Indice dei contenuti per June 2019 in Cycling Plus

In the beginning was the bicycle and the bicycle was good. And then there was the ’cross bike and the gravel bicycle, which were also good… Genesis’s newest Day One 20 gravel bike-cumcommuter-cum light tourer is a skinny chromoly allsteel affair with mechanical disc brakes and full-length mudguards. The single-ring gearing is low maintenance: an 8-speed Shimano Nexus hub gear and a bar-end shifter. The range is roughly the same as a 50/34 chainset and 14-29 cassette combo, so you lose a little at the top end. Featuring a steel frame and fork and 35mm tyres with a 75psi maximum pressure, this is never going to be a grand prix flyer anyway, and if you’re a speed merchant you might well spin out. The brakes are okay without being great,…

There are two types of cyclist. Given a steep hill, one will do anything to find a flatter way round. The other will race you up and post a summit selfie on Facebook. Although by nature uncompetitive, I’m rather keen on cycling upwards. Almost as much as the Youth Hostel Association, whose establishments are always up hills. Or NCN routes that take you over 200m peaks because the council won’t fund a safe junction on the A road. But here’s a thing. When I drove down Glencoe on a motoring holiday in Scotland, I thought the scenery was somewhat average. Later, on a cycling holiday – or, as we everyday cyclists call it, a ‘holiday’ – I did it on my tourer, climbing up from Tyndrum. In the intervening decade,…

Evans Cycles argue that the Arkose was a gravel bike before the term ground its way in to our collective consciousness. As it’s been around for several years, they have a point. This latest iteration of the model gains a raft of tweaks that should widen its appeal to the maturing UK all-road bike market and, with such a large retailer behind it, it looks great value too. The frame is built from 6013-T6 heat-treated alloy with a triplebutted top-and down-tubes, smooth welds and large reflective panels and graphics for visibility. The brake hose and cables are routed internally through the down-tube as far as the bottom bracket shell and the fork and steerer are all carbon fibre. At 178cm tall, we’re at the top of the recommended height range…

This Backroad is light and quick but not a shortcut to offroad ride comfort The Backroad is Rose’s go-anywhere road bike taking in the gravel genre too. Using the Rose online bike configurator, you can personalise your bike build using a wide range of equipment options. We decided on Shimano Ultegra with cyclo cross-sized chainrings, big cassette and Rose’s own wheelset with Schwalbe’s G-One tyres. Rose claims that a 57cm frame (including the lower down-tube impact guard) weighs 1040g, and complete with its all-carbon fork and our chosen equipment our 57cm test bike is an impressive 8.66kg. Stepping aboard our first impression is of being a little higher than expected. This is due to the 60mm bottom bracket drop being less than most equivalent bikes, making it 29cm from the…

£3150 › Enve us WE SAY ENVE’s SES 3.4 Disc wheelset has superb performance with endless speed on tap ENVE’S MOST POPULAR WHEELSET FOR the last decade has been the rim brake SES 3.4, but the popularity of disc brakes brings an all-new SES 3.4 Disc wheelset. The name stands for Smart ENVE System, after former F1 aerodynamicist Simon Smart, while the 3.4 relates to the wheels’ differential rim heights: 38mm front and 42mm rear, which has remained unchanged. When released, these rim heights seemed bold and as much as we’d ever need, but in today’s aero-is-everything market, they’re relatively shallow. The bespoke profiles used on each rim account for the specific airflow at each end of the bike, meaning the front rim is 27.5mm externally, 21mm internally for crosswind…

£169.99 › Team Sky’s headwear of choice KASK HAS TAKEN GREAT CARE in creating the Valegro, which was ‘developed in cooperation with Team Sky’ and you may have seen a yellow version of it ridden by a certain Geraint Thomas last year. It has loads going for it too, and only one negative. At just 201g for our medium-size helmet, it’s light without being super-light, and with 37 vents the airflow is very good. One of our favourite things about it is the sheer amount of adjustability that allows you to get the fit just right. In addition to the usual ratcheted wheel at the back, there is a huge 50mm of vertical adjustment and – very unusually – each of the occipital cradles is independently adjustable. The artificial leather…

There is a school of thought that suggests there is ‘too much information’ in modern cycling. We’ve written various articles on this very subject. The mindful pursuit of getting on your bike, retreating into quiet lanes and disconnecting from modern life, (which, to paraphrase something the band Blur once said, can be rubbish) is all beaten into submission by the onslaught of data provided by your gadgets. Similarly, the advance of technology means ever-more sophisticated – and expensive – devices which, while certainly having their uses, are also very effective in separating you from your hard-earned cash. Cycling is a sport and an activity that can be very cheap, but also super expensive. There’s social media too: Strava, a platform which, ever since its rise at the turn of this…

£264.99 How does Fizik’s R3 Aria match up to the competition? WE SAY Sumptuous looks and performance to match… if they suit your feet Weight (pair) 596g Size tested 45.5 Sizes available 37-48 Fizik’s R3 Aria has a wrap-over upper made of Microtex, which is highly durable, easy to clean and resilient. Tiny perforations cover both flanks giving constant cooling to supplement the air channelled through the sole’s toe vents and insole. Raised silicone dots prevent heel slippage and work with the twin BOA IP1-B dials to maximise security. The front BOA adjusts forefoot volume and the rear BOA dial tightens the contrasting colour band, which also acts on the heel surround snugging it all together for perfect retention. When adjusted, the foot is clamped in to the ideal position…

£399.99 Definitely not Scott free WE SAY The Scott RC SL is a phenomenal race shoe with no expense spared Weight (pair) 546g Size tested 45 Sizes available 38-48 Scott’s RC SL shoes are light but, in the real world, weight only matters so much. They’re based on Scott’s HMX carbon fibre sole, which has a Corecell foam core, moulded-in rubber bumpers and a toe vent. The sole is split in to the forward Power Zone, and Axial FlexZone behind the cleat, engineered to allow some torsional flex to minimse strain. The uppers consist of Carbitex fabric and 3D Airmesh, which makes up two vents on each shoe. They have a conventional design with a shaped and densely-padded tongue offset to the outside and two opposing sides of the shoe…

ANDY SMALLWOOD CEO What’s the most rewarding part of being at Ribble right now? Seeing the significant strategic change in the business and what the team has achieved in such a short space of time. The new bike range being assembled in a vast array of different customer spec choices on our production line in Preston is particularly rewarding. What change/s have you seen make a massive difference? Our transition away from our recent focus on the retailing of third party bicycle parts, accessories and clothing and into a premium British bike brand built around our own product and brand. Which Ribble do you ride? I have two right now, a custom colour Aero 883 with Di2 and Zipp 404s and a Campag-equipped Reynolds 525 steely with mudguards. My next…

Campagnolo has a proud history of cycling engineering firsts, notably the invention of the quick-release lever for wheels and the rear derailleur, which put paid to the need to stop, unbolt and remove the rear wheel and turn it around in order to use a different sized sprocket fixed to the opposite side of the hub. This procedure was one of the drivers behind the quick-release skewer’s development. In more recent history, Campagnolo has been a serial innovator in the freewheel and cassette arenas (a freewheel is a group of sprockets, which are fixed together and screwed on to a threaded hub body, whereas modular cassettes, which slide on to a splined freehub body began with eight speed). Launch dates (the first of their respective type) 1991 – Eight speed…

SHORT IS SWEET “On road training sessions I’m into short punchy climbs because of my track background. I know my threshold power and how over a long, 20-minute climb I’d struggle to keep up with the best, but because my three-minute power is so high I can cope with the short climbs and the repeatability of them.” GET INTO THE RHYTHM “In terms of technique I’d be nervous for any climbers to think I have any expertise to offer! But I do know that a lot of climbing success is to do with your rhythm and finding that sweet spot – once you get into that flow then you have the confidence and energy to turn the screw that extra bit when you need to.” ROAD OFFERS MORE “Although I’m…

We see bikes all the time that have problems with their disc brakes, and they’re usually simple to repair. The two main causes of problems are worn or contaminated pads or air in the system. Pads are the easiest to deal with. Make sure they have enough braking material left and are clean and not too glazed. Nail varnish remover works well as a cleaner and using some 120-grit sand paper on a flat surface will take the glaze off the surface of the pad. It’s very important that when you fit new pads, or have cleaned and refinished existing ones, you bed them in on a good long hill descent. WHEN YOU FIT NEW PADS, BED THEM IN ON A GOOD LONG HILL DESCENT Just through normal use it…

£3999 Shiny things Back in the day titanium was the future, before carbon came along… The Etape’s neat-as-a-pin tig-welding is backed up by front and rear thru-axles, mudguard and pannier mounts, three bottle cage mounts and even bosses to secure the fully enclosed cables under the down-tube. And there’s routing for dynamo cabling through the right fork. The ride Simply superb. Accelerates beautifully while soaking up road bumps and retaining loads of feedback. A great balance of stiffness, precise handling and mile-munching smoothness that crackles along on tarmac, track and towpath. And with room for 35mm tyres you could fit full-on grippy gravel rubber for further adventures. It climbs nimbly thanks to its stiffness and low 1:1 bottom gear and descends like a demon. The Shimano Ultegra Ice-Tech hydraulic disc…

TREK DOMANE AL4 £900 Who’s it for? It’s “a lightweight road bike perfect for riders looking to go faster and further while still staying comfortable,” says Trek. The 28mm wide tyres offer loads of cushioning, the wheels are tubeless ready while rack fittings and neat, hidden mudguard mounts add practicality. The welding is functional rather than elegant and the cabling all external. All the gear? It’s Tiagra save for the unbranded calliper rim brakes. These are okay but require more effort from your hands than discs, and it’s a little disappointing to see non-cartridge brake blocks. We’d swap those for softer compound cartridge brakes for better stopping. Tiagra shifts well and the bottom gear is nearly as low as the Cube’s. Lush, plush and pampered? Excellent tyres, a curved carbon…

£7500 › Titanium love machine Built to be bespoke, the Lynskey Helix is a bike that can be designed to suit your every whim and desire! The Lynskey custom continues to prove itself as my perfect bike for long days out. If I want to go and hammer the terrain I’ll take my [Giant] TCR, but if I want to get out and enjoy the countryside, then the Lynskey is it. The smoothness of the ride continues to impress and knowing that I had the privilege of being involved with so much of the conception and design, as well as making some great friends at Lynskey, means it’s a bike I can’t help but love. Kit-wise, I haven’t seen the need to change a thing. The Rolf wheels [1] have…

With its focus on the tracks and trails less travelled, the Topstone excels on the rough stuff The Topstone range consists of three aluminium-framed bikes from £899.99 to this Apex model. The Smartform C2 alloy frame has smooth welds and hydroformed tubes. The flattened top-tube expands to a large square shape at the head-tube and the down-tube is curved with a flat upper face. The stays incorporate Cannondale’s SAVE shaping, the seatstays are flatter at each end and round in the middle, with a bridge just below the rack mounts, and the chainstays morph from vertically ovalised at the threaded bottom bracket shell to horizontally flattened in the middle, then round by the dropouts. There are neat individual cable and hose insertion points at the top of the down-tube, and…

The Datum’s all-round performance is greater than the sum of its parts Choosing not to hang back from the two roadies some way ahead wasn’t a smart thing to do two minutes in to a test ride, but it was the bike’s fault. Testing all-road bikes every day sets expectations, but the Genesis Datum blitzed those with instantly accessible speed. Passing one on a short descent and the other at the top of the following rise was surprisingly easy, and on the following false flat our legs were screaming with the rudeness of it all, but the Datum just wanted to go. The combination of a beefy carbon frameset with snappy 420mm chainstays and 32mm wide tyres give the bike the look and feel of a road or cyclo-cross bike.…

£450 › Ultra-light race shoes from the big S THE NEW EXOS SHOE FROM Specialized is a very different beast to anything we’ve seen from the company before. Whilst the current S-Works 7 shoe is impressive in terms of fit, feel and weight the Exos project takes the weight issue to a new level. Our test pair of 45s weigh in at 347.2g (173.6g each) – 347g is an acceptable weight for a single shoe – so the Exos is a stunningly light design. Although Specialized at the same time as introducing the Exos, has made an even lighter shoe called the Exos 99: a lace-up version of this shoe that weighs 99g. The downside is that they are even pricier than the standard Exos at over £600. Specialized has…

£420 › Power to the people SPECIALIZED TEAMED UP WITH POWER specialists 4iiii to create their own dual-sided crankset, and this more affordable left side-only power crank. Only available for Ultegra (in lengths of 170mm-175mm) our R8000, 175mm power crank weighs 210g, compared to the 175mm, 193g R6800 Ultegra crank we replaced. The power unit consists of a raised module on the inboard side of the crank; use the hex wrench to remove two screws, then lift the cover to peel the protective film from the coin cell battery. Replace the cover and fit the crank in the usual way. The Power Crank works with all ANT+ and Bluetooth devices, we switched on our Garmin, spun the cranks a few times and the meter was detected. Or, manually input the…

£319.99 › Five stars for S-Phyre mark two WE SAY The second generation S-Phyres are a great shoe made even better CYCLING PLUS BEST ON TEST Weight (pair) 540g Size tested 45 Sizes available 36-48 Shimano says this second iteration of the S-Phyre is lighter with an improved heel cup, better fit and hydrophobic materials that shed moisture. Built around a Dynalast carbon sole, the shoe’s construction integrates the uppers with the sole, reducing the shoe’s stack height and saving weight. The lower stack height is said to stabilise the foot in the downward pedal stroke and improve power transfer. Exchangeable arch supports allow fit customisation and large holes at the toe and heel of the insole allow cooling air in and rainwater out through a hole within the replaceable…

If you’re out on your bike and you find yourself approached by a stranger offering you free kit and brandishing a business card with the words: ‘We’d love to hear from you’ printed on it, don’t be alarmed - it’s probably one of the design team from the British brand with the Spanish name, Altura. This is just one of their ways of recruiting ‘real riders’ to test their products. Members of the 10-strong design team make regular trips from their office in Darlington to cities around the UK to photograph road riders and what they are wearing, what luggage they are carrying and whether they are using flat or clipless pedals. A lucky few are signed up as testers. “We have a bank of 5000 photographs from our scouting…

David Millar, by his own admission, didn’t winter particularly well when he was racing. That is to say, he wintered a little too well. So when spring arrived and the season resumed its brutal privations, he was often found lacking. Paris-Nice, in particular, he remembers as a unique kind of hell mixing those riders who had already raced with those making their seasonal debut. It was, he often tells me, the sound of the bunch that nauseated him in particular; the machine gun clatter of a 180 riders clipping in – knowing what was to come. In commentating terms, I have not wintered well into 2019. I was too busy to take part in any of the sixday racing calendar as I have done in previous winters. It would have…

BIKE TESTS In between travelling to Europe and the Far East, I’ve been trying out one of the new breed of road e-bikes that looks like a standard bike but has a hidden punch of power when you need it. Warren Rossiter, Technical editor GROUPTEST The Enigma Etape – I want one! And, even better, I can ride it while wearing Giro’s lovely Strade Dure Supergel gloves, smelling of Castelli’s embrocation cream… Simon Withers, Technical writer NEW KIT So many highlights in this issue including six well priced all-road bikes, one expensive one, many fine road shoes, Campag 12-speed and complete wheel ENVE. Robin Wilmott, Technical writer RATINGS EXPLAINED EXCEPTIONAL A genuine class leader VERY GOOD One of the best you can buy GOOD It’ll do the job very well…

£39.99 › A cream for every occasion… 1 And breathe! The Chamois Dry Lube, whose ingredients include tea tree oil – naturally – and ‘Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice’, otherwise known as Aloe Vera, is a dry lube designed to be long-lasting and non-greasy. Dry, in other words… 2 The smell! At least in the case of the Warming Embro Cream. This delivers a menthol-tastic hit redolent of football changing rooms and Vicks Inhaler. Make sure to wash your mitts after applying. You have been warned! 3 Cry foul! The largely plantbased Foul Weather Cream is a non-petroleum-based product designed to create a natural barrier against water, wind and the cold – basically all that the British weather can throw at you. As with other similar creams, it is easily squeezed…

NEW WAVE No less than the biggest step forward in helmet safety in 30 years is what Bontrager is claiming with their new WaveCel technology. The collapsible honeycomb layer, they say, hugely reduces the risk of concussion following impact - it’s 48 times more likely to prevent it than the same helmet without WaveCel. It was developed by two head injury experts, with the honeycomb layer sitting inside a classical outer layer. It’s designed to “flex, crumple and glide” in the event of an angled impact, dissipating the forces of a crash. On average it adds 53g to a helmet and is designed to fit only with Bontrager lids. For roadies it’s available in the performance-orientated XXX WaveCel (£199.99) and Specter WaveCel (£129.99) models. For more videos follow us at:…

If you want to make the rough much more smooth the Levarg OR is uniquely specced to deal with it Here we have a butted, hydroformed aluminium frame, designed around 650B wheels with 47mm maximum tyres. It has three bottle cage mounts, rear rack and mudguard mounts, but the suspension fork prevents fitting a front mudguard. The frame tubes are slimmer at the rear, but hydroforming flares the top-tube and oversized down-tube to create generous head-tube junctions. Cables are routed through the down tube. If you find the idea of a suspension fork surprising, there’s a dropper seatpost too. Pulling the lever beneath the saddle nose telescopes the post down as much as 125mm for increased clearance when descending. Another tug on the lever and the saddle pops back to…

The Orro Terra C is an all-new evolution of the Terra Gravel aimed squarely at the UK gravel market. It boasts an all carbon-fibre frame and fork that has Innegra impact protection built in to its most vulnerable areas. Described as a very tough, flexible fibre with great durability and natural vibration damping and impact resisting properties. We’ve no idea if it improved the ride but if it can help prevent damage, that’s a good thing. Common practicalities are catered for with mounts for a rear rack and full mudguards but no third bottle cage. All cables and hoses are internally routed from frame end to end, and there’s clearance for 42mm tyres or 38mm with mudguards fitted. It accepts any current drivetrain and the front mech mount is removable.…

£4411 > Maker’s dozen SINCE 11-SPEED LAUNCHED in 2009 it has become an accepted standard and, while you don’t have to splash out on a 12-speed transmission, progress is inevitable. At the time of writing, only Campagnolo’s top two groupsets have 12 sprockets and they’re hardly budget options, but technology usually trickles down. All-new mechanical shifters operate the new drivetrain with customisable reach, curvier, flared brake levers and increased leverage. The larger upshift lever integrates better with the brake lever, while the enlarged thumb lever extends further forwards and there’s now no free stroke before shifting begins. Ultra Shift allows five sprocket downshifts and three upshifts with one movement, while new cables and housings are said to offer industry-leading smoothness. Redesigned mechs permit immediate operation and a wider range of…

£77.99/£74.99 When neatly rolled, Endura’s FS260 Pro Adrenaline Rain Cape II doesn’t require much jersey pocket space, but even when screwing it into a ball, it still fits easily. Made from Exoshell 20ST fabric it has a highdenier mesh construction with built-in, 4-way stretch. The cut is performance-oriented, and the fabric’s stretch helps to prevent flapping by keeping things snug. It’s quick to don on or off the bike, as one half of the 95mm long sleeve cuffs is a robust but highly-elastic microfibre fabric, which is easy to push your hand through, but then seals the sleeve from draughts. The same stretchy microfibre makes up the silicone-backed hem gripper. Softly padded mesh lining keeps the tall, elasticated collar comfortable, and there’s a full-length storm flap behind the zip, plus…

£195 Can the bike behemoth be a Giant in the shoe market? WE SAY The world’s biggest bike company makes an impressive move into the shoe market Weight 575g (pair) Size tested 45 Sizes available 40-48 Giant’s thermoset carbon and fibreglass ExoBeam sole separates the forefoot and heel areas with a deep, narrow beam (5mm wide) to allow torsional rotation of the mid and rear parts of the foot, reducing joint strain and allowing secure freedom of movement. The PU uppers are bonded to eliminate seams and are extensively perforated around the forefoot for effective cooling. A forefoot Velcro strap adjusts volume, while the single BOA dial incrementally tightens the shoe. The BOA lace ends in Giant’s ExoWrap independent arch support. The TransTextura Plus insole is comfortable and the generously…

£330 Sidi follows its own path and takes it to the Wire WE SAY Sidi’s Wire 2 provides sparkling performance to back up those attractive looks Weight (pair) 660g Size tested 45.5 Sizes available 38-48 Welded seams aren’t a Sidi thing, so it’s neat stitches all the way around the onepiece Microfibre Techpro upper with toe protector and tongue section. Sidi also continues to develop its own rotary closures, with the two Tecno Push 3 dials. It’s less intuitive than BOA. The side dial tightens an EVA pad, which can be manually centred, across the top of the tongue. The other dial is fixed to the padded tongue, and adjusts forefoot volume, but doesn’t press in to the foot. If you suffer from heel slipping, Sidi’s heel cup can be…

Founded in 1897 Ribble Cycles has been putting bikes under people for almost as long as bikes have been available. After years of local success as both bike shop and frame builder it jumped up to being a national pedalling powerhouse when it became the first shop to really make mail-order selling a success in the 1980s. It was one of the first brands to really harness the commercial advantage of selling direct through the internet and its built-toorder bikes have been a go-to source of pick and mix value ever since. Ribble has also had masses of race success with most of the household names of modern British cycling - Boardman, Wiggins and Thomas - all having raced on a Ribble at some point. Ribble has had masses of…

Already spotted on World Road Champion Alejandro Valverde’s bike in 2019’s early season races, EPS has always been the pros’ preferred shifting choice for its speed, accuracy and dynamic capabilities. The new groupset shares a number of components with the mechanical version, adds in EPS parts which have been re-engineered for 12-speed – and some all-new or improved ones too. Externally similar, the Ergopower controls come in rim and hydraulic disc brake versions and maintain the superb ergonomics of the mechanical system, but with a superior thumb lever shape. Unlike the mechanical one, the downward sweep of the EPS inner lever requires little thumb or hand movement to operate from the hoods or drops, further accelerating gear changes. The double curved brake lever’s reach is customisable and includes an extra-small…