Whether you’re in the market for a new bike or just want to try out some of the world’s very best, Cyclist Track Days offer a unique experience to test the latest top-end bikes from the leading brands on the market. 

Next up in our run-through of some of the incredible bikes that you can test ride at this years Track Days is the Scott Addict RC.

Released in 2024 to much hype because of its claimed 5.9kg total bike weight, the Scott Addict RC will be ridden by Tom Pidcock and the Q36.5 Pro Cycling team this year.

Cyclist deputy editor James Spender recently reviewed the new Scott Addict RC and said it was the best Addict so far (more on the bike’s history here).

James tested the build with a SRAM Red AXS groupset and Syncros Capital SL wheels, which came out to a total weight of 5.87kg in a size medium. The build that Scott is bringing to Cyclist Track Days this year is the Scott Addict RC 10, which comes with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Syncros Capital 1.0s wheels. That spec retails for £6,599 and is said to weigh 7.1kg.

You can read James’s full review here. 

The Scott Addict RC will be at the following Track Days events:

26^th April 2025, Odd Down Cycle Track Bath,
17^th May 2025, Lee Valley VeloPark London,
7^th June 2025, The Brownlee Centre, Leeds

For more information on Cyclist Track Days click here.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #7: Scott Addict RC appeared first on Cyclist.

Taking place on Saturday 8th March, Strade Bianche is the second significant one-day road race of the season, coming the weekend after the spring Classics opene at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weekend.

The youngest of the spring Classics, the Italian race Strade Bianche has enjoyed a meteoric rise in fame and prestige since its inception in 2007, including promotion to WorldTour level in 2017. Famous for its gravel sectors, this long loop out from Siena through the beautiful Tuscan countryside is favoured by one-day specialists who aren’t fazed by its sharp, punchy (and mostly gravel) climbs. 

The name comes from the Italian for ‘white roads’, referring to the gravel that makes this race so difficult (and exciting and unpredictable). Both the men and women’s races see a slight increase in gravel – 16 sectors for the men totalling 81.7km in their 19th edition, and 13 for the women reaching 50.3km in their 11th edition. 

In 2024, Tadej Pogačar notched his second victory in the race with a 81km solo attack in the men’s race, while Lotte Kopecky powered away from Elisa Longo Borghini up the brutal Via Santa Caterina climb into Siena for her second win in the race.

Strade Bianche 2025 key information

• Date: Saturday 8th March 2025
• Start: Siena, Tuscany
• Finish: Siena, Tuscany
• Distance: Men’s 213km; Women’s 136km
• Gravel Sections: Men’s 16; Women’s 13
• UK television coverage: TNT Sports, TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 3

Strade Bianche 2025 routes

The men’s route departs from Siena and heads south before travelling east and circling back. The first two gravel sectors come in quick succession, 11km into the day. The middle section – from the 72km point – contains the longest sectors ranging from 8km to 11.9km, with the five-star 11.5km Monte Sante Marie being the hardest rated. This is where Pogačar said launched his move in 2024.

The final third packs in more shorter gravel sections on the run-in to the Via Santa Caterina, which hits a max gradient that no one seems to agree on, but it’s close to 20%.

The route this year stretches over the 200km mark for the second time in its history, totalling 213km. The new gravel sector for the men’s race is Sector 7, Serravalle, a three-star section lasting 9.3km.

The women’s race is 136km, slightly shorter than last year’s 137km route, but packs in an increased 50.3km of gravel to contend with. Like the men’s course, the peloton will depart Siena and head south before circling back into Siena via the Via Santa Caterina with the inclusion of the new Serravalle sector before the five-star Strada di San Martino in Grania.

Both the men and women’s races end on the same 20km, with gravel sectors hitting max gradients of 15% and 18% before the Via Santa Caterina. There’s a short 30m descent to the line afterwards, which produced a memorable sprint finish between teammates Vollering and Kopecky in 2023.

Strade Bianche 2025 favourites

Defending champion Lotte Kopecky will not be on the start line for Strade Bianche, but her SD Worx still packs firepower in Anna van der Breggen and Mischa Bredewold. 2023 winner Vollering will be here for new team FDJ-Suez, as will Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma and multi-discipline star Puck Pieterse.

For the men, Pogačar returns looking for a third title with UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates Tim Wellens and Isaac del Toro alongside him. There’s also former gravel world champ Matej Mohorič, two-time winner and winner of the pro road calendar’s other gravel race, Clasica Jaen, just last month Michał Kwiatkowski and 2023 winner Tom Pidcock, who has been enjoying quite the start to the season. Keep an eye on Ben Tulett and Marc Hirschi too.

Cyclist‘s men’s ratings

• ★★★★★: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
• ★★★★: Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers)
• ★★★: Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ)
• ★★: Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Marc Hirschi (Tudor Pro Cycling), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)
• ★: Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana), Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike), Attila Valter (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Cyclist‘s women’s ratings

• ★★★★★: Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime)
• ★★★★: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
• ★★★: Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), Marlen Reusser (Movistar), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)
• ★★: Liane Lippert (Movistar), Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto)
• ★: Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal), Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health), Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Strade Bianche 2025: How to watch

Viewers in the UK can only watch Strade Bianche on TNT Sports, which is available to be streamed through Discovery+. FloBikes has the coverage across Canada and the US, but American fans can also watch the race on Max. In Australia, it’s on SBS, and it’s available to watch on Staylive around the world – check which countries here.

If Strade Bianche isn’t being broadcast in your country, or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked. One such VPN provider is ExpressVPN, which is well reviewed, helps users to find free to watch cycling, and costs start from around £5 per month.

• Read more: Which countries can watch cycling for free in 2025
• Read more: How to watch cycling for less in the UK

UK TV times

Women’s race

TNT Sports: 10:30-13:00
TNT Sports 3: 10:30-13:00

Men’s race

TNT Sports: 13:00-16:30
TNT Sports 3: 13:00-16:30
TNT Sports 1: 15:15-16:30

Strade Bianche 2025: Men’s start list

Strade Bianche Donne 2025: Women’s start list

Strade Bianche men’s previous winners

• 2024: Tadej Pogačar (SVN) UAE Team Emirates
• 2023: Tom Pidcock (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
• 2022: Tadej Pogačar (SVN) UAE Team Emirates
• 2021: Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix
• 2020: Wout van Aert (BEL) Jumbo–Visma
• 2019: Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
• 2018: Tiesj Benoot (BEL) Lotto-Soudal
• 2017: Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) Team Sky
• 2016: Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Trek-Segafredo
• 2015: Zdenek Stybar (CZE) Etixx-QuickStep
• 2014: Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
• 2013: Moreno Moser (ITA) Cannondale Pro Cycling
• 2012: Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Radioshack-Nissan
• 2011: Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto
• 2010: Maxim Iglinsky (KAZ) Astana
• 2009: Thomas Lovkvist (SWE) Team Columbia-HTC
• 2008: Fabian Cancellara (SUI) CSC ProTeam
• 2007: Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS) CSC ProTeam

Strade Bianche women’s previous winners

• 2024: Lotte Kopecky (BEL) SD Worx-Protime
• 2023: Demi Vollering (NED) SD Worx
• 2022: Lotte Kopecky (BEL) SD Worx
• 2021: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (NED) SD Worx
• 2020: Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) Mitchelton–Scott
• 2019: Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) Mitchelton-Scott
• 2018: Anna van der Breggen (NED) Boels-Dolmans
• 2017: Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) Wiggle-High5
• 2016: Lizzie Deignan (GBR) Boels-Dolmans
• 2015: Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels-Dolmans

The post Strade Bianche 2025 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start lists appeared first on Cyclist.

Whether you’re looking for a new bike or just want to try out some of the best bikes in the world, Cyclist Track Days offer a unique experience to test the latest top-end bikes from the leading brands on the market. 

The next bike in our run-through of some of the incredible bikes that you can test ride at this years Track Days is the Condor Leggero.

Produced by legendary London brand Condor, the Leggero is an all-round road bike with its light weight and aero-accented frame.

Cyclist‘s writer Laurence Kilpatrick reviewed the Condor Leggero last year and liked its ‘considered combination of cycling heritage and modern racing sensibilities’.

Laurence tested the build with a Campagnolo Super Record Wireless groupset and Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels, which is priced at £11,593, and it weighed in at 7.3kg.

You can read Laurence’s full review here. 

The Condor Leggero will be at the following Track Days events:

26^th April 2025, Odd Down Cycle Track Bath,
17^th May 2025, Lee Valley VeloPark London,
7^th June 2025, The Brownlee Centre, Leeds

For more information on Cyclist Track Days click here.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #6: Condor Leggero appeared first on Cyclist.

Continental has launched the Grand Prix TR tyre. Available in four widths, 25mm, 28mm, 30mm and 32mm, and with black or transparent sidewalls, it’s designed to offer a more affordable tubeless tyre option than the top spec GP5000 S TR and GP5000 AS TR tyres. There’s also a revised Grand Prix tyre for use with tubes, that’s available in 28mm and 30mm widths.

Recommended price for the Grand Prix TR tyre is €61.95 and for the new non-tubeless Grand Prix €45.95, with immediate worldwide availability.

Dependable all-rounder

Conti’s tubeless tech has previously been confined to its top tier Grand Prix 5000 tyres, but the new Grand Prix TR offers a tyre that it describes as an entry-level tubeless-ready option. It says that the new Grand Prix TR tyre is designed to offer a dependable tyre for training, commuting and long-distance rides.

The tyre uses Conti’s BlackChili rubber compound, as found in its other performance road tyres, but Conti says it’s developed a new four-ply 60 TPI casing to offer low weight with good rolling resistance and puncture protection. There’s a similar Lazer Grip-style tread pattern to Conti’s other road tyres.

According to Hannah Ferle, Road Product Manager at Continental Tyres: ‘With the Grand Prix TR, we’ve brought tubeless-ready technology, strong puncture protection, and excellent rolling resistance to a wider audience.’

There’s a good range of sizes for the new Grand Prix TR too, starting at 25mm and including 28mm, 30mm  and 32mm options. You can also choose between black or transparent sidewalls. Conti claims weights starting from 310g for the 25mm width and 345g for the 28mm tyre. That contrasts with a claimed 250g weight for the 25mm Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyre and 300g for the 25mm Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tyre.

With pretty much every road wheelset sold stand-alone or fitted to a new bike now tubeless-ready, Conti’s new tyre should broaden the appeal of ditching inner tubes to a wider range of cyclists. All that should be needed to set up tubeless is a set of valves and tubeless sealant, with Conti recommending at least 30ml of sealant per tyre. Many tubeless tyres can nowadays be seated with a standard track pump and some elbow grease.  

The new tyre is also stated to be compatible with hookless rims in all widths, including the narrowest 25mm.

If you do want to stick to the tubes, the new Grand Prix tyre is available for use with inner tubes in 28mm and 30mm widths. The tube-type casing has three 60 TPI plies instead of four, which helps lower the weight to a claimed 285g for the 28mm tyre with black sidewalls.

The new Grand Prix tyre is available worldwide from today, with a suggested retail price of €61.95 per tyre for the tubeless option and €45.95 for the tube-type. That contrasts with prices starting at around €85 for the Grand Prix 5000 TR range.

The post Continental extends its tubeless-ready tech to the Grand Prix tyre appeared first on Cyclist.

Whether you’re looking for a new bike or just want to try out some of the best bikes in the world, Cyclist Track Days offer a unique experience to test ride the latest top-end bikes from the leading brands on the market. 

The next bike in our rundown of the incredible bikes available to test ride at this years Track Days is the Trek Madone SLR.

Ridden by the Lidl-Trek men’s and women’s team, the Madone is Trek’s all-round road race bike, having undergone a radical transformation from aero bike to do-it-all bike just last year.

Cyclist editor Pete Muir reviewed the Madone just a few months ago and was taken aback by its speed. He was impressed by Trek’s ability to maintain the previous Madone’s aero credentials while significantly dropping its weight, and praised the new bike’s mix of rear-end comfort and front-end stiffness.

The bike you’ll be testing at the Cyclist Track Day in London will be the Trek Madone SLR 7 Gen 8, courtesy of Balfe’s Bikes, which is built with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 aero wheels. Its claimed weight is 7.31kg for size ML and it’s on sale from Balfe’s Bikes for £8,000.

You can read Pete’s full review here. 

The Trek Madone SLR will be at the following Track Days event:

17^th May 2025, Lee Valley VeloPark London

For more information on Cyclist Track Days click here.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #5: Trek Madone SLR appeared first on Cyclist.

Welcome back to another edition of Pro Log. Here’s a rundown of the latest results before we get started:

• Faun Drome Classic, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Juan Ayuso, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 4h 31min 48sec; 2nd Mattias Skjelmose, Lidl-Trek, +23sec; 3rd Ben Tulett, Visma-Lease a Bike, +1min 15sec.
• Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck, 4h 42min 24sec; 2nd Olav Kooij, Visma-Lease a Bike, +00sec; 3rd Hugo Hofstetter, Israel-Premier Tech, +00sec.
• O Gran Camiño, Overall, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Derek Gee, Israel-Premier Tech, 15h 21min 23sec; 2nd Davide Piganzoli, Team Polti VisitMalta, +35sec; 3rd Magnus Cort, Uno-X Mobility, +38sec.
• O Gran Camiño, Stage 5, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Magnus Cort, Uno-X Mobility, 3h 43min 52sec; 2nd Carlos Canal, Movistar, +00sec; 3rd Giovanni Lonardi, Team Polti VisitMalta, +00sec.
• Men’s Omloop Nieuwsblad, Sat 1st Mar: 1st Søren Wærenskjold, Uno-X Mobility, 4h 37min 53sec; 2nd Paul Magnier, Soudal-QuickStep, +00sec; 3rd Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck, +00sec.
• Women’s Omloop Nieuwsblad, Sat 1st Mar: 1st Lotte Claes, Arkéa-B&B Hotels, 3h 53min 43sec; 2nd Aurela Nerlo, Winspace-Orange Seal, +00sec; 3rd Demi Vollering, FDJ-Suez, +3min 25sec.

UK set to host both Tour de France Grand Départs in 2027

Great Britain is set to host the Grand Départs of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes according to the BBC and Yorkshire Post. The men’s race last visited Britain in 2014, when Stage 1 and 2 took place in Yorkshire and Stage 3 went into London. Those reports have suggested the men’s Grand Départ will be in Edinburgh, while the women will start from Leeds.

UK Sport said, ‘We have made no secret of our ambition to host the Tour de France Grand Depart in Britain – to inspire more people to enjoy cycling and bring lasting benefits to communities.

‘However, we respect this is a matter for the ASO and we remain committed to working hard to develop opportunities that can bring the joy of cycling to everyone.’

It comes off the heels of the fact there will be no free-to-air TV coverage of the Tour from 2026 after the double blow of ITV losing broadcast rights and Discovery+’s coverage moving onto the £30.99 a month TNT Sports subscription.

The underdogs win big at Omloop Nieuwsblad

It was quite the unexpected start to Classics season at Omloop Nieuwsblad (the ‘Het’ has officially been dropped). In the men’s Omloop, a large bunch sprint would decide the victor with Uno-X Mobility’s Søren Wærenskjold taking the biggest win of his career ahead of Soudal-QuickStep’s young talent Paul Magnier and former green jersey winner Jasper Philipsen.

The women’s edition didn’t go according to the script either. Arkéa-B&B Hotels’ Lotte Claes and Winspace-Orange Seal’s Aurela Nerlo were part of the day’s breakaway and rode clear on the slower slopes of the Muur van Geraardsbergen with 17km to go. By this point they still had over five minutes’ lead on the main peloton, who had failed to get organised in time, and the duo would head into the finale with a famous win secured.

Once they’d safely reached Ninove together, Nerlo tried to launch at 1km to go but Claes responded and was too strong for Nerlo in the sprint to the line.

Jasper Philipsen nets first victory of year at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Despite striking out at the UAE Tour, Jasper Philipsen scored his first win of the season on his 27th birthday at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. After a perfect leadout from Kaden Groves, Philipsen comfortably beat Visma-Lease a Bike’s Olav Kooij and Israel-Premier Tech’s Hugo Hofstetter in the sprint.

It wasn’t all good news for Alpecin-Deceuninck. Groves was issued a yellow card, fined 500CHF (approx £439) and relegated down from tenth to 57th place for his movement after pulling off to let Philipsen go clear and celebrating while riders behind him were still sprinting. The new rule from the UCI is for those ‘decelerating during a sprint and endangering other riders’ by ‘knowingly staying within the line of other riders, celebrating in the bunch, talking on the radio or taking hands off handlebars while in the bunch.’

Magnus Cort runs riot at O Gran Camiño

MAGNUS CORT MAKES IT BACK-TO-BACK WINS!

The Uno-X Mobility rider is victorious once again at O Gran Camino as he dominates the sprint! #OGC25 pic.twitter.com/B0iq8Ngsdx

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 27, 2025

It was a successful week at O Gran Camiño for Uno-X’s new signing Magnus Cort. The Dane took the lead with a long sprint to victory on the opening stage and doubled up the next day on a short climb to the finish. He then won again on the fifth and final day to Santiago de Compostela to secure the points classification and a general classification podium, 38sec behind winner Derek Gee.

See you next week.

The post Pro Log: UK to host both 2027 Tour de France starts; Underdogs rule Opening Weekend; Magnus Cort nets three wins in five days appeared first on Cyclist.

]]> https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/pro-cycling-news-uk-grand-depart-tour-de-france/feed 0 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/cyclist-track-days-2025-bikes-orbea-orca https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/cyclist-track-days-2025-bikes-orbea-orca#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:59:39 +0000 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/?p=192859 Cyclist
Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #4: Orbea Orca

Next in our rundown of the bikes you can test ride at Cyclist Track Days 2025 is the Orbea Orca, which will be at our London event

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #4: Orbea Orca appeared first on Cyclist.

]]> Cyclist
Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #4: Orbea Orca

Whether you are in the market for a new bike or just want to try out some of the best bikes in the world, Cyclist Track Days offer a unique experience to test the latest top-end bikes from the leading brands on the market. 

The next bike in our run through of the incredible bikes available to test ride at this years Track Days is the Orbea Orca.

Ridden by the Lotto pro team, the Orca is Orbea’s lightweight bike, perfect for climbing.

Cyclist writer Joseph Delves reviewed the top spec M10i LTD model in 2024 and said it was ‘far more than a mountain specialist’, citing its surprising speed and ‘ineffable loveliness’, thanks in part due to its classic look and feel.

The bike you’ll be testing at the Cyclist Track Day in London will be the Orbea Orca M20i Team, which is built with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Orbea’s Oquo brand wheels, and retails for £5,999.

You can read Joseph’s full review here. 

The Orbea Orca will be at the following Track Days event:

17^th May 2025, Lee Valley VeloPark London

For more information on Cyclist Track Days click here.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

Related Posts

Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #3: Factor Ostro VAM

Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #2: Scott Foil RC

Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #1: Van Rysel RCR

Cyclist Track Days 2025 info and how to get tickets

Orbea Orca M10i LTD road bike review

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #4: Orbea Orca appeared first on Cyclist.

]]> https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/cyclist-track-days-2025-bikes-orbea-orca/feed 0 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/repente-nomad-saddle https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/repente-nomad-saddle#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 13:15:58 +0000 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/?p=192770 Cyclist
In the Drops: Lightweight Repente saddle, Plain white cycling socks, Huawei open-ear headphones and biopics

This week's In the Drops reeks of spring

The post In the Drops: Lightweight Repente saddle, Plain white cycling socks, Huawei open-ear headphones and biopics appeared first on Cyclist.

]]> Cyclist
In the Drops: Lightweight Repente saddle, Plain white cycling socks, Huawei open-ear headphones and biopics

*Insert swear word*, it’s March this weekend. Where does the time go?

While it’s depressing that it was 2019 seemingly just yesterday, that does mean that cycling is well and truly back, with Opening Weekend about to take over our televisions (or not, thanks TNT).

We’ve been cranking up our previews this week including guides on both Omloop and Kuurne, how to watch Omloop around the world, a rundown of the favourites for Omloop, and a look back at its greatest ever edition.

That’s just the a small portion of what we’ve been cranking out though, we’ve had a big interview with Tom Pidcock, plus reviews of the super-lightweight Scott Addict RC, which Pidders will be riding this season, and the aero BMC Teammachine R 01 One, plus we’ve looked at the cycling tech that has changed the game over the last decade.

It has also been a big news week, with updates from Rapha, Canyon, BMC and, what I think is the biggest story of the week, Boardman (check the pricing).

We’ve also started revealing the bikes that will be available to test ride at Cyclist Track Days this year, with the first three from Van Rysel, Scott and Factor.

Finally, Cyclist magazine issue 161 went on sale this week, so you should subscribe or buy it if you haven’t already.

Let’s get to it.

Repente Nomad FC saddle

One of the first proper bike upgrades I made after starting at Cyclist back in 2020 was swapping out the stock saddle I had for a lightweight Repente saddle. It was a game changer and my rear end has had a happy few years since then.

Now we’re taking things a step further with Repente’s new even-more-lightweight saddle, the Nomad FC.

Weighing a claimed 155g it’s a full carbon saddle made for both road and off-road riding and is topped with a super-lightweight EVA that is in turn topped with a non-slip material. 

Repente says the Nomad balances comfort and performance with an ergonomic shape and ‘the right amount of flexibility’, and that it ‘adapts well to the anatomical shape of female riders’.

• Buy now from Repente (£265)

Pop Permanent White socks

Yes that’s right, we’re still on the ‘white socks (and shoes) over everything else’ train, and thanks to Pop it just gets easier and easier.

Plain socks! White (they also come in black, ‘charcoal’ and navy, for some reason)! Currently on a 42% discount!

The socks are made from a polypropylene yarn called Prolen, which is produced in Slovakia and is apparently entirely recyclable, and Pop says they’re durable, compressive and thermoregulating for cycling through the summer.

• Buy now from Pop (£28 for a three-pack)

Related Posts

Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #1: Van Rysel RCR

Which countries can watch cycling for free in 2025

The cycling tech that has changed the game in the last 10 years

How to watch cycling for less in the UK

Cyclist magazine issue 161: on sale now

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start lists

Huawei FreeArc earphones

Tech giant Huawei has entered the open-ear wireless headphones game – which allows users to listen to music, podcasts, phone calls, directions, etc while still being able to hear what’s going on around them – with these FreeArc earbuds.

They sit over the earholes, adapting to the user’s ears, and have earhooks to keep them comfortable and secure while on the move. Huawei says the hook design is based on analysis of over 10,000 ears.

They’re also IP57 certified, meaning they’re rated five for protection (with six being the max) against solids such as dust, dirt, sand etc, and rated seven for water-resistance (eight being the highest), which is said to mean it can be submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes without being damaged.

Sound-wise, Huawei says it uses a ‘reverse sound waves system’ that transmits sounds directly into the ear canal for minimal leaking, while you can still hear the outside world. They also have built-in technology to enhance the sound of phone calls.

They can connect to two devices at a time, have a range up to 400m from the device and are controlled by tapping, swiping or pressing on the side. Battery life is up to seven hours, and that extends to up to 28 hours with the charging case, and they’re good value at £99.

• Buy now from Huawei (£99)

What we’re into this week: Biopics and playlist #26

I went to see the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, the other week and it was fantastic, but what struck me around the discourse surrounding the film was a lot of people saying they don’t like biopics or that there are too many of them. That’s crazy to me. I think some of the best films you’ll ever see are biopics, including this one, so just thought I’d use this space to go to bat for them.

I don’t actually need to do much arguing here, just search ‘biopics’ into Google and, if you’re a doubter, retract your opinion. Thanks. (Note: this endorsement doesn’t include Rocketman (2019).

On the subject of A Complete Unknown, for this edition of my new music playlist I’ve actually included two of the covers recorded for the film, which are excellent. They sit alongside some big new releases from artists including Sam Fender (including one of the biggest tear-jerkers of the century), Black Country New Road (not including the comma for the sake of this list), Bon Iver, Djo, Shura, Courtney Barnett and more. It’s a good one.

• Listen to In the Drops #26 on Spotify
• Listen to all my In the Drops playlists

The post In the Drops: Lightweight Repente saddle, Plain white cycling socks, Huawei open-ear headphones and biopics appeared first on Cyclist.

]]> https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/repente-nomad-saddle/feed 0 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/boardman-slr-2025 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/boardman-slr-2025#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/?p=192466 Cyclist
New Boardman SLR gets big update including aero boost and 36mm tyre clearance

Boardman’s updates to the SLR bring it up to date with modern road bike features while still retaining impressive value, with SRAM Red AXS spec retailing at £5,500

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New Boardman SLR gets big update including aero boost and 36mm tyre clearance

Boardman has updated its SLR road bike for the first time since 2017 with a new frame, which it says improves aero performance by 5.7 watts at 50kmh. At the same time, it also has increased tyre clearance to 36mm, while retaining mudguard compatibility and adding a third bottle cage mount.

Prices for the five specs range from £1,400 to £5,500 and there’s a women’s specific version of the SLR 8.9.

Aero and clearance updates

The previous generation Boardman SLR impressed with its performance and value when we reviewed it in 2019. But Boardman Bikes claims that its updated SLR is faster, more versatile and even better value than its predecessor.

As with that bike, the new SLR is aero-optimised, but also mudguard compatible. Clearance has increased to 36mm or 32mm with mudguards from the previous generation disc-equipped bike’s 30mm.

Boardman says that the new SLR is 5.7 watts faster than its predecessor at 50kmh averaged across a range of wind yaw angles to +/-15 degrees, which the brand says equates to a 0.3mph increase in ride speed or a 24 second time saving over 20 miles.

Boardman sells the SLR with two different carbon grades, C10 for higher spec bikes and C7 on lower spec models, with a claimed frame weight of 995g and fork weight of 450g. 

The bike retains a two-piece bar and stem for adjustability, and while higher spec bikes boast cable integration, the entry-level SLR 8.9 retains external cable runs into the frame’s down tube. 

Boardman will sell many of the components aftermarket too, so you’ll be able to purchase a different length stem aftermarket for £48 should you need to fine-tune your fit, with five lengths from 80mm to 120mm available.

Higher specs of the SLR are equipped with a two-position seatpost, which allows the rider to alter their saddle position between a 0mm and 15mm setback. Boardman will sell the seatpost aftermarket for £80 if you want to upgrade a lower spec frame and you can also fit a standard round 27.2mm seatpost.

Boardman says that it has designed the new SLR for practicality for four-season use for non-racers. As well as the hidden mudguard mounts, for which Boardman sells purpose-designed Fend-Off SLR mudguards priced at £60, there’s a third bottle cage mount under the down tube.

The frame has swapped to the increasingly popular UDH rear derailleur hanger standard, making for easy replacement and forward compatibility with any Full Mount road derailleur that SRAM may launch in the future. Although many brands are reverting to a threaded bottom bracket, the Boardman SLR has a BB386EVO Pressfit bottom bracket.   

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New Boardman SLR specs and prices

The new Boardman SLR is sold in five sizes from XS to XL, which Boardman says will fit riders from 162cm to 195cm in height.

In addition, there’s a women’s-specific version of the entry-level SLR 8.9. Sizes for this are designated SM, MD and LG and share the frame geometry of the XS, SM and MD men’s bikes respectively, although the women’s bikes come with shorter stems and the narrowest 380mm bar width.

There will be store and online availability at Boardman Bikes, Halfords and Tredz from 20th March. There’s a lifetime warranty for the original owner on the frame and fork and a one year guarantee on components.

Boardman SLR 9.8

• Frame/fork: C10 Carbon
• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS, 46/33 x 1-33t
• Wheels: Zipp 404 Firecrest 
• Tyres: Goodyear Eagle F1 R, 30mm
• RRP: £5,500

Boardman SLR 9.6 

• Frame/fork: C10 Carbon
• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2, 50/34 x 11-34t
• Wheels: Zipp 303 S
• Tyres: Goodyear Eagle F1 R, 30mm
• RRP: £3,500  

Boardman SLR 9.2 

• Frame/fork: C10 Carbon
• Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2, 50/34 x 11-34t
• Wheels: Alex Alloy Wheelset 
• Tyres: Goodyear Eagle, 30mm
• RRP: £2,500 

Boardman SLR 9.0 

• Frame/fork: C7 Carbon Frame, C10 Fork  
• Groupset: Shimano 105, 50/34 x 11-34t
• Wheels: Alex Alloy Wheelset 
• Tyres: Goodyear Eagle, 30mm
• RRP: £2,000

Boardman SLR 8.9 Men’s & Women’s

• Frame/fork: C7 Carbon 
• Groupset: Shimano Tiagra, 50/34 x 11-34t
• Wheels: Boardman Alloy Wheelset
• Tyres: Goodyear Eagle Sport, 30mm
• RRP: £1,400

Visit boardmanbikes.com for more or to buy now.

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]]> https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/boardman-slr-2025/feed 0 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/bmc-teammachine-slr-2025 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/bmc-teammachine-slr-2025#respond Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.cyclist.co.uk/?p=192420 Cyclist
BMC’s updated Teammachine SLR is modernised but cheaper

BMC gives the Teammachine SLR a light update, including integrated cables

The post BMC’s updated Teammachine SLR is modernised but cheaper appeared first on Cyclist.

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BMC’s updated Teammachine SLR is modernised but cheaper

BMC has updated its second tier Teammachine SLR, switching the front end cabling from external to integrated hidden cables, while other features and the bike’s geometry remain the same as the previous generation bike. 

The update has been accompanied by a price drop, with the three bike specs available at launch priced from $/€2,999 to $/€4,999. UK prices are yet to be announced.

BMC’s Teammachine range 

BMC’s update of the Teammachine SLR climber’s bike is designed to give it a front end refresh, with new integrated cabling that brings it in line with many of the best road bikes and provides compatibility with its range of one-piece and two-piece bars and stems.

The modest scale of the updates to the BMC Teammachine SLR from the Generation 4 bike, which was launched in 2020, is reflected in its designation as Generation 4.5.

If you thought that the Teammachine was already integrated, that’s the Teammachine SLR 01, BMC’s pro-level lightweight bike. The second tier Teammachine previously had external cabling from the cockpit. 

To contrast the two bikes, the pro level Teammachine SLR 01 has a claimed frame weight of 820g, a 345g fork and a slightly lighter seatpost, for a frameset weight of 1,350g. In comparison, BMC says the Teammachine SLR’s frame weighs 997g and its fork 388g for a frameset weight of 1,585g. 

That leads to complete bike weights for the Teammachine SLR starting at around 8kg, whereas we weighed the Teammachine SLR 01 One at 6.8kg when we reviewed it in 2021.

The Teammachine SLR could actually be considered the third tier in BMC’s Teammachine range, as BMC also sells the Teammachine R aero road bike, which was developed with assistance from Formula 1 engineering consultancy Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

To make things even more confusing, BMC also sells Mpc versions (a truncation of Masterpiece) of both the Teammachine SLR and Teammachine R. They’re the bikes ridden by the Tudor Pro Cycling team and drop the frameset weight to 1,197g from the Teammachine SLR Mpc and 1,350g for the Teammachine R Mpc.  

Now added cockpit compatibility

Now that we’ve got that all cleared up, the update to the Teammachine SLR provides compatibility with BMC’s range of Integrated Cockpit System bars and stems, as used on its other road bikes. 

These include the ICS Carbon Aero, the ICS Carbon and the ICS Carbon Evo. You can also fit a two-piece cockpit with cable integration via the ICS2 stem. All three specs of the updated Teammachine SLR at launch are fitted with a two-piece cockpit.

Other features of the new Teammachine SLR are carried over from the Gen 4 bike, so the frame has the same geometry and clearance for 30mm tyres, although it’s optimised for tyres of 26mm to 28mm width. There’s a D-shaped seatpost, claimed to improve ride comfort, which comes stock in 15mm setback, but is available in 0mm and 25mm setback too, to fine-tune your fit on the six available frame sizes.

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BMC Teammachine SLR specs, weights and prices

The Teammachine SLR is available from today in three specs, with a highest One spec due later this year. The US dollar and Euro price is the same, with UK pricing yet to be announced.

The good news is that the Gen 4.5 bikes are cheaper than their predecessors. Whereas the Teammachine SLR Two was previously priced at €5,699, the new bike costs €4,999. The price for the Three spec decreases from €5,499 to €3,999 and the Four spec drops from €4,799 to €2,999.

BMC Teammachine SLR Two

• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8150) 52/36 x 11-34t
• Wheels: BMC AR 27 Tubeless Ready, 27mm
• Tyres: Pirelli P Zero Road, 26mm
• Weight: 8kg claimed
• Price: $/€4,999

BMC Teammachine SLR Three

• Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 (R7150) 50/34 x 11-34t
• Wheels: Shimano TC 500 hubs and PRD23, 23mm rim
• Tyres: Pirelli P Zero Road Sport, 26mm
• Weight: 8.3kg claimed
• Price: $/€3,999

BMC Teammachine SLR Four

• Groupset: Shimano 105 (R7100) 50/34 x 11-34t
• Wheels: Shimano TC 500 hubs and PRD23, 23mm rim
• Tyres: Pirelli P7 Sport, 26mm
• Weight: 8.5kg claimed
• Price: $/€2,999

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