Once you get over the fact that part of what made it stand out from the crowd has gone, the Specialized Aethos 2 is about as unsurprisingly good as road bikes come.

It’s extremely impressive if you value all but aerodynamics, and immediately likeable in the same way Pudsey Bear is (it represents ‘good, wholesome’ things and the purity of cycling spirit, for the benefit of our non-UK readership).

It remains expensive, especially in its S-Works guise, although it’s worth noting there are markedly more bikes costing in excess of £12,000 now than there were when the first Aethos launched. 

The tweaks to geometry and tyre clearance have also made the Aethos a better bike for more riders, while the integrated front end certainly modernises it.

However, part of the sell here is the ‘synergy’ between the best of Specialized and sibling brand Roval.

Given you don’t get the latest and greatest wheelset unless you plump for the top models – I tested the £7,249 / $8,499 / €8,499 Aethos 2 Pro Di2 – the latest bike looks to be only a marginal improvement on its predecessor.

• The Aethos 2 is the lightest production bike Specialized has ever made at 5.98kg
• Composite spokes mean new Roval Alpinist CLX III wheelset weighs only 1,131g
  

You get what you pay for

You join me in a small conference room at Specialized’s headquarters in Surrey, UK, where I’m being presented with all the details about the Aethos 2.

S-Works models, check. Second-tier-but-still-great models (at least, the ones more of us will have budget for), check. Synergy between Specialized and sibling components brand Roval, check.

Alongside the Aethos 2 reveal, I’m also told about the new Alpinist CLX III wheelset – it’s 134g lighter than before (according to Specialized) and designed to complement the new Aethos. The catch is, if you want said wheelset, you’ll need an S-Works model.

Everyone else needs to settle for the existing Alpinist CL II, or C38, carbon wheelsets. Specialized says it has performed a rolling update to the rim beds so they’re “fully ETRTO compliant”, like the CLX III, but these fundamentally remain the same as before, and less impressive on the scales or spec sheet.

So, while you get a frameset with the modifications Specialized has made in the interests of improving the Aethos, you don’t get the thing that’s supposed to complete the package.

Of course, it’s nothing new to see cheaper components as you move down the range. However, unlike the previous-generation Aethos where such a disparity in wheels arguably didn’t exist, a non-S-Works Aethos 2 is now a less appealing proposition (or, at least, the S-Works version is rendered even more appealing – you decide).

I’m assigned an Aethos 2 Pro Di2 to try – the frame is new and made of Fact 10r carbon to weigh within 6g of its predecessor (705 vs 699g in a size 56cm), as is the new Alpinist integrated cockpit it comes with.

I’m trying – and probably failing – to not come across as bougie in my privileged bike-hack position, though. In isolation, the Aethos 2 Pro Di2 offers a great spec, even if there are plenty of others that can match or best it for value.

A Scott Addict RC 20 (£5,899 / $5,700 / €5,999), for example, is an excellent purchase without a power meter, as is the 2026-spec Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 (£5,599 / $5,999 / €6,049) with the same left-only power meter as this Aethos. I’d always prefer to see a dual-sided power meter for accuracy purposes, but 4iiii at least offers a relatively easy upgrade path.

But, of course, it’s a hefty £4,250 cheaper than the all-singing S-Works bikes with those flashy wheels. If not top value, then, it’s certainly better.

Specialized Aethos 2 Pro Di2 headline specs

• Price: £7,249 / $8,499 / €8,499
• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100
• Power meter: 4iiii Precision Pro
• Wheelset: Roval Alpinist CL II
• Tyres: S-Works Turbo TLR, 700x28c
• Claimed weight: 6.73kg

As smooth as… a smooth thing

Despite not featuring either the top-spec frame or wheelset, which Specialized insists aren’t as stiff as they could be by design, the Aethos offered an impressively easy-going ride quality on a 78km loop through the Surrey hills.

Heavy textures, and lumps and bumps are dealt with remarkably well considering the tyres are ‘only’ 28mm wide to match the 21mm-wide internal channel.

It’s accepted that bigger tyre sizes run at correspondingly low pressures will soften a ride, all things being equal, but I’d argue the Aethos proves other parts of a bike still have a key role to play. Still, making more of the widened tyre clearance to fit, for example, 32mm tyres is a tantalising prospect.

The handling is excellent – much like the Addict RC, it impresses by being so easy to ride from the get-go, yet it’s still agile and responsive.

I haven’t ridden the old Aethos, but the geometry was practically identical to the Tarmac SL8 that followed it. I found that geometry layout hard to fault, but it begged the question, why would anyone opt for the Aethos over the Tarmac on fit or handling grounds?

The new Aethos’ slightly slackened head tube and lengthened rear-centre might have done the trick to separate the two, though.

The 15mm-taller head tube also means more people will be able to ride one more comfortably. While I’ll look to dial my fit beyond supplying a few basic details and noodling around a car park when we receive a test bike for a full review, the benefits are plain on paper.

A teary goodbye to external routing?

Specialized’s decision to follow convention and update the Aethos with full internal cable routing will divide opinion.

It’s part of what made the old Aethos stand out from the crowd, as well as being more customisable and easier to service than its competitors. For that, I lament its passing.

That said, phrases such as ‘brought up to date’ and ‘modernised’ are easily recalled from my time spent with Specialized’s product leads, while I’m told the move reflects what would-be customers are asking for.

As it is, the Alpinist II cockpit is well thought-out – it’s easy to move around it from the hoods to the drops and up to the tops, and the 4-degree flare keeps things compact but feeling planted. The profile of the tops is good too, although I’ve fairly large hands, and found myself wishing for a couple more millimetres of breadth than delivered.

While many will lament the loss of a two-piece, externally routed layout, you can at least fit your own favoured cockpit from a wide choice, given the standard steerer shape.

Specialized Aethos 2 Pro Di2 initial verdict

After my initial test ride, it’s clear the Specialized Aethos 2 is an incredibly good bike. It might not stand out in quite the same way as the old one, but that doesn’t necessarily matter.

More important is that the tweaks to the frame appear to have improved the recipe for most riders – both in terms of handling and fit. 

However, it’s a shame that the S-Works bikes are now set a little further apart from the more affordable models on paper, and perhaps in the real world too.

Specialized has unveiled the new Aethos 2 – the lightest road bike it has ever produced, and sporting several new modern features that bring it up to date with 2025 road bike design trends.

This has meant a move to full internal routing via Roval’s latest Alpinist II cockpit and the same headset layout as seen on the Tarmac SL8.

While this might be to the chagrin of fans of the original bike, Specialized says this main change was made to meet the evolving demands of its customers. 

Alongside this, the frame has seen an update to its geometry to make it more comfortable to ride, a move to SRAM’s UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) standard, and a rise to 35mm tyre clearance.

An S-Works Aethos frame is said to weigh 595g, yielding a 5.98kg total build weight for the range-topping SRAM Red AXS spec, which costs £11,499 / $13,999 / €13,499.

• Read our Specialized Aethos 2 first ride review
• Read about Roval’s latest Alpinist CLX III wheelset and Alpinist II cockpit

Goodbye external routing

The old Aethos featured a two-piece cockpit with cables routed externally. These entered at the top of the down tube and fork shoulder, but the Aethos 2 sees cables fully integrated via sibling brand Roval’s new Alpinist II one-piece cockpit launched 48 hours prior.

Specialized says the move reflects the growing demand for “aesthetically pleasing” integrated front ends (compared to externally routed bars and stems). The Alpinist II cockpit is available in 15 sizes for customers at point of purchase. 

That said, those hoping to build up an Aethos 2 from scratch with an alternative handlebar and stem are still able to adopt a two-piece design via a special headset adaptor – they’ll just need to bear in mind that the brake hoses must enter through front-facing ports in the bearing, like a Tarmac SL8.

The move to internal routing has also seen the removal of the down tube port that would house gear cables for mechanical shifting – accordingly, the Aethos 2 frameset can now only sport electronic drivetrains.

• The truth about integrated cable routing | 5 mechanics dish the dirt on working with integrated bikes
  

Specialized says it has given the carbon layup an overhaul, strengthening the triangle joins, while aiming to improve compliance and ride smoothness.

The brand’s marketing machine calls the process ‘Flow State Design’, whereby it prioritises developing rounded tube shapes (which are claimed to bear stresses more efficiently) versus adding layers of carbon to improve stiffness. 

At the rear, the dropouts now meet SRAM’s UDH standard. The move saw the dropout gain “significant” extra material, according to Specialized’s road and gravel category lead, Alex Jerome.

The head tube has also been made 15mm taller as part of a geometry rethink, adding further material to the frame.

To combat the weight gain, marginal savings are seen at the seat clamp (-9g), brake mounts (-2g) and bottom bracket cups (-6g), plus a custom derailleur hanger (-2g). 

All in, the S-Works frame, formed using Specialized’s Fact 12r carbon, is said to weigh 595g in a size 56cm – only 10g more than the previous-generation bike. That’s 62g less than the claimed weight of Cervélo’s latest R5 and 0.7g less than the claim attached to the Black Series Corsa frame in a size medium (broadly equivalent to 54cm in Specialized’s parlance).

The ‘standard’ Fact 10r carbon frame, used for all bikes specced below the S-Works level, is claimed to weigh 705g.

Is the Aethos an endurance bike?

The new Aethos is not quite an endurance bike, although Specialized concedes it landed on the taller head tube to contribute to a more comfortable ride position for more riders.

The head tube has also been slackened by 0.5 degrees (on average through the size range), and the chainstays lengthened by 7mm. Specialized says this makes handling smoother and more stable overall.

Meanwhile, the bottom bracket drop has lowered by 3mm. In isolation, Specialized claims this makes cornering feel more “planted”, while compensating for the use of wider tyres relative to the previous Aethos.

Tweaks to the bottom bracket area, plus the extension of the chainstays, see tyre clearance climb to 35mm (measured, up from 32mm), with the ISO-mandated 4mm space around a tyre measuring that wide.

Roval Alpinist components

Specialized says the second-generation Aethos frame is designed to dovetail with its latest Roval Alpinist components.

The Alpinist II cockpit is the main change, of course, which Specialized says has been optimised to damp ride vibrations by 28.3% compared to the Rapide cockpit used for the Tarmac SL8. 

The two are interchangeable, however, with the cockpits and frames using the same standards and internal-routing layout. 

Specialized says customers of S-Works and Pro-level bikes have free choice of 15 Alpinist II cockpit sizes at point of purchase, which can be arranged via its dealers. Expert-spec buyers will have a size choice of the old cockpit. The same applies to the Alpinist seatpost, which can be had in a setback or inline format.

The seatpost has remained the same as previously, retaining the standard 27.2mm round shape, save for the modified seat clamp. Specialized says this new clamp will be available as an aftermarket upgrade.

Roval supplies its Alpinist CLX III wheelset with the two S-Works-spec bikes, which is also claimed to have been optimised to work with the Aethos 2 frameset. 

Alpinist CL II wheelsets will be supplied with Pro-spec bikes, and the C38 with the Expert bikes, but it’s worth noting the rim beds have seen a “rolling change” to make them “fully compliant” with ETRTO/ISO standards, according to Roval product lead, Chris Whelan. 

Specialized Aethos 2 pricing, specs and claimed weights

The Specialized Aethos 2 range includes two S-Works level bikes, weighing 5.98kg (in a size 56cm) with a SRAM Red AXS groupset, and 6.05kg for a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 version. These cost £11,499 / $13,999 / €13,499.

There are four ‘standard’ bikes, with prices starting from £5,499 / $6,999 / €6,299. Unlike the previous Aethos, there is no 105 Di2 R7100 or Rival AXS built bike, or (of course) mechanical builds.

Specialized S-Works Aethos 2 AXS

• Price: £11,499 / $13,999 / €13,499
• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
• Power meter: Yes, Red AXS (dual-sided)
• Wheelset: Roval Alpinist CLX III
• Tyres: S-Works Turbo TLR, 700x28c
• Claimed weight: 5.98kg

Specialized S-Works Aethos 2 Di2

• Price: £11,499 / $13,999 / €13,499
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200
• Power meter: Yes, 4iiii Precision Pro (dual-sided)
• Wheelset: Roval Alpinist CLX III
• Tyres: S-Works Turbo TLR, 700x28c
• Claimed weight: 6.05kg

Specialized Aethos 2 Pro AXS

• Price: £7,249 / $8,499 / €8,499
• Groupset: SRAM Force AXS
• Power meter: Yes, SRAM Force AXS
• Wheelset: Roval Alpinist CL II
• Tyres: S-Works Turbo TLR, 700x28c
• Claimed weight: 6.71kg

Specialized Aethos 2 Pro Di2

• Price: £7,249 / $8,499 / €8,499
• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100
• Power meter: Yes, 4iiii Precision Pro
• Wheelset: Roval Alpinist CL II
• Tyres: S-Works Turbo TLR, 700x28c
• Claimed weight: 6.73kg

Specialized Aethos 2 Expert AXS

• Price: £5,499 / $6,999 / €6,299
• Groupset: SRAM Force AXS
• Power meter: No
• Wheelset: Roval C38
• Tyres: S-Works Turbo, 700x28c
• Claimed weight: 7.05kg

Specialized Aethos 2 Expert Di2

• Price: £5,499 / $6,999 / €6,299
• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100
• Power meter: No
• Wheelset: Roval C38
• Tyres: S-Works Turbo, 700x28c
• Claimed weight: 7.12kg

Cycle clothing brand MAAP and shoe maker Quoc have teamed up for another limited-edition gravel cycling shoe.

The latest MAAP x Quoc Gran Tourer XC shoes come in a new Graphite colourway. As you’d expect from the name, the predominant colour is grey, although the tone looks a little light for pure graphite. 

That’s probably a good thing, while the pink sole lugs and blue Alt_Road rear pull tab add a flash of colour to liven things up further.

There’s more deviation from the non-MAAP Quoc Gran Tourer shoe with larger perforations for ventilation and a ribbed TPU tongue with the MAAP wordmark.

• Best gravel bike shoes 2025: gravel-friendly footwear for adventure riding
  

It’s the third collaboration between the two brands, which have previously offered the Gran Tourer XC shoes in a special Fog colourway and the Quoc M3 Pro is a range of colours. 

Quoc has form for novel shoe colours, having launched shoes in a shade inspired by the colour of mushrooms growing in the mountains of Taiwan.

The MAAP x Quoc Gran Tourer XC shoes include a carbon sole under the TPU tread, with replaceable toe studs. The uppers are made of abrasion-resistant microfibre with a reinforced toe guard and are closed with two of Quoc’s proprietary dials. The shoes’ claimed weight is 654g a pair (size not specified).

We’ve previously reviewed the Quoc Gran Tourer II, another Quoc gravel bike shoe design but with just a single dial on each shoe, and were impressed by the quality and weather protection, as well as the ultra-grippy sole.

If you want to get your hands on the new MAAP x Quoc Gran Tourer XC shoes, they’re available on the two brands’ websites and from some Quoc or MAAP retailers in full sizes from 38 to 47. They’re priced at £250 / $330 / €295 / AU$480.

Canyon has expanded from manufacturing bikes to introduce its own carbon wheels. Its first wheelset is the GR30 CF, which it will sell standalone as well as fitting it to two specs of the 2025 Grizl gravel bike. It promises additions to its wheel line-up in 2026.

According to Canyon’s senior product manager, Maxime Brunand: “This is a new chapter in the Canyon story. We’re entering the wheel market with decades of cycling know-how and expertise distilled into a trusted performance product that works in perfect harmony with Canyon bikes.”

Canyon has built its own testing facilities in its production centres, aiming to ensure top quality in its new wheels, which are not yet available to US buyers. 

• Best gravel wheels in 2025 | Top-rated gravel wheelsets and buying advice
  

1,525g wheelset weight

The new wheels, as their name denotes, are 30mm deep and have a wide 27mm internal/33mm external-width hookless rim. Canyon claims a 1,525g weight for the GR30 CF wheelset – 715g for the front and 810g for the rear wheel, including rim tape.

Canyon’s new wheels are laced to DT Swiss 350 Spline hubs, which Canyon says have an unbeatable reputation for reliability and performance. Canyon also looks to DT Swiss for its Aerocomp straight-pull spokes. 

Tyres up to 54mm wide

The wheels come ready-fitted with a Shimano Micro Spline freehub for compatibility with Shimano GRX 1×12-speed groupsets. They’re supplied with a SRAM XDR freehub body too, so you can convert tool-free to run SRAM cassettes. Canyon also supplies tubeless valves.

To make it easy to ensure tyre compatibility, the GR30 CF wheel rims are printed with tyre-width compatibility details and recommended pressure ranges. Canyon says you can use the wheels with gravel bike tyres up to 54mm wide. Its rim tape is printed with recommended sealant volumes.

The Canyon GR30 CF wheels are priced at £859.95 / €899 a set, significantly lower than many competitor gravel bike wheels. They’ll also be specced on the Canyon Grizl OG CF 8 Di2 and Canyon Grizl CF 9 Escape gravel bikes.

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3T has launched the Primo² WPNT, updating the Exploro to incorporate features typical of modern gravel bikes.

The WPNT suffix denotes ‘we paint’, with the new frame painted in-house at 3T’s headquarters near Bergamo, Italy.

The original 3T Exploro was groundbreaking when it was launched in 2016, offering wide tyre clearance and aerodynamics in a gravel bike. It’s spawned a whole family of 3T gravel bikes with ever-increasing clearance and more extreme geometries.

The Primo² WPNT updates the design of the original Exploro with more modern features, which weren’t typical in gravel bikes – or drop-bar bikes in general – back in 2016.

So the Primo² WPNT has internal cable routing rather than external cabling from the bar. There’s also a swap to a Universal Derailleur Hanger, another item that’s increasingly specced on modern bike frames and which opens up compatibility with SRAM’s Full Mount 13-speed XPLR groupsets.

The frame is compatible with both 1x and 2x groupsets, and either mechanical or electronic shifting. 

• Best gravel bikes in 2025: top-rated carbon, aluminium, titanium and steel gravel bikes reviewed
  

Same geometry but with increased bar height

What 3T hasn’t changed, though, is the geometry. It says that the Primo² WPNT has exactly the same handling and ride feel as the Exploro and Primo, although it has raised the bar by 15mm to accommodate the cable integration and provide a more relaxed ride position.

The frame is aero optimised for tyres between 35mm and 45mm wide. 3T’s line-up caters for the wider tyres that are increasingly popular on gravel bikes with the Extrema Italia, which enables you to fit tyres up to 57mm wide.

• Read more: Why are gravel bike tyre clearances increasing? | Five bike brands share their thinking on this growing trend

Along with the frameset modifications, 3T has a range of four new colours, with the Italian names Gesso, Fumo, Salvia and Orchidea. 

There are paint colour updates, too, for the Extrema Italia, Racemax WPNT, Strada Italia and Strada WPNT. There’s an update to the 3T logo across the range too, reflecting 3T’s overall rebranding. 

3T Primo² WPNT outline specs and prices

You can buy a complete 3T Primo² WPNT bike in three specs:

• 1×12-speed Shimano GRX plus Fulcrum Rapid Red wheels: £2,800 / $3,699 / €2,705
• 1×13-speed SRAM Rival XPLR AXS plus Fulcrum Rapid Red wheels: £3,478 / $4,599 / €3,360 
• 1×13-speed SRAM Rival XPLR AXS plus 3T Discus 40|30 wheels: £4,072 / $5,359 / €3,934 

There’s a frameset-only option, complete with 3T Apto stem, priced at £2,035 / $2,799 / €1,966.

Quoted prices are exclusive of VAT.

See zwiftinsider.com/tiny for current Tiny Race details.

This week my team (Coalition Delusion, racing in the ZRL B1 Development Lime division), took on 8 others in the only scratch race of Round 1. Having raced the course before, I knew it would push me to the limit with its three climbs.

Could I hang on to the front group so I could contest the finish? Only one way to find out…

Planning, Warmup, and Man Flu

As usual, my team was on Discord chatting about the race in the days leading up to the big throwdown. This one was pretty straightforward: a scratch race with three climby bits and a short uphill finish. Each rider’s goal was simply to survive the climbs in the front group, and regardless of whether that happened or not, to finish as high as possible from whatever group we were in at the end.

I got on the bike with plenty of time before the 10am PT race, giving me a full half hour to wake up the ol’ ticker and spin up the legs so I could be ready for what was sure to be a hard start. I was already one dirty chai and a few pieces of Neuro caffeine gum into my warmup by the time I got on the bike, so I was nicely caffeinated. I had also rubbed PR Lotion into my legs to keep the burning at bay.

My Warmup “Stack”

There was just one hitch in my raceday plans: I was getting sick. The night before, I’d noticed a sore throat, then the morning of the race I woke up with that flu feeling. You know the one, where your arm hair is sore to the touch? I felt a bit feverish and generally sore, but I could tell it hadn’t hit me fully, and I didn’t want to make my team scramble for a sub at the last minute. So I soldiered on, hoping t wouldn’t affect me too much.

A Sketchy Start

I almost lost the race before it even began.

I was running an odd trainer/power meter setup, because I’m still testing the Wahoo KICKR Core 2. I had noticed it was reading extra low recently (3% or so below my Assioma pedals), so I decided I would pair the Assiomas as my power source, but also pair the Core 2 as resistance and cadence so I could use virtual shifting.

That would have worked fine – except I decided to dual record it by booting up a Zwift session on another PC and connecting my test account to it, pairing the Core 2 as power source so I could record the Core 2’s data.

I could have sworn this had worked fine the week before. And it seemed to work fine during my warmup (although looking at my video below, it actually wasn’t working there either. I just hadn’t noticed.)

I didn’t notice the problem until 2 minutes before the race started. Here’s the full play-by-play, pieced together by watching my race video.

• -2:00: Re-pair trainer as Resistance and Cadence. Virtual gearing shows again on HUD.
• -1:28: Virtual gearing disappears. But I don’t even notice, because I’m faffing around changing my virtual socks. Seriously.
• -0:16: I finally notice virtual gearing is gone, and bring up the pairing screen again to re-pair. (I also grab my other keyboard and close the Zwift session I have going with my test account, assuming this is causing the issue. No dual recording today!)
• 0:00: The race begins, and I’m thinking I’ve fixed things just in time.
• 0:05: I quickly realize the game has me in gear 15, but I can’t change gears using either my Zwift Play or Click v2 controllers, both of which show up as paired.
• 0:25: As the pack hits the opening climb hard, I’m pedaling about as fast as I can (although RPM shows 67-68 on the HUD, oddly, while showing 0 rpm from the Core 2 on the pairing screen). I pull up the pairing screen again to confirm everything looks right. It does.
• 0:33: Everyone gets a surprise burrito powerup… the first of several on the day (more on that below). The burritos begin flying within seconds. This is an unwelcome addition to my race.
• 0:45: My virtual gear disappears from the HUD. I trigger my burrito from my Play controller, (which apparently can trigger powerups but not gear changes).
• 0:50: Pull up the pairing screen again. Core 2 is not paired. Pair it again. Back to gear 15.
• 1:07: I pull up the pairing screen again and unpair all the Play and Click controllers, re-pairing them. That’ll fix it, right?
• 1:20: It didn’t fix it. In fact, my virtual gearing has disappeared again. I hit “A” on my keyboard once more to enter the pairing screen, which shows the Core 2 not paired once again. I pair it again.
• 1:27: No dice. Still no virtual shifting showing. I’m in 39th place, sitting in the back of the front pack. Pedaling like mad. Keeping silent on Discord, though, because there’s nothing my teammates can do to help. Gotta get this sorted.
• 1:39: Bring up the pairing screen again to double-check what I have connected. It’s all correct. But I disconnect and re-pair the Core 2 as resistance yet again, for good measure.
• 2:04: I decide to use my bike’s mechanical shifting to drop a couple of gears (I’m currently using a cassette, not the Zwift Cog). This should work until I’m on an easier section where I can maybe get virtual shifting working again.
• 2:49: In a stroke of genius, I decide to power cycle the Core 2. Then quickly realize I may have made a terrible mistake, as all trainer resistance goes away, and I’m forced to pedal at max cadence. I also get a warning popup on my screen: “Heads up! You currently don’t have a smart trainer paired. Pair a Zwift Ready trainer to enable virtual shifting.” Thanks, Zwift.
• 3:05: I mechanically shift to my hardest gear, to give myself a bit more resistance to push against until the trainer comes back online. I naively hope that the trainer will automatically re-pair, and virtual shifting will be restored. (This doesn’t happen.)
• 3:12: Bring up the pairing screen once more. Pair the trainer as resistance.
• 3:21: My virtual gearing pops up: and I’m in gear 24. The hardest. Possible. Gear. It’s like an instant spiral of death, and I stand up and hammer as I quickly shift down using my Play controllers.
• 3:35: I get down to gear 14 and a comfortable cadence. So far I’ve averaged 383 watts in the race.
• 3:55: The Core 2/Zwift recalibrates my gear ratio and resistance drops noticeably. My cadence jumps up to compensate, and I shift to a harder gear. I’m still in the front group. We’re ready to race!

Once my trainer/gearing were straightened out, we were essentially on the long descent/flat to Urukazi. So I sat in and conserved as much as possible, knowing there was hard work up the road.

Surprise Burritos

I’m 100% sure the burrito is the most hated powerup on Zwift. And I’m also sure the only thing worse than getting burritoed when you expect it is getting burritoed by surprise.

Due to some sort of configuration error, our race (and I assume many others’) awarded everyone burritos at unexpected locations. We got one just before riding through the virtual start/finish arch for the first time. Then again just before passing the Mech Isle start pens (near the location of virtual start/finish arches for other routes, I believe). One of our riders said they got a second one not long after (I can’t confirm since I hadn’t used the one I had). And watching my video replay, I discovered there was another awarded 80 meters from the finish line, just after the planned one at the lap arch!

All of these extra burritos had the effect of making the race harder. And in fact, they may have been what ultimately dropped me from the front pack.

Dropped

After our long descent and flat, we hit the next key climb on the route: the corkscrew climb up to the Shisa Sprint.

I fought back to a decent position near the back of the front group with just a few hundred meters left, despite a dangling burrito taking away the group draft that would have otherwise sucked me into the front group.

But just as I got in touch with that group, two more burritos were activated. That front group began to pull away, and a gap opened up.

In the heat of the race, close to my limit at the top of the climb, I didn’t notice this was happening. I saw the pack stretching, but figured it would come back together on the flat and descent that would follow. So as we finished the climb and picked up speed heading into the Shisa Sprint, I sat in my pack of ~8 riders that was dangling off the end of a messy line.

Sauce was still showing all of us together as a front group of 21. But the situation on screen was very different. As we went through the Shisa Sprint, the riders ahead coalesced into two groups. I was in the third with teammate Fabian, and we were 5 seconds behind the middle group which was pushing to rejoin the front.

This is where we should have pushed to rejoin. But we didn’t. I didn’t. And that middle group soon joined the front group, which quickly rode away from us along with any hope of a top finish.

The Finish

We had only Chris F in the front group of 15, which didn’t bode well for us. Fabian and I were in the chase group, and the rest of the team was behind. Based purely on these numbers, I knew that a team win wasn’t probable today. But all we could do was finish as high as possible.

The rest of the race was rather unremarkable from my vantage point, apart from the final sprint. Fabian and I came into the finish in a group of 7, with feather powerups. I decided I would use the feather as I went through the lap banner, then use the burrito if it seemed like it might help.

I ramped up the power and activated the feather as we went through the arch with ~450 meters to go, and quickly found myself on the front of the group with Wegert (a strong rider from VGG) chasing. I thought I had timed it perfectly, activating my burrito as soon as the feather ran out so Wegert would lose any drafting advantage. I even eased a bit, figuring I wanted to keep Wegert under the power of my burrito.

But I didn’t see LM from the ART team flying up behind me in a perfectly-timed feather-powered effort. And with 50 meters to go, he flew past. I finished 16th on the day.

See my ride on Strava >

Watch the Video

Takeaways

When the dust settled, my team came in 2nd on the day behind Atom Racing Team (ART). Well done, ART!

Teammate Chris Fockenberg was our top finisher, coming in 8th. Our team’s newest member, Fabian Streit, finished in 20th (3rd best on the team) – nicely done.

We lost to ART by only 4 points. Such a narrow margin! If two of our riders had just finished 2-3 places higher, we could have taken the win. But hindsight is 20/20.

The good news is, we still sit squarely in 1st for Round 1, with just one race left:

Watching my video and thinking through the race, there were definitely mistakes made on my part. With the benefit of hindsight, here’s what I would do differently:

1. Avoid all the trainer malfunction silliness by paying attention during my warmup. This would have taken some early stress out of the race.
2. Push harder to be near the front on the climb to the Shisa Sprint, to avoid some of those draft-stealing burritos.
3. Push to close the gap to the next group on the descent that followed. (I think I could have managed it, although it would have been tough.)

That said, there was a tiny silver lining to the trainer issues I had at the start. Teammate Chris, our strongest rider on the day, told me this after he learned how the first few minutes of my race went:

“What a first few minutes you had! Those trainer issues and the massive gear 24 resistance you faced . In a way you helped me out, because I was hurting like hell going up there and noticed that you were behind me towards the top of the climb and over the climb. As you’re one of our stronger riders, in my head I thought, “Ah well if Eric is ok to sit near the back of the pack then maybe I shouldn’t worry too much,” and thus stopped panicking and didn’t destroy myself to get near the front. So, thanks I guess to your trainer? Great job working through all that though whilst trying to re-pair everything!”

To be clear, I wouldn’t call what happened a malfunction of the Core 2, or even Zwift. I’m sure it was caused by my having the Core 2 paired to two simultaneous Zwift sessions, which is not exactly an approved use case.

Coalition Delusion finished our race with the traditional Discord team pic:

Your Thoughts

How did race #3 go for you? Did you receive some surprise burritos, and did they impact your race? Share below!

Giant has taken several steps to try to resolve the embargo preventing its products made in Taiwan from entering the USA, according to a statement released today. 

On 24 September, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a Withhold Release Order (WRO) on any bicycles, bicycle parts and accessories manufactured by Giant in Taiwan after an investigation that found alleged forced labour. 

• Read more: Trump administration bars Giant Bicycles imports to the US, citing forced labour allegations

“Giant Group has been committed to openness and transparency, and has taken multiple actions,” the statement says.

Giant says that on 29 September it formally engaged with CBP through its US legal counsel and will arrange an official meeting in the near future. 

“On September 30, Giant submitted formal letters to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labor, and Ministry of Economic Affairs, reporting the progress up to date and respectfully requesting assistance,” adds Giant. 

Giant also says it is “actively communicating” with key international partners to safeguard its supply chains and market confidence. 

The source of CBP’s allegations of forced labour is unclear. “CBP has never conducted any on-site investigation at Giant Group’s Taiwan manufacturing factory, nor have any of our departments or personnel been contacted by CBP for interviews or inquiries,” Belinda Yeh, a Giant PR specialist, told trade publication Bicycle Retailer.

The only public report on labour conditions at Giant’s facilities in Taiwan is by investigative journalist Peter Bengtsen, who told BikeRadar that debt bondage “is the rule, not the exception, for migrants employed in Taiwan’s bicycle and other industries”. 

But after the suspension on imports was revealed, Giant says it has taken “concrete actions” in the last year to address potential labour rights violations, which includes implementing a zero recruitment fee policy and upgrading its employee housing.

Taiwanese Labor Front, an activist group, released a statement on 25 September, which said this is the first time CBP has accused a Taiwanese company of forced labour. 

“Taiwanese companies generally lack awareness of human rights risks, particularly regarding the internationally recognized issue of forced labor. This not only fails to meet the expectations of European and American legislative trends, but also risks being gradually excluded from the international market,” the group explained. 

Giant says it appreciates the concern and support from the public regarding the import ban. 

“Upholding our principles of openness, transparency, and accountability, we will proactively report progress to regulators, partners, and the public, and ensure that all related issues are properly addressed in accordance with international standards,” it said.

The fourth and final race of Zwift Racing League 2025/26 Round 1 happens Tuesday, October 7, and we’ll be in Watopia for a points race on the brand-new Jarvis Seaside Sprint route.

This course presents particular challenges as a points race, which we’ll unpack below. As always, there’s much to discuss, so let’s dive in!

Looking at the Route

Each lap of Watopia’s Jarvis Seaside Sprint route is 12.5km long with 95m of elevation gain, and we begin with a 2.8km lead-in with 36m of climbing. So for this, the final race of Round 1, the A and B categories will race 40.3km (3 laps), while the C and D categories will race 27.8km (2 laps).

Here are the key sections of the route from a points race perspective:

Aero Boost (helmet) at Downtown Watopia Start/Finish arch: makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.) Use your first aero to nab sprint points on the JWB Sprint Reverse.

Lead-In (0-2.6km): the start will always be a bit spicy, but this lead-in, in particular, will tax the legs with its short climb up from downtown Watopia, then the undulating road of The Esses, and finally the kicker climb taking you into the descent that launches the JWB Sprint Reverse.

JWB Sprint Reverse @2.6km (200 meters, 0%) (FAL+FTS): our first points segment of the day may also prove to be the fastest, since the pack will be at its largest and aero powerups will be burning holes in our jersey pockets. The JWB Sprint is fast and rather technical. If you need pointers on maximizing your performance on this segment, read this post.

(The JWB Sprint Reverse arch is the start/finish banner for the Jarvis Seaside Sprint course, so A and B riders will contest this segment a total of four times: once at the end of your lead-in, then three more times at the end of each lap.)

Draft Boost (van) at JWB Sprint arch: increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.) Use this to boost your speed when contesting the Jarvis Sprint Reverse.

Jarvis Sprint Reverse @5.7km (200 meters, 0.2%) (FAL+FTS): our next points segment of the day is the same length as the JWB Sprint, but it will feel much longer since we aren’t entering it off of a descent! On top of that, the pack may be cagey, since every has to decide just how hard they’re willing to go, given that the Jarvis KOM Reverse starts just a few hundred meters up the road. (Is it worth grabbing big sprint points if you get dropped from the front group?)

Lightweight (feather) at Jarvis Sprint arch: reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds.
Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. Ideally you’d use it on the second, steeper section of the KOM so you’re as light as possible when weight matters most.

Jarvis KOM Reverse @7.5km (1.3km, 3.1%) (FAL+FTS): the only true climb of the race, the Jarvis KOM Reverse is really two steep, short punches, separated by flat bits at the start and in the middle. This will be the key inflection point of the race, as strong puncheurs will be pushing hard because 1) intermediate points and 2) this is their best chance of dropping other riders. Save your feather for this section!

Burrito at the Jarvis KOM arch: turns off the draft effect for riders in a cone-shaped window behind you for 20 seconds. Use when attacking off the front so opponents have to work harder to follow you, or in the peloton to make others work harder. Use this wherever you’d like, but try not to burrito your teammates.

Aero Boost (helmet) at Jarvis Lap arch: makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.) Save this for use on the JWB Sprint up the road. You simply won’t be able to finish near the front without it, unless you manage to stick a breakaway off the front!

Climb into the Volcano @11.1km: riders always push hard up this short climb (200-300 meters long), so don’t get caught out. The aero boost you just picked up can be helpful for chasing back onto the wheels here as you near the Volcano Lap arch, but you’ll really want to save it for the sprint up the road.

Cloaking (ghost) at Volcano Lap arch: makes you invisible to other riders for 15 seconds. Use when you want to get away from one or more riders. Deploy then hammer, in hopes that you will create enough of a gap that your opponents can’t grab your wheel. Important: the ghost is disabled within 400m of the finish line, so don’t plan to hold this until the final sprint! Many riders will just throw this powerup away or not even get it because they’re still holding an aero powerup. But you can use it to help you get away off the front if you’re going for a long breakaway.

Finish: after completing the lead-in plus 3 full laps (2 laps for C & D categories), it will be time for the final sprint to the line. Again, the JWB Sprint is fast and rather technical. If you need pointers on maximizing your performance on this segment, read this post.

Read more about the Jarvis Seaside Sprint route >

Bike Recommendations

This route features two flat sprint segments (including the finish), and one short KOM segment that is more like two short uphill sprints.

So do you optimize for climbing (lightweight) or speed (aero)? With so many points up for grabs on the sprints, you’ll want to be careful about sacrificing aero for weight. But with the KOM being the key selection point in the race, you don’t want your heavier aero setup to send you out the back of the pack when the going gets steep.

We ran tests up the Jarvis KOM Reverse at 5 w/kg using the S-Works Tarmac SL8 and a variety of top-performing wheels: the DT Swiss 85 Disc, the DT Swiss 65, ENVE 4.5 Pro, and ENVE 8.9. We ran the same test using the Tron bike. In the end, the DT Swiss 65s turned in the best time (2:25.17), but every setup was within a half-second of that time.

So if you’re confident in your ability to hang onto the pack over the KOM with disc wheels, use ’em. Because they’ll give you an advantage in the sprints. If you want to hedge your bets a bit, go with the lighter DT Swiss 65s, which will be just a bit slower on the sprints but may be the difference between hanging with the front and getting dropped.

See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance, and check out Fastest Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level to determine the fastest setup available to you.

More Route Recons

Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.

John Rice

(more recons coming soon)

Strategic Options

Points Distributions, Jarvis Seaside Sprint

These charts show the maximum points a team of 6 could earn in a race with 60 participants. In the charts above, we’ve added the FAL points for the final JWB Sprint Reverse to the FIN points, since that’s effectively how they will operate. To learn how ZRL points races work, see this post.

Here are some predictions of strategies we’ll see on Tuesday:

• Sprint, Rest, Sprint, Survive, Rest, Repeat: this will be the most common strategy. With ~75% of points tied up in sprints and the finish, strong sprinters will try to contest as many sprints as possible and survive the KOM in the front pack with as little effort as possible, so they can fight hard on the finishing sprint.
• Burrito KOM Breakaway: clearly, the powerups in this race are structured to encourage riders to break away over the top of the KOM. Watch for strong climbers to go hard up the KOM, then push on the descent with a burrito powerup.
• Ghost Breakaway: we get a ghost powerup at the Volcano Circuit lap arch, and this will prove tantalizing to riders who want to go long on the final lap (there’s always someone). The 200IQ play may be using your aero powerup to attack as you ride through the Volcano lap arch, then using the ghost to disappear for a bit longer. The question for everyone else is, do you chase those wheels, or gamble and hope the pack drags them back?

Your Thoughts

Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!

Bumps, scrapes, and scratches are an inevitability of bike ownership. Rather than mourn them, inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi, Velo Orange suggests they should be celebrated as a mark of a bike’s past through its newly distributed product, Goldfinger.

Goldfinger is a metallic paint-like compound originally manufactured for the art world by UK-based company Daler-Rowney. It’s designed to fill scrapes and scratches with a gold or silver finish, highlighting rather than concealing them.

The process is similar to kintsugi – or ‘golden joinery’ – the Japanese craft of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. It’s celebrated as a craft that highlights wear, rather than hiding it. 

Velo Orange co-owner Igor Shteynbuk explains the idea came through a friend of the brand, Shane Sellers – a ceramics professor and fellow dedicated bike nerd. 

Sellers is also an ambassador for the Philly Bike Expo and previously collaborated with Velo Orange on the amazing Yakimono Neutrino project.

Sellers uses Goldfinger in his restoration work, applying it to everything from lamps and picture frames to bike frames.

Shteynbuk says Goldfinger’s consistency is like “toothpaste mixed with grout”. Once applied, it cures and sets quickly, and in his experience, it stands up to the rigours of daily cycling: “I’ve had it on my bike for the whole season, through rain and everything, and I haven’t noticed any washing off.” 

Even if it does fade eventually, reapplying takes “30 seconds” and keeps the finish looking fresh.

Shteynbuk says the Goldfinger reframes wear and tear on a bike: “Every scratch tells a story… embrace that history instead of hiding it.”

I’m all for this. While bikes, including paint and broken frames, are far more repairable than many realise, refinishing a whole bike is a specialist process. 

• Read more: How maintaining bikes helped me fix my washing machine – and why it matters

This is a fun way of providing practical protection to a bike, particularly corrosion-prone steel bikes, while making something truly your own.

See zwiftinsider.com/route/tropic-rush/

Today, Zwift released details for their upcoming Zwift Unlocked tour which kicks off October 6.

Featuring double XP, XP bonuses, extra-long powerups, and a sweet urban kit, the 5-stage series comprises long and short group rides, races, and runs all held on brand-new routes. Read on for details…

Double Up

This season, Zwift Unlocked is effectively replacing the popular Tour of Watopia with its double XP. But never fear: we’re getting double XP for all Zwift Unlocked events!

Additionally, powerups are doubled in length.

New Routes

All Zwift Unlocked rides and runs are held on brand-new routes in Watopia, Makuri Islands, Scotland, and New York. (That’s 10 new routes to ride, and 5 new run-only routes. See details below.)

The most exciting new routes will be used for stages 4 and 5, when Zwift reveals their New York expansion, including the new power segments feature. Read more about the expansion >

Stage Details and Schedule

Each stage lasts for a week and includes long rides, short rides, races, and run events.

Long rides will take approximately 90 minutes to complete at 2.5 W/kg, while short rides and races will be closer to 45 minutes.

Rides and runs are scheduled hourly on the hour, and races are scheduled hourly at ten minutes past the hour. Rides can be completed on-demand whenever you’d like, but races and runs are available as scheduled events only.

Stage 1, October 6-13

• Long Ride – Tropic Rush (1 lap: 41.9km, 326m)
• Short Ride and Race – Dùn Dash (1 lap: 17.4km, 138m)
• Run – Highland Run (1 lap: 6.8km)

Stage 2, October 13-20

• Long Ride – Watts of the Wild (1 lap: 43.7km, 308m)
• Short Ride and Race – Electric Break (1 lap: 20km, 200m)
• Run – Track Meet (1 lap: 6.5km)

Stage 3, October 20-27

• Long Ride – London Calling (1 lap: 31.7km, 207m)
• Short Ride and Race – Scotland After Party (1 lap: 19.9km, 196m)
• Run – Yoru Run (1 lap: 8km)

Stage 4, October 27-November 3

• Long Ride – The Greenway (details TBA)
• Short Ride and Race – Spinfinity (details TBA)
• Run – Prospect Park Loop Run (details TBA)

Stage 5, November 3-10

• Long Ride – Stay Puft Pursuit (details TBA)
• Short Ride and Race – Double Borough (details TBA)
• Run – Times Square Circuit Run (details TBA)

Make-Up Week November 10-17

Sign up at zwift.com/zwift-unlocked >

Unlocked, Unlocked

Completing Zwift Unlocked stages earns you various in-game rewards. Riders will unlock the following:

• 1 Stage: Zwift Unlocked Beanie
• 3 Stages: 1,000 XP (in addition to all the double XP you’ll get!)
• All 5 Stages: Zwift Unlocked Kit

Runners will unlock the Zwift Unlocked running kit after completing just 1 stage.

Questions or Comments?

You can also find more details, as well as event signup links, at zwift.com/Zwift-Unlocked. Still have questions or comments? Share below!

Specialized’s offshoot components brand Roval has announced the release of its new Alpinist CLX III wheelset, which is claimed to weigh only 1,131g.

Roval says the Alpinist CLX III is 134g lighter than the outgoing Alpinist CLX II, and claims it would have saved Demi Vollering five seconds in her ascent of the Col du Tourmalet during the 2023 Tour de France Femmes. 

The new wheels benefit from shared technology with the aero Rapide CLX III wheelset, including specially developed composite spokes and modified Roval LF hub shells, while the rims retain a bead hook.

However, unlike the latest Rapide wheelsets, which subverted the norm by debuting a deeper and wider front rim compared to the rear in the name of aerodynamics, the rim profiles are uniform at 33mm deep and a relatively modest 21mm wide internally.

The launch of the wheelset, which costs £1,149 (front) and £1,599 (rear), is accompanied by a new Alpinist II one-piece cockpit, which is said to weigh 270g in a size 400x100mm. The Aplinist II cockpit costs £575.

• Best road bike wheels in 2025 | 31 rim and disc brake wheelsets tried and tested
  

Sights set on the mountains

The Roval Alpinist CLX III wheelset is designed chiefly for use in the mountains, thanks to its low claimed 1,131g weight.

According to Roval product manager Chris Whelan, this weight includes factory-fitted rim tape and tubeless valves, and was arrived at by drawing an average from an initial cohort of production wheels then cutting the lightest 10% from the calculation.

In short, he says customers should receive wheelsets that are “at least as light as the claimed weight” – a refreshing change from the general norm should it prove to be true.

The main weight saving has been achieved through adopting thermoplastic composite spokes, initially seen on the Rapide CLX III wheels. Developed in conjunction with Arris Composites, a California-based specialist in carbon development and manufacture, they are claimed to save 1.9g per spoke compared to the DT Swiss Aerolite spokes used for the Alpinist CLX II (103.5g across the entire wheelset).

These spokes sport titanium end pieces, which fit to internally housed alloy nipples and new hub shells – but unlike carbon spokes typically seen in the industry, these aren’t designed to maximise stiffness.

Instead, Roval claims their construction enables a small extra degree of flexion, which is said to boost strength by 20%, fatigue life (given they handle deforming forces more easily), and handling and ride quality.

Overall, Roval says its simulations show the new Alpinist wheelset would have saved Vollering five seconds in her stage-winning ascent of the Col du Tourmalet two years ago.

Given that ascent took Vollering 53mins 8secs according to her Strava file of the ride, this equates to a 0.16% improvement – not nothing, but not a lot.

Narrower than expected?

Given the trend towards wider tyres, you might have expected Roval to widen its Alpinist rims accordingly.

However, the general design remains very similar to the previous-generation wheelset – a hooked rim, and still 33mm deep front-to-rear, 21mm wide internally and 27mm wide externally.

These dimensions are optimised around a 28mm tyre, and Roval confirms that the wheels now “fully meet” ETRTO (European Tyre & Rim Technical Organisation) standards. 

According to Whelan, the old Alpinist II rim design sat “slightly” outside of these standards as the brand sought to prioritise tyre retention in the event of a sudden deflation, but the side effect was a tougher installation process. 

Whelan says Roval tested 19, 21 and 23mm-wide rim designs, using a mix of 26, 28 and 30mm-wide tyres, but found the best performance was seen with a rim optimised for 28mm tyres. 

The bead hooks are 4.5mm wide in order to help reduce the risk of pinch flats, which the brand claims it tests for using its own proprietary tubeless impact testing protocol. 

It’s worth noting that these rim shape updates have also been rolled over to the Alpinist CL II wheelset, but the hubs (DT Swiss 350) and spokes have remained the same.

DT Swiss internals

As with the previous Alpinist CLX wheelset, Roval has stuck with its tried-and-tested method of using DT Swiss 180 EXP internals for its hubset.

That said, the Roval-designed hub shells have been modified to sport the titanium end pieces, and the flanges widened slightly to complement the properties of the composite spokes.

The hubs use SINC ceramic bearings and a 36-tooth ratchet ring. 

Alpinist II cockpit

Alongside the Alpinist CLX III wheelset, Roval has also introduced the new Alpinist II cockpit.

This features refined ergonomics compared to the previous Alpinist SL, including D-shape tops for improved grasping comfort. The drop flare has also increased, from zero to four degrees. 

Roval claims the changes have been informed by more than 100,000 scans of Retül rider fit data, to comply with a range of natural hand and wrist angles riders hold.

Feedback from Specialized’s customer base has also been informative. BikeRadar understands this saw demand for a handlebar with internal cable routing. Hoses exit out of a port in the underside of the stem, and back into a port in the top of the headset.

Despite the extra material in the design, Roval says it has kept weight down to 270g – 15g more than the Alpinist SL (and 10g less than the old two-piece arrangement fitted to the Specialized Aethos).

Compared to the Rapide cockpit seen on the Specialized Tarmac SL8, the new Alpinist front end is said to offer 28.3% more damping. Roval says you could swap the two cockpits easily, plus upgrade those on the Aethos and Roubaix bikes, if desired, given it sports a 1-1/8in steerer clamp.

It’s available in 15 sizes, ranging from 80-130mm stem lengths and 380-440mm bar widths (measured centre-to-centre).

Pricing 

• Roval Alpinist CLX III wheelset: £1,149 (front), £1,599 (rear)
• Roval Alpinist II cockpit: £575

If you’re new to indoor bike training, ERG mode can be confusing. What exactly is it, anyway? And when should you use it? Here’s a full explanation…

What Is ERG Mode?

Smart trainers run in different modes which determine how much resistance they apply while you ride. The two most common modes are ERG and Sim.

Sim mode is simulator mode. This is the mode used in all Zwift activities except for structured workouts. In Sim mode, the controlling software (Zwift) sends parameters such as rider weight, air density, Crr, and gradient to your trainer. The smart trainer then tries to replicate the “feel” of that virtual ride environment through its resistance on your drivetrain.

ERG mode is completely different. In ERG mode, your trainer’s job is to help you maintain a specific wattage. “ERG” comes from Greek “Ergasía” which means “work,” becase ERG mode literally forces you to work at a particular level.

Example:

• Your Zwift workout interval wants you to hold 200 watts for 10 minutes
• If you are spinning at a cadence of 90 and putting out 200 watts, then slow your cadence to 60, your trainer will increase resistance so you are still holding 200 watts even though you are pedaling slower.
• If you are spinning at a cadence of 90 and putting out 200 watts, then increase your cadence to 110, your trainer will decrease resistance so you are still holding 200 watts even though you are pedaling faster.

ERG mode simplifies your workout so your only job is to manage your cadence. You don’t need to worry about shifting (although it is certainly allowed), or whether you are hitting your wattage target. You just need to keep your cadence where you want it, and the trainer will make sure you’re hitting the target power.

When Should I Use ERG Mode?

ERG mode is enabled by default if you begin a workout while using a smart trainer in Zwift. And you should leave it that way, for workouts where you want to maintain specific power levels for designated intervals without needing to focus on holding accurate power.

Some riders (and/or coaches) prefer to do structured training with ERG mode disabled so they can learn to hit and hold steady power targets without help from the trainer. This is a valid point, particularly for time trialists.

I’ve been asked if ERG mode should be used in races. First of all: this would be a little challenging to implement given Zwift’s event functionality. But even if you could do it, why would you? Racing requires constantly adjusting your effort to stay with the pack, attack on punchy climbs, ease off on descents, etc. ERG mode was not made for on-the-fly adjustments.

That said: you could use ERG mode in a race by pairing your smart trainer to your head unit and controlling it in ERG mode there. (You wouldn’t pair anything for “resistance” in Zwift.) This may be interesting in a flat TT race, where you want to hold a target wattage for certain amounts of time.

How to Disable and Enable ERG Mode in Zwift

You can disable and enable Erg mode from the workout browser screen by toggling the “Use ERG Mode” button. But you won’t see this option if you simply choose your workout from the workout collections when Zwift starts up.

You can also turn it on or off during your workout via the action bar, which is reachable by clicking the up arrow, or clicking your mouse near the bottom-middle of your screen, or swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This will bring up the action bar which includes a button for turning Erg on and off (see below).

Additionally, the Companion app has the same button to toggle ERG on and off during your workout.

What Gear Should I Use?

Note: if you’re on virtual shifting with the Zwift Cog, this section doesn’t apply to you.

While ERG mode will work in any gear on your bike with no shifting required, riders sometimes wonder which gearing is best. There is no clear “right answer” for everyone, but here are a few things to consider:

• If you want to work on climbing, train in a climbing gear (small ring on the front). This will reduce your trainer’s flywheel speed, mimicking the feel of a low-speed climbing effort where your muscles aren’t able to “coast” as long at the top and bottom of each pedal stroke.
• Train what you race. If you’re training for a particular type of outdoor race, use a gear that mimics the pedal inertia you’ll be experiencing during the race. So a flat TT might use the big ring and one of your smaller cogs in back (high inertia), while a hill climb race might use the small ring and a big cog in back (low inertia).
• If you ride a lot of ERG workouts, you might consider varying your gearing in order to wear your cassette more evenly. If 90% of your riding is in the same gear, you’ll wear out your cassette prematurely.
• Chain line is always a consideration. Although your trainer and bike may allow it, having a bad chain line will increase drivetrain wear and wattage loss. So if you’re in your big ring in front, try to stay out of your easiest gears in back. And if you’re in your little ring in front, stay out of your hardest gears in back. Try to keep that chain line as straight as possible.
• The lower your trainer’s inertia, the faster it can change resistance between intervals. If your trainer is slow to respond, and/or you’re doing very short intervals, you might consider shifting to the small ring to help your trainer respond more quickly to resistance changes.
• Noise may also be an issue with certain trainer setups. An easier gear (small ring in front) should reduce your overall spinning and thus the overall noise level.
• Shifting is OK: there are times when shifting at the start of certain intervals may make sense. Read this post for more thoughts on this topic >

For more info on the muscle recruitment side of things, check out this video from our favorite Aussie Lama:

The Spiral of Death

If you understand how ERG mode works, you’ll understand what we mean by the “Spiral of Death.” This torturous event happens when you are in ERG mode, attempting to hold a particular wattage, then your legs get tired and your cadence slows. To keep hitting the wattage target, your trainer will then increase the resistance (see examples above).

Your cadence will slow even more due to this increased resistance, which means the trainer will pile on more resistance… until you come to a grinding halt.

Feeling the spiral of death beginning? Ramp up your power a bit while shifting to an easier gear so you can raise your cadence. If you’re out of gears, the only way out of the spiral is to push harder, increasing your cadence so the trainer reduces its resistance.

ERG Mode FAQ

What is ERG mode power smoothing, and should I use it?

This feature is included and enabled by default on some popular smart trainers, including those from Wahoo. It essentially smooths out the power data sent from the trainer to Zwift, so your structured workout graphs look very clean. Some riders like the clean lines of smoothed ERG workouts, while others prefer the more “accurate” and jagged graphs with smoothing turned off. Read more about ERG mode power smoothing >

How is resistance controlled during a “free ride” section in an ERG workout?

Some workouts, including 20-minute FTP tests and certain sprint workouts, include “free ride” sections where you can hold whatever wattage you’d like. In ERG mode, free ride sections feel like you’re on a flat road, with resistance not changing to match in game gradients or have you hit a particular power target. To change resistance in free ride mode, you’ll need to shift gears.

Questions or Comments?

Still confused about ERG mode? Got some insights to share? Comment below!

Along with the boatload of new features recently announced, lots of new indoor cycling gear has also been announced. In this week’s top video, learn all about the new Wahoo KICKR Core.

Also included in this week’s top videos are videos about the new KICKR Bike Pro, a rundown of the cheapest Zwift setups, an intro to one Zwifter’s Zwift Racing League team, and a 30-day fitness challenge.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

Today, Zwift posted a set of rides for the coming weekend (October 3-6) as part of an event dubbed “Zwift’s Big Weekend.” It’s Zwift’s birthday celebration – 11 years old this fall – and it’s “Our celebration of everything Zwift—pure energy, on and off the bike.”

There are actually two pieces to this weekend. The first is a set of fun banded rides led by pros and ambassadors, which I’ve detailed below. The second piece… well, that’s a secret we can’t talk about until we get closer to the weekend.

Ride Schedule and Guest Leaders

All events are 45 minutes long and rubberbanded, so as long as you keep pedaling, you’ll stay with the group!

• October 3, 8am UTC/4am ET/1am PT
  • Rider Leaders Freddy Ovett & Rosa Kloser 
  • Neokyo All-Nighter, 45 mins, rubberbanded
• October 3, 10am UTC/6am ET/3am PT
  • Rider Leaders Kaden Groves & Ceylin Alvarado
  • BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits, 45 mins, rubberbanded
• October 4, 12am UTC/8pm ET/5pm PT
  • Rider Leaders Paula Findlay & Eric Lagerstrom
  • Knickerbocker, 45 mins, rubberbanded
• October 4, 6am UTC/2am ET/11pm PT
  • Rider Leader Bert Van Lerberghe 
  • London 8, 45 mins, rubberbanded
• October 5, 5pm UTC/1pm ET/10am PT
  • Rider Leader Sam Laidlow
  • Douce France, 45 mins, rubberbanded
• October 5, 6pm UTC/2pm ET/11am PT
  • Rider Leaders Demi Vollering, Evita Muzic & Juilette Labous
  • Greatest London Flat, 45 mins, rubberbanded 
• October 6, 9am UTC/5am ET/2am PT
  • Rider Leaders Ashleigh Moolman Pasio & Julie Van de Velde
  • Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop, 45 mins, rubberbanded
• October 6, 1pm UTC/9am ET/6am PT
  • Rider Leaders Kasia Niewiadoma & Neve Bradbury
  • Tempus Fugit, 45 mins, rubberbanded
• October 6, 11pm UTC/7pm ET/4pm PT
  • Rider Leader Lionel Sanders 
  • Turf N Surf, 45 mins rubberbanded

Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/zwiftsbigweekend >

Questions or Comments

Share below!

Surly has updated its Straggler gravel bike. It’s still made of double-butted 4130 chromoly steel tubing and retains its on/off-road and light-bikepacking mandate.

However, after 10 years without an update, there was a lot of catching up to do on the standards front, with today’s gravel bikes very different from those of a decade ago.  

According to Surly “the new Straggler is for the rider who sees challenges, not obstacles”, aimed at those looking for a do-it-all gravel bike that’s equally comfortable on- and off-road.

• Best gravel bikes in 2025: top-rated carbon, aluminium, titanium and steel gravel bikes reviewed
  

Updated geometry for wider tyres

While the previous-generation Straggler, which we reviewed in 2023, had a classic double-diamond frameset with a horizontal top tube, the new bike leans into gravel design with a sloping top tube.

Surly says this offers better standover and more travel for riders who choose to fit a dropper post, which wasn’t an option with the previous frameset.

The sloping top tube and shorter seat tube are part of a geometry update that sees Surly also raise the stack for a more upright ride position. It says this should be more comfortable and improve visibility.

• Gravel bike geometry and sizing: everything you need to know
  

With riders fitting ever-wider gravel tyres, Surly has also increased the bottom bracket drop, with the aim of improving stability.

Tyre clearance is upped from 42mm to 50mm. Surly has done the inevitable and converted from 100mm front/135mm rear quick-release dropouts to 100mm/142mm 12mm-diameter thru-axles. 

It’s also changed from brake post mounts to flat mounts, and the rear caliper sits inside the rear triangle rather than on the back of the seatstay, again in line with modern gravel bike standards.

The Straggler still comes with a steel fork as standard, but the 44mm non-tapered head tube opens the option to fit a carbon fork or a gravel suspension fork.

The steel fork has an array of bosses, and there are also three sets of bottle bosses on the frame, along with rack and mudguard mounts.

There are no top tube mounts, though, and the frame is designed for external gear/brake cabling with full outers rather than bare cables, as was the case with the previous Straggler. You can route a dropper cable through the frame, though.

Surly Straggler size and pricing details

While the previous bike was available in 11 sizes, Surly has pared down the sizing options to eight. There’s still a good size range, though, with frames from 46 to 64cm.

The price for the Straggler frameset is £899.99 in the UK and $899 in the US.

US riders can also choose from two full builds: Shimano Cues 1×11-speed and Alexrims on Novatec hubs, priced at $1,999 or Shimano GRX RX820 2×12-speed and Teravail Washburn wheels, priced at $2,499.

Full builds of the size 46, 49 and 52 frames are fitted with 650b wheels in place of 700c.

Leaked retailer listings, trademark filings and recently published patents suggest Shimano is preparing to launch a new road bike pedal system called SPD-SLR – potentially including long-rumoured power meter pedals.

Shimano’s clipless pedal technology has remained relatively stable for decades. Riders broadly have two options: SPD, the two-bolt recessed system generally used for off-road riding, and SPD-SL, the three-bolt road-specific standard.

Now, there are signs Shimano could be preparing to introduce a third system: SPD-SLR.

It’s unclear what physical form SPD-SLR would take, and Shimano declined to comment on the matter when approached by BikeRadar, but here’s what we can glean from the leaked information

• Read more: Shimano SPD vs SPD-SL pedals: what’s the right system for you?

Leaked retail hints

I first spotted the pedals via a listing on Neo Zigma – the official Shimano distributor for the Philippines. It shows multiple new pedal models bearing the SPD-SLR name.

The listings include:

Clicking through to the products reveals no specifications or images, and none are available to purchase at the time of writing.

On its own, an erroneous listing is not proof that a new product line is imminent.

However, the product codes and SKUs align closely with Shimano’s existing conventions, suggesting these are not mistaken entries.

It is also common for retailers to be supplied with a list of product codes prior to products going on sale, and for those to be published accidentally. I have found pre-release products in this manner before and expect the same to have happened here. That the listings are on an official distributor’s site is also notable.

Assuming the codes are accurate, the listings also appear to confirm the next generation of Dura-Ace will be called R9300, consistent with Shimano’s usual four-year product cycle.

Trademark confirmation

Supporting evidence that Shimano is developing a new pedal system under the SPD-SLR name comes from a recently filed trademark.

Shimano registered SPD-SLR as a trademark with the USPTO on 25 March 2025. The trademark covers a broad spectrum of categories, but it all but confirms that SPD-SLR relates to pedal technology.

Most interesting is the inclusion of power meter pedals in the description of goods covered by the trademark: “Bicycles, including electric bicycles; parts, fittings and accessories for bicycles, including electric bicycles, namely, pedals, pedal which contains bicycle power meter inside, bicycle pedal cleats, toe clips.”

It is entirely possible that Shimano is merely covering its bases with the filing by referencing power meter pedals, leaving the door open for future developments.

However, it is hard to envisage where the existing SPD-SL system can be taken from a development perspective, or to understand if Shimano would even have the desire to fundamentally change a well-liked system, without integrating new technology such as a power meter.

Shimano has resisted pedal-based power meters even as Garmin, Favero and Wahoo have made them mainstream products.

Given their widespread adoption and Shimano’s well-publicised difficulties in developing reliable crank-based power meters, entering the power meter pedal market could be a savvy move.

This leads me to believe a power meter pedal system is the most likely direction of travel for the SPD-SLR system.

Technology has moved on a great deal since then, but a patent filed in 2014 and granted in 2018 shows the brand has seriously investigated the possibility of producing power meter pedals in the past.

That the SPD-SLR range appears to be limited to Ultegra and Dura-Ace-level components also appears to back this up.

Although third-party manufacturers, such as Stages and 4iiii, offer power meters down to 105 level, Shimano’s range of crank-based power meters extends only to its two premium road bike groupsets.

If Shimano follows through with its typical naming conventions, the ‘R’ in SPD-SLR is likely to stand for Race. Power meters have historically been reserved for Shimano’s race-level groupsets, hinting further that this is a new power meter system.

What might Shimano SPD-SLR pedals and cleats look like?

However, the potential existence of new cleats gives me pause for thought.

As with its new CL-MT001 MTB cleats, ensuring a new power meter pedal system had backwards compatibility with its existing pedals would be in keeping with Shimano’s overall philosophy.

With that in mind, to see standalone cleats marketed as SPD-SLR for sale suggests the new system may take a different trajectory from power meters. But what form might new cleats take?

At the basic end of the scale, Shimano may make similar moves to its CL-MT001 cleats, making it easier to clip and unclip within the existing form factor of the SPD-SL cleat.

SPD-SL is among the easiest systems to use on the market, and the ability to walk is decent. However, the same could have been said of its existing two-bolt SPD cleats, but Shimano MT001 is claimed to bring small tangible improvements. Could we see the same for SPD-SLR?

Into more speculative territory, while its pedals have among the lowest stack heights on the market, Shimano may also look to slim down its cleat system. 

It’s worth noting that Shimano has quoted SPD-SL pedal stack heights, including the cleat (unlike most competitors), which makes them appear taller on paper than they are. 

For example, a Dura-Ace PD-R9100 pedal is listed at 14.6mm, but that figure includes around 5mm for the SPD-SL cleat, putting the true pedal-only stack height closer to 9.3mm.

Even still, if this is a racing-focused product, Shimano could look to squeeze out a little more ground clearance and a closer shoe-pedal interface – although I have no evidence to support this assumption.

Looking more outlandish, Shimano has released a flurry of patents in recent years relating to pedal and cleat technology.

A recent Shimano filing shows a pedal and cleat system that operates differently from Shimano’s existing SPD and SPD-SL designs. Instead of a spring-loaded jaw that clamps the cleat when you stamp down, the new design uses a sliding, track-style interface.

The cleat is shaped to fit into a channel on the pedal, locking into place in a docking motion rather than a forceful stomp. A small locking mechanism or flexible element secures the cleat.

Shimano has also filed patents describing electronic, automatically adjusting cleat systems, which would adapt as you ride.

As always with patents, there is no guarantee any design will ever reach the market – Shimano, in particular, regularly patents concepts, from the mundane to the outlandish, that never see production.

What’s next?

For its part, Shimano declined to comment on the leak, issuing its boilerplate statement: “We are constantly in development of new products, and Shimano does not comment on rumours or speculation about products, whether they are in development or not.”

However, taken together, the evidence points towards Shimano significantly updating its road pedal ecosystem – potentially as part of a wider refresh of its road bike groupset line-up.

The potential integration of power meters would mark a major milestone for Shimano, bringing it in line with rivals who already offer dual-sided, pedal-based systems.

Recently filed patents could hint at a new design direction for its road bike pedals, although there’s no strong evidence to suggest what trajectory this may take.

If and when SPD-SLR does arrive, it could represent the first major shift in Shimano’s road pedal ecosystem in decades – and perhaps the long-awaited moment when Shimano finally embraces pedal-based power meters.

Indoor cycling app Rouvy has announced a raft of updates as cyclists in the northern hemisphere batten down for a winter of riding on their turbos.

First up is Rouvy’s answer to Strava segments, offering a range of pre-defined timed segments in the app, complete with leaderboards.

The Rouvy segments aren’t only climbs; they offer sprints and rolling roads to ride, and you can challenge your fellow riders in real time to see who’s fastest, as with Strava Live segments in the great outdoors.

With Rouvy’s segments, as with Strava’s, you can race against the segment leader, your friends’ and your own best times, but rather than a dot on a map, each is represented by an avatar.

While Rouvy has chosen to create its own segment network, Zwift has Strava segments in its app. Initially, anyone could create Strava segments in Zwift, but as in the real world, these became a mish-mash of the useful and the confusing, so Zwift has now cut back to offer only its own segments.

• Read more: Rouvy indoor cycling app: everything you need to know
  

New roads to ride

Rouvy is scattering its segments over its existing roads, as well as a suite of new roads. Its Winter Training Camp Spotlight arrives on 8 December and continues into 2026, with pro-team inspired routes in destinations including Girona, Calpe and (we guess not in the winter) Andorra.

If you’ve been there, done that and don’t fancy repeating it on the turbo, there are also new routes arriving between the tail end of October and mid-January 2026. They’re in further-flung destinations including Sri Lanka, Bolivia and even Tajikistan, even if, unlike the real thing, the latter two don’t add altitude acclimatisation to the mix.

There’s also a five-week climbing spotlight, running from 10 November to 23 December. It features five passes in the Dolomites: Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, Passo Giau, Passo Fedaia and Passo Gardena. Rouvy’s rides star Andrew Feather, who’s a Rouvy ambassador and should know his climbs because he’s a former British hill climb champion.

New app features

Rouvy has added functionality to enable you to toggle ERG mode on and off as you ride, so you can choose your own resistance level if the app-controlled power level becomes too much. It’s also handy to add more precision for structured workouts, Rouvy says. 

There are also refinements to route searches, including selection by gradient, and to Rouvy’s virtual garage, enabling you to choose your avatar’s appearance and equipment. 

Rapha says its new Pro Team Shadow collection, launched today, is “dialled for your hardest efforts on the most unpredictable days”. There’s a jacket, a gilet and a long-sleeved jersey, all available for men and women, alongside a hat and gloves to finish off your weatherproof ensemble.

Rapha has had a Pro Team Lightweight Shadow jacket in its range for a few years. The former version of the jacket didn’t include a membrane, but was double-treated with a DWR coating.

However, with brands phasing out PFAS ‘forever’ chemicals, the new Pro Team Shadow collection has a PFAS-free water-resistant surface treatment. 

There’s also a microporous membrane built into the new jacket, which was absent from its predecessor, and Rapha says its new fabric is high-stretch and windproof, too. There’s internal taping on major seams to help keep the rain out, and you can load up with your ride stuff thanks to the usual array of rear pockets.

According to James Stannard, Rapha’s head of product management: “When we developed the Rapha Pro Team Shadow range, we wanted to address some of the key pain points which riders experience during winter.” 

Stannard says Rapha tested its fabrics and design in a climate chamber, as well as letting riders including Lachlan Morton loose to test the new Pro Team Shadow range in real-world conditions.

Morton praises the gilet’s versatility and packability, while Noah Streif of the EF Education-Aevolo development team reckons the new jacket can replace three or four layers, keeping out wind and cold. 

“We opted for high-stretch fabrics for comfort across a range of body types and an all-over membrane to eliminate cold-spots. This combination hits the sweet spot between protection and breathability, so you can head out and ride in changeable conditions whilst remaining totally comfortable,” Stannard continues.

Rapha isn’t the only brand to have launched new lightweight weatherproof jackets recently. Castelli has just unveiled the Perfetto RoS 3, offering a trifecta of windproofing, water resistance and low weight, alongside the Do.Di.Ci jacket, which sacrifices water resistance in favour of breathability that Castelli says is 12 times greater than the original Gabba.

Rapha’s new Pro Team Lightweight Shadow range will be available to buy from Tuesday 30 September, while Rapha Cycle Club members get early access from today.

The Pro Team Shadow jacket is priced at £325, the gilet at £225 and the long-sleeved jersey at £275. There are four colours available for men and two for women. The matching hat costs £48 and the gloves £70.