The nomination process for the next inductees to the British Cycling Hall of Fame is open from today, as the national governing body looks to recognise remarkable achievement and service within our cycling community. The Hall of Fame was launched in 2009 and consists of 82 members. [I]t is a unique blend of global champions who are stood shoulder to shoulder with special individuals who keep the wheels turning in our sport, British Cycling said. British Cycling is now seeking nominations ahead of the deadline on Monday 1 June. The nominations will then be considered by a selection panel led by British Cycling president Bob Howden OBE. You can nominate people in two categories: the first is for competitors and the second is for exemplary service. The competitor category is intended for riders who have been successful at the highest level in cycling and have helped to advance the profile, progress or perception of the sport, whether through standout achievements, breakthrough moments or transformative impact beyond medals alone, British Cycling said. The exemplary service category is intended for those who have served the interests of the sport at international level which has resulted in a significant impact on the growth, development and enhanced reputation of cycling, it added. You can submit your nominations by following the links below: Competitor nominations Exemplary service nominations The previous awards dinner in 2024 saw 13 members inducted into the Hall of Fame. These included Ed Clancy, Dame Laura Kenny and Sir Jason Kenny, alongside Sir Bradley Wiggins and mountain biker Tracy Moseley. They joined previous inductees including Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Chris Boardman, Sir Dave Brailsford, Tom Simpson, Graeme Obree, Phil Liggett and Beryl Burton. Who will you nominate and why? Let us know in the comments below.

The bike from Zafi Cycles has been designed specifically for the challenge

La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es 2026 will take place from Sunday, May 3rd, to Saturday, May 9th. With seven stages that start in Galicia and culminate on the demanding Alto de LAngliru in Asturias, The route promises great spectacle thanks to a very tough profile, especially favorable to climber...

Yesterday I showed you my new testcycle:And no sooner had I done so than I clipped in and scampered off to that most formidable of proving grounds, the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall:[The beguiling mall behind which the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall are behind. Photo not by me. The REI is long gone.]I was looking forward to receiving this bike as sort of a guilty pleasure, for Id enjoyed the last testcycle quite a bit, even though Im a staunch advocate of rigidity in bicycles:And now that we were in that ideal trail-riding season when the snow is long gone but the mosquitos have not yet taken over I was eager to zip around in the woods on a fully-suspendered fin de siclemountain bicycle with aggressive geometry and tiny wheels once again.The heart of this particular bicycle is of course the so-called i-Drive, which sounds like a great name for a self-driving taxi service:While I was certainly familiar with the i-Drive as a thing that existed, I also didnt really know how it worked, since for the past 30 years Ive gone out of my way to to not own a fully-suspendered bicycle or learn anything about them. But now that I was the custodian of one I looked it up, and heres an explanation from an old review:The i-Drive concept is a way of creating a very active suspension system with minimum pedal feedback by using a bottom bracket subframe that floats underneath the mainframe. Theoretically, suspension feedback and chain growth on the i-Drive system counteract one another, leaving you to point, pedal and let the suspension do the donkey work. It works well, and each new i-Drive generation has worked better than the last.Great, got it, donkey work, no problem.Leaving my home, I darted into the park and onto the first stretch of dirt:The bike felt fast and nimble like the AMP had, but also more plush and refined thanks having more suspension and newer drivetrain components, plus its a little bigger than the AMP was and has wider bars wider, so overall it was more comfortable.So far so good.One can, if one is so inclined, make it almost all the way to the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall on that dirt trail, but in the interest of time I soon merged onto the paved trail instead. This is the one on which Id had my recent wino encounter, though fortunately the route I take to the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall involves scurrying up the embankment on the right of the trail in the picture below in order to head over to the beguiling mall behind which the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall are behind, so I dont pass the spot on the trail where, for all I know, the angry winos are still lying in wait for me:Before long, I was behind the mall behind which the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall arewell you know the rest:Everything about this bicycle is now obsolete, but dont tell me or the bike that, because we dont care:Now thats what I call a brake!Handling-wise the bike felt great. However, I was having one persistent issue, this being frontal shifting problemsrubbing, not dropping into the smaller chainrings, etc.:Nothing I did seemed to solve it, and I thought to myself, Yes, I know the world has moved on from triples, and they can be a pain to set up with an indexed front shifter, but they certainly werent this bad. I also noticed that the front derailleur was moving along with the rear suspension travel, which didnt seem like something that should happen, but because it did happen it meant any adjustments I made to the limit screws or cable tension were futile. So I fired up my portable telephone and did a little more i-Drive research:See how it moves?Well, because of this, apparently you have to make the front derailleur cable housing long enough so that the movement of the rear suspension doesnt pull it taught, causing the derailleur to move. So while there is extra length here, either its not enough, or else I dont have enough air in the rear shock (Paul had given me suggestions as far as air pressure but could easily have way underestimated my heft), or probably both, since it seems like there should be enough cable slack so that the shock can go through its entire travel without tugging on the derauilleur, right?So Ive got stuff to figure out, but thats just part of being the Old Crap Test Pilotmaybe even the most important part. Was I tempted to instantly write the bike off as irredeemable and tout it as yet another example of why all forms of suspension are bunk? Was I equally tempted to run out and buy a brand-new single-ring drivetrain for it? Of course. But taking the time to get to know, understandand yes, even lovethese star-crossed time capsules is my special purpose in life.When it was new I would have found this bike menacing, but now its just saying, Help me:Aww, poor little i-Drive

How dependent is pro cycling on oil? The high price today ($125 a barrel) has repercussions for team budgets set last autumn.A team bus that cost 1,000 to fill up the tank with diesel now costs $1,500, likewise for the fleets of cars and other trucks used by teams. Aviation is getting more expensive with rising fuel surcharges and its a big but less visible cost to teams as it is largely how riders commute to races. If rider wages typically make up 70-80% of a team budget, these travel costs account for a large share of the other spending items. The increase now means budget headaches, especially for teams that dont have credit lines with their sponsors or owners but have regular contracts. Itll likely mean some teams cutting altitude training camps and other expenses later this year and trying to run smaller support crews.The oil price is reflecting scarcity in the Gulf. So while a high price ought to be lucrative for the likes of UAE and Bahrain, its because theyre struggling to export. Well see if this has knock-on effects for their eponymous teams. Weve had reports that the Bahrain team riders have not had salaries paid on time; but talk of a new co-sponsor coming too. Ineos has had financial woes because high oil prices mean high energy and input costs but its debt isnt worrying traders like it did earlier this year, in tiny part because the company has cut back on sports sponsorship. TotalEnergies will be making bumper profits but this does not mean they want to spend more on cycling; French newspapers report talk of a windfall tax. Uno-Xs network of service stations could be busy installing more charging points as Norwegian among the 7,272 new car registrations in February were only 66 hybrid motors and 67 diesel and 12 petrol cars, the rest were electric.This fuel cost is also an issue for organisers that rely on a convoy of vehicles to make races happen, from trucks to ferry crowd barriers and finish arches into place to motos carrying commissaires, all are thirsty for oil.The real concern is not that it now costs 45 instead of 30 to fill up a race moto with unleaded. Instead that corporate sponsorship could dry up faster than you can say recession.Uncertain times?Not at the Giro at least. First Joo Almeida, now Richard Carapaz is the latest Giro contender out of the race before its even started. Its a big loss to the race as while Vingegaard seemed likely to win against them, Carapaz is the kind of rider who is willing to make moves. Back in 2024 Pogaar got five chainrings in the preview and then four riders OConnor, Thomas, Arensman, Martinez were generously given one chainring and it feels similar this time around.Ineos + Netcompany = ?Danish IT firm Netcompany has been unveiled as the new co-sponsor of the Ineos team alongside TotalEnergies. Read that sentence again and you might wonder what it means, is it still the Ineos team? For now as theres no word on branding and identity yet. Itll probably become Netcompany-Total Energies or Total Energies-Netcompany in 2027, once the French oil major drops its deal with the second-tier French team.The arrival of Total saw the team go on a shopping spree for French riders with Dorian Godon and Kvin Vauquelin; its less likely Netcompany wants the same effect as the Danish firm is keen to promote itself outside of Denmark, thats a large reason behind the sponsoring. The bigger question is which riders the team is targetting or even has signed already for next year; and then beyond. Total boss Patrick Pouyann takes an interest in cycling was willing to fund Julian Alaphilippes move to TotalEnergies hes bound to be interested in Paul Seixas now.Waiting for GodonDorian Godon is having his best ever season with stage wins in Paris-Nice, the Volta Catalunya and now Romandie and and its still just April. Hell turn 30 in May and hes a good case study in late development. A second category amateur in 2015, he turned pro with Cofidis in 2017 while continuing to study for a physiotherapy degree, an educational path that took him eight years to complete. So a late developer and more proof that teams can find talent beyond the junior ranks. But just not a Tour de France winner which is what most teams are desperate for. The next Pogaar or Seixas may not be in the pro peloton today but there are plenty of potential World Tour TT and sprint winners aged 25 in the peloton and beyond.Minus One CyclingTalking of hidden talent, is the One Cycling breakaway project done, has it been reeled in and then dropped? Not so say its backers but with Saudi funding for the Liv golf venture reportedly on the verge of being pulled, the confident sounds about sports investment from Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund have got a lot quieter. But with One Cycling it seems less about capital drying up and more the projects plans repeating the same mistakes as other breakaway leagues where it couldnt include the Tour de France, and the alternative proposal sounded poor.New kit but no newsAfter teasing the release of a special team kit for the Tour de France, Visma-LAB asked people to chose between two versions. It was part public appeal, part email-harvesting exercise as a vote was only possible by signing up with personal data. Its old news by now but two things still worth mentioning. First black kit is not hotter than the cream version. Yes black absorbs more heat faster, but as the fabric involved is so light and thin it cannot hold much energy, plus black fabric tends to let less light through, preserving the skin. In short its not so much the colour but the weight and type of fabric that determines cooling. Second for all the kit reveals, still no news on a replacement sponsor for Visma yet.Embed from Getty ImagesSunshine and rainbow jerseysFinally the Tour de Romandies weather curse seems to be over, the Alpine stage race should enjoy good weather, or just as apparently it poured minutes after the prologue concluded. But with clouds on the horizon and not just the chance of rain or the final stage.The event has lost a prime sponsor in Le Marchal a cheese company, what else? whose name was on the yellow jersey and each day the race leader would get a big triangle of cheese, presumably to the delight of team staff. According to local newspaper 24 Heures this sponsorship deal was worth 500,000 Swiss Francs and 10% of the race budget. There ought to be companies or local interests able to meet this or get close.But beyond race seems to have more of an identity challenge, for starters the Romandie label isnt obvious to outsiders which is a hurdle for an event wanting to act as a vector for cycle tourism to its home roads. Its no longer a pre-Giro race and the idea of a World Tour race used to give young riders opportunities think Nordhagen, Withen Philipsen, Decomble is interesting if youre reading this blog but not a grab for the general public which is being treated to Pogaar right now. Also the course is very conservative as Stage 1 looks to have told us who will finish on the podium and to the point where the innovation this year, to use the organisers word, was that the final stage would be a normal road stage rather than a time trial, as in the six-day race has broken with the tradition of having two time trial stages.The post Thursday Shorts first appeared on The Inner Ring.

While the sunny weather has some of us in the UK thinking it's summer, theres still plenty of time to get in shape for the coming season. One of the best ways to improve and monitor your training plan is by using a GPS cycle computer. This Garmin Edge 1040 Performance Bundle from Sigma Sports has everything you need to start analysing your efforts, including a speed and cadence sensor, and a heart rate monitor. The computer retails for 599.99, but with this deal youll save 33%, with Sigma Sports selling it for 399. This is everything included with the bundle. Sigma Sports While the Edge 1040 has been superseded by the Edge 1050 in Garmins line-up, it still has all the training and navigation features youd expect from one of the GPS brands flagship models. These include multi-band GNSS technology, up to 35 hours of battery life in demanding use cases plus up to 70 hours in battery saver mode, power guides, stamina insights, and workout recommendations based on your current training load and VO2 max. The unit has a large screen for displaying maps and data. George Scott / Our Media The unit also features Garmins ClimbPro feature, which shows remaining ascent and grade when youre climbing while following a route or course. Theres also plenty of connectivity with apps, including Garmin Connect, Strava, Komoot and TrainingPeaks to name but a few. We were big fans of the Edge 1040 Solar when we tested it. Stan Portus / Our Media We tested the Edge 1040 Solar when it launched, giving it a 4.5-star review, and praising its large screen and great integration with back-end functionality in Garmin Connect. At the time of writing, this deal is only available at Sigma Sports, so if youre in the market for a new bike computer, check the link below. Buy the Garmin Edge 1040 Performance Bundle from Sigma Sports for 399

Mike Ashley's Frasers Group strikes deal to buy brand

Mathieu van der Poel has now been in the peloton for close to a decade and has experienced first-hand how racing has gotten more dangerous. In a recent interview, he has argued that the sport will always have danger associated with it; and has also discussed his love for Spain, his second home. "It...

Mike Ashleys Frasers Group has bought the childrens bicycle maker Frog Bikes. Frog Bike appointed administrators in February as a precautionary measure as it explored potential funding and restructuring solutions. FRR Advisory, the administrator, had been running a sale process since March, but the brand was unable to secure the financial means to continue manufacturing in the UK. BikeBiz reported that, in an email sent to suppliers, Frog Bikes said the intellectual property, brand and stock have been sold to the new owner. It is, of course, disappointing that we were unable to find an investor to take on the factory and continue operations as they were. However, we are pleased to have found a buyer who sees value in the brand and intends to take it forward. At this stage, we do not yet have full visibility of the plans or how Frog Bikes will be represented across different markets. As we learn more, we will share updates with you, the email stated. This is not the first cycling company Mike Ashleys group has bought. In 2018, it bought Evans Cycles out of administration. In 2024, Frasers Group bought WiggleCRC after the company filed for insolvency in October 2023. Frog Bikes was founded in 2013 by husband and wife Jerry and Shelley Lawson. It has sold more than half a million bikes and has a 100,000 square foot facility in Pontypool, Wales. BikeRadar has contacted Frog Bikes for comment.

Cycling is a rather unique hobby, in that there are so many ways of engaging with it, muses Michelle Arthurs-Brennan