Inner tubes, multi-tools, tyre leavers… snacks! The list of must-have cycling accessories is endless. Worry not, Ollie is here to dispel all saddlebag myths and share some of his well-earned knowledge on how to pack the best Saddle bag.
From CyclingNews.com
The new Extrema Italia takes the Exploro bodyform and tweaks it for modern gear choices
I get a bit misty-eyed about the 3T Exploro. I remember when it came out; the buzz around it was wild. ‘Gravel’ was in its infancy (no, don’t start about ’90s MTB, we haven’t the time) and I was razzing around the canal towpaths of Leeds on a cyclocross bike wondering why anyone in their right mind would make an aero gravel bike, as well as very much wanting one. This was further compounded when a friend of mine actually bought one, but fortunately for my beleaguered post-university bank balance, we were different enough in height that I never rode it.
The Exploro hasn’t stagnated since its inception and now exists in three guises – the ‘Pro’, which is the OG model, the ‘Ultra’ for bikepacking, designed primarily around 650b wheel usage, and the ‘Racemax’, optimised for 700c wheels with narrower tyres. Now it seems the Italian brand is creating two divergent streams of off-road evolution.
Earlier in the year the brand launched its Racemax Italia, a bike very much aimed at the gravel racing we see at the pointy end of events like Unbound. Now it has launched the Extrema Italia, a bike clearly heading in a different direction. There’s still an aero package, but the stated aim of this new lineage is to tackle far more challenging terrain. Think of events like the Atlas Mountain race, where half the field turns up on mountain bikes.
Image courtesy of https://us.3t.bike/en/243-extrema-italia
From Slate.com
People who cycle for transportation, to say nothing of dedicated hobbyists, don’t let weather get in their way. But in many places, it’s not just “raining” right now—it’s freaking freezing. It’s wet. It’s icy. Maybe there’s snow. Maybe snow is in your eyes! Given that the people in cyclists’ lives right now may be on the hunt for gifts, we turned to Slate’s sizable stable of bike enthusiasts for advice on the gifts that could make a difference in the coming months. Their recommendations are below.
Something to Keep You From Slipping on That Giant Patch of Ice: Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus Tires
Lots of cyclists gush over these tubeless folding Schwalbe tires, which get high marks for being grippy and sturdy yet fast. You do need a tubeless-compatible wheel to pop these on, but if you’re set there, you’ll find these to be exceptionally durable and resistant to wintertime air leakage. (Note that you can still use an inner tube if you are not into running tubeless tires.)
Something to Keep Your Tires Pumped Up: Lezyne Micro Floor Drive Digital HVG
Getting a flat is never fun, but it’s even worse when it’s freezing outside and you don’t have a way to reinflate a low tire or fill a spare tube. That’s why, if you’re going to be romping around in the winter, you’re going to need a good pump. This one is small, lightweight, and comes with a digital pressure gauge so you know exactly how much air to put in. An essential if you want to keep your winter tires fully locked and loaded.
Women’s cycling has shifted up a few gears, but finding the right bike as a woman can be tricky. Are women’s specific bikes needed in the bike industry or do we need a wider range of bike frame sizes? Manon interviews various cycling industry experts to get their take on women’s bikes.
From LA.Streetsblog.org
By Joe Linton
The city of Pasadena recently installed new bike lanes on Cordova Street. Pasadena’s 1.5-mile long Cordova Street Complete Streets Project includes about 0.9 mile of new bike lanes from Lake Avenue to Arroyo Parkway where Cordova ends – about a block from Metro’s Del Mar A (former Gold) Line Station. Space for the new bike lanes was freed up by reducing the number of car lanes, called a road diet.
The $2.7 million Cordova project also features road resurfacing, curb extensions at eight intersections, five new traffic signals, zebra crosswalks, sidewalk and ramp repair/replacement, and more.
The unprotected Cordova bike lanes are not quite as high quality a facility as Pasadena’s recently completed two-way protected Union Street bikeway; the Cordova lanes are unprotected, with a buffer throughout and green pavement at conflict zones, including through intersections. With green paint, buffers, smooth pavement, and fewer car lanes to contend with, the Cordova lanes are about as nice as unprotected bike lanes get.
Pasadena City’s map of its Cordova Street Complete Streets Project
From Road.cc
In this pizza cutter and inspirational cycling quote-free zone, the quest to find that most discerning of cycling Christmas gifts ends here.
Trying to find that perfect Christmas gift for the special cyclist in your life sometimes feels like being despatched by the ruler of the land to roam the farthest reaches of their empire, and not return until you’ve found the most beautiful intricate shiny trinket hand hewn and precious jewel inlaid by the most skilled craftsmen in all the realm.
You spend months travelling weary epic miles across greased treacherous bike shop floors, trudge through the sticky magazine mire looking for clues and wander around the endless dank wastelands of the internet, fighting the odd troll along the way, trying to find this exquisite bauble who’s myth only grows with time and tavern tales that it’s been blessed with a unicorn’s kiss, and which would finally render your exhausting quest complete.
Upon return you can only hope that the gift finds favour with the crowned head, otherwise you’re destined for banishment in the deepest darkest dungeon until you’re allowed out to make the tea. Our bravest knight VecchioJo has already scoured the farthest corners of the dominion so you don’t have to, and can proffer a selection of cycling presents that should please even the most fussy monarch, or princess.
This gift guide for the discerning cyclist (not to be confused with the cyclist who just wants expensive things, for that see our money-no-object gifts for cyclists guide) might help any awkward unwrapping incidents. We’d also recommend having a gander at our sub-£50 gift guide for stocking fillers if the cyclist in your life is less picky, and our annual what not to buy for cyclists guide for… well, you get the idea.
Stelvio, Mont Ventoux, Grossglockner in one ride! You heard us correctly, one ride! Ollie takes on this epic challenge from the comfort of his turbo trainer, thanks to the Rouvy platform. Join us for every peak, downhill and twist of this huge bike ride.
From TheVerge.com
By Wes Davis
Advocates are working across the country to make their communities safer and more accessible for cyclists, but not every effort is successful.
When most people in the US need to go somewhere, they reach for their car keys. There are plenty of reasons for this: driving is easy, it’s comfortable, and it requires very little preparation. But also, it’s hard to do anything else, and maybe the hardest of those hard things is cycling.
But plenty of people do it anyway. Whether by choice or because it’s their only option, millions of Americans bike to get where they’re going — around 50 million people biked at least once in 2022. And when people choose to ride, they’re facing the very real chance they might be run down by someone driving a car who either couldn’t see them or just didn’t bother to look — which happens far too often, leading to recent cyclist death counts not seen since the 1970s.
That’s because US cycling infrastructure has a long way to go before it can catch up with European cities like Copenhagen, Denmark, the bicycle paragon where the streets reflect that cycling is the norm for most people. At least in the US, bike lanes and trails are rare in the suburbs, and in cities, they can be unevenly dispersed or frustratingly disconnected, forcing cyclists to get creative to go anywhere safely. Plenty of factors get in the way here: political or cultural opposition to the very idea of bikes; resistance to changes perceived as taking space away from cars; and neighborhoods worried about the sanctity of treesas new traffic patterns are considered.
Photo by Dário Gomes on Unsplash
From Momentummag.com
In a groundbreaking celebration, Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis declared, “Watch out, Amsterdam! We are going to be the bike capital of the world,” as the city unveiled its recently completed 17th Street curb-protected bike lanes, according to a news report. This project, boasting a region-leading design marks a significant achievement with Southern California’s first protected “Dutch-style” intersections.
The Safe Streets for 17th Street and Michigan Avenue project includes full Dutch-style curb-protected intersections at both Broadway and Arizona Avenue. These intersections, considered best safety practices, incorporate small concrete islands to compel drivers to slow down when turning across the bikeway, enhancing safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike.
The project spans just over a mile of protected bikeway between Wilshire Boulevard and Pico Boulevard. The configuration varies, with sidewalk-level bike lanes south of Michigan Avenue and concrete curbs added north of Michigan, relocating existing unprotected bike lanes behind curbs and parked cars.
The new protected bike lane protect was not free of criticism when it was proposed and then approved this past summer.
Photo by Gerson Repreza on Unsplash
What are the real differences between gravel bikes and road bikes? With more road cyclists riding gravel bikes, Si investigated the top 5 differences between gravel bikes and road bikes, including tires, bike gears, bike frame shape and much more!
