Week in Tech: Abbey toolbox, Movember Zwift, Strava goes topo, and more
In today's Week in Tech, we look at Abbey Bike Tool's new Team Issue Toolbox, Zwift's Movember fundraiser, Strava's new topographic maps, and more.
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Here’s your Week in Tech — all of the gear news you need, none of the marketing gibberish you don’t want.
Abbey’s Team Issue Toolbox packs it all in Kaizen
Great news! If you weren’t sure what you were going to get me for Christmas, Abbey Bike Tools has solved your problem! The Team Issue Toolbox is now available for preorder and will start shipping December 10. The Team Issue Toolbox features a smattering of Abbey’s finest bike tools, along with some of the best hand tools from other brands, all packed in CNC-machined Kaizen foam within a Pelican case. You even get a custom-engraved name plate in Abbey’s signature green. The Kaizen foam panels stack on top of each other and lift out easily so you can access the layers beneath. Each tool in the toolbox has its own cutout, so you know exactly where everything belongs — a place for everything and everything in its place. The bottom layer leaves open the option for customization in case you want to add your own tools to the mix. The Team Issue Toolbox weighs about 18 pounds and costs $1,350.
It’s Movember in Zwift’s Watopia
Want to help Zwift make a sizable $25,000 donation to the Movember charity? It may be easier than you think. Zwift’s goal is to get 10,000 users to cycle or run 9.9 hours in November. If the community reaches that goal, Zwift will unlock the donation to Movember, which helps support the 9.9 million people living with prostate cancer. Movember also raises awareness of testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention in men. To join the cause, simply sign up in-game to get started tracking your Zwift time. Participants will be given a virtual jersey to wear as they ride, and the jersey will change over time as you creep closer to your goal. Every time you unlock a new jersey, you accumulate “Mos”, and if you reach 100%, you get a digital jersey to keep.
Love your brain; win a Revel Bike
Colorado upstart mountain bike brand Revel Bikes is teaming up with the LoveYourBrain Foundation, a nonprofit that helps support those affected by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). LoveYourBrain provides evidence-based yoga programs and retreats for both those suffering from TBI and for their caregivers, among other initiatives. Your $5 donation gets you a chance to win a custom pink Revel Rail, along with a Poc helmet. Only ten of the custom pink Rails were made, and Revel will be giving one away. The other nine will be sold, and $200 of each sale will be donated to LoveYourBrain. You can donate through November 30th, and every $5 donation gets you one chance to win.
Easton’s newest seatpost is all about adjustment
Easton’s EC90 SL ISA Seatpost has a whole lot of ambiguous letters in its name, but the goal is much clearer: create a post that allows adjustment fore and aft, independent of the saddle angle adjustment. The ISA part of that name stands for Independent Saddle Adjustment, and that’s exactly what you get: The ability to tweak your fore-aft position without affecting your saddle angle, and vice versa. This carbon post is available in a 0mm (195 grams) and a 20mm (200 grams) offset, and both are 300mm long. The $200 post is available in 27.2mm diameter only, though you can also use an insert ($15, sold separately) to stow your Di2 battery inside.
Strava switches to topographic maps
You may have already noticed a graphical change on your Strava account. The social fitness network has replaced its old static maps with new colorful topographic maps. It’s the product of a partnership Strava has formed with digital map company Mapbox.
Strava also says these new maps are designed specifically for cyclists, runners, and hikers, since they emphasize trails and riding routes. Strava’s old maps often focused on car-centric features, like freeway names and the names of major roads.
“We are thrilled to share this significant upgrade with our members, with more terrain detail and improved accuracy and aesthetics of how GPS tracks appear.” said James Quarles, Strava CEO, in a release. “Mapbox is a mapping leader, and we’re excited about the athlete-optimized map that our two teams created for the global Strava community.”