Anyone tried out those Aldi cycling products we mentioned last week? Any good? It’s a more conventional Tech of the Week line-up this time, including a bling balance bike (with some eye-catching design details) plus loads more good stuff from Garmin, Vittoria, Ekoi and more. Let’s not waste any time…
Is this £600 carbon balance bike a glimpse into the future of your full-sized one?
Giant’s new “superlight frame”, carbon wheels and low-resistance hubs help produce “a forward-leaning rider position” and “slightly steeper steering geometry for more aglie handling”… on a balance bike.
Yes, this is the news that Giant has released a new carbon balance bike this week, priced at £599 and featuring all those performance claims. We’re talking “superlight” 2.5kg frame, a “fast, fun and easy to push” ride, carbon wheels (of a 12-inch variety), low-resistance hubs, and a “slightly steeper” steering geometry “for more agile handling”. We could read balance bike marketing all day and never get bored.
There are, however, some really interesting things going on here, not least that it’s almost entirely from recycled composite materials, while some of the integration and design stuff is pretty unique and not something we’ve seen on any bike, big or small.
Giant explains: “The integrated design features a superlight, strong and durable frame crafted from recycled carbon material. The frame is paired with innovative one-piece components including the 12-inch, three-spoke carbon wheels, stem/handlebar unit, and combined seatpost/saddle. By eliminating the need for most small parts, including spokes and screws, it comes 90 per cent assembled.”
“There’s never been a push bike like this,” Giant said on Instagram, sparking an amusing scene as the bike brand then hit back at the haters… something you might have already seen on our Wednesday live blog…
God bless the internet.
Ekoi’s radical road cycling pedal system that “has Look and Shimano scared” is now available to buy
It was available to pre-order but it’s now available to buy, Ekoi marking the occasion with the bold claim that “since the introduction of clipless pedals 40 years ago, cycling had seen no major innovation”. You guessed it, these are the next innovation to hit cycling, in Ekoi’s humble opinion.
They’re £596.49 for the pedal + shoe system or ‘just’ £162.68 for just the pedal, although it only works with the compatible shoe for now so unless you need a spare that near-£600 figure is most accurate. They’re up on Ekoi’s website now.
Garmin introduces Garmin Connect+ with premium features for £6.99-a-month
I know what you’re thinking… ‘Not another subscription’. In fairness to Garmin this one is all about additional new features, with all existing features and data in Garmin Connect remaining free.
For those who do want a bit more out of their Garmin Connect experience, the tech company is offering Active Intelligence insights powered by AI, “expert” training guidance, exclusive badge challenges and expanded LiveTrack capabilities. Users can try Garmin Connect+ for free for 30 days, then choose between a £6.99 monthly plan or £69.99 annual plan, so getting a couple of months free if you commit to the full year.
Going into the features a bit more deeply, Garmin suggests the Active Intelligence feature will provide users personalised insights and suggestions throughout the day based on health and activity data, powered by AI. As customers use Garmin Connect+ more, the insights will become more tailored to them and their goals. The AI providing these insights and suggestions “was built to help keep users’ data secure and is currently releasing in beta”.
Let’s hope that’s an improvement on Strava’s much-ridiculed ‘Athlete Intelligence’ feature
Connect+ users will also be able to start an indoor workout activity on a smartwatch and use a compatible smartphone to see real-time heart rate and pace data, workout videos, reps and more in the Garmin Connect app. User-selected family and friends can also be notified via text when an activity is started, that one more useful for those outdoor activities, with users able to create a personalised LiveTrack profile page to share with their followers.
“Customers worldwide love using Garmin Connect to track, analyse and share their health and fitness activities,” Garmin’s vice president of consumer sales and marketing Susan Lyman said. “We are excited to provide even more personalised data and enriched features with the addition of Garmin Connect+. You can now learn even more about yourself, take on new challenges, train confidently and stay even more connected.”
Worth the money? Will you be giving it a go? The 30-day free trial seems a sensible way to let people see what value they’d get from it… just remember to cancel if you’re not in love with the features. All the info is on Garmin’s website.
Vittoria’s got a new tyre pressure calculator
Getting your tyres pumped up to an optimal pressure is an easy way to get a bit more performance and comfort out of your bike. You’re going to have to pump them up anyway, so why not get it right? And while there are a few of us in the road.cc office who still struggle to get our heads around not just pumping them up to a rock solid 90+, times have changed.
With tubeless, wider tyres and greater understanding that lower pressures can be faster (plus make your life a more grippy and comfortable one), there has never been so much thought into how to pump up your tyres. Silca and SRAM have similar features online but Vittoria has released a new tyre pressure calculator online too.
For roadies, it’ll ask you about your type of bike, tyre choice, tyre width, typical road surface, weight, how you like your tyres and then spit out a calculated pressure for you to use on your next ride. For a free resource that’ll take 30 seconds of your time, maybe give it a shot this weekend, you might be surprised.
Another new AI rear-view for cyclists
Not too many details on this one yet, but the RS1000 looks much like some of the radar devices we’ve seen pop up before, notably the Garmin Varia. According to the designers of this one it features real-time HD rear-view streaming to your phone, “AI hazard detection” with instant alerts, incident recording and integrated brake lighting. We’ll keep an eye out for once this hits the market, as info is a bit scarce until then.
Quad Lock’s waterproof wireless charging solution
Quad Lock’s mounts have been keeping phones securely locked to bars for years, the brand this week announcing its new IP67 waterproof wireless head that enables users to recharge their phone as they go, without a need for cables.
It integrates with a range of the brand’s 360 mounts and is, crucially for us in the UK, rainproof and submersible up to 1m for 30 minutes. At £69.99 it’s not the cheapest bit of kit out there but could be mighty handy for anyone who users their phone for maps for long rides. All the info is on Quad Lock’s website.
5 thoughts on “Is this £600 carbon balance bike a glimpse into the future of your full-sized one? Plus another new AI rear-view for cyclists, Vittoria launches new tyre pressure calculator, radical Ekoi pedals now available + more”
I wonder if you could use a
I wonder if you could use a Northwave shoe (w/Speedplay drilling) on the Ekoi pedal. Possibly using one Look pattern cleat hole and two Speedplay pattern cleat holes could save a lot of time and money instead of the Ekoi shoe.
Balance bike: £600 – brakes
Balance bike: £600 – brakes extra.
My main concern with that
My main concern with that Giant balance bike the almost complete lack of seat post adjustment. It might fit a kid for maybe a few months?
I know it’s not really something they probably plan to sell, just a product to stay in the news but still, they could at least show they’re thinking about who would be using their products.
“it’s almost entirely from
“it’s almost entirely from recycled composite materials”. What percentage of the carbon frame is made from recycled carbon?
Isn’t basically all carbon
Isn’t basically all carbon recycled? From stars?