If Oakley cuts ties with Meta and stripped away the always-on AI assistant entirely, the Vanguard glasses might actually be a better product

CyclistCyclist Magazine Podcast: Aero mutinies and secret shorts with Castellis Steve SmithThis week James is joined by Castelli and Sportfuls global brand manager, Steve Smith. Steve grew up in Portland, USA, where he like most of the city, he says worked for Nike for ten years. But in 2000 he decided to make a bold move to Italy, to live thebella vitawith a job at Sportful. Four years later parent company Manifattura Valcismon bought Castelli, and in the years since Steve and his team have been responsible for some of the biggest game-changers in cycling, from creating some of the earliest, wind-tunnel designed aero kit to the now infamous Castelli Gabba, which revolutionised foul weather cycling gear and spawned a whole new genre of clothing along the way.In this chat, Steve explains how those early aero jerseys sparked a mutiny within Castellis sponsored pros; the day Castelli blew everyones minds including the race commissaires with turquoise shorts; what the fastest kit would really look like if riders could only put it on properly; what changes in the law around PFC chemicals have really meant for cycling clothing; and how waterproof kit actually works and why some jackets lose it, while others will be waterproof forever.Our chat with Steve begins at 10:34.Listen toSteve Smith on the Cyclist Magazine Podcast now on AcastCheck outall episodesAlso available wherever you get your podcasts Related Posts Cyclist Magazine Podcast: Zoe Bckstedt Why I love Sundays in Hell Cyclist Magazine Podcast: UCI rules, design evolution, and why bikes are so expensive, with Pieter Potters Best cycling jerseys 2026 reviewed Castelli Gabba R jacket review This episode is brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo GPS bike computer. Visithammerhead.ioand use the code CYCLIST to get a free HR strap with every purchase (just be sure to add the strap to your cart then apply the code at checkout).The post Cyclist Magazine Podcast: Aero mutinies and secret shorts with Castellis Steve Smith appeared first on Cyclist.

The queen of all classics: Milano-Sanremo. The Italian race is the first of the five monuments of the cycling season and is the longest race on the professional road calendar. Every year it delivers a lot of action and is often termed the closest out of all monuments in the calendar. We preview the...

Rob English of English Cycles in Oregon recently finished up a stunning 32-inch mountain bike that is equal parts prototype and work of art. Eager to try the new wheel size for himself, Rob designed and built a rigid MTB with a matching truss fork. Find a detailed write-up from Rob, photos of the bike, and a complete build kit here...The post Rob English on Building a Stunning 32-Inch Mountain Bike appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Ive tested dozens of bike lights over the past decade, and they almost always have one thing in common. Too. Many. Modes. Being generous, Im sure it comes from a good place, where product managers and engineers have layered feature and mode on top of feature and mode over a number of years as they seek to improve their products. But maybe its always been a simple game of one upmanship where more equals better, even if it overcomplicates what should be a simple-to-use safety device. Even the very best bike lights have plenty of redundant modes a nuisance we put up with, because thats just the way it is. However, Knogs Modemaker web app is an elegant and fun solution to this problem. Enter The Matrix Knog's retro approach to customisation is fun. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Rather pleasingly to this fan of science-fiction, the Modemaker app presents itself a bit like a Web 1.0 scrolling code screen all monochromatic green tones, reminiscent perhaps of the hacker-turned-humanity-saviour Neos workstation CRT monitor in The Matrix. Or maybe its more like the Grid from 1982s Tron? Or something like the operating system governing Knight Riders KITT? Whatever it is, its fantastic. Original, fun and most importantly useful. I used a Cobber Reflex rear light to try out the app. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media I was shown the ropes by Knogs director of brand & marketing Colin Brown, who explained that the Modemaker was developed by enterprising Knog engineers. They recognised the pre-programmed modes of bike lights werent always optimised for individual users. You can tell when you use it that someone cared enough to develop something fun and interesting to engage with, but ultimately makes our products even better, Brown says. Of course, hed say that, but I find myself hooked on the Modemaker a bit like that arcade game you couldnt walk away from when you were a child, and just had to put another quid in the slot to beat the final (OK, first) boss. Plugging in Now we're into programming mode. The software only works for select devices at present, but according to Brown thats set to change as more customisable Knog lights roll out. Once I was set up on the Modemaker web app, I plugged in a Cobber Reflex rear light and added it to the dashboard. It instantly began rotating in that nostalgia-laced select-player-one way. From there, you can update firmware when needed, and change the name of the light to make it more recognisable in case you have more than one. Each mode can be tweaked to suit your needs. The app shows all the modes pre-programmed onto the light, plus a library of other modes, which can be selected and customised. The simple drag-and-drop functionality is as simple as it comes, while the sensitivity of certain modes can be tweaked to suit your needs. This results in a real behaviour change in the light. In the example shown for the responsive tilt mode, I can adjust the sensitivity of the internal accelerometer and the brightness, and choose whether I want the built-in brake function to override the mode (and how sensitive I want it to be). Naturally, this sits alongside the other modes Knog offers. But, mercifully, I can choose to remove almost all of them, leaving me with the two or three modes I would need, and saving me from clicking through a whole cycle of modes every time I turn on my lights. Bliss. Should I want to use my lights across several bikes, I can create profiles with suitable modes within the web app for example, one to suit my weekend road rides during the day and one for my urban commutes in the dark. The brake function can be customised. Naturally, the Modemaker web app is also a natural home for troubleshooting any issues, which Im told will be expanded upon as new lights are made available. Simplicity reigns Success! Knogs Modemaker taps into the one thing I suspect most riders want from their bike lights: simplicity. The opportunity to scrap the unnecessary programs and the annoying mode scrolling of a congested menu, giving you the bike light you really need, is something Id like to see every brand introduce. Knogs approach is fun, too, which is the icing on the proverbial cake.

Milano-Sanremo is getting an unexpected headliner this Saturday: Mads Pedersen. In a surprise choice, the Dane is going to return to racing ahead of schedule, as he replaces Jonathan Milan in the Lidl-Trek camp in a highly anticipated return. Honestly, the plan was not to race Sanremo, but we have...

Theres an updated version of the Fenrir Ti in Otso's lineup for 2026. With refreshed graphics and UDH compatibility, this versatile, dirt-ready platform is the same great bike we reviewed a few years back. Find full details on the 2026 Fenrir Ti below...The post The 2026 Otso Fenrir Ti is the Same Great Two-Headed Beast appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Taking place on the 20th of March, the Bredene Koksijde Classic is the third of three consercutive semi-classics that are highly prestigious, even if they are not part of the World Tour division. The sprinter's classic has had great quality in its short history, however it delivers exciting action e...

Accessibility is mentioned six times in a press release for the new 12th Lock to Hazelhatch section of the Grand Canal Greenway, but while authorities say the route is a major step forward in enhancing sustainable travel and recreational amenities, greenway users have been left frustrated by a new kissing gate barrier placed on the route just before its offical launch this week.The new section of the greenway runs from 12th Lock at Adamstown Road, beside the Lucan Sarsfields GAA Club, to Hazelhatch Road and then onwards to Sallins via the section of greenway built by Kildare County Council. The new kissing gate is believed to be even more restrictive than the ones installed by South Dublin County Council between 12th Lock and Inchicore in Dublin.The new kissing gate barrier is on the greenway just east of Hazelhatch Road and on the Dublin side of McEvoys pub. A cyclists dismount sign has been erected at the barrier, and a no cycling sign has also been erected at the roadside entrance to the canal path beside the pub.IrishCycle.com has been told and has seen accounts online by members of the public that claim even standard bicycles have to be lifted onto their back wheels to be manoeuvred through the gate, and that the narrow kissing gates block wheelchairs, larger prams, as well as bicycle trailers and non-bicycles and tricycles used by people with disabilities, families and people carrying pets.Mairead Forsythe, a member of the South Dublin branch of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, said: Its totally unacceptable in this day and age to spend public money on a facility which can only be accessed by able-bodied cyclists.Forsythe said the greenway should be accessible to People with disabilities, people in wheelchairs, people in non-standard bicycles, families with trailers and cargo bikes, and parents with buggies. She called on the council to remove the existing gate, even if it needed to be replaced with a less restrictive staggard barrier. The new section of greenway, which includes areas of both Kildare and Co Dublin, was built by South Dublin County Council as the project manager, working in part on behalf of Kildare County Council and with Waterways Ireland.In a joint press release, Minister for Transport Darragh OBrien, the Mayor of South Dublin, Cllr Pamela Kearns, and Lorcan OConnor, CEO of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, are all quoted on the accessibility of the route.Minister OBrien said: The opening of this section of the Grand Canal Greenway marks an exciting milestone for the communities in Adamstown and Hazelhatch and the surrounding areas. The improvement works carried out on this 5km section means that the greenway is now designed and developed to cater for wheelchair users, children in buggies as well as people on all types of bicycles.While John McDonagh, CEO of Waterways Ireland was quoted as stating that the route would make a climate positive impact through traffic reduction by hosting more journeys on our Greenways and that the all-Ireland authorty will continue to collaborate with our partners and stakeholders on the completion of the remaining sections of the Grand Canal Greenway which will link the Liffey all the way to the Shannon.When contacted by IrishCycle.com, a spokesperson for South Dublin County Council said: The Grand Canal Greenway route recently constructed runs from the 12th Lock at Grange Castle to McEvoys public house at Hazelhatch. This phase of the greenway currently terminates at its western boundary with the public houses outdoor seating area.The Part 8 planning permission drawing shows the new greenway path (shown here in green) starting at the rear of the pub, with an existing path/road surface (shown in grey) around the bridge and extending to the new path. Only one gate point is shown on the projects planning drawing, but two have been built: a steel chicanebarrier and a wooden kissing gate. The drawings also shows a potential new walking and cycling bridge across the canal before the pub, but this is an outline only and would require a separate planning process for approval. It would also incur substantial costs.In a statement to this publication, a spokesperson for the council said: SDCC is continuing to work with the landowner on delivering the next phase of the greenway, and the present access arrangement is an interim measure to manage the interface between the public greenway and the private licensed premises.They added: National guidance allows such temporary treatments where routes are delivered in phases and where public safety needs to be managed during transition stages.The council did not directly answer a question on who installed the barrier. The main relevant guidance is contained in the 2022 Access Control of Active Travel Facilities advice note published by the National Transport Authority in association with the Department of Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland. It outlines how restrictive barriers, such as so-called kissing gates' and other restrictive barriers, have the impact of making access difficult for a standard bicycle, and impossible for larger bicycles, such as cargo bikes and various mobility vehicles. Many of these are also difficult, if not impossible, for someone in a wheelchair, or pushing a buggy, to negotiate.These barriers were generally provided to deter anti-social behaviour, such as using motorcycles and quad bikes in parks (risk to other park users and damage to the park infrastructure), and to secure the public space for the local people. However, these have had the unintended consequence of locking out those people that are reliant on mobility vehicles that are too big to pass through these access control measures, the guidelines outline. The guidelines continue: Access control is also commonly used to reduce the impacts of anti-social behaviour, using mechanised vehicles (typically motorcycles or quad bikes), along routes which is a problem in some locations. Many types of access control measures have been used to limit access by these mechanised vehicles, however these vehicles cannot be effectively excluded by physical means without also inappropriately restricting access by legitimate types of mobility equipment.The advice note adds: For these reasons, there should be a presumption against the use of inaccessible access control measures unless there is a persistent and significant safety concern resulting from its use by these mechanised vehicles. Where these issues arise the Local Authority, in consultation with An Garda Sochna and the Approving Authority, should firstly consider what other actions could be undertaken to reduce this anti-social behaviour.

Celebrating all cyclists, component giant Shimano has released We Are Cyclists, a documentary that follows the growth of the All Bodies on Bikes movement that focuses on creating inclusive cycling spaces for riders of all body sizes. (Photos / Shimano)The film is a five-year follow-up to the original All Bodies on Bikes documentary. The film shows how what started as a grassroots initiative has developed into a nonprofit organization with 14 chapters across the United States, with an ever-expanding global community.No matter the distance or your speed, were here to celebrate all riders, all bikes, and all rides, Blonsky says. I hope this film brings a smile to your face and inspires you to get out for a ride.We Are Cyclists features All Bodies on Bikes co-founders Marley Blonsky and Kailey Kornhauser. The film documents their rides and gatherings filmed across diverse locations throughout the country.What to ExpectViewers can expect to see everything from bike camping in rainy Northwest Arkansas to group rides at The MADE Show in Portland, Oregon, and navigation through New York Citys Five Borough Tour. The film captures the variety of landscapes and cycling experiences that define the movements reach and appeal.While the film itself is only 10 minutes long, it actually took three different filming sessions spread across the country, says Blonsky. Giving lots of opportunities for silly shenanigans, bloopers, and ridiculousness.Beyond the founders, We Are Cyclists showcases the diverse leadership and community members who have joined the organization. This includes chapter leaders from various regions. The film fits with Shimanos broader support for diverse cycling communities. At its core, We Are Cyclists reminds us that cycling isnt defined by performance metrics or physical appearance, but by the shared experience of riding and the connections formed within the cycling community.Beautiful. AllBodiesOnBikes.comBike.Shimano.comThe post Must Watch: Shimano Presents We Are Cyclists, a New Film that Continues the Story of All Bodies on Bikes appeared first on Bikerumor.