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…

HAPPY DAYS

DISC WORLD • Disc brakes have completely taken over pro racing. Is there any way back for the embattled rim brake?

BROMPTON x PROTECTED SPECIES PARKA • £210 Like a Barbour for cyclists

FOUR ESSENTIALS

MATLOCK • Top destination on the edge of the Peak District

+ INSIDER TIPS

HIGH PRAISE • With a new champion, Rob Ainsley toasts a new addition to Britain’s most intoxicating ascents…

3T Dreambox • £19,610 3T celebrates 60 years with a custom box of exclusive Italian trinketry – and its Exploro RaceMax bike

CINNAMON CAFE • Loads of bike racks, discounts for cyclists and killer cinnamon buns. Windsor is your friend

THE BEST FOR LESS • One bike won the tour, the other is record breaking. But which of the more ‘affordable’ models of these remarkable bikes can live up to their hyper-bike siblings’ status and ride qualities? Warren Rossiter finds out…

SPECIALIZED AETHOS COMP • £4500 Old-school looks married to high-tech carbon technology

COLNAGO V3 RIVAL AXS • £4500 The more affordable version of this year’s Tour winner

COLNAGO V3 • The smooth-riding Italian takes it at the finish…

Routine Wins • From regularly analysing your training data to always wearing clean kit, small habits can have a big impact on your performance. We reveal the winning habits of top cyclists to help sharpen your own riding routines

+ WHY SOME ROUTINES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN • Movistar rider Annemiek van Vleuten, 38, is a three-time world champion and the Tokyo 2020 time trial gold medal winner

THIS IS HARDCORE • The Fred Whitton is the UK’s most famous and feared sportive, and it returned in 2021 for another sell-out showing. Taking on the highs of Honister and Hardknott was editor Matt Baird

CLIMBING CLASSICS • Three more hilly sportives for 2022

JOIN THE CLUB • 15 reasons why now is the ideal time to join a cycling club

NEW BIKES & GEAR • THE UK’S BEST TESTS FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS

Time to Revolt? • Giant Revolt Advanced 1

Aero! Gravel! Battery! • 3T Exploro Racemax Boost

Racy all-rounder • Vitus Zenium CRS Ultegra Di2

SWISS SIDE HADRON2 ULTIMATE 500 DISC

HEAD TO HEAD: GRAVEL TYRES

NUTCASE VIO

Q36.5 UNIQUE SHOE

PROVIZ REFLECT360 PLATINUM E-BIKE JACKET

ISADORE GRAVEL BIBS & JERSEY

GPS COMPUTER MOUNTS • £14.99 – £175 Keep your head unit secure

BUYER’S GUIDE HELMETS • A well-chosen bike helmet will increase your safety, aerodynamics and riding comfort. But what is the pick of the sub-£100 crop? We test 12

ALL WHYTE ON THE NIGHT… • Do you go for 1x or 2x gearing for gravel riding? We tested two of Whyte’s latest affordable alloy gravel adventure bikes to find out

CYCLING PLUS SAVE 30% • SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND RECEIVE AN ALTURA NEVIS HI-VIS JACKET!

TRAINING ZONE • EXPERT CYCLING ADVICE ON MAXIMISING YOUR TRAINING

Reach your peak • BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE SADDLE WITH THE LATEST SPORTS SCIENCE AND TECH FINDINGS

Energy bites • POWER YOUR BIG RIDES AND EVENTS WITH THESE TASTY DIY ENERGY BARS

Credit card living • NORMAN RUES THE ‘BUY NOW PAY LATER’ CULTURE TO...