Where has the week gone?
Breaking from the previous trend, this week doesn’t have a single story of cycling industry financial woes! Hurrah.
Personally I’m glad to have got the Zwift Academy 2023 done and dusted, and am now looking forwards to completing an FTP Test before Christmas, and then taking a well earned rest between Christmas Day and New Years Eve. Actually, I’m not looking forwards to the FTP Test one little bit. I don’t know why I said that.
Anyway, on with the show.
If you want to see last week’s edition, you can click here.
Zwift Insider’s Complete Visual List Of Level 61-100 Unlocks
Seeing as I just mentioned Zwift, I might as well kick off with something Zwift related.
Last week Zwift dropped a big update that, amongst other things, raised the rider’s level cap from 60 up to 100.
As I’m only just about to hit level 50, this one perhaps doesn’t affect me that much. Still, something to aim for.
I think more useful to me, and I’m not even sure if this is a recent change or not, but if you log in on Desktop on Zwift.com you can see a whole bunch of your metrics on their dashboard:
Anyway, check out the Complete Visual List Of Level 61-100 Unlocks over at Zwift Insider.
UCI Puts the Brakes on Extreme Hood Angles
This week everyone’s favourite killjoys the UCI announced a crackdown on riders turning in their handlebar brake levers starting in 2024.
The trend of tilting hoods for a sleeker, more aerodynamic profile has reached its limit, with the UCI enforcing restrictions to prevent “stupid” and “dangerous” extreme angles.
The new regulations aim to balance aerodynamics with safety, limiting the hood tilt to around four or five degrees.
This one made a lot of news sites, but I saw it first on Cycling Weekly.
A Bumpy Ride in the Post-Sky Era
The days of Team Sky’s Tour de France triumphs seem like a distant memory for Ineos Grenadiers.
The once-dominant cycling powerhouse has hit a roadblock since rebranding in 2019, grappling with personnel changes, an unclear racing strategy, and the looming shadow of CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s focus shifting to football.
With longstanding leader Sir Dave Brailsford likely joining the football operations, questions arise about the cycling side’s future leadership. Top riders have also bid farewell, raising concerns about Ineos’ recruitment and strategy.
The road ahead for Ineos Grenadiers seems uncertain, with the Man United investment looming large, but there are glimmers of hope in emerging talent and potential expansion into women’s cycling. The journey back to the summit won’t be easy, but Ineos has shown resilience before – can they reclaim their former glory?
An interesting read over on Cyclist.co.uk.
British Army Cyclists Conquer Inter-Services Road Race Championships
In a triumphant finale to the season, the British Army dominated the Inter-Services Road Race Championships, clinching both the men’s and women’s team standings.
Battling against rivals from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, individual riders claimed top honours in their respective races, showcasing their prowess on the challenging British Cycling approved circuit in Wiltshire.
Captain Eve Newton, of 3 Commando Brigade, expressed her surprise and joy at winning the women’s competition, highlighting the team’s dedication and the rewarding journey from training camps to victorious sprints.
Captain Pippa Inderwick, a development rider, shared her experience, emphasising the Army’s support and the joy of pursuing cycling as a sport.
This is a slightly older story – from mid November – but it caught my eye as I was once chatting with a member of the US Army on Zwift about how they use cycling for medical recovery. I didn’t know the British Army was that big on cycling, but in hindsight it seems obvious.
Read their full story on army.mod.uk.
Specialized Unveils 2024 Aethos with a Lighter Price Tag and Fresh Colour Schemes! 🌈
In a surprising move for mid-December, Specialized drops some colourful news.
The spotlight is on the Aethos, now available in the more budget-friendly Sport 9r model, featuring a lighter carbon lay-up and a Shimano 105 12-speed mechanical groupset. Priced at £3,250 which I think is down from £5,000-ish for the current “entry level” Aethos.
Alongside this release, the iconic SL7, the Crux with bold cyclocross updates, and the rugged Diverge STR also get revamped colour schemes.
Several photos to gawp over at Road.cc
Garmin Release Tacx Neo 3M
Garmin’s latest release, the Tacx Neo 3M smart trainer, promises the “most realistic indoor ride yet” by integrating motion plates for multi-directional movement.
Cyclists can toggle these plates on/off, adding a front-to-back sway to complement the trainer’s natural side-to-side flexion, mimicking the outdoor riding experience without the unpredictable elements.
Going head-to-head with Wahoo’s Kickr Move, Garmin’s latest incarnation builds on an electromagnetic motor braking system for a virtual flywheel, simulating various terrains.
Pricey, at £1,749.99. The YouTube comments from the linked video above are generally suggesting the sensible cyclist should wait until real world reviews come in.
Former F1 Mogul Launches Bold Yellow E-Bike Brand
Formula 1 icon Eddie Jordan emerged onto the electric bike scene this week with his bright yellow e-bike collection, a collaboration with Surrey-based D&D Electric.
These urban rides, as audacious as Jordan himself, boast a Wuxi Truckrun 250W motor, a 460Wh battery, and a striking Team Jordan yellow aesthetic reminiscent of an F1 race car.
Despite weighing in at 24kg, these bikes promise a commute between 40 to 60 miles.
What is it with F1 teams wanting to get stuck into bikes recently? Only a few week’s ago we had the Aston Martin bike.
There’s a mens and womens variant, and prices for both are £2,995, which seems quite steep to me. However, an unspecified percentage of that price goes to the Amber Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to helping disadvantaged young people in the UK regain their footing in life.
Michael Martin as New Strava CEO
Strava announced a new leader this week in the form of Michael Martin, a seasoned executive from Nike and Disney.
After a 10-month quest, the digital fitness platform bid farewell to co-founder Michael Horvath, who steps into an advisory role.
Martin, fresh from YouTube, takes the reins, ready to steer Strava’s momentum upwards.
With 120 million users they are sat on a gold mine, but I’m still waiting for a compelling reason to hand them my credit card details.
Live Cycling Streaming Post-GCN+
As live bike race and cycling streaming service GCN+ shuts its doors, the big question this week was what lies ahead for bike racing fans?
Road.cc have an in-depth coverage of your options from the UK and Europe’s Discovery+ journey to the twists Down Under and across the pond.
A Sneak Peek into the Snazzy Kits of 2024
Gear up for the upcoming cycling season as Cycling Weekly take you on an exclusive tour of the hottest team kits for 2024!
From Bora-Hansgrohe going lime to Soudal Quick-Step sticking to their signature blue, this is a nice and easy skim read on the lowdown on the latest cycling fashion.
See all the kits (so far) on Cycling Weekly.
Team TotalEnergies Ditches Specialized for 2024
Enve, probably most well known for its carbon wheels, not only joined the pro peloton but will now be the official bike sponsor for Team TotalEnergies in 2024.
Following Peter Sagan’s exit, Enve’s Melee race bike steps in, boasting aerodynamic prowess and versatility with tire options up to 35mm wide.
The team will also roll with Enve’s SES line of wheels, offering choices from lightweight climbers to deep-section aero wheels.
Bonkers Bike Gadget Of The Week
This week I saw, and I can’t remember where it was, a list of bad Christmas ideas for road cyclists.
Somewhere on that list was this handlebar mounted BBQ.
Because… well, why not?
I mean, there’s a lot of reasons why not. It’s a shocker. But I do like the name – the Fahrradhalterung. It is both Far (out), and Rad(ical). Maybe I’m showing my age there.
But if you absolutely want one, check out German retailed Knister Grill.
Bike Of The Week
This week’s saucy bike snap is of the Specialized S-Works Roubaix SL8 2024. I’d absolutely love a Roubaix, and this one being the top of the line model rocks in at £12,000. In other words, not going to happen.
Still, a man can dream…
Until next week, keep riding!