This week I share some deeper personal thoughts at the bottom that I hope you’ll read. Maybe you’ll like it, maybe you won’t, but it is important to me and I wanted to share. You’ll see why at the end.
First, though, we have two new MTBs, a new fork and tires, a gorgeous gravel race bike, and some clever gadgets and apps. There’s also an amazing new DJI drone for anyone who prizes camera quality but is still on a budget or needs something small. Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- Rocky Mountain Element
- Lapierre Overvolt
- MRP Ribbon SL Rally
- WTB tires
- Festka Spectre Gravel
- Omnium Tilting Rack
- Body Rocket
- The Better Lab sleep app
- Gore Endure LE1 jacket
- DJI Mavic Air 3S
Rocky Mountain Element XC fun bike
The all-new Rocky Mountain Element is 350g lighter but also more capable with 120mm rear travel and 120-130mm forks. Geometry and kinematics are also updated to handle higher speeds and more technical terrain.
It’s their first with Smoothlink SL flex stay design that eliminates the rear axle pivot, saving weight and improving stiffness. Their RIDE-4 lower shock mount let you adjust geometry, and all frames have size-specific tuning. All but XS fit two bottles on the downtube, plus an upper cargo mount. And all but XS are 29er.
Lapierre Overvolt AM drops the suspension…again
While I think prior models actually looked better, it’s interesting that Lapierre’s early Overvolt AM e-mountain bikes had a low-mount suspension like this one, then they switched to putting the shock in line with the top tube. And now they’ve switched back, giving it a better center of gravity and added three-position shock mount to tune geometry for mullet or full 27.5″ setups.
It has 160mm travel, an alloy frame, stealth routing, and gets the newest Bosch Performance Line CX motor with a special cover that improves airflow to maximize its performance.
MRP Ribbon SL Rally trail fork is light but capable
The new MRP Ribbon SL Rally is a short-travel fork that can handle big descents. It pairs their 35mm chassis with their FullFill 2 air spring that lets you adjust negative volume to tune the off the top feel. And it has their built-to-order, custom-tuned-for-you Lift Damper.
It fits 29×2.6″ tires, has 46 or 51mm offsets, external low-speed compression & rebound damping, and comes in 120 & 130mm travel. Weight is 1,880g (4.16lb), MSRP $1,200.
WTB tires get tougher than ever
WTB’s new SG1 tires start with their already robust 4-ply construction, then add a new puncture protection layer under the tread cap (gold) and a 3x taller IP+ (green) bead protection, which also cushions against pinch flats and bolsters the sidewalls for more support at low pressure.
The tread compound is also revised to be grippier in wet and more durable, so they last longer. WTB’s TriTec triple-compound rubber puts different durometer rubber inside the tread blocks to enhance grip and support where needed.
All of this makes them heavier, so they’re aimed at gravity riders, but they’re bombproof. Available in 2.4″/2.5″ widths on Judge, Vigilante, Trail Boss & Verdict models, with High Grip and Fast Rolling compound options. (video here)
Festka Spectre Gravel race bike is fast & sexy
Click the image to enlarge and you’ll see the amazingly detailed carbon fiber layup that sets Festka’s bikes apart. Their new Spectre Gravel is all about speed, with just 40mm tire clearance and a maximum 140mm rear rotor size (160mm front).
They offer 6 sizes, or get full custom geometry and paint. I suggest going with gloss clear coat to keep that gorgeous craftsmanship visible. Frame weight 1,035g (M, raw). Electronic drivetrains only.
Omnium Tilting Rack Bracket makes bike storage easier
Need a full size front bike rack but have a compact space to store your ride? The new Omnium Tilting Rack Bracket lets you flip any rack off to the side of your bike when not in use, maintaining your frame’s slim profile so it’s easier to tuck into a tight spot. Pair it with a turnable stem to keep your handlebars in line, too.
It’s designed for their quasi-Bakfiets style Omnium Cargo and Mini-Max models, so it’s very bike specific, but pretty cool. It only adds a couple centimeters of height and maintains the cargo capacity.
Body Rocket cycling drag detector
Launching on Kickstarter, the Body Rocket is a real-time drag analysis kit for your bike, using wireless sensors at your pedals, under the stem and saddle, and out in front of your bike to send aero data directly to a Garmin cycling computer.
This lets you adjust your position on the bike and see how it affects drag as you ride, and even test different helmets, kits, wheels, and tires to see how each impacts your drag. Earlybird deals start at £2,200 with coaching from Alex Dowsett and co.
The Better Lab breaks the sleep wearable doom loop
The Better Lab is a free app co-founded by an ex Strava peep that provides daily guidance to improve sleep quality, so you feel better and want to train rather than looking at a device that says your sleep quality was meh.
It uses behavioral science to help you build better habits one at a time, stacking them to continually improve sleep quality and mindfulness, getting you out of “health spectator mode” and into the game.
Gore Endure Gore-Tex LE1 jacket capsule collection
I already have this jacket in navy blue, but darn if I don’t want the Tech Beige limited edition (left) version of the GoreWear Endure Gore-Tex LE1 jacket, too. I’d also take the Urban Gray and Off White.
These are fantastic mountain bike jackets that pull double duty as a general rain coat. They’re lightweight, pack into their own pocket, are highly breathable, and dry extremely quickly. Pricy at $280, but worth it.
DJI Air 3S gets 1″ camera sensor & huge dynamic range
The new DJI Air 3S brings pro photography to a smaller, lighter, more affordable drone. It has an advanced dual-camera design with 1-inch 24mm primary and 70mm 3x telephoto cameras, each with up to 14 stops of dynamic range, panorama capability, and better 10-bit/ISO specs than the Mavic 3 Pro.
New LIDAR forward radar and omnidirectional IR/visual obstacle sensing plus more precise RTH (Return-to-Home) features (along with that massive 1″ sensor!) make it easier to safely capture better night video & photos, too. Up to 4K/120 nabs good slo-mo footage, too.
It also gets automatic subject tracking focus, 42GB internal storage, and Local Data Mode for more privacy. Kits from $1,099. (video here)
Small Bites
- Club Ride has sweet new Gumwall hues for fall
- Saris’ excellent H3 Smart Trainer is now just $349-$399
- Brompton now sells refurbished bikes for a deal
- Brembo brakes acquires Öhlins suspension
- MRP has a new 25g ARg chain guide for gravel bikes
- Boyd Cycling is crowdfunding ownership in their company
- Gobik Guide helps you find cooler cafes & stops while riding
- Here’s an interesting seat-back backpack concept
Parting Thoughts
Dear friends, this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Like, a LOT. Maybe it will resonate.
I’ve been around bullies.
Long ago, a new kid came into elementary school mid year and felt he needed to pick on me to prove he was tough and worthy of attention. Ignoring him only made him more annoying. Eventually everyone tired of his antics and no one would hang out with him.
I’ve been around cyber bullies.
One former cycling journalist was cordial enough until I (or anyone) did something he didn’t like, then he’d pounce on his competitor to seize the “moral high ground” and rally his cronies to “cancel” that person. This journo makes all the same and just as many mistakes, but is so vicious with his response that no one bothers to challenge him on his own foibles lest they suffer his wrath.
Brands tolerated him to get the press, but most eventually just worked with a different editor rather than walk on eggshells, and his peers stopped trusting him.
I’ve been around con men.
When I was in the beverage industry one of them tried to distribute my brand. It was story after story about how great he was, yet he set up fake distributors through unwitting third parties with promises of riches, then left them holding the bag for tens of thousands of dollars. They lost money and I lost money, but he was already on to conning the next small brand the same exact way.
I saw another “consultant” run from startup to startup promising to get them distribution in all the right places, but he needed a hefty up-front retainer. Young, inexperienced entrepreneurs trusted his stories only to get burned after months of paying for no results, and this often put them out of business. But that consultant moved right on to the next mark.
These people are hard to ignore because they look us in the eye, tell us exactly what we want to hear, and do it all with a smile on their face while knowing full well they can’t deliver.
I’ve been around liars & cheats.
People who carried on second lives in private while denigrating those closest to them to hide their own nefarious acts. Once discovered, they ruin relationships, destroy family dynamics, and break up friend groups. They are easy to ignore after the fact, but we don’t realize we should until the damage is done.
I’ve been around autocrats.
I’ve seen firsthand business leaders who don’t listen to their employees. I’ve seen education board members ignore the needs of teachers. “My way or the highway” from the top down, with no interest in hearing dissenting opinions from the rank and file. They want to leave their mark, and they’re in charge, end of discussion. The end result is always low morale, less efficiency, and poor performance.
I’m sure many of you have been around similar people.
Sometimes we tolerate them because they also do things that we like or benefit us in some way.
We know something’s not right, but we’re OK with it from a distance.
But eventually, we realize the damage they’re doing. Sometimes it’s too late, sometimes we get lucky and trust our gut early on.
What’s the point?
If you’re a US citizen, you now (as in right now!) have a choice.
We have two people running for President.
One has verifiable record of bullying, lying, cheating, and wants to rule with an iron fist.
Maybe you like some of his policies. Maybe there’s one issue that feels like a dealbreaker even though you’re not sure about him personally.
Here’s the thing:
Tax policies, immigration reforms, and other grand plans change with the season. They certainly change with every election cycle.
But bad people never change, and anytime we hope that we might, we’re made fools. The longer we tolerate them, the worse things get.
We can’t trust him to follow through. We can’t trust him to consider dissenting opinions. We can’t trust him to tell the truth.
But most importantly, we can’t trust him with our Democracy.
In this election more than any other in our country’s history, I hope you’ll consider the person more than the platform.
Why am I sharing this?
As a private citizen with no interest in running for office and little resources to donate meaningfully, I often struggle with “What can I do to make a difference?”
All I’ve come up with is this:
I can share my thoughts with you, my friends and family, especially those who hold different opinions or value different things. Sometimes, we actually want similar outcomes but disagree on how to achieve them.
That’s fine. It’s part of the process and the frustratingly beautiful Yin-Yang of democracy.
These are not comfortable conversations, but I’m always glad I made the effort. Always.
However, if a bad person wins and I hadn’t said anything, I would feel complicit in their victory.
And that would make me sick to my stomach.
That’s all I’ll say on the matter.
Back to normal next week.
But if this struck a cord with you, or you’ve been struggling with what to say to those who differ politically and logic and facts don’t have the impact they should, feel free to borrow from this and insert your own experiences to make it personal. Just, you know, do it NOW.
Sincerely,
PS – Huge thanks to KC for the beers!
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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