Simon Mottram, founder of Rapha, has been announced as a lead investor in the latest funding round of Quirk Cycles, a London-based maker of high-end titanium and steel framesets.
Quirk is looking to raise £500,000 to fund a scaling up of its production and the launch of new models in early 2026.
The objective is to transform Quirk from a bespoke workshop to a global boutique brand.
Quirk’s output includes the Titan titanium road bike. Quirk Cycles
According to Mottram: “What drew me to Quirk Cycles is their absolute authenticity – the same spirit that drives every great cycling brand. Rob and his team are building something truly special: a brand rooted in craftsmanship and rider obsession, with the ambition to set a new benchmark in performance and design.
“Quirk isn’t following trends; it’s defining what’s next for boutique performance cycling, and I’m excited to help him scale this vision into a modern, globally respected performance brand.”
Quirk Cycles’ owner, Rob Quirk, declined to say how much Mottram, who has had a lower profile since stepping down as CEO of Rapha in 2021, has invested. He told BikeRadar: “As we’re currently in the middle of the round, we’re not sharing specific amounts from any investor yet.
“What we can say is that Simon Mottram is playing an important role in this stage of our growth. His involvement at this stage is a huge vote of confidence in Quirk Cycles’ vision and strategy.”
Quirk’s other investors remain private.
The Supra Chub is a gravel bike with fashionably wide clearance. Quirk Cycles
Quirk says high-end bike brands such as his are weathering the current storm in the cycle market better than more mainstream manufacturers.
He claims that’s down to Quirk standing “at the intersection of innovation and authenticity – two qualities increasingly absent in mass-market offerings” and that “the brand’s commitment to individuality and technical excellence positions it to capture a growing audience of riders seeking connection and meaning in performance cycling”.
One of Quirk’s three new models, due to be launched early in 2026, is the Durmitor performance road bike. Quirk Cycles
Quirk’s current output spans the road, gravel and MTB markets, as well as the fashionable all-road genre. Its titanium Titan road frameset, for example, is priced at £6,500 and its 2.3in-clearance Supra Chub steel gravel bike frameset at £4,500.
It’s planning to add new road, all-road and gravel framesets to its range following the current fundraising, including the Durmitor performance road bike shown above.
Lazer has enlisted the help of pro downhiller Jono Jones (brother of Matt Jones) to revamp the Impala helmet, using the brand’s new DualCore technology for the first time.
Lazer claims boldly that the “revolutionary” tech employed in the new Impala KinetiCore is “a groundbreaking advancement that elevates safety and performance to new heights. It says DualCore heralds a new era of mountain bike protection, offering “unparalleled shock absorption and protection”.
The new helmet builds on Lazer’s experience with KinetiCore technology, which it launched in 2022. Lazer says that by using two layers of Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS) foam, helmets made with DualCore tech offer enhanced protection.
The new Impala is priced at £199.99 / $199.99 / €199.99.
Lazer’s new DualCore technology uses dual-density foam aimed at reducing rotational impacts to the rider’s head. Lazer helmets
DualCore works by integrating two layers of EPS foam into the helmet, inside the shell.
A softer, low-density inner layer is designed to protect against rotational impacts, while a harder, high-density outer layer is engineered to absorb direct impacts.
Lazer explains: “The inner layer of DualCore provides additional protection by absorbing and further dispersing the remaining energy of the shock.
“This layer is specifically designed to offer comfort without compromising on safety. The combination of these two layers creates a synergistic effect that delivers unparalleled shock absorption and protection.”
Delivers every time
Jono Jones helped develop the new Impala. Lazer helmets
Lazer says professional downhiller Jono Jones spent extensive testing time with the new Impala, and his feedback played a crucial role in shaping the final design.
“I’ve put the Impala KinetiCore through its paces on all kinds of terrain, and it’s delivered every time,” says Jones.
Reducing rotational impact forces has been a major goal for helmet manufacturers. Lazer helmets
Helmet brands have devoted a lot of time and resources to this type of rotational impact protection – it’s a key feature in the tests run by Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab, which inform its helmet ratings.
The Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) and Release Layer System (RLS) are both claimed to reduce rotational impact in the event of a crash, but operate in different ways. Lazer’s DualCore is another technology aimed at achieving the same goal.
Lazer Impala KinetiCore features
Lazer has added a host of new features to the Impala. Lazer helmets
The latest iteration of the Impala features not only Lazer’s new headline safety technology, but a whole host of features designed to help it compete with other helmets in the sector, such as Canyon’s new Deflectr.
Integrated camera mount
An integrated camera mount is included. Lazer helmets
An integrated camera mount is included, and attaches to the top of the helmet and your action camera.
Breakaway peak
The breakaway visor is adjustable between three positions. Lazer helmets
An adjustable three-position peak is designed to break away from the helmet in the event of an impact. Lazer says this will protect the rider’s neck.
Goggle and glasses compatibility
A glasses dock is integrated underneath the adjustable breakaway peak. Lazer helmets
A grippy panel on the rear is designed to help keep your googles strap in place, with a glasses stowage port included underneath the peak.
Light and reflector
A camera mount and RECCO reflector are integrated into the new Impala. Lazer helmets
Lazer has integrated a RECCO rescue reflector, which it claims will make it easier to find a stricken rider in the event of a crash.
Lazer Impala KinetiCore pricing and availability
A number of matt colours are available. Lazer helmets
The Impala KinetriCore is available in small, medium and large, with the medium helmet weighing a claimed 370g.
A plethora of colours are available: Matte Coral Peach, Matte Black, Matte Black Red, Matte Mahogany, Matte Space Blue, Matte White Mint, Matte Dark Green Mint and Full White.
The Impala is priced at £199.99 / $199.99 / €199.99.
Zwift has just announced this year’s Off the MAAP series, a multi-stage cycling tour returning for its sixth year on the platform. With hourly events around the clock, this is the next big tour on the heels of Brompton Worlds.
Held in collaboration with the Melbourne-born MAAP, this series has historically proven very popular among Zwifters, with hundreds of thousands participating over the years thanks to a fun mix of courses and kit unlocks!
Complete All 3 Stages → Off The MAAP Kit (in-game)
Finish all three stages and you’ll earn access to purchase the limited-edition IRL kit via MAAP.cc starting on December 22. Important: to receive the purchase link, you must be opted in to receive Zwift emails at zwift.com/settings/emails.
IRL Events
Join with MAAP and other Zwifters at the MAAP LaB in Melbourne, Los Angeles, or Berlin for a night of music, beers, pizza, and short-course races on Zwift. (These are TT invitational races, but anyone is free to attend as long as you reserve your spot!)
MAAP says “epic prizes await—plus the first look at the Off the MAAP ’26 kit and a cash purse on the line. RSVP now—spaces are limited.” RSVP links:
Visit the MAAP landing page and fill out the form to enter for a chance to win the ultimate rider’s prize: a year’s supply of MAAP kit, a Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE 2, plus a year’s subscription to Zwift!
Is this a race?
Not officially – Off the MAAP events are set up as group rides and won’t count toward ZwiftPower ranking points, Zwift Racing Score, etc. That said, cyclists know it only takes two riders on the same route to make a race!
Many riders will be racing these events, and if you want to go hard you are free to do so, just as you’re free to ride at whatever pace you’d like.
Conventional wisdom says brighter colours and reflective clothing will increase your visibility when cycling.
Rule 59 of the UK Highway Code, for example, recommends cyclists should wear light-coloured or fluorescent clothing during the day and reflective clothing and/or accessories after dark.
However, there’s little scientific evidence to support this opinion.
We consulted an expert on the role of human factors in road traffic accidents, who highlighted research on how biomotion can help increase your road presence and maybe reduce your risk of a collision when cycling.
High-visibility clothing is recommended by the UK Highway Code. James Huang/Future Publishing
Cycling UK has reviewed the evidence on high-visibility clothing and other measures to make cyclists more conspicuous, concluding that: “If wearing hi-vis helps people feel safer when cycling and more willing to do it, that is only to be welcomed. It is, though, hard to prove whether hi-vis makes any significant impact on cyclists’ safety and there is very little convincing evidence to support the argument that it does.”
Despite this, there’s still a widely held belief that hi-vis contributes to rider safety.
In January 2025, a UK parliamentary question tabled by Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham, asked whether the Department of Transport had assessed the merits of requiring cyclists and motorcyclists to wear high-visibility attire after dark.
So what does increase cyclists’ road presence, attract drivers’ attention and reduce the risk of riders being involved in road traffic accidents?
How attention really works
There’s little convincing research to show that hi-vis increases rider safety. Getty / domin_domin
Dr Marc Green, based in Ontario, Canada, is an expert in the role of vision, perception and human factors in transportation collisions, including those involving pedestrians and cyclists.
Green has analysed the available research on the effectiveness of conspicuity aids for cyclists, including lights and fluorescent and reflective clothing. As with Cycling UK, he points out that it’s difficult to come to a definitive conclusion on their benefits, which he says is due to the difficulty of designing an adequately controlled experiment that rules out other factors.
An experiment that asks a driver to ‘spot the cyclist’, for example, primes them to look for a rider, while a driver in a real-world situation might not be looking out consciously for cyclists.
Green contrasts the sensory conspicuity triggered by such experiments with cognitive conspicuity, a function of driver expectations, and says that raising the latter is more significant in preventing accidents.
He draws out the difference between two types of conspicuity. Sensory conspicuity, he says, is more important when a viewer is searching for a known target, but is less effective when encountering an unexpected object.
In contrast, cognitive conspicuity is more important in perceiving unexpected objects and has been suggested by some researchers as the main safety issue for cyclists. These ‘looked but failed to see’ errors stem from driver cognition.
Green says this is largely a function of driver expectation, which in turn is related to prevalence (how many cyclists there are on the roads) and cyclists’ behaviour (whether they obey expected road discipline).
What the data shows
Fluorescent colours on the legs may increase safety over fluorescent upper layers, due to the legs’ movement. Pearl Izumi
He points to one randomised control study, which looked at cyclists travelling in normal conditions.
According to Green, the study showed that: “Bicyclists wearing fluorescent jackets had about half the collisions/near misses of those without. However, some of the benefit may have been due to biological motion.”
This conclusion is borne out by another study that showed fluorescent yellow vests alone did not confer an improvement in the distance at which drivers detected cyclists in daylight. Adding trousers in the same colour did, though, which the authors attributed to the biological motion of the riders’ legs.
What really helps
Research suggests biomotion can increase conspicuity over a static light attached to the frame. Look
Green points to a large number of studies that have found gains in night-time visibility and conspicuity when retroreflective material or lights are placed on cyclists’ joints, particularly when situated on cyclists’ ankles, thighs and knees.
Other research has found that reflective material or lights placed on pedal cranks or riders’ heels improved detection at night, bearing out the evidence that biomotion helps improve detection. In the UK, there’s a legal requirement to have reflectors on pedals.
When Look recently launched its Keo Vision pedals, with built-in lights, it cited research from the US that found a moving light was 5.5 times more likely to be noticed than a static constant light and almost twice as noticeable as a flashing light attached to a non-moving part of a bike.
So, the evidence points to the usefulness of biomotion, attaching lights or reflectors to moving parts of a bicycle or rider to increase conspicuity for cyclists.
While a flashing bike light and high-visibility clothing can help, it’s the rotation of the pedals and the movement of the legs that seem to be most significant in attracting drivers’ attention.
Green summarises the available evidence: “It looks to me like this: steady vs flashing makes no difference in rural or other areas where there aren’t a lot of background lights. Flashing is better in urban areas where there are a lot of steady background lights. The flashing is the only way to stand out from a steady background.”
Green points out one disadvantage of flashing lights, though. ”It is difficult to localise single lights,” he says. “Drivers may not be able to tell exactly where you are. Distance is especially hard to judge.”
So there are potential safety benefits in using both a flashing and a constant light or a ‘hyper-constant’ pulsed light at night. Look cites this as an advantage of its pair of pedal lights.
Green concludes: “Conspicuity aids [such as hi-vis clothing] likely have some benefits, but their effect seems relatively weak. The likely reason is that cognitive conspicuity, which is a function of driver expectations, is much stronger than the sensory conspicuity created by the aids.”
It’s a conclusion that Cycling UK’s summary endorses. “Research suggests that retroreflective accessories designed to make you more conspicuous in the dark – especially anything that moves when you pedal (e.g. ankle straps) – are probably worth the investment,” it says.
Riding in the winter can be just as enjoyable as in the summer, but there are some concessions to be made.
Staying warm is essential to keeping the smiles coming, with one particularly wet and cold ride often enough to discourage you from going out on the bike again until springtime.
They also feature the brand’s Zipless DropSeat function, enabling hassle-free comfort breaks and a Women’s 800 Series Conform Pad, which is said to be taboo-breaking in its design.
We gave the Polartec Jacket 4 stars when we reviewed it. Andy Lloyd / Our Media
The Polartec Jacket is a thermal midlayer designed for the trails, using Polartec fleece and wind-resistant panels to keep you cosy on cool days.
A full-length zipper should make dumping heat easy on fireroad climbs, while large hand pockets should keep your fingers from freezing at the trail head.
There’s also a slim-fitting hood to fit under your helmet for extra insulation.
Last Thursday, the Financial Times broke the story of the Government’s potential cap on Cycle to Work purchases, quoting a Government source as stating that “taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for luxury leisure”. Since then, there’s been widespread criticism of the rumoured change.
Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on cycling and walking, was quoted in a follow-up article in the Financial Times on Saturday as saying that “a crude cap would land on the wrong users”.
Saturday’s FT also quoted Will Butler-Adams, chief executive of Brompton, who stated that putting a barrier between working people and the innumerable benefits of cycling felt short-sighted.
Fully Charged says the value of a typical electric cargo bike purchase is £4,000. Trek
Additionally, the FT talked to specialist retailers of electric bikes, with Dan Parsons of Fully Charged pointing out that none of its bikes retail for under £2,000 and that its average transaction price for an electric cargo bike, allowing a family to replace a car to transport children, is £4,000.
Parsons noted that take-up of the Cycle to Work scheme isn’t confined to London and the home counties, and that it’s a popular choice to fund bike purchases at Fully Charged’s other stores, including its latest opening in Cornwall.
Adapted bikes are made in small volumes and are often expensive. Vicky Balfour
There’s also been comment from cycling bodies, including Cycling UK and the Cycle to Work Alliance.
Cycling UK’s director of external affairs, Sarah McMonagle, points to the return on investment from Cycle to Work: “While capping the scheme may sound like a sensible way for Ministers to save money, in reality, it will cost the government a lot more. For every £1 spent on the Cycle to Work scheme, we see over £4 in returns: boosting productivity, reducing sick days, and saving households money.”
“With the popularity of ebikes and cargo bikes soaring, supporting these trends is not just good for individuals, but for the economy as a whole. Any proposal to cap the scheme must consider people who require higher-cost cycles, such as cargo bikes or assisted cycles for disabled people,” she continues.
The abolition of the £1,000 cap put electric bikes within range of Cycle to Work purchases. Ribble
Cycle to Work Alliance chair, Steve Edgell, points to the increased range of bikes now available through Cycle to Work, following the abolition of the previous cap.
“In 2019 a spending cap of £1,000 was abolished, as it was preventing people from being able to access the equipment they needed for everyday commutes. By effectively excluding e-bikes and adapted cycles from the scheme, the cap discriminated against older people and those with disabilities,” he states.
Luxury leisure – and with zero VAT.
Commenting on LinkedIn, former Cyclingnews editor, Peter Stuart, points to the zero VAT rating of aircraft seats: “Fuel duty exemptions for aviation fuel mean private jet passengers pay the lowest tax per tonne of CO₂ of anyone in the sky. That, to me, sounds a lot like ‘taxpayers footing the bill for luxury leisure’.”
Nukeproof is a brand that has achieved near-cult status since its founding in 1990, thanks to its well-priced performance mountain bikes, and a series of downhill and enduro podiums over the 10 years from 2013.
Now, Nukeproof is back with a range of bikes including a new, competitively priced version 2 of its Reactor and its full range of popular downhill, enduro and trail bikes.
But in the gap left by the brand’s disappearance with the 2023 collapse of Wiggle Chain Reaction and its re-emergence under the auspices of Belgian Cycling Factory, which also owns the Ridley and Eddy Merckx brands, multiple fake Nukeproof websites appeared, according to Clive Gosling, Nukeproof’s global brand director.
Nukeproof is back, with bikes such as the updated Reactor. Nukeproof
“Because nukeproof.com has been inactive while we relaunch the brand, other people have taken advantage of that situation,” Gosling says. That’s resulted in a slew of faux Nukeproof sites online, often outranking the official site in Google search results.
Gosling says the process of taking down each imitator site took at least six weeks and involved Belgian Cycling Factory’s legal department.
“It was a bit like whack-a-mole. As soon as we got one down, another one popped up,” he says.
Back on top: Nukeproof now outranks the imposters in Google searches for the brand.
The result has been, according to Gosling, that even one industry insider he’s worked with on the Nukeproof relaunch has been fooled. That gave a poor initial impression of the Nukeproof brand, due to the low quality of the spoof site they’d accessed, which Gosling says included AI-rebranded Santa Cruz bikes.
“There’s different spoof sites,” Gosling says. “Some look like the real site to fool you into buying something and take your credit card details. Other weird spoof sites are just there for brand information. I’ve got no idea what the purpose of them is.”
Gosling says it’s important to check a site’s online credentials, such as its URL and whether the connection is secure, as well as any contact details to make sure you’re on the bona fide brand site.
The good news for Nukeproof is, following its relaunch, it’s now the top result on Google search again.
Zwift Camp: Build is now underway. This is a 5-stage route-based workout series, with each stage lasting one week and focusing on developing power over a specific time interval.
My plan is to do each of the five workouts before their weeks begin, so I can write a post unpacking the workout and delivering some tips along the way. This post covers Stage 2’s anaerobic workout on France’s Bon Voyage. Let’s dive in!
I pulled the 7-Eleven bike out for this ride in France
The second stage of Zwift Camp: Build focuses on what you might call “long sprint power,” with efforts lasting 20-60 seconds. To do so, you’ll ride a lap of France’s Bon Voyage route (31.4km, 155m).
Here’s a profile of the route, not including the lead-in. As you can see, there are 9 sprints on the route itself. But watch out! You’ve got one more on the lead-in, for a total of 10.
Executing the workout is simple enough: just hit every sprint segment hard. (I said simple, not easy!) 10 sprints is a lot, especially when three of them are 1-minute efforts. So expect some suffering.
I went into the workout with semi-tired legs, but figured I could put in a decent effort because I thought we would only be doing three 1-minute efforts, based on the event description.
Unfortunately for me, this workout had more sprints than anticipated. But lucky for you, now that you’re reading this, you know what you’re getting yourself into!
My first sprint, Dos d’Âne Sprint Reverse, began 2.4km into the event. It was a little off, for a few reasons:
It wasn’t clear to me from the on-screen instructions that I was supposed to sprint at the line. (The messaging before most of the subsequent sprints makes this more clear, but this first one did not.)
When I went to turn my Wahoo Headwind fan up partway through the sprint, the fan turned completely off! So I had to fumble around with that.
My legs clearly needed this to be a recovery day.
The sprint was longer than anticipated, taking me 74 seconds to complete.
It wasn’t until 4.5km into the ride that a message popped up telling me the next sprint was coming up – Sprint du Cratère – and that I was supposed to sprint on it. That’s when I realized I would be sprinting on every segment on this route. Uh oh. I picked a bad day to have bad legs!
I sprinted rather halfheartedly my first time over Cratère, but the game was very impressed:
Wouldn’t it be cool if Zwift had some intelligence built into these messages, so the response reflected your actual performance? Maybe with a “Snark Slider” in Settings so we could determine how acerbic our coach was. My screen should have said something more like:
This route uses some of the newer HUD features I mentioned in stage 1’s writeup, showing the Ride Stats panel as well as the Lap Splits.
Like stage 1, Ride Stats was more useful than Lap Splits. I appreciated seeing the 1-minute power field on Ride Stats, as that gave me something to chase. But Lap Splits? Totally useless for this workout, because of how the route is laid out and how the Splits were used. (More on this topic in the Suggestion Box below.)
On-screen messaging does a good job of telling you when the next sprint is about to arrive, plus you can see the finish lines approaching on the mini-map profile.
There isn’t much more to say about this workout from an execution standpoint: just sprint hard at every sprint segment, and rest in between.
Again, same warning as stage 1:if you ride this in a group event, it may be harder to dial it down and spin between sprints. But you’ll definitely want to do so, if you want to have the energy for maximal sprint efforts.
HoloReplay Bug
I found Zwift’s HoloReplay to be helpful as a motivator on the sprints, but the same bug is in this workout as in stage 1, causing two different ghosts to appear, instead of just my previous effort. (More on this in the Suggestion Box below.)
Anaerobic capacity is typically measured with a 30-second sprint test
Unlike the neuromuscular system from stage 1, the anaerobic system is highly responsive to training
Strong anaerobic performance is particularly useful in “spiky” cycling disciplines like cyclocross, crits, and MTB racing
Anaerobic Training Tips
The anaerobic system is very adaptable to training, so if you find this is an area you’d like to focus on, you can execute stage 2’s workout more than once! You can also try making your own workout, or using workouts from Zwift’s library.
One classic anaerobic workout is called “Thirty Thirties”. 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Repeat this 5-10x, rest for a few minutes, then repeat it again. Do 2 or 3 sets. Fit riders can typically do 3 sets of 10 30-30s. You can do the 30-second hard efforts as free ride segments in a workout, or set them to 130-150% of your FTP if you like ERG mode. You can even do this during a free ride, simply using the game clock as your timekeeper. It’s a simple yet effective workout.
Three tips to maximize your anaerobic workouts:
Fuel properly: Anaerobic work is almost entirely glycolytic, which means it’s fueled by sugar. If you don’t have glycogen stored up to fuel the workout, you won’t be able to put in repeated full efforts in your anaerobic zone.
Go in recovered: If you’re dealing with residual muscle fatigue from yesterday’s workout or tiredness from a poor night’s sleep, you’ll have a really hard time executing a quality anaerobic workout. These efforts are sharp, hard, and repeated. They take focus and mental (as well as physical) energy.
Set accurate targets: if you’re doing these as an ERG workout, make sure your FTP is accurate and your targets are realistic (130-150% of FTP is normal). As with all ERG workouts, an inaccurate FTP means you won’t be training the systems you thought you were training. And nobody’s got time for that!
Suggestion Box
The second workout of Zwift Camp: Build would have gone better if I’d known, going in, that there would be 10 sprints. I would have gone easier the day before, knowing I needed more in the tank.
Here are my suggestions for improvements Zwift could make to stage 2:
No Lap Splits: This route is basically two laps of a circuit, plus a lead-in at the start, and a “lead-out” at the end. So at best, you could time two “laps”. But the way it’s set up, the first lap isn’t auto-triggered until the second time through the Dos d’Âne Sprint, meaning the first lap’s time includes the lead-in. That means you can’t compare it to the second lap’s time… which makes the Splits timers useless for this workout.
Fix HoloReplays: It’s clear that Zwift has hard-coded the HoloReplay functionality into these events, because changing my settings doesn’t seem to make a difference! It wasn’t a big deal for me, and the ghosts still motivated me to push hard. But Zwift should fix these events so they automatically show HoloReplays (just one ghost of your previous effort) for everyone.
Improve the event description: I already mentioned this for stage 1, but stage 2 is a perfect example of how a simple line or two in the event description would clarify what people are signing up for. (Also, the description of stage 2 says “Target Effort: Three 1-Minute Efforts”. But the actual event has you sprinting 10 efforts of various lengths.)
In-game messages that are realistic: OK, this is sort of silly and a major stretch goal at best. But it sure would be cool if the game could respond accurately to my actual efforts on the segments. It has the data necessary to do so. Just hook it up to ChatGPT and let ‘er rip!
YT Industries has relaunched today under new ownership. The well-regarded German mountain bike brand went into self-administration in July.
However, CEO and founder Markus Flossmann purchased the brand and its assets in September. Since then, his team have been working on the relaunch and fulfilling orders from before YT collapsed.
The relaunch sees almost all of YT’s bike range back in stock, and expected to be available to buy online in the UK and EU over the next few weeks. US availability will be a little later, with new products to follow.
CEO and founder Markus Flossmann has bought back YT and is relaunching the brand.
“Back to the roots. This isn’t a marketing slogan, it’s a promise,” says Flossmann. “We’re focusing again on what made YT strong: uncompromising bikes, fair prices, and genuine passion for the sport. Rough, real, and authentic.”
Although YT has reduced its staffing, it says it has kept the core of the previous team. YT states it’s also focusing on developing a wider global service network, particularly in the USA and UK, to improve service quality and accessibility.
YT expects to have its complete range, including the Decoy, available again. Scott Windsor / Our Media
When YT Industries folded, it left a number of outstanding orders, but Flossmann says fulfilling these or organising a refund has been a priority.
“This is my personal top priority. Every customer who placed their trust in YT will receive what they paid for. That’s always been my promise,” he states. “For us, this is far more than just an administrative process. It’s about trust, responsibility, and credibility.”
If you were affected and your order hasn’t been resolved, there’s a dedicated support email address you can use to contact YT’s customer services: stormsurvivor@yt-industries.com.
Today, Wahoo announced a handful of early Black Friday deals valid through Monday, December 1. I’ve shared those details below, along with shopping links.
Please note, if you purchase an item on Wahoo’s site using these links, Zwift Insider will receive a small affiliate commission. Thanks in advance for your support!
More To Come
There are even more deals from Wahoo dropping on Black Friday and running through Cyber Monday, including discounts on some of the most popular hardware in Wahoo’s indoor training ecosystem not already in the list below. My guess is, we’ll see similar deals from Zwift. Watch this space for details!
KICKR BIKE SHIFT
Regular Price £2,199.99 / $2,549.99 / €2,499.99, Black Friday Sale Price: $1,999.99
The KICKR BIKE SHIFT offers the unmatched ride feel of the KICKR BIKE while retaining key features such as Reality Shift, True Fit, Real Ride Feel and, of course, Wi-FI. Wahoo has helped open up the smart bike category to even more people by refining features, including the introduction of a new brake and belt drivetrain system to deliver lightning-fast resistance response to grade and power changes – plus an even quieter ride than ever before.
KICKR V6
Regular Price £899.99 / $1049.99 / €999.99, Black Friday Sale Price: $787.49
The newest version of the KICKR offers best-in-class indoor smart trainer design. With the addition of lightning-fast WiFi, KICKR continues to stay ahead of the pack as the smart trainer that gives you the most ways to connect, compete, and train indoors. The KICKR automatically calibrates and provides accurate power measurements of +/- 1%.
KICKR RUN (US Only)
Regular Price $6,999.99 / £5,999.99, Black Friday Sale Price: $5,249.99
The KICKR RUN is a cutting-edge smart treadmill designed to deliver a natural and immersive indoor running experience. It features RunFree Mode, which uses advanced sensors to automatically adjust the belt speed to match your pace, eliminating the need for manual controls. With a responsive surface, grade simulation, and lateral tilt, it mimics outdoor running conditions, challenging stabilizer muscles while providing dynamic movement. The treadmill integrates seamlessly with apps like Zwift and TrainingPeaks, offering smart controls for speed, gradient, and advanced running metrics like cadence and vertical oscillation
Earlier this year, Belgian Cycling Factory bought Nukeproof from Frasers Group PLC, but despite some teasing at Eurobike, things have been quiet from the bike brand since.
That’s until now, with today marking Nukeproof’s first bike launch since the acquisition.
The all-new, second-generation Nukeproof Reactor trail bike has been given an overhaul, boasting updated geometry, suspension kinematics and frame details.
Unlike the Nukeproof of old, though, don’t expect to see masses of models hitting every price point.
Instead, Nukeproof is playing it cool, keeping things smart, and launching one carbon and one alloy offering, both of which are priced competitively.
While limiting models might disappoint some consumers, this approach clearly signifies caution from a brand looking to play the long game and stick around for good this time.
Nukeproof will offer only two builds of the new Reactor: one carbon frame option, one alloy. Nukeproof
This second-generation Reactor is still aimed at trail riding, but designed to be even more capable than its predecessor.
Just as before, Nukeproof is offering the bike in two frame options: carbon and alloy, although the alloy frame features carbon seatstays.
This time, the bikes will be sold only with 29in wheels. Don’t worry, though, you will be able to switch to a 27.5in rear wheel down the line if you wish.
Rear-wheel travel has been bumped up to 140mm and paired with a 150mm-travel fork up front. The suspension kinematics have been tweaked to boost mid-stroke support for better stability through the turns, while overall progression has dropped (from 21 per cent to 17 per cent from sag) to allow for more end-stroke tunability.
Anti-squat has been increased slightly over the older model to make the new Reactor pedal a little more efficiently, although this drops off quickly as the bike moves deeper into the travel to ensure it can eat up bumps as effectively as possible.
Nukeproof has also lowered the anti-rise in a bid to keep the suspension a little more active under braking.
Special attention has been paid to cable routing in order to make the Reactor as user-friendly as possible, with additional routing ports to ensure that no matter which way round you have your brakes, you can route the hose properly.
With more cable ports, the cable routing should remain neat and tidy whichever way you run your brakes. Nukeproof
The carbon frames also get the tube-in-tube guides for easy maintenance, while the alloy frames have large cable ports for easier access.
There’s clearance for up to 2.6in tyres through the rear triangle, although Nukeproof doesn’t spec tyres this wide.
All frames come with a Ride Wrap protective kit as standard, feature a gear mount under the top tube and have space for a 250ml water bottle.
More sizes and updated geometry
The new Reactor has 140mm of rear-wheel travel and includes a flip chip that can slacken/steepen the angles and raise/lower the bottom bracket. Nukeproof
The Reactor 290 now comes in five sizes, ranging from small to double extra-large, with reach figures spanning from 435mm to 520mm. Its predecessor was only available in medium to extra-large.
Geometry has been tweaked to keep the Reactor up to date. Reach figures on the medium, for example, have grown from 451mm to 460mm.
Effective seat tube angles are steeper too, to help make for a comfier climbing position, and now sit at 77-77.5 degrees depending on frame size.
Chainstay length is now proportion to frame size, meaning while the small and medium frames sit at 440mm, the large through to double extra-large sizes have been extended to 445mm.
Nukeproof includes a flip chip, enabling you to swap between the higher ‘trail’ setting and lower ‘rail’ position. This’ll alter the head angle by 0.5 degrees and shift the bottom bracket up or down by 6mm. For context, in the lowest setting, Nukeproof says the bottom bracket sits at 330mm off the floor, which is pretty slammed.
No-nonsense range
Both the carbon and alloy models of the Reactor come with the same RockShox Lyrik Select+ fork. Nukeproof
Although Nukeproof may have previously been known for creating bike models that ticked almost every spec and price point, times have changed.
With the Reactor, it has kept things far tighter and heavily reduced what’s on offer.
There are now only two Reactor models available – one in carbon and one in alloy, sold through Nukeproof’s dealer network.
Both feature similar build kits and, at present, neither will be available in North America. That’s likely to change down the line, but Nukeproof was keen to point out that it’s planning on growing slowly and limiting risk as much as possible.
Pricing is competitive – those latter days of Chain Reaction Cycles firing out bikes and frames at ludicrous prices are long gone.
Both bikes use the same RockShox Lyrik Select+ fork, Super Deluxe Select+ shock, travel-adjustable TranzX dropper post and Schwalbe tyres.
If you don’t want a complete bike, there are alloy and carbon frame-only options, too, which come with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock.
All frames are available via Belgian Cycling Factory’s Configurator, which enables you to select from a range of colours for the frame as well as the decals.
Nukeproof has also updated its warranty policy. By registering your new bike, your warranty jumps from the standard two-year coverage up to a lifetime warranty. This doesn’t include its DH bike, though.
What’s more, Nukeproof has created the ‘Keep Riding Program’, which supports original frame owners all the way back to the model year 2020. So, even if you own a Nukeproof that wasn’t supplied by the Belgian Cycling Factory, if you qualify for the scheme, you may be able to buy the equivalent frame (and shock) at a discounted rate, if you’ve damaged the original.
Nukeproof Reactor range and price details
Nukeproof Reactor Alloy Pro 290
The one alloy Reactor Pro 290 model features RockShox suspension, Schwalbe tyres, SRAM’s Eagle 90 gears and Maven brakes. Nukeproof
Frame: 6061-T6 front triangle with carbon seatstays
Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select+
Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission
Wheels: DT Swiss M-1900 Spline 30
Brakes: SRAM Maven Base
Price: £3,999 / €4,499
Nukeproof Reactor Carbon Pro 290
The carbon model of the Reactor uses the same fork, shock and tyres as its alloy counterpart, but gets upgraded wheels, brakes and gears. Nukeproof
We’re featuring an eclectic mix of community events this weekend: a wildly popular new TT series, a fat-oxidizing group ERG session, a new long race series, an endurance ride, and a popular new race league. See all the details below!
CTT Winter Series on Zwift
Popular Race of Truth
This week, Cycling Time Trials (CTT) – the national governing body for time trials in England, Scotland, and Wales – launched their Winter Time Trial Series on Zwift. And it’s proving hugely popular, with several hundred finishers in the kickoff event!
Saturday is your last chance to complete the kickoff event on Watopia’s Tempus Fugit (19.6km, 16m), and we see over 350 riders already signed up, making this the most popular event of the weekend.
OUTLYR.CC x CANYON TURBO SESSION #3: FATMAX PYRAMIDE
Popular Structured Workout
This popular ERG workout series is structured like a small local training camp, with 6 sessions spread over 2 weeks. Session #3 is 80 minutes long, and the description says, “In the third session, things are a bit more relaxed: we’re training in the FatMax zone, right at the point of maximal fat oxidation.”
This weekend, DBR launches a new 6-week race series featuring events on longer routes. DBR says, “It’s not a SufferDay League, but maybe a light version of it.”
The kickoff race is on 5 laps of Coastal Crown Loop for a total length of 84km with 1006m of elevation.
RAD RACE VO2 max Booster Plan – Week 2 – Group Ride
Popular Endurance Effort
The folks at Rad Race have organized a 12-week structured workout series on Zwift. Goal: To improve maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂max) – the basis for sustainable performance development on the bike.
Saturday’s group ride isn’t a structured workout, but rather an endurance group ride: 3 hours at 2-3 W/kg on France’s flat R.G.V. route. Rad Race says the goal of the ride is to “Build your aerobic base – the foundation for all training zones. Perfect for active recovery and balancing out your VO₂max week.”
VirtuSlo’s popular 4Endurance League began last weekend, and this weekend’s stage 2 has a lot of signups! Riders will be racing two laps of Greater London Loop Reverse (41.4km, 511m).
The 4Endurance League is a 6-race series held over a 6-week period. You can find out about the other races and more league info in the event description.
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
Is it for a good cause?
Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
The 2026 Cannondale SuperSix Evo has leaked via a WeightWeenies forum, and it might be the final proof that race bike design is running out of room for meaningful change.
First reported by road.cc, the unreleased SuperSix Evo features a deeper headtube – a common trick employed by many brands to improve aerodynamics, while the top tube appears to be slightly remodelled.
This sees it curve downwards at a slightly steeper radius than the current model, which might be in an effort to expose more seatpost.
The lower portion of the seat tube also looks to be inspired by the latest Synapse endurance bike, with a thinner, flattened profile as it hugs the rear wheel space.
The latest Synapse features a more pronounced thin and curved seat tube design, but the resemblance is clear. Scott Windsor / Ourmedia
In theory, this could be present to improve compliance, while the design also lends itself to wider tyre clearances (and lower weight) without negatively impacting handling geometry, given the potential material saving behind the bottom bracket.
On the Synapse, this helps yield tyre clearance for up to 42mm tyres – we don’t expect the SuperSix to feature this much, but it’s not unreasonable to think that it might improve on the current bike’s space for 34mm rubber.
At the rear, in a move reflective of almost every recent bike launch, the frame looks to feature a SRAM UDH (universal derailleur hanger) dropout. This is said to offer improved shifting, while also rendering the frame natively compatible with direct-mount derailleurs.
WeightWeenies forum contributors hint towards a modified geometry – a 1cm lower stack is purported, in contrast to some beliefs that race bikes might shift towards a taller stack to improve fit and aerodynamics without the need to fit spacers.
It’s also likely that Cannondale will have tweaked the carbon recipe under the skin, with the aim of saving some weight. The image leaked shows a Lab71 variant of the frame, while Hi-Mod and ‘standard’ Carbon models are also likely.
Opinion | Race bike design is becoming a box-ticking exercise
I find it difficult to believe that the current SuperSix will suddenly feel outdated. Andy Lloyd / Our Media
At the moment, it’s impossible to say for certain how ‘improved’ (or not) the fifth-generation SuperSix Evo will be from the current model, but the leaked changes appear far from revolutionary.
It’s an old trope, but ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ appears to be the modus operandi of most bike brands right now (and one I trotted out as far back as 2022) – it’s rare to come across a bike that is truly different from any other.
Ostensibly this is because the current combination demand of weight, stiffness, handling and compliance (and so on) is generally met by existing bikes. The law of diminishing returns also applies, especially when the design boxes laid out by the UCI are as prescriptive as they are, and it costs vast amounts of money to develop ever-smaller improvements in design.
On a business level, brands need to be confident that the investment they are making in developing their latest bikes needs to resonate with us, its customers, and ultimately, drive sales. It becomes harder to justify innovative thinking and development if it won’t drive a return on investment.
Aero-focussed bikes like the Colnago Y1Rs (and Cervélo S5) are becoming the exception to the rule. Andy Lloyd / Our Media
It’s also worth recognising that brands are probably designing their latest bikes around consumer demand – it’s no coincidence that brands such as Specialized, Trek and Pinarello have put their race bike eggs in one basket, while Cannondale (with its lack of development of the SystemSix aero bike) appears to have done the same here.
There are exceptions, of course. Colnago and Cervélo have recently launched distinct aero and lightweight/all-rounder bikes, but it’s fair to say that both brands are smaller than the likes of Trek, Specialized and PON Group-owned Cannondale, with a tighter focus on the ‘premium’ end of the market.
This is why we’re generally seeing bike design coalesce around the same small developments – it becomes more of a box-ticking exercise to meet a critical mass of sales.
Of course, wider tyre clearances and improvements in frame manufacturing, plus standards like UDH, arguably continue to drive a tangible improvement in how bikes perform under racers and everyday riders alike. But what’s next?
At first glance, the fifth-generation SuperSix Evo, in appearing to imitate bikes like the Colnago V5Rs, Specialized Tarmac SL8, and plenty of other all-rounders, looks yet another example of necessary modesty over ambition.
Litelok’s incredibly tough, angle-grinder-resistant X1 is the best all-round lock we’ve tested here at BikeRadar. It’s my go-to lock whenever I have to leave my bike out in a public space.
The X1’s results in our rigorous tests were very impressive – cutting the armoured shackle destroyed my portable angle grinder when I first reviewed it.
In our most recent lab test of the latest bike locks, the X1 triumphed over some very stiff competition.
Even though it’s our best-rated lock, there’s a small issue with the X1 – and that’s the size. While the lock area of 101x297mm is ample for slender-tubed road and gravel bikes, it may be too small for some applications.
It’s not big enough to wrap around oversized down tubes on some ebikes and electric mountain bikes. Thankfully, Litelok now has an answer to that criticism with the new X1 Plus.
The new X1 Plus is large enough to lock two bikes together. Litelok
The X1 Plus shares the same construction and patented Barronium welded surface coating as the standard X1 and meets the same Sold Secure Diamond cycle and motorcycle standard.
The big difference is the size, with the locking area upped to 101x255mm. It’s big enough for ebikes and cargo bikes, and you can even lock two bikes together with room to spare.
The Litelok X1 Plus is available in reflective camo or its original reflective finish. Litelok
The new Plus model weighs in at 1.9kg / 4.3lb, and is compatible with Litelok’s Restrap holster and the tactical frame/rack mount.
The X1 Plus can now cope with larger ebike down tubes. Litelok
The new X1 Plus is available from today and priced at £199.99 / $259.99 / €249.
Litelok X1 Plus spec and pricing
Price: £199.99 / $259.99 / €249
Security: Sold Secure Bicycle Diamond, Sold Secure Motorcycle Diamond, ART4 insurance-rated standard
Weight: 1.9kg / 4.2lb
Internal dimensions: 101x255mm
Lock: ART 4 accredited cylinder
Mount: X1 Tactical Mount & Restrap lock holster available
Curve Cycling, based out of Melbourne, Australia, has announced its latest gravel bike frameset – the CarboKev – made from a mix of titanium and carbon, with the carbon tubes bonded to 3D-printed titanium lugs.
Curve Cycling claims the use of titanium-lugged carbon tubes, in place the all-titanium tubes it commonly uses, results in lower weight and greater frame stiffness, along with long-distance comfort and precise handling.
The claimed weight of the CarboKev is 250g less than the brand’s all-titanium Big Kev gravel bike.
The CarboKev’s down tube and chainstays are carbon for power transfer.
According to Jimmy Rostlund, Curve Cycling’s technical lead: “With CarboKev we iterated every lug profile, wall thickness and bond length. 3D-printed titanium lets us place material exactly where the stresses demand it; bonded carbon lets us tune the ride in ways a single material can’t.”
The CarboKev’s carbon down tube and chainstays are claimed to provide a stiff spine for power transfer and accurate steering. Meanwhile, the titanium top tube and skinny titanium seatstays are designed to provide vertical compliance to reduce fatigue.
The head tube, top tube, seat tube and seatstays are titanium.
Curve Cycling isn’t the only brand to have launched a carbon/titanium hybrid recently. UK-based J.Laverack has just announced its AM64 upgrade for a range of its bikes, which subs in a carbon seat tube in place of titanium to reduce weight and increase compliance.
Big tyre clearance and big price tag
The 2.2-inch tyre clearance follows the trend to wider tyres on gravel bikes.
The CarboKev frame can handle 29-inch tyres up to 2.2 inches (56mm) wide, dialling into gravel’s hottest trend. It’s designed to be paired with Curve’s Race 415i carbon fork and Race Carbon Walmer bars, which are yet to be launched individually and have a 400mm width.
The CarboKev is hand-built in Melbourne, with the carbon tubes sourced from New Zealand, while the titanium lugs and other parts are made in China.
Curve Cycling says bringing frame alignment and fabrication in-house is a major advance in its manufacturing capabilities, though.
With its small volume manufacturing, Curve Cycling says it lets purchasers choose their optimum sizing. Although it shows seven available sizes in its geometry chart, the frame can be custom-fitted to the rider, who can also choose options such as an integrated seatpost.
Curve Cycling CarboKev availability and pricing
The CarboKev Splatter paintwork is standard, with custom colours an extra-cost option.
The CarboKev can be purchased frameset-only or as a frameset package with bars, seatpost, and fork.
There’s a standard CarboKev Splatter Art colour, with a selection of colour options, plus custom paint options at an extra cost.
The full build is equipped with SRAM Red XPLR AXS, Curve G5T [G] Carbon gravel wheels built on DT Swiss 180 hubs, and Curve’s new Walmer bars.
Purchasers need to be patient though, with Curve Cycling estimating a 10 to 12 month lead-time, dependent on spec.
They also need deep pockets, with the frameset priced at AU$12,000 (before tax) and the frameset package AU$12,727.27 (also before tax).
Choose the complete SRAM Red XPLR AXS build and you’re looking at AU$26,363.64 plus tax, or AU$29,000 with Australian sales tax. That’s around £14,000 / US$19,000.
Moots has unveiled its new Scrambler, a gravel bike rooted firmly in Moots’ tradition of premium craftsmanship that incorporates a blend of gravel trends and mountain bike technology.
The US brand says its goal with the Scrambler was to create a rugged-terrain ready adventure bike.
Prices for complete bikes start at £8,350 / $9,499 / €9,060, with a frame-only option from £4,750 / $5,399 / €4,660.
The Moots Scrambler, here in the limited-edition Topo finish, is a traditionally crafted titanium bike with modern geometry. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
The Scrambler’s frame is designed to utilise a 100mm-travel fork.
Moots, however, has chosen to use Boost spacing from the mountain bike world to maximise the Scrambler’s tyre clearance. This has seen it opt for RockShox’s lightweight SID SL.
Boost spacing means class-leading tyre clearance of 2.4in / 60mm.
The frame’s back end uses Moots’ iconic wishbone seatstay design, with a tubeset derived from the Moots Routt 45 offering inherent compliance for all-day comfort.
The Boost dropout spacing is complemented by a UDH driveside dropout.
The RockShox SID SL provides 100mm of travel, and the Boost spacing allows for 2.4in tyres. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
The front triangle uses a new tubeset that’s double butted for similar performance to the Moots MXC mountain bike.
The adventure-ready design has three water bottle mounts within the front triangle, with further mounts under the top tube for a frame bag and under the down tube for further water-carrying capacity. Up top, there are bento box mounts, and there are rear-rack eyelets for further portage.
If you want to build a sportier bike, there’s stealth routing for a dropper post, and the Scrambler comes equipped with a stock Shimano left-hand lever to actuate the post.
Gravel geometry with mountain bike rolling stock
Moots’ signature wishbone stays, with fender and rack mounts included. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
The frame sticks close to current gravel bike geometry norms, with a tall stack, mid-length reach and a relaxed head angle, yet a steep seat angle.
It’s not as extreme as some trail-focused gravel bikes, such as the Nukeproof Digger, but the inclusion of 29in wheels and massive tyres should give the Scrambler plenty of extreme-terrain ability.
A mechanical drivetrain with external cable routing is a bold choice. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
Moots tells us the Scrambler isn’t going to be around forever, with complete bikes and framesets only available until the end of January 2026.
It’s a bold move from Moots to offer the Scrambler only with a single, mechanical drivetrain. Instead of opting for electronic SRAM AXS or Shimano Di2, it’s a mullet drivetrain that combines Shimano’s mechanical GRX shifters with an XT 36t/170mm crankset, GRX rear derailleur and XT 10-51 cassette.
The Scrambler’s adventurous outlook makes it a sensible choice to go with a mechanical drivetrain and external cable routing, enabling trailside repairs when you’re miles from civilisation.
WTB’s Macro 2.4in tyres fit in the Scrambler’s frame. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
Completing the build are Chris King MTN30 AL 29in Boost wheels, shod with WTB Macro 2.4in tyres. The bike is finished with an in-house Moots titanium seatpost and stem, featuring colour-matched finishes to coordinate with the customer’s chosen Chris King headset colour.
The Moots Scrambler’s titanium stem is colour-matched to the Chris King headset and Topo finish. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
The Scrambler is available in a raw brushed-titanium finish or the stunning ‘Topo’ anodised finish seen here. The ‘Topo’ finish extends to the hand-crafted Moots titanium stem and seatpost, and there’s a custom Chris King headset to match.
I can’t help but think these Topo models are set to become a collector’s item.
Moots Scrambler build and pricing details
The stem faceplate is matched to the Chris King headset. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
The Scrambler is available in a single build option or as a frame only.
Specification highlights
Shimano GRX RX22 x XT M8100 drivetrain
RockShox SID SL Select 10mm fork
Chris King MTN30 AL 29in Boost wheelset
Moots titanium stem and seatpost
3x Moots titanium bottle cages
Zipp XPLR Service Course handlebar
The complete bike is priced at $9,499 / £8,350 / €9,060, with the frame-only option starting from $5,399 / £4,750 / €4,660. You can upgrade the finish to either Moots’ premium polished and brushed finish or the very limited-edition ‘Topo’ finish seen here.
Cinelli has launched two new bikes: the Aeroscoop is a carbon aero road bike designed for pro-level racing, while the Speciale Corsa XCR is a stainless steel road bike with premium specs and pricing.
Cinelli claims the Aeroscoop is one of the fastest aero bikes tested by Tour magazine, while also boasting a sub-7kg claimed weight in the top-spec builds. Full bike prices start at £5,299.
Meanwhile, full builds of the Speciale Corsa XCR, built in Milan, weigh from a claimed 8.1kg, with prices starting at a princely €12,500.
Cinelli Aeroscoop
Aeroscoop full builds can weigh less than 7kg.
The Aeroscoop has been designed to meet the need for a lightweight aero race bike for Cinelli’s sponsored MBH Bank Colpack Ballan CSB UCI Continental cycling team.
Kitted out with SRAM Red AXS and Fulcrum Wind 57 wheels, Cinelli says the Aeroscoop weighs a claimed 6.98kg.
Although the Aeroscoop is a departure from the brand’s focus on metal frames, Cinelli says the design builds on its Pressure 2 race bike. Cinelli says it’s stiffened up the bottom bracket area in the Aeroscoop, while increasing compliance at the head tube for better handling through corners. Tyre clearance is 34mm.
Cinelli describes the geometry as ‘pure racing’, promoting an aggressive position and balanced handling.
At the same time, Cinelli has reduced the frame and fork weight from the Pressure 2 to bring the frame weight down to 950g and the fork weight to 370g for a size M.
The distinctive seatstay design is claimed to channel airflow around the rear wheel.
A distinctive feature of the Aeroscoop is the split heads to the seatstays, where they meet the seat tube. Looking like a cross between the Pinarello Dogma X and the Trek Madone, the design is claimed to guide airflow and reduce turbulence at the frame-to-wheel interface.
Additional aero benefits come from a 4% reduction in the Aeroscoop’s frontal area, Cinelli claims, alongside a small decrease in the head tube width. There’s also a revised down tube shape that shields the bottles and cages, and a smoother transition between frame and fork.
Cinelli says that in independent wind tunnel tests conducted by Germany’s Tour magazine, the Aeroscoop was one of the top ten aero bikes it has tested, with a normalised drag figure of 205 watts at 45km/h. Cinelli claims that the results are better than those Tour found for the Specialized Tarmac SL8 with identical wheels, in a 0-degree headwind.
Cinelli Aeroscoop specs and prices
The new Columbus flared bars are claimed to contribute to a 4% decrease in the Aeroscoop’s frontal area over the Pressure 2.
Prices for the Cinelli Aeroscoop start at £5,299 / €6,000. There’s a frameset-only option available for £3,999 / €4,500. You can also ride the Aeroscoop virtually on Rouvy.
Sizes available are from XS to XL.
Cinelli Aeroscoop Super Record WRL 13s
Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record 13 52/36t, 11-32t
Wheelset: Fulcrum Wind 57
Tyres: Vittoria Rubino 28mm
Saddle: Fizik Antares R7
Price: €10,700
Cinelli Aeroscoop Red eTap AXS
Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 48/35t, 10-30t
Wheelset: Fulcrum Wind 57
Tyres: Vittoria Rubino 28mm
Saddle: Fizik Antares R7
Price: €10,700
Cinelli Aeroscoop Dura-Ace Disc Di2
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace 52/36t, 11-30t
Wheelset: Fulcrum Wind 57
Tyres: Vittoria Rubino 28mm
Saddle: Fizik Antares R7
Price: €9,900
Cinelli Aeroscoop Ultegra Disc Di2
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 52/36t, 11-30t
Wheelset: Fulcrum Soniq AL
Tyres: Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 28mm
Saddle: Fizik Antares R7
Price: €6,900
Cinelli Aeroscoop 105 Disc Di2
Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 52/36t, 11-34t
Wheelset: Fulcrum Soniq AL
Tyres: Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 28mm
Saddle: Fizik Antares R7
Price: €6,000
Cinelli Speciale Corsa XCR
This is the new Cinelli Speciale Corsa XCR. Michela Pedranti
Alongside the Aeroscoop, Cinelli has launched the Speciale Corsa XCR. It’s more in line with Cinelli’s traditional specialism and is handmade in Milan from XCR stainless steel from Cinelli’s sister brand, Columbus.
The triple-butted, cold-drawn steel tubing is TIG-welded, with brazed junctions into 3D-printed hidden lugs at the seat cluster and the head tube-to-top tube joint.
The stainless steel tubing is brazed into 3D-printed internal lugs at the seat cluster and head tube. Michela Pedranti
Modern features include full internal routing through the newly designed Columbus Spirit integrated cockpit. It’s built for electronic groupsets only and has a UDH rear derailleur hanger.
There’s 32mm tyre clearance and a 1,990g claimed frame weight, with the Columbus Trittico carbon fork adding 392g. The SRAM Red AXS build has an 8.1kg claimed weight.
Cinelli Speciale Corsa XCR specs and prices
The premium builds include top-spec groupsets from Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo, and DT Swiss ACR 1100 wheels. Michela Pedranti
The Speciale Corsa XCR is available in the same XS to XL sizes as the Aeroscoop. There are three top-tier specs, as well as a frameset-only option priced at £5,000 / €5,000.
Cinelli Speciale Corsa XCR Super Record WRL 13s
Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record 13 52/36t, 11-32t
DT Swiss has launched the ARC 1100 SPLINE 38 CS, its first wheelset to feature carbon fibre spokes and packaged with Continental’s Aero 111 tyres for aero optimisation.
The new road wheels are said to weigh 1,174g without tyres, more than 100g lighter than the ARC 1100 DICUT, and feature a hooked bead for those sceptical of the hookless revolution.
Priced at £2,899 / $3,727 / €3,199, they sit at the very top of DT Swiss’ road wheels range.
DT Swiss has a long history of making spokes, but the ARC 1100 SPLINE 38 CS represents the first time the brand has used carbon fibre ones in a wheelset.
The spokes are Newmen Vonoas and feature an aerodynamic shape designed to cut through the wind.
The Swiss brand says the spokes enhance stiffness and weight savings.
The 180 hub is the brand’s flagship. DT Swiss
To incorporate these spokes into the wheelset, the 180 straight-pull hub has been engineered with refined flanges and a new spoke pattern, allowing for a minimal 18 spokes on the front wheel.
38mm rims
Different tyres are used on the front and rear of the bike. DT Swiss
The wheelset’s rims are made in-house using DT Swiss’ PURE carbon technology.
DT Swiss claims this gives the wheels high impact resistance, because the fibres in the outer layers of the rim are not cut, making for continuous strands in the impact areas.
It also enables DT Swiss to reduce the weight of the rim.
Wheel Tyre System
The Aero 111 has an aerodynamically optimised tread, engineered to cut through the air efficiently. DT Swiss
The wheelset comes as a Wheel Tyre System, or WTS, which sees Continental rubber shipped with the wheels.
A 26mm Aero 111 tyre is provided up front, developed for aerodynamic gains, while a 28mm GP 5000 S TR is used at the rear, promising a combination of speed and grip.
The second race of ZRL Round 2 was on two laps of New York’s Rising Empire for A and B teams. This course features the New York KOM in both directions, which meant a total of 4x hard climbs, and nightmares for me in the days leading up to the race…
Warmup and Planning
Leading up to the race, my Delusion teammates had been chatting on Discord. The consensus was that most of us were dreading it, a couple of weirdos were looking forward to it, and team captain Neil was clearly dodging it by trotting out the old chestnut of “I just crashed my bike, haven’t ridden since, and can’t put bibs on over all the road rash.” Likely excuse, Neil!
We basically decided everyone would race their own race, battling to stay in the furthest forward group possible, because ZRL’s points structure is such that everyone has an incentive to get across the line ahead of others on every points segment.
Knowing this race would require everything I had (and likely a bit more), I tried every trick in the book when it came to preparation. PR Lotion to my legs, 300mg of caffeine thanks to MEG gum, and even a Nomio shot (broccoli, yuck).
Having learned my lesson last week, I was on the bike with plenty of time for a good warmup. I spun up the legs, which felt less fresh than they should. Still, I put in a few good efforts to wake up my heart, then joined the pens in New York on my full-upgraded Pinarello Dogma F 2024 with ENVE 4.5 PRO wheels – the best climbing rig at my disposal.
Lap 1
Everyone knew the first real fireworks would explode the first time up the NY KOM. With the way this route is laid out and the way segment points work, there just isn’t enough incentive to do anything except sit in until that KOM.
I proposed a helpful neutral lead-in, and got some yes votes:
Unfortunately, we clearly didn’t have the supermajority agreement required for such a measure to pass. The glass road ramp was our first effort after averaging just 237W in the first 5 minutes, and while the watts jumped up significantly, it wasn’t enough to drop anyone.
After several rolling kilometers on the glass, we hit our first KOM segment. Up to this point, I had done my best to convince myself that I might just be able to hang with the front group over this first KOM, unlike every other race I’ve ever done on here.
Unfortunately, it quickly became evident that I was living in a fantasy world. You know that terrible feeling when the peloton flows past, and you’re dropping back with no ability to move up? That was the feeling. From a pack of 50, I saw myself quickly drop into the 40’s. No front group for me today. I came through the KOM banner in 39th, and the Zwift gods rewarded my efforts with a feather powerup:
This was the first of four feathers I would earn on the day. One atop each KOM. You can’t make this stuff up.
After the first KOM, Andy and Rob had made the front group. Fabian and Chris were up the road from me chasing, and Dylan was behind.
We descended to ground level and quickly hit the NY Sprint Reverse. I put in a quick dig to pip an opponent at the line (every point counts!) and earn an atta boy from Captain Neil. I also grabbed an aero powerup at the banner, which I put to good use just up the road, bridging up to Chris and Fabian’s group.
Sauce for Zwift was earning its monthly subscription cost in this race, giving me a helpful and clear view of time gaps between groups.
Then it was straight onto the glass for the “pre-climb” to the start line of the NY KOM Reverse. The group’s pace seemed much more manageable now, but as the actual KOM segment stretched out, I found myself near the back again, with Chris and Fabian several seconds ahead as we hit the top.
An aero or an anvil would have been handy on the descent to follow, but unfortunately, all I got was another feather as I rode through the KOM arch in 37th. So I put in some well-timed digs on the descent, supertucking as much as possible, catching a handful of riders so I was in a group starting at 31st place as we hit the tarmac again.
My group caught up to Fabian and Chris, and I used my feather to ease the effort up to the lap banner in a pack of 9 riders as lap 2 began.
Lap 2 + Finish
My pack of 9 constituted 29th-37th place, and we now chugged along on the flat first portion of the route. The effort felt quite easy, but hard enough that pushing to bridge to the next group didn’t seem like the right move.
Sauce showed 22 riders in front (1:24 ahead), 6 riders chasing (39s ahead), my group of 9, and Dylan’s group of 8 40s back. Andy and Rob were still in the front group.
The second lap was, in many ways, similar to the first. Quite chill on the flats, hard VO2 efforts on the climbs, and some well-timed supertucks to catch riders on the longer descents. My pack of 9 had definitely calmed down, as evidenced by me being on the front near the top of the climb!
Another feather granted at the top, another slight sprint dig to grab some extra points, then it was back onto the glass roads for our final go at the KOM. The three Delusion riders lead the charge for part of it:
Once again, I got distanced over the top, and the Zwift gods handed me another feather as punishment. I supertucked to catch a rider up the road, then Chris put in a good dig to bridge up to me, and the two of us pushed to stay away from chasers just behind and finish in 30th and 31st place.
Andy had our team’s best finish on the day, in 8th. Not bad for a C rider, eh? Rob was 15th, Fabian 28th, me 30th, Chris 31st, and Dylan 40th. Delusion would finish 4th overall, with the win going to Team Santysiak Epica Avvoltoi (that’s a mouthful). Nice work, SEA!
Interestingly, there’s now a 3-way tie for 1st place in our division (B1 Development, Lime):
It may be too early to say, but it looks like there are clearly 4 leading teams in this division. While we won last round, this round will be much more difficult, with three races featuring significant key climbs.
I think we can win the TTTs, and do decently well in Glasgow on the punchy points race. But those three hilly races? Those will be a real challenge. We’ll have to push hard to do our best in races that don’t particularly suit us, to keep our overall points high enough to have a shot at the title.
Personally, I was disappointed in my performance in this race. I’ve never done well on the NY KOMs, but I’ve done better than this! Looking at my power numbers up those climbs, I just didn’t have the power I have on better days. Instead of holding 350-370W for 4 minutes, I was doing 320-330W. Not sure what the problem was, not sure if a few more watts would have helped at all, but I’ll try to be better prepared next week when we tackle the Fox Hill 3x.
I’m not sure you could design a better Zwift course than this for a race-based VO2 workout. We had 4 VO2-length efforts, with easy riding in between to recover. So if nothing else, I got in a helpful VO2 workout, which is always a good thing. (I’ve been doing a lot of endurance work lately, but I fear that has come at a cost to my 2-5 minute power. Time for more targeted workouts.)
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