The preliminary startlist for Strade Bianche 2026 has been revealed, and once again, the white roads of Tuscany are set to welcome one of the strongest early-season fields in cycling. With the race returning to Siena on 7 March, the 20th edition promises another showdown between established champion...

In Esker's latest video, CEO and Founder Tim Krueger walks through what exactly ED coating is, including why it's applied to steel frames and some unexpected benefits of using it as a final finish. Watch the informative four-minute video here...The post What in the World is ED Coating? (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

It may have the look and feel of a race from another century, but Strade is the youngest of the classics

The preliminary startlist for Strade Bianche Donne has been revealed, with many of the biggest names in the womens peloton preparing to take on the white roads of Tuscany on 7 March. Among the headline riders expected to line up in Siena are Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky, Marianne Vos and Elisa Lon...

An answer to a parliamentary question this week confirms that the Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien, and the Minister of State, Sen Canney, are still developing proposals that include considering whether helmets and high-vis are made mandatory for e-bikes, otherwise known as pedal-assisted electric bicycles.The Department of Transport considers the term e-bikes a shorthand for pedal-assisted bicycles on which the electric motor stops providing power when the cyclist stops pedalling or reaches 25km/h. It must also have a maximum continuous rated power of no more than 250 watts and follow some other rules, including that it must not include a throttle.Since the idea of helmets and high-vis has been debated at Cabinet-level, the Department of Transport has repeatedly mentioned that pedal-assisted bicycles were only legalised in recent years, but this was out of step with EU regulations, which the Irish Government seems not to have been in compliance with for decades. The legal fix to the Road Traffic Acts was introduced alongside making low-powered e-scooters legal in 2024, two years after the Government legislated in 2022for electric bicycles to be bought under the Cycle to Work scheme. The Cycle to Work scheme requires bicycles to be used for commuting. The Department of Transport has claimed to this website that EU regulations only require that member states must exempt electric bicycles from motor vehicle type approval basically meaning that e-bicycles which follow the EU-level rules cannot be classified as or regulated as mopeds or light motorcycles. But the Department claims that e-bicycles can be treated differently from bicycles when it comes to what users are required to wear.This distinction is important, as the backlash against the idea of helmets and high-vis for non-electric bicycles was so strong that the Ministers quickly outlined that they were U-turning on even considering the idea further. Since then, it has repeatedly said that non-electric bicycles are out-of-scope of the planned changes.Besides motor specs, electric-assisted pedal cycles typically follow all the same rules as bicycles. The Department of Transport has given no justification for lumping electric bicycles in with higher-powered bikes that already require users to wear helmets.Ministers have pointed to research showing that teenagers on e-scooters and electric two-wheelers are injured at an alarming rate. But these teenagers are widely not believed to be legal pedal-assisted electric bicycles. A large part of the problem seems to stem from people, including medics, making no distinction between e-bikes and more powerful bikes that are already classed as mopeds or light motorcycles. Parliamentary questionAsking a parliamentary question this week, Emer Currie TD (Fine Gael) said: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if high-vis PPE will become mandatory for legal pedal-assist e-bikes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.The reply came in the name of Minister for State Canney, who said: As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that the Government decision of Wednesday 4 February noted that the Ministers for Transport would return to Government with proposals for updated regulations on e-scooters and e-bikes.Regulations in relation to certain e-scooters and e-bikes were introduced in May 2024. As we approach the two-year anniversary of that date, it is appropriate that we look at the evidence and consider if additional regulation is warranted to promote road safety, he said.He added: Proposals are being developed and will be subject to Ministerial decision. Requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE) on e-scooters and e-bikes will form part of any consideration. The introduction of mandatory PPE for users of bicycles is outside the scope of the current measures.

This week's Reader's Rig comes from Nathaniel in Iowa, who shares the well-loved Yuba Mundo V4 cargo bike he's been using to haul passengers, groceries, furniture, and more for 13 years and counting. Read Nathaniel's story and find details on his Yuba here...The post Readers Rig: Nathaniels Yuba Mundo V4 Cargo Bike appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Tadej Pogaar, Tom Pidcock and Demi Vollering will all race the Italian gravel on road bikes this weekend - This is why.

Paris-Nice 2026 already has its route. The organizers unveiled the course for the 84th Race to the Sun on Wednesday in Versailles, starting on Sunday, March 8th 2026 in Achres and finishing a week later in Nice. Its a varied edition: chances for sprinters, wind-exposed days, a team time trial, pun...

Here at Bikerumor, many different types of products make their way across our workbenches before ultimately hitting our local roads and trails. Try as we might, its not always easy to keep up with them all, and to give everything the attention it deserves. In our newShifting Gearseries (see what we did there?), well highlight products that we havent had a chance to fully review yet, either because theyve just arrived, or because theyve quietly been chugging along on our bikes in the background. But in either case, were stoked to share what we are loving about each one.In this second installment, Cory unpacks some fresh gear out of his testing queue all of it fitted to a new Sour Crumble steel trail hardtail made in Dresden, Germany. But well leave that bike for another time. For now, a shiny chainring, UDH upgrade, a silly bottle cage and some dummy bolts, lots of wax made easier, plus some small parts that remind us that servicing components is often better than replacement. Theres no shortage of interesting new products lined up in the workshop.Wheels Mfg Shimano Direct Mount Chainring(All photos/Cory Benson)Wheels Manufacturing dropped their first US-made SRAM direct mount chainrings last year, adding a Shimano option just last month. The beauty of chainrings is that they wear out, generally after a few seasons depending on how you ride, which means they are a perfect opportunity to give your old bike some new bling. At $75 a pop, they arent exactly cheap. But the precision of these machined-in-Colorado 7075 chainrings is on point, and Wheels Mfg has a long record of making solid, long-lasting components. Plus, Wheels offers the rings in 2 direct mount standards, the 4 sizes that make sense for most mountain bike riders, 2 different narrow-wide tooth profiles to work with most chains, 7 shiny colors, and multiple offsets to get the perfect setup for your bike. I opted for this 57g, 30T purple ano -1.5mm offset ring to replace the stock chainring on a brutally used & abused XT M8100 crankset that Ive had for about 5 years. A little shiny purple anodized bling always makes an old component feel new again, so we tossed them on my wifes colorful new Sour Crumble steel trail hardtail. I plan to put an almost identical green one (with +1.5mm offset) on a newer M8200 crankset on my primary trail bike to see how it wear compared to the stock Shimano ring. and a matching Wheels Mfg UDH & Spacer StackAnd of course, you cant just add one bit of colorful anodized aluminum to a bike at one time. So, were throwing on a matching $33 Wheels Essential Headset Spacer Kit and an all-aluminum $42 UDH. The spacer stack (36g with top cap & stainless bolt) is great because it includes 2x 1.5mm, 2x 2.5mm, 1x 5mm & 2x 10mm spacers so you can really dial in the perfect height for your cockpit. Plus, the spacers and top cap feature a tiny stepped design that makes sure they interlock tightly for a clean look and even compression. On top of that, this 30g replacement Universal Derailleur Hanger is entirely machined from 6061 aluminum for max shifting stiffness, not a mix of plastic & alloy like SRAMs original UDH. Its always great to make a spare hanger now that so many bikes thankfully share the same standard. Why not make it a more precise hanger with some shiny matchy-matchy anodizing at the same time?WheelsMfg.com/shop-by-colorPDW Otter Cage & Zit BitzThis is a simple but fun one. I already dropped a photo of the PDW Otter Cage and smiley face Zit Bitz into my review of their neat little bag-strapping Bingo headset spacer and slick Heads Up! trail bell. But now weve been riding with this $26 Otter Cage, and it really works well.The otter is made of simple stamped and bent-to-shape 5052 aluminum, with laser-etched whiskers. And it weighs just 57g. But this little guy holds tough. We smashed this hardtail down some gnarly trails and havent ejected a bottle yet. Ive even loaded it up with the super big 975ml Zfal Magnum Pro bottle, and it stayed secure. In fact, this otter is so strong that he doesnt really want to let go of your bottle. So this probably isnt the best cage for really fast-paced racing when you need to get a bottle without thinking about it. But the Otter Cage is so darned cute, so were happy to have him along for trail rides.For a little bit of extra silliness, I picked up a set of $15 PDW Zit Bitz (4 per pack, in various styles). Instead of boring cap head bolts to fill unused braze-ons, a couple of anodized alloy dummy bolts with knurled heads make for a nicer look. I carefully Sharpied in the heart for this Zit Bit filing the toptube bag bolt holes that arent in use at the moment. Sure, plastic plus or even ultralight alloy bolts would be a tiny bit lighter, but they wouldnt be as cool.RidePDW.comSilca Chain Waxing System + Strip Chip & Endurance ChipI think we first really wrote about Silcas hot wax solutions almost 6 years ago. I liked the concept of waxing chains in the bag. But the chain prep was a pain, and the second time waxing a chain took a lot longer than the first. Then, two years back Silca launched their own complete $100 waxing system with a dedicated wax melter and stand to hold your freshly waxed chains. But that still wasnt enough to make me really embrace waxing.It was the magic Strip Chip that converted me even if it took a couple of years. Even after Silca explained how it works on our podcast.Pop this little black chip into your pot of wax, and it magically eliminates the need to remove the factory grease from a brand-new chain, maxing waxing a 1-step process. And its just $4 per new chain for the Strip Chip. Adding a single 12g Strip Chip seems like its about the same volume of wax that ends up on the chain, which makes it feel like your original pot of wax is never-ending.Then, if you are like me and you prioritize clean and smooth operation over absolute speed, you can also drop a $29 Endurance Chip into your pot of Silca Secret wax to extend the life of your waxed chain by 2-3x. The even bigger 72g Endurance Chip was so big I had to take some of the regular wax out of my pot to not overflow, again making it feel like an almost endless supply of wax.Now, with several new and freshly waxed chains, itll be easy to rotate them on my main bikes and just drop them back in when its time for a refresh. No degreasing required. The trick is only that I needed to get some more quick links, since most are officially one-use only. The only remaining issue is that I will still need to degrease some used chains to get everything on the wax program. But it feels a lot easier and more manageable now that the Strip Chip has proven itself, and the Endurance chip doubled the time between rewaxings.My only pet peeve is that Silca grossly exaggerates the amount of time required to wax a chain. Sure, it is 15 minutes for the actual process of wax penetrating one chain. But that ignores the 20 minutes or so to get the wax up to temperature, the extra 10 minutes to get the wax to higher temps to melt in the strip chip, another 15 minutes to cool it down to the regular waxing step, not to mention at least a half hour for the wax to cool at the end of the process to put it away. When I wanted to wax one new chain, it took me a little over an hour. When I waxed 4 new chains, it was about 2 hours in total. No doubt, it is way easier than ever to get the benefits of a waxed chain at home. And the time it does take is mostly spent waiting with a timer on your phone between steps. But dont expect it to happen too quickly. So, plan ahead another task you can do while wax is heating up or cooling down in between.Now we just see how fast all my drivetrains are in 2 or 3 months time!Silca.ccBikeYoke Revive dropper post service kitThis write-up is less about the dropper itself, and more of a love letter to user service & repairability. After 4 years of riding with it, this well-used dropper just died when its lower bushing failed, letting several of the guide pins slide out of their grooves into the base of the post. That could have been the end for most droppers, but this one just needed a little love to revive it.You see, this old dropper is labeled a Manitou Jack, but thanks their collaboration with BikeYoke, it is for the most part a rebranded Revive dropper. And thats a really good thing, because BikeYoke prides themselves on serviceability. And I already had a BikeYoke Revive/Divine service kit when this guy failed.So instead of shopping for a new post, or even having to send one off to be repaired, in just under an hour from the moment I pulled it out of the bike, fixed it, and was good to go again. With just a standard set of tools plus a pair of snap ring pliers, I bled off the internal air pressure, off came the actuator, out went the broken bushing & bent pins, in went the new parts, and the post was dropping like its hot again. It cost just 20 for a BikeYoke service kit, and I was back in business. Anything can fail, and every component will eventually reach the end of its life. But being able to service it until then is why BikeYoke is still my first choice when I need to buy a new dropper post.BikeYoke.comStay TunedIn the coming months, Ill be putting all of these products and many more through their paces. Well do our best to follow up with in-depth reviews for those components that need a deeper look. But be sure to check back if youre interested in hearing my thoughts on these and more Shifting Gear mini-reviews to come.The post Shifting Gear: Wheels Mfg Jewels, PDWs Otter-shaped Cage, Silca Wax Magic & More! appeared first on Bikerumor.

Tadej Pogaar took to the white gravel roads of Strade Bianche today on a training ride with his UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates, revealing clues to the set up hes likely to go with for the race. Unsurprisingly, hes riding the Colnago Y1Rs, the teams aero bike, in a switch up from 2025 when he rode the brands all-round racer (at the time), the V4Rs. But a couple of key spec choices reveal a little about Pogaars approach to the race. Fine out how to watch Strade Bianche where you are in 2026 First up, Pogaar is using the lightweight version of the Colnago Y1Rs which debuted during the 2025 Tour de France for the mountain time trial, with World Champions stripes applied. Weight is unlikely to be a factor until the final steep ascent into Siena, where should he be accompanied this might prove vital. Images reveal his teammates riding standard-colourway Y1Rs', indicating that the lightweight version of the Y1Rs remains a rarified beast. Colnago Pogaars 3D-printed Fizik Tempo Argo saddle is noticeably tilted downward, while hes using an inline seatpost to help him pitch over the cranks. Close inspection reveals that the saddle isnt slammed as far forward as the rails might allow, indicating that he doesnt feel an even more extreme position is necessary. The saddle features neat World Champions stripes on the rear portion. Pogaars rolling stock choice is perhaps the most interesting part of his build. He trained using ENVE SES 6.7 wheels, and with conditions expected to be calm on race day, this deeper, more aerodynamic option appears to be the wheelset of choice compared to ENVEs SES 4.5 or 4.5 Pro wheels. Hes also running Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyres, which feature a more resilient construction compared to the lighter TT TR or Archetype tyres, and might help reduce the chance of punctures on the white roads. Finally, Pogacar is running a team-issue mount for his Wahoo Elemnt Bolt v2 bike computer, which helps fill the gap created by the twin-vane handlebar, complete with his Hulk sticker complete with World Champions undergarments.