In this week’s tech round-up, we’ve got a pair of featherweight shoes that’ll empty your wallet, new kit from Rapha, a Capri-Sun-inspired Eddy Merckx collab, the news that Tredz is now selling Trek bikes, plus more on that eye-catching Lavelle hub we featured the other week. Let’s dive straight in…
A sub-200g cycling shoe that’ll set you back as much as a cheap bike
Suplest has a new road shoe out, the launch coming with all the usual marketing claims that accompany brands bringing a shiny new product into the world. In Suplest’s case, to be fair, the ORSO road shoe is indeed very shiny and the sub-200g weight is undeniably extremely light.
Handcrafted in Italy, near the Swiss border, the shoe was designed in collaboration with Tudor Pro Cycling, so if it’s good enough for Julian Alaphilippe and a team run by Fabian Cancellara, then it’s almost certainly good enough for you or me. These are going to be subject to “exclusive manufacturing”, which essentially means that due to Suplest’s production capacity they will be available in limited quantities, so anyone interested is asked to get in touch with the brand.
You’ll need plenty of spare cash to do so, as the ORSO retail price of €569 (around £480) is enough to purchase a very reasonable bike, from Decathlon perhaps. Yes, we know, this is a top-of-the-range performance product designed with the aim of competing with (and perhaps beating) the best road shoes out there, so there shouldn’t be much surprise it’s so eye-wateringly expensive. For context, it’s roughly the same price as the Specialized S-Works Ares 2 which we this week gave 4.5 stars. We’ll have to get an ORSO in for review to see how it compares.
The entire production process is completed under one roof and the shoe is, Suplest says, “one of the lightest performance shoes available” at “under 200g”. For context again, that Spesh Ares 2 is 485g for a pair, while Bont’s £300+ Vaypor weighs just 346g for the pair.
On some of the other design features, Suplest says the ORSO has the “lowest possible stack height” to bring the user’s feet “as close as possible” to the pedal axle for “maximum efficiency and direct power delivery”. It has “a glove-like fit”, “featherweight construction” and you can get your name added to the shoe as an included personalisation, a nice touch that you might expect at £480.
Capri-Sun and Eddy Merckx’s tasty collab
Ah, Capri-Sun. What a drink. Quenching summer days as a kid — great times. Sorry, this isn’t an ad, just a nostalgic tech writer forgetting what he’s meant to be doing. We better move on before someone starts ranting about how drinks used to taste better in the good ol’ days…
Anyway, back to the point of the article… Eddy Merckx and Capri-Sun (it would be weird if they weren’t involved after all that) have teamed up to unveil a limited edition Pévèle C. It’s not the first time the two iconic brands have worked together, the Capri-Sonne team of the 80s using Eddy Merckx bikes.
Proceeds from the bike will go to the international organisation War Child that supports kids affected by war with education, protection, and psychological care, in regions like Ukraine, the Middle East, and Western Europe. It’s priced at €5,575 (£4,695) and is available to order from the Eddy Merckx site now.
No word yet if the design features a little straw/pump taped to the side…
Garmin announces new Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970 and HRM 600
Maybe more aimed at the running/multisport crew, but Garmin has launched two new watches (the Forerunner 570 and 970), as well as a new heart rate monitor.
They have Garmin’s “brightest AMOLED screen yet” and other new feature such as a speaker and microphone, meaning users can take calls without touching their phone. The 570 costs £459.99, with 11 days of battery in smartwatch mode, while the 970 is £629.99 and has up to 15 days battery.
The HRM 600 is fairly pricey at £149.99 and is of course compatible with Garmin’s full range of cycling computers, meaning you can see exactly how much your suffering up that climb.
Check out all the details on Garmin’s website.
Rapha’s new Patta II kit
Here’s Rapha and Amsterdam-based fashion brand Patta’s latest kit to hit the streets. Check it out here.
Trek bikes now available at Tredz
Cycling retailer Tredz has announced that Trek bikes are now available at its Cardiff store and online, in a “strategic expansion” of its premium brand portfolio to “reflect Tredz’s long-term vision to become the UK’s go-to destination for performance, innovation and choice”.
I guess one question that remains is how does this tally with Trek having numerous stores of its own across the UK, but maybe more places to sell matters more than where people buy your bikes?
Either way, Tredz’s managing director Pippa Wibberley is excited to make the announcement and called it “more than a brand launch”.
“It’s a clear signal of where we’re headed commercially,” she explained. “Trek’s arrival strengthens our position in the market and supports our wider strategy of focusing on high-quality, high-demand brands that deliver long-term value to both customers and the business.”
The full range is on Tredz’s website now (plus at the brand’s Cardiff store).
More from Lavelle on THAT hub
The good people from Lavelle have sent us another snap of that hub we spotted in Mallorca and brought to you in a recent edition of Tech of the Week. They’re apparently finishing production in bigger volumes now, so they hope to meet “the demand we already have” soon. This pic is of a hub used for a 60mm road wheelset, ratchet version, with steel spokes and working to an expected weight of 1,330 grammes.
2 thoughts on “A sub-200g cycling shoe that’ll set you back as much as a cheap(ish) bike; plus a tasty Capri-Sun-inspired Eddy Merckx, new Garmin Forerunner watches, Rapha’s latest kit collab + more”
The good people at Sim-Works
The good people at Sim-Works emailed me this morning to inform me these are back in stock, nice!
GHOOOST – Twist Flower
From looking at the roads and
From looking at the roads and Sportief I ride..outside London.., the Rapha demographic is 55-65 , white male. Rapha and Amsterdam-based fashion brand Patta’s I another attempt to shun the pople who buy their kit and reach the younger cooler audience who cant afford it.
Rapha losses will continuie to grow in 2025