Innehållsförteckning för Summer 2025 från Cycling Plus

The Cervélo Soloist made headlines once again at Paris-Roubaix 2025, with Wout Van Aert finishing fourth after choosing the 2025 Soloist over his usual S5 for the cobbled classic. Prior to this, some may have considered the Soloist a forgotten bike, overshadowed by the S5’s cutting-edge aerodynamics and the R5’s featherweight all-round race prowess. However, the Soloist is the bike that built Cervélo, and you could argue that it’s the brand’s most important bike on sale today. Cervélo were founded in 1995 by Gerard Vroomen and Phil White, who met in 1986, in a chance encounter between the two post-grad engineers at McGill University of Technology in Canada. Inspired by Chris Boardman and the Lotus bike, and Greg LeMond and his then-radical TT bar setup, these two like-minded riders were…

The first model in Continental’s relaunch of the Terra range, the new Terra Adventure blurs the line between gravel and cross-country mountain bike tyres, and has been designed to prioritise puncture protection, durability and grip rather than low rolling resistance and weight. Its tread pattern is reminiscent of those found on XC mountain bike tyres, albeit with lower-profile knobs. There’s no central slick section – instead an alternating pattern of ramped and edged blocks in a three-three-four sequence makes up the middle part of the tyre. This is said to improve braking performance while maintaining rolling speed. The sightly widerspaced outer knobs are angled and designed to improve cornering and off-camber grip. The Terra Adventure isn’t only visually similar to some mountain bike tyres. It uses Continental’s ‘Grip’ XC/trail compound…

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Unloading Scott’s Addict RC from the bike rack, the endless slopes of Monmouthshire’s legendary Gospel Pass suddenly feel far less daunting. Modern components and trends – disc brakes, bigger cassettes and wider wheels and tyres – have tended to make lightweight race bikes heavier than they were, say, 15 years ago. Scott’s original Addict in 2008 was a featherweight 5.9kg, and for this 2025 update their engineers and designers set out to hit that number all over again. This, then, is the lightest road race bike the brand have sent into production. Today, we’re riding the RC 20 version of the bike, which isn’t the lightest of the new range, but it’s without any of the paraphernalia (full water bottles, tool bag, bike computer) that can burden such well-refined racing…

Weight 8.26kg (L) Frame Carbon fibre Fork Carbon fibre Groupset Shimano GRX Di2 RX825 (48/31t, 11-34t) with CeramicSpeed UFO Shimano M8100 chain Wheels Faserwerk carbon gravel wheels with DT Swiss 350 hubs Tyres Hutchinson Caracal Race TLR, 700c x 40mm Finishing kit Faserwerk Luftschneider Cockpit, Repente Quasar saddle, Faserwerk Wuthocker Aero seatpost Developed by former ARC8, BMC and Santa Cruz Bicycles designer Jonas Müller, the Callis is a gravel race bike, with a mix of aerodynamically optimised tube shapes up front and a skinnier rear end designed to improve comfort. Practical details include a down tube storage hatch for stashing spares and tools. Tyre clearance is rated to a healthy 45mm with a front derailleur or 50mm with a 1x drivetrain, which is more than enough for most dedicated gravel…

01 HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT FOR INCREASED LONGEVITY? Such is the relatively short period of human history in which so many people are choosing to exercise intensively through middle age and beyond, that the consequences to our health of doing so is still being investigated. The volume of research on its impact just isn’t there yet, but science is beginning to catch up, through longitudinal studies lasting many decades. There have also been many column inches around human longevity, not least from American tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, whose bid to defy ageing and extend his life beyond known limits was brought to wider attention in the recent Netflix series Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever. Exercise is certainly one method at Bryan’s – and our…

01 Climbing  These two Tour de France goliaths have opposing styles in the mountains: Vingegaard is the master of measured, sustained efforts; Pogačar the epitome of explosive panache. The Slovenian may appear to be the shoo-in here, having earned most of his 6:17mins advantage at the 2024 Tour on uphill finishes, but the 2025 route will bring back bad memories for the 26-year-old. Mont Ventoux, where Vingegaard exposed a chink in Pogačar’s armour in 2021, returns, as does the Pyrenean climb of Hautacam, where Pogačar lost a minute to Vingegaard in 2022 to all-but-seal the Dane’s maiden Tour triumph. In the Alps, the Col de La Loze, the scene of Pogačar’s greatest humbling, is back again for the Queen Stage. It was here in 2023 that Pogačar suffered his worst…

Little Glenshee Perthshire, Scotland ● Gravel Rides Cairngorms & Perthshire is the latest book from adventurer Markus Stitz. “Little Glenshee is route 15 and offers a remote-feeling gravel experience close to the city of Perth,” Stitz tells us. “Long stretches of off-road track with sections along quiet roads make this a great day out on the bike in the lesser-known of the two Glenshees. It’s one of my favourite places to ride!” Glen Prosen Cairngorms, Scotland ● “This is route 13 and is the one that inspired the book,” says Stitz. “While most visitors flock to the north of the National Park, the Angus Glens receive less attention. This route in the Cateran Ecomuseum area takes you on great tracks and small roads around stunningly beautiful places with not a…

Shifting into the last cog on my cassette, my cadence slows to a grind. With 100km already on the clock, the 16% ramps of Injebreck Hill have turned every muscle fibre in my calves into little glowing cigarette lighters. From here, I have three options – brute force, zigzagging or getting off and pushing. I opt for plan A. You don’t become world champion by clomping up a climb in your cleats. While that might sound a bit hyperbolic, there’s a kernel of truth to my struggles. I’m racing (well, crawling) my way up one of the Isle of Man’s steepest climbs as part of the ninth edition of the island’s annual gran fondo. The 137km course does a rough counterclockwise circumnavigation on mostly closed roads, ticking off the ascents…

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Need to know Here’s what to expect from the latest bikes that are built to help you skip up those hills It perhaps goes without saying, but gravity is always trying to pull you down when you’re riding uphill. Therefore, a lightweight bike helps a lot if you want to climb faster, or simply make the hills a little easier. But high-end, lightweight bikes can be eye-wateringly expensive, so that’s why we’ve focused on less exotic (but still high-quality) builds here. Enter the Orbea Orca M20i Team and Look 785 Huez 105 Di2 – two specialist bikes designed for long days spent climbing and descending. 01 Material matters Top-quality carbon fibre is prized for its incredible stiffness-to-weight ratio, and rightly so. If you can afford it, the lightest bikes and…

Both of these bikes are specifically designed for long days spent climbing (and descending). Each plays on the same theme with similarly-inspired frame layouts, conceived to be sharphandling and fun but tempered with a bit of sensibility. The stack heights are notably higher than on a benchmark allround race bike such as the Specialized Tarmac SL8, giving an easier fit for most riders generally, but also a more natural seated position when resting on the tops for prolonged periods. If you’re looking to separate these bikes based on their handling, then it’s a closerun thing. The relevant angles are all near enough to bring about a very similar ride experience – sharp and responsive, but not overly twitchy or nervous (all the better for descending with confidence). Both frames are…

Just when you think you’ve found a hidden gem of French mountain cycling, the Tour de France pitches up and announces it as a finish of the biggest stage of the first week – and one of the most fun stages of the whole three weeks. Le Mont-Dore, a mountain town in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of the Massif Central, has never before played host to the great race in its 122-year history, yet here it is in 2025 as the finale of a madcap mountain route on Bastille Day, France’s biggest public holiday. The day when French fans descend en masse to their beloved race, raise the tricolore to billow in the wind and cheer on a home favourite – often defiantly and usually in vain, as the one French…

Q1 ARE NEW BIKES ANY BETTER THAN OLD BIKES? I ride a 2022 Giant TCR Advanced Pro but was surprised by how much better my pal’s older 2018 Wilier Cento Air Disc felt on a test ride. I’m not sure if this real or simply perception. Can older premium bikes really outperform newer bikes? Paul, via email Our senior technical editor Warren Rossiter owns a 2018 Giant TCR. While more recent iterations have seen tweaks such as an increased tyre clearance, internally routed brake hoses and a slightly lighter weight, so far, these changes haven’t been enough for Warren to justify an upgrade. Tyre clearance could be the thing that tips the balance though. Warren’s bike can take a maximum of 28mm tyres, the same as the Wilier Cento Air, but modern…

“Barely a minute separates the two best Grand Tour riders of their generation across the past four Tours de France” 01 The odd couple Pogačar vs Vingegaard are opposites that attract Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali… some of the best rivalries in sport have been a clash of styles, cultures and temperaments. Rocky IV was the best in the franchise because our flawed hero was pitted against an indomitable Russian, Ivan Drago, who’d seemingly been built in a lab. And so it is with the latest, possibly greatest, Tour de France rivalry, between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. As we wrote in the intro to this guide, barely a minute separates the two best Grand Tour riders of their generation across…

Q Weighty issues Is it true cyclists can put on weight during the Tour de France? A You might wonder how it could be possible that cyclists who ride for 21 days around a lap of France at warp speed can finish heavier than when they started, but for some that’s the case. “It’s easily done,” says Will Girling, who was the EF Education team nutritionist until this season. “Sometimes their appetite can go through the roof, and if they’re not doing calorie controls and being directed how much to have [they can add weight].” Riders being dragged along in the middle of the peloton on easier days aren’t doing much work, so it’s easy to overconsume, and the same is true on rest days and time trial stages where the…

Replaceable derailleur hangers have outstayed their welcome and I don’t want to see one on a new bike ever again. Having tested SRAM’s Red XPLR AXS gravel groupset – which has adopted the American brand’s Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard – the shortcomings of traditional hangers have never felt clearer. While cyclists often groan when new ‘standards’ are introduced, UDH delivers on its promises, including improved robustness, easy replacement and, above all, more accurate and reliable shifting. What’s more, it does all this with no discernible downsides (save from the fact it’s not possible to retrofit UDH onto most existing bikes). So, what are we waiting for? Bike-specific derailleur hangers should be consigned to Room 101 and we should make UDH the future of cycling. Back in the heady days…

It’s a fresh morning. Thankfully, the sun is out – if it were wet, my job would be much harder. For the riders of Team TotalEnergies, today is about learning the sections and getting a feel for the cobbles, ahead of the race tomorrow – Paris-Roubaix, a one-day event that, even within the pro ranks, it’s considered an achievement to finish, let alone win. I’m here as a photographer for HJC Sports, their helmet sponsor. My job is to follow the team on my motorbike and capture them in action, and also stop traffic at junctions so that they can ride the course uninterrupted. Working with a team like this is a privilege. I need their trust. Sure, I’ve raced bikes, but not like them. So, I grab some breakfast and…

Weight 7.74kg (57cm, with out-front mount) Frame ‘OMX’ carbon fibre Fork ‘OMX’ carbon fibre Groupset Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 Wheels Oquo RP 35 Team, carbon Tyres Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR, 700c x 28mm Finishing kit Orbea OC Road Performance RP21 alloy handlebar (40cm), Orbea OC Road Performance RP10 stem (120mm), Orbea OC Performance XP10 carbon seatpost, Fizik Vento Antares R7 saddle Orbea’s Orca M20i Team is a consummate lightweight bike, perfectly suited to hilly and mountainous terrain. Its handling and responsiveness are particular highlights, and the customisable specification means you can nail down the components to get your optimum fit. However, its lack of aerodynamic efficiency is a drawback – most all-round race bikes I’ve tested feel noticeably faster on flatter roads – and its ride quality is on the…

How we tested ● With chamois comfort so subjective, I focused on identifying objective differences between the shorts, including sizing, feature positioning and quality. Each pair was put through 40°C wash cycles. Ashley Quinlan Castelli Free Aero Race S £199 Sizes XS-3XL Colours Black, Belgian Blue, White, Deep Mocha Sporting Castelli’s flagship chamois pad, the Free Aero Race S shorts are claimed to offer improved comfort and aerodynamics, thanks to a new fabric – Forza2 Stretch – with a special weave. This feels slightly thinner than the materials used on most summer shorts, going well with the lightweight bib section. Castelli’s straps are notably thin too, with a textured finish on the inside to stop them slipping. The leg grippers are low-profile silicone strips (rather than the more usual, more textured approach)…

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To cycle up a mountain is to pedal into a world of paradoxes. Mountains are a playground and a torture chamber; a means of outdoor adventure and inner discovery; an opportunity for wonder, a guarantee of pain. In this glorious grind against gravity, a mountain can drag you to despair but leave you soaring with joy. When we think about cycling, mountains erupt into our imagination – a snaking Alpine pass or the curling grey ribbon of a Pyrenean hairpin. The most iconic moments of the Tour de France have taken place at altitude, photobooks of snow-capped cols adorn our coffee tables, and riders make pilgrimages to legendary peaks. But we rarely pause to think how strange this fascination is. Road cyclists aren’t drawn in the same way to forests,…

01 The fight for yellow will be intense More, more, more… This 2025 edition has more of everything. There’s one more stage – nine instead of last season’s eight. There’s more climbing – over 17,000m, and a mountain-fest from stage five onwards. More anticipation, after last year’s humdinger of a final stage left something of a season-ending cliffhanger. Above all, however, there’s more competition for that coveted yellow jersey. Road world champion Lotte Kopecky returns after missing last year to focus on the Olympics and, with a previous podium finish under her belt, has the potential for great things in this race. Two past stars of the road, Anna van der Breggen and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, have come out of retirement and exile, respectively, to sample a taste of this brilliant race, while…