Ekoï
Get ready to see more coming from French brand, Ekoï as they push more into the North American market. For Sea Otter, they highlighted their jerseys made with Outlast fabric and their Ultralight and Super Soft bib shorts.
Outlast brings technology developed for NASA to the cycling world. The specially made fabric helps to thermoregulate better, helping reduce perspiration between 30-50% on average. It’s not just for hot weather though. Outlast will keep you comfortable as you change from cool starts to hot days, through sun and shade, and up and down climbs and descents. It’s the same material that Ekoï uses to equip the Israel Premier Tech and Arkéa B&B Hôtels team jerseys. The jersey itself features an aero ribbed raglan sleeve, along with the usual full zipper and three rear pockets.
The bibs also sit at the top end of Ekoï’s range, and are also used by Israel Premier Tech and Arkéa B&B Hôtels. The Super Soft are targeted at comfort and ultra-distance riding. The material is exactly as named, extremely soft to the touch with 38% elastine. The number of seams have been reduced to an absolute minimum, allowing the bibs to hug your body and reduces the chances of chafing. The Ultralight is also aptly named, being 20% lighter than standard bibs. The fabric is more abrasion resistant than standard lycra, helping you stay planted in the saddle and providing increased durability. The Ultralight has a slight bit of compression to support your muscles during your ride. Both bibs include Ekoï’s Comfort Zone 8hr chamois.
Look for a review coming on the Outlast jersey, Super Soft bibs, and the Aerodinamica helmet.
Pinarello
Pinarello’s hotly anticipated cross-country MTBs – the Dogma XC and HT – are now available to purchase in both full-suspension and hardtail frames.
Both Dogma XC frames were initially developed in collaboration with INEOS Grenadiers riders Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who have already achieved massive successes on the bikes, both winning world titles in 2023 alongside a host of other triumphs. The duo will compete on the Dogma XCs at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Gtechniq
With the investment we make in our bikes, why are we not showing it the same love we do to our cars? We wash and wax our cars, but for most, our bikes might get a hose down after a nasty ride, maybe a quick polish with a spray. UK brand Gtechniq wants to change all of that with their new line of cycling specific products, including a ceramic protection kit.
Gtechniq was founded in 2001 by a quantum physicist who wanted something more from the products he was using to protect cars, boats, and bikes. Since then, they have created a line of products that help protect the finishes and help they stay cleaner for longer. Their Ceramic Bike treatment chemically bonds to the finish to protect it for up to 24 months. This protection prevents dirt and grim from bonding to the finish, making cleaning easy. The two part process involves wiping your frame down with the prep solution, and then applying the ceramic coating. If you are looking for an easier option, their Quick Ceramic Coat offers a one step, spray on option that protects for up to 6 months.
Along with the ceramic treatments, Gtechniq also offers a standard Bike Clean, Bike Wash, Drivetrain Degreaser, Tri-Clean, and various cloths and brushes to keep your bike spotless.
Sinter and Unior
You might have heard of Slovenian brand Unior as they are making more inroads into the US in the tool category, along with sponsoring pro teams in around the world in various disciplines. Sinter on the other hand, is another Slovenian brand gaining traction in the US.
Unior offers a complete range of tools and accessories for the home mechanic, bike shop, or the pro team mechanic. Sinter on the other hand, focuses on disc brake pads for bikes, karts, and industrial applications. The two brands share a partnership where Unior sells Sinter pads through their site, and the Sinter Smart Bedding Machine was the highlight of their show.
The Sinter Smart Bedding Machine is focused more for shops, offering a way to get brake pads bedded in quickly and efficiently. The unit has various settings to properly bed in the various types of pads on the market, with lights telling you to apply the brakes and release to cycle through. The result is a pad with up to 20% more stopping power than bedding brakes in yourself, while doing it quicker as well. For shops, this makes it easier for technicians to complete the job with uniform results, regardless of the weather.
Other news for Sinter is they will now be available through the distributor BTI. Currently, the Trek dealer network and Sinter’s own US warehouse supply pads in the US, but with the addition of BTI, you find them available through more local bike shops across the US.
Muc-Off
Muc-Off announces the upcoming release of their new Road & Gravel Tubeless Sealant.
This world’s first formulation has been engineered to handle the higher tire pressure demands of road and gravel setups and is capable of sealing holes up to 7mm at a pressure of up to 110psi. This cutting-edge formula is built for performance under the highest pressure of international racing, allowing riders to ride hard and uninterrupted. Part of Muc-Off’s ever-expanding puncture protection offering, this new Road & Gravel Sealant is an innovative blend of readily biodegradable bamboo fibres and natural mineral flakes which combine to create high pressure hole sealing capability.
Big Bore Tubeless Valve Stems
Muc-Off is set to revolutionize the market with its latest weapon in the precision tubeless valves segment.
Muc-Off has spent the last three years developing the new patent-pending range of ‘Big Bore’ Valves – upping the ante in high airflow tubeless tire systems with a simple mantra: Full bore + No core = Insane airflow.
With its revolutionary ‘Straight-through’ internal design and cutting-edge integrated ball valve and lever system, the valves boast an airflow rate that’s up to 264% higher than traditional Presta valves, turbocharging and simplifying inflation and the sealant filling or top up process.
KOO
On the sunglasses side, KOO was at Sea Otter with their full range of glasses and goggles, but the Alibi was the star of the show. The large shield style frame offers plenty of protection from the sun and anything that might get kicked up on your ride, and looks good doing it.
The half frame design gives plenty of stability to the glasses while maintaining peripheral vision. KOO uses Grilamid for the frame, which is pretty common in the industry. It’s durable, has a little bit of flexibility, and very comfortable on the head. Instead of rubber on the temples, KOO went with vertical grooves to help hold them in place. The temples are on the shorter side to play well with your helmet. They do use a soft rubber nose pad to help keep them comfortable on the face. Zeiss lenses protect your eyes while offering an exceptionally clear view. Small vents at the top let a little bit of air through to keep them from fogging up.
The Alibi is available in nine different color combinations with eight lenses available that can easily be swapped in and out from the frame. KOO also offers an insert for prescription lenses.
We had a chance to try them out, and so far really enjoyed them. The fit and coverage is great, so watch for a full review coming soon.
Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research had their new Freewheel Collection on hand for the show. The new eight piece collection brings technology from the brands outer and sportswear lineup to create technical products for off road riding. The collection includes baggy shorts, short and long sleeve jerseys, a half zip hoodie, hat, two different gloves, socks, and a hip pack. Check out their site for all of the products, but we are going to highlight the shorts and hip pack.
The Freewheel Ride Shorts offer a cycling specific fit for a baggie outer short. Made with lightweight, breathable materials, OR uses DuraPrint to reinforce the material with a 3D printed overlay for added durability. This adds extra abrasion resistance in high-wear areas without adding weight or impacting flexibility. Zippered pockets help keep your small items safe and laser perforations on the lower back help keep you cool. An adjustable draw cord and snap waist helps you find the perfect fit.
The Freewheel 5L Hip Pack helps you carry more on the bike without loading up a full backpack. The main compartment is big enough to stash tools, snacks, layers, and all of the essentials you need. It also has sunglasses pocket with non-scratch lining to protect the lenses. To round it out, the 5L Hip Pack has a holster for a water bottle and cinch straps to tighten things up when loads are lighter.
The new lines are available in a range of sizes, including 4x for women and 42 for men.
Van Rysel
Another brand you are going to starting hearing more about is Van Rysel. The house brand for Decathlon, you might have seen them under the AG2R team for 2024. The brand offers a whole range of products, from bikes to helmets, glasses, shoes, clothing and other accessories, but we’re going to focus on the top range bikes for now.
The RCR Pro is the brands top road racer. The goal was to blend aerodynamics, lightness, and comfort into a performance package. Van Rysel uses ultra high-mod carbon on the frame and fork, keeping weight down to 790g for a size medium frame. The ONERA helped out with wind tunnel testing during development, with the brand claiming optimal tube shapes for the +/-15 degree sweep. Tire clearance is rated at 32mm, giving you plenty of room for taking on rougher roads.
The top end RCR Pro is built out with Ultegra Di2, Stages dual-sided crank arm based power meter, Deda Superbox Evo stem and Superzero handlebars with semi-integrated cable routing, and Swiss Side Hadron 500 Classic carbon wheels wrapped in Continental GP5000 S tubeless tires.
The RCR is also available, using high-mod carbon fiber, for a slight decrease in stiffness and a little more weight, but also at a bit of a cost savings. The RCX II is Van Rysel’s cyclocross, which can also take on gravel with clearance for up to 40mm tires.
https://www.vanryselcycling.com
Saris
The rack and trainer brand has some updates on the wrack and transportation side of things. The Modular Hitch System (MHS) sees some updates, along with a new tailgate pad, to make it easier and safer when hauling your bikes with you.
The Saris MHS allows you to create the perfect rack for your needs. It starts with three different base options, the 1+1, 2+1, and 3+1, letting you carry up to four bikes on the racks. The 1+1 allows for a single bike tray with an add-on tray. The 2+1 allows for two trays and an add tray or a cargo rack with an add-on tray. The 3+1 allows for three trays plus an add-on tray, or a cargo tray with a bike tray and an add on tray. All three versions are available for a 2″ hitch, while the 1+1 is the only version available in a 1.25″ hitch mount. The bike trays available are the Duo dual arm tray, the Uno single arm tray, and the 5.5 square foot cargo tray.
The new addition to the MHS system is a lighting option for rear brakes and a roll on ramp for heavier bikes and e-bikes. With bikes mounted, they can obstruct the brake lights from other road users behind them. The new DOT compliant lights mount to the MHS base and connect through a 4-pin adapter and work for full brake lights, tail lights, turn signals, and hazard lights. The lights remain visible if the rack is up or down, and can stay installed even when the rack is removed from the vehicle. The MHS Ramp clips onto the side if the Duo tray, and allows you to roll your e-bike or any other heavy bike onto the rack. It has a capacity of 80lbs and can be stowed away when not in use by sliding the two halves together.
The new Tailgate Pad is a solution for truck owners to carry their bikes in the bed. Available in small (five bike) and large (six bike) options, the new pad has convenient features to make it easy to carry your bikes. The pads use 30mm padding through the bulk of the pad, with a 40mm pad along the top. Quick-attach/release G Hooks make it easy to to get bikes onto the pad and locked in or off and onto the trail quickly. Long straps can accommodate tubes up to 4.9″ in diameter, which is great for today’s e-bikes with integrated batteries in the downtube. Two storage pockets are big enough to carry smaller tools, gels and other items, and there are roll up windows to allow access to tailgate handles and rear backup cameras.
www.saris.com
HydraPak
HydraPak announces their first cycling specific water bottle, the Breakaway+, but it’s actually not their first. HydraPak is the parent company of Polar Bottle, which was also announced that the brand will be sunset and folded into the HydraPak branding. In the future, we’ll see more new products under the HyrdaPak brand coming over from the Polar Bottle line.
The Breakaway+ bottle mixes a more traditional cycling bottle with a filter cap design from HydraPak. The cap uses a hollow fiber filter to remove waterborne bacteria and microplastics from water, allowing cyclists to use water from more sources along their ride, and reduce the need to carry extra water. The filter can filter freshwater at a rate of more than 1L per minute, and while removing bacteria like E.coli (99.9999%), parasitic cysts (99.999%) and microplastics greater than or equal to 3.0 microns in size (99.999%). The bottle itself is made from a soft, squeezable polypropylene with a transparent finish so you can easily see how much is left. The lid uses a high flow nozzle and features a Muckguard cover to keep it clean from dust and dirt. The new lid can be retrofit onto other HydraPak and Polar Bottles produced after 2007. 20 and 30oz bottles will be available.
Look for more bottles to be released throughout the year from HydraPak.
Thousand
Urban and commuting helmet maker Thousand is going small with their new helmets. The new product line offers helmets for toddlers to match their other kids and adult helmets, and helps them safely join their families on the ride.
Three years ago, Thousand created their Junior helmets (5+) with the new Toddler starting at just one year old. The new helmet includes Thousand’s signature dial fit system includes two sets of pads, helping it grow with your child. Six vents and internal channeling help to keep them cool while participating in a range of activities. Premium finishes and removeable, reflective stickers allow your kids to customize the look of their helmet.
Along with the Junior and Toddler helmets, Thousand offers premium adult helmets, that come in a range of colors. The Chapter helmet comes in a range of colors and includes a removeable visor that can be used to customize the look. The MIPS version includes the system to help reduce rotational forces in the event of a crash. There is also a magnetic rear light that attaches to the helmet, and a hidden PopLock that allows you to loop a U-lock through the helmet to keep it secure when not in use.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year