In racing, despite extensive training and the best-laid plans, some things are simply beyond our control. Wyatt Spaldings wrap-up of the 2026 Arizona Trail Race highlights how this years racers battled challenging conditions and uncertainty amid heavy rains that made progress painfully slow. Read on for a reflective final piece on adaptation and appreciation, paired with a dramatic selection of photosThe post 2026 Arizona Trail Race: The Things We Cant Control appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Not sold on indoor riding yet? Here's how turbo training can give you a fast and focused fitness boost while being (almost) enjoyable

New Zealand national champion George Bennett drove the best six-hour power of his career at Il Lombardia on Saturday. However, he's been left stunned after the best numbers he's ever produced was only enough to finish 26th place in Como. The NSN rider was part of a strong breakaway that led the race...

London was supposed to be the second location for a MAAP LaB concept store, but it turned out to be the eleventh.Sitting in the store on Great Pulteney Street in Soho, MAAP co-founder Jarrad Smith tells me that the brand originally had a retail space under its office in its hometown of Melbourne, Australia. But after MAAP shut the store it went back to the drawing board to decide how to approach retail.It took time to develop what is a really robust environment for a MAAP store, Smith says. Whats the culture? Whats the community? What are the rides?The answer to those questions was LaB, which is short for Life around Bikes. That includes coffee for the visitors, room to hang bikes and turning the stores into hubs for rides, plus the opportunity to get up close with and buy MAAPs latest cycling kit.A big community The store was designed by Clare Cousins Architects. MAAP MAAP opened the first LaB space in Melbourne in 2024 and, with an office in the city already, London was next on the list. This is our global hub outside of Australia, Smith explains. We already had a really big community here.But in a tale that many Londoners will find relatable, MAAP suffered at the hands of the spaces landlord, who took it off the market.We started looking again and we just couldnt find a space we liked as much as this, Smith says. Thats partly because of its location in Soho, but also due to other requirements such as having room to store bikes, to serve coffee and with enough space in the street to meet before group rides.This meant the London LaB was paused and MAAP began looking at other locations. After Melbourne, the second LaB opened in Amsterdam in 2024. Since then, MAAP has built stores around the world, including in Sydney, Berlin, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.Smith says that when the space on Great Pulteney Street came back on the market last year our eyes lit up. Once MAAP had negotiated the lease, everything happened quickly, with the store being fitted out in three months. London's MAAP LaB has a faux cobblestone floor in a reference to the city's streets. MAAP Like all LaB stores, the space was designed by Clare Cousins Architects. Clare Cousins is the sister of MAAPs co-founder Oliver Cousins. Each LaB store has a unique design, and for London that means a zingy interior with silver walls and rails, a faux-cobblestone floor in reference to London streets with a huge, green sofa in the front and changing rooms with matching green curtains in the back.For Smith, having dedicated retail stores is a key part of building a brand. On the one hand, this is to give people access to the products, and advise them on what to buy and how it should fit, but also to activate and reach the community.Despite the official launch taking place on 10 October, the London MAAP LaB store has already garnered the attention of Londons cycling scene. Since its soft launch in September, more than 200 cyclists turned up to one group ride, and sitting across from Smith on the green sofa, a few days before the official opening, there was a steady stream of customers milling around us. One MAAP employee said a group of architecture students showed up one day to look at Clare Cousins work.From builder to model A green sofa and green changing rooms tie the front and back of the store together. MAAP Smith adds that MAAP probably always wanted stores because of how he wanted to start a clothing brand 20 years ago, when retail was more important.He says he was very entrepreneurial growing up. My dad always had his own business an alcohol distribution company with its own wine label so I wanted my own business.After school, Smith became a builder, which helped him fund a cycling team in Melbourne called Invert Racing. Smith worked with a factory in Italy to produce the kit because he wanted Invert Racing to be dressed like a WorldTour team.He was also a volleyball player which, after modelling for his sponsor, led to a career as a model for more than 16 years. Through this he met Cousins, who was the design director for the skate company Globe. The store enables you to get up close to MAAP's kit, and it also hosts rides and events. MAAP When it came eventually to starting a clothing brand, Smith says he realised it had to be cycling because he was effectively doing it already through his team. Cousins was passionate about the idea, and the duo also saw a gap in the market. When they founded MAAP in 2012, Rapha was arguably the only brand operating in the cycling and fashion space.The pair wanted to do something similar but drawing on their own aesthetics and style. This included streetwear, but they also thought they could try to make cycling more approachable and cooler in the way they saw with surfing and skating growing up.Soho neighboursThis origin story makes it hard not to compare MAAP and Rapha. Another reason is the location of the Australian brands latest shop. Not even a five-minute walk away is the Rapha Clubhouse on Brewer Street, which also combines retail with coffee and group rides.Yet MAAP is arguably more aligned with current trends, moods and styles than Rapha, which recently saw its CEO leave and continues to make a loss. Whereas Rapha continues to tap into cyclings history, MAAP appears to look at whats happening around the sport.MAAP has collaborated with the Australian streetwear brand Perks and Mini four times and released trainers with Hoka. When I meet him, Smith is wearing MAAPs latest collaboration with Public Possession. Added to all this, MAAP is the kit sponsor for Team Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco, giving it the performance credibility that comes from being in the WorldTour something Rapha no longer has.But Smith won't be drawn when I ask him about the other cycling clothing brand in Soho, saying MAAP has never really focused on Raphas exploits.Weve just been so busy doing what we do, he says. It takes up a lot of your enthusiasm and energy to drive the brand and the passion we have around just bringing awesome things to life.Smith says that going forward MAAP will continue with what its doing, from opening stores to sponsoring events and coming up with ideas like skydiving into Paris Fashion Week this year. Or, in his own words, just having fun and pushing the boundaries of what cycling can do.

Finding the best road bike helmet can feel overwhelming with so many options in a crowded market. Key factors to consider include the built-in safety technology, aerodynamic efficiency, ventilation, weight, and budget.Our experts have spent hours narrowing down the top-performing helmets, and our overall best helmet choice is the POC Cytal Helmet. Get the POC Cytal Helmet for just 200 at Balfe's Bikes.In our POC Cytal review, it scored a perfect 5-star rating, and although we thought it was expensive, it was hard to fault this helmet, which packs performance to justify the cost. I've found the POC Cytal helmet discounted by 31% at Balfe's Bikes, bringing it down to just 200 from the usual 290, a very appealing 90 saving. You can also save a further 10 when you spend 200 by using code BALFES10 at checkout.These POC deals are available in all sizes at Balfe's, but only in the tested Hydrogen White colour. If you're after another colour, you can get a wider selection at Alpine-Trek, which has 15% off. The Prismane Red version is even cheaper at 192, but sizing is very limited there.Best overall helmetCytal Helmet: was 290 now 200Save 31%. The POC Cytal is our best overall helmet and is rated by Virginia Tech Helmet Testing as one of the safest road helmets. It's lightweight, but not short on features, including the MIPS Air Node safety system. Plus great cooling and decent aero performance, and at this price it's a bargain buy.Use the code: BALFES10 to save a further 10.View DealThe real standout feature that cant be ignored is its status as the safest road helmet on the market, according to the Virginia Tech Helmet Rating. Safety features include MIPS Air Node and EPS crash protection, and industry-leading Virginia Tech scores it with a 5-star safety rating, which puts it on par with top-rated helmets like the Specialized Prevail 3, MET Trenta 3K Carbon, and the Kask Elemento.However, it wasn't just the impressive safety that impressed in testing; we also loved the overall look of the POC, its cooling features and its lightweight design. It's also worth noting that POC brands the Cytal as a semi-aero helmet, so if you're after one of the best aero helmets, the Kask Utopia is our top pick for an aero lid.We summed up the POC by saying, "Its very hard to fault this helmet. The POC Cyctal is a brilliantly well-rounded cycling helmet, and it performs fantastically while being one of the safest available (according to VTH scoring). At full price, its not cheap, but it's truly fantastic."At this 31% off price point, it now adds value for money to its repertoire. As this is a UK-only deal, our handy price checker below will show the best POC helmet deals relevant to your location and currency.

Valentina Cavallar has shared one of the most difficult experiences of her personal life in an Instagram post. The Austrian cyclist explained that she decided to end her season early after the Tour de France for personal and family reasons, following the loss of her mother in September. As well as...

There are young winners, and there are historic ones. Paul Seixas just became both at once. On a cool autumn afternoon in Como, the 20-year-old Frenchman rode away from some of the best riders in the world on the steep slopes of the Civiglio, stayed away for 18 kilometres, and crossed the finish lin...

Originally published October 2020; last updated October 2026 As mentioned in part one, 650B Gravel(plus) Bikes, bikepacking rigs come in all shapes and sizes. Drop-bar mountain bikes are one of []The post Complete List of 29 Drop-Bar Mountain Bikes appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Primoz Roglic isn't ready to call time on his stellar career just yet, at least that's according to his wife,Lora Rogli-Klinc. The Slovenian turns 37 later this year and has not yet confirmed that he will continue riding after making an honest admission after Il Lombardia. The Red bull - BORA Hans...