Keeping track of your fitness and wellbeing is becoming increasingly structured and less periodic thanks to the availability of wearable devices that can monitor important fitness and health metrics 24/7.

The latest WHOOP 4.0 band is designed to help you track the impact of your training activity, along with your recovery and sleep, in order to identify actions that will help you maintain and improve your fitness.

It’s used by many athletes, including the EF Education–EasyPost pro cycling team, to track recovery, sleep and health metrics. This, in turn, helps inform how one should train on a given day.

What is WHOOP?

WHOOP is a fitness coaching system that captures data on your physical condition using the WHOOP 4.0 band, a non-invasive monitoring device you wear on your wrist 24/7.

Working alongside the WHOOP app, the system analyses your personal data to provide information in three areas that form the three pillars of WHOOP’s service: Strain, Recovery and Sleep.

WHOOP assesses your strain level based on the activity you’ve undertaken that day. It also identifies your recovery status to assess your readiness to train, and tracks your sleep, which in itself is a vital part of the recovery process. We’ll talk about these metrics in more detail a little later.

According to WHOOP: “You can only manage what you measure – WHOOP helps you to understand the decisions that you have to make today, so that you can be the best possible version of yourself tomorrow.”

WHOOP says it acts as a “personalised digital fitness and health coach” by telling you what you can and should do to maintain and improve your performance.

The WHOOP 4.0 band isn’t a GPS watch. WHOOP says it’s designed to give you different data from a cycling watch or bike computer, as it’s monitoring your fitness and activity all day, off the bike as well as on, and providing structured feedback and recommendations.

How does WHOOP work?

Optical sensors in the WHOOP 4.0 band continually record your heart rate, heart rate variation, blood oxygenation, breathing rate and skin temperature.

That data is transmitted to the WHOOP smartphone app, where it’s analysed and all the data correlated to give you information on your fitness, provide insight on your performance and give you feedback you can use to periodise your exercise and improve your performance.

You don’t have to keep WHOOP 4.0 on your wrist either, because the company sells a range of smart apparel, known as WHOOP Body, enabling you to wear the device on multiple placements across your body, as well as offering a bicep band for your upper arm.

What does WHOOP measure?

As mentioned above, WHOOP uses the data it collects to give you information about a wide range of factors that can affect your fitness and performance, which it organises into three pillars: ‘Strain’, ‘Recovery’ and ‘Sleep’.

Strain

First up, WHOOP will give you an assessment of your strain. At its core, strain is a measure of cardiovascular load placed on your body during an individual activity or over the course of a day.

Strain is calculated based on the amount of time you spend in your heart rate zones. As the heart rate percentile range increases, so does the impact it will have on your strain score, so a one-hour interval session will, for example, carry greater weight than walking for one hour. Strain is also personalised to account for an individual’s fitness, with the score then weighted accordingly.

It’s not just workouts, with things like anxiety, work and parenting all affecting your strain score, which the app assesses on a scale from zero to 21.

WHOOP will automatically detect your activities each day and gives you a weekly activity report with a readout of your strain by day, as well as a plot of your average heart rate and an estimate of the calories burned.

WHOOP also includes a ‘Strain Coach’, which recommends a target exercise load for the day based on your recovery and lets you monitor whether your level of activity during the day is achieving your target strain level.

The goal of the Strain Coach is to help you train in tune with your body, knowing when to push and when to rest, helping you to avoid overtraining.

Recovery

The second pillar of WHOOP’s service is its assessment of your recovery status. It’s a personalised measure of your body’s capacity to take on activity, based on four metrics: heart rate variability, resting heart rate, respiratory rate and sleep.

WHOOP analyses your recovery status on a scale from 0 to 100% and categorises these values with a traffic-light system into three bands.

If your recovery score is between 0 and 33%, it’s rated red and WHOOP will suggest you aim to have a rest day. A yellow recovery score in the range from 34% to 66% suggests you’re ready for a moderate amount of activity, while a green recovery score of above 67% means that you’re ready for a day of peak performance.

Sleep

WHOOP’s third pillar is its monitoring and analysis of your sleep, including quality, quantity and consistency.

Sleep is one of the most important components of recovery, when your body resets ready for the next day. Good-quality sleep improves recovery, fitness and wellbeing.

WHOOP assesses the sleep you need and compares that with your actual sleep ‘performance’ each night, giving you a sleep score between 0% and 100%.

Its ‘Sleep Coach’ analyses your circadian rhythms and recommends your optimum bedtime and wake time based on its measurements of your sleep needs.

It will wake you at the best time in your sleep cycle the next morning with gentle haptic alerts via the WHOOP 4.0 band, so you’re not jolted awake as with an audible alarm clock.

While you’re asleep, WHOOP monitors your sleep cycles of deep, light and REM sleep and assesses your heart rate, breathing and heart-rate variability to help determine your baseline fitness and recovery status, and to identify trends in these over time.

Health monitoring

Alongside the core pillars, the latest addition to WHOOP’s service is its Health Monitor, designed to give you an overall assessment of your health status.

It determines baseline numbers – including blood oxygen, skin temperature and heart rate – and helps you spot improvements and variations over time. It will automatically alert you when there’s a significant deviation, and you can download and export 30- or 180-day trends.

WHOOP notes that it’s not a medical device, though, so you’ll need to consult a practitioner for a full diagnosis and assessment of any medical condition.

What can you expect from using WHOOP?

WHOOP has studied the actions and understanding its members have achieved from using the system. According to WHOOP, the results show 81% of its members have made positive behavioural changes, with 83% understanding better how their body operates.

WHOOP claims 89% of its members improved their understanding of their sleep needs, with an average of 41 minutes of longer sleep, better sleep quality and increased REM sleep.

The brand has identified practical benefits, too, with 31% of its members reducing the number of days they ate a late meal and 46% drinking alcohol on fewer days, based on the impact this has on the user’s metrics.

By periodising training based on stress and recovery scores, WHOOP says its members have reduced the number of sports injuries they’ve suffered due to overexertion but still achieved the same fitness gains as a control group.

How much does WHOOP cost?

You can sign up to WHOOP’s service on a monthly, annual or 24 month basis, with the WHOOP 4.0 band included as part of the membership.

In the UK and Europe, a monthly subscription with a 12-month minimum costs £27 / €30 or you can sign-up for 12 months for £264 / €300 – that’s £22 / €25 per month.

Go for a 24-month subscription and you will pay £432 / €480 up front, bringing the price down to £18 / €20 per month.

The equivalent US prices are $30 per month, $300 for 12 months or $480 for 24 months.

Membership includes 24/7 services support and access to new features, metrics and updates as soon as they go live.

A wife and husband tag-team turned global cycling brand, Cycology offers striking, design-led cycling kit that doesn’t compromise on technical performance.

What started as a design project for a fashion brand headed up by a keen cyclist has evolved over the past decade, and is now the choice of many style-conscious riders around the world.

A decade of Cycology

From humble beginnings in 2012 with a dozen T-shirt designs, growing customer pleas led Cycology into producing technical cycling kit.

Cycology aligned itself from the start with a factory team that the brand still uses today – a team that were so excited about Cycology’s proposition that they offered small product runs as a passion project to get them started.

Fast forward a decade and there’s a huge range of Cycology kit available, from road cycling apparel to printed handlebar tape, saddle bags and mountain biking clothing, all featuring its proudly original designs. The brand is now distributed internationally beyond its home in Australia to Europe and North America.

From canvas to kit

Endurance cyclist, runner, triathlete and former commercial artist Sarina Tomchin is the person behind the unique designs that set Cycology apart from other kit brands.

“I find inspiration everywhere,” Sarina explains. “When riding my bike, there’s constant stimulation and ideas. Due to Covid, I was riding a lot on my own, and there’s plenty of time to think about how cycling makes you feel: happy, joyous, fit, healthy and motivated.”

Group rides often yield conversations that lead to ideas for Sarina, as does listening to music and enjoying poetry, art, books and newspaper headlines. Designs have even originated from customer requests, with the brand’s loyal fan base offering up some novel concepts.

“I’ve done artwork recently for a David Bowie, a Led Zeppelin and a Motown jersey,” Sarina reveals. “At my studio, I have a big artwork on paper nearly finished that is based on poetry, graffiti and sketches from one of my many notebooks in lead and red pencil.”

Sarina and her husband Michael launched Cycology to share the thoughts, emotions and feelings that cyclists, runners and triathletes experience. “Through the artwork,” Sarina explains, “we try to portray these thoughts, emotions and the mantras we live by, hoping they’ll resonate with our potential customers.”

Where most modern kits are designed digitally, Sarina takes to paper and canvas with her ideas, with a true multimedia approach including pencil, paint and oils.

Once complete, Sarina’s hand-drawn designs are then photographed and laid onto digital garment templates in Adobe Photoshop. The large-format files are then sent to Cycology’s factory to produce a run of samples.

The sample kit is then worn and laundered by a team of wear testers to make sure they live up to the brand’s high standards, and any tweaks are made before final production.

Fashion and function

Besides creating the original artwork, Sarina puts her background in textiles and pattern-making to good use during the design process.

“The fabrics and tech [Cycology uses] have always been super-important to me and we try extremely hard to get our fabrics to feel so good you don’t necessarily ‘feel’ them while wearing them,” says Sarina.

“We want soft, light, sweat-wicking, stretchy-in-every-direction fabrics and we’ve also been trying wherever possible to be environmentally friendly.”

Besides the material choice, safety features are also paramount for Sarina, with high visibility and reflective elements woven into the design of each product, and bright, fluoro colours featuring heavily throughout the range.

“I want to be seen for miles when I’m on my bike, whether it’s dark or light,” Sarina says.

“Too many friends have been hit, maimed or killed by motorists, which was the reason I painted ‘See Me’ with tears. I never intended to make it into a kit, but a customer asked us to make the artwork into a jersey.

“At the time, I didn’t think it could work, but it has. I love wearing it, and it is one of our best sellers. Pure emotion, pure colour.”

Cycology offers an extensive range of kit and designs for men and women, with artwork and cuts tailored for each. The goal? To make cycling a more comfortable, and more fashionable sport, encouraging more women who want to look and feel good on bikes.

Sustainability is also a key factor in the design, with the team sourcing recycled fabrics as well as recycling as much as possible in-house.

“Personally, we also do as much as possible, we only eat plants, we recycle madly, mend, fix, compost, reuse,” says Sarina. “Every little thing we can do helps the planet we love and we ride whenever, wherever we can.”

Cycology range overview

From complete road cycling kits to more trail-oriented pieces, a whole raft of accessories and casual wear, there’s plenty to feast your eyes on with the Cycology range.

​​Frida short-finger gloves

• £20 / €24.90 / $24.95 / AU$34.95

Who said matchy-matchy has to stop at accessories? Available in an impressive range of designs, Cycology’s short-finger cycling gloves feature foam-padded palms with a grippy silicone finish to give you both comfort and control on the bike.

For cooler weather, consider the fleece-lined and windproof winter full-finger cycling gloves also on offer.

• Buy Cycology cycling gloves

Road cycling jerseys

• From £70 / €84.90 / $99.95 / AU$129.95

Choose between the standard performance fit, figure-fitting aerodynamic race fit and more casual relaxed-fit jerseys on offer from Cycology, with myriad designs for men’s and women’s cuts.

There are also long-sleeve and winter windproof jerseys to keep you cycling in comfort throughout the winter months.

• Buy Cycology cycling jerseys

Cycling socks

• £15 / €16.90 / $16.95 / AU$24.95

We cyclists love a fun pair of socks, and there are both printed, reflective and more plain options from Cycology. All measure 18cm from the ankle, a popular length among riders, and the printed socks use a light compression fit to keep them in place while you ride.

• Buy Cycology cycling gloves

Mountain bike jerseys​

• From £40 / €44.90 / $49.95 / AU$69.95

Why save the fun kit just for the road? Cycology has recently branched out into looser-fit, off-road jerseys, with both short-sleeve and long-sleeve options for your favourite MTB and gravel rides.

A sweat-wicking, lightweight mesh material is used for the mountain biking jerseys to keep you cool and fresh while shredding, whether that’s a local cross-country loop, enduro race or simply hitting the trails with friends.

• Buy Cycology mountain bike kit

Casual T-shirts

• £22 / €26.90 / $24.95 / AU$39.95

Share your love for all things bike with Cycology’s line-up of soft combed cotton T-shirts featuring original artwork. Road, mountain bike or triathlon: there’s something for everyone.

• Buy Cycology casual T-shirts

Looking for more cycling kit? Shop the full Cycology range direct.

The Giro d’Italia is one of the toughest races on the WorldTour calendar – but what toll does the opening Grand Tour of the season place on riders?

The EF Education-EasyPost team uses the WHOOP 4.0 band to measure the physiological strain, recovery and sleep of its riders through the season.

Ahead of the start of the 2022 Giro d’Italia, WHOOP has used its data from last year’s race to delve into the demands of the Giro – and what it takes to ride the Italian Grand Tour.

Monster strain

The WHOOP wearable records 24/7 data on heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygenation, breathing rate and skin temperature. This data is then used to calculate a ‘strain score’ on a scale from zero to 21, as well as to monitor sleep and recovery.

“Strain is a measure of cardiovascular load – i.e. how hard your heart is working,” says Jeremy Powers, a four-time US national cyclocross champion and now a coach for WHOOP.

“While it’s obviously going to be affected by what you’re doing on the bike – how hard you’re pushing, whether you’re climbing or not – there are also other factors which have a subtle impact on it, including temperature, humidity, hydration levels and also how recovered you are going into a stage.”

Powers says the average strain score of the EF Education-EasyPost team over the course of the 2021 Giro d’Italia was 18.0.

“There were days when the guys were putting up monster strain scores of 20.5+, which for pro riders is a mean feat,” he says. “The highest individual day of strain in 2021 was on May 20 [stage 13 from Ravenna to Verona] by Ruben Guerreiro with 20.7.”

Taking an average strain score across the team, the ‘easiest’ days of racing at the 2021 Giro d’Italia came on stages one (15.4) and 21 (13.0) – the two individual time trials.

While a race against the clock gives general classification contenders a chance to rise up the standings – or cement their position – for many riders, it’s an opportunity to turn the legs over on a relatively easy day. The short nature of time trials also means there’s less opportunity to build fatigue.

On the flip-side, three stages saw an average strain score of 20.6 – the highest average score across the team through the race. Stage six saw the first summit finish on a medium-mountain stage, while stage nine represented the first proper high-mountain stage of the 2021 Giro, and stage 14 concluded with a brutal summit finish on the infamous Monte Zoncolan.

Unpredictable racing

While the profile of a particular stage will play a part in the strain it places on a rider, how the stage is raced – and the specific performance or tactics of a team on a given day – is also a significant factor.

“A huge callout here is the unpredictable nature of the Giro d’Italia – you know it is going to be hard but you just don’t know when,” says Powers.

For this year’s edition, even the first three days in Hungary are tough, with two uphill finishes presenting the potential to lose time before the race even reaches Italy.

There’s no respite once the race reaches its homeland either, with stage four finishing with a monster climb to 1,892m on the slopes of Mount Etna.

Dotted among the mix of lumpy and relatively flat routes as the race makes its way up the Italian mainland are more big days like the 5,000 metres of climbing to the stage nine finish at Blockhaus.

The weather can be poor in Italy in May, too.

“It’s generally cold and it’s generally wet,” says Alex Howes, who rides for EF Education-EasyPost and raced the Giro in 2017. “You’re racing through the Dolomites in the spring.”

He says it’s harder to recover if the body is also fighting against bad weather.

As always with the Giro, the final week of the 2022 edition has the real sting in the trail, with the 168km queen stage on the penultimate day featuring the San Pellegrino, Pordoi and Fedaia passes, for a cumulative total of 4,490m of climbing.

You can see the effort required as the race reaches its crescendo in the EF Education-EasyPost riders’ strain scores for the final few days of the 2021 Giro, with an average of 20.4 on the two final mountain stages.

Powers continues: “Despite the fact that the riders will be in such good shape, it’s such a gruelling race that you can’t not begin to feel the effects of it over the course of the Giro.

“It’s going to be harder for riders to recover after particularly tough stages towards the latter half,” he adds. “You’re also going to see that their max heart rates will begin to decline.”

Howes agrees and says it’s typical for a rider’s maximum heart rate to drop by about ten beats per minute at the end of a Grand Tour.

“You just can’t get it up there anymore,” adds the 2019 US national road race champion. “And the discrepancy between certain riders will be interesting, too. Some will have 190 heart rates all day, and then others will be around 140 – not related to their fitness, it’s just their physiology.”

Recovery is crucial

Rest and recovery are crucial to any cyclist focussing on performance, not least during a race like the Giro d’Italia.

“On days where a rider is primed and ready to go, we would expect that he would accumulate strain slower than when he was riding on a day that he was under-recovered, under-hydrated and riding in hot, humid conditions,” says Powers.

The EF Education-EasyPost team measures recovery through the WHOOP 4.0 band, scored on a scale from 0 to 100%.

Recovery scores from 0 to 33% denote poor recovery, 34% to 66% indicate a reasonable level, while scores above 67% mean you’re ready for a day of peak performance.

“Over the course of the Giro, the average recovery of the EF cycling team was 53%, which was about right for a Grand Tour,” explains Powers. “These riders are in such good shape that they’re able to put up consistently high strain scores without being absolutely shot the next day.”

However, Powers says the highest average score (78%) still came towards the start of the race (stage three), with the lowest (30%) coming after stage 17 – another big day in the mountains.

Sponsor and media commitments can eat into recovery time, too, particularly for highly-placed riders and stage winners.

When a rest day comes up, though, most professional cyclists show impressive powers of recovery, and heart rate variability (HRV) can help provide an indication of a rider’s readiness to perform.

“Generally after a proper rest day you would expect to see a rider’s HRV bounce back towards their baseline, especially for seasoned pro riders,” says Powers, who points to Lachlan Morton’s data from his epic Alt Tour in 2021.

“After the gruelling three weeks [riding every stage of the race ahead of the peloton – including stage transfers] his HRV bounced back to baseline two days after he finished.”

Variable sleep duration

The influence of the Giro’s logistics is an unexpected factor that influences recovery and sleep.

With the 2022 Giro covering the length of Italy, and the race starting in Hungary, there are likely to be long transfers between stages. The opportunity for quality sleep can vary from one day to the next, Powers says.

“The only clear trend when it came to the riders’ sleep performance at the 2021 Giro was that there was no clear trend,” he concludes.

“There were days when riders got 9.5+ hours of sleep, while on other days with travel, transfers etc, they didn’t have the luxury of time and only managed around 5.5 hours of sleep.

“A number of riders managed to sneak in naps, in particular on the rest days, which helped to offset the sleep debt they were accumulating over the course of the race.”

Riders respond differently

Ultimately, how each rider responds to the effort of a three-week Grand Tour is different, based on their role in the team, physiology and a wide range of external factors.

“Some riders are Ferraris, who can be incredibly punchy when they need to be, while others are diesel trucks that can steam along for days with ease,” says Powers.

“The WHOOP strain score is based on an individual’s heart rate data, which can be affected by a multitude of different things.

“It will be hugely impacted by the rider and what they’re capable of – whether they’re over-exerting or riding within themselves. If they’re pushing harder than they’re capable of, they’re more likely to burn out quicker, which is when you’ll see their heart rate hugely elevated compared to where it would normally be.

“It’s the same story if they’re massively under-recovered going into a stage. They’re just not going to be able to perform to their usual level.”

Crashes and injury also take their toll on the strain a rider can manage, as well as their recovery and sleep quality, creating a knock-on impact on performance.

And what about after the race? Well, for EF Education-EasyPost rider Howes, the end of a Grand Tour is an opportunity to reset – mentally and physically – before going again.

“For the first couple of days after, you might wake up at the same time you normally would and think ‘OK, let’s get moving here,’ but then you make some coffee and sit down and just melt into the couch,” he says. “And not just from the physical exertion, but mentally too. You have no time to switch off during the race.

“In the weeks and months after you have this deep fatigue, where everything hurts and you’re tired all the time. On the other hand, then you get on the bike and you’ll do the best numbers you’ve ever done. It’s a weird balance.”

Prologo’s new range of cycling gloves borrows innovative patented technology from its extensive saddle line-up.

Designed to optimise comfort using vibration-absorbing technology, while delivering optimal air cooling and maximum grip, Prologo’s Energrip collection includes three models – from short-finger mitts to winter gloves – to help keep you kitted out in all conditions.

What’s changed with Prologo’s new range of gloves?

Relaunched for 2022, Prologo’s Energrip glove collection utilises the brand’s patented CPC (Connect – Power – Control) technology, as seen in its saddle range.

CPC is a 3D-printed polymer nanostructure that’s claimed to deliver multiple benefits. These include vibration absorption, enhanced grip and improved air cooling.

These are all qualities that are beneficial in a saddle, and said to be equally useful when it comes to ensuring your hands are as comfortable as possible.

Just as CPC is utilised in specific positions and densities across the saddle to deliver optimal comfort, it has also been designed around the shape of the hand.

A combination of diamond-shaped modules and non-bottom-out cones across the palm sectors are said to help absorb a range of different vibrations, easing feedback from the road and trail.

Not only is this said to enhance comfort in the short-term, but Prologo also claims it decreases muscle fatigue.

Lines of CPC cones in the sectors across the palm are also targeted to ensure maximum grip, explains the brand, yielding ultimate handling control.

To optimise air cooling, palm CPC pads have been positioned to allow air to flow through channels between the fingers and across the central palm area. Here, the absence of padding and integration of small holes are said to ventilate and cool the skin, avoiding sweat build-up.

The gloves were designed in collaboration with the Groupama-FDJ Performance Centre and the University of Besançon, using electromyography analysis to compare the performance of the new Prologo CPC gloves to that of basic gloves with no padding. They were also compared to gloves with gel padding.

From these tests, Prologo determined its CPC gloves reduced vibration to the arms by a claimed 14 per cent compared to a regular cycling glove – this is a reduction double that of using a cycling glove with gel pads.

Similarly, the Prologo CPC gloves resulted in a vibration reduction of 5 per cent at the neck, compared to only 2 per cent using gel-padded cycling gloves.

Further tests showed that wearing the CPC gloves gave a 10 per cent improvement in shock absorption compared to riding glove-free.

In addition to the enhanced use of CPC in its new glove range, Prologo has redesigned elements of the gloves, which is said to make them easier to fit, remove and adjust, including tabs on the wrist and ring finger.

The brand’s Long Finger gloves also feature touchscreen-friendly injections on the fingertips, making it possible to use your phone without having to remove your gloves.

Who’s wearing Prologo gloves in 2022?

Prepare to see Prologo’s Energrip gloves in action this year across a wide range of teams in the UCI Men’s and Women’s WorldTour, as well as Pro Tour, Continental and cross-country race teams, and triathletes.

The Energrip gloves are used by Men’s UCI WorldTour team Bahrain Victorious and UCI Women’s WorldTour team EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, as well as the Valcar – Travel & Service UCI Women’s Continental Team.

No fewer than five cross-country mountain bike teams choose Prologo, including BMC MTB Racing, piloted by Julien Absalon, Cannondale Factory Racing, DMT Racing Team, Santa Cruz FSA Pro Team and the Belgian BH Wallonie MTB Team.

Prologo gloves range overview

There are three new gloves in the Prologo range for 2022 featuring CPC, designed to keep you covered for every kind of ride.

Prologo Energrip Short Finger

• €69
• XS-XL

Prologo’s flagship racing glove, the Team Short Finger is a technical mitt for warmer days in the saddle. Breathable and lightweight, the design integrates CPC technology across the palm for vibration damping, grip and optimal cooling to reduce sweat build-up.

As shown by Prologo’s research in conjunction with the University of Besançon, there’s a vibration-reduction benefit to the arms and neck from wearing CPC-equipped gloves. This should, according to Prologo, help to reduce muscle fatigue and negative impacts on the carpal tunnel.

Prologo Energrip Long Finger

• €79
• XS-XL

The perfect mid-season glove or more extensive coverage for off-road riding, the Team Long Finger offers the same CPC design as the Team Short Finger, with extra grip on the index finger for brake modulation.

In addition, the breathable fabric has touchscreen-friendly fingertip inserts, so you can use your phone or GPS unit without needing to remove your gloves.

Prologo Energrip KYLMA winter glove

• Available from winter 2022, price TBC
• XS-XL

Designed with wintry rides in mind, the KYLMA gloves are intended to help keep you warm and dry on cold and rainy days, without compromising on dexterity.

More slimline than thicker, padded winter-glove alternatives, the KYLMA utilises a specialist insulating, water-repellent material that Prologo says provides protection from the elements without the bulk.

Born proudly out of the Basque region of Northern Spain, Orbea is a worker-owned co-op bike brand dating back to 1840 that boasts a full suite of modern builds across all disciplines.

From commuter hybrids to road race bikes, enduro mountain bikes to triathlon machines and electric mountain bikes to gravel and endurance bikes, Orbea covers it all.

Orbea also offers some of the most customisable bikes going, allowing you to design your own dream colour scheme online using Orbea’s MyO tool at no extra cost.

You can also make component tweaks using MyO – whether that’s getting the correct-sized stem and cranks or upgrading your saddle, the tool will help make sure you’re getting the best build for you straight out of the box.

Orbea’s new Rider Connect platform will help find bike availability near you, whether that’s a standard build or your own MyO design.

You can check out current stock, including sizing, models and colourways across Orbea dealers in your area, as well as see when specific models are due in and reserve them. With stock updated every week, finding the best bike for you has never been so simple.

With more than 150 stockists across the UK and Ireland, not to mention mainland Europe and the rest of the world, you might be surprised at just how easy it is to find the right Orbea for you.

Orbea Rise H

The Orbea Rise is a sleek lightweight electric trail bike with a neatly integrated motor and battery. Originally released with a carbon fibre frame, the newer Rise H model is built using aluminium alloy, offering the same all-terrain capability in a more cost-effective package.

Pedalling assistance comes in the form of a Shimano EP8 RS system, with a slimmed-down motor, battery and electronics compared to many other electric mountain bike systems. Not only does this give a ride feel and appearance more adjacent to a conventional mountain bike, but it also helps extend the battery life to keep you pedalling further.

Orbea claims the Rise H’s 540Wh battery, housed in the down tube, can power up to 3,500 metres of climbing in eco mode. Looking for even more? Opt for the 252Wh range extender to unlock an extra four hours of riding time.

The 29er Orbea Rise H can be found in the popular trail bike category, with the option of a 140mm or 150mm suspension fork, paired with 140mm travel at the back.

Models start from £4,899 / €5,299 / $5,699, with the range extender for the Rise H retailing at £449 / €499 / $599.

Orbea Rallon

With 170mm of suspension up front and 160mm in the rear, the Rallon is Orbea’s tried and tested race-ready enduro rig that’s equally at home in the bike park or razzing down your local trails.

The 2022 Rallon has had a hefty rework, including a new frame design, geometry and suspension.

Just as with other bikes from Orbea, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to speccing your Rallon. Choose from a 29er or mullet setup (29in wheel on the front and 27.5in wheel out back) to start with, which you can adapt later because the bike is supplied with two yokes, allowing you to switch between configurations.

If you’re coil-curious, check out the top-level Rallon M-LTD (£8,999 / $9,999 / €8,999), fitted with a Fox DHX2 Factory coil shock. Other models feature an air-sprung shock, starting from £4,299 / $4,999 / €4,299.

The new frame boasts Orbea’s Lockr internal storage system in the down tube, equally handy for stashing spares and tools whether you’re riding or racing.

Shorter riders will be pleased to hear about the seat-tube updates, with enough insertion depth to allow a long-travel 200mm dropper post to be fitted, even on a size small – perfect for tackling the steeps.

Don’t think that pedalling has been forgotten about though, with a 77-degree seat tube angle to yield an efficient pedalling position and get you back up to the trailhead.

Orbea Orca Aero

The brand’s flagship aero road bike, as raced by UCI Continental women’s team CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling, the Orca Aero has been designed to optimise aerodynamic efficiency without making compromises on handling or stiffness.

The 2022 Orca Aero boasts all the features you’d expect from a world-class aero bike, with carefully shaped tube profiles to reduce aerodynamic drag, as well as strategically placed junctions to reduce air turbulence. The result is a claimed 15-watt saving at 40kph compared to its predecessor, according to Orbea.

Orbea’s premium OMX carbon fibre layup has been designed to yield an optimal stiffness-to-weight profile for efficient power transfer.

A shortened wheelbase and chainstays ensure the handling remains snappy and responsive, while size-adjusted geometry at the front end enables riders of all sizes to experience the same great level of control.

The proprietary aero cockpit can be configured with no fewer than 28 combinations of stem and handlebar, meaning there’s a wide range of fits available to suit riders of differing sizes and position preferences.

When it comes to kitting out your bike with tools and hydration, you don’t need to compromise the aerodynamic efficiency either, with an aero toolbox that clips onto the down tube and an aero water bottle, taking hints from Orbea’s Ordu time trial bike. Both improve the system’s speed, rather than detract from it, according to Orbea.

The Orca Aero is priced from £4,199 / €4,199 / $4,999 for the M20, Shimano-Ultegra equipped model.

Orbea Ordu

Overhauled for 2021 with a raft of aero advances, the Orbea Ordu is a triathlon and time trial bike for riders with dreams of pure speed.

According to Orbea’s wind-tunnel testing, this latest design saves around 41 seconds over a 180km course (typical distance for an Ironman bike leg), or 11.5 per cent drag reduction at 43kph from its predecessor.

Considered carbon fibre layup has also led to a significant weight reduction, and the Ordu is now equipped with hydraulic disc brakes.

Up front, the cockpit features the all-new mono-riser handlebar system, with a single central pillar to support the arm rests and extensions. This proprietary system is fully customisable, so you can easily fine-tune your race position.

There are three carbon fibre builds on offer, starting from £5,229 /  €5,229 / $5,999.

Orbea Terra

Orbea was one of the first major brands to introduce a gravel bike, and in the years since the Terra has evolved to better suit this changing category. The result is not only a highly customisable rig, but also a very capable one.

A few weeks ago, Orbea announced its new Terra Hydro, an aluminium build named after the hydroformed tubing, just as promised when it launched the carbon model last November. There are three builds on offer, with 1×11, 2×11 or 2×10 drivetrains, three different colourways and competitively priced from £1,999 / $2,499 / €1,999 to £2,299 / $2,799 / €2,299.

The 2022 Orbea Terra features a generous 45mm tyre clearance for 700c wheels, growing to a maximum of 50mm gravel tyres for 650b. As well as choosing between wheel sizes, you also have the choice of a 1x or 2x drivetrain, and with the exception of headset spacers, you can fit most standard components, such as handlebars and seatposts.

For loading up and riding far, there’s a good range of cage and bag mounting points across the frameset, as well as mudguard mounts for getting you through the muckier seasons. The alloy models also feature mounting points for a rear rack, allowing you to use panniers, whether that’s for a week-long bikepacking adventure or your daily commute.

If you opt for one of the carbon fibre models, you can also use the ‘Lockr’ compartment for storage of tools and spares inside the down tube, leaving your pockets unladen.

From entry-level to premium builds, the whole range is specced with great-quality gravel tyres, including the Vittoria Terreno Dry and Pirelli Cinturato, from the get-go.

Orbea Onna

Orbea’s most recent family member, the Onna, is a hardtail mountain bike offering a range of accessible price points to help more people discover the joys of mountain biking.

The aluminium alloy-only frame is available in both adult and junior sizing, a nod to its grass-roots approach.

The Onna is equipped with a 100mm suspension fork, and the selection of 29er or 27.5in wheels is size-dependent, to ensure balanced and confidence-inspiring handling for budding mountain bikers.

If you want to double up your trail whip as a commuter, there are also mounts for a kickstand and rear pannier rack.

Once the Onna has you sold on mountain biking, consider upgrading to the Orbea Alma for a performance-oriented cross-country hardtail, the Laufey for something more aggressive, or check out some of the full-suspension options on offer, including the Oiz.

The five models in the Onna series range from £629 / €629 / $799 to £1,099 / €1,099 / $1,399.

Cycling has always been a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to explore, but investing in a bike is still a big financial commitment. By opting for a direct-to-consumer brand such as Canyon and reducing the cost through a Cycle to Work scheme, you can enjoy all sorts of epic two-wheeled adventures without completely emptying your bank account.

Canyon is well known for its bikes’ excellent value for money. The German manufacturer’s range caters for everyone from pro-peloton athletes to eco-conscious commuters, meaning there’s something for everyone.

To highlight the diversity of the Canyon range, here are five UK cycling adventures and the Canyon bikes equipped to tackle them. The best part? They’re all available to purchase through the UK’s leading Cycle to Work provider, Cyclescheme, saving you 25-39 per cent.

Five adventures you can have with Canyon

Ride the C2C with the Canyon Pathlite:ON 8

Spanning 137 miles between the North Sea and the Irish Sea, the C2C (coast to coast) is the most popular cycling challenge in the UK. The route takes in spectacular views of rolling hills, mountains and coastlines as it meanders its way through Northumberland, skirts around the North Pennines and the Lake District, and hugs the Solway Coast.

As one of Canyon’s top-end e-tourers, the Pathlite:ON 8 is well-equipped for the challenge. It’s built for comfort over long distances, with an upright riding position and ergonomic handlebars. And with its 200km range and beefy 57mm tyres, there are few places it’ll struggle to go.

The Pathlite:ON can be equipped with dual batteries for long days in the saddle, but the external power pack is easily removed to reduce weight on shorter rides. Despite the room said external power pack takes up in the front triangle, there is still space for two bottles. Plus, a sturdy luggage rack ensures there’s ample capacity to carry everything else too.

• RRP: £3,749
• Cyclescheme price: basic rate £2,811.75, higher rate £2,436.85

Take the scenic route to the office with the Canyon Commuter:ON 7

Cyclescheme’s primary purpose is to encourage people to cycle to work. This is great for the environment, but it can also be an opportunity to discover new routes and explore hidden parts of your local area every day.

Regardless of where you live, taking your commute from four wheels to two and getting off the beaten track is an excellent way to fit some exercise around work, and improve your mental health. It’s amazing what a bit of fresh air and some endorphins first thing in the morning can do.

The Commuter:ON 7 is a great option for this. It’s a nimble city bike that can provide some assistance when required. It’s lightweight for an electric bike too, and is available in two frame styles – mid-step and step-over – to suit riders of all shapes and sizes.

At the core of the bike is a Fazua Ride 50 Evation motor. It offers a range of up to 75km and will deliver maximum support of 250 watts. Built-in lights will keep riders safe and visible on evening or early-morning commutes, and there’s also an Ortlieb rack to carry office supplies or shopping.

• RRP: £3,099
• Cyclescheme price: basic rate £2,324.25, higher rate £2,014.35

Get muddy in Kielder Forest with the Canyon Grail:ON CF 7 WMN

Northumberland is one of the most underrated cycling destinations in the UK, but that works in the favour of those who know. Situated right on the Scottish border, Kielder Forest is one of the largest areas of woodland in the UK, and, thanks to the region’s relatively sparse population, is often completely deserted.

Kielder is also home to a vast network of dusty fireroads, woodland singletrack and MTB trails, making it prime gravel-bike territory.

Boasting a powerful motor, generous tyre clearance and a low centre of gravity, the Grail:ON CF 7 WMN is perfect for exploring the forest. With a more upright riding position than the standard Grail, it’s built to feel relaxed and comfortable, and the shock-damping seatpost takes the bite out of rough terrain.

Much like the Grail, the Grail:ON features Canyon’s innovative double-decker bar. It’s constructed from carbon and designed to absorb shock, but it also opens up a wider range of hand positions than a traditional bar.

• RRP: £4,699
• Cyclescheme price: basic rate £3,524.25, higher rate £3,054.35

Tackle some towpaths with the Canyon Roadlite 7

From Scotland’s Great Glen Way to Lancaster Canal in the Lakes, the UK is home to some outstanding towpath action. Following the waterways is a great way to get away from the traffic and remind yourself what cycling is all about, and Canyon’s Roadlite 7 is the perfect bike for the job.

Combining the speed and agility of a road bike with the comfort and control of flat bars, the Roadlite 7 is a great-looking hybrid with a lot to offer.

It’s equipped with a mix of Shimano 105 and Ultegra components for smooth, reliable shifting, and is built around disc brakes as standard for total control in all conditions.

Comfortable 30mm tyres roll well over tarmac, but provide sufficient cushioning to tackle unpaved towpaths too. Overall, it’s a fast, light, versatile machine that’ll suit anyone looking to improve their fitness and get outside.

• RRP: £1,499
• Cyclescheme price: basic rate £1,124.25, higher rate £974.35

Explore London with the Canyon Precede:ON CF 8 ST

Braving the Big Smoke on two wheels can feel daunting, but it’s actually one of the UK’s safest cities to ride in. Recent years have seen big improvements in cycling infrastructure, making a bike one of the best tools for exploring the city.

So, why not forget the open-top bus and navigate the city’s nooks and crannies on a state-of-the-art e-bike instead?

The Precede:ON CF 8 ST is built for urban life. It’s got everything required to get around the city quickly and comfortably, all rolled up into one stylish package.

Powered by a Bosch Performance Line CX motor, it has a 100km range and provides swift acceleration to get from A to B in plenty of time.

The most impressive part is probably the cockpit. It features a sleek, one-piece bar and stem that houses the first ever set of integrated brake levers. There’s even a bell, a Supernova front light and a built-in Bosch Kiox computer that provides GPS, fitness data and sensor connectivity too.

• RRP: £3,999
• Cyclescheme price: basic rate £2,999.25, higher rate £2,599.35

To find out more about the Cyclescheme with Canyon, click Cyclescheme

The Karoo 2 is the latest cycle computer from Hammerhead. A slimmer, lighter model than the Karoo 1, Hammerhead has focused on the experience cyclists actually want from a computer, with the Karoo 2 also being the choice of Chris Froome and his team Israel Start-Up Nation.

Here’s a rundown of the five standout features of the Karoo 2 – ranging from a 3.2in touchscreen to the ability to carry a SIM card and make use of mobile data on the go, there’s a lot to be excited about.

A stunning screen

The 3.2in display is a key feature of the Karoo 2. The high-quality screen has a colour spectrum similar to a smartphone and a resolution of 292 PPI. This is especially useful for providing finely detailed mapping, which could make it perfect for off-road adventurers.

The computer also features a touchscreen interface that’s paired with buttons on the side of the device. These buttons will come in handy when fine motor control is limited – when riding on rough terrain, in heavy rain or when wearing thick gloves, for example.

Additionally, the touchscreen gives you the ability to move around the map easily. Pinching to zoom in and out, and dragging to move around the map adds flexibility when you’re out riding.

The screen itself is protected from wear and tear by toughened scratch-resistant Dragontrail glass, and despite the screen size and quality, the Karoo 2 offers a battery life of up to 12 hours.

Beyond maps and routes, the screen will also display a new Karoo 2 feature – Climber.

This provides information on climb gradient profile, distance and elevation remaining, as well as your current VAM while climbing. Whether you use it as a training tool, for racing or exploring your local climbs, it’s a feature that data lovers will embrace.

Seamless integration

If you’re a data lover, you’ll also appreciate the Karoo 2’s seamless integration with all of your favourite apps.

It’s compatible with Strava Live Segments for those chasing KOMs and QOMs. For riders working with structured training plans, the Karoo 2 can also pair with apps such as Training Peaks to bring sessions to life on your computer.

Route loading is also straightforward and user-friendly, integrating with all the major apps with ease.

Excellent customer support

Investing in a new cycle computer can be a stressful experience, but Hammerhead offers the Karoo 2 with a 45-day satisfaction guarantee, allowing you to return it if you’re not satisfied.

If you’re in need of help or have a problem, Hammerhead also offers responsive customer support services, along with a useful and thorough set of help articles on its website, with step-by-step how-to guidance.

Continuous enhancement

Continuous development from the Hammerhead team means the Karoo 2 comes with regular software updates, with the device’s capabilities and user experience continually evolving and improving.

This helps to keep it at the cutting edge of cycle computer technology, with new updates rolled out every two weeks, keeping everything fresh and functional.

Full connectivity

The Hammerhead Karoo 2 features full Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, allowing you to pair it with all common external sensors. It will also pair with most turbo trainers and can even work with electronic groupsets such as the SRAM eTap or Shimano Di2.

Going beyond Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, the Karoo 2 also features a SIM card slot.

This gives it the capacity to work independently of your phone, with the computer directly accessing mobile data.

If you have paired it with a phone, you can also receive notifications through the Karoo 2.

• Buy the Karoo 2 direct from Hammerhead

Spending time on the bike is vital if you want to improve your cycling performance. But working another muscular-endurance activity into the mix can help take your fitness to the next level. 

Mixing up your training will bolster your cycling performance by giving you a broader base of conditioning. By engaging different muscle groups and strengthening your core, you’ll be able to improve your form on the bike and reduce the risk of injury while off it. 

Something such as rowing, which engages the upper body as well as the lower, is perfect for achieving this, and its low-impact nature makes it a relatively easy transition for cyclists. 

A premium, immersive rowing machine such as the Hydrow can make the switch even easier. The virtual-training aspect is something anyone who has ever used a smart trainer will be instantly familiar with, and the integrated display provides the visual stimulation that we cyclists are accustomed to. 

But why choose indoor rowing for your cross-training over another low-impact activity, such as swimming? First, let’s look at the similarities. 

At first glance, rowing and cycling have little in common – different terrain, different equipment and different movements. But look a little deeper and there’s actually a great deal that links these two disciplines. 

Like cycling, rowing is a muscular-endurance activity, with athletes from both sports possessing some of the highest aerobic capacities in the sporting world. As a cyclist, your Vo2 max is probably already well above average, which, in theory, should stand you in good stead when you hop onto a rowing machine for the first time. 

It’s also one of the few cycling alternatives that balances cardio and strength benefits. But where cycling primarily engages the legs, rowing offers a full-body workout. 

“A lot of people have the misconception that rowing is all about arm strength,” says Hydrow athlete Nick Karwoski. “In reality, it’s a full-body workout that engages up to 86 per cent of the body’s muscles. The combination of strength training, cardio and mental engagement makes rowing incredibly challenging, but effective.” 

Upper-body training is often neglected by cyclists, but it’s important for avoiding injury. When cycling, your anterior body (chest, stomach, etc.) is tight and hunched over, and your spine is arched. According to some studies, more than 50 per cent of cyclists report lower-back pain, with back pain in general being one of the most common cycling-related injuries. 

Rowing can have huge benefits when it comes to preventing such problems. It opens up those tight anterior muscles and engages the posterior, helping to build muscle and increase strength in the back. This also results in increased core strength, which, aside from decreasing the risk of injury, will aid stability on the bike.

“Endurance cycling actually becomes taxing on the muscles in the core and back,” explains Kristin Haraldsdottir, Hydrow’s director of exercise research and innovation. “In order to keep good, strong posture during a long ride, you want to have trained and strengthened your core. 

“Rowing workouts, especially HIIT workouts, help build core strength and endurance of those muscles. This core stability is super-important to keep yourself from wasting energy on extra movement in cycling.” 

Because of its low-impact nature, the rowing machine is also a great tool for active recovery and injury rehabilitation. It can increase blood flow and bone strength while putting minimal stress on the joints. 

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. There are many examples of professional rowers going on to achieve success in the cycling world. England’s very own Rebecca Romero took silver in the quadruple sculls at the 2004 Olympic Games. Four years later, she won gold in the individual pursuit in Beijing, after making the switch from boat to bike. 

On the other side of the world, multiple Olympic gold-medal winning rower Hamish Bond spent several years competing as an elite-level cyclist in New Zealand, where he had three first-place finishes in the National Road Championships, as well as a TT bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 

So, there’s definitely something to it, but why should Hydrow be your rowing machine of choice? 

Just like a top-of-the-range smart trainer, Hydrow mimics real-world movements and sensations as closely as possible. The electromagnetic drag mechanism is computer-controlled and simulates the feeling of heaving oars through the water as closely as possible. Combined with the 22in touchscreen display, this creates an immersive experience, which cyclists, who are used to lots of visual stimuli while training, will undoubtedly appreciate. 

“The benefits of rowing become really evident when I jump back on my bike,” says Hydrow athlete Mike Dostal. “The whole-body nature of rowing means I feel stronger when I ride. My lower back and core don’t complain as much when I’m riding for long periods. Also – and this is the big benefit for me – when I’m rowing regularly, I find I can make that one-off huge effort to smash up a long climb or drill it on the flat. The two sports complement each other so well.”

To find out more about the Hydrow Rowing Machine, click here.

From clips to flats, casual to enduro, O’Neal has revamped its range of mountain bike shoes for 2022.

Ranging from £75 to £120, O’Neal’s new footwear range covers all bases whether you’re a trail rider, racing enduro or looking for something more low-key to wear to the pump track and about town.

What’s new for 2022?

Having been first released in 2017, O’Neal’s latest MTB shoes build on the success of the original line-up, with new and updated models to bring the keenly-priced range bang up-to-date.

Models from the entry-level Pinned to the top-end Session all focus on delivering value for money, with features you’d usually be surprised to find at each respective price point.

For the flat pedal shoes, O’Neal’s proprietary Honey Rubber soles have been developed to offer high levels of grip, while still allowing you to reposition your feet easily when you need to.

Closure systems vary from simple and adjustable laces to Velcro ankle straps for additional support. There’s even a dial and steel lace mechanism at the top end.

The range also caters to different climates, from the highly ventilated toe box of the Flow shoes to the weather- and dirt-proof cuff of the Session.

Whether you prefer a stealthy style or pops of colour to match your steed, each model is available in two colourways.

O’Neal Pinned

• Price: £75

The Pinned is O’Neal’s entry-level flat shoe, designed to offer plenty of bang-for-your-buck for riders on a budget.

The honeycomb-shaped Honey Rubber sole offers a balance of grip and freedom of movement, while the upper has been designed to meet the demands of the trail rider.

That means there’s enough rigidity to give a secure, supportive and efficient fit but with a level of flexibility to offer comfort, whether you’re out for an hour of power or an epic all-dayer. O’Neal also says the upper has been designed with durability as a key focus.

Either opt for the black with dark grey laces or dark grey colourway with hints of red.

O’Neal Pinned Pro

• Price: £80

As you might expect, the Pinned Pro builds on many of the features of the Pinned but with a greater level of ankle protection thanks to a raised profile and internal support.

If you’re looking for additional protection for bigger moves or simply want to max out on safety features as a beginner, the Pinned Pro could be a good option for you.

There are a couple of colour options to choose from here: black with grey or a grey outer with hints of bright blue.

O’Neal Pinned SPD

• Price: £90

If you’d rather run clipless mountain bike pedals than flats, you should check out the Pinned SPD.

These feature a different rubber sole to the Pinned and Pinned Pro shoes, with a two-bolt plate for the SPD cleats. You can also use them with flat pedals, by using the screw-in plate.

Additionally, a nylon insert increases the sole’s rigidity for pedalling efficiency. The sole also has a resin running through it to boost stiffness.

The lace-up closure retains the casual style of the Pinned range. With this SPD model, you can choose from a black/grey colourway or dark grey with neon yellow features on the branding, lace eyelets and tongue.

O’Neal Pumps

• Price: £85

From pump track sessions to wearing around town, the Pumps are O’Neal’s answer to a more casual, understated shoe.

Don’t be fooled by their relaxed appearance though, as these also use O’Neal’s hexagonal Honey Rubber outsole, providing a balance between grip and foot repositioning when you do take to the bike.

Otherwise, the Pumps are designed to offer a little more breathability and flex than the Pinned series, to give it more of a casual, trainer-like feel.

There are two colourways to choose from; a very subtle black and grey or a more casual grey with gum sole at the heel and toe.

O’Neal Flow

• Price: £110

The Flow shoes feature a two-bolt SPD plate for riding with clipless pedals, and a roomy, ventilated toe box to help you keep cool in hotter weather. Off to the Alps for your summer holidays? These could be the kicks for you.

O’Neal has built on the popular Pinned shoes here with an additional Velcro strap to give a secure fit around the ankle, as well as a robust outer suitable for more aggressive enduro racing and downhill riding.

Take your pick from neutral grey and black or electric blue accents on grey.

O’Neal Session

• Price: £120

As the most advanced shoe in the O’Neal line-up, the Session SPD is designed with muckier trail conditions in mind.

The neoprene ankle cuff helps to stop debris and mud trickling down into the shoes, while the ventilated toe box of the Flow is replaced with a more weatherproof upper.

Just like the Flow shoes, these have been designed to be rugged and robust, and are secured by a highly adjustable dial and lace closure, topped with a Velcro strap to give a stable fit around the ankle.

The Session shoes are designed to take you right the way from autumn, through winter and into spring and summer. Choose from classic black and grey or a flash of red on grey.

There are a number of benefits to running a tubeless setup, whether you’re taking to the trails or the open road.

The ability to run lower tyre pressures, as well as the additional puncture protection that tubeless tyres can offer, are often cited as the biggest benefits.

If you’re currently more at home with inner tubes but want to make the move to tubeless, there are a few things that you’ll need to switch, including some fundamental tools for setup and potential repairs, as well as tubeless-ready tyres.

Here we take a look at some of the options from Topeak to help you get the most out of your tubeless tyre setup.

Tubeless setup

When it comes to fitting tubeless tyres, sometimes you need a little extra oomph to get the bead seated onto the tubeless-ready rim. Often, a standard bike pump just won’t cut the mustard.

This is where rapid air delivery comes in handy – and let’s face it, not everyone has access to an air compressor at home.

Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage

The Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage is designed to offer easy installation, whether you’re setting up high-volume tubeless mountain bike tyres and gravel bike tyres, or high-pressure tubeless road tyres.

First up, the pump’s TubiHead device removes the Presta valve core, which allows you to rapidly get more air into the tyre. Unlike other track pumps, this means you can remove and then reinstall the valve core with the pump head attached, meaning no loss of pressure or sealant during the set-up process.

The former opens both barrels in the pump for rapid air volume up to 30psi, while the latter uses a single barrel to reach higher pressures of up to 160psi.

Once seated and inflated, use the TubiHead to reinstall the valve core.

Topeak SmartGauge D2X

Once you’ve got your tubeless setup ready for fine-tuning, the Topeak SmartGauge D2X is a digital pressure gauge that allows you to adjust tyre pressures while taking a continuous reading.

Getting your tyre pressure right is even more important when it comes to running tubeless tyres – you’ll most likely be running a lower pressure where smaller adjustments can make a difference to how the bike rides.

Fine-tuning tyre pressure can reduce rolling resistance, improve comfort and increase grip. No more guesswork when it comes to getting your tyre pressures dialled!

You can also read our guides to road bike tyre pressure and mountain bike tyre pressure, to help you find the right setup for your bike.

Repairs

One of the main benefits of a tubeless setup is the ability to stave off punctures, whether that’s a cut from a spiky thorn or glass, or a nasty snakebite puncture at lower pressures. Often the sealant will prevent a puncture before you even notice.

There are, however, occasions where you might need a helping hand to get back up and running again; for example, plugging a nasty tubeless tyre puncture that’s too big for the sealant to deal with.

Topeak Tubi Master

Topeak’s Tubi Master and Tubi Master X tubeless repair kits and inflators are designed for such roadside repairs.

The Tubi Master includes a tubeless repair toolkit with tyre plugs, a reaming and insertion tool, and a trimming blade, plus Topeak’s Micro AirBooster CO2 inflator for rapid reinflation.

Topeak Tubi Master X

Meanwhile, the Tubi Master X features a more advanced tubeless repair tool, where the plug and CO2 inflator are combined into one unit.

Topeak Tubi 18

This 18-piece mini-tool features many of the standard tools required for trail and roadside repairs, including 2mm to 6mm Allen keys, T10 and T25 Torx keys, and a Phillips screwdriver, but also has the bits you need in the event of a tubeless puncture.

That includes a plug reamer and inserter, tubeless plug storage compartment and plug trimming blade.

Storage

Where you store your kit will largely depend on personal preference: in your jersey pockets, in a cycling backpack, in a hip pack, or on the bike.

For many riders, having a tubeless repair kit and spare inner tube for emergencies strapped somewhere on the bike can be easiest because you’ll never accidentally leave home without them.

You’ll also always have the right size inner tube should you’re tubeless tyre be unrepairable out on the road, which can otherwise get confusing if you have multiple bikes with varying wheel sizes or tyre volumes.

On-the-bike storage can also give you more freedom of movement as you ride.

Topeak Aero Wedge

The Topeak Aero Wedge comes in handy here, mounting to the saddle rails and seatpost for a secure fit.

Choose from four different sizes depending on how much kit you need, from 0.41L to 1.97L. You’ll also find internal mesh pockets to organise smaller or easy-to-lose items.

Caught the bikepacking bug or looking to plan your first trip?

Komoot, the route-planning and navigation app, is packed full of established bikepacking routes to choose from, as well as plenty of neat features to help you plan your own.

Here’s how you can use Komoot to find and plan a bikepacking adventure.

Four ways you can use Komoot to plan a bikepacking trip

1. Find your next adventure

Discovering bikepacking routes on your doorstep or seeking inspiration from all over the world has never been easier, thanks to recent additions to the Komoot mobile app.

Simply tap through the green ‘Find your next adventure’ button on the ‘Discover’ feed and select bikepacking from the sport types.

Here you can choose to look at local routes based on your current location, browse bikepacking routes from across the globe, or search for routes in specific areas.

For example, search for the Cairngorms National Park and you can choose from the Cairngorms Loop, the Deeside Trail or the Central Belter.

If you’re using Komoot on a desktop computer, head to the ‘Discover’ section to browse routes, with everything from bikepacking inspiration to routes suitable for touring with kids.

2. Explore Collections

Created by a team of expert editors, contributors and ambassadors, Komoot’s bikepacking Collections range from accessible adventures, including the UK’s King Alfred’s Way, to more ambitious trails such as the ​​Montañas Vacías in Spain and the Colorado Trail in the United States.

There’s even the mighty European Divide Trail, a route that spans Europe from Norway to Portugal, covering some 4,724 miles / 7,603 kilometres across the continent.

Within each Collection, you’ll find the route broken down into stages, each with a description of what to expect.

Komoot’s routes are also peppered with user-generated ‘Highlights’, whether that’s an unmissable singletrack descent, a far-reaching trig viewpoint or a cycling-friendly cafe.

Highlights also show you other riders’ practical tips and experiences as well as photos, so you can get an idea of what you’ll be exploring ahead of riding.

Each Collection’s introduction sets the scene for the route and will let you know what to expect in terms of terrain and landscapes. You’ll find comments from other riders and practical information on transport links, accommodation and resupply options. There’s also advice on which are the best bikes for the route and terrain.

On that note, if you’re heading off-road on a gravel bike or mountain bike, you can use Komoot’s handy surface and waytypes feature to scope out the dirt roads, trails and singletrack.

Open up the route, click ‘Details’ and you can see what terrain type to expect by hovering over the elevation graph or toggling ‘waytypes and surfaces’ on the graph.

Komoot will show you what waytype to expect (e.g. road, cycleway, singletrack), as well as the surface type (paved, unpaved, gravel), according to community-contributed map data from Open Street Maps.

For more technical singletrack sections, you can check the trail rating to make sure you’re riding trails that are either challenging enough for you – or you’re not biting off more than you can chew! Trails are rated between S0 (easiest, suitable for novice riders) and S5 (most difficult, for the most experienced and adventurous riders).

Found a few Collections that take your fancy? Simply click the bookmark icon to save them to your own profile, ready to revisit again later.

3. Make existing routes your own

Have you spotted a bikepacking Collection that has your inner adventurer chomping at the bit but you want to tweak the route, perhaps changing the start or finish points, altering the duration or adding in an extra leg to visit friends or accommodation nearby?

Thankfully, Komoot makes this easy. You can save the individual Tours (i.e. the individual stages on a multi-day ride) to your own profile and edit the routes to your heart’s content – add in your own Highlights, change the start or finish location, add new waypoints, and drag and drop the course to suit you.

If you’re heading to an area where phone signal might be patchy, you can save your Tours for offline use, so you can use the Komoot app to navigate without needing an internet signal.

If you have a Komoot Premium account, you can click the ‘Plan day by day itinerary’ to adjust the full route into as many days as you like, or reverse the direction of travel.

The slider here is really useful for demonstrating how far you’ll need to ride each day, based on how many days you choose to split the route into. You’ll also get the maximum elevation gain and an estimate of how long you’ll spend in the saddle each day.

The multi-day planner saves your Tours in a Collection so you can easily access and share them with your bikepacking pals.

4. Plan your own adventure

If you want to plan your own route from scratch, Komoot has a range of features to help you put together the ideal itinerary. Whether you love planning your adventures in minute detail or have more of a spontaneous approach, Komoot’s route planner includes the tools you need to help you enjoy exploring.

If you want to plan a new route quickly, you can let Komoot’s algorithm do the heavy lifting for you. First, set the sport type according to what you’d like to ride: road cycling for more direct tarmac routes, road touring for quieter back roads, gravel riding for lighter off-road sections or mountain biking for more technical off-road trails.

Komoot will then plot a ‘Tour’ between your selected start and finish points based on road or trail characteristics. You can also alter the course by adding a Highlight or a new waypoint, or manually dragging and dropping the route.

You can also use the search bar to display points of interest and services on the Komoot map. If you’re still in the planning stages then you can include these on your route – or if you’re already on the road, adjust your route on the go to navigate directly to them.

Some of the nuggets you can find on the map include churches (which often have outside taps for refilling water bottles), public transport, bike repair shops, camping grounds and public toilets.

Finally, premium members have access to the multi-day planner, where you can split down a longer route into a day-by-day itinerary, adjusting the daily length to suit your ambitions.

You can also use the multi-day planner to highlight accommodation options at the end of each stage, including campsites, hostels and guesthouses.

Joss Winter was one of our Decathlon Summer of Cycling winners in 2019. After spending two years at a desk dreaming of bike adventures, Joss embarked on her ‘tour of friends’ ride, cycling around the UK on a Triban Women’s RC 520 to visit friends and family, camping along the way. Here Joss tells the story of her adventures on the bike.

My ‘tour of friends’ last summer was partly about riding my bike more, and partly about reconnecting with friends and family, and it was a fantastic experience, like no other.

My goal was to visit the people that I felt like I’d neglected over the past two years as work got in the way. No more excuses of trains being too expensive to travel on – just me and my bike and a whole load of adventure.

Since picking up my Triban bike from Decathlon earlier in 2019, I’ve managed to explore a lot more of the country than I was expecting!

I have loved having the freedom to stick to the road, or switching it up and going off-road for a chunk of my ride, and the bike has also helped me reconnect with friends who I haven’t seen for a long time.

• Decathlon Summer of Cycling winner is back in business on gravel
• Decathlon Summer of Cycling winner finds it’s a case of mind over matter

My favourite ride to date on the Triban was my journey home from the Northumbria coast on the scorching August bank holiday weekend last summer. I had a rough plan of places to see but I also wanted to follow my nose and take interesting-looking turns instead of just sticking to a set route.

My first stop was the Drift Cafe on the east coast of Northumberland for the best veggie haggis breakfast and to meet family friends, who told me about a military road through the Coquet Valley.

They were right – it really was the best road in the county, following the Cheviot Hills to the Scottish border, where I followed a fire track to Kielder Forest with no end of gravel tracks to navigate.

Having passed Hadrian’s Wall, I bivvied close to the dark-sky observatory near Alston, and was treated to a few shooting stars. The next day, I made it to Carlisle to meet a friend for a McDonald’s breakfast.

The ride from here took me across the Yorkshire Dales, following National Cycle Network routes 68 and 71 down to the village of Malham, where another friend met me for dinner.

Having the bike has actually reacquainted me with friends and family more than I thought. I would never consider driving or getting the train between Carlisle and Malham, but it seemed to make sense on the bike, and the journey was spectacular.

I was lucky to have some of the best weather of the summer, too, and had the good fortune to bivvy in the dry, as I did through south Wales earlier in the season.

Since getting back from that Northern England trip (and a journey on the Triban to the Purbeck peninsula to celebrate my grandmother’s 90th birthday), my plans changed slightly as I found a new job working for cycling charity, Sustrans.

I have now converted my Triban into a beastly commuting machine, ideal for my silly near-50km commute. My summer of cycling might be over, but my riding won’t stop!

Elastic Interface, the brand behind many of the best chamois out there, recently showed us a couple of highlights from its 2020 range at this year’s Eurobike show.

First, there’s a new seamless, multi-density padding technology for cycling gloves. Aimed at increasing bar feel and comfort. The technology offers targeted padding and much improved breathability. Expect to see this technology in use across a range of manufacturers very soon.

Elastic Interface also showed us its new range of chamois pads designed specifically for women. While most will get on very well with a standard women’s-specific chamois from Elastic Interface, it also recognises that no one’s anatomy is the same. 

So, in response to rider feedback, it has produced three new pads that offer different levels of padding and targeted pressure relief.

Check out the video above for all the details.

Look walked us through highlights from its new Geo-Trekking pedal range at this year’s Eurobike show.

Designed for off-road and urban/commuter style riding, the Geo-Trekking line consists of several double-sided pedals that give the rider a choice of either using regular footwear or clipping into an SPD-compatible clipless side.

There are composite and aluminium body options to suit different budgets and riding styles, while some of the pedals feature removable LED lights to enhance safety.

For 2020 UK brand Weldtite has a new degreaser that’s designed specifically to save you time when cleaning your bike.

As a high pressure degreaser spray, Weldtite Jet Blast promises a pristine finish without having to remove your chain or cassette.

Also shown at Weldtite’s Eurobike 2019 stand was the company’s environmentally friendly bike cleaner, which is biodegradable, and an update to Weldtite’s TF2 that sees the popular lubricant spray gain a more efficient applicator.

While the concept of gravel riding originated on the hard-packed dirt roads of the United States, exploring on bikes specifically designed to take you off the beaten track has captured the imaginations of riders the world over.

In part four of our Adventure Addicts series, we set out to find six of the best British gravel riding routes.

Britain may not have the extensive network of gravel roads found in the US and other parts of the world, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to head out into the wild, from the prehistoric Ridgeway route in the south of England, to the forest tracks of the Trossachs in Scotland.

• Gravel riding explained: Adventure Addicts part 1
• How to have a gravel adventure: Adventure Addicts part 2
• How to ride gravel: Adventure Addicts part 3

John Whitney’s Ridgeway

In austerity Britain the road network has lapsed into a pothole-strewn wreck, so picture what state the country’s oldest road, the Ridgeway, is in. Circa 5,000 years old, it’s at least got an excuse.

The road predates the stone circles of Avebury, Wiltshire, which is its starting point in the west; in total, the Ridgeway stretches 140km, all the way to Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns. It’s now a National Trail, open to cyclists all the way up to the river Thames – beyond that, there are fewer opportunities for two wheels, so our route ends in Goring-on-Thames.

The Ridgeway is more popular with walkers than cyclists, and you’re still more likely to see mountain bikers than gravel bike converts. Without suspension and with narrower tyres, it’s always a thorough examination of gravel skills, and the ever-changing terrain will keep you on your toes.

Unless you’re one of those oddities who embraces wet weather, it’s best to ride the Ridgeway on a dry, bright day because the chunks of actual gravel are sparing and, on soggy days, it’s infamous for turning into a hellish quagmire of Glastonbury-on-a-wet-year proportions.

If you’re interested in the ancient stones of Avebury, there’s plenty else along the trail for history buffs, including the Iron Age forts of Barbury Castle (where the National Trail and original Ridgeway diverge for a period) and Liddington Castle.

Wayland’s Smithy burial tomb, just off the main track just beyond Ashbury, has 1,000 years even on Avebury’s stone circles, built in around 3,590 BC.

Avebury has a National Trust car park, costing £7 all day. We’d recommend being self-sufficient as places to eat are few and far between along the route, unless you dip into nearby towns and villages.

• John Whitney is Cycling Plus’s features editor and new gravel convert
• 44.4 miles / 71.4km
• Get the route Ridgeway

Sam Dansie’s Kielder Forest

When a cycling event itemises a survival blanket and a whistle on its list of essential gear, it means business. Yet the oversubscribed 200km Dirty Reiver, four years old and more popular than ever, demonstrates that the UK’s growing legion of gravel enthusiasts want a challenge.

The ride fulfils that want well by sticking to the limitless web of access roads in Kielder Forest, the UK’s second largest, and which carpets the remote low-hilled borderlands between England and Scotland.

The roads are probably just uncomfortable if you’re in the back of a four-ton military lorry – besides being Forestry Commission, this is firing range territory – but 10 hours being bounced and pinged off angular rocks on a bike thrashes parts of the body other gravel rides can’t reach.

Despite the highest point being 475m, the course also packs in around 3,800m of climbing, about the same as the Fred Whitton Challenge. Just let that sink in.

The Dirty Reiver is not a race, but there is a timed sector, sponsored by Lauf, who make suspension forks. The prize was a piece of its produce and an invitation to experience more discomfort at The Rift, a big gravel race in Iceland.

Those forks are probably great, but not even a hovercraft would have been comfortable on the sector, which was by far the worst-surfaced and came after 180km, when most of the field had already been humbled by the distance, climbing and aggregate.

Kielder is hard to reach and amenities are scarce, but there’s a campsite and plenty of welcoming guest houses within a half-hour drive of the start. Be prepared to sign up early though, 2020 registration is already sold out.

The Dirty Reiver’s roads are open all year round, but on the day of the event, the organisation makes a point of taking you away from harvesting and industry going on at the time. I saw one moving vehicle all day, but just note that it might not be that way at other times of the year.

• Sam Dansie is a contributor to Cycling Plus magazine and a Northumberland native
• 119 miles / 191.5km
• Get the route Kielder

Sven Thiele’s London to Brighton

I first rode this whole route in October 2017 but it came together bit by bit over the previous year, just exploring trails, using maps and routing tools such as Komoot, realising there are paths here and bridleways there and connecting it all together.

The final half of the route, the Downs Link, is well documented, but the challenging bit was connecting that with our start at Hampton Court and it took some trial and error to hook it up.

The route below is an almost entirely flat route along towpaths, old railway line, a bit of singletrack and gravel roads, though we do a hilly route with another 800m of climbing that goes over the North Downs, rather than skirting around.

On Easter weekend, when we last did the flat route, we had the most glorious weather, and the surface was bone dry. I’ve ridden it in decidedly damper conditions and the weather makes such a difference.

There’s a section around Guildford through farmlands that gets very squishy in the wet and you need the most grippy tyres you can find. When it’s wet, bumps are shaped and when they dry out they’re like skiing moguls.

Given the nature of the ride you don’t see much in the way of cafes or pubs along the route, so take the opportunity to refuel at Stan’s Bike Shack in Horsham.

It’s a point-to-point route, so unless your legs are feeling good and you fancy a ride back to London from Brighton, you’ll need to get the train. It’s a very popular service with cyclists heading back to London, so there’s no problem getting the bikes on the train (at non-peak times), even if there’s a bunch of you. I’ve often considered riding home but once you sit down on the sea front and enjoy a few beers the urge to ride back subsides exponentially!

It’s just over 100km from Hampton Court, which I think equates to 160km on the road. It’s a different way of riding, and as well as the pain you get in your arms and neck, the concentration that riding on these trails demands takes it out of you. One day I’ll ride home.

I love the route, it’s one I constantly come back to and it’s a great showcase for what we have in the British countryside.

• Sven Thiele is the founder of event organiser and cycling club HotChillee. These days, when he’s riding, he’s likely to be on his gravel bike
• 64.6 miles / 103.9km
• Get the route London to Brighton

Andy Mccandlish’s Trossachs

Blessed with endless miles of forest and estate tracks threading their way through hills and glens, the Trossachs are a gravel paradise. It’s so good that the locals here built a gravel extravaganza around it, the Duke’s Weekender.

Named after the formidable Duke’s Pass that rises high above the town, this gravel enduro has a meagre 2km of road across its entire 70km route. There’s much more besides that too, so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to a gravel deep dive.

This ride is based in Aberfoyle, 32km north of Glasgow in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. With cafes, shops, a great pub (Forth Inn) and plenty of parking, it’s a perfect starting point to kick-start your adventure. Take note of the facilities because this figure-of-eight ride passes back through the town at the halfway mark, allowing you to stock up on supplies before you embark on round two.

The first half makes use of National Cycle Route 7 north as it winds up through magnificent, towering mature woodland on forest tracks, topping out after a stiff 250m climb at the summit of Duke’s Pass.

Staying on forest tracks and keeping your eyes glued to the wonderful views over the Trossachs ahead, you drop past the brilliantly-named Loch Drunkie to Loch Venechar for yet more speedy gravel trails along the waterfront.

In fact, the only short section appears as part of the climb back over the Duke’s to Aberfoyle, and even that is a beautiful and scenic road in its own right.

It’s here that you also pick up the trickiest section of singletrack in the route – a challenging trail from the old slate quarry back towards town. Narrow and occasionally rocky, it demands attention, so make sure that you’re ready for it.

After a quick (or not so quick depending on your legs) feed in Aberfoyle, you take to the open tracks again heading south for the second half. Highlights include the ‘Alp Duchray’ switchback climb up to meet Glasgow’s water supply flowing through a picturesque viaduct and a punchy section of singletrack by Rob Roy’s Cave on the side of Loch Ard.

• Andy McCandlish is a freelance photographer and gravel enthusiast who’s a lucky man indeed to call the Trossachs home
• 43.9 miles / 70.6km
• Get the route Trossachs

Deborah Goodall’s North York Moors

I’ve been mountain biking in north Yorkshire for over 20 years and the arrival of gravel bikes has taken me back to those early days. It’s good to have to use your skills again, because modern mountain bikes are skill compensators. It’s about exploration, too, just going anywhere, and that exploration has led to us setting up our own gravel event, Yorkshire True Grit.

We want to show off how great the gravel riding is here. I think it’s the sheer variety as to why it’s so special. One minute you’re in forests, the next onto the moors and back again – you can be looking at a panorama stretching 96km, or at the tree in front of your face.

The route I’ve shared below has elements of the Yorkshire True Grit course, but we can’t share the whole route because it’s pieced together with bits of private road that aren’t open at any other time of year. Land access in Yorkshire generally isn’t that good and we work really hard to convince landowners that we’re not going to cause any damage or that there’ll be issues with grousing birds.

We’ve moved our event this year to Hutton-le-Hole so that we can show off the eastern side of the Moors, but our original plan A route got a big fat, ‘No!’ from landowners. So we cooked up plan B, which I’m actually happier with now. We’ll take riders up Newtondale and Cropton Forests, which are unique due to being on hillsides, so you have these amazing vistas. It’s amazing gravel country, with fun, fast descents and grind-it-out hills.

There’s no single tough section, its difficulty is with the cumulative effect of all the climbing. We save some of the punchiest stuff for the end because we want to make it a real test – for you to show your true grit!

• Deborah Goodall co-created the Yorkshire True Grit gravel event, which this year has moved to Hutton-le-Hole
• 45.9 miles / 73.8km
• Get the route North York Moors

Nick Craig’s Peak District

This Hayfield route is not what I’d call a beginner’s route. Then again, this is the Peak District – there aren’t that many of them here!

Nevertheless, this route starts off nice and gently on the Pennine Bridleway, on a section of the path that’s a disused railway line that once connected Hayfield and Manchester. There are a couple of sections early on that you shouldn’t cycle on and my advice, generally, is that if you’re in doubt, get off and walk.

After a ride on a canal towpath, we turn off and begin climbing into the high peaks, joining back onto the Pennine Bridleway. It slowly morphs from gentle gravel riding that anyone could do to a point where you really need to think about your bike and equipment – it’s wide, tubeless tyre and mountain bike shoe terrain.

I don’t think it’s that challenging, but, hey, I have been riding it for 30 years. I would do it on my cyclocross bike before even mountain bikes existed, and we’d jump off and carry our bikes over any bits that they couldn’t handle. For a newcomer, though, it will be undoubtedly tough.

Gravel bikes have made the job much easier though, the control you get with disc brakes and what bike gurus can do with modern carbon fibre works like magic.

During the easier early sections, it’s best to get into the flow of gravel riding. Once the terrain gets trickier, into the Peaks, it requires more mountain biking techniques, standing up on the pedals with knees and arms slightly bent, letting your bike move around. You need that to get back down to the Pennine Bridleway into Hayfield.

Once there, you’re not quite done, as you turn off up a cobbled climb towards Kinder Reservoir. It’s really quite steep at its lower part: 1:1 gearing is essential, so a 34t chainset with a 34t big rear cog. Once you’re over that you’re into typical Peak District heather moorland.

On the way back down, try to avoid the sheep. There are lots of them and hitting one is to hit a brick wall.

• Nick Craig is a former British cyclocross champion who was riding gravel decades before the bike industry got around to inventing it
• 16.3 miles / 26.2km
• Get the route Peak District

Are you a gravel convert? Where do you ride your gravel bike? Let us know in the comments below.

In the third instalment of our Adventure Addicts series, we sharpen our gravel skills with a masterclass from former British Cyclocross champion Nick Craig to help #groadies make a smooth transition from tarmac to trail.

• Adventure Addicts part 1: Gravel riding explained
• Adventure Addicts part 2: How to have a gravel adventure

To echo Liam Neeson’s character in Taken, gravel riding requires a particular set of skills. If you’ve come from the road, then a lot of habits need to be unlearned (or at least tailored) for gravel.

Mark Bailey, road cyclist and gravel-guru-in-training, takes the plunge.

1. Cornering on gravel

With sharp turns on loose stone, your road technique – go in wide, clip the apex and exit wide – won’t always work, because the outer edges can be the roughest bits. “It is better to choose the smoothest line and keep a nice flowing motion around the bend,” says Nick.

Trim your speed before you reach the corner and try standing up. “Separating your body from your bike allows you to move a little to the side during the bend which will help your balance.”

Load up your outer pedal by driving your heel and foot downward to secure more grip from the tyre, but don’t try to lean the bike like a Moto GP rider on such an unstable surface.

“Try to stay relaxed,” he adds. “A tight grip just makes you fight the turn and you want to let the bike move in a smooth arc. And remember that gravel bikes come fitted with extra weapons, so make the most of them: my bike has wide handlebars which flare out at 12 degrees, giving me extra control when I’m gripping the drops on corners.”

2. Cleats and shoes for gravel

Once you’ve taken the plunge and bought your gravel bike, you might want to consider which cleat and shoe setup you use.

When riding gravel, you’re more likely to put your foot down and get your cleats caked in mud. You’re also more likely to have to get off and walk certain parts of the route.

“Unlike road shoes which use bigger three-bolt (SPD-SL) cleats, mountain bike shoes use smaller two-bolt (SPD) cleats which are hidden in the sole of the shoe so mud isn’t a problem,” explains Nick. “You’ll also find it easier to clip in as the recessed gap guides your cleats into the pedals.”

Being able to walk around hazardous sections of trail is helpful on gravel adventures, but road shoes will leave you waddling like a penguin. “With their flat soles, mountain bike shoes allow you to walk normally,” says Nick.

You’ll need SPD pedals to match, but these also pack extra benefits: “Road pedals are single-sided but SPD pedals are double-sided which makes it easier to clip in.”

The next day Mark tried a pair of Scott MTB Comp Lace shoes and found walking, clipping in and standing hill starts much easier, as did strolling over to the bar in the hilltop pub.

3. Gravel tyre setup

There’s one other kit issue to get right: your tyre setup.

“Gravel bikes tend to run tyres from 32mm to 48mm in width so you have more traction,” explains Nick. The Scott Addict Gravel 30 comes with 35mm tyres, which work well for wet-behind-the-ears gravel riders.

Tyre tread is also worth thinking about: a smooth tyre will roll well on tarmac but lose grip on gravel, whereas a chunky tread will power along trails but slow you down on the road.

Your most effective upgrade, however, is to switch from inner tubes on your bike to a more puncture-resistant tubeless setup. With tubeless tyres, there’s less chance of getting a pinch flat because there’s no inner tube to bite against the rim of the wheel.

Plus, you can add liquid sealant into the tyre which will plug cuts from thorns and stones. “Tubeless tyres also offer better grip. A standard gravel tyre typically runs at 45–70psi — still much lower than the 90–120psi of road tyres — but a tubeless tyre can go as low as 30psi so it really hugs the ground.”

4. How to ride faster on gravel

Road cyclists moving onto trails for the first time should focus on analysing the path ahead. While years spent looking out for potholes will help you here, off-road it’s more about tracing your ideal line rather than simply spotting what is just in front of your wheel.

“Lift your head up, identify which lines appear safest, and follow the line you’ve drawn in your mind,” says Nick. The faster you’re moving, the further ahead you need to look. “Find the right speed for you.”

“Go too slow (common for first-time gravel riders) and you’ll be picking your way around stones which your new knobbly tyres can easily ride over, so you’re not making the most of your bike. Go too quickly and you’ll lose control. So find a healthy speed where you can look ahead while maintaining your control.”

Write ‘Head up’ on a sticker and tape it to your stem as a reminder.

5. Gravel climbing technique

Sharp climbs — whether on slippery canal paths or unstable gravel tracks — can be daunting, but there are a few tricks to get you up there.

“Build good momentum so you carry that into the climb,” advises Nick. “As you climb, keep your body weight and hips over the back of the bike to stop your back wheel slipping.”

“This doesn’t feel natural for road cyclists, but sitting down on the climb will help you maintain traction, and that’s where your new 1:1 gear ratio will really help. If you can stay seated and still pedal smoothly, you’re in the right gear.”  

6. Gravel descending technique

Descending on gravel or steep slopes requires many of the same skills as on tarmac, but there are subtle differences between the two disciplines.

Getting out of the saddle can help you stay in control on gravel. “You want to keep further back on the bike to maintain stability, not lean too far forwards, but standing up allows you to make lots of tiny shifts in balance to stay in control,” says Nick.

Keep your knees and arms bent and your upper body and hips square for optimal balance. Your front brake should do the majority of the work but feather the back brake to stop your wheels sliding. “Keep your pedals level to avoid them scraping the ground and lift your head up to see what’s coming next,” adds Nick.

7. Bike-handling skills for gravel

Road cyclists are accustomed to sweeping bends and open roads but on narrow forest trails you need some slick bike-handling skills.

If you have to weave left and right in quick succession, focus on your body position. “This is when road cyclists will benefit from getting out of the saddle,” advises Nick. “Standing up helps you to distribute your weight so you can move around the bike and get better balance.”

For a series of tight turns, drop your heel on your outer leg and commit your weight onto your outer foot, so the pedal is slightly tilted to the ground. “That helps to expand your tyre slightly for extra grip and lets you lean into the turn,” says Nick. “On tight turns it is about using your body for balance. Move around the bike to counteract the changes of direction.”

8. Hopping obstacles on the bike

When you’ve perfected your new gravel skills, it’s time to progress onto a step-up, where you lift your bike over rocks and gullies.

This skill involves a mental leap, as well as a physical one, because road cyclists don’t like to leave planet Earth — even momentarily — but it’s a useful technique.

“The trick is to hover above or just behind your saddle, then, as you apply power to the pedals, lean your weight back and gently pull up with your arms to perform a small wheelie and lift your front wheel onto the rock,” says Nick.

“From there, just transfer your weight forwards and gently lift the rear wheel using your hips to allow the back wheel to follow.”

Armed with this skill, you’ll be less afraid of rocks, and you might even earn a nod of respect from mountain bikers.

9. The best gearing for gravel riding

On gravel rides, gears become even more crucial than they are on both the road and in cyclocross races.

“Gravel gearing is much higher than on a cyclocross bike, because the fastest you might race around a cross track is 25mph, whereas you want to race your gravel bike on tarmac too,” explains Nick.

“But the gears are also a bit lower than on a road bike: some pros push a big 53t chainring but you don’t really need that absolute top limit when you’re spending more time on mixed surfaces.”

Mark’s Scott Addict Gravel 30 has a 50/34t chainring and an 11-34 cassette, while Nick’s Scott Addict Gravel 10 has a single ring 40t with 10-42 at the back.

Such a spread of gears is “ideal”, says Nick, “because you can go fast on the roads but you also have a 1:1 gear ratio for when you need it.” A 1:1 gear ratio means that for every one revolution of your cranks, your back wheel will fully rotate once.

“With a 34 front chainring and a 34 rear cassette you have that perfect 1:1 ratio to keep you nice and balanced and in control when you have to slow down on steep slopes and unstable terrain.”

Armed with the right ratio, it’s then all about choosing the right gear and cadence. Nick recommends 70–100rpm, depending on the terrain.

“On gravel and stone trails, aim for a big gear and a slightly lower cadence which will give you momentum and control,” he suggests. “On slippery trails, sand or muddy climbs, you want a lower gear and a higher cadence.”

10. How to keep up momentum

The big new challenge for roadies is dealing with the instability of loose stones.

“Your instinct is to slow down, but your momentum is what will keep the bike driving forwards and prevent your tyres slipping,” says Nick.

“Think like Ian Stannard at Paris-Roubaix, riding at speed in a big gear and powering over the surface. Keep the pedals turning and try not to get bogged down.”

“You want a firm but loose grip on the top of the handlebars. Hold tight but allow enough flexibility so your hands go with the terrain and don’t try to fight it.” This will help prevent a “death grip” which will strain your hands and shoulders and leave you feeling fatigued.

“Centre your body over the bike and keep your arms and elbows flexed so you flow over the terrain and use your body as your natural suspension system.”

Road riders will find disc brakes more responsive than calipers and they also work better in the dirt. “On gravel, always brake really slowly — gently pulling your front brake, then feathering your back brake — to avoid wheel slips.”

Remember to bed in your disc brakes before you hit the trails. To do this, find a descent where you can hit around 10–20mph and pull hard on the brakes, without fully locking the wheels.

Doing this a few times will help to ‘marry’ the brake pads to the rotors so the grooves make a better connection and work more effectively.

Jack and Joe took on their toughest challenge yet when they attempted the 282km Reivers Way coast to coast epic in a day.

• Can an e-bike beat a road bike to claim a QOM?
• How to train with power — Jack and Joe start their training plan

Starting on the west coast at Whitehaven in the north of England, the route skirts across the Lake District before passing through Carlisle on the way to the Scottish border at Kielder Forest.

After a brutal 20-mile stretch of gravel, there’s a relatively easy run in to the finish on the east coast at Tynemouth. It’s a classic coast to coast route, and completing it in a day is a tough task for any cyclist.

Will they manage the 282kms before nightfall? Will Jack earn his finisher’s beer? You’ll have to watch to find out.

As always, if you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

What happens when you pit a 26-year-old roady on a carbon race bike against a 60-year-old leisure cyclist on an electric bike?

We love to give ourselves a challenge on BikeRadar Diaries, and this time the task was two-fold. First, can we get Sue Norledge, mum of our assistant video producer Joe Norledge, a QOM up a climb that has pitches of 18 percent in places. Second, how will she fare in a battle against senior staff writer and avid road rider Jack Luke?

• 10 of the UK’s most iconic road climbs
• Best electric bikes of 2019: 10 e-bikes you should be considering

The bikes

Jack is riding a a carbon-framed Giant TCR Advanced SL superbike — ridden by the likes of Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) and Jakub Maraczkos (CCC Team) — and has been training hard lately, but will that be enough to give him the edge?

He’s facing up against Sue on the Liv Amiti E+, an e-bike that offers 80Nm of torque from its SyncDrive Sport Yamaha motor, which is some serious power assist. It’s also got a 9-speed Shimano drivetrain, a Giant EnergyPak 500 Lithium Ion battery and integrated lights with a daylight setting. Plus, hydraulic disc brakes, but they probably won’t get used on this uphill-focused outing.

The climb

The climb that Jack and Sue are tackling is a well-known ascent near Nottingham. Terrace Hill, in the Vale of Belvoir, is a popular test of stamina and strength, and has been included in a number of top hill climb lists, so it’s the perfect uphill for this test.

The section in question is just over 1km long, with an elevation change of 79m over that distance and an average gradient of 7 percent. It does get up to 18 percent though.

So who won, and did Sue get the QOM? You’re going to have to watch the video above to find out.

• Adventure Addicts part 1: Introduction to gravel riding

Why road cyclists should try gravel riding

Humans are creatures of habit, but can also thrive on change. With that in mind, I’m in the Peak District for an introduction into gravel riding, a trip designed to help me escape my usual road-riding routine and explore narrow towpaths, bumpy bridleways, muddy climbs and stony descents in pursuit of a wilder off-road experience.

But, like all the best bike journeys, this one begins in a cosy kitchen, with an Ordnance Survey map spread across the table, a military-style debate over kit and the buzz of a new adventure.

The kitchen belongs to Nick Craig, a former professional cyclist who lives in the old mill town of Hayfield, which sits just beneath the iconic gritstone cliffs of Kinder Scout. Having won three national cyclocross titles and four national mountain bike titles, he is the perfect guide to gravel riding.

“Road cyclists will find gravel riding a lot of fun because gravel bikes open up a whole new world of interesting places to ride,” he insists. When I first read about gravel bikes – which combine race-ready road frames with thick tyres and disc brakes, liberating you to tackle tarmac and trails on the same bike – I was intrigued.

As a road cyclist I love epic 100km rides and the thrill of speed, but I instinctively seek out scenic spots and quieter backroads. To fuse adrenaline with adventure – blasting along a road at 40km/h then darting off-road to explore some trails – sounds like something that I could quickly embrace.

Scott Addict Gravel 30

I’m riding a Scott Addict Gravel 30. Its 35mm Schwalbe G-One Allround knobblies are a whole 12mm wider than my road tyres, and its confidence-boosting Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, should give me all the stopping power I’ll need.

What’s more it has an adventure-ready 11-34 rear cassette, which, since the biggest sprocket on my road bike is a 28, feels huge in comparison.

• Scott Addict Gravel 10 review

How to plan a gravel ride

The bike may be ready, but I have no idea how to plan a gravel adventure, which is why Nick and his OS map are here to help.

“As well as normal roads, you can ride on gravel trails, bridleways, mountain bike trails, disused railway lines and towpaths,” explains Nick, tracing our planned route with his finger. “You just connect them up to make your own route.”

Whereas road cyclists are limited to riding the pink and orange road lines on an OS map, gravel bikes enable you to explore the dotted green and orange bridleways, footpaths and byways, as well as any trails running through the green and brown smudges of moorland, forests and mountains.

You can also explore unsurfaced roads, Forestry Commission tracks and easier mountain bike trails, which are graded green or blue.

New gravel riders can use route-planning tech such as Strava and Garmin Connect, which list many off-road trails, as well as the OS Maps app which includes aerial 3D imagery.

The Komoot app harnesses the input of local riders to provide a detailed analysis of routes, elevations and profiles. “Komoot is great for off-road routes because it shows all the local trails which make gravel riding so much fun,” says Nick. “But I find it best to combine maps and websites to work out the best routes.”

What to take on your first gravel ride

Before we head out, Nick talks me through the kit required for gravel riding.

Road cyclists can wear all their usual clobber: with the thicker tyres, you don’t need extra padding in your bib-shorts, and you won’t ride anywhere which requires knee pads or a full-face helmet. You have to carry the usual back-up kit of tyre levers, inner tubes, tyre plugs, a multi-tool and some food and drink.

In more remote terrain it’s best to also pack a compact chain tool, spare link (Shimano Speed Quick Link and SRAM Power Link both offer tool-free assembly) and repair patches.

Mountain bike shoes and pedals, and a tubeless tyre setup, are the two major kit upgrades you can make and there’ll be more about this in next month’s instalment.

Gravel riding in the Peak District

When we start riding through the sun-drenched lanes of Hayfield, I immediately forget I’m riding a gravel bike. The geometry is almost identical to my road bike and the 35mm tyres, which feature tiny dimples, purr smoothly on the road.

The bike feels racy and agile, just like a road bike. “I ride the same setup on the road and on trails,” says Nick. “But a newcomer might want to drop the saddle 5mm to feel more comfortable on the terrain.” Of course, you can always install a new-fangled electronic dropper seatpost so you can change your position while you ride.

Without much warning, we suddenly veer off the road and onto the Sett Valley Trail. The scenic track follows a disused railway line and forms part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail.

The road cycling devil on my shoulder starts worrying about falls and punctures, while the gravel cycling angel on my other shoulder reminds me that my bike’s chunky tyres can handle it.

“It can take a while for road cyclists to adapt their mindset,” says Nick. To prove the point, he darts off the track. Just when I think he’s about to plough into a tree trunk, he disappears onto a hidden trail and emerges back onto the main path a few seconds later. “When you get used to them, gravel bikes change your whole perspective,” he says.

On a normal road ride, I stay alert for potholes and wet leaves but on a gravel bike I’m soon ploughing through puddles and bumping over stones. After a short time we reach the old cotton-spinning town of New Mills.

Gravel riding tips

1. Don’t venture too far

I’d assumed we’d be out in the hills all day but Nick says for the best gravel experience it’s better to aim for variety. “It’s usually good to find places on the edges of towns and cities because that’s where you get all the interesting canal paths, bridleways and old railways, as well as the typical trails mountain bikers would follow. That’s when you’ll get the most out of a gravel bike and really see what it can do.”

2. Stay seated on steep climbs

We take a sharp turn and emerge on a muddy uphill trail. I’m in too big a gear, which leaves my back wheel slipping. “Reading the route up ahead is important so you can prepare for what’s next,” advises Nick, who reminds me to stay seated on steep climbs to weigh down the back wheel. I try it and successfully wriggle up the slippery track.

3. Use your weight to stay in control

The first major obstacle of the day looms into view: a steep-sided canal bridge. The thought of bombing down the other side, however, leaves me terrified. “Standing up over the saddle will allow you to use your body to counter the terrain,” advises Nick. It’s against all my road-cycling instincts to stand up on a descent, but those chunkier tyres make it possible. I keep my weight towards the back of the bike and feel much more agile and in control.

“Think about how a cat walks gently on a roof, carefully adjusting its weight and balance,” says Nick. “Those subtle shifts are what you are aiming for.”

4. Keep a high cadence

Having survived the steep ramp, I’m annoyed when a few moments later I tumble sideways on an innocuous muddy slope in a park. “A smooth and steady cadence is always best on unstable terrain so you don’t create excessive torque and cause wheel spin,” says Nick.

5. Use the momentum

A key lesson I’ve learned from watching Nick all day is the importance of momentum. As a road cyclist, I instinctively get nervous at the sight of any hazard up ahead and I’m quick to brake or swerve. “On gravel, speed is usually your friend,” says Nick. “When your wheels are rolling you have better traction and grip.” When we encounter our first gravel section, I toy with different speeds: as soon as I slow down I start sinking into the stones, whereas at speed the bike dances over the gravel.

6. Work on your core

We swing onto a stony path to climb the ominously-named Mount Famine. I watch, fascinated, as Nick makes countless micro-adjustments as he rides up the trail, picking his way around boulders to find the smoothest path. The wider handlebars of a gravel bike make this much easier, but a few planks and sit-ups at home would really help because your core muscles get taxed much more out on the trails than on the road.

7. Choose your kit well

As my saddle bag bounces around chaotically, Nick points out some of his own Syncros gadgets: a bottle cage with an integrated multitool slot and a saddle bag which screws directly into the saddle, which both serve to keep you light and well balanced on the trails.

From the top of Mount Famine we enjoy sweeping views of the moorland terrain, which is neatly carved up by stone walls into a vast patchwork quilt of browns and greens. I realise once again how thick the silence is up here, far removed from the traffic down below.

8. Know your limits

A few mountain bikers pass by and say there are some crazy descents we could try nearby. But it’s important to know your limits. Unlike them, I’m not on a chunky downhill bike with full suspension. “When you are planning your route, keep an eye on the contour lines to make sure it’s not too steep,” advises Nick. “There are usually different ways to get down a mountain. But you can always get off and walk for a section if you need to.”

9. Descend with confidence

I knew the long and bumpy descent into Hayfield would be the hardest part of the day and it doesn’t disappoint. As a road cyclist, the sight of small rocks and loose stones has all my synapses blinking on red alert. Nick gives me a few pointers: keep your head up to help identify the smoothest route down, and try not to go so slow that you lose your balance – easily done if you are feeling nervous. I successfully trundle down the stony path but when I reach a section of thick mud I unclip and walk.

10. Enjoy the versatility

We emerge onto a main road and I realise how peaceful our ride has been so far. After the tranquillity of the trails and canal paths, riding next to cars feels strange, although it’s nice to see how easily these versatile bikes switch from grinding over gravel to slicing along tarmac again.

What you’ll learn from gravel riding

Gravel biking is about testing – but also recognising – your limits. And being able to connect different trails by walking a few segments is what liberates you to reach places you wouldn’t otherwise visit.

When we arrive back in Hayfield for some toasted teacakes at Millie’s Tea Rooms, I am amazed to hear that we have only cycled around 25km, despite being out on the trails for hours.

But in that short loop we’ve enjoyed a kaleidoscope of rugged peaks, dazzling green valleys, peaceful canal paths, adrenaline soaked gravel dashes, muddy falls, and lots of spontaneous debates over which path to take next.

Planning your route is crucial, but making impromptu decisions along the way is all part of the fun. Gravel cycling is one activity where to say “get lost” is an invitation, not an insult.

This article was produced in association with Scott Sports. Navigation and mapping assistance courtesy of Komoot.

We’re teaming up with sports retailer Decathlon this summer to offer you the chance to win something really special. All you need is a road cycling dream and the drive to see it through.

Summer of Cycling with Decathlon

Tell us about your big cycling challenge this summer and why you’re doing it. If we like your story enough, you could win Decathlon’s support to help you reach that goal.

This means that a bike, kit and training advice — for the summer and beyond — could be coming your way. You’ll also get the chance to write about the trials and tribulations of your journey to your goal on BikeRadar as well as in our sister mag Cycling Plus.

Whether you’ve signed up for a European sportive, are entering your first race, or planning an ambitious point-to-point challenge or bikepacking tour, we want to hear from you.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced campaigner looking to up the stakes this summer, returning to the bike after a few years away or totally new to the sport.

How to enter

Visit the competition entry page and outline what your challenge is and why you’re doing it. The closing date for entries is 11.59pm on 9 June 2019.

If you’re a bit stuck, perhaps you can take some inspiration from us at BikeRadar and Cycling Plus, because we’re also taking aim at our own personal goals this summer.

Mildred Locke, staff writer, BikeRadar

This year was going to be all about the audax for me. Over the Christmas period I signed up to a ludicrous amount of events for 2019, starting with the 200k Chalke and Cheese in January and ending with the 600k Chalfont St Peter in September.

The 200k was a DNF, and since then I’ve missed another three, thanks to illness after illness, and a crash thrown in for good measure. Not a great start to my audax season! But despite the hurdles, and only having a few months to train, I’m still going to get that 600k under my belt, one way or another. Even if I’m crawling on my hands and knees by the end.

Aoife Glass, women’s editor, BikeRadar

After developing an unfortunate knee injury, my goal for 2019 is simple and small: pain-free riding by the end of the summer.

I’ve always taken for granted that I just jump on a bike and ride, and haven’t been as diligent as I should have with my post-ride stretching and flexibility training. No more! I’ll be building up my distances gradually while taking more care of my body because, after all, I want it to keep me riding as long as I possibly can!

Matthew Allen, senior staff writer, BikeRadar

My road cycling goal this year is to spend less time on the road and instead explore more of the dirt and gravel on my doorstep. Having embraced my mediocrity and abandoned all pretence of being good at riding bikes quickly, I’m now a convert to the joys of taking road-like bicycles off road, zipping through sun-dappled forests in a cloud of dust and startling wild boar at dusk.

Such a leisurely approach to cycling requires zero training and has no measurable outcomes, and that suits me just fine. The only goal is to do more of it but it’s hedonistic riding with no undercurrent of obligation.

Helen Cousins, head of production, BikeRadar

This year I just plan to get out and ride my road bike as much as possible. I don’t have any specific goals compared to previous years, but would like to start regularly riding with my local club to help me be more motivated as well as learn more routes and hopefully improve my riding — rather than just pootling along on my own.

I also need to be more organised and get better at remembering to charge my Garmin and preparing all of my kit ahead of time!

Joe Norledge, senior videographer, BikeRadar

This summer I’m aiming to spend as much time as possible on my Scott Scale long-term mountain bike. I love long, epic euro marathon races with lots of elevation, so hopefully there’ll be a couple of trips abroad as well.

Towards the end of the summer I’ll be switching back to my road bike in preparation for the upcoming UK hill climb season, which starts in September. I’m also hoping to ride some local TTs.

Alex Evans, technical editor, BikeRadar

Spending what has ended up feeling like an inordinate amount of time commuting to and from the office — regularly clocking up 200 miles a week before I’ve even ridden for pleasure — on my Trusty Marin Gestalt 3, this summer I’m throwing in a curve ball with my cycling goals. I actually want to ride less so that I can ride more.

Now, that doesn’t make a great deal of sense on face value, but dissect the idea and you’ll see where I’m coming from. If I spend less time negotiating aggravated drivers and hectically busy roads I’m hoping I’ll be able to take more time to go on rides that are more fun, less stressful and in places that I’d prefer to be rather than treading down the deep furrows of commuter boredom. Here’s to a summer of peace and love.

John Whitney, features editor, Cycling Plus

My early summer challenge is the Schleck Gran Fondo in Mondorf-Les-Bains, Luxembourg on 25 May, in its third edition this summer and part of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series. Luxembourg will be a new country for me, and I hear it’s hilly, and though the course avoids the hilliest Ardennes region in the north of the country, the 155km course has its fair-share of 3–5km climbs.

It’s organised by the senior of the Schleck brothers, Frank, who won a couple of couple of prestigious Tour de France stages in his career, which ended three years ago. I’ve ridden many such events in my time writing for Cycling Plus, but, because of injury, this will be my first century ride of any description for a couple of years. I’m excited!

Rob Spedding, content director: BikeRadar, Cycling Plus, MBUK

Santa’s to blame for my summer cycling goals. Partly because he didn’t leave a £10K superbike under my tree, and also thanks to a Christmas charity fun run that ruined my Achilles tendons. Four months on, long rides leave me hobbling around like a man even older than I really am. So the obvious solution is short (and hopefully fast!) rides.

Once a great (average) 5K runner, the short, sharp, occasionally anaerobic nature of a time trial should suit my innate talents. So this summer I’ll be using my 30-mile daily commute, indoor interval work and weekend rides to prep for a yet-to-be-decided proper 10-mile TT race of truth. Probably…

Found in SalzburgerLand, Saalfelden Leogang is one of the most dynamic, enriching regions in all of Austria. It’s a hugely popular ski resort during the winter, the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, but it’s perhaps even more famous as a destination for mountain bikers during the summer.

And no wonder, the region boasts one of the world’s best bike parks, as well as numerous mountain bike routes of every skill level. Cyclists from all over the globe flock here.

The EPIC Bikepark Leogang is an ever-growing network of downhill runs dedicated to mountain biking. Lifts and conveyor belts take bikers of all levels to beautiful spots across the mountain and drop them down flowing trails.

Experts relish the jumps and steep drops, while beginners of all ages can learn skills on the lower slopes. Unsurprisingly, Bikepark Leogang also hosts some of the most prestigious mountain biking events anywhere, such as the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup.

Find out more at saalfelden-leogang.com

Top 5 new bike trails in Saalfelden Leogang

Steinberg Line by FOX

This brand-new line, officially opening summer 2019, descends around 10km from the Steinbergbahn cable station on Kleiner Asitz down to the valley station in Leogang.

Schwarzleo Trail

This 1.8km hand-made trail offers some northshores and switchbacks as well as some of the best views across the region.

Forsthof Trail

Also new for 2019 is 2km of thrilling singletrack that starts at Forsthofalm and finishes, conveniently, in the valley.

Big-5 Challenge

The Big-5 Challenge links together five cable cars and five mountains around Saalbach Hinterglemm and Leogang. Mountain bike enthusiasts aim to complete all five in one day. Can you? Find out more about the Big-5 Challenge here 

Matzalm-Trail Tour

This is one of the best singletrack trails in the whole area, loaded with rooty passages and technical bends.

Hiking nirvana

Away from cycling, hikers can explore 400km of routes throughout the mountain ranges, with plenty of huts to rest in along the way. One of the highlights is a hike up the Spielberghorn, maybe timing it to pause at the Lindlalm hut for a hearty lunch. Or why not hike to Birnbachgletscher, one of the lowest glaciers in Central Europe?

Fun for all the family

Families will find plenty of kid-friendly biking routes in the mountains and at Bikepark Leogang, along with many other activities including Flying Fox XXL – a head-first steel rope slide that is a world-beating 1,600m long. You’ll be flying through the air 140m above the ground, with potential top speeds of 130km/h.

Rest and relaxation

Fortunately, Saalfelden Leogang has a wealth of places to recharge after all that activity. Its mountain huts and cosy inns bring the best of regional produce to the table: cheeses, charcuterie, fresh vegetables and even a cleansing shot of schnapps.

Slow walks can be taken up to Hermitage Palfen, where you can talk to the hermit about anything on your mind. Another relaxing experience offers the ‘Mountain of senses’ with it’s peaceful waters, a snow-making reservoir that’s precipitously places among the mountains and offers amazing views. You’ll find little walks, a herbal garden, and sun loungers for a quick nap.

Jazz hands

Sport may spring to people’s minds when they think of Saalfelden Leogang, but the region is also known as much for its cultural offering. The centrepiece of the year is the International Jazzfestival Saalfelden.

Since 1978, this festival has grown its reputation and attracts jazz greats from across the globe. The 2018 festival saw 42 concerts across 10 venues and five stages. This year, between 22 and 25 August, the International Jazzfestival Saalfelden will be celebrating its 40th anniversary, with four days of contemporary and experimental music and more than 60 concerts. Alongside the jazz, visitors can also enjoy a diverse programme of events for all ages throughout the year, from sports to culture events.

Find out more

Visit the Saalfelden Leogang website for more details!

Your epic alpine adventure starts here. Surrounded by the lush green slopes of the Pinzgauer Grass Mountains and the picturesque Kitzbühel Alps, Saalbach Hinterglemm presents the side to Austria you don’t always see – one of exploration and pumping adrenaline.

At first sight, the sheer of beauty Saalbach Hinterglemm can sometimes be overwhelming: awe-inspiring summits, rocky gorges, untouched landscapes and a boundless supply of breathtaking views.

Once you’re done gazing in wonder, it’s time to throw yourself into a range of activities to suit any taste, whether you’re in the mood for a family hike, a multi-day mountain expedition, a mountain bike adventure or dinner at a cosy alpine hut.

Find out more about Saalbach Hinterglemm here

Saalbach Hinterglemm at a glance

• 400km of hiking trails
• 400km of cycling trails
• Four mountain lifts
• 40 restaurant/bar huts
• 20,000 beds

Where to ride

Fancy embarking on a mountain bike tour? If it’s your first time, the terrain can be quite intimidating, so why not book a guide? It’s the best way to find the most beautiful, exhilarating trails in the region in a completely stress-free way.

Alternatively, you could take on the BIG-5 Bike Challenge. It comprises five gondolas and five mountains in and around Saalbach Hinterglemm and Leogang, which you can experience all in one day.

It’s the perfect way to appreciate the full beauty of the region while pushing your physical limits. In between the five rides, you can recharge your batteries on the lifts, or if you’re feeling really brave, you can tackle the ascent of your choice. At the end of a full day’s cycling, you can enjoy the achievement of conquering not just the five peaks, but also the sheer number of metres in altitude.

Wherever in Saalbach Hinterglemm you choose to cycle, you’ll find five mountains with differing terrain, with convenient, well designed gondolas, boasting world-class views no matter where you look.

Top 5 cycling trails

1. Hacklebergtrail

2. Hochalm Trail

3. Blue Line

4. Pro Line

5. X-Line

Where to hike

Plenty more challenges lie in wait for those swapping two wheels for two feet. The Pinzgauer Grass Mountains and Kitzbüher Alps provide plenty of opportunities for family hiking, including Berg Kodok – an assault course with exciting obstacles and puzzles.

Teuffelswasser Water World also makes for a great family destination, making use of the landscape with rock pools, fish ponds and more. For yet another way to sample the region’s incredible topography, head to the highest treetop trail in Europe, accessed by a spectacular footbridge often referred to as the ‘Golden Gate Bridge of the Alps’.

For more experienced hikers looking to test themselves, look no further than the Seven Summits Challenge. This 24km mountain tour takes you over the highest mountain summit in the Glemmtal.

What to eat

Fresh air and exercise can work up quite an appetite. In Saalbach Hinterglemm you’ll find varied cuisines, from local ‘Pinzgauer’ specialities to gourmet dishes. There are more than 40 mountain huts, each with excellent views.

Tasty bites include Kasnocken (Austrian dumplings with cheese and onions) and succulent ribs. A local favourite is Blad’l – a dish made with a rye and wheat-based batter, fried in hot oil and filled with sauerkraut or potatoes.

Make yourself at home

The region has accommodation to suit every budget, including youth hostels, cosy mountain lodges, comfortable hotels and modern apartments. Wherever you’re staying, you’ll be surrounded by incredible facilities filled with opportunities for adventure.

You can also get great deals with the JOKER CARD, which is included in partner accommodations and you will get it directly from your host upon arrival. Access to all of the lifts is included in the price, as well as use of biking trails and themed hiking paths. Guided walks, use of the hiking bus, as well as access to tennis courts, swimming pools and a host of other discounts are included too.

Find out more

Visit the Saalbach website to find out more!