Aldi unleashes latest batch of cycling bargains... but are they any good? Plus a "game changer" green initiative for tyre and tube recycling

We've brought you more than a touch of new tech this week, from Specialized's £479 S-Works Ares 2 shoes that'll apparently see you enjoy a "7-watt power increase", to Rapha's new "lightest ever" rain jacket, and even a new rim brake wheelset from Parcours. When was the last time you saw one of them?

Thankfully, a busy week means there's plenty left over for Tech of the Week, the headline act of our latest weekly round-up being budget-friendly supermarket Aldi wheeling out some cycling products again, most of which will give you change from a fiver.

We've also got news of a new "game changing" initiative for recycling tyres and tubes that is to be rolled out across the UK by NGB Clean, as well as loads more new stuff from brands such as Ere, Bianchi, Q36.5, EF Pro Cycling, Cannondale and more, so let's not waste any more time.

Aldi unleashes latest batch of cycling bargains... but are they any good?

Aldi cycling Specialbuys 23 March 2025 (credit: Aldi)

An old favourite for cycling bargain hunters. Every so often the wallet-friendly supermarkets Lidl and Aldi stick a load of products for cyclists in the famous middle aisles of their stores. This time it's Aldi, whose latest batch of SpecialBuys in store for UK shoppers from this Sunday (23rd March) include a Mother's Day gift basket (it's not until NEXT Sunday, don't panic), cordless gardening tools and trimmers, 40v chargers... and some Tru-Tension cycling stuff. That's the brand behind the Fillfast tubeless valve system which claims to "set a new benchmark in tubeless tech", offering four times the airflow of standard Presta valves.

Some of the deals aren't on Tru-Tension stuff mind, for example there are children's balance bikes for £24.99, Disney-themed baskets and bells (presumably also for the kids), and a whole host of cleaning and maintenance products, lights and locks — all of which will return you change from a tenner, many also getting you a penny back from a fiver.

On the lock front all three are £6.99. We've got a lock test coming out soon involving some angle-grinding, so maybe we need to pop into Aldi and add a couple of cheap extras. They look okay as an extra line of defence used to secure your wheels to the (more securely locked) frame while you quickly nip into... well, Aldi, probably? Anything longer or more vital to your bike's security will be a personal preference.

Bike locks in Aldi SpecialBuys 23 March 2025 (credit: Aldi)

They're cheap anyway, without testing that's probably all we can say here, even if the supermarket says: "Keep your bike safe wherever you go with this Bicycle Chain Lock. Designed for maximum security with its strong thick chain."

Maybe more interesting is the £4.99 saddlebag that really doesn't look all that different from some more expensive designs and has space in "a large pocket with enough room for all your riding essentials, as well as a smaller netted pocket inside to separate any small items such as keys".

Aldi cycling Specialbuys 23 March 2025 (credit: Aldi)

Finally, there's a whole host of those Tru-Tension cleaning products, including chain degreaser, brake cleaner and chain lube, as well as a £4.99 chain-cleaning brush. Tempted?

A "game changer" green initiative for tyre and tube recycling from NGB Clean

2025 NGB Clean tyre and tube recycling (credit: NGB Clean)

NGB Clean is a commercial cleaning social enterprise looking to be "a game changer" in the recycling of bike tyres and tubes. Even more positive, it helps prison leavers rebuild their lives as part of its work, NGB Clean hoping to address many bike shops' lack of a direct method to dispose of old tyres, inner tubes and other cycle-specific waste through standard waste collection.

NGB Clean has partnered with waste management firm Velorim on the "groundbreaking" Ride, Recycle, Repeat initiative, with recycling bins first to be provided at bike shops across London as well as via the National Bicycle Tyre Recycling Scheme, which comprises over 600 collection sites across the UK. Velorim then recycles the tyres and tubes at its Staffordshire processing plant, the process seeing them shredded and turned into materials used for non-slip flooring, cycle paths and construction.

NGB Clean's chief operating officer is Sam Worden who has worked in the commercial cleaning sector for 25 years and explained: "At one of our contracts, we received a complaint that a bicycle inner tube was left on the floor of a bike store. When actioning this complaint, instead of simply disposing of the inner tube in the waste, we stopped and questioned what happens to it.

2025 NGB Clean tyre and tube recycling (credit: NGB Clean)

"We want to engage with the London cycling community and further afield to raise their awareness of the option to recycle these items. Given that most medium to large buildings across London have bike stores and a large number of cyclists, NGB Clean believes it can make a huge impact. We are not driving this project with an expectation to make a profit but instead create something that will raise awareness and reduce waste going to landfill, and by utilising our access to property management companies we can really make a difference."

Currently, standard waste collection services aren't meant to take bike tyres or tubes as they are considered complex waste, although NGB Clean notes over 10,000 tonnes of tyres and tubes go to landfill in the UK each year. After London, the scheme will be taken to other locations, including Cambridge, NGB Clean saying it is ready to be rolled out across the country.

Want to ride like a pro? EF Education-Easy Post's used (size 44) Cannondale bikes up for sale

Ex-pro bikes used by EF Education-EasyPost (credit: BikeRoom)

Maybe just maybe if we buy a bike used by a professional cyclist then it'll make us a better rider? Or maybe we'll just have no excuses for why got dropped again...

Either way, BikeRoom has some size 44 Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71 models up for grabs for less than £3,500, the bikes raced by various riders at EF Education-EasyPost last season. On the one hand they've been put through a year of WorldTour thrashing and all that entails — on the other hand, they're sub-£3,500 and been serviced regularly by the team's mechanics and again by BikeRoom's team.

Ex-pro bikes used by EF Education-EasyPost (credit: BikeRoom)

The frames are in "great condition" and the spec is as ridden by EF last season, featuring Shimano Dura-Ace R9270 Di2 12-speed groupsets, FSA carbon wheels and all the pro finishing kit. There's one unnamed rider's bike, as well as models that belonged to Esteban Chaves, Jefferson Cepeda, former Tour of Flanders winner Coryn Labecki and Archie Ryan.

Archie Ryan (credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Check out the collection here.

Q36.5 celebrates Milan-San Remo with limited-edition jerseys commemorating iconic victories of Maurizio Fondriest and Vincenzo Nibali

Q36.5 San Remo jerseys (credit: Q36.5)

Cycling clothing brand Q36.5 is celebrating Milan-San Remo coming around again by releasing two limited-edition Gregarius Pro jerseys commemorating the iconic victories of Maurizio Fondriest and Vincenzo Nibali.

Q36.5 San Remo jerseys (credit: Q36.5)

Q36.5 San Remo jerseys (credit: Q36.5)

"Designed with elite craftsmanship and innovation, these jerseys pay tribute to two unforgettable moments in cycling history, where tactical brilliance, endurance, and sheer determination led to legendary victories on the Via Roma," Q36.5 said of the project.

They're available to buy from today, a "true collector's item" according to the brand, and in sizes from XXS to XXXL, priced at £130. Let's hope there's a Pidcock edition for next year... not that we're biased or anything.

Bianchi unveils some very tasty limited edition models to celebrate 140th anniversary

2025 Bianchi anniversary collection (credit: Bianchi)

Commemorating 140 years of heritage and innovation, Bianchi has launched exclusive Oltre RC and Specialissima RC models to mark the anniversary, just 140 of each to be made available worldwide. Team Arkéa-B&B Hotels' Tour stage-winning hero will be riding one of the limited edition Oltre models at Milan-San Remo on Saturday, the team also donning special commemorative jerseys.

(credit: Bianchi)

Founded in Milan in 1885, Bianchi is celebrating its birthday with the Collezione 140 Anniversario, the brand's two flagship models (140 units each) blinged up with a classic Celeste shade and other nods to the 140-year anniversary, each displaying a unique serial number marking its place in the collection.

2025 Bianchi anniversary collection (credit: road.cc)

The Specialissima RC is Bianchi's lightweight all-rounder which comes equipped with RC33 carbon wheels, RC139 saddle, and a purpose-built handlebar – all developed in-house by Bianchi Reparto Corse. The "revolutionary" Oltre RC aero bike features Reparto Corse SPM wheels with differentiated profiles (50mm front, 65mm rear), an RC 139 Carbon Air saddle, proprietary aerodynamic handlebars, and 'Air Deflector' technology. Both models are kitted out with Shimano DuraAce Di2 groupsets.

2025 Bianchi anniversary collection (credit: Bianchi)

The anniversary editions are available now exclusively through Bianchi's authorised dealer network, the Oltre RC is priced at €13,999 (£11,725), while the Specialissima RC comes in at €12,699 (£10,636).

Ere's new gravel wheelset promises "faster, smoother and more versatile" riding

2025 Ere Research Tenaci GT25 carbon wheelset (credit: road.cc)

Ere this week launched its new Tenaci GT25 carbon wheelset, which it describes at the "ultimate all-rounder, ready for fast gravel rides, rugged terrain and bikepacking adventures". It joins the more aerodynamic-focused GA40s in the line-up, the GT25s aiming to stand out for ride quality. 

Ere says they are "nimble and responsive due to their low weight and shallow profile, combined with incredible comfort, thanks to a specially engineered carbon lay-up designed to absorb vibrations" and the mini-hook rim design allows use of both hookless gravel tyres at low pressures and 32mm+ road tyres, adding to their versatility.

The wheelset has a claimed weight of 1.56kg and is available on Ere's website for £999.

In case you missed it:

• Specialized claims "7-watt power increase" with new top-of-the-range S-Works Ares 2 road racing shoes, priced at £479

• Rapha unveils "lightest ever" foul weather rain jacket featuring new, more environmentally-friendly Gore-Tex tech

• When was the last time you saw a new rim brake wheelset? Parcours updates both disc and rim brake wheels with new 2025 range

• Why the aero road bike is making a comeback

• Where’s the seat tube? Urwahn updates Softride 3D-printed steel frames with “groundbreaking” technology