OUT NOW! GRAN FONDO issue #021 has landed – Read now
You can download the new issue now in our magazine app – free of charge as always! If you don’t yet have the app, you can find it here in the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or in the Play Store (Android Smartphones & Tablets).
Flying. It’s one of the most deep-seated yearnings of mankind. A longing that seems so unattainable and which we often find the moment we give up looking. To cruise along gravel roads with your best friends and sleep under the stars; fly through Belgian roundabouts on asphalt roads together with your team and club members; grit your teeth while facing the ascent, the headwind or the elements and then feel the descent or the warmth of the sun on the skin. It feels like flying!
The Highlights
- The best all-road bike of 2022 – The 7 hottest models in comparison
- The best gravel bike pedals – 8 models in review
- Inside Pas Normal Studios – We visit the PNS headquarters in Copenhagen
- Racing? No – an adventure! – The Orbit360 Gravity Bike Festival
- Adventure calls! – Sebastian Breuer: from the European XCM championship title to gravel
The free, digital magazine is at the heart of what we do and undoubtedly the best way to experience our content. It comes with lots of interactive features, high-resolution images and videos, and a unique design. We’re sure that if you like our website, you will love the app. By the way, you’ll also find all the back issues of GRAN FONDO in the app – there’s definitely no shortage of reading material!
All the bikes in this issue
BMC Roadmachine X ONE | Cervélo Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2 | Parapera Atmos MASTERPIECE | ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC Red eTap AXS | Sarto Seta Disc | Specialized Aethos Expert | Trek Domane SLR 9
What’s this issue got in store?
We travelled the streets and gravel paths of the Prosecco Hills in Italy while testing the most exciting all-road bikes of the season. What did we find? The equipment you need to fly high, and thus the best all-round all-road bike of the year.
Our buyer’s guide on gravel pedals explains what you need to look for when choosing a pedal and which type of pedal is the best for you. As one of just three contact points with the bike, the pedals are crucial. Good pedals increase your wattage by improving power transfer, give you more control and, above all, grow your confidence. But how do they differ? And which is the best all-rounder? We tested 8 models to find out.
There is road bike kit and then there is Pas Normal Studios. Hardly any other brand has influenced the style of the modern road cycling community in recent years as much as the designers from Copenhagen. We met the people behind the brand, learned what they want to do to be more sustainable and what makes the brand so Scandinavian yet so international.
We met up with ROSE athlete Seb Breuer between the Unbound Gravel and Transcontinental Race to learn why he quit his job as a radiologist, what makes the gravel scene what it is and why sometimes all you need is a change.
For those of you who aren’t looking for a new bike, we put a bunch of new gadgets and some of the hottest products of the season through the wringer in THE LAB. You can expect a detailed review of the Wolftooth 8-Bit System as well as the feature-rich Garmin Edge 1040 Solar.
The theme of this issue is all the highs that we experience when riding our bikes. With that in mind, grab your favourite drink, sit back and enjoy the following pages!
Enough of the spoilers! These stories (and many more) are just a few swipes and taps away. If you’ve already installed our app, you can download and enjoy the latest issue immediately. If not, we strongly recommend installing it from the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or the Play Store (Android Smartphones & Tablets) and downloading issue #021 now. With that done, you can sit back and enjoy the latest stories and reviews (ideally with a well-tempered glass of wine or delicious coffee in hand)!
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Words & Photos: Mike Hunger
About the Author
Mike Hunger
From slopestyle and landscape photography to enduro and action shots. Mike enjoys trying new things and loves action. He also loves craftsmanship, regularly going on road trips with his VW Syncro van, which he restored and converted himself. Of course, his bike and his camera are always with him so that he can ride the finest trails from Italy to the Alps and capture the most beautiful moments. Thanks to his training as an industrial mechanic, his experience in cycling and his photographic skills, he can apply his know-how perfectly as a bike journalist, testing the latest bikes and components and documenting his findings. As a photography nerd, he also captures the reviews with his camera and ensures that the magazine features only the best images.
