What with the sun actually making an appearance in the UK this week, you could have forgiven us for missing some of the best cycling tech releases – but we’ve still got a packed edition of Tech of the Week for you, starting with a very fancy, very fast and very expensive limited edition bike. Best get saving…
Bugatti and Factor unveil UCI-illegal road bike claiming it’s the ‘world’s fastest’
Factor officially released the One aero bike at the end of last year, calling it “the fastest UCI-legal road bike in the world.” Now, in collaboration with luxury car brand Bugatti, they’ve taken things further by ignoring the UCI rulebook to create what they claim is the fastest bike in the world.
The defining feature of the One is its bayonet fork, and for this edition, Bugatti and Factor have widened the fork legs even further. “The front fork has been meticulously engineered to deliver measurable aerodynamic gains, reducing drag through refined shaping and optimised airflow management around the leading edge of the bike”, says Factor.
The fork’s lower section also differs from the standard Factor One, featuring a wider profile near the thru-axle with a channel running through it, presumably designed to further improve airflow.
The wheels are anything but standard and are described as “the cycling equivalent of a hypercar wheelset”. There are the Black Inc Bugatti Hyper 62 wheels, weighing a claimed 1,298g for the pair, and wrapped with specially branded Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT tyres featuring French Racing Blue sidewalls.
As you’d expect, everything is bespoke, including an SRM power meter with a Carbon-Ti chainring and a custom Selle Italia saddle covered in Alcantara, a material commonly used in sports car interiors.
So, who is this bike actually aimed at? Factor describes it as being for “collectors, enthusiasts and athletes.” Since it can’t be raced in UCI-sanctioned events, its use is largely limited to the weekly chaingang, Sunday club rides, or simply being admired as a display piece on the wall.
The Bugatti Factor One is limited to 250 individually numbered units worldwide, and prices start at $23,599 (around £17,800). To find out more about the Bugatti Factor and enquire about the bike (assuming you have considerably more disposable income than us), check out the website.
Gobik’s new X bib shorts weigh a claimed 158g, stripping design down to the “essentials”
Gobik, clothing sponsor of WorldTour team Ineos Grenadiers, has unveiled the new X bib shorts, which the brand says are stripped down to the essentials to deliver “less weight, less friction, and a deeper connection between the rider and their performance.”
Gobik says the X bib shorts bring high-end features to a mid-range price, retailing at €150 (around £130). The design minimises seams to reduce friction and features a raw-cut leg finish- features familiar on other premium bib shorts. Weighing just 158 g (size M), the shorts are said to provide a “second-skin experience”.
At the heart of the garment is an Elastic Interface chamois – K10 for men and K9 for women and the shorts are designed to perform in temperatures between 15-35 °C and offer 50+ UPF sun protection for hot days.
Fizik launches new Lyra all-rounder shoes, priced at £229.99
Fizik’s top-tier Vega Carbon shoes retail at £389.99 and earned an impressive 9/10 in our testing, securing a place in road.cc Recommends. Now, the brand has introduced the Lyra shoes, bringing many of those premium features into a less expensive package.
Fizik describes the Lyra as a “versatile all-rounder engineered for daily rides and fast-paced racing”, designed to balance performance with long-distance comfort.
Unlike the Vega Carbon’s aero weave upper – which proved tricky to keep clean – the Lyra uses a mesh construction that appears more hardwearing, with Fizik claiming it is both breathable and durable. The Lyra also adopts a rounder, wider toe box, following the shift away from Fizik’s traditionally narrow fit seen in the Vega Carbon – good news for riders needing a bit more room.
Elsewhere, the Lyra features a similar dual Boa closure system and wire-threading pattern to its premium sibling.
The shoes are available in White, Coal Black/Black and Lavender/Mint Green, and are available now priced at £229.99. We’ve got a pair on the way, so stay tuned for a review once we’ve put the miles in.
Got a little more to spend? Giro’s new Imperial AS all-season road shoes are yours for £399.99
This new top-end shoe – that will be used by the likes of Biniam Girmay, Paul Seixas and Jay Vine during the 2026 season – is described as a “next-generation performance road cycling shoe engineered to deliver elite-level efficiency, comfort, and protection in colder and wetter riding conditions”.
A forged carbon fibre outsole is paired with a thermo-bonded 2-layer upper constructed of a warp knitted mesh and 0.25mm TPU skin, said to “balance breathability, weather resistance, and structural support to deliver a locked-in fit under race effort”. The upper is said to be better for early-season training, shoulder-season racing, and wet road conditions. Pretty much most of the time in the UK, then…
The weight is 234g per shoe for a size 43, and the price is £399.99 a pair.
Apidura redesigns Expedition series “refining stability, integration and fit”
In 2016, Apidura launched the “world’s first welded, waterproof bikepacking bags,” initially called the Dry Series and later renamed the Expedition Series.
“In the ten years since, bikepacking has evolved dramatically”, says Apidura. “Multi-surface riding, and all-road exploration are now the norm. The updated Expedition Series reflects these shifts – refining stability, integration and fit while preserving the simplicity that made the original a benchmark”.
Central to the update is the new Handlebar System, built around the Expedition Handlebar Pack. It uses a clamp-free design and includes BarSpace Modules that position the pack away from the handlebars, freeing up space for accessories such as a bike computer mount.
The Expedition Handlebar Pack is designed to be lightweight, with the 9 L version weighing 436 g and the 13 L at 448 g. By comparison, Tailfin’s 9.1 L and 12.5 L Bar Bag Systems weigh 733 g and 817 g. The packs are priced at £158 and £170, while Tailfin’s equivalents cost £240 and £250.
Other items include top tube bags, frame bags and saddle bags, and you can check out the full range on Apidura’s website.
Behind on your cycling tech news this week? Here’s what you’ve missed:
- Felt ups the lightweight aero stakes again with all new Nexar, with a claimed weight of just 6.48kg
- Mathieu van der Poel spotted testing mysterious new aero handlebar – is this more evidence to suggest a new Canyon Aeroad is coming?
- Look moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach, and introduces fresh range of gravel-specific pedals
- Rapha’s Core Rain Jacket impresses, Berk’s feathery 100g saddle stands out, and a 10/10 cycling jacket from Q36.5: road.cc Recommends updated with six great cycling products
- Hookless wheels keep getting bad press — after several recent controversies, can brands sticking with the technology weather the hookless storm?
- Check out the Pinarello that launched Bradley Wiggins’ best-ever year
