News, Views and Insights

By Jon Hornbeck

PHOTO OF THE DAY

All the hype coming into the Giro d’Italia were on these two riders, Chris Froome and Tom Dumoulin. Though after two weeks Dumoulin looked to be no match for Simon Yates and Chris Froome was more or less out of the picture. Add another week and Froome was riding into Rome with the pink jersey and Dumoulin was a close second, Yates fell completely out of contention. Photo: Bettini

 

OTSO WAHEELA S BIKE

Press Release: The first suspension-corrected gravel/adventure bike on the market, the Waheela S will handle optimally with both rigid and gravel suspension forks. Thanks to Otso’s patent-pending Tuning Chip dropout system and Lithic Hiili carbon fork, the Waheela S can be built with tires ranging from all-road 700Cx28 through road-plus 650Cx53 to a massive trail-ready 700Cx53 (29×2.1).  A full complement of rack and fender mounts make the Waheela S a capable fast tourer or commuter while Reynolds 520 tubing provides the ride quality that can only come from 120 years of experience tuning steel tubes.

The Waheela S’s progressive gravel geometry borrows a page from the cross-country playbook with increased top tube lengths and shorter stems- maintaining stack and reach while providing a lively ‘can-do’ attitude on rougher terrain. For those looking to push the limits, Otso has also provided internal routing for dropper seatposts.

Available in two colors as an $899 frameset with carbon Lithic fork the Waheela S can also be purchased with three no-compromise builds or custom built to suit any rider. Complete bikes start at $1,999 and all feature SRAM Apex 1 single-ring drivetrains, disc brakes, DT Swiss wheelsets, and US-made Wolf Tooth headsets. The Waheela S Expert upgrades the Comp model’s BB7 mechanical disc brakes to Apex HRD hydraulics at $2,349 and the Waheela S Pro adds a Fox F32 AX or Lauf Grit suspension fork and KS E30i 100mm dropper post at $3,249.

 

ZWIFT TRAINING PLANS

Press Release: Zwift, the global online training platform for cyclists and runners, today announced the release of its newest training feature, a substantial collection of flexible training plans for both running and cycling that allow Zwifters to train and improve while balancing the needs of a busy life.

Zwift Training Plans, like Group Workouts, are designed by leading professional coaches and athletes. Training Plans are focused on helping Zwift users achieve specific goals, such as running a first marathon or completing the Prudential RideLondon 100. Plans vary in duration and intensity based on the training goal and a Zwifter’s available time and completed both on Zwift and out on the road.

Zwift’s new flexible Training Plans adapt according to your schedule, so you can complete workouts that suit the time you have available, and the plan will adapt accordingly. Plans will give Zwifters windows in which they need to complete a specific workout session within each weekly block. To avoid, the negative impact of overtraining, if a session isn’t completed within the set window, it will simply becomes unavailable. The plan will then rework the rest of the week to ensure you are able to get the most from the remaining sessions.

 

BIKE REVIEW: BATTLE OF THE PLUG-INS

Shimano Di2 versus SRAM eTap

While electronic shifting isn’t news, the recent evolution of the technology has been quite profound. In the world today there are three main players available to consumers—Shimano Di2, SRAM eTap and Campagnolo EPS with FSA (who have announced their intention to play but, as of yet, are not ready for prime time).

On the surface, Shimano’s latest version of their Di2 drivetrain hasn’t changed much in operation, but the newest release has the tech nerds itching to play with a wide array of custom tuning, while the crew at the SRAM tent are taking a bit of a different route.

Continue reading here. 

 

GIRO D’ITALIA VIDEO RECAP STAGE 16 – 21

 

BIKE REVIEW: FACTOR O2 DISC

At the beginning of 2017, Factor was another middle-tier bike brand grappling for worldwide market traction. What to do? As the brand is overseen by retired pro riders Baden Cooke and David Millar, it didn’t surprise many when they decided racing would be the best way to raise the company’s profile. It worked.

After partnering with the French AG2R La Mondiale team, Factor propelled themselves to the top heap of the racing world when team rider Romain Bardet won a stage in the Tour de France and eventually finished on the podium in Paris. Fait accompli.

Continue reading here. 

 

WIN THESE TWO NEW BIKES

Each year we have a reader’s survey that helps us see what you, the reader is interested in. CLICK HERE to fill out the survey and be entered to win a sweet Bianchi Impulo All Road. It was the winner of the 2017 Interbike Innovation award and we have a full review in the June 2018 issue of the magazine.

We are also giving away one of our favorite bikes, a 3T Strada. CLICK HERE to see how you enter to win this sweet ride. And last, if you haven’t already, CLICK HERE to subscribe to the magazine and stay up to date will our latest reviews and content.

 

DIRTY KANZA 200

This Saturday 2,000 plus riders will line up on the gravel dirt roads of Emporia Kansas to take part in another edition of the Dirty Kanza 200. Once again we will be on hand to test some new gravel bikes and parts which we have assembled and give our first person reaction of the event. Be sure to follow us online here at RBA and our social channels as we will be sharing our experiences along the way.

Photo: Ian Matteson

 

Well, that’s all for this weeks Mid-Week Report. Be sure to check back every Wednesday to see the latest news, views and products that have come our way. If you have any questions, comments or requests, let us know: [email protected]