OUT NOW! GRAN FONDO Issue #017 – NEW HORIZONS

Imagine reinventing road cycling? If a road bike could be something more than just a tool for keeping fit? For this issue, that’s exactly the perspective we’re taking by questioning the status quo of our beloved drop bars and inviting you to break free. New horizons are calling, can you hear them?

After tidying up the not-so-small topic of 2021’s Best Gravel Bike (covered in our last issue), we set about finding 2021’s best road bike, and of course, it has to go further than the end of the road. With the UCI regulating literally every aspect of bike riding – we’re talking bike design, sock length, and even how you sit on the bike – you probably couldn’t have predicted a more timely approach from us: yes, we’ll be down in a super tuck, kit flapping in the wind, coasting over Tuscany’s Strade Bianche. The aim? Having the best time, not setting a New Best Time.

You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.“ William Faulkner

We’re looking elsewhere for new horizons to shake off the crusty perception of road riding and find something else… you know, that sense of limitless freedom that a road bike gives you, a promising future for road bikes, and the best road bike for everyone who cares just as little about bitterness and deep-rooted mentalities as we do. According to William Faulkner, leaving the old behind is essential to discovering the new.

The Highlights

The best road bike 2021 – 15 models on test
700C vs. 650B – Which wheel size is best for your gravel bike?
Mamma Mia Tuscany! – In pursuit of the bike-wine-work-balance
Design & Innovation Award – The Oscars of the bike industry
Milly de Mori – From mega clubs to mega rides

The latest issue is available now in our free magazine app. If you haven’t installed our app yet, now’s your chance to download it for free in the App Store (iPhone / iPad) or in the Play Store (Android smartphones & tablets).

Our free, digital magazine is the centrepiece of our work and definitely the best way to experience our content, with interactive features as well as beautiful photography and videos all packed into a unique design. If you like our website, we’re sure you’ll love our magazine app. By the way: the app even gives you access to all of our back issues – hours upon hours of first-class content!

All the bikes in this issue

What’s this issue got in store?

Searching for the best road bike of 2021, we let 15 of the most relevant and promising bikes of the season battle it out in a head-to-head comparison – and we found a clear winner on the legendary white roads of the Strade Bianche.

On the topic of style, our friend Phil Gale muses over the emotional rollercoaster that is road riding, opens up his wardrobe and pulls out his secret weapon for when he wants to turn the dial up a notch.

Phil and partner Emmie Collinge have taken the subject of style and ran with it for this issue by interviewing an individual whose life is firmly at the intersection of cycling and fashion. Former top DJ turned CEO and founder, Milly de Mori now runs No Gods No Master, a female-led start-up from her base in Milan. She’s got an ear for not only what the road cycling scene needs, but also how to banish outdated notions of women’s sportswear.

Over in The Lab we’ve had an exclusive selection of products on long-term test, including bike lights and bike bags.

But with too much to choose from, editor Phil Schwab was so indecisive when it came to ordering new wheels that he went all-in for two sets of Acros wheels. The difference? Size: 650B and 700C. He’s now convinced with his verdict and can give us the definitive answer on which wheelsize is best for your gravel bike.

Packed to the rafters, you’ll also find the outcome of the recent Design & Innovation Award – more specifically, what are the incoming trends for the worlds of gravel, urban and technology? Alongside insight into how the industry is developing, there are also travel stories from South Tyrol and Tuscany. In short, everything you need to turn up as the expert on your next group ride – including why tasting and testing, 400 HP and massage seats belong together.

It’s an issue that ushers in a new era of road riding! This is proof that what begins as a dream can become real, that something you’d never have thought possible can turn into a movement, and that cycling goes beyond the idea of a bike as simply a tool. GRAN FONDO looks at cycling from 360 degrees, do the same. Here’s to new horizons!

Excited? These (and many more) stories are just a few clicks away. If you have already installed our free app, you can download the latest issue directly there. If not, first install it from the App Store (iPhone / iPad) or the Play Store (Android smartphones & tablets) and then load the latest issue within the app. Then you can sit back and enjoy the new issue (ideal with a cold beer or delicious coffee)!

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The Highlights

All the bikes in this issue

What’s this issue got in store?

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