November 2024

Cycling Plus

If you love to ride, then Cycling Plus is the magazine for you.

Cycling Plus1 min read
Welcome…
I started on Cycling Plus in early 2021 amid Covid lockdowns. Nearly half a century of editions later and it’s been a tumultuous period for the cycling industry. The fun, empowerment and exhilaration that cycling brings hasn’t wavered, however, as ev
Cycling Plus1 min read
The Big Picture
18 August 2024 Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) holds her bike aloft after winning the yellow jersey in Alpe d’Huez. Despite finishing third twice in the two previous editions of the race, victory looked to be a huge gap to bridge. But bridge it she di
Cycling Plus1 min read
What’s On
Kit brand Stolen Goat has collaborated with Tate art galleries on a capsule collection celebrating the work of legendary pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. The clothing, out now, uses his eye-catching 1963 Whaam! work Rouleur Live, the UK’s biggest and bes
Cycling Plus3 min read
Enhanced Shame
Every year when a rider’s doing well at the Tour de France, journalists say that these performances must mean doping. But until the contrary is proved, that is not true. What I can say is that the performances are physiologically possible. Of course,
Cycling Plus2 min read
Ftp
While few cycling-related abbreviations are as recognisable as FTP (functional threshold power), truly understanding its nuances and frailties, and using it to advance your bike fitness, is less universal. Phil Cavell, author of the bestselling book
Cycling Plus3 min read
Golden At Last?
It has been an annus horribilis for pedal-powered travel. To say the cycle industry is struggling would be an understatement, with pandemic boom-and-bust compounded by geopolitical forces far outside the scope of this column. Cycling levels are down.
Cycling Plus3 min read
Alpe D’Huez
Few European ski resorts attract summer tourists like Alpe d’Huez. Of course, there’s the obvious reason: the iconic 21 switchbacks made famous by the Tour de France, where it’s been a regular stage finish since 1976. Particularly on the weekends, wh
Cycling Plus2 min read
Ribble Allroad SL R
Ribble’s new Allroad design benefits from trickled down technology from their Ultra SLR aero bike and blends this with more relaxed, endurance bike-style geometry to help give all-day comfort on multiple surfaces, and year-round usability. The Allroa
Cycling Plus1 min read
The Route
Here you’ll climb out of Alpe d’Huez to the summit of Col de Sarenne (1,999m) before tackling its initially ragged switchbacks that were partly relaid for the 2013 Tour de France. The descent carries on all the way to Le Freney-d’Oisans, before a ser
Cycling Plus1 min read
EUROVISION bike CONTEST
Kinesis Tripster AT Plus £3,416.91 Rondo Ruut CF1 G2 £3,499 Ribble Gravel SL Pro GRX Di2 £4,959 Ridley Grifn RS £6,714.77■
Cycling Plus1 min read
Bike Tech Explained
The horizontal distance between the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the head-tube. A longer reach lowers your ride position while a shorter reach means you sit more upright. The vertical distance between the top of the head-tube to the
Cycling Plus2 min read
Need To Know
Gravel bike design from the big USA brands is often influenced by the huge gravel races that take place over the pond, with their long, straight dirt roads: it’s all about straight-line speed. Here, we’re checking out what Europe has to offer, with d
Cycling Plus3 min read
Kinesis Tripster AT Plus
Weight 10.22kg (L) Frame 6069 Aluminium Fork Kinesis Carbon all terrain Gears Shimano GRX (10-45t, 40t) Brakes Shimano GRX hydraulic disc, 160mm Wheels Stan’s No tubes ARCH M3 S2 alloy Finishing kit X-Fusion Manic Gravel 50mm dropper post, DMR OiOi s
Cycling Plus3 min read
Rondo Ruut CF1 G2
Weight 9.55kg (L) Frame Ruut G2 Fly carbon Fork Twin tip carbon Gears SRAM Rival ETAP XPLR AXS (10-44t/42t) Brakes SRAM Rival AXS hydraulic, 160mm Wheels Rondo X Hunt Gravel X-Wide Aluminium Finishing kit Rondo Carbon 350 x 27.2 seatpost, Selle Itali
Cycling Plus3 min read
Ridley Grifn RS
Weight 8.01kg (L) Frame Grifn RS Carbon Fork Grifn RS Carbon Gears SRAM Force XPLR AXS 12-speed (10-44t/42t) Brakes SRAM Force XPLR AXS, 160mm Wheels DT Swiss GRC1400 Finishing kit Forza Carbon 350mm seatpost, Selle Italia SLR saddle, Forza Integrate
Cycling Plus3 min read
Ribble Gravel SL Pro GRX Di2
Weight 8.9kg (L) Frame Gravel SL Carbon Fork Gravel SL Carbon Gears Shimano GRX Di2 11-speed (11-42t/40t) Brakes Shimano GRX hydraulic disc, 160mm Wheels Zipp 303 S Finishing kit Fizik Antares R5 saddle, Level Carbon 350mm seatpost, Level 5 Carbon In
Cycling Plus2 min read
Rondo Ruut CF1 G2
Our quartet of Euro gravel rides shows diversity and quality in gravel bike design isn’t reserved for our American cousins. The four bikes ridden and rated here all have a lot going for them and all represent good value compared to stateside rivals.
Cycling Plus7 min read
Back In The Fold
“This is my Brompton. There are many like it but this one is mine…” As I stand, poised and ready, in the holding area of the first heat of the 2024 Brompton World Championships, my own version of the Rifleman’s Creed, popularised by the cult Stanley
Cycling Plus2 min read
Dig Out Your Sola: The Impact Of Pogačar’s New Coach Javier Sola
Iñigo San Millán, Pogačar’s trainer for over five years, has been crucial to his success. But change was afoot for 2024. San Millán took up the position of director of performance at football club Athletic Bilbao last October (he still retains consul
Cycling Plus2 min read
Fuel To The Fire: How Hyper-tailored Nutrition Entered The Peloton
“Of all the riders on the team, when it comes to nutrition, I’d say he’s the most straightforward,” Gorka Prieto-Bellver, nutritionist at UAE Team Emirates, was reported as saying earlier this season. “There are some who are way fussier, the ones who
Cycling Plus1 min read
AI At UAE: Artificial Intelligence’s Unlocking Of Performance Gains
Is Pogačar’s granular nutrition plan down to information gleaned from artificial intelligence? Perhaps, as earlier this season the team rolled out a press release that highlighted their link-up with AI outfit and Dubai-based Presight, who also work i
Cycling Plus2 min read
Hitting The Heights: Prolonged Spells At Altitude Have Boosted Pogačar
In 2024, Pogačar was relatively late to the altitude party, heading to Sierra Nevada in Southern Spain after destroying the opposition at the Volta a Catalunya in March. This compared to his Tour de France rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Cycling Plus2 min read
Hot Heat: Training To Perform As The Mercury Rises
Pogačar and Sola have reportedly paid greater focus to heat training. This would deliver twofold benefits. The first, of course, is that Tadej is as prepped as possible for the brutal summer temperatures of France. The second is arguably down to rese
Cycling Plus2 min read
In The Frame: How Pogačar Has Played Around With His Position
In 2024, Pogačar and his teammates have used Colnago’s V4Rs race bike. The Slovenian won his first two Tour de France titles aboard the V3Rs but, says Colnago’s Tommaso Cervetti, as you’d expect, the latest incarnation has evolved. “There’s a more ae
Cycling Plus8 min read
Rallying Call
I’ve run out of gears and any show of brute force through the cranks causes the loose, avocado-shaped pebbles to skittle from beneath my rear wheel. Navigating the boulder field on the 20%- plus incline has been made even more difficult with a full –
Cycling Plus1 min read
Vote For Your newcomer Of The Year
18-year-old Cat rides for Hope Tech Factory Racing and is the 2024 World Junior champion on the track for the team pursuit and the omnium. She also won the junior national title at the British Cyclocross Championships in 2024 and scored silver at the
Cycling Plus2 min read
Cycling Plus Rider Of The Year' 24
PRESENTED BY Your nominations are in and our panel have furiously debated so now we can reveal the nominees for our Rider of the Year 2024 awards, sponsored by Lezyne! These stellar cyclists, unsung heroes, activists and adventurers are all worthy of
Cycling Plus1 min read
Multi-day Must-haves
The 4L backpack is lightweight enough that you forget you’re wearing it, and is an ideal spot to store any mid-ride maintenance essentials – reserving space for food and clothes in your bikepacking bags. Its 1.5L reservoir is also great for drinking
Cycling Plus1 min read
Vote For Your rider Of The Year 2024
Bath solicitor Andrew Feather is a four-time National Hill Climb champion and won the title again on the infamous Struggle ascent in the Lake District in October 2023. He became the first rider to win the championships using disc brakes, on a sub-6kg
Cycling Plus1 min read
CYCLING PLUS SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
YOUR EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIPTION OFFER GET A SET OF LEZYNE FEMTO LED LIGHTS & TRY 6 ISSUES OF CP FOR £15! HURRY! OFFER ENDS 25 OCTOBER 2024 Print OR Digital SAVE 64% • Get a set of Lezyne Femto LED bike lights worth £22!*• Get your first 6 issues for just
Cycling Plus3 min read
Oakley Sutro S
Oakley’s original Sutro drew its inspiration from the brand’s legendary Eyeshade design from 1984, but came with a contemporary twist in the form of modern materials and Oakley’s latest lens technology with its high-clarity Prizm lens. It fast became
Cycling Plus1 min read
Ridden & Rated
Here at Cycling Plus, we take our testing seriously, sending highly experienced cyclists onto the roads and trails to see how each and every item stands up to their scrutiny. The result is independent and honest reviews to help make your next purchas
Cycling Plus4 min read
Giant Propel Advanced SL 0
Weight 6.92kg (L) Frame Advanced SL-grade composite, integrated seatpost Fork Advanced SL-grade composite, full-composite OverDrive Aero steerer Gears Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 2x12 (11-30t, 36/52t) Brakes Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Wheels CADEX 50 Ultra Disc W
Cycling Plus3 min read
Orbea Diem 20
Weight 23.9kg (XL) Frame Aluminium Fork Carbon Gears Shimano 5-speed Inter-5 Nexus hub Brakes Shimano MT201 hydraulic Wheels Orbea alloy, tubeless E-system Shimano EP600 mid motor, Orbea 630Wh battery Finishing kit Orbea Urban bar, OC Control dropper
Cycling Plus2 min read
Carbon wheels
Want to extract more performance from your bike? A carbon wheelset upgrade is often considered the way to go. Alongside upgrading tyres, wheels are arguably the most influential change you can make to your bike. While many brands spec alloy wheels on
Cycling Plus4 min read
Carbon Wheels: Need To Know
One of the enduring appeals of carbon wheels is that they are deep, without impacting on weight. Create an alloy wheelset with the same rim dimensions and it’ll be significantly heavier, while a carbon rim will also offer a greater stiffness-to-weigh
Cycling Plus2 min read
Ere Research Omnia CLR45
This modern all-round carbon wheelset is the brand’s least-expensive offering. It’s designed primarily for the road, but with one eye on light gravel use. A 21mm internal rim width is designed to support tyres up to 57mm wide, say the brand, although
Cycling Plus2 min read
Giant SLR 2 50 Disc
The Giant SLR 2 50 Disc wheelset is the Taiwanese giant’s entry-level all-round carbon wheelset. Unlike most wheels at this price point, it has hookless rims, with progressively wide dimensions. With hookless, you must use tubeless tyres (as opposed
Cycling Plus2 min read
Hunt 50 Carbon Disc
This recently updated wheelset has a wider, 22mm, internal width (it was 19mm). The hooked rims are compatible with clincher tyres as well as tubeless options and are optimised for tyres up to 35mm wide, but can be used with even wider tyres, say Hun
Cycling Plus2 min read
Roval Rapide C 38
The Roval Rapide C 38 wheelset is made using well-regarded DT Swiss parts and is the cheapest road-going carbon wheelset the Specialized-owned brand makes. While it only just slides under the £1,000 mark (in a competitive market where many significan
Cycling Plus2 min read
Parcours Paniagua
The Parcours Paniagua is a competent all-round road bike wheelset with a fairly shallow 42.1mm-deep rim profile. Rim design is up to date, though: a 21mm internal width is married to a 29mm external width. The hooked rims are said to be optimised for
Cycling Plus2 min read
Velocite Hyperdrive Carbon 50mm Disc
This wheelset is the cheapest and lightest on test while the components and manufacturing quality seem on a par with competitors. The rims feature a modern 21mm-wide internal width, flaring out to 29mm wide externally. The brand’s ‘Hyperdrive X’ allo
Cycling Plus6 min read
Tailor Made
My adventure into the exclusive world of high-end bespoke bikes started after a conversation with regular Cycling Plus contributor, Stephen Roche, our go-to-expert for all things wind-tunnel and bike-fit related. The founder of the Brighton-based Bik
Cycling Plus2 min read
Your Reader Offers
Voted best UK family holiday company and best UK holiday parks & lodges, book your perfect holiday with Parkdean Resorts. With 65 parks across the country to choose from, with a range of accommodation from caravans and lodges to glamping, you’ll be s
Cycling Plus7 min read
Rough Cut
Supping coffee at one of Guildford’s many upscale chain cafes, I looked out from under the shop’s awning at the unplanned rain lashing the streets. It was not an auspicious start to a 70km gravel ride in the Surrey Hills. Around me, my travelling com
Cycling Plus1 min read
Local Knowledge
Guildford has regular connections to London Waterloo and Portsmouth with dedicated bike spaces – booking required. A smaller stopping train also runs from Reading and Gatwick. Grab a coffee anywhere in Guildford before heading off, and have a burger
Cycling Plus1 min read
Training Zone
Boost your ride The cycling author finds out how we can overcome performance pain Boost your ride Contributor Alice explores whether cycling’s bad for your sexual health Boost your ride Cycling coach Heidi gives advice on how to smash a gran fondo Ex
Cycling Plus2 min read
“I Took Up Cycling For Exercise – And Ended Up Setting A New Scottish Hour Record”
“I took up cycling aged 39 after my father commented on my sedentary lifestyle: I was working in technology, so mostly sitting on my backside. My company also signed up to the Cycle to Work Scheme at this time, so I got my first road bike in years an
Cycling Plus4 min read
Conquer a Gran Fondo
Unlike the sportives that dominate the UK (the recent Isle of Man GF is an exception), gran fondos are the go-to European bike event. They’re essentially competitive, where times are logged and the battle for prizes can be intense. You can, however,
Cycling Plus11 min read
Boost Your Ride
Despite the reams of data churned out by power meters and analysed by sophisticated algorithms, we can’t objectively measure ‘suffering’. Blood-related metrics such as lactate concentration offer a glimpse but there’s no one-size-fits-all direct link
Cycling Plus1 min read
Gran Fondo Kit
Waiting in the corral before the start can be chilly, so take a lightweight wind jacket with you to the start that you can stash in your jersey pocket. You may well need it during the race as well. This ultra lean option is our pick. Both travel and
Cycling Plus1 min read
Metal Race Bikes
Front lights buyer’s guide Plus tech from Canyon, Kinesis & Prologo Wet, wet, wet Learn to embrace riding in the rain Treasure islands 10 top rides on the islands off Britain Inside Decathlon Behind the scenes at the sports mega-retailer One foot in
Cycling Plus1 min read
Gfny Action
10 November 2025 This long-established GF regularly attracts 3,000+ cyclists to the Mexican island for its 80 and 160km races. What it lacks in hills, it makes up for in the crosswind-heavy sections next to the Caribbean Sea. 18 May 2025 The biggie,
Cycling Plus1 min read
Cycling Plus
Editor Matt Baird, matthew.baird@ourmedia.co.uk Deputy Editor John Whitney Senior Production Editor Emma Lewis Creative Design Lead Julia Broussier Creative Designers Will Linn, Georgie Sturge Senior Technical Editor Warren Rossiter Workshop Manager
Cycling Plus3 min read
Nice Try
I recently had a surprisingly blunt exchange of views with one of my closest friends in the cycling world. He expressed a view that the men’s Tour de France finishing in Nice was a brilliant innovation, and that he was rather dreading the expected re

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