Is this the most luminescent Tarmac to date? Remco's exclusive S-Works SL7 plus a super bling gold chainring, new Pirelli race tyres, eco-sunglasses + much more

Lots have been going on in the world of cycling tech recently, from new bike releases at varying price points, to some very refreshing component and apparel launches. To unify the news we've seen this week (and as you can read below), cycling brands are increasingly re-considering both price points and sustainability efforts... well, some are, whereas some are happy to stay exclusive, and that is part of their appeal... 

Remco’s Reign Exclusive S-Works Tarmac SL7 frameset

This week Specialized released a very limited edition 'Remco's Reign' S-Works Tarmac SL7 frameset, to celebrate the Remco Evenepoel’s stellar 2022 season. The Belgian rider won 16 races on the road in 2022, and the Tarmac is a replica of the bike that he received after his UCI World Championship win in September. As he was just 22 at the time, that specific win made him ​​the youngest world champion in 29 years and the fourth rider to add a world title to a Monument and Grand Tour win in the same season - yep, he was also victorious at Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Vuelta a Espana. 

Only 200 of these frames have been made, each individually numbered and finished with luminescent colours over a pearl background. Specialized says its Concept Designer Elena Aker intended the design to have a “subtle, ethereal quality”.

The bike is laden with details, including “legends are built not born” emblazoned on the seat stay and a list of Elite Men’s World Road Championship victories achieved on Specialized bikes in the last 20 years nestled inside the fork. 

How much does this bike that “rules them all” cost, then? £5,000, for the frame only that is. Oh and it’s only available in 54, 56 and 58 frame sizes, because of course, everyone who wants to ride this kinda bike is over 5'7" tall…

The frames are on their way to the UK and Spesh says they are extremely limited in numbers. Do let us know if you manage to get one! 

Find out more here

Ridley unveils the Fenix Disc, a more affordable high-end performance endurance bike

Do you feel like you might have seen this headline somewhere else this week as well? Yeah, Ridley is not the only premium bike brand that is dabbling with a little more affordable (no, not cheap still) bike models to appeal to the middle class this week (check out the stories at the bottom of this article). 

The Fenix Disc is the more affordable sibling of the Fenix SLiC, sharing the comfy ride quality and racey characteristics of the brand’s top endurance bike while trying to keep the retail price down. This has been achieved by using a different carbon fibre technology on the frame, making the Fenix Disc 120g heavier than the Fenix SLiC.

The Fenix Disc also comes with different component options, whereas the SLiC is really only available with higher end groupsets from Shimano Ultegra upwards. 

For the Fenix Disc you can choose either a mechanical Shimano 105 or Ultegra groupset, and the models come with a semi-integrated cockpit and Shimano wheelset. The builds start at £2,369 and you have the option to customise the bike using Ridley’s online configuration tool. 

Find out more more

Bling! Aerocoach launches golden Aten road 1x road chainring 

The aero testing experts and retailer Aerocoach has announced a road-specific Aten 1x chainring in a bling gold colourway. This chainring takes the Aten technology from Aerocoach’s track chainrings and brings it to the road, in aluminium/carbon format to save every last watt. It also costs considerably less money than the track-specific titanium/carbon chainring that costs a whopping £950... this one starts from just a mere £237.50, and Aerocoach is taking orders now with 54t and 58t option available.

Get one here

Whoop cuts subscription prices

The wearable wristband maker Whoop has lowered its subscription prices and also gotten rid of the half-year membership option. 

After the company’s CEO announced the price slash on Twitter, the users of the wristband could expect a 12-month membership to cost $239 (down $61) and a 24-month contract will cost $399 (down $81), a decrease of 20% and 16% respectively.

We have some exciting updates to share… watch and swipe. 👉 pic.twitter.com/1WKESzjbIN

— WHOOP (@WHOOP) February 15, 2023

UK prices followed suit, with 12-month membership now costing £229 (down £35) and the two-year membership £384 (down £48). The price drop for the UK rates is a little more moderate than across the ocean, with the annual members enjoying a 13% reduction in price and the bi-annual members saving 11%. 

Whoop also introduced a bunch of new features to the system, saying it is working on a stress monitor feature with Dr Andrew Huberman, an American neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. There will also be a weightlifting feature that will track reps, muscular strain and other data. Plus, Whoop now offers a lifetime warranty on all its fitness bands.

Whoop is not the only fitness company that has renewed its pricing system. It’s not long since Strava announced its new, higher pricing, which definitely sparked some discussion and a subsequent apology. 

But we’ve also seen brands do the same as Whoop, with the likes of Canyon dropping their bike prices because of cheaper importing costs. 

Read more here

Bollè's releases ‘Micro-Edge’ - eco-designed performance sunglasses

Next up, we have Bollé’s bio-framed sunnies. The French brand is known for its eyewear and helmets, and following its launch of eco-designed commuter range last year, the brand has now brought out a new pair of sunglasses made with sustainability in mind. 

These shades have a narrow frame with a half-rim around the lens, and they offer adjustable nose pieces and temples. But the eco-part? The frame, nose piece and temples are made of 100% bio-based materials; renewable castor oil, to be precise. The plant-based oil that is pressed out of castor plant beans is produced in large quantities in countries like Brazil, and has been studied for its excellent qualities to replace non-renewable materials in agriculture, food, textile and plastic industries to name a few. Perhaps this could be part of the future for cycling sunglasses as well. 

Without delving further into the properties of castor oil, the Micro-Edge sunglasses are available with Phantom, Bollé’s “best photochromic lens for a phenomenal vision” and with Volt+, their “revolutionary high contrast and polarised lens”. Prices range between £140 and £210.

Check out the shades here

Pirelli drops a new P ZERO Race TT tyre 

Pirelli has updated its P ZERO Race pro tyre range with the release of the new ZERO Race TT, which, the brand claims, is the smoothest and lightest clincher tyre of the lineup. With the claims of more speed and grip also comes a very distinguishable red logo, which some of us might immediately associate with speed. Or pain...  

> Best road bike tyres 2023 — ride faster and further with fewer punctures

This is a tyre created with WorldTour team riders in mind and has already been time-trialled by ​​Trek-Segafredo and the French AG2R Citroën last year. The tyre is targeted for time trials and triathlons and features a tread pattern that is less slick, with 120 TPI nylon LITE casing and the SmartEVO compound that Pirelli has created to offer very low rolling resistance. We're also promised great control at top speeds and an excellent grip. Who knows, maybe Tom Pidcock would have avoided his TT slip had he used these tyres? 

The new tread pattern is supposed to enhance "driveability" (Pirelli does say the compound comes from the motorsports world) and cornering control. Pirelli claims it has managed to shave off 5% of the tyre’s weight and drop its rolling resistance by 15%. 

The P ZERO Race TT is available for purchase now in 26mm and 28mm widths, with each costing about £68. 

See the tyres here

Maap’s “most comprehensive road collection yet”

The Aussie apparel brand Maap has dropped its first 2023 road collection, focusing on “the pursuit of progression”, and we can see it's really pushing the sustainability credentials, too. The brand says that the progression they talk about goes beyond performance and “is also about a wider desire to do better; for ourselves, the people around us and our planet”.

First in this collection, and excitingly for us women cyclists, Maap is introducing a shorter version of the Women’s Short Team Bib Evo. The new style has a 5cm shorter leg length, which for so many of us is a welcome change… 

Back to sustainability, the new collection also features more recycled fabric content than ever before.

“We believe that progression itself is the ambition, a continual exercise in innovation and betterment,” said Oliver Cousins, Maap co-founder.

“For example, our transition from virgin to Sustainably Preferred Materials (SPM) is not in itself the end goal, but an important progression towards greater positive impact with the planet we all share.”

The Evade Jersey, one of Maap’s most popular tops, is now made with Sustainably Preferred Materials (SPM) using over 70% Italian-made recycled nylon in the primary body. 

There are plenty of new colourways available for the new season, and Maap is bringing back its Evade off-bike apparel, including joggers, t-shirts and the like.

There are other new colourways and designs in the collection as well, but we’ll leave those for you to check out on Maap's website. 

Check out the collection

Rapha announces Maghalie Rochet Pro Team print collab

Ever fancied an insight into a pro racer's mind? This clothing collection from Rapha and three-time Canadian and Pan American cyclo-cross champion Maghalie Rochette offers you just that. The two have collaborated on a third limited edition collection of Pro Team race wear that features a print and colour palette inspired by the interplay of Maghalie’s heightened pre-race emotions with her experience of synaesthesia - the association of words with colours.

Reflecting on her race preparations and mindset that takes her to the start line and through the race itself, Maghalie has given her emotions ranging from calm, happiness, focus, aggression, excitement, awareness and confidence a colour. The collection includes jerseys, socks and a snood which are available now. 

And for those who want to immerse themselves into some soundscape, too, Maghalie has also launched a podcast series where each episode is dedicated to one of the pre-race emotions, discussed in depth with a different athlete each week. 

See the collection here

In case you missed them, here are our other top tech stories from this week: 

• Do we need suspension on gravel bikes? Giant unveils the Revolt X
• Pinarello introduces two new road bikes to performance and endurance ranges... and they're (slightly) more affordable
• POC unveils the Omne Lite and Omne Ultra
•  Cool contact points from Wahoo, Shimano, SQlab, Giro and KranX
• CORE! Seven cool bikes from Colnago, Specialized, Orro and more