Whoa, it’s a big week! CeramicSpeed and PUSH Industries both introduce killer new parts, legendary aerodynamicists partner with Decathlon for pro-level road bikes, 3T goes extreme to make bikepacking easy, Bridge finds and ultralight paint, and lots more! Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- CeramicSpeed x Transmission OSPW
- 3T Extrema
- Swiss Side x Decathlon
- Vélos’ recycled carbon frames
- Fulcrum Red Zone Carbon+
- Fizik Argo X
- PUSH SV8 shock
- Saris H3 Smart Trainer
- Feedback Velo Hinge 2.0
- Muc-Off SiCeramic coating
- MADE show returns
- Bridge’s ultralight paint
CeramicSpeed OSPW for SRAM Transmission
The CeramicSpeed OSPW for SRAM Transmission does have a bigger pulley and ceramic bearings, but it’s a lot more than that. A thicker, stronger carbon fiber cage holds two solid pulley wheels with alloy carriers and fiber-reinforced composite tooth rings, 14 teeth on top, and 20 on bottom. These combine to make it very stiff and prevent any sticks, mud, grass, etc. from clogging up the pulleys.
A new Active Debris Removal (ADR) bearing cover has more precise fitments to seal everything out & small grooves to push debris away. Weight is 110g, MSRP $669. It’s a direct replacement for the stock cage, using the same chain length. You don’t even have to take the derailleur off your bike to install it!
3T Extrema Italia adventure gravel bike
Using the same lightweight in-house filament winding construction as their Racemax Italia, the new 3T Extrema Italia is purpose built for the roughest gravel courses, bikepacking, and endurance challenges. It fits 700×57 (29×2.2) tires, but has touring geometry, aero shaping & integrated cable routing for a fast-yet-comfortable and capable ride.
Fork leg cage mounts and top tube mounts add cargo capacity, and the modular bar and stem hide all the cables but still allow you to change width and length. Framesets from $5,499 – $6,099; complete bikes $7,999 – $11,599.
Decathlon x Swiss Side boost big box bike aerodynamics
Decathon, the French sporting goods retailer that’s already fielding a UCI XC team on their Rockrider housebrand MTBs is getting into road big time with three (THREE!!!) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale teams. And they’ve partnered with Swiss Side for wheels and development of the Van Rysel XCR TT bikes.
It’s a big deal for Swiss Side’s HADRON2 Ultimate wheels, too, the first time they’ll be ridden in the World Tour. You can get those now, and the team bikes will go on sale in 2024.
Vélos Holocene superbike made from reclaimed carbon fiber
New Zealand carbon repair company Vélos is launching their own road bike. The Vélos Holocene is a 100-unit limited edition proof-of-concept built with 100% surplus carbon pre-preg from the NZ aerospace and marine industries. This clever use of scrap material is built into a lightweight, one-piece monocoque “superbike” frame that’s intentionally designed to be easily repairable.
Flush-mount 3D-printed titanium water bottle bosses won’t corrode, and a clamp- and wedge-free seatmast allows height adjustment with a very clean look. Pre-order with a $2,500 deposit, delivery in 2024. (via Bikerumor)
Fulcrum Red Zone Carbon+ MTB wheels get lighter & faster
The “plus” in the Fulcrum Red Zone Carbon+ mountain bike race wheels means a new UD hi-mod carbon fiber layup/resins & ceramic bearings. They’re 60g lighter (1,385g, 29er only), with 9.5% better handling and 10% better reactivity, and measure 24mm deep & 28mm internal optimized for 2.2-2.4″ tires.
Embedded plastic washers pair with asymmetric spoke holes to give the wheels better bracing angles and perfect spoke alignment. Nipples are guided into place magnetically, so there are no holes in the rim bed for easy tubeless setup w/o tape. Ceramic bearings in cup-and-cone races provide smooth rolling and easy adjustment. MSRP $2,483 (XD) – $2,499 (MS12).
Fizik Argo X gravel/XC race saddle has a mud flap
The new Fizik Argo X borrows their short-nosed road racing shape and adds a rubber “mud flap” cover under the center cutout to keep wheel spray from soiling your bottom. The fiber-infused nylon shell has flexible edges at the center along with curved foam edges to improve comfort and pedaling efficiency.
A mild “S” profile keeps you planted for powerful pedaling, but rounded edges all around make it easy to shift positions on technical terrain. Two models (X3 w/ Kium rails & X5 w/ S-alloy rails), weights from 231-251g, MSRP €109-149. The carbon-railed X1 comes in January.
PUSH SV8 shock is single, looking for new bikes
The new PUSH Industries SV8 uses a single damping valve to trim complexity and cost, but keeps the same performance features. The dual valve model has two separate damping cartridges, allowing you to tune each for different types of riding or trails. The SV8 has just one, but expands the range (28 clicks each) of high- and low-speed compression damping, plus more (18) clicks of low-speed rebound.
It keeps the steel shaft & oversized eyelets to handle eMTB weights, plus their Hydraulic Bottom Out piston to prevent hard bottom outs. A Travel Chip lets you adjust stroke by +/-2.5mm, making it easier to transfer to a new bike. MSRP is $865 for the damper, plus $95 for a PUSH HyperCoil spring (or fit any 35mm ID aftermarket coil), and $20 mounting kit.
Saris H3 Plus 12 -speed smart trainer
The Saris H3 Plus takes the flatter drive-side shell of the seemingly-discontinued H4, sticks it on their H3 along with the word “Plus” and now it’s 12-speed compatible. It still comes with a standard HG freehub body, but the new shape adds clearance for 12-speed derailleur cages to move far enough inboard to reach the largest cog, where as the original H3’s slight curve does not.
It’s still very quiet (just 59db @ 20mph), has +/- 2% accuracy & 2000w max resistance, simulates 20% climbing grades, and fits up to 42-tooth 8/9/10/11/12-speed MTB cassettes. Headless Mode lets it ramp up just like a fluid trainer when not paired with any apps. MSRP $799.99; XD/XDR freehubs sold separately. (Here’s a cheap 12sp cassette if you need one)
Feedback Velo Hinge 2.0 holds bigger tires, deeper & wider rims
Tires are getting bigger, rims wider, and aero rules. The updated Feedback Sports Velo Hinge 2.0 fits all of them, from 700×23 up to 29×3.0″. Mount it to a wall stud and it holds up to 50lbs (22.7kg). The hinge design makes it easy to pack multiple bikes more tightly, or just keep one bike closer to the wall.
A non-slip front surface and vinyl-coated steel hook ensure the bike won’t slip sideways once loaded, and a larger rear wheel bumper keeps the bike straight up and down when swung to the side. Can be setup to pivot left or right. MSRP $40 / €45.
Muc-Off (Si) Ceramic Coating keeps your bike super clean
Just in time for cyclocross season and mucky winter rides, the new Muc-Off Silicone Ceramic bike coating forms an ultraslick layer that prevents water, mud & crud from sticking to it for up to 2 years. The $65 kit includes a bike prep/cleaner, polishing and application microfiber rags, and the silicone-infused ceramic coating. Pre-order now, ships soon.
MADE 2024 handmade bike show dates announced
The inaugural 2023 MADE show was a huge success (5000+ visitors, 200 builders & exhibitors) that they’re back on August 23-25, 2024, in Portland, OR. Details here, and video announcement here.
Bridge Bike Works switches to AkzoNobel ultralight paint
Originally, Bridge was using Cerakote, which is super lightweight and very tough. But it works better on metal, requiring a lot of prep work for proper adhesion and consistent quality on their carbon fiber frames. So they’re switching to AkzoNobel, an ultralight and durable paint developed for aerospace applications.
They say it adds just 50g to a frame (typical paint adds ~200g), which is less weight than they remove from sanding and prepping! And it’s more vibrant than Cerakote while still resisting nicks and scratches.
Small Bites
- OneUp Components turns 10, gives inflation-adjusted refunds to first 42 orders
- Pro/Elite women can apply for comp’d entry to the Breck Epic Women’s Tour
- Vittoria’s Barzo & Mezcal MTB tires now let anyone run UCI Rainbow Stripes
- Insta360 launched 360º action cams into space and the footage is amazing!
- Pre-orders are open for the 2024 batch of Canfield Nimble 9 steel hardtails
- Gnarly’s new Orange Drank has some serious Friday vibes
- Saturday is Global Fat Bike Day and Salsa x 45NRTH have prizes for you
Hot Deals
- Fezzari’s Murdock flat bar gravel bike is $500 off
- Get free custom engraving on Wolf Tooth’s Pack Pliers & Tools thru 12/14
- Industry Nine’s 25% off wheels deal ends at midnight tonight (12/1)
- JensonUSA’s Cyber Monday Sale is still happening
- Backcountry has a Flash Sale up to 70% off thru Sunday (12/3)
- Get 20% off Zipp wheels at BikeTiresDirect thru Monday (12/4)
Parting Thoughts
What I love about this industry (besides the people, of course) is that every time I think things have gotten really good, someone comes along and makes them better.
It’s to be suspected, I suppose.
Progress is natural. And I’m grateful for it.
Not only does it give me something to write about every week, but it keeps making our riding experience better.
SRAM’s Transmission is amazing, but seeing CeramicSpeed’s upgrade kit is delightful. Such a simple design with obvious benefits that can easily be transferred to other OSPW systems. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s done it before, but I bet it spreads.
Cane Creek’s Tigon shock combines air and coil. Some forks use a coil negative spring with air positive spring, so how has no one combined them for a dual-positive before? It seems brilliant, and I’m excited to ride it.
I also love what Bridge Bike Works is doing by building their own carbon fiber bicycle manufacturing facility, from scratch, in Toronto. And then they keep innovating, from a 100% carbon fiber threaded BB shells to finding the lightest paint possible.
Snarky trolls will say a lot of the innovation is just to sell us all something new and make our “old” bikes seem less than.
I say the innovation happens because we’re all bike geeks and love tinkering and improving and riding faster and smoother and farther.
Here’s to the future,
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.
Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links for which we may receive a small commission if you buy something. All photos are copyrighted by and used courtesy of their respective brands unless otherwise noted.