What started as just 'roadrage-type bait' also reflected an underlying frustration with overtourism

New e-bike regulations passed by outgoing New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will require a license, registration, and insurance for all e-bikes. For more on this developing story, read on belowThe post New Jersey Passes Strict E-Bike Regulations appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Former high ranking communications director Nick Sharpe tells CW about the crippling anxiety that led him to something completely different

CyclistBig Ride: Reach for the sky in SpainWhen planning a cycling trip, Europe offers two main options: overcrowded destinations with good coffee, smooth tarmac and a sense of community, or hidden gems that require a bit more planning but pay off in beautiful roads so quiet you can hear the tumbleweed.This ride is definitely the latter. Im in Grgal, a small town in the south of Spain about half an hour north of Almera city on the edge of the Tabernas Desert, which unsurprisingly doesnt have quite the same level of resources as your Mallorcas, Tenerifes and Gironas. But Im told that what it lacks in infrastructure and star-spotting opportunities, it more than makes up for in tranquillity, climbing and actual star-spotting.Matt Ben StoneJoining me for the ride is Dirk, who like many European retirees spends his summers at home and comes down here when the seasons change. Hes slenderly built like Joaquim Rodrguez so Im nervous about keeping up on the climbs, the first of which begins only a short distance out of town.Depending on who you ask, the climb to Calar Alto can be as long as 37km, but thankfully Grgal is already about 14km into that and Dirk promises the rest is mostly easy-going. We start with a few kilometres of false flat to warm up, passing between dense clusters of plastic greenhouses.The Tabernas Desert ends at the foot of the mountains, so theres plenty of life in these hills.Matt Ben StoneThese are arguably the most notable feature of this part of Spain. Almera is known as the garden of Europe due to a sea of plastic under which about three million tons of vegetables are grown each year. The scale of it is enough to keep us distracted until the road starts rising.The Calar Alto climb really begins when we pass the sign welcoming us to the Sierra de Los Filabres mountain range our arena for today.Constellation prizeWith several thousand metres of elevation on the way, I want to stick to a gentle roll where possible, and Dirk seems happy to take it easy. He tells me he had to stop sharing his average speed on Strava after he got concerned messages on a ride that slipped below 30kmh. Since turning it off he says hes finally felt able to enjoy the views.Matt Ben StoneThe gradients here are all but made for a steady ride. The first half sits consistently around 5%, the second half is only a little steeper, and Dirk says the toughest section comes just after a short descent, which always helps.Given were in a desert Europes only desert Im surprised how green the surrounding hills are. Dirk explains it isnt always like this, especially in the heat of summer, but it doesnt take much rain to change the complexion of the landscape, and our ever-increasing altitude helps with the temperature considering there isnt an inch of shade.The Almeran landscape is spectacular, and the Calar Alto climb has full view of it most of the way up.Matt Ben StoneEven halfway up I have no sense of where the summit is. Weve been edging our way along the hillside but the peaks feel like theyre in touching distance. If the route wasnt on my head unit Id guess we were almost there.We tap our way up the steeper 10% section and take a brief pause to enjoy the panorama, which stretches from the dazzling sunlit sea just beyond the city all the way to the snow-capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada in the west. There isnt much time to stick around though, because were still 11km from the summit.Matt Ben StoneIt really feels like were about to hit the top when we get our first glimpse of the Calar Alto Observatory. It doesnt look far away but the road winds on and on, in and out of the trees, and theres a pretty chilly wind, so every time we get tree cover the temperature lifts significantly.We tip over to the north side of the mountain with 7km to go. Its hard to believe were still so far from the summit but Dirk assures me this section is fast with a few pinches that keep the average gradient up. The road sign claims an average of 1% for the next couple of kilometres as we fly past the turn-off for the Calar Alto refugio.You know the end is in sight when the telescopes of the observatory are this close.Matt Ben StoneEach corner feels like the last but its only when one of the telescopes pokes out above the trees that it becomes true. The road goes straight through the observatory, which is shared between Spanish and German astronomers and the telescopes here include one of Europes largest. While Calar Alto isnt the tallest mountain in the Sierra de Los Filabres at around 2,200m, its the clearness of the night sky that explains why the observatory is situated here.Matt Ben StoneDirk doesnt have much body fat and hes feeling the cold so we layer up and head down the mountain. Were also getting weird looks from a pair in a car who I can only assume are astronomers, so thats our cue.All play and no workThe descent off Calar Alto is 15km to our turn-off, and its split into two sections, the first a single-lane strip of tarmac that feels near vertical and plunges us down several hundred metres in a disappointingly short time. We then come out onto a wider, smoother road that signals a chance to make the most of my weight advantage.The region around the Calar Alto Observatory is blessed with clear skies great for stargazing and for bike riding.Matt Ben StoneThe 25km that follows starts inconspicuously, the road winding and rolling through the valley. We pass an olive grove, round a bend and then the road changes. Two lanes turn to one and all of a sudden were snaking our way along on a rolling singletrack road we have all to ourselves. Im a little nervous on the first blind corners, but then I remember theres literally no one else here. Its every cyclists dream, although its not easy riding theres barely a moment of flat and even a kilometre or two of proper climbing. Luckily thats followed by a lovely flowy descent because I need to rest my legs for whats to come.The descent from Calar Alto has a short kicker before you plummet back down the mountain.Matt Ben StoneWe regain the other lane as we fly downhill. I ask Dirk to stop as we pass through Castro de Filabres as theres not much descending left and Ive spotted a perfectly timed roadside tap to fill up our bottles. Were soon back onto the valleys flat roads, heading towards the hills and passing the welcome sign for Velefique our next conquest.Desert to dessertThe name Velefique comes from the Latin (via the Arabic of this areas settlers) vallis fici, meaning valley of the fig tree. It holds half-true today; there are plenty of groves but they are mainly olive and almond.There are five telescopes at Calar Alto, the biggest having a 3.5m aperture, making it one of Europes largest.Matt Ben StoneBefore we even get to the official climb the road heads upwards steeply to Velefique village. Its a brutal run-in but were welcomed into town by the sweet strains of What is love, baby dont hurt me from the radio of a building site.Velefique isnt big, but its the most built-up place on this ride. There are amenities here, the best one according to Dirk being the restaurant at the local swimming pool a tempting thought but its closed today, so we grab some supplies and eat them in a carpark.The fast road from Calar Alto to Grgal a descent so good we did it twice.Matt Ben StoneAny fan of the Vuelta a Espaa will know whats in store on the Alto de Velefique. Its hairpins have graced the race several times, most recently in 2021 when Damiano Caruso had a solo day out while the King of Spain himself, Primo Rogli, calmly defended his overall lead behind. Not quite the drama this climb deserves.Castro de los Filabres village greets us with vast stone banking, and a water refill is waiting around the corner.Matt Ben StoneI try to channel my inner Rogla as we get going, but I can only manage about half of his cadence as the gradient sticks around a leg-sapping 9%. Conversation has ground to a halt and been replaced with heavy breathing, and theres no other noise in this desert to drown it out.I think Ive been duped. Where are the famous hairpins? Im too locked in to even turn around for the view; all I can see is tarmac albeit very nice tarmac and shrubs.The official start of the Alto de Velefique comes as you round the steep corners in Velefique itself.Matt Ben StoneAround 4km after Velefique village I feel a slight easing in the required effort, so I look around. The hairpins are here. I can see the road starting to twist just below us and theres another turn just ahead. Its surprising how easy 6% feels when youve been suffering on steeper stuff.We settle back into a cruise and Dirk points out the top of the climb. It looks incredibly close but the road doubles the distance. With 20 hairpins to take us up, its easy to see how Velefique gets compared to Alpe dHuez, except, apart from a solitary snake, theres no one else here.The best view comes just before the Velefiques summit.Matt Ben StoneThe summit weve been working towards is not quite the actual summit thats 500m further on but we stop in a layby to take a final look back down the mountain. From here the road is expertly framed, with the sun overhead and the scenery stretching to the sea. Its stunning.We push on to the summit, where Im told the sign says 1,860m although its message is hidden beneath a thick layer of stickers. Theres a very tempting set of hairpins just down the road, but well save that for another day.Its easy to get distracted on the Alto de Velefique, even when the gradient sticks at a leg-sapping 9%.Matt Ben StoneWe can see the Calar Alto Observatory in the distance weve come a long way and were heading back that way. The descent flows until the village of Bacares, where the road pitches up again for our final showdown. Were over 100km into the ride now and have more than 3,000m of climbing in our legs, so a 10km ascent with double-digit gradients feels cruel. The only thing keeping my legs moving is the knowledge that after this its all downhill.I know the climb is ending when we take a left and the road steadies to a rolling plateau. I get a flash of dj vu and realise were at the turning for Calar Alto. Were back on the same descent we did earlier. I layer up, gulp down one last bit of food, take a few deep breaths, and down we go, all the way back to Grgal. Im ready for a siesta.Matt Ben StoneOo-a oo-a oo wa wa waWhile the climbs are the star of this show, the Tabernas Desert is one of Hollywoods favourite film setsIf you think this rides backdrop looks familiar, theres a good chance youve seen this area before on screens both big and small. The Spaghetti Western films (a derogatory term that ultimately stuck for these cowboy movies made by Italian directors such as Sergio Leone)of the 1960s and 70s frequently used parts of the Almera region to replicate the dry American landscape, including The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.The movie sets at Fort Bravo and Oasys are very close to our route and, as well as being tourist attractions, shooting still takes place there. Both were used for the 2012 Doctor Who episode A Town Called Mercy. And the list goes on, with TV favourites including Game Of Thrones, Black Mirror and even the music video for Little Mixs seminal hit Shout Out To My Ex.The Velefique summit is overlooked by a TV tower, which is tempting and possible to ride up to.Matt Ben StoneHow we did itTravelCyclist flew from London Gatwick to Almera. Direct flights are also available from a number of UK airports but they dry up in the cooler months, and the next closest options are Malaga and Murcia. Spain is also in the process of extending its high-speed rail, which would make Almera much more accessible by train. Almera town is about 15 minutes from the airport by car.AccommodationWe stayed in an Airbnb in central Almera, but many cyclists choose to stay in one of the nearby beach towns such as Cabo de Gata, Roquetas de Mar and Mojcar.ThanksMany thanks to Stu from Velo Velefique for helping to organise our trip, looking after us, driving us around, bringing the sunshine and dragging Dirk along for the ride. To book your own tour with Stu, go to velovelefique.com.The post Big Ride: Reach for the sky in Spain appeared first on Cyclist.

Egan Bernal has already worn pink in Italy. He knows what it takes to win the Giro dItalia. But as he looks ahead to 2026, the former champion is clear about one thing: past glory will not carry him back to the startline as a protected leader. Bernal has said his ambition is to return to the Giro d...

Set in the Norwegian winter, The Best Season is a new video from Markus Stitz that highlights the joys and challenges of cold-weather bikepacking on a nearly 700-kilometer journey aboard a Tern Orox S12 e-cargo bike. Watch the eight-minute release here...The post The Best Season: Winter Bikepacking in Norway (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Last whatever it was I lauded Canyon Bicycles GmbH for its ambitious financial goals, and Im pleased to report theyre getting even closer to attaining them by firing a few hundred people:They dont want to do it, but they have no choice:Canyon is a close-knit community, united by a passion for cycling. It is therefore particularly painful that we have to part ways with valued colleagues. That makes it all the more important to me to navigate this process as responsibly as possible, Arnold said.This statement evokes Homer Simpson eating his beloved pet lobster:This is unfortunate. But really, what can Canyon do? After all, sales are down 7%. SEVEN PERCENT! And you cant say its because Canyon bikes arent awesome, because they aremaybe even the awesomest bikes in all of cycledom![Gravel Product Manager Matthias Eurich, who may or may not still have a job, uses both hands to stroke the girthy awesomeness.]No, the problem is because of industry oversupply and discounting:The most recentfinancial statement from Canyons ownership group, GBL,said sales were down 7% over the first nine months of the year because of industry oversupply and discounting.So who is responsible for all this heedless oversupplying and discounting? Certainly not Canyon, whose website features 37 different bikes in the road bike category alone, many of which are being sold at a discount:Then there are the Grizls.So many GrizlsAnd how can you call yourself a bike company if you dont offer (12) separate categories of mountain bike?Lots of people read the news and have heart palpitations over whats going on with Greenland or whatever. Not me. What causes me to lose sleep is thinking about HOW MANY GODDAMN BIKES THERE ARE in the world, and how we keep on making more and more and more of them. Presumably this is how cat rescue people feel about strays, and why they run around neutering them and shaming people for buying cats from breeders instead of adopting them from shelters. Why pay lots of money for a weird inbred cat with deformed ears when you can get a normal cat thats about to be euthanized for free?Similarly, why pay thousands for a new plastic Fred sled with lots of proprietary parts from Canyon when there are bikes like this in need of rescue?And before you answer, dont bother, I already know. Its the same reason why, if you ask me how many bikes I have, Im unable to answer without counting in my head for several minutes first. As a 21st century American Im among the most rapacious consumers ever to have walked the earth, and as a cyclist Im a member of an elite strike force within that groupsort of a SEAL Team Six of acquiring things we dont need.So believe me, I get it, and by no means do I think Im somehow different or special because I have a few vintage bikes among the [intern, go count the bikes] total I store on three separate floors of my New York City apartment building. But I still fret about it. How does any bicycle anywhere have any value at all at this point? Youd think theyd be like the Papiermark during the Weimar Republic.But I suppose weve seen it all before. For example, Cannondale was able to ride the aluminum trend and the mountain bike trend and the road bike trend for several decades:Those were heady days indeed:He wore jeans and sweatpants; favored conversations over emails; and opened offices in Europe and Japan but kept his manufacturing base in Bedford, Pa., which he visited twice weekly on flights aboard a corporate jet that he piloted.Though of course they eventually flew too close to the sun with the whole motorcycle thing, Montgomery moved on to the glamorous world of medical billing, and Cannondale became just another set of decals from Pon Holdings:The company is now owned by Pon Holdings, a Dutch conglomerate. Mr. Montgomery later founded a software company to handle billing and medical records.SO MANY BIKES. Cannondales website says that the Synapse is the only mate you need:But if so then why are there like 70 different Cannondale road bikes?And then theres all the other companies that sell bicycles in all the familiar mainstream shapes (Specialized, Trek, Giant, Bianchi, Pinarello), plus all those new Chinese brands:They made the bike industrys lunch for them, and now theyre eating it:Many of the Chinese challenger brands started off as contract manufacturers for Western brands, so even if theyre still relatively unknown in the West, they have plenty of experience in the industry. They usually own their factories too, so they are vertically integrated, with their R&D, quality assurance and fabrication carried out in-house.At this point the only thing all those familiar American and European bike companies have over the Chinese ones is that theyre better at branding stuff for the Western consumer. But in the digital age nothing seems weird anymore. Sure, a middle-aged Fred might still pay a premium because hed rather his bike say Colnago on it than Elves, but someone who grew up watching TikTok videos from all over the world certainly wont: I thought maybe the name Elves was one of those weird cross-cultural coincidences, but no, according to a popular search engines AI feature the bikes really are named after elves:The name Elves for theChinese carbon bike company comes from its goal to embody the qualities of elves:light, mysterious, powerful, and beautiful, using high-end carbon fiber. The brand draws inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkiens Elvish language for product names (like Vanyar, meaning fair/light) and aims for lightweight, strong, and aesthetically pleasing bikes, reflecting an ideal blend of nature and technology in their design philosophy.Ironic that the two most Tolkienesque companies in cycling are Rivendell and Elves.

Well, this is a first. We just got a new set of tires in for review and we dont actually have a bike or wheels in the right size to mount them. In a way, that paints a perfect picture of the current 32 wheel situation. The standard exists. Sort of. There are a handful of bikes already out there with 32 wheels, from factory prototypes to custom hand-built creations to production hard tails and full suspension models. But the options for forks, wheels, and tires are still very limited. Not to mention, no one seems to have settled on any standards for axle width, fork offset, etc.But if you are among those very early adopters, youll be happy to know that the Maxxis Aspen 32 tires, which seemed to really kick off the 32 frenzy at the Taipei Show last year, are now officially available for sale. For all appearances, these tires seem to be an oversized version of the 29 x 2.4 Maxxis Aspens with an identical tread. Both the 29 x 2.4 and 32 x 2.4 tires have a tread that is 66mm wide, measured at the widest point. From a circumference perspective, there is a decent size difference between the two, but its not like you can put the 29 tire inside the 32 tire. Youd expect there to be a weight difference between the two tires which I was expecting to be greater than the actual difference. The 29 x 2.4 Aspen in a 120 TPI casing weighs in at 756g, claimed, and a used one weighs in at 753g on our scale. Note that the claimed weight for the 120 TPI MaxxSpeed 29 x 2.4 version has a claimed weight of 768g. Thats important to consider when comparing to our 32 x 2.4 Aspen with the 120 TPI MaxxSpeed compound which weighed in at 812g. Maxxis does not list the claimed weight for the 32 version yet, but if the claimed version for the 29 tire is correct, that makes for just a 44g difference between 29 and 32 version of the same tire. As mentioned, you can currently buy the 32 x 2.4 Aspen tire directly from Maxxis for $96 per tire the same price as a 29 x 2.4 tire. Its currently offered only in the MaxxSpeed/EXO/TR 120 TPI foldable version, and is ready to mount on whatever 32 wheels you can find. Which begs the question: who will be the first brand to send us some 32 wheels to mount these things to?shop.maxxis.comThe post Hands On: 32 Maxxis Aspen Tires are Available Now, and Lighter than Youd Think appeared first on Bikerumor.

Skarpers unique click-on/click-off ebike system has made it easier and cheaper to convert multiple non-assisted bikes to ebikes and now the company is developing a mountain bike version with Red Bull. Since the company was founded in 2021, a mountain bike version of the motor system that drives the rear wheel via a special disc rotor/planetary gearbox has been in the plans. I was highly impressed by the existing road and gravel Skarper kit when I reviewed it, and what I spotted at the MK-7 launch event hints at where this platform could go next. Read more: You can now buy Ribble bikes with Skarper's ebike conversion kit Why build an MTB version? The prototype is compact, and Skarper promises the final version will be smaller still. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia The road and gravel Skarper kit is restrained capped to meet UK/EU pedal-assist regulations and ensure it's legal to use on the road. However, Red Bull Advanced Technologies wanted to see what else the platform coulddo. The MTB project posed an engineering challenge: how much power can you push through the system? How robust can you make it? And how do you handle the chaos of mountain bike riding? Sources close to the project described the prototype as "a beast" and, having seen it in person, I'm inclined to agree. The challenges around a Skarper drive system for mountain bikes are many. For one, there's the higher torque required for off-road riding, while keeping the unit compact. That's not to mention the myriad back-end designs across mountain bikes, from hardtails to multi-linkage suspension. From the earliest incarnations of the mountain bike project, Skarper has worked in tandem with Red Bull Advanced Technologies. The aim is to create a design thats compatible with as many different bikes as possible. Skarper set out to construct a motor and gearbox capable of producing the required power and torque, while remaining compact enough to be unobtrusive on the trails, yet stable enough to handle the rigours of off-road riding. Early prototype breaks cover The mule bike has a lot of control and monitoring systems. It also looks as though the mountain bike version will get on-bar controls. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia What we see here is an early mule prototype produced with Red Bull. It follows the same design choices as the road-going Skarper, with a self-contained motor and gearbox driving a disc rotor with built-in planetary gearing. Skarper and Red Bull are remaining tight-lipped about the exact details of the unit. However, the main unit has an innovative two-speed gearbox that works in conjunction with the system's brain, including an inclinometer. Like the road-going Skarper, the mountain bike version drives the bike through a special disc rotor. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia One of the quirks of this early prototype is the ability for it to regulate power on an incline in tandem with your pedalling. Or, as early test rides have shown, give your bike the ability to hold a wheely indefinitely, motocross-style. However, I doubt that will make it into the final production model. What this prototype reveals is something important about the underlying technology: the capability of the DiskDrive platform can match current mid-drive and hub systems, with the Red Bull engineers confident it can surpass current eMTB rivals. Skarper also told me this prototype is much larger than the final unit will be; this is a model to provide proof of concept. The next stage will be around optimising the technology and making the unit as compact as possible without compromising on power. The monitoring systems on the top tube are for evaluation purposes, although I spotted what appear to be on-bar controls rather than the app control used on the road-going Skarper. I asked Skarper for comment and it said: "Skarper represents the arrival of the 'Third Drive System' a patented technology platform that offers a modular, high-performance alternative to traditional ebike integration. The fact that six leading British bike brands have already committed to the platform for their 2026 bike line-ups is significant validation of our engineering and the click-on category we are building. "Our current focus remains on delivering the best possible experience for road and gravel cyclists, ensuring that power never comes at the cost of ride feel. While Skarper does not comment on unannounced products or future roadmaps at this time, we are always interested in exploring opportunities with the right partners to bring future products to our platform." Read more: How to convert a bike to electric power: electric bike conversion kits explained A huge challenge The prototype drive unit is fitted to a Cannondale Habit. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia Its still early days on the project, which is a huge challenge for Skarper and Red Bull Advanced Technologies. However, if they get it right, having a mountain bike thats only electric when you want it to be could be a game-changer. It could help establish Skarper as not a single-product outfit but an electric motor platform provider and an established third way: mid drive (Bosch/Shimano/TQ/Avinox), hub drive (Mahle) and disc drive (Skarper). Skarper's original DiskDrive impressed us; we can't wait to see how the mountain bike version shapes up. Russell Burton / Our Media Could Britains Skarper soon be a challenger to more established electric bike motor providers such as Bosch, Shimano, TQ and Mahle, as DJI has done with the Avinox? Watch this space.

For most of the day, Visma had Stage 1 of the 2026 Tour Down Under exactly where they wanted it. By the end, they were left with the strange mix of satisfaction and frustration that only comes from getting almost everything right. On the flat, fast circuit around Tanunda, the race came down to a bun...