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Chapter 2  is a small brand out of New Zealand founded by Michael Pryde that has been pursuing a boutique level of frame  design and finish for a few years now. In addition to the road bikes in the line-up, gravel bikes have also been been part of the family and Michael is talking about his latest gravel bike, the Kaha.

At 37 and with a new WorldTour contract freshly signed with Astana, Mark Cavendish is clear “the goal is to win” as he embarks on what is likely to be his last season. The British sprinter makes his 2023 debut at the Tour of Oman where he will aim for the win as usual and nothing less.

“The goal is to win not just any particular race, just to win,” the man with 161 victories to his name told The Times. The Isle of Man rider has endured a particularly hectic few months. Out of contract at the Quick-Step team, he agreed to join B&B Hotels but then watched in frustration as they folded when sponsorship deals fell through. After weeks of tension and confusion he landed a one-year deal at the Kazakh team Astana, where his former team-mate Alexandre Vinokourov is now manager.

Of all the reasons gravel riding has grown in the last decade, value has long been a leading factor. The utility and dual-sport nature that the progressive frames provide have given rise to the common quip of “just change the tires and you’ve got a road-ready ride,” but few frames are purposely designed to run skinny rubber and even fewer provide an authentic road bike feel. Small builders like Otso and mainstream brands like Cervelo have adopted “flip chips” to modify the geometry of the frame to better suit the desired ride quality. Arkansas-based Allied Cycle Works gave the flip chip a go with the Echo, offering a handmade take on the two-in-one frame design. 

Allied got its start in 2017 under the leadership of some industry veterans who sought to renew American carbon manufacturing efforts at a level that could be competitive with the likes of Trek and Specialized. The Alpha was their first road bike, and the bike’s subtle graphics, semi-internal cable routing and “all-day” ride quality left us with the sense that the forward-thinking team in Rogers, Arkansas, could be at the forefront of an American carbon renaissance. Five years later we got our hands on one of the most intriguing all-road platforms recently launched, the Echo. 

Q: I am using Enve SES 3.4 AR wheels mounted with Vittoria Corsa Control tubeless-ready Graphene 2.0 tires. For some time I did not use an inner tube, just sealant. Nevertheless, every other day I had to inflate them. I decided to add inner tubes with tubeless sealant and I’ve been having fewer problems. My question is, should I still pressurize both tires with no more than 75 psi?

A: The Enve 3.4 AR is a hookless rim, so, correct, you should never go above 75 psi. Without knowing what size tires you’re using, I can’t offer any further suggestions on exact pressure. I would say start with whatever the Enveor SRAM tire-pressure guide says. The internal width on that rim is 25mm, so it adds a lot of volume.

Just because you’re using an inner tube doesn’t mean you want to run more air pressure. Optimized pressure is all about air volume, and adding a tube only slightly reduces it. This means with or without a tube you should be within only a few psi. For example, if you have a 30mm tire, you might run 55–58 psi. Same rim, same tire but with a tube, I would run 57–60 psi. Adding sealant to a tube is fine but doesn’t offer the same protection that it does when tubeless. It can still heal very small punctures, but tubes tend to tear when they are punctured. This will lead to an even bigger mess than you might get from the same puncture if it was tubeless.

The gravel community descended on Bakersfield, California, for the 10th annual Rock Cobbler. Organizer Sam Ames is quick to remind everyone that officially the Rock Cobbler is just a ride, not a race. But, judging by the turnout on the start line, many top riders were eager to test their early season fitness.

Just as names like Gary Fisher and Greg LeMond are “bike names” in America, so too is Marcus Storck in Germany. Marcus is an old bike industry frame who’s family has been involved in cycling for almost 100 years. It was back in the mid-90s that he finally created Storck Bikes.

For 2023 Storck is releasing an updated version of their aero road bike, dubbed the AerFast 4.0. Although the production bike  looks smart enough, we were taken by the custom version with some pink flair that is a personal bike for World Superbike racer Scott Redding who also sponsors the SCRT- Rokit cycling team.

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