The mens elite road race on Sunday, September 29th,promises to be a spectacle of endurance, tactics, and explosive attacks. As themarquee event of the 2024 UCI Road World Championships, cycling fans around theglobe will be watching closely, especially to see if defending champion Mathieuvan der...

Nic Morales had never participated in a bike race and didnt see the function of having someone else tell him how and where to ride his bike. Yet after years of hearing nothing but positive things about what went on in Stillwater, Oklahoma, he was drawn to their weirdest and newest event, Mega Mid South. In this piece, Nic dives into his journey across the Oklahoma plains and what exactly powers Americas most eclectic gravel event...The post Finding Magic at the Inaugural Mega Mid South appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

CyclistBest seat in the house: behind the scenes at FizikWith a history stretching back nearly 30 years, Fizik is as established as they come, yet it could just as easily not have existed at all. The company is an offshoot of Selle Royal, a saddle manufacturer founded in 1956 and now regarded as the biggest in the world, with more than 80 design patents to its name and a proactive approach to new technology that means it should be able to enter any category it wants. But consumer perception is a funny old thing.Despite a desire to enter the performance market, Selle Royal had become synonymous with recreational cycling, so its team knew they needed to rebrand. So in 1996 Fizik was born or fizi:k, to give it its proper spelling and since then it has become one of the most recognised names in cycling. Related Posts Fizik One-to-One custom 3D printed saddle review Buyers guide: Best womens bike saddles 2024, reviewed by women Buyers guide: the best road bike saddles The brand was able to hit the ground running, says Giovanni Fogal, Fiziks brand manager. We could leverage Selle Royals expertise to produce quality saddles while our reputation and image were being built. Selle Royals initial need for Fizik meant weve always been conscious of branding and marketing, but its all backed by manufacturing. Our HQ is probably a good metaphor for this.Mike Massaro / CyclistHes not wrong. Situated near Vicenza, the industrial manufacturing heartland of northeast Italy, the brands premises are nestled sleekly among lush grounds. The buildings clean, angular metal frontage contrasts stylishly with the sprawling trees and jungly bushes all around.Its a similar story when you first walk inside: dark walls and bold decor is balanced with high ceilings and the clever use of natural light to create elegant, modern spaces. Yet go through some heavy, double-height doors and the facilitys beating heart is revealed via a series of gargantuan manufacturing halls. Style is subtly supported by substance.Every module makes a different saddle model. They sit on a huge carousel that rotates, with different components added and production processes occurring at different points in the rotation.Mike Massaro / CyclistTechnological progressionThe layout of the manufacturing space broadly charts the development of the company, says Fogal. Plenty of space is given over initially to the production of Selle Royals saddles. Subcomponents are carried in yellow boxes that move around the building on rails like a rollercoaster. They weave above and around walkways, converging on a carousel that contains a ring of metal modules. Every module moulds a different saddle shape and the yellow boxes get diverted to the appropriate module so that the complete saddle can be assembled. The setup has clearly been in use for decades; still perfectly functional but everything looks well worn-in. Rhythmic hissing and clanking provides a ponderous soundtrack to production.Mike Massaro / CyclistFurther down the facility theres an altogether more refined collection of machinery. This system is more modern and makes Fiziks saddles. Its also more automated, and its parts move more precisely. Huge robot arms shift complex mould modules, each the size of a person, from one place to another to expedite production. The noises change from clanks and hisses to clipped buzzes and whirs. That said, human finesse is still yet to be mechanically outdone here, so the final assembly of Fiziks saddles is often done by hand. Fiziks operatives work with the efficiency of the machines weve just passed but can sign off on quality control at the same time. In one self-contained chamber, however, there is technology that outperforms even the most skilled human: Fiziks 3D printers. 3D printed padding is seen as the cutting edge of saddle technology and Fizik is now taking it one step further by producing padding that is custom-printed to the individual (see box left).Mike Massaro / CyclistThough we are a long-standing company, we are always looking to the future, says Fogal. For example, these days sustainability has to go hand in hand with performance. Weve given much of the roof space over to solar panels, meaning our factory can run off-grid for most of the year. Plus we now use recycled saddles in some of our more conventional foam padding, which I think is a nice way to close the circle.Ups and downsFogal takes us away from the bustle of the factory floor back into Fiziks front of house. In a cavernous meeting room he begins to lay out how Fizik got to where it is today, because while Selle Royals resources gave it an auspicious start, the brand has long since followed its own path.Collaboration with teams and athletes has been crucial in us developing independently, he says. Fizik sponsors a number of WorldTour teams, such as Movistar and Visma-Lease a Bike. It was a long-time partner of Ineos Grenadiers (formerly Team Sky), and both Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome used Fizik saddles through most of their careers. Fiziks Arione shape, introduced in 2003, is an iconic racing saddle.Mike Massaro / CyclistThe brands success in the saddle game prompted it to delve into how every bike contact point interacts with the body, which led into developing its own shoes in the early 2010s.We had no industrial expertise to leverage this time, so it was much harder to start, but we had the clout by that point to recruit the talents and resources we needed. Now our shoes are just as popular as our saddles, says Fogal.A syringe refills the bath of resin that the printers use to make Fiziks Adaptive saddle padding. Precise beams of ultraviolet light are used to solidify resin onto a platform. The process adds layers from the bottom up, but upside down, so the finished saddle padding is built down into the resin bath.Mike Massaro / CyclistLooking to unify its offering across all three of a bikes contact points, Fizik went into bars and stems for a time, but has since moved out of that category (although it still offers bar tape).Components are complex, in a practical sense if nothing else so many SKUs [stock keeping units] for each bar and stem variation to keep track of, and we were beholden to bike trends. Once integration and proprietary setups became popular, that market was too difficult for us to continue in, Fogal says.Fizik 3D prints its saddle padding using two of these L1 printers made by additive manufacturing specialist Carbon.Mike Massaro / CyclistIt was a similar story for a brief foray into bibshorts: Functionally speaking it makes a lot of sense to consider saddle and chamois as complementary products, but the consumer perceives the two things separately. We still believe it makes a lot of sense anatomically, but the commercial rationale cannot be ignored.The newly printed padding is peeled off its plate, put in a centrifuge to draw out any excess resin lurking in the lattice, then dried off with a glorified hairdryer.Mike Massaro / CyclistA theme of shrewd business decisions to keep the company adapting to a changing market runs through Fogals narrative, which he puts down to building the right team.We are very selective with our recruitment because its possible to develop the skills and knowledge to do a job, but much harder to develop passion and the right mindset, he says.The result of Fiziks One-to-One custom process. This saddle padding has been printed to accommodate the pressure distribution of one specific rider.Mike Massaro / CyclistFogal says the best evidence of this approach came nearly ten years ago when Fizik diversified into gravel, an emerging discipline at the time.When I joined Fizik we were strictly about road performance, he says. But to stay contemporary we had to branch out. It proved the best decision we ever made.Fizik used its experience in road to move into gravel because the categories overlapped, then its presence in gravel gave it enough experience off-road to move into mountain biking.Now we cover all aspects of performance cycling, and the categories cross-pollinate and make each other better, says Fogal. It lets us reach new customers as well as follow along with existing ones, whatever direction they go on in their journey through cycling. That gives us confidence for the future.One on oneCustom 3D printed saddles are Fiziks latest ventureMike Massaro / CyclistThe saddle is arguably the most important contact point but the most difficult to get right, because it is subject to so many variables on the bike and the rider, says Giovanni Fogal, Fiziks brand manager.Conventional 3D printed designs are a step on from more basic foam-padded saddles because they allow the maker to create zones in the padding that vary in density but connect seamlessly, thereby offering more sophisticated support.Mike Massaro / CyclistBut as soon as we started using 3D printing for our saddles we knew there was the chance to fully realise its potential by printing padding that is specific to the individual, Fogal says.The additive manufacturing method Fizik employs is called digital light synthesis, whereby precise beams of ultraviolet light are used to solidify resin onto a platform. The process adds layers from the bottom up, but upside down, so the finished saddle padding is built down into the bath of resin. Mike Massaro / Cyclist3D printing specialist Carbon developed the technology, and Fizik already has two of the brands L1 printers on site to make its Adaptive saddle padding. Even at an industrial scale, 3D printing each piece of padding is a discreet process, so Fizik reasoned that each printing occasion could be made unique with little additional complexity in production.Fizik partnered with gebioMized, a German bikefit and pressure mapping specialist, which licensed the use of its pressure sensor mat a saddle cover containing 64 sensors so Fizik could gather the requisite pressure data. Fizik then worked with a software developer to build an algorithm into an app that translates the pressure data into a printing protocol. Custom padding, added to a best-fit base shape, should equal the perfect saddle. This article originally appeared in issue 156 of Cyclist magazine. Click here to subscribe Related Posts Fizik One-to-One custom 3D printed saddle review Buyers guide: Best womens bike saddles 2024, reviewed by women Buyers guide: the best road bike saddles The post Best seat in the house: behind the scenes at Fizik appeared first on Cyclist.

The post Cycling Lands End to John OGroats by E-Bike appeared first on Skedaddle Blog.

For those who can afford it, the Cadex Max 40 Wheelsystem offers a top-end package that delivers a light, fast and thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Back at the Paris Olympic Games earlier this summer, Kristen Faulkner wasn't even supposed to be taking part in the women's road race initially. After being drafted in late on though, the American sensationally fired herway to the gold medal. Can she now double up at the 2024World Championships?I...

Perhaps the most competitive segment of the MTB market is the quiver killer trail bike. Trail bikes are todays version of what the first-ever mountain bikes set out to be bikes that can handle any kind of terrain. Since there will never be one perfect combination of travel, wheel size, and geometry for everyone, Devinci split their updated Troy trail bike into two models.Ive been riding the 150mm/160mm Troy, which is more suitable for my local trails than the shorter travel Troy ST. The Troy impressed me with its initial sensitivity and eagerness to absorb bigger bumps, while not giving up the support youd want from a trail bike. The Troys short rear end and MX wheels also offer snappy handling and quick cornering, making this a capable and fun bike to ride.Devinci Troy GX AXS 12S Basic Specs:For a full rundown of all the features, specs, and geometry for the new Troys and Troy STs check out my launch article. Heres a quick rundown of the key specs on the Troy GX AXS 12S I tested:The Troy frame is built from Optimum G04 6061 T6 aluminum. This 5th generation model gets a fully redesigned frame with new features like straighter tubing, internal cable routing, in-frame storage, and UDH compatibility. This trail bike is on the more aggressive side, offering 150mm of rear travel and a 160mm fork. All sizes of the Troy come on MX wheels but can be converted to full 29 setups.The complete size medium Troy GX AXS 12S, including pedals, weighed in at 36.29 lbs.Ride Impressions Geometry/Fit:At 510, I rode a size medium Troy (and for geo reference, tested it with its stock MX wheelset). Devinci is up to date, but not pushing any boundaries with the Troys geometry. The Troy is big enough to feel like a trail bike of today, but Devinci has ensured it rides like a true trail bike, not a mini-enduro.This bike does not offer any geo adjustability if you keep it on MX wheels, but luckily Devinci chose very appropriate angles and measurements for it. As the chart above shows, you do have two geo options if you run a 29 rear wheel.The Troys 460mm reach is long enough to feel roomy, but not excessively lengthy. This allows the Troy to maintain a fairly playful ride feel and offer a degree of stability youd want from a modern trail bike. The Troys rear end is quite short at 432mm. This combined with the 27.5 rear wheel makes for impressively agile handling and quick cornering. Its also easy to lift the front end for wheelies and whip the bike around when jumping. After testing bikes with longer rear ends, I found they offer great traction on really steep climb sections. Despite the Troys shorter chainstays, I never had any issues with rear wheel traction on this bike. While some bikes reach and chainstay lengths are closer by the numbers, the Troy still feels very well-balanced. I rarely felt the need to get out of the saddle while climbing, but when I did the reasonable frame proportions made it easy to throw my body weight forward or back as needed.If I had to choose a fixed angle for a current trail bikes head tube, it would be 64 and thats what Devinci gave the Troy. This angle is slack enough for confident descending on steep, fast, and rough terrain, but it still handles tight uphill switchbacks nicely. A seat mast angle of 77.8 leaves you in a great position for putting power on the pedals.Devinci seems to have nailed an ideal BB height for the Troy at 343mm. It certainly doesnt feel high, but it seems its just high enough to avoid most pedal strikes. After many test rides, I hardly remember tagging my pedals on anything, and I did notice them just clearing several rocks or roots I usually watch out for.Suspension Setup:My suspension setup on the Troy followed my usual recipe for compression/rebound settings, and it worked out really well right away. Devincis linkage does require more air pressure than body weight = psi, so I ran 152 psi in the RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate rear shock for my 135 lbs weight. That put me at the 30% sag intended for the Troy. Throughout my testing I never felt the need to alter the settings; I dont think I could have improved upon the Troys ride qualities with further fidgeting!Climbing:The Troy proved to be a solid climber, and the one thing that stood out to me was its superb traction on bumpy singletrack trails. Like most bikes, I would use 40-60% of the travel climbing with the shock in firm mode. However, the Troy is very sensitive off the top, and that provided a comfortable ride and great grip even with the shock firmed up.On smooth surfaces, you can see the Troys rear end moving with your pedal strokes, but that motion is limited to the first bit of travel. With the shock in firm, the bike only dips slightly before its support ramps up and keeps it rolling along with good momentum. I also noticed when youre pushing hard on the pedals, the Troys linkage puts that power to the rear wheel very efficiently.After climbing a particularly technical, rough trail I hit 60% travel in firm mode. Even on this rocky ascent, I was perfectly happy with the traction I got in firm. The Troys initial sensitivity keeps its rear wheel planted on the trail, so personally I would run the shock in firm for any climb. I liked the helpful level of pedaling support and was never left wanting more traction.I did try bumping up the low-speed compression while climbing, but quickly decided using the shocks firm mode is easier and more effective. Increasing the LSC did provide more support against pedaling forces and reduced bobbing while in the saddle, but not as much as simply flipping the shocks switch.There is a big difference between climbing this bike with the shock in firm versus open mode. With the shock wide open, the Troy willingly dips deeper into its travel with a linear feel for at least the first half of its stroke. While seated, I noticed a lot more bob rolling through dips in the trail, and the rear end moved more during standing sprints. In open mode, I hit 75-80% travel while climbing the Troy.On smoother trails, the linkage itself still pedals fairly well, but on bumpy terrain, the open shock gives easily to impacts and doesnt match the efficiency of climbing in firm mode. Traction is incredible with the shock left open, but the Troy feels a lot more eager to climb with the shock in firm.Descending:When pointed downhill, I still found the Troys initial-to-mid range softness was its most unique and impressive ride quality. It smooths out small bumps in the trail in excellent fashion, but also handles medium and large hits very well too. As mentioned above the open shock offers an initially linear feel that sucks up bumps willingly, but there is a point where mid-stroke support kicks in.The Troys Split Pivot linkage does a great job of staying composed on rooty and rocky sections full of medium-sized bumps. The bike stays firmly planted through high-speed chatter and holds a line easily as the linkage absorbs and dulls the impacts of quick, repeated hits with ease. The Troy took the brunt out of almost every kind of impact very capably, making it an easy bike to keep on-line on rougher trails.The progressivity of the Troy suited me perfectly. After many rides, I would find the o-ring right at the bottom of the shock, yet I hadnt experienced any harsh bottom-outs or felt any cringe-worthy wheel impacts. I did manage a few hard knocks, but only on large, sharp-edged rocks and the bike still took those impacts well enough to keep me (and the rear wheel) rolling.While Ive emphasized how the Troy is soft off the top, it is still supportive at mid-stroke but perhaps a few mms deeper into the travel than some trail bikes. I like this suspension feel, as it offers top-notch bump absorption yet also maintains ample support for hard cornering, pumping, and jumping. On flowy trails, the Troys rear end was easily supportive enough to give it the lively ride qualities youd want from a trail bike. It just happens to eat up hits particularly well too.While Im not a very heavy rider, I found the Troys frame pretty stiff. One of my final rides was down a fast, rough run I love to use for suspension testing, and the Troy rallied straight through the roughest patches. This is not a bike that squirms or flexes noticeably, it stays pointed where you point it!Shed Frame Storage:The Troys Shed frame storage compartment isnt the largest out there, but it will carry the basic essentials. The latch mechanism is a bit small, but I had no problem operating it with gloves on and it functioned perfectly. I am happy to report I didnt hear any rattling from the Shed storage compartment throughout all my test rides.Before one ride, I noticed I had the tool bag stuffed a bit too wide, and it held the bottom end of the storage door slightly off the frame. I simply rearranged my tools and got the door sitting flush, but thats something riders might want to watch out for. The door is thin and flexible, so it can be latched but not sitting flush against the frame if something inside is pushing upwards on it.Devincis zippered tool bag fit my large c02 canister, inflater head, valve core tool, plug tool, spare plugs, a spare battery for the AXS pods, and a small multi-tool with a little room to spare. Water aside, this is everything Id normally carry for a typical ride.Luckily, the Troy frames leave a lot of room for water bottles. With Devincis side entry cage, the medium frame fits a large bottle! Theres not much clearance to spare, but enough to easily access the bottle. Components:The Troy gets a 160mm RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork, which performed great and provided more than ample stiffness for this bike. Dialing in the fork didnt require anything special or unique, sticking with my typical settings got it running great for me.The Troys SRAM GX AXS derailleur got slightly skippy on me during one or two rides but otherwise performed extremely well. I enjoyed precise shifting (even under load) and had no mechanical issues from the AXS shift pod or derailleur. I also think the bash guard included on the GX crank is a nice touch.The SRAM Code Silver brakes were great. They were grabby by the end of the first ride, and with 200mm rotors front and rear, they easily offer ample power and great modulation. The brakes remained consistent and reliable throughout my testing, never overheating or requiring any maintenance.Ive ridden several sets of Race Face ARC30 rims, and they have proven their durability. Ive never done any significant damage to these wheels, and the Troys held up really well. Both wheels are running round and true after all my test rides.Devinci stuck with tried and true Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR II tires. The double-down casings stocked on the Troy are ideal for rougher trail networks and kept me rolling with no pinches or punctures.The SGD Belair 3.0 saddle was comfortable enough, and unlike the same saddle I rode on the Devinci E-Troy Lite I recently tested, this one didnt creak at all! The 180mm travel SDG Tellis dropper post provided plenty of clearance for a medium frame. As a final touch, Devinci gives the Troy GX AXS a Race Face Era carbon handlebar. I like the stock 800mm width, which can always be chopped down if preferred.The Devinci Troy GX AXS 12S retails for $5549. Frames are available in Gloss/Matcha only.devinci.comThe post Devinci Troy GX AXS 12S Review: Updated Trail Bike Hits All the Right Notes appeared first on Bikerumor.

A woman was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries after the motorist veered off the road, having allegedly passed out at the wheel

This upcoming Sunday, Sloveniawill start the men's elite road race at the 2024 World Championships in Switzerlandwith two of the big favourites to take the Rainbow Jersey - Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. Offering his loyal service to the superstar, despite a recent training crash,will be the va...

Complementing the steel 3003 released last week, the new Nordest 3003 Ti is a flat-bar gravel bike with a titanium frame and clearance for 700 x 50mm tires. It's available with your choice of a carbon gravel fork or a Cane Creek Invert suspension fork. Learn more here...The post Introducing the Nordest 3003 Ti Flat-Bar Gravel Bike appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.