Lapierre reckons its latest bike is "a new pinnacle of endurance cycling performance"; £420 bib tights, anyone?; "A first luminous jacket for commuters" + more

For Tech of the Week we've got a flash new bike that comes with plenty of bold claims, a pair of bib tights that cost as much as a cheap bicycle, new stuff from Zwift, a luminous Kickstarter cycling jacket and new kicks from Northwave.

We better not waste any time, let's dive straight in...

Lapierre reckons its latest bike is "a new pinnacle of endurance cycling performance"

French bicycle manufacturer Lapierre this week released the fourth generation of its Pulsium, the all-new Pulsium CF the latest iteration of "a decade of evolution rooted in the cobbled classics and endurance racing". There's no shortage of confidence in its abilities either, Lapierre saying it "represents a new pinnacle of endurance cycling performance" and, obviously, as this is a new bike launch, it's "lighter, faster, and more responsive" than previous versions.

Those seatstays catch the eye, Lapierre explaining that's the 3D Tubular design also seen on its Xelius DRS which brings a "five to seven per cent improvement in efficiency" over its previous tech. It is also designed with comfort in mind and apparently offers superior dispersion of low-frequency vibrations to make the ride "more supple and more comfortable", ideal for an endurance-oriented bike.

Despite its comfortable mile-munching focus, Lapierre's design team has also focused on the Pulsium CF's geometry to ensure a "sportier feel without compromising comfort". 

"Every aspect of the geometry was reconsidered with the endurance cyclist in mind," the brand says. "A steeper seat tube angle (0.5 degrees), an extended reach for sizes XS to M, and a more dynamic 415mm wheelbase make this bike agile and responsive."

Lapierre says the frame weighs 992g in size medium, 100g lighter than the last generation of the Pulsium. It has taken tube design at the front end from the Xelius DRS to improve aerodynamics, Lapierre suggesting the gains amount to a fairly modest saving of five seconds over 10 kilometres.

There are multiple options, starting with the 5.0 at €2,599 (£2,160) with Shimano 105 R7100 mechanical 12-speed groupset, Lapierre alloy wheels and 32mm Continental Ultra Sport III SL tyres. The 6.0 comes with SRAM Rival AXS (€3,899/£3,243) and DT Swiss E1800 Spline wheels. 

At the top of the range is the 8.0 (€5,699/£4,740) equipped with Shimano Ultegra Di2, DT Swiss ERC1600 carbon wheels and 28mm Continental GP5000S TR tubeless-ready tyres. Check out the full spec on Lapierre's website.

£420 bib tights, anyone?

The Mille GTO winter bib tights caught our eye this week... no wonder considering it's £420 a pair. Knowing Assos they'll probably be the business (our past testing of the Mille range has left plenty of reviewers very impressed) but still, that's a lot of cash to be splashing on a single item of cycling clothing. In fact, you could buy a whole new bike for that... something we tried in our recent bike-buying on a £500 budget challenge.

Back to the bibs... the Mille GTOs promise the "plushest insert" Assos can offer, low-volume insulation and "targeted protection to create the definitive regular fit winter bib tights for the harshest cold-weather conditions". Geoprene layering at the bottom of the leg is also designed to repel water and adhere to booties for ultimate dry winter comfort. Fancy lightening your wallet for these?

"First luminous jacket for commuters" hits Kickstarter for €220

For Kickstarter corner this week we spotted this luminous cycling jacket, because if there's one thing cycling-related Kickstarter projects love, it's lights combined with other cycling stuff. The campaign has only received £5,069 of its £47,812 goal, although in fairness it does still have 23 days left to run.

Its designer Matthias Kraemer reckons it's the "world's first active illuminated jacket" and uses "electroluminescent technology", offering users a waterproof, windproof and breathable cycling jacket with the added luminosity. Crowdfunder pledges start from €220 (£183) and that's with a 32 per cent early bird discount already included. Kickstarter says 22 people have backed it so far, although it will need £42,000 more pledges for the project to continue. All the info is here... and the usual Kickstarter caveats apply.

"Don't call it mid-range"... Northwave's Revolution revolution

If you're confused by that title, don't be. Northwave has a new shoe, the Revolution, named because... well, the brand believes it is far from the "simple update of an existing" product that lies behind so many 'new' releases.

"There are two paths towards developing a new product," the brand suggests. "One relies on a simple update of an existing one. The other involves combining experience and boldness to create something entirely new, a product aiming to test new waters towards an innovative path when it comes to components and solutions. With Revolution, its all-new road shoe model, Northwave chose the second option."

Northwave says, in practice, this means a shoe with a "pro fit" and "remarkable aesthetics" but "without the extreme stiffness and price point of a WorldTour shoe". On paper, it's got all the things you might want in a cycling shoe: a "mix of lightweight yet stiff and durable materials", air vents for breathability and a sufficiently stiff sole. There's a wide fit option too and the Revolution is priced at €224.99 (£187).

Zwift launches community-focused training programme for users to learn more about their cycling strengths and weaknesses heading into 2025

If you're looking to keep your fitness rolling this winter but have succumbed to the turbo trainer now the nights are dark and getting colder, Zwift has launched a new community-focused training programme to "enable Zwifters to learn more about their cycling strengths and weaknesses as they head into the New Year".

Zwift Camp: Baseline will run from Monday 18 November to Sunday 5 January and is made up of six stages, with three workouts and three individual tests for participants to complete. The first two stages focus on sprinting, the middle two stages on attacking, and the final two stages on endurance. 

Using Zwift's free ride segments to capture personalised data, you're encouraged to give it your all to get a true reflection of your peak power. At the end of it all, the data will be used to "assess physical capabilities" and each participant will get a tailored Rider Strength Report outlining their top strength and limiter, as well as recommendations "which will allow them to train smarter in 2025".

Zwift tells us the camp is best taken on in sequence and each stage can be completed either on demand or in an event. These events run on the hour, every hour throughout the course of the programme and participants will also unlock some virtual kit too...

Each workout is less than an hour and the full programme is listed below... or visit Zwift's website for all the details...

Sprinting

Stage 1: 18 November to 24 November
Sprint Booster - duration 55 minutes
Sprint Booster (Lite) - Duration 29 minutes

Stage 2: 24 November to 1 December
Sprint Test - duration 34 minutes
Test measurement - 15-second free ride segments

Attacking

Stage 3: 1 December to 8 December
Attack the Bunch - duration 53 minutes
Attack the Bunch (Lite) - Duration 34 minutes

Stage 4: 8 December to 15 December
Attacking Test - duration 32 minutes
Test measurement -60-second free ride segments

Endurance

Stage 5: 15 December to 22 December
Endurance Elevator - duration 59 minutes
Endurance Elevator (Lite) - Duration 33 minutes

Stage 6: 22 December to 29 December
Elevation Evaluation - distance 24.6km, elevation 396m

Participants can also make up any stages they miss between Sunday 29 December to Sunday 5 January.

In case you missed it:

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• Future of British bike brand Orro secured by investment company promising to "continue its tradition of producing world-class bicycles"

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• "Survive until 2025... if we can get to the end of this year, we'll be okay": British bike manufacturers hoping to make it through industry woes

• Pro cycling team hit out at SRAM "problems", claim chains "fail" when riders "put a lot of force on the pedals"

• Five winter essentials coming soon from Gorewear, Velocio, Jack Wolfskin, Oxford and Ciovita

• What is an all-road bike? A guide to this emerging road bike category plus a selection of the best

• Everything you need to know about cycling shoes — from materials and sole stiffness to closure systems and cleat compatibility, make the right choice when selecting your bike shoes

• Why aren't more all-road bikes like Pinarello's Dogma K8-S?

• What will a complete indoor riding novice make of the latest tech? We got road.cc's co-founder Tony to try a virtual cycling app for the first time