Welcome to BIKE Magazine October 2025
October is a special month to ride. The air turns crisp, the roads glow gold under autumn leaves, and every ride feels like a reminder of why we fell in love with cycling. This issue is full of stories that capture that feeling, heritage, adventure, and the kind of inspiration you only find on two wheels.
We start with something truly special: Bianchi’s Founder Edition. Just 85 bikes worldwide, each hand-painted in Italy, each a nod to 140 years of cycling history. They’re not just bikes, they’re heirlooms. Proof that while the sport keeps moving forward, its roots matter.
Closer to home, Warwickshire lit up during the Tour of Britain. The stage at Burton Dassett wasn’t just racing, it was community. Families roadside with cowbells, kids glued to ITV, clubs planning their own loops for the weekend. Jake Stewart couldn’t ride on home roads this year, he was busy at the Vuelta, but his story shows exactly how watching heroes can spark dreams. I’ve always believed that’s cycling’s greatest gift: you can see the best in the world on Friday and ride the same roads on Saturday.
Endurance takes many forms, and we’ve got some incredible examples this month. Lyndsey Blair became the first Scot to conquer the Enduroman Arch 2 Arc, finishing with a 181-mile ride into Paris after days of running and swimming. And Victor Asenov, a blind Bulgarian athlete, tackled an Everesting on Mount Etna with courage that puts most of us to shame. Both remind us it’s not just about legs, it’s about resilience, stubbornness, and belief.
And then there’s L’Eroica. Tuscany’s white roads, steel bikes, wool jerseys, pecorino at feed stations, it’s the romance of cycling distilled into one weekend. Riders aged 14 to 80 from 50 countries all rolling out together. No watts, no aero obsession, just the beauty of fatigue and the thrill of conquest.
So as autumn settles in, whether you’re pinning on a number, chasing one more KOM before winter, or spinning to the café with mates, remember, you’re part of a bigger story. The roads we ride today carry history, community, and the possibility of new beginnings.
See you out there,
Nick Branxton
Editor, Bike Magazine
