The Bicycle Club

From the woods of Hong Kong, Pez fan Ed sent us in this story of his custom Colossi XCR that has clocked up miles in a number of different countries and has even had a respray or two…it’s Readers’ Rigs time from South East Asia!Name: Ed CluerLocation: Lantau Island, Hong KongBike: Colossi XCRGroupset: Campagnolo Chorus 11Wheels: Corima 45mm / Zipp 303 / Record with Ambrosio NemesisPedals: Dura AceSaddle: Brooks CambiumOther: Thomson / Deda finishing kitWeight: around 8.5kgWhen did you buy it?The frame was originally built to my custom spec. after visiting the Colossi factory in Shenzhen, China, back in 2010 and has been through a few iterations since. This is the second re-spray / repair.What made you choose this bike?After…

Even the best bike lock cannot guarantee your bicycle will be waiting when you return to it. Over 100,000 were stolen per year in England and Wales from 2002 to 2021. As cycling becomes more popular as a commuting alternative, a marketplace for stolen models is created.  Thieves will look for the quickest and quietest way to take a bicycle. Find areas with CCTV, or near areas with security patrols. Check the area around you – abandoned single wheels are evidence of a popular area for bike thieves. Build in some time to your commute to find the safest spot. Find something immovable that you can legally attach it to. Attach the frame and wheels where possible. Avoid placing the…

Even here in Canada, eventually hot summer weather will come. One strategy popular with athletes for reducing heat stress before or during competitions are ice vests. How effective are they?For endurance sports, the evidence is clear and unequivocal that performance is impaired with higher ambient temperatures. Its also reduced in cold temperatures or with a drop in core temperature. Data generally points to an inverted-U relationship, where performance is optimal at a moderate temperature, but becomes progressively reduced above or below this optimal range.This optimal temperature might be lower than we think, with a classic study from my post-doc lab at U Aberdeen finding that cycling tolerance time at a constant hard effort was longest at 11C, similarly reduced at…

Cycling is one of the most social media friendly pursuits in the world. It provides colour, incredible landscapes (urban or rural) and gives off a whiff of health and mental alacrity. It also provides frame after frame of cool shots, and images of movement, fun and dynamism. And fashion.  There is so much more clothing available to anyone who enjoys cycling than was around fifteen years ago, and in many more ranges too. Although there is some way to go in providing adequate and stylish clothing for every shape and size of body, the same cannot be said for bicycle helmets. The breadth of sizes, options, accessories, fashion, aerodynamics, and colours can all be subsumed by one factor. They have…

Gear Break: Primal: 25% off sitewide, tubeless made easy with Orange Seal, Campagnolo: New arrivals – Men’s collection, Brooks England roll out new take care sustainability initiative, Zwift is a safe and inclusive place for all and introducing the SE Bikes Bumpboxx!Primal: 25% Off Sitewide!Now through Monday! Extra 25% off SITEWIDE and free domestic 2-day shipping on orders over $ 50! Use code FAF25 at checkout to redeem. Offer valid now through 5/30/22 at 11:59PM MST. Offer does not apply to custom orders. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Order must be placed by 1:00PM MST to guarantee same day shipping. Tubeless Made Easy With Orange SealSealants | From $ 8.79Orange Seal offers three varieties of tire sealant: Regular, Endurance…

There’s no doubt about it. E-bikes are booming. By 2023, it’s expected that there could be around 300 million e-bikes in circulation worldwide. And as the phenomenon spreads, more and more brands are producing high-spec e-bikes for assisted urban riding and effortless commutes. The appeal of e-bikes, in a nutshell, is that you can cycle further and for longer. Journeys are no longer limited by distance, hills or individual fitness level. And riding an e-bike does improve fitness, burning only 25% less calories than a standard bike. Competition is fierce among leading e-bike brands, and VanMoof and Cowboy remain two of the frontrunners. We’ll take a look at the differences and explain why they are two of the most popular…

Giro Rest Day Rant: Ed Hood looks back over the last six stunning days of the 2022 Giro d’Italia: Stage 10 through to stage 15, from Pescara in the South to Cogne in the Alps. With the mountains on the Giro horizon, the race is on…Here comes the big Giro climbs# You can see the ‘First Rest Day Rant’ HERE and the ‘Second Rest Day Rant’ HERE. #Watch the most comprehensive live & ad-free coverage of the Giro d’Italia 2022 on GCN+. Go deeper and get interactive with live polls & quizzes, plus rider profiles, race updates, results & more plus stream original and exclusive cycling documentaries. Watch it all with GCN+ on any device.STAGE 10:Like Jennifer Paige said in…

If like many commuters you are tired of strenuously riding to and from work on your regular bike, or just looking for a quick alternative that isn’t driving nor an electric scooter, then you may have considered an electric city bike. As there’s so much on the market currently that sits within this category, you may feel it’s a bit of a minefield trying to navigate the best options for you. But rest assured, we have you covered with our top 7 picks of electric city bikes for commuters. Is An Electric Bike Good for Commuting? An electric bike is a fantastic option for anyone wanting a commuter bike. First and foremost, it’s a great eco friendly alternative to clogging…