CATEGORIES

GANARY A COALMINE

The James Brown tune 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World' comes on the radio, filling the coach, and does nothing for my pre-event nerves as I sit surrounded by serious-looking, wiry, tanned men in Lycra. It's 6.30am, pitch black outside and I'm feeling very out of my depth as a relative newcomer to the world of clipless pedals and hurting for fun. Last night's stress dream involved being very unprepared to get married and being handed my great-grandmother-in-law-to-be's hideous silver dress with lace trim to wear minutes before the ceremony was due to start. I'll let you psychoanalyse that one.

BORDER PATROL

British travel writer Tim Wild heads on a pilgrimage to Arizona's gravel Mecca, and isn't disappointed

COLD SNAPS

Chris Lanaway dons the deepest winter thermals for the Abloc Winter Challenge in southern Sweden

Master Age-group racing

Tips to keep you on the race course as you get older

Guava Spot Force AXS

£4,950 Big-value, Barcelona-born bike that hits the spot for gravel riding

Seasonal disorder

Pinpointing the start of the cycling season is no easy task, writes Ned

Ride all winter

10 scientifically proven ways to bolster your immunity

Joined-up thinking

Connecting more rail stations to the NCN is long overdue

Castelli Gabba

Castelli’s breathable, close-fitting yet waterproof and windproof jacket marked a watershed in cycle clothing

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

FOREST COMMISSION

Looking for a goal race in 2025 that'll stimulate the synapses and live long in the memory? You'd struggle to do better than ENID CRV in Finland

15 OF THE BEST ADVENTURES

Featuring Yorkshire, the USA, Sri Lanka and more, here are our picks of the world's greatest gravel races and routes

The stuff of dreams

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

"I rode 3,000 miles around Britain on a bamboo bike to highlight our climate crisis"

Recordbreaking cyclist and triathlete Kate Strong, 45, took to the road to raise awareness of environmental issues

FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE

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

STAR TREK

New tube shapes and carbon lay-up makes the eighth generation of Trek's legendary Madone an aero and climbing bike all rolled into one

GOLD RUSH

With conflict around the world, Paris 2024 was a ray of light. Here are our highs of a mighty Olympics

HIGHER CALLING

Pro cycling commentary is a formidable skill that Ned Boulting and Matt Stephens make look easy. Andy McGrath drops in on their booth at this year's Giro d'Italia to learn their secrets

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...

Here Tadej...

Even in a thrilling Giro, the shadow of the Tour de France looms large

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