Cyclingnews Labs: A complete guide to all our industry-leading in-depth tech tests

Cyclingnews Labs is on a mission to provide you with accurate and transparent data-led tests on a wide range of cycling gear, helping you to ride faster and further, while recognising the best innovation and design in the sector.

Gathering empirical data at industry-leading facilities, such as the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub, allows the Cyclingnews tech team to deliver in-depth features on the tech topics that matter most to our readers and help them to cut through the marketing jargon once and for all.

We've already tested the aerodynamic properties of various cycling tech, from helmets and wheels to some of the best superbikes on the market right now. 

Alongside all of those tests, we've also explored both gravel and road tyres on a rolling resistance rig to determine the fastest in each category as well as whether wider tyres are actually faster.

Plus, we delved into the world of bibshorts too, analysing how different brands can impact your comfort on the saddle.

To learn more about all the Cyclingnews Labs testing we've carried out so far, check out our guide below.

If you want to reap the benefits of our lab testing and help yourself to save some watts, ride with more comfort, or perhaps build an ultra-quick setup from scratch, then a Cyclingnews subscription provides you with unlimited access to our growing archive of Labs content, plus you'll be the first to read our latest tests.

That's alongside all the other great benefits that come with joining the Cyclingnews community, such as in-depth racing analysis and columns, expert tech reviews, deep-dive features, and much more. Click here to subscribe.

Wind tunnel tested: Which aero road bike helmets are the fastest?

In May 2024, we took 23 different helmets from 18 brands to the wind tunnel for a back-to-back test to find out which was fastest.

In a bid to create the most complete test possible, we chose the range-topping aero helmet from each brand, including all the helmets that amateur riders and racers might consider buying, and given Cyclingnews' connection to the world of pro racing, we also included each brand represented in the WorldTour.

After over four hours of testing, the Procen Air - complete with visor - was crowned fastest.

Alongside the winners and losers, there were plenty of surprises throughout the remaining helmets. For example, there is very little correlation between how much you spend and how fast your helmet will be.

Read the full in-depth test here.

Wind tunnel tested: 11 superbikes go head to head

After the success of our aero helmet test, the tech team took 11 WorldTour-level road bikes to a wind tunnel to find out which was the most aerodynamic and thus the fastest.

Perhaps the biggest test of its kind in recent times, it comprised bikes with a total value of over £100,000, including the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, the Gen 8 Trek Madone SLR, as well as the new Canyon Aeroad CFR and Pinarello Dogma F.

The test concluded that when a rider is in the mix, the best bikes all fell extremely close together in performance. While the Factor OSTRO VAM, Cervélo S5 and Scott Foil were among the fastest in the bike-only test.

For the in-depth results of all the superbikes we tested, click here.

We pressure-mapped 15 pairs of bib shorts to see how much difference they can make

We put 15 different pairs of bib shorts to the test on two different saddles to learn about how they impact our comfort on the bike. 

A variety of shorts were tested, from a wide range of brands at various price points, to help us understand if price has an impact on comfort, too.

The test involved one of our team sitting on a specialist pad, placed over one of the saddles, and pedalling for a short duration of time until a visual output of the pressure is created. Read more about the test and our findings here.

Lab tested: Which road bike tyres are the fastest?

The team took 24 pairs of performance tyres to the pedalling efficiency lab at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub to find out which road bike tyres are the fastest.

Each tyre from the list was tested at two speeds, and repeated for consistency, with a benchmark chosen to establish a comparison. 

In addition to a suite of general race tyres, including all those raced at the WorldTour, a selection of time trial options, all-season tyres, and some mid-tier sets were chosen too. 

An investigation into the effect of tyre pressure on rolling resistance was undertaken too, with a full sweep from 90psi down to 30psi with a single tyre. Finally, a tubeless setup was compared with a butyl inner tube, a latex one, and a TPU tube to see how much each system costs in terms of added resistance.

The fastest overall tyre on test was the Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed, but for the juicy details regarding how much they beat the rest, and plenty of other eye-opening insight, you’re going to have to dive into the article itself here.

Lab tested: What is the fastest gravel tyre setup?

In February 2025, we ran our first gravel-focused lab test, assessing how gravel tyre setups can impact not just your speed, but also your comfort.

Given that the optimal gravel tyre depends very heavily on the terrain you're running it on, from wet Kansas mud to dry Girona dirt, we set out to answer some key questions that can provide our readers with key insight that they can use to fine-tune their own setup. 

Is wider actually faster? What impact does tread make on rolling resistance? And, what impact does casing have? For all the interesting findings, read the full article here.

Lab tested: 40mm road tyres are faster for nearly everyone, and here's why

Yep, that's quite the statement. But hear us out, we've got valid reasons to believe that wider tyres really can enhance a lot of riders' performance. 

We took a tyre, the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR to be precise, in a range of sizes to the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub and paired it with two differing sets of wheels in a bid to find the optimum road tyre setup.

The headline outcome was that a potential 75 watts can be saved on cobbled roads, even with aerodynamics factored into the equation.

But what setup offers the most savings? And, should everyone just cut to the chase and switch to 40mm tyres now? Read the in-depth results here.

Wind tunnel tested: This aero kit can save you more watts than a $14,500 bike for 3% of the price

Since we visited the wind tunnel almost 12 months ago to test out the many aero helmets that the cycling industry has to offer, our focus has been very much bike-oriented. That's fine, until we remind ourselves that when discussing aerodynamics, 80 per cent of your total frontal area is made up by... well, you, the rider.

With that said, we took a heap load of kit, namely socks, skinsuits, and gilets to the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub's wind tunnel in a bid to understand just how much an aerodynamic advantage this kit can actually offer the performance-focused cyclist.

We pitted several clothing choices against each other, from a basic jersey against an aero jersey, a skinsuit, a time trial suit, and even an Olympics-level suit that costs close to £500. We then carried out a similar experiment with socks, comparing a basic option against a pair of aero socks, some 'extra tall' aero socks, a pair of aero overshoes, and in an apparent bid to get Cyclingnews cancelled, we even tested no socks at all.

But which outfit choices prove to save the most watts? And which products are actually worth shelling out your hard-earned cash on? Read the full feature here. 

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