Features


Inside Campagnolo

For a roadie, getting invited to Campagnolo’s HQ in Vicenza, northern Italy, is a high point. It’s like getting to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. I mean, this isn’t any old bike company… this is Campagnolo. Actual Campagnolo. And we’re here. Walking around. Eyes wide. Looking at stuff… At Campagnolo.

Christmas Gifts for Cyclists 2011 - gifts for women cyclists

Buying a Christmas pressie for a woman who likes cycling is as easy as, well, falling off a bicycle. Not only is there a stack of shiny things available that are orientated entirely towards women, but there’s all the unisex kit and gadgetry that she’ll have had her eye on for a while too. And any woman who’s fortunate enough to find a new bike under the tree might just choose to change her name to Mrs Claus, it’s that simple.

Christmas gifts for cyclists 2011: high-performance presents

Looking for a present for a cyclist who likes to ride fast? A racer? A sportive rider? Someone who’ll go into the red zone to make sure they get to the top of every climb first? You’re in luck. We’ve sifted the wheat from the chaff and have a whole bunch of suggestions to help you out… Oh, and for extra background info, if we've reviewed it the title for each item links through to the original review. So that's pretty much all of them, then.

Buyer's guide - finding the best cycle lights for you

The clocks are going back so it's now officially lights season on the bike. If you're in the market for some bike lights there's a bewildering array of lights out there to choose from, ranging from a few quid to nearly a grand, so what's the best bet for your riding?

2011 Vuelta Preview

Saturday sees the start of the final Grand Tour of 2011, the Vuelta a Espana, and as ever there promises to be an intriguing three weeks of racing on offer, both in terms of the overall title and other jerseys, and as preparation for the UCI Road World Champiosnhips in Copenhagen. Tour de France champion Cadel Evans may be missing, but the top prize in our Fantasy Vuelta competition, brought to you in partnership with Evans Cycles, is a £1,199 BMC BMC Street Racer SR02.

Lost in France – Two men and a satnav go behind the scenes at the Tour de France

Whatever anybody says, the Tour de France IS about the bikes too – and the wheels, tyres, bars, and gears – because the world's greatest bike race is also the test bed and launch pad for the very sharpest bits of cycling technolgy's cutting edge. Ironically though the best time to see all this stuff is before the race starts. Behind the scenes as the teams cluster together ahead of the the Grand Depart for some last minute fettling, tweaking and cleaning of the arsenal of kit they've assembled for the race ahead. So, that's where we went: me, Mat, and our trusty(ish) satnav, a road.cc road trip. Read on and we'll take you there too for a sniff rount the Tour's pits… as it were.

Tour de France 2011 Preview - Your guide to cycling's biggest race

There's just four days to go till the 98th edition of the Tour de France gets under way in the Vendée and as ever there will be twists and turns in the three weeks ahead before the winner climbs on to the podium in Paris… Indeed such is the power of the drama and scandal that has habitually surrounded the world's greatest cycle race that who will be judged to have won the last edition is still the subject of controversy, with defending champion Alberto Contador racing despite his positve test for clenbuterol during last year's race, with an appeal against the decision of the Spanish federation to clear him not being heard until August.

This One Time, At Ride Camp...

...we saw a lady cyclist with her shorts round her ankles having an unashamed tinkle in the long grass by the side of the road. At least amid much boyish giggling, we think it's just a tinkle, and it emerges that this kind of entertainment isn't an upcharge on the holiday, just an unexpected extra on this Trek Travel Ride Camp in Mallorca.

Mountain Mayhem 2011: the route recce + video

We've ridden the new 100km course for the Mountain Mayhem Sunday Munch sportive that'll take place on Sunday 19 June. And we like it, a lot: it's certainly an improvement on last year's course that was well liked by everyone that attended. Here's our video account of the recce, and some other thoughts too...

My first... game of bike polo

That's the third time I've forgotten I'm riding a fixed with no toeclips. The consequences this time are more dire; As I'm extricating myself from Tring FC's advertising hoardings we're having another goal knocked off our lead. Opposing mallets are aloft, and the tide is turning, our early promise evaporating in a flurry of wheels. Welcome to my first bike polo adventure.

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