Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Cycling Plus

● Head south from Badia for spellbinding views of the soaring Sella group and the colossal Marmolada massif, before swinging east at Arabba to Codalonga, then north onto the savage slopes of the Passo Giau. After the descent, you will take on the Passo Falzarego and Valparola, which showcase the Dolomites’ world-famous jagged pinnacles of rock, before circling back to Badia and most probably tucking into an enormous bowl of pasta to sate your enormous appetite. 01 Bike shop ● Sport Kostner (bikerentalcorvara.com) in Corvara offer repairs, rentals (Pinarello; Focus ebikes) and gear. 02 Lunch stop ● Rifugio Valparola (+39 04711930221), at the top of the Valparola pass, serves traditional mountain grub, from gnocchi to goulash, to help fuel your efforts. 03 Photo op ● Grab a selfie next to…

Scott Addict RC 40 By far the cheapest of our trio, the Addict 40 is the brand’s entry-level model. Is this 2019 platform becoming a little dated though? £4,449 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 Our mid-priced option sits mid-range in the German brand’s all-round road race bike CF line-up, but is its performance middling too? £6,199 Argon 18 Sum Pro Force eTap AXS Hailing from Canada, does our most expensive model have the performance and spec to match its steep price tag? £7,500…

Weight 7.6kg (M, 54-56cm) Frame High-modulus carbon Fork Carbon Gears SRAM Force eTap AXS 12-speed (48/35t, 10-28t) Brakes SRAM Force eTap AXS hydraulic disc Wheels Hunt 48 Limitless Aero Disc Finishing kit FSA SL-K SCR Compact carbon bar, FSA ACR ST-OS-160 alloy stem, Argon 18 Sum Pro carbon seatpost, Repente Prime 3.0 saddle, Vittoria Corsa TLR G2.0 700x25c tubeless-ready tyres LAUNCHED IN EARLY 2022, THE SUM Pro is Argon 18’s all-rounder race bike, blending aerodynamic efficiency with a low weight. Its frame features truncated aerofoil tubing throughout and weighs a claimed 850g (Medium). An optimised down-tube is said to shape airflow around a water bottle. Bucking the trend for one-piece bar/stems, the Sum Pro sticks to a traditional non-integrated cockpit, which makes customising it easier. Up front, the fork has…

THE PRIMAVERA’S T800 UD carbon fibre rims have a chunky U-shaped profile, with parallel sides and a blunt, rounded top. They’re 30mm wide, with 23mm internal width between the hooked beads, and are 44mm tall. Prime’s SR1D disc hubs have a 6061 alloy hub body, and stainless steel bearings. They have a Centre Lock disc mount, and 24 straight-pull spokes. The freehub uses a 36-tooth Star Ratchet engagement system, and comes in Shimano HG, SRAM XDR and Campagnolo N3W options. The spokes are DT Swiss Aerocomp on the disc side, and Aerolite on the drive side. Four spare spokes and nipples are supplied, as well as quick-release hub end caps and skewers, 15mm front hub end caps and tubeless valves. The test wheels came with tubeless tape installed, so were…

Weight 14.35kg Frame Chromoly steel with elastomer-magnet folding Gears Shimano Deore XT 10-speed (11-32, 54t) Brakes Vello Hydraulic disc brakes, 160mm rotors Wheels Vello 20” disc hub Finishing kit Fully adjustable height Vello stem 50mm, Vello 640mm folding handlebar, Vello by Satori alloy seatpost, Selle Royal foam matrix saddle, Schwalbe Marathon Original 40-406 2.0 x 1.5 inch tyres AUSTRIAN BICYCLE BUILDER Vello’s folding-bike range includes a titanium model; a fast, drop-bar version; an electric bike and even a gravel model (review coming soon). There’s also a new, lightweight, non-folding utility bike, the Vello SUB. The Rocky here is built around a beautifully finished chromoly steel frame with a distinctive, twin-tubed front end. At the rear, a unified rear-triangle swingarm (where the drivetrain is part of the rear assembly) gives the…

The Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR is a tyre with pedigree: the previous generation was among the top-rated all-round performance tyres. Pirelli have stuck with their motorsport-derived SmartEVO compound, while they’ve also left the low-profile tread pattern untouched. Under the skin, though, they’ve added aramid fibres (aramid, brand name Kevlar, is a super-strong yet very lightweight synthetic material originally developed for the US military). Pirelli says this enabled it to make the P Zero Race TLR casing thinner and more flexible. The tyre is available in an impressive range of sizes and colours, with black or tan sidewalls, plus colour print variants of some of the black-sidewalled tyres. Our 28c model with silver print weighed 310g. That’s almost equal to the Goodyear Eagle F1 R tyre, but around 40-50g heavier than…

Trek Domane Al 4 Disc £1,800 A great endurance bike that’s excellent on the road and very capable away from it. If your ambitions don’t stray too far from the road, the AL 4 Disc package is compelling. And simple additions could turn it into a real trailblazer. Cube Nuroad C:62 Pro £2,499 Influenced by gravel tourers, the speedy Nuroad would work well for commuting as well as for less-technical gravel. It’s also a capable all-rounder that’ll cut it with your roadie riding companions and hold its own on unmetalled byways. Cotic Escapade Road Plus Platinum £3,899 The Escapade is Cotic’s go-anywhere, no-limits road bike that comes with the option of a 700c or 650b wheelset. It boasts a lively chassis and fun handling, with the steel frame easily swallowing…

How should I wash a chamois after cycling? Wash them, inside out, as soon as you can post-ride. Wash in cold water with a gentle cleanser such as Nikwax BaseWash, which enhances wicking and eliminates odours. Don’t use fabric softener as it coats items in a subtle, stain-blocking film, which eventually blocks the wicking and breathability properties. Don’t tumble dry – line drying is best. Can I stop numb testicles on the turbo? First off, make sure you’re frequently getting up out of the saddle and changing position. Also consider changing the seat angle or buying a new saddle altogether. Check out split-nose saddles from the likes of ISM, which can help alleviate pressure on the delicate perineum. What’s the best way to treat road rash? As soon as you…

“Growing up in Kent, I’d cycled along much of the south coast and then, in the mid-1990s, I rode from St Petersburg to Moscow for charity. But I was diagnosed with heart failure in 2001, so cycling took a back seat for many years. Thanks to ebikes – and ‘e-hearts’ – my fellow Electric Cranks cycling club riders and I have been given a new lease of life. It’s brought us together as a team of eight men (six of us did the whole C2C ride) aged 50–70, who all have advanced heart failure. We’re being kept alive by Abbott LVADs (Left Ventricular Assist Devices), or electric heart pumps. The ebike allows me to conquer hills again, and helps me carry heavy spare batteries for my LVAD device. We ride…

Boardman JNR 26” £420 Aimed at 9-12 year olds, the Boardman JNR 26” offers cable disc brakes, a relatively lightweight aluminium frame (with mudguard mounts) and 9-speed Microshift gears. There’s also a version with drop bars. Giro Hale MIPS £49.99 As in the adult world, we’ve found Giro lids some of the best for kids. The Hale is their most road cycling-friendly design, offering 22-vents, a Roc Loc fit system, MIPS and a removable visor. Altura Kids Spark Trail Jersey £30 This stylish jersey from Altura is made from polyester with recycled content, and our kids (see the top image) like wearing it off the bike as well as on it. Its more relaxed fit is also ideal for off-road rides.…

CYCLOCROSS Cyclocross is inclusive and a great introduction to racing. It generally starts from age six and up, with each area of the UK having its own league. The season takes place over the UK winter. BMX & MTB BMX and cross-country MTB races are also available across the UK, and are again a fun way to increase bike skills such as handling and speed. They require BMX or MTB-specific bikes. CIRCUIT/TRACK CYCLING These also require a discipline-specific bike, but the events are held in closed-road venues away from traffic. You usually have to be over eight years old for track cycling, depending on the venue.…

2023 National Road Bike Championships Marshfield, Gloucestershire 1 October 2023 ● If you want to be competitive at time-trial racing, a dedicated TT bike is essential. To remedy this, the CTT (Cycling Time Trials, the UK’s governing body) introduced an official road bike category in a bid to make time trialling more accessible. The 2023 National Road Bike Champs took place in October in the south west, with 180 racers on the start line.…

’t Kuipke, or ‘the little bowl’, as its colloquially known, is a cauldron of competition with few peers in the world of sport, let alone cycling. This velodrome in the centre of the city of Ghent, Belgium, hosts exhibitions, festivals and concerts but is best known to cyclists as the venue for the rambunctious Six Days of Ghent track meet in November (taking place from 14-19th this year). The track’s dimensions are what defines it – a claustrophobic 167m long track with an aggressive 48° bank, the second steepest in the world behind Berlin, that feels almost upright when you stand on it. The result is track racing of an almost carnival nature, with the riders spinning like tops all night long. The Six Days of Ghent is the best-known…

Mario Cipollini was the best professional sprinter of his generation, with his speed nearly as legendary as his larger-than-life personality. Post racing, he created the Cipollini bicycle brand with a range of road bikes that reflected his riding style: they were very racy, very stiff and very, very fast. The new Ago, however, steps away from the pure race orientation of the brand’s previous MCM All Road. 01 Comfort creation The Ago has been designed for riding long distances on uneven surfaces in comfort. It has more progressive geometry, large tyre clearances, and they’ve paid particular attention to the compliance of the seat-tube, while the short 427mm chainstays are designed to balance comfort and responsiveness. 02 One-piece frame The Ago has a full monocoque carbon frame design, to improve its…

WHEN CONSIDERING PARTING with a large pile of your hard-earned cash in exchange for a shiny new race bike around the £5,000 to £8,000 price point, just what are the key things to think about? We tell you what to look for as you work out your priorities in these days of climbing prices and rapidly advancing technology. 01 Race geometry A bike’s geometry largely dictates the kind of handling that it will deliver. Steeper frame angles normally equate to sharper, faster handling, while slacker angles calm the ride experience. Getting the balance right for you is key, and adjusting things such as stem length can help you tweak this if necessary. 02 Carbon layups Brands often offer bike framesets with different carbon lay-ups to meet a certain price point,…

Weight 8.35kg (Large) Frame HMX carbon Fork HMX carbon Gears Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed (50/34t, 11-34t) Brakes Shimano 105 Di2 Wheels Syncros RP2.0 alloy Finishing kit Syncros RR1.5 alloy stem, Syncros Creston 2.0 alloy handlebar, Syncros Duncan 1.0 Aero carbon seatpost, Syncros Belcarra Regular 2.0 saddle, Schwalbe One 700x28c tyres THE CURRENT-GENERATION SCOTT Addict RC was launched in 2019, and is the all-round road race bike Scott-sponsored teams, such as Team DSM, often use when the road tips uphill. The 40 is the brand’s entry-level model, featuring a Shimano 105 Di2 R7100 drivetrain but the same frameset as our 2022 Bike of the Year contender, the Addict RC 10. Yes, the frame’s beginning to look a little long in the tooth, with limited tyre clearance the biggest gripe when you…

FOR THIS BIKE TEST WE COLLATED a trio of wallet-friendlier versions of race-proven machines that have excelled on the world stage – all three of our test bikes share their DNA with some of the top Tour de France-conquering bikes. Although we often covet the very best bikes boasting the highest-quality components, it’s fair to say that spending the biggest bucks doesn’t always deliver big performance gains. Instead, it’s often better to look further down the range, where you can spend significantly less while missing out on precious little performance. In some cases, you can even get a better all-round ride, as the winner of this test proves. The priciest of the three bikes we tested, the Argon 18 Sum Pro is a specialist tool – a race bike through…

Why subscribe? ● Get an Endura Hummvee WP Shell Jacket (high-viz yellow) when you subscribe ● Plus save 32% off the shop price – pay just £58.40 every 13 issues ● Offer available for the Print or Digital Edition ● Get access to exclusive subscriber perks! 1 PRINT 13 issues for just £58.40! 2 DIGITAL 13 issues for just £58.40! PLUS! Access to exclusive offers and competitions as part of our Subscriber Club! Order online or by phone buysubscriptions.com/CPP412 03330 162 142 quote code CPP412 Or scan the QR code to subscribe Lines are open 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-1pm Saturdays. Overseas orders please call +44 1604 973 751 or visit buysubscriptions.com Terms & conditions *Endura Hummvee WP Shell Jacket is available for UK subscribers only and is available while stocks…

WITH THIS MODEL, THE UK brand has swapped the BOA dials found on their Pro Team shoes for ‘SpeedLaces’, saving you £50. While both shoes are designed for racing, the lace-ups have a more classic aesthetic. Both models sport Rapha’s Powerweave seamless, one-piece upper, designed for comfort, breathability and stability. With the Lace Ups, you push down on the plastic tab while pulling the elastic laces to tighten them evenly over your foot, then feed the ends of the laces under a strap and tuck them into a pocket at the bottom of the lacing area. There’s a padded tongue under the laces for even more comfort. The shoe has a carbon sole, which accepts three-bolt cleats via fixed bolt holes. A moulded thermoplastic heel cup sits on the outside…

Veloskin Chamois Cream £14.99 Size 150ml tin WAHOO LE COL GB AND PRO Noctis Human Performance women’s professional teams, plus the Wahoo Le Col esports team, use this cream. It has a firmer texture than average, and comes in a 150ml recyclable tin. The brand says the cream’s made from vegan-friendly ingredients, and has been designed to cope with changeable conditions as well as sweaty indoor training. It performs well in all conditions, and I found I only needed to use a small two-fingered dip to last three to four hours. It feels soothing and has a pleasant scent, thanks to a long list of natural ingredients, including sweet orange and bergamot oils, cocoa and shea butters. Travel sachets (10ml) are available, too, making the cream easy to take away…

When it comes to performance, tyres are a critical bike component. Poor-quality tyres will sap your energy, reduce cornering confidence and make your ride less comfortable. In contrast, the best road-bike tyres can transform a dull bike into a lively one, make you faster for less effort and absorb road imperfections more easily. As with anything, though, separating the wheat from the chaff isn’t easy. After all, almost every manufacturer launches new tyres with bold claims of reduced rolling resistance, improved durability and lower weight. With that in mind, we put eight of the latest high-performance tubeless road tyres to the test, both in the lab and in the real world, to see which live up to the hype. We picked eight of the latest high-end, road tubeless tyres from…

Schwalbe has been a leading light in the road tubeless market for several years, with the latest-generation Pro One TLE building on these foundations. Installation is as easy as it gets, mounting onto the rim without tyre levers and inflating with a floor-stand pump (TLE stands for ‘tubeless easy’). The tyres are compatible with hookless rims, but the German company advises against inflation above 80psi. There’s also a lighter-weight tubeless Pro One TT, plus a conventional clincher version designed for inner tubes. The Pro One TLE is available in 25, 28 (on test) and 30mm widths for 700c wheels, 25 and 28mm for 650b wheels, and two very niche smaller sizes: 20 × 1.1in and 26 × 1.1in, which come in a slightly different build. The Pro One is pro…

Scott Addict Gravel 30 £2,599 Enjoy blasting on the tarmac and gentler gravel on this well-priced and super-speedy steed. It’s a bike that’ll appeal to roadies who want to buy a gravel bike, and is ideal for anyone wanting one do-it-all bike. Ridley Kanzo Fast £4,989 This aero gravel bike comes with a unique 1x drivetrain courtesy of a Classified rear hub that gives you 22 gears. Ridley’s used their cyclo-cross heritage plus tech from its aero road bike Noah to produce a speedy steed. BMC Kaius 01 One £11,350 BMC’s flagship Kaius model is all about low weight, aerodynamics and straight-line speed. On unmetalled roads, forest fire roads and tarmac, it’s brutally, intoxicatingly fast, but it does struggle on twisty rough stuff.…

THIS, IN REALITY, IS THE BUSIEST category – and where many riders will be looking to spend their money. Adventure gravel bikes are designed to go both long and deep into the great outdoors. Expect a wide range of fixtures and fittings (for bike bags and additional water bottle cages, for example), generous tyre clearance (45mm and beyond) and a more relaxed geometry that favours long-range comfort and off-road handling over straight-line speed. The adventure gravel bike will borrow from both all-road and more extreme gravel in its geometry. It’ll get a slacker head angle and more fork trail, stabilising the steering and settling down the handling for when you’re fully loaded with a week’s worth of luggage. Some bikes may have built-in shock absorbing technology, too. An adventure gravel…

Nukeproof Digger Rs V3 £2,999.99 The Digger’s a bike to ride steadily on rough unmetalled roads, but on steep, technical terrain you won’t ride anything quicker or more fun this side of an expensive full-sus MTB. Giant Revolt X £5,499 The Advanced Pro 1 is a more rugged version of Giant’s Revolt Advanced Pro, with a 40mm-travel fork and dropper post with 25mm of suspension and 100mm of drop. It shouts pure off-road performance. Cannondale Topstone Lefty £7,500 The latest Lefty 1 has added front suspension. The result is an immensely capable gravel machine that will take you further off the beaten track than ever.…

Saddles & Paddles The Quay, Exeter History ● Started in 1992 as a bike/boat centre on the old quayfront on the riverside cycle path. Hires bikes, boats, paddleboards, etc, but is also a full-on bike shop. Heather Baker has had it 10 years. What makes this shop special? ● ‘It’s a female-run business. We want customers to get the right bike, even if we can’t supply it. We do outreach work in the community, and we strive to be inclusive and welcoming, whatever people’s experience or budget.’ What’s in store? ● ‘Hire stuff outside: boats, paddleboards, and all sorts of leisure bikes, with trailers and kids’ models and so on. Inside there are rows of bikes, accessories and a workshop.’ Famous visitors ● ‘Being on the tourist trail for hire…

Surrounded by dramatic grey turrets of rock, slithering white glaciers and sun-soaked mountain meadows, Alta Badia in northern Italy is a photogenic destination for cyclists. Those distinctive pale-walled Dolomite peaks are the beating heart of the region’s legendary 138km Maratona dles Dolomites gran fondo and the pretty 53km Sellaronda Bike Day. But this area is also home to some brutal cycling beasts, including the feared 2,236m Passo Giau. Cyclists who explore the area have an excellent choice of village bases, from Badia, La Villa and Corvara to Colfosco and San Cassiano. But wherever you base yourself, it’s easy to pedal off for a range of high mountain adventures. The Sellaronda loop – which has witnessed heroics from Giro d’Italia legends such as Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi – offers a…

Jumbo-Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard won his second successive maillot jaune after completing the 3,406km of the 21-stage race at an average speed of 41.12kph. His victories were two of the fastest three on record. And that’s no outlier as, according to Procyclingstats.com, it’s a trend, with the race steadily speeding up. Inevitably, Vingegaard faced some tough questions at this year’s race. “Are you cheating?” asked one journalist after stage 17. “I don’t take anything I wouldn’t give to my daughter,” the Dane responded, “and I would definitely not give her drugs.” So parking the healthy scepticism to one side, what are the reasons behind speeds that are greater than when Lance Armstrong was racing? 01 Power carb The role of nutrition “For me, on-the-bike nutrition has been the greatest evolution since…

“I’D WAITED THREE LONG YEARS TO RIDE 300KM, SINCE THE FRONTIER 300 WAS DUE TO LAUNCH FOR THE SUMMER OF 2020, BUT THEN 2020 DID WHAT IT DID” It didn’t get off the ground in 2021 either, like many other events. Then, in 2022, it did but I didn’t, as a Covid-19 infection a week out from its debut scuppered my chances and left me flat on my back. Nothing was going to stop my participation in 2023. Not another bout of Covid, this time a bit further out from the race, and not an almost comical lack of training on my gravel bike. That said, I had miles and strength in my legs and I was confident of making it through this 300km British coast-to-coast, from Rockcliffe on the…

Weight 8.9kg (Large) Frame & Fork Ribble Gravel SL Carbon Gears Shimano GRX Di2 (40t, 11-42t) Brakes Hydraulic, 160mm rotors Wheels Zipp 303 S Finishing kit Level 5 Carbon Integrated Flared Gravel Bar & Stem 110mm length 42cm width (50cm at drops), Level 5 carbon seatpost, Fizik Atares R5 saddle, Goodyear Connector TLR 40mm tyres RIBBLE’S GRAVEL BIKES HAVE always come with 650b wheels as standard. While I love smaller wheels and larger tyres for really rough stuff, larger wheels and faster tyres make the most sense for less-gnarly terrain. Thanks to Ribble’s excellent online bike builder, however, I could switch out the standard Mavic 650b wheels and Halo tyres on the range-topping Gravel SL Pro for a set of Zipp’s excellent 700c-sized 303 S wheels and Goodyear’s fast yet…

Science In Sport Hydro £8 for 20 SIS’S GO HYDRO TABLETS are packed with an array of vitamins and electrolytes, including vitamins B1, B2 and B6, sodium (345mg), potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium. These all help with fighting fatigue, keeping your metabolism ticking over or hydration. The 345mg of sodium is a good hit per 500ml, but how much that might replenish your levels during exercise is an individual thing as sodium losses per hour can vary from 250-1,500mg. The lemon flavour is palatable – cola and berry options are available too – and the price isn’t bad, but these contain the sweetener sucralose to keep calories down. Verdict A low-priced, low-calorie option with extra nutrients Skratch Labs Hydration £27.95 for 20 WE’VE LONG ENJOYED THE subtle flavours of Skratch…

01 The SSE Hub To assess the merits of each tyre, we performed a combination of lab-based and real-world testing. Our lab testing was performed at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub, on its bicycle-specific rolling resistance rig. This rig uses an oversized, motor-driven roller to rotate a wheel, with a vertical mass applied to simulate a rider’s weight deforming the tyre as on the road. Using a torque meter, the machine can then determine the rolling resistance of a tyre by comparing the power required to turn the roller at a given speed, with and without the tyre on it. All else being equal, tyres that produce less rolling resistance should enable you to ride at a given speed for less effort. 02 How we tested Each tyre was mounted…

Gravel race bikes and gravel bikepacking bikes are two very different things, so why are they both labelled as ‘gravel bikes’? The time is nigh to divide the many types of gravel bikes into categories based on what they’re built for. The exploding popularity of gravel has brought more people than ever to the world of flared drop-bar bikes, from dyed-in-the-wool roadies to full-on mountain bikers, via new riders dipping their toe into riding. Gravel riding has opened up new horizons for just about everyone, including bike brands keen to jump on the bandwagon, and that means we’re experiencing a bout of growing pains when it comes to dealing with the huge range of gravel bikes out there. While mountain bikes have diversified into an ever-confusing number of sub-genres as…

Surly Grappler £2,350 The steel-framed Grappler is a versatile design with myriad fittings for bikepacking. You can happily head off into the wild on it, or simply trundle for big miles, making the most of its big-tyre cushioning and steel-chassis smoothness. Specialized Diverge Comp £4,000 The Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon is a hugely versatile carbon gravel bike that offers a notably composed ride manner at high speeds and on steep trails. The addition of Specialized’s Future Shock 2.0 is also hugely effective at smoothing big hits and rough roads. Ridley Kanzo Adventure £4,459 This Kanzo has a truly adventurous spirit, meaning you’ll want to take it places where gravel bikes aren’t meant to go. If pure gravel exploration and enjoyment on technical terrain is your preference, the Ridley Kanzo Adventure…

Cycling around the luxurious blue expanse of the Rutland Water reservoir, dashing past nature reserves, rolling farmland and thatched cottages, and choosing which cosy old coaching inn to visit for lunch, I can see why tiny Rutland has the motto “Multum in Parvo” – “much in little”. Bordering Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Rutland has an area of just 382km2, making it England’s smallest historic county. But its 41,000 inhabitants know that good things come in small packages. The Sunday Times recently crowned Rutland one of the ‘Best Places To Live in Britain’, praising its “unsullied villages” as a refreshing contrast to the Cotswolds: Rutland shares the Cotswolds’ geology and gorgeous stone houses but, crucially, not its crowds or traffic. And it may well be one of the best British places…

01 HOW DO I ADAPT TO THE CLOCKS CHANGING? Sunday 29 October is D-Day, aka Dismal Day when the clocks fall back an hour and we’re soon plunged into darkness before the working day is done. You’ll have to wait until Sunday 31 March 2024 before the clocks spring forward. What does this mean to you, the active amateur cyclist? Well, a fair bit, according to science, including a potential upsetting of your circadian rhythms that could impair your cycling. Read on to learn how your chronotype wants you to pedal… Adjusting time by a single hour may not seem like too drastic a change, but sleep experts have noted troubling trends that occur during the transition period. These issues include an increase in heart problems, mood disorders and even vehicle…

Autumn’s a perfect time for an overhaul of your soup repertoire. Rustle up these options and you’ll have delicious, healthy pre- or postride meals in around 15 minutes. Why not make extra of the pea and mint soup while you’re at it so you can freeze some (we wouldn’t recommend freezing the prawn one, though), making this recipe even more time efficient? HOT & SOUR PRAWN NOODLE SOUP (DF, GF) An excellent source of protein and useful minerals, this aromatic soup also offers anti-inflammatory properties, thanks to the ginger, chilli and garlic. Prep 5mins Cook 10mins Serves 4 Ingredients • 1½ litres chicken stock• 8 kaffir lime leaves• 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced very finely• 2 stalks lemongrass, bashed with a rolling pin• 150g mushrooms, finely sliced•…

Think back to when you were younger, the feeling of happiness, adventure and independence as you started your two-wheeled journey. Riding a bike is an amazing thing. And now it’s our turn to teach the next generation of children how to get rolling. Everyone learns in a different way, on a different bike and at a different age. While it can be scary for the kids, it can be more nervy for the teachers watching their loved ones taking on their first descent or road ride. Here’s how to make the whole process more enjoyable… and a little less scary for everyone! 01 BALANCE BIKES? Balance bikes (bikes without pedals) are a great place to start. They enable a child to get on two wheels and learn balance points. The…