Hill climber Illi Gardner added more iconic climbs to her trophy cabinet

On the 22nd of September the international peloton will begin the World Championships in Zurich. The first event will be the individual time-trial, and so the best time-trialists from all around the world will face off in Switzerland to battle for the rainbow jersey. We preview the race ahead.The r...

Before Gravel Mania, and before Fixed-Gear Fever, there was Mountain Bike Madness:It seems positively quaint today that riding mountain bikes in an urban environment would warrant a TV news segment, but back then it did:Then again, were talking about Canada, and what else really happens there?Anyway, at the end one of the interviewees poses an insightful and prescient question:When you can buy mountain bikes at Canadian Tire for $99.95 instead of $700 at a specialty bike shop itll be interesting to see if the upscale market segment that has to be different, or that has to have its pasta homemade, whether that particular group will continue to stay there or whether theyll go on and find another specialized leisure commodity.Well here we are almost 40 years later, and checking the Canadian Tire website he was only off by two cents:On one hand the mountain bike did become the default form factor (ugh) for the department store bicycle, and the yuppies (or their generational successors) did indeed move onthe 90s saw the road bike boom, then came the fixed-gear craze of the aughts, and eventually gravel, along with concomitant news stories about the next big thing. On the other hand, the high-end mountain bike itself continued to evolve, and eventually became something that bore little resemblance to the simple, versatile bikes of yore and instead grew to resemble motocross bikesso much so that now more and more of them even have motors:Meanwhile, on yet another hand (thats three hands if youre keeping track) the sporty yet rugged town-and-country appeal of the mountain bike soon yielded a new type of all-around bike called the hybrid:[From here.]Today hybrid is synonymous with dull, but for a little while there it was rather exciting:Obviously these were the forebears of todays gravel bikes, but just as todays mountain bikes hardly resemble their ancestors, modern gravel bikes have also evolved into a completely different species:Theres certainly nothing wrong with that if its what youre into, but if you long for an alternate reality in which those original mountain bikes and hybrids underwent continual refinement yet did not completely throw off their former selves, then you can begin to appreciate something like this:[Photo: Arlo Weiss]And while I bristle at the implication that Im some sort of yuppie eater of homemade pasta, I have nevertheless gratuitiously fancified my ass pedestal situation:Though Ive undermined the improved aesthetics somewhat by installing a pair of Ergon grips, which look less like a bicycle component and more like something youd find in a CVS next to the Dr. Scholls:From this lofty perch yesterday I engaged in some of the avian photography for which I am famous:And also enjoyed some early evening trail riding:While some might consider the two-speed drivetrain an affront to the singlespeed ethos, in a way its an even bolder statement. See, Big Bicycle has robbed us of all but one chainring in the front and keeps adding more and larger cogs in the rear:So what could be more anti-establishment than having only one cog in the rear and multiple chainrings in the front? Also, a thread-on singlespeed freewheel is the very antithesis of a 13-speed cassette that costs $600:Which pairs with a $700 derailleur:Which you need because apparently gravel has become sentient and is now capable of throwing things at you:Yes, fortunately after years of finicky indexing systems and fragile derailleur hangers, you can now spend thousands of dollars on a system thats almost as reliable as a steel bike with a friction drivetrain from 40 years agojust as long as you remember to charge it:How far weve come.

Jesse Ewart, who rode for Terengganu Cycling, has been banned until 2027

The Arka - B&B Hotels team has announced the renewal of Spaniard Cristin Rodrguez for two more seasons. The 29-year-old climber, a Spanish native, has secured two more seasons among the best in the international peloton.The cyclist is delighted with the renewal and to remain with a squad with whi...

Go in for screenwash, come out with a 3,800 e-bikeHalfords is set to become more than just your go-to for entry level bikes and wiper blades after increasing its Continue reading

Next up in our Budget Bikepacking Build-Off series, which challenges our editors to assemble a bikepacking rig and camping kit for under $500, we share Miles's 1993 Univega Via Carisma. Find details on his bike and photos from a stunning overnighter on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast with insight into his money-saving strategy that prospective bikepackers might appreciate here...The post Budget Bikepacking Build-Off: Miless 1993 Univega Via Carisma appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Mattias Skjelmose holds the hopes of the Danes going into the 2024World Championships in Switzerland. Just days out from things getting underway inZrich however, the Lidl-Trek star has been forced to abandon the Tour de Luxembourg following a crash on stage 2."Not a good news from Tour de Luxembo...

There is no doubt that the 2024 World Championship circuit is very hard and more than likely better suited to Tadej Pogacar than to Mathieu van der Poel. Is it still possible that the 2023 world champion can take the Rainbow Jersey once again though?In Zrich there will be 3 hard climbs, 2 of them s...