Flashy? No. Fast? You bet. Fara's restrained-looking F/Road is surprisingly rapid when let off the leash

CyclistI like being under the radar: Simon Yates profileName this rider. Hes one of only two Brits to win the Vuelta a Espaa. He has finished in the top ten at the Tour de France twice, including fourth last year. He has been on the podium at the Giro dItalia (in 2021) and is second behind only Mark Cavendish as the Brit with the most Giro stage victories. He has already won a stage race this year. He has won more races than his twin brother: 34 versus 28. He has stuck with the same team since turning pro in 2014. He arguably does not receive the recognition he deserves. Welcome to the understated world of Simon Yates. Related Posts I think everybody wants to win the Tour de France: Adam Yates profile Vuelta a Espana 2018: Simon Yates seals vintage year for British cycling with overall victory Who are the favourites for the mens Tour de France 2024? Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know Season stalledCyclist catches up with 31-year-old Yates off the back of a strong start to the year that then hit the buffers through illness. He won the final stage of the AlUla Tour in February to claim the GC, and by doing so thoroughly satisfied the main sponsor of his team, Jayco-AlUla. That came after he finished seventh at the Tour Down Under in January.After AlUla, I came down with a virus that lingered for a long time, he says. I was down for Tirreno-Adriatico but that was scrapped for a couple more weeks of rest. Instead it was Catalunya and then the Ardennes campaign.Yates looked under the weather as he finished 57th on GC in Catalunya. He then DNFed at the GP Miguel Indurin before his Ardennes campaign comprised just Lige-Bastogne-Lige, where he came 32nd.Veronika SchobererIt was an inauspicious spring for a rider aiming for a podium at the Tour de France in July. Still, Yates, who we discover is a man of science, can take comfort in a 2015 study entitled What Doesnt Kill Me that concluded athletes felt adversity provided the magic ingredient behind success, with repeated non-selection, a death of a family member, political unrest and injury variously deemed vital. Then again, there are further studies that show the maximal gain behind Olympic success is simply consistency of training. Yates is firmly a proponent of the latter.For me, remaining injury-free is massive. Last years Tour de France was the first Grand Tour for a long time I hadnt been ill or injured. I had Covid at two Grand Tours [Vuelta 2022 and Giro 2020], a knee injury at another [Giro 2022] and a crash at the Tour [2021]. If I can stay fit, I usually ride well.Overcoming his illness and cranking up fitness for the Grand Dpart in Florence on 29th June will mainly play out away from the spotlight as, similar to 2023, Yates has no races planned after late Aprils Tour de Romandie (at which this year he finished 11th).Last year I found going from training camp to training camp worked well. Obviously this could change, but whatever happens you know its really not easy to perform at the Tour, especially with the field as it is.That field depending on how various injuries heal could include the Fab Four of Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogaar, Primo Rogli and Remco Evenepoel. Its a daunting prospect but Yates is an experienced rider who knows that having all the focus on the four big names could play in his favour.I can do similar to last year and take a bit of a back seat, Yates says. No ones really looking at me and I prefer that. The Tour is such a huge spectacle and theres so much media coverage around it that it can begin to take its toll. You have the rest days, but you dont really have a rest because there are press conferences. Still, those superstars of the peloton should take up a lot of the attention, and thats good because all these things take you away from focussing on the bike. In that sense, I dont mind being under the radar.Living the high lifeAs tactically astute as it may be to stay out of the limelight at Grand Tours, thats not what Yates did on Stage 1 of the Tour de France last year. On a hilly 182km parcours around the Basque region, he joined his identical twin Adam on the descent of the final climb, the Cte de Pike. The brothers riding for rival teams entered the last kilometre with a few seconds advantage on a group that included Vingegaard and Pogaar. They worked together to stay ahead of the pack, but sibling sentimentality was forgotten in the final 300m as UAE Team Emirates rider Adam edged out his brother.Simon Yates would finish second again on Stage 17, when Felix Gall soloed to victory, and then on a mountainous Stage 20 he stuck with Vingegaard and stage-winner Pogaar to secure fourth place in the GC.Veronika SchobererDespite that, Yatess exploits drew few column inches. Like his training-led approach, he flew under the radar. Did he feel under-appreciated?Not at all. I was very happy with my performance. Still, I always think that if Id won those two stages, Id have beaten my brother to the podium and then it would be seen as a hugely successful Tour. I was just missing that little bit which is why Im not afraid to give it another shot.According to Yates, that little bit might be about maintaining top-end, punchy power as time goes on.As a climber, over the past year or two Ive had really strong numbers when it comes to watts per kilo and also raw wattage. Thats across the board, from five to 60 minutes. But maybe Ive lost the real top-end as the years have rolled by. But Im working on it, and I have to because races are getting faster and faster.In search of that top end, Yates has changed his approach to training. He moved to Andorra in 2015, well before half the peloton gravitated to this tiny principality in the Pyrenees in search of rarefied air, smooth roads, a range of climbs and, no doubt, lower rates of income tax. That was only his second full season as a professional and he has been training high ever since, which is great for his blood profile and oxygen-carrying capacity but possibly less so for helping with post-race recovery.When I first went there I moved straight up to altitude, so I was roughly training high all year round. That paid off to a degree but it also meant Id return from a race and not enjoy sufficient recovery. Now Im spending more time training at sea level to feel fresher as well as doing some really high-quality sessions day in, day out. Ill then head higher for the key parts of the season. Thatll involve time in Sierra Nevada because you enjoy good heat there, which is what youll face at the Tour.Veronika SchobererSierra Nevada is also good for hills, of which there are many at this years Tour de France. The race will visit five mountain ranges and there are seven mountain stages in all, with four summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000 and Col de la Couillole. And in line with recent editions of the Tour, the first mountain stage comes very early, on Stage 4, including the Col du Galibier.Thats good, says Yates. We had a really tough start last year too, and I prefer to get stuck in straight away. I remember the Giro one year. You do these huge training camps and then you line up and youre not really racing until the tenth stage. This suits me better. There are also two time-trials whereas last year there was only one. That suits me too. My time-trials really come on over the years.Last year, Yates finished fifth on Stage 16s 22.4km time-trial into Combloux. He also won a time-trial on Stage 2 of the 2022 Giro. His performance against the clock is testament to his science-based approach to his job.I enjoy the data side of things, looking at the graphs and seeing whats good and whats not. Id say this has really skyrocketed since around 2018/2019 the nutrition, the gear, positioning, every 1% is looked after. And I think thats why you now see so much aggressive, hard racing throughout the entire year. But I enjoy it. I can see where I need to improve. Change is sometimes needed.Which brings us to Yatess ten years at the same team.Life on the EdgeIt was on 9th February 2014 that Yates made his debut for then Orica-GreenEdge, finishing 104th at Trofeo Palma. He has since seen the team morph into Orica-Scott, Mitchelton-Scott, Team BikeExchange, BikeExchange-Jayco and finally Jayco-AlUla.His brother, Adam, joined with him in 2014 but left for Ineos Grenadiers in 2021 before moving to UAE Team Emirates two years later, providing support for Pogaar. Would Simon consider leaving if an appealing opportunity came along?Getty ImagesId never say no to change, but Ive not had the opportunity so far. In my career, no one has really come searching. But thats fine. This team is great and they give me flexibility. They let me organise many of my own training camps and I can take my family, and dog, with me. Im privileged.They also give me an opportunity to race. When I joined the team they really wanted to develop the climbers and go for Grand Tours in general classification. I slowly worked my way up the tree, albeit a fair bit of pressure falls on my shoulders now. In the past we had Simon Gerrans, Daryl Impey, Esteban Chaves, my brother, all these guys who could win races and score UCI points. So theres pressure now but I like our policy of bringing through the youth and letting them develop. The future looks strong.Yates is currently in contract talks as his expires at the end of the season. Hes relaxed about signing a new one and is confident that young riders such as Luke Plapp will drive the team forward. For now, his focus remains on the Tour, potentially followed by the Paris Olympics.Ive put my hand up for selection but Im not entirely sure what happens next. But I would love to go. I raced Tokyo and it was an amazing experience. In fact, that was my dream growing up in Bury. I never even thought about racing the Tour de France, I just wanted to be an Olympian. That and having Manchester Velodrome nearby was how I ended up on the track. I wanted to do the points race but that stopped after Beijing, which was one of the reasons why I ended up changing to the road.It was a move that has reaped rewards for a decade, and which begs the question: when will Yates reach the end of his road?When you turn 30, its always in the back of your mind. You think, how long can I do this for? Whats the motivation? But Im still very motivated so I hope to go on for a lot longer yet.What will I do afterwards? I havent really thought beyond racing but I doubt Ill step into a management role. I dont know if I have the wits for that. A lot of my race wins have been down to raw power rather than tactical nous.If he can find that power come July and avoid illness and injury in the meantime he could once again quietly go about upsetting the favourites at the Tour.Simons successesThe riding life of Simon Yates2010On British Cyclings Olympic Academy programme, Yates is selected as a support rider for the 2010Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where he rooms with Chris Froome.2013Wins gold in the points race at the 2013 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Belarus. Also claims victory atop Haytor at the Tour of Britain.2014Along with brother Adam, Yates signs with WorldTour team Orica-GreenEdge. Makes Tour de France debut with only five days notice. He is withdrawn on the second rest day.2015Starts to realise stage race potential by finishing fifth at both the Tour of the Basque Country and Critrium du Dauphin, winning the white jersey as best young rider in the latter.2016Finishes seventh at Paris-Nice, but tests positive for the banned substance terbutaline. Team take blame but four-month ban means he misses the Tour. Wins first Grand Tour stage at the Vuelta.2017Finishes seventh at the Tour de France and wins the young rider classification.2018Wears the race leaders pink jersey at the Giro dItalia for 13 stages, before finishing 21st. He then becomes only the second Brit (after Chris Froome) to win the Vuelta.2019Plays support to Adam at the Tour de France, but when his brothers ambitions falter, hes freed to go for stage wins, which he does with aplomb, winning two.2020First Brit to win Tirreno-Adriatico, ahead of Geraint Thomas in second.2021Finishes third at the Giro, winning one stage along the way.2022Wins two stages of the Giro but withdraws in the final week. Covid ruins chances of a second Vuelta title.2023Finishes second at the Tour Down Under, fourth at Paris-Nice and ninth at Tour of the Basque Country. Finishes fourth overall at the Tour de France.2024Wins Stage 5 and the overall at the AlUla Tour.Yates onriding in his home town of Bury, LancashireOnce youre ten minutes out of Bury youre into some great riding with some stiff hills. You can ride across the border into Yorkshire. It was a great place to grow up as a bike rider as the Manchester Velodrome was close too.time off the bikeIm a big gamer and spend many hours unwinding via video games: FIFA, Call Of Duty, Battlefield, Forza Ill play literally anything.runningI really enjoy running and enjoy banging out a 5k or 10k on the treadmill. I dont run during the main season as theres the chance of injury, but Id like to run a marathon. My brother ran the Barcelona Marathon a few years back [in 2:58:08] and its something Id like to do after cycling while Im still fit. This article originally appeared in issue 153 of Cyclist magazine. Click here to subscribe Related Posts I think everybody wants to win the Tour de France: Adam Yates profile Vuelta a Espana 2018: Simon Yates seals vintage year for British cycling with overall victory Who are the favourites for the mens Tour de France 2024? Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know The post I like being under the radar: Simon Yates profile appeared first on Cyclist.

Although both competing with different objectives, two of the stars of the quickly approaching 2024 Tour de France are sure to be the recently crowned Giro d'Italia winner Tadej Pogacar and the current Rainbow Jersey, Mathieu van der Poel.One of those with the somewhat unenviable task of competing a...

Today, Tern Bicycles announces a new compact cargo eBike in the Quick Haul Long. This new model is designed for heavy hauling and busy families looking to ride more and drive less. Whether its school runs, shopping trips, weekends out, or even date nights, no tasks are too small or large for the Quick Haul Long.(Photos/Tern Bicycles)The compact cargo bike category came about when we launched the GSD in 2018, stated Josh Hon, Tern Team Captain. Customers loved how such a small little bike could handle so many tasks typically done by car. Since then, weve learned a lot about how to make cargo bikes even better, and we applied those insights to the Quick Haul Long. The bike retains the GSDs core features but it comes at a more accessible price, without compromising safety or reliability.Like a lot of the bicycles that Tern has to offer, the Quick Haul Long has 20 wheels. But even with its compact nature, it maintains the same overall length as a standard city bike with the added benefit of being much more capable. Rated for a gross vehicle weight of 419 lbs, the Quick Haul Long can easily support two children or an adult on the back. Providing a smooth and stable ride, the Quick Haul Long has a low center of gravity and, a stiff frame that is optimized for rider comfort, even when under load. Quick Haul Long FeaturesVertical parking: Like many other Tern models, the Quick Haul Long can be stored on its back rack. This is perfect for small spaces and elevators, not taking much more space than a large potted plant would.Towbar: The Quick Haul Long comes to you with a frame-integrated trailer mount. This mount can work with most trailer hitches, expanding the versatility of the bike. Atlas L Rack: The rear rack is extra long and holds up to 198 lbs of cargo. This means the Quick Haul Long fits two child seats or one adult. Low Step-Through: The Quick Haul Longs frame features a low standover height of only 19. This makes mounting and dismounting easier and safer. Bosch Cargo Line: The reputable Bosch Cargo Line eBike motor is smooth and natural feeling. It offers up to 85Nm of torque and 400% pedal assist. This makes hauling heavy or precious cargo a breeze.Atlas Kickstand: This is one heavy-duty center kickstand thats patented and tested to 176 lbs. Speedlifter Stem: The Quick Haul Long can fit riders from 51 to 61. This is possible in part due to the easy-to-use and adjustable stem system that easily adjusts to riders of different heights.Built-In ABUS Lock: The Euro-style built-in ABUS wheel lock adds security when parking your Quick Haul Long. Its keyed the same as the battery compartment for easy key management.Tern Quick Haul Long Summary and RetailRetail: $3799 (500 Wh battery) TernBicycles.comThe post Tern Bicycles Release New Quick Haul Long, Their Most Affordable Compact Cargo eBike appeared first on Bikerumor.

Leading a group ride is one of the best ways you can give back to the cycling community. But while the physical act of leading a ride isnt hard, planning and executing a ride that people will want to come back to takes deliberate work and intentionality.

Following the close pass, the motorhome rental company offered to pass on the video to the motorist to educate them about safe driving

The key race in any rider's season, the Tour de France holds extra weight of importance for Primoz Roglic in 2024. Having joined BORA - hansgrohe in order to get his chance at the Maillot Jaune, the Slovenian's moment is nigh.On the day the team's name was officially changed to Red Bull BORA - hans...

CamelBak's latest short video introduces regular contributor Emily Bei Cheng as she heads out on a restorative ride through the Marin Headlands near her home in San Francisco, California. Get to know Emily and her beautiful backyard in the eight-minute video here...The post CamelBak Presents: Bikepacking with Emily Bei Cheng (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Ever run into a situation where the chain didnt shift well, but your chain checker said the chain wasnt worn out? If youre running a modern 1x drivetrain, Abbey Bike Tools says that there is a good chance that lateral, not linear, wear is the culprit. As 1x drivetrains have taken over and cassettes have gotten wider, that has forced riders to essentially cross chain at the extremes of the cassette. The angle of the chain then causes extra wear to the faces of the rollers which degrades the shifting over time. According to Abbey, Depending on conditions and riding style this can happen well before a chain has reached replacement thresholds for linear wear, commonly referred toas stretch. While chains that have worn out laterally wont cause undue wear to the rest of the drivetrain, shifting performance definitely suffers.So when the precision tool maker wanted to develop their own chain wear gauge, they knew it had to include both lateral and linear measurements. Thats where the new Abbel LL Chain Wear Tool comes in. The precision tool is machined from a single block of 6061 aluminum in their CNC mill. That allows for tolerances as tight as 0.00025 which will impact chainwear measurements by 0.004%. Compared to chain wear measurement tools that are manufactured with CNC laser cutters, Abbey claims the CNC milling method results in a more accurate tool. Further accuracy on the linear chain wear side is guaranteed by a V-shaped notch that locates the roller. When SRAM introduced their Flattop chains, they included rollers that were 0.010 (0.254mm) larger which is enough to skew the measurement on existing chain wear tools. How much? Abbey claims that when measuring five full links, a traditional chain tool would underreport wear by 0.2%, which with modern drivetrains thats the difference between replacing just your chain and the entire drivetrain.Instead, the V-notch locates the roller regardless of size in a position where the center of the pin is the true origin. Then you simply line up the pin with a hole on the other end of the tool to measure linear wear. Lateral wear is also a simple test with instructions printed on the back of the tool. You start by placing the chain sideways on the plate with five links extended and then see how far the chain sags using the indicators on the left. While the linear wear test can be performed with the chain on the bike, the lateral wear test must be done with the chain removed. The Abbey LL Chain Wear Tool is compatible with 1/8 to 13spd chains, and is in stock and sells for $45. abbeybiketools.comThe post New Abbey LL Chain Wear Tool Measures Both Lateral & Linear Wear appeared first on Bikerumor.