Hello and happy Friday! Welcome to this week's edition of 11spd and your regular dose of fresh bike gear to kick off the weekend. Today we've got everything from carbon bikes that look like lugged steel machines to multi-tools that look like bracelets. Enjoy.
New road and cyclocross gear
Equinox Typhoon-X
The Equinox Typhoon-X carbon clinchers wheels are made with monocoque carbon spokes that can be replaced if needed. The stiff spokes make for faster acceleration and a stiffer overall wheel than steel spokes, the company claims.
Unlike the old Spinergy Rev-X carbon-spoke wheels, the Typhoon-X can be trued like a normal wheel with the included spoke tool.
Carbon nano tubes are added to the epoxy resin to boost the stiffness-to-weight ratio. The wheels come in 30, 45 and 55mm options. The 45mm set is shown, which weighs 1,550g.
Equinox supplies head-absorbing brake pads for use with the Basalt brake track, which the company says performs well in the wet and dry.
The wheels come in 30, 45 and 55mm options. The 45mm set is shown.
$2,700 / €2,099
Clement Strada LGG Road 32mm clincher
The Strada LGG has found favor among roadie connossieurs for its lightweight, supple ride. Now it comes in a whopping 32mm width for some extra cushioning for those who like to rally on rough roads.
The 120tpi casing has a harder rubber compound in the middle of the tread, and a softer compound on the shoulders, with a puncture-protection belt underneath.
The Strada LGG also comes in 23, 25 and 28mm versions.
$49 / £N/A
Trek Boone 5 Disc
In the 10-plus years he’s been testing bikes, James Huang very seldom awards full five-star marks, but the Trek Boone Disc earned one from him when it was released. The Boone 5 Disc is the Shimano 105 build with hydraulic RS685 shifters.
The magic with the Boone is the IsoSpeed decoupler, which adds some welcome suspension on the back end.
Weight is a reasonable 19.42lb / 8.81kg for this 56cm bike, and the tubeless-ready wheels are a highlight. (You still have to invest in tubeless rubber, though.)
One thing to note on this and other hydro ’cross bikes: the Shimano hydro levers add a little more than 1cm of reach, so keep that in mind when considering stem length.
£2,500 / $3,199
Alan Super Cross Carbon
While painted to look like the lugged Alan ’cross bikes of the 80s, this carbon frameset is built in Italy with tube-to-tube construction for a claimed frame weight of 1,150g.
Internal routing keeps the cables out of the mud, and frame sizes run from 44 to 59cm with single-centimeter increments available between 54 and 59cm.
$2,750 frameset
Sportful Bodyfit Pro Kit
Created for the Tinkoff-Saxo team riders, the Bodyfit Pro Race Jersey features lightweight, wicking materials in a form-fit cut. The seamless shoulders move well with your body, especially when in the riding position, and bode well for low aero drag.
The matching Bodyfit Pro Bibshorts LTD use compression fabric on the legs and a TC Pro chamois. The mesh bib straps lay flat and don’t bunch, which is always appreciated.
- Jersey: $114 / £90 / AU$TBC
- Bibs: $179 / £125 / AU$TBC
Bontrager Pneu Cyclocross Tubeless CX3
After double-flatting the stock clinchers on the Boone Disc, we were happy to have a pair of these tubeless models on hand to mount up. With an Aramid bead and a 120tpi casing, these 33m tubeless CX3 tires are designed for all-around conditions with capability in the mud.
Bontrager also has the CX0 for dry, hardpack in TLR form.
Recommended minimum pressure is 45psi / 3.1bar, compared with 60 psi / 4.1bar for the standard clinchers. (We had our clinchers set at 45psi when we pinch-flatted, twice.)
£44.99 / $65
New mountain bike gear
Cadence Skyline short
Cadence is a small San Francisco-based company that creates lifestyle cycling apparel. The Skyline is the company’s short designed for on-the-bike mobility.
The Skyline has a rather short, 8.5in inseam and a tapered fit for riding.
It’s constructed from a blend of Nylon and Spandex. The four-way stretch fabric is water resistant and the Cadence label is reflective to alert drivers to your presence.
$110 / £125 / AU$TBA
Crankbrothers Mallet E pedals
Crankbrothers has given its pedal line a makeover for 2016 and incorporated new seals and long-lasting Igus LL glide bearings into all its pedals.
One new addition to the company’s pedal line is an enduro-inspired pedal called the Mallet E.
This new clipless pedal is slightly slimmer than the gravity-focused Mallet DH, although it retains the slight concave platform machined into its aluminum body for improved grip. The Mallet E also has chamfered sides to lessen the impact of rock strikes and six adjustable pins per side.
Weight for a pair is 419g.
We have a pre-production sample. Crankbrothers expects to begin shipping the Mallet E this fall.
$165 / €165 / £125 / AU$220
Thule Atmos X4 iPhone 6 case
Thule’s Atmos X4 case is a good option for the slippery-fingered cyclist who wants to protect their phone. Thule claims the case’s ShockStop construction will prevent damage from impacts up to 2m high. The StratoShield screen cover is impact resistant and resists smudges and scratches without interfering with your phone’s Touch ID sensor.
The Atmos X4 is available in black and red, all black or the black and white case we have in here.
$60 / £50 / AU$TBA
SRAM X-Sync steel chainrings
It’s no secret that 1x drivetrains tend to wear out rings faster than drivetrains with multiple chainrings. SRAM recently introduced steel versions of its X-sync chainrings that are sure to be a hit with budget-minded 1x riders looking for an affordable replacement chainring.
The new steel chainrings are compatible with SRAM’s 94 BCD cranks and also come in a direct-mount version. SRAM is initially offering its steel rings in 32 and 30 tooth counts for 94mm BCD cranks and a 28t direct mount version.
Weights are 180g for the 32t, 160g for the 30t, and 20g for the 28t direct mount chainring.
Expect these to be available at your local bike shop in October.
$20 / €20 / UK£16 / AU$TBA
Leatherman Tread wearable multi-tool
We first caught wind of Leatherman’s wrist-top multi-tool in January and now the Tread is ready for prime time.
The Tread incorporates 29 tools into 10 stainless steel links. Each link includes two or three tools. This wearable multi-tool is not necessarily cycling-specific, but it does incorporate a number of tools useful to cyclists, such as metric hex wrenches and flat and Philips screwdrivers – and the clasp doubles as a bottle opener.
Links can be removed or rearanged and the fit can be customized in quarter inch increments.
The Tread weighs 180g.
$150 / £200 / AUS TBA
