Cycling Plus

Cycling Plus is the manual for the modern road cyclist. Whether you're cycling weekly, an occasional new rider or a Tour de France fan you’ll find everything you need. Each issue is packed with buying advice and tests of essential cycling gear - everything from bikes to bags! Cycling Plus is the place to find training advice, nutrition secrets and practical tips guaranteed to improve your bicycling. It's also full of inspirational rides, real-life cycling stories and entertaining riding-related features.

WELCOME…

The Big Picture

A Giant problem? • Forced-labour allegations against the manufacturer have highlighted debt-bondage risks in Taiwan’s bike factories, says Stan Portus

‘Strava is becoming irrelevant’ • The rollover of Paul Norman’s subscription left him questioning the app’s usefulness – and how much his cycling data is worth

Peppermint gravel kit • Tech tee CAD$100, Cargo bibs CAD$300

Scott Addict • £6,499 Swiss brand’s most popular road bike is no longer the Addict RC’s “little brother”

Lezyne Radar React lights • £250 (for front and rear system) Get rearview radar warnings without a GPS

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE • Britain’s best-selling cycling magazine will come through your letterbox, hassle-free, every month if you become a subscriber. And it’s much cheaper than buying it in the shops. It’s a win-win!

TADEJ YESTERDAY • Andy McGrath peels back the layers of cycling’s modern phenomenon Tadej Pogačar in his new biography of the Slovenian

POGAČAR VS MERCKX

BUMP IN THE ROAD • Tadej Pogačar’s rare defeats are more illuminating than his many victories and usually spur him on to new heights. In this extract from his new book Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable, author Andy McGrath recounts the Slovenian’s narrow defeat to friend and rival Mathieu van der Poel at the 2025 Paris-Roubaix race – and his ominous parting shot about future participation

ON TENTERHOOKS • With hookless rims coming under increasing scrutiny, we investigate whether it’s safe to keep them on your bike – and if so, whether you should be taking precautions

HOW TO STAY SAFE • If you’ve got a set of hookless rims on your road bike, the most important thing to do is to ensure you’re sticking within the prescribed limitations of your setup.

An ace up their sleeve • New Shimano Dura-Ace is coming – we speculate as to what it might look like and when it should appear

Marginal costs for major gain • Eight of the best-value investments you can make to boost your bike’s performance

Ridden & Rated • The UK’s best tests for over 30 years

Wahoo Kickr Core 2 smart trainer • £499.99 A modest upgrade but still excellent bang for your buck

Specialized Aethos 2 Pro Shimano Ultegra Di2 • £7,249 A better bike for most riders, but the gap to S-Works grows

6 ISSUES FOR JUST £9.99

Northwave Celsius XT Arctic GTX • £242.99 A dream shoe for winter gravel riders

Mid-power front lights • We try four new-for-2025 options and see which one shines brightest

Fairlight Strael 4.0 • £3,909 (as specced) The perfect steel road bike – just make sure you don’t tell my Strael 3.0

Panaracer GravelKing X1 TLR tyre • £54.99 The brand’s first new tread pattern for gravel riding since 2017

Passions, delivered.

Training zone • Expert advice on maximising your cycling performance

Boost your ride • Performance Q&A The big cycling questions answered by our team of expert coaches, nutritionists and riders

Workshop wisdom • How to adjust the handlebar height on your bike

Ask the experts • We answer your burning bike-related questions

ULTIMATE INDOOR TRAINING • The best Zwift setup for every rider – from...