It’s Security and Storage Week here on road.cc so we’ve had plenty of features and guides out on the site in recent days, on top of all the usual tech news to bring you. Talking of news, Hunt brought out its revamped Aerodynamicist wheel range to offer “class-leading aerodynamic performance-to-weight metrics with wide road tyres”, and Winspace’s new aero road bike with extraordinary seatstay vents got plenty of people talking.
It’s a bumper edition of Tech of the Week, new stuff from Trek, Lavelle, Wahoo, Pas Normal Studios and more. Let’s not waste any more time and get stuck in…
What’s going on with this hub we spotted at the Mallorca 312?
Jamie was out at the Mallorca 312 Gran Fondo and spotted this hub on a bike on display at 3T’s stand at the expo. They’re from a brand called Lavelle who we contacted for a bit more info, the brand only acknowledging it’s theirs. Our first thought was it could be aero-related, although much research online was inconclusive.
We shared the pics on Instagram, mainly to see if anyone had any ideas for why they might be designed like that, and received the following reply from Belgian U23 pro Cisse Pauwels: “I talked to the guys that made these hubs and it was for cooling the bearings [because of heat] generated from the disc. Yes, I know it sound crazy and this is not how thermodynamics works but just what they told me. Rear hub has a ratchet from titanium. Bearings are standard bearings but with shields instead of seals for less resistance.”
Hopefully, Lavelle will tell us more soon…
“Say goodbye to buying three bikes”: This Kickstarter turns from balance bike to pedal bike as your kid’s confidence grows
Belgian designers bonob believe their “evolutionary” three-in-one bike for children is the answer to those tricky early days when your kid’s cycling journey can very quickly jump from balance bike to stabilisers and full pedalling. They’re not the first to have the idea, admittedly, numerous balance bikes offering pedal conversion, although bonob believes it goes a bit further than that.
It has appeared on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and is a three-stage bike that can be transformed from tricycle, to balance bike and, finally, into a pedal bike, as a child’s ability and confidence increases, as seen in the video below.
Starting off as a tricycle, bonob says the first stage is designed “with a low saddle height for little ones who’ve just learnt to walk”. The balance bike conversion kit then “easily transforms the tricycle into a balance bike as your child develops balance and coordination”.
After this, there’s a brake kit so you can add a hydraulic disc brake to introduce braking before transitioning to the final form, a full pedal bike.
The point appears to be offering parents one unit that adapts with their child’s development, rather than individually buying different bikes that very quickly might no longer be needed. At a projected retail price of €449 (£380) it’s not obvious that there’s a financial saving with this route, although bonob points out it is most likely a more sustainable one.
Elsewhere on the spec side of things, the bike starts with “easy 19-teeth gearing” that can be swapped to 17 and 15 as a child’s strength grows. It also uses a drive belt system to avoid grease and any drivetrain maintenance. The saddle height begins at 280mm for the toddler tricycle but can be increased up to 450mm throughout the evolution.
As we said, it’s far from the first bike to explore the premise of a kids’ bike that evolves from balance bike to full-on pedalling. For example, we reviewed Black Mountain’s Pinto model way back in 2018, that a £329 bike, while LittleBig also brought out a 3-in1 bike a couple of years before that even (and priced theirs at £220 too).
This could all be hypothetical as the project will only be funded if bonob hits its £63,746 funding goal by May 14. At the time of writing, 41 backers had put up £7,845 of that, meaning there is quite a long way to go. All the usual Kickstarter T&Cs of course apply, bonob offering backers the bike at a campaign price of €399. All the details are on Kickstarter.
“The next generation of custom 3D-printed saddles”
Czech saddle brand Posedla has announced three new saddles and believes they will bring custom-fit 3D saddles to more riders than ever before, through a number of new material options and price points.
“With Plus, Pro, and Ultra, we’re not just launching new products. We’re opening the door to next-level personalisation,” co founder Jiří Dužár said.
You’ll still need to part with plenty of cash to get your hands on one, the Joyseat, Plus, Pro and Ultra priced at £289/£389/£439 respectively. At the ‘cheaper’ end of the scale is the Plus, a 220g saddle featuring a “high-performance glass fibre reinforced plastic shell” that has been “specifically chosen for its toughness and mechanical strength, while the 7x7mm round stainless steel rails ensure compatibility with all common seat clamps”.
The Pro is 55g lighter with carbon rails, while you can drop another 10g going up to the top-of-the-range Ultra. It’s constructed using a reinforced UD carbon fibre shell and rails, Posedla saying the Joyseat Ultra “offers the greatest stiffness and durability in the Joyseat range, with no increase in weight”. Worth remembering if you win the lottery this weekend.
Wahoo announces on sale dates for new Roam 3, Bolt 3 and Trackr Radar
At the start of April, Wahoo announced a revamp of its flagship Elemnt Bolt and Elemnt Roam computers, as well as unveiling a new rear light radar device. At the time there wasn’t any info about when the devices would be on sale, but we’ve got those dates now.
They’re all available from Tuesday (6 May) across all territories. The Roam 3 and Bolt 3 have lost their LED lights, and are £50 more expensive than the previous versions, priced at £399.99 and £299.99 respectively. The Trackr is priced at £179.99.
Gold wheels… hot or not?
Alec Briggs’ wheels for the Traka have certainly turned heads. What do you think? Talking of turning heads, what about Trek’s snakeskin finish?
“Inspired by one of the world’s most mysterious creatures and its deep-seated roots within Chinese heritage, Serpentine takes cues from culture and nature alike,” the brand said.
“Its moody red frame is highlighted by hints of gold and scaled to perfection with a textured snakeskin pattern on the top tube that looks so real — you might even worry about your bike shedding.”
Pas Normal Studios launches new gravel collection
Pas Normal Studios has dropped its new SS25 Escapism collection, clothing aimed at gravel riders. Featuring “abrasion resistance and accessible pockets”, including on the bib shorts, the brand says it is “built for exploring and adventure — no matter the pace”.
You’ll need a pretty big budget if you are after any of this, the jersey priced at €180 (£160 in the UK) and the bibs at €255 (£225 in the UK).
In case you missed it:
It’s Security and Storage Week here on road.cc so you’ve probably noticed plenty of features popping up on the site, if not you can check out all of them here.
6 thoughts on “What’s going on with this hub we spotted in Mallorca? Plus Trek’s snakeskin finish, more 3D-printed saddle shenanigans and a kids’ bike that grows with your child”
“Wahoo announces on sale
“Wahoo announces on sale dates for new Roam 3, Bolt 3 and Trackr Radar”
What does that even mean? Does your sub editor headline write actually mean “Wahoo announces dates new Roam 3, Bolt 3 and Trackr Radar go on sale”?
Surreyrider wrote:
Do you actually mean sub editor headline writer?
It seems pretty clear what it means, and your question shows you have clearly understood it yourself.
Don’t know why anyone would
Don’t know why anyone would go balance bike – stabilisers – pedal bike. Stabilisers do nothing for learning to ride a bike, makes me irrationally annoyed when I see parents getting their kids to use them.
No friend, the sequence is
No friend, the sequence is trike, balance bike and ultimately pedal bike.
That’s what they’re proposing
That’s what they’re proposing, but I think that trikes are the same as stabilised bikes, in that they make the kid lean outwards when going round corners, which is opposite to what you do on a bike. Balance bike first, then bike, forget about trikes.
Those “3D-printed saddles”
Those “3D-printed saddles” don’t look radically different to perforated saddles that were popular in the 80s and 90s. I’m not seeing a lot of 3D structure to them, just a load of holes. For a lot of cash.