How to survive a long ride with +4k meters of climbing? Is Étape du Tour worth to join? What can we expect on Saturday stage at Tour de France?

Last Sunday thanks to Tissot I had the chance to take part in the fearsome Étape du Tour, 152 kilometers and more than 4000 meters of climbing from Annemasse to Morzine, on the route of Tour de France Saturday stage. I have so much to tell that I am not sure where to start from. Deep breath, let’s start from the beginning.

Annemasse – Morzine: the route and how to survive long rides in the heat

The route of the 2023 Étape du Tour was a challenging one with its 6 climbs and the temperatures peaking at 40°C in the valley and decreasing to only 30°C on top of the climbs. The route is a rollercoaster, you are either going up or down, with only about ten kilometres of horizontal riding splitting up the first and second half of the stage. The first half of the route is the easier one and not only because of the fresh legs, but also because gradients are sweet and never demanding and climbs short. The second part, there is where hell begins. Col de la Ramaz is 14 kilometres long, with an average gradient around 7% and a rough segment where gradients go double digit, but the real killer is the last climb, Col de Joux Plane. Col de Joux Plane is only 11 kilometres, sadly the road is constantly around 9-10%, always. Taken alone, I wouldn’t consider it so hard: I have done way more demanding climbs, but with 3000 meters of ascending in the legs and way too many hours in the heat, it felt like the most challenging climb ever. There are no attention segments, the whole climb is very regular with its treachery. One of the worst parts was the lack of shadow, roads shine in the sun without any possibility to cool down a bit with only the nice landscapes (especially in the last part of Col de la Ramaz) making up for their brutality.

Thinking about the Tour de France, this stage will be perfect terrain for attacks and ambushes, if they manage isolate you in the first half, they can hurt you really bad in the second. For the pros it will be a short stage and also for this I expect it to be explosive since the beginning, or I hope so.

But as we are no pros, for us the ride wasn’t a short one, but a long infinite procession towards Morzine, so: how to survive longs rides and intense efforts in the heat?

I have a few rules I impose myself in these situations that are common to most of the cyclist, and some random ones I came up with over the years. Here a list of things to keep in mind to survive the long rides and heat:

• Drink, drink, drink more! Hydration is essential, I always have one bottle filled with water and one with maltodextrin and sip frequently, even if not thirsty. You must stop at every feeding station, even if you feel like you are “losing time”, you are not. You must drink a lot. For the nutrition I always rely on isotonic gels, as they are way easier to eat. I use to take them before every climb and even in the middle, if it is a long one. Having something solid in the stomach is as essential as eating enough gels. On long days like these I always eat a protein bar mid ride and snacks at the feeding stations. Unfortunatly, l’Etape stations weren’t great in terms of food choice, if you have delicate stomach like me, pack extra stuff in your pockets and don’t rely on something you don’t know how will impact you (self reminder to myself too).
• Use descents to recover and stretch – descending fast and careless when traffic is closed is one of my favourite things, but having wooden legs at the beggining of the climbs is one of the things I hate most, therefore I always use descents to recover and stretch. I stretch legs (especially hamstrings), but also back and neck/shoulders, trying to relax all the muscles. Plus, I always move toes (and not only downhill), as feet are the sensitive part of my body when it comes to cramps.
• Pace yourself, take it easy! – I know: you have fresh legs, you feel good, roads are incredibly nice and you want to give it all. Don’t, just don’t. Take it easy, even if doing so might feel harder than pushing every watt you have. In long rides you can’t go full gas from beginning to end, pace yourself and stay in your comfort zone and save energies. In almost 7 hours and 50 minutes I only spent 6 minutes in Z4, riding uphill only in my Z2 – Z3.
• Bonus track – the obvious: but make sure to have decent training hours in the legs some decent fondo rides (and try not to pull a back muscles just a few weeks before like I stupidly did)

With these simple rules, you are half way to the finishing line, where after 10 kilometers of descent towards Morzine I showed my only half-smile of the day.

Étape du Tour – is it worth it?

Yes, the Étape du Tour is absolutely worth it. I feel stupid for not considering it earlier: the organization is outstanding, the roads closed to traffic for the whole day, starting grids well distributed in time to avoid accidents, hundreds of volounteers, every potentially dangerous corner well signed, the right amount of feeding stations and above all an incredible atmosphere. The roads and towns were packed with locals cheering for all the participants, giving us water, ready with water barrels in the hands asking permission to shower us. It was an increadible feast, that made you savor the Tour atmosphere. I was so incredibly surprised and delighted, it was awesome and makes it straight to the top spots of my personal list of sportives to do at least once.

Only little disappointment was the food: dear organizers, next time make sure to pack feeding zones with Coke and ask me to cook pasta 🙂

What’s next?

Experiences like these drain me, but always make me crave for more and even if in the short term I will only focus on work and holidays, I can’t stop thinking what challenge I should target next, any idea?

The debate over disc brakes on road bikes has been going on for a long time (too long, if you ask me).
As every year during Grand Tours and after nasty crashes in the rain, the discussion resurfaces: are disc brakes truly better than rim brakes? Are they dangerous? Should we go back to traditional braking?

Disc brakes are an ordinary technological development, and as every new technology they collect enthusiasm as well as fierce criticism. But honestly speaking, disc brakes in road cycling are not even that new anymore, yet they still haven’t been accepted as a new standard. Why? For many reasons, but primarily because we don’t truly know them and their defense or criticism often revolves around a couple of standard topics.

So, what are disc brakes?

First of all, there are two types of disc brakes: mechanical and hydraulic. Hydraulic Disc Brakes are the ones we are talking about.

On our bikes we have two brake levers with pistons and hoses containing mineral oil or DOT fluid that go down towards the front and rear calipers. The calipers have 2 (or more) pistons each, attached to the pistons we have brake pads and finally the rotors.

To put it very simply, when we brake this is what happens: we press the levers and the pistons in the levers “push” the fluid in the hoses. Once at the calipers, the fluid pushes the pistons, that push the brake pads, that clamp the rotor and just like that we come to a stop or a deceleration.

There are many factors influencing braking, starting with some features of the braking system itself (such as rotor size, brake pads material and general quality of the components), but also with conditions (road surface, road gradient), the riders and their weight, the distribution of the weight, the speed, and so on. Braking is a very complex topic and it is easy to understand why cyclists give so much importance to their braking system.

Due to their configuration, disc brakes are more powerful than rim brakes. This means that if you want to stop in the same point with rim and disc brakes, with the latter you need to press the lever less. And if there is a car abruptly stopping in front of you, with disc brakes you have an higher chance to avoid a collision because braking distance is reduced. The reason is the better brake modulation they offer: thanks to disc brakes you can brake more precisely, in a more progressive manner and finally more efficiently, especially on low grip terrains such as off-road, gravel, mud and wet tarmac.

What does more power mean?

Crashes during the braking phase are very common and most of the time they happen due to the front wheel lock-up.

When you brake too hard and apply too much braking power, the brakes do their job and completely stop the wheels from spinning, locking them up. Lock-up of the front wheel is the most dangerous braking-related scenario. Indeed, it often leads to crashes. When the wheel locks up the braking power goes to zero. When it happens the body continues moving at the same speed, but when braking too hard, all the weight is transferred to the front wheel and here it is when you fly over the handlebar. Goodbye collarbone.

Theoretically with disc brakes lock-ups should be less frequent, because you have a better modulation and can better stop before the locking. But being more powerful and especially in dangerous or unexpected situations when you have to brake abruptly, it is easier to apply too much power and lock-up. Moreover, bikes are very light and the riders are much more heavier than the bike, the center of mass is higher and it is easier to fly over the handlebar.

It took a while, but we arrived to the core of the discussion. Does all this mean disc brakes are more dangerous? Do they cause more crashes?

No, disc brakes in itself are not more dangerous and they do not cause more crashes. If for 20 years you rode with rim brakes, probably at the beginning disc brakes will be more dangerous for you, but because you are not used to them and need to recalibrate your braking power, not because of the system itself.

From a technical point of view disc brakes are superior and more efficient. This doesn’t mean everyone must prefer disc brakes, but it is a matter of fact.

And now, what’s next?

I don’t know what technical developments wait for us. From a product point of view, I can see ABS becoming always more present on e-bikes and perhaps in mountain bike and with a more performance-oriented approach, but on road bikes I think braking systems will evolve in a different way and for the next few years the focus will remain on weight and design of the system.

Broadening the vision I can see some related trends coming up. Indeed, in a professional sport like road cycling where every detail matters (including every single gram of carb and the sock height), to me it is unbelivable how braking and in general riding technique, especially downhill, have never been taken into consideration with a more scientific approach. You won’t win Grand Tours thanks to an improved braking technique, but you could for sure have direct advantages and side ones, reducing the risk of crashes. Braking is still a grey area that I think will be addressed soon. In the last few years a couple of teams started dedicating a bit of attention to the topic with workshops during training camps, yet from what I know, no one has gone beyond that.

To me there is a lot of room for improvement and probably at the moment there isn’t much knowledge and expertise, but I can see some forward-looking teams starting to work on it, collecting and analysing data and working deeply and scientifically with cyclists, especially in ITTs and downhills. And if you think that might be too much, remember they are wearing head-socks under-helmets in 30 degrees.

Also thinking about the amateur scenario, I can see the trend of starting improving the riding technique in general. I find really surprising how many cyclists waste so many energies for a 0,5 w/kg improvement in a FTP test and they do not care about taking corners with flat feet. So yes, I can see training apps, coaching plans and similar starting to focus more on this side and hopefully with a scientific and data-driven approach.

And according to you, which trends are we going to see?

Giro d’Italia has always been my favorite race, going up and down my roads, in the crazy mess Italy is. Every year, for at least one day, I ride up an epic climb waiting for the peloton in the cold of the cloudy mountain days or in the burning sun of the clear sky days. I have always been there with the noise of the elicopters, the excitement of the crowds and the smell of salamelle alla griglia.

I have always been a fan of the Dolomites stages, but this year there will be a stage particularly close to my cycling hearth: the Stage 15 from Seregno to Bergamo, that is going to take place on Sunday 21.
I know, the roads of the stage might not be the most scenic and epic ones Italy can offer, but they are my cycling roads and I love them to the moon and back. This is my virtual tour of that stage and you better take notes (about the random stops along the way, of course).

Seregno – Bergamo: a virtual Tour of the stage and its landmarks

On Sunday there won’t be much time for chit-chatting: just the time to warm up the legs a bit and the road starts almost immediately climbing up. The first climb is one of the most challenging ones of the area: Valcava from Torre de’ Busi. Valcava is a local Institution and if you have been following my rides for long enough, you already know this climb. Valcava won’t hurt the pros, especially because it is at the beginning of the stage, but with its long >18% segments, it won’t pass unnoticed either. It is a rough way to start the day and a nice challenge for us amateurs.

One of the best things of climbing mountains is to breath in the magic at the top. At the top of Valcava there are only some radio antenna and a brown tin storage with an handwritten shaky tag saying “Valcava”. For us, it feels like home.

It is still too early for the weather forecast, but one thing is sure: it will be cloudy at the top, indeed no one ever saw sun up there. To make it up for its moody weather, during weekends there is always a van selling local cheeses and salame and a kiosk with pies and panini (with salamella, of course, that is Italian grilled sausage, by the way).

The descent isn’t tricky, but for the first 4/5 kilometres it is in an extremely poor condition, good news: they are asphalting it right now.
The stage goes then down towards Bedulita, reaching Almenno San Salvatore and Villa d’Almè.

Here we are in the Valcalepio wine area, the pros won’t have time, but you can make a small stop at Ca’ Verde in Almenno, a small and nice Cantina producing biological wines. In Villa d’Almé plan a stop at Tenuta Casa Virginia, that offers fine dining with a view and produces nice wines with intriguing naming and crazy fantasy stories revolving around every bottle.

While you are either buying or tasting some red wine, the peloton will go ahead towards Selvino, the perfect destination for hiking lovers (I would reccomend enjoying the Monte Poieto route).

The climb and descent of Selvino are already well known by the cycling community, as they have been featured in the Giro since the late 60s. The climb has nice hairpins dedicated to local cycling legends such as Gimondi, Baronchelli, Gotti and Savoldelli and it is never too demanding. The descent might be considered a bit technical, but it lasts only 7 kms as the route takes the turn towards the last 5 kilometres of Miragolo San Salvatore, another well known climb already featured in Lombardia and Giro.

After the two close-range climbs up Selvino and Miragolo, it is time to go down towards Zogno, where you can buy the finest local cheeses at Latteria Branzi while enjoying a heart-warming meal, such as Polenta Taragna (polenta with butter and cheese) or Bésse de Brans, a tipical product pretty hard to find elsewhere (it consist in grilled strips of Branzi curd, must write it down!).

After the wine & cheese stops and while riding back along with the pros towords Almenno San Bortolomeo, I would suggest to slow down the pace and enjoy some villages, such as Ubiale Clanezzo. It you are planning to stay in the area for a bit, not too far away you can visit San Giovanni Bianco, San Pellegrino Terme and the lovely Cornello dei Tasso and experience loads of beautriful climbs, but that’s another stage and post material!

Back to the Giro stage, we are now in Almenno San Bartolomeo, here it will be time to face the last climb of the day: Roncola. Roncola is the closer real climb from where I live and over the years I have ridden it so many times I could literally do it with closed eyes. Roncola is not too long as it measures only 7.5 kilometres with an average gradient around 8.5%, it is this an irregular climb where sometimes it takes time to find the right pace. The more demanding segment is at the start and it is around 16-17%, but for a very short part. The real climb ends in Roncola, at the Church you find on your right, but Giro will go up until Roncola Alta doing an additional three kilometres. The last 3 kilometres are really easy but scenic, after that it will be full speed down towards Bergamo, where they will face the well-known one kilometre strappo before the final.

In Bergamo I always suggest a walk in the streets of Bergamo Alta and walk up to San Vigilio, where you can have a Spritz with a view at Baretto di San Vigilio or enjoy a plate of Casoncelli (tipical filled pasta) or the less-known cheese alternative called Scarpinòcc de Par. Bergamo has a lot to offer and the old part, Bergamo Alta, is a true gem.

The stage profile is an interesting one, to me it looks like perfect breakaway material as you hardly find a long completely flat section. There are many climbs but except Valcava at the beginning, they are not too long or difficult. For the brave ones, it could also be the chance to set a trap to the GC contenders, but I doubt we will assist to such actions. If in doubt, drink it out with a nice glass of wine and some fine local cheese!

See you there?

A brief report of my Ronde Van Vlaanderen experience and some tips for you!

For many people newer to cycling, the Ronde van Vlaanderen might just be a race, but for someone growing up in the cycling culture, the Tour of Flanders is Christmas.
Some people count sheep to fall asleep, cycling addicts name the Muurs, and they know each one of them.
The Ronde is cycling culture at its finest, in the two wheels motherland. With its narrow country lanes full of crowds and cheering kids, Belgium is undoubtedly cycling spiritual capital.

Riding on the roads of the Tour of Flanders hasn’t always been a dream of mine, because dreams are aspirations and for me riding on those roads has never been an aspiration, but a natural need.

It was there, among the cycling things to do at least once in a lifetime, and it was time to tick it off, so I googled the We Ride Flanders website and subscribed, without thinking much about it but feeling the anticipation growing.

The Route and the road that bought me there
I decided to ride the 144 km distance, that features only 2200 meters of climbing, way too many Muurs and cobble sectors you don’t want to underestimate.

The Tour of Flanders route is pure evil: you are in one of Europe’s flattest areas, where the highest point is something like 450 high, yet you keep climbing and you wonder how is that possible?
Yet the route, for how weird it might sound, is also sweet, and it reminds me of home, of where it all began.

I grew up in a very flat area and yes, mountains are not too far but neither too close. In my area you must use your inventive to have some fun and you start looking for old, narrow roads that go up to nowhere, or more often to churches.
In the Martesana, somewhere in between Milano smog and Bergamo mountains, it is just like in the Flanders and I grew up acting like I was on the Kwaremont on every random road. Some years ago, someone even renamed all those old and narrow roads after Flanders Muurs. While riding the We Ride Flanders my mind goes constantly there, where it all began, ages ago and with rim brakes and no fast carbon wheels. And while on the real Flemish roads I am grateful for many things, but especially for my light and fast bike and disc brakes, glad so many years went by!

The Flanders route is challenging and for me, more used to climbing than to pavè, cobbles were the worst part.
Weather played an important part in making the experience a true challenge. Indeed, I was hoping to live a full Flemish experience and that’s exactly what I got, including the awful weather. I tend to suffer cold a lot, to the point fingers lose thier sensitivity until I just freeze like a snowman. That day it was no-stop rain and an average temperature of 6 degrees so yes, cold was definitely the worst part of the experience, even if weeks after I can say I am almost glad it was like that, to add that extra touch of glam to the whole weekend.

The second worst part of the day were the muddy and slippery cobbles. Years ago I rode the Paris-Roubaix and after arriving in the Roubaix Velodrome I firmly said “Never ever again” and I still didn’t change my mind.

The We Ride Flanders route requires some training to be completed, but in dry conditions I am pretty convinced it is not that hard. For sure living close to places like Sormano plays an important role in my evaluation of the route, as I grew up with crazy and long double digits segments. If I compare it to other similar sportives, such as the Granfondo Strade Bianche, I can also hazard it feels easier. The climbs are shorter and a little bit more gentle, the maximum gradients peak for very short distances, some hard pushes and they are done. To give you a better understanding of the scenario: I am not exactly a puncheur so when over 10% I am always on the 34-30. Well, the day of the We Ride Flanders my shifting was feeling depressed and repetetly tried to commit suicide, finally managing to kill itself. After 30 kilometers I lost the possibility to use the 30, soon after the 28 was gone, and then of course the 26 too. Despite this, I managed to ride all the Muurs, except the central part of the Koppenberg (but, ehi also Pogi walked up it during his recognition so I don’t see how Ginevra could have ridden!). I am telling this to reassure you: gradients are hard, but you can overcome them without particular issues.
Flanders wasn’t a big physical challenge, but more a mental one, trying to maintain an high level of attention in order to avoid crashes of the overconfident riders. More than legs and especially if rainish, you will just need decent riding skills and confidence.
Cobbles sectors aren’t awful like in Roubaix, where I truly reconsidered my life choices, but they aren’t gentle either, with Kobbenberg and Kwaremont being the hardest ones. I have no advise about how to survive cobbles, ride fast they say, so it will feel less bumpy, as it was easy riding fast on that thing!
The Muur that concerned me more was the Paterberg, but I must say and without lying, that it is not that hard. It is very short and being ready for the worst, it didn’t feel bad. On the contrary, I enjoyed it, thinking about the many historic attacks that took place there. I was able to hear the screams of history, the excitement of all those April Sundays glued to the television, I could feel the passion that makes us spinning pedals.
The Paterberg feels so nice also because it is the last effort, after that, as we all know, you are basically done. Also the shifting was done and I was stuck on the 34, but at that point I couldn’t care much about it, the only thing I cared about was the beer waiting for me in Oudenaarde.

Oudenaarde and a random tip

The last kilometres of the We Ride Flanders go through Oudenaarde downtown, passing in front of the city’s landmarks: the cute main square and the Centrum Ronde Van Vlaanderen. I highly recommended a visit to the Centrum, that hosts the Tour of Flanders Museum, probably the best cycling museum out there, but avoid buying memorabilia in its shop, as everything is overpriced.

To bring home some Flemish goodie, take note of this instead: next to The Qubus, where you will pick up your We Ride Flanders bib, there is the biggest beer shop you can wish for. It is calles PedeDrinks Oudenaarde, it is increadibly cheap and it has the hugest beer selection (plus some nice Ronde gadgets). Pay it a visit and get ready to swipe that credit card! If you don’t like beer and please don’t tell me that, in the city centre there are some nice chocolate shops worth it (and for sure cheaper than the airport shops)

So, are you going to ride it? Did I menage to reassure you or did I scared you? Let me know!

Struggling with indoor training and Watopia? A few tips to survive when stuck on the home trainer

Winter means cold temperatures, only a few hours of light, rain and snow. It is often hard or even impossible to combine work, duties and outdoor riding and we might reluctantly find ourselves eyeing the indoor trainer and logging into Zwift, joining a virtual ride in Watopia.

I would have plenty of things to say about Watopia, starting with the fact that honestly I can’t understand how someone can think a cyclist might like riding inside a volcano or flying on water. Cyclists are strange people, but trust me: for how many crazy chit-chats I heard, I never ever heard someone wishing to ride in a place remotely resemblant to Watopia. Cobbles, alpine hairpins, sterrato, double-digit cotes and sometimes even endless flat and straight roads, but not in a volcano, an aquarium or in the pouring virtual rain. If I wanted to ride in a sad and grey place with rain, I would just open my door and ride outside.
All right, I will stop complaining about it and I will try to write down my best advice for surviving indoor training sessions, starting with the most obvious, hope it helps!

1) The basics: towels, heating off, extra-light cycling kit, wi-fi, loads of water and possibly fresh air

Overheating is probably the biggest struggle on the indoor trainer (along with boredom), make sure to always have a few bottles of water and to drink frequently, keep a clean towel at hand for your sweat, wear the lightest kit in your cycling wardrobe and switch off the heating. If you have the chance, ride near a window, keeping it slightly open in order to help ventilation, otherwise consider to use a fan. Drink frequently, you are going to sweat a lot, you must drink a lot. Never underestimate these basics, setting the correct environment is the first step to make the best out of your session.

2) Keep it short and diversified

Indoor trainer is not suitable for long rides. Yes, you might see people doing extra long rides on Zwift and even attempting Everesting (yes, saw that before), just don’t.

Easy long rides are for outdoor fun, trainer is for short, fast and diversified rides. To me the correct training length is between 60 and a maximum of 90 minutes, your concentration will disappear after one and a half hour stuck on the indoor trainer and your body might catch fire.

I find the home trainer perfect for short high-intensity intervals, that are also funnier. You can also use your indoor sessions to get out of your comfort zone trying pedalling drills, high or low cadence intervals, and things you are ashamed of or don’t bother to try when outdoors.

I have always been used to ride with a really low cadence, as a child I wanted to look like my favourite cyclist so I used to eat a lot of pasta and ride with really low rpms. During the Corona lock-down in Italy we were forced on the indoor trainer for quite a long time, therefore I took that as a chance to improve my cadence and it worked, helping me in riding and climbing at higher rpms and without looking as bad as Froomey. My advice is to us the home trainer not only to improve or mantain your performance levels, but also to work on your riding style and pedal stroke. You might not achieve that perfectly round and full pedal stroke pro riders have, but it will help you a lot.

3) Set the correct power zones

Whatever application you use and rely on for your virtual trainings, remember to set your correct power zones before starting a new training programs and consider that on the indoor trainer your FTP might be lower than outside. Indeed, indoor you must keep a fixed position that depending on your riding style might be a limit to your ability to push more watts. Add to this the lack of motivation (I mean: pushing your limits in the Dolomites is for sure much easier) and often an improper or not so efficient indoor trainer. My suggestion is to either do a FTP test on one of the many indoor training apps or to simply set your FTP a bit lower.

4) Buy a front-wheel riser block

Unless you are using free rollers, a block for your front-wheel will be a game-changer for your indoor riding experience: putting the bike on the home trainer will change the bike setting, you need to re-align the wheels height. To do so and achieve the same position you have outside, you can simply put a block under your front wheel, the front-wheel risers are many and very cheap, but they can be very useful, here a random one (there are many and equally fine)

5) Feel inspired or let the music play!

Having the right playlist is one of the success factors when training indoor, it’s crazy how music helps you to complete the repetitive movements in a more efficient way.
Choose songs that adapt to the session you are about to face: high cadence? High bpm! Avoid ballads and that song you used to listen to with your former partner!

Not only music, having something entertaining to watch can be a solution too. Personally I can’t concentrate well when training, so I prefer to watch easily understandable short videos or better cycling videos who inspire and entertain me and yes, I often watch reruns of cycling races I liked or Youtube compilations (yes, Peter Sagan best wins is always a must).

6) A decent indoor trainer

I am not an expert when it comes to home trainers, but I have had a few of them, so here some of the models I consider value for money.

First of all, I recommend buying a direct-drive trainer, they are reliable, silent, efficient and much more respectful to your bike then the wheel-on models.
Personally I have this model by Elite
This is another great option by Tacx in the same price range.

Wheel-on home trainers are cheaper, but also much more noisy, much less efficient and will worn out your rear wheel (yes, you can buy and use trainer-specific tires, but if you have only one bike then it means you must switch tires or wheels every single time). They are fine for beginners or if you are lucky enough to live in a really warm place and need to train indoor rarely.
Just make sure they are smart, so you can connect them to the training apps, this is a good and cheaper option.

7) Stay away from the toxic riders and be smart

If you are planning to use your indoor sessions to train and boost your performance, then consider relying on the advice of an expert: stay away from internet wannabees and toxic people. This applies always, but even more to home-training. Over the years I have seen plenty of **** and training programs that scream for mercy. People often think that to improve you just need to push and push and sweat, nothing wronger. Ponder carefuly who you decide to trust and enjoy your riding! See y’all on the road!

The only things I like about the Christmas Spirit are advent calendars and Panettone, and the Gingerbread latte I guess. Plus, buying gifts stresses me out and I know many share the same feelings. You won’t have to worry any longer because I put together the ultimate gift guide for every cycling addict and every budget. You can’t go wrong with these items!

Mugs & Coffee

Coffee & Cycling is well known combination that grew its popularity in recent years and let’s be honest, coffee is always a good idea. On the market there are plenty of brands offering cycling-themed coffee beans, for an emotional bond I would love to start the day with some Ghisallo moka coffee in this cup, but the choice is truly massive.

A really nice mug by Cois Cycling – 16,50€

Ghisallo Power coffee beans by Sartoria Ciclistica – 12€ for 500 gr

Cycling beers & Spirits

Yes, coffee is always a good idea, but a nice beer for the post-ride recovery is even better and when it comes to cycling-related beers there is only one brand to consider: the iconic Kwaremont. It might not be the finest beer, but its meaning for a cycling addict overcomes every taste limit. And if you don’t like beers (unacceptable, if you ask!) you can chose a cycling related spirit, such as Amaro del Ciclista.

The iconic Kwaremont beer starting from 3€ on their shop you will find a variety of options and gadgets

Amaro del ciclista, a nice spirit after a challenging post-ride dinner – here starting from 14€

Bike Care Gifts

Multitools and bike care products are always a great option, it might look like they lack of the warmness certain gifts bring, but they are useful and this reason is enough to make them a perfect gift for a cyclist.

Pocket-size multi tools are probably my personal favourite gadget, I have many and always bring one with me, even when not on the bike. This one is from Parktool and it costs 9,9€

To clean my bike I always rely on Muc-Off products, the basic kit (wash + protect) costs less than 15€, but you can also go big with a larger kit for the different needs (around 50€)

Cycling Games & More

As a child I would spend hours playing with trump cards, as an adult I still spend time playing with them, but only if cycling related, the perfect way to pass the time when on the move. Another cute idea is a scratch map, but not a standard one: an alpine pass map to scratch all the cols you conquered.

The iconic cards, but cycling related. I personally have the Legends one, but you can find a variety of editions, starting from 9€.

The ultimate scratch map for cycling lovers, this has all the Alpine Passes and it costs 19,90€

Casual wear for cycling lovers

I love wearing cycling related items and on the market there are so many nice options that is hard to pick just a couple of them. Personally when it comes to casual wear I always rely on Cois Cycling, I love their prints and Flanders collection, but you can truly find whatever comes to your mind on the web.

On Cois Cycling website you can find many options, this is one of my favourite items, dedicated to the Ronde, hoodies cost around 60€, t-shirts are cheaper.

Erstwhile is another casual brand I like, it can be pricey but some options are really cute, such as these socks that cost 20€

Bike home decor

Prints are always a great choice and there is no better way to decorate pain caves than with some nice inspiring images, but it is estimated that every cycling lover has at least 3977 cycling prints, time to upgrade the game.

This start-up called HeRoad offers 3D prints of your favourite climbs and classics and even custom 3D routes, prices start from 50€ for the smaller pieces. The custom solutions start from 89€

Bike hangers are starting to become a thing, with models like this you can hang the bike and store all your cycling stuff in one place. One big plus: not only useful, it even looks cool. Price for this specific model by Stasdock is 109€

Bike Upgrades

I would never risk with gifting a bike component, the choice is too personal and in 90% of the cases you are going to make the wrong choice. Smaller, cheaper bike upgrades can be the solution.

Supacaz has a huge variety of high-quality bar tapes that look ace and stand out, prices start from 25$, models like this cost 50$ but won’t be unnoticed.

Super light carbon bottle cages are the bike upgrade you don’t know you need until you see it and hold it in your hand. This is the model I am using on my bike and price is arounf 50€

Bags, but for cyclists

Bags and wallets are probably one of the most common Christmas gifts ever, along with perfumes and guess what? You can gift bags and wallets to cyclists too, just a little bit different from your standard ones.

Saddle bags are so useful! This one by Scicon is cheap and has a good quality (it is only 11€)

A bike wallet for fancy cyclists, this limited edition by Isadore and Pioneer is perfect for storing cash, cards and documents. It costs 55€.

Bigger budgets? Then you can’t go wrong with good Cycling Tech

If I was in charge of picking the best cycling tech of the year, I would undoubtedly pick the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar, a gamechanger. Used it for 10 months and more than 7,000 km and charged it twice! Yes, it is expensive but totally worth it. You can find it here at 689€

Another great cycling technology is the Garmin Varia, that makes you visible and records what is happening behind you, this model costs 359€.

Unusual cycling wear

Gifting cycling wear is like gifting bike components: no way you can get it right with the different size charts, the different styles and the many options. A good alternative can be represented by less usual cycling wear, such as great vintage cycling caps or cheeky water bottles.

This brand I found on Amazon has a huge variety of vintage cycling caps. The Mapei one is only 15€ and you can’t go wrong with a Mapei gadget.

I found this water bottle at Eurobike and I find it pretty brilliant, it is only 12$ and on their website they offer 2 other versions.

Hope this small guide helped you in sorting out the Christmas gifting or the auto-gifting. About me, if you are in doubt, gift me a month of sun, possibly in Tenerife!

In the last 20,000 kilometres ridden on my bike I tried a consistently large number of cycling kits, I picked and reviewed the ones I preferred and that, for different reasons, I consider worth our money. Different price ranges and items to meet the different needs, hope it might help your black week shopping!

Short Bibs

Le Col – Pro Aero Bib Shorts

The most trustable pair of bib shorts I ever had, also if incredibly pricy. They are perfect for long days on the saddle and adapt to different temperatures.

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Sportful – Neo Bib Shorts

Basic bibs for short rides or indoor training at a very competitive and convenient price. They are like a basic black tee, you always need one in your wardrobe.

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Isadore – Echelon Aero Bib Shorts

Amazing fabric, good comfort and great fitting, the more performance-oriented. Love them especially in warm weather, resist perfectly to high temperatures.

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Winter Tights

Isadore – Signature Winter Tights

The warmest tights ever found, below 0 rides are sorted.

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Le Col – Hors Categorie Bib Tights

Comfortable and incredibly warm, fitting might be a bit tight.

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Castelli – Aero Bib Tight

Great quality and comfort for mid-season rides, not suitable for deep winter if you suffer cold weather like me, the comfort is great.

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Fall / Winter Jerseys

Castelli – Gabba

The most iconic jersey on the market, a must-have worth every cent, perfect for mid-season and moody weather.

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Isadore – Deep Winter Long Sleeve Jersey

Probably the warmest long jersey I ever had, paired with the merino baselayer it feels unstoppable. Tried the combo with 2-3 degrees and didn’t suffer cold at all.

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Le Col – Pro Long Sleeve Jersey

Combines warmness and performance-friendly fitting, a classic I will never get rid of.

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Baselayers and headband

Uyn – Fusyon Merino

Incredibly pricey, but it was one of the best winter cycling investments I made. Fabric is a bit rough but warmeness unbeatable.

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Isadore – Merino Long Sleeve Baselayer

Not only incredibly warm, but also incredibly soft fabric that doesn’t cause any skin irritation also to delicate demanding skins (aka, mine)

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Castelli – Pro Thermal Headband

If I had the chance to purchase just one and only one item for winter cycling, it would be this one. Good Bye freezing ears!

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