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Cyclist Off Road Magazine Autumn 2019 (Digital)

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38 Articles

The six months since we launched Cyclist Off-Road have been some of the most enlightening of my 30-plus years spent riding. Gravel bikes have rebooted my zest for cycling, and changed the way I approach my rides. I’ve developed a game I call Routefinder Roulette. The rules are simple: input a start point and destination into route-planning software and then let the algorithms do the rest. Where will my bike computer take me? A road, a gravel path, a bridleway? Having a bike that can cope with almost any surface means I can just take my chances and go with it. It’s a whole lot of fun, and I have discovered routes in my own area that I never knew existed. I even managed to cycle from my home in…

Win a Lezyne Tubeless CO2 Blaster kit

Lezyne’s Tubeless CO2 Blaster is an innovative two-in-one tool that simultaneously seals and inflates tubeless tyres for fast and mess-free puncture fixes without even needing to remove the wheel. We’ve got 10 to give away, each kit comprising five rubber tyre plugs, insertion tool and two CO2 canisters, all housed in a sleek, compact aluminium holder that can be easily stowed in a pocket or attached to the bike with a Velcro strap. For your chance to win go to cyclist.co.uk/lezynecomp…

Win a Lezyne Tubeless CO2 Blaster kit

Easton EC90 SL chainset When chainset specialist Race Face bought Easton in 2014, the deal had more than just financial implications. Race Face knew alloy, Easton knew carbon, and five years on their combined expertise brings us the EC90 SL chainset. At 590g fitted with 52/36t chainrings or 442g fitted with a single 40t chainring, the EC90 is lighter than the big three groupset manufacturers’ equivalents. Yet the big selling point here is versatility. Thanks to Race Face’s ‘Cinch’ technology an array of chainrings can be fitted onto the same crank arms. The EC90 SL can support 53/39t, 52/36t and 50/34t double setups and 38-50t single rings in two-tooth increments. Unlike some other chainsets, the EC90 SL is only available in the traditional crank arm lengths of 170, 172.5 and…

Off the beaten track with Komoot

We used to be happy with tarmac. Road cycling was all about the well-trodden roads – the likes of Alpe d’Huez and the Stelvio pass were seen as the height of accomplishment for any two-wheeled adventurer. Then we all wanted a little more, and an off-road world opened up to us, like some previously undiscovered alternate reality. Of course, the challenge with riding into the unknown is knowing where to go when you get there, and route-planning app komoot offers a solution to that very dilemma. Komoot was founded in Germany by six friends with a love for the outdoors, and the app is geared to both hikers and cyclists. To say it has hit a sweet spot is an understatement: komoot has already built a base of eight million…

Off the beaten track with Komoot

ON NOTHER PLANET

There is an Iceland in Iceland. In fact, there are three of the frozen food supermarkets here. But that stands to change. From 2014 to 2018, Iceland the country and Iceland Foods Ltd were locked in a dispute over the trademark of their shared name. European courts have since ruled in favour of the country, with minister for foreign affairs Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson wryly noting that ‘it defies common sense that a foreign company can stake a claim to the name of a sovereign nation’. Especially when the supermarket was established in 1970, while the country has been an independent nation since 1918. The Icelandic Sagas, a kind of 10th century Beowulfcum-Holy Bible collection of semi-mythical histories, tell of a Norseman named Naddoður reaching Iceland in 850 after being blown…

ON NOTHER PLANET

Fun’s gone to Iceland

To download this map go to cyclist.co.uk/or2/iceland. While it’s possible to go gravel riding in Iceland unsupported, to have the best – and safest – time, an experienced tour operator is a must. A 4x4 support vehicle will double as wardrobe, shelter, workshop and mobile larder, however it’s the guide/driver that will prove indispensable. Iceland’s Highlands region is beautiful but remote, its tracks sprawling, and Google Maps is totally out of its depth here, if you can get a signal at all. That means going with an experienced guide, such as Icebike Adventure’s Magne Kvam, is not only highly recommended from a practicality point of view, but will also enhance your experience immeasurably. The Highlands are also a good distance from your most likely landing point of Reykjavik, so you…

Fun’s gone to Iceland

The rider’s ride

I can remember when the Lauf Grit forks debuted and I must admit to being impressed – a 980g suspension fork with 60mm travel – but ultimately bemused. The original was for 29er mountain bikes, a world where most forks offer at least 100mm travel, and unlike the Lauf have tuneable spring rates and rebound damping. But now I know – the Grit is the perfect gravel fork, and pairs with the True Grit frame to create an adept platform for rough riding. The True Grit is just what you’d want from a gravel bike: smooth, comfortable and stable. The slack 70.5° head angle, 1,040mm wheelbase and short 90mm stem make for a reassuring ride with handling that sharpens up as speed increases, while the short 133mm head tube and…

The rider’s ride

What kit to pack

Packing for Iceland is a bit like packing for the Alps, the Hebrides and the Moon all at once. Even in summer the weather is temperamental, so be as versatile as possible by packing weather-resistant arm and kneewarmers, insulated and lightweight gloves, a waterproof, lightweight jacket and windproof gilet alongside usual summer bibs and jersey. Glasses are also imperative as dust storms can whip up seemingly from nowhere, and quality base layers and socks – specifically wool socks for warmth when wet – and walk-able SPDtype shoes are essential because you’ll have to push your bike at times. You can fill up a bidon in any stream quite safely, but carrying two large ones is a good idea, as too a top-tube bag for extra food and a saddle pack…

What kit to pack

Eating out in Iceland is expensive – a main costs around £20 in Reykjavik – so investigating local supermarkets is a good idea. That said, there is some really good food to be found. Reykjavik Roasters does the best coffee in town, Sandholt and Brauð & Co the best pastries and sandwiches – look out for the Icelandic take on the doughnut, called a kleina – and the Ostabúðin restaurant does a superb ‘fish of the day’ at lunchtimes. All these are at reasonable prices, and all are easily walkable within the downtown Reykjavik area. Along with Arctic char, salted cod and minke whale (fished only at certain points in the season when the population needs culling), Icelandic lamb is a staple and so too skyr, a thick-set, tangy-sweet yoghurt.…

Hand luggage-only returns with WizzAir or Easyjet in November can be had for as little as £50, but prices increase in summer. We flew with Iceland Air in late July for £290 including luggage, but booking in June or September can see prices of around £170, including a bike. Taxis are expensive – a private airport pick-up costs more than £100. That’s fine if you’re travelling in a group, but for the cheapest transfers check out Airport Direct and Fly Bus, with prices around £20 to town or £40 for a direct-to-hotel service. We stayed at the Old Bicycle Shop (theoldbicycleshop.is), a guesthouse with private rooms and shared living spaces in the heart of Reykjavik. A single room starts from around £90pn. In the Highlands we stayed overnight at the…

DIRTY WEEKENDER

Stepping off an air-conditioned carriage onto the platform at Haywards Heath train station, the high summer heat feels stifling. It’s Friday evening and commuters are bustling this way and that as their working week draws to a close. If any of them looked up from their phones long enough to notice my bike, with its burly tyres and bikepacking bags, they’d probably assume I was off to some farflung location hours away from civilisation. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. The 18:05 train from London Bridge took just 47 minutes to get me here, and even the furthest limits of my expedition over the next two days won’t take me beyond the boundaries of a single county: Sussex. On the face of it, my fully laden bike is…

DIRTY WEEKENDER

Weekend whereabouts

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/or2/sussex. From Blackberry Wood Campsite, travel west until just after Albourne, where you’ll get onto lanes and then bridleways as you begin to track north. Cross Cowfold Road to the right of Cowfold, and continue north until you reach Colgate. From there take a left onto Forest Road then another left to turn south. The serpentine route circumnavigates the east side of Mannings Heath, then Maplehurst, cutting through woodland to reach Shipley. Keep tracking south until you reach Steyning, then loop underneath the town and ride parallel to Edburton Road in the fields to the south, before turning north and retracing your steps from Hurstpierpoint to Blackberry Wood. On day two, head east up onto Blackcap. Descend off the hill into Lewes, then climb…

Weekend whereabouts

The rider’s ride

Gravel bikes have to cope with far more diverse terrain than road bikes, so component choice is often key to the success of the bike’s performance. To spec Sram’s Force eTap AXS on a £3,000 bike is impressive, and it made all the difference too – the tactile lever paddles and Orbit fluid clutch meant gear changes were always slick, even on rough ground and under load. Hunt’s 650b Adventure Carbon wheels were a change to the original spec but were needed to make the most of the Backroad’s wide tyre clearances. The 47mm WTB Sendero tyres mounted on Hunt’s wide, light rims were comfortable, grippy and forgiving of all manner of user errors that would otherwise have seen me end up on my backside. Centrally, though, these components were…

The rider’s ride

TRAVEL It’s simple to reach rural Sussex from central London. Cyclist Off-Road took a train from London Bridge to Hayward’s Heath station – it took less than an hour and return tickets can cost from as little as £15 if you book in advance. From there it is a simple 10km ride south to the Blackberry Wood campsite. ACCOMMODATION Talking of which, Blackberry Wood is a secluded campsite at the foot of the South Downs. Each pitch is surrounded by trees and includes a fire pit so groups have their own space to make camp. There are basic amenities such as showers and toilets, but if regular camping isn’t your style the campsite also has luxury cabins and treehouses. There is even a converted double decker bus, helicopter and gypsy…

LITTLE RIDE ON THE PRAIRIE

I’m blissfully unaware that I will soon find myself lying down in a creek, trying to keep myself from vomiting ‘Alexa, what is the weather in Emporia, Kansas?’ I have developed such a frustrating habit of shouting this nervously from my office in the last few months that my wife is becoming increasingly irritated with me. She has made the valid argument that, if I can’t be bothered to search the weather for myself, why on Earth would I think I have enough motivation to ride 200 miles on gravel. It’s a fair point, but Dirty Kanza does that to you. It gets in your head. It’s a bike ride so long that you need a spare battery for your bike computer, because when they make bike computers they don’t…

LITTLE RIDE ON THE PRAIRIE

The rider’s ride

It might technically be a cyclocross bike but the SuperX has won Dirty Kanza multiple times before, and its big tyre clearances and efficient power transfer meant that it didn’t fail to deliver. It was a great choice for the event. I equipped it with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 shifting paired to an XT mountain bike rear derailleur to provide a 1x drivetrain set-up with a large-ranging rear cassette to cope with the climbs, of which there are plenty. The shifting was precise and flawless throughout. If there’s one question you’ll hear a lot in the weeks before Kanza, it’s about what tyres to use. I opted for Donelly’s most robust offering, the MSO 40. These were mounted (tubeless) to Enve’s G23 wheelset, which handled everything the flint hills could throw…

The rider’s ride

• Minimum 40mm tyres, and pick a brand with strong/robust sidewalls • Use more sealant than normal • A minimum of a 1:1 climbing gear will help you pedal, rather than walk, the steep ascents • Three pre-prepared hydration packs is a good strategy for saving time at stops. USWE and Osprey both make excellent, lightweight packs • A bandana to cover your mouth in the dusty early miles • Bottle cages that won’t drop your bottles. Lezyne’s Flow Cages are a safe bet • Three spare inner tubes. Tubolito’s are lighter and smaller than standard butyl tubes, making it much easier to fit three in a standard seat bag • Several tubeless tyre plugs and a valve core extractor (Enve makes one built into the valve cap) so you…

TRAVEL Emporia is too small to have its own airport. The best option is to fly into Kansas City, from where it’s around a two-hour drive to Emporia. There are no direct flights from the UK to Kansas City, but it’s a short connecting flight from a number of US airports including Dallas, Chicago and Detroit. Depending on the time of year and airline expect economy flight costs to be £800-£1,000. There’s a good chance you’ll be among many other Dirty Kanza racers arriving at the same time so you might even be able to make a friend and catch a lift to the race. ACCOMMODATION Emporia has limited accommodation and it sells out fast. The race offers lodging in the university halls of residence and this is the best…

BLAST FROM THE PAST

The Rough-Stuff Fellowship has a valid claim to being the oldest off-road cycling club in the world. It was founded in 1955 by a Liverpudlian called Bill Paul, after he placed an advert in The Bicycle magazine: ‘I believe there is still a small select circle who love the rough and high ways amongst the mountains of Wales, the Lakes and Scotland,’ he wrote. Turns out he was right. In May of that year, 40 or so cyclists gathered at the Black Swan pub in Leominster, Herefordshire, for the inaugural meeting and the Fellowship was born. In those days there were no suspension systems, electronic gearing or 40mm tubeless tyres, but it didn’t stop them taking their bikes to some of the most rugged and remote parts of Britain and,…

BLAST FROM THE PAST

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SHADOW OF THE STELVIO

Mountain folk are tough. I keep telling myself that over and over while I cling on, head down, to Daniele and Carlo’s wheels as they tap gently up the incline ahead of me. They appear to be scaling today’s first climb almost effortlessly, chatting freely with each other along the way, while I, on the other hand, am already seeing stars. It’s a sharp start to the day. We’re in the beautiful Valtellina valley in the north of Italy, near the border with Switzerland. A morning haze gives the landscape a bright blue glow as we labour up the tightly packed hairpins that lead from our start point in the town of Bormio to the reservoir at Lago di Cancano. The climb itself is around 8km at an average of…

SHADOW OF THE STELVIO

Beyond the Stelvio

To download this route go to cyclist. co.uk/or2/bormio. Starting in Bormio, ride onto the SS38 Via Stelvio, before turning off on the smaller SS301. That road turns into the climb to Cancano reservoir. Turn right at the reservoir and follow the gravel road to its northernmost tip, before turning off on a small fork in the road following a narrow gravel track signposted for Livigno. Follow that road to the summit and return, looking out for a small left turning onto a rocky trail near a signpost for Lago di Cancano. That descends to the reservoir, which you follow along its southern side before returning to the descent towards Bormio. Take a small right turning after the third hairpin and ride the gravel road towards Arnoga. There, join the SS301…

Beyond the Stelvio

The 3T Exploro was conceived for exactly this type of ride: going quickly on mixed terrain and sometimes into the unknown. The bike uses the same dropped chainstay design as the Open UP, which means it can fit 2.1in tyres on a 650b wheel size. For this ride we used a set of slightly narrower Panaracer Gravelking 1.9in tyres, which proved to hit a perfect sweetspot between fast and protective. The flared 3T Superghiaia handlebars seemed strange when I first saw them, but on a ride like this the extra bar width when in the drops proved invaluable on more technical terrain, where they offered a good deal more stability and control. The Exploro also uses aerodynamic tube shapes, which may seem a little odd for a bike destined for…

TRAVEL We flew to Milan Bergamo, which is serviced by numerous carriers including RyanAir and British Airways. From there, we used Bormio transfer service Elma Viaggi (elmaviaggi.it), which provides transfers from Milan airport to Bormio, including bike carriage, from €300. ACCOMMODATION We stayed at Hotel Funivia in Bormio (hotelfunivia.it), which is a gem for any cyclist visiting the region. Owner Daniele Schena, affectionately known as Stelvio Man, has customised the hotel for cyclists, with a workshop and bike lock-up alongside a cycling-themed cafe and regular post-ride pasta feasts. It’s no surprise that the place has regular visits from WorldTour pros. Hotel Funivia also offers bike rental, with prices starting at €40 for rental of a Pinarello GAN, and offers a range of top Pinarello and 3T bikes as well as…

LET BATTLE COMMENCE

Jostling for position on a crowded beach is usually no fun. But this is different. There are no sun loungers or parasols, I’ve been slathering on chamois cream rather than suncream. That said, I’m rather wishing I had applied a bit of factor 30, but how was I to know that it would turn out to be so sunny on an April day in South Wales? I’m standing astride a Cannondale mountain bike tandem alongside nearly 1,000 other competitors at the start line of the 2019 Battle on the Beach. Almost everyone is in short sleeves and sunglasses, and the atmosphere is relaxed as people soak up the unseasonably warm weather. That won’t last. In a few minutes the starting horn will blast and this thousand-strong battalion will charge down…

LET BATTLE COMMENCE

Kings of the beach

In its six years there has never been a British overall winner at Battle on the Beach, mainly thanks to the Dutch. Beach racing is popular in the Netherlands, and their specialist racers nip across the Channel to take the spoils. So, in an attempt to find out their secrets, Cyclist Off-Road spoke to this year’s winner, Dutchman Bram Imming, about what it takes to be a beach racer. ‘Beach racing is our speciality,’ he says. ‘At home we tend to race only on the flat sand, and not in the dunes like here. It’s about speed. The races are really hard and always full-gas. ‘The start is really important. Everyone in Holland goes really fast off the start and if you’re not in the front then you are chasing…

Kings of the beach

TRAVEL Cyclist Off-Road drove to Pembrey, a journey of around four hours from London (about 1 hr 45mins from the Severn Bridge crossing into Wales on the M4). Alternatively the nearest train station is Burry Port, which is only a very short distance from Pembrey Country Park where the event is held. An off-peak return ticket from London costs about £90, via Reading and Cardiff. ACCOMMODATION Camping is the preferred choice of most Battle on the Beach attendees, who embrace the relaxed festival feel to the event, but especially as Pembrey Country Park is a holiday park with extensive camping grounds and all the necessary facilities. One night’s camping is included in the entry fee, but the full weekend (Friday-Sunday) costs just £10 extra. There are also many local B&Bs…

CANNONDALE Topstone

The latest bikes for taking off the beaten track ‘Hopping rocks and skidding through tight switchbacks, it encouraged a playful riding style’Cannondale Topstone, p126 The Topstone joined Cannondale’s lineup last year as a competitively priced, aluminium-framed entry point to the all-road/gravel market. A year on and the American company has launched a carbon version with a host of new features, including a form of rear suspension that it calls Kingpin. The seatstays are attached to the seat tube via a sealed-bearing pivot, allowing ‘flex zones’ in the chainstays, seat tube and rear portion of the top tube to create around 30mm of vertical deflection at the saddle. Cannondale claims this allows for a significant amount of suspension while keeping additional weight to a minimum. A medium painted frame (including all…

CANNONDALE Topstone

SANTA CRUZ Stigmata CC

Santa Cruz – the place not the bike brand (although the brand is based there) – has a decent claim to being the spiritual home of the gravel movement. Back in the 1970s, the city spawned a culture of adapting bikes to cope with the rugged terrain in the mountains and redwood forests of California. It’s how the mountain bike came into being, and the likes of Tom Ritchey and Keith Bontrager were building and riding drop-bar ‘gravel bikes’ long before anyone invented a term for them (they called them ‘clunkers’). Santa Cruz, the brand, prides itself on making only off-road bikes, and the original Stigmata was created as an out-and-out cyclocross race bike. But as senior engineer Ty Buckenberger explains, there was a demand for it to broaden its…

SANTA CRUZ Stigmata CC

Open is a bike brand that seems to be always ahead of the trend. The company’s co-founder, Gerard Vroomen, was half of the brains behind Cervélo and has always had a knack for creating bikes we never knew we wanted. The original Open UP – a bike with what looked like a road frame but with clearance for 650b wheels and 2.1in mountain bike tyres – was bizarre on first sight. However, it proved to be hugely popular and broke new ground in the space between gravel bikes and hardtail mountain bikes. Open dubbed it ‘GravelPlus’ but, with many gravel bikes now offering dual wheel size compatibility, this category is no longer really necessary. Not that we needed any further confusion anyway. Open achieved the UP’s wide clearance while maintaining…

Going down fast

Tips and tricks to being a better rider Rock star Nick Craig’s top downhill tips 1 Make a stand ‘One mistake newcomers make is descending like they would on a road bike,’ says Craig. ‘Offroad requires a completely different technique. You have to be standing, because opening up space between the rider and the bike allows it to move freely. People say, “You’ve got to shove your butt back,” but if you keep a balanced body position and let the bike move freely the weight is automatically shifted over the rear, so this will happen naturally. Plus, when you’re on your feet you can use your legs and arms to absorb impacts.’ 2 Don’t look down ‘It’s crucial to be able to read the terrain, and that requires looking up,’…

Going down fast

The benefits of running tubeless tyres are many: reduced rolling resistance, the ability to run lower pressure for improved grip and comfort, plus the sealant inside can potentially fix a flat, sometimes without you even being aware you had one. Filling your tyres with sealant and getting them inflated needn’t be a faff, either. Use pressure with your thumb as you fit the tubeless valve to ensure its rubber seal sits firmly in the rim channel 1. Be careful not to over-tighten the valve nut (finger-tight is fine) as you may need to remove it if fitting a tube is the only option to fix a flat on the trail. With one side of the tyre already mounted, mount the second bead by working your way around the rim with…

Pick your pitch

Proper preparation Practising setting up your tent and stowing your kit at home is beneficial, but it’s still nothing like doing it after a long day in the saddle, on a dark, windy night with a head-torch on. Pack your kit logically so that you can set up camp quickly. Gear that has to come out first should be packed last. Label poles, pegs and corners with coloured tape or marker pens. At night, be sure to store food and waste carefully inside your tent – being woken by a fox eating your supplies is not much fun. Check exposure Ideally you want to find a spot sheltered from the wind, rain and heat. Use the features of the land or outbuildings to find a spot that could offer a…

Pick your pitch

Flares are back

Flared handlebars are similar to road bars except the drops splay out sideways to give a much wider hand position than on the hoods. But why? ‘When you get into the drops for descents a flared bar gives you better control of the bike,’ says Benedikt Skulasson, co-founder of Lauf Cycling and designer of the Lauf Smoothie bar. ‘You’re stronger and more stable with your arms wider and wrists slightly turned than you are with your shoulders narrow and wrists straight. ‘Flared bars can also have a really tight forward bend without riders hitting their wrists in the drops, because having wider drops puts the wrists further out from the bend,’ he adds. longer lever is also better able to bend, so having weight spread wider means a bar can…

Flares are back

Technology has given us 24 gears on road bikes, so why would we want to limit ourselves to half as many on a gravel bike? That said, switching to a single chainring has its benefits. Cyclist Off-Road looks at why the 1x setup is right for certain situations… Bigger range It’s easy to assume that fewer gears means a smaller range, but 1x systems can actually offer a bigger range than a double chainset. ‘If you combine a 9-32 cassette with a 36t chainring, it gives you the same range as a 48/34t chainset with a 12-30 cassette,’ explains Gerard Vroomen, co-owner of 3T and Open Cycle. ‘With a 40t ring it’s equivalent to 50/36t with 11-29, and with a 44t ring it’s equivalent to 54/39 by 11-28,’ he adds.…

1 SEAT PACK: THE SOFT STUFF ‘The seat pack is where I keep my sleeping set-up,’ says Rothwell, a veteran of ultraendurance events such as the Highland Trail 550 race and Colorado Trail Race. ‘It tends to be a pretty robust bivi bag, a lightweight sleeping bag and possibly a sleeping mat, such as a Thermarest NeoAir XLite Short – just enough to keep your shoulders and hips off the ground. I can fit all of that into my seat pack and I know that I don’t touch that pack until it’s time to sleep. ‘My bivi is a Rab Survival Zone, which isn’t the lightest, but it’s bombproof. Because it’s the heaviest item, I pack that first so it’s under the seat. You want the weight as close to…

Q & A Josh Ibbett

Cyclist Off-Road: The boom in gravel riding is fuelling curiosity towards ultraendurance events. Do you see them becoming as mainstream as sportives? Josh Ibbett: Participation is definitely growing. I’ve just returned from the Tour Divide [a 4,418km race from Canada to Mexico] where 160 riders took part. OK, that’s nothing compared to the big sportives, but it’s a significant number willing to take on such a mammoth challenge. The Transcontinental Race started in 2013 with around 30 entrants and has virtually doubled in size every year since. But they can’t keep growing and accepting more riders because, when a race is spread out over an entire continent, that’s a lot of logistics. COR: Surely they’re not for everyone, though? They’re no ride in the park… JI: That’s true. Ultra-endurance events…

Q & A Josh Ibbett

Roughing it with the pros

After almost two hours grinding up steep gradients, dodging fallen boulders and being battered by torrential rain, things took a turn for the worse. I arrived at the start of an 8km stretch of sterrato – dirt road. When the Colle delle Finestre made its debut in the Giro d’Italia in 2005, La Gazzetta described this abrupt change in road surface as the ‘border between heaven and hell’. A legend was born. It was here that Chris Froome launched his spectacular solo 80km breakaway during Stage 19 of last year’s Giro, securing him the maglia rosa. The thought of following in the tyre tracks of such an audacious piece of cycling would normally send tingles down my spine, but I was too busy straining to keep upright on a surface…

Roughing it with the pros

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