Over the weekend, X user @MoBaohua posted three images of what appears to be the anticipated next SRAM RED group. They show a very different hood and lever shape, a streamlined and hollowed-out rear derailleur, and a tightly-spaced cassette. Read our 2024 Predictions from a couple of weeks back. We aren’t too surprised to see it’s really coming soon.

Here’s what we can tell so far…

First, the disclaimers: SRAM has not announced a new Red group. But based on timing and the age of the current Red group, it’s very likely launching this year. Second, they have not commented on the veracity of these images nor are they likely to, that’s just how this works. Third, the images are low quality and we’re living in the age of incredible AI image generation, so….

Is this a new 2024 SRAM Red eTap AXS that’s leaked on X?

All that said, if they’re real, the most exciting part seems to be the revised brake levers. Slimmer and shorter overall hoods, even more so than the recently revamped Force and Rival groups, lead to a very new lever shape.

The recess just below the hood should help it clear your fingers better when braking hard, which is a big deal. The paddle seems taller, though, so it’ll be interesting to see if that interferes with fingers on the drops. Equally interesting is the apparently higher lever pivot location, which should give us more leverage over the brake lever and allow for more nuanced braking.

And that little rubber plug at the top of the new carbon lever blade looks a lot lie where we would find the access hole for a brake lever reach-adjust bolt.

Upgraded ergonomics?

Of course, there’s no telling any of these are real, but they do match patent drawings from mid-2023. Those drawings also reveal a button on the inside top of the hood, which could allow remote control of a cycling computer. If it’s an AXS button, it could also (finally) allow one-handed shifting in either direction from a single shifter…something that we’ve wished for when trying to hold a bottle, snack, or phone while on a climb.

We’ve read plenty of unsubstantiated online rumors that following SRAM’s purchase of Hammerhead back in 2022, that the new Red group will also come with a newly-integrated cycling computer head unit. So these could likely be the control buttons for those, without taking your hands off the bars!

Lighter brakes?

The calipers appear much smaller, with a larger gap between it and the mount, and less material around the pistons. Combined with the slimmer levers, these could be substantially lighter weight than before, helping put SRAM RED back in the weight-weenie pole position.

The rotors look leaner, too, with deeper scalloping around the circumference, larger vents, and much less material on the aluminum carrier.

Still 12-speed, but lighter MTB-inspired Red rear derailleur?

The rear derailleur looks leaner, particularly with the cutout on the outer parallelogram. The weight-weenies are really rejoining now!

That part does not look to be user replaceable like on the new T-Type Transmission MTB derailleur, mainly because the rear-ward pivot sits inside the B-knuckle, not outside.

Two features really stand out, though:

• It is not UDH – it’s using a standard derailleur bolt attachment, not a concentric one like Transmission. This makes us think UDH is still primarily a gravel and MTB thing in SRAM’s eyes. But road bikes will remain focused on the lightest possible weights. The inclusion of high/low limit screws reinforces this notion.
• Larger lower pulley – This appears to have a 14-tooth lower pulley with the same breakaway design as T-Type. We feel like the breakaway aspect seems less important for road. But we do like that it’s bigger. Bigger wheels mean less resistance, just ask every aftermarket cage maker.

The angled view of this cassette makes the first six cogs appear much closer than the current cassette, but both share 1-tooth jumps for the first six cogs with a 33-tooth big cog. Current smaller cassettes get 1-tooth jumps for the first seven cogs and we assume that’ll carry over, along with 2x chainring combos up front.

It remains 12-speed, but that chain looks to have huge cutouts on the outer plates to save weight. That’s something the current Red chain does not have, but the new Eagle XX SL does.

Thoughts? Did we miss anything?

What do you want to see from a new SRAM RED group?

Let us know in the comments!

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Filippo Ganna and the INEOS Grenadiers give us a sneak peek at the next generation reshaping of the Kask Utopia aero road helmet. Its secret to more speed appears to be more coverage. Less extra coverage for extra coverage for improved safety. But instead, a cowl that smooths airflow over the rider’s ears, plus reshaped intake & exhaust vents….

Sneak Peek: New Kask Utopia aero road helmet, coming soon

Kask has not yet given us any new information about a design reboot to their top-tier Utopia aero road helmet. In fact, they just updated the classic Utopia Y last spring, after half a decade of pro racing.

But the INEOS Grenadiers team has been prominently showing off an all-new iteration of the aerodynamic lid across social media since they unveiled their new colors on January 1st. And the differences are quite extreme.

Most notably, ear cowls.

What’s new? And is it really a new Utopia?

Officially we don’t know for sure that the new aero road helmet will retain the Kask Utopia name, quite possibly not. But the overall profile – both from directly in front or the side – is similar enough, that I could go out on a limb and predict it will be still be a Utopia, maybe with a different letter tacked on the end.

Think Utopia X, maybe?

Minor update: The Bike Rumor now suggests that it won’t officially be a Utopia Y evolution, so your guess is as good as mine.

What Kask changed are: upgraded aerodynamics and smaller external vents. The new standout feature is a small fairing that drops down a bit at the sides to cover the top of the rider’s ears. Presumably, the goal like on their Bambino Pro TT helmet is to smooth airflow off the cyclist’s face or sunglasses, as it passes your bumpy ears. Interestingly, SunGod eyewear sponsor INEOS, not Kask’s own KOO. So perhaps KOO will also debut special sunglasses designed for even smoother aerodynamics.

Looking at the various positioning on a few of the team riders’ heads, those with a closer fit of the helmet appear to have this cowl pressing their ears a bit back against their heads. While riders that might have sized up on their helmet seem to have more room for their ears.

We’ll certainly be curious to see how comfortable this is. And how big the aero gains are, once the helmet officially launches.

What else do we know?

The ear covers are the most striking change. But Kask really completely changed the vent layout, as well.

The 3 lower front-facing vents are mostly unchanged. But Kask shifted the top vent further forward. And they completely removed the 2 upper side vents. This completely shales up Kask’s ‘Hyvent’ concept. But presumably means much smoother aerodynamics, especially as the rider changes head position.

At the back, there is still a sharp pointed tail. But now unsurprisingly, the 3 rear exhaust vents have been pinched down to a much smaller height, matching the reduced intake vent area on the front. Kask currently rates the Utopia Y as 4/5 for ventilation. We’d guess this new one is more like a 3/5.

The INEOS team are also seen in the fully-vented all-rounder Elemento which debuted last summer promising maximum aero benefits and 5/5 ventilation. We also just so happened to publish a full review of that lid today, as well.

From a final details and safety point of view, this new version of the Utopia still uses a similar 2-piece in-mold construction like the current helmet. And it looks like the same adjustable Octofit+ dial retention. And there’s a round red WG11 sticker on the back. So it meets Kask’s own rotational impact protection standard, too.

How soon is coming soon for a new Kask Utopia?

As for when it will be available, how light it will be, or how much it will cost? We don’t have any concrete data.

We’ve reached out to Kask for comment, and will update here once we hear back in more detail.

Update: “The helmet certain INEOS Grenadiers riders have been wearing since the start of the year is one which KASK is developing in partnership with the team. We will have more news to share about this helmet in due course.”

And word on the street is that it will actually get an all-new name, too.

Kask.com

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Take a look inside the hub with us in our exclusive Qvist factory tour just outside of Dresden, Germany. A year and a half ago we peeked inside Qvist’s unique all-new double ratchet, high-engagement mountain bike hub concept. Now we peek inside the Qvist CNC machines with idea’s man Roman Elsner – just as they are ramping up – to see how they’re made.

Besides the up close look at high-tech precision German manufacturing. The real added bonus is that the Qvist hubs & complete wheels are now available to pre-order at a 10% off discount. And many more components are on the way, too…

Qvist 3° Double Ratchet 120 POE bike hubs

How hard can it be to make a good bicycle hub, right? Or well, a quick high-engagement, relatively light hub that is also durable. It turns out that it is pretty tough. Qvist had a – now patented – idea for a novel adaptation of the trusted DT-style start ratchet. And they ran with it.

Instead of creating smaller ratchet teeth to add more points of engagement (POEs), they doubled the speed of hub engagement by machining teeth offset on both sides of their main steel ratchet ring. But to do that, they pretty much had to reinvent the manufacturing method too.

Roman shopped the Qvist idea to existing hub makers. But none seemed set up to run with the new idea.

Then they hunted around for a manufacturing partner. And really, no one could do it for them with the existing machining setups in the bike component sphere.

So Qvist figured out how to design some custom tools to adapt already-established manufacturing techniques. And now are building their hubs and all the key internal elements entirely in-house. That means, they make hubshells, axles, end caps, freehub bodies, and of course those critically unique ratchet rings.

Inside our Qvist Factory Tour: How hubs are made?

We dropped by the new Qvist manufacturing HQ just outside of Dresden, Germany a few weeks back to see how things were moving ahead on all of the in-house production. The team hadn’t yet gone into full-scale production mode, but had been working through the final setup steps of the more complicated elements.

Qvist’s trick to manufacturing in Germany at competitive (but still premium) pricing has been a lot of automated manufacturing that limits the human labor after setup. All of the hub parts are effectively being machined on three automated CNC machines – a couple of lathes and a more complex mill. Each features unique custom tooling to speed up some machining steps & boost its machine’s capabilities, which we got a sneak peek inside. Plus, automated material feeds and completed parts managers to function autonomously.

Hubshells

Starting as solid bars of 7075 alloy – like all the other machined aluminum parts – the aluminum hubshells seem simple enough on the outside. But they are not the simplest parts that Qvist makes, and require several machining steps and some creative tooling solutions.

Beyond the 6-bolt rotor interface, threads, and spoke holes, they also get complex inside.

Machined guides inside the hubshell allow the special Qvist Double Ratchet ring to slides back-and-forth inside, alternating between the 2 sets of engagement teeth. But instead of machining each tooth of those guides one-at-a-time, Qvist had this custom tool made that spin in sync with the spinning hubshell of the lathe to quickly cut the straight guides as the hub spins.

It’s the same technique that allows for the creation of all the teeth on the ratchet rings, too.

Freehub bodies

Out of the same multi-head Traub CNC milling machine as the hubshells, comes this freehub body.

That novel Qvist Double Ratchet system also means they need unique and more complex freehub bodies, too. The double-sided ratchet rings engage the guides in the hubshell (while it floats above the smooth section on this freehub body). And on either side a single ratchet ring engages the matching splined guides in this freehub body.

The longer freehubs feature more complicated machining, for sure. And they will certainly be more expensive and more time-consuming to swap vs. the plug-and-play DT Swiss style freehubs. But the ratchet rings, springs, seals & retainer clips will all be easy to swap over whenever a freehub needs to be switched or replaced. But it is a system that is pressed into place, rather than the freehubs that almost fall out of many other ratchet hubs.

The result of this larger/wider ratchet system though, is that the ratchet actually sits deeper inside the hubshell that a conventional Star Ratchet hub, all inside a larger diameter outer bearing.

That means improved hub stiffness for better wheel strength, longer bearing life, and the ratchets are better protected inside the hub further away from mud/water/dust contamination.

Axles & End Caps

The only thing that genuinely looked simple to manufacture during out factory tour were the aluminum axles and end caps. Yet still, this automated milling lathe seemed up for more complex tasks.

Oversized 17mm axles spin on premium sealed cartridge bearings. Bearings are not made in-house, and ultimately are about the only part of these hubs not made-in Germany, mostly sourced from Japan in standard-sizes that will be easy to replace when they wear out down the road (or trail).

But Qvist did set out to manufacture all of their custom parts in-house, so even these simpler bits get turned on another automated CNC lathe. Various end caps will ensure compatibility with the requisite thru-axle standards, mostly options for their front hubs, including Torque Caps.

The Secret Sauce inside the Qvist Factory

The real heart of the Qvist hub though, are those unique steel double-sided ratchet rings – which all start out as a big long bar of high-strength steel.

Qvist Ratchet Rings

Dropped into the feeder of multi-spindle CNC turn-mill center, bar goes in one end, and little toothed rings come out the other end, after a fully-automated multi-step machining process – inside and out…

…and then from both ends.

Internal splines, external splines, ratchet teeth – all created with perfectly synchronized skiving. That’s where the material being machined and the tool’s cutting the teeth both spin at the perfectly coordinated correct speed to cut precisely straight teeth across a spinning piece of steel.

Skiving is used for both the double-sided teeth that engage the 2 separate single-sided ratchet rings. And with a separate custom tool for the teeth that guide the Double Ratchet inside the hubshell.

It was pretty cool to watch, even if a bit difficult to get your brain around. Seeing a helical tool spin to cut straight teeth across a counter-rotating rod coming from the other direction.

There’s actually a set of 3 ratchet rings, but the center one is the most complex.

Qvist describe the process as old tech. But made much more powerful and precise with the ability of the computing in CNC to perfectly sync the rotational speeds of the tool spindle and the component spindle.

Initial prototyping and first quality control is all done in house. But Qvist outsources production quality control to local testing labs who specialize in ensuring the highest standards are met.

Another key interesting bit, the whole thing happens in a bath of plant-based and biodegradable cutting fluid. But not in conventional oil. The whole Qvist manufacturing workshop smelled surprisingly clean. And not as greasy as you normally would sense in a machine shop. Roman says that came down to the fact that they just wanted to create a more healthy environment if they were going to be working there every day. It’s maybe marginally less efficient than conventional cutting oil. But cleanup is so much easier, as is separating the machined material scrap that gets sent back for recycling.

In the end, this final production Qvist hub boasts 120 total teeth – 60 on each side – for a quick 3° engagement angle. That makes it one of the fastest engaging road or mountain bike hub on the market. All with classic ratchet hub security.

Qvist hubs & wheels – Pricing, Options, Pre-sale Discounting & Availability

The finished Qvist hubs with all that lovely in-house manufactured tech inside are now available for pre-order. You get to pick from a number of core options, with rear hubs retailing for 500€. Boost rear mountain bike hubs (from 290g, claimed) are 6-bolt, come in 28 or 32 hole drilling. And in silver or black ano. Then, pick from Shimano HG, MicroSpline, or SRAM XD freehubs. Non-Boost rear road/gravel/cx hubs (265g) are centerlock in 24,28, or 32H drilling. Again, silver or black with HG, MicroSpline, or XDR freehubs.

A Superboost hub and a Single Speed hub designed for modern gearbox bikes are both in the works, as well.

Qvist also machines matching front hubs in house for 200€ a piece. Boost 6-bolt hubs (160g) can pick 12mm, 15mm, 20mm or RockShox-friendly Torque Cap thru-axle end caps & 28/32H drilling. Non-Boost centerlock hubs (120g) pick 12 or 15mm end caps & 24/28/32H drilling. Either in silver or black.

On top of hubs, Qvist understands a lot of cyclists just want a complete set of wheels to ride out of the box. So they sourced their own carbon & alloy rims. And they will custom build up road, gravel, XC, trail, or enduro wheels too in house in Germany. There are tons of options to choose from, all laced with Pillar spokes. Admittedly, Qvist sources alloy rims in Taiwan, and carbon rims in China. Apparently Qvist tested a bunch of options. And the Chinese carbon option delivered by far the best quality. Qvist are still working on a EU-made carbon option in the future too, though.

There really are too many options to get into detail: 18.5-26mm deep x 27-30mm internal for MTB. 25-50mm deep x 21-27mm wide internal for road & gravel. The Qvist carbon rims are even available separately for 400€ a piece if you want to build your own wheels.

What’s next for Qvist?

Qvist are a completely new component maker with a lot of great ideas, plenty of engineering experience, solid manufacturing expertise, and a solid position in the Saxony bike manufacturing community. As we visited them in mid-December, Qvist are still in the process of ramping up production. Yet they seem to have dialed-in their unique machining processes. Even if some of the automated material handling setups weren’t quite finished yet.

It also looks like they’ve drummed up a lot of interest with the truly unique Double Ratchet hub, over the last 18 months. So I suspect they’ll be working hard to meet initial production hub demand.

But their product development team isn’t sitting still. In fact, they’ve also got a 4th fancy (& expensive) CNC machine – another lathe sitting in the workshop waiting to start producing headsets and bottom bracket cups. There’s no word on pricing, options, or availability yet. But as soon as they dial-in hub component automation, we expect to see more components getting cranked out of the Qvist workshop – just outside of Dresden, Germany.

Pre-order Discount Now

All of the new hubs, rims, and wheels are available to pre-order now direct from Qvist. Deliveries scheduled to start shipping at the end of February and into March 2024.

Shop now direct from Qvist’s online shop for any combo of their new components. And save 10% off retail pricing though the end of this month, January 2024. Use code: PRESALE at checkout to save.

Qvist.cc

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Flat pedal riders will get a kick out of this. How about a new flat pedal that uses a “breakthrough technology” of self/centering, flat floating, and is truly clipless? Meet the 8 Degree Floating Pedal.

The press release claims that the 8 Degree Floating Pedal adapts to each rider’s biomechanics by allowing the rider to angle their feet. This, in turn, would/could reduce the risk of discomfort or injury associated with a fixed position on a pedal.

The “breakthrough” tech is versatile and can work for road and MTB cyclists, BMX, home/gym workouts, or recreational riders. They offer an adjustable range of float from -4 degrees to +4 degrees. This allows the cyclist to fine-tune the pedals to meet their specific needs. This would also make it a breeze to use the same pedals for different bikes, making it a pretty flexible pedal.

You might be thinking, why would need float on a pedal where you’re not clipped in? If you’re running mountain bike shoes with tacky soles, or even just pedals with aggressive pins and normal shoes, it can be hard to move your foot around on the pedal. This pedal would allow you to keep your feed “locked in” on the traction pins, while still allowing for float. Similarly to clipless pedals, that float could make your pedal stroke more comfortable by putting less stress on your joints. That was the idea behind the Funn Hover pedal concept back in 2015.

How It Works

Let me try to explain this. Once you put your foot on the pedal, the pedal will be able to pivot laterally +/- 4 degrees by swiveling the whole pedal body on its spindle, gliding back and forth on an internal rod with springs on either side providing the tension.

I don’t know if that makes any sense, but you can see the pedal work in the video above.

Features

• 8-Degree Float: Offers an 8-degree float for comfortable foot movement
• Innovative Design: Unique flat pedal technology
• Self-Centering: Automatically returns to the neutral position
• No Special Gear Required: Works with standard shoes
• Wide Float Range: Pivots laterally +/- 4 degrees
• Comfort and Efficiency: Reduces strain, and pressure points, and enhances pedal efficiency
• Injury Reduction: Alleviates the risk of strain by promoting natural leg movement
• Versatile: Suitable for all cycling disciplines

Currently, there is no word on when these pedals will be available or the retail price. The press release mentioned that they are in the final stages of testing to meet international safety standards. Check the link below to join their newsletter so you can get yours when they drop.

8DegreePedal.com

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Outside Brendan is back. This time, it’s with his first physical product that’s actually available for purchase! Fabricated by Jank Components out of Bellingham WA, the Jank Beverage clip is a unique way to carry your favorite can of beer, utilizing your bike’s water bottle bosses – just don’t expect your beverage to be kept cold and unshaken along the way.

The product seemed to have gotten legs after Brendan posted his 3D-printed prototype to his IG. He has since collaborated with Jank Components to have the item manufactured in Bellingham, Washington.

The Jank Beverage Clip allows you to carry your favorite canned beer (or any beverage), utilizing your water bottle bosses. There are three different versions that can accommodate a regular can (12oz), a tallboy can (16oz), and a stovepipe can (19.2oz).

I do like the description of the Jank Beverage Clip on their website… “Think of this as a pump holder but instead of holding a tire pump it holds a mood pump”. There are some older versions of the beverage clip available on the website as well. The newer versions are 3D printed from HTPA-CF, for a durable final product. Prefer to 3D print your own? You can purchase the STL files from Brendan’s website for $4.99.

Retail: $19.99 – $24.99

Jank Components have a few more cool 3D printed items on the website as well, like the SRAM AXS Battery Holder, a Side Mount for Dynaplug Racer, and the Plug Buddy/EDC Stan’s Dart Add-on.

Check the other stuff they offer as well at the link below.

JankComponents.com

The post Like Warm, Shaken Beer? Check Out the Jank Beverage Clip appeared first on Bikerumor.

Vancouver, B.C.’s ENVO is already an established ebike brand, but this ambitious company also produces a whole range of different electric vehicles. In addition to their commuter, cargo and three-wheeled ebikes, ENVO’s showroom also features electric snow carts, scooters, snow bikes, ATVs, and as of November 17th their all-new UPT (Utility Personal Transport).

ENVO follows a clever business model that allows them to serve niche markets, and sell limited numbers of specialized e-vehicles. In short, by using common components wherever possible they can keep production costs low enough to produce short run, niche products that don’t have to sell thousands of units to turn a profit.

Being the most bike-focused journalist in attendance, I am no expert on e-vehicles that aren’t bicycles. However, it was fun to see what ENVO envisions for the future of micro e-mobility.

ENVO’s Story:

Many years ago, Ali Kazemkhani, now the CEO of ENVO, attempted to sell ebikes in his home country of Iran but the venture was not successful. Once he came to Canada, the hub motors and electronics he had were sold successfully as ebike conversion kits. He started his business under the name EBike BC, but later created the ENVO brand for the kits and complete ebikes.

Even looking at their ebike lineup we can see ENVO is all about multi-use, modular designs. Their FLEX ebike, for example, can be set up as an urban or off-road ebike, a snow bike, or a cargo trike. All these options are possible using the same frame mounted with different accessories. Their D50 ebike is an all-purpose hardtail that can work as a commuter, can accommodate cargo racks or bags, or can be converted to handle MTB trails with some component upgrades.

Fulfilling Niche Markets:

ENVO feels the best approach to survive in the micro electric mobility world is to fulfill the needs of many niche markets. As this market expands, many different uses and applications are arising for small electric vehicles. By sharing electronic components and making their vehicles from common materials (eg. all the vehicles are built on aluminum frames), ENVO can afford to test the marketplace with short runs of different products. They believe this approach will keep them relevant and profitable in the constantly changing e-mobility realm.

The new UPT platform takes their modularity concept to a new level, as ENVO has an endless list of possible uses and accessories planned for this machine. Just a few examples are recreation, farming or general utility, not to mention municipal uses like garbage collection, search and rescue, or police patrolling. In fact, Vancouver police are already using one of ENVO’s electric ATVs to patrol a beachfront park. 

The New ENVO UPT:

The unveiling of the UPT was the main reason ENVO held this media event. The new ‘Utility Personal Transport’ UPT is an evolution of ENVO’s existing electric ATV, but with its own ground-up design to address feedback from ATV owners and to massively increase its modularity.

The most obvious and significant change is the move to an open platform for the UPT. This platform, combined with the offset steering column, allows for a huge range of uses and potential accessories. Anything from seats, standing platforms, cargo carriers, plowing or towing attachments, micro-car bodies, etc. could be produced as UPT add-ons. ENVO has one design in mind that could be ideal for search and rescue teams.

The UPT’s lowered ‘pass-through’ middle section and offset handlebar leave room for cargo items much longer than the platform itself. The handlebar itself can be positioned in the center of the steering column, or off to one side. The steering column can also be tilted, or even reversed to use the UPT’s entire deck as a cargo area (with a standing platform added for the driver). There are multiple attachment points around the platform to host various accessories.

Based on feedback from their electric ATV, ENVO wanted to keep the UPT’s deck low for stable handling. Using a hub motor in each wheel keeps the deck open for cargo space, but also allows ENVO to offer 4wd, traction control, and regenerative braking.

The UPT features dual wishbone suspension with 120mm travel. Its horizontal shock layout saves space so the thin platform can offer its pass-through shape for hauling long items.

UPT Specs:

As for specs, the UPT’s maximum power output is 12,000W, and it provides 640Nm of torque.  The UPT’s payload capacity is 550lbs, and it can tow up to 770lbs. Maximum speed is listed at 31mph.

Up to 8 batteries can hide in the UPT’s platform. Fitting ENVO’s production strategy, they are the same batteries found in ENVO’s ebikes. The UPT’s range is 62-124 miles (depending largely on how many batteries you’re running). The whole UPT will be IP67 water resistant.

Folding down or positioning the steering column is an easy task, with just a few allen bolts to tighten. Sliding the handlebar to the center or side of the column is done the same way. Finished UPTs will include integrated headlights, taillights and turn signals (if required).

A UPT weighs at least 160kg without attachments, so ENVO has included a crawl mode to help with storage. The crawl mode will move the front wheels very slowly, so you can creep the UPT up a wall and park it vertically to save space in a garage, etc. While that takes care of the UPT, any attachments will take up some storage space themselves. It’s too early to know if accessories will be quick and easy to remove from the platform.

ENVO is aiming to take pre-orders for the UPT by early 2024, with expected delivery closer to 2025. Pricing should be around $14,000 USD. Keep an eye on ENVO’s website for updates.

envodrive.com

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It’s no secret that carbon fiber manufacturing can be wasteful and at times disposable, so Vélos Advancements decided to create their all-new Holocene as a more sustainable aero road bike, made from recycled carbon. “Imagine owning a bike cut from the same roll of carbon that a rocket, an America’s Cup yacht, or a race car was made from.” That was the goal of composite technical Dan Burrows. Started back in 2019 as a carbon bike repair & repainting shop, Vélos set out to build a better carbon road bike. A carbon bike that is easier on the environment…

Vélos Holocene handmade recycled carbon aero road bike

According to Burrows, “having spent over 3 years closely studying and building a business around repairing everybody else’s products we have come to the understanding that we can manufacture a better quality, race bike our own way and in the process remove the manufacturing defects and common design flaws that plaque mass produced products more often than one might care to think.”

So partnering with leaders in the sailing and aerospace industry, Vélos Advancements developed a more sustainable way to build new carbon bikes. Vélos repurposes pre-consumer recycled prepreg carbon fiber taken out of the waste streams of these high-performance industries. And they turn that waste into new high-performance bikes.

“Not all prepreg we recover is usable for frame building. We selectively choose only the correct weight and modulus Toray prepregs to optimize our frames for performance, weight, and durability. Any out-of-spec carbon is then turned into other products such as bike boxes.”

A new Superbike made in New Zealand

The result is the all-new made-to-order sustainable carbon Vélos Holocene aero road bike. Engineer “Aero Dave” Higgins of Kinetic SIM designed the new monocoque carbon Holocene. He was the old head of engineering at Avanti bikes, with many of his bikes taking big World-level track victories.

Tech Details

For now details remain a bit thin on the integrated and aerodynamic, disc brake road bike.

Vélos does highlight a few key features, though. Like the fully internal cable routing developed with partner FSA and a T47 threaded bottom bracket. They also 3D-print titanium bottle cage mounts that are bonded into the carbon seat & down tubes for a super smooth flush finish. Zero compression fittings / rivnuts.

And a unique type of integrated seat mast design. Vélos says their mast system eliminates the need for a seatpost clamp, insert or wedge – typical failure points. It promises a fully adjustable saddle height. But doesn’t really explain how their sleekly integrated proprietary aero seatpost system works.

In the end, Vélos provides buyers a fully personalized custom service for an ultra limited edition bike. Geometry is generally stock in six standard sizes (50-60cm). But everything from ride quality to paint to complete bike build is custom. And they’ll likely be adding an extra size on either end as well, sometime next year.

Apparently it is ultra-lightweight, too. Vélos claims a complete frameset weight for the new road Holocene weighs only 900-950g “for a unpainted 56cm frame and fork” made of “100% reclaimed carbon fibre“.

And gravel too?

Lastly, they haven’t share any details about it yet. But the aero road Holocene apparently has a gravel sibling in the works too. Technically it doesn’t seem like you can pre-order the gravel bike now, but… The non-refundable deposit is “transferable toward other product or services” from Vélos suggesting you kind of could use this semi-crowdsourcing Holocene pre-order process to pre-order a future recycled carbon gravel bike, too.

Vélos Holocene – Pricing, options & availability

Officially the new Vélos Holocene aero road bike is open now as a pre-order only, with production estimated to begin early next year. They will only produce 100 bikes in 2024, so Vélos Advancements suggests ordering early to secure your build slot. To do so, you need to put down a non-refundable deposit of $2500 NZD (approximately $1525 or 1395€) now. And Vélos will not start making bikes until they secure 50 pre-orders. Vélos slates deliveries for “late 2024” worldwide.

Final price is still up in the air, since every bike will get its own custom build. Including a one-of-a-kind paint scheme, something Vélos has built a name for over the past 3 years. In the end, Vélos suggests that a premium baseline price of around $25,500 NZD / $14,800 / £12,000 | 14,000€. That will get you a complete bike with a top-tier Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 spec with carbon wheels. Pre-order now direct from Vélos Advancements:

Velos.nz

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Italian ultradistance cyclist Omar di Felice is 5 days into an estimated 2 months to cross Antarctica on his own by fat bike, fighting some of the harshest conditions on the planet. It is an ambitious adventure project aiming to draw attention to the issue of climate change. And he knows how difficult it will be, having to be evacuated on his first attempt last December.

But he’s back, and making headway. Riding an aluminum prototype fat bike built for him by Wilier, and pulling a sled with all the food, fuel, shelter, and extreme weather gear to survive the windswept frozen landscape…

Antarctica Unlimited: A solo crossing of Antarctica by fat bike

Starting at sea level from Hercules Inlet, Omar di Felice plans to ride roughly 1100km climbing up to the South Pole, then will descend down to the Leverett Glacier, before ultimately climbing back up to the pole for a total 1600km distance. We can all easily grasp that the extreme weather will be windy, cold, and with white-out conditions likely. It is Antarctica after all. But we easily overlook the elevation gain, while hauling all the necessary gear.

Immediately, leaving base camp at Hercules Inlet, Omar climbed 800m in the first 30km, while of course riding a heavy fat bike loaded with gear AND pulling a sled / ski pulk laden with everything he could need for a couple of months alone. Then, he faced the same elevation to climb again, instead skirting the mountains for another forty kilometers, before continuing the ascent to the South Pole which sits at 2835m above where he started.

Unexpected obstacle crossing Antarctica by fat bike

Once cold, wind & elevation are overcome, the next major obstacle is very much psychological. Because it definitely isn’t always sunny.

The physical effort is something you can train for. As is the solo self-supported aspect. Omar di Felice did win the 6800km Trans America Bike Race this summer after all.

But in December in Antarctica, the sun doesn’t set. Stuck in a storm, you may spend days sheltered inside your tent with no visible passage of time. That happened last year for 3 days of whiteout conditions, that literally broke Omar mentally, leaving him alone sleep-deprived with his thoughts in never-ending daylight. Past trauma returned, in what could probably be described as a walking nightmare.

Ultimately, he realized that he couldn’t safely continue, even after the storm subsided. So the support team evacuated Omar, early into the attempt. But he vowed to come back again.

So what has changed, with Omar and his prototype Wilier fat bike setup?

Obviously, now Omar Di Felice knows more what he was getting into. Beyond the psychical prep, he’s more ready for the unique mental test as well.

As for his bike, not that much has changed really.

We last had caught up with his raw aluminum prototype fat bike, produced as a one-off project from sponsor Wilier.

But even for last year’s expedition, they had custom painted the bike and its matching alloy fork in the “Warming Stripes” graphic of climate scientist Ed Hawkins from the #ShowYourStripes campaign.

Each of the blue & red barcode stripes represents a year of deviation from the climate average for the last 160 years, with the red warming of the past 22 years quite obvious.

Antarctic Expedition hauling

On the custom bike Omar fits a set of custom made Miss Grape bags, including a custom full frame bag and a new long Big Node toptube bag for more ready access storage. Plus, a couple of Trunk 6 Waterproof bags on each fork leg.

The majority of Omar’s 90kg of gear though, is packed inside a new customized Norwegian sled, the Fjellpulken Xplorer expedition pulk. But the on-bike bags from Miss Grape provide quicker access. Get to key gear to deal with fast changing weather, to maintain proper nutrition. And to set camp as quickly as possible once he stops riding.

Tech Details & Bike Setup

A Garmin InReach system handles navigation. And he mounts it to a Miss Grape Ilcoso combination extension bar and bar bag holder, off of his handlebar. He’s also newly using a Iridium Go Exec modem and solar panel recharging. That brings better communications with basecamp, and the ability to send live photos like these we have from the current expedition.

Drivetrain is upgrade to XT. But it’s still the uniquely durable thicker Shimano XT LinkGlide 11-speed system (in 12sp spacing) with a wide 11-50T cassette.

And he tops it off with a new ti-railed Selle San Marco Aspide Short Supercomfort saddle. Because he’s going to spend a lot of time sitting on this thing going slow for the next several weeks. Plus, ESI Chunky grips.

Officially, Continental tires and Mavic wheels sponsor Omar. But since neither make fatbike kit, he’s rolling on stealthily blacked-out kit. DT Swiss BR 2250 wheels and 27.5 x 4.0″ 45NRTH Dillinger 4 studded tires.

Follow along live, now

And now we just have to cross out fingers, follow-along, and wait.

Follow Omar di Felice’s live position via ENDUlive. It’s relatively slow-going in the ultra-distance dotwatching scheme of things. But we are enthralled.

The post Omar di Felice is Again Crossing Antarctica on a Prototype Wilier Fat Bike appeared first on Bikerumor.

Belt drives are quiet, clean, and simple, but rely on internally geared hubs or transmission boxes to add more speeds to a bike. Now, Veer is working on a unique two-speed cassette that uses rotating tooth sections to change the ratio without changing the belt’s alignment.

Veer makes belt drives to compete with Gates, etc. Called Veer Shift, they’re looking to take it a step further by giving folks a chance to invest (on StartEngine) and bring this multi-speed design to market.

It works by placing six rotating segments on a freewheel. Each segment has two gear ratios, one with four teeth and one with seven, though it looks like not all teeth are engaged so it’s really about changing the effective diameter.

A tensioner (that looks like a derailleur) is there to allow the required belt length while taking up the slack. Here’s a video showing it in action:

Basically, the segments rotate as the belt comes off of them. By the time they roll around to the bottom to make contact with the belt again, they’ve switched sides and changed the effective diameter. Nothing moves under the belt, and the belt doesn’t move left or right. The functionality is quite ingenious, but…

Veer says it’s far more efficient than gear boxes and cleaner/quieter than chains and cassettes and derailleurs. But it does beg the question, why not just use an internally geared rear hub and gain up to 14 speeds with no external moving parts?

One reason: e-bikes with hub motors. Veer is already an OEM supplier to Detroit Bikes and Lyric Cycles that use their belts on hub-driven e-bikes. This would be an easy retrofit since the Shift system fits on a standard HG freehub body. So for e-bikes with hub motors, it’s a way of adding more range without having to further modify the frame. (Side note: Belt drives still require that the chainstay or seatstay can be split to insert the belt…unless you use Veer’s Split Drive system)

The system is controlled via wireless shifter, so it would need to be charged. The final gear ratios would be easily determined by the front chainring. Veer says it could be used on other electric vehicles, from motos to scooters, too.

VeerCycle.com

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We’ve been keeping an eye on the evolution of the Frameworks DH Bike project of pro downhiller Neko Mulally. As it’s gone from alloy to steel to carbon and back again. 10 versions it seems. And having settled down in its development, Frameworks is ready to open up pre-orders for their ultimate mullet-wheeled DH Frame, returning to an alloy front triangle and rocker, paired to a set of carbon seat & chainstays…

Frameworks DH bike frame project of Neko Mulally

Overall the Frameworks DH bike frame has evolved into a what looks like the long-proven proven Horst-link 4-bar suspension design, with a massive rocker link.

According to Mulally, the goal in developing this DH bike was, “to achieve the suspension kinematics and geometry numbers we found worked best for downhill racing in a predictable and reliable package, the simplest way possible. To achieve simplicity, we went down the road of complexity and back through our testing process to give us a well-rounded perspective. The 4-Bar linkage gives us the tuneability to make the braking and acceleration force’s influence on the suspension in an optimal range with a layout that efficiently uses materials without the need to fit things where they don’t naturally belong and distributes stress around the frame neutrally. The long links put each pivot location relatively further apart, so with the same manufacturing tolerance as frames with shorter links, our frames are more accurate.“

Why now aluminum & carbon?

The Frameworks team first raced all-aluminum prototypes in 2022 as they dialed in suspension. But actually ran into issues with durability around alloy stress cracks in the front end. As well as not enough stiffness out back. Earlier this year, we saw the team move to a UK-made steel front triangle for better durability. And to carbon stays for that rear end precision and stiffness they were after.

Now with refined materials and production, the Frameworks DH bike frame goes to a US-made 6061-T6 aluminum front triangle. Taking advantage of straight tubes, welded to CNC’s parts by Frank the Welder. That is lighter, stiffer, and importantly… now more durable too. Pair that to machined 7075-T6 alloy for the big rocker link, the shock extender, and all other alloy pivot hardware. The end result is optimized strength to weight ratios, and the ability to iterate changes as the project developed.

And the rear triangle does shift to carbon like the mid-year prototypes we caught up with last spring. Opening carbon molds was more costly. But it created a stiff, more precise rear end, that was also 800g lighter! As Frameworks describes the benefits, making the seat and chainstays from carbon “significantly reduces our unsuspended mass (the parts of the bike that move with the suspension) and precisely locates all our pivots, brake mount, and rear hub spacing within a tighter manufacturing tolerance.“

Front triangles welding in Vermont. Alloy bits machined by 5Dev in San Diego, CA. Carbon rear triangles made in VIP Composites in Asia.

Tech details

The Frameworks DH frame is a mixed mullet wheel setup, 29″ front, 27.5″ rear. It features a flip chip at the lower mount of the shock extender to pick more linear 200.7mm or more progressive 205mm of rear wheel travel. With 27% or 30% progression.

The frame features a 83mm threaded BSA bottom bracket, ISCG tabs, external cable routing, and Boost 12x148mm hub spacing for simplicity. Its ZS 56 top & ZS 62 headset is designed so you can have reach adjust if you choose, with no impact on frame Stack. Bikes get a 5-year warranty.

Frameworks DH bike frame – Pre-order pricing, options & availability

Neko Mulally’s Frameworks DH bike project is now officially available to the public. That is to say, it comes as a pre-order meant to kickstart the bike’s production. Pre-order pricing is $3950 for the aluminum & carbon frame, with NO shock – available in two frames sizes (M or L).

You can also pick an option with a Fox DHX Factory, a RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate, or an Öhlins TTX 22m.2 shock if you want. And you can pick your spring weight.

Cost up front is now 50% of the total price, and pre-order payment is fully refundable. Then, the balance is due when they are ready to ship the frame. Delivery time is slated for 90days from pre-order. So if you buy now, Frameworks says they’ll deliver a DH frame to you by February 15th, in time to build it up for the start of the 2024 downhill racing season.

Officially, Frameworks intends to sell the new DH frame in the US, and shipping cost is up to the buyer. Also, they will offer hand delivery at Rock Creek, Kanuga & Windrock bikeparks in the US southeast. You can still buy a bike if you are overseas, but customs & taxes will be up to the buyer.

RideFrameworks.com

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