Your new bike shines in the same untouched way a new car smells, glistening from every curve and component. Its disc rotors catch morning light as you kit up for the maiden voyage. You pedal down the block, euphoric in its novelty, and for the first time in your cycling life, grab a fistful of disc brake, just for the hell of it. Just to feel the power.

But there is no power.

Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with the brakes, or with your hands. That lack of power with new pads, new rotors, or both, is completely normal. You just need to bed them in.

A bed-in process is required in any metallic brake system, including the brakes on a car, and your disc-brake gravel or road bike is no exception. It’s a simple procedure, less than 10 minutes long, and ensures that the first time you really need those discs, they’re working at full strength.

It’s not just about those first few pulls of the lever, though. Fail to bed-in your disc brakes and you could suffer vibration, noise, poor modulation, and low power. Nobody wants that.

To put it in terms familiar to rim-brake aficionados, hopping on your bike without bedding-in new disc rotors and pads is like rolling down a mountain pass with rim brake pads that aren’t properly adjusted — toed out, for example. They’ll work, but not as well as they should.

Since more riders are currently jumping on their first disc-brake bike than at any time since discs swept mountain biking in the early 2000’s, let’s talk about how to bed-in your disc brakes properly.

What is brake bed-in?

Disc brake bed-in is the process of preparing new disc rotors or pads for heavy use by transferring material from brake pads to the rotor through a careful heating/cooling cycle, resulting in improved brake power and control.

This transfer of material from pad to rotor increases the friction in two ways. First, it gives the pad something other than bare steel to grab on to. Second, the bedding-in process sculpts the pad and rotor so that they mirror each other, maximizing the contact area between the two surfaces. This is why the bed-in procedure needs to be performed any time either the pads or rotor are replaced.

A set of disc brakes that hasn’t been bedded-in properly is easy to spot, and even easier to hear. Loud squealing noises are often caused by poor or non-existent bedding. Without a proper bed-in process, pad material accumulates unevenly on the rotor, which manifests as high-frequency vibration. High-frequency vibration results in noise, particularly when things get wet.

Basically, if your disc brakes aren’t working right, the bedding-in process is a likely culprit.

How to bed-in disc brakes?

Every disc brake and pad manufacturer has its own bed-in procedure, but all are slight variations on a similar set of steps. The key is to heat and cool the brakes in a repeatable and consistent manner, without accidentally scoring the pads or rotor by braking too hard, too soon. Again, the goal is a consistent transfer layer. Here’s what we have found works:

• Hop on your bike somewhere with plenty of room. Pedal up to a moderate speed – 15km/h or so.
• Sit down in the saddle and apply the brakes evenly, without skidding, until speed drops to a walking pace.
• Release the brakes while you’re still moving.
• Repeat 10 times. You will feel brake power increasing with each repetition. Be careful not to skid as brake power increases with each repeat.
• Perform the same set of steps, but increase speed to 25km/h.
• Repeat 5-6 times.

SRAM says to perform 20 slowdowns from a medium speed, and then another 10 from a higher speed. Shimano has a slightly different take, suggesting 10 stops with each brake. Pad manufacturer SwisssStop recommends dragging each brake individually for 20-30 seconds down a gradual slope two or three times, then doing the same down a steeper slope, then swapping the front and rear brake pads.

The number of times you repeat the process isn’t as important as properly executing the elements of the process. Gain sufficient speed, slow consistently but do not come to a stop, and repeat.

Since the bedding-in process is dependent on heat, you’ll need more speed (and possibly more runs) if you’re running larger rotors. This is mostly a concern with mountain bikes, where 180mm and 200mm-diameter rotors are much more common, but also if it’s very cold outside.

Heating the rear brake is more difficult than heating the front brake. Avoid the temptation to pedal while dragging the rear brake. Pedaling makes it difficult to maintain an even brake pressure. Instead, do a couple of repeats using only the rear brake, and remain seated through the whole process to increase rear tire traction.

Most importantly, never come to a complete stop in the middle of the bedding-in process. The transfer layer applied to the rotor needs to be consistent, and coming to a stop may leave extra pad material in one spot on the rotor. This can affect modulation and cause noise later on.

Perhaps your discs work just fine without a formal bed-in process. That’s not too surprising, actually. Most rides feature multiple slow-downs, few complete stops, and put plenty of heat into your brakes; quite a lot like a bedding-in process, in fact. But the first few stops on new pads or rotors are always highly compromised since new rotors or new pads simply do not have the power of a brake system that has been properly bedded-in. And the chances of accidentally doing something that causes noise, power loss, or poor modulation down the road are high. When it comes to brakes, better safe than sorry.

I didn’t bed-in my brakes, what now?

We called up Nate Newton, SRAM’s Road Marketing and Technical Rep, to find out if there is anything riders can do if they didn’t bed in their brakes and are having problems with power, modulation, or noise. His answer: It depends on the symptoms.

Decreased power is often caused by glazed pads, which can be caused by braking too hard (generating too much heat) before a proper bed-in. Pad contamination is another likely culprit — it takes just a tiny bit of oil or grease on the pads to decrease power dramatically. That’s why you should never touch disc pads or with your oily fingers. Both are issues that may be solved with some sandpaper, if you’re lucky.

“If you glazed your pads, for example, you can try sanding them down and then do a bed-in,” Newton said. “Or if you just contaminated the pads and rotor, cleaning both with rubbing alcohol and sanding the pads down might work.”

Vibration and noise are a different story. “If you are getting a vibration or excessive noise, it’s likely coming from a rotor surface that has an uneven pad transfer layer burned in,” Newton said. That uneven layer grabs at the pads intermittently, causing the vibration.

In this case, cleaning the rotor with rubbing alcohol isn’t going to make a difference. The vibration has literally been baked into your rotor. New rotors, and likely new pads, are in order.

The post End vibrating, noisy disc brakes with a proper bed-in process appeared first on CyclingTips.

As the definition of road riding forever broadens, so has the demand for product outside of what racers typically use. Whether it’s to conquer an obscenely long ride, tackle an alpine weekend away, or take your drop-bar bike where a mountain bike would be better suited, the thirst for lower and wider-range gearing is only increasing.

With the release of its newest Ultegra R8000 groupset, Shimano announced a new wide-range 11-34T cassette that offers a 1:1 climbing ratio when combined with a compact crank – or even lower if paired with the new crop of sub-compact options. Clever packaging means that older road (or even mountain bike) wheelsets that previously only worked with 10-speed drivetrains may now find new purpose, too.

Fitting the HG-800

The HG-800 cassette may technically be part of the Ultegra range, but there’s a good reason for why it lacks the Ultegra R8000 branding of the other, smaller, cassette options. Most notably, this 11-speed cassette fits on a standard 11-speed Shimano/SRAM-compatible freehub body as usual, but it can fit a 10-speed freehub body.

In fact, all Shimano mountain bike 11-speed components work in this way, using the older and narrower 10-speed freehub body, and then cantilevering the largest cog over the hub shell, not unlike how the spokes on a wheel are angled toward the rim. It’s also the same way Edco do its cassettes. As a result, this cassette will happily fit mountain bike wheels, older road wheels with 10-speed freehub bodies, and is Shimano’s most widely compatible road cassette offered.

However, that compatibility comes with a clear caveat. Standard short-cage road bike derailleurs (or “SS” in Shimano parlance) aren’t designed to handle such a gear range, and so the use of this cassette requires a medium-cage rear derailleur to handle such a big change in chain wrap. If looking at Shimano’s R8000 or R9100 range, this is the longer “GS” version of the two derailleur options available.

The Shimano HG-800 cassette is part of a bigger Ultegra R8000 review.

The 11-34T is the biggest cassette that Shimano recommends for use with its road groupsets. However, a derailleur like the Ultegra GS will easily stretch to an aftermarket 11-36T cassette (such as from SunRace or SRAM), and then there are multiple reports of the derailleur being capable of handling an 11-40T cassette, too. While the latter will fit, it’s no doubt well beyond the suggested capacity of the rear derailleur, and as a result, you’re likely to experience lower shift quality.

Materials and build

Each of the HG-800 sprockets are made of nickel-plated steel for durability and corrosion resistance, and the construction is similar to the R8000 cassettes. The three largest sprockets are riveted to one carrier, and the next two riveted to another one, which reduces weight relative to an all-steel design. But whereas the R8000 cassette uses an aluminum spider for the largest trio, and a fibre-reinforced composite for the second set, both carriers on the HG-800 cassette are aluminium. From there, the remaining six sprockets are separate and squeezed together with an aluminium lockring.

Shimano R8000 11-32T cassette (top) versus the Shimano HG-800 11-34T cassette (bottom).

On the scales, the 11-34T cassette is rather hefty at 339g – just 4g heavier than claimed, but 57g heavier than an R8000 11-32T cassette. By comparison, a Dura-Ace R9100 11-30T cassette is claimed to weigh just 211g, and other brands have lighter options again.

Retail price for the HG-800 11-34T cassette is AU$149 / US$80 / £84.

Shift performance, durability, and ratio gaps

Shimano cassettes are renowned for their shift performance, and this HG-800 model is no different: gear changes occur exactly as expected, and long-term durability on the larger sprockets should be even better than a smaller Ultegra cassette since the load is spread out over more teeth. And although there have been multiple reports of creaking on Shimano’s higher-end road cassettes, this one has stayed silent.

While all true, the bigger jumps between gears does mean shifting is slightly slower than on a cassette with smaller tooth differences between each pair of sprockets. As compared to an 11-28T cassette, for example, there’s a bit more of a delay in the jump from the 30-34T jump on the HG-800. That said, it hasn’t failed a shift yet.

It’s a big cassette, but it’s more like a salad plate than a dinner plate.

Shimano builds the 11-34T HG-800 cassette with the following tooth sizes: 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34 – certainly some big jumps if you’re used to tighter-ratio cassettes. Those bigger jumps are not a worry if coming from a mountain bike or 1x road setup, or when riding alone, but they’re more noticeable when riding in a group, where you’ll find yourself having to change your cadence more in order to maintain the desired speed. It’s all a trade-off in order to get such a wide range, and at least for gravel use, it didn’t bother me at all.

In the early days of testing, I experienced a bit of unexplained roughness and noise in certain gears with both this and a new R8000 cassette. Frankly I can’t explain it, and even where everything was set up perfectly, one or two gears (typically around the 17T sprocket) made more noise than they should. Thankfully the cassette eventually wore in, and the noise soon disappeared.

Go big?

One question I’ve gotten a bit in recent months is which cassette range makes the most sense: 11-28T, 11-30T, 11-32T, or 11-34T. Obviously, the answer depends on the terrain, what your hills (or mountains) look like, and how fit you are. I’m of the opinion that having lower gears is something you’re unlikely to ever complain about, and so choosing the most versatile spread will make the most sense for the majority of everyday riders.

If you must have the lowest gear your Shimano groupset can afford, then I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest the 11–34T cassette. It does everything it needs to, albeit at a higher-than-expected weight. Likewise, if you’re dealing with an older 10-speed road wheel, or a mountain bike wheelset, then this 11-34T cassette offers a simple and affordable way to get rolling.

But in my opinion, those keen on this product should also look at the 11-32T option. It’s 57g lighter than the 11-34T and can be found for slightly cheaper, too. Its road-specific design will only fit 11-speed freehub bodies, though, and while short-cage derailleurs can be made to work with the slightly-smaller 32T sprocket, longer-cage derailleurs are still recommended.

And while it’s not reviewed here, I’m still a big fan of the 11-30T range. It fits in a regular short cage derailleur, offers a little love on the climbs and in my opinion, is likely to take over the 11-28T as the new standard.

The Shimano HG-800 11-34T cassette (left) versus a more common R8000 11-28T (right).

Such a big cassette calls for a longer-cage derailleur. In this case, it’s Shimano’s R8000 medium-cage (GS) rear derailleur.

A closer view of the HG-800 11-34T cassette.

It’s no lightweight.

The carrier on the R8000 cassette is flat, so the largest sprocket sits in-plane with the edge of the freehub body.

The HG-800 cassette carrier, on the other hand, is slightly dished, allowing 11 sprockets to fit on a 10-speed freehub body.

Both the Shimano R8000 (left) and HG-800 cassettes use aluminium for the larger sprocket carrier.

But whereas the R8000 cassette (left) uses a composite carrier for the next two sprockets, the HG-800 cassette carrier (right) is made of aluminium.

The HG-800 cassette uses the same aluminium lockring as its R8000 sibling, albeit with different branding.

Shimano provides a 1.85mm spacer to be used behind the cassette with 11-speed freehub bodies.

The post Shimano Ultegra HG-800 11-34T cassette review: Adventure-sized appeared first on CyclingTips.

Orbea has always proudly touted its Basque heritage, and its latest Orca road racer is a strong testament to the brand’s lengthy experience in the category. Just like those orange-clad riders in Tours de France of yore, the Orca is a superb climber whose only limitation when the road heads skyward is the ability of its rider.

But while this modern Orca performs better than ever, it’s also lost some of the personality it once had. Ultra-rigid and enviably lightweight, it now ironically feels more a little less Basque, and a little more German.

The Orca family tree

Orbea first debuted the Orca nameplate in 2003, when the company introduced its first carbon fiber road bike after a long and successful stint in premium aluminum construction. While it was a jump forward for Orbea in terms of stiffness and weight, bigger, better-known companies had already launched into composite technology years earlier, and Orbea was desperately trying to keep up. That first-generation Orca was good, but not good enough.

It wasn’t until the second-generation version launched in 2006 that the Orca really made a splash — and a big one at that.

The Orbea Orca has certainly changed a lot since the original model was introduced in 2003. The Orca name is a portmanteau of Orbea and carbon. Photos: Orbea.

That Orca wore a curvaceous shape that was visually striking and highly distinctive, and its intersection of convex and concave surfaces made for the perfect palette on which to apply a gorgeous rainbow of paint options. Every scheme was tastefully restrained, yet absolutely beautiful; the frame’s shape confidently spoke for itself, without the need to scream through a wildly ornate or complicated finish. Even the polished aluminum seatpost collar was a work of art, its profile a perfect complement to the frame’s curves, its design clearly chosen more to make an aesthetic impact instead of an impressive showing on the scales.

The second-generation Orca wasn’t just a visual masterpiece, either. Its ride quality felt distinctly refined and grown-up. It wasn’t the lightest in the market, but it was composed and planted on less-than-perfect roads, it was stiff enough for the task at hand, it handled beautifully through fast and twisty descents, and generally came across as just dependable and reliable, and always the right tool for the job.

Orbea introduced the third-generation Orca in 2010, which pursued a more purpose-driven design with its aero-inspired shape. Modeled after the company’s triathlon-focused Ordu, the Orca now sprouted diamond-like tube profiles that the company claimed saved 7W of effort as compared to the previous version, along with improvements in stiffness and weight. But once again, those aerodynamic enhancements weren’t on par with what the best in the industry were producing at the time.

The latest Orbea Orca is a very different machine from the first version.

Moving forward, the fourth-generation Orca in 2014 embraced that function-first philosophy even further, casting aside much of its predecessor’s aerodynamic skin, and moving back to a more traditional focus on high stiffness and low weight. Those diamond-like cross-sections gave way to more rounded tube shapes that performed better on the test bench.

But where that second-generation Orca couldn’t help but stand out in a crowd, and the third-generation model attracted notice with its diamond-profile tubing, the fourth-generation version ended up being more anonymous, providing another me-too choice amongst a huge swath of competitive options without a compelling argument to pluck it out of the bunch. It wasn’t sufficiently stiff or light to excel in objective frame tests, but it also wasn’t distinctive enough visually to present a valid style argument.

Somewhere along the line, the Orca had lost its way in the vast ocean — just another fish in the sea.

The second-generation Orbea Orca – the most iconic of the family – was competent, grown-up, planted. This latest version almost feels like a second coming of the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, growing younger and spritelier with increasing age.

For this fifth-generation edition, Orbea has once again taken a function-over-form approach to the Orca’s design, but has doubled down and moved even more aggressively to push the bike’s performance credentials. Orbea proudly hails from the Basque region on the northern edge of Spain, but the current Orca now seems more Germanic in flavor.

Once again, stiffness-to-weight and overall rigidity were prioritized in engineering the frame; even Orbea admits that it was tired of getting walloped in laboratory bench tests such as the ones conducted by Tour Magazine. Carbon fibers with higher modulus values from Japanese supplier Toray are used throughout, all of the tubes are nominally round for maximum structural efficiency, and each tube takes a dead-straight path from end to end with seemingly every surface wholly devoted to the frame’s singular purpose.

The main tubes are giant in proportion, the girth and tall chainstays are set broadly on the similarly wide and oversized BB386EVO press-fit bottom bracket shell, and the seatstays are pencil-thin in the hopes that they can lend a modicum of comfort. Likewise, there’s a round, 27.2mm seatpost up top to provide more flex on bumps than more oversized options, and the standard shape makes for easy upgrading down the road.

The chainstays are incredibly tall and quite broad; they’re mated to very skinny seatstays, but any improvement to ride quality that comes about as a result is subtle at best.

As far as its shape is concerned, the new Orca is arguably more generic than ever, its design bordering on formulaic and derivative of nearly every other top-performing road bike on the market. But there’s a reason why road bikes fixated on stiffness-to-weight all look similar: the recipe works.

Other features include a highly configurable internal cable routing system with a network of interchangeable plastic caps that can set up for every drivetrain and brake combination on the market, including mechanical, wired, wireless, and hydraulic. There’s also a 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in tapered steerer tube up front, an integrated chain catcher attached to the base of the seat tube, and the seatpost is held in place with an internal binder that is neatly hidden inside the top tube.

Claimed weight for an unpainted 53cm frame is just 795g — 80g lighter than its predecessor — with the matching fork coming in just over 300g. But yet despite the feathery claimed weights, Orbea insists that this latest Orca is the stiffest one it’s ever produced.

The Orbea Orca’s simple form is flowy and organic-looking, with nary a superfluous shape to be found that isn’t rooted in some sort of functional role.

Orbea offers the Orca frame in three versions. The top-end OMR features the latest shape and the highest-end carbon fiber blend; the mid-range OMP is essentially the previous-generation Orca frame, using that older mold; and finally, there’s the entry-level PRO, which shares the same shape as the OMP, but with a lesser carbon fiber blend to keep the cost down.

Orbea sent a top-end Orca OMR 18 model for this review, built with a suitably high-end blend of parts that were seemingly hand-chosen to emphasize the chassis’ climbing chops: SRAM’s ultralight Red 22 mechanical groupset, Fulcrum Racing Quattro medium-profile carbon clinchers shod with 23mm-wide Vittoria Corsa tires (and latex inner tubes), a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum FSA cockpit components, and a silly-light Selle Italia SLR Tekno saddle with an unpadded carbon fiber shell.

Total weight is about what you’d expect at a UCI-illegal 6.27kg (13.82lb, 51cm, without pedals or accessories).

Riding the wave

Orbea’s goal with the current Orca was to make it as light and stiff as possible, and that’s certainly the impression you get of it on the road.

All of the stereotypical descriptors apply here. The bike eagerly squirts forward when you get on gas, it feels as if not a single watt is wasted from pedal-to-tire, and the fantastic torsional stiffness makes for excellent manners when out of the saddle or just carving through a series of sharp downhill corners. It’s all painfully overused marketing cliché, yes, but yet it’s all true. Orbea has always wanted to play with the big boys in terms of performance numbers, and that goal has clearly now been met.

The fork blades take on a bulldog-like stance, which many companies say improves aerodynamic efficiency. That may be, but Orbea wisely doesn’t make a big deal out of it.

Climbers will be especially happy with the bike’s performance characteristics.

I distinctly recall the glory days of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team that Orbea sponsored for ages, its orange-clad riders effortlessly propelling themselves up the steepest of grades, always animating the state of play when the road turned upward.

It was hard not to have those images in my head when heading uphill on the Orca. I’m not a naturally gifted climber in any way, but the Orca could hardly be better suited for gaining elevation. In that environment, and especially on steeper pitches, high stiffness and low weight are more noticeable than aerodynamic efficiency, and the Orca excels in both regards.

The BB386EVO bottom bracket shell lets Orbea’s frame designers keep the chainstays big and broad for outstanding rear-end stiffness. There’s ample clearance for 28mm-wide tires, too.

Handling is still a strong suit of the Orca, too, provided you’re a fan of quick-and-darty manners out on the road. Just as the bike responds immediately to changes in pressure at the pedals, the front end is quick to answer when you transit any input at the bars. It’s eager to change course on the road, and that agility is only compounded by the complete bike’s feathery total weight and outstanding chassis rigidity. But yet while the sub-1m wheelbase on my 51cm test bike makes it easy to change directions, it’s somewhat tempered by the slightly lower-than-typical 72mm bottom bracket drop, which helps keep the center of gravity closer to the ground for good high-speed stability.

The geometry of bike handling

Not surprisingly given the target market for the Orca, the fit is aggressively long and low, just as it should be for this type of bike. Stack and reach figures are within a few millimeters of a Specialized Tarmac, Trek Madone (H1 fit), and Giant TCR Advanced SL. There are no concessions made to those that want the look of a race bike, but shouldn’t really be on one. In other words, do your yoga.

The enormous down tube forms the backbone of the Orca, and also seems to dictate the overall feel on the road. It’s extremely stiff and efficient in terms of power transfer, but also very firm on bumpier surfaces.

Unfortunately, ride quality is just as race-oriented, and not necessarily in a good way.

I have fond memories of that iconic second-generation Orca, and this current version feels nothing like it. Whereas that old bike felt planted, substantial, and composed, this one is flintier and more skittish. Despite what the pencil-thin seatstays and comparatively skinny 27.2mm-diameter seatpost might suggest, the ride is backboard-stiff overall, and there’s little sense that the frame or fork is doing much to conform to the road surface. Many traditionalists who still hold on to unreasonably high tire pressures might characterize that sensation as “fast”, but the reality is that it’s a bit wearing after several hours in the saddle, and hampers the bike’s ability to confidently hold a line through coarsely-paved roads.

In fairness, most of that unyielding ride quality can be tempered by running lower air pressure, and dropping the stock 23mm-wide Vittoria clinchers to 70psi indeed helped. Even with the standard rim-brake version I tested here, Orbea also wisely leaves ample room for 28mm-wide tires if you want yet more cushioning; the disc-brake Orca provides for a bit more space still.

That said, not every rider will be willing to go that route.

As is the case with most bikes equipped with internal derailleur cable routing these days, there’s a large hatch on the underside of the bottom bracket shell that doubles as a cable guide. It definitely makes it easier to feed cables through the frame.

Lower inflation pressures can still yield very low rolling resistance (possibly even lower than higher pressures, in fact), but doing so requires the use of supple tires and thin tread caps, neither of which provides the sort of durability many people want for everyday riding. Nor can everyone run lower pressures on narrower tires without the risk of pinch flats (I only weigh 70kg).

It also goes without saying that wider tires are heavier than narrower ones of equivalent construction, which directly counters the point of choosing a lightweight frameset like this to begin with. As an experiment during testing, I swapped the supplied Fulcrum wheelset with a pair of HED Jet 4 Black aero clinchers, shod with Continental’s latest Force and Attack tires inflated to a modest 65psi. Ride comfort absolutely improved, and there was no perceived downgrade in rolling resistance. If anything, the more aerodynamic wheels likely made the bike faster overall.

I never lost the sense that the frame was inherently stiff-riding, and the heavier wheel-and-tire setup dulled the bike’s climbing prowess.

In other words, there are avenues to take to avoid the Orca’s ride-quality pitfalls, but weigh them carefully before deciding to depend on them.

Visually, the latest Orca is undeniably more generic than it’s ever been; any bit of built-in elegance that once graced that iconic second-generation version is well in the past, for better or worse. That alone may turn some buyers off, but Orbea’s fantastic MyO custom paint program steps in to inject some much needed flair. Although the designs are preset for each model, the generous color palettes — not to mention both glossy and matte finishes — allow for thousands of possible color combinations to truly make the bike your own. Going the MyO route (as I did for my loaner sample) adds about six weeks of waiting time, but that’s all. Quite miraculously, there’s no upcharge whatsoever for the service.

www.orbea.com

The Orbea Orca may not have the most distinctive shape, but the company’s MyO custom paint program lets you dress it up as wildly as you like. The range of options is dizzingly expansive.

The top tube has a somewhat flattened shape to it, but the rest of the main triangle is nominally round in cross-section.

The chainstays are roughly the same size as the SRAM Red carbon fiber crankarms.

The seatstays may be skinny, and the seatpost relatively so at 27.2mm in diameter, but the Orca is still a pretty rough ride.

The BB386EVO press-fit bottom bracket shell provides an expansive amount of room for oversized main tubes. BB386EVO shells will also accepts nearly every crankset, aside from narrow-format BB/PF30 ones. Still, I continue to hold hope that the T47 threaded format becomes more widely adopted.

Note to bicycle manufacturers everywhere: please refrain from slapping ridiculous slogans on your frames. What exactly is “RIDE QUALITY” supposed to indicate? Yeah, I’m not sure, either.

The hard-biting Fulcrum external-cam quick-release skewers clamp on to carbon fiber dropouts.

Whereas the original Orbea Orca sported a contoured seatpost collar that was a prominent part of the visual design, this latest one hides it almost completely instead.

Not a fan of pearl white, blue, and pink? That’s ok; you can select almost any combination you’d like, and at no extra cost, either, via Orbea’s MyO custom paint program. It’s worth the extra wait over a stock bike.

The chainstays are almost perfectly straight from end to end, with just the slightest bend for a bit more heel clearance.

The internal cable routing is nicely done, and is reasonably easy to service. The exit point for the rear derailleur is particularly well-placed, yielding a pleasantly short section of housing that won’t catch on the quick-release skewer when the wheel is removed or installed.

I’m not usually a fan of wedge-type internal seatpost binders, but this one stayed nice and quiet.

The integrated seatpost binder definitely yields a very clean look up top.

The front end of the Orca is low, but not outrageously so. Generally speaking, the frame’s stack height should be fairly accommodating for a wide range of performance-minded riders.

Orbea shipped my test Orca with rubber guards on the housing to keep paint rub at bay. But with the way the housings are angled outward from the frame at the exit ports, they’re actually not at all necessary.

The fork crown is shaped so as to visually flow into the down tube.

Another hit of color is located inside the chainstays – and again, Orbea’s MyO custom paint program lets you make things as wild or mild as you wish.

These aren’t words you see often on bikes these days. Orbea admits, however, that the frames are actually molded in Taiwan, and only painted in Spain.

A chain watcher is integrated into the base of the seat tube.

SRAM’s Red 22 mechanical groupset is a good match for the Orca with its ultralight total weight and, in this case, wide-range gearing well-suited to longer, steeper climbs.

As hydraulic levers become increasingly common, mechanical ones look increasingly compact and elegant.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the FSA compact handlebar at first, but it definitely grew on me with time.

I never completely grew to accept how the bar’s shape angled the levers outward so dramatically, though.

SRAM’s shift performance has never been as quiet or smooth as what Shimano offers. But it’s reliable and accurate nonetheless, and many riders prefer the more positive feel.

The single-pivot SRAM Red brake calipers use a cam to increase mechanical leverage for stronger braking, but they’re still resistant to staying on-center.

Orbea offers the Orca in a dizzying array of complete builds, but it can also be customized. My test sample was geared toward climbing with its lightweight Fulcrum Racing Quattro carbon clinchers.

Two-to-one lacing is used on the rear wheel to help balance spoke tensions from left-to-right. Bearing preload is easily adjusted with the threaded collar.

Fulcrum shaves the clearcoat off of the braking track on its carbon clinchers for improved braking performance. Stopping power and modulation in the dry was indeed very good; braking in the wet, less so, albeit still an improvement over older carbon rims.

Orbea supplied the test sample with Selle Italia’s ultralight SLR Tekno saddle, whose unpadded carbon fiber shell helps keep it to a scant 90g (claimed). I couldn’t sit on it for more than a few minutes at a time, though, so I ended up switching to a more accommodating SLR Titanium Superflow. Weight well spent, in my opinion.

The post Orbea Orca review: Basque in name, but German in soul appeared first on CyclingTips.

In this edition of Bikes of the Bunch we take a look at Anna Thomson’s custom-painted Festka One, a bike that was built to satisfy her riding needs while honouring her cycling apparel brand, Fondo.

I’d heard about Festka years ago but it wasn’t until July 2016 that I saw one in the flesh. It was love at first sight and I’d dreamt about owning one ever since. There’s something about the brand that really resonated with me – it’s the perfect balance between quality, performance and fun.

Fast-forward 18 months, and I’d convinced my husband Angus (the Minister of Finance) that I should get a new bike. There we’re two things that were certain; the bike would be a Festka and my good mate Mason Hender (of Bike Force Docklands) would build it.

I got in touch with Ben Norden from Bicycle Buyer (Festka’s Australian distributor) and just three months and countless coffee meetings later, the dream was a reality.

Half the fun of buying a new bike is the anticipation, which is amplified when the bike is custom-made.

The process began with geometry. I’d had a bike fit with Riderfit in the past so I sent my report to Bicycle Buyer along with a few ‘wishes’, which included slamming the stem. They came back to me with two sketches – a standard 55 frame or a custom 54. I went with the custom 54. If I’m getting a bike made to order, it may as well be perfect.

Coming up with a design, particularly when I wasn’t restricted by colour or placement, was really daunting. However, Ben (Bicycle Buyer) has a great eye for design and assured me that Festka’s designer Tom was a magician, so I knew I was in safe hands.

I found it hard to decide on colour and frequented the Pantone website and the paint isle at Bunnings (a hardware store) to play around with colour swatches. In the end, I went with an electric watermelon colour (which looks orange in photos!) — ‘hot pink with a touch of orange’ is what Tom called it.

I also wanted to incorporate an element of Fondo, my cycling apparel brand, without it being too dominant, so I included a few of our kit designs in my brief. The cross pattern from Fondo’s Astro kit works perfectly inside the forks and on the stem.

A month or so was spent selecting and sourcing components with the careful help of Bicycle Buyer and Mason.

I had Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 on my previous bike and it was always perfect, so the decision to go with the new Dura-Ace 9150 was an easy one. I chose 3T Ernova bars because they’re compact and I like the feel of the ergonomic egg-shaped top and flared drops. They’ve also got internal cable routing so I could hide all the cables and ports in the bars with Shimano’s handlebar port.

I went with a 3T stem to match the bars and the 3T Zero25 seat post for the flexibility of a zero or 25 offset. 3T lets you choose the finish of these components, so I went with the ‘stealth’ because I wanted a clean matte look that wouldn’t compete with the loud paint job.

The saddle is Bontrager’s Ajna Pro women’s – the same saddle I use on my other bikes – and the Bontrager Aeolus 3 wheels and Arundel cages came from my previous bike. I went with bar tape by bespoke Tasmanian brand Burgh. The black on black pattern of their ‘X’ tape offers the right amount of detail without being too flashy, and ties in nicely with the Astro kit pattern.

Build Details

Frame: Festka One Sport custom geometry with titanium dropouts
Fork: Enve road
Headset: Chris King
Stem: 3T ARX II Team Stealth
Handlebars: 3T Ernova Team Stealth
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace 9150 Di2 with handlebar port
Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus 3 carbon clinchers
Tyres: Vittoria Graphene Rubino Pro Speed
Seatpost: 3T Zero25 Team Stealth
Saddle: Bontrager Ajna Pro Carbon
Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace
Power meter: 4iii Precision
Bar tape: Burgh ‘X’ Stealth
Cages: Arundle Mandible
Accessories: Fetha Components Garmin mount

Mason built the bike in my backyard on a balmy Saturday evening. For me, a perfect build is as important as the right fit — messy cables can make the best bikes look mediocre. Mason’s attention to detail is off the charts and he spent a lot of time hiding cables and electronics in the bars and frame to give my new bike a flawless finish.

I love my bike more than I ever imagined. It rides like a dream. It’s deliciously smooth yet lively, and I feel like I’m flying when I ride it.

Festka’s carbon is wound in a unidirectional manner, which means it’s not only super strong but also really responsive, particularly when teamed with the titanium rear dropouts. It really jumps when I accelerate at speed. The way it hugs the road has restored my love of descending too, which I didn’t even realise I’d lost until I descended on the Festka for the first time.

The new Dura-Ace Di2 is smooth as butter and lightning fast, and the compact gearing makes the steepest of climbs seem easy – I can’t wait to play with it in the Italian Alps in July!

The whole purchase experience was amazing. It was a pleasure working with Bicycle Buyer – they were very generous with their time and expertise, and guided me through each step of the journey.

There’s something special about creating a bike from scratch. Every single element was carefully considered and I’m so proud of the finished product.

The post Bikes of the Bunch: Festka One custom appeared first on CyclingTips.

POC’s previous aero road helmet, the Octal Aero, was a curious little thing, essentially consisting of a standard Octal model but with almost all of the vents completely covered. It was reasonably aerodynamic and surprisingly well-ventilated at faster speeds, but a veritable sweatbox on the climbs.

POC has now replaced that stopgap with a new model that was designed from the start to be an aero road helmet. POC says the Ventral produces less drag than the old mushroom hat that was the Octal Aero, and its vastly improved airflow makes it a more appealing day-to-day option, too. It’s a better helmet in nearly every way, in fact, but yet there are still a couple of unfortunate missteps that keep it from being truly excellent. There are also lingering questions on whether the Ventral really is as aerodynamically efficient as POC says it is.

Airing out the Ventral

The old Octal Aero earned its keep in the wind tunnel by virtue of its almost completely closed-off shape. Rather than have air tumble haphazardly through the interior, it instead funneled almost all of it around the outer shell.

With the Ventral, POC took almost the exact opposite approach.

Five huge vents are positioned right up front, the six exhaust ports at the rear are even bigger, and there are two more vents on the top of the shell to help hot air escape more passively on climbs. Yet despite all of those openings, POC says that careful shaping and placement of the external vents make for a smooth, low-drag flow through the helmet’s interior.

According to POC, air exiting out the back of the helmet can then smoothly recombine with whatever air passes around the outside of the Ventral thanks to the sharp edge along the upper rear of the helmet.

POC’s styling has long been polarizing, with bulbous shapes that weren’t always flattering. The new Ventral reverses that trend.

“Residual air flowing over and around the helmet is managed by an aerodynamically optimized trailing edge,” says POC’s official marketing materials, “which reduces turbulence and maintains a linear airflow off the helmet and rider, improving the helmet and rider’s aerodynamic performance.”

Other features include a height-adjustable cradle, gripper pads on the edges of the outboard forward vents for stashing sunglasses, lightweight webbing with fixed splitters around the ears, and a newly trim profile that keeps you from looking like a mushroom.

Huge exhaust ports help the Ventral feel wonderfully airy at both high and low speeds.

On the scale, the Ventral is reasonably light, but not especially so, with an actual weight of 264g for a CPSC-approved size small. Weight weenies will be disappointed at that figure, but one distinct upside is the full-coverage polycarbonate shell, which completely envelopes the lower edge of the Ventral for better long-term durability — grams well spent, in my opinion.

POC offers the new Ventral in nine colors, including two high-visibility hues. Retail price is US$290 / AU$430 / €300.

POC is sticking with its traditionally solid color schemes for the Ventral, but there are enough hues to suit nearly everyone. Photos: POC.

MIPS is out; SPIN is in

POC was one of the first companies to incorporate MIPS (Multi-direction Impact Protection System) low-friction liners into its bicycle helmets, which have been claimed to reduce the incidence of closed-head injuries. According to MIPS, the plastic liner acts as a shear layer during a crash, thus minimizing how violently your brain rotates inside your skull during a crash.

POC’s new SPIN padding incorporates a layer of gel that the company says mimics the effect of a traditional MIPS low-friction liner. By incorporating the shear function directly into the pads, though, there isn’t as much of an effect on ventilation or fit.

POC still finds value in that rotational insulation, but has now replaced MIPS with its own in-house concept called SPIN (Shearing Pad INside). Instead of a separate plastic liner, SPIN incorporates the shear action directly into the pads themselves. The pads look normal from the outside, but inside each one is a gel insert that allows the inner and outer layers of fabric to slide against each other — almost like two pieces of bread with liberal helpings of peanut butter and jelly between them.

Does SPIN work as well as MIPS? And how well does MIPS really work, anyway? I unfortunately can’t answer either of those questions, but the MIPS folks apparently feel that SPIN is close enough to its own technology that the company filed a lawsuit against POC late last year. Time will tell how that pans out.

Origins: The story of MIPS, helmet technology for brain-injury prevention

On the road

Legal wrangling aside, the Ventral isn’t just a big step forward from the Octal Aero; it’s quite a nice road helmet on its own, period.

As promised, ventilation on the Ventral is truly outstanding, which perhaps shouldn’t be all that surprising given appearances. The enormous ports and generous internal channeling make for fantastic airflow across your head at even moderate speeds, but yet with so much open space toward the back and upper rear section of the Ventral, it’s also pleasantly cool on slower climbs as well. Airflow at lower speeds is usually the primary weakness of most aero road helmets, in fact, so I was particularly impressed with how well the Ventral performed in that situation.

According to POC, the sharp trailing edge helps air passing over the shell cleanly rejoin the air that is passing through the inside.

Airflow around the browpad area — which I often find lacking in road helmets, period, not just aero-minded ones — is very good on the Ventral, too, with lots of space in between the pad and helmet liner to help keep that area dry. It doesn’t completely prevent sweat from saturating the pad and eventually dripping down into your glasses, but it at least takes longer than usual to get to that point.

Speaking of sunglasses, POC’s solution for eyewear storage actually works. The outboard forward vents are well positioned for the purpose, and the two large gripper pads do a better-than-expected job of keeping glasses from flopping about (provided you’re careful to push them into the helmet with a firm shove). Ironically, I found that while the grippers worked well with various sunglass models from Oakley, Smith Optics, Shimano, Adidas, and a few others, they didn’t work nearly as well with POC’s own Do Half Blade; the pads never came into contact with the sunglass arms.

Comfort-wise, the Ventral was mostly very good. Those squishy SPIN pads cover a lot of the Ventral’s interior, and the height-adjustable cradle provides a firm, yet gentle, hold on the back of the skull. Long-time POC users will want to note, however, that the Ventral has moved to a more ovoid headform shape instead of the rounder one typically found from this company in the past. It worked better for me personally, and also contributed to the Ventral’s refreshingly trim profile. But if you’ve relied on that round fit in the past, you’ll likely be disappointed with the change.

The profile of the POC Ventral is admirably trim. The fit is more oval than it used to be, though, so long-time POC users might not get along with the updated shape.

As happy as I was with the Ventral’s fit overall, one area that I found very disappointing was the strap design.

POC has used fixed strap splitters in the past, and the practice is hardly novel (Specialized has been doing this for years, for example). But on the Ventral, I found that there just wasn’t enough space around the ears, and my earlobes ended up awkwardly constricted. In fairness, I mostly forgot about it once I got underway, but it’s an oversight on POC’s part nonetheless.

I have no issue with the concept of fixed strap splitters, especially since well-executed examples I’ve used in the past have been easy to use and comfortable. But if you’re going to eliminate the ability to make adjustments in this area, you at least have to ensure that the design works for everyone, and that isn’t the case here.

The height-adjustable retention system holds firm, but yet is still very comfortable.

Last, but certainly not least, there is the issue of aerodynamic performance. POC says the Ventral is the “fastest and most aerodynamic” helmet the company has ever created, but is it really? I didn’t take the Ventral into the wind tunnel for independent testing, so I can’t say for sure. But it’s worth noting that neither did POC; that claim is based solely on computer simulations, and the only numerical data provided compares the Ventral against the standard Octal, not the Octal Aero (and even then, it’s just a 2.1% improvement). There are also no claims made against aero road helmets from other manufacturers.

So at least for now, you unfortunately have to take POC’s blanket claims at face value — and perhaps with a healthy side of salt.

www.pocsports.com

POC says its new Ventral is the “fastest, most aerodynamic, ventilated, lightweight, and safest helmet” the company has ever developed. Some of that is debatable, but it’s definitely one of the better-looking helmets to come out of POC in recent years.

The POC Ventral doesn’t look like most other aero road helmets with its highly open exterior.

Even without the giant POC logo, the overall appearance stays true to the company’s design philosophy.

Deep internal channeling helps funnel air through the inside of the helmet. It’s very effective.

Thick gripper pads on the outboard forward-facing vents grab well on to most sunglasses I tried. Ironically, POC’s own Do Blade Half was one of the only sunglasses I tested that didn’t fit securely here.

The helmet’s lowered rear edge is good for safety from a coverage perspective, but can cause some interference issues on sunglasses with particularly long arms.

The fixed strap splitters are disappointing. As is, they clearly won’t work for everyone’s ears, and they can’t be adjusted, either.

The post POC Ventral helmet review: Breezy and comfortable, but is it aero? appeared first on CyclingTips.

If you’re one that likes your bike running like a finely tuned machine, you’ll likely already know that chains often need to be replaced as often as your rear tyre. But have you ever considered what’s causing this rapid wear? Simply, it’s friction. Yep, the same friction that’s costing you those precious watts.

Friction occurs in multiple ways inside a chain, but most importantly, it’s the chain’s articulating points of the rollers, plates, and pins sliding and wearing together that causes a chain to grow in length (commonly known as chain stretch). If ignored, that longer chain rides high on the teeth of your cassette and chainrings, causing devastating wear and a big service bill.

Previous tests done by Jason Smith (formerly of Friction Facts) revealed that poor chain lube selection, or even just a dirty chain, can cost you upwards of five watts (at a constant 250W effort). Pedal harder and those lost watts go up in a near equal fashion, too. That’s arguably more than any equipment upgrade available, and it’s applicable no matter how fast you go.

Australian Adam Kerin is one such person who became obsessed with the idea of how a simple chain lube selection can not only make you faster, but can potentially greatly increase the lifespan of your drivetrain. Want your chain (and drivetrain) to go far further than you’ve ever seen before? Want some free speed, too? Read on.

Faster = cheaper?

When Jason Smith’s Friction Facts company was acquired by CeramicSpeed in 2016, the world lost its lone independent authority on what chain lube is actually best. But using his own methods and measurable outcomes, Kerin has since resumed such independent tests, all to reveal the best chain lubes available, and shine a light on those offering little more than marketing fluff.

Where Jason Smith funded Friction Facts by selling his findings and offering brands access to his testing and expertise, Kerin’s business model is designed to find the best-performing products to sell through his online business, Zero Friction Cycling (ZFC). Over time, he hopes his testing and published content earns him the trust of shoppers looking for speed and/or longevity upgrades.

“I feel like Adam and ZFC are like I was with Friction Facts five years ago – a lone voice looking to find honest answers to a lot of unknown questions and debunk potentially misleading existing information,” said Smith.

Kerin’s tests focus on chain wear. Abrasion is friction, and friction is lost watts.

But where Friction Facts focused on efficiency, Kerin concentrates on durability. He effectively torture-tests chain lubes, with the measurable outcome being chain wear. Through a consistent and repeatable process, Adam runs chains through a simulated real-life death march. The chain lube that results in the least chain wear, despite being drowned in grit, earns the spoils (or in Kerin’s case, becomes available for sale), while the losers are given no such love.

The goal of the testing is to simulate real-world riding as best as possible. It’s not to find the most efficient lube over an hour-long time trial, but the most efficient lube for when you want to go on an all-day ride; ride in poor conditions; or simply are lazy, and don’t want to clean and re-lube with each ride. Kerin’s tests are applicable to the everyday cyclist, be they amateur road racers, gravel riders, or mountain-bike marathoners.

In Kerin’s tests, and monitoring his own and customers’ chains, he’s found lube choice and careful maintenance can be the difference between a chain being worn-out at just 2,000km, and one lasting 15,000km before it showed similar wear.

Ultimately, Kerin’s tests are designed to highlight the products that are likely to save you money through improved longevity, but there are still similarities to the work Smith did at Friction Facts. According to Kerin, chain wear and friction are inherently linked together, and by aiming to increase chain longevity, you also get the bonus of reduced friction.

“A lubricant will not be able to be a high-efficiency lubricant in the real world if it records a poor longevity test result,” Kerin explained. “If a lubricant is eating through hardened steel at a good rate, that just flat-out takes friction.”

Smith and Kerin don’t entirely agree on this theory, although that’s perhaps due more to the different approaches each has to testing.

“If contamination was removed from the equation, say, like in a track environment, or a very clean road ride, increased friction does not always correlate to wear,” Smith said. “For example, compare a newer-technology dry lubricant, such as (CeramicSpeed) UFO Drip, Molten Speed Wax, or (CeramicSpeed) UFO Chains versus a thick sticky grease. The dry lubricants, from an efficiency standpoint, will be much faster than the greased chain. However, the greased chain might show less wear over time.

“This is because of the effects of viscous drag and stiction properties of the grease,” Smith continued. “The grease’s viscous drag and stiction will increase the friction levels of the chain, but these two properties, although creating increased friction, do not increase the wear of the chain. However, the dry surfaces might create slightly more wear than the grease. When all factors are considered, the friction created by the viscous drag and stiction of the grease substantially outweigh any friction created by wear of the dry-lubricated surfaces, if indeed there are any increases.”

However, Smith explained that things change once the chain and lubricant are subjected to contamination over a long period of time.

“The driving factor of friction and wear when a chain is subjected to contamination is based on how much contamination adheres to the lubricant, or conversely, the ability of the lubricant/coating to repel contamination. When contamination enters the picture, the wear rate and friction becomes more correlated, since the contaminants heavily drive the friction levels. Therefore, in very clean conditions, I feel friction and wear are not necessarily correlated. Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn’t. Yet as contamination levels increase, I agree with Adam that friction and wear will become more correlated.”

Nevertheless, Kerin’s tests yield very similar results to what Smith has produced, with a consistently close correlation between the best wear rates and the fastest lubes previously published by Friction Facts.

How the tests are done

Friction Facts concentrated on accuracy with its dedicated test machines and protocols, claiming measurable differences in frictional losses as low as 0.02W. In comparison, Kerin’s modified Tacx Neo Smart trainer setup looks decidedly amateur, but the science behind it seems sound. A motor, not a human rider, is attached to the crankset spindle, and provides a constant output of 250W at 100rpm in controlled riding conditions. And since the Neo Smart is mechanically unique in that it’s truly a direct-drive design with no additional belts or pulleys, Kerin only has to factor one set of bearings into his baseline equations.

Kerin sets a simulated riding distance of 400km between lube intervals (on flat terrain simulation), with the frequency doubling during contamination blocks, such as where fine sand is added. Each test block lasts for 1,000km, with alternating blocks without added contamination to help understand how well a lube works to clear out contamination. It’s a real stress test of how well a lube can go the distance.

Each test starts with a new chain, and variances for manufacturing are controlled by accurately measuring the chain before the test begins. Once the new chain measures 0.5mm of “stretch” (averaged across seven sections of the chain) over the initial starting length, the test is stopped. This is considered “100% wear” in Kerin’s tests, as the 0.5mm figure is a commonly suggested replacement point before measurable cog wear occurs.

ZFC’s main test of lubes. Once a chain reaches 100% wear (0.5mm average measure), the test is stopped. The lube that makes it through the most blocks with the lowest accumulative is the winner. Note, lower is better.

The testing blocks (explained in ZFC’s test explanation document) also provide Kerin with a clear view of where things go wrong – or in some cases, go well – and in what conditions the lube falls apart. Some lubes may be very strong for the first 1,000km clean interval, for example, but fail miserably once grit comes into play. And if you’re riding outside, grit will certainly come into play.

When asked specifically about Kerin’s testing, Smith was supportive.

“I appreciate what ZFC is doing and feel it is a good representation of longevity/contamination testing. It’s very difficult to identically recreate real-world contamination conditions, [but] if the contaminants are similar in composition to the real world, are controlled with respect to quantity and discharge rates, and are repeatable from test to test, then it’s a true scientific test in my opinion. Much longevity and wear info can be gained based on the results of his controlled testing, even if the protocol does not perfectly mimic the infinite number of unique real-world conditions.”

Done out of Kerin’s pocket without financial return (as of yet), the tests do have obvious limitations. Perhaps the biggest one is that only a single test is performed for each lubricant, meaning the repeatability and consistency of these tests is somewhat unknown. For some, that’s understandably a deal breaker; for others, one controlled test is still better than no controlled test at all.

When asked about this, Kerin explained he did almost 9,000km of baseline testing before actually measuring chain lubricant performance, to both bed-in testing protocols and also to check the repeatability of the testing.

“Chains themselves do not wear exactly the same even across the same chain,” explained Kerin. “So the variability comes down to the chain, and not the lubricant or the test protocol as that is easy to keep control over.”

It’s what’s on the inside that counts

A chain is unlike anything else on a bicycle, and unlike bearings, the individual links do not constantly turn or spin; instead, they repeatedly articulate and have a small range of motion. There are also an usually high number of friction points, including the pin and plate shoulder; between the roller and plate shoulders; and between the inner and outer plates on both sides of the chain.

How many, exactly? In a white paper published in 2014, Smith calculated that there approximately 40,000 individual pieces of mechanical movement in a bicycle chain when pedaling in a 53T chainring at 95rpm. With so much metal-to-metal contact, it isn’t difficult to see how a good chain lube can save you upwards of five watts of energy. Even better, the relatively low cost of chain lubricants makes them the best value upgrade you can make to your bike by far.

But in order to avoid such friction, it’s not what a lube does or looks like on the outside of the chain that matters most, but rather how it behaves inside, where the loaded friction is highest.

I mentioned earlier that while Smith and Kerin have taken different approaches to lubricant testing, the relative order of the test results support each other’s claims. Case in point: White Lightning Epic Ride was the least-efficient lube Smith tested at 8.9W, and also yielded one of the shortest chain lifespans in Kerin’s tests, lasting less than 3,000km before hitting that critical 0.5mm mark. At the opposite end, a chain treated with Molten Speed Wax ate up just 4.2W of rider energy in Smith’s testing, while outlasting Kerin’s 6,000km-long wear testing procedure (and proving in the real world, with real riders, to go past 15,000km), something no drip lube has done as of yet.

A simplified version of Friction Facts’ drip lube comparison. Note that these numbers are using sterile chains that run extremely fast, and so users are likely to experience higher numbers. Still, the relative order stands. Note that submersion wax lubes have been removed from this chart, and when this data was first published years ago, it was Molten Speed Wax at the starting end. We’ll be releasing the full data in a future article focused on efficiency.

“I have had some lubricants record over 100% wear (0.5mm) for a single contamination block, versus other lubricants that recorded 25% wear,” said Kerin. “That is a huge difference in the amount of hardened steel that has been abraded away by the higher-wearing lubricant. So no matter if the lab gives it a good result, in the real world that level of wear is bad news for performance.”

Lube Types to Avoid

Friction Facts’ testing lifted the lid on a number of extremely popular lubes and mechanic myths. Hearts were broken as fan favourites such as Prolink, Phil Wood Tenacious Oil, and Triflow were all shown to perform poorly in terms of efficiency. However, many people in the know were willing to overlook such findings in favor of other attributes, such as clean running, corrosion resistance, dependable squeak resistance, or even just the smell.

But when you include the estimated running costs involved with that increased wear, Kerin’s test findings are much harder to ignore.

ZFC’s estimate on what it costs to run various lubes for a projected 10,000km of riding. Individual rider results will vary, but generally speaking, lubes that decrease wear will save you money. Costs are based on wear through test blocks 1-5, including Australian retail cost of lubricant, plus replacement chains, cassettes, and chainrings as needed.

Both Kerin and Smith agree that most chain lubricants traditionally described as “dry” are the worst performers for real-world riding.

“Dry lubes are mostly a carrier, which evaporates; they don’t last,” Kerin said. “They carry about 10% actual lubrication.”

Even worse, Kerin says “dry” lubes can actually make drivetrain wear worse than not using lube at all.

“[Dry lubes] can be an accelerant to wear compared to a bare chain. This is often because the lubrication that does exist isn’t perfectly dry, and so it can attract contaminants into the chain.”

If getting it on your braking surfaces or in your lungs wasn’t bad enough, prior testing by Smith also revealed aerosol chain lubes perform even worse, as they often contain even more carrier than “dry” lubes, which helps the propellant.

“From an efficiency standpoint, I suggest riders avoid the relatively thicker oil-based lubes,” explained Smith. “These lubes can exhibit higher initial friction levels due to viscous drag and stiction. Then, as the chain is subjected to contamination, these lubricants are like grit magnets, further acting to increase friction. I’d also suggest riders avoid dry lubes which don’t contain enough lubricant to be effective.”

There are exceptions to this rule, however, especially if extremely nasty conditions lay ahead, such as a muddy mountain bike race with stream crossings and a gross amount of mud – basically conditions beyond that of Kerin’s tests. In those situations, Smith says that a stickier and more viscous formula might prevail as it will be better able to physically maintain a thick layer of lube on the chain instead of getting washed away.

The best chain lubes

Based on Kerin’s and Smith’s work, one thing is clear: a well-lubricated chain that resists or flushes out contamination is superior.

In Zero Friction Cycling’s tests – and in Friction Facts’ original tests, prior to the CeramicSpeed buyout – the overall best performer is Molten Speed Wax, a modern-day version of the paraffin-wax treatment favored by riders decades ago. The additive-enhanced wax is first melted in a crockpot, and then the carefully prepared chain is fully immersed in it and allowed to sit so as to let the wax fully penetrate the chain’s interior. CeramicSpeed’s latest UFO wax formula was developed later, Smith claims that it is measurably faster yet.

Molten Speed Wax is certainly a fast and durable lubricant. But using it requires a sterile chain and a crockpot to cook the wax through. For many, it’s just too much work. Kerin does suggest that the extra work up front balances out later, and the time spent waxing (especially if doing multiple bikes at the same time) is easily made up by the complete lack of drivetrain cleaning and constant re-lubing.

While this wax type of product is best-in-class for both durability and friction, regardless of conditions, the application process is more involved than most people would like. Drip lubes may not perform quite as well, but their ease-of-use will still make them a better choice if you don’t have a lot of time on their hands. For those riders, Kerin recommends Silca NFS.

“Silca NFS lube is the pick of the bunch” he said. “[It’s the] longest-lasting by far of the drip lubes I’ve tested.”

Friction Facts’ testing shows the original NixFrixShun (NFS) lube to be very efficient, clocking just 5.48 watts of losses. Silca’s formula claims to be a modified version of the NFS lube, and suggests as little as 12 drops are needed to keep a chain lubed after the initial application, meaning the high price per bottle is easily negated over time.

“When using little of it, it doesn’t attract nearly as much crap,” Kerin says. “And it washes off easily, unlike wax lubes.”

Just 12 drops per chain is is all that’s needed to keep a drivetrain running smoothly, according to Silca.

Kerin suggests that by using Silca’s lube and meticulously keeping on top of your maintenance, a chain may last as long as 12,000km before hitting its wear point. It’s still not the 15,000km longevity number quoted for Molten Speed Wax, or as efficient according to friction tests, but it’s extremely impressive nonetheless.

However, it has its limitations.

“Off-road, Silca’s NFS is a wet lube and so it can pick up a lot of contamination,” tells Kerin.

For where Silca isn’t suitable, South African chain lube Smoove (an item I coincidently picked in my favorite products of 2017) is Kerin’s pick as far as drip lubes go.

“Smoove is a double-edged sword; to work it into the chain is tough. But once prepped, its resistance to riding in crap conditions is amazing. However, a wet ride will need the chain stripped and cleaned afterward.”

Paraphrasing Kerin, Smoove is quite similar to another South African wax-based lub, Squirt. The wax creates a barrier to contaminants entering the chain, although Smoove has a lower viscosity and seems to layer better. Kerin’s testing proved that it’s this progressive layering, careful initial preparation, and complete chain link penetration that are the keys to getting the most out from this lube, and for that, it’s a more involved process than many other drip lubes.

Both out of South Africa, these two lubes are extremely similar, although Kerin’s testing shows the newer Smoove has the edge for durability. Exact efficiency is unknown, as Smith hasn’t tested Smoove.

Taking a look back at previous statements from Smith reveals that Squirt (recording 4.51 watts) used to be the recommended top-up lube for CeramicSpeed’s UFO chains, prior to UFO Drip coming to market. Smith hasn’t tested Smoove, but given Kerin’s findings, there’s enough evidence to suggest it may be even more efficient than Squirt with the right preparation.

Either way, both Kerin and Smith’s testing show that a lube that doesn’t collect grit is going to be best in real-world conditions. This is what makes melt-on paraffin wax treatments so effective, as little sticks to the hard coating that results. And in fact, it was this principle that was a key design driver with CeramicSpeed’s UFO Drip lube; grit literally bounces off of it.

CeramicSpeed’s new UFO Drip lube is one of the most expensive on the market, but Smith swears it was designed to beat everything else for when efficiency matters.

While Kerin’s advice considers more affordable products, Smith’s advice is understandably quite narrow.

“Aside from the very extreme conditions, for both road and MTB, I always recommend a very fast 100% dry lube. I know this can be considered biased, but [CeramicSpeed] UFO Drip was designed to provide the fastest initial friction numbers (3.78w, or 0.73w faster than the next-fastest tested drip lube, Squirt), and with minimal increase from contamination.”

While that may be true, what’s also true is that very few 100% dry lubes exist beyond CeramicSpeed’s new high-priced offering.

“Squirt does not fit my definition of a 100% dry lube,” Smith continued. “When it dries, it is tacky. Because of the tackiness, it will pick up road grit. It’s very rare to find a lube, which is labeled dry by the manufacturer, to actually be 100% dry.”

No matter what, maintenance matters

Whatever lube you decide to use, keeping your chain as clean as possible is vital to getting respectable life and efficiency from it. The best lubes here excel for their ability to lubricate the inner surfaces of the chain, and keep contaminants from entering, but they’re not a replacement for proper maintenance.

“I always suggest cleaning and re-lubing after every ride, or at least re-lubing after every ride,” says Smith. “This comes from my efficiency background.”

If you don’t have time to clean your chain, but are worried about watts, then Smith suggests at least re-applying lube regardless.

“I’ve not seen any negative efficiency effects of at least re-lubing between rides, even if re-lubing over a dirty chain, if a user does not have time to clean their chain. I’ve taken many post-contamination dirty chains over the years, and with just a re-lube, the efficiency will always increase. It might not benefit the cleanliness, build-up, or effects on wear/longevity when a lube is applied onto a dirty chain, but from an efficiency-of-the-chain standpoint, the efficiency will increase.”

Kerin agrees, but warns that relubing over a dirty chain often brings external grit back into the links. So with some lubes, while efficiency will improve, wear rates can also increase.

“Definitely a smart thing to do is to re-lube a clean chain versus a dirty chain. Drip lubes will always be X-amount abrasive from contamination, and this liquid, with some level of abrasiveness, is acting directly on chain metal causing wear. Unless one fully flush-cleans the chain and re-lubes, the level of abrasiveness will generally continue to rise and rise. This means wear rates are not linear. Often, the wear rate in the first 1,000km will be much lower than the wear rate from 3,000 to 4,000km due to lack of full-flush cleans to reset abrasive contamination.

“On average, one can expect 3,000 to 6,000km from drip lubes versus an average of 15,000km for MSW. I have seen very well-maintained chains just hitting the replacement mark at 8,000km, and one example recently where the customer attained 12,000km to 0.8mm by degreasing prior to every re-lube.”

As the saying goes, a clean bike is a fast bike.

This story is certainly not over

This article highlights just the beginnings of Kerin’s testing. So far, Kerin has revealed a number of popular chain lubes that claim the world, but at least according to his tests, fail miserably. Certainly, he’ll continue to test popular chain lubes in search of the next holy grail.

What chain lube is best for one person may be completely wrong for another depending on maintenance schedule, riding conditions, riding style, and attention to detail. However, one thing is for certain: I’m going to cook my chain in wax.

Check out Zero Friction Cycling to read the full reports on the lubes tested to date.

The post Seeking the holy grail: A fast chain lube that saves you money appeared first on CyclingTips.

Few product categories in cycling are as saturated as eyewear. Between Oakley, Smith Optics, Bolle, Adidas, Rudy Project, 100%, Spy, KOO, Assos, Shimano, BBB, Briko, Salice, POC, and numerous others, it’s safe to say the choices can be overwhelming.

Based out of Canada, Ryders eyewear is no new player in cycling eyewear, historically concentrating at the value end of the spectrum. But since an acquisition by ophthalmic lens powerhouse Essilor (who recently merged with Luxottica to form an even-bigger conglomerate), Ryders has shifted into the higher-price performance space.

At last year’s Eurobike trade show, tech writer David Rome was inundated with heady claims at the Ryders booth. While many brands say their lenses offer photochromic tint adjustment, various fog/sweat/water-resistant coatings, enhanced contrast, and impact resistance, Ryders claim the top-tier Fyre lens includes all of those.

Instead of calling bullshit and walking away, he asked for a sample.

Fyre lens technology

It wasn’t long ago that polycarbonate was the preferred material for sunglass lenses, thanks to its outstanding clarity, excellent impact resistance, and ease of tinting. But like a growing number of other eyewear brands, Ryders decided to instead make the new Fyre lens from Essilor’s “Sun Solution proprietary performance polymer” – better known as NXT – which has long been used in the military for fighter jet canopies and helicopter windshields due to its superior toughness and even-better optical properties relative to polycarbonate, plus built-in 100% UV400 protection.

There are three tints/colours of the Fyre lens available, each with matching arms provided. I tested the mirror-coated Light Grey – Grey with Blue MLV photochromic lens, which features a 17-77% light transmission and a neutral grey base.

For those who want more visual enhancement, Ryders also offer their Varia photochromic lenses yellow to brown and pink to purple versions, each of which claim to enhance colour and definition by as much as 20% while still automatically lightening and darkening depending on ambient conditions.

The MLV mirror coating is a patented technology, and one that Ryders say doesn’t hinder the sensitivity of the photochromic technology. In the case of the grey lenses tested, the mirroring is subtle.

Further coatings are provided in order to repel water, dirt, and grease. This hydrophobic and oleophobic coating sees water bead straight off it, while making dirt and grease less likely to stick. However, such a coating is only given to the front side of the lens.

Likewise, the front side of the lens is given a scratch-resistant coating, making the surface “considerably harder than the base lens material”. Ryders claim this isn’t a scratch-proof coating, and while I didn’t have any issue with markings, care should still be taken.

All of those treatments have been used in eyewear before, but what I found especially impressive is the permanent anti-fog coating Ryder use on the Fyre. I’ve had plenty of sunglasses that claim to be fog-free over the years, but the Fyre lens is the first I’ve used to actually come close to matching its claim. It even resisted fogging while being held directly above a steaming kettle, and the condensation that did stick cleared within seconds.

“Your vision is affected by fog because the micro droplets of water cause a prismatic effect on the surface of the lens reducing the optics,” explained Roy Williams, director of product design and development at Ryders Eyewear. “The hydrophilic surface absorbs the droplets and stops the prismatic effect from occurring.”

That surface is harder to keep clean (Ryders suggest warm water and air drying), but it’s a fair trade-off for the benefit, especially for anyone living in humid climates.

Unique and effective frame design

All the lens technology in the world is useless without a comfortable fitting frame to hold it, and here, Ryders have been equally innovative.

The lower frame simply clips into place.

Out of the box, the Roam frame is a reversed design to what’s typically found in cycling eyewear. Here, the top of the generously sized lens is kept completely unhindered, with the frame only found on the bottom half of the lens. And what’s even more unique, the use of this lower frame is optional.

Adding just 3g of weight, the lower frame adds a little rigidity, protection, and wind blocking, and so Ryders suggest using it mostly for mountain biking. Ryders claim its design also leaves the top of the glass open to expel moisture that typically turns to fog. Without the add-on frame, the Roam looks similar to the Oakley EVZero or the Smith Optics Attack, and weighs just 29g.

Swapping between the half-frame and frameless setups is as easy as replacing a lens in other glasses: you simply unclip the frame, and with a little bending, pop it free from the lens. A second nose piece is supplied to clip back into the lens if you wish to go without the lower frame. However, the arms are factory fitted to the lens, so you’ll need a second pair of eyewear if the photochromic lens isn’t enough to suit the conditions.

Ryders keep the logos to a minimum, instead stamping the brand on the inside of the arm.

The frame, including the arms, are made from Grilamid TR90 thermoplastic, a Swiss material that is highly flexible, durable, and lightweight.

Both the nose piece and arms are made of hydrophilic rubber, meaning they get grippier with moisture (sweat). Malleable metal cores allow for customisation of the fit, too, to help accommodate a wide variety of head and nose shapes (including asymmetry).

My thoughts

There’s no denying the sheer amount of tech put into the one lens, and for me, the anti-fog was the standout element compared to the competition. Add in that the lens doesn’t seem to give up in other areas, and Ryders have done an impressive job with the Fyre.

The tint transitioning photochromic element works as claimed, smoothly and reliably changing to suit the conditions. It’s not the fastest to change, and certainly it performs better on a road bike than it does switching between open and tree-covered singletrack on a mountain bike. But in fairness to Ryders, only lenses that use e-tint technology have been able to adjust tint that quickly.

The general clarity of the Fyre lens is superb, and while the neutral grey model maintains a natural view of the world, high-contrast lenses like Oakley’s Prizm still do a better job of making things look more spectacular and vivid. I’m unsure on how well the more colour-focused Fyre lenses perform in this regard, but it seems that Ryders’ literature is often true. And do keep in mind, the Fyre lens offer a long list of features missing from the Prizm lens.

The hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings do a fine job of keeping the front of the lens clear, but the anti-fog coating on the inside is susceptible to smudging, and it’s certainly a fiddle to get clean again. Making matters worse is the open top design, which does little to divert sweat. Add in the wrong helmet choice, and you’ll likely want to just take the glasses off your face completely.

The frame design is well thought out. I’m not the biggest fan of the lower frame for road cycling, mostly due to its unusual aesthetic (hey, at least you don’t have to look at it while riding), but also because it hinders peripheral vision when riding in traffic. However, the ability to remove it makes this point rather moot, and from there you’re free to enjoy the Fyre lens.

The lens is large enough to provide comfortable coverage and reliable protection on its own, and the adjustable nose bridge lets you fine-tune where the shield sits in relation to your face, both in terms of distance and height. Whether you prefer a breezy feel or a close and shielded view, the Roam Fyre can accommodate.

The arms are equally as flexible as the nose piece.

However, forgoing the lower frame does make the eyewear noticeably more flexible, to the point where I had to adjust the mouldable temple tips and nose piece to compensate. And even after snugging up the fit, it’s still somewhat loose. By comparison, Oakley Radars grip your head with more surface area, and offer a noticeably tighter, and more secure hold as a result.

While I preferred the Roam Fyre without the lower frame, it does serve a purpose. At high speeds (over 60km/h), my eyes were noticeably more shielded with the frame installed. Likewise, the added protection for the lens itself was comforting from a long-term durability perspective.

In theory, the adjustable nose pads and temple grippers should make this eyewear comfortable for the masses. However, the Roam Fyre runs somewhat narrow, and I’ve seen complaints from larger-headed users that the fit is just too tight.

The Oakley Radar EV Prizm (left) next to the Ryders Roam Fyre. The Oakley offers more surface contact with your head.

Speaking of the arms and temple grippers, the length is similar to that of Oakley Radars, which means fitment with some helmet retention systems is sometimes compromised. The tips are slimmer than those found on Radars, and so slipping them beneath, or bending them over problematic helmets is certainly easier. Regardless, users experienced with Kask helmets and Oakley sunglasses will find similar frustrations here.

Lastly, there’s the matter of price. At a retail of AU$299 / US$239, the Roam Fyre is certainly a high-end product, but it’s reasonably high on value, too. The quality and sheer number of features offered easily put this against any top-tier offering. No doubt Ryders are trying to play in a tough market, but the performance seems sufficient to justify a place at the table.

Without the lower frame, the Roam looks like many other popular cycling eyewear options.

But with the lower frame installed, the look is polarising to say the least.

The field of view is expansive without the lower frame installed.

A view from behind.

The arms are factory installed to the lens. Ryders suggest against swapping lenses yourself.

The lower frame is so well integrated that it isn’t obvious at first glance that it’s removable.

The nose piece has a malleable core that allows for lots of adjustment.

A microfibre cloth bag is provided.

Ryders ships its eyewear in what looks like a regular box. However, it’s totally reusable as a hard-shelled case…

… and also flattens for easier storage.

The post Ryders Roam Fyre eyewear review: All the lens tech in the world appeared first on CyclingTips.

Bontrager introduced its current range of Aeolus D3 carbon fiber aero road wheels back in 2011, and given the normally frenetic pace of change at this pointy end of the market, that seems like a lifetime ago. However, aerodynamic road wheel development had already grown very mature by that time, and it’s perhaps more a testament to the D3’s forward-looking design that it has still remained competitive today.

Nevertheless, Bontrager has now announced a replacement for the Aeolus D3 family, called Aeolus XXX. Naturally, Bontrager still claims that each new Aeolus XXX model is more aerodynamically efficient than similar wheels from competing brands, but speed isn’t the main story here; it’s increased crosswind stability and decreased weight. Rim-brake models also take a major step forward with a new sidewall surface treatment that Bontrager says brings carbon brake performance on-par with aluminum — even in the wet.

Shallower, but faster

Bontrager has long gravitated toward roughly 30mm, 50mm, and 70mm section depths for its Aeolus aero road rims, but the new Aeolus XXX range moves to shallower profiles across the board. The 35mm-deep Aeolus D3 3 is now transitioning to the 28mm-deep Aeolus XXX 2; the 50mm Aeolus D3 5 becomes the 47mm Aeolus XXX 4; and the 70mm Aeolus D3 7 steps down to the 60mm Aeolus XXX 6.

Yet regardless of the decreases in section depth, Bontrager hints that all of the new wheels are more aerodynamic than the ones they replace, and perhaps more importantly from a consumer perspective, competitive with — or even faster than — similar wheels from other brands. For example, the Aeolus XXX 2 is said to be faster than Zipp’s 303 NSW (which is 17mm deeper), while the Aeolus XXX 4 is nearly on-par with the Zipp 404 NSW.

No comparisons were drawn between any Aeolus XXX wheelset and Zipp’s latest 454 NSW.

Bontrager’s new Aeolus XXX rim profiles are notably less bulbous than some others on the market. Photo: Bontrager.

Either way, Bontrager says it isn’t just going for flat-out speed with its latest-generation aero road wheels (and given the maturity of the segment, it’s questionable how much is left to be gained there, anyway). While the aerodynamic claims are impressive given the decreases in section depth, it’s the associated benefits of those shallower profiles that are arguably more appealing.

Steady as she goes

Many aero wheel makers shifted years ago from all-out aerodynamic speed to improving crosswind stability, with Zipp being one of the most notable brands to pivot in that direction. Nothing improves performance in that area more than simply running a shallower wheel, however, and it’s here where Bontrager says its new wheels shine brightest. By coupling those section depth reductions with more refined shapes to maintain overall efficiency, Bontrager claims most Aeolus XXX riders can confidently “go up” a size for more speed without fear of having to leave them at home on a blustery day when they might otherwise opt for a shallower and more stable option from another brand.

Those shallower profiles obviously yield reductions in weight, too, and the specs are certainly enticing.

Bontrager claims the new Aeolus XXX 2 (background) is more aerodynamic than Zipp’s 303 NSW, but yet is also 120g lighter and more manageable in crosswinds thanks to its shallower profile. Likewise, the Aeolus XXX 6 (foreground) is said to be faster than the Zipp 404 NSW, but also lighter, wider, and more stable.

Claimed weight for the new Aeolus XXX 2 clincher is just 1,305g as compared to 1,375g for the Zipp 202 NSW, with most of that difference coming from the rim, where it matters most. Claimed weight for the bare Aeolus XXX 2 hoop is 370g — 42g lighter than the 202 NSW, and 40g lighter than Enve’s 2.2.

Official weight for the Aeolus XXX 4 is a similarly svelte 1,400g, as compared to 1,425g for the Zipp 303 NSW and 1,526g for the Enve 4.5. And again, the biggest contributor to the difference in mass is the rim, with the Aeolus XXX 4 coming in at 430g, versus 458g for the 303 NSW and 469g for the 4.5.

That weight advantage mostly levels off at the deeper end of the spectrum, however. Bontrager says the Aeolus XXX 6 tips the scales at 1,530g — just 25g lighter for the full set relative to the Zipp 404 NSW, but with a nearly identical 500g rim weight. That’s still 20g lighter per rim than the Enve 6.7, but just 24g lighter for the set.

Wider yet, still tubeless-compatible

If you’re a fan of wider internal rim widths, though, Bontrager has all of those competitors handily beat. While the previous Aeolus D3 clinchers were already generously proportioned with 19.5mm of space between the bead hooks, the new Aeolus XXX goes wider still, now measuring a full 21mm across.

Bontrager says each Aeolus XXX rim has been optimized for 25c tires, although with such a broad mounting base, the effective measurement ends up being wider than the printed numbers might otherwise suggest. Actual width of a 25c Bontrager R4 on the new Aeolus XXX clincher is 26.5mm at 80psi, which plays well aerodynamically with each rim’s 27-28mm maximum external width.

The 25c tires that Bontrager says are ideal for use with the new Aeolus XXX wheels puff up to almost 27mm when mounted on the 21mm-wide tire bed. But even with that extra width, the tire shape still seems to play nicely with the rim shape. Photo: Bontrager.

Otherwise, the usual benefits of wider tire beds still hold as true as ever, including improved casing support for more confident cornering, the ability to run lower pressures with less fear of casing squirm, and broader contact patches for improved traction. As a nice bonus, the closely-matched tire and rim widths mean that rim-brake users won’t have to bother opening up their brake calipers when it comes time for a wheel change, either.

The new normal: the current thinking behind wide road wheel design

As with the Aeolus D3, the Aeolus XXX maintains Bontrager’s commitment to tubeless compatibility, using the same system the company has championed since the mid-1990s. Unlike the paper-thin tapes preferred by much of the competition, Bontrager’s molded plastic tubeless rim strips are impressively tough and durable, and provide more exacting dimensions for better air retention, more consistent installation and removal, and confident bead security.

The plastic rim strip includes ridges along either side of the tire bed, which helps lock the tire bead in place for extra security.

On the downside, each rim strip is also about 15g heavier than the equivalent length of tubeless tape, so some of the claimed weight advantage of the Aeolus XXX wheels goes away if you decide to go tube-free. Tube-type users will still reap the full benefit, though.

Reigning it in

There’s little question at this point that the road market is shifting toward disc brakes en masse, but even though they’re becoming increasingly common, they remain vastly outnumbered by rim brakes, if for no other reason than the decades of perfectly good rim-brake bikes that are still being used. Bontrager could very well have just carried on with its existing brake surface technology to ride out the transition until discs take full hold, but instead opted to keep advancing the segment with a new sidewall treatment called Laser Control Track.

As the name suggests, Laser Control Track features a laser machining process that strips away the outer layer of resin from the brake surface. The machining also adds a finely grained texture that Bontrager says works ideally with the included SwissStop Black Prince carbon-specific pads. The process is analogous to the 3Diamant treatment on Campagnolo Bora Ultra and Fulcrum Racing carbon wheels, which uses a diamond-tipped bit to similar effect.

The new laser-machined brake track is paired with SwissStop Black Prince pads for what Bontrager claims is quieter, more controllable, and more consistent than competitors’ carbon wheels.

Braking performance in dry conditions is only marginally improved as compared to the Aeolus D3, but there’s a major boost in wet conditions, according to in-house testing — so much so that Bontrager says the Aeolus XXX wheels will perform just as well as bare machined aluminum rims.

Bontrager will, of course, offer all of the new Aeolus XXX wheels in both rim-brake and disc-brake versions, however, along with both clincher and tubular versions across the board.

The “stacked” lacing pattern on the driveside helps push the spokes further outboard as compared to a more traditional flange.

All of the new wheels are built with Sapim CX-Ray bladed stainless steel spokes with custom aluminum nipples that are externally located for easier maintenance. Rear hubs continue to use proven DT Swiss Star Ratchet internals, with upgraded 36-tooth ratchet rings for more immediate power transfer as compared to stock 18-tooth drivers when you resume pedaling after coasting. Bontrager also continues to use so-called “stacked” lacing on the rear hubs to help improve bracing angles and overall wheel rigidity, and the aluminum hub shells now have gracefully contoured profiles that look more refined and upscale than the more cylindrical ones used on the Aeolus D3 range.

Pricing and availability

In a refreshing change from the norm, prices for the new Aeolus XXX wheels hold steady with the Aeolus D3, at US$2,400 / £2,000 / €2,400 for all models, regardless of depth or brake configuration; Australian pricing is still to be confirmed. All of the new wheels should also be available for purchase immediately as well — no waiting required.

In fact, we already have production sets of Aeolus XXX 2 and Aeolus XXX 6 rim-brake wheels on hand for review. It’s too soon for us to draw final conclusions, but early impressions are highly favorable, particularly in terms of braking performance. Claimed weights are almost exactly on target, too, with just 2g of variation from official figures. Stay tuned for more.

www.bontrager.com

It’s been seven years since Bontrager introduced the current Aeolus D3 range of aero road wheels, but the new Aeolus XXX collection seems to be worth the wait.

Bontrager will offer the 28mm-deep Aeolus XXX 2, 47mm-deep Aeolus XXX 4, and 60mm-deep Aeolus XXX 6 in both clincher and tubular versions, and for use with disc brakes or rim brakes.

Whereas the profiles of several other brands of aero wheels are widest well below the brake track, Bontrager’s new Aeolus XXX profiles are more gracefully tapered from tire-side to spoke-side.

Bontrager says its new Aeolus XXX wheels are aerodynamically optimized around 25c tires.

Bontrager still manufactures its top-end wheels in Waterloo, Wisconsin – including molding the carbon rims themselves.

In fact, Bontrager claims the new Laser Control Track is so effective that it mimics the braking performance of machined aluminum rims in both dry and wet conditions.

Bontrager uses the laser machining process for the logos, too.

Claimed improvements in braking performance relative to the previous Aeolus rims are modest, but the boost in wet-weather performance is much more dramatic, at least according to Bontrager’s data. Photo: Bontrager.

Bontrager conducts extensive brake track testing, in the hopes that catastrophic heat-related failures like this only happen in the lab, not on the road.

Bontrager’s brake track testing is based on measured deceleration forces, not lever force or caliper pressure, which provides more reliable test results.

Bontrager is continuing its tradition of using proprietary molded plastic rim strips when converting to tubeless. The strips are heavier than traditional tape, but provide an outstanding and consistent seal for reliable tube-free performance.

Internal width on the clincher rims has climbed slightly, from 19.5mm on the Aeolus D3 to 21mm on the new Aeolus XXX.

Impact resistance isn’t usually a primary concern for road wheel buyers, but it’s good to know that Bontrager has addressed that aspect of performance, too. The new Aeolus XXX wheels are awfully expensive, after all.

It’s unlikely that any rider subjects their wheels to as much abuse in the real world as this test machine does in the lab.

Details matter, such as the drain holes that keep water from accumulating inside each Aeolus XXX rim.

Bontrager uses a high-low flange arrangement like on the Aeolus D3 hub, but the shape is shapelier and more refined than the D3’s more cylindrical shape.

The star-shaped flange helps with long-term durability, since the opposing spokes help keep each arm of the “star” more in compression, not tension, so it’s less likely to blow apart over time.

Rear hub internals come courtesy of DT Swiss’s long-proven Star Ratchet drive mechanism, complete with 36-tooth drive rings for a relatively quick 10° engagement speed.

Just like on the rear hub, the new front hub on the Aeolus XXX series has a more elegant profile. They’re identical functionally, but these definitely look better.

Rear rim-brake wheels use a radial/two-cross lacing pattern.

The internal-cam quick-release skewers are smooth to operate and clamp very securely.

Tubeless rim strips and valve stems are included with each Aeolus XXX wheel, along with Bontrager-branded SwissStop Black Prince carbon-specific pads.

Will Bontrager’s new Aeolus XXX range have as long a legacy as the old Aeolus D3 family? Time will tell.

The post New Bontrager Aeolus XXX aero wheels focus on stability, weight, and braking appeared first on CyclingTips.

First of all, this isn’t an April Fools joke.

Shimano is bringing mountain bike tech to the road with its new Ultegra RX rear derailleur, featuring the clutch used in most mountain bike derailleurs to prevent chain slap and dropped chains.

The new derailleur was spotted on John Degenkolb’s Paris-Roubaix bike, a Trek Domane RSL Disc. According to the team, Degenkolb will use the derailleur in the Hell of the North on Sunday. The derailleur was also on his backup bike for the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

The Ultegra RSX will be available in Di2 and mechanical versions, both with a long cage that should be able to handle anything up to a 34-tooth cog.

Clutch mechanisms are ubiquitous in mountain bike derailleurs and are a pivotal part of a functional single-chainring drivetrain, usually paired with a 1x-specific narrow-wide chainring. On a normal derailleur, the only thing preventing the pulley cage from bouncing forward is spring tension. With a clutch, the pulley cage resists forward movement but returns to its original position at a normal rate. A clutch allows the derailleur to maintain proper chain tension over rough surfaces. The result is far less chain slap and flop, and thus a decreased likelihood of dropping a chain, chainsuck, or mis-shifts.

You can watch how it works in the video above.

Degenkolb will run a traditional double chainring setup with a front derailleur, which makes the clutch somewhat superfluous from a chain retention standpoint. But the team and Shimano believe that the clutch provides an extra layer of security, as well as ensuring that shifting is unaffected by the bouncing of the cobbles. The clutch helps maintain adequate chain wrap around the cassette even over rough surfaces.

The Ultegra RX derailleur features an adjustable clutch, just like Shimano’s mountain bike derailleurs, and an on/off switch to allow for easier wheel changes.

Shimano’s first road derailleur with a clutch will be used at Paris-Roubaix.

Bringing clutch technology to the road is a natural move as the definition of drop-bar riding continues to expand. It’s already possible to run a Di2 mountain bike derailleur with Shimano road levers, but it requires one to use a single-ring drivetrain (or an XTR Di2 front derailleur, but that won’t work well with road rings). Many riders want the versatility of a double chainring setup with the reliability of a clutched derailleur — now they can get it.

In theory, a clutch does increase drivetrain resistance slightly due to increased chain tension, which is a concern for racers. We’ll be testing this hypothesis in the lab quite soon, in fact. However, Trek estimates that the benefits over rough surfaces in a race like Roubaix outweigh any possible decrease in efficiency, as such losses are likely to be less than a single watt. The more consistent chain wrap should allow riders to shift more effectively on the cobbles, and make sure that the drivetrain is always ready to handle the power of a rider like Degenkolb.

Di2 and mechanical versions of the Ultegra RX will be available.

The clutch does add load to the motor in the rear derailleur, which will decrease battery life. But Shimano’s battery life currently runs into the thousands of kilometers, so that’s not a particularly big deal.

More interesting is the possibility that we will soon see more 1x drivetrains in road racing. Currently, only the Aqua Blue team is running such a system, and it’s doing so all year long. The most likely next step is for teams to use 1x only in particular races, and the classics are a good match.

Riders already use tight front chainring setups in Paris-Roubaix, often a 54/44 or 54/42 (as Degenkolb uses). The little ring isn’t used by anyone at the front of Roubaix. So why is it there? Well, without a clutch in the rear derailleur, it offers security. If the chain drops on the inside, which is more likely than dropping to the outside when using a front derailleur, it has something to land on. Add a clutch and the chances of dropping a chain decrease dramatically. Add a narrow-wide 1x chainring, which alternates fat teeth and tall teeth, and you have a drivetrain that is very unlikely to ever drop a chain.

Again, there are some issues for racing. A 1x system increases chain bend when in the big and small cogs relative to a 2x used without crosschaining. Chain bend decreases drivetrain efficiency. That’s watts going out the window.

Probably not too many watts, though. Maybe not even one watt. So do the benefits of a clutch-enabled 1x system outweigh that drawback?

Matt Shriver, the technical coordinator for Trek-Segafredo, doesn’t think so. Not yet, anyway. While losing the front derailleur and one chainring may slightly improve aerodynamics and decrease weight, the loss of efficiency probably evens it all out. And having a front derailleur is still considered insurance in case the chain does decide to make a run for it. Generally, it’s possible to shift the chain back onto the rings while still on the move.

That means the Ultegra RX is mostly just an extra insurance policy in this particular use case — racing Roubaix. For the rest of us, it’s a great addition to a bike that will spend significant time off paved roads. It makes 1x Shimano road drivetrains possible without using a Di2 mountain bike derailleur, and makes 2x road drivetains a bit more secure.

A clutch helps prevent chainslap, chainsuck, and dropped chains.

The post Shimano debuts Ultegra RX road derailleur with a clutch appeared first on CyclingTips.

Norco has been in the bike business for over fifty years, however there are some markets that are still unfamiliar with the brand despite the extensive catalogue of offerings and wide range of appeal. But if Norco has a strength, then it surely lies with its off-road bikes.

The Search XR is Norco’s new gravel bike, the second iteration of a platform that was first unveiled for 2015. Interestingly, the company has opted to offer buyers two versions of the Search XR, one in carbon and the other in steel. In this review, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom throws a leg over each one to learn more about what they have to offer.

Norco’s history as a bike manufacturer goes back to 1964 when Bert Lewis founded Northern Cycle Industries in rural British Columbia, Canada. Four years later, the company was re-named Norco to simplify branding, and from there, its catalogue began to grow. BMX was added in 1973, followed by road bikes in 1975, and MTB in 1984.

Norco soon grew to become a well known brand within Canada, but it wasn’t until 1995 that it started tackling the international market. Now, the brand is probably best known for its full-suspension mountain bikes, however its current catalogue also caters for road and urban riders as well as women and children.

Norco’s first gravel bike, dubbed the Search, appeared in Norco’s 2015 catalogue in two guises — one carbon and the other steel — with almost identical geometry and a total of six builds. A year later, the company abandoned the steel frame in favour of new aluminium version while the Search Carbon would continue unchanged.

The Search Carbon and Search Alu are still part of Norco’s catalogue for 2018, however they have been re-classified as all-road bikes because a new gravel-specific platform, dubbed the Search XR, has been created to keep pace with this rapidly-evolving sector of the market. Like the original Search, the Search XR is available with a steel or carbon chassis, both of which have been updated to provide more tyre clearance and accommodate dual wheel sizes. A suite of fittings (for fenders, racks, a third bottle cage, and even a dropper post) has also been added to further expand the capabilities of each chassis.

The Search XR chassis is available in steel (left) or carbon fibre (right) with 1x or 2x transmissions.

Making room for bigger tyres and accommodating dual wheel sizes

When Norco set out to create the Search XR, one of the primary goals was to add more tyre clearance. 700 x 40c tyres could be squeezed into the original Search, but there wasn’t any room for mud, stones, or fenders. In contrast, the Search XR is able to accommodate 700 x 45c tyres without fenders, or 700 x 42c tyres with fenders.

That’s not the absolute limit, though, since the Search XR can also be fitted with 650b/27.5 inch wheels, which have a smaller diameter so that even wider (and taller) tyres can be used. In this way, tyres as large as 27.5 x 2.1 inches can be installed on the Search XR.

Making room for larger tyres is not a simple matter. A new carbon fork with a longer axle-to-crown length was created for the Search XR, which in turn, demanded a change to the geometry of the front end in order to accommodate the taller fork. As for the rear end, the right chainstay had to be re-worked. For the steel chassis, a semi-yoke was created using a blade of metal while the stay was lowered on the carbon frame. In both instances, Norco’s engineers managed to increase the amount of tyre clearance and reduce the rear centre of the Search XR by 2.5-5mm (relative to the original Search) at the same time.

While Norco was re-visiting the geometry of the Search, the two smallest frame sizes (45.5 and 48cm) were re-designed to only accommodate smaller 650b/27.5inch wheels. This kind of wheel-scaling allowed Norco’s engineers to preserve the steering and handling of the larger frame sizes while avoiding toe overlap issues. Tyre clearance was also maintained along with the option to run a smaller wheel size (26inch) with wider MTB tyres.

The Search XR Steel: an affordable yet robust gravel bike

The Search XR Steel frame is constructed from Reynolds 725, a heat-treated and butted chrome-moly tubeset. 725 is not as light or sophisticated as the company’s premium offerings, such as 853 and 953, but it is a still considered a high-quality offering in terms of strength and durability that is well suited to TIG-welding.

The front end of the frame has a 44mm-diameter head tube for accommodating a tapered fork steerer with a 1.5-inch lower headset bearing. A threadless BB86 shell serves the bottom bracket while the seat tube accepts a 27.2mm-diameter seatpost. There is a flat mount for the rear disc calliper, a 12 x 142mm thru-axle, and mounts for three bottle cages, a rear rack, and fender.

All cables are externally routed on the frame, which will please any mechanic when it comes time to replace them. The rear derailleur cable is housed for the entire length from the shifter so as to reduce the risk of contamination from mud and grit. A cable boss is provided on the down tube for a front shifter, if required, that routes the exposed inner wire under the bottom bracket for a down-pull front derailleur.

The Search XR Steel frame is partnered with an all-carbon fork. Like the frame, it has a flat mount for the front disc calliper and a 12mm thru-axle. The front brake hose is routed externally and there is a pair of fittings on each fork blade for bottle cages or racks along with fittings for a fender.

The Search XR Steel is offered in seven frame sizes, as detailed in the table below:

The Search XR Steel has a generous stack, due in part to the extra fork length required to accommodate 700 x 45c tyres. At face value, the head tube length looks relatively short but the lower external headset cup adds another 10mm to the effective length of the head tube.

As mentioned above, the two smallest frame sizes are designed around 650b wheels instead of 700c wheels, and therefore, make use of a shorter fork (380mm versus 395mm), higher bottom bracket (57mm versus 70-75mm) and shorter chainstays (420mm versus 430-432.5mm). In contrast, the fork rake is 49mm for every frame size.

Norco offers two builds for the Search XR Steel: a 1x build with SRAM’s Rival groupset or a 2x build with Shimano’s 105 groupset. Australia’s Norco distributor, Advance Traders, was able to supply the former for this review, which featured Rival shifters, callipers, and long-cage rear derailleur paired with a 10-42T cassette.

The rest of the components were as follows: Praxis Zayante crankset with a 40T chainring; Easton EA70 AX alloy handlebars; Norco-branded alloy stem and seatpost; Norco-branded saddle; unbranded hubs to suit six-bolt rotors; WTB tubeless-compatible STS i23 alloy rims; and Clement X’Plor MSO tubeless tyres. The latter is fitted with tubes from the factory, but the rims are taped and tubeless valves are included with the bike, so all that is needed for converting to tubeless is some sealant.

The 53cm sample sent for review weighed 10.24kg (22.58lb) without bottles and cages, a fairly hefty result, but one that is in keeping with the modest steel frame. The simple gloss tan paint that is used to finish the frame works well with all of the black components and subdued branding to produce a bike that is easy to look at.

As for the price, the recommended retail price for the Search XR Steel is AUD$2,999 / US$2,599 / €2,699. Buyers also have the option of purchasing the frameset in some markets, which sells for AUD$1,199 / US$899 / €899. In both cases, the frameset is covered by a five-year warranty. For more information on the Search XR Steel Rival, visit Norco Bikes.

The Easton EA70 AX bars have a pronounced 16° flare for the drops.

The EA70 AX is a compact handlebar with a modest amount of reach and drop.

The Search XR Steel frame can accommodate tyres as large as 700 x 40c and 27.5 x 2.1 inches.

The Search XR Carbon: a premium gravel bike

Compared to the Search XR Steel, the carbon frame is a more sophisticated offering, starting with tube profiles that grow with the size of the frame so as to provide extra stiffness for bigger riders. It’s an appealing strategy that capitalises on the strengths of composite construction and allows Norco to deliver a consistent ride quality over the entire range of frame sizes on offer.

Another strength of composites is that specific regions of the frame can be fortified for extra stiffness, while in other places, it can be rendered more compliant. Thus, the head tube, down tube, bottom bracket, and chainstays of the Search XR Carbon are relatively stiff compared to the softer seatstays. Moreover, Norco went to the trouble of removing the “brake” bridge so as to encourage flexion of the seatstays.

Norco does not detail any of the materials that are used to construct the Search XR Carbon, however the company does highlight the importance of its “Armourlite” resin. According to Norco, this resin not only provides high strength; it also improves the impact resistance of the frame, which is why it is used for many of the company’s composite offerings, including downhill race bikes.

One of Norco’s builds for the Search XR Carbon makes use of Shimano’s latest Ultegra R8000 groupset.

The carbon frame shares many of the same specifications as the Search XR Steel, including an oversized head tube, tapered fork steerer, BB86 bottom bracket, 12mm thru-axles, and a 27.2mm-diameter seatpost. The Search XR Carbon also features the same range of fittings as the steel frame for front and rear fenders, rear rack, a trio of bottle cages for the frame, and another pair of cages/racks for the fork legs. Most of these fittings are incorporated into the frame, evading the eye to some extent. However, a plastic seatstay yoke must be attached to the frame when fitting a rear fender.

The Search XR Carbon uses the same all-carbon fork as the Search XR Steel, hence the external path for the front brake hose. In contrast, all of the other cables and hoses are routed internally through the carbon frame with an extra port for a dropper seatpost. Hiding all the cables tidies up the appearance of the frame, but it will require more time when it comes time to replace any of the cables.

The geometry for the Search XR Carbon frame is virtually identical to the steel version, as shown in the table below:

The head tube of the Search XR Carbon is taller on paper, but only because it includes an integrated headset. There are some minor differences in the stack and reach for some frame sizes, but they are no greater than 3mm. The only major point of departure concerns the rear end of the Search XR Carbon, which is 7.5mm shorter than the Search XR Steel at every frame size.

The right chainstay of the Search XR Carbon chassis makes it easier to provide plenty of clearance for big tyres as well as a 2x crankset.

Norco has created a three builds for the Search XR Carbon using SRAM 1x and Shimano 2x groupsets. The Search XR Carbon Ultegra sits in the middle of the range and features the new R8000 mechanical groupset with hydraulic disc brakes, mid-cage rear derailleur, and 11-34T cassette. Praxis supplies its Zayante crankset with sub-compact (48/32T) chainrings; the chain comes from KMC; Easton supplies its EA70 AX alloy bars; the alloy stem, carbon post, and saddle are Norco-branded; and Clement supplies its Ushuaia tubeless-ready wheelset and X’Plor MSO tubeless tyres. The tyres are shipped with tubes, but as on the Search XR Steel, can be converted to tubeless by fitting the tubeless valves that are included with the bike and adding some sealant.

The 53cm sample supplied for review by Australia’s Norco distributor, Advance Traders, weighed 8.86kg (19.53lb) without bottles and cages. That makes for a saving of 1.38kg (3.04lb) compared to the Search XR Steel Rival, but it does come at a price: the Search XR Carbon has a recommended retail price of AUD$4,499 / US$3,799 / €4,199.

Like the Search XR Steel, the Search XR Carbon frameset is covered by a five-year warranty. For more information on the Search XR Carbon, visit Norco Bikes.

The fork offers plenty of clearance for the 40c Clement X’Plor MSO tyre.

After the ride: Search XR Steel Rival

On paper, the Search XR Steel Rival really appealed to me as a solid bike that could be used to attack all sorts of unpaved terrain with ease, where the only thing I had to worry about was chipping the paint. That the bike was equipped with a 1x transmission only added to its promise, since I’ve always enjoyed the level of simplicity that comes with piloting a bike fitted with a single gear lever.

In general terms, the bike lived up to these expectations, and in some regards, it exceeded them, so that by the end of the review, I was thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the Search XR Steel Rival. That the asking price for the bike is a relatively paltry sum simply strengthened the overall appeal of the bike.

From the outset, it is worth noting that I treated the Search XR Steel as a “dirt” bike. I tackled unpaved terrain on every outing and paid more attention to the performance of the bike in this realm than elsewhere. That doesn’t mean that I ignored the road, but when a bike weighs over 10kg and comes equipped with wide knobby-like tyres, it is never going to shine on tarmac.

The weight of the bike was immediately noticeable, so it was a little cumbersome when I tried to ride it aggressively, on- or off-road. The bike hesitated when coming out of corners and it was slow to pick up speed; however, if I stayed in the saddle and dosed my efforts, working with the momentum of the bike whenever possible, the extra weight never really felt like a liability.

The Search XR Steel chassis keeps things clean and simple with external cable routing. Some may baulk at the threadless BB86 shell but it makes it easier to provide plenty of clearance for the rear tyre.

Indeed, as I spent more time of the bike, I lost all sense of that weight, and instead, I started to really appreciate the sturdy and robust nature of the bike. That the trails were dry and dusty for the duration of the review period also meant that I found myself spending most of my time in the saddle so as to preserve the traction of the rear wheel.

The steering and handling of the Search XR Steel was well suited to riding on unpaved surfaces. The steering was a little slow, which mellowed out the front end of the bike, so that it was highly predictable, even when sledding through sand. The only time I was ever caught by surprise was when I was running higher tyre pressures that reduced the grip of the tyres.

The slow steering also helped the stability of the bike when I was bombing down rocky and dusty descents, so once I found my line, it didn’t have any trouble sticking to it. There was still an amount of responsiveness in the steering, though, so I could make minor corrections to find a more aggressive line through a corner when racing with a buddy.

Those steering and handling traits translated reasonably well to the road. Yes, the bike lacked agility through tight bends, but it was almost futile trying to push the bike that hard. I was more inclined to cruise through the streets and save my energy for the gravel.

Norco’s operating instructions for the Search XR Steel Rival are pretty easy to grasp.

The combination of a 40T chainring and 10-42T cassette was ideal for the terrain that I was riding. I was able to spin my way up some nasty 15% grades (while seated) without too much effort, and at the end of a long rocky ride, it made lesser grades much easier to contend with. With that said, I completed all of my rides with no more than two bidons loaded on the bike.

For those eyeing the Search XR Steel Rival for bikepacking, this gearing may not be low enough when the bike is carrying an extra 20kg. The 40T chainring can always be swapped out for something smaller, but even with the clever step-down spider arms that Praxis uses, the Zayante crankset’s 110mm bolt-circle diameter still limits the minimum chainring size to 32T. For those riders hoping to use a smaller chainring, a change in cranks will be required.

The steel frame possessed a smooth and silent ride quality that was easy to appreciate on paved roads, but it didn’t count for much on rougher terrain. Under those conditions, tyre pressure proved to be far more important. One early ride with 40psi in the tyres, which was a fine choice for the road, left me feeling battered and saddle-sore after a couple of hours on rocky trails. Dropping the tyre pressure to 25-30psi immediately improved my comfort, but it came at the expense of on-road performance.

Clement’s X’Plor MSO tyres have a stiff, robust casing that wasn’t supple enough to serve double-duty on paved and unpaved surfaces. At 40psi, the tyres rolled well on the road, but they were noticeably firm and slippery in the dirt; at 25-30psi, performance in the dirt was much improved, however they were too soft for the road, especially up front when I was diving into sharp bends.

While the tyres seemed to undermine the “do-it-all” capabilities of the bike to some extent, they were sturdier and more robust than a more versatile gravel tyre like Schwalbe’s tubeless G-One. I found I could ignore the risk of cutting a sidewall on rocky trails, and as a result, I enjoyed more confidence when tackling rugged terrain.

The X’Plor MSO tyres are a reasonable all-rounder but they are better suited to rugged gravel rather than smooth bitumen.

There was a limit to the amount of comfort that the Search XR Steel had to offer when the rocks and ruts were at their worst. This was the kind of terrain where a proper mountain bike shines and full-suspension is arguably a pre-requisite for maintaining speed and control without the body suffering. Nevertheless, I was able to stay on the bike and maintain some momentum despite the barrage of shock and vibration.

In the aftermath, I started thinking about a second wheelset, 650b with 2.1inch tyres. This is the kind of setup that proved to be very effective when I was reviewing 3T’s Exploro. Those big knobby tyres were slow on the road but they were able to gobble up rocks and ruts with ease, so I’m sure they would expand the off-road capabilities of the Search XR Steel, but I didn’t have anything on hand to test this notion.

A second wheelset may seem like an indulgent luxury, but I wouldn’t have much trouble justifying it. Those wheels could be kept in the shed for more adventurous riding while the 700c X’Plor MSO tyres could be swapped out for something more supple and versatile to improve the on-road performance of the bike without surrendering the capacity to explore groomed trails.

All of the components fitted to the Search XR Steel Rival worked well during the review period. The wheels were perhaps the weakest part of the package. Out of the box, the spokes started pinging as I rolled down my street for the first time, a sure sign of inadequate stress-relieving that is common for mass-produced wheels. That pinging indicates sudden changes in spoke tension, and sure enough, the rims were quick to come out of true. It was only a matter of a few millimetres, so it didn’t take much work to true the wheels after the first week of riding.

After the ride: Search XR Carbon Ultegra

Coming to the Search XR Carbon after spending time on the Search XR Steel Rival was a bit like swapping a classic Land Rover Defender for a modern Range Rover with all of the options, at least on paper. The chassis was lighter, sleeker, and more sophisticated; the cockpit was filled with more controls; and the transmission provided more gear ratios. All that really seemed to be missing was cup-holders.

The Search XR Carbon Ultegra may have possessed the sophistication of a dedicated road bike, but the wide, knobby-like tyres made it clear that Norco’s design team intended for the bike to be used off-road, just like the Search XR Steel Rival.

The 1.38kg weight savings were obvious on the road. In and out of corners, the Search XR Carbon was more agile than the Search XR Steel, and it was more responsive to my efforts. On unpaved roads and trails, though, my sense of this deteriorated with the quality of the terrain, and by the end of the review period, I was convinced that it really didn’t count for much in this setting.

The Search XR Carbon offered a smooth ride but it wasn’t as quiet as the Search XR Steel, since the frame amplified all sorts of minor noises from the road and trail to produce a low rumble. And while composites have a strong reputation for providing a stiff-but-compliant ride, back-to-back testing failed to reveal any appreciable difference between the two bikes. Both were equally effective at contending with the shock and buzz from paved and unpaved surfaces but ultimately, the amount of comfort really depended on tyre pressure.

As discussed above for the Search XR Steel, 40psi worked well on paved surfaces but it rendered the tyres too firm and slippery for dusty trails. Dropping the pressure to 25-30psi improved grip and comfort off-road at the expense of on-road speed, making for an uneasy compromise. With an enthusiasm to ride more trails, I opted for softer tyres and limited the amount of time I spent on paved surfaces.

There came a point, though, when the trails were truly rocky and rutted, that the Search XR Carbon would be overwhelmed by shock and vibration, just like the Search XR Steel. Once again, I started wishing for bigger tyres, but the take-home message was clear: the Search XR Carbon is not a mountain bike.

The Search XR Carbon Ultegra exhibited all of the same steering and handling traits as the Search XR Steel Rival, which was unsurprising, since the geometry of the two bikes was nearly identical. Stable and predictable, confident and assured, it was easy to take the bike for granted, even when the terrain was demanding.

In comparing the behaviour of the two bikes over the same terrain, the only point of difference emerged when I was grinding up steep (10-15%) gradients in the saddle. The front end of the Search XR Carbon had a habit of lifting up with each downstroke of the pedals while the Search XR Steel remained planted. I suspect the shorter rear end for the carbon frame was responsible for this effect but it’s possible that the lighter weight of the bike also had a role to play.

Making the transition from the simplicity of the 1x transmission on the Search XR Steel Rival to the 2x transmission on the Search XR Carbon Ultegra required a bit of mental re-programming. At first, using and trimming the front derailleur seemed like an annoying chore, however that soon passed. The generous range of gear ratios afforded by the 11-34T cassette allowed me to make use of the big chainring for the majority of any ride while the small ring was reserved for long or steep climbs.

Compared to the 1x transmission on the Search XR Steel Rival (40T x 10-42), the combination of a sub-compact (48/32T) crankset and 11-34T cassette provided a marginally smaller gear at the low end of the range and an extra gear ratio at the high end of the range, with several more steps in between. All served me well, so I was never left wanting, which leaves me wondering if bikepackers may end up wishing for lower gear ratios to contend with a fully loaded bike.

Unfortunately, they won’t be able to fit smaller chainrings without changing to a new crank. It should, however, be easy to fit a 36T sprocket — which is just outside Shimano’s recommendations for the Ultegra GS rear derailleur — although that won’t make a big difference to the gearing of the bike. Going to a 40/42T sprocket is an option but some kind of adapter (such as Wolf Tooth’s new RoadLink DM) will be required to increase the capacity of the rear derailleur.

That isn’t to say that the bike is poorly geared for bikepacking, especially if buyers are planning on sticking to mildly undulating routes on paved roads. For those heading off-road, the suitability of the gearing will ultimately depend upon the strength of the rider, the extent of climbing, and the amount of luggage that will be loaded onto the bike.

All of the components worked well during the course of the review period. I had no trouble with pinging spokes from the Ushuaia wheelset, plus, the freehub provided a very satisfying buzz whenever I was coasting on the bike. The short tight curve of the outer housing for the rear derailleur interfered with the barrel adjuster, making it very difficult to adjust. I had to resort to creating some cable slack to release the housing from the adjuster before it would turn freely, making on-the-fly adjustments much more difficult. Fortunately, this was only an issue during the first few rides as the cable was bedding in; after that, there was no need to fiddle with the adjuster.

Summary and final thoughts

Norco has done a fantastic job with the Search XR. The bike is a very capable gravel bike that offer buyers plenty of options, not the least of which is the choice of two frame materials. In some settings, the choice of frame materials can influence the ride quality and performance of the bike, but in this instance, it has a far greater impact on the cost of the bike.

With that said, in retrospect, I found that the Search XR Carbon Ultegra was marginally more pleasant to ride. There are many potential explanations for this, starting with the fact that it was lighter than the Search XR Steel Rival and offered more gear ratios. A four-hour gravel ride over rugged terrain still left me feeling weary and bone-sore in places, so it’s fair say that the difference was largely a matter of nuance.

Thus, I found myself coming back to the Search XR Steel Rival on the strength of the value it had to offer. In this guise, adding a second set of wheels (650b) is more feasible, though I’d welcome a build that offered the smaller wheels with wider tyres as a standard option. Such an option exists for the carbon chassis in the form of the Search XR Carbon Force 1, though it’s not available in some markets, including Australia.

Is the Search XR one bike that can replace many? For some, it might be, provided that they don’t have high expectations for the road-going performance of the bike. The Search XR is not as swift as an all-road bike like Cannondale’s new Synapse, Canyon’s Endurace CF SLX, Specialized Roubaix or Trek Domane, but it has a greater scope for rugged adventure than any of those bikes. Instead, I see it as a very attractive alternative to 3T’s pricey Exploro with the kind of the features and fittings that defines a great gravel bike.

The post Norco 2018 Search XR gravel bike review: carbon versus steel appeared first on CyclingTips.

Supported by

What a race! This year’s edition of the Tour of Flanders was as good as ever, with Quick-Step dominating as they have for pretty much the rest of the season so far, Sagan being marked out of the final contention, and Mads Pedersen showing his future potential in only his first elite version of the event.

As always, though, the Tour of Flanders isn’t just about what happened in terms of the race results. Although much of the real cobble-busting kit is saved for Paris-Roubaix, there was still plenty of interesting tech on hand here as well, and we’ve mixed up our coverage a bit this year with videos instead of the usual galleries. This way, you not only get to see the gear the guys used on Sunday, but also get a feel for the personalities and atmosphere around the race.

John Degenkolb’s Custom Madone

Earlier in the week, we were invited to hang out with the Trek-Segafredo team for two days at their hotel – the same one the riders, mechanics, and the rest of the staff occupy on the outskirts of Brugge year after year. There, in the carpark that serves as a temporary mobile service course, we took a look at the custom painted Trek Madone used by joint team leader John Degenkolb.

Degenkolb’s “Chasin’ Aces” paint scheme was inspired by his hunt for a third monument to add to his Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix wins. He will be using the same bike throughout the rest of the season, but there were a few changes for Flanders. He normally uses the standard Madone integrated one-piece cockpit with a 130mm effective stem length, but switched to Bontrager’s softer-ride IsoCore carbon bar and separate 140mm-long stem here. He also swapped crank length, preferring a 170mm setup over his usual 172.5mm one. The new Aeolus XXX 6 wheelset also had custom graphics to match the frame.

One ‘Mads’ Salesman

We also had a quick chat with current Danish national road champion Mads Pedersen, who went on to take a stunning second place in the race. He did his best at trying to sell us his team-issued Trek Madone, a bike he says he’ll use throughout the season, save for Paris-Roubaix, where he’ll use a Domane RSL. In his own unique style, Mads told us why he always chooses the Madone, and also reveals what colour is the fastest. He’ll be a true salesman in the future if he decides to go down that path after his racing days.

How many tubulars do you need for a cobbled classic?

The cobbled classics are all about the tyres – lots and lots of them, in fact. We spoke with Trek’s team mechanic, who gave us a quick rundown of how many tubular wheels the team need for the race, and how many weeks before the big day he and the rest of the mechanics have to start gluing them.

Sagan goes gold

Over at the Bora-Hansgrohe press conference, team bike sponsor Specialized announced a new range – the Sagan collection – and the main man himself was there to show off what the California powerhouse will be offering up. The line takes inspiration from Sagan’s love for American muscle cars, and we found out that CyclingTips may very well have had a small part in igniting that inspiration.

The range includes S-Works Tarmac SL6 bikes in rim-brake and disc-brake versions, an S-Works Roubaix endurance bike, and a more financially accessible Roubaix Comp model – all exclusively offered in a bold gold-and-black paint scheme. For those that like a bit of gravel grinding, there will also be a Diverge frameset in the collection, too, in a slightly more tame glittery black and grey. If you really want to stand out, there are even S-Works 7 shoes and the all-new Evade II helmet to match the bikes. It’s all very bling and all very Sagan.

Sagan started the race on a rim-brake version of the Tarmac SL6, which was a better match for the neutral service support on the day than the disc-brake version, and also simplified things with the team since the mechanics only had to carry one type of wheelset. Despite some black tape hiding the logos, it was clear that Sagan preferred a Zipp SL Sprint stem over what the team usually use, too.

The bikes that survived Flanders

Usually, we publish the bikes when they’re clean and fresh for action, grabbing shots on the start line of the race. This year, though, we grabbed them after the rain-sodden edition. Check out the video to see what survived and what didn’t.

Shimano Ultegra RX rear derailleur

Lastly, if you’ve not already seen the article that was published on Sunday, here’s another chance to check out the all-new Ultegra RX Di2 rear mech. This was tested by several of the Trek-Segafredo team in the build-up to the race on their Roubaix battling bikes, the Domane SLR. It brings mountain bike tech to the road by incorporating a one-way clutch on the pulley cage, preventing chain slap and dropped chains – perfect for the cobbles of Flanders and Roubaix.

The post Tour of Flanders tech: Pedersen sells his Madone & bikes that survived De Ronde appeared first on CyclingTips.

Just like clockwork, Shimano has announced an overhaul of the workhorse 105 groupset. The consistent trickle-down routine continues, and 105 will more closely match Dura-Ace R9100 and Ultegra R8000 in both appearance and features. With both rim- and disc-brake options, wider gearing, and a choice of black or silver finishes, the new 11-speed Shimano 105 R7000 groupset is a major upgrade to the 5800 it will replace.

Additionally, the Shimano Ultegra RX clutch-equipped derailleur spotted at the Tour of Flanders is now official. Shimano 105 R7000 and the Ultegra RX rear derailleurs won’t be out until at least June, but with (limited) information released overnight, here’s what to know.

Shimano 105 R7000

Moving to a similar aesthetic as the upper-tier Ultegra R8000 and Dura-Ace R9100 groupsets, the new 105 R7000 looks set to safely continue Shimano’s market dominance within the mid-level price range. Like previous generations of 105, R7000 sees aesthetics, ergonomics, and general design trickle down, albeit with use of heavier materials, less aggressive machining, and some subtle finer details removed.

Those hoping to see Shimano’s Di2 electronic shifting offered at a lower price point will need to continue waiting for what’s likely another product lifecycle (approximately three years). Shimano is sticking exclusively to 11-speed mechanical shifting with 105 for now.

But while Ultegra and Dura-Ace are only offered in dark anodised finishes, Shimano will offer 105 in a choice of dual-tone black or silver. As has been the case with Campagnolo’s Potenza groupset, the silver colourway may prove popular for those looking to build a more classically styled bike.

Some technical details are still lacking, such as specific component weights. However, signs are that the new R7000 (at least in rim-brake form) is marginally lighter than 105 5800.

Hydraulic disc and mechanical rim brake options

It wasn’t long ago that Shimano offered hydraulic road disc brakes as “non-series” components that didn’t technically belong to any one groupset. But just like Ultegra and Dura-Ace, 105 now has an official disc brake option. The new R7070 flat-mount hydraulic disc brake calipers look sleek and tidy, and while the weight likely isn’t that different from Ultegra or Dura-Ace, there’s one key difference for riders concerned about heat-related brake fade. Shimano’s heat dissipating Ice Tech finned brake pads are compatible, but not included as stock equipment; instead, conventional non-finned pads are featured stock. Likewise, the RT70 CenterLock rotor uses the same three-layer, aluminium-core construction as Shimano’s upper-end rotors, but without the extended fins of upper-end models. Nevertheless, a 140mm-diameter version will join the existing 160mm size.

These disc calipers match up with a new dual control lever (ST-R7020), which matches closely the design of Ultegra R8020 levers, and also offers a greater range of reach adjustment to suit different hand sizes.

Rim brake options continue, with new R7000 dual-pivot brake calipers in both center-mount and direct-mount variants, both featuring a more streamlined aesthetic and tidier quick release lever. The mechanical brake shift levers (R7000) receive a similar tweak to ergonomics, also now matching the more compact Ultegra and Dura-Ace.

Where it’s hard to tell the difference between the rim brake and hydraulic disc brake levers of Ultegra and Dura-Ace, there is clearer difference in the ergonomics of the 105 options (mechanical R7000 shifter left, hydraulic R7020 shifter right).

Shimano state that regardless of braking format, the shift internals have been redesigned to offer faster and lighter shifts, with a shorter stroke compared to 105 5800. Looking at the images, it appears the downshift levers have been reshaped and enlarged, too.

A shift and brake lever for smaller handed riders

The new small-handed R7025 hydraulic disc shifter (right) next to the regular R7020 hydraulic shifter (left).

If reach adjustment wasn’t enough, taking things even further is a new version of the Dual Control levers specifically designed for riders with smaller hands. This R7025 model, also designed for use with disc brakes, will offer a lever position that’s angled more closely to the bar, while taking a more outboard position to ensure better clearance with the handlebar drop during operation. We expect this new lever design will feature prominently on smaller bike sizes, as well as women-specific models. Hopefully this is a feature that will eventually trickle up to Ultegra and Dura-Ace, too – women with smaller hands deserve high-end options as well, after all.

Updated derailleurs and larger cassette options

The new derailleur gets a similar Shadow design to that found on Ultegra, Dura-Ace, and Shimano’s mountain bike ranges. This low-profile design tucks the derailleur in and under the cassette, offering a cleaner aesthetic and reducing the risk of damage during a crash.

Shimano will offer the R7000 rear derailleur in both short-cage (SS) and medium-cage (GS) variants. The longer pulley cage on the GS model allows the use of larger 11-32T and 11-34T gear ranges, the latter being something Shimano will offer with its new HG-700-11 cassette. Much like the Ultegra HG800 cassette (an item we just reviewed), this cassette is compatible with both 10 and 11-speed freehub bodies.

In addition to the adventure-sized 11-34T cassette, Shimano will add an 11-30T cassette option (CS-R7000) to the existing sizes. The 11-30T cassette is compatible with both short- and long-cage rear derailleurs.

The front derailleur moves to Shimano’s compact toggle pivot design, offering improved tyre clearance and an integrated cable tension adjustment (using a 2mm hex key). Having used this derailleur in both Dura-Ace R9100 and Ultegra R8000, it’s a small but much-welcomed update.

A lighter crankset

Dropping 30g from the 5800 version, the new crankset moves to a similar asymmetric four-arm design seen with Ultegra and Dura-Ace. Shimano will add a mid-compact 52/36T option to join the existing 50/34T and 53/39T sizes, all of which share the same bolt circle diameter for easy size swapping.

The inner chainring has been moved slightly inboard to reduce the incidence of rub and missed shifts, as well as to improve tyre clearance on disc-brake bikes. The crankset’s Q-factor (the width between the outer surfaces of the crankarms) remains the same 146mm number as seen with R8000 and R9100 cranksets, and Shimano will continue to offer the crank in a single 24mm-diameter spindle option.

New 105 SPD-SL pedals

The new groupset also brings with it an updated 105 pedal. Similar to what was done with the Dura-Ace R9100 pedals, and then again on the R8000 pedals, the metal wear plate is now split. But unlike its more expensive siblings, whose wear plates are moulded directly into the composite bodies (and thus are non-replaceable), the 105’s plates appear to be bolted in place. This, along with further material relieving, provides a marginally reduced stack height and a 20g reduction in weight while retaining the existing carbon body material. Claimed weight on new 105 R7000 pedals is 265g per pair, without cleats.

Beyond weight, the more expensive Ultegra and Dura-Ace options still offer a few subtle bonuses, including increased ground clearance for pedaling through turns. The new R7000 pedal is quoted at 31 degrees, versus Ultegra’s 33 degrees and Dura-Ace’s 35 degrees.

Shimano Ultegra RX Rear Derailleur

Mechanical RX800 version on the left, with the electronic RX805 Di2 on the right.

As was spotted on John Degenkolb’s bike at the Tour of Flanders, the new Shimano Ultegra RX clutch-equipped rear derailleur is an item aimed at the gravel, cyclocross, and adventure crowd where the rough terrain is more likely to derail the chain. The clutch is a carry-over technology from Shimano’s mountain bike product line, and offers a firm hold on the lower derailleur pulley cage to reduce chain chatter and excessive movement. The clutch tension is adjustable, and incorporates an on/off switch for easier wheel removal.

The new derailleurs, offered in both mechanical (RX800) and Di2 variants (RX805), will only be available with longer pulley cages for use with Shimano’s larger road cassettes ranging from 28-34T. Both the mechanical and electronic versions will be compatible with current respective generations of Shimano 105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace shifters.

While Shimano intends these derailleurs to be used with a double-chainring setup, they do open up possibilities for 1x single-chainring setups. We’ve heard of users successfully using the non-clutch R8000 GS derailleurs with 11-40T cassettes, and it seems likely that a similar setup can be created here, but with the bonus of improved chain retention.

The RX800 mechanical version of the derailleur is quoted at 248g, 41g more than the regular Ultegra R8000 GS derailleur. It’s expected a similar 40g weight penalty will apply to the RX805 Di2 version.

To learn more about this new Ultegra RX clutch rear derailleur, including photos of it in the flesh, see our full story.

Shimano WH-RS370-TL wheels announced

Expected to be available at the same time as the groupset, Shimano has a new mid-range 700c adventure wheelset for use on disc-brake bikes. The welded aluminium rims are 19mm-wide (internal width) and tubeless-compatible. Shimano sticks with its proven cup-and-cone bearing design for the hubs, with the rear using both a steel axle and steel freehub body. Joining the rims and hubs together are 24 stainless steel spokes front and rear. The wheels will be available only for use with 100x12mm front and 142x12mm rear thru-axles. Claimed weight is a portly 1,980g for the pair.

For those looking to build their own wheels, Shimano will be updating its 105 hub range, too, including 12mm Centerlock thru-axle options. While heavy, Shimano 105 hubs are historically extremely popular with wheel builders looking for a reliable and impressively low-cost hub to base a wheel build on.

Global prices for all products mentioned are to be confirmed. Expect components to become available beginning in mid-June.

The post Shimano 105 R7000 groupset announced: What to know appeared first on CyclingTips.

When Giant unveiled its long-awaited update on the Propel aero road bike, the curtain was raised with astonishment – but not because of the aggressive use of truncated aero shapes, staggered rim depths, or the clean-looking proprietary cockpit. Rather, it was because the race-focused machine was revealed with disc brakes and no alternative. Giant was putting all of its cards on the table.

It’s been several months since tech writer Dave Rome first test-rode the new Propel Advanced SL Disc at the launch in France. Stock has been slow to hit bike shop floors since then, but Rome nevertheless got his hands on a lower-level version of the bike and put some rubber down on his local Sydney roads.

It’s aero

We already covered how this bike came to be during our initial launch coverage of the Propel Advanced SL Disc, along with first ride impressions of Giant’s flagship aero road racer.. But as a refresher, Giant concluded during prototype testing at Aero Concept Engineering (ACE) in France that a disc-brake bike could not only compete aerodynamically with a rim-brake bike, but could actually be faster.

According to Giant, and with the help of a moving mannequin for more realistic testing, removing the clutter of rim brakes from the fork crown more than offsets the extra drag that comes from the additional hardware down by the hubs. No specific data has been shared, but Giant claim the new Propel at least “meets its direct competitors” in the wind tunnel. Compared to the previous Propel, the new disc version is claimed to save an average of 15 watts at 38.6 km/h (24 mph) when pedaling at 85rpm.

Giant Propel Disc 2018 first-ride review

Giant pushed aerodynamic UCI limits on the old Propel with long teardrop-like tube profiles, but those skinny cross-sections didn’t exactly make it the stiffest bike on the circuit. The new profiles are still deep and narrow this time around, but now have truncated tails like many other aero bikes, such as the Trek Madone. Switching to a truncated design effectively made all of the tubes wider and stiffer without increasing drag, and along with a new material lay-up schedule, Giant say the new bike is approximately 36% stiffer torsionally, and is now much better suited to strong sprinters fighting for the line.

The flat-backed down tube and seat tube are vastly different to the original Propel.

Further aero tricks include a horizontal top tube that tapers toward the slim seat tube, sleekly profiled dropouts at the bottom of a bowlegged fork, and a rear wheel cut-out wide enough to shield a 28c tyre. But according to the Taiwanese mega manufacturer, a key part of the wind tunnel time was spent looking at the bike as a complete system, rather than just the frameset.

The new cockpit was a big part of the aerodynamic puzzle, and like many in the industry, Giant realised big gains by cleaning up a key frontal component. Where many others have gone with one-piece handlebar and stem combos, Giant designed a two-piece aero system which allows for simpler size customising and servicing. The deep-drop bar pushes the UCI’s 3:1 aspect ratio rule to the limit, and the stem has a rounded nose up front. A separate bolt-on cover (which Giant state is UCI approved) hides brake hoses and gear wires (or cables) internally, shielding them all the way down the back of the fork steerer into the frame.

The Propel Advanced Disc offers a clean front end.

Lastly, the wheels were another point of focus. Giant found that deeper rims are faster to a point, but they also hold obvious compromises in real-world conditions when instability in crosswinds can effectively make them slower. To overcome this, Giant sacrificed some aerodynamic performance in favor of a staggered rim setup that uses a shallower 42mm-deep front wheel with the 65mm rear wheel. The mullet setup of wheels is far from conventional for an out-of-the-box bike, but it proves that Giant is willing to compromise wind tunnel numbers in order to create a bike that handles more like a bike should.

The Advanced Pro Disc

Giant produce the Propel Disc in two frameset variants: the Advanced and the Advanced SL. The latter is the company’s flagship offering, the product used by its pro riders and what was tested at the launch. That model offers a high-grade carbon composite for an improved stiffness-to-weight ratio, along with an integrated seatmast that Giant say reduces weight and improves ride comfort by promoting more flex on bumpy roads.

An adjustable seatpost is an often-favoured feature of the second-tier Giant road bikes.

The Advanced level frame tested here uses a lower grade of carbon fibre composite to help bring the costs down. There’s also a separate telescoping aero-shaped carbon seatpost, which uses an internal wedge seat clamp to hold it in place. Such a change is likely a blessing for those that wish to travel with their bike.

Further adjustments to the frame are seen at the cockpit, and while the Advanced Pro Disc features the same carbon aero handlebar as its top-tier siblings, the matching stem is aluminium, not carbon.

With a full Advanced SL Disc frameset said to weigh 2,145g (including cockpit), the lower-grade Advanced frameset, with its separate seatpost and alloy stem, clocks in at approximately 450g more. Considering the Advanced Pro Disc (as tested) shares an otherwise-identical component spec with the Advanced SL 1 Disc (AU$7,999 / US$7,140), the AU$1,400 / US$1,325 price difference gives you some indication of what that weight is worth.

The rest of the build simply comes entirely from Shimano and Giant’s own house brand. Such a trend is increasingly normal, and certainly, the likes of Specialized and Trek can claim a similar feat. The pessimist in me sees it as a way for the big bike brands to ensure you can’t directly compare value for money, all the while offering said components for sale separately to establish said value. While that may be an element of it, in reality, it’s just smart business when a company can engineer and produce components that are competitive as name brands, but at a lower cost.

Two small bottles of tyre sealant is included with the bike. The sealant is made by NoTubes, but keep that a secret.

Like all of Giant’s performance road bikes, the Propel Advanced Pro comes straight out of the box set up tubeless, in this case with Giant’s 25c Gavia Race 1 tyres. All that’s needed to complete the setup (for the shop) is to squirt the included latex sealant through the valves. From there, the tyres inflate with ease.

Tubeless requires more maintenance than set-and-forget inner tubes, but remembering to top up the liquid tyre sealant every three-to-four months is a fair trade for the benefits. These include the ability to run a lower pressure without risk of a pinch flat, and reduced rolling resistance. The sealant also has some seal-repairing capability; as long as the holes aren’t too big, they’ll automatically seal on the move. In addition, the weight is similar (or sometimes even lower) to a tube setup.

The tyres are mounted on to Giant’s SLR 1 Aero wheels. Compared to Giant’s top-tier SLR 0 wheels, these feature heavier hub shells, lower-level DT Swiss hub internals, and heavier DT Swiss spokes. However, the tubeless carbon rims are identical between the two sets.

The out-in-front mount features a two-bolt mount beneath it, allowing the addition of lights or a camera.

Giant includes two bonus accessories, the first being an integrated out-in-front GPS computer mount that wedges between the stem’s two lowest bolts. This composite mount is stiff, but like the prototype I previously tested, the Giant Neostrack computer has the slightest amount of wiggle in it. Pucks for Garmin and Giant’s own NeosTrack computer are provided, but unfortunately, there’s no word on when a Wahoo Fitness puck will become available.

The second item is Giant’s wireless RideSense cadence and speed sensor, which bolts directly into the left chainstay and offers both Bluetooth and ANT+ communication.

The remainder of the build is a full Shimano Ultegra R8070 Di2 disc brake groupset. The popularity of this new generation of Ultegra has caused enormous supply issues for many bike brands, including Giant (hence us being halfway through the season and only just receiving 2018 bikes). It’s effectively a heavier version of Dura-Ace 9170, so there’s little to complain of here, especially considering the slender shape of the updated hydraulic lever design. Unlike the Advanced SL models, the Advanced Pro does not feature Di2 sprint shifters in the drops.

All up, my medium sample weighs exactly 8kg (17.64lb) without pedals.

The finer details

Building up the Propel allowed more insight. It’s certainly simpler to adjust the handlebar position, or work on overall, as compared to the likes of the Trek Madone or Specialized Venge Disc. But it being a true aero bike means it’s still a more involved process.

An obvious departure from a regular bike is seen at the cockpit. Stem lengths (available in 80-140mm, in 10mm increments) can be changed with relative ease, as can bar widths (40-44cm options available), but you’re stuck with a single choice of compact handlebar shape and eight-degree stem angle. There’s also no way to adjust the bar angle.

Like all of Giant’s performance road bikes, the Propel Disc features Giant’s OverDrive2 1 1/4 tapered fork steerer and stem diameter. Compared to the standard 1 1/8in diameter, Giant’s design is said to be stiffer without weight gain. This typically means you’re locked into a limited choice of compatible stems, but given how the internal cable routing is setup on the new Propel, you’re effectively locked into the provided system regardless.

Cables run along the top of the stem, and sealing them from the wind is a composite cover held on with four small screws. Care is needed when using these as the screw heads are extremely shallow and the fine thread promotes accidental cross-threading. Use a high-quality hex key.

What the front end looks like with the stem lowered and steerer tube uncut.

Unfortunately, this cover only fits when the steerer tube is cut flush with the stem. As you can see in many of the photos, the Propel comes equipped out of the box with a huge stack of spacers. I typically don’t cut steerer tubes on bikes I don’t own, so much of my testing was done with the aero cover removed. Certainly be aware that you may need to resort to similar measures if dialing in the fit of your bike on the road.

Giant have been clever with its hidden cabling, and each headset spacer is given its own rubber shield. These stack together to create an evenly profiled cable cover from stem to frame. Removing a spacer simply requires unclipping the rubber shield from the respective spacer, and sliding the spacer off.

The composite stem cover incorporates small sprung wings at the rear, but unlike the wings on a Trek Madone that move as the handlebars are turned, these do nothing more than provide a window to access the clamp hardware. However, you’ll still need to remove the cover to adjust the headset preload.

The two-piece cockpit setup may be slightly easier to service than the fully integrated setups from other brands, but the internal cables still give you a short leash. If you plan on flying with the Propel Advanced, you’ll want a travel bag that keeps the handlebar in place, such as from Sci-Con.

The Shimano Di2 junction box sits at the end of the handlebar.

The Shimano Di2 hardware is well integrated, with the only wire in sight seen at the rear derailleur and the new EW-RS910 junction box tucked away inside the end of the handlebar. Wires do run outside of the bar and beneath the bar tape, though, from the drops to the shifters.

An expanding wedge system holds the Di2 battery in the base of the seatpost. The wedge uses a rubber sleeve, and I did suffer from the bolt pulling through the hole. A small washer quickly solved the issue, but if you’re ever having rattling issues, or the battery won’t stay in place, check this part.

Featuring a carbon shaft and with a bonded alloy head on top, the Giant aero seatpost features a reversible saddle clamp for variable set-back and infinite angle adjustment.

Both front and rear wheels are held by threaded 12mm thru-axles. The finishing angle of the axle levers can be adjusted with a hex key.

Lastly, the bike features a Shimano-standard PF86 press-fit bottom bracket, designed with 24mm-diameter crank spindles in mind. Press-fit bottom brackets get a consistent bad wrap, but my experience has been a pretty silent one with this system.

My first impressions mostly remain

As the saying goes, first impressions last. My time riding this lower-level Advanced Pro has left me with much of the same impressions I got at the launch: the bike does everything you want from a race-specific ride, and it does it well.

But what I can’t comment on is how well it performs from an aerodynamic point of view. Like any good aero bike or a bike with aero wheels for that matter, it feels faster in a straight line than a conventional bike with round tubes and non-aero wheels. However, I’ll save the pseudo-science or regurgitating of marketing material and rather focus on how the bike rides.

That’s a whole lot of stack straight from the box.

The Propel may be designed for racers, but Giant have apparently aimed for those racers who also spend too much time in an office chair. The stack is a bit tall, there’s an enormous stack of spacers provided stock – far more than anyone actually racing would want to be seen with. The availability of long stems helps, but the single angle choice will mean that those seeking an extreme position will likely need to size down, much like many of the world’s top pro sprinters. With a generous handlebar reach, though, the actual reach to the bars is a tad longer than the geometry chart would have you believe.

The frame angles are fairly traditional, with 73-degree head- and seat tube angles in a medium. All frame sizes use the same 45mm fork rake, and Giant maintain a common 57mm trail figure in sizes medium and up. Likewise, the 405mm chainstay length is pretty average for such a bike.

The bottom bracket is relatively tall, sitting 67.5mm below the axles (70-72mm is more common these days). The Propel offers more pedaling clearance through tight turns when fighting for position in a crit because of that, but it comes at the cost of planted handling. Overall, the Propel clearly favours agility over stability, with a subtle feeling of tipping into corners as opposed to flowing. It requires very minimal input to change direction, but it’s also a machine that demands attention.

In a heavy cross-wind, wind buffeting on the deeper frame tubes and deep rear wheel can be felt. Having the shallower front wheel absolutely makes a huge difference and rather than fighting the handlebars, the front wheel stays respectively planted, and your body weight is left to keep the deeper rear wheel in check. I’ve said it before, but I am a fan of the mullet wheel setup, and aesthetics aside, I’d choose to use a similar setup.

Even at my 69kg weight, the original Propel would flex through the top tube in a sprint. By contrast, the Propel Disc is certainly stiffer than I am strong, and absolutely no flex is evident when I’m doing a pathetic full-speed attack. This same stiffness reels back some love lost on the descents due to the high bottom bracket, with quick response and tactile road feedback.

Talk with any top-level sprinter and their opinion is that frame compliance is rarely a consideration, even if it keeps them fresher for the finish. The 25c tubeless tyres (measuring an actual 26mm) go a long way toward muting the smaller stuff and keeping the bike planted, and with room for 28s, a reasonable amount of comfort can be had. However, the aero profiles, oversized steerer tube and impressively stiff cockpit are clearly about power transfer before comfort. The Propel certainly shows its true colours and while the sound is turned down just a little, you can feel exactly what your wheels are doing on the road’s surface.

Keeping in mind that the initial test of the Advanced SL was months ago, in different conditions and with a different tyre setup, I do believe the ride of the flagship model was marginally smoother. I suspect the integrated seatpost does help to tone down vibration.

The limited choice in handlebar shape remains my biggest issue with the bike. The angle and general shape are good, but the deep-section tops present wrist clearance issues when your hands are in the drops. In a position where I can still reach the brakes, it’s near unavoidable. And given this is a bike for the sprinters, it’s not ideal that only those with wide elbows will find comfort.

Giant have definitely fixed the biggest weakness of the previous Propel. Those original linear-pull rim brakes were nicely integrated, but offered a vague lever feel and so-so modulation. The Ultegra hydraulic discs on the new Propel Advanced are at a benchmark level, however, and being able to brake late into a corner is definitely an advantage.

The Propel is set up to use smaller 140mm rotors, however, and while they’re lighter and more aero than 160mm discs, they also generate less raw stopping power (the latter being something you don’t really need with just a few millimeters of rubber on the road). An additional downside of the smaller rotors is heat management, but the three-layer Shimano Ice Tech rotors and matching finned pads help offset that.

The only trade-off to the superior brakes is the increased bike weight. While not an issue once at speed, the extra mass can be felt when climbing. It’ll get you to the top without fuss, but it lacks the eager jump of a lighter bike. Such a note shouldn’t be surprising given it’s a mid-tier aero bike with semi-deep wheels, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless.

Helping scale those climbs is a reasonable semi-compact (52/36T) chainset that’s well suited to general training and racing. With an 11-28T cassette out back, the vast majority of riders will be happy with the versatile gearing.

Finally, aesthetics are such a personal point, but the Propel offers an appealingly slick profile (with the steerer tube trimmed). Particularly at the cable-free front end, it’s a bike that screams its purpose of going fast. However, the Aussie national champ colours of the Advanced Pro are certainly going to be polarising, to say the least.

A closer look at the truncated down tube.

Not a wire or brake hose in sight.

So much of that front-end stiffness comes from the wide down tube.

These wheels share the same carbon rim as the SLR 0 model found on the Advanced SL Disc 0.

The 42mm-deep front wheel gives an unusual contrast to the 65mm rear wheel.

One slippery profile.

The new Shimano R8170 shifters are a huge improvement to the previous Ultegra-grade offering. These share an extremely similar shape to the rim-brake equivalent.

The new Ultegra Di2 features a slimmer rear derailleur, so it’s less likely to get knocked about in a crash. Giant do not use the new direct-mount standard as of yet.

While technically a fairing, the stem cover is fully UCI approved.

Stem cover installed.

Don’t like green? Sorry, you’ll need to look to a different model.

Also from Giant’s component house is the Contact SL Forward saddle. It’s a minimal saddle, and pretty narrow by current standards.

The RideSense speed and cadence sensor is included with the bike. Its fitment is optional.

How that computer mount is fitted.

A special thank you to the Manly Warringah Cycling Club for hosting this bike shoot during its HART Friday night criterium. The weekly racing will be back next summer.

The post Giant Propel Advanced Pro Disc 2018 aero road bike review appeared first on CyclingTips.

On the eve of the 2018 Paris-Roubaix, Oakley is unveiling two new performance cycling sunglass models, the Flight Jacket and Field Jacket. Both frames feature Oakley’s new Advancer toggle, a movable piece on the nose bridge that increases airflow to combat fogging and overheating.

While the Flight Jacket has a unique frame shape, with an open-edge brow intended to maximize the upper field of view, the Field Jacket has more of a goggle aesthetic, with separate left- and right-hand lenses that cater better to athletes with prescription needs.

Both frames also have interchangeable temple lengths for improved helmet compatibility, Oakley’s Prizm lens technology — which Oakley claims enhances color, contrast, and detail — and impact-resistant lenses with 100% UV protection.

The Flight Jacket has been spotted in recent weeks on athletes such as world cross-country champion Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM), at the Absa Cape Epic, and on German sprint star Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin), who will race Roubaix on Sunday.

The Oakley Field Jacket. Image: Oakley.

“I’ve been training with Flight Jacket for the past few weeks, and the technology is just incredible,” said Kittel, whose team also wears Oakley’s new ARO helmets. “The Advancer is a complete game changer because I no longer waste energy worrying about the fog or weather conditions.”

The launch of the Flight Jacket and Field Jacket complements Oakley’s new cycling collection, which includes the ARO helmets — a time trial and triathlon model, an aerodynamic model, and lightweight climbing model — as well as its JB Premium and JB Road Cycling Kits developed in partnership with Bioracer Speedwear.

Pro teams on the Oakley team roster include Katusha-Alpecin, Dimension Data, Team Sky, Movistar and BMC Racing.

Retail price for the Flight Jacket ranges from US$203 to US$253 depending on lens choice. Pricing for the Field Jacket is to be confirmed, along with international pricing for both.

Video: Oakley Flight Jacket and Field Jacket

The post Oakley unveils new Flight Jacket and Field Jacket sunglasses appeared first on CyclingTips.

John Degenkolb’s already got one cobblestone trophy to his name; it’s probably sitting somewhere on his mantelpiece at home, wedged up against the trophy from his first Classics win in the same year, Milan-San Remo. After winning Paris-Roubaix back in 2015, where he outsprinted Zdenek Štybar and Greg Van Avermaet, it’s more than understandable that’ll he’ll be going into the race in a co-leaders role.

Unlike the Tour of Flanders, where riders tend to ride their normal bikes with slightly fatter tyres, Paris-Roubaix requires an equipment overhaul.

For Flanders, Degenkolb rode a custom-painted Trek Madone. His tyre choice was slightly wider than usual, and he had his mechanics swap his regular one-piece carbon bar and stem for a more standard stem with a Bontrager IsoCore carbon bar.

Roubaix cobbles are far more savage, and there’s a real need for a bike that can help smooth out the brutal pavé in some way. Degenkolb and the rest of the Trek-Segafredo team will use Trek’s Domane SLR disc bikes, which feature the novel IsoSpeed “decoupler” at both ends to provide more frame flex over the cobbles. It’s the first year that the team will field a full team on disc-specific frames.

Speaking with team mechanic Glen Leven, it was clear that the man knows his job like the back of his hand. Asking him to recite team riders’ preferences in equipment choice resulted in him quickly spewing measurements at us.

For Roubaix, there’s no custom paint scheme, and the entire team will be on standard team-issue red paint. Degenkolb will ride the RSL (Race Shop Limited) version, which has a shorter head tube and tighter front end geometry than the standard Domane SLR.

Wheel choice for the team will be the latest Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6 carbon tubular. Tubulars are 30mm-wide Vittoria Corsa, a very popular choice in the peloton at the moment. In total, the team has an extra 20 sets of spare wheels for the race all glued and ready to roll.

The bikes are fully kitted out with Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, bar one slight alteration: an Ultegra RX clutch-enabled rear derailleur. This is the first time that the clutch rear derailler will be used at Roubaix, but it has been tested at several races in the spring classics already and was spotted on a bike on the roof of the team car at Flanders.

For Roubaix, John will also change his crank length from his usual 172.5mm to a 170mm. We were told that he’s been testing this throughout the winter. Chainring size will be 54/42T with an 11-23T rear cassette.

Crank length: Forget leverage and power, it’s all about the fit

There’s plenty of shifting options, too, with satellite/sprint shifters from the Di2 groupset placed on the top of the Bontrager Pro IsoCore VR-CF handlebars and on the inside of the drops. Stem length is also a little longer than what he’d use on his Madone, at 140mm instead of 130mm.

Other points of note are Shimano’s new crank-based power meter system, along with 140mm-diameter rotors front and rear. Degenkolb will also have the rear IsoSpeed decoupler set to the softest position when racing.

Check the video out to see what Degenkolb’s mechanic has to say about the bike that they hope will bring the German to his second Roubaix victory.

It’s not all Dura-Ace for the pros; Degenkolb will use the new Ultegra RX rear mech.

The headset houses a Front IsoSpeed decoupler, which allows for more steerer tube flex than usual.

Handlebar width is 400mm with a single wrap of bar tape.

Sprint shifters on the inside of the drops.

Degenkolb also has sprint shifters on the inside of the top of the bar. His stem is 140mm-long.

Red is fastest (they hope).

 

The latest Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6 wheelset.

 

 

The post John Degenkolb’s Paris-Roubaix Trek Domane SLR appeared first on CyclingTips.

It’s hardly unusual for an automotive tire company to cross over into the bicycle industry. For example, long-time players Continental, Michelin, and Maxxis all have deep roots in the motorized worlds, and all three have very broad ranges across the board. More recently, we’ve also seen Pirelli dip its toe into the waters as well, but only with a smattering of models from which to choose.

Industry behemoth Goodyear is being anything but tentative with its launch into the bicycle market, however, with almost 70 different tires on tap just to start, covering road, MTB, gravel, and urban categories. Time will tell how much of an impact Goodyear will make amongst such heated competition, but the company is clearly in it for the long haul.

Lots of tech

Goodyear’s debut into the bicycle tire world is accompanied by an alphabet soup of technical features, all of which are intended to better tailor each of the company’s tire models to their intended use.

For example, there are two casing densities (“Premium” and “Ultimate”), three different ply constructions, three different families of casing protection, and two levels of under-tread rubber reinforcements. However, Goodyear is being coy about some of the specifics. Although nylon and Kevlar are called out for the reinforcement materials, there’s no mention of the casing material itself — although nylon is a good bet — the actual ply densities, or the durometers of the rubber compounds used.

But that said, Goodyear is also taking the position that none of that really matters. From their perspective, even buyers of high-performance automotive tires don’t inquire about those sorts of technical specifications; they only care how everything works on the road.

That may be how it works in that environment, but the cycling market is used to having that information available, so it’ll be interesting to see how well this approach pans out in the wild.

Casing reinforcement types and materials vary by application. Photo: Goodyear.

Goodyear is offering is off-road tires with three different casing constructions, depending on the level of protection and stability required. Photo: Goodyear.

Urban models are especially well-protected against punctures, with options that include thick layers of rubber beneath the tread cap. Photo: Goodyear.

Looking to the future, not the past

As a newcomer to the market, Goodyear has the luxury of having a fresh perspective on where things stand, where they’ve been, and where it’s heading. And the company is obviously taking a very forward-looking position with its line of tires, without the burden of tradition.

Case in point: nearly all of the models are tubeless, using a novel bead shape that is not only designed for easier installation and inflation, but also headache-free roadside repair when needed, too. Goodyear is taking an ambitious approach to the format, too, as its “Tubeless Complete” casings themselves are supposedly already airtight on their own. No sealant is technically required, although some is still recommended for self-repair capabilities.

Tire sizes are on the wider end of the spectrum across the board, too: road tires start at 25c, while the smallest mountain bike model is 2.3″-wide. Mixed-surface tires start at 35mm and go up front there; there’s clearly no concern for satisfying UCI technical restrictions for cyclocross racing.

Luke Musselman is overseeing the project for Goodyear and Rubber Kinetics, a design and development firm specializing in performance cycling products and urban mobility solutions and one that’s partnered with Goodyear to develop the new line.

“We want to do something that’s different, that stands out,” Musselman said. “We’re in the market as a premium, full soup-to-nuts tire line, [but] we are not going to make tubular tires; that is not where the market is headed.”

Lots of tires

Headlining the road bike is the Eagle All-Season, which Musselman says is “formulated to be the ultimate year-round road tire.” Key features include a silica-based tread compound for low rolling resistance and confident wet-weather traction, lightweight bead-to-bead casing protection, and a true tubeless construction.

Four available sizes range from 25-32c, all designed for use with 700c rims with inner widths between 19-21mm. Retail cost is US$70, and claimed weights are 300-387g, depending on size.

Goodyear calls the new Eagle All-Season the “ultimate year-round road tire.” Is it really? Time will tell.

For gravel riders, there’s the new 35mm-wide County, built with a fast-rolling semi-slick center, progressively knobbier shoulder tread, and dual-compound rubber. R:Armor reinforcement uses an additional layer of nylon throughout for additional cut protection on the “Tubeless Complete” casing. Claimed weight is 441g for the Ultimate version, and 526 for the Premium model.

For looser terrain, there’s the 40mm-wide Connector, which uses the same tubeless casing constructions, bead-to-bead reinforcement, and dual-compound rubber, but a more aggressively knobby pattern. Claimed weight for that tire is 463g or 562g, depending on model.

Retail price for both mixed-terrain tires is US$60-70.

Goodyear is launching its new bicycle tire line with two mixed-surface models: the Connector (left) and the County (right). The 35mm-wide County is built with a dual-compound tread and full bead-to-bead armoring for use on both paved and unpaved surfaces. Meanwhile, the Connector is more of a gravel-specific model with a larger 40mm casing and a more aggressive tread design.

Mountain bike riders get a broader range of options at launch.

The Peak is Goodyear’s “pedal up, pedal down” model, built with a rounded cross-section, low-profile and ramped knobs, and “directional siping on every knob for improved grip.” Tubeless compatibility is standard, along with a tougher-wearing single-density Dynamic:A/T rubber compound and reinforced sidewalls to ward off rock abrasions.

Goodyear will offer the Peak in Premium and Ultimate versions, and in both 27.5″ and 29″ diameters, but only in a 2.25″ width throughout. Claimed weights are 645-715g for the 27.5″ size, and 697-772g for the 29ers. Retail price is US$60-70.

The Escape is Goodyear’s “all conditions” mountain bike model, designed with slightly taller and more widely spaced knobs, and a grippier Dynamic:R/T single-density rubber compound. Tubeless construction and reinforced sidewalls are standard as well. Three casing types will be available, including a 1.5-ply Enduro variant for riders that require more durability.

The Escape will be available in 2.35″ and 2.6″ widths, again for both 27.5″ and 29″ rim diameters. Claimed weights range from 695-1,175g, depending on size and casing construction. Retail price is US$65-80.

The Peak (right) and Escape (left) are designed more for cross-country and trail riding, with lower-profile tread patterns better suited to reducing rolling resistance than all-out traction in loose conditions. Still, these look to be an enticing rear and front combination. The Peak will only be offered in a 2.25″ width, but the Escape will be available in 2.35″ and 2.6″ sizes, both in either 27.5″ or 29″ diameters.

For more demanding applications, there’s the Newton and Newton ST.

The Newton ST is Goodyear’s most gravity-oriented tread, built with tall knobs arranged in a very open pattern for better traction on rocks and loose soil. Center knobs are ramped to reduce rolling resistance, while the shoulder blocks are heavily reinforced to prevent them from folding over during hard cornering.

Given the extra abuse these tires are expected to see, Goodyear is offering the Newton ST solely in 1.5-ply Enduro and 2-ply Downhill casing constructions — both tubeless — and softer Dynamic:R/T and Dynamic RS/T rubber compounds. 2.4″ and 2.6″ widths are on tap, both in either 27.5″ or 29″ diameters. Claimed weights are 925-1,252g, depending on size and casing construction. Retail price is US$70-90.

The matching Newton will likely be used more as a rear-only tire, as it’s designed with lower-profile knobs down the center that are oriented primarily for drive traction, but similar shoulder knobs for comparable cornering capabilities, and the same rubber compounds. Goodyear will offer the Newton in the same casing variants and sizes as the standard Newton ST. Claimed weights are 955-1,367g, depending on size and casing construction; retail pricing is the same as the Newton.

Goodyear is diving headfirst into the mountain bike market as well. The Newton (top) targets the downhill and enduro crowd, with tall tread blocks and open spacing, reinforced shoulder knobs for secure cornering behavior, and both ramped and siped knobs to help increase traction and improve rolling resistance. The faster-rolling Newton ST (bottom) uses trimmed-down knobs down the center, but a similar shoulder tread to maintain cornering traction. Both are offered in both 27.5″ and 29″ diameters, but only in 2.4″ and 2.6″ widths, all in tubeless construction with your choice of single-ply or dual-ply casings.

The mountain bike tires get some light texturing on the sidewalls to help ward off rock abrasions and sidewall cuts.

Ample reinforcing on the shoulder knobs should help keep them from folding over under hard cornering loads.

Goodyear is taking the urban segment seriously, too, with two tread designs — the Transit Speed and Transit Tour — and three different casing options for each, including tubeless models with folding beads for riders that struggle to get to work on time, and more heavily reinforced versions for riders that put a greater emphasis on durability (or have the aid of an electric motor to move things along).

700c Transit Speed and Transit Tour models range in width from 35-50c, and there will also be a handful of 650b sizes in a single 50mm width. Given such a broad variety of sizes and constructions, claimed weights span a huge range, from a relatively svelte 565g for the 700x35c Transit Speed Tubeless Complete model, up to a whopping 1,260g for the 700x50c Transit Tour Secure. Prices range from US$40-60.

Goodyear is taking the urban market very seriously with the new Transit line. The Transit Speed is aimed more at fast commuting, with lighter-weight construction and a faster-rolling tread compound. The Transit Tour, on the other hand, focuses more on durability, with additional casing protection and a longer-lasting rubber cap. Both are offered in Tubeless Complete, S3:Shell (with 3mm of additional rubber under the tread), and Secure (with 5mm of rubber under the tread) variants, depending on your desired level of security.

CyclingTips has several models of the new Goodyear tires in hand, and will have more in-depth reviews ready soon. International prices and availability are to be confirmed.

The post Goodyear flies into the bicycle market with full range of tires appeared first on CyclingTips.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Campagnolo is now the first major component company to add a 12-cog sprocket to its road drivetrains with its Super Record and Record mechanical groupsets, for rim-brake and disc-brake applications.

The story of the Campagnolo’s new releases is bigger than just another gear, though. Both the Super Record and Record groupsets are entirely new from tip to tail — cables and housing included — with more refined ergonomics, improved shifting performance, and redesigned rim brakes to keep the faithful up to speed.

Why 12-speed

Before we dive into the details on each new component, it’s worth discussing why Campagnolo has gone to 12-speed in the first place. Campagnolo’s decision isn’t just a matter of one-upping the competition, even though it may seem that way initially. There’s sound logic behind the move, and while the change will undoubtedly create a lot of headache, it makes sense overall.

Campagnolo first made the jump from 10-speed to 11-speed back in 2008. Compact cranksets with 50/34-tooth chainrings were becoming much more common already at that point, but the gearing ranges for the cassettes were still fairly narrow back then, often bottoming out with a 25 or 26-tooth sprocket. On an 11-25T or 11-26T cassette, 11 gears were generally found to offer sufficiently tight gaps in between to keep everyone happy.

Beyond the big ring: Understanding gear ratios and why they matter

These days, however, riders are increasingly using much wider ranges, and easier gearing overall. Compact cranks are practically the norm, and even sub-compact chainrings are becoming more common. Cassettes with 28T sprockets are standard even on high-end road racing bikes like Specialized’s latest S-Works Tarmac SL6, and 11-29T, 11-30T, and 11-32T cassettes are hardly rare finds on the road.

With that widening gap between the smallest and biggest sprocket, Campagnolo felt that the gaps in-between are now getting bigger than ideal, so the decision was made to add one in the middle.

“[With 12-speed], there are no more jumps in metric development, so the athlete can always find that sweet spot in gearing,” said Campagnolo press manager Joshua Riddle. “Now even us mortals will have the joy of perfect increments like the pros of yesteryear who rode 11-23T gearing.”

Riders who are particularly finicky about their cadences, but still want a wide gearing range, will likely be tempted by Campagnolo’s new 12-speed format. Photo: Campagnolo.

Campagnolo will offer just two wide-range 12-speed cassette options with the new Super Record and Record groupsets — 11-29T and 11-32T. But despite the generous total range, there will be just single-tooth gaps across the first seven gears, and only moderately bigger (in terms of percentages, not tooth count) ones afterward.

People complained when we went from 8-speed to 9-speed, 9-speed to 10-speed, and 10-speed to 11-speed, and I’ve no doubt the same complaints will crop up once again here, if for no other reason than the fact that there will be virtually zero compatibility between new and old generations, aside from hubs and wheels. But each of those generational changes reflected evolutions in how riders were using their bikes, and we’ve all consistently been better off as a result.

Maybe this time will be different? Probably not, but you should read on, anyway.

Ergopower gets more ergonomic, cables get more slippery

Campagnolo has refined and redesigned its Ergopower shift levers several times since their inception in 1992, and while the H11 hydraulic disc-brake version finally incorporated a reach adjustment when it was launched last year, the mechanical version was still left with only two fitment options: long-reach and longer-reach.

That’s finally changed with this latest generation, which now incorporates a proper reach adjustment for both the brake and shift levers. Both levers will adjust in tandem, providing riders with small-to-medium-sized hands some long-awaited relief. A change in Campagnolo’s “double curve” lever adds a slight outward cant for an easier reach still.

Shift paddles have grown a bit for more ready access from various hand positions, and much of the free play in the main shift lever has been eliminated as well, meaning the lever now doesn’t move as much before starting to pull the shift cable. But sadly, the new Super Record and Record 12-speed Ergopower levers don’t gain the lowered thumb paddle position from the Potenza and electronic groups, which is much easier to reach from the drops.

Campagnolo has retained the best-in-industry multi-shift capability as before, though, with up to five downshifts or three upshifts per lever sweep. On the left-hand lever, there remain multiple index positions for manually trimming the front derailleur. Also carrying over is the Vari-Cushion hood cover design for a comfortable grip.

Accompanying the new rim-brake Ergopower levers are refreshed hydraulic disc-brake ones. These receive similar improvements, including the same revised brake lever blade shaping and enlarged shift paddles.

Shift lever effort is supposedly lower across the board, but not due to any change to the Ergopower internals. Rather, Campagnolo has introduced new cables and housing that “drastically reduce friction.”

The ends of the new Ergopower levers now have a slight outward cant.

The shape of the main Ergopower rim-brake levers hasn’t changed much, but the levers now have adjustable reach to better accommodate riders with small-to-medium-sized hands.

Shift paddles have been slightly enlarged throughout for easier access.

The new Ergopower shift and brake levers are more cleanly blended together than before.

The new 12-speed hydraulic disc-brake Ergopower levers aren’t very different from what they were last year.

Like before, the new 12-speed hydraulic disc-brake Ergopower levers feature adjustable lever reach as well as adjustable lever throw.

New Vari-Cushion hoods are used throughout the new 12-speed range.

Apart from a trio of cutouts at the upper edge of the carbon fiber brake lever blade, there’s very little visually to distinguish between the Record 12 and Super Record 12 Ergopower levers.

Kudos to Campagnolo for reducing the friction on the new cables and housing, but this wording is wholly unnecessary, and a bit cheesy.

Revamped front and rear derailleurs

Going along with the additional sprocket are all-new front and rear derailleurs, which are still predominantly constructed of molded fiber-reinforced composites.

The rear is certainly the more radically changed of the two, featuring a noticeably longer body, new parallelogram geometry, and a longer pulley cage with an upper pulley that’s now concentric with the cage pivot. Campagnolo dubs all of this as part of its 3-D Embrace Technology, which is designed to help the chain not only engage more cassette teeth for more efficient running (and reduced drivetrain wear), but also improve shift performance by maintaining more consistent gaps between the upper derailleur pulley and cassette sprocket.

Interestingly, Campagnolo has followed Shimano’s lead with the new derailleurs’ Direct Mount frame interface. A short aluminum link will allow fitment on standard hangers, but removing it, and pairing it with a dedicated Direct Mount hanger, will supposedly offer a stouter connection for better shift precision, along with faster wheel changes since it moves much of the hardware back and out of the way of the axle.

Campagnolo is also moving to larger 12-tooth pulleys this time around, with the upper pulley sporting taller and more squared-off teeth that more aggressively move the chain across the cassette, and more rounded-off teeth on the lower pulley for quieter running at various chain angles. In addition, those larger diameters will yield slight reductions in drivetrain friction.

Unlike with the current generation of mechanical rear derailleurs, the new Super Record and Record will come in a single 72.5mm cage length designed to work with both of the new cassette options. The inner pulley cage plate is now thinner than before, too, for better spoke clearance.

While the changes to the derailleur seem universally positive in terms of performance, the jury will likely be more split on the aesthetics. The new derailleurs look ganglier and more skeletal, and seem to have lost much of the elegance that punctuated older Campagnolo models.

The new 12-speed rear derailleurs have a ganglier and more skeletal appearance than their 11-speed predecessors. The updated geometry provides more chain wrap around each sprocket, however, which bodes well for cassette and chain life. Chain gap between the sprocket and upper pulley is more finely controlled now, too.

Previous Campagnolo rear derailleurs used upper pulleys that were slightly offset from the pulley cage pivot. They’re now concentric, which makes it easier to maintain the desired gap between the upper pulley and cassette.

Gone are the short-cage and medium-cage options, replaced by a single 72.5mm-long cage that will work with both the 11-29T and 11-32T cassettes.

Adjustment screws are practically hidden on the backside of the rear derailleur.

The visual differences between the Record 12 and Super Record 12 rear derailleurs are slight.

New 12-tooth pulleys are used throughout, which should yield slightly lower drivetrain friction than the previous 11-tooth ones. The teeth have been redesigned, too, with more rounded profiles on the lower pulley to keep things running quietly, and taller and more squared-off shapes on the upper pulley to more aggressively move the chain back and forth.

Campagnolo is following Shimano’s lead by adopting the Direct Mount format for attaching the rear derailleur. The short aluminum link allows fitment to conventional hangers; the full benefits won’t be realized unless the frame is equipped with a matching Direct Mount hanger, which willl provide a stouter mounting interface and more clearance for easier rear wheel removal.

Changes to the front derailleur are more subtle visually, but no less dramatic in terms of functional differences.

The cable arm is once again long and upright, which reduces how far you need to move the shift lever to make a shift. But Campagnolo has now separated the cable lever arm from the outer parallelogram plate; they’re no longer one forged aluminum piece as has always been the case, and the cable arm now pushes on a little tab about halfway down the outer derailleur body plate. Pivot points have been relocated and plate lengths have been changed, too, which Campagnolo says creates a more linear track for the derailleur cage.

“It is separated into several pieces to ensure a more efficient trajectory curve, which is more horizontal and less of a curve,” he said. “It also reduces the amount of force and throw required to effect a shift, so there is less hand movement and less force required by the rider’s hand.”

The new Super Record 12 front derailleur gets a snazzy carbon fiber outer cage plate.

Interestingly, Campagnolo has split the cable arm and outer parallelogram plate into two separate components. It’s unclear at this point exactly what advantage that provides, however.

Look closely, and you’ll see two springs in the new front derailleur, not just one.

And is that a carbon fiber clamp adapter you see? Indeed, it is.

The front derailleur’s cable anchor bolt can be attached to either side of the arm to provide more tire clearance if needed. Photo: Campagnolo.

While the Super Record 12 front derailleur uses a carbon fiber outer cage, Record uses metal throughout.

Crazy new cranks

If you already weren’t a fan of the throwing star-like four-arm cranksets that Campagnolo introduced in 2014, be prepared for another punch to the gut. The new Record and Super Record crankset feature a similar four-arm configuration, but with an even more radical aesthetic.

The driveside crankarm is now filled in over the spindle, where it was left open on the previous generation. Campagnolo says the new shape is “smoother” and “more aerodynamic” than before, and that may very well be, but the appearance will certainly take some getting used to. The Super Record crankset gets even more radical, with hollow carbon fiber construction and molded reinforcements bridging two opposite pairs of chainring spiders. As is the case with Shimano’s hollow outer chainring design, this stiffens up the chainring for better chain security when sprinting and more positive shift performance.

Carrying over is Campagnolo’s long-standing Ultra-Torque split-spindle design, with a toothed interface joining the two halves together in the middle. The existing bottom bracket cups carry over, and there remains no oversized spindle option.

The chainrings themselves have been redesigned, too, with new hard-anodized finishes for better durability, and more rounded tooth profiles on the inner chainring for quieter running at various chain angles.

As before, just one bolt circle pattern is used for all three 53/39T, 52/36T, and 50/34T chainring options, but Campagnolo says parts can’t be swapped between new and old groupset generations. Both Record and Super Record cranksets will be offered in 165, 170, 172.5, and 175mm arm lengths.

If you didn’t like the look of the previous Super Record crankset, you’re definitely not going to like this one, either.

Molded bridges joining opposing pairs of spider arms are said to reinforce the chainring where the loads are highest. Shifting forces usually pull the outer chainring inward, though, and since the chainring isn’t actually bolted to those bridges, the only riders likely to notice any benefits are extra-strong sprinters.

The new design language is paired with a new logo, too.

Campagnolo uses solid carbon fiber arms on the Record 12 crankset, but these are hollow. The spindle is titanium, too.

Just as before, Campagnolo is fitting both the new Super Record 12 and Record 12 cranksets with its proven Ultra-Torque spindle design. Photo: Campagnolo.

The Campagnolo Record 12 crankset isn’t vastly different visually from the previous version, aside from the newly solid outer surface on the driveside. Unlike the Super Record version, these carbon fiber arms are solid, not hollow.

The Record 12 crankset does without the reinforced bridges featured on Super Record 12. Chainring stiffness wasn’t really an issue with the previous version, however, so it isn’t likely to be here, either.

As before, chainrings bolt directly to the arm from the backside. The same hole pattern is used for all three chainring combinations.

One last detail: Campagnolo previously prescribed different cranksets, with subtly different chainring spacing, depending on if you were running a disc-brake or rim-brake bike (since the rear hub spacing wasn’t the same). For the new 12-speed Super Record and Record, though, it’s all the same.

A radically different cassette, and a narrower chain to match

The new cassettes don’t just have an extra sprocket and wider gearing options than before; they’re also constructed in an entirely new way, at least for Campagnolo. The smallest six sprockets are individual steel plates, just like the previous generation, but whereas Campagnolo once used aluminum spiders and either steel or titanium rings to reduce weight, the largest six sprockets on the new 12-speed cassettes are now split into two triplets, with each being machined from a single block of steel. This keeps the weight in check, while also improving durability, at least as compared to the old Super Record’s titanium teeth.

Another improvement is a move to machined aluminum spacers in lieu of the plastic ones used before.

Now, at this point, many of you are likely wondering: Will you have to get new wheels if you switch to a 12-speed setup? While none of the rest of the drivetrain will have any level of compatibility with the current 11-speed stuff, the new 12-speed cassettes will fit on the same freehub bodies as before. Each individual sprocket is a bit thinner as a result, and they’re stacked slightly closer together as well.

That obviously means that the old 11-speed chain won’t work with the new 12-speed cassette, so Campagnolo has introduced a chain to match. The width is slightly narrower, and the links themselves are slightly thinner. Those differences decrease weight just a bit as a result, but despite the reduction in material, Campagnolo insists that the new chain is just as strong and long-lasting as the predecessor.

The new 12-speed cassettes will be offered in just 11-29T and 11-32T sizes. With so may sprockets, you get the benefits of a wide range, but still have tight gaps throughout.

The first six sprockets are individual steel plates, but the largest six are split into two triplets, each machined from a single block of steel. The construction should make for outstanding stiffness, as well as improved durability relative to the titanium sprockets on the 11-speed Super Record cassette.

Despite being narrower overall and being built with thinner plates, Campagnolo claims the new 12-speed chain is just as strong and long-lasting as before.

Sleeker stopping

Campagnolo introduced its new H11 hydraulic disc-brake components last year, and as already mentioned, there are now 12-speed Ergopower levers to match. Campagnolo isn’t ignoring rim-brake users, however, and there are new calipers for both center-mount and direct-mount fitments.

Both of the calipers sport a more angular and modern appearance, which Campagnolo says blends in better with today’s aero framesets. Dual-pivot configurations are used front and rear for extra stopping power — the old rear-only single-pivot option is gone — and Campagnolo’s long-running ball-bearing pivots continue on for smooth operation.

In addition, the center-mount version gets a small aluminum bridge joining the two pivot axles to help keep the mounting posts from splaying open under hard braking, which not only helps with power and modulation, but potentially protects frames and forks from long-term fatigue damage.

Naturally, wider rims and tires are accommodated as well. Officially, Campagnolo states that the new pivot geometry will handle tires up to 28c, although there may be enough wiggle room for a few extra millimeters.

The revamped rim brake calipers are lighter and leaner than before, and are now offered in both center-mount and direct-mount formats. Both will accept 28mm-wide tires. The rear-only single-pivot caliper option is now gone.

The new direct-mount rim-brake calipers gain a more angular look that Campagnolo says fits better with more modern aero road bikes. Each arm’s position and spring tension can be adjusted independently. Photo: Campagnolo.

Disc-brake calipers are unchanged from their introduction last year.

Campagnolo developed its road hydraulic disc brakes with the folks at Magura.

Record vs. Super Record

As with the current-generation Super Record and Record groupsets, differences between the two are mostly subtle, and primarily related to aesthetics, materials, and bearings.

For example, whereas the Super Record groupset uses the company’s top-end CULT ceramic bearings throughout, Record instead uses the (slightly) lower-grade USB version. Super Record Ergopower levers get prominent cutouts in the carbon fiber lever blades; Record levers are smooth and solid. The Super Record front derailleur uses an aluminum inner cage and a carbon fiber outer one, but Record uses metal throughout.

The crankset is perhaps the only area where there are more significant differences.

Whereas the new Super Record crankset features bridges between opposing pairs of chainring spiders for additional stiffness, Record does without. And while Super Record is built with hollow carbon fiber arms and titanium Ultra-Torque half-shafts, Record gets solid-molded construction and steel spindles.

Otherwise, though, there should be virtually no performance differences discernible from the saddle.

Aside from the lack of cutouts on the Record Ergopower levers (right) and steel, instead of titanium, hardware, there’s little to distiguish them from the top-end Super Record Ergopower levers (left). Photo: Campagnolo.

The Super Record front derailleur (left) gets a carbon fiber outer cage plate and titanium hardware, while the Record one (right) uses an all-metal cage and steel bolts. Photo: Campagnolo.

The rear derailleurs see more substantial changes, such as the carbon fiber outer cage plate on the Super Record rear derailleur (right) vs. the aluminum one on Record (right), along with slightly different construction on the upper composite knuckle. Pulley bearings are different, too, with the Super Record wheels spinning on the company’s top-end cryo-treated CULT ceramics, while the Record pulleys rotate on more conventional USB hybrid ceramics. Photo: Campagnolo.

The cranksets are where we see bigger differences between Record (right) and Super Record (left). Super Record crankarms are hollow instead of solid, and the opposing spider arms are joined with a supplemental bridge to boost stiffness. The Super Record Ultra-Torque spindles are also titanium instead of steel.

Differences between the Super Record (left) and Record (right) rim brake calipers consist only of hardware, with the flagship model getting a few titanium bits that shave a handful of grams. Photo: Campagnolo.

Some new aero wheels, too

Campagnolo’s Bora range of aerodynamic carbon fiber road wheels have long been heralded for their superb build quality, smooth-running and durable hubs, low weight, and solid braking characteristics. However, Campagnolo now wants to push the Bora envelope in terms of aerodynamics, too.

As the names suggest, the new Bora WTO 60 and Bora WTO 77 rim-brake wheels are “wind tunnel optimized” to be the fastest wheels Campagnolo has ever created — and yes, of course, they’re also supposedly faster than key competitors, and at a wide range of wind angles. The profiles are rather unique, featuring wide cross-sections, but unusually flat sides and relatively sharply tapered trailing edges, almost like a rounded triangle tacked on to a rectangle.

Nevertheless, Campagnolo claims they’re so aerodynamically efficient that, at certain real-world wind conditions, they actually generate lift.

Interestingly, Campagnolo isn’t bothering to offer either of the new Bora wheels in a tubular version, saying that in-house testing showing that it was the slowest-rolling of the three common tire types. So instead, the Bora WTO 60 and Bora WTO 77 will only be offered in tubeless-compatible clinchers, with 19mm-wide internal widths optimized for 25-28c tires.

Other features include sleekly profiled hubs with adjustable USB ceramic bearings, straight-pull diamond-profile stainless steel spokes with external nipples for easier servicing, Campagnolo’s trademark Dynamic Balance counterweight system, and the latest version of its textured sidewall for consistent braking performance.

They’re impressively light, too. Claimed weight for the Bora WTO 77 front wheel (there’s no matching rear as it’s intended to be paired with a disc) is just 745g, while the Bora WTO 60 comes in at 1,540g for the pair (670g front, 880g rear).

Campagnolo says its new Bora WTO 60 is the fastest wheel in its rim class – naturally. Even ignoring the aerodynamic claims, though, the Bora WTO 60 is impressively light, and based on previous experience with other wheels, they should be very durable, too.

The Campagnolo Bora WTO 77 will only be offered as a front wheel, as it’s meant to be paired with a rear disc. Campagnolo isn’t offering either of the new Bora WTO wheelsets in tubular versions, though; it’s tube-type or tubeless clincher only.

Both of the new Bora WTO wheels use Campagnolo’s latest textured brake tracks.

The hubs are supposedly shaped with aerodynamics in mind, too. Aero or not, they certainly look good.

The rear hub features Campagnolo’s long-standing high-low flange design.

The hubs also feature adjustable preload for the USB hybrid ceramic bearings.

The Campagnolo Bora WTO 60 rear wheel uses triplet lacing to help even out spoke tension between the driveside and non-driveside.

Prices, weights, and availability

Retail prices are about what you would expect for Campagnolo’s top-tier groupsets. A complete disc-brake Super Record 12 groupset will cost US$3,600, while the rim-brake version is slightly cheaper at US$3,200. Comparatively speaking, Record 12 looks like a bargain, with the disc-brake groupset coming in at US$2,750 and the rim-brake edition costing US$2,175. International prices for all the new groupsets are still to be confirmed, along with pricing for the new Bora WTO wheels.

As for availability, Campagnolo says that rim-brake Super Record 12 groupsets should be arriving at brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers any day now, with the disc-brake versions following in May. Record 12 rim-brake groupsets will also be arriving in May, with disc-brake versions coming in June.

Official claimed weights are as follows:

What happens next

As exciting as new 12-speed Super Record and Record mechanical groupsets are, there are some glaring holes in the line, along with some very obvious clues on what’s coming next.

Campagnolo gave no details on 12-speed versions of Super Record EPS and Record EPS electronic groupsets, but confirmed that they would be announced soon. Further downstream, 12-speed is sure to make its way to Chorus EPS, Chorus, Potenza, and Centaur, but when exactly that will happen is anyone’s guess.

Looking outside of Vicenza, will Shimano and SRAM soon follow Campagnolo’s lead? Shimano only recently revamped its Dura-Ace, Ultegra, and 105 groupsets, so the earliest we might see a 12-speed version is probably two years from now. But given SRAM’s involvement in the Aqua Blue Sport program and its innovative 3T Strada team bike, it seems likely that the Chicago company will follow suit sooner than later. The question, though, is whether it’ll have one chainring or two.

Stay tuned.

The post Campagnolo goes 12-speed with Super Record and Record rim and disc groupsets appeared first on CyclingTips.

The race is over, the bodies are battered and bruised, and the machines that carried the riders to the finish will now be cleaned, repaired (if needed), and stored away for another year. Paris-Roubaix is uniquely demanding, and not just on the riders; the bikes that they use receive a beating, too.

Most of the tech choices at Paris-Roubaix were similar to recent years, with the mostly dry conditions keeping the truly weird-and-wonderful machines at home in the service course. There were some top-mounted brake levers and double-wrapped bars, but many riders and teams – but not all of them – went with relatively standard “endurance” road bikes for their softer ride, more stable handling, and additional tyre clearance. Peter Sagan won on a Specialized S-Works Roubaix, for example, customized for the team with direct-mount rim brakes and a special version of the FutureShock front suspension with on-the-fly stiffness adjustment. However, his breakaway companion, Silvan Dillier, was on his standard Factor O2.

Some riders, such as Heinrich Haussler, had originally planned for a mid-race bike change: a normal road bike set up for the first 100km, and then a cobble crushing machine for the bumpier latter sections of the course. But on the morning of the start, it looked as though many had changed their minds. With dry roads, a tailwind, and the promise of another fast race, stopping far a bike change before the cobbles would have been more trouble than it was worth.

Nearly every rider was on bigger tubulars, though, since the cobbles of northern France are one place where keeping it “rubber side down” is consistently challenging. It now looks like most teams and riders have settled on 28mm tubulars as the width of choice for Roubaix cobbles. There were a few exceptions, the major stand-out being EF Education First-Drapac on 30mm tubulars from Vitoria. Several of the Michelin-sponsored teams were using the new Pro Endurance in 27mm.

For many years, French company FMB was the tubular of choice for many teams, thanks to the extra comfort and grip provided by the tires’ ultra-supple casings. The tiny manufacturer has never officially sponsored a team, but given the unique conditions at Paris-Roubaix, most official tyre sponsors were comfortable looking the other way if it meant their team could earn a spot on the podium. But fewer teams were on FMB this year, and thanks to more dedicated efforts on the R&D side for cycling’s biggest one-day race, bigger companies such as Continental and Vittoria now seem to be the dominant force in the pro peloton, even on the cobbles.

One new brand we spotted was Wolfpack tyres. After talking with the Astana mechanics, it would seem the new brand is from one of the people who helped Continental and Specialized develop tyres in the past, and has now decided to go it alone and start his own company.

The Wolfpack brand comes from the man that helped develop many of the tyres for Continental and Specialized. According to Astana team mechanics, he’s now decided to go it alone. Astana riders were only experimenting with these, though, and raced on FMB at Paris-Roubaix.

Corima has been a long-time sponsor of Astana team. Riders used 28mm-wide FMB tubulars mounted to 47 WS carbon wheels.

Lotto-Soudal is using Vittoria tubulars this season.

Heinrich Haussler and the Bahrain team used Continental Competition Pro Limited PTX tubulars in 28mm, a firm favourite with many teams.

AG2R-La Mondiale were yet another team on Continental Competition Pro LTD tubulars in 28mm.

Campagnolo fitted the Movistar team with custom blue decals on their Bora Ultra 35 wheels. And again, more Continental Competition Pro LTD tubulars in 28mm.

Were these prototype 28mm Hutchinson tubulars, or tires from another brand with a Hutchinson hot patch applied? Hard to say.

Hutchinson has been a long-time sponsor of all incarnations of the Direct Energie team. The headquarters is not far from Paris.

Well-used Mavic tubulars on the Vital Concept team’s Orbea Orca bikes.

Tan sidewalls are definitely the go-to option for the race, so to see Fortuneo-Samsic buck this trend almost seemed odd.

Sep Vanmarcke was on 30mm Vittoria Corsa Control tubulars.

Those endurance road bikes may provide more comfort and more predictable handling than the riders’ usual dedicated road racing machines, but they also often have shorter reaches and taller stacks, too. We spotted a lot of riders on 140mm-long stems as a result, as well as plenty of -17° angles to help bring the bars back to their original position. FSA was a go-to company here, as one of the only easy sources for that size. Teams officially sponsored by FSA could proudly display the company logo, but others (such as Arnaud Demare of Groupama-FDJ) went with black electrical tape instead.

Chainring choice is critical for Paris-Roubaix’s flat parcours, too. Pretty much across the board, all riders used either a 44/53T, 44/54T, 46/53T, or 46/54, with either an 11-25T or 11-28T cassette. A few of the smaller Pro Continental teams were spotted with a few bikes using a more standard 39/53T.

One might also assume that it would only be those smaller teams running older components, but even top teams like Lotto-Jumbo broke out some outdated gear – a fleet of previous-generation Shimano Dura-Ace C50 carbon tubular wheels – for Paris-Roubaix’s unique requirements.

Sep Vanmarcke was using a 44/53T chainring setup.

The most popular chainring choice was 44/54T, but several used 46/54T.

Power2Max supply power meters for Movistar. Chainring choice for many of the Movistar squad was 42/54T.

Arnaud Demare used 43/54T chainrings.

It’s not all Dura-Ace for the Shimano sponsored pros. Astana used 11-28T Ultegra cassettes.

Many of the chainring sizes have almost no practical applications outside of Paris-Roubaix, so sponsors often have to resort to very small special-production batches to suit the one-day event.

Aero and huge, this Vision chainring was a 54-tooth, matched to a 42-tooth inner.

There were very few teams using disc brakes this year, with Trek-Segafredo, Direct Energie, EF-Drapac, and Sunweb as the three stand-out teams that fielded a full roster of riders on disc-specific bikes. A lot of this is down to neutral service support, and the fear of having to wait that extra few minutes for a disc wheel. We have to wonder how long it’ll take until we see the full peloton move away from rim brakes, however, if only for the extra clearance they provide. Perhaps Mother Nature will ultimately be the deciding factor: another dry year will probably see rim brakes again, but one mudfest could be all that’s necessary to push teams to switch over.

Overall, there was little new technology on display. Other years we’ve seen weird, wonderful, and on occasion, products that have been a bit too far out there for use a second year. Have the professional peloton finally found what is ideal for the race’s demanding course? Is Paris-Roubaix really just a matter of double-taped bars and bigger tyres? Not if manufacturers have anything to do with it.

The Cofidis riders ran their normal bikes, with just a few subtle changes.

There was a surprising number of Cofidis riders using zero-setback seatposts.

A very neat race number mount on the Cofidis Kuota bikes.

Cofidis swapped from Orbea bikes last year to Italian firm Kuota this year. They’re using the Khan for all road races, and ran the Michelin Power Competition tubulars in 27mm at Paris-Roubaix.

Heinrich Haussler was team leader for the Bahrain-Merida team.

Dura-Ace callipers can’t fit around some higher-volume tyres, so some teams resorted to non-series Shimano brakes to provide enough clearance.

Haussler had sprint shifters next to his stem.

Haussler used the more cobbles-friendly Merida Scultura from the start line, instead of switching to it mid-race from the aero Reacto model as was the original plan.

Mechanics applied a strip of handlebar tape, held on with additional wraps of electrical tape, to some Look KeO pedals to limit cleat movement.

Lotto-Soudal is sponsored by Selle Italia, so the logos on Marcel Sieberg’s Specialized Power saddle were removed.

Astana was aboard the Argon 18 Gallium. This bike was first seen at the Tour de France last year under Fabio Aru.

As with many teams, Astana had double-wrapped bars for most riders.

The team usually use FSA callipers. The change to TRP must mean the FSA callipers don’t have the clearance for the tubulars, though this even looks a little close.

Lady luck needs to be on your side for Roubaix. But it’s hard to argue that Silvan Dillier definitely made his own when riding to an amazing second place.

There were four riders from AG2R-La Mondiale on the new Factor O2 bike, covered with a special-edition David Millar Chpt III paint scheme.

Black Inc have an updated look and an updated stem, and again, the 140mm length seems to be on trend.

A small bit of tape hopefully kept the Garmin computers from rattling about.

Arnaud Demare had a custom paint scheme on his Lapierre Pulsium.

The Movistar team had a mix of riders on Canyon’s Ultimate CF SLX and the Aeroad CF SLX.

That paint scheme is pretty damn neat.

Direct Energie are sponsored by Wilier this year, and used the Cento 10 NDR. It was the first time that particular model saw action at Paris-Roubaix.

The rear end of the Wilier Cento 10 NDR includes pivots and an elastomer to make things a little more plush.

Astute saddles are quite new to the peloton. The Italian company also sponsor Dimension Data this year.

Past Paris-Roubaix winner Mat Hayman’s Scott Foil for this year’s edition.

Hayman used a 44/53T chainring setup.

When there’s not enough room on the team roof rack.

Sunweb was one of only a handful of teams on disc brakes.

140mm rotors for Sunweb.

Several riders had GoPro cameras on their bikes.

It’s not all top-end equipment. Fortuneo-Samsic were using SRAM Force callipers on their Look bikes.

Fortuneo-Samsic’s bike of choice from French manufacturer Look.

Another FSA K-Force stem, this time with the logo hidden under black tape.

Lotto-Jumbo only pulls out Bianchi’s Infinito CV endurance bike for Roubaix.

It wasn’t that long ago that you would never see a carbon fibre seatpost at Paris-Roubaix.

Lotto-Jumbo had many riders on the older model of the Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheelset.

The Cannondale Synapse is the bike of choice for Sep Vanmarcke.

Cannondale were another team on disc-brake bikes.

Classic deep drops for Sep Vanmarcke.

Sprint shifters tucked away next to the stem.

And more sprint shifters on the inside of the drops.

 

The post Paris-Roubaix tech gallery: The bikes that took on the 2018 cobbles appeared first on CyclingTips.

The Schwalbe X-One Speed fills the gap between the dirt road-friendly G-One Speed, the ultra-popular G-One Allround, and the aggressively knobby X-One Bite. Schwalbe says its latest mixed-surface tire is a “speed miracle” on dry tracks with stable cornering characteristics thanks to its progressive tread design, but how well it lives up to that billing depends heavily on carefully dialing in your pressure.

Gravel vs. cyclocross

Many will view the X-One Speed as yet another gravel option from Schwalbe, but the company intends it more as part of a three-model range aimed more specifically at cyclocross, with the X-One Allround in the middle, the more aggressively treaded X-One Bite for mud and softer ground, and now this new one for harder surfaces. The model name itself should perhaps be the biggest clue about that aim, but it’s also evident in the sizes offered. While the multi-surface G-One Speed and G-One Allround are both available in a generous range of widths, both the X-One Speed and X-One Bite are only available in a UCI-friendly 33c casing.

Nevertheless, the X-One Speed borrows some elements from the ultra-versatile G-One family, such as the casing construction and the round, low-profile knobs that are tightly spaced down the center of the tread. As with the G-One, the idea with that distinctive pattern is to provide a modicum of extra grip for more dependable drive and braking traction when upright, along with the surprisingly low rolling resistance that has characterized the G-One family.

The Schwalbe X-One Speed wears a very interesting-looking tread design that aims to combine straight-line speed with reassuring cornering traction.

Schwalbe pairs that speedy center tread with knobs that get more aggressive as you move outward from the center. At the very edge is an array of 2.5mm-tall dash-like blocks, while the tapered transition knobs in between resemble little rubber doorstops. And although the X-One Bite also uses a progressive knob design, the change in height from 3mm in the center to 4mm out at the edge is far more subtle than it is here. If you’re a mountain biker who was around in the late-1990s and wondering why the tread seems so familiar, it’s very similar to what Bontrager once did with the Revolt SS.

The X-One Speed may only be produced in a single width, but Schwalbe does produce it in two casing constructions. The top-end Evolution model tested here sports a “Tubeless Easy” 127TPI nylon casing and thinner Microskin casing reinforcement for more suppleness, while the mid-range Performance variant makes do with a less pliable 67TPI casing, a tougher RaceGuard protection layer, and tube-type construction.

| Related: Clincher, tubular or tubeless tyres?

Interestingly, claimed weights are the opposite of what you’d expect, with the X-One Speed Evolution coming in at 370g each, and the cheaper X-One Speed Performance supposedly tipping the scales at a slightly lighter 350g (although the total weights will flip again once the mass of an inner tube is added to the Performance version). Actual weight for my pair of Evolution test tires straddled the claimed figure at 361g and 391g apiece — roughly on-par with claims, but with more variation than I’m used to seeing these days.

The center knob pattern is highly reminiscent of Schwalbe’s ultra-popular G-One Allround with its tightly spaced array of round dots. The tread height gets progressively taller as you move further out toward the sidewalls, though.

Retail price for the X-One Speed Evolution is US$80 and the X-One Speed costs US$48. International prices are to be confirmed.

Under pressure

As with every tire, the X-One Speed comes with a recommended range of inflation pressures, which in this case is 40-70psi. I’m no stranger to running tubeless cyclocross tires, though, having made the switch from tubulars to tubeless full-time more than six years ago. Pressures in the low-20s have historically presented few issues for my 70kg frame, but seeing as how my testing of the X-One Speeds would include some rocky terrain, I initially went with what I thought was a fairly conservative 35psi.

At that pressure, the X-One Speed felt anything but speedy. In fact, it was notably slow and sluggish, with disappointing levels of rolling resistance from the not-so-supple casing. Worse still, I found the cornering grip to be a bit lacking as well. Whereas the larger G-One Allround models can rely on their generous casing widths to provide grip on a wide range of surfaces, the X-One Speed instead has to lean — literally — on its knob design, which, at least to me, didn’t seem sufficient to close that gap in footprint size.

The semi-stiff casing works better at slightly higher pressures as it helps keep the slower-rolling transition and shoulder knobs off the ground when traveling in a straight line.

Some tires are more sensitive to changes in pressure than others, however, and as it turns out, the X-One Speed is one instance where you’re much better off paying heed to manufacturer suggestions.

At 40psi, the tire’s performance is transformed, and much more in keeping with expectations.

With a bit more pressure to help the casing maintain its shape under load, the transition and cornering knobs don’t come into play as much when you’re upright, and so the rolling resistance feels much more inline with the G-One Allround — one of my absolute favorites for mixed-conditions riding. And when you lean the X-One speed over at those slightly higher pressures, the additional casing support also helps push the shoulder tread into the ground better for more surefooted traction through soft corners.

The dash-shaped shoulder knobs are nearly continuous, and provide a decent “shelf” on which you can lean during hard cornering.

Even better, the squared-off profile also provides more of a “shelf” to lean on relative to tires with more rounded profiles, which I found especially useful when the ground was particularly loose. That sort of profile is more amenable to controlled drifting through slippery corners than the rounder G-One Allround, too, which is more prone to sliding out when pushed past its limits.

As has been my experience with other Schwalbe mixed-terrain tires, durability of the X-One Speed has been pretty good, and both samples were easy-as-pie to set up tubeless, requiring only a high-quality floor pump and about 30cc of sealant to get them seated and sealed.

Caveats

In fairness to Schwalbe, the X-One Speed is a solid option when viewed in the intended context of cyclocross racing. It’s pretty fast and offers good cornering grip, and for privateers that actually have to pay for their own equipment, the hard-wearing durability is refreshing.

However, I’ve never been a big fan of semi-stiff cyclocross tires for high-performance applications, regardless of rubber compound or tread design. While they can be made to roll quickly and grip well, it always feels like a compromise as compared to tire carcasses that are inherently more apt to conform to the ground. Tread design is important, but footprint size is arguably more so in many situations.

Addix is the terms Schwalbe uses for its custom rubber blends. Whereas the upper-end Evolution model gets a single-compound formula, the mid-range Performance model gets a dual-compound tread cap.

The higher pressures the X-One Speed seem to demand for optimal performance also compromise ride quality, and despite claims, it isn’t actually UCI-legal in terms of size. Actual width on a 21.5mm-wide rim at 40psi is 34mm on the nose, and unless you’d prefer to mount these tires on rims with fairly narrow internal widths (which I don’t recommend), you stand the very real possibility of running afoul of race officials at the starting line.

In light of all of that, I like the X-One Speed, but I don’t love it.

For cyclocross racing, my money is still on the tried-and-true Donnelly (née Clement) PDX/MXP/LAS trio, all of which have noticeably softer casings and better grip in questionable conditions, as well as what feels like a faster roll at a wider range of inflation pressures. Tread durability seems about even between the two brands, too, and while the X-One Speed has the edge in terms of casing durability, the modest casing volume limits its usefulness for everyday riding.

The profile is quite squared-off for a mixed-surface tire, which is good for softer ground, but makes for vague cornering on asphalt.

If an all-purpose mixed-terrain tire is what you’re after, I’d go with Schwalbe, but not this particular model. Instead, I’d recommend the more versatile — and truly superb — G-One Allround in a 35c or 40c size, depending on what will fit in your bike. The larger casings provide ample cushioning, while somehow offering nearly as much cornering grip as this X-One Speed (unless the ground is very loose), a more natural feel when cornering on pavement with its more rounded profile, and a faster roll overall.

www.schwalbe.com

The post Schwalbe X-One Speed tire review: Grippy and quick, but pressure-sensitive appeared first on CyclingTips.

In this edition of Bikes of the Bunch, Dominique Rideaux’s tells us all about his new Molti, a custom-built steel gravel bike built by Prova Cycles.

Dominique Rideaux may have an exotic French name but his accent is pure Australian. He grew up on the outskirts of Sydney and has been living in Bega on the far south coast of New South Wales for the last thirty years. The small country town is located in a valley so it’s “all up and down,” according to Dominique, and there are “infinitely more dirt roads than there are tar roads.”

Dominique has been riding bikes and racing for many years, and even has a couple of Australian titles to his name. With a self-proclaimed love for bikes, he has several in his shed, including a 12-year-old Baum Corretto that serves as his daily ride. He’s not a collector, though, so he only adds a new bike to his quiver when the need arises or his riding goals change.

For a place like Bega, some kind of off-road bike is an obvious choice. Dominique first tried tackling the local terrain with a mountain bike, but it was not a natural fit. “There’s some really good young riders here, and there’s a really good mountain bike scene, but I’ve always been a road and track rider, so I just found myself in all sorts of trouble and I’d fall off. I’m too old to be falling off bikes any more.”

Taking to the dirt still held a lot of appeal for him, especially during holiday periods when the local roads become congested with tourists. “The gravel’s lovely; you can go out and do a couple of hours and not have a car go past you,” said Dominique. “A lot of the gravel roads are a lot more wooded, too, so you get to ride in the shade a fair bit during summer.”

Prova Cycles was not Dominque’s first choice when he decided to place an order for a gravel bike. “I was on a wait list to get a gravel bike from Baum, but Darren hadn’t designed one yet, so a friend suggested I take a look at Prova. He’d just had a bike built by Mark [Hester, the man behind Prova] and gave him a really big thumbs up, so I got in touch with him, and it was a terrific experience.”

That experience counts for a lot during the course of getting a frame made, and for Dominique, it was a matter of connecting with a like-minded collaborator that he could have a laugh with. “When I met Mark, I liked him straight away, and that was despite the fact that he was doing something bespoke and he didn’t have a tattoo or a beard. Anyway, I put my feelings about that aside and we hit it off really, really well. He was good to talk to and he understood where I was coming from straight away. So once I started introducing things like the colour, he was onto it at a millions miles an hour, out there looking for colours that would work.”

Prova’s workshop is based in Melbourne just a few hours away from Bega, so it wasn’t difficult for Dominique to meet up with Mark to go through the details for the new bike. “One of the things that I really wanted was toe clearance, which I don’t have on my other bikes. I had it in my head that if I was going to be riding on gravel and mucking around in the dirt, I wanted to be able to turn the front wheel without hitting my toe.

“Mark wasn’t convinced that clearing the toe was going to be as important as getting all the angles right, but in the end, it turned out that there was clearance for my feet and everything else was in proportion, too.”

Prova’s preference for steel was also a good fit for Dominque. “I was pretty confident that the steel would do everything that I wanted it to, and that’s how its turned out. My first bike was an old steel Cecil Walker and I liked the feel of the steel. I also wanted something that was going to see me out, as it were, where I didn’t have to be worried if it fell over in the gravel. I just didn’t think it was a good idea to get a plastic bike to go flogging around in the bush.”

Frogs, cars, and a fondness for the ‘70s

Dominique had a strong vision for the final presentation of the bike and spent a long time finalising those details. “I wanted to make a statement with the bike, but in a subdued way – classy, but a little bit different. I’ve always liked the idea of a green tree frog with orange on the inside of its legs, so that when it jumps, you see that flash of orange. I also like the idea of colours that can change depending on whether it is in shade or sunlight.”

Brown might be an unconventional choice for a bike, but it was a colour that fit in with the idea of a bike that was going to spend a lot of time in the bush. Dominique also jokes that after growing up in the ‘70s, he has good reason to be fond of the colour. “I looked for months and months to find the right-coloured brown, mostly at different cars and car web sites. In the end, it was Mark that actually found the colour that was used, on a car that was parked near his workshop.”

Dominique applied the same devotion to deciding the parts for the new bike, so the time spent waiting for Mark to build the frame wasn’t wasted. “The experience of picking out all the parts and building up the bike is part of the thrill of buying a custom bike. It’s sort of like planning to go on a holiday where the fun part, in some ways, is in all the planning. But unlike a holiday, you get to keep the bike when it’s finished.”

Dominique had some definite ideas for the new bike, such as his continuing devotion to tubeless tyres, but there were other aspects that were untested. “I wasn’t sure about a 1x transmission. I really liked the idea of the clean look of it, but I kept looking at the numbers to see the effective range that I would have. I had to go on a few rides using the gear range that would be available to get a bit of a feel for it, and that was when I decided it wasn’t going to be a problem. It was a bit disappointing that I couldn’t get an eTap setup to suit a 1x transmission, because it would have made for really sweet, clean lines.”

That aesthetic also guided his choice for a power meter. “I wanted to have a power meter on the bike but I didn’t want it to clutter the lines so I was really quite chuffed when I found the Cinch power meter, because the bike doesn’t look like it’s got a power meter on it at all. And once I had the cranks, I went with Easton’s stem and handlebars. It’s all really nice stuff that provides a bit of continuity for the build.”

The rear fender is a custom composite creation from Swarf Cycles in the U.K. The naked carbon was painted matte black to match Enve’s front fender, but it was a good opportunity to add a bit of subtle branding for the bike.

Enve’s SES 4.5 AR Disc wheelset is an opulent choice for a gravel bike but Dominique couldn’t resist the temptation. “I’ve got a thing for wheels. I’ve got at least a couple of sets of wheels for every bike I own that I can use for different situations and circumstances, and that’s what I did with this bike, too. Plus, it’s just too difficult to swap around tubeless tyres, so I bit the bullet and got a set of Hunt carbon Aero wheels with 30c Schwalbe G-One tubeless tyres. I use them with the fenders for commuting, then I take them off for the bigger tyres on the Enve wheels to go riding in the bush.”

The new normal: the current thinking behind wide road wheel design

For the final touches, Dominique worked with Mick Peel at Busyman Bicycles to come up with a pattern for the bar tape, pump strap, and saddle. “I clearly had this pattern in mind of pavé breaking apart as it crumbles into the ground. I drew the idea onto a piece of paper and sent a photo of it to Mick and the design that he sent back was spot on. I’m a vegan, so I had to chase up some ‘vegan leather’ — for want of a better term — from a place in Melbourne before he could do the work.”

Build Details

Frame: Prova Cycles Molti custom steel
Fork: Enve Gravel Road Disc
Headset: Cane Creek
Stem: Easton EC70 SL carbon
Handlebars: Easton EC70 AX carbon
Shifters/derailleurs/brakes: SRAM Force 1x, 11-38T cassette
Cranks: Easton EC90 SL Cinch powermeter, 42T and 38T chainrings
Bottom bracket: Chris King T47
Wheels: Enve AR4.5 rims with Chris King R45 Disc hubs
Tyres: Panaracer Gravel King tubeless 700 x 35C
Seatpost: Enve
Saddle: SMP with Busyman Bicycles custom vegan upholstery
Pedals: Shimano XT
Bar tape: Busyman Bicycles custom, vegan leather
Bottle cages: King
Accessories: Silca Impero pump with Busyman Bicycles custom pump strap; Enve front fender; Swarf Cycles carbon rear fender.

When Dominique collected the bike, he was thrilled with the final result, and it has performed far better than he could have imagined. “It’s sort of beyond my expectations. In part, I didn’t really have a clear idea of what it would ride like. I’ve ridden my road bike on gravel before, so that was the only experience that I had to measure it against. It’s actually so different that it’s hard to describe it, but I feel sort of more secure, and the bike has a certain confidence about it. I don’t how much of it has to do with the geometry, or the steel, or the tyres that are on it, but my guess is that it’s a bit of everything.

“The first time I rode it, it just fit like a glove. It felt really stable and it’s a really comfortable bike to ride. I’m thoroughly impressed with the 1x. I can go over some pretty rough stuff and the chain never looks like its going to come off. I’m loving the disc brakes, too; they’re just beautiful. I’ve never really had a problem with rim brakes on any of my other bikes; they work perfectly well. But the discs are really, really nice, and it’s given me a reason to start thinking about getting another bike.

“I’ve taken the Molti on some pretty gnarly fire trails that you would usually ride with a mountain bike and it was no problem at all. It was surprisingly good. I just had to slow down a bit for the washouts and pick my line, which made it a different sort of ride, with the absolute bonus of being able to belt along when I got to the flatter, clean bits. It was just a buzz, I couldn’t get the grin off my face.

“It’s never going to be as fast as a road bike, but I tell you, it can belt along on the road. I have been surprised at how quick the wide tyres can be, because you look down and you feel like it’s going to be like riding a wheelbarrow or something like that, but it just doesn’t feel like that once you get moving.”

Dominique is now in the early stages of planning a couple of multi-day trips with a few of his mates, and the Molti seems to be fuelling his enthusiasm. “I go out there and see it in my quiver, and I just want to ride it. At the end of the day, that’s what you’re after in a bike. A bike that makes you want to get out and ride is your best bike.”

The post Bikes of the Bunch: Prova Cycles Molti Road custom gravel bike appeared first on CyclingTips.