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Five top tips for making sure you’re ready for your next big ride If you fail to prepare, then you should prepare to fail. Okay, that might be a bit extreme in the context of bike riding but the principle does ring true. If you have a big ride or event coming up then the best thing you can do to have a fun and stress-free experience is make sure you have everything you need. There will always be things that happen that are out of your control but if you follow our five tips below, you’ll have the best chance of navigating any mishaps

With the weather finally starting to look up and cyclists everywhere casting furtive glances at their summer bikes, Madison Clothing is back and ready for SS24. This new range puts the focus back on drop-bar riding with the Flux and Roam lines containing pieces for performance and adventure cyclists no matter what their budget.   Heading up the SS24 lineup is the Flux short sleeve road jersey. Focused on performance and made from lightweight material, it’s a smart jersey at a killer price point (£39.99) that pairs up with last season’s Flux EIT bib shorts to make a top performing, wallet-friendly combination. In tandem with that goes the

As a sponsor of multiple World Tour road cycling teams, Finish Line knows a thing or two about bike cleaning and lubrication. The company has been at the cutting edge of lubcrication innovation for nearly 40 years, and their first product was the groundbreaking Finish Line Dry Bike Lube with Teflon that changed the game when it came to drivetrain lubcrication. Fast forward nearly 40 years and Finish Line is still at the top of the game, as shown by their latest and greatest product: Halo.  The Halo range has three products: a wax lubricant for improved cleanliness, a wet lubricant for durability and water-resistance and a hot wax melt for ultimate chain lubrication in all conditions. All three are powered by elite-grade ingredients including patented Spherical Tungsten. That Spherical Tungsten is what gives the lube its magic, reducing vibrational friction caused by high-torque pedalling. You wont be suprised to learn that those micron-sized particles are spherical in shape

Ask any artist and they'll tell you that while creating something great is very hard, following it up is arguably more difficult. There's an entire cultural wasteland of poor second albums and disappointing film sequels that failed to live up to the shadow cast by their predecessors. In a similar vein, Lazer knew that following up its iconic Z1 helmet was going to be a difficult task as the original was so popular among pro and amatuer road riders. But the revamped version - the Z1 Kineticore - honestly not only lives up to the expectation but manages to exceed it, both visually and functionally.  The headline feature of this new Z1 is, as the name suggests, Kineticore. If you're not familiar with Kineticore, it's Lazer's own anti-rotational impact technology, designed to protect your brain from damaging forces during a crash. That's the main benefit - and it's an important one - but the even better thing about Kineticore is that it comes with other benefits that make a helmet

Winning awards is always a nice thing. But when the award you win is from the UK's best-loved and most respected MTB magazine, then it's even better. We're incredibly happy and proud that Saracen's fantastic Ariel 60 Pro has been chosen as a winner of a Singletrack Editors' Choice award for 2023. They test and ride a huge number of bikes every year, so to be picked as one of the very best is a real testament to the hours of planning and development that went into bringing that bike to fruition.  The favourite bike of Madison Saracen DH Race Team's Matt Walker, the Ariel 60 Pro is designed to be Enduro capable while also pedalling well enough that you can be your own uplift if that's what you fancy doing. The steep seattube and efficient suspension design handle the pedalling side, while the 160mm Fox 38 Performance Elite forks and matching

aeroe's rear rack is an incredibly elegant piece of engineering. It's stable, good-looking and perfect for any adventure. But here's the thing: not every ride is an adventure, and not everyone has multiple bikes to use for various different purposes. That's why aeroe has adapted their Spider Rear Rack into the Spider Pannier Rack, for those trips that are a little less adventure, and a little more necessity.  That doesn't mean you can't go off-road with the pannier rack, mind you, as the below video demonstrates. The best part is that it's designed to be compatible with any panniers on the market, so you can take any you already have and just clip them straight on. You also dont have to buy a whole new rack if you're using the current Spider Rear Rack, as the receiver on the top simply swaps out so you can leave the rack in place and switch between that and the cradles for the aeroe dry bags. It really is one system for both send and sensible.  If you don't believe

Call it ambient, atmospheric, ASMR or anything else you fancy, there's no doubt that videos of 'stuff just happening' are very popular right now. Maybe it's because life is so busy that sitting back and watching something relaxing is really fulfilling, or maybe it's just fun to watch interesting things. Probably best not to psychoanalyze it.  No matter what the motivation for watchers, DT Swiss is in on the action with a series of seven short videos that shows how their spokes are produced on the incredible machines in their factory. Each individual video is only around 16secs long, but we just can't stop watching them. They're pretty mesmerising and we've been watching them all morning here, especially the one with the machine that forms the J-bend heads onto the spokes, that's our favourite (video number 5, if you're interested).  DT Swiss is one of the very few wheel manufacturers that make everything in house, from rims to spokes, hub shells, internals - every

As a bike rider or commuter in winter, there are a few things that just make your heart sink. One is rain, because nothing makes the cold less pleasant quite like getting wet. Another is punctures, because getting cold and wet is one thing but then having to change a tube really is insult on top of injury. The third is getting ready for your ride home only to find that your lights dont have enough charge, thus begins the classic game of 'front light chicken' where they may or may not have enough juice left, so it becomes your legs versus the light battery to see which fails first.  What we're trying to say is that a quality front light is an absolutely essential piece of kit for anyone who intends to ride in poor light conditions, whether that be early morning/late evening rides during Spring and Summer, or basically any time of day in the UK in Autumn or Winter.  Coming in 600, 900 or 1300-lumen varieties, the real beauty of the Blinder Pro is the battery technology

If you're building your own bike, one of the nicest parts is figuring out all the little things that will really make the build. Sure, the frame, wheels and groupset are the glamour items, but the smaller bits like bottom bracket, derailleur hanger, thru axles, top cap and seat clamp are the parts that turn a good build into a great one. One brand that's earned an excellent reputation by making just these sorts of things is Wheels Manufacturing (or Wheels MFG) who made their name by making top notch bottom brackets and a huge catalogue of mech hangers to fit almost any bike. Oh, and possibly the best-looking bearing presses that money can buy. That's not all they do, though, and one of their latest creations is a variety of beautifully machined thru axles that will make any bike look that little bit better.  Almost all disc brake frames

New groupset day is our favourite day, and last week Shimano lifted the lid on their latest GRX groupsets. With multiple different configurations over two levels (800 series and 600 series), GRX is one of the most versatile groupsets around and has options to cater for almost any kind of off-road or all-road riding you can think of. For an in-depth dive into the new groupsets, you can head over to Cyclist or BikeRadar who have had their hands on the new components for a while, or read on below for a top-line run down of what's available.  First of the new GRX groupsets

Back to school is right around the corner, and what better way to start the day than riding your bike? Knowing that thousands of kids nationwide will be taking to two wheels at the start of September, Nutrak has a fantastic range of kids' tyres that are tailored to suit young cyclists' needs. With three distinct tread patterns and sizes ranging from 12 to 26”, these tyres offer a fantastic blend of performance and safety, ensuring an enjoyable riding experience for kids of all ages. For the adventurous souls who crave off-road exploration, the Meteor off-road tyre is the perfect choice. Its rugged tread design offers superior traction on uneven surfaces, making it an excellent companion for young explorers who love venturing into the wild. On the other hand, the Asteroid semi-slick tyre strikes a balance between on-road efficiency and off-road capability. With its versatile tread pattern, it provides confident grip on both smooth surfaces and light trails, making it an i

If you think protein is just for weight-chucking, gym-loving strength athletes then think again. While protein - and, we can't stress enough, nurition in general - is a vital component of weight training programmes, it's just as important for endurance athletes but for a slightly different purpose. While weight lifters use protein to fuel muscle growth (aka trying to make muscles larger and stronger), endurance athletes also need protein to aid muscle recovery after training and a similarly important role in energy supply and muscle maintenance.  Basically, after around 90mins of endurance exercise the body's glycogen stores are depleted and it looks for other ways to supply energy. One of the first things the body looks to do is called gluconeogenesis which is in this context (in a wildly oversimplified and unscientific explanation) basically the breakdown of your muscles to supply that energy. Having a good quality protein source supplies the body with the amino acids that

People have been using bikes to carry things for almost as long as bikes have been around. Bikepacking also isn't new, it's pretty much just an evolution of what used to be called touring. What has changed significantly, though, is the variety of bikes used for things like bikepacking, the way that racks look and mount and the general vibe of the whole experience. Where racks used to be big, clunky things that allowed you to carry bags but generally made the bike worse, they're now light, sleek and fit in with the aesthetic of a machine that's precision engineered and, generally, quite expensive.  Basically what we're saying is that bike racks dont always mean compromise these days. It's not a case of you can either enjoy the ride experience or carry stuff with you but not both. Right at the forefront of this idea of 'nice racks for nice bikes' sits aeroe, a brand that have taken form and function and blended the two together to make something rather good indeed. 

Organisation is one of those skills that you either have or you dont. If you think that you're 'sort of' organised, it probably means you're not (sorry if that feels like an attack) and while it wont pack itself for you, Thule's RoundTrip kit bag is exactly designed for people who think they might be sort of organised but in reality need a little helping hand.  The best part about the RoundTrip is that even though it's incredibly well organised its 55L capacity means you don't actually have to be all that organised when it comes to what you're taking with you and what you're leaving behind. A bag this large can easily fit 3-5 days' worth of riding kit so there's no problem with taking a few extra bits just in case. The main compartment has an expandable segemented organiser section which is perfect for rolling up jerseys, arm and leg warmers, socks and any other soft goods you want to take with you. There's also a specific compartment for shoes with a tarpaulin liner to make

Indoor training has changed so much over the last few years. What used to be the domain of only the most committed has evolved into something that - whisper it - might even be called fun. Online training games (okay, Zwift), interactive turbo trainers and an ever-growing array of accessories mean that while indoor riding still isn't quite as fun as being outdoors, it's certainly moulded itself into a genre all of its own.  But there is still one fundamental that makes indoor riding different to the open roads: airflow. When you're out on the bike, the air moving past you helps to cool you down and regulate your body temperature. When you're indoors, you're not moving so the air isn't moving either which means you'll warm up incredibly quickly, and a hot body is not an efficient, performance ready body.  Fans are the solution to this problem. But a standard fan with a few settings that you have to constantly change yourself can be a bit of a pain. That's why Elite

Bike stuff, it's expensive, right? Well, yes and no. Like everything, bike kit ranges from expensive enough to make your eyes water right down to really rather good value for money. The thing is, just like every aspect of consumer life, there's something for everyone at pretty much every conceivable price point. Still though, we're all just trying to get the best we can for the money we have to spend. What that means is you have to look through what's on offer and try to find the real sweet spot when it comes to value. For Lazer and its bike helmets, that's the Strada Kineticore.  The Strada is £89.99. That puts it firmly towards the more affordable end of Lazer's road helmets that peaks with the Vento Kineticore (same helmet used by Jumbo-Visma pro cycling) which comes in at £249.99 and goes all the way down to the Tempo Kineticore at £39.99.  What so great about the Strada? For a sub-£100 helmet it contains a lot of the features that its more expensive counterparts hav

Okay you got us. This isn't really a collaboration, it's more of a combination. But describing it as such makes it sound like two things we really, really, really like - being tan wall tyres and tubeless tyres - have got together to make our riding lives a better place to be, and we like that idea.  In reality, we have the wonderful people at VIttoria to thank for this. Makers of the Worlds Most Beautiful TyresTM , Vittoria have in the past only offered an either/or option when it comes to tan wall or tubeless tyres. As in, you can have tan walls or you can have tubeless but you can't have both. All this changes with the new Corsa Pro, a tyre designed to marry the highest level of performance with the loveliest aesthetics in a potent blend of style and substance.  So, what makes the Corsa Pro so good? Let's start with the 320TPI cotton casing. which now has a 100% seamless transition between casing and tread compound, and this increases suppleness

Of all the bike-related tasks that are both essentially, boring and potentially messy, chain lubrication might be the worst. And maybe the only one too, but that's not the point. Anyway, the perfect way to lube a chain has been a hotly-debated topic for about as long as chains have been a key component of the bicycle (so forever, basically). But what if we told you that someone has developed a cheap, mess-free and very smart way to make sure your chain is clean and lubed thoroughly. Interested? Yeah, us too.  Enter Ryder Innovations, a South African brand with a well-deserved reputation for making very smart cycling solutions at even smarter prices. Dont believe us? Well the product we described above is called the Ryder Luberetta and it costs just £5.99. How does it work? To start, the Luberetta has a 15ml capacity that you

Puncture-proof tyres - that's the dream, right? Well tyre inserts are a relatively recent invention that helps to bring that a little closer to reality. Vittoria's new Air Liner Light is a tyre insert designed for XC, trail and down-country riders to give them that run-flat capability without adding too much weight to the bike.  Working with mechanics and riders from the BMC MTB Racing, Santa Cruz FSA and KTM-Vittoria MTB teams, Air Liner light has been developed to be extremely light and fast while still providing rim protection and run-flat performance.  Just 50 per liner, it's shaped to be a perfect fit with rim channels between 25-30mm wide. That fit means that the insert is always properly fastened to the rim so there's no additional rotating mass moving around inside the tyre.  One other smart of the Air Liner Light is the enhanced suspension characteristics it brings to the bike. Basically, the insert allows for the progressive compression of

The Levarg is a gravel bike, but a gravel bike done the Saracen way. This isn’t one of those road bikes masquerading as a gravel bike, that’ll spend half it’s life with skinny tyres in. This is a bike designed for off-road, with the geometry and spec that’ll turn your mind to trails and adventures rather than tarmac or commuting. The new Levarg comes in three different models: The Levarg, Levarg SL and Levarg FB. All are based around the same Series 2 custom butted and hydroformed 6061 alloy frame and UD carbon fork with 12mm thru axles front and rear. The base model Levarg features a 2X setup in the shape of Shimano’s 10-speed Tiagra shifters paired to GRX400 mechs and mechanical TRP Spyre C brakes.

Now we're not saying that Free Shift and Auto shift will change your life, but it might very well change the way that you ride your E-Bike. One of the wonderful things about E-Bikes is that they've driven innovation, making things possible that nobody would have thought to try on a 'traditional' bike. Things like a change in the way shifting works and a level of automation that you don't know you need until you've tried it.  So basically there are three shift modes you can now choose from on your Shimano STEPS-equipped E-MTB. The first one is manual shift and it's exactly what you think it is. Standard shifting where you press the shift lever and the gears respond accordingly just like since the dawn of time (ish). On the other hand, Auto Shift is a system that, er, shifts for you automatically so you can keep your mind on the trail ahead. Basically, Auto Shift uses your speed and pre-set preferences (done on the app) to always keep you in the right gear. 

Remember that Nike ad campaign featuring Michael Jordan from the 90s 'Be Like Mike'? No? Are we really that old? Anyway, it was incredibly cool, super successful and, most importantly, rhymed. With other athletes it's not quite so easy. Take Wout Van Aert, for example, there's not a lot you can do with that. Great rider, terrible rhyming opportunities. 'Rout like Wout'? Maybe not. 'Start like Van Aert'? Even worse, if that's possible. Answers on a postcard, please.  While Michael Jordan was absolutely a generational athlete it's fair to say that we have a few riders in the cycling world right now who are in the process of making history themselves - and one of them is Jumbo-Visma's very own Wout Van Aert. As a three-time world Cyclocross champ, Tour de France Green jersey and nine-time stage winner, victor at Milan Sanremo, Amstel Gold Race, Strade Bianche, Gent-Wevelgem, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 Saxo Bank Classic it's fair to say he could retire tomorrow

Dynaplug has long been one of our favourite brands here on Freewheel. Tubeless solutions just dont get any better than the many wonderful products from the California-based brand. But their new invention - the Covert - really does take practicality, style and subtlety to a new level. Basically, the Covert is a Dynaplug that fits handily into the ends of your drop-bar bike and lets you carry four plugs in an otherwise fairly useless part of the bike.  How does it work, you ask? Well good question. If you're worried about unravelling that painstakingly-wrapped bar tape, then put that fear aside. The plugs do push in just like a conventional bar-end plug, but instead of pulling them out whenever you want to use them, you instead unscrew the flat end to reveal two hidden Dynaplugs (that's two on each side, so four in total). Struggling to get your head around

Kerry MacPhee is one of those athletes that you just have to sit back and admire. Racing as a pro despite not getting paid to race full-time, you'd never believe it as she goes out and kicks butt week in, week out. She's competed for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games, won the Three Peaks Cyclocross race and holder of the fastest time to complete the West Highland Way, we couldn't be prouder to have her riding and racing Genesis bikes.  In honour of International Women's Day, we sat down with Kerry and picked her brains about all things cycling-related. Enjoy. 

Quick question: what's your favourite wheel builder's favourite hub? (Don't tell us you don't have a favourite wheel builder, we dont believe you). If you've answered the DT Swiss 350 then you're almost certainly correct. DT Swiss hubs have a well deserved reputation for build quality, ride quality and ease of maintenance and if you don't believe us just take a look at the extensive list of brands that use DT internals in their hubs.  To understand what makes the 350 special, you need a bit of background on DT's hub range. Essentially there are three 'named' tiers of hubs; the 180, the 240 and the 350. The 180 hubs are the super high end product, with super light aluminium shells, SINC ceramic bearings and everything you need to build the lightest, fanciest set of wheels possible. The 240s are the sweet spot when it comes to price and technology, still more than light enough to be used in high end wheel builds, but keep the cost down to a more nominal level. The 350s are third