Almost by definition, buyers turn to custom builders when what they want simply isn’t offered by the big brands. As a result, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show has been a consistent bellwether for the cycling industry, regularly preceding emerging trends in the mainstream by several years. This was definitely the case for the burgeoning gravel trend, but also for higher-end townies, fat bikes, the adventure scene, fixies, and so on.

That said, this year’s NAHBS was still awash in traditional road and track bikes, which, at least in theory could be easily purchased at your local brick-and-mortar shop — and with no waiting and a much smaller price tag to boot. But just because something is comparable on paper doesn’t make it so in reality, and all of these bikes at NAHBS nevertheless bring something special to the table.

That deciding factor could be as simple as a stunning paint job, or perhaps unique geometry. Other times, clients just want something different. Either way, the general cycling public might be growing soft on traditional road bikes in the mainstream market, but that segment of the industry is still very much alive and well in the custom world.

This photo gallery features the work of Chris Bishop, Bixxis, Cal Poly Bike Builders, Cherubim, Don Walker Cycles, Enigma, Eyewater, FiftyOne, Craig Gaulzetti, Horse Brand, Hot Tubes, Independent Fabrication, Moots, No. 22, T-Red, and Triton.

Enigma Bicycles took home the “Best Finish” prize at this year’s NAHBS for this gorgeous candy red road bike.

It’s difficult enough just to match the hue exactly of anodized aluminum components, but for Enigma to do it this well is truly an art form. Check out the subtle honeycomb pattern ghosted into the top tube, too.

The Campagnolo Record components were treated to the same pattern as the frame.

Your eyes are drawn to the custom-painted Campagnolo Record crankset. But don’t forget to spot the matching front derailleur cage as well.

Enigma stripped the carbon fiber hub shells of their original finish and painted them to match the rest of the bike.

Campagnolo normally affixes a simple decal to these rims, but that wouldn’t do for Enigma. Those decals were peeled off, and the logo was instead blasted directly on to the anodized surface.

Not many people would typically think to combine cream, brown, and black together, but it definitely works on this Enigma Echelon.

There’s not enough polished aluminum in the modern bicycle world.

The polishing and pantographing work on this Campagnolo Potenza crankset was done by CycloRetro in Melbourne, Australia.

The paint job on this FiftyOne carbon road racer is a modern interpretation of the old Team Z livery.

The paint scheme may not be the same as what Greg LeMond rode back in the day, but there’s no mistaking the colors used. The graphic on the top tube is an easy giveaway, too.

As is often the case with custom bikes, this FiftyOne paint scheme was inspired by a vintage Formula One car.

Cherubim created this amazing steel disc-brake all-road machine. The paint job was tagged “Care Bear Camo” by some.

As usual, Chris Bishop brought his A-game to NAHBS. This steel road bike presented an interesting combination of old and new.

Chris Bishop’s lugwork is exceptional, particularly in the way the points taper to virtually nothing.

This fastback seat cluster is a hallmark of Chris Bishop’s steel frames. Solid chromoly slugs are brazed into the ends of the seatstays, which are then brazed to the seat lug. It’s only after the entire frame is fully assembled that he drills and taps the binder bolt hole (which is blind on the non-driveside), and slots the seat tube.

The internally routed rear brake cable on this Chris Bishop’s frame is fully guided with a stainless steel tube. The polished ends are a very nice touch.

Another Chris Bishop signature feature is a the cutout in the lower head tube lug. According to Bishop, each one takes about an hour to carve.

The Bishop logo can be found on the brake bridge.

A subtle hit of color.

This bit started out as an old Campagnolo Nuovo Record seatpost. But then it fell into the hands of Jon Williams at Drillium Revival, and it turned into this.

This Cinelli 1/A stem met a similar fate as the seatpost.

It’s not uncommon for customers to become superfans of their favorite builder. This Chris Bishop track bike is destined for someone who already has several Bishops in his collection.

The raw finish leaves Chris Bishop’s brazing work in plain view.

The steel tubing is subtly shaped — presumably for aerodynamic reasons — and requires similarly shaped lugs to match.

Gorgeous Nagasawa rear-entry track dropouts on this Chris Bishop fixed-gear.

Chris Bishop is certainly cutting it close here.

NAHBS show organizer Don Walker is a builder himself, specializing in steel track bikes.

Walker’s material of choice is steel, and his preferred construction method is fillet brazing.

This Don Walker pursuit bike has been making the rounds for over a year now, but it’s still worth showing off again, if only for the ultra-extreme bar position.

Don Walker built this frame for horror artist Dick Starr.

The bones are meant to pay homage to Dick Starr’s work in the horror world, but mountain-bike fans who have been around for a while will undoubtedly be reminded of the Grateful Dead limited-edition Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo from the mid-1990s.

Craig Gaulzetti is back at it. This aluminum frame is an unapologetic race machine, complete with a stiff ride, quick handling, and a stout integrated seatmast.

Gaulzetti is also working in carbon fiber these days.

Independent Fabrications built this stunning Ti Factory Lightweight for a magazine test soon to be conducted by Top Velo in France.

The custom painted frame is stunning on its own, but the matching headset and stem really bring the whole thing together.

The banded transition on this custom painted Independent Fabrications Ti Factory Lightweight adds some pop to what would otherwise be a bland white-to-titanium edge.

Painters have been using the inside of the fork legs more prominently in recent years.

Reynolds announced in 2016 that it was working on 3D-printed dropouts in both titanium and steel. Two years later, the company is still finalizing details before heading into production, working closely with custom builders such as Independent Fabrications.

Independent Fabrications is yet another custom builder that has embraced the T47 threaded bottom bracket standard. Might we see it eventually make its way into the mainstream market?

Moots has been busy expanding its repertoire in recent years, but it’s still tough to beat one of its standard road bikes.

This polished panel treatment looks especially classy.

Moots is diving more heavily into anodized finishes.

Moots has successfully implemented the use of 3D-printed titanium dropouts on its disc-brake road and gravel models. By integrating the flat-mount interface into the 3D-printed part, Moots avoids the distortion issues that often come with welding the mounts on separately.

Like it or not, splatter paint jobs are back in a big way.

Even the bar and stem are painted to match on this Mosaic. This bike belongs to Shimano territory sales manager Sam Johnson, with colors chosen to match official company branding.

The No. 22 Great Divide is aimed at the all-road crowd with clearance for tires up to 28mm and butted titanium tubing for a smooth ride.

The Aurora is No. 22’s most race-worthy design, with an integrated carbon fiber seatmast and oversized tubing throughout for a snappy ride.

This polished finish is particularly striking.

The cast titanium seatmast topper is of No. 22’s own design.

Various “Easter eggs” are littered throughout each No. 22 frame.

No.22 can finish King titanium cages to match, too.

A beautiful seatstay bridge on this No. 22.

Anodizing titanium can be very tricky, but No. 22 seems to have mastered the process.

The best part about anodized finishes? They’re far more durable than paint.

T-Red first gained recognition with the Manaia aluminum road racer.

T-Red has started using raised graphics made of 3D-printed plastic. They’re bonded to the tube and then painted for a dramatic effect.

Triton made the trip to NAHBS from Russia.

Triton certainly doesn’t downplay its Russian origins.

A neat Triton logo laser etched into the brake bridge on this titanium road bike.

Paragon Machine Works titanium dropouts on this Triton road bike.

New builder Eyewater showed off this sleek carbon-fiber road bike.

The tubes are mitered and wrapped as in conventional tube-to-tube construction, but then compressed and cured in a mold for better structural properties.

Dropouts are carbon on Eyewater’s custom frame, too. Claimed frame weight for a 56cm size is 950g.

Hallelujah! Eyewater may be a new builder, but already has the wisdom to fit a threaded bottom bracket to its carbon-fiber frame.

Cutaways of Eyewater’s handiwork.

Favaloro is a one-man shop in Italy, building a wide variety of aluminum and carbon frames. Look closer at this one; it’s got a motor!

Felt was first to push the idea of left-hand drive for track bikes, but other companies have since followed suit.

Straight tubes, curved tubes, or whatever else you can imagine; Favaloro seems to be able to supply anything and everything.

The shaping on these chainstays seem more for show than function, but they look neat regardless.

Custom paint shop Hot Tubes had two incredible frames on display in its booth. Firefly Bicycles wasn’t technically at NAHBS, but its presence was obviously noticed.

The frame finish was a collaboration between Hot Tubes and designer Eric Bones.

This Horse track bike is a model of visual sublety.

The topo pattern on this Horse track bike is very nicely done.

The post Photo gallery: 2018 NAHBS custom road and track bikes appeared first on CyclingTips.

The recent growth of all-road and gravel riding has ushered in a new appreciation for touring and bikepacking. Indeed, the bikes that occupy this niche typically offer rack mounts so that buyers can fit racks, sometimes front and rear, for all their luggage. But what about those bikes that lack the necessary mounts? This is where Tailfin’s new T1 rack fits in, because it can be easily fitted to any road or gravel bike for hauling up to 18kg of luggage.

In this review, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a look at the T1 rack along with Tailfin’s matching panniers.

Tailfin began life as a Kickstarter campaign for an ultra-light carbon rack and panniers early in 2016. The man behind the system, Nick Broadbent, a mechanical engineer and product designer, started working on the project because he was frustrated with what the market had to offer.

His list of complaints was long, starting with the fact that most rear racks require dedicated frame mounts. That alone was enough to alienate most road cyclists but he could see that there was also a need for a quick-release system to speed up installation and make it easy to remove the rack when it wasn’t needed.

The end result was a lightweight rack with a carbon fibre mainframe and a trio of clamps for attaching it to the rear wheel and seatpost of the bike. A pair of panniers completed the new system, which was significantly lighter than what the market had to offer, something that Broadbent hoped would appeal to road cyclists.

However, for many road cyclists, the whole notion of using a rack and panniers is quite foreign, and arguably irrelevant. After all, the modern road bike has evolved to meet a need for speed rather than luggage capacity, so there was a risk that Broadbent’s new rack and pannier system wouldn’t have much appeal. And yet, Tailfin’s Kickstarter campaign was a huge success, bypassing its funding goal of £50,000 with ease to raise £150,000 from over 700 backers.

More than that, Tailfin managed to negotiate the tricky transition from a successful Kickstarter campaign to become a bona fide company on the strength of that appeal. Now there is room to question the initial assumption — that road cyclists simply have no use for racks and panniers — and acknowledge the possibility that the market has been ignoring the needs of road cyclists for a very long time.

One eye-catching feature to appeal to a new group of users

The biggest challenge for any kind of innovation is to capture the interest and imagination of prospective buyers while demonstrating the intent and promise of the product in a single glance. For Tailfin’s T1 rack, the choice of carbon fibre manages to achieve all of this while delivering one simple, and very powerful, message: this is no ordinary rack.

And it truly isn’t. Compared to Tailfin’s T1 rack, every other rack on the market appears rudimentary and primitive. The carbon fibre monocoque mainframe of the T1 fits onto the wheel like another set of stays for the frame, and rather than resort to a collection of Meccano-like fittings like every other rack on the market, there are just three simple clamps to lock the T1 rack in place.

The T1 rack is not the first to be designed to suit road bikes without dedicated mounts but with a load-carrying capacity of 18kg (9kg/pannier), it easily trumps Topeak’s Roadie Rack (7kg max.), Thule’s Tour Rack (11kg max.), and Arkel’s Randonneur Seat Post Rack (6kg max.). This has little to do with the use of carbon fibre, though — by anchoring the T1 rack to the rear wheel axle (rather than the seatstays or saddle rails), it is able to contend with a heavier load. It also means that no direct loads are placed on the frame, which will be a welcome sight for any buyer that owns a carbon fibre frame.

This last point was a crucial consideration that underpinned Broadbent’s engineering and guided the final design of the rack. Early prototypes were made from metal but Broadbent was always intent on capitalising on the strength-to-weight ratio of carbon fibre, the end result being that the T1 rack weighs just 350g (including clamps). The sight of carbon fibre will cause some shoppers to wince, though, because it inevitably adds to the cost of a product. And in this instance, it does: the asking price of AUD$440/US$350/£250/€290 is many-fold beyond what the rest of the market charges for a rear rack.

That’s enough to turn off most prospective buyers, but there is more to what Tailfin has to offer than just an exorbitantly priced rack.

Quick-install, quick-release

The T1 rack will fit just about any road bike on the market, regardless of whether it has standard quick-release axles or thru-axles. And thanks to the system of three simple clamps there is generally no need for tools, and the amount of time required to install the rack is only marginally longer than that required to replace the rear skewer or thru-axle.

Broadbent designed a purpose-built skewer and thru-axles to provide the primary mounting point for the T1 rack. This takes the form of a pair of 8mm diameter pegs that extend from either end of Tailfin’s skewer/thru-axles. This is where the alloy clamps located at the end of the T1’s carbon fibre legs lock into place.

Each leg clamp behaves like a latch, wrapping around the pegs with a spring-loaded pin to lock it into place. A quick squeeze of the clamp is all that is required to release the pin and open the latch so that it can be removed from the peg. Such simplicity increases the risk of theft, though, which is why a pair of anti-theft bolts is supplied with the rack; these thread into the clamp to bolt the latch closed.

The T1 rack has three clamps for attaching it to the seatpost and rear wheel.

A purpose-built skewer/thru-axle must fitted to the rear wheel before the T1 rack can be fitted. The leg clamps on the rack attach to pegs that extend from each end of the skewer/thru-axle.

Each alloy leg clamp opens up so that it can be fitted onto Tailfin’s purpose-built skewer/thru-axle.

The latch is locked in place by a spring-loaded pin.

The third clamp wraps around the seatpost.

A series of notches allows the size of the clamp to be adjusted…

…and a safety button stops the tension lever from springing open.

The seatpost serves as the other anchor point for the T1 rack. A pivoting alloy arm spans the distance between the carbon fibre mainframe and the post, and terminates with an adjustable clamp. Tailfin provides two straps — one short and the other long — so it is possible to fit the clamp around a thick aero seatpost up to 3 inches (7.5cm) deep. A hinged lever takes care of tensioning the strap with a safety button to make sure that it stays in place.

This trio of simple clamps ensure that the T1 rack is a doddle to install, and just as easy to remove when it’s not needed. This is quite distinct from traditional racks that can be considered semi-permanent additions to the bike: yes, they can be removed when desired, but the need for tools and keeping track of fiddly bolts is far more time-consuming and inconvenient than Tailfin’s effortless three-clamp system.

A set of panniers that integrate cleanly with the rack

Broadbent was not satisfied with re-visiting the design of the rack when developing the Tailfin system. The panniers also received the same kind of attention, and in particular, the mounting system. Anybody that has ever experienced a pannier rattling around on a rack will know that it is as torturous as a creaking bottom bracket, noisy cleats, or squealing brakes.

With an eye on his sanity, and another on gravel riding, Broadbent developed a dual-jawed clamp that hooks over the pair of 16mm diameter alloy stubs on the T1 rack. The cam lever that sits between the two hooks operates a pair of spring-loaded jaws that lock onto the underside of each stub, eliminating all play and any risk of a rattle.

A pair of 16mm diameter alloys stubs serve as the mounting point for Tailfin’s panniers.

The pannier clamp comprises a pair of hooks with spring-loaded jaws.

The lever that sits into the two hooks closes the jaws of the clamp onto the mounting stubs.

The mounting position for the clamp may not be adjustable but this prevents the pannier from sliding around on the rack.

Like many panniers, a hook is positioned near the bottom of the bag…

…that stops it from swinging away from the rack.

Like most panniers, there is a hook positioned lower down on the bag to stop it from swinging out from the rack. Fitting each bag to the rack is therefore a matter of engaging the lower hook and lifting the clamp onto the stubs, then closing the lever to lock it in place. For those that have used panniers before, it’s a familiar operation that can be completed with ease, even when the bag is weighed down by its contents.

Tailfin’s pannier offers 22L of storage and is 100% waterproof thanks to polyurethane backing, welded seams and a roll-top closure. A plastic frame is fitted inside each bag along with a full-length flap that provides two flat pockets for storage. The rest of the interior remains un-compartmentalised, and for those hoping to save some weight, the pocketed flap can be easily removed.

A pair of straps is provided on either side of the bag for securing the top of the bag once the top has been rolled closed. Tailfin also supplies a shoulder-strap with each bag; alternatively, the ends of the roll top can be mated to form a small carry-handle.

Finally, there is a choice two versions for the pannier — Super Light (SL) and Ultra Durable (UD) — that differ in the weight and durability of the construction materials; an external zippered pocket has also been added to the latter. The SL is made from 240D nylon with a layer of 420D nylon coated with Hypalon (a synthetic rubber compound) for the base. The UD makes use of 420D nylon/Hypalon throughout with two layers of the material for the base, and according to Tailfin, the difference adds 150g to the weight of the bag.

Weights, options, extras and prices

The T1 rack sent for review weighed 355g while each SL pannier weighed 825g with mounting hardware and the internal pocketed flap, or 690g without the internal flap. As for the axles, the quick-release skewer weighed 75g compared to 62-63g for the thru-axles. For those counting grams, that makes for a total as little as 1,735g for a rack and two bags.

As for pricing, the T1 rack sells for AUD$440/US$350/£250/€290 while the panniers (SL or UD) cost AUD$160/US$125/£90/€100 each. Buyers can save a bit of money by opting for a rack and bag bundle, which start at AUD$564/US$450/£320/€360 for one bag while a bundle with two bags costs AUD$705/US$565/£400/€455. All are available with worldwide shipping and a choice of all major currencies through Tailfin’s online store.

Every rack ships with a skewer/thru-axle — buyers simply pick one when placing an order. At present there are four options: standard quick-release (to suit 130mm and 135mm hubs), or, a 12 x 142 mm thru-axle with either 1.0mm, 1.5mm, or 1.75mm thread pitch. Also included with the rack is a short plastic mudguard that clips onto the carbon mainframe along with a set of adapters that convert the 16mm stubs into a 12mm diameter rail for fitting other brands of panniers.

Tailfin supplies one quick-release skewer or a 12x142mm thru-axle with each T1 rack.

A collection of adapters allows the thru-axle to be fitted to a variety of bikes.

Two straps and a small mudguard are also included with the rack.

The longer strap will wrap around aero seatposts up to 7.5cm wide.

The mudguard slides onto a pin on the underside of the mainframe with a elastic strap to keep it in place.

A set of adapters that converts the 16mm diameter stubs into a 12mm diameter rail is yet another extra included with the T1 rack.

The rail adapter means that standard panniers can be mounted onto the T1 rack.

All mounting hardware is included with every Tailfin pannier along with the inner flap with pockets, a shoulder strap, and a set of inserts for the mounting clamp so that the bag can be used with standard racks that have 8mm, 10mm and 12mm diameter tubing.

Tailfin offers a five-year warranty against manufacturing defects for all of its products. The company also offers a range of spares for both the rack and bags, and in the event that one or both are damaged in a crash, owners can take advantage of a crash replacement discount of 30%.

For more information on the T1 rack and it SL and UD bags, visit Tailfin.

Out of the box and onto a bike

As mentioned above, Tailfin’s rack and panniers are very easy to install. I installed both on at least six different bikes during the review period, and in every case, I only ever required a few moments to complete the task.

In the past, I have wrestled with a variety of conventional racks, and in every instance, the installation process was time-consuming and tedious. In contrast, the T1 rack was a joy to install, and I never hesitated to swap it from one bike to another. After the first few installations, my efficiency actually improved so that it was no more demanding than fitting a rear wheel to the bike.

One important consideration when fitting a rack and panniers to any bike is to make sure there is plenty of heel clearance. This issue is akin to toe overlap for the front wheel and is dependent on the length of the chainstays and cranks, the size of the rider’s feet, and to a lesser extent, the position of the cleats. This is why many panniers offer an amount of sliding adjustment for the mounting hooks and clips, and can be fitted at multiple positions along the length of a conventional rack.

The T1 rack is well suited to standard road frames…

…as well as all-road bikes with disc brakes.

The adjustable seatpost clamp can accommodate thick aero designs…

…and there is room for larger tyres, too.

Tailfin’s rack and panniers do not offer any of this adjustment, so I was initially concerned that heel clearance might be an issue. However, it soon became clear that this was something that Nick Broadbent had given plenty of thought to by providing a generous rearward position for the bags. The bags also tilt forwards on the rack so that the lowest part is positioned even further away from the pedals, often well behind the seatstays.

As a result, the heels of my large feet (size 46 shoes) never touched the panniers, even when the bike had short stays (405mm) and 175mm cranks. Indeed, the amount of clearance was very impressive, and while that’s not enough to rule out the risk for those riders with large feet and a fondness for long cranks, it remains quite small.

The only issue that I could identify for the T1 rack concerns any road/cyclocross/gravel bikes that employ employ proprietary threadless thru-axles such as Manitou’s HexLock SL or Naild’s 12-3-9 system. There is no way to install one of Tailfin’s thru-axles on these bikes however the company is working to eliminate these incompatibilities by creating suitable threaded adapters. An adapter has already been created for Focus’ Rapid Axle Technology (RAT) and more are on the way.

Another smaller consideration relates to tyre size: the carbon mainframe arches closely over the rear tyre, so there is a limit to the size of the tyre that can be used with the rack. Tailfin recommends a maximum of 700 x 35C, however I had no trouble fitting a rack onto a bike with 700 x 40C tyres. I’m told that Tailfin has an MTB-specific rack on the drawing board that will accommodate larger tyres, but for now, there’s a chance that the T1 won’t fit some gravel/gravel plus/monstercross bikes with big tyres.

The mainframe of the rack provides plenty of clearance for 25C tyres…

…28C tyres…

…30C tyres…

…and even 40C tyres.

On the road with Tailfin

If it wasn’t clear from my comments above, Tailfin’s T1 rack and panniers made a strong and very favourable impression on me during installation, but my appreciation for the system went up a notch once I started road-testing it. The rack was impressively stout and the panniers unshakeable, so the whole system went largely undetected while I was riding my bike.

The most satisfying aspect was how silent the system was. The only time I heard any noise from the rear of the bike was when a couple of tools started clinking from within one of the bags. The rack and panniers never suffered from any vibrations, and perhaps more importantly, there was no obvious sway, even when I was out of the saddle.

I tackled a variety of terrain during the review period, paved and unpaved, and all of the clamps remained steadfast and secure throughout it all. I couldn’t find any evidence that the clamps could slide about, either, and after a week of riding, I had complete confidence in the system. In fact, I started to take it for granted.

There was no overlooking the effect of the luggage in the bags, of course. The extra weight was immediately obvious, even when the bags were packed sparingly. This is something that applies to any rack and pannier, and requires a few precautions, such as taking care when rising out of the saddle or stopping for a set of traffic lights. More effort is simply required to keep the bike upright at all times.

It is for this reason that it is worth taking the time to get accustomed to the extra weight, slowly increasing it over time, to get a feel for how it can affect the handling of the bike. It will also be quick to take its toll on the legs and lungs, requiring a more conservative approach (and lower gearing!) when making an effort on the bike.

That isn’t to say that the bike can’t be ridden fast. Indeed, the sturdiness of Tailfin’s rack and panniers was quick to shine whenever I lifted my speed, but it was futile to press hard on the pedals when I didn’t have the momentum. Thus, I was quick to lose speed on any kind of incline, but once I was over the top, I could use the extra weight to pick up speed. I was able to surprise a riding buddy by doing this but when it came to the final sprint, I was outclassed due to a lack of responsiveness.

I used bottles of water to vary the weight of my luggage, but even with multiple bottles, I wasn’t able to get close to the maximum load capacity of 18kg. What I really needed was a set of weights to test Tailfin’s claims, but even then, any effort I made was bound to look amateurish next to Tailfin’s lab-tests and the independent verification that was done to satisfy ISO 11243:2016.

The feedback from Tailfin’s backers and customers has been overwhelmingly positive, and according to the company, around 1,500 racks have been put to use without a single failure (though some have been damaged or broken in crashes). That’s not enough to prove the reliability and durability of the T1 rack, but when coupled with a thoughtful design that takes advantage of the load-bearing capacity of the rear wheel and the short-term performance reported here, it looks very promising.

With that said, it is worth pointing out that adding a rack and panniers to a road bike will require some extra consideration, especially for those riders that weigh over 90kg. The weight limit for many wheels is often 120kg, however it can be lower (e.g. 100kg), especially for some performance-oriented builds. Considering that a road bike with lights and a couple of bidons can approach 10kg, heavier riders may find themselves challenging the weight limit of the rear wheel even before they have started filling the bags with their gear.

Having witnessed first-hand the kind of toll that luggage can take on the rear wheels of touring bikes, this is not something that can be ignored, even by riders that weigh less than 90kg. A low spoke count, narrow tyre, and/or low tyre pressures will exacerbate the risk, resulting in pinch-flats, broken spokes and/or a damaged rim. Thus, a change in tyre and/or a move to a heavy-duty wheel may be prudent, especially for those riders planning to make full use of Tailfin’s luggage capacity.

Summary and final thoughts

Tailfin’s T1 rack and UL pannier is an innovative luggage system that unlocks the latent utility of modern road bikes. Both products offer buyers a number of thoughtful features, and while the asking price of the rack is high, it’s a small cost compared to buying a dedicated commuting or touring bike that can accommodate a conventional rack.

With that said, the carrying capacity of the T1 rack is limited to 18kg, which won’t impress (or satisfy) bikepackers that need to carry much more luggage for an extended outing. This is the realm where a specialised bike and heavy-duty rack systems are required, a niche that Tailfin is not trying to fill with the T1 rack or UL panniers. Its target market comprises commuters, day-trippers, overnighters, and traditional road cyclists discovering an interest in light-and-fast touring, where 18kg is likely to be a generous luggage allowance.

It is easy to label any product as innovative, but in creating the T1 rack, Tailfin has demonstrated just how much room there was for improving the design of a rear rack. It’s not a product that every road cyclist will need, but I think it’s one that the market was in need of, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it ushers in a new era of products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Tailfin T1 rack and Super Light pannier review appeared first on CyclingTips.

One of the best things about the annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show is the tremendous variety of bikes on display. Traditional roadies always make a strong showing, of course, but the countless gravel, cyclocross, randonneur, and town bikes on display provide visual evidence to the diverse interests of enthusiast cyclists. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

Custom bikes have long been the primary domain of road riders, but the explosion of genres at NAHBS also reflects the expanding interests of enthusiast cyclists. It’d be easy to point the finger at perceived decreases in road safety, but the fact of the matter is that long-time roadies are also discovering in droves that there’s more to riding than asphalt. Venturing off road may be safer, but it’s also heaps of fun.

Not that dirt and gravel are the only alternatives, either. This year’s NAHBS. held in Hartford, Connecticut, dedicated an entire section of the showroom floor to randonneuring — essentially the road riding equivalent to running ultramarathons. There’s growing interest in that genre these days, but builders certainly haven’t forgotten that segment’s traditional roots.

This third edition of our NAHBS coverage features bikes from Boo Bicycles, Breismeister Bicycles, Chapman Cycles, Co-Motion Cycles, FiftyOne Bikes, Horse Brand, Hot Tubes, J.P. Weigle, McGovern Cycles, Moots, Mosaic, No. 22, Olivetti Bicycles, Shamrock Cycles, Sklar Bikes, Stinner Frameworks, and T-Lab Bikes.

FiftyOne Bikes has quickly earned a reputation for crafting some of the best-looking carbon fiber road racers around.

The matching Silca Impero is a nice touch. Full-length frame pumps are suddenly cool again.

This FiftyOne was commissioned by Blacksmith Cycle in Toronto, Canada.

Once you see painted-to-match cockpits, it’s hard to go back to stock.

Stays are molded in-house by FiftyOne.

Boo Bicycles continues to refine its range of bamboo bikes, and this latest crop is certainly its best-looking yet. This one is destined for the father of company founder Nick Frey.

Flat-mount rear dropouts are made of carbon fiber.

The raw finish leaves the wrapping pattern exposed at the bottom bracket.

Boo Bicycles now uses automotive structural foam to help smooth the transitions between small- and large-diameter tubes. The inside of the bamboo tubes are reinforced with “ballistic fiberglass.”

This Chapman Cycles randonneur machine is quite modern from a functional standpoint, but still with a strong vintage look and feel.

The matching lugged steel stem and head tube are gorgeous on this Chapman Cycles randonneur bike. Note how the lines on the colored panels line up perfectly.

Pack light, move fast.

Chapman Cycles was undoubtedly glad to see NAHBS finally make its first trip to the New England area.

Co-Motion’s Klatch gravel bike hails from the American Pacific Northwest.

Note how the painted stem matches the Klatch logo on this Co-Motion. Beautiful.

There wasn’t one single hugely predominant category of bike on hand at this year’s NAHBS, but gravel bikes were certainly in plentiful supply. This one from Breismeister was hard to miss.

The head tube lugs are fillet-brazed to the top tube and down tube, while the head tube is brazed in place in a more conventional fashion.

This Breismeister is set for a long day in the saddle.

Boulder, Colorado, builder Peter Olivetti displayed this gorgeous steel disc road/gravel frameset at NAHBS. Stay tuned for a Bikes of the Bunch from this builder soon.

Peter Olivetti’s grandfather had a habit of tossing extra change into old coffee cans. When he passed away, Olivetti decided to take those coins and incorporate them into his frames.

According to Peter Olivetti, using his grandfather’s old coins like this is not only a way of keeping his memory alive, but it also provides a personal touch to his clients, each of which can dig through the cans and choose which coins they’d like to use on their new frame.

Shamrock Cycles sat out this year’s NAHBS, but still managed to sneak one of its steel ‘cross bikes into the SRAM booth.

A fun play on Shamrock Cycles’ logo at the water bottle bosses.

Tiny Paragon Machine Works flat-mount thru-axle dropouts on this Shamrock Cycles steel ‘cross bike.

Shamrock Cycles is among the many custom builders who have adopted the T47 threaded bottom bracket format.

While the materials and target usages may vary, many Sklar frames have a very identifiable aesthetic.

Canadian builder T-Lab works exclusively in titanium, featuring radically shaped tubing that it says rivals the performance of carbon fiber.

The top tube is dramatically flattened in an effort to boost the lateral rigidity of the front triangle. Does it work? Hard to say without riding it.

The seat tube is especially curvaceous.

How flattened are the tubes on T-Lab’s titanium frames? It’d be hard for them to be any flatter.

T-Lab uses dropouts of its own design, too. Note how the brake mount isn’t connected to either stay at all so as to leave all of the tubes free to flex as intended.

Stinner Frameworks had several bikes scattered about the show floor, including this beautiful baby blue townie. And as a general rule of thumb, painted-to-match fenders always look good.

No. 22 recently launched a stock program, featuring set geometries and build kits. According to the company, this Drifter gravel model is now its most popular.

The color anodized finish is nicely complemented by the painted-to-match fork and stem. And in this case, there’s also an anodized-to-match Silca Impero frame pump with a special titanium body.

No. 22 is one of several small builders who have moved to T47 threaded bottom brackets.

Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles has rocketed to prominence since its humble beginnings in 2009. The company earned its reputation initially by building top-quality frames in titanium and steel, but it really began to gain widespread recognition with its incredible finishes.

The Mosaic gravel bike on its own is eye-catching enough. But then you also notice the two matching Silca pumps.

How did frame pumps become cool again? All it took was for someone to make a really good one again — and it also helped that the design of the Silca Impero lends itself to being custom painted.

Paragon Machine Works doesn’t yet make a direct-mount hanger for Shimano’s compatible road rear derailleurs. But the mountain-bike version is apparently close enough for the folks at Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles.

Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles recently branched out into the townie market with the introduction of its CT-1 model last year.

Moots showed off a prototype gravel bike featuring a special version of its long-standing YBB rear suspension unit. Designed as a go-anywhere-do-anything machine, the design will readily accept either 700x or 650b wheels and tires.

Whereas the standard mountain-bike version of the Moots YBB suspension unit offers 32mm of travel using a combination of a steel coil spring and elastomer, this version offers a more modest amount of movement and makes do with just an elastomer for a lighter-weight setup.

Moots showed off four new anodized finishes for its titanium frames.

Chris McGovern, of McGovern Cycles, once raced professionally for the likes of Jelly Belly, HealthNet, and Sierra Nevada. But these days, he occupies his time crafting custom-made carbon fiber bikes.

The paint on this McGovern gravel bike is almost too nice to ride.

Real metal head tube badges are always nice to see, but this painted one will do, too.

This year’s NAHBS had an entire section dedicated to randonneuring bikes.

Very pretty.

One of the best things about titanium bicycle frames is how thoroughly they can be refurbished. This Seven Tsunami SL is over ten years old, but you’d hardly notice by looking at it.

Hot Tubes did an amazing job on the paint on this old Seven Tsunami SL. The fade detail on the edge of the painted section is particularly spectacular.

Horse doesn’t just make bikes; it’s also a design firm dabbling in the outdoor, camping, and surf worlds.

The post Photo gallery: 2018 NAHBS custom gravel, CX, rando, and town bikes appeared first on CyclingTips.

Traditional double-diamond bicycle frames naturally lend themselves to custom construction, which is perhaps why the hand-built industry has typically focused on hardtails when it comes to mountain bikes. Complex suspension designs require increasingly complicated (and expensive) R&D work, not to mention highly specialized parts, and that sort of thing just isn’t in the cards for most bespoke fabricators.

That doesn’t mean that this year’s NAHBS was devoid of bikes meant for trail duty, especially when that definition has grown increasingly amorphous in recent years. Standard hardtails were present as always, but also an expanding population of adventure bikes that are challenging notions for where drop bars can go.

Perhaps one of the best stories to come out of NAHBS was from veteran builder Mike DeSalvo. Instead of bringing a collection of bikes to this year’s show, he decided that he would bring just one — and he not only let his fans choose which bike that would be through an online contest, but he declared that whoever came up with the best idea would get to take that bike home with them.

The winning idea was a modern interpretation of the drop-bar mountain bikes that legendary racer John Tomac used on the NORBA and World Cup circuits in the 1990s. Whether you loved the concept or hated it, few could argue with how well it was executed.

This photo gallery also features the work of Altruiste Bikes, Appleman Bicycles, Bingham Built, Fat Chance Bikes, Groovy Cycleworks, Independent Fabrication, Moots, Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles, No. 22 Bicycle Company, Northern Frameworks, Olivetti Bicycles, Porter Cycles, Sklar Bikes, Stinner Frameworks, T-Red, and Vlad Cycles.

Rody Walter of Groovy Cycleworks built this 27.5+ hardtail for a client who collects vintage mountain bikes. The paint is meant to pay tribute to a time gone by, and despite what you may think, it was far from the only splatter scheme at the show. Splatter is clearly back in a big way.

The welded chromoly crankarms are not only stiff, but provide another opportunity for paint.

Industry Nine’s “Ano Lab” program allows people to choose their own anodized colors for the aluminum spokes.

Three-piece bars are a bit of a signature feature on Groovy Cycleworks mountain bikes.

Even the MRP suspension fork is painted to match. Getting proper coverage on the webbed arch couldn’t have been easy.

The baby blue finish on this Groovy Cycleworks titanium hardtail isn’t paint; it’s an ultra-durable ceramic coating called Cerakote.

Rody Walter of Groovy Cycleworks left some parts of the titanium frame polished, but blasted other sections. The two textures make for extra visual effect with the masked Cerakote finish.

The machined titanium chainstay yoke comes courtesy of Paragon Machine Works.

In theory, the curved seatstays should make for a somewhat smoother ride than you might get from straight stays. But mostly, it just looks really cool.

The T47 oversized and threaded bottom bracket format has yet to gain favor in the mainstream market, but it’s been widely embraced by the custom world.

Fat Chance made yet another appearance at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, showing off a few throwback paint jobs that harken back to the brand’s original glory days in the mid-1990s.

Chris Chance may be back in the framebuilding business after a long hiatus, but I took more interest in this old Team Fat Chance that was hiding behind the booth. I positively lusted after one of these 25 years ago, and the added S&S couplers make it much easier to transport.

Mike DeSalvo brought just one bike to this year’s NAHBS, but there was quite a story behind it. Long-time fans of mountain bike racing will note the John Tomac inspiration.

It wasn’t long ago that these tires would have been considered unusually wide. These days, however, they’re barely adequate for modern trail riding.

The blue-anodized bits from Paul Components and White Industries constrasted against the raw titanium nicely.

Lead builder Brad Bingham took over the reins at Kent Eriksen Cycles not long ago. Knowing full well that he won’t be able to head a company named after someone who isn’t building bikes there anymore, he’s gradually been trickling out the “Bingham Built” brand.

The chainstays are admirably short for a titanium 29er hardtail, and the large-diameter tubing promises a snappy feel under power, too.

The subtly kinked seat tube allows the rear wheel to be tucked in just a bit closer to the bottom bracket without compromising tire clearance.

Welded flat-mount brake tabs can wreak havoc on frame alignment since the localized heat frequently distorts the tube to which they’re welded. To help combat the issue, Brad Bingham welds the tabs on to the chainstay first, and then bends and miters the tube afterward before it’s welded into the rest of the frame. The posts are machined afterward to ensure a proper fit.

Custom carbon fiber builder Matt Appleman has come a long way since first displaying at NAHBS in 2011. This adventure bike looks supremely capable, but also quite packable thanks to integrated S&S couplers on the top tube and down tube.

The tube-to-tube construction is left exposed to the world, leaving little to hide (at least on the surface layers).

The split seatstay allows the toothed Gates belt to slip inside the rear triangle.

The Rohloff 14-speed internally geared rear hub normally only works with a twist shifter and flat handlebars. But this adapter from Gebla allows the hub to work with modified road shifters.

Appleman says this bike has room for tires up to 4″-wide. Rack mounts are built into the seatstays, too.

Altruiste’s 29er full-suspension trail bike not only garnered a lot of long stares, but won the “best in show” award.

The rear end features a concentric bottom bracket pivot and an offset shock location.

Independent Fabrication finished this Titanium Deluxe 29er hardtail in one of its earliest paint schemes.

The bare titanium rear end and bottom bracket area provide practicality in areas that are commonly subjected to extra abuse.

The Shimano XTR Di2 electronic drivetrain works superbly, and also makes for a cleaner look on account of the internal wire routing. From the shifter, the wire loops back and feeds into the handlebar, through the stem, and then into the frame.

Post mount brake interfaces are much more common in the mountain-bike world these days, but that doesn’t mean these IS tabs are any less pretty to look at. The dropouts are machined by Paragon Machine Works using Independent Fabrication’s own design, with one key benefit being that owners will have a much easier time sourcing replacement derailleur hangers as needed.

The Moots Farwell 27.5+ hardtail has room for tires up to 2.8″-wide. Riders can also swap with more conventional 29er wheels and tires for more of a cross-country setup.

The “Birch” finish features a brushed logo with brown-anodized outlines.

Peter Olivetti built for himself this 29+ singlespeed, outfitted for long rides in the foothills surrounding his workshop in Boulder, Colorado. The double curved top tubes provide a perfect place for the custom frame bag.

Boulder, Colorado’s iconic flatirons are depicted in Olivetti’s head tube badge.

Olivetti calls his 29+ hardtail the “Thunder Pig,” making this one of the greatest bike logos of all time.

Porter Cycles showed off this TIG-welded steel machine, which looked to be well-suited for everything from commuting, errands around town, all-day adventuring, and overnight bikepacking.

Porter Cycles crafted the custom front and rear racks, too.

There is almost always a predominant theme at each NAHBS. This year, however, the prevailing theme was that there wasn’t one. There was a huge variety of bikes on display, such as this Northern adventure machine, which reflects the increasingly diverse tastes of discerning cycles.

It wasn’t long ago that tires like this would be solely restricted to serious trail use. But now, they’re commonly found on adventure machines with drop bars.

Bigger tires, hub dynamos, lights, versatile geometries, wide-range gearing, you name it. Riders these days want to do it all, and often on the same bike.

This Mosaic GT-2 adventure machine looks ready for anything with its meaty 650b wheels and tires, extended rear end, and full accoutrement of cargo bags from Denver-based company JPaks.

Another favorite among the handbuilt crowd is just about any tire from Compass, thanks to ultra-flexible casings that lend a smooth and supple ride.

Looking to add a bit of class for trail riding? No. 22’s Old King 29er is about as classy as it gets with its welded titanium frame and anodized finish.

Stinner Frameworks had this hardtail in the FSA booth – and this particular bike just happened to be for Aaron Stinner himself.

T-Red showed off this intriguing Hedera 29er hardtail at NAHBS. While it looks fairly normal, there are secrets hiding inside the seatstays and seat tube.

One hint at what T-Red is trying to achieve is the flat-mount rear brake, which is highly unusual for a mountain bike. T-Red says the more compact footprint allows the rear end to flex more readily on rough trails.

T-Red says the spindly seatstays offer plenty of flex on bumps, but it’s the nickel-titanium inserts inside the titanium tubes that supposedly lend some damping effect for a more controlled feel.

Sklar Bikes hails from Bozeman, Montana, and the spirit of adventure is alive and well here.

This Vlad Cycles looks ready for serious exploring with its 650b Road Plus wheels, MRP suspension fork, and custom frame bag.

The post Photo gallery: 2018 NAHBS custom mountain, adventure bikes appeared first on CyclingTips.

A gathering like the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is always bound to yield more than its fair share of outliers: bikes that fall well left-of-center, whether it be for purely visual reasons, or because its intended purpose is so far from the mainstream that you could never hope to find anything remotely equivalent in the mass market.

This year’s NAHBS was no different in that respect, and while casual onlookers might judge many of these unusual builds as frivolous design exercises, the fact of the matter is that nearly all of them were built for someone who specifically commissioned such a thing — and is presumably happy with the end result.

So judge not, and instead revel in the level of creativity displayed. These bikes might not be for you, but then again, that’s the beauty of custom. By definition, they only need to satisfy one person, and one person alone. And chances are, that person doesn’t care what you think, anyway. To each their own.

This photo gallery features the work of Ascari Bicycles, Bamboo Articulation, Bilenky Cycle Works, Black Sheep Bikes, the Cal Poly Bike Builders Club, Carrer Wooden Bicycles, Chapman Cycles, English Cycles, Juliet Designs, Porter Cycles, SaltAir Cycles, Squid Bikes, and Stanridge Cycles.

New builder Juliet Designs had a steady swarm of people surrounding its booth at NAHBS thanks to the striking lines of this carbon fiber frame.

Bikes like this are often viewed solely as design exercises, but Juliet Designs absolutely intends for its unique creation to be ridden.

The frame is obviously radical in appearance, but the rack mounts indicate at least a modicum of attention paid to everyday practicality.

Juliet Designs set out to make something different. Needless to say, mission accomplished.

The frame was basically constructed in two halves, and then joined together at the seat cluster, bottom bracket, and head tube. Juliet Designs had two versions of this frame on hand at NAHBS: one made purely of carbon fiber, and this one made with a wooden core.

Very clever, very striking.

Juliet Designs made this carbon fiber brake lever, too.

New builder Porter Cycles attracted quite a crowd with this art deco-inspired steel track frameset.

The polished stainless steel tube peeks through the cutouts in the one-piece head tube lug.

The seat tube treatment is striking.

The rear dropouts are filed to match the rest of the frame.

The gold seatstay bridge stands out nicely.

The stepped cutout on the seat lug is in keeping with the design of the rest of the frame.

Rob English didn’t come to this year’s NAHBS, but his presence was most certainly felt. This incredible tandem time trial bike was on display at the FSA booth.

Amazingly, the tandem was designed for (relatively) easy transport with stoker main tubes that clamped in place. Once the stoker tubes are unclamped and removed, the entire tandem could pack down rather compactly.

The stoker handlebar mounts to a sliding stem clamped to the ovalized top tube.

This incredible tandem touring rig from Chapman Cycles was simply stunning.

Chapman Cycles built this tandem for the long haul with plenty of carrying capacity.

Lots of classic touches here.

The custom trailer was a sight to behold in and of itself.

A good use for an old headset.

The attachment method to the rear hub is quite intricate. Note how Chapman Cycles polished various bits on the vintage Phil Wood disc-brake rear hub.

Fluted seatposts seem to be making a comeback based on bikes displayed at NAHBS.

One of the most interesting bikes at this year’s NAHBS was a prototype folding bike from Black Sheep, designed by a mechanical engineering professor at Colorado State University.

The clever design makes for very easy packing inside a standard S&S travel case. Photo: Bert Vermeulen.

The pivot placement – just above the bottom bracket – sits almost exactly halfway in between the dropouts so as to create the smallest possible package.

The keyed locking mechanism up top looks crude in this prototype form, but its design makes for an extremely rigid connection between the two halves.

One of the toughest parts of travel bikes is how the wheels just don’t get that small (or narrow). But with this patented design, the front hub can be removed from the rest of the wheel via three quick-release levers. Once the hub is removed, the front and rear wheels can nest directly against each other, saving precious space in a travel case.

Another bit that is often challenging for compact packaging in a travel case is the cockpit.

However, these MorfTech bars – originally designed for triathletes – fold forward to fit more easily in a travel case. Soon, they’ll be fitted with conventional drop-style bends, too.

The telescoping steerer tube shaft extends down through the fork crown when the bike is folded, so a conventional front brake thru-bolt wouldn’t work. Instead, Black Sheep built a custom fork that uses the short mounting stub of a rear brake, leaving the center of the tube open.

This SaltAir city bike features a Pinion gearbox transmission and Gates toothed belt drive, which require virtually zero maintenance.

Pinion’s latest gearbox designs are built with a magnesium case that’s both smaller and lighter than earlier aluminum ones. Adding to this bike’s durability is the stainless steel chainring.

Pinion’s top-end P1.18 gearbox offers a monumental 636% total range, all in 18 equally spaced steps for maximum usability.

Squid Bikes is best known for its incredible paint jobs, all of which are done with spray cans.

The resulting aesthetic is undoubtedly distinctive.

Paul Components built for this Squid a custom fixed-gear version of its WORD singlespeed disc rear hub.

Funnest head tube badge ever? Maybe.

Stanridge built this frame from a mix of steel and balsa foam. The shape pays homage to an old 3Rensho design.

The flutes on the stainless steel seatmast are elegantly painted.

While it can be debated whether this design has any aerodynamic or structural benefit, it’s undeniably striking.

All of this shaping could presumably be made fairly light were it constructed of carbon fiber. But it’s not, and the result is pretty weighty.

Winged extensions help bolster the rear end.

The left-hand FSA drivetrain was originally made for the United States Olympic program.

The ghosted head tube badge looks fantastic.

Stanridge builder Adam Eldridge built this track bike for the folks at FSA.

Ironically, Stanridge replaced the stock FSA hub with one custom made by Phil Wood.

The single front disc brake can be actuated by either brake lever, courtesy of a modified adapter made by Problem Solvers.

Bilenky Bicycles was on hand at this year’s NAHBS, and despite the host city’s proximity to the hometown of the New England Patriots, the company was proudly touting its Philadelphia roots. For those who don’t follow American football, the underdog Philadelphia Eagles recently triumphed over the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and Philadelphians are expectedly elated.

This Bilenky cargo bike sports a neat tie-rod system for the front wheel.

The Shimano STEPS mid-drive motor helps rider haul heavy loads.

Ascari Bicycles definitely has a strong throwback theme to its unusual aesthetic.

This sort of ornamentation is rarely seen on bicycles.

Ascari’s unique look isn’t for everyone, but it might be for you.

Ascari Bicycles hails from Brooklyn, New York, but it’s unlikely you’ll ever see one locked up on the street somewhere.

Bamboo ARTiculation’s clever kid’s bike is made from bamboo, of course, but it can also be configured to fit a wide range of rider heights thanks to a frame that can flipped up or down. It can even be fitted with a drivetrain as skills improve.

What was arguably even better than the bikes at NAHBS were the enthusiastic fans, who hailed from all aspects of cycling and marveled at what the builders had created. I didn’t have a chance to catch this kid’s name, but he was clearly fascinated with much of what he saw. Way to go, kid. Bikes are rad.

The post Photo gallery: 2018 NAHBS wild custom creations appeared first on CyclingTips.

I recently evaluated the top high-end, Zwift-compatible indoor trainers on the market in a four-way comparison test, where, unfortunately for Elite, its flagship Drivo model finished dead last thanks to an awkward and aging frame design that was neither easy to live with nor adequately stable. Elite’s new Direto may not be able to compete with the Drivo on paper, but its far better design still makes it a more desirable option for most users.

Numbers can be deceiving

For the data-driven crowd, the Direto’s specifications can’t hold a candle to the Drivo (or any other premium smart trainer for that matter). The 1,400W maximum resistance falls short by a substantial 900W, the maximum simulated slope is a comparatively modest 14% (the Drivo goes up to 24%), and whereas Elite claims a +/- 1% accuracy for its built-in optical power meter for the Drivo, the Direto isn’t even half as good at +/- 2.5%.

The Drivo’s optical power meter is equipped with an unusually high sampling rate — 24 times per crank rotation — and an optional Elite app uses that data to provide a graphical display of your pedaling efficiency. The Direto’s meter offers a similar feature, but with half the measurement points, so the resolution isn’t as good.

The Direto’s flywheel is also lighter at just 4.2kg (9.26lb) as compared to the Drivo’s heftier 6kg (13.23lb) unit).

The comparison between the Drivo and Direto sounds rather cut-and-dried, then, no? As is often the case, however, the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

The Direto’s 72cm-wide footprint is much more stable than the 56cm one on the Drivo. Were Elite to incorporate the Drivo’s guts into this frame, that would really make that more expensive model much more competitive.

Fitter users will indeed bump up against the Direto’s limits. The climb up to the radio tower on Zwift’s Watopia Island is steeper than 14%, for example, and you can feel things level off a bit despite the screen telling you that you’re pointed more directly skyward. Likewise, strong sprinters will regularly exceed 1,400W of peak output.

That said, the Direto’s capabilities should suffice for most everyday users of more average fitness, the majority of which will be perfectly ok with those restrictions given the unit’s other advantages.

Compared to pricier competition, the “direct-drive” Direto is indeed a touch slower to respond to changes in slope on Zwift and other interactive online training environments, and the lighter flywheel doesn’t maintain momentum quite as well as units that have more inertia. It’s hardly off-putting, though, and in fact, the road feel is sufficiently realistic overall that I doubt most people would even notice. Likewise, the Direto is impressively quiet, generating just 61dB when cranking out 200W at 32km/h (20mph) — barely louder than the Drivo.

The Elite Direto packs all of the latest wireless features for a wide range of app compatibility.

Better power meter accuracy is often a top selling point when it comes to premium Zwift-compatible trainers, but Elite seems to be selling the Direto short here. Despite the modest claims, I found the Direto’s numbers to be dead-on as compared to several power meters I used for reference, and easily on-par with the Drivo.

The latest array of Bluetooth, ANT+, and FE-C wireless protocols let the Direto talk nicely with the majority of popular training apps, too, in the event that Zwift isn’t really your thing.

The frame design on the newer Direto clearly reaps the benefits of time. Its 72cm-wide footprint is a substantial 16cm broader than the Drivo, and combined with the more centered weight distribution, makes for vastly improved stability that feels rock-solid during all-out sprint workouts. That stability applies to thick carpeted surfaces, too, and unlike with the Drivo, the Direto’s outboard feet can be adjusted for uneven flooring.

The Direto’s housing is plastic, just like on the Drivo, but it feels thinner and flimsier. It also amplifies certain frequencies at times, so while it’s very quiet most of the time, it’s occasionally a bit boomy.

That lighter flywheel may be a negative in terms of road-like feel, but there’s an upside to the reduced mass when you’re done with your workout: the Direto is relatively easy to transport with its modest 15kg (33lb) and well-placed handle. And whereas the Drivo stubbornly refuses to stand up when folded, the Direto will happily stay put once its legs are neatly tucked into place so it’s easier to store when you’re not using it.

You still get what you pay for

But alas, the Direto isn’t one of those magical situations where you get everything offered in a more premium model at a fraction of the price. Indeed, the Direto is a relative bargain at US$900 / AU$1,200 / £750 / €850, or roughly a third cheaper than the Drivo. But in addition to the functional limitations already listed above, there are a few other areas where the Direto falls short.

The plastic housing looks nice, for example, but is thinner and flimsier than what Elite uses on the Drivo. It feels as such when you pick the Direto up, and although it’s very quiet overall, higher speeds can cause the shell to reverberate. Oddly enough, the Direto also positions the rear of the bike about 30mm higher off the ground than it would be with an actual wheel (when equipped with a typical road-sized tire), so some sort of front wheel riser is required to keep everything level. Elite doesn’t currently include one, though, nor is the Direto height-adjustable in any way.

Kudos to Elite for including end caps for the most common quick-release and thru-axle frame fitments. As is the case with every trainer with swappable end caps, though, there’s no built-in storage for the unused bits.

As is commonplace for higher-end Zwift-friendly trainers, the Direto comes with a Shimano/SRAM-compatible freehub body, but no cassette, so be sure to factor that into your budget. Multiple end caps to accommodate the most popular quick-release and thru-axle dropout configurations are included, but there’s no obvious way to store the unused bits, nor is there any accommodation to bundle the requisite power brick.

Speaking of which, the power cord on the Direto is inexplicably short, so be sure to have an extension cord handy unless you plan on setting the unit up very close to a wall outlet. It doesn’t help that it plugs into the front of the unit, not the back, which effectively makes the cord that much shorter.

Under-promise, over-deliver

Minor complaints aside, it’s hard to find major fundamental flaws with the Elite Direto, especially given its competitive (and comparatively appealing) price point. It does what it’s supposed to do on paper and delivers more in reality, which is always a good thing. For riders that want the latest features and a direct-drive design, but don’t want or need the higher capabilities of ultra-premium models, it’d be tough to do better.

www.elite-it.com

The Elite Direto very much plays second-fiddle to the top-tier Drivo model on paper, but in reality, the lower-priced model makes much more sense for most riders.

The five-point base works well on both hard surfaces and carpeted flooring.

The webbing on the fiber-reinforced plastic main rotor doesn’t seem to serve any functional purpose aside from stiffening the part. It does look cool, though.

Still skeptical about Zipp’s whale wheels? Saw-like edges have already been used in industrial fans and turbines for years, and there’s one hidden inside the Elite Direto, too.

Three LEDs provide easy visual reference for power, ANT+, and Bluetooth status.

The cord on the power adapter is curiously short already, but its effectively made even shorter by the fact that it plugs in at the front of the housing. Make sure to have an extension cord handy.

The handle is fairly comfortable to hold and reasonably well placed.

The outboard legs easily fold for storage.

The feet on the outriggers are individually adjustable to accommodate uneven flooring or carpet.

The post Elite Direto indoor trainer review: The sweet spot appeared first on CyclingTips.

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The Australian Department of Home Affairs has ruled that, as of today, power-assisted bicycles imported into Australia will attract a 5% + GST tariff, likely leading to a price increase for new e-bikes. The writing is also on the wall for imported premium complete bicycles and framesets, with a similar motion currently being considered.

The 5% tariff on bicycle imports has long existed but due to a lack of local manufacturing it has been exempted since 2001. Requests for the revocation of the exemption must, and have been, made by local manufacturers. It’s known that Australian electric-bike company Stealth is responsible for the e-bike revocation. However, it’s not yet known who’s responsible for the revocation that’s likely to affect all regular bicycle imports.

It’s suggested that Australian-made bikes make up less than 1% of those sold in Australia. It’s a similar story to what the footwear industry saw years ago, where a single manufacturer responsible for less than 1% of market share caused a price increase for everyone else.

Imports made from countries with a free-trade agreement with Australia are exempt from the tariff, meaning imports from the likes of China, Indonesia, Cambodia and the United States will be unaffected. However, bikes from Taiwan, Europe and India will be hit with the tariff. Given many of the world’s premium bikes are still manufactured in Taiwan, this will directly impact Australia’s bicycle industry. Many lower-end bikes, including those sold by supermarkets, are unlikely to be impacted.

The tariff comes into effect from the date the revocation submission was first made. As a result, all e-bikes imported (from outside of free-trade agreement zones) since January 9 2018 will attract the 5% tariff. The revocation likely to impact all bicycles, including frames and framesets, was submitted on January 30 (see page 14), and while it’s currently pending, Peter Bourke of Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA), believes it will be passed in a similar fashion to the e-bike tariff.

With a 60-day approval process from the date of the submission, and with no government requirement to publicise such a thing, this new tariff has certainly caught the industry off-guard. Bourke suggests the 5% is simply too large a sum for the industry to absorb and so price rises are the most likely outcome.

“The industry is disappointed and we believe it’s the wrong decision,” Bourke told CyclingTips. “We’ll have to deal with it. It will affect business and will affect consumers.”

Andrew Garnsworthy is the general manager of Advance Traders, the Australian importer for Merida, BMC, Norco and other brands. He told CyclingTips that the new tariff will flow through to consumers in less than a month.

“All our e-bikes are sourced from Taiwan, so they will be charged the 5% import tariff,” he said. “We expect a price increase to take effect in mid-March. We are holding pricing for retailers and customers that have already committed to bikes for order.

“It’s unlikely retailers and wholesalers will be able to absorb the price increases. Should the 5% import tariff flow through [to all bikes], our belief is that it will have a negative impact on both jobs in the Australian cycling industry, and potentially make cycling less accessible to people. That’s our ultimate concern.”

Martin Clucas, sales and marketing manager at Giant Bicycles Australia, explained that for the Taiwanese company, just about any bike over the value AU$2,000 will likely be affected by the tariff.

“It’s come about all of a sudden,” he said. “The whole process is strange.” Given it’s happened so quickly, Clucas wasn’t sure whether we’ll see price increases straight away, before adding “the reality is our expenses will increase”.

BIA is planning to apply for tariff concession orders for both the e-bike and regular bicycle tariffs. For the former, the argument could be based on the fact that the large majority of e-bikes being imported are of pedelec-design and meet Australian standards, unlike the majority of those being sold by Australian-based Stealth.

This news comes at a time when the industry is waiting patiently until July 1 for Australia’s $1,000 GST-free import threshold to be reduced to $0, a move that will hopefully offer assistance to a slowing industry.

It’s still early days in understanding what this tariff will mean for the local industry. How will this new tariff impact bike prices in Australia? Will BIA be able to overturn the tariffs? Will bikes imported privately need the assistance of a customs broker? We’ll know more soon enough.

The post Bikes imported to Australia to be hit by unexpected 5% tariff appeared first on CyclingTips.

The custom frame builders at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show rightfully take center stage, but even they will acknowledge that they need outside help, specifically with the wheels, components, and other parts necessary to make the bikes whole. As a result, the halls of NAHBS are filled with a variety of parts suppliers and accessory labels just as much as they are with complete bicycles and gorgeous bare framesets.

For sure, the major players were all present in some form, and just about every bicycle at NAHBS was fitted with some variety of Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM groupsets. But outside of that, the customization theme still carried through, with many builders opting for color-anodized bits from smaller companies such as White Industries, Paul Components, and others. Adding color in that way allows builders to expand their palettes beyond just the frame and fork, and when done right, makes for a more cohesive overall look.

Finishing things off in many cases were carefully chosen accessories, with frame bags playing a noticeably more prominent role this year as bikepacking and adventure riding continue to gain in popularity. Not just any off-the-shelf vessel would do, though; whereas all frames already vary greatly in size, custom bikes also vary in shape, so most of the bags at NAHBS were custom-built to suit.

In the end, it all just goes to show that beautiful bikes aren’t the result of just one piece of a puzzle. It’s only after all of those pieces are fit together that the full picture comes into view.

This photo gallery — our sixth, and last, from this year’s show — features the work of Abbey Bike Tools, Bingham Built, Brooks, Calfee, Clever Standard, Fat Bike Skis, Industry Nine, Lightweight, Panaracer, Parlee, Pedro’s, Rolf Prima, SeaSucker, Silca, Simmons Racing, Sinewave Cycles, T-Red, VéloColour, and White Industries.

Abbey Bike Tools’ new four-way multi-tools are compact, yet offer plenty of leverage. The four bits are (semi-)permanently bonded into the aluminum handles, but there are multiple configurations available depending on your hardware needs.

The German-sourced hex-head bits use an unusual Torx-like profile that is said to be less likely to round out bolt sockets.

Abbey Bike Tools’ chain keeper is now available with a Phil Wood skewer. The company will soon add a lower-cost version made with its own skewer, too.

Abbey Bike Tools has gotten into the habit in recent years of bringing a handful of limited-edition tools to NAHBS. Here, the company shows off its pedal wrench made with three different types of hardwood.

If the standard Abbey Bike Tools HAG derailleur alignment isn’t good enough for you, there’s a titanium version, too.

As if it weren’t bad enough that there are countless bottom bracket standards currently in use, most of them also use their own proprietary notch patterns for the cups. It’s annoying for customers and shops, and companies like Abbey Bike Tools have no choice but to constantly keep up.

Industry Nine recently announced an all-new line of aero carbon road wheels, featuring progressively wide profiles and tubeless compatibility. According to Industry Nine, wind tunnel testing has shown its new wheels to be even more aerodynamically efficient than top mainstream players.

As always with Industry Nine, the new road wheels are available with a wide range of hub colors.

Lightweight’s updated Meilenstein Disc wheelset increases in width (now 24mm-wide external, 19mm internal), but remains a phenomenally light 1,380g for a set of clinchers thanks to its new hub design. As for the price? This is definitely a case of, “If you have to ask…”

Lightweight previously used a full-length aluminum insert inside the carbon fiber body to keep the shell from separating from the rotor splines under hard braking. That insert now only goes through half the hub shell, however, saving precious grams.

The new Lightweight Meilenstein Disc still uses the company’s trademark carbon fiber construction technique. It’s light, yes, but what’s arguably more noticeable is how incredibly rigid and responsive Lightweight wheels are.

SeaSucker showed off a handful of one-off racks, made from a variety of non-standard materials. Will any of them make it into production? Likely not, but they sure looked cool.

What we will see, however, is SeaSucker’s new fork mount design, which now uses interchangeable end caps for better compatibilty with the wide range of axle types now on the market.

The SeaSucker Komodo single-bike rack is still outrageously expensive, but it’s also easily the coolest-looking rack available.

Each SeaSucker Komodo rack frame is fully CNC-machined.

SeaSucker machinist Sandor Kormos also has his own line of custom engraved headset caps. Unlike the more common laser-etched caps, these are physically carved with a sharp bit, not unlike how parts are machined.

The caps require special bases that take the place of standard headset top caps. A small set screw on the back of each cover holds it in place.

SeaSucker machinist Sandor Kormos also makes a range of GoPro camera mounts. You know, basically just for fun.

Silca had a very strong presence at this year’s NAHBS, with scores of custom painted floor and frame pumps scatterered throughout the Connecticut Convention Center.

Silca recently introduced a redesign of the original Pista, maintaining the classic aesthetics of the old version, but adding modern functionality.

Silca also added a larger version of its popular Boa-equipped tool roll, dubbed the Grande Americano. Made in the United States, the new pack has more capacity for higher-volume inner tubes than the original one’s more road-oriented dimensions.

VeloColour is best known for its incredible paint work, but is rapidly gaining a strong following for its well-designed bags.

Instead of spreading multiple pockets across the width of the roll, VeloColour instead uses a single divided pocket for its Dynamite Roll, which supposedly makes for a tighter and cleaner bundle when it’s all packed up.

The VeloColour Bidon Stuff Bag is designed to fit perfectly in a bottle cage, and has enough room for a tube, tools, and other sundries. Weatherproof materials and a water-resistant YKK zipper help keep Mother Nature from ruining your things.

VeloColour recently went into partnership with Bishop Bikes and Metal Guru (the brand name of Carl Schlemowitz’s contract shop) for a new range of semi-production bikes. Schlemowitz – of Vicious Cycles fame – TIG-welds the front triangles, Bishop brazes the rear ends, and VeloColour covers it all in one of several pre-configured paint schemes.

This paint design has been used by Bishop Bikes before, and to great effect.

Three great pieces of the puzzle, one great bike.

White Industries has been adding color nearly everywhere possible, even on singlespeed freewheels.

White Industries cranksets may not be able to go head-to-head with some of the bigger brands in terms of stiffness and weight, but few can touch these for classy good looks.

Sinewave Cycles has an extraordinarily colorful collection of dynamo-powered lights.

Panaracer is one tire company that has experienced incredible growth in recent years, largely fueled by the exploding gravel market.

Parlee’s carbon fiber front derailleur clamps aren’t new, but their ultra-thin profile is finding newfound interest from riders looking to gain every last bit of tire clearance.

Parlee Cycles is continuing to stick with its PF30 press-fit bottom brackets. However, the stringest tolerances the company keeps and the use of unusually deep sleeves on the bearing cups supposedly keeps things quiet.

Pedro’s will soon begin shipping a revamped collection of multi-tools, complete with more compact shapes, more functionality, and handy snap-on tire levers.

Pedro’s also offers a collection of clutch-limited preset torque wrenches, complete with magnetic holders in the handle for extra bits.

Calfee will soon start producing its own carbon fiber bottle cages, which will be wholly made in-house. The US$60 target retail price is inline with other carbon cages, but with a far more classic aesthetic than what you usually find in this category.

Calfee Design still does a brisk business making custom one-piece cockpits, combining standard components, but replacing the conventional bolts and clamps with a carbon fiber overwrap.

Titanium seatposts are very thin-walled as compared to aluminum or carbon fiber, so most of the mounts for Di2 batteries won’t work. Instead, Brad Bingham (of Kent Eriksen Cycles and Bingham Built) offers this custom machined aluminum insert.

Colored Brooks Cambium saddles, anyone?

Brooks once based its entire business on leather saddles. These days, the product range is much more diversified.

For the rider who already has everything.

These compression-molded carbon fiber 1x chainrings – from the people behind the Clever Standard brand of bicycle tools – are said to be 25% lighter than equivalent aluminum parts, but still very long-wearing given how the composite teeth are compacted during the manufacturing process.

Fat bikes are sometimes the only people can ride throughout the winter, but even 5in-wide tires can’t always provide enough float in fresh powder. The Fat Bike Skis retrofit might make riding in those conditions possible, however.

Rolf Prima has produced just 45 sets of these polished aluminum Vigor road wheelset. Get ’em while you still can, because there are few aluminum wheelsets on the market right now that are as beautiful as these.

Rolf Prima introduced last year a new brand of standalone rims called Astral.

Simmons Racing specializes in custom carbon fiber cycling shoes, and track shoes in particular. They comprise little more than carbon fiber shells formed around molds of your feet, which makes them as shockingly lightweight and rigid as you would expect. This one is shown without the closure system.

The single cable-and-reel closure is similar to Sidi’s Tecno design. The embedded custom aluminum cleat plates are offered for either three-hole or Speedplay-specific pedal systems.

T-Red touted the safety benefits of its Donchischiotte disc brake cover. Carbon fiber construction keeps it lightweight, and it supposedly will work with virtually any disc-compatible hub. Hole patterns are varied depending on the application, too.

The post Photo gallery: 2018 NAHBS chic parts and accessories appeared first on CyclingTips.

After tentatively dipping its toes into the red-hot gravel waters last year with the lukewarm Domane Gravel, Trek is now being anything but tentative with the new Checkpoint family. The new carbon fiber and aluminum frames feature dedicated geometries, a slew of gravel-specific features, and Smart spec across the board.

Much of the U.S. CyclingTips staff has already spent the last couple of weeks on the new Checkpoint, and there’s no sense in beating around the bush: if gravel is your gig, this thing is not only good, but also seriously good fun.

What makes the Checkpoint a “gravel bike”, anyway?

It took the bike industry a few years to settle on a widely accepted definition of what a gravel-specific bike actually is, and admittedly, the differences are subtle. But there are genuine distinctions nevertheless, and the Checkpoint isn’t just a Domane endurance bike or Boone/Crockett cyclocross racer wearing different clothes. Indeed, there’s space in between those shades of grey, and the Checkpoint seems to color it in nicely.

Frame geometry is closest to that of Trek’s Boone/Crockett cyclocross cousins, with virtually unchanged wheelbase and reach, the same chainstay lengths, and nearly identical stack heights and head tube angles across the size range. Stability on loose surfaces is often a highly desirable trait for gravel bikes, though, so Trek has dropped the bottom bracket an extra 8-9mm relative to the Boone, depending on size. That may not sound like much on paper, but geometry geeks will confirm that it’s a substantial difference.

Although every Checkpoint will officially clear tires up to 45mm-wide, stock bikes are equipped with 35mm-wide rubber, which Trek says strikes a better balance between off-road capability and on-road speed.

Quite interestingly, however, Trek is not prioritizing stability above all else on the Checkpoint.

As already mentioned, the wheelbase and chainstay lengths are roughly the same as the built-for-cyclocross-racing Boone, and the nearly identical stack and reach offers a similarly aggressive fit. But Trek has equipped each Checkpoint front-end with more fork rake — and, subsequently, less trail — which will actually make the bikes more responsive to steering input, not less. Trek’s philosophy here is that while the Boone is meant to be ridden primarily off-pavement, the Checkpoint is designed for a wider range of applications, and the combination of a nimbler front-end and lower center of gravity will make for more versatile handling.

That said, Trek also understands that different riders will want different handling traits. To address that, sliding “Stranglehold” dropouts on every Checkpoint — aluminum or carbon — allow for an extra 15mm of chainstay length. The shortest position will provide the handling characteristics described above, but extending the rear end up to a 440mm chainstay length will certainly mellow things out. Those sliding dropouts will allow for easy singlespeed setups, too.

Sliding “Stranglehold” dropouts allow for 15mm of adjustment, ranging from a relatively tidy 425mm for quick handling, up to 440mm for more stability.

Most importantly, Trek has graced the Checkpoint with the legitimately generous tire clearance that was lacking in the Domane Gravel. Whereas that stopgap maxed out at a modest 35mm, the new Checkpoint will swallow tires up to 700x45c, which is particularly impressive given that the chainstays are the same length as the Boone and Crockett.

Credit for this feat goes to the dropped driveside chainstay, which takes a dramatic detour down around the chainrings to create some extra space. Trek may not have come up with this concept — Open debuted the same idea on the original UP in 2016 — but it’s effective nonetheless.

Regardless, fans of Road Plus wheel-and-tire setups will be disappointed to hear that while they might fit, Trek doesn’t recommend using them on account on the already-low bottom bracket.

The non-driveside chainstay takes a nominally straight path between the bottom bracket and dropout, but the driveside chainstay is dropped down to clear the crankset while still retaining a relatively short rear end.

Up top on carbon Checkpoints is yet another iteration of Trek’s IsoSpeed “decoupler” at the seat cluster, comprising a pivoting axle system that allows the semi-integrated seatmast to flex more over rough terrain than a more traditional fixed junction would. Aluminum models unfortunately do without.

In terms of other features, however, Trek has stacked the deck on the Checkpoint.

Larger frame sizes (56cm and up) can fit three water bottles inside the main triangle (with room for a frame bag in some configurations), and there’s an additional mount on the underside of the down tube. Rack and fender mounts are standard as well, and bosses on the fork blades can be used for even more bottles, or Trek’s own 720 lowrider rack system. For easier on-the-go access, yet another set of bosses on the top tube (carbon Checkpoint models only) are positioned for any number of popular “Bento Box” bags.

Frame sizes 56cm and up have room for three water bottles inside the main triangle; others can fit two. In all cases, though, there’s an additional mount on the underside of the down tube.

The stock stems come with a selection of Bontrager’s tidy Blendr integrated light and computer mounts, too.

Other highlights include internal cable routing, BB90 or PF86 press-fit bottom brackets (depending on the model), integrated chain-catchers, 12mm thru-axles and flat-mount disc brakes throughout, and generous armoring on the underside of carbon models.

Claimed weight for a 56cm carbon Checkpoint frame is a respectable 1,240g, plus 470g for the matching all-carbon fork. Aluminum Checkpoint frames tip the scales at 1,570g (claimed), plus 600g for the carbon-and-aluminum fork.

Smart spec

It’s common these days for bike companies to mix-and-match components to hit desired price points, but Trek has instead opted for full Shimano groupsets and proper hydraulic disc brakes across the board, even on the least-expensive Checkpoint ALR 4. According to Trek, it was more important to provide Checkpoint users with a consistently high-quality experience than to save a few pennies, and while buyers on more modest budgets will naturally have to content with some additional weight, it’s good to know that shift and brake performance will change little across the model range.

Armoring on the underside of the down tube protects against rocks that might be thrown up from the front wheel.

All Checkpoint models will also share the same wide-range gearing, with compact 50/34T chainrings matched to 11-34T, 11-speed cassettes. This should provide ample ratio options for most users, although it’s worth noting that riders looking to load their Checkpoints down with heavier loads might quickly find their bikes overgeared on climbs. Rumors have been circulating for some time now that Shimano is about to introduce chainring options that are more gravel/adventure-friendly, but it appears they’re not quite ready yet.

The new sub-compact and the future of wide-range gearing

In a nod to the varied terrain on which Trek anticipates Checkpoint buyers will be riding, stock bikes will all come outfitted with 35mm-wide Schwalbe G-One tires — one of our favorite mixed-surface treads, and a bold move from a company that also has its own tire brand. Those tires will all come mounted to tubeless-ready Bontrager wheels with internal widths ranging from 17.5 to 19.5mm, although the requisite rim strips, valve stems, and sealant aren’t included. Only the Checkpoint SL models will have tubeless-ready versions of those Schwalbe tires, too; ALR owners will have to buy those as well if they want to go tube-free.

Interestingly, Trek has passed over the flared handlebars found on many gravel bikes these days, instead opting for standard road bike shapes. Some hardcore gravel aficionados may protest this decision, but it nevertheless seems like a wise choice given the diverse user base that Trek anticipates for the Checkpoint.

Trek has designed the Checkpoint to accommodate a very broad range of usages, from short and quick lunch rides up to backpacking weekends. Photo: Kevin Scott Bachelor.

For now, Trek is capping higher-end Checkpoint options to the SL 6 model, built with a mechanical Shimano Ultegra groupset. Might we see fancier SLR versions in the future, or ones equipped with electronic drivetrains? Perhaps, but that will likely depend on how this initial introduction goes.

Trek will offer the new Checkpoint in six aluminum and four carbon models, including versions for women with dedicated spec. Checkpoint will also be available as bare framesets in both the carbon fiber and aluminum versions.

Retail prices for the complete bikes range from US$1,700 for the Checkpoint ALR 4, up to US$3,800 for the top-shelf Checkpoint SL 6. Gravel riders who would prefer to take the DIY approach can pick up the Checkpoint SL frameset for US$2,000, or the ALR version for just US$960.

The top-end Trek Checkpoint SL 6 comes equipped with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, Bontrager Paradigm Comp tubeless wheels wrapped with Schwalbe G-One tires, and aluminum Bontrager cockpit components. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

The Trek Checkpoint SL 5 features a carbon fiber frame and fork, and a complete Shimano 105 disc-brake groupset. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

The Trek Checkpoint SL 5 WSD is quite the looker with its elegant white, black, and gold paint. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

The Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 is outfitted with the same build kit as the Checkpoint SL 5, but with an aluminum frame instead of a carbon fiber one. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation

Women-specific versions of the Trek Checkpoint are built on the same frames as the standard editions, but with different paint and “touch points”, such as saddles and handlebars. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

The Trek Checkpoint ALR 4 is the entry-level model, but still comes equipped with a complete Shimano Tiagra groupset. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

Trek isn’t limiting WSD models solely to the upper end of the Checkpoint range. In fact, even the least-expensive Checkpoint ALR 4 is offered in a WSD version. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

Trek will offer the Checkpoint SL frameset for US$2,000. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

Retail price for the Trek Checkpoint ALR frameset is US$960 – quite a bit more than the $600 Trek originally quoted us, but still reasonable. We’ve got on inbound for an upcoming review. Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation.

Checking out on the Checkpoint

Three CyclingTips editors — myself, Neal Rogers, and Caley Fretz — have been racking up time on the top-end Checkpoint SL 6 over the past few weeks, and one word has consistently been coming up in our conversations about how the bike rides and feels: fun.

The lower bottom bracket and zippier front-end seem like a contradiction at first, but in practice, it works very well. The Checkpoint is nimble and agile, but thanks to that ground-hugging center of gravity, still feels stable when sliding through loose corners. It’s in no way jittery, and in fact, feels notably planted and composed.

That curious geometry also makes the Checkpoint feel more road bike-like when pounding the asphalt, and certainly less cumbersome relative to some longer-and-slacker gravel options on the market. We haven’t had the opportunity to switch to lighter-and-narrower tires just yet, but initial impressions are that the Checkpoint would be well-suited to that role.

Trek’s IsoSpeed “decoupler” legitimately transforms the ride quality of any bike on which it’s equipped. The additional seat tube flex it allows is very noticeable.

Heading on to more demanding terrain highlights the effectiveness of the IsoSpeed mechanism. While the 35mm-wide tires and relatively spacious rim beds obviously provide most of the cushioning, you can still feel — and see — the effect that IsoSpeed has on seat tube flex. It’s still a bit disappointing that Trek didn’t include IsoSpeed up front as well (as on the Domane SLR endurance road bike), but the overall ride quality is still remarkably comfortable.

The stock 35mm-wide Schwalbe G-Ones provide reasonable float on softer surfaces, and still feel quick enough on harder ones. As promised, they’re a good compromise for the varied use the Checkpoint is likely to see, but I still wish Trek had been a bit bolder in this area. Having spent ample time on the 40c version of the G-One, I found that version to feel just as quick on asphalt, but provide better grip off-road. Granted, everyday riders might not share that progressive a viewpoint when it comes to mixed-terrain tires, however, so Trek’s conservative decision is perhaps the smart one.

All three of us have universally applauded the generous array of accessory mounts, which let users tune their setups to suit their own particular needs. Some might find the “Bento Box” bag to rub their legs when riding out of the saddle, but the beauty of the Checkpoint system is that it gives users the choice to outfit the bike however they see fit.

Tire clearance is indeed generous on the new Trek Checkpoint. There’s more than enough room to fit a finger all around this 35c Schwalbe G-One.

While the handling of the Checkpoint seems spot-on, the front triangle could use a bigger dose of torsional rigidity for better predictability — a complaint I also noted on the recent review of Trek’s second-tier Madone aero road bike frameset. The softness likely contributes to the Checkpoint’s overall comfort, but that propensity to occasionally wind up, and then release, under side loads can be occasionally off-putting. It’s reasonable as is, but may be a bigger issue when the bike is heavily loaded.

As is, total weight of a 52cm Checkpoint SL 6 is 8.85kg (19.5lb), without pedals or accessories – not exactly svelte when judged against dedicated road bikes, but competitive for the class.

Setting the mood

Overall, though, Trek seems to have done a very good job on the Checkpoint, and all three of us have mentioned that it’s a bike we wouldn’t mind having in our own personal stables. I’ve always believed that the tenor of rides is strongly influenced by the style of bike you happen to be riding at the time. Conveniently for us, Trek didn’t have editors fly to some far-off location as is often the case for bike launches; instead, Trek brought the bikes to Colorado, and we not only rode on routes that were very familiar on that first day with the Checkpoint, but with people with whom we’ve ridden on countless occasions.

These sorts of rides are almost always the same: they start out tame, the speed steadily ramps up, and by the time it wraps up, the bunch has strung out to the point where people are rolling back in ones and twos, despite instructions at the outset to keep things together.

Trek dipped its toe into the gravel market with the Domane Gravel, but that model didn’t really have enough tire clearance, and some might argue that it didn’t have the right geometry, either. With Checkpoint, however, the company has make a much more concerted effort to address the burgeoning gravel market.

Maybe it was the semi-wintery weather on that day, or maybe it really was the case that no one was feeling particularly antsy. But on this day, the pace was mellow, there was lots of conversation, and we even made a point to pay a visit to the local wallaby (yes, someone has a wallaby in Colorado). Regardless, everyone had a good time, no one got dropped, and we never got buzzed by any cars.

Did the Checkpoint play a role in that? It’s impossible to say for sure, but I’m not going to write off the possibility, either. It’s still early days of testing, and we’ll reserve a more in-depth report and final ratings until we’re able to log more significant time on our test samples, but right now, it’s hard to argue with a bike that’s just plain fun to ride.

www.trekbikes.com

The new Trek Checkpoint SL 6 isn’t the lightest bike out there, nor the stiffest, or the most anything, for that matter. But it is supremely fun and impressively capable on a very wide range of surfaces, which arguably makes it an ideal choice for riders looking for a do-it-all drop-bar machine.

Compact cranksets with 50/34T chainrings and 11-34T cassettes are used across the board on the Checkpoint line, providing sufficient range for most everyday applications. Riders setting out on multi-day excursions with heavy loads will invariably want easier gearing, though.

Clearance is a bit tighter up front, but not by much. Fender mounts are included at both ends as well, along with ones for a standard rear rack and front lowriders.

IsoSpeed is generally inconspicuous under normal pedaling on smooth roads, but heavier riders who run taller saddle heights and/or more setback may notice more movement. Unlike on the Trek Domane SLR, the spring stiffness isn’t adjustable.

Multiple mounting options inside the main triangle allow users to place bottles as needed. Riders on shorter jaunts may want them higher up for easier access, for example, which those heading out for longer adventures may want to move them down to make room for frame bags.

The stock stems on all Trek Checkpoints are compatible with Bontrager’s Blendr family of integrated accessory mounts. A selection of mounts are included.

Yet another set of mounts is positioned on the top tube for “Bento box” bags.

Trek has opted for complete Shimano drivetrains across the entire Checkpoint range. Shimano has yet to introduce true gravel-friendly gearing combinations, however, so 50/34T chainrings and 11-34T cassettes provide a sufficiently generous range for now.

Trek’s “Control Freak” internal cable routing system keeps things neat and tidy.

Down below is Trek’s trademark BB90 bottom bracket system, with bearings that press into seats that are molded directly into the carbon fiber structure; no cups of any kind are required. While the design eliminates several parts and provides frame designers with additional width for bigger down tubes and chainstays, prior experience has demonstrated that the system’s mediocre weatherproofing may be vulnerable to water and dirt contamination.

More armoring can be found on the underside of the chainstays.

The lowrider mounts on the fork blades work with Trek’s 720 cargo carriers. Photo: Kevin Scott Bachelor.

Aluminum Checkpoint frames lack the carbon versions’ surface-smoothing IsoSpeed device, but they’re nevertheless still infused with a bit of style. Photo: Kevin Scott Bachelor.

Whereas carbon Checkpoint frames get Trek’s BB90 press-fit bottom bracket design, aluminum bikes get the more common PF86 setup. Photo: Kevin Scott Bachelor.

Trek has committed to Shimano drivetrains for the entire Checkpoint family. DIYers who opt to build carbon Checkpoint framesets with single-chainring SRAM drivetrains might be disappointed to see that the front derailleur mounts aren’t removable, however. Aluminum Checkpoint frames, meanwhile, use clamp-on mounts. Photo: Kevin Scott Bachelor.

The post Trek Checkpoint dives headfirst into the red-hot gravel bike market appeared first on CyclingTips.

Handlebar tape serves as the interface for a critical contact point on the bike, yet it is often overlooked. Too often, riders are prepared to put up with worn and tattered tape despite the fact that is relatively inexpensive to replace. Fresh bar tape will always make a make a bike look (and feel) new again, and with an extensive range of tapes to choose from, there is enormous scope for personalisation.

In this post, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a look at the range of bar tape available and offers a few tips for wrapping your bars like a pro.

The handlebars of road bikes have long been wrapped with some kind of tape, but aside from an evolution in materials, it has remain unchanged for many decades. It’s a classic product that no road cyclist can do without, and in many ways, it embodies the traits of a great cyclist: tough, robust, and resilient with an amount of class.

The demands that bar tape must satisfy are few and simple: first, it must provide sure grip under all conditions, regardless of whether the rider’s hands are slick with sweat or numb with cold; second, the tape should make the handlebars more comfortable to hold; third, it needs to withstand regular use in a wide range of conditions; and fourth, provide an amount of decoration to suit the rider’s taste.

Every material that has served bar tape has managed to satisfy each of these demands, more or less, but it’s interesting to note that the rate of evolution has been very slow when compared to other parts of the bike. Cotton was the material of choice for at least three decades before it was supplanted by plastic, which, in turn, enjoyed at least 10 years of favour before cork and foam tapes took its place.

While the last 20 years have seen a few new materials emerge, there is no indication that the rate of evolution is accelerating. What has changed, though, is that there are now more colours, patterns, materials, and finishes to choose from than ever before.

Compared to other parts of the bike, bar tape has evolved slowly, yet none of it has ever really disappeared from the market.

By contrast, the earliest bar tape was dull and pragmatic, and probably re-purposed from elsewhere during a moment of resourceful thinking. That may extinguish some of the romance associated with vintage bar tape, but by taking a look at it, and the other kinds of materials that have been used through the years, it is easy to appreciate how much this humble product has evolved.

The early era: cotton tape

The earliest road bikes often featured simple rubber grips for the drops, so a decade or two passed before handlebars were ever wrapped. Cotton tape started appearing on road bikes perhaps as early as the 1920s and was in widespread use from the ‘30s until the mid-‘70s. The material was cheap, easy to use, and with a few coats of shellac, it could withstand years of regular use.

A few coats of shellac is often the hallmark of vintage handlebars, but usually on old-fashioned cotton tape, and not the more modern material shown here. Note how twine has been used to secure the end of the tape near the stem. Photo: James Huang.

The application of shellac also served to add some colour to the tape, resulting in some attractive honey and deep brown hues. Twine was typically used to secure the end of the tape at the stem, though there was an art to doing this well so that it wouldn’t come undone, just like taping the bars.

Cotton may have fallen out of favour with contemporary road cyclists, but there are at least two manufacturers — Velox and Newbaum’s — that are still creating cotton tape, in a stunning range of colours, no less. Velox’s Tressostar tape is available in 18 colours while there is a choice of 25 colours for Newbaum’s tape. The latter also provides a kit for shellacking the tape and includes twine and cork bar ends to finish off the job in a classic manner.

The middle era: plastic, vinyl, cork, and foam tape

Benotto’s solid plastic Cello Tape replaced cotton during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Like cotton, it was cheap and easy to use, but there was no need to apply shellac to achieve a glossy, durable finish. The company was also able to offer Cello Tape in a variety of colours, however white was favoured by professional riders.

Pro riders in the ’70s and ’80s preferred Benotto Cello Tape in classic white. Unlike modern foam tapes, though, the solid plastic surface was comparatively easy to keep clean.

That Benotto occupied a position of esteem in the professional peloton probably helped the popularity of its simple plastic ribbon, and it would come to define an era of cycling that came to a close during the mid-‘80s when the company faltered.

Benotto may have stopped producing its cello-tape many years ago but it’s still possible to find it in its original packaging, complete with bar ends, for those hoping to complete a period-correct build for any steel road bike from the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Plastic was not the only material that was used for bar tape during this period: imitation leather and vinyl bar tape were also common sights. The Italian manufacturer Bike Ribbon made use of both materials as it pioneered a chamfered tape design that allowed thicker tape to be wrapped around the bars without creating any bulges where it overlapped. It was a simple solution yet the company managed to patent the idea.

A restored Olmo Super Gentleman finished off with vinyl bar tape. Photo: Fyxo.

The other great innovation that helped the development of cushioned bar tape came in the early ‘80s when Cinelli started blending ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam with cork to yield a resilient and cushioned tape with a great feel. Andy Hampsten immediately fell in love with the new tape because it allowed him to race without gloves, but Cinelli understood that more work was needed, and spent another couple of years experimenting with how to colour the new material.

By 1987, Cinelli had developed eight colours, and cork/EVA soon became the material of choice for bar tape. The company would go on to to develop even more adventurous finishes for its cork tape while other brands started offering their own variations of EVA tape. Cork was not a strict necessity to create lightweight and comfortable bar tape, however the original blend can still be found in Cinelli’s catalogue alongside newer synthetics.

Foam tapes are easy to find in a wide range of colours that are also quite cheap to buy.

The current era: microfibre, polyurethane and other synthetics

The next step in the evolution of bar tape came in 2006 when Fizik introduced its Microtex bar tape. The synthetic material could be combined with foam to create a more durable cushioned tape that could also be more easily washed to maintain its appearance. Fizik used Microtex to create tape with different thicknesses, textures, and finishes, and at one point, was even stitching together different colours to create the final product.

Fizik’s Microtex bar tape offers a range of textures and finishes that are also very hard wearing.

Microtex ushered in a new era for tougher synthetics and now a variety of brands offer their own versions of “microfibre” bar tape with various amounts of foam backing. Aside from being more robust, this material can be decorated with stitches, perforations, and/or embossed logos without compromising the durability or washability of the tape.

More recently, Lizard Skins and Supacaz have been using more supple materials, such as polyurethane, to create tape that is more flexible and easier to apply than microfibre. These tapes are available in a wide range of colours and thicknesses, and can be textured for extra grip while offering the same kind of durability and washability as microfibre.

Two other materials, namely rubber (e.g. Brooks Cambium rubber tape) and silicone rubber (e.g. Fabric’s Silicone tape), have also been used to create handlebar tape for many of the same reasons, however both remain in limited use at this stage.

Polyurethane gave tape manufacturers a new way to combine colours in a single piece of tape.

Leather: a timeless alternative

One material that has long satisfied all the demands for bar tape is leather. It’s a traditional choice that is extremely hard wearing, but the exorbitant cost has always limited the appeal of this material. Nevertheless, it’s not difficult to find: Cinelli offers a leather tape, as do Brooks, HandleBra, and Melbourne-based DiPell, to name a few.

For some, the extra expense will be relatively easy to justify since leather will last for years, and potentially improve with age. The material also offers a unique texture and fragrance that cannot be matched by other materials, synthetic or otherwise. However, leather does not offer much in the way of padding or shock absorbency, so it won’t suit the needs of all riders.

Leather is hard wearing and can be decorated in a few different ways.

There is also a small number of craftsmen that create bespoke handlebar tape, such as Melbourne’s Mick Peel (aka Busyman Bicycles), HandleBra, Leh Cycling Goods, and Eonkim Craft. It is a premium product, so it’s not really surprising that leather is the material of choice for every one of these craftsmen.

Choosing handlebar tape

Bar tape may have evolved dramatically over the last 50 years, but none of it has really been left behind. So in addition to current products, it is still possible to source more traditional tape and materials, including cotton, and the market is considerably richer for it. Aside from providing an array of colours and finishes, all can be differentiated on the basis of comfort, feel, grip, and durability.

Cork/foam blends are generally considered a good choice for those riders looking for comfortable and absorbent tape. Thick versions (up to 3mm) of microfibre tape are also very comfortable, yet harder wearing than cork/foam and much easier to clean once it gets grubby. Leather and thin microfibre tape will suit those riders that want to keep handlebar bulk to a minimum, while cotton and plastic are best suited to vintage and classic builds, respectively.

As for choosing a colour, rules abound, but feel free to ignore them. Black is a conservative yet practical choice that won’t show its age like a coloured tape. White, by contrast, will demand a lot more attention and age quickly. Let the bike guide any decision on the choice of colour: if the tape matches another part of the bike, then it’s likely to blend in and even add some interest to the final build.

With all of that said, bar tape is very much akin to tyres, so a bit of experimentation will be required before a rider can form a preference. Bar tape is generally inexpensive, and because it is prone to wear and tear, riders will always have a reason to explore what the market has to offer.

Don’t let it decay

While some of the materials that are used for handlebar tape are extremely durable, all are prone to wear and tear (and none are immune from crashes), so it is inevitable that the tape will need to be replaced on a semi-regular basis. Exactly how often will depend on a variety of factors, including how frequently the bike is used and the kind of conditions that it must endure.

One factor that is often ignored is the impact of sweat. For those riders that sweat profusely and find that the bar tape is often soggy at the end of the ride, it will be important to replace at relatively short intervals – and not just because it starts to smell. All of the salt contained in the sweat will quickly diffuse through the tape, creating a highly oxidative environment for steel lever bands and alloy handlebars.

Ignoring the tape for an extended period of time will allow oxidation to take place unchecked, creating a potentially disastrous situation if the bar fails unexpectedly. It’s better to replace the tape at least twice a year to limit the damage and keep an eye on any oxidation that has occurred.

Lizard Skins DSP tape is another popular tape that takes advantage of synthetic materials.

Tips for Wrapping Handlebars

In general terms, wrapping handlebars is a simple chore because all that is required is a smooth, taut spiral from one end of the bars to the stem. Of course, there is a little more to the process than that, such as contending with the levers, and while a few tips can make a difference, wrapping bars is a handicraft that will always benefit from some practice.

Aside from finding the opportunity to practise, the most important thing to pay attention to when learning how to wrap handlebars is the choice of tape. The material needs to be supple so that it readily conforms to the shape of the bars and avoids wrinkles, yet robust so that it won’t break when pulled hard.

Cork blends and foam tape are generally supple, however they can break when pulled too hard. Polyurethane tape is a better choice because it is much more resilient and forgiving. Microfibre tape is very difficult to break but it is also very stiff, so it takes more time, strength and care to wrap the bars cleanly, while leather is even more difficult to work with.

Wrapping bars requires two hands at almost all times, so a bit of preparation makes the job easier, starting with the brake and gear cables (or wires). Arrange them neatly and then use some electrical tape to secure them against the bars. In this way, there won’t be any need to let go of the tape when wrapping the bars to make sure the cables are positioned correctly.

The tape can be wrapped in one of two ways — clockwise or anti-clockwise — when looking at the end of the bar. Opinions differ on which direction is “correct”, although ultimately, it is solely a matter of preference (and how you tend to roll your wrists when gripping the bars). In practical terms, neither choice has a dramatic influence on the final result. However, if the tape is not wound with enough tension in the first place, it will unwind regardless of the direction chosen.

This last point is where much of the technique of wrapping lies, because the tape needs to be stretched to some degree as it is wound onto the bars. This will prevent a lot of wrinkles from developing while also ensuring that the tape won’t unwind or slide with use. That kind of effort is enough to move the bike around if it isn’t secured, so it’s worth anchoring the front wheel or fork in a stand to make the job easier.

1. Getting started: flip back the lever hoods and use some tape (quality electrical) to set the route for all cables/wires.

2. Start wrapping the tape at the end of the handlebars, leaving small amount of overhang. The most common method is to wrap the right side of the bar counter-clockwise, and the left side of the bar clockwise. Or in other words, toward the frame.

3. Wrap the tape in a spiral making sure that there is some overlap. The overlap is often determined by the design or branding on the tape. Keep the tape taut so that it conforms to the shape of the bars and watch out for any wrinkles or gaps.

4. Use a small length of tape to hide the lever band…

5. …then continue to spiral the tape up and over it, taking care to avoid wrinkling the tape or leaving any gaps.

6. Wrap the tape over the top of the lever but don’t block the cable ports in the lever.

7. Once the lever has been wrapped, continue spiralling the tape towards the stem. Make sure there is plenty of overlap when making the final bend of the bars – this is a common point for tape to form gaps with use.

8. Cutting the tape on an angle that is perpendicular to the bars creates a straight edge for finishing off the wrap. Practise this with any excess tape prior to making your final cut.

9. Hold the end in place and grab a piece of tape to secure it.

10. Electrical tape (we like tapes from Nitto and 3M) is perfect for finishing off the job. Stretch it a little to make sure it conforms to the bars and cables.

11. Back to where you started at the drop, fold the overhang of tape into the end of the bars…

12. …then push the plug into place.

13. A firm hand will be required to push the plug all the way into the bars.

 

Deciding on where to finish wrapping the tape is usually dictated by the handlebars. For external cables, it will be important to wrap the bars most of the way to the stem to keep them secure and tidy. In contrast, there is no strict need to wrap the tops of the bars when the cables are routed internally. This is especially true for aero shapes where a cushioned tape can increase the bulk of the tops considerably, however a thin microfibre tape can be used by riders that find untaped tops too slippery.

Keep a pair of scissors handy, and hang two lengths of electrical tape on the stem or top tube of the frame so that they are easy to reach. Once wrapping is complete, the end of the tape can be cut and secured without letting it go. It’s heart-breaking to watch all your hard work literally unravel before your eyes.

The sequence above details one common approach to wrapping bars where a single loop is used around the levers. When using this method, a short strip of tape is required to hide the lever band and fill in some gaps. Alternatively, some lever shapes can be wrapped in a figure-eight, as shown in this video that Dave Everrett captured at the Tour Down Under a few years ago, in which case there is no need for an extra length of tape.

Finishing touches

Once the bars are wrapped, there a few choices for finishing off the job. Electrical tape provides the simplest and most effective means of securing the end of the tape to the bars, but don’t use too much or wrap too wide as it will spoil an otherwise neat finish. Electrical tape is available in a few different colours, so it will often blend in with the bar tape.

Alternatively, twine, short strips of leather, cotton tape, or a vinyl sticker can be used to hide the electrical tape and add a bit of interest to the finished job. Keep in mind that whatever the choice, it needs to withstand a fair bit of abrasion without posing too much of a challenge to remove when it comes time to replace the tape.

At the other end of the bars, a simple plug (or even a cork from a bottle) is used to tuck away the tape to make sure that it doesn’t unravel. For those looking for extra flair or greater personalisation, it’s not difficult (or expensive) to get a pair of custom-engraved alloy bar plugs, while brands such as Velox and Cinelli offer some interesting alternatives.

What’s your favourite bar tape and how do you like to finish off the job?

The post Get a grip: Your guide to all things handlebar tape appeared first on CyclingTips.

How do you like the sound of a do-it-all gravel bike, one that leans a little towards the performance end of the spectrum, but still collapses to fit inside an inconspicuous case that won’t raise eyebrows at the airline check-in counter?

That’s exactly what the Ritchey Outback Carbon Break-Away frameset promises, and tech writer Dave Rome has spent the past few months riding gravel and tarmac on one – with a little traveling in between – to see if those promises hold true. Whether you’re seeking a new gravel ride, interested in a versatile travel bike, or just intrigued by such a niche offering, this just might suit your needs.

Before you get reading, though, it’s worth noting that Ritchey have two new Outback models available: the teal-coloured steel version, and the carbon Break-Away reviewed here. While both are designed for going beyond where the tarmac ends, a quick look at the geometry charts proves the material isn’t the only difference. If you’re keen on the steel Outback, take this review with a grain of salt.

What it is, and what’s included

Despite the niche market, Ritchey have long-offered a range of production travel framesets with the patented Break-Away design. Unlike the threaded S&S couplers used by many custom builders, the Break-Away system allows more freedom of material choice while being lighter, too.

Break-Away frames split at the top tube and seat tube junction, and again at the bottom of the down tube, near the bottom bracket. The down tube sections have tapered male and female ends to aid in alignment, and are held together with a simple metal clamp. Up top, the built-in seatpost collar serves double duty as it also clamps the upper seat tube stub in place inside the end of the top tube. It’s elegantly simple.

The Ritchey Outback Carbon Break-Away is sold only as a frameset, but it includes a number of dedicated accessories to make traveling with it as easy as possible.

Put next to a regular bike travel case (Thule RoundTrip), the Ritchey Break-Away is discreet.

Box for a single wheel on the left, Ritchey Break-Away case in the middle and a Thule RoundTrip case on the right,

The case is small enough to fit into the boot of an SUV sideways…

Or be stored in a cupboard. That’s a tool box on the left for size comparison.

Most notable is the travel case (also sold separately for US$300) and specific frame padding. Popular among the travel bike crowd, the soft-sided case features a rigid base and semi-rigid edges. It’s zippered on one side, with a steel plate reinforcement for wheel axles on the opposite side. Inside, there are retention straps and a number of storage pockets for small items, such as tools, pedals, and lights.

The included padding certainly adds to the packing experience, with felt-lined padding (Velcro equipped) provided to wrap all the frame tubes. The padding is very thin, however, so it’s meant more to preserve the paint than prevent structural damage. There’s also a cover for the crankset made of sturdier materials, and another to separate the wheels from the frame parts.

With aluminium lugs and carbon tubes, the frame itself is somewhat of a carbon fibre hybrid. The aluminium is predominately used at junction and frame connection points, where carbon alone wouldn’t play well in this application. The aesthetic of the tube shapes is closer to that of a steel frame, and certainly not the oversized look one would usually associate with a modern premium carbon frame. As a benefit to this, the carbon tube walls are quite thick and seem more capable of withstanding constant travel abuse than more lightweight chassis.

Bundled with the frame is Ritchey’s new full-carbon WCS Gravel fork, which features a straight 1 1/8in steerer, 47mm rake, a 383mm axle-to-crown length, 12mm thru-axle dropouts, and plenty of space for 40c rubber. This turns on Ritchey’s excellent WCS drop-in headset with coated bearing races for improved corrosion resistance.

I weighed the small sample frame at 1,520g, including the rear thru-axle, and the fork adds another 440g with an uncut steerer. Adding in the headset, cable connectors, and down tube coupler, the total climbs to 2,020g – approximately 500-700g heavier than a (non-travel) top-tier carbon gravel race frameset.

Also included are a set of tool-free aluminium connectors that split the gear and rear brake cables for easier packing, tooled 12mm front and rear thru-axles, an IKEA-like card to guide you through the packing and reassembly processes, a 4Nm preset torque wrench, and a full set of Ritchey-logo protective frame stickers to ward off cable rub, chain slap, and similar wear.

Ritchey’s Break-Away design is not something you see often.

The aluminium seat tube stub tucks up into the end of the top tube.

The connection points of the frame are aluminium.

Cable joiners are provided. You’ll need double the normal number of cables as a result.

A Ritchey WCS headset is provided. It’s a quality item.

The frameset includes Ritchey’s all-new WCS Gravel carbon fork.

If anything, these parts are overbuilt for the application, but that’s probably a good thing given that you remove the seatpost more than usual with a travel bike.

The pockets provide plenty of space for tools, small parts, and a few random items.

Traditional threads at the bottom bracket are a welcomed sight.

The front derailleur tab is removable, offering a cleaner look for those wanting to run single-chainring drivetrains.

The Outback Carbon uses external cable routing.

From frameset to bike

Despite its odd design parameter of having to fit inside a travel case, the Outback Break-Away calls for an impressively standard build kit. The 100x12mm and 142x12mm wheel fitments have become increasingly common in recent years, and the frame itself features an English threaded bottom bracket, external cable routing, and flat-mount disc brake calipers. The braze-on front derailleur mount is removable for those wanting to run single-chainring gearing, too.

There are, however, some notable limitations. As it stands, the frame is not set up for wired electronic shifting. Likewise, as the cables need to be split at the down tube, full hydraulic brakes present packing issues. And while there are some hydraulic brake decouplers on the market to overcome this, none are meant for regular and repeated use. At least from a travel point of view, mechanical disc brakes thus remain the easiest and most reliable option.

Also missing are dedicated fender or pannier mounts. This was not an issue for me, but it will be deal breaker for some, especially those that hope to use the Outback Break-Away as an everyday commuter at home.

Ritchey provided a number of its components to help with the build, including its well-matched WCS Zeta Disc wheelset. As CyclingTips US technical editor James Huang has written about in the past, this is a stand-out item for a travel bike given the way the rear hub allows the freehub (with cassette installed) and axle to be simply removed tool-free for flatter packing. It’s not a mandatory item for the Break-Away case, but it certainly eases the packing process.

At 1,610g for the pair, these alloy wheels are tubeless-ready (something I’ll come back to) and offer an actual internal rim width of 19.9mm, a good match for tyres between 28 and 40c. Another packing bonus is the Centerlock disc interface, which makes it far easier to install and remove rotors for travel than on six-bolt hubs.

From TRP comes its Hy/Rd flat mount hybrid brake calipers, which use a traditional cable to actuate a hydraulic cylinder. It’s not quite the best of both worlds, but they’re noticeably smoother and more controlled than a full mechanical setup, especially when used with compressionless brake housing.

Completing the build is Shimano’s latest Ultegra R8000 groupset (which we’ll review separately at a later date), including a compact crank and 11-34T cassette. All up, with Ritchey 40c tyres and Shimano XT pedals, the bike weighs 8.99kg (19.82lb).

The build went together with very few snags. While functional, the rear flat mount benefited from being faced, allowing for easier brake setup once done. It’s not the first flat-mount equipped frame that I’ve seen needing this, and something a well-equipped shop, with a Park Tool DT-5.2 in hand, should be able to sort if ever needed.

As a cautionary warning, the gear cables run directly on the frame surface underneath the bottom bracket. If left exposed long-term, it’ll gradually wear into the aluminium lug, or at least, increase cable wear. Ritchey doesn’t include them, but I strongly suggest using short sections of cable liner here.

While I’m nitpicking, the second bottle cage mount is positioned quite high on the seat tube. I was able to run a standard cage, but there was wasted room beneath. Otherwise, everything else on the frame was well finished and precisely prepped.

Made for travel

With the whole bike fitting into a case that’s barely larger than a wheel box, one’s travel experience is truly transformed. For anyone that’s ever flown with a bike before, and/or tried to fit a bike box into a taxi or hire car on the other side, you’ll know the stresses it can bring. Transport issues aside, a bike like the Break-Away can quickly pay for itself in saved baggage fees, at least for frequent travellers. Even for those that only occasionally fly with a bike, the sheer convenience of a smaller bag might be the only justification required.

If you’re thinking of arriving at your destination and riding from there, keep in mind that you’ll not only need to assemble the bike in the airport; you’ll also need to find a secure locker to leave it behind since the semi-rigid case doesn’t fold. But in fairness, arrive-and-ride adventures aren’t the purpose of the Break-Away.

At 80 x 69 x 22cm (31.5 x 27 x 9”), the case teeters on the edge of most airline’s checked baggage allowances. I didn’t have any issue with checking the Break-Away as standard luggage within Australia, although in all cases I was asked to drop the bag off at the oversized conveyer due to its taller height. However, those unloading the luggage on the other end didn’t seem as concerned, with the bike appearing on the regular baggage conveyor on more than one occasion.

As always, though, your experience may vary. American airlines are notorious for being much stricter in terms of baggage allowances – especially for bikes – so keep that in mind when checking in. Either way, it’s best to check airline policies prior to booking, and then prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

Packing my 8.99kg tester into its 5.66kg case (6.70kg with all included padding), there is weight and room left to play. On one trip, I managed to fit my bidons, cycling shoes, bike lock, lights, travel pump, spares, tools, two days of riding kit, and a generous sleeping bag into the case, along with the bike itself. And all of that still came under the 23kg airline limit.

Fully loaded, the discreet case is easy enough to drag behind you. A handle at the front allows you to tip the case up and walk, but it’s not the most comfortable thing to do for long distances. This is especially true for uneven surfaces, where the tall and narrow case is prone to toppling.

Packing and unpacking

There’s undoubtedly some compromise to fitting the bike in such a small case, and there’s a fair bit of disassembly required. The build process isn’t ideal if you’re wanting to do single-day trips and go for a lunch ride while at the office, and suffice to say, this isn’t a product for the mechanically challenged.

At minimum, you must remove the wheels, stem (keeping handlebars attached), pedals, and seatpost, in addition to separating the frame itself and splitting the cable connectors. Many Break-Away owners also remove the rear derailleur and chain for absolute safe travels.

I took the disassembly further still, removing the brake rotors and pulling the rear hub internals from the Ritchey wheels. An added bonus here is that the Ritchey WCS rear wheel axle, with freehub and cassette attached, doubles as a chain keeper and reinforcement axle for the frame. Thankfully, the flat mount brake calipers are tucked out of harms way, and so I didn’t need to touch them. While not required, I found removing the bottle cage from the seat tube helped with the packing.

Unfortunately, a 700x28c tyre is about the limit of what will fit inside the case inflated; anything larger needs to be deflated. Tubeless users may experience some additional headaches as a result, depending on their particular setup.

My first go at packing the bike took a full hour. I certainly got far quicker from there, but it’s never going to be a five-minute job. My fastest packing still neared 25 minutes. Care must be taken to get a flat-packed outcome, too, and more commonly I’d have the wide rear dropouts protruding just a little from one side of the case.

Rebuilding the bike is in some ways easier than fitting it in its case, with the hardest bit being getting the stem and post straight, and the cables connected.

Strange numbers

If you haven’t noticed yet in the photos, my test sample has a setup that would make traditionalists and slam-that-stem evangelists shudder. By the end of testing, I had 25mm of headset spacers and the stem flipped upward – not pretty. Apparently, even Tom Ritchey runs his own Break-Away with a flipped stem (although with far fewer spacers).

Simply put, the Outback Carbon Break-Away features an oddly low stack and long reach for its given size. I chose the frame size based on the reach dimension (and in this case, it’s actually on the long side), but the stack is so low that the fit is more in keeping with a pro-level road racing bike than a dedicated gravel setup.

Looking at a size small (as tested), the stack is 18mm lower than even Ritchey’s Break-Away carbon road bike. In fact, it’s lower than any road, cyclocross, or gravel bike Ritchey offer. Likewise, the stack is a couple of millimetres shorter than Cannondale’s smallest 48cm CAAD12 road racer. Nevertheless, the reach of the small Ritchey is equivalent to a 54cm CAAD12. For comparison, my personal CAAD12 is a 52cm, and it fits me well.

I’ve spent countless hours scratching my head at this geometry, but can come to no other conclusion except that the Outback Break-Away’s head tube is just too short. Aesthetics and traditions aside, a headset spacer should solve the issue for most, and a flipped stem eases the issue further. But be aware that Ritchey suggests no more than 30mm of headset spacers with its carbon forks.

Admittedly, my fit dimensions are partly to blame for the fit woes. At 172cm (5’8”), I often fall between small and medium frames, but my preference in drop bar bikes is for the smaller option given my long inseam and short torso. I typically run plenty of handlebar drop, but seek a shorter reach. By comparison, my colleague James Huang stands at the same height but uses a saddle height 3cm lower, and so he likely wouldn’t have as much of an issue with the Outback Carbon Break-Away’s unusual geometry as I did. Going up a size would solve my stack woes, but at the expense of a longer reach than anything I’d typically throw a leg over, along with compromised handling.

That’s a tiny head tube.

I checked with Ritchey about the sizing decisions, for which they admitted that some compromises are made for easier and smaller packing. That’s understandable given the new gravel fork is 20mm longer in axle-to-crown length as compared to a road fork, but the choice seems odd given the small shares the same travel case as the extra-large frames. Shortening the head tube also does little to ease packing, anyway, since the fork stays in place.

Other key measurements show this bike’s performance intent. As compared to a number of other current gravel bikes, the Outback Carbon is relatively tall, steep, and short in its wheelbase – not unlike a euro-spec cyclocross bike. By comparison, the steel Outback is 3-5mm lower, a tad longer and a touch slacker.

The Ride

Fit issues aside, the Outback Break-Away offers an impressively smooth ride quality, while also not being a noodle under power. It’s certainly a design intention of the bike, with Fergus Tanaka of Ritchey USA explaining that Tom Ritchey purposefully picked the smaller-diameter round tube profiles to closely match the ride quality of a good steel frame.

A skinny head tube hides a straight 1 1/8in steerer.

Likewise, the carbon fork, with its 1 1/8in straight steerer, was chosen for its added comfort relative to the tapered steerers more often used in modern bikes. While this approach seems dated, I must completely admit to not missing the tapered steerer. The front end stiffness was perfectly adequate, while the ride at the front was noticeably cushy.

I rode the Ritchey with both 40c gravel and 30c road tyres on a variety of terrain. What surprised me most was how composed the bike was when riding in gravel mode at high speed. Here, that supple ride quality, combined with the big tyres, goes a long way to keeping the bike planted. I found myself able to pedal more consistently over rougher terrain than other carbon gravel bikes I’ve had on test recently, such as the Cannondale SuperX SE.

The handling is spot-on, too, providing a sense of stability while still being reactive like a good cyclocross race bike. Those who prefer a more touring-type feel are probably going to feel this Outback is a little too quick, but those coming from a road racing bike or even a cyclocross bike will feel right at home in the way it responds.

Likewise, stomping the pedals to overcome steep pitches didn’t reveal any unnerving flex. The Outback Carbon Break-Away isn’t stiff from the handlebars to the wheels like a sprinter’s bike, and so it lacks the same level of snap. The frame rigidity always felt adequately efficient, though, and I’d liken its quality more to a good steel frame, but lighter.

Despite the fact that the frame separates into two pieces, never did the bike make a squeak, creak, or squawk when seated. I did have the occasional groan when purposefully twisting the bike out of the saddle and throwing a weighted downstroke, but this was typically due to the down tube coupler either being slightly loose, or being dirty. After a quick cleaning and re-tightening with a torque wrench, the bike was once again perfectly silent.

Common with smaller frame sizes, I experienced a fair bit of toe overlap when riding off-road, made all the more noticeable with the 40c tyres. For reference, it wasn’t ever an issue when on the road, especially with skinnier rubber, but it took careful consideration while riding tight and twisty mountain bike singletrack (and it didn’t always work out).

Switching to the road tyres revealed a handling quirk I didn’t notice when off-road. At high speeds, the bike had a tendency to want to sit up in corners, otherwise known as understeer. It’s not too surprising given the tall-ish bottom bracket height and change in trail, and while I never had the nerve to tip the bike into corners at such high speeds off-road, it’s certainly something to be cautious of if you’re planning some alpine road trips.

The geometry of bike handling

Despite that, I would happily race this bike in a (club) ‘cross race or chuck some slick rubber on and join a road bunch.

Speaking of descents, the Ritchey’s use of mechanical disc brakes sacrifices some braking potential. Even with high-quality compressionless housing, the added friction requires noticeably more hand force than a full hydraulic system to generate a similar amount of stopping power. Overall performance in mixed conditions is still superior to rim brakes, but it’s certainly not best-in-class for discs.

This became more noticeable with use, as the split rear brake housing is exposed to the elements on the down tube. Rubber seals are an option, but add their own friction to the system, while full sealed systems won’t play all that nicely with the Ritchey cable connector.

Finally, riding the Ritchey on a very wet Giro Della Donna, I experienced an issue I’ve yet to have to complain about in a product review before – water build-up. Packing the bike immediately after the event, I was surprised to see water pouring out of the frame’s rear-end like a full jug. I suspect water was entering through the slotted seat tube, frame coupler, and front derailleur cable routing, but without a hole at the bottom bracket, there’s no way for it to drain. I don’t have a proven solution to stop this from happening at the moment, and Ritchey is looking into it.

Rear tyre clearance around a 40c reveals you shouldn’t go much bigger.

There’s more clearance at the seatstays.

A close-up of the down tube coupler.

The flat-mount rear brake and bolt-up thru-axle offer a nearly-flush fit for easier travel.

Cable connectors on the down tube allow for tool-free cable splitting.

A closer look at those cable connectors.

Visually, the frame is rather sedate.

Designed by Tom Ritchey.

Two bolts are used to connect the frame together and hold the seatpost.

From afar. you’d never know this is a splittable travel bike.

The keyed connection between the seat tube and top tube keep the two sections from rotating relative to each other.

The Ritchey WCS Zeta Disc hubs offer a unique aesthetic. They work ideally for travel.

The post Ritchey Outback Carbon Break-Away gravel travel frameset review appeared first on CyclingTips.

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The online mountain bike community has been abuzz lately with sightings of an eTap wireless version of SRAM’s Eagle 1×12 groupset. What was once solely rumour is quickly becoming fact, however, with sports photographer Michal Cerveny recently posting a crystal clear photo of an Eagle eTap rear derailleur on Nino Schurter’s bike.

Some magics happens here! ?? #sram #eagle #etap #mountainbike #blackbox #scottbikes #ucimtbwc #cyclingphotos

A post shared by Michal Cerveny photography (@michalcervenyphoto) on Mar 7, 2018 at 7:49am PST

The rumours began circulating about a month ago, when a photo on Schurter’s Instagram account showed what appeared to be a rear derailleur lacking a cable, but fitted with a battery. That photo was quickly removed, and all photos from Schurter since then have shown an unusual left-side bias to his handlebars, always cutting out the right-hand shifter and grip area.

This would mark SRAM’s first electronic mountain bike groupset offering. Wireless electronic shifting can potentially offer real advantages on mountain bikes, where the performance of traditional mechanical transmissions can be compromised by convoluted routing, rear suspension movement, and long cable lengths. The rear derailleur pictured clearly features a clutch mechanism for improved chain retention, and looks to work with the existing 10-50T 12-speed Eagle cassette.

It appears that SRAM will be using the same battery here as on the road-going eTap groupset, however the battery life is virtually guaranteed to be significantly shorter. Mountain biking requires more frequent shifting than on the road, and often across multiple sprockets. Combined with the additional resistance of the clutch mechanism, the stepper motor will be working overtime.

At least in theory, this new derailleur could also potentially be paired with SRAM’s Red eTap shifters to create a drop-bar 1×12 drivetrain. This would require a significant firmware update, and so it’s more likely we’ll sooner see the American company offer a wireless electronic version of its Force 1 groupset.

Photos of the mountain bike shifters have been harder to come by, and to date most speculation has been based on the findings of Dutch magazine VeloZine. Here, patents of the new group were uncovered, showing two different shifter designs. One shifter design combines the function of a grip shifter and Shimano’s Di2 MTB shifter, while the other design looks similar to a toggle switch for use with a thumb and forefinger. SRAM is no stranger to offering both twist and lever-style shift options for its mountain bike groupsets, so both options seem viable.

Just as was seen with Schurter being the first rider to race SRAM’s mechanical XX1 Eagle 1×12 a couple of years ago, it seems the opening UCI World Cup in Stellenbosch, South Africa will see Schurter give the Eagle eTap its pro race debut as well. Stay tuned.

The post SRAM Eagle eTap wireless mountain bike groupset spotted appeared first on CyclingTips.

As the engineering boundaries of bicycles are forever pushed, the need for measured bolt tightening has only increased. No longer is “tight” an adequate measure, and instead, you really should use a specific torque number, at least where carbon fibre or lightweight aluminium is involved. Silca claims 70 percent of all tool-induced damage to delicate bolts and components happens not at home, but on the road or trail, when you don’t typically have a proper torque wrench at hand.

Options for torque wrenches are numerous, but only recently have portable versions become available, including the clever T-Ratchet and Ti-Torque that Silca launched on Kickstarter in 2016 that both CyclingTips tech writer David Rome and CyclingTips US technical editor James Huang backed on their own accord. Silca has been steadily refining the product since then, and the latest version is arguably the best portable solution available.

What’s included

Held in a classy duck waxed canvas case with magnetic clasps, the T-Ratchet and Ti-Torque is a modular tool kit with standard 1/4in interchangeable bits to tackle common repairs and adjustments on a modern bicycle (or even around the house). The T-Ratchet’s 72-tooth reversible ratchet is unusually fine, especially for a portable tool, but it’s the tool’s neat mix-and-match design that really makes it unique. The bits can be inserted directly into the ratchet drive, at the end of the handle, or on an included 50mm-long extension. All of the parts are interchangeable, too, so if one setup doesn’t work for a particular application, chances are good that another one will. With the exception of the drive ratchet, which uses a friction fit, everything else connects with magnetic inserts.

The bits themselves are high-quality as well. Silca has them made from the same S2 tool steel as on its premium HX-One home hex wrench kit, and each bit is marked with a little red identification ring for easier selection.

The T-Ratchet offers multiple setup options.

The torque measurement comes from the Ti-Torque rod (which is also available separately), which operates on a similar principle as inexpensive beam-type torque wrenches, but in torsion instead of bending. The titanium rod inside the red-anodized aluminium housing is basically a torsion spring, and requires a known amount of force to twist. Laser-etched markers indicate exactly how much force is applied. The design is simple, but effective.

The Ti-Torque rod is tuned to a range of 2-8Nm. With most carbon handlebar and stem combos calling for 4-6Nm, and many seatpost frame clamps in the region of 5-8Nm, most delicate areas of the bike that might require roadside adjustment are covered.

Pocket-sized kit wrapped in a durable case.

All folded up, the Silca case measures 120mm x 70mm x 30mm. A full kit, including case, weighs 232g. Like most things from Silca, the asking price (US$99 / AU$180 / £100) is at the upper end, but arguably well justified given what’s included.

Using the T-Ratchet

There’s no denying that plenty of thought has gone into this toolset. Modular tools are not new, but combining them with a ratchet and torque measurement remains a unique proposition.

The T-Ratchet tool is a quality item, and I suspect it shares a Taiwanese manufacturer with the likes of Wera, Facom, and many other high quality ratchets. While the ratchet internals may be the same, the exterior design is clearly Silca’s own.

Thirteen pieces make up the kit, and users can replace bits as needed for their specific needs.

The modular aspect really opens up the tool’s usability across the bike. Pieces can be added for extra leverage or length when necessary, for example, and the fine-toothed ratchet helps in tight spaces where there is limited tool access. The modular design does leave a nub protruding 25mm above the centre of the ratchet mechanism, however, which occasionally reduces the swing angle of the tool.

Either way, the tool is extremely comfortable and generally quick to use, too, with its smooth edges and knurled handles.

The T-Ratchet head’s small protrusion can cause clearance issues. Thankfully, the fine-tooth ratchet mechanism provides a workable, albeit slower, solution.

The magnetic attachment system is clearly geared more toward ease-of-use, which is welcomed in most situations, and generally preferred to modular designs that hold on to bits too stubbornly. That said, the bits can get stuck in soft bolt heads sometimes, and the handle occasionally pulls out depending on how you grab the tool. If only for this reason, I recommend the T-Ratchet and Ti-Torque kit more for portable, not home, use.

Ti-Torque – it’s as accurate as you are

When first released after its hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, the T-Ratchet and Ti-Torque offered plenty to like and it certainly found many fans. However, I wasn’t one of them. The individual markings were hard to pick out, which made it far too easy to over- or undertighten a fastener. Silca does plenty of things right, but that specific element was not one of them.

The latest version, however, now uses three separate scales (2-6Nm, 3-5Nm, and 4-8Nm) spread around the entire circumference of the outer tube. It’s thankfully much more legible, and also now offers finer 1Nm, instead of 2Nm, marking increments.

The markings on the original Ti-Torque tube shown here were hard to read. The new one uses the entire circumference of the housing and is much easier to use.

Unlike clutch-limited torque wrenches that are far more foolproof, even the improved Ti-Torque requires a careful hand and a watchful eye. Tightening to your desired torque requires you to perfectly match two lines, and beyond visual cues, there’s nothing to stop you over (or under) cooking it. But even so, it’s pretty accurate given its simplicity, measured against a bench-top digital torque wrench tester.

I was able to get a 2-3% torque accuracy with the new version, but only with careful attention. More often, just missing the line by a hair would result in a greater variance. In reality, close enough is good enough for most applications – and, more importantly, far better than guessing – and while it takes some level of patience, the Ti-Torque is capable of being extremely accurate.

Wrap-up

So is the newly updated T-Ratchet and Ti-Torque tool the ultimate all-in-one? Well, sort of. For an extremely compact kit to leave in the car or gear bag, or to take with you on a cycling trip, it’s very impressive and will allow quick assembly and adjustments. Especially in a travel situation, where space and weight is a concern, I’m completely sold.

For home use, many casual DIYers will find great use in this kit, and it’s perfectly ample. I would suggest owning long-leverage 6, 8, and 10mm hex keys in addition to this for things like pedals and crank bolts, but the Silca kit will cover you for just about everything else.

The tools and wallet are sized to fit inside a jersey pocket, but I still feel it’s a little overkill to carry around as an emergency multi-tool (and after all, Silca makes one of those, too). It is a handy kit to have when riding a new bike, where frequent fine adjustments are expected, but for the rest of my riding, I prefer to keep what I carry at a minimum.

However, for the person that considers themselves a home mechanic, or even professional, this kit is just too compromised for daily use. The torque wrench is trustworthy, but it’s only as accurate as you are. Add in that little annoying nub at the ratchet end, and the handles that pull out when you don’t want them to, and you’ll find more wrenching joy in tools that permanently serve single functions.

The T-Ratchet + Ti-Torque therefore sits in an unusual middle ground. It has its place, but it’s not quite the best of both worlds.

The tool is compact, but not so small to be uncomfortable in the hand. The ergonomics are good.

New versus old. The only element that’s changed since this tool’s initial launch is the Ti-Torque rod.

A look inside the duck waxed canvas case. It’s a high-quality item that will withstand regular use.

Ten S2 steel tool bits are included: 2-6mm hex; T10, T20, and T25 Torx; and a #2 Phillips.

A knurled thumb wheel eases doing up bolts in tight spots.

The post Silca T-Ratchet + Ti-Torque tool kit review: compact and modular torque tool appeared first on CyclingTips.

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17 New Articles

March 10, 2018

NEWS

Molard wins at Paris-Nice, Roglic best at Tirreno-Adriatico: Daily News Digest

March 10, 2018

OPINION AND ANALYSIS

Peloton PhD: Why Strade Bianche’s final climb got the best of Wout Van Aert

March 10, 2018

March 9, 2018

NEWS

A whole new weld: The Allez Sprint, the young guns and the aluminum revival

March 9, 2018

MEET

Cycling delivered my dreams: How the bike earned me a medal at PyeongChang

March 9, 2018

LEARN

Full frontal: How the Sufferfest’s 4D power profile can make you faster

March 9, 2018

NEWS

Kittel wins at Tirreno-Adriatico, Cousin at Paris-Nice: Daily News Digest

March 9, 2018

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Silca T-Ratchet + Ti-Torque tool kit review: compact and modular torque tool

March 9, 2018

March 8, 2018

NEWS

SRAM Eagle eTap wireless mountain bike derailleur and shifter spotted

March 8, 2018

INTERVIEWS

Living legend: A chat with 106-year-old record-breaking rider Robert Marchand

March 8, 2018

NEWS

UCI President Lappartient wants investigation into Team Sky

March 8, 2018

NEWS

Poels, BMC win time trials at Paris-Nice and Tirreno Adriatico: Daily News Digest

March 8, 2018

LEARN

Mourning ride: When times get tough, a simple spin can work wonders

March 8, 2018

PODCASTS

CyclingTips Podcast: The chasm between ethics and law, plus a plea for fun bikes

March 8, 2018

March 7, 2018

ADVENTURE

Living dangerously: An outsider’s perspective on cycling in India

March 7, 2018

ROADTRIPPING

Discovering Switzerland: Zermatt

March 7, 2018

NEWS

Hivert wins stage 3 of Paris-Nice, Prudhomme wants Froome clarity: Daily News Digest

March 7, 2018

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Ritchey Outback Carbon Break-Away gravel travel frameset review

March 7, 2018

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Old dog, new tricks

The Allez has had a decades-long run in Specialized’s range, at various points occupying a position in the brand’s range as a high-end steel bike, a reasonably-priced alloy one, and a stage-winning, zebra-striped sprint weapon piloted by flamboyant Italian Mario Cipollini. But with the arrival of Specialized’s carbon fibre race bikes, the Allez was left behind – superseded at the top end by the Tarmac, pushed into second-tier status by its more fancied stable-mate.

2013 gave the first hint that Specialized wasn’t yet done with performance aluminum road frames. The release of the S-Works Allez brought fresh innovation to a long-established material, at its core the development by Specialized’s engineers of a proprietary welding technique. D’Aluisio SmartWeld (DSW) – an ingenious treatment at the headtube which moved the weld away from the area of greatest strain, using a rolled edge like a soft drink can — allowed the frame’s designers to shed the limitations of conventional aluminum manufacturing.

A demonstration of the thinking behind SmartWeld with an aluminum soft drink can – it’s fragile in the centre, but far stronger at the rolled end. As a bonus, this approach also makes for a stronger and more fool-proof connection when welded.

A head-tube detail shot showing the difference between a conventional alloy headtube (left) and a SmartWeld equivalent (right). Note how the welding and strain is moved away from the headtube junction in the latter, and the removal of redundant material. 

The heavily hydroformed headtube mimicked both the appearance and performance of the contemporary Tarmac, and response was strong enough to convince Specialized to expand the model’s availability from an ultra-limited release to a mainstay of the range the season after. But still there was room for improvement.

Industry veteran Chuck Teixeira, long at the forefront of aluminum’s development as a cycling material, was poached from Easton and joined the team working to advance the Allez’s performance. He’s a straight-shooter who doesn’t subscribe to broad categorisations when it comes to materials.

“From a rider’s perspective, credit always seems to go to the material, that’s how it’s always been. X material rides good, Y material rides bad… (but) the performance of any material is actually driven by the application and engineering use of that material,” Teixeira says. “It’s up to engineering to coax the best we can from whatever material we’re working with. Reality is if the bike is too stiff or rides bad, it’s partially a reflection of how we (engineering) applied the material, and not just the material itself.” There’d be no excuses with the Allez Sprint – Specialized was looking to redefine what was possible with aluminum.

From the outset, lofty ambitions were set for the new model – according to Teixeira, “we wanted this bike to be as stiff in the bottom bracket as the Tarmac, as aero as the Venge, and within 100-150 grams of the Tarmac”.

To hit these marks required a major shift. “Aluminum frame performance had just about plateaued, given that construction methods had remained stagnant for many years,” explains Teixeira. “It’s like anything else – same approach, same results.” In the end, it was a combination of Specialized’s learnings from their carbon fibre models and novel manufacturing techniques that informed the design of the Allez Sprint. “Carbon frames that are molded do not have the same shape limitations that a welded alloy frame has. The carbon shapes out there have evolved and are driven primarily by the performance that they yield. We knew that if we wanted to improve our alloy performance we needed better shapes. Welded tube-to-tube approaches would not get us where we needed to be… to do this we needed to take a fresh approach,” Teixeira says.

The new bottom bracket developed by Teixeira and Specialized’s engineering team was a game-changer. 

Having proven the concept at the headtube junction, Specialized’s engineering team looked to the bottom bracket as the next avenue for improvement, with a radically hydroformed bottom bracket shell formed as two hollow halves, brazed down the central seam and SmartWelded to the frame tubing. In the rig and in the saddle, the results were truly impressive – “stiffness that you can feel when you jump on the pedals,” says Teixeira – and more than closed the gap to Specialized’s carbon contemporaries.

“We were more aero than the Venge, created a stiffer BB, and were within 150 grams of the Venge and Tarmac at the time,” Teixeira explains. “For better or worse carbon will always be perceived to be higher-performing than aluminum… (but) the bottom line is we feel this a bike that you can win races on, at any level.”

Not bad for a dead material.

For Axel Merckx, it’s a way of giving back. “I owe everything to cycling,” he says. “My Dad left a huge legacy behind and my goal is to try and leave something behind for the future of the sport in my own way.”

The role of a development team is an important one that extends beyond maximising a rider’s physical performance – it also needs to be a place where a rider can grow.

“Being available during the highs and lows is an important part of my job… We work diligently to create a safe and encouraging environment for the riders,” Merckx explains. “We also provide coaching, feedback, opportunities, and give them exposure to the WorldTour teams.”

From 2016, Specialized has sponsored the team, providing them with top-flight Tarmacs – until 2018, when the team were presented with the aluminum Allez Sprint frameset instead. Given the average racing cyclist’s conditioning to believe in the superiority of carbon fibre, it’d be fair to assume that this raised some eyebrows.

“At first I was quite hesitant going to the Allez, as we were coming from one of the best racing frames in the Tarmac,” admits team veteran Will Barta. At Axeon’s recent winter training camp, the riders had plenty of time to get used to their new bikes, covering over 1,000km through the canyons and coastline of Southern California. Despite any initial misgivings, the riders came away pleasantly surprised. Preconceptions around the properties of aluminum frames were quickly dispelled: “When you are accelerating it loses no power through the frame. It also surprised me in terms of weight, which is always a huge thing for us – with our race wheels, the bike is right at the weight limit,” explains Barta. “It’s a great all around bike.”

Chris Blevins – a multi-disciplinary prodigy who’s recently ridden his way to national U23 titles in cross country MTB and cyclocross – joined the squad this year having already ridden a wide selection of the Specialized range, including, briefly, an Allez.

“I actually raced (this frame) for a couple races on the NCCF / Specialized Junior team two years ago. But the hundreds of other races have all been on carbon bikes,” he says. Nonetheless, Blevins has a soft-spot for the Allez Sprint, describing it as one of his favourites in the Specialized line up. For Barta, there’s even a hint of nostalgia to it: “the Allez is the second aluminum road bike that I have ridden. My first road bike was a 24-inch wheel aluminum bike. So in a way, it is coming full circle, which is pretty cool.”

Australian sprinter Michael Rice draws parallels to his first bikes, too. “I got my first aluminum bike as a birthday present, which was a little Orbea that my Dad and I built up with parts from various garage sales. I thought it was the coolest thing ever!,” he reminisces. Years on, as one of the team’s brightest prospects, he’s back on an aluminum bike; not disappointed, but smitten. “When I first saw the Allez, I really liked the sunburst paint scheme. Together with the neat frame geometry, it really makes it an attractive bike,” Rice says.

The post A whole new weld: The Allez Sprint, the young guns and the aluminum revival appeared first on CyclingTips.

There exists a handful of companies that have dramatically altered the path of the cycling industry all on their own. On the mainstream side, there’s Stella Yu of Velo Saddles, whose company manufactures virtually every OEM and aftermarket saddle you’ve ever seen, and whose guidance has changed how every major bicycle brand specs their components. If Velo was to suddenly shutter its doors, the industry would be crippled.

On the handbuilt side, there’s Mark Norstad and Paragon Machine Works, a company you may not have even heard of. But just as Velo is a silent pillar in the mass-produced world, Paragon is a critical component of the custom industry as the primary producer of a huge range of titanium and steel frame parts. If a builder doesn’t use Paragon parts now, they probably did at some point. And just like Velo, the repercussions of Paragon shutting down would be severe and widely felt.

As is the case with many success stories, luck, hard work, and valuable mentors all played a major role in Norstad’s rise to humble prominence. But perhaps more deserving of credit was a cannon — and a big bag of gunpowder.

Kaboom

Mark Norstad was, in many ways, a typical teenager in the 1970s. With a world of opportunity ahead of him, he was, in effect, the captain of his own ship, with the entire ocean in front of him; he just didn’t know which way to turn the wheel. But on one summer day, when his family was visiting some friends on their farm in central California, a cannon changed his life forever.

This was no little toy cannon, mind you, but rather a fully functioning replica of what pirates shot from ships on the high seas, or what was aimed at foes during the American Civil War. You could actually load it with gunpowder, place cannonballs (or whatever would fit, really) into the barrel, and then fire away. And fire away those kids did.

“The guy there had this black powder cannon,” Norstad recalled. “And he gave us a pound of black powder and said, ‘Here’s the cannon, and here’s some fuse; go and have fun with that thing.’ It was just seven kids and a cannon, and we basically blew up the whole pound of black powder, just shooting the cannon all day long.”

Paragon Machine Works started out as a general “job shop,” meaning that the company would make just about whatever someone was willing to pay for. These days, though, nearly all of its business is cycling-related.

Naturally, Norstad found the cannon to be immensely fun. The noise. The smoke. The sheer power. Blowing things up. What more could you want?

But what he actually found more fascinating was that the thing wasn’t bought at a store somewhere; the family he was visiting had it made.

“When the day was over, I asked the guy, ‘That was the coolest thing; where did you get that?’ His answer was, ‘I had a machine shop make it for me.’ I was like, ‘Wow, machinists can do that? That’s what I want to do; I want to make cannons.'”

On that summer trip, and perhaps mostly in hindsight, that cannon became his guiding light — his North Star on the ocean.

Slowly finding purpose

Norstad was just about to enter high school the following autumn, and as fortune would have it, the school offered a course in machining, in which he promptly enrolled. Over the next four years, he learned the basics of the craft: turning, drilling, milling, cutting speed and material feed rates, rough and finishing cuts.

With his other requirements fulfilled in the prior three years, machining was how he spent most of his senior year. The chips were flying, and he was happily making things hour after hour. And while he clearly had found something he enjoyed doing, the idea of doing it for a living still hadn’t occurred to him.

Dropouts are a core part of Paragon Machine Works’ business, with almost 100 different models available.

“I had no real plans of what I was going to do after high school,” he said. “I was out sick one day, but the machine shop instructor from the local junior college came around and tried to recruit people. My younger brother was in the class that day and he said, ‘You’ve got to see the stuff these guys are making. It’s so cool.’ Based on that, I signed up at the local junior college for machine shop classes. In two years of junior college, I learned more than I had in the previous four in high school.”

Norstad got a job at a local machine shop shortly after, and as it turned out, CNC-machining was just starting to become more commonplace. Once the sole domain of military and government contractors due to the initially exorbitant costs, computers were finally coming down in price, and smaller shops were able to tack them on to their machines.

Paragon Machine Works dropouts are so common that many people don’t even realize they’re looking at one. These are beautifully integrated into a Bishop steel road bike.

“That was really sort of a good place to be, because I not only got a lot of exposure to manual machining, which is where everyone starts, but I also got exposed to the early job-shop CNC stuff, and it was really fun. I really learned a ton in the time I worked for that shop, and that was three and a half years. I finally left that shop to go back to school, just because I wanted to take fun classes. I took art classes, I took French, I took English, all just stuff for the fun of it.”

Lots of skill, but still no firm direction

Norstad was enjoying feeding his brain, and had become a fairly proficient machinist. But that said, there was still — at least to him — no obvious direction in which his life should take. There were plenty of things that interested him, but a career? That was still uncertain.

Then again, his father was following a rather unconventional and adventurous path of his own, and the younger Norstad perhaps didn’t feel the pressure to get his life in order. When Mark and his three siblings were still relatively young, their father stepped away from a secure job as an architect and pursued his passion of becoming — of all things — a potter. That business proved very successful, to the point where it outgrew its original location and needed to expand.

Paragon Machine Works makes it very easy for custom and small-batch builders to concentrate on joining tubes, not worrying about the little bits that take an inordinate amount of time to fabricate. These PolyDrop dropouts are featured on a Franco Grimes gravel bike.

His father bought a piece of property in Richmond, California — northeast across the bay from San Francisco — designed the structure (he was a trained architect, after all), and then Mark and one of his brothers built the building themselves. That project took about a year, but once that work was done, he found himself again trying to figure out what to do next.

“It was kind of a loose end, after building this building, and having gone back to school,” Norstad said. “I went back and visited my old boss at the machine shop. There were two partners, and one guy was kind of a crab. I walked in the door, and he scowled and said, ‘What do you want?’ The other guy said, ‘Come on, sit down. Let’s talk for a minute.’ So we talked for a while about what I had been doing, and what was going on, and he said, ‘Have you ever thought of starting your own machine shop? You’d be good at it.’ Honestly, the thought had never crossed my mind. It was never anything I had thought of.

“Here’s the thing,” Norstad continued. “I always felt I was pretty good as a machinist, but I had no idea how to run a business. But based on that, I went out and bought a lathe and a mill on credit, and I had no work for the machines, and my thought was that no matter how bad it gets, even if I get no work at all, I can still just get a job, and I can make the payments on the machines, and they’re not going to get repossessed. So I bought the machines, put them in my folks’ basement, went out looking for work for one day, and got enough work, met enough customers that that got me going.”

Paragon Machine Works has greatly enabled the explosion of the custom titanium frame business. Making dropouts like this in-house would require a builder to not only bring in more expensive equipment, but also more raw materials.

One of those customers would ultimately set Norstad’s direction in stone.

“The very first job I got was from TrailMaster Bicycles, one of the early pioneers of mountain bikes. They were building bikes soon after Joe Breeze built his first batch, in kind of the same timeframe as when Mert Lawwill was doing the Pro Cruiser. And so, these guys were trying to update their whole bicycle line to try to get current, and they wanted a new fork dropout. They said, ‘Here’s a sketch, can you make this?’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure I can make that.’ So I did it, and that was sort of the first bicycle-oriented stuff I did.

“It was just a really natural fit for the machine shop, and being in Marin County at that time. People would want something custom for their bikes, and a lot of times it was just one guy who wanted one part to try something out, but I was there, and I was starving enough where I would take on any job I could get. It really took off when Gary Helfrich [founder of titanium frame pioneer Merlin Metalworks] showed up one day. I think it was probably two years to the day when his non-competition agreement with Merlin expired that he called me up and said, ‘Hey, I hear you’re doing bike work. Can you do some stuff in titanium?'”

Paragon Machine Works’ Polydrop modular dropout design is particularly clever. The aluminum inserts can be changed as needed to accommodate different axle and brake fitments. Fender and rack mounts can be easily added, too, and all at a very reasonable cost.

Norstad’s constant need to tinker and experiment thankfully found him learning to machine titanium well before that time, so he was already well familiar with what was required to do the job properly. And word quickly got around.

“In 1992, I got this fax from Italy, from De Rosa, asking, ‘Can you make this dropout for us?’ I had no idea how De Rosa found me — there really was no Internet back then — or how they even got word that I was doing titanium stuff, but it was really interesting that it was such an odd thing to be making bicycle parts out of titanium that people would go internationally to find people to do the work.”

Business steadily grew from there, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles is using the mountain bike version of Paragon Machine Works’ direct-mount hanger here, but Norstad says a road-specific one is coming soon.

Today, Paragon Machine Works employs over a dozen people, and offers nearly 100 different dropouts, along with other frame fittings and parts such as housing stops, bottom bracket shells and head tubes, brake bridges, and stem components. In addition to titanium and conventional steel, the company has a healthy collection of stainless steel bits, too. And whereas once the business was primarily a job-shop that only did bike work on the side, frame parts now comprise the vast majority of the orders.

Norstad’s contributions to the sport were more formally recognized with an induction into into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2017.

And amazingly, the building in which Paragon Machine Works operates is the same one that Norstad, together with his brother, built with their own hands decades earlier. And those first machines Norstad bought on credit back in the day? They’re still in use (and paid off).

These svelte flat-mount steel disc dropouts are tidily incorporated into a cyclocross bike from Shamrock Cycles.

It would seem quite strange that Norstad would find a niche machining metal bicycle frame fittings, but these days, he certainly owns it. Despite the success, though, he’s still supremely gracious, and more than willing to help others find their own path in the business.

“Mark is a dear friend and I would not be where I am without him,” said Drew Guldalian of Engin Cycles in Wissahickon, Pennsylvania. “He has helped me get to this point and, without him, I question if I would have been able to get over some of the hurdles that presented themselves when working with titanium and making bicycle parts. If I had to venture a guess, there is not a single person that is making bicycles that is not at least using a single part from him.

“With titanium, I think the industry would never have gone where it is without Mark. He is a pioneer in making titanium parts affordable for companies that would be priced out of the metal without him. So many people rely on him and his ability to adapt to the industry. He is always paying attention to the trends. Many take it for granted.”

Photo gallery: 2018 NAHBS custom bikes from the veterans

But what about the cannon?

Norstad did eventually make a cannon of his own as he originally intended, but it was several years after he set out to do so. With his four years of high school machine shop class rapidly coming to a close, Norstad realized that he very likely would no longer have access to the equipment needed to make such a thing. But even those four years of training didn’t prepare him for such a large and unwieldy project.

Ironically, given the direction Norstad’s life ultimately took, the cannon he built for himself wasn’t even machined; it was cast from various hunks of brass that he “appropriated from various sources.”

“Let’s just say it was old government installations that were all over the Bay Area,” he said. “They were just abandoned, so every toilet fixture had a bronze or brass flush valve on it, every sink had a brass valve or something like it on it. These were abandoned government installations that were just absolutely derelict, where people had come in, smashed the toilets and broken the windows out, so I don’t feel like I was really being much of a thief. Nowadays, it’s really frowned upon to go and scrap out stuff like that, but in the context of the time and the condition of the building, I don’t think it was so bad.”

And once the cannon was finished, what do you think Norstad did with it?

“So anyway, I got this cannon made, we loaded it up with black powder and shot it off, and it sounded just like the ones we used before. Pretty much every time we shot the thing, the cops would come around and say, ‘Hey, did you hear some big noise?’ and we were like, ‘No, I didn’t hear anything.'”

It took Norstad almost four years to build the cannon that inspired his journey into machining work. This one was actually sand-cast using brass that was “appropriated” from various abandoned military establishments in the San Francisco Bay Area. Photo: Mark Norstad.

The world was a different place back in 1975. Needless to say, firing a homemade cannon these days would likely generate a different response. Photo: Mark Norstad.

Paragon Machine Works’ small army of milling machines cranks out bits like these all day long, all of which are ready to order via a simple online portal.

Custom builders shouldn’t take the availability of small bits like these for granted.

Yep, Paragon Machine Works makes titanium head tubes and fork steerers, too.

Steel thru-axle fork tips aren’t commonly found on mass-produced bikes, but they’re still fairly popular with custom builders.

New flat-mount inserts from Paragon Machine Works for some of its slider and rocker dropouts.

Paragon Machine Works makes handlebar and steerer clamps for builders that want to do their own custom stems.

Of course, Paragon Machine Works makes some neat titanium bottle openers, too.

These threaded studs are designed for use on seat tubes, where traditional water bottle mounts can interfere with internally routed dropper seatpost lines.

Drew Guldalian of Engin Cycles built this custom titanium hardtail for Mark Norstad last year. The two are very good friends, and Guldalian says that Norstad has provided tremendous guidance over the years, even to the point that the former now uses almost no Paragon parts on his own bikes.

Norstad was rightfully inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2017.

The post Origins: How Paragon Machine Works got its start with a literal bang appeared first on CyclingTips.

The Wahoo Fitness KICKR Climb “Indoor Grade Simulator” is a product that makes little sense on paper. Its sole function is to move the front of your bike up and down in concert with whatever is happening on-screen in Zwift, TrainerRoad, or other virtual training environments. It’s expensive. It’s big and bulky. It also only works with the latest Wahoo Fitness trainers; Tacx, CycleOps, Elite, and other owners need not apply. Not everything in life has to be 100% logical, however, and the KICKR Climb seems to be one of them. Because despite what your impressions may be of this widget, the reality is that it’s strangely entertaining to use.

Simple in theory, tricky in execution

There’s not much to the KICKR Climb in terms of hardware, at least from the layman’s point of view. Inside the tall case is a powerful electric motor and toothed belt drive to move the fork carriage up and down. The top of the unit includes a receptacle for the wired remote control (which can be attached to your handlebar should you prefer manual control), while down below is a weighted base to help keep things stable.

The fork carriage has tool-free interchangeable axle caps to fit 100x9mm quick-release, and 100x12mm, 100x15mm, and 110x15mm thru-axle hubs.

And that’s about it.

The electric motor can raise and lower the front end of the bike to simulate positive grades up to 20%, or negative grades to 10%.

The trick is getting all of this to operate smoothly when you’re riding on Zwift or TrainerRoad, but Wahoo Fitness seems to have pulled that off nicely. Pairing the KICKR Climb to a compatible current-generation KICKR or KICKR Snap trainer is easy. Assuming you have the latest firmware, all you have to do is push a button on the KICKR Climb, and the two devices basically just find each other automatically.

Another neat feature is the ability to connect a Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT or ELEMNT Bolt computer to the system, which allows you to recreate the resistance and physical grade profiles of rides you’ve done in the real world.

Seeing as how the KICKR Climb does nothing but raise the front-hub cradle up and down, there aren’t many controls required.

Once you’ve got everything set up, the KICKR Climb responds promptly each time the road virtually kicks up or down, angling the bike (and you) up or down in kind without ever feeling jerky or rough.

The KICKR Climb is pretty quiet, too, with just a little whirring when the axle carriage is in motion, most of which is drowned out by the sound of the trainer, anyway.

It’s a gadget that moves the front of my real bike up and down while my virtual me rides up and down on a virtual road, all while the real me is pedaling in my basement going nowhere. It makes no sense. So why is it so damned entertaining? @wahoofitnessofficial @gozwift #kickrclimb

A post shared by James Huang (@angryasian) on Feb 23, 2018 at 2:18pm PST

Wahoo Fitness says the KICKR Climb can simulate uphill grades up to 20%, or downhill grades down to 10%, and it feels about right. The effect isn’t just for entertainment, either, as both positions legitimately engage different muscles than you’d otherwise be using were the bike level all the time.

Whether that yields a tangible difference in terms of training, I can’t say, but it feels more realistic, and that’s arguably the whole point here. Zwift and other simulators have made leaps and bounds in terms of making riding indoors more palatable, but the fact of the matter is that you’re still just sitting there, working hard but going nowhere. Merely angling the bike uphill or downhill obviously doesn’t change that, but as skeptical as I was initially about the KICKR Climb, I was genuinely — and pleasantly — surprised by what it added to the experience.

Bumps on the virtual road

Perhaps the biggest knock against the KICKR Climb is that only owners of current-generation Wahoo Fitness KICKR or KICKR Snap trainers can experience the sensation for themselves. One issue is the specific electronic hardware required, but another is the fact that few trainers allow attached frames to pivot freely at the rear dropouts. Without that motion, repeated up-and-down motion will eventually wear into the frame. Either way, no other trainers are compatible at the moment, although it’s possible that new trainers from other companies might work in the future.

Zwift users will likely just leave the handlebar remote in the holder atop the KICKR Climb, but if you prefer manual control, the unit easily attaches with a rubber strap.

My early-production KICKR Climb was also worlds more refined than the early prototype I sampled last August, but it still isn’t perfect. The upward and downward movement is fairly smooth, but not entirely so, and the increments aren’t infinitesimally small; rather, the unit seems to only react at full-integer changes in grade, not more subtle undulations.

Wahoo Fitness has clearly been paying more attention to industrial design with its latest products, and the sleek appearance of the KICKR Climb is no exception. It looks and feels like a premium product, as it should given the heady price tag. But that said, the product’s designers missed a couple of potential opportunities.

Wahoo Fitness includes axle ends for all of the popular quick-release and thru-axle fork fitments, but there’s nowhere to store the extra bits.

First, while I applaud the decision to include four sets of axle end caps, but there’s no on-board storage for the unused pieces. The KICKR Climb is hardly small, and it seems like there easily could have been a compartment, or even individual sockets, to hold the extra caps. As is, multiple users with different fork interfaces will need to keep those parts somewhere handy, and single-bike KICKR Climb purchasers who might eventually upgrade down the line will have to remember someday where they put the things.

Second, there’s a lot of power required to repeatedly move the combined mass of the rider and bike up and down, and there’s undoubtedly a pretty big motor inside the KICKR Climb’s tall housing. Unfortunately, there’s also a chunky power adapter to go with it. Perhaps there’s a good reason why Wahoo Fitness couldn’t build that directly into the base of the KICKR Climb for a cleaner appearance, but I’m not sure what that would be. If anything, adding more weight to the bottom of the KICKR Climb would be good for stability.

The frame is profiled to clear disc brake calipers.

Speaking of which, I wasn’t sure what to expect when sprinting or climbing out of the saddle with the KICKR Climb installed instead of a front wheel, but in hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Stability always comes primarily from the rear trainer itself, so there was essentially no difference here. That said, there’s some play in the axle carriage of the KICKR Climb that lets the bars wiggle left and right a bit. It’s not a functional issue, mind you, but I found it a little off-putting nonetheless.

Repeat ad nauseum — literally

Not everyone will be comfortable with the additional layer of realism the KICKR Climb provides. At one point during my testing, I was curious just how immersive an experience I could get by adding another dimension of motion, moving my setup almost right up against a big-screen television — sort of like a poor man’s IMAX theater.

The result was a little surprising.

The requisite AC adapter is big and bulky, which isn’t surprising given the motor’s considerable power requirements. Still, it would have been nice if Wahoo Fitness could have figured out how to integrate the power brick into the base of KICKR Climb itself. The extra weight would add even more stability, and it would have been much cleaner in appearance.

Although no one will ever confuse Zwift with the real world, adding the up-and-down movement of the KICKR Climb to the already-realistic feel of the resistance unit does legitimately make an experience that was far more lifelike than I had anticipated. In fact, I found it to almost be a little disorienting, especially on sections of “road” with more frequent changes in grade. Keep in mind that I’m generally pretty immune to motion sickness. My wife, however, is much more sensitive, and had to either turn the KICKR Climb off, or move further away from the screen. Your experience may vary, of course, but riders prone to queasiness may want to keep this in mind.

Makes no sense. Still fun to use.

Overall, I was genuinely impressed by how much the KICKR Climb added to the experience of riding indoors. Is it a good value? At a hefty US$600 / AU$750 / £450 / €500, the answer to that question is an emphatic “no.” But that doesn’t mean it isn’t desirable.

Riders who only train indoors occasionally will invariably have a hard time justifying the expense for what will ultimately be a novelty, but those with more rigorous indoor training regimens might want to start saving their pennies.

The KICKR Climb still doesn’t make a whole lot of sense on paper, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t curiously fun to use.

www.wahoofitness.com

The post Wahoo Fitness KICKR Climb review: Oddly engaging for indoor aficionados appeared first on CyclingTips.

It’s hardly been a secret that Specialized had a disc version of its new S-Works Tarmac SL6 on the way; prototypes were shown back in July, after all. But it’s only been within the last two months that we’ve been able to ride one, and CyclingTips U.S. technical editor James Huang was among the very first, taking delivery back in late January.

Specialized claims the new S-Works Tarmac SL6 is substantially lighter, slightly more comfortable, far more aerodynamic than the previous generation, and the handling has mellowed just a bit as well. If you’re already a fan of disc brakes, and were eagerly awaiting the disc-equipped version of the SL6 that Specialized introduced a few months ago, wait no more; your ship has finally arrived.

Tech details

New editions of long-standing bike models are often just mildly updated versions of their predecessors, but that’s not the case with Specialized’s new flagship S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc road racer.

First and foremost, the new frame gains a sleek aerodynamic shape, with a silhouette somewhat reminiscent of the current-generation Venge. The lowered seatstays yield a similarly offset seat cluster, the wedge-type seatpost binder occupies the same location in the top tube, the slightly sloping top tube takes a straighter path from front to back, and there’s a slight cutout in the seat tube for the rear wheel.

According to Specialized’s director of integrated technologies, Chris Yu, much of the aerodynamic improvements on the sixth-generation S-Works Tarmac come from the D-shaped seat tube and seatpost.

The tube shapes are less dramatically teardrop-like in profile, however, with greater use of truncated airfoils and D-shaped cross-sections that are lighter and more structurally efficient.

Put into numbers, Specialized claims the Tarmac SL6 offers a time advantage of 45 seconds relative to the SL5 over 40km — roughly on par with the previous-generation Venge (which, depending on your level of cynicism, means the new bike is either just that good, or the old Venge was just that average). Perhaps more impressive is the fact that Specialized also claims that this new disc-brake iteration of the SL6 essentially posts the same drag numbers in the wind tunnel as the rim-brake version, despite the protruding calipers and rotors.

Specialized is placing even more emphasis than before on its so-called “Rider-First Engineered” design philosophy, which supposedly ensures consistent performance and ride characteristics across the size range (which, by the way, now spans a very generous 44-61cm spread). As testament to this effort, Specialized says each Tarmac SL6 frame is now built with roughly twice as many individual pieces of carbon fiber than the SL5 – almost 500 in all.

Technically speaking, this metallic purple-and-pink paint option is limited to the women’s S-Works Tarmac SL6 model, but seeing as how the frame is identical to the standard version, there’s no reason why men couldn’t ride it, too (as I did).

Interestingly, part of the Tarmac’s redesign includes a move back to constant 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in tapered steerer tube diameters across the board, which would seem counter to the argument of consistent ride qualities regardless of size. According to Specialized, however, the larger lower bearing diameter provides straighter fiber paths (and, thus, improved strength) for the new low-profile fork crown. To offset the additional stiffness on smaller frame sizes, the fork blades are now downsized instead to provide more flex on bumps.

Speaking of which, improved rider comfort was also a priority for the Tarmac redesign. According to Specialized, the D-shaped seat tube and seatpost profile that is so good in terms of aerodynamic drag also makes both more likely to flex under impact loads. And since the upper section of the seatpost doesn’t have to withstand any clamping forces, the carbon fiber lay-up is supposedly modified to provide more movement up there as well.

Tire clearance is also more generous if you want an even cushier feel. Whereas the Tarmac SL5 was approved for 28mm-wide tire, the SL6 bumps that up slightly to 30mm, which should be more than ample for all asphalt applications, and even sufficient for light dirt-road use.

Specialized used size-specific steerer tube diameters on the previous-generation Tarmac, but has gone back to 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in dimensions across the board so as to provide straighter paths for the carbon fibers through the crown area.

Alterations to the bike’s handling characteristics are more subtle, but generally lean toward making the new Tarmac SL6 a little more mellow.

Slight changes in head tube angle and fork rake on smaller sizes yield small decreases in trail that should make the bikes a bit less twitchy; other sizes are essentially unchanged. Specialized has dropped the bottom brackets and lengthened chainstays across the board, however, for greater stability at high speeds and a more secure feel through corners.

The geometry of bike handling

According to Specialized’s director of integrated technologies, Chris Yu, the change in bottom bracket drop is mostly a wash on account of the new bike’s 26mm-wide tires, which place the bike higher overall than the 23mm-wide ones once favored.

“The the only significant difference across the board is the increase in bottom bracket drop,” Yu said. “This is purely to account for the fact that riders are using much larger tires these days, and the fact that we’re specifying 26c tires. The prior geometries were based on designing around a 23c (or smaller) tire. If we had kept the drop the same, most riders would be effectively higher than before due to the tire size difference.”

The top tube still bears the trademark “cobra” curve of previous Tarmac designs.

Riders on wider tires also tend to run them at lower pressures, though, so the change will perhaps be more readily felt depending on a rider’s particular setup.

Weight-wise, though, the Tarmac SL6 is a giant step forward.

Specialized says a painted 56cm S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc frame tips the scales at just 800g — 250g lighter than the Tarmac SL5 Disc frame, and the same weight as the current rim-brake Tarmac SL6 (an even-lighter rim-brake Tarmac SL6 is said to come in at just 733g thanks to a more spartan finish).

Specialized offsets the now-constant steerer tube diameter with size-specific fork blade diameters in order to maintain a consistent ride feel across the range.

Built up with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 disc groupset, Specialized S-Works Power crankset (more on that in a bit), Roval Rapide CLX 50 carbon clinchers, and the company’s house-brand finishing kit, a complete S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc supposedly comes in at just 6.59kg (14.53lb). If you’re careful about pedal and bottle cage choice, you could theoretically be race-ready and still come in below the 6.8kg UCI-mandated minimum weight limit.

Getting to know the SL6 Disc

Seven weeks isn’t enough time to really get to know a bike (and two years is maybe too long), but the seven weeks I’ve had has been much more than we usually get by the time the curtain lifts on a new model, and certainly more thorough than the usual first-ride review.

Here’s the short version: if you love the feel of race bikes, and have made the move to disc brakes, the new S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc is pretty fantastic.

The D-shaped seatpost and seat tube supposedly help with the new Tarmac SL6’s performance in the wind tunnel, but it also makes the seatpost more amenable to flex over bumps for a theoretically smoother ride.

Specialized has notably made no claims of increased frame stiffness on the SL6 relative to the SL5, although given how things have been progressing recently, that isn’t surprising. Along with a number of other brands, Specialized has been saying for several years now that the industry has essentially reached the pinnacle of chassis rigidity; bikes could get stiffer, but doing so wouldn’t confer any performance advantages without generating substantial compromises in other areas of performance.

Long story short, the SL6 is just as wickedly responsive as the SL5, both in terms of power delivery and handling input. There’s little sense that any energy is wasted, and the front end is impressively reactive to steering inputs. Perhaps more importantly, the overall feel is very balanced and cohesive, with excellent predictability in how the bike reacts to mid-corner imperfections — neither the front nor rear triangle shows any signs of being significantly stiffer or softer than the other.

Handling changes are subtle, but existent nonetheless. Ridden back-to-back with a rim-brake SL5 (with the rim-brake version of the same wheelset and same tires), the new SL6 does feel slightly less twitchy. Front-end response isn’t appreciably different for my 52cm test size, but the lower center of gravity feels more planted through corners, at least to me.

As before, the chainstays are big and meaty. Overall frame stiffness hasn’t increased relative to the Tarmac SL5, and based on what Specialized and many other brands have stated, we shouldn’t expect those numbers to go up in the future, either.

Specialized claims more comfort in its bench testing, but there’s not much of a tangible difference on the road. Overall ride quality is still quite firm, even with the stock 26mm-wide Turbo Cottons inflated to a modest 70-75psi. Riders who live in areas with anything short of perfect roads might find the ride to still be a little too firm. In fact, I’d argue that that continued ride stiffness even squanders some of the SL6’s newfound stability. By the numbers, the SL6 should be an absolute beast through corners, and in most typical road-going situations, it is.

However, the choppy ride can make it challenging to carve a turn on coarser surfaces, where slightly softer chassis tend to stay more planted. Later in my testing period, I swapped the stock wheel-and-tire setup to Enve’s AR 4.5 Disc wheelset and 28c Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tires (which puffed up to nearly 31mm on those ultra-wide rim beds). The end result was still fast, and still light, but with better traction and ride quality.

If I were building a Tarmac SL6 Disc from the ground up myself, this is the way I’d go.

Specialized equips the S-Works Tarmac SL6 with Roval Rapide CLX 50 carbon clinchers and 26mm-wide Specialized Turbo Cotton tires. The combination feels speedy and light, but slighter riders, or anyone who doesn’t like getting blown around, might prefer a shallower profile that’s less sensitive to crosswinds.

I didn’t tear this bike down for an actual frame weight, but the grand total is bang-on with Specialized’s claims — actual weight for my 52cm test sample is 6.58kg without pedals, or an insignificant 10g heavier than official figures. Equipped with a set of Shimano Dura-Ace pedals, a Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt computer and aluminum Bar Fly mount, and a pair of Specialized Rib Cage II bottle cages, the total weight is a still-impressive 7.15kg (15.76lb), with room to move downward.

True weight weenies will argue that the bike could be lighter still with rim brakes, and they would absolutely be correct. Were I still living in the American Midwest (or any flatter region in general) and predominantly riding in dry conditions, that’s perhaps the way I would go, with the rim-brake bike also carrying the additional benefits of being simpler and easier to service.

The Shimano Dura-Ace flat-mount front disc brake caliper affixes to a standard flip-flop plate.

That said, the performance of Shimano’s latest disc brakes is just so good that I would have a hard time opting for a pair of rubber blocks squished against a rim. Lever feel on Shimano’s latest Dura-Ace hydraulic controls is firm and positive, there’s superb power, and outstanding all-weather control. The setup is a bit noisier, yes (especially when wet), but at least for this rider living in mountainous Colorado, there’s only one choice.

About that power meter

Specialized claims best-in-class accuracy (+/-1%) with its new dual-sided S-Works Power crankset, thanks in no small part to rigorous testing on the 4iiii-based system by Dr. Rodger Kram at the University of Colorado-Boulder. But is it as accurate as Specialized says? As is always the case with power meters, that’s hard to say. While the numbers tracked well with other power meters fitted during testing, that’s hardly a confirmation of trueness. In effect, it’d be like saying two pieces of fruit look and taste the same, but without a known reference, you still don’t know if they’re apples or oranges.

The carbon fiber Specialized S-Works Power dual-sided power meter crankset comes standard on S-Works models. Shift performance with the made-by-Praxis chainrings isn’t quite on-par with Shimano, but they work very well nonetheless.

Nevertheless, it’s an impressive piece of hardware if only for the salient features. The large-diameter carbon fiber arms are incredibly stiff (verified by independent testing, not me), but yet remarkably light at just 440g (claimed) without chainrings or bottom bracket. Dual ANT+ and Bluetooth wireless protocols make for wide compatibility with virtually any computer head, over-the-air updates help keep the system up to date, and advanced metrics will provide additional information such as left/right balance, torque effectiveness, and pedaling smoothness on compatible head units.

Even the covers for the CR2032 coin-type batteries are held in place with real metal screws so as to create a tighter seal for improved weather resistance.

But does the S-Works Power really provide power data within +/-1% of the true figure? Stay tuned on this subject; we’re just getting started.

The Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL6 offers a sleek aerodynamic shape, a dramatically lighter chassis, and slightly mellower handling than before – and now with the option of disc brakes, too.

Had you asked me a few months ago if I thought purple and pink would work together on a bike frame, I likely would have said no. Today, however, I can say that I’ve reversed my position.

The profile of the upper part of the new Tarmac SL6 frame is reminiscent of the latest Specialized Venge. Other brands that use similarly offset seat clusters say the design also helps improve ride quality by promoting seat tube flex on bumps.

So shiny.

The front brake hose is routed through the fork blade for a clean look.

While disc brakes may arguably clutter up the area around the dropouts, it leaves places where conventional rim-brake calipers once lived cleaner than before.

The tapered head tube on the Tarmac SL6 no longer has the hourglass profile that graced many Tarmac generations before it.

The new fork crown is notably shallow, partly as a result of the rim-brake version’s move to a direct-mount interface, which requires much less height than traditional center-mount brakes.

Like it or not, Specialized is sticking with its OSBB press-fit bottom bracket shell for 2018.

The hidden binder is a nice touch, and at least over the past seven weeks, the wedge-type mechanism has stayed silent.

While the down tube has slimmed down a bit relative to the previous-generation Tarmac SL5, the new Tarmac SL6’s top tube has gotten bigger. Specialized argues that this lends a more balanced feel, but the difference is subtle.

Top-end Tarmac SL6 models come equipped with CeramicSpeed hybrid ceramic bottom bracket bearings.

Tire clearance is generous throughout the new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL6, with the company officially stating that there’s room for 30mm-wide rubber. There’s a whopping 45mm of room between the seatstays up here…

…and a still-generous 38mm of space in between the chainstays. Up front, there’s 42mm of room between the fork blades, so Specialized’s claim that 30mm-wide tires will fit holds true.

Maintaining the same steerer tube diameters across the entire size range normally isn’t good for consistent ride quality, and indeed, Specialized has only on this latest sixth-generation Tarmac returned to the practice.

According to Specialized, the new bottom bracket shell alone has saved 30g relative to the Tarmac SL5, thanks in part to a simplified cable guide. This cutout also shows off the new aerodynamic down tube shape.

Specialized may be sticking with a press-fit bottom bracket shell, but at least the bearing seats are metal, meaning bearings can be more reliably bonded in place with removable adhesives.

Out back, Specialized downsizes to a 140mm-diameter rotor.

The hollow carbon fiber dropouts are a good visual match for the bigger thru-axles.

The custom thru-axles use conventional thread pitches, but shallower, tapered heads that fit flush with the outside of the fork blade for a cleaner look – and, I’m sure Specialized would argue, better aerodynamics.

Likewise, the flush-fit rear thru-axle lends a nicely finished appearance.

The rear derailleur has supposedly been stiffened relative to the Tarmac SL5 for improved durability and shifting performance.

While it’s nice to see that Specialized has placed a section of clear vinyl on the non-driveside chainstay to protect the paint from the rotor when removing or installing the wheel, the protruding bolt heads are surprising to see, given how some other brands have them more neatly recessed into the tube.

Specialized doesn’t hide the fact that it worked with 4iiii Innovations on its new power meter. That said, Specialized says that the R&D work it did with Dr. Rodger Kram at University of Colorado-Boulder yields best-in-class +/-1% power measurement accuracy, along with a stringent algorithm that ensures the unit stays that way regardless of changing ambient temperature.

One nice feature on the new power meter is the bolt-on battery cap, which puts more pressure on the underlying o-ring and bodes well for weather resistance.

As with the standard S-Works crankset, the S-Works Power features burly, large-diameter carbon fiber arms. Claimed weight is just 440g, without chainrings or bottom bracket.

I’m not a big fan of the way the bearings are adjusted on the Specialized S-Works Power crankset, which uses three set screws to press down on a tapered ring underneath. To me, it seems unfortunately crude.

Specialized Turbo Cotton clinchers come standard on the S-Works Tarmac SL6, offering a supple ride and excellent grip. They’re best reserved for race days and clean roads, however, as they also have minimal puncture protection.

The Roval hubs are among the prettiest disc-compatible models I’ve seen.

The rear hub is fitted with DT Swiss’s proven Star Ratchet driver mechanism. The 18-tooth ratchet rings aren’t the fastest to re-engage when you start pedaling again after coasting, but they’re quiet and reliable.

What is there left to say about Shimano’s latest Dura-Ace Di2 transmission? Unless you insist on a wireless setup, it’s the best drivetrain on the market right now, hands down.

Specialized hasn’t bothered with tucking the standard Di2 junction box inside the down tube, instead opting for Shimano’s new bar-end version instead. It’s a smart move, too, as it leaves the LED indicators readily visible, and also makes the charge port easier to access.

Some might be disappointed to see a forged aluminum stem instead of a carbon fiber one at this price point. But that said, the standard S-Works stem is competitively light and less visually bulky.

The post Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc review: Goes faster, stops harder appeared first on CyclingTips.

Leave it to Canyon to think outside the box with its new Grail. It’s a gravel bike that should be more than enough for most who want to venture off the beaten track, but before you do so, you’ll have to accept the radical design of the integrated handlebar, and prepare yourself for endless coffee shop discussions from curious onlookers.

Canyon hasn’t just thought outside the box with this one; the box has been stomped on, doused with kerosene, and lit on fire.

While the gravel bike market was once viewed as a passing fad or trend, it’s fair to say it is now firmly established and here to stay. Above all, gravel riding is just damn good fun, and with the perceived increase in road traffic incidents, it’s a way to stay safely away from crazy car drivers. Canyon seemed to be watching the gravel movement with interest from afar, but with the dominant direct-to-consumer European brand now finally entering the fray, it’s only more proof that the scene is now its own thing.

Canyon calls its new gravel bike the Grail, but has the German company really managed to produce a bike that is equally at home on the road as it is off? Does it truly offer that elusive balance: a holy grail of performance for those wanting a do-it-all, go-everywhere bike?

Hover system

Canyon isn’t scared of bold design moves. All you need do is take a look at the Inflite cyclocross bike with its unusual top tube/seat tube junction for proof of that. But with the Grail, Canyon is pushing the boundaries of design even further.

The bike’s standout feature is the Hover Bar integrated cockpit, a one-piece carbon fiber assembly that looks more like a biplane wing than a bicycle handlebar. It’s an unconventionally fresh take on how the cockpit can tackle several jobs.

The Hover bar: not quite the norm. Designed to give comfort and control.

If looking at the bike side-on for the first time, it’s as if the bars are floating in mid-air. The integrated stem joins the bars on a second level, around the middle of the drops. The top of the bars is now un-interrupted, with a flattened section in the middle where the stem would normally clamp.

According to Canyon, the Hover Bar tops offer seven times more vertical compliance than the company’s H31 Ergocockpit used on the Endurace endurance road bike.

Canyon’s engineers say that they’ve come to this design because of the standard bar/stem paradox. Standard bars are at their stiffest next to the stem clamp, with the drops being inherently less rigid since they sit furthest from the stem – the opposite of how they believe a bar should perform.

The Hover Bar’s unique design turns that around completely, and also adds an extra bit to wrap your thumbs around while in the drops, for better control.

Having an additional platform to grip and push against does give you a certain level of added confidence. The added rigidity of the drops, mixed with the nicely sorted geometry (more on that later), has you aggressively tackling rough surfaces, at what seems like higher speeds. But riders who aren’t used to hunkering down low on the drops, or who just have smaller hands, might find that the Hover Bar’s “second level” sits right where you’d normally place your thumbs.

I had to bend my elbows and drop my body a little lower to compensate, but those I spoke to with larger hands didn’t seem to have the same problem.

On the tops, the broad, flat surface and higher seating position was a place where I could see long miles being bashed out; it’s a comfortable position to churn away while climbing steady off-road gradients. The claimed extra vertical compliance isn’t hugely noticeable, though. It’s present, but I’m sure that the comfort could be closely replicated by double-wrapping your bars or adding something like Fizik’s silicone gel padding under the bar tape.

The flex comes more into its own on more significant impacts, but I’d think if you’re taking multiple bigger hits, you wouldn’t want to be upright anyway. Instead, you’d be looking for that extra control the drops offer while using your upper body to absorb the shock.

The drops have a pleasantly slight 7.5-degree outward flare – nothing outrageous, but just enough – and the lowermost section also has a D-shaped cross-section to it. I liked the shape; it seemed ergonomic, but I also wished it had an extra 15mm of length to it as I thought it felt just a little bit too short. This, of course, is just personal preference.

I was surprised by the extra control the second bar offered, but it came at a price. For some riders, that bar sits right where you’d normally place your thumbs, which won’t be comfortable for everyone.

As innovative as the Hover Bar is, it has some shortcomings.

First, Canyon claims a 120g weight penalty over a standard cockpit setup – not massive, but not nothing, either.

Second, the Hover Bar’s unique geometry requires an attachment point much lower down on the steerer tube than usual, which will make fitting other options essentially impossible. Something else might technically fit, but the position would be unreasonably low.

Making matters worse is the fact the Grail comes fitted (depending on size) with one stem length and one bar width. There’s no option for changing it during the ordering process, and buying a replacement would be costly.

Canyon has known this from the outset, so the sizes were chosen to fit a “standard” body shape and size. The medium Grail I rode came with a 440mm-wide bar and a relative stem length of 75mm, but if you fall anywhere outside of “standard”, you’re basically stuck.

Mounting levers to the bars is achieved via the preinstalled clamps. There’s still plenty of adjustment, so finding the right lever hood angle shouldn’t be a problem. Installing all major manufactures offerings from Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM are all compatible.

The Hover Bar is the most visually striking feature on the Grail, but it’s only half of what Canyon calls the Hover System. The other half is Canyon’s trusted and proven VCLS 2.0 seatpost, a clever leaf spring-like carbon fiber seatpost that flexes much more than a conventional round post. The floating saddle clamp allows the saddle tilt to remain consistent throughout its flex, too. It’s comfortable and well-suited to the Grail.

The seatpost clamp is also lowered (similar to what Specialized does on the Roubaix and Diverge), effectively lengthening the seatpost by 110mm and giving it more room to flex. The binder is tucked down between the seatstays, and it’s simple and tidy. A silicone insert and rubber cover keep the seat tube watertight.

Between the Hover Bar, the VCLS 2.0 seatpost, and the 40mm-wide Schwalbe G-One Bite tires, the system does what it’s supposed to do: smooth things out while providing control.

Extras and hidden gems

There are several patents on the new bike, the bars being the obvious one. But there are also two features that aren’t immediately noticeable; features that engineer Daniel Hayder was only too pleased to show off. An integrated clamp on the top of the headset locks the bearing adjustment in place independent of the stem. Once established, it’ll stay put, no matter if you remove the cockpit for servicing or travel, or change the stem height (which has 15mm worth of adjustability).

There’s a separate low-profile clamp that locks the headset adjustment in place, so adjusting the stem won’t change the bearing preload.

The second feature is an inbuilt protection system, which will be a welcome inclusion for anyone that’s ever been unlucky enough to have their bars swing around and wallop their top tube during a crash (I know I have). Instead, the new system limits bar rotation to about 45 degrees. In theory, this should prevent cracked or damaged top tubes and bars in a significant fall. It’ll be interesting to see how robust the system is long term, too.

Long, self-supported days in the saddle are a big factor in what makes gravel riding appealing for some, and the Grail may have missed a trick here. The Hover Bar lends itself well to mounting a handlebar bag, since the two bars work well in keeping the bag from excessive bouncing or flopping about. But otherwise there are only mounts for fenders — there are no bosses to attach pannier racks.

Canyon has partnered with Topeak to offer a set of Grail-specific bikepacking bags, though, along with pre-cut clear vinyl decals to protect the paint and carbon from wear and tear when the bags are mounted.

Other items worth noting are inbuilt protection on the frame to guard against chain slap and chain suck, plus internal cable routing, which looks tidy and clean. Adding to the clean look are flat-mount disc-brake callipers, matched to 160mm rotors. Thru-axles are 12mm in diameter at both ends.

The lines of the bike are in keeping with the rest of Canyon’s design language.

Weight

At 830g for a medium SLX frame (claimed), and 1,040g for the SL version, the Grail is impressively light for a gravel bike. A fully built medium SLX 8.0 with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Reynolds Assault ATR Disc Carbon wheels tips the scales at a claimed 8.2kg. Even the base model only comes in at 8.6kg with its Shimano 105 Disc groupset and DT Swiss C 1800 wheelset. The rest of the range sits snugly between these two figures.

There’s plenty of room for tyres up to 42mm-wide. For those that prefer wider Road Plus wheels and tyres, they’ll have to look elsewhere.

Geometry

The Hover Bar’s unique design renders standard stack and reach dimensions useless, so Canyon instead uses “Stack+” and “Reach+” figures that reference where a conventional stem would normally clamp the bars. Either way, the bar position on the “Gravel Pro Geometry” slots somewhere between Canyon’s aggressive Ultimate range and the more relaxed Endurace models.

What is very different is the wheelbase length, which is approximately 40mm longer than the Endurace for a given size so as to allow extra room for wider tyres – up to 42mm, according to Canyon – without having to worry about toe overlap. Seat tube angles are the same as the Endurace, too, at 73.5 degrees across all sizes, and head tube angles just a touch slacker than those found on the Endurace.

To achieve a universal ride quality across the sizes, Canyon decided to build the two smallest sizes (2XS & XS) around 650B wheels, claiming it was the only way to replicate the same ride characteristics as the larger sizes.

Bottom bracket drop is on the more stable side at 75mm on the S-2XL sizes, and 60mm on the 2XS and XS.

Prices and specs

Starting prices kick off at US$2,140 / AU$3,200 / £2,000 / €2,200 and top out with the SLX 8.0 model at US$4,480 / AU$6,600 / £4,200 / €4600. The unisex bike comes in five standard builds and seven sizes, with each available in three earthy tones: storm green, meteor grey, and carbon copper. The lone women’s-specific model is built around the base SL 7.9 model, but with the inclusion of a zero-setback seatpost, and a restricted XS-M size range. It also comes in one additional copper red colour scheme.

Much like the recent Trek Checkpoint, Canyon has also gone with full Shimano builds on each of the models, without any deviations. The top-tier SLX 8.0 we rode came with Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 Disc groupset, while base models come with Shimano 105 Disc, a groupset that I’ve used on my personal gravel bike for the past year and rate highly. It’s cheap, works well, and is pretty fuss-free to keep running smoothly. The Ultegra Di2 on the SLX 8.0 models tested is a groupset that needs no real review: it has it all, and I honestly can’t find a good reason why anyone would want more.

All models come with a 50/34T chainset and 11-34T cassette out back, which was more than wide enough for what we tackled on the test day — an undulating and challenging ride with plenty of elevation gain. For those looking for a single-chainring option, you’ll have to go elsewhere, or build your own Grail as a frame.

Speaking of which, Canyon will sell the Grail CF SLX as a frameset (including Hover Bar), for US$2,530 / AU$3,700 / £2,350. An aluminium version – that uses a standard cockpit – will arrive later.

Bearing preload is adjusted (and locked) at the base of the headset.

Ride report

Overall, the Grail’s performance is unquestionably up there with other gravel bikes I’ve had the chance to ride already. It hits what most will be looking for in this market, and it doesn’t stray too far from what the other major manufacturers are offering. If anything, it’s more than capable of what it’s asked to tackle.

The surfaces we tested the bikes on were in some places far rougher and in worse shape than I’d usually ride with my own gravel bike, with wet weather adding to the trickiness of the day’s ride. And yet the bike took it all in its stride.

It all makes for a well-planted and predictable-handling bike. On the road, the Grail is not a racing snake in corners, but there’s still bags of fun to be had with it. The wider and slower tyres hold it back some when descending on the road, but it’s when riding off-road that the bike comes alive.

As is usual with any ride (and especially when the group is made up of journalists from rival publications), all hell broke loose as soon as we hit the dirt and the road tilted upwards. People shot off the front and gave the bikes a really good thrashing. My first impression was that the Grail climbed well, sitting solidly on the ground with a positive “oomph” when putting the power down. The lightweight build helped, as did the stiff bottom bracket junction. The rear end responds well, yet never feels harsh. It’s a stand-out part of the overall package.

Some more adventurous or extreme riders will want wider tyres, but the 42mm width the Grail is designed to accommodate should be sufficient for most, and the stock 40mm-wide Schwalbe G-One Bite did offer a well-rounded balance. Sure, they’re not whippet-like on the road, but they’re not slug-like either.

Overall, the Grail certainly felt more relaxed and not as aggressive as the Orbea Terra I’ve recently had the chance to test. Both positions I like, but I felt the Grail was more suited to all-day, long-distance rides.

The Shimano Ultegra disc brakes worked faultlessly. I honestly can’t understand why anyone would want more.

Conclusion: A welcome entry to the gravel scene

Canyon’s first foray into the gravel market is brave and bold, and clearly shows the market isn’t just a US-based phenomenon. But to answer the question I asked at the start of the article: is the Grail the Holy Grail of the do-it-all, go-everywhere gravel scene?

The answer is no, not really. It’s a huge ask to be perfect across both dirt and tarmac, and there are a few issues, such as the missing rack mounts, the lack of fitting options for the integrated Hover Bar, and the struggle some will have in getting a comfortable thumb/wrist position with the crossbar. Needless to say, the looks won’t be for everyone either.

But the Grail is a damn fun and hugely capable bike for gravel enthusiasts. It offers something a little different, especially in looks, to what’s already out there. The Hover Bar addresses a challenge that gravel riding throws up, and solves it, for the most part, in a unique and straightforward way. Canyon’s been brave with its design choices and, overall, the final result is what a gravel bike should be … just with a few little twists.

 

The Schwalbe G-One Bite TLE tubless tyres are becoming a firm favourite. The 40mm width took on everything we threw at them on the test ride.

Cable routing is internal with entry points at the top of the down tube.

Sat at the top of the seatstays is the set screw for the seatpost clamp. It comes with a rubber bung to keep dirt out (just don’t lose it).

The VCLS 2.0 Seatpost’s soft ride is well-suited to gravel bikes.

The bike isn’t covered in decals proclaiming different aspects of the bike. Instead, it’s understated, unlike the handlebars.

The top of the Hover Bar offers a claimed seven times more vertical compliance over Canyon’s H31 integrated cockpit.

Maximum recommended tyre width is 42mm.

The stiff fork legs make for confident handling up front.

For those that prefer larger Road Plus tyres, they’ll have to look elsewhere.

The Hover Bar is designed to give comfort and control, but definitely looks unusual.

The bar carries a 120g penalty over Canyon’s H31 integrated bar.

The Grail SLX 8.0 model comes with Shimano Ultegra Di2. Wide-range 11-34T cassettes are standard.

 

Flat-mount disc brakes and 12mm thru-axles.

 

 

Wheels on the SLX 8.0 model we tested were Reynolds Assault ATR Disc Carbon.

 

To keep the clean lines, the bolts for the stem clamp are hidden away.

The clean line between the stem and top tube can be interrupted depending on the desired bar height. Profiled spacers fill the gap, though.

The spacers lock together and make for a very clean-looking stem/top tube/headset junction.

The Grail certainly is a distinctive-looking gravel bike.

The post Canyon Grail gravel bike first-ride review appeared first on CyclingTips.

In this edition of Bikes of the Bunch, we take a look at a custom stainless steel road disc bike built by Saffron Frameworks that eschews paint in favour of an eye-catching polished finish.

Saffron Frameworks has been creating custom-built frames and bikes since 2009. The man behind the London-based workshop, Matthew Sowter, had long harboured a dream of becoming a frame builder, and after spending some time training and working for Enigma Bikes, he opened up his own workshop in central London within in sight of the River Thames.

Some readers may remember Lee Atreed’s road bike that that was featured in Bikes of the Bunch in 2016 — a bright yellow whip made from Columbus XCR, just one of the many steel road bikes that Saffron’s sterling reputation has been built upon. In that instance, Lee was a local customer located just a few miles from Matthew’s workshop, but Saffron has been taking orders from customers from around the world.

One of Saffron’s more recent customers, Andrew, placed his order from Williamstown, Massachusetts. “I was interested in buying a stainless steel bicycle because I like the lively ride of a metal bicycle,” said Andrew. “I have a titanium bicycle but I find riding in wet conditions challenges safe braking, so I wanted disc brakes. I waited until there was some manufacturer experience with road disc brakes before deciding to purchase the bike.

“I researched many American builders but was most impressed by a Cyclist magazine evaluation of a Saffron bicycle. I was also impressed by the cordial but knowledgeable correspondence with Matthew as well as his familiarity with cutting-edge components, use of innovative technology, and the gorgeous pictures of his builds.”

There is more to commissioning a custom bike than simply finding a technically proficient craftsperson, though. A meaningful connection with the frame builder is often just as important, and for Andrew, Saffron was the perfect fit. “Matthew’s written description of his builds indicated to me a concern for his customer that went beyond merely producing a product.”

Andrew’s titanium bike, a Moots Vamoots, served as the starting point for the project. He wanted a steel bike that could match the weight of his Vamoots because he spent most of his rides in hilly terrain. He also wanted a bike with similar handling, and with a love for raw metal, a polished finish.

From Matthew’s point of view, the Reynolds 953 stainless steel tubeset was the perfect choice for the frame, but he hesitated at Andrew’s request for a full polished finish. “It’s one of the most challenging finishes out there,” said Matthew, “because stainless steel is such a hard material, so polishing it is quite a challenge.

“Our workmanship is on complete show, too, and there is nowhere to hide any imperfections. We needed to take great care when working on the frame, because any little scratch that was made in the metal during the fabrication process would have to be polished out.”

Once Matthew agreed to the polished finish, the rest of the decisions for the new bike were easy to make, except for the brakes. “The process of building the bike was rather straightforward as I tried to duplicate the fit of my titanium bicycle,” said Andrew. “There was significant  e-mail correspondence about the pros and cons of Shimano versus Campagnolo disc brakes, but it was the availability of each that eventually determined which groupset would be used.”

For Matthew, though, he was venturing into uncharted waters, designing a frame around a groupset that had yet to be released. “We were a bit nervous making the frame before the components had been released to the market,” explained Matthew, “but thankfully we have a really good working relationship with Campagnolo. They were really helpful with explaining all the tolerances and clearances that were needed for the build.”

Andrew’s goals for the final weight of the bike guided his choice of parts, hence the carbon cockpit, seatpost, saddle rails, and clinchers. All sit comfortably against the mirror finish of the frame, and Saffron was pleased with the final result. “We were super delighted with how this bike turned out,” said Matthew. “It kind of follows what we feel is a truly beautiful bicycle with it being very clean and slightly understated.”

Build Details

Frame: Saffron custom Reynolds 953 with silver brazing
Fork: Enve road disc
Headset: Chris King
Stem: Enve
Handlebars: Enve
Groupset: Campagnolo Record Disc Brake
Wheels: Bora One 35mm Disc Brake
Seatpost: Enve
Seatpost clamp: Carbon-Ti
Saddle: Fizik Arione
Power meter: Stages

The end result also satisfied all of Andrew’s desires for his new bike. “I can only describe the polished finish as jewel-like,” he said. “It’s quite practical, too, because I can use metal polish to maintain the gloss. I am grateful that Matthew agreed to the finish as I love the look of the raw metal.

“I’m also very pleased with the Campy disc brakes, which kept me from crashing on a rainy ride in Tuscany where the rider following me crashed. The bicycle rides like a dream and it always brings a smile to my face when I am getting it ready for a ride.”

The post Bikes of the Bunch: Saffron Frameworks naked Reynolds 953 road disc bike appeared first on CyclingTips.

Cube has been selling bikes for 25 years and in that time the German brand has grown considerably to gain a strong foothold in the international market. And while Cube may be best known for its off-road bikes, the company has been supplying road bikes to the Wanty-Groupe Gobert Pro Continental team since 2015.

In this review, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom compares and contrasts two bikes from Cube’s road catalogue: the entry-level Attain GTC SL and the mid-level Agree C:62 SL. The thinking behind the design of each bike is quite distinct, as are the specifications and pricing, so what do they have to offer buyers?

Waldershof, Germany, has been the home for Cube Bikes since it was established in 1993. Marcus Pürner, Cube’s founder, started with 50 square meters of space in his father’s furniture factory, and the company has been growing ever since. Current bike production reaches six figures annually, making Cube the largest bike brand in Germany, and one of the largest in the world.

After years of adding to its existing assembly facility, Cube commissioned a new 42,000 square meter factory in 2017 with a capacity to produce 2,500 bikes/day. Even though most of the company’s frames and components originate in Asia, Cube chooses to assemble the bulk of its bikes in Germany. This is for a variety of reasons, including avoiding the extra expense associated with importing complete bikes into Germany.

With that said, Cube has been operating a second assembly facility in Shanghai, China, for the last three years, specifically to serve markets in Asia and the southern hemisphere. The strategy not only minimises import costs, it reduces production lead time for the models involved.

Cube’s Attain GTC SL (left) is an entry-level offering while the Agree C:62 (right) is designed to woo mid-level shoppers.

All Cube’s design and engineering takes place in-house. This is something that the company has been doing for most of its life with a small team of its own engineers. In that time, the company has also developed a rigorous program of lab-tests designed to test the strength and durability of its frames, forks, and components to ensure that all not only satisfy European standards, but exceed them with ease.

Cube’s current catalogue comprises dozens of models with something on offer for almost every riding discipline, including a range of bikes for kids and several e-bikes. There are three models in the road range: the carbon fibre Litening, which has been the flagship for the range for many years with a number of significant revisions; the mid-range Agree, also made from carbon fibre, is another catalogue mainstay; the entry-level Attain, by contrast, is a relatively new addition, and is offered with a choice of a carbon fibre or alloy chassis.

All of Cube’s road bikes are available with a choice of rim- or disc-brakes plus there are at least a couple of builds on offer for each model. However, not all are available in every market, and for Australian buyers, rim-brake-equipped models outnumber disc brake versions.

For this review, Cube’s Australian distributor/retailer, 99 Bikes, gave me the opportunity to compare the Agree C:62 SL, which sits at the top of the Agree range, with the Attain GTC SL, the premium model from the Attain range. While there is a considerable gap in price for the two bikes (AUD$3,599/£2,999/€3,199 versus AUD$2,099/£1,599/€1,699, respectively), I found that it was the difference in frame geometry and overall performance that really differentiated the two bikes.

The Attain GTC SL: an entry-level bike with general appeal

The Attain GTC was added to Cube’s road catalogue for 2016. The GTC moniker — which stands for “Gran Turismo Composite” — is important, because it distinguishes the models with a carbon fibre frame from the lower-priced Attain, which has an alloy frame.

GTC has served Cube’s road bikes for several years, albeit as a second-tier offering to the stiffer, lighter, and more expensive composite reserved for Cube’s flagship race bike, the Litening. With the recent implementation of two new composites, namely C:68 and C:62 that incorporate nanoparticles, GTC now sits on a lower, more affordable rung. Some high modulus fibres are incorporated into the layup of the Attain GTC, though, to strengthen high-stress areas like the head tube, seat tube, and bottom bracket.

The result, according to Cube, is a frame that weighs 1,200g with a fork that weighs 400g.

The Attain GTC boasts many of the features that have come to define contemporary composite frames such as an oversized down tube, tapered head tube (1.125-inch upper bearing; 1.25-inch lower bearing), threadless BB86 bottom bracket, 27.2mm seatpost and slender seatstays for extra compliance, and internal cable routing. It’s also worth noting that Cube provides a hanger specifically designed for Shimano’s new direct mount Shadow rear derailleurs.

The geometry of the Attain GTC (which is identical to the alloy Attain) is very forgiving with a generous amount of stack and short reach at every one of the six frame sizes on offer, as shown in the table below:

All frame sizes have a uniform bottom bracket drop of 74mm while the chainstay length for rim brake-equipped bikes is 410-412mm, increasing with the size of the frame. For those models with disc brakes, an extra 5mm is added to the length of the chainstays, making for a slightly longer wheelbase. Otherwise the geometry of the frame remains unchanged.

The Attain GTC SL features Shimano’s new Ultegra 8000 mechanical groupset with 50/34T crankset and 11-32T cassette. The entire groupset isn’t present, though, since the brake callipers that are supplied with the bike are Shimano BR-R561 (a lower-priced non-series offering) and the cassette comes from the current 105 collection.

As for the rest of the build, the saddle, post, bars and stem are all Cube-branded while Fulcrum provides an entry-level OEM wheelset dubbed Racing 77 with 28mm Continental Grand Sport Race SL tyres.

There is just one finish on offer for the Attain GTC SL, matte carbon with a few white panels and logos. It’s a simple, conservative finish, and while the wheelset and some components match nicely, the overall result is understated (or underwhelming, depending on individual taste).

The size 53cm sample sent for review weighed 8.30kg without pedals and cages, a modest weight in absolute terms, but one that is entirely fitting for an entry-level bike.

As for the price, the recommended retail price for the Attain GTC SL is AUD$2,099/£1,599/€1,699. That price includes a three-year warranty for the frame. For more information, visit Cube Bikes and 99 Bikes.

 

 

 

The new Ultegra R8000 cranks are now black with a mix of gloss and matte surfaces.

 

 

The R561 brake callipers are one obvious cost-cutting measure on the bike.

 

There’s enough clearance for a 28mm Continental Grand Sport tyre at the front end…

…and the rear end was pretty generous, but there’s not enough room to add fenders or fit larger tyres.

 

 

 

The new R8000 front derailleur includes a few new features including a clip for tucking away the end of the cable.

Cube has been quick to add a dedicated hanger to suit the new direct mount design for the Ultegra R8000 rear derailleur.

The Agree C:62 SL: longer and lower with more bling

There was a time when the Agree was constructed from GTC, but from 2016, Cube started using a new carbon fibre blend dubbed C:62. This composite takes its name from the amount of fibre content, which is 62%, and is bolstered with nanoparticles to improve durability and impact resistance.

According to Cube, the Agree C:62 frame weighs in at 1,150g while the fork is 400g.

The Agree C:62 shares many of the same features as the Attain GTC including the same head tube (1.125-inch upper bearing; 1.25-inch lower bearing), threadless BB86 bottom bracket, 27.2mm seatpost internal cable routing, and a replaceable alloy derailleur hanger to suit Shimano’s new direct mount rear derailleurs.

The Agree has been shaped with aerodynamics in mind, hence the seatpost clamp integrates with the frame and Shimano’s direct mount brake callipers sit flush with the fork legs and seatstays. The bike is still a long way from occupying the same wind-cheating territory as Cube’s Aerium but the Agree clearly has higher performance goals than the Attain GTC.

With this in mind, it’s not surprising that the geometry of the Agree is more aggressive. The stack of the bike is 15-20mm lower with 6-11mm more reach when compared to the Attain, as shown in the table below:

The Agree has a bottom bracket drop of 69-73mm, decreasing as the frame size increases, while the chainstay length is a uniform 412mm, regardless of whether the Agree is fitted with rim or disc brakes.

The Agree C:62 SL sits at the top of the Agree range. The build comprises Shimano’s new Ultregra 8050 Di2 groupset (50/34T cranks, 11-28T cassette), a set of Fulcrum Racing 44 Aero wheels, Newman carbon seatpost and bars, Newmen alloy stem, 25mm Continental GP4000s II tyres, and a Selle Royal saddle. Total weight for the 53cm sample sent for review was 7.47kg without pedals or bottle cages.

Considering that the Agree C:62 frame is only marginally lighter than the Attain GTC (1,150g vs 1,200g), the difference in weight between the two bikes reviewed here can be attributed almost entirely to the parts used. The wheels off the Agree C:62 SL weighed 2.74kg including tyres, tubes and cassette; by contrast, the wheels off the Attain GTC SL weighed 3.30kg, accounting for two-thirds of the total weight difference (which was 830g).

The Agree C:62 SL is finished with the same understated strategy as the Attain GTC SL, but rather than white, there are red panels and logos. Cube’s down tube logo is finished in gloss black, so it’s quite inconspicuous, adding further to the understated finish of the bike.

The asking price for the Agree C:62 SL is AUD$3,599/£2,999/€3,199. The other rim brake model in Cube’s 2018 catalogue, the Agree C:62 Pro, features an Ultegra 8000 mechanical groupset and sells for AUD$2,599/£2,099/€2,299, which should appeal to shoppers looking for more value.

Like the Attain GTC, the Agree C:62 is supplied with a three-year warranty for the frame. For more information, visit Cube Bikes and 99 Bikes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shimano’s direct mount brake callipers hug the fork legs.

There’s plenty of clearance for the 25mm Continental GP4000 tyres up front…

…and at the rear of the bike, with enough room to accommodate 28mm tyres.

Internal routing for the Di2 wire follows the rear brake cable to keep things neat.

 

 

 

After the ride: Attain GTC SL

With a choice of two bikes to ride, I decided to start with the Attain GTC SL, and spent a few days with it before throwing a leg over the Agree C:62 SL. After that, I swapped between the two bikes every few days, often re-tracing routes to get a sense of how the two compared on the same terrain.

The Attain GTC was a very inviting bike to ride. It was immediately smooth and compliant — bordering on plush — and remarkably calm and well mannered. It was a pleasing combination of traits and I found myself relaxing to match the poise and demeanour of the bike every time I took it out for a ride.

The bike worked well at keeping road buzz to a minimum while taking the edge of most hits. Swapping the wheels with those from the Agree C:62 SL (25mm tyres) proved that the 28mm tyres were responsible for some of this effect, but the Attain GTC SL was still an obviously compliant bike, even when narrower tyres were fitted.

While the Attain GTC minimised feedback from the road, riding the bike was far from a lifeless experience. There was always a murmur of sensation travelling up from the wheels, and it was enough to keep me connected with the bike. In this regard, the Attain GTC SL reminded me of Canyon’s Ultimate CF SLX and Scott’s Addict, two fine carbon bikes that manage the same trick and are equally easy to ride.

The Attain GTC SL wasn’t as light as those bikes, though, so it wasn’t as agile or responsive. A swap to the lighter wheelset from Agree C:62 SL was able to lift the performance of the bike, but it wasn’t enough to put the Attain GTC into the same league as the Ultimate or the Addict. That’s not really surprising, though, given that it inhabits a much lower price bracket.

Be that as it may, the Attain GTC SL proved to be almost as versatile as those other, more expensive, bikes. It was very stable over a range of speeds with neutral steering. There was some understeer at high speeds, requiring a little extra room when exiting corners, and at low speeds, the Attain was prone to some oversteer, but it wasn’t difficult to compensate for either.

At face value, the Attain GTC SL is somewhat removed from a more purposeful (and fashionable) all-road design, but I found it was quite well suited to tackling unpaved roads. I was able to complete a long gravelly 30km loop as part of a five-hour outing and the only drawback I could identify was that the steering of the bike was a little quick for loose surfaces. Nevertheless, the Attain GTC SL was able to make the transition between paved and unpaved roads with confidence, much like Cannondale’s new Synapse.

As for the stiffness of the Attain GTC, it was adequate in absolute terms, and arguably ideal for an entry-level bike. I can’t see it posing much of an obstacle for anybody that wants to start racing on it.

I’ve already mentioned that lighter wheels boosted the responsiveness of the Attain GTC SL but it’s an upgrade that can wait. In contrast, the R561 brake callipers almost demand immediate replacement because they require more effort and deliver less power than Shimano’s more expensive offerings.

It’s not uncommon for brands to install cheap brake callipers on their entry-level bikes but it makes for a compromise that I’ve never been comfortable with. In this instance, it also undermined the performance of Shimano’s new Ultegra 8000 groupset, making for a stark contrast between the quality of shifting (light and precise) and braking (heavy and weak).

As for the rest of the build, it performed well and the bike remained trouble-free for the duration of the review period. In fact, aside from the brakes, I couldn’t help but be impressed with just how well the Attain GTC SL performed given its modest asking price and its position in Cube’s road catalogue as an entry-level offering.

After the ride: Agree C:62 SL

Making the switch from the Attain GTC SL to the Agree C:62 SL wasn’t very difficult. After all, the geometry of the two bikes was near-identical, so all that was required was a change in stems to account for the difference in the stack and reach of each bike.

With a lower front end and thicker tubing, the Agree C:62 SL looks more aggressive and aerodynamic than the Attain GTC SL, but it was the build, weight, and ride quality that really set it apart. Electronic cockpit controls will always add a level of sophistication to any bike; add in a lighter wheelset and better brakes and the result is a sound mid-level offering at an attractive price.

Out on the road, the Agree C:62 proved race-willing with a stiff chassis and sturdy demeanour. There was more feedback from the road, too, and a satisfying amount of responsiveness. In short, compared to the sedate nature of the Attain GTC SL, the Agree C:62 SL was keen to be let off the leash.

The Agree C:62 was quite smooth and quiet to ride on paved roads, but there was an edge to the ride quality that wasn’t present for the Attain GTC. Thus, any kind of hit was felt more keenly at the bars and saddle, but the extra feedback was never harsh or overwhelming. In fact, the Agree C:62 SL managed to maintain a highly refined feel, even when I was riding on rough roads or unpaved tracks.

A switch to 28mm tyres took some of the edge off the bike and improved grip on unpaved roads, but it couldn’t disguise the stiff chassis. This is the kind of feel that race-oriented riders tend to prize, if only because the extra feedback can add to the rider’s sense of speed. With that said, I wouldn’t classify the Agree C:62 SL as an especially stiff bike. Giant’s TCR Advanced, Merida’s Reacto, and Canyon’s Aeroad CF SLX are all obviously stiffer than the Agree C:62.

Those bikes also have an edge over the Agree C:62 SL in terms of responsiveness, too. Nevertheless, buyers upgrading from an entry-level bike should notice the bump in performance that that Agree C:62 SL has to offer. When compared with the Attain GTC SL, the Agree C:62 SL was much easier to accelerate and considerably more frisky, as well.

The handling of the two bikes was near-identical, though. Like the Attain GTC SL, the Agree C:62 SL was very stable at high speeds and quite willing to turn. There was some understeer at high speeds, and at low speeds, there was a bit of oversteer. Neither dominated the bike, and overall, the Agree C:62 SL was generally predictable and well mannered.

With more emphasis on race-oriented performance, the Agree C:62 SL wasn’t quite as versatile as the Attain GTC SL. Not that there is any reason it should be, but it provided what is perhaps the greatest practical distinction between the two bikes. As a result, I wasn’t tempted to tackle the same 30km gravel loop with the Agree C:62 SL, and I found myself overlooking unpaved side-tracks and unplanned adventures in favour of quicker and more purposeful rides.

As for the build, it was flawless. Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 groupset has always been a strong, fuss-free performer, and the new iteration is no different. And with matching direct mount brake callipers, there was plenty of power on offer and a pleasing amount of modulation that really shone on tricky descents.

Cube’s dedicated direct mount hanger (also found on the Attain GTC SL) serves the new Ultegra derailleur well, but I have to wonder if the extra length will simply increase the risk of misalignment any time that the rear derailleur takes a knock. I had to re-align the hanger on one occasion after the bike fell over, and while that’s not enough to question the merits of the design, I’ve yet to find a reason to celebrate it, either.

Summary and final thoughts

The Attain GTC SL and Agree C:62 SL are both great bikes that fit very nicely into their respective categories. The former will serve entry-level riders with a forgiving fit, versatile performance, and lower asking price, while the latter will provide a significant step up in race-oriented performance with a more aggressive fit.

While the difference in price means that it will be pretty unlikely that any buyer will be forced to decide between the two, I found myself gravitating towards the Attain GTC SL because it was the more versatile bike. I was also impressed with the lovely ride quality that it had offer, which really seemed a lot more refined than what I’ve experienced for this price bracket.

As a more expensive bike, the Agree C:62 SL must satisfy bigger expectations, and overall, it does a pretty good job at that. However, there is a wider range of alternatives in this price bracket. The Agree C:62 SL won’t woo buyers on the strength of its aerodynamics, stiffness-to-weight ratio, or even its presentation, but it is a sound all-rounder that should satisfy any road rider looking to upgrade from an entry-level bike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Two Cubes: Agree C:62 SL and Attain GTC SL road bike review appeared first on CyclingTips.