News, Views and Insights
Take a look at the latest from this week including news, events and more
By Jon Hornbeck
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Richie Porte races through the beautiful Switzerland landscape in his yellow skin suit as the moto camera follows behind. Richie went onto win the Tour de Suisse which is the other build up race to the Tour de France. All of the TDF contenders look to be on fine form ahead of July which will shape up to hopefully be a great three week battle among many different contenders. Photo: Bettini
VIDEO: INSIDE THE DIRTY KANZA 200
LIFEBOAT TIRE LEVER
Press Release: Snēk Cycling is introducing the Lifeboat Tire Lever. The lever will be live on Kickstarter June 5, 2018 raising funds to bring the project to life.
The Lifeboat Tire Lever is an all in one tool that can change a tire, remove a valve core and open a bottle. The lever addresses the need for a valve core remover to service modern tubeless tire systems. With the trend of tubeless tires in cycling, and the inclusion of tire sealant for flat protection and repair, a tool is needed to service them. Traditional tire levers lack the ability to remove a valve core, and the easiest way to install sealant is through the valve.
MAVIC COSMIC ULTIMATE WHEELS
It’s been just one week since a handful of international journos found ourselves rolling out of Mavic HQ in the beautiful town of Annecy, France and headed to the famous port town of Marseille where we would board a giant ferry/cruise ship that would float us over to the island of Corsica for three days of hard riding. The purpose? To test ride their soon to be launched and completely redesigned Cosmic Ultimate wheels. And to do so we were able to join in the three stage Explore Corsica sportive that is put on by the same folks who put on the Tour de France….which then also provided us with a fleet of the world famous “yellow cars” and motos for neutral support.
While Mavic had a Cosmic Ultimate in their catalog previously, it was a tubular specific wheel intended for pro riders with no real consequence for recreational riders. This new clincher wheel was a ground-up design to specifically embrace the industry’s growing allegiance with tubeless technology. Mavic is happy to boast that in cooperation with Hutchinson, they paved the way for tubeless technology with their UST design (which is now an open standard for all wheelmakers to use).
NEW WOLF TOOTH BAGS
Press Release: Nobody likes a hot, unwieldy pack or over-stuffed jersey pockets weighing them down. While riding bag-free feels great, not having what you need on the road or trail can make any ride a whole lot less enjoyable. Wolf Tooth’s new B-RAD Roll-Top and Pump Bags provide secure, weather- and dirt-resistant on-bike storage to ensure that you’re never caught without the essentials.
The low-profile Pump Bag is named for the 12in pump it will carry comfortably but that’s just the beginning. With room for a pair of 29er tubes or lightweight jacket, wallet and cell phone the Pump Bag has four mounting grommets that mate with the B-RAD 4 base, frame water cage bosses, or even top tube fuel tank bosses. If that’s not enough, the Pump Bag can be strapped to most tubes using the included silicone-backed hook & loop straps.
BIKE TEST: WILIER CENTO 10 AIR
Known as a brand with deep Italian roots, Wilier has always been at the forefront of the racing scene. With over a century of experience making bikes, Wilier is proud to produce their latest aero road bike, the Wilier Cento10AIR.
THE FRAME
The Wilier Cento10AIR frame is brand new, as they looked to utilize the latest aero concepts with design profiles found in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Wilier considered aerodynamics, weight and UCI rule limitations to come up with their new Cento10AIR shape.
We liked that Wilier chose to use direct-mount brakes mounted on the seatstays a la traditional road bikes and not below the chainstays. While this latter design found some recent popularity by pushing the “aero look,” we’ve never found an under-the-chainstay-mounted brake that provided equal braking power.
3T BIKE TO OFFER “READY TO PAINT” FRAME
Press Release: These 3T frames are – as the name suggests – prepared for painting but still unfinished and will allow people to create a truly unique frame using the custom painter of their choice.
The first ever RTP frame was an Exploro, painted by the legendary Italian bike designer, manufacturer and painter Dario Pegoretti. Since then, these RTP frames have proven popular for:
- Individual consumers who are looking for something really unique and who know a local custom painter they want to work with (or can ask 3T for suggestions).
- 3T retailers who wish to do a small run of special frames to offer to their best customers.
- Ourselves, when we feel like doing something different with the paint finish, in collaboration with a painter we like.
- Other brands who want to offer their customers something truly special.
To showcase all the possibilities with the RTP frames and hopefully provide some inspiration for those looking to do their own custom-painted 3T frame, 3T will start featuring some of the most interesting designs on the 3T blog under the “Get Creative Series” section. Have a look, for example, at Aqua Blue Sports rider and US National Champion Larry Warbasse’s Exploro, the one he’s using for the off season. It has been made in collaboration with Toby Stanton at hottubes.com
TESTED: PEARL IZUMI PRO LEADER V4
Nearly 60 years ago Kinji Shimizu founded Pearl Izumi as a way to improve and help his son’s bike racing career. As the company grew, so did their product line, which began focusing on gear for runners. In 2016, after 13 years in the running market, Pearl Izumi decided to recommit to their origins (the brand was also assumed by Shimano) and focus solely on the bike side of the business. Pearl has never faltered on the bike side of things, but this move solidifies the commitment the brand has to the sport of cycling.
THE TECH
The P.R.O. Leader V4 is exactly as the name applies—the fourth and most recent version of their top-tier road shoe. Gone is the top ratchet buckle with dual hook-and-loop straps of the first generation to the now dual IP-1 Boa dials with 1mm of adjustment per click. These dials are mounted on the tongue of the shoe, which is offset to the outside of the foot from center a few degrees. This offset means that pressure from the retention is wrapped over the ridge of the foot away from sensitive tissue. The three-layer seamless upper has great structural support thanks to many well-placed mesh openings that deliver a highly ventilated shell.
BMC TEAMMACHINE ALR
Press release: BMC Switzerland announces the latest iteration of the carbon Teammachine SLR’s performance legacy: The Teammachine ALR. New from the ground up, it features BMC’s most advanced aluminium frame to date, and is engineered to deliver the Teammachine SLR’s racing soul and performance-oriented design with features previously only available on the SLR; such as: iconic Teammachine tube shapes, integrated seatpost clamp and cables, powerful disc brakes, and premium ACE carbon components for unrivaled ride quality.
The Teammachine ALR mirrors the legendary performance, handling features, and aesthetics of the premium carbon Teammachine SLR seen in the Pro Tour. BMC’s new budget-conscious top-performer is ready to meet any challenge from city limit sprints to local crits, and all-day alpine assaults, and does so at accessible price point. Road disc brake technology allows speed-minded riders to brake later and with more modulation as they enter technical tarmac conditions. The Teammachine ALR is available in both disc and traditional rim brake versions, offering riders all the technical options to meet their needs.
VELOMACCHI BACKPACK
Velomacchi backpacks are highly durable quality with sleek, minimalist designs that use sternum couplers, magnets, and a 3-point rotating harness system to perfectly distribute the weight. Awesome for commuting with a laptop or adventuring with a hydration pouch, the 28L Roll Top Backpack and 35L Giro Backpack are one-of-a-kind packs for serious cyclists.
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]
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