It's been an interesting few weeks for bike tech, with our staffers on the ground recently spotting no fewer than five new unreleased road bikes at the Dauphine, SRAM launching its new top-of-the-range Red AXS groupset and some, erm, 'unique' saddles being unleashed on the world/our bums.
Sometimes, though, it's the lesser-knowns that come up with the goods that really get us all curious, which brings us to our first inclusion in this latest round-up of cool things we've got in for review. Will Wheeltop further democratise electronic shifting? Let's have a gander...
Wheeltop EDS-TX Wireless Carbon Electronic Shifter/Derailleur (from €739.00)
When we first heard about Wheeltop's electronic shifters and derailleurs for road bikes, we were promised “the same performance as SRAM AXS at half the price” that was compatible with cassettes from 7-speed up to 13-speed... well, since then those claims have widened further, with Wheeltop now claiming its EDS-TX Wireless system is customisable from 3-speed right the way up to 14-speed. To our knowledge a 14-speed cassette is yet to be invented, let alone made commercially available, so either Wheeltop knows something we don't or is getting ahead with the future-proofing.
Anyway, for the current discounted price of €739 you get front and rear derailleurs, shifters and brake callipers, so you'll have to add your own cassette and crankset. It's wireless, you can customise it to the amount of cogs on your cassette with the Wheeltop app, and all the components are made with lightweight carbon fibre for a total weight of 1,333g on our scales (brake callipers, front and rear mechs and both shifters).
Moving up and down the cassette is performed by hitting two buttons that sit behind the brake lever, similar to Shimano Di2, and the left shifter handles front mech shifting. They are powered by replaceable CR2032 cell batteries, and Wheeltop says the system is good for 800 charge cycles. You can also run the system 1x if you prefer.
Is Wheeltop's offering worth abandoning the big brands for? Our head video honcho Jamie is currently trying out Wheeltop's wares, and will be reporting back with a full review later in summer.
Find out more
Recall Rider 4K Safety Camera (£159.99)
Here's another option if you're after a bike camera courtesy of personal protection specialists Recall. Its 4k Safety Camera captures footage in 4k as the name suggests, and is also equipped with a 170 degree wide-angle lens. Using the battery pack (included for the quote price of £159.99) Recall claims it can run for 7 hours or more.
As well as the impressive claimed battery life, Recall also assures us that if you are unlucky enough to be involved in an incident, the built-in 'G-Sensor' means the camera can be set so footage will be automatically saved from a heavy knock, "ensuring that you have evidence in case of an incident".
Recall says the footage will easily be good enough to capture number plates, and there are various ways you can mount it: on a helmet, on a cycle frame pouch, a waist pouch or on your handlebars.
Dave Atkinson's full review is due later this month.
Find out more
Enigma Eikon frameset (£3,999.00)
Enigma's latest beauty is described as "as a timeless yet decidedly modern titanium road bike meticulously engineered and assembled", with the frame weight at a claimed 1,350g for a 55cm (we weighed our full build with Ultegra groupset and Pacenti wheels at 8,390g).
With a max tyre size of 30mm, the Eikon is very much an on-road bike with endurance geometry. A "fusion of tradition and celebration of modern sustainability", Engima says the Eikon reflects the brand's commitment to sustainability, with as many of the frame's components as possible sourced in the UK.
How does it ride, then? Stay tuned for Stu Kerton's full review.
Find out more
Tailfin Frame Bag (£110.00)
Tailfin's luxury bike luggage story started with a selection of lightweight carbon racks, and the range has now expanded to include options such as this super neat and clean frame bag for speedy bikepacking and ultra-distance racing.
Weighing just 290g, this 'half-bag' size has a capacity of 3.8L and is described as "the most technically advanced frame bag in the world". It attaches to your frame with replaceable TPU straps rather than Velcro, it has ports for hydration straws and electronic cables and there are multiple pockets and compartments for organising your stuff.
Tailfin for the win? Iwein Dekoninck's full review is coming very soon.
Find out more
Miche Kleos 50mm Tubeless Wheelset (£1,299.00)
Miche's Kleos wheels are slightly more affordable versions of its CeramicSpeed-infused Kleos RD wheels, instead featuring Miche's own GS series hubs that are said to be lighter than the competition with "ultrasmooth bearings and hub movement that is easy to set". They're available in depths of 36mm or 50mm, and it's the 50mm versions we're trying out.
Made with T700 carbon fibre, Miche says the carbon is arranged in different layers to reinforce the wheels in areas that are subjected to greater stress. This creates "a reliable wheel with a focus on being lightweight and high performing for the rider", so we're told, and with the pair weighing 1,504g on our scales minus tyres or sealant/tubes, the lightweight bit appears to ring true.
The rim width is 21mm, about standard nowadays but not super-wide à la Enve or Zipp, they're tubeless-ready and the rims have a "mini-hook shoulder" so you can "use the advantages of the tubeless system without losing sight of safety, even with working pressures higher than 5 bar (or 73 psi)".
Should these wheels be high on your wishlist if you're looking to upgrade? Stu will be reporting back soon...
Find out more
For all the latest road.cc reviews, head over to our reviews section. If you need some more advice before deciding where to spend your cash, check out our buyer's guides.
Add new comment
3 comments
That Enigma bike...get rid of the aero headset spacers! I've seen this a couple of times recently, and it's aesthetically hideous. A stem and spacers that are way deeper in profile than the headtube and headset.
I've already got Wheeltop's groupset. It's good but I get the impression that while their app implies compatible with 3-14 speed, the front mech is designed for 10 speed and up, as the cage is quite narrow. I've put a 11 speed chain on 9 speed Sora parts, hopefully that'll stop the chain rubbing on the front mech.
They presumably mean the motor in the RD can be controlled reliably down to a granularity that would work for 14 speed over current hub standards?