Table of contents for December 2025 in Cycling Plus

I’m delighted, this issue, to be able to bring you an exclusive extract from the first biography of Tadej Pogačar, the man who’s blown apart the world of pro cycling over the past five years. Much is known about Pog’s successes in the WorldTour, less about the man himself, so it’s great to get some unique insights from the book’s author, Andy McGrath. Pogačar notably raced much of this year’s Tour de France on ENVE’s new, hooked rims – a departure for the brand. As concerns mount over the safety of hookless designs – which many of you will have on your bikes, in some cases unwittingly – Simon von Bromley has done a deep dive into the pros and cons for us. Should you want to read even more,…

My Strava subscription rolled over this month. I hadn’t meant it to, but had forgotten to cancel it. It’s cancelled now, but I could have paid £54.99 for another year when I rarely use the app. Back in 2012, when I initially joined Strava, it was different. There were few users, at least in the UK, and finding I had a cluster of KOMs on local climbs was fun, if slightly unexpected. Leaderboards were open to all users. Now, there are 34 pages of efforts on my top climb and I’m ranked 80th of more than 800 riders. My KOM didn’t last long, even back in 2012, with someone logging a time twice as fast as mine in the days before you could flag a suspicious activity. At that time,…

Your Experts Oscar Huckle Tester and sub-editor Panaracer’s GravelKing X1 TLR tyres are put under Oscar’s microscope Ashley Quinlan Road tech lead Ash delivers his verdict on the new Fairlight Strael and tests mid-power lights Simon von Bromley Senior technical writer Wahoo’s new Kickr Core 2 smart trainer is on Simon’s list for this month Warren Rossiter Senior technical editor Warren’s been busy testing Northwave’s intriguing new winter footwear…

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Your Experts Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio AG Insurance–Soudal pro The WorldTour rider explains why the UCI 6.8kg rule is unfair Charlie Allenby Freelance writer Charlie investigates whether he could have made it as a pro rider Jack Luke Workshop wisdom Jack shows you how to adjust your handlebar height with easy-to-follow steps James Witts Freelance writer Ketones are in the spotlight, and James analyses the UCI’s current stance on them…

Montreal-based Peppermint Cycling Co say their goal is to “deliver unique and technical products designed by women for women”. They offer a full range of road, gravel and mountain bike kit, along with sports bras, casual hoodies and jogging bottoms. Alongside the Lycra-based jerseys in their line-up, they also offer the Signature Short-Sleeve Tee seen here. While it may look casual, it’s made from lightweight, ribbed, four-way stretch Polartec Delta fabric, which is said to offer superior breathability and sweat-wicking performance. The tee also features an elastic waist, so shouldn’t flap in the wind. There are two designs available – this ‘Cloudy’ version with a large, nature-themed back print or a more subdued black option – in sizes XS to XL. The Signature Cargo Bib shorts, meanwhile, are made…

The Kickr Core 2 is an evolution of the Kickr Core Zwift One, rather than a reinvention of it. That’s no bad thing, though. The key specs remain competitive, and Wahoo’s impressive build quality and usability shine through at every stage. The only chink in its armour is its £499.99 price tag, which makes it £100 more expensive than the class-leading JetBlack Victory at £399. Sticking to a formula Beyond a few added features, the basic specification of the Kickr Core 2 is practically identical to the previous model’s. Its 1,800W maximum power output, +/-2% power accuracy and 16% maximum gradient are all the same as before. The 5.4kg flywheel – among the heaviest in its price bracket – hasn’t changed either. You still have the option of an 11-speed…

This is a new tyre in Panaracer’s gravel range, which was overhauled in 2024 to help celebrate the GravelKing’s 10th anniversary. Off-road riding has evolved dramatically since the inception of this line of tyres, and the new X1 is claimed to be the fastest GravelKing yet, thanks to a new bead profile and casing. I’ve been impressed by the GravelKing X1 in testing, finding it to be very fast-rolling with good puncture resistance. It loses points, however, for a lack of outright cornering grip when really pushing hard, plus I struggled with a challenging initial tubeless installation (the TLR in the tyre’s name stands for tubeless-ready). A distinctive tread pattern According to Panaracer, the X1 is the speediest GravelKing ever made – even faster than the GravelKing Slick. The brand…

American officials have announced they will be blocking the import of bikes made in Taiwan by Giant Bicycles after a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) investigation “that reasonably indicates forced labour use”. This move has put the spotlight on the world’s biggest bike manufacturer, and on the wider cycling industry in the East Asian nation, which is the biggest exporter of bicycles to Europe. It should be noted that as well as making bikes under their own name and for their women’s sub-brand Liv, Giant also manufacture frames for several other companies, reported to include Trek and Scott. However, not all Giant-made bikes will be affected by the US ban, because the Taiwanese brand also have manufacturing facilities in China, Hungary and the Netherlands. The CBP alleged it had…

Scott’s new Addict endurance bike is designed to be ‘long ride ready’ and also fit for recreational use. “We wanted to bring the advancements learned on the Addict RC to a larger range of customers on our most-sold model,” says Jean-François Boivin, the Addict’s lead engineer. Low weight While the design focus for the new Addict was on comfort and long-distance performance, Boivin says “a lot of effort” was made to keep weight as low as possible. Buyers have a choice of Scott’s premium HMX carbon fibre or their more affordable HMF blend. At 780g, Boivin says the Addict HMX is one of the lightest endurance frames on the market. Comfort factor Scott have paid attention to frame comfort, with the new Addict claimed to be 25% more compliant than…

IT once seemed as if hookless was the future for carbon fibre rims, but there’s recently been a change in the tone of the conversation. Several key figures have spoken out against the technology, while the UCI announced they were launching an investigation into the safety of the design following Thomas De Gendt’s crash at the 2024 UAE Tour. At this year’s Tour de France, only three of the 23 men’s teams were using hookless rims, while Tadej Pogačar made extensive use of ENVE’s new SES 4.5 Pro wheelset – the brand’s only hooked option, albeit also their newest and sporting less pronounced ‘micro-hooks’. Then, midway through the Tour, Josh Poertner, CEO of Silca, an ex-technical director at Zipp and the former chairman of the Bicycle Wheel Technical Committee, spoke…

Weight 6.73kg (56cm, claimed) Frame FACT 10r carbon fibre Fork FACT 10r carbon fibre Groupset Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 with 4iiii Precision 3+ single-sided power meter (52/36t, 11-30t) Wheels Roval Alpinist CL II Tyres Specialized S-Works Turbo TLR, 700c x 28mm Finishing kit Roval Alpinist Cockpit II, Roval Alpinist seatpost, Specialized Power Pro with Mirror saddle Once you get over the fact that part of what made it stand out from the crowd has gone, the Specialized Aethos 2 is about as unsurprisingly good as road bikes come. It’s extremely impressive if you value all but aerodynamics, and immediately likeable in a wholesome kind of way. The bike remains expensive, especially in its top-notch S-Works guise, although it’s worth noting there are markedly more bikes costing over £12,000 now than…

01 Magicshine Hori 1300 £69.99 (with out-front mount) Weight 153g Max lumens 1,300 Runtime 2hrs 20mins, plus low-battery mode Modes 6 ● This is a great front light for fans of anti-glare cut-off beams. It offers just enough power for all-round use, and a handy high/low-beam function, which delivers an experience as close to how a car headlight works as we’ve tested. The high-beam setting uses a second LED, filling the upper space that the cut-off beam doesn’t. Its 1,300-lumen output is brighter and increases the throw substantially, but adds glare. The low beam is more traffic-friendly but is a little underpowered, even on its highest 900lm setting. Given the nature of the beam, Magicshine could have packed in some more power – a bit more light bleed on the…

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Having the correct handlebar height is important to the overall comfort and handling of your bike. It’s one of the most important things you can do to help you achieve a more tailored position and improve the overall fit. Racier cyclists will want to drop their bar for aero-dynamic gains, while more relaxed riders may raise it for a less restrictive position. Here, we'll show you how to alter the bar height on a bike with a modern threadless stem and headset. 1) First, loosen the two clamp bolts on the back of the stem equally. You don’t need to undo them fully – just enough so that the stem is free to move. 2) Remove the headset top cap, which sits above the stem – usually it needs a…

NEW GEAR Affordable gravel bikes A trio of wallet-friendly off-roaders on test, along with waterproof jackets and a Specialized e-bike IN-DEPTH FEATURES Year in review We take a look back at the highlights of 2025 Maintenance mistakes How to avoid common bike-fettling foul-ups TOP TRAINING ADVICE Sleep yourself slimmer Plus, how long it takes to lose fitness, the enduring role of electrolytes and more ON SALE 19 December 2025…

The UCI weight-limit rule, which says bikes used in competition must weigh a minimum of 6.8kg, was intended to ensure rider safety. However, in practice, it disproportionately affects smaller riders, particularly women. I don’t know the rule’s official origin, but my theory is that the men’s peloton was the reference point when the limit was set back in 2000. Back then, I’d guess the average weight of a male professional was around 68kg, and someone decided the bike should weigh roughly 10% of that. The problem is, this thinking is completely outdated. The rule has been in place for the entirety of my professional career, which spans over 18 years. Since then, the bike industry has evolved dramatically, constantly pushing boundaries and innovating, yet the UCI’s rules and mindset haven’t…