Inhaltsverzeichnis für January 2024 in Cycling Plus

The Endurace CFR AXS usurps the Endurace CF SLX at the top of Canyon’s Endurace-model hierarchy. ‘CFR’ is an acronym for Canyon Factory Racing, a label reserved for bikes made from Canyon’s lightest grade of carbon. So, unusually, this endurance road bike has a pro-level frame and spec to match, creating a blend of speed, comfort and agile handling. 01 Race by name… Aerodynamic aspects of the brand’s super-speedy Aeroad CFR (how the seat-tube curves around the rear wheel and tapers sharply towards the bottom bracket, for example) combine with the low weight and slimmer, rounder down-tube and traditional rear triangle more like the Ultimate CFR race bike’s shape. 02 Endurance angles The Canyon Endurace CFR uses the brand’s Sport geometry, which is less aggressive than the Ultimate and Aeroad’s…

AS GRAVEL BIKES DEVELOP, ONE of the most exciting emerging trends is a drop-bar bike that can handle the roughest of rough stuff. Forget the smoother wide-open tracks of gravel racing in the Mid West: our quartet here are more likely to be found in the woods on rooty forest trails or on the mountainside taking on natural singletrack and sheep trails. Sometimes, the build kit tips an adventure bike into an extreme gravel machine, with these machines often built to blur the lines between a drop-bar gravel bike and a mountain bike. 01 MTB influence Geometry-wise, this test will see the biggest disparity between gravel bikes, but the unifying factor is bringing mountain bike geometry into play. There’s often a long front-centre and a slacker head angle, combined with…

ALL OUR QUARTET HERE ARE fantastic fun when you venture way, way off road. Genesis’ re-thought Fugio has dropped in price and weight but keeps the fun factor that made the previous version of the Fugio a firm favourite. The funky finish on the aluminium frame harks back to mountain biking’s glory days and the Fugio exudes that original renegade spirit. A few downgrades to hit the sub £2,000 price tag hold it back from taking the top spot of our podium here, though. “A bike that’s this capable yet packed with value is a rare thing, as is the five stars I’ve awarded it” Rondo set out with the Mylc to make a gravel bike that could handle fast, technical, and ultimately challenging gravel trails, especially downhill. They’ve achieved…

Weight 7.6kg (Size 550, 58cm equivalent) Frame Handmade Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 12spd (52/36t, 11-30t) Brakes Shimano Hydraulic disc Wheels Enve SES 3.4 carbon Finishing kit Colnago CC.01 bar system, Colnago D-shape carbon seatpost, Selle Italia Boost SLR Superflow saddle, Pirelli P-Zero Race 30mm tyres COLNAGO’S C SERIES HAS always been the pinnacle of handcrafted Italian-made carbon from the Cambiago-based brand, and, as well as the brilliant C68 Road (CP396), there’s now this C68 Allroad version, plus an imminent C68 Gravel model. Looking at the tweaks to the geometry, construction and tyre clearances, it seems to us that the C68 is actually a pure, modern endurance bike. The Allroad’s shape has been subtly tweaked from the race-bred dimensions of the C68 Road. In my 550-sized test bike…

Topeak Pannier Drybag 24L £94.99 AT A GENEROUS 47CM tall x 31.5cm wide x 15cm deep, this can hold a full change of clothes, shoes plus my laptop and notebook on my commute. It’s also waterproof thanks to being fully welded with a Velcro-secured roll top (but not overly heavy, at 785g). The Handle Loc handle, when squeezed, opens the rack rail clamps (which fit 8/10/12/16mm rails) and clamps down on release. The stabilising hook also has a quick-release button and can be rotated 180° making this bag fit all the bikes I tried it on without using a tool. Clever details include: reflective panels front and rear, quick clips for closure, a hard back to keep the bag stable, and a very good shoulder strap. It’s brilliant for commuting,…

Weight 9.56kg (XL) Frame Scultura Endurance Lite Aluminium Fork Carbon Scultura Endurance Cf3 Disc Gears Shimano 105 11-speed Brakes Shimano 105 hydraulic disc with Shimano RT10 rotors Wheels Merida Expert SL Finishing kit Merida Expert CW stem, Merida Expert SL handlebar, Merida Expert CC seatpost, Merida Comp SL saddle, Maxxis Detonator 32c tyres MERIDA’S CARBON SCULTURA Endurance impressed us in 2023’s Bike of the Year test, but can the lower-priced aluminium version meet the high standards of its composite cousin? The alloy frame is superbly finished with clean, even welds and shaped, hydroformed tubing that mimics the comfort-giving shapes of the carbon frame. That means slender seatstays that meet the top-tube just in front of the seat-tube, square-shaped but tapering chainstays, a slim seat-tube and an oversized and ovalised down-tube.…

Ah, the pub, that British cultural icon. There are over 45,000 of them, and I’ve biked to many of the most notable ones. Among the oldest are Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham or the Bingley Arms near Leeds. The latter is best for authentic period features, such as having no cycle parking. The smallest pubs, on the other hand, might be the Nutshell in Bury St Edmunds or the Signal Box in Cleethorpes. Buying everyone in the pub a drink won’t come cheaper. The biggest pubs include Brewdog’s The Sidings in Waterloo and Wetherspoon’s Moon Under Water in Manchester; by the time you get from bar to table, you’ve finished your pint. And I’ve cycled to various olde-worlde, parlour- and timewarp-pubs – the Sun Inn in Leintwardine; Tucker’s…

Quarq DFour DUB £355-£549 Quarq has a solid reputation for producing accurate, reliable and good-value power meters. The DFour DUB is spider based, integrated into SRAM’s DUB ecosystem. Favero Assioma Duo £699 Dual-sided and easy to live with, the Assioma Duo pedals are one of the best all-round power meters for the money. Also available is Favero’s Uno single-sided meter for £449. Garmin Rally RS200 £969.99 The Garmin Rally power meter pedal system is the world’s first native SPD-SL power meter pedal and can be converted for use both on- and off-road.…

29 June - 21 July 2024 ● The 2024 Tour de France route was unveiled in October. The final mountain road stage will start in Nice in the French Riviera on 20 July before climaxing at the Col de la Couillole in the Alpes-Maritimes, where Tadej Pogačar (pictured) won at the 2023 Paris-Nice. With the 2024 Olympics taking place in Paris, the final stage will be a 34km time trial from Monaco to Nice. The Étape du Tour (7 July) will mirror the route.…

While many races have a low-key reveal of their route on their website, or drip-feed it piecemeal in press releases as and when stages are inked in, it should surprise nobody that the Tour de France, the biggest show in town as far as the cycling world is concerned, unveils its route for the following summer in a glitzy, unsubtle show in its Paris home. ASO, the organiser, invites the great and the good of the cycling world to Palais des Congrès to see the route – now routes, with the 2022 addition of the women’s race, the Tour de France Femmes – that race directors Christian Prudhomme and Marion Rousse have cooked up. This route presentation often feels like cycling out of context, with pro riders – almost exclusively…

MOST CYCLISTS ARE PRETTY CLUED UP ABOUT healthy food. What gets in the way is fatigue, stress, lack of time, hunger pangs and poor organisation. You slump home from work, then hungrily stab at a microwavable ready meal. You get the munchies and grab some crisps. You finish a tough ride, then annihilate the cookie jar. On workdays, these sloppy habits are often ascribed by nutritionists to “cognitive fatigue.” A new study in the journal Current Biology, which used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor human brain chemicals, found that after we spend a day engaging in hard cognitive tasks, such as during a day in the office, fatigue of the prefrontal cortex – the brain region linked to rational thought – leads us to make impulsive low-effort decisions for short-term…

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Tortec Supertour Rear Rack £44.99 Simple, classic load carrier WITH EASY-TO-understand fitting instructions and quality stainless bolts pre-loaded with thread locking adhesive to stop your rack rattling loose in the long term, Tortec’s Super tour really is a doddle to fix safely and securely with its fixed-length spars to the dropouts. The seat stay brackets are kinked so you can rotate them in their rack fittings to match your seat stay width. With less adjustability than the Topeak, it’s easier to fit onto classic 700c-wheeled bikes. Nice and light At just 600g including all hardware, the Tortec is a much lighter option than the Topeak and though the Topeak can carry a kilogram more weight, the Tortec’s 25kg limit isn’t exactly limiting. However, neither rack is rated for use…

Shoes are one of the few contact points you have with your bike, so getting the right shoe for you and your cycling is crucial. Put simply, if you get the wrong footwear, you won’t enjoy your cycling. And while it’s possible to spend a hefty amount on your next cycling shoes, many of us are likely to part with around £100. So what should you expect at this real-world price point? If you’re commuter, mountain biker or ride mainly for leisure, SPD (Shimano Pedalling Dynamics) pedals and compatible shoes are a good choice as you can walk in them safely and comfortably when you’re off the bike. If pedalling efficiency is more of a priority, similar (but inevitably incompatible) three-bolt systems from Look, Time and Shimano are your friend.…

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Make sure you eat enough to provide plenty of energy; not having the right number of calories and nutrients can increase your stress hormones and impair your energy and sports performance, as well as lowering your immunity. A high-quality diet is vital. This means limiting ‘junk’ foods and focusing on variety, eating your 5+ a day for those crucial vitamins, minerals and other compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. CHICKPEA DAHL (GF, DF, V, VG) Warming and spicy, this packs in five of your 5 a day. It’s a good vegetarian source of protein that’s also rich in fibre and antioxidant vitamins A and C, plus anti-inflammatory ginger, garlic and spice Prep 5mins Cook 25-30 mins Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side Ingredients • 150g brown…

3 Peaks Cycles Settle, North Yorks History ● Founded 2008. Originally a car accessories shop, but started selling a few inner tubes when the local bike place closed its doors. Now a full-on bike store with busy cafe in market square of the Dales-gateway town. What makes this shop special? ● “We may be firmly in the Dales, but we don’t just sell mountain bikes!” says 3 Peaks’ Alastair. “The terrain is very varied and so are the cyclists.” Why is a local bike shop so important? ● “We aren’t tied to a particular brand or supplier, so are free to stock whatever we think is best.” What’s in store ● Brands include Cube, Specialized and Genesis. “We try to keep our displays fresh and changing. Our cafe uses Lonton…

With its stunning volcanic landscapes, average year-round temperatures of 23°C and smooth roads that soar to 2,300m in altitude, Tenerife has become the playground of pro cyclists. Several elite teams train here, and can usually be found with a block booking at the Parador de Las Cañades del Teide hotel, in the Teide National Park at over 2,000m altitude. Tenerife is a land of strange contradictions. It’s an autonomous region of Spain, but this sun-baked island is geographically closer to Africa, which lies just 300km away. It is one of the most popular beach destinations in Europe, but is isolated enough to be a designated Starlight destination for its pure skies and low light pollution. And although the Teide National Park – a region of jaw-dropping terrain around the 3,718m…

Paris-Brest-Paris was first held in 1891, making it older than both the modern-day Olympic Games and the Tour de France. I’ve always viewed this 1,200km audax with a mixture of fascination and horror. I loved that a relic from very early days of the bicycle was still going, and that a bicycle race had inspired a classic piece of French patisserie. But I could never imagine riding it myself (though I have eaten a good number of Paris-Brests: it’s a wheel of choux pastry filled with silky praline cream topped with crispy flaked almonds, since you ask). You see, my idea of a perfect day out on the bike is a gentle 50 miles with plenty of stops for pints, pies and pastries along the way. It’s the formula behind…

WE REVIEWED PINNACLE’S £35 Race helmet largely positively last year, especially praising its aero flourishes and the finishing of its polycarbonate shell for an ultra-budget lid. The Race did drop points for its lack of MIPS and basic buckle adjuster, however, but these have been remedied in the new, somehow now even cheaper, MIPS Road and Gravel Helmet from Evans Cycles’ in-house brand. Out of the box, the imaginatively titled, unisex MIPS Road and Gravel Helmet tips the scales at 310g for a S/M, lighter than the aforementioned Pinnacle Race (329g) and comparable lids from Giant (the £45 Relay, 348g) and Specialized (the £45 Align II, 374g). The latter two and the Road have MIPS (Multidirectional Impact Protection System) technology, which adds around 25-45g of weight and a safety boost…

WITH THE CONTINUED RISE OF wilder gravel bikes (see the MTB-inspired gravel bikes in our big bike test this month) and tech, the MTB Endurance 3.0 certainly warrants its spot on these drop-bar cycling pages, despite its ‘MTB’ denomination. Lacking a visor, unlike the very similar MTB Trail 3.0 in Leatt’s somewhat confusingly titled helmet range, the Endurance 3.0 could certainly swap MTB for Gravel in its billing. Inside the Endurance 3.0 sits Leatt’s own 360° Turbine Technology. These ‘turbines’ are small bumpers made from Armougel – a rubber-like material that hardens on impact – and are strategically placed around the inside. They’re claimed to help protect your head from low-speed impacts and also safeguard against rotational forces, too, similar to other slip-plane in-helmet technologies (hello, MIPS). Leatt developed the…

01 CAN BOOSTING TESTOSTERONE HELP ME DEFY AGEING? In August of this year, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed that former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman had been banned for four years for “taking possession of an order of 30 sachets of Testogel (testosterone gel)” at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester in 2011. The lack of charging any riders smacks of throwing said doctor under the team bus, but that’s another feature for another time. For now, we’ve used Freeman as a high-profile, nefarious vehicle to highlight the performance potential of testosterone – and why the passage of time can see both testosterone and performance levels plummet. Let’s lift the lid on age-related decline and what you can do about it… What is testosterone? Testosterone is a hormone – a chemical messenger…

“I’ve always been fit, healthy and active and got into cycling around seven years ago. I was mainly a road cyclist, cycling alone before I joined a Dundee cycling club in 2018. That’s where I met my partner, Paul. I did some endurance cycling, including a 200-mile road ride in 2019 and the 150-mile Deeside Loop. Paul introduced me to off-road cycling in 2020. Three months later I borrowed his mountain bike and did the Deadwater 100 British Mountain Bike Marathon Champs race at Kielder Forest. I loved it and bought my own mountain bike after that. Paul and I regularly cycled four times a week and in October last year we set up our own club, Dundee Dynamo CC. But this April, I was diagnosed with Grade 2 breast…

Riding by power is arguably the greatest training evolution of recent times. Why’s down to a power meter eliminating variables and calculating exact work done, delivering data that’s standardised whether you’re facing a headwind, riding downhill or simply cruising on the flat. This differs to training by heart rate, which tells you how hard you’re working but not how much work is done. Power meters also come into their own when prescribing training sessions and zones for physiological and performance adaptation. Time to get onto helping you weave your magic with wattage… 01 MOVING SCALES A power meter is, in simple terms, a set of moving scales that measures your power output. Basically, this is a measure of how hard you’re turning the pedals over time. Your power is measured in…