Puppy paws & turned-in levers are out, but ultra-narrow super-aero bars are in – and TRed’s TOOT Racing has a UCI-compliant Ashaa RR solution. A bar first developed on the track, the Ashaa RR is a customizable super-narrow, flared & ultra-aero road handlebar designed to get you in the most aerodynamic position, without sacrificing safety or control. To quickly get bars into racers’ hands, Toot 3D-print the handlebars to fit the rider from stainless steel for maximum strength or titanium for additional weight savings.

Or if you have a little patience, weight weenies will be able to get an even lighter carbon Ashaa RR aero handlebar option soon. And it’ll be a lot cheaper too!

TRed’s TOOT Ashaa RR 3D-printed aero road handlebars

Aero gains are everything these days. And refining your position on the bike has always been one of the simplest and most effective ways to save watts. As much as brands like to sweat over the incremental improvements of hidden nipples or tweaked rim profiles, the rider still accounts for most of the drag on a bike at speed.

First developed on the track, then refined on the road

TT & Triathlon racers have long accepted that refining their hand position has been the best way to go faster. But road riders have been stuck with conventional drop bars, as the UCI continues to ban any alternate hand positions.

The latest UCI rules eliminated the “puppy paws” or “invisible aerobars” position for real safety concerns as riders weren’t actually holding onto their bikes in the bunch. So riders opted for turned in levers to keep their hands “on the bars”. But again, lightweight carbon bars were not designed for metal clamps at the unusual inward angles, so that got banned too.

Side note: I’ve both broken a bar off under the clamp in a small crash racing. And removed a ‘factory set’ lever to find the carbon bar crushed under the imperfectly installed metal lever clamp. So, I get the concern.

But pro racers want to go fast. And amateur riders like to emulate their pro cycling heroes. So, there needs to be a solution.

Italian bikebuilder TRed’s component division TOOT has been working on alternate ergonomic and aero handlebars for some time. We last caught up with their Ashaa bar on the track a couple years ago – when the patented it. Updated more last summer. But now, with more UCI restrictions on road racing, the customizable aerodynamic nature of that original bar seems like it could pay off even more. Both for pro and amateur racers alike.

This version then was developed and tested on the road & track with Argentinian former pro cyclist Facundo Lezica working with TRed/Toot’s Romolo Stanco. Then, proven with current Madison World Champ Jan-Willem van Schip.

What’s unique about the TOOT ASHAA RR bar?

TRed calls the TOOT ASHAA RR, the “first handlebar to guarantee an extremely aerodynamic position without compromising control and safety.” That gets to addressing all of the UCI’s concerns, it seems.

It is built around a unique narrow geometry that puts your hands further forward, higher, and closer together, than even a narrow conventional 38-42cm bar (all dimension discussed are measured center-to-center) at the hoods.

Note: UCI regulation dictates allowable outside dimensions for racing eligibility, which is why Toot lists those.

Ultra-narrow and complexly curved

That means a long bar Reach of 118mm and deep Drop of 105mm. That’s designed to fit with your same stem – your arms reach more forward as hands come closer together.

Width is wildly narrow at around 24cm wide at the hoods, which are slightly raised above the stem. Then, they lean the bars themselves in around 5° towards a clamping area, further rotated in another 5-10° to safely interface with turned-in levers – resulting in the end of your hoods being 19-21cm wide.

Wow, right?

Super narrow.

But the Ashaa RR road racing bars also feature dramatic (for the road) ~20° flare for a stable sense of control. Officially it is not “flare” as Toot explains that it is a non-linear curve (a key part of their patent). There are very few real straight angles on the bar. But the result is that it puts the ends of the drops 33-35cm wide. And the roomy drops feature angles to offer a natural-feeling position and plenty of stability.

It’s certainly a dramatically different position – something in between regular drops and aero bars. Yet even though you are narrow and leaning forward, the rider can keep their hands firmly held in the familiar stable position of a dropbar for maximum control.

How Much Faster?

“Both with low and high grip the position is stable and comfortable with perfect handling. From the data collected with the Velocomp Aeropod V5 pitot system – which detects the CdA in real time – my overall aerodynamic efficiency improves by more than 4%. This means that if with a normal 40cm handlebar at 320W I am at 45km/h, with the position that this handlebar allows me to assume (both on the controls and on the handlebar) I ride at 47km/h keeping the levers perfectly aligned with the handle. And remember that the more the speed increases, the wider the gap between the two values is.”

– Facundo Lezica, professional track & road cyclist, and ASHAA RR 3D designer

3D-Printing Tech

Of course, 3D-printing allowed TRed / Toot to quickly turn an idea into reality. But it also means they can customize the actual shape to best fit riders individually – much like we see in custom aero bars. But it is a bit simpler here, Toot refines a proposed shape with a custom bar buyer, then mocks-up a plastic dummy for final testing before printing a metal bar.

Their standard 3D-printed Ashaa RR is made from 316L stainless steel, which allows Toot to tailor strength & stiffness to individual rider needs as well. They say that can vary total bar weight from 360-480g.

They print each steel or ti bar in two interlocking halves, welded together in the middle (see inside, between where the stem clamps), and then ground perfectly smooth for a 31.8mm clamping area.

How strong is that?

This is a 3D-printed Toot Asheeta steel track bar I saw after a massive crash into the barriers last summer at something like 50km/hr, so hard that if folded-in the downtube (but didn’t crack any tubes or welds). And the bar is just scratched. And the ride walked away, although bleeding and missing some skin.

All bars are also compatible with full internal cable routing. In fact, Toot can also make you a custom carbon, aluminum, or titanium stem in any desired length to work with the most common internal routing systems.

Fully customizable in 3D-printed steel

They 3D-print the Ashaa RR in stainless steel in Italy at the University of Pavia. And offer either in this stock geometry. Or you can get a fully customizable size and shape to make it fit perfectly in your own hands and against your own forearms. Importantly, all custom bars are also stress and fatigue test certified by a industry 3rd party.

Toot even says that it can “also be customized for gravel“. We’re quite curious what we’d change to ride off-road. But at this price, they’ll make it whatever shape you need.

Lighter weight in Yottalight 3D-printed titanium

The bar is also available in the standard dimensions as the Toot Ashaa RR Yottalight. 3D-printed in titanium in Germany by ApWorks (a division of the Airbus group) to save weight without sacrificing strength. Weight savings over the optimized steel version is said to be about 15%.

More affordable AND lighter in carbon

If you want to save weight AND some cash – contrary to everything else in the bike industry – you can even pick carbon, instead. But you will have to wait a little longer. Toot manufactures the carbon bar with more conventional molding techniques. Although for now in 3D-printed steel molds in Italy for the early production. So only the stock size and shape is available. The carbon bar is also 2cm wider with wider wings up top, offering a bit more universal appeal.

Toot Ashaa RR – Pricing, options & availability

Essentially 4 versions of the new Toot Ashaa RR aero road racing handlebar are available. Standard geometry in 3D-printed steel for 1390€. Standard geometry in 3D-printed titanium or custom geometry in 3D-printed steel for 1990€. Or ‘just’ 429€ for the carbon bar if you pre-order now.

The 3D-printed bars are all made-to-order with a max 21 working day lead-time for standard geometry. Toot offers the carbon Ashaa RR bars as a pre-order until mid-February, with the first deliveries slated to begin at the end of Mach 2024.

What’s next?

One piece 3D-printed steel or titanium handlebar+stem cockpit combos?

Yeah, Toot is already working on that too. This is a custom Ashaa RR 1-piece cockpit in 3D-printed titanium!

Performance.TootEngineering.com

The post TOOT Ashaa RR Ultra-Aero Road Bars Beat UCI Turned-In Lever Rule in Steel, Ti, or Carbon appeared first on Bikerumor.

Coming in 2024…wait, that’s now. Well, coming soon in 2024, we will see Gocycle’s new foldable cargo bikes with the release of the CXi and the CX+ folding cargo bikes. These new bikes are pretty futuristic looking with a host of design elements that really make them stand out from the crowd.

They will be coming in an array of different colors, like grey, white, blue, green, orange, and yellow. Along with the colors, the models will be using a Lefty-style (righty?) front rigid fork and a one-sided rear chainstay that looks reminiscent of a BMW motorcycle’s single-sided swing arm. They will include the patented side-mounted Pitstopwheels composite wheels.

Other design highlights include no exposed cables or gears, and protective disc brake covers. Being a fully-foldable mid-tail cargo bike is unique in this space.

Gocycle’s CXi & CX+ Differences

It seems that the difference between the two models is the handlebar spec. The CXi uses Gocycle’s existing integrated Daytime Running Light (DRL) enabled handlebar. This is the same bar that can be found on their G4i and G4i+.

The CX+ features Gocycle’s all-new patent-pending Flofit handlebar which brings a big step in rider ergonomics and comfort. Check out this cool video of the Flofit handlebar in action here.

More About the Flofit Handelbar

Gocycle’s all-new Flofit handlebar, which comes exclusively on the CX+, can put the rider in an upright riding position or a slightly more aggressive forward-centric position with the flip of a lever right at the rider’s fingertip. The bar is adjustable in reach, height, and grip angle.

The patent-pending tech is neatly packaged within the handlebar’s body. And the optional Quad Lock mounting point makes it easy to help stow the bike away. One bolt provides easy access for the brake adjustment and tuning.

5-Speed Belt Drive

Both the CXi & CX+ are equipped with a 5-speed Shimano Nexus internal hub. The belt drive system utilizes extended gear ranges for carrying extra loads and galloping a bit on the flats. The smooth and premium Gates CDX carbon belt drive combined with Gocycle’s patented Cleandrive system adds rider protection, provides easy cleaning, and has snazzy aesthetics.

Gocycle’s WingPillar Frame

Using “high-tech” composite materials, the bold-looking WingPillar Frame is built on Gocyle’s core monocoque chassis DNA. It’s been tested to meet high load and safety standards (220kg/480lbs). This means that you are safe runnin’ your errands, pickin’ up your stuff, and haulin’ your kiddos around.

The rear deck is compatible with MIK child seats and accessories. You can even get the rear deck in premium cherry and teak woods.

A Folding Cargo Bike That’s Lightweight and Stowable

Most cargo bikes can be bulky, cumbersome to stow, and quite heavy making them difficult to maneuver in tight spaces. The CXi takes a step to remedy these issues with a folding cargo bike design. Weighing in at only 23kg (50lbs), it becomes a portable solution tailored for tight living and storage situations. To those not familiar with eCargo bikes, that may sound heavy, but many bikes in the this space weigh up to 75lbs or more. That fact that this is folding, and that light is very impressive.

A folding bike is more easily storable and transportable. This versatility makes packing it on a train, in the trunk of your car, or in an apartment closet.

Gocycle CXi & CX+ Retail Specs

Retail:

Gocycle CXi: $6,999
Gocycle CX+: $7,999

• Motor: Gocycle proprietary G4drive front hub motor with traction control
• Motor Drive Control: Pedal Torque Sensing
• Range: Up to 80km (50 miles)
• Transmission: Patented Cleandrive Shimano Nexus 5-speed w Gates Belt drive
• Shifting: Gocycle electronic Predictive Shifting
• Brakes: Hydraulic disk, front and rear
• Approximate Weight: 23kg (51lbs) including kickstand & pedals
• Maximum Rider Weight: 220kg (480lbs), including clothing and luggage
• Child Seats & Accessories: MIK HD Compatible

The Gocycle CXi and CX+ will be produced in small quantities. Pre-orders are open now with a refundable deposit of $499. Click here to pre-order your own.

Gocycle CXi and CX+ are available now in the UK, US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), and Mainland Europe at launch. Delivery will start in September 2024. All depositors will be updated as they get closer to production and will be able to choose between home delivery and getting your bike delivered to one of their authorized Gocycle Family Cargo dealers.

GoCycles.com

The post A Folding Cargo Bike? Gocycle’s CXi & CX+ are Futuristic Foldable Cargo eBikes appeared first on Bikerumor.

Italian framebuilder Titici gives new life to their flat toptube aluminum Alloi gravel bike with a uniquely beautiful and protective silver anodized finish. Debuted just last spring, the comfortable alloy gravel bike also gets a subtle update in the tire clearance realm, kicking up capabilities for off-road adventure. And to top it all off, the Alloi AND adds a limited edition Ingrid build for more Italian ano aluminum style…

Titici Alloi AND aluminum gravel bike is GHA Silver Anodized

Unique bronze-colored protective ano finish. Bigger tire clearance. Fully integrated cable routing and race-ready mounts. And a comfortable PAT.H flexy top tube on a more affordable aluminum frame. All handmade in Italy.

We’ve covered the launch of Titici’s handmade-in-Italy Alloi aluminum gravel bike last spring.

An update to their old round-tube All-In, the Alloi added the framebuilder’s signature flattened PAT toptube design for additional rider comfort. The Plate Absorber Tech – new Hydroformed edition (PAT.H), is not quite as flat as in carbon. But Titici claims the comfort gains are still a big help, especially over long days in the saddle off-road. Plus, the alloy PAT.H frameset sells for about half of the carbon PAT version in their Relli.

Now that bike adds the optional AND finish debuted on the old All-In AND a year earlier. A look that truly sets the bike apart, while also boosting frame protection.

GHA Silver Ano – Tech Details

Developed with alloy tubing supplier Dedacciai, the purpose of the GHA (Golden Hard Anodizing) process is actually to better protect the aluminum frame – both inside and out. The name is a bit confusing reflecting the final coloring. But the process works by integrating a protective oxide layer of silver ions onto the porous surface of the aluminum tubes. Delivering “almost infinite durability”.

The result is increased hardness & resistance to wear, but also a lower friction surface, and high antibacterial & anti-mold performance. That’s why GHA has long been in use for marine & pharmaceutical industries. Titici says they have an exclusive partnership with the Japanese creators of the technology, making this the only GHA bike you can get.

Rumor has it, that mud & dirt are noticeably easier to wipe right off after a ride. Cool.

Another side benefit is that the unique anodization process tints the different tubes and welds differently, giving the aluminum bike a varied gold-to-bronze color that actually reminds me of a raw fillet brazed steel frame.

All that, and it’s lighter than paint, too!

What else is new?

The big functional update to the Alloi frame is increased tire clearance. Titici says this new generation of Alloi AND gravel frames now has room for up to 700 x 45mm or 650 x 50mm tires. No word on what exact changes were made. But a quick look at new and old frames suggests a likely subtle chainstay tweak to squeeze an extra 5mm.

The bonus good news, the tire clearance upgrade also applies to the standard painted Alloi this year, too.

Alloi Bike Details

Briefly, the Titici Alloi is a 1690g 7000-series Dedacciai aluminum gravel frame with fully internal cable routing through a 1.5″ Deda DCR headset system, a threaded BSA BB, 31.6mm seatpost, flat mount disc & 12mm thru-axles. It is compatible with 1x or 2x drivetrains – mechanical or electronic. The bike has custom-shaped alloy tubes and a flexy PAT.H toptube for off-road comfort.

It features 2 sets of front triangle bottle bosses, a toptube bag mount & a rear rack mount. And it is sold with a full carbon fork with 3-pack Anything cage mounts.

The Alloi comes in 4 stock sizes (S-XL). And I believe custom geometry is also possible for an upcharge.

Titici Alloi AND in silver ano – Pricing, options & availability

The new Titici Alloi AND frameset is available on its own with stock geometry for 2590€. That’s now only a 200€ upcharge over the standard painted edition. To highlight the made-in-Italy alloy nature of the new bike, Titici partnered with Ingrid components for a limited edition complete build of the new bike.

The Titici Alloi AND X Ingrid LE complete bike sells for 5690€, with a set of matching gold ano Ingrid CRS-POP cranks and a Ingrid 11-44T cassette. That then pairs with a SRAM Rival XPLR AXS groupset. And a mix of Italian company components – Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 alloy wheels with Pirelli Cinturato H tires, and an integrated Deda aluminum finishing kit. Titici claims a complete bike weight of 9.3kg.

Then newly anodized frames are in stock and ready to deliver now. They build complete bikes to order, with an approximate 2 week lead-time before delivery through your local Titici dealer.

Titici.com

The post Titici Alloi AND Italian Aluminum Gravel Bike Updated with Killer Ano Finish, Bigger Tires! appeared first on Bikerumor.

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

The post KMC REACT Cassettes join their 10/11-Speed Chains appeared first on Bikerumor.

The new Trek Marlin+ takes their all-purpose alloy hardtail and gives it the Bosch Active Line upgrade. The e-bike variant has all the same features as the analog original, giving you a wide range of use options, from trail to town.

Featuring 2.6″ tires, a 120mm suspension fork, and size-specific wheel selections, the Marlin+ scoots all of that along with a 50Nm mid-mount motor.

It’s a Class 1 e-bike, assisting up to 20mph or 25km/h, depending on market. A bolt-on cover on the non-drive side makes motor service easy, and a protective plate under it makes cable routing simple.

That’s paired with a 400Wh CompactTube battery, augmented with an optional 250Wh PowerMore range extender. Expect 2-4 hours of run time on a full charge, and about 50% more than that with the external battery pack. It uses the slim Bosch Purion display/remote for simple mode switches and easy visuals for power, speed, etc. Switch to Auto mode for automatic assist changes based on terrain, cadence, and your output.

Size medium frames and up get 29″ wheels, small & XS get 27.5″ wheels. All frame sizes get rack and fender mounts, letting you set it up for backroad touring and urban commuting. Or shed the cargo and shred the trail.

Trek Marlin+ Specs & Pricing

Two builds are available, both on the affordable end of Trek’s e-bike lineup.

Marlin+ 8
Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain, dropper seatpost, Shimano 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes, 120mm RockShox Recon Silver Air fork, Tubeless Ready wheels and Bontrager Gunnison Pro XR 29×2.6” tires. MSRP $3,499. Also available in gray/silver.

Marlin+ 6
Shimano wide range CUES drivetrain, Shimano Linkglide cassette, Tektro hydraulic brakes with 203mm rotors, 120mm SR Suntour XCM 34 fork, Bontrager Montrose 29”x2.4” tires. MSRP $2,699. Also available in black.

Available now globally in most markets. Prefer the standard version? The analog Trek Marlin got a refresh in 2023.

TrekBikes.com

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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

The post 6x World Champ Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Inflite “CFR”: CX Pro Bike Check appeared first on Bikerumor.

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

The post Wolf Tooth adds ReMote Drop Bar Lever for Gravel Dropper Seatposts appeared first on Bikerumor.

This winter brings us some “new blue” for the home or professional bike wrench with Park Tools‘ February eBike-specific tool drop. These three new tools are the EWS-2 Bicycle Electronic Shift Tool, the LRT-5 Lock Ring Tool, and the SW-6 Spoke Wrench 3.7mm.

Park Tools has been making bicycle-specific tools for a while. A long while. They started in a lil’ Schwinn dealer called Hazel Park Radio and Bicycle shop in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 1956. With their trademark blue color, you’re sure to find them on just about every local bike shop or bike lover’s home workbench.

Today they launched a few new tools to help maintain the ever-growing amount of eBikes that are out there. Let’s go over the details.

The EWS-2

Retail: $9.99

Making quick business of removing bicycle electronic shifting wires and batteries, the WES-2 has a composite body that prevents scratching of expensive components.

The angled ends allow for the safe removal of Shimano Di2 E-tube EW-SD300 wires in tight spaces. The universal coin cell tool helps to remove and install battery covers on SRAM AXS and other electronic accessories.

Features:

• Compatible with Shimano Di2 E-tube EW-SD300 wires (nominally 3mm OD connector)
• Not compatible with Shimano Di2 E-tube EW-SD50 wires (nominally 5mm OD connector)

**Note: The new EWS-2 tool is offered in addition to the EWS-1 Electronic Shift Tool, it does not replace the EWS-1 as they are compatible with different wires.**

The LRT-5

Retail: $33.99

Just when you thought you had all the bottom bracket tools in the world, along come ebikes. Only instead of a BB tool, now you need a lockring tool – and specific lockring tools for different motors at that.

The new LRT-5 Lockring Tool is precisely machined for a perfect fit. Use the LRT-5 to remove or install the lockrings that retain direct-mount chainrings found on Fazua Ride 60 eBike drivetrains.

LRT-5 features a 3/8″ drive for across-the-board compatibility with most ratchets and torque wrenches. The LRT-5 sports 36mm wrench flats for use with an adjustable wrench or crowfoot. It is heat-treated and plated 4140 steel in its construction to ensure durability and long life.

Features:

• Fits lockrings with a 41mm outside diameter and 16 notches including Fazua Ride 60 e-bike drivetrains.

The SW-6

Retail: $8.95

You may think that the SW-6 looks very familiar… and you’d be right. For the last 50 years, Park Tool’s iconic spoke wrenches have been a staple of their product lineup. The simple design and professional design is sure to continue to be the favorite of bike mechanics all over the world.

Ensuring a long service life, the SW-6 is made in the USA with heat-treated nickel plating. Like all of the Park Tool spoke wrenches, the SW-6 is dipped in colored vinyl by size. This helps you quickly find the size you need in that crowded toolbox drawer. It’s sized to fit 3.7mm spoke nipples that use wrench flats. Most hub-drive eBikes you this size nipple.

Features:

• Sized for spoke nipples with 3.7 mm (0.146″) wrench flats
• This nipple size can be found on most hub-drive e-bikes. **Always measure to be sure**

You can find more of Park Tool’s eBike-specific tools by hitting the link below.

ParkTool.com

The post Three New Park Tools Help Home & Pro Mechanics with Modern eBikes appeared first on Bikerumor.

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

The post Spotted: Prototype CeramicSpeed OSPW Update for Road & Cross Teased at CX Worlds appeared first on Bikerumor.

The new Focus VAM² introduces an entirely new suspension design to their e-bike lineup. A new motor and full carbon frame save weight and give them new kinematics to play with for a poppy short travel platform.

Their current touring-oriented Thron² model uses a VPP design, and the JAM² and SAM² use an alloy Horst Link design. The VAM² SL switches to a carbon fiber rear triangle with no rear pivot and flex seatstays. This combo brings the claimed frame weight as low as 2,172g (4.79lbs) for the top spec, and a complete bike weight under 36 pounds!

Frame details & tech

A smaller battery and Fazua’s tiny Ride 60 motor combine with the sleek rear end for a bike that looks very much like an analog bike.

The 430Wh battery should give you plenty of juice, but you can add their 210Wh range extender and plug it in while riding to extend play time.

An integrated mud flap keeps gunk from wedging between the chainstay yoke and BB shell, and frame protection wrap protects the carbon and finish, too.

You can pair the Fazua system with your cycling computer to display cadence and power (as in, your power output in watts). It also pairs with their own app so you can customize the motor’s output per setting.

The Focus VAM² SL gets 125mm rear wheel travel with a stout main pivot and thick chainstays and yoke to keep it torsionally stiff. Up front are 130mm forks, but it’s compatible with 140mm forks, too.

The seatstays are flattened, allowing them to flex as the suspension compresses. These types of pivot-free rear ends typically provide a snappier feel.

The battery display is flat on the top tube, but the power button is integrated into the mode dial on the handlebar.

All cables run through the headset, entering a port under the stem. Split spacers keep it easy to adjust stack height. The top two models (9.9 & 9.0) get Focus’s new 290g one-piece bar stem.

An integrated chain keeper and removable motor cover (which doubles as impact protection) come standard.

Geometry & pricing

An adjustable head angle lets you tune it for the trails at hand. Swapping to a 140mm fork will slacken the head angle by 0.5º.

Complete bikes top out at €10,999 for the top VAM2 SL 9.0 model with a claimed weight of just 16.2kg (35.75lb). The 9.9 (€8,699, 17.5kg) and 9.8 (€6,899, 18.4kg) sit below that. (UPDATED: The weight for the top model was originally written as 31.75lbs, which has been corrected)

The 8.9 (€5,799) model uses a lower level carbon for a 2,545g (5.61lb) frame weight and 19.1kg complete bike weight. Full specs for all models on their website.

Ride.Focus.Bike

The post New Focus VAM2 SL eMTB dips under 36lbs! appeared first on Bikerumor.