It’s been quite the whirlwind week at BikeRadar, with the Tour de France and Eurobike 2024 in full swing, on top of a rich buffet of new product releases.
The 15th (yes, 15th!) iteration of the Specialized Stumpjumper was unveiled, with the new bike banishing the signature sidearm in the front triangle and switching to a Fox GENIE shock. Technical editor-in-chief Robin Weaver delivered his impressions in a first ride review and questioned why there is no new Specialized Stumpjumper EVO.
Sticking in mountain biking territory, SRAM released cheaper Transmission components – but they're only available on complete bikes – and Merida announced its new Big.Trail hardtail.
What about gravel? Well, the next-generation Giant Revolt broke cover. It now features down tube storage, integrated cable routing (make of that what you will…) and, according to Giant, compliance-improving finishing kit.
Onto the road, and the striking Continental Aero 111 front tyre was officially launched earlier this week. The tyre is a collaboration between Continental, DT Swiss and Swiss Side and is claimed to be up to 18 watts faster than a GP5000 S TR – no shabby feat.
We’ve also done some sleuthing at the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, with George Scott spotting a new Van Rysel aero bike and Simon von Bromley taking a look at an unreleased Dare aero bike and a prototype automatic chain waxing machine used by the Lidl-Trek team.
Right, I hope you’ve kept up with all of that – now it's time to take a closer look at some of the new gear to recently arrive at BikeRadar HQ.
Posedla Joyseat 2.0
The Joyseat 2.0 is an update of the Czech Republic-based brand’s original 3D-printed saddle.
Compared to other 3D-printed saddle manufacturers, Posedla’s proposition differs in that its saddles are fully customised for your anatomy and riding requirements.
Of course, it’s worth acknowledging that Fizik recently announced its 'One-to-One' service. The Italian brand’s process sees a saddle selected from pre-defined shapes and widths; Fizik then adjusts the stiffness based on the rider’s pressure points.
The process with the Posedla Joyseat 2.0 starts with receiving a ‘Smiling Butt Kit’, which incorporates an impression foam that you sit on wearing tight underwear, with your legs at a 90 degree angle, transferring your weight into the foam.
You then take images of the imprint with your phone, send these to Posedla and receive your custom saddle six to eight weeks later.
When you’re customising your saddle, you can choose between ‘Road’, ‘Gravel’, ‘TT’ and ‘MTB’, and depending on your imprint, the saddle width is customised between 130 and 170mm.
Given I’m prioritising gravel ultra-endurance races at the moment, I selected the gravel option.
The lattice structure of the saddle consists of a recyclable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) printed on an industrial 3D printer. The saddles feature 7x9mm carbon rails and are rated to a maximum weight of 100kg.
Posedla says you can expect the saddle to weigh between 150 and 200g. Mine weighs 166g.
3D-printed saddles are notoriously hard to keep clean and Posedla simply recommends using water. The brand says it has engineered holes on the nose and side of the saddle to allow water to naturally flow out.
I’ll report back in due course with my findings.
- £390 / $490 / €490 / AU$550
Apidura Racing Hydration Vest
Launched yesterday (Thursday 4 July), Apidura has updated its Racing Hydration Vest and, following rider feedback, the brand has concentrated on improving its breathability, weight and stability.
The original Racing Hydration Vest is a common sight at many ultra-endurance events and we spotted Piotr Havik wearing this new bag in the first half of Unbound this year, before he swapped back to the outgoing vest.
The new Racing Hydration Vest is available in two sizes – S/M or L/XL, to suit different body types. It pairs a 2L bladder with 3.5-4L of additional storage, depending on the size, and is claimed to weigh either 225 or 245g.
The bladder size and storage capacity, combined with the bag’s low weight, undercut key rivals such as the Camelbak Chase Race 4 and EVOC Hydro Pro 7.
Apidura has primarily gone about shaving weight by utilising a mesh construction, which is also said to improve breathability. There’s a refined fit system with quick-release buckles incorporating a magnetic hydration hose clip and emergency whistle.
On the left strap is a mesh pocket large enough to hold a phone with room to spare and the right strap has an open pocket for a bottle or to store rubbish.
I’ve been testing this hydration vest for just over a month now and have been impressed. I used the brand’s larger-volume Backcountry Hydration Pack on the Seven Serpents race in May and also appreciate the lower weight and increased breathability of this new pack.
If I can shave some weight from my bikepacking bags for the items I carried in the Backcountry Hydration Pack on the Seven Serpents, I reckon I’ll opt for this bag for Badlands at the end of next month.
- £143 / $167 / €189 / AU$261
Chris King ThreadFit 30 Bottom Bracket
Although the bottom bracket standards war has calmed down a little, with more brands ditching press-fit variants, one still needs to tread carefully.
With BB standards typically being designed around certain crank spindle sizes, there are some sub-optimal pairings out there.
One such example is trying to fit a SRAM DUB crankset into a BSA threaded bottom bracket shell. The crankset’s 28.99mm spindle, paired with a 34.8mm shell diameter, means you are relying on seriously skinny bearings.
This means they’re likely to wear out quicker, compared to if you were running a Shimano crankset with a 24mm spindle on the same bottom bracket standard.
I don’t want to be replacing bottom brackets all the time on a new bike build I’m planning later in the year, which is where the Chris King ThreadFit 30 I keep seeing recommended for this scenario comes in.
The ThreadFit 30 is built around angular contact bearings that “wear in instead of out” and it’s backed by a five year warranty.
Once you buy a bottom bracket, you then need to buy a ‘Fit Kit’ for the crankset you’re planning on fitting – FitKit No. 2 in my case.
You can pick between ten colours and Chris King offers steel or ceramic bearing options.
On the basis of other Chris King products I’ve used in the past, I wouldn’t be surprised if the ThreadFit 30 outlasts the frame it’s heading into.
- £250 / $212 (steel bearings)
- £370 / $322 (ceramic bearings)
MAAP Alt_Road clothing
Last month, MAAP expanded its Alt_Road collection. The new products are designed to be mixed and matched for a range of off-road disciplines, including cross-country mountain biking (a first for MAAP).
The Alt_Road Zip Tee is designed to blend the style of a tech tee and a conventional jersey, employing a full zip. MAAP wanted it to be lightweight, durable and fast-drying without compromising on comfort, and the jersey is also rated to UPF 30+. A neat feature is the adjustable cinching system on the hem to dial in the fit.
There’s only a small single storage pocket at the back of the jersey to the right, but there’s a reason for that which you’ll discover shortly.
The tee is available in two colours – Cactus (which I have) and Black – in six sizes from XS to XXL.
The Alt_Road Cargo Bib Liner and Alt_Road Overshort are designed to be worn together. MAAP says the pairing provides riders with the comfort and breathability of a bib short with the aesthetics and riding protection of an overshort.
The bib liner is designed to be similarly breathable and moisture-wicking and the main leg side panels are made from mesh to improve airflow. Elastic Interface are on chamois duties with the 3D Thermo Moulded multi-density pad.
Because the jersey is almost pocket-free, the bib liner uses MAAP’s 3-Way Pocket system, with a mesh centre pocket and two zipped pockets either side of it.
Rounding out the collection are the Alt_Road Overshorts, which use a similar 4-way stretch fabric to the jersey.
There are dual-sided adjustable buckles on an elasticated waistband to adjust the fit, with two deep open pockets to the side, as well as two zipped side pockets.
I’m looking forward to testing this kit on plenty of upcoming gravel rides.
- MAAP Alt_Road Zip Tee – £105 / $125 / €115 / AU$155
- MAAP Alt_Road Cargo Bib Liner – £175 / $225 / €195 / AU$265
- MAAP Alt_Road Overshort – £110 / $135 / €125 / AU$180
