For the past five years, the end of my July and the beginning of my August have been spent in a bit of a daze, recovering from the rollercoaster that is reporting on the men's Tour de France.The world's biggest bike race always takes a lot out of me. I manage the news on both our site and in the weekly magazine; attempting to keep up with the bike racing, generate content ideas, drive from start to finish to start to finish, sampling a new hotel every night, all whilst trying to remain a functioning human being is quite a pull. I wrote more than 60 articles last month; the riders are on another planet, but I certainly feel like a shell of a person at the end of the Tour.Usually, then, the last thing I've wanted to do is go to another bike race one Tour de France is enough for a summer. I've loved the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in its first four editions, but rarely have I wanted to be there, doing the whole thing again. This year, however, I was jealous of my peers and colleagues on the ground Tom Davidson did excellent work for us once again. This year's race was an action-packed epic, my favourite stage event of the year. In just nine days, the leader's jersey changed hands five times, and every stage was gripping; Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) might have won by a minute over Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) in the end, but that gap was eight seconds until the final attack on the final day. The Mont Ventoux stage was still the best, but it was run close by so many other great days.It took the Tour's organisers, ASO, long enough to make this race a reality, but now in its fifth year, it has become the must-watch stage race of the season. The narratives are all there, the top riders battling each other, and a deserving winner in the end. It all still manages to seem fun, with a spark that is missing from so many other races. Part of this is down to the continuing novelty of the event, its still new and fresh, but that makes it all the more entertaining.There was even the emergence of "beef" between Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney over the ending to stage eight, which adds to the whole tapestry. While we don't want bitter feuds, and certainly not the online abuse that was sent to Clia Gery, a proper sense of rivalry can improve the action.It's tempting to call for a longer race, a tougher race, but looking at the nine days here, it seems like an almost perfect product as it is; some voices have even argued that it is too difficult already. The Tour de France Femmes can still do firsts, like the first Ventoux and first double winner, and it is bringing a whole new audience to the sport.I watched the finale of stage nine to Nice in a rammed, slightly too warm, pub in Bristol, with a pleasingly mixed crowd. It's the kind of event that I could never imagine for the men's race, and included a young girl in the pub calling out Demi, Demi, Demi, come on Demi constantly, willing her favourite on. Fortunately for her, Vollering delivered. I'd have missed this if I was at the race, of course, but it was so uplifting to feel like I was part of something.At home, I was engrossed in the action well, all that I could of course given that only three of the nine stages were shown in full but I was itching to be out there, unpicking the stories, being close up, seeing the effort put in by the best riders in the world. Rather than feeling exhausted from covering one Tour, I was energised to cover the race, and can't wait to throw my hat into the ring for next year.Fortunately for us in England, 2027's race starts in Leeds, with three stages on home soil, meaning it will be easier than ever to watch the Femmes in person, and the Grand Dpart will be live on free-to-air TV here too. I just want to be there.This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.

The Tour de France Femmes is a race with its own specificities and winning it is far from just having the legs on the key days. The nine-day provided a heap of physical and mental challenges for Paula Blasi, who admits she learned a lot about the race these past weeks and how demanding in can be in...

If youve been watching DH racing lately and think you want a more upright cockpit to go faster, Hopes new 20mm Gravity Stem might just be the trick. Mountain bike cockpits have been getting shorter for years, as bars get wider and frame reach grows. But top-level downhillers, and even some enduro racers, have taken to an even shorter, more upright riding position that centers their position on the bike when descending incredibly steep terrain. So, this new Hope 20mm Gravity Stem could get you in position to tackle the most technical tracks youve ever seen.Hope super-short (and upright) alloy 20mm Gravity Stem(All photos/Hope)Sure, DH cockpits were always short. Direct mount stems on dual crowns have always hovered between 35-50mm long. And in recent years, enduro and all-mountain riders have been pushing the limits, too. However, theres only so short you can go until the central clamping area of your bar physically sits up against your steerer tube (without dimpling your bar or steerer, that minimum physical limit for stem length is 30.2mm for a 31.8 bar or 31.8mm for a 35mm bar.) Yet, super short & tall stems arent entirely new. We already reported on the nicely-machined 0mm Discord Creemee stem more than 6 years ago. But those were more about relaxing fit to comfortably go slow. Recent DH racers have been taking the concept to the extreme, and then even flipping it around like on the AON Gamux prototype gearbox race bikes this season.What does Hope hope to achieve?Following feedback from some of the fastest World Cup downhill and enduro riders, Hope set out to design a stem that brings the riders grip position more in line with the forks steering axis. This gives riders a more upright riding position, distributing weight more evenly towards the centre of the bike.The result is a more stable, neutral riding position, with less weight through your arms to help reduce arm pump and fatigue. The super-short length, combined with the alignment of your grips with the steering axis, also helps keep your lines tight on the trail.Tech detailsaluminum mountain bike stem, CNC-machined from a solid billet of 2014 T6 alloy20mm stem length35mm stack height raises your bar without the need for extra spacersrequires about the same amount of exposed steerer tube as standard length Hope Gravity stemsintegrated steerer headset cap & bolt included62mm clamping width (+5mm more than standard length Hope Gravity stems, for extra strength & stiffness)available in 31.8mm and 35mm bar clampsanodized in 7 classic Hope colors: Black, Silver, Smoke, Blue, Red, Purple & Orangemade in the UK20mm Gravity Stem Pricing, options & availabilityThe new short and upright Hope 20mm Gravity Stem sells for 115 / $159 / 144. It comes in seven anodized colors to match all your other shiny Hope accessories. And you get to pick from compatibility with either 31.8mm or 35mm oversized handlebar diameters. Get yours now from your local Hope dealer bikeshop.HopeTech.com

UPDATED August 11, 2026 BY Guest Author IN Road to Valhalla no comments The Progressive Gradient to ValhallaArjuna Boucher-Pertuisot is the Content Creator on the 2026 Road to Valhalla Cycling Tour.Theres something the riders have been saying more and more as we make our way north: this trip just keeps getting better. Someone described the Road to Valhalla as a progressive gradient, and after nearly five weeks of riding through Scandinavia, it feels like the perfect way to put it. The Road to Valhalla takes us from Helsinki to Trondheim, crossing Finland, Sweden and Norway. But the progression between those two cities has felt like much more than kilometres on a map.We started in Helsinki under grey skies, with rain and chilly temperatures welcoming us to Scandinavia. Then came summer. Long sunny days through Sweden and southern Norway, quiet bike paths, forests reflected in lakes, farmland, coastal roads and evenings that seemed to stretch forever. And then, gradually, the North started turning up the volume. The roads began to climb. The coastline became more dramatic. Mountains appeared on the horizon, then suddenly surrounded us. Fjords cut deeper into the landscape, waterfalls seemed to pour from everywhere, and the weather became colder, wetter and less predictable. A little wilder. A little more Viking. A little closer to Valhalla. But perhaps the most interesting gradient has been happening within the group itself.The Quiet Side of ScandinaviaA bicycle is a good way to notice a place. You move slowly enough to see the details, but fast enough to watch the landscape and culture change around you. Steve Johnson, a rider from Wisconsin, has been particularly struck by something harder to photograph: the cleanliness, organization and quiet respect that seem woven into everyday life here. Theres no confetti, as Steve puts it. Its a simple way of describing something weve increasingly noticed. Nothing seems desperate for attention. The bike paths simply work. Public spaces are cared for. Nature feels accessible rather than separate from everyday life. Old Scandinavian buildings sit comfortably beside modern architecture.Then there are the rituals: fika, saunas, cold plunges, time outdoors regardless of the weather. Theres a coziness to life here, but also a closeness to nature. Perhaps its no coincidence that happiness comes up so often when talking about Scandinavia. At first, these are just details you notice. After weeks of riding through them, they start to feel connected. Maybe cycling is simply a good speed for understanding that.So, What Is Valhalla?In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the great hall of Odin, where warriors gather after death. Thankfully, our version involves significantly more bicycles, coffee and cake. And after almost five weeks together, Valhalla seems to mean something different to everyone. For some, its the freedom of waking up each morning knowing the day ahead is wonderfully simple: get on your bike and see what comes next. For others, its a moment. The top of a long climb. A cold plunge after a sauna. An extended fika stop. Laughing around the dinner table after spending the day riding through rain. For some, its the challenge. As the gradient rises, so does the reward.And inevitably, it becomes about the people. Ride, eat, struggle, laugh and discover enough together, and somewhere along the road a group of strangers becomes a small travelling family. Now, with only five days separating us from Trondheim, were resting in Geiranger, surrounded by some of the most dramatic scenery of the entire journey. And the funny thing is, nobody seems ready for the gradient to stop. The mountains have grown higher. The weather wilder. But the excitement, appreciation and simple happiness of being here seem to have climbed right alongside them. Were still riding toward Trondheim. But perhaps Valhalla was never something waiting for us at the end. Maybe weve been riding into it all along.RELATEDTOURRoad to Valhalla Valhalla, also known as the Hall of Heroes, was the goal for all real Vikings. Ruled by the Norse God, Odin, only the bravest and fiercest of warriors... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "The Progressive Gradient to Valhalla" Cancel reply

Riders, suppliers and business partners were reportedly left out of pocket after the collapse of a British women's team.According to reports by the BBC, the collapse of Hess Cycling, among other things, left an unpaid debt of 50,000 owed to one team supplier.Last year, Cycling Weekly reported extensively on the end of Hess Cycling, a British Continental womens team that folded amid financial pressures and the fallout of a fraud investigation into the owners business affairs. It began, though, with the stated objective of becoming Britain's first Women's WorldTour team and elevating the status of the sport. Initially licensed in Luxembourg, before applying for a British Continental race license, the team was envisioned and launched by the Swiss businessman Rolf Hess, who talked a big game. Hesss declared five-year plan was to build a budget of 5million. "Our first-year budget is 750,000, with no sponsor at all," he boasted to the BBC at time. "Thisis entrepreneurship we do it ourselves.Wedidn'tbuy a team we are building a team."Last year, it won the East Cleveland Classic through Alice McWilliam and finished third at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix with Grace Lister. It also competed in the 2025 Tour of Britain, but will be missing from this year's tour.Hess' collapse followed a turbulent year for the team with a fraud investigation into its owners business and allegations of missed payments to riders."There were reasonable money issuesfromthestart where riderswerepaid late orwouldn'tgetreimbursements," one rider told the BBC."We were lucky if we even saw half a million [as a team]," the cyclist said. "There was even no money at team camps and other stuff theydidn'tpay for. There were big bills I know there were other riders still owed money a lot of it." According to the BBC, several suppliers were left with substantial unpaid bills, and soon the walls started closing in. "Unfortunately,[our]sponsor withdrew from the partnership at the beginning of 2025," Hess said in a statement. "Hess Sports Group continued to fund operations, contributing more than 200,000 over the course of summer 2025, while working to enable the team to compete under a financially sustainable model."This shortfall in funding had a material impact on ouroperations, butallowed our athletes to compete while we worked on securing the team's future. Hess Sports Group remains committed to repaying all its creditors."The anonymous rider added: "Theteam had aduty to us asridersand theyfailed."

Launched today, Old Man Mountain now offers two racks that fit 32 wheels. The new Elkhorn and existing Divide racks are compatible with the new wheel size, and the Elkhorn is now offered in three sizesone specifically for 32 wheels. For more on these racks, check out the details below...The post The Old Man Mountain Elkhorn 32 has Landed appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Quad Lock has launched a new 49.99 Bike Alarm & Finder, combining a motion-triggered alarm with Apple's Find My network and a fingerprint sensor.The idea is to protect your bike before, during and after a theft attempt. Movement triggers the 93dBA alarm, while Apple's Find My network can help locate the bike if a thief manages to ride away with it.The concept isn't entirely new. The Knog Scout Bike Alarm and Finder combines an alarm with Apple's Find My network in a similarly compact package.The key differentiator with Quad Lock's design is that, rather than using a phone or a dedicated app to arm and disarm the alarm, you can simply touch the integrated fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint reader should make disarming the device easier than its rivals. Quad Lock The sensor can store up to 20 fingerprints, allowing multiple riders to use the same device or enabling you to unlock it with any digit from your hands and feet.Quad Lock says this is designed to remove some of the friction associated with using an alarm every time you leave your bike unattended.The Quad Lock alarm's volume is claimed to be 93dBA, which is higher than the Scout's 85dB output.Both devices are designed as an additional layer of security rather than a replacement for a proper bike lock. You can locate your bike using the Find My app. Quad Lock The alarm is intended to deter an opportunistic thief, while Find My provides a way of tracking the bike should it be stolen.The Quad Lock is IP66-rated and has a rechargeable battery claimed to last at least six months between charges. There are various ways you can mount the device to your bike. Quad Lock It attaches to compatible Quad Lock out front and stem cap mounts, with saddle rail and bottle cage adaptors offering alternative mounting options.At 49.99, it launches at the same price as the Knog Scout.

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Soudal - Quick-Step were, in the past, major players in the transfer market. Whilst they still hold power, the team often has to settle for smaller signings and rider who carry potential of taking the next step. Team CEO Jurgen For has talked about the team's transfer policy, which reaffirms the ch...

Last fall, Marek vanara and Lucia Turekov bikepacked a modified version of the Cyprus Crossing route, riding 675 kilometers from the west side of the island to the east over three weeks. Find a short written recap, their trip video, and a collection of photos here...The post Bikepacking Cyprus, an Island of Contrasts (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.