Tech of the week: WorldTour bikes, aero optimised wheels and new Mavic shoes
What's new in the world of cycling tech over the last seven days
2020 WorldTour bikes guide
As the first race of the World Tour gets under way over in Australia with the Tour down Under the public is getting the first proper look at what bikes and equipment the teams will be racing throughout 2020. Cycling Weekly has produced a handy guide as to the brands and models we will be seeing, from Team Ineos' Pinarello Dogma through to Alé BTC Ljubljana's Cipollini RB1K The One.
You can not only gawp at all the bikes in full technicolour in our WorldTour Guide but also put the kettle on and watch the accompanying video to really get a grasp.
Check out the full details and video here.
Parcours reveal new aero wheels optimised for 28mm tyres
British wheel designers and all round aero-nerds Parcours revealed its brand new, sub £1000 Strade aero wheels this week. With an aero wheel market currently super saturated with brands these had to stand out from the crowd to be noticed. Parcours has achieved that by not only developing its new wheels based around the increasingly popular (and faster) 28mm tyre width but also providing both front and rear rims with completely differing profiles.
The designers developed a wide, U-shaped rim for the front wheel, with a rim depth of 49mm, and an external width of 32mm for better control and handling. At the rear, they have stuck with a V-shaped rim and a depth of 54mm and 30.5mm external width – better suited to lower yaw angles.
It's worth looking at all the data and information Parcours has provided for the development of the wheels to see just how much thinking has gone into the new Strade disc wheelset.
Mavic introduce a new Comete Ultimate shoe with a price drop of £270
Definitely unique with its two-piece construction as far as cycle footwear goes. Mavic's Comete Ultimate shoe was and is a remarkable feat of carbon construction. This new iteration still utilises an outer carbon 'shell' that encapsulates the foot and provides brutally efficient power transfer but this has now undergone further tuning to provide a much better fit across all sizes. The distinctive inner bootie has also been updated to provide much needed additional comfort.
The Comete Ultimate is now available in a full range of sizes including half-sizes. The best thing about the new shoe? The price has dropped from a frankly eye watering £900 to £630. This is still an awful lot of money but brings it closer to some of the other ultra-high end kicks.
For more information here's our full story.
Best bikes under £1000
If you're thinking 'you could buy a bike for the price of those shoes', we've thought the same so we have collated our very own buyers guide for sub £1000 bikes to see exactly what you can get for below the four-figure benchmark.
We've included a guide for what to look for and expect in a sub £1000 road bike and our picks of the top bikes in the category including some that are so good they made their way onto our 2019 Editor's Choice awards.
If you're new to cycling, have a friend who might be tempted to join the bike riding family, or just don't want to spend over £1000, check out our round up of the best road bikes for under £1000 here.
After something else? Check out...
- Stages unveil gravel specific power meters
- Trek-Segafredo switch to Pirelli tyres
- Specialized ANGi technology incorporated in new Wahoo Elemnt computers
- Do you need indoor cycle specific clothing?
- Campagnolo release versatile 33mm Bora wheel
- Tour Down Under themed Specialized Allez Sprint for Bora-Hansgrohe
That's all for now, check back next week for another tech round-up
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James Bracey's career has seen him move from geography teacher, to MBR writer, to Cycling Weekly's senior tech writer and video presenter. He possesses an in-depth knowledge of bicycle mechanics, as well as bike fit and coaching qualifications. Bracey enjoys all manner of cycling, from road to gravel and mountain biking.
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