Celebrate Ride Like King’s 17th year (and 8th year on Zwift) next week with events featuring celebrity leaders, product giveaways, jersey unlocks, and even Buffalo bikes!
Every 500km ridden by the Zwift community means one more Buffalo bike donated to World Bicycle Relief – up to 700 bikes. Read on for details…
What is Ride Like King?
In 2007, at age 73, Giant Group King Liu completed a 15-day, 927km ride around Taiwan. This resulted in a renewed passion for cycling and the benefits it brings to the individual, community, and country. Following this, King traveled to countries and spoke with governments to promote the positive impacts of cycling.
His message resonated within the company as well. ‘Ride Like King’ started in 2009 as a small event within the Giant Group to celebrate their founder’s passion for cycling. But it grew to be an annual event and is now in its 17th edition! Zwift is an active partner and has been hosting the event on its platform since 2018.
The WBR Buffalo Bike IRLAnd in game!
Event Details
“Ride to Raise” warm-up rides are scheduled hourly from 6am UTC Monday, May 12 to 3am UTC Friday, May 16th. These rides are 45 minutes long and rotate every other hour between two routes. Finishers will unlock the RLK17 kit (see below), and the distance from these rides counts toward our community distance goal to earn Buffalo bikes:
Open Category D will ride Revolt Advanced Pro gravel bikes with Cadex AR35 wheels
Women-Only Category E will ride Devote Advanced Pro gravel bikes with Cadex AR35 wheels
“Celebration Rides” are scheduled from 4am UTC Friday, May 16th to 6am UTC Monday, May 19th and are full laps of the selected routes led by ambassadors and athletes. Finishers will unlock the RLK17 kit (see below), be entered to win an IRL jersey (see below), and have their distance added to our community distance goal to earn Buffalo bikes.
The schedule rotates through three blocks of events, with each block hosting 7 event time slots which are 4 hours apart:
The big weekend Celebration Rides will feature pro riders from Giant and Liv’s most notable teams, including Team Jayco AlUla, Liv AlUla Jayco, and Giant and Liv triathlon, plus mountain bike and gravel pros, ambassadors like Ayesha McGowan and Louis Hatchwell, Zwift community ride leaders, and more.
Hint: check the signup list in Zwift Companion to see who is signed up as a ride leader for any events you’re interested in!
Giveaways and Prizes
Finish any of the RLK events and you’ll unlock the exclusive Ride Like King 17 kit in game.
Also, each Celebration Ride you complete earns you an entry to win a limited-edition RLK17 jersey along with a signed card by King Liu himself! Three winners will be drawn per main event, meaning 63 winners will be drawn overall.
When Garmin announced its January-March 2025 earnings in a conference call to investment analysts on 30 April, the headlines focused on a revenue increase to $1.54 billion and a record Q1 operating income of $333m.
The latter represented a 12 per cent year-on-year uptick, and Garmin’s president and CEO, Cliff Pemble, described the results as “outstanding” and “a continuation of the positive business trends we’ve been experiencing over the longer-term”.
But under the top-line figures were some developments that could impact the huge base of cyclists who use the company’s products.
Price increases driven by Trump’s tariffs?
A significant number of Garmin products are made in its own factories outside the US and would be affected by tariffs. Scott Windsor / Our Media
As with many global businesses and many in the cycling industry, Garmin expects to be adversely affected by the tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump, and the more complex trade structures that result.
“The global trade environment is very dynamic due to recent changes in U.S. trade policy, which is affecting every business, especially those with extensive global supply chains,” he said. “It appears that higher tariffs and more complex trade structures will be a normal part of business going forward.”
Pemble noted that around 25 per cent of Garmin’s US revenue comes from products made outside the US, primarily in Taiwan, that could be hit by tariffs.
Around 40 percent of Garmin’s revenue is generated in currencies other than the US dollar, though, and a fall in the dollar’s value should help to increase its reported value.
Nevertheless, Pemble forecast a small reduction in demand for Garmin products, along with a $100m increase in the company’s costs.
According to Pemble, that’s likely to result in price increases: “So we’re evaluating pricing not broadly, but specifically in context of each market and product line… there are cases where definitely, there’s room to have different pricing, and there’s other cases because… it’s more competitive and difficult to increase prices.”
He added: “We’re going to make sure that we maintain our market share and optimize our overall profit dollars in this environment.”
Garmin’s smartwatches are also relevant to cyclists – and particular those who want a multi-sport device, or one for everyday health tracking.
Much of Garmin’s business is also driven by smartwatches, with a 12 per cent gain in Garmin’s fitness business revenue to $385m and a 20 per cent gain for its outdoor segment to $438m, also driven primarily by adventure smartwatches.
Pemble had previously described 2024 as “a year of remarkable growth” for Garmin, with “strong demand” highlights for smartwatches (or ‘wearables’), in particular, and revenues increasing 31 per cent year-on-year in the three months to Christmas.
Garmin Connect already offers insights not available to non-paying Connect users. Garmin
With the hit on revenue from tariffs, Garmin is likely to be exploring other mitigating steps.
The company recently launched Connect+, a paid-for premium tier to the Connect app, which underpins its activity recording and offers analysis and insights.
According to Pemble: “Connect+ certainly isn’t required for users, and we’re not taking any features away from people that they’ve had, and we still have a strong commitment to develop Garmin Connect and our devices with broad features that are available to everyone.
“The certain ones, we will likely reserve for premium offerings and so far, the response has been positive. We’re not measuring success in terms of the short-term. This is a long-term thing for us, a very important part of our Fitness segment going forward. So we’re going to build on where we started.”
The net result for users of Garmin products is that the company is likely to enhance its paid-for features in Connect+ at the expense of new features in its free Garmin Connect service.
Strava has followed a similar route, where its leaderboards, analysis and other functionality including route planning are now available only to paying subscribers and new features are mainly confined to the paid-for tier, leaving Strava’s basic activity logging as the app’s main free-to-use feature.
The EF Education-EasyPost team’s hot pink jerseys are an awkward match for the Giro d’Italia, where for three weeks the cycling world turns pink.
So, as not to be confused with the race leader (who wears a pink jersey – the maglia rosa – at the Giro d’Italia), the team’s clothing supplier for the past seven seasons, Rapha, produces a special non-pink design each year for the first Grand Tour of the season.
The diamond pattern from EF Education’s standard pink jerseys is retained in the Giro kit.
Things are more understated this year, though, with a ‘White Diamonds’ design applied to Rapha’s Pro Team Flaero jersey.
It’s predominantly white, but preserves the studded diamond pattern that’s a feature of the standard pink kit. The team’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 bikes look to be standard issue, rather than the custom options that have been rolled out in previous years.
We miss the bolder designs of recent years. Rapha
Rapha says the Pro Team Flaero jersey’s white is intended to keep riders cool in the heat. But hot weather can be in short supply in Italy in May, with cold rain and snow often more typical, particularly in the Grand Tour’s final week in the Alps and Dolomites.
Maybe we can expect hotter weather for the Giro’s first three stages in Albania, although even there the temperature is only forecast to reach 24c during the race’s first three days around Tirana.
Is this the end of the wild designs? In past years, the team has also changed kits at the Tour de France, not just the Giro d’Italia, so perhaps we can expect something brighter later this year.
Pink remains the dominant colour for the team’s lettering, bikes and helmets.
Zwift’s latest update includes a new frame from Liv, Giant’s brand dedicated to female riders. Named the Liv Langma Advanced SL 2025, it’s an update to the game’s existing Liv Langma Advanced SL, which has been renamed to the “Liv Langma Advanced SL 2021”. Here’s what it looks like IRL:
On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.89+ to see the Langma Advanced SL 2025 in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 8+ with 1,000,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
“The third-generation Liv Langma is built to optimize every ounce of power, this bike helps you push harder, climb faster, and accelerate with precision. Whether you’re chasing that next QOM or leading a pack sprint, the Langma is engineered for speed and agility, making it perfect for riders who want to push their limits and conquer any virtual course. Climb Higher than the Tibetan summit it’s named after: Mount Everest.“
It’s rated 3 stars for aero, 3 stars for weight, so we didn’t expect this frame to be a new top contender. Still, since the 4-star system isn’t the most granular of performance measurements, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm Carbon wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
Liv’s Langma Advanced SL 2025 turns in a strong performance on the flats, trimming 60.1s off our baseline Zwift Carbon frame over an hour of flat riding.
That puts it in the top 15% of all frames on Zwift, and within 2.9 seconds of the game’s fastest frame.
Climb Performance
The Langma Advanced SL 2025 is a strong climber, but not in the same league as the game’s top all-arounders. It shaves 40.9 seconds off of our baseline Zwift Carbon’s time on an hour-long climb, placing it in the 20% of all road frames on Zwift and 15.5 seconds behind the fastest climber (Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8).
Upgrading Your Liv Langma Advanced SL 2025
Like all frames in Zwift, Liv’s Langma Advanced SL 2025 can be upgraded in five stages. As a high-end race bike, each of the five stages results in a performance improvement. The Langma Advanced SL 2025 upgrade stages are as follows:
Ride 200km, pay 100,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
Ride 260km, pay 200,000 Drops for a weight reduction
Ride 320km, pay 350,000 Drops for a drivetrain efficiency improvement
Ride 380km, pay 500,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
Ride 440km, pay 750,000 Drops for a weight reduction
You can expect a fully-upgraded Liv Langma Advanced SL 2025 to be approximately 28 seconds faster on a flat hour and 36 seconds faster on an hour-long climb vs the “stock” Liv Langma Advanced SL 2025.
Conclusions
There are currently three top all-arounders on Zwift, and their unlock levels and Drops costs are high:
Just below them, with essentially the same aero performance but slightly slower climb performance, you’ll find the Canyon Aeroad 2024 which unlocks at just level 10 and costs 1,100,000 Drops. This frame bucks the trend, offering exceptional performance at a very low level unlock.
The Liv Langma Advanced SL 2025 is comparable to the Canyon Aeroad 2024 in that way: unlocked at level 8+, with a similar price (1 million Drops), the new Langma outperforms all other frames available to level 15 and below Zwifters, apart from the Aeroad 2024.
It’s also the top-performing female-specific frame in Zwift, although it doesn’t have much competition there.
While the new Langma’s performance won’t be compelling enough to cause racers to buy it en masse, some fans of Liv, including existing Langma Advanced SL owners, will surely add it to their garages. They may even buy it to replace the older Langma frame they already own, since the 2025 model performs much better, trimming ~34 seconds off our flat hour test and ~8 seconds off our climbing hour.
Questions or Comments?
What do you think of this new frame from Liv? 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.
Vittoria has announced the latest update to its popular Rubino road bike tyre, bringing improved performance and tubeless compatibility.
Billed as an “everyday performance tyre”, Vittoria says the fifth-generation Rubino is lighter, grippier and features reduced rolling resistance compared to its predecessor, the Rubino Pro.
Despite this, Vittoria promises an updated casing gives the new Rubino “better ride quality and puncture resistance” than the outgoing version.
The champion of lunch rides
The Rubino is a mid-range tyre designed for training and everyday riding. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
While Vittoria’s Corsa Pro and Corsa Pro Control are designed for high-level racing, it says the Rubino is “the champion of lunch rides, town line sprints, and endless wanderings”.
According to the Italian brand, it opted to focus on improving the Rubino’s speed, puncture resistance and grip based on feedback from riders.
“When a product is already a bestseller, you don’t reinvent it – you refine it in the direction the riders take it,” says Vanessa ten Hoff, Vittoria’s chief marketing and innovation officer.
The new Vittoria Rubino gets an updated casing and tread. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
This was achieved, Vittoria says, by a new 100 TPI (Threads Per Inch) nylon casing mated to a new tread compound containing graphene and silica.
In terms of stats, Vittoria says the new tubeless-ready Rubino is 10 per cent lighter, with an 11 per cent improvement to “rolling efficiency” and 5 per cent more grip than the outgoing model.
The clincher version, meanwhile, is claimed to offer a 12 per cent reduction in weight, alongside 5 per cent improvements to rolling efficiency and grip.
Vittoria Rubino specifications and pricing
A 28c Rubino TLR weighs 318g on our scales. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
The Vittoria Rubino is available in clincher or tubeless form, in sizes from 700×26 to 700x34c.
In terms of price, the Rubino TLR costs £59.99 / $76.99 / €61.95, while the clincher comes in cheaper at £44.99 / $61.99 / €46.99.
Riders can choose between black or tan sidewalls in all sizes except the narrowest, 26c option.
Notably, according to Vittoria’s claimed weights, the tan sidewall tyres tend to be slightly lighter throughout the range.
It seems there’s more than meets the eye to the tanwall Rubino tyres. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
A 28c tubeless-ready Rubino with tan sidewalls, for example, weighs 318g on our scales, whereas Vittoria claims a weight of 340g for the same tyre with black sidewalls.
This suggests there’s likely a difference in how the tyres are constructed beyond a simple lick of beige paint on the sidewalls. We’ve asked Vittoria for clarification on this and will update this article if we receive a response.
On April 19, 2025, at 6am MT, I took the first of 92,160 pedal strokes. The goal was to achieve the greatest virtual distance cycling ever officially recorded in 24 hours. With months of work behind me, a team of in-person and virtual supporters, and an iron will, I set off.
While the main goal was to complete the longest ride in 24 hours, there were a few records on the way to the 24-hour mark that I could potentially break. The final count? Fourteen potential world records.
Two of these records were previously standing Guinness World Records:
‘Greatest Virtual Distance on a Static Cycle in 12 hours (male)’
‘Greatest Virtual Distance on a Static Cycling in 24 hours (male)’
Additionally, the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA) had outlined the process for their own virtual cycling records, but no one had gone through the process. These WUCA records will be submitted to Guinness through their standing relationship for the other 12 records which are titled something to the effect of ‘Greatest (fastest time achieved for distance categories) Virtual Distance Covered by Standard Bicycle (WUCA) (male)’ for the following: 100km, 200km, 300km, 500km, 1000km, 100mi, 200mi, 300mi, 500mi, 6hr, 12hr, and 24hr.
WUCA Requirements
Why were the WUCA records unset? First of all, there are many cyclists who give no value to indoor cycling, at least not in comparison to outdoor cycling. Additionally, fairly and equitably estimating how far someone has gone indoors is a massively challenging task. Programs like Zwift go to great lengths to factor in details of speed based on real-life circumstances, but cyclists know that, for a variety of reasons, Zwift is not perfectly estimating one’s individualized distance and speed.
Due to these constraints, WUCA created a process to estimate the speed and distance of cyclists riding indoors based on that rider’s own outdoor performance. This is the route I took for the 12 WUCA records. I completed an outdoor test ride that measured my coefficient of aerodynamic drag (CdA). After this test, WUCA observed my speed at a given power output on the bike, and estimated my final outcome during the 24 hours based on this CdA. WUCA also measured how much time I spent in the time trial (TT) aero position vs. other positions during the attempt, because position on the bike massively affects speed!
The Day by the Numbers
Out of the 24 hours, I spent 23h 55m 42s pedaling. With only 6m 18s off the bike the entire day, paired with my average cadence of 64 rpm (many cyclists aim for 80+ rpm), it’s fair to say I was on the grindstone the whole day. Of this continual pedal time, I spent 33m 10s standing. I was in the TT aero position for 23h 21m 32s, the day’s ultimate test. While many are accurate when stating that indoor riding is not the same as outdoor riding, this record-breaking ride has its own legs to stand on by the time spent in the aero position alone.
Nutrition
As for fueling, I am grateful for Formula 369. I am dedicated to my own research and only use products I trust and believe in, and this nutrition formula is one I believe in wholeheartedly. For a long time, the school of thought among endurance athletes was that 90g of carbs was the maximum hourly intake. Then it was updated to 120g, and others have measured elite athletes taking in 150g.
During the 24 hours, I consumed 168g of sugar (1:1 maltodextrin to fructose) and 9g of complex carbs each hour. I consumed 800 calories per hour of Formula 369’s High Protein Recovery Mix and coconut milk, totaling 19.2k calories consumed during the 24 hours.
While that sounds massive, and it is, it still left me in a large deficit from the 23,584 KJ burned from a 273W average power + resting energy. Yes, while eating 800 calories an hour, I burned 982.8 calories from active energy going straight to the pedals!
In addition to the calories, I needed water and electrolytes. I estimate that more than 25L of water were consumed. That is 50lbs (22.68kg) of water! The nutrition mix itself weighed in at just over 10lbs (4.54kg).
Speaking of weight, I added 6.9lbs (3.13kg) to my body over the course of the 24 hours, which means I sweated or expelled more than 50lbs (22.68kg) during this time. I was also taking a minimum of 1000mg of salt each hour and consumed 600mg of caffeine in the final 10 hours.
Maybe that’s more than you wanted to know, but I find it fascinating.
Equipment
As required by WUCA, I rode the same bike used during the outdoor aerodynamic test. I was on the brand new Ventum Tempus – a truly record-breaking bike. The Tempus was hooked up to a Wahoo KICKR Move and had a Rotor INspider hub-based power meter. Both the Wahoo trainer and Rotor INspider were calibrated on site by representatives of the companies, and this calibration was witnessed by two independent individuals.
The Rotor power meter was used as my primary power source for my Zwift connection and bike computer, but when others were riding around me during the day, my bike computer lost connection with the power meter several times. I documented this via video showing my bike computer reporting different power than my Zwift connection. For this reason, WUCA will be provided the Zwift FIT file and the Garmin FIT file to access all required data points.
I’m incredibly grateful to Cycling Upgrades, who sponsored the remaining bike components and ensured it all came together.
Zwift Community
While the WUCA portion of the attempt was individualized in terms of effort, the Zwift-specific components were not possible without community support. I relied on many wonderful groups on Zwift, especially Dads Inside Riding Trainers (DIRT), DWGZ, DRAFT, Wahoo, and Bravery Motivation Teamwork Respect (BMTR).
I recruited individual cyclists to help form a group that could keep up the required speed for the day. I am beyond grateful for everyone who showed up for me on Zwift. Throughout the day, the group size was 25-60 riders. For some extended periods of time we were averaging 28.5 mph and the energy was electric! I am in love with the dynamic that Zwift creates and the group cohesion that it brings to indoor cycling.
Charitable Aspect
When my wife, Bailey, and I decided to attempt these records, we brainstormed ways to make the most of the day. Many similar events successfully make it about more than the person completing the attempt, because after all, that person lives in a community of people in various situations. This is certainly true for me. Bailey worked with me on creating this for two months, and this work often became a part-time (and some weeks a full-time) job to pull everything together.
When I thought about a charitable cause to spotlight, breast cancer was an obvious choice because of my mom’s recent diagnosis. During our preparation for this attempt, my mom began chemotherapy treatment and has continued treatments and surgeries scheduled throughout the upcoming year. To set up a donation that could benefit her and others going through something similar was very appealing to me. The outcome was huge! The monetary donations received will allow her to pay for treatment costs that are not covered by insurance, without financing them – a huge burden lifted.
Mom, Bailey, and our two sonsMy brother joined me for part of the ride…
Once again, I am amazed by the cycling community and the generosity of others. Thank you to Drip Swag for the donation of event t-shirts and branded tumblers to help incentivize and simultaneously commemorate the day.
In addition to the charitable aspect, we hoped to livestream the event. Having to film the entirety of the event for Guinness and WUCA anyway, we thought we might as well make the most of it. We quickly realized that we may have bit off more than we could chew, but Bailey made it happen and connected all the dots. Huge thanks to JT Telford and BrainStoke for aiding in this endeavor.
While watching me pedal the bike nonstop for 24 hours might have been interesting to some, we thought it would be fun to invite others to be part of mini podcast interviews. Each guest had some personal connection to me, as well as something of value to share with those tuning in. Dr. Vince at Infinity Seat discussed the magic powers of his saddles, and Tyler Pearce (VC Adventure Time) talked about the madness of the effort and how eating changes everything. This was such a special aspect for me, not just because it was fun to hear everyone talk about the tenacity of the attempt, but to hear from cyclists and sponsors for whom I have great respect. Thank you to all who shared their time with us. Others interviewed include: Marko Baloh, Hayden Pucker, Magnus Kulset, Nathan Guerra, Korby Van Valkenburg, Eric Ellis, Dale and ArLene Johnson, Chris “Hoppo” Hopkinson, Nathan Guerra, and Peter Bradbury.
As far as media production, Bailey’s right-hand man was JT Telford. His roles included video, producing, audio, and podcast hosting. He set up and tested the night before, worked tirelessly to bring it all together, and apart from me probably burned more calories on site being here, there, and everywhere. From BrainStoke, Tom Telford and Preston Neiderhauser hosted and interviewed podcast guests. Kevin Day, a cycling legend himself, was willing to help fill gaps and work on photo and video elements. Kevin even hopped on a Zwift Ride next to me for the last hour or so, his first ever virtual miles. I’m grateful to be a BrainStoke Ambassador and work with these individuals.
Here are the livestream recordings, broken up into 3 parts:
Crew
While indoor cycling takes less crew effort than outdoor rides, I still had a few crew members helping throughout the day. Bailey, in addition to orchestrating all of the above-described media, was my main crewmember. She made my bottles, handed them to me, adjusted fans, helped with nature breaks, and provided motivation and wellness checks. My cousin, Amber Maynard, aided Bailey in making bottles. Additionally, Pat Casey, who is my bike fitter at Peak State Fit, helped apply wax to my chain after more than 400 miles. (Maybe it was time?)
Individual Preparations
During my winter training from 2024-2025 I decided to focus on ultracycling races, specifically 24-hour races. As with most things in my life, I did my own research to learn what this would require. Fueling seemed to be the biggest hurdle, and I had previously experienced a nutrition challenge during Hoodoo 500 in August of 2024. The challenge of fueling is exacerbated when you aim to maintain a fast average speed – eating any food at 24-27 mph in a TT position is a challenge. I found that others had done liquid-only diets; efficient for sure, but challenging on the gut.
I immediately began to practice. I knew that if I could master this piece, then I could perform very well at these 24-hour events. Around the same time, I did a 24-hour Zwift ride in December where Nick DeHaan and I rode all the roads in Zwift. After traveling every road, I continued riding for 24 hours, averaging 266 watts. Afterward, I realized that if I had done the effort with Constance, the fastest robopacer in Zwift, I could potentially go further than anyone had ever gone. This is when Peter Bradbury from Zwift Headquarters and I began talking about a world record project.
Zwift
Peter did some research to find the longest Zwift rides and we found the Guinness World Records. Around the same time, I learned that WUCA had virtual record rules but no completions of these records. I began talking with Larry Oslund, WUCA Records Chair, to learn what attempting these records would look like.
We mapped out a plan and I knew it was possible. I continued my gut training and prepared for my 24-hour outdoor race in Sebring, Florida in February 2025. I met with Peter via video call for the first time, the day before the Sebring race, to discuss how the record attempt could take place within Zwift. At Sebring, I successfully managed a liquid-only diet. The heat and the wind of the day partially defeated me, but with 576 miles (927 km) done in 24 hours, it was the furthest an American had ever gone outdoors.
The Space
Through a growing relationship between BrainStoke and ENVE, we asked ENVE to host us at their headquarters for the attempt. (This was convenient as the attempt was required to take place in a public space that was open to anyone throughout the duration of the event, and ENVE is located just a few miles from my home.) They graciously said yes and we began to plan the specifics of the day. We needed space, internet, cameras, laptops, food, cameras, audio mixers, banners, and lots of cords. Honestly, it was a big ask and ENVE was very kind to let us utilize their gorgeous space.
The Struggle
Let’s talk about the struggle. After having such a successful outcome at Sebring, Bailey and I had a few sit down conversations about whether or not we wanted to commit our time, energy, money, and life to pursuing cycling. I could continue to pursue cycling as a hobby/interest, but the door was open to go after something bigger than personal fulfillment. We both understood that doing this meant going all in. After discussing pros and cons, we decided it was worth a try. With such amazing potential, how could we not see where it could take us?
So, I rewrote my cycling season and decided that now was as good a time as any to go for the virtual cycling record. This was originally decided within the context of a fairly stable home life that could afford for us to put time and money into pursuing this.
However, life changes.
Not long after deciding to go all in and beginning to make changes to do so, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer (we are very close and she helps watch our children part of the week while my wife and I work). We also learned that Bailey’s work would be changing with unsure outcomes, and even today we are still taking it day-by-day and adapting accordingly.
They say, “If it were easy, everyone would do it,” but we weren’t expecting it to get hard this quickly. On top of the time it took to plan for the attempt, I knew that the training required would also constitute part-time and sometimes full-time shifts on the bike. There were many days that Bailey and I were close to breakdown; stretched thin and barely holding it together. Relying on one another, we always re-centered and did what we needed to.
Even with all the prep work, there was still a lot that needed to fall into place on the day-of. The streaming alone was its own massive challenge. My wife had been studying how to operate the stream for multiple weeks and had created amazing graphics for the stream, but to make it actually work took half a day and into the late evening hours the day before. So, the media team showed up already in a partial sleep and energy deficit.
I have learned with trial and error that the taper cannot be too big, or I lose the benefits of the high volume training. Some of my best performances have been in heavy weeks. So, prior to the attempt, I rode less time but with fairly normal intensity and I only reduced my training load a week and a half out from the event. I also get extremely stir crazy during a taper, because I have way more energy than I know what to do with and I can’t use it! I know that I’m supposed to sit around but my body is so busy. I try not to ruin the prep and just keep myself busy doing other things. Even on the day before, many were telling me you should just be sitting somewhere with your feet up; however, I did have to set up my bike station, which had to be locked in for the task at hand.
I am very happy with the setup I chose. In the ENVE lunchroom, I was in a corner with many surrounding windows viewing the outside and I faced those windows instead of the room. This gave me a good view during the day, although I did spend most of the time looking at Zwift as I had to manage the group dynamics. Looking away from the room also gave me the benefit of putting on some music and tuning out the people around me. While it was not a party atmosphere the whole time, we did have independent witnesses, the media team, and many visitors throughout the day. It was good to not be caught up in the room with everyone. Also, I could see people as they came and went, but they could not come straight up and talk to me, allowing me to monitor how many people were interacting with me at a time.
The pressure of performing in front of so many people is intimidating. Most of my performance pressures prior to this did not include an expectation of doing something truly remarkable. Even at Sebring, I was an unknown entity to many, so there really wasn’t anyone expecting anything special from me. When you go for a World Record, promote it nonstop for the weeks leading into it, and put yourself on display, the pressure is high. While that can be motivational, I know that many can also find it debilitating. That day, it was both for me. Being able to mobilize the energy that I receive from those who believe in me and who want me to succeed has always been helpful. I will say though, this type of energy is most useful in the less demanding times. During the real dark moments, I find that I need more to keep pushing forward. The fear of failure or letting everyone down, was combated by going back to my purpose and grounding myself in reality. I thought of mantras such as,
“You’ve done the work.”
“You are going to do your best and you can’t do any more.”
“Worrying about doing more than you can do is not going to help.”
“You either have it or you don’t. There is nothing you can do about it now.”
“The work has been done, now it’s time to let it happen.”
“You can only get in your own way at this point.”
As I focused on the task at hand and let the event energy float away from my mind, I was confronted by the wall of effort ahead. I was determined to keep a very hard pace for 24 hours with limited breaks and to do it in one static TT position to make the WUCA outcome as good as possible.
While on Zwift, position does not matter. In the real world, it matters a lot. I love the world of Zwift and will continue to use it as my main training device because of its versatility and community. However, it does not perfectly capture a rider’s capability because of individual factors such as position. In order to account for this, WUCA chose to have their records measured by their own calculation, not by Zwift. The main factor in this calculation is the CdA described previously. I knew going in that, despite being on Zwift, I needed to spend as much time as I could in the TT position. This was by far the hardest part of the day. I wanted to get up and move around so badly. I wanted to stretch and not stay static.
Working with Pat Casey at Peak State Fit has unlocked so much more potential. He has helped me find a position that really works for both comfort and power. I highly recommend him for a professional fitting. My setup on the new Ventum Tempus is extremely comfortable for hours on end. However, I don’t know if there is a way to be comfortable in the same position for 24 hours – it’s basically torture. I almost talked myself out of it many times. In fact, the last several hours I started to do the math of how much distance I would lose to just sit up the rest of the time. It wasn’t a huge sacrifice. If I sat up for two hours I would only lose around 4.6 miles. But it was just my mind trying to talk myself into giving up the position. Two thoughts crossed my mind.
First, when you go down one road it’s hard to get back to the previous one. In ultra events, I’ve found it’s hard to come back from a lull. If I broke position, I knew it was most likely going to be beyond impossible to go back to it as strong as I was before. It’s not a matter of rest, nothing was going to get better. I wasn’t going to get enough break time to make it feel better. I was just going to show my mind there was an easier way. Taking a break was only going to give my quitting side more power. No, I could not back down, even a little.
Second thought: in a world where I optimized everything as much as I could to be as fast as I could, why would I choose to give up speed now? I literally made choices to make myself a few seconds faster over the course of the whole event. So giving up 4+ miles? That logic didn’t make any sense.
In addition to battling the position and pressure of the day, I also had to overcome one of my major blocks. In previous ultra events, I have hated when people asked me, “How are you doing?” This was severe enough to the point that during Sebring it took me 10 minutes to bounce back after my wife asked how I was doing during a brief break. I spent the whole next lap thinking about how I was not doing okay and trying to climb out of the hole. At this attempt, there was no escaping it. Everyone who came and greeted me, immediately asked how I was doing. Ignoring it as a real question and interpreting it as their care or interest in me was helpful. I reminded myself that they meant good and avoided thinking about my real response, and instead immediately said, “I’m good.” I’ll be one of the first, as a mental health counselor, to say that one should not always rely on these techniques, but the context and goal of the day required these tools. I’m a big fan of using a tool analogy to help myself and others realize you have to use different tools for different jobs. This is equally true for projects in the mind.
Learning to balance interacting with others and not using too much energy on it was interesting. The effort was very high, but the point of being able to do it for 24 hours meant it had to be easy enough for me. So, most of the time I was comfortable and I had to be, for many hours. If it was uncomfortable in the first few hours, how would that have worked? I could not let this comfort go too far into making me use energy on other tasks.
Another interesting and unique challenge of the day was the many milestones. There were many records to overcome and each of them were their own success, but they were not the main goal. In fact, I chose to not even reflect on the fact that I was a WR holder until the last 20 minutes. At times these carrots were motivating, but at other times they were daunting. It sort of felt like a never ending list of things to do. However, it was rewarding that each of them became a bigger and bigger win.
The last struggle I will focus on is not letting up even a hair. I felt and knew that if I even came down a little on watts, it would be that much harder to talk myself into going back up. While negative splitting a marathon or shorter race is the way to go the fastest, I am not convinced it is the way for ultra. In fact, if you just think about the growing calorie and body deficit, it doesn’t make any sense to go fastest and hardest when you are so far behind on energy. It seems to me more like a war of attrition and you only truly win if you give in as little as possible.
Closing Thanks
If there’s more to the story, I will need to capture it in our post-event interview with BrainStoke. I want to end this document with many thanks. The biggest thanks goes to Bailey for her work which may outweigh my own going in, day of, and after. JT Telford from BrainStoke was the right-hand man of a Lefthand production. The rest of the crew from BrainStoke were stellar – thanks Tom, Preston, and Kevin.
The main event sponsors were a pleasure to work with and I hope to continue representing such amazing brands. ENVE, thanks for your excellent wheels and use of space (the rear disc wheel is the fast version used by Tadej and me). Thank you Neil and Jason for your help. It would not have been as spectacular without you. Thanks to Wahoo for providing a reliable and consistent trainer that could withstand 24 hours of pure torture! The same goes for Rotor, the primary recording meter of the attempt and the oval ring that worked perfectly with my style and capability.
Lastly, but in some ways the most successful partnership, a huge thanks to all at Zwift and especially Peter Bradbury. We did it Peter! What was a brainchild became a reality in more ways than we dreamed. Zwift is such an amazing platform and I am grateful to be a user and will sing its praises everywhere I can. Thanks for your support during this endeavor. To have a special robopacer (same as Constance in metrics, but branded by name and chat for the event) was incredible. The help managing fake accounts to simultaneously make this a legitimate effort and not get out of hand – just thank you, thank you, thank you.
This time last year, I don’t think I knew about WUCA. Now, it has been a pleasure to win their North American Ultra Distance Championship in 2024, start my World Cup bid at Bike Sebring, and now set world records. Thank you to the records chair Larry Oslund for working closely on this with me and refining the new process for others to follow.
The day after I finished, I made a video about not resting on my laurels. I have a lot more in me this season and in the future. But damn, this one feels good.
The Aftermath
The aftermath, what I’m calling the short-term recovery, is an event all on its own. It has been 8-12 hours of ups and down. This time I felt really good for 3-4 hours but after 5 hours I had a serious sugar crash and felt terrible – the first time I have thought, “Maybe I should go get a medical check.” Luckily, food righted the ship. So, here is what short-term recovery has looked like for me:
Eat as much solid food as I could tolerate. It seems that I can stomach 2-3k calories right after.
Sleep for 2 hours, or really as long as I can before I wake with a strong hunger sensation.
Then, it’s back to eating as much as I possibly can.
I repeat this one more time to sleep, eat, and sleep.
After that final sleep I generally am in a good spot, but then it’s long-term recovery time.
Ghost is ‘back in gravity’ with the release of the Poacha, a 180mm-travel MTB designed to take on the gnarliest lines.
The release of the Poacha marks the brand’s re-entry to the UK market, with a mountain bike built to appeal to riders looking for a long-travel bike designed to hit freeride lines, park laps and techy trails.
Three builds are available at launch, with the entry-level bike appearing to represent the good value Ghost has been associated with.
Prices start at £4,199 / €4,999 for the base model, with the top-of-the-range Poacha Full Party priced at £6,699 / €8,000.
Traction Link 3.0 suspension system
The Poacha is available in three builds. Ghost
The Poacha employs the brand’s Traction Link 3.0 suspension system, a virtual pivot point linkage, to deliver its rear suspension with forks that match the 180mm suspension figure up front.
The VPP setup is said to have a sensitive early stroke and gives the suspension a rearward axle path.
In theory, this should take the sting out of blunt hits, enabling the rear wheel to swing back out of the way rather than taking the brunt of the force.
A low-mounted shock is said to drop the centre of gravity, giving the bike better agility in the corners and steep sections of track.
Carbon tubes, alloy links
The Poacha is only available as a mullet setup. Ghost
The frame sees carbon tubes connected via alloy links and is Category 5 rated, meaning it’s safe to use on freeride and downhill trails.
Adjustability is the name of the game when it comes to the Poacha’s geometry, with flip chips and reach adjusters in the frame.
A new Acros headset enables the reach to be adjusted by 5mm either way, with reach measurements ranging from 440mm to 516mm through the sizes.
Ghost has given the Poacha fully replaceable hardware, with every aluminium piece tightening into itself, so there are no threads in the carbon to be damaged.
The bike is ‘double crown ready’, and Ghost says you can run up to a 200mm fork.
The Poacha is designed for back-to-back days in the bike park. Ghost
The rear suspension can also be increased to 190mm by using a shock with 70mm of stroke rather than 75mm, and it’s coil-compatible with 35 per cent progression overall.
The rear end features an asymmetric design for increased strength, with the frame shifted slightly towards the non-driveside.
It seems Ghost has designed the bike for easy maintenance, with the frame bearings sealed on the inside and outside for better durability.
The bottom of the down tube gets a rubber protector to fend off rock strikes, and there are plenty of mounting points to attach spare tubes or multi-tools in the event of mishaps on the mountain.
Ghost Poacha spec and price details
Ghost Poacha
The Poacha base model looks to represent decent value. Ghost
Fork: RockShox ZEB Select, 180mm
Shock: RockShox Vivid Select
Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type
Brakes: SRAM DB Maven Bronze
Wheels: Shimano (hubs), WTB ST Tough TCS 2.0 (rims)
Tyres: Continental Kryptotal
Price: £4,199 / €4,999
Ghost Poacha Pro
The Poacha Pro is the only model to run Fox suspension. Ghost
Fork: Fox 38 Factory, 180mm
Shock: Fox X2 Factory
Drivetrain: Shimano XT
Brakes: Tektro TRP DH-R EVO
Wheels: DT Swiss F 1900
Tyres: Continental Kryptotal
Price: £5,499 / €6,499
Ghost Poacha Full Party
The top-of-the-range Full Party is the only model to use electronic shifting. Ghost
Zwift’s latest update includes a new frame from Giant, the TCR Advanced SL 2025. This update also renamed the game’s existing TCR Advanced SL to the “TCR Advanced SL 2021”, making it clear that this frame is the new version of Giant’s popular TCR Advanced SL road racing frame. Here’s what it looks like IRL:
On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.89+ to see the TCR Advanced SL 2025 in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 25+ with 1,100,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
“This 10th generation TCR builds on innovations of the bikes that came before it, achieving greater efficiency, improved aerodynamics, and more seamless integration to elevate the road riding experience. Much has changed in road bikes, but through it all the TCR has remained at the forefront of innovation. It’s a bike that has kept its focus on one core mission: to give riders a competitive edge.”
It’s rated 3 stars for aero, 4 stars for weight, like a handful of other top frames with strong all-arounder performance. But a 4-star system isn’t the most granular of performance measurements, so we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm Carbon wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
Giant’s TCR Advanced SL 2025 is slippery, trimming 61.2s off our baseline Zwift Carbon frame over an hour of flat riding.
That puts it in the top 10% of all frames on Zwift, and within 1.8 seconds of the game’s fastest frame. Considering that our tests have a 1-second margin of error, one could reasonably lump this frame in with the other fastest frames in terms of performance on flat roads.
Climb Performance
The TCR Advanced SL 2025 is a strong climber, but not quite in the same league as the game’s top all-arounders. It shaves 44.7 seconds off of our baseline Zwift Carbon’s time on an hour-long climb, placing it in the 20% of all road frames on Zwift and 11.7 seconds behind the fastest climber (Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8).
Like all frames in Zwift, Giant’s TCR Advanced SL 2025 can be upgraded in five stages. As a high-end race bike, each of the five stages results in a performance improvement. The TCR Advanced SL 2025 upgrade stages are as follows:
Ride 200km, pay 100,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
Ride 260km, pay 200,000 Drops for a weight reduction
Ride 320km, pay 350,000 Drops for a drivetrain efficiency improvement
Ride 380km, pay 500,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
Ride 440km, pay 750,000 Drops for a weight reduction
You can expect a fully-upgraded Giant TCR Advanced SL 2025 to be approximately 28 seconds faster on a flat hour and 36 seconds faster on an hour-long climb vs the “stock” Giant TCR Advanced SL 2025.
Conclusions
There are currently three top all-arounders on Zwift, and their unlock levels and Drops costs are high:
Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71 (level 40, 1,750,000 Drops)
Pinarello Dogma F 2024 (level 40, 1,750,000 Drops)
Just below them, with essentially the same aero performance but slightly slower climb performance, you’ll find the Canyon Aeroad 2024 which unlocks at just level 10 and costs 1,100,000 Drops.
The Giant TCR Advanced SL 2025 is very comparable to the Canyon Aeroad 2024: same price, similar performance, and a lower unlock level (25+) than the top 3 frames. So we expect to see some beginning Zwifters purchasing this frame to race until they reach a level where they can purchase the next fastest all-arounder.
And while its performance won’t be compelling enough to cause racers to buy it en masse, fans of Giant, including existing TCR Advanced SL owners, will be buying it. They may even buy it to replace the older TCR frame in their garage, since the 2025 model performs much better, trimming ~35 seconds off our flat hour test and ~29 seconds off our climbing hour.
Questions or Comments?
What do you think of this new frame from Giant? 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.
Ribble has revealed the Ultra Race, a new all-rounder race bike constructed using a “revolutionary” MT65 carbon layup.
The British brand claims its use of this new, high-modulus carbon fibre has enabled it to build a stronger, stiffer and lighter bike, without compromising on aerodynamic efficiency.
The Ultra Race replaces the Endurance SL R in Ribble’s range and doubles down on its racing focus, dropping features such as mudguard mounts and paying increased attention to low weight and aerodynamics.
The Ultra Race is Ribble’s latest all-rounder race bike. Ribble
According to Ribble, its use of MT65 carbon fibre is a “world first” within the cycling industry.
Jamie Burrow, Ribble’s head of design and product development, says this high-modulus carbon fibre was selected because the brand wanted to look beyond the types of carbon typically used by the bike industry (such as T800 and T1000).
The MT65 carbon is deployed strategically across the Ultra Race frame, alongside lower-modulus fibres.
Ribble claims it’s the first bike brand in the world to make use of MT65 carbon fibre. Ribble
The brand’s press materials say the use of this carbon fibre is “revolutionary”, although it’s fair to say the results – while impressive on paper – are predictable.
It likely won’t surprise anyone to discover this new carbon layup has enabled Ribble to make the Ultra Race lighter, stiffer and more compliant – all without sacrificing aerodynamic efficiency or durability.
In terms of figures, though, Ribble claims a size-medium frame (which is roughly equivalent to a 55cm) weighs 775g and is 75g lighter than its predecessor.
Ribble says the Ultra Race doesn’t compromise on strength or durability. Ribble
As a point of comparison, Specialized claims its S-Works Tarmac SL8 frame weighs 685g in a size 56cm, while its second-tier Tarmac SL8 Pro frame clocks in at 780g.
If aerodynamics weren’t such a concern, Burrow says Ribble “could have gone easily under 650g” with the Ultra Race. However, given the importance of aerodynamics to modern-day racing, this was deemed not worthwhile.
Likewise, Burrow says Ribble was keen not to compromise on the strength and durability of the frame by going too light, and emphasised it has been tested thoroughly in the real world throughout its three-year development cycle.
Refined aerodynamics
The Ultra Race uses aero features trickled down from Ribble’s aero bike. Ribble
While the overall silhouette of the Ultra Race is similar to its predecessor, the Endurance SL R, Ribble has refined the frame by taking inspiration from its Ultra SL R platform (which is now being rebranded as the Ultra Aero).
Like that aero road bike, the Ultra Race uses a wide-stance fork, with a profiled head tube and down tube shaped to shield water bottles from the wind.
The down tube on the Ultra Race is profiled to smooth the airflow around water bottles. Ribble
Up-front, Ribble has developed a new one-piece integrated cockpit for the Ultra Race, which is available in five sizes from 80x380mm to 120x420mm.
If that’s not to your taste, a two-piece cockpit, such as the Allroad SL R’s wake-generating UB-2 handlebar – plus a separate aero stem – can also be specced on the Ultra Race if desired.
Ribble’s new integrated handlebar uses a more traditional shape than its Ultra and UB-2 handlebars. Ribble
Overall, Ribble says its testing at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub wind tunnel showed the Ultra Race is 0.72 per cent more aerodynamic than its predecessor, across a yaw sweep of -10 to 10 degrees.
Notably, Ribble’s wind tunnel data says the Ultra Race is marginally less aerodynamic into a straight headwind (0 degrees of yaw).
On average, though, the Ultra Race is claimed to save a rider 2.6 watts at 46.8kph (Ribble said its wind tunnel data was gathered at a wind speed of 13 metres per second) or around six seconds over 40km.
Ribble Ultra range, specifications and pricing
Ribble says top-spec builds of the Ultra Race will weigh less than 6.8kg. Ribble
The Ribble Ultra is available in six sizes, from XXS to XL, which Ribble says covers riders from 150 to 196cm in height.
There are four builds in the range, all featuring Shimano Di2 or SRAM AXS electronic groupsets, the new Aero Road Carbon integrated handlebar and Pirelli tyres.
Ribble says the Ultra Race has clearance for 32mm-wide tyres, and that all builds will shop with 30mm tyres.
Optional upgrades include Zipp’s 353 NSW and Scope’s Artech 4 wheelsets, both of which can be specced via Ribble’s Bike Builder customisation programme.
Yesterday, Zwift quietly rolled out a new “Route of the Week” Challenge card on the homescreen:
What’s the big idea? Simple, really: ride the Route of the Week and earn 500XP:
Note: “accidentally” riding the Route of the Week won’t earn you the XP bonus. You have to click the challenge card, which brings you to the blue screen shown above, in order to “register” for the Route of the Week challenge for that week. Then you can ride the featured route in any way you choose, in order to get the XP bonus.
Triple Flat Loops is a Watopia route that began life as Zwift Insider’s first-ever Rebel Route back in April of 2019. It does what it says on the tin, covering three connected loops of Watopia’s flattest roads, including the Tempus desert, Ocean Boulevard, the base of the Volcano, and the Esses.
Want even more XP? Zwift has also scheduled “XP Express” events on Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 22 where you earn double XP (so 40XP per kilometer/64XP per mile, vs 20XP per kilometer/32XP per mile).
These rides are 50 minutes long, open-paced, and held on a different route each day. Events are scheduled every three hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Zwift tells me we’ll see a new Route of the Week featured each of the four weeks of May. This looks to be just the initial launch of a “weekly quest” concept that could include other small weekly goals that deliver an XP bonus. Being a big fan of carrots, I support this initiative!
As for the XP Express events, it sounds like these will continue to be added to the calendar strategically, and community events may also strategically get set up as double XP events in order to give them a boost. My guess is you won’t see XP Express events when other bonus XP series are happening (like Tour of Watopia), but you may see them more regularly otherwise.
(The XP Express idea is clearly popular. There are 193 riders signed up for the next event on the calendar, which is over 2 hours away as I write this!)
Your Thoughts
What do you think of this “Route of the Week” idea, and what sort of weekly quests (apart from route completion) would you like to see Zwift set up? Will you be riding in the XP Express events? Share your thoughts below…
John Abbott Valentine – better known to MBUK readers as John Stevenson – has died from cancer.
The outspoken Yorkshireman played a pivotal role in the early years of MBUK, joining the fledgling magazine as deputy editor in 1989, after several years working in bike shops and making his name on the UK MTB scene as a racer, team manager and event promoter.
In his own words, he “got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish”. Tym Manley called his bluff and gave him a job.
Although not trained as one, John had a journalist’s instincts and attention to detail, and wasn’t afraid to espouse controversial views, or call out brands or individuals for their mistakes.
Old friend Rory Hitchens, a fellow former racer turned UK cycling industry mainstay, remembers: “John was stand-out from the word go. I was drawn to his confidence, loudness and ‘couldn’t give a shit, that’s your problem mate’ way of going about life. Things always happened around John. The world is already less agitated without him, and all the more dull for it.”
John – and his trademark blond ponytail – moved with MBUK from its tiny office in Kent to the big offices of Future Publishing in Bath and went on to become international editor and then editor-in-chief of the media group’s cycling titles, which at that time included MBUK, What Mountain Bike magazine and BikeRadar.
Legendary snapper Steve Behr told us: “Very influential and much respected in the cycling world, John didn’t suffer fools gladly and wasn’t shy in letting people know when he was displeased about something or didn’t agree with something.
“Under that gruff and sometimes grumpy northern exterior, he was great company, very enthusiastic about many things, and loved to debate and discuss energetically a wide variety of topics.
“He pushed MBUK on the tech side a lot in the early years, and has influenced many people who’ve gone on to have careers in cycling journalism. He’s a good friend who’ll be greatly missed.”
Both Rob Weaver and I had the opportunity to work with John in Bath. He was kind and generous – not hesitating to circle back and give me a push after I bonked on one particularly long ride – but would quickly get worked up when people didn’t meet his (very high) standards. I can remember him getting genuinely angry about brands’ (and writers’) use of the word ‘compliance’ to describe engineered flex, arguing that it wasn’t a dictionary definition of the word.
“I’d rather be loud and wrong than quiet and right,” he once told Rob and test guru Guy Kesteven during a memorable rant at the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas. Generally, he was loud and right – although maybe not during that same trip when he drove their hire car up Boulder Canyon with the handbrake on because, “it’s a shit car and I can’t find it to take it off”.
On another memorable occasion, he yelled, “Coffee is a human right!” across the office.” Former MBUK art editor James ‘Jimmer’ Blackwell said: “He was a hard taskmaster but a top bloke, utterly unique, and his ideas were something to listen to.”
After parting ways with Future, John branched out into freelancing, worked briefly for Planet-X and then became editor at large of road cycling website Road.cc.
In 2024, he took a DNA test and tracked down his biological father, who’d sadly died five years earlier. John decided to drop the surname of his hated stepdad, which he’d used since his school days, and adopt his mum’s maiden name, Abbott, and his dad’s surname, Valentine.
A year earlier, John had been diagnosed with stage-four bowel cancer and tumours in his liver. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and various operations, the disease spread to his lungs and abdominal lymph nodes. He spent his last days with his wife, Caroline, and his beloved dogs.
Caroline announced his death on Facebook, saying: “John died overnight. It was peaceful and pain-free, as far as we could tell, after a very fast deterioration.”
The new 2025 Cannondale Synapse takes its inspiration from the SuperSix Evo, but adopts frame-flex technology from the SuperX.
The latest iteration of Cannondale’s endurance bike platform elevates the humble Synapse to the same level as the pro-tour proven SuperSix Evo.
With a raft of bikes available at launch (and a couple more models coming in June), the new Synapse will cover all levels, from the Shimano 105 mechanical-equipped Carbon 5 to a new Lab71 SRAM Red AXS XPLR model complete with a power meter.
That marks a return to the highest-level specifications for the Synapse – something Cannondale didn’t offer on the previous 2022 model.
New Synapse frame design
The new 2025 Synapse. cannondale
The new bike brings plenty of what we would expect from Cannondale.
First up, the Synapse retains its BSA bottom bracket and uses the Delta Steerer from the SuperSix Evo. This brings standardised parts from the rest of Cannondale’s drop-bar offerings to the Synapse.
The aerodynamic tube shapes come straight from lessons learned on the SuperSix Evo. cannondale
For simplicity, it shares the same thru-axles, rear hangers, stems and even the SuperSix Evo’s slim aerodynamic seatpost.
With 42mm of tyre clearance, the Synapse has go-anywhere potential. cannondale
Add in huge 42mm tyre clearances (all models will ship with 32mm tyres), down-tube storage and mudguard/fender eyelets, and the new Synapse is a bike with practicality at its core.
Geometry tweaks
The Synapse doesn’t forgo practical touches such as fender bosses on the stays. cannondale
The geometry of the new bike is largely unchanged, although Cannondale has relaxed the head angle down from 73 degrees on the previous bike to 71.5 degrees.
This, and the advent of larger tyre clearances and larger stock tyres, has increased the wheelbase and trail figures, with the chainstays lengthened to 43cm from 41.5cm to account for 42mm tyre clearance.
The trail rises to 61mm from 59mm, bringing the Synapse in line with bikes such as Cervélo’s latest Caledonia 5. It’s only 3mm longer than its racing brother, the SuperSix Evo (58mm).
As for the Synapse’s appearance, it’s very much now a companion to Cannondale’s performance bikes. The head tube, down tube, top tube and dropped stays all bear plenty of similarities to the latest SuperSix Evo, while the kinked and flattened seat tube follows the same design cues as the latest SuperX.
The tapered and kinked seat tube is reminiscent of the new SuperX. cannondale
Cannondale tells us this gives similar compliance figures to the SuperX, too. The overall compliance of the new Synapse is up 20% over the previous model, while Cannondale has improved the vital stiffness figures at the head tube and bottom bracket.
Aerodynamics matter for endurance
The down tube storage contains both the SmartSense battery and a large tool storage bag. cannondale
A focus on aerodynamics is also at the heart of the new design. Cannondale’s aerodynamics expert Nathan Barry explains: “Much of what we learnt from the Evo-derived performance is here, from the cockpit integration to the highly truncated airfoils (first used on the third-generation SuperSix Evo).
“Our performance-driven design is more about speed and efficiency for the Synapse. Aero is the biggest factor, much more than weight. Bike weight is a very small factor, weight is more about the rider than the bike.”
That said, Cannondale hasn’t exactly delivered a hefty bike with the new Synapse, with claimed frame weights of under 1,000g for the Hi-Mod frame, 1,150g for the standard Carbon and 900g for the Lab71 edition. The Hi-Mod fork adds 445g and the standard Carbon 494g.
Lab71 brings 1x for the road
The move to a 1x drivetrain is something of a shock move on a mainstream production road bike, outside of niche brands such as Vielo and its R+1, but one that we’ve seen coming – especially since Wout van Aert used SRAM’s 1x setup for Milan-San Remo back in 2023.
We saw the same move from van Aert again at this year’s Paris-Roubaix, with the Lidl-Trek team using XPLR rear derailleurs in Paris-Roubaix Femmes.
The Lab71 has a full Red AXS XPLR group, with a 10-46 13-speed cassette matched to a 40-tooth chainring. I’m expecting delivery of this bike any day now, so I’ll report back on how this gravel setup fares on the road.
SmartSense is back
Perhaps the most divisive element of the previous Synapse was the integration of SmartSense, which incorporated an integrated front light, rear light and rear radar using Garmin’s tech, all running from a down-tube mounted single battery.
While initially sceptical about the rear radar, after using it when testing the bike, I became a convert. The added safety of knowing what’s approaching from behind and at what speed makes riding on busy, fast roads safer. I now use a Garmin Varia RCT715 for my regular 30-mile each-way commute.
The issue with the system, however, was a rather clunky integration. The external battery, chunky light and the bracket all added weight, and didn’t have the seamless integration you’d expect from Cannondale design.
Lighting up Lachlan
Lachlan Morton rode the new Synapse on a record-breaking lap of Australia. Karter Machen
The new Synapse does a much better job, and when Lachlan Morton rode the as-yet unreleased Synapse for his record-breaking lap around Australia, he employed the full SmartSense setup.
The new light can fit under the out-front mount and power a Garmin through a power mount.
The new front light, made in conjunction with LightSkin, is much slimmer and more slickly integrated into the underside of the cockpit. It’s also much more powerful at 800 lumens (400 for STVZO-compliant countries). The rear light/radar is more minimal, too.
The central battery has a higher capacity of 43.5Wh. It is hidden within a down-tube storage chamber, which also houses storage bags for tools and spares. The storage even includes a built-in flashlight.
The battery also powers the AXS shifting on SRAM-equipped bikes. It can be recharged in place through the USB-C port or removed and charged off the bike.
The new rear light/radar is much more compact.
Any possible battery woes affecting shifting have been considered, with protection for shifting built in. Cannondale tells us the battery, at 5% charge, still has a higher capacity than a standard SRAM AXS battery.
SmartSense is available on all SRAM-equipped bikes, whereas Shimano bikes, both electronic and mechanical, are non-SmartSense models.
SmartSense components will be available aftermarket, should you want to add the system later.
What is the new Synapse?
Lachlan Morton on his lap of Australia. Karter Machen
The frame design has an emphasis on aero and integration on one hand, like the most popular 2014 iteration of the Synapse. On the other hand, it has huge tyre clearances, SmartSense tech and a flagship bike that comes with a gravel groupset.
I think it’s somewhere in between – a performance endurance bike with a go-anywhere spirit. It’s a bike designed for a new breed of rider at the highest level, personified by Lachlan Morton, who’s at home in any discipline and at a tremendous pace.
If the Synapse lives up to these (my) expectations, it could be the ultimate do-it-all bike – equally at home in the cut and thrust of fast-paced road rides, gravel excursions, and epic days, weeks, or more.
If it’s good enough to aid Morton in setting the record of a 14,200km lap of Australia in an astonishing 30 days, 9 hours and 59 minutes – averaging over 450km a day – it’s going to be enough bike for most of us.
2025 Cannondale Synapse range details
There are eight models in the new Synapse range, although the details of four are embargoed until 17 June, when fellow US company SRAM has its own announcements.
The range starts with the Carbon 5 at £2,995 / €3,499 / $3,599 and is topped by the new Lab71 Synapse (as ridden by Lachlan Morton), priced at £13,000 / €15,799.
Gravel suspension was a hot topic at this year’s Traka, and Lachlan Morton has weighed in with his take.
Speaking exclusively to BikeRadar at the Spanish event, the 2024 Unbound winner said the current trend towards ever-larger gravel tyres is essentially “trying to mimic what suspension does”.
“There’s no one fix” when it comes to determining the best gravel bike for every scenario, though, Morton cautions.
Four different courses, four different setups
Does suspension make gravel bikes faster? It depends, says Lachlan Morton. Liam Cahill / Our Media
A big part of the ‘problem’ with determining the best setup for gravel racing, Morton says, is that “you could race four different courses and there’d be four different setups that are better”.
There’s no doubt, he says, that “There are courses where suspension would be great”, but there are different ways to address the problems gravel suspension is designed to solve (namely smoothing out rough surfaces and increasing traction and control).
In Morton’s view, the current trend for riders to use the biggest tyres that will fit in their gravel bikes – with some riders even opting for cross-country mountain bike tyres – is driven by similar concerns.
Gravel racers regularly push the limits of their frame’s clearance in order to run bigger tyres. Liam Cahill / Our Media
“Effectively, that’s what using big tyres is doing,” he says. “It’s low pressure – you’re trying to reduce that up and down motion.”
Contrary to popular opinion, Morton says: “There’s not a huge traction gain from running a bigger tyre, necessarily.”
Likewise, Morton says “you kind of lose out” using them on the “really high speed stuff” – potentially because they’re heavier and less aerodynamic than narrower tyres.
“I’m sure you could probably get away with less tyre if you’re running suspension,” he adds.
Enjoying the process
Lachlan Morton opted for a rigid bike at this year’s race. Liam Cahill / Our Media
Part of the fun of gravel racing, Morton says, is enjoying the process of setting up your bike for maximum performance ahead of each race.
“It’s nice when you look at the course and make your decisions based on what the course is doing, what your body’s doing, and then what your plans are for the race.
“You can run a bunch of different setups, and different things could be faster on different parts of the course.”
Morton even says riders “might take more gambles on equipment” if they feel the need to make up for a deficit in physical prowess compared to their competitors.
Morton’s 42/44c tyres were relatively small by modern standards. Liam Cahill / Our Media
Morton, though, has clearly yet to be converted to gravel suspension. His bike for this year’s Traka 360 was a rigid Cannondale SuperX Lab71 equipped with relatively narrow, 700×42 and 44c Vittoria Mezcal Gravel Endurance tyres, front and rear.
The team at SISU Racing has just announced its first Grand Tour of 2025. Held on Saturdays and Tuesdays, it’s a 7-stage tour across the three weeks of the Men’s Giro d’Italia.
The series can be raced as an individual or a team, and features both an individual time trial in Bologna and a tough queen stage finish on the ZG25 Queen route. Read on for details!
If you’re tired of scrolling through your Strava feed and manually giving kudos to your friends’ rides, Strava Kudo All is the Google Chrome plug-in for you.
This browser extension automatically drops kudos on the activities of all the people you’re following, meaning you can sit back and watch the support return almost transactionally to your latest ride.
The plug-in, created by Thomas Ciles, adds a button to Strava’s homepage titled ‘Kudo All’, which, when pressed, sends kudos to all activities on your feed from the previous 24 hours.
Strava Kudo All is labelled as Featured in Google’s Chrome Web Store. Google Chrome Web Store
It only works on the desktop version of Strava and therefore won’t be available on mobile devices.
Having downloaded Strava Kudo All to see how it worked, I was impressed by its simple functionality and the increased kudos I received after using it for only a couple of days.
The button is added to the top-right of your feed on Strava’s Dashboard. Strava
While some may say the plug-in goes against the ‘spirit of Strava’, there’s no denying its effectiveness, with kudos on my rides now given in greater volume and by a wider variety of people.
Google Chrome’s Web Store says there are 3,000 users of the plug-in, a small number compared to the millions signed up to Strava, meaning it’s highly likely the kudos you’re receiving is genuine support from your followers.
Canyon’s latest Sender downhill bike has a high-pivot idler-equipped rear suspension design and is the result of years of research.
Before the bike was available to the public, it had helped riders such as Troy Brosnan stand on the top step of the downhill World Cup podium.
While this proves the finished product is very good indeed, it’s how Canyon got to this point that’s interesting, though.
The warts-and-all development process of a bike can be filled with dead ends, red herrings and other unproductive quests.
However, Canyon built the ultimate prototype, which played its part in the success of the new Sender, leaving no stone unturned in the development process.
Troy Brosnan won the 2024 Mont-Sainte-Anne DH World Cup on the new Sender. Canyon Bikes
The final product is an affordable top-performing downhill bike.
With prices starting at €4,499 (CFR Underdog) and rising to €5,999 (CFR Team) for the top-flight model, podium-contending performance has never been more attainable.
Cue the Canyon Frankenbike
The Frankenbike looks ugly but serves a beautiful purpose. Canyon Bikes
Created by Canyon’s engineers – the cycling equivalent of Victor Frankenstein – the Sender test mule is as monstrous and all-encompassing as it looks.
Recognised internally as the ‘most advanced’ prototype Canyon has ever built, the Frankenbike was created to test every conceivable suspension and geometry permutation.
But to achieve such a feat, Canyon had to sacrifice the Frankenbike’s looks.
The Canyon Frankenbike is one of the most advanced prototypes out there. Canyon Bikes
It has more holes, pivot points, bolts, lugs and mounting options than you can imagine, to test each of the bike’s parameters without affecting the others.
That means testing one variable – whether that’s leverage rate, wheelbase, wheel size, anti-squat, anti-rise or anything else – without influencing anything else, is possible.
The Frankenbike enabled Canyon’s test riders and engineers to form their own opinions and ideas of each parameter based on real-world testing, rather than being led by assumptions or dirtied data.
Despite having looks only a mother could love, the Frankenbike is wonderfully functional. Canyon Bikes
Usually, they’d rely on compromised and muddied input, where each prototype bike is relatively fixed. If an iterative change – say, reducing the leverage rate or increasing chainstay length – is needed, a whole new frame will have to be made.
Visually, the Frankenbike is far from beautiful, but conceptually it’s one of the best things on the MTB scene.
Each suspension and geometry parameter can be adjusted independently. Canyon Bikes
And it’s also one of the reasons downhill racing is such an important discipline; innovation, technological advancements and leaps in engineering are all at the forefront of competition.
Leaving no stone unturned in the development process – because brands and racers want to win world cups – means the production bikes you can buy are only ever going to get better.
The production Canyon Sender
The production Sender has clean lines and a great aesthetic. Canyon Bikes
The result of all this research and development is one of the most refined, bang-up-to-date DH bikes on the market.
Canyon was able to quickly turn the best combinations of Frankenbike into rideable, almost production-looking prototypes thanks to 3D printing at its Koblenz HQ in Germany.
This means the final look, including smooth, clean lines – that Canyon was really picky about, and spent a good chunk of time getting right – is also loaded with plenty of tech.
High-pivot suspension tech
The chain idler gives you some idea just how high the main high pivot is. Canyon Bikes
Multiple DH world champion and World Cup winner Fabien Barel – who heads up the Canyon Factory race team – was on a mission to give the Sender the most traction possible.
Key to this is the high-pivot suspension design.
By moving the main pivot point on the single pivot, linkage-driven suspension, Canyon has given the new Sender a rearward axle path.
As the suspension compresses, the rear wheel moves in a rearward arc until the bike has compressed roughly 70 per cent into its travel.
The rear suspension is a single-pivot design, but there’s a linkage to adjust the leverage rate. Canyon Bikes
From uncompressed up to this point, it has roughly 24mm of rearward travel. From 70 per cent of its travel to bottom-out, the rear wheel then moves forwards by 5mm, finishing roughly 19mm further back from where it started.
By positioning the idler so the chain runs directly in line with the main pivot, Canyon has virtually eliminated pedal kickback and upper chain growth.
The latter is now down to 0.1mm in all gears, from roughly 27mm in total on the old model.
Pedal kickback has been reduced to 0.5 degrees, from 5.7 degrees on the outgoing bike.
Canyon claims this helps boost grip, reduce rider fatigue and create an ultra-sensitive suspension platform.
Canyon says ‘pushability’
The progressive leverage rate means the bike is best suited to coil shocks. Canyon Bikes
But that’s not all.
A term coined by Canyon, ‘pushability’ refers to how well the bike picks up speed from pumping and pushing compressions in the terrain.
Clearly, this is important for racing, where every millisecond counts.
Bikes with no chain growth or kickback and plush, rearward-arcing rear suspension can feel soggy and slow, but Canyon has tuned the Sender’s suspension curve to retain its pushability.
Here, the mid-stroke’s leverage rate is claimed to provide a platform for the rider to work the bike against. Combine it with a custom shock tune and the bike’s responsive rather than lethargic.
Every pivot uses easy-to-remove hardware. Canyon Bikes
The Sender also has two progression settings – a more linear 32.7 per cent and a more progressive 37 per cent, changed by a flip chip.
Coil shocks or high-volume air-spring versions are going to be the order of the day here.
Finally, it’s got an unusually high anti-rise figure, sitting around 130 per cent at sag.
This means when you brake, those braking forces are more likely to cause the suspension to compress rather than extend.
During the prototyping phase, Canyon said it broke no frames. Canyon Bikes
Critics of high anti-rise claim it can cause the suspension to ‘pack down’ (keep compressing into its travel on successive bumps without being able to return to sag or full travel), resulting in a rough ride.
Proponents think it helps better preserve the bike’s geometry. When you brake, your weight shifts forwards, unweighting the rear of the bike, extending the suspension and loading up the front.
If braking forces are compressing the suspension thanks to higher anti-squat, in theory some of that rear-suspension extension should be mitigated against, helping preserve its geometry.
The perfect geometry mix
The upper shock mount has a high/low flip chip to adjust the bottom bracket height by 5mm. Canyon Bikes
Available in four sizes – from small to extra-large – the new Sender’s geometry is evolutionary rather than revolutionary compared to the outgoing bike.
But what it lacks in revelations, it makes up for with adjustability.
There’s 8mm of reach adjustment thanks to the offset headset cups and 5mm of bottom-bracket height adjustment with a flip chip.
A reach-adjusting headset gives you more choice on frame size. Canyon Bikes
Standout figures include a 63-degree head tube angle and reach figures that span from 443mm (small, 0mm headset adjustment) up to 518mm (extra-large, 0mm headset adjustment).
The entire size range is built around mixed wheels – gone is the full 29er – and chainstay lengths stay at 438mm on all sizes.
Final details
A reach-adjusting headset and Canyon’s K.I.S. are both present. Canyon Bikes
Canyon’s K.I.S. (Keep It Stable) steering stabiliser is pre-installed on both models of Sender.
Canyon says it’s easier to remove than install, so wanted to give customers the option of trying it before removing it.
The rear end runs a 148mm-wide bespoke DT Swiss rear hub with wider spoke bracing.
Wider hub flanges, to give the wheel more strength, fit within the usual 148mm frame spacing. Canyon Bikes
Thanks to a narrower freehub body and wider spoke flanges, the 148mm hub shares its internal dimensions with the standard 157mm rear hubs usually found on DH bikes, while being thinner between the axle end caps.
One of the coolest things about Zwift is its inspiring and dedicated community. In this week’s top video, one rider sets out to break the Guinness World Record for most distance cycled in 24 hours in an attempt to raise money for breast cancer awareness.
We’ve also selected videos about using Zwift to prep for the Leadville 100, a Zwift race commentary, a fun vlog from Zwift Community Live in Mallorca, and a hack to stay comfortable on indoor rides.
Matthew Lefthand 24hr Virtual Cycling WR
Watch as Matthew Lefthand conquers the 24-hour virtual cycling record, and for a good cause.
Dad Life Meets Leadville Prep – My Indoor Training Setup That Actually Works
Steve Jacobson shares how his indoor cycling setup has helped him train for the Leadville 100 MTB while balancing life, work, and family.
Most Brutal Zwift Race Ever?! – Alpe du Zwift | Dream Bike Race (Cat. A)
Manuel Assl tackles the Dream Bike Race, which features a finish atop Alpe du Zwift. Watch as he battles to the finish.
Zwift Community Live Vlog (in Mallorca!)
LA Triathlete shares a day-by-day vlog of her time in Mallorca for the Zwift Community Live.
Simple Tennis Ball Trick Every Zwift Rider Needs to Know!
Struggling to stay comfortable on those long Zwift rides? Biker Campervan shares how the use of a few tennis balls can improve your ride.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
B580, AMD Radeon
