Long-time bicycle chain brand KMC has just introduced their new React cassettes in 10-speed and 11-speed versions. First spotted at Eurobike 2023, they’re designed for wide-range 1x and 2x applications, with tooth counts good for road, gravel, and mountain bikes.

At just $65, they’re affordable replacement, option for your trainer, or way to try a different tooth count on the cheap. Perfect for upgrading your kids’ bikes, too. And from the looks of it, you won’t be giving up shift quality to save some coin.

The cogs have dual shifting ramps called Flow Control, smoothing upshift and downshifts. These ramped tooth profiles & thicknesses use varied shapes to guide the chain from cog to cog.

Both KMC REACT versions have two gear range options:

• 10-speed: 11-36T, 11-42T
• 11-speed: 11-42T, 11-50T

They’re optimized for KMC chains, but are compatible with other 10- and 11-speed chains. They fit Shimano HG freehub bodies. Fitting it to a bike built around a smaller cassette? They recommend adding the Wolf Tooth Components Goatlink to increase your derailleur’s capacity for larger cogs.

KMCchain.us

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Mathieu van der Poel’s bikes are near the top of our most-covered Pro Bike Checks’ list, and he gets another one with a new Canyon Inflite “CFR”. MvdP had a whole fleet of white Inflites to race for a 6th UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championship title in Tábor, Czechia over the weekend – on the same course where he earned his first Elite rainbow stripes almost a decade earlier.

Yet while his bikes undeniably got the integrated cable routing upgrade of the latest evolution of Canyon’s carbon cross Inflite, van der Poel’s frames seemed like they were having a bit of an identity crisis – each labeled Inflite CF SLX on the side of their seat cluster, but CFR on the top of their toptubes…

So what gives?

Canyon Inflite CFR of 2024 World Champ Mathieu van der Poel

Canyon officially introduced a higher-spec, more integrated CFR spec of their carbon Inflite cross bike at the start of this cross season. All built around their ultralight Canyon Factory Racing carbon construction.

And Mathieu van der Poel was racing on it from day one.

On the outside, this still looks a lot like MvdP’s Inflite CF SLXes that we featured in 2018 & 2019. He’d already won CX Worlds on this same bike in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, and now adds a 2024 win. Only his first Elite win, also in Tábor back in 2015, was on a different bike – a camouflage Stevens Super Prestige.

So, why the Inflite CF SLX vs. Inflite CFR identity crisis?

My first guess would have been that the new CFR frame was simply not yet on the UCI List of Approved Models of Framesets for road/cross/track racing. At least not as recently as the February 1st update – the day before CX Worlds kicked off.

All of van der Poel’s bikes featured a UCI-approved sticker with the number R059 – the number approved for the CF SLX back in July 2017.

In fact, no Canyon bikes seem to have been added to that list at all in 2023.

But it seems that all of the CFR models on Canyon’s own website have that same R059 designation. So there really is nothing different between a CFR & a CF SLX frame, it seems

The big new feature on the recently introduced Inflite CFR model was its clean fully internal cable routing. Now with cables directed inside through the Aerocockpit borrowed from the road, and via the headset into the fork. So the CFR frames shouldn’t need external cable routing ports, but there still are 3 of them on the sides of the headtube.

What is new though is the CFR fork.

The standard CF SLX had a 1.25-1.5″ tapered steerer. But the CFR uses a 1.125-1.5″ tapered steerer with an opening at the top to allow the rear brake cable to enter the frame internally. And then a 1.25″ sleeve extending down from the cockpit (kinda like an old quill stem) fills in the gap to the same 1.25″ upper headset bearing in the CFR/CF SLX frame.

Race-ready CX bike

Presumably, that’s a minimal enough change to not warrant going through the hassle of getting the UCI to approve an entire new frame. And apparently, the UCI doesn’t ask too many questions about this fork – with Zwift logos and no external cable ports – not being separately on the approved list.

So, essentially the same carbon Inflite as for his previous four championship titles while riding Canyon.

Also the same Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 2x 12-speed wireless electronic groupset that Mathieu van der Poel has raced since its introduction back in the summer of 2021. He’s been on the latest disc brake Di2 groupsets ever since his first Elite Worlds title nine years ago.

It all is a hard formula to argue with. And Mathieu van der Poel continues to dominate professional cyclocross racing on this Canyon Inflite CFR. And especially so, in tough conditions like the unrelenting mud of the Czech course for the 2024 World Championships.

A big help falls to a huge fleet of bikes and a support staff with a fresh, clean bike every half lap. See van der Poel with a clean bike here mid-race, after having just exited the pits.

And mud-ready tires!

And of course, reliable mud traction.

Like fellow Dutch World Champ Fem van Empel, Mathieu van der Poel was also racing on Dugast Rhino tubulars.

What’s different, his tires don’t have any labeling on them. Presumably, that’s to appease official Alpecin-Deceuninck tire supplier Vittoria, even though they actually own Dugast. Anyway, with no logos, we can’t be sure if his tires feature Monsoon rubber or neoprene sidewall treatment. But they are the max 33mm width allowable for cross racing by the UCI.

Van der Poel’s mechanics glue his tires up to deep Shimano Dura-Ace C50 carbon tubular wheels, the same he often races on the road.

Muddy enough to get a fresh bike every half a lap

And yes, there was plenty of mud during the race, when mechanics had to be quick getting the bike cleaned and ready to head out again. But during training, they had a little bit more time to spare. So we caught up with bike #1 getting a bath, for a closer look.

The latest Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset sees the R9270 levers mounted to the 3-piece adjustable-width Canyon Aerocockpit handlebar + stem + integrated carbon quill combo. It’s a tidy, aero setup. And no displays to distract Mathieu while racing – or warming up apparently.

His Inflite CFR gets a classic pro cyclocross 46/39T Dura-Ace double chainring crankset setup there under a full lap’s mud. An a trusty set of XTR SPD pedals. (Trust us, they’re under there.) No power meter though. When you are swapping bikes every half a lap – or roughly every 1.5km – collecting data across several bikes would simply be a mess.

So van der Poel sticks with a simple Whoop wristband fitness tracker, instead.

Everything gets clogged up with mud & grass in a proper cross race. So when time allows before the racing, MvdP’s mechanics use a Morgan Blue pulley that slides onto the 12mm thru-axle to really get in and clean every nook-and-cranny with the wheels off. There’s also a ton of mud stuck up in that saddle. And with its ergonomic cutout – also van de Poel’s backside.

He rides maybe the saddle with the longest name in the industry, the Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow MVDP edition. And no, this isn’t a custom saddle. We saw several other racers sitting on Mathieu van der Poel’s initials to race.

Muddy kicks, and pro cleaning tips, too.

Mathieu van der Poel has long run the top shoes in Shimano’s line-up. And often can be spotted wearing development prototypes that don’t always make it to production. His shoes this year are Shimano’s latest S-Phyre XC903 iteration of their top mountain bike shoe. Now with a redesigned laser-perforated upper, the latest Ultread rubber sole, and tweaked lacing guides. And of course, for muddy racing van der Poel is running a set of the optional toe spikes.

His pro team secret here, besides having lots of fresh shoes to change into while training? Team mechanics pressure wash his muddy shoes after a course recon pre-ride. Then, they use an air compressor to blow all the water out of them immediately after. With their synthetic construction, they come out surprisingly dry when the mechanic is done with them.

2024 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Champion Mathieu van der Poel

With that setup, MvdP stomped his way to another emphatic World Championship win aboard his Canyon Inflite CFR.

Now with racing for the Dutch National Team done, he can go back to a fresh rainbow-striped Alpecin-Deceuninck skinsuit. And most likely, it’s time for Canyon to figure out a new rainbow-themed paint job for his Inflite CFR race bikes. It’s the 5th World Championship win on this Inflite platform. So, Canyon’s graphic designers are going to have to come on with some creative new ideas.

Any design theme suggestions?

Canyon.com

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If you’re adding a mechanical dropper seatpost on your gravel bike and need a lever to actuate it, WTC has a new option. The new Wolf Tooth ReMote Drop Bar Lever lets you pull cable from any hand position. And it’s compatible with any standard drop bar and most mechanical dropper seatposts.

It mounts inside the bar, out of the way of your brake lever and front shifter (if you’re riding a 2x drivetrain). The design clamps around the drops, and the closure sits away from the lever to keep the thumb and finger paddles closer to the bar.

The lever rotates on two 11mm Enduro cartridge bearings, not bushings. This makes it super smooth, and super solid, with no flex when pushing or pulling.

The cable attaches with a bolt on the bottom of the pivot, and the end tucks in behind the front wing. All parts are available separately, too, sticking with their Right to Repair philosophy.

Weight is 37g, excluding cable and housing. They recommend adding an inline barrel adjuster, it doesn’t have on built in like their mountain bike ReMote dropper levers. MSRP $64.95, black only.

WolfToothComponents.com

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Over the weekend at CX Worlds in Tábor, we spotted a small CeramicSpeed crew meeting with several different teams to talk ceramic bearings and low-friction lubrication AND showing off a next-gen prototype OSPW system. Designed for both road & cyclocross, this new version of their Shimano oversized pulley wheel system upgrade gets solid pulleys and ADR tech inherited from MTB for smoother, longer running…

Prototype updated CeramicSpeed OSPW for Shimano Di2

We’re always psyched to find prototypes in the pro pits. Whether hidden in plain view like the new Campy power meter. Or slightly more incognito like this classic black tape covered derailleur cage. Here, fitted to a Cube Cross Race bike from Team Charles Liégeois, the cyclocross racing offshoot of Intermarché–Wanty. And CeramicSpeed was roaming the pits checking in with mechanics from several top riders. We later caught up with the CeramicSpeed crew. And they said they were checking-in with existing sponsored riders, meeting with potential new partners, and even quietly handing over some product to unsponsored teams who use CeramicSpeed gear without sharing that publicly.

So, what’s new in the OSPW department?

The CeramicSpeed prototype that we spotted is an updated version of their long-running Over-Sized Pulley Wheel (OSPW) upgrade for Shimano rear derailleurs. In fact looking back, it’s been almost a decade since we first spotting the CeramicSpeed OSPW solution for Shimano. And outside of a few changes in pulley teeth numbers, that core curvy carbon cage upgrade hasn’t changed much since.

Now, that appears set to change with a new angular design.

CeramicSpeed suggests that their next-gen OSPW gets more angular aesthetics. That better fits with the shaping of modern road bike groupsets. Even under a strip of black electrical tape, this prototype certainly looks like a better fit with the latest Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur, compared to the existing curvy CeramicSpeed cage.

A closer look reveals that both upper and lower pulleys are solid on this prototype. Just like those Alpha pulleys of the recently introduced OSPW X for SRAM MTB Transmissions. We’re not sure. But it looks like the same composite teeth combined to a smooth alloy disc, like on the new MTB system.

This lower pulley is also marked ADR. It features that mountain bike cage’s same Active Debris Remover shaping at the central cover over the bearing. As it’s been described to us, this tangential groove shaping is a patent-pending design that pulls dust, dirt & grit away from the bearing cover as the pulley spins. A self-cleaning solution that promises even longer bearing life

Unlike the mountain bike’s X system with narrow wide teeth, this road OSPW prototype stick with a 19T lower pulley. And appears to keep 13T for the upper pulley.

How else does it differ from the current road OSPW?

Besides the more angular recent mountain bike OSPW cage with solid pulleys & ADR tech, CeramicSpeed’s latest OSPW innovation had been their fully-enclosed Aero cage. Interestingly, that one also broke cover on an Intermarché-Wanty pro’s Cube race bike.

The new road prototypes are also more angular and feature solid pulleys. We’d have to expect that the new design will be heavier – it surely has more material in the pulleys. But time will tell if that is balanced by decreased aero drag, reduced drivetrain friction, or longer bearing life.

We’ll have to wait and see what CeramicSpeed has to say once they make the new design official.

Were there actually CeramicSpeed OSPW-equipped bikes racing in the mud?

To be honest, not many.

No one actually raced this prototype here in the mud, as far as we saw. The team mounted this one to the bike of a rider who wasn’t even at Worlds, I believe. Perhaps as a backup if one of his teammates had any major bike problems.

It may have been just here to tease all the other pro riders about the new tech coming soon. But to be fair, it was so muddy out there, it’s possible that I simply missed it.

With very muddy conditions on the Tábor World Championship course, I can’t imagine there were too many friction-reducing gains to be had in a set of oversized pulleys. At least, those not offset by more real estate to collect mud on. But you know that incremental gains are always there, relative to the baseline standard. And theoretically ceramic bearings should operate more smoothly relatively – the worse conditions get and the more team mechanics clean the bikes with pressure washers.

Anyway, the U23 development team riders of Intermarché–Wanty’s CX team Charles Liégeois were sporting existing OSPW setups.

We also noticed one or two other riders on CeramicSpeed OSPW X. Like this nice SRAM AXS mullet setup. With an X01 MTB derailleur paired to an otherwise Force 1x for the easier gearing to tackle deep mud.

What else do they have up their CeramicSpeed sleeves?

Everywhere they went – ducking in and out of pro team buses – CeramicSpeed was also carrying a small black case full of pulley cages, ceramic bearings, and who knows what else.

Probably some of their UFO Drip wax lube that is quite prevalent in top-tier racing.

We only officially see CeramicSpeed logo stickers on a few pro road and a couple pro XC mountain bike teams. But, we’ve definitely seen OSPW cages on a number of other ‘non-sponsored’ bikes. And against the high cost and focus on aero gains of most pro bikes these days, it seems like a relatively small leap for more pro riders to see if CeramicSpeed can deliver on their promises of incremental gains. Rumor in the peloton – both on- and off-road – suggests that CeramicSpeed supplies a LOT of additional teams. And all the times we saw CeramicSpeed crew pop up all over the CX Worlds pits backs that up.

CeramicSpeed.com

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Fem van Empel is the Cyclo-Cross World Champion for a second year in a row on Cervélo’s carbon R5 CX cyclocross bike. We caught up with her bike for a closer look at what the, now 2x Elite World Champ, was racing to a fresh set of rainbow jerseys…

Oh, and those fan-held flags above, they were created by her uncle & illustrator Wouter van Empel who was leading a supporters club around the muddy fields of the Tábor course.

Cervélo R5 CX of 2024 World Champion Fem van Empel

Dutch domination was the rule for the elite racers at the 2024 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Tábor, Czechia this weekend. Nicknamed SuperFem, the 21-year-old Fem van Empel continues to rack up big wins on her Cervélo R5 CX cyclocross race bike.

Developed in a partnership between Team Jumbo Visma & Cervélo, first as a race bike for Marianne Vos and Wout van Aert, van Empel has put the bike to good use, as well – winning almost every race she entered on this bike.

The Cervélo R5 CX has been ridden to the past 3 Elite Women’s World Championship titles. First, by Vos with a Shimano build.

Now twice by van Empel on SRAM.

What’s different on Fem’s bike? And what stayed the same?

What’s the same is the shorter list. A classic double clamp to make sure the seatpost stays securely in place when jumping back onto the saddle. And a 2-piece FSA AXR cockpit with fully internal cable routing and a separate carbon handlebar.

The biggest difference on Fem van Empel’s Cervélo cross bike is the SRAM Red AXS groupset. The majority of elite pro cyclocross racers do seem to be on Shimano Di2, but there’s a solid contingent on SRAM AXS, too.

Curiously, a lot of top riders race not on the top-tier group, but on Force, as well.

And even 2x World Champ van Empel is no different, with a little Red & Force mix-and-match.

Part of that stems from Red’s road focus and its chainring integration. Not available in appropriate 1x chainring sizes for CX racing, van Empel opts for the non-series carbon crankarms and 4-bolt AXS power meter spider on her Cervélo R5 CX. This lets he ride a relatively small 42T SRAM X-Sync chainring for the muddy Tabor course.

While her mechanic can easily swap out a bigger ring for faster, drier courses, like the recent Spanish World Cup track in Benidorm just a couple of weeks ago.

She also opts for Force AXS shift/brake levers with non-series graphics. The difference isn’t huge, but teams have told us that pros with smaller hands prefer the slightly shorter Force hood shape and the longer shift button. Those levers are connected to Red brake calipers, and top-level CenterLine XR rotors.

Btw, another athlete not racing on a Shimano groupset, but who still prefers XTR pedals.

Little pro CX details

Van Empel’s mechanics add a few small additions to tweak the bike for cross racing. Of course, since she runs a 1x, she doesn’t need the braze-on front derailleur hanger. But instead of just removing it, the bolt on an alloy chain retention device, with an adjustable plastic puck that sits just over the top of the gold flattop chain as an insurance policy against dropped chains.

While some CX pros ask for frames without water bottle bosses, most still prefer the versatility for hot weather racing or training. And van Empel’s mechanics keep things clean with little stick-on covers to keep mud out of the bolt holes.

The most popular pro CX tubular, no longer made in Europe

The Rhino tubular is maybe the most popular & most common mud tire on the professional cyclocross circuit. Still, Fem van Empel was racing on the most high-performance of them all. The handmade 100% cotton casing is the most supple Dugast makes for cross. Plus, she gets the factory Neoprene sidewall treatment (the little star logo on the sidewall). And Dugast’s latest Monsoon “superior” compound rubber that promises “lower rolling resistance” AND “enhanced grip”. It’s a next level after their 11 Storm rubber, both introduced after being bought by Vittoria a few years back.

Also, Fem van Empel was racing on 32mm Rhinos, a shade thinner than the max allowable 33s we saw on most of the men’s bikes. A couple years ago chatting tires with the staff behind Team NL, they told us essentially that the smaller and lighter riders (like van Empel) can race the smaller tires to save every last gram without sacrificing grip or comfort.

Of note, this might be the last season to see all these Dugast tires handmade in Europe. Dugast shut down their Dutch production at the end of 2023. And moved it all to the Vittoria factory in Thailand from this year. So outside of existing stock, Dugast will make all new CX tubulars in Asia, now.

Race-ready for a muddy World’s course

Wheel-wise, Fem van Empel races on Reserve 36|39 mixed depth carbon tubulars. Also from the same Pon Holding corporate family as her Cervélo bike. Built light enough to win Tour de France climbing stages, but also clearly strong-enough to race cross. Her wheels are 28mm wide – 36mm deep up front & 39mm deep in the back. And they are laced up to DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs for proven durability and ease of servicing.

Fem van Empel delivered another emphatic win in the Czech mud aboard her Cervélo R5 CX in its stock Jumbo Visma team-edition black & yellow paint job. With another World Championship title she can go back to racing her white bike painted with rainbows for another year. The real question is, will Cervélo think up an all-new World Champ’s custom paint job to celebrate her win a little differently this coming year?

Cervelo.com

The post World Champ Fem van Empel’s Cervélo R5 CX: Fem-tastic Cyclocross Pro Bike Check appeared first on Bikerumor.

We thought we might have seen it already four years ago, but for sure a Campagnolo Super Record power meter crankset is now really on the horizon. We’ve just spotted independent Dutch cyclocross racer Ryan Kamp’s shiny gold Colnago G3-X race bikes fitted with an alloy power meter spider on carbon crank arms, clearly branded with the winged hub logo of Campagnolo.

Take a closer look and speculate with us below!

Campagnolo Super Record spider-based power meter prototype

Today at the 2024 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Tábor, Czechia, we spotted Ryan Kamp’s lovely Colnago cyclocross bikes sporting some prototype power meter cranks from his Italian drivetrain sponsor.

While we spotted the bike through the trees this morning, we got some closer looks inside Kamp’s camp. And then out on the race course several times.

He’s the only rider we’ve noticed at CX Worlds riding Campagnolo. And the word in the pits is that he’s been working closely with Campy to refine their ultra-top-tier Super Record Wireless groupset to survive the rigors of cross racing.

Stay tuned, and we’ll have more on that story soon, too.

In the meantime, this is the Campagnolo Super Record power meter we’ve been waiting for since we saw Campy’s patents all the way back in 2019.

But – at least for now – power measurement is NOT integrated into a carbon spider. Instead, it uses an alloy power meter spider much like the SRM that Campy athletes have been racing for years.

Yet, it’s not quite the same as the SRM, and now clearly gets Campagnolo branding.

Customized for Cyclocross

Apparently, it features the same low-Q and standard road chainring spacing. But the pro CX mechanics have spaced the chainrings out about 3mm closer back to the centerline of the bike to better align the chainrings with the bigger/easier cogs of the cassette to deal with the slower speeds of cyclocross racing.

From the driveside, you can see one curious hollow opening of the crank arm just offset from the spindle (like the old SRM option).

But from the backside we also spotted another opening. It’s not entirely clear why either opening exists.

3 of the 4 Kamp’s bikes that we spotted in the open around the public team pits had power meters. And 2 of those 3 appeared to have a stick-on cover on the backside of the carbon driveside crankarm, at least to keep the CX mud out. In any case, it’s pretty surely a hollow carbon crankarm on this prototype power meter.

Campagnolo Super Record spider-based power meter prototype for your winter training bike

A bit of an angled look, shows the thickness of the alloy spider body on this prototype Campagnolo Super Record power meter.

This specific crank was fitted to Kamp’s training bike, and shows plenty more wear from heel rub. But interestingly, it seems Ryan Kamp has only been working with Colnago and Campagnolo since the start of January after his previous team sponsorship ended. So, this bike hasn’t seen too much long-term use & abuse, just yet.

The Shimano XTR pedals are always a nice reminder that Campy doesn’t make pedals. But those XTRs are so trusted and reliable, that we often also find them on the bikes of riders with SRAM groupsets, too.

That’s all we know officially for now. Campagnolo says no comment. But Kamp’s mechanic team seems to be pleased with a genuine back-and-forth R&D relationship, and hints that the overall Super Record Wireless groupset is constantly being refined to withstand the harshest conditions cyclocross can throw at it!

More on Ryan Kamp’s unique Colnago G3-X bike and Campy Super Record groupset for cross racing soon…

Campagnolo.com

The post Spotted: Campagnolo Super Record Power Meter Put to the Test in CX Worlds Mud! appeared first on Bikerumor.

The 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships have kicked off in Tábor, Czechia and we already have a World Champ Pro Bike Check with U19 European Champion Aubin Sparfel winning the sprint for Mixed Team Relay gold on his custom-painted Decathlon x Van Rysel RCX Pro cross bike. With a young mix of riders the French team edged out Great Britain to take the first World Championship race win as Junior racer Sparfel outsprinted Elite racer Cameron Mason on the fast paved finishing straight.

An exciting end to the first race for rainbow stripes of the weekend!

Van Rysel RCX Pro carbon cyclocross bike by Decathlon

Aubin Sparfel is racing on the second generation Van Rysel RCX Pro carbon cyclocross bike, launched by outdoor goods superstore Decathlon late last year. And you can buy it directly from your local big box retailer with affordable Apex AXS or Force AXS builds.

He took the European U19 (Junior) win back in November, so there was plenty of time to get him a custom EU Champ paint job before representing his nation at the World Championships. It’s a subtle update to the standard black team-edition bike, but really makes it stand out.

While we love to drool over premium superbikes at pro races, it’s refreshing to see something a bit more affordable on the top step of the podium. Complete builds of this bike are sold from just 2500€ complete with a wireless groupset. Wow!

Since the Mixed Team Relay is made up of a mix of men & women from multiple teams and multiple age categories, not all of the French racers were on the same bike as Sparfel. But a few of his fellow AG2R Decathlon teammates also race on the Van Rysel RCX Pro cross bike.

As if the white, and blue & stars don’t give it away, Sparfel’s RCX Pro gets his name on the top tube to keep it straight. We only spotted one with the EU Champ paint scheme, and this is bike #1.

Junior Pro bike build

His bike is built up with a well-worn Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, and XTR pedals.

Tires are the long-proven 33mm Dugast Rhino tubulars that you’ll see on many bikes for this slippery muddy course, glued up to some mid-depth aero Swiss Side carbon wheels. The cockpit comes straight from the road with a Deda Elementi Superzero RS carbon bar & stem.

A closer look at the headtube of the RCX Pro reveals a bit of sparkle in the custom EU champ paint. Not much sun is forecasted for the weekend of racing, so it’s not likely to shine much more than this.

Junior racers might not always get the newest kit, but Sparfel’s Di2 levers seem to work well, with some battle scars.

Clean, ready & waiting for one lap of the Mixed Team Relay on Friday afternoon.

Getting the Van Rysel RCX Pro muddy

In the relay format, Aubin Sparfel was the last of his national team to race. And he had just one lap to get his Van Rysel RCX Pro cyclocross bike muddy. But the bike has plenty of mud clearance – officially 10mm of clearance around a 33mm cross tire. Van Rysel calls it “Mud Proof Certified”.

The hi-mod carbon frame from Decathlon served Sparfel well for his one lap. And it delivered on its stiffness promise as the 17-year-old outsprinted the UK’s Elite Men’s racer down the long asphalt finishing straight on the Tábor track.

UCI CX Relay Rainbows for the French Federation

So that’s it. The 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships is underway, and the French have claimed the first set of rainbow jerseys. We’ll be here all weekend, scoping out cool custom bikes, and maybe a few prototypes!

The post Pro Bike Check: Decathlon x Van Rysel RCX Pro Helps French Team Land Rainbow Jerseys appeared first on Bikerumor.

Aimed at road and gravel cyclists, the new Ritchey Logic Cabrillo saddle gives them their first short-and-wide saddle design. While it looks very much like a traditional saddle, the dimensions don’t lie.

The Cabrillo comes in two versions, WCS and Comp. Both use Ritchey’s Vector Wing shell design, which isolates the rails from the top, creating a flex zone to suspend the rider without making the saddle squishy.

The Cabrillo WCS gets a nylon & carbon shell with stainless steel rails and lightweight polyurethane foam padding. It weighs 222g and costs $99.95.

The Cabrillo Comp gets a nylon & glass fiber shell with chromoly rails and standard foam padding. Weight is 266g, price is $59.95.

It’s mildly short compared to some other brands, measuring 260mm long. That’s 18mm shorter than their Streem saddle.

The top profile is flat from tip to tail, making it easier to slide fore/aft on the saddle over technical terrain, which makes it perfect for cyclocross. A slight curve from side to side mimics other popular short-and-wide designs to offer good sit bone support without hindering hip and leg movement.

The unisex design has a slim center channel to reduce pressure on the perineal area. Available now.

RitcheyLogic.com

The post Ritchey Cabrillo is Their First Short-Nosed Saddle appeared first on Bikerumor.

It looks as though Cannondale has an update on the way for its gravel/cyclocross machine, the SuperSix Evo. How do we know? Check out some FloBikes coverage from the past couple of cyclocross races and world cups.

You’ll notice that some of the Deschacht Hens Maes CX Team sports an excellent blue and yellow team frame, but the one-piece bar/stem has cable routing that goes nicely through the frame and fork. The team also covered the cable port in the fork. Deschacht Hens Maes rider Anton Ferdinande, shared photos, and you can clearly see the updates.

New Cannondale SuperSix Evo

Why? If you’ve followed the updates from most cyclocross and gravel bikes (like the Canyon Inflite), manufacturers are now looking to make the sleekest and cleanest-looking silhouette possible.

This means hiding the cables and adding as much integration as possible. The internal cable routing makes for easier shouldering, no brake hose fighting, and a slightly more aero machine overall.

What does this mean for the Cannondale SuperSix Evo SE?

Like many other US manufacturers (excluding Trek), Cannondale have combined their gravel and cyclocross offerings. The SuperSix Evo SE is the fast, lightweight gravel race bike in the Cannondale roster.

The geo is still great for cyclocross; the only real change from year to year has been the tire clearance and dropped seat stays. That said, Cannondale may be using this update as a time to refresh some pieces of the SuperSix Evo SE/CX frame that might be outstanding.

We loved the Cannondale SuperSix Evo CX we reviewed – check it out here.

What’s on our wish list for the new SuperSix Evo SE/CX?

First, I would love to see the SI-dished wheels disappear. This upgrade is problematic for a cyclocross athlete who doesn’t have a full truck of wheels at their disposal or a gravel racer looking for a wheel swap from neutral support after a flat.

A threaded BSA bottom bracket would be nice. The newest Cannondale Synapse came equipped with outstanding specs, and the BSA bottom bracket was one of them. The BSA bottom bracket style allows for easy component swaps and maintenance on the user end. Because gravel and cyclocross racers can roast a bottom bracket faster than you can say, “What pressure are you running?”

Easy to route/service internal cable routing. On the service side, internally routed cables can be a nightmare. Swapping out a headset can be a longer process than needed and could mean skipping service intervals for riders. Easy stem swaps and size adjustments can be just as painful. We hope the new SuperSix Evo SE/CX comes with thoughtful internal routing that won’t take a week at the shop for a 10mm stem swap.

What’s next?

For now, we must sit, wait and see what comes. If you’re an eagle eye with spec, watch the cyclocross races and the athletes’ Instagram profiles for a sneak peek of what might be coming.

What would you like to see in the new Cannondale Supersix Evo — Let us know in the comments!

The post Spotted: Is a New Cannondale SuperSix Evo in the Works? appeared first on Bikerumor.

Back at the start of December, Ratio unveiled their new drivetrain universal-fit Aero DM 1x chainrings, but also quietly rolled out a tiny alloy cable spool to bring life back to old SRAM dropbar shifters. And it’s a tiny little widget that’s the perfect example of what Ratio Technology does best.

• Develop low-cost solutions to extend the life of, or even significantly upgrade, the drivetrain components you already have. So…

What’s a Ratio Cable Spool? Why your SRAM shifter needs it?

Alright, so inside every SRAM 10-speed and 11-speed righthand shifter is a little plastic cable spool. That serves as the connection point between the end of your inner shift cable and the toothed ratchet inside the shifter that controls the indexed shifting of your rear derailleur.

Ratio says, “the most common failure mechanism for a SRAM shifter appears to be the cable pulling through [this] cable spool“. But SRAM doesn’t typically offer this as a service part, so a damaged shifter would most often be trashed.

A couple of years ago, Ratio made a 3D-printed nylon replacement spool with the double benefit of keeping old shifters on the road AND allowing further upgrades with custom Ratio ratchets. And they routinely sold out.

See, Ratio’s 3D-printed steel ratchets allow you to upgrade SRAM 11-speed mechanical shifters.

First, that was an upgrade to Eagle 12sp, then 1x or 2x road 12sp, then Campy Ekar-spaced 13sp, and most recently to road 12sp Shimano cassettes for even cheaper upgrading. That’s a lot of new life for old 11sp shifters.

But even first gen SRAM 10-speed that debuted in 2006 (two years older than Bikerumor!) can get those same upgrades, if you replace their original cable spool & ratchet with Ratio’s new versions.

Now, Ratio machines this new aluminum version from 6082 alloy in the UK’s Lakes District for extra durability.

And of course good looks. At least for those moments you see it during the DIY upgrade installation. And maybe for the glimpse you might see when changing your shift cables.

Ratio Cable Spool – Pricing & Compatibility

The new machined and anodized blue Ratio Cable Spool sells for just £24.50 (~$26 / 24€). That just includes the spool, install bolt & a sticker. Ratchets sold separately.

It will fit inside every 10 and 11-speed version of SRAM’s dropbar road, cyclocross & gravel righthand shifters as a replacement for the stock white or red plastic cable spool if damaged. That’s Red, Force, Rival & Apex. It is compatible with the stock SRAM 11sp ratchet, or… You can also install the alloy Ratio Cable Spool in the oldest (white spool) 10-speed shifters to upgrade them to one of Ratio’s newest 12 or 13-speed ratchets.

Note: 11sp SRAM shifters do NOT need this spool in order to upgrade to 12/13sp. That is, if their red plastic spool is not damaged. Read more here if you need extra clarification.

Get the new spool, upgrade ratchets, derailleur cage upgrades, and 1x chainrings that work with ALL 12 & 13-speed drivetrains – all UK-made and direct from Ratio now at:

RatioTechnology.com

The post Indestructible Alloy Ratio Cable Spool Revives Old SRAM Shifters, Opens Up 12-speeds too! appeared first on Bikerumor.