Table of contents for October 2022 in Cycling Plus

Variety is the spice of life. So said the English poet William Cowper (and my lunchtime curry stall). And the multiple flavours of cycling are again evident in the pages of Cycling Plus this month, as our team checks out the quiet roads of southern Catalonia in Spain (p30), the aerodynamic opportunities offered by the new Catesby Tunnel in Northants (p64), and the making of Zipp’s new wheels in Indianapolis, USA (p98). And top of my own destination list for the autumn will be Cycling UK’s latest blockbuster route, the Cantii Way in Kent (p106). Once that lunchtime veggie biryani has digested, of course… Your experts Warren Rossiter Senior tech editor This issue our chief reviewer Warren rates four bikes complete with SRAM's Rival AXS groupset, from Cannondale, Canyon, Trek…

During the last days of Boris Johnson’s premiership, the Government launched the second installment of its strategy to boost active travel in England. Unsexily dubbed CWIS2, the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, like its predecessor, was lacking in investment or strategy, and it was thin on details. Worse though, it somehow fudged or mislaid £450m in projected investment figures to 2025, as Cycling UK’s policy aficionado, Roger Geffen pointed out. While there is ambition around growing walking and cycling, there is, as Geffen notes, no requirement to fund that ambition - and the figures attached to the investment aren’t enough to meet its aims. Perhaps most pertinently, for the considerable proportion of us who live outside of cities, the document codified Number 10’s focus on cycle investment in cities and…

Weight 8.32kg (58cm) Frame Carbon Gears SRAM Rival 12-speed Brakes SRAM Rival hydraulic disc Wheels DT Swiss ARC 1600 carbon Finishing kit Continental GP 5000s 28c tyres, Canyon CP0018 Aero carbon cockpit and SP0046 Aero seatpost, Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow S saddle I HAVE TO CONFESS that while I admire the tech behind aero bikes and like having a fast-blast session on one, I don’t want to have to live with one day-to-day. The usual compromises for unabashed aero are increased weight, less comfort due to the torsional rigidity of the frame, and integrated cables that can make the bike complex to maintain and travel with. Then there’s the ride position, which is very low, long and uncompromised. However, with this new Aeroad, Canyon has confronted these issues. Take…

“I t’s almost seamless when it comes to pedalling a bike and measuring power” WITH A SIMILAR pedal body to the Wahoo Speedplay Zero pedal system (considered by some to be among the best road pedals available), the Powrlink Zero brings dual-sided power measurement to the Speedplay platform. While the road-focused Speedplay cleat system is quite pricey and complicated compared to the Look Keo or Shimano SPD-SL systems, it has highly adjustable cleat and float systems (0 to 15° of float, compared to a more normal 6°) and double-sided entry. The spring tension on the cleats is fixed, but you can buy ‘easytension’ versions for £49.99. Once everything’s installed on your bike and shoes, and you’ve clipped in, the small Powrlink Zero pedals feel secure. There’s no unwanted knocking or…

THE MK3 COMBINE mid-weight compressive fabric throughout with a superb Elastic Interface chamois, this short is simply one of the best set of bibs I've ever tried. The raw-cut edges to the legs are tipped with a light gummy internal print that grips well. The broad bib braces hold in place superbly and the shorts have three good-sized rear pockets, plus useful twin pockets on the thigh panels. All-day comfort is paramount. Sizes are XS-XXL in men’s and XS-XL in women’s.…

FOLLOWING IN THE footsteps of the S-Works Sub6, which garnered a cult following for its low weight, sleek profile and Warp Sleeve lace cover, the S-Works 7 Lace offers a marginally less performance-focused design. The aggressively narrow heel cup of the Sub6, for example, has been toned down to produce a shoe with a broader appeal. Yet it’s still a racy shoe, and replacing the dials with laces actually ensures more aerodynamic efficiency. At 494g (UK 11) per pair, the removal of rotary dials and mounting hardware has cut 23g versus a pair of standard S-Works 7 shoes. That’s still 64g heavier than a pair of Sub6s but these are negligible differences. Like the standard S-Works 7, you get Specialized’s lightest and stiffest carbon fibre sole (it’s rated 15 on…

SURLY’S TUBELESS-READY Knard is a fairly aggressive gravel tyre with large-tread blocks positioned quite evenly across its 41mm width. It’s an open pattern, with good spaces between the square central tread blocks, and more distance still between the rectangular shoulder blocks. It’s robustly built on a 60tpi carcass, and also comes in 650b x 41mm size and a large 3” wide version for 29” and 27.5” MTB wheels. A 700 x 41mm tyre weighs 593g. A good fit Its heavy-duty construction helps the Knard retain its shape while fitting, but it’s still pliable enough to be easily eased onto a rim. The tyres inflated immediately and seated first time with a track pump, measuring true to size on our average-width gravel rims. Weighty issues There’s no hiding the Knard’s weight,…

“ The SL4 jersey comes with technical details rarely seen on a jersey of this price” UPSTART BRITISH BRAND Sticklegs has been quietly expanding its range, adding women’s kit alongside its spread of men’s jerseys for all conditions and rider types. The SL4 jersey (in men’s and women’s versions) is designed for warmer days and comes with technical details rarely seen on a jersey at this price. The cut is close without being too second skin and my XL-sized test jersey is bigger than many cycling tops. The jersey has a full-length hidden YKK zip with a proper camlock. The arms and sides use a much more open-weave fabric than the main body, helping regulate temperature and wick moisture. On the rear, there are three well-shaped pockets and there’s a…

01 GPS guidance Cycling GPS devices were once primarily for riders who wanted ‘pure’ navigation and trail guidance, but these tools now combine navigation, regular bike-computer functions, connectivity to devices such as heart-rate monitors and power meters, and more, into one unit. Perhaps the biggest question when choosing a GPS unit is deciding whether you want it to guide you on a ride via maps and navigation, or if you simply want it to track your ride and give you the data to look back at after your ride. Generally speaking, navigational GPS units will cost more because they feature built-in maps, additional storage, navigation software and often a much larger screen to make use of all of this information. For many riders, all they want is live ride data…

Battery life 45hrs (solar); 35hrs (non-solar) Dimensions 118 x 59 x 20mm Weight 132g The Edge 1040 has a new trick: the option of solar charging, leading to an unparalleled 45hr battery life (even the non-solar 1040 will last for 35hrs). The Edge 1040 follows the Edge 1030 Plus in Garmin’s king-sized bike-computer format, and it takes up bar space if you use a standard mount. At 132g, it’s pretty weighty, but the display size (3.5”) gives plenty of data on each screen. The screen is responsive enough that it’s easy to swipe between pages, although the reflective surface can be difficult to read on sunny days. Garmin gives you great route planning both on-device and pre-ride via Garmin Connect, and you can use the Popularity Routing so you don’t…

Battery life 11 hours Dimensions 46 x17mm Weight 25g The Velo 2 features a 1.28” LCD screen with rocker buttons and a larger display than the previous iteration. Once you’ve paired it with the Beeline app (available for iOS and Android), you can decide to either be routed to a specific destination or ride a loop with various waypoints. Once you’ve inputted a destination (easily done via the app, with GPX files also uploaded trouble-free), the app suggests either a fast or quiet route or a balance of the two. The device offers turn-by-turn navigation and tells you how far until the next direction cue. The Beeline app is also intuitive to use. Less positively, it’s not the easiest navigation to follow and it can lose its way sometimes, plus…

I had been a retired medical doctor for about 10 years when I decided, at the age of 70, to return to university. I wanted to follow up on an idea that exercise worked as a preventive medicine against many of the diseases that I had been taught at medical school were due to ageing itself. I thought that these common diseases could be wrapped up in one parcel and called exercise-deficiency diseases for short. The Scandinavians were way ahead of me on this idea but, being retired, I had not kept up with then-current scientific thinking. I came to my conclusion because, as I aged, I suspected that I’d become a victim of heart disease, or stroke or any one of 22 diseases that were due to ageing. However,…

Session 01 Positive self-talk Coach Kyle MacRae Kit needed Pen, paper, quiet room The problem The mid-ride dark place is mental. It’s that self-destructive part of your psyche that tells you to throw your bike off the hill and admit that you’re a loser, baby. Negative self-talk is really powerful and can easily ruin your ride. The solution But here’s the thing. It’s just your mind messing with you. You don’t have to take it. You wouldn’t talk to a friend that way, so why do it to yourself? So counter this self-criticism and doubt with positive self-talk. The process First, write a list of all the negative nonsense you tend to tell yourself on a piece of paper: “I’m not fit enough for this… I don’t think I can…

8 versatile uses for your new neck tube NECK BUFF. Batch number: PR1008259. Manufactured by HMA Creative, HP19 8DZ, UK. HMA Creative (Ireland) Ltd. The Black Church, St. Mary’s Place, Dublin D07 P4AX, Ireland. Made in China. For Immediate Media Company Limited, London, W6 7BT and Mespil House, Dublin, D04 T4A6 THIS IS NOT A TOY. Intended for adult use only. Keep out of reach of babies and young children. WARNING! Not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts. CHOKING HAZARD. 100% polyester microfibre. One size. Hand wash only. Wash like colours together. Do not bleach. Do not iron. Do not dry clean. Do not tumble dry. Please retain this information for future reference. In exceptional circumstances the advertised gift may be replaced with an alternative gift…

SRAM eTap AXS eTap is bike-component company SRAM’s wireless, electronically controlled gear system, which has evolved from the brand’s original mechanical ‘double tap’ shifting system. An AXS-equipped drivetrain has no cables: the mechs and shifters have their own batteries. AXS (pronounced ‘access’) enables all of SRAM’s wireless products to communicate, so you can mix and match components from its different groups. SRAM’s electronic drivetrains also have app control and customisation plus a 12-speed cassette. SRAM AXS XPLR SRAM’s latest option for AXS groups is the adventure/gravel-focused XPLR gear ranges. Bringing wider-spread cassettes and a longer rear mech, the wider range means steeper slopes can be conquered. Stack The vertical distance between the top of the head-tube and the centre of the bottom bracket. A taller stack means a more upright…

Weight 10.19kg (L) Frame Carbon Gears SRAM Rival 12-speed Brakes SRAM Rival hydraulic disc Wheels DT Swiss G540 Finishing kit Vittoria Mezcall III 44c tyres, Cannondale 2 ShortDrop Alloy bar, 1 Alloy stem & SAVE Carbon seatpost, Fizik Terra Argo X5 saddle, SmartSense lights CANNONDALE’S ORIGINAL TOPSTONE Carbon brought the innovative Kingpin suspension rear end, inspired by the brand’s hardtail Scalpel mountain bike, with a single pivot at the point where seatstays and seat-tube meet. This thru’ axle-like design runs on bearings and the carbon fibre in both the stays and seat-tube is designed to allow controlled flex that promises 30mm of travel at the saddle. This new Topstone has the same technology, but Cannondale has refined the frame construction, reducing frame weight by 100g to a kilo. It’s also…

Our 30th birthday, 400th edition and a fresh redesign of the magazine. 2022 is a major year for Cycling Plus. We celebrated by launching our debut retail range of branded jerseys and bibs in collaboration with HUUB Design of Derby in July, and now we’re upping the ante with our boxfresh collection for cooler and/or wetter climes. New for September is the Long Sleeve Jersey (£109.99), which features an elasticated four-way stretch thermal material to keep the jersey sitting close to your body while ensuring you stay warm when the weather turns. Also new is the All Elements Gilet (£109.99), a lightweight and stylish red number that co-ordinates with both jerseys and the bibs, and offers the triple whammy of windproofing, breathability and moisture-wicking properties, not to mention good visibility…

The Testers Warren Rossiter Senior tech editor Warren is one of the UK’s most experienced bike journalists and tech reviewers Paul Norman Multi-discipline rider A keen gravel rider, Paul has been writing about bikes for almost a decade Simon von Bromley Senior tech writer Simon loves nothing better than racing road and time-trial bikes, plus testing tech Emma Lewis Senior production ed An experienced product tester, Emma loves putting kit through its paces…

AS THE NAME suggests, the Racer arrives with a speed focus, including a close-fitting 'pro' feel and taut sleeves that extend to the elbow. Four rear pockets, including a zipped one large enough for a phone, aid mid-ride usability and snack storage, while the underarm ventilation panels and zipper guard are welcome too. The 22% elastane helps with flexibility, but the slimline cut comes at the cost of aesthetics, with my upper-body hair clearly visible (so I'd go for the navy blue option and lose visibility points). A top pick for the price.…

THIS SUPERSIZED version of the standard Mattone saddle pack design still has the clever wrap-around rubberised strap that threads through saddle rails and cinches down tight using a BOA ratchet (more commonly found on shoes). Inside the 13cm x 10cm x 5cm pack, there’s a large pocket in the lid top to store valuables while the main area is big enough to stow a multitool, tyre levers and a couple of tubes and CO2 cartridges. A waterproof zipper will help keep the contents dry.…

HALO’S ‘MOST AGGRESSIVE’ tyre is built around a 60tpi tubeless carcass and has a harder area in the centre for speed and durability, with softer rubber on the shoulders. Five closely-spaced, offset lines of small arrow-shaped tread blocks line the centre, with angled linking ridges to shift water and muck. More arrow blocks precede two rows of larger, diamond-shaped blocks, which wrap around the shoulder. The 700 x 38mm GXC weighs 410g. Nice and light The lightweight and floppy Halos slipped onto a rim fairly easily and seated fairly quickly with a track pump. Despite seating more than once, one GXC has stubbornly refused to run straight. It doesn’t affect performance though [the same tyres were fine on the Ribble on p74]. Great grip After weeks of use on two…

Weight 6.9kg Frame Flax fibre mainframe, CNC alloy rear Fork Carbon Brakes CAest levers, Tektro R539 dual pivot brakes Wheels Tri-Spoke carbon ISO 349mm (16”) clinchers Finishing kit Brooks Cambium grips, Brooks C17 Cambium saddle, Schwalbe Kojak tyres HUMMINGBIRD FIRST HIT the headlines with its ultra-lightweight monocoque carbon-fibre folding bike a couple of years ago. Now it’s taken that lightweight template and applied a new leaner, greener material in collaboration with the high-tech and high-performance motorsport firm, Prodrive. Prodrive has built and raced cars for the likes of Subaru, Aston Martin and, more recently, for Sir Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team in the offroad Extreme E Championship. The new material, which contains flax fibres, comes from Prodrive’s research into sustainability to meet the stringent forthcoming motorsport regulations. Matt Bradney, Prodrive’s business…

Dimensions 100.6 x 60.8 x 19.3mm Weight 132g Screen 3.2” colour touchscreen Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels Battery life: 8-14hrs The Karoo 2’s generous size houses a large, high-resolution screen that uses a touchscreen. It’s really good, with its matt finish reducing reflections and the resolution making it easy to read in sunlight. Alongside the very responsive touchscreen, there are four physical buttons that can also be used to control the device. Under the bonnet, there’s 32GB of internal storage for data and maps, while Hammerhead provides biweekly software updates. There’s also a card slot for a 4G SIM so you can connect the Karoo 2 up to a wireless network without needing to carry your phone or use your phone data. The device reached 90% charge in 2.5hrs via…

Battery life 36 hours Dimensions 105 x 58 x 14.2mm Weight 104g The Bryton Rider S800 is an attractive cycling computer with good battery life and a large screen for its mid-sized format, with high contrast. The 3.4” screen is definitely a plus over competing devices such as the Garmin Edge 830 and the Wahoo Elemnt Roam, although it’s bested by the Hammerhead Karoo 2. The Rider S800 offers lots of functionality and does the basics well, but is slightly fiddly to use for more advanced functions. If you just want to set up, get out and record your rides, it’s a good option, but if you’re into fine-tuning your computer and using the bonus capabilities, you might find it a little frustrating. Bryton claims a lengthy 36-hour battery life…

Zipp’s base in Indianapolis in the heart of America’s Midwest is known as the home of speed. With the legendary Indy 500 raceway a stone’s throw from Zipp HQ, along with a wealth of engineering and design talent from automotive, aerospace and… composite (carbon) production, it seems apt that this pioneer of aerodynamic bicycle parts should hail from the region. With a few days to have a sneak peek at Zipp’s processes, my first port of call is with advanced development engineer Ruan Trouw. Ruan’s background is in carbon composites for the aerospace industry, but a love of bikes led to him joining Zipp (a common theme in Zipp’s advanced engineering team). Ruan heads up Zipp’s special NSW facility within Zipp’s factory. NSW stands for ‘Nest Speed Weaponry’, so called…

01 The Mental Cyclist Kyle MacRae’s book offers mind-training advice, self-development exercises, weekly challenge trackers and more with its 300 pages. Three formats are on offer in hardback, paperback, app and a deluxe carbon version. From £6.99. mentalcyclist.com. 02 Coffee To lower the perception of fatigue, you can consume caffeine. Drinking coffee in the morning helps with alertness and concentration, while research has shown that it increases memory and retention as well. 03 Dark chocolate Dark chocolate (70% and up) contains a small amount of caffeine (see above) and also boasts magnesium, which can help lower levels of stress. Chocolate promotes the release of endorphins and serotonin, which can heighten your mood. 04 Blueberries Research has shown that blueberries can aid concentration and memory for up to five hours after…

Magnesium, steel, aluminium and titanium… we try out four models that eschew carbon in our Bike Test New gear Best budget kit Upgrades from Endura, Ortlieb & Sidi Also inside… Don't try this at home! Training methods you should leave to the professionals Diamond in the rough London to Paris… on gravel First for more A multi-discipline racing masterclass Plus! Adventure guide 44 pages on the best bikes and routes for all-road adventures On sale 30 September 2022…

I think it’s easy for every athlete – definitely me as much, if not more, than anyone – to get stuck in a routine. You end up sticking with the same old things and getting a bit bored. But I think it’s important to mix things up to keep things fresh and interesting. Variety is the spice of life, as they say, and that is definitely the case with training and racing. When I missed out on the Tokyo Olympics [due to being disqualified in a pre-games qualifying event], I decided to focus fully on long-distance Ironmans [3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run]. I’ve also enjoyed doing other types of riding, like gravel, and training with different people. It’s given me a new spark. The first half of this year…

Weight 8.67kg (58cm) Frame 500 Series OCLV carbon Gears SRAM Rival 12-speed Brakes SRAM Rival hydraulic disc Wheels Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 OCLV carbon Finishing kit Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite 25c tyres, Bontrager Elite VR-C alloy bar, Pro stem, Carbon seatmast & Aeolus Comp saddle TREK’S TRIUMVIRATE OF road bikes used to be easy to distinguish from each other. The Madone was the aerodynamic racing weapon; the Domane, with its double Isospeed suspension, all about beating the road surface; and the Émonda was the choice of the climbers: ultralight to beat gravity. New generation The latest Émonda, however, has mixed things up a bit and brought aerodynamics into play. That means tubes with a kammtail profile (though not as extreme as the Madone or its Canyon Aeroad rival here) plus…

Weight 8.36kg (L) Frame Full Carbon Gears SRAM Rival 12-speed Brakes SRAM Rival hydraulic disc Wheels Zipp 303s Finishing kit Schwalbe One TLE 30c tyres, Vielo carbon bar & seatpost, Selle Italia Boost SLR saddle WITH THE ADVENT of 12-speed for AXS (not to mention Campagnolo’s 13-speed Ekar), along with a huge variety of cassettes and chainrings, 1x is now very much an option for the road. Gateshead firm Vielo certainly thinks so: its road and gravel bikes are all designed around a single chainring, with an uncompromised back end that’s perfectly symmetrical, enabling it to concentrate on stiffness and low weight, rather than having to worry about chainlines and the like. This Alto version of the R+1 bears that out with a frame weight of just 880g (56cm painted…

Weight 9.57kg (L) Frame Triple-butted 3AL/2.5v Titanium Fork Carbon Gears SRAM Force AXS XPLR (40/10-44) Wheels Enve Foundation AG28 carbon 650b Finishing kit Carbon seatpost, alu stem, Halo GXD tyres, Level Gravel Riser bar, Brooks Cambium C17 saddle RIBBLE’S ELEGANT AND techladen triple-butted titanium gravel frameset is available as a complete customisable bike from £2,799. We however thought we’d splash out on the ‘Hero’ model to see if one of the world’s best-value bike brands can cut it when it comes to superbikes. The heart of the new Gravel Ti is a beautifully finished triple-butted titanium frame matched to a matt-finished, straight-legged carbon fork. The quality of the frame’s detailing is excellent. Clean welds, tidy fittings (all welded rather than riveted) and etched graphics on high-polished tubing all put this…

THE RACE MISSED out on last issue’s sub-£75 helmets test by virtue of not boasting the MIPS safety system. What it does have is a racier focus than the Giant Relay and Specialized Align II (both £45) from that test, its aero-on-a-budget appeal reminding me of the winning Van Rysel Racer (£39.99). That Decathlon helmet reportedly received wind tunnel testing during the design process (and wasn’t humbled against some loftier lids in our own wind tunnel tests in 2020, albeit its success was largely at the more extreme wind angle of 20°), but Pinnacle/Evans Cycles make no such claims about the Race Helmet. What the major cycling retailer does claim is that the Race is a lightweight helmet, and it does tip the scales at a satisfactory 329g for a…

DEEP-SECTION WHEELS should help improve your performance, thanks to the gains in aerodynamics. The 50mm depth of these VeloElites is a popular all-round option: fast for flatter riding but still usable for hillier rides. At 30.1mm at their widest, these are one of the broadest rims around, at 28.5mm externally across the bead, 21.2mm internally, and 50.1mm deep. The profile features a blunt spoke bed to help with stability in crosswinds. Our 700c carbon wheels, with 12mm bolt-through axles front and rear and centrelock rotor fitting, weighed 722g front and 853g rear, which isn’t bad for this price. Although the rims arrived pre-taped to accept a tubeless set-up, no valves (or bags or rotor lockrings) were included. Build quality is very good, and mounting tyres isn’t too much of a…

LOOKING FOR performance-enhancing kit? This great-looking top is worth the investment. With a second-skin feel and fit plus tech such as welded seams and internal support tape, this is impressive. It has two traditional back pockets plus two side-access pouches and regulated our temperature well when riding, with six fabrics doing their bit in the design. The wide, reflective rear hem didn’t budge and the minimalist neck is really comfortable.…

THESE FLYWEIGHT CYCLING shades (29g) follow the trend for oversized, wraparound shield lenses, but have fairly subtle styling plus a less aggressive curve than some. The lens dimensions, at 136mm wide and 57mm deep, aren’t hugely oversized but still provide full coverage. The slender arms are very well tensioned and highly flexible, providing great grip on your head, even when riding in the rough, helped by a two-position adjustable nosepiece that allowed me to get a perfectly secure fit. The Shift’s photochromic lens is rapid to change and has simply wonderful clarity with none of the distortion that can be found at the edges of some of the more steeply curved wrap glasses. ChromaPop technology filters light to keep definition and colour sharp too. However, where Smith really hits the…

We all want to improve our riding, especially when it comes to fitness, which can come from heading out with friends or clubs. But the very best motivation can come from actually seeing improvements in your performance. Yes, you’ll feel you’re getting better when you’re besting a climb or railing a corner, but seeing proven data is the real spark to make you push harder and put in that extra effort. Something that gives you a reason to ride faster, longer, higher every time is the best motivation, and is a key reason why computers are a staple of the cyclist’s gear armoury. Fitting a bike computer allows you to track every mile of riding you do. When you factor in membership of cycling-tracking websites, such as Strava or Garmin…

Dimensions 77 x 47 x 21 mm Weight 68g Screen 2.2” colour screen Screen resolution 320 x 240 pixels Battery life 15hrs Wahoo’s second-generation Elemnt Bolt is an excellent bike computer that now offers a colour screen, smart navigation, USB-C charging and better battery life, in what is otherwise ostensibly the same aero-profiled package as the original version. The Bolt’s 2.2in colour screen is a marked step up from its predecessor. Wahoo has used colour relatively sparingly, but to good effect by improving clarity where it matters, whether that be road designations – main roads are orange, secondary roads are yellow, minor roads are grey and cycle paths are blue – or the heart rate zone you’re in during threshold intervals. The colour screen is most useful when navigating –…

Battery life 18hrs Dimensions 66 x 47 x 20mm Weight 130g The Sigma ROX 11.1 Evo majors on training functionality, complemented by GPS navigation that works in conjunction with Komoot and the Sigma Ride app. The 1.77-inch display screen sits unobtrusively on the bars but packs in over 150 operations, including an emergency crash-notification feature. There’s no touchscreen, so you control modes via the four buttons. The Evo can pair with compatible ebike and e-gear sensors as well as working on manual bikes and you can set up screens manually or using the app: I’d recommend the latter. The format allows you to prioritise your key data (speed, distance and time) on the screen. In keeping with the display clarity, the Sigma Ride app shows ride stats exceptionally clearly. Rides…

Zipp’s design direction is called ‘Total System Efficiency’ or TSE. The idea is to identify the needs of each type of rider and the corresponding riding conditions and tweak the design accordingly. Wind resistance Power loss created by the resistance of the air. More prevalent as the speed increases Gravity Power loss created by the weight of the bike and components. More prevalent as the slope increases Rolling resistance Power loss created by the friction and deformation of the tyres on the ground. Depends on tyre performance, but also tyre contact tyre patch and pressure Vibration losses Power loss created by vibrations from the road, that induce a vertical motion on both the bike and rider. More prevalent when the surface becomes rougher…

Recently I went on a fact-finding mission to Oxford. Hoping to bump into Phillip Pullman, he who wrote all those wonderful books about magic, destiny triumph and adversity, so that I could discuss with him his uncomfortable appreciation of cyclists [Ed – see Pullman’s 28 October 2021 tweet], I had to settle instead for a guided tour of the suburbs. This was OK. The city centre, with its proliferation of antique sandstone colleges and antique sandstone academics walking around and muttering to themselves in Latin, was far too hot and far too busy. I was happy not to join the throngs of tourists. Instead I met up with my co-presenters of a podcast called Streets Ahead, Adam [Tranter] and Laura [Laker, Cycling Plus columnist]. For the last couple of years,…