Roadcc Archives

“I’d like to race on the same day – but with better coverage”: Women’s peloton in two minds over Paris-Roubaix date switch and reduced TV time

Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix Femmes promises to be an open, unpredictable race, aided by a reshuffled, cobble-heavy start and a wide variety of contenders – ranging from defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, and British hopeful Zoe Bäckstedt – all entering the Queen of the Classics with a realistic shot at victory.However, despite the … Read more

I rode the Paris-Roubaix cobbles with a Van der Poel… and showed him how not to tackle the Hell of the North

Adrie van der Poel, much like his son, doesn’t hang around. As I haphazardly navigated the Carrefour de l’Arbre, bouncing, shaking, and generally careening over its sodden, misshapen cobbles, the Dutchman stood passively at the side of the road, before nonchalantly glancing in my direction.‘Come on, hurry up, it’s cold and wet. We need to … Read more

How to prepare for Paris-Roubaix: Alex Dowsett’s tech guide to the cobbled classics + Reflections on cycling’s Holy Week

If you’re into bike racing in Belgium and northern France, it can all be a bit overwhelming. Every day for about a month, there’s either a bike race on – most of the time a classic, or even a monument – or the local roads are jammed with pros on recon rides, getting ready for … Read more

Trooping the Colour, Olympic legacy pledges, and uncertain sponsorship – FOI reveals how RideLondon fell apart

A new Freedom of Information request sheds light on the demise of the RideLondon cycling festival.London Marathon Events (LME) announced the festival’s “indefinite pause following operational and financial considerations of the event’s future direction” in February after having gone “on hiatus” in 2025.Founded before the London 2012 Olympics, the festival at one point comprised men’s and women’s … Read more

KMC X Flat Waxed Chain

The KMC X Flat Waxed Chain is one of those products that solves a problem you might not have realised you had. Waxed chains offer genuine performance benefits over traditional oil-based lubrication – lower friction, better cleanliness, and longer drivetrain life – but the faff of actually waxing chains yourself has always been a barrier. … Read more

Major city cycling levels continue to rise post-pandemic, new study shows

Cycling levels are rising again in four major cities, after an initial surge during the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study has shown.Researchers from four different universities and the French Ministry of Transport examined trends in cycling’s popularity, its demographics and injury risk across London, Paris, New York and Berlin using data going back to 1990. … Read more

“The fastest all-round road racing wheel system Hunt has ever made or tested”: UK brand says new wheels are quicker than the ones Pogacar used to win the Tour de France

Hunt has unveiled its new 5AM Limitless Ti_UD Carbon Spoke Wheelset, which it describes as “the fastest all-round road racing wheel system we have ever made or tested” with a 30mm tyre fitted. As well as the aero performance, Hunt reckons its new wheels, designed for flat and rolling terrain, offer “industry-leading” crosswind stability and … Read more

“In cycling, the unacceptable is accepted”: Van Rysel aiming to bring airbag skinsuit to WorldTour in 2027 – but tech firm behind innovation admits “some crazy riders” won’t use it

The loud pop that reverberated around Decathlon’s brightly lit lab on the outskirts of Lille, startling a few of the journalists present (including this one) and causing an unflinching model’s skinsuit to rapidly expand, Michelin Man-style, could prove a familiar sound in the professional peloton next year.Or at least that’s what Van Rysel, the brand … Read more

Car brand Škoda excites commuters by unveiling bike bell “designed to cut through noise-cancelling headphones”… but says it is not for sale (yet)

Škoda has unveiled a new design for a bike bell designed to cut through both noise pollution and noise-cancelling headphones. The Czech car manufacturer, which sponsors the Tour de France and started out as a bike-builder in the 1890s, contracted researchers and acousticians from Salford University to examine how active noise cancellation (ANC) technology can be … Read more

Magicshine Morpher Photochromic Lenses Glasses

Magicshine’s Morpher glasses are available with a range of lenses and the photochromic ones I’ve been testing offer two looks and good comfort adjustability. They’re great value for money too.The Morphers’ party trick is that they have a two-piece TR90 frame, and the lower half can be removed, so you can wear a full frame … Read more