We’ve jumped from the end of the men’s Tour straight into the second edition of the Tour de France Femmes – the biggest race on the Women’s WorldTour calendar.
BikeRadar had a team on the ground to bring you a round-up of the most exciting tech from the opening stages of this year’s race. We also took a close look at some of Trek-Lidl’s amazing custom paintjobs, with more pro bike checks to come.
Back on the men’s race, we examined how bikes have changed since Chris Froome’s victory in 2013, comparing his Pinarello Dogma to Jonas Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5 – oh how times change…
We also heard Oscar Huckle’s thoughts on why Microshift Sword – a new affordable 10-speed gravel bike groupset – could upset the mid-range bike market.
In a slightly less balanced analysis, Tom Marvin launched into an entertaining polemic against the state of gravel bike tech today from the perspective of a dyed-in-the-wool mountain biker. The accompanying podcast is also a fun listen – I promise you’ll enjoy ol’ Marv turning red over topics as trivial as gravel suspension and electronic drivetrains.
That’s only a small slither of the titillating tech tidings published on BikeRadar this week. Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter for regular updates on our very best news, reviews and features.
For now, we dive into First Look Friday – our weekly round-up of the very best new kit to land at BikeRadar HQ.
DT Swiss RWS quick releases
I believe all external cam quick-release (QR) skewers are rubbish.
They are typically lighter and cheaper than Campagnolo/Shimano-style internal cam skewers, but they’re also universally fiddly and feel horrible unless spotlessly clean and well-greased.
Even then, their clamping power is puny compared to internal cam skewers and, urgh – they just suck.
Well, I am here to admit that when building my noodly road bike, I strayed from the light and used a pair of daft super-light titanium/carbon external cam QRs. They were chosen because they were free and, more importantly, matching.
To cut a (very!) long story short, my ears paid dearly for my sins.
After months of trying to track down a mystery creak – which included a whole ride convinced the frame had cracked – I finally realised it was coming from the rear QR.
When pedalling hard, the titanium shaft would flex. The cammed head of the lever would then move and creak inside the cup of the QR. Infuriating.
Swapping to a bog standard Shimano QR from my parts bin immediately solved the problem. This also significantly reduced brake rub from the bike's rear end – an unexpected bonus.
Unable to ride the bike with mismatched skewers (I’m not an animal), I have decided to replace both with a pair of DT Swiss’ RWS QRs.
These QRs work more like a typical thru-axle, with an adjustable handle that really enables you to crank things down. Because my road bike had old-school semi-sloping dropouts, I hope this will prevent the wheel from ever slipping forward.
They also match the bike’s DT Swiss hubs, which soothes my weary, creaky mind.
- £29.99 each, international pricing TBC
Carradice Odyssey XL saddle bag
The new Odyssey XL is Carradice’s largest saddle bag, with a capacity of 21 litres.
This can be expanded to 26 litres by unclipping the folding expander lid. Two large pockets sit on either side of the bag for easy access.
D-rings sewn into the straps enable you to fasten additional luggage – or, if you’re feeling old-school, a rain cape – to the top of the bag.
Unlike Carradice’s traditional bags, which are manufactured from waxed cotton duck (a heavy tightly woven canvas), the Odyssey XL is manufactured using synthetic 1,000 denier Cordura.
The bag can be mounted in the traditional manner direct to saddle loops but, speaking from experience, I recommend pairing this with a Carradice Bagman support if you plan on riding off-road or carrying a heavy load.
The Bagman is a small rack that clamps onto your saddle rails. It can be paired with additional struts to provide support and stability for heavier loads.
Alternatively, the base of the bag can be draped over a rear pannier rack, provided your saddle is not too high from the top of the rack.
Unless packed well, traditional Carradice bags typically sag when mounted to a Bagman support or pannier rack. A corrugated plastic stiffener that slides into a pocket in the base of the Odyssey XL should prevent this.
The Odyssey XL is available in black, camo or high-vis yellow.
- £100, international shipping available
Ergon SMC Core Men saddle
The Ergon SMC Core Men saddle is designed specifically for an upright riding position, with a layer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foam (Core 3D, in Ergon parlance) sitting between the upper and base of the saddle, providing heaps of squishy support.
I fitted this saddle to my (our?) tandem ahead of a two-week tour earlier in the summer. The tandem is built specifically for touring, where a comfortable upright position is desirable.
My early impressions here were very good. Seated pedalling on rough terrain is far more comfortable than with my old saddle (which wasn’t really designed for this type of riding), with reduced saddle soreness to boot.
I suspect a lot of this is thanks to the saddle’s ability to pivot and wiggle while pedalling.
My partner – who spends a lot of time looking at my perky peach when we’re on the tandem – can confirm the upper ‘shell’ of the saddle noticeably moves around on top of the TPU Core 3D layer while pedalling.
In addition to touring and commuting saddles, Ergon also produces gravel bike saddles equipped with Core 3D technology.
- £144.99/€159.95
Vittoria Air-Liner Light tyre insert
From one squishy foam to another, we now turn to the Vittoria Air-Liner Light – a lightweight tyre insert designed specifically for cross-country mountain bikes.
The Vittoria Air-Liner Light weighs 50g per insert. That’s significantly lighter than its closest competitor, the CushCore XC, which weighs a claimed 150g per insert. The Tubolight EVO SL is closer at 58g (claimed weight).
In addition to offering rim and tyre protection, Vittoria claims the permeable foam will expand in the event of a puncture.
Vittoria says this enables the tyre to be run when flat, at the very least enabling racers to get back to the pits for a tyre swap. The brand makes similar claims about its road tyre insert.
A plasticky coating on the outside of the insert is claimed to prevent the permeable insert from soaking up tubeless sealant. It feels a bit like a packing peanut in the hand.
The insert is designed to be used with tyres from 2.1 to 2.4in wide on rims from 25 to 30mm wide (internal).
Unlike that weird kid from school who’d take a big munch out of the pool floats during swimming lessons, I've resisted the urge to have even a tiny nibble on this tempting toroid. It's so satisfying and squishy!
Instead, our testing will be limited to rattling through rock gardens with reckless abandon. Stay tuned for a full review in the coming months.
- €59.95, international pricing TBC
