Megamo has brought the very latest Avinox drive systems to gravel with its new Along e-gravel bike. But might this be too much for humbler gravel riding?

The 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes classifications will evolve across eight days of racing, from the opening stage in Vizille to the final summit finish at Plateau de Solaison. Every climbing test, sprint opportunity, breakaway move and team time trial has the potential to reshape the fight for the...

Hot on the heels of its Upon electric road bike, Megamo has released the Along electric gravel bike with the controversially powerful Avinox M2S motor. The Along shares many of the features of the Upon, released earlier this week. The bikes share the Avinox M2S motor, which can deliver up to 1,500 watts peak power, although in the Along its been detuned slightly for gravel use, with Megamo claiming 1,300 watts peak power and 130Nm torque. Thats still a hefty amount of assistance on tap, even if the continuously rated power remains at 250 watts, the legal limited maximum output. The motor also cuts out at 25km/h, the legally mandated speed limit in the UK, Europe and most of the rest of the world. Tuned for gravel Megamo fits 50mm Vittoria Terreno Mixed tyres, which should provide plenty of grip. Theres no legal limit on the torque that a motor can output the amount of turning power it applies to the rear wheel and the 130Nm figure is substantially greater than that supplied by many electric gravel bikes. The Mahle X20 rear hub motor fitted to bikes including the Ribble Allgrit E and Ridley E-Grifn, for example, delivers 65Nm torque and just 275 watts peak power. But Megamo says that its tuned the M2S motor for gravel use and that it offers smooth power delivery on rolling terrain and progressive support on climbs. It claims theres still enough reserve for technical sections without feeling artificial. There are three assistance levels, which can be adjusted from the factory settings using the Avinox companion app or the on-bike display. The entry spec Along 10 and the Along Flatbar are powered by the slightly less punchy Avinox M2 motor, rather than the M2S. This still produces 1,100 watts peak power and 110Nm torque, which is significantly greater than other electric gravel bikes. In the Along, the Avinox motor is powered by a 600Wh in-frame battery and the carbon frame has clearance for 50mm tyres. All specs are fitted with 50mm Vittoria Terreno Mixed gravel tyres. As with the Upon, top tier models have full cable integration and a one-piece cockpit. The Along 01 also has a 40mm travel DT Swiss gravel suspension fork, while other specs have a rigid carbon fork. Too much power? We've questioned whether the Avinox M2S motor provides more power than most riders need. The Avinox motor is produced by DJI, famed for its drones and action cameras. Its taken the mountain biking world by storm, with over 20 eMTBs powered by the system. Nevertheless, Robin Weaver, BikeRadars MTB technical editor in chief reckons it delivers more power than most riders will need. While its natural feel, incredibly smooth power delivery and masses of control make it stand out above anything else in the eMTB segment, the 1,500 watts of peak power is unnecessary, he claims. Hes also raised potential safety issues, stating: These extraordinarily powerful bikes require real care they bring new concerns over safety, trail etiquette and trail access. He cites concerns on busy trails, which are likely to carry over into gravel riding, where an Avinox-powered rider can blast past pedal-only and less powerful e-gravel bikes and XC MTBs, risking a collision. When we talked to Peter Eland, technical and policy director at the Bicycle Association, he raised concerns about the very high peak power that some motor systems can deliver and supported calls for restraint from both manufacturers and riders. We asked our readers too and 70% supported a cap on ebike motor power. Avinox has hit back though, stating that innovation should not be constrained by arbitrary power limits. Megamo Along e-gravel bike outline specs and prices The top spec Along 01 has a SRAM Force XPLR AXS groupset, an integrated cockpit and DT Swiss suspension fork. Megamo Megamo will sell five Along specs from the 7,999 Along 01 to the 3,699 Along Flatbar. Along 01 Motor: Avinox M2S Groupset: SRAM Force XPLR AXS Fork: DT Swiss F132 Wheels: Vision TC45 i30 carbon Price: 7,999 / 7,999 Along 03 CW Motor: Avinox M2S Groupset: SRAM Rival XPLR AXS Fork: Along Carbon Disc Wheels: Vision TC45 i30 carbon Price: 5,999 / 5,999 Along 03 Motor: Avinox M2S Groupset: SRAM Rival XPLR AXS Fork: Along Carbon Disc Wheels: Megamo All Road AL Price: 5,299 / 5,299 Along 10 Motor: Avinox M2S Groupset: Shimano GRX RX610 12-speed Fork: Along Carbon Disc Wheels: Megamo All Road AL Price: 3,999 / 3,999 Along Flatbar Motor: Avinox M2S Groupset: Shimano Deore M6200 12-speed Fork: Along Carbon Disc Wheels: Megamo All Road AL Price: 3,699 / 3,699

The decision to expel the likes of Lime and Voi from the Catalan capital, which is set to host the start of this years Tour de France, comes as Barcelona expands its public Bicing service which is not available to tourists

Wout van Aert took the stage 5 headlines in Villars-les-Dombes, but Alex Baudin left the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes with the Maillot Jaune still on his shoulders and the most important day of his race waiting on home roads. Baudin safely retained yellow after one of the calmest days of his spell in t...

In most cases, the council has installed four stop signs and four shared path signs at each junction. Mayo County Council has said that a nearly 180,000 plan to install new gates and traffic signs along the Great Western Greenway between Westport and Achill has increased in cost to just under 200,000.The spending was revealed in a Freedom of Information request to the council after the local authority had started installing the gates last year, nearly 15 years after the greenway first opened. The installation of gates was still underway earlier this year when IrishCycle.com visited the route to assess the placement of the chicanes gates.The fixed barriers, which look like old gates, are called chicanes or staggered gates. The gates have also been used on other greenways, but have been retrofitted to the Mayo greenway, even though national guidance states that bollards with a minimum spacing of 1.5m are the optimum solution for access controls to active travel routes.Previously, the junctions along the Great Western Greenway mainly included bollards, while not all might have met the spacing requirements, a decision was made to replace bollards with a less-than-optimum solution. While these types of gates are often used to signify major road crossings on greenways, IrishCycle.com has found that they have been installed at minor road junctions and even at some driveways, which runs counter to national guidance. The gates were also installed in locations where people cycling around a corner have no visibility of the gate because of a high stone wall.The spending includes four (4) traffic sign poles with eight (8) road signs at nearly every junction and driveway where the treatment was applied. Lower-level signs, such as those in the bollards previously along the greenway in recent years were recognised as legal signs in Ireland. In another case, the gates and signs have been added at the point where the greenway merges not with any road or driveway, but with a footpath west of Newport village (see image below) families and others often continue along the footpath as it appears to be part of the greenway, but the route has yet to be developed through the village. At this point and others along the route outside Newport, greenway users are instructed by expensive signs to stop for no apparent reason. International experience indicates that repeatedly placing safety-critical signs in areas with no danger risks desensitises people to the warning and the signs become background noise, reducing awareness of critical warnings where they are needed. This is why some EU countries only use stop signs where theres a safety-critical need, opting for yield signs or markings in most cases. This website asked the council to confirm whether the 179,798.13 was the full cost of installing the gates and signs at 33 junctions and driveways, or whether there had been any additional costs since the figure was released to this website last year.A spokeperson for the council today said: Mayo County Council can confirm that the package of works at the 33 identified junction locations under the Great Western Greenway Asset Protection and Renewal Scheme had an original tendered cost of 179,798.13, which increased by 18,279.26 to a final cost of 198,077.39 following the identification on site of additional elements required to complete the works, including extra poles and signage, primer to all gates and the installation of gate stops.IMAGE: Gates and stop signs where the greenway merges with a footpath at the edge of Newport village. The footpath runs between the greenway and the road at the point shown in the foreground of the above image.IrishCycle.com also asked whether there are extra costs for new gates along the ongoing Newport to Derrada road upgrade works, and whether the council could explain why the gates were installed at several driveways when national guidelines do not seem to support such interventions at private access points.A Mayo County Council spokesperson said: The staggered gates were installed at locations where the Council had identified a risk to Greenway users from vehicular movements due to restricted sightlines at these crossing points, and were provided as a necessary safety measure to reduce that risk. These works formed part of the wider AchillWestport Greenway upgrade, which also included resurfacing and relining.The council also confirmed that the Newport to Derrada Road Project is a separate scheme, which is funded and delivered independently. That means any gates installed on that project will be above the 200,000 price tag. IMAGES: A T-junction where the greenway joins a cul-de-sac with a single house and farm at the end.National guidance in the Access Control of Active Travel Facilities Advice Note outlines that: Bollards with a minimum spacing of 1.5m are the optimum solution where access control is required. All other forms of access control (gates, barriers etc.) require approval by the Approving Authority before being incorporated into scheme designs.While the advice for all active travel routes, including urban routes, is also referred to in the latest rural guidelines. IMAGES: A gate at a driveway near the start of the greenway in Westport and gates at minor side roads along the route.Maintaining motion is clearly important for efficient cycling, therefore any access control should be designed to maintain the free flow of cyclists through obstructions. On the approach to points of interaction, it is preferable to adjust the horizontal alignment by providing deflection and curves rather than providing chicanes or staggered gates. This will allow cycle users to be fully aware of the interaction point and the need to adjust speed accordingly to give way to pedestrians or motor traffic if required, the guidance outlines. It continues, Where this is not possible, and with the approval of the Approving Authority, access gates may beused in a manner that reduces speeds approaching the interaction point. For example, where a Greenway meets a road, staggered gates may be considered, however these should be sufficiently far apart (5.0m minimum) to allow all cyclists to negotiate without having to dismount.

The new Hamburg-made fO.goods Tasche XL is a generously sized, feature-packed bag designed to fit the Manivelle Basket and built for life on and off the bike. Take a peek hereThe post The fO.goods Tasche XL Offers a Fresh Take on the Basket Bag appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Chris Froomes next race is not at the Tour de France, not on the road, and not even on a traditional bike. The seven-time Grand Tour winner is set to take part in Together Crossing for the Pelagos, a 225km water-bike challenge from Viareggio in Italy to Monaco on 19 and 20 June. Froome will be one...