Neil tested the Pivot Mach 4 SL over the last several months, taking it on a multitude of trail rides and a bikepacking trip along the Madrean Rugged Ramble in Arizona. Continue reading for his review with thoughts on how the brand’s latest full-suspension XC race bike performs while loaded, some interesting sizing findings, and how it handles his burly home trails around Gunnison, Colorado... The post Pivot Mach 4 SL Review: A Bikepacking Rocket Ship appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Amidst misery, Tim Merlier has been the only member of the Soudal - Quick-Step's classics group who can be somewhat satisfied with his own performances, winning the Nokere Koerse, finishing second at Brugge-De Panne and 8th at hard Gent-Wevelgem. At Wednesday's Scheldeprijs, which should go down in...

“It’s shocking that on a route some of Team GB use to ride home they can put lives in danger like this,” one local cyclist said

Cyclist Where Paris-Roubaix 2024 will be decided, part 2: Mons-en-Pévèle ‘If you get through here, you’ve really made it to the “final” of Paris-Roubaix,’ says Mat Hayman, now sports director at Jayco-AlUla, ‘although there is still a way to go.’ The Australian labels the 3km section of cobbles at Mons-en-Pévèle, which comes just 50km from the finish in Vélodrome André-Pétrieux, as key to his own victory here in 2016. It was also key in his failure to defend his title in 2017. ‘Often it’s where the race really gets broken up, which means it’s nice to get off Mons-en-Pévèle and be at the front, as you know you’re really in the mix then.’ So much so that Hayman points out that the first five riders off that section in 2016 – him, Tom Boonen, Ian Stannard, Sep Vanmarcke and Edvald Boasson Hagen – made up the top five at the finish in Roubaix. Related Posts Grubers’ Paris-Roubaix gallery: Finding heaven in Hell Where Paris-Roubaix 2024 will be decided, part 3: Carrefour de l’Arbre Where Paris-Roubaix 2024 will be decided, part 4: Roubaix Velodrome Where Paris-Roubaix 2024 will be decided, part 1: The Arenberg Forest Kevin Faingnaert ‘It really is a very good indicator of how people are going.’ While the famous Arenberg Forest and Carrefour de l’Arbre sectors of pavé are never far from anyone’s lips when talking shop about Paris-Roubaix, Mons-en-Pévèle, introduced into the race in 1978 and a regular feature ever since, may just be the most significant sector that doesn’t come to mind. But you might say ‘oh yeah!’ when you’re reminded that it was here in 2016 that Fabian Cancellara was eliminated from among Hayman’s potential rivals after taking a tumble. It was a crash that saw World Champion Peter Sagan all-but bunnyhop one-footed over the Swiss rider’s bouncing bike and somehow stay upright, riding on as though nothing had happened. It’s also where, in 2006, George Hincapie busted his handlebars (actually it was his steerer tube that snapped) and subsequently his collarbone in the resulting crash. ASO/Pauline Ballet The incident left him sitting in the bordering field in disbelief at what had just unfolded, shedding tears of pain mixed with tears of frustration and the knowledge that it wasn’t going to be the year that he bettered his second place of 2005. And although he’d return another five times for a crack at it – riding the event a total of 17 times during his career – second was as good as it would ever get for the American, or indeed any American. However, for Cancellara, there were happier times on Mons-en-Pévèle’s pavé in 2010 when he attacked – or ‘simply’ rode away from – sole hanger-on Björn Leukemans to solo to the finish. It was the second of what would eventually be three wins at Roubaix (including twice doing the ‘Flanders-Roubaix double’ in 2010 and 2013) before his retirement at the end of the 2016 season. Missed the first in this series? Check out Where Paris-Roubaix will be decided part 1: The Arenberg Forest The post Where Paris-Roubaix 2024 will be decided, part 2: Mons-en-Pévèle appeared first on Cyclist.

The fourth edition of the women's Scheldeprijs was won by the sole rider who has won this race. Lorena Wiebes has won for the fourth consecutive time and remains the only rider to win this race, beating Charlotte Kool as was the case in 2023. A fast day on the bike with a lot of wind, the breakaway...

The Italian brand has gone all out with MIPS tech, e-bike certification and a 5-star rating from Virginia Tech Helmet LabBluegrass JetroEver felt like you needed more protection than an open-face helmet, but without the chin bar of a full-face? Bluegrass …Continue reading »

The latest funky, comfort-focused handlebar from Redshift is the all-new Top Shelf Bar, an aluminum drop bar with either 50 or 70 millimeters of rise and ample room for mounting bags and accessories. Learn more about the Redshift Top Shelf Bar here... The post The Redshift Top Shelf Bar is a Riser Drop Bar appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Cyclist Tour of Flanders tech gallery: Eddy Merckx returns and carbon chainrings The cobbled Classics are some of the most interesting races of the year for bike tech, and of course the Tour of Flanders is no different. Although Paris-Roubaix has seen more extreme setups over the years, Flanders’ combination of cobbles and steep climbs means teams can’t usually just rock up on the same bike they use all year, and they’ve refined their choices over winter as well as earlier Classics like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Before he captured the chaos of the Koppenberg, photographer Xavier Pereyron went behind the scenes to check out this year’s selection of bike tech at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Related Posts Tour of Flanders gallery: Koppenbergcross spring edition Strade Bianche tech gallery: Bikes of the Women’s WorldTour Omloop Het Nieuwsblad tech gallery: Van Aert’s Cervélo Soloist, 30mm tyres, Lidl-Trek on tubs? All the WorldTour team bikes, tech and kit 2024 Xavier Pereyron Eddy Merckx bikes has returned, and the Flanders-Baloise team are riding them in 2024. Xavier Pereyron Wonder what Eddy’s thoughts on 30mm tyres at Flanders are. Xavier Pereyron Once a sight reserved for the front end of stages races, Movistar have become a Classics powerhouse in part thanks to the owner of this Canyon Aeroad, Oier Lazkano. Xavier Pereyron The 54/41 chainring isn’t anything crazy these days. Xavier Pereyron Movistar’s SRAM sponsorship means they use Time pedals. Xavier Pereyron Jayco-AlUla’s Giants are one of, if not the, best looking bikes in the men’s peloton. Xavier Pereyron After the UCI’s new regulations on turned-in hoods, the teams are limited in how far they can turn in, Jayco-AlUla are taking the gains they can. Xavier Pereyron Bling for Bling. Michael Matthews almost had back-to-back Monument podiums but got punished for his sprint and relegated. Xavier Pereyron Stunning. Xavier Pereyron Vittoria seems to run the show this season, with its Corsa Pro tyres seemingly the most prominent in the peloton. Xavier Pereyron Jayco-AlUla are Shimano all round. Xavier Pereyron Intermarché’s Cubes are probably the most aesthetically underrated in the WorldTour, this one’s Biniam Girmay’s. Xavier Pereyron They use Continental GP 5000s on Newmen wheels. Xavier Pereyron Their Shimano Dura-Ace groupset is paired with Look’s new pedals. Xavier Pereyron Groupama-FDJ have moved on from Lapierre for the first time in 2024, this Wilier propelled Stefan Küng to 41st! Their best placed finisher was Valentin Madouas in 16th. Xavier Pereyron Guess whose bike this is. Xavier Pereyron This one gives the game away. Xavier Pereyron The chosen one. Soon to be lofted at the finish line. Xavier Pereyron Decathlon’s Van Rysel bikes are another 2024 addition, and they could hardly have wished for a better start, Oliver Naesen was the team’s highest placed finisher in seventh. This particular bike didn’t make it to the finish with Edvald Boasson Hagen. Xavier Pereyron They’re very clean. Xavier Pereyron The team switched out their Shimano Dura-Ace chainrings for lightweight Carbon-TI ones. Xavier Pereyron While EF changed their kit to a pretty rubbish black number, their Cannondale bikes maintained enough pink that they’d stand out on the road. Xavier Pereyron They were running 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres. Xavier Pereyron Their chainring switch has always been for a spider chainring, this year’s is FSA’s K-Force Team Edition. Xavier Pereyron Visma-Lease a Bike’s fleet was up against it with no Wout van Aert. Xavier Pereyron They were also on 30mm Vittorias. Xavier Pereyron Their Cervélo S5s are all fitted with SRAM Blip shifters on the inside of the drops. Xavier Pereyron Despite a new SRAM Red on the horizon, it’s still the old version currently for Visma. Xavier Pereyron BMC are out of the WorldTour but still appearing at big races with Swiss team Tudor. Xavier Pereyron They’re committing to edging the boundary of the UCI’s regulations. Xavier Pereyron Matteo Trentin rode this Sella Italia 3D printed saddle to a solid 19th. Xavier Pereyron Soudal-QuickStep’s Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8s were light on bar tape. Xavier Pereyron They use Specialized parts wherever possible. Xavier Pereyron And it’s full Shimano Dura-Ace. Julian Alaphilippe finished 70th. Xavier Pereyron It wasn’t a great day out for Bahrain Victorious and their Meridas. Xavier Pereyron They were also using the same Carbon-TI chainrings as Decathlon-AG2R. Xavier Pereyron And keep their bars as narrow as possible. Xavier Pereyron It’s only a matter of time before we never see a road shoe again. Aero shoe covers are taking over – although in this instance they’re probably more helpful for keeping out the dirt than reducing drag. Xavier Pereyron Shoe brand Nimbl is owned by Cervélo and Lease a Bike owner Pon Holdings, but Uno-X’s Alexander Kristoff is also sporting Nimbl footwear. The team’s Dare bikes have Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets with an FSA crankset. Xavier Pereyron Good or bad advert for the shoe covers? You decide. Xavier Pereyron Despite taking a battering around the toe area, that front portion is incredibly white. Xavier Pereyron Finally, women’s World Champion Lotte Kopecky rode this lovely S-Works Tarmac SL8 to a disappointing – for her – fifth. Roubaix next. Let there be mud. The post Tour of Flanders tech gallery: Eddy Merckx returns and carbon chainrings appeared first on Cyclist.

Although Scheldeprijs is not a Women's World Tour event, it is certainly high up there when it comes to the most presitigious races pointed towards the sprinters throughout the season. Lorena Wiebes continues to make history as after four editions, she continues to be the only rider having won here....