It’s that time of year where your nominal ‘summer’ bike has been in cold storage for so long that you’ve forgotten what it looks like. But for those who only have one bike, whether it’s out of a necessity of space or you recognise that the UK’s wet season never truly ends, then we’ve got the bike test for you this month. Here are six bikes, from the likes of Scott (Speedster 10 Disc), Ribble (CGR SL 105) and Condor (Italia), that’ll keep you going in all weathers.
In our second bike test, we head to Simplon’s Austria HQ to try out their flagship Pride bike. While they’re a new brand to the UK, their history runs deep on the continent.
We’ve also tests of the Marin Gestalt X11, Canyon Inflite AL SLX 6.0 Race, Specialized Turbo Vado 2.0 and the Boardman ADV 9.0.
Speaking of Boardman, we’ve an exclusive interview with the company’s founder, Chris. Since he sold the company to Halfords in 2014 he’s become ever more prominent as a cycling advocate and in his official role as Manchester’s cycling tsar, he’s got power and money to transform the activity in and around the city for all its citizens. He talks about his new role and why we should all care about infrastructure.
Elsewhere in features, we look at the cutting edge of sports science in making us ride faster, and ride a monstrous 200 km ride by ascending the three highest peaks of Cumbria, Yorkshire and County Durham.
In grouptests, we’ve a rundown of the best energy bars on the market and the ins and outs of the new breed of disc brakes.
In New Gear, we run the rule over Elite’s Drivo II turbo trainer, Scicon Elite versus Syncros Tofino 1.0 saddles, Northwave Himalaya boots, See.Sense Ace lights and the Gore C5 Shakedry 1985 jacket.
In The Hub, we ponder the launch of British Cycling’s new eRacing Championship for Zwift users, share three routes in Warwick and wonder why more students don’t cycle. And in Training Camp, we’ve advice on managing your training time with Dimension Data’s Ben King, reveal climbing tips from Team Sky returnee Ben Swift and how to aid recovery with protein-rich eggs.
And if that’s not all, we’ve a 28-page supplement packed with the best rides and events to do in Europe this year, including articles on Tenerife, the Tour de France, Hungary, Catalonia and Mont Ventoux.
If you subscribe to Cycling Plus now, you can take advantage of our current offer - a sample pack from nutrition brand Veloforte.
