Boardman has unveiled a new range of affordable TRVL gravel bikes, which are designed to handle adventurous off-road riding thanks to front suspension and 50mm tyre clearance.The Halfords-owned brand has also refreshed its award-winning stable of all-round gravel bikes: the ADV 8.9 topped our Budget Bike of the Year category in 2021 and 2022.Starting at 950 with the alloy ADV 8.8, the Boardman gravel range tops out at 3,800 with the 12speed GRX Di2-equipped Boardman ADV 9.6.We havent officially heard from Boardman when youll be able to buy the bikes, but judging from the Halfords website, stock is due in July and August.Boardman gravel bikes range 2025The line-up includes six alloy gravel bikes priced between 950 and 2,100.Boardmans four new carbon gravel bikes are priced between 2,200 and 3,800.Boardman ADV 9.6 CarbonA carbon frame, carbon Zipp wheels and 12-speed GRX Di2 will cost you 3,800. - BoardmanBoardmans 990g C10 carbon frame and 420g fork (both claimed weights) form the basis of the range-topping ADV 9.6.A middle-of-the-road 71.5-degree head angle keeps handling predictable on and off-road, according to the brand.The frame has mounts for full-length mudguards and a pannier rack, and bosses to attach bottles and bikepacking bags on the top tube, seat tube and down tube.Boardman specs a standard seatpost, but the frame is compatible with dropper post routing.A full 12-speed Shimano GRX Di2 groupset and carbon Zipp 303 S wheels round off a keenly priced build.The claimed weight is 8.8kg in an unspecified size.Frame and fork: C10 CarbonDrivetrain: Shimano GRX Di2 RX825Wheels: Zipp 303 S CarbonTyres: Goodyear Connector Ultimate, 40mm tubeless-readyBrakes: Shimano GRX, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Boardman alloy, 27.2x50mm (S, M), 400mm(L, XL)Saddle: Prologo Akero AGXPrice: 3,800Availability: AugustBoardman ADV 9.2 CarbonNext in line is the ADV 9.2 with alloy wheels and SRAM's cheapest electronic groupset. - BoardmanThe second-tier Boardman ADV 9.2 uses the same frame and fork as the ADV 9.6, but is built around a SRAM Apex AXS XPLR groupset and own-brand alloy wheels.This version of SRAMs cheapest electronic groupset features a 12-speed, 11-44t cassette and 40T chainring. The Boardman ADV wheels are tubeless-ready and have a 22mm internal width.Boardman says the ADV 9.2 Carbon weighs 9kg in an unspecified size.Frame and fork: C10 CarbonDrivetrain: SRAM Apex AXS XPLRWheels: Boardman ADV alloyTyres: Goodyear Connector Ultimate, 40mm tubeless-readyBrakes: SRAM Apex AXS, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Boardman alloy, 27.2x350mm (S, M), 400mm (L, XL)Saddle: Prologo Akero AGXPrice: 2,500Availability: AugustBoardman ADV 9.0 CarbonThe ADV 9.0 is the most reasonable full-carbon bike in the range. - BoardmanBoardman specs the third-rung ADV 9.0 with Shimano 12-speed mechanical GRX, consisting of 46/30T chainrings and an 11-34t cassette.Like the slightly more expensive ADV 9.2, the ADV 9.0 rolls on Boardman ADV alloy hoops.Frame and fork: C10 CarbonDrivetrain: Shimano GRX RX820Wheels: Boardman ADV alloyTyres: Goodyear Connector Ultimate, 40mm tubeless-readyBrakes: Shimano GRX, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Boardman alloy, 27.2x350mm (S, M), 400mm (L, XL)Saddle: Prologo Akero AGSPrice: 2,200Availability: JulyBoardman TRVL 9.2The TRVL 9.2 is the top-of-the-range model. - BoardmanBoardman says its TRVL range of gravel bikes is designed for more rugged terrain than the ADV range.They have 40mm of front gravel suspension, clearance for 50mm-wide gravel tyres and dropper post routing, although Boardman supplies a standard seatpost.The TRVL 9.2 comes with alloy Boardman ADV wheels and a SRAM Apex AXS XPLR groupset. It is claimed to weigh 11.1kg in an unspecified size.Like the ADV, the alloy TRVL frame is peppered with mounts for mudguards, bags and a rack.Frame and fork: 6061 alloy; RockShox Rudy, 40mm travelDrivetrain: SRAM Apex AXS XPLRWheels: Boardman ADV alloyTyres: Goodyear Connector, tubeless-ready, 700x45mmBrakes: SRAM Apex, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Alloy, 31.6x350mm (S), 400mm (M, L)Saddle: Fizik Terra ArgoPrice: 2,100Availability: AugustBoardman ADV 9.2The Boardman ADV 9.2 has an alloy frame and carbon fork. - BoardmanThe Boardman ADV 9.2 pairs an alloy frame with a full carbon fork and SRAMs Apex AXS XPLR groupset.Costing 1,800, the ADV 9.2 is claimed to weigh 10.2kg in an unspecified size.Frame and fork: 6061 butted alloy; C10 rigidDrivetrain: SRAM Apex AXS XPLRWheels: Boardman ADV alloyTyres: Goodyear Connector, tubeless-ready, 700x40mmBrakes: SRAM Apex, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Alloy, 31.6x350mmSaddle: Fizik Terra ArgoPrice: 1,800Availability: AugustBoardman TRVL 8.9 Drop BarThe TRVL models have clearance for 50mm-wide tyres, a relaxed head angle and a suspension fork. - BoardmanSecond in the TRVL range, the Boardman TRVL 8.9 drops down to a mechanical SRAM Apex groupset with wide-range gearing, but retains a RockShox Rudy gravel suspension fork.Boardman says the TRVL 8.9 weighs 11.3kg without specifying the size.Frame and fork: 6061 alloy; RockShox Rudy, 40mm travelDrivetrain: SRAM Apex XPLR WideWheels: Boardman ADV alloyTyres: Goodyear Connector, tubeless-ready, 700x45mmBrakes: SRAM Apex, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Alloy, 31.6x350mm (S), 400mm (M, L)Saddle: Fizik Terra ArgoPrice: 1,800Availability: AugustBoardman ADV 8.9 CarbonThe Boardman ADV 8.9 Carbon comes with 10-speed Shimano GRX. - BoardmanThe carbon version of the ADV 8.9 is specced with a 2x10-speed Shimano GRX groupset, including an 11-36t cassette and hydraulic disc brakes. The 46/30T crankset is from Prowheel.The cheapest carbon ADV is claimed to weigh 9.8kg in an undetermined size.Frame and fork: C10 CarbonDrivetrain: Shimano GRX RX600Wheels: Boardman ADV alloyTyres: Goodyear Connector, tubeless-ready, 700x40mmBrakes: Shimano GRX, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Boardman Alloy, 27.2x350mm (S, M), 400mm (L, XL)Saddle: Prologo Akero RSPrice: 1,800Availability: JulyBoardman ADV 8.9There's also an alloy version of the ADV 8.9. - BoardmanThe more affordable ADV 8.9 has an alloy frame and carbon fork, but also comes with a majority Shimano GRX RX400 groupset. KMC and Prowheel supply the chain and crankset respectively.Costing 600 less than the full-carbon model, the ADV 8.9 is said to weigh 10.9kg in an unspecified size.Frame and fork: 6061 butted alloy; C10 carbonDrivetrain: Shimano GRX RX400Wheels: Boardman ADV alloyTyres: Goodyear Connector, tubeless-ready, 700x40mmBrakes: Shimano GRX, hydraulic discBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Alloy, 31.6x350mmSaddle: Boardman ADVPrice: 1,200Availability: AugustBoardman TRVL 8.9 Flat BarThe flat-bar TRVL 8.9 gets a mullet SRAM drivetrain for wider gear range. - BoardmanThe Boardman TRVL 8.9 Flat Bar is an alloy, flat-bar gravel bike with 40mm of front suspension and a slack 70-degree head angle for stable handling.The wide-range 1x12 drivetrain mixes and matches SRAM GX/SX components.Frame and fork: 6061 alloy; RockShox Rudy, 40mm travelDrivetrain: SRAM Eagle, 1x12-speedWheels: Boardman ADVTyres: Goodyear Connector, tubeless-ready, 700x45mmBrakes: SRAM Flat Bar, Hydraulic DiscBar and stem: Boardman alloy, flat barSeatpost: Alloy, 31.6x350mm (S) 400mm (M, L)Saddle: Fizik Terra ArgoPrice: 1,600Availability: AugustBoardman ADV 8.8The ADV 8.8 starts the range at 950. - BoardmanThe entry-level, 950 alloy ADV 8.8 is specced with alloy wheels and a 1x Microshift Sword drivetrain.Frame and fork: 6061 alloy; C10 carbonDrivetrain: Microshift SwordWheels: Boardman alloy, tubeless-compatibleTyres: Goodyear Connector, 700x40mmBrakes: Tektro mechanical disc brakesBar and stem: Boardman alloySeatpost: Alloy, 31.6x350mmSaddle: Boardman ADVPrice: 950Availability: August

Cyclist involved told the case was put to the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland, recommending that the driver be prosecuted for careless driving and required to pay a fixed-penalty notice or undertake a driving training education course

Whilst many were expecting Remco Evenepoel to fade slightly in the third week of the 2024 Tour de France, the Belgian showed some impressive signs on stage 17, gaining time on both Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in a thrilling finale to the day.I had done the reconnaissance for this stage so I...

The yellow jersey says he has great form, despite losing time to rival Evenepoel

The 18th stage of the Tour de France is the final opportunity for everyone who is not a pure climber to win in this race. We preview a day of racing that takes place fully within the Alps but in reality misses any big climbs and provides a perfect launchpad for breakaways to succeed.An interesting...

Three riders up the road, but the Dutch team didn't win the stage, and their leader Jonas Vingegaard ceded time

CyclistIs this the end of Tour de France breakaways?Stage 16 of the 2024 Tour de France was a tough watch. On a profile just shy of 200km, no rider ventured into the day-long breakaway. It was only when TotalEnergies Thomas Gachignard attacked that a rider saw daylight between themselves and the bunch. His lead barely broke the two-minute marker during his 40km-long solo effort, making the whimsical seven-minute leash handed to breakaways in the 2010s seem like the distant past.This breakaway stalemate has been a common occurrence at the 2024 race. After 17 stages, only four this year have gone to the breakaway (Stages 1, 2, 9 and 17). That is a hit rate far lower than typical Tours of the past decade, which usually see around 25% to 33% of stages decided by the breakaway at this point. Strangely, three of these wins this year came before the first rest day.So far, no pure flat stage has slipped into the hands of the breakaway. Mountain and hilly stages have also been swept up by the GC favourites instead of hopeful chancers. Tour de France breakaways are becoming smaller and shorter-lived than they have in recent memory. So, is the end of the Tour de France breakaway, and why are breakaways dying out?Increased stakes in the GC and sprintsA.S.O./Billy CeustersMore teams in the Tour de France are bringing sprinters and GC leaders than before. With increased interest in these competitions, teams find it ever more fruitless to send riders up the road each day.Results are more important in this current era, and filling time on the TV broadcast has become less desirable. In an age of social media where stage results and finishing line photos are spread around, there are fewer column inches or rather, TikTok seconds given to the morning break.Perhaps this is also caused by the new UCI ranking system, where teams are promoted and relegated based on UCI rankings. Teams lower down in the standings sit in a precarious position in need of points to remain in the top level of cycling, the WorldTour.Under this system, no points are rewarded for featuring in a breakaway, and there are no UCI points on offer for breakaway prizes such as intermediate and mountain sprints. The daily combativity prize for the most influential breakaway rider is also met with no UCI points. Even wearing the polka dot jersey yields no benefit in terms of points. This takes away any spur to go in the breakaway for teams wanting to stay afloat in the UCI rankings. Instead, finishing inside the top 15 of a stage is seen as more lucrative as it yields more points. Similarly, GC standings are rewarded with more points than any breakaway battle. The hungry GC wolvesA.S.O./Billy CeustersThe GC riders are easy scapegoats when it comes to the faltering hopes of Tour de France breakaways.Its becoming more common for the top climbers to cruelly sweep the escapees in favour of adding another stage win to their palmars.Recently at the Giro, we saw Tadej Pogaar break young Guilio Pelizzaris heart on Stage 16. Likewise, Primo Rogli caused a stir at the 2021 Paris-Nice when he caught the days break in the final kilometre on Stage 7 on his way to a third stage win at the race while also cementing his overall lead.The current crop of GC riders are poaching more stage wins than those of the past couple of decades. This is in part down to faster racing and more dominant team control in the peloton. The superteams of Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates clinically control the race on the crucial mountain and hilly days.With bonus seconds on offer at the finishing line, and sometimes at points close to the finale, stage wins are becoming more worthwhile for the GC battle.Breakaway riders have unsurprisingly been unhappy about this trend. In the long run, it is a bit destructive for the entertainment that Visma and the UAE are terribly greedy, says Uno X rider Johannes Kulset. Similarly, Derek Gee told us before the Tour that it is getting harder to predict breakaway days too, and he pinned that on the wider state of play in the GC.The death of the breakaway teamA.S.O./Charly LopezIn Grand Tours gone by, teams would often come with the intention of searching out breakaway wins, or even breakaway cameos. Cast your minds back to Team Europcar and IAM Cycling in the Tour de France, and Gianni Savios Androni squad and the Italian Bardiani team in the Giro dItalia.During the 2010s, the results from these teams were impressive. Thomas Voeckler went into the yellow jersey in 2011 from a breakaway and almost won the whole thing. At the Giro, Bardiani raided breakaways and secured plenty of stage wins courtesy of cult heroes such as Stefano Pirazzi and Enrico Battaglin. The idea of a Marco Canola-style breakaway win at a Grand Tour, particularly the Tour de France, now seems wildly outdated.The breakaway team role used to be filled by the invitee teams such as TotalEnergies and Uno X, or similarly by teams with fewer GC resources. Recently, there have been fewer statements from team directors discussing a plan of riding for breakaways from day one. These teams seem to have evolved over time into a lesser GC or sprinting team.Just look at Arka-B&B Hotels. They started their Tour de France journey in 2014 as a plucky breakaway team, but have now evolved into a team with hopes of reaching the top ten in sprints rather than scooping up combativity awards, despite the fact that their only Tour stage win in their history came from one of the few successful breakaways in this years race.The end of the breakaway rider archetypeA.S.O./Charly LopezConversely, the death of the breakaway team may be a result of a changing definition of a breakaway rider. With faster speeds and a higher level of training, it has become harder for riders to specialise purely in the breakaways. The aforementioned riders from the 2010s would be unlikely to stand out in a break in the 2020s. At the 2024 Tour de France, the likes of Jai Hindley, Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates all of whom are former Grand Tour winners have been consistently searching for a place in the morning break. On Stage 17 for example, the first successful breakaway since the first rest day, the top three on the stage standings were all occupied by former Grand Tour champions and podium finishers.Similarly, Classics stars and A-list riders are jumping into the breakaway more than ever. No wonder the small teams are changing tack.The false hope of the polka dot jerseyA.S.O./Billy CeustersThe mountains classification was the prize of old for breakaway hopefuls. With plenty of points on offer on mountain stages, riders would fight tooth and nail to make the early morning break in the hope of rising up the King of the Mountains standings.Nowadays, the allure of the polka dot jersey has been dashed by GC teams. Whether this is the fault of the GC teams or the jerseys points system is up for debate, but the polka dots are becoming more and more of a prize for the GC elite.Since 2020, only once has the polka dot jersey gone to a breakaway rider. This rider, Guilio Cicconne, is now fighting for top ten at this years Tour de France thats all you need to know. Otherwise, the polka dot jersey has been won by the eventual maillot jaune. Before, the polka dot jersey was fought between riders who were courageous enough to outfox their breakaway companions.Without this polka dot reward for breakaway efforts up the road, there is little incentive for riders to jump in the breakaway on mountain stages, particularly if UAE Team Emirates or Visma-Lease a Bike are pacing behind for a stage win. Uno-Xs Jonas Abrahamsen was the most present breakaway rider in 2024, but as soon as he lost his polka dot lead to Pogaar he stopped.The top three on GC, Pogaar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel, currently fill the top three slots in the KoM classification, making it pointless for a rider to reach out for polka dot glory in the final week of racing.Fewer riders on teams, fewer riders to loseA.S.O./Charly LopezGrand Tour teams now comprise eight riders, whereas before 2018, there were nine. With this cut in numbers, teams were forced to drop one rider from their ideal Grand Tour startlist. And often, the first rider to go from these lineups was the rouleur-breakaway type.More importantly, with fewer numbers, teams need to be tighter on their resources. In order to control the race and support sprinting and or GC hopes, teams need to be more conservative. In a team of eight, roles are more regimented than the previous mandate of nine-man teams. Its not worth sending a rider up the road on a sprint stage in the name of fiery action instead of protecting the long-term ambitions.In short, the flexibility to go in the break is a luxury more than a necessity. No room for lady luckA.S.O./Charly LopezThere is reason to believe that breakaways are a victim of cyclings new technological wave.Nothing can be left to chance anymore in this data-driven age.From the pelotons perspective, pulling back the break has become more methodical. In the team car, calculations can be made using power data, wind forecasts and average speeds to predict exactly when the breakaway will be caught.GPS analysis via Google Streetview and Veloviewer has also made the finale more meticulously planned. Teams now have access to mapping and route data in a way they never have before. Riders rehearse the finale and visualise the approach to the line before the stage even begins. There are fewer chances for breakaways to outwit the peloton in a hectic finale or a secret roundabout these days.Theyre not gone, theyre justdifferentA.S.O./Charly LopezDoom and gloom aside, breakaways are not dead at the Tour de France. Theyre just different. Whether thats for the best for riders and fans, we wait to find out. However, for those hopeful of a solo underdog winner up in front, Im afraid the future looks bleak.At recent Tours de France, the escape groups have been billed with Grand Tour podium finishers, rainbow jerseys and monument winners. To even win from a break nowadays at the Tour, you need a prestigious palmars and then some.Whats more, it takes almost 100 kilometres for the breakaway to even form on rolling stages. Theyre fought out like one-day Classics rather than Grand Tour stages full throttle from the start.It is far-flung to imagine a stage where a French nobody stuns the race against the odds. Neither can we imagine a breakaway rider receiving the maillot jaune on loan anymore. More brutally for the optimists, its not enough to attack on a couple of Alpine days to win the polka-dot jersey. Every move off the front of the peloton is tracked by ruthless calculations or by GC teams strangling the peloton in the hunt for yet more stage win.Its all change at the head of the race. Whats that turn of phrase? Dont cry because its over, smile because it happened. Related Posts The winners and losers of the second week of the Tour de France 2024 5 of the best Romain Bardet moments Cyclists Tour de France predictions 2024 The climbs that will decide the 2024 Tour de France Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know The post Is this the end of Tour de France breakaways? appeared first on Cyclist.

With the final weekend looming, Jonas Vingegaard's hopes of a third successive Tour de France title slipped marginally further away on stage 17 of the 2024 edition of the Grand Tour, as the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader lost 2 further seconds to Tadej Pogacar and 12 seconds to Remco Evenepoel.Th...

The Mayhem is back, and Spot calls it the most advanced bike theyve ever made. While still relying on a titanium leaf spring like their Living Link platform has before, the orientation has been flipped which Spot calls Inversion or the 3rd generation of the tech. Theres also a new Slaybar frame design with several clever features making the Mayhem one to check out.Spot wanted to create a bike that was lighter, stronger, and one that both climbed and descended better. No small order. However, they feel like they crushed all their goals with the strongest frame theyve ever tested, while also reducing the amount of parts. (All Photos/Spot)Stating that they reached the limit of what they could do with the current leaf spring arrangement, the new layout flips the leaf spring and main pivot which results in a number of improvements:Improved pedaling efficiency with more gripMore usable travel by making the mid-stroke leverage rate more linearBetter bottom-out controlBetter small-bump compliance Softer touch-down feelFocuses anti-squat more in sag rangeThe patented system uses fewer parts and just six bearings. It also introduces a new suspension curve that includes individual phases for touchdown, sag, range, and bottom-out control. As Spot explains, a shallow, straight, progressive behavior is excellent for bump absorption, but does not provide enough bottom-out resistance. The Inversion system enables us to tailor the ends of the curve to improve bottom-out support while also increasing touch-down sensitivity. The linkage arrangement of the suspension system creates a more progressive zone near bottom out. The flexure of the leaf spring acts as a negative spring at top out, helping with soft stroke initiation, and as a positive spring partway through the stroke, acting to straighten the curve in mid-travel.All of this combines to give a ride that delivers great traction when lightly loaded, a supportive, predictable mid-stroke response, and good bottom-out protection without having to tune excess air can progression into the shock.Moving on to the frame design itself, their new Slaybar design essentially subdivides the main triangle into two smaller triangles for increased support of the shock and frame forces. Spot admits theyre not the first to add an asymmetrical frame support, but unlike something like the Specialized Sidearm, Spots support divides the main frame into two triangles, rather than a trapezoid.They claim this reduces stress on all parts of the frame including the bearings so they can use less material and create a lighter, lower maintenance frame. As a result, the Mayhem 140 is 10% lighter than the outgoing Mayhem 130, while 56% stronger than the Mayhem 150! Additional details include their SprockLock system on the main pivots which use a mechanical lock to prevent the hardware from being able to back out. By avoiding collet-type hardware, they can avoid having to use aluminum parts molded into the carbon to resist radial expansion, and can make it lighter and stronger. Due to the new location of the Living Link in front of the seat tube, Spot saw an opportunity to cut out the rivnuts in the frame for a water bottle cage and instead mount it directly to the leaf spring mounting bolts. Theres also a slot to use as a strap anchor to carry spares if youd rather do that instead. Youll also find a threaded bottom bracket with ISCG 05 mounting tabs.Even the cable port has been scrutinized with a clever thread-together system that prevents them from having to mold metal threads into the carbon. While the cable routing is internal, the threaded system appears to lock the cables in place to prevent rattling. Built around 29 wheels, the Mayhem 140 includes 140mm of rear travel and a 150mm travel fork (160mm travel optional). Frames are available in Liquid Black or Alpine Blue, and pricing starts at $3,799 for the frame-only, or $5,999 for a 4-Star build with SRAM GX Eagle. Its available for pre-order only for now, with bikes shipping in September. The post All New Spot Mayhem Includes Inversion Leaf Spring & Slaybar Frame appeared first on Bikerumor.

The Soudal Quick-Step rider says his "main goal" is not to take time on Jonas Vingegaard or Tadej Pogaar, despite dropping the pair on Wednesday