CATEGORIES

Air Apparent - Pollution hasn't gone away. It's still there in every lungful, even if we can't see it in the air or on the news. But there are reasons to breathe easier, thanks to pioneering projects using cycling 'citizen scientists'. Rob Ainsley took part in one...

The toxic effects of pollution have been known about for years. 'Just two things of which you must beware: Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!' sang 1960s satirist Tom Lehrer.Over recent decades, though, pollution has dropped down our list of things to worry about, thanks to ominously capitalised concerns such as Climate Change, AI, Global Conflict, Species Collapse, etc. That doesn't, unfortunately, mean the problem has expired. Air quality often exceeds safe limits, with far-reaching and crippling effects on our health.

No limits

Not every adventure needs to be that epic, says bikepacking Scotland founder Markus Stitz

UNBOUND UNLEASHED

Josh Patterson was one of 34 starters for the inaugural edition of Unbound in 2006. Now, with more than 5,000 riders taking part in today's event, he charts the rise of the most important race in gravel

The stuff of dreams

Ned sings the praises of the Paris Olympics road-race course

FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE

We venture into the hidden gem of the glorious Creuse, one of France's least populated regions

COMFORT AND JOY?

Is a £2,000 to £3,000 endurance bike with mechanical Shimano 105 going to do the job for you? Read on to find out how our tasty trio performed...

Tern Orox R14

The Orox just can't be pigeonholed. It's designed, say Tern, for adventure and utility, be it personal or commercial (it even has a built-in tow bar!).

SRAM Apex AXS XPLR groupset

\"Apex shifters are basically the same as on Rival AXS... and the brake units follow the same design as the latest Force AXS brakes\"

Land of the Giants

Warren Rossiter heads to Taiwan to experience the launch of the new Giant TCR

Tourtalk

Eight key talking points ahead of a much-anticipated race

PFEIFFER GEORGI CAPTAIN MARVEL

Great Britain's 2023 national road champion Pfeiffer Georgi is one of the youngest road captains in the peloton. Here she explains this unique job and the pressures that go with it in the season's biggest race

"I help people overcome life's problems through cycling"

Rob Brown, 72, from Yorkshire, has created a haven of inclusivity and accessible cycling in Dalby Forest

Great start

Here's how to avoid ultra-processed foods at breakfast

HELL OR HIGH WATER

The Paris-Roubaix Challenge pits amateurs against an abridged version of the iconic 'Hell of the North' race

DAYS OF THUNDER

Champion cyclist Maurice Burton battled racism to compete in the Six Days of Ghent, the pinnacle of track racing in the 1970s. To promote his new authorised biography, he speaks to us about this wild era on the boards

FAST TRACK

Which of this trio of speedy mid-priced gravellers would make the best all-round, off-road race companion? We find out…

HOW TO WIN THE TOUR DE FRANCE

What does it take to win a stage of the Tour or even the race itself? Cycling Plus investigates the physiology and skills required to triumph in the world's biggest bike race

Gower Peninsula, Wales

A rider powers up the Cefn Bryn ridge on south Wales' Gower Peninsula.

Slow commotion

Downing Street targeting 20mph zones is attacking popular policy

Black Series Multistrada

£5,629 British designed, all-road speedster

Rolling horizons

2018 Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas tells us about the joy of discovering new routes

ENTER THE DRAGON

It's one of the toughest sportives in the UK, but did climb-loving cycling author Simon Warren have the legs to slay the beast of a sportive route in 2023?

LOFTY GOALS

Higher, harder, longer... the road-sportive calendar gets ever more extreme. Here are 10 of the toughest single day rides to enter for 2024

Beat the bonk

These tasty, filling and nutrition-packed homemade snacks are a handy, portable size

Cinelli Nemo Tig Ultegra Disc Di2

£5,799 Classically inspired, modern steel speedster

Best of 2023

We've rated some 400 of the best - and worst - products in 2023. But which are our hottest picks of the year? Here's our 23 for '23...

2024 BIKES UNBOXED

Discover cutting-edge tech and exciting new trends with these four highly covetable models, all hot off the production line

Taming time-trials

With road bike only events, time trial is broadening its appeal. But what do you need to get started? Here's our expert guide to taming a TT

The last broadcast

Ned rues the demise of GCN+ and lost afternoons glued to minor pro races in Portugal

ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY

Cycling Plus previews Rapha's Paris-Roubaix homage, A Day in Hell, which loops from North London... and is coming to a city near you this April