Are podium shades a thing now? Plus new Mapei X Santini kit, Hunt's "premier performance" gravel wheels, Ribble, Reynolds, new Lumos lids + more

This week's edition of Tech of the Week has something for everyone, including Hunt's "premier performance gravel wheelset", charity campaigns launched by Alpecin-Deceuninck, kit collabs with Santini, Mapei and UCI, new Ribble team bike colours, deep section wheels from Reynolds and even "podium" sunglasses from Ekoi. But first up, this week's tech news starts with a brand not usually known for any affiliation with cycling...

Lumos announces helmets with attachable lights  

Lumos has announced the launch of two new helmets - the Ultra Fly and Ultra Fly Pro - which have detachable lights aimed at prioritising visibility. The Ultra Fly is Lumos' commuter helmet, and the Ultra Fly Pro is aimed at the performance-focused road cyclist. 

Lumos claims that these helmets are comfortable and lightweight, with a claimed weight of 245g for the Ultra Fly. The Firefly lights are said to be super light and attach magnetically allowing for quick attachment and detachment. 

Like many of our top-rated helmets, you'll find MIPS inside which offers claimed rotational protection.

The Lumos helmets are currently in their pre-launch phase but you can make a $3 reservation deposit now and get a 35% discount when the helmets are launched. 

Lumos Ultra Fly for $120 (around £90)  instead of $175 (around £133) 
Lumos Ultra Fly Pro for $140 (around £106) instead of $215 (around £164)

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Michael Woods shows off Ekoi's podium glasses at Tour de France

Pic from Eurosport

> Best cycling sunglasses 2023 

Sponsors want their teams and riders to win to showcase the brand, and there's no better time than at a podium presentation at the Tour de France.

Michael Woods of Israel-Premier Tech claimed a breakaway victory at stage 9 of this year's Tour, and our Tech Editor Mat spotted something different about the Ekoi Ottimo glasses he wore for the podium presentation compared to the ones he was racing in. 

We got in contact with Ekoi and they confirmed that they were "podium" glasses which have been provided to the four teams they sponsor - "Our logo is particularly visible. Our aim is to increase visibility," Ekoi says. 

H&M adds women's kit to its cycling-specific clothing range

Like Zara, the Swedish high-street clothing giant H&M has launched a range of cycling-specific clothing, catering for both road cycling and off-road riding or commuting. It was previously only available for men, but there's now a women's range too. 

Previously, H&M's cycling range consisted of a men's jersey and bib shorts, loose-fitting 'water-repellent' shorts and a cycling t-shirt, but this collection has been extended to cater for women too, featuring a cycling jersey and shorts without bibs. 

The main material of the men's and women's cycling jerseys and shorts is H&M's  DryMove functional fabric which is said to have a tight fit whilst offering a four-way stretch for freedom of movement. 

Like the men's jersey, the women's jersey is available in two colours - brick red or black, both matching the respective shorts well. The main material is the DryMove functional fabric and the sleeves and side panels are made with breathable mesh. You get a three-part pocket on the back and a silicone strip on the hem to keep the top in place. The retail price for the jersey is £39.99 and it’s available in sizes S to 3XL for men and XS to XXL for women. 

Both men's and women's shorts have added reflective details and interestingly, they come with cargo thigh pockets. There is no detailed photo of how the chamois looks, but it sounds firm... The women's and men's shorts come in two colours - brown and black, with coral detailing on the brown women's shorts. The men's shorts have bib straps and retail at £69.99 whereas the women's shorts are bib-less and cost £59.99.

The women's range is yet to feature the looser fitting offerings of the men's collection but hopefully we see these added soon! 

Have you had a good experience with bike clothing from a brand not usually associated with cycling? Or do you buy only from specialists? We’re interested to know what you think.

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Santini, Mapei and UCI launch celebratory kit

Santini, Mapei and the UCI have a long-lasting relationship which they are celebrating with this custom cycling kit in honour of Mapei's 30th anniversary in cycling. Santini has been a sponsor of the UCI since 1988 and Mapei has been the main sponsor of the UCI Road World Championships since 2008. 

The Santini jersey and bib shorts feature the iconic coloured cubes of Mapei combined with the UCI rainbow colours. 

> Check out the best cycling bib shorts 2023 

The jersey is slim fit and said to be made of breathable fabric with smooth, raw-cut sleeves and internal elastic at the bottom of the jersey to help keep it in place. 

The bib shorts are said to be made in a compressive fabric and the bands at the bottom of the legs have an internal grip, again to help them stay in position. 

You can get your hands on the jersey for £95 and the bib shorts for £150. 

Find out more here 

Lifeplus Wahoo unveils new Ribble Endurance SL R colourway

Lifeplus Wahoo are debuting a new colourway on their Ribble Endurance SL R bikes at the Baloise Ladies Tour before going on to race at the Tour de France Femmes. 

The frame is in the Team colours of ‘Clear Skies’ Blue fading into ‘Radish Blossoms’ Pink and finished with the team motto #ColourTheRoad on the top tube. 

> Read our review: Ribble Endurance SL R Series Disc SRAM Red eTAP AXS

Ribble has been partnered with Lifeplus Wahoo for the past three seasons and the new colourway will be available to order as a CustomColour Team option via Ribble’s Website.  

The complete team build spec is: 

• Shimano Ultegra Di2 11-speed 
• Mavic Cosmic SL45 wheels
• Continental GP5000 Tyres
• Rotor Vegast chainset
• PRO PLT Carbon handlebar
• LEVEL 2 Alloy stem
• Selle Italia Novus Boost saddle

Find out more here

Reynolds releases 60mm road wheels range 

> Are expensive carbon road bike wheels worth the money? 

Reynolds has created a new 60mm road wheels range offering "best in class aerodynamics, stability, and safety in a lightweight construction", following the same RAV design premise found throughout its entire road line-up. 

The DET2 rim profile is constant throughout the range, and is what makes these wheels the fastest and most stable on the market, Reynolds claims. 

They are offered in three variations: BL (black label) 60 Pro DB, BL60 Expert DB and AR 60 DB, all with a 21mm wide tubeless ready interior that's optimised for 28mm tubeless tyres. 

> Check out the best road bike wheels 2023 

The top-level BL 60 Pro DB is said to be the lightest of the three at 1,500g costing $2,299.99 (around £1,760). The BL 60 Expert DB uses the same CR6 carbon rim layup as the Pro DB but cost $1899.99 (around £1,450). The AR 60 DB are their budget-friendly wheels using a lower-level CR3 carbon, costing $1449.99 (around £1,110). 

Find out more here

Alpecin-Deceuninck launches new #MerciPoupou jersey and charity campaign

Pic ©AlpecinDeceuninck/FacePeeters

Continuing its tribute to Raymond Poulidor - Mathieu van der Poel's grandfather, Alpecin-Deceuninck has launched a new yellow and purple #MerciPoupou jersey that was worn by the riders on the first rest day of this year's Tour de France. 

These jerseys will be auctioned as well as the MVDP Signature Series Oakley's worn by the riders. All proceeds from these auctions will be donated to charities supporting children and adolescents from different backgrounds and living conditions to practice sports, stay active or rehabilitate.

The cycling jersey and a limited-edition T-shirt will also be available to purchase. 

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Hunt creates the "premier performance gravel wheelset" 

@marlboru_

> Inside Hunt — The secrets behind its bike wheels

Hunt's 42 Limitless Gravel Adventure wheels are the Adventure variant of their 42 Limitless Gravel Wheels and are designed for loaded ultra-endurance races and adventures. 

Differences to their aero siblings include increased spoke count front and rear (24/28 from 20/24), H_Ratchet system, double-sided with 2 floating ratchet rings, featuring 40t and fast 9-degree engagement, and brass spoke nipples which are all said to increase durability and reliability under extra weight and torque of steep, long-distance touring. 

Featuring a 42mm deep rim and 36mm wide rim profile, these wheels are best suited to 38-42mm tyres and are said to weigh 1642g. 

The wheels are available to purchase at the end of August and will cost £1,299. 

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Saris bike storage solutions 

Saris creates bike storage solutions to suit a variety of spaces for any type of cyclist.

You might not have a garage or might just want your bikes displayed in the living room, and with 'The Hottie' you can do just that. It's free-standing with a small footprint and wooden face that can hold two bikes above each other. It costs $199.99 (around £150). 

To store more than two bikes, the 'Mighty Mite' is a storage rack that can fit up to six bikes and costs $139.99 (around £106). 

Find out more 

Tozo announces open-ear wireless headphones

Tozo has launched OpenReal wireless headphones that come in an open-ear design that keeps the ear canal open allowing you to hear what's going on in the world around you – including traffic – while you listen to music.

They utilise "air conduction technology" (eh?) and "directional sound technology", which Tozo says is "to make sure that audio is directed towards your ears, minimising sound leakage to ensure you do not disturb others around you".  

Tozo says that OpenReal comes with an IPX7 rating - meaning that it can withstand rain showers - and provides up to 14 hours of listening on a full charge. 

They retail at $44.99/£41. 

Find out more

In case you haven't yet checked our other hottest cycling tech news and features of the week, go have a read: 

• 10 ways to make the Tour de France even better — no weight limits, eliminations stages, tandems + more 

• New Specialized road bike leaked with unique oversized head tube — is this the new Tarmac SL8 or a revamped Roubaix?

• Check out the bikes ridden to every 2023 Tour de France stage victory

• Saddles of the peloton: which models do Tour de France riders use to stay comfortable?

• Julian Alaphilippe's Specialized Tarmac SL7 has alloy bars, a normal saddle and short stem — does he know something other Tour de France riders don't? 

• New Specialized S-Works Torch Lace road shoes "will increase average TT power by seven watts"

• What do pro riders do on Tour de France rest days?

• Have we witnessed the death of tubular tyres? Why tubeless now rules the Tour de France peloton