Bruno Armirail was one of the most successful signings for Team Visma | Lease a Bike over the past winter. The French rider, aged 32, immediately adapted to the role of domestique, performing throughout the entire year on multiple terrains and becoming one of France's most valuable riders in the pel...

In Ian J. Whitmore's latest YouTube video, he catches a train from his new home in Barcelona to pedal and push his way across the rugged Catalan countryside aboard his loaded Singular Swift. Watch the mellow eight-minute video here...The post Bikepacking Overnight in Catalonia (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Tommaso Dati is one of XDS Astana's several signings this winter, and a rider that perfectly fits the Kazakh team's profile. A sprinter who can climb and comes from Italy, Dati might find himself in the perfect environment to flourish at the World Tour level. Both Astana and Team UKYO, whom he raced...

The 1970s transformed cycling in the United States. Spurred by an oil embargo and its economic fallout, the bike boom that took hold in the early 70s paved the way for American cyclists. Five decades on, the US faces a similar predicament. Amid a global crude oil shortage, Nic explores whether recent events will spark the second great American bike boom or if its just another false dawnThe post Are We On the Verge of Another Great American Bike Boom? appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Cyclists could be set to become a feature on in-car displays, following an announcement between Garmin and the Waze navigation app aimed at alerting drivers to nearby riders.Those with LiveTrack-compatible Garmin Edge computers can opt-in to the feature, which then sees them appear as moving icons on the in-car on-screen road map.Location sharing is "temporary and session-based" for privacy, and riders' personal details will not be displayed on Waze. The collaboration is the first of its kind, says Garmin, whose VP of consumer sales and marketing Susan Layman says it will make for a more connected experience for road users.Garmin is well-known in the cycling industry for its safety-focused products and features, and we are excited to work with Waze to bring this unique feature to cyclists and drivers alike. By increasing awareness between cyclists and motorists, this new tool is designed to foster a safer riding environment for Garmin customers by giving drivers valuable real-time visibility to their whereabouts, helping to create a more connected experience for everyone on the road.Safety is a top priority for Waze," says Gai Berkovich, VP and GM of Waze, "and were excited to collaborate with Garmin to help keep cyclists safer on the road. By bringing Live Cycling Alerts to Waze, were giving drivers a helpful heads-up so they can slow down, stay aware and safely share the road.Are you for or against?Not everyone is keen on this sort of technology our writers put forward two opposing arguments below. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.YES - James ShrubsallAnything that absolves drivers from any part of their obligation to pay attention around cyclists will inevitably attract some level of criticism. After all, if you're behind the wheel of a car you have a legal and moral duty to be constantly vigilant and respectful of all other road users, especially those more vulnerable. Why would you need an app to remind you of this?Unfortunately, this is where the ideal collides with the reality. Human beings are flawed and yes, that sounds trite, but the only way road accidents and road idiocy will be completely eradicated is if machines, and computers, do a lot of the heavy lifting. This collaboration is perhaps a tiny piece in that puzzle at least for now. In the distant future I'd envisage all cars and bikes talking to each other.The idea that drivers will stop looking out for bike riders completely as a result of this new collab seems far-fetched. The same theory was mooted in response to the introduction of daylight running lights for cars, but those fears don't seem to have manifested.It's no silver bullet, but it could save injuries and even lives. While we wait for something better, I'll take it.NO - Pat KinsellaSo, here we go again, with the onus being placed on bike riders to make themselves super visible so drivers can avoid denting their vehicles on us. I dont mind using multiple bike lights and wearing high-vis clothing, obviously I dont (its so much better than being dead although how much safer it really keeps us is debatable), but Im less keen about a system that will only reveal my presence to motorists if I sign up to it, and remember to turn it on.Especially if even when I do this my extra visibility is only on a screen, which I would much prefer them not to be looking at, when theyre in sole control of half-a-ton of fast-moving metal and they could and really should be looking at the road (and other road users) instead.Even if it works in the way it has been promoted, what about the people who dont use Garmin will they become even more invisible to drivers increasingly reliant on an app that only shows up certain cyclists? And I say all this because we live in a society where an actual scientific study once revealed that drivers will give cyclists less space if theyre wearing a helmet, because they think they dont need it.

The FOI also revealed that on one occasion the defects were not addressed because workers said they "couldn't access the job", while the council's inspection manual still does not list tree routes as a specific defect

CyclistClassic UK climb: Bealach RataganLittle connects Scotland to Spain not the food, not the weather and definitely not the footballing prowess. However, if you head up to the northwest of Scotland, just inland from the Isle of Skye, youll find a 300-year-old connection between Caledonia and Iberia around Loch Duich.After the Jacobite uprising in 1715, international support was needed for the Scots to restore a Catholic monarchy. Spain became unlikely allies, and an armada of support sailed from southern Europe to the mouth of Loch Duich, where they waited to ignite the third coup.The call came in June 1719, and two Spanish frigates sailed down the loch, with Jacobite earls, 300 Spaniards and thousands of arms on board. The Highlanders and Spaniards took position at the pass of Glen Shiel, but opposing government forces soon arrived and drove the rebel coalition out. The troops dispersed, the Scottish generals retired to the Western Isles and the Spanish surrendered themselves as prisoners of war.Despite extinguishing the ill-fated uprising, the government of George I sought to improve the network of defensive roads through the West Highlands. Naturally Glen Shiel was quick to receive this treatment and a route was forged from Shiel Bridge to a brow on the lochs southern side. That climb would earn the name Bealach Ratagan, a pass that totals 4.5km at an average gradient of 8%. That might not sound like a leg-breaker to some, but it was certainly enough to send those troops running for the hills.Scotlands Spanish climbBealach Ratagan begins in Shiel Bridge, where the Old Military Road splits from the A87 carrying tourists up the coast to Skye. Beginning at sea level, the opening kilometre is tame at a shallow 2% gradient. It barely rises here, but the road is narrow and passage is rewarded by a broad glimpse to the right across Loch Duich. If the weather plays ball, youll spot the heights of the Munros towering on the lochs northern side. If misty, itll make for a wispy lookout across the water.Keep an eye on the surface too. The famed Nessie hunter Dr McRae claimed to have spotted a Loch Ness-like monster here in the 1930s, although the creature on the recording looks more like a floating hockey stick than a Cretaceous beast. Still, the climb makes a gentle turn inland once you pass a welcome sign to Ratagan, the village to which the climb owes its name. Immediately the slopes begin to bite after the gentle 1.2km introduction.Article continues belowJeremy Sutton HibbertJeremy Sutton HibbertJeremy Sutton HibbertJeremy Sutton HibbertJeremy Sutton HibbertJeremy Sutton HibbertStubborn gradientThe road remains stubborn for the next kilometre at gradients consistently between 6% and 8%. If needed, passing points offer space to weave across to ease the strain, but the gradient persists as the road gently curves around a waterfall nestled among a bush of bracken.As you turn inland, the hillside now appears to almost be sliced in two: bare below, densely forested with pine above. Beyond halfway the road enters a darker upper section, trading shortbread-tin loch views for damp, tree-lined surroundings.The gradient also ramps up, and after 2.4km double-digit pitches are the norm, with the metres ticking slowly upwards through the trees. Among the pines, the road eventually widens into an S-bend, where a road sign warns of a 15% gradient. Thats slightly deceiving though, given the slopes have levelled out to a more achievable 10% by this point, just as the road turns toward the loch once again, making for a momentary false flat.Enjoy it while it lasts, however, because this climb gets particularly nasty in its final kilometre, which arrives once you pass by the car park viewpoint on the roads water-facing side. In fact, the final thousand metres are at an average gradient of 13%, making this the toughest part of the climb by far. Worse, that average conceals a short pitch at over 22% just as the trees start to thin out.Thankfully the slopes relent ever so slightly in the final 300m, just as the road shimmies toward the crest. The summit arrives with nothing to mark it other than a chance to look over your shoulder at the view across the loch towards the Five Sisters of Kintail, a chain of peaks rising above 800m.The landscape feels barely altered since the Battle of Glen Shiel. Who knows, perhaps this was the last view of freedom the Spanish soldiers had before their surrender. For a 21st-century cyclist, at least, theres a much happier ending to be had here.The statsLocation Scottish HighlandsLength 4.5kmSummit height 347mAscent 335mAverage gradient 8%Maximum gradient 22.5%Current best Strava timeKoM Andrew Feather, UK, 12min 25secQoM Charlotte Beaton, UK, 17min 21secThe post Classic UK climb: Bealach Ratagan appeared first on Cyclist.

The 2026 Jaarmarktcross has been raced as the third round of the third Superprestige cup, and has been won by Cameron Mason and Manon Bakker. The races were also marked by the potential injuries of Michael Vanthourenhout and Lucinda Brand. The conditions were very rough on a technical and hilly cir...

Lucinda Brand was the overwhelming favourite to win today's Jaarmarktcross Niels, however was forced to abandon. The World and European Champion suffered an ankle injury that is leaving her team under major worries. Still early in the race, Brand was in contention for the first positions in the rac...

After a multi-year hiatus, the Ramble Rides are returning to Northern Colorado for 2027, including a minimally supported group ride and a race along the picturesque route between Fort Collins and Steamboat Springs. Learn more about the upcoming events in the beloved ride series here...The post Ramble Rides Return with Fresh Formats for 2027 appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.