Tech of the week: new Specialized Venge Pro, CeramicSpeed’s chainless drivetrain explained and more

A more affordable Venge and our pick of tech for August

This week, Specialized has announced its new Venge Pro model. Based on the S-Works Venge, the Venge Pro has the same frameset, but lowers the component spec a bit, bringing the price down from £9500 to a bargain-basement £6250, while still being Di2 and disc brake only.

Cube’s 2019 bike range has been launched this week too, with highlights including the 6.8kg Dura-Ace equipped Litening C:68 SL and a new range-topping crosser.

Out this week has been our Tech of the Month video, with CeramicSpeed’s chainless, almost frictionless Driven drivetrain explained, as well as a £3100 set of Enve wheels, Oakley’s latest Flight Jacket sunglasses, as worn by Greg van Avermaet, and the 3T Exploro adventure bike.

Fitness monitoring and choosing a new bike

If you’re feeling unfit, we’ve had a look at blood analysis for health monitoring, and what the results can tell you. We’ve also told you why cyclists should stop worrying about their weight and found out whether cyclists live longer.

This week, we’ve had a moan about all those bits of cycling kit that don’t work in the rain (remember that wet stuff that used to fall from the sky?), as well as telling you how to survive on your bike in wet weather. And although all cyclists love pouring over their Strava stats, we’ve asked whether you really need that power meter and GPS unit to get the most out of your riding.

We’ve a new video telling you what to look for when choosing your next bike, focussing on machines costing between £1000 and £2000. And in a second video this week, we’ve told you what you should have in your saddle pack to get you moving again if you get a flat and to fix any minor mechanicals you might encounter when out on the road.

And we’ve had nine deals on Castelli kit this week, featuring summer riding picks as well as kit for the long-expected rain, and also the usual Sunday Trading bargains.