RST had an E TACK-branded upside-down gravel fork featuring an electronic damper on its stand at the Taipei international Cycle Show.

The fork is designed to work with electric gravel bikes, taking charge from the main battery, but it can also be used with conventional gravel bikes using a battery in the steerer tube.

It’s not the first upside-down gravel fork we’ve seen, with Cane Creek’s Invert CS impressing us with its take on the theme.

RST’s fork goes one step further, though, with the electronic damper controlling the 60mm of travel.

There are three modes for the damper: Open, Pedal and Closed, while the Auto setting cycles through them by sensing the ground you’re pedalling on using accelerometers.

You can take command yourself, with buttons mounted to the handlebar that control the damper’s setting.

The fork is also said to feature a built-in mudguard.

Elsewhere on the stand, RST displayed its 32er fork, which shares an upside-down design but is focused on cross-country mountain biking.

The fork sees guards positioned over the stanchions, and if I had to describe it in one word, it would be ‘black’.

An air-spring system is used internally, and the fork provides 90mm of travel, putting it on the shorter side compared to XFusion’s Rezza 32er.

There’s no word as yet on pricing, but we can expect to see 32in making its way to more affordable bikes in the future.

While inverted forks have been around for a long time, in the past 12 months they’ve garnered more attention.

That could be down to the release of the Fox Podium or the rise of 32in-wheel bikes, which at this early stage of development favour inverted fork designs.

Featured on the Blues Bikes Tripping Balls bike I spotted at the Taipei International Cycle Show was an inverted fork, the Arata, built just for fun as a weekend project.

When Fox released the Podium fork last year, Evan, who works as an intermediary in Taiwan between brands and vendor partners, figured he might be able to create his own version.

In doing so, he added a few features nobody else has thought of.

From the bottom

Those with keen eyes will have spotted an off-centre axle in the CNC’s aluminium dropouts. This means the front wheel sits on a regular 15mm axle, rather than the 20mm axle Fox specifies for the Podium.

The axle is held in a keyed insert concentrically to the dropout, enabling both the fork’s offset and axle-to-crown height to be rider-adjustable.

This prototype offers between 44mm and 51mm offsets (with a few options in between), with around 6mm of potential ride-height adjustment. Evan has thought about offering it with a super-short 40-44mm offset, though.

On the brake side, there’s a reinforcement plate built in, in order to protect the splines of the concentric axle insert under heavy braking.

The dropouts are mounted to 34mm lower legs, however the next version of the fork will come with 35mm lowers. This, in turn, should offer added stiffness, as well as enabling the upper tubes to be larger in diameter, which counterintuitively will enable them to be built lighter.

The lowers are protected by 3D-printed guards.

Moving on up

Towards the top, the 7000-series upper tubes are bonded into the CNC’d crown, which has neat cut-outs celebrating the Japanese manga robot Gundam.

A custom fender has been built, which pops into the steerer and is supported by additional blocks that key into the crown, by the upper tubes’ junction.

Rather than build his own damper, Evan has whipped a GRIP2 damper out of a Fox fork and fitted it to his fork. In theory, he could drop any damper in there, and considered using a RockShox Charger.

On the air side, a simple homemade air spring is used. However, Evan showed me a prototype air spring he’s developing.

This does away with volume spacers because instead there’s an on-the-fly, dial-tuned air spring volume adjustment system – smart stuff.

This is very much a garage project – although Evan has access to a fairly big garage and some useful friends in the bike component manufacturing industry.

Don’t expect to see this fork on a trail near you soon, though, unless you shred near Taichung.

Zipp has a long history of cool IRL wheelsets being brought into Zwift, but until the latest game update, there were no Zipp gravel wheels in game.

But that’s all changed: the Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels have arrived, and with them, boosted gravel bike performance in Zwift dirt!

Here’s how these wheels are described in the Drop Shop: “Wide, aero, and unapologetically quick. The 303 XPLR SW pairs a broad rim profile with gravel-tuned efficiency to smooth chatter and hold speed where others stall. It feels planted in corners and eager when you hit the gas. Built for riders who don’t just survive gravel, they press it.”

The wheels are now available in the Drop Shop, accessible at level 35 and above, for 1,100,000 Drops. Notably, they are rated 3 stars for aero and 2 for weight, the only gravel wheelset in game with such a high rating, which should indicate that they’ll perform better than any other gravel wheels in Zwift. Since Zwift’s 4-star rating system isn’t precise enough for our taste, we ran these wheels through our standard battery of tests to determine exactly how they perform in Zwift and stack up against other gravel wheelsets.

It’s worth noting that when Zwift adjusted equipment performance approximately 1 year ago, they made all existing gravel wheelsets perform identically. Since that time, no new gravel wheels have been added to the game. But that all changes with Zwift’s latest release: these new wheels are the latest in gravel tech, and as such, they outperform gravel wheels in game that are several years old.

Let’s dive in and learn all about the performance of Zipp’s first gravel wheelset in Zwift!

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Zipp’s 303 XPLR wheels are the most aero gravel wheelset in Zwift, turning in an hour time approximately 13 seconds faster than the other gravel wheels.

Climb Performance

The 303 XPLR wheels also outclimb all the other gravel wheelsets in game, but not by much: they beat the other wheelsets by just 1.5-2 seconds across an hour of climbing.

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Carbon frame.

Jungle (Dirt) Performance

The aero advantage and slight climbing advantage shown in our pavement tests translate into improved performance for the Zipp 303 XPLR wheels in our Jungle Circuit test. While these wheels have the same Crr in dirt as Zwift’s other gravel wheels, they’re more aero and slightly lighter, resulting in a 15-second advantage across an hour of dirt riding.

Conclusions

The Zipp 303 XPLR SW are Zwift’s new top gravel wheels, so if you’re racing in the dirt, you’ll want to pick up a set.

Note, though, that there are rumors of fresh dirt roads coming to Zwift, and probably more gravel frames and wheels coming to the game shortly. It’s possible that even faster gravel wheels will be added to the Drop Shop soon, so unless you’ve got a dirt race coming up, you might wait a few weeks to make your purchase.

These wheels have been, or will soon be, added to the following posts:

• Master Zwift Wheels List
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
• Zwift Speed Tests Public Data (Google Sheet) (added)

Questions or comments?

Share below!

Fox has unveiled a completely redesigned version of its 38 enduro fork, marking the first full overhaul of the platform since its launch in 2020.

The substantial overhaul of the 38 brings it in line with Fox’s gravity-focused range – including the 36, Podium and newly released 40 – with a revised chassis, updated GRIP X2 and GRIP X dampers, and a new Glidecore air spring. The focus is on reducing friction, improving sensitivity and refining ride feel.

While Fox has updated the 38 incrementally over the past five years – most notably through damper revisions – this latest version represents a ground-up rethink of one of the most widely used forks in enduro racing.

• Read more: Best mountain bike forks 2026 – top-rated MTB suspension forks and buyer’s guide
  

Podium learnings

The biggest change is to the chassis. The new 38 features a generatively designed lower-leg assembly with 20mm more bushing overlap. According to Fox, this increases fore-aft stiffness by around nine per cent, while also reducing friction under load.

At the same time, torsional stiffness has been reduced by just under seven per cent. While the original 38 prioritised outright stiffness and precision, the new fork appears to take a more balanced approach, similar to Fox’s Podium fork. By slightly reducing torsional stiffness, the fork should track uneven ground more effectively and maintain grip in rough terrain.

There are also updates to the air-bleeder valves, while the bypass channels have been relocated inside the lowers – a change first seen on the latest Fox 40. Together, these updates point to a broader effort to reduce friction to the fork under load and improve consistency.

In theory, the revised chassis should deliver a fork that remains stable under heavy braking and big impacts, and feels smoother and less harsh when the trails get rough.

Feel the flow

The GRIP X2 and GRIP X dampers remain, but with internal revisions rather than a complete redesign.

The key update is a new mid-valve piston and valve stack (shim stack). Fox has altered both the shape of the piston ports and the valve stack itself, while retaining the same overall damping architecture.

These changes are intended to improve oil flow and small-bump sensitivity, while maintaining the strong mid-stroke support the 38 is known for. Fox says the aim is to increase suppleness without sacrificing control or introducing harshness deeper in the travel.

In practice, this points to a refinement of the existing damper’s character, rather than a wholesale change in design.

New Glidecore air spring

The new 38 also features Fox’s Glidecore air spring, first seen in the Fox 36. This is intended to reduce friction caused by side-loading.

Unlike the previous Float EVOL air spring, Glidecore enables a small amount of controlled movement between the air piston and air shaft. Using compliant interfaces and larger O-rings, the system enables the internals to self-align under load, rather than bind when the fork is twisted through rough terrain.

The result should be smoother suspension action, improved small-bump sensitivity and more consistent performance.

Fox has also added an MCU bottom-out bumper to better control full-travel impacts.

A more refined ride?

The new Fox 38 focuses on reducing unwanted resistance through the fork. By minimising friction, stiction and binding, Fox is aiming to enable the damper and air spring to control the fork’s behaviour more efficiently, with less interference from the chassis.

The combination of increased fore-aft stiffness, reduced torsional stiffness and lower friction should result in improved sensitivity, better grip and reduced rider fatigue – particularly on rough, high-speed terrain.

Familiar formats, similar weight

The Fox 38 family remains unchanged, with the Factory, Performance Elite and Performance (OE only) models available. 

Travel options remain unchanged at 160mm, 170mm and 180mm, with both 29in and 27.5in versions available. The fork retains a 15x110mm Boost axle and clearance for up to 2.6in tyres.

At a claimed starting weight of 2,200g, it’s broadly in line with the previous model. 

New Fox 38 pricing

• Fox 38 Factory: £1,439 / $1,369 / €1,499 / AU$2,199

• Fox 38 Performance Elite: £1,299 / $1,259 / €1,399 / AU$1,999

Roval has announced two new gravel wheelsets, the Terra Aero CLX and the Terra CLX III.

Said to be its most aerodynamic and lightest gravel wheels to date (respectively), Roval claims both wheelsets also help tyres resist punctures better than anything it has made before, thanks to their extra-wide FlatStop bead hooks.

The Terra Aero CLX rims use a new ‘Chopped Aero Speed Shape’ that sees the trailing edge of the rim squared off abruptly. This shape, Specialized says, gives the rims the aerodynamic performance of a 70mm-deep rim, but at a lighter and more manageable rim height of 50mm.

Both wheelsets feature wide internal and external rims, optimised for tyres between 35 and 60mm wide, and use bladed carbon spokes to reduce weight and improve aero performance.

Chopped Aero Speed Shape

The most striking thing about Specialized’s new aero gravel wheelset is the rim shape, which it calls the ‘Chopped Aero Speed Shape’.

While most aero-optimised carbon wheelsets used V- or U-shaped rims, the Terra Aero CLX rims look as if someone has chopped off the lower edge of the rim.

It is, Roval says, a gravel-specific rim shape, rather than a road-specific rim shape scaled up for wider gravel tyres.

Roval claims this enables the rims to perform like a ‘virtual 70mm’ rim, in terms of aerodynamic efficiency, while keeping the rim height at 50mm for improved weight and handling.

Similar to Roval’s Rapide CLX III road wheels, the Terra Aero CLX wheels feature a slightly shallower, 45mm-deep rear rim to save weight.

As we’ve come to expect of ‘aero’ gravel wheels, Specialized has opted for a greater external rim width of 38.5mm and internal width of 27mm, to optimise for the increasingly wide tyres gravel racers are now using.

Although very wide compared to road bike wheelsets, these aren’t the most extreme dimensions we’ve seen for an aero gravel wheelset. Zipp’s 303 XPLR wheels have 54mm-deep rims that measure 32 and 40mm wide, internally and externally (alongside hookless rims), for example.

In any case, Specialized claims the Terra Aero CLX wheels offer a 5.84-watt advantage over the 30mm-deep Terra CLX II wheels, when paired with its 45mm Tracer TLR tyres.

As with all Roval wheelsets, the rims are hooked and Specialized uses ultra-wide, 5.38mm ‘FlatStop’ beads, which are claimed to reduce the likelihood of pinch flats. The idea is that the energy of a tyre being squashed against the rim is dissipated over a larger surface area, rather than being concentrated on a small point (which could cause a puncture).

The Terra Aero CLX rims are claimed to require 91 per cent more energy than the Terra CLX II wheels to cause a puncture.

Built with aero-optimised carbon spokes, the Terra Aero CLX wheels have a claimed weight of 1,340g (with tubeless valves and tape).

They cost £1,299 / €1,499 for a front wheel and £1,699 / €1,999 for a rear, totalling £2,998 / €3,458 for the set.

Roval’s lightest gravel wheels

In contrast to the Terra Aero CLX, the Roval Terra CLX III wheels focus on low weight and compliance.

At a claimed weight of only 1,079g with tubeless valves and tape, Roval says they are the lightest gravel wheels in their class, and deliver a “21.52 per cent improvement in lateral compliance”, compared to the Terrra CLX IIs.

Like the Aero rims, the Terra CLX III rims use a wide shape optimised for 35 to 60mm-wide tyres, with a 38mm external and 27mm internal width.

The rims also use Specialized’s FlatStop bead hooks, albeit with a slightly narrower width of 4.9mm.

Although the low weight is likely to garner much of the attention here, Roval sees the compliance changes as more significant in improving rider performance.

This is because, the brand says, the improved compliance can significantly reduce rider fatigue over long distances, and help riders to maintain control of their bikes over rough surfaces.

The Terra CLX III wheels cost £1,149 / €1,299 for the front wheel and £1,599 / €1,899 for the rear, or £2,748 / €3,198 for the set.

What next for Specialized gravel bikes?

The launch of a full-fat aero gravel wheelset suggests Specialized (Roval’s parent brand) may have had a change of heart about what translates into improved performance on gravel – at least for elite racers.

Specialized’s current gravel race bike, the S-Works Crux, launched in 2022 and focused exclusively on keeping weight to a minimum.

Gravel racing has evolved rapidly in the years since, however, with average speeds increasing and an interest in aero-optimisations following suit.

Zipp already has its radically wide 303 XPLR wheels, while we’ve seen dedicated aero gravel bikes such as the Factor Ostro Gravel, Ridley Kanzo Fast, Wilier Rave SLR and the 3T Racemax2.

With the noted off-road optimiser, Keegan Swenson, having joined the Specialized Off-Road team this season, could an updated, aero-optimised Crux be in the works to support him and the rest of the team?

Pictures posted on Instagram by Swenson show him at Specialized’s in-house wind tunnel, optimising his setup on the existing Crux, so it certainly seems the American brand is paying closer attention to how aerodynamic drag impacts performance in gravel racing.

As always, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any developments.

See zwiftinsider.com/tiny for current Tiny Race details.

Mondraker’s new Zendit is a full-power eMTB with 165mm of travel, a carbon frame and a DJI Avinox motor.

The bike hits several important selling points, with impressive spec and value for money on all three models in the range.

The base-spec Zendit RR has Fox Factory suspension and AXS electronic shifting for £7,399. Both the middle-spec RRS (£9,299) and top-spec XR (£10,999) include a Fox Podium upside-down fork, which itself retails for £2,200.

For comparison, Forbidden’s shorter-travel Druid E, with an Avinox motor, begins at £7,599 with a more basic fork and mechanical transmission.

• Read more: The DJI Avinox is the best eMTB motor I’ve ever used, but not because it’s so powerful

Desirable Avinox motor

Each of the three models uses the same DJI Avinox motor. It’s paired with a non-removable 800Wh battery and there is no option for a range extender.

When Avinox released its motor in 2024, it ruffled a few feathers, offering more power than its competitors and smooth operation thanks to the 22-point pickup on the sensor ring.

It created serious demand among consumers. In Alex Evans’ head-to-head motor test, when pitted against the Bosch Performance CX Line Race motor, it showed its huge power but also high resistance through the cranks when the battery was finally out of juice.

Mid-travel enduro eMTB

The 165mm-travel Zendit fits into Mondraker’s range between the Crafty, which has 150mm travel, and the Level with 170mm. The Zendit comes with a 170mm-travel fork (the Level has a 180mm fork).

The Zendit uses the most modern iteration of Mondraker’s patented Zero suspension system, which sees the shock canted forward at a more horizontal angle that Mondraker says improves the suspension’s small-bump response.

The carbon frame is designed to be as light as possible, with Mondraker claiming it’s the lightest eMTB frame it has made – weighing in at 3,000g in the medium size (without motor and battery).

Mixed wheel-size setup but 29in-compatible

All Zendit models will ship to customers with a mixed wheel-size setup (29in front and 27.5in rear), but they include a flip chip on the shock link to mutate the bike into a full 29er.

Mondraker tells us the bottom-bracket height, angles and reach remain unchanged when using the flip chip and the larger rear wheel.

Geometry and sizing

There are five sizes on offer: S, M, M/L, L and XL.

Interestingly, the Zendit features proportionally sized chainstay measurement, which is longer on the larger sizes. Manufacturers do this in attempt to keep the geometry proportional and the bike feeling the same regardless of size.

The Large and XL sizes feature a 5mm longer 455mm chainstay measurement than the Small and Medium bikes.

The Zendit is long, with a reach of 480mm on the M/L size, 500mm on the large and 520mm on the XL.

There is a two-position flip chip on the lower shock mount, which changes the head angle from 63.5 degrees to 63.15 degrees and the BB height from 345mm to 340mm.

Build options

There are three different models of Zendit on offer, each with their own colour, but each bike is also available in Black if you prefer a more stealthy option.

The top-spec Zendit XR has a Fox Podium Factory fork, Factory Float X2 shock, e*thirteen Helix Race Carbon cranks, RockShox Reverb AXS dropper, SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes and DT Swiss carbon wheels. The Zendit XR colour is a Blue Fade.

The mid-spec Zendit RRS comes in Green. It also includes a Fox Podium Factory fork, along with Fox Factory Float X shock, SRAM Maven Silver brakes, DT Swiss wheels, Maxxis Assegai and Minion 3C tyres, and a SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission derailleur.

The most affordable Zendit is the RR, which looks like an excellent value proposition with a Fox Factory 38 fork and Factory Float X shock at the rear, along with SRAM Maven Base brakes, DT Swiss wheels, Maxxis Assegai and Minion 3C tyres, and SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission gearing.

The RR comes in Saturn (a sandy or champagne brown) or Black.

All the models have tiny 155mm cranks.

New Mondraker Zendit pricing

• Mondraker Zendit RR: £7,399 | $10,699 USD | €8,499 – Saturn or Black     
• Mondraker Zendit RRS: £9,299 | $12,999 USD | €10,499 – Green or Black
• Mondraker Zendit XR: £10,999 | $15,499 USD | €12,499 – Blue or Black

The Upland Tri-fold bears more than a few similarities to Brompton’s famous folding bikes, and it might prove to be better than the British brand’s attempt at electrification.

Unlike Brompton’s own electric range of folding bikes, which use a hub motor and a battery mounted to the head tube, the Tri-fold features a mid-mounted motor system with a battery in its girthy seatpost.

There are benefits to this kind of system, with the weight being more equally balanced, while leaving the accessory mount free on the front of the bike.

The Upland bike folds into three portions to cut down its stored size even more.

The Tri-fold comes equipped with an array of accessories, including a rack with premium wheels, mudguards and lights.

All in all, it looks to be a neat package, sharing a familiar classic design with arguably better integration.

Zwift’s latest update includes a new gravel frame from Canyon. Simply named the “Canyon Grail SLX” in game, based on the colorway, it appears to be Zwift’s version of the Canyon Grail CF SLX 8:

On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.110+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 10+ with 800,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:

“Light, balanced, and built to move. Be it long days on mixed surfaces or quick rips on your local doubletrack, the Grail SLX is rapid where you want it and rugged when you need it.”

See our master list of all frames in Zwift >

It’s rated 2 stars for aero, 3 stars for weight, and before this week’s update, only one gravel bike had such a high rating (the Cervelo Aspero). One would expect this bike to perform well against existing in-game gravel bikes, but since Zwift’s 4-star system isn’t the most granular of performance measurements, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!

Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock gravel wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame.

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Canyon’s Grail SLX turns in a strong performance on the flats, beating all existing gravel bikes on tarmac apart from the new Cannondale SuperX LAB71.

For comparison, the stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 145.4 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of flat tarmac, while the (former) fastest gravel bike, the Cervelo Aspero, loses 115.2 seconds. The Grail SLX only loses 113.2 seconds.

Climb Performance

The Canyon Grail SLX is a strong climber compared to the game’s older gravel frames, once again losing only to the new Cannondale SuperX LAB71 in our climbing tests.

The stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 161.8 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of Alpe du Zwift climbing, while the (former) fastest climbing gravel bike, the Specialized Crux, loses 122 seconds. The Grail SLX only loses 124.8 seconds, putting it in 4th place.

Jungle Performance

Of course, nobody really cares about how well a gravel frame performs on pavement, which is where we do our aero and climb testing (above). While those flat and climb tests help us tease out a frame’s aerodynamic capabilities and weight, when it comes to gravel bikes, people really want to know how fast they are on Zwift’s virtual dirt!

In that regard, the Canyon Grail SLX turns in a strong performance, second only to the new Cannondale SuperX Lab71, losing just 1.3 seconds across an hour of Jungle Circuit riding to the SuperX.

Upgrading Your Canyon Grail SLX

Like all frames in Zwift, Canyon’s Grail SLX can be upgraded in five stages. As a high-end race bike, each of the five stages results in a performance improvement. The Canyon Grail SLX upgrade stages are as follows:

1. Ride 200km, pay 100,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
2. Ride 260km, pay 200,000 Drops for a weight reduction
3. Ride 320km, pay 350,000 Drops for a drivetrain efficiency improvement
4. Ride 380km, pay 500,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
5. Ride 440km, pay 750,000 Drops for a weight reduction

You can expect a fully-upgraded Canyon Grail SLX to be approximately 28 seconds faster on a flat hour and 36 seconds faster on an hour-long climb vs a “stock” (un-upgraded) Canyon Grail SLX.

Conclusions

Canyon’s new Grail SLX beats every gravel bike in Zwift, apart from the new Cannondale SuperX Lab71. But it’s also available at just level 10, vs level 28 for the SuperX… and it’s a big more affordable! That makes the new Grail a great choice for beginning Zwifters looking for a fast gravel setup.

With that said, it may make sense to wait before you purchase the new Grail on Zwift, because there are rumors of fresh dirt roads coming to Zwift, and I bet more gravel frames and wheels will be added to the game shortly.

We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:

• Speed Tests: Gravel, MTB, and Road Frames on Zwift Dirt
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level

Questions or comments?

What do you think of Canyon’s new Grail in Zwift? Share below…

The development of 32in wheels has long been linked to benefits in cross-country racing, where covering distance at high speed is critical to success.

However, this E36 prototype fork from KS sub-brand EXA Form shows another potential direction for the emerging wheel size. We spotted it at the Taipei International Cycle Show.

With 150mm of travel, the fork is the first to sit in the all-mountain category, and the longest we’ve seen.

• Read more: Are we on the cusp of a 32in wheel revolution? This is what pro XC racers are riding in 2025

There’s no denying a resemblance to Fox’s Podium fork, and the EXA Form is also available in a 29in version.

At the top of the fork, there is a compression adjust, and there is also a rebound adjust on the lower leg.

The E36 has multi-stage compression and rebound damping, which KS says makes it feel stable and predictable.

The stanchions, which are at greater risk of scratching on upside-down forks, are covered by guards.

KS says this 32in fork is still in the prototype stage, although it appears to be a long way down the line.

There are still flecks of mud on the surface from previous test rides.

While trawling through the outer reaches of the Taipei International Cycle Show, these smart thru-axles caught my eye.

ShunXin, an OEM manufacturer of thru-axles, showed me its prototype for a safety device built into the axle to alert you when it is left open.

The device sounds an alarm whenever the quick-release is left open, ensuring you don’t forget to tighten it before setting out on your ride.

There is also an LED light built in to the design to signify when the mechanism is left open.

While this isn’t a problem I’ve ever encountered, if you were to leave your thru-axles open and they came loose on a descent, you’d be in a bad way.

The company plans to develop the technology into a slimmer design that is indistinguishable from its other options.

Xcadey has announced its entry into the cycling computer market with its literally named Bike Computer on display at the Taipei International Cycle Show.

The brand is a partner of Euskaltel-Euskadi and has been making power meters for over a decade.

The new device has many of the features riders have come to expect, including offline mapping, navigation and sensor connectivity.

GPS, BeiDou and GLONASS are all supported by the device, meaning position accuracy should be pretty good.

• Read more: Best bike computers 2026: Top cycling GPS devices ridden and rated
  

The device has a 3.2in display with a 480×800 resolution touchscreen, which offers good clarity but may be difficult to navigate in the rain.

Behind the screen, the brand says the computer runs on Android software powered by a 12mm high-performance chip.

I tried the device and it’s much like a smartphone in terms of refresh rate.

A benefit of using the Android OS is the possibility to integrate training apps directly into the device, which Xcadey says it is looking into.

The brand claims battery life will be around 20 hours, and that the device is IP67-rated.

We’ve seen other brands, such as Bryton, make quick impacts in the cycle computer market and Xcadey is looking to do the same.

The price, while not confirmed, is expected to be around the €150 mark and the Bike Computer is expected to launch in time for summer.

Wheeltop is displaying many of its EDS groupsets at this week’s Taipei International Cycle Show, and nestled away at the back of its stand, we spotted an unreleased TT groupset.

The new groupset looks to use the same derailleurs as the TX road groupset, with the system fully wireless.

The brake levers feature a hydraulic cable port, although there were no callipers on display to match the groupset.

• Read more: This Chinese groupset brand is taking on SRAM and Shimano – here’s everything you need to know

Buttons on the levers enable you to shift gears when out of the tri-bars, and the blades themselves are made from a carbon fibre composite.

The shifters feature a simple up and down ergonomic, and they both feel good in the hand.

We asked for more details about the launch, but all we were told was that it’s expected in the coming months.

Wheeltop has been seen as a challenger to established brands SRAM and Shimano, with the new groupset expanding its reach.

Elsewhere on the stand, Wheeltop is showing off its first cranksets.

This has been something missing from the brand’s line-up until now, with buyers required to look elsewhere to complete their drivetrain.

The cranks feature four carbon fibre finishes and come in an array of sizes.

Litelok’s X1 bike lock and its pricier X3 stablemate are immensely tough against hand tools and physical attacks, making them the best overall bike locks I’ve tested.

It was Litelok’s anti angle-grinder performance that really impressed me in testing, but the downside of the X1, X1 Plus and X3 is their size. These locks are fine if you need to secure a hefty cargo bike or an eMTB, but they’re somewhat bulky at around 2kg.

If you want the ultimate in security but are looking for something a little more portable, the options have been thin on the ground.

That’s where the new X1 Mini comes in.

• Read more: Best bike locks in 2026: strong, safe bike locks tested in lab conditions

Made in Wales

Litelok inventor and founder, Neil Barron, says: “We designed the new X1 Mini after lots of customer requests. It’s still made in the same way in Wales, at our solar powered Swansea factory. It gets the same level of Barronium armour technology and the same tough lock mechanism.”

Barronium is a fused composite armour made up of multiple, extremely hard ceramic and metallic materials that, combined, make it tougher than an angle-grinder disc. Barronium repels attacks by turning the grinder’s energy and force on itself.

Like its stablemates, the new X1 Mini has attained Sold Secure Cycle Diamond status, along with Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond and ART4 insurance-rated standards.

It also meets the ‘Police Preferred Specification’ of Secured by Design (SBD), providing the best available deterrent for cyclists and motorcyclists looking to secure bicycles, ebikes, motorcycles and scooters.

The X1 Mini is priced at £139.99, £50 cheaper than the X1 Plus and £10 less than the standard X1. It weighs half a kilogram less than the X1 Plus and X3, and is 6cm shorter.

The new lock comes with a frame mount, with Restrap’s smart belt-loop holster available separately.

Litelok X1 Mini specifications

• Price: £139.99 / $199.99 / €159.99
• Security: Sold Secure Cycle Diamond, Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond, ART4 insurance-rated standards. ‘Police Preferred Specification’ of Secured by Design (SBD)
• Weight: 1.48kg
• Internal dimensions: 99.5×136.65mm
• Lock: ART 4 accredited cylinder
• Mount: X1 Mini Tactical Mount
• Restrap lock holster available

Princeton Carbonworks arrived in Zwift last week, with three wheelsets released to the game: the Alta 3532, the Wake 6560 White, and the Mach TSV2/Blur Disc. Today, we’re looking at the Alta 3532 wheels, which are ultra-lightweight climbing wheels.

Here’s what the Drop Shop says about them: “Float up the climbs. Flow through the corners. A light-on-your-feet feeling with instant acceleration, effortless rhythm, and the kind of ride that makes every effort feel smoother.”

The wheels are now available in the Drop Shop, accessible at level 35 and above, for 685,000 Drops. They are rated 3 stars for aero and 4 for weight, so we expected them to climb quite well. But since Zwift’s 4-star rating system isn’t precise enough for our taste, we ran these wheels through our standard battery of tests to determine exactly how they perform in Zwift and stack up against other wheelsets in game.

Let’s dive in and learn all about the performance of this wheelset from Princeton Carbonworks…

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Princeton’s Alta 3532 wheels deliver “midpack” aero performance, which isn’t surprising considering their profile.

They are 26.8 seconds faster across an hour of flat riding compared to our baseline 32mm wheels. This puts them effectively neck and neck with the Zipp 353 NSW wheels, the top climbing wheels in the game. For comparison, the most aero non-disc hoops in game (ENVE SES 8.9) put 46.7 seconds into the baseline wheels across an hour.

Climb Performance

When the road tilts upward steeply, the Alta 3532 really shine! They outclimb every other wheelset in the game, and by a significant margin.

Princeton’s Alta 3532 wheels gain 14.1 seconds over our baseline wheels in an hour of climbing, beating the current top climbers (Zipp 353 NSW and Lightweight Meilenstein) by 4.3 seconds.

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Carbon frame.

Conclusions

The Alta 3532 wheels from Princeton are Zwift’s new top climbing wheels, edging out the Zipp 353 NSW and Lightweight Meilenstein, which were effectively tied for the top spot.

Their aero performance is rather lackluster, though, so racers may want to look at one of the all-arounder wheelsets for all but the steepest and longest race climbs.

(Speaking of all-arounders, look for a post on Princeton’s new Wake 6560 wheels to drop soon. Their performance on the flats and climbs is second to none!)

These wheels have been, or will soon be, added to the following posts:

• Master Zwift Wheels List
• Zwift Speed Tests: Wheel Ranking Charts
• Fastest Climbing Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
• Zwift Speed Tests Public Data (Google Sheet) (added)

Questions or comments?

Share below!

While the majority of mountain bikers opt for brakes from one of the major brands, there’s an undercurrent of high-end brakes from lesser-known outfits that prove big-budget R&D departments aren’t necessary.

The new Kaha brakes from New Zealand brand Radic, spotted at the Taipei International Cycle Show, look like one such example.

They’ll certainly be a compelling choice if their performance backs up their evident build quality and good looks.

• Read more: Best mountain bike disc brakes 2026 – top-rated MTB stoppers and our buyer’s guide
  

At the business end

The brakes are targeted towards enduro and DH riders, with four stainless steel pistons at the caliper – two at 16mm and two at 17mm.

The caliper is shaved of excess material, while still holding onto those large-bore pistons, which push onto a brake pad shaped the same as Hope’s V4 pads – replacing them should be easy.

The two-piece aluminium caliper has an angle-adjustable banjo to help ensure your cable routing is smooth out of the rear brake. Oil channeling through the piston has been designed to minimise the risk of bubbles being caught during a bleed.

Titanium hardware is used to keep weight sensible.

The calipers are designed to be user-serviceable, with the exposed inner surface of the pistons threaded to make for easier removal.

The brakes can use mineral or DOT fluids, depending on your preference – a swap of seals is all you need in order to run either fluid.

Moving forward

A braided stainless steel hose connects the caliper to the lever in a nod to the motorsport manufacturing past of Radic’s engineer.

In theory, this should swell less when high pressures are applied.

At the lever end, things remain incredibly pretty – and well thought-out.

Shared with Shimano’s brakes, the lever body has an additional support that pushes on the bar when the lever is squeezed, minimising any flex in the lever body.

The lever blade is fairly long, with a tight hook at the end to ensure your finger stays in place.

Lever reach and bite-point adjustments are offered, while the lever blade itself pivots on bearings.

All in, the lever has a very smooth and light feel, along with a short lever throw before the pads bite on the disc.

The brakes are listed at NZ$1200, which works out at just over £500 in the UK.

An unreleased, aero-optimised Canyon Endurace CFR has broken cover at the Tour of Bruges, in Belgium.

Spotted by Daniel Benson, the bike is being ridden by Alpecin-Premier Tech’s Florian Sénéchal and several of his teammates.

The new endurance bike appears to take heavy inspiration from the German brand’s aero road bike, the Aeroad CFR, with truncated aerofoil tubing, dropped seatstays and an integrated cockpit.

Compared to the existing Endurance CFR, this new bike is therefore far more race-optimised, with fewer obvious concessions to comfort.

According to Benson, team staff confirmed this is the bike that star rider Mathieu van der Poel will race at this year’s Paris-Roubaix.

Daniel Benson is a pro-cycling veteran, having covered 14 editions of the Tour de France as editor-in-chief of Cyclingnews and Velo, and now runs his own Substack newsletter.

The Endurace goes aero

While Canyon has long had two road-racing bikes, the Ultimate and Aeroad, the Endurace has always been a more comfort-oriented platform.

That all looks set to change, however, because this bike appears to be effectively an Aeroad CFR with souped-up tyre clearance.

Although we’ve not seen any numbers yet, a short head tube and a pro-worthy amount of saddle-to-bar drop would indicate Canyon will also be making the geometry racy.

Just like on the Aeroad, the new Endurace looks to be made from carbon fibre and gets a full suite of truncated aerofoil tubes.

A deep-bladed fork sits up front, while the seatstays are heavily dropped below the seat tube and top tube junction. It also appears that the deep-section aero seatpost from the Aeroad has been ported over to this new bike.

One area where the new bike diverges from the current Aeroad is at the seat tube, with a cut-out area beneath the seatstays. On the Aeroad, this area of the bike hugs the rear wheel more closely, for improved aerodynamic performance.

We’d guess this change on the new Endurace is designed to improve rear-end comfort, because a thinner tube should flex more over rough roads.

The down tube on this new bike also flares out to shield the water bottle cages from the wind.

The extra room around the bike’s 30c Pirelli P Zero TLR RS tyres (which are wrapped around the unreleased Dura-Ace R9300 wheels we spotted at Omloop het Nieuwsblad last month) also suggests tyre clearance has been upped compared to the Aeroad.

The current Endurace features 35mm of tyre clearance, compared to 32mm on the Aeroad, so it will be interesting to see if this new, racier bike lands in this regard.

Given we’ve seen a rash of new extra-large road bike tyres from major manufacturers such as Pirelli and Continental in recent years, this could be a sign that road-race bikes are finally catching up to this trend.

Pirelli, for example, offers the P Zero Race TLR RS in up to a size 35c, so we could now see van der Poel or his teammates running those at this year’s Roubaix.

A new cockpit

One of the most striking features of this new bike is the integrated cockpit.

It looks to have the same stem design as the Aeroad CFR’s integrated cockpit, but sees the handlebar tops sweep forward dramatically, rather than straight out at a 90-degree angle.

The flattened tops look to be aero-profiled, for further drag reductions, but the bar ends are notably straight.

Canyon moved to offering two distinct drop shapes for its Aeroad CFR in 2024 – straight and flared.

If this new bar uses the same interchangeable drops, then perhaps flared drops will be an option here too.

As for why the bar sweeps forward, it could provide a little more compliance compared to more traditionally shaped handlebars, or it could simply be to increase knee clearance when putting out the kind of watts riders such as van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen do in a sprint.

Either way, given the 2026 Paris–Roubaix is a little less than two weeks away, we may not have to wait long to find out more about this new bike.

Zwift’s latest update includes a new gravel frame from Cannondale, the company’s first gravel frame in game. Named the “Cannondale SuperX Lab71”, the frame in this colorway is currently only available as a standalone frameset from Cannondale:

On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.110+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 28+ with 1,000,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:

“Made to absolutely smash gravel races. Simple as that. This is full-gas road race performance engineered for the full thrash world of gravel. Elbows out, head down, get off the front and don’t look back. SuperX only has one destination – the top step.”

See our master list of all frames in Zwift >

It’s rated 2 stars for aero, 3 stars for weight, and before this week’s update, only one gravel bike (the Cervelo Aspero) had such high ratings. One would expect this bike to perform well against existing in-game gravel bikes, but since Zwift’s 4-star system isn’t the most granular of performance measurements, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!

Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock gravel wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame.

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Cannondale’s SuperX Lab71 turns in a strong performance on the flats, beating all existing gravel bikes on tarmac. It’s even a bit faster than the new Canyon Grail SLX which was also released this week!

For comparison, the stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 145.4 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of flat tarmac, while the (former) fastest gravel bike, the Cervelo Aspero, loses 115.2 seconds. The SuperX Lab71 only loses 112.4 seconds.

Climb Performance

The Cannondale SuperX Lab71 is a strong climber compared to the game’s older gravel frames, and also beats the new Canyon Grail SLX.

The stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 161.8 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of Alpe du Zwift climbing, while the (former) fastest climbing gravel bike, the Specialized Crux, loses 122 seconds. The SuperX Lab71 only loses 118.7 seconds.

Jungle (Dirt) Performance

Of course, nobody really cares about how well a gravel frame performs on pavement, which is where we do our aero and climb testing (above). While those flat and climb tests help us tease out a frame’s aerodynamic capabilities and weight, when it comes to gravel bikes, people really want to know how fast they are on Zwift’s virtual dirt!

In that regard, the SuperX Lab71 performs quite nicely.

In fact, the Cannondale SuperX Lab71 is the new “king of the jungle” in our tests, putting 5.2 seconds into the previous leader, the Cervelo Aspero, across 1 hour of Jungle Circuit riding.

Upgrading Your Cannondale SuperX Lab71

Like all frames in Zwift, Cannondale’s SuperX Lab71 can be upgraded in five stages. As a high-end race bike, each of the five stages results in a performance improvement. The SuperX Lab71 upgrade stages are as follows:

1. Ride 200km, pay 100,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
2. Ride 260km, pay 200,000 Drops for a weight reduction
3. Ride 320km, pay 350,000 Drops for a drivetrain efficiency improvement
4. Ride 380km, pay 500,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
5. Ride 440km, pay 750,000 Drops for a weight reduction

You can expect a fully-upgraded Cannondale SuperX Lab71 to be approximately 28 seconds faster on a flat hour and 36 seconds faster on an hour-long climb vs the “stock” Cannondale SuperX Lab71.

Conclusions

Cannondale’s SuperX Lab71 beats every other gravel bike in Zwift, making it the new go-to frame for races involving a significant amount of dirt.

Where gravel riders formerly had to choose between the Cervelo Aspero (more aero) and the Specialized Crux (lighter weight), the SuperX Lab71 is king on flats and climbs, making the choice an easy one.

Should you rush to the Drop Shop and buy the SuperX today? Maybe. I might do it myself, because it looks pretty sweet. But with rumors of fresh dirt roads coming to Zwift, my guess is we’ll see more gravel frames and wheels added to the game shortly. So it may make sense to wait, if you don’t have a key gravel race coming up.

We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:

• Speed Tests: Gravel, MTB, and Road Frames on Zwift Dirt
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level

Questions or comments?

What do you think of Cannondale’s first gravel frame in Zwift? Share below…

After 14 years of trawling bike trade show floors, it takes something special to catch my eye – and this Tripping Balls prototype from Blues Bikes was one such machine, spotted at the Taipei International Cycle Show today.

It’s a steel enduro bike, with a rarely seen suspension linkage, adjustable travel and a Pinion gearbox drivetrain.

It looks totally wild.

Fresh out of the blocks

The Tripping Balls has 142mm of travel at the back and features a 160mm fork at the front. However, with a longer-stroke shock (and a longer Gates belt), it can be adjusted to 160mm.

While I saw it in 29er form, it can also be set up to run as a mullet – 29in at the front and 27.5in at the back.

The rarely seen linkage was designed by Chris Canfield (of Canfield Bikes fame) and is a multi-link VPP system. It’s currently set up with a coil shock, so I’d assume there’s ample progressivity through the suspension’s stroke to cope with the more linear spring.

Blues Bikes built this first frame from double-butted 4031 Chromoly steel, leaving it raw and ready to rust in order to give it a time-worn patina.

Cables run externally to make maintenance easier, and there’s a removable seatstay bridge, which needs removing if the bike is run in its longer-travel mode.

At the heart of the bike is a Pinion C1.12 gearbox, shifted electronically from the bar.

This 12-speed gearbox might weigh more than a traditional derailleur-based drivetrain, but with its internals in an oil bath, fully encased in metal, and with the weight low and central in the frame, it’s a solution many harder-riding MTBers may be eyeing up.

To drive the bike forward, there’s a Gates Carbon Drive belt – no chain here.

These require a strongly sprung tensioner, which is nestled near the gearbox, to prevent the system slipping, but means that weight is not concentrated towards the rear of the bike.

Given a belt can’t be joined as a chain can – they come in one fixed loop – the rear driveside triangle needs to be split.

Rather than cut a structurally important tube in half and give it a coupler, Blues Bikes has created a modular dropout that bolts the seatstays and chainstays together. Remove the dropout and the belt can be threaded into the rear triangle.

While I don’t have a full geo chart, I’m told the Medium-sized prototype has a 450mm reach, 445mm chainstays, 64-degree head angle and 77-degree seat angle.

There’s a plan to bring the bike to market, possibly by the end of the year, once the next set of prototypes have been built and put through more testing.

Here’s hoping they make it to a trail near me soon, because I for one will be asking for a go.

During the post-COVID downturn in the bike industry, DVO knuckled down and invested in developing and updating its suspension product lines.

That work has resulted in a new fork, the Diamond 36 Prime SL, and a new Opal XL air shock – both unveiled at the Taipei International Cycle Show.

The brand has not only investeded in new R&D machinery, but also in engineering resources, with a few engineers moving to DVO from the world of motocross racing, with a focus on dialling down damping performance and friction losses.

New forks incoming

The Diamond 36 Prime SL is a 140-170mm enduro fork with a 36mm-stanchion chassis. It features the new Prime damper, which offers eight clicks of high- and low-speed compression damping, along with 22 clicks of rebound-damping adjustment.

DVO has moved away from a bladder-based damper to one with a spring-backed IFP, which it says gives the fork more support and improved tuning capabilities.

The new damper has a higher-flow piston, which adds complexity, but also aids performance according to DVO.

While specific tools will be required, the damper’s internals should be reachable by consumers, for those who like to tinker with their suspension.

In addition to the new damper, the brand has been working heavily on reducing the internal friction of the fork, by updating the surface finishes.

Friction is a killer when it comes to the feel of a fork, and so on paper, these should feel luxuriously smooth.

With the new damper offering more support, and with influence from the motocross engineers, the new fork is designed to run with much lower air pressures.

Bryson, the DVO engineer we chatted to, weighs around 180lb and runs 50psi in his fork. Even with damping turned right on, Bryson told us there’s little to no spiking when hitting bumps, ensuring stability and comfort on the bike.

We also saw an updated Onyx 38 Prime SL. This longer-travel fork also features the new damper. Those who have an existing Onyx 38 fork will be able to retrofit the damper in their fork.

Further back

The new Opal XL shock is designed to bridge the gap between inline and piggyback shocks.

Inline shocks need to hide their damping circuits inside the main shock body, while piggyback shocks have them externally.

Those piggyback shocks, therefore, tend to have larger oil volumes and can perform more consistently on longer runs.

The Opal XL has a small piggyback structure merged into the top of the inline shock, bringing it out from the inside of the shock’s body, but avoiding the bulk of a traditional piggyback shock.

DVO says this gives the Opal XL near-piggyback levels of performance without the bulk, making it ideal for frames with limited space inside the main triangle. That’ll be handy on eMTBs where you want to squeeze a bottle in the frame.