Everyone’s life has moved increasingly online, and for cyclists, that creates unique problems.

Sharing rides and photos can be motivating and fun, but it risks revealing far more than you intend – from the exact location of your garage to details thieves could use, not to mention often highly personal data. 

With so many connected apps, it’s not always clear who can see what.

Here are seven common ways you might be compromising your cycling privacy online, and what you can do to stay safe.

• Read more: The complete guide to Strava, the world’s biggest fitness tracking app

1. Think about your Strava settings

Strava calls itself “the social network for athletes”, and much of its appeal comes from sharing rides, cheering friends on, and posting photos or videos. But by default, that also means your activities reveal where you’ve been, when, and potentially even where you live.

• Read more: The one benefit of Strava that nobody is talking about (and why it could make you happier)

The most important step is setting up privacy zones around your home, work or any other sensitive location.

Be strategic here – a small circle drawn just a couple of hundred metres from your house can still make it obvious which property is yours, especially if you live in a rural area. A zone set further away gives you more protection.

Even then, be cautious about what you post. An image taken outside your front door or garage can be just as revealing as a GPS trace.

From there, Strava’s layered privacy tools enable you to control who sees what: you can share with everyone, with followers only or lock rides down completely. 

Another setting to check is Flyby, which enables other riders to see when and where you crossed paths. 

It’s disabled by default, but if you switch it on, your rides must be publicly visible. Make sure you’re comfortable with that before enabling it.

Finally, consider the global heatmap, which aggregates millions of rides to show popular routes. 

Strava does apply your privacy settings here, but if your rides are public, others could zoom in close to your start and end points. You can opt out entirely if you’d prefer not to appear.

• Read more: Strava’s Heatmap reveals military bases and more

It’s not only your location you need to consider. If your ride starts with a run over to your mate’s house to meet up, it’s another frequently visited place that’s likely to contain bikes. 

Your Strava trace – or trace on any other app, for that matter – will most likely flag it up with a wiggly GPS trace and a speed drop to zero as you wait around for them to get ready.

Set privacy zones for friends’ houses and other locations you visit frequently, that snoopers may want to know about.  

2. Watch where your Garmin courses start

Garmin Connect provides a great tool for ride planning. 

You can map out a route (or Course in Garmin speak) and Garmin will use its own popularity routing to send you via routes most used by cyclists. 

It’s similar to the route planning offered by Strava, but unlike Strava, it’s free to use.

You can choose your basemap to plot your route. The most detailed basemap is OpenStreetMap – but there’s a privacy catch if you use it.

While routes plotted in Garmin’s base map, Google Maps or Here Maps can be kept private, those plotted on OpenStreetMap are always public. 

This opens up the same issues of identifiable start and end locations as with rides on Strava. 

Either start your planned route a couple of kilometres down the road, when Garmin will direct you to the start, or delete your course once you’ve ridden it.

It won’t always be this way – speaking to BikeRadar, a Garmin spokesperson said it is “in the process of making courses created with OSM private by default”, adding “we expect that update to take place later this year”.

3. Don’t be too social

Social media sites are another source of info on where you are and where you ride. 

Instagram has recently introduced optional location sharing, which provides your location to contacts in near real-time.

Snapchat, too, has a location heatmap, which could show where you and your bikes are located.

If you want to be really safe, it’s probably not a good idea to boast online about that new Pinarello you’ve just bought, either. 

There’ve been cases of riders being followed and their bikes hijacked.

4. Make sure your photo sharing doesn’t share more than you thought

Another opportunity to reveal your location is provided by sharing photos. 

Be mindful of the background of your shots. Does it show your house, garage or other distinctive features that could reveal where you live? 

It’s relatively easy to use Google Street View and satellite images to establish where a particular shot was taken if you know the rough area. 

Some photo-sharing apps will retain the metadata for posted shots, too. This might include the GPS coordinates showing where they were taken. 

Check that your preferred photo-sharing app strips your metadata, or remove it yourself before posting a shot.

5. Check who you share your real-time location with

Most GPS cycling computers offer real-time location sharing via their apps if you carry your phone with you. 

It’s another potentially leaky source of location info, although by default your ride is shared with named contacts only. 

But Garmin Connect, for example, enables you to share to other apps too, so you could potentially leak your location into apps where you haven’t set such tight privacy. 

6. Consider your indoor rides

Indoor cycling apps enable you to ride your outdoor routes on your trainer. It’s yet another potential source of data leakage if you share your indoor workouts, particularly if you upload video footage to accompany your ride’s GPS file.

Again, consider who can see what in Rouvy, Bkool or your other preferred indoor training app. 

7. Check your shared apps

There’s a whole network of cycling apps that you can link together. 

Your ride might be logged in Garmin Connect, uploaded to Strava, pushed out to Komoot and fed through to training apps, brands’ sites and more. 

Before you know it, you could have a web of a dozen linked accounts, all seeing some or all of your data and potentially sharing it. 

Most apps will have robust privacy policies, but those policies can change, and lesser-known apps may take a more lax approach.

Proceed cautiously and check that any historical links are disabled if you stop using an app.

This weekend’s big event is the Rapha Women’s 100, and there are lots of events from Zwift, as well as community members, to help riders reach that 100km mark to celebrate women’s cycling. See below for more on these rides, plus other special events this weekend!

Rapha Women’s 100

Zwift Racing League Recon Rides – Southern Coast Cruise TTT

Team CLS Base ‘n’ Banter

CRYO-GEN Sunday Endurance Ride (C or D)

Tiny Races Return to 5 Categories

How We Make Our Picks

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!

The Namibian bicycle company Onguza has launched its new Bliksem gravel bike, which you can customise to your heart’s content, specifying everything from cable routing to frame graphics. 

Former professional cyclist Dan Craven set up Onguza in 2021 in his home country of Namibia, and it released its first bike in 2022, the Gravel Model 1. 

Now, after three years of development, Onguza says the Bliksem is introducing a new way for you to design and order handmade steel bicycles. 

“The business model we’ve always aimed for”

Onguza’s factory is in-house, making it “uniquely able to offer truly customisable, handmade framesets at a price much closer to mass-produced brands”. 

As with the Gravel Model 1, Onguza’s frames have standardised geometry, but beyond that you can customise almost everything on the Bliksem gravel bike. 

“This is the business model we’ve always aimed for, and finally we’re in a place to bring it to life,” says Onguza. 

“The customer can select which of three different cable routing options they want installed on their frame, extra bottle and luggage bosses add-ons, all before your choice of paints and special graphics go on,” the brand says. 

There are 18 frame colours and 10 graphics colours to choose from, inspired by Namibia’s landscape and culture. 

A fast and responsive gravel bike 

Taking its name from the Afrikaans word for ‘lightning’, Onguza says the Bliksem is its most responsive, fast gravel bike. 

The steel gravel bike is said to have a “subtly aggressive geometry”, which avoids going too low on the stack figures for “all-round great riding capabilities”. 

It also has clearance for 50mm gravel tyres, which is said to suit “high-paced training and racing, while keeping the adventure fun on brutal terrain”. 

This reflects how gravel tyre widths have grown. When Onguza launched the Gravel Model 1, it had clearance for 700x42c gravel tyres. Craven told BikeRadar this was because it was the most popular width he saw while riding in the UK, Girona and elsewhere. Fast forward three years, and brands and riders are running wider tyres. 

Elsewhere, the Bliksem has a T47 bottom bracket shell, which means Onguza can offer three cable-routing options, while using the same chassis. 

The frames are hand-mitred and fillet brazed with Columbus Life and Zone tubes, and feature stainless flat mount bosses for durability. 

How much does the Onguza Bliksem cost? 

Onguza says the Bliksem frameset pricing starts at £2,390 / $3,032 / €2,890. The price includes shipping, duties and taxes.

The US price excludes state sales taxes. “With current international duties and shipping challenges, we believe this is a necessary step to ensure bikes arrive with no hassle,” says Onguza.

Onguza has also updated its website with a frameset-building feature. Once you place an order, you will receive an estimate of the final cost, along with an image of your selected paint choices and a confirmation of your chosen specification. 

“[W]e believe more people should have access to the truly special experience of riding a customized, hand-made bike, so for us, we see this new model as our future,” says Onguza. 

We can expect to see more models from Onguza in the future, including a gravel adventure bike and two road bikes. 

Two years ago, we collaborated with Verge Sport to develop the most advanced indoor cycling kit on the market (read more).

Since that time, numerous Zwift teams have created their own indoor kits with Verge, printing their custom designs on the Pain Cave jersey and bib shorts. With hundreds of riders putting the kit through its paces across countless hard indoor sessions, the original design has proven itself. But perfection is an endless pursuit, so the original Pain Cave kit has become Pain Cave 2.0 due to three modifications:

• Jersey switched from bonded to stitched sleeve ends for durability
• Bib straps upgraded for better breathability
• Bib lycra on front (below belly button) raised a bit for more compression

Today, we’ve re-opened our Team Store, allowing Zwift Insider fans to purchase our custom kit. All orders from our store are custom-made on demand using Verge’s innovative manufacturing methods, which means you’ll receive your kit within 3-4 weeks of ordering, and you can place your order whenever you’d like.

A quote from Nathan Guerra after testing the original Pain Cave kit: “The first time I rode in this Verge kit, I rode I think for almost 8 hours. And I was like… ok… didn’t even notice it was there. Definitely had no problems. Eight hours of riding indoors can cause problems, I don’t know if anyone’s noticed…”

Here’s a gallery showing images of the original Zwift Insider Pain Cave kit, so you can get an idea how it looks in real life. (To read the full story on the development of the kit, as well as a review, visit Review: Pain Cave Indoor Cycling Kit from Verge Sport.)

The Zwift Insider kit from Verge Sport matches Zwift Insider’s in-game kit, including the “Ride Smarter / Rider Harder” text on the legs:

Our team store includes the indoor “Pain Cave 2.0” version of our kit, as well as an outdoor-friendly “Strike” jersey+bibs and base layers, all in men’s and women’s versions. And new this year, we’ve got Zwift Insider aero socks!

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Lazer’s VeloVox brings pro-peloton race radios to your group rides, enabling you to taunt those you’ve dropped hands-free.

The new two-part communication device attaches to your helmet straps and features an open-ear design that should keep you aware of your surroundings.

Lazer says you can use the device to communicate with up to 30 riders, and it enables you to listen to music or take phone calls when on the road.

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Noise cancelling

While the VeloVox shares a similar sideburn appearance to the gimmicky Cat-Ears noise-reducing strap add-ons from the early 2010s, Lazer’s noise-reduction claims are about the microphone, not the earpiece.

The microphone is said to deliver crystal-clear audio with advanced wind and noise cancellation, ensuring your voice comes through clearly, no matter the pace or weather.

Lazer has developed the VeloVox in partnership with Cardo, which is well-known for making Bluetooth communication devices for motorbikes.

The VeloVox is controlled via the Cardo Connect app, which is available from the App Store and Google Play Store.

The two-part device is secured to each of your helmet straps. Lazer says it’s compatible with most helmet and eyewear combinations.

Sitting on both sides of the helmet, the left-hand unit controls group communications, while the right-hand side houses music and call control.

There is also Shimano integration for riders who like to keep their hands on the bar, with the ability to use Di2 shifters and STEPS ebike systems to control the device.

Lazer says the VeloVox has 11 hours of battery life and weighs 19g per side.

If you’re worried about wet rides, the device is IP54-rated and has a two-year warranty.

The VeloVox charges via USB-C.

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

Cycling memorabilia hunters will be devastated to hear they’ve missed a roaring bargain, with Bradley Wiggins’ 2000 Sydney Olympics bike, raced at the Madison event, selling for only £515 on eBay.

However, it will be of some comfort to hear it went to someone with a direct connection to the bike.

The bike in question is a Terry Dolan track machine in size 62cm to suit the lofty 6ft 3in Wiggins.

• Read more: Geraint Thomas’ race bike* sells for £50 on eBay

Speaking to BikeRadar, the seller said the bike was originally passed down through a family in Torquay, with the legend being that it had once been raced by a young Wiggins.

Dolan frames were a common sight beneath British Cycling riders in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although better known for his time aboard Pinarello bikes at Team Sky, Wiggins – and his contemporary, Mark Cavendish – was still riding Dolan bikes at least as late as 2007 at Six Day events. 

This bike is likely a much earlier model, however – but exactly how old? 

We spoke to Stephen Dolan – CEO of Dolan Bikes and son of the eponymous Terry – who confirmed the bike was “Brad’s spare bike from the Sydney Olympics in 2000”.

“We supplied custom-built aluminium frames to both Brad and Rob Hayles to ride in the Madison event at the Olympics, where they finished 4th,” he added.

Indeed, a search of the Getty Images library unearthed a photo of the young Wiggins riding the bike at the gold-medal event. The race – the first time the Madison was contested at the Olympics – was won by Australia’s Scott McGrory and Brett Aitken.

The frame is typical of the time, constructed using chunky 7003 Dedacciai alloy tubing. It’s paired with an Alpina fork and Campagnolo headset. The alloy Campagnolo Pista wheels and finishing kit look to be later additions.

Described by the seller as having only cosmetic marks, the bike still looks resplendent in a handsome shade of blue, with cream panels bearing the Dolan name.

After confirming the frame’s provenance, Dolan decided to buy it back for himself: “I have Rob Hayles’ frame here, so I bought it to match the bikes up.”

Dolan intends to source the original parts and will renovate the bike for display at the brand’s showroom in Burscough, Lancashire.

This humble frame will be in good company, sitting along bikes from “Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Chris Hoy, David Millar and Chris Boardman also currently on display.”

The first race of Zwift Racing League 2025/26 Round 1 happens Tuesday, September 16, and we’ll be in Watopia for a TTT lap of the never-before-raced Southern Coast Cruise route.

This route keeps us on Watopia’s southern coast for the entirety of the TTT, which is a nice change of pace. And yes, that pun is intended, because the rollers throughout this route will keep racers on their toes! Let’s discuss route details, bike choice, and all things TTT…

Looking at the Route: Southern Coast Cruise

Watopia’s new Southern Coast Cruise is an out-and-back (and out?) route that is 26.3km long, with 147m of elevation gain. The lap profile below makes it look quite pitchy, until you realize each climb or descent is only changing elevation by 5-12 meters! This course is best described as fast, but constantly rolling.

This route doesn’t have any particular features like long climbs or descents worth calling out. Or perhaps the better way to say it is: this route is full of short climbs and descents, and your team must remain constantly vigilant to maintain the ideal power levels to maximize speeds! (See TTTips below for more pointers.)

Read more about the Southern Coast Cruise route >

Speed Upgrades: Frame, Wheels, and More

This week, bike choice is easy: grab your most aero TT setup! The CADEX Tri is the fastest frame in game by a solid margin, and the new DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT 85/Disc wheels are the fastest wheels. If you don’t have access to that setup (level 40+) then see this post to determine the fastest TT setup available at your level.

Whatever you do, do not use a road frame. Because just like in real life, even a “slow” TT frame is much more aero than a road frame.

This round, for the first time in ZRL history, riders have access to two different speed-boosting upgrades. You’ll want to take maximum advantage of both, because your competitors will.

• Bike Upgrades: A fully upgraded TT bike will be ~50 seconds faster across an hour of flat riding vs the non-upgraded version. Yes, this race will be closer to a half-hour effort, and anyone who has raced a TTT knows that’s a huge margin. Read more on this topic >
• Lightning Aero Socks: These socks are unlocked by completing the Factory Tour Challenge, which was introduced in March 2025. Finishing it takes a lot of work, but the prize, the Aero Lightning Socks, will trim another ~12 seconds off an hour of riding. Read more on this topic >

Route Recon Videos and Resources

At the time this post was composed (Wednesday, September 10), the Zwift community hadn’t published any recon videos. Hard to blame them – the route wasn’t even in game until yesterday’s update, and it’s still event only.

I’ll share any recon videos or other resources here as I get them. Share in the comments section if you find or create anything useful!

TTTips

Successful team time trialing on Zwift requires a challenging combination of physical strength, proper pacing, and Zwift minutiae like picking a fast bike, understanding drafting in a TTT context, and getting your frame fully upgraded.

Flatter courses like this week give valuable seconds to teams with big pure-power riders who can keep their power high on the front while staying in single-file formation to conserve in the draft behind. Extra seconds can also be gained by pacing smartly, ramping up the effort on short climbs and recovering a bit once you’re up to speed on the short descents.

On a course like this week’s, I highly recommend all team members set their Trainer Difficulty to the same value so you’re all feeling the gradient changes similarly. (When one rider has it set to 100% and another 25%, the first rider may ramp up power much more than the second when a climb hits, tearing your group apart.)

Your goal in a ZRL TTT is to get four riders across the line in the shortest time possible. That means every team’s pace plan will differ based on the abilities of each rider. We highly recommend having an experienced DS on Discord directing your team, especially if your team contains some inexperienced TTT riders.

If you want to go further down the TTT rabbit hole, I highly recommend Dave Edmond’s Zwift TTT Calculator tool.

Your Thoughts

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

The Spanish authorities will deploy 1,100 officers and 400 members of the Guardia Civil this weekend in Madrid to ensure the safety of riders in the Vuelta a España amid ongoing protests against the participation of Israel–Premier Tech in the race. 

The Governmental Delegation in Madrid announced the “extraordinary” reinforcement in a statement, which was agreed upon yesterday, according to AS. 

Saturday’s stage 20 from Robledo de Chavela to Alto de la Bola del Mundo takes on the mountains near Madrid, and will see 400 civil guards mobilised. 

On Sunday, the final stage of this year’s race from Alalpardo to Madrid will be secured by 1,100 national police officers, in what is the largest mobilisation of police since the 2022 NATO summit in Madrid.  

According to AS, the Delegation emphasised the right to protest is a fundamental right that cannot be limited, and therefore the right to peaceful demonstration will be guaranteed throughout stages 20 and 21. 

The police and Guardia Civil make up the police forces for the stages throughout La Vuelta, except for those in the Basque Country and Catalonia, where security is provided by local police. 

The regular security operation for this year’s La Vuelta has consisted of 132 civil guards and more than 70 national police officers. 

Protestors have been demonstrating at the race against the participation of Israel–Premier Tech, which is co-owned by Canadian–Israeli businessman Sylvan Adams, who is a vocal supporter of the state of Israel. 

Stephanie Adam, a campaigner for the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, which called for the protests, described the team’s participation at the race as “sportswashing pure and simple”. 

Many riders have voiced concern for their safety at the race and there have been several crashes due to protests. 

Yesterday, the riders’ union voted to neutralise stage 17 if there were protests and race organisers have shortened today’s individual time trial due to planned protests.

See zwiftinsider.com/route/jarvis-seaside-sprint/

Argon 18 has launched its new Nitrogen Pro aero bike, which is designed for real-world riding rather than wind-tunnel performance at all costs.

“We’re not designing a bike for the wind tunnel – I couldn’t care less where it would rank in a wind tunnel test,” says Alexandre Côté, Argon 18’s product manager.

“It would be nice to be top of the list, and it might be close to that, but the real performance comes in [the] real world – crosswinds, headwinds, rain, crappy weather.

“We all know what we ride in, and it’s not [a] pristine tarmac-controlled, resurfaced road in the south of France for the Tour de France in July. We’re riding in real-world conditions, and we have a bike that performs well in those conditions.”

• Read more: Best aero road bike 2025 | 20 top-rated aero bikes and buyer’s guide

‘This is where most brands get it wrong’

The Canadian brand has done this by designing an aero platform from the bottom up – or rather front to back, starting with 30c tyres.

“It’s what the pros and amateurs ride up out there,” says Côte. “Why make something in the lab in isolation, where the reality is different? This is where most of the brands get it wrong at the moment – optimising for a test instead of real applications.”

Argon 18 hasn’t eschewed wind tunnels completely, and undertook three rounds of testing at the Silverstone wind tunnel during the bike’s development, but tested with a rider in place and focusing on wind-averaged drag (an average of all the yaw angles you’d experience in the real world).

In its pursuit of the perfect bike, Argon 18 seemingly left no stone unturned – including the designing of a proprietary cockpit, bottle cages and a bespoke Artech 6.A wheelset collaboration with Scope.

Although an aero platform, Côte explains that Argon 18 also wanted the Nitrogen Pro to be optimised as a complete system – meaning it’s also lightweight, with a good fit and ride feel.

The result is a frameset that comes in at 950g and a complete bike that, in its range-topping Red AXS setup, weighs 6.95kg (including power meter, bottle cages and a computer mount) in medium.

It is also 24 watts faster than the SUM Pro, making it the brand’s fastest ever bike.

Development of the bike

The Nitrogen Pro has been almost three years in the making, with the brand’s product and R&D team taking a ground-up approach to the complete bike’s design process.

Rather than coming up with a frameset in isolation and not having any control over its integration and aerodynamic interaction with components and finishing kit, Argon 18 started with “the best all-round high-performance tyre” – Vittoria’s Corsa Pro in 30c – as the first component to encounter aerodynamic resistance, and continuously analysed the downstream impact each choice would have on the next.

This philosophy is how it ended up collaborating with Scope on a bespoke version of the Dutch brand’s Artech 6.A wheelset. They weren’t optimised for a 30c Corsa Pro, which measured at 31.4mm when fitted, so the brands set to work on developing a version that was.

The result has a proprietary rim shape, 65mm-deep rims, and 3D-printed hubs that contribute to a 1,320g wheelset weight.

From here, the frame and fork were optimised to interact with the wheelset, which involved 130 different frame tube profiles and 25 fork prototypes, to find the combination that performed best.

The carbon layup was also fine-tuned to keep the weight down, with the stiffness – which is 18.5 per cent stiffer than the SUM Pro, according to Argon18 – arising from the profiles and shape.

Atten-tion to detail

Argon 18 says the componentry available on the market wasn’t up to scratch, so it decided to design its own.

“The way this industry is structured is everybody does their own thing and tries to put it together and see if it fits,” says Côte. “For us, it’s unacceptable, moving forward. It’s something we won’t be doing, if we can do better.”

The brand’s new component line is labelled Atten – the Danish word for 18 – and its most noticeable inclusion on the Nitrogen Pro is the one-piece cockpit.

Arrow-shaped to “limit the stagnation point along the leading edge”, it includes a 3° inward flair off the drops to create an ergonomically optimised setup that avoids riders needing to twist the hoods inwards.

The brand’s testing also showed that it saved 3.2 watts compared to the Vision Metron 5D ACR Evo.

The attention to detail doesn’t end there. All of the aero testing took place with bottle mounts in place – “people need to carry water, so why not optimise around that?” – and the bike is faster with bottle cages than without them as a result.

And if you only ride with one bottle on the down tube, the brand recommends keeping the seat tube one in place, with a vented design enabling air to pass through unimpeded.

All of this comes with a serious price tag – the Nitrogen Pro SRAM Red AXS will set you back £13,000 / $13,500 / €13,995 when it becomes available in February 2026. 

But the brand has also created a standard Nitrogen line-up, which features the same frame design, albeit with a different carbon layup. This starts at a more reasonable £5,200 / $5,400 / €5,995 for the 105 Di2 version. This includes the Atten cockpit, bottle cages and 42mm Atten wheels.

The riders at the Vuelta a España have voted to neutralise the race if there are further protests during today’s stage 17. 

Bahrain Victorious’s Jack Haig spoke to the media ahead of today’s stage on behalf of the riders’ union, the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA).

“We decided that if there is an incident, we would try to neutralise the race and then that would be it because in the end racing to an undefined finish line is not really fair sport,” said Haig, as reported by Cycling News. 

“Unfortunately, we’re being caught in the middle of something that maybe doesn’t even really involve us and at the moment we are kind of just the pawns in a very large chess game that unfortunately is affecting us,” the Australian said. 

Haig explained that the riders’ decision was only for stage 17, and we can expect further daily votes. 

Yesterday’s stage 16 saw pro-Palestine demonstrators blocking the course with 3km to go, with race organisers deciding to curtail the stage, which finished under the 8km-to-go banner. Egan Bernal won the stage. 

There has been ongoing concern from riders regarding their safety, and several riders have crashed due to the protests. 

Regarding stage 16, Haig said: “Yesterday it started to become a little bit uncomfortable because there were some acts to maybe deliberately try and harm the riders by cutting down trees, by putting the thumb [tacks] on the ground, to deliberately light fires.” 

Cycling journalist Daniel Friebes wrote on X that there is: “General dismay growing among riders that they are (main?) decision-makers in this process. They have no appetite to race for improvised finish-lines like yesterday’s.”

Haig added that riders want to end the race in Madrid on Sunday, but that it needs to happen in a “fair way where riders are safe”. 

The protests at La Vuelta are primarily against the participation of Israel–Premier Tech. The team is co-owned by Canadian–Israeli businessman Sylvan Adams, who has said Israel–Premier Tech’s riders are ambassadors for Israel.  

In a bid to aid safety, Israel–Premier Tech removed ‘Israel’ from its kit on Saturday.

The protests at La Vuelta were called for by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). Stephanie Adam, a campaigner for PACBI, told BikeRadar that Israel–Premier Tech’s presence at La Vuelta is “sportswashing pure and simple”.

Adam said that protests at La Vuelta will continue at La Vuelta, and until Israel–Premier Tech is excluded from UCI races and events.

See zwiftinsider.com/route/southern-coast-cruise/

Garmin has launched its new Edge 550 and 850 bike computers. Here’s what you need to know about the new computers, in brief:

• Garmin says the Edge 550 and 850 are its “brightest and smartest” compact bike computers.
• The computers are “built to help riders better prepare and train for an event or goal”. You can use them to access free Cycling Coach plans, track your cycling ability, and monitor hydration and fuelling while riding. 
• The Edge 550 and 850 now offer real-time weather updates, including wind direction.
• They also have features for mountain bikers, such as enduro and downhill ride profiles that enable more precise GPS tracking. 
• Battery life is 12 hours in “demanding use cases” and 36 hours in battery saver mode. 
• The Edge 850 has several extra features, including a touchscreen and built-in speaker, and you can use it to make contactless payments. 
• The Edge 550 costs £379.99, while the Edge 850 costs £469.99. 

Want to know more? Read our coverage of the new Garmin Edge 550 and 850 bike computers.

Last week’s Fall 2025 This Season on Zwift press release included, as the first item of business, news that a fresh version of the Zwift Click controller will begin shipping today, September 9th. Keep reading to learn all about the new Zwift Click, including my full hands-on review.

Click v2, as we’ll call it, is replacing two SKUs for Zwift. First, it replaces the original Click, a simple device with a + and – button for shifting up or down. This comes as no surprise. But the bigger news is that Click v2 is also replacing the Zwift Play controllers. (To be clear: while Zwift Play can still be used in-game, it will no longer be sold.)

Here are some images from Zwift showing the Click v2 and how they mount easily to multiple locations on drop bars, as well as flat bars and TT bars:

Zwift is not currently selling Click v2 as a standalone item, but Zwift Cog and Click upgrade kits for all Zwift Cog-compatible trainers are available at Zwift.com now for £49.99/€49.99/$49.99: 

• US Zwift Shop
• UK Zwift Shop
• EU Zwift Shop

Click v2 Capabilities and Specs

Simply put, the new Clicks do everything Zwift Play does, apart from braking. That includes:

• Virtual shifting (for compatible trainers)
• Steering
• Game menu navigation
• U-turns
• Rearview camera in events
• Power up triggering
• Ride On bombs/returns

In terms of specifications, the list is short:

• Bluetooth connectivity only
• The two units are bridged together, so they use only 1 Bluetooth connection (good news for Apple TV users)
• Claimed 100-hour battery life (CR2032 coin cell)

Hands-On Experience

Setup and Onboarding

Click v2 is quick and easy to set up. In addition to the two Click controllers, the package includes four straps and two soft pads you can place beneath the controllers to more secure mounting on rounded bars:

Clicking any button on a controller activates it, and an LED at the top of the controller will begin flashing blue. It turns solid blue once connected.

The first thing I did was open up Zwift’s Companion app and go to Zwift Hardware, where the app automatically detected the Click v2 which I had already turned on. The app then prompted me to perform a firmware update to version 1.1.0:

Once the Clicks were updated to the latest firmware, I started my Zwift session and paired the Click v2 (reminder: these are Bluetooth only):

Before riding, I was greeted with a simple tutorial walking me through their capabilities:

After finishing (or skipping) the tutorial, you’re ready to go! If you’d like, you can go to Settings>Controls and rotate the controllers, which may prove useful depending on how you decide to mount them.

Steering vs Intersection Selection

While the Click v2 does everything Zwift Play did (apart from braking), Zwift had to get a bit creative to squeeze all that functionality out of a pair of simple controllers.

Specifically, if you want to manually choose a turn at an intersection, you have to press A when the intersection option pops up, then choose your desired intersection with left/right arrows. (On-screen text reminds you how this works.)

Apart from this little quirk, steering is simple using the left/right arrows on the left controller.

Virtual Shifting

If you have a smart trainer that supports Zwift’s virtual shifting (see list of compatible trainers), Click v2 can handle the shifting duties. The – button on the left controller shifts down to an easier gear, while the + on the right controller shifts up to a harder gear. These also modify FTP bias in ERG workouts when shifting is disabled.

Shifting with Click v2 is just as responsive as with Zwift Play and the original Zwift Click, happening quickly and reliably.

I had the Zwift Plays installed on my bike, and added the Click v2 on the flats of my bars as shown above. I found I enjoyed pairing both the Plays and the Click v2 to my Zwift session, as the Clicks came in handy as satellite shifters when I was riding on the flats.

Other Notes

I’ve been using the Click v2 on my main Zwift setup since May, which means I’ve logged over 100 hours of use. I changed the battery on one controller in my “pre-release” set early on, but they haven’t needed a battery change since.

Overall, I’ve been pleased with the feel and functionality of Click v2. The buttons are a bit easier to press than the Zwift Play, which is noticeable when you’re a Ride On bomber like myself.

Zwift has packed a lot of functionality into the new Click, and in a format that works on flat and tri bars, not just dropbars like the Zwift Play. While it doesn’t matter to me personally (I’m a roadie), that’s a smart and inclusive move on Zwift’s part for sure.

Even though they’re only being sold with the Zwift Cog at this time, the price point is so low that I’d recommend them to any Zwifter with Bluetooth capabilities in their setup, as they put all the in-game menus and steering at your fingertips, even if you can’t do virtual shifting. They’re handy, reliable, and quite bomb-proof. My bet is they’ll quickly become this season’s most popular hardware add-on for Zwifters.

Buy Zwift Click v2

As already mentioned, Zwift is not currently selling Click v2 as a standalone item. Hopefully that will happen soon.

Until then, Zwift Cog + Click upgrade kits for all Zwift Cog-compatible trainers are available directly from Zwift for £49.99/€49.99/$49.99: 

• US Zwift Shop
• UK Zwift Shop
• EU Zwift Shop

(Note: buying through the affiliate links above helps support this site.)

Questions or Comments?

Got questions about the new Zwift Click? Comments about Zwift hardware? Share below…

First spotted at Unbound in May, the Specialized Diverge 4 boasts increased tyre clearance, updated geometry, bigger SWAT storage and SRAM’s UDH – and includes the latest Future Shock 3 suspension system. 

Tyre clearance across the range has been increased to 50mm, with 7mm clearance on all sides, or room for a 2.2in mountain bike tyre with 4mm of clearance.

The geometry has been tweaked to accommodate these bigger tyres, with a longer wheelbase and lower bottom bracket. 

SRAM’s latest Transmission AXS drivetrains feature heavily across the range, thanks to the updated compatibility with SRAM UDH. All the bikes ship with 1x drivetrains, but the frame can still fit a front derailleur.

The Diverge’s USP – Future Shock – has been updated to the latest 3.0 model first seen on the Roubaix SL8. Internal frame storage has also been increased in size and now also features on the E5 aluminium models.

The Specialized Diverge 4 is available from launch online and at Specialized retailers, with prices starting from £1,999.

• Spotted: New Specialized Diverge breaks cover at Unbound Gravel

What’s new?

The new Future Shock 3 boasts improved damping. 

The adjustable Future Shock 3.3, with its easily accessible dial to tune in the suspension, features on the Pro LTD and Pro models, while the Expert, Comp, Sport and alloy models use Future Shock 3.2. The latter doesn’t offer any adjustability, but comes with three different spring weights that can be fitted to offer some personalisation.

The new SWAT 4.0 storage features on the 9r carbon frame, which Specialized says has a larger, updated door with a simplified, more robust design. 

The alloy models use SWAT 3.0 – first seen on the Stumpjumper Alloy mountain bike. Specialized claims the “Diverge is the first and only alloy gravel bike with downtube storage”.

While UDH is another key update across the range, the Diverge 4 is compatible with all major gravel groupsets. 

Specialized says: ”Diverge 4 is compatible with all 1x or 2x drivetrains with wide chainlines (47.5mm). For example, Shimano GRX, SRAM XPLR/Transmission with DUB Wide Cranksets, and Campagnolo Ekar all work nicely. The frame features a UDH dropout, and is compatible with all SRAM full-mount rear derailleurs. Diverge 4 is not compatible with cranksets with a standard road chainline (43.5mm).”

The tyre clearance has also been increased to keep the Diverge in line with the trend for wider tyres on gravel bikes. The Diverge is officially rated for a 50mm tyre with 7mm clearance all round, but will also accommodate a 2.2in tyre with 4mm clearance.

Updated geometry

Specialized has slightly tweaked the geometry to “help provide a more stable and confidence inspiring ride on off-road terrain”. 

The head tube has been slackened by half a degree to increase the trail and lengthen the wheelbase, and the bottom bracket has been dropped by 5mm to offset the wider tyre capacity while keeping the “feeling of riding ‘in’ the bike, not ‘on’ the bike”.

The chainstays have been lengthened by 5mm to balance the handling with the longer front-centre and boost the tyre clearance, according to Specialized.

The range starts with the E5 Sport alloy model – priced in the UK at £1,999 / $2,099.99 / €2,299 – which utilises the new Shimano Cues U600 11-speed hydraulic groupset. Specialized quotes the weight of this model at 10.74kg in size 56cm.

Moving up to the carbon fibre models, and – perhaps surprisingly – Specialized has used the same Fact 9r carbon across the range. Prices here start at £2,999 for the Sport and top out at £8,499 for the Pro LTD, with a claimed weight of 8.01kg. Specialized’s quoted weight for a painted 9r frameset is 1,150g in a 56cm size.

However, the flagship S-Works line has been cut from the range. Specialized claims “the Pro LTD has already proved itself as our Athletes have been racing it, with great positive feedback from and showing its capabilities of performing well during races”.

There is no frameset-only option at present, either.

Despite being able to fit a front derailleur and 2x crankset, all the Diverge models ship as 1x, with a variety of groupset options from both Shimano and SRAM – with all the SRAM-equipped models utilising the latest AXS XPLR Transmission drivetrains thanks to the new UDH compatibility.

Full global pricing for the eight new Diverge models is as follows:

We’ve had the Diverge 4 Expert AXS in for testing over the last few weeks, so watch out for a full review soon.

Zwift version 1.97 begins its phased rollout today. This is a very minor update, but we’ll share the details nonetheless…

Aero Lightning Socks Visual Effect

If you’re one of the small subset of Zwifters who have already put in the work to unlock the Aero Lightning Socks, this update includes a new aero visual effect. See it here:

This effect appears at 25 km/h (16 mph), and gets stronger the faster you go. We found it to be fun for solo riders, but we aren’t sure how it’ll look if lots of riders have it in a group.

(That may never be an issue, though, as it takes a lot of work to unlock the socks, plus riders actually have to wear the socks in order to get the visual effect.)

Don’t know anything about the Aero Lightning Socks? These are unlocked after completing the extra credit portion of the Factory Tour Challenge, and give you a ~12-second advantage across 1 hour of flat riding in Zwift.

Learn all about the Aero Lightning Socks >

Momentum Sport Core Temp Fix

Zwift announced support for heart rate and body temperature from the Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds back in update v1.94, but the body temperature data wasn’t actually being recorded to our .fit files. This is now fixed, with the values being recorded to the core_temperature field.

Zwift says, “To get started, in the Pairing screen, open the Heart Rate card and select your Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport earbuds, then configure the displayed metrics in Zwift Settings under the HUD tab.”

(Watch this space for a review of the Momentum Sport earbuds, which we’ve been using on Zwift for a few weeks now…)

Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

• Fixed a bug that could potentially cause riders to start in the wrong location on Hilly Route in Watopia.

Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

SRAM is celebrating its 38th anniversary with a limited-edition run of 1,987 individually numbered polished Eagle T-Type AXS groupsets. 

Dubbed the 1987 Collection, the limited-edition groupset features a unique combination of T-Type ecosystem components, all in an exclusive polished silver finish.

Aside from the rear derailleur, which is custom for the 1987 collection, it doesn’t appear to function any differently from the regular Eagle Transmission groupset – but it certainly is eye-catching.

The limited-edition groupset will set you back £3,399 / $3,499 / €3,799, if you can get your hands on one.

• Read more: SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission review: near-flawless performance after 2,100km of testing

The 1987 Collection

The main selling point of the groupset (aside from its exclusivity) is a polished aluminium colourway, which runs through all the components. 

Eschewing the usual stealthy SRAM greys and matt blacks, this groupset will make your bike stand out at the bike park, but all this bling doesn’t come cheap.

The whole groupset retails for just under $3,500, and although it includes some tasty goodies and spares, such as a SRAM four-battery AXS charger, two chainrings and a spare AXS battery, it’s still a serious amount of money. 

It’s expensive enough to buy two whole Calibre Bossnut mountain bikes, in fact. But that’s not the point. 

SRAM is keen to stress that it is a strictly limited production run: “When they’re gone, they’re gone”.

But what’s different from the standard SRAM Eagle Transmission components you can already buy?

SRAM 1987 Eagle Transmission derailleur

The 1987 derailleur combines the cage from the SRAM XX derailleur with the lighter-weight body from the XX SL derailleur.

The limited-edition silver colourway makes it stand out and shows other bike nerds that you’re shifting with something special.

SRAM 1987 Eagle Transmission Flattop chain

The 1987 Collection T-Type chain is based on the XX Eagle Transmission Flattop chain, featuring hollow links, hollow pins and a Hard Chrome coating. It looks classy and under the cut-outs in the plates (like the XX SL chain).

There is room for subtle detailing carrying the handwriting of SRAM founder, Stan Day, and a unique groupset serial number.

SRAM 1987 AXS Pod Ultimate Controllers

SRAM’s 1987 AXS Pod Ultimate Controllers are functionally the same as the standard ones, with interchangeable touch points and programmability, but they include silver infinity clamps to match the rest of the 1987 groupset.

Spares

SRAM includes 32t and 34t thread-on chainrings, as well as its Threaded Chainring Removal Tool with the 1987 groupset.

There’s also a four-battery USB-C charger included. This can charge up to four AXS batteries in the same time as it would take using four individual AXS chargers.

The four-battery charger operates quicker when charging two or fewer batteries. SRAM also includes two AXS batteries so you can keep a spare charged up, just in case.

Today, Wahoo released new versions of their KICKR CORE and KICKR BIKE. And while the BIKE is essentially an iterative upgrade from the previous generation, the new KICKR CORE 2 features some significant enhancements, making the already compelling trainer much more attractive.

We’re still putting the KICKR CORE 2 through its paces here in our test lab, so watch for a review in the next week. For now, let’s look at what’s new with Wahoo’s flagship mid-budget trainer and top-tier smart bike.

The New Wahoo KICKR CORE 2

The original Wahoo KICKR CORE’s longevity and reliability have proved nothing short of startling, especially considering its price point. First released in 2018, the KICKR CORE is the “little brother” to Wahoo’s flagship KICKR trainer, and its hardware has remained unchanged since release.

It did, however, receive significant firmware updates to enable auto-calibration and Zwift virtual shifting, allowing it to become the de facto trainer paired with the Zwift Ride smart frame.

But competition in this price range is strong. Today’s release of the KICKR CORE 2 brings premium features to Wahoo’s mid-budget workhorse, updating it to the standards set by the latest smart trainers.

This is particularly big news in the world of Zwift. The KICKR CORE 2 is the trainer that ships with the Zwift Ride from today onward, making today’s upgrade from Wahoo an upgrade for all future Zwift Ride buyers!

What’s New?

New or upgraded features on the KICKR CORE 2 include:

• WiFi connectivity for fast, reliable connections and automatic firmware updates
• Race mode for near instantaneous response
• Bluetooth bridging of heart rate and other sensors to consolidate connections (great for Apple TV users)
• New flat leg design for easier, more stable setups
• Improved multicolored LEDs indicate connection and trainer status
• Redesigned flywheel lowers product weight while slightly increasing inertial load for better road feel
• Reduced setup friction and waste: easier unpacking and assembly

Key Specs

• Max Wattage: 1800W
• Max Incline: 16%
• Max Decline: -10%
• Power Accuracy: +/-2%
• Connectivity: WiFi, ANT+ FEC, ANT+ Power, Bluetooth FTMS, and Zwift Protocol
• Cassette: sold with 11-speed cassette or Zwift Cog
• Supported Hubs: 130/135mm QR, 12×142, and 12×148 Thru Axle
• KICKR CLIMB compatible
• Weight: 29.9 lbs / 13.6 kg
• Dimensions: 23.5×20.5×18.5 in / 59.7×52×47 cm
• Price: $549.99 USD, $899.99 CAD, £499.99 GBP, €549.99 Euro, $899.95 AU, ¥99,000 JPY

Buy the Zwift Ride + New KICKR CORE 2 (Price Drop!)

The KICKR CORE is the only trainer sold as a bundled product with the Zwift Ride smart frame, so today’s upgrade to the CORE 2 means the Zwift Ride bundle gets upgraded as well! Effective today, all Zwift Ride packages sold through Zwift and Wahoo will ship with the new KICKR CORE 2, giving you a top-notch feature set at an unbeatable price.

More good news: the updated Zwift Ride now costs less! Starting today, the complete setup price drops by £100 and €100 in the UK and EU, bringing the cost down to £1099.99 and €1199,99 respectively. In the US (where tariffs are making pricing an adventure), the cost of shipping has been reduced from $110 to $75.

Looking to purchase the full package of a Zwift Ride smart frame with Wahoo’s brand-new KICKR CORE 2? Click below to purchase through Zwift (your purchase through this link helps support Zwift Insider):

In Canada? Purchase Zwift Ride + KICKR CORE 2 from Wahoo >

The New Wahoo KICKR BIKE PRO

Wahoo unveiled the first edition of their KICKR BIKE at Eurobike 2019, and it certainly turned heads with its distinctive look and built-in KICKR CLIMB tilting. Then in 2022, they released the updated KICKR BIKE, making various iterative improvements while also adding WiFi connectivity and a redesigned motor for higher max wattage and quieter operation.

One year later, the KICKR BIKE SHIFT was announced, sporting a similar design and base feature set as the KICKR BIKE but at a lower price point.

Today, Zwift released the next version of KICKR BIKE, named the KICKR BIKE PRO. This replaces the KICKR BIKE Gen 2, and while mostly what you’ll see here are iterative upgrades from the Gen 2 version, that’s what you would expect in the third generation of the industry’s leading smart bike.

What’s New?

New or upgraded features on the KICKR BIKE PRO include:

• Handlebars redesigned for increased indoor comfort (now 40cm wide with 16-degree flare and Fi’zi:k Solocush bar tape)
• Upgraded saddle (Fi’zi:k Aliante R5)
• 4-button controllers on top of each hood, mimicking Zwift Play controller capabilities (these also work for navigating other indoor apps, including Wahoo SYSTM, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual, and MyWhoosh)
• Bluetooth bridging of heart rate and other sensors to consolidate connections (great for Apple TV users)
• Increased durability thanks to more robust shifter cables and oversized quick-release levers

Key Specs

• Max Wattage: 2500W
• Max Simulated Incline: 20%
• Max Simulated Decline: -15%
• Power Accuracy: +/-1%
• Connectivity: WiFi, ANT+ FEC, Bluetooth, Direct Connect
• Variable crank length (165mm, 167.5mm, 170mm, 172.5mm, 175mm)
• Configurable virtual cassettes and shifting styles
• Physical bike tilt grade simulation via integrated KICKR CLIMB
• 5-point adjustment system ensures perfect ergonomics
• Total weight: 93lbs
• Dimensions: 48x30x37 in / 121x76x95 cm (smallest configuration), 48x30x47 in / 121x76x118 cm (largest configuration)
• Price: $3,999.99 USD, $5,599.99 CAD, £3,499.99 GBP, €3,999.99 Euro, $6,299.95 AU, ¥510,000 JPY

Your Thoughts

What do you think of Wahoo’s updates to the Core and Bike, and the corresponding update to the Zwift Ride? Share your thoughts below!