Whats up 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.
However right here we’re once more. And though the 12 months appears to have flown by, it has been a very busy one with lots of thrilling chapters.
I typically discover December to be a month of contemplation. Partly that is a results of needing to put in writing 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 lots of concentrate on ‘subsequent 12 months’.
As my ever-insightful spouse mentioned 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 notice, I bought married. Congrats to me! That’s, after all, the spotlight of the 12 months, however reality be informed it was simply considered 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 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 aim 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 attempting to construct the gap was actually rewarding.
I transitioned that method into gravel racing later within the 12 months. I raced the Gralloch (badly) in Could, 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 plentiful 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 checks, hereon to be referred to as ‘CN Labs’, however I am going to 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 Experience
This 12 months was the 12 months during 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 mentioned than carried out. Using indoors is extra environment friendly, with much less time spent worrying about the place I am going, what I am 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 Experience was a continuing all through my summer time of coaching. As I’ve defined in my Zwift Experience evaluate, a few of its advantages embody multi-rider compatibility due to its adjustability, immediate 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 often does, I may simply whack up the bars a number 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.
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 general I feel it is a actually good product that can assist increasingly folks get into biking.
2. Dialed Well being
Yearly, I take into account speaking up ‘energy coaching’ or ‘a physio’ in my checklist, 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 steering (ie utilizing a cut up stance to imitate your pedal place) gives familiarity and reassurance all through. I actually really feel that every exercise is working me in the direction of being sooner on a motorbike, relatively than in the 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 suppose 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 bear in mind naively asking if we may do an aero helmet wind tunnel take a look at in my first weeks right here at CN in 2019, so this has been the aim for me from the beginning. After we had a possibility to check wheels in 2022 with Workforce 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 take a look at – a take a look at 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 take a look at on 11 superbikes, a wind tunnel take a look at on 18 wheelsets, a rolling resistance take a look at on 24 highway tyres, and a pressure-mapping take a look at of bib shorts courtesy of Pedalling Perfection close to Bristol. That is just 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 professional recommendation, frantically scribbling notes on how we will enhance this sequence, 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. When you’re desirous about seeing extra, head to Silverstone Sports activities Engineering Hub. And you probably have any ideas for belongings you’d like us to check – get in contact.
4. Three in a single! The Ridley ASTR RS, SRAM Crimson 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 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, slim bars, and big 52mm tyre clearance. Excellent for the chunky surfaces that made up the course close to Gatehouse of Fleet in Scotland.
It is one of many first of its sort and I genuinely imagine it is the way forward for gravel racing. I am excited to see if every other manufacturers take the identical method in 2025.
My gravel race superbike construct function outlines a number of the different modifications I made to prepared the bike for the large day, should you’re desirous about seeing extra.
The bike got here outfitted with SRAM’s new Crimson AXS XPLR groupset, full with the brand new shifters that are, for my part, the brand new gold commonplace 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 have been too vast 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 take a look at bike to keep away from having to ship it again.
5. Wholesome meals and extra sleep
This can be a garbage checklist of thrilling tech, I am going to admit, however one other factor that actually made a distinction for me this 12 months is an elevated concentrate on restoration.
As I upped the main focus 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 lots 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 may to empty my stress bucket sooner than I used to be filling it.
Although the race included an enormous climb, I made a decision that attempting to reduce weight was a foul 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 may afford was a fortnight off the bike with an sickness.
I’ve no thought if the meals I ate truly 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 helpful to me hitting the targets I set and, in flip, touchdown the consequence I managed.
