Cycling Plus – July 2021

In the August 2021 edition of Cycling Plus we’re taking a grand old look at the £1000 bracket for road bikes. It’s perennially hard-fought terrain and in 2021 the competition is certainly no less intense. Our four-bike group test in issue 382 features brands Planet X, Orbea, Boardman and Ribble all feature.

You don’t find carbon frames at this price as frequently as we once did, but it’s a different story when you bump up to £2000 and again we go looking for best value in our other bike test. We’ve also got First rides of the Canyon Commuter 7, Giant Revolt Advanced 0 and the magnesium Vaast A/1 gravel bike. There’s also gear upgrades from Fizik and Bern, and a summer jersey grouptest.
In features, we take a look at how the new generation of pro cyclists ripped up the rule book and what, if anything, we can learn from them. Many of us have got into flexible working through the pandemic and we’ve got the perfect accompaniment: cycling tailored yoga exercises to power your rides. Once we’re limbered up, we climb aboard our bikes and ride the entirety of the 350km King Alfred’s Way, a circular largely off-road trail in the south of England.

This issue we are introducing our newly-redesigned performance section, Training Zone. We’ve dialled up the coaching advice with the best experts in the business to get you riding stronger than ever. Part of it is ‘Masterclass’, a regular series that will break down a particular skill in cycling performance into digestible chunks for easy gains. First up, we set to work on improving your climbing prowess

And if that’s not all, we’ve got a 36-page supplement devoted to ebikes – how to choose the system that’s right for you, the best bikes and the experiences of those who’ve added power-assist to their cycling lives.