Table of contents for July 2018 in Cycling Plus

£2300 The shape The Aria is a true aero road bike, but one placed at the more affordable end of Bianchi’s range and well below its pro-racing Oltre. Just because it’s cheaper doesn’t mean that it’s any less race ready; with a long, stretched riding position and an aggressive seat angle the flowing aero form is built for speed. The ride Like most aero bikes, the Aria is a firm proposition, but isn’t unforgiving. When combined with reasonably supple tyres on the impressive new, and wider, Vision Team 35 wheels, the Aria copes with coarse road surfaces brilliantly. The head angle is slightly relaxed compared to the seat angle, making the steering response slower, which has the bonus of giving impressive stability when you’re speeding along. The finish The Aria…

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS Over 170 other cyclists have so far cycled alongside me riding 25 miles with me. Between us we have already raised over £50,000 for cancer charities like Bowel Cancer UK, Cancer Research Wales and Velindre based in Cardiff. NUMB BUM AND MIND Riding a turbo for a long time, day after day, can be a real pain in the backside – literally! It can also be quite numbing for the mind. You can help me stay focused by following my journey on Facebook at Cycle2ConquerCancer – The 24 Hour Leg. BE AWARE Bowel cancer is one of the most common but most curable cancers, if caught early. Information on the symptoms can be found at bowelcanceruk.org.uk.…

The Pinerolo design is a few years old. So, it’s all external cable routing and 23mm tyres Mekk is the new kid on the British cycling scene. Fuji dates back to 1889, Bianchi earlier still. Specialized is a child of the seventies and Marin a product of the 1980s’ mountain bike boom. Mekk is a baby of the new millennium, though its two founders – Mark Edwards and Ken Knight – are long-time leading British cycling industry figures. They have created a range of 13 aluminium and carbon road bikes, of which the Pinerolo SE 0.1 is the least expensive. As with the rest of our bikes it comes with eight-speed Shimano Claris, but in an older incarnation rather than the newest R2000. Instead of the cabling being hidden underneath…

The Nicasio is made from skinny butted chromoly steel, paired with a straight, skinny steel fork Most of the bikes we can buy for £750 are cut from the same cloth, or at the very least welded from similar grades of butted aluminium, bringing you to a halt with rim brakes. Not this Marin. Named after a town in California, its Nicasio is made from skinny butted chromoly steel, paired with a straight, skinny steel fork. Braking comes courtesy of Promax Render R mechanical discs. The predominantly Shimano Claris components are familiar from the other test bikes. The Nicasio is part of Marin’s ‘Beyond Road’ range, the company describing it as an ‘endurance and all-weather pavement’ bike for ‘adventure road riding’ and ‘long-distance commuting’, which is quite a broad sweep,…

WE SAY Understated head protection with quality and comfort in spades YOU’D BE FORGIVEN FOR NOT knowing much about high-grade protection brand Sweet. Launched in 1988, the Norway-based company forged its reputation in snow and paddle sports. Since 2000, founder and designer Ståle N. Møller has been producing cutting-edge head protection for snow, water, dirt and tarmac. Sweet was one of the first brands to use MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System), another Scandinavian innovation. The additional protection system is licensed from its Swedish designers, and adds an inner skin that provides a low-friction layer. In the event of an impact it allows the shell to move relative to your head. When you receive a head impact your brain is protected by a layer of fluid that surrounds it. MIPS emulates…

WE SAY A great saddle that introduces another consideration for picking a perch from Fizik THE WAVE-SHAPED ALIANTE HAS BEEN a staple of Fizik’s range for more than a decade now. The riding positions and comfort its swoopy profile offer have garnered the model an army of fans, particularly among those riders with limited flexibility and high pelvic rotation, or ‘Bulls’ as per Fizik’s Spine Concept classifications. The company works on the principle that by finding out how flexible your spine is and by how many degrees your pelvis rotates it can determine the best fitting saddle for you. Since its launch, the recipe for the Aliante hasn’t remained entirely unchanged. Most recently, extra ingredients in the form of deeper padding, a pressure-relief channel and a more flexible hull were…

WE SAY Eye-catching performance kit with great-fitting shorts £89.99/£99.99 Liv is the biggest brand dedicated to women, and its Paradisa range is a tropical-inspired selection of performance kit with compressive fabrics and innovative cuts, designed for riding hard. Developed with Spanish clothing brand Etxeondo, items are designed to mix and match with other lines in the Liv kit range, including the racy Signature and recreational Neptuna. Fabric Etxeondo uses a TransTexture fabric for the jersey, designed to be soft to the touch with two-directional stretch and wicking properties, while the shorts are constructed from multiple panels of Lycra. The bird of paradise plant inspired the grey-on-black sublimated print with flashes of colour on the hems, making it striking without being loud. Fit The jersey is fairly standard – a raglan-sleeved…

Luke Rowe“Coming back from injury or illness and getting fit, there are no short cuts. It’s just grit and determination. Not just in my case – for anyone wanting to go up a level, it’s about putting in the time and hard work” TAKE BABY STEPS If you’re going through injury rehab, it’s important to take it slow on your route back to fitness. You may have a lofty goal in mind but you’ll only reach it with incremental progress and with your focus, primarily, on getting healthy. When Team Sky’s Luke Rowe shattered his leg last August white-water rafting on his brother’s stag do, he went from the high of being part of a Tour de France-winning team to being unable to walk and his career hanging in the…

The Vitus Vitesse Evo CRi Disc Di2 has been built to mimic the ride of the rim brake bike THE SERENITY OF the Struggle Moors start point of Ampleforth Abbey and its attendant college is a far cry from the recent angry emails and forum posts that prompted this feature. Some readers have had enough of us testing disc brake bikes, pointing out that rim brakes are still the most popular form of anchor and have been more than adequate for over a century. To traditional brake fans discs are unnecessary, heavy, potentially noisy, frame and wheel compromising complications that have no place on a pure road bike. We figured it was time to leave out our preconceptions and personal preferences and drill into the real on-road differences. First impressions…

» DECISION MAKING I’ve missed social engagements and family events, but it wasn’t because of an obligation, it was because I was happy to make the decision to train or compete. For the most part your sporting career is a fraction of time in your life – although maybe my approach is defying this, since I’ve been an international athlete for 26 years out of my 40 years on earth – so far the decisions have been easy to make. » POWER OUTPUT Managing fatigue and maintaining health are among the biggest challenges for elite athletes. Most athletes are good at the training part, but so many are less good at getting the rest and recovery bit right. I’ve been leading my own team for four years now with Barney…

BEFORE RIDING VELOSCENIC Author Richard Peace on the essentials to enjoying this 450km route from Paris to Mont St Michel this summer… 1 PLAN FOR PARIS If you’re planning a day or two in Paris explore it by bike. Decent cycle lanes and Sunday road closures (Paris Respire) make it even easier. Find a good cycle map of the city, such as those from parismap360.com. 2 DON’T MISS CHARTES Allow time to linger in the other main cities you visit, Chartres and Alençon. If time is very short you can get a direct Paris-Chartres train and start there, but you will miss the lovely greenway ride south of Paris. 3 RESERVE A PLACE The Eurostar London-Paris train takes bikes, and Gare du Nord is a short ride from the route…

The gravel genre has captured the imagination of the adventurous cyclist. This off-road craze is a platform for freedom, allowing you to step out of your front door and straight into an adventure, as you’ll see throughout this supplement. We’ve got advice for buying a gravel bike and kit and experience the latest off-road events for you to try out. Encouraging this movement of free-spirited riding, Specialized’s Get Out Of Town weekend was coordinated by Anne Brillet, women’s category leader for Specialized Europe. “Gravel riding is becoming bigger as people are looking to explore and discover new territory,” Brillet comments. “Riders are using the bike not only as a hobby or a training tool, but want one they can use on most terrain and can be a real adventure companion.”…

Water treatment method Maps, GPS, compass Electronic insurance in the form of a Spot Tracker or DeLorme First-aid kit Shelter: tent, tarp, bivvy, planned hotelcabinhutyurt• Food and water and resupply plan BICYCLE REPAIR KIT See the long rides checklist and add the following: Spare clipless pedal cleats Safety pins Needle and thread Brake pads Length of chain and extra quick links Assortment of spare bolts Brush for cleaning drivetrain Spare batteries for lights and GPS Leatherman tool orsimilarwithpliersand knife • Emergency fire-making kit (waterproof matches, waxed kindling, lighter) Single-use super glue Tenacious tape for tent, clothing, sleeping bag repair…

I’m what you call an early adopter. Shimano Di2, SRAM eTap, disc brakes, I like trying out new stuff, and Kinesis’ Tripster was just one of those things. The original ATR (1) was a halfway house between an endurance bike and an all-round go-anywhere machine. I had the original from 2012 until late last year. When the Version 2 was released I decided to take advantage of the tweaks Kinesis owner, Upgrade, has made. Kinesis got a lot of feedback on the Tripster, including my own, that the bike was going a lot further afield than the company originally thought. It was being used for much more gravel and dirt riding, plus adventure and bikepacking. As a result, the strength of the frame was increased with a new custom titanium…

BOARDMAN’S WINDFALL Chris Boardman has realised his long-standing dream to have his own wind tunnel. Accessible to anyone who wants to go faster, the tunnel is at Boardman Bikes Performance Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire. MADE OF STONE Peter Sagan took home Paris-Roubaix’s famous cobble trophy but fans of the race stole cobbles from the course as souvenirs. They were swiftly replaced by the group responsible for its maintenance. LANCED THE BOIL Lance Armstrong has settled the lawsuit brought by the US government, out of court, for $5m. The suit looked to reclaim $100m damages against the US Postal sponsorship of the team he rode for. MICHAEL GOOLAERTS Belgian cycling was struck by tragedy as the 23-year-old died after a cardiac arrest at Paris-Roubaix. The Veranda’s Willems-Crelan rider was airlifted to…

Who says aluminium can’t be made into a lightweight road bike? Certainly not Engineered Cycles from Cycling Plus’s hometown of Bristol, which made this 5.1kg bike – including pedals and power meter – for BikeRadar.com’s competitive hillclimber Joe Norledge. The heart of the bike is made from superlight scandium-alloyed aluminium, which is left unpainted as that can add 300g. Bead-blasting the graphics saved a further few grams. The ESP stands for Engineered Special Project service, offering you your own bespoke bike in steel, carbon, titanium or aluminium.…

In these politically fractious times, here’s a tip. Avoid Brexit and climate change discussions and stick to potholes, because we all agree that Britain’s roads are terrible. I’ve worked as a Deliveroo rider around York’s cratered streets. After several spilt curries, and smoothies that became milkshakes, I switched from a hybrid to a mountain bike. York’s roads, I decided, are the worst in the country. At best, potholes make journeys unpleasant. At worst, they damage bikes, and people. 64 cyclists were killed or seriously injured because of bad road surfaces in 2016. In theory you can get compensated for damage by local authorities; in practice there are several get-outs. It’s down to under investment. The Road Surfaces Treatment Association (RSTA) has found one particular hole of astounding size: a financial…

Scott’s entry-level Speedster 40 has been redesigned for 2018 Scott hasn’t always excelled at this price, but not only do most bikes sold in Britain come in at well under £1000, get the product right and you’re likely to keep the customer coming back for more. So, our hopes were raised when we saw that Scott’s entry-level Speedster 40 has been redesigned for 2018. Not only does it come in lighter than its predecessor, but it has some neat features that are unusual on a bike at such a modest price. True, a couple of the usual cost-cutting measures are evident when it comes to kitting out the Speedster 40, most notably the all-aluminium fork and budget non-cartridge Tektro brakes. But you can upgrade the brakes’ performance easily and inexpensively…

We can be swayed by appearances, but we like to know there’s a performance to back it up Do entry-level bikes need to look like they were built in your backyard by a local blacksmith who’d never wielded a welding torch? That’s a definite no when it comes to the Via Nirone 7 from Bianchi, the least expensive model in the historied Italian company’s road bike range. We can safely say that none of our other five test bikes have frames that were once raced at Paris-Roubaix, though that bike would have been decked out with Campagnolo Super Record, not the more modest Claris on our bike. Fortunately, it looks bellissimo in Bianchi’s Celeste, and if you like a little Latin class, the Via Nirone is available with 10-speed Campagnolo…

LIFELINE ESSENTIAL £4.99 (40g) Wiggle’s cycling bits and bobs brand Lifeline has come up with this elegant, bright design. The Essential is made from a tough polycarbonate plastic, comes in four glossy colours – black, blue, red and white. It does what you need it to, keeping your bottle secure even over rough and cobbled roads, and represents very good value. LEZYNE ROAD DRIVE ALLOY £22.99 (43g) A little bit heavier than most, but this does include a Velcro strap and mounts designed for Lezyne’s excellent Road Drive mini-pump. (And works just as well with other, circa 17mm diameter, mini-pumps.) Bottles are held firmly, but are easy to grab and replace, and the pump fitting is very useful. It comes in six colours. TOPEAK DUALSIDE £14.99 (47g) Available in just…

AERO LACE UPS SPECIALIZED S-WORKS SUB 6 £250 Specialized lace-up race shoes have a ‘warp sleeve’ that covers the laces and make the Sub 6 the company’s most aerodynamic shoe. The FACT carbon sole and lightweight upper keep performance high and weight very low. MODERN RETRO BONTRAGER CLASSIQUE £199 Maximising their retro charm, the Classiques include a fold-over flap tongue but with a modern, stiff carbon sole. Weighing 260g per shoe, they’re light, and major on excellent performance and effortless class. MAX VENTILATION VITTORIA 1976 EVO £179.99 The Evo’s heavily-perforated, supple Microtex and supportive nylon web uppers are styled like Vittoria’s original shoe from 1976, and mated to its Ikon shoe’s carbon sole. Our size 45 pair weigh 596g.…

LIGHTER OPTION FIZIK ALIANTE R1 BRAIDED £199.99 The first major redesign after 15 years is a triumph. It retains the swoopy wave shape loved by endurance riders, yet Fizik has managed to slim its nose down a little, reduce its weight and retain the flexible comfort provided by its carbon/nylon base. At 185g you can find lighter but you’ll struggle to find better comfort. FLAT OUT FABRIC SCOOP PRO FLAT £129.99 High-density padding is sonically bonded to a hull, negating the need for staples, creases or bolts, ensuring consistent, tension-free feel across the saddle. The hull has plenty of flex and combined with the high-density, low-volume padding it’s very comfortable. The lightly textured covering gives enough purchase so you don’t slip. GOT THE NACK PROLOGO NAGO EVO CPC AIRING NACK…

WE SAY A race-fitted, high-performing summer jersey at a budget price £65 Sizes S-XXL Colour Black/white Weight 125g (S) It’s hard not to be impressed with the Stripes jersey because it looks good and feels great. The soft, smooth fabric provides a race-style fit yet remains forgiving enough to suit all shapes. It’s made from TX2 Lycra, which is designed to help air flow over your body and shoulders. The overall cut, lengthy sleeves (with rubber grippers), zip garage and wide hem with rear grippers give it an air of a more expensive garment. This relatively lightweight jersey breathes well and there’s a full-length zip if further ventilation is required. This whole package, which is made in Manchester, rides without issue offering good value for money. CRAFT RISE £40 Sizes…

“This exercise strengthens core muscles - part of the kinetic chain when applying power through the pedal,” explains Steve Mellor, of Freedom2Train. Face down Lie with your elbows under your shoulders and feet hip-width apart. Draw in your navel and tilt your pelvis backwards. Keep your legs locked and glutes squeezed. Hold for 20-90 seconds. Intensify Move to a plank with side rotation. Lie on your side with your legs straight and prop up your upper body on your forearm. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your ankles to shoulders. Arms up Raise your free arm, reach under and behind your torso with your hand, then lift your arm up to the starting position. Rotate from your upper back, and not from your lower back.…

Tucked away in an industrial corner of Smethwick in the West Midlands, a stone’s throw from the home of West Bromwich Albion football team, lies one unlikely but significant piece of UK cycling history. What looks from the outside to be an unassuming factory among many, turns out on the inside to be the beating heart of a business that goes back to the days of the penny farthing. John Boultbee Brooks began manufacturing in Birmingham in 1866, making leather harnesses and tackle for horses. Within 12 years he had turned his attention and machinery to the world of the newfangled bicycle, then very much still dominated by the ordinary (or penny farthing), creating his first saddle prototype. The catalogue was up and running before the ‘modern’ safety bicycle took…

The harder you ride, the harder the lats have to work, so keep them in fine form WHAT IS IT? The latissimus dorsi, or lats, is a large, expansive, flat muscle on the back. Originating along the spine (T7-L5) and pelvis, via the thoracolumbar fascia, the lats run up towards the shoulders along the outer edge of the shoulder blade, passing underneath the shoulders and inserting into the front of the shoulder. HOW DOES IT WORK? » The lats are much more responsible for movement than stability with the main actions being to pull the upper arm towards the body and rotating the shoulder inwards. Their activation increases as the intensity of cycling increases. When pulling on the handlebar, for example when sprinting or suffering uphill, the lats are responsible…

1 REAR WHEEL REMOVAL Shift the chain into the smallest sprocket and release the quick-release skewer, allowing the wheel to drop out. You’ll need a chain whip or chain whip pliers and a lockring tool. 2 WHIP INTO SHAPE With the chain whip hold the cassette by wrapping the chain around the sprockets of a larger cog. Fit the lockring tool into the lockring and turn anti-clockwise to loosen. 3 OLD CASSETTE OUT Remove the lockring and then pull the old cassette towards you to remove it from the freewheel. If you want to keep the old one, it’s a good idea to zip-tie it all together in order. 4 NEW CASSETTE ON Slide the new cassette on, in order, making sure you line up all the splines. There will…

LAST MONTH WE introduced you to Les Pegler, Murray Cox and Laura Cook, the three Cycling Plus readers taking on L’Étape du Tour in July as members of Team Alpecin. In late March they were invited to an intensive week-long training camp in Caldaro - or Kaltern am See – in the Italian South Tyrol. It was fun, sort of… Les Pegler Thinking strong I hadn’t done a lot of riding this year so the week in Caldaro was tough initially. The setup was impressive, and it was great to get advice from ex-pros Jorg Ludewig aka Lude, Mauricio Fondriest and Mario Kummer. The team supported each other, particularly if someone was struggling, which I was at times! It felt like a real insight to how the pros are treated…

Distance: 68km Grade: Medium. The hills are plentiful and occasionally back-breaking but you’ve hit the summit before they’ve done too much damage. Download: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/2026614484 GETTING THERE We travelled with Condor Ferries from Poole. Condor Ferries operates a year-round service to the Channel Islands from Poole with its fast ferry Condor Liberation, alongside a conventional ferry service from Portsmouth. To book and check current prices, visit condorferries.com or call 0345 609 1024. WHERE TO STAY We stayed at the Hotel de France (defrance.co.uk), a spa hotel in the centre of Saint Helier, and a five-minute drive from the ferry port. There are plenty of good eating options, including Saffrons (fine dining with an ‘Indian accent’) and a brasserie, Garden View. For bikes, there’s a secure lockup in the reception area. For…

THE BIKE Compared to the carbon and titanium rigs a lot of the Dark Skies field were riding, the Whyte Friston isn’t anything flashy. At £1699 it’s affordable and the triple-butted alloy frame and carbon fork are surprisingly forgiving without feeling dead on climbs. SRAM’s Apex groupset delivers all the single-ring transmission advantages for the least money, and I didn’t want anything lower than 40x42, even on the final fire road slog back up Oldstead bank. What makes it a Cycling Plus test winner (issue 335) is the combination of long top-tube, short stem, slack head angle, 50cm-wide handlebar confidence and big 700c or 650b ‘Road Plus’ tyre capability. THE EQUIPMENT The organisers had provided a mandatory kit list including spare clothing, a proper waterproof, hat and survival bag, plus…

The monocoque Columbus high modulus carbon fibre frameset is claimed to weigh 970g, with a 440g fork, which is a more than acceptable weight, smacking of durability over crash dieting. Its beefy head-tube area and broad shouldered fork, oversized, six-sided down-tube, 86.5mm wide press-fit bottom bracket shell and chunky asymmetric chainstays ensure excellent torsional rigidity. Thru-axles further increase efficiency, not only perfectly aligning the disc brakes for maximum braking effect, but keeping the bike tracking accurately through technical turns. The slimming, kinked top-tube is said to brace the head-tube during extreme sprint-type efforts, something that’s almost impossible to assess. But dropped seatstays are a recognised method of multiplying seated comfort, and along with the 27.2mm carbon seatpost and 28mm tyres, help soak up the majority of broken road vibrations. Front…

1 FEATURES Fabric’s clever Lumaray has a nylon case with a single control button and a USB charging port. Weighing just 28g, it contains a row of COB (Chip On Board) LEDs arranged to emit light in a 270-degree arc. 2 POSITION Finding space to fit a light on road bars is surprisingly tricky, so the Lumaray has female and male Garmin quarter-turn mounts top and bottom, allowing it to fit between a handlebar mount and your GPS device, only adding 12mm stack height. 3 PRACTICALITY Although it works with any compatible mount, low-slung, outfront mounts like those from K-Edge position the light in a commanding, uninterrupted position, and still keep your GPS level with the bar. 4 LIGHTING The Lumaray’s maximum output is 30 lumens, which is good for…

The last time I rode a bike was years ago when I was at school in Nottingham. It wasn’t for very long because it was a rickety old one that eventually fell apart and I never replaced it. When Prostate Cancer UK asked me to lead its Football to Amsterdam ride in 2016, I asked, “Is it hard?” They said no and gave me a bike. Don’t ask me what make it is because I’ve never looked. I think it begins with ‘Z’. The geese can be deadly. I ring my bell but they don’t move. I’ve come off two or three times thanks to them The biggest danger I’ve faced isn’t drivers, it’s geese. I go training with my brother-in-law Ian Davidson because he’s quite fit. Someone told me…

For 2018, the Allez is all straight lines now; no curves The Allez is a familiar sight on Britain’s roads. In its many guises it has been around for decades, first as a skinny-steel affair in the 1980s, and latterly as the entry point to the world of Specialized’s big-tubed aluminium road bikes. For the last few years the Allez has been recognisable by its arched top-tube and dangling ‘washing-line’ rear brake cable. Until 2017. For 2018 the Allez is all straight lines now; no curves. Other changes include the move to full internal cabling – very neat it is too – and the welcome, versatility-increasing addition of rear rack mounts to go with the neat mudguard fittings, and room for ‘real’ mudguards. We’ll deal with the groupset first. As…

Our tester thought the gloss ‘anthracite’ frame looked a little understated Originally Japanese – hence the Mt Fuji logo – Fuji is now a Taiwanese-American company, and that international flavour is continued in the manufacturing of the Sportif, which is designed in the USA, made in China and distributed in the UK by Wiggle-Chain Reaction. The Sportif 2.3 is very much aimed at the rider with distance riding and comfort in mind. Our 56cm model has a 19cm head-tube, plus a headset top-cap and 3.5cm of spacers, while its short 9cm stem further adds to a very upright back-friendly ride. Frame angles are all pretty standard 73 degrees, and though the chainstays are 42cm the wheelbase isn’t overly long, 100cm on our test model. The double-butted aluminium frame is standard…

£120 Pump it up Like the Crank Brothers pump, the Silca is a full alloy construction with knurled and shaped grips, which are ergonomically excellent for a mini-pump. The 105mm stroke length is easy to use and the 145mm rubber hose extension has a lockable head. The strokes With a slick, smooth action, the Tattico is simple to use, but the short action meant it took 308 strokes to inflate our tyre to 80psi. The Tattico’s head locks on using its lever attachment with a vice-like grip, the head switches between Presta and Schrader valves by unscrewing the chuck and flipping it. Surprisingly, the Presta side is also marked for Dunlop valves, which should appeal to vintage fans. Up in the air The Tattico is thicker and more solidly constructed…

WE SAY A great saddle that introduces another consideration for picking a perch from Fizik THE WAVE-SHAPED ALIANTE HAS BEEN a staple of Fizik’s range for more than a decade now. The riding positions and comfort its swoopy profile offer have garnered the model an army of fans, particularly among those riders with limited flexibility and high pelvic rotation, or ‘Bulls’ as per Fizik’s Spine Concept classifications. The company works on the principle that by finding out how flexible your spine is and by how many degrees your pelvis rotates it can determine the best fitting saddle for you. Since its launch, the recipe for the Aliante hasn’t remained entirely unchanged. Most recently, extra ingredients in the form of deeper padding, a pressure-relief channel and a more flexible hull were…

*Not guaranteed ERNEST HEMINGWAY …rather elegantly surmised, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up hills and coast down them.” Hemingway was known for his economical and understated style. French philosopher Roland Barthes wasn’t. “It’s a god of evil to whom sacrifice must be paid,” he said of what many deem the most fearsome climb in cycling, Mont Ventoux. “It is a true Molach, a despot of cyclists. It never pardons the weak and exacts an unjust tribute of suffering.” Whatever your literary wont, there’s a reason sportives like L’Étape du Tour, the Fred Whitton Challenge and La Marmotte sell out each year: the challenge of ascending. Pain and suffering are synonymous with climbing, exposing to many…

2017 wasn’t a vintage year of accomplishment in the Cycling Plus office. Sure, we rode plenty between us but unlike previous years we never had any big goals, for the same reasons mentioned in this piece – new arrivals in the family, injuries, lack of time to dedicate. Several of us have resolved to change that for 2018, with editor Rob, section editor John and brand marketing manager Steve diving deep into challenges. Rob, as you can see on p146, has joined Team Alpecin, with the goal to ride this year’s L’Étape du Tour sportive in July, while John and Steve are locked in for the Deloitte Ride Across Britain, the nine-day Land’s End to John o’Groats sportive in September. Check out the magazine and our website, cyclingplus.com, for updates…

It’s important to always wash your bib shorts after every ride, and avoid putting dirty shorts back on, to reduce the chance of bacterial infections. Using a chamois cream will transform your time in the saddle. It’s easily applied directly to the skin or on the inner pad to provide a lubricant that helps to avoid chafing or sores caused by sweating. Be aware that some have a slight warming effect, so don’t be alarmed. A tub of chamois cream is possibly the best £10 you can spend on your cycling.…

» Orica-Scott pro rider Svein Tuft not only embodies almost ageless energy, experience and endurance, he’s also a shining example of how taking the right approach to training and physiology can defy the ageing process. Ensuring he has the ‘engine’ required to hold his own on the professional circuit isn’t solely down to relying on good genes - though they play a big part in the health of Svein’s veins. He’s also renowned as being one of the hardest working riders. In the past he’s ridden from his home in British Colombia to a training camp in California just to get some miles into his legs. The rewards of his work ethic were exemplified when he claimed his 10th Canadian National Time Trial Championship in 2017. Svein also insists that…

1 STEP BACK With a friend holding a bar firmly or attaching one end of a resistance band securely, step back so that the holding arm is straight once you bend forward at the waist. 2 FEEL THE STRETCH Aim to feel a stretch all along the armpit and down the side. Turn the torso and move your position to get a maximum stretch with your arm alongside your ear, comfortably. Stretch for 30-60 seconds as you lengthen out the back. Hit the floor – For greater stability perform this on the floor on your knees.…

Each Team Alpecin rider has a personalised training plan from coach Florian Geyer. After years spent training amateur cyclists and a week riding with the team here’s what Flo now knows… Some amateur riders only have a little sense of how to use watts and train at different intensities. They only have two speeds: on and off! Training doesn’t have to be complicated. For some, especially beginners, it is important to become better acquainted with your body and learn your limits, what you can and can’t do. If you’re doing a ride of more than two hours, eat and drink continuously throughout the ride. You also need to pay attention to fuelling in shorter, more intense sessions like intervals. Don’t go too fast, too soon or do too much too…

Recently, whole days have been swallowed by the need to watch cycling. This is a problem, because I have been plagued with a growing concern that I’m beginning to run short on days, the one thing that, when I was a kid, I always assumed I would never run out of. I’ve chosen a certain path towards the grave, aided and abetted by a fairly comprehensive Classics season service by Eurosport. The more obscure the race, the more time I devote to it, and the more my miserable fate becomes clear. I am a prodigiously dedicated watcher of cycling on the television; there’s no getting around that uncomfortable truth. When there are dull bits, road racing offers an escape route – geography Entire chunks of life, hacked off and dissolved…

GETTING THERE We flew from Heathrow to Cape Town via Nairobi with Kenya Airways (kenya-airways.com). Offering daily flights from £484 return, this includes two pieces of luggage, one of which can be a bike up to 23kg at no extra cost when pre-booked. My 60cm frame bike, in a VeloVault 2 bike box, came in bang on weight. RIDE IT The inaugural HotChillee RollerCoaster will take place in October 2018. There will be options to race as a pair or to simply ride and experience the route, guided by HotChillee Ride Captains. The route starts with a 20km Prologue in the Bontebok National Park, followed by six stages ranging from 60km to the 150km Queen stage. Full pricing is to be confirmed but there will be a range of packages…

Night riding adds significant issues to your adventure inventory, which is what makes it more of a thrill, but those thrills can soon become chilling. Navigation is harder as you can’t see obvious landmarks and it’s easy to overshoot junctions or turns. Distance and speed perception can easily get bent at night and once you’re lost it’s harder to get yourself found again. GPS units/phone mapping can be a massive help, but only if the data is correct and really accurate. Battery life suffers at night and in the cold, so always have a map with you so at least you can work out roughly where you are and navigate an emergency escape. While it might be tempting to let rip down unknown descents, the consequences of crashing after dark…

SHIMANO PD-M530 £39.99 The M530 is an enduro/trail-style pedal with a substantial platform. The mechanism is classic Shimano – hard-wearing, easy to adjust, easy to use and the quality of construction means very little in the way of maintenance. They are a bit on the hefty side (458g a pair) compared to their rivals, but we’d bet the money you’ll save that they outlast lighter and more expensive alternatives. CRANK BROTHERS CANDY 2 £89.99 The 348g Candy’s ‘Eggbeater’ mechanism means four-way entry, for ease of getting in and out. The mechanism is simple with no tension adjust, and you adjust float by switching the cleat direction between 15 and 20 degrees. The prominent bars and shallow cleats can mean interference with the base of your shoes, but the included shims…