This article contains paid promotion on behalf of Cycology, WTB, Castelli, Silca, Pirelli, Topeak, Fizik, Aerosensor, Ribble,Lauf, Cervélo and Argon 18.
Recently, we've had lots of the latest cool bikes, cycling tech and clothing turn up at the road.cc office. There's so much of it that we thought you might like tosee some highlights, so here are some of the most highly anticipated all rounded up for you in one convenient place. Let’s get into it!
CervéloÁspero (£3000+)
We’ll kick off with Cervélo’s brand-new gravel bike, the Áspero.We've been fortunateto have hadthis oneto play withfor a few weeks now. Like the old Áspero, this bikeis designed for speed, and here at road.cc,we like speed!
Some really clever updatesbring the Áspero bang up to date. You can now fit 45mm tyres, its appearance is enhanced with tidier cable routing, and along with its speed, we have been impressed by its comfort too.If you want to know more about the Áspero, keep an eye outfor itsfull review appearing soonon the road.cc website.
Pirelli P Zero RaceTLR RS tyres (£84.99)
Bike tyres are one of the biggest upgradesyou can make to your bike whether you’re after speed, comfort, control or puncture protection. You can imagine then, that we wererather excited when a box turned up with a letter saying that this is the fastest tyre that Pirelli has ever made -a brand renowned for its expertise in rubber.
Pirelli hasn’t just made them faster though. As well as claiming that the P Zero TLR RS tyres are 16% faster in rolling speed, they are also said to be 8% lighter than the P Zero Race TLR tyres thanks to a new Speedcore compound.So, how have Pirelli done it? Well, making them in their own factory in Milan is probably at least partly responsible.
The tyres are available now in sizes 26, 28, 30 and 32mm with all but the 26mm option compatible with hookless rims.Pirelli says that they’ve improved the tyre bead for maximum compatibility. If you aren’t all about the speed though then Pirelli also make the P Zero Race TLR for all-round performance and the Race TLR 4S for all-weather performance.
WTB Rocket Tyre Plug kit (£50)
It might seem a bit odd to label a tyre plug kit as one of the hottest products of 2024 but wait until you readwhat this can do!
If you haven’t seen one before, a tyre plug kit is used when you get a hole in your tyre that's too big for sealant to seal. Rather than patch it or put a tube in, the idea is that you plug the hole, inflate the tyre and then carry on your merry way.
This latest contraption from WTB has a rather clever trick up its sleeve. This is what WTBcall a rocket anchor because it looks a bit like a rocket... These rocket anchors can be preloaded with tyre plugs and all you need to do is put the rocket into the hole and it will seal it.Thanks to the rocket on the end, the plug will stay firmly in place.
Now, you might think that this sounds like an expensive fix but the good news is that these are reusable so when it’s time to replace your tyre you can just pull itout and save itfor another day.
Ribble Ultra SL R Hero(POA)
Here at road.cc , we love watching road racing. We werewatching a criterium race the other day and one bike grabbedeveryone's attention. It was the freshly painted Ribble Ultra SL R Hero (pictured above), being raced by the new Ribble Rebellion team.
Last year, Jamie (the video guy), had the chance to ride a Ribble Ultra and said it was stupidly fast, and while you might not be able to purchase this exact colour scheme, Ribble is well known for its custom paint program. So, like all the other Ribble models, you can configure your bike online before purchasing, giving you loads and loads and loads of choice.
Aerosensor(£982)
You might have seen a video on this game-changing cycling tech the other day and if you haven’t watched it yet, then you can click here.
In essence, this device hangs under your bars and tells you how draggy you are. But you might be wondering, why would you want that? Well, because on the flat, drag makes up about 80% of everything that’s slowing you down. So, if you’re interested in performance or efficiency,you can’t ignore aerodynamics.
To measure how aerodynamic you are, it’s the done thing to go to a wind tunnel, but they're expensive.Whilst we’ve seen live drag meters before, the Aerosensor, which is a novel, patented design,offers a CdA measurement. When pairedwith the Aerobody, which allows you to isolate your body position as an influencing factor, it feels like the first practical and reliable solution for obtaining real-time drag measurements streamed to your Garmin in real-world conditions.
Spoiler alert, the one negative that was in the full first-look video was the price. However,Aerosensor have made us a discount code “HOT24” which will give users a 15% discount at checkout,bringingthe Aerosensor+Aerobody packageto below£1,000.
Find out more here
Lauf Úthald(£4,500)
If we’re talking about innovative products then it’s hard not to mention Lauf. Firstly, there's the Úthald road bike which is new for this year and has taken the road bike rule book and blended it.
The Úthald is part performance bike, part endurance bike with a much slacker front end than most ensuring stability and control. Lauf isn'tfollowing the trend of integrating the front ends of their bikes either, rather leaving the hoses semi-exposed in the name of adjustability and ease of maintenance.
So did we like it? Well, a nine out of ten review speaks for itself and Dave liked it so much that he’s decided to use it for a 600km mega ride across Wales.You can check out his full build choices here.
Lauf Seigla(£4,100)
Another exciting thing that Lauf has released this year is an even more capable Seigla gravel bike with a mullet setup.
The well-acclaimed Seigla gravel bike is now available with a SRAM X0 RD transmission which our friends over at offroad.cc tell us is a very good thing!Out of the box, this means you can now get the Seigla with a whopping 10-52 cassette. I challengeyou to find a gravel climb that thiswon’t get up!
Silca Strip Chip (£25)
Every now and then,a product arrives that makes us think, why hasn't anyone thought of this before?
This is Silca’s new strip chip and no it’s not edible. You add this to your hot wax bath and factory grease binds with it so there’s no need to degrease your chain before waxing which can be quite a lot of faff.
Chain waxing is the gold tier of chain protection. It’s fast, it’s quiet and it’s longer lasting than a drip lube, with the only drawback being the additional effort it requires. Thisprocess becomes significantly easier with Silca's strip chip, making chain waxing a lot easier to recommend.Good work Silca!
Fizik Vento Omna Wide (£169.99)
In a recent bike fit video, we learnt about the importance of properly fitting cycling shoes and that many riders have much wider feet than the shoes they choose to wear. This iswhy the Fizik Vento Omna Wide cycling shoes have earned their place on this list.
Anything in Fizik’s range with the name Ventois designed for performance, whether that be racing or just riding as fast as possible on training rides. However, thisparticular model comes without the usual high price tag associated with feature-packed shoes.
As you might have gathered from the word wide in the name, these are designed with a performance fit in mind for riders with wider feet. This means there's more volume around the forefoot, the ball of the foot and the metatarsals. It's also good to see that Fizik has made the sole wider too, rather than just adding more material to the upper.
Speaking of the sole, the R5 features a nylon outsole, with cleat positioning set slightly further back than traditional settings whichenhances pedalling efficiency and reduces knee compression. These shoes are a bike fitter's dream and we'd like to see more cycling shoes following this example.
Topeak Elementa Gearbag(£46.99)
There's nothing worse than being stranded on a ride. Unfortunately, things going wrong on a bike is part of the ride but that doesn’t mean you can’t be as prepared as possible.
I dislike that you can have a sleek-looking bike with integrated everything and then have to stick a tent to the back of it to carry all of the necessary tools. So, this next product might be the 163g answer to that.
This is the Topeak Elementa Gearbag and inside you’ll find 10 bits to ensure you have all the necessary tools to fix common roadside mishaps when you go out cycling. There are 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 mm hex bits, T10 / T15 / T25 Torx® bits and a Phillips screwdriver thrown in for good measure.
It also features an extra pocket with enough room for a tube and tyre levers, and there arealso rubberised elastic straps for CO2 canisters and the like to free up even more room in your pockets.
Castelli Unlimited Pro Jersey (£135)
It’sthe time of year that everyone’s latest summer kit starts showing up at the office ready for review, and typically, there's not much that sets them apart. However,this new jersey from Castelli is like nothing else we’ve seen before.
It has all the usual Castelli good bits - an aero cut, laser-cut sleeve ends, a YKK zipper, aero dimpled sleeves and three sizeable pockets but it’s also got this...
The back of the jersey features a mesh pocket which isdesigned to store a 1.5-litre bladder so that when you’re out on multisurface endurance rides you can ride more and stop less. There are also two anchor points to keep the hose in check.
Cycologylightweight cycling jersey (£80)
If you want kit that looks like nothing else on the market then Cycology is the one-stop shop for you, and recently they’ve been busy expanding their range.
This is their latest lightweight long-sleeve jersey and it’s not all show and no go. It hasa lightweight and breathable moisture-wicking fabric with a good bit of stretch for a performance-orientedfit.
It also hasreflective accents, a zippered valuables pocket, SPF 50 fabric treatment and elasticised and silicone grippers to ensure it stays in place.
CycologyTop Tube Bag (£20)
We also have their top tube bag which is handy and at £20, it'san affordable way of lugging around some extra cargo on your bike.
You could use this for spares, some snacks or your phone, so it’s ready to grab at every photo opportunity.
Cycology Shoe Covers (£25)
We all hope that this sunny weather sticks around forever but the chances are it won’t. Luckily Cyclogy caters for UK climates as well as Australia that they call home.
These shoe covers are windproof, water resistant, have a reflective stripe and are a whole lot less boring than just about every other set on the market.
Argon 18 Krypton Pro (£7,000)
Another bike that wethink is well worthy of a mention is the Argon 18 Krypton Pro. It is fresh back from its very positive review which you can readhere.The Krypton Pro is a perfect example ofhow much more capable bikes have got in the last few years.Whileit looks like a road bike and rides like a road bike it’s capable of a whole lot more.
When you think of an all-road bike you might think it’s just some fad but we reckon you might be converted if you rode the Krypton Pro. It's pretty much nailed this sub-genre.
On the tarmac, it's a light, fast andnimble road bike. Yet, it's equally capable and fun to ride when pointed at a bit of rough stuff, whether that be broken lanes or a gravel trail. It's basically that bike that everyone keeps telling us non-racers that we need and that's why it makes this list.
