It's Friday so you know the drill by now. Tea. Sit. Read... yep, it's 11spd.
In the world of gravel cycling, our Ben Delaney and Josh Patterson recently completed the Dirty Kanza 200 (congrats to both of them!) so we're starting to see a trickle of gravel tech coming out, including ENVE's brand new G23 wheelset.
We've been at Fort William scouting some of the best fans in mountain biking and Bike of the Year 2018 has been continuing too.
Finally... have you ever fancied an alien egg shaped bike storage solution? Today is your lucky day.
Tune Black Burner Skyline
It’s not uncommon to see Tune products on lightweight builds and these Black Burner Skylines are no exception to that ethos.
This all cross-country race 29er wheelset has a claimed weight of just 1,200g, and on the BikeRadar Scales of Truth ours totalled 1,238g (566g front, 672g rear). That weight is with tubeless tape and valves fitted, so claimed weight probably isn’t too far off.
The Black Burner Skyline wheelset comes with straight pull Prince Boost rear and Princess Skyline Boost front hubs, and currently they’re compatible with six bolt rotors only.
Tune can build these wheels to almost any specification (although not 650b) and its hubs can be adapted to any thru-axle width. The hubs also come in a variety of colours if colour-matching components is your cup of tea.
- €3,141 (Boost version as seen here)
- Visit Tune’s website to find out about these Black Burner Skyline wheels
Andrew The Maker Camera Sack
Bike packing, bags and photography all go hand-in-hand, and Andrew The Maker makes some pretty sweet portage solutions. We were sent this particularly smart solution — the Camera Sack.
This size large Camera Sack fits MBUK’s Matt Orton’s mirrorless Lumix camera very neatly. The foam-spacer blocks protect your handlebars from any bag movement, which can wear away delicate paint or decals.
The yellow interior allows for easy viewing of what’s inside.
This Camera Sack is the roll top and clip version, but there’s also a flip top and magnetic clasp option.
- $95
- Currently the Camera Sack is sold out, but Andrew The Maker does offer custom orders if you’re after something a little more fancy.
Zipp Service Course SL handlebar and stem
Zipp's Service Couse SL range was created specifically for its pro-sponsored teams at the top of the sport, and since its first iteration it's won everything from Paris-Roubaix to the Vuelta a España.
Constructed from 7075 aluminium the components have a class-leading level of stiffness, claims Zipp.
Weighing in at 249g and 140g for the 420mm handlebar and 110mm stem respectively, the aluminium components are hardly heavyweights either.
The high-polished black finish with subtle white or 'beyond black' decals will essentially match any bike design and we think look great. Just the handlebar tape colour to choose…
- Zipp Service Course SL stem: $112 / €115
- Zipp Service Course SL 70 handlebar: $103 / €105
- Purchase the stem from Evans Cycles or the bars from ProBikeKit
Attaquer All Day Faded Stripe Jersey Teal
Attaquer's All Day range does exactly what is says on the tin; a focus on comfort and designed with features that you'll be grateful for after a long day in the saddle as opposed to out-and-out aerodynamic or compression-focused performance.
Extending its range for the 2018 spring/summer season, Attaquer sent us through its All Day Faded Stripe short sleeve jersey in teal.
The jersey has a low collar to prevent any pinching, UV sun protection and mesh side-panels in conjunction with breathable main panels. As expected, a full length zipper and three rear cargo pockets also feature.
While pricey, Attaquer does offer a jersey and bib shorts bundle, saving 10 percent, and from the previous pieces we have reviewed the kit is easily on par with similarly priced products.
- £114.95
- See the full Attaquer All Day collection at attaquercycling.eu
Cube Litening SLT C:68
The Litening C:68 SLT sits right at the top of Cube's disc road bike range. Its high-end composite carbon fibre has allowed Cube to use less resin but boost the overall frame performance.
Pimped out with Shimano Dura Ace Di2, deep section carbon Scope R4c wheels and the very decent Schwalbe Pro One tyres this is a bike that’s made for long distances while going fast.
You haven’t got much in the way of choice with this bike, but we’re big fans of the nude carbon look.
- £6,000
- Purchase from Rutland Cycling
Argonaut T47 Campagnolo Ultra Torque BB Cups
Oregon-based custom carbon frame builders Argonaut Cycles collaborated with Chris King back in 2015 to produce another bottom bracket standard.
Despite being met with the expected groans of 'not another standard!!!!!' the T47 appears to be gaining momentum with other frame builders around the world — including Aussie brand Curve, who Josh is using to build up a long-termer.
The T47 bottom bracket uses the same large shell as a Press-Fit 30 but aims to reduce the risk of creaking and noise by using a threaded installation.
Although the standard has been in circulation for nearly three years, an option to accommodate the Campagnolo Ultra Torque Cups are few and far between, with this option from Argonaut the only one we could find!
If you fine readers are aware of any other T47-specific Campagnolo Ultra Torque BB Cups, please let us know in the comments below.
- $75
- Available from argonautcycles.com
Pirelli Cinturato tyre
Last year Pirelli returned to cycling with its Pzero Velo range, but with no tubeless options and the widest clincher at 28mm, it was far from a complete line-up.
Enter the all-new Cinturanto, Pirelli’s first tubeless-ready bicycle tyre that will be sold in width options that should please everyone from gravel grinders through to endurance riders and fast commuters.
It’s available in 26, 28, 32 and 35mm options with claimed weights of 290–380g
- Pricing TBC
- Visit velo.pirelli.com for more details
MucOff Sealant
Fancy trying out tubeless tyres? Then you’re going to need some tubeless sealant.
Not ones to miss out on the party, MucOff has produced its own sealant, which comes in a delightful shade a pink. It’s claimed to seal tears and holes up to 6mm thick and will work for mountain biking and road riding.
Most tubeless sealants do a decent job of preventing punctures, but they can also dry up in your tyres creating a ball of sticky gunk. However, MucOff claims its sealant will last up to six months in temperate climates and won’t ball up.
- £29.99 for 1 litre bottle
- £9.99 for 140ml sealant kit
- Buy now from Tredz
Specialized S-Works XC tyres
Here at BikeRadar towers we're well versed in shiny new toys turning up at the office. But when a large and rather heavy case arrived from Specialized we couldn’t figure out what it could be.
Turns out it was chock full of Specialized’s new S-Works XC tyre range.
These new models feature a 120tpi casing and a 210Dn thread count. This makes for a lighter and suppler tyre — all good things for those budding XC racers out there.
The new tyres come in various treads and compounds with the 2.1 and 2.3inch Renegade being used for fast and dry conditions, the 2.1 and 2.3inch Fast Trak for intermediate conditions, and finally the 2.1 Ground Control for wet and loose conditions.
Keep an eye out on BikeRadar for pricing and first ride updates on these tyres in the future.
Cane Creek G4 EE Brakes
Producers of perhaps the fanciest caliper brakes around, Cane Creek’s latest fourth generation EE brakes are light on the scales but harsh on your wallet.
These direct mount versions weigh a mere 77 grams each on the BikeRadar scales, but each brake will set you back £299. So that lack of weight comes at a heavy price.
This new version has been optimized for fashionably wide 22–28mm wide rims and comes with a stiffer black arch spring. Spec sheet hype aside, they just look damn cool and we can’t help admire the engineering that’s gone into these brakes.
- £299 / €316.99 / $315 each
Cab9 Da Costa sunglasses
Here’s a reasonably priced pair of sunglasses that look sharp, work well and don’t cost the earth.
The simple frames manage to look good on a wide range of face shapes and the polarised lenses have kept us from squinting throughout the UK’s recent spell of sunshine.
They last pretty well too; in fact, we’ve got an original set of Da Costas that Cab9 sent across to us around a year ago that are still hanging on in there.
If these aren’t the sort of look that you normally go for then it may be worth heading over to the Cab9 website where you’ll find plenty of other styles for a similar price.
- €35
