The Falcn RS is the newest road offering from Ridley, and it’s ready for much more than smooth tarmac. The Falcn RS was developed for the World Tour as a bike that can take on the Ronde van Vlaanderen to Paris-Roubaix, a Grand Tour stage, and Strade Bianche. How? The bike is aerodynamic, lightweight, and focuses on little details to improve rider experience.

Ridley Falcn RS — What is it?

The all-new Ridley Falcn combines the best of both worlds: an aerodynamic bike that is as light as possible. If you’re a Ridley fan, think of the Falcn RS as a combination of the Noah Fasts’ aerodynamics with the weight of the Helium SLX.

Ridley Falcn RS Frame Details

It’s light — how light? The new Ridley Falcn RS frameset is only 110 grams heavier than its flagship climbing bike, the Helium SLX. Ridley says the frameset of our review medium review bike is only 825 grams. But Ridley put most of the effort into making an aerodynamic and efficient fast bike.

Our Ridley Falcn RS Force review bike weighs in at 16lbs on the dot without pedals or water bottle cages. Our build features DT-Swiss 1400 wheels and Vittoria Corsa Pro tires — 28mm front and 30mm rear.

The new Falcn RS underwent extensive aerodynamic research with the Ridley team using CFD analysis and wind tunnel testing. The result is a front end that is super aero-focused and a main frame that is focused on weight.

The Falcn RS has an aero tube profile, keeping the tube joints as sleek and straightforward as possible. The head tube is deeper to make the Falcn RS more aero. Every cross-section of the frame is aero-optimized with carefully chosen airfoils. The shape of the top tube is even adjusted to enhance the bike’s stability under crosswinds.

The fork is new and includes the Ridley diffuser. Ridley says this diffuser design induces turbulence in the airflow before the down tube. Making it easier for the airflow to go over the down tube and increasing the pressure behind the head tube. Resulting in a bike that has 10% less drag at 50KPH compared to the original Ridley road fork design.

Removable Front and UDH Rear Derailleur Hanger

The Flacn RS can quickly transform into a single front chainring. It’s as easy as removing the chain and then the front derailleur. The removable front derailleur hanger keeps the frame looking clean and the swap simple.

The rear derailleur hanger is UDH and is the same mount as others in the Ridley line, making a bent hanger a simple fix and fewer hangers in the toolbox.

To make the Falcn RS even more efficient, the Ridley uses the F-steerer technology and a fully integrated cockpit. The Falcn RS features a Forza Cirrus Pro Integrated Road cockpit with a short-ish 75mm reach, 130mm drop, and a 5° flare. This bar stem combo is just the right amount of aerodynamics and control.

The Forza Cirrus Pro Integrated Road cockpit has four different stem/width sizes: 90/380, 100/400, 110/400, and 120/420.

Road Racing — Now with Larger Tires

The Falcn RS is a multidiscipline road bike, which means pavement, cobbles, and what have you. The new frame design, clear-up to 34mm tires, and geometry allow category jumping without drawback. In fact, the Falcn RS is designed around 28mm tire use, so there is no need to guess second bringing out the big tires for the big day.

Ridley Falcn RS Geometry

The Ridley Falcn RS is an entirely new design for the company, so it gets a fresh geo. The design combines the two popular Ridley road designs but adds a fresh perspective to make the Falcn its machine. Ridley’s R&D department carefully designed a geometry that provides riders with the perfect balance between speed, stability, and reactivity.

The head tube length of the Falcn RS is slightly shorter than that of the Noah Fast and Helium for a more aggressive riding position. The bottom bracket is also slightly lower than the Noah Fast and Helium because it is adjusted to accommodate bigger-volume tires without raising the center of gravity. This lower bottom bracket gives the rider excellent control, especially on uneven terrain.

Ridley Falcn RS Sizing

The new Falcn comes in a size that should suit everyone; we are talking XXS to XL, but remember that the Ridley sizing can be slightly different than some US companies, so choose mindfully. The Ridley design team took time to ensure that each size offered would maintain the same performance characteristics across the range.

Ridley Falcn Build Options:

Ridley offers electronic shifting drivetrain options only for the Falcn RS, with Shimano Ultegra Di2, Shimano 105 Di2, and Sram Force AXS available as standard options. Additional options, such as Sram Rival AXS, SRAM Red AXS, and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, are available in the Ridley online configurator.

Look back for a full review of the Ridley Falcn RS this fall, and for more information, check out Ridley-Bikes.com

The post All New Ridley Falcn RS Mixes Noah Speed and Helium Weight appeared first on Bikerumor.

The newest Bontrager wheel line has an updated rim shape, new rim depths, and introduces an entirely new OCLV NEXT thermoplastics material. There is much to unpack here, so let’s start with the new material.

What is OCLV NEXT?

Thermoplastics are polymers that can be melted and recast almost indefinitely. This type of carbon construction is becoming increasingly popular in the component world. Bontrager is the latest and largest manufacturer to employ the construction process. It allows for less wasted material, with scraps that are reusable. The material and construction also have a unique quality to absorb vibrations and offer a resonance-free ride, making them an excellent material for rims.

Bontrager didn’t reveal many secrets in creating the OCLV NEXT rims. We know the rim is manufactured with a laser-machined mold. The precise mold produces a final product exactly as it’s made — no need for sanding or finishing. Like most thermoplastic rims, the Bontrager OCLV NEXT rims have a matte finish and a subdued branding.

This finish is part of the laser machine molding process, eliminates the need for decals, and saves weight. This thermoplastic manufacturing process also helps reduce up to 95% of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) and carbon dust emissions associated with traditional carbon rim finishing, e.g., sanding.

New Aeolus Rim Shape

This new version of the Bontrager Aeolus wheel boasts a new beefed-up rim profile. The rim itself is wider, at a 32mm outer width and a 25mm internal width.

The bead is 3.5mm and hooked but with a flat top, presumably for impact protection. The wheels come taped with Bontrager TRL tape but also ship with Bontrager tubeless rim strips.

Regarding aerodynamics, the new Aeolus shape seems to be trending in the right direction, besting its predecessor.

Thermoplastic composite rims are touted for their unique ability to dissipate some road vibrations. The team at Bontrager tested this against its Aeolus 37V in a traditional thermoset construction. The thermoplastic construction boasted a 5% decrease in vibration over cobbles, with nearly no change on gravel or tarmac.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V Wheels

The Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V wheels are a practical size that will fit most all riding and gravel. The rim is a 37mm deep OCLV NEXT hoop paired with Bontrager Rapid Drive 108 road hubs. The combo should be a great option for those looking for a wheelset to climb and roll the flats without drawbacks.

The Aeolus Pro 37V/49V internal rim width is 25mm and pairs well with higher-volume road and gravel tires. The matte rim finish should match any bike, and the subtle branding is classy.

We didn’t have a wheelset in the house, but Bontrager posts a weight of 1450g for the Aeolus Pro 37V wheels, about 105g lighter than the previous version.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V Wheels Details:

• Rims: OCLV NEXT Rim 37mm depth and 25mm inner width, Tubeless Ready (TLR)
• Hubset: Rapid Drive 108 road hubs provide quick engagement for faster acceleration and increased control 12mm thru-axle Centerlock disc
• Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite14, 17 spokes, and Prolock alloy nipples
• Freehub body: Compatible with Shimano 10/11/12 speed, SRAM 10/11 freehubs, 12sp XDR
• No rider weight limit
• Weight: 1450* w/o Bontrager rim strips
• Price: $1800.00/set

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 49V Wheels

The Bontrager Aeolus Pro 49V wheels are nearly the same as the 37V but with a deeper rim that boasts some aero gains. Bontrager says the new Aeolus Pro 49V is faster than the deeper Aeolus RSL 51 wheel with the same 28mm tires.

As for construction, the Bontrager Aeolus Pro 49V Wheels get the same Bontrager Rapid Drive 108 road hubs and DT-Swiss Aerolite spoke treatment.

Our demo Bontrager Aeolus Pro 49V Wheels set came in at 1579g for the pair, including valves, but not including the Bontrager rim strips, which will add an extra 60g to each wheel.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 49V Wheels Details:

• Rims: OCLV NEXT Rim 49mm depth and 25mm inner width, Tubeless Ready (TLR)
• Hubset: Rapid Drive 108 road hubs provide quick engagement for faster acceleration and increased control 12mm thru-axle Centerlock disc
• Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite14, 17 spokes, and Prolock alloy nipples
• Freehub body: Compatible with Shimano 10/11/12 speed, SRAM 10/11 freehubs, 12sp XDR
• No rider weight limit
• Weight: 1555g* claimed
• Price: $1800.00/set

Is the Bontrager Carbon Care the Same for OCLV NEXT?

Like all Bontrager carbon wheels, the new Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V and 49V are warrantied for life for the original purchaser and come with the added protection of Carbon Care. If you structurally damage your wheels while riding in the first two years of ownership, Trek will replace them.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V and 49V Availability

The new Aeolus Pro 37V and 49V crafted with OCLV NEXT thermoplastics should be available at your local Trek Dealer or at TrekBikes.com.

Look for a full review coming shortly.

The post New OCLV NEXT Thermoplastics Material Debuts on Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V & 49V Wheels appeared first on Bikerumor.

Jan Frodeno has raced triathlon on Canyon tri bikes for years, playing a big role in the development of the slippery aero Speedmax CFR, in addition to winning 3 Ironman World Championships on previous Speedmaxes. Now, on the cusp of Frodeno’s final Triathlon World Championship in Nice, France before retiring, Canyon created an ultra-limited edition signature Speedmax CFR Moonshot triathlon bike to celebrate an athlete they are calling – “The King of Kona. The GOAT.“

Canyon Speedmax CFR Moonshot LTD triathlon bike

Canyon has worked with Jan Frodeno on Speedmaxes since 2015. So, now as the 42-year-old triathlete is set to retire, Canyon wanted to send him off with something special. Thus, a bike he had a hand in developing, custom-painted with inspirational artwork for his last swim, bike, run for the Ironman World Championship title this coming weekend.

The bike itself is the same lightweight & fast Speedmax CFR that Canyon debuted a few years back, developed with the aero experts at Swiss Side.

As aerodynamic triathlon bikes come, the Speedmax CFR is one of the more aggressive. It features super deep tube shapes and neatly integrated internal storage of hydration & tools. Plus, there’s a highly adjustable modular aero bar with a narrow mono-stay riser and telescoping extensions.

This pro-specific limited edition race bike though, features an even-faster ‘Pro Monogrip’ that Canyon developed with Frodeno for superior aerodynamics. It also gets the Pro Armrest Upgrade Kit by Ergon with larger more supportive pads for improved comfort for racing longer in your aero tuck.

Limited edition, signature design

I want a rocket on my bike!

– Jan Frodeno

Apparently when Frodeno has to dig deep to push on in competition, he “visualizes a rocket taking off” to self-motivate. So Canyon’s designers decorated his signature Moonshot bike with images of the Saturn 5 rocket that powered the first astronauts into space that would set foot on the moon. The bike also gets 4 motivation quotes from Frodeno himself. Printed all across the frame, one for each of his Kona wins, plus for his Beijing Olympic Gold medal.

Canyon Speedmax CFR Moonshot – Pricing, Spec & Availability

Canyon is offering the limited edition Speedmax CFR Moonshot tri bike for sale now for 13,000€. For that, you get a SRAM Red AXS 1x drivetrain, a Quarq powermeter, and Zipp 858 NSW aero wheels. They haven’t said exactly how many bikes will be available. But it come out with 4 of the full 5 size range (S-XL only). But it seems there may be as few as 50 bikes painted in this special Moonshot scheme.

Curiously, only XL Moonshot bikes are available today – for delivery at the end of October. Likely, that’s Frodeno’s size, with the other sizes coming at the end of 2023 or into 2024.

Canyon.com

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How do you get the most premium, high-performance mountain bike powermeter possible? SRM USA suggests it’s their latest PM9 direct mount spider power meter paired with a titanium Cane Creek eeWings MTB crankset. Light, stiff, and benchmark accuracy. What more could you want? Hopefully, your budget is pretty big, though…

Add a SRM powermeter to Cane Creek eeWings MTB cranks

SRM sent us an email announcing a new “Cane Creek and SRM partnership” to pair the lightest and stiffest titanium crankset on the market, with the most trusted & most accurate power meter out there. Sure, you could mount a Power2Max spider to your eeWings, too.

But is anyone buying a titanium crankset and a power meter spider really looking to save just a few bucks? You might as well splurge and get the 9th-generation SRAM PM9 powermeter, which is pretty much considered the industry benchmark, right?

How much will it cost you?

Buyers in the US can pick up a complete setup from SRM for just $2100, or $2175 with a chainring included, and a delivery lead-time of 4-5 weeks.

Wow, only twenty-one hundred dollars you say?

If you had to buy them separately, that would be $1100 direct from Cane Creek for just the 400g eeWings ti MTB crankarms & axle, plus another $1300 for the compatible SRAM 3-bolt direct mount PM9 spider on its own. Or $2400 without a chainring or bottom bracket. That’s what buyers outside of the US will have to do anyway.

SRM.de

Want more Cane Creek bling for your classic road bike, too?

Hunt some Ltd Cane Creek eeBrakes in Monarch red, white & blue

OK, so these sold out in minutes when they debuted at the end of August. But Cane Creek says you may still be able to find a set if your local bike shop snapped them up. Cane Creek standard mount road eeBrakes are always sought after for classic rim brake builds. And the limited editions are always a rare treat. These patriotic beauties would have set you back $780 for the pair.

Maybe, you’ll still find a pair if you dig deep enough? But maybe it’ll cost you even more. Still cheaper than an SRM powermeter, though.

CaneCreek.com

The post Cane Creek + SRM, an Ultralight & Stiff Titanium Crankset with a PowerMeter appeared first on Bikerumor.

BMC’s all-new Speedmachine time-trial and triathlon bike has been an open secret since the Swiss bike maker unveiled their development partnership with Red Bull’s F1 racing team last year. Five years of R&D culminate in what BMC are calling “the fastest time-trial and triathlon bike in the world”.

BMC X Red Bull Speedmachine time-trial & triathlon bike

Now that “World’s Fastest Race Bike” Red Bull prototype Speedmachine we spied last year is ready for the big time!

BMC worked with Red Bull Advanced Technologies to combine their 30 years of expertise in bike building with the aerodynamics & wind tunnel experts that create Red Bull racing’s F1 cars. Their air flow experience, specifically helped drive the reshaping of the front end with its wide-set fork legs and the unique Shark Fin under the fork crown to divert & control airflow off the spinning front wheel.

So, what’s actually new?

Lighter weight

Much lighter weight is a big one. BMC says it comes down to design simplification, integration, and classic optimized carbon construction. The result then, this new Speedmachine is a full 500g lighter than the old Timemachine 01 Disc.

More Integration

That integration is also no huge surprise. Getting cables out of the way is a minimum requirement for any modern bike. And for racing against the clock, a more integrated fork-to-frame and a fully integrated cockpit that retains fit & position adjustability is also key. The new bike gets flat or low base bars, plus a wider fit range via adjustable extensions and stack solutions.

For triathlon, add on integrated storage solutions that can also improve aerodynamics by smoothing airflow, and you get free speed. Make those storage solutions removable, and then the bike can double as a UCI-legal TT bike, too.

The core of storage integration is a big integrated hydration box that sits low, just above the bottom bracket, where a couple of standard water bottles would be. A semi-internal, semi-external hydration hose routes water up to the rider in an aero tuck, but is still easy to keep clean. The big reservoir holds 1.2L of water, plus a smaller UCI-legal 400ml bottle/water tank that can be kept in place for time trials.

Triathletes also get an extra aero storage box behind the seattube, with an integrated taillight. But it snaps off for TT racing, too.

Upgraded Packability

At first, it might seem strange that a premium race bike needs to be packable. But triathlons are one of the few styles of racing that mean most triathletes are going to have to pack up their bike and fly somewhere to compete. How many of the 2000 triathletes that race Ironman Worlds live in Kona, after all?

And all this modern integration and hydraulic disc brakes mean you can’t just pop the stem off and stuff it in a box to fly with your bike. Now you need a carefully thought-out cockpit solution like on this new BMC Speedmachine. You can remove the bar+stem combo without the fork falling out of the frame, and with enough cabling flexibility to fit it in a bike bag. Plus, no need to mess with your perfectly dialed-in aerobars positioning.

Radical New Geometry, too!

BMC stresses “supremely confident handling” for the new Red Bull developed Speedmachine. Again adding on the rider-centric fit, the improved stability of the new Speedmachine platform was refined to increase rider confidence, allowing them to hold their best aero tuck longer, race with deeper aero wheels, and earn more speed as a reward.

To get that, BMC gave the all-new Speedmachine some “radical head tube angle, rake, and trail dimensions”. So radical in fact, they don’t advertise what they are! Guessing from the studio shots, it could be a headtube as steep as 75.5° and fork rake around 50mm to get around 35mm of stable Trail.

(Note: All three of these figures are our approximations since BMC is not sharing them publicly.)

2024 BMC Speedmachine – Pricing, options & availability

The “World’s Fastest TT & Tri Bike” isn’t going to come cheap. However, BMC does have a few options available to speed up your races against the clock.

The new BMC Speedmachine 01 is available as a $7000 / 7000€ frameset module. That then includes the frame, fork, headset, cockpit, seatpost, and integrated storage. You just have to come up with a drivetrain, saddle & wheels.

Or get the complete bike for $11,000€ for the BMC Speedmachine 01 TWO with a SRAM Force eTap AXS 2x drivetrain and mid-tier DT Swiss ARC carbon wheels thrown in. (Prices are the same in US dollars, Euros, or Swiss francs.)

Is that not fancy enough? You could also pick the $17,000€ BMC Speedmachine 01 LTD with Red 2x & Zipp 858 NSW wheels.

Or somehow there’s an even more expensive option. For $23,000€, only 50 buyers can get the top all-black BMC Speedmachine 00 LTD. That includes the same 01 LTD bike & build, but adds on an ultra-premium experience.

You also get a BMC Aero Motion device built-in. Made by Vorn, that gives you real-time aerodynamics data as you ride to optimize your position. Additionally, you get “Elite Access” to BMC pro training camps, early bike launches, and a custom travel case made for your bike.

All bikes are officially available from this coming November 2023.

BMC-Switzerland.com

The post BMC & Red Bull F1 Make New Speedmachine, the World’s Fastest TT & Tri Bike appeared first on Bikerumor.

One year ago I was writing about 105 going electronic with more affordable Di2, but maybe more importantly now you can get the latest in Shimano road bike gearing with a new 105 mechanical groupset upgrade to 12-speed!

What more do you need to know than that Shimano has not forsaken mechanical shifting! New 105 mechanical 12-speed is almost as light as 105 Di2, it’s lots cheaper, and battery-free.

Hurrah!

Shimano 105 R7100 mechanical 12-speed road bike groupset

First, there were quiet rumblings that Shimano may ditch mechanical shifting for any of their performance suite of road bike groups. That is to 105, Ultegra & Dura-Ace – the three that tend to get the top level of gearing. Then, 105 finally getting its own Di2 12sp upgrade with NO mechanical option last summer certainly didn’t silence those fears. I mean, who doesn’t love wireless electronic shifting, right? (Hint: anyone on a budget, or who doesn’t like having to charge their bike to ride!)

But more rumors started to float around that a new 105 mechanical group was on the way. A recent slip-up in entry-level carbon Bianchi road bikes all but assured us that the new group was about to drop.

And now it’s finally here. Luddites, rejoice!

So what do you need to know?

New Shimano 105 mechanical offers all the same 12-speed gear ratios – and trusted brakes – of 105 Di2. So, you don’t have to remember to charge your derailleur OR replace the batteries in your shifters. (Oops, I just had an Ultegra Di2 shifter battery die mid-ride, losing rear shifts, then realized it’s not so easy to replace the less common CR1632 battery.) And it costs a lot less.

How much cash will you save?

In essence, a complete Shimano 105 mechanical group will set you back $1223 according to our accounting.

You save more than 1/3 the cost of 105 Di2. It’s less than half as expensive as Ultegra Di2. On the whole, you could buy 3 1/2 105 mechanical groupsets for the cost of 1 Dura-Ace Di2 setup.

Interestingly, while 105 mechanical is the most affordable 12-speed Shimano group, SRAM’s latest Apex 12sp offering seems to have it beat on both weight AND cost whether you go for mechanical XPLR (2872g at $987) or wireless electronic AXS XPLR (2890g at $1195) options, according to claims (assuming those figures from SRAM include rotors & a BB).

What’s new?

You get all-new but familiar-looking 12-speed mechanical front & rear derailleurs, and subtly updated new 12-speed 105 mechanical shifters with the same trusted brake hydraulics inside.

FD-R7100 2x Front Derailleur

• Brazed-on or Band-clamp
• Fast, precise front shifting for 50-52-tooth big rings
• Weight: from 96g
• MSRP: $44.99 / €49.99

RD-R7100 12-speed Rear Derailleur

• Super low profile Shadow RD shape, with single tension construction
• Direct mount attachment
• Single GS medium-length cage for 11-34T or 11-36T cassettes
• Weight: 249g
• MSRP: $64.99

ST-R7120 12-speed Mechanical Shift / Hydraulic Disc Brake Set (levers & calipers)

• 12sp Dual control levers
• New blade shape gives a shorter lever access curve
• Refined ergonomics and shaping create a new lever position
• Weight: 612g/pair (levers only)
• MSRP: $354.99 / €319.99

In summary… what it doesn’t have is an internal battery, electronic wiring, or replaceable batteries in the shifters.

What’s the same?

The beauty of the new Shimano 105 mechanical 12-speed group is in reality… a lot of this isn’t totally new.

The R7100 mechanical groupset includes the same compact crankset, bottom brackets, 12-speed 105 chain & 11-34T cassettes we saw introduced last summer with 105 Di2. It also shares the same flat mount disc brake calipers with 10% extra pad retraction, same brake hoses & rotors, too.

Shimano 105 mechanical 12-speed – Pricing, Options & Availability

In general, much like we usually see with any new Shimano groupset – pricing varies, options are aplenty, and availability depends. Shimano’s PR didn’t actually include a valid groupset price, and was missing some bits. But, by our calculation, buying a complete new 105 mechanical groupset will cost you $1223 piecemeal.

Your options are essentially the same as 105 Di2 2×12. Pick from 50-34 or 52-36 chainsets, 160/165/170/172.5/175mm long crank arms, and 11-34 or 11-36T cassettes.

As to availability, we’re only really looking at new derailleurs and shifters, so the outlook is good. But in any case, you’re most likely to get ahold of a new Shimano 105 mechanical 12-speed group as OEM if you buy a new bike. There will be many available starting today. For example, this £2199 Ribble Endurance SL Disc carbon road bike, one of five bikes available today from the UK brand.

Bike.Shimano.com

The post Shimano 105 Mechanical Goes 12-Speed, Batteries Not Required appeared first on Bikerumor.

With the addition of this new carbon stem, CADEX now has a complete cockpit offering in its Race series component line. The new stem uses a hook & 2-bolt removable faceplate design and a hidden top cap for an integrated look while maintaining component adjustability. This new stem bears the “Race” naming, but don’t toss it aside for road-use-only — it’s rated for gravel and all drop bar disciplines.

What is it? — CADEX Race Stem

CADEX’s new stem offering rounds out its component line-up – in addition to their various ultralight handlebars – and gives riders another slippery option against one-piece bar & stem integrated cockpits. It’s no secret that CADEX wanted to solidify an entire cockpit. And the new Race stem matches their palette and ethos: matte carbon, stiff, and lightweight.

Carbon Stem Construction

The CADEX Race stem is fully carbon, crafted from T800 and T1100 carbon strands balancing stiffness and weight. The gently curved shape is similar to a few others on the market, offering a slippery front end while keeping bar angle adjustability.

It comes in eight different lengths, starting from 70mm and growing in 10mm increments, ending at a World Tour-ready 140mm length. The stem has a -10-degree angle and is compatible with both 1-¼ and 1-⅛ steerer tubes.

The two pairs of stem & steerer clamp bolts are all titanium, and help keep the CADEX Race stem respectable at 120g (100mm, claimed). The carbon top cap nestles inside the stem, creating a clean-looking combo once you’ve dialed in your fit… not necessarily with a big stack of spacers like this bike, here.

Race Stem — Tech Specs

• Lengths: 70/80/90/100/110/120/130/140mm
• Weights: 114/116/118/120/124/128/132/136g, claimed respectively
• Rise: -10°
• Steerer Tube: 1 1/4″ or 1 1/8″ (with included carbon adapter)
• Stack: 41mm
• Material: T800 and T1100 carbon laminate
• Price: $300

The CADEX Race stem is available at retailers and online in select markets worldwide now.

CADEX.com

The post CADEX Race Stem Rounds Out Your Cockpit appeared first on Bikerumor.

8bar rolls out some subtle but beneficial upgrades to the most affordable iteration of their popular mixed-surface road-into-gravel adventure bike – the 3-in-1 all-road & gravel Mitte Steel v3. Available in an aluminum, titanium, or steel frame, this adaptable bike can be built up for almost anything you can imagine, without breaking the bank. Pick from road to all-road to gravel to bikepacking adventuring, even to a versatile urban commuter bike. And owing to 8bar’s online customizer, you can tailor your individual build for any combination in between…

8bar Mitte Steel v3 all-road, gravel, or even a commuter bike

The Mitte is 8bar’s most versatile bike. With its adaptable geometry thanks to adjustable dropouts and 6 forks to choose from (one with uniquely creative flip chips), the Mitte Steel v3 can be almost anything you could want. Build it as a classic road bike with all-road tire clearance. Or go for a dedicated gravel bike setup. Build it as a 2-in-1 all-road and gravel bike that you can easily swap back and forth with two wheelsets. Or configure a flat bar urban commuter for riding to work, and sneaking in some gravel roads on the ride home.

The do-it-all convertible Mitte has been around for more than 7 years in aluminum. And got its own v3 alloy & v1 titanium updates in recent years. Yet, the most affordable double-butted chromoly steel version hadn’t been updated for more than three years.

So, what’s been updated?

What’s new in Steel v3?

Compared to v2, 8bar updated the new Mitte Steel v3 with some curious new track end style horizontal dropouts for 12mm thru-axles. With built-in tensioners/adjusters, these new dropouts allow for chainstay length adjustability in either road or gravel modes. Plus, they mean singlespeed compatibility, as well. The new 8bar dropouts also retain full rack & fender mounts, and now update to flat mount disc brakes.

The updated steel frame also now includes a built-in seatpost clamp. And it adds an additional set of bottle bosses under the downtube.

8bar also tweaked geometry a bit in the 4 frame sizes on offer (S-XL), retaining max 45mm tire clearance. Headtube, seattube angles, BB drop & standover are unchanged. Yet, while frame Stack is effectively the same, frame Reach and subsequently overall wheelbases increase by 4mm to 2cm depending on size.

8bar Mitte Steel v3 – Pricing, options & availability

The updated 8bar Mitte Steel v3 keeps pricing reasonable, with frames available now from 661€ in standard silver or black. Sparkling purple glitter paint adds about 50€ extra. Or fully custom single colors add 200-300€ extra for a more unique look. Including a fork adds anywhere from 200-450€ in steel, aluminum & carbon for road, gravel, bikepacking, or 2-in-1 adjustable forks on offer.

Complete bike builds start around 2100€ with mechanical GRX. Effectively the same whether you want a 2x drop-bar gravel build or 1x flat-bar urban commuter build. After that, the sky is the limit if you want to swap in fancy electronic, lightweight carbon bits, or to fully outfit a bike with lights, fenders & racks.

De rigueur for 8bar via their online customizer… build possibilities are almost limitless.

8bar-bikes.com

The post 8bar Mitte Steel v3 Updates Affordable Do-It-All All-Road to Gravel Bike appeared first on Bikerumor.

Up to this point, cycling fans were already beginning to wonder if this year’s Vuelta a España was cursed. Seemingly everything that could go wrong has, from the terrible weather, TTT finishing in the dark, race referees having to resort to using a fan’s video to figure out which racer actually crossed the line first, buses crashing into trees, and then there was Evenepoel crashing into people immediately after crossing the finish line and cutting his forehead open.

It can’t get much worse, right?

Well, thanks to the Spanish National Police, it didn’t get a lot worse yesterday.

The video posted to Twitter by Policía Nacional shows the remains of an oily trap Wile E. Coyote would have been proud of. According to the police, there were two barrels holding approximately 400 liters of oil (~200 liters each) that were rigged up to a hose system aimed at the road from an overpass. The plan was apparently to spray the road and the incoming peloton as they passed through the area.

But also like Mr. Coyote, the criminal’s plans failed to produce the desired effect as police were able to break up the operation before a drop was spilled. For more details, check out the press release on ‘Operation Splendor’ below.

Maybe now the race can finish without incident?

Press Release

The National Police arrests four people accused of trying to sabotage La Vuelta as it passes through the province of Lleida

Those arrested were surprised when they tried to activate a mechanism with which they intended to spill about 400 liters of liquid, similar to motor oil, on the road to the passage of the cyclist platoon during the stage on Monday, August 28, between the towns of Suria (Barcelona) and Arinsal (Andorra)

08/29/23

National Police agents arrested four people on Saturday who were surprised when, allegedly, they intended to sabotage the Vuelta Ciclista a España 2023 as it passed through the Ilerdense region of Solsonès

Specifically, the agents surprised the detainees in a wooded area of the Ilerdense region of Solsonès at the moment when they were preparing to activate an ingenuity with which hundreds of liters of liquid would be spilled at the passage of the peloton of the Vuelta Ciclista a España 2023 in its stage this Monday, August 28, between the towns of Suria (Barcelona) and Arinsal (Andorra).

The artifice consisted of two drums, with a capacity of 200 liters each, as well as an activation device with an electrovalves and a timer. The mechanism was hidden among the vegetation, including the hose that was going to pour the liquid and that extended to the aforementioned road, making it difficult to detect. The localized liquid, similar to motor oil, is pending analysis by Scientific Police specialists to determine its final composition.

The investigation has been carried out by agents of the General Information Commissariat and the Provincial Information Brigade of Barcelona, under the direction of the Court of First Instance and Instruction of Solsona (Lleida). Specialists from the General Commissariat of Scientific Police and the Superior Police Headquarters of Catalonia have also participated in the final operation.

The agents have found that those arrested adopted numerous security measures to prevent their detection and surveillance. At the time of their arrest, no one was carrying a mobile phone and they had used secondary paths – of complex passability – to reach the point where they had installed the mechanism.

The detainees were placed this Monday at the disposal of the head of the Court of First Instance and Instruction of Solsona (Lleida). The proceedings have been declared secret and those arrested are charged with the crimes of belonging to a criminal group, public disorder, against road safety and against the environment.

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Maybe not surprisingly, it’s taken upstart carbon bikebuilder Bridge Bike Works a bit longer than planned to hit their stride with full-scale bike production in-house in Canada. But in the almost year since we toured their Toronto factory last fall, they’ve continued to refine manufacturing processes. Now, Bridge has officially launched production of the refined Surveyor all-road bike and are offering its All-Road Integrated fork separately, too…

Bridge Bike Works hits production with threaded carbon BB

Up to now, Bridge has been only building and selling a limited number of pre-ordered Surveyor all-road bikes as they dialed in production. But now with production officially launched, Bridge are now delivering the most common 55cm, 57cm & 59cm framesets out to shops & customers who’ve been waiting patiently. And the remaining 51cm & 53cm frames will head out of their workshop in 4-6 weeks’ time.

What’s new?

Since we last caught up with them in person, Bridge have developed molding carbon threads into the Surveyors’ T47 bottom brackets. Word is that all bikes they’ve shipped to customers include Bridge’s “industry-first carbon threaded BB” tech. Bridge developed the carbon threads and tested them to 3-5x the standard 30-50Nm or torque a threaded BB usually sees. And they’ve been testing them out on gravel & tarmac with no failures & zero creaks.

Want the rest of the tech details on this made-in-Canada all-road & fast gravel bike, check our latest Surveyor tech coverage.

Bridge also updated their deposit structure. Given that, now $1000 CAD up front (~$735 USD) reserves a production slot in the build queue – currently slated for Spring 2024 delivery. Surveyor framesets currently sell for $5500 CAD (~$4050 USD), with complete all-road or gravel builds possible with Shimano or SRAM groupsets.

Bridge All-Road Integrated Forks, too

Unique in manufacturing their own forks in-house too, from early on Bridge promised to make them available separately, as well. Now, taking orders for delivery in early 2024, both end consumers and other OE framebuilders can buy the Canadian carbon all-road fork.

The Toronto-made carbon All-Road Integrated Fork is designed to work with “all modern integrated cable setups”. The fork features a 382.5mm axle-to-crown height, and comes in 45.9mm or 53.1mm offsets. The round tapered steerer carbon fork is flat mount for 140 or 160mm rotors. It features a 12x100mm Robert thru-axle with replaceable threads, and includes an expansion plug. Tire clearance is 700c x 42mm, or 650b x 48mm.

The Bridge All-Road Integrated Fork retails for $899 CAD (~$665 USD) to consumers. At this time, get it in matte or gloss Cerakote black, with manufacturer pricing also available on request. Custom paint to match your bike is available individually.

BridgeBikeWorks.com

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Mosaic’s booth at the MADE handmade bike show over the weekend had a number of new bikes to ogle. Included in the lineup was this updated MT-1 made-to-order titanium hardtail. Beyond their revamped mountain bike, the GT-1 45 gravel bike got a UDH upgrade, and the newly integrated RT-1 ITR showcased a new colorful Artist Series paint job option. Additionally, all bikes can now Colorshift, too…

Mosaic MT-1 updates custom titanium XC hardtail MTB

Just under a year ago, Mosaic updated their more affordable batch-built MT-2 ti hardtail with modern geo and bigger tires. Now, they are back with a similar update to their lighter, made-or-order flagship MT-1 titanium XC hardtail. Also designed for 120mm forks, Mosaic describes the MT-1 as that perfect blend of “modern XC geometry with a hint of rowdy trail riding“. What’s more, this MT-1 is their lighter double-butted ti mountain bike with a bit more of a race-ready spirit.

What’s new & different in the revamped Mosaic MT-1?

First up, the new Mosaic MT-1 gets the exact same stock geometry update as the MT-2 did, for improved modern XC-into-Trail capabilities. But every MT-1 is handbuilt-to-order in Boulder, Colorado. So you can also customize that geometry if you need to tweak your fit or want to go faster or get more rowdy.

What else sets it apart is the custom lightweight double-butted T3A/2.5V titanium tubeset Mosaic uses to handbuild the MT-1. The new MT-1 also gets a UDH upgrade to bolt-on the latest SRAM T-Type transmissions.

MT-1 Tech details

The MT-1 is designed as a light race bike, so Mosaic designed it around 29 x 2.4″ tires. Yet, there’s still clearance for up to 2.6″ tires if needed. The frame is Boost-spaced, gets a 73mm threaded bottom bracket, 30.9mm seatpost, and comes with a tapered Chris King Inset 7 headset.

Mosaic MT-1 – Pricing & Availability

The updated Mosaic MT-1 sells for $6600 for the titanium frameset, with a 6-week leadtime. It comes in 4 stock sizes (S-XL), or you can get custom Rider Specific Geometry at no extra cost, as well. Pick from your choice of standard Mosaic paint layouts in your colors of choice, raw ti, or go for one of Mosaic’s premium Factory Finishes, all included in the standard pricing. Routing is up to you, depending if you need/want internal cabling in the downtube or opt for more of a pared-back wireless or simpler external setup.

Complete bike builds are always possible, too. This XO Transmission build with a custom-painted (Beautiful Chaos) Fox 34 SC Factory fork & Enve M525 carbon wheels would sell for $13,575.

GT-1 45 gravel bike gets a UDH upgrade & Artist Series finish option

Mosaic’s top-tier GT-1 45 gravel bike also gets an update, moving to the UDH standard for improved drivetrain compatibility or ease of derailleur hanger replacement. The GT-1 45 is Mosaic’s premium level-1 custom titanium gravel bike, designed for 42-45mm tires. Pick a GT-2 for more affordability, GT X series for bigger off-road tires, or a GT AR for faster all-road gravel builds.

But it seems like only the custom GT-1 gets a UDH for now, although you can also still get an old-style replaceable hanger if you want for some reason. Although, we’d guess all of the level-1 ti bikes should have the UDH option soon.

Built together with their Chicago dealer shop Velosmith, Mosaic’s MADE show bike gets more than just a UDH with an Eagle mullet transmission. Mosaic finished it in a new Artist Series paint job named ‘Beautiful Chaos’.

This new level-1 finish option mixes crisply masked lines with splatter drip effect paint details. Put that all over a fade paintjob, customizable in your fav color palette.

RT-1 ITR integrates road bike routing & shows off that Artist Series option

Another updated bike with killer custom paint is the recently integrated Mosaic RT-1 ITR road bike. The new ITR moniker means Integrated Thick Road. Thus, it combines mega 35mm slick tire clearance with fully hidden internal cable routing.

The custom double-butted ti RT-1 ITR features Enve’s new Integrated Road fork/bar/stem combo. Furthermore, there’s that lust-worthy Chris King classically-styled Aeroset headset, plus new Mosaic road chainstays

This RT-1 ITR show bike also sports a new Artist Series finish.

Here, it is ‘Prismatica’, e.g. a nod to MADE’s Portland neighbor Chris King. Hence, they decorate it with small colorful bubbles, bumble bees, and crowns in a rainbow of splatters.

Of course, Mosaic also includes an appropriately colorful set of purple Chris King components to round out its custom build.

All types of Mosaic can get a Colorshift paint job now, too.

Lastly, every level-1 Mosaic can now get a Colorshift paint job, too. At MADE, Mosaic painted 6 GT-1 AR all-road gravel bikes in these new 6 Colorshift colors from their Finishwork lineup. Thus, now pick from the color-changing chameleon look that best suits your custom style.

MosaicCycles.com

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Want to go fast for less? Trek’s new Madone SL Gen 7 looks to deliver SLR performance at a (much) lower price point. The new Madone SL Gen 7 frame looks nearly identical to the SLR, with only a few tweaks and a brand new RSL Aero Bar.

The question is: Do you want a Trek Madone SL Gen 7 for $2550 less than the SLR Gen 7, or do you really need to save 300g?

Trek Madone SL Gen 7 — Frame details: 

The Trek Madone SL Gen 7 has (almost) all the bells and whistles of the Madone SLR and is available at nearly half the price. 

What are the bells and whistles? The Trek Madone SL Gen 7 frame takes cues from the Madone SLR, including the new IsoFlow design. This unique hole in the frame’s seat tube replaced the IsoSpeed damping system on the previous Gen 6 version. 

The new IsoFlow system still provides some vertical compliance, but more impressively, it eliminates excess weight and is a claimed 60 secs faster per hour over the Gen 6 model. 

The slippery frame combines a refined Kammtail (Kammtail Virtual Foil) shaping for the tubes and a new narrower handlebar. Trek claims the new narrower bar/stem saves 9.7w alone, not including the frame aerodynamics.

The Madone SLR arrives with the RSL bar stem combo, and the Trek Madone SL Gen 7 mimics that with an all-new RSL Aero bar. 

All-New Bontrager RSL Aero Bar

The new Trek RSL Aero bar is a narrow road bar aimed at creating a slippery front end without the fixed limitation positioning of a bar/stem combo.

It’s shallow (124mm drop) with an 80mm reach and a slight flare in the drops. The top of the RSL Aero bar is narrow, 3cm narrower at the tops vs. the drops.

Trek measures the RSL Aero bar from the tops, so finding your size can be tricky if looking aftermarket. For example, a 42cm wide bar is 42cm wide at the drops, which means the tops where the shifter mount are 39cm.   

Q: So What’s Different? A: Carbon 

The new Trek Madone SL Gen 7 uses 500 Series OCLV carbon fiber, Trek’s middle-tier carbon. The SLR uses 800 series OCLV carbon for maximum weight reduction. You can also find the more robust 500 series on the Trek CheckPoint SL and Domane SL.  

The frame bits remain the same (excluding the carbon) and they include a T47 threaded bottom bracket and proprietary seatpost. The seatpost wedge assembly is reversible to allow for a larger range of saddle height adjustment on a single seatpost. The stock seatpost is a 0° offset, but aftermarket 20mm offset versions are available from Trek. 

Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Geometry 

The Trek Madone SL Gen 7 uses the same race-oriented H1.5 geometry as the SLR. H1.5 is Treks Pro-Tour level race geometry, but it’s not point-and-shoot. Most roadies should find the steering and corning precise but manageable. 

The sizing covers an extensive range, starting with 47cm and growing to 60cm. The seat tube shaping can make for some challenges, so there are two different seat masts, one with a length of 150mm (short) and 200mm (Tall). The geometry chart above shows the minimum and maximum saddle rail height with both options for every size. Bike sizes 47-54 will ship with the short post installed, and bikes 56-60cm will get the tall. 

Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Specs: 

The new Trek Madone SL Gen 7 comes in two 12-speed Shimano builds: SL7 with Ultegra and SL 6 with 105. Though the groups and price structure change accordingly, a few specs remain the same throughout. SL 7 and 6 come with the cockpit, the new Bontrager RSL Aero-OCLV Carbon bar, and the RCS Pro – 7° stem.  

For tires, both roll on Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite 120 tpi, 700x25c treads. The 25c tires are narrow compared to most modern road specs but ride well after setting up tubeless. The R3 Hardcase tires are a great mix of high performance with real-world puncture protection, though we prefer the 28c version. 

For saddles, the Madone SL Gen 7 comes with the Bontrager Aeolus Comp. We reviewed the Aeolus a while back, and it remains one of our favorites for road riding.

The Aeolus Comp uses steel rails, making it more cost-effective in the spec but keeping the same shape as the Aeolus Pro and Elite — Plus you can use all your Bontrager BlendR compatible accessories.

Trek Madone SL 6 Gen 7 

• Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed, 105 50/34 chainset and Shimano 11-30, 12-speed cassette
• Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready
• Weight: 8.40 kg / 18.52 lbs* Size 56
• Paint: Deep carbon smoke + Crimson

Trek Madone SL 7 Gen 7

• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 12-speed, Ultegra 52/36 chainset and Ultrgra 11-30, 12-speed cassette
• Weight: 8.00 kg / 17.80 lbs Size 54 (tested, real weight out of the box)
• Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready
• Paint: Dark carmine red + Plasma

Trek Frameset SL7 

• Frame, fork, and seat post only 
• Color: Dark carmine red

Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Pricing:

• Trek Madone SL 6 Gen 7: $5,499.99
• Trek Madone SL 7 Gen 7: $6,499.99
• Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Frameset: $3,799.99

Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Availability: 

The new Trek Madone SL Gen 7 is available online and from your local Trek Dealer. The Madone SL Gen 7 is not yet available for Trek Project One paint, but stay tuned… 

Look back for a full review as we take the Trek Madone SL7 Gen 7 through the paces this fall. 

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A quick glance at the new saddle from Specialized would suggest that may be your ordinary road saddle. But look closer, and you’ll see the telltale pattern of a 3D-printed structure underneath the cover. That’s because the new Power Expert with Mirror uses the same 3D-printed tech (in spots) as the S-Works Power, Power Pro, and Romin EVO with Mirror models, but this one gets a cover.

While some have come to love the look of an airy 3D-printed saddle, others may find it a challenge to keep clean. For those riders who want the added comfort of the optimized 3D-printed matrix without the holes, the new Power Expert with Mirror saddle fits the bill. The 4-way stretch cover is designed to allow the saddle to conform to your body as the other models, only with extra protection on top.

That cover also helps hide the blend of 3D-printed matrix and traditional padding. The other saddles in the Mirror range are fully 3D-printed, but the Power Expert uses “3D-printed inserts” under the sit bones. Around those inserts is more typical PU foam, which is likely responsible for reducing the price tag.

The Power Expert with Mirror drops the price substantially for a Specialized 3D-printed saddle. Priced at $200, the Power Expert model is by far the most affordable while still being respectably light at 214g (143mm).

That weight is partially due to the hollow titanium rails, which are the only rail option here. There are four sizes offered with 130, 143, 155, and 168mm widths. At the back of the saddle, you’ll find SWAT-compatible mounts for accessories.

First Impressions

While I personally haven’t tried any of the Power with Mirror saddles, I am a big fan of the Power saddle shape overall. The standard S-Works Power saddle has become my favorite for my all-road bike, so what would I think of the Power Expert with Mirror?

At first ride, the saddle felt immediately comfortable. I’m sure a lot of that was familiarity with the shape, but the support and cushion around the sitbones was really nice. I also appreciate the grip-level of the cover. It’s not so tacky that you can’t easily move around on the saddle, but it also keeps your rear from sliding back on hard efforts.

I would like to compare it to the S-Works Power with Mirror saddle to see if there is a difference in comfort on the edges of the saddle nose. But the difference in comfort would have to be huge to make up for the $250 price difference. Overall, I’ve been very happy with the new saddle, and I think it will permanently replace the standard S-Works Power model I had on there previously.

specialized.com

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The MADE Bike Show, is being held in Portland Oregon. There, bike-bling-gurus Chris King Components are revealing its latest eye candy. The new Limited Edition “Splash” consists of a deep bronze base color with the classic Chris King turquoise splashed over it. And it looks amazing…

The whole run of this new color will only be 50 complete kits. Kits will include a headset, bottom bracket, and King wheels, with configurations for all-road, gravel, and mountain bikes available.

Jay Sycip, Chris King’s Design Manager said, “The inaugural MADE show is here in Portland, so we just had to do something special, something we hadn’t done before, and that was the motivation for Splash. It will be both a component finish and a soft goods collection. There will be a LOT of King components and wheels on bikes all around the show. For us, it’s like a homecoming“.

Chris King has been anodizing bicycle components as early as 1988, with limited colors being added and removed from the line each season. Remember earlier this year, they brought back their prized 1988 color, 3D Violet… nothin’ says “bling” like purple anno.

Sycip continued, “We’ve seen what others have done with splatter and drip anodize effects in the past, not just on bike parts, but in other industries as well, and wanted to create a more refined version incorporating some favorite colors from our palette. Our Matte Bourbon color was incredibly popular and a favorite of many here at King, and we loved the way that warm bronzy color worked with many paint and component choices, especially on handmade bikes, and how well it complemented vibrant color accents. We wanted to take the subtle sophistication of a bronze base color and add a ‘Splash’ of something bright and complementary to take it to the next level: our Matte Turquoise“.

The new Splash colorway will make its global “in-person” debut on show bikes that were produced for the MADE Show this week. The Chris King booth will be displaying Splash-themed bikes from Mosiac, Argonaut, and Tomii.

How Much?

Each Splash kit will contain a headset, bottom bracket, and King FusionFiber® Wheelset, built to order

Retail: $3450 (road/gravel build kits)

Retail: $3275 (mountain build kits)

The limited edition Splash components will be available, as a complete kit for the above disciplines through Chris King dealers and the Chis King website. The kits will be sold on a “first-come-first-served” basis.

ChrisKing.com

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When the British Hill Climb season gets underway, the weight weenies come out hunting grams to shed, and Hunt’s new sub-1kg ultralight Hill Climb SL Disc carbon tubulars might just be the perfect wheelset. Sure, we’ve all learned by now that aero is everything, and road tubeless offers the lowest rolling-resistance. But when you are just time trialing uphill, lightweight is king. And in this case, it’s hard to argue with the allure of a 963g disc brake road wheelset that weighs as little as 963g complete…

Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc carbon tubular road bike wheelset

Hunt built a name for themselves with affordable, versatile, and aerodynamic wheels – for everything from adventure riding to pro racing. But the Hunt crew are also British bike nerds too. Not to mention, one of their sponsored riders – Andrew Feather – is the 2022 British Hill Climb National Champion.

So, ahead of the 2023 British Hill Climb season, they went back to revisit their rim brake Hill Climb SL wheels from five years ago. And surprisingly, they’ve managed to shed grams.

Hunt made the new tubular Hill Climb SL Disc wheels lighter, while upgrading to modern disc brake & thru-axles standards.

For when the absolute lightest weight and ultra-efficient climbing accelerations are what really matters!

What’s new?

The new Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc wheels still feature a tubular carbon rim. So, you’re going to have to glue up the lightest tubs you can find.

The new carbon rims are still 30mm deep. But they grow to 26mm wide outside. That matches anything from tiny 23mm tubs up to more modern 28mm tire widths for lower rolling resistance.

Tech details

What’s also new is a switch to serviceable / true-able carbon spokes. The new disc brake Hill Climb SL wheels feature Hunt’s TaperLock UD carbon spokes. There’s 18 up front & 20 in the back. Those aero, light, stiff & strong UD carbon spokes are laced to a minimalist 6066-T6 CNC’d alloy UD SL centerlock hubset with Hunt’s first ratchet internals. A 40-tooth ratchet ring means quick 9° engagement. And a literally drilled-out alloy axle and Shimano freehub body shave even more grams without compromising strength (apparently.)

The result is a claimed wheelset weight of just 963g (426g front & 537g rear).

Just for comparison, that’s 469g or 1/3 lighter than Hunt’s existing 30 Carbon CX Disc tubular cyclocross wheels that are the same depth and 1mm narrower!

Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc – Pricing, options & availability

These all-new Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc wheels with carbon spokes, carbon rims & ratchet hubs are available to pre-order today for £1299 / $1699 / 1699€. You can also get a SRAM XD/XDR, Campagnolo, or Campy N3W freehub if needed.

Order a set now, and Hunt says they will deliver them from the second week of September.

The UK’s cycling Hill Climb season is already in full swing in this second half of August. But that key national championship isn’t ’til the end of October, giving plenty of time to benefit from a new ultralight set of wheels. Plus, once the racing’s officially done, you’ll have plenty of time to hunt KOMs on all your local climbs with this sub-1000g wheelset.

HuntBikeWheels.com

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Apidura’s new Packable Visibility Vest makes sure you are seen without weighing you down or flapping uncontrollably in the wind. That is whether you are racing (and winning) The Transcontinental Race, bikepacking for a long weekend, or just riding your home roads. Apidura adapted lessons learned in developing lightweight hydration vests & backpacks for the Visibility Vest. They created a well-fitted hi-viz vest, so you are seen from all directions while riding from dusk, all through the night, and into the dawn.

You don’t have to be an ultra-distance Audaxer to benefit from extra visibility on dark roads…

Apidura Packable Visibility Vest, fitted road cyclist hi-viz vest

Hi-viz vests are a staple of road workers and bicycle commuters alike for one simple reason. Being seen by drivers is a big first step towards staying safe while sharing the road. That’s why Audax rules often require a certified hi-viz vest. And it’s why Apidura developed their Packable Visibility Vest for regular bike commuters, casual road cyclists, and serious long-distance racers.

It’s a lightweight hi-viz solution that packs down into a tiny built-in pouch. That way, you can always have it on those long rides that extend into the dark. It’s also EN 17353 certified so you can use it for your Paris-Brest-Paris audaxing, or just for morning & evening commutes. It’s 360° nighttime visibility that won’t get in the way of you enjoying road riding – year-round and around-the-clock.

Tech details

The minimalist Apidura Packable Visibility Vest is certified to EN 17353:2020 Type B3 standard. That designation is for safe night-time visibility for “medium risk” situations like cycling on unlit roads. That basically means plenty of reflective detailing so you can be seen from all angles. But few cycling-specific solutions are actually EN 17353 certified. And most EN 17353 certified solutions are bulky, unnecessarily heavy, or just uncomfortable to ride in for long distances. The newer EN 17353:2020 Type B3 certification seems to mean it is also compliant with legacy EN 1150 & EN 20471 standards, too.

There are countless visibility vests outside of the cycling world that are often fine for casual cycling after dark, but there’s nothing that offers full legal compliance and lightweight materials, packability and a race fit. We know riders and event organisers alike find it frustrating, so we decided to explore how our packable and racing design experience could be brought to bear. EN compliance was essential, but we also wanted to replicate the convenience of a lightweight gilet and make sure the vest was as unobtrusive as possible both while riding and when not in use.

– Betsy Seed, Head of Product, Apidura

From my point of view, riding at night is fundamental to endurance racing. It also offers riders the opportunity to experience empty roads, moonlit vistas, and mountain dawns. At Lost Dot we firmly believe that the responsibility for road safety lies firmly with the drivers of vehicles, but we’re also pragmatic and retroreflective garments make a huge difference.

– Andrew Phillips, Race Organizer, Lost Dot

Apidura’s Packable Visibility Vest uses the same anatomic shaping as their Hydration Vest (and newer Hydration Backpack) for a good fit. It uses similar lightweight material & minimalist design as the other Packables. And it features two of the same Packables adjustable sternum straps so it can fit over a thin jersey or a warmer puffy jacket, too. The vest includes no zippers and no velcro – just 2 plastic buckles on straps adjustable to fit different body shapes and genders.

Protection from the wind or rain was not in the design brief. Instead, the vest focuses only on visibility. But that makes it suitable for year-round use, too.

The hi-viz vest weighs just 106g (claimed for S/M). It packs down into its own 8x12cm rear pocket, to easily fit in a standard jersey pocket. (Specifically, can you spot the tiny packed vest in Christoph Strasser’s TCRNo9 race-winning bikepacking kit grid above?)

Apidura Packable Visibility Vest – Pricing & availability

The Apidura Packable Visibility Vest comes in two sizes – a S/M for 90-105cm & L/XL for 106-122cm chest circumferences. The Visibility Vest is available now direct from Apidura for £45 / $58 / 52€, and through their retail partners.

My question meanwhile is, could Apidura just add all that hi-viz yellow and extra visibility to their regular Racing Hydration Vest to meet that same EN 17353 certification? And make every ultra-distance racer safer in the process?

More Hi-Viz is better if we are sharing the road with cars, right?

Thus, here’s a parting enquiry for road & gravel readers:

Would you prefer to have the added visibility all the time? Additionally, would you mind if your regular hydration vest were always hi-viz, even for daytime gravel rides? I suspect most mountain bikers don’t always want a hi-viz hydration pack. That is, based on the number of black, blue, green & red Camelbaks I’ve encountered over the years. Maybe though, for those times roadies & gravel riders do put a pack on their back, they (like me) may actually prefer hi-viz.

So, let us know in the comments below.

Apidura.com

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Curve Cycling has got a lot going on. Check out an all-new AIR Kev gravel bike mixing it up in titanium & carbon, a new prototype of their mega-wide Walmer flared dropbar in carbon, and a next-gen version of their titanium GMX+ adventure bike with an all-new Effigear Mimic 9-speed gearbox. That’s just a few of the things they were showing at the 2023 Handmade Bicycle Show Australia.

But now that you can actually pre-order the limited first run of Air Kev… It’s time we took a closer look…

Curve AIR Kev titanium & carbon version of GXR gravel bike

Curve’s most popular bike is their titanium GXR gravel cross racer, aka Kevin. It’s their simple no-nonsense do-it-all gravel racing and bikepacking bike, built in titanium to last a lifetime. Well, in celebration of their 10-year anniversary, they decided to add a little bit of extra flair. Lighten up the bike and give it a racier race bike edition. All of that, based on the carbon seat tube concept from their limited edition Belgie AIR endurance road race bike. And with carbon bonding in-house in Melbourne, Australia.

Enter the AIR Kev.

Tech Details

The Curve AIR Kev gets the same basic geometry and generous tire clearance (max 700×45 or 650×2.2″). But it replaces the frame’s titanium seattube with a bonded-in carbon tube. Then, it gets a Curve custom 27.2mm carbon seatpost with a 3D-printed titanium head & ENVE guts. It gets more neatly integrated conventional internal cable routing (but not through the headset), also through the BB & chainstay via a new 1-sided chainstay yoke.

The frame also features new machined titanium dropouts with UDH or T-Type derailleur compatibility. And it gets a direct flat mount 160 rear brake mount.

Plus, it pares the plethora of mounts back to the bare essentials for a gravel race bike. You get two cages in the frame, one mount under the downtube and another on top of the toptube. The AIR Kev also gets a custom Ride 415 full carbon fork. That fork features internal cable routing and a drop out flip chip, but no bikepacking mounts.

This show bike also features a new evolution of Curve G4.5T carbon wheels with a new straight-out-of-the-mold finish, and laser-etched graphics. Curve says getting ready of post-mold finishing meant an 8% weight reduction vs. their current G4T wheels.

The new Curve AIR Kev isn’t officially available yet, but Curve is taking pre-order slots via email. Apparently, just 23 are being produced in the first batch this year. So, get in touch if you need to have one.

This prototype by the way is being pedaled around Europe as we speak, as Curve’s sales director Ryan Flinn is back on the road – bikepacking around to meet dealers and Curve owners for rides all summer!

Prototype Walmer Carbon flared adventure gravel handlebar

Lastly, this bike is sporting a prototype 46cm Walmer carbon ultra-flared dropbar. It gets a 31.8mm clamp, quickly tapered down to a more ergonomic shape on the tops with integrated routing channels.

Based on the popular but niche 6066 alloy Walmer bars that we’ve previously tested, this carbon prototype likely shares the same generous 29° flare to compact drops, plus a small 7° backsweep up top. That means this 46cm bar is likely a full 61cm outside-outside at the end of its drops. (That’s measured center-center at the hoods)

See it really is huge.

GMX+ Gearbox v2 adventure bikepacking concept bike

Last summer Curve built a gearbox concept iteration of their Gravel MonsterCross GMX+ bike with a Pinion to hash out the value in alt drivetrain. This year, they have a new Gearbox GMX+ bike. But it’s now with a new Effigear Mimic 9-speed gearbox that they say works even easier with just a single cable pulled by a SRAM 11sp DoubleTap shifter making for a cleaner, simpler setup.

It’s a French-made gearbox that debuted in 2012, which we weren’t already familiar with. But, it’s less than 2kg. It uses the same mounting as Pinion. It’s directly compatible with SRAM X trigger shifters, SRAM Rival 11sp shifters, or Campy Centaur levers. And it offers a 469% gear ratio in 9-speeds. Sounds interesting, right?

The Gearbox GMX+ Mimic is still just a prototype that you can’t yet buy from Curve.

But under that bar bag made by BUCK!T from recycled Vittoria gravel tires, it’s also sporting a wider 50cm version of that same prototype Walmer Carbon flared gravel dropbar (65cm ? outside). That suggests to us that Curve is likely to make these carbon Walmer bars available pretty soon.

Belgie AIR MN road bike

Lastly, the Curve Belgie AIR MN road bike. The all-road Belgie was the first to get a race-focused AIR version with a carbon seattube to make it more of a dedicated road bike. This pre-production version takes the Belgie AIR to the next level. In an attempt to see how Curve can bring frame production back to their Melbourne, Australia base. To do that, the Belgie AIR MN takes advantage of newly refined 3D-printed ti parts including several new items. A 1-piece headtube to integrate fully internal cable routing through the headset. A sleek UDH compatible dropouts, a 3d-printed ti front derailleur hanger developed especially for SRAM AXS shift stiffness. And a custom made carbon integrated seat post and printed ti topper.

CurveCycling.com

The post Curve AIR Kev Ti + Carbon Gravel Bike, Huge Walmer Carbon Bar Tease & Gearbox GMX+ appeared first on Bikerumor.

A new carbon Bianchi Oltre Race and updated Bianchi Sprint aim to lower the cost of buying a modern aero road bike. But even if the profiles of these modernized road bikes don’t look all that new, their spec suggests some a rumored and often-discussed bombshell. Shimano 105 mechanical is likely getting a 12-speed makeover soon.

Bianchi Oltre Race & Sprint tease Shimano 105 12-speed mechanical groupset

With complete bikes selling for a fraction of the cost of a top-tier Oltre RC or Specialissima carbon framesets, the new carbon Bianchi Oltre Race & Sprint are certainly more affordable. But a lot of that comes down to the availability of a mechanical shift groupset vs. the electronic-only setups on many of the top-tier bikes. Both the Oltre Race & Sprint include 105 Di2 & 105 mechanical builds which are the Italian bike maker’s most budget options.

But the curious thing is that if you look at the Sprint, Bianchi is still listing the old version of the bike (with visible external cables) on their website for 2449€ with “105 11SP” or 3849€ with “105 DI2“. But the new version (with hidden fully internal cables) is offered for 2549€ with simply “105” and for the same 3849€ with “105 DI2 12SP“.

Sure, that lack of number of gears and extra 100€ could be a fluke, right?

Except… when you click on the new “105” bike, its URL has sprint-10512sp in the title, and then its spec goes on to detail a “Shimano 105 12sp,12- speed” crankset, rear derailleur, and front derailleur. There’s no mention of the gearing ratios on the bike – other than that the front derailleur can handle up to a 54T chainring, and the rear mech can handle a max 36T cog on the cassette.

The images on the website all show bikes built older generation Ultegra 11-sp mechanical – and include an unsurprising note saying, “The image shown is indicative only. Components and graphic details may differ from the actual model.” But this feels like too many mentions of a 105 mechanical 12-speed group to be an accident.

What’s new on the Sprint?

The Bianchi Sprint is the bikemaker’s affordable all-rounder lightweight carbon monocoque road bike. Relaunched in 2019, it offered subtle aerodynamic optimization inspired by Bianchi’s top race bikes. In this new iteration, the Sprint moves to fully hidden internal cable routing through the headset, and it also seems to have moved production overseas.

The ‘Handmade in Italy Reparto Corse’ decal of the 2019 model is gone, replaced by a UCI-approved sticker and a note on the top tube that this bike is ‘Disegnata in Bianchi’, or designed in-house by Bianchi.

What’s new on the Oltre Race?

Bianchi describes the new Oltre Race as an expansion of their aero road bike family – topped off by the “hyperbike” Oltre Reparto Corse (RC) with its aerodynamic headtube air deflectors and 1-piece hi-rise stem & handlebar combo with its own scoop. There’s also a more affordable Oltre Comp with a lower carbon spec and a slightly more conventional 2-piece cockpit. Then comes the Oltre Race next in the aero hierarchy.

But in reality, it seems the Oltre Race isn’t all-new, it’s simply a rebranded Bianchi Aria as first introduced six years ago, now updated with full internal integrated cable routing from a 2-piece cockpit through the headset into the aero carbon frame.

Bianchi Oltre Race & Sprint – Pricing, options & not-quite-yet availability

Comparing them to the curvaceous 5600€ Oltre RC or ultralight 5700€ Specialissima framesets, all of these new bikes are a relative steal.

The more affordable new Sprint is available in 7 sizes (47-61cm) in either classic glossy Celeste or a shiny Pearl White with iridescent accents. New Bianchi Sprint road bikes are offered only with Shimano 105 groupsets – for either 2549€ with the as-yet-unreleased Shimano 105 12-speed mechanical groupset, or for 3849€ with last summer’s new 105 Di2 electronic groupset.

The Oltre Race is available in 8 sizes (44-61cm) in either a matte modern take on Celeste with iridescent details or matte Graphite gray & black. This rebadged Bianchi Oltre Race road bike is also offered only with Shimano 105 groupsets, here for either 3399€ with the Shimano 105 mechanical, or for 4349€ with 105 Di2 groupset. The mechanical Oltre Race spec does not specifically reference 12-speeds like the Sprint (and it is also still the same retail price as the previous generation Aria with 11sp 105), but its URL still does, so you can likely expect the unreleased groupset here, too.

As for actual availability… since the groupset doesn’t exist yet, you are going to have to wait for sure. You can ask your local Bianchi dealer when they expect to have the new bikes in stock. But we’re gonna guess you’ll have to wait at least until Shimano unveils 12-sp 105 mechanical to get a concrete answer.

Bianchi.com

The post Bianchi Oltre Race & Sprint Aero Road Bikes Tease Shimano Mechanical 105 12sp! appeared first on Bikerumor.

Rose has reshaped their best-selling affordable alloy road bike into this totally modern Reveal AL that looks as sleek and well-integrated as carbon bikes costing many times more than this. I’m not going to argue that this aluminum road bike is more aero or lighter than some carbon bikes (it probably is, though), but the Reveal AL looks like an incredible value for an entry-level road bike that doesn’t skimp on performance…

Rose Reveal AL modern affordable alloy endurance road bike

Rose calls the new Reveal AL the ‘next era’ of affordable aluminum road bikes. Their PRO SL had long been Rose’s go-to entry road bike, but generally seemed to stay a couple of steps behind their carbon bikes regarding the latest updates. (A few 2022 PRO SLs remain in stock even with rim brakes, as that bike is gradually phased out.)

Now with the new bike’s debut, the disc-only Reveal AL gets smooth shaping, aero-optimized features, updated geometry, the latest flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles, and big tire clearance, plus the fully integrated internal cable routing that makes this budget bike blend in with top-tier carbon road bikes.

Endurance Road Geometry

Built for ‘nice and long tours’, the new Rose Reveal AL is an endurance bike with “modern long-distance geometry” that seems to be identical to its PRO SL predecessor, and a close adaptation from the carbon Reveal endurance road bike. The most interesting note is that this alloy bike comes in a huge 10-size range from a tiny 45cm all the way up to a giant 65cm. Geometry of course shifts a bit across such a wide range.

The new endurance bike gets good tire clearance – 700c x 32mm max for most sizes, while the two smallest frames have to make due with a max of 28mm on 650b wheels to preserve handling, minimize toe overlap & work with those bikes’ shorter chainstays.

Tech details

The Rose Reveal AL gets a 1300g aluminum frame with hydroformed tubing and smoothed welds across the main triangle for sleek looks, that blend back from the full carbon tapered-steerer fork. Only at the dropouts do you see the untouched welds peek out through the paint.

Much of the bike’s clean finished look comes from Rose’s new ALR alloy stem that routes mechanical shift and hydraulic disc brake cables from a conventional handlebar into the frame through the headset, without entering the stem thanks to a simple integrated cover underneath.

The Reveal AL also gets an integrated wedge-style seatpost clamp hidden in the non-driveside of its seat cluster, but sticks with a 27.2mm round seatpost.

So how affordable is it really?

Rose Reveal AL – Pricing, options & availability

Pricing for the new Rose Reveal AL starts at just 1849€ with a full Shimano 105 2x11sp groupset, 28mm deep x 19mm internal tubeless-ready Rose R TwentyFive alloy wheels, and a respectable 8.9kg claimed weight.

Seriously, you could buy 3 of these new Reveal ALs and still have almost 1000€ left to buy new kit compared to buying the cheapest new carbon SL8. Or even buy the similarly spec’d alloy Allez Sprint and have 1450€ left over!

You can also get a mechanical Ultegra 2×11 build for 2199€. Or for the first time, Rose now offers their alloy road bike with an electronic groupset in the 2499€ Reveal AL 105 Di2.

All new Rose Reveal ALs can generally be ordered now in either matte black or ‘salted caramel’ orange, but real availability dates are estimated for 6 weeks from now in the second half of September.

RoseBikes.com

The post Rose Reveal AL Unveils Affordable Integrated Alloy Road Bike from 1900€ appeared first on Bikerumor.

While the prior rim-brake Dean Fast appears to remain in the line as a complete bike option, this all-new Ridley Dean Fast Disc gets a lot of aero updates and (better late than never) switches to disc brakes. And, it will only be sold as a frameset at launch.

Using CFD, they “identified new designs that would minimize drag at speeds around 55km/h”, or about 34.2mph. Yes, that’s wicked fast, but it’s about the average speed of the 10 fastest Tour de France Individual Time Trial performance (according to this website). Which means top riders are often going faster than that, and let’s be honest, bikes like these are made for the top team riders first and just happen to be for sale to the rest of us.

The biggest change comes from taking advantage of the UCI’s new 8:1 length-to-width tube profile rules, allowing for dramatically longer tube proportions than the prior 3:1 rule.

Ridley applied this in “compensation triangules”, which is another new allowance from the UCI, giving this bike an extended head tube that creates a blunt point at the front, then runs deep behind the steering axis.

That shape blends into the fork’s crown, and the stem is nestled into the head tube for a further streamlined frontal area, flowing directly into the top tube.

Ridley’s other trick, called “F-Surface”, which they’ve applied to other bikes in the past, include dimpled surfaces (similar to a golf ball) and indented grooves at key points on leading edges. Combined, they create smoother laminar airflow, which keeps the air flowing smoothly over and off of the tubes and minimized eddies and swirls that cause drag.

Keeping with trends, it fits up to a 700x32mm tires, though it was designed around 700x28s.

And it gets a UDH rear hanger, helping future proof it for whatever drivetrains may come.

The front derailleur mount bolts on, letting you remove it for 1x setups to further reduce drag, and two clamps come with the bike – one for normal chainring combos up to 53/40 and one for monsters fitting up to 60/47 combos.

It’s designed for electronic drivetrains only, with no accommodation for mechanical shift cables. The downtube has three bolts creating two bottle mount positions, plus one set on the downtube.

The included base bar has mounts compatible with most aero extensions and elbow rests, letting you add your favorite setup.

The frame weighs a respectable (for a TT bike) 1,250g in size Medium, with a 460g fork and 341g base bar. Available in S/M/L sizes for $4,999.

Ridley-Bikes.com

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