It’s the Gravel World Championships this weekend… which we’re mostly ignoring in this article, because this is road.cc after all, as some of our readers point out to us when we occasionally dabble in off-road stuff!
Those same readers will, however, be disappointed to find out that we have sent our intrepid video presenter Liam Cahill to the Netherlands to have his say on all the action, and you’ll also find some post-race coverage on off.road.cc. Onwards to this week in road bike tech…
Lore Cycle launches £1,230 shoes and new off-road models
Lore Cycle has launched its third-generation custom carbon cycling shoes, the LoreThree, claiming they’re “the highest performance race shoe in the world” – and they come with a price tag to match.
For the first time, Lore is offering off-road options too. The brand has moved away from Boa-style dials in favour of a strap system, with two new models to choose from: the Legend Pro (a low-cut design with three straps) and The Watts (a mid-cut version with four straps). Both are available in road and off-road versions, with customisable cleat patterns.
Each pair is 3D-printed to the rider’s exact fit, and Lore has brought back the option to scan your feet at home using an iPhone or Android device.
Lore says the LoreThree isn’t just a shoe, but a “critical performance component”. Its patent-pending Power Panels are designed to convert rider effort into drivetrain power with the brand claiming that power tests confirm that these shoes are “faster, more efficient and more responsive than any shoe”.
Prices start at $1,649 (~£1,230) for the Legend Pro Road and climb to $2,099 (~£1,565) for The Watts Off-Road. Yes, that’s more than some full bikes, but Lore insists the investment pays off: “The LoreThree delivers more performance for less investment than major frame or wheel upgrades, while also providing greater comfort, stability, and sheer joy in every ride.”
Would you spend more than a grand on a pair of cycling shoes if they really did make you faster?
You can pick up a few pairs at lore.cc.
Mavic revamps its top-of-the-range Cosmic Ultimate 45 Disc wheels, promising “a new benchmark in performance”
When you’ve got your £1,230 shoes, it would be rude not to grab a set of Mavic’s freshly revamped Cosmic Ultimate wheels, which are “the virtuous combination of handcrafted savoir-faire”, boasts Mavic. Fancy, as they should be for €4,399.00 (around £3,828) a pair.
Mavic says each individual wheel takes over eight hours to build, assembled with 71 individual carbon components. The results is “a true monobloc construction”, says Mavic.
They have ceramic bearings, the inner width is a modern 23mm, and the weight is 1,260g for the pair. If you like Mavic wheels but have a bit less money to spend on them, there’s also the new Cosmic SLR (€1,999) and the Cosmic SL (€1,299) ranges. The SLRs come in 45mm and 32mm depths, and the SLs 65mm, 45mm and 32mm.
Look releases new spindle and tension options for Keo Blade pedals
Look has joined the party when it comes to offering cyclists more options when it comes to stance width, offering its Keo Blade pedals with a long ‘Q-factor’ option.
The inverted commas are there because, once again, we find ourselves calling out a pedal brand for using the term Q-factor instead of stance width. As we explain in our feature on stance width:
Q-factor is the distance between the outside face of each crank arm at the point where the pedal attaches, while stance width is the distance between the centre of one pedal to the centre of the other.
Got it? Great, but anyway… Look Keo Blade pedals, now available with longer axles up to 56mm, and different levels of tension depending on your preference: 12 Nm or 16 Nm in the Blade Ceramic Ti, 08 Nm or 12 Nm in the Blade Ceramic, and 08 Nm or 12 Nm in the Keo Blade.
BBB launches new lights range
The Dutch brand has some neat-looking new lights, including the Slice (£47.99) that fits between your bike computer and its mount. It’s compatible with Garmin or Wahoo, using the same twist-and-click system, and the 300 lumens makes it a ‘be seen’ light, good for most commutes.
If you want more powerful beams to light your path, there’s the new StrikeDuo series (£99.99 to £149.99). Coming in 1,400 lumen or 2,100 lumen flavours, they can be paired with a wireless remote for easy control wherever you want to mount it.
There’s also the slightly less powerful and more compact NanoStrike front light (£59.99 to £104.99) and the Signal rear light (£39.99 to £49.99) with an additional brake-sensing beam.
Eddy Merckx Cycles shows off custom titanium bike that Dylan Vandenstorme will ride at Gravel Worlds this weekend
We had to include something gravel, since it’s the Gravel World Championships and all!
Even the most ardent roadie would surely appreciate this beauty, a bespoke Eddy Merckx Corsa Titanium frame that also acts as a preview of the brand’s titanium range, that will be available to the public in 2026.
Netherlands and Team Flanders-Baloise rider Dylan Vandenstorme will be hoping to pilot it to victory this weekend. Here are some spec details:
Columbus Hyperon Titanium frameset
UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger)
Fully internal routing
Shimano Deore XT drivetrain
Wolf Tooth 50T front chainring
Shimano Dura-Ace crankset (165 mm cranks)
FFWD Drift wheelset
Vittoria Terreno Dry tyres
Wolf Tooth finishing kit
You can always rely on Vasili Design for a completely OTT concept bike
“What unusual features shall we stick on this concept bike design?”
“Yes.”
Best not show this to anyone at the UCI! Happy riding this weekend folks.
Missed the rest of this week’s cycling tech news? Here it is again…
- Scribe’s latest 50mm race wheels and the Canyon Endurace AllRoad deliver outstanding value for money: road.cc Recommends updated with 10 superb cycling products
- Shimano launches special edition CUES 1×10-speed groupset with polished silver finish
- Mason unveils Definition Integrale endurance bike: a sportier evolution of its aluminium classic
- “Cervélo or Specialized are faster”: Former pro cyclist claims Van Rysel “limiting” French wonderkid Paul Seixas — bike brand responds
- Pashley’s new Skyline mini velo aims to put a smile on your face (and fit in your hallway)
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
