Week in Tech: CeramicSpeed and Rapha celebrate the Giro; 3T’s new carbon crank
Here’s the Week in Tech — all the gear news, tips, and announcements you need and none of the marketing gibberish you don’t.
Here’s the Week in Tech — all the gear news, tips, and announcements you need and none of the marketing gibberish you don’t.
CeramicSpeed celebrates the Giro with pink pulley wheels
Ag2r La Mondiale riders are the lucky recipients of special-edition OSPW pulley wheels in Giro pink from CeramicSpeed. The team will race this year’s Giro d’Italia with the flashy pulleys. If you’re a serious Italophile, you can nab your own set directly from CeramicSpeed. Like the regular run of OSPW pulley wheels from CeramicSpeed, the special-edition pink wheels help reduce friction and extend drivetrain life. The oversize pulley set costs a staggering $499, while the standard pulleys run $269.
Rapha’s got the Giro bug too
Andy Hampsten’s Giro win happened 30 years ago, and Rapha is celebrating with a limited edition Gavia collection. The pivotal stage on the Passo di Gavia treated riders to brutal climbs and snowy weather, and Hampsten emerged victorious. As such, the collection includes a limited edition jersey, bib shorts based on Rapha’s Classic Bib Shorts II, a flashy base layer, and a Race Cape based on Rapha’s Pro Team Race Cape. Neoprene gloves, a winter hat, and socks round out the collection. Each piece features custom colors and designs that celebrate Hampsten and his historic win in Italy.
Adidas has one lens to rule them all
The LST Vario lens adapts to changing light conditions throughout variable daylight conditions, according to Adidas. Light Stabilizing Technology (LST) helps reduce the intensity of light while increasing contrast and colors. This supposedly reduces distractions from changing light conditions. The scratch-resistant lens also features Vario Injection Wafer technology — a fancy way of saying variable lens tinting, along with durable construction. It’s photochromatic too. There’s a long list of additional features, including UVA and UVB protection. And the LST Vario lens will be available on the Zonyk Pro, Zonyk Aero Pro, Zonyk Aero Midcut Pro, and Evil Eye Evo Pro.
3T continues its 1X pursuit with Torno crank
3T owns the claim of the first 1X aero road bike on the market, and now it’s got an aero 1X crank to go with it. Designed by Gerard Vroomen, the Torno features super-thin crank arms (only 12mm wide at the pedal) for aerodynamic advantage, as well as continuous fibers from the drive side crank arm into the uniquely shaped spider. The spindle is also carbon to reduce weight on an already feathery system. 3T claims the crankset weighs a mere 330 grams (size 172.5, including crank arms, spindle, and spider). The Wolf Tooth DropStop chainring is available in 36-tooth, 40-tooth, and 44-tooth options. The system is specifically designed for the Strada and Exploro bikes from 3T.
Mission Workshop fans the fanny flames
Oh, you thought fanny packs were a passing fad? Mission Workshop begs to differ. The Axis Modular Waist Pack is weatherproof to make itself useful on your commute to work and your next mountain bike ride. This 2.5 liter pack is ideal for just the essentials, but if you’ve got more than that, you can integrate the Axis with any of Mission’s Arkiv backpacks. It’s made from 500d Nylon, and it’s TPU-coated inside to protect your goodies from gnarly weather. An integrated mini U-lock holder is a nice finishing touch. The Axis will run you $120.