It used to be oh so simple, just road bikes and mountain bikes. In the road category, we were limited to two faithful options: a winter bike and a race bike. Cyclo-cross existed too, in a muddy no-man’s land, but there was little mixing of the on- and off-road riding genres.
Then came endurance and aero bikes, then gravel. The latter has been a buzzword for the last half-decade, and for good reason. Emphasis on more casual riding, enjoying the outdoors and getting away from traffic resonates with the masses. It’s fair to say that the gravel genre has sculpted the landscape of the cycling industry in recent years.
Walk into a bike shop today, and you will be bombarded with myriad options – road race bikes, road endurance bikes, all-road bikes and gravel exploration bikes to name just a few. Yet the lines are becoming increasingly blurred. After all, most share much of the same DNA – two-wheeled, humanpowered machines equipped with disc brakes and wide(r) tyres.
With many of the best race bikes on the market, such as the Specialized Tarmac SL8, now supporting up to 35mm rubber – that’s 2mm wider than competition cyclo-cross tyres – cynics will claim that the new all-road bikes category is just an industry ploy to sell you more bikes. But is that the case?
Esta historia es de la edición March 28, 2024 de Cycling Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 28, 2024 de Cycling Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Claud Butler Criterium
A classic British brand ridden by beginners and Olympians alike
Dr Hutch
At what point does a bold show of strength become brazen showboating? The Doc ponders the etiquette of the long solo break
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...CBD
From reducing pain to promoting relaxation and sleep, myriad are the claims made for cannabidiol but do they stack up? Rob Kemp finds out
Van Rysel D900
Andy Turner discovers whether Decathlon's high-spec, low-price smart trainer can compete with the likes of Wahoo, Tacx and Elite
What prep does my bike need for summer?
Pro bike mechanic Glen Whittington shares his tips for the successful de-hibernation of your bike
2024 GIRO D'ITALIA
Attention turns to Italy and 21 days of Grand Tour action
Pogačar's dominance at the Giro could be dull
While I may have been a little young to understand the full romance of the Tour de France during the Armstrong era, I never understood the sentiment that it was boring just because of Lance's dominance.
Team GB's Paris Olympics track bike launched
BC reveals the bike that it hopes will power riders to medals in Paris this summer
Romandie victory marks Ineos return to stage race success
Carlos Rodríguez wins British team's first WorldTour stage race since 2022, writes Adam Becket
Is pro racing getting more dangerous?
There are many factors that contribute to the perceived greater risks. One that does not get any attention is the greater importance of UCI points and the need to constantly collect them to avoid relegation.