Good day 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 seek out that we nonetheless have all of January to get by way of.
However 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 typically 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 stated just lately, “December is a time for considering, not for doing,” and though I am undecided my bosses would agree fully, there is a reality to it. You may’t actually plan for what’s subsequent with out taking inventory of what is been… so permit me a second to recount my 2024. Like a Spotify Wrapped, however worse.
On a private be aware, I received married. Congrats to me! That’s, after all, the spotlight of the 12 months, however reality be instructed it was simply certainly one of many truly 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 facet, we launched CN Labs and Cyclingnews received ‘web site of the 12 months’ right here at Future Publishing.
The measurable nature of highway working coaching, considerably extra so than bike race techniques, actually unlocked one thing in me. I set a purpose of working a sub 1:30, and the method of breaking down the per-km tempo, and coaching my means to run at that tempo whereas additionally making an attempt to construct the space was actually rewarding.
I transitioned that strategy into gravel racing later within the 12 months. I raced the Gralloch (badly) in Might, and that lit a fireplace of motivation in me which I carried by way of to the Nationwide 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 received to journey, however it was no much less full of testing. The most important content-based achievement for me in 2024 was the launch of our wind tunnel checks, hereon to be generally known as ‘CN Labs’, however I will 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 Trip
This 12 months was the 12 months through which I spent considerably extra time using 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 less complicated stated than finished. Driving indoors is extra environment friendly, with much less time spent worrying about the place I am going, what I am carrying and cleansing my bike, and extra time turning the pedals. As a time crunched ‘athlete’ (stated within the loosest sense of the phrase), indoor biking higher aligns with my targets of coaching for racing.
And to that finish, the Zwift Trip was a continuing all through my summer time of coaching. As I’ve defined in my Zwift Trip evaluate, a few of its advantages embody multi-rider compatibility due to its adjustability, instantaneous entry to coaching, courtesy of not having to mount your outside bike earlier than you journey, and added interactivity by way of the up-front controls.
However 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 might simply whack up the bars a number of CM and revel in a extra relaxed place. I might 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.
Sarcastically, I used it primarily in different apps apart from Zwift, however when in ERG mode – as I generally am when following a exercise – the singlespeed Zwift Cog and subsequent lack of ability to alter gears did not trigger points.
I marked it down for a number of particular factors, however total I believe it is a actually good product that can assist increasingly more folks get into biking.
2. Dialed Well being
Yearly, I think about speaking up ‘power coaching’ or ‘a physio’ in my listing, as a result of every year I dabble for a number of months at a time, reap the advantages, then life will get busy and my knee begins complaining once more.
However this 12 months, not solely did I’m going to the fitness center just about each week (barring work journeys or sickness) I additionally subscribed to Dialed Well being. For $19.99, you get entry to a library of exercises, in addition to a bunch of coaching applications equivalent to ‘gravel’ (which options an eye-opening quantity of upper-body work), summer time upkeep, low season highway, and so forth.
By way of the built-in movies, Founder Derek Teel guides you thru every train. Biking-specific steerage (ie utilizing a break up stance to imitate your pedal place) gives familiarity and reassurance all through. I actually really feel that every exercise is working me in direction of being sooner on a motorbike, reasonably than in direction of being a beefcake like the large boys within the freeweights part of the fitness center.
Head to Dialed Well being to see extra
3. Silverstone Sports activities Engineering Hub
Anybody would assume I am on fee given how typically I bang on about it, however I am actually excited concerning the services at Silverstone Sports activities Engineering Hub and particularly the way forward for Cyclingnews‘ content material utilizing it.
I keep in mind naively asking if we might 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. After we had a chance to check wheels in 2022 with Staff Uno X, the reader response was promising, however funding our personal checks was a good distance off.
Quick ahead to spring 2024, when our editor Peter put the request out for premium function concepts particularly for Cyclingnews subscribers, my hand shot up, and some weeks later the primary empirical lab-based check – a check of the quickest highway bike helmets – was reside. We have adopted it up with 4 subsequent checks 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 highway tyres, and a pressure-mapping check of bib shorts courtesy of Pedalling Perfection close to Bristol. That is only the start.
We’ve a lot extra checks deliberate for 2025, so I’ve been steadfast in studying the discussion board posts, watching the evaluation movies and listening to skilled recommendation, frantically scribbling notes on how we are able to 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 is profession spotlight stuff proper there, so thanks Annemiek, and thanks Cyclingnews subscribers, as a result of with out you, this is able to by no means be a factor.
The ability, whereas fairly expensive, is open to all: Groups, athletes, coaches, professionals and amateurs alike. Should you’re involved in seeing extra, head to Silverstone Sports activities Engineering Hub. And when you have any ideas for stuff you’d like us to check – get in contact.
4. Three in a single! The Ridley ASTR RS, SRAM Pink AXS XPLR, Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels
Now to an precise bike. As I discussed, I’ve not ridden that many alternative 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 am not that good – it appeared like a missed alternative to not try to supply a motorbike that will 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. Good for the chunky surfaces that made up the course close to Gatehouse of Fleet in Scotland.
It is one of many first of its variety and I genuinely imagine it is the way forward for gravel racing. I am excited to see if another manufacturers take the identical strategy in 2025.
My gravel race superbike construct function outlines a number of the different adjustments I made to prepared the bike for the large day, when you’re involved in seeing extra.
The bike got here geared up with SRAM’s new Pink AXS XPLR groupset, full with the brand new shifters that are, in my view, the brand new gold normal in highway shifter hood ergonomics and braking really feel.
I paired the bike with the crazy-wide Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels with their 32mm inside channel, and though they had been too broad to run inserts, the claimed aero advantages are plentiful and the advance in dealing with traits was tangible.
It is the closest I’ve come to purchasing a check bike to keep away from having to ship it again.
5. Wholesome meals and extra sleep
This can be a garbage listing of thrilling tech, I will 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 acutely aware that I could possibly be setting myself up for burnout. I do know my 10-hour weeks aren’t going to hassle a variety of riders, however given I used to be transitioning from ‘using my bike after I felt prefer it’ to 10 hours of structured coaching, I needed to do something I might to empty my stress bucket sooner than I used to be filling it.
Although the race included a large climb, I made a decision that making an attempt to shed weight was a nasty thought, and so focussed on maximising my carb consumption each on and off the bike. I elevated my protein too. However 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 fitness center work and warmth coaching, and I had simply three months to get race match. The very last thing I might afford was a fortnight off the bike with an sickness.
I’ve no thought if the meals I ate truly made a distinction. I could 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 definitely helpful to me hitting the targets I set and, in flip, touchdown the end result I managed.