Ride with GPS's latest update includes a lineup of useful weather and condition map layers that should help streamline the route planning process. Learn more here...The post Ride with GPS Adds Advanced Map Layers appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike saw Wilco Kelderman crash today and Jonas Vingegaard just missed out on the stage win he was looking for. However, after the key time-trial of the race, the Dane finds himself in the race lead and pole position to win the overall classification."It was a very tough time tr...

About 2 months ago, I went to Finale to blind test Schwalbes all-new Albert Radial MTB tires. Next, I brought home those Gravity casing tires, and added some of their lighter Trail casing analogues. I then proceeded to ride them hard in all weather and all trail conditions to see if my glowing first impressions translated on home trails and familiar bikeparks.Get ready to nerd out on a new mountain bike tire for a bitSchwalbe Albert Radial MTB tires, an In-Depth Review(All photos/Cory Benson)I can simply say, this is the grippiest new all-rounder enduro mountain bike tire setup Ive ridden in years, while still not feeling slow on the climbs. I built up a new enduro test bike in the workshop last week, and these Albert Gravity Radials are the only tire Ive even thought about putting on the new bike.How great are the new Schwalbe Albert Radial mountain bike tires, really?I know that my launch story on the new Schwalbe (almost) Radial tires late last week reads as a bit glowing. But rest assured, the PR info and tech details from the staid Germans at Schwalbe were not nearly so enthusiastic. In fact, their communications on this new tire was super basic. They pretty much stuck to a simple description of the conventional 45 structure orientation vs. the new one that was a smaller angle closer to a true radial orientation. And of course, their claim of 30% increased contact patch area at the same pressure, or 10% more contact even at 7psi/0.5bar higher tire pressures.I just really appreciate how the change in fabric orientation inside the tire is so simple, and yet it has such a big, noticeable impact on how the tire performs.Why does (more) Radial construction matter?conventional bias-ply (l) vs. more radial (r) direction of travel facing upSchwalbe explains it by saying that their almost radial construction means ~25% shorter strands of the casing fabric from bead-to-bead. And that because of the ~15 orientation of these fibers (vs. conventional 45 bias-ply), those fibers in the tire casing extend only 1/4 the distance in the direction of the tires rotation.That effectively means that when an edge on the trail hits your tire, it only impacts 1/4 as many fibers across the cross-section of the tire casing at a time. And that results in much more localized deflection at the point of contact.What you get is a structure where the tire knobs can fold over more closely to a trail obstacle, while also then allowing the entire large tire volume to spread the total impact force over a greater area of the tire. More local grip connecting the tread to the ground. Greater contact patch area at the same tire pressures. And greater damping of the rebound (or bounce) from the spike of air pressure inside the tire volume when hitting an obstacle.Feel free to read more about the tech in my original launch coverage, here.How much do they actually weigh?In the lead-up to the Albert Radial product launch, Schwalbe didnt actually send us any weight figures, simply stating that the new Radial construction did not change weights vs. their conventional tire construction. But the Albert Gravity & Trail Radials are actually an all-new tire, so lets break down the weight claims on the 4 tires weve been testing Schwalbe Albert Gravity Radial 29 x 2.6 Ultra Soft claimed weight 1330g actual sample weight 1406gSchwalbe Albert Gravity Radial 29 x 2.6 Soft claimed weight 1330g actual sample weight 1368gSchwalbe Albert Trail Radial 29 x 2.5 Ultra Soft claimed weight 1180g actual sample weight 1148g & 1188gSchwalbe Albert Trail Radial 27.5 x 2.5 Soft claimed weight 1180g actual sample weight 1093g & 1120gGenerally speaking, our Gravity tires are a bit heavier & Trail tires a bit than the Schwalbe claims, but within reason for tire-to-tire variation. And also probably more accurate representation of the different weights of the wider & softer tires vs. the narrower & smaller diameter tire.(Note: A word of caution, I dont entirely trust the claimed weights on Schwalbe.com as there are several different sizes that list the same weight, and no weights listed yet on the Schwalbe US website.)Blind testing that sold me on Radials(Photo/Schwalbe)My first ride on the new tires was in 10 blind back-to-back laps on a single classic Finale Ligure trail over the course of 6 hours. Getting uplift shuttles and tuning by Evolve Finale on a Pivot Shuttle all-mountain ebike.up lifts by Evolve FinaleWith my suspension dialed in for the mix of hardpack, rock & dusty corners, I set off on the first descent. Not knowing what tires I was riding or what new tech to expect, Schwalbes engineers set my starting tire pressure based on my typical preference. After each lap, we recorded my impressions and the mechanics made small pressure adjustments as I requested. Over 4 runs including an extended climbing lap, I adjusted pressures down quite a bit for more grip in the soft bits, then back up to an ideal grip balanced with enough support in the hard corners & off-cambers.(Photo/Schwalbe)Next, Schwalbe swapped in the new tires (at what they later told me was +4psi higher pressures), and I did 6 more laps with 1 more climbing section. I wasnt 100% sure what had changed, but I immediately felt I had more grip AND more support. Ultimately, I again dropped tire pressures a bit more to match the same feeling of sidewall support as the first tires, but with a lot more sense of grip and control through the roughest sections.Super Gravity vs. Gravity Pro RadialIn the end, I had started riding a conventional Magic Mary Super Gravity setup getting it down to 19/22psi (front & rear) for the demanding but not crazy fast or ultra-technical riding. And then I finished on these new Albert Gravity Radials, settling in a bit higher pressure at 20/23psi, but a feeling of better grip and control.Only later that evening did Schwalbe explain what was different inside the tire. But I already knew that I wanted the new Radials. And I immediately swapped them onto a pedal-powered Pivot Firebird enduro bike for another day of Finale shuttled trail riding.Riding Review: The new almost-radial tires that simply grip better than ever!Since returning back home from two 29er Pivot test bikes, I swapped to the lighter Albert Trail Radial tires, mounting them on two Mullet all-mountain test bikes. I wanted to see how they fared as trail and enduro riding all-rounders, sometimes getting uplifts, but more often than not pedaling up the climbs. Ultimately, the 29er Gravity Radials ended up on a new golden enduro test sledAnd still Schwalbes new Radial tires continued to impress. epic enduro track views by Epic Bikepark LeogangRunning just about 5psi more pressure than we had been in Maxxis Minion EXO+ & Conti Kryptotal Enduro tires, the more closed tread Albert delivered more grip, an improved supple feel, and comparable (or even better) cornering stability.naturally wet Leogang enduro tracks, as wellAfter my first rides in Finale, we were not too surprised to feel how reliably grippy the tires felt on dry trails both hardpacked and those with loose corners. descending through Leogang-Saalbach clouds on slick, muddy trailsBut the extra grip was especially impressive when we had a few wetter & muddier days riding the newest enduro trails at the Epic Bikepark Leogang and across the ridge into Saalbach.By dropping just 2psi out of the tires, they folded over and stuck to wet roots and slick rocks, even though they werent as open a tread, as dedicated soft or wet conditions tires. I even got the sense that the flexible way the tread folds over trail obstacles prevented them from really packing up with mud.plus new man-made enduro lines at Leogang, too!Riding Schwalbe Radials from Italy to Czechia, and everywhere betweenAll said, in 2 months weve tested the tires in Finale; at Leogang, Saalbach, Jetd, Kralik, Kouty, Kopivn, Klnovec & Pleivec bikeparks; the rocky Rychlebsk stezky trail center; and our own rocky & loamy home trails in the northern Czech mountains on the border with Poland. Its been a lot of enduro riding. Plus, some fast Czech Enduro racing over the weekend on rough tracks of dusty dry & loose natural loam.One other interesting aspect of the tire is a sense that they are slightly quieter especially noticeable when I did the back-to-back comparison on the same trail over and over. I suspect this comes down to the slower rebound damping that Schwalbe described. Its more pronounced on super hardpack or big sections of smooth rock. But the Albert Radial tires just dont seem to make as much noise as the older Super Gravity tires did.Setup suggestionsRiding the new Schwalbe Albert Radial tires, it simply feels like they have extra grip for free.It is a little trickier than normal to reassess what your ideal tire pressure should be, because the tires are more dependent on having the ideal pressure for your weight, terrain, and riding style. Plus, a 2-4psi difference in pressure has a real noticeable effect on both how the tire grips and how much support you feel in corners. And you cant just squeeze the tires to feel if its correct, because increased local flexibility makes the tire feel softer at the same pressure than other conventional bias-ply tires.So its best to use a reliable/accurate pressure gauge, and start with around 5psi more than you would in a similar style of tire. Then, make any pressure changes in small increments. In the end, youll find more grip AND more support, most likely at slightly higher pressures than you would have thought.Parting Thoughts on riding the new Schwalbe Albert Radial tiresWith that in mind, these new Schwalbe Albert Gravity & Trail Radials have done better than any other all-mountain or enduro tires that I have ridden in recent memory. They manage to deliver consistent, predictable grip across variable trail & weather conditions. If you ride in loose or wet conditions all of the time, or need a conditions-specific race tire, you might need a more aggressive tread (like the Magic Mary or Shredda Radials). But if you want one tire that you just put on the bike and just ride, youd be hard-pressed to find a more versatile solution.On that thought, I built this new Scott Ransom up last week. With the ultra-supple Formula Belva enduro fork and new lightweight DT XMC carbon wheels, it creates a pedal-able super-all-mountain bike, which will serve as a test bed for everything from aggressive trail to full-on enduro components. (Dont worry, it only looks like a DH bike, but is actually a 16.5kg/36lb shredder.) Its already featured a first look at the newly available Trickstuff Maxima Black brakes. And at the opposite end of the cost spectrum, first impressions are pretty solid on this worry-free MicroShift Advent X drivetrain!And I cant imagine a more ideal all-rounder tire than these new Schwalbe Albert Radials. My only real tough decision was whether to pick the tougher Gravity Pro casing or save 200g per tire with the Trail Pro version.For now, Ill stick with Gravity on this bigger bike, and keep Trail tires on the shorter travel trail bikes.Looks like I found my new favorite mountain bike tire!To find out even more, check out the core tech details, available models, and pricing in my Schwalbe Radial mountain bike tires launch story, here.Schwalbe.comThe post Review: Schwalbe Albert Gravity & Trail Radial MTB Tires Simply Grip More appeared first on Bikerumor.

From the 14th to the 18th of August the peloton tackles the Tour of Denmark. It is one of the many high-quality races at this time of year and is frequently used by sprinters, classics riders and time-trialists to fight for strong wins and work on their form ahead of the final classics block of the...

Darren Rafferty has been named by EF Education-EasyPost for La Vuelta, which will be the Co Tyrone riders first Grand Tour, having just turned 21-years-old last month. It is an exciting step forward for Rafferty the newly minted Irish elite road race champion who performed very well when selected for Critrium du Dauphin []The post Irelands Darren Rafferty (21) set for Grand Tour debut at La Vuelta appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

CyclistPro Log: Charlotte Kool on fire as Demi Vollering leads Tour de France Femmes, Laurence Pithie signs for Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe, Taco van der Hoorn returns after 16-month absenceWelcome back to another edition of Pro Log. Charlotte Kool (DSM-firmenich PostNL) has been lighting up the Tour de France Femmes, which has hosted two flat stages and an individual time-trial in just two days. After winning the Stage 3 individual time-trial, Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) now leads teammate and Dutch countrywoman Lorena Wiebes by 3 seconds. The mens Tour de Pologne is also ongoing. Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) won the time-trial on Stage 2, while Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) leads overall.Charlotte Kool dominating at the Tour de France FemmesA.S.O./Charly LopezChalotte Kool (DSM-firmenich PostNL) won the opening two stages at the Tour de France Femmes in front of home crowds as the Grand Dpart took place in the Netherlands. The 25-year-old pulled on the maillot jaune after her Stage 1 victory in The Hague, with fellow sprinter and favourite Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) nowhere to be seen following a mechanical.It was copy and paste for Kool the next morning despite a challenge from Wiebes, and she stepped up to the podium once more as stage victor. It was an atypical day however, with the Tour de France Femmes adopting a retro split stage format. The stage race was in the morning and an individual time-trial scheduled for the afternoon. Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) won the 6.3km time-trial and cried after the finish, saying, I really didnt see this coming. I had no idea that I could do this today. Related Posts Who are the favourites for the Tour de France Femmes 2024? How to watch the Tour de France Femmes 2024 Tour de France Femmes 2024: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know Did the split stage work?A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxSplit stages used to be commonplace in cycling, particularly in the mens Tour de France. They were introduced in the 1934 Tour with Stage 21 split into an 81km race followed by a 90km individual time-trial that served as a day for Frenchman Antonin Magne to increase his lead to almost half an hour.The concept was eventually phased out with the last split stage seen at the 1991 Tour de France. It may have been an uncommon sight at the highest level of cycling since, but the Tour of Britain used a split stage in Bristol back in 2016. Given the two combined Tour de France Femmes stages used today are remarkably shorter than split stage predecessors, the day has appeared to go off without a hitch.Having roughly the same start/finish locations cuts down on any transfer time but in turn, increases the days workload for so many, from riders and team staff. Laurence Pithie signs for Red Bull-Bora-HansgroheRed Bull-Bora-HansgroheGroupama-FDJs Laurence Pithie will move to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for the 2025 season. 22-year-old Pithie, who hails from New Zealand, was a breakout rider this season after winning the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in January. He had a strong Spring Classics campaign including a sixth place at Paris-Roubaix despite crashing.Taco van der Hoorn returns to racingTACO IS BACK After 16 months of recovery from concussion, Taco van der Hoorn is ready to race again in Tour of Leuven on 15 August. Show him some love pic.twitter.com/wJioVF48E6 Intermarch-Wanty (@IntermarcheW) August 13, 2024 Intermarch-Wantys Taco van der Hoorn will make his return to the peloton at the Tour of Leuven on 15th August. It marks the end of a lengthy 16-month recovery period due to a severe concussion sustained after a crash at the 2023 Tour of Flanders. Van der Hoorn, who won a memorable stage victory at the Giro dItalia in 2021, was able to join the team on a training camp this January but trained solo with sports directors. The Tour of Leuven is a one-day race in Belgium that will be 192.7km. Previous winners include Belgiums Arnaud De Lie, Victor Campenaerts and Jasper Stuyven.See you next week.The post Pro Log: Charlotte Kool on fire as Demi Vollering leads Tour de France Femmes, Laurence Pithie signs for Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe, Taco van der Hoorn returns after 16-month absence appeared first on Cyclist.

From the 12th to 18th August the Tour de France Femmes 2024 will be on the road. After it's return, it has quickly become one of women's cycling most important and attractive events, and the 2024 edition promises to deliver with a route that is packed with surprises.We preview stage 4.Stage 4 will...

CyclistThe climbs that will decide the Vuelta a Espaa 2024Mountain stages in the Grand Tours are underlined long in advance in the diaries of GC contenders and fans alike. At the Vuelta a Espaa, the mountain stages are often brutal, steep and relentless. This is the races trademark. The 2024 Vuelta will be the most mountainous Grand Tour of the year. Yes, the Vueltas route has almost 10,000m more elevation gain than this years Tour de France. On top of that, seven stages end with uphill finishes, the most of any Grand Tour this year. The mountains come as soon as Stage 4 and last until the final weekend of racing.The favourites for the 2024 race include UAE Team Emirates Joo Almeida and Adam Yates, three-time winner Primo Rogli, former Olympic champion Richard Carapaz and the defending Vuelta victor Sepp Kuss. In order to get into the maillot rojo, they will have to get over the races mountains and gain crucial seconds or minutes on their rivals.Pico Villuercas (Stage 4)Luis Angel Gomez / Photo Gomez SportAfter a sweet Portuguese opening to the Vuelta, the race crosses the border into Spain on Stage 4 for an all-out mountain stage. The stage is a brutal test with a total of 3,500m of elevation gain. A large share of this comes at the final climb of Pico Villuercas. The climb lasts 14.6km at an average of 6.1%. These stats dont reflect the true sting in the tail of this climb. There is 3km at an average of 13% within the final few kilometres.Pico Villuercas has been used once before at the Vuelta. On that occasion back in 2021, Romain Bardet took the stage win.Alto de Hazallanas (Stage 9)Tim de Waele/Corbis via Getty ImagesTo close off the first week of racing, the Vuelta heads south to the Sierra Nevada. The focal point will be the Alto de Hazallanas just outside of Granada on Stage 9.The climb lasts 7km at an average gradient of 9.6%. The ramps have no let-up, its steep all the way to the summit. The first half of the climb is the most tricky. During this phase, the incline is firmly within double-digit gradients. The road wiggles around the Sierra Nevada slopes with a large reservoir on the roadside around halfway through the climb.The climb will be tackled on two occasions on Stage 9. On the second time of asking, bonus seconds will be awarded at the summit. The Hazallanas climb has featured in the Vuelta twice before. In 2013, the mountain pass hosted a summit finish which was won by the eventual race winner Chris Horner.Puerto de Ancares (Stage 13)Tim de Waele/Corbis via Getty ImagesStage 13 of the Vuelta finishes with a summit finish in Galicia up to Puerto de Ancares.The Ancares pass is 7.7km in length and at an average gradient of 8.9%. The slopes are tough until the end, with a steady gradient close to the 10% marker. The climb is a Category 1 affair and will be the first of three nasty mountain stages at the end of the Vueltas second week.The climb has featured in the Vuelta a couple of times in the 2010s. The most notable finish was on Stage 20 on the 2014 edition when Chris Froome and Alberto Contador duelled up the Galician climb.Cuiti Negru (Stage 15)Tim de Waele/Corbis via Getty ImagesThe Cuiti Negru is the hardest climb of the Vuelta. This isnt an opinion only I hold, the Vuelta organisers have given it special status. The climb comes at the end of week two on Stage 15. The climb is 19km at 7%. This special category climb goes through a number of phases and gradient changes. The first 5km is the easiest part at just 6.9% in gradient. This soon kicks up to an average gradient of 8% for the following 5km. After a small flattening of the road with 5km to go, the road steps up in its difficulty to 13% for the final 3km. The final approach to the line comes at the Cuiti Negru ski station. Here, cable cars and ski lifts crisscross the route in the baron landscape.The Asturian challenge returns to the Vuelta after a 10-year hiatus. At 1,840m above sea level, this will be one of the highest points of the 2024 Vuelta a Espaa.Lagos de Covadonga (Stage 16)After a rest day, the mountains return promptly with a summit finish on Stage 16 to Asturias Lagos de Covadonga.The climb is 12km at 6.9%. Its slopes arent the steepest overall, but the Huesera section at 7km to go sees the road reach 13%. At the summit, there are two glacial lakes. The Vuelta will follow the banks of these lakes during its slightly downhill final kilometre.The historic climb is breathtakingly beautiful and significant in the history of the Vuelta. The Lagos de Covadonga has hosted the Vuelta since the 1980s. The last lakeside summit finish was in 2021 on a rainy stage won by Primo Rogli. Since then, the climb has also hosted a finale of the womens Vuelta known as the Vuelta Femenina.Picn Blanco (Stage 20)A.S.O./Charly LopezStage 20 will be the final road stage of the Vuelta. Not only this, Stage 20 is the stage with the most amount of elevation gain. That clocks in at 5,077m during the stage. The last climb of this stage, and indeed the Vuelta, will be Picn Blanco in Burgos.On the route of Stage 20, the mountain will arrive after a 13km long Puerto de Los Tornos which brings the profile onto the opening slopes of the final Picn Blanco climb. The Category 1 finale is 7.6km long at an average gradient of 9.1%. The toughest inclines sometimes tap into 10%, but the ramp is consistent throughout.Picn Blanco was last used at the Vuelta in 2021. The climb often features in the Vuelta a Burgos, a key warm-up race for the three-week race around Spain. At this years Vuelta, the Picn comes at a crucial point in the races GC battle. After this stage, only a time-trial stands between the red jersey and Grand Tour glory.Read our full Vuelta 2024 preview including all stage profiles and startlist here.The post The climbs that will decide the Vuelta a Espaa 2024 appeared first on Cyclist.

EF Education-EasyPost is frequently the last team to announce their lineup for the Grand Tours, but not this time around. The American team have put out their '8' for the final three-week race of the season and at the lead is Richard Carapaz who will be chasing more success after a great Tour de Fra...

Two power naps and racing with feelings. Thats what was behind Demi Vollerings surprise time trial win at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on stage 3.