Tech

Our most expensive Five Cool Things edition ever! £5k Princeton wheels, £11.5k Orbea Orca + more from Enve, Factor and Fara

In among the usual selection of good value and affordable products in for review at road.cc, there are always some extravagant and cutting-edge ones too. It just so happens that a lot of bling has arrived at once for this Five Cool Things instalment

AI light vs bad drivers: meet the new device designed to keep you safe on the road + “the ultimate cockpit” and more tech news from Bianchi, Santini, Fizik, Silca, Vision…

Would you trust the 30g thru-axles that are a “weight weenie's wet dream”? We introduce you to ‘fastpacking’, plus the rest of the week’s top bike tech stories

“Strava’s ‘Weekly Snapshot’ makes me feel bad”: should you be able to turn it off?

New feature tots up how much exercise you've done this week or, if your glass is half empty, the amount you haven't done… As you'd expect, Strava users have something to say about that

The bike industry is “in chaos” says boss: so what do Trek’s plans to ‘right size’ mean for the industry… and you?

US company plans to cut spending by 10% and reduce the number of product options it offers by 40% – find out why this is important for you, even if you don’t ride a Trek

Orbea launches the Diem: an urban e-bike with a Shimano motor and a funky seat tube

Basque brand’s Diem is an all-singing, all-dancing “urban mobility solution”

Five cool kicks in for review from Fizik, Specialized, Trek, and Cafe du Cycliste

Carbon soles, sock-like construction and laces - we'll be putting all the performance and comfort claims of these cycling shoes to the test

“It is almost like having an unexploded bomb in your house”: New figures reveal 11 deaths from e-bike fires in UK last year, as MPs call for tighter regulations

Latest calls come soon after London Fire Brigade urged users to check whether their vehicles have "dangerous" UPP lithium battery that has repeatedly "failed catastrophically and caused devastating fires"

Storck claims Aerfast.5 is the “fastest road bike ever released”, Prologo’s 149g 3D-printed saddle and G’s new Quocs + train with pros on BKOOL, Merida, MAAP and MET

It's another roundup of the fastest, lightest, most comfortable and of course most interesting tech news from this week

Fancy a bargain this weekend? Star bikes, team bikes and a lot more

Whether you’re looking for components, clothing, or a complete new bike, here’s how to get yourself a great deal… you'll need to get a wiggle on though

A blend of time trial, MTB and Moto GP bike – the Ryuger Eidolon BR-RTS e-bike can even carry your lunch

No carbon has been saved in the manufacturing of this e-bike that costs £16k

It’s our Bike of the Year but should you buy the Vitus Venon EVO-RS Force AXS All-Road bike at 30% discount?

The road.cc Recommends Bike of the Year is listed at a knockdown price, but Wiggle/ Chain Reaction Cycles is in well-publicised financial difficulties

Planet X have got some e-bikes and their e-cargo bike in particular looks intriguing

Yorkshire-based brand begins selling own-branded electric bikes across mountain, urban and cargo categories

Giant unveils the “lightest, most efficient TCR ever” – but is it enough for it to remain the brand’s flagship road race bike?

Less weight, hidden cables, lower drag. It's make or break for the TCR and here's everything you need to know...

Babboe recalls City and Mini cargo bikes as thousands of owners enquire about legal action

Law firm Birkway is investigating whether cargo bike owners can receive compensation, with over 8,500 people so far coming forward

Look’s new Keo Blade Power is “the lightest power meter pedal on the market”

New system “instals in just 30 seconds”, comes in single- and dual-sided options, and is priced from £600

“Our systems are proven safe”: Zipp joins hookless rim discussion — as photo appears to show Lotto Dstny rider suffer issue at Strade Bianche

Statement comes as Lotto-Dstny rider pictured carrying bike at Strade Bianche, the tyre and foam insert completely detached from his Zipp wheel

Is Jonas Vingegaard’s latest time trial helmet one step too far?

Team Visma-Lease a Bike rode the Tirreno-Adriatico time trial in new alien-esque Giro TT lid, while Bahrain Victorious debuted an unreleased helmet from Rudy Project

Supersapiens cancels all memberships and stops shipping glucose sensors amid “strategic restructuring”

Email sent to customers last night explained the decision came "after considerable efforts to navigate an increasingly challenging business environment"

Panaracer introduces “fastest-ever” GravelKing tyre as it overhauls entire gravel range

Updated range includes new tread compound, improved hookless compatibility, better puncture protection, and a new X1 model

You can now trade in your old bike with Sigma Sports Part Exchange – and they’ll even come and collect it

The online retailer hopes the system makes "it easier for cyclists to upgrade to their dream bikes with a saving"

Vittoria says Thomas De Gendt crash “unrelated to hookless rim design” and caused by “impact with rock”

Tyre brand insists UAE Tour crash ⁠— which prompted CPA riders' union to say it is "not happy" with increased use of hookless rims in the pro peloton ⁠— was due to "intensity of the impact" and not "compatibility issues" or "design"

Unreleased Canyon helmet that ditches traditional helmet straps in favour of new mono-strap leaked

The unreleased helmet was spotted on the heads of Canyon's gravel racers. Will this new approach to road cycling lids (that may involve having the arms of your shades UNDER the helmet straps) take off?

Dial closure bottle cages? Plus Vittoria’s new ‘Gatorskin killer’ tyres for the toughest conditions, Shimano’s special new shoes, Finish Line’s faff-free hot wax system + more

We also saw the most comprehensive toolbox you’ve ever seen from Park Tool, Lazer’s sleekest helmet, very cool new clothing, and a smart tracker from Knog at iceBike 2024

Brose has beefed up its cyber security to prevent people hacking its e-bike motors for more speed

Derestricted e-bikes are widely considered a major threat to the industry

Five smart cycling tech pieces: The ‘lightest GPS watch on the market’ from Coros, ‘Open Wearable’ headphones from Oladance + more from Mobvai, Polar + JLab

These five nifty tech products are currently being tested by our experts, with full reviews landing on road.cc soon

Pro cyclists’ union “not happy” with hookless wheels after “freak” blowout causes Thomas De Gendt crash – but team defends tyre system as “100% within the rules”

“There are a lot of people who want this banned out of the peloton… One day there will be a mass crash as a result,” CPA president Adam Hansen said

Is this the most prostate-friendly saddle? Plus Silca’s degreaser-killing chain wax, Garmin launches Forerunner 165, new Cadex wheels + loads more tech news

Saddles are a personal thing, but how does this look for you? If you're happy with your current seat though, maybe Silca's StripChip that removes the need to degrease your chain will appeal

Kinesis Tripster AT gets a revamp, unreleased FFWD wheels, Santini launches unisex clothing range, a ‘Super Extreme’ Abus bike lock + more cool things from COREbike

...and if you haven't quite got £4,300 for those very snazzy new Mavic wheels, you're in luck! Here are some more of our top picks from the 2024 COREbike show

Check out “the lightest angle grinder-resistant lock” infused with diamond, plus £4,300 Mavic wheels + more tech news from Giro, Topeak, SDG + CamelBak

Take a sneak peek at unreleased shoes, leopard-print saddles, and Mavic’s luxury road wheels that are priced at a whopping £4,300

Speeco launches revamped version of its aero-optimised handlebar that is UCI-legal (for now)

The Dutch innovator claims the arguably less radical Aero Breakaway Bar (ABB) 2.0 complies with UCI regulations... but how long for?