This week we have big news from three wheel brands, a new take on compliance from Scarab, a simpler race hardtail from Trek, and the lowest possible stack height for an integrated stem…plus LOTS of big Labor Day Sales! Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- Trek Procaliber Carbon
- RAR AURA
- Partington R31
- Hunt H_Cyclo
- Scarab Condor
- Wolf Tooth InRoute headset
Trek Procaliber Carbon gets a flex frame
The 3rd gen Trek Procaliber trades the IsoSpeed coupler for a set of extended IsoBow seatstays that split past the seat tube. They’re still connected to it, but the extra length lets them flex more for better traction and compliance. The rear brake caliper mounts to an extended axle mount rather than the stays, letting them flex to the max.
It’s a full carbon frame with slacker head angle, 120mm forks, and it fits 29×2.4″ tires. MSRP $2,499 with Shimano Deore and Rockshox Judy Gold fork. There’s also a recently new alloy version without IsoBow for $1,699.
RAR AURA road wheels are just 795g
OK, so that’s for tubulars, but the RAR Aura clinchers are just 980g with 24mm deep rims. Go aero with 40mm rims and weights are 920g & 1,050g. The clincher rims are 21mm wide and tubeless ready, but what sets these apart are hybrid hi-mod carbon fiber and titanium spokes, which are 300% stronger than steel, but also lighter and narrower. MSRP €4,499 with 100kg rider weight limit. Expensive, but…
Partington R31 road wheels are $6,830
They’re also almost as light at 1,060g with 31mm depth rims (21mm wide internally). The Partington R31 wheels also use carbon fiber spokes, but do it differently, creating one-piece spokes that loop around the carbon hub shell to go rim to rim in one piece.
This allows for extremely high tension, which makes the wheels very laterally stiff, but because they’re carbon, they’re also compliant to give the wheels a little bit of radial compression comfort.
Hunt debuts H_Cyclo recyclable carbon fiber rims
Quick background: If you’ve heard the recent hype around modern thermoplastic rims, it’s because they basically swap standard (non-recyclable) epoxy resins for nylon, which also melts and infiltrates the fibers, then hardens during curing. These rims are great, but they are typically a little heavier and not quite as stiff.
When the product reaches the end of its life, that carbon can be cut up into small bits, heated until the nylon “thermoplastic” is soft, and then molded into something new. Probably not a new rim, but shifter levers, rocker arms, bottle openers are all ideal uses.
Hunt’s new H_Cyclo rims use a standard resin that allows for standard, lightweight, stiff construction, but works with a unique solvent that allows them to separate the carbon and resin when you’re done with the rims, then re-use each for other products.
It’s available now on their 40 Carbon Gravel Race and all-new 40 Carbon Gravel Dynamo wheels, and they’ll offer riders a £250 credit and free collection of old rims when you’re done with (or wreck) them.
Scarab Andes brevet bike & Composite Damping System
Scarab is a small builder out of Colombia and showed off their new steel Andes brevet bike at the MADE show, complete with a new Condor paint scheme. It’s their first bike with a custom steel fork slid into a slimmer 34mm headtube and given thin, tapered stays, giving it an ultra-smooth ride.
It’s made for wide-ish tires on either 700c or 650b wheels, fits fenders, and is ready for chill adventures with mounts for all the racks and things. Framesets from $4,000, fenders and rack additional.
Available on their Santa Rosa road (shown), Paramo gravel, and Apuna allroad bikes, their new Composite Damping System replaces the standard steel seat tube with a full length carbon seatmast, which adds more compliance and saves weight. It’s an $800 option. The bike shown has their new Fractal paint scheme, too, and all bikes are made to measure with custom geometry.
Wolf Tooth EC44 headset slams those ENVE InRoute stems
Wolf Tooth Component’s new Premium Internal EC44 integrated headset has the lowest claimed stack height that’s also compatible with ENVE’s InSet stealth cable routing standard.
It comes in all the colors, weighs just 116g, has triple-sealed weatherproofing, Enduro stainless steel bearings, and an ultra-low 15.8mm stack height. MSRP $219.95. If the bleeding edge makes your brain hurt, here’s your antidote:
Wilde x Cane Creek 1″ threaded headset
Pining for a proper 1″ threaded headset for your classic restore or a modern revival like the new retro-modern Wilde Sugar Foot (shown) gravel bike? To complete this bike, they partnered with Cane Creek for an exclusive 1″ threaded version of their 110 ZN headset. They’re available in very limited quantities now, mostly on Wilde’s own bikes, but could be more widely available if demand is there. MSRP $120.
Small Bites
- 2024 Beti Bike Bash registration is now open
- Devinci recalls 2023/34 Chainsaw mountain bikes
- Watch art, bikes & advocacy collide in this POW video
- The inaugural Hincapie Gran Fondo Bentonville looks gourmet
- Here’s how to build a sick MTB trail in your backyard
- Excellent video coverage from MADE Show here, here & here
Labor Day Cycling Sales
Just a heads up, most of these deals end on September 2nd.
- 25% off Pearl Izumi sitewide (except F24 items)
- State Bicycle Co. has tons of bikes up to 70% off
- Free cleaning kit with Nocs binocular bundles
- Up to 60% off lots of gear at Backcountry.com
- Up to 70% women’s MTB kits at Wild Rye
- Up to 40% off & 50% off clearance gear at REI
- Use code SUMMER25 for 25% off at Crank Brothers
- Up to 50% sitewide at Club Ride Apparel
- Up to 60% off Velocio bibs and jerseys
Parting Thoughts
Just wrapping up a 15-day road trip with my son as I’m typing this.
Fortunately he’s old enough to drive, and good enough that I can focus on work while he’s cruising at highway speeds.
Not sure that’s why I had a revelation this week, but I did.*
I have another site that covers overland and vanlife, perhaps you’ve seen it.
It went live in 2021, but I didn’t really have the bandwidth to do anything with it. And, honestly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted it to be. I’m still kinda figuring that out, but…
…I am ready to move the needle on that one.
And I realized, I need help. Fortunately (for me) there are lot of good editors and writers out there looking for work, so I’ve reached out to some and we’re going to make magic happen.
The tough part (for me) is that I know how to do this content thing. I do it well. I do it quickly. And I like it done a certain way.
I like to drive, too, because I can listen to my music and my podcasts.
So it’s hard to delegate. It’s also hard to let your kid drive and not constantly give feedback.
But that’s the only way growth happens, both personally and for those you’re entrusting to perform.
Also, building something solo is a grind. Been there, done that. I want to build the other one with friends who bring different viewpoints, expertise, and talents. Should be fun, right?
*Actually, I had two big revelations this week, but I’ll save the other one for another week…I’m still working out the details of that one.
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