Shimano brings mechanical shifting fans 12-speed road and gravel groups, Mason specs it, and Mosaic, Sage and Time show off new bikes. Columbus launches an interesting stealth component group, and we’ve got new tools, cargo cages, cargo bikes, and more! Here’s the best new stuff this week:
BONUS: I’m giving away a K-Edge Max Combo Mount (~$100 value). Email a link to this post to five riding buddies and bcc “friends@thelunchride.com” for a shot at winning! Details at bottom.
Shimano 105 Mechanical & GRX 12-speed debut
Shimano unveiled two new mechanical 12-speed groups this week – 105 for the road, and GRX for gravel. I wrote a longer tech story covering all the details if you’d like to dive deep, but here’s the gist of it:
GRX 12-speed:
Massive increase in gear range with new 10-45 and 10-51 cassettes for 1x (450% & 510% range, 40- & 42-tooth chainrings), and a slightly larger 11-36 cassette for 2x (506% range with their 48/31 double). The 1x rear derailleur gets two different cages that can be swapped to fit either cassette. Shifter hood shape is flatter on top for better ergonomics.
Their carbon gravel wheels get a lot lighter, too, dipping under 1,400g thanks to new hubs. Overall, it’s a great refinement of an already good gravel group with a much-needed boost in gearing options.
105 Mechanical:
Basically a mechanical version of the recently released 105 Di2 12-speed group, with the same ergonomic, lever reach, and pad clearance updates, all with the same great looks and performance that make it an excellent value.
Mason Bokeh 3.0 goes green
The recently updated Mason Bokeh 3.0 gets the GRX upgrade along with this limited edition Optic Green colorway. It’s a Dedacciai alloy frame made in Italy and has tons of mounts. They also gave their Resolution steel road bike the new 105 and painted it in a very pretty Sepia.
Mosaic upgrades their mountain bike
Colorado’s Mosaic Cycles’ new MT-1 is a better version of their batch-built MT-2, getting lighter double-butted 3/2.5 titanium tubes. It comes in four sizes with custom geometry available at no upcharge (it’s still $6,600 for the frame, so…).
XC to trail geo is tuned for a 120mm fork with 29×2.4″ tires, but works with 110-130mm travel and clears up to 2.6″ tires. Brake, shift & dropper routing can be internal or external, up to you. They’re made to order with 6-week lead times. Bike shown here is $13,575.
Sage PDXCX cyclocross bike gets upgraded, too
The latest Sage PDXCX keeps its PNW style with high BB and aggressive stance, but updates to more modern standards throughout. New 3D-printed dropouts (not shown on this one) are UDH/T-Type compatible and give it flat mount brake mounts.
The BB upgrades to T47, which makes room for all cables/hoses to run internally through the downtube, making the bike easier to clean and shoulder. Tire clearance grows to 40mm, making plenty of room for “fast gravel” or commuter tires if your ‘cross bike pulls double duty year ’round.
Time ADHX 45 Dyneema-infused gravel bike
Time’s new ADHX 45 gravel bike uses their in-house braided carbon fiber tubes with Bio-Based Dyneema woven in, which they say nearly doubles the frame’s strength. It’s also extremely light and eco-friendly to produce.
Compared to their ADHX Allroad bike, this gravel version increases tire clearance to 45mm, +15mm longer wheelbase, +10mm longer chainstays, and +3mm more fork offset. It’s 1x/2x & mech/elec drivetrain compatible, has forged carbon dropouts, and stealth internal routing through Deda DCR headsets. Frameset $3,599, bikes from $5,719 to $8,169.
Columbus Trittico integrated cockpit & fork is brilliant
Right now, custom builders have a few (albeit very good – ENVE, FSA, Deda) options for stealth routing. Now, Columbus, which has been a long-time tube and fork supplier to the handmade bike crowd, has a complete cockpit component line called Trittico.
The carbon handlebar and stem run all lines internally, feeding alongside a “Trefoil” shaped fork steerer that doesn’t need holes (except for the front brake hose) and allows for standard 1-1/8″ upper headset cups. Technically, this means you should be able to convert your own road bike to stealth routing with these parts, too.
A magnetic cover hides direct-mount bolts for flat mount brakes, so there’s no adapter needed. The handlebar has ergo shaping on the tops and drops and weighs just 243g. The stem fits over a tuning sleeve on the steerer to allow for +/- 5º angle adjustments, and all faceplate mounting bolts insert from the bottom and are completely hidden from view. Well done, Columbus! (videos of each component on their Instagram)
Specialized’s partially 3D-printed Power Expert Mirror saddle
Specialized’s top-level Mirror saddles have a fully 3D-printed top with no cover to hide the lattice structure and range from $325-$450. The new Power Expert Mirror puts that 3D padding only under your sit bones and drops the price to $200.
It’s also available in four widths (130/143/155/168mm) with weights from 210-227g thanks to hollow titanium rails. Standard PU foam surrounds the Mirror sections with a waterproof cover on top and long center relief cutout.
Abbey Bike Tools Star Nut Setter
Abbey Bike Tools’ new Star Nut Setter is a two-piece design that slides an outer sleeve over your steerer tube to guide the inner driver straight down the pipe. Just thread the star nut on and tappy tap tap until it hits its stop for a perfectly aligned install at the perfect depth.
Works with 1″ & 1.25″ metal steerers. It’s not for carbon steerers because don’t ever put a star nut in carbon steerers, mmkay? They’re $60 and will be anodized green (I spotted these at their factory in an early production state).
Wolf Tooth Morse Cargo Cage
Wolf Tooth’s Morse Cargo Cage uses the same dot-dash mounting holes as their water bottle cages to give you 35mm of vertical positioning flexibility, now in a bigger three-bolt “anything” cage design. Additional side mounting holes let you angle them however you want, too.
They’re machined from 5052 aluminum in Minnesota, weigh 60g each, and measure 7″ x 2.8″. Optional 20″ straps are 28.5g. MSRP is $39.95, straps are $8.95, or bundle the cage + 2 straps for $51.95. Max load capacity is up to your fork’s limits.
Sun-Ringle SR32 trail wheels extend to kid’s bike sizes
Sun-Ringle’s new SR32 trail wheels get 32mm wide (internal) alloy rims and come in Pro & Expert 29″er”/27.5″ models for adults, with SRX and Super Bubba X hubs.
More interesting are the youth options, with 24″ and 26″ for aftermarket, and 20″ for OEM, giving kids a better option for shredding hard. They have QR, standard & boost axle options, plus XD, HG & Micro Spline freehubs, so they’ll fit anything (and make it easier for you to pass down your old group).
Specialized Globe Haul LT e-cargo bike gets bigger
The new Specialized Globe Haul LT is a long-tail version of the original, doubling the rear end’s length and increasing cargo capacity to a massive 441 lbs. Now there’s room for six panniers (they make a ton of accessories, like these baskets…dogs not included) or two small friends.
The one-size-fits-most (4’5″ to 6’4″) bike rolls on 20×3.5″ tires for a low center of gravity, has front & rear lights, full fenders, assists up to 28mph, and has an optional throttle add-on that lets you cruise w/o pedaling at up to 20mph. The 700W hub motor and 772Wh battery deliver up to 60 miles of range. MSRP $3,500, accessories sold separately.
Cannondale launches Wonderwagen & Cargowagen e-bikes
Meanwhile, Cannondale also launched new e-cargo bikes. The front-loading bakfiets-style Wonderwagen Neo has a two-seat box with massive headlights and a foot rail that keeps it from tipping over. Pull the seats out to increase cargo space. Low standover and a dropper seatpost make it easy to mount even when loaded. Available in select countries but not the U.S. (video here)
The Cargowagen Neo ($4,300) is a standard e-cargo bike also fits up to two kids with 176 lbs of cargo (plus rider, so probably similar to the Globe). Both use Bosch Cargo motors, can fit a second battery, have suspension forks, and roll on 20″ wheels.
Now you can ride a Festka Spectre in Rouvy’s Vuelta a España
Rouvy is a virtual world training platform that uses real-world footage for its routes, and now you can ride the limited edition Festka Spectre in the game. The partnership celebrates the Vuelta a España with a gorgeous Picasso-inspired custom paint scheme for the bike, which you can also buy and ride IRL, too. Read the full details here and get a promo code, too.
On Stage
If you’re prototype bike gets stolen, you may as well make a killer video about it.
Small Bites
- Here’s a really cool brake mount facing tool every shop should have
- This is a super sick cafe racer-inspired custom Cannondale
- Jay Petervary hit by a car on his Great Divide FKT attempt
- Truck driver loses $2MM in supercars to avoid hitting cyclists
- Buy a Can’dAid’s kids bike and they’ll donate one to a kid in need
- People for Bikes has a Ride to School Challenge for kids
- They’re also trying to map the entire US bicycle infrastructure
- Here’s a fun history of the Rockshox SID forks
- Chrome x Lucas Beaufort limited edition collection now live
- Carol Bike uses AI to get you fit in as little as 5 minutes
- Spot Bikes is blowing out overstock on new Fox shocks
- Apply by Sept 10 for trailbuilding grants from Athletic Brewing
Hot Deals
There are TONS of huge Labor Day sales going on, a lot of them end on September 4th or 5th though. Here are the best ones I found:
- REI’s Labor Day Sale has huge deals:
- 20% off Thule & Yakima racks, cargo boxes, etc.
- 25% off Niterider Lights & Garmin Varia radar
- 25% off WTB saddles, tires & components
- 25% off Bontrager helmets & Pearl Izumi gear
- 25% off Osprey, Ortlieb, Camelbak & Revelate bags/packs
- 40% off select Co-op commuter e-bikes, and more!
- 50% off clearance clothing & footwear
- Clothing:
- All Swiftwick socks are 15% off
- Pactimo’s Summer Clothes Out Sale has kits up to 70% off
- Use code SUMMERSALE23 for 30% off select Velocio kits
- Pearl Izumi has everything 25% off site wide
- 15% off Ibex’s awesome wool t-shirts w/ code SUMMERSEND
- Gear:
- Get $300 off Wahoo KICKR Core and $200 off KICKR ROLLR
- Garmin has the Varia RTL515 and TACX trainers on sale
- Thule’s Tepui Low-Pro rooftop tents are just $1,099 at Bass Pro Shops
- And the Tepui Explorer Kukenam rooftop tent is $1,299 at Cabela’s
- Roofnest has all rooftop tents on sale for Labor Day
- Sea to Summit has all camp cookware 20% off
- Gerber’s Summer Sale has many knives & tools 50% off
- Bikes:
- Fezzari’s Labor Day Sale has huge MTB/eMTB deals
- Aventon e-bikes are up to $500 off
- Woom has free shipping on all kids bikes
- More Retailers:
- JensonUSA’s Labor Day Sale has all the stuff plus Door Buster Deals
- Competitive Cyclist has a Labor Day Sale, too
- evo.com also has a big Labor Day Sale with bike and outdoor gear
- BikeTiresDirect has almost the entire site 25% off (or more!)
Parting Thoughts
We cyclists love to complain about new standards.
“The companies just wanna sell us more stuff!”
Maybe, but I love new stuff. If you’re reading this newsletter regularly, you probably love new stuff, too.
Does anyone really prefer rim brakes after trying disc brakes? Or tubes after going tubeless?
What if nothing changed? If the Gatorade Sports Science Institute has been studying human performance and hydration since 1985, why hasn’t the formula seen more than a couple of trivial updates since it launched in 1965? Did they really get it right the first time around?
Were 26″ wheels really the ideal for mountain bikes?
Should road bikes still run 23mm tires?
No, no, and no.
If you think things are changing too much, too fast, think about this:
When SRAM launched their XX 2×10 group in 2009, it was an intentional step toward 1x drivetrains. They were already working on 1x groups and knew they were the future.
But can you imagine if we had gone from 3×9 groups with a tiny cassette to 1x with monstrous 50-tooth cassettes? Everyone would have lost their sh*t.
No joke, I’ve seen an entire dumpster full of MTB front derailleurs. So, should they have just skipped XX altogether? In hindsight, it’s easy to say yes, but…
Would we have accepted radical change? Or did we need the baby steps of logical change?
Would we have accepted 120mm “XC race” bikes if we hadn’t gone from 60mm to 80mm to 100mm first?
Here’s to the next new standard!
PS – Forward this issue to five of your riding buddies and bcc “friends@thelunchride.com” and I’ll enter you and your friends’ emails to win a K-Edge Max Combo mount of your choice, including Limited Edition finishes! The only rules are (a) the winner must be subscribed to this newsletter at time of drawing on September 7, noon EST, and (b) the email addresses must be legit.
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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