The Vuelta a Espaa starts already this Saturday and we are in for a massive battle over three weeks. The final Grand Tour of the season is also the most open of all; there are plenty of candidates for the final overall victory and podium, we list a few below and ask for your opinion.The race featu...

Starting at Kendal, the gateway town of the Lake District and on the main London and Manchester train line, the route heads north through the Lake District National Park, covering some of the regions most scenic paths and high passes. The journey begins with a climb over Shap, known for being the highest motorway point []The post Lakes Loop Overnighter appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

I dont use Stravaexcept for the couple years or so when I did. Incidentally, I just tried to look up when I started and stopped using Strava, only to find it was down:We are currently experiencing an outage. We appreciate your patience as we work towards a fix! Stay up-to-date here: https://t.co/BVRY6pIMDg Strava Support (@StravaSupport) August 14, 2024Huh, I dont so much as glance at Strava for a year and when I finally do it doesnt even work. I suppose the universe is trying to tell me somethingand that something is Dont be a wanker.Anyway, the point is I dont use Strava, nor do I track my blogging output. However, on a whim I did look it up (gotta do something while Strava is down) and apparently in 2024 alone Ive typed over 136,000 words into this website. Thats a lotta bullshit! And it doesnt even include texts or emails or Grant Petersen fan fiction or any of the other stuff I write in the course of the day that you dont even know aboutplus Ive got to fend off the wildlife:So while it feels both disingenuous and vulgar to suggest that any aspect of curating this blog is work, I must nevertheless announce a short and temporary leave-taking of the sort that, were this actually work, I might refer to as a vacation. But since this isnt work, lets just say Im fucking off for a bit, and that Ill be back at the typewriter on Tuesday, September 3rd. For the avoidance of doubt, this is 13.0.11.15.14 on the Mayan calendar, which looks suspiciously like an IP address, and is also expressed thusly:They must have had a hell of a time making out checks.Speaking of summer, I may have mentioned it briefly on the day, but June 13th marked the seventeenth year since I started this blog. Thats a long time! But it doesnt feel like it. Like a frame thats been repeatedly stripped down and built up again I suspect this blogs readership has turned over multiple times since then, but whether youve been reading it for awhile or you just came across it today after entering the term Y-Foil porn into a popular search engine I am grateful that youre here. Im also grateful for all the people who have made financial contributions to this blogs upkeep, which you can do either directly, or else via Ko-fi if youd like to throw your money away on a recurring monthly basis. (Though of course youre under no obligation to do either, and your devoted readershipor even your occasional skimming as the case may beis reward enough.)So once again, thank you. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and may all your rides be laterally stiff and vertically compliant, unless you prefer it the other way around. See you on 13.0.11.15.14.Yours and so forth,Tan Tenovo

Incorrect bike fit, imbalances and simply sitting for too long during the day can all be contributing factors, writes physiotherapist, Nicole Oh

After a cyclocross campaign where Thibau Nys seemed to have taken a big step towards the biggest names, the 21-year-old Belgian has continued his impressive ride on the road in 2024.With wins at races such as the Tour de Romandie, the Tour de Hongrie, the Tour of Norway and the Tour de Suisse alrea...

A small Irish team, of one rider, has been selected for the Junior Track World Championships set to take place in Luoyang, China, later this month. Rhiannon Dolan, a 17-year-old who competes with the TC Racing Team, has been given the nod for the Worlds having been part of a larger group of juniors that []The post Small Irish junior team selected for World Track Championships in China appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

Like so many great ideas, the BOA Fit System started off as a way for Gary Hammerslag to improve his hobby. Prior to moving to Steamboat Springs, CO in the mid-90s, Gary worked in the medical industry and revolutionized the angioplasty process with his patented devices that relied on thin metal wires. After selling his company, his new goal was to snowboard as much as possible.At the time, all snowboard boots relied on laces to tighten and Gary knew there had to be a better way. Drawing on his experience in the medical world, the first BOA prototype was born a true boat anchor. Words cant prepare you for how heavy the first prototype snowboard boot actually is. If you visit BOA in Denver, you can ask to feel it for yourself.That first proof of concept quickly evolved into a much lighter and easy-to-adjust system that was first introduced in 2001 with BOAs first two partners, K2 and Vans. After launching with snowboarding, BOA first moved into the world of cycling after partnering with Specialized in 2005.Brand Partners and CategoriesBOAs biggest category is now workwear, complete with BOA-equipped cowboy workboots. Seriously. Fast forward to the present, and BOA currently works with roughly 350 active brand partners (35-40 of those are cycling brands). And thats with turning down 99.9% of new inquiries from potential customers. That reluctance to take on new partners is due to BOAs desire to work directly with the brands to make the best product possible not simply to just send them BOA dials and laces off the shelf.That desire to create the best product possible is on full display at their newest headquarters in the RiNo area of Denver, CO. While the new building is just a stones throw from the previous one, its increased size has allowed BOA to gain the necessary space to essentially create a miniature shoe factory and test facility.Creating their own prototype shoesBOAs prototyping often involves creating different closure designs for the same shoe and testing the results. For their PerformFit Wrap concept, they tested different materials for the individual straps (left: each color is a different material).While BOA doesnt have the ability to create the lowers and outsoles of shoes on-site, they do possess everything necessary to build a shoe upper on-site. That allows them to reverse engineer and rebuild existing models in the quest to build better systems.Not production shoes, but you could easily think so. During one of the presentations, we were shown shoes that could easily be mistaken as production models. Only they were one-off prototypes created by the BOA lab. Even with the ability to clearly create their own shoes, BOA says it will probably never happen they dont want to compete with their partners.Instead, they want to see how the shoe looks, how it can be executed, and maybe most important of all, how it will affect the biomechanics side. The quest for a more efficient fit is a big reason we were brought out to BOA HQ as it coincided with the launch of two new shoes featuring their PerformFit Wrap concept.BOA Performance Fit LabFrom the beginning BOA has been not just about replacing laces, but elevating the fit. Research in their own BOA Performance Fit Lab has confirmed that a better fit will yield better performance. By wrapping the midfoot and locking in the heel rather than pinching down the center of a u-throat design, BOA has measured some impressive gains in the lab.Broken down into the Endurance & Health, Agility & Speed, and Power & Precision areas, the BOA Performance Fit Lab has everything from force plates that measure impacts up to 1000x per second, to advanced motion capture cameras, and a metabolic cart for a complete measurement of the athletes vitals.In a pilot study, BOA had 13 athletes test three different shoes a Velcro strap model, one with a single BOA dial in a classic arrangement, and one with their most advanced PerformFit Wrap. Utilizing pressure mapping insoles, the metabolic cart, power cranks, and motion capture, they had each tester ride for 5 minutes steadily followed by 215 second sprints. The results showed up to a 9% increase in power output while maintaining equivalent metabolic expenditure, plus an 11% increase in peak power output during the sprints with the PerformFit Wrap shoe. Additionally, the shoe improved pressure distribution by up to 10% for improved performance during both sprints and sustained riding.Thousands of hours of testing demonstrate that wrapping over the midfoot, locking the heel, and reducing stress on the body materially enhances fit and performance. Our lab, in conjunction with our design teams, systematically evaluated how to optimize PerformFit Wrap in cycling through specific materials and panel structures that effectively conform to the foot, enabling more efficient riding and greater peak power output during sprints. Dan Feeney, Ph.D., BOA Senior Director of Partner Product Innovation and Development.Canyon Tempr CFR shoes with PerformFit WrapAfter listening to the presentation on PerformFit Wrap and visiting the Performance Fit Lab, one of the questions that came to mind was how this concept compares to existing shoe designs like the Shimano XC903. According to BOA, while the Shimano XC903 (and other road models link the Nimbl Ultimate Glide, Trek RSL, etc.) leverage wrapping components, the upper configuration Canyon Tempr CFR and Ride Concepts Tallac Mid BOA models utilize independent panels activated by the micro-adjustable BOA Fit System and wrapping from medial to lateral. Additionally, at least two panelswrap over the dorsal ridge, which is a key component of our wrapping panelsnot seen with theother brands.It is this specific configuration weve scientifically proven to secure the mid-foot and lock the heel back and down for the shared percentages around increased peak power and efficiency. PerformFitWrap is the term we use at BOA to denote this type of configuration scientifically validated to improve performance.BOA-powered models like the Shimano RC and XC902, 903, as well as a few other select models do not directly match the tested configuration, but offer some degree of wrap, and thus, likely offer some degree of similar benefits.Development & Testing LabIn addition to the Performance Fit Lab testing, BOA also has a full test lab on-site to ensure the dials are easily closed, opened, will last the life of the product, and shouldnt break easily. Their test facility includes torque gauges for maximum input torques, the Mr. Twister to test dials to failure, a cartridge to bayonet pulling test, environmental chambers with calibrated ISO sand, and lace guide interaction tests which run until laces or guides fail.To that effect, BOA claims to have a less than 0.5% warranty rate (which they cover with a lifetime guarantee). Their most common source of cutting warranties? That would be consumers accidentally cutting the cables when trying to remove the tags on new shoes. Oops.BOA has its own machine shop, testing, and development centers. But at the end of the day, they also have their own bar and space for movie premiers and events. All this is to say that while it may seem like your favorite shoe brand may have just slapped a BOA dial onto their latest upper, behind the scenes there is a massive amount of testing and development that has gone into that new shoe. Now, more than ever, that testing is looking into performance benefits and not just improving the fit. And it often starts right here, in Denver, Colorado.BOAfit.comThe post HQ Tour: In Denver Colorado, BOA is Tightening Its Grip on Performance appeared first on Bikerumor.

The world's best riders were open to manipulation via radio signals, until a team of researches discovered the flaw

CyclistRevolutions and evolutions: The latest bike wheel techThe wheel may be a 5,000-year-old invention but designers are still finding ways to make it lighter, faster, safer and more stable. In recent years, the focus for road bike wheels has been on making the switch from rim brakes to disc brakes. Before that, it was all about refining rim shapes to make them more aerodynamic. Now the market is looking at perfecting the interface between tyre and rim while squeezing out every drop of performance gains in terms of grams shaved and watts saved. Manufacturers are also taking a hard look at their environmental impact and exploring ways of making their products sustainable as well as desirable.Cyclist talked to some of the industrys leading figures to get an insight into the main changes that are happening in the world of wheels.Rim widthsThe advent of disc brakes not only helped to make road bikes stop quicker, but helped them go quicker as well, and one of the ways it achieved this was by making rims wider.Matthew Loveridge / CyclistJeff Schneider, global head of product at Giant and Cadex wheels, says that the development of wider rim widths was in progress even before disc brakes came along: Companies such as Shimano and Bontrager were trying to widen out their rims, but it got to the point where a rim brake calliper just didnt have the leverage.Now that rims no longer need to pass through rim brake callipers they can be made wider, which means they can accommodate larger-volume tyres without getting a lightbulb profile shape that can make tyres squirm while cornering. Bigger tyres can be run at lower pressures, which improves compliance, rolling resistance and keeps more rubber in contact with the road for grip. A wider rim also means the transition from tyre to rim is smoother, which can improve aerodynamics.Tom Marchment, product manager at British brand Hunt, says the increase in rim width has fundamentally improved rider experience: There has been a far larger increase in the percentage change in rim width than tyre width. So youre getting more support at the base of the tyre. Therefore at lower pressures youve got more support closer to the bed of the tyre, which increases the feeling of stable cornering.So now the question is: what is the correct width? Harrison Macris, co-founder and CEO of Princeton CarbonWorks, says, Whenever the industry investigates a trend, we swing hard one way and we push it and we push it and then, eventually, the pendulum swings back and we coalesce around certain parameters.It seems the industry has experimented with ever wider rim widths but is finding that it is possible to go too wide. As Macris says, If you employ a crazy rim width and then the rider loses confidence in cornering with a super-wide tyre at low psi then they wont be fast.Jake Pantone, vice president of product and brand at Enve, is another who believes the industry is now running out of reasons to go wider: Weve done some prototyping of wider widths but it seems that for tyres around 28mm to 32mm, the 25mm internal width is the point where diminishing returns starts to kick in. We dont see any real demand from the data side to go wider than that.Hookless rimsThe rise of tubeless tyres has been the catalyst for the development of hookless rims a system that has been used on motor-vehicle and mountain bike wheels for years but which is still new for the road bike market. A hookless rim simply does away with the protruding hooks of the rim walls that help to hold standard clincher tyres in place. Instead, the hookless rim wall is flat, with the tubeless tyre being held in place by pressure alone.The benefits are that rims can be made lighter because there is less material, and more cheaply because of a simpler manufacturing process. And the way the tyre sits in the rim gives a profile that can be more aerodynamic. The issues with hookless are that fitting tolerances have to be very fine, and tyre/rim compatibility exact, to prevent the tyre blowing off the rim and there have been high-profile cases of this happening even in the pro peloton.Jake RytlewskiHowever, as the technology has developed, problems have been ironed out, although the industry is split as to whether hookless will become the tubeless standard.There are holdouts in the industry that are anti-hookless, but its here to stay, says Schneider at Cadex. The benefits are obvious. You can make a stronger, lighter and more robust rim by going hookless because youre not breaking the continuous flow of the fibre through the rim.Pantone at Enve agrees: If youre building a proper tubeless rim, there is no reason for a hook to exist. If the tyre is constructed properly, it will never interface with the hook bead. The only thing keeping a tyre on a rim after the tyre has lost its pressure is actually the press fit of the bead onto the bead seat.However, Macris at Princeton CarbonWorks is not convinced that hookless is the application best suited for a sport where amateur riders often perform their own maintenance.Charlotte HeadTake cars. They have a machine that stretches that metal bead onto the wheel under incredible force. Thats necessary for hookless to work safely. We need to be able to fix these bikes by hand. I would not bet the farm on hookless technology.The WorldTour has splashed some fuel on this particular fire. Thomas De Gendts crash in the 2024 UAE Tour and Johannes Adamietzs at Strade Bianche while riding hookless wheels caused the UCI to open an investigation into the technology. Aside from issuing some noncommittal recommendations to follow ISO standards, though, further action has been delayed until at least the 2025 season. Hooklesss role in those incidents is still hotly debated.Environmental issuesCarbon fibre is, in many ways, the perfect material for making wheels. Its light, stiff and can be moulded into complex shapes. But one problem with it is its sustainability once a thermoset carbon wheel has reached the end of its useful life its only fit for landfill. However, a saviour may have arrived in the form of thermoplastics a different kind of carbon composite.Matius Lauryssens, product manager for Bontrager, says, Thermoset carbon, once it has been chemically cured, can never soften again. Not so for thermoplastics. They can be melted repeatedly without degrading. And its a 20-second process.Unlike thermoset carbon, thermoplastics are fully recyclable. Whats more, the usual method of curing carbon requires long periods in an oven at high temperatures, and prior to curing the prepreg carbon needs to be stored at well below 0C, so the environmental benefits of avoiding these processes are clear. But what of the performance criteria of thermoplastics?Macris from Princeton says, I like them because theyre tough, but I dont know if a thermoplastic is going to give us the stiffness that we want.Lauryssens acknowledges that to achieve the same stiffness as a thermoset wheel, Bontrager needs to use more thermoplastic material: Sure, the material is a little softer, but we can achieve the same stiffness. It allows us the flexibility to make complex shapes.Extra material means extra weight, but it does seem that thermoplastics could provide benefits in terms of vibration absorption. Pro team Lidl-Trek rode Bontragers thermoplastic wheels at Paris-Roubaix and, according to Lauryssens, the feedback was very positive: They took the weight penalty in order to get that amazing vibration and impact reduction.Variable rim depthsWavy rim profiles first appeared with Zipps NSW range, and have subsequently appeared in different forms on a handful of other brands. As well as providing a certain aesthetic allure, the designs claim is to be aerodynamic while providing better stability in crosswinds.Its worth noting the technology hasnt been universally adopted and is not without its detractors. Pantone at Enve says, Sawtooth rims dont add any value or stability other than that they look cool. Schneider at Cadex agrees, saying, Its more of a marketing piece than a real story.Hunt doesnt produce any variable depth rims, but development engineer Patrick Brown is less dismissive, and characterises the design as one that must live with its own flaws: There are aero benefits and drawbacks side by side.Mike MassaroPrinceton CarbonWorks is one brand that has adopted variable rim depths, getting into a legal dispute along the way with Zipp over a possible patent infringement although this has been concluded, to the industrys benefit: Now that the trial is over, were seeing more variable-depth wheels come to market. says Macris.How numerous these releases are will give us an idea of how the industry rates the efficacy of variable depth rims, though that will be tempered by the realities of styles purchasing power over substance.Ratcheting up the ratchetIs it time for a new freehub?The popularity of ratchet freehubs is gathering pace thanks to the expiry of DT Swisss star ratchet patent, meaning other brands can now include them in their designs.Most freehubs currently use a pawl system (shown above), which relies on small, sprung prongs pawls projecting off the freehub body and engaging with teeth machined into the inside of the rear hub shell. The ratchet system, meanwhile, uses two spring-loaded metal rings with angled teeth that engage when the hub is turned in one direction, but slide over each other when the hub is turned the other way (below right).The potential benefits of ratchets include more points of contact (therefore lower stress on each of them), greater simplicity, easier servicing and improved reliability thanks to having fewer bits to go wrong.I like ratchets because theres a larger engagement surface, says Harrison Macris, CEO of Princeton CarbonWorks, which offers both types of hubs. Playing around with diameters and materials can save weight too.For Patrick Brown, development engineer at Hunt, ratchet technology is well positioned: Its future-proofed against modern, wider gravel bike ratios while offering some more versatility.Jake Pantone at Enve says he cant fault a good ratchet system, but cost can be an issue: You need premium materials to manufacture a good ratchet.In short, pawl freehubs arent desperately in need of replacement. When well made, they work perfectly efficiently, but with ratchets offering benefits in terms of performance and durability, were sure to see more of them in hubs to come.Death of the home mechanicLizzie CrabbContinuous, uninterrupted rim systems might create more problems than they solveThe developments in undrilled rim beds are providing benefits for manufacturers and riders, but they do throw up technical hurdles of their own. By creating rims without the need for spoke holes, the rim beds can be smooth, so dont require rim tape, and the whole structure can be stiffer and potentially lighter. Taken to its extreme, a fully integrated wheel system combines spokes, monocoque rim and hub into one continuous form, as seen in the Syncros Capital SL wheelset released last year.Its an impressive engineering feat, says Hunts Patrick Brown, and they have a light weight for that depth. We are also looking at monocoque hub systems but with truable spokes. Theres a balance to be struck.By that he means fully integrated wheels leave no room for adjustments or repairs, something that isnt good for the user or the environment. Jake Pantone at Enve agrees: The trade-offs are too great. Ride quality suffers and for every wheel that comes out well, another four get scrapped.For Jeff Schneider at Cadex, continuous wheel systems represent a step back in terms of design, which is why Cadex went for a halfway house design, where the spokes and hubshell are integrated but the spokes remain trueable at the rim. This aims to save weight while retaining practicality.Otherwise you cant manage stiffness, which is so critical, says Schneider. Youre giving up control of your own product.The post Revolutions and evolutions: The latest bike wheel tech appeared first on Cyclist.

A star of the cyclocross and mountain bike calendars, Puck Pieterse's road racing career has been somewhat limited so far. In her first ever stage race at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes however, the 22-year-old has shone, including her first ever professional road victory ahead of Demi Vollering on...