Cycling Plus

Cycling Plus is the manual for the modern road cyclist. Whether you're cycling weekly, an occasional new rider or a Tour de France fan you’ll find everything you need. Each issue is packed with buying advice and tests of essential cycling gear - everything from bikes to bags! Cycling Plus is the place to find training advice, nutrition secrets and practical tips guaranteed to improve your bicycling. It's also full of inspirational rides, real-life cycling stories and entertaining riding-related features.

FROM THE EDITOR…

THE UK’S BEST TESTS FOR OVER 25 YEARS

OUR AWARDS • Look out for our Best On Test award. We only give this to gear and bikes that really deserve your attention

Collegiate class • The Light Blue Newnham

Scottish born • Shand Leveret

High flying bird • Salsa Warbird Carbon GRX 600

HUB

NIPPED TUCK • The UCI’s banning of the ‘super tuck’ position can only be a good thing for an already risky sport…

CUSHCORE GRAVEL.CX

FOUR ESSENTIALS

BETWS-Y-COED • Testing routes from the edge of Snowdonia National Park

Q & NOT A • Cycling is full of questions. Rob Ainsley looks for answers, and fails…

VELOLIFE, MAIDENHEAD • Full-bodied coffee and the finest cheese toasties in the land await at this rural retreat

AFFORDABLE SUPERBIKES • Spending up to three grand on a bike is a big deal, and there’s a huge range of performance bikes at this most competitive of price points. We test four contenders…

THE BIKES ON TEST…

BASSO VENTA DISC 105

LAPIERRE XELIUS SL DISC 5.0

CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO CARBON 105

GIANT TCR ADVANCED 1 + DISC

GIANT TCR ADVANCED 1 + • This limited-edition release from the bike giant excels

FSA FLOWTRON AGX

FABRIC LINE RACE SHALLOW

SAN MARCO ALLROAD OPEN-FIT DYNAMIC

FFWD DRIFT

BRYTON RIDER 420T

BOYD PROLOGUE SERIES 44MM

ADRENALINE ADVENTURE • Carmarthenshire is fast becoming the cycling hub of Wales. Here’s why you should make it your next cycling getaway

SCOTT CENTRIC PLUS

RAPHA CLASSIC WINTER JACKET & CARGO WINTER TIGHTS WITH PAD

Wilier Filante SLR

CYCLING PLUS

THE ONLY WAY IS UP • WITH A FEW INTELLIGENT TRAINING ADAPTATIONS, IT IS POSSIBLE TO USE THE FLAT ROADS AND SHORT HILLS OF BRITAIN TO GET IN SHAPE FOR EPIC EUROPEAN CLIMBS. WE REVEAL HOW TO TRAIN FOR A MOUNTAINOUS EUROPEAN ADVENTURE THIS SUMMER-WITHOUT LEAVING HOME SOIL

FIVE CLIMBING UPGRADES TO PRACTICE NOW • You don’t need a 20km-long Alpine climb to improve your performance. Practise these simple technical upgrades on your local hill instead…

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS • WE BRING TO LIFE THE DATA FROM STRAVA’S YEAR IN SPORT 2020 REPORT BY SPEAKING TO THE CYCLISTS WHO, THROUGH TURBULENT TIMES, HELPED SHAPE IT

SIX OF THE BEST… SMART WATCHES • A good sports watch can make you a stronger, smarter and faster cyclist

COROS PACE 2

HUAWEI GT 2

WAHOO ELEMNT RIVAL

POLAR VANTAGE V2

GARMIN FORERUNNER 745

GARMIN FORERUNNER 945

SCARCE STORIES • Between the pandemic and Brexit bike prices have rocketed in the last 12 months, as have waiting times. Cycling Plus finds out just what’s going on and how the industry will find solutions

THE NUMBERS

THE DISTRIBUTOR

THE MANUFACTURER

CAMPAGNOLO EKAR

LEFTFIELD DREAMS • The pandemic has resulted in backlogs for new road bikes, so is now the time you looked for an alternative to the major players? We test two top-end rides from Condor and Rondo to find out

Dream machine • Kinesis Tripster ATR Volume 3

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