Table of contents for August 2019 in Cycling Plus

Cycling inspiration can come from many sources. I was recently moved to embrace our local hills by the words of Jennifer Saunders’ Madame Arcati in a new production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit: “Down with your head, up with your heart, and you’re over the top like a flash and skimming down the other side like a dragonfly.” But recent successes at the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España by British cyclists Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Simon Yates have provided us all with motivation to be the best we can be. In this issue all three champions share their training secrets to help you up your cycling game… enjoy! ANY OTHER BUSINESS? Back to the future Senior technical editor, Warren, gets to grips with two very…

VITUS ZENIUM CRW £1399.99 ‘A women-specific frame for efficiency, comfort and agility’ for training and even racing, says its distributor. The geometry, stem and bar sizes are the same for both Zenium gender models, with short-reach STI levers and women’s saddle being the main differences. It’s even pinkfree, although the ‘plum’ Vitus logo runs it close! Whoa! Shimano’s 105 11-speed hydraulic groupset is a lot of kit for a bike at this price. Fantastic brakes and shifting, as you’d expect, though the 36x30 bottom gear is higher than the 34x32 and 34x34 combos common at this price, and favours strong riders and climbers. The 28mm tyres and female-specific saddle keep the ride comfortable. The aggressive pro-compact gearing is matched with geometry marginally racier than that of the Genesis. Stack and…

GREAT SCOTT Scott has unveiled a long-awaited update to its Addict road race bike. Apart from an addition of discs in 2016, the Addict RC marks the first update since 2014 and it’s an impressively integrated and, surprisingly, disc-only affair. The Addict was one of the lightest bikes around when it launched in 2008 and while that’s still an aim of the updated Addict (Scott claims it weighs 1.695kg in an unspecified size), aerodynamics, like that of the Scott Foil, are at the heart of its design. That can be seen in the one-piece Syncros Creston iC SL cockpit, which completely hides all cables in the front end, often a source of irritation for aero connoisseurs. No prices for the Addict RC were available at the time of going to…

Metal matters. Yes, even in the carbontastic era in which we find ourselves. After all, it’s a fair bet (even in 2019) that most bikes sold in the UK are still made from aluminium. For good reason, too. Since it was first popularised as a frame-making material back in the 1980s, companies have gained vast experience in working with aluminium. It can be used to make lightweight frames and manipulated into all sorts of shapes. Our six bikes are made for a wide range of cyclists. They start with Cinelli’s Campagnolo Centaur-equipped Experience road bike. It’s a sign of the times that this is the only one of our sextet with rim brakes. Canyon’s Endurace is a familiar sight in Cycling Plus – and on Britain’s roads – and we’ve…

£799 › Hybrid hoops for disc users SHIMANO HAS A HISTORY OF creating effective hybrid wheelsets, something that’s quite unusual these days when rims are either aluminium or carbon fibre. At first glance, the RS770 wheelset’s rims look like a rim brake design. They feature a raised anodised band around the circumference and carbon laminate layers covering the remainder, which Shimano says increases rim rigidity. Listed as an Ultegra R8000 level wheelset, the hubs just say Shimano and the rims have a bold RS logo with no mention of Ultegra anywhere. The hubs continue Shimano’s preference for cup and cone bearings, which have always proved reliably durable and here feel beautifully smooth. They have centre lock disc rotor fitting; they’re supplied with 12mm thru-axle end caps installed and they have…

WE SAY Well-finished, high-quality, hightech aero helmet £199.99 › Revolutionary ‘safety-boosting’ helmet WHEN BONTRAGER LAUNCHED ITS NEW WaveCel helmets on a tide of publicity and safety claims, it was accompanied by, if not howls of protest,_then at least some questioning murmurs. But why? Well, Bontrager claims that its WaveCel technology is ‘a major improvement in the protection against cycling-related head injuries… up to 48 times more effective than traditional foam helmets’. And while the Swedish company MIPS, which pioneered its own radical helmet design, says it was unable to replicate those results, the XXX WaveCel is presently the third-highest rated helmet on the safety table at US institute Virginia Tech – behind Bontrager’s MIPS-equipped Ballista and a lid that’s no longer available. WaveCel consists of a series of plastic cells…

“Being able to block off time for whatever session you’ve planned is hugely important. Maybe it’s waking up an hour earlier to go on the turbo trainer before going to work, but if you make the time to do something, you’ll get there” Chris Froome JOIN A GROUP “You need to find a good group to go out with. If it’s raining and you know you’re meeting at 10am and we’re going to this coffee shop, a group really helps to get out the door. The hardest part about cycling isn’t the actual riding but getting out the door. Once you’re out, it’s fine.”Simon Yates Few things are more demotivating than opening the curtains on a miserable day that promises damp gear, sketchy roads and a muddy bike, but committing to…

The fit wasn’t great, the size range was limited, the colour palette tended to default to black, pink and purple and it just wasn’t as technical as the vast array of items available to male riders. Women’s cycling kit has a history of being somewhat less than impressive. This was the case even for the pros at the top of their game. “When I first started racing, my cycling kits were very ill-fitting and un-aerodynamic,” agrees Canyon//SRAM pro-team rider Tiffany Cromwell. “At the highest level you’re looking for that ‘marginal gain’ to help get ahead of your competitors, and if your kit is lacking, that one or two per cent can mean the difference between the best or second place.” Thankfully, cycling clothing brands are starting to take notice of…

Cycling cadence is the rate at which a cyclist pedals to turn the crank a full revolution per minute. It’s the simple act of converting your effort into making a bike go faster; it became an art form beneath the successful chamois of Sir Bradley Wiggins. Because cadence is pivotal to riding a bike fast, elite cyclists devote much of their training time to improving this simple technique. Whilst a lot of effort goes into trying different ways of optimising cadence and improving pedalling technique, you should bear in mind a few basic laws. A good range is between 80 and 100rpm. When looking to perfect your cadence, it pays to take a longer view and work on it both during the off season and on training rides. THE GOLDEN…

Tanja Erath, rider with Canyon//SRAM on the best way to take to the road on a new bike 1 BIKE SHOES “With a new bike it’s not like a shoe you try and you’re like, ‘Okay, it fits or it doesn’t.’ You have to make adjustments. Are you comfortable in the seat, does the shifting work okay, are the brakes working? It’s basic but you need to make time to fit your bike.” 2 JUST BEEN FRAMED “As long as you have a frame size that suits you, you can change pretty much everything else to make it bespoke and that’s the way you’re going to get the best performance from your bike.” 3 ROAD TEST “Take your new bike through a variety of courses. My first ride will be…

Today’s ride is punctuated by beeps from my companion’s Garmin. It starts on the first climb of the day and I’m worried it’s some kind of anti-stall warning because we are riding too slowly. My co-rider Christina Mackenzie is, after all, a 24-hour TT national champion who probably doesn’t need a slacker like me holding her back. She’s in the middle of a block of training for her latest challenge, an attempt to break the 17-year-old women’s record for cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats. But Christina couldn’t be more welcoming. As well as reassuring me that her pace for the LEJOG record attempt will be a modest 26.6kph (albeit almost non-stop over the course of 52 hours), she has also brought a gift – a huge cylinder of…

Elite performers throughout the sporting world–swimming, cricket, darts – are synonymous with effortless, precise technique. Years of perfect practice ingrains automated movements that deliver sweet success. Cycling, on the other hand, is seen as a power sport where hearts and lungs rule supreme. Undeniably, that’s part of the story but not all of it. You see, the efficiency of how you climb, descend, corner, even pedal, can save energy and boost speed. And, as you’ll discover, the drills and skills are easily integrated into every ride. Enjoy……

Here at Cycling Plus we take our testing seriously and have been putting road cycling products through their paces for 26 years. Our test team, led by senior technical editor Warren Rossiter, is the best in the business. They’ve got decades of cycling experience between them and know what makes a good – and bad – bike, accessory, gadget or garment. That means you can trust us to bring you honest assessments of every product we feature. If it gets our seal of approval then you can be sure that you’ll be bagging a great buy! First Ride sees our test team bring you their first impressions of the most exciting new bikes available. As soon as they’re out, we’re riding! Before you buy a bike, you want to know…

Focus is a pioneer in the e-bike market. Aware that e-bikes are pricey, it has produced the relatively more affordable Whistler2 6.9 in two models: a standard 6.9 at £1549 or this EQP model with a dynamo hub, front/rear lights and full mudguards all for only an extra £80. The 6.9 uses a Bafang rear hub motor combined into the Groove Go system. This integrates the battery into the frame’s down-tube. The charge point is by the bottom bracket and it takes around four hours to reach full charge. Then it’s a case of pressing the on button mounted into the top-tube; no head unit or settings to navigate. You can adjust the level using the ‘set’ button below the on button. Turn it on and four LED lights light…

In an open letter sent to transport secretary Chris Grayling, Britain’s six regional cycling and walking commissioners, Chris Boardman (Greater Manchester) and Dame Sarah Storey (Sheffield) among them, said that painted cycle lanes have wasted millions of taxpayer’s cash and are merely a gesture that do little to keep cyclists safe. While these opinions are not particularly new, a timely reminder is welcome given our politicians’ short memories. In March, shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald argued that, after a series of costly blunders in the Ministry of Justice and Transport during Grayling’s tenure, the “country couldn’t afford [him]”. Value for money, he isn’t. Anybody who’s ever slung a leg over a bike can attest to how rotten cycle lanes can be in Britain. This state of affairs was immortalised all…

Exmoor’s lush, hilly northern coast can feel like New Zealand, and its sprawling moortops like Scotland. It’s packed with abrupt climbs and sharp descents, so cycling is rarely easy. But it’s always stunning, with memorable experiences – notorious Porlock Hill, prehistoric Tarr Steps and awesome ridgetops. Minehead is our base, with beachresort facilities and accommodation aplenty. ROUTE ONE Ex-hausting 63 miles Challenging scenic showcase A tough day with lots of ascent to endure. Back lanes west to Porlock’s lovely toll-road climb (remember to bring £1). Beautiful valleys to dramatic Lynton’s funicular (£6, or cycle up! Why not?). Visit the spectacular Valley of Rocks, then work your way back via a long mix of ups, downs and glorious moortops. Get the route: komoot.com/tour/75701695 ROUTE TWO Ex-citing 54 miles Cosy villages, timeless…

CINELLI EXPERIENCE CENTAUR £1149.99 A few years ago most road bikes would have looked like this: an aluminium frame, rim brakes, narrow-ish tyres. But the Experience does have a modern tapered headtube and slimline seatstays. The Columbus aluminium frame is accompanied by Campagnolo wheels, 11-speed Campag Centaur gearing and a Miche cassette and chainset. Cinelli has provided all the cockpit components. MERLIN ROC DISC ULTEGRA £1599 By the time this mag will be on the shelves, this will cost £1299 – a steal for a bike that comes complete with Shimano Ultegra including hydraulic disc brakes. The triple-butted frame and carbon fork can fit 30mm tyres with mudguards or 35mm sans fenders, letting you take this all-weather road bike off the tarmac and on to the gravel. The Mavic XM319…

£46.99 Specification These tubeless-ready tyres come in 26mm, 28mm, 32mm and 35mm widths. Its Armour Tech construction has a 60tpi nylon casing topped with a full width nylon layer, then an aramid fibre breaker belt beneath the SmartNET Silica rubber tread that’s infused with aramid fibres. This is intended to reduce the chance of punctures while improving grip. They weigh 345g and 346, respectively. Fitting The Pirellis slipped on to our Shimano test rims easily, and seated at around 60psi, staying in place when removing the valve core to add the sealant. Both tyres leaked air for some time, seemingly around one of the radial moulding marks, but once sealed they held air pressure well. On our 17mm internal rims, they measured 30mm wide. Performance We tested the Pirellis at…

CYCLO BALL-END 8 PIECE £14.99 The usual 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm keys in chrome vanadium complete with a handy holder and widely available from high street shops. Slightly shorter than the similarly priced X-Tools set but these were good to use, and we’ve had a set of these at home for years and it’s still going strong. Straightforward, good value set only missing a 1.5mm key. BIRZMAN T-BAR SET £59.99 In addition to the familiar 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm hex keys this set of chrome-molybdenum, satin chrome-finished tools has a T25 Torx key –commonly used in disc brakes and elsewhere. The T-handles offer you a good grip and their length gives you a lot of torque. Birzman’s metal stand is…

WE SAY An everyday wheelset at a price that’s easy to stomach £650 › Welcome to aluminium Rovalty… THESE DAYS, EVERYONE WANTS CARBON wheels it seems. For decent quality, that comes attached with a cost. If you want lightweight and durable carbon rims, add some more cash. Or you could save money and take at look at these relatively affordable alu disc wheels from Specialized. The symmetric SLX 24 rims are alloy, 23.5mm wide externally, 20mm internally and 24mm tall, hence their name. Flat-sided with a uniformly rounded blunt top, the rims have an attractive satin-black finish and 24 spokes each. The double-butted, slim and round DT Swiss Competition Race spokes are radial on one side of the front wheel and 2x on the disc rotor side, while the rear…

As the gravel bike market continues to grow and endurance bikes with discs offer bigger tyre clearances, getting off the beaten track becomes more of an option and, increasingly, cyclists are to be found venturing further afield. Road shoes are perfect for when you’re road riding, but slick carbon soles don’t cope well when being walked on, and neither do road cleats that stand proud of the sole. That’s why it’s worth investing in mountain bike style SPD pedals and a pair of compatible shoes. Cyclo-cross riders have always gone for this option as most cross racers will entail some element of running, and it’s pretty hard running in road shoes (even if Froomey made it look relatively easy back in 2016 charging up Ventoux). Cross shoes, however, are usually…

Ireckon you’re going to get lucky today. It’s been raining here for the last month, but today’s looking good.” Frankly, I’m not sure I was looking at the same sky as my host, Roger, at Ardwyn House B&B, as angry clouds bubbled away in the cauldron up above. Perhaps this is what passes for good weather in Llanwrtyd Wells, or maybe his expectations have shifted after what was a truly rotten early 2019 summer. Maybe we’d get lucky. He says the weather here, in the selfstyled smallest town in Britain, on the southern tip of the Cambrian Mountains, is suitably localised; they could get snow in nearby Abergwesyn and not get a flake here. Roger’s words were still rattling around my brain when, with a turn of the pedals, drops…

GETTING THERE The nearest mainline railway station is Stirling, 10 miles from the start/finish of the route at the Woodhouse Coffee Shop near Kippen. WHERE TO STAY There are plenty of options in and around Stirling, ranging from chain hotels to rustic retreats. For something a bit different, Mains Farm at Thornhill, which is on our route – offers ‘glamping’ to weary riders, in a converted Sea King helicopter for £170 per night. WHERE TO EAT There are cafes dotted regularly all along the route. For lunch, we stopped at the Pier Café in Stronaclachar at the northern end of Loch Katrine. It’s not a particularly cheap place to eat, but the ciabatta sandwiches, cakes and coffee are all good, and there are outdoor tables to enjoy the views of…

Okay, so we’re promising a lot here… Climb like a pro? The point isn’t that this feature can turn you into Chris Froome, more that learning from the pros can help us all to be better than we are. After all, as Froome’s INEOS teammate Ben Swift tells us, “I think what sets the best climbers apart is just natural ability really, rather than anything that they do.” “[Nairo] Quintana is one of the most naturally talented climbers out there,” continues the INEOS rider. “These guys train hard, but I think it’s that innate ability that sets the likes of Quintana and Froomey apart.” So, what if we’re not blessed with the gifts of the climbing gods? It’s all relative, of course, but as someone who rarely sees the battle…

In the recent Tour Series town centre criterium races, custom-painted Zero Disc SLs could be seen tearing around urban areas beneath Madison Genesis team riders. Team sponsor and Genesis distributor Madison sell a 24T/30T carbon Zero Disc with Shimano Ultegra for £2699.99, but only sell this high modulus 30T/40T carbon model as a frameset. Including seatpost collar, headset and thru axles, it costs £1699.99 and weighs 1.44kg. This almost money-no-object build has a mechanical Dura-Ace groupset, Dura-Ace wheels and PRO finishing kit. The only unticked wishlist box is Di2. *As it’s a bike built by the distributor, all parts prices have been added together at full RRP. In reality, due to discounting, you can build it for less. Such a blingy build has many benefits – most instantly noticeable is…

In Canada I was charged by a bear, and Russia was tough as it was winter I hadn’t been in England long when I rode from Bournemouth to John O’Groats on a whim. I was actually training for London- Edinburgh-London and I just kept on going, even though I’d only packed one spare set of clothes. After that, I began to eye the round-the-world record. It started in Perth, Australia and rode through New Zealand, Canada, Iceland, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, India, and then back to Australia. On just the second day, this guy in Australia started throwing cans of cola at me as I cycled by. I stopped and spoke with him. His wife apologised and said that although he’d been to jail for…

If you’re riding mainly on tarmac with occasional adventures, it will leave you pink with joy Rarely has a bike test been so much fun. Even taking into account some foul-weather riding these bikes brought a real joy – fun, thrills and genuine cycling enjoyment. The least expensive bike on test holds its own with similarly priced aluminium bikes from the bigger names, and Cinelli’s Experience has moved with the times: slimline seatstays and a massively tapered head-tube delivering a modern, dynamic ride and a great entry to Campagnolo. It looks good, too. The other genuine road bike is even better. Canyon’s Endurace regularly hits the high spots in bike tests – the AL8.0 Disc is no exception. The kit is as good as it gets, futureproofed with tubeless-ready wheels,…

£270 › The largest Lezyne targets long distance fans LEZYNE HAS BEEN GRADUALLY upscaling its GPS range in size and capability. As you’d expect, the Mega XL is its largest GPS yet. At 79x57x27mm and 80g (without mount) it’s only slightly bigger than its competitors, the Garmin Edge 520 Plus and the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt. The ‘childlock’-style, springloaded 1/8th turn connection is impressively secure and the Loaded version comes supplied with the £40 Direct X-Lock system. This is a collection of mount or blanking plate options that sandwich together over two forward-facing prongs that fit into the face of any four-bolt stem using M5 bolts to sit the Mega ‘out front’ with your GoPro or Lezyne lights underneath. The Mega can be set up landscape or portrait, and the multiple…

Around 750,000 UK riders pedal to work each day. Cities such as London, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield have experienced a major rise in bike commuting in recent years. “Humans are the original autonomous vehicle,” says Gareth Mills, UK country manager for Strava. “Commutes logged on Strava have really grown, with a 31 per cent increase from 2017 to 2018. The average distance is now 12.1km.” As well as saving money on transport – and pleasing teenage eco-warrior Greta Thunberg – bike commuters enjoy unique health benefits. A study of 358,799 people, published in the journal Heart, found that active commuters cut their risk of heart disease and stroke by 11 per cent and their risk of dying from such diseases by 30 per cent. But commuting by bike…

LIGHTEN THE LOAD While bikepacking isn’t about speed, travelling as light as possible always makes the ride more enjoyable, particularly on gravel roads. There is now a huge range of bikepacking luggage available, from the likes of Alpkit, Altura and Apidura. We had Specialized’s Burra Burra across the bike, and the Stabiliser Seatpack 10 is a highlight as you barely realise it’s there. Think about exactly what kit you need for your trip – overpacking evening clothing is a common mistake. If you’re camping, this kit will take up the bulk of your space (ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk is worth a look to keep your weight down. Be warned low weight is generally proportional to high cost!) Staying in B&Bs is the ultimate way to travel light. PLAN YOUR ROUTE, BUT STAY FLEXIBLE…

SAMANTHA TAYLOR BRITISH TRIATHLETE AND BRAND AMBASSADOR AT BETTERYOU LTD “In my experience it will affect your performance – but in a positive way. The main benefit I found from changing to a plant-based diet is that my recovery rate and overall energy levels greatly improved. Vegan food doesn’t always necessarily mean healthy - it’s whole, real plant-based food that is good for you - so when changing to eating plants it’s important to get a variety, think lots of colour. This ensures that you get all the high-quality nutrients you need, which is what I believe led to the improvements in my recovery rate. It’s also important to make sure you eat enough, this is vital if you have a high-intensity training schedule. A plate of salad, vegetables and…

THEN 19ST 11LB NOW 10ST 4LB! (WAIST: WAS A 44/46"INCH; NOW 30"INCH)! WHAT’S YOUR CYCLING HISTORY? “I did road racing and TTs and became Saracens RC Junior Best All Rounder 1975 and 1976 riding with record breaker Paul Carbutt. After a serious crash on the track I lost my way and stopped cycling.” WHY DID YOU GET BACK ON THE BIKE? “I was 59 and nearly 20 stone suffering with high blood pressure and borderline diabetic. I had 41 per cent body fat. I joined a gym and trained cardio three times a week on an exercise bike. When I’d lost nearly 10 stone in weight, I decided to buy a Ribble 883.” HOW DID YOU PEDAL OFF THE POUNDS? “Early morning fasting, cardio on the exercise bike followed by…

It’s blindingly obvious that nobody ever takes up cycling to dodge potholes while being ‘close passed’ by speeding drivers. However, according to recent research, that appears to be what many cyclists experience on Britain’s roads. In a recent survey of 15,000 of its members, British Cycling learned a whopping 87 per cent were close passed by drivers at least once a week and 66 per cent were worried about their general safety when riding on Britain’s roads. What’s more, 70 per cent believe conditions haven’t improved in the last five years. Against that backdrop, it’s hardly surprising that Sport England found 275,000 fewer people were cycling on our roads for sport in the last year alone – with road cycling in decline across the board – for leisure, sport and…

01 EXTREME TECHNIQUE How could we open this feature with anything other than the inspiration for it – Chris Froome’s audacious bid for the yellow jersey coming off the Col de Peyresourde at the 2016 Tour de France. Crouching low on the top-tube, and pedalling at a huge cadence, it looked extreme. Whether it was, as Froome claimed, a “spur of the moment thing” or an act of extreme calculation conceived aboard Team Sky’s ‘Death Star’ coach, it was something that even he suggested should be left to the pros. “Please don’t try this at home #safetyfirst,” Froome tweeted, though he swiftly undermined that by retweeting a video of a six-year-old doing just that! EXPERT VIEW Team Sky’s former head of performance support and innovation ▸“Should you [descend] like…

Mark Cavendish is an absolute master of his craft. He’s worked tirelessly with so much passion to be the best at what he does. He’s studied cycling and sprinting so much, and taken the best of everyone to bring it together to make the best of himself. He’s an example to us all that instead of just accepting that someone else is better than us, we can work on the details of our own riding to bridge those gaps and make the most of ourselves. Especially in his heyday, one area Cav had the edge over his rivals was his ability to deliver power while keeping his front end very low. We can all work on the details of our own riding to bridge gaps 1 GO LOW If you’ve…