“Is it April 1st already?”: Cyclists confused if £115 power meter that sits on your chain and “collects grease and dirt” is a “joke”, but some argue “if it works, it works”; Thomas hoping for “exciting and special” UK Grand Départ + more on the live blog

It’d appear that many of our readers are in the same boat as us — confused, bewildered, baffled — at BikeOn’s £115 CycleClick power meter, which seems wacky and bizarre, but claims to provide accurate data comparable to a high-end device.

Our tech editor Mat Brett provided a breakdown of the device yesterday, but to sum things up, this 70g contraption attaches directly to a bike’s chain without tools or modifications. It uses a ball-and-socket mounting system on the front derailleur and measures power output by detecting chain tension and speed as the chain passes over a built-in hump.

Another plus point is that the device syncs with apps like Strava, Zwift, and TrainingPeaks, making it a convenient option for cyclists wanting accurate performance data at a lower price.

But as we asked yesterday, what’s the catch? Obviously there’s questions and doubts about its accuracy (BikeOn claims accurate with an error margin for +/-1 per cent, but independent testing data doesn't exist at present), and also about the added resistance and weight.

However, the biggest questions from the readers came in the form of potential wear-and-tear concerns for the chain, and then of course, the potential grime magnet that it could end up acting as.

> Check out the best power meters for cycling 2025 — maximise your training with on-bike data to track your efforts

That’s only recapping the gentler and kinder criticisms, others were harsher in their outlook, instead questioning the integrity and trustworthiness of the device itself and describing it as a “joke”.

road.cc reader qcscmh said: “I can think of many catches — Increased drive friction, power loss, faster chain wear, power device wear through the chain, how is accuracy compensated for temperature and oil or wax lubrication, extra noise,” before ending his takedown with: “Seems a rubbish idea.”

Terry Hut said: “Imagine riding with your chain cleaner attached. I assume it’s so loud you won't need a bell anymore. People will hear you from miles away.”

mdavidford also brought up an interesting point: “His demo unit looks pretty scuffed up, which makes me wonder if it’s flapping out and contacting the foot as it passes, which would seem to be suboptimal.”

Cyclists on Facebook were also rather less forgiving, Ian Clark saying: “Imagine the amount of sh*te that would get caught up in that for those people who haven't seen a can of degreaser in their lives?”

Brent Wander Borgemeister asked: “Does it calculate the watts it sucks from the drivetrain too?” while John Bremner remarked: “A social experiment to determine how easily a fool with a bike and their money can be parted?”

Alex Jessop wondered: “Surely anyone serious enough to want a power meter won't want that ugly thing sat on their bike,” while Chris Rowan, like several others, was forced to have a quick glance at their calendars to check the date out of disbelief: “I thought this was an April fools joke. Had to check the calendar.” 

A few were willing to give BikeOn and its co-founder Aram Novikov the benefit of the doubt, including road.cc reader james-o, who said: “Could be good for power reference levels on a basic turbo trainer bike set up. Interested.”

> “Really gotta hand it to them”: Bizarro “hands-on” bike seat fetches £30 (plus £77 shipping) on eBay, but one cyclist says “this looks much more comfortable than the dildo I’ve been riding on”

CycleClick is said to be waterproof and dustproof (with an IP67 rating) and is designed to operate in temperatures from -10°C to 60°C, and is rechargeable via USB-C. BikeOn says it will launch a crowdfunding campaign but you can get early access via prelaunch.com where you can leave a small refundable deposit to reserve “the lowest price ever” of $149.

Remind me what year is it? 2014?

Because with two back-to-back British winners at Volta a Catalunya — 24-year-old Ethan Vernon coming home to take a well-deserved victory in a thrilling sprint finish in the second stage — it might as well be...

Speaking to reporters at the finish line, he said: “In the end it wasn’t an easy day. Trek and some other teams made it hard on the climb, so I suffered a bit then. I came back thanks to the good job of Itamar [Einhorn] my teammate who brought me back in good condition, and then Nick [Schultz] and Corbin [Strong] and George Bennett were phenomenal in the last few k. We came with momentum about 2k to go with a full train and we were set up perfectly for the end. 

“It was really chaotic, I think we must have been going 80 kilometres per hour plus at the end there with the tail wind, it was super fast, but in the end, it suited me.

“We still have other objectives with [Matthew] Riccitello and George Bennett the next few days, and then hopefully another chance to sprint on Friday, and Corbyn’s got another chance again on Sunday. So yeah, I think we've got a lot of stages and hopefully a fairly good GC result for a couple of guys.

“I'm starting to like this race. It's bringing some good memories. So hopefully come again next year!”

FOUR UP TO THE LINE 😲

Ethan Vernon just holds off the competition to claim the second stage of Volta Catalunya in a tight bunch sprint! pic.twitter.com/cEFVAgmR49

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 25, 2025

Meanwhile, Matthew Brennan, in the white jersey with green stripes after his inspired win in the first stage yesterday, by beating Kaden Groves has delivered another knockout blow to any doubters out there, if any, that Britain’s new superstar has truly arrived. Actually scratch that, as Ryan said, it’s in fact cycling’s new superstar who’s at the scene.

For context, here’s the results of his five races this month: Winner at Le Tour des 100 Communes, winner at GP Lillers, winner at GP de Denain, winner at Volta a Catalunya stage one, runner-up at Volta a Catalunya stage two.

Let me remind you, he’s 19…

Full results below:

Results powered by FirstCycling.com

Ineos Grenadiers are flying! After a podium with Filippo Ganna at Milan-Sanremo this weekend, the team has tasted its fifth victory of the season, thanks to Caleb Ewan who delivered a win at the first time of asking.

The 30-year-old Australian who joined the struggling British outfit after a year at Jayco-AlUla, had a perfect leadout from Ben Swift, as well as the rest of his team who controlled the pace on the opening stage of Coppi e Bartali, to thank as he sprinted to a rather easy win in his first race for Ineos.

Caleb Ewan takes his first win in the new colors of INEOS Grenadiers! That was easy. #coppiebartali https://t.co/wUFtAOOgxU pic.twitter.com/7BZnIsfhyM

— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) March 25, 2025

Yep, you read that right. 41kmph uphill. Cipressa under 9 minutes. Best Milan-Sanremo in years?

 

 

 

 

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In what British Cycling has described as a “landmark deal”, the UK’s governing body for cycling and the Welsh Government have agreed for Wales to host the road racing championships for the next three years.

Just a few weeks after it was announced that both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes would be coming to Wales in 2027, the news comes as another boost for the Welsh cycling scene, having produced a number of talented young riders in recent years, including the likes of Josh Tarling, Stevie Wiliams, Emma Finucane and Zoe Bäckstedt, and Ella Maclean-Howell, just to name a few. In fact, Welsh riders made up 27 per cent of the Team GB cycling team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ceredigion, the coastal county from where Tarling and Wililams hail, will welcome riders for the first edition of this three-year deal, hosting the time trial, circuit race, and road race on 26 June, 27 June and 29 June, respectively.

Jonathan Day, Managing Director for British Cycling Events: “Wales has been a huge supporter of hosting major cycling events, so reaching this agreement with the Welsh Government is a huge milestone in securing host venues for the coveted National Road Championships for the next three years. The popularity of this event among riders and fans continues to grow, so it is fantastic to be working with partners in Wales where I am sure it will be a huge success.

“We are pleased to be working with all our partners to deliver the 2025 Lloyds National Road Championships in June this year.”

Josh Tarling at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games time trial race (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: “This landmark agreement is further excellent news for Wales, particularly Ceredigion this summer, and testament to our unique offering of world-class cycling terrain.

“With this exciting announcement following confirmation that the Tour de France will come to Wales for the very first time in 2027, it helps cement our position as a premier destination for elite cycling events and offers a chance to see British and Welsh riders who will go on to compete in Le Tour and Tour de France Femmes in 2027.

“I look forward to both riders and spectators being treated to the opportunity to discover the very best of Welsh cycling landscapes.”

Emma Finucane at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Ceredigion County Council said: “We are delighted that Ceredigion will be hosting the Lloyds National Road Cycling Championships this year. It will be an opportunity for us to showcase Ceredigion as a fantastic place for cyclists and for tourism, where you will experience fantastic scenery - our coastline, the countryside and mountains.

“Ceredigion has a proud record when it comes to producing elite cyclists including Josh Tarling, Stevie Williams and Gruff Lewis and we hope that hosting this event will inspire young cyclists who will be able to see their heroes in action.

“Hosting this event will provide significant economic benefits to the County and we look forward to welcoming the Championships to Ceredigion.”

With the 2027 Tour de France set to kick off in Edinburgh before going through England and finishing its UK leg in Cardiff (imagine your live blog host’s excitement), 2018 Tour winner hailing from the Welsh capital Geraint Thomas is looking forward to a “super exciting and special” moment for the British cycling scene.

“It’s super exciting and special to have the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2027 in the UK,” Thomas said in a press release issued through his team Ineos Granadiers on Sunday.

“I was lucky enough to be part of two British Grand Départs already, one in London and one up in Yorkshire. There is a stage in Wales and that’s great too. I hope it will inspire the next generation of kids and for a lot of people to get out and enjoy the Tour.”

> “I’ve been drunk 12 out of the last 14 nights”: Geraint Thomas on winter “blowouts”, normality, and “avoiding the scales” during the off-season

Thomas also talked about his participation in Milan-Sanremo, his first time going through the Ligurian coastline in the longest monument of the season since 2016, saying: “I feel a bit tired after Sanremo. It took me a while to get to sleep last night, with the caffeine and the adrenaline of racing. I’m happy to be here. I’ve done this race a few times now and just hope we have nice weather."

“Knowing this is my last season just makes everything special and easier to do. On Saturday, under the rain in Sanremo, I was thinking it was going to be one of the last times I am going to be cold and wet in the rain during a race.

“I’m just enjoying it because we have a special life as pro athletes and pro cyclists, so I want to enjoy the last few months. Afterwards, things will get a bit more real in the real world.”