Well, vacation is now just a memory, and its great to be back at the edge of the city in a landscape blighted by lousy drivers in fraudulently-registered vehicles and strewn with discarded Citi Bikes:Its always a little bit hard to come back to New York City. (Even though the photo above is actually Yonkers.) When pressed about why we live here, New Yorkers generally cite all the culture we dont take part in and then ultimately fall back on the restaurants, which is the New York City version of Stockholm Syndrome. Plus, the restaurants are now just making the city even worse, since you cant get anywhere without having to dodge food delivery people on motorscooters.So which bike did you bring with you on your vacation?, youre probably not wondering. Well, the terrain up there calls for decent tire clearance and wide-range gearing, and in years past standout performers have included the Milwaukee, the Jones, and the A. Homer Hilsen. However, this year after much deliberation I made a wildly impetuous last-second decision to bring a bicycle with none of those attributes. Instead, having noted its resemblance to the Starfleet insignia from Star Trek, I went with George Plimptons Y-Foil, a.k.a. The Charity Ride Destroyer, almost entirely for a single photo-op:That is the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, NYand yes, William Shatner will indeed be appearing there in November:I should point out that William Shatner is 93 years old, so the fact that hes still willing and able to travel all the way to Ticonderoga of all places to entertain his fans is deeply impressive. While Im not a Trekkie myself, even Im tempted to return for the event, if only to get the Y-Foil signed. Sure, George Plimptons Y-Foil may be special, but George Plimptons Y-Foil signed by Admiral James T. Kirk would be nothing short of a priceless artifact.But theres also another reason I brought the Y-Foil. As a short-lived bike with a polarizing design the Y-Foil is something of a cult bike, as well as a blank canvas upon which bike nerds of all stripes have projected various expressions of dorkiness:But while I always thought of it as just an aero bike for people with Tridork tendenciesI recently learned it was designed to accept a suspension fork, and ancient forum threads indicate that it was in fact specifically developed for Paris-Roubaix:No. The last time Trek had a bike disqualified for Paris Roubaix, it cost them a fortune. The Y-Foil (Y66 & Y77) models were designed from the get-go to be a Paris Roubaix bike, with a taller standard fork that you could substitute a Rockshox Ruby suspension fork for, without changing the geometry.So if the Y-Foil was actually meant to be a cobble-killer then I and many others have had this bike completely wrong all these years. This I thought could be a fun subject for a new Outside column, and Ive even got a call set up with a former Trek engineer who worked on the bike to learn more. In the meantime though I figured I should see how it handles Vermont gravel:Ill save the rest for the Outside column, which will probably be the first time any mainstream lifestyle publication has mentioned the Y-Foil since 1997, when it made the cover of Bicyclings Editors Choice issue:All I could find was the cover, but I bet they didnt test it on gravel because in 1997 riding bicycles on gravel hadnt been invented yet. Clearly though they were so dazzled by the bikes radical shape and golden hue that they didnt even notice it was in the small-small combo. I suppose it would be similarly easy not to notice a shapely bikini model has spinach in her teeth while shooting the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.Also like thongs, there has long been prurient interest in bikes without seat tubes. Consider the curiously named Flying Gatewhich evidently you can still buy:Or how about an artisanal Y-Foil made from titanium?And if youve given up on the idea of ever uncrossing your eyes again theres always the RoundTail:It will liberate you from the tyranny of the triangle:With conventional diamond geometry, jarring vibrations are channeled directly to the riders spine. For any rider in any discipline, comfort matters, which is why bike companies have spent millions developing composites to deliver a more comfortable ride. But they have been stuck for decades, enslaved to the concept of a triangle.Heres more from the inventor:Like the Y-Foil, the RoundTail is designed to provide additional comfort by introducing a little vertical flex in the rearand also like the Y-Foil it harkens back to a time before it occurred to anybody that an easier way of doing that would be to design a bike that allowed for slightly larger tires. Note how nobody here is on tires wider than 25mm, including those riders of ample frame:Speaking of wide tires, I didnt only bring the Y-Foil with me:I may be crazy, but Im not stupid.

How former WorldTour pro Tom Danielson turned surgical amputation into life-changing inspiration

The 16th stage of the Vuelta a Espaa will be a mountainous day. The Collada Llomena and summit finish at Lagos de Covadonga will provide enough difficulties for the riders to tackle and Ben O'Connor will once again be put to the test.Follow our Live Blog below!

The Surly Moonlander 2.0 has arrived, and it pushes the limits of production fat bikes like never before with massive 6.2-inch tires, a Pinion gearbox, and 197mm front and rear spacing! Naturally, we had to take Surly's new rock-crawling beast out on the roughest terrain around before today's launch. Find our full Surly Moonlander review here, complete with a video, pros and cons, all the specs, and a full photo gallery...The post Surly Moonlander Review: SRSLY!? appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Team says it is 'excited to race' and 'respects everyone's right to free speech'

CyclistTour deRomandie Fminin: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to knowThe Tour de Romandie Fminin kicks off this week, running from Friday 6th September until Sunday 8th September. The womens stage race through French-speaking Switzerland will take place for the third time this year, with Demi Vollering and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio having won the first two editions.The race falls just one month before Switzerland hosts the UCI World Road Championships, so should prove to be an ideal tune-up for those looking to target the rainbow jersey in Zrich later this month.The three-stage race will also see Tour de France Femmes champion Kasia Niewiadoma return to racing for the first time since her triumph atop Alpe dHuez last month. In fact, the full podium from the Tour Niewiadoma, Demi Vollering and Pauliena Rooijakkers will all be present on the start line in Romandy. Other big names in attendance include World Champion Lotte Kopecky, Juliette Labous, vita Muzic, Neve Bradbury, Gaia Realini and former Swiss champion Marlen Reusser.Tour de Romandie Fminin 2024: Key informationTour de RomandieDates: Friday 6th September to Sunday 8th SeptemberStart: La Grande BrocheFinish: MorgesTotal length: 379.9km (three stages)Total elevation gain: 5,130mUK television coverage: Discovery+2023 winner: Demi Vollering (SD Worx) Related Posts My dreams are bigger now: Sarah Gigante Q&A Who won the most prize money at the Tour de France Femmes 2024? The best photos from the Tour de France Femmes 2024 Tour of Britain 2024: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know Tour de Romandie Fminin 2024 routeTour de RomandieThe 2024 Tour de Romandie Fminin takes place across the French-speaking Romandy region in the west of Switzerland. This years route spans three road stages, starting in La Grande Broche and finishing in Morges.The parcours covers two hilly stages either side of Stage 2s mountainous summit finish in Vercorin. All the towns hosting the 2024 edition of the race are newcomers with the exception of Lausanne, which held the opening stage of the 2022 race won by Arlenis Sierra. Vercorin on Stage 2 has never hosted a stage finish in a mens or womens pro race.Stage 1: La Grande Broche to Lausanne, 133.8kmThe opening stage of the womens Tour de Romandie will take the riders on a postcard lap around Switzerlands biggest lakes. Starting in La Grande Broche on the banks of Lac de Neuchtel, the route then negotiates some rolling terrain before the race opens up on the shore of Lake Geneva.The final challenge of the day will come in Lausanne, the home city of this years Olympics. The approach to the finish line will last 2.2km at an average gradient of 4.6%. This finish will be familiar to fans of the mens Tour de France, having been used on Stage 8 of the 2022 Tour.in terms of predictions, look no further than Kopecky.Stage 2: Chippis to Vercorin, 101.9kmWe move into the mountains for Stage 2 as the race weaves its way around the mountainous end of the Rhnevalley before the climb to the finish. The profile is mostly flat for the first part of the stage, bar a categorised climb up to Varen.However, the final sting in the tail comes in the final 10km with the climb up to Vercorin. The climb is 9.6km at a 8.2% average gradient. This Category 1 test will be the hardest climb of the 2024 race, and the only summit finish on the menu this year. The summit, at 1,319m, will be the highest point in the 2024 race.For the GC riders, the climb up to Vercorin will be pivotal and will likely decide the fate of the podium candidates. For Vollering, it will be her chance to use the climb to seal a back-to-back victory in the Swiss race. Other hopefuls such as Frances vita Muzic may also challenge on this kind of slope.Stage 3: Morges to Morges, 144.2kmThe Tour de Romandie Fminin ends with a punchy stage around Lake Geneva, finishing in the town of Morges.At around 40km to go, the climb of Signal du Bougy is well place to shake up proceedings. The sharp, 4km long climb at 6% is hard enough, and close enough to the finish, that any time gaps that open up could well be decisive. After some shorter inclines, the road will dive down back into the lakeside town for one last chance for glory.This stage could be fought out by a breakaway, or if the GC is tight, by the favourites in a select group. Either way, it should be an unpredictable finale to the 2024 edition.Tour de Romandie Fminin 2024: How to watch on live TV and streamingKeystone-SDA Sport/Tour de RomandieThe 2024 Tour de Romandie Fminin will be available to watch onDiscovery+. The cheapest planfor the streaming service is 6.99 per month, which includes cycling and all other Eurosport programmes.It is being broadcast across 198 countries, but its not being shown in your country, you may be able to watch coverage using a VPN Virtual Private Network which allows users to mask their IP address and watch geo-blocked content, provided they dont need to pay for a subscription. This is also helpful for watching paid-for coverage while travelling abroad in countries without access. One such example isExpressVPN, which is verywell reviewed, helps users to find a way to watch cycling without having to pay for broadcasters services, and costs 5.36 per month, with three months free.Other options includeNordVPN,SurfsharkandKapersky.Tour de Romandie Fminin 2024 broadcast timesTour de RomandieAll times BST and subject to change by broadcastersStage 1: Friday 6th SeptemberDiscovery+:13:00-16:00Stage 2: Saturday 7th SeptemberDiscovery+:13:00-16:00Stage 3: Sunday 8th SeptemberDiscovery+:13:00-16:00Tour de Romandie Fminin 2024 start listTour de RomandieData powered by FirstCycling.com Related Posts My dreams are bigger now: Sarah Gigante Q&A Who won the most prize money at the Tour de France Femmes 2024? The best photos from the Tour de France Femmes 2024 Tour of Britain 2024: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know The post Tour deRomandie Fminin: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know appeared first on Cyclist.

For a few years now, every time Eddie Dunbar picks up some momentum, injury, illness or bad luck seems to strike. At the 2024 Vuelta a Espana however, the Irishman was finally rewarded for his efforts, taking the biggest win of his career on stage 11."Since the Vuelta last year, I think I've come of...

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With three of the last four Grand Tours having been won by either Tadej Pogacar or Jonas Vingegaard, with the latter also coming second to his own teammate at the 2023 Vuelta a Espana, the superstar rivals have suffocated the top of the GC standings in recent years.At the 2024 Vuelta a Espana howev...

Esteemed ultra-endurance cyclist Lachlan Morton is gearing up for his longest and most ambitious challenge yet. Later this week, he'll depart on a 14,200-kilometer lap around Australia to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Get the scoop here...The post Lachlan Morton is Taking on the Around Australia Record appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.