Further to yesterdays post, a reader or two noted I didnt mention which bike I took with me on vacation:Please be advised that is not the bike I took with me on vacation, though it is a bike I saw while I was on vacation. Here is a spectral image of my reflection while photographing it with my multi-function cellular telephone:You know Im on vacation because of the linen shirt.The bike caught my eye immediately, and theres not a single part of it where something interesting isnt happening. For example, once upon a time when this blog still had some entertainment value, this bicycle would certainly have been in the running for a Cockie:I think what youre seeing there is a pair of inverted drop bars with a clamp-on aerobar, resulting in sort of a naturally occuring Bosco bar, only with more hand positions:[Via Rivendell]But I wouldnt swear to it.Also noteworthy is the fully intact Biopace sticker:This lends further support to my theory that in the event of a cataclysm that destroys humanity the only remaining evidence of our existence will be Biopace stickers. They are completely and utterly indestructible. In fact, I suspect if you stuck one to your forehead it would be about a thousand times more effective than a helmet in preventing head injury. And of course the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road is an intrinsically interesting bicycle from back when hybrids were the hot new proto-gravel category, before they evolved into the largely unridden bicycles you find in suburban garages today. Heres a review of this bike from when it was new, which I found on a bicycle-themed Internet forum:And no, Im not crediting the poster, because its not like you wrote the article or anything, get over yourself:So was the Rock n Road the only bike youll ever need as the reviews subtitle suggests? Well, I believe it could have been, since for awhile its smaller-wheeled contemporary the Specialized RockCombo was the only bike I ever needed:Of course I also had lots of other bikes at the same time, and while I did ride it a lot, I only ended up keeping it for like two or three years. This is because it turns out that the only bike youll ever need and the only bike youll ever want are two totally different things. See, pretty much every bike I own fits the former category, whereas absolutely none of them fit the second, as much as I convince myself that every new bike will the last one Ill ever get.Lifes a funny thing. When I was young with only one bike I used to fantasize about having lots of them; now I have lots of them and fantasize about having only one. This is one reason Ive always admired Jobst Brandt, who really did only own one bicycle:[Via here]Similarly, I also admire the owner of this Bruce Gordon, for whom it presumably was the last bike hed ever need, since its still in service. I suppose I could have asked him if this was actually the case, since he was sitting right there in the Dunkin Donuts, but Im kind of afraid to talk to people with handlebars that weird, and so it seemed safer to admire him from afar and make up stories about him instead. But hey, isnt thats just the sort of elitist behavior youd expect from someone who rides a Farbman?That is the bike I ended up bringing with me on vacation, and it ended up being perfect for roads of dirt:As well as for roads of, uh, road stuff:Some of those climbs are quite steep, too, so I spent more time in that granny than a grandpa on Viagra.Sorry.As for my accommodations, as always I stayed in the Amazing Room Of Rats:Weve been visiting this wax museum for years, and I was surprised to learn it only opened in 1974, because it always seems much older to methough as you can see theyve recently updated this particular diorama by putting the victim in a pair of mom jeans:Oh, theres my reflection again, only this time its just my hands and it looks like theyre parting the curtain:Diabolical.And no, staying in the Amazing Room of Rats isnt as bad as it sounds, because it also has its own private bath:And it wasnt all ghoulish displays, either, because there was plenty of uplifting scenery too, including this classic boat show:Alas, I am not a Boat Fred, which is another way of saying Im a landlubber, and thus not qualified to opine which of these crafts might qualify as the Rivendell of Boats.

Carlos de Andrs, the familiar cycling voice on Teledeporte, assessed the impact of Tadej Pogacars injury and subsequent withdrawal on TV viewership for the Vuelta a Espaa. The absence of the overwhelming favorite raised doubts over whether audiences would hold at the levels seen in the opening da...

Throughout Italy, Sicily is widely regarded as a place of magnificence. The friendliest Italians, the tastiest food, rich history and mythology, and, of course, a popular holiday destination. It is []The post Sicilia Traversata appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Eurobike is heading back to its traditional summer slot in 2027, with organisers announcing a smaller, cheaper and more business-focused show as the troubled trade event attempts to regain its position at the centre of the European cycling industry.Eurobike 2027 will take place at Messe Frankfurt from 30 June to 2 July, moving away from the previously announced 1-4 September dates.The change comes as Eurobike faces a major new competitor.The Towards Tomorrow European Bike Show, backed by Germany's bicycle industry association ZIV and Koelnmesse, is due to launch in Cologne from 6-8 September 2027, just days after Eurobike's planned September dates.That clash has now disappeared, with Eurobike returning to June. The 2026 show was much smaller than previous years. Nick Clark / Our Media The timing is significant given the scale of Eurobike's recent decline, with exhibitor numbers falling to around 800 this year, down from 1,500 in 2025, while visitor numbers also dropped substantially.Eurobike is responding by cutting the event to three days and making it 100 per cent B2B, dropping the consumer-facing Festival Day. The show has moved to smaller trade floors. Eurobike The show will move to the eastern side of Messe Frankfurt, occupying Halls 3, 4 and 5, alongside the Agora outdoor area.The organisers are also attempting to make the event more attractive to exhibitors. Stand prices are 20 per cent lower than in 2026, while media packages have been cut by 50 per cent.The new format is centred around meetings and networking, with dedicated business meeting spaces intended to make the show more useful for manufacturers, retailers and other industry professionals.The question is whether the changes can reverse the momentum that appeared to be flowing away from Frankfurt.As I reported during this year's show, Eurobike was already facing questions about its future after a dramatic fall in exhibitors and visitors. The emergence of a new industry-backed show in Cologne added another major challenge that the event organisers appear to have avoided.

Finn Fisher-Black has pushed back against the suggestion that Tadej Pogacars extraordinary success should make his devastating exit from the 2026 Vuelta a Espana any easier to accept. The former UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider was inside the peloton when Pogacar crashed on the approach to the decisiv...

The fight to stay in the UCI WorldTour tightens as the Vuelta a Espana heads into its second week. The latest update to the world team ranking brings major shifts at the bottom end, driven largely by the Bretagne Classic, where a big Cofidis win has sounded the alarm bells for Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cy...

People who cycle should not have to fear for their lives every time they use the roads, one campaigner said during a protest attended by 1,500 cyclists

Tadej Pogacar remains in a different stratosphere at the top of the latest UCI World Ranking, but the conclusion of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana could produce significant movement much further down the standings. Despite the crash that ended his Vuelta challenge, Pogacar holds first place with 11,321.75...

A short, complete list of the races which Tadej Pogaar has entered and not won in 2026: Paris-Roubaix, and the Vuelta a Espaa. At the former, the world champion finished second. At the latter, things were progressing normally ie, the Slovenian was cruising to victory, four minutes ahead of his nearest rival until he crashed on Saturday, proving that nothing is ever inevitable in cycling.In the eyes of many cycling commentators, the Vueltas red jersey had been all but handed to the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider before a pedal had been turned in anger, but after seven stages, things looked sewn up, with three stage wins, and a comfortable winning margin with two weeks still to go. Record books had been searched for the last rider to lead a race for all 21 days, and accounts of one of the all-time great years were being prepared. There had even been a scare on a descent on stage six, which Pogaar survived, because luck is always on his side. Until it wasnt.We are left with a race then, devoid of the best bike rider in the world, but one now with an engaging battle for the overall crown, one which feels could go one of four ways, if not more. The biggest star has departed, but the Vuelta now feels wide open, shorn of its overwhelming favourite.After Jonas Vingegaards exhibition at the Giro dItalia, and Pogaar romping to a fifth Tour de France title, we have a Grand Tour on our hands that isnt pre-destined, and one which has a serious chance of going to a new winner, for the first time since the 2023 edition, won by Sepp Kuss. But who is best placed to pounce?The man in red currently is Enric Mas of Movistar, who had never led his home Grand Tour until Sunday, who finished second thrice at the race between 2018 and 2022. A Mas victory would be unexpected, given he finished 32nd at the Giro dItalia earlier this year, and last finished in the top 10 of a WorldTour stage race at the Critrium du Dauphin last June. However, the Movistar rider is an expert at the Vuelta, and everything is unexpected right now.Behind him is Primo Rogli, a man used to winning the Vuelta, four times in fact. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider is 1:18 behind Mas, but has come into the race after a strange season, which has seen him only win in the TT at the Slovenian National Championships. Like Mas, he has the experience, but his actual form remains a bit of a mystery. The deeper into this race he goes in contention, however, the more likely that the old Rogli will turn up. In third at the moment is Felix Gall of Decathlon CMA CGM, who is having the best season of his career so far, already having finished second at the Giro dItalia, minutes behind Vingegaard. The Austrian, on paper, is perhaps the biggest threat, but he is 1:39 behind Mas. However, with multiple serious mountain stages to come, could be the rider to beat, although the 32km time trial on stage 18 could be his undoing. That said, his other main rivals, apart from Rogli, will be similarly wary of the day against the clock.Finally, Netcompany-Ineos Oscar Onley is looking the part for his new-ish team after a season interrupted by illness and injury. Hes 2:20 behind Mas, but in the see-saw fresh start of this Vuelta, that might not be as much as it looks on the results sheet. He has already gone further in the Vuelta than ever before; in 2023 he lasted just one stage, and having got over stomach problems, touch wood, should get better through the race. Gall beat him at the Vuelta a Burgos last month, and a TT is not his strong suit, but the 23-year-old is making up for lost time. An Onley triumph is not improbable, which would have seemed improbable just three days ago. They are not alone, but they are the four within two minutes of each other. Richard Carapaz, Mattias Skjelmose and Sepp Kuss are all not completely out of the race, with the former and the latter knowing what it takes to win over three weeks. However, I think we will see one of the top four in red in Granada in just under two weeks. Whoever wins, it will be a surprise either Rogli after his odd season, writing himself into the record books, or a new Grand Tour champion in Mas, Gall, or Onley. Its game on.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.

Primoz Roglic has been backed to reach his strongest level during the final week of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana after beginning his record title bid only weeks after being hit by a car. The four-time winner reached the first rest day second overall, 1:18 behind Enric Mas. Roglic finished third on the A...