was going to slide, even in the wet.

The gear

Livesey used two bike set-ups during her ride. For the faster, flatter sections she rode an Orbea Ordu TT bike, with a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset (dual power meter, 36/52 chainring and 11/30 cassette), a Speedbar cockpit, Oquo RA80LTD CS wheels, with 28mm tyres on the front and 30mm on the rear, and EZ Gains BTA bottle mount and BTS double bottle mount and disc cover.

And on the lumpier sections she swapped to her Orbea Orca Aero road bike, also with a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset (dual sided power meter, 52/36 chainring and a 11/34 cassette) and Oquo Road Aero RA57Ltd wheels, running 28mm tyres front and back.

Using Graham’s up-to-date route knowledge, plus weather assessments and by assessing Livesey’s physical condition, Tony determined when the bike changes would occur. “Swapping bikes felt good,” Livesey tells me. “On a ride like this, a change is as good as a rest.”

The fuel

Nutrition and hydration was obviously going to be critical, and as soon as she decided to attempt the NC500 record, Livesey visited the Precision Hydration lab in Dorset, where she did a sweat test and had her lactate threshold analysed.

“I met with Dr Sam Shepherd, the head of sports science, and we came up with a nutrition plan really early, back in January, which allowed me to mix supplements with real food,” she recounts. "I did a trial ride at the start of the year, and suffered severe digestive problems – serious enough to derail the record if they happened on the day."

“Sam worked out that it came down to what I was eating the day before,” says Livesey. Also, once you go through the night, it gets more complicated – your body changes. You need back-up caffeine and carbs.

“Once I nailed it, I ate the exact same things all the time, primarily PH chews, flapjack, rice pudding and water with 500mg or 1000mg electrolyte tablets. The flapjack was crucial – I made it myself to a secret recipe. One batch had cocoa power in it, and I found myself craving the flavour.

“During the record ride, Sam was like my nutritionist phone-a-friend during the record attempt – Britta and Debbie were talking to him regularly.”

When a plan comes together

Livesey’s military attention to detail, disciplined training regime and high-precision planning all paid off, and as Earth turned and Tuesday night segued into Wednesday morning, she was well ahead of schedule to demolish the existing FKT. Not that she was about to ease back.

“For me it wasn’t just about beating the record,” Livesey tells me. “I wanted to do it as fast as I possibly could. I rode half the length of the NC500 course five weeks before my record attempt, and based on that practise run, I thought the fastest time I could possibly do was 32 hours. I was very power focussed. Even when the crew were telling me I had bags of time, I didn’t want to let up.”

It wasn’t all plain sailing, however. “I was very lucid for most of the time, and I genuinely did enjoy it,” Livesey recounts. “But there was a stage around 6am on Wednesday, when I was experiencing nausea and micro sleeps. And I had something going on with my eyeball – it happens when you’re in the TT position for hours, looking up, and the muscles in your eyes get tired. My vision got very blurry.

“I ate some rice pudding, had a protein shake and swapped over to the road bike for a couple of hours, because when you’re on the TT bike, there’s a voice in your head telling you ‘it’s alright, just lay on these bars and have a wee sleep’. And that’s very dangerous.

“It happened again on the A9, and there was nowhere to safely pull over. When I eventually stopped, I considered getting into the van for a small sleep, but I was wet through and shivering, and I knew my body would quickly shut down. So I spoke to Sam, drank some coke – always a last resort – and kept going.

“Then the sun came out and I was flying. The heavens really opened towards the end, but I could smell the finish then, and I wasn’t stopping for anything – except traffic lights… It felt like I hit every red on the way into Inverness.”

Ultimately, neither sleep monsters nor traffic lights could stop Livesey setting a stunning time. And she raised over £18,000 for Peak Education Nepal, which will double the charity’s capacity to help children with an education – something Caroline sounds even happier about than securing the record.

On Friday 2 July 2027, the men’s Tour de France will begin its Grand Départ from Edinburgh. Almost a month later, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start in Leeds, on Friday 30 July 2027. The last time the Tour touched our shores, it was hailed the “grandest” in its 111-year history by race organiser, Christian Prudhomme. Now, twelve years on, our host nations are hoping to use the event to get more people than ever onto bikes.

The 2014 Grand Départ in Yorkshire left behind an impressive legacy, in the short term anyway. After the race continued onto the continent, British Cycling reported a 64% surge in participation for their recreational programmes. According to the body, 50,000 people took part in British Cycling Sky Ride events; 130 sportives were registered in Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and London that same year and nearly 500 ride instructors were trained that year alone.

Now ahead of the Tour’s second visit to the UK, Grand Départ GB's JOY social impact programme is hoping to use the spectacle as a way to engage more people than ever to get on their bikes and ride.

A coordinated effort across the three host-nations, the initiative focuses primarily on tackling inactivity and improving mental health; supporting communities to thrive, and to make Britain more productive and prosperous.

Scottish organisers have already gotten going. Speaking to Cycling Weekly in March, newly-appointed Social Impact Lead, Victoria Leiper, had already travelled throughout Scotland meeting community groups, talking with local authorities and tracing the Tour’s route all the way from Edinburgh to Dumfries and Galloway.

“We want the excitement of the tour to translate into real, measurable benefits for people and communities, but not just while the tour is travelling through their community, but in the lead up to, and then after,” she said.

Three projects are already confirmed. In Glasgow, Scottish Cycling will match funding from British Cycling to engage young people from disadvantaged communities to develop track cycling and BMX skills at Movement Park. “It’s about engaging young people who might not think that cycling is for them, and supporting local clubs to strengthen talent so that in the future we’re diversifying who appears on the podium,” Leiper continued.

Another programme specifically focuses on perimenopausal and menopausal women, to provide space to talk with one another, alongside a dedicated “trail therapist”. They will be working with the FNY Collective to design the programme, and to develop a toolkit to share it with cycling clubs throughout Scotland.

They’ve even developed a French language project with the National Centre for Languages and the Institute for French in Scotland to address dwindling uptake in language learning.

These additional programmes are made possible in part by a £1 million investment by the Scottish government to help capture the “once in a generation” benefits of hosting the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ.

Unfortunately for Wales, Beicio Cymru is yet to receive equivalent additional funding. Nevertheless, the team are currently developing a series of programmes designed to encourage girls into cycling, and to help children in deprived areas of Wales to learn how to cycle.

GEMS, a JOY-funded programme, focusses on getting girls’ aged between 7 and 11 to develop their skills on a bike, to enjoy the social world cycling can unlock, as well as offering yoga sessions and reflective journaling as part of the programme.

One of the Wales-specific programmes Beicio Cymru is fleshing out is a nationwide Learn to Ride programme to be rolled out across the whole of Wales, to give every child the chance to learn how to cycle.

“Probably for me and you, it's crazy to imagine not learning to ride a bike as a child," Beicio Cymru's National Development Officer, Ffion James, told Cycling Weekly, “but poverty levels are pretty high in Wales, and especially in some of the cities where many children don't own bikes, or just don't have a parent who will teach them. So we want all schools to have a learning programme, like they have a learn to swim programme, to show that biking is a skill for life, just like swimming.”

James is excited by the potential the Tour could offer Wales, but her hopes remain constrained by limited budgets.

“What we're trying to do is trying to get some more funding, so we can roll out this Learn to Ride programme all across Wales," she said. "So that by the time the Tour de France comes, every child, hopefully inspired by it, has the opportunity to ride a bike. So that's our big win, which we're trying to push.”

Events like the Grand Départ could have a real, lasting impact. For Leiper, the legacy of the last time a big cycling event came to Glasgow is still felt in her city. When the Commonwealth Games came to Scotland in 2014, she was working at a cycling social enterprise in Glasgow. To coincide with the games, they ran a one-off cycling festival that, after a successful first year, ran for another three. It ultimately become Women on Wheels, a social enterprise initiative working with women and refugees, which still operates in Glasgow today.

“That's a real example of how major events do bring legacy," she said. "If we could tap into things like that again, you're supporting communities to lead and run their own events, their own programmes, their own cycle festivals. Who knows what can come from that on a longer term?”

Picture the scene. It’s late April 1981, and frame builder Sam Hudson is enjoying his passion for cards during a break at Raleigh’s elite Specialist Bicycle Development Unit (SBDU) in Ilkeston. Halfway through a hand, his boss Gerald O’Donovan calls to him, his voice straining to be heard above Making Your Mind Up by current Eurovision darlings Bucks Fizz, crackling from the radio.

“Build yourself a bike if you like,” O’Donovan says, with a smile. “Help yourself to some parts, but don’t use anything too expensive.”

OK, there may be a bit of poetic licence in that story, but this is the basic premise of how this unique bike came to be.

“Gerald was a generous man,” says current owner and former employee of O’Donovan, Dave Marsh, of the Universal Cycle Centre, Rotherham. “It wasn’t unusual for him to let his team build their own bikes.”

What a team it was. Under the guidance of Jan Le Grand, these guys had crafted Joop Zoetemelk’s Tour de France-winning bike only the year before.

Hudson quite literally made his mark on his new 753-tubed bike by shaping his initials into the Prognat 62 D lugs. His name is also inscribed beneath the bottom bracket, together with the date stamp SB1581. (May 1, 1981.) Most prominently, he captured his love of cards by cutting decorative suit pips into the seat stay wrapover and the fork tangs.

The rest of the bike is a mishmash of parts, evidence of Hudson’s scavenging. There’s a lot of Campagnolo – the 52/42t three-pin chainset, the rear mech and the pedals are Nuovo Gran Sport, while the hubs and the calipers are Tipo, and the front mech is Super Record. The drilled dropouts, an SPDU signature, are Campy too.

The shifters are Simplex Retrofriction, the bars and stem Cinelli – Criterium and XA respectively – and the levers are Weinnman Carrera. Rims are Weinmann Concave 36-hole 700c. Finally, the seat post is SR, topped with a Selle San Marco Concor Supercorsa saddle.

Zwift, Canyon Bicycles and Pedal Mafia have launched a new North American U19 development team with the goal of producing a Tour de France or Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner within the next decade.

Announced today, the project will field men's and women's junior squads comprising riders from the United States, Canada and Mexico, competing in races across North America and Europe starting in 2027.

"It has been over 20 years since a North American rider stood on the top step in Paris, and we are committed to change that," said Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. "North America is one of the most important cycling markets in the world, but professional road racing has all but disappeared here.

"Standing up a world-class team is our answer. We are investing directly in the next generation of North American talent, and are doing so alongside partners who share our belief that this sport deserves a bigger future on this continent."

Central to the team's success is financial security. The team will be supported by a foundation established by Min and backed by long-term financial support from Zwift and private donors in an effort to eliminate the year-to-year financial uncertainty that has historically limited junior development programmes.

"Junior development cannot be a two-year experiment. It has to be a generational commitment," said Min. "That is why the long-term plan is to establish an endowment for our team. We are creating a permanent platform for North American riders, one dedicated to helping our athletes reach their full potential on and off the bike, and we plan for it to be here long after our first champion carries the Yellow Jersey into Paris."

The project has also secured support from some of the sport's top professional teams. Alongside the founding partners, WorldTour teams Alpecin–Premier Tech, Fenix–Premier Tech and Canyon-SRAM will provide sporting support and a pathway to the highest levels of the sport.

"Eric and his partners have set an ambitious goal, and it’s not possible to reach a goal this lofty without a clear pathway to the top," said Philip Roodhooft, General Manager of Alpecin–Premier Tech and Fenix-Premier-Tech. "We are honoured that Alpecin–Premier Tech and Fenix-Premier Tech will bridge between this programme and the WorldTour, and we believe the next North American Tour de France champion could very well come through this programme."

The team will be led by veteran cycling director Roy Knickman, a former national team coach, Olympian and professional rider whose career included stints with La Vie Claire, Toshiba-Look and 7-Eleven. Knickman also brings extensive experience in developing junior talent as the general manager of the LUX Cycling Development team.

The initiative comes as North American road cycling continues to search for renewed momentum after years of decline in visibility, racing opportunities and commercial support. The founding partners point to the approaching Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and continued growth in women's cycling as reasons to invest in the next generation of riders.

"For us, there is no better investment in cycling than the next generation," said Canyon founder Roman Arnold. "When Eric first brought us the idea, the answer was an easy ‘yes’ and we are proud to be the first brand to back his vision of finding North America's next Tour de France champion. I also believe this team will teach all of us something about building community and delivering value to sponsors in the social-first era we now live in."

The team is scheduled to launch later this year, with its first full European training camp planned for December ahead of the 2027 racing season.

Before gravel, there was a time, fleetingly, when road racing in North America was on the ascendency. Buoyed by the success of a certain Texan at a certain race around France, resources previously allocated to more traditional sports began to find their way into cycling. The result was multiple stage races of the highest calibre, on U.S. soil. Reigning world champions and Tour de France heroes—like Thor Hushovd and Cadel Evans—arrived fit and ready to race at the Tours of Utah, Colorado and California.

And a fresh crop of up-and-coming young American racers was ready to rise to the occasion. The next generation: Taylor Phinney, Tejay van Garderen, Alex Howes. In these riders and their contemporaries, U.S. cycling had its protagonists and captured the attention of legions of new fans.

"I don’t think it's any accident that some of the best years, in terms of quality of races that we had in the States, were years when Garmin and BMC were big rivals, and you had multiple proper professional teams battling it out every week," says Alex Howes, looking back at that part of his career. "They weren’t just North American or American teams by name—they had the best U.S. racers as well. When you have a bit of depth there and a bit of a rivalry, it gives something for the fans to get behind."

Now retired from racing, Howes serves as a sports director for the brand-new U.S.-registered UCI ProTeam, Modern Adventure Pro Cycling. The team exists for the express purpose of highlighting and developing American riders, with the hope of eventually becoming a top-division team and competing in the biggest races in the world.

Howes and those of his generation raced through the peak years, as well as the lull that followed after the revelations about systematic doping in the previous generation came to light. Subsequently, a slow decline in sponsorship funds and other resources led to the demise of the big three U.S. stage races, as well as other U.S. cycling events.

Without races, there is no venue for racers to show themselves. U.S.-based talent hasn’t disappeared, but high achievers have largely been finding opportunity in mountain bike racing and gravel, disciplines with more opportunity and less baggage. Modern Adventure Pro Cycling hopes to change that.

"The pipeline’s not really there right now. That’s really the main goal of the team, to bring guys from the States and get them over to Europe and really get them a shot," says Howes.

Howes was instrumental in the recruitment efforts of the team, which was created by George Hincapie and his brother Rich, as well as businessmen Luis Vargas and Dustin Harder.

In tandem with fellow sports directors, Ty Magner and Joey Rosskopf, two other former pros, Howes says they constructed a team that was focused on "really trying to find a group of guys that would be able to mesh well with each other and ride well together and buy into the whole idea of riding as a team and trying to get results as a group."

To achieve success, they wanted cooperation from everyone on the team. He says, "The reality is that cycling, for the last five to ten years, if you can’t ride as a team, if you can’t ride as a unit, it just doesn't work. The higher-level teams are too organised and too strong."

So far, the whole experience has been a bit of a trial by fire, and Howes and his fellow directors are learning new things every day. “Definitely, as a director crew, there’s so much we didn’t know coming into it. And there’s still a five-thousand-page book’s worth of things we still don’t know. Hopefully, we find out, but maybe we don’t. [I’m] wearing a different set of pants, literally and figuratively. So it’s been a big learning process.”

The Modern Adventure team is off to a strong start this debut season, but they’ve also received some pushback. Team co-founder George Hincapie and performance director Bobby Julich were part of the era that was fueled by performance-enhancing drugs. According to Howes, "those guys, George and Bobby, they’re probably the first to say that there are skeletons in the closet."

Howes has had a lot of time to grapple with the fallout from the doping era.

"It's funny," he says, "Because some of the stuff that happened in that generation—the blowback was tough, it was really hard on the sport of cycling, especially in the States. But through all that chaos and bullsh*t, it really created a huge window of opportunity for me, and my generation.

"Slipstream Sports, billed as the "clean team", needed a young American rider named Alex Howes that they could send to get blood tested 48 times a season and call me up every week to make sure I understood the mission: go fast and [do it] clean."

And because of that, Howes got to race on the world's biggest stage.

"Had that pathway not been there for me, I’m not some superstar rider who would have found a way. I needed that window and through all of the chaos and Lance blowback, that window opened wide open for me. So I feel pretty fortunate in kind of a funny way."

As an instrumental part of this new project, Howes feels the criticism levelled at the team, but he also understands it.

"The pushback hurts sometimes," Howes admits. "People shouting about stuff. Yelling in the comments about George and how we’re all a bunch of dopers and idiots. I sit there thinking, 'man, I got tested so many times and did everything right.' All I want to do is give an opportunity to some of these young guys. Guess you gotta ignore the haters and keep pressing forward. Some of that is justified, too, though. It’s okay."

It’s been noted by some that the former dopers on European pro teams haven’t necessarily received the same level of scrutiny; but then there are different cultural norms. Furthermore, removing anyone tied to the scandal is unrealistic. For Howes, he’s happy to look forward.

"It's not really a secret that we would love, if he’s up for it, to sign George’s son, Enzo, when he’s no longer a junior," Howes shares. "If you can’t turn the page when it’s literally a new generation, when do you turn the page? Because at some point we need to turn that page."

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, with Howes and his fellow directors behind the wheel, clinched its first major GC victory in Europe last week with sprinter Ben Oliver claiming the overall title at the Tour de Wallonie. While a lot of the focus in on European exposure, the team will do a block of racing in North America later this summer, including at the much-anticipated return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.

Wild Rye founder Cassie Abel’s Out of Office message says it all:

"I'm lobbying for fair and balanced trade policy + protection for public lands in DC for the week. I'll get back to your email as time allows."

The week before, Abel was at the Sea Otter Classic, assisting women in the brand’s tent as they tried on shorts, overalls and tops designed to make cycling a more enjoyable and welcoming activity. Abel was in her element, but she was also fretting about having to go to DC to lobby for trade policy again—something that she never saw herself doing when she decided to start a women’s cycling brand.

When it comes to advocacy, Abel believes small brands are increasingly doing the work larger companies won't or can't. The recent tariff battle merely exposed a reality that has existed for years: when cycling needs someone to speak up, it's often the smallest businesses that show up.

Abel had always planned to run a values-driven business. Since its inception, Wild Rye has been outspoken about women's reproductive rights and land conservation. Advocating for tariff relief feels like a distraction from those core values, but as Abel sees it, trade policy has become a matter of survival.

At the People for Bikes Leadership Conference earlier this year, tariffs dominated the conversation. But when Abel took the microphone during a Q&A session, she noticed something missing. Much of the discussion focused on bike manufacturers and hard goods, but what about the soft goods? What about the businesses that may not have been affected by the cost of aluminium, but also can’t just move their production to a country with a lower tariff rate, until this 'blows over’?

"The cycling industry isn’t just about the bikes themselves," says Ash Lovell, Ph.D., Vice President of Government Relations at PeopleForBikes. "It’s about the entire ecosystem around them."

Abel's question at the conference ultimately led to the creation of an apparel working group, ensuring that clothing brands had a seat at the table.

For apparel companies, the challenge is unique. A brand like Wild Rye can end up lumped together with fast-fashion giants despite operating in a completely different market.

"Educating legislators on the unique nature of the outdoor industry, cycling industry, our performance fabrics and complicated construction techniques in order to create garments at the performance standards that we need, is very unique to our industry," Abel says. "We’re helping them understand that while apparel coming out of China in general might be made in excess, for outdoor apparel and cycling apparel, that's not the case."

For founders like Abel, the frustration is that trade policy is only one of many issues demanding attention. Inflation, economic uncertainty and shifting regulations are already challenging small businesses. At the same time, issues like public land access, public health and environmental protection continue to shape cycling's future.

"There's so much that we have to advocate for right now, it's insane," says Abel.

Wild Rye has historically been a vocal advocate of reproductive health care, but those efforts have been moved to the back burner as the fight for survival takes precedence.

"We can only do so much...right now we're really focused on trade, because that's survival for us, and we can't do the other good work if we aren’t in business," Abel says.

And survival is no exaggeration. Lovell says that the tariffs, as first proposed, would have "crippled the industry." She praises the smaller brands for their "scrappiness" and boldness when it comes to advocacy work, while recognising that for many, it is not a choice.

"They have to do it because it's make or break for them," she said.

SHREDLY founder Ashley Rankin explains that the brand simply does not have the resources to shift its supply chains as nimbly as a bigger brand. Thus, trade policy hits hard.

"We don't have the luxury to make some of the decisions that the bigger brands could make. From an advocacy point of view, we're more at risk in so many ways," Rankin explains.

While tariffs brought advocacy to the forefront, small cycling brands have always been among the first to take public positions on issues they care about. Whether it's Wild Rye advocating for reproductive rights and land conservation or SHREDLY championing size inclusion, founder-led businesses often have more overt points of view than their larger competitors.

Why? Partly, because they can.

Large corporations are accountable to boards, investors and shareholders, making public positions on contentious issues harder to take. Smaller companies operate differently. They can move faster, be more vocal and make decisions that reflect the values of their founders.

SHREDLY, for instance, is accountable only to Rankin, and while that comes with its own challenges, it allows her to make decisions that align with her values, not just a bottom line.

Of course, advocacy isn't free. It takes time, money and energy. Yet, there is arguably a distinct upside for brands that are willing to put their money and time where their values lie: Advocacy can be authentic marketing, without any ad spend.

Consumers increasingly expect brands to stand for something beyond the products they sell. A 2020 survey from 5WPR found that 83 percent of Millennials said it was important for the companies they buy from to align with their beliefs and values. A 2025 survey from Lightspeed found that 96 percent of Gen Z consumers shop intentionally, while 66 percent said it is important that their purchases reflect their values.

And this is where small brands have a unique opportunity.

"If you're a small business and you are entering this market, you have to have a reason for being that makes you a little bit different from the bigger brands," says Rankin.

"For us, if we're going to be a women's brand, then we better make apparel for all women. Making the size range that we do sets us apart from some of the bigger brands, even if it’s more expensive for us. It ultimately is part of why we can exist, because we can set ourselves apart, and we can do things a little bit differently."

Similarly, Wild Rye loudly champions women’s reproductive rights (when not busy fighting tariffs).

"We lost a few customers over reproductive health care in particular, but that was something we were willing to do because that’s just so important to our team, and to our core community," Abel says. "It actually strengthened the relationship with our existing, loyal fans. And so I believe that it was the right position to take."

Of course, advocating for fair and balanced trade policy isn’t a sexy way to grow your fan base, but choices like standing up for women’s rights, pushing forward with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or advocating for public lands can all help create a cohesive brand identity and pull in like-minded consumers who aren’t just comparing price tags.

Yet it's becoming increasingly difficult to spot real advocacy versus performative activism. Yes, advocacy is speaking up on social media and making your stance clear, Abel says. But it’s also making phone calls (a nightmare for a Millennial like herself, she admits), writing emails and letters, showing up in DC and at the state capital to meet with various legislators.

Ultimately, advocacy is a matter of survival for these brands—and perhaps for the industry as a whole.

"I think the cycling industry, if it wants to survive, needs to change," says Abel. "And it needs to change at a faster clip. I know a lot of great humans in the industry, and it requires those great humans to stand for something bigger than themselves, bigger than their brand."

Rankin agrees: "I believe that today, with the uphill battles that we are facing with climate change, with the unfair and disproportionate distribution of wealth, you have to have a moral compass as a brand, and I do think it needs to be authentic and genuine."

When a car drives dangerously close to you as a cyclist, you barely have time to react, to process it. One second, you are riding along as normal, without a care in the world, the next thing you know, a tonne and a half of metal and its driver is passing at speed centimetres away from you, and all you can do is hope for the best. The violence of it is difficult to describe, but imagine being at peace, focusing on the road ahead, only for a big block of metal to come thundering past you at at least twice your speed. It’s terrifying every time, but you become numb to it, of course you do. It happens on almost every ride I go on, and happened on Sunday, on a normal country road.

Every time it happens, I’m reminded of my vulnerability as a cyclist. There are things that can mitigate the experience, whether that be rear-view mirrors or radars, but there’s nothing to stop a driver interrupting your flow state like this, in the moment. No matter what you’re wearing, or how brightly lit you are, a moment of inattention could cause disaster. This is true of all driving incidents, of course, but on a bike, you can feel particularly helpless sometimes.

All this is to say, I know I’m vulnerable as a cyclist. I wear a helmet, I obey the highway code, I choose routes to avoid traffic, and yet that all might not be enough. So imagine my, err, amusement to hear that on Sunday, members of my cycling club on their usual ride were pulled over by the police to remind them of their vulnerability, and to suggest that cyclists should use rear lights to be clear to other road users.

Great, that’s a problem solved then. There will be no more cyclists knocked down by inattentive drivers in the west of England, thanks to this campaign by Avon and Somerset Police to make riders aware of what they’re going through. My friends told me that the police officer said that they were stopping everyone on two wheels as part of a campaign for safer roads, but it feels more than a little bit victim-blaming and ignoring the bigger problem – those in cars.

This is apparently part of a bigger campaign called Operation Apex, aimed at reducing the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured, which has somehow caught us non-powered two-wheeled riders in its net too. It’s about education, but is every driver being stopped to remind them of their responsibilities on the road? Heightened responsibility, too, given the hierarchy of vulnerability, which has pedestrians at the top, with cyclists just below, and those in the largest vehicles at the bottom.

Operation Apex will see cyclists and motorcyclists engaged “directly”, according to the police force, while action will be taken against drivers “when offences are identified”. This does not feel equal, even if they say “our focus throughout is on reducing harm, improving road safety and protecting some of the most vulnerable people using our roads”.

It is outrageous to tell cyclists that they are vulnerable and not try and educate all drivers too. I hope that work is being done, but it’s probably easier to lecture riders than stop every driver, so I somehow doubt that the message is cutting through to every person behind the wheel. The best way to do this would be to bake the rules for drivers on interacting with cyclists at every opportunity, but instead we are left with victim-blaming.

Yet again, the police have gotten their approach to road safety wrong. They still don’t seem to fully understand where the danger comes from on British roads, and therefore who needs to be educated in order to improve the situation.

Close passes or near-misses might be non-events to drivers, but to cyclists every one is violent, and might force people off the road. I know people who have stepped back from cycling, or prioritised off-road, or never even started riding, because of the fear of dangerous driving. It’s not something that’s a theory, but a reality for all of us on two wheels. In a time where there is so much anger directed towards cyclists for simply existing, there is more to be done than using a rear light.

Next time you’re close passed, just remember you’re vulnerable. That’ll solve the issue.

This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.

If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.

There are days in cycling that are as dreaded as they are inevitable. In this example, I had secretly hoped that somehow Katie Archibald would keep racing forever. But last week she announced that she’s decided it is time to move on to other things.

This made me sad in a way that few rider retirements do. I’ve worked in and around cycling for a long time, but there are relatively few riders of whom I’d describe myself as a straightforward fan. Katie is one of them. I cared about her successes. I cared about her setbacks. I cared about how things were going for her.

On the track she looked like no one else, and I think that’s where my enthusiasm started. I tend to be a fan of riders who have power. Yes, I like watching someone whose career is built on tactical flare, or someone who sparkles erratically, lights up the race, then dies away. But when it comes to instinctive fandom, I want riders who can pile the watts high and pile them all day long.

>> Why Katie Archibald was such an exceptional athlete

(Although Katie had tactical acumen to burn – she was the first rider who pointed out to me that the team leading at a lap to go for a Madison sprint usually goes on to take the points. It doesn’t sound right, but next time you watch a Madison, watch for it and you’ll find she’s spot on.)

I’m also selfish with my fandom. I want value from my emotional investment. So another reason I liked watching Katie race is that she never let me down. Often she (and usually her team or Madison pair) won. But even if she didn’t, she was almost always in it till the end. Her disappointing races felt rare.

She’s aggravatingly talented in other ways. I interviewed her for a podcast a few years ago. When we got the video call up and running, she explained that the backdrop was Laura and Jason Kenny’s basement, because that’s where she was staying. (It was in the aftermath of Covid, so it made sense for a variety of reasons.)

She ended up giving me a weird upside-down tour of the underside of the Kennys’ floor. “This is the spot where Laura always kicks off that pair of clumpy shoes she likes and wakes me up… this is just below their evil washing machine…” I had to pause the recording so I could stop laughing and straighten myself out. It gave me the idea for a reality TV show called something like “Stalker in the Basement”, but I suspect the only person who could have presented it was Katie and she’s much too intelligent to waste on that.

And of course she wrote a great column for Cycling Weekly for a couple of years – as an insight into being an Olympic athlete it was fabulous. As an insight into being Katie Archibald it was better.

Even in her departure she’s got class. I admire a rider who calmly decides it’s time to move on – so many good riders cling on to racing too long and find that when they finally stop they’ve been obsessed with the aerodynamic properties of their shoulders for so long that they have no coherent idea how to function as an adult member of society.

And even more, I admire someone who goes to find a real job outside sport and do something that’s actually useful. It’s fitting that Katie is abandoning us to be a nurse. I can’t imagine she’ll be anything other than brilliant at that too.

It’s going to feel odd to be a fan of a nurse I’ll almost certainly never meet in a professional capacity at a hospital I’ll never visit, but there we are. That’s what I’m going to be.

How To… Choose between the bike path and the road

Often there is a choice between using a road and using a parallel bike path – the latter almost always shared with pedestrians. And yes, it’s a choice. You can use either. Even if no one will ever believe you.

Which you use depends on many things: your speed, your journey, and most importantly, exactly which way you would prefer to end up in hospital.

The hazards on the shared path are multiple. There are pedestrians, children, dogs and, most of all, cars, either parked on the path or driven by people who feel that looking before driving over the path to a turning or driveway is an infringement of their civil liberties. Most of these risks you can mitigate by going slowly.

On the road, you can go faster and there’s really only one hazard. The problem is that it’s a big one. A curiosity of the shared path is that it makes the road beside it more dangerous because so many drivers think you should be on the path. They have hand gestures on the subject that they’re convinced repeal the relevant provisions of the Road Traffic Act and the Highway Code, and feel empowered to overtake at a range of 20 centimetres.

Of course you’ll also get quite a lot of abuse on the path from pedestrians who feel you should be on the road and have their own range of gestures. But at least the pedestrians are not usually quite so heavily armed.

Acts of Cycling Stupidity

I hear of a rider who went on holiday with a few non-cycling friends, taking his bike with him. Over dinner the first evening he treated everyone to a long speech about the toughness of cyclists, their laughter in the face of pain and suffering, and a full-length, “80 kph protected only by a bit of Lycra – footballers could learn a thing or two from us,” routine.

The following morning he went out for a ride. 10 km from their rented house his front wheel slipped on some gravel and down he went.

Suffering from a small bruise and some torn bar tape, he phoned his wife and requested rescue. “Can you bring some antiseptic, I’ve got a bit of a graze,” he said. “And maybe you don’t tell the others where you’re going?”

The UCI has approved a series of significant rule changes affecting equipment, rider safety and the professional calendar, including a ban on front jersey pockets, limits on cycling computer dimensions and a major reshuffling of the Vuelta dates for both the men's and women's pelotons.

Meeting in Desenzano del Garda, Italy, the governing body's Management Committee signed off on a series of reforms and measures that will begin taking effect as early as next month.

Noteworthy actions include:

Front jersey pockets outlawed

The most immediate change concerns jersey design.

After observing teams using internal front pockets filled with nutrition products to improve aerodynamics, the UCI has decided to prohibit front-mounted pockets altogether starting July 1, 2026.

The UCI claims the nutritional products were "generally not consumed because they were extremely difficult, or even impossible in race conditions, to access. These pockets result in significant alterations to the riders’ body shape."

The governing body said the practice was supported by aerodynamic studies and raised concerns about both sporting fairness and rider safety, arguing that speed gains can contribute to more severe crashes.

By limiting pockets to the rear of a cycling jersey only, the UCI hopes to put the kibosh on any more body shape-altering tactics. Only a dedicated pocket for race radio equipment will be permitted on the front of jerseys going forward.

Computer size restrictions

The UCI wants to limit the dimensions of bike computers, introducing a maximum size of 126mm by 71mm, starting January 1, 2028.

While the restriction should not affect any current market-leading devices, but ensures future products won't get even bigger.

Justifying their reasoning, the UCI cited concerns about rider distraction and cognitive load.

"Several studies have shown that the increasing volume of data available to riders during competition can contribute to an increased cognitive workload, a key factor in the occurrence of accidents," the UCI states.

"Limiting the size of bike computers is intended to prevent an excessive increase in the amount of data available during races, which could significantly compromise rider safety."

Calendar changes

The UCI also confirmed substantial calendar changes for 2027, some of which are likely to be for one year only to accommodate the 'Super Worlds' in late August.

Mimicking the men's calendar, the Vuelta España Femenina will move from its spring slot to the end of the Women's WorldTour season, taking place immediately after the men's Vuelta. The UCI did not explain the reason for the move.

Meanwhile, the men's Vuelta will be contested entirely in September (fourth - 26th) to accommodate the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc, France which run from August 24 to September fifth and feature 20 cycling disciplines.

Other calendar adjustments include moving the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women and Classic Lorient Agglomération earlier in the year, while the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start one day earlier than usual.

Yellow cards and pictograms

The UCI continues to double down on the safety agenda spearheaded by SafeR, and will be extending its yellow card system.

The UCI states that feedback about the disciplinary mechanism at the WorldTour and ProSeries levels has been positive and so, it will introduced it at the Elite men's and women's Class 1 events as well at the start of the 2027 season.

Similar to systems used in sports like soccer/football, yellow cards are handed out by race commissaires for infractions that threaten peloton safety.

The system works through a staggered accumulation of penalties over set timeframes. For example, receiving two yellow cards in a one-day race or a single stage race results in immediate disqualification plus a seven-day suspension.

"This system aims to improve safety by increasing the accountability of the various individuals present in races," the UCI says. "Although the accumulation of yellow cards can result in short-term suspensions, the objective of the system is above all to prevent potentially dangerous behaviour."

As a further safety measure, race organisers will begin introducing hazard pictograms across the international calendar. These standardised warning symbols will indicate dangers such as road narrowings, sharp bends, speed bumps and railway crossings.

The UCI isn't giving up on its legal fight over gear ratio limits.

In a press release today, cycling's governing body confirmed it will appeal to Belgium's highest court after losing the latest round in its legal battle with component manufacturer SRAM.

The dispute centres on a UCI-led Maximum Gear Ratio Test Protocol, which would limit bikes to a 54x11 top gear.

The testing protocol was introduced at select races in 2025 following recommendations from SafeR, the sport's safety body. It involved measuring riders' maximum gear ratios and gathering feedback on whether restrictions could help reduce speeds and improve safety in the peloton.

The test protocol quickly ran into opposition from SRAM, which argued that it effectively favoured certain drivetrain configurations and risked distorting competition in the cycling components market.

"The protocol forces SRAM to mechanically disable its 10-tooth cog, reducing gear options and placing SRAM-equipped riders at a competitive disadvantage," the brand stated at the time.

The American manufacturer challenged the measures before the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA), which ultimately sided with SRAM and ordered the UCI to suspend the test programme.

"The procedures for determining technical standards enacted for this purpose, as well as the related tests, must meet essential conditions of proportionality, objectivity, transparency and non-discrimination in view of the economic consequences of these standards," the BCA stated.

"They cannot result in an undue restriction of competition between sports equipment suppliers."

In turn, the UCI appealed that decision, arguing the protocol was a safety measure rather than a competition issue. However, the Brussels Court of Appeal dismissed that appeal, finding that the UCI had not sufficiently justified the proposed restrictions or demonstrated that they were necessary and proportionate to achieve the stated goal of improving rider safety.

Now, the UCI has confirmed it intends to keep fighting.

In a statement issued following a meeting of its Management Committee, the governing body reiterated the purpose of the programme, stating: "Recommended by SafeR, the maximum gear ratio test was intended to gather riders' views on the relevance of introducing gear ratio limitations in professional road cycling as a means of improving safety."

Despite the latest setback, the governing body is not backing down.

"In light of the Brussels Court of Appeal's decision, and concerned by both the very low threshold applied by the BCA for imposing interim measures and the limited scope of the Court of Appeal's review in the appeal proceedings, the Management Committee confirmed the UCI's intention to lodge an appeal before the Belgian Court of Cassation."

The Court of Cassation is Belgium's highest court and reviews whether the law has been correctly applied by lower courts.

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling has clinched its first major GC victory in Europe with sprinter Ben Oliver powering to another stage win and the overall title at the Tour de Wallonie.

Oliver, a former crit racer from New Zealand, out-muscled a group of five in the fifth and final stage in Aubel, Belgium.

After an undulating and rainy stage, Arnaud de Lie [Lotto-Intermarché] and Oliver, both GC contenders, went head-to-head after surviving a big crash in the final 150 metres.

With Oliver coming out ahead, he claims the biggest win yet for the new American team, taking home both the points jersey and the overall title.

"It's insane to get my first pro win, and then a GC for a five-day race in Belgium is absolutely incredible. On the new American team, vibes are super high, and it's just a wicked team to be a part of," said Oliver post-race.

The GC battle was an extremely tight one, with Oliver trailing behind American Riley Sheehan (NSN Cycling team) by just 3 seconds going into the final. De Lie at his heels with the same time. Only a win would secure the GC victory.

As the stage neared its finale, a big crash halted most of the peloton with only five riders contesting the finish: Oliver, De Lie, Killian Théot (Van Rysel-Roubaix), Anders Foldager (Jayco-AlUla) and Daan Depuydt (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions). Sheehan was among those who crashed hard in the final bend.

In the end, Oliver claimed the GC by a mere 2 seconds over Sheehan with De Lie rounding out the GC podium, trailing by a mere 5 seconds behind Oliver.

The victory represents a huge milestone in Modern Adventure Pro Cycling’s debut season. The team was founded by former professional rider George Hincapie with the ambition of building a long-term pathway for American riders and reaching the Tour de France within five years.

Earlier this season, the team helped Samuel Flórez secure a stage win and the best young rider’s jersey at the Tour of the Gila. And in South Africa, Stefan de Bod claimed the national time trial title in January.

A brand new, empty streak of black tarmac ribbon, especially for bike riders. Sounds like utopia, doesn't it? One such example has popped up not far from where I live in Surrey, in the south of England, connecting one town with another. Lucky you, you might think. Except I'm not entirely sure we are.

Driving past it the other day, I was afforded a car's-eye view of a few of the things that are getting people so exercised about it in the local community groups: lovely new tarmac especially for bike riders (that's the perspective, but in fact it's a shared path), at a cost of endless jams at temporary traffic lights and roadworks and, at the last count, more than £1.5 million – and apparently not a soul using it. Even worse, the final, teeth-grinding straw from the driver's perspective, is that some cyclists are instead choosing to use the road, which has in fact been made narrower to accommodate the path.

But the motorist's take is just one side of the cycle path coin and, as is sadly often the case, that of the cyclist is rather different. Somewhere in the middle of the two lie all the issues that continue to come between bike riders and drivers in the UK, even when dedicated infrastructure is being built.

Approached from a cyclist's point of view, this new path near me (and so many others like it – no doubt there's one near you too) suffers from a couple of fairly major flaws. For one, the surface, despite being brand new, is not smooth. Riding on it at, say 15mph, it feels rippled – like wet sand when the tide goes out. You wouldn't know it driving by, and if you were out for a 10mph jaunt with the kids on the mountain bike, you probably wouldn't know it either. On a road bike though, it's not unrideable, but it's a lot less pleasant than the lovely smooth-surfaced road next to it.

Perhaps more of a concern is that this path is all under trees (we're in Surrey, after all) and mere weeks after construction, it's strewn with debris, from slimy-looking spreads of seeds to twigs and even branches. And as far as I can tell, ain't nobody on their way to clean it up. What will it look like in six months? Again, mountain biking on this is fine, once you've negotiated the branches, but it isn't road bike territory.

There are other flaws we'll all be familiar with – riders have to give way to every side road for example. And it's not that easy to get onto – this path runs along one edge of a busy road and if you're heading in the other direction you'll need to cross over it. In addition to all of that, like many others, it's a two-way bike path shared with pedestrians. What could possibly go wrong?

Given my extensive moaning about the path (apologies), it might come as a surprise to learn there is no way I'll be choosing the road option over it. And the reason for that is yet another indictment: its very existence has ramped up tensions locally to the point where I would now feel too vulnerable taking the clearly more comfortable and more efficient road option – which was previously pretty safe, at least for adult road bike riders.

These tensions are spilling out in local community forums, where overwhelmingly negative views range from a weary “it's a waste of money”, to “cyclists shouldn't complain if they use the road and get hit by a car”, and the well-trodden, “they don't pay road tax so have no right to be there”. What began as a way to encourage active travel and engender less tension between two types of road users has, at this point, resulted in peak levels of friction between them instead.

It's not even as if these things are created on a post-pub Friday afternoon by an uninvested team. This path, and many like it, was planned over a long period in consultation with local cycling groups. It's clear that creating the 'perfect' bike path around already existing infrastructure is extremely difficult. As in this case, there will often be compromises.

Our local path has the potential to have great benefits once it is finished, enabling young families and cycle commuters to travel safely to the next town by bike. But the faster road riders who choose not to use paths like this are undoubtedly at greater risk than they were before it existed, and that isn't right.

Either councils need to ensure these paths have road bike-ready surfaces and are maintained as such, or they need to be far more visible in defending the rights of roadies not to use the path – as per the UK's Highway Code.

We shouldn't regard non-shared, cyclist-only paths as an impossible dream either. From both the cyclist and the pedestrian perspective, this is surely the ideal, and projects like London's Cycling Superhighway – not to mention the utopia that exists across the North Sea in the Netherlands – have demonstrated their feasibility.

Let's keep on pushing. One day maybe we'll get there, but for the moment it seems the perfect bike path in the UK is still a struggle.

Célia Gery out-sprinted Lucinda Brand and Chantal Pegolo to win stage seven of the Giro d'Italia Women after a daring descent.

The 20-year-old FDJ United-SUEZ rider got herself into a winning position and recorded her first career victory, after bridging to the break on the day's only classified climb, with Brand (Lidl - Trek) and Pegolo (Isolmant - Premac - Vittori) taking second and third place, respectively.

Earlier in the day, race leader Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) were caught up in a crash involving multiple riders. However, Van der Breggen remains in pink.

Before the sprint, GC contender Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) burned up valuable energy for little return – ahead of another big day tomorrow – working hard during a break in the final 10km, in a gamble that ultimately came to nothing.

Meanwhile, Demi Vollering played the tactical game and deliberately held back, instructing her FDJ-SUEZ teammates to keep their powder dry and not contribute to the chase, a strategy that bore extra fruit for the team when Gery got the win.

Before the defining feature of the day, the climb up Pietragavina, a breakaway group led by Italians Gaia Segato (Vini Fantini - BePink) and Chantal Pegolo (Isolmant - Premac - Vittoria), along with Canadian Alison Jackson (St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93) had led the peloton for a long part of the stage.

During the 7.9km climb their lead was rapidly eroded, however, and the peloton became stretched as those at the front of the pack pushed to reel them in, with several riders falling out the back. Notably, multistage winner Elisa Balsamo was strong enough to stay in the mix, helped by her Lidl-Trek teammate Lucinda Brand.

Segato held on just long enough to take the maximum Queen of the Mountain points, but the order was completely shaken up during subsequent descent, as FDJ United-SUEZ went on the attack, led by Vollering.

"At the top of the climb I accelerated to position Demi for the descent," Gery told reporters after her win, before describing how the situation became chaotic. "I was going very fast… I didn't know what to think about the situation, but I was able to play it tactically. I had to stay fresh in the head and keep my nerve, but that's it - I've done it."

While this was her first senior victory on the big stage, the 20-year-old Frenchwoman is the reigning UCI Junior World Champion in road racing, and under-23 European champion in cyclo-cross.

Results

Giro d’Italia Women stage seven: Sorbolo Mezzani > Salice Terme (159km)

1. Célia Gery (Fra) FDJ United-Suez 3:51:13

2. Lucinda BrandLidl - Trek 0:00

3. Chantal Pegelo (Ita) Isolmant - Premac - Vittoria 0:00

4. Alison Jackson (Can) St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93 0:00

5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ 0.03

6. Gaia Segato (Ita) Vini Fantini - BePink 0:03

7. Lara Gillespie (Ita)UAE Team ADQ 0:08

8. Chiara Consonni (Ita) Canyon//SRAM 0:08

9. Millie Couzens (UK) Fenix-Premier Tech 0:08

10. Josie Nelson (UK) Team Picnic PostNL 0:08

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE seven

1. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx–Protime, in 23:40:36

2. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United–Suez, +1:00

3. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +1:24

4. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek, +2:01

5. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +2:03

6. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ, +2:07

7. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Lidl-Trek, +2:33

8. Femke de Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2:38

9. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco, +3:21

10. Urška Žigart (Slo) AG Insurance-Soudal +3:26

Colorado Governor Jared Polis today signed SB26-132, known as Magnus' Law, establishing a new statewide protocol requiring law enforcement officers to offer a voluntary preliminary breath screening test in crash investigations involving fatal or serious bodily injury.

The law is named in honour of Magnus White, the 17-year-old cyclist and member of the U.S. national cycling team, who was killed while on a training ride in July 2023.

White's death became a rallying point for the legislation aimed at ensuring investigators have the opportunity to gather time-sensitive evidence relating to possible driver impairment.

The driver who struck and killed White, Yeva Smilianska, was convicted of vehicular homicide and reckless driving and was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by three years of mandatory parole.

During the trial, Smilianska argued that a mechanical failure caused the crash. Investigators later reported finding no vehicle defects, and prosecutors contended that she had fallen asleep at the wheel.

A central concern for the White family was that no breath or blood test was administered at the scene. Court proceedings brought to light the fact that Smilianska had consumed alcohol earlier that day after finishing a shift at a bar. She had also taken medication. But questions about possible impairment couldn't be resolved because no roadside screening test was conducted.

"Evidence at a crash scene is the most fragile thing in the world. It exists for a moment, and then it is gone. If you do not capture the truth at the scene, you may never capture it at all. Magnus' Law helps fix that," said the White family via a statement.

Governor Polis signed the legislation during a ceremony at Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, where White spent countless hours training and competing.

"The last time we stood here at Valmont Bike Park was Magnus' memorial service. It was one of his favourite places. It felt the fitting place for his memorial service then, and now the fitting place for the signing of the law in his name," the White family stated.

"For us, as Magnus' mom and dad, it is really hard to celebrate a law named after our son. But this is a time for us to be grateful."

Supporters say the legislation creates a clearer and more consistent investigative process for the state's most serious crashes while preserving drivers' rights.

According to the bill text, officers must inform drivers that any preliminary breath screening test is voluntary and that they may refuse it. Refusal cannot be used as the basis for a driver's licence revocation or other administrative licence action under Colorado law.

"No family should ever have to wonder whether impairment was fully investigated after a loved one is killed or seriously injured on our roads," said Jacqueline Claudia, Executive Director of The White Line Foundation.

"This law exists because a family turned unimaginable grief into action."

The White Line Foundation was established by Magnus White's parents following his death and advocates for policies aimed at reducing preventable road fatalities.

Only a year ago Dr Sarah Ruggins was recovering from the gruelling experience of setting a new John o' Groats to Land's End and back record. But it didn't take the Canadian-born ultra-cyclist long to dream up a new challenge that would take her even further. This time, she will be riding south to north across Continental Europe – and her ride begins tomorrow (Friday 5 June).

Her 'One Way North' (OWN) record attempt, announced earlier this year, will take her from Tarifa in Spain – the most southerly point of mainland Europe – all the way up to Nordkapp at the top of Norway.

Cycling 22 hours a day and covering more than 6,000km (3,700 miles) Ruggins – now based in Gloucestershire in the UK – will ride through nine countries along the way: Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Norway.

“On a ride like this, the hard part is staying sharp when tired,” said Ruggins in a press-release. “The record will come down to thousands of small decisions, repeated hour after hour."

“It’s about focusing on the controllables that allow you to keep moving forward when the environment is not in your favour and your mind is telling you to quit. I’ve learned you can outwork most challenges as they arise if you adhere to your process and not your emotions.”

The record Ruggins will be aiming for currently stands at 16 days, 20 hours and 59 minutes, set in 2019 Dr Ian Walker, a university psychology professor. Beating it will make her the fastest person of either gender to complete the ride – as is also the case with her John o' Groats to Land's End double ride.

On that occasion she beat both the previous women's and men's records to register a time of five days, 11hrs, 15min.

Her cross-Europe OWN record attempt will also see Ruggins raising money for the World Bicycle Relief charity, which has been delivering bicycles to communities in Africa, Asia and South America for more than 20 years. Her target is £60,000 – enough to add 500 bicycles to the charity's recently celebrated milestone tally of one million.

“This is more than a record attempt,” Ruggins said. “I want to show what’s possible when life doesn’t go to plan. We can use what’s given to us to raise awareness around the power of a second chance.”

Lael Wilcox will roll away from Buckingham Fountain in Chicago in the early hours of June 7 with an ambitious target ahead of her: to become the fastest person ever, male or female, to bike around the world.

The American ultra-endurance cyclist already holds the women’s Around the World Guinness World Record, having completed an 18,125-mile circumnavigation in 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes in 2024. This time, however, she is chasing the outright mark held by Mark Beaumont, who completed his ride in 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes.

Wilcox will need to average around 240 miles (386km) per day for more than 11 weeks, riding across North America, Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand before returning to Chicago. You can read more about her route and the attempt here.

While many of Wilcox's previous ultra-distance rides have been characterised by her self-sufficient or community-driven approach, this attempt is different.

She has spent months refining every aspect of her preparation, from training and aerodynamics to logistics and equipment.

For the first time in her ultra-endurance career, she will also ride with a full support crew, allowing her to maximise time on the bike.

In the spring, Wilcox tested her equipment and positioning extensively, including sessions in Specialized’s wind tunnel in Morgan Hill, California. As she looks to find every possible advantage, she even shaved her head, stating it could save her up to 13 days.

"Not having to wash and brush it, I’d save 10 minutes a day," she explained. "That’s 13 hours in 78 days!"

Wilcox's sponsors have also pulled out all the stops for the 39-year-old with a custom paint job and custom bits. Let's have a look at the bike that will carry her across the globe.

Frameset:

Wilcox will ride a Specialized S-Works Roubaix with Future Shock suspension.

Paint:

Wilcox's bike was custom-painted and designed by Emily Hallewell. The blue frameset features the seven distinct parts of her route, her signature, and a reminder that we're all connected and just a bike ride away.

Drivetrain:

With SRAM as a main sponsor of the endeavor, the bike will be outfitted with a SRAM RED AXS drivetrain. Her gearing setup features a 48/35 chainring combination with 170mm cranks, a power meter, a 10-36 cassette, and wireless blips.

Wheels & Tyres:

Wilcox will have a choice of the all-new Zipp 202 NSW and 454 NSW wrapped in Specialized Mondo tyres.

Cockpit:

The cockpit is a custom setup built around Zipp Vuka Evo aerobars. Ruckus Composites, a carbon repair and customisation shop in Portland, Oregon, fabricated a unique block of mounts that will hold Wilcox's Wahoo computer, phone and lights.

Assccories:

Wilcox will be using Exposure lights, a Wahoo ROAM computer, a phone secured with a Quadlock mount, and bags by Revelate Designs.

Kit:

Wilcox will be wearing Rapha's new Brevet kit, a Specialized helmet over her new buzz cut, Specialzied shoes, and Roka Oslo 2.0 sunglasses.

As reported by Cycling Weekly more than a year ago, ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox is set to ride around the world once again, this time in pursuit of the overall Guinness World Record. She will set off on June 7.

In 2024, the Alaska native set a new women’s record, completing her 18,125-mile journey in 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes.

At the time, she hadn’t even made it back to her Arizona home before her brain started scheming.

That year, Wilcox had approached the record-setting ride in classic Lael fashion: fun-first and community-driven. She rode with people. She stopped often. She played tourist and added massive hills to her route simply because she loves climbing.

"Last time, I rode 12 hours a day, and I was off the bike 12 hours a day because I stopped to talk with people, eat, sleep, all this stuff," she told Cycling Weekly.

"It felt like not only a record ride, but also a global celebration of cycling. And I love the way we did it. It was so fun."

But come 7 June 2026, it’ll be all business.

"I want to beat the men’s record," Wilcox told us back in 2025. "It’s a classic battle of the sexes. Everyone’s been asking, 'What man is going to go after this record?' And none are asking, or even considering, that a woman could do it. And I think I can."

The 39-year-old aims to take on the nine-year-old record of ultra-endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont: 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes.

That means cutting 30 days from her 2024 time, and she has left no stone unturned in preparation.

In her adopted hometown of Tucson, Arizona, she’s been charging up Mount Lemmon like it’s a mere bump in the road and gaining speed at the Shootout, America’s fastest group ride.

She also spent time in the wind tunnel at Specialized’s headquarters in Morgan Hill, optimised her equipment and even shaved her head. And, for the first time in her ultra-endurance career, she’ll be fully supported.

To qualify for an Around the World record, riders must cycle a minimum of 18,000 miles in one direction, start and finish at the same location, and traverse at least two antipodal points. Air and sea travel between continents is allowed, but only the miles ridden count towards the total.

Wilcox plans to start at 4:00 a.m. on 7 June at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, Illinois. The goal is to return to the same location no later than 6:40 p.m. on 24 August. That means completing roughly 240 miles (386km) every day for 77 days.

Her route consists of seven distinct riding sections and six transfers. She’ll start by riding from Chicago to Halifax, Nova Scotia, before crossing the Atlantic and riding across Europe from Lisbon to Istanbul.

From there, she’ll head east across Kazakhstan and then south through Southeast Asia from Bangkok to Singapore. In Australia, she’ll ride from Perth to Brisbane, followed by a section through New Zealand. The final leg brings her back to North America, riding from Anchorage, Alaska, to Chicago.

"We need more women to prove what's possible,” Wilcox said in a press release announcing her route. “Breaking this record would be inspiring for women and communities all around the world."

You’ll be able to follow her journey on social media: @laelwilcox.

Scottish ultra-cyclist Caroline Livesey smashed the fastest known time for the North Coast 500 this week, taking more than four hours off the record, verification pending.

At 4am on Tuesday morning, in the growing glow of a mid-summer Scottish dawn, Livesey set off from Inverness Castle with a singular goal: to get back to the Highland city at the northern end of Loch Ness within 36 hours and 39 minutes, having cycled 516 miles (830km) – right around the top of Scotland along the NC500 touring route.

On Wednesday afternoon, after lunch, 32 sleepless hours and 22 minutes after she left, Livesey rolled back into Inverness and straight into the world record books, beating Christina Mackenzie's time in the process (verification by Guinness World Records and the World Ultra Cycling Association pending).

The men's record for the NC500 was set in September 2023, when Matt Downie rode the route in 27 hours, 30 minutes exactly, beating Mark Beaumont's previous record time by an hour.

Livesey competes at an elite level in both triathlon and gravel riding. She won the UCI Gravel World Series race in Thailand last year, when she also became the first athlete ever to win the Patagonman XTRI (known as the ‘world’s most extreme triathlon’) twice.

To set the NC500 record, the Scot rode her Orbea Ordu TT and Orbea Orca Aero virtually non-stop around the notoriously rugged route, which is actually 516 miles (830km) long, maintaining a minimum average speed of 27.3kph.

During her record-setting ride Livesey was supported by a dedicated team, including husband Mark, who kept her fuelled with food, supplied support and captured the adventure with photographs and video.

While preparing for and undertaking the record attempt, the Liveseys have been raining money to support education projects in Nepal.

"She has prepared meticulously covering all bases from aero dynamics, to fuel consumption, then practiced it many times," Mark told CW. "Although the weather was poor generally with plenty of rain during the first 12 to 18 hours, the wind was perfect, because there wasn't a breath. It turned nasty at the end with very heavy rain, so the finish wasn’t a huge celebration… Caroline was jubilant, wide eyed and just so relieved the ride had finished."

"Her nutrition was pretty good and well practiced, but during the latter 80km she needed rice pudding, mashed potatoes, and milkshakes. Finally at 40km to go, it was time for Coke. At the finish she just wanted to make sure her Gamin saved the ride for the official ratification, then to get warm and catch up with friends and family.

The NC500 is massively popular with road trippers who typically take well over a week to drive full distance, pausing to explore and enjoy the incredible coastal scenery, white sandy beaches, rugged mountains and remote fishing villages en route. Obviously there was no time for Livesey to do any of that, but Mark maintains she did enjoy it.

"This ride was obviously very difficult, but she took the time to enjoy the Highlands of Scotland, seeing so much wildlife in the process," he told us. She chose this time year because there would only be 3.5 to 4 hour of night time, and this strategy worked perfectly."