It’s been a busy ol’ week in the world of cycling. The Grand Tour season is coming to a close alongside a flurry of big product reveals. I’ll not waste your time then and get straight into the weekly recap.
Robyn’s been holding the fort on the pro side this week. She’s been keeping you in the loop with the happenings at the chaotic Vuelta a España, while casting a thought back on the Tour of Britain, which concluded on Sunday. There, Geraint Thomas called it quits on a twenty-year-long career, so naturally, we went ahead and ranked his best moments.
Our tech writers have been busy too, with highlights including coverage of a slew of product launches from Argon 18, Specialized, Wahoo, Garmin, Castelli and Polartec, as well as updated road shoes and winter caps buyers guides and reviews of SRAM’s Force AXS groupset, the Wilier Filante SL road bike and Oakley’s Velo Kato sunglasses, as well as a first ride aboard Specialized’s Diverge 4.
Let’s get in the drops.
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The Escape by Pippa York and David Walsh
Pippa York should be a familiar name to British cycling fans. During her pro career in the 1980s, riding as Robert Millar, York won Grand Tour stages, polka dot jerseys and finished a runner-up overall twice at the Vuelta a España and once at the Giro d’Italia. A certified expert in the mechanics of the pro peloton, she released a biography alongside renowned Irish cycling journalist David Walsh this summer titled The Escape: The Tour, The Cyclist and Me.
As the title suggests, the book is structured three core themes: Robert Millar, Pippa York and the contemporary Tour de France. As for the former, York reflects on her working-class upbringing in Glasgow, her memories of coming into the sport of cycling in the late 1970s and her pro career riding as Robert Millar. The Pippa York section covers her journey post-career, dealing with life after racing and, of course, her transition. The Tour section delves into her thoughts about modern racing, taken from her time following the race over recent years as a columnist.
The Escape goes into detail on York’s gender dysphoria and transition in great depth, with a lot of nuance and reflection provided from childhood through her racing days and into the present day. It also discusses the changes in the sport, whether for better or worse. The book’s format is quite unique though. Much of it is presented as transcripts from York and Walsh’s travels at the Tour de France between the 2020 and 2023 races. However, don’t let that distract you from an incredibly insightful read from two of the most experienced voices in cycling.
Precision Hydration electrolyte tablets
While we’re currently in the last throws of sunshine, it’s important to keep your electrolyte levels up when the temperature increases. Electrolytes are key to the brain as well as general cardiovascular, gut and muscle functions. However, sweating causes the body to lose sodium – a crucial electrolyte.
To combat this, Precision Fuel & Hydration offers a range of effervescent electrolyte tablets. The tablets, the size of a chocolate button, dissolve in water and are available in three dosages: 500, 1000 and 1500. The PH1500 is best suited for heavier sweaters or those training in hotter conditions, while the PH500 is geared towards lighter sweaters.
The sodium levels per litre are as indicated by the product number (1500mg/L, 1000mg/L, 500mg/L), but each tablet provides the same 250mg of potassium and 48g of calcium. Regardless of the sodium level, all tablets are vegan, gluten-free and low-calorie, coming in at just 16kcal per tablet.
Regardless of the low-calorie perk, the tablets improve your body’s absorption of water during physical exercise, and with the help of Precision Hydration’s formula, the sodium is absorbed faster into your system.
Mountain Warehouse Adrenaline Mens Iso-Viz Waterproof Jacket
Mountain Warehouse is unlikely to be the first high-street retailer that springs to mind when you think of cycling. However, the outdoor giant has released a new cycling jacket as part of its 2025 autumn-winter collection: the Adrenaline.
Designed for commuters braving the wet conditions, the jacket balances breathability and water resistance. It features the brand’s IsoDry blended membrane, achieving a waterproof rating of 3,000mm. The zips are also water repellent, while the sleeves can be adjusted by velcro tape to prevent water ingress. For extra coverage, the jacket has a high-rise collar and a scooped back to keep your rear end as dry as possible on those rainy rides into work.
In the name of breathability, it’s lined with a mesh lining to support breathability and prevent moisture between the jacket and your clothes underneath. There are extra zips around the armpits to help crack in some extra ventilation as well.
On a practicality front, the Adrenaline jacket is armed with a breast pocket and two side pockets on the lower half of the front. On the rear side, there’s a single roomy pocket where the cargo sleeves would usually go. Clearly, the high-vis silver helps with on-bike safety, but if anything is to go wrong, Mountain Warehouse provides a two-year guarantee.
What we’re into this week: Portugal
Reader, I’ll let you in on something: I’m currently on holiday (so count yourselves lucky I didn’t leave you with an out-of-office reply).
I’ve been in Portugal for the past week, soaking up sunshine and avoiding the bike. It’s been nice, so I’ll not bore you with travel anecdotes.
All I’ll leave you with is some music. It’s not quite Portuguese, but I’ve been listening to a lot of bossa nova on this trip, so here’s a playlist to sink your teeth into.
