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...

Visma | Lease a Bike with Jonas Vingegaard. UAE Team Emirates with Tadej Pogacar. Which team is next to confirm their Tour de France lineup? It seems like the ball rolls over to INEOS Grenadiers.At least that should be the case according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, which claims the Br...

The first update of the HighRoad SL MAXXIS present the second generation of their premium road racing tire. The goal is clear: maximum speed and low weight. The HighRoad SL is now also available in dedicated tubed and tubeless variants, promising improved performance. But can the road bike tire deliver?MAXXIS HighRoad SL | 700 x 28C | 184 g (clincher) / 275 g (tubeless) | 68.40 (clincher) / 85.50 (tubeless) | Manufacturers websiteTheres hardly a better feeling than sprinting down your home stretch on freshly paved asphalt. Roadies often invest hundreds of euros making the smallest tweaks to their bikes, just to up their performance and enjoyment. This typically involves aerodynamic improvements, weight reduction, and optimised drivetrains. Tire upgrades are often overlooked. However, theyre your only point of contact with the ground, and they offer enormous optimisation potential. With the HighRoad SL, MAXXIS presents the second generation of their top-end road tire, available either as a lightweight tubed version, or a hookless compatible tubeless model.The reinforced sidewall makes the HighRoad SL compatible with hookless rims, and also ensures that the sealant and air remain in the tire.The new MAXXIS road bike tire Whats been optimised on the HighRoad SL?At first glance, the only visible difference to the predecessor is the updated packaging. As with the MAXXIS Re-Fuse, the packaging is now made from up to 90 % recycled material. However, a lot has been done to the tire too. Available in two variants, the new MAXXIS HighRoad SL should appeal to a broader target group, especially since the tubeless version is compatible with hookless rims.Although tubeless technology has been around for a very long time on mountain and gravel bikes, many roadies still question whether its worth the effort to convert their bike to tubeless. However, the advantages shouldnt be dismissed out of hand: riding without a tube noticeably increases comfort and grip, and enables a power saving of 515 watts compared to a traditional tube setup incidentally, tubeless also offers increased puncture protection.The slick HighRoad SL feels buttery smooth on asphalt.MAXXIS new packaging consists of up to 90 % recycled materials.Thanks to the proven HYPR-S rubber compound and a new Turn-Up sidewall construction, MAXXIS claim to have optimised the puncture protection while also reducing the weight. The HighRoad SL is said to be lighter, more durable, and more supple, partially thanks to the use of a thinner casing especially on the tube version. The tire bead is reinforced with carbon fibres, which is intended to provide a secure fit on the rim while keeping the weight to a minimum.The fastest road bike tire? Riding the MAXXIS HighRoad SLMAXXIS are known for their striking yellow lettering. Even if this doesnt apply to their entire product portfolio, we would have liked to see a similar look for their premium road racing tire. Yellow lettering would have rounded off the overall package of the performance-oriented HighRoad SL perfectly.Now available in tubeless: the MAXXIS HighRoad SL can now also be fitted without a tubeSince we were running 20 mm wide aero wheels, we decided to test the HighRoad SL in 28 mm. After fitting the tires and getting them seated and sealed on the first go, we pumped them up to around 4 bar and headed to the test track. Pulling away, we immediately noticed the tires quick acceleration, and they performed just as convincingly through tight corners. The HighRoad SL quickly instils you with the confidence to lean into the turns, especially when conditions are dry. However, at 275 g (on our scales), its not the lightest compared to other high-performance tires. In addition to the tubeless model, we also tested the standard clincher. Weighing in at just 184 grams, this option gets rolling even quicker. In fact, the tube type HighRoad SL is one of the lightest tires in its class, according to bicycleerollingresistance.com. Ultimately, however, its up to personal preferences whether you want to run your tires with or without tubes. The tube type variant features a very thin casing with a slightly glossy finishIn addition to the weight difference between two variants, you can also tell them apart visually. The tube type model has a strikingly thin and shiny casing, though it might make you doubt the tires durability. We cant say much about the tires puncture protection after just a few hundred km but we havent had any trouble with punctures yet. Tuning tip: Fit the tube type version with TPU tubes for maximum weight savings.Our conclusion on the new MAXXIS HighRoad SLThe MAXXIS HighRoad SL delivers as a fast performance tire, offering quick acceleration and a hassle-free tubeless setup. It offers an extremely smooth ride on well-maintained asphalt as a time trial tire, and it provides ample cornering grip to round it off. Compared to other tires, the tubeless HighRoad SL isnt the lightest, coming in around midfield. The tube type variant, on the other hand, is one of the lightest options currently on the market.Topsblistering accelerationfeatherweight tube type variantexcellent cornering gripeasy tubeless installationFlopsthe casing of the tube type model looks a little flimsyFor more information, visit maxxis.comDer Beitrag HighRoad SL: Test debut of MAXXIS new lightweight road bike tire erschien zuerst auf GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine.

This weeksBritish National Championshipstime trial was a perfect opportunity for Joshua Tarling to test his legs with view to Olympic Games in a little bit more than a month.Tarling suffered a broken bone in his knee atParis Roubaixin April, which set him a few weeks back in his preparation,...

A judge has ordered Kaitlin Armstrong to pay $15 million to the family of deceased Moriah Wilson as part of a civil lawsuit, according to a report inKXAN, echoes by Cyclingnews.Wilsons parents filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Armstrong in May, six months afterArmstrong was found gui...

On Friday, USA Cycling announced the athletes who will compete in the Time Trial and Road Races at the Paris Olympics. If you're looking for surprising names, you're on a wrong address. American national coachTanner Putt didn't complicate things and selected the best men and women he had available....

It was a busy Friday in the cycling world with Tour de France lineup announcements and National Championships in full swing. So much so that you may have missed the news about two long-time pros hanging up their bikes at the end of this season. Ramon Sinkeldam andNiccol Bonifazio together racked u...

Dylan van Baarleis confident that he can go to the Olympic Games in good shape despite his crash at Critrium du Dauphin. He and his teammate Steven Kruijswijk were the main victims. Both had to give up on starting at the Tour de France next week as a consequence."I had moved forward and then they...