Hello all, it is December once more. For these of us north of the equator, we’re simply days away from the shortest day of the 12 months, the day which all of us say ‘yay summer time’s coming’ solely to search out that we nonetheless have all of January to get by way of.
But right here we’re once more. And though the 12 months appears to have flown by, it has been a extremely busy one with a variety of thrilling chapters.
I usually discover December to be a month of contemplation. Partly that is a results of needing to write down this roundup of my favorite issues, however primarily as a result of within the calm that follows the Black Friday storm right here at Cyclingnews headquarters, there’s a variety of give attention to ‘subsequent 12 months’.
As my ever-insightful spouse mentioned not too long ago, “December is a time for considering, not for doing,” and though I’m undecided my bosses would agree completely, there is a fact to it. You cannot actually plan for what’s subsequent with out taking inventory of what is been… so enable me a second to recount my 2024. Like a Spotify Wrapped, however worse.
On a private observe, I bought married. Congrats to me! That is, in fact, the spotlight of the 12 months, however fact be instructed it was simply certainly one of many actually cool issues that occurred in 2024. On a private entrance, I additionally ran my first half marathon and have become a ‘gravel racer’, whereas on the skilled aspect, we launched CN Labs and Cyclingnews gained ‘web site of the 12 months’ right here at Future Publishing.
The measurable nature of street operating coaching, considerably extra so than bike race ways, actually unlocked one thing in me. I set a purpose of operating a sub 1:30, and the method of breaking down the per-km tempo, and coaching my skill to run at that tempo whereas additionally attempting to construct the space was actually rewarding.
I transitioned that method into gravel racing later within the 12 months. I raced the Gralloch (badly) in May, and that lit a fireplace of motivation in me which I carried by way of to the National Championships the place I completed 4th, one thing I by no means anticipated.
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In distinction to 2023, 2024 was much less ample within the variety of totally different bikes I bought to journey, nevertheless it was no much less crammed with testing. The largest content-based achievement for me in 2024 was the launch of our wind tunnel exams, hereon to be often called ‘CN Labs’, however I’ll get to all that shortly.
So with out additional ado, let’s get into some cool stuff that made me smile in 2024.
1. The Zwift Ride
This 12 months was the 12 months wherein I spent considerably extra time driving indoors than out. I do not love that truth in and of itself, however I lead a busy life and so getting time to journey is simpler mentioned than accomplished. Riding indoors is extra environment friendly, with much less time spent worrying about the place I’m going, what I’m sporting and cleansing my bike, and extra time turning the pedals. As a time crunched ‘athlete’ (mentioned within the loosest sense of the phrase), indoor biking higher aligns with my targets of coaching for racing.
And to that finish, the Zwift Ride was a relentless all through my summer time of coaching. As I’ve defined in my Zwift Ride evaluate, a few of its advantages embrace multi-rider compatibility because of its adjustability, on the spot entry to coaching, courtesy of not having to mount your out of doors bike earlier than you journey, and added interactivity by way of the up-front controls.
But one of many lesser-trodden advantages, for me, was the adjustable bike match. If my decrease again was feeling problematic, because it sometimes does, I may simply whack up the bars a couple of CM and revel in a extra relaxed place. I may additionally mimic the bike match to my gravel race bike within the weeks main as much as the race for further specificity on the coaching.
Ironically, I used it primarily in different apps except for Zwift, however when in ERG mode – as I generally am when following a exercise – the singlespeed Zwift Cog and subsequent incapacity to alter gears did not trigger points.
I marked it down for a couple of particular factors, however total I believe it is a actually good product that may assist increasingly more individuals get into biking.
2. Dialed Health
Every 12 months, I think about speaking up ‘power coaching’ or ‘a physio’ in my record, as a result of every year I dabble for a couple of months at a time, reap the advantages, then life will get busy and my knee begins complaining once more.
But this 12 months, not solely did I’m going to the health club just about each week (barring work journeys or sickness) I additionally subscribed to Dialed Health. For $19.99, you get entry to a library of exercises, in addition to a bunch of coaching packages resembling ‘gravel’ (which options an eye-opening quantity of upper-body work), summer time upkeep, low season street, and so forth.
Via the built-in movies, Founder Derek Teel guides you thru every train. Cycling-specific steerage (ie utilizing a cut up stance to imitate your pedal place) offers familiarity and reassurance all through. I actually really feel that every exercise is working me in direction of being sooner on a motorbike, relatively than in direction of being a beefcake like the massive boys within the freeweights part of the health club.
Head to Dialed Health to see more
3. Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub
Anyone would suppose I’m on fee given how usually I bang on about it, however I’m actually excited concerning the services at Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub and particularly the way forward for Cyclingnews‘ content material utilizing it.
I bear in mind naively asking if we may do an aero helmet wind tunnel check in my first weeks right here at CN in 2019, so this has been the purpose for me from the beginning. When we had a possibility to check wheels in 2022 with Team Uno X, the reader response was promising, however funding our personal exams was a good distance off.
Fast ahead to spring 2024, when our editor Peter put the request out for premium characteristic concepts particularly for Cyclingnews subscribers, my hand shot up, and some weeks later the primary empirical lab-based check – a check of the quickest street bike helmets – was stay. We’ve adopted it up with 4 subsequent exams this 12 months, together with a wind tunnel check on 11 superbikes, a wind tunnel check on 18 wheelsets, a rolling resistance check on 24 street tyres, and a pressure-mapping check of bib shorts courtesy of Pedalling Perfection close to Bristol. This is just the start.
We have loads extra exams deliberate for 2025, so I’ve been steadfast in studying the discussion board posts, watching the evaluation movies and listening to professional recommendation, frantically scribbling notes on how we will enhance this collection, as a result of it is actually thrilling.
It has even had the seal of approval from Annemiek Van Vleuten, who complemented the piece in an e mail to my colleague. That’s profession spotlight stuff proper there, so thanks Annemiek, and thanks Cyclingnews subscribers, as a result of with out you, this could by no means be a factor.
The facility, whereas fairly expensive, is open to all: Teams, athletes, coaches, professionals and amateurs alike. If you are occupied with seeing extra, head to Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub. And when you have any options for stuff you’d like us to check – get in contact.
4. Three in a single! The Ridley ASTR RS, SRAM Red AXS XPLR, Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels
Now to an precise bike. As I discussed, I’ve not ridden that many various bikes this 12 months, however the Ridley ASTR RS actually left an impression.
As I equipped for a tilt on the gravel nationwide championships – age group, I’m not that good – it appeared like a missed alternative to not try to supply a motorbike that might be as much as the duty, and by a slice of luck, up stepped Ridley with a light-weight, aero gravel race bike with aggressive geometry, slender bars, and large 52mm tyre clearance. Perfect for the chunky surfaces that made up the course close to Gatehouse of Fleet in Scotland.
It’s one of many first of its form and I genuinely imagine it is the way forward for gravel racing. I’m excited to see if another manufacturers take the identical method in 2025.
My gravel race superbike construct characteristic outlines a number of the different adjustments I made to prepared the bike for the massive day, should you’re occupied with seeing extra.
The bike got here geared up with SRAM’s new Red AXS XPLR groupset, full with the brand new shifters that are, in my view, the brand new gold normal in street shifter hood ergonomics and braking really feel.
I paired the bike with the crazy-wide Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels with their 32mm inner channel, and though they have been too extensive to run inserts, the claimed aero advantages are plentiful and the advance in dealing with traits was tangible.
It’s the closest I’ve come to purchasing a check bike to keep away from having to ship it again.
5. Healthy meals and extra sleep
This is a garbage record of thrilling tech, I’ll admit, however one other factor that actually made a distinction for me this 12 months is an elevated give attention to restoration.
As I upped the main target and depth of my coaching this 12 months, I used to be very aware that I might be setting myself up for burnout. I do know my 10-hour weeks aren’t going to bother a variety of riders, however given I used to be transitioning from ‘driving my bike after I felt prefer it’ to 10 hours of structured coaching, I needed to do something I may to empty my stress bucket sooner than I used to be filling it.
Though the race included a large climb, I made a decision that attempting to drop a few pounds was a nasty thought, and so focussed on maximising my carb consumption each on and off the bike. I elevated my protein too. But greater than something, I ensured that the meals I used to be consuming was not solely plentiful however nutritious. I used to be placing my physique by way of the ringer with dozens of prolonged Vo2 Max efforts per week, plus health club work and warmth coaching, and I had simply three months to get race match. The final thing I may afford was a fortnight off the bike with an sickness.
I’ve no thought if the meals I ate really made a distinction. I’ll have gotten by way of the coaching plan on pizza and chips, however I do know I felt higher mentally – placebo or in any other case – due to it. I felt higher ready and extra prepared to coach, motivated to push more durable, and that psychological state was virtually actually useful to me hitting the targets I set and, in flip, touchdown the outcome I managed.