With 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 MoreAs the cycling season cranks up with Milan San Remo this weekend and Paris Roubaix three weeks after that, you can also get a taste of the Tour de France at Look Mum No Hands. They are exhibiting a collection of stunning photographs from last year’s stages in the Pyrenees.
In July 2016 the London based fashion photographer and cycling enthusiast, Ciaran Spencer spent three days following Le Tour on his bike and capturing the essence of the carnival that follows the greatest bike race on earth. He was joined by Beth Hillier, owner of cycling brand, Bon Courage apparel.
Read MoreAt Ride Velo we love cycling abroad: Alps, Pyrenees, Mallorca. These are truly wonderful cycling destinations. But our imagination, adventurous spirit and wanderlust were stirred even further when we heard about Tadele Travel who are offering cycling holidays in Ethiopia.
We spoke to Richard Nerurkar who runs the company with his business partner, Ethiopian born, Girma Tadele. If Richard Nerurkar’s name is familiar it may be that you remember him as a former 10,000 metre and marathon runner from the 1990s who competed in two Olympic Games for Great Britain and was once tipped as a favourite to win the London Marathon.
Read MoreIt was a pleasure and a privilege to catch a few words with Stephen Roche at the London Bike Show this year. The ever-affable former World Champion, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner was there to promote his cycling tour company as well as being interviewed at the Riders lounge. Despite being so busy he always seems to find the time to chat to all and sundry in his relaxed and easy-going style.
Read MoreTomorrow sees the 52nd edition of the Tirreno-Adriatico, a seven-stage race in Italy, sometimes known as ‘The Race of the Two Seas’. Drawing a high quality field, it has arguably become more prestigious than Paris-Nice which started at the weekend. We spoke to Eurosport’s Carlton Kirby who will be commentating on it to find out who the favourites are and why he’d rather be in Italy than France this week.
Read MoreThe story of Brompton Bikes is one of those heart-warming tales of one man’s obsessive drive, determination and belief in himself and his invention. It’s one of triumph over adversity. The funny-looking folding bike that was born in a bedroom in South Kensington is now a British manufacturing success story and design icon. Ride Velo went to their new factory in Greenford to find out more about what has been described as the best folding bike in the world.
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