USE YOUR BRAKES THE RIGHT WAY

► There's a massive difference between skidding down an alleyway at 15km/h on a cruiser with a coaster brake, and pumping your rim or disc brakes in the rain on a mountain descent at 35km/h. Unless you were part of a youth development programme or raced as a young adult, chances are nobody has ever formally shown you the most essential of skills: how to brake correctly on a bike.

YOU BOOZE, YOU LOSE

NOTHING WRONG WITH A DOP AFTER A RIDE. BUT WHEN IS IT TOO MUCH?

EAT TO RECOVER

FROM SANDWICHES TO FRUIT SMOOTHIES, GETTING THE PROPER NUTRIENTS WILL BENEFIT YOUR RECOVERY AND EVEN SUBSEQUENT RIDES.

STOP PICKING ON ALUMINIUM!

In frame material lore, steel is romantic, titanium is magic, and carbon fibre is a super-material. Aluminium, meanwhile, is... what? While aluminium is widely used - from sub-R1000 balance bikes to R10ok e-bikes - it's often cast in a negative light: it's cheap, it's harsh, it's brittle, or it's not durable. And that's not fair, because aluminium is a miracle material that deserves some respect.

MAKING SENSE OFTHE RESULTS

► REAL-WORLD TESTING can produce some messy data, but it beats making assumptions. Plus, we had Josh Portner at our disposal as an expert resource. Josh is a true tyre nerd and the former technical director at Zipp. He currently owns the premium accessory brand Silca and runs a company called Aeromind,

WHAT WE CARRY IS WHO WE ARE

A PHOTOGRAPHER DOCUMENTS LONG-DISTANCE BIKE RIDERS-AND ALL THE MEANING THINGS THEY TRAVEL

One-Gear Wonder

David Knee’s stripped-down single speed Niner SIR9.

The Year That Wasn't But We Made It Happen Anyway

How did that happen? Will our grandchildren believe us? Filter out the almost overwhelming doom and gloom from the most miserable year in recent memory, and there’s actually quite a lot to be cheerful about – if you ride a bike.

Build A Better Home Workshop

With bike ridership soaring, and shops backed up with repairs, now’s a great time to set up or improve your home workshop. Here’s some practical advice from Shannon Leigh, who teaches bike maintenance through her company, Radiant Wrench, and also breaks down common repairs regularly on Bicycling US’s YouTube channel.

Red Devil

Alan Hatherly’s 2021 Specialized S-Works Epic

Aerodynamics Benefits Are Real– They're Just Not Always Realistic

Before you whip out your credit card to buy the latest aero wheels in an attempt to take the lead on a local Strava segment, consider this: those aero-savings numbers that accompany the bikes and equipment you buy are determined for elite racers, not for you and me.

The Selection

The last time I got better on a bike was when I decided I would never get any better at riding anymore, that my best days as a cyclist were behind me.

The Way Home

Home was not a place I wanted to be. My dad had an unpredictable rage that often exploded at my older brother. Anytime he got hit, I felt it too. I was terrified, never knowing when the grenade might blow. I escaped by exploring the woods and creating imaginary worlds down by a slow-flowing stream. Inside, I felt treated differently as the only girl, made to clear supper dishes while my brothers played video games. Outside, I could be anything. Nature is a level playing field.

What Happens When Two Strangers Trust The Rides Of Their Lives To The Magic Of The Universe?

Once upon a road in Kazakhstan, two men converge in the desert. Strangers born an ocean apart, riding bicycles burdened like camels, they emerge from either horizon, slowly approaching a common point. Day by day, hour after hour, they make their way through the land as flat and featureless as a page without words. Thousands of kilometers spool out behind them. Thousands more lie ahead.

14 Fun Tour De France Facts You Can Use To Impress Your Friends

How do riders pee on the bike? Why is there no women's tour? Why is the leader’s jersey yellow? We’ve got the answers.

I'm A Fat Cyclist – And I Don't Need To ‘Fix' My Body

My weight doesn’t need to change. But the bike world’s attitude towards me does.

The Ultimate Hour

Did you know that a humble south african is one of the world’s best hour record riders? Meet gert fouche...

Winning Isn't Everything – Progress Is

Even before I signed up, I knew I wouldn’t win this year’s Zwift Academy competition.

The Best Place To Ride In Winter

Make sure you get to one of the hottest riding destinations this winter – a place where you never have to gear up for bad weather, the scenery is beautiful, the group rides are friendly, the racing is crash-free; and maybe best of all, there’s no traffic. Or stoplights.

How Far Can An E-Bike Go?

You’ve bought your shiny new bike, and now you want to plan some big rides. But how far can you go, really? Is the manufacturer ’s range estimate accurate? Jon Minster borrowed a Cannondale Synapse NEO and did a totally unscientific test to see how far he would get on a single charge. Who would give up first – man or bike?

YOUR BIKE RACK MIGHT BE DAMAGING YOUR CARBON WHEELS

YOUR BIKE RACK MIGHT BE DAMAGING YOUR CARBON WHEELS

THE FIRST BIKE I REALLY LOVED

WE DRIFTED EFFORTLESSLY, LEAVING JUST CARBON-COMPOUND FOOTPRINTS. THIS WOULD ALWAYS BE THE PLACE WE FIRST BROKE UP, THE PLACE WE FIRST MADE UP. OUR PLACE. THEY SAY LOVE HURTS; BUT THIS WAS NEXT-LEVEL.

THE DAY YOU SELL YOUR BIKE IS THE DAY YOU SEE ITS SOUL

The boy’s name was Cole. He was 14 and trying to play it cool in front of his dad, but I could tell he’d already decided he was buying my bike.

R13 790: TITAN DRONE COMP

FINALLY, A LOW-COST MOUNTAIN BIKE THAT FLIES

INDOOR TRAINING OPTIONS TO HELP YOU CRUSH EVERY CYCLING GOAL

DAVE AMBROSE, A 34-YEAR-OLD venture capitalist, had a problem most of us can relate to: work got busy, and his time to ride outside evaporated, resulting in low-energy and weight gain.

FIRST BIKE: R2 799

GET THEM STARTED PROPERLY

FESTIVE, NOT FAT!

You know the deal: when it comes to the holiday season, it’s cheat day… every day!

How To Prevent And Recover From Knee Pain

We’ve all been there: you head out for a long ride stacked with elevation.

Gravel Racing Had Other Ideas

PRO ROADIES WERE SUPPOSED TO RUIN GRAVEL RACING.

The Badass Lost History Of Bike Packing

The Rough-Stuff Fellowship was the world’s first cycling club to revel in the unpaved and push the limits of where bikes could venture.