All posts tagged: biking

Terrain in Spain: gravel biking in the mountains of Andalucía | Andalucia holidays

Terrain in Spain: gravel biking in the mountains of Andalucía | Andalucia holidays

When you get into a van with an Englishman, five Irishmen and a Scotsman, you know someone is going to end up looking silly. For the next few days, my aim is for it not to be me. The van is taking us from busy Málaga to remote Andalucía for four days of gravel biking, something I have never done and for which I am not sure I am cut out. Most of my cycling experience is limited to a flat five-mile commute through London, or long-distance road touring holidays. I love sailing across smooth asphalt, and have always been slightly snobby about the rough stuff. Why bump along when you can glide? My trepidation levels rise further when it becomes clear my companions are all veteran gravel and mountain bikers who have been training for this tour. They are mostly medical professionals – doctors, dentists and physiotherapists – which will be good news if something goes wrong, but also means they are all fitter than I am. I can see I have bitten off …

Google Maps Now Lets You Chat With Gemini AI While Walking or Biking

Google Maps Now Lets You Chat With Gemini AI While Walking or Biking

Google Maps now lets you talk to Gemini while following walking or cycling directions. The latest update is an extension to the AI chatbot’s existing conversational navigation feature in driving mode that rolled out in November. You can now ask Gemini hands-free questions without leaving the navigation screen. While walking, for example, you can ask things like “Tell me more about this neighborhood” or “Are there cafes with a bathroom along my route?” Cyclists can also check their ETA without taking their hands off the handlebars. The embedded video below gives you an idea of how Gemini already works during driving navigation. Google says the feature addresses the practical problem of typing while moving, which is awkward at best and dangerous at worst. The Gemini integration also supports follow-up questions, so you could, for example, ask for a budget-friendly restaurant with vegan options, then follow up with questions about parking. Beyond discovery queries, users can also issue navigation commands like “Add stop,” “Show alternative routes,” or “Mute guidance.” You can also ask practical questions such …

15 Best Electric Bikes (2026), Tested and Reviewed: Commuting, Mountain Biking

15 Best Electric Bikes (2026), Tested and Reviewed: Commuting, Mountain Biking

Other Ebikes We Like Bike Friday All-Day Photograph: Adrienne So Bike Friday All-Day for $5,600: Bike Friday bills the irresistibly tiny All-Day (7/10, WIRED Review) as the world’s lightest Bosch-powered ebike, and it’s true. You can customize all the colors and components of this folding electric bike, and it has a surprisingly powerful motor for its size. The Brompton above is more widely available and easier to use, but I love this little bike a lot. Radio Flyer Via Pro for $2,900: Editor Julian Chokkattu could not have had a better experience than this easy-to-use and easy-to-assemble class 2 electric cargo bike. For more info, check out our guide to the Best Electric Cargo Bikes. GoTrax Mustang for $1,799: We liked the Mustang, which is a surprisingly punchy little bike for just the right price. However, it only comes in one size so you should try it if you can before you buy it. Aventon Level 3 for $1,899: The Aventon Level 3 is an easy-to-ride ebike that features a clean, step-through design and every …

11 gravel biking routes around L.A. to get you off the roads

11 gravel biking routes around L.A. to get you off the roads

It isn’t always easy riding a bike around L.A. Streets weren’t designed with cyclists’ safety in mind and mountain biking trails can be intimidating for those not used to steep inclines. That’s part of the reason more people are heading to the dirt. They’re embracing gravel riding — sometimes known as grinding — which is something of a cross between road riding and mountain biking that takes place on unpaved roads and trails. “When I first got a mountain bike, I crashed so much on the trails,” recalled Isabel King, who took up gravel riding during the pandemic and is now a gravel racer in L.A. “A gravel bike ride is a great compromise where you can travel at a slower speed but still get a good workout. You are away from cars and can ride many of the roads you’d do on a trail run.” The activity has been around since the invention of bicycles, which date to the early 1800s when hardly any roads were paved, but its popularity has grown significantly in …