The Cabinet has approved Dublins MetroLink project to proceed to the tender stage with a reviewed Detailed Business Case estimating a cost range of 14.44 to 17.49 billion, and a central estimate of 15.75 billion.The review of the business case was undertaken by the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority and includes contingency and inflation, but excludes VAT.According to a statement by the Department of Transport: The assessed benefits from MetroLink have been shown to exceed the costs, including from faster journey times and reduced traffic congestion. Firm cost ranges for MetroLink will only be known after the market bids are received, next year.The Department expects significant enabling works to start on site in early 2027, followed by heavy tunnelling and station construction.The Government said it will build on the momentum to date to bring MetroLink into construction, including working with the transport agencies to provide a world-class piece of new infrastructure for the country.Todays statement from the Department came with Taoiseach Michel Martin and Tnaiste Simon Harris, Irelands prime minister and deputy prime minister. With a 20,000 passengers per direction per hour capacity, over double that of the Luas Green Line, a lot of the focus in the Government statement was in relation to supporting housing delivery. This is the prime reason cities build metros, although many communities already built have been promised the line for decades. MetroLink is planned to run 19km along a fully segregated and automated route from Estuary at the north of Swords to Charlemont, just south of the city centre.It will be largely underground, using tunnelling south of the M50 at Ballymun, where it will surface and cross the motorway on a bridge before running overground for a short distance before going under the airport. It will surface again north of the airport, then run in cut-and-cover tunnels around Swords before surfacing again, while remaining highly segregated around its park-and-ride location at Estuary.While Dublin Airport is often excessively focused on, there will be 15 other stations, including serving areas of Swords, Ballymun, the area around Dublin City University, the Mater Hospital and the north city centre around it, and St Stephens Green.There have also been claims the project will not integrate with other public transport, but every stop will have at least bus connections close by, and the project is planned to have stations within a short walk or directly to the two Luas tram lines and the citys planned expanded Dart suburban rail network. There will be an interchange with Luas at Charlemont; buses and Luas close by at St Stephens Green; and Dart and buses at Tara Street; and Luas and buses on OConnell Street.A new Metro and Dart Glasnevin station is to be built beside the Royal Canal Greenway beside Harts Corner. It will have underground platforms for Metro and semi-underground platforms for the two planned western Dart+ routes, one to Maynooth and the other to Hazelhatch & Celbridge. It will also connect to bus services to Finglas and other parts of Glasnevin. Taoiseach Michel Martin said: Todays approval reflects the Governments commitment to investing in new infrastructure. MetroLink will help make our capital city a better, more sustainable place in which to live, travel, socialise and work. I am delighted that the Government has moved MetroLink into the detailed procurement phase for multi-billion-euro construction and operation contracts, and we will continue to support it into construction.Tnaiste Simon Harris said: Todays decision is an important milestone in the delivery of a major public transport project that will connect our capital city to national transport networks and strengthen our economy as well as our competitiveness as a country.By providing a fast, frequent, and reliable public transport service, MetroLink will improve access to education and health facilities, to jobs, and to sports clubs, parks, and playgrounds. Projects like this are central to building the country our growing population now requires by helping to connect communities and unlock new housing, said Harris.Minister for Transport Darragh OBrien said: I welcome todays important step forward for MetroLink, a vital transport project that will help reduce traffic congestion, improve access to Dublin Airport and unlock much-needed new housing development at scale.MetroLink will support the delivery of approximately 77,000 new homes along its route and, through its integration with other public transport services, up to 200,000 new homes across the Greater Dublin Area.This is a game-changer for Dublin and the wider region as we work to deliver more homes for a growing population. MetroLink will not only transform connectivity and access but also strengthen our economic competitiveness, support sustainable growth and unlock the development potential of communities across the Greater Dublin Area, the transport minister said.

On the 26th of September, the Montral World Championships will feature the women's elite road race. Magdeleine Vallires surprised to win in 2025 and now races at home, against several strong contenders such as Demi Vollering, Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Kim Le Court. We preview the race and analyze t...

Its common to hear claims that bikepacking is coming full circle as it relates to bags. Many people have transitioned away from ultralight, soft seat packs and handlebar rolls to []The post Complete List of Rack-Top Bags appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Riding off-road can take riders over a range of trails and tracks, many of which aren't actually legal to ride on. Let's dispel some myths and explain the ins and outs of right of way

Callum Thornley heads into his first elite Road World Championships convinced Great Britain have a genuine chance to end a 15-year wait for the mens rainbow jersey, with Tom Pidcock among the riders he believes can win in Montreal. The 23-year-old Scot has been selected for both the individual time...

The Wattbike Atom sits proudly as our top choice for the best smart bike of 2026. It earned a flawless 5-star review, and Wattbike has now dropped the third iteration of this indoor bike to its best-of-the-year price.For UK shoppers, the Wattbike Atom is now available for 2,249, discounted from the RRP of 2,499, an impressive 250 saving. UK purchasers will also receive the Wattbike Bundle FREE. Normally priced at 250, it includes a Polar H10 HR sensor, a floor mat, a training towel, a water bottle, and access to Wattbike Hub+ (worth 80).In the US, you can get the Wattbike Atom for just $2,699, a best-ever $800 off the usual $3,499As summer riding sadly draws to an end in the Northern Hemisphere, you may be considering an upgrade to your indoor riding setup. These Wattbike deals might be the ideal time to do just that.Our expert tester, Stephen Shrubsall, noted that the latest Atom model was the best yet and offered a ride feel and simulation that set it apart from the competition.Wattbike Atom UK dealSave 250The Wattbike scored a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in our review and comes loaded with features to help all cyclists achieve their goals with a superbly realistic indoor cycling experience. This Wattbike Atom deal also includes the Wattbike Bundle worth 250 FREE.Read the fullWattbike Atom review.View DealWattbike Atom US dealbest ever US pricingSave $800 US shoppers have the opportunity to own the Wattbike Atom at a best-ever price. Wattbike is compatible with a wide range of indoor training apps like Zwift, TrainingPeaks and Rouvy, so youre never locked into one platform.Check our guide to the best indoor training apps.View Deal

Lennart Jasch claimed victory on Stage 2 of Il Giro d'Abruzzo after attacking from the leading group inside the final kilometre and holding off a rapidly closing Netcompany INEOS-led chase in Caramanico Terme. Jasch had already formed part of a three-man move with Matteo Scalco and Mattia Bais on th...

World Bicycle Relief has delivered one million Buffalo Bikes to help people reach education, work and healthcare. Andrew Samways says the latest models, launched this week, mark an important step for the organisation.WBR brought three people from its field teams in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Zambia into its main team. This meant the design decisions behind the new bikes could be better informed by the people who are using them.I'm not the customer of this bike. Its not for me, says Samways, WBRs vice president of product development. I wanted to facilitate the conversation between the people that use it and the people that make it.By moving the design responsibility downstream, Samways says its not the WBR team in Germany designing the bikes. Instead, It's really a process of collaboration with those people we've raised up through the organisation.The result of this process is the new Buffalo One and Buffalo Pro bikes. These share similarities with the Buffalo Utility S2, launched in 2024, but have several updates that mean they should last longer, carry more and be easier to maintain.Observations in the field The Buffalo Pro and Buffalo One (pictured) are available in two sizes. World Bicycle Relief The changes made to the new Buffalo Bikes are largely informed by observing how people use WBRs designs.The benefit of having our local team members is that they speak local languages and they can talk with riders more directly. We build up this picture through observation, inquiry, trying things out and seeing how people respond to them, Samways says.An example of this process can be seen in how WBR decided to make the latest bikes in standard and large sizes, which was spurred by two observations made in Kenya.The first was seeing a taller man using his Buffalo Bike. He was perfectly happy with it, but you could see that he wasnt totally comfortable on the bike, says Samways. His high seat also limited carrying space on the rear of the bike.The second was a conversation with a woman who asked if WBR sold kids' bikes because she was looking for one for her grandson.We realised that a kids bike may not be the answer, but if a child can ride our bike more comfortably then itll be a much more valuable thing, Samways says. That caused us to look at the smaller size of the bike, change the geometry and improve the strength of the seatpost so we can get the seat lower.This means that instead of having a childs bike, you can now have a Buffalo Bike that you can grow up with rather than out of.Samways says when WBR gave the tall man a new, larger size, he was immediately happier with it and eventually didnt want to give it back.If someone doesnt want to give something back, then we know weve got something worth pursuing, he says.Discs and a threadless headset The new bikes both feature front disc brakes, and the Pro model also has a rear disc brake. World Bicycle Relief Another feature on the Buffalo One and Pro is the disc brakes.Previous Buffalo Bikes have used hub brakes, but after trialling disc brakes, test riders didnt want to give them up. So now both models have mechanical front disc brakes, and the Pro has dual disc brakes.On the one hand, disc brakes provide the stopping power to deal with the new 100kg carrying capacity of the Buffalo One and Pro bikes. But, like hub brakes, they help with durability and reliability, because they dont wear down the rim and you can still use them if you break a spoke. The bikes use threadless headsets. World Bicycle Relief The new bikes have also moved to threadless headsets. These require fewer tools to fix than their threaded equivalents, which is advantageous for people who might not have a full workshop at their disposal. But Samways explains theres another motivator behind the change.We obviously start with the user experience of what's happening in the field, but you're looking at your supply chain and the stability of supply of different things and where the industry is moving, he says.Two chains or a singlespeed The Buffalo Pro has two chains and two gears. World Bicycle Relief Previously, Buffalo bikes were singlespeed. But when WBR introduced the Utility S2 in 2024, it featured two chains.This novel system, developed with SRAM, provided riders with an extra gear, while keeping the bike free of cables and derailleurs, which add complexity and can ultimately break. The other advantage of having two chains is if one breaks, you can still pedal the bike. To shift between the gears, you simply backpedal half a turn.An updated version of the drivetrain is used on the new Buffalo Pro. Meanwhile, the Buffalo One sticks to a singlespeed drivetrain.A single speed is still the most affordable version of the bike, and so that's what we offer both of these levels, Samways says.For anyone wishing to donate a Buffalo Bicycle, the current cost of a One is 138 and the Pro costs roughly 15 more. This price represents the actual costs associated with manufacturing, shipping, assembly and distribution, while the overall cost of a bike in a shop can vary depending on the country.The Buffalo platform can be upgraded from the singlespeed to the two-speed drivetrain, meaning people can get onto a bike and then unlock the advantages of an extra gear later on.Return on investment Households with a bicycle reported a 43% increase in income compared to those without, according to WBR research in Zambia. World Bicycle Relief The people that come into our stores to buy the bikes aren't looking to buy the cheapest bike. It has to be affordable and we shave pennies wherever we can, we find efficiencies wherever we can. But the Buffalo is the one that won't let you down, Samways says.Following research in Zambia, WBR says bicycles deliver a 14.7-to-1 return on investment, placing them among the most impactful development interventions. It also found households with bicycles reported 43% higher incomes than those without, and individuals with bicycles were 36% more likely to access healthcare.These statistics show the wider impact of bicycles, but Samways highlights a specific example of how the two-chain drivetrain helped one man who delivered bread. He says the functionality of the drivetrain and its reliability meant he doubled his business because he could go faster and further.As engineers and designers working on these things, thats exactly what you want to hear.

With the Meh-roica bike now running smoothlyit was now time for me to turn my attention to the A. Honus Hildegaard:All of the above is true, especially the mac and cheese part, and its for this reason that since taking delivery of it in March of 2020 it has become perhaps my most important bicycle. Yes, thats right, I said important. Thats because the Hooper has evolved into the bike I depend on most and the one I ride consistently all year round:Though for that reason it was badly in need of maintenanceand when even I, the worlds worst and laziest mechanic, acknowledge that a bike needs attention then you know its in bad shape:Though I will point out it was still shifting into all the gears just fine, thanks to the twin miracles of friction and Dumonde lubricants.To this end, Id acquired and set aside what I needed in order to properly tune it up, though admittedly I was procrastinating until these arrived and I got all excited to try them out:I mentioned them recently but heres the description from Rivendell once again:These two new RBW-branded shifters have both a friction and index mode, and are made for us by Microshift specifically for the OM-1 rear derailer. Some customers have found that the OM-1 indexes fine with existing Shimano and Microshift shifters, but Microshifts standards are higher still, and they monkeyed with the internal click-stops until the indexing was perfect by their higher standards. Solidly built, reasonably light, nicely finished, and comfortably similar to other thumbies and BES (bar-end shifters).And heres how they compare to the Silver and Shimano bar-end shifters:The friction mode lacks the light magical superfaint tick-tick of the power ratchet in the Silver shifters, butworks perfectly, and is smoother than Shimanos muffled crunchy friction mode. Even though it indexes perfectly, we still encourage you to try the friction, and flip the lever to index if the clicks make life better for you. These are great shifters. Were thrilled to have them.The left side shifter is friction only, but it ratchets. The right side is pure friction, meaning no ratchet, but in return you get the index option. If you want both sides to ratchet, get our Silver shifters instead.By the way, according to Rivendell, Shimano is discontinuing the venerable 9-speed bar-end shifter:In their defense, it was simple and it was reliable and it was versatile, so obviously it was a misguided product that was doomed from the start.Anyway, Rivendell promotes friction shifting, which not only frees you from the tyranny of proprietary indexed systems, but is also smooth and satisfying to operate. To that end they created the low-normal (or LoNo, as I will refer to it going forward just to annoy you) OM-1 rear derailleur, specifically because LoNo works so well with friction:So basically, while everyone else is making battery-powered drivetrains, Rivendell have created the ultimate in friction refinement.So isnt offering an indexed 9-speed shifter designed specifically for this derailleur just a little bit ironic?Well, maybe, but consider the following:It has a friction mode so youre not locked inYou still get what I think is one of the major benefits of the LoNo/bar-end combo, that being the levers are both pointed downwards when youre in your lowest gears and therefore out of the way of your knees when youre climbing out of the saddleIndexed is the new friction, everyone knows that!Also, you dont need to buy it. If you want LoNo and you want friction just get the Silvers, or use whatever friction shifters you already have.Now, as Ive also mentioned previously, Ive been using Shimano 10-speed bar-end shifters in indexed mode with an OM-1 derailleur and its working more or less perfectly:But I was curious if these were better, and if so how. And with the F. Hilton Hobson due for a service I figured it was the ideal test-cycle. So I prepared the operating theater:And removed the diseased organs from the patient:Who was back up and walking much sooner than I anticipated:Usually when I operate on a bicycle theres some unforeseen complication, or I simply screw up. But this procedure went quite smoothly, and the only surprise was when I broke a valve stem while topping up the tires and had to replace a tube. The shifter transplant was particularly easy:I didnt even have to change the housing, and was able to simply remove the old pods and slip the new ones right in:Plus, usually theres a little trial-and-error when you install the pods, since they rotate while you tighten them so you have to hold them in place and then pop the lever on there to make sure you lined them up correctly. But none of that was necessary here since the housing was secure under all that Newbaums and basically held them in place:I also took the opportunity to change the front derailleur and the crank, mostly to reduce the homeliness factor:I know outboard bearing cranks are not very Rivendellian, but I remain an unrepentant Hollowtech II apologist.And yes, of course I change the derailleur for an OM-1, since the whole point here was to see if the dedicated shifter works better with it than a Shimano one does:And does it? Well, when I first set up the bar-end/OM-1 drivetrain on the Farbman it did take me a couple rides to really get it working perfectly, and I had to stop quite a few times to fiddle with the cable tension. Meanwhile, I havent touched the drivetrain on the Hilton since installing it, and its been perfect from the very first test ride. However, there are a couple of mitigating factors, and they are:The Farbman is 10-speed, the Hilson is 9-speed. Would it have been easier to fine-tune the Farbman if I were using 9-speed Shimano shifters? In theory it shouldnt make a difference. But who knows?I did not replace the chain and cassette on the Farbman, whereas the Hillbilly is using all new stuff. That could account for the easier setup. Would I have had to fuss with the Farb as much with a fresh cassette and chain? Perhaps not.The above notwithstanding, the shifters and the derailleur worked together perfectly right from the start, despite being installed by a moron. So if you dream of LoNo bar-end indexed shifting and you already have the Shimano shifters, what the hell, you might as well try them. But if you dont and would need to buy shifters anyway then just get these:Now Im kind of curious how well these work (or dont) with a regular HiNo Shimano derailleurbut I definitely dont feel like pulling this all apart to find out just yet.

Tadej Pogacar is back on the bike after the crash that ended his 2026 Vuelta a Espana, with the Slovenian beginning a gradual return to training as he starts building towards next season. Pogacar has resumed structured indoor work alongside UAE Team Emirates - XRG coach Javier Sola and the team's pe...