I’m a day late (Happy Saturday!), mainly because I’ve been traveling, in a different time zone, and riding for like 7 hours a day at a bike launch that’s gonna be super interesting when I can talk about it later this month.
For this week, we’ve got GoPro’s annual upgrade, a versatile new DH & park bike, a gear box eMTB, fancy new rear shocks, Zwift’s “bike” goes on sale, and more. Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- GoPro
- Ari Superior Peak
- Tout Terrain Divide eMTB
- Surly Moonlander
- Fulcrum Metal
- Vorsprung
- Zwift Ride
GoPro HERO 13 Black
GoPro’s competition has been coming on strong lately, with the Insta360 Ace Pro winning over a lot of creators. The new HERO 13 Black introduces features that might bring them back, here are the ones I’m most excited about:
- 120fps slo-mo at 5.3K (or 400fps at 720p!)
- 10% larger Enduro battery
- Swappable Lenses (Anamorphic, Macro, Ultra-wide, and ND filters)
- Magnetic charging door
Combined, these let you get crazy good slow motion, get 4x closer to your subject, and keep charging even while you’re filming on the go. New (optional) magnetic mounts make it quicker & easier to move the camera between mounts, too, with a ball-joint option for more creative angles. MSRP $399, or $599 for the creator bundle with Media Mod, light & power grip.
If you just wanna capture 4K video without the frills, the new $199 GoPro HERO is smaller, cheaper, and lighter (just 86g) but still gets the replaceable lens, waterproof (5m) construction, and image stabilization. Slo-mo is only 2.7k60fps, and the battery is built in, but it’s a perfect starter cam or lighter option for putting on your helmet.
Ari Superior Peak gives you all the DH in one bike
Designed for Kurtis Downs and Kyle Strait, the new Ari Superior Peak DH bike is massively adjustable, with 5 different geometry settings and 2 leverage rates. You can adjust kinematics between progressive and linear, and a removable seatstay brace to change frame flex characteristics, plus chainstay length, rear wheel size & head angle to alter handling.
Set it up for high-speed DH tracks, freeride adventures, or bike park hot laps. Two builds from $4,499 to $6,499, framesets for $1,999.
Tout Terrain expands into eMTB with gearbox’d Divide
Tour Terrain is known for their all-terrain touring and adventure bikes, but now they’ve gone full send with the Divide hardtail e-mountain bike built around the Pinion E1.12 Motor.Gearbox.Unit, which gives you 12 speeds and wide range gearing in a fully enclosed transmission-plus-motor capsule.
It’s paired with a Gates Belt Drive, 120mm Rockshox Pike fork, 29″ wheels, and a made-in-Europe alloy frame for €7,799.
Surly Moonlander now clears 6.2″ monster truck tires
If you need to float over any terrain, the new Surly Moonlander has the biggest tire clearance of any bike out there. And they made their own Surly Motenda 26×6.2″ tires to fill it. It also fits 26 x 5.1″, 27.5 x 4.8″, and 29 x 3″.
The extended wheelbase keeps it stable if you load all of the frame and fork cargo mounts, and a pinion gearbox keeps things sealed and clean in any conditions. All cables run externally save for the last bit of stealth dropper post remote. (video here)
New Fulcrum Metal Trail MTB wheels also come in carbon
Stretching from their XC racing line, the new Fulcrum Metal Carbon (32mm internal) & Metal ALX (30mm internal). The carbon version weighs 1,550g and has a solid rim bed, no need for rim tape. Spoke mount reinforcements are molded into the carbon to reduce stress loads. MSRP $1,872.
The Metal ALX has 6069 alloy rims with standard spoke holes and come in at 1,860g, MSRP $605. Hubs use cup-and-cone bearings, both with 24 spokes in front, 28 in rear, and they’re rated for lightweight eMTB use. (video here)
Vorsprung Telum rear shock makes custom tuning easy
The Vorsprung Telum coil shock brings loads of adjustability with twin tube damping for individual external High & Low Speed Compression and Low Speed Rebound, plus adjustable hydraulic bottom out, and lockout lever. What makes it really unique is that oil flows exclusively through the damping reservoirs, not the shaft, which makes additional tuning and service extremely easy.
An online Tuning Hub generates personalized spring, valving and setup recommendations based on bike and rider inputs. Individually sized-to-fit PTFE glide rings and ultra-slippery microfinished chrome plated damper shaft minimize friction, and spherical mounting hardware prevents side-loading from frame stresses. MSRP $1,200 ($1,600 CAD).
Zwift Ride Smart Frame now shipping; “Zwift Ready” trainers, too
The Zwift Ride Smart Frame is a “bike” made specifically for sticking on a trainer, and it’s available now for $799. They’ve also introduced a new program called “Zwift Ready” to tag trainers that are ready for their Zwift Cog. Full details and trainer list here.
absoluteBLACK’s GRAPHENlube now more affordable
absoluteBLACK’s graphene-infused chain lube is one of my favorites, and now they’ve tweaked it to last longer in wet conditions. They say it lasts longer and maintains maximum friction reduction longer than any other wax-based chainlube in full wet, up to 150km…perfect for a typical Tour de France stage.
It’s also now available in a smaller bottle to make it more affordable. Assuming you’re not riding in wet weather all the time, this 50ml size should still last you several thousand kilometers. MSRP $43.90 USD.
Small Bites
- Congrats to Dave Turner on 30 years of making killer Ti bikes!
- Wahoo permanently drops prices on all trainers & smart bike
- Front Pack is a new (paid) social media network just for athletes
- Outside just turned into a social network, too
- Here’s how to turn a canoe into a paddle bike
- Swiftwick has 9 new States & Nat’l Parks themed socks
- Here’s how to practice Bike Fu
- Bikepacking Roots names 13 BIPOC grant recipients
- The Cycling House adds Chiricahua Mountains Gravel Tours in AZ
- Seatylock Elite is now the strongest folding lock on the market
- The Bikepacking Cookbook saves you from packet ramen
- Velocio has huge deals at End of Season Sale
Parting Thoughts
It’s been an awesome week, and I’m cramming this one in between epic rides, hot spring soaks, and puddle jumper flights.
The rides here (I shouldn’t really say where, it might give away a little too much) have reinforced the notion that we should always say YES to adventure. The only downside might be a little short-term discomfort, but the upside is amazing memories and stories to tell and stronger relationships.
“Hey, remember that time we watched TV instead of trying that new trail? That was rad!” said no one ever.
I’ve often told my friends who had kids later in life than me, be quick to say YES, and slow to say NO.
The same advice applies to ourselves.
When we’re tired, or just feeling lazy, NO is an easy, knee jerk response.
Wanna ride? Nah.
Can I climb that tree? No.
Can I see if this is flammable? Um, no.
No, no, no.
Usually, if we stop to think about what’s being asked, either of ourselves or by our kids/friends/family, it’s not that big a deal, it’s just that we don’t want to have to pull away from whatever comfort we’re mired in and process the request.
But, most of those requests are benign and should be met with an “Abso-freakin-lutely, go for it!”
It’s why I’ve been meeting my friends for their ridiculous 5:15am interval sessions lately. I avoided them for years because I like sleep.
But I like the progress I’m making even more, and it’s really not that bad once I’m out of bed.
It’s also why I got this week’s newsletter out a day late…because I said yes to an epic ride, yes to hanging out with friends I only see a couple times per year, and yes to getting to know new friends over beers.
Yes, yes, yes.
Try it next time you have the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, I think you’ll like it.
Cheers,
PS – Along these lines, I highly recommend The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. Not only is it a great story, it’s a great lesson in being OK with discomfort and embracing the growth it brings.
The Lunch Ride is a weekly TL;DR recap of the best new cycling products and tech, written for Riders, not Algorithms. SUBSCRIBE HERE to get it in your inbox every Friday.
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