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TECH NEWS

How often do you puncture? Muc-Off says every 8 months is average. Plus new Hunt x Classified wheels, new Lotus bike coming in 2024, Jack Wolfskin goes bikepacking + more

The bike tech world never sleeps and this week has again been filled with new and improved designs and innovations from a range of diverse brands

The world of cycling tech never stops evolving, and we're here for it! This week's tech stories are full of new designs, products and campaigns - utilising technologies that are already around such as SRAM Force AXS, Hunt wheels and indoor cycling apps - but taking those a little further in the pursuit of making them (you guessed it) a little better. 

But, let's start off with some statistics about punctures and riders' thoughts about whether switching to a tubeless system makes sense... 

How often do you get a puncture? Muc-Off says every eight months is the average

Road cyclists have averaged 4.45 punctures over the past three years, or about 1.5 a year, according to a survey by Muc-Off. In other words, this data suggests that roadies typically puncture about once every eight months. Does that ring true to you? Of course, we all know that they're never spread out neatly, preferring to strike in batches.

Thorn in tyre - 1 (1)Muc-Off’s puncture data is based on 5,000 respondents from 50 countries. One in three riders say they have experienced a ‘ride-ending’ puncture in the last three years, while just 10% of road riders say they’ve had no punctures during that period.

> Buyer's guide to tubeless tyres — find out all about new technology rubber 

Muc-Off’s survey aimed to gain insight into its customers’ approaches to tubeless and puncture repair with questions around puncture frequency, techniques for fixing and preventing punctures, and inner tube vs tubeless setups.

Gravel riders have more punctures than mountain bike and road riders, with an average of 4.52 punctures over the last three years. As mentioned, roadies aren’t far behind with 4.45 punctures, with mountain bikers faring best with 3.82.

Three in four riders take a set of tyre levers along on the ride, and over half of the respondents said they carry a spare inner tube, a pump, a puncture repair kit, and/or a CO2 cartridge with them, with non-tubeless riders carrying significantly more items with them on rides that those running a tubeless setup.

> Should you get tubeless tyres? Are they your best option? 

Most surprisingly, to us at least, is that 5.8% of riders take no puncture repair tools or spares with them when riding, not even a pump.

Muc-Off Ultimate Tubeless Setup Kit.jpg

According to Muc-Off’s survey, slightly more roadies are still running inner tubes than those who have switched to tubeless tyres (which you run with sealant inside to fix punctures automatically), although the majority of mountain bike and gravel bike riders who responded said they’ve already ditched tubes.

The most common reason tubeless riders liked running tubeless was that they got fewer punctures, followed closely by it providing increased comfort (72%). Some (42%) said they liked the ‘improved traction’ and ‘improved rolling resistance’ (35%) as well as the ‘weight saving’ (35%) tubeless provides.

> Fitting tubeless tyres – learn how with this simple guide

The most common reason given by inner tube users for not swapping to tubeless was that they didn’t have tubeless-ready wheels and/or tyres. About 25% of respondents said they either don’t understand what’s involved with setting up tubeless, or that they feel the set-up would be too complicated.

Muc-Off has set up what it calls a Tubeless & Puncture Protection Hub where it shows you its range of products along with instructional videos.

What do you think of tubeless on the road? Is it a step forward or do you think it's too much of a faff for you?

Find out more here 

Orbea introduces three bikes with new SRAM Force AXS

2023 Orbea M21e LTD PWR

Orbea has introduced three new models featuring the updated SRAM Force AXS groupset that was launched last week: two Orca models and an Orca Aero. Any Orbea dealer or online customer who is waiting to receive one of the three models will automatically receive it with the new Force AXS components.

> New SRAM Force AXS first ride review — is it any good? 

2023 Orbea M21 eTeam PWR

The Orca range sees SRAM Force AXS added to the M21eLTD PWR (£8,299) model with OMX carbon and its M21eTEAM PWR model (£5,999) with OMR carbon.

2023 Orbea Orca Aero M21e LTD

The Orca Aero range gets the new SRAM groupset on the M21eLTD model (£6,499).

Find out more here 

Lotus to develop new Team GB track bike for Paris 2024

Lotus has announced its collaboration with British Cycling will continue with the development of a new track bike for Team GB riders to use at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Hope-Lotus track bike for Tokyo 2020 - 1

Lotus Engineering’s partnership with British Cycling already resulted in the co-development of the track bike used by Team GB riders for Tokyo 2020, with the event of course eventually taking place in 2021 due to Covid-19.

Long before that, Lotus developed the Type 108 – the LotusSport Pursuit Bicycle – a revolutionary concept that showcased a ground-breaking monocoque design, advanced carbon composite construction, and, a pioneering approach to aerodynamics. The Type 108 helped British rider Chris Boardman win gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

> Check out Chris Boardman’s Olympic-winning Lotus Type 108 

Its success sparked the genesis of the Lotus Type 110, a time trial bike boasting many of the same innovations. Boardman rode it to victory in the Prologue of the 1994 Tour de France.

Lotus 108 - 1

Richard Hill, Chief Aerodynamicist for Lotus, said, “Back then, it was simply about developing an aerodynamic bike that would go fast. But really there are two separate elements – the bike and the rider – which come together as one to move through the air. That was the approach we took with the Tokyo bike and is continuing for Paris 2024.”

Mavic announces collab with artist Jerome Masi

Mavic has unveiled striking wheels and jerseys that are the results of a collaboration with illustrator Jerome Masi.

2023 Jérôme Masi x Mavic jersey - 1

“Transposing my work onto other media than paper or canvas became obvious little by little,” said Jérôme Masi. “With Mavic, I had to learn about a new world with its own culture, technical aspects and constraints.

2023 Jérôme Masi x Mavic Cosmic SLR65 - 1

“When Mavic offered me this collaboration, I immediately accepted, as it was obvious, Mavic is an emblematic French brand.”

The Jérôme Masi x Mavic men’s and women’s jerseys are available for £75 each.

2023 Jérôme Masi x Mavic Cosmic SLR65 - 1 (1)

Mavic Cosmic SL wheels will be available at a suggested retail price of £1,440, and Cosmic SLR wheels at £2,090.

Find out more here 

Ritchey releases Skyline handlebar

Ritchey has unveiled a brand-new Skyline handlebar that “offers progressive drop and reach along with an anatomical bend to make it the most ergonomic Ritchey road bar on offer”.

2023 Ritchey Skyline handlebar - 2

Ritchey says, “The astounding comfort and confidence of the Skyline starts with the ergonomic tops, which allow plenty of surface area to wrap your hands around and to disperse road vibrations. The anatomical drops double down on the bar’s ergonomics by offering multiple hand positions when riding in the drops.”

“However, the recipe for the special sauce of these bars is the progressive mix of reach and drop with the bar’s width. This combination offers true ergonomic consistency across all sizes.”

2023 Ritchey Skyline handlebar - 1

The Skyline was designed with road riders in mind, although Ritchey expects it to win fans in the cyclocross world too.

The WCS version of the Skyline (£92.90) is made with triple-butted 7050-T6 alloy while the Comp model (£46.90) is double-butted 6061 alloy.

Find out more here 

Bont adds new Vaypor shoe design for 2023

Bont is introducing a new Vaypor for 2023 that’s a completely different offering to the rest of the Vaypor Series. The Vaypor has been one of the most distinctive shoes out there for years thanks to a shape that’s designed to match that of the foot more accurately than most; although, at first sight, the new model looks a little more conventional.

2023 Bont Vaypor 2023 shoes - 1

“Featuring a revamped design and all-new construction method, the Vaypor 2023 is powerfully efficient, super light (just 200g for a size 42 shoe) and designed to be comfortable across rides of any distance and under the harshest of environments,” says Bont.

> Best road cycling shoes 2023 — get faster with light, stiff shoes

“Harnessing a reimagined low-profile forefoot cradle, arch profile and refined heel cup and opening, the Vaypor 2023 is built to accommodate an improved range of foot shapes, types and widths.”

Like other high-end Bonts, the shoe is heat mouldable. The dials are Boa Li2.

> Check out the best cycling shoes with the Li2 BOA Fit System

We have a pair on the way to the road.cc offices, so stay tuned for our review.

Find out more here 

Prologo releases its first-ever ergonomic women’s saddle, the ‘Scratch EVA’

FDJ SUEZ Futuroscope - Marta Cavalli - @mattiaragni - 02

Prologo has already sponsored women’s WorldTour and Continental teams for years - and because of this, it has gathered quite a lot of information on female anatomy. With the release of the new women-specific Scratch EVA saddle, Prologo wanted to perfect a women's saddle that fits women cyclists. 

  

Best women's bike saddles 2023 — get the right support for your riding

The shape of the new women’s saddle resembles the T-shape of the unisex model, Scratch M5, which has been already seen winning races on both road and off-road. Prologo has taken advice from pro rider Marta Cavalli (FDJ SUEZ Futuroscope) in designing this saddle and even made a wee video about the saddle with her.  

What has Prologo identified works best, then? The anatomical shape of the new Scratch EVA has been redesigned to better fit the female body by moving the saddle’s "anatomical centre" 5mm forward. This should allow the saddle to be moved forward, thus increasing the support surface for the pelvis, which is often wider on women than men. 

Prologo has kept the saddle compact, with measures of 245mm x 140mm and added specific padding to where it is needed. For support, the padding is the thickest at the back, and the middle and front offer thinner padding to minimise pressure points. In the middle, there is a large channel made of very soft material, all to “eliminate numbness, pain, and avoid reduction of blood circulation”.

The nose of the saddle is 10mm wider and also, tilted downwards, to avoid excessive pressure when for example, doing seated climbs. 

There are two rail options for the Scratch EVA; Nack (nano carbon fibre) is composed of carbon fibre, Kevlar and aluminium filaments and results in a saddle weighing a mere 183g. The light alloy steel rail TiroX model weighs 232g and boasts offering less stiffness but superior vibration absorption. 

The Nack model retails for £196 and the Scratch EVA with Tirox rail £124. 

Read more
 

Jack Wolfskin enters the bikepacking market with a bag and apparel collection

JW_SS23_Bikepacking_6647

We’ve already seen outdoor equipment giants such as Rab enter the bikepacking market, and now Jack Wolfskin is following suit. 

The new collection features both men’s and women’s apparel and also, a whole range of “lightweight carrying systems” aka bikepacking bags

Jack Wolfskin says the new bike collection is “specifically tailored to cycling combining both lightness and comfort with dependable performance” and has an athletic fit that is ideal for either an afternoon pootle or multi-day outing. In terms of tailoring, you get the usually dropped tail, shorter fronts and easy-to-access pockets.

JW_SS23_Bikepacking_8142

Jack Wolfskin has also woven in some quite interesting-sounding tech, including ‘brrr’ which the brand explains as “natural minerals provide a triple chill effect through cooling, active moisture transport and fast drying”. Because it’s integrated into the fibres, it cannot be washed away… and there is also the Microban tech, which should reduce odours - which we all want on multi-day bikepacking excursions. 

How to pack bikepacking bags - carry everything you need and more

And those bags… they feature a Fidlock magnetic winch system, and the drybags supposedly attach to the bag mounts with a “twist of the wrist”. 

Check out the full collection - and keep your eyes peeled for some reviews that might appear on the pages of off.road.cc, our chunkier-tyred sibling. 

Read more

Hunt announces Classified Powershift-ready wheel options 

Hunt x classified

HUNT Wheels and drivetrain technology company Classified have announced that the two companies have joined forces to create industry-leading wheel systems, making Hunt the latest wheel brand to utilise the Belgian hub tech.

Best road bike wheels 2023 — transform your road bike with some shiny new hoops

We've seen Classified increasingly finding its way to all fields of cycling, even at the WorldTour level - and wheel brands are embracing this by offering the classified hub as an option. You can now get two Hunt wheel models - the 48 Limitless Aero Disc and the 40 Carbon Gravel Disc - with the Classified hub shell. Worth noting that these are "Classified-ready" wheels, which means the prices are really for the shell, you need to add the Classified system to it.

Instead of going more into the details of how the Powershift hub works, we recommend checking out our review of it here. The 48 Limitless Aero Disc and the 40 Carbon Gravel Disc are available for pre-order now, with delivery expected in June. Prices are £1149 and £949 respectively.

Read more

Indoor training platform BKOOL announces a price revision for new users

BKOOL-Contador-02

Bkool, the indoor cycling platform and official Giro d’Italia Virtual cycling simulator, has announced new prices and a “family account” which enables users to share one account with one price. 

Getting started with BKOOL - Road.cc

The revised BKOOL Premium subscription will cost 11€ on the monthly version and 100€ on the annual version from April onwards, and this should be implemented for existing premium users as well. 

The new family plan will cost 129€ annually and allows three different devices to be connected simultaneously in the same household. Up to five devices can be registered, as well, and those can be changed up to three times every year. 

Read more

ROUVY launches virtual campaign to support women cyclists

ROUVY for Women_key visual

ROUVY, another indoor cycling platform, has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging women to ride indoors, calling it ROUVY for Women. Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the campaign runs from 6-19 March and is designed to “inspire, motivate and empower women to experience the benefits of indoor cycling and reach their fitness goals”. 

Cycling fitness: How to get the most from your indoor training sessions

The brand says that even though cycling’s popularity has grown a lot thanks to advances in technology, it still remains a male-dominated sport. ROUVY for Women is the company's first initiative to close this gender gap.  

Read more

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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37 comments

Avatar
perce | 1 year ago
5 likes

Well there I was cycling up a hill smoking a fag at my usual speed of 24mph. I stopped at the top and did the Times crossword while I waited for my chum to turn up on his February bike. When I asked why he was riding it he explained "well Clem it's the only chance I have of keeping up with you". I don't know why he calls me that. Anyway we rode down hill but he couldn't keep up with me cos I'm right proper fast. We evaded the checkpoints and went through the ghetto where we saw lots of left wing cohorts and lazy uk workers who doffed their caps at us as we rode past. When we eventually stopped I looked at my chums bike and had to laugh - no mudguards!

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to perce | 1 year ago
4 likes

This sounds like you were riding during working hours, I hope you don't work for one of those skanky UK firms.

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perce replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
1 like

Well I'm retired now, highly recommended by the way, even though it does mean being older than I'd like. All the companies I worked for were very good and most of the people I worked with were very hard working.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to perce | 1 year ago
1 like

perce wrote:

Well I'm retired now, highly recommended by the way, even though it does mean being older than I'd like.

I'd love to but I don't know where I'd find the time.

Avatar
perce | 1 year ago
3 likes

I know Stetson are mostly associated with cowboy and "ten gallon" hats but they do make other hats as well. I have one of their trilbies which is great. Not a hat for wearing in weather like today though, this is more beanie hat weather.

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perce | 1 year ago
2 likes

46mph winds out there. Good luck to anyone cycling out there today, yesterday was bad enough with gusts of 32mph. Stay safe.

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Steve K replied to perce | 1 year ago
1 like

perce wrote:

46mph winds out there. Good luck to anyone cycling out there today, yesterday was bad enough with gusts of 32mph. Stay safe.

I cycled into London today, and was literally blown off the cycle path (CS6 between St George's Circus and Southwark tube) - went up onto the pavement and just about managed to stay upright.  I'm not looking forward to the ride home as it will be headwind all the way.

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perce replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
2 likes

That's what I was referring to, people who have to commute. Good luck on the way home - think it's supposed to be like this for the next few days. I don't like the way my garden fence is blowing about either - only had it repaired last year.

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Steve K replied to perce | 1 year ago
0 likes

perce wrote:

That's what I was referring to, people who have to commute. Good luck on the way home - think it's supposed to be like this for the next few days. I don't like the way my garden fence is blowing about either - only had it repaired last year.

Thanks.  I think it's just today, thankfully.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to perce | 1 year ago
4 likes

When the cycling gets windy, you need to reef.

Avatar
perce replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

How does it fold up? I can't get it in my shed otherwise. Actually in this weather I usually go to the gym and lift some weights or go for a run. I don't go on the stationary bikes though, I don't like them.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to perce | 1 year ago
1 like

perce wrote:

How does it fold up? I can't get it in my shed otherwise. Actually in this weather I usually go to the gym and lift some weights or go for a run. I don't go on the stationary bikes though, I don't like them.

Get a bigger one then - just turn it upside-down when you want to use it as a shed.  It'll even hold your fancy fish right-way-up - you can use it as a carp ark.

If you just fancy some exercise I recommend lifting some weights with pedals.

As long as it's windy I'm sure it's not stationary.

Avatar
perce replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

Seven decades of lost opportunities - I like it.

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ktache replied to perce | 1 year ago
1 like

I experienced the mythical "tailwind" this morning, only a couple of hundred metres, and in the lee of a hill, but, it was nice.

Bombing down the big hill, gusty sidewinder, exciting.

Avatar
perce replied to ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

Mythical indeedy. Wind direction round here is usually S or SW so I usually head that way so I can get the benefit of a tailwind on the way back but then the wind seems to change direction. I knew it was very windy yesterday though cos even though I was pedalling quite hard the scenery wasn't changing.

Avatar
Steve K replied to perce | 1 year ago
1 like

perce wrote:

Mythical indeedy. Wind direction round here is usually S or SW so I usually head that way so I can get the benefit of a tailwind on the way back but then the wind seems to change direction. I knew it was very windy yesterday though cos even though I was pedalling quite hard the scenery wasn't changing.

'Usually' being the key word.  I rode from South London to Birmingham over two days at the start of the month, at it was a cold northerly wind the whole way.  Once I did a 100 miler to the Hampshire/Dorset coast and returned the next day, and the wind change direction so I had a headwind both ways.  (Admittedly, more recently, I was blessed with the opposite effect when doing the same journeys - with a couple of days gap between - and had a tailwind both ways.)

Avatar
wtjs replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
3 likes

I was blessed with the opposite effect when doing the same journeys - with a couple of days gap between - and had a tailwind both ways

But the ones you remember are the other type. I had a dire trip against a headwind from Honningsvag to the North Cape. I camped in sight of the flagpole and in the morning the wind had turned right round so it was all the way back against the wind over the bleak featureless tundra. However, the midnight sun was out that night as I cycled along the fjord side towards Finland, and a Lapp invited me into his cabin. He said they just stay up all night when it's like that.

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NickSprink | 1 year ago
1 like

I'm fortunate that I very rarely puncture.  On road bikes I don't think I have ever punctured out riding, though a few weeks ago found a small hole when pumping up the tyres, which was sorted by sealant.

On my gravel bike it did get a long thorn, but again sealant did its job, I only found it when clening the bike afterwards.

However a few months ago I did ride over a flint rock which put a big gash in the sidewall.  Why I thought the sealant might work on a half inch hole...

Avatar
Ride On | 1 year ago
2 likes

2 punctures in a week and it's time for new tyres.

Avatar
perce | 1 year ago
5 likes

I was out riding my Raleigh Rodeo the other day with my imaginary friend when we accidentally strayed into a segregated ghetto. We must have bypassed the checkpoints somehow. Anyway I popped ino a shop to buy some stuff. I noticed a fly in the window near some buns - next thing I know the shop assistant had zapped it with this huge lizard tongue and ate it! Nobody else in the shop appeared to notice. Anyway I made my excuses and left. Once outside I got on my bike and pedalled furiously all the way home. My friend pedalled furiously as well but he's not as fast as me cos I'm right proper fast. Luckily I was wearing a lead lined leopard skin pillbox hat on top of my helmet just in case we encountered any aliens on the way back. But we didn't.

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ChuckSneed | 1 year ago
0 likes

Funny to see the Lotus bike reappear. Hopefully they've gone back to the drawing board after the embarassment of that last mess. What genius told them a wide bike would be faster? Should look like a pin from the front to go fast............

Avatar
ChuckSneed | 1 year ago
3 likes

Puncture very rarely, maybe once every 20000 miles. I still run 23 mm tyres at 130 psi because it's still faster than anything else, and maybe the high pressure stops things entering the tyre and puncturing it.

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Rendel Harris replied to ChuckSneed | 1 year ago
4 likes

ChuckSneed wrote:

Puncture very rarely, maybe once every 20000 miles. I still run 23 mm tyres at 130 psi because it's still faster than anything else, and maybe the high pressure stops things entering the tyre and puncturing it.

Are you sure it's not your Walter Mitty frame or the Baron Munchausen inner tubes that are responsible for this remarkable record??

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chrisonabike replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
4 likes

Probaby all the thorns, glass and metal shards are picked up by the accountant, youareallcyberbullies, rakia, the new DJ et. al leading the chain gang.

Still, it must be frustrating to get a puncture every hundred days or so - apparently above average...

Avatar
🐸 | 1 year ago
4 likes

I have a lot of punctures because of a lot of glass on the roads. I recently replaced my rear tubeless tyre, I rode it for 3 months, 8600 km and plugged it 21 times...

Here is my inner tube for example, before I switched to tubeless.

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Sriracha replied to 🐸 | 1 year ago
9 likes

I used to cut up my old inner tubes to make patches for the new one. But the new tubes were never a patch on the old ones.

Avatar
Ride On replied to 🐸 | 1 year ago
2 likes

Got to admire the thrift.👍

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andystow | 1 year ago
3 likes

I had way more punctures than that before I went tubeless. Maybe about monthly, certainly at least six a year. I ride about 6000 miles / 10000 km a year.

Since going tubeless, less than one a year, and never ride ending. Plug and go, or sometimes just re-inflate and go.

Avatar
Backladder | 1 year ago
4 likes

Since most punctures are caused by something on the road surface surely it would make more sense to measure them by miles travelled rather than by time passing?

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to Backladder | 1 year ago
0 likes

Now try composing a reliable survey that will tell you than.  Might only be possible in conjuction with the surveyed person marking their puncture rides in Strava.

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