Big week this week! Tons of new stuff from brands big and small, and some killer updates from Strava, Ride With GPS, Zwift, and Sherpa Map. Plus a link to my super-mega Black Friday deals list and a really weird saddle. Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- Princeton Wake 6560 Evo
- RideWithGPS QuickNav
- Strava 3D flyovers
- Sherpa Map course predictions
- Zwift Games
- Chris King Mango returns
- Whyte e-Lyte eMTBs
- Santa Cruz V10
- Dynaplug Air
- Wolf Tooth CAMO 8-bolt
- Lezyne Mega Drive 2400
- PoCampo Woosh
- Free bikepacking classes
- Saddlespur’s weird bike seat
Princeton Carbonworks Wake 6560 claim to be the fastest road wheels
Princeton Carbonworks’ wavy rim design gets a big refresh on their 4th gen Wake 6560 Evolution wheelset. Where prior models had smaller humps, this one gets longer deep/shallow transitions to use “Radially Staggered Lacing”, putting shorter spokes on one side to create more even spoke tension and better bracing angles.
They also get a bit wider (21mm internal, optimized for 25mm tires), and 10g lighter. The new shape saves 3.88W over the prior model & claimed 7.68W over Zipp 454 NSW V2, and it’s more stable in crosswinds, too.
It’s a hooked rim w/ no max tire pressure limits, but with a sealed rim bed with no tape needed to go tubeless. MSRP $3,150-$4,500 per set depending on which of the six hub options you want. 10 colors available, thankfully including a Matte Black.
Ride w/GPS QuickNav instantly creates routes & re-routes
The new Ride with GPS QuickNav feature instantly creates routes to any destination, with automatic re-routing. Just click “Record”, then long-press on the map or enter an address to set the destination and it’ll map you there.
Follow along on the map, or turn off the screen to save battery and it’ll show alerts for upcoming turns on the home screen. Need to change the destination mid ride? No problem, just long press on the new spot and it’ll re-route. It’ll also automatically re-route if you take a wrong turn, and click Route to Home button to get a beeline path back to your house.
The feature is free for all users for now (make sure you update the app to see it), but may get folded into paid subscriptions in the future.
Strava adds 3D flyovers
Now you can view your Strava rides (or runs, hikes, skiing, etc.) as a 3D flyover. It works with any activity that was recorded with GPS, even old ones, just click on the map and look for a “Flyover” button. It’s available now for Android users, and should be on iOS by the end of the year.
Sherpa Map predicts your best bike setup for any course, weather & terrain
Upstart Sherpa Map continues to build out interesting new features. Activity Racer lets you upload GPX activity files (yours or someone else’s) and overlay performance to see who’s fastest through a segment or course. Or upload several of your own rides to see how your own performance changes with different bike setups, fueling strategyies, etc.
Route Calculator lets you upload a GPX route (like a race course) and it’ll predict weather, headwinds, and run a “mixed surface simulation” to help you determine the best bike setup for the conditions & terrain. Pretty cool for three guys coding out of a garage, and totally free to use!
Zwift Games open e-sports competitions to all riders
Since the UCI took their e-sports championships to MyWhoosh’s platform for 2024 and beyond, Zwift decided to make a global cycling e-sports competition open to everyone, everywhere.
The Zwift Games are open to any cyclist, with community races for those who just wanna check it out, and qualifier races starting in February to earn a spot in the Elite Finals in March 2024. Three disciplines (Sprint, Epic & Hill Climb) with men’s and women’s fields in each will have Zwift’s largest-ever prize purse. Full details coming in December.
Chris King brings back Matte Mango
After an 18-month hiatus, the Chris King Matte Mango color is back. Available on all of their headsets, hubs, bottom brackets, etc. Why did it leave? Because they were having a hard time getting the color consistent from ano batch to batch, but they must have fixed that b/c it’ll be part of the regular 2024 color collection.
Whyte e-Lyte eMTBs mix lightweight motors w/ big power
Thus far, e-mountain bikes are either full power with big batteries, or lightweight with smaller motors and batteries. Whyte’s new e-Lyte eMTBs use Bosch’s 55Nm (but 600W) Performance Line SX motors with 400Wh battery on a lightweight full carbon frame. An external 250Wh battery extends range.
The lightest E-Lyte 140 Works model is just 16.4kg (36.2lb) with trail-worthy parts & tires, not weight weenie options. It comes in 135mm and 142mm travel versions, both w/ adjustable geo, 140-150mm forks respectively w/ 29er wheels and 2.5″ tire clearance. From £7,999 – £10,999.
Santa Cruz V10 gets faster, more adjustable
The new Santa Cruz V10 downhill bike has already won a lot of races and took the Team Overall title, and now it’s finally available for sale. Available in three mixed-wheel frame sizes (S/M/L) plus a 29er (XL), it’s built on a refined version of their VPP suspension.
It also has more adjustments than ever, with a rear axle flip chip (+5mm / 0 / -5mm), 3-way lower link flip chip fine-tunes BB height and head tube angle, and adjustable Reach (-8mm / 0 / +8mm).
Dynaplug Air combines tire plug with CO2 inflation
Now you can re-inflate your tire as you’re plugging it with the new Dynaplug Air. Works with Standard, Short & Mega plugs to fit any road, gravel, or mountain bike tire. Thread the cartridge on the back of the plugger and the plug housing has a small hole to let pressurized gas in to fill your tire.
Each kit includes 3 plugs, 2 CO2 cartridges, storage pouch, a hose for using the CO2 on your valve stem like normal, and the cap has a valve core removal tool. MSRP $179. (video demo here)
Wolf Tooth CAMO 8-bolt chainring system
Wolf Tooth Components’ CAMO chainring-and-spider system is now available in an 8-bolt mounting pattern to fit the latest SRAM cranksets, including Drivetrain. If you’re constantly swapping chainring sizes to suit different trails, this lets you keep the crankset on the bike and switch from 28-38 tooth round and 30-34 tooth oval chainrings.
Lezyne Mega Drive 2400 headlight
The new Lezyne Mega Drive 2400+ bike light pumps out a blinding 2400 lumens for 2 hours, or dial it back to just 20 lumens (why?) for 450 hours. There’s also a 700-lumen daytime flash mode to make sure you’re seen by cars, and five other modes.
Its waterproof, USB-C rechargeable, can work with external battery packs, and weighs 280g. MSRP $179, includes handlebar and GoPro-style mounts, letting you mount it on your handlebar or helmet, or under a computer mount.
PoCampo Woosh handlebar basket bag
This isn’t new, but I just found it. The PoCampo Woosh bike basket is a soft-sided, open face bag that’s perfectly sized for kids bikes. But it’ll also work great for casual commutes and bike path cruisers who want quick access to snacks, bottles, etc. Available in multiple colors/graphics for $37 (Black Friday sale for $25.90, makes a great gift!)
Bikepacking Roots adds free online workshops
Want to go bikepacking but have no idea where to start, what to pack, or how to load your bike? Building on the 2nd edition of The Bikepacker’s Guide, Bikepacking Roots is hosting 8 free live online workshops/Q&A sessions starting Wednesday, Nov 29 and running through February 2024. If you can’t make one, they’re recording them.
Saddlespur bike seat has built-in back support
Some saddles have a bit of a kick to their tail, giving you a little something to push off of when climbing. The Saddlespur bike seat takes it to another level with an upright protrusion meant to support your back. It’s also designed to keep your pelvis properly rotated for more powerful, comfortable pedaling. Pre-order now for £125. (via Bikerumor)
Small Bites
- State’s affordable All Road Bikes get new Tan & Gray colors
- Mavic launches Deemax helmet & anniversary DH wheels
- GCN+ and their app are shutting down on Dec 19
- Kaitlin Armstrong found guilty of gravel star Mo’ Wilson’s murder
- VMBA is raffling off a trip to Moab to support trail building
- Registration for the 15th Annual Gravel Worlds race is open
- Pit Viper is giving away some absolutely ridiculous prizes
- Here’s some 3D-animated MTB LEGO steez for ya
- Swiftwick has new holiday cycling socks
- Rockshox Shockwiz could be getting smaller & smarter
- Arcade Belts is donating $5 per belt to Big City Mountaineers
Hot BLACK FRIDAY Deals
This week, I’ve put everything in our Mega Black Friday Deals Roundup, check it out! There’s a LOT of huge discounts from tons of brands & retailers.
Parting Thoughts
I’m embarrassed to admit that I just finally watched Breaking Away this week.
I’ve been a “cyclist” for 30+ years, and grew up riding my bike everywhere, but never watched it.
If you’re in the same camp, I highly recommend it. It’s not at all what I was expecting; it was much better.
It’s not really about bike racing. It’s really just a story of post-high school kids trying to figure out what’s next, tucked inside a cool period piece that shows what bikes, geometry, and even riding position were back in the day…it’s wild how much our position on the bike has changed!
It also had those Outsiders/Goonies vibes and nailed the awkward late-70s midwest father-son dynamics.
I love being pleasantly surprised, and this movie did just that. My 18yo son loved it, too. If you’re looking for a family-friendly movie to watch over Thanksgiving, check it out (it’s streaming on AppleTV and Amazon Prime, among others).
Godere!
PS – Welcome to all the new subscribers from our Great Gravel Giveaway, and congrats to the winners! If you’re just joining us, here’s a few words on what we do here.
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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