A few years ago three cycling obsessed geeks, two American and one Australian, published the Velominati Rules. It was a tongue in cheek manifesto of how a road cyclist should be, laying down the law on how to dress, ride and behave on the bike.
Probably their most famous rule has become #5: Harden the Fuck Up, a motto that has been liberally plastered over mugs, jerseys and posters as well as being shouted out on many a club run. In honour of that phrase they have now published a book that celebrates the toughest cyclists of all time.
Read MoreThe Spin Cycling Festival has always been quirky, innovative and fun, with lots of independent companies showing off the kind of stuff that you wouldn't normally see at a regular, corporate bike show. This year was no exception in their new home of Olympia. We bring you a selection of cool and sometimes whacky products that you may not have come across.
Read MoreA high performance car brand and the emissions-free pursuit of cycling may seem like strange bedfellows. But in recent years Maserati, the luxury sports car manufacturer, has been sponsoring high profile cycling events like the Tour de Yorkshire, the prestigious Rouleur Classic and the vintage cycling festival, Eroica Britannia. It even has a former professional bike racer, David Millar, as an ambassador. We spoke to Peter Denton, general manager of Maserati Northern Europe, to find out why.
Read More(With apologies to PG Wodehouse)
Everything in life that’s any fun, as somebody wisely observed, is either immoral, illegal or fattening. The exception to this rule is, of course, the Tweed Run. So it was that Bunty and I hot-footed it down to Clerkenwell and that fine establishment, Bourne and Hollingsworth.
To find a man’s true character one has only go for a bike ride with him, and Bunty’s certainly shone through by the end of the day. It was one of those days you sometimes get in May when the sun beams, the birds toot, and there is a bracing tang in the air that sends the blood beetling briskly through the veins.
Read MoreWhile Vincenzo Nibali, Nairo Quintana and Geraint Thomas set off for the first day of the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia today, it seems apposite to look back on some of the great winners of this beautiful Grand Tour. Artist Richard Long has created a series of portraits of legendary cyclists from days gone by to help us do just that.
Influenced by vintage posters of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s and illustrators like René Gruau, Richard’s portraits capture an essence of the glamour, glory and heroism of these cycling greats from another era. Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali and Jacques Anquetil are just the first of a series of prints that he is working on at the moment. We caught up with him in his studio/bike shed in a village in the New Forest to find out what inspires him.
Read MoreWith the unmistakable silhouette of Marco Pantani on a pink background on its front cover, this book had us reaching out to the shelf to pick it up with some excitement. The Pirate, as he was known, seems to encapsulate so much of what the Giro d’Italia is about.
Now in its 100th edition, this beautiful Grand Tour has often been defined by its unpredictability, its heroism, suffering and betrayals. Add to that feuds, glamour, rivalries that split the nation and, of course passionate racing, you have a gripping and fascinating yarn to tell.
Read MoreWhat’s your favourite Grand Tour? Is it the glitz, glamour and massive publicity machine of the Tour de France? Perhaps you prefer the more informal Vuelta? For many a fan, and for many a professional rider, it’s the romance of the Maglia Rosa of the Giro d’Italia, not the Maillot Jaune, which gets the heart beating faster and the hairs to prick up on the back of the neck.
The Maglia Rosa: just the sound of it whisks you back to those heroic days of Coppi, Bartali, merino wool jerseys and gravelled roads. Classic, elegant, skinny steel bikes from Bianchi, De Rosa and Pinarello. The beautiful pink jersey named after that classic pink newspaper, La Gazetta dello Sport.
Read MoreLast month we wrote about the new Tannus solid tyres that are currently being used on the Ukrainian track team’s training bikes. The pitch we got from the Korean company at the London Bike Show was that there have been vast improvements in solid tyre technology in recent years and that they would be good enough for a road bike. We took them at their word and tried a pair for a few weeks. Here’s our verdict.
Read MoreWe asked resident Ride Velo illustrator, Gareth Llewhellin, the talent behind our T shirt designs, to give us his view on this year's Bespoked, the independent frame builders' exhibition in Bristol. There were some big, well established names there such as Condor, Jason Rourke and Caren Hartley that impressed and excited in equal measure. But it was a much younger bike designer, still to make his name, that really bowled him over.
Read MoreWhen you think of Mallorca it’s the climbs that are the really big pull for many a bike rider. Stretches of road that look like spaghetti strewn across the flanks of towering mountains feature vertiginous drops and coastal vistas that take your breath away. But it also has pan flat plains and rolling countryside that offer welcome recovery rides if you’ve only got a week or so to explore the island. Here’s Ride Velo’s guide to some of the best rides on this Balearic jewel.
Read MoreAs a regular visitor to Mallorca, you can't help but notice there's been an absolute sea change in recent years. Every time I return there are noticably more cyclists on the roads and now the local bakery has turned into a bike hire and equipment store. This year, however, the trickle seems to have become a flood - cyclists not only outnumber cars by quite a large percentage - but going for a ride is more akin to taking part in a sportive! Stopping at a garage near the infamous Sa Colobra climb there wasn't a car in sight, and instead of customers topping up with fuel there were over a hundred cyclists rehydrating and regrouping.
Read MoreThe Mallorcan village of Deia has attracted artists and writers from all over the world who have been wooed by its stunning natural beauty on the north-western coast of this Balearic jewel. Nestling between the famous bay with its crystal clear turquoise waters below and dramatic mountains behind, it’s no wonder that this stretch of coastline is regularly frequented by super models, famous actors and the super rich as well as being a location for the TV drama The Night Manager.
Read MoreApplications have just opened for amateur cyclists to compete for a chance to become a pro! The BIKE Channel is offering the opportunity for one talented rider to join a professional racing team in their forthcoming production ‘The Coach PRO’. The pro team, Bike Channel Canyon, will pick the rider who performs the best in a gruelling 24 relay race around Brands Hatch.
Read MoreThis month has brought unexpected warmth and not the April showers we’re used to in the UK. But, as cyclists, it’s the unexpected that we should be on the look out for. On our recent trip to Mallorca, riders from all over northern Europe taught us a thing or two about layering – or the art of being prepared.
Read MoreAs this Sunday sees the 115th edition of Paris - Roubaix we bring you an extract of Max Leonard's piece from issue 5 of Avaunt which uncovers the story of how the most infamous race on the professional cycling calendar gained its nickname ‘The Hell of the North.' He traces the history of the race from the first edition in 1896, across the battle-scarred landscape of northern France, to the present day.
Read MoreThe Ride Velo household must have half a dozen bike multi-tools, none of which really work very well. I’ve cursed each one for not reaching the more inaccessible parts of the bike or for the way bits flop around uselessly. And none of them have an 8mm allen key to unscrew my Look Keo pedals.
However, the guys at Altum seem to have fixed all three of those problems with their Modual Tool System (MTS). It’s a very neat idea. Two decent quality tyre levers clip in either side of the handle and it has detachable 2, 2.5,3,4, 5, 6, and 8mm hex tool bits as well as a flat head and Phillips screwdriver tool bit. There are even 3.23, 3.3 and 3.45 spoke keys. In fact it has 14 functions in total.
Read MoreTo get a real taste of this weekend’s 101st edition of the Tour of Flanders you could do worse than checking out this great 15 minute film “Ronde Van Paterberg.” The Paterberg is one of the key climbs of this famous race, topping out at a wincing, cobbled 18%. The documentary is told purely from the spectators’ point of view as they watch the peloton tackle this often dramatic part of the race.
Read MoreThere can be few artists that can capture the moment of a bike race better than Greig Leach. Painting small postcard sized watercolours of the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Spring Classics, among many other races, Greig creates his images ‘live’ as they are happening without any knowledge of the end result. In this way he has produced some stunning work that distils the distinctive movements of riders, flashes of colour and the excitement of the race into a beautiful piece of art that tells the story of each stage.
Read MoreOn the day of this year’s first Monument, Milan-San Remo, Gareth Llewhellin and Ride Velo are pleased to bring to you a series of limited edition and signed prints of the five most important one-day races of the calendar.
Gareth’s new image for Milan-San Remo is inspired by the freezing conditions and heavy snowfall of the 2013 edition when only half the field finished. At one point the organisers neutralised the race and riders were ordered to board team buses and transported to a restart point.
Read MoreThe Monuments, the oldest, hardest and most prestigious one-day events of the Classics start tomorrow with La Primavera, the epic race from Milan to San Remo. Here’s Ride Velo’s guide to those one day races to look forward to, not just this weekend, but over the next few weeks.
Think of the Spring Classics and you think of frites, ridiculously strong beer brewed by monks, cobbles and the likes of Sean Kelly spattered in mud and relishing the brutality of it all. These are the longest races of the calendar and spring sunshine can turn to rain, sleet or even snow, turning rough roads and cobbles into a slippery mess the more delicate riders dread.
Read More
