Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i Cycling Plus

I recently asked a mate to enter some sportives with me. “Why, when I can ride the roads for free?” came their deflating response. To that, as well as an unprintable thing, I replied: “Do the Fred.” Having survived the classic Lake District sportive in 2021, it had everything I love about big events, including the camaraderie between the riders; the marshals, mechanics and medics; the crowds ringing a cowbell to people they’ve never met from 6am; and the big event feel that just makes us ride further, higher and longer than we ever have. The Elvis impersonator wasn’t bad either. See you there in May. HIGHLIGHTS… THE BEST TESTS At a time when review bikes are rarer than hen’s teeth (or petrol), our senior tech editor Warren has again…

Windsor is a honeypot highlight for leisure riders doing the Thames Path: the Great Park; the Castle; Eton college just over the pedcycle bridge. And in the town’s old station building, just opposite the Castle, Cinnamon Cafe is a local legend for the area’s thronging road cyclists. At weekends, around 300–400 stop off during the day – the two giant racks outside the entrance are fortunately backed up by another 16 round the back – and what they’ve come for is, of course, the cinnamon buns. Forget the sort of stodgy lump you might get in a chain: these buns are feather-light, moist, airily spicy, delicious. Nick, the manager, chats to us just before setting out on a ride himself. The cafe’s been here 20 years, but the day-ride boom…

For Colnago’s range-topping V3Rs and its more ‘real-world’ V3, it’s a similar story to Specialized’s S-Works and ‘standard’ Aethos. The main difference between the two Colnago bikes is the carbon used for the frameset, resulting in the V3 frame on test here weighing in 200g heavier than the 790g V3Rs. The V3 frame still sneaks in under the kilogram benchmark for a ‘lightweight’ race frame, though. The V3 may weigh a little more than the V3Rs, but it costs a lot less. If you want a V3Rs with the same spec Tadej Pogačar rode to Tour de France victory, you’ll have to shell out £11,090. If you can ‘make do’ with just the V3Rs frameset, you’ll get a quid’s change from four grand. But the complete V3 bike tested here,…

If the experience of Lincoln Wheelers is any measure, the surge of people getting onto bikes through the pandemic has translated into a boost in bike club membership. “In the space of a year we would usually get five new members, and a couple would leave – but since the restrictions were lifted we’ve added at least 30 newcomers,” says John Fielding, its club secretary. “We were quite a strong club already, with around 170 members. The new intake is a mixture of people who started cycling in the lockdowns and accomplished riders looking to get more out of their riding.” But what, precisely, can being a cycling club member add to your riding? Assorted riders and club stalwarts serve up 15 reasons why you should join a club today.…

£2999.99 Swift sportive special As a brand that’s been deeply involved in both domestic and Continental road sport since its revival in 2009 under the ownership of Northern Ireland-based Chain Reaction Cycles, Vitus’ road line has always been focused on racing. Unlike its stablemates the ZX-1 (CP384) and Vitesse Evo, the Zenium CRS is aimed at sportive and endurance riders rather than out-and-out racers. That said, the Zenium still bears a UCI certification sticker so it can – and is – raced at the highest level. For an ‘endurance’ bike the Zenium certainly falls very much in the sports, rather than recreation, camp. The 608mm stack height on my XL test bike is low for the genre, and the 393.4mm reach certainly adds to the sporty feel. The geometry is…

£120 Ultimate visibility urban helmet Plenty of start-up brands have tried to integrate full 360-degree lighting into cycling helmets before, but the resulting lids have largely been rather ‘challenging’ in terms of aesthetics. The Vio, however, is a rather sharp-looking urban helmet – no surprise given the brains behind Nutcase is a former creative director at Nike. The coverage is more generous than a roadie helmet, yet the Vio still includes decent venting via the three front-to-back channels and deep vents in the EPS (expanded polystyrene) core. Padding is well placed and generous, and the rigid peak is removable depending on your style choice. The rear cradle is in a fixed position but the micro-adjust dial works brilliantly. The Vio scores with the inclusion of MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System),…

Stretching from rough commuter roads to mountain bike territory, the ‘gravel’ category covers a vast range of potential uses and riders. Unsurprisingly that means manufacturers are lining up various options. While geometry, fixtures, tyre clearance and performance priorities are important to finding the right bike, one of the main decisions is whether you go for a bike with a double or single chainring. Running a single chainring with a wide-range cassette first caught on in mountain biking. The front mech-free simplicity suits wider tyres and the sudden changes of speed and terrain make bigger jumps between gears an advantage. Whyte was one of the first manufacturers to produce ‘SCR’ – Single Chain Ring – mountain bikes to maximise the clearance and stiffness advantages of gaining extra space in the bottom…

“In March 2020, I weighed 20st 8lb (130kg). I was concerned about the impact my weight would have on my health. I could only wear slipon shoes as I couldn’t bend to tie my laces and had constant heartburn. I decided I needed to lose the belly.” “During the first lockdown the good weather enticed me to order a bike. I went cheap and cheerful with a Specialized Crosstrail. I didn’t think my belly would take to me riding a road bike and I wasn’t sure if I would stick to cycling.” “By May 2020 I was besotted with cycling, so much so that I ordered a Wattbike for some serious Zwifting and to keep cycling around work commitments. Cycling was the first type of exercise I’d ever truly enjoyed.…

01 JOIN THE CLUB Cyclocross is an easily accessible discipline, with local clubs hosting events in parks and woodland for everyone from children to veterans. The British Cycling website has a search tool to help you find your nearest club. “Clubs are a brilliant way to learn new skills,” says multiple Brit national ’cross champ Nick Craig. “From Bradford to London, local clubs run excellent weeknight training sessions.” 02 BEEFIER BIKES ’Cross bikes look like road bikes but there are a few subtle differences. “Geometry wise, they are pretty similar,” says Craig, “but there’s usually a few millimetres’ difference to the bottom bracket to allow for a bigger tyre, and a few extra millimetres of space to avoid toe overlap with the front wheel when you make tight turns.” ’Cross…

Cyclists who hibernate over winter are making a big mistake. Although we worry that cold weather makes us vulnerable to injuries and flu, many scientists believe lower temperatures trigger amazing health benefits, from burning fat and raising metabolism to fighting Seasonal Affective Disorder and boosting mental resilience – a vital resource now more than ever. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised. Ever since our ancestors left the tropical climates of Africa and Asia, humans have adapted to cooler climates. The normal temperature of the human body is 37°C, but on exposure to the cold your heart rate and metabolism rises. That’s not all: peripheral vasoconstriction decreases blood flow to the extremities to reduce heat loss, your breath quickens, oxygen floods to the brain, blood is channelled to your muscles, glucose…

Research has linked Omega-3 consumption to decreased depression and suicide It’s more important than ever to eat well as the stresses and strains of modern life can have a negative effect on our bodies and minds. It’s vital, then, that we eat to support our mood, energy and health. As well as keeping us energised enough to enjoy cycling, a good diet is key to helping our minds and bodies cope with tough times. Here, three nutrition experts suggest 14 foods to keep you upbeat and active… 1 BROWN BREAD, PASTA AND RICE “Did you know that our brain uses as much as 20 per cent of all energy required by the body in order to function?” asks nutritionist Lily Soutter. “Unlike other organs, it requires a steady supply of…

Brit Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) affords herself a smile as she nears victory in the Roubaix velodrome, in the first-ever edition of Paris-Roubaix on the women’s calendar. In what will go down as a major highlight of an already brilliant career, Deignan went clear before the famous cobbles even began, with some 82.5km remaining of the 116.5km race and managed to keep an all-star cast that included Marianne Vos at arm’s length.…

01 KING SOCK PINK RIBBON £16 These socks are designed for long endurance rides, with a fast-wicking material, Achilles support, mesh forefoot, seamless toes and reinforced heel. What’s more, £4 from each sale goes to the Pink Ribbon Foundation to aid its work for breast cancer patients. 02 LEZYNE MATRIX TEAM CAGE £20 The Matrix has everything you want from a bottle cage. It’s light (36.5g), feels stiffer than most carbon or plastic cages and grips bottles tenaciously due to its ‘composite matrix’ build. It’s also available in a myriad of colours to match your bike. 03 ZEFAL Z ADVENTURE R5 £49.99 This is a tough, five-litre-capacity fully waterproof seatpack. It’s reinforced at the mounting points for extra durability while triple mounting straps keep it secure. At 370mm-long, it has…

Thanks to Tadej Pogacar, Colnago once again topped the podium at the Tour de France this year with the V3Rs. 2021 also saw Specialized launch its S-Works Aethos – the world’s lightest production road bike and one that Specialized says wasn’t even built for professional riders (even though a few did ride them in the toughest climbing stages of this year’s Tour). In their range-topping guises, each of these bikes would set you back a five-figure sum, which, however you look at it, is a huge amount to spend on a bike. Thankfully, though, both Colnago and Specialized offer versions of these bikes at more affordable prices. First up is the Specialized Aethos Comp, which, at £4,500, is less than half the price of the £11,500 S-Works Aethos. Following close…

Colnago’s V3 is as sporty as I’d ever need a bike to be while maintaining a super-smooth ride Both Colnago’s V3 and Specialized’s Aethos Comp are superb. Either one will light up your riding and constantly impress you, whether it’s the Aethos’s low weight or the Colnago’s dynamic prowess. Nevertheless, neither of them represents great value, as both bikes deserve better wheels and tyres. You can compromise on many things, but the rubber you’re rolling on adds so much to the ride that it’s worth looking for compromises elsewhere first. I’d love to see Specialized’s Gripton tyres on the Aethos and Continental’s GP5000 tyres on the Colnago. I never felt I wanted better shifting or braking – Rival eTap AXS is smooth, swift and accurate wherever you find it –…

3366m Elevation gain on the 183km route After over seven hours in the saddle, the moment I’ve been dreading and sweating over for months has finally arrived. The 33 per cent inclines are almost comically steep, the tarmac as cracked as my mental resolve. I strain every sinew to rotate the pedals. My speed hovers at 5km/h and a fellow rider pushing his bike overtakes me. This is Hardknott. This is hardcore. And this is the Fred Whitton, the most famous and feared sportive in the nation, gracing the Lake District after an enforced hiatus last year. Held in memory of Fred Whitton, the racing secretary of the Lakes Road Club who died of cancer in 1998, the Fred began life in 1999. It’s since raised millions for charity and also…

The Revolt’s frameset is lightweight carbon, but it has fittings for mudguards and bottle cage mounts £2399 Stripped-down, smooth-running gravel special I’ve always thought that the biggest issue with the whole gravel bike genre is how it can mean such different things to so many different people. Gravel bikes can include everything from Genesis’s Vagabond – with every fixture and fitting you could think of to carry everything you’d need for an epic, long-distance multi-day adventure – to Cervélo’s Áspero, a stripped-down racing bike built for gravel racing. Then there’s our current gravel bike of the year, Cannondale’s Topstone Lefty. This is effectively a full-suspension gravel bike capable of getting you a very, very long way off the beaten track. Giant’s approach with the Revolt is a sensible choice. The…

£399 Italy’s Q36.5 does shoes differently Q 36.5 has a reputation for doing things differently – and that’s clearly evident in its new shoe. The Uniques look very much like many other top-end road shoes out there, with their offset mouth and twin Boa dials. But the upper has been designed after Q36.5 3D-mapped numerous feet and took the data, which it believes makes them one of the best-fitting shoes you can buy. Instead of a tongue, the Uniques have a supersoft, elasticated membrane that covers the whole forefoot and wraps around the opening’s collar. The inner heel is textured to add grip, the upper’s fit is close and well-proportioned, and the expanding membrane means they’ll fit a lot of foot shapes without creasing or pinching. The micromesh upper has…

01 LIFELINE OUT FRONT GPS MOUNT £14.99 WEIGHT 46.1g This simple, reasonably light alloy mount has a dual-bolt clamp and a GPS arm slotted to allow you to adjust the length to suit your head unit. It comes with inserts for Garmin and Wahoo, is easy to fit and even holds Garmin’s weighty 1030 head unit well. The plastic on the insert is harder than some and did score the back of my older 1030 a little. While it worked well on the road, it shook over gravel and the sliding arm bolt loosened a little. A dab of glue to the threads sorted this and I still think this is a real bargain. 02 PRIME DIRECT STEM COMPUTER MOUNT £16.99 WEIGHT 45.9g Chain Reaction’s Garmin- and Wahoo-compatible Prime is…

Chocolate, chia and sweet potato brownies These bars are packed with great sources of vitamin A and, by using sweet potato over white potato, we’re almost doubling our dietary fibre. Further nutritional benefits come from the inclusion of chia seeds, dark chocolate and honey. The ingredients here should make 20 good-sized brownies. INGREDIENTS 20 SERVINGS • 1 tbsp coconut oil• 450g diced sweet potato• 2 tsp ground cinnamon• Salt and pepper• 50g honey• 180g unsalted butter, diced• 200g melted dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)• 50g brown sugar• 1 tsp baking powder• 1 tbsp cocoa powder• 100g walnuts• 1 tbsp chia seeds METHOD 01 Heat oil in a non-stick pan and cook the sweet potato, cinnamon and seasoning over a medium heat until the potatoes begin to soften (6-10 mins).…

1 Keep it regular. Riding at least five times a week – a club workout, two Zwift sessions plus two ‘out, out’ days solo – is good for variety and fitting around work. 2 Change your menu. I swapped from having toast slathered with butter for breakfast, a large sandwich, crisps and chocolate for lunch plus a meal out with a load of beer most nights to porridge, a wrap and a low-calorie chicken salad or lean meat with rice or pasta. 3 Join a club. In a group you don’t notice how many miles you clock up. There’s constant motivation, support and a camaraderie that makes it easier on a cold, wet day. I used to take the piss out of my Lycra-clad mates. Now my life wouldn’t be…

WORKOUT 01 POWER CIRCUITS WHAT TO DO “Go to a local park or quiet woodland and make a mini ’cross course so you can do fast laps and high-intensity efforts,” says Craig. “Add sprints out of the turns and a few climbs up steep banks, and focus on repeated high-intensity efforts.” HOW IT HELPS Training with repeated high-power efforts, where you spike your heart rate and tax your muscles, will help your body adapt from road to cyclocross. “Cyclocross is all about going into the red, recovering then going again,” explains Craig. “Road cyclists have good fitness and power, but in ’cross you use this power in different ways, with shorter, harder efforts over challenging off-road terrain.” WORKOUT 02 BALANCE DRILLS WHAT TO DO “Go to a builder’s yard and…

The S-Works Aethos frame is built from Specialized’s highest-grade FACT (Functional Advanced Composite Technology) 12r carbon. The Specialized Aethos Comp is made from lower-spec 10r carbon but uses the same moulds as the S-Works. It weighs in at a mere 699g, so is still one of the lightest production frames you can buy. It carries less weight than Colnago’s 790g Tour-winning V3Rs and Cannondale’s 866g SuperSix EVO. It’s not only lighter than Specialized’s 800g Tarmac SL7, it’s also a few grams lighter than Cervélo’s relaunched and lightened R5, which is now 703g. The Aethos Comp’s slender, round tube profiles and traditional shape (no dropped seatstays here) give the frame a retro flavour and its apparent disregard for aerodynamics seems at odds with Specialized’s commitment to reducing drag, which led the…

£7299 3T’s quality aero gravel rocket gets an ebike booster The 3T Exploro Racemax Boost is the stealthiest ebike I’ve come across, which is all down to the original ‘acoustic’ Racemax’s design I tested in issue 370. That bike had a hugely oversized down tube that shielded the bottles from the air, thus improving its aerodynamics. Little did 3T’s designers know – or maybe they did – that this increased volume allows room to house a 250Wh battery. There have been modifications, the electrically assisted Racemax having a strengthened bottom bracket area to incorporate the charging port and to allow the battery to be removed. But crucially for me the bike’s geometry remains unchanged – as 3T’s Exploro Racemax is one of my all-time favourite fast gravel bikes. The Racemax…

CHALLENGE GETAWAY £83 They say A gravel-specific handmade 700x40mm tyre built with a fast-rolling centre for straight-line control and speed, with more aggressive shoulder knobs for controlled cornering in loose conditions. A double-layer 260 TPI casing provides durability and stability, plus there’s a puncture prevention strip. Aramid fibre folding beads ensure a precise fit on performance clincher wheels, while an anti-chafing strip along the casing at the bead gives extra protection. Getting going The 465g (per tyre) Challenge lived up to its name when it came to fitting. Despite trying several different wheels to check it wasn’t a rim-related issue, I found it impossible to fit until supplied with the brand’s own mounting tool. An extra £15 does seem extravagant, but it does work with all tyres and comes with…

Often overlooked by the search for aero gains and cutting-edge tech, safety comes first when choosing a bike helmet. Happily, the helmets here pass the relevant safety tests for European retail, but many come with added protection measures, including crash replacement options, reinforced EPS foam and MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact System). MIPS aims to help with rotational impacts by allowing the EPS shell to move up to 15mm over an inner liner, hopefully reducing the energy transfer that can cause concussion or more serious brain injuries. MIPS does add weight, costs more and the benefits still aren’t 100 per cent conclusive, but recent tests by both Virginia Tech and the Road Safety Trust both highlight the benefits of MIPS, so the signs are good. Recent tests highlight the benefits of MIPS,…

ISSUE 386 DECEMBER 2021 THE EXPERTS NUTRITION EXPERT RICHARD TUCKER Richard is a physiologist and performance nutritionist at the Human Performance Lab. PROFESSOR & CYCLIST NORMANLA ZARUS Columnist Norman, 85, is a physiology professor, author and a former audax champion. HAUTE HERO JOHN WHITNEY Deputy editor John is an oracle of Europe's best rides. Here's his Haute Route help for 2022. 'CROSS MASTER MARK BAILEY Sports writer and four-time Haute Route finisher Mark is our resident performance expert.…

HAUTE ROUTE 2022 STATS Location Europe Next date June-September Distances Various Price From 799 Euros While the European mass-participation sportive machine spluttered back to life this summer amid the continuing pandemic, with several major events such as L’Etape du Tour still not able to go ahead, the Haute Route battled on, and successfully managed to stage its whole calendar of events in Europe. The summer saw this multi-day sportive series celebrate 10 years of its original Alps event and Cycling Plus returned to experience it. A full report will follow in the next issue but in the meantime, here’s a profile of the series to coincide with the unveiling of the 2022 calendar. THE 2022 SERIES There are five European events next year, varying in length, difficulty and geography. It’s…

Science & Cycling is an annual conference that brings together cycling’s finest coaches, exercise physiologists and academics to reveal what’s happening at the tip of the peloton while flagging up what lies ahead down the road. It’s usually held for two days in the week prior to the Tour de France’s Grand Depart, but Covid forced a change this year to Leuven, Belgium, just prior to the World Championships. And, despite the labyrinth of passenger locator forms, PCR tests and general Covid confusion, Cycling Plus was there to find out how you can ride stronger and more comfortably in 2022… 01 Learning from the track Kurt Bergin-Taylor’s a former student at Loughborough University, has a PhD in exercise physiology and worked on Cycling Canada’s Olympic track programme before taking up…