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43 Articles

The year 2020 will never be forgotten, that’s for sure. In terms of the UK gravel scene, though, sadly it won’t be for the reasons we were expecting. September should have been the month in which we crowned our first national champions in gravel disciplines, with the coveted jerseys to have been awarded at the inaugural British Championships in Suffolk. Like so many events, the coronavirus pandemic forced its postponement to 2021, yet the fact that we are at this stage at all is a huge deal. Gravel is no longer an outlier, the stuff of those with a penchant for facial hair topiary, but a bona fide, recognised and respected cycling discipline. Next stop the Olympics. OK, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself, but why not? Gravel racing can…

Campagnolo Ekar groupset

£1,449, chickencyclekit.co.uk Historically Campagnolo has always been the first of the ‘big three’ to add another sprocket into its groupsets. By launching its 13-speed Ekar it maintains that pedigree but the groupset also heralds several significant firsts for the Italian marque. Most notably Ekar is gravel-focussed and the brand’s first off-road-dedicated drivetrain since it ceased making mountain bike components in the 1990s. Part of the reason its foray into mountain biking was abandoned was higher costs versus Far East competitors, but this time Campagnolo has focussed on accessible price points. The Ekar is 1x only and there are no electronics in sight, only good old mechanical shifting. New innovations include a tiny 9-tooth sprocket on the cassette (which also uses a new freehub standard), a very curious downshift lever and finally Campagnolo has…

Campagnolo Ekar groupset

£6,999, factorbikes.com Factor is best known for its top-level road race bikes so when it entered the gravel market with the LS, the brand says it chose to step in with the same focus on efficiency and reactive handling. The company claims the LS has a frame weight of 950g and says its experience in carbon frame manufacture - the company owns its own factory in Taiwan - helped it to achieve a low weight while still making the frame robust enough for the rough-and-tumble of gravel riding. The geometry chart supports the bike’s racy premise. Stack and reach figures of 585mm and 391mm respectively (for a size 56) are certainly at the longer and lower end of the gravel bike spectrum. What’s more, the head tube angle and trail figures are only marginally…

Spinergy GXX wheels

£1,199, dhwagenices.com Don’t ask us to explain the physics (we really do understand it, honest), but bicycle wheels don’t ‘hang’ from their upper spokes but are instead supported, pillar style, by their lower spokes. Counterintuitive? You betcha, and it’s a fact made even more mind-bending when you consider Spinergy’s GXX wheels, whose PBO spokes are floppy like string when not under tension. That’s a serious departure from your common-or-garden metal or carbon spoke, but Spinergy has long since championed the design, claiming the 30,000 polyphenylene bensobisoxazole fibres that go into each one are half the weight yet have three times the strength of stainless steel. Not only that, Spinergy says its PBO spokes make for more comfortable wheels and hence can help reduce rider fatigue by creating a smoother ride Of course this would all…

Spinergy GXX wheels

£8,600, zyrofisher.co.uk No it’s not URS, it’s mine. My UnReStricted gravel bike. The BMC URS is one of a growing number of gravel bikes boasting rear suspension, in this case 10mm of active rear end travel, which is achieved without the frame having any actual moving pivots. It’s all down to a sophisticated carbon layup (the orientation of the carbon fibre pieces in the mould), which allows the URS’s chainstays to flex vertically. This vertical movement is controlled by an elastomer positioned just behind the seat tube that compresses under load, but again due to the clever carbon layup lateral stiffness is preserved, claims the Swiss manufacturer. This Micro Travel Technology is far from a new idea – US brand Moots developed pivotless suspension in its metal frames as far back as the…

Giro Manifest helmet

£249.99, zyrofisher.co.uk In most MIPS helmets the ‘slip plane’ is a thin plastic cradle that sits inside the main EPS structure to help reduce rotational forces associated with impacts and thereby reduce the risk of serious brain injury. In the Manifest helmet, though, Giro has partnered with MIPS directly to go one step further. With what it calls Spherical Technology, Giro has created the helmet in two parts in such a way that the inner EPS foam section can actually rotate within the outer shell, ball-and-socket-style, to dissipate and redirect impact forces. The advantage is that there is no hard plastic cradle in contact with the skin, which can cause discomfort, reduce airflow and can also cause abrasions in the event of a fall. Elsewhere Giro’s popular Roc Loc fit system is in…

Giro Manifest helmet

Stayer Groadinger UG

£1,650 (frameset), approx £4,500 as pictured, stayercycles.com Pretty much every new gravel bike worth its salt is compatible with 700c and 650b wheels, yet it seems that very few bikes come fitted as standard with the smaller-diameter wheel option. Which is why Stayer has created the UG ‘It may be backwards to how most brands are doing it, but we build our gravel bikes around 650b wheelsets first and foremost,’ says Stayer’s Sam Taylor. ‘So although the Groadinger UG happily takes 700c wheels, the geometry and clearances have all been designed around the higher-volume 650b tyre size.’ Taylor reasons that a smaller-diameter wheel provides the UG with a marginally lower centre of gravity for better stability. The 650b wheel also spins up faster and can corner in a tighter arc – it’s why…

Stayer Groadinger UG

Passing the bar

More and more we are seeing the traditional three-pocketed cycling jersey being ousted in favour of the more relaxed and casual T-shirt for the top half of a gravel outfit nowadays. This limits your storage options, which explains why bar bags have seen a surge in popularity. Bagging spares, food and gear is also proving popular among hardy gravel racers, with many preferring this option over having jersey pockets stuffed to bursting, which can be uncomfortable on a long ride. For day-to-day use a compact, well thought-out shape, a waterproof exterior and secure attachment are key features that all good bags will possess. But that still leaves plenty of scope for differentiation, so the modern gravel rider should be able to find a perfect match whatever their specific needs, as our pick…

Passing the bar

BEYOND THE TOUR

The Col du Tourmalet is the Tour de France’s most famous mountain. The world’s best pro riders have ridden the ascent in the world’s biggest bike race an impressive 87 times and untold drama has unfolded on its slopes over the years. Even the story of its recognition as a suitable Tour inclusion is famous. Alphonse Steinès, a colleague of the Tour organiser Henri Desgrange, nearly died during his recce of the pass, but nonetheless the next morning (after being saved by a search party sent to rescue him) he relayed an iconic telegram that read: ‘Crossed Tourmalet. Very good road. Perfectly feasible.’ The asphalt might reach its highest point as you pass le Géant du Tourmalet – a huge statue of a straining Octave Lapize – at 2,115m (making it…

BEYOND THE TOUR

Off-piste Pyrenees

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/or4/pyrenees. Starting from Villelongue, take the D921 south to Luz-Saint-Sauveur, then turn left onto the D918. After a couple of kilometres look for a turning off to the right signposted for Viella. Past the hamlet wiggle west on unnamed gravel tracks, keeping the D918 on your left down below. Look to join the road again near Super Barèges and finish the Tourmalet ascent. At the summit, take a left off the road and follow the slate path until you can ride no further underneath the Pic du Midi. Soak in the views, then retrace your path until you reach the Lac d’Oncet, where you’ll need to take a right onto a singletrack descent. It will eventually bring you out at the chicane underneath Super…

Off-piste Pyrenees

The rider’s ride

Climbing and descending technical gravel trails in the mountains was very much entering into the unknown for me, so I chose a familiar and versatile bike that I knew could be depended on. The 3T’s well-conceived geometry has been designed to work with 650b and 700c wheels equally well but for this ride I opted for the more rugged 650b setup with Hunt’s Adventure Carbon Disc wheels and the extra cushioning and grip offered by WTB’s Sendero 47mm tyres. In this guise I found the Exploro handled impeccably. The frameset was stiff and responsive when I needed to power my way up ramps or maintain momentum over rocky sections, yet with the aid of those wide tyres it didn’t batter me when hammering downhill on rough surfaces. The flawless performance of Shimano’s gravelspecific…

The rider’s ride

TRAVEL Cyclist Off-Road flew from London Heathrow with British Airways to Toulouse for around £150, but it is a route served by many low-cost airlines too. It is then a two-hour drive to Villelongue. Flying into Lourdes cuts the transfer time to just 25 minutes, although this airport isn’t served by as many flights from the UK. Other travel options include driving 10-12 hours from Calais or taking a ferry to Bilbao in Spain and driving for three to four hours. ACCOMMODATION We stayed at Escape to the Pyrenees’ HQ in the sleepy village of Villelongue, at the base of the Hautacam. Jamie and Kitt’s well-appointed guesthouse is perfectly situated for tackling many of the Pyrenees’ bucket-list climbs and all of their gravel equivalents. The home-cooked food was both delicious and nutritious, and…

ISL AND PARADISE

The mid-summer dawn brings a golden glow to Ryde Esplanade. We have the seafront to ourselves, save for a lone herring gull hopping around looking for scraps from last night’s fish and chip suppers. This quaint seaside town is the gateway to the Isle of Wight. Mention the Isle of Wight to most ‘mainlanders’ and it will likely trigger fond memories of school trips or childhood beach holidays in summer, with sticks of rock and ice creams. Indeed later today the broad sandy beaches, now reopened after the easing of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, will be filled with holidaymakers and funfairs. But we will be long gone by then, up into the hills and onto the trails of this diverse and beautiful island, because on two wheels and away from the…

ISL AND PARADISE

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/or4/wight. From Ryde Esplanade, head west on the coastal path to Wootton Creek, then turn south. Climb up the sandy path of St George’s Down before descending into Carisbrooke and out onto the chalk ridgeline of the Tennyson Trail. Head west through Brighstone Forest and onto the steep ascent of Afton Down, then descend into Freshwater Bay. Continue to the most westerly point of the Isle of Wight, The Needles. Return to Freshwater, then go to Yarmouth on the old railway line cycle path before heading off-road again into Brighstone Forest to rejoin the Tennyson Trail in the opposite direction. The hills come in abundance in the second half. The climb up to Hoy Monument is the first big challenge, then it’s onto Stenbury Down…

The rider’s ride

Kinesis G2, £1,500, kinesisbikes.co.uk The UK-designed and developed Kinesis G2 is an aluminium-framed gravel bike focussed on offering great value. Its performance on this ride was more than enough proof that it is capable of taking on serious off-road adventures The Sram 1x drivetrain has sufficient range to tackle some very steep technical ascents, while the tubeless-ready wheels and tyres were tough enough to take the punishment the trails dished out. The bike felt balanced and stable on the high-speed chalk descents and the wide, flared handlebar was a welcome feature to allow extra control from the drops, especially when descending the gully trail to Shanklin. The G2 has plenty of mounting options for bags and racks to ensure a self-sufficient tour is well within its capabilities too. All in all, you…

The rider’s ride

GETTING THERE The easiest and fastest way to get to the Isle of Wight with a bicycle is by using the Wightlink Fast Cat service between Portsmouth Harbour Train Station and Ryde Pier Head. There are also ferry connections between Lymington and Yarmouth, Portsmouth and Fishbourne, and Southampton and Cowes or East Cowes. ACCOMMODATION There is no shortage of places to stay on the Isle of Wight, but lifeinthesaddle.cc offers local knowledge and advice for the best cycling-friendly accommodation, as well as a guide to alternative cafe and pub stops plus info on other off-road tours on the island. THANKS Our thanks go to Wightlink Ferries for help with travel to and from the island, to Chessell Pottery Cafe for a splendid lunch and Island Roasted Coffee for keeping us caffeinated throughout the ride. Thanks…

MAGICAL MOROCCO

This is hypnotic. As I drop a chunk of sugar into my mint tea and stir it, I lean back and quickly become mesmerised by the endless parade of cars, trucks and motorbikes passing on the busy road outside the window. I’m sitting in a small roadside cafe in Ait Melloul, a few miles south of Agadir, one of the big urban centres in Morocco. Suddenly my attention is diverted to a cyclist on an old bike. I follow his progress until he disappears from sight, and smile. The pizza in front of me smells delicious, inviting me to tuck in, but I’m happy to take my time and savour it. The Atlas Mountain Race is over and so too the tranquillity of the mountains. What I’m experiencing now is the…

MAGICAL MOROCCO

Number crunching

Start to Checkpoint 1: Marrakesh to Telouet, 123km/3,600m ascent CP1 to CP2: Telouet to Aguinane, 539km/7,600m CP2 to CP3: Aguinane to Ait Mansour, 275km/4,000m CP3 to Finish: Ait Mansour to Sidi Rabat, 209km/3,000m From Marrakesh, the race heads straight for the mountains, reaching the foothills of the High Atlas after only around 60km. The first summit (1,800m) follows some 15km later, but the main climb of the opening day comes at around 85km with the 30km long Telouet Pass. A short but rough and technical descent delivers riders to the first checkpoint in Telouet at 123km. The race then heads east, staying in the Atlas foothills and crossing the range through red-earth villages towards Anmiter where the route turns south towards Imassine. A wild and remote section follows in the Anti-Atlas to reach Afra, where the…

Number crunching

All you can eat

Most dishes in Morocco are cooked in a tagine, a thick-bottomed earthenware pot, and are essentially slow-cooked savoury stews typically made with sliced meat or fish together with vegetables and/or fruit. While Marrakesh and Agadir offer plenty of restaurants to choose from, choice in the mountains is limited. Taznakht and Tafraoute offer a good variety of eateries on the race route but in the small mountain villages the Berber omelette is the staple diet (especially for vegetarians). There are plenty of varieties though, and traditionally it is eaten with flatbread. Cutlery is sometimes unavailable so bring your own (a ‘spork’ is ideal). Strong black coffee is widely available, but milky coffee isn’t a good choice. Morooccan tea, a variation of green tea brewed with fresh mint and plenty of sugar, is available…

All you can eat

There is a mandatory equipment list for all Atlas Mountain Race participants. This includes a helmet, front and rear lights, basic first-aid kit, survival blanket, waterproof jacket, gloves, down jacket (or synthetic equivalent) and a sleeping bag suitable for temperatures down to freezing. Don’t worry about a tent. It’s predominantly dry in Morocco, plus the starlit skies are best enjoyed without a roof. A bivvy bag and a mat is all you’ll need. It can get quite chilly at night so a warm hat is a good idea. Water is pretty much non-existent in the mountains so make sure you have enough bottles and space to carry them. Durable shoes for hiking are essential, as are sunglasses and sunscreen. Don’t mistake the AMR for a gravel race. Leave your super-light kit at…

Despite Morocco getting 14 hours of daylight in February during the AMR, riding at night is essential to stay ahead of the time cuts. A rear light is mandatory, but it’s front lights that need the most consideration. Light failure is one of the most frustrating reasons for having to pull out of a race so think about your choices carefully. Dynamo front hubs are a smart choice, as they can be used to charge a power bank during the day as well as lights at night. But be aware that the output of most dynamo lights will not be sufficient for safely navigating technical terrain in darkness. The best option for this is a helmet light, such as the Exposure Diablo, which will provide the necessary additional brightness and can…

To me, London is the greatest city on earth, from the royal parks to the pearly queens, the boutique coffee shops of Fulham to the greasy spoons of Bow. It’s the city that gave us mod culture and punk rock; garage and grime; Bowie and Adele; Chas and Dave; David Beckham and Bradley Wiggins. London stood firm during the Blitz, swung through the Sixties and boomed in the Nineties. It is a concoction of culture inspired by centuries of immigration, acceptance and assimilation, reflected in its architecture, people and thought. I am biased, though. My dad got into Genes Reunited a few years back and traced our family tree all the way to the 1600s. He found that in that time none of our ancestors had been born outside the south…

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/or4/london. From Charing Cross, head south over Westminster Bridge and down the A23 until you reach Brixton. Turn left through Brockwell Park and cut through Dulwich to Crystal Palace, where you’ll meet the Anerley Road. Turn right into South Norwood Country Park, negotiating the many off-road paths until you reach Woldingham Golf Club and then join the North Downs Way. Head west on the North Downs Way before turning off at Reigate Hill Golf Club, travelling north via Kenley Aerodrome and Selsdon Woods. Cut through Shirley Heath to reach South Norwood and eventually Belvedere Road that leads you back to the finish in Crystal Palace.…

The rider’s ride

Yep, that’s right: I rode 85km around the rutted tracks and bridleways of south London on a bike made from bamboo. And as it turned out, this was the perfect weapon for it. Being constructed of unidirectional vascular bundles, the stiffness of natural bamboo is on par with that of man-made carbon fibre so it is equally ideal for making bike frames as the ubiquitous black stuff. Whether it was sprinting or climbing steep ascents, the frame felt stiff enough to deliver a lively ride feel. Furthermore, bamboo’s fleshy lignin inner offers the frame a natural dampening too, meaning there’s no need for comfort solutions such as front suspension or flexy seatposts. This build, by London-based Bamboo Bicycle Club, is specced to be pushed to the limit. The Shimano GRX 1x setup…

The rider’s ride

Eat out to help out

There’s no better start to a day (or ride) than a full English from a greasy spoon. And with today starting at Charing Cross station, the Breadline Cafe on the adjacent Duncannon Street is just the place. The perfect fry-up should only be washed down with a cup of tea. No barista coffees. For lunch, a detour to Arments on Walworth Road for an authentic taste of proper London pie and mash is a great option. Make sure you have cash as no self-respecting pie and mash shop takes cards, plus get there early as the pies are fresh daily, and when they’re gone they’re gone. Don’t listen to what they say up north, the best fish and chips are found south of the Thames. Fact. Ken’s Fish Bar on Half…

Eat out to help out

Switzerland has its fair share of incredible road passes. The Grosse Scheidegg, Furka, St Gotthard and Albula are some of the best known, all incredibly scenic and generally with far fewer visitors (and hence traffic) than their giant French and Italian counterparts. Even so, you’re rarely alone on the tarmac in the way you can be completely alone on gravel. There is also the fact that roads don’t allow you to spend so much time above the treeline as the rough stuff does. And that’s where the adventure really begins. The Valais region of Switzerland is the perfect territory for such an adventure. The high-perched villages and the abundance of 4,000m peaks (Valais is home to 22 peaks above that altitude), provide a visually stunning arena for any ride, but especially…

Mountains and Valais

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/or4/swiss. From Martigny, head towards the Col de Planches and then the Col du Tronc. Then it’s down to Vollèges and Le Châble via a mix of gravel and paved roads. Cross the main road to Verbier and head up towards the ski resort on a small road above Sarreyer. At the top of the Ruinettes cable car route, take the steep ski lift access road to Les Attelas, the highest point of the day at 2,726m. Leave the Lac des Vaux on your right and take the trail down to the Col des Mines, then keep descending to the panoramic trail above Verbier that leads to the Col de la Croix de Coeur. A paved road takes you to the ski resort of La…

Mountains and Valais

The rider’s ride

The Scott Speedster Gravel 10’s alloy frame specced with Shimano’s GRX RX 400 components and Syncros (Scott’s house brand) parts proved more than capable on a route that tested it to the extremes in places. Gearing is a big concern for this style of Alpine gravel riding, and the Speedster’s 2x setup (46/30t crankset) and wide-ranging cassette (11-34t) offered plenty of versatility for the mix of super-steep climbs and fast descents. Elsewhere, Schwalbe’s G-One Allround 700x35C tyres offered plenty of grip on loose surfaces while also allowing a decent rolling speed on the stretches of tarmac. At 10.3kg the Speedster is a touch on the heavy side, which is to be expected perhaps without a carbon frame, but for the most part that weight was only of noticeable concern on the steep…

The rider’s ride

TRAVEL Geneva airport is well served and is a 90-minute drive from Martigny. Trains are a costeffective means to get around with a bike, and Martigny has good connections. WHEN This route is generally snowfree from late June to mid-October but it can get very cold. Check the weather forecast. FOOD AND DRINK There are no cafes or shops on the 2,000m climb between Le Châble (at 34km) and the Col de la Croix de Coeur (at 62km). Make sure you have food and drink on this tough section. ACCOMMODATION In Martigny, two hotels have been awarded the Swiss Bike Hotel label by Switzerland Tourism, which distinguishes establishments offering services adapted to cyclists (storage, repair shop, balanced meals, maps, etc): the Vatel Hotel (hotelvatel.ch) and Rêves Gourmands (revesgourmands.ch). For more info on cycling in Valais visit valais.ch/cycling.…

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CANNONDALE Topstone Lefty 1

It was only a little over two years ago that Cannondale launched its Topstone range of gravel bikes. What started as a fairly modest entry-level aluminium offering has since been joined by two new and quite different versions. First came a carbon Topstone (tested in issue 2), which brought with it Cannondale’s new Kingpin rear suspension. Now comes this dual-suspension version, built around the same Kingpin-equipped carbon frame but with an all-new Lefty Oliver fork plus 650b wheels as standard. But wait – does anyone remember the Slate? If so, do you see the similarities? For those who are unfamiliar, the Slate was something of a misfit bike that Cannondale released back in 2015. At the time people didn’t really get it. Gravel was still an emerging category and the Slate looked…

CANNONDALE Topstone Lefty 1

KINESIS Tripster ATR V3

It’s incredible to think that the Tripster is already over a decade old. Kinesis launched it back in 2009 as a kind of do-it-all adventurecum-tourer with an alloy frame, disc brakes and clearance for wider tyres. Basically it was a bike built with the idea of expanding cycling horizons beyond the tarmac a long time before anyone had coined the term ‘gravel bike’. Did Kinesis own a crystal ball? Who knows, but since then the Tripster has gone through several revisions, not least a transformation into titanium although an alloy version is still available). Rory Hitchens of UK distributor Upgrade Bikes says the Tripster ATR V3 has received a host of tweaks to fine-tune its performance. It also includes an all-new carbon fork with additional load-carrying capacity to make it more…

KINESIS Tripster ATR V3

SPECIALIZED S-Works Diverge

When the original Diverge blazed into the adventure and gravel racer space in 2014, it was a runaway success. Now the 2021 Diverge aims to build on that momentum with some new innovations. Launched in May, the bike has a similar silhouette to the second generation from 2017, but as Stewart Thompson, Specialized’s category leader for road and gravel, explains, quite a bit has changed since then. ‘This generation has five key new features: the Future Shock 2.0, progressive geometry for increased tyre clearance, internal SWAT storage, more bag mounting points and reduced weight.’ That’s enough to expect significant improvements so, having given high praise to the 2017 Diverge, I was really keen to see what this latest version would deliver over and above the outgoing model. What struck me first was…

SPECIALIZED S-Works Diverge

NINER MCR 9 RDO

‘Isn’t that just a mountain bike with drop bars?’ I was asked this frequently while testing the MCR, and it’s a query Niner must be sick of answering too. Just for clarity, no, this is not a mountain bike with drop bars. For starters the MCR (which stands for Magic Carpet Ride) has only half the suspension travel of even the raciest full-sus XC mountain bikes, but more importantly its geometry is that of a dedicated gravel slayer, which is nowhere near that of a modern MTB either. That’s an important distinction, because the way most of us ride gravel bikes – predominantly in a seated position for long periods – requires a geometry sympathetic to that. So it may be a paid-up member of the gravel fraternity, but the MCR is…

NINER MCR 9 RDO

SHIMANO GRX Di2

Cycling trends come and go but you can be sure when Shimano throws its heft behind something, that something is here to stay. Admittedly gravel riding was already gaining momentum before Shimano jumped in with its gravel-specific GRX product family in early 2019, but it has undoubtedly helped cement gravel as a bona fide discipline. Today’s gravel bikes no longer need to be a cobbled-together mix of road and mountain bike components, which makes it slightly curious that this is essentially what GRX is. Shimano says it has taken aspects from both its road and mountain bike ranges and homogenised them to suit the particular requirements of gravel. A big advantage of GRX is that it is not just a single groupset but rather a family of components that can be purchased in…

SHIMANO GRX Di2

To bounce or not to bounce?

That is the question Only a short time ago the question was, ‘Do we need gravel bikes?’, let alone ones with suspension. But as gravel has taken a firm hold, both on our shores and globally, riders are already hankering to push the limits of these versatile machines. ‘Suspension is a natural progression, just as we saw with mountain bikes in the 1990s,’ says Jeremiah Boobar, director of suspension technology at Cannondale and designer of its standout Lefty Oliver and Ocho suspension forks. ‘There was initially a lot of kickback then too. People would say things like “suspension takes away the purity” and “we should be keeping it simple”, but look where mountain bikes are now. It’s likely gravel bikes will follow a similar journey.’ Several brands including Cannondale (see p114) are using varying…

To bounce or not to bounce?

‘I’m a super-big fan of 650b,’ says Stayer Cycles founder and wheelbuilder Judith Rooze. ‘Most gravel bikes are designed primarily around 700c wheels, but 650b wheels, being smaller in diameter, allow you to run larger-volume tyres that will equate to roughly the same overall diameter. ‘This means the bike’s gearing and geometry is not adversely affected, while the bigger tyres can be run at lower pressures [because the larger air volume reduces the risk of pinch flats] which means more cushioning and grip, which really makes a gravel bike more versatile and capable over varied and technical terrain.’ To elaborate, a 700c wheel has a diameter of 622mm, while 650b measures 584mm. But that doesn’t include tyres. If we consider the actual rolling circumference with tyres fitted, a 700x40mm setup (2,205mm) is…

Once you can bunny hop you’ll be amazed just how often it comes in handy. Being able to react quickly to confidently clear stumps, roots and rocks means you don’t have to stop and unclip or swerve. A well-timed bunny hop can even be useful to keep your feet dry as you sail over puddles. First off, bunny hopping isn’t a strength-based skill, so you don’t need guns of steel. Getting the bike airborne is all down to subtle weight shifts and a bit of old fashioned practice. So, without further ado, let’s get to it. To make practice easier we’ve split this into three parts. Be sure to get to grips with each one before moving on. Also bear in mind that the whole sequence takes just a couple of seconds,…

Safety in numbers

If a cyclist falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, do they still make a sound? It’s a macabre thought, but we should never be too blasé about our personal safety when riding alone and off the beaten path. Luckily modern gadgets and apps have some clever solutions. Little bigger than a 50p and clipping onto a helmet’s cradle, Specialized’s ANGi Crash Sensor measures G-force and velocity, both of which change rapidly if you crash. Paired to its phone app, ANGi then gives a countdown (so you have the chance to cancel) before calling an emergency contact or the emergency services and sending your live GPS coordinates. It does require a phone signal for the live reporting but as a further safety measure you can pre-program ANGi…

Safety in numbers

You can’t carry enough tools and spares to cover every eventuality that might befall you out on the trail, and sometimes you’ve just got to think outside of the box to avoid being stranded. These trailside hacks need only limited mechanical skills and provide basic solutions to common breakdowns that should mean you can at least make it back home to carry out proper repairs. Emergency puncture repair It happens to us all eventually – the day when the puncture demons unleash their full fury and you end up getting one too many flats and you’ve run out of spares, or maybe a hole in the tyre is simply too big to fix with conventional methods. But don’t despair, this fix is really easy and surprisingly effective. Method If you have an inner tube,…

Food for the road

The nature of self-supported bikepacking adventures in remote places means it is all too easy to live on sugary snacks and pre-packed food from garage pit stops. Yet adopting an eating pattern like this could play havoc with your energy levels, digestion and ultimately your enjoyment of the whole experience. Giving a little forethought to nutrition and packing some good-quality dehydrated meals will ensure you can still eat well on the go – something your body will thank you for. ‘A common mistake is to view food as simply calories, but it’s a lot more complex than that,’ says John Fisher, founder of Firepot, a company that makes dehydrated meals using wholefood ingredients. ‘Our bodies have been perfected over millions of years to run best on a wide range of nutrients and foodstuffs,…

Food for the road

DO… Get them dirty occasionally. The scouring nature of a bit of dirt is actually good for both the rotor and the brake pads. Mostly it prevents pads ‘glazing’ (where the pads become very smooth and shiny), which results in sub-par braking accompanied by a loud squeal. Obviously grit and filth can cause premature wear too so don’t use this as an excuse not to clean your bike thoroughly. Occasionally reset the pistons. This is done simply by pressing them back inside the calliper body, although bear in mind that there are special tools for the job. Don’t be tempted to butcher your pads with a screwdriver. Resetting the pistons ensures they’re working evenly and one is not stuck, which is a common cause of disc rub. Replace brake pads before they get…

Once, after completing a sportive looping through the Dolomites, I asked a fellow rider how he’d enjoyed his ride. ‘Fantastic,’ he said. ‘I averaged 250 watts.’ No mention of the jaw-dropping scenery, thrilling descents or great food at the feed stations. Just his power output. How were the views? ‘My stem could do with a polish.’ Sadly it seems everything has to be quantifiable these days. And it’s a similar story with travel, where it seems to be not where you go, but how far away it is. It still amazes me that ‘a tour of New Zealand’ somehow merits more kudos than ‘a ride to a village in Sicily’. The world is getting smaller but less interesting. Distance is somehow deemed better than destination. But you don’t have to travel thousands…

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