Fancy owning unreleased Olympic edition Oakley Katos? Bid on limited edition cycling memorabilia, plus check out Canyon’s refreshed gravel bike, Altura’s indoor kit, new commuting kicks, + more

Yes, November, Movember, is over. But men’s health remains a key issue and so it’s great to see ProBikeKit is continuing to fundraise.

Running between today until 22 December, the Movember Cycling Club has its inaugural MCC Online Auction - providing an opportunity for cyclists to get their hands on a number of  limited-edition pieces, with all proceeds being donated to Movember.

Among the lot are some unreleased shades.

“This unique, Olympic edition Kato, with a Prizm Low light lens, never went into production, as shown by the unique gold logo on the side - which is different to normal production Kato’s,” it says on the Oakley listing.

“Own a part of eyewear history, and the most unique sunglasses in the peloton with this exclusive and highly rare lot.”

There are some other very neat bits up for auction, too…

• A Team GB skinsuit, signed and donated by Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist Elinor Barker
• A pair of Scicon Aeroshade glasses, signed by 2021 Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar
• A Primoz Roglic, signed red Vuelta jersey
• Limar Helmet signed by Astana-Premier Tech
• An Elite Suito T Smart Trainer
• Signed Little James Arnold Print Collection

Go onnnn, put in a bid over here and donate.

Canyon’s Grail gets a well-deserved update

The Grail is Canyon’s gravel bike that's loved for its stability over smooth surfaces and control when things get rough, and now the brand has refreshed the colourways, updated the spec and is also offering an extended range of accessories such as full-coverage mudguards, lighting options, and on-bike storage solutions.

The 2022 range of Grails consists of four AL bikes featuring Shimano GRX drivetrains, with the Grail 7 equipped with SRAM’s Rival eTap shifting. Then there are four SL bikes each with Shimano GRX with the Grail CF SL 8 benefiting from Shimano's wireless Di2, as well as the double-deck handlebars.

Lastly, the CF SLX range is made up of two bikes both featuring wireless shifting with one's drivetrain coming from Shimano and the Di2 range, the other with SRAM's Red eTap.

Read all about it here.

New commuting kicks?

Sidi has added the new MTB Turbo shoes to its off-road line-up and to us they look like a stylish option that’ll work well for commuting. 

For the upper, you’ve got a matte synthetic leather with a suede effect and mesh inserts to encourage some airflow and down below the Outdoor sole provides the platform for pedalling, but Sidi promises enough flexibility for walking too. 

Reflective details and a reinforced nylon shell are included at the heel to extend durability and hopefully add a bit of protection.

Read all about them here.

Fancy a unique bike helmet?

Dashel has launched an Ocean Edition range of one-of-a-kind sustainable cycle helmets in partnership with Bracenet, which makes products from discarded fishing nets.

“During the manufacturing of [our] Recycle Helmets (made from fully recyclable materials) at [our] factory in the UK, a number of cosmetic seconds are produced,” says Dashel. 

“These are helmets with inconsistent colours created when the injection moulding is changed from one colour to another. The old colour has to be extruded and the helmets come out paler with subtle waves of colour through them. In addition, the first few of the new colour batch often have traces of the previous colour plus these wave-like lines. No two helmets are alike and the finished ‘design’ cannot be predicted.

“In the past, these cosmetic seconds were immediately put back into the factory’s recycling stream. However, good as recycling is, it’s always better to reuse, as repurposing existing materials creates zero carbon emission, so the Ocean Edition range was born.”

We reckon they look way cooler than solid colours. Dashel could have stumbled on to something here.

The loop at the back, usually made from vegan leather, is made from fishing nets collected by Bracenet. 

Dashel is donating 10% of the sale price of each helmet to support marine conservation work and remove ocean plastic.

Ocean Edition helmets cost £69. They are available at Dashel's website and from selected retailers.

Strava says it’s now used by 17% of the UK population

It’s that time of year again… Strava has released its annual Year in Sport report, revealing 2021 activity trends based on data from 95 million people. 

Impressively, cyclists have in total uploaded over 10 billion miles on their rides worldwide. The average distance per ride is 13 miles (20.9km) for UK riders, and the average duration per ride is 1hr 14sec.

More of us are joining clubs on Strava, participating in virtual challenges and heading outdoors on bike rides too, with Strava reporting a 1.2x increase.

Weather is shown to have an impact on our decision to head outside for a workout or not, though. In the UK, for example, Strava found that activities fell by 32% between 18 and 20 January 2021 when Storm Cristoph hit the country. Sounds sensible to us, make good use of those turbos instead!

Read all about it here.

Keep your bike care stash topped up with Muc-Off’s new ‘Ride Box’ subscription

Muc-Off has launched a new ‘Ride Box’ subscription service to help ensure riders never run out of bike care and cleaning essentials, and the brand says there are money savings to be made too. 

Products from across the Clean, Protect and Lube range are delivered every three months and are available in a range of sizes and discipline options. Muc-Off has a quick form you can fill in with your typical riding details to help you land on the right ‘Ride Box’  sub for you. 

Read all about it here

New cycling print collection goes live

Illustrator Simon Spilsbury and graphic designer Robert Shaw have collaborated on a series of cycling prints that have just been launched at Society Café in Bath.  

The pair say the work incorporates “some realism with a dose of tongue-in-cheek”.

Take a look at the first set of prints at www.spilsburystore.com.

Brooks’ latest limited-edition saddle supports African Cyclists 

Brooks England is celebrating Kenya’s first official gravel event, the Migration Gravel Race, with a special edition colourful C17 saddle (£120) including a beaded saddle charm handmade by local Massai craftspeople. 

“By purchasing this limited edition saddle you’ll be directly supporting the Maasai in their effort to maintain their beautiful cultural practices as well as the AMANI project in their laudable goal of making the sport of cycling more accessible to athletes from East Africa,” says Brooks. 

Read all about it here.

Aero-focused kit drop! The new Jason Kenny Collection 

Track cyclist Jason Kenny is the latest cycling powerhouse to have his own clothing collection. Britain’s most decorated Olympian has named the aero-focused kit JK9 after his nine gold medals and it has been developed in partnership with HUUB design. 

The kit is designed to make cycling more accessible thanks to aerodynamically-tested fabrics which, according to HUUB Design, have been purposed for real-world speeds and not just optimised for the fast pace of the velodrome. The Bib Shorts cost £129.99 and the Short Sleeve Jersey is £99.99.

Read all about it here.

Check out Altura’s new Shore indoor collection

Indoor-specific cycle clothing wasn’t even a thing a few years ago – Madison was the first brand that we can remember introducing it – but there’s loads out there these days and Altura has joined the throng. 

Key features include the use of polyester to move sweat away from the body Silvadur antimicrobial fabrics to avoid unpleasant odours.

The shorts come with mesh panels on the legs and an indoor-specific Elastic Interface pad that’s designed for breathability and long periods of seated cycling.

Men’s vests are £22.50, waist shorts are £50, and undershorts are £20. Women’s vests are £20 too.

We have some for arriving for review soon. 

Check out Altura's Indoor Range here.

Trek-Segafredo reveals new team kit

Trek-Segafredo has announced two new designs of men’s and women’s team kit for 2022.

Team riders will continue to race in white jerseys but there’s a bright new Radioactive Coral colourway for training that’s designed to attract drivers' attention and improve safety.

Santini is once again the official apparel supplier.

Get more details, including prices, on Santini’s website. 

Ribble responds to customer concerns over bike delivery delays

Ribble is the latest bike brand to feel the ire of disgruntled customers annoyed by last-minute changes to delivery dates, and has responded by saying that when holdups result from UK port and logistics issues it receives communication at “very short notice”. 

Ribble adds that it has been heavily investing in its customer service team, and will continue to, and also highlights that there’s a dedicated section of its website that pulls together its Best Availability bikes with the earliest dispatch dates. 

Factory closures and disruption to the supply chain since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as increased demand, has meant bike companies the world over are struggling to fulfill orders on time.

Read all about it here. 

Evans launches Pinnacle accessories range

Evans Cycles has unveiled a new range of affordable Pinnacle accessories that might make good Christmas presents – gloves, overshoes and warmers.

The WND Gloves (£20), for example, are for milder days, coming with breathable mesh panelling to the fingers and palm for ventilation, along with padded and rubberised inserts for grip and comfort. 

The Neck Warmer (£7.50) features a fleece lining for extra warmth while the Beanie (£10) is thin enough to be worn under a cycle helmet. 

Get more info from www.evanscycles.com 

Peaty’s releases brush set

Peaty’s has designed its own set of cleaning brushes comprising: Bog Brush (£12.99), Detailer Brush (£8.99), Drivetrain Brush (£8.99), and Tyre Brush (£8.99). Or you can buy all four in a set for £32.99.

All of the brushes are made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wooden handles and synthetic bristles. Peaty’s says that due to material shortages caused by Covid, currently only the bristles in the Detail Brush are made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, but it is working with suppliers to source PCR bristles for the remaining brushes in the future.

Read all about it here.

New bikes have landed at road.cc

Four new bikes have arrived at road.cc for review this week, two from Look and two from Cube.

The Look bikes are the 795 Blade RS Disc Proteam road bike (£9,350) and the 765 Gravel RS (£5,499). 

The ones from Cube are the Agree C:62 Pro road bike (£3,399) and the Nuroad Ex aluminium gravel bike (£1,649). 

Keep your eyes peeled for reviews on road.cc in the coming weeks.

Oh, and a Stages SB20 Smart Bike (£2,249) has arrived too, which you can use for Zwift, Peloton, and other indoor shenanigans. You get power meter technology and electronic shifting. It looks like a very cool bit of kit.