We spotted new shoes from Fizik back in February’s UAE tour. Though then it just looked like another lightweight race shoe with a knitted upper.
Now that the details of the new Vega shoe have been released, it’s much more than that.
The Vega’s construction is unlike any previous Fizik shoe in that they’ve embedded the stiff carbon outsole inside of the shoe. Rather than the standard method of bonding a carbon outsole to the upper.
Fizik says that in developing this new construction method, they’ve been able to greatly reduce the stack height at the cleat area, leading to claimed improvements in pedalling efficiency.
The carbon outsole is wrapped by the upper, and then a full-length protective layer is fixed to the shoe. Fizik
Natural shape
Fizik claims it also means improved stiffness (though the Vega’s stiffness rating remains 10/10 on Fizik’s scale) and better foot support as the carbon base is ergonomically shaped to your foot. Fizik says they start the new shoe development from the ground up, designing the outsole and footbed as a single unit.
The redesigned contact point has meant a straighter axis of the shoe’s shape and a reduced drop from heel to toe. They claim this new shape gives a more natural feeling when pedalling.
The internal outsole means a much lower stack height at the cleat. Fizik
The Vegas upper wraps completely around the foot with a carbon plate enclosed within. It’s more of a base to the footbed than a traditional outsole.
The stiff carbon sole being hidden within the shoe and protected by a full polyurethane cover should make the Vega easier to walk in, with a replaceable heel bumper and toe bumper, it should provide lots of protection too.
Multi-material upper
The Vega’s upper uses a blend of materials with a woven fabric called Aeroweave meshed with a thin translucent material, which they say creates a much lighter shoe. At the same time, the upper remains compliant and close-fitting. The inner of the shoe is a foot-wrapping bootie made from a highly perforated Airprene material to add comfort and breathability.
The heel cup blends into a lightweight internal bootie. Fizik
The midfoot and heel cup are reinforced with a bonded material that adds stiffness and stability.
The upper has a more generous toe-box than previous Fizik shoes. Just one of the adjustments made with the new last was developed around the integrated outsole.
Adjust to comfort
Adjustments are made using twin BOA Li2 dials. The upper dial uses a short wire anchored to a ribbon. This controls the fit around the instep, the lower dial adjusts the volume around the medial (middle) part of the foot.
The twin Li2 BOAs control the fit of the upper. Fizik
With a claimed weight of 239g, a shoe (size 44) + 20g for the footbeds, the Vega is a lightweight shoe.
The Vega comes in all-white.
The shoes are available in Sizes: 36-48 (37 to 47 also in half sizes) and in all-white, and the white/blue/yellow Fluoro of Team Movistar.
The blue/white/fluoro option is my favourite. Fizik
The Vegas are priced at £389.99 / €390.00 / $469.99
Your choice of virtual wheelset influences your Zwift speed significantly. And Zwift’s Drop Shop gives us access to lots of wheelsets: almost 50 if you include the Gravel and MTB wheels.
At Zwift Insider, we’ve tested every Zwift frame and wheelset using an accurate, repeatable procedure to determine how it performs in game.
Based on those speed tests, we’ve chosen the 10 best overall wheelsets in Zwift today. This isn’t just a stack rank of the most aero wheels in the game – we took into account how each set performs across a variety of routes.
Without further ado, let’s get to the list! Drumroll please…
This wheelset is the best on Zwift if you rank all the wheels in terms of combined percentile rank – that is, percentile rank for flat performance combined with percentile rank for climb performance. The 454s are climb-focused all-arounders, and very strong ones at that.
Why they’re winners: best climb-focused all-arounders in Zwift.
On the other side of the all-arounder spectrum, the popular ENVE 7.8 wheels are more aero than the Zipp 454, but also heavier. They gain around 11s on the flat, but lose around 9s on the climbs. Where do you want your advantage? How much climbing does your race entail?
Why they’re winners: best aero all-arounders in Zwift.
Another top-ranked wheelset in our stacked percentile ranking, the 353 NSW wheels from Zipp are tied with the Lightweight Meilensteins as the best climbing wheels on Zwift, but hugely outperform them on the flats. These are best seen as pure climbing wheels with solid aero performance.
The fastest (most aero) non-disc wheels on Zwift, ENVE’s 8.9 hoops come in just two seconds slower than the fastest disc wheels (Zipp 858/Super9) while outperforming them by 11 seconds on the climbs. That means these are probably the better choice if your race includes any sort of climbing.
Why they’re winners: fastest (most aero) non-disc wheels in Zwift.
Currently the fastest wheels on Zwift, on road bikes this colorful disc wheelset slightly outperforms the DTSwiss disc (below) on the flats while beating it by ~4 seconds on the climbs. Disc wheels are slowed on road frames, though, so these wheels are only ~2 seconds faster than the most aero non-disc wheels (ENVE 8.9, above).
Note: disc wheels perform more strongly on TT frames than road frames, which means that, if this list was purely for TT racers, we would move these wheels up in the list. But as the vast majority of races on Zwift are road races, these wheels move down the list due to their poor performance on climbs and muted performance on road frames.
Why they’re winners: most aero wheels in Zwift (and extra fast in a time trial).
Zipp’s 858 wheelset essentially trades seconds with the top-ranked 454s, gaining ~6 seconds of aero performance while losing the same ~6 seconds on the climbs. Why rank them so low if they’re just trading seconds? Because those lost climbing seconds are precious!
A strong set of all-arounder hoops, the DICUT 62’s from DTSwiss come in just behind the Zipp 858’s in both aero and climb performance, while beating the Zipp 808’s in both metrics by a handful of seconds. So they slot nicely here into the #7 position.
Possibly the most-raced wheelset on Zwift, the Zipp 808’s were the go-to wheels for in the Zwift peloton for years! They still turn in a solid performance, but are definitely a step behind the newer hoops featured above.
These wheels were the top disc wheelset on Zwift before the deck was reshuffled in March 2025. They’re still quite fast, essentially tied with the 858/Super9 on flat ground but losing ~4 seconds on the climbs.
Note: disc wheels perform more strongly on TT frames than road frames, which means that, if this list was purely for TT racers, we would move these wheels up in the list. But as the vast majority of races on Zwift are road races, these wheels move down the list due to their poor performance on climbs and muted performance on road frames.
Why they’re winners:second-fastest wheelset in all of Zwift.
The nicest thing about the Roval CLX64s is their low level unlock (15), which is much lower than any of the wheelsets above. There’s another nice thing, though: they’re very strong climbers, outperforming every wheelset on this list apart from the Zipp 454 and 353s.
Why they’re winners: Zwift’s most accessible, climb-focused all-rounder wheelset.
We hope all you riders/racers found this post useful. Think there’s a wheelset we should have included in the top 10 but didn’t? Got other questions or comments? Share below!
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike’s performance relative to others may also change. We don’t always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
Trek’s new FX+1 is its first electric bike to have a throttle, providing a boost to your ride via pedal assistance or the handlebar-mounted thumb lever.
The electric hybrid bike is a motorised version of Trek’s FX, and is said to be “equally capable on- or off-road” with wide 2in tyres, an eight-speed Shimano Essa drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes.
The FX+1 is only available in the USA and Canada. It retails for $1,999.99 / CA$2,849 and is aimed at cyclists looking for a versatile and affordable bike that can be used for errands as well as more adventurous rides.
An extra boost
The Trek FX＋1 will provide throttle assistance up to 20mph. Trek
The FX+1 features a 500W Hyena rear-hub motor that provides 60Nm of torque and has a 520Wh battery in the down tube.
An LED display shows ride data and battery level, and can be used to flick through a range of assistance levels.
Trek says the bike has a range of up to 50 miles (80km), depending on the assistance level and how much you use the throttle.
Why add a throttle?
There is ‘consumer demand’ for throttle ebikes, according to a Trek spokesperson. Trek
Trek has added a throttle to the FX+1 due to consumer demand and the popularity of similar bikes in the North American market, according to Taylor Cook, marketing manager for Trek Canada.
Cook told Canadian MTB: “There are a lot of bikes out there calling themselves ebikes that aren’t really made to be pedalled. This isn’t that. It’s still a Trek bike, built to be ridden, just with an extra bit of help when you need it.”
The FX+1 is available in two models to comply with electric bike laws where you live:
The FX+1S is a class 2 and 3 model, which will throttle up to 20mph with pedal assistance up to 28mph.
The FX+1 class 2 model is legal in California and will provide throttle or pedal assistance up to 20mph.
A ‘blank canvas’
You can fit the FX＋1 electric bike with mudguards and a rack. Trek
Trek says the FX+1 is a “blank canvas”, which you can accessorise to your needs.
In other words, the electric bike has mounts to add a rear rack or fenders, which are wise additions for commuting by bike.
The bike is also available in two frame styles, with a mid-step or step-over top tube.
The bike has lights and indicators. Trek
Elsewhere, it has in-built front and rear lights, with indicators you can control from the handlebar.
Trek says the bike lights will continue to function for up to three hours even after the battery reaches 0 per cent.
Magnetic charging
The FX+1 uses Trek’s new EasyMag charger, which clips onto the bike and will fully charge it in 5.5 hours.
The device can mount on a wall and attach to the bike at any angle.
Imagine you’ve just finished a ride and your bike computer has recorded a satisfying round number, such as 100 miles. But when you upload the ride to Strava, the app says you rode a mere 99.9 miles.
This is something many cyclists have experienced, leading to people heading around the block for an extra few metres.
But however frustrating this is, Strava says it rounds down distances on purpose, calling this feature the ‘Strava Tax’.
The Strava Tax can be frustrating. Yuricazac / Getty Images
The Strava Tax sees distances rounded down when you upload them, and Strava says this happens for good reason, calling itself the “ledger of record for human activities”.
“We’re the place where the effort gets documented, the work gets acknowledged, and the numbers carry weight, whether it’s for your own personal progress, a weekly challenge, or a world-record attempt,” Strava explains in a blog post.
“Because of that, we have to record each activity as accurately and authentically as possible. We just show what was recorded, down to the second decimal point.”
Strava explains that your bike computer or smartwatch might read 10 miles, but what it recorded and pushed to Strava might be less. “That means when we round it down for display, you’ll see 9.99,” Strava says.
Devices and supporting apps sometimes improve the raw data to make it cleaner or smoother. For instance, a device might jump to 1km when you’ve only covered an extra metre. Others may record miles differently, converting them from 1,609m or 1,609.344m.
Because of this, Strava says it tries to record data fairly and neutrally. “We don’t try to reverse-engineer your tracker’s optimism or correct them on a device-by-device basis. We display the exact number that came in, rounded down, to reflect the most authentic, reliable version of the truth,” it says.
The Strava Tax goes back a while
GPS has improved a lot, but Strava continues to round down. Scott Windsor / Our Media
Strava decided to round down activities way back in 2012, when GPS wasn’t as good as it is today.
The app says it adopted the same principle you would apply to racing. If you ran a 5k and your watch read 5km before the finish line, you’d keep running.
GPS is now more accurate and the way distance is calculated is more complicated. Strava says devices now combine inputs – from GPS, pedometers and accelerometers, for instance – which is why you sometimes have distances recorded on activities missing GPS. Considering this complexity, Strava continues to round down.
So GPS is more accurate, but Strava is keeping its tax. This might seem like an odd decision, but Strava says removing the tax could lead to bigger problems, for you and the platform.
If your activities were rounded up, the distance you record over a year – or many years – would become skewed.
Strava says changing the tax would have a big impact on the app: “We’d need to change the display rules for display, storage, Challenges, Best Efforts, and so on. It would be an enormous lift that requires deprioritising other parts of the product.”
What do other apps do?
When BikeRadar spoke to the makers of other ride-recording apps, it was hard to get a clear answer on how they deal with distance data. One app developer passed on commenting, while Ride with GPS explained how its app displays distance when you’re riding and after you save an activity.
“What riders see while recording an activity using our mobile app is exactly what they will see after saving, as our calculations happen in real-time during the activity. Because we have limited space to display metrics for a user’s ride, we’ve chosen to display distance as accurately as possible by truncating the last digit from view,” a Ride with GPS spokesperson said, adding that this method is a more accurate reflection of distance.
“Post-processing a recorded distance down from what the rider was seeing the whole time while recording in the mobile app would potentially lead to an unhappy user,” they added.
So it seems Strava is the clearest on how it deals with this data, and at least its method is one tax we can understand.
Today, Elite announced a firmware update unlocking Zwift virtual shifting across their entire range of interactive direct-drive trainers, including older model versions no longer in production. With this update, the list of Elite trainers with virtual shifting support now includes:
If you own one of the trainers above, you can now upgrade its firmware via Elite’s Upgrado app in order to receive virtual shifting capabilities.
For the Justo 2 and Avanti, which have built-in Wi-Fi, the upgrade will happen automatically.
Virtual Shifter Options (Play/Click/Ride)
Play controllersClick controller
To use Zwift’s virtual shifting, you don’t just need a compatible trainer – you also need shifters! While Zwift (unfortunately) doesn’t sell the simple Click shifter as a standalone item, there are three options currently in stock at the Zwift shop:
Elite tells us Zwifters can use code ELITEZCOG2024 for a €20 discount on the Cog & Click Upgrade pack.
To Cog, or Not To Cog?
You don’t need the Zwift Cog installed on your trainer for virtual shifting to work – your current cassette will work just fine. But some riders may prefer to use the Cog so it’s easier to swap between different bikes on the trainer.
To say this is a big move from Elite would be an understatement. With industry leader Wahoo only supporting virtual shifting on their newest trainers (plus the KICKR Core), and Garmin/Tacx not supporting it at all (yet), Elite’s move to support it on all of their trainers (including versions that are several years old and not even in production anymore) should earn them a lot of goodwill with existing customers.
We all love it when new capabilities are added to existing hardware. And we really don’t like being forced to purchase new hardware to access new capabilities, when it appears as if our current hardware could do the job just fine with a quick firmware update.
I don’t have a legacy Elite trainer in-house on which to test virtual shifting, but if it works as well as it’s been working on the Direto XR, then this is a move that will earn Elite plenty of points with current customers. Bravo!
Questions or Comments?
Have you tried virtual shifting on an Elite trainer? Share your experience below! Share below!
The folks at WTRL have announced the second annual “Zwift Racing League Showdown,” a four-week, multi-format team racing competition. Get all the details below.
A Mini ZRL… with Twists
The ZRL Showdown operates like a trimmed-down Zwift Racing League, with a shorter schedule (4 weeks/races) and smaller teams (max of 10 on your roster, with up to 4 racing each week) racing on Tuesdays.
But there are some twists, including a revised scoring system with more ways to earn points! (Learn more about the new scoring system below.)
Like the regular-season ZRL, 40+ race times will be available, and your team must race at the same time each week. Both women-only and open races are available.
(The ZRL Summer Showdown is a standalone event, so results in this series will not affect the regular ZRL season.)
New Points System
The ZRL Showdown uses a revised points system that differs from last year’s Showdown and the most recent ZRL season. Here’s a summary of how this ZRL Showdown’s scoring will work (read the details on WTRL’s site):
TTT: your team’s time is taken from the 3rd rider across the line (not the 4th rider like ZRL).
Individual FAL: first across the line points are given to the first 40 riders (40 points for first place, down to 1 point for 40th place) for each designated FAL segment.
Team FAL: top 3 individual FAL scores per team are added together, then teams are ranked by these totals, with the 5 highest-ranked teams earning league points bonuses: 5 points for 1st place down to 1 point for 5th place. (Team FAL does not exist in ZRL.)
FTS: fastest through segment points are given to the 5 fastest riders through each designated FTS segment, with participants able to score multiple times if they clock more than 1 of the top 5 times. 1st place gets 10 points, 2nd place 8 points, down to 5th place getting 2 points.
FIN: finishing points are awarded based on finishing order and are scaled based on field size. First place receives finish points equal to the number of riders who started the race, 2nd place 1 less, etc.
PBP: podium bonus points (which don’t exist in ZRL) are given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place riders across the line.
Points Races: 5 rider points for 1st place, 3 points for 2nd place, 1 points for 3rd place.
Scratch Races: 10 rider points for 1st place, 6 points for 2nd place, 3 points for 3rd place.
League Points: once the race ends, the 1st place team earns points equivalent to the total number of teams starting the race. 2nd place earns one less, etc.
Zwift version 1.90 begins its phased rollout today. It includes the much-requested Splits feature, along with some visual tweaks and bug fixes. Read on for details…
New Splits Feature
Zwifters have long requested the ability to trigger laps/splits in game, allowing us to record our own custom interval data while riding in Zwift. Cycling head units have long offered this functionality, so many riders are already familiar with the concept of a “lap button” you can click so the head unit will display data for your current “lap”, including average power, length of time, and speed/distance.
You can trigger a new split in several different ways.
Click the “New Split” button in the Action Bar (which is also in the Companion app)
Click the on-screen lap button in the Splits HUD (on all platforms except AppleTV)
Use the tab key on your keyboard (this will not work in a workout, however, as this is the shortcut for skipping the interval)
If you own the Zwift Ride you can configure the left drop button to trigger a new split:
The new Splits HUD displays the time, distance, and average power of each split. It also shows a color-coded power zone duration bar that functions just like the bar at the top-left below your power number, except it’s only showing power durations for each specific interval.
Once you’ve triggered a split, you’ll have access to another new “Toggle Side Display” button in the Action Bar next to the New Split button. This swaps the side display between the Splits HUD and the Leaderboard.
Splits data is written to your FIT file, so it can be displayed later on in other platforms like Strava, Garmin, Intervals.icu, etc.
Note: structured workouts will trigger a ”lap” for each interval block, as they always have. To view these splits after your workout, press the Toggle Side Display button in the Action Bar.
Here’s a quick video walkthrough of how it works in game:
There are a few minor UI bugs that Zwift still needs to iron out, including the list of splits not scrolling to the top when you click away from that list, and some typesetting being a bit misaligned, especially in non-English languages.
But the functionality is in place and working well, as far as we can see. Let’s do the splits!
Updated Lighting Effects
If you’ve noticed snazzier lighting effects during your recent Zwift sessions, you’re not hallucinating. Here’s a quick video screenshot recorded in Watopia on version 1.90:
Zwift has been experimenting with improved lighting effects lately, and while they haven’t mentioned it in any of the update notes, more and more Zwifters are starting to notice lighting changes. Our guess is that Zwift is rolling out the updated lighting to specific groups of users on certain types of hardware.
More Release Notes
Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:
Improved the appearance of flat routes in the mini-map route profile.
Fixed an issue that could cause the mini-map elevation profile to be stuck at the start of some routes.
Fixed an issue that caused the Leaderboard visibility setting to behave as if it were set to “Auto” when the “Always” setting was selected.
Fixed gaps in the roadway on the Douce France route in France.
Fixed an issue that could cause the roadway to flicker in some sections on the R.G.V. route in France.
iOS: Stability improvements.
Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum > (link coming soon)
Questions or Comments?
If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!
Some videos defy genre, logic and liver function. This 1976 gem from the BBC archives follows Big Jim Collie – a Scottish crofter with a taste for solitude and strong drink – as he sets off on his 105th crossing of the Lairig Ghru, one of the highest mountain passes in Britain, aboard his war-era bone-shaker of a bike, the ‘Lairig Flyer’.
This gloriously odd film is part poetic travelogue, part slow-motion solo outdoors pub crawl – it’s utterly fabulous, and worth seven minutes of your day.
Jim lives alone in a tin-roofed bothy in the foothills of the Cairngorms. In the video, he’s heading to Braemar – 60 miles by road, but only 22 if you’re willing to drag you and your bike through some of the wildest terrain in Scotland.
He starts the day with a wee dram, and keeps going with the help of a generous network of whisky caches stashed along the route – not to mention the three pints he guzzles at Mar Lodge.
With rod brakes and a single gear, his bike – bought for six bob off a friend – was a relic even by 1976 standards. Undeterred, Jim explains mechanical issues – punctures, broken pedals, collapsed wheels – are met with the same response: shrug, sip, press on.
Mondraker has extended its Arid gravel bike line-up with two new alloy models, built using the brand’s Stealth Evo aluminium and sharing the same geometry as the Arid Carbon.
The brand says the bikes offer the same overall ride comfort as the carbon variant, making them perfect for long days in the saddle, whatever your blend of gravel riding.
The Arid Alloy lowers the price of entry to Mondraker’s gravel range, starting at £2,299 / $2,499 / €2,399 for the Arid, with the SRAM Apex AXS-equipped Arid R priced at £2,699 / $2,899 / €2,799.
Alloy rebirth
The Arid Alloy looks well suited to bikepacking. Mondraker
The Arid Alloy uses Mondraker’s Stealth Evo aluminium, with the tubes connected using the brand’s Smooth Welding Technology, which is said to give a sleek finish, as well as ensuring a smooth ride by efficiently absorbing vibrations.
The frame is said to weigh in at 1,992g for a size medium. Mondraker
There are multiple mounts across the frame for cages and bags, with the Stealth Carbon fork shared between both models featuring mounting bosses too.
Mondraker has designed the Arid using its Forward Geometry, first seen on its mountain bikes. This gives the bike a longer wheelbase, slightly slacker head angle and shorter stems than on most other brands’ gravel bikes.
Mondraker has a long history of mountain bike design. Mondraker
This is said to aid control while you’re riding off-road.
The frame protection is replaceable should you damage it. Mondraker
For those looking to take in rougher gravel terrain, the Arid is compatible with 50c tyres and features down-tube protection to fend off rock strikes when you’re bombing descents.
The seatstay design is said to add compliance on the carbon version. Mondraker
The bike features a sleek aesthetic, with headset cable routing keeping the front end cable-free and featuring the same dropped rear seatstay design as seen on the Arid Carbon.
Mondraker has an extensive sizing chart, with the Arid Alloy available in five sizes, ranging from S to XL.
Plus, to get a better fit, the handlebar and stem are tailored to each size. For the S and M sizes, you get a 440mm-wide handlebar and 60mm or 70mm stem, respectively.
Mondraker Arid Alloy spec and price details
Mondraker Arid Alloy
The Arid Alloy features a mechanical Shimano GRX groupset. Mondraker
Fork: Stealth Carbon
Drivetrain: Shimano GRX RX-610
Brakes: Shimano GRX RX-610
Wheels: Mavic Allroad Disc
Tyres: Maxxis Reaver 700x45c
Price: £2,299 / $2,499 / €2,399
Mondraker Arid Alloy R
The Arid Alloy R uses SRAM’s Apex AXS wireless groupset. Mondraker
Pirelli has launched the Cinturato Evo TLR, a new all-season, all-road tyre available in 45, 50 and enormous 55mm sizes.
With more regular widths (28, 30, 32, 35 and 40mm) also available, the Cinturato Evo TLR is arguably the most all-encompassing road bike tyre ever put on sale.
Pirelli says you’ll be able to buy the three largest sizes in the summer, but the smaller sizes are available from today. These cost £74.99 / $92.90 / €79.90 in all sizes and sidewall variants.
The all-encompassing, all-season, all-road tyre?
We’ve got our hands on the 40mm tyre already, but can’t wait to see the monster 55mm version. Scott Windsor / Our Media
Pirelli claims the tyre is best suited for ‘endurance’ and ‘light gravel’ applications, with secondary usage cases for ‘performance’ and ‘gravel’ riding. Naturally, the widest tyres are better suited to rougher surfaces.
The brand doesn’t distinguish a favoured ‘season’ – it says the tyre is intended for use all year round, excelling for wet grip, high mileage, puncture protection and comfort (it scores 5/5 using Pirelli’s arbitrary ratings chart for these characteristics, and 3/5 for speed and weight).
These strengths are said to be derived from the brand’s new top-level SmartEvo AS (all-season) compound, representing an upgrade on the SmartNet Silica compound used for the Cinturato Velo and Cinturato Road TLR models.
The tyre features a bold tread pattern based on the brand’s Scorpion Trail III motorcycle tyre, claimed to help the Cinturato Evo TLR bite down into the road. Pirelli
The tyre employs Pirelli’s Techwall+ Road tubeless-ready casing, which debuted on the Road TLR, fortified by a nylon puncture protection belt rather than Kevlar, as seen in the Armour Tech casing of the Velo tyre. This has a 60 threads-per-inch count.
All the tyres are compatible with hookless rims, subject to ETRTO-recommended limits (the 28mm tyre can’t be used on a hookless rim with a 25mm-wide internal diameter), while Pirelli offers handy guidelines for each tyre for optimal rim widths.
At the time of writing, Pirelli hasn’t confirmed its recommended rim-width compatibilities for the 45, 50 and 55mm sizes, but the rest of the range’s vital statistics are as follows:
The 28, 30 and 32mm tyres are available with tan (pictured) and cream-coloured sidewalls. Pirelli
The new tyre is available from today, in 28, 30, 32, 35 and 40mm widths. The 45, 50 and 55mm versions are set to follow in the summer.
‘Classic’ (tan) and ‘retro’ (cream) sidewall variants are also available for the 28, 30 and 32mm sizes, alongside black. All feature the use of over 50 per cent bio-based and recycled materials in their construction, and FSC certification for the brands’ rubber-sourcing supply chain.
You may be forgiven for not knowing about Diamant. Even though the German brand was founded in 1885, Diamant bikes are rarely seen outside of mainland Europe.
Diamant was acquired by Trek Bikes in 2002 and it now has a range of affordable urban bikes, including ebikes.
Catching my attention from the new 2025 range is this Diamant 140, launched today and named in celebration of Diamant’s 140th anniversary.
It’s described as “A tool to go out and play, ride the way you always wanted, ride where you always wanted, and for as long as your fun lasts”. We’re invited to “Escape your boundaries. Escape this planet – why not ride the moon?”.
Urban cool
The 1x 12 GRX mechanical groupset is good to see on a bike at this price. Scott Windsor / Ourmedia
While Lunar bikepacking is somewhat ambitious, I like the Diamant’s retro-inspired paintjob, gold bolts and Brooks saddle, which give the 140 a splash of urban cool.
With huge tyres, suspension and a well-appointed frame, the Diamant 140 looks bang on trend alongside cutting-edge gravel bikes such as the Lee Cougan Innova Super Gravel and Ridley’s new Ignite GTX. However, unlike those premium gravel race bikes, the Diamant is a modestly priced machine at £1,700 / €1,800.
The Brooks Cambium C17 saddle is a classy addition to the spec. Scott Windsor / Ourmedia
The chunky aluminium frameset is paired with a SunTour NX32, 75mm-travel gravel suspension fork.
The 140 rolls on 650b Bontrager/Shimano wheels with fat 2.1in tubeless Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres. It’s driven by a 1x 12 Shimano GRX mechanical groupset.
Completing the bike is a Bontrager gravel bar, a mini-porter rack and a classy Brooks C17 Cambium saddle.
The Racktime Viewit rack is minimalist and practical.
Smart price
The dropouts show a versatile frame; it’s ready for hub gears. The split seatstay makes it belt-drive compatible, too. Scott Windsor / Ourmedia
Diamant explains: “We’ve stripped this adventure gravel bike down to the essentials, but fear not. It can be fitted with anything you need or want.”
The £1,700 / €1,800 price tag looks like good value, especially for a rugged commuter bike that could be a lot of fun at the weekend.
I’m certainly looking forward to getting off-grid on my next ride home, although probably not via the Sea of Tranquility.
Visma-Lease a Bike riders have been spotted using what appears to be an updated Cervélo S5.
In images posted to Instagram by noted social media sleuth, @cyclingspy, various Visma-Lease A Bike riders are seen testing the new aero road bike ahead of next month’s Critérium du Dauphiné – the traditional build-up race to the Tour de France.
As far as we can see from the grainy images, the new Cervélo S5 looks set to continue with a broadly similar design.
However, the aero handlebar and eye-catching V-stem have been revised, with the new bike moving away from a two-piece system.
Let’s have a look at what else we can glean from the images and when we can expect to find out more.
Cervélo has trod lightly with its flagship aero bike platform since it last overhauled it in 2019, and this latest S5 looks to offer more of the same.
From the low-resolution image, the frame in question looks practically identical to the current S5, with a slightly sloping top tube and rear-wheel-hugging seat tube, alongside a deep aero seatpost.
Up front, though, Cervélo has again decided to refine the cockpit setup.
The new handlebar ditches adjustability in favour of performance. Cyclingspy
Where the current version of the S5 uses a two-piece cockpit, with a separate V-stem and aero handlebar (which bolts on to the stem, rather than being clamped by it), the new bike appears to use a one-piece integrated handlebar and stem.
The central portion of the handlebar, between the two arms of the V-stem, also looks to have been slimmed down – perhaps in a bid to save weight or to improve its aerodynamic efficiency (or both).
Is this really a new bike?
The bike seen on social media looks very similar to the current bike at a glance, but is there more here than meets the eye?
Given there’s little concrete indication anything significant has changed about the S5’s frameset, it’s reasonable to question whether this is a whole new bike and not just a handlebar upgrade.
Even if the side profile of the bike has only seen minor changes, though, it’s possible Cervélo has made other adjustments to the frame shapes – such as making the head tube or fork legs narrower, for example – which weren’t obvious when viewed from the side.
Changes such as those could, in theory, help make the bike more aerodynamic without adding weight – something that would be critical for Visma-Lease a Bike’s two-time Tour de France winner, Jonas Vingegaard.
Given the UCI updated its technical regulations ahead of the 2023 WorldTour season, around six months after the current S5 was announced, it’s possible there’s more room to eke out performance gains from the current design.
Given the Critérium du Dauphiné serves as the traditional warm-up event for the Tour de France, we’re likely to get a better look at this new bike shortly, as the Visma-Lease a Bike riders polish their form and put any new kit through its paces before the biggest event on the cycling calendar in July.
This is my third article on Jersey hunting, following those from about two and four years ago. It is an overview of what is currently available, a few tips, and a section about my personal motivations.
The Basics
Zwift has four types of jerseys that can be earned during a ride:
Route (always orange, but different than the Standard Orange Zwift jersey)
Sprint (bright green, although some sprints in France are a darker green)
King/Queen of the Mountain (KQOM – red polka dot, except for Special KQOM jerseys)
Special (various other jerseys that are associated with Leaderboards, like France’s Ven-Top and Watopia’s Fuego Flats)
In most worlds, the Route, Sprint, and KQOM jerseys can combine to make more variations (more on that later)
What’s Possible
There are now 121 individual Leaderboard jerseys up for grabs (an increase from 95 from just two years ago). The current tally is:
Watopia = 34 (Specials for Epic KQOM, Jungle, Alp du Zwift, Fuego Flats, Volcano, and Titan’s Grove)
Makuri = 23
France = 18 (Special KQOM for Ven-Top, the same design as Watopia’s Epic KQOM)
Scotland = 9
London = 8 (Special KQOM for Keith and Leith Hills)
Innsbruck = 7
Yorkshire = 6
Richmond = 6
NYC = 6
Paris = 4 (no KQOM)
TdF KQOM Jersey (L) vs regular KQOM Jersey (R)
The Details
Watopia:
10 Special jerseys that are mentioned above (Alp du Zwift and Volcano have only forward segments)
4 Route jerseys: Hilly Loop and Jarvis Island, with forward and reverse segments for both
12 Sprint jerseys: 2 on Hilly Loop, 8 along the Coast, 2 on Jarvis (again, those include both forward and reverse segments)
8 KQOM jerseys: 2 on Hilly Loop, 2 on Jarvis, 3 associated with the Coast (The Grade, Itza, Mayan Mountain), and 1 for the Radio Tower
The Hilly Loop (and most world’s) jerseys can be combined four ways – meaning, earning a Sprint-Route, will result in a split green/orange jersey; the Sprint-KQOM will be a green with a mountain border; Route-KQOM, orange with mountain border; and all three will be split orange/green with the mountain border. Again, both forward and reverse combined jerseys are possible.
Jarvis Island Route, Sprint, and KQOM do not combine
France:
A few things changed with the Tour de France jerseys that appeared in conjunction with the 2023 race:
The Marina Sprint jersey, along with the Balloon and Pavé jerseys, turned to a darker green with the TdF sponsorships.
The Marina Sprint orange jersey was retired, although the Leaderboard ranking still shows it as orange. It was the same as the Route jersey in other worlds.
The Aqueduc and Petit KOMs turned to smaller polka dots with the TdF sponsorships
With the latest France update adding new roads, the old (non-TdF) Sprint and KOM jerseys reappeared – but only for the new Leaderboards (eg, Sprinteur, Ventoux Half)
Combined jerseys are not possible
No Route or orange jersey
6 dark green (TdF) Sprint jerseys; 6 bright green Sprint jerseys
3 small polka dot (TdF) KOM jerseys; 2 KQOM jerseys (Mostly Ventoux and Ventoux Half)
1 Special jersey for the full Ven-Top segment
TdF Sprint Jersey (L) vs regular Sprint Jersey (R) in France. Note the Leaderboard still shows the Marina Sprint as an orange jersey, even though it’s been retired.
All of the other worlds remain unchanged.
More Info
Some Combined jerseys can be earned on a single route, meaning no manual turns are required. Just ride the route. These are: Watopia’s Hilly Loop, Paris, Richmond, Innsbruck, and Yorkshire.
Earning the Combined jersey in NYC with all three requires manually going to the KQOMs on the skyline. I’ve found it best to complete the Sprint which is on the Route, then head to the skyline for the KQOM. In practice, getting the longest segment out of the way gives more time to make attempt(s) on the outlier.
Combined London is similar. Doing the London Loop route includes the KQOM (Box/Fox). Then head to the Sprint (Classique) to attempt the triple Combined jersey.
Combined Scotland requires the most turning, since neither the Sprint nor the required KQOM are along the Loch Loop route. My recommendation for Scotland forward is to do the Route, head down to knock off the Champion Sprint, then U-turn and head up Sgurr North. For Scotland reverse, after doing the route, U-turn and head right up Sgurr South, then down to the Champion Sprint. There’s only one direction for the Sprint, but it combines with either of the other segment directions.
Route, Sprint, and KQOM Combined Jersey in Scotland
Again, neither France nor Makuri have Combined jerseys.
I had a fellow Zwifter ask about getting the unique London Special pink polka dot jersey (Keith/Leith), as her favorite color is pink, and she had never been able to snag one. I’ve found the easiest way to earn it is to select the London Loop. After earning the powerup at the start (hopefully the Feather), do a U-turn. Then as you’re approaching the Box/Keith split, turn left to go up Keith to make the attempt. My experience is that fewer people ride Keith than Leith, so there’s less competition. BTW, it worked for her on the first try!
The Special Keith (and Leith) KQOM Jersey in London
Speaking of powerups, having the right one for the right segment is key – ie, the Aero or Van for most Sprints, or Feather for a KQOM. If you possess the “wrong” powerup, you can try to score the needed one by trashing (or using) it, then going across a finish line. But there’s a catch. You can’t get a new one until you ride at least a kilometer (0.6 mile) after you claimed your previous one.
Personal Note
As a few Zwifters know, I keep myself motivated by, surprise, trying to earn Leaderboard jerseys. And to motivate myself even further, I’m trying to see how many consecutive free rides I can do, earning one. I just recently exceeded 250 in a row (and counting – knock on wood), which is over a 3+ year span.
For those who are interested, here are my unofficial rules to make the ride count:
Free rides only. Events don’t count for or against the streak. That includes after the event is finished, when continuing to free ride is possible.
Only once per day. Meaning, I can’t ride several times a day, and then count each ride towards the streak.
But… if I do ride more than once in a day, and fail to get a jersey, then the streak would end.
Coffee Stops not allowed during a segment.
Rogue worlds not allowed – no using a hack to ride a world that is not offered on Zwift that day.
Not required, but I try to get “photo” evidence of the jersey. I do this because in the post-ride summary, some segments don’t show the jersey being earned when it’s due to someone timing out or ending their session.
Only Leaderboard jerseys count towards the streak. There are some segments where a jersey is not awarded for being on top of the Leaderboard. For instance, Watopia’s Volcano lap and Richmond’s 23rd St.
I try to rotate among the worlds. But I’ll admit, I don’t find NYC, Richmond, Paris, or Innsbruck very fun. I sprinkle them in only occasionally.
I’m also trying to earn every jersey out there, and am currently at 112 of the possible 121 individual jerseys. It seems like every time I get close to earning them all, Zwift adds some more. Ugh.
Keen Zwifters have been using Zwift’s Climb Portal to earn extra XP since the feature was first released in the summer of 2023.
Since then, Zwift has made some tweaks and additions to the Portals – some that made it harder to earn XP, some that made it easier.
But as you’ll soon see, the Portal is still the most effective way to earn XP on Zwift, provided you follow a few simple rules. Let’s dive in!
Gaming the Portal: the Basics
Climb Portals can be “gamed” to earn XP at a higher-than-normal rate because each climb is broken up into 10 equidistant sections with a powerup arch at the end of each section. That means you can receive 10 powerups during the course of completing each Portal climb.
Powerups are given in a “randomized” fashion, but that randomness is weighted:
Feather: 25%
Small Bonus (+10XP): 65%
Large Bonus: 10%
To maximize your XP earn rate, you need to maximize the rate at which you receive powerups, which means riding through as many powerup arches as possible in a given amount of time. How do you maximize your “arch count”?
Ride the shortest climbs
Ride the least steep climbs
Pedal harder
Use a fast bike
Perhaps the simplest way to maximize your XP earn rate is to think of it terms of four basic rules…
If you ride a TT frame, you’ll always get the small bonus powerup at every arch (+10XP). This may seem like a good thing, but it’s not, if you’re playing the numbers!
You’ll want to ride a standard road frame so you have the possibility of getting the large bonus (+250XP). Additionally, road frames climb faster than heavy TT frames, and also draft others, so you’ll be able to ride through more arches in less time. Read Fastest Climbing Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level to learn which frame and wheels to use.
If you’re riding a very slack climb (or perhaps riding the 50% versions of climbs), riding a more aero bike may prove a bit faster than riding
Rule #2: Choose the Shortest, Flattest Climbs
Zwift places 10 powerup arches on every Portal climb, whether the climb is very short or very long. So a 20km climb will have an arch every 2km, while a 2km climb will have an arch every 200 meters. Which climb will award the most XP? The shorter one, of course!
As of today, here are the 5 shortest Portals on Zwift (you can see the full list of climbs here):
You’re at the mercy of Zwift’s Climb Portal schedule, though – you can’t just choose to ride these short climbs whenever you’d like. So you have to check out that schedule and plan your XP farming days.
To make a climb as flat as possible, choose the 50% scaling option when you select your climb, which trims off even more time! For example, Oude Kwaremont takes about 5:50 per round trip (up and down) at 4 w/kg at the default 100% scaling. But a round trip at 50% scaling is a minute faster, meaning you’ll earn ~20% more XP on average at 50%!
(One gotcha, though: your scaled-down climbing won’t be visible on Strava leaderboards. In fact, your entire ride is flagged as “gamified” and not matched against Strava segments, because doing so would break the leaderboards entirely.)
The game gives you a powerup as you ride through each arch, but if you’re holding a powerup through the arch, you won’t get a fresh one.
So if you enter the portal with a powerup, or you get a Feather powerup during your climb, be sure to use it before the next arch so you can get a fresh powerup when you pass through.
(This can actually be a little tricky on super-short climbs, since the Feather lasts for 30 seconds and the powerup arches come very quickly on shorter climbs. In some cases, you may want to simply trash your Feathers instead of activating them.)
If you’re doing hill repeats to earn lots of extra XP, flip a quick u-turn at the top after the last arch instead of riding the roundabout to get onto the descent. This will knock another ~30 seconds off of your round-trip time, which, on a short climb like Oude Kwaremont increases your earn rate by ~10%. #marginalgains
How much XP can you earn?
Given the breakdown of Portal powerup probabilities (Feather 25%, Small Bonus 65%, Large Bonus 10%), how much XP could you earn per hour if you follow the rules above and ride the shortest possible climb (Cauberg) at 50% scaling?
Riding at 4 W/kg and following the rules above, you’ll finish a round trip in just under 3 minutes, meaning you could do 20 repeats in an hour. Your expected XP earnings would be:
Round trip time at 4 W/kg: 3 minutes
Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 20 repeats = 200 sections
Bonus XP per hour: 200 sections * 31.5XP per section=6300XP
Distance-Based XP per hour: (0.8km*2)*(20 repeats)*20XP=640XP
But keep in mind this is the most extreme example: it’s using the Cauberg, which is a super-short climb that is rarely on the schedule. The next-shortest climbs are approximately twice as long, which greatly reduces your earning rate. Oude Kwaremont‘s numbers, for example, would look like this:
Round trip time at 4 W/kg: 4 minutes, 50 seconds
Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 12.4 repeats = 124 sections
Bonus XP per hour: 124 sections * 31.5XP per section=3906XP
Distance-Based XP per hour: (1.5km*2)*(12.4 repeats)*20XP=744XP
Total XP per hour: 4650XP
Of course, these numbers are also assuming you’re riding at 4 W/kg, which most Zwifters can’t maintain. What about a more reasonable 3 W/kg? Here’s what you would earn on Oude Kwaremont:
Round trip time at 4 W/kg: 5 minutes, 50 seconds
Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 10.3 repeats = 103 sections
Bonus XP per hour: 103 sections * 31.5XP per section=3244XP
Distance-Based XP per hour: (1.5km*2)*(10.3 repeats)*20XP=618XP
Total XP per hour: 3862XP
What’s the cutoff?
This logically leads to an interesting question: at what point does it become “worth it” to farm XP in the Climb Portal vs other methods? That is, if you look at the scheduled Portals of the day, and you know the power you want to hold for your ride, how do you know if you’ll earn more XP in the Portal vs, say, riding a new route and earning the badge and XP bonus?
The math here is admittedly imprecise, because there are lots of variables in play. But if we assume you’re following the rules above, I would say it only makes sense to farm XP in the Portal if you can earn more than 1600XP per hour. That means you would need to complete each Portal ascent in ~12 minutes at your target power. Here’s how that math works:
Round trip time: 18 minutes (2:1 ratio of climbing to descending is roughly accurate)
Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 3.3 repeats = 33 sections
Bonus XP per hour: 33 sections * 31.5XP per section=1039XP
Distance-Based XP per hour: estimated at 600XP
Total XP per hour: 1639XP
That 12-minute climb target means that around half of Zwift’s Portal climbs are worth farming, if you’re riding the climbs at 50% scaling.
Wrapping Up
The Climb Portal feature has evolved since it originally launched, but one thing hasn’t changed: Zwifters can still earn a lot of XP if they follow the simple rules above. In fact, there isn’t a more effective way to earn XP in Zwift today! Here’s a comparison:
How did you get into cycling? I have always ridden a bicycle out of function (living rurally, uni/work commuting, fastest mode of transport). I moved to the USA from Ireland at age 23 and functional bike riding was ‘more difficult’ (aka got a car) so I started recreational mountain biking which morphed into riding downhill/park riding. I got into racing probably the total opposite to most by picking up cyclocross at the suggestion of a friend. Those first cyclocross races led to racing cyclocross, mountain and road bikes and led me to a very successful few years of racing, training and traveling to race at the professional/elite level. I picked up riding indoors as part of my training in the winter months as my racing at the elite level demanded focused pre-season training.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I joined Zwift in 2016 primarily out of curiosity about how the gamification of riding could help break the mundaneness of riding indoors. Well, it worked lol. I quickly was doing meetups with IRL teammates and joining races as motivation for hard training efforts (think 20-minute threshold work with 10 laps of Crit City). It was not until 2022 that I picked up ZRL racing.
Are you part of a Virtual team? Yes, I joined Coalition in 2022 after a message via Zwift Companion app from a then Coalition team captain (looking at you Hollie).
What do you love most about racing? I love the mental challenge of racing: how you show up, goals, ability to transform in the race, reading tactics, acting on strategy. The roulette of how racing can make you perform, sometimes way above your expectation and sometimes below is what keeps me coming back for more. It can create a lot of internal retrospection that helps as a tool in my daily life and vice-versa.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I am most definitely a points racer/hunter. Nothing better than making your eyes cross with a good sprint then doing it all over again 3 minutes later.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? ZRL is very close to my heart as it brings so many women together. I’ve very much enjoyed the stage race format such as the Tour de Boudicca. Racing back-to-back days brings me back to my IRL racing days where your performance is not just individual or race-based but more so on how you prepare, recover, recon, etc so you can perform at your best over the stages and for your team.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? Oh gosh, there is A LOT to choose from.
Outside: stage 2 of a 4-day road stage race. I was coming back from injury and was racing as a team floater/junior mentor aka no goals. As we approached the first QOM of the stage, I drifted back in the pack to check on one of our younger riders and ensure she positioned herself to not get dropped once the surge started for the line. As the surge started I surfed wheels and before I knew it I was in contention for the QOM points…. This was the day I 110% experienced the power of pack positioning and draft. It was eye-opening and let’s just say, I never looked back.
Inside: same, same ha, but really I’ve had so many memorable races with my Coalition ZRL teamies, we build each other up and commend each other on achievements, whether podiums or PBs. It is a really great environment for harnessing the power of positive vibes.
But really, the most memorable experiences actually come from pre and post racing: crazy travel adventures and mishaps; friendly jenga sessions trying to fit all the bikes in the car; missing highway exits to races because you were chatting so intensely with your teamies; team dinners; working the pits for a teamie in the muddiest cyclocross race ever; cleaning up after the muddiest of cyclocross races; borrowing team kit because you left your entire kit bag behind you. I can go on.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? I’m not one for having an appetite post race so I’m a protein shake post-effort gal and then go for the classic tea and a sandwich, yes rather boring.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Show up with an open mind and come with a plan A, B and C in preparation for how things pan out. Ultimate goal is to finish and come away feeling good, so setting yourself up for that is a good starting point.
Any upcoming race you are looking forward to? Nothing huge on the calendar this year but I’ll be back at it for cyclocross in the fall months and in the meantime I will enjoy a bunch of community gravel events, some local glory racing and group rides.
Where can people follow your racing adventures? I’m all about the Strava for IRL adventures, and always lots of photos, gotta keep the fan club happy.
This weekend features a bit of everything. We start off with a popular annual charity ride, follow it up with two popular race series, then finish with two group rides that couldn’t be more different. Enjoy, and Ride On!
Ride Like King Celebration Rides
Good Cause Popular Special Guests Prizes
The biggest event this weekend is the 17th annual Ride Like King (RLK). The RLK 17: Celebration Rides are open-paced group rides with a women-only option, guest ambassador leaders, and a party atmosphere with product giveaways as we rack up miles toward a big donation of Buffalo bikes!
The team at SISU Racing is holding its first Grand Tour of 2025, a 7-stage tour across the three weeks of the Men’s Giro d’Italia. Stage 3 is this Saturday, with a lap of Watopia’s Tides and Temples (39.1km, 470m).
Zwift Women’s Racing Series p/b FemmeCycle Collab || Race 2
Women Only Popular Unique Race
Zwift’s Women’s Racing Series has been rebooted for 2025, and ladies are loving the events! Saturday is your last chance to race stage 2, on Makuri Islands’ Turf N Surf (24.7km, 198m).
Ladies, join the women of OWL.BiKe for a shorter, easier event. “Get ready to pedal and ponder! While we spin in the Grey Zone, we’ll challenge our ‘”‘Grey Matter’ with trivia questions ranging from music and movies, to aging and cycling.” 45 minutes on New York’s LaGuardia After Party at 1-1.5W/kg.
Here’s a popular long ride with two pace options: B group at 3-3.3 W/kg, or C at 2.5-2.9 W/kg. Both groups will be riding 1 lap of the Zwift Gran Fondo 2022 route (92.8km, 1115m), with optional efforts on some of the intermediate segments if you’d like.
Choose your desired pace, listen to the ride leader, and get that endurance work done! Both categories have a leader (yellow beacon) and sweepers.
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
Is it for a good cause?
Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
Buy the UK’s only official Tour de France Guide now to prepare for the Grand Départ on 5 July.
This year’s 204-page official Tour de France Race Guide is packed with profiles of every team, exclusive interviews with key contenders in the men’s and women’s races, essential rider stats, stage maps and plenty more.
Or upgrade to the Premium Tour de France Guide and get all the same great content plus legendary mountain-climb themed coasters and souvenir cycling socks.
We’ve all been there. You head out for a ride with your friends and, despite trying to match each other’s pace, a gap emerges and your social ride is not so social anymore.
Sena, the communication device company, thinks it has a solution to this problem. Its new BiKom 20 is a walkie-talkie device that fits to your helmet strap and enables you to communicate with your riding buddy up to half a mile apart.
Best known for Bluetooth communication devices designed for motorcycling, Sena says its latest bit of kit redefines cycling communication “as the world’s most compact and lightweight communicator” weighing only 20g.
How does the Sena BiKom 20 work?
A helmet fitted with the new Sena BiKom 20 device. Sena
Sena started as an industrial technology manufacturer, providing Bluetooth networking products to companies.
But it later realised this technology could be used to provide wireless rider-to-rider communication for motorcyclists. It launched its first motorcycle Bluetooth communicator, the SMH10, back in 2010.
Bluetooth is at the core of Sena’s Mesh Intercom 3.0, which the BiKom 20 uses for “seamless communication with nearby riders” and a “real-time, uninterrupted connection”.
Sena says the technology supports “virtually unlimited” participants, so you can use it for group riding. However, this will require everyone on your ride to have one of the devices, which might be a luxury preserved for Sena’s partner, Team Picnic Post NL.
The BiKom 20 also has six customisable channels, to avoid interference with any other users out on the road, and a talk time of eight hours.
Safety and noise control
The microphone can be folded away, muting the device. Sena
Like many of the best headphones for cycling, the BiKom 20 has an open-ear design for safety. Sena says it “leaves the ears uncovered, ensuring that users can remain aware of their surroundings and stay safe”.
The device also utilises Sena’s expertise in noise-control technology, learnt from developing motorbike headsets.
Sena says the system “effectively eliminates wind and ambient noise”. This is so any communication with your riding friends remains clear.
If you’ve had enough of your friend’s yabbering or want to focus on your own effort, you can fold the microphone away to mute the BiKom 20.
How do you install the BiKom 20?
The BiKom 20 can be moved between helmets. Sena
Sena says it takes less than a minute to install the BiKom 20. All you need to do is clip it onto your helmet strap, cap or other gear.
This also means it’s easy to share the device between people, if you desire.
Sena includes a variety of different strap and clip mounts in the box so the BiKom 20 can fit different headware or helmet straps.
How much does the BiKom 20 cost?
The Sena BiKom 20 costs $159 for a single device, but there is also a dual-pack option, which will set you back $299.
Garmin has released the new Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 smartwatches for athletes who are “out there chasing goals and passionate about their data”.
Focused primarily on running and triathlon, the new smartwatches come with a host of new features, including Garmin’s brightest-ever display, a built-in speaker and microphone, and more health and wellness features.
“Created for every athlete who is out there chasing goals and passionate about their data, the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 include innovative training tools, recovery metrics and connected features to help them perform at their best,” says Garmin’s Susan Lyman.
Garmin has also announced the new HRM 600 heart-rate monitor, which features a rechargeable battery and is said to give athletes new performance data and ways to improve their training.
The Forerunner 570 has Garmin’s brightest-ever smartwatch display. Garmin
Described as an ‘advanced training tool’, the Garmin Forerunner 570 features the brand’s brightest smartwatch display to date.
The touchscreen display and five-button design are said to allow for fast, all-weather access to its training tools, health stats and notifications.
The watch includes free triathlon training plans, which will adapt daily to provide personalised workouts based on your performance, recovery and health metrics.
You can also create custom step-by-step multisport workouts in the Garmin Connect app and send them to the Forerunner 570.
If you’re running a course loaded for a race, the watch can suggest trimming data to the finish line if you forget to hit stop.
Costing £459.99, the watch also has a built-in speaker and microphone, so you can make or take calls when the watch is paired with a compatible smartphone. The microphone also means you can control the watch with voice commands, or dictate text messages.
With an eye on health and wellness, the watch will also provide you with an evening report. This includes a reminder of what sleep is needed, plus your workout for the following day, weather forecasts and events.
The watch can also track your skin temperature. Garmin says this can be related to recent activity, sleep environment and potential illness. It can also be used to provide female athletes with improved period prediction and past ovulation estimates.
Garmin Forerunner 970
The 970 has a built-in torch. Garmin
The Garmin Forerunner 970 has the same new features as the 570, but with some exclusive extras.
The watch has the same bright screen, but it features Garmin’s scratch-resistant sapphire lens technology. It also has a titanium bezel to “withstand the harshest of environments”.
A built-in LED torch can be controlled from the watch’s display.
The extra training features will be of most interest to runners. They include a running tolerance tool, which helps you better understand the impact a run has on your body, plus a running economy feature when used in tandem with the new Garmin HRM 600 heart-rate monitor.
The £629.99 watch can also detect signs of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm.
Garmin HRM 600 heart-rate monitor
The HRM 600 is rechargeable. Garmin
Garmin says its new HRM 600 heart-rate monitor provides accurate heart-rate readings, while tracking heart-rate variability, and it will send that information to compatible Garmin smartwatches, cycling computers or apps.
The heart-rate monitor also has new features, including ‘expanded running dynamics’.
When used with the Forerunner 970, the new step speed loss feature will tell runners how much they slow down when their foot hits the ground.
For team sports where a smartwatch can’t be worn, the heart-rate monitor will also record activity data such as heart rate and distance, which you can then view in the Garmin Connect app.
Possibly of more interest to cyclists, the £149.99 HRM 600 can be recharged, with a single charge lasting up to two months.
The heart-rate monitor’s strap comes in two new sizes (XS-S and M-XL) to fit a range of body types.
The HRM 600, and Forerunner 570 and 970 will be available to order from 21 May.
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