RODA brought lift-assisted Dolomites riding to a wider audienceFunActive Tours unveiled RODA as a new way to explore the Dolomites by mountain bike, combining classic Alpine scenery with summer lift access, luggage transfers and route options that suited everyone from first-time riders to experienced off-road travellers.Developed by FunActive Tours in collaboration with Dolomiti Supersummer, the project centred on travel packages that ran from June to October, matching the opening period of the lifts. The concept was simple but smart. Riders were able to use uplift to tackle the biggest ascents, link valleys more efficiently and spend more of their time on the trails rather than grinding out long climbs.That approach opened up some of the Dolomites best-known riding territory. The itineraries passed through headline destinations including Val Gardena, Cortina dAmpezzo, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the Sella Group, turning an area best known for winter skiing into a summer playground for mountain biking. The appeal lay not just in the scenery, but in the ease with which riders were able to move between iconic locations across one trip.FunActive Tours built the packages around the needs of travelling cyclists. Luggage was transferred from hotel to hotel, allowing riders to focus on the riding itself rather than the logistics. The operator also offered MTB and e-bike hire, GPS tracks, a dedicated app for route guidance, technical assistance and support from local expert guides. It was a fully managed format aimed at people who wanted an active holiday without sacrificing organisation or comfort.One of RODAs strongest selling points was its flexibility. The packages were offered in three accommodation levels. Basic gave riders a simpler, more affordable base with essential services. Superior added greater comfort, with 3-star hotels and extra cyclist-friendly facilities. Luxury took things up a notch with 4 or 5-star accommodation and more exclusive hospitality for those who wanted to pair big mountain riding with a more premium stay. Half-board could also be added across the range.Crucially, the trips were not limited to hardcore mountain bikers. FunActive Tours positioned RODA for couples, families and groups of friends as well as solo riders, and the availability of e-bikes and modular route options made the experience more accessible for beginners. That broader appeal felt important. The Dolomites remained a dream destination, but RODA appeared to lower the barrier to entry and make multi-day mountain biking in the Alps feel realistic for a far wider audience.The project also reflected FunActive Tours long-standing expertise in cycling holidays. The Italian operator had spent more than 20 years creating bike travel packages across Europe and beyond, with hotel bookings, luggage transfers, bike hire and return transfers all handled as part of the service. Within that context, RODA looked like a natural extension of the brands established formula, adapted for mountain biking and shaped around the lift network of Dolomiti Supersummer.In practical terms, RODA presented the Dolomites as a place that could now be experienced in summer with the same sense of scale and spectacle that skiers associated with the colder months. Only this time, the adventure unfolded on two wheels. For riders keen to mix serious scenery with a well-supported point-to-point journey, the concept stood out as one of the more interesting mountain bike holiday ideas to emerge from the region.

Last year, Fox updated its family of trail-oriented forks, starting with the 34 SL and then the 36 and 36 SL models. All three models received a host of updates, including the generative arch design, increased bushing overlap, Glidecore air springs, and more. Now, following recent updates to the brands gravity forks, including a new GRIP X2 damper, Fox announces a redesigned GRIP X damper for the trail fork lineup.Fox says, Designed specifically for the way modern trail riders ride, the updated GRIP X damper delivers a refined balance of descending performance, lightweight efficiency, and simplified usability. As such, the GRIP X damper is used in Foxs lighter, trail-oriented forks, the 34 SL, 36 SL, and 36, covering the needs of the ever-broadening trail category. Mirroring some of the changes to the GRIP X2 damper, Fox aims to bring gravity-level performance to your trail bike.The Fox family of Trail forks is available with the GRIP X damper.Fox Fork DampersIf youre reading this and thinking, GRIP X2, GRIP X, whats the difference, and why should I care? Well, youre not alone. Heres a quick rundown of Foxs different dampers and who theyre for.Fox has moved its suspension products into three categories: SL (XC), X (Trail), and X2 (Gravity). For the fork dampers, these categories also get the word GRIP added to them. Heres how Fox describes them:GRIP SL for maximum weight savings and Firm mode functionalityGRIP X for balanced Trail performanceGRIP X2 for maximum descending capability and adjustabilityComparison of the mid valve piston and valve stack on the old GRIP X (left) vs. new GRIP X (right).Updated GRIP X DamperFox says its GRIP X damper was originally developed to be the industrys first trail-specific damper. The idea behind it was to provide a balanced on-trail performance at a lower weight to better match the needs of lighter bikes and their riders. Additionally, its meant to be user-friendly and intuitive, with simplified, usable adjustments limited to High Speed Compression (HSC), Low Speed Compression (LSC), and Low Speed Rebound (LSR).Foxs new GRIP X damper does away with Firm mode in favor of internal updates to improve performance.Now, Fox says it is taking that concept even further. In response to rider feedback, Fox has removed the Firm mode from GRIP X, which they say allowed for big changes to the damping system to enhance its downhill performance. This includes changes similar to the new GRIP X2, with a redesigned mid-valve piston and valve stack.With a 2-port piston and cut-valve design, Fox says the updated architecture allows oil to flow more freely at the mid-valve. Additionally, they were able to add bigger bleed valves, which can be customized for OEM fork tunes. Altogether, Fox says these updates increase sensitivity and mid-stroke support while improving consistency in rough terrain.The term trail bike category is quite broad, and Fox has forks ranging from 120mm to 160mm of travel in its Trail family.WeightWith GRIP X, Fox says its striving to give trail riders performance as close to its GRIP X2 gravity forks, but at a lower weight. To that end, the GRIP X damper is claimed to weigh 120 grams less than GRIP X2. When you combine that with the already lighter weights of the 34 SL, 36 SL, and 36 forks, youve got a good fit for most bikes and riders that identify as trail.FOX Trail ForksFOX 34 SLBuilt for modern XC and Downcountry riders, the 34 SL delivers increased stiffness and control in a lightweight package designed for technical terrain.120130mm travelStarting at 1475gAvailable with GRIP SL or GRIP XFOX 36 SLThe lightest 36 ever produced, the 36 SL blends short-travel efficiency with the stiffness and confidence of a full-width chassis.130140mm travelStarting at 1755gAvailable with GRIP SL or GRIP XFOX 36The benchmark for All-Mountain performance, the 36 delivers Enduro-level control in a Trail-optimized package.150160mm travelStarting at 1920gAvailable with GRIP X or GRIP X2The Factory Series forks come in orange or black.Fox GRIP X Forks: Pricing and AvailabilityFox 34 SL GRIP X Factory: $1,199 USD / $1469 CADFox 36 SL GRIP X Factory: $1,259 USD / $1,539 CADFox 36 SL GRIP X Performance Elite: $1,159 USD / $1,399 CADFox 36 GRIP X Factory: $1,299 USD /$1,599 CADFox 36 GRIP X Performance Elite: $1,199 USD / $1,469 CADFoxs new GRIP X-equipped forks are available now. Head to the Fox website to learn more.ridefox.comThe post Fox Updates its Trail Fork Lineup with new GRIP X Damper appeared first on Bikerumor.

CyclistTour of Flanders bikes 2026: The new Endurace, SRAM Red XPLR and lots of 1xCobbled Classics season is tech watch season, and while Roubaix takes the biscuit though Cyclist tech editor Sam Challis has perfected the Roubaix build Flanders is a good warm-up, with teams having to blend cobble-friendly comfort features with low weight components for the steep bergs.Photographer Xavier Pereyron got stuck in in Oudenaarde to snap the pelotons bikes, and got ahead of the curve catching the womens bikes at Dwars door Vlaanderen mid-week too.Expect tyres averaging 30mm, lots of 1x cranksets and some made-for-gravel components too. Oh and the new Endurace up close before its official launch. Related Posts Pro bike: Demi Vollering's 2026 Flanders Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro bike: Puck Pieterse's unreleased Canyon from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1Rs The best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Xavier PereyronWe kick things off with this actually very nice BH of team Burgos Burpellet BH, who set the tone with 30mm Pirelli P Zero Race RS tyres and aero chainrings.Xavier PereyronFlanders-Baloise are still flying the flag for Eddy Merckx bikes with maybe overly cautious 32mm Vittoria Corsa Pros. Whatever happened to underbiking? Romance is dead. Also remember that seat tube shape, itll be important for later.Xavier PereyronUno-X switched to SRAM over the winter and were making full use of that in Flanders, with aero 1x chainrings all over. They even used SRAMs gravel specialist Red XPLR AXS parts for the wide-range cassette and tough Direct Mount derailleur.Jonas Abrahamsens bike pictured here also has a nice WolfTooth chain catcher and the team were using Continentals Aero 111 front tyre and GP5000 S TR rear.Xavier PereyronNSN Cycling were using Continentals 30mm Tour de France special Archetype tyres, which were developed with Tadej Pogaar. If you cant beat himXavier PereyronEF Education-EasyPost also switched to SRAM this year and made the same choices as Uno-X with that single chainring and SRAM Red XPLR AXS rear derailleur and cassette. Like most of these 1x setups, this one has a 54t chainring.Xavier PereyronBack to the old school, Picnic-PostNL are sponsored by Shimano, who dont currently have a roadworthy 1x system though Pogaar did use custom chainrings to go 1x at Milan-San Remo. Which team also hasnt won a race all year? Picnic-PostNL.Interestingly theyve scribbled out the spec on their Michelin tyres.Xavier PereyronPinarello-Q36.5 were Pidcockless but they did get 12th place courtesy of Aim De Gendt. Their Pinarellos were fitted with 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres and interestingly they didnt go 1x despite being on SRAM.Xavier PereyronAnthony Turgiss TotalEnergies swapped Enve for Cube this year, so its a similar setup to Intermarchs 2025 bikes.Xavier PereyronIneos had Sam Watson and Magnus Sheffield both riding well in the front group until they crashed out. The team are Shimano sponsored so were using full Dura-Ace groupset and had Continental GP5000 tyres on their new-for-2025 Scope wheels.Xavier PereyronWatsons British National Champions bike is easy to spot.Xavier PereyronUnibet Rose Rockets talisman Luk Kubi has an eyecatching Slovakian National Champion themed Rose bike. They were also on the SRAM 1x and Red XPLR AXS combo and were using 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pros. He changed shoes for the race, fear not.Xavier PereyronBianchi will be enjoying their return to the WorldTour with Bahrain Victorious. Matej Mohori rode his Oltre (not this one) to eighth place in Flanders. There isnt much room for wider tyres in there.Xavier PereyronSoudal-QuickSteps Specialized tyres are going under the radar with no model name. Xavier PereyronYou can spot Daan Hooles bikes a long way away with that enormous head tube. Hes 6ft 6in if youre interested.Xavier PereyronMads Pedersen had the fortune of riding a new limited edition design on his Madone, which has been put together to celebrate Treks 50th anniversary. Behind that gloss Lidl-Trek were also running SRAM 1x and XPLR AXS.Xavier PereyronLottos normal Orbea Orca Aero looks rather boring in comparison to that Madone, and their 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pros are pushing that tyre clearance very close.Xavier PereyronSRAM-sponsored team. SRAM 1x. SRAM Red XPLR AXS. 54t chainring. There is definitely a theme. 30mm Vittora Corsa Pro tyres another theme.Xavier PereyronTudor are another that didnt get the 1x memo though. They did have Matteo Trentin going well until he crashed badly.Xavier PereyronYes that is Mathieu van der Poels lower half. Yes that is the Canyon Aeroad stay tuned for the new Endurace, which he wasnt using. His all black rims indicate these are unreleased Shimano Dura-Ace wheels though.Xavier PereyronDont think there was any danger of getting lost.Xavier PereyronLightly dusted.Xavier PereyronHere is the new Endurace, ridden to third in the womens race by Puck Pieterse.Xavier PereyronThis is a good angle for comparison between this new bike and the Aeroad below.Xavier PereyronXavier PereyronAnd theres your confirmation it is an Endurace.Xavier PereyronPlease dont press start. Please dont press start the rest of the peloton, probably.Xavier PereyronPogaar has racked up quite the collection of wins on the Y1Rs. Find the full breakdown of his bike here.Xavier PereyronLotte Kopecky and her SD Worx team are also using the unlabelled Specialized tyres. This and the following pictures of womens bikes were taken at Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier in the week, but the tech wont have been changed much if at all.Xavier PereyronElisa Longo Borghini and her UAE Team ADQ teammates do frequently use the V5Rs, which is good news for the bikes developers given Pogaar only rode it for about ten minutes before the Y1Rs came along.Xavier PereyronThe only Factors left in the WorldTour belong to the Human Powered Health womens team. No Factor One for Flanders, it was Ostros all round.Xavier PereyronKathrin Schweinberger didnt ride Flanders, but her Austrian National Champs bike we spotted at Dwars door is rather fetching.Xavier PereyronThe new EnviLiv, the womens equivalent of the Giant Propel is now light enough to be a true all-round race bike for Liv-AlUla-Jayco.Xavier PereyronFor the full breakdown of Demi Vollerings Euro Champs bike click here.Xavier PereyronFor those who dont need to know when the climbs are coming and when to feed.Xavier PereyronLidl-Trek were already testing the SRAM setup earlier in the week with Loes Adegeest getting the full works.Xavier PereyronAs did Uno-Xs womens team, with Linda Zanetti on the same setup as the men including the aero front tyre.Xavier PereyronWhile Astana dont have a womens team, they do have a technical and sporting parternship with Basque team Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi, whose X-Lab bikes have this pink and white paintjob.Xavier PereyronAlong with some cool detailing on the inside of the fork.Xavier PereyronIrish rider Fiona Mangans Mayenne Monbana My Pie squad rides this bling Winspace bike, with the brands Lun Hyper wheels with carbon spokes along with Hutchinson Blackbird Racing Lab tyres.The post Tour of Flanders bikes 2026: The new Endurace, SRAM Red XPLR and lots of 1x appeared first on Cyclist.

From the 6th to the 11th of April, the peloton will travel to the Basque Country, one of cycling's holy regions, for Itzulia Basque Country. The six-day stage-race is always marked by the steep climbs, the narrow roads, unstable weather and passionate fans, which are never missing in one of the spri...

Emilia-Romagna Bike Trail 2026 set out to link Bologna and Riccione in a four-route bikepacking adventureFrom the porticoes of Bologna to the Adriatic coast at Riccione, the seventh edition of the Emilia-Romagna Bike Trail was presented as a non-competitive bikepacking event built around freedom, exploration and long days in the saddle. Riders were given four distinct routes, ranging from a largely flat gravel journey to a demanding mountain crossing through the Romagna Apennines.The 2026 edition was scheduled to begin on Friday 1 May from the Bologna Easy Camping Village, with the finish based at the Riccione Easy Camping Village. Organisers said the event had been designed to showcase Emilia-Romagna through hill trails, gravel roads, lagoon landscapes and historic towns, before delivering riders to the sea. It remained a non-competitive ride, with no clock and no time limit, so participants were free to decide their own pace, stops and overall approach.That sense of autonomy sat at the heart of the event. Riders were able to choose from four GPX routes, each shaped around a different style of riding and level of challenge. The Classic route stretched to 260km with 4,050m of climbing and was pitched as a modern gravel ride linking some of Romagnas most attractive towns via rideable climbs and mixed terrain. The Flat route covered 280km with only 500m of elevation gain, taking in gravel tracks, wetlands and natural oasis areas on a course where, as the organisers put it, the only real climbs were the flyovers.For those who preferred tarmac and long mountain roads, the Road route ran to 400km and packed in 7,500m of ascent, following only paved roads while passing over some of the areas best-known climbs. At the sharp end of the event sat the Adventure route, a 390km test with 8,900m of elevation gain that crossed the Romagna Apennines and was intended for riders looking for a true trail experience on mountain bikes. Taken together, the four options gave the event a broad appeal, from first-time bikepackers to seasoned ultra-distance riders.The route out of Bologna was set to include two of the citys most recognisable landmarks, Piazza Maggiore and the climb to the Sanctuary of San Luca, before the trails and roads unfolded across the region. A refreshment stop was planned in Castel San Pietro Terme, where riders would have been served lunch featuring local produce. At the finish in Riccione, participants were due to be welcomed with a craft beer supplied by a sponsor, a suitably relaxed end to a ride that leaned heavily into the social side of endurance cycling.Practicality also seemed to have been carefully considered. A return gravel track was included for all entrants, giving riders the option of cycling back on flatter paths, while regular train links between Bologna and Riccione offered a simpler journey home for those who had emptied the tank on the way to the coast. Each rider also received a map on which checkpoint stamps could be collected, adding a low-key brevet feel to the weekend and leaving participants with a souvenir of the ride. Base camps and checkpoints were positioned as useful recovery points where riders could rest, eat, wash and regroup before heading back out.Accommodation and bivvy options were spread sensibly across the courses. On the Classic route, riders could stop at the Zappi Cycling Hotel in Riolo Terme, Rio del Sol near Forl, or a covered bivouac at Bertinoros Welcome Room. The Adventure and Road routes shared some of the same infrastructure, including Riolo Terme, while also offering indoor overnight options at the sports hall in Tredozio and the municipal gym in San Piero in Bagno. On the Flat route, the overnight choices included Agriturismo Prato Pozzo near Argenta and the Spina Family Collection at Lido di Spina.The event was organised by Regaz della Polisportiva Villafontana in collaboration with the municipalities of Medicina, Riccione, Tredozio, Bertinoro and Castel San Pietro Terme, with support from the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Metropolitan City of Bologna and the Nuovo Circondario Imolese. That backing reflected the events wider purpose, which went beyond pure riding and into the promotion of slow tourism, local food culture and lesser-known corners of the region. The messaging from organisers and public bodies consistently pointed to the same idea: this was not simply a start-to-finish challenge, but a moving postcard of Emilia-Romagna.A central figure behind the event was founder Stefano Romualdi, described in the press material as an internationally recognised ultra-distance bikepacker. The release noted that he held the best Italian performance on the Tour Divide and had also posted notable results on other major off-road ultras, including an 11th-place finish at the 2023 Atlas Mountain Race and a top-10 placing at the 2025 Fat Viking Race in Norway. His background helped explain the events dual character: accessible on the surface, but rooted in a deep understanding of what long-distance riders actually needed from a trail.In the end, the Emilia-Romagna Bike Trail 2026 looked to have offered a smart mix of challenge and inclusivity. It promised iconic road climbs, remote gravel sectors, practical logistics and a finish by the sea, all without the pressure of a stopwatch. For a cycling audience increasingly drawn to self-supported riding and meaningful travel, it read like the sort of event that understood exactly why bikepacking had captured the imagination.

CyclistPro bike: Mads Pedersens golden jubilee Trek MadoneEveryone loves a custom paintjob, dont they?Well, to celebrate Treks 50th birthday, Mads Pedersen was sent a one-off Madone to mark the brands jubilee. The bike is awash with gold and silver, with Treks old logo even making an appearance on the frame.On board the birthday Madone, Pedersen rode to fifth place at the Tour of Flanders, finishing behind the all-star cast of Tadej Pogaar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert.Photographer Xavier Pereyron was there to snap this one-off Trek Madone ahead of Pedersens ride at Sundays Tour of Flanders. Related Posts Pro bike: Demi Vollering's 2026 Flanders Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro bike: Puck Pieterse's unreleased Canyon from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1Rs The complete history of the Trek Madone Mads Pedersens Tour of Flanders 2026 Trek MadoneXavier PereyronTrek went back to basics using the old logo on the seat tube.Xavier PereyronThere are some vintage details towards the fork crown under Pedersens big stem.Xavier PereyronFifty years is deemed a golden anniversary. No surprise to see some of those tones sported here.Xavier PereyronFor weight purposes, I doubt any real gold was used in the making of these aero bottle cages.Xavier PereyronEven the small amount of exposed seatpost has been given the Midas touch.Xavier PereyronYou can just see it here, but Mads Pedersen rode SRAM Red 1x crankset at Flanders along with the Red XPLR rear derailleur and cassette.Xavier PereyronThe decals on Pedersens Aeolus RSL wheelset were also given a golden makeover. Sadly, Pirelli couldnt match that with the branding on these P-Zero Race RS tyres.Xavier PereyronHeres the birthday bike in action, as Pedersen leads the chase to the race leaders. Nonetheless, a fifth place to celebrate a 50th birthday feels appropriate.The post Pro bike: Mads Pedersens golden jubilee Trek Madone appeared first on Cyclist.

A heavy crash in the womens Tour of Flanders has once again put the spotlight on a long-standing issue in cycling coverage, not just the incidents themselves, but how they are shown to those watching. The fall, which brought down a large group of riders ahead of the Koppenberg and left both Marlen...

The Raleigh Banana team was short lived but iconic on the UK scene, and had a bike and kit that inspired a generation

Tadej Pogacar arrives at Paris-Roubaix 2026 in relentless form, having already claimed victory at Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders in recent weeks. Two Monuments, two different race scenarios, same outcome. And yet, as the peloton turns towards the cobbles this Sunday, former winner Sonny Col...

Race officials are set to play a key role throughout Itzulia Basque Country 2026, where time penalties, fines and other sanctions can have a direct impact on both stage results and the overall general classification. This article tracks every Jury and Fines decision issued during the race. Updated d...