Cyclist
In The Drops: Maap x Quoc gravel shoes, Quella’s geared commuter bike, Courier bike socks, trusty valve extenders and Challenger Classics tyres
I get the feeling there’s some bike racing going on this week.
Our Classics obsession has spread from print to the interweb, with the Cyclist website an absolute hotbed of damp, soggy Classics content ripe for breaking a femur on. Tech editor Sam Challis kicked things off by concocting his dream Paris-Roubaix bike in our newsletter. You can read all about his 40mm 3T weapon right here (and there’s more where that comes from if you sign up). If you’re more keen on things in the realm of the actual, then our Flanders tech gallery is for you. Hardened laptop warhorse Will Strickson has compiled the good, the bad and the downright silly from the Flanders pit lane.
Elsewhere, Ewan and Robyn have been busy looking into their mud-flecked crystal ball to try and see what the weekend from hell holds in store. First things first: how to watch the biggest and baddest race in the one-day calendar. Next up: the defining sectors. Part I, The Arenberg Forest, Part 2, Mons-en-Pévèle, and Part 3, Carrefour de l’Arbre. Not sure if I mentioned it, but Ewan and I did actually ride the pave just a few weeks ago – not that I got more than a passing mention in the write-up!
We also consider who might win the races and whether the Goliath that is Tadej Pogačar will be crowned winner of the men’s race to continue on his absurd path to cycling immortality. And to cap off the Monumental chat, Ewan delved into his unifying imagination to try and imagine what a British set of monuments would look like.
Elsewhere on the site we’ve also got reviews of the colossal Wahoo Element Ace bike computer, my review of the Look 795 Blade RS, and more icy fresh bikes announced for our Track Days.
Don’t feel like you need to read any of it, because this goat-cropped edition of In The Drops takes the perfect ridge line to see you into the weekend.
Quella Commuter Bike
Slipping onto a flat pedal bike with flat bars and a relaxed, easy geometry is like slipping into a pair of comfortable slippers – especially after prising my much-mangled body parts off the latest carbon fibre aero weapon that’s been calling the shots from the basement of Cyclist Towers.
Quella bikes offer a range of electric, single-speed and geared commuter bikes for a range of different riding. I’ve kindly been loaned the geared Cambridge Varsity edition, which benefits from seven-speed internal rear hub gearing and a back pedal braking mechanism. The latter takes a little time to get used to but certainly takes the edge off the lack of disc brakes. And while the 25mm tyres are a little on the skinny side for some of the derelict London tarmac I ride, an upgrade is easy enough.
Equipped with a capable in-house finishing kit, including sturdy branded wheels, a beautiful 44-tooth metal chainring, matching saddle, tyres, and handlebar grippers, the Quella Varsity Cambridge comes in four sizes and weighs between 11-12.3kg. (That’s a helluva lot lighter than a Lime bike by the by.) There’s some adjustability too, with an easy-to-change 60-degree stem angle pivot available, alongside the standard saddle alterations.
Sealing the gears inside the hub keeps them safe from all kinds of road gunk, and should minimise maintenance needs in the long run. It’s a blast for pootling around my local area and getting to and from the office (plus this colour way reads as a tribute to the mighty Coventry City FC which can never be a bad thing.)
- Buy now from Quella (£699)
Courier Socks
No they aren’t socks that only have one gear, wear cardboard in their spokes, hang keys from their waist like a Victorian jailer, and weave in and out of traffic like a lemming heading for a cliff edge, they are in fact performance socks for runners and riders alike.
The HiFi sock is designed for high performance, with an anatomical fit, compressive fabric and a Sun Roof also built in. Hang on. A sun roof? According to Courier this is a lighter weight fabric atop the foot to aid airflow and promote toe splay – something that’s becoming more and more prevalent in the design of road shoes of late. I haven’t mentioned the CourierPod technology either, which is the brand’s proprietary cushioning system, said to create a good balance of cushioning and breathability.
Speaking to Courier’s co-founder, the brand is also conscious of its environmental impact.
‘For the Frequency series we intentionally chose yarns with a high recycled content to reduce the amount of virgin materials used,’ says Matt Sims, Courier’s co-founder. ‘Typically, high recycled content means lower performance in durability or hand feel. These nylon-based fibres balance the highest quality performance while reducing environmental impact.’
The LoFi socks are a bit more relaxed, shooting more for comfort over raw speed or power. They use CourierPocket technology: a knitting technique that uses air pockets to aid heat release without compromising on cushioning.
‘If you turn our sock inside out you can see the magic of our flow pods and flow pockets,’ says Sims. ‘Compared to most other performance socks, the part of the sock that is in direct contact with your skin we have eliminated virtually every “yarn tail” that only causes distraction, excessive heat build up and a weak point in the sock. We needed a yarn that would feel great against the skin, provide a gentle hug but also hold up managing heat, sweat, and abrasion inside the shoe.’
It’s so far so good from me (and my partner who steals them to run in.)
- Buy now from Courier Socks (£24)
Maap x Quoc Gran Tourer XC gravel shoes
Another coconut has fallen out of the trendy tree, and it’s hit the Maap and Quoc branches on the way down. This reworked version of the popular gravel shoe the Gran Tourer XC comes in the ‘Fog’ colourway, which dovetails nicely with the rest of Maap’s gravel and adventure-specific Alt_Road line.
This isn’t just a jazzy new colourway on an old shoe, however. Quoc and Maap have improved ventilation holes, added a webbing pull tab on the heel and a lightweight ribbed TPU tongue said to mould better to the rider’s foot. The shoes are still well padded with a cushioned heel, a gusseted tongue and plenty of ventilation holes to keep the breeze flowing.
Designed as a compromise between comfort and performance, the body of these Gran Tourer XCs is made from an abrasion-resistant microfibre, paired with a toe cap, to make them ready for the rough stuff. For speed, the carbon composite outsole should produce a seriously solid platform for pedal strokes, while Quoc’s own high-profile proprietary dials are easy to grip onto and allow riders to create an efficient and dialled fit on the move.
- Buy now from Quoc (£250)
Valve Extenders
Unfortunately for valve extenders, they’re about as trendy as wearing uniform on non-uniform day, but my gosh if there was a cool prize for digging-out-of-tight-spot ability, then these little metal suckers would be James blooming Dean. I’ve amassed a selection of the different varieties here, and after some testing, they’ve all proven their worth.
Essentially, they allow you to turn a diddy little valve into something far longer and ready to burst through even the deepest, aero rims out there. Most require a removable valve core so the extension can thread onto the body, with the core then re-attached onto the extension.
If you’re wondering when you might need one, here’s a scenario. You’re out on a ride and it turns out your spare has a tear in it. Some kind stranger offers you theirs but it’s a weeny little thing. Enter valve extender stage left.
Pretty rock and roll, right? Pictured are options from Challenge, Stans, Continental and Vittoria. They come in different lengths and slightly differ in appearance, but I’ve found they’ve all done the job nicely.
Challenger Strada Biancha Pro H CL Series Tyres
And, since we’re in Classics season, a quick word on these gorgeous handmade Strada Bianca tyres, also from Challenger that have only just arrived so haven’t yet been mounted. Boasting a 260 TPI, which is a pretty darn high thread count, the Stradas are made for rough roads, packed gravel, and pretty much anything the spring classics can throw at you.
That said, the puncture protection feels modest below the fetching herringbone tread pattern. But the suppleness and malleability of the entire structure really is something. They look fantastic and hopefully, they will add a bit of zing to the dying embers of what has been another excellent month or so of one-day racing.
- Buy now from Upgrade Bikes (£67)
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