Are you tempted by a Lamborghini road or gravel bike? Plus loads more tech news from Pirelli, H&M, Reynolds, Kickstarter, Sigma Sport, Classified, Selle Italia...

This edition of Tech of the Week is crammed with juicy goodness, including tyres from Pirelli, Reynolds’ “everywhere wheel”, Sigma Sport’s new top-end GPS computer, and foam-covered pedals that are designed to save your shins. There’s even a cycling-focused board game lurking in here somewhere. But we’re kicking off with news that you can own a Lamborghini for the price of a bike… Largely because it is a bike.

Are you tempted by a Lamborghini edition 3T road or gravel bike? 

3T has teamed up with luxury car manufacturer Lamborghini on new high-performance road and gravel bikes, the just-introduced models being far less expensive than the £18,468 Lamborghini Cervelo R5 we told you about a couple of years ago and the £15,000 3T Exploro Racemax X Huracán Sterrato gravel bike that was launched in December. It’s all relative, though. They’ll still set you back at least £8,999.

The road bike is based on 3T’s existing Strada frameset and is built up with a SRAM Force AXS groupset – a 2x setup with 46-33T chainrings and a 10-36T 12-speed cassette – and 3T’s own Discus 45 | 32 LTD wheels.

> Check out our 3T Strada frameset review 

It comes in two colour options: Arancio Apodis, which is orange, and Viola Pasifae, which is purple. The price is £8,999.

The gravel bike is built around 3T’s RaceMax Italia frame, made in Italy. Again, it’s specced with 3T’s Discus 45 | 32 LTD wheels and SRAM Force AXS components, including a 10-36T cassette, but this time it’s a 1x system with a 40T 3T Torno Team chainset. Handbuilt in Italy, 3T describes the Torno as “the world’s fastest crank”.  

> Read our 3T Exploro RaceMax Ekar 1x13 review 

The two colours available are Oro Elios, which is metallic gold, and Verde Selans, a vibrant green. The RaceMax x Automobili Lamborghini is priced at £9,899.

What makes these bikes Lamborghini editions?

“The choice of colours for these bicycles has been inspired by Lamborghini's iconic super sports cars and the design has been developed in collaboration with Lamborghini Centro Stile, with the aim of recalling the Lamborghini DNA elements,” says 3T.

It’s just down to the finish, then. You do get a Lamborghini head badge and logos, but that’s yer lot.

3T and Lamborghini are both from Italy and most of the components come from other Italian brands, SRAM aside. As well as 3T’s own components, the tyres are Pirelli and the saddles are San Marco. 

3T says that its Lamborghini bikes will be built to order and delivered in 8-12 weeks.

Does the Lamborghini connection add a certain something for you, or do you find these collabs pointless? We’re interested to know.

Find out more here 

Intrinsic Cycles launches Kickstarter campaign for shin-friendly foam pedals

It’s a fact that with flat pedals you’re going to get some scratches on your shins sooner or later so the American Intrinsic Cycles has created the Bumper Pedal – encased in foam – that's designed to save you from that pain while still offering a stiff platform for your feet. 

The pedals feature a Jessup brand grip tape which, the brand says, is the “top brand for grip tape used on skateboards, scooters, industrial applications and more” and should lose less than a tenth of its grip when wet. 

The pedals attach to the cranks with a 15in wrench and are available in two sizes - one for smaller children's feet and one for adults. Each pedal weighs a claimed 255g. 

The early bird price for a pair of Bumper Pedals is £36, and Intrinsic Cycles expects to ship 50 pairs immediately and the rest in July 2023. 

The campaign has already gathered over £3,200 of funding (at the time of writing) and if you want to get involved, the link to the Kickstarter page is below. 

Find out more here 

Reynolds introduces 46mm-deep “everywhere wheel” range

Reynolds has released a new range of 46mm-deep wheels designed for varied terrains, gradients and conditions.

“The 46mm offering is a mid-depth profile that is extremely versatile yet best in class in terms of aerodynamics,” says Reynolds. “The new DET 2 profile offers class-leading stability as well.

“While wind tunnel and CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis are part of the development process, the Reynolds profile is designed for the innumerable yaw angles of wind a rider will encounter on the road.”

The rims are 21mm wide (internal), hooked and tubeless. Reynolds says they are optimised for 28mm tyres.

The same rim shape is used throughout the three-model range, although the BL46 Pro (above) and BL46 Expert wheels use Reynolds’ high-level CR6 carbon construction process while the less expensive AR46 (below) uses its simpler CR3 method.

The BL46 Pro (£2,200, 1,397g claimed weight) and Expert (£1,800, 1,430g claimed weight) wheelsets are both built with Sapim CX-Ray spokes, the difference being in the hubs. The Pro uses Reynolds/Industry Nine Torch Road hubs (three pawls, 6° engagement) while the Expert uses Reynolds/Ringle Super Bubba X (three pawl, 8° engagement).

The AR46 wheels (£1,350, 1,604g claimed weight) use Reynolds/Ringle SRX hubs (three pawls, 12° engagement) and Sapim Sprint spokes.

Shimano HGR11spd, SRAM XDR and Campagnolo N3W freehub bodies are available.

Reynolds’ UK distributor is Upgrade.

Find out more here 

Sigma Sport launches top-of-the-range Rox 12.1 Evo bike computer

Sigma Sport has just released its latest GPS bike computer in the shape of the Rox 12.1 Evo, the new unit offering Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, crash detection, and greater routing capability than the previous Rox 12.0.

“The Rox 12.1 Evo makes tour planning effortless, enabling the user to choose from three different routes while customising their preferences based on terrain type,” says Sigma. “On the road, the transflective 3-inch display offers clear turn- by-turn directions and visual and acoustic cues for the next turn. Creating tracks is now a breeze on the Rox Data Center or Sigma Ride App. 

“Tracks can be easily imported from popular portals such as Strava and Komoot or loaded as a .gpx file into the app.”

The device can be paired with Bluetooth and ANT+ sensors to display metrics like heart rate and power.

An integrated crash detection system gives you a 30-second window to confirm your safety before automatically sending an emergency alert, including your GPS co-ordinates, to pre-selected contacts via the Sigma Ride app.

The Rox 12.1 Evo offers integrated Strava Live segments – so you receive notifications on the display as you approach the start of a loaded segment.

> Check out our review of the Sigma Rox 11.1 Evo GPS Cycle Computer Sensor Set 

This barely scratches the surface of the Rox 12.1 Evo’s features. The list is endless. A review sample has just arrived at road.cc HQ so we’ll go into more detail once one of our intrepid team has put the miles in.

The Sigma Sport Rox 12.1 Evo bike computer is priced at £479.95.

Find out more here 

Parcours unveils world’s first Classified-equipped disc wheel

You might remember that last month, ever ahead of the game, we showed you a spy shot of a Classified-equipped disc rear wheel from Parcours being used at the PTO European Open triathlon in Ibiza. That wheel has now been officially launched.

If you’re not fully up to speed on the Classified Powershift system, read our review and all will become clear. 

The two brands say, “Classified x Parcours are proud to release the world’s first Powershift-ready full disc wheel, combining the efficiency benefits of Powershift Technology with Parcours’ width-optimised technology allowing for a more efficient and comfortable ride.

> Check out the best road bike wheels 2023 

“Classified’s Powershift Technology increases the overall efficiency of the bike by improving the aerodynamics due to the removal of the front derailleur and small chainring. By only running a single larger chainring up front the Classified system is able to reduce chain forces by up to 45%.”

You can buy a Powershift hub either in combination with one of Classified’s partner wheelsets – such as this Parcours option – or as a stand-alone unit ready to be built into a wheelset of your choice. You can also buy the Powershift system with Classified’s own carbon fibre wheelsets. The Powershift hub can be transferred between wheelsets.  

The Powershift-ready Classified x Parcours Disc2 wheel is £1,099. You’ll need to add a Classified Powershift hub system which is priced at €1,299 (around £1,123).

Find out more here 

H&M adds men’s cycling clothing to its active range

The Swedish high-street clothing giant H&M seems to have followed Zara's suit and quietly launched a range of cycling-specific clothing, catering for both road cycling and more relaxed off-road riding or commuting. 

The collection is only available in men's fit and consists of a pair of cargo bib shorts and a jersey, as well as looser fitting ‘water-repellent bike shorts’ and a cycling T-shirt. 

The bib shorts feature H&M’s DryMove functional fabric and have a “tight fit with four-way stretch for added comfort and freedom of movement”, and added reflective details for safety. There is no detailed photo of how the chamois looks on these bibs, but very interestingly, they come with cargo thigh pockets. The bibs’ retail price is £69.99. 

The ‘DryMove Cycling top’ jersey is available in two colours that both match the brown bib shorts seamlessly. Again, the main material is the DryMove functional fabric and the sleeves and side panels are made with breathable mesh. The sleeves also have reflective details and 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 from S to XXL. 

The looser-fitting offerings consist of a pair of waterproof shorts that, according to H&M, have a regular fit with a zip fly and press stud and a partly concealed, adjustable waist belt that has a magnetic buckle at the front. You also get two front pockets, a back pocket, zipped leg pockets and a bike lock holster at the back of the waist. If you roll up the legs, you will also reveal a reflective strip. These retail for £39.99. 

And finally, we have the DryMove Cycling T-shirt, which at first looks like an MTB-shirt but with back pockets. The shirt has a loose fit and comes with a two-part flap pocket on the back and a concealed drawstring with cord stoppers at the hem. This one sells for £34.99. 

Find our more here

Selle Italia launches the Novus Boost Evo 3D saddle with a proprietary design

Selle Italia has launched another 3D-printed saddle, the Novus Boost Evo 3D, following the launch of the SLR Boost 3D last year. 

> Best road bike saddles 2023 — here are the top bike seat picks for every budget

The Novus Boost features a waved shape to offer a bit more stability than the SLR. The cover of the new Novus Boost has been developed with Carbon DLS technology, giving the saddle a proprietary design different to the one used in the SLR Boost 3D. The net-like structure of the fabric has more layers: a softer top layer for extra comfort and a more rigid one below for optimal support when pedalling.

The Novus Boost Evo 3D is available only in L3 size which is 145mm wide and comes with the Superflow cut-out to reduce pressure on the perineal area. There are two rail options available: carbon fibre or TI316 titanium. The former weighs 181g and Selle Italia has not confirmed the weight of the latter. 

The carbon-railed model retails for £394.40 and the titanium £311.83.

Read more

Pirelli introduces the Cinturato Road tyre

Pirelli has released a brand new tyre in its Cinturato lineup, aimed at urban and road cycling.

Cinturato Road is made with a SmartNET Silica compound which Pirelli says is “reliable in every condition” - and already used on the brand’s Velo and P ZERO TLR 4S tyres. 

The Cinturato Road comes with a 60TPI casing and TechWALL+ Road technology, with an added bead-to-bead layer which should protect the tyre from pinch flats and foreign objects, increasing its durability over time on challenging road surfaces that would normally wear it out.   

> Best road bike tyres 2023 — ride faster and further with fewer punctures

Pirelli has also updated the tread design from the TLR variant, with more side grooves and a special geometry of patterns to improve cornering, also on rougher urban stretches or to deal with variable or slightly uneven urban roads even in winter conditions. 

And that brings us to who Pirelli is aiming this tyre for. The brand says this is a tyre “for those cyclists focusing on fun and comfort, and seeking durability, protection and maximum practicality when it comes to use and assembly”. In essence, this means using inner tubes and having a tyre that is easy to pop on and off the rim and lasts a long time - ideal for winter training miles. 

The Cinturato Road will be available in 700c diameter only and in 26, 28, 32 and 35mm widths and retails between £54.99 and £57.99 depending on the width. 

Find out more here

Check out the bike components made from reclaimed Scotch whisky barrels

East Lothian’s Cask Finery is offering headset caps and bar-end plugs made from reclaimed Scotch whisky-soaked barrels that have been sourced from Scottish distilleries

Cask Finery founder Mark van der Vijver, who has worked in the whisky industry for almost 20 years, said, “Our ambition is to celebrate the unique story of each ‘rescued’ cask through local craftsmanship to produce a very special blend of style, function and Scotch whisky provenance for the individual in the peloton.

“The simple design of our Cask Finery accessories makes the aged oak the hero, providing cyclists with an impactful contrast and one-of-a-kind, natural accent to their alloy or carbon fibre bike.”

To mark its launch, the company has produced a batch of 100 components handcrafted from a cask used to mature a 1963 Vintage Single Malt from Glen Albyn, a distillery that closed its doors in 1983.

Headset caps are priced from £32.50 while bar end plugs start at £47.50, with free UK delivery.

Find out more here 

CHPO unveils ‘neo-punk’ glasses… and they're pretty cheap

Swedish watch and eyewear label CHPO has hooked up with English artist Funeral French for a new collab.

The Funeral French sunglasses, based on CHPO's existing Luca model, are described as a “colourful neo-punk-style’ and they’re eye-catching, to say the least.

If you can’t make it out, the writing says ‘Fast life’ above the middle of the lens and ‘Slow death’ on the temple.

They’re made from 100% recycled plastic and are priced at just €39 (around £33), which is pretty darn cheap for cycling glasses.

Find out more here 

Test your cycling knowledge with Pro Cycling: the board game

A Danish board game called Pro Cycling Quiz is now available in English. The game focuses on men’s World Tour cycling and was developed by former pro rider Matti Breschel, who is today a directeur sportif at Team EF Education-EasyPost.

The idea is to complete the pro season races first, answering questions on riders, history, results, equipment, race geography, and so on.

Questions might be, for example: how many switchbacks are on the Alpe d’Huez climb – 19, 21, 24, or 28?

Or: name three Tour de France winners who have won Criterium Du Dauphine.

As well as getting your questions right, you can use tactics to get ahead. For instance, you can ‘use your elbow’ to steal your opponents questions and points.

The Pro Cycling Quiz is currently priced at £41.

Find out more here 

In case you missed it earlier in the week…

• Velocio's "compostable" cycling socks, plus more cool socks + mitts from Castelli, GripGrab, Maap and Galibier 
   
• Strava Heatmap could allow identification of user addresses, say researchers
   
• Check out the new Zwift Play controller that offers fingertip control of virtual rides from your handlebar 
   
• SRAM Apex XPLR AXS first ride review - premium groupset at a pleasing price point 
   
• Is this the most expensive road bike you can possibly build yourself in 2023?
   
• Check out the most accessible Trek Émonda, the ALR 5