Innehållsförteckning för August 2020 från Cycling Plus

As we emerge, blinking, from lockdown we are being told that heady days lie ahead for the humble bicycle. People enjoyed dusting off their old bikes and taking to the quiet roads during the restrictions and, as our politicians try to keep returning workers off public transport, they even seem to have found some change down the back of the sofa to spend on infrastructure. But the window of opportunity is small and the roads are already getting busier, so can Britain really become a cycling nation? On p86 we look at what needs to happen for our dream to come true… SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE OFFERS & COMPETITIONS AS PART OF OUR SUBSCRIBER CLUB! SUBSCRIBE! NEW SUBSCRIBERS TO CYCLING PLUS CAN GET A RITCHEY COMP SKYLINE SADDLE…

Marin Nicasio + £865 Budget-busting gravel machine For the second year running, gravel riding is the current king of road bike trends. However, as with all trends, we tend to focus on the premium end of the market and its innovations, such as suspension systems (Specialized and Cannondale), ultra-light builds (3T and Open), electronic drivetrains (SRAM and Shimano have both gone gravel) and even competition victories for gravel events, such as the epic Dirty Kanza. Gravel, however, is the one road-based genre where pro-grade equipment has little affect on the fun of riding. Gravel is more about the enjoyment of the ride; conquering the terrain, surface and topography are far more import than power output, aerodynamics or Strava kudos. So, forget about lightweight carbon wheels, Di2 and AXS for a…

£2449 Feel the force and keep to your budget Sonder is the in-house brand of UK outdoor equipment company Alpkit. Purveyors of value-for-money gear, its Sonder bike range spans everything from touring and adventure to mountain bikes. The focus is very much on value and versatility, and that shines through on the Colibri, which is amazingly versatile and punches way above its weight in the performance stakes given that it’s one of the cheapest bikes in this test. Built around a titanium frame with carbon forks, the Colibri’s adventurous and versatile DNA is evident in the wide tyre clearance, multiple bosses and attachment points and no-nonsense raw finish. No need to worry about paint scratches or straps that rub here. The titanium in question is aeronautical grade and the metal…

£3499 Fast and efficient bike for speed addicts Designed for speed and comfort over longer distances, the Avail had long been the staple model of the Liv road bike stable. For 2020 the bike got a major update and as a result it has emerged as one of the lightest bikes on test. Designed specifically for female cyclists, it encompasses a range of features including smaller shifters, narrower handlebars with a shallow drop and a size range that starts at size XS, suitable for riders from 5’/152cm. Liv is the sister brand to Giant Bicycles and, rather than opting for unisex geometry, Liv designs its bikes based solely on data from female riders, including body dimensions and biometrics. The Avail Advanced Pro 2 is based around Giant’s premium, advanced-grade carbon…

If our experience of lockdown is anything to go by, there are a lot of riders hitting Britain’s roads for the first time – or at least the first time in years. Taking advantage of some of the quietest roads we’ve seen in our lifetime, people are dusting down their bikes, getting them out of garages and garden sheds and saddling up. If this is you, or if you’re just looking for the best cycling clobber that you can buy without stretching or breaking a limited budget, then this is the round-up for you. Taking advantage of the quiet roads, people are getting bikes out of garages and garden sheds and saddling up Taking some of our favourite products from recent Cycling Plus group tests, we’ve collated what we think…

£60 SIZES XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL COLOUR Blue, Fluoro Green, Purple Dhb is the house brand of the online sports retail giant Wiggle and it has long been a watchword for riders who want to buy quality products at prices that don’t empty the wallet. The Aeron Lab Ultralight bibs, which combine three different fabrics in a lightweight setup, are excellent shorts – although costing a relatively eye-watering £120 they absolutely should be! But the undoubted star of dhb’s summer kit pairing is the Aeron Hot Summer jersey. It’s not exactly subtle, but each of the three colour choices – blue, fluoro-green and purple – contrasts well with the black shorts. As the name suggests, this jersey is specifically designed for hot summer days, and if the lockdown…

Park Lane may be a place of high-end shops patronised by well-heeled clientele, but just two months ago a bike ride there was about as pleasant as ingesting a glass of cold kitchen cleaner. In the blink of an eye, the experience of riding down the second most expensive street on the Monopoly board has changed beyond recognition. What was an acre of tarmac has been rapidly civilised, dividing it into a safe, wide lane for cycling, leaving a narrower aperture for promenading drivers. This follows the realisation that, with public transport reduced to 15 per cent of its capacity, London’s roads would grind to a wheezing halt if serious steps weren’t made to improve road efficiency by making way for cycling. As London’s walking and cycling commissioner, Will Norman,…

VANESSA ROBINSON, IDD THERAPIST AND FOUNDER OF CATHEDRAL OSTEOPATHS CLINIC TREATING CYCLISTS AND TRIATHLETES “Beginners and experienced cyclists alike can suffer some discomfort at different stages of their cycling. Sometimes accessories can help combat this — other times you may need to adjust your riding technique, do exercises to alleviate the discomfort or seek professional advice. “Firstly, a pair of good-quality padded shorts are an absolute must for comfort, and anti-chafing cream can make a big difference on long rides too. If your saddle is too high, it can cause you to rock sideways to reach the bottom of the pedal stroke, resulting in additional chafing as well as giving you problems in your lower back. Conversely, if your saddle is too low your knees will complain. “When it comes…

ELIMINATE ROAD GUNK There’s no point in having a sparkling clean chain if the jockey wheels are gunged up, as they’ll just dirty the chain. These hard-to-access components are easy to ignore, but the job won’t be done properly if you don’t de-gunk the jockey wheels. We show how to degrease and lube the jockey wheels in the walkthrough, but before you do that you need to clear the accumulation of road gunk out of the mech cage. Use an old spoke, or the blade of a thin, flat-bladed screwdriver, to carefully hook out any mud, muck and oily gunge that has become trapped between the jockey wheels and the mech arm side plates. You can then use a rag or small brush to clean the wheels of the worst…

PRICE £3400 (FRAMESET) COMPLETE BIKE PRICE APPROX (£7620) UPGRADES SPECIALIZED S-WORKS POWER SADDLE WITH MIRROR TECH (£349.99) MILES RIDDEN 1337 WARREN ROSSITER “The rumour mill says an updated Tarmac is coming soon but I’d still say snap up the current Tarmac if you can” WARREN ROSSITER A fter proclaiming in my last update that there was nothing I wanted to change on my acid pink S-Works Tarmac, I’ve only gone and changed something. It’s not that the saddle needed to be changed. In fact, the S-Works Power saddle I had on previously was one of my all-time favourite perches, but when Specialized contacted me recently saying it wanted me to try a new saddle it called, “a massive game changer in saddle technology” I was a little sceptical but more…

Team Ineos’ Luke Rowe once remarked that the winner of the Tour de France boils down to the rider who sleeps like a champion. The Welshman wasn’t being flippant. Those who reach the Champs Élysées will have ridden over 3000km with tens of thousands of climbing metres over 21 stages, played out against roadside temperatures reaching 40°C, suffocating humidity and altitude, frenzied crowds, anti-doping control, relentless media duties and lengthy hotel transfers. Come the third week, the physical and mental toil leaves the world’s best mere shells of their former selves. But if a rider and their support team can manage their fatigue levels from one day to the next, maintaining a strong immune system, high energy levels and laser-like motivation, the yellow jersey beckons. Which is all well and…

£3888 A multi-purpose bike that also looks fantastic This versatile titanium gravel bike could serve as everything from a posh commuter to a long-distance adventure bike. The Escape launched in 2017 and this is the latest update, adding size-specific tubing and tweaked geometry, increasing the standover on smaller sizes. With various builds on offer we tested it built with mechanical Shimano GRX and Hunt wheels. The frameset is replete with mounts for guards and luggage, and we chose the optional fullcarbon C-Six ADV fork with triple bosses on each leg for ‘everything’-style cages. The frame itself is all classic lines and nice details, such as cowled rear dropouts. It has size-specific tubing, which means smaller sizes get narrower tubes, with butting taking wall thickness down as thin as 0.6mm on…

£420 Jewel-encrusted footwear DMT has quite possibly created the most bling shoes to ever grace the pages of Cycling Plus, these limited-edition KR1s feature nothing less than a full-length logo made from Swarovski crystals along the flanks. Aside from having bejewelled feet you also get plenty of top-end performance with the KR1s. The upper is a full, onep-iece, 3D knitted form that features bonded-on protection where needed. The knitted construction makes for impeccably high levels of comfort with the upper enveloping and conforming to your foot’s shape, which makes friction and hotspots, thankfully, a thing of the past. The sock-like fit around the heel into the cuff is particularly impressive, offering support and stability at the base of your heel, but freedom too. They are light at just 579g for…

£2450 Are you sitting comfortably? You soon will be… The Domane is by far the most compliant, comfy ride in this test. It does sacrifice speed, but if you’re not phased by that trade-off, you’ll enjoy many miles of riding in comfort on this bike. Trek, like Specialized, eschews women’s specific geometry, instead opting for a unisex fit that’s designed to better suit all riders. This may mean you’ll want to swap out the saddle but, since most riders opt to fit their preferred seat anyway, this isn’t something I’d mark a bike down for. The Domane SL5 features a carbon frame and fork constructed from Trek’s 500-series OCLV carbon. The tapered steerer gives a responsive, stable feel. It’s not the most agile bike but the stability instils confidence, particularly…

£3599 Adventure seekers who can pay, can play… Duliana is the sister brand to Santa Cruz, more usually known for its mountain bikes, and the Quincy is based around a unisex carbon frame that’s shared with the Stigmata. The Quincy is all about adventure, whether that’s long road miles, bike packing, gravel grinding or off-roading, and is therefore ideal if you like to be able to ride all of the above without having a shed full of bikes. The CC in the name indicates that this model is built from Juliana’s premium CC carbon, and internal cable routing gives it a sleek, neat look. It has the longest reach and wheelbase of the bikes on test at 380mm and 1015mm respectively (52cm), which gives the bike a very stable base…

£69.99 SIZES 40-47 COLOUR Blood Orange, Black WEIGHT 798g (42) Gravel riding – or at least lots of us buying and riding gravel bikes – has witnessed a huge increase in popularity in recent years. And if you’re tackling gravel trails or even venturing on to singletrack, you’re more likely to be using Shimano SPD pedals – or compatible systems from numerous companies that have three-point cleat fixings. These pedals are also a common choice for commuters as the shoes allow you to walk more comfortably than you are able to in stiffsoled road shoes. At the very top end of our £100 budget, Pearl Izumi’s X-Alp Launch IIs are flexible, comfortable trail shoes. The uppers are generous, the heel comfortable and the single Boa and Velcro strap pairing offers…

£17.99 COLOUR Black/Grey, Blue/Hi-vis Pink, Blue/Teal, Hi-vis Yellow/Teal, Orange/Blue, Red, Blue SIZES XS, S, M, L, XL, XXl If you like a lot of padding in your mitts, Giro’s £36.99 Dure Supergels are our favourites. These have thick ‘Technogel with Rebound Foam’ pads at the base of the palm and inner thumb, as well as across the synthetic suede palm tops. Finger tabs help with taking them off while Velcro at the back keeps them secure. These are supremely comfortable and entering their second summer of use, but they are admittedly expensive. If you prefer less padding – and parting with less money – we’re big fans of Stolen Goat’s £19.99 mitts that are available in 22 different designs. These snug-fitting microfibre and cotton mitts have pull tabs under the…

£39.99 WEIGHT 28g LENS UV400 polarised EXTRAS Soft cleaning bag PRESCRIPTION OPTION no Agu is well known in cycling circles for its good-value, no-nonsense rainwear more than anything else. However, with its move into pro racing via sponsorship of the Lotto-Jumbo WorldTour team (with some of its riders seen in these shades) things have changed for the Dutch brand. Aesthetically, the Bolds score top marks, featuring a squared-off shield design that blends the current retro 1980s trend with modern design very successfully. The full frame sits slightly back from the lens itself, creating a small but important gap that makes the Bolds among the best-vented budget sunglasses we tested; this, combined with the anti-fog coating, means they stayed very clear during rides. The minimal arms are wellsprung and the temple…

Cannondale brought lightweight bicycle suspension to the world of gravel with its innovative, rear suspension ‘Kingpin’ system, which the brand launched last year on its all-carbon Topstone – a bike that has subsequently become one of our favourite gravel bikes and a finalist in 2020’s Bike of the Year. The Kingpin design is revolutionary as it uses a pivot at the top of the seatstays, at the joint with the seat tube, that runs on a maintenance-free bearing and uses the flex in the carbon stays and a seat tube engineered to act like a leaf spring to provide 30mm of suspension travel at the saddle. It’s impressive how familiar it feels to ride, with geometry based on Cannondale’s Synapse endurance bike. Although it’s not exactly the same at the…

In professional cycling, teams of backroom analysts monitor rider performance and feedback the areas they should work on. “You need to understand your weaknesses and strengths,” says Liam Holohan, “to train your event-specific weakness (or ‘limiters’) while racing to your strengths.” There are three methods for identifying limiters: lab test, field test and subject test. “You want a lab test to assess your underlying physiology, retesting after key mesocycles (training phases); field tracking using a power meter to ensure you’re on the right path, and subjective assessments.” 01 LAB TEST The gold standard for figuring out your physiological strengths and weaknesses would be a lab test. ADVANTAGES There are many different tests available that give you an accurate and measurable account of what’s happening ‘under the hood’. This data can…

Long bike rides, too much time spent poring over spreadsheets at your desk, or endless Twitter-scrolling on your phone can give you a hunched posture, which can cause aching or tight muscles around your neck, chest, back and shoulders. Road cyclists, who inevitably spend hours leaning over their handlebar, are also vulnerable to upper crossed syndrome (UCS) – a particular combination of postural issues, including weak muscles around the chest (pectoral muscles and serratus anterior), the rear and side of the neck (upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid and levator scapulae) and the back and shoulders (rhomboids and lower trapezius) – which can cause nagging pain and tightness. “Muscles that are primarily used in holding your body still tend to become excessively tight, which can increase pain and tension in that area,” explains…

This month we’re talking about how to get the most out of your training with proper nutrition. Forget anecdotal stories from other riders and use these evidence-based tactics. 1. DIY Making your own carb/electrolyte drinks and energy bars is incredibly easy. It will save you a fortune and you can alter the amounts you want based on the session you’re doing. To make your own energy drink, it’s super-easy to buy your own bags of maltodextrin (glucose source), fructose and electrolyte and then mix your drinks to be identical to those of your favourite brands, just without all the preservatives and extras you didn’t want. 2. PRACTICE I see it often with amateur sportive riders – they never practise race-day nutrition and then they wonder why mid-way through the Étape…

While it was a peach of a day overhead, the ground under tyre was a quagmire An admission. Maybe it’s a result of being in this job for as long as I have, but photoshoots for bike tests aren’t my favourite part of it. Yes, you’re on bikes in a pretty part of the country but there’s one big problem – you don’t actually do much cycling. I’m straying into how the sausage is made territory here, but the days are long, you ride over the same stretch of tarmac for take after take after take, and the photographers have you ride in some rather unreasonable, unnatural positions, always for the good of the shot. Inside leg down through a bend, for instance, or sprinting in the big ring in…

You’ve heard of yoga, you’ve heard that top pro cyclists do it, and if you’ve ever had a bike fit, you’ll know what an important role flexibility and symmetry play on your bike. You’ll have an even better idea if you can’t help remaining hunched over for 10 minutes after a long ride. But when touching your toes seems an unachievable dream, and sitting down crosslegged but a distant memory from primary school, then contorting yourself into the sorts of poses typically seen in yoga manuals seems highly unappealing and more likely to do harm than good. But inflexibility is not inevitable, and yoga is a progressive practice so there’s no need to throw yourself in at the deep end. Start with some gentle stretching and build up gradually. There…

THE ONLY BIKE BUYING ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST… While the country is under lockdown conditions we will only be testing gear on an indoor turbo or on our short, daily exercise rides on the bike, while this is still permitted. All bikes in this issue were tested and photographed before coronavirus pandemic restrictions hit the UK. Even under these conditions, you can rest assured our test team, led by senior technical editor Warren Rossiter, can separate the greats from the also-rans when it comes to tech, clothing, accessories and more. If it gets our seal of approval you’ll be bagging a great buy! THE TECH TEAM PREVIEW THEIR ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS… WARREN ROSSITER SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR This month, I've been impressed by Marin's sub-£1000 gravel bike and putting the ‘full-suspension’ Cannondale…

Few sporting events are more synonymous with a time of year than the Tour de France is with July, so this image, of cyclists duking it out on a heaving Tourmalet last summer, might come with some sadness at the Tour-shaped hole in our lives this summer. This nostalgia, of looking back at the good times, is often seen as a negative mindset but in our next issue we take a dive into the positive power of nostalgia, which will leave you free to revel in the race’s past and hopeful for its autumn return.…

01 TORQ EXPLORE ORGANIC FLAPJACKS £1.65 Energy products have no right to taste this good! The original carrot cake and apple strudel flavours are now legendary in the Cycling Plus office. These two new flavours (banana cake and bakewell slice) look set to challenge their predecessors for the title of office favourite energy snacks. Like all Torque products these flapjacks are both vegan and certified organic. With 1103kJ of energy, 42g of carbs and just 8.2g of fat they certainly work for us. 02 FOLDYLOCK £74.99 Compact locks are great for commuting, but you still want a high level of security. The Foldylock provides Sold Secure silver-rated protection in a compact package. The rivets are recessed and hardened to prevent cutting and the lock cylinder is designed to be anti-drill.…

£2999 Women-specific design for endurance riding Canyon, along with Liv, is one of only a few bike brands that feels women benefit from a distinct, bespoke frame geometry in addition to touch points, such as saddles and handlebars. This is based on data it has gathered from its online fit system, in addition to information from other sources, such as body dimension databases. Designed for endurance riding, as the name suggests, the Endurace also represents exceptional value for money as Canyon is a direct seller and the lack of brick and mortar stores saves the brand normal overheads. For riders looking for a handson experience there were (before lockdown) regular demo events and Canyon has a 30-day returns policy for unused bikes, a UK customer service team and a six-year…

Choosing a winner from this list is tricky because so many of these bikes excel in their own way. If you’re judging based purely on value for money the Canyon, as expected, offers incredible spec for the price and ensures smaller riders are well catered for. It’s also a very capable bike, but doesn’t quite have the edge on the others tested; it’s easy to ride and fun, but not quite as comfy as the Domane, or as nimble as the Avail. The Liv Avail also ensures smaller riders have access to a bike that’s designed to work with them, with shorter-reach shifters with a wider grip surface as well as a geometry built around women’s fit. While it might be an endurance bike, it’s the raciest, most exciting bike…

£9.99 – £20 Keeping feet cool in the heat 01 Altura Airstream Meryl Skinlife Socks £9.99 SIZES S – L COLOURS Black, Hi-Vis Yellow Made from Meryl Skinlife yarn these contrasting-colour socks are highly breathable with anti-bacterial properties, and you’ll be pleased to hear they don’t cost a fortune. They use flat seams over the toe and they offer a forgiving fit without feeling loose. 02 dhb Aeron Tall Socks £12 SIZES 2.5 – 5.5, 5.5 – 8, 8.5 – 11 COLOURS Wide variety Simply styled, Italian-made socks with a 14cm cuff that offer good value. The Meryl Skinlife yarn provides light compression, plus they have a reinforced heel and toe box, midfoot support band, breathable mesh upper foot panels and padded forefoot. 03 Q36.5 UltraLong Socks £14.99 SIZES 4…

£80 SIZES 41-47 COLOUR Grey WEIGHT 572g (42) The Decathlons (to the left) are our top choice for SPD shoes but if you’re looking for footwear for the three-point cleat fixings used by Look, Time and Shimano – and Speedplay using an adaptor – then you could be facing handing over some serious cash. Top pro-level racing slippers can lighten your wallet to the tune of £300 or more, but you don’t have to drop so much cash for a pair of carbon-soled racing shoes with twin dials for precise micro-adjustment. We recently tested Boardman’s new Carbon Road shoes and not only were they the least expensive shoes on test, they were also the best – with loads of features usually only found on much more expensive footwear. They have…

FROM THE EDITOR… As if the chance to save 35 per cent and having every issue of Cycling Plus delivered direct to your door wasn’t enough of an incentive, we’re also giving new subscribers a Ritchey Comp Skyline saddle. Everyone here at Cycling Plus has learned the hard way that riding any distance without a decent perch is a fateful (and painful) experience. So this lightweight, supersupportive saddle from Ritchey gets the thumbs up from the team, and with its wing structure it gives added support too. Paul Robson, Editor PLUS ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE OFFERS & COMPETITIONS AS PART OF OUR SUBSCRIBER CLUB! GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE • Receive a Ritchey Comp Skyline saddle worth £47.99 • Save 35% off the UK shop price – pay just £50.95 every 13…

It’s a good idea to clean your bike from top to toe as often as you can to keep all the moving parts working as they should and to help you spot any areas that need further attention, or replacing. As great as that sounds, we all know that when you lean your steed against the wall after a long, hard ride, your thoughts are going to turn to grabbing food and a shower much more readily than grabbing an oily rag. With that in mind, it’s worthwhile staying on top of keeping your drivetrain – the chain, jockey wheels, cassette and derailleurs – clean and in good condition, at the least. These components do most of the work and live closer to the ground so are more likely to…

HEAVIEST 100kg (15st) NOW 81kg (12st) WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP CYCLING? “At age 13 I formed the Norwich Flyers BMX Club and we built Norfolk’s first BMX track. Although BMX was my first love and where my competitive goals lay, I also enjoyed mountain biking. In 2009 I did LEJOG and fell in love with road cycling.” HOW HAS CYCLING HELPED YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE? “Out of the blue I was struck down with a rare lung disease in 2010. Thanks to the staff at the Royal Brompton Hospital my life was saved but I was left with the use of only 30 per cent of my lungs. Determined I wouldn’t live my life without cycling, I battled on and went to climb the Tour de France mountains, but…

DISTANCE 46km/29 miles TOTAL ELEVATION 440m GRADE Short on distance, high on difficulty DOWNLOAD komoot.com/tour/171233385 GETTING THERE The nearest train station is Warminster and you could easily begin this ride from there, which would add another five miles/half-hour in each direction, along the B3414. WHERE TO STAY The Dove Inn in nearby Corton has en-suite guest rooms, bar and modern pub food. thedove.co.uk BIKE SHOPS Warminster’s Cannimore Cycles is run by Cytech Level 2 mechanic John Pagan and offers bike servicing and spare parts. It’s also an approved dealer of Dawes, Avocet and Surly bikes. cannimorecycles.com TOURIST INFO Head to visitwiltshire.co.uk for more details on Salisbury Plain and Imber Open Days, which are typically just for a few days each year. For up-todate information and times on live firing on…

Can you remember jumping onto a road bike for the first time? You may have come at it from another sport because of injury, or perhaps the bike was your first attempt at getting fit. Chances are, once you got used to sitting in the saddle, you had a good run of injury-free enjoyment on your new steed. Where many riders run into problems, however, is when their cycling gets more serious and the miles on the road increase. The pedalling action is a very simple one but also one that works one muscle – the quadriceps of the upper leg – disproportionately, while keeping you largely fixed in a static position. Other vital areas of the body get less of a workout and their neglect can store up problems…