The duel between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour de France is destined to be one of the best in the history of cycling and one of the best in the history of sport. Only 25 and 27 years old respectively, it is likely that in the end we will talk about the two of them like we talk about...

A new 13-speed SRAM Red XPLR AXS groupset has been spotted at the 2024 Unbound gravel race.When SRAM recently launched its flagship Red AXS groupset, a gravel variant was curiously omitted.Now Red XPLR AXS is here and its a radically different product from its road counterpart.We spotted the groupset on Tiffany Cromwell's Canyon Grail. - Sam Andrews / Our MediaThe new gravel groupset borrows from SRAMs Transmission (what SRAM is officially referring to these components as, after initially being called T-Type) mountain bike groupsets, with the derailleur hanger incorporated into the rear derailleur itself, mounting directly onto a SRAM UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) dropout.There are also some interesting features we didnt expect, which may give a hint about how SRAMs road and gravel groupsets will develop in the future.Lets take a look at the components.A direct-mount rear derailleurThe very dusty new rear derailleur. - Sam Andrews / Our MediaThe new rear derailleur confirms its a Red XPLR AXS model because it says so on the component theres a Red graphic on the main body and an XPLR graphic on the derailleur cage by the lower pulley wheel.Like Red AXS, the Red XPLR AXS rear derailleur features handsome polished sections and appears to be equipped with ceramic bearings.The Red AXS rear derailleur relies on an Orbit Fluid damper, but the new derailleur appears to borrow the Overload clutch found on Transmission rear derailleurs.The Overload clutch is focused more on protecting the derailleurs shift motor to better protect the derailleur from damage.The road Red AXS rear derailleur relies on an Orbit Fluid damper. - Russell Burton / Our MediaUnlike the new Red AXS rear derailleur, which relies on a conventional derailleur hanger, this Red XPLR AXS derailleur mounts directly to the frames dropout.This means the derailleur forgoes a conventional rear derailleur hanger and instead uses SRAMs UDH standard.Because of the UDH dropout, T-Type Transmission rear derailleurs lack limit and B-tension adjustment screws because the distance between the derailleur and cassette is controlled.Instead, the derailleur is set up using SRAMs AXS smartphone app or via buttons on the derailleur itself.The Transmission rear derailleur lacks limit and B-tension screws. - Steve Behr / Our MediaAs a result of the rear derailleur lacking limit and B-tension screws, like Transmission, we suspect there will likely only be one cassette option.In terms of ratios, the new 13-speed XPLR cassette could be a 10-48t, which would match Campagnolo Ekar GT currently the widest-ranging gravel cassette offered by any of the Big Three groupset manufacturers.Campagnolo can say it offers the widest-ranging gravel cassette. - Oscar Huckle / Our MediaBy comparison, SRAMs Transmission rear derailleurs are designed around a single 10-52t cassette. The road-oriented SRAM Red AXS rear derailleur can handle up to a largest 36t cog.Mountain bike uptake of the SRAM UDH dropout has been rapid and while its becoming more widespread on gravel bikes, there are many key models omitting the standard.On the basis of this rear derailleur relying on the standard, surely most, if not all new gravel bike releases are going to adopt the UDH standard, especially because the standard also plays nicely with competitors' rear derailleurs.Shared shifters and brakesThe groupset seems to use the existing Red AXS shifters, as seen on Keegan Swenson's Santa Cruz Stigmata. - Brett Rothmeyer / Keegan SwensonLaunched only a couple of weeks ago, SRAM Red AXS is the brands latest flagship road bike groupset, shaving 154g from its previous generation.SRAM Red AXS incorporates a new lever and hood design, improved braking performance and design, and faster front shifting. Other than the price, senior technical editor Warren Rossiter found little to fault in his review.From what we can deduce, SRAM Red AXS XPLR shares many of the same components as Red AXS. The shifters, brake calipers and disc brake rotors appear to be identical.The shifter's new hood shape is much lower in profile compared to the previous generation and 7mm longer in reach, too. The hydraulic piston has also been reoriented from its previous vertical alignment to a new horizontal layout to improve braking performance.CranksetThis crankset looks to be a carry-over with updated 'SRAM' graphics on the crankarm. - Sam Andrews / Our MediaThe new crankset appears to be 1x only and the teeth are presumably oriented to mesh nicely with the chain.Over the weekend at Unbound, weve seen a few riders using different crankset setups Keegan Swensons Santa Cruz Stigmata had a 1x aero chainring with an integrated power meter, for example, while others were using the existing, 12-speed Red 1 crankset with a non-integrated power meter.This suggests there may be some backwards compatibility between the new 13-speed components and existing 12-speed chainrings.Wed nevertheless expect SRAM to release a new crankset with updated graphics and tooth profiles, though, as every new groupset needs a crankset, after all.Chain and cassette a sign of the future?The fact Red XPLR AXS is 13-speed will almost certainly result in some product incompatibilities. - Brett Rothmeyer / Keegan SwensonOne of the most exciting aspects of SRAMs latest Red AXS road groupset is its backwards compatibility. This means if you own a SRAM Apex, Rival or Force AXS groupset, you can upgrade to the new Red one piece at a time.However, that doesnt seem to be the case with SRAM Red AXS XPLR. Why? Because its 13-speed.If you count the cassette cogs, there are 13 teeth. This is paired with a new 13-speed chain.The shifters, brakes and crankset may be borrowed from SRAMs flagship, 12-speed road groupset, but to upgrade here youll likely at least need the new Red XPLR AXS rear derailleur, cassette and chain.Riders have enjoyed being able to mix and match components for a while now. - Jack Luke / Our MediaPreviously, all of SRAMs performance-oriented road, gravel and mountain bike groupsets were 12-speed. This means they were all cross-compatible with one another, meaning, for example, you could pair road bike shifters with a mountain bike drivetrain.It makes sense for SRAM to go to 13-speed because, until now, this has been a key selling point for one of its main rivals, Campagnolo. Both its Ekar and Ekar GT groupsets are 13-speed and the extra cog enables a more progressive jump between gears.However, the downside is this means SRAM Red AXS XPLR will introduce more component incompatibilities for example, you wouldnt be able to use a Transmission 10-52t cassette with the new rear derailleur if you wanted a wider gear ratio because its 12-speed.This could mean a wholesale move to 13-speed groupsets is coming from SRAM in the future. However, T-Type Transmission is only the best part of a year old (and the new 12-speed Red AXS is just under three weeks old) and it wouldnt make sense for SRAM to supersede a product so soon into its lifecycle.When will SRAM Red AXS XPLR be released?The new Red XPLR AXS and XX SL Transmission groupsets being raced side-by-side. - Unbound / Taylor ChaseThe groupset looks to be a final production unit rather than a prototype because of the production graphics, so a launch may not be too far away.However, it appears to be one of the first times the groupset has been used out in the wild and there may be a period of SRAM gathering feedback from its sponsored professional riders, to check the performance stands up to real-world use.Weve asked SRAM to comment and will update this article when we receive a response.

Essex Police are calling for information on the incident, during the event which takes place on closed roads

The Tour de Suisse is one of the most important stage-races in the year. It is the final big test before the Tour de France and a few of the Tour's stars race in Switzerland; an eight-day race that features plenty mountains, time-trials and a few days for the classics specialists. The race takes pla...

"Slowest Known Time" is a 30-minute feature from director Jonny Campbell that traces his ride of the 210-mile Badger Divide route across the Scottish Highlands with a pair of close friends. The result is a calming film that's free of artificial drama and tells the simple story of a week well lived. Watch it and read an introduction from Jonny here...The post Slowest Known Time: A Bikepacking Adventure on the Badger Divide (Film) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

A classic-looking all-year-round gravel tire that, luckily enough, works well in the Peak District

The 2024 Tour de France will be a special edition, with it's Grand Depart in Florence and Emilia-Romagna over the border in Italy, and for the first time in many years, a finale away from Paris as the riders will head into Nice for the race finale. It will take place from the 29th June to the 21st o...

Whats the connection between design classics by the likes of Vitra, Knoll, and USM, and bikes? Why should every well-furnished home have at least one bike on a stand or wall mount? And whats even more exhilarating than spending the whole day on a bike? We commandeered one of Germanys finest furniture stores, arranged some wickedly expensive furniture, and drilled holes in every other wall. Dive into our ultimate guide to integrating bikes into your home decor!Why on earth would I want to keep a bike in my flat? Sounds rather messy, and it will probably lead to arguments with my partner. Besides, Ive got a spacious garage that could easily hold ten bike stands.You either hear something like that, or the complete opposite: Oh no, Ive run out of space in the basement! Where am I going to store my beloved bikes if not on a bike stand in the flat?Im Plus Minus Bike Stand auf dem Sideboard kannst du dein Rad bhnenreif ausstellen.When cycling is your passion, you tend to dabble in different aspects of the sport: you rarely stick to just one bike or one discipline. And inevitably, your flat ends up being the only storage solution. Whichever category you fall into, theres one compelling argument: what could be better than spending all day on your bike, except admiring it all evening at home as well? Its all the rage in the world of urban, trendy lifestyles what influencers home story would be complete without a retro road bike stylishly adorning the living room wall?Weve discovered a range of solutions for storing bikes, helmets and other gear in the living room, bedroom, hallway and even the kitchen. And its not necessarily because theres a lack of storage outside our own four walls. A bike is to us what an altar is to others. Idolatry is a fundamental aspect of human nature, and the revered bike belongs in designer lofts, three-bedroom flats or even offices. Need some inspiration? Look no further heres some thoughts and ideas on how to turn your prized possession into both a lifestyle statement and an eye-catching centrepiece.What we discovered was remarkable: Bikes are extraordinary pieces of furniture after being ridden on roads, trails or gravel paths, of course. Many bikes have designs that are too exceptional to be confined to the basement or garage. Displayed on bike wall mounts in our living rooms or offices, they tell the stories of our adventures and triumphs, spark engaging conversations, and inspire dreams. In fact, bikes not only shine on the road, they are the perfect complement to design classics. Barbara Benz, owner and managing director of architare, was so impressed by one of our installations that she promptly integrated an exhibition space featuring our arrangement. And of course youll find Barbaras top tips for interior design with bikes right here!Bikes in the home?Some bikes and accessories are true designer pieces and too beautiful to be left in the cellar. Thats why you should take a look at the article on bikes in the home in our sister magazine DOWNTOWN. We show you how you can beautifully display your favorite bike/accessory in your home.Der Beitrag Eames Chair or S-Works in a bike stand or bike wall mount? Our guide to bikes in the home erschien zuerst auf GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine.

With the Spingergys now transplanted to the Faggin I have re-Rolfed the LeMond, and both the bike and I are much happier for it:In fact, Im a little too happyits like the Litespeed came back even lighter and more comfortable just to taunt meand despite my successful fleet reduction for 2024 I find myself attempting to rationalize the addition of a fine High Modern road bicycle to my permanent holdings. Even the crabon half has grown on me, as has the frames resemblance to a half-unwrapped bar of chocolate, with the titanium being the foil and the crabon being the chocolate. So in the hope that someone steps in and saves me from myself Ill just mention that the LeMond is in fact for sale from Classic Cycle, and if youre interested you can drop me a line and Ill facilitate. One eternal bright spot in the bicycle marketplace is that for the price of a new entry level bike today you can also by the dream bikes of yesteryear.Or you can skip both and get this:And yes, I thought about adding it to my Nishiki collection, but I cant keep bringing home strays:As I mentioned last week, my time with the Noner has been somewhat fraught, but this past weekend I finally enjoyed my first completely fuss-free ride on it, and like this river its glassy smooth yet also dirty at the same time:After all the work I put into the Noner the finishing touch turned out to be this high-end seatpost:So is it a keeper? Time will tell, but for now Im particularly enjoying the Campagnolo drivetrain. Being accustomed to the later 10-speed variant, I find these to be functionally identical for all intents and purposes, the only major difference being the vestigial points:Vestigial points on brake levers are the coccyx bone of the road bicycle. Once upon a time, of course, brake levers spouted cables from the tops of their hoods:The human hand evolved accordingly, so much so that even when the cables burrowed beneath the handlebar tape and went aero in the 1980s the points remained:By the late 1980s Campagnolo levers could be routed either traditionally or aero-ly (?), so the point retained some ostensible functionality:But certainly by the Ergo Era they were merely a holdover from the days of yore:Arguably on the Italian side they disappeared in 1998 when Campagnolo redesigned its Ergo levers:Though one could make an argument that the rounded top is merely an eroded vestigial point, and that it was only with the 11-speed redesign in 2009 that it fully transformed into a pommel that instead offered another hand position::As for Shimano, Dura Ace 7700, introduced in 1996 (and found on the LeMond), also retained the points, despite being the second generation of integrated shifter from Shimano:With vestigial points finally disappearing with 10-speed in 2004, which I would argue qualify as fully-evolved pommels:Now all we need is for someone to introduce an electronic group with vestigial points and we will have come full circle.One bike that is not for sale is the Homer:Its evolved quite a bit since I first got it a little over four years ago:And it may very well be my most complete bicycle, in terms of being ready for anything from road-type rides to light rail rides to urban forays:Whether the the rounded nubs on the brake leversTektro approximations of post-98 Campagnolo leversquality as vestigial points is a matter of debate.