SQUIRREL_14099493Hunts 50 Carbon Disc wheelset combines 50mm-deep carbon rims with a low weight and impressive all-round performance, and its now available for 629.30.Reduced from 899 today (it was 799 when I first reviewed it, cest la vie), this represents a saving of 269.70 on a carbon wheelset that scored 4 out of 5 stars when I reviewed it in 2024.At the time, I praised its combination of aerodynamics, low weight, stiffness and ride quality, and it has remained a benchmark wheelset in my testing since and one of our best buys. Read more: Hunt 50 Carbon Disc reviewWhat do I think of the Hunt 50 Carbon Disc today? Hunt's 50 Carbon Disc wheels scored 4 out of 5 in our 2024 review. David Caudery / Our Media The wheels feature a 50mm-deep carbon rim profile, with a 22mm internal width and 30mm external width.Hunt says the design is optimised for 28mm tyres, while the hooked rims offer compatibility with both tubeless and clincher tyres.Ive used my test wheels tubeless, and with standard butyl and lightweight TPU inner tubes, and they didn't present any installation issues. Understandably, the rim tape is now looking the worse for wear especially given its installation wasnt perfect to begin with but Im still getting reliable tubeless seals over two years later. The 50mm-deep carbon rim has a 22mm internal width and 30mm external width. David Caudery / Our Media Weighing 1,488g, the wheelset is competitive against many similarly priced alternatives, making it an appealing option if you're looking to upgrade from heavier alloy wheels.Carbon spokes have been the development story for many wheel brands lately (Hunt included), although the 50 Carbon Disc doesnt have these. Rims are now typically pushing wider than Hunts 22mm (internal) design but its also fair to say neither feature can be found anywhere at this price.The relatively low weight helps the wheels feel responsive on climbs, while their stiffness and ability to manage road buzz make them a capable all-round option for fast road riding.The tangible difference youll feel between spending 629 here and 1,500 (for example) on another wheelset is very small indeed.Should you buy the Hunt 50 Carbon Disc wheelset? The 50 Carbon Disc is a versatile option at an attractive price. David Caudery / Our Media At 629.30, the Hunt 50 Carbon Disc still offers a useful balance of aerodynamic performance, low weight and everyday versatility.The 50mm rim depth should appeal if you're looking for an aerodynamic upgrade for fast road riding, while the relatively wide internal rim and tubeless compatibility make the wheels suitable for a broader range of tyre setups.The 1,488g tested weight is another selling point, particularly if you're upgrading from a heavier stock wheelset.It's worth checking out my full review from two years ago everything I wrote then stands today. But if you're after a versatile carbon wheelset without spending close to four figures, the Hunt 50 Carbon Disc remains a compelling buy.SQUIRREL_14099493

It might have hit the headlines for a very unfortunate reason recently, but Hyrox has been surging in popularity for the last three years, just as participation rates in road cycling events appear to have dipped. The sports are utterly different, of course, but with both based around clubs and a community culture, the contrasting fortunes of the two pursuits have piqued our interest, and led us to question what the people promoting Hyrox are getting so right, that the cycling world is missing. To dig deeper, I spoke to several elite cyclists and former pro riders who have thrown themselves into the new sport, and visited a Hyrox gym to give it a go for myself.While people have been racing bike for well over a hundred years, Hyrox has the advantage of being a comparatively new activity, which obviously gives it a bit of a youthful bounce. But it also appears to appeal to a real cross-section of society, with around 38% of competitors being women, and twothirds of racers being 30 or older. From around 175,000 racers in 2023, participation numbers sprinted past the 1.2 million mark this yearThis has clearly played a part in the fast evolution of the event from a niche form of cross-training, conceived in Germany in 2017, to a full-on fitness phenomenon, now popular right around the planet. From around 175,000 racers in 2023, participation numbers in organised events sprinted past the 1.2 million mark this year, and ever-more gyms are bringing in equipment to cater for the pursuit, which combines fast 1km runs with elements of strength-focused circuit training, spread across eight bases.The Hyrox race format1km run between each 'station'Station 1: 1,000m SkiErgStation 2: 50m Sled PushStation 3: 50m Sled PullStation 4: 80m Burpee Broad JumpsStation 5: 1,000m RowStation 6: 200m Farmers CarryStation 7: 100m Sandbag LungesStation 8: 100 Wall BallsUnlike its closely related sibling, CrossFit, Hyrox activities are strictly prescriptive and will be exactly the same no matter where you go to train or compete. These include 1000-metre stints on a SkiErg and rowing machine (but sadly no static cycling), a 50-metre sled push and pull, burpees, weight-burdened lunges and farmers carry, plus the throwing of wall balls.Its hard to tell if its a sport, or a brand, and no one can even agree where the name came from (the most popular theory, that its short for Hybrid Rockstar horrifies some participants, who prefer the Hybrid Obstacle Race descriptor). And yet, there is already a concerted push to make it an Olympic sport. That might be an ambitious notion, but these people are good at pushing. And pulling. At the same time, participation rates in cycling races, especially road cycling, are skidding rapidly downhill, with fewer people joining old-school clubs or taking part in traditional races each year. British Cyclings membership has apparently dropped by such a degree that the sport's governing body has had to suffer through several successive years of financial losses. Meanwhile, the number of closed-circuit cycling races held in Britain has fallen by 14% in the last four years, with 100 events withering through lack of entrants and dropping off the calendar since 2022, and road races experiencing a similar decline, dropping by 16% decline according to figures supplied by British Cycling.So, what can cycling learn from the meteoric rise in the popularity of Hyrox? (Image credit: Getty Images)OpticsEven if you havent been pulled into its orbit directly, you will likely have been exposed to Hyrox via social media, specifically Instagram and Tik-Tok, mediums for which it almost seems tailor made. The fact that its supremely photogenic is certainly central to the sports success. Cynics might add that the tendency of many of Hyroxs most enthusiastic proponents to shoot and share themselves doing it in various states of undress doesnt hurt either. As The Streets might rather acerbically observe: yes, they are fit, but my gosh dont they know it?As The Streets might rather acerbically observe: yes, they are fit, but my gosh dont they know it?Cycling finds it hard to compete on that level, and no one is seriously suggesting it should try. Its horrendously hard not to mention massively dangerous to film clips of yourself riding a road bike, let alone look good while youre doing it, and as for cycling semi-naked well there are some events where this happens, and its highly debatable whether that increases participation rates or puts people off altogether Obviously there are some riders with large profiles out there, but visually orientated road cycling social media isnt doing the heavy lifting that the Hyrox equivalent achieves. And it never will. Its a different story with gravel riding, however, a cycling sub-culture that is certainly growing fast, where mucky photos of dirt-splattered riders are always doing the rounds. And this is also where the figures we get in a flap about metrics around the decline in club membership and people entering races are arguably completely distorted. It seems very possible probable, even that more people are cycling now than ever before, but theyre just not fee-paying members of a road riding club, or the kind of person that will enter a race. A survey recently conducted by Cycling Weekly on social media revealed that some 64% of our readers/followers have never competed in a race, and 83% wouldnt consider starting racing.Instead, they might be part of a newer kind of club, one organised through social media that has no formal structure, and whose members are more focussed on doing DIY challenges and independent rides. Again, the indie culture of gravel riding appeals exactly to such freewheeling folk. Thats not less people cycling, its more people cycling in a different (and annoyingly quite hard-to-measure) way. But still, the overall picture is far less bleak when viewed this way. Nikki Brammeier was no stranger to tough races in her cycling days (Image credit: Getty Images)Community and accessibility But anyway, attributing the appeal of Hyrox entirely to its superficial good looks is reductionist, and completely unfair, too, because as Ive discovered while speaking to people and visiting gyms there is a lot more going on here, as both the sports strong community feel and its popularity with people in their 30s and above attests. While cycling at a decent level requires people to get out and train for many hours, and necessitates the purchase of some pricey equipment, Hyrox sessions can easily be done before work, or arranged to fit around family and other commitments, and so long as you live relatively near a gym, all you need is running shoes, shorts and a T-shirt. This level of accessibility really adds to its appeal.Former pro rider, Olympian and British cyclocross champion Nikki Brammeier got into Hyrox in 2024, when a friend invited her to do a doubles event."Id never even heard of it, but I was looking for a new challenge and thought Id give it a go," she told Cycling Weekly. "Coming from a big cycling background, Id always wanted to incorporate more strength training and HIIT [high intensity training] into my routine, and Hyrox fitted really well around life as a busy mum of two. I was pretty much hooked from the first event." By then, Brammeier had built a successful post-cycling career as a coach, training a new generation of riders, but she was looking for more fitness challenges for herself. "Hyrox gave me something new to work towards, and Ive always loved sports where youre going full gas for around an hour, so it seemed a good fit," she recalls. Hyrox is wildly popular because it offers a combination of accessibility, competition and community. Hyrox is wildly popular, she says, because it offers a combination of accessibility, competition and community. "You know exactly what to expect on race day, and theres always a time to chase or something to improve on. And it's for people of all ages. There are some incredible 70-year-olds giving it a go. You can compete individually or in doubles, travel to events around the world, and train with other people at your local gym. I think once people try it, they get hooked because theres always another goal to aim for and a great community around it."By contrast, Brammeier says cycling is harder for newcomers to get into, and tougher to manage with an other commitments. "Cost is probably the biggest barrier, alongside fewer races and concerns around road safety," she explains. "Grassroots racing also relies heavily on volunteers, but people seem to ride for smaller teams rather than traditional clubs these days. The way races are organised can be restrictive, too, with expensive entry fees and having to commit weeks in advance. For people with busy lives and families, that can make racing much harder to fit in."I think the biggest lesson cycling could learn is that you need to build a community around the sport, not just put on events and expect people to turn up. Hyrox gyms give people structured training programmes, shared goals and a group to train with. Cycling could do more to bring people together, make racing more accessible and help newcomers feel part of something. Its about creating a reason for people to get involved and keep coming back, not just getting them to enter a race. I think there used to be a lot of cycling clubs which created a similar feeling but there are very few around now which is a real shame. Bring cycling clubs back!"Charline and Lee Jones finish the Glasgow Hyrox (Image credit: Courtesy of Charline Jones)Races and safe spacesCharline Jones, a former track cyclist who won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and retired from cycling in 2016, took up Hyrox in 2025, after having her second child. "I wanted to do mixed doubles with my husband [Glasgow Warriors and Scotland rugby union player Lee Jones]," she explains. "We both signed up with a coach, and the gym was right across from the house That was October, and then we competed in March at the Glasgow Hyrox.Upon finishing that event, Jones, clearly still buzzing, wrote on Instagram: "Thats definitely as close to cycling race day vibes Ill get again." I asked her to explain what it is she gets out of a Hyrox competition: "I love working towards an event and then being there, the music playing when you're in the tunnel. It reminded me of being at a tour series, or crit racing, where you're at the start line, they're hyping up the crowd and you're about to go and race." Importantly, she can work towards such an event and compete at a high level without forfeiting her family time. "When I was racing [track], I was doing so much more, including a long ride at the weekend, which would take four of five hours out of the day. You can do that with a family, but I didn't want to. I want my time at the weekend to be with my kids, with my husband. Even though I love cycling and I love it so much at this point in my life, it just doesn't fit in, because of my time constraints. Doing some gym work, and some runs, that's the best way. It just happens that Hyrox trains your cardiovascular system, but also your strength as well, and I've always really enjoyed gym work as part of cycling.Jones believes the social media presence of Hyrox has helped in some ways. "Lots of young girls are into Hyrox because it looks glamorous," she says. "I don't know how to make cycling more glamorous, but now, at the Track World Championships some winning riders are wearing makeup on stage. They getting their nails done. They're doing their hair. You don't have to do that, but actually it's saying, if I look good, I race well." But there is a bigger issue at play around cycling, which Jones is keen to address. "I spoke to a few girls at the gym, and I asked them: would you rather be a racing cyclist or do Hyrox racing? They all said racing cyclist straight away. But the problem is, they don't know how to do that. It's the accessibility. It's the knowledge. Like, how do they know how to get into cycling? And how are women going to feel safer on the roads? We need more women guiding maybe, leading organised rides. It's almost as simple as that. You could get so many gym people into cycling by making them feel safe. In gym culture, they've created a safe space, and cycling just hasn't kept pace with that.(Image credit: Getty Images)Doing it allOn a more positive note, both Brammeier and Jones believe Hyrox is highly compatible with cycling, and if you can do both, it can make you a better athlete and rider. "I do a mix of running, strength training and gym work, with cycling for recovery or the occasional couple of hours out on the bike, says Brammeier. "I still love cycling, but I enjoy a bit of everything now.""For cyclists, Hyrox is a great way to work on strength in the off season, by incorporating some running and giving yourself different goals. It can also help build your overall fitness. Equally, cycling is a great way for Hyrox athletes to build their aerobic engine and endurance without adding as much impact as running. The two sports can complement each other really well if you get the balance right.

After the Tour de France, the route of the 2027 Giro d'Italia has been revealed. In May of 2027, the Corsa Rosa returns to the roads of Italy, with a Grande Partenza in the border city of Trieste. The race will feature summit finishes at Monte Zoncolan and Madonna di Campiglio; whilst the likes of t...

With its distinctive twin top tubes, unusual titanium biplane fork, and unmistakable Stooge demeanor, the titanium Scrambler is anything but conventional. After five months of ATBing, trail riding, and bikepacking, Logan dives deep into this curious machine, compares it to its steel counterpart, and revisits some long-held opinions about titanium bikes. Find his full Stooge Scrambler Ti review hereThe post Stooge Scrambler Ti Review: A Material Difference appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

The 2027 men's Giro d'Italia could be a race for the climbers, with the Passo del Mortirolo, Passo Gavia and Monte Zoncolan all set to feature in the 110th edition.Announced at a presentation in Rome on Tuesday, next May's Italian Grand Tour will be 3,418km long over 21 stages, with 50,250m of climbing, and features two individual time trials and opportunities for sprinters and puncheurs along the way.The race will begin on Saturday 8 May in Trieste, Italy, before a quick hop to Slovenia. The race takes place mostly in the north of the country, with Naples the most southerly point, before a classic denouement in the Alps and Dolomites. The Queen Stages comes on day 16, with the Gavia returning for the first time since 2014 as the Cima Coppi, the highest point of next year's race, between two ascents of the Mortirolo. There are seven summit finishes in total, four more than at the Tour de France, as the two races appear to head in different directions, although there is overall less climbing at the Giro. However, as at next year's Tour, there will be two individual time trials, although these amount to 56.9km, less than the 71km in France. This could be seen as an attempt to attract Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), time trial world champion, or Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), who won bronze in Montral. The first ITT, however, is uphill.There are lots of opportunities for fast finishers, although many of the flatter stages hide uphill finishes or nasty tests which could take the pure sprinters out of contention.Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) won in 2026, but is thought unlikely to return in 2027, along with Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). The door is therefore open, then, for someone else to join the Grand Tour winning club. (Image credit: RCS Sport)Week oneThe Giro begins in the very north-east of Italy in Trieste, close to the border of Slovenia, where stage one could be won by a sprinter who can climb, or a climber who can sprint. Stage two is another hilly affair, wholly in Slovenia, before stage three is another day for the puncheurs, back in Italy.Stage four, however, will likely be a mass sprint on a MotoGP circuit. However, the sprinters don't have it there way for long, with the first summit finish of the race on stage five, which finishes on the climb to Sarnano-Sassotetto, 13.1km at 7.4%. It should see an early shuffling of pink jersey contenders.The next day, stage six, will likely be a day for the breakaway on the Adriatic coast, ahead of another GC battle on stage seven. It's a 19.6km individual time trial, with a climb involved, although not enough to weight this heavily in favour of mountain goats.Stage eight sees the race finish in Naples again, with a finish which should be one for sprinters, but could easily go to a late attacker. The first week ends on Monte Livata, with 13.9km at 6.9% on stage nine. It's making its debut in the senior Giro.Week twoThe second week begins with a duo of climbs before a long descent on stage 10 favouring the brave, before stage 11 might look like a sprint stage, but a nasty climb could take out some of the fastest finishers.The climbing resumes on stage 12, with a summit finish in the Appennines at at Zum Zeri (8.4km at 8.7%), before a sprint stage the next day on stage 13 to Reggio Emilia.The hardest day of the race so far comes on stage 14, with almost 5,000m of elevation which concludes on the Piani di Bobbio (10km at 9%). The GC riders are allowed no rest, with a long 37.3km individual time trial on stage 15 surely meaning big time gaps. This is a flat one.Week threeIt's more climbing as soon as the final week begins, with the Queen Stage coming on day 16. It's 192km with 5,700m of elevation gain, with the Passo del Mortirolo twice around an ascent of the Passo Gavia. The Mortirolo is 12.8km at 10.1%, before the Gavia is 16.5km at 8%. Nothing is easy about this day.Stage 17 could be a sprint stage, but there are two climbs in the final 25km which might throw a spanner in the works, before the mountains return the next day Stage 18 has five categorised climbs, including a final ascent to Madonna di Campiglio. It might not be as hard as other days, but it's still 4,450m of elevation.The antepenultimate day, stage 19, will be one for any teams who haven't won yet, whether that's in a sprint or in a breakaway. It is stage 20 which could be decisive, though, with the ascent of the Mont Zoncolan surely pointing the final direction of the pink jersey, with its 10.1km at 11.9%. Then, it's a quick hop to Rome for the final sprint stage. Giro d'Italia 2027 stage tableStageDateStart LocationFinish LocationDistanceType1Saturday 8 MayTriesteTrieste172kmHilly2Sunday 9 MayLjubljanaKoper166kmHilly3Monday 10 MayCervignano del FriuliPossagno163kmHilly4Tuesday 11 MayArgentaMisano Adriatico (Autodromo Marco Simoncelli)151kmFlat5Wednesday 12 MayFilottranoSarnano-Sassotetto139kmMountains6Thursday 13 MayAlba AdriaticaLanciano148kmHilly7Friday 14 MaySulmonaCampo di Giove 19.6kmMountain ITT8Saturday 15 MayTrasaccoNaples219kmFlat9Sunday 16 MayItriSubiaco-Monte Livata180kmMountains10Tuesday 18 MayPalombara SabinaNorcia218kmHilly11Wednesday 19 MayGualdo TadinoScarperia (Autodromo del Mugello)220kmHilly12Thursday 20 MayMontecatini TermeZeri (Loc. Passo due Santi)173kmMountains13Friday 21 MayBorgo Val di TaroReggio Emilia176kmFlat14Saturday 22 MayCant ArenaPiani di Bobbio/Valtorta187kmMountains15Sunday 23 MayMonza (Autodromo Nazionale)Milan37.3kmITT16Tuesday 25 MaySondrioAprica192kmMountains17Wednesday 26 MayChiariVo'194kmHilly18Thursday 27 MayRoveretoMadonna di Campiglio154kmMountains19Friday 28 MayRoveretoSacile199kmFlat20Saturday 29 MayPordenoneMonte Zoncolan180kmMountains21Sunday 30 MayRomeRome131kmFlat

Rolf Sorensen has warned that professional cycling risks becoming increasingly exclusive after the organisers of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Dpart introduced paid admission for the official team presentation in Edinburgh. The former Tour stage winner fears the decision could contribute to a worry...

On episode 20 of the CyclingUpToDate Podcast, Rben Silva and Gavin Quinn are discussing the freshly-revealed route of the 2027 Giro d'Italia, featuring the returning Monte Zoncolan, Passo del Mortirolo and Passo di Gavia.