Week in Tech: Time’s back on your feet, Knolly gravel, beer-flavored Gu

Here’s your Week in Tech — all of the gear news you need, none of the marketing gibberish you don’t want.

Time gets back in the footwear game with Osmos

Time took a six-year break from the footwear world, but now the company is back with its Osmos shoe range. There are three models: the Osmos 15, 12, and 10. Time incorporates a special foam, called Sensor 2, into the footbed on the Osmos 15 shoes to limit vibrations that cause foot fatigue. Time also says the stack height between the outsole and the pedal spindle is one of the lowest on the market, though no measurement was specified.  The Osmos 15 shoes weigh 480 grams for the pair (size 42), and cost $400. The Osmos 12 shoes feature a carbon composite outsole rather than the full-carbon outsole on the 15, and will cost $325. They weigh just a touch more at 500 grams. The Osmos 10 shoes cost $250 and feature a polyamide sole. At 480 grams, they’re the same weight as the Osmos 15 shoes.

Knolly goes skinny with gravel rig

Knolly is known almost exclusively for its mountain bikes, but even fat tire folks get the itch for drop bars sometimes. Hence the release of the Cache, a dedicated gravel bike that’s available with both a rigid carbon fork and a suspension fork option. The carbon fork is Knolly’s own, but the suspension options come from Fox or MRP. And if you’re going to get your gravel on, you might as well go big: The Cache frame is full titanium. As you might expect from a mountain bike company, the Cache borrows from some MTB concepts, like a long wheelbase and short chainstays, and a longer front-center. There’s clearance for 700x45mm tires or 27.5 x 2.1-inch tires, it has custom cable ports, dropper post compatibility, and custom CNC machined dropouts. She’s a beaut, Clark.

Gu tests the limits of your tastes with … hops?

Beer and bikes are tied almost as closely as coffee and bikes. It stands to reason that the bitterness of hops would fit with your energy food … right? Gu wants to find out. Its new Hoppy Trails flavor infuses the citrus and bitterness of hops into a (non-alcoholic) gel you can enjoy on the trails or the tarmac. It’s an homage to the post-ride beer, and while it’s not a great decision to chug an IPA mid-ride, the Hoppy Trails Gu is an easy option for quick fuel. The hoppy taste isn’t overwhelming; the gel still errs toward sweet, but there’s a bit of a bitter tinge to the aftertaste. Beer lovers, here’s your chance to get adventurous.  A box of 24 will cost you $36.

Customize your Rapha gear with new online tool

Rapha has made a name for itself with minimalist designs, but now you can customize Rapha’s clothing to suit your own tastes. With a minimum order of just five pieces and discounts for larger orders, you can now get some of Rapha’s comfiest gear in your own colors and designs. Once you order, your clothing will be delivered within eight weeks. You can choose from preloaded templates or create your own, and even upload your team logo. For now, you’re limited to Pro Team and Classic designs, but offerings will expand to the Core collection in the near future.

Bianchi makes Specialissima more special for Pantani

Twenty years ago, Marco Pantani launched the “Comeback of the Century” after a mechanical during the Giro d’Italia. In stage 15, Pantani’s rivals hoped to drop him on the Santuario di Oropa climb, but he caught up and eventually won the stage. The special edition Specialissima that honors Pantani’s effort features a livery that matches that of Pantani’s bike during the legendary stage. The Specialissima is Bianchi’s featherweight climbing tool, which is a fitting tribute to that legendary day in 1999.