Colnago returns to the track with its “most aerodynamic bike ever”, plus Storck’s fancy new gravel bike, a winter cleaning solution + more

It’s Tech of the Week time, coming (almost) live from the Lee Valley Velodrome in London where this weekend some of the best track cyclists in the world will race the London 3 Day, some aboard Colnago’s brand-new track bike — the iconic Italian manufacturer returning to the discipline with a bang and confident it’s the “most aerodynamic bike” Colnago has ever made. Let’s dive straight in…

Colnago returns to the track with its “most aerodynamic bike ever”

You’d have thought Colnago would be quite content with how things are going at the minute; Tadej Pogačar, Elisa Longo Borghini and the rest of the UAE Team Emirates battalion winning just about every race there is to win on the road, giving the famous Italian brand the perfect marketing for its Y1Rs aero bike, V5Rs and TT1. 

They must be an ambitious bunch over in Milan because not satisfied with the position on the road, Colnago is returning to the track — the message from the brand this week at the London 3 Day: we’re back and inviting discussions with interested national teams.

The T1Rs is the new track model’s name and unsurprisingly it comes with the promo: “The most aerodynamic bike ever created by Colnago”. Following on with the unsurprising section, Colnago tells us aerodynamics and stiffness were the key areas targeted by the R&D team in its creation.

Interestingly for the world of track cycling — where the bikes that win Olympic gold can, in practice, be almost impossible to get your hands on, or require enough to buy a small house — Colnago wants the T1Rs to be ridden by more than just the select few who represent their nation every four years. For that you’ll need to find plenty down the back of the sofa, the T1Rs available only as a framekit (including frame, fork, seatpost, saddleclamp and ‘small parts’) for €6,500 (£6,293).

From there buyers will need their own wheels, tyres, saddle, chainring, cranks, chain, and cockpit. Then again, if you’ve got more than £6,000 to spend on a track bike, that’s almost certainly not going to be an issue.

 

 

 

 

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Other technical points are that it’s got a T47 asymetric bottom bracket, tyre clearance for up to 28mm (more than enough for the velodrome) and can take a 72t chainring. 

Rather than produce two different bikes for the track’s respective disciplines, Colnago opted for versatility, the T1RS able to be configured into a time trial/pursuit set-up, as well as a sprint/endurance set-up.

While the aerodynamic flavour of the month has been the move towards wider forks and seatstays, such as on the GB Hope x Lotus track bike or Factor’s unreleased aero bike that turned heads earlier this year, Colnago opted for a narrower approach with the T1Rs, leaving things quite snug on the tyre clearance front.

Speaking with the design team in London this week, they explained their aero work had suggested little difference between going for the widest or narrowest designs, the key being to avoid landing in the middle. 

It takes inspiration from Colnago’s road models, the headset and fork construction mirroring the “advanced configuration” of the TT1, while the rear triangle “inherits the proven stiffness and efficiency of the Y1Rs”.

“Every aspect of the T1Rs has been conceived with one clear objective: to slice through the air with unmatched efficiency,” the brand said. “Its exceptional performance is the result of a series of meticulous design choices and aerodynamic innovations.

“Whether launching off the line in a flying 200m, sprinting for the final lap, or holding speed in pursuit, the T1Rs stays rigid, responsive, and incredibly efficient — turning power into pure speed.”

The full spec and design info is on Colnago’s website.

Storck’s new Grix.3 gravel bike (available with Classified’s Powershift and as light as 7.6kg)

German brand Storck has the latest version of its Grix gravel bike out, the Grix.3. We’ll skip past the marketing guff — “gravel has
long since outgrown its status as a trend, its a movement, a way of life” — the main changes here are a redesigned fork, UDH compatibility, a new “innovative” cockpit unit, and a “modern, glossy finish” on the Pro model.

Storck will let you build it with its Zeitjaeger Pro 45G or Platinum 45G carbon wheels, or DT Swiss G1800 Spline 25s or DT Swiss GRC 1400 Spline 42 if you’d rather. You can even go all out and get it with Classified’s Powershift wheelset, if you want the price to rocket towards the £9,000 mark.

The groupset options include Di2 or mechanical GRX, or any of SRAM’s 13-speed Rival, Force or Red grouspets. The lightest build hits 7.6kg and prices start at €4,899 for the build with DT Swiss G1800 Spline 25 wheels and Shimano GRX 822 2×12. With the Classified wheelset and SRAM Red the asking price is €9,299, the numerous other build options falling somewhere between those two price points. You can have a play with Storck’s build options on the brand’s website.

Just in time for winter muck — Dynamic Bike Care launches new portable pressure washer

If you’re avoiding the home trainer as much as possible this winter you’re going to be doing plenty of bike cleaning. Wet, mucky roads will leave your pride and joy probably needing a post-ride scrub almost every time you take it out. Now, a bucket of hot, soapy water will be more than adequate but for those who want a quicker, easier cleaning experience, Dynamic Bike Care has created the Clean Machine.

It’s a compact portable pressure washer, specifically designed for cyclists. Dynamic Bike Care says the pressure is “powerful yet safe” and there are multiple nozzles to adjust the pressure for different parts of your bike and avoiding risking damage to bearings or the frame.

The retail price is £229.99, although Dynamic Bike Care has a 20 per cent Black Friday discount website-wide at the minute, so that’s £183.98 with the saving. At the best part of £200 it’s definitely not cheap, and far more expensive than a bucket and sponge. Then again, you could argue you’d save that much in worn components pretty quick if it encourages you to actually clean your bike rather than heading straight for a hot shower and a cup of tea. All the info is on Dynamic Bike Care’s website.

Tredz rolls out InPost returns nationwide

Just a quick note from Tredz, the UK-based online cycling retailer, who has dropped us a line to say InPost returns are now available on all eligible orders nationwide following a successful trial. InPost are those yellow parcel lockers, basically the same thing as the Amazon and other brands’ ones, where you can easily drop off and receive parcels. Don’t expect to fit a bike in one, but quite handy for returning a smaller order.

“The most important thing for our riders to know is that there is nothing wrong with the wheels they’re riding”: Chris King confirms all lifetime warranties remain in effect following rim partner’s closure

You might have seen this on the live blog earlier in the week, but we thought we’d give it another quick shout-out for anyone who missed it. Chris King has addressed the situation surrounding CSS Composites, the rim partner for its wheelsets which recently went out of businesses. CSS Composites was behind the FusionFiber rims used on Chris King wheelsets so there have been questions about what happens now, particularly around repairs and warranty.

In a press release to customers and the wider industry, Chris King says it “unfortunately received no advance notice of CSS’s struggles or subsequent closure” and added it is “heartbroken for the people who lost their jobs and the vision that won’t now be realised”.

The King-branded FusionFiber rims (ARD44, GRD23 and MTN30) are discontinued “for the foreseeable future”, but Chris King will uphold any lifetime warranties.

“The most important thing for our riders to know is that there is nothing wrong with the wheels they’re riding, quite the opposite,” the brand told customers. “We expect every wheel we’ve built to give their rider years and years of riding. We also want to reassure them that, despite CSS no longer being able to supply us with FusionFiber rims, all lifetime warranties are still in effect. The good folks at NOBL Wheels are stepping in to manage rim replacement for any Chris King FusionFiber wheel in need of warranty service.

“For original owners making a claim under the King warranty agreement, we will replace any defective rim with an equivalent NOBL rim. The rim itself and the wheel rebuild will have no cost to the customer. A second, matching wheel will also be available at a deeply discounted cost, if the rider wants one, and it can be delivered with the warranty wheel.”

In case you missed it:

• Hunt release four* new wheelsets for extreme adventurers, including “the first carbon wheelset for adverse weather riding”

• Campagnolo expands Super Record 13 lineup with gravel-specific Super Record X

• Chinese bikes and components galore, 21mm tyres and rim brakes FTW: some of the most intriguing bikes and set-ups from the 2025 National Hill Climb Championships

• Insta360 launches new X4 Air, with 8K 360 technology and “AI-powered simplicity”

• “Biggest expansion in years”: Zwift’s New York map gets 31km bigger

• How to winterproof your bike — 8 top tips to prep for harsh weather conditions

• Standert’s new Erdgeschoss is a steel gravel bike with 50mm clearance and adjustable rake

• Pashley expands e-bike range with two Classic Collection additions