Tech of the week: DIY bike fit, top cycling apps and where to ride in Wales
Plus how to use your rear end and what’s in cyclists’ pockets
Do you need a pro bike fit?
Bike fitting is big business, with bike shops and many of the major cycling brands offering their own bespoke service. But we’ve asked whether doing it yourself is just as good, or whether you need the professional input to ensure that your set-up is right.
We’ve also had a round-up of top picks for cycling apps. From Strava to BBC Weather via MyWindsock and Fill That Hole, we’ve told you what they do and how you can use them to help your riding.
Ahead of the cyclocross season, Ribble has announced its new race-ready CX SL cyclocross machine. Made of carbon, it also comes with the option of Ribble's own integrated cockpit for aerodynamic efficiency. Prices start at £1600.
We’ve given you our pick of rides in Wales to challenge your legs and pronunciation. You’ll need all the muscles you can get working for you on the world’s steepest hill – we’ve told you how to recruit your glutes to help up your cycling game.
One guy with recruited glutes must be Neil Campbell, who reached 174.3mph in Yorkshire, breaking a 24-year-old record. And grip's good too - Schwalbe has just updated its Pro One tyre range with a new compound with 22% greater cornering grip and 13% lower rolling resistance.
Simpler training and indoor riding options
We’ve been big on training this week, telling you how to get back to the basics and simplify your training regime. And we’ve looked at heart rate variability as a metric of your recovery status and an indicator of whether you are overtraining. Plus, we’ve asked if women should be training differently from men.
Also last week, we looked at five indoor training options, giving you the pros and cons of each. On the same topic, we’ve covered Shimano’s new indoor-specific cycling shoes. There are two models: one with high breathability, the other more like a trainer and good for moving around off the bike too.
And we’ve taken aim at carb loading – do you really need to eat enormous plates of pasta for days, ahead of that 30 mile ride? We’ve had a look in cyclists’ pockets too, telling you how to spot the different species of riders by what they’re carrying.
Plus don’t forget our monthly The Lead Out postcast, with an in-depth look at the pro scene, race analysis and Cycling Weekly’s expert writers’ predictions for the month ahead.
We’ve had deals on helmets too, as well as some great deals on Castelli kit, wheels and Specialized shoes in Sunday Trading.
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Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.
He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.
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