Indice dei contenuti per April 2022 in Cycling Plus

01 CUSTOM FRAME DECALS £5.99 FOR TWO Ever wanted to have you own name on your bike just like the pros? Well thanks to NameDecals.com you can. Choose from a vast selection of flags, logos, fonts and colours to get the look you want (bespoke designs also available). The high-grade laser-cut decals measure 11mm x 63mm and worldwide delivery is free. 02 FIST X EVIL KNIEVEL GLOVES £32.99 Daredevil riders will love the result of top-grade glove maker FIST’s new collaboration with Evil Knievel’s estate. These bold-looking signature gloves are not just about the ’70s stars and stripes, though. The high-tech gloves (available in black or white) have preformed Clarino palms, tacky silicone-grip print and breathable spandex bodies. You can complete the look with matching stars and stripes crew socks…

Cinelli’s close association with Columbus tubing has led to the creation of this very-limited-edition steel superbike (there are just 100 of them) as a three-way collaboration between Cinelli, Columbus and Zagato. For those who haven’t heard of the Zagato design house, it’s considered to be one of the finest car designers and coachbuilders in the world. Throughout its 100-year history it has created some of the most beautiful (and expensive) cars ever made, from the classic Aston Martin DB4 GT and Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2, right up to the Alfa Romeo SZ, Aston Martin V12 Zagato plus bespoke designs for Lamborghini, BMW, Ferrari and Porsche. In fact, Aston Martin and Zagato rebuilt the legendry DB4 back in 2019 with a price tag of nearly $8 million, which makes the Nemo…

We were impressed with VanMoof’s S3 in issue 385, and the X3 is based around the same well-considered technology but in a more compact design. The X3’s X-shaped frame sets it apart and the attention to detail on the frame adds to its air of quality. A signature design seen on every VanMoof since 2009 is the top-tube that extends beyond the head tube and the seat tube junction and holds an integrated light at each end. A new feature for the X3 is that the bike forgoes a traditional computer-type display in favour of a matrix of 166 LEDs in the top tube, which shows current speed and a remarkably accurate battery level indicator. When the bike is dormant but unlocked, the LEDs form a ‘V’ logo. When you…

GoCycle is a genuine British success story. Its founder Richard Thorpe started out life as Formula 1 engineer for McLaren before designing the original G3 GoCycle a decade ago. The commitment to the single-sided frame and fork, and small wheels wrapped around clever electronics continues, and the latest foldable G4 now features a full-carbon fork and a carbon mid-section, helping to shed weight. The single-sided design not only makes the fold compact, but the stub axles mean you don’t need to remove a wheel to fix a puncture. Although, with toughened tyres over two inches wide, punctures aren’t that likely anyway. The GoCycle’s rear-end swingarm pivots at the bottom bracket and is suspended from the main frame via a one-inch-travel shock. The swingarm is made from magnesium alloy, and as…

NAVIGATING THE SEEMINGLY complex world of nutrition during an event or hard block of training can be difficult, not least with the amount of advice and choice of recovery food and drink flying around, each being declared as the perfect post-ride recovery fuel. Multi-day events are particularly challenging because you not only have to consider today but also tomorrow. It needn’t be so complicated, says exercise physiologist and cyclist, Dr Andy Middle brooke (exercisescienceconsulting.co.uk). “The key to effective nutrition is to have a balanced ‘365’ diet (every day of the year) of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the ratio of approximately 50:30:20 per cent. In addition, drink 1.5-2ls of non-caffeinated fluid a day, plus 500ml for every hour of exercise.” He also has several recommendations for nutrition specifically for multi-day…

£3099 Brit-designed 13-speed off-roader I’m a long-time fan of Tifosi’s Cavazzo gravel chassis. Since I tested the original in 2016, it has remained a smartly designed do-itall frameset that’s equally at home being built into a commuter bike or stripped down for fast off-road riding and more. The latest design pushes further into gravel, upping tyre clearance and with a revised rough-stuff-ready geometry. The frame is built using a mix of Toray carbon fibre – as used by Pinarello among others. Its blend of T500 and T700 carbon grades is designed to keep the weight low and provide stiffness at the bottom bracket and head tube, while allowing a bit more flex elsewhere for comfort. The frameset is beautifully detailed, and I particularly like the matt-sand colourway with its candy-stripe-like…

Shoes are one of the very few contact points you have with your bike, so getting the right shoe for you and your cycling is absolutely crucial – get the wrong footwear and you won’t enjoy your cycling. And while it is possible to spend a small or even quite a large fortune on your next pair of cycling shoes, most of us are likely to part with much nearer to £100. So what should you be looking for at this real-world price point? If you’re commuter, mountain biker or ride mainly for leisure, Shimano SPD 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)…

£99 Balanced comfort and stiffness WEIGHT 524g (Size 42) SIZES 39-50 WOMEN’S Yes, sizes 36-43 COLOURS Black; red; white Giro’s Stylus is one of the few shoes here with fittings for both two- and three-bolt cleats, though the three-bolt compatibility means these don’t have a recess for the SPD cleat, so you’d be clip-clopping around just as loudly as you would be on Look cleats. The heel and toe protection is very neatly done, though the heel bumper is on the shallow side, and there’s no venting on the soles. The outsole is made from fibreglass-reinforced nylon, which feels stiffer than the sole of the Shimano RC3, but not as stiff as the carbon soles of the Boardman, Bont and dhb shoes. This makes them good for big days out…

ALL THE PRACTICAL CHANGES COULD HAVE MADET HIS A WORTHY BUT DULL BIKE, BUT THANK FULLY IT RETAINS ALL THE CHARM OF ITS PREVIOUS MODELS The legendary Synapse is one of the most successful endurance bikes ever, a winner of multiple awards (including our own Bike of the Year back in 2014) and has seen success at the highest level (a young Peter Sagan rode the Synapse to sixth place at the Paris-Roubaix in 2014 and won Ghent-Wevelgem the same year). So it would have been easy for Cannondale to ensure the Synapse’s success by using lessons learnt from its other road bikes, the brilliant SuperSix Evo and SystemSix. It seems, however, that this wasn’t on the agenda. While previous versions of the Synapse were very much racing/raceable bikes, this…

SPECIAL 30 TH BIRTHDAY OFFER 13 ISSUES FOR 30 GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE Get 13 issues for just £30 – just £2.30 per issue!* Save 61% off the UK shop price – our best offer ever! Every issue delivered straight to your door Never miss an action-packed issue or supplement again PLUS ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE OFFERS & COMPETITIONS AS PART OF OUR SUBSCRIBER CLUB! FROM THE EDITOR… This month we’re celebrating Cycling Plus’s 30th birthday, and to mark the occasion, we have an extra-special subscription offer for you! You’ll receive 13 issues for just £30 (see what we did there?), which equates to a massive 61 per cent off the usual UK shop price. If ever there was a time to subscribe, it’s now! At just £2.30 per issue, we’re…

“My son Tom was born with Koolen de Vries syndrome, which causes developmental delay and learning difficulties, but his grit and determination has shown itself in his cycling. He has to work really hard to cycle and has to focus hard to remain upright and balanced and get his feet positioned correctly. It has taken hours of practice just to pedal smoothly.” “At the age of nine, Tom was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. But just weeks after the diagnosis, Tom, his brother Archie and I all climbed the final 5km of Mont Ventoux, Tom on a 20-inch mountain bike, eating a handful of jelly babies every few minutes.” “In 2016, Tom and I met Phil Southerland, the cyclist who founded Team Novo Nordisk [a pro team whose athletes…

01 CHOOSE YOUR RACE Before we start, just what are the common multisport distances and what’s a decent amateur time for these? Super-sprint triathlon 400m swim/10km bike/2.5km run. Anything under an hour is good. Sprint-distance tri 750m swim/20km bike/5km run. Less than 90mins and you’re gearing yourself for a decent time. Standard ‘Olympic’ distance tri 1.5km swim/40km bike/10km run. Anything under 3:15hrs is solid. Middle/Ironman 70.3 tri 1.9km swim/90km bike/21.1km run. For the age group 35-39, a good male time is around six hours, with another hour on top for females. Long/Ironman 3.8km swim/180km bike/42.2km run. Anything around 13 hours for males aged 30-35 is a solid time; another hour on top for females. As for duathlon distances, these are usually sprint (5km run/20km bike/2.5km run) and standard (10km run/40km…

Getting to work is a very different experience to pre-pandemic times. Now, more of us are looking for alternatives to public transport, and the cost – in time, money and pollution – of commuting by car. So why not invest in transport that’s kinder to the planet while also providing fun and exercise? Yes, you do still have to pedal! This month we’re looking at four premium assisted bikes that offer different riding experiences. Van Moof was started by two Dutch brothers in 2009 and has concentrated on making stylish commuter bikes. It has now taken its award-winning designs into the world of ebikes with the X3 we’re testing and the larger-wheeled S3. The signature design’s extended top tube remains, but Van Moof has upped the integration of the in-built…

Canyon’s new Pathlite:ON 5 follows on from the superb Precede:ON we tested in issue 377, and not just in having an odd name! But where Canyon’s Precede:ON was all about slick integration and futuristic looks, the Pathlite:ON 5 takes its cues from the world of hardtail mountain bikes. One such cue is the aluminium frame paired with an SR Suntour suspension fork that has a generous 100mm of travel. I found the fork performed remarkably well, even when I tried it down steps and bumping over speed bumps and kerbs. The MTB experts on Mountain Biking UK say it lacks some high-speed bump response and, as a coil spring rather than an air spring, it’s harder to adjust for a particular ride, but I was impressed with it and on…

It can take in highways, byways, bridleways and more, and it’s great for family rides too Each of our four bikes could take the top spot for their ability to be commuter bikes and much more. The VanMoof X3 is a brilliantly integrated design with a superb app that makes it the Apple of the ebike world. It’s perfect for about town and the great riding experience is topped up with great security. The GoCycle G4 is similarly well considered, just getting on with the business of assisting you while you pedal. Its fast fold makes it a good choice for mixed-mode commuters, reducing the stress of getting this off and on a train, yet it’s much more fun to ride than your average folding bike. Genesis’s Smithfield wins out…

EPSOM SALTS, WHICH are made up of magnesium and sulphate, have an almost hallowed place in recovery techniques. Advocates claim they help reduce inflammation, improve muscle and nerve function, and even help detoxification. Unfortunately, none of this has been proven. Despite, on the surface, feeling relaxing, hot baths make the body work harder to cope with the high temperatures and can be dehydrating, neither of which is helpful to recovering from a long, all-day ride in the summer months. Having said that, if you feel more relaxed after a warm Epsom salts bath, then your muscles and fascia will feel more comfortable. It’s likely that you can profit from stretching and using a massage ball in the bath as the warmth is thought to soften connective tissue making manual therapy…

£2200 The fast clincher lives! With the advent of tubeless road tyres seemingly bringing a shift away from clinchers for aero wheels, it was a surprise that Roval launched a new clincher CLX. The bet seems to have paid off, as Specialized’s ProTour teams have had huge successes running ‘old’ technology. The new Rapide CLX replaces two earlier Roval models, with Roval claiming it offers the aerodynamic benefits of the 64mm deep CLX64 rims and the stability of its shallower CLX32 rims. Most of the changes are in the rims, which not only have different depths for the front and rear, but different widths and profiles. The 51mm deep front has a maximum width of 35mm, so it stands proud of the tyre. The idea is that this will hold…

£409.99 Ultralight saddle made with supercar carbon expertise Selle Italia has collaborated with Dallara for this one. Never heard of the carbon fabricator that knows all about speed? You’ll have heard of its clients: Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati… The SLR Boost saddle was designed to be superlight yet retain the comfort of a traditional saddle. Once Dallara and Selle Italia had a design, they enlisted legendary rider Fabian Cancellara to test it. After some tweaks, this is the result. Selle Italia classifies the shape as L3 using its ‘idmatch’ system, but unless you’ve been measured with its equipment, that won’t mean much to you. For the record, the length is 248mm and the width is either narrow ‘S’ (131mm), or wider ‘L’ (145mm). I’d recommend getting measured for a saddle…

01 Sole stiffness Soles designed for two-bolt SPD systems are more flexible and offer better grip than the soles of dedicated road cycling shoes. The three-bolt system used by the likes of Look requires much stiffer soles to create an efficient pedalling platform, though the trade-off is that they’re much harder to walk in. When it comes to determining the levels of stiffness of their soles, bike companies don’t make it easy for the consumer, with each brand seemingly having different scales: Specialized’s goes up to 15, Bontrager’s up to 14, Shimano’s 12! But from our experience, full-carbon soles tend to be noticeably stiffer than soles made from nylon or similar material, and if you’re competing, or you value pedalling efficiency over comfort, then our experience suggests that carbon is…

£109.99 Comfortable for long rides WEIGHT 498g (Size 42) SIZES 36-52 WOMEN’S Yes, sizes 35-44 COLOURS Black; red As you’d expect from Shimano, you get both a high-quality look and feel from its entry-level RC3 shoes. They have a super-neat wraparound design and a single L6 Boa, which is placed in the centre of the shoe rather than near the opening for your foot. Another unusual feature is the sliding cleat plate with three fore-and-aft settings, which provide a centimetre of adjustability. As with Shimano’s more expensive shoes, the RC3 is based around its Dynalast, which Shimano claims produces ‘an optimised toe-spring section that promotes a smoother, more energy-efficient upstroke’. I’m not sure I could feel any great difference on the road but these were certainly comfortable. Part of that…

£144.99 WEIGHT 538g (Size 42) SIZES 36-48 WOMEN’S Yes, 36-48 COLOURS Black; white; red; yellow; nautical navy; coral Measuring seven on Bontrager’s 14-point sole stiffness scale, the Circuits deliver a good balance of performance and comfort. Versatility is upped thanks to the drillings on the soles for both SPD and three-bolt setups. The Velcro forefoot strap and Boa L6 dial make it easy to get a precise fit, offer good adjustability and stayed secure over long rides. I found their stiffness more than adequate for hard sprinting efforts. The comfort and breathability from the uppers are very good and the build quality looks exemplary. They’re not cheap though. VERDICT Comfortable and lightweight SPDcompatible road shoes…

01 Work with a coach. My coach built me a plan to improve my stamina in my power development curve so that I could hold what I had for longer. 02 I tried my best to eat and drink regularly en route and found the old adage of every 20 minutes was pretty reliable. I used my SuperSapiens app to gauge my glucose levels and got though 12 bidons of energy drink, six sandwiches, a dozen gels and three slabs of guava energy blocks. 03 I did lots of sweet-spot and threshold work initially (of increasing duration), including a nine-hour Zwift ride while watching the Tour of Lombardy. Thanks to Phil Southerland and Supersapiens continuous glucose monitor; supersapiens.com GET IN TOUCH Have you created a memorable cycling experience? Email us…

WORKOUT 01 TEMPO BRICK COACH Joe Friel TIME 90mins THE BENEFITS This session is designed to boost your muscular endurance, which you’ll need to be your best on multisport race day. WARM-UP 5-10mins easy bike. MAIN SETS Bike for around 50-60mins including a 10km time trial on a course similar to that of your race. Ride the time trial at an intensity similar or slightly greater than planned for your race. Then transition to a 15-minute run at goal race pace. COOL-DOWN 5 mins easy running. WORKOUT 02 PACE PERFECTION COACH Phil Mosley TIME 40mins THE BENEFITS Duathlon starts can be frantic. Like all races, you’ll need to pace yourself sensibly, but this workout will help you cope with any pace surges. The main set involves short, sharp running efforts…

CALEDONIAN STATS Location Pitlochry, Perthshire Next date 15 May 2022 Distances 40 miles/64km; 85 miles/137km Etape Caledonia is a closed-road ride taking place on Sunday 15 May 2022 that celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. With 5,000 places on offer, this sellout event attracts riders from all over the country to enjoy a simply breathtaking ride through the spectacular Scottish Highlands. Take on either the 40-or 85-mile (64 or 137km) closed-road routes. Whichever one you choose, you’ll be treated to winding roads, treelined avenues, lochs, mountains and everything in between. PRE-RIDE PREP The ideal for this, and any event, is to mimic race conditions at home. So when you’re training for Etape, remember it’s all about climbing and sustaining speed. There are steep sections of the route, which you must…

VAN MOOF X3 £1998 Van Moof’s combination of distinctive-looking, slick design and total integration that works with its own app promises to make its X3 one of the best urban ebikes around. It’s a one-size-fits-all design for riders from 5ft to 6ft 5in tall, and it features a rear hub motor that offers a hefty 59Nm of torque. But can slick looks and smart tech be a match for its rivals from more established cycling marques? CANYON PATHLITE: ON5 £2499 The German online giant’s latest e-commuter bike blends mountain-bike robustness – it comes with a suspension fork – and a claimed range of 100km. Its high-capacity 500Wh battery powers a Bosch Performance Line CX motor with an exceptionally meaty 85Nm of torque. The build is a typically value-packed affair, with full-length…

Genesis’ Smithfield resembles a classic urban roadster thanks to details such as a twin-spar top tube, ‘nurse’s’ lock, metal mudguards and fine metal detailing on the dropouts, bosses and cable ports. Then it mashes things up with a powerful motor, high-capacity battery, disc brakes and 29in wheels for a modern-retro mix that cuts a stylish path through the usual commuter drabness. The Smithfield is made predominantly of steel and, at just shy of 23kg, that’s a lot of weight to carry up steps. But the quality of the frame imbues the Smithfield with a glorious compliance and a lively feel that you don’t normally associate with a commuter bike. Combine the lively frame, big wheels and wide tyres and you get the smoothest ride on test. As with the Canyon,…

Indoor-cycling workouts are good for fitness, but by adding a few functional-strength drills into your at-home routine, you can transform your turbo trainer into a gym on wheels. From leg strength and core stability to explosive power and speed endurance, road cyclists need a broad spectrum of physical strengths. But not all of these strengths are addressed by traditional indoor-bike workouts. What you need are some dedicated on-bike strength sessions. You can build your glute strength with big-gear intervals, boost your hamstring power with high-cadence work and crank up your fast-twitch muscle fibres with acceleration efforts. Sprinkle a few cycling-specific core and upper-body drills into your indoor rides and you can train your balance and control too, without going near a gym. “Bringing some training indoors to work on specific…

THE IMPORTANCE OF stretching has been drilled into us from our earliest PE classes at school. We’re often told by fitness professionals that stretching is essential for recovery and injury prevention and, while it’s undoubtedly beneficial to the latter, in terms of recovery, there is no scientific evidence that stretching will help specifically in reducing muscle soreness. That said, cycling is a very specific activity that involves being hunched in an unnatural position all day, so stretching after a ride can have a soothing effect and relieve pressure on muscles and joints subjected to the bike position. In terms of reducing muscle soreness, though, there may be a placebo effect, where it helps because it feels like it’s helping, and so it does play a positive role. For many cyclists,…

£9599 Experience time-trial speed in road-bike form The 2022 Orbea Orca Aero M10iLTD is the latest pro-spec aero race bike from the Basque brand. Obviously inspired by Orbea’s Ordu time trial/triathlon bike, the new model is claimed to save a hefty 15 watts worth of aerodynamic drag versus the outgoing Orca Aero at 40km/h. While I didn’t have an opportunity to test this claim, I can confidently say the latest Orca Aero feels every bit as fast as the best aero road bikes currently available. Arguably more important for mere mortals outside of the pro peloton, however, is that all that speed doesn’t come at the expense of ergonomics or adjustability. My test bike is, per cycling-industry-illuminati requirements, the top-spec model in the new Orca Aero range. As such, it…

£105 One vision I heartily approve of the fact that Rudy Project’s latest model uses a new, more sustainable material in the frames. The Rilsan Clear biobased polyamide is made from Castor bean oil rather than the traditional plastics used by most brands. The sporty frame is remarkably rigid yet has enough spring to give a tenacious fit. That, along with the adjustable nosepiece, means I had total confidence in these glasses, even when I was thrashing downhill off-road. And they weigh just 30.5g. Stay focused The super-tough vented RP Optics 51mm-deep lenses are well finished with rounded edges to prevent chips. There’s a frame to deal with around the top with these, but clarity of vision is similar to that of the Supernovas and the orange-tinted Multilaser lenses of…

£129.95 Long-running, quick-charging headphones Ever wished you could listen to music and hear what’s going on around you while riding? You could try ‘Bone-conduction’ headphones which sit on your cheekbones just in front of your ears rather than in or over your ears like traditional headphones. Shokz (formerly Aftershokz) has been making high-quality, sport-orientated bone-conduction headphones for a while and its latest version, the OpenRun, has some useful upgrades. If you’ve never tried them, rest assured this type of headphones works well with a bike helmet and glasses. The sprung titanium band of the OpenRun sits around the nape of your neck, well out of the way of your helmet and there’s minimal intrusion over your ears so there’s room for glasses too. Plus, at just 26g, these are so…

£45-£55 The best rubber for off-road adventures 01 PANARACER GRAVELKING SK TLC_£45 SIZES 700c x 32, 35, 38*, 43, 50mm; 650b x 1.75, 1.9in; 26 x 2.1in (*tested) WEIGHT 425g (700c x 38mm) The GravelKings excel on gravel and dry hardpack, offering a great compromise between grip and low rolling resistance. They also really stick on tacky hardpack, but as soon as things get wetter you can wave goodbye to grip. Also, I did have a few wheelspins on dry steep, grassy climbs. They are nippy on the road, with little drag, but I did get a large puncture on the first ride, which I had to plug, although the tyre held up okay for the rest of the test. The tyres inflated easily to a slightly square profile. 02…

£120 Superb-value for carbon soles WEIGHT 512g (Size 42) SIZES 39-48 WOMEN’S Yes, sizes 39-48 COLOURS Black; white The Aeron Carbon shoes from Wiggle/Chain Reaction Cycle’s dhb brand have two big selling points – a price presently well under £100 at £74.99 and a full-carbon sole that’s unusual for shoes costing so little. And unlike some other carbon-sole shoes, you can see the weave of the 3K carbon. This looks great, though it’s a shame it’ll be underfoot and will no doubt eventually become scuffed. The pair of quite bulky Velcro straps across the midfoot and forefoot give the Aerons a slightly clunky look, but the weight of the shoes is still very reasonable. The Velcro and Atop dial combination allows a very good adjustability, and a snug, secure and…

The soil was sandy but firm with a most agreeable top dressing of old pine needles Tucked away on a northeasterly coast of Scotland between Inverness and Aberdeen, and just outside of the welltrodden North Coast 500 tourism trail, Moray is perhaps less heralded among the thousands who head to the northern regions of the country each year. For many, however, that’s exactly the reason to come, to avoid the staycation crowd and explore the unique terrain of this underrated Scottish gem. And specifically, the gravelly delights of the Moray Coast Trail, which we’d come here to explore. To get there, we travelled, along with what seemed like half the planet, up the A9, peeling off northeast towards Elgin when we got to Aviemore, with the majority carrying on northwest…