Week in Tech: New Canyon, Sagan says Wahoo!, Rapha wool
Canyon introduces new mountain bike, Sagan's Bora team rides with Wahoo Elemnt Bolt head units, and Rapha has a fancy new jacket.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Here’s your Week in Tech — all the gear news you need with none of the marketing gibberish you don’t want.
Canyon hits the trails
Canyon’s updated Spectral trail bike sports 150 millimeters of travel up front and 140 millimeters of travel in the rear. It comes in three flavors: full carbon, carbon front and aluminum rear, and full aluminum. 27.5-inch wheels are wrapped in either 2.4-inch or 2.6-inch tires. Canyon has also developed a new integrated cable channel: The impact-resistant plastic cover fits into the frame to maintain a clean look that makes service simpler. Canyon has also developed two new bottle cage systems to work with the new lateral position of the shock, as well as a storage box that attaches to the frame. An integrated seat post clamp tops off a long list of nice touches. Pricing and models available for U.S. consumers are below.
U.S. Pricing:
Spectral AL 6.0 $2,499
Spectral CF 8.0 $3,499
Spectral CF 9.0 PRO $4,499
Spectral CF 9.0 SL $5,999
Spectral CF 9.0 EX LTD $6,999
Sagan says Wahoo!
Triple world champion Peter Sagan’s Bora-Hansgrohe team will ride with Wahoo in 2018. The Georgia company will provide Sagan, Rafal Majka, and the rest of the team with Wahoo Elemnt Bolt head units and Tickr heart rate monitors. “I think the Wahoo bike computers stand out not only for the technology, performance and features, they offer but also for their cool design and user-friendliness,” said Sagan.
Lezyne’s box o’ gold
Pegboard looking a little blah these days? Lezyne’s toolkit can spice things up with a collection of tools plated with 18K gold. The six tools come in a wood box; three are gold-plated entirely, and three feature gold accents. The gold bits are the Saber Levers, an alloy bottle cage, a waterproof aluminum case for the patch kit, a mini-pump, CO2 inflator, and SV-11 multi-tool. For a mere $350 it can be yours.
Rapha’s high-zoot commute
Rapha has partnered with luxury Italian brand Loro Piana to create a new wool soft shell for your daily commute. The jacket is 93% wool, 5% silk, and 2% elastane. The water-repellant finish and taped seams should keep you protected in wet weather. The pocket configuration has been redesigned to provide storage around the back and an internal pocket to keep valuables safe. Underarm zippers allow for ventilation and a built-in shoulder pad protects the jacket from bag strap abrasions. Reflective piping increases your visibility too. Rapha said the jacket was designed to be worn with layers underneath, so you won’t find a race cut here. It’ll cost you $500, so don’t crash while wearing it.
Specialized issues Allez fork recall
Specialized has issued a letter calling for riders to stop riding and retailers to stop selling the 2018 model Allez, Allez Elite, and Allez Sport bikes. The letter was issued in preparation for a recall of the bike’s forks. “After careful examination, we’ve concluded that some model year 2018 Allez, Allez Elite, and Allez Sport model bikes may contain a manufacturing defect in the fork crown which potentially affects safety. Therefore, we’ve decided to prepare for a recall which will involve replacing the existing fork with a new fork,” a statement from Specialized said. “By this letter, we’re asking riders to stop riding, and our dealers to stop selling, affected bicycles. Even though to our knowledge, no one has been injured and no regulatory agency has brought this to our attention.” The statement continued that riders who have purchased the certain model bikes will get priority before retailers.
Tanja Erath wins Zwift academy, will join Canyon/Sram
Germany’s Tanja Erath won the 2017 Zwift Academy challenge and thus earned a pro contract with Canyon-SRAM for the 2018 season. She beat over 2,100 competitors from around the world. This is the second year Zwift and Canyon/SRAM have partnered for the competition that awards the winner with a WorldTour contract. Leah Thorvilson won last year. Erath is a nurse, former triathlete, and fixed-gear criterium racer.
