We have updates from Zwift to tell you about in this packed edition of Tech of the Week, along with new products from the likes of Ridley, Rapha and FSA, a “game-changing” bike rack that offers electric loading assistance, and a hack from Specialized that has got many people ruffled, but we’re starting with a helmet that has a clever trick…
Check out the bike helmet with nod-activated indicators
Bike helmets with indicators aren’t new, but Le Remarquable from France’s Gamel Helmets is different in that you activate the turn signal by nodding in the direction you intend to move.
Okay, that’s got us curious. We want to see this in action. As luck would have it…
“Le Remarquable stands out as the first light-up bicycle helmet with an intelligent sensor responsive to the user’s movements,” says Gamel Helmets.
“Equipped with a gyroscope and an accelerometer, this helmet is the first to integrate a turn signal system activated by a nod of the head.
“Turn left? Simply nod your head in that direction; a beep will sound to indicate the activation of the turn signal for the next eight seconds.
It looks more like a tilt to the side than the sort of nod you’d direct at a cyclist heading in the opposite direction.
“The helmet’s built-in accelerometer also responds to changes in speed, activating a large brake light upon deceleration, thereby reducing the risk of surprising following road users,” says Gamel Helmets
Le Remarquable operates without a smartphone and requires no external controls. Gamel Helmets claims a weight of 390g. For comparison, the standard Trek Velocis Mips helmet that we reviewed last year – without lights or indicators – was 235g.
Yours for €249 (which converts to £213). Whaddya reckon, très bien or oh la la?
“Game-changing” electric rack takes the strain out of loading your bike
Cheshire-based Grooveliner has launched a UK-made electric loading bike rack designed to “offer unparalleled convenience, safety, and versatility”.
The key feature is the electric loading assistance designed to prevent you from straining your back and body while saving time.
“Our goal with the Grooveliner Electric Bike Rack is to provide cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts with a game-changing tool that not only simplifies transportation but also enhances their overall experience,” said Adrian Howard, director of Grooveliner.
Different bike racks are available to carry from two to six bikes, with a maximum weight of 40kg per crank groove.
The brand highlights that the rack can double as a bike stand in your garage to save space.
Available to buy now, the Grooveliner electric bike racks come with a two-year warranty on the actuator and a 10-year warranty on the frame. You’d better be prepared to invest, though, because prices start at £2,425.
Zwift expands with new climbs
Zwift is launching new features this summer, including a new climb on Watopia, improved integration with other training platforms, and the opportunity to ride the iconic climbs of the Tour de France.
Watopia is set to get bigger once again with the introduction of a new climb called The Grade, accompanied by several additional routes.
Another new feature set to launch is Training Connections, which aims to improve the app’s integration with other training and coaching platforms. Workouts built outside of Zwift will pull directly into the Zwift platform and show in the Custom Workouts folder.
Zwift’s Climb Portal went live in time for the Tour de France last year, and Zwifters will now have the opportunity to ride eight climbs from the 2024 Tour de France route. Additionally, Zwift aims to enhance the Climb Portal feature by hosting events.
Ridley unveils new models in its Grifn all-road range
Ridley has added three new models to its Grifn range of versatile all-road bikes, including the lightweight Grifn RS.
> Does Ridley’s new Grifn all-road bike really put an end to N+1?
Ridley describes this as “the elite series carbon version of the Grifn, tailored for riders with a competitive mindset”.
“The bike is lighter and faster [than the original Grifn],” says Ridley. “The lighter weight is the result of an optimised carbon structure and the use of lighter and stiffer carbon fibres, resulting in a 140g improvement.”
Ridley says the D-shaped seatpost and the diffuser it has added into the fork crown improve aerodynamics, and clims the Grifn RS experiences 5% less resistance than the Grifn at 36km/h (22.4mph).
A Grifn RS with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset is priced at £5,299, and you can customise the spec using Ridley’s online configurator.
The second new bike is the aluminium Grifn A which can take tyres up to 38mm wide, or 40mm with a 1x drivetrain.
“We opt for 6061-T6 aluminium alloy for the Grifn A because it scores highly in terms of stiffness, metal fatigue, weight, and welding precision,” says Grifn. “Each tube has a central wall thickness three times thinner than the ends.”
The fork is carbon. The Grifn A built up with a Shimano GRX 400 2x groupset is £1,899. Again, you can use Ridley’s configurator to get the spec you want.
Finally, there’s the E-Grifn, which Ridley calls a ‘sporty e-bike’.
“What sets this e-bike apart is the choice of the Mahle X20 drive unit,” says Ridley. “The bike feels very natural to ride. The assistance corresponds to the force you apply to the pedals, made possible by the torque sensor in the bottom bracket communicating with the software.”
The Mahle X20 certainly is an impressive piece of kit, providing up to 250 watts of additional assistance.
> Get loads more into on electric bikes over at ebiketips
A Ridley E-Grifn with a Shimano GRX 600 groupset is priced at £4,999.
Hutchinson launches “fastest gravel tyre on the market”
French tyre manufacturer Hutchinson has announced the expansion of its gravel range with two new tyres: Caracal Race and Caracal, with the former branded as the “fastest gravel tyre on the market”.
Both tyres feature the same tread design: a smooth central tread pattern with pronounced knobs on the sides. According to the brand, this design is optimised for dry, fast race days, enabling aggressive and fast cornering.
While the Caracal Race tyre claims to prioritise speed, the Caracal tyre is designed to offer enhanced puncture protection, with an identical claimed weight to the Race tyre of 475g.
Both the Caracal Race and Caracal tyres are offered in a 700x40mm size only. The former is solely available in a tan wall colour, whereas the latter offers both a tan wall and black colour options.
The Caracal Race tyre retails at £54.99, while the Caracal costs £49.99.
How will the Caracal Race tyre compare to Panaracer’s “fastest-ever Gravel-King” tyre released earlier this year?
Pretty in pink: take a look at Bravur’s Giro d’Italia watch
You might remember that a few weeks back we told you about Bravur’s Team Heritage watch collection “inspired by the style of the iconic teams of Eddy Merckx, Tom Simpson, Bernard Hinault and others”. Now the Swedish luxury brand is back with a new Giro d’Italia watch: La Corsa Rosa IV. We must say, it does look pretty cool.
The watch is hand-built in Sweden and features a Swiss-made automatic movement and a chronograph (or, in plain English, a stopwatch).
We like the details. The sub-dials come in three shades of pink, after the race leader’s jersey, you get an upside-down 13 on the minute track, referencing the cyclists’ superstition with that race number, and the dial features an asphalt texture that represents the road.
Price? Okay, if you’re sure. These are made to order with a stainless steel case for £2,460 and with a black PVD finish for £2,495.
Bravur offers Tour de France and La Vuelta a España watches too.
Rapha unveils EF Pro Cycling’s switch-out kit for the Giro
Speaking of the Giro, EF Pro Cycling’s usual pink kit clashes with the Giro d’Italia’s leader’s jersey, so its riders race in switch-out clothing every year, and here’s the 2024 version.
Kit provider Rapha says, “For EF’s Italian job the design for 2024 is a colour reversal with reworked graphic phrases in ‘Italian’ such as Vai, In Bocca al Lupo, and Pizza Pasta Scala Fasta.
“We will be releasing both a special edition Pro Team Training Jersey with the same design as EF’s team issue jersey and Pro Team Aero Jersey with a minimal, abstracted version of the design for a more streamlined aesthetic.”
These will launch on 7th May.
Sportful clothing now available direct to consumer
Italian brand Sportful Cycling has moved to a direct-to-consumer sales model with its newly launched website sportful.co.uk – so you buy from the brand rather than going through retailers now.
There’s currently 20% off selected lines.
FSA introduces Pro-Wing AGX gravel handlebar
The Pro-Wing AGX is an alloy handlebar designed for backpacking and gravel riding, featuring an integrated U-shape front extension. According to FSA, this will not only enhance your ride comfort but also improve aerodynamics.
With a 25° flare, the widest in the brand’s lineup, the Pro-Wing AGX promises “exceptional stability when facing descents and uneven terrain”. It features a 120mm drop and 80mm reach, and is available in widths of 420mm, 440mm, and 460mm.
The Pro-Wing AGX comes with a claimed weight of 380g (in a 420mm width) and is priced at £153.
Introducing Specialized’s hack for unseating tubeless tyres
Specialized recently shared this little hack for unseating tubeless tyres when you’re out and about, using a thru-axle and a hex key. As is often the way on Instagram, it all went off in the comments, with people saying this technique would destroy the rim and/or tyre.
What do you think?
Suunto adds Shimano Di2 compatibility to GPS watches
Suunto has announced the integration of Shimano’s Di2 electronic shifting into its line of sports watches. After syncing the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app to your watch from Suunto app, you can monitor your gear position, Di2 battery status, and gear ratios directly on a Suunto watch, as you already can with various other head units.
> Check out our review of the Suunto Race watch
Suunto has also introduced compatibility with Shimano E-Bike Systems through another app. This allows you to view metrics such as assistant mode (Eco, Boost, Trail), power assistance level and e-bike battery status on a Suunto watches.
Shimano Di2 and Shimano E-bike Systems SuuntoPlus sports apps are compatible with Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race and Suunto 9 Peak Pro watches.
In case you missed it earlier in the week…
- Check out Bianchi’s updated Infinito road bike with internal routing
- The world’s mightiest gravel tyre celebrates its 10th anniversary — looking through the current range of the iconic Panaracer GravelKing
- MiRider has launched a compact e-bike with a new 3-speed gearbox
- Giant Expression E+ gets brand’s latest SyncDrive Core motor which automatically adapts to the terrain and your input
- Cervélo updates Áspero gravel bike to be “faster, more comfortable, and more versatile” – we’ve ridden it and here’s what we think so far
- New British Olympic track bike for Paris 2024 finally unveiled, featuring Hope carbon, Renishaw titanium and Lotus fork
- Hexlox launches anti-theft wheel nut for e-bikes with rear hub motors
17 thoughts on “Check out the bike helmet with indicators you trigger by nodding, a £2.5k Giro-themed watch plus loads more tech news from Rapha, FSA, Ridley, Specialized + more”
I like the specialized hack,
I like the specialized hack, making use of turning forces, no thru axles me, when I swapped from my heavy mud to intermediates a few weeks back I did the standing (gently) on the sidewall. Which worked, I think thanks HP
More like a Cylon –
More like a Cylon – especially if can hack the leds to swipe from side to side…
Ihatepigeons wrote:
…and suddenly I’m more interested in that helmet.
hawkinspeter wrote:
…and suddenly I’m more interested in that helmet.— Ihatepigeons
By your command.
brooksby wrote:
So say we all!
The implications of this
The implications of this study extend beyond the realm of road safety, highlighting the multifaceted benefits of cycling infrastructure investment. From reducing congestion and pollution to promoting physical activity, the case for prioritizing cycling infrastructure becomes increasingly compelling.
ktache wrote:
You’re welcome though I don’t remember giving that particular bit of advice.
Then thank you to the
Then thank you to the mysterious advice giver.
I’m fortunate not to have any
I’m fortunate not to have any tyres that need anything more than my thumbs to remove.
You are a lucky man. I’ve had
You are a lucky man. I’ve had some nightmares over the years.
Tubeless is a fairly recent thing for me, and only one bike. When it was first set up, they had put two and a bit wraps of tape on, getting the bead unseated took so long, so much frustration, and pain and injuries. Once I figured this out and put a fresh wrap as one and a bit the problem became less, still horrible though. That, and the noise of the bead seating are the worst part of tubeless.
How about instead of loading
How about instead of loading your 40kg bike on an electric rack onto your SUV, you just get an 8kg bike, for less than the price of the rack and ride it from home? I just hope the rack has it’s own battery that needs regular charging. But I absolutely must get a smart watch and pair it to my gears so I can finally know what gear I am in as, obviously, quickly glancing down is so old fashioned.
Geoff Ingram wrote:
Why would it need its own battery, when it simply plugs into the 12v power supply socket next to the towing hitch to which it is mounted on?
I was trying to be funny. OK,
I was trying to be funny. OK, I accept it was a pretty weak attempt.
And if you put the Gamel
And if you put the Gamel Helmet on back to front. You could become Robocop!
I think potentially the most
I think potentially the most useful one here is the Electric Rack, but the weight capacity is about 25% too low.
Potentially very useful for people who use a standard pattern E-bike, but cannot lift it.
6 bikes at 300mm+ spacings looks very questionable in traffic.
Poor judgement to show it on the back of a wanker tanker.
Missing information:
– Videos of it being used.
– Is the unload electric as well?
– How does a numberplate and lights panel attach?
I’m all for my overall
I’m all for my overall experience being enhanced.
As a motorbiker as well as
As a motorbiker as well as cyclist, that side nod is how I greet other riders