The Tour de France is now in full swing: 176 riders set off from Lille on July 5 and after 21 stages and 3,338.8km they will finish in Paris on July 27. It is one of the greatest sporting spectacles on earth and there is a lot of shiny cycling tech on show.
We may never be as good as those cyclists as we set out into the country lanes in the UK, but we can certainly try to look and feel the part. Below are eight upgrades you can make to bring you that little bit closer to the peloton.
SunGod glasses — Ineos Grenadiers
Clarity of vision is perhaps the most important aspect of cycling, especially when it comes to safety. SunGod’s 8KO nylon lenses are some of the clearest on the market and with their fully customisable frames that come with a lifetime warranty these are some of the best cycling glasses on the market. The Vulcans are the classic and if you really want to channel your inner pro you can get the exact ones Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers wears.
£150, sungod.co
The Rudy Project Nytron helmet
Rudy Project Nytron helmet — Bahrain Victorious
It wasn’t so long ago that professionals didn’t wear helmets. Now watching clips of races from the 1990s and earlier seems quaint — and dangerous. Luckily helmets have become not just a necessity but a statement too. One of the best looking and lightest helmets on the market is the Rudy Project. It doesn’t weigh you down and is easy on the neck.
£189.99, rudyproject.co.uk
Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS tyres
Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS tyres — Alpecin-Deceuninck
Don’t sacrifice durability for speed. If Pirelli P-Zeros can tackle the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix and the gravel of Strade Bianche they will give you the performance and strength you need. I ride the 28mm version, which are comfortable on England’s roads and provide great confidence through corners, especially on descents. These premium tyres look nice on the bike too with their classic yellow accents.
£82, pirelli.com
The Wahoo Elemnt ROAM GPS bike computer
Wahoo Elemnt ROAM GPS bike computer — UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Perhaps the slightly smaller Wahoo Bolt is more widely used among the pros but the Roam is the better option for those of who can but dream of averaging 45km/h over 180km. The Roam is bigger, meaning its screen has even more space for maps (so hopefully fewer wrong turns). The combination of buttons and touch-screen is also welcome, especially for the winter months when gloved hands mean unresponsive tapping. Above all, the battery life is incredible — and this is the main reason to choose it over the Bolt. This will support you over those long rides and on multiple days, not just all-out races.
£399.99, uk.wahoofitness.com
The 4iiii Precistion 3+ power meter
4iiii Precision 3+ power meter
Data, data, data. What more data can a cyclist want? Perhaps the key metric of measuring performance output is with a power meter. Every truly committed rider uses one and with the 4iiii meter you can have your existing crank fitted with an accurate measure which relays that info directly to your cycling computer for real-time watt-watching. This is the ultimate training tool on top of your heart-rate monitor. Understanding your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) is essential if you want to ride like a pro.
£399.99, shop-uk.4iiii.com
Amacx nutrition — Visma-Lease a Bike
If you want to fuel like a Tour de France pro, then look at what they’re taking on over a stage. Visma-Lease a Bike, the team of the two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, use Amacx. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us. The gels are tasty without being over-sweet and easy to consume on the go. The opening tab is tethered to the package so it’s almost impossible to drop bits of plastic.
Tour de France Bundle £85, amacx.com
The Sprinter jersey from Ale Cycling
Ale kit — Groupama-FDJ
High-quality kit, as worn by the French team Groupama-FDJ, will make the world of difference on your long Sunday rides. Ale has produced comfortable fitting gear that doesn’t constrict or chafe and feels good all day. Pair a Sprinter jersey with Voltage shorts. The chamois pad will enable you to ride for hours and you’ll look good too.
£150, jersey: alecycling.com; bib-shorts: lecycling.com
Wahoo Trackr Radar
OK, so you won’t see this one at the Tour de France, but it’s a little bit of tech I think all riders should incorporate on their training rides. The Wahoo Trackr Radar is a rear light that senses traffic behind you. It is no replacement for looking around, but when wind is rushing by your ears this device will alert you (through your cycling computer) when a car is 25m behind you, giving you far more time to react and making cars less of a surprise. If a car is moving particularly quickly towards you it will give you a different, more urgent notification. The light flashes when a car approaches, alerting the car, but it also has an accelerometer in it, meaning when you brake the light shines brighter acting as a warning that you are slowing. Finally, the pièce de résistance, it displays on your computer how many cars are behind you and how close they are, all making riding that bit safer.
£180, uk.wahoofitness.com