Tech Roundup: Campagnolo, Craft, Schwalbe, Bell, Van Nicholas

Custom fit bike helmets on the way from Bell?

Bell is introducing custom-fit motorcycle helmets which makes us wonder whether the US brand will extend the technology to its bicycle helmet range some time in the future.

Bell is planning to offer a digital custom-fit motorcycle helmet process within the next few months. You wear a cap, a Bell technician circles your head with a scanning wand, and a 3D image of your head is generated by a computer in about 30secs. Bell takes this image and uses it as the basis for the custom-fit helmet.

Bell plans to have 20 stores set up with a custom-fit scanner by the final quarter of this year.

Whether Bell will transfer this technology into the bicycle world is not known, but it might make sense from a business perspective for the brand to roll out the system into other sectors.

Campagnolo Riders Club on Strava

Campagnolo has launched the Campagnolo Riders Club on Strava.

“The Campagnolo Riders Club is a place to share epic rides, see how you stack up against Campagnolo sponsored pros, compare your training and racing with that of other members as well as meet fellow Campagnolo lovers,” according to Campag. “It is also a great way to interact with Campagnolo as announcements, special events reserved for Campagnolo Riders Club members, unique initiatives only for followers and contests will be driven uniquely through this medium.”

Membership is free and joining is as simple as signing up for Strava (if you aren’t already a member).

Once on Strava, go to ‘Explore’, then ‘Clubs’, then type in ‘Campagnolo Riders Club’.

Or, simply click this link. 

Limited edition road tyres from Schwalbe

Schwalbe is offering UK riders the chance to get their hands on a limited edition range of road tyres to mark Le Grand Départ in Yorkshire this year. The limited edition Durano Etape range will feature a yellow label and white Yorkshire rose.

Included in the range are three Schwalbe tyres are included in the range - the Durano S Etape racing tyre (£34.99) and the Durano Etape (£29.99-£34.99) and Durano Plus Etape (£34.99-£39.99) training tyres.

These tyres are available until the end of July from independent bicycle dealers only.

SeaSucker vacuum bike racks

SeaSucker vacuum bike racks are likely to have a larger presence in the UK soon now that the brand is being handled by one of the UK’s biggest bike distributors, Fisher Outdoor Leisure. 

SeaSuckers use vacuum cups rather than suction cups. According to SeaSucker, “There’s a big difference between the two – each product we make uses our pump-action vacuum cups to create a mount that is incredibly easy to use, amazingly strong and enticingly versatile.”

It’s similar technology to that used for carrying big glass panels and car windscreens.

If you’re worried about trusting your pride and joy to vacuum cups, here’s a little video from Seasucker that’s designed to allay your fears.

The range will cover four models that will fit up to three bikes. Prices will range from £160 to £450.

Cycling Souvenirs Classics espresso set

Cycling Souvenirs have added to their bulging palmares of cycling related trinkets and drinking vessels with this new Classics Espresso Set.

Featuring unique Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders designs exclusive to cyclingsouvenirs.com, these are thick-walled espresso cups in the classic European style. They need to be thick-walled to retain their heat after you’ve warmed them up on top of the coffee machine, so the cup doesn’t immediately suck the heat out of your espresso leading to crema catastrophe. We’ve told you about that First World problem before.

Each cup holds 80ml and is about 6cm in height, with the saucers having a 12cm diameter. The cups are hand decorated and kiln heated to create a high gloss, high quality finish that’s dishwasher safe.

Perfect for that short, strong coffee to set you up for a hard day in the saddle battling rain and crappy roads then, or for sitting in front of the telly to shout over-excitedly at Fabian.

They’re £24.00 for the pair from www.cyclingsouvenirs.com.

F-Lite base layers available in UK

F-Lite, the base layer, socks and accessories brand from Germany, is now available in UK stores and there’s a brand new base layer collection called F-Lite Ultralight 70 available this summer.

F-Lite says this is the lightest functional underwear in the world with the short sleeve base layer, made of carbon, polyamide, polypropylene and elastane, weighing only 70 grams/m². The carbon antistatic finish is designed to prevent the material sticking to your skin.

The new Ultralight 70 GP (£34.99) polka dot top, like the others in the range, is seamless using the brand's own F-liteTEX knitting technology. It comes in unisex sizes M-XL.

For further information go to www.smgeurope.com.

Craft introduces 2014 Elite Weather Jersey

Craft has redesigned its Elite Weather Jersey for 2014. Made with a windproof and waterproof membrane that’s designed to be breathable, the Elite Weather Jersey is Craft’s equivalent of the Castelli Gabba. 

Craft use mesh panels in the armpits for added ventilation, the collar is fleece-lined, and you get four pockets around the back, one of them zipped. On colder days, Craft advise you to use the jersey with its Weather Arm Warmers that are made from the same fabric.

The Elite Weather Jersey is priced £120. http://craftsportswear.co.uk/

Van Nicholas launches interactive bike building tool

Titanium bike manufacturer Van Nicholas have launched an interactive ‘My Van Nicholas Designer’ function that allows you to design and order the exact bike you want online.

You pick your model and you’re given a standard spec. Then you click on the various components and swap whatever you want to. The weight and price will update accordingly, as will the image so you can see exactly what your finished bike will look like. As well as choosing the frame size you want, you can also choose handlebar width, stem length, crank length, cassette…

Once you have your bike sorted you can save the details and high-resolution image, or go to the checkout and buy it. My Van Nicholas Designer integrates with authorised Van Nicholas dealers for easy pick-up and delivery.

At present My Van Nicholas Designer covers the road range but there are plans to include the Tour and Mountain Bike ranges in the near future.

The brand is now programming the HTML5 version of the MY Van Nicholas Designer, which makes it compatible with mobile devices, like tablets and smartphones. The expected release for that is the end of the year.

Limited edition Fausto Coppi T-shirt

Stolen Goat and Route Clothing have a limited edition T-shirt celebrating five-time Giro d’Italia and double Tour de France winner Fausto Coppi. Just 100 have been made, printed on light khaki organic cotton, and this is what it looks like.

The T-shirts are priced £25 each and are available from the Stolen Goat website.

OneLife iD and pOcpac collaborate

OneLife iD and pOcpac UK distributor Northern Albion are combining their products to ensure your vital information and communication tools are functioning and readily available should the worst happen when you’re out on a ride.

The idea is that by combining the pOcpac iPac phone cases with the OneLife iD MiniTag and mobile phone ICE screen, you will be able to keep your phone safe from the worst weather and have vital emergency, medical and contact information immediately available should an incident occur when you’re on your bike.

OneLife iD provides a range of personal IDs with traditional printed details. They also offer digital features including a personal online profile holding additional, updateable information.

The third generation iPac is pOcpac's smallest water resistant sports and lifestyle case.

The OneLife iD branded iPacs, available in two sizes, retail for £11.99. You can personalise your set of three MiniTags with four lines of emergency, medical or contact information. Additional personal detail, documents or instructions can be added to the OneLife iD online profile pages.

The branded iPacs are available from www.thepocpac.co.uk and www.onelifeid.com.

New glasses from Salice

Eyewear manufacturer Salice is offering a new pair of bike-specific glasses called the 011 in the 2014 range. The frame is made from lightweight and flexible Grilamid TR90 while the Radium RW lens is said to work exceptionally well in low light,

This lens is designed to provide enough coverage to keep dust and debris our of your eyes and rubber inserts at the contact points should make for a secure fit.

The 001s are available in eight different colours with mirrored, polarised and photochromic (light adaptive) lenses. They’re priced £59.95. Go to www.salice.co.uk for details on the entire range.

Vélobici launches new clothing

Vélobici has launched new jackets and gilets including the new Stekker range.

The Stekker jacket (£175) js made from durable Cordura with a Porotex breathable membrane, and it’s designed to be both windproof and waterproof. Vélobici says that it weighs just 208g, and it packs away into its own pocket for stowage.

Features also include French double stitch seams, reflective cuff and hem piping, full hem silicone gripper, two zipped and waterproof pockets, full front zip with chinguard and a Vélobici logo puller

The gilet, which is said to weigh just 160g, is priced at £160. All of Vélobici’s clothing is designed and made in England.

The ranges are available from www.vélobici.cc, the Vélobici shop in Leicester and Condor Cycles in London.