šÆš“ Stage 107: Fashion goes bikepacking
This week we have a bikepacking trip across Jordan AND a high-street fashion brand doubling down on bikepacking gear. There is also a new ending to the Tour de France and also elite gravel tips for beginners!
Hello,
Welcome to an N+1 Newsletter from the shores of the Aegean Sea. Iām sitting in a hotel room overlooking the sunset here on the Greek Island of Rhodes. Itās beautiful.
Iām here for two weeks to race some UCI Road Races, and there is a small gap between them so we have a load of free time. Today was spent with a ŃŃŃŃ and easy pedal to the cafe, before an afternoon of walking down the beach and an evening of work!
The first race went okay for me. I was feeling absolutely amazing and gave it a crack with 7 km to go. Unfortunately for me, there were still some sprinter trains left and I was brought back before the end. Thereās always next week.
Happy Pedalling,
Joe
Feel free to emailĀ meĀ at joe@nplus1.cc if you have any questions, or feel Iāve missed something that is worth putting in the Newsletter.
N+Read š
Jack Wolfskin X BikePacking
Outdoor adventure-fashion brand Jack Wolfskin are heading deeper into the cycling market with its latest release of bikepacking equipment. There is both male and female apparel as well as on-bike bags.
Are Jack Wolfskin going to help make cycling cool? We hope so!
ā± 4-minute read
A change to the Tour de France?
Thanks to the 2024 Olympics, the final stage of next yearās Tour de France will not be held in Paris. Traditionally a sprinterās stage starts with champagne and finishes in front of the Arc de Triomphe, the final stage in 2024 will look different.
How different? A thirty-five-kilometre mountain time-trial in Nice. Check this out.
ā± 3-minute read
Bikepacking Jordan
Itās not every day that you hear about Jordan. The Jordan Bike Trail is 700 km long and covers around 7,000 m of elevation. This couple decided to bikepack it. With no sporting goal in mind, more there for the adventure. This trip is different.
Iāve heard about a lot of bike trips in my time. This one is unique.
ā± 6-minute read
The LA Tourist Race
Fewer rules, more fun. Thatās the goal of the LA Tourist Race which aims to get people out of the city and into the hills. The race is a scavenger hunt style with four checkpoints. Since you can do the stops in any order, the only real set rule being you must start and finish at the local bike shop.
ā± 5-minute read
The best gravel bikes under Ā£2,000
It can seem hard to find a cheap bike these days. In fact, Ā£2,000 appears to be the number where most bike brands seem to put their āentry-levelā machines. So, what exactly can you find under that Ā£2k mark?
Here is a breakdown of the best gravel bikes of 2023 under Ā£2k. Whatās on your list?
ā± 3-minute read
HRV for what?
Heart Rate Variability, or HRV for short, is a metric that is becoming increasingly popular thanks to āwearableā fitness trackers. It refers to the variability between heartbeats ā because even at a steady heart rate, heartbeats are not uniform or entirely regular. Measured in milliseconds, HRV is the variation in timing between consecutive beats.
It can also help you predict fatigue, sickness and even COVID! Take a look.
ā± 4-minute read
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Lots of bike racing was cancelled due to snow this week. āBack in my day..ā
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N+Listen š§
A little bit of self-promo, why not! I often get messages asking about what my cycling career is all about. Itās as if my couple of paragraphs at the start of each newsletter arenāt quite enough ;)
This year, Iām having a change of direction and will be racing as a āprivateerā. What does that mean? Well, I headed onto the Roadman Podcast to chat about it all.
ā± 39-minute listen
N+Watch š
Are you, like me, a newbie to gravel? If so, this is perhaps the video for you. There are so many new things to learn about crossing over to a new discipline. This video breaks some of them down.