The rider’s ride

Lapierre Pulsium 600 FDJ CP, £2,150, hotlines-uk.co.uk

I admit I was slightly perturbed by the French colour scheme on this bike, which is in honour of the Française des Jeux pro cycling team. Then I told myself that the Union Jack is red, white and blue too and my national pride was soothed. But on to more important matters: cyclists come to Tenerife to climb, and this bike – which comes equipped with Shimano Ultegra components – is light and stiff enough to handle the Teide volcano, and its 11-32 cassette means you’ll never have to pedal pentagons to get home. Equally adept on the rougher roads, it is built with Shock Absorption Technology – essentially an elastomer built into the frame – that helps to absorb bumps while retaining the bike’s all-important lateral rigidity. The slightly raised head tube and shorter top tube give a forgiving geometry for long days in the saddle, while the oversized head tube and down tube deliver added stiffness to ensure you don’t lack power when you want to open it up.