2025 has brought its share of weird and wonderful tech stories, but as the year draws to a close, we’re turning our focus to the cycling tech that’s gaining traction and quietly disappearing, with trends we expect to see in the new year. While some may be more likely than others, here’s what we anticipate could shape 2026 in cycling tech…
Specialized revives the Venge aero bike
This year, we have seen several brands pushing the UCI limits with increasingly radical aero frames designed specifically for racing, like the Factor One with its huge bayonet fork.
Right now, Specialized doesn’t have a dedicated aero bike in its lineup, with sponsored teams using the Tarmac SL8 as their ‘one-bike-to-do-it-all’. Factor claims the One is up to 22% faster than the Tarmac SL8, highlighting the potential gap in Specialized’s offerings.
Having retired the dedicated Venge aero bike in 2020, could 2026 be the year Specialized brings the Venge back?
Hookless wheels are no more
We predicted that hookless wheels would be here to stay in 2025, yet at this year’s Tour de France, around half the number of teams were using them compared to 2024. Many brands are returning to hooked rims, or experimenting with ‘mini hook’ designs like the Enve SES 4.5 Pro and Oquo RP50LTD wheels.
The performance benefits of hookless rims are starting to be questioned, and there has long been safety concerns and debate within the peloton due to crashes caused by tyres rolling off the rim.
Therefore, we’re predicting that 2026 could be the year hookless wheels fade from the pro scene and the broader cycling market. Much to the relief of sceptics…
Suspension forks at Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix has long been a showcase for radical bike tech and innovations designed to tame the cobbles. Most recently we’ve seen self-inflating and deflating tyre systems such as the Gravaa KAPS (Kinetic Air Pressure System).
We’ve also seen suspension technology in action, including Specialized’s Future Shock and Trek’s IsoSpeed, and with gravel technology increasingly influencing the classics, and suspension on gravel bikes becoming more common, 2026 could see a return of suspension forks to Paris–Roubaix – echoing the 1990s, when Greg LeMond was one of the riders to use RockSchox 30mm travel front forks over the cobbles.
More sub-£1k bikes
This summer, Canyon revived the sub-£1,000 road bike category with the £949 Endurace AllRoad, featuring a Shimano CUES groupset and hydraulic disc brakes – it hugely impressed our chief reviewer Stu Kerton, bagging a road.cc Recommends award and being right in the running for an end-of-year Recommends award too (there’s your small spoiler for our upcoming 2025/26 awards next month).
There’s no denying that £1,000 is still a significant amount of money for many riders to spend on a bike. However, by the industry’s current pricing standards, this represents one of the more affordable launches from a major brand in recent years.
Looking ahead to 2026, we expect many more road bikes to be specced with Shimano CUES groupsets, helping the sub-£1,000 category grow once again.
New handlebar designs
Starting January 1st 2026, the UCI will enforce new rules for mass start events that handlebars must measure at least 400mm (outside to outside) with a minimum inner width of 280mm between brake levers.
These changes may open the door for brands to release new handlebar and integrated cockpit designs that allow riders to maintain aggressive positions while staying within the new legal limits.
This year, we saw Dutch rider Jan-Willem van Schip push the boundaries with his radical Speeco handlebar setup, so could 2026 see cockpit design become a key area of innovation?
13-speed wireless Shimano Dura-Ace groupset
SRAM and Campagnolo are already there with fully wireless 13-speed groupsets, and Chinese brands like WheelTop and L-Twoo have introduced wireless 13-speed components as well.
In 2024, we first reported on a Shimano patent hinting at a 13-speed electronic groupset, and more recently the company filed a new mech hanger design. This appears to allow Shimano’s modern drivetrains to support 13-speed shifting, and indications suggest it will be electronic as well.
With these patents circulating for some time, 2026 could be the year we see a 13-speed Shimano Dura-Ace groupset hit the market.
Bikes and cycling tech from China will continue to rise
Chinese brand XDS Carbon‑Tech made its WorldTour debut this year, equipping the XDS‑Astana team with the X‑Lab AD9 aero and RS9 lightweight bikes, signalling China’s growing influence in pro cycling.
As you’re probably aware, most of our carbon fibre cycling goodies already come from Asia, with China playing a major role, but 2026 could be the year Chinese direct-to-consumer brands truly make their mark.
The third wave continues as companies like Yoeleo, XDS Carbon-Tech, Superteam, and Wheeltop invest heavily in research, design, and development, creating high-quality tech at competitive prices and challenging the traditional Western dominance in high-end cycling.
The return of the multi race bike line-up
Following on from my Specialized Venge prediction, I think more brands will move away from a one-bike-do-it-all approach. In recent years, many brands have combined their climbing and aero platforms into a single do-everything race bike – such as the Trek Madone Gen 8, but brands are beginning to expand their ranges once again.
Factor currently offers three distinct race bikes – the One, Ostro VAM and O2 VAM – while Colnago released the V5Rs and Y1Rs at a similar time, signalling a need for a two-bike strategy.
All top riders to use aero bikes at the Tour de France
Despite my prediction that brands will expand their race bike ranges, I think the pros will continue to favour aero bikes. We saw this at this year’s Tour de France, where Pogačar used the Colnago Y1Rs for all of the road stages.
Modern aero bikes can now be built to the UCI’s minimum weight limit, or close enough that any slight weight penalty is negligible compared to the performance benefits. Perhaps a change in the UCI’s minimum weight limit needs to follow…
More all-road bikes
All-road bikes are seemingly taking over the cycling world, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down as manufacturers continue to cater to cyclists looking for versatility and performance across a range of terrains.
With many riders steering towards wider tyres, smaller gearing and more relaxed geometry for a more comfortable ride on UK roads, these bikes are the go-to option for handling everything from smooth tarmac to rough gravel paths.
With most brands now offering a gravel bike, 2026 could see those without a dedicated all-road model introducing one to the range.
What are you hoping for in 2026 from the world of bike tech? Let us know in the comments section below.
21 thoughts on “The return of the Specialized Venge, the end of hookless wheels, and more sub £1,000 bikes: our top 2026 cycling tech predictions”
Gravel bikes ARE all-road
Gravel bikes ARE all-road bikes.
loath the lack of tyres
loath the lack of tyres compatable with my hookless rims damn why did i get zipp wheels ?
Sadly you bought a technology
Sadly you bought a technology that is very picky. I would either stock up with tyres or sell them quckly
Unfortunately you were
Unfortunately you were suckered by something that was pointless and with zero benefits (not a dig at you – it happens). Luckily for me, it was one I saw through straightaway. It could easily have gone the other way, with so many people pushing the idea. There are several more instances in cycling trends and equipment that are with us and, no doubt, more on the horizon that we need to look out for and research thoroughly before jumping in.
I’d say the endurance bike
I’d say the endurance bike category is more than alive and well, BMC Roadmachine, Giant Defy, Scott Addict and Cannondale Synpase are among them and they only cater for very light off road.
And if Weight Weenies is anything to go by, there is no new Venge on the horizon.
There are a lot of marketing
There are a lot of marketing companies out there which just happen to sell bikes. I predect they will continue to “innovate” on our behalf to sell us things we don’t really need.
Totally agree, the ‘Gillete
Totally agree, the ‘Gillete-ification’ of the components on bikes (11x, 12x, 13x… 14x next year?) is a joke. It would not be so bad if the manufacturers continued to support their previous generations but they do their upmost to force you to ‘upgrade’. Enshitification, where features you expect, or used to have, will suddenly become paywalled and accessible only by subscription, is surely not that far away either.
With even more brand
With even more brand ambassadors.
For lightweight rims without
For lightweight rims without the potential issues of hookless the pros could return to tubulars.
Why bother when sub 1kg 50mm
Why bother when sub 1kg 50mm hooked rimmed wheelsets are widely available?
Because tubulars allow for
Because tubulars allow for even lighter wheels and always will due to the nature of the design of the rims. OK, there are other factors, but you never know!
Also a properly glued tubular
Also a properly glued tubular can be ridden for a long way while the team car finds you.
OK, there are other factors,
OK, there are other factors, but you never know!
Yes, you do! Tubulars, like rim brakes, are not coming back. They may linger at the far-out fringes, just like penny-farthings.
Just need a company to
Just need a company to release the “test results” that their new fangled high pressure tubular designed rim has lower CRR than tubeless at 50psi and we’ll see the switch
Nick T wrote:
Back when we all rode 19mm tubs (because the roads were in better condition than they are now) they were quicker than 19mm clinchers, I don’t see why a 32mm tub would be slower than a 32mm tubeless and give even more comfort for the same pressure but there doesn’t seem to be a 32 mm quality road tubular to test.
there doesn’t seem to be a 32
there doesn’t seem to be a 32 mm quality road tubular to test
And there won’t be, because it’s only in Fantasy World where there are thousands of people keen to go back to the Dark Ages where a puncture meant un-gluing the tyre, unstitching it, mending the puncture, re-stitching, re-gluing to the rim. In Real World nobody is buying those to stick onto the carbon tubular rims that won’t exist, so the tyres won’t be made.
Struggled to see the point of
Struggled to see the point of hookless except for, perhaps, pros and if *they* don’t want them send them to the bin of bad ideas along with the mini-hook…
They were useless and
They were useless and pointless. I had a set of hookless Hunts and had 2 tyre blowoffs. One while they were sat there and another, luckily, a low speed.
Not one provable advantage over hooked other than being cheaper to manufacture.
I thought we would have seen
I thought we would have seen a leaked picture of the SL9 by now or some kind of artists sketch. Spesh are more than likely overstocked with SL8s and leaving it til the last minute to release the SL9.
I don’t expect a Venge. I
I don’t expect a Venge. I expect Specialized to stick with their one bike ethos. Pinarello still have it, Trek have recently returned to it. Specialized are still the most successful brand this century across all pro road cycling. While Colnago might get more noticed because of Pogacar etc. Specialized bikes are ridden to more races than any other brand. The Tarmac is the most successful bike in the last 20 years. They don’t follow trends, they set them.
That’s what I’m thinking. The
That’s what I’m thinking. The SL9 will be a one-bike-for-all-occasions but just more aero and possibly a bit lighter.
Still, I’d have expected spy shots by now. It’ll either be the tour down under or the TdF when the SL9 is released I think.