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.

Ed’s letter • Issue 435 ● September 2025

The Big Picture

RIDER OF THE YEAR'25 • IT’S TIME TO NOMINATE THE RIDERS WHO’VE PUT THEIR STAMP ON THE SPORT WE LOVE THIS YEAR

Swing and a miss • Campagnolo Super Record 13 is exciting – but that’s thanks to its predecessor, says Oscar Huckle

Swytch Max+ e-bike conversion kit • £999 Turn your bike electric and enjoy a greater range thanks to a new battery

Colnago Y1Rs • €13,200 (as pictured) Tadej Pogačar’s aero bike for the flat days looks super-fast

‘This eight-year-old road groupset is still the best’ • Liam Cahill says 11-speed Shimano Ultegra R8000 is the smart choice

Mavic Ksyrium Heritage SL RB wheels • From €699 Shiny hoops that hark back to the French brand’s era of dominance in aluminium rim tech

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

Features • A deeper dive into the two-wheeled world in all its glory

SWISS ROLL • You can bank on Switzerland for epic mountain riding. Rob Ainsley rode the land of milk and money from one side to the other…

SAFETY FIRST • Are bike helmets about to get safer? This test lab is on a mission to make that happen

‘ABSURD, BEAUTIFUL & UNFORGETTABLE’ • Ned Boulting’s unbroken 23 years with the Tour de France on ITV ended this July. John Whitney spoke to him about his new book, what’s next and the race that changed his life

Ned Boulting’s T OUR DE FRANCE HIGHLIGHTS

MBUK 6 ISSUES FOR JUST £9.99

BRIDGING THE GAP • Women’s cycling is growing in popularity, but how can we increase participation numbers even more? asks Rachel Bennet

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

Continental Archetype tyre • £95 Tadej Pogačar’s new TdF rubber is as supple as they come

Rearview radars • Two back lights with built-in vehicle detection do battle

Campagnolo Super Record 13 • £3,900 A return to form, with improvements to ergonomics and shifting performance plus a lower price

Scott Addict RC 20 • £5,899 One of the most refined lightweight all-rounder road bikes I’ve ridden

Women’s cargo bibs • £49.99 – £250 Which of these shorts with pockets will suit your needs best?

Cervélo S5 (2025) • £12,000 One of the best aero bikes around – it’s hard to fault this impressive race machine

Brilliant content you can trust • Discover something new with our fantastic introductory offers across our range of magazines

Electric mini-pumps • We see which of these handy devices gets our vote

SRAM Force XPLR AXS groupset • £2,102 Is the new 13-speed gravel group worth upgrading to?

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

02 HOW CAN I TRAIN MY BODY TO RIDE BETTER IN HOT WEATHER?

03 HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE ON TOUGH RIDES?

Workshop wisdom • How to set the correct saddle position...