Wow, this week added up quick! Three new road bikes, two MTBs, gravel stuff, and Mavic’s wicked light new one-piece wheels, plus wireless braking tech, aerodynamic cycling sunglasses (!?!), how to ride Zwift’s new Scotland map, and a lot more! Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- Mavic’s full carbon wheels
- Time Alpe d’Huez re-blended
- Litespeed Arenberg
- State Undefeated Carbon
- POC aero sunglasses FFS
- Bold Unplugged
- Esker bikepacking MTB
- Brooks B17 artist saddle
- Ritchey Gravel Grip
- BrakeAce braking sensor
- Bell Falcon XR helmet
- Cane Creek Matador eeBrakes
- Ride Zwift’s Scotland map
Mavic Cosmic Ultimate 45 aero road wheels are just 1255g
An all-new 45mm deep, 403g tubeless rim, a new carbon-wrapped disc brake hub, and new UD carbon spokes that run rim to rim, straight through the hub flanges, give the new Mavic Cosmic Ultimate 45 a feathery 1255g weight (575g F / 680g R).
Still a bit narrow by today’s standards, the 19mm internal rim width is designed for 25mm tires, so it’s purely for road. The spokes are molded directly into the rim, leaving an airtight tire bed that requires no tubeless tape. Then they’re molded into the hub to create an incredibly strong and laterally & torsionally stiff one-piece monobloc unit. MSRP is €3,999.
Time Alpe D’Huez Disc gets a smoother mixed-fiber layup
The 2023 Time Alpe D’Huez road bikes weave Bio-Based Dyneema into their hi-mod carbon+Vectran fibers to improve vibration damping. Dyneema fibers add impact strength at the joints without adding weight, and forged carbon dropouts save even more weight.
Side note: Time’s RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) braids dry fibers (not prepreg sheets) into sleeves that are placed over rigid molds, then resin is injected during molding, giving them complete control over the materials mix. (Video here)
Geometry is tight, with 410mm chainstays, a 580mm ETT, and very short reach on the largest frame size. That, plus a max 28mm tire width makes this a bike for racing and climbing, but probably not all-day cruising. A Deda headset allows internal routing with any cockpit, and a front derailleur mount cover makes 1x builds cleaner. Bikes from $5,999 to $9,499, framesets from $3,799.
Litespeed Arenberg is a modern, beginner-friendly road bike
With well-spec’d bikes starting at just $2,950 (sale price at launch), a made-in-USA titanium frame, and carbon fork, the updated Litespeed Arenberg road bike is a deal. Add in relaxed geometry, big 700x35mm tire clearance, and six frame sizes, and it’s a killer bike for beginner enthusiasts.
The head angle is a bit slacker and chainstays a bit longer, giving it stable handling on cracked pavement and dirt roads, perfect for the gravel-curious and bike path rider, too. Basically, it’s an all-road bike for all riders.
State Undefeated Carbon upgrades without upcharging
State Bicycle Co. is known for affordable yet high-quality bikes, and their first carbon frame, the Undefeated, follows suit. For $1,299, the hi-mod T800 frame (1160g, size 56) comes with a full carbon fork (430g), headset, thru axles, and carbon seatpost (212g).
Available in white or graphite in seven sizes from 45 to 58 cm. It uses a standard threaded BB, flat mount brakes, and fits up to 700x30mm tires.
POC Propel aero sunglasses aren’t kidding
Perhaps we have jumped the shark looking for marginal aero gains now that POC has released CFD-modeled shades. The new Propel sunglasses are shaped to divert air around those little parachutes you call ears, with a trailing edge for “effective management of airflow over the shoulders”.
Other features make them less meme fodder-ish: a huge field of vision, adjustable arm lengths, a hydrophobic anti-scratch coating, and their excellent interchangeable Clarity lenses. MSRP is $250 (€249).
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Bold Unplugged enduro bike hides more than the shock
Stretching their internal suspension design to 160mm rear travel, the new Bold Unplugged enduro mountain bike pairs it with 170mm forks. The shock & hardware sit almost level with the BB for a very low center of gravity…and low standover with long 200mm dropper compatibility.
Modernly progressive geo adds an adjustable head angle and shock flip-chip for personal tuning. A “Save The Day Kit” in the downtube has a Syncros mini-tool, pump & tire levers, with room for a tube. The rear axle lever combines a T25/T30/H6 tool, and a tire plugger kit sits in the handlebar ends.
A sag/travel meter sits outside the lower pivot for easy setup, and it borrows parent brand Scott’s Twinloc remote to adjust rear travel on the fly, giving you a shorter-travel climbing mode.
Two models are available, both with integrated carbon cockpits. The Unplugged Ultimate (€10,999) gets an Ohlins fork, XO1 AXS shifting, and XTR brakes. The Unplugged Pro (€8,999) gets a Fox 38 Performance fork, GX AXS, and SLX brakes. Framesets also available for €5,999. (video here)
Esker Hayduke goes all in on bikepacking
Already very versatile, the redesigned Esker Hayduke adds new rack mounts and a 29er-specific, custom-drawn, quadruple-butted 4130 Chromoly steel frame with size-specific headtubes, slightly taller seat tubes, and refined BB drop.
Bolt-on cable guides and bag mounts let you add whatever you need. Adjustable dropouts let you customize the geo to suit your adventure and fit up to 2.8″ tires. Frameset ($1,000) includes a Wolf Tooth headset & axle parts, plus a singlespeed adapter kit. Complete bikes from $3,000 to $4,000 with upgrade options.
Brooks x Jeremy Collins B17 saddle
The limited edition Brooks B17 Special Jeremy Collins saddle gets a laser-etched design from the American artist, inspired by his epic bikepacking adventure through the Italian Dolomites. MSRP is $320 (€290/£250). More art and story at the link.
Ritchey WCS Gravel Grip
The Ritchey WCS Gravel Grip is a 200mm long neoprene sleeve that provides 4mm cushioning on the lower half any drop bar. The length is designed for short, shallow bars (shown here on their WCS Beacon handlebar), just add whatever bar tape you like up top. MSRP is $14.95 (€14.90).
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BrakeAce wireless braking sensor
Using extremely sensitive strain gauges, the BrakeAce PF2 sensors wirelessly transmit braking forces to an app, which tracks your ride on GPS, letting you analyze your braking behavior all along the trail.
Separate front and rear sensors show how you’re mixing it up, and then the app provides tips on how to improve modulation, duration, and more to improve flow and speed. It’s sized like a 20mm spacer, so you may need to size up your rotors to fit. Pre-order now for $1,199 for estimated April-May delivery.
Bell Falcon XR helmets hit price-feature sweet spot
The new Bell Falcon XR MIPS road/gravel helmets offer all the important features -Fidlock closure, MIPS Evolve, deep rear cranium coverage, and big vents- for a digestible $120.
Available in 8 colors, XRV models (+$10) add a visor, and LED models (+$20) add a rear blinky light using an ultrabright COB LED designed by sister brand Blackburn. The light is also available separately for $25.
Cane Creek Matador eeBrake
The semi-annual Cane Creek eeBrake special color has charged out of the gate. It’s called Matador and blends red and pewter anodized parts with gold pivot hardware. Claimed weight is just 169g per pair (w/o pads), and it fits rims from 19-28mm wide. MSRP is $779.99.
Here’s how to ride Zwift’s Scotland map, earn a BCS kit
The new Zwift Scotland map opens up today as Stage 8 of the 2023 Tour de Zwift. You can register here to ride the TdZ, but you’ll have to pick a date and time to ride it (rides start on the hour).
Stage 8 only runs Feb 3-5, but makeup dates for every stage of the Tour run from Feb 6-12, so you can nab them all and get the virtual socks, cap, and kit for your avatar.
Separately, Zwift is celebrating Black History Month with the Black Celebration Series rides and workouts curated by Rahsaan Bahati, Nelson Vails, Jools Walker, the WCCC, Ayesha McGowan & more. Complete any ride & earn a BCS kit.
Small Bites
- Marin has some Buy One, Get One Free bike deals
- Buy a Spinergy carbon wheelset, get an alloy set free w/ code “BOGOSPIN“
- Peter Sagan retires from racing this year so he can race next year
- Canyon’s Tri bike can now be painted with coffee
- Women’s kit brand Machines for Freedom shuttered, Blonsky starts plotting
- Giant buys 1/3 of Stages after making their smart bikes for years
- Knog Blinder Mini Love LED bike lights are back for Valentines
- Ladies All Ride 2023 women’s MTB clinics registration is open
- This is an interesting take on communal van life
- How about a 27-day “Viking” cycling tour thru Norway & Denmark?
- Belgian Waffle Ride Mexico registration is now open
- GoPro’s $1 Million Challenge is open, submit a vid before April 2nd
- Join the BMC No Borders gravel team, get SRAM & Velocio deals
- Check out Amsterdam’s underwater bike garage
- Join the Black History Month Challenge to support BIPOC cyclists
Deals
- Chrome Winter Clearance has up to 50% off bags, shoes & clothes
- Pearl Izumi Clearance Sale has up to 75% off men’s & women’s kits
- Competitive Cyclist has trainers, GPS, wheels, susp & more up to 60% off
- Get winter gear & jackets up to 60% off at Backcountry
- Get 40% off Club Ride’s fall kits with code “FALL40“
- Garmin’s Valentine’s Day Sale has smart watches up to $400 off
- Get the Wahoo KICKR Core + CLIMB bundle for $600 off
- REI has some cycling deals hiding in their Clearance sale
Thanks for reading this week. If you saw something cool, please share it with a friend. Have a great weekend!
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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