News, Views and Insights

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Philipe Gilbert had a scary moment during stage 16 of the Tour de France as he overcooked a corner coming down a descent and flew over the wall. Gilbert was able to remount and finish the stage after being helped up, but soon after found out that he had broken his knee cap and would not be able to start the following day.

Photo: Bettini

 

FIRST RIDE: FACTOR ONE

With the plethora of aero bikes currently being released across the market, we have a fair share of fast bikes in our stable here at RBA which we have accumulated for an upcoming “aero” issue where we will put them up against each other.

The Factor One is one of the first bikes which we have been putting some time in on, and after a couple of rides the bike has really stood out. One aspect which we like about the One is that it truly does look like an aero bike as many of the new bikes which have been released are starting to all look very similar.

Continue reading our First Ride here. 

 

NEW FIZIK INFINITO SHOE COLORS

Press Release: Infinito R1 Knit, the world’s first knitted professional cycling shoe, is now available in three stunning new color-ways:

• • • Gray
    • Petroleum Blue and Yellow Fluo
    • Purple and Blue

Its laterally stiff, light, Uni Direction Full Carbon Outsole for maximum power transfer is paired with a new mesh footbed insole for the best possible ventilation – and the peerless looks of the new colorways!

Infinito R1 Knit has been chosen by pro riders Geraint Thomas and Oliver Naesen at Tour de France 2018.

 

BIKE TEST: CIPOLLINI NK1K

To know about bike racing is to know about Mario Cipollini—and vice versa. Over a racing career that spanned 15 years, “Super Mario” was renowned as much for his race-winning speed (2002 world champion) as he was an indelible sense of personal style that often bordered on the outlandish. In terms of fan appeal and charisma, Cipollini’s performance both on and off the bike made Peter Sagan seem downright tame in comparison.

In the years since his race career ended, “Cipo” has remained a bike guy, as much because he still likes to ride bikes, as riding bikes gives him the regular opportunity to appear shirtless in company promo videos bearing his tanned and muscular upper body.

Continue reading the bike test here.

 

LOOK E-ROAD BIKE

While both the mountain bike and commuter segments of the cycling industry grabbed the early embrace of e-bike design and production, it is now safe to say that batteries have come to the group ride as not just mainstream, but more telling, legacy road brands have jumped into the fray with their own versions of pedal-assist road bikes.

Two things to keep in mind; 1. there are more e-road bikes coming, and most importantly, 2. it’s not cheating.

 

GRAVEL BIKE TEST: TREK CHECKPOINT SL6

As much as the world’s biggest bike brands are frequently heralded for their game-changing innovations and forefront design capabilities, timing is not always part of the equation. Unquestionably a world leader in bike production and sales, when it comes to the gravel scene, Trek’s entry not only falls in line behind some of their biggest competitors, but also a wide variety of small-guy brands who proved far more capable at shifting their product line to embrace the dual-purpose market.

If our history is correct, right around the time that musings of this new gravel scene were beginning to rumble, Trek had gone deep with a big-budget cyclocross program. Although many big wins and championship titles resulted, the restrictive nature of the ’cross-specific bike design couldn’t have steered in a more opposite direction of where dual-purpose technology was headed.

Continue reading the bike test here. 

 

HED RELEASES VANQUISH 4 & 8

Press Release: Hed is very pleased to announce the completion of the Vanquish product family, with the new Vanquish 4 and Vanquish 8. Both feature an internal rim width of 21mm, and an outer rim width of 30mm. Like the Vanquish 6, these rims are disc-brake-specific and may not be used with rim brakes. All three Vanquish wheels feature unprecedented aerodynamic performance, with virtually no difference between 23mm, 25mm, and 28mm tires.

Like other Hed carbon wheels, the Vanquish 4 and 8 rims are made fully in-house at Hed’s own Minnesota factory. The wheels are also hand finished and assembled there, with Hed’s proven 545 Disc hub set – featuring compatibility with all major drivetrains and axle options.

Anne Hed, CEO of Hed Cycling, commented, “We are very proud of the Vanquish series and know that customers will love the new V4 and V8. They’re really changing what’s possible with aerodynamic performance and new tire sizes, and we can’t wait to see athletes around the world try them out!”

Vanquish wheel sets start at $2,500. V4 available now in limited quantities, V8 available August 1st, 2018. 

 

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]