The two 18-year-old thieves, who stole the cyclists e-mountain bike after approaching him with an angle grinder, have since been charged with robbery and possession of an offensive weapon

Cyclists will happily spend thousands on carbon upgrades, skip dessert, and dodge the weights room all in pursuit of the lowest possible weight. On paper, it makes sense: gravity is the enemy, and every extra kilogram is a penalty. But what if this obsession is actually making you slower, weaker and more fragile? A growing body of sports science suggests it is time to flip the script. Instead of asking, How much muscle can I afford to carry? the real question should be: How much muscle can you afford to lose? Muscle should not be thought of as ballast holding you back on climbs but rather the engine behind power, resilience and healthy ageing. A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in June was the latest to highlight how regular resistance training can reduce the risk of early death, proving that building strength is not just about riding faster, but staying stronger and healthier for longer. Chris Gibson and Ellie Black spend much of their working lives trying to change cyclists perceptions of strength training. As coaches with Barbells & Bikes, they are acutely aware that many riders still see the gym as the enemy, fearing that lifting weights will make them heavier and slower. Its probably the biggest misconception we come across, says Black. People think theyll walk into the gym and come out looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger.(Image credit: Models own)The duo have a radical view about lifting weights: namely, that it could save your life. Gibson had only been cycling for a few years when he was involved in a catastrophic hit-and-run while descending the Col de lIseran in the French Alps. He was left for dead, and spent five-and-a-half months in hospital. My orthopaedic surgeon told me that without the muscle mass around my neck and shoulders, I would probably have died, he says. Not long afterwards, Black suffered a devastating crash in Tenerife, breaking four ribs and sustaining a rare internal degloving injury, where her glute muscle tore away from the underlying fascia. Every orthopaedic surgeon asked the same question: How have you not broken your hip? she says. I genuinely believe its because I strength train. I had the muscle mass and bone density to absorb that impact. This is not, of course, to suggest that lifting weights makes cyclists crash-proof. But Gibson and Black argue that stronger muscles, denser bones and more resilient connective tissue provide valuable protection when things go wrong, while also speeding up recovery. Having that structural integrity allows you to recover from inevitable falls much more quickly, says Gibson. Ultimately, it gets you back to doing what you love. (Image credit: Ellie Black)The benefits of weight training extend beyond crash resilience. Cycling is superb for cardiovascular fitness, but because it is non-weight-bearing it does little to maintain bone mineral density. Resistance training helps counter age-related losses in both bone and muscle, reducing the risk of muscle loss (sarcopenia) and improving long-term health. The fear of becoming too bulky remains a major barrier, despite the reality. Any bodybuilder will tell you how incredibly difficult it is to build significant muscle, says Gibson. It requires calorie surpluses and huge volumes of lifting in reps of eight to 12 per set. For cyclists, the aim is not to add unnecessary mass but to make existing muscle work more effectively: fewer reps at heavier weight. The goal is rarely to increase muscle size, says Black. Its to improve the function and capacity of the muscle riders already have. Much of the early improvement comes from the nervous system learning to recruit muscle fibres more efficiently, meaning riders become stronger without dramatically increasing their size. Strength training develops qualities that cycling alone cannot. Strength training isnt about creating more fatigue. Its about intent, quality and becoming a more resilient athlete. Chris GibsonBlack and Gibson encourage riders to focus on fundamental movements such as squats, hip hinges, pushes, pulls and stability work, using the minimum effective dose to stimulate adaptation without compromising riding. Cyclists often think a successful gym session is one they crawl out of, says Gibson, but strength training isnt about creating more fatigue. Its about intent, quality and becoming a more resilient athlete. Never mind the performance benefits, there is a health dividend too. From a health perspective, muscle is not just extra mass, explains Professor Edward Giovannucci, a specialist in nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, USA. It is important for strength, stability, glucose metabolism, physical function and healthy ageing. Along with Dr Yiwen Zhang, Giovannucci led the study featured in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that people who performed moderate amounts of resistance training over many years had a 13% lower risk of premature death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Crucially, these benefits were independent of aerobic exercise, meaning that even committed endurance athletes stand to gain by adding strength training to their weekly routine. We found that adding resistance training may provide additional benefit across most levels of aerobic activity, Zhang explains. For endurance athletes, the goal is not necessarily to build large amounts of muscle, but to preserve enough strength and lean mass to support long-term health. That message is reflected in current physical activity guidelines, which recommend combining aerobic exercise with muscle-strengthening activity rather than relying on endurance exercise alone. Scientists are also changing the way they think about muscle itself: not only as the functional tissue driving movement, but as an organ in its own right. Calling muscle an organ means that it does more than produce movement, adds Giovannucci. Skeletal muscle can release signalling molecules called myokines, which may communicate with other tissues, including fat, liver, pancreas, bone, brain, blood vessels and the immune system. For cyclists, this means muscle is not only a tool for generating power. It is also part of a broader metabolic and signalling system that influences long-term health. It doesnt just help you climb faster it helps regulate processes throughout the body, says Giovannucci. GET STRONG IN 45 MINutes(Image credit: CREDIT: "Chris Catchpole)Emma OToole of Built to Endure recommends two 30-45-minute full-body sessions each week built around six fundamental movement patterns:Squat(Goblet squat, split squat) Builds raw quad and glute power for a more forceful pedal stroke.Hinge(Romanian deadlift): Strengthens the hamstrings and lower back, improving your resilience when riding in the drops.Push(Press-up) Develops the chest and triceps to support out-of-the-saddle climbing and sprinting.Pull (Single-arm bench row): Counters the hunched cycling posture by strengthening the upper back and lats.Press (Dumbell shoulder press on one knee): Enhances shoulder stability and forces your core to engage to keep you upright.Rotary stability (Bear plank): Builds a rock-solid trunk, preventing power leaks from your upper body down through your hips.Muscle also plays a vital role in metabolic health. It is one of the bodys largest storage sites for glucose, taking sugar out of the bloodstream, ready for use during exercise. Maintaining muscle mass therefore creates a larger reservoir for glucose, while improving insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to regulate blood sugar more efficiently. Fitness trainer Theo Calvert helps cyclists to develop strength and encourages them to broaden their view on muscle. Muscle regulates energy, glucose and fat metabolism, accounting for 75 to 80% of the bodys post-meal glucose uptake, he explains. Beyond producing power on the bike, functional muscle improves metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and immune function. The goal shouldnt be maximal size, but sufficient, functional muscle alongside endurance capacity, says Calvert. Those qualities become increasingly important as we age. From our 30s onwards, muscle mass and strength naturally decline, and cycling does little to protect bone health, adds Calvert. Resistance training increases the resilience of muscles and tendons that endure thousands of pedal revolutions every week. (Image credit: Future)Strength-and-conditioning coach Emma OToole of Built to Endure concurs, adding that the biggest misconception among recreational cyclists is that effective gym work requires hours each week. In reality, she says, consistency matters far more than volume. Cycling is fantastic for cardiovascular health, but it provides relatively little stimulus to maintain maximal strength, bone mineral density or the load tolerance of muscles, tendons and connective tissue, says OToole. For the vast majority of recreational cyclists, around 60-90 minutes of well-planned strength training each week is enough. OToole prescribes sessions built around fundamental movement patterns: squats, hinges, pushes, pulls, presses and core stability. Split squats, Romanian deadlifts, press-ups, rows and shoulder presses all feature regularly, with bodyweight exercises providing an ideal starting point before progressing to dumbbells or barbells. Why we lift(Image credit: Future)Michelle Arthurs-BrennanCycling Weeklys digital editor I first incorporated strength training into my routine when I was racing as a cat-one rider, but it always took a back seat to cycling. After having my first daughter [in 2022], I became more committed to strength work, initially following online workouts before joining a CrossFit gym. Since having my second daughter, last year, strength training has become the foundation of my fitness. I now use my home gym three to five times a week and ride once or twice. I love cycling, but strength training feels like what my body and mind need right now. It leaves me feeling accomplished rather than exhausted, and has helped reduce the back pain I used to experience as a cyclist.Andrew Henderson Races for NFFP Race Team I ride five or six times a week, alongside two strength and core sessions, with a full rest day and a deload week every three or four weeks. In winter, my gym sessions last around an hour, dropping to 40-50 minutes during the race season. Every workout starts with a short bike warm-up and activation drills before moving into cycling-specific exercises such as single-leg work, deadlifts, calf raises, pull-ups, bench presses and core stability training. Strength training has been the biggest change to my programme this year, and its helped deliver my best season since 2019. I feel stronger , can move around more easily when the pace is high, and finish long rides with far less fatigue.All the trainers consulted for this feature agree that 90 minutes to two hours per week is an appropriate amount of time for cyclists to dedicate to strength workouts. This is sufficient for muscle hypertrophy [growth], increased power output, and improved overall efficiency which will directly result in increased performance, says Black. Typically, this is divided into two sessions per week, allowing for sufficient recovery between workouts, and ensuring no impact on cycling performance from excessive fatigue. Black suggests allocating 20-30% of total training time to strength work. During competitive seasons, cyclists may prioritise cardiovascular training to sustain endurance, whereas the off-season provides an opportune time to increase the volume of strength training. OToole echoes this approach. Id much rather see someone complete two 30-45 minute sessions every week throughout the year than spend hours in the gym during winter before abandoning it once the riding season starts. Strength training should not be regarded as a rest day activity. To achieve the desired stimulus, you need to lift with intent and positively stress the body, insists Black. This means finding a suitable place in your schedule. If you are combining cycling and lifting on the same day, do so on days with a shorter or easier ride. Ideally leave around three hours between to allow for adequate refuelling. Cycling always rewards efficiency, but as you grow older the future of riding longer, stronger and healthier may not come from losing weight it may come from building more strength. Building and maintaining muscle mass, as the coaches and the research show, is not the enemy of endurance, nor is it a threat to cycling performance. On the contrary, it is precisely what allows cyclists to produce power, absorb impacts, recover from setbacks and continue riding for many years to come.

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Earlier today, we learned the unfortunate news that Cannondale is closing its Wilton, Connecticut offices as its parent company Pon.Bike consolidates operations. According to a report by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN), Cannondale filed a notice with the Connecticut Department of Labor today, Wednesday, notifying them of the upcoming closure. Cannondales Connecticut operations are scheduled to wind down by mid-2027, with the closure and layoffs being permanent and impacting up to 143 employees.The BRAIN report also included information from a letter to the Connecticut Department of Labor signed by Maggie Lansdale, Global VP of People for Sports Group, Cannondales business unit within Pon. It read: The entire office will be closed and almost all employees there will be impacted. The first separations are expected to occur on December 21, 2026, and separations are expected to continue in phases through December 31, 2027. The closure and separations will be permanent.Cannondales Team Dream CAAD14ConsolidationWith the closure of Cannondales Wilton, Connecticut office, Pon.Bike is aiming to consolidate and streamline both its North American and global operations. According to the media statement (see below), Cannondales current European headquarters in Woudenberg, Netherlands, will become its new global headquarters. Cannondales Engineering and R+D will remain based in Freiburg, Germany.In North America, Cannondale will be getting a new home on the West Coast, bringing operations closer to a couple of Pon.Bikes other brands, Santa Cruz and Cervlo. According to the media statement, this move is intended to strengthen North American operations and retailer support. They state they will also be adopting a new sales model with outside sales representatives covering multiple Pon.Bike brands to make it easier for retailers to work with Cannondale and other brands in the Pon portfolio.End of an EraCannondales founder, Joe Montgomery.This closure also marks the end of Cannondales 55 years calling the state of Connecticut home, a damn good run by any measure. Cannondale was founded by Joe Montgomery in Wilton, CT, in 1971, where it was named after a local train station, and its first product was a bicycle trailer. After many years of growth and some of cyclings most interesting bikes and innovations, Cannondale ultimately became part of Dorel Sports, which was later acquired for $810 million by Pon.Bike in 2021, creating a leading bicycle company in the world.But as weve seen in the past few years, the cycling industry has been going through its fair share of financial struggles. Bike brands and their parent companies have been tightening belts and consolidating in the face of ongoing economic uncertainty. This includes Cannondale, which recently announced that Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) would not be returning to World Cup racing in 2027. That announcement already made it feel like the end of an era for Cannondale, and todays announcement reinforces that notion.CFR team member Jolanda Neff racing in 2026. (photo / Cory Benson)More than anything, though, we feel for the 143 employees who are now facing an uncertain future in the face of layoffs and the imminent closure of the brands Connecticut offices. We wish nothing but the best to all of the Cannondale employees affected by this decision.Cannondale North America Media Statement:Cannondale Announces Next Chapter of North American Operations and Retailer SupportCannondale today announced plans to strengthen its North American operations and retailersupport. The changes include a new home for its North American activities on the West Coastand offering its retailers easier access to other Pon.Bike brands, including Santa Cruz andCervlo, through a single point of contact.Over the next six months, Cannondale will adopt a new sales model in North America, with outside sales representatives covering multiple Pon.Bike brands. This builds on two years of closer commercial collaboration between the brands to offer retailers greater choice. For retailers carrying more than one brand, this means a single point of contact and simpler ordering and support services. The aim is to make it easier for retailers to work with Cannondale and access more of the Pon.Bike portfolio. Each brand will retain its own identity, models and relationship with riders.As part of this next step, Cannondale is creating a new home for its North American business on the West Coast, a region known for its cycling culture. A dedicated commercial, retailer and rider support team will be based there, providing Cannondale expertise and services to retailers and riders across North America.Alongside these changes, Cannondale is bringing its global teams closer together.Woudenberg (the Netherlands), currently Cannondales European headquarters, willbecome its global headquarters. R&D and Engineering functions, long based in Freiburg(Germany), will continue to engineer and develop the best bikes, building onCannondale expertise already there.As part of this transition, operations at the Wilton (Connecticut, USA) office will wind down by mid-2027. For more than five decades, Connecticut has been instrumental in shaping Cannondale into one of cyclings most influential brands. Cannondale is deeply grateful to the team members whose passion, creativity, and commitment built this incredible foundation. The innovative spirit they fostered remains a core part of Cannondales DNA as the brand proudly carries its legacy into this next chapter of growth and rider-focused innovation.

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